4 Female-Centric K-Dramas With Complex Leads Like “Lies Hidden In My Garden”

With “Lies Hidden in My Garden” all wrapped up, here are four dramas that each epitomize an element of what made this show so good. There are mystery, friendship, revenge, and strained marriages in the recommendations below, but what these dramas all have in common is that they examine women in all their complexity, strength, and capability. If that’s up your alley, then the following dramas will be too!

Note: this is a spoiler-free review!

“The Gang Doctor”

Also starring the talented Kim Tae Hee, “The Gang Doctor” starts off as the story of Kim Tae Hyun (Joo Won), a talented surgeon with a secret. He’s severely in debt due to his sister’s dialysis bills. Despite working at one of Korea’s most prestigious hospitals, he still doesn’t have enough to pay the debt collectors harassing him. Left with no choice, he begins to make private house calls to the homes of the extremely wealthy and the extremely dangerous—and both are often the same locations. But Tae Hyun’s life is drastically altered when he takes on a patient who could solve all his money woes or ruin his life.

She’s Han Yeo Jin (Kim Tae Hee), a chaebol heiress who has been in a coma for three years. Tae Hyun’s job is to assist in her care. But what happens when he realizes that someone is purposefully keeping her in this condition?

Why you’ll love it: The drama earned a cult-following during its airing in Korea for its brisk twists and turns and for Joo Won’s acting. But it was Kim Tae Hee’s character that ended up being a real surprise. Yeo Jin is no shrinking violet. She isn’t a side character to Tae Hyun’s story but has every intention of writing her own. In blood if she has to. Suffice to say that it’s best to watch the show to find out more!

Check out the drama below!

“Search: WWW”

With three amazing female leads, “Search: WWW” explores friendships, career highs and lows, and love among a group of women in their 30s. Bae Ta Mi (Im Soo Jung) has everything she could want. She’s a director at the Korean equivalent of Google, Unicon, has the support of her boss and good friend Song Ga Kyung (Jeon Hye Jin), and has the respect of her colleagues. That is, until Ga Kyung pulls a shady move with the company and shoves the blame on Ta Mi. She goes from high-flying executive to sitting in front of a national assembly to explain “her” actions. Her reputation doesn’t survive the hit. Betrayed, Ta Mi decides to get her revenge by joining Unicon’s biggest rival Barro, where she runs into the fiery director Cha Hyun (Lee Da Hee), whose company growth strategies clash with Ta Mi’s. But Ga Kyung’s regrets grow as Ta Mi thrives in her new environment, placing Ta Mi at the center of a tug-of-war between Ga Kyung and Cha Hyun. But what does she want out of it?

Why you’ll love it: Im Soo Jung is always luminous in every show she takes on, and this is no different. Ta Mi’s character resonates in her fears regarding her career, love, and how to make a relationship work when real life demands that we’re practically married to our jobs. All three women have love interests, featuring Jang Ki Yong, an excellent turn by Lee Jae Wook, and Ji Seung Hyun (who always seems to play the scumbag ex-husband). This isn’t a flashy show and less about thrills and twists than it is about the complexities of life. But it’s a fun watch and a great examination of women at the crossroads.

Check out the drama below!

“Angry Mom”

Jo Gang Ja (Kim Hee Sun) knows what it means to be failed by the world. Notorious for being involved in fights at school, she’s always had a strong sense of justice and did her best to protect those being picked on. Unfortunately, that resulted in her being labeled as trouble. After a series of traumatic events, she became a mom at a young age to her daughter Ah Ran (Kim Yoo Jung), the apple of her eye. Years pass, and Gang Ja’s edges are sanded down with the responsibility of being a mom and taking care of her daughter and husband. Until, she notices that her daughter is being badly bullied at school. One thing leads to another, and Gang Ja re-enrolls in high school to protect her daughter from the same trauma that she faced. She stares down uncaring teachers and iljins (the worst high school bullies there are) and tries to comprehend high school math. But there’s something insidious brewing at Ah Ran’s high school that’s linked to what happened to Gang Ja all those years ago. Can she stop it this time?

Why you’ll love it: Kim Hee Sun is at her best here with all the righteous rage and quick planning. Ji Hyun Woo appears as a well-meaning teacher but with zero control of his classroom. The show doesn’t just highlight how pervasive bullying is in high school but examines its aftermath and all the uncaring adults that just let it happen, treating it as some kind of rite of passage when it’s anything but. There’s a lot to love here including an awesome mother-daughter relationship. And who doesn’t wish they could redo high school and heal all their past wounds in the process?

Check out the drama below!

“Misty”

For anyone looking for a show that epitomizes the troubled marriage portion of “Lies Hidden in My Garden,” “Misty” is a must-watch! Go Hye Ran (Kim Nam Joo) is a renowned news anchor. Known for exposing political corruption and letting nothing get in the way of what she wants, Hye Ran has curated the perfect life for herself. She ditched her longterm boyfriend to marry Kang Tae Wook (Ji Jin Hee), the son of a wealthy family and a prosecutor-turned-public defender. She has money, power, and prestige. But love, not so much. Her marriage is on the rocks after Hye Ran made a decision that hurt her husband and resulted in him finding out that their relationship was just a way for her to amass power. Still, Hye Ran doesn’t care as long as she gets where she wants to be: the Blue House. But her life is thrown for a tailspin when her ex-boyfriend returns to Korea, meets with her, and is found dead. In the blink of an eye, Hye Ran becomes Public Enemy No. 1. It’s Tae Wook, of all people, who steps in to take her case and who believes in her innocence. But does their marriage have any chance of recovering if Hye Ran is guilty?

Why you’ll love it: Ji Jin Hee does silent intensity really well. These are two veteran actors playing off each other, and the result is a tense, addictive depiction of a marriage in crisis. Pair that with a murder mystery, and this is one heck of an addicting watch!

Check out the drama below!

Hey Soompiers! Which of these dramas have you seen? Which ones do you want to check out? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Shalini_A is a long time Asian-drama addict. When not watching dramas, she fangirls over Ji Sung, and spins thrillers set in increasingly fantastic worlds. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram, and feel free to ask her anything!

Currently Watching: “See You in My 19th Life,” “Delightfully Deceitful,” “Revenant,” “Numbers,” and “King the Land.”
Looking Forward to: “Gyeongseong Creature,” “Ask The Stars,” “The Girl Downstairs,” “The Worst Evil,” “Queen of Tears,” “Vigilante,” “Demon,” “Daily Dose of Sunshine,” and Ji Sung’s next drama.

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