So, I was in the mood today and thought I’d share some sizzling recommendations with you all.
For the past few days, I’ve noticed a lot of people searching for steamy web series and K-dramas similar to The Scandal. At first, I wondered why there was suddenly such a demand for this kind of content; then it clicked.
So, if you enjoyed The Scandal or if its spicy scenes grabbed your attention, you should definitely check out the web series and K-dramas I’m about to suggest. And if you haven’t watched it yet, you can check out my The Scandal review first—then come back for these recommendations. You’ll get plenty of heat and spice, and you might just find your next binge-watch right here.
Fishbowl Wives
The first drama you might want to check out—if you enjoyed The Scandal is…
Fishbowl Wives
While The Scandal didn’t focus heavily on the politics of relationships, this drama follows the stories of six women who engage in both emotional maneuvering and strategic plotting regarding their relationships.
It is a Japanese drama available on Netflix. If you have a craving for this kind of content, you’ll likely really enjoy it. At its core, the series revolves around the lives of these six women.
Essentially, they aren’t happy in their marriages, and you can probably guess why, right? Consequently, they begin to cross the boundaries they had previously maintained.
If you want to see the decisions they make driven by their desires and the resulting consequences that unfold in their lives, then this series is for you.
You’ll get exactly what you’re looking for, the kind of content that spices up your late-night viewing. In fact, the chemistry in the intimate scenes here is even better than what you saw in The Scandal.
Tempted
Much like in The Scandal, where Lady Cho tells Ji Cho Won that she will give him whatever he wants if he wins the bet, you will see a similar dynamic here; the male lead’s character is quite reminiscent of the one Ji Chang-wook played.
Here, too, the hero makes a bet—I don’t want to give away spoilers—involving a girl from a rival college who is incredibly innocent. He sets out to do the same thing that Ji Chang-wook’s character did with the widow in Scandal.
The drama explores in great detail how he approaches her and ensnares her in his web of love.
If you enjoy “hot” or steamy series, then this K-drama is for you. While you might not see scenes of that exact intensity, there is certainly enough spice and excitement to keep you thoroughly entertained.
Nevertheless
The next series on the list is also a K-drama; it features stars like Song Kang and Han So-hee. To explain the premise: it follows the journey of a guy who is a total flirt—he loves flirting and never misses a chance to hit on any woman he meets, always trying to win them over. That’s pretty much his whole vibe.
On the other hand, Han So-hee’s character wants to date but doesn’t want to fall in love, as she doesn’t really believe in the concept of love.
So, when these two people with opposite personalities get close, a romantic relationship develops, and things escalate to an intense level. Incidentally, when this K-drama was released, it was also mired in quite a bit of controversy.
If you want to experience that intensity, then this K-drama is for you. You’ll find some pretty bold scenes in it, and I guarantee you’ll really enjoy it.
The best part is that it offers a solid story and great chemistry—it’s not just a superficial, scandal-driven show. You’ll actually feel the tension and the chemistry between the characters. It’s a genuinely good series; I’m not just saying this to flatter it—give it a try yourself.
Dark Desire
If you’ve been into the ‘steamy’ genre for a while, you’re sure to know about this series.
It follows the story of a woman who isn’t happy in her marriage. Essentially, she isn’t getting what she wants from her family; since she can’t find love or fulfillment at home, she looks for it elsewhere.
She ends up meeting a 25-year-old man, and the story unfolds as she gets entangled in the complexities of her marriage, her new affair, and her family situation.
It explores the events that unfold in her life as she pursues her desires and seeks personal satisfaction. If you want to know the rest, the series is available on Netflix. It is far superior to The Scandal, and I guarantee you’ll really enjoy it if you haven’t watched it yet.
If I had to say one thing about Dark Desire, it’s that this series sits right at the top of the category covering the kind of content we’re discussing today that’s pretty much the gist of it.
Queen Woo
Now, if you really want that historical touch—just like in The Scandal—let me suggest a K-drama starring JCW. You’ll get to see those kinds of scenes, and it will also satisfy your craving for a historical setting.
The series is called Queen Woo; it actually came out before The Scandal and was a highly controversial show at the time.
(JCW) Ji Chang-wook plays a king here, but a conspiracy leads to a tragic turn of events for him, and now his queen is out for revenge. There’s a political angle to it as well. So, what is she planning to do? How do Queen Woo and JCW meet? What is Queen Woo’s story? If you want to find out, you should definitely watch this series.
Let me tell you one thing: don’t watch this series for the story, or else you’ll be disappointed; instead, watch it to vent—because it delivers plenty of spicy, sensational entertainment.
Overall, the series is just an “okay” kind of watch—much like The Scandal, it falls into that same sort of category.
But if that doesn’t quite appeal to you—yet you still want to follow that specific “scandal” theme where the hero tries to entrap someone—but with a modern touch, then you can watch this series called Cruel Intentions.
Cruel Intentions
This is a Prime Video series, and it is based on the same book that inspired Scandal.
Much like Scandal, the story revolves around two cousins—college students—who try to ensnare a particular girl at their college; this mirrors how JCW’s character in Scandal attempts to entrap the widow.
There is a wager between the cousins: if one of them manages to win her over, he gets whatever he desires. Will he succeed? If you want to enjoy the drama that unfolds in their lives because of this, you might want to give this series a try.
It isn’t exactly a masterpiece, but it certainly has an entertaining quality. It is good enough to be worth a watch.
Glitter
This is a Polish drama from 2022 that perfectly delivers the kind of spiciness you are looking for right now.
It tells the story of three women and how they navigate their lives—handling political and romantic angles alongside their personal struggles. You get to see how they manage their personal and professional lives, as well as the romantic connections they form with various men. If that’s the kind of thing you enjoy, you should definitely give this series a try.
The “spice factor” in this show is truly intense.
Love and Fortune
This is a Japanese drama, and bro, it’s a really solid watch available on Netflix.
The series is called Love and Fortune; it’s quite interesting, and if you enjoy teen dramas, you’ll like this one.
It features the kind of scandal-driven plot you’d expect, but with a twist: the female lead—whose journey you follow—isn’t happy with her boyfriend. She feels somewhat disappointed with her love life. You’ll have to watch the series to find out exactly why.
Because of this, she finds herself attracted to another guy. If you’re curious to see what happens next, give this series a try.
It’s an entertaining series, definitely not bad. It has that spicy, dramatic element, but the underlying emotional story is lovely too; you’ll enjoy it if you like series with emotional themes.
Honestly, all the series I mentioned to you are excellent. You’ll find the storytelling here superior to The Scandal, and the presentation is truly impressive. Queen Woo is a bit average, but overall, the other series I suggested are top-notch, kadak chai-like.
If you are looking for a solid story and mature content rather than just those scenes, you can give these series a try.
Anyway, let’s wrap this up here. I think I’ve given enough recommendations; if I say any more, you might start wondering if that’s all I ever watch! But no, no—these are actually older series I’m talking about. So, the choice is yours—take it or leave it.
Do let me know how many of these have you watched? Which ones haven’t you seen? Also, what recommendations do you have that I should have included in this list? Be sure to write and tell me.