The Korean entertainment industry is thriving with innovative and catchy music. There are many wonderfully written fictional dramas in the Korean drama industry. The world of Korean fictional dramas is based on unique themes and creative storylines to project those themes. Korean dramas, also called K-dramas, are witnessing increasing popularity day by day. Moreover, most K titles are available on various online streaming websites. The availability of Korean dramas on streaming sites has made it easier for international fans to watch them. Korean dramas include various themes, such as mystery, thriller, horror, romantic comedy, tragedy, and much more. One of the unique central themes of Korean drama is issues related to mental health. Recently, there has been a boost in K-drama plotlines about characters’ lives and their mental health difficulties. Here is the list of the top 10 Korean dramas that deal with mental health issues.
1. It’s Okay To Not Be Okay- 2020
The 2020 Korean drama is all about healing and overcoming trauma. It's Okay To Not Be Okay is a memorable drama for k drama enthusiasts worldwide. The drama centers around three main characters: Go Moon Young, Moon Kang Tae, and Moon Sang Tae. The story develops as the three characters come across each other, and their lives are entangled. Go Moon Young is a children’s fiction writer, and Moon Kang Tae works at a psychiatric hospital and takes care of his autistic brother, Moon Sang Tae. Go Moon Young is known to have an antisocial personality disorder, and Moon Kang Tae has issues and insecurities and suffers from a lack of condense. Moon Sang Tae suffers because of his past trauma. The drama unfolds the story of each character and the way they understand each other's deep emotional wounds.
2. Hello, My Twenties! 2- 2017
One of the most popular Korean dramas is "Hello, My Twenties! 2,". It centres around the experiences of five girls who live in a boarding house. The story narrates their individual experiences and bonds of friendship. Each character has her story and struggles that she overcomes to live a happy and fulfilled life. Eun Jae is trying to get over her breakup, and Ye Eun is trying to overcome the trauma caused by her abusive ex-boyfriend. Jin Myung explores the life she missed while working all through her youth. Ji Won discovers the memories of her dark past, and Jo Eun starts confronting her difficulties due to parental conflicts. The story narrates the struggles of youth and highlights the negative and challenging situations that could arise from past traumatic experiences.
3. Sky Castle- 2018
Sky Castle incorporates themes such as the mental health struggles of students due to pressures from society. The drama was the highest-rated drama during its airing duration and was known to have touched upon the sensitive subject of the dark side of success. The story is about housewives who reside in a luxurious residential area known as "Sky Castle.” The homemakers want to send their children to the top university in South Korea, the Seoul National University, and would do anything to maintain their status quo. The drama highlights the effect of extreme competition on the mental health of teenagers. The show touches upon sensitive subjects such as suicide, depression, anxiety, and stress.
4. Kill Me Heal Me- 2015
The 2015 K-drama hit revolves around child abuse and personality disorders. The drama consists of the main leads fighting and overcoming their traumatic childhood experiences. Cha Do Hyun, has dissociative identity disorder and has six personalities. Each personality takes over the original Cha Do Hyun, during triggering events. Oh Ri Jin is a psychiatrist in training and has her own deep and dark secrets from the past. Oh Ri Jin is hired by Cha Do Hyun to treat his dissociative identity disorder. Fans loved the drama due to its unique themes of trauma and mental health struggles.
5. The Glory- 2022
The hit Netflix series of 2022 is one of the best revenge dramas of all time. The drama centers around Moon Dong Eun and her attempts to take revenge on her high school bullies. The drama depicts the effect of bullying on the victim. Moon Dong Eun has lost all the colors of her youth and has only one aim: to bring down the people who ruthlessly bullied her in high school. The show presents to its viewers, the long-term effects of bullying. The series is about the mental state of the victim, such as depression, anxiety, trust issues, anger issues, and intense traumatic experiences. The story also narrates the life of Joo Yeo Jeong, who is a plastic surgeon and helps Dong Eun in her mission to defeat her bullies.
6. Mad For Each Other- 2021
The show is about two characters who happen to visit the same psychiatrist. Noh Hwi Oh is a detective and suffers from anger management issues. He was one of the most talented detectives in the violent crime division. However, due to an incident, he turned into an insane and angry person. Oh Yeon Seo had a suitable job in a company, but an incident made her extremely socially anxious and a person with trust issues. She starts suffering from delusions and obsessive compulsions. Both the leads have a hard time engaging in their daily tasks. They find it difficult to live as usual, functioning members of society. Various incidents unfold, and their lives get tangled with each other. The drama explores the dark side of mental health issues and how traumatic life events can drastically change a person’s way of living.
7. My Mister- 2018
One of the best melodramas of all time, "My Mister," talks about loneliness, depression, and anxiety. The characters in the play are struggling. However, the story is also from Lee Ji An’s perspective, who is one of the main characters of the show. Ji An shoulders numerous responsibilities at a young age, which has caused her to be gloomy and hopeless in life. Her struggles are relatable to people who suffer from societal isolation.
8. Shadow Beauty- 2021
The story revolves around Koo Ae Jin, who is bullied at her school because of her looks. As a result, she becomes anxious about herself and transforms into an Instagram star called “Genie”. The drama highlights the influences of unmatchable beauty standards in the lives of teenagers and how these standards can cause anxiety and insecurities among them.
9. Sweet Home Season 1- 2020
The supernatural apocalyptic drama is based on the webtoon of the same name. The central theme of Sweet Home is how characters survive in an apocalyptic society filled with monsters. However, all characters have their share of mental issues and traumas that they try to overcome while fighting the monsters. The main character, Cha Hyun Soo, becomes suicidal after getting bullied at school and has lost all hope to live. However, he finds a reason to survive while saving people from monsters, and thus making their safe location his sweet home.
10. Madame Antione- 2016
The 2016 romantic comedy explores subtle themes of isolation, betrayal, jealousy and how these elements can affect the lives of individuals. Hye Rim runs a fortune-telling business, and Soo Hyun is a psychologist from abroad. Soo Hyun doesn’t believe in love and affection due to his past childhood experiences and Hye Rim's husband left her for someone else. The drama continues to explore the causes of trust issues and depression in the lives of the main leads of the story.
