Looking for an addictive K-drama to match Pinocchio

I haven't watched Pinocchio yet, but I can give some recs based on the other stuff you've liked.

My Dearest Nemesis - has Mun Ka-young from True Beauty and Choi Hyun-wook from Twinkling Watermelon. has a pretty fluffy romance while still handling darker themes. You'll love the characters, and I've yet to dislike a drama with Hyun-wook in it.

Love Scout - amazing office romance, ML is the biggest green flag you've ever met. It's not all that heavy, and I think the pacing is some of the best I've seen in a while.

Vincenzo - it gets kinda dark at times especially in the last few episodes but the plot in INCREDIBLE. don't be scared by the first episode. absolutely hilarious, plot twists galore, with a healthy amount of romance that feels natural, despite the absurdity of everything that happens.

More :

• Cheat On Me, if You Can 
• Be Melodramatic (less cliffhangers, but the storytelling is amazing and refreshing)
  
• It's Okay, That's Love
• Crazy Love

I usually watch dramas for anything but the romance, but these ones made an impression.

And a special mention for Café Minamdang, it's slightly darker, but it contrasts beautifully with its own brand of humour, and - I don't know how else to say this - ML is a total show pony!

Pinocchio is my jam. I've rewatched it several times, and I'm a huge fan of that mid 2010s spiderwebby plot fulla redemption thing. I adore that screenwriter.

First recommendation, try Healer again. The first three episodes are full of exposition pain and people being unpleasant. See, the deal with Healer is that the writer also wrote Sandglass, a seminal (why, yes, I am pretentious) kdrama that features actual footage of the Gwangju Uprising -- people in Korea remember where they were and who they were watching with when that Sandglass episode aired. And before Healer gets to its soft, delicious, chewy center of action romance, it has to develop some connections to governmental oppression and journalists being suppressed in the 80s-90s. If you're willing to give the Gwangju Uprising and Sandglass each a google, and be patient and go into "learning a bit about Korean history" mode for three episodes, then Healer will bloom into an ecstasy that is similar to the ecstasy of Pinocchio. 

Second recommendation, I Hear Your Voice. Pinocchio's screenwriter's drama of the previous year. It's less rewatchable for me than Pinocchio, but it's still pretty wonderful. Nothing replaces the delightfulness of the workplace and family scenes in Pinocchio, but the complex fate-filled plot and redemption twists in I Hear Your Voice are extremely satisfying, and it has amnesia done right. The female lead character in I Hear Your Voice just slays me. Fun fact, Dal Po's GPS in Pinocchio is voiced by the actress who plays the FL of I Hear Your Voice, Lee Bo Young. And her performance in I Hear Your Voice is one of my favorite kdrama performances of all time. And I see it's on your Plan to Watch :)

When you ask for "An addictive drama with lovable characters, solid storytelling with cliffhangers, and a good romance," I would say that Pinocchio, I Hear Your Voice, and Healer are the gold standard of dramas that share that era when the twisty plots of earlier dramas are starting to meet the broadcast standards of later dramas. 

Another drama with lovable characters and a great romance (but since the drama is lighter, the storytelling and cliffhangers aren't as dramatic or compelling): Dali and the Cocky Prince. Since you are fine with the cute overload level of adorable of Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo, I think Dali and the Cocky Prince would be right up your alley. I think of these two as supremely happy place dramas. I suppose I would add Coffee Prince and Shopaholic Louis to their family of sunshiny goodness. These are all dramas I find to be extra adorable.

If you're willing to go with dramas that have less lovable characters - some brittle, edgy, urban sophisticates here - but that do have the high writing quality of Pinocchio and are at a similar level as far as compelling goes, then I'd suggest you take a look at Another Miss Oh, Tomorrow With You, It's Okay, That's Love, and Don't Dare to Dream aka Jealousy Incarnate. All have truly excellent and compelling writing and characters. It's just - people are not necessarily nice or lovable for a good portion of the drama.

I definitely agree with you about W: Two Worlds. It gets stuck in its high concept, and doesn't do its job with the fundamentals of building the relationship between the romantic leads. Also, Goblin, sigh, is the kind of drama where script frequently gives the characters orders like: stand here and feel this. I've watched both a coupla times, because I like the performers and themes, and because I like how purty the visuals are, but as I rewatch I'm like, agreeing with you... there's something missing, here.

Some random notes about dramas on your Plan to Watch, compared to the standards of the dramas you've loved that I've also loved (Crash Landing on You, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo, Pinocchio). I did give Descendants of the Sun just an 8.0, but I enjoyed it, and I get the appeal, plus I see that it ticks all your boxes.

While You Were Sleeping - I've seen several of screenwriter Park Hye Ryun's dramas, and this one is accomplished and lovely, but to me lacks the compelling energy of Pinocchio and I Hear Your Voice. It's visually gorgeous, though. I think this screenwriter moves with the times, and WYWS follows the trend towards tonal consistency, glossy visuals, and less intense plots. 

She Would Never Know - I think of this as kind of a B-movie drama. It hangs together, and there's a carefully developed impacts of infidelity theme, but it's not a standout, and there are So. Many. Product placements.

Extraordinary You - This is as high concept as Goblin or W: Two Worlds, but I found the writing to be both innovative and compelling. I think you have to be willing to enjoy going meta with the drama, though. Otherwise it just feels like a puzzling high school drama with a lot of Easter eggs. I caught the Boys Over Flowers references, even though I just couldn't finish that particular drama. If you want to watch Extraordinary You, watch a few clips of Boys Over Flowers first.

One Spring Night - The most purely enjoyable romance from director Ahn Pan Seok, whose dramas are on another level. I think Something In the Rain is more excellent, but it's polarizing and not what you're looking for - it's more a journey to freedom than a romance. But One Spring Night is high quality and satisfies your requirements.

Our Beloved Summer - This has a lot of dialogue, and there's lot of documentary type scenes, but the relationship is super awesome with more awesome on top. So it's not all plot twisty, but the characters and love story are excellent.

Vincenzo and Flower of Evil are both going to be too dark for your partner. The romance in Flower of Evil is rad, and high stakes, as they're a married couple and he has a lot of secrets. The romance in Vincenzo is bathed in snarky innuendo. Flower of Evil is truly chilling and disturbing. Vincenzo is meta, arty and tongue in cheek, and also quite violent and jaded. If I thought your partner would tolerate those elements, I would recommend them without qualification. Itaewon Class is very light on the romance. It has a webtoon look and feel that are striking and fun to experience, but the revenge mood doesn't match what you're looking for as a couple.

Because This Is My First Life is extremely well written, but a different type of drama than your standouts so far. It's gentle, straightforward yet intelligent, and meditates on modern relationships. Great characters.

 emeraldarrows:

Possibly...

• Suspicious Partner  (gives me some of the same vibes of Pinocchio )
• While You Were Sleeping 
• What's Wrong with Secretary Kim 
• My Sweet Mobster  

Thanks! I have read good reviews for the three first. So Suspicious Partner has this vibe (bingewatchable, good cast, romance). While You Were Sleeping, even if it's the same writter, reviews seem "average". Huge show? And the third is famous, I don't know if it's overestimated or not. 

 autumn iris:

Maybe:

Fight for My Way (romances and friendships between four longtime friends)

Flex X Cop (fun police detective story because the newcomer is a chaebol who could solve problems with money and through good connection with the rich and powerful)

Marry My Husband (on your ptw, a rebirth and revenge drama with FL schemes to let her best friend replacing FL to marry FL's husband)

Move to Heaven (even though it's super sad, it's a must-watch, about a service company that helps cleaning and tidying up the deceased person's home and stuffs)

Strong Girl Bong Soon (on your ptw, a super strong woman wants to get a job in a game company as ehm creative department staff but get recruited as a bodyguard because ML sees her power)

Seoul Busters (a group of failed police detective gets a new genius leader, super funny)

The Master's Sun (a medium could stop seeing ghost when having skinship with a cold ceo, together they solve problems for ghosts and humans)

Thanks! I have read some good reviews about Marry My Husband and Strong Girl Bon Soon. Marry My Husband, there is revenge theme but romance also? I mean that because my wife doesn't like when it's too dark. Strong Girl Bong Soon is the same vibe than Kim Buk Jun?

@kabocha : 

Thank you for this great, very comprehensive comment. I see we're on the same wavelength. The world of K-dramas isn't easy to understand. 

My partner and I discovered this universe in early 2025, and now we're really hooked, but also demanding. Especially since, unlike her, I find it hard to tell myself, “I have to watch five episodes to get into it.” I like to be hooked from the first episode, so I don't feel like I'm forcing myself or wasting my time. 

We started with “Crash Landing on You,” and I have to say that I had a hard time getting into it. It took me a few episodes, two or three, and then I was hooked. The romance between the two, the connection, is truly incredible. Although, if we want to be demanding, the ending is a little disappointing and lacks that “climax” " (I later learned that the scene was shot at the beginning, before the two actors fell in love, which is why the connection wasn't as strong as the others). 

We then moved on to 2521, which has a different tone, but damn, the characters are so endearing. I was sad to leave this group of friends. And my rating is only because I'm not satisfied with the ending there either. 

Descendants of the Sun, unlike CLOY, had me hooked from the very first minutes. And that counts for a lot for me. 

My Love From the Stars: I love the lead actor, and despite the endearing characters, it drags on too long and the ending isn't that great either. Romance is a Bonus Book touched me with its themes, which is why I rated it highly, but it's not necessarily “binge-watchable.” Nevertheless, I liked the themes it explored. We tried Goblin and stuck with it. It took us five episodes to get into it, and I hesitated for a long time before moving on to something else. Honestly, we remember the drama more for the bromance than the romance. In my opinion, it's still a forgettable drama. Like W, our latest, I had high expectations, but it's missing something and it goes off in too many directions. Here, there's no real connection between the characters, and the ambitious script got lost along the way. It was OK but not extraordinary.

Business Proposal is more of the same, a light drama to recover from a masterclass. The characters are really exaggerated, which was a bit too much for me at times. A transitional drama. 

I loved My Demon. There's a real connection between the two, lots of twists and turns. I had to be strict with myself not to give it a 10 because it has all the elements I like. King The Land is also a Business Proposal Premium, I would say, with a real connection between the two, touching moments, and still a few twists and turns. 

Kim Bok Joo is like 2521 with a better ending, hence the difference in rating. It has a pleasant vibe. But when I really think about it, I was more attached to the gang in 2521 than to Kim Bok Joo. 

I love the time travel aspect, hence the excellent ratings for Twinkling and Lovely Runner. It always hits the mark. Plus, in Twinkling, there's the family theme that touches me. Again, you get attached to the characters and follow them on their adventures. 

True Beauty is also a masterclass. Really, it's my pleasant surprise. There was no doubt that my partner would love it, but I had more doubts about myself. The theme is really touching and heartwarming. The trio is adorable and touching, and there are quite a few twists and turns. I was really pleasantly surprised. 

Queen of Tears, my partner liked it, I loved it. Really, the connection between the two is probably the strongest I've seen in any drama. It's magnetic. There's an interesting story, twists and turns, and powerful supporting characters. 

And finally, Pinocchio, which is probably my favorite because I was hooked from the very first minutes and wanted to watch all night long (which is often a good sign). The theme of journalism is super interesting, there's a revenge angle, and the characters are super endearing. It's a banger. Honestly, it's hard to pick a number one, but Pinocchio will definitely stick with me. 

And in all this, we gave up on several dramas. I had heard good things about Her Private Life, but the first episode didn't really grab us. When the Phone Rings seemed great (to me), but the atmosphere and the actors were a little too cold/distant. It's Okay to Not Be Okay: it wasn't so much the dark side, but the atypical Tim Burton-esque side that bothered us. Healer: everyone is talking about it (including you), so we have to give it a chance, but the first episode overwhelmed us with information and action. Especially since, from memory, the FL isn't “magnificent.” So we have to wait three episodes? With all that said, you understand better what we like. 

Anyway, I've talked a lot. And you've done a great job sorting through my “Plan to watch.” If I'm not mistaken, our next drama should be “I Hear Your Voice”? I didn't know anything about it, but someone told me it was written by the same person who wrote “Pinocchio,” so naturally I added it like I did “While You Were Sleeping.” And then, try “Healer” again (you're going to have to hang in there, I hope it's really worth it, not like Goblin). With everything I've told you, does that help you decide what to recommend and/or remove from my “Plan to watch” list? I'll add that I've heard great things about “Mr. Sunshine,” but, and this is just me (not my partner), I have a hard time with dramas set in another era. I need to be able to project myself, visualize, for it to be tangible in order to fully experience the drama (this is true for series, books, and other media). So I'm a little reluctant. 

With all that said, I think you understand what I'm looking for. A strong start (not something that takes five episodes to get into), endearing characters, a beautiful romance with a real connection, and plot twists/cliffhangers to make it binge-watchable. So, who are the lucky winners? 

 JohnRayley:

Same scriptwritter but same vibe than Pinocchio? 

Similar vibes in the way the characters are written and the romance, imo, but the plot has more fantasy elements than Pinocchio.