6 Best ‘Slice of Life’ K-Dramas to Binge-Watch When Feeling Down
There are multiple ways to deal with a gloomy and grey day or when one is feeling upset. But there is nothing better than cozying up in bed and putting on a good K-drama. Thankfully, the ‘Slice of Life’ genre of K-dramas gets the job done. They focus on the lives of everyday characters, their life journies of love, friendship, adulthood, and the beauty in the ordinary. Here are the best ‘Slice of Life’ K-dramas.
‘Diary of a Prosecutor’ focuses on the work lives of attorneys
Everyone can relate to the stress and anxiety of going through a work day. The 2019 drama Diary of a Prosector centers on a group of overworked lawyers trying to get through their cases and have some resemblance of a personal life.
Actor Lee Sun-kyun narrates the ‘Slice of Life’ K-drama as Lee Sun-woong. He is a top prosecutor with hopes to keep succeeding. Actor Jung Ryeo-won stars as Cha Myung-joo, a once elite lawyer who is demoted to work in a small town. Lee Sung-jae plays the role of Jo Min-ho, the Chief of Jinyoung District Prosecutor’s Office’s Criminal Unit 2.
Other characters include a working mother who has been a prosecutor for four years, a prosecutor who has worked for 14 years, and a rookie.
Diary of a Prosector is available to stream on Viki.
‘Misaeng: Incomplete Life’ is one of the best ‘Slice of Life’ K-dramas about office life
Actor Im Si-wan leads Misaeng: Incomplete Life as Jang Geu-rae. Since childhood, he has been passionate about the board game baduk. As he grew older, his failed attempts to become a professional player led him to give up on his dream. Instead, he enters the workforce like everyone else and is armed with a GED.
With no real qualifications, he becomes an intern at One International, a large trading company. He meets his workaholic yet nice boss, an intellectual fellow intent, and a geeky employee. Navigates office life and the corporate world is not easy. Geu-rae does his best, using the rules of baduk as his guide.
Misaeng: Incomplete Life is available on Netflix.
‘Racket Boys’ follows a group of teens through the sport of badminton, family, and friendship
Racket Boys is one of the best and most heartwarming ‘Slice of Life’ K-dramas from 2021. The main cast stars a group of rising young actors as badminton players. Actor Tang Jun-sang stars as Yoon Hae-kang, an ex-badminton prodigy whose parents’ are badminton legends and coaches. He gave up his title to pursue baseball.
But a new job has Hae-kang, and his family moves to a small town so his father can coach a middle school badminton team. The team of three young players hopes to avoid disbandment by showing their worth. While Hae-kang wants no part of the sport, he rekindles his passion for it and gains new friends that become his family.
Racket Boys is available to stream on Netflix.
‘Navillera’ became Song Kang’s best ‘Slice of Life’ K-drama
Actor Song Kang has risen to considerable fame in the past few years thanks to his work with Netflix. He has been nicknamed the ‘Son of Netflix’ having starred in Love Alarm and Sweet Home. In 2021, Kang starred in the webtoon-based K-drama Navillera.
The ‘Slice of Life’ K-drama became some of his best work as he starred as 23-year-old Lee Chae-rok. He is a ballerina, following in the footsteps of his deceased mother. But Chae-rok is unable to have a stable income and way of life.
He soon meets 70-year-old Shim Deok-chul, played by Park In-hwan. He is a retired mailman whose closest friends are dying of old age. Deok-chul realizes many of them regret not having fulfilled their lifelong dreams. Hoping to change his narrative, Deok-chul pursues his dream of becoming a ballerina.
Much to Chae-rok’s displeasure, he becomes Deok-chul’s teacher. Together they learn about life, become family, and ignite the spark that was missing. Navillera is available to stream on Netflix.
‘Hospital Playlist’ is the G.O.A.T. when it comes to the genre of K-dramas
There is no denying that K-drama fans agree that Hospital Playlist is the best K-drama in the ‘Slice of Life’ genre. The 2020 K-drama skyrocketed to become one of the most successful in cable television history. Its global fame led to a second season.
Hospital Playlist tells the story of five friends who met in medical school. Now in their 40s, they all work at the same hospital in their areas of expertise. Fans watch as they go through the turmoil of saving lives, operations, and patient stories. Meanwhile, they crack jokes as best friends and help each other through the drama in their lives.
The main characters also end each episode covering a popular Korean song as a band. Hospital Playlist’s grand success has fans clamoring for a third season.
Hospital Playlist is available on Netflix.
Park Hae-soo’s ‘Prison Playbook’ combines inmates with comedy
Before success in Squid Game, actor Park Hae-soo starred in an array of well-known dramas. One of his best works to date was the ‘Slice of Life’ K-drama, Prison Playbook. In the 2017 drama, Park stars as Kim Je-hyuk, a baseball player headed to the big leagues.
His path to signing with an American league is put on hold when he is sent to jail. He was found guilty of aggravated assault after beating his sister’s assailant. Even in prison, Je-hyuk is a celebrity. Trying to withstand jail until his sentence ends, he makes longstanding friendships with his cellmates. He is also aided by his best friend, a correctional officer.
Fans watch as they learn that not all criminals are evil and have their own stories to tell. Prison Playbook is available to stream on Netflix.
