Raise your hand if you agree: Weekends are about catching up on our latest K-drama binge! But here's the thing: Watching all 16-plus episodes can often drain all the time we have for things we’ve got planned, so there are times we just skip the well-deserved K-drama sesh altogether.
Enter: Korean web dramas! They’re much shorter versions than your regular K-dramas, and are readily available to stream online, with episodes that run as short as five minutes or as long as 30 minutes. The series itself, on the other hand, can last on average between eight and 16 episodes per season. They might be short but they still pack a punch when it comes to plot twists, heart-fluttering scenes, and kilig!
Below, a handful of K-web dramas you can start binge-watching this weekend.
Love Playlist
Ah, finding the right balance between schoolwork and personal relationships. Some of us have been there already, and the rest are probably dealing with such a situation RN, right? College is already stressful enough, so when you add relationship drama to the equation, it could get downright complicated! Love Playlist expounds on that very premise over its four seasons as it revolves around the lives of university students struggling to strike a balance in addressing love problems, school deadlines, and lasting friendships.
Love Playlist will make you laugh, cry, and reacc in a fraction of the time a full-length K-drama would.
A-Teen
Preparing for college entrance exams is probably one of the most nerve-wracking situations you'll find yourself in. After all, the results can make or break your future. Created with a similar formula to that of Love Playlist, A-Teen centers its storyline on the lives of a group of high school students and the issues they encounter in planning for their future (read: college). But of course, the challenge in preparing for the college entrance exam is further compounded by issues that arise in their love life and friendships.
Not only do you get your weekend dose of Korean melodrama with A-Teen, but you also get a massive rush of style inspo while watching the series—which widely inspired the fashion trends of South Korean youth during its run.
One Fine Week
Ever wondered what it would be like to swap places with your K-pop idol for seven days? One Fine Week follows Jung Da Eun, a part-timer who also easily passes off as a doppelganger for K-pop idol Kim Byul. When Byul suffers social anxiety rendering her incapable of meeting her idol duties, her manager reaches out to Da Eun and convinces her of a week-long switcheroo with the K-pop star. During the swap, these two girls encounter unexpected meet-cutes that later blossom into heart-fluttering moments that’ll keep you watching episode after episode.
Maybe, Maybe Not?
If you’re currently obsessing about whether your crush just likes you or likes you likes you, then Maybe, Maybe Not? could be your next must-watch. It tells the story of Namgoong Ye Ji, an introverted college student who can read minds. She usually prefers to keep to herself to avoid people’s thoughts flooding her mind—except when she’s around Cheong Jung Seok, an upperclassman whose mind she can’t read.
Eventually, Ye Ji develops feelings for Jung Seok, but she can’t read his mind to know if he feels the same way about her! Guess she’ll have to figure it out the hard way (like everyone else LOL).
More than anything, your K-web drama binge-watch highly depends on a seamless streaming experience. One of the worst parts about streaming a Korean series is the unexpected lag and buffer, especially when you’re right at the build-up for your feels!
For uninterrupted viewing sesh, you can depend on Smart, the fastest and most reliable 5G network* in the country, as verified by Ookla®. Just ensure you have SPD—a 5G-ready SIM, in a 5G-covered area, and using a 5G device to fully experience Smart 5G speeds.
Visit 5g.smart to learn more.
*Based on analysis by Ookla® of Speedtest Intelligence® data in the Philippines with fastest results for Q1-Q2 2021 and Reliability from 5G Availability and 5G Consistency data for Q2 2021. Ookla trademarks are used under license and reprinted with permission.
