Debapriya Bhattacharya
Originally titled ‘Dangsini Jugyeossda,’ Kim Hyo-jeong’s ‘As You Stood’ follows childhood friends Jo Eun-su (Jeon So-nee) and Jo Hui-su (Lee Yoo-mi). After surviving domestic abuse in her childhood, Eun-su grows up to be a luxury department store clerk, expert at hiding her trauma and putting up a bright demeanor in front of the outer world. When she learns that Hui-su, who has grown up to be a children’s book author, has a violent and abusive husband, the suppressed trauma gives way to something far sinister. Eun-su comes up with a plan to get rid of Hui-su’s husband and thus save her friend, but soon realizes that the cycle of violence it sets forth is difficult to get out of. Netflix’s Korean crime thriller is based on the novel ‘Naomi and Kanako’ by Hideo Okuda. If you are looking for more shows similar to ‘As You Stood By,’ the following list will help you get started.
8. The World of the Married (2020)
Kang Eun-kyung and Mike Bartlett created ‘The World of the Married’ based on the latter’s BBC One series ‘Doctor Foster.’ Originally titled ‘Bubuui Segye,’ the narrative centers around high-flying doctor Ji Seon-u (Kim Hee-ae), who has a seemingly perfect life with her husband Lee Tae-oh (Park Hae-joon) and their son Lee Jun-yeong (Jeon Jin-seo). Her life is upended when she discovers her aspiring director husband having an affair with Yeo Da-kyung (Han So-hee), a younger, attractive woman. The betrayal makes Ji Seon-u spiral, and she starts intricately plotting her revenge, much like Jo Eun-su does to help her friend get back at her abusive husband in ‘As You Stood By.’
7. The Monster Within (2025)
Originally titled ‘Mamono,’ ‘The Monster Within’ by Seki Erika revolves around Kajin Ayame (Kumiko Asô), a rising star lawyer who is romantically single. When the handsome and seductive Minamoto Iteya (Akihisa Shiono) appears in front of her, Kajin has a difficult time not falling for him. Minamoto is a married man who equates love with possession and has allegations of domestic violence against him. He is also the suspect in the murder of a professor at a respected university. However, instead of being alarmed, Kajin gets to work trying to prove the man’s innocence. The abusive character of Jo Hui-su’s husband in ‘As You Stood By’ finds its reflection in Minamoto Iteya in ‘The Monster Within.’
6. The Resurrected (2025)
‘The Resurrected,’ originally titled ‘Hui hun ji,’ follows Wang Huijun (Shu Qi) and Zhao Jing (Lee Sinje), two mothers whose daughters are kidnapped and forced to work at a scam center. When one of the daughters dies and the other is sent to a coma, the trauma bonds the two mothers together. Even after the leader of the scam center, Zhang Shikai (Fu Meng-po), is arrested and sentenced to death, their hunger for revenge remains unsatiated. Turning to the supernatural and mysticism, they bring the corpse of Zhang Shikai to life to submit him to relentless torture. In the process, the women start to lose their own humanity, a danger that Jo Eun-su runs into after she enters a cycle of violence in ‘As You Stood By.’
5. Bad Sisters (2022-)
From the minds of Sharon Horgan, Dave Finkel, and Brett Baer, ‘Bad Sisters’ is about five Garvey siblings, Eva (Sharon Horgan), Grace (Anne-Marie Duff), Ursula (Eva Birthistle), Bibi (Sarah Greene), and Becka (Eve Hewson), based in Dublin, Ireland. Grace has been a victim of domestic abuse at the hands of her husband, John Paul (Claes Bang). The sisters get together and plot his demise, and the man is soon found dead under mysterious circumstances. While the women maintain their innocence, the insurance agent is determined to prove them guilty in order to save his business. Women coming together to protect one of themselves from abuse is reminiscent of ‘As You Stood By.’
4. Dead to Me (2019-2020)
‘Dead to Me’ by Liz Feldman tells the story of Jen Harding (Christina Applegate), a realtor based in Laguna Beach, California, who loses her husband in a hit-and-run accident. In the support group that she joins following her loss is Judy Hale (Linda Cardellini), who has apparently lost her fiancé due to a heart attack. Judy comes across as rather cheerful despite the situation, and soon befriends Jen. As their bond deepens over time, Jen comes to know the connection between Judy and her late husband, changing her opinion of her forever. With two friends bonding over dead partners, the narrative mirrors that of ‘As You Stood By.’
3. Tell Me Your Secrets (2021)
Created by Harriet Warner, ‘Tell Me Your Secrets’ chronicles three individuals, Emma Hall (Lily Rabe), Mary Barlow (Amy Brenneman), and John Tyler (Hamish Linklater), each of whom has a troubled past and who are brought together by fate. Emma’s former boyfriend was a serial woman abuser who escaped prison time by making her take the fall for him. Mary is a mother whose daughter has gone missing, and she employs the help of John, a convicted abuser desperate for a shot at redemption, to help locate her. As their objective goes further away from being achieved, the lines of morality in front of them seemingly blur, much like it happens in ‘As You Stood By’ with the two best friends.
2. Why Women Kill (2019-2021)
Created by Marc Cherry, ‘Why Women Kill’ is an anthology series that is set around a house in Pasadena, occupied by three women at different points in time. Each of the women is married to a man who is not faithful to them. As they learn of their husbands’ infidelities, the women engage in intricate plots to exact their revenge, at times with fatal consequences. The plotline parallels that of ‘As You Stood By,’ as the women in both shows agree upon murder being a justifiable solution to their unhappy and toxic marriage.
1. Naomi & Kanako (2016)
Based on the eponymous novel by Hideo Okuda, ‘Naomi and Kanako’ revolves around best friends Naomi Oda (Ryôko Hirosue) and Kanako Hattori (Yuki Uchida). Upon seeing the latter being a victim of domestic abuse at the hands of her husband, Naomi decides to help her out by eliminating the perpetrator. The two friends manage to kill the husband and bury him in the woods. To avoid immediate suspicion, they arrange for a lookalike to play the role of the deceased. Nevertheless, Kanako’s sister-in-law begins to suspect something is amiss, leading the two friends to panic. Originally titled ‘Naomi to Kanako,’ the series by Hideya Hamada has much in common with ‘As You Stood By,’ with both involving friends joining hands to fight back against an abusive husband and getting involved in a violent scheme as a result.
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