Reka writes:

Dear kfangurl,
I love you blog! Your reviews are very interesting!
I started watching kdramas last year, and haven’t stopped since xD
I was wondering, can you recommend me any kdramas with good, compelling, interesting female characters? Because I find this aspect kind of lacking D:

Dear Reka,

Thanks for enjoying the reviews, and the blog in general! I’m glad you like it around here. 🙂

You’re right to say that dramas featuring female characters who are strong, compelling, and interesting are less common. Traditionally, many dramas – kdramas in particular – have seemed to favor Candy-esque female leads, who often need to be saved by their knights in shining armor. Sometimes, we even see dramas where the female lead is there just to be a foil to our male protagonist (again, I’m looking at you, Memories of the Alhambra), so when a drama comes along that showcases strong female characters, it feels extra precious.

Personally, over the years, I realize that I’ve come to value dramas featuring strong female characters &/or strong female friendships more than ever, so your question really got me thinking.

I’ve put together a list of dramas (broken down into 3 sub-lists) that I think fit the bill, but of course, I haven’t seen every drama ever made, so I’m sure there are perfectly qualified dramas missing from this list. Additionally, although I realize that your question specified kdramas, I’ve also included dramas from China and Taiwan that I think also sit in these categories.

As always, everyone, do feel free to chime in with your insights and your own picks of worthy dramas in the comments! 🙂

Dramas with a strong / interesting female lead character

This section is for dramas where I feel that the focus of the story is more about the female lead’s journey, rather than, say, an OTP coming together. Some of these dramas feature OTPs, sure, but to my eyes, the OTP relationship is secondary to the female lead’s own trajectory of growth &/or healing.

The First Half Of My Life [China]

A fantastic, elegantly written story of personal growth and healing, where our female lead picks herself up from a sudden divorce, and learns independence, confidence and strength, all over again. Bonus points for a wonderful bestie who stands by our female protagonist with fierce loyalty. There are lashings of romance, but Show is clear that its main focus is always on our female lead and her personal journey. Such an underrated gem.

Grade: A

Flash Review: here.

SKY Castle

This is an ensemble drama with a strong focus on the theme of the dysfunction of keeping up with the Joneses, so there is no single strong female lead. But, this drama world is peppered with strong female characters, each with their own brand of steeliness. I found Show’s ending on the underwhelming side, but the rest of the drama is very solid and compelling.

Grade: A

Review: here.

The Light In Your Eyes [Dazzling]

It’s really best to go into this one with as little idea as possible of the plot, so let me just say that our female protagonist Hye Ja, is vibrant yet vulnerable, and is delivered with a great deal of heart. Bonus points to Show for also featuring Hye Ja’s friends, where together, they form a Tight Trio, and support one another through thick and thin. There is a romance in this, but the story really is all about Hye Ja’s journey, and what a beautiful, raw, poignant yet pure journey that turned out to be.

Grade: A

Flash Review: here.

Angry Mom

Kim Hee Sun is absolutely fabulous as our titular Angry Mom Kang Ja, who dons a high school uniform in order to get to the truth of some dark and disturbing events at her daughter’s school. She’s fearless and a total badass, yet full of warmth and heart, and I found it impossible not to love her. Judging by how she soon gains an adorably youthful Smitten Puppy admirer in Ji Soo, I can safely say I’m not alone in having hearts in my eyes for Kang Ja. The fact that Kang Ja has an equally badass, fiercely loyal bestie who happens to have a princess fixation, and who’s always got her back, is just icing on the cake.

Grade: A

Review: here.

VIP

There is a couple at the center of our story, but this drama is really all about the journeys of our female characters. In the midst of the tension-laden mystery of who had an affair with whom, while trust and friendship is put to the test, our female characters manage to chart meaningful journeys of personal healing and growth, which I found gratifying to witness.

Grade: B++

Flash Review: here.

The Story Of Minglan [China]

Show leans long (73 episodes!), but at its center, we have a naturally smart female protagonist, who, from a beaten-down, overly cautious small potato, grows into a shrewd, confident and wise matriarch who is a force to be reckoned with. Show is quite meandering, but is so full of heart, that I found it worth the watch. It was worth the wait, to be able to witness Minglan eventually come into her own.

Grade: B+

Flash Review: here.

My Daughter Seo Young

At 50 episodes, Show is a fairly big commitment, but one that I felt flew by relatively quickly. Our main character Seo Young (Lee Bo Young), who’s hurt and battered on the inside, but steely and prickly on the outside, charts a meaningful journey of growth and healing, and several of her key relationships are healed along the way as well. Another plus point, is that the OTP relationship is handled in a way that feels believable and organic. Also, I found Lee Sang Yoon especially handsome in this.

Grade: B+

Flash Review: here.

King’s Daughter Soo Baek Hyang

This is a story of one woman’s evolution from a poor village girl, to actual, bona fide princess, and it’s so satisfying to watch Seo Hyun Jin portray every aspect of Soo Baek Hyang’s journey. Even though it’s clothed in political robes, Show is, at its heart, more akin to a family drama, and possesses lots of heart, to prove it. I found this engaging and even a little cracky.

Grade: B

Review: here.

Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung

Your mileage may vary with this one (some folks love it, Show was just ok, for me), but there’s no doubt that our protagonist Hae Ryung is a strong and interesting heroine. At a time where women mostly just obsessed about who they would marry, Hae Ryung rejects the idea of marriage, and instead, sets her sights on getting a job, so that she can feel like she’s adding value to the world. Pretty wow, for a sageuk, no? To Show’s credit, it upholds Hae Ryung’s dreams all the way to end, even while throwing in a cute little romance on the side.

Grade: B

Flash Review: here.

Misty

I got accidentally spoiled for the ending while watching this, and ended up dropping out because that took away the mystery of the watch, but I must say that from what I saw, Kim Nam Joo cuts an absolutely commanding figure as our female protagonist. On top of being impossibly regal, she’s also passionate about work, sharp as a samurai blade, and coldly calculative about people; not your average kdrama heroine, to be sure. Worth the watch, I believe, if you are able to avoid spoilers for the ending.

Graceful Family

I personally ended up dropping this one (dropped post here), but lots of people enjoyed this one, and it does feature a strong, badass female lead at the center of its story. Our female lead Seok Hee (Im Soo Hyang) is unpredictable, sardonic and shrewd, and possesses a fiery sense of justice, and overall, is a character very much worth rooting for, if you can look beyond Show’s flaws.

The Good Wife

I fell off the wagon with this one and haven’t gotten around to finishing it, but while I was watching this, I was very impressed. Jeon Do Yeon is regal, restrained and charismatic  – not to mention capable! – as our female lead Hye Kyung, and right away from episode 1, I found myself rooting for her and wanting her to succeed. I loved that Hye Kyung is strong in spite of her vulnerability, and in the face of a difficult situation and conflicting emotions, she digs deep, and produces the strength she needs to face everything, one step at a time. I really need to get back to this one.

Dramas with a strong / interesting female character that’s part of an OTP

I wanted to include this section because so many dramas showcase an OTP at its center, and some of these dramas feature a female lead who is as compelling and as interesting as her male lead. Yes, more often than not, the story circles around the romance, but for these female leads, they are never defined by the romance, and are still interesting in their own right.

Secret Love Affair

Kim Hee Ae is sophisticated, beautiful, elegant and altogether magnificent as Hye Won, the object of her twenty-years-younger piano protege Sun Jae’s (Yoo Ah In) adoration and affection. Beyond the OTP development (which is completely absorbing on its own), Show also does a deep dive in meaningfully exploring Hye Won’s emotional landscape, and what makes her tick. Absorbing and emotional to a staggering degree.

Grade: A++

Review: here.

Healer

I think Ji Chang Wook‘s male lead Jung Hoo is utterly swoony, so to say that I think Park Min Young more than holds her own opposite him as female lead Young Shin, is a Big Statement indeed. Young Shin pops onscreen in a big way, feeling real and relatable, and also, aspirationally brave and warm-hearted. I wanted to be like her, and I wanted to be her best friend.

Grade: A+

Review: here.

My Mister

Show is vague about whether there is romance in this OTP connection, and there are fans with fiercely different views about this. What I will say, though, is, both Lee Sun Gyun and IU are fantastic in this, and the connection between them, while hard to pin down exactly, is strong and undeniable. As Ji An, IU is jaded yet fragile; tough yet vulnerable; cold yet self-sacrificing. Ji An’s backstory and her journey towards hope and life isn’t even half of Show’s appeal, and yet, even on its own, it’s absorbing, compelling stuff.

Grade: A+

Review: here.

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo

Bok Joo (Lee Sung Kyung) took a while to grow on me, but I soon grew to love how relatable and real she feels. From wrestling with how she feels about weightlifting, to grappling with her sense of identity and self-acceptance, to contending with inconvenient and embarrassing romantic feelings, Bok Joo feels gloriously genuine and authentic. Plus, what a bonus, that she has a couple of besties, and together, they eat, laugh and cry as a tightly knit group, always reminding one another of their inner swag. Even more bonus, is the fantastic OTP chemistry, which feels like it’s off the charts, at times.

Grade: A+

Review: here.

I Hear Your Voice

Show’s got lots of appeal as a breezy, heartfelt noona romance with lots of squee-worthy moments serving up all of the feels, but even better, is that at the center, we have a strong female lead in lawyer Hye Sung (Lee Bo Young), who’s all pride and bluster on the outside, and soft, vulnerable and tender on the inside. It’s through Hye Sung’s relationships with the people around her that we witness the growth and healing that she charts, and to Show’s credit, this is woven into our story in a manner that feels organic and believable. As a bonus, I thought Lee Jong Suk was very melty in this.

Grade: A+

Review: here.

Romance is a Bonus Book

Even though this show is packaged in shiny rom-com colors and serves up suitably sweet OTP moments, at its heart, Show is more about our female lead Dan Yi’s (Lee Na Young) struggle as a newly-divorced single mum, to re-enter the workplace and rediscover her lost mojo, both as a professional, and as a woman. Show is thoughtfully written, and full of poignance and heart, with just the right touch of whimsy.

Grade: A

Review: here.

She Was Pretty

On the surface, this looks a lot like almost every other rom-com populating Dramaland, but what sets Show apart, is how heartfelt and warm it is, even as it explores the theme of self-worth, self-acceptance, and self-love. Our female lead Hye Jin (Hwang Jung Eum) grapples with her embarrassment over her less-than-pretty appearance, and struggles to learn to love herself, as much as she struggles to believe that she is worthy of love. A wonderfully uplifting watch.

Grade: A

Review: here.

Arang and the Magistrate

Shin Min Ah’s feisty ghost is a great character, and is well-matched to Lee Jun Ki‘s ghost-seeing (but also, ghost-denying) magistrate. More than a heartfelt love story (though we do get that, and with very excellent OTP chemistry, to boot), we also get to witness Arang’s search for identity and meaning. The writing falters a touch in spots, but Show is an absorbing and satisfying watch, overall.

Grade: A

Review: here.

Coffee Prince

Eun Chan is, in essence, the opposite of the typical Candy. She’s so boyish that she’s often mistaken for an actual boy; she’s the breadwinner of the family; she teaches judo; she’s physically strong; she possesses a ravenous appetite. Yes, Eun Chan finds love in the midst of our story, but she remains fiercely independent, and dares to dream new dreams for herself, and dares to chase those dreams. Worth stanning, indeed. On top of that, Yoon Eun Hye shares a fantastically cracky chemistry with co-star Gong Yoo that actually leaps off the screen to hit you in the feels. So good.

Grade: A

Review: here.

Oh Hae Young Again [Another Oh Hae Young]

Hae Young (Seo Hyun Jin) is a flawed female lead that I loved, and loved to root for. She looks like her life’s a mess, and her bluster and bravado is all for show, but she’s so easy to relate to as an everygirl who just wants to be happy. Above all, I loved Hae Young’s resilience, and how, when she loves, she loves fearlessly. So brave, and so aspirational. ❤ Seo Hyun Jin shares wonderful chemistry with her male lead Eric, but I think it’s also important to keep in mind that this is a melo, rather than a rom-com.

Grade: A-

Review: here.

Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms [China]

Show’s main appeal is the epic love story between our leads Ye Hua (Mark Chao) and Bai Qian (Yang Mi). The romance is intoxicating, heady stuff, and Mark Chao is uber melty as Ye Hua (I swoon just at the memory, flail), but notably, Bai Qian is a strong, powerful goddess in her own right. Yes, we do need to wait for Bai Qian to mature as a character, but once she does, the badassery is there in spades, and I lapped it all up with a spoon.

Grade: A-

Flash Review: here.

In Time With You [Taiwan]

I love-love-love Chen Bolin as male lead Da Ren, so very much (hearts in eyes foreverrr), but I must admit that our female lead You Qing (Ariel Lin) is a strong, interesting character in her own right. She may have her flaws, but her good points far outweigh her weaknesses, and I couldn’t help but root for her to find happiness, even when she was displaying bouts of frustrating behavior. Such an organic-feeling love story, between two people who feel so real. ❤

Grade: A-

Flash Review: here.

Go Back Spouses [Go Back Couple]

For me, Show’s main appeal is as a heartfelt story of do-overs, and the wisdom and perspective gained through the experience. I fancy we spend more time with our female lead Jin Joo (Jang Na Ra) than our male lead Ban Do (Sohn Ho Jun), and in particular, I loved watching her revisit her youth, her times with Mom (Kim Mi Kyung), and reclaiming the mojo that she’d lost, over the years. Earnest, wholesome and bittersweet, despite Show’s rough edges.

Grade: B++

Flash Review: here.

My Girlfriend is a Gumiho [My Girlfriend is a Nine-Tailed Fox]

I loved Shin Min Ah as this show’s titular gumiho. She’s ethereally beautiful, yet full of sass and cheek, as she regularly threatens male lead Dae Woong (Lee Seung Gi) that she will eat his liver, if he doesn’t feed her beef. Tee hee. The hijinks! I remember finding our gumiho much more interesting and compelling than her human male lead, and Show gets bonus points for managing to deliver a story that actually hit high notes of big feels, in its final stretch. An oldie but a goodie.

Strong Woman Do Bong Soon

I did not enjoy Show’s sense of humor, which I found to be in very poor taste. But, it was admittedly refreshing and quite different, to see our male lead Min Hyuk (Park Hyung Shik) literally swoon at the superhuman strength of female lead Bong Soon (Park Bo Young). If you can get past the crass humor and the serial killer aspect of our story, the OTP is very adorable indeed.

Grade: B

Review: here.

Love For A Thousand More

A cute little web drama about an immortal with the body of a beautiful young girl, but with the soul of a crusty, old granny, who’s lived for a thousand years, and who dishes out relationship advice for a living, but personally swears off dating. Yes, of course there’s a bit of a loveline for the immortal who’s sworn off dating, but it’s our lady immortal who steals the show, in all of her grumpy, sardonic glory.

Grade: B

Flash Review: here.

Dramas showcasing strong female friendships

Of course, I couldn’t do this post and not include a section on dramas that showcase strong female friendships.

Search: WWW

A drama that shines the spotlight on not just one strong female character, but three? Yes, please, and thank you very much. Show introduces us to three very different female lead characters, and proceeds to make each of their trajectories different, while keeping them connected and intertwined. The result is absorbing goodness, and I came away more invested in these three ladies and their friendship with one another, than in their individual lovelines, even though I was also suitably immersed in each of their love stories. Very well done, I must say.

Grade: A

Review: here.

Be Melodramatic

A quirky, off-the-wall story of three friends who are completely different from one another, yet fully invested in and supportive of one another’s lives. Show does a lovely job of fleshing out each of our main ladies’ personal stories, while also spending time delving into the dynamics of their friendship. Sometimes Show feels outright weird, but I mean that in the best possible way.

Grade: A-

Review: here.

Age Of Youth

A coming-of-age story that takes place in a share house, where our residents go from strangers to, well, family. ❤ All our characters feel real and relatable, and Show does a nice job diving into each of their personal stories, while also showcasing the group dynamic of this burgeoning sisterhood. Imperfect in spots, but so endearing overall.

Grade: B++

Flash Review: here.

Age Of Youth 2

A worthy sequel to Season 1, despite the departure of several characters, and the casting of a different actress for one of our characters due to scheduling conflicts. Show manages to retain the same strengths as Season 1, giving time to individual arcs while teasing out the group dynamics within the share house and showing the growth of the in-house friendships. This season feels more bittersweet than the first season, but is, overall, as solid as its sister.

Grade: B++

Review: here.

20th Century Boy and Girl

A warm, simple, angst-lite, heartfelt romance that happens to feature a group of gal pals that I really liked. The three girls are as different as can be, in personality and chosen profession, but they get along like a literal house on fire whenever they hang out together, and it warmed my heart to see them love and accept one another, flaws and all, without pettiness or jealousy. I loved how candid, familiar and cozy their friendship felt. ❤ I mean, I also really liked the romance, which features Kim Ji Suk in a rare melty role, but that’s just bonus.

Grade: B

Flash Review: here.

Dear My Friends

A top quality drama that’s made of multiple veterans, Dear My Friends feels fresh and comfortable at the same time, with characters at the center of our story, who are usually relegated to peripheral roles as grandmothers and grandfathers. The care and friendship – the sisterhood, really – is clear to see, and it’s so poignant to see these friendships which have weathered the years. I haven’t finished this one yet, because I’m not ready for any of our characters to die – and someone probably will, given the age and life stations of our characters – and I just can’t bear the thought of it. I will go back to it someday, though.

IN CLOSING

Wow. When we break it down this way, there really are more strong, interesting, compelling female characters in Dramaland than we first thought, aren’t there? That’s a very happy discovery, I think. It’s also very heartening to see that Dramaland realizes that more than ever, we like our female characters strong and interesting, and is working on bringing us more of them.

Meanwhile, I hope that you’ll find more than a few strong heroines to love from this list!

Love! ❤

~kfangurl

POST-SCRIPT:

1. If you feel that I missed anything, or if you have your own insights that you’d like to share with the rest of us, do tell us about it in the comments!

2. Do you have a question of your own? Drop me a comment here or on the Dear kfangurl page, or send me an email!