Five drama recommendations… for your bromance craving
by DB Staff
What’s the only thing that’s as satisfying as a K-drama romance? A bromance, of course. From the Joseon dynasty to police precincts to high school, there’s no drama setting that isn’t ripe for a bromance. It’s nearly impossible to pick our favorites, but here are few that stuck to our hearts.
School 2013 (2013)
No bromance list would ever be complete without the School 2013 pairing of Nam-soon (Lee Jong-seok) and Heung-soo (Kim Woo-bin). Once an inseparable duo of best friends, an awful misunderstanding tore these two boys apart, yet they still found themselves circling back into each other’s orbit years later. Perhaps the most heart-wrenching thing is that the aforementioned misunderstanding arose not from a simple fallout, but from the paralyzing fear that the other person would leave, coupled with the overwhelming desire to make him stay.
All the raw and intense emotions of adolescence are on full display in their earnest promises and tearful ultimatums, but it never veers into theatrics for drama’s sake. Instead, their relationship unfolds in a way that always feels realistic and grounded. Past all the layers of swallowed hurt, mutual pining, bone-deep devotion, crushing guilt, and aching regret — these two boys simply love and miss each other. Having once found solace in each other amidst their bleak and lonely lives, their longing is woven into every step of their reconciliation journey. There’s so much pathos packed into every interaction, making it even more compelling than an actual romance. No one will ever be able to say “dumb bastard” with as much affectionate exasperation and reluctant endearment as these two. Nearly a decade since the show first aired, this pair still holds a very special place in my heart. –@solstices
Moonlight Drawn by Clouds (2016)
There’s just something about best friends who find themselves on opposing sides of a conflict but can’t manage to stop themselves from caring about each other that just gets me right there every single time. This particular friendship involved a former friend trio who ended up entangled in palace politics and pulled in multiple directions – and yet, their bond ran inextricably deep, even if some of them were at times better at hiding it than others. (Okay, one of them was better at hiding it.)
With different factions plotting his downfall at every turn, crown prince Lee Young (Park Bo-gum) desperately needed a core group of people he could trust explicitly to be on his side, with no divided loyalties. But even as he found himself doubting the one person he thought he could always count on, he was also ready to jump headlong into mortal danger to protect his friends – and they were more than ready to do the same in return. Add to that the masterful acting by Park Bo-gum, Kwak Dong-yeon, and Jinyoung, and you’ve got a recipe for a perfectly heart-wrenching bromance. –@mistyisles
The Lonely Shining Goblin (2016)
The bromance between our Goblin (Gong Yoo) and Reaper (Lee Dong-wook) is iconic and spans lifetimes, so it would be remiss to not include them on this list. They start their (present-day) relationship as frenemies and reluctant roommates, but as the show progresses, these two grow fond of each other and eventually become sidekicks, taking out bad guys — and returning home with groceries — in a gloriously back-lit and slow-mo fashion. The appeal of this bromance is 100% in their bickering, though, as they duke it out through magical guerrilla warfare and stab each other with verbal insults. It’s the best kind of bromance, in my opinion.
But as amusing as their present-day antics are, their former past-life connection cannot be ignored, because this drama is also about the two of them reconciling the mistakes that were made in the past and being able to move on from them. Their ending is bittersweet, and their separation feels as gut-wrenching as the romantic pairings. But there’s comfort in knowing that they both continue forward happily, even if it is separately. –@DaebakGrits
Smart Prison Living (2017)
Smart Prison Living (a.k.a. Prison Playbook) is currently my second-most favorite K-drama of all time, so I’m extremely biased when it comes to the bromance between Je-hyuk (Park Hae-soo) and Jun-ho (Jung Kyung-ho). It’s a different kind of bromance than the ones we typically fawn over in K-dramas because it’s more nuanced and devoid of flirtatious bickering. Having bonded over baseball as teenagers, these two eventually went their separate ways as their lives and careers pulled them in different directions, but after Je-hyuk is arrested for attacking the man who tried to sexually assault his sister, Jun-ho becomes his prison guard protector and baseball coach.
Reunited as adults under unusual circumstances, these two demonstrate how some friendships have a certain brand of chemistry that allows them to recapture the magic of their decades old friendship even after spending years apart. Je-hyuk may be a famous baseball pitcher with the intelligence of a gnat, but Jun-ho has remained a loyal friend, fan, and supporter from afar, going the extra mile in order to transfer from one prison to another to protect his baseball chum from the dangers of prison life. Although it may appear as though Jun-ho puts forth more effort in their friendship, the love goes both ways, and it makes me happy that the show concludes with Jun-ho dating Je-hyuk’s sister. I just love imagining the two of them eventually becoming real brothers (in-law).
–@DaebakGrits
Life on Mars (2018)
Life on Mars is a classic case of two clashing personalities forced to work together until they become reluctant friends… with a time travel twist. Han Tae-joo (Jung Kyung-ho) is reserved, analytical, and so by-the-books he lets a clear criminal go free because there’s a slight chance the evidence may have been contaminated. Kang Dong-chul (Park Sung-woong) is boisterous, hotheaded, and prefers to manhandle confessions out of people. When Tae-joo gets sent back in time to the ’80s, he has to 1) solve cases without the technology he’s used to; and 2) work with people who operate on a very different code of ethics (not to mention dealing with the getting shot in the head and sent back in time stuff). But, as the two cops learn to function as partners, they drift closer to a happy medium between their two extremes, and it’s as satisfying as it is entertaining. But it’s also poignant, as Tae-joo grows from being a stoic outsider (in both places/times) to being part of a family of colleagues among whom he’s finally able to smile and be himself. –@mistyisles
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Tags: Drama recommendations, featured2, Life on Mars, Moonlight Drawn By Clouds, School 2013, Smart Prison Living, The Lonely Shining Goblin
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1 Tazzo
March 8, 2022 at 12:26 PM
I love how max recommendations have jung kyung ho, and rightly so. Best bromances out there. Jkh, he is a adorable puppy who must be protected at all costs hehe
Also goblin will always be iconic when it comes to bromance and school 2013 will be the classic.
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bbstl 🧹
March 8, 2022 at 1:54 PM
Also, JKH deserves another bromance 💙 for Heartless City Yoon Hyun Min.
And Yoon Hyun Min deserves another 💙 for Witch’s Romance with Park Seo Joon
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Snow Flower
March 8, 2022 at 8:01 PM
Yes for Heartless City bromance!!!
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Tazzo
March 8, 2022 at 10:58 PM
I don’t think I have watched it yet. I have all jung kyung Ho dramas in my watch list. I already struggled with time like we all do trying to fit in as many dramas as possible with also doing the daily grind but these days with so many streaming and network services also coming to kdrama market think the struggle is more than it ever was before! Ah I am digressing! Anywho, I need to watch this drama, thanks for mentioning it 😊
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BedeliaJane
March 9, 2022 at 7:22 AM
Oh yeah! I love the bromance in Witch's Romance. I can still remember the characters' names: Mr Yoon and Mr Yong! 😁
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bbstl 🧹
March 9, 2022 at 7:52 AM
Cool! I didn’t remember that 😆
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Erica
March 9, 2022 at 3:05 PM
First I didn’t expect Life on Mars. More because the past recos have been quite predictable or “in your face” famous.
But yey for LOM!
And triple the motion for Heartless City (Cruel City)! What a gem!
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seed
March 9, 2022 at 2:21 AM
There's also JKH's bromance with JJS in Hospital Playlist. Their fights are hilarious.
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2 miso
March 8, 2022 at 12:30 PM
What a fantastic list! Completely agree about the School 2013 NamSoo pair being the gold standard for bromance - no romance has ever been sweeter than watching these two kids reunite.
Love all the other pairs on the list especially both Jung Kyung-ho ones. He certainly has a knack for seeming like an integral part of any friend circle.
My own list would include
- Chicago Typewriter since nothing beats a friendship across TWO lifetimes
- Descendants of the Sun, which is a great example of two opposites who complement each other from the very beginning instead of going the hate to love route
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Fly Colours
March 8, 2022 at 5:20 PM
Chicago Typewriter! Bromance with a ghost is always fun. Go Kyungpyo haunting Yoo Ahin and annoying the hell out of him was 🤣
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currypuff
March 8, 2022 at 6:33 PM
I am here to second the Song Joong Ki and Jin Goo bromance in DOTS!
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3 superwhopotterlock
March 8, 2022 at 12:35 PM
Having watched everything except moonlight drawn by clouds, it's a very sound list. I would also like to add reply 97 and 88. SIG and hoya's bromance was special (though there was unrequited love, it was treated with utmost respect). Also jung hwan and taek-even though they liked the same girl, they never let it affect their friendship. And also taek and sunwoo-from being close friends to actual brothers.
But my highlight would be chief kim- namgoong min and junho's enemies to bromance would forever remain in my memory.
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bbstl 🧹
March 8, 2022 at 1:55 PM
Oh, big YEP 💙💙💙 to Chief Kim!
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4 welh
March 8, 2022 at 12:48 PM
Chief Kim. Rivals to enemies to frenemies to teammates.
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5 sailorgirl
March 8, 2022 at 1:22 PM
I knew Goblin would be on the list! I'd like to throw CLOY and Descendants of the Sun into the ring, too. Thanks for the post!
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6 Ally
March 8, 2022 at 1:35 PM
Recently, Ghost Doctor’s KIM BUM and RAIN.
But no one, not ever will top GONG YOO and Lee Dong Wook who are real life besties too!
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miss h
March 8, 2022 at 3:45 PM
Ghost Doctor definitely had the best recent bromance.
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7 sirena
March 8, 2022 at 1:54 PM
I approve of these bromance choices :) Especially Je-hyuk and Jun-ho.
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8 Roriee
March 8, 2022 at 2:10 PM
Another great bromance drama is Gentlemen’s Dignity.
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9 panshel
March 8, 2022 at 2:38 PM
If nothing else, Kim Eun-sook really knows how to do bromance: Goblin, Descendants of the Sun, and Mr. Sunshine.
Also, Sungkyunkwan Scandal with our Best Couple Award winners Yoo Ah-in and Song Joong-ki, and My Country with our Stabby OTP Yang Se-jong and Woo Do-hwan.
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9ja Unni
March 10, 2022 at 6:12 AM
You are right, I completely forgot the Mr Sunshine Trio. They had wonderful chemistry.
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10 mysterious
March 8, 2022 at 2:47 PM
I wholeheartedly agree with School 2013. Those boys broke my heart every single week. I'd also like to mention Bad and Crazy. I think it could count as a bromance. Hey if a goblin and a reaper count why not Soo-yeol and K?
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Fly Colours
March 8, 2022 at 5:23 PM
I second Bad and Crazy!
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11 Ally
March 8, 2022 at 4:43 PM
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12 Kafiyah Bello
March 8, 2022 at 4:53 PM
School 2013 for sure and Smart Prison Living. As someone mentioned above Coffee Prince for life. Also the bromance in Business Proposal is also pretty good(we are only 4 episodes in though, so will hold off until completion to really add it to the list)
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13 Fly Colours
March 8, 2022 at 5:18 PM
It looks like bromance is Lee Dong Wook's expertise. He just recently played another great bromance with Wi Hajoon in Bad and Crazy
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14 zzthorn
March 8, 2022 at 6:38 PM
Two Cops. Those two were ready to die for each other.
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15 Over-Dramaddictally
March 8, 2022 at 7:15 PM
I’m thinking of Flower Boy Next Door since I watched it recently (based on one of these recommendation lists—I’m loving them!). The bromance between Enrique and Oh Jin-rak is pretty cute, As well as the friendship between Oh Jin-rak and Oh Dong-hoon.
Also, even if it’s overplayed by this point, I have to mention Chief Kim.
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16 cozybooks
March 8, 2022 at 8:28 PM
Lol that ending photo. I totally thought for a second that it was the parody of that scene as found in Manager Kim (Good Manager). Great picks!! I'm off to look at my own lists and see what I come up with :)
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17 RaOnAh loves Jay B 💚
March 8, 2022 at 9:05 PM
Two more for the list:
King 2 Hearts: the prince and bodyguard bromance is so funny, sweet, and heartbreaking.
Devil Judge: Ji Sung and Jinyoung were amazing together.
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RaOnAh loves Jay B 💚
March 11, 2022 at 12:46 PM
I thought of another one for my list: Queen for Seven Days. The bromance between the king and his little brother, the crown prince, was so good. Their scenes crackled with tension as their brotherly love fought with their political instincts.
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18 ex-beanie
March 8, 2022 at 9:49 PM
Is it safe to mention Beyond Evil here? Idk really!😂
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19 Tazzo
March 8, 2022 at 11:02 PM
I would add 1. the king two hearts’ eun shi kyung (jo jung suk’s pivotal drama that brought him in the mainstream limelight) with king Lee jae ah (Lee seung hi) and 2. Dots bromance
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20 Kurama
March 9, 2022 at 12:50 AM
Bromance is really something Kdramas can do well!
Other ones that I liked :
- Mr Sunshine : Eugene, Dong-Mae and Hui-Seong were pretty much ennemies, but this trio was so funny together.
- My Country : Their relationship was really nice but tragic.
- On The Verge of Insanity : Han-Soo becoming a puppy around Ban-Seok
- Heartless City : Baskso and Soo. It wasn't easy for Shi-Hyun because he was in the middle of Jin-Sook and Soo who didn't like each other.
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21 Rose
March 9, 2022 at 2:33 AM
School 2013 was my first School series drama and my favorite one. not to forget Jung Nara and Choi Daniel who were my initial reason to start watching I absolutely was immersed in bromance, tbh I was never able to like KWB and JLS's any other drama more than this one.
Also the Lonely Shining Goblin, please don't get me wrong when I say I didn't care about the main actress as much as I cared about the bromance, I absolutely adore Kim Goeun but honestly, the real romance was between Shin and King, we only had a female lead because our Goblin was destined to have a bride who could -apparently- set him free from his misery
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22 cozybooks
March 9, 2022 at 3:18 PM
Ok! My list is now ready. These aren't all the lovey-dovey best friends relationships I traditionally associate with bromance, but they ARE the dramas where I enjoyed and appreciated the interactions between two prominent male characters the most. Let us begin!
Good Manager I love Namgung Min. I also love Lee Jun Ho. I did not even realize it was Lee Jun Ho playing here for the longest time, he did such a good job. Put the two of them together and it was comedy gold. I'm so pleased they won the best couple award lololol
Tunnel Park Gwang Ho and Kim Seon Jae were one the most enjoyable enemies to friends bromances I've seen in a while. It was hilarious enough to watch them interact, but I got an extra kick out of seeing the 80s mindset play off a 21st century hotshot. Very well done!
Flower of Evil Hehehe after you get past the first few episodes, where LJG is, y'know, keeping the poor man hostage and threatening him with bodily harm, the relationship between these two feels funny and natural. Not that it's natural to decide NOT to report the man who kidnapped you... but I can see why he didn't, now.
Hello Monster I can't finish this list without mentioning the actual bromance. Seo In Guk and Park Bo Gum in the same drama? Sign me up. Oh my goodness they did a good job, too. I was so sad for them, the entire time... it was wonderful.
Psychopath Diary It's a bit different, but I would totally consider the brief comradarie between Yoon Dong Shik and Seo In Woo a bromance. He was so happy to have found a fellow serial killer... a man he could relate with. It was HILARIOUS to watch them interact and play off each other... I could watch that show all day lol.
And that's it! Reading this list I can totally see I have a favorite genre of drama... If there's not an aspect of murder, I'm just not as invested lol. Here are the honorable mentions:
The Good Detective
Signal
Prison Playbook (I also LOVE this drama, but it was already mentioned so I passed over it)
Hospital Playlist
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tabong is ironing the crosswalk
March 11, 2022 at 11:26 AM
Big yes to Hello Monster. Yes, yes, yes.
I really like your list, except for FoE. I only started liking the "friend" when the show was about to end. I never thought of his character as an actual friend, just like an annoying dude that was obsessed with the ML's sister. He was way too judgy and selfish to be a friend tbh, he even wanted him to go to jail for a murder he didn't commit, only so the sister would be free to date him or wtv.
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23 tabong is ironing the crosswalk
March 11, 2022 at 11:18 AM
I love all these bromances!
My favorites from this list are Prison Playbook and School 2013.
+
You Are My Spring
Black
Just Between Lovers
Waikiki
Please Comeback Mr (?)
Reply 88
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Over-Dramaddictally
March 11, 2022 at 5:19 PM
Oh, how could I forget about Kang Doo and Sang Man! They are probably my favorite of all time. Good one.
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