5 Cha Eun-woo dramas to watch while he’s completing military service: From Island horror to a dog-cursed romance

Cha Eun-woo is officially heading off for his mandatory military service, and he's leaving a wave of emotion in his wake. The ASTRO star recently took to Instagram to share photos and videos of his military buzz cut, giving fans a glimpse of his send-off. He also posted moments from a heartfelt farewell meal with fellow ASTRO members MJ, JinJin, and Yoon San-ha, as well as Billlie’s Moon Sua — the younger sister of his late bandmate, Moonbin.

So, as he heads for his service, here are some shows that might just cheer you up. From the intensity of Island to the bizarre fun of a series where he falls in love with a woman who keeps turning to a dog at midnight, here’s our list.

After charming audiences in romantic lead roles, Cha Eun-woo took a darker turn with the horror-thriller Island. In the series, he plays a priest tasked with saving the world from pure evil. The very first episode is enough to make your stomach churn — so unless you’re fully prepared for an exorcism-fantasy set on a haunting, supernatural island, brace yourself before diving in. And, fair warning, Eun-woo might not have much of a romantic angle here, so for all those who expect some mush…try another one. 

It doesn’t get stranger than this, but if you’re a real fan of Eun-woo, you might just have a blast watching this absurdly fun show. The title is as it sounds: It stars Eun-woo as a professor, who falls in love with his colleague, played by Park Gyu-Young, but gasp, he discovers that she is actually a woman who is cursed, and turns into a dog at midnight. So, you can imagine the fun in this—and of course, be prepared for a lot of past connections. But, it’s Eun-woo at his most romantic, so why not?

Eun-woo in a historical drama? Sure! 

In Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung, Joseon-era romance meets feminist rebellion, with a secret identity twist and a dash of smallpox. Set across two timelines, the drama follows Goo Hae-ryung, a scholar who refuses to play by 19th-century gender rules, and Prince Dowon, a royal heartthrob secretly writing bestselling romance novels. When their worlds collide, sparks fly, politics explode, and banned books become weapons of resistance. Flashbacks to a progressive school destroyed for promoting Western ideals, and vaccines, add mystery and weight. Moreover, there’s court drama, gender wars, forbidden love, and fake kings, and you’ve got a period K-drama that’s anything but dusty. 

Of course, no list is complete without True Beauty. Eun-woo plays the wounded, yet gentle Su-ho who falls in love with a chirpy Mun Ka-kyung, who is embarrassed about her facial breakouts owing to a public humiliation. If you’re really grieving over Eun-woo’s departure, this might just be your fix: You’ve got him standing at a tower, dressed in black and tearfully confessing his love. Do you need anything else?

True Beauty’s serious older sister, Gangnam Beauty sees Eun-woo in a similar role. He falls in love with a girl (Im Soo-hyang) who was humiliated so much in school for her looks, that she undergoes plastic surgery. It’s a gentle, quiet show, putting across the message of bullying and the ability to love oneself.