Love Knows No Boundaries: 7 K-Dramas Featuring Star-Crossed Lovers From Contrasting Worlds
One of the oldest but eternally captivating tropes on television.
The unlikely romance is a popular trope that never fails to attract drooling fans. Star-crossed lovers from different cultural and familial backgrounds, social groups, time periods, or even universes have to endure so much tension and drama on their way to each other that their happy ending always feels cathartic and extra exciting.
South Korean creators have certainly mastered this trope, and these seven fan-favorite K-dramas prove it.
Shopping King Louie (2016)
IMDb rating: 7.5/10
Where to stream: Prime Video, Viki
He's the sole heir to a wealthy family, accustomed to spending money on fancy things whenever he feels low or lonely. She is a simple country girl who sticks to the basics when it comes to spending. But when he loses his memory and finds himself penniless, she steps in and teaches him to enjoy life without luxury.
Encounter (2018)
IMDb rating: 7.6/10
Where to stream: Viki
She is a rich and successful CEO who feels trapped in a golden cage. He is a cheerful, poor college graduate who doesn't even have a job, but considers the whole world his home. When they meet on a fateful trip, the sparks fly and a mutual evolution begins.
Touch Your Heart (2019)
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IMDb rating: 7.6/10
Where to stream: Prime Video, Viki
She is a scandalous actress who needs a new big role to get out of public oblivion. He is a top lawyer who seems only interested in work. A chance at a big acting gig in a legal drama forces her to get some field experience and take a job as his secretary.
Tale of the Nine Tailed (2020)
IMDb rating: 7.9/10
Where to stream: Netflix, Prime Video, Viki
She's a sharp and gutsy TV producer digging into urban myths. He is a nine-tailed fox, a former mighty mountain deity who now works as a kind of hunter of evil supernatural beings. Their worlds collide unexpectedly, and it turns out they share a painful memory.
W: Two Worlds (2016)
IMDb rating: 8.0/10
Where to stream: Netflix, Viki, iflix, WeTV
She is a surgeon in the real world. He is a mega-rich CEO from the virtual universe of webtoons created by her dad. When the father mysteriously disappears, things take a crazy turn. The female lead studies his current work in search of clues and is suddenly sucked into the fictional world.
My Love from Another Star (2013)
IMDb rating: 8.2/10
Where to stream: Netflix, Prime Video, Viki
She's a big-time actress and social media star. He's an alien who's lived on Earth for a whopping four hundred years. He can't wait to get back to his own planet, and the countdown is on. But when they become neighbors, everything goes haywire.
Crash Landing on You (2019)
IMDb rating: 8.7/10
Where to stream: Netflix
She is a South Korean chaebol heiress. He is a captain in the elite division of the North Korean army. When a paragliding mishap lands on his side of the border, he reluctantly agrees to help her get back home. But it's during this rescue mission that both realize they were made for each other.