From "Nobody Wants This" to "Heartstopper" to "Emily in Paris," Netflix is a treasure trove of great romantic comedy shows — so much so that all of that sweet selection means you might have missed out on a few top-rate genre titles along the way.
Alongside those romantic juggernauts, there are lesser-known but no less lovely shows packed with just as many swoon-worthy moments, lighthearted humor and charming appeal as those household names.
If you're a fan of romantic comedies and are looking to discover a delightful hidden gem among Netflix's sweeping library, you should check out these wonderful international rom-com shows on the streaming service, from a relationship-focused Indian charmer to a South Korean opposites-attract romance.
'Crash Landing On You'
Written by Park Ji-eun ("My Love From the Star," "Legend of the Blue Sea"), this South Korean rom-com series sees two unlikely forces— glamorous, Paris Hilton-esque heiress Yun Se-ri (played by Son Ye-jin) and elite North Korean military officer Ri Jeong Hyeok (Hyun Bin) — literally collide when a paragliding mishap unexpectedly sends her across the border into northern territory.
Due to the political division between the countries, regulations demand her execution, but the army captain decides to go against protocol and help hide Se-ri in North Korea. And, unsurprisingly yet adorably, a forbidden romance ensues.
The sudsy Netflix soap received wide acclaim from critics, who gave it a perfect 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes — Joe Walker of The Guardian called the rom-com "addictively off-the-wall, heartbreaking and hilarious" and is worthy of a binge "for the chance to laugh and cry and scream at the telly, and not think about anything else aside from how a North Korean guy and a South Korean girl boss can possibly make it in this crazy world of ours."
Watch "Crash Landing on You" on Netflix now
'Smiley'
This Spanish-language rom-com miniseries takes us to bustling Barcelona, where we meet hunky but heartbroken bartender Álex (Carlos Cuevas), who means to send an angry voicemail for his ex, only for the missive to mistakenly get sent instead to Bruno (Miki Esparbé), a reserved architect he's never met. That misdirected message connects the two thirtysomething men, as they explore their own relationship and help their pals navigate their own romantic hesitations and hangups.
An adaptation of the Guillem Clua play of the same name, the GLAAD Award-nominated comedy breezes by with "a nimble, relatable storyline and two likable on-again/off-again lovers," writes Randy Myers of The Mercury News. "With an entertaining supporting cast of characters, 'Smiley' performs exactly what its title foretells: It puts a smile on your face."
Watch "Smiley" on Netflix now
'Little Things'
Not to be confused with the Denzel Washington crime drama "The Little Things," this Indian romantic-comedy series was created and written by Dhruv Sehgal, who also stars as Dhruv Vats, a twentysomething Mumbai man who is in a live-in relationship with his girlfriend Kavya Kulkarni (Mithila Palkar) and is dealing with all of the magic and mundanity that comes with long-term love.
Over four seasons, the cohabitating couple talks through all of the everyday minutiae of modern-day romance, from financial troubles to family obligations to career moves. All of that sweet relatability was lauded by critics — in his season two review, Rohan Naahar of the Hindustan Times said the series regularly makes "smart, insightful observations about modern romance and gender politics, without ever losing the lived-in charm that made Little Things so wonderful in the first place."
Watch "Little Things" on Netflix now
