It’s not uncommon to be depressed these days. While entirely isolating oneself from the rest of the world and its apparently constant stream of troubles is not a viable option, you can take a vacation from time to time with TV series and movies that transport you to a different culture and planet. If you’re a fan of Korean dramas, you already know how effective they are at lifting your mood. K-dramas are the perfect pick-me-ups on a bad day, with sweeping love stories like Crash Landing on You and quiet meditations of pain and love like When the Weather is Fine. We’ve put together a list of 12 upbeat Korean dramas that you may watch if you’re down.

Reply 1988

Reply is the third installment in the popular anthology series. The sitcom follows a group of friends as they go through life and friendship. Each installment depicts a distinct era, such as Reply 1997, which depicts life in the year 1997. In the year 1988, Reply 1988 chronicles the lives of five friends and their families living in the same neighborhood in Northern Seoul. They’ve been friends since childhood and have always been there for each other. This is one of those shows where you can watch it again and again and still get the same level of catharsis.

It’s Okay to Not Be Okay

Since its launch in July of this year, this critically praised drama has remained at the top of Netflix’s trending list. The show has been praised for undermining popular culture’s portrayal of mental health and psychiatric facilities. Moon Gang-tae is a caregiver who travels from town to town with his autistic older brother, working in a local psychiatric facility to assist his brother and other patients. He works on a psychiatric ward that is sunny, bright, and full of professionals that care for the patients. Then there’s Ko Moon-young, a well-known children’s book author who has antisocial personality disorder. When the two meet, they realize they can help each other heal, and they realize they have a connection because of their linked pasts.

Hospital Playlist

This one swiftly rose to the top of the list of the top ten highest-rated Korean dramas ever on cable television. Hospital Playlist, like the Reply series, is a slice-of-life drama about five friends who have been friends since medical school and now work in the same hospital. They get together to unwind after a hard day of working with patients and their families by forming a band and playing their favorite tunes. Because the show was produced by the same individuals who brought you the Reply series and Prison Playbook, you can expect to see some of the characters from those shows making guest appearances.

Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung

The story is set in the early nineteenth century and follows the titular rookie historian. She is a single 26-year-old who works as an intern in the palace historian’s office. Her marital status and job goals are both out of the ordinary for the time, causing quite a commotion in society. She, on the other hand, has no patience for gender norms or social class limits. After getting off on the wrong foot, she meets Yi Rim (Cha Eun-woo), a hopeless romantic and a hidden romance novelist, and the two become friends. Yi Rim, on the other hand, is disguising his true identity and is the crown prince in disguise. Will Goo Hae-ryung be able to overcome the challenges that her gender and social class place in her path? Will she be able to keep her friendship with Yi Rim once she discovers his secret? You’ll find out soon enough.

Boys Over Flowers

This Korean drama is based on a Japanese manga series of the same name and is widely regarded as one of the best of all time. Geum Jan-di comes from an impoverished family but is given the opportunity to attend a prestigious private high school. There, she meets a gang of four wealthy and attractive boys who are the most popular students at school. After an early squabble, the five of them become close friends, despite certain setbacks.

Sungkyunwan Scandal

Sungkyunwan Scandal is another Joseon-era drama concerning gender injustice, although it’s more humorous than dramatic. Because women were not allowed to be educated or worked at the period, Kim Yoon-hee had to disguise herself as her brother in order to find work that will support her family. Lee Sun-joon, an uptight student who believes she is a man and urges her to enlist in the university to perfect her talents, gets her in trouble with a sort-of-illegal but profitable opportunity to make a lot of money. Kim Yoon-challenges hee’s in concealing her true identity from her new classmates, as well as her university escapades, are depicted, all while she tries to contain her increasing romantic feelings for Lee Sun-joon.

Fight for My Way

Despite being told they don’t have what it takes, four pals take each day as it comes and work for their various aspirations. Ko Dong-man used to be a taekwondo player, but due to a series of events, he is now a contract MMA fighter. Choi Ae-ra works at the information desk of a department store but aspires to be a television anchor. Then there’s Kim Hoo-man and Baek Seol-hee, who have been in a relationship for six years but are now facing unexpected challenges.

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo

Despite low ratings, this show became popular among a younger audience who identified with the show’s themes of friendship, love, and coming-of-age. Kim Bok-joo, a naturally gifted weightlifter, aspires to pursue her weightlifting goals in college. Jung Joon-hyung, her childhood best friend, is a gifted swimmer who is battling with his own issues. The plot follows their lives as they strive to achieve their goals.

When My Love Blooms

If you enjoy second chances, then this is the book for you. Han Jae-hyun is a wealthy businessman who aspires to be even wealthier and more successful. We see how different he is now compared to his 20-something persona, when he was concerned about social concerns and in love with Yoon Ji-soo. When he sees her again after a long time since they parted ways in college, he has the opportunity to re-evaluate his life. Yoon Ji-soo is now a single mother and a contract worker with a difficult life.

Mystic Pop Up Bar

This film is based on a popular webtoon and follows three people with superhuman talents who run the titular enigmatic pop-up bar. There’s Weol-ju, an enraged ghost who was sentenced to heal 100,000 souls to atone for her sins, Hang Kang-bae, a human who can make people divulge their secrets simply by touching them, and Chief Gwi, a former afterlife detective with his own secret. People, both alive and dead, can come to the pop-up bar to have their issues resolved through their dreams. This friendly and hilarious show is ideal for watching when you’re down in the dumps.

Live Up to Your Name

This is absolutely your cup of tea if you enjoy medical dramas and time travel fiction. Heo Im is a traditional Korean medicine specialist who lived during the Joseon era. His acupuncture skills garner him prominence, catching the attention of the king, who seeks treatment for his migraines. Heo Im gets himself into difficulties after a misunderstanding, and for some unfathomable reason, he finds himself transferred to modern-day Korea while fleeing the king’s soldiers. Choi Yeon-kyung, a cardiothoracic surgeon who is very practical and exclusively believes in modern science, meets him here. When the two doctors from different eras start working together, they realize they have a lot to learn from each other.

It’s Okay, That’s Love

Jang Jae-yeol, a best-selling novelist and radio DJ, suffers from OCD as a result of unresolved childhood trauma. Ji Hae-soo, a psychiatrist in her first year of fellowship, crosses his path. Their powerful egos conflict at first, but they gradually begin to form a friendship. They quickly learn, however, that Jang Jae-mental yeol’s health is in considerably worse shape than they thought. The show is attentive to mental health issues and depicts the relationship between the two leads in a heartwarmingly realistic manner. Read more at Dramacool.