Best friends to lovers kdramas are very popular. People love seeing two close friends become a couple. Several shows have done this story really well. Viewers get excited watching the friends realize they actually have deeper feelings for each other. These kdramas make you cheer for the main characters to get together.
This article will talk about 12 kdramas where best friends fall in love. Some feature childhood BFFs who start to like each other as more than friends. Others show pairs that fight a lot initially before seeing that they belong together. Some friends secretly have crushes until something brings them together.
12 Best Friends to Lovers Kdramas
Whether it’s fast or slow, these kdrama relationships seem real. Having the friendship first makes the romance more believable and touching. Get ready to gush over friends finding love – keep reading for 12 of the best friends to lovers kdramas out there! The foundation of friendship takes these love stories to the next level.
12. Something in the Rain
Something in the Rain is the best friends to lovers kdrama. It stars Yoon Jin-ah and Soo Joon-hee, who have been like family since Jin-ah was a little girl. When Joon-hee returns from a long time abroad, Jin-ah starts seeing him differently. Though it seems weird at first for such close friends to date, they soon fall for each other.
What makes their romance work is that Jin-ah and Joon-hee already completely trust each other. Their long history as confidants allows them to open up and be vulnerable in a way new couples usually can’t. We watch them go from affectionate buddies to passionate lovers in a natural way.
In the end, Something in the Rain shows us how friendship can gently blossom into an enduring romance when the time is right. It’s a lovely example of how “besties can become baes.”
11. She Was Pretty
Another top best friends to lovers kdrama is She Was Pretty. It’s about friends Kim Hye-jin and Ji Sung-joon when they were kids. Hye-jin came from a rich family and was very pretty. Sung-Joon had low self-esteem and was bullied for being overweight. But they share a close childhood bond.
When Sung-joon moves abroad, Hye-jin’s family loses all their money. Years later, Sung-joon returns to Korea as a handsome, successful man. Hye-jin now lives humbly and believes she is ugly. Sung-joon wants to reconnect with his first love Hye-jin, not realizing how much she has changed.
Though it takes some funny twists, Sung-Joon and Hye-jin find their way back to each other. Underneath, that sweet friendship was always there. She Was Pretty is a fun rom-com that shows best friends can overcome hard times and still be together.
The foundation of friendship lets us believe Sung-joon and Hye-jin belong together, no matter what.
10. Fight My Way
Fight My Way is considered one of the best kdramas about friends falling in love. It’s about super close buddies Ko Dong-man and Choi Ae-ra. They have been tight since their childhood. Dong-man was going to be a taekwondo star until he got badly hurt during a match. Now he doesn’t know what his future holds. Ae-ra’s dream was to become a TV announcer, but she keeps getting told no.
Even though Dong-man and Ae-ra bicker a ton, you can tell they care about each other underneath it all. So when they start having stronger feelings, fans get excited. It seems right to watch these two besties realize they should be more than friends! We’ve seen for years how Dong-man and Ae-ra are always there for each other – now that loyalty and fun connection could turn romantic.
Fight My Way pulls your heartstrings because the characters feel real as they try to reach their dreams. The friendship-blooming-to-love storyline makes you cheer even more for Dong-man and Ae-ra’s joy together and solo. Their history of sticking together makes this one of the best shows about besties becoming soulmates.
9. Romance is a Bonus Book
Romance is a Bonus Book is a sweet best friends to lovers kdrama. The main characters are Kang Dan-i and Cha Eun-ho. Dan-i is divorced with a kid and can’t get a job. Eun-ho is a successful book editor who happens to be Dan-i’s childhood BFF. Even though Eun-ho has secretly loved Dan-i for years, she only sees him as a little brother.
When Dan-i becomes Eun-ho’s intern, working together makes them start to realize their true feelings. Under that awkward new romance is the same trusted friendship they’ve always shared.
Romance is a Bonus Book shows how powerful bonds between besties can gently turn into great love stories. We root for Eun-ho and Dan-i because those years of friendship shine through, making their blooming affection seem natural and right.
8. Pinocchio
Another widely loved best friends to lovers kdrama is Pinocchio. The main characters are Choi In-ha and Choi Dal-po. Ever since they were young, In-ha and Dal-po have been very close. In-ha has a condition called Pinocchio Syndrome that causes her to hiccup when she lies. After a family tragedy, Dal-po is obsessed with uncovering the truth behind what happened.
As adults, In-ha and Dal-po cross paths again while training to become news reporters. Working together reignites their sweet childhood friendship – which soon develops into mature chemistry and romance.
Pinocchio is an awesome example of a besties to sweethearts transition done right. Watching In-ha and Dal-po’s established history and trust bloom into love makes total sense. We go “Aww!” seeing these longtime BFFs finally become a darling duo.
7. My First First Love
My First First Love is an underrated best friends to lovers kdrama. The main story follows Tae-oh and Song-Yi, who have been best buddies for over 20 years. Though everyone thinks they should date, Tae-oh and Song-yi claim they only see each other. But when Song-yi crushes on Tae-oh’s other friend Do-hyun, Tae starts feeling jealous.
The love story works here because Tae-oh and Song-yi test the romantic waters after decades of platonic friendship. Their established rapport lends itself to that tricky transition. It feels organic rather than awkward or pushy.
My First First Love shows how confusing but exciting it can be when long-term besties realize “Oh wait, could this be something more?” The will-they-won’t-they tension keeps us hooked through each up and down.
6. Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo is a cute best friends to lovers kdrama. Bok Joo is a dedicated weight lifter attending a sports college. She becomes best friends with Jung Joon-hyung, a talented swimmer on the men’s team. Though they don’t seem like an obvious match, Bok Joo and Joon-hyung soon develop feelings for each other.
What helps their friendship transition nicely into romance is how non-judgemental they are. Bok Joo accepts quirky Joon-hyung as he is, while Joon-hyung admires Bok Joo’s strength and ambition. We enjoy watching their playful bond gently catch fire, turning these best buddies into sweet lovers.
Weightlifting Fairy humorously but touchingly shows how true compatibility can turn platonic friends into partners. Bok Joo and Joon-hyung’s affectionate support helps both thrive individually and together on their coming-of-age journeys.
5. Come and Hug Me
Come and Hug Me puts an intense twist on the storyline of the best friends to lovers. It follows childhood BFFs Chae Do-jin and Nak Jae-yi. When they were little, tragedy forced them apart – Do-jin’s father killed Jae-yi’s parents. Years later they reunite as adults who work in law enforcement.
The power of their lost friendship makes their romance work despite the dark history. Do-jin remains loyal wanting to protect Jae-yi, while Jae-yi sees past Do-jin’s associations to the boy she once cared for deeply. Their shared pain bonds them too.
Come and Hug Me shows how enduring and unbreakable true best friend connections can be. Even years apart couldn’t ruin Do-jin and Jae-yi’s fate as lifelong confidants and soulmates.
4. Soundtrack #1
Soundtrack #1 is a super sweet best friends to lovers kdrama. The main characters are Han Sun-woo and Lee Eun-soo. They have been besties for 20 years but never dated. When Sun-woo and Eun-soo have to temporarily live together, they start seeing each other differently.
What allows the friendship to bloom into romance is how comfortable Sun-woo and Eun-soo already are. Having decades of trust and laughter means they can let their guard down to reveal deeper feelings. We enjoy watching as their affection shifts from platonic to a loving relationship.
Soundtrack #1 shows us how friendship can lead to an enduring romance when the time is right. Sun-woo and Eun-soo prove having a history as besties makes that transition to partners feel natural, not scary.
3. Reply 1988
Reply 1988 is considered one of the top best friends to lovers kdramas ever. It centres around five childhood neighbours growing up in 1988. Wild but loyal Dong-ryong, smart overachiever Sun-woo, grumpy Jung-hwan, wise “baduk” player Taek, and sassy Duk-sun have been best buds since elementary school.
As the five friends come of age together, some start seeing each other differently. Both Jung-hwan and Taek fall for sunny Duk-sun. We wonder if she will end up with her moodiest or warmest guy best friend.
Reply 1988 amazes us by making this choice difficult! After enjoying the quintet’s friendship for years, both seem like good contenders. It shows how strong besties’ bonds can bloom beautifully into true love.
2. Reply 1997
Reply 1997 is another classic best friends to lovers kdrama. Set in the 90s, we follow a group of high school BFFs as they grow up and apart…but maybe come back together. Shi-won is boy-crazy and obsessed with the hottest K-pop idols. Her best guy friend Yoon-jae lives in Shi-won’s shadow trying to win her heart.
Though Shi-won drives Yoon-Jae nuts, he cares so much his affection starts shifting from brotherly to romantic. We root for these funny former besties to kiss already! Yet we also feel for Yoon-jae each time Shi-won friendzones him.
Reply 1997 does a great job of slowly transforming childhood besties into a darling love story. After years of friendship, it seems natural that Yoon-jae is the one who can handle and deserve Shi-won’s fiery personality. Maybe she needed to mature to realize what she had in this loyal guy all along!
1. Bubblegum
Snagging our top spot for best friends to lovers kdrama is the Bubblegum! It’s about little kid BFFs Park Ri-hwan and Kim Haeng-ah. After Ri-hwan’s family kindly takes in the orphaned Haeng-ah, the pair becomes super close. They love each other like brother and sister. However, Ri-hwan’s mom is always mean and rude to Haeng-ah.
When Ri-hwan and Haeng-ah grow up, they start having deeper romantic feelings. But Ri-hwan worries about upsetting his critical mom, so he stays away from Haeng-ah. We get so sad seeing how parents and mix-ups strain childhood besties-turned-soulmates apart instead of together.
Bubblegum beautifully shows no matter what problems pop up, true friends since forever have that special bond that comes through. Ri-hwan and Haeng-ah still seem like a natural match, thanks to many precious years of knowing each other best. This sweet kdrama proves childhood BFFs can make the very best partners
Wrapping Up
Watching besties fall in love makes for very fun kdramas. Seeing close buddies realize they should be kissing, not chatting, tugs our heartstrings extra hard.
Out of all the shows here, Bubblegum snagged the top Best Friends to Sweethearts spot. Those middle school partners overcoming family disapproval to be together gripped us. Other faves were Reply 1988’s squad circle finding crushes close to home. And Reply 1997’s zany 90s teens maturing into soulmates in the end.
Kdramas about friends transitioning into romantic partners work well because it can happen in real life too. Childhood besties like Come and Hug Me’s Jae-yi and Do-jin finding their way back despite tragedy also stirred us. When people who already get and support each other finally start falling in love, it feels good. We also cross our fingers for our besties to have that aha lightbulb moment!
