If you have fallen down the rabbit hole of Asian dramas you know the attraction for it from wild and epic wuxia shows to fluffy and romantic melodramas. And with each country having its own style of creating shows, it does pique our interest when a popular K-drama or Chinese fantasy is remade.
Boys Over Flowers is one such franchise which is beloved in every country, with the latest remake being F4 Thailand. We also had the Korean version of Money Heist which many K-drama lovers swear by. Well, what about this year? Here is our list of the upcoming Asian drama remakes that will be released in 2023.
Ninja ni Kekkon wa Muzukashii (J-drama)
Original: Mr & Mrs Smith (English movie)
The J-drama Ninja ni Kekkon wa Muzukashii is a ninja version as Kusakari Hotaru is a pharmacist by day and part of a ninja family by night. Her husband, Goro is a delivery man and surprise surprise, part of a rival ninja family. The J-drama has 10 episodes and will air every Thursday from January 5th on Fuji TV.
Expected release date – January 5th 2023
Why R U (K-drama)
Original: Why R U (Thai BL)
We have Zon’s sister writing fanfiction about him and his enemy Saifah which they unknowingly start to recreate in real life. And before we had ZeeNew, Zee was busy stealing hearts as Fighter who always seems to clash with Tutor but ends up falling in love when they start studying together.
And while the Korean remake seemed to just be a fever dream, we finally have more info on it. Max and Nat, the original actors were seen filming for their cameo in South Korea followed by the news that Why R U was in post-production in December 2022 and has 8 episodes with 30 minutes each. Fans are guessing that it will air in the first half of 2023.
Expected release date – Early 2023
A Time Called You (K-drama)
Original: Someday or One Day (Taiwanese)
Someday or One Day was one of the biggest Taiwanese dramas of 2019, full of time travelling, doppelgangers and second chances. Jun-hee ends up time-travelling to 1998 and into the body of a Kwon Min-joo. She finds that a classmate, Si-heon looks exactly like her dead boyfriend while Si-heon’s best friend, In-kyu is in love with her.
Greenlit by Netflix, there are 12 episodes and it stars Jeon Yeo-been of Vincenzo fame and Ahn Hyo-seop in the lead roles. Kang Hoon who recently stole the spotlight in Little Women plays the best friend In-kyu and is bound to become 2023’s major second lead syndrome. Thankfully, they recently had their wrap-up party assuring fans that it will be released this year.
Expected release date – 2023
Beauty Newbie (Thai drama)
Original: My ID Is Gangnam Beauty (K-drama)
Beauty Newbie pretty much follows the story of My ID Is Gangnam Beauty as Prima gets plastic surgery after she is bullied in school. But her new prettier face attracts attention which has her worried of people finding out about her secret. It doesn’t help that one of her classmates, Karin knows about her real face as they went to middle school together.
While the extreme school bullying situation in South Korea does make the premise of the K-drama plausible, it will be interesting to see the Thai female lead’s motives and how her classmates handle it when they find out. Win Metawin is cast as Karin while Baifern Pimchanok is the female lead.
Expected release date – 2023
Cherry Magic (Thai BL)
Original: 30-sai made Dotei Da to Mahotsukai ni Nareru rashii (J-drama)
Does Karube from Alice In Borderland seem familiar to you? Yep, that’s because, in the same year, Machida Keita gathered international fans with his stint as Kurosawa, one of the leads in the hilariously cute Japanese BL Cherry Magic. Adachi is a 30-year-old virgin who realises that he can read minds and while trying to come to terms with it, he realises that the popular and cool Kurosawa has a crush on him.
What better way to have a Thai remake than cast Tay and New in the lead roles who we’ve been waiting for ever since their Dark Blue Kiss days? While no premiere date has been set yet, GMMTV has shared that it is part of their 2023 lineup.
Expected release date – 2023
Faceless Love (Thai drama)
Original: Rich Man, Poor Woman (J-drama)
Did you watch Rich Man for EXO’s Suho only to be disappointed by the Korean remake? Or were you introduced to J-dramas with the original Rich Man, Poor Woman? Well, either way, we have a new version with the Thai drama Faceless Love. Vikij is a rich man who has prosopagnosia which does not let him remember faces. His assistant, Mirin is the one who has to help him navigate the world.
Part of GMMTV’s 2023 lineup, Dew Jirawat of F4 Thailand fame will portray the main lead. Kao Supassara known for her lakorns (Thai soaps) is set to play the female lead Mirin.
Expected release date – 2023
Find Yourself (Thai drama)
Original: Find Yourself (C-drama)
A remake of the Chinese drama of the same name, Find Yourself has Chain falling for his boss, Yin who is much older than him. While she is worried about the age gap, he keeps pursuing her. After a drunken night together, she decides to date him for a trial period of 3 months. Meanwhile, her brother enlists the help of Mint to find out who Yin is dating and sparks fly between them.
Nonkul Chanon and Aff Taksaorn are cast as Chain and Yin respectively. We also have some GMMTV regulars like Earth Pirapat as Yin’s brother Yang, Emma Panisara as Mint, Pod Suphakorn and Neen Suwanamas.
Expected release date – 2023
Mr & Mrs Chen (C-drama)
Original: Mr & Mrs Smith (English movie)
It looks like 2023 cannot seem to let go of the iconic film that was Mr & Mrs Smith as we have not one but two TV adaptations. The C-drama Mr & Mrs Chen takes a more melodramatic route as it is set in the 1940s and focuses on two exes who act like they are a couple to mislead the Japanese agents targeting them. However, they too are spies and unbeknownst to the other, have the same mission. Mr & Mrs Chen has 46 episodes and filming has ended.
Expected release date – 2023
Phro Thoe Khue Rak Raek (Thai drama)
Original: A Love So Beautiful (C-drama)
After the fun C-drama A Love So beautiful and its botched Korean remake, we now have a Thai version. Som-O can never forget her first love Chadjen who never seemed to be interested in her. Now years later, she can’t help but reminisce about her time with him after she runs into him. We get a mini F4 Thailand reunion as Dew who is cast as Chadjen is paired with Prim Chanikan who plays Som-O.
Expected release date – 2023
What If (C-drama)
Original: Q Series: Life Plan A and B (Taiwanese)
What If is based on the Taiwanese anthology series, Q Series: Life Plan A and B. Life Plan A and B focuses on Ru Wei and You Yan who have a simple life but are very much in love. Despite their poor life, they believe that they can live life to the fullest; that is until Ru Wei is given the opportunity of a lifetime. But this means leaving You Yan behind and moving to Shanghai which has the couple distraught.
What If tells a parallel tale as it shows us what their life would be like if the female protagonist chooses her career over love or if she chooses love over her career. With 24 episodes and 45 minutes each, it has been picked up by Tencent and has Elaine Zhong and Liu Xue Yi in the lead roles.
Expected release date – 2023
There you have it, our list of upcoming Asian drama remakes that we know are releasing in 2023. Confirmed release dates and more titles that are later announced will be updated here so keep an eye out.
Be sure to share your thoughts about the upcoming shows in the comments and which you are looking forward to! Let us know if we have missed any 2023 Asian drama remakes.