We've partnered with Rakuten Kobo to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month! Asian and Latino culture share many overarching themes such as Family and Identity, Female Friendships, Mythology and Fantasy, and of course the universal theme, LOVE.

Check out these must watch drama and book recommendations below!

Hispanic Heritage Month

TVING

At 28, Jeong Jin (Nam Ji Hyun) seemed to have it all – a great job and a loving boyfriend – until a series of misfortunes turns her life upside down. Jobless and heartbroken, she reluctantly agrees to open a restaurant with her mother, but it ends up closing due to bankruptcy. Everything changes when she meets Jo Hee Ra (Song Ji Hyo), a sorceress with wish-granting powers. Agreeing to let Hee Ra use her failed restaurant, Jin watches as it transforms into a bustling hotspot, drawing in customers eager for Hee Ra’s magical dishes. However, as the restaurant flourishes, Jeong Jin begins to question the true cost of their success. With every wish granted, the stakes rise – can Jeong Jin navigate the fine line between dreams and reality, or will the price of ambition prove too steep? This 2021 Korean fantasy drama, adapted from the novel of the same name written by Goo Sang Hee, was directed by So Jae Hyun and Lee Soo Hyun.

The Witch's Diner

🧙🏻‍♀️✨Dinner at the Witch's ✨

Jang Man Wol (IU), the thousand-year-old proprietor of the supernatural Hotel del Luna, is doomed to manage it until she finds someone who has committed a worse sin. When Goo Chan Sung (Yeo Jin Goo), a meticulous former hotel assistant manager, is forced to work at Hotel del Luna due to his father's past deal with Man Wol, their unlikely partnership begins. As Chan Sung brings order to the hotel that caters to lost souls, he may be the key to helping Man Wol break her eternal curse. This is a 2019 South Korean mystery-fantasy drama directed by Oh Choong Hwan.

Hotel Del Luna

🏨  Team Hotel Del Luna  🌕

Sung Deok Mi (Park Min Young) is a dedicated art gallery curator who’s even more dedicated to her “job” as the fansite owner for boy group member Cha Shi An (Jung Je Won). While Deok Mi keeps her fangirl activities a secret at her day job, the new gallery director Ryan Gold (Kim Jae Wook) manages to discover her extracurricular activities. As Ryan learns more about Deok Mi's secret, he disrupts her carefully guarded life, sparking unexpected changes. With her personal and professional worlds colliding, Deok Mi must navigate the complexities of love, fandom, and her secret. Can she keep her passion concealed, or will it redefine her life forever? This 2019 Korean drama was based on the webtoon “Noona Fan Dot Com” by Kim Sung Yeon, and was directed by Hong Jong Chan.

Her Private Life

The Undercover Sasaeng Team

Troubled convict Yun Gyeo Re (Ji Chang Wook) is ordered to do community service at an end-of-life care facility for the terminally ill. He must work with the tireless Kang Tae Sik (Sung Dong Il), the leader of the facility’s volunteer team. Tae Sik has launched a unit called Team Genie, which seeks to make the final wishes of dying patients come true, no matter what they ask for. Gyeo Re also meets Seo Yeon Ju (Choi Sooyoung), a young nurse who tries to keep her patients physically active and full of cheer. Will working with Team Genie and Yeon Ju help turn Gyeo Re’s life around or is it already too late for him? This 2022 South Korean drama series was directed by Kim Yong Wan.

If You Wish Upon Me

🦋 Free as a butterfly Team 🦋

Kakao TV

Koo Ae Jin (Shim Dal Gi), constantly bullied for her appearance, leads a secret double life as Genie, a popular social media influencer with 770,000 followers. By skillfully using makeup and photo editing, she transforms her online persona, creating perfectly curated images that hide her true self. Her carefully constructed world shatters when she receives an unedited photograph of herself from an unknown sender, threatening to expose her deepest secret. As Ae Jin frantically searches for the person who knows her truth, she discovers the identity of the mysterious sender, forcing her to confront the possibility that her carefully crafted online life might completely unravel. Adapted from the webtoon by Ahum, "Shadow Beauty" is a 2021 South Korean romantic drama directed by Bang Soo In.

Shadow Beauty

Cha Soo Hyeon (Song Hye Kyo), the daughter of a powerful politician, was forced into a loveless arranged marriage by her family after graduating from university. After an unhappy divorce, she decides to travel abroad to find herself. During her journey, she meets Kim Jin Hyeok (Park Bo Gum), a free-spirited drifter working part-time jobs to fund his adventures. Despite their vastly different backgrounds, they form a close bond that blossoms into a romantic attraction. Can their love overcome societal pressures and personal struggles? This 2018 South Korean drama was directed by Park Shin Woo.

Encounter

🌈 My Rainbow, After A Storm ⛈

KBS02

Seo Hyeon Ju is a hardworking producer with a great job, but she hasn't been as successful in the love department as she has been in her career. After a series of devastating breakups, she swears off men and gives up on marriage, finding solace in the single life. But just when she's done looking for the right guy, she finds herself in the middle of a tricky love triangle with Hwang Ji Woo, the CEO of a pharmaceutical company, and her lifelong friend Park Do Gyum.

To All The Guys Who Loved Me

The Heartbreaker Team

Tencent

In this modern corporate landscape, Xia Meng (Naomi Wang), a powerful businesswoman, navigates professional success while struggling with a relationship that feels constrained by her achievements. Liu Jing (Li Chun), a perfectionist food blogger, and Anchorwoman Fang Xin (Zhang Han Yun), recently divorced, similarly grapple with personal and professional challenges. Despite facing workplace opposition and personal setbacks, these three women strive to overcome societal barriers and pursue their individual paths to happiness and fulfillment. Their interconnected stories reveal the complex dynamics of contemporary women's lives, exploring themes of ambition, love, and self-discovery. This 2021 Chinese romance drama was directed by Leste Chen and Hsu Chao Jen.

Delicious Romance

 Taste the Romance

Oh Su Jae (Seo Hyun Jin) is on a journey to reach the pinnacle of South Korea's legal world. However, a key case takes an unexpected turn, leading to her abrupt demotion. Deflated, Su Jae takes on a job working at a law school, hoping to reclaim her reputation and standing in the law firm where she was once a partner. At the school, she meets Gong Chan (Hwang In Yeop), a student who has faced his own share of hardships. And as they begin to spend time together, a close bond forms. As Su Jae begins her journey back to the top, could love be on the cards? This 2022 South Korean drama series was directed by Park Soo Jin.

Why Her?

Fallen ⭐️ Rising Team

Park Bong Pal (Taecyeon), a college student with the ability to see ghosts, works as a part-time exorcist. When he meets Kim Hyeon Ji (Kim So Hyun), the ghost of a 19-year-old who died in a car accident, they form an unexpected partnership. After accidentally kissing, Hyun Ji discovers Bong Pal might hold the key to her past and moves in with him. Together, they help ghosts cross over to the afterlife, using Hyun Ji's unique ability to see how ghosts died. As they investigate, they become intrigued by the mysterious Professor Joo Hye Seong (Kwon Yool), who seems connected to their individual mysteries. This is a 2016 South Korean supernatural drama series based on the webcomic "Ssawooja Gwishina" by Im In Seu, directed by Park Joon Hwa.

Bring It On, Ghost

GHOSTBUSTERS

Tencent Video

A scheming prince carries out a bloody coup, taking charge of the Tang Dynasty and killing Li Chang Ge's (Dilraba Dilmurat) family in the process. She escapes, and vows to take revenge on the prince, who places himself on the throne. Chang Ge gathers an army, but her plans take a turn when her forces fall to the Eastern Turkic Khaganate. The victorious General Ashile Sun (Leo Wu) holds her captive, ordering her to become his military strategist as he looks to pursue his own goals. Over time, they form a formidable partnership, and she slowly finds herself falling for her captor while he starts to develop feelings for her as well. Despite this, Chang Ge hasn’t forgotten her quest for vengeance on the usurper. Can she convince Sun to help wipe out her family’s killer? And will she and the general find love on the way? This 2021 Chinese drama series, based on a hit comic by artist Xia Da, was directed by Chu Yui Bun.

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