One of the reasons that K-Dramas have such universal appeal is that most have a strong emphasis on friendships. The characters may fight and even break their friendships at a certain point, but they almost always resolve it and return to each other. Here are some K-Drama friendships that have squad goals written all over them:
The storyline about an alien and a woman who may be the reincarnation of his first love (from centuries ago!) is immensely appealing as played by Kim Soo-Hyun and Jun Ji-Hyun. Because of his secret, he is wary of befriending earthlings. But he learns that real friends will do whatever it takes to keep him safe, even if it means putting themselves in danger. She and her younger brother (played by Ahn Jae-Hyun) are fiercely protective of him, as is his long-time lawyer (who — because he’s human — shows his age and is mistaken for Kim Soo-Hyun’s father).
“Weightlifting Fairy, Kim Bok-joo”
It’s not easy for any young woman to adhere to looks that society say isn’t attractive. But a trio of female college weightlifters fight against prejudice and pump each other up to maintain their “heavy” weight for the sake of their sport. Led by Lee Sung-Kyoung in her first lead role, the series shows female empowerment and drives home that you don’t have to be model-thin to get the boyfriend of your dreams (in this case, Nam Joo Hyuk). I am a huge fan of any K-Drama scene where the characters are eating. I loved all the scenes where the girls ate what they wanted with gusto and wished I could join them at one of their meals.
“Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth”
Let’s be honest here. The best part of this series wasn’t the romance between Park Seo-Joon and Go Ara. It was the bromance between Park, BTS‘ Kim Tae-Hyung, ZE:A ‘s Park Hyung-Sik and SHINee’s Choi Min-Ho. The storyline was muddled and iffy, but it was made palatable by the cast’s charm and believable camaraderie. Turns out that the actors all did become friends, especially the trio of Park Seo-Joon, Park Hyung-Sik and Kim Tae-Hyung! Since working together on the 2016 K-Drama, the entertainers have famously spent their birthdays together, sent each other coffee trucks to commemorate new projects and shown up as guests at BTS concerts.
Park Seo-Joon and Kim Ji-Won portray childhood best friends who grew up having a sister/brother type of relationship. As adults, they watch each other date unsuitable partners and console each other. Of course, they eventually snap to it and realize they are in love with each other. This series could’ve done just fine concentrating on the lead pair, but it does a great job of including their best friends (who are already involved in a romantic relationship) and how they are fiercely loyal to one another. What makes this series so special is that it delves into the characters’ history together and shows how friendships and relationships evolve as people get older.
Now it’s your turn. What are some of your favorite K-Drama friendship squads? Sound off in the comments below!
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