5 K-Dramas where the plot lost us but the leads chemistry kept us hooked: From W Two Worlds to The King Eternal Monarch

Some K-Dramas survive purely on the strength of their leads’ chemistry—so much so that you forget they attempted to involve math. Literally. Some shows like The King: Eternal Monarch ties the storyline into pretzels, in the attempt to explain parallel universes, and the like. But, we stayed on just to watch Lee Min-ho and Kim Go-eun.

*Sniffles*

So, which K-Dramas kept you hooked, even when the plot lost you—but the chemistry wouldn’t let you go?

1)      The Tale of The Nine-Tailed

Let’s be honest—most fans tuned in for Lee Dong-wook and Jo Bo-ah’s soulful, star-crossed love story. Dong-wook plays the titular Nine-Tailed Fox (or magical Gumiho), who lost his love 900 years ago. He then meets her lookalike, played by Jo Bo-ah, and together, they battle pure evil, including the sinister 'Imoogi,' a reincarnated serpent demon. The story itself might lose you along the way, tangled in convoluted flashbacks, alternate dimensions, and unlikely possessions. But let’s face it, we all stayed for the stunning music and the sizzling chemistry between the leads. Who can forget Dong-wook crawling across hellscapes to save Bo-ah? The soundtrack is top-notch, heightening both the tension and the romance.

So, yeah, you can forgive the plot.

Streaming on Netflix, Viki.

2)      W: Two Worlds

I’ll be honest, W: Two Worlds lost me after Episode 5, despite a stellar build-up. But Lee Jong-suk and Han Hyo-joo’s chemistry kept me hooked in this bizarre web-toon-comes-to-life story. In W, Hyo-joo plays Yeon-joo, the daughter of a web-toon writer who created a thrilling story about Kang Chul (Jong-suk), an innocent man blamed for his parents' deaths. One day, Yeon-joo finds herself transported into the web-toon world, discovering she can move between both realms. Naturally, she falls in love with Kang Chul, but things aren’t as simple as they seem, with the real murderer still on the loose. Expect plenty of web-toon plotting, confusing universes, and a faceless killer lurking around. But honestly, the sweet dynamic between Hyo-joo and Jong-suk keeps you watching, even when you have no clue what's going on after Episode 11. This world, fake world, no world—who cares? There’s romance and great music. Let’s go.

Streaming on Viki.

3)      The King: Eternal Monarch

Ah, the takeaway from this show is Lee Min-ho charging down the streets of ‘Corea’ to rescue a bloodied Kim Go Eun, and saying, “Save her, she is the queen of Corea.” As for the rest of the story? *Struggles to remember*

Set across two parallel worlds, Lee Min-ho’s King Lee Gon who wants to seek out detective Jong Tae-eul (Kim Go-eun)because of a mysterious ID card he found as a child. Cue time travelling. They fall in love, and in the midst of all this, he needs to unravel the mystery surrounding his parents too. There is a lot of back and forth between two worlds, time travelling, erasing worlds, alternate versions of one person and you might lose track occasionally, but hey, watch for Min-ho and Go-eun’s consuming romance.

Streaming on Netflix

4)      Abyss

The plot may have plunged into the abyss, but Ahn Hyo-seop’s charm and Park Bo-young’s warmth kept it afloat. Abyss follows Go Se-yeon, a sharp prosecutor, and Cha Min, a wealthy yet insecure heir, who both die under mysterious circumstances—only to be resurrected in completely different bodies through a magical orb. Between body swaps, ex-lovers, and a dangerous serial killer lurking in the background, the story takes so many twists it might leave you dizzy. But the heartfelt romance between the leads makes up for the chaos—though this one is strictly for die-hard romantics willing to overlook the narrative freefall.

Streaming on Netflix

5)      Melting Me Softly

The jury’s still out on this one. First, ask yourself—how big of a Ji Chang-wook fan are you? If the answer is huge, then you might want to give this one a shot. Melting Me Softly follows two individuals (Chang-wook and Won Jin-ah) who undergo a cryogenic experiment, only to wake up 20 years later with one major catch—their body temperature can’t drop below a certain point. As they struggle to adjust to the lost years, romance inevitably sparks. Yes, it’s just as confusing as it sounds, but let’s be honest—we’re here for the chemistry, and Ji Chang-wook delivers.

Streaming on Amazon Prime, Viki