Beat the burnout: Fresh Korean dramas to make you look forward to the weekend

Have you ever risen on a Thursday morning, looking at your phone flashing the alarm, and wanting to just yell at it with “It’s not yet Friday?!”

Burnout, according to Merriam-Webster, is a condition when the person feels “exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration.”

Unfortunately, stress, no matter how we try avoiding it, is already part of being an adult. Thus, the only thing we can do is to manage how we deal with it.

Now that Friday is already one sleep away, why don’t you reward yourself with some binge-watching this weekend? Have a look at these fresh Korean dramas that might help you relax and enjoy your work-free days. These are all available on Viu app (they have a promo for their premium service, P30 for a whole month! Just text VIU PROMO ON to 2948 for Smart users).

Image: Viu PH

1. Because This Is My First Life

Genre: romantic comedy

Plot: Meet Ji Ho, an assistant writer who shares her apartment with her brother. When her brother knocks his girlfriend up, she is forced to move out. She thinks that living life as a snail in her next life wouldn’t be so bad since snails don’t get kicked out of their houses. Then there’s Se Hee, a cat lover who lacks social skills. Se Hee is looking for a new housemate who can pay rent monthly. In order to fulfill one’s own needs, the two become cohabitants.

Stars: Lee Min-ki and Jung So-min

Image: Viu PH

2. Mad Dog

Genre: crime

Plot: Choi Kang-woo is a former police and leader of Taeyang Insurance’s investigators team. He decided to create his own investigation team and now works as a veteran insurance investigator. This is after an airplane crash which took the life of his wife and son. He then meets Kim Min-joon, a genius former swindler whose brother was also a victim of the crash, thus beginning their rivalry and cooperation.

Stars: Yoo Ji-tae, Woo Do-hwan, Ryu Hwa-young, Jo Jae-yoon and Kim Hye-sung

Image: Viu PH

3. Children of 20th Century

Genre: romantic comedy

Plot: How is it like to live in Korea as a single woman in her thirties? People probably think of luxurious lives with high salaries and professional careers like those in dramas and movies. However, it is totally different in reality, and this drama portrays single ladies in the real world. This drama depicts romance and friendship in the lives of three ordinary women named Jin Jin, Ah Reum and Sang Hee in their thirties, who have been living in the same neighborhood since childhood.

Stars: Han Ye-seul, Kim Ji-suk, Lee Sang-woo, Ryu Hyun-kyung, Ahn Se-ha, Lee Sang-hee and Oh Sang-jin

Image: Viu PH

4. Witch’s Court

Genre: legal drama

Plot: When nothing seemed to be able to stop prosecutor Ma Yi Deum from building a spotless career, an unexpected accident causes her appointment to be canceled. However, this tough cookie of a prosecutor cannot be brought down easily. She meets a newly appointed prosecutor, Yeo Jin Wook, who chose the field of law over practicing medicine. Yi Deum and Jin Wook hate each other’s guts, and yet, the two must form a team and investigate crimes against children.

Stars: Jung Ryeo-won and Yoon Hyun-min

Image: Viu PH

5. Temperature of Love

Genre: romance, melodrama

Plot: Hyun Soo dreams of becoming a drama screenwriter. In order to pursue her dreams, she quits her job. Jung Sun dreams of becoming a chef. As a child, he used to get comforted by his mother’s cooking. These two meet before and after they achieve their dreams. However, this couple has difficulty with the concept of love. She is hindered by a society that tells her she must not love a man who’s six years younger than her, and he is hindered by his own psychology telling him he mustn’t love someone if he can’t provide for her. Regardless of their situations, Hyun Soo and Jung Sun end up falling in love.

Stars: Seo Hyun-jin, Yang Se-jong, Kim Jae-wook and Jo Bo-ah. JB

Upgrade to VIU Premium for a special promo price of only P30 per month! Experience unlimited download and watch offline, HD viewing and limited ads! Upgrade now to VIU Premium by just simply texting VIU (space) PROMO (space) ON to 2948 for SMART users!

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