Where are all the ladies at? Probably at home right now, dying to have that sense of normalcy back, so they can meet their girls more regularly already. Thankfully, the pandemic restrictions are easing up and vaccines are making get-togethers safer. So it's becoming easier to schedule reunions and have girls' night outs or weekend brunches. But if you're still #TeamBahay and you're looking for the most entertaining things to watch at home, look for Korean dramas that totally empower women who empower other women.
Below are some of the most epic female friendships in K-dramas. Tune in to their stories if you find yourself missing your adventures with your female tribes!
1. The ladies in Thirty-Nine
This highly-anticipated Netflix series has recently premiered. The leading ladies are a true powerhouse: Son Ye Jin, Jeon Mi Do, and Kim Ji Hyun. They play a dermatology clinic director, an acting teacher, and a cosmetics manager at a department store. The three best friends met when they were 18 and now they're all 39. The drama will show their life and love struggles as they turn 40.
A lot of women will relate to the characters—one of whom narrated how it's an age where massages soothe their physical aches and that, "...only high-end cosmetics work on our skin." From the start, they show their great dynamic as friends and their unique personalities that complement each other. It's exciting to see how they weather the storms that are coming their way, especially as the realities of growing old hit them. And oh, mini spoiler alert: They're not the type to back down from a physical catfight!
2. The bosses from Search: WWW
In this drama, you meet three strong, independent, and insanely intelligent women who rule a fictional internet tech industry. Bae Ta Mi (Im Soo Jung), Cha Hyun (Lee Da Hee), and Song Ga Gyeong (Jeon Hye Jin) start off on the wrong foot. Ta Mi and Ga Gyeong belonged to a company that competed with Cha Hyun's.
But, Ta Mi made headlines and got ousted when she exposed the company's illegal manipulation of data. Then, she joined forces with Cha Hyun. At one point, they even set out to destroy the car of the man who made her life hell. Several plot twists and love lines are injected into the story before the three of them eventually become a united force to reckon with. They become a perfect mix of skills, charms, and even some brawn.
3. The BFFs from Because This Is My First Life
This group, on the other hand, has been friends since their school days. They're the kind of friends who will side with you no matter what. They will stick up for you, even if you become irrational. The lead character is Ji Ho (Jung So Min), a broke screenwriter who finds herself agreeing to live with a guy (Lee Min Ki) for practical reasons.
Aside from her story, Woo Soo Ji (Esom) and Yang Ho Rang (Kim Ga Eun) go through different struggles, too. The latter tries to survive a misogynist career, while the latter tries to preserve her long-term relationship and steer it into the direction of marriage. The three of them figure out how to deal with everything together and try to ensure that all of them find contentment.
4. The roommates in Age Of Youth
Also known as Hello, My Twenties, this K-drama features a young girl squad. Yoon Jin Myung (Han Ye Ri), Jung Ye Eun (Han Seung Yeon), Song Ji Won (Park Eun Bin), Kang Yi Na (Ryu Hwayoung), and Yoo Eun Jae (Park Hye Soo) are a group of college students living in a house together.
With diverse personalities and backgrounds, they didn't mesh well together at first, too. There isn't that instant connection, but they eventually appreciated each other's company. Of course, they also don't always get along. They even bicker when one's principles or preferences clash with another's. But they build a bond as roommates and become true friends as they experience various joys and heartbreaks together.
5. The ~swag~ trio in Weightlifting Fairy: Kim Bok Joo
They're also known as the geniuses behind the best sequence to make the most of your money at a samgyupsal joint. Kim Bok Joo (Lee Sung Kyung), Lee Sun Ok (Lee Joo Young), and Jung Nan Hee (Jo Hye Jung) all belong to the weightlifting track in college. They stick by each other through thick and thin–they celebrate their wins, fight to defend each other, and cry over heartbreaks together.
The three of them will definitely make you miss your ride-or-die besties from school. They're the ones you spend most of your college (or high school) days with. The ones who’ve seen you at your most awkward or worst phases. The ones who aren’t afraid to call you out when you do or say something wrong. The ones that make your youth truly fun and memorable.
6. The Ssangmundong ahjummas in Reply 1988
Hands-down, the most badass of them all—fight me! But seriously, aren't moms just the best? No Reply series fan could forget the trio of Ra Mi Ran, Lee Il Hwa, and Kim Sun Young (their characters' names are the same as their names IRL). Throughout the decades of their lives, they faced individual and family problems—from financial issues to relationship and child-rearing concerns. During the time that they were neighbors, they helped each other as much as they could. Now that’s a support system anyone would be lucky to have.
7. The North Korean Village ahjummas in Crash Landing On You
The aunties in Captain Ri's village (which Kim Sun Young is also a part of) are more than just a "Marites" crew. They were fiercely loyal and they enabled each other's budols. At the end of the day, aren't those what friendships are about? LOL! Jokes aside, these women seemed like annoying neighbors at first. But eventually, they stood up for what they believed was right. They risked their own safety in order to protect others they care about, and isn’t that just totally badass?
8. The Ongsan Avengers in When The Camellia Blooms
Another squad that Kim Sun Young is a part of: The tough ahjummas of the small town where Dong Baek (Gong Hyo Jin) moved to. They didn't really accept her at first, and they even bullied her quite a bit. But when she warmed up to them, they were so protective of her! They even volunteered to be part of the neighborhood watch and took care of her by giving her warm food. And it was definitely scary trying to protect someone from a murderer—how much more when you're an "old, frail woman" that society expects to be frightened? But it turned out—these women were braver than the criminal who hid behind his mind games.
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