Spring Romance: Discover the Hottest New Dramas of 2026 Featuring First Love and Real-Life Relationships

Photo: Provided by Kakao Entertainment, SLL, MBC, TVING

[By Song O-jung, Sports Today] Actors from Kakao Entertainment’s management labels (co-CEOs Ko Jeong-hee and Jang Yoon-jung; hereafter Kakao Entertainment) will quicken viewers’ pulses worldwide this spring with a diverse slate of romantic stories. From fresh first-love narratives to grounded, everyday romances, a contract marriage set in a 21st-century constitutional monarchy, and enemies-to-lovers sparks that electrify ordinary life — audiences are watching to see how these performers will reignite romantic instincts.

◆ ‘Shining’ — Kim Min-ju fully activates first-love emotions

Kim Min-ju (Management Soop), who has captured vivid slices of youth on screen, is drawing attention for a wistful first-love storyline in JTBC’s Friday series Shining (writer Lee Sook-yeon · director Kim Yoon-jin · produced by SLL and Kakao Entertainment). Shining traces how young people who once inhabited a private shared world become each other’s light — guiding one another’s convictions and life paths. Kim Min-ju subtly maps the emotional trajectory of Mo Eun-ah, portraying her affection for first love Yeon Tae-seo (Park Jin-young), her professional drive, and the pain of losing family. At 19, Eun-ah nurtures a first love; at 20, she abandons romance amid future anxieties, embodying the coexistence of thrill and insecurity in youth. At 30, reunited with Tae-seo after a decade, she continues a matured love that tugs at viewers’ hearts. A recent episode showed Eun-ah desperately trying to uphold commitments shaped by her twenties, which led to Tae-seo’s misunderstanding and an eventual breakup — a sequence that moved the audience. Haunted by her decision ten years ago to forgo the relationship for her future, Eun-ah weeps without excuse, overwhelmed by remorse for the hurt she caused. The bittersweet conclusion to this first-love arc will air in Shining’s series finale on the 3rd (Friday).

◆ ‘Efficient Encounters for Singles’ — Han Ji-min gives a career woman’s dating struggles a resonant voice

Han Ji-min (BH Entertainment), who has charmed viewers across a variety of romantic roles, delivers a relatable, realistic romance in JTBC’s weekend drama Efficient Encounters for Singles (writer Lee Yi-jin · director Lee Jae-hoon · produced by SLL). The series follows a woman who decides to pursue love and goes on blind dates, meeting two men with distinct appeals; drawn and unsettled, she ultimately seeks the true meaning of love. Han plays Lee Eui-young, who adopts an intentional approach to dating and tries blind dates as part of a deliberate effort to meet the right person. Torn between career and romance, her practical dilemmas resonate strongly with female viewers. Though a highly competent professional, Lee is awkward at dating; Han renders this with grounded, everyday acting while maintaining a breezy tone that anchors the series. Even amid the awkward, cringe-worthy, or heart-fluttering moments that blind dates produce, Han’s bright energy and effortless chemistry with co-stars have reinforced her reputation as a rom-com lead.

◆ ’21st Century Grand Madam’ — IU projects bold, candid, forward-moving charm

IU (EDAM Entertainment) transforms into a heroine who forges her destiny through a contract marriage in MBC’s new Friday–Saturday drama 21st Century Grand Madam, premiering April 10 (writer Yoo Ji-won · directors Park Joon-hwa, Bae Hee-young · planner Kang Dae-seon · produced by MBC and Kakao Entertainment). Set in a 21st-century constitutional monarchy version of Korea, the drama follows Sung Hee-ju (IU), a wealthy woman frustrated by her commoner status despite her resources, and Lee An Daegun (Byun Woo-seok), the king’s son who paradoxically cannot claim anything. The story charts their romance as they upend social barriers and shape their own fate. IU plays Sung Hee-ju, who boldly pursues marriage with Lee An Daegun; what begins as a contract gradually deepens into genuine affection. As a powerful business leader, IU is expected to portray a confident executive presence alongside striking visuals, and her character’s blunt ambition promises both excitement and moments that will make viewers swoon.

◆ ‘Yumi’s Cells Season 3’ — Kim Go-eun reawakens viewers’ romantic impulses

Acclaimed for nuanced emotional performances and layered character work, Kim Go-eun (BH Entertainment) will once again stir audiences’ romantic sensibilities in TVING’s original Yumi’s Cells Season 3, released April 13 (director Lee Sang-yeop · writers Song Jae-jung, Kim Kyung-ran · provided by TVING · produced by Studio Dragon, Marycow, Studio N). The season follows Yumi (Kim Go-eun), now a successful writer, whose quiet, unremarkable life is upended by an unexpected person, prompting a roller coaster of laughter, tears, and renewed love that resonates with viewers. Kim will portray Yumi’s new romance and the routines of her life as a writer with authenticity after years of growth through earlier relationships. Notably, her work-related relationship with PD Soon-rok (Kim Jae-won) promises an enemies-to-lovers dynamic that’s likely to set hearts racing.

[Sports Today reporter Song O-jung ent@stoo.com]
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