Netflix series One Day (2024) is a slow-burn romance show that is garnering rave reviews. Here are other similar series to watch.
One Day is perhaps the most recent addition to the concept of slow-burn romance shows. Starring Ambika Mod as Emma Morley and Leo Woodall as Dexter Mayhew, it follows the 2009 novel of the same name by David Nicholls and the 2011 film adaptation starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess.
The limited-series follows the main leads from the late 1980s to mid 2000s as they go through their relationship for 20 years. It is the perfect slow-burn romance for fans.
Slow-burn, for the uninitiated, is a very unique sub-genre within the larger romance genre. It centres on the gradual simmering of feelings, the charged glances, and the whispered confessions that build anticipation to a satisfying boil.
Most American slow-burn romances, which are not too many, are set within a completely different storyline. For instance, shows such as The Office and Suits also have some characters who invest time in establishing their relationship. But these are not the typical slow-burn romance dramas, as the romance angle is far removed from the central story. Additionally, the characters involved in such an angle are usually not the main leads.
An exception is, for example, Gilmore Girls, where audiences see that the romance angle of the show’s central character is blossoming organically alongside her personal growth and engagement with familial issues.
Korean dramas, on the other hand, are on a completely different level when it comes to slow-burn romances primarily due to the cultural differences and perceptions between American and Asian societies. Thus, there are quite a few romantic K-dramas completely devoted to the emotional growth in the relationship between its central characters. In fact, most of the romantic K-dramas, and some in other genres, technically have a slow-burn romance angle where the main leads often develop their relationship over a period of time while dealing with other matters that are central to the plot.
Some, such as Our Beloved Summer and Something in the Rain, are, however, slow-burn romantic shows in the true sense, given the focus on internal conflicts, societal pressures and the characters’ pasts all forming the core elements.
Irrespective of the type of geographic region, slow-burn romances are an emotional investment which deepens as audiences witness shared experiences, vulnerabilities, and support the characters go through, making the eventual romantic connection feel earned and deeply rewarding.
American and Korean slow-burn romance shows to watch if you liked One Day
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IMDB rating: 8.2
Directed by: Kim Yoon-jin
Cast: Choi Woo-shik, Kim Da-mi, Kim Sung-cheol, Roh Jeong-eui
Number of episodes: 16
Synopsis: Choi Ung (Choi) and Kook Yeon-soo (Kim) are former lovers who broke up during their school years. Ten years later, a documentary they co-created goes viral and they are forced to come together again for a follow-up.
More about the show: One of the most famous highly rated K-dramas of 2021, Our Beloved Summer is both a coming-of-age and slow-burn romance drama. Unlike most other Korean shows on this list, the drama doesn’t go into complex societal territory and instead places itself as a romantic comedy with numerous light-hearted moments between its characters.
2 /9
IMDB rating: 8.2
Created by: David Angell, Peter Casey, David Lee
Cast: Kelsey Grammer, Jane Leeves, David Hyde Pierce, Peri Gilpin, John Mahoney, Dan Butler
Number of episodes: 264
Awards won: 37 Primetime Emmys
Synopsis: Psychiatrist Dr Frasier Crane (Grammer) returns to his hometown in Seattle and becomes a radio psychiatrist. But now he has to also take care of his retired and immobile police officer father, Martin (John Mahoney), with whom he doesn’t get along too well. Eventually, he hires Daphne (Leeves), an English immigrant from Manchester for Martin, with whom his brother, psychiatrist, Niles (Pierce), falls in love.
More about the show: While Grammer’s character is the pivot of the show, Frasier has a great slow-burn romance angle built around the characters of Leeves and Pierce. Niles’ seemingly unrequited love for Daphne takes audiences through a delightful journey through their lives. Of course, Daphne finally acknowledges Leeves’ love for her in season 7 of the 11 season show.
Also, the series’ 37 Emmys was a record for most wins till Game of Thrones broke it in 2016. Grammer and Pierce each won four Emmys for their respective performances as lead actor and supporting actor. Grammer returned as the main character in the sequel Frasier (2023).
Image: Courtesy of IMDb
IMDB rating: 8.2
Created by: Amy Sherman-Palladino
Cast: Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, Melissa McCarthy, Keiko Agena, Scott Patterson, Yanic Truesdale, Kelly Bishop, Edward Herrmann
Number of episodes: 153
Synopsis: Lorelai Gilmore (Graham), a 30-something single mother who runs a local inn, struggles to strengthen her relationship with her teenage daughter, Rory (Bledel) as well as her wealthy parents, Emily (Bishop) and Richard Gilmore (Herrmann).
More about the show: A central theme of Gilmore Girls is the relationship between Lorelai and Luke Danes (Patterson) — a diner owner. Theirs is a serious but satisfying slow-burn romance, taking the entirety of the show’s seven seasons to reach a conclusion.
But fans of the characters finally get to see them married in the four-episode Netflix special titled Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life (2016), which is set nine years after the events of the original series.
It was counted among the ‘The 100 Best TV Shows of All-Time’ by TIME magazine in 2007.
IMDB rating: 8.1
Directed by: Ahn Pan-seok
Cast: Son Ye-jin, Jung Hae-in, Jang So-yeon
Number of episodes: 16
Synopsis: Jin-ah (Ye-jin) is in her 30s and works at a coffeehouse franchise. Joon-hee (Hae-in) is in his late 20s and is a video game designer. They have known each other for years, but reconnect only after Joon-hae returns to Korea from abroad. It is then that they start developing feelings for each other, but their age gap coupled with a series of societal anathema create barriers for them.
More about the show: Widely hailed as one of the best romance K-dramas, Something in the Rain is particularly known for highlighting the various taboos and prejudices in Korean society, including those related to family, age and basic habits. At the same time, it throws light on rampant sexism at workplaces in Korea.
The show also marks the return of Son Ye-jin to the small screen after five years.
IMDB rating: 7.9
Directed by: Ahn Pan-seok
Cast: Jung Hae-in, Han Ji-min, Kim Jun-han
Number of episodes: 32
Synopsis: The parents of Lee Jeong-in (Han), who is in her 30s, want her to marry a banker, Kwon Gi-seok (Kim) with whom she is in a relationship. However, Jeong-in is unsure whether she wants to marry Gi-seok. One day Jeong-in meets Yoo Ji-ho (Jung) who is a pharmacist and a single father. Both find themselves drawn to each other, but they also have to face societal taboos.
More about the show: One of the best slow-burn romance shows like One Day, this K-drama also explores relationship taboos quite like Something in the Rain with its forbidden romance angle between its main leads.
IMDB rating: 7.8
Directed by: Han Ji-seung
Cast: Park Min-young, Seo Kang-joon
Number of episodes: 16
Synopsis: Mok Hae-won (Park Min-young) is a cellist who returns to her village following an unfortunate event in Seoul. She meets Im Eun-seob (Seo Kang-joon), a bookstore owner who was her neighbour and classmate at school when she lived in the village. Both soon start developing feelings for each other.
More about the show: The drama, also known as I’ll go When the Weather is Nice, is set at a bookstore in the countryside, which adds a depth to the slow-burn romance show. Hae-won is depicted as a well-meaning woman who has closed her heart to everyone due to the emotional hurt she faced while in Seoul. Eun-seob, on the other hand, lives a content but mundane life, whose routine changes after he meets Hae-won.
IMDB rating: 7.7
Directed by: Kim Hee-won
Cast: Park Hyung-sik, Han So-hee
Number of episodes: 4
Synopsis: Photographer Han Seon-woo (Park) has been best friends with lyricist Lee Eun-soo (Han) for 20 years. They start living together by chance for two weeks and then begin to realise they have long harboured feelings for each other.
More about the show: Soundtrack #1 is perhaps the show that is closest to the slow-burn romance concept of One Day. Though the number of episodes are much less, it is certainly able to pack the friends-to-lovers story in a complete manner without sacrificing on the building up of the relationship that such a story requires.
Soundtrack #2 (2023), starring Noh Sang-hyun and Keum Sae-rok, is its indirect sequel.
8 /9
IMDB rating: 7.6
Created by: Glenn Gordon Caron
Cast: Cybill Shepherd, Bruce Willis, Allyce Beasley, Curtis Armstrong
Number of episodes: 67
Synopsis: A model, Maddie (Shepherd), who loses her fortune to a fraud joins a small detective agency headed by David Addison (Willis). As they go about solving cases, Maddie and David grow close.
More about the show: Widely hailed as the original slow-burn romance couple on American TV, Moonlighting depicts their beautiful bonding growing stronger through its five seasons. TIME magazine ranked it in its ‘100 Best TV Shows of All-Time’ list in 2007. The characters of Maddie and David were listed by TV Guide as one of the best TV couples of all time in 2011.
Image: Courtesy of © Lions Gate Home Entertainment/IMDb
IMDB rating: 7.5
Created by: Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage
Cast: Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, Taylor Momsen, Kristen Bell (voice)
Number of episodes: 121
Synopsis: An unknown blogger who writes under the pseudonym ‘Gossip Girl’ is keeping an eye on the private lives of a group of wealthy teenagers at a prestigious high school in the Upper East Side of New York City.
More about the show: The central romantic theme of the series revolves around two of the main characters, Blair Waldorf (Meester) and Chuck Bass (Westwick). Their on-again-off-again relationship was loved by the audiences throughout the six seasons of the series, so much so that the two are counted among the best pop culture characters on TV.
Image: Courtesy of IMDb
Hero and Featured images: Netflix
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
– Which movies have slow-burn romance?
Several movies have a slow-burn romance theme. These include When Harry Met Sally (1989), While You Were Sleeping (1995), Before trilogy (1995–2013), You’ve Got Mail (1998), Pride and Prejudice (2005) and Sleeping with Other People (2015), among others.
– What should I watch if I liked One Day?
Watch slow-burn romance movies or dramas such as Gilmore Girls, Our Beloved Summer and Something in the Rain.
– Is One Day movie worth watching?
Yes, the 2011 movie One Day is worth watching for its performances.
Manas Sen Gupta writes at the intersection of tech, entertainment and history. His works have appeared in publications such as The Statesman, Myanmar Matters, Hindustan Times and News18/ETV. In his spare time, Manas loves studying interactive charts and topographic maps. When not doing either, he prefers reading detective fiction. Spring is his favourite season and he can happily eat a bowl of noodles any time of the day.
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