Being friends was a choice, but falling in love is way beyond their control.

Here is the selection of dramas: from friends to lovers.
Do you prefer love stories that friends become lovers steadily rather than falling in love at first sight?
Follow the collection and share your favorites and opinions for those who are looking for similar dramas!

Friends to Lovers

Tang Yang (Wang Yu Wen) and Jiang Shi Yan (Zhang Xin Cheng) have been friends since high school. Tang Yang was well-known as one of the most beautiful, sought-after girls in school, but Shi Yan never understood why – to him, she was just like any other friend... or so he told himself. They continued to keep in touch after graduation, and ten years later, Tang Yang works at a bank helping military families get loans to start businesses, while Shi Yan runs a food media company. Shi Yan, inspired by Tang Yang's clients' perseverance, makes a documentary about their stories, which gains widespread attention. This brings Shi Yan and Tang Yang even closer, reigniting feelings that have remained hidden for over a decade. Will this be the spark that finally brings them together, or will it end their friendship for good? This 2024 Chinese drama was directed by Zhang Tong, adapted from a web novel by Hua Zhan Mian.

You Are My Lover Friend

From Friends to Forever

Upon transferring back to her old high school, Shen Xing Ruo (Xu Ruo Han) moved into her father's friend's home, where she met his son Lu Xing Yan (Li Yun Rui). While the two didn't initially get along, they managed to become closer as they spent more time together, eventually deciding to date. However, the relationship didn't last, and they broke up during university. Years later, now both adults with their own lives, they reunite – on a dating reality show. Despite the passage of time and their rocky past, they can't ignore the sparks that still fly between them. Will Xing Ruo and Xing Yan manage to make things work this time? Or is their romance best left behind? This 2024 Chinese drama was directed by Ming Yan, adapted from the web novel "Strawberry Kiss Mark" by Bu Zhi Shi Ke Cai.

Go Back Lover

JTBC

Despite not being biologically related, Kim Sanha (Hwang In Youp), Yoon Juwon (Jung Chaeyeon), and Kang Haejun (Bae Hyeonseong) share a close bond with each other. The trio spent their adolescence raised by Juwon's father Jeongjae (Choi Won Young) and Sanha's father Daeuk (Choi Moo Sung), who did their best to give them a happy childhood as they healed from past trauma. Upon reaching adulthood, however, Sanha and Haejun sought out their biological families, leaving Juwon behind. Ten years later, the five members of their found family reunite, but things aren't the same as they used to be – Juwon holds some resentment after feeling abandoned by Sanha and Haejun, while the two boys are struggling with new romantic feelings for Juwon and their own familial issues. Can these chosen siblings work out their feelings with each other, and will romance form between them? This drama was adapted from the 2020 Chinese drama "Go Ahead."

Family by Choice

Heartfelt Family Team

KBS01, KOCOWA

Maeng Gong Hee, a contract designer at Jayce Group, possesses a survival instinct inherited from her strong mother and former police officer father, making her a rare wild woman in modern society. After winning the Jayce Fashion contest, she finally joins the company of her dreams, and everything seems to be going well. However, her peaceful life is disrupted when her childhood friend Gu Dan Soo suddenly moves in as her rooftop neighbor. Dan Soo, who was born rich, had to hide away with his poor mother, whom his grandmother didn't see as a suitable daughter-in-law. He spent a happy childhood next door to Gong Hee but everything changed when his mother left him. His wandering life led him to be taken in by his grandmother, who subjected him to harsh training to prepare him as the heir of their wealthy family. Eventually, Dan Soo finds his way back to Gong Hee's rooftop room. Reunited as adults, can they tap into the warmth of their childhood memories to find happiness again?

My Merry Marriage

Goo Yeo Reum (Lee Da Hee), a dedicated TV producer, is struggling to find success despite her hard work. Her luck changes when she’s chosen to produce a new dating reality show, “Kingdom of Love.” Her best friend and neighbor of twenty years, Park Jae Hoon (Choi Si Won), has given up on love and only seeks casual relationships. When Yeo Reum faces challenges casting bachelors for the show, she turns to Jae Hoon for help. He reluctantly agrees to join as a contestant, and as they navigate their new roles, unexpected romantic feelings begin to blossom. Can “Kingdom of Love” transform their platonic friendship into something more? This 2022 South Korean romantic comedy was directed by Choi Kyu Shik.

Love is for Suckers

🌺Love-Me-Nots Team🌺

The tender Yue Qianling (Zhou Ye) has long harbored a crush on her former university classmate, Gu Xun (Lin Yi). So she is overjoyed when fate reunites them at the same gaming company. She bravely confesses her feelings to him, only to face rejection because Xun is in infatuated with a tough-talking female gamer he's never met. Little does he know, that gamer is actually Qianling, who adopts a fierce persona online. Will Xun discover the true identity of his sweet colleague? And if he does, could it lead them both to love? This 2024 Chinese drama series was directed by Yu Chung Chung and Lee Ching Jung.

Everyone Loves Me

♡ Only for Love Team ♡

Life is hard enough for Sheng Wang (Liu Dong Qin) when he transfers into a new high school and clashes immediately with classmate Jiang Tian (Benjamin Tsang). But when Sheng Wang's father and Jiang Tian's mother decide to get married, the two boys' lives turn completely upside down. Sheng Wang and Jiang Tian must negotiate their new status as stepbrothers, enduring the ups and downs of their school and family experiences together. However, neither of them expected that romance would begin to spark between them! Will this new development bring them even closer together, or will it drive their entire family apart? Adapted from the novel "Mou Mou" by Mu Su Li, this 2024 Taiwanese BL drama was directed by Liu Kuang Hui.

The On1y One

Mou Mou 

Tu Xiao Ning (Zhang Jia Ning) is a lobby manager at a bank, striving to complete her probationary period. Her parents set her up on a blind date, where she unexpectedly meets her middle school classmate, Ji Yu Heng (Wei Zhe Ming). Later, they run into each other again, and Yu Heng's mother mistakenly assumes they are dating. Motivated by their families' wishes, Xiao Ning and Yu Heng pretend to date and eventually marry. However, Xiao Ning soon discovers that Yu Heng is a manager at the same bank and is now her superior. They must keep their relationship a secret, but will it survive this twist of fate? "You Are My Secret" is a 2024 Chinese romantic drama directed by Jin Xiong Hao, based on the novel "Hiding Marriage at the Office" by Qing An.

You Are My Secret

💼Hush-Shush... Love💘

KBS2, KOCOWA

Park Do Ra is a bright, brave woman with a challenging personality who became a top actress because her mother, Park Mi Ja, said it was the only way to escape poverty. After earning fame and fortune as a top star, all Do Ra wants to do is rest and enjoy her riches, but her mother keeps causing trouble. Mi Ja always adorns herself in luxury, even more than any top star, thanks to Do Ra's success. However, Mi Ja wants more. Do Ra can't handle her tight schedule due to Mi Ja's desires and wants to quit her new drama "Straightforward Romance," but she can't because she met her first love, Go Pil Seung, the assistant director. Pil Seung is passionate about his job but tries to leave "Straightforward Romance" because of Do Ra, who was very particular to him when he was young. Unfortunately, an unusual assignment to exclusively lead her falls in his lap. Will Do Ra find her happiness by escaping her mother's never-ending desires?

Beauty and Mr. Romantic

The Beauty of Mr. Romantic

WOWOW

In middle school, Futaba Yoshioka (Natsuki Deguchi) fell for her tender-spirited classmate Kou Tanaka (Kaito Sakurai). Their brief but joyful romance was shattered when Kou suddenly disappeared. Three years later, as Futaba nears her high school graduation, Kou reappears – now using the surname Mabuchi and possessing a cold demeanor. As Futaba uncovers the reasons behind his transformation, she wonders if they can rekindle their lost love or if she will face more heartache. This 2023 Japanese drama was based on the hit manga series of the same name by Io Sakisaka and was directed by Kimura Mahito.

AO HARU RIDE

The Blue Spring Ride Team

As a computer programming ace, Li Xun (Chen Fei Yu) tends to see life as a computer program. Aloof to life, he also sees love as an emotion that's beyond his understanding. But his world unexpectedly changes when he meets Zhu Yun (Zhang Jing Yi), an innocent and grounded lady that only sees Li Xun as a troublemaker. Despite their differences, the two are drawn to each other and sweet romance begins to blossom, until a life-altering incident threatens to tear them apart forever. Adapted from the novel by Twentine, which also spawned the hit animated series of the same name, this 2022 Chinese drama series was directed by Liu Chun Chieh and Ma Wei Wei.

Lighter and Princess

JSTV, Youku

Huang Ying Zi (Yang Zi), Jiang Yi (Fan Cheng Cheng), and their four closest friends were inseparable as children. But after their school days ended, they were all separated at the age of 17. When one of the group gets married, Ying Zi does her best to ensure they all reunite at the wedding. The dynamic of their friendship has changed in the years they’ve spent apart: The former friends are now aged 30. But as Ying Zi and Jiang Yi spend more time together, romantic emotions begin to re-emerge. Is it too late for friendship to evolve into love? Or will destiny finally bring them together? This 2024 Chinese drama series was based on the novel “Who Do You Like at Seventeen?” by Ying Shi Liu and was directed by Niu Chao.

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