Television series

Melting Me Softly

Name: Melting Me Softly
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Released: 2019
Cast: Yoon Se Ah, Won Jin A, Ji Chang Wook

A cryogenic mishap thaws two strangers into a world 20 years ahead, where falling in love could literally kill them. Melting Me Softly blends time-travel wonder with romantic tension and mystery, anchored by warm chemistry between leads navigating impossible odds. It's a premise-driven K-drama that mines genuine emotion from its high-concept setup.

TVMaze rating

3.7

If you liked this

Descendants of the Sun2016

Sweeping romance between two leads with undeniable chemistry, military action backdrop, and that signature K-drama emotional weight. Ji Chang Wook gives similar intensity here to his role in Melting Me Softly.

But Longer at 16 episodes and leans heavier on spectacle. The action sequences might feel dated if you're watching now.

My Holo Love2020

Another time-slip romance with sci-fi scaffolding, featuring a woman reconnecting with a man from her past through futuristic tech. Shares that bittersweet tone of separated lovers trying to bridge impossible gaps.

But The hologram premise is more wistful than urgent. Some found the resolution emotionally unsatisfying.

Doom at Your Service2021

A woman's throwaway curse summons a being of catastrophe into her life, forcing proximity and intimacy under apocalyptic pressure. Same DNA: lovers bound by supernatural stakes, racing against fate.

But It tips toward melodrama in the back half. If you need grounded storytelling, this gets increasingly baroque.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Melting Me Softly

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Midnight Library

Both explore what remains of a person when their circumstances are violently rewritten, and whether love survives that kind of fundamental rupture.

A woman visits a library between lives, exploring parallel timelines of who she might have been—each with different versions of relationships and futures. Where Melting Me Softly asks 'what if time changed?', this asks 'what if choice changed everything?' Same wistful, second-chance energy, entirely different structure.

But Based on Matt Haig's novel and adapted for British television. If you're K-drama locked, the pacing and tone are noticeably gentler, almost meditative. Only four episodes.

Oh My Ghost2015

A timid woman falls for a man while a ghost inhabits her body, creating genuine comedy alongside romance. Lighter tone than Melting Me Softly but shares that 'impossible circumstances' engine and winning chemistry.

But Mostly fluffy. If you're after mystery and stakes, it keeps things intentionally breezy.

Crash Landing on You2019

A South Korean heiress tumbles into North Korea and falls for a soldier. Strangers thrown together, class comedy, political intrigue, and a romance that feels earned. Released the same year as Melting Me Softly.

But Became so massively popular that the hype can overshadow it. Also relies on you tolerating North Korea as a plot device.

Tale of the Nine Tailed2020

A nine-tailed fox fallen for centuries meets a woman who knew him ages ago. Mythic romance, stunning production design, and the high-stakes 'will-they-survive-this' tension Melting Me Softly does well.

But Mythology-heavy and can be confusing if you're not familiar with Korean folklore. Second half gets convoluted.

Alchemy of Souls2022

A character inhabits a new body and falls for someone who knew their original self. Similar emotional core—identity, memory, forbidden connection. More action-fantasy oriented but explores similar philosophical questions.

But A two-season arc means significant commitment. First season moves slowly for some viewers, and the tone shifts noticeably between seasons.

Russian Doll2019

Both trap characters outside normal time flow and force them to reckon with who they are when consequences don't work as expected. Both find meaning in connection despite the absurdity.

A woman gets trapped in a time loop, dying and reliving the same night. Dark, hilarious, and philosophical—it shares Melting Me Softly's premise engine (impossible temporal situation) but uses it for existential comedy and horror instead of romance. Completely different energy, same structural thrill.

But Nihilistic, profane, and genuinely bleak at times. If you want warmth and hope, this is the opposite. Also limited to two short seasons before cancellation.