Amnesia/Mental Variance/Coma/Brains
I originally made this list in order to avoid dramas with amnesia, but I found that many of my favorites contained bouts of amnesia. I've begrudgingly accepted amnesia as an overused plotline (seriously, Koreans should outlaw white trucks, as they seem to cause 75% of the amnesia victims; and what is it about Koreans that a slight tap on the head invariably results in amnesia?!).
Conversely, I'm drawn to dramas with characters who live with brain dysfunctions such as prosopagnosia (I have a special list just for that), OCD, or other neural conditions that challenge daily life. I'm especially engaged with short-term memory loss (like Devilish Joy) where the character has to journal his life in order to understand it (been there; done that); if you have any K-drama recommendations for that, I'd appreciate them.
P.S. I'm beginning to think I should have made a list strictly for dramas that did NOT contain amnesia. It might have been shorter.
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1. 100 Days My Prince
Korean Drama - 2018, 16 episodes
Amnesia.
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2. A Beautiful Mind
Korean Drama - 2016, 14 episodes
Empathy stunted.
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3. A Gentleman's Dignity
Korean Drama - 2012, 20 episodes
Amnesia.
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4. A Good Day to Be a Dog
Korean Drama - 2023, 14 episodes
Cynophobia (fear of dogs).
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5. A Robot in the Orange Orchard
Chinese Drama - 2022, 30 episodes
Mental Illness. Haphephobia (fear or dislike of touching or being touched).
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6. A Thousand Days' Promise
Korean Drama - 2011, 20 episodes
Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, Neurological Disorder.
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7. Alchemy of Souls Season 2: Light and Shadow
Korean Drama - 2022, 10 episodes
Amnesia.
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8. Ancient Detective
Chinese Drama - 2020, 24 episodes
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9. Arang and the Magistrate
Korean Drama - 2012, 20 episodes
Amnesia.
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10. Bad Family
Korean Drama - 2006, 16 episodes
Amnesia from a car accident.
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11. Bad-Memory Eraser
Korean Drama - 2024, 16 episodes
PTSD.
"Lee Gun used to be a promising tennis player, but he was injured. After that, he lost all of his self-esteem, and his life completely changed. With the use of a memory eraser, his memory is erased, and he is reborn with maximum self-esteem and presence."
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12. Be With You
Korean Movie - 2018
Amnesia.
"Soo Ah, before passing away makes an unbelievable promise to her husband, Woo Jin, to return one year later on a rainy day. Miraculously, she keeps the promise and reappears before her husband and son but all her memories have disappeared."
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13. Big
Korean Drama - 2012, 16 episodes
Coma. Amnesia.
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14. Birth of a Beauty
Korean Drama - 2014, 21 episodes
Amnesia (from surgery and pills).
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15. Boys over Flowers
Korean Drama - 2009, 25 episodes
Amnesia.
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16. Bring It On, Ghost
Korean Drama - 2016, 16 episodes
Coma.
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17. Circle of Love
Chinese Drama - 2023, 24 episodes
Amnesia.
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18. Clean with Passion for Now
Korean Drama - 2018, 16 episodes
Mysophobia (fear of germs).
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19. Couple or Trouble
Korean Drama - 2006, 16 episodes
Amnesia.
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20. Crazy Love
Korean Drama - 2022, 16 episodes
Faked Amnesia.
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21. Dear Hyeri
Korean Drama - 2024, 12 episodes
Dissociative Identity Disorder.
[Joo Eun Ho is an unknown announcer with 14 years of experience. She struggles to get the chance to have her name recognized by the public. She also has another personality, Joo Hye Ri, due to a deep wound in her heart.]
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22. Dear Prince
Chinese Drama - 2017, 19 episodes
Enochlophobia (fear of crowds).
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23. Defendant
Korean Drama - 2017, 18 episodes
Amnesia.
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24. Delivery Man
Korean Drama - 2023, 12 episodes
Amnesia.
"Kang Ji Hyun boards Seo Young Min's taxi, but with a catch: she has no recollection of her past life and is unable to leave the vehicle."
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25. Devilish Joy
Korean Drama - 2018, 16 episodes
Short-term memory loss.
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26. Doom at Your Service
Korean Drama - 2021, 16 episodes
Glioblastoma (brain cancer).
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27. Duel
Korean Drama - 2017, 16 episodes
Amnesia.
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28. Eccentric! Chef Moon
Korean Drama - 2020, 16 episodes
Amnesia.
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29. Eternal Love
Chinese Drama - 2017, 58 episodes
Amnesia.
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30. Everyday I Love You
Filipino Movie - 2015
Coma.
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31. Extraordinary Attorney Woo
Korean Drama - 2022, 16 episodes
Autism.
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32. Extraordinary Attorney Woo Season 2
Korean Drama - 0000
Autism.
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33. Extraordinary You
Korean Drama - 2019, 32 episodes
Gaps in her memory.
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34. Fairyland Lovers
Chinese Drama - 2020, 35 episodes
Amnesia.
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35. Fated to Love You
Korean Drama - 2014, 20 episodes
Amnesia.
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36. Find Me in Your Memory
Korean Drama - 2020, 32 episodes
Coma. Amnesia. Hyperthymesia (highly superior autobiographical memory).
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37. Flavour It's Yours
Chinese Drama - 2019, 25 episodes
Ageusia (a complete loss of the sense of taste).
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38. Flower Boy Next Door
Korean Drama - 2013, 16 episodes
Social Anxiety Disorder.
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39. Flower of Evil
Korean Drama - 2020, 16 episodes
Sociopath.
Such a good series, but I have yet to finish it, because I'm too invested in the characters and don't want anything to happen to them.
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40. Forest
Korean Drama - 2020, 32 episodes
Amnesia.
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41. Forgotten
Korean Movie - 2017
Amnesia.
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42. Go Ahead
Chinese Drama - 2020, 46 episodes
Depression, mental illness.
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43. Golden House Hidden Love
Chinese Drama - 2024, 24 episodes
Amnesia.
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44. Good Job
Korean Drama - 2022, 12 episodes
Amnesia.
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45. Hello Mr. Gu
Chinese Drama - 2021, 30 episodes
Mental Illness. Enochlophobia (fear of crowds).
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46. Hello, the Sharpshooter
Chinese Drama - 2022, 40 episodes
Mental Illness.
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47. Hyde, Jekyll, Me
Korean Drama - 2015, 20 episodes
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48. I Cannot Hug You
Chinese Drama - 2017, 16 episodes
Mysophobia (fear of germs).
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49. I Cannot Hug You Season 2
Chinese Drama - 2018, 16 episodes
Mysophobia (fear of germs).
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50. I Hear Your Voice
Korean Drama - 2013, 18 episodes
Amnesia.
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51. I Wanna Hear Your Song
Korean Drama - 2019, 32 episodes
Amnesia.
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52. I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK
Korean Movie - 2006
Mental Illness.
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53. I'm Not a Robot
Korean Drama - 2017, 32 episodes
Haphephobia (fear or dislike of touching or being touched).
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54. If Cats Disappeared From the World
Japanese Movie - 2016
Amnesia, Brain Tumor.
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55. In Your Brilliant Season
Korean Drama - 0000, 16 episodes
Amnesia.
[A man lost his hearing and memory through an accident and meets a woman who became a savior to him.]
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56. Introverted Boss
Korean Drama - 2017, 16 episodes
Severe PTSD. Anxiety disorder. OCD.
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57. It's Okay to Not Be Okay
Korean Drama - 2020, 16 episodes
Mental illness.
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58. It's Okay, That's Love
Korean Drama - 2014, 16 episodes
Schizophrenia. Tourette's Syndrome.
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59. Itaewon Class
Korean Drama - 2020, 16 episodes
ML had autistic tendencies. FL was sociopathic.
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60. Kill Me, Heal Me
Korean Drama - 2015, 20 episodes
Multiple personalities. Memory loss and disassociation.
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61. L.U.C.A.: The Beginning
Korean Drama - 2021, 12 episodes
Amnesia.
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62. Left-Handed Wife
Korean Drama - 2019, 103 episodes
Amnesia.
"During their honeymoon, Soo Ho has an accident and loses his memory."
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63. Literalism
Korean Drama - 0000
Amnesia.
[The story revolves around Kwon Soo Young who lost his memory and gets involved in a power struggle.]
This makes three projects in a row where Seo In Guk plays a lead with amnesia. He had amnesia in Shopping King Louie, too.
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64. Lost Romance
Taiwanese Drama - 2020, 20 episodes
Coma.
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65. Love Reset
Korean Movie - 2023
Amnesia.
"But, on the day that they applied for a divorce, they get into a car accident. When they wake up at the hospital, they have both lost their memories and do not remember each other."
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66. Love Script
Chinese Drama - 2020, 24 episodes
"Involved in a car accident at a young age, he developed a strange neurosis that worsened with time. Believing he is the Ming Dynasty’s Emperor Jianwen, Xuan Wen cares only for the prosperity of his imaginary empire."
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67. Love Under the Full Moon
Chinese Drama - 2021, 24 episodes
Amnesia.
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68. Love Unexpected
Chinese Drama - 2021, 24 episodes
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69. Luck-Key
Korean Movie - 2016
Amnesia.
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70. Master's Delicacies
Korean Drama - 2022, 6 episodes
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71. Meloholic
Korean Drama - 2017, 10 episodes
Dissociative Identity Disorder.
"Yoo Eun Ho has a special ability which allows him to read the minds of other people when he places his hand on them. Due to his special ability, he can't open his mind to anyone. One day, he meets Han Ye Ri. He is able to discern that what she says is actually what she thinks, but he also learns that she has two different personalities."
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72. Melting Me Softly
Korean Drama - 2019, 16 episodes
Technically, not a coma but frozen for two decades.
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73. Memory Lost
Chinese Drama - 2016, 12 episodes
Amnesia.
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74. Memory Lost Season 2
Chinese Drama - 2016, 12 episodes
Amnesia.
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75. Memory Lost Season 3
Chinese Drama - 2016, 12 episodes
Amnesia.
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76. Meteor Garden Season 2
Taiwanese Drama - 2002, 31 episodes
Amnesia.
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77. Miraculous Brothers
Korean Drama - 2023, 16 episodes
Amnesia.
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78. Miss Ye in Wonderland
Chinese Drama - 2022, 24 episodes
Coma.
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79. Moon Embracing the Sun
Korean Drama - 2012, 20 episodes
Amnesia.
"She orders the head shaman to cast a spell on Yeon Woo to strike her with an unknown sickness. After dying, Yeon Woo is resurrected from her grave but loses her memories. "
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80. Mouse
Korean Drama - 2021, 20 episodes
Brain damage. Brain repair. And I stopped there, because it was too intense and horrifying for me. I'll return eventually.
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81. Mouse: The Predator
Korean Special - 2021, 2 episodes
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82. My Amazing Boyfriend
Chinese Drama - 2016, 28 episodes
Coma.
"Mutant Xue Ling Qiao, who has been asleep for centuries, is awakened by the unlucky actress Tian Jing Zhi in a fatal car accident."
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83. My Girl
Chinese Drama - 2020, 24 episodes
Dissociative identity disorder, alternating between two personalities.
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84. My Girlfriend Is an Alien
Chinese Drama - 2019, 28 episodes
Amnesia.
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85. My Love Eun Dong
Korean Drama - 2015, 16 episodes
Amnesia.
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86. My Uncanny Destiny
Chinese Drama - 2023, 24 episodes
Amnesia.
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87. Okitegami Kyoko no Biboroku
Japanese Drama - 2015, 10 episodes
Short-term Memory Loss, Amnesia.
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88. One Fine Week
Korean Drama - 2019, 10 episodes
Scopophobia (a specific phobia characterized by an excessive and irrational fear of being stared at or watched by others in public or in private settings).
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89. One More Time
Korean Drama - 2016, 8 episodes
Mental Illness.
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90. One the Woman
Korean Drama - 2021, 16 episodes
Amnesia after a car crash.
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91. Orange Marmalade
Korean Drama - 2015, 12 episodes
Amnesia (after near drowning).
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92. Over the Rainbow
Korean Movie - 2002
Partial Amnesia.
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93. Perfect Marriage Revenge
Korean Drama - 2023, 12 episodes
Coma.
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94. Perfume
Korean Drama - 2019, 32 episodes
52 phobias and 35 allergies. Trypophobia (fear of holes; designer afraid of polka dots).
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95. Poisoned Love
Chinese Drama - 2020, 24 episodes
Mental illness; sleepwalking; trauma.
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96. Princess Silver
Chinese Drama - 2019, 58 episodes
Coma. Amnesia. Opposite gender touch fear.
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97. Promise in the Summer
Chinese Drama - 2023, 24 episodes
"Opposite gender touch allergy."
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98. Protect the Boss
Korean Drama - 2011, 18 episodes
Panic Disorder. OCD.
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99. Psychopath Diary
Korean Drama - 2019, 16 episodes
Amnesia.
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100. Qing Luo
Chinese Drama - 2021, 24 episodes
Amnesia.