9 super cute K-dramas suitable for teens

Lovely Runner gained massive international tracking among fans of K-dramas for teens by blending time travel with fan culture and mystery. The story follows Im Sol, played by Kim Hye-yoon, an ardent admirer of top music idol Ryu Sun-jae, played by Byeon Woo-seok. Devastated by Sun-jae’s sudden passing, Sol finds herself mysteriously transported fifteen years back into the year 2008, waking up as a high school student right before Sun-jae suffered his career-ending injury as a competitive swimmer.

Sol takes advantage of this unexpected opportunity to alter the future and protect Sun-jae, unaware that Sun-jae secretly harboured feelings for her in that original timeline. Song Geon-hee plays Kim Tae-seong, a charismatic high school bassist who adds further friction to their dynamic. Lovely Runner is currently available to stream on Rakuten Viki.

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Twinkling Watermelon offers a unique retro setup that appeals to audience members seeking heartwarming family relationships and musical elements. The story centers on Ha Eun-gyeol, portrayed by Ryeoun, a CODA (child of deaf adults) high school student who leads a double life as an exemplary student and a talented band guitarist.

After arguing with his father over his musical ambitions, Eun-gyeol stumbles into a mysterious instrument shop and gets transported back to 1995. There, he meets the teenage version of his father, Ha Yi-chan, played by Choi Hyun-wook, who can hear at this point in time and is attempting to form a band called Watermelon Sugar.

Eun-gyeol joins the group to keep his father safe and ensure his parents end up together, working alongside a deaf high school student named Yoon Cheong-ah, played by Shin Eun-soo, and a cellist named Choi Se-kyung, played by Seol In-ah. Twinkling Watermelon is available on Rakuten Viki.

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo stands out among K-dramas for teens and young adults because of its university sports setting and refreshingly healthy central friendship. Lee Sung-kyung stars as Kim Bok-joo, an ambitious collegiate weightlifter whose focus is tested when she experiences her first romantic crush on an unwitting weight clinic doctor.

Her life becomes more chaotic when she crosses paths with Jung Joon-hyung, played by Nam Joo-hyuk, a talented college swimmer struggling with trauma related to start-race panic. Joon-hyung recognizes Bok-joo as a friend from elementary school and constantly teases her, but his playful antics gradually shift into genuine care and emotional support as Bok-joo navigates expectations, body image insecurities and athletic pressure. Lee Joo-young and Cho Hye-jung feature as Bok-joo’s loyal weightlifting teammates.

Viewers can watch Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo on Rakuten Viki and Netflix.

Extraordinary You delivers a meta-narrative concept that pokes fun at classic high school romance tropes while delivering high emotional stakes. Eun Dan-oh, played by Kim Hye-yoon, is a wealthy high school student with a heart condition who comes to the shocking realization that she is actually an extra inside a comic book.

Displeased with her predetermined narrative fate, which includes an unrequited crush on a cold classmate named Baek Kyung, played by Lee Jae-wook, Dan-oh resolves to change her writer-assigned destiny. She seeks out a nameless background extra, whom she names Ha-ru, played by Rowoon. Together, Dan-oh and Ha-ru work to defy the comic book’s writer, causing ripples across the story’s universe.

Extraordinary You is available to stream on Rakuten Viki.

School 2017 tackles academic pressure, institutional corruption and youth ambitions through a grounded mystery-romance format. The story follows Ra Eun-ho, played by Kim Se-jeong, an optimistic high school student with low grades who dreams of entering a prestigious university as a webtoon artist. Her plans are derailed when she is framed for being "Student X", a masked prankster who actively disrupts the school’s strict, grade-obsessed administration.

While attempting to clear her name, Eun-ho crosses paths with Hyun Tae-woon, played by Kim Jung-hyun, the troubled son of the school’s director, who masks his grief over a past tragedy behind an aggressive exterior. Jang Dong-yoon plays Song Dae-hwi, the school’s top-ranked student who struggles with his poor family background. School 2017 is available to stream on Rakuten Viki and Netflix.

Reply 1997 is a foundational entry in youth television that effectively launched the popularity of retro fan-culture narratives. Set primarily in Busan during the late 1990s, the story focuses on Sung Shi-won, played by Jung Eun-ji, an energetic high school girl whose entire existence revolves around the K-pop boy band H.O.T.

Her childhood best friend, Yoon Yoon-jae, played by Seo In-guk, is a quiet, top-ranked student who falls in love with her as they grow up together. The narrative alternates between their high school years in 1997 and a 2012 high school reunion dinner where one couple announces their upcoming marriage, keeping audiences guessing about the identity of Shi-won’s husband. Hoya, Shin So-yul, Eun Ji-won and Lee Si-eon round out the tight-knit group of friends.

Reply 1997 can be streamed on Rakuten Viki.

Sassy Go Go, also known as Cheer Up!, explores high school rivalries, academic pressure and teamwork. The plot centers on Kang Yeon-doo, played by Jung Eun-ji, the passionate leader of "Real King", a street dance club consisting of students with poor academic records. Her club constantly clashes with "White Tiger", an elite academic club led by Kim Yeol, played by Lee Won-keun, the top student in the school.

When a scandal threatens both groups, the school administration forces the two opposing clubs to merge into a cheerleading squad to bolster students' university application portfolios. Cha Hak-yeon plays Ha Dong-jae, Yeon-doo’s athletic friend, while Ji Soo plays Seo Ha-joon, a stressed student with a dark home life who forms a close bond with Kim Yeol.

Sassy Go Go is available to stream on Rakuten Viki.

Our Beloved Summer offers a softer, more reflective option among K-dramas for teens, taking a cozy approach to youth romance and personal growth. The story tracks Choi Woong, played by Choi Woo-shik, a free-spirited, low-ranking student, and Kook Yeon-soo, played by Kim Da-mi, a fiercely competitive top student. During their high school years, they are forced to film a documentary showing the dynamic between the best and worst students, leading to a real-life romance that eventually ends in a painful breakup. Ten years later, the documentary unexpectedly goes viral online, forcing their mutual friend and producer Kim Ji-woong, played by Kim Sung-cheol, to bring them back in front of the camera. The story moves between their high school memories and their present adult lives. Our Beloved Summer is available to stream globally on Netflix.

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