Letting a Drama Go
Let’s face it, no matter how much time or motivation we think we have, sometimes we can’t watch as many dramas as we’d like to. Sometimes, even just one hour-long episode may accidentally take us three. So, whether you’re a busy person with only a few minutes of free time, in a drama slump, or just someone who wants to have a few new dramas under their belt, here are ten dramas with episode lengths of 30 minutes or less!
P.S.: While this is ten dramas, it is not a top 10 so these dramas are not in any particular order.
Between Friendship and Love
- Country: South Korea
- Genres/Tags: Romance, Comedy, Webdrama
- Episodes: 8
- Duration: 4-6 min.
- MDL Rating: 7.5
Between Friendship and Love is a quick romantic comedy in an office setting. This drama offers various sides of the office dating life between coworkers Woojung (Bang Jaeho) and Sarang (Baek Soohee).
This drama is short and sweet, honestly, 40 minutes and you’re done with the entire drama. You could really see the chemistry between the main actors and the plot was easy to follow. It’s a good drama to kill time and to feel warm inside all at the same time.
P.S.: Apparently there’s a second season? I haven’t watched it but I’m sure it’s just as enjoyable as the first.
My Only Love Song
- Country: South Korea
- Genres/Tags: Historical, Comedy, Romance, Drama, Time Travel, First Love, Goguryeo Dynasty, Fate, Love Comedy
- Episodes: 20
- Duration: 30 min.
- MDL Rating: 8.1
My Only Love Song is a time-travelling historical drama set in the Goguryeo Dynasty. Song Soojung (Gong Seungyeon) is an arrogant top actress who suddenly goes back in time and meets On Dal (Lee Jonghyun), a man who’ll do anything for money. The drama depicts Soojung and Samyong (Lee Jaejin)’s struggle to get home via a sentient, magical van and other various events/meetings that occur along the way.
While the plot is admittedly a little flawed (meaning some plot holes, inconsistencies, and whatnot), the drama fulfils everything you need for an enjoyable watch. The comedic tone is heavy at the beginning, but as with most historical dramas, it gets more dramatic and suspenseful near the end. The chemistry between every character was outstanding and drew me in even further. It’s very adorable and sometimes odd but I feel like everyone can get a nice break from watching this drama.
Advance Bravely
- Country: China
- Genres/Tags: Action, Military, Comedy, Romance, Drama, Martial Arts, Mature, Adapted From A Novel, Webdrama, Bodyguard
- Episodes: 30
- Duration: 25 min.
- MDL Score: 8.4
Advance Bravely is a drama based off of the same-named BL novel by Chai Jidan. Xia Yao (Gong Jun) is a wealthy playboy who is turning over a new leaf. Yuan Zong (Xu Feng) is an ex-soldier who opened a bodyguard training company. Yuan Ru (Li Qiao Dan), Yuan Zong’s little sister, falls for Xia Yao but cannot break down his barriers towards her. She asks her brother for assistance but is surprised when Xia Yao and Yuan Zong get closer than expected.
While this drama was reworked into being a bromance because of the recent Chinese TV laws, Advance Bravely is still a worthwhile watch. I binged this drama in 3 days because I just couldn’t stop watching. The chemistry between the leads is so fun and cute and the plot keeps adding interest as it goes on. It’s quite fluffy and cheesy but still keeps you on your toes. The ending leaves a lot to be desired, but the journey is definitely worth taking.
P.S.: The novel is quite good if you’re curious (although a warning: it’s definitely explicit).
Seventeen
- Country: South Korea
- Genres/Tags: Friendship, Romance, School, Youth, Webdrama, High School
- Episodes: 8
- Duration: 5-8 min.
- MDL Rating: 8.2
Seventeen is a short drama set during a reunion of five high school friends: Seri (Yoo Hyein), her close friend Seulbi (Kim Doori), Seulbi’s boyfriend Haesung (Kang Yul), Joon (Shin Joohyup), and Eunwoo (Kim Dowan). Each character’s story unfolds as they reminisce back to when they were 17.
This drama, despite being so short, packs everything in beautifully. You easily get sucked into each character’s story and get excited for the little twist shown in the epilogues that are sure to come. The drama offers an interesting insight into perspectives, making you care for each character’s individual plights. It is a cute, fun watch that can be finished in under an hour.
Go Princess Go
- Country: China
- Genres/Tags: Historical, Comedy, Romance, Fantasy, Time Travel, Cross-dressing
- Episodes: 35
- Duration: 20-30 min.
- MDL Rating: 8.0
Zhang Peng (Zhiyuan Zhang) is a playboy who gets hit in the head when he falls into a pool. He wakes up to find that he's travelled into the past but, not only that, he’s also woken up as the crown princess of the dynasty—Zhang Peng Peng (Zhang Crystal)! Zhang Peng weighs between trying to get back to his time and leveraging his new female identity.
Admittedly, this drama takes some getting used to. You should go into it with no expectations as the comedy tag is definitely used. I’m talking fart jokes, sex jokes, all those things. However, one thing China loves to do is make you feel things, and a comedy is no exception. Despite the comedic elements used all the way to the end, the drama still gave serious plot and serious topics to think about. It’s a drama that takes time to build interest but is certainly not to be underestimated.
Heartbeat Love
- Country: Taiwan
- Genres/Tags: Romance, Drama
- Episodes: 5
- Duration: 10 min.
- MDL Rating: 7.7
Two travellers, Xiao Yu (Yang Rainie) and Wei Chang (Luo Show), accidentally share a hotel room in Australia. Xiao Yu initially mistakes Wei Chang for being gay, but eventually discovers that he’s straight, making her extremely angry. However, throughout the trip, the two of them grow closer and end up confiding their innermost thoughts to each other.
This drama is beautiful and will certainly make you beg for more! It’s a very nice package of emotions, scenery, and charming clichés. Both actors had a wonderful chemistry and kept you interested until the end. It’s a nice short watch when bored.
My Runway
- Country: South Korea
- Genres/Tags: Comedy, Romance, Youth, Drama, Supernatural
- Episodes: 6
- Duration: 20-27 min.
- MDL Rating: 7.5
Han Seoyeon (Park Jiyeon), is a bright and outgoing high school student who dreams of becoming a model. Na Jinwook (Kang Dongho) is a top model who is arrogant and rude. After being rejected at a modelling audition by Jinwook himself, Seoyeon and her friend (Jo Hyeryung) decide to go to karaoke to cheer up. However, a huge thunderstorm and an electrical blackout cause her and Jinwook to switch bodies!
This drama is honestly an absolute gem. I picked it up late one night on Netflix not really expecting much from it. However, what I got was two hours of pure goodness. The acting is so well done it truly feels like they’re not in their own bodies and the chemistry between all the actors is fun to watch. The plot never really feels too rushed but I still am begging for more! It’s so charming and fun you can’t help but to love each character. This is the perfect drama to just sit, binge, and get invested in.
La Boum
- Country: Taiwan
- Genre/Tags: Romance, Mature
- Episodes: 8
- Duration: 8-14 min.
- MDL Rating: 8.8
Lun (Huang Leo) and Lei (Tsao Nina) are two young people with no experience in love. They decide to give in to the fate of life and begin their journey as each other’s first love. They will have to face pain, joy, disappointment, and hatred. Can they?
This is a drama that takes us through a struggling first love. Despite it being so short, it doesn’t feel rushed and actually carries the plot quite well. The relationship is cute but real and it gives a very nice view of a relationship in a situation that might not be so ideal. It’s heartfelt and thoughtful moments are what truly make this drama.
100-manen no Onna-tachi (Million Yen Women)
- Country: Japan
- Genres/Tags: Suspense, Mystery, Romance, Drama, Mature, Manga
- Episodes: 12
- Duration: 21-25 min.
- MDL Rating: 8.5
Michima Shin (Noda Yojiro) is a struggling novelist. He’s been happily living under the same roof with five mysterious women who range from their teens to their 30s since six months ago. They were invited by someone that not Shin nor even the girls know of. They give him a rent of a million yen each month and in turn, he must follow several rules such as never asking them questions and eating dinner together. Then, one day an incident happens that causes everything to come out.
This drama has a dark and moody tone that is leisurely paced. Certainly not a genre that I typically find myself to like. However, this drama made me pleasantly surprised and had me hooked for the few days I watched it. While the women are the main pull-in (and rightfully so, their stories and acting were outstanding), throughout the show you see deeper and deeper into the boring, monotonous Shin. It’s truly amazing just how much he changes and how easily lost in his character I got. Million Yen Women certainly packs a thoughtful, entertaining plot, so even if you’re not used to genres like these, I’d still recommend to give it a shot.
P.S.: I haven’t read the manga, but as a standalone drama, I’m very happy with the amount of thought and plot put into it.
Wednesday 3:30pm
- Country: South Korea
- Genre/Tags: Comedy, Romance, Childhood Friend, Older Woman/Younger Man
- Episodes: 10-15 (depending on whether your site combines eps or not)
- Duration: 15-22 min.
- MDL Rating: 8.1
Wednesday 3:30 p.m. is about a woman (Jin Kijoo) who was dumped by her boyfriend (Ahn Bohyun) on Wednesday, at 3:30 pm. This date and time are synonymous with the time when women are the most tired and unattractive. Her close male friend (Lee Hongbin), plans an “event” each Wednesday to make her happier and to post on Instagram. The two leads are childhood friends, and a sweet romance will unfold as they begin to live together.
This is a really sweet and light drama. I’ve never seen Hongbin act before this but he did really well! Also, the main girl is Chaeryeong from Scarlet Heart, who I’ve never seen in a main role, but I was glad she got the spotlight. It had great acting, a beautiful soundtrack, and an entertaining plot for being so short. A perfect drama for anyone looking for a cute, charismatic find.
