Give me drama. Give me the juice. Fill me with deep, raging contempt that makes me want to teleport into the movie and give that adulteress the slap she deserves. Sure, it’s cute to see Netflix K-dramas of two personas falling in love and living happily ever after, but it’s also boring and unrealistic. Life should be a balance of both the good and the bad, and this spicy list of bad marriages and relationships will fuel you with a burning passion for righteousness you never thought existed.
Netflix K-dramas on adultery
1. V.I.P
Most shows on infidelity reveal the identity of a secret lover within the first episode, but in V.I.P, this suspense is kept till the very end.
The mystery starts with main character Na Jung-sun, who gets an anonymous text stating that her seemingly perfect husband is having an affair with someone in her office. To make matters worse, her husband also heads the department that she works in.
What’s good: It’s a chair-gripping experience from start to end. The story unravels with snippets of the co-workers’ lives, and just when you think you’ve nailed the adulteress’s identity, they’ll throw you off again.
What’s bad: You’ll never be sure of whether your anger is directed at the right person or not.
Watch here.
2. The World Of The Married
There’s no better way of taking revenge on your cheating husband than starting an affair with his bestfriend — who’s also married.
When it was first launched, The World Of The Married crushed the list of Netflix K-dramas and quickly rose to the top. The series brings you through a whirlwind of betrayal, grief and forgiveness. Our main characters struggle to one-up each other’s lives, sabotage each other’s careers, and fight for their son’s custody.
What’s good: Despite the drama, the series does paint a realistic picture of what a person goes through when they’re being cheated on. Mental health issues such as anxiety and depression do surface, which goes much deeper than just anger.
What’s bad: Very much like you telling your best friend to stop going back to their stanky, cheating ex, they still do. The soft spot Ji Sun-woo (female lead) has for her husband gets tiresome after a while.
Watch here.
3. Love (Ft. Marriage and Divorce)
If one bad marriage isn’t enough for you, how about three? Love (Ft. Marriage and Divorce) follows the marital troubles of three women in their 30’s, 40’s and 50’s, with infidelity and other shockers along the way.
What’s good: Instead of just focusing on the married couples, the series shows a refreshing point of view from affected parties such as the children and parents-in-law.
What’s bad: Flashbacks are heavily used and can be quite confusing for viewers. Plus, the problems seem to only come from the men, which feels a little unbalanced.
Watch here.
4. The Fierce Wife
The Fierce Wife isn’t a K-drama, but it is perhaps the mother of all adultery shows. The show originated from Taiwan and in 2011, it was titled as the “Most Talked About TV Show”, and some controversial parts of the story received heated discussion from all over Asia.
What’s good: Your husband having a mistress is one thing. But for your cousin to be his lover? You know that it’ll be a showdown.
What’s bad: When The One Above blesses you with a rich, young and handsome man after your failed marriage, it’s unforgivable to leave him hanging till the end.
Watch here.
5. Hymn of Death
I’d suggest preparing a box of tissues for this one. Based on true events, the Netflix K-drama original The Hymn of Death portrays the tragic, illicit affair between Korea’s first ever professional soprano singer, Yum Sim Deok, and a playwright, Kim U-jin.
What’s good: With a short run time of only three hours, the story still manages to captivate its audience with the message of self-sacrificial love.
What’s bad: I ran out of tissues.
Watch here.
6. Misty
Misty revolves around a successful news anchor, who soon becomes the prime suspect of the murder of her former lover. With her estranged husband stepping in as her defence lawyer, the pair falls in love with each other again.
What’s good: It’s a fresh plot, considering that Netflix K-dramas on illicit affairs are usually centralized on family feuds.
What’s bad: Fans of the series have picked up on certain plot holes, which are hard to explain.
Watch here.
Natalie Lim
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I leave the office at 6PM on the . to rush home and play games. My boss has no control over me!!