What To Watch When You're In Your Forties

Birthcare Center features an older first-time mom navigating the mommy wars. I find it surprisingly affecting, treating the reality of birth and being a new mom with sensitivity, but also with a great deal of absurdist humor. It has important things to say about what makes a mom, about the role society plays in putting pressure on mothers, and about the importance of loving, stable relationships to navigate motherhood.  - u/Longjumping-River-42

Reply 1988. Though this show mostly focuses on teenagers coming of age and falling in love, the adults in this series get their turn. You see them cope with financial stress, with their children leaving the nest, with losing their own parents. Also the framing of the series as the recollections of a 40-year old Deok Sun and her husband lends the drama a more adult feel. This drama, to me, feels like a masterpiece. It's a beautiful coming-of-age story, but it's also a story about the importance of family and community.  -  u/Longjumping-River-42

 Live. This slice-of-life ensemble drama gives some attention to the older members of the police force--some in middle age and some nearing retirement. In addition to the focus on the relationships, this drama provides some insights into the daily lives of police officers in Korea. And it's a great underdog story. - u/Longjumping-River-42

My Mister. Many on the subs love this drama. And the majority of the ensemble, with the exception of the female lead, are in their 40s. They deal with marital problems, career disappointments, etc. It's also an lovely story about the influence a truly good person can have on another. - u/Longjumping-River-42

Misaeng. Though the ML is in his 20s, his boss in this story steals the show. This is a show about a Baduk genius who ends up working as an intern in an international trade company. It's a lovely underdog story, but it's also a story about a good man struggling against difficult odds. Some may find it slow, but I found the drama compelling. - u/Longjumping-River-42

Once Again - nice story about a family whose kids all get divorced, before finding happiness again ( some with their ex). - u/DesperateGuarantee91  

My Wife is Having an Affair this Week - not only about older married/divorced characters with kids, but also deal with issues that are much more mature and for those who are, if not older, wiser and more in touch with reality. The characters themselves may not be precisely in their 40s, but the themes are very grown-up.  - u/thunder_sun

War of Prosecutors (or Diary of a Prosecutor) - both the legal/professional as well as the personal side of the story are about adult (typically around middle-aged) issues. It's about being an experienced contributor to your job, yet learning new things every day. It's also about balancing the personal and the professional at a moment in life when you feel weary about both.  - u/thunder_sun

I think "Love, Marriage and Divorce" would fit nicely in this list - since it shows various couples struggling with family matters at different ages, with or without children, etc.  - u/DesperateGuarantee91  

multiple seasons

My colleagues in their 40s loved Penthouse - I guess the makjang absurdity really reeled them in like any other soap operas would.  - u/insertfakenames

multiple seasons