7 Best Coming Of Age K-Dramas

Coming of age is a period in life when we enter adulthood and with our experiences become mature and responsible. It’s a time that changes our perspective on life as we experience many things for the first time and truly get to know ourselves.

The topic is very often picked up by Korean dramas. Their characters show determination and passion as they strive to achieve their dreams in a competitive and harsh world of adults. Except for the struggles, they also experience true love, meaningful friendships, and hard-earned successes. We look for characters who we can relate to, find comfort in but also laugh with and enjoy the adolescence journey with. These K-Drama personalities make us appreciate the process of growing up with all its ups and downs.

Without a doubt, K-Dramas have done a great job exposing us to such stories. Throughout the years, we’ve seen many great young adult productions coming out. We have prepared a list of the best picks of coming of age series which you should instantly add to your must-watch K-Drama list.

 

1. "Twenty-Five Twenty-One"

It won’t come as a surprise that “Twenty-Five Twenty-One” is the first title on this list. The drama has been a great hit, topping up Netflix’s global ranking for several weeks. It follows the story of Nam HeeDo (Kim TaeRi), a high school student who attends a fencing club, and Baek YiJin (Nam JooHyuk), a university student whose life has dramatically changed due to the financial crisis. Both of the characters follow their dreams and try to achieve a stable and happy future, stagnated by the grim reality of the 90’. The various relationships that the drama displays and meaningful romance lead to character development that strongly prevails in the hearts of the audience.

The reason why “Twenty-Five Twenty-One” become an international success, is its sweet-bitter narrative that speaks to the heart. There is no possibility you could miss out on this K-Drama, but we warn you - you will need some tissues!

 

2. "Nevertheless,"

This K-Drama is a perfect choice to reflect on young love with characters to who we can truly relate. The main characters of “Nevertheless,”  are art college students - Yoo NaBi (Han SoHee), Park JaeEon (Song Kang) - who end up in a steamy and complicated relationship. Falling for each other, they are still caught up in the past and as time passes, they have to decide whether they want to save their relationship or avoid commitment. Besides, the main couple, the series is filled with captivating and inspirational characters - even though their stories are different, they all share the worries and precious moments of growing up. 

“Nevertheless,” charms its viewers with a passionate view of modern relationships, interlaced with the painful reality they face, trying to comprehend their own feelings. Moreover, it breaks loose the innocence that K-Dramas typically include, delivering a realistic image of college life.

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3. "Fight For My Way"

“Fight For My Way” is a literal K-Drama classic with an inspirational but very humorous storyline that everyone falls in love with. Ko DongMan (Park SeoJon) and Choi AeRa (Kim JiWon) are both high school graduates who’ve just entered the job market. Despite having great dreams of pursuing taekwondo and entertainment, they end up with dull, unsatisfactory jobs. The brutal reality does not stop these friends from going for their ambitions. The series steals the hearts of the audience with its truthful and inspiring lead characters, who go against society’s prejudices and fight for their way of living. Moreover, the adorable and quirky, friends-to-lovers relationship of the lead couple shows how the support of a beloved one empowers us to chase our goals.

“Fight For My Way” is a one-of-a-kind series that takes its viewers on a rollercoaster of emotions, making us devotedly root for DongMan and AeRa.

 

4. "My First First Love"

As the title suggest this K-Drama overflows with various forms of love, friendship, and other experiences of youth. This is all told through the lives of a group of college friends - TaeO (Ji Soo), SongYi (Jung ChaeYeon), DoHyun (JinYoung), GaRin (Choi Ri), Hoon (Kang TaeOh) - who coincidently end up living under the same roof. Despite having known each other for a long time, after moving in together, the characters realize their real feelings. Friendship and love aren’t the only matters that connect them together, but also a step into a life full of unexpected changes, and difficult decisions in pursuit of the desired future. Each of the young adults surprises us with their unique character and background and shows us that no matter where you come from, everyone fights some battles.

Thanks to the various narratives that “My First First Love” provides, it’s an empathic story that anyone can identify with.

 

5. "Reply 1988"

This drama teleports us back to 1988 Seoul, where 5 neighborhood friends - DukSun (HyeRi), JungHwan (Ryu JunYeol), SunWoo (Go KyungPyo), Taek (Park BoGum) and DongRyong (Lee DongHwi)- make long-lasting memories of their teen years together. All characters come from various families, yet each of them experiences their own struggles and worries. The storyline of “Reply 1988” underlines the importance of family and friends' support in our daily lives. It’s also a great dive into how the priorities of adolescence have changed through the years and the similarities that still prevail such as human connections and dreams.

“Reply 1988” is a beautiful story about love, friendship, and life’s beauty found in good and bad moments that shape us as humans. This K-Drama gives you a unique opportunity to go back to the reality of the Korean youth in the 80s.

 

6. "Age Of Youth"

The drama invites you to “Belle Epoque”- a house share with 5 college students -  Yoon JinMyung (Han YeRi), Jung YeEun (Han SeungYeon), Song JiWon (Park EunBin), Kang YiNa (Ryu HwaYoung), Yoo EunJae (Park HyeSu). Despite being housemates, they have quite different personalities and perspectives on life. The girls have their own charms and quirky characteristics, that make the whole show a compelling, fun mixture of 5 unique lives. Every protagonist has some secrets, which they may or may not share with each other, but one thing is sure - their friendship is genuine. No matter what happens in life, they can count on each other, while they make mistakes, learn, fall in love, making the best out of their time as young women.

The name of the girls' house - "Belle Epoque" - says it all, the twenties are truly a peak of life, full of surprises and beautiful moments. If you wish to see how exciting college years look like, "Age Of Youth" is a perfect choice.

 

7. "My ID Is Gangnam Beauty"

A huge part of growing up is realizing your self-worth and embracing your personality and appearance. “My ID is Gangnam Beauty” follows Kang MiRae (Im SooHyang) who goes through this exact inner journey. She is a timid college student, who used to be bullied for her appearance. The situation changes when she gets plastic surgery, though it does not make her gain confidence. Despite the positive first impression that the girl makes on her new college colleagues, Kang MiRae ends up being called “Gangnam Beauty” because of her choice. Fortunately, she meets Do KyungSeok (ASTRO'S Cha EunWoo) and Yeon WooYoung (Kwak DongYeon) who see much more in her than just what's on the surface. 

The character development of Kang MiRae teaches the drama viewers what the true qualities in life are. It also states a fact, that as we mature we become more aware of our own values and abandon the stereotypes society forced on us.

 

Which of these K-Dramas have you already seen and which are you adding to your list? Are there any specific K-Drama concepts you would like us to look into next?