Dramas 2026

Can This Love Be Translated? ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

Country: Korea | Year: 2026 | Episode: 12 | Channel: Netflix

Cast: Kim Seon Ho & Go Young Jung
Plot: Joo Ho Jin (Kim Seon Ho) is a very skilled multilingual interpreter who’s fluent in English, Japanese and Italian. He starts working for top star Cha Mu Hee (Go Youn Jung) as her interpreter. She has bright charms and is always confident. They start developing feelings for each other.

Review: There couldn’t have been more accurate title to fit that drama. The whole plot revolves around language, and going beyond words to understand each other. I loved how ordinary words (like ‘Thank you’, ‘Sorry’, ‘Goodbye’ or ‘I love you’) have a deep meaning in the show and create links between characters. Every detail counts, from what characters say to small items (clovers) and bigger ones (auroras and the stars). The drama tackles mental health very well by deep diving into Cha Mu Hee’s psyche and traumas. You can clearly see how one event can influence the rest of your life, even if it is latent. Self love, letting go, being happy, accepting one’s past and moving on all are themes that are mentioned in the drama and deeply embedded in the narrative. The relationship between Ho Jin and Mu Hee is so great, I also loved Hiro to be fair and even the secondary characters, like Yong Woo and Ji Sun, were quite compelling. The aesthetics of the show, especially the landscapes in Canada, Italy, South Korea were absolutely stunning and Go Youn Jung’s acting performance as Do Ra Mi was incredible. Finally, I particularly enjoyed the opening and ending scenes. Don’t want to spoil it for you, but I think these were extremely clever and really sum up the spirit of the show. Highly recommended!

Idol I ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

Country: Korea | Year: 2025-2026 | Episode: 12 | Channel: ENA, Genie TV, Viki, Netflix

Cast: Choi Sooyoung & Kim Jae Young
Plot: Maeng Se Na is a star lawyer known to take on criminal cases other attorneys avoid. She’s also secretly been a fan of idol Do Ra Ik for 11 years. One day, he’s suddenly accused of murder. So, Maeng Se Na takes on his  case to defend.

Review: Idol I is such a compelling drama! I think there are 3 main reasons why I would definitely recommend the show. First, it highlights the downsides of celebrity. Do Ra Ik may be famous, rich and beloved by his fans, but he’s under a lot of pressure, struggles mentally and feels highly isolated and lonely. When he gets accused of murder, his world spirals out of control. Second, the slow-burn romance is absolutely fantastic. I loved how they took the time to build trust (and love) between Do Ra Ik and Maeng Se Na. As lawyer and client, they have each other’s back. But they also bring solace and comfort at a time when they’re at their lowest. Third, there’s a whole concept around justice and righting the wrongs that is embodied by Prosecutor Kwak. His evolution was honestly very well-done, as he went from being blinded by prejudice to seeking the actual truth. The music was great, Maeng Se Na as a fangirl was super credible (I just felt like I was seeing myself) and I desperately rooted for characters’ happiness. 100% recommended!

Love Between Lines ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

Country: China | Year: 2026 | Episode: 28 | Channel: iQiyi, Viki

Cast: Chen Xingxu & Lu Yu Xiao
Plot: To overcome her breakup, Hu Xiu decides to participate in a virtual-reality game that takes place in the 1930s. There, she meets one of the actors, Qin Xiao Yi, and falls for him. Little did she know that she would encounter him in real life shortly after.

Review: Flawless aesthetics, beautiful romance, and compelling plot. Love Between Lines stole my heart! First of all, I really love the idea of mixing game and reality. It’s generally quite tricky to do it well, but this drama managed to make smooth transitions between both settings. This allowed for the romance to bloom in the game, but also outside. Talking about romance, Hu Xiu and Xiao Zhi Yu were so cute – and don’t get me started on Chen Xingxu’s side smiles (I was smitten!). These two had amazing chemistry and their relationship just flowed naturally. Of course, there were obstacles (related to their past), but these were ok though sometimes a bit too dark. I also liked the second male lead (played by Dai Xu) and his famous elevator scenes. Love Between Lines is great romance, definitely worth watching!

Love Me ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

Country: Korea | Year: 2025-2026 | Episode: 12 | Channel: JTBC, Viki

Cast: Seo Hyun Jin & Chang Ryul
Plot: Seo Jun Kyeong is single and works as an OB-GYN. She appears to have a perfect life, but she’s actually a very lonely person due to a secret. 7 years ago, she ran away from her family after a devastating accident. One day, Joo Do Hyun enters her life. He is the only one to recognize her loneliness.

Review: There’s no better example to represent what a slice-of-life drama should be like. Love Me offers a variety of characters who all experience loneliness, love (hence the title) and the many challenges that life can throw at you. From grief to healing, breakup to love, loneliness to contentment, the drama is a roller coaster of emotions that will make you cry, laugh, hope and despair. The show focuses on one family (the father and his two children) but scales up to all the people gravitating around them. Each and every character is interesting and has his fair share of struggles that are relatable, realistic and authentic. I think anyone can identify with one of these situations whether it is Jun Seo’s bleak future or Jun Kyung’s insecurities in her relationship. There’s not a single scene to throw away, I was immersed in the cosy ambiance that broke my heart at times and healed it right away after. Morale of the story: Life is not a picnic, but it’s still worth living. I highly recommend you give this drama a chance, it’s definitely worth your time.

Spring Fever ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

Country: Korea | Year: 2026 | Episode: 12 | Channel: tvN, Prime Video

Cast: Ahn Bo Hyun & Lee Joo Bin
Plot: Yoon Bom is a popular and beloved school teacher who settles down in small town for unknown reasons. There, she meets Seon Jae Gyu, who is her student’s uncle. He’s big and looks tough, yet he is a warm and pleasant guy. He develops feelings for her.

Review: Spring Fever is the perfect example of what a real romantic comedy is. There’s love, humor, cheesy scenes, endearing characters and no complicated or far-fetched plot twists. I think this is exactly what made me enjoy the drama so much. Yoon Bom and Seon Jae Gyu both have their respective trauma that they have yet to overcome. There’s a clear evolution between the characters at the beginning and the end. Moreover, the plot was so straightforward. I really appreciated that they didn’t add any childhood connection, amnesia, accident or anything of the sort that generally pop up in dramas of this genre. Here, we just have two adults falling for each other and trying to make things work. I also need to speak about Ahn Bo Hyun as Seon Jae Gyu. He got me captivated throughout the entire show. First, his handsomeness and hot body. Second, his actions that made me believe he was either Superman or the Hulk and third his candor and sincerity. He’s such a cute, simple and moving character. His relationship with his nephew was so beautiful as well, and Han Gyul with Jae In were also great. Now, the drama remains unsurprising and linear, don’t expect anything extraordinary out of it. But you will surely be entertained and spend a good time while watching it!

The Judge Returns ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)

Country: Korea | Year: 2026 | Episode: 14 | Channel: MBC, Viki

Cast: Ji Sung, Park Hae Soon & Won Jin Ah
Plot: Lee Han Young is a corrupt judge who did dirty deeds for his father-in-law’s law firm. But, when he decides to stop with the corrupt dealings, he’s killed and goes back 10 years in the past. He struggles to live a new life and right his wrongs by punishing evil people.

Review: I will start by saying that I’m not the biggest fan of intrigues that revolve around corruption in the political and judicial systems. That’s exactly what this show is about – and I was not expecting so much political scheming. That’s why, there were many moments when I was not really into the story, if not completely disconnected from the action. That being said, The Judge Returns is a good drama. Even if I was not paying attention, I could understand what was going on in the story. I also like the premise of having a corrupt judge go back in time to make things right and clear his conscience. Lee Han Young is such a clever puppeteer who’s always ahead of the game. This made the twists quite thrilling – and I was 100% focused in those moments! The reflection on justice is quite interesting as well. Han Young and Shin Jin have two visions that are both rationally valid, but are diametrically different. The atypical team was probably my favorite part of the show with a judge, two prosecutors, a big man and a journalist. I could also sense some romantic vibes here and there, which was quite nice. All in all, The Judge Returns is objectively a good show, but it was not entirely for me.