Okay, let’s talk about one of the most dramatic, heart-wrenching, and totally addictive tropes in K-dramaland: amnesia. You know the drill—they forget their lover, their past, maybe even their entire personality… and we eat it up every time. Whether it’s a tragic accident, a mysterious illness, or just straight-up plot chaos, these K-dramas use memory loss to break us, heal us, and make us fall in love all over again.

Here are the Top 5 Amnesia Trope Romance K-Dramas that had us screaming, crying, and questioning if we’d survive a second lead memory loss.

1. Winter Sonata (2002)

The OG amnesia K-drama. This one set the blueprint. After a car accident, the male lead loses his memory of his first love... only to fall for her again, without realizing their history. It’s slow, emotional, and packed with early 2000s melodrama. And yes, the soundtrack still hits.

2. Save Me (2017)

This one blends psychological thriller with romance. Okay, technically the amnesia aspect is more metaphorical—emotional suppression and brainwashing—but the slow unraveling of memory and identity adds a haunting intensity to the story. And Seo Ye Ji? Flawless.

3. The Girl Who Sees Scents (2015)

After surviving a traumatic incident that gives her the ability to see smells (yup), the female lead has no memory of her past. Paired with a detective who can’t feel pain, this rom-thriller hybrid is weirdly addicting and unexpectedly emotional.

4. 30 But 17 (2018)

This drama is pure heart. A girl wakes up from a coma after 13 years with the mind of a 17-year-old in a 30-year-old’s body. Not traditional amnesia, but it delivers on all the same themes: identity loss, reconnection, and rediscovered love.

5. My Love Eun Dong (2015)

This one is the definition of painful pining. The male lead has spent a decade searching for his lost love, not knowing she lost all memory of him after an accident. It’s emotional, dramatic, and full of flashbacks that will emotionally wreck you.

Why We Love It

There’s something devastatingly romantic about falling in love with the same person twice. The amnesia trope reminds us that love can endure, even when everything else fades. It gives us heartbreak, hope, and just the right amount of soap-opera drama to keep us screaming "JUST TELL THEM ALREADY!"

So, which memory-wiping love story ruined you the most? Let us know!