Time really flies when you’re too busy rewatching your comfort dramas and pretending you’re still 2016-you, the one who stayed up till 3 a.m. watching KDramas.
It’s wild to think that the K-dramas that once made us kilig will soon be a decade old. Ten years! Suddenly, I can hear the faint crack of my knees and smell the comforting scent of Katinko and White Flower. Truly, the passage of time hits harder than a second-lead rejection.
2016 was a legendary year for K-dramas. It was a cultural reset, a buffet of genre-defining series that transformed casual viewers into full-blown Hallyu fans. It’s the year that cemented many of us as certified titas of Hallyu. You know, the era when Annyeong Oppa’s witty memes ruled Facebook, and everyone was asking their crush, “Do you like Messi?” thanks to Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo.
Let’s take a sentimental scroll down memory lane. Here are the 2016 K-dramas that are turning 10 in 2026—and yes, it’s okay to shed a tear or two.
1. Descendants of the Sun
If there’s one drama that made “Song-Song Couple” a household term, it’s Descendants of the Sun. Song Joong Ki as Captain Yoo Si Jin and Song Hye Kyo as Dr. Kang Mo Yeon delivered a mix of action and romance. This show gave us everything. It’s no wonder it sparked a real-life romance (and later, heartbreak) that the entire K-verse followed like a teleserye.
2. Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo
Ah, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo, the drama that made us all whisper, “Do you like Messi?” Starring Lee Sung Kyung as the adorable Bok Joo and Nam Joo Hyuk as swimmer-turned-boyfriend Jung Joon Hyung, this coming-of-age story was the perfect mix of innocence, friendship, and young love.
3. Goblin (Guardian: The Lonely and Great God)
Gong Yoo’s immortal goblin and Kim Go Eun’s bubbly Ji Eun Tak gave us one of the most poetic love stories in K-drama history, where even death couldn’t stop destiny. With Lee Dong Wook’s Grim Reaper and Yoo In Na’s Sunny adding their own tragic charm, this drama had everything: bromance, reincarnation, and enough emotional damage to last a lifetime.
4. Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo
Before Queen of Tears broke our hearts, there was Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo. IU as Hae Soo and Lee Joon Gi as the 4th Prince Wang So delivered angst levels we still haven’t emotionally recovered from.
5. W (Two Worlds)
What happens when your favorite webtoon comes to life, literally? W gave us one of the most mind-bending plots of 2016, starring Lee Jong Suk as Kang Chul, a fictional character brought into the real world, and Han Hyo Joo as Oh Yeon Joo, the woman who accidentally draws herself into his story.
6. Legend of the Blue Sea
Mermaids and con men. Who knew that combo could make us swoon? Jun Ji Hyun’s ethereal mermaid Shim Cheong and Lee Min Ho’s charming scam artist Heo Joon Jae served up romance and fantasy. With its mix of past-life destiny and present-day comedy, Legend of the Blue Sea felt like The Little Mermaid with a K-drama twist.
7. Love in the Moonlight (Moonlight Drawn by Clouds)
Before Park Bo Gum became the nation’s boyfriend, he was the charming Crown Prince Lee Yeong who fell for the cross-dressing eunuch played by Kim Yoo Jung. Love in the Moonlight was a heart-fluttering historical rom-com filled with chemistry that was so pure, it made everyone’s hearts flutter.
8. Uncontrollably Fond
Kim Woo Bin’s portrayal of superstar Shin Jun Yeong, who reconnects with his first love No Eul (Suzy) while battling a terminal illness, was beautifully tragic. The drama’s melancholic storytelling and emotional OSTs made it unforgettable.
It’s hard to believe it’s been a decade since these dramas aired, ten years since we cried, laughed, and fell in love with these characters like they were our own friends.
Each of these series not only defined 2016 but also shaped what we now know as the modern K-drama era.
So yes, you officially have permission to feel tita-level nostalgia right now. After all, these dramas may be turning ten, but the feels? Timeless.
Did we miss your favorite 2016 K-drama? Drop it in the comments!
