Many people use January as a fresh start since it’s the beginning of a new year. It’s a chance to reflect on the past 365 days, and set new goals. The goal could be eating healthy or even changing careers.
There are many dramas that capture the hopefulness of a fresh start. Below are five dramas that feature characters who start over and teach us to get back up when we get knocked down.
Wok of Love
Doo Chil Sung (Jang Hyuk) runs a shabby Chinese restaurant called Hungry Wok. Before that, he led a life of crime in the Big Dipper Gang. He opened Hungry Wok so former gang members who want a fresh start have employment. He’s soon joined by Seo Poong (Lee Jun Ho) a disgraced star chef and Dan Sae Woo (Jung Ryeo Won) a bankrupt heiress whose life changed after tasing jajangmyun. They’re looking for a fresh start too, and they find it together one dish at a time.
Wok of Love was charming, but it made me hungry! If I hadn’t been so invested in Chil Sung, Seo Poong, and Sae Woo’s stories I don’t know if I would have survived. If you’re looking for a light but inspiring drama with bromance and a love triangle, then KOCOWA’s got you covered!
Still 17
Woo Seo Ri (Shin Hye Sun), a seventeen-year-old violin prodigy, gets into a terrible bus accident before she can go study in Germany. She falls into a coma and wakes up thirteen years later. It’s a shock, because mentally she’s still seventeen. Meanwhile, Gong Woo Jin (Yang Se Jong) lives a solitary life. He’s afraid of letting people in, because he blames himself for his first love’s death. Seo Ri and Gong Woo cross paths and help each other heal from old traumas.
This is one of the most heart-warming K-dramas I’ve ever seen. It could’ve easily been depressing, but it managed to handle the subject matter sensitively while keeping the tone light and hopeful. It also introduced me to Ahn Hyo Seop! He looked so different back then.
Still 17 is a drama about second chances, but it deserves to be on this list because every second chance is also a fresh start.
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha
After Yoon Hye Jin’s (Shin Min A) life implodes, she leaves Seoul and moves to a quaint seaside village where she opens a dental clinic. She meets many colorful people, including the village’s jack-of-all-trades Hong Doo Shik (Kim Seon Ho). They’re total opposites, but sparks fly nonetheless.
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha was one of 2021’s most popular dramas for a reason. It was a slice of life with depth and a lovable male lead. It was also Shin Min Ah’s long awaited return to the small screen. Her chemistry with Kim Seon Ho was electrifying, and the interesting supporting characters kept people tuning in.
If you want to see a city girl discover the beauty of slowing down, then add this drama to your watch list.
When the Weather Is Fine
Mok Hae Won (Park Min Young) is a cellist who has experienced a series of setbacks in life. She quits her job in Seoul and moves to Bookhyun Village, where she previously lived in high school. Upon arriving, she meets Im Eun Seob (Seo Kang Joon) her old classmate and neighbor. He’s now running a bookstore, and they slowly fall in love and heal old wounds.
This is the quintessential “I need a fresh start” drama. Mok Hae’s exhaustion with her life is relatable, and her warm chemistry with Eun Seob goes down easier than a cup of hot chocolate. The beautiful, snowy backdrop of Bookhyun is healing as well.
Summer Strike
Everything seems to be going well for Lee Yeo Reum (Kim Seol Hyun) until her job gets hectic, her mom dies, and her boyfriend breaks up with her. After all these devastating incidents, she quits her job and moves to a small seaside village called Angok. There, she meets An Dae Beom (Im Si Wan) a shy librarian who’s got some scars of his own.
Summer Strike was the perfect drama to close out 2022 with. Many people lived vicariously through Lee Yeo Reum as she went on strike and…did nothing. No stressful job to worry about, no hectic environment. Just a girl starting over and finding herself (with a cute librarian nearby).
Which fresh start inspired you the most? Taking risks and pursuing a passion or getting away from the hectic city life to reset? Let me know in the comments!
