Stills from ‘No Gain No Love’ and ‘Love Next Door’
After the success of Queen of Tears and Lovely Runner, there seems to have been a strange lull in the number of K-dramas being released. August seems to be all set to change that with over ten shows, which include several promising romantic comedies all set for release. Here’s our pick on what to check out.
Romance in the house
Byeon Moo-jin (Ji Jin-hee) suffers huge losses, goes bankrupt, divorces his wife and ultimately disappears, only to make an appearance back in the lives of his daughter and ex-wife. This time around, chaos ensures as he is now a rich man, who is also their landlord. The series also stars Kim Ji-soo, Son Na-eun and SHINEE’S Minho.
Premieres on Netflix from August 10.
Min-ho in a still from Romance in the house
Love Next Door
What happens when you are reunited with someone you share tonnes of awkward childhood memories with? Bae Seok-ryu, who has taken a career break and is looking for a fresh start, crosses paths with Choi Seung-hyu, who is a celebrated architect. Jung Hae-in and Jung So-min star in this romantic comedy from the creators of the smash hit Hometown Cha Cha Cha.
Premieres on Netflix from August 17
Jung Hae-in and Jung So-min in a still from Love Next Door
No Gain No Love
Starring Shin Min-ah and Kim Young-dae, No Gain No Love has the actors playing two unlikely candidates who decide to enter into a marriage of convenience. Hae-young is forced to consider getting married to avoid being overlooked for a promotion at work, and choses to marry Ji-uk, a convenience store worker. Will opposites attract?
Premieres on Prime Video from August 26
Kim Young-dae in a still from No Gain No Love
The Tyrant
When a secret project involving the development of a bioweapon comes to light, chaos ensues. The Tyrant follows Kim Seon-ho playing the director of a Korean intelligence agency who has been unofficially running this, and Cha Seung-won, an assassin tasked with eliminating everyone involved in the secret project.
Premieres on Disney+ from August 14
Kim Seon-ho(right) in a still from The Tyrant
Pachinko (Season 2)
Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Min Jin Hee, Pachinko’s second season begins in Osaka where Sunja (Minha Kim) is in Osaka with her family. The show traces the struggles of the family through the second world war, and also chronicles the lives of four generations of her family. Pachinko also stars Lee Min-ho, Yuh Jung-youn, Anna Sawal, Jin Ha, and Sungkyu Kim.
Premieres on Apple TV + from August 23
Minha Kim in a still from Pachinko
The Frog
Starring Kim Yoon Seok, Yoon Kye-sang, and Go Min-si, this crime thriller chronicles a mysterious incident that seemingly has connections to two different individuals. During summer, a mysterious stranger checks into a motel owned by one of these men, and sets off a chain of events that changes their lives.
Premieres on Netflix on August 23
Kim Yoon Seok in a still from The Frog
Cinderella at 2AM
In this office romance, Ha Yoon-Seo (Shin Hyun-Bin) and Seo Joo-Won (Moon Sang-Min) find their relationship threatened when it is revealed that Joo-won belongs to a chaebol family and owns the company they work at. While Yoon-seo decides to break up with him, Joo-won believes love will find its way.
Premieres on Viki from August 24
Shin Hyun-been and Moon Sang-min in the K-drama’s poster
