Television series
Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol
A South Korean romance about a pianist whose world collapses when her family's fortune vanishes. She meets a mysterious wealthy man, and what unfolds is a tender drama about rebuilding yourself through music, love, and the people who believe in you when you're at your lowest.
If you liked this
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo2016
A romance centred on an athlete learning to embrace vulnerability. Like Do Do Sol, it finds profound tenderness in the details of daily life, with tremendous chemistry between leads who genuinely seem to like each other.
But If you need high stakes and plot momentum, you'll find it slow. The emotional beats matter more than events.
Descendants of the Sun2016
Another KBS2 romance with a similar sweep: two people from different worlds, real danger, gorgeous cinematography, and a couple you actively root for. Sharper plotting but the same emotional intelligence.
But The action-drama elements might feel at odds with the romance if you're not invested in both halves equally.
My Roommate Is a Gumiho2021
A fantasy romance with the same lightness and genuine humour. The chemistry is electric, the supporting cast delightful, and it never forgets that romance is about two people enjoying each other's company.
But The fantasy premise is silly. If you need realism grounded in physics, this will irritate you.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Nodame Cantabile2006
Both centre a romance entirely around music and musicianship, treating the instrument as a character itself rather than mere backdrop.
A Japanese drama that puts classical music at the centre of a romance between two pianists with opposite personalities. It shares Do Do Sol's belief that music can be a language for emotion that words can't reach. Utterly charming.
But The comedy is very 2006 J-drama, which means it lurches between tones. The female lead is written as quirky-manic in ways that can grate.
More like this (8)
Romance Is a Bonus Book2019
A mature romance about second chances, set in the publishing world. Slower paced, genuinely funny, with leads who feel like real adults navigating real complications.
But Nothing much happens. If you need plot to stay engaged, you'll find yourself scrolling.
Her Private Life2019
A workplace romance with a splash of fan culture and genuine wit. The writing is sharp, the leads have real chemistry, and it balances comedy and emotional stakes beautifully.
But Splits focus between the romance and the workplace drama. Some episodes feel like they're two different shows.
Because This Is My First Life2017
A pragmatic romance about two people who start as roommates and discover each other. Deeply character-driven, funny, with real examination of what love actually means beyond the idea of it.
But The first episode feels sitcom-lite. It takes time to settle into its actual depth.
Oh My Venus2015
A romance with musical and athletic elements, centred on transformation and self-worth. The chemistry sparkles, and it has genuine heart beneath the rom-com trappings.
But The early episodes lean hard into body-shaming jokes that don't age well. You'll need to push through them.
Search: WWW2019
A workplace romance between ambitious, capable women and men. Modern, smart, with a romance that feels earned rather than inevitable. The chemistry crackles.
But The tech-world plotting is sometimes confusing if you're not paying full attention. Also quite serialized.
Extraordinary You2019
A fantasy romance with genuine creativity in its structure. Beautiful cinematography, a couple with real tenderness, and moments of real emotional weight beneath the fantastical premise.
But The plot is convoluted and sometimes contradicts itself. You need to surrender to the mood rather than follow the logic.
Nocturne2019
A pianist protagonist whose relationship with their instrument becomes a journey of self-discovery, though this one goes into shadow rather than light.
A haunting film about a pianist at an elite conservatory who finds a mysterious sheet music that changes everything. It's dark where Do Do Sol is light, but shares an obsession with how music can unlock hidden parts of yourself. Beautifully shot.
But It's a psychological thriller with body-horror elements and an unsettling atmosphere. If you want comfort, this is not it.
The Devil's Violinist2013
Like Do Do Sol, it's fundamentally about how a musician's personal devastation gets transformed into art, and how love and music intertwine.
A biopic of the legendary violinist that's genuinely a romance: between artist and instrument, between ambition and the person you love, between the myth you create and the human underneath. Lush and melodramatic in the best way.
But It's opera-adjacent in tone—very big emotions, very grand. If subtlety is your baseline, this will feel overwrought.
