Cover Some K-dramas just feel better with a blanket, a warm drink and a rainy afternoon. Here are six that nail that cosy mood (Photo: IMDb)
Some K-dramas just feel better with a blanket, a warm drink and a rainy afternoon. Here are six that nail that cosy mood (Photo: IMDb)
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These cosy K-dramas bring muted colours, slow-burn romance, fantasy and countryside charm to your next watch
There is something especially satisfying about watching a K-drama when the story comes with falling leaves, long coats, warm cafés and streets lined with trees turning gold. Some Korean dramas use autumn as a clear part of their setting, while others are remembered for the season’s colours and atmosphere woven through their most romantic scenes. From a fantasy love story filmed among the maple leaves of Quebec to a quiet countryside romance centred on a bookshop, these six K-dramas are perfect for settling in with something warm to drink.
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‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’
Above IU and Park Bo-gum bring autumn to Jeju in this tender, decades-spanning romance filled with changing seasons, family and love
IU and Park Bo-gum lead this sweeping Jeju-set romance, which follows Ae-sun and Gwan-sik from their youth into adulthood as their lives unfold across decades and four seasons. Autumn gets its own chapter in Episode 7, titled A Fruitful Fall, bringing the changing season into the drama’s wider story of love, family and growing older. With its village setting, intimate family relationships and richly seasonal Jeju landscapes, the series has the warm, reflective quality of a drama made for slow autumn evenings.
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‘Goblin (Guardian: The Lonely and Great God)’
Above Gong Yoo and Kim Go-eun star in a sweeping fantasy romance made even more magical by Quebec's autumn scenery
Kim Eun-sook’s fantasy romance remains one of the most memorable autumnal K-dramas, thanks in large part to its unforgettable Quebec City scenes. Gong Yoo plays Kim Shin, an immortal goblin who has lived for centuries while waiting for the human bride who can finally end his life. Kim Go-eun plays Ji Eun-tak, a high-school student who can see ghosts and eventually discovers her connection to the Goblin. The drama’s Quebec City sequences were filmed in October 2016, capturing the city in its autumn colours across locations including Château Frontenac and Petit Champlain. The combination of changing foliage, long coats and the drama’s sweeping romantic fantasy gives ‘Goblin’ a distinctly cosy atmosphere, even though the story itself moves through different seasons.
‘Autumn in My Heart (Autumn Tale)’
Above Song Hye-kyo leads this classic melodrama filled with family secrets, impossible love and unmistakable autumn melancholy
For a more traditional Korean melodrama, few titles are as closely associated with the season as Autumn in My Heart. The 2000 series stars Song Hye-kyo, Song Seung-heon and Won Bin in a story of family secrets, lost identity and a love that develops under increasingly painful circumstances. It was the first instalment of director Yoon Seok-ho’s four-season Endless Love series, which later included Winter Sonata, Summer Scent and Spring Waltz. The drama’s countryside locations, changing leaves and wistful tone make autumn part of its visual identity rather than simply a backdrop.
‘Tomorrow With You’
Above A time-travelling CEO and a photographer find themselves caught between romance, fate and the future they already know
If your ideal watch includes time travel, Seoul streets and a romance that unfolds at its own pace, Tomorrow With You is an easy addition to the list. Lee Je-hoon plays Yoo So-joon, a successful real-estate investment company CEO who has the ability to travel through time by subway. After seeing an unhappy future for himself, he marries photographer Song Ma-rin, played by Shin Min-a, setting off a complicated relationship shaped by what he knows about the years ahead. The drama has a muted, intimate visual style, with everyday Seoul locations and seasonal outdoor scenes giving it a cosy quality that works particularly well on an autumn evening.
‘Where Stars Land’
Above A mysterious airport employee and his colleague grow closer as they navigate demanding jobs and secrets from his past
Set around the people working at Incheon International Airport, Where Stars Land combines workplace romance with a more emotionally grounded story. Lee Je-hoon plays Lee Soo-yeon, a mysterious new airport employee, while Chae Soo-bin plays Han Yeo-reum, his colleague in passenger services. Their relationship develops as Yeo-reum gradually learns about Soo-yeon’s past and the reasons he keeps people at a distance. The series originally aired from October to November, and its outdoor airport locations and seasonal Seoul-area scenery give it an unmistakable late-autumn feel. It is a good choice when you want something romantic and cosy without leaving the workplace setting behind.
‘When the Weather Is Fine’
Above Park Min-young and Seo Kang-joon find quiet comfort, old feelings and a cosy bookshop in the Korean countryside.
When the Weather Is Fine is perhaps the cosiest choice of the six, especially if your idea of autumn involves books, quiet cafés and escaping to the countryside. Park Min-young plays Mok Hae-won, a cellist who leaves Seoul after a difficult period in her life and returns to Bookhyun Village in Gangwon Province, where she reconnects with her former classmate Im Eun-seob, played by Seo Kang-joon. Eun-seob runs a small bookshop, which becomes one of the drama’s central gathering places as the pair gradually confront their past experiences and find comfort in each other. The story moves from the cold months towards winter, giving it a subdued seasonal atmosphere filled with warm interiors, books and the feeling of retreating from a busy city life.
Chonx Tibajia is a senior editor at Tatler Asia’s T-Labs team, where she writes widely on lifestyle subjects including beauty, style, entertainment and travel. She has a long career in journalism, including roles as a columnist at The Philippine Star, and is the founder of the creative platform Pineappleversed. Beyond Tatler, her bylines appear in regional lifestyle and business publications, showcasing a broad portfolio that spans beauty trends, travel guides and culture pieces.
