Mirroring the real and reel of one’s dreams, young-adult dramas take us through the journey of interesting relatable characters such as the highly-popular idol, an idol trainee, an independent graduating college student, a newbie editor, an elusive author, a disheartened artist, and fresh talents who must fight against a twisted established system.

Raise your hands if you can relate! From the home of beloved Asian content, iQiyi, catch these modern-day dramas on pursuing one’s dreams – almost always coupled with challenges with unforgettable fun moments along the way until we all get to be where we aspire to be and be with someone we’re meant to be.

8 Binge-Worthy and Inspiring YA Dramas to Watch

Imitation

Adapted from the popular webcomic of the same name, “Imitation” tells the story of South Korean idols who have real dreams and strive hard in the highly competitive idol era. Starring multi-talented actors that include Jung Ji-so (Parasite), Lee Jun-Young (K-pop idol from U-KISS), Jeong Yun-Ho (K-pop idol from Ateez), and Park Ji-yeon (singer from K-pop girl group T-ara).

Ma-ha (Jung Ji-so) is an idol trainee who lost her chance to shine and is given a second chance, Ryok Kwon (Lee-Jun Young) is the leader of the popular idol boy group Shax, Lee Yu-Jin (Jeong Yun-ho) is an idol trainee and friend of Ma-ha, and La Rima (Park Ji-Yeon) is a superstar singer. Together, they traverse the complicated world of the entertainment industry trying to make it to the top amidst blossoming friendship and romance.

My Roommate is a Gumiho

From the producers of uber-kilig romantic classic What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim comes My Roommate is a Gumiho, adapted from a webtoon starring K-pop idol and actress Lee Hye-ri opposite the multi-faceted Jang Ki-Yong.

Shin Woo-yeo (Ki-Yong) is a handsome and smart professor but he’s also a 999-year-old nine-tailed fox (aka a gumiho). In order to become human, he needs to collect enough human energy in his fox bead. Lee Dam (Hye-ri) is a college student who has never dated before. One day, after an incident, Woo Yeo’s precious fox bead ends up in Lee Dam’s body. The fox bead can only exist in a human body for 1 year before it destroys the human. When Woo-yeo suggests they live together to figure out a solution, an unexpected cohabitation begins.

Love Revolution

Fan-favorite from Produce 101 Season 2 and from K-pop boy group Wanna One, Park Ji-hoon and The Boyz’ vocalist Kim Young-hoon star along with Lee Ruby (Memorist) in this hilarious rom-com about love at first sight but soon find themselves in a rollercoaster of emotions and circumstances as they get to know each other more.

At a Distance, The Spring is Green

This is a story about young people in their early twenties and the problems they face in university. Nam Soo-hyun and Yeon Joo, two boys with contrasting personalities, unexpectedly become friends when they work on a project together.

The series stars Park Ji Hoon (Wanna One member), Kang Min-ah (True Beauty), Bae In-hyuk (My Roommate is a Gumiho), and Kwon Eun-bin (CLC member).

Moonlight

Chinese girl group member from THE9 and actress Esther Yu stars opposite Chinese actor Ryan Ding (The Romance of Tiger and Rose) in Moonlight, where they team together as newbie editor Chu Li (Yu), a fresh Finance major graduate but has a passion for publishing and popular yet elusive author Zhou Chuan (Ding). Unbeknownst to them, they have been online friends for quite a while and it’s only a matter of time before the truth is revealed as Chu Li braves the world of the publishing industry while discovering authors with her unique vision.

Love Crossed

Currently a hit among viewers with its reversal of roles, it’s the girls who are out on a mission to save the boys this time! Love Crossed follows a group of boys in an AR romance simulator game that created “Love Boys”, a group of perfect characters known as the Y4, which consists of Lu Xiao, Su Lie, Xu Nian, and Luo Ke. In reality, though, the characters are created based on data collected by Yaoyu Inc. from the real-life idol group G4. Unlike their virtual counterpart, G4 is a group full of flaws, not to mention they are unbelievably dense when it comes to love. When a girl named Jiang Kele and her friend Guan Qian Ya stumble upon the dark conspiracy and secrets behind the success of “Love Boys”, it inspires G4 to fight against the system but things are not as easy as they thought they would be.

Love Scenery

Xu Lu (Empresses in the Palace) stars in Love Scenery opposite Lin Yi (Put Your Head on My Shoulder). In Love Scenery, Xu Lu plays an idol singer who shines brightly on the stage but turns out to have the gaming skills of an elementary school student. Meanwhile, Lu Jing (Lin Yi), a smart and handsome university student, immerses himself in the game, not knowing that his beloved idol is on the other side of the screen. Through interlaced through time and space, an online crush turns into a budding romance.

Given

Genre-breaking Given is an anime about the two male leads’ bond and affection after Ritsuka Uenoyama loses interest in his passions like basketball and playing the guitar. Ritsuka eventually encounters Mafuyu Sato when his guitar strings snap, and Ritsuka suggests having them replaced.  From the fateful meeting, the two boys develop an unbreakable bond that uplifts each other on continuing their passion for music.

Download the iQiyi app or go to iQ.com site and start an amazing experience watching these Asian shows!

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