5 best Nam Joo-hyuk K-dramas: Start-Up, Twenty-Five Twenty-One, and more

South Korean actor Nam Joo-hyuk, who began his career as a model, made his first screen debut in 2014 with the K-drama The Idle Mermaid. Since then, be it supporting characters or main leads, the actor has effortlessly aced his roles, regardless of the genre. K-drama fans have witnessed him play quite a versatile set of roles, from being the ideal college boyfriend to a full-fledged coding nerd.

As fans are always on the lookout for releases featuring Nam Joo-hyuk, his recent enlistment in the military has saddened quite a number of viewers. Given that fans won't be able to witness his impeccable acting skills for another year or two, they are likely to return to some of the iconic K-dramas that he's starred in. If you're looking to do the same, check out five of his shows that you're guaranteed to enjoy.

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From comedy to fantasy: 5 K-dramas featuring Nam Joo-hyuk

1) Twenty-Five, Twenty-One

One of the biggest hits of the previous year, Twenty-Five Twenty-One is a coming-of-age story that revolves around an ambitious fence player and a hard-working journalist. Given its emotional storyline, this is one such drama that is bound to leave all its viewers in a puddle of tears.

Released in 2022, the show stars Nam Joo-hyuk and Kim Tae-ri as its main leads, with Choi Hyun-wook and Bona as the second leads.

The two leads cross paths during the lowest times of their lives and soon become each other's safe space. The show progresses to reveal the complex yet beautiful relationship that develops between the duo, despite the several heartbreaks that fate throws at them. Although it hasn't been long since the show's release, Twenty-Five, Twenty-One has already been labeled a classic show starring Nam Joo-hyuk.

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2) Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo

Tracing back to an older and one of the most iconic releases in the K-drama industry brings us to Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo.

Starring Nam Joo-hyuk and Lee Sung-kyung, the story revolves primarily around the female lead who aims to excel as a weightlifter. While her sudden love interest in a doctor distracts from her goals, her reunion with a childhood friend brings her back on track.

Typical of a classic enemy-to-lover trope, the two spent most of their time continuing the bickering relationship they had developed back in school before realizing their true feelings for each other. The show follows the pair as they become each other's strongest support systems, constantly encouraging the other to chase their passion.

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3) The Light in Your Eyes

Taking a sad turn in the genre, Nam Joo-hyuk's The Light in Your Eyes revolves around the story of a woman who suddenly turns 78 years old after using a mysterious watch in an effort to save her dying father. All her friends and family fail to recognize her due to her elderly features, including her love interest Lee Joon-ha.

While he yearns for the suddenly-disappeared Kim Hye-ja to help him in his difficult times, he does cross paths with her 78-year-old self and forms a new kind of relationship. Starring Nam Joo-hyuk, Han Ji-min, and Kim Hye-ja, the show promises to be quite an emotional roller coaster.

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4) Start-Up

Serving as a classic office romance K-drama, Start-Up chronicles the life of Seo Dal-mi, who's persistent on becoming Korea's Steve Jobs. While her interest in entrepreneurship is high, she finds it difficult to navigate around the new field in which she possesses little knowledge.

However, she's soon rescued by the people she's teamed up with, who turn out to be smart and experienced. As she embarks on creating her start-up, her long-lost love story revives under a new context, surprising both the female lead and the fans of the drama. Nam Joo-hyuk and Kim Seon-ho's fight for Dal-mi's heart promises a love triangle guaranteed to keep the fans hooked.

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5) The Bride of Haebak

The first and only fantastical K-drama starring Nam Joo-hyuk is The Bride Haebak, which showcases a dimension of the actor that's not been witnessed before. He plays the role of a narcissistic god who's descended in search of a magical stone and finds himself in a complex romantic relationship with a human in hopes she'll help him find the stone.

The complexity grows as he finds out that the woman is also destined to be his wife. As the story progresses, comedy and fantasy take turns hooking viewers to the show. Given that the actor rarely engages in projects with mystical plots, fans treasure the show.

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Though fans will miss Nam Joo-hyuk's active presence in the K-drama industry and his versatile K-dramas, they look forward to one pre-filmed drama, Vigilante, that's expected to keep viewers occupied as they await the actor's return.