K-Dramas That Capture the Spark of ‘Take Charge of My Heart’
Viewers searching for shows like ‘Take Charge of My Heart’ are really looking for a particular blend of romance, humor and a supernatural hook. Netflix’s Korean romantic comedy follows a man whose artificial heart is running out of battery and a woman with the power to recharge him. The series arrives on Netflix on October 9.
Kim Young-kwang plays chaebol heir Baek Ho-rang, while Chae Soo-bin plays Na Bo-bae, a screenwriter facing a deadline. The story is adapted from the web novel ‘Charge Me Up’ and mixes romance, comedy, supernatural elements and a corporate power struggle. Director Park Soo-won told The Korea Herald that global viewers enjoy watching characters clash before falling for each other while comedy and romance move together.
‘Moving’
‘Moving’ is based on a webtoon by Kang Full and follows teenagers with superhuman powers who must join forces with their parents to fight dark forces. It leans toward action more than romance. Still, its focus on people living with extraordinary abilities echoes Na Bo-bae, who was struck by lightning as a child and now has electrical currents running through her body.
‘Heartbeat’
‘Heartbeat’ is a fantasy romance about Seon Woo Hyul, played by Taecyeon, a character who is part human and part vampire. He badly wants to become human but misses his chance because of one fateful day. A hero whose heart decides his future makes it a fitting companion for Baek Ho-rang’s story.
‘My Love From the Star’
One review describes ‘My Love From the Star’ as an alien love affair that pairs an unconventional couple who must overcome supernatural barriers. Soompi lists it among the romances about an unearthly being who finds himself stuck among humans. The setup suits viewers who enjoy a romance where one partner is far from ordinary.
‘The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract’
Based on a webtoon, this time travel romance centers on a contractual marriage between bachelor Kang Tae Ha, played by Bae In Hyuk, and Park Yeon Woo, played by Lee Se Young, who has traveled to the modern day from the Joseon era. The arrangement at its core mirrors the deal Baek Ho-rang offers Na Bo-bae. Like ‘Take Charge of My Heart’, it also began as published source material.
‘Durian’s Affair’
‘Durian’s Affair’ is a fantasy romance that travels through time and follows the chaebol Dan family as they become entangled with two mysterious women. Anyone drawn to the wealthy family politics around Baek Ho-rang will find a similar backdrop here. The fantasy layer keeps it from reading as a standard family saga.
‘Branding in Seongsu’
This romance is set in the Seongsu neighborhood, a center of branding, and follows prickly marketing team leader Kang Na Eon and intern So Eun Ho, whose souls are swapped after an unintentional kiss. The workplace setting and the supernatural twist both connect it to the new Netflix series. It trades the corporate power struggle for office rivalry on a smaller scale.
‘Abyss’
‘Abyss’ is a rom-com crime fantasy set in a world where someone can be brought back to life, though in a completely different reincarnated body. The leads fall in love while uncovering a murderer, and the series is described as a light mystery with plenty of romance. It suits viewers who want comedy and a high concept in equal measure.
‘Tomorrow’
‘Tomorrow’ is based on a webtoon by RaMa and follows Choi Jun-woong, played by Rowoon, who falls into a coma and becomes part human and part spirit by accident. It imagines the afterlife as a workplace and blends sci-fi fantasy with humor. The office angle gives it something in common with the corporate setting of ‘Take Charge of My Heart’.
‘Destined With You’
In ‘Destined With You’, civil servant Lee Hong Jo, played by Jo Bo Ah, obtains a forbidden book that was sealed three centuries earlier. Ace lawyer Jang Shin Yu, played by Rowoon, becomes a victim of that book. The magical curse at the center of the romance gives viewers a different kind of supernatural bond to follow.
‘Goblin’
Soompi points to the chemistry between Gong Yoo and Kim Go Eun in the bittersweet love story of the goblin and Eun Tak. Another list credits the series with balancing humor, heartbreak and fantasy across centuries. It is a longer, more melancholy take on a romance between a human and a being who is not.
‘Alchemy of Souls’
‘Alchemy of Souls’ takes place in the fictional nation of Daeho and tells a fantasy romance about people whose fates become twisted by magic that swaps their souls. The scale is far larger than a contemporary rom-com. It still builds its romance around characters bound together by forces they did not choose.
‘Tale of the Nine Tailed’
Soompi notes that ‘Tale of the Nine-Tailed’ kept viewers hooked with a fantasy plot that wove together folklore, thriller elements and steamy romance. It leans darker than most of the picks here, which makes it a good counterweight to the lighter tone of ‘Take Charge of My Heart’.
If a failing artificial heart and a touch that carries a current has you hunting for your next supernatural romance, which of these would you pair with Baek Ho-rang and Na Bo-bae’s contract in the comments?
