25 Best Romantic Korean Dramas With Fantasy Elements

Dec. 26, 2020, 9:30 p.m.

Movies

25 Best Romantic Korean Dramas With Fantasy Elements

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Summary Best romantic fantasy K-dramas feature otherworldly settings & intriguing plots filled with love stories bordering on the supernatural.

Romance mixed with mystery creates addicting fantasy Korean drama experiences with deep exploration in insulated worlds.

Truly memorable fantasy K-drama series showcase rich Korean folklore with elements like goblins, ghosts, and dragons for captivating plots.

Watching K-dramas can be one of the most entertaining forms of escapism, especially when they are filled with mysticism and other out-of-the-world elements, like the best romantic fantasy K-drama releases. From interesting plots involving folklore creatures like gumiho (a nine-tailed fox) and a mermaid to fantasies like time travel or reincarnations, K-dramas that fall within the supernatural or fantasy genres are always fun to watch, as Korean culture is rich in folklore and mythos. When mixed with romance, it creates even better fantasy Korean drama experiences.

The best of these types of shows usually feature love stories that are especially deep and romantic, made more so by their otherworldly settings or mysterious themes, making the best fantasy K-drama series addictive and perfect for binge-watching. Full of intriguing plots, stunning visuals, and deep exploration of their own insulated worlds, some of the best romantic fantasy Korean dramas feature plot elements that border on the supernatural and include interesting fantastical creatures like goblins, ghosts, dragons, and perhaps even the Korean Grim Reaper himself (Jeosung Saja).

Related Top 20 Badass Female Leads From K-Dramas While K-dramas are often enjoyed for their sometimes-saccharine romances and dramatic plots, there are more than a few iconic female leads, as well.

25 My Lovely Liar (2023)

A Woman Can Hear When People Lie

My Lovely Liar Cast Kim So-hyun , Hwang Min-hyun , Seo Ji-hoon , Lee Si-woo Seasons 1 Writers Seo Jeong-eun

My Lovely Liar is a fantasy K-drama that follows a young woman named Mok Sol-hee (Kim So-hyun). She gave up the chance for happiness when she was young because she discovered she has the ability to hear when people were lying. This has ruined her chances to be in a relationship throughout her life because she always knows when someone is hiding something from her. However, she finds a new calling as an adult when she starts working as a human lie detector for people.

Directed by Nam Sung-woo (My Roommate Is a Gumiho)

However, when she connects with a murder suspect named Do-ha (Hwang Min-hyun) who everyone believes is guilty. However, since she can hear lies, she knows he is innocent of the crime and wants to help him uncover the truth. Directed by Nam Sung-woo (My Roommate Is a Gumiho), this K-drama has 16 episodes and aired in 2023. Critics praised the chemistry between the leads, and it plays well as a romantic mystery with supernatural fantasy elements.

My Lovely Liar is available to stream on Viki Rakuten

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24 Thirst (2009)

A Priest Becomes A Vampire And Falls In Love

Thirst Director Park Chan-wook Release Date April 30, 2009 Cast Song Kang-ho , Kim Ok-bin , Kim Hae-sook , Shin Ha-kyun Runtime 134 Minutes

Thirst is a fantasy K-drama that veers very close to being a legitimate horror movie. Directed by Park Chan-wook (Old Boy), the film follows Sang-hyun is a Catholic priest volunteering at a hospital who provides ministry to patients. However, when he volunteers to test out a vaccine for a deadly virus that is sweeping through the area, it fails and he develops a fatal disease. However, he learns that when he receives a blood transfusion, he instantly heals. Once he becomes dangerously ill when he goes into the sunlight, he realizes he has become a vampire.

The romance comes when he falls in love with Tae-ju, a housewife who lives a dreary life with her husband and mother-in-law, but this romance is doomed from the start. Thirst saw great success upon its release, winning the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. It also earned nominations for Best Film and Best Actress (Kim Ok-bin) at the Baeksang Arts Awards and won Best Director and Best Actor (Song Kang-ho) at the Director's Cut Awards.

23 Hi! School: Love On (2014-2015)

An Angel Becomes Human After Saving A Teenager In Danger

When an angel who is obsessed with watching Korean soap operas and watches over the lives of mortals, including high school students Woo-hyun and Sung-yeol. When the angel realizes Sung-yeol is about to jump from a roof to take her own life. Woo-hyun saves her but falls himself. The angel intervenes and saves his life. Because the angel interferes, she becomes human as punishment, and she takes the identity of Seul-bi and starts to live the life of a mortal.

Seul-bi faces injustice and things that she sees as wrong head-on.

Often falling back on her role as an angel, and not understanding she is no longer immortal, Seul-bi faces injustice and things that she sees as wrong head-on and starts to develop a close relationship with Woo-hyun, and the two swear to protect each other. When Woo-hyun is forced to transfer to the same school as Sung-yeol, Seul-bi also enrolls. Sung-yeol also falls for the now-mortal angel and a love triangle forms. There were 20 episodes of the series, which aired in 2014-2015.

Hi! School: Love On is available to stream on Viki Rakuten

22 Queen In-hyun's Man (2012)

A Time-Traveling Scholar Falls In Love With An Obscure Actress

Queen In-hyun's Man is a fantasy K-drama that follows the adventures of a scholar named Kim Bung-do (Ji Hyun-woo) from the Joseon Dynasty in 1694. He is the last surviving member of his family and supports the deposed Queen In-hyun, who lost her rule thanks to the royal concubine Lady Jang. However, when a mysterious talisman causes Kim Bung-do to travel to the future, he ends up in 2012 and meets a struggling actress named Choi Hee-jim (Yoo In-na).

The twist is that Choi received her first major TV role when a popular drama called New Jang Heebin casts her as Queen In-hyun. Soon, Kim meets Choi, and the two fall in love. The series ran for 16 episodes in 2012 and received critical acclaim. Yoo In-na won the Rising Star Award in 2012 at the 1st K-Drama Star Awards and earned a nomination for Romantic-Comedy Queen in 2016 at the tnN10 Awards. There was also a Chinese remake of the series, with the new title Love Weaves Through a Millennium.

Queen In-hyun's Man is available to stream on Roku.

21 Oh My Ghost (2015)

A Ghost Possesses A Timid Young Woman

Oh My Ghost (2015) Cast Park Bo-young , Jo Jung-Suk , Lim Ju-hwan , Kim Seul-gi , Shin Hye-sun , Kang Ki-young , Lee Jeong-eun , Kwak Si-yang Release Date July 3, 2015 Seasons 1

In Oh My Ghost, Na Bong-sun (Park Bo-young) is a young woman who works as an assistant chef at the Sun Restaurant. She is insecure, timid, and has low self-esteem. She can also see ghosts thanks to her grandmother being a shaman. One day, a lustful virgin ghost possesses her and sets out to lose her virginity, hoping that will allow her to move on to the afterlife. The change that comes over Na is striking, and few people who know her understand how to react when she starts hitting on everyone, trying to find romance.

This is not just a romance, as the ghost realizes that there might be one more thing she needs to do to move on

The male lead is Kang Sun-woo (Jo Jung-suk), the owner and head chef who Na has always had a crush on, and when she starts acting more aggressively and with confidence, she finally catches his eye. However, this is not just a romance, as the ghost realizes that there might be one more thing she needs to do to move on — and that is to use Na to find out who killed her. Both Park Bo-Young and Kim Seul-gi won DramaFever Awards for their performances in this fantasy K-drama.

Oh My Ghost is available to stream on Roku and Viki Rakuten

20 I Can Hear Your Voice (2013)

A Mind Reader Helps A Public Defender Solve Crimes

In I Can Hear Your Voice, Jang Hye-sung is an apathetic public defender who does her job, but has little concern for anyone other than herself. Park Soo-ha is a man who gained the ability to read people's minds by looking them in the eyes — a skill he gained when he watched his father's murder. These two met earlier in life when Jang helped testify to put Park's father's killer in prison. However, when they meet again years later, Park is astonished at how much Jang has changed, and how it seems she doesn't care about life anymore.

Soon, Jang realizes she can help so many more people if she gives up her aimless life and works with Park, using his unique skills to solve cases and save people's lives. This romantic fantasy K-drama was a massive success, winning five awards at the 6th Korean Drama Awards and seven at the SBS Drama Awards with 12 nominations.

I Can Hear Your Voice is available to stream on Viki Rakuten

Related 20 Best Love Triangles In K-Dramas, Ranked Love triangles in K-dramas are one of the biggest tropes in the genre and sometimes the main plot point. What are the best of them all?

19 Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016)

During A Solar Eclipse, A Woman Is Transported Back In Time

Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016) Cast Lee Seung-gi , Shin Min-a , No Min-woo , Park Soo-jin Release Date August 11, 2010 Seasons 1 Writers Hong Jung-eun , Hong Mi-ran

Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo is a fantasy K-drama based on a Chinese novel by Bu Bu Jin Xin. The series lasted for 20 episodes and follows a 25-year-old woman transported back in time to the Goryeo Dynasty during a total solar eclipse. When she wakes up, she is in the body of Hae Soo, surrounded by the princes of the ruling Wang family.

The series is both sad and memorable and was one of the most-watched fantasy K-dramas of 2016.

In the new era, she falls in love with one prince and then with a second. During all this time, she ends up involved in palace politics and is stuck in between the princes as they fight for the throne. The series is both sad and memorable and was one of the most-watched fantasy K-dramas of 2016. It was also nominated for twelve prizes at SBS Drama Awards, winning seven

18 Alchemy Of Souls (2022)

Young Mages Deal In Adventures Of Heaven & Earth

Alchemy of Souls is a 2022 fantasy Korean drama about a couple of young mages who fall in love after a forbidden magic spell is cast that allows souls to switch bodies. An elite warrior named Nak-su had his soul trapped in the body of the weak Mu-deok. However, she soon meets Jang Uk, a noble, and becomes his servant and his master, and they soon fall in love.

Created by the Hong Sisters, this is one of the most ambitious projects for the sisters. When Songrim and Jang Uk are together, she teaches him how to become a mage, and the two work together to battle evil lurking in the shadows together. The second part follows a tragic ending for the first season, and this forces Jang Uk into a dark path where he needs to find love again.

Alchemy of Souls is available to stream on Netflix.

17 Extraordinary You (2019)

A Girl Learns She Lives In A Comic Book

Extraordinary You (2019) Cast Kim Hye-yoon , Rowoon , Lee Jae-wook , Lee Na-eun , Jung Gun-joo , Kim Young-dae , Lee Tae-ri Release Date October 2, 2019 Seasons 2 Creator(s) Kim Dae-jin , Moo Ryuyee

The fantasy K-drama Extraordinary You follows a high school girl named Eun Dan-oh at a prestigious academy. However, she soon learns that she lives in a world that is actually part of a fantasy comic world. Based on the Korean Webtoon July Found By Chance, when she realizes that she nor anyone she knows really exists, she decides to change her story and her fate.

This fantasy Korean drama was a huge success, winning five MBC Drama Awards, including Drama of the Year.

It is similar to the American blockbuster Ryan Reynolds movie Free Guy, where a man in a video game decides he will become the game's hero. However, in this situation, the girl realizes that it might not be her place to change the story of the comic after she meets a nameless student in her class and faces the fact that this might not even be her story to change. This fantasy Korean drama was a huge success, winning five MBC Drama Awards, including Drama of the Year.

Extraordinary You is available to stream on Viki Rakuten

16 My Roommate Is A Gumiho (2021)

A Gumiho Wants To Become Human By Finding Love

My Roommate Is A Gumiho (2021) Cast Jang Ki-yong , Lee Hye-ri , Kang Han-na , Kim Do-Wan Release Date May 26, 2021 Seasons 1 Creator(s) Na (Webcomic)

Released in 2021, My Roommate is a Gumiho is a fantasy K-drama that tells the story of a 999-year-old Gumiho, or a nine-tailed fox, a mythical creature who takes the form of Shin Woo-yeo. His dream is to become human one day, and this 16-episode series follows him as he seeks this dream. In the typical myths, the Gumiho often takes the form of a beautiful woman, so she can seduce men and eat their liver or heart.

This fantasy Korean drama takes a different look at it since it is in a male body, and he doesn't want to feed on anyone but wants to become a human. However, when a young woman swallows one of his sacred beads, she will die, and he will never become human if they don't get it out.

My Roommate Is A Gumiho is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.

15 W: Two Worlds Apart (2016)

A Young Woman Finds Herself Transported Into A Webtoon

In the K-Drama W: Two Worlds Apart, a surgeon named Oh Yeon-Joo (Han Hyo-Joo) has a father who writes a webtoon titled W. After her father tries to kill off the comic's main character, she finds herself inside the webtoon and face-to-face with the lead named Kang Chul (Lee Jong-Suk). One of the more interesting romantic Korean dramas that are also perfect for Valentine's Day, W: Two Worlds switches between the real world and the comic world throughout its run.

With its exciting and thrilling romance story, W: Two Worlds Apart is a K-drama that viewers will want to binge in a single sitting.

W: Two Worlds Apart also has a great soundtrack, but it feels underutilized since the songs are mostly played during ending freeze frames. With its exciting and thrilling romance story, W: Two Worlds Apart is a K-drama that viewers will want to binge in a single sitting. The show was nominated for 12 honors at the 36th MBC Drama Awards, winning seven awards, including Drama of the Year and the top awards for Actor and Actress in a Miniseries.

W: Two Worlds Apart is available to stream on Viki Rakuten

14 The Bride Of Habaek (2017)

The God Of The Land Of Water Wants To Regain His Throne

One of the best romantic Korean dramas on the market, The Bride of Habaek, based on the manhwa Bride of the Water God, sees the god of the Land of Water, Lord Ha-Baek, return to Earth in search of the sacred stones so that he may lay claim to the throne of the Divine Realm. In his quest, he requires the assistance of neuropsychiatrist Yoon So-ah, as she is the only living member of a family that has promised to serve him for generations on end.

An entry for fans of the Korean drama W, initially, So-ah believes that Ha-baek has lost his mind, until she meets multiple other gods and demigods. Then and only then is she persuaded to assist Ha-baek in his journey. The fantasy-leaning Bride of Habaek is special because it contains more grounded human elements alongside the supernatural world, such as the revelation of So-ah's tragic past.

The Bride Of Habaek is available to stream on Roku and Viki Rakuten.

Related The Best K-Dramas Of All Time, Ranked K-Dramas have been enjoying a lot of success and fan adoration as of late, and these are the best K-dramas of all time.

13 Doom At Your Service (2021)

A Woman Who Is About To DIe Wishes For The World To End

Risking her life, a terminally-ill woman named Tak Dong-Kyung (Park Bo-Young) makes a deal with Myul-Mang (Seo In-Guk), who is the middleman between humans and God. Dong-Kyung wishes for the world to end since she only has 100 days to live anyway. While it can be difficult to understand the romantic Korean drama's main story, the love story between Dong Kyung and Myul-Mang is almost palpable. There's also an intense K-drama love triangle that makes Doom at Your Service a gripping watch.

As with any fantasy K-drama like this, there are more people involved than just these two, and that brings a level of difficulty to the idea of destroying everyone just because they aren't happy with their own fates anymore.

The series has a lot of moral questions. The middleman between life and death is tired of his fate, and he has no problem in destroying the world if that is Dong-kyung's wish. However, as with any fantasy K-drama like this, there are more people involved than just these two, and that brings a level of difficulty to the idea of destroying everyone just because they aren't happy with their own fates anymore.

Doom At Your Service is available to stream on Netflix and Viki Rakuten

12 Lovers Of The Red Sky (2021)

A Story Of The Only Female Painter In The Dan Dynasty

Aside from featuring fantasy elements and being one of the best romantic fantasy K-dramas out there, Lovers of the Red Sky is also a historical K-drama. The series is about a painter named Hong Cheon-Ki (Kim You-Jung), who became the first female painter to enroll in the Dohwaseo. In school, Cheon-Ki meets and falls in love with Ha Ram (Ahn Hyo-Seop), who is the teacher in charge of geography, astronomy, and meteorology. But Ha Ram is blind, which means that he can't see Cheon-Ki's paintings.

Other than the K-drama's charming love story, Lovers of the Red Sky is also an informative show as it features interesting depictions of how traditional Korean paintings are made. The series was well-received and earned eight nominations at the SBS Drama Awards in 2021. It won the Best Couple Award, while Ahn Hyo-seop, Kwak Si-yang, and Kim Yoo-jung all won acting awards for their performance.

Lovers of the Red Sky is available to stream on Viki Rakuten.

11 The King: Eternal Monarch (2020)

A Korean Emperor Time Travels To A Parallel Earth

The King: Eternal Monarch is a K-drama that uses time travel as a plot device. There are two parallel worlds in the series. After the modern-day Korean emperor passes through a portal, he is transported to the Kingdom of Corea, which is still in the year 1994. The casting of Lee Min-Ho and Kim Go-Eun as the two main characters was an excellent decision in the romantic Korean drama, as the two main actors have incredible chemistry and don't fail to make the viewers swoon every time they're on screen.

Critics also praised the script and narrative of the series, which steers away from popular K-drama tropes like disapproving parents and tragic illnesses.

Critics also praised the script and narrative of the series, which steers away from popular K-drama tropes like disapproving parents and tragic illnesses. Lee Min-ho won the Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries Fantasy/Romance Drama award at the SBS Drama Awards in 2020 and the series itself was nominated for seven total awards. Its viewership when the premiere was originally released was also the second-highest in its time slot and kept climbing after that (via Elle Magazine).

The King: Eternal Monarch is available to stream on Netflix.

10 Tale Of The Nine-Tailed (2020- )

A Gumiho Meets A Woman Searching For Her Parents

One of the better romantic K-dramas that features an incredible wedding scene, Lee Yoon is a gumiho (Lee Dong-Wook) who quit being a mountain god for his love and has been waiting for centuries in the hope of seeing her reincarnation. Simultaneously, there is Nam Ji-ah (Jo Bo-ah), who is searching for her parents who went missing after a car accident when she was a child.

When the two meet, Yoon sees that Ji-ah looks exactly like his first lover, and even her character reminds him of her, but she doesn't have the fox beads. Will the two finally find what they are looking for? Filled with elements of fantasy, romance, and revenge, Tale of the Nine-Tailed is sure to have anyone hooked. The popular fantasy K-drama has one season and 16 episodes, and there is no word on whether another season is coming for the series.

Tale Of The Nine-Tailed is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Netflix

9 Mystic Pop-Up Bar (2020)

A Woman Who Died By Suicide Opens A Pop-Up Bar To Get Into The Afterlife

Mystic Pop-up Bar Cast Hwang Jeong-eum , Yook Sung-jae , Choi Won-young , Lee Joon-hyuk , Park Sieun , Sang-Hoon Lee , Jung Da-eun , Ahn Tae-hwan Release Date May 20, 2020 Seasons 1

Weol Ju's (Hwang Jung-Eum) death by suicide under a sacred tree brings bad luck to her town in one of the better romantic Korean dramas from 2020, Mystic Pop-Up Bar. After her death, she is given the punishment of solving the problems of 100,000 people, as that is her only way to get to her afterlife.

Mystic Pop-Up Bar is a relatable and cathartic experience

Despite her magical ability to read dreams and the 500 years given to her, Weol-Ju struggles to meet the target. With only a month left, she luckily comes across Han Kang-bae (Yook Sung-Jae), to whom people tell their truths and concerns the moment there is any physical contact with him. Focusing on real-life problems, Mystic Pop-Up Bar is a relatable and cathartic experience and Kang-bae's quest for love is yet another reason to add this drama to anyone's must-watch list.

Mystic Pop-Up Bar is available to stream on Netflix

8 Hotel Del Luna (2019)

A Woman Runs A Hotel For The Dead

Hotel Del Luna Cast Lee Ji-eun , Yeo Jin-Goo Release Date July 13, 2019 Seasons 1 Creator(s) Oh Chung-hwan , Hong Jung-eun , Hong Mi-ran

In the female-led Korean drama Hotel Del Luna – about a hotel that serves the dead – the hotel's CEO, Jang Man-Wol (IU), has been fated to run the establishment because of a sin she committed. Although she no longer remembers why she is being punished, her only way to get out of the situation is to find someone who has made a bigger mistake than her own. The hotel she runs is only for the dead, and the only living person there is the woman who serves as general manager the establishment.

A solid entry into the romantic Korean drama genre, joining the hotel is Goo Chan-sung (Yeo Jin-goo), who is destined to work in this weird place after Man-Wol's dealing with his father. Will the two ever be able to escape their fates? Filled with mystic elements and interesting storylines, Hotel Del Luna is a great show for K-drama beginners.

Hotel Del Luna is available to stream on Netflix.

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7 The Light In Your Eyes (2019)

A Woman Can Time Travel With A Magical Watch

Kim Hye-ja (Han Ji-min) can time travel with a magical watch that she found on a beach. However, every time she uses it, she ages quickly, so when she uses the watch to save her father from dying in an accident, she wakes up the next day as a woman in her 70s (Kim Hye-Ja). But before the unbelievable change in this romantic K-drama roster, she meets Lee Joon-ha (Nam Joo-hyuk), who is also an aspiring journalist like Hye-Ja, and she falls in love with him.

This is a very unique love story that is definitely worth binge-watching

What will the fate of the two's relationship be with Hye-Ja looking old enough to be Joon-ha's grandmother? This is a very unique love story that is definitely worth binge-watching, and it's a K-drama that needs a Hollywood adaptation. The fantasy K-drama was nominated for seven awards at the 55th Baeksang Arts Awards, winning the Grand Prize for Kim Hye-ja and Best Supporting Actress for Lee Jung-eun.

The Light In Your Eyes is available to stream on Netflix and Viki Rakuten

6 A Korean Odyssey (2017-2018)

A Woman Accidentally Helps A Demon Escape From His Prison

Having let Song Ogong (Lee Seung-Gi) escape from the marble mountain – where he was trapped as a punishment from heaven – Jin Seon-Mi (Oh Yeon-So) gets the destiny of a Sam-Jang (someone that spirits want to eat because of the power it will give them). In one of the better romantic Korean dramas, the only thing keeping Seon-Mi safe, and stopping Ogong from eating her like he wants to, is the contract she made with Ogong asking him to protect her.

Seon-Mi later makes the jealous exiled being Ogong wear a magical bracelet called Geumganggo, which makes him fall in love with her more. Seon-mi, who has been an outcast all her life because of her ability to see spirits, develops feelings for Ogong as she finally feels relieved that there is someone for her. This is, unfortunately, one of the few Korean dramas that doesn't have a happily ever after.