Cover Japanese dramas have paved way for Hallyu medical hits, family heartbreak, legal comedy and marriage thrillers (Photo: SBS)
Japanese dramas have paved way for Hallyu medical hits, family heartbreak, legal comedy and marriage thrillers (Photo: SBS)
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From Kim Ji-won’s new medical drama ‘Doctor X’ to Song Hye-kyo’s emotionally devastating ‘That Winter, the Wind Blows’, these TV hits began as Japanese dramas before getting a Korean do-over
Some of the most memorable K-dramas have stories that travelled across the sea before finding a second life in Korea. A Japanese surgeon who refuses to play office politics, a housekeeper who never smiles and a marriage hanging by a thread might sound like familiar K-drama territory. Still, each began with a Japanese television original.
The final programmes are not all alike. Some preserve the premise that made the original a hit, while others reshape its characters and emotional stakes for Korean audiences. If you enjoy comparing versions—or you are currently obsessed with Doctor X—these Japanese dramas are worth discovering.
In case you missed it: K-inspired J-dramas: 5 K-dramas that found a second life in Japan
‘Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia’ (2026)
Above She saves lives, refuses to flatter her bosses and has absolutely no time for hospital politics
Kim Ji-won trades chaebol glamour for surgical scrubs in Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia, the Korean adaptation of Japan’s long-running medical hit Doctor X: Surgeon Michiko Daimon. It premiered in early October 2026 and follows Gye Su-jeong, a brilliant surgeon dispatched to a university hospital through a doctor-placement agency. She has extraordinary skills that make her indispensable, even as her refusal to play by the rules makes her a headache for the hospital establishment.
The Japanese original, led by Ryoko Yonekura, turned its fiercely independent surgeon into an enduring television character across multiple seasons. The Korean version keeps that central appeal while moving the story into the realities and power struggles of the Korean medical system.
For fans of medical dramas, the draw is not just watching a gifted doctor perform near-impossible operations. It is the satisfaction of seeing someone who has no interest in pleasing the people in charge dismantle their carefully maintained hierarchy. Su-jeong may be the newest face in the operating theatre, but she is certainly not there to make friends.
See more: Was 2016 the best year for K-dramas? 12 K-dramas turning 10 in 2026 that have aged so well
‘Mother’ (2018)
Above One teacher’s decision to protect a child becomes a story that will leave you emotionally wrecked
In this acclaimed Korean remake of the Japanese drama of the same name, Lee Bo-young plays Kang Soo-jin, a teacher who discovers that one of her young pupils is being abused at home. When the adults who should protect the child fail her, Soo-jin makes the extraordinary decision to take the girl away and become her mother.
The original Japanese series, written by Yuji Sakamoto, explores the instinct to protect a child through a story that is as unsettling as it is moving. The Korean adaptation retains that difficult moral question: what does it mean to be a mother, and how far should someone go to save a child?
Rather than relying on sentimental shortcuts, Mother examines the complicated bonds between children and the adults who care for them. Lee Bo-young anchors the series with a performance that makes Soo-jin’s decision feel both deeply compassionate and frighteningly consequential.
This is one of those Japanese dramas that has been adapted several times; China, France, Mongolia, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia and more have come up with their own versions. Keep the tissues nearby.
‘The Suspicious Housekeeper’ (2013)
Above Imagine Mary Poppins with immaculate housekeeping skills, a mysterious past and a face that refuses to crack a smile
Choi Ji-woo stars as Park Bok-nyeo, an enigmatic housekeeper hired by a family still reeling from the death of its mother. She can perform almost any domestic task with astonishing efficiency, but her emotional distance unsettles the family she has come to help.
The Korean series adapts the Japanese hit Kaseifu no Mita, which starred Nanako Matsushima as a similarly inscrutable housekeeper. In both versions, the housekeeper becomes a catalyst for change in a household struggling with grief, resentment and fractured relationships.
The intrigue lies in the character’s contradiction: she follows instructions with almost robotic precision, yet her presence forces the family to confront feelings they have been avoiding. She may be hired to keep the house in order, but the real mess is what happens between the people living in it.
‘My Dangerous Wife’ (2020)
Above If your marriage has reached the point of murder plots, perhaps couples’ therapy is no longer the most pressing concern
In this Korean thriller, Kim Jung-eun plays Shim Jae-kyeong, a wealthy woman whose seemingly comfortable marriage conceals a far more dangerous game. Her husband, Kim Yoon-cheol (Choi Won-young), is unhappy and contemplating escape when a shocking incident turns their relationship into a battle of secrets, manipulation and survival.
The series remakes the 2016 Japanese drama Boku no Yabai Tsuma. Both versions build suspense around a marriage in which neither spouse can be trusted to tell the whole truth. The Korean adaptation adds its own twists, making domestic life feel less like a refuge and more like a high-stakes chess match.
The pleasure of My Dangerous Wife is watching the balance of power shift. Every apparent revelation raises another question, and every attempt to get ahead of the other person risks exposing a secret of one’s own. Forget leaving the dishes in the sink: in this marriage, the real red flags are considerably more alarming.
See more: 11 Gothic noir K-dramas that will haunt you long after the ending
‘Legal High’ (2019)
Above For this lawyer, justice is a noble ideal but winning is even better, particularly when the fee is generous
Jin Goo plays Go Tae-rim, a brilliant and unapologetically money-minded attorney in the Korean adaptation of Japan’s legal comedy Legal High. His new counterpart is Seo Jae-in (Seo Eun-soo), an idealistic rookie lawyer who believes in the justice system and wants to fight for people who need help.
Their opposing philosophies provide the engine for the series. Tae-rim is convinced that a lawyer’s job is to win, while Jae-in wants the law to serve a greater purpose. Tae-rim boasts a 100 per cent winning record and charges eye-watering fees, while Jae-in is determined to help clients caught in unfair situations. Their clashes bring comedy to the courtroom while raising questions about what justice looks like when principles collide with professional ambition.
The original Japanese drama, starring Masato Sakai, was known for its eccentric lead and irreverent take on legal proceedings. The Korean version brings the premise to a new cast and setting, pairing a flamboyant legal shark with a junior colleague who is not prepared to abandon her ideals simply because her boss thinks they are impractical.
‘Matrimonial Chaos’ (2018)
Above Two marriages are in trouble, four people have unresolved feelings and nobody seems to agree on what a happy relationship should look like
Starring Cha Tae-hyun, Bae Doona, Lee El and Son Suk-ku, Matrimonial Chaos follows two married couples whose relationships are complicated by clashing personalities, old romantic attachments and secrets they would rather keep buried.
The Korean series is based on the 2013 Japanese drama Saikou no Rikon, which also examines the less glamorous realities of marriage. Cha Tae-hyun plays Jo Seok-moo, a prickly and solitary man whose wife, Kang Hwi-roo (Bae Doona), is more relaxed and optimistic. Their differences become harder to ignore as their marriage reaches a breaking point. Meanwhile, Seok-moo’s first love, Jin Yoo-young (Lee El), is married to Lee Jang-hyun (Son Suk-ku), adding another complicated relationship to the mix.
Rather than treating divorce as a simple ending, the Korean version asks whether two people can love each other and still be wrong for one another. It finds humour in domestic irritation and tenderness in the uncomfortable business of figuring out what a relationship is actually meant to provide. Matrimonial Chaos is a more grounded counterpoint to the grand declarations and spectacular misunderstandings of romantic melodrama. Sometimes the biggest plot twist is realising that love, on its own, may not solve everything.
‘That Winter, the Wind Blows’ (2013)
Above He pretends to be her long-lost brother. She has the fortune he desperately needs. Neither expects to fall in love
Song Hye-kyo stars as Oh Young, a wealthy heiress who is blind and emotionally isolated, opposite Jo In-sung as Oh Soo, a professional gambler who impersonates her long-lost brother to get his hands on her inheritance. What begins as an elaborate con becomes a complicated romance, as the two grow closer and their carefully constructed lies become harder to maintain.
The series is a remake of the 2002 Japanese drama I Don’t Need Love, Summer, which starred Hirosue Ryoko and Watabe Atsuro. The Korean version reshapes the original’s story of deception and unexpected intimacy into a sweeping melodrama, with Song’s performance as a woman who has learned to distrust almost everyone at its emotional centre.
Sasha Lim Uy Mariposa is a lifestyle journalist who is known for her food writing. Based in Manila and currently a marketing content specialist, she still dabbles in entertainment, beauty and dining coverage. She was the former managing editor of Esquire Philippines and was the food editor at SPOT.ph. She also edited several best-selling books about food.
She now writes for the different Tatler Asia markets as a contributing writer for T-Labs.
