Best Non-Romance Relationships of 2021

So Hee, Ji Yeon & Ji Gu - the marketing for this show gave the impression it would be nothing but juvenile and crass humor of a trio of shallow, slacker friends. The marketing people should be fired because, although there was some of that, this was much more about three young women navigating career disillusionment, relationship failures and personal tragedies. Individually, each are compelling characters. Together, as they support and care for each other, they are truly magical. Honorable mention to Mr. Hwang who quietly provides a steadying presence for the women.

Hae Kang, Yoon Dam, Woo Chan, Yong Tae & In Sol - they're really not very nice to each other and competing over trivial things and they tend to incite each other's worst instincts. Still, these teen boys are a stellar example of the real lessons we can learn from each other as teammates competing together, learning to overcome obstacles, discovering that not everything works out with a happy ending and that trophies aren't always the end goal in sports.

Hyun Seung, Ji Seung & Yun Seung - as delightful as Rowoon was here in his lead plotline with Won Jin Ah, this drama was in peak form when these three siblings shared the screen. The sisters each had their own subplots but had the show been equally built around these three intead of a more typical the two-leads-get-together, they-break-up cycle things might have broken out this show to top 10 for 2021 status. But though the moments with these three together were few, they were captivating.

Tae Goo & Jae Yeon - so this is a male lead and female lead, but they are no couple. Both are in severely deep and extremely dark places and while they find kindred spirits in each other, it's definitely not because they are pursuing a happy life together. It's so NOT romantic than whenJae Yeon offhandedly offers a session of intimacy, Tae Goo declines. Not a movie for the fainthearted, but the actors here were outstanding solo and with other.

Je Na, Hyun Ji, Stella and Chae Ah - these young women encounter mountains of adversity, from angry fan clubs of other groups to their own agency to each other and their own personal demons, but stick to each other. Will they overcome? That's not really their mission which is to essentially wave a giant obscene gesture in their doubters faces and go their separate ways. It's an unconventional foursome and individually none of them are particularly stereotypical protagonist types, but as a group, they're impossible to root against. Note - Elle is left out because she spent so much of the show off on her own misguided individual efforts and, although she returned, the reconciliation with the others didn't quite land.