5 K-Dramas To Watch If You’re Missing “Our Universe”

Looking for your next watch after finishing “Our Universe”?

If you miss watching in-law co-parents Woo Hyun Jin (Roh Jeong Eui) and Sun Tae Hyung (Bae In Hyuk) figure out parenting and adulting while laughing, bickering, and falling in love, there are similar dramas out there to fill the void.  

Here are five K-drama recommendations with more unplanned parenting, contract relationships, childcare, and stories of growing up.

1. For more adulting: “Because This Is My First Life”

In “Because This Is My First Life,” two single thirty-something strangers are trying to figure out adulthood and pay the bills. For a stable income and a reliable roof over their heads, they accidentally find a perfectly unconventional way to do it.

The story starts with Nam Sae Hee (Lee Min Ki), an introverted IT worker who thrives on routines and planning. The most important things in his life are paying off his house and feeding his cat.

Sae Hee has a house and loans to think about, so renting out his spare room becomes the most realistic way to keep his strict life plan on track. That’s how Yoon Ji Ho (Jung So Min) enters the picture.

Ji Ho is also struggling in her own adult ways when she finds out about Sae Hee’s room for rent through a friend’s connection. Assuming Ji Ho is a guy, Sae Hee rents out the room to her, only to find out later that she is, in fact, a woman. Because their schedules don’t align, they don’t see each other in person until later.

Even though their living arrangement isn’t particularly normal, sharing a house solves both of their current problems. They try to get past the initial awkwardness for the sake of their bank accounts, but more surprises come their way.

Why it’s worth the watch:“Because This Is My First Life” is mellow, feel-good, and quietly funny. Much like “Our Universe,” this drama is about figuring out life along the way and making unplanned co-living work. It’s super relatable to anyone else who feels like they don’t have the whole adulting thing figured out yet, and it’s perfect for anyone who identifies with introverts.

Start watching “Because This Is My First Life” now:

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2. For more feel-good coming of age: “Twinkling Watermelon”

“Twinkling Watermelon” starts in 2023, but it doesn’t stay there for long.

Ha Eun Gyeol (Ryeoun) is a naturally talented musician who has had to hide his passion from the people he loves most. As the only hearing member of his family, he’s had a huge amount of responsibility since he was young to speak up for his parents and his brother.

Even now, as a high schooler with the best grades, he’s expected to become a doctor, but that’s not what he really wants. He dreams of pursuing music and being in a band.

Then everything changes.

Following a fight with his dad about his dreams, Eun Gyeol is suddenly transported back to 1995, where he meets his father in teenage form, Ha Yi Chan (Choi Hyun Wook). Compared to his hardworking, serious father in the present, his father’s younger self seems like a completely different person.

Eun Gyeol’s dad as a teen is a goofy and rebellious high schooler who is trying to start a band. The plot twist is that his father’s not only chasing after a girl that isn’t his mom, but he can also talk and hear.

Filling in for the last band member his father needs, Eun Gyeol is stuck trying to play matchmaker so his dad ends up with the right girl while trying to figure out how to get back to his own time.

Why it’s worth the watch:“Twinkling Watermelon” is a coming-of-age story that makes you feel like a teen again. The play on time travel and music theme make it totally unique, funny, and unpredictable in the best way. This show is just as good at making you laugh as it is at making you cry.

Start watching “Twinkling Watermelon” now:

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3. For more accidental parenthood: “Positively Yours”

In “Positively Yours,” a string of unexpected run-ins leads to an accidental pregnancy, forcing two strangers with similar commitment issues into parenthood. These two strangers are Jang Hui Won (Oh Yeon Seo) and Kang Du Jun (Choi Jin Hyuk).

Hui Won is a borderline workaholic who puts all her passion into her work and has none left for romance. With little success in the dating department, she has no plans on getting married in this lifetime.

Jin Hyuk is no better at relationships than Hui Won. He’s a wealthy company heir who has also long sworn off marriage for his own reasons.

They’re living in their own worlds until a work event puts them at the same table, and they have an unexpected connection. Their similar aversion to marriage makes for the perfect irony when they end up having a one-night stand that leads to an unintended outcome.

Weeks later, Hui Won starts having odd symptoms, only to find she’s pregnant. And guess who she happens to run into after finding out such big news?

Why it’s worth the watch:“Positively Yours” is also about unplanned parenthood, but in a different scenario than “Our Universe.” This one feels very “K-drama” in its tropes and romantic moments, but the chemistry between the leads is unexpectedly good given how different they seem at first. Along with the serious topics of marriage, parenthood, and pregnancy, its humor and funny timing will make you laugh.

Start watching “Positively Yours” now:

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4. For more childcare: “Oh My Baby”

“Oh My Baby” follows Jang Ha Ri (Jang Nara), a woman nearing forty who is single, despite all her best efforts to find the one. She’s spent most of her adult life watching everyone else move on to marriage and parenthood while her own romantic life never took off. At this point, she’s had enough.

With her chances of getting pregnant dropping fast, Ha Ri starts seriously considering motherhood on her own instead of wasting more years hoping someone decent shows up.

Her career at “The Baby,” a childcare and parenting magazine for mothers, is also at stake. Ha Ri knows everything there is to know about raising kids, yet she’s constantly treated like an outsider because she isn’t a mother herself.

When recent desperate attempts at finding someone to have a baby with don’t go according to plan, she’s forced to consider the unlikely men in her life as her last resort to finding a partner.

One of these men is Han Yi Sang (Go Joon), a loner photographer with whom she’s had her fair share of awkward run-ins. Sparks start to fly, but Lee Sang is, ironically, anti-marriage and perfectly fine with being single.

Having pretty much gone through everything to find a partner and become a mother, Ha Ri is ready to make anything work.

Why it’s worth the watch:“Oh My Baby” is heartfelt and hilarious. It has many of the same themes as “Our Universe,” but more so through an older-adult lens. It perfectly captures the awkwardness of middle-aged romance between two people with different outlooks on family and kids, and it highlights the real struggles of single motherhood and the pressures of having a family.

5. For another contract relationship (with Bae In Hyuk): “The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract”

Similar to “Our Universe,” this drama starts with a contract relationship, but this time it’s marriage.

Park Yeon Woo (Lee Se Young) is a free-spirited Joseon noblewoman who has held off marriage despite her family’s pressure. Sneaking out while no one but her trusty friend knows, she’s made a name for herself crafting one-of-a-kind clothing that is sought after by everyone in town.

But when her secret life catches up with her, she’s forced to finally tie the knot. To her surprise, her chosen husband ends up being a man that she’s already coincidentally run into before. Because this man believes in her dreams and desire to be free, she’s more than content to marry him.

However, their marriage does not last long. Due to a heart condition, her husband dies on their first night as a married couple, leaving her a widow. To make matters worse, she’s soon after kidnapped and thrown down a well.

Waking up in a pool, Yeon Woo finds herself in modern Seoul, where she immediately runs into a man with the same face as the man she had married.

This man is Kang Tae Ha (Bae In Hyuk), a cold businessman who happens upon Yeon Woo the day his bride-to-be goes missing. When Yeon Woo mistakes him for her husband, Tae Ha realizes they are both missing a marriage partner and strikes a deal.

Why it’s worth the watch:This has a similar dynamic as “Our Universe” between the leads, who start off not really understanding each other and being enemies to slowly falling in love. Without the co-parenting and childcare aspects, this definitely has a heavier focus on romance and marriage. It’s also a fun mix of modern and period K-drama with a little magic and time traveling thrown in there. Expect a massive ensemble of well‑known actors and familiar faces in this one.

Start watching “The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract” now:

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Asya’s a BL-biased Soompi writer with a love of K-pop and all types of Asian dramas. Some of her favorite shows are “Psychopath Diary,” “Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice but to Kiss!,” “Light On Me,” “The Untamed,” “Go Go Squid!,” and “Cherry Magic!”

Currently watching: “Beyond Time’s Gaze,” “Sammy’s Children’s Day,” “Peach Lover,” “Duang with You,” and “Always Meet Again.”Looking forward to: “Love Class 3,” “Fake Fact Lips,” “Don’t Be Too Emotional,” “Magic Lover,” “Mr. Fanboy,” “The Love Matter,” and “Be My Player Two.”

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