Television series
My Absolute Boyfriend
A Korean rom-com about a jaded makeup artist who falls for a humanoid robot boyfriend while a famous actor pursues her in real life. It's warm, playful, and occasionally absurd—a charming exploration of healing through connection, even when that connection defies logic. Perfect if you want something that doesn't take itself too seriously.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you enjoy a sweet, slightly silly romantic comedy where a guarded heart is gently thawed by an unlikely premise, and you don't mind a rival suitor played for laughs.
Skip it if you want a tight, fast plot, because the middle stretches thin when romance, rivalry and sulking all run at a leisurely pace.
What it asks of you: Forty episodes of about thirty-five minutes each, a long commitment, and it stays light and bubbly while asking you to be patient with its slow-building romance.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
Crash Landing on You2019
A South Korean heiress falls for a North Korean army officer in this witty, emotionally intelligent romance that balances comedy and genuine tenderness. It captures that same balance of humor and heart.
But The geopolitical premise can feel weightier than the romantic plot deserves, and some subplots drag in the middle episodes.
Her2013
A lonely man develops feelings for an AI operating system in a near-future LA. It's the existential version of the robot-romance premise—haunting, beautiful, and genuinely moving about what we're really looking for.
But It's melancholic and philosophically heavy in ways that might feel slow if you want lightness. There's no happy resolution.
What If2013
A rom-com that interrogates whether men and women can just be friends, with genuine chemistry and surprisingly thoughtful writing beneath the comedy. It's earnest about emotional vulnerability.
But The premise is heteronormative and a bit dated. If you've grown past that, it may feel slight.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from My Absolute Boyfriend
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams2017
Both explore what it means to love something that isn't alive—and whether that distinction matters. Both ask whether connection itself is what we're really after.
An anthology series of sci-fi stories based on Philip K. Dick's work, exploring technology, identity, and desire. Some episodes are devastating; others are quietly strange. It shares the bot-romance DNA but treats it with speculative weight.
But It's wildly uneven in quality. Some episodes are brilliant; others are forgettable. You'll have to pick and choose.
More like this (7)
One Spring Night2019
A woman in her late thirties and a man with family baggage find unexpected love. It's mature, quiet, and genuinely adult in its approach to second chances and the courage real relationships require.
But There's almost no comedy. It's slow-burn and introspective—if you want laughs, you won't find them here.
About Time2013
A man with the ability to time-travel uses it to romance a woman, but the film subverts genre expectations beautifully. It's funny, achingly real, and deeply about family and regret.
But The fantasy element is actually secondary to the family drama. Some find the tonal shifts jarring.
Hospital Playlist2020
Five doctors navigate life, love, and loss with ensemble warmth and genuine human moments. It's about community and connection in ways that transcend romance—deeply comforting.
But There's minimal plot. Some episodes feel like watching people's lives rather than following a story. Not for plot-driven viewers.
Something's Gotta Give2003
A successful playwright is pursued by a much younger man who falls genuinely in love with her. It's sexy, funny, and surprisingly tender about desire and being seen at any age.
But The humor skews broad and some of the supporting characters are pretty thin. The '00s sensibility hasn't aged perfectly.
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo2016
A weightlifter and a swimmer find love while pursuing their dreams. It's buoyant, genuinely funny, and celebrates friendship as fiercely as romance. Pure joy.
But The drama elements feel grafted on and don't land emotionally. The latter episodes lose the spark that made the early ones sing.
Blade Runner 20492017
The robot-as-romantic-partner premise inverted: here, artificial beings wonder if their capacity for feeling is real. The loneliness underneath is the same.
A visually transcendent meditation on what constitutes memory, identity, and love in a world of artificial beings. It's slow, meditative, and achingly beautiful—the opposite of rom-com fluff but asking the same questions.
But There's almost no warmth or humor. It's a slow sci-fi noir for patient viewers. This is not entertainment; it's cinema.
Always Be My Maybe2019
Both are about people learning to open their hearts after being closed off. Both suggest that healing isn't about perfection—it's about choosing to stay anyway, even when it's messy.
A Vietnamese-American woman and man reunite as adults after a teenage romance. It's funny, warm, and proudly specific about identity and family. Ali Wong and Randall Park have genuine chemistry, and it doesn't pretend heartbreak is simple.
But Some Netflix rom-com shortcuts in the third act. If you've seen the genre evolve beyond its formula, you'll spot the scaffolding.
People
Cast
Writing
- Yuu WataseCreator
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