[Theme of the Month] Year in dramas
by stroopwafel
It’s December and that means it’s time to get ready to say goodbye to 2018. We’d like to hear about what this year was like for you. Let’s take a look back together at this year’s dramas!
Tell us about your year in dramas. Was 2018 filled with faves or did you find yourself in a drama slump? Were there shows you hate-watched? Which drama(s) touched you deeply and made you think?
To submit:
- Email your submissions to [email protected]. If you have a registered Dramabeans account, include your handle so we can link to it.
- Include at least 1 image, though more is preferred.
- Suggested length: Between 500 and 1,000 words.
- Deadline: We will post these on a rolling basis, so we’re taking submissions now. We will cut off accepting submissions on December 24. If you miss this month, join us for a new theme next month!
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Tags: Theme of the Month, year in review, year in review 2018
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1 Currently Living On Planet Earth
December 1, 2018 at 10:13 PM
Oh gosh, this is embarrassing but the first things that popped up in my tired brain when I read the title was, "Time of the month?" O.O
Was it that supposed to mean?.. XD
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mary
December 2, 2018 at 7:43 AM
Now you got a topic for your theme post :D
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Currently Living On Planet Earth
December 2, 2018 at 11:20 PM
Hehe, um...
It'll start,
"This drama started at the perfect time, that time of the month which only women understand, in which thanks to this particular drama, I was able to pull through, till the next month..." XD
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2 Ally
December 1, 2018 at 10:28 PM
I missed the deadline last year, maybe I’ll make it this year!
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3 gadis
December 1, 2018 at 10:34 PM
I didn't write anything for last year's review since the dramas airing were quite underwhelming. Hopefully I can share something for this year's review.
*checking my list of completed dramas*
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4 LT is Irresistibly Indifferent and reminded of the slow march of death
December 1, 2018 at 10:52 PM
I don't think I'd know where to start. Other than an ode to Dickins.
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5 Mii
December 1, 2018 at 10:53 PM
That's boring as I was excited to read our authors' year in review :(
DB team...pls do it like the older years..when everyone wrote about their dramas and not the last few years one where dramas are divided among the writers
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mary
December 2, 2018 at 7:46 AM
But there are individual author writeups last year too? http://www.dramabeans.com/tag/year-in-review-2017/
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🍙 kimbap noona
December 2, 2018 at 7:56 AM
@mary's "K-drama Non-productivity Suite" will forever be one of my favorite DB writeups!
http://www.dramabeans.com/2017/12/2017-year-in-review-k-drama-non-productivity-suite/
No upgrade needed because the suite itself is perfect, but a 2018 update will be much appreciated!
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RevSparklyAndroid
December 2, 2018 at 8:34 AM
Seconded @mary ! That write-up had me in stitches. *bookmarked to read again*
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Jenmole🍊
December 2, 2018 at 12:34 PM
No pressure @mary. Just something simple will do. 😁
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egads aka Dame Maggie
December 2, 2018 at 4:00 PM
I'll say it: I want a complete update on the Non-Productivity Suite and not a minor tweak.
The Woo Do-hwan bug was effectively squashed, or rather it was Tempted into a trap made up of bad writing and direction. Perhaps @mary can influence the erasure of Mystery Queen v.2018.
sadie
December 2, 2018 at 11:41 AM
Thanks for the link to last year's writeups @mary. Such a strange slumpy year in Korean dramaland and here on DB, and the amount of comments on the writeups rather reflected that. Hoping for an exciting 2019.
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growingbeautifully
December 2, 2018 at 4:20 PM
@mary I just re-read your review on the Non-Productivity Suite. Was laughing all over again!! I've now saved it on my Bookmarks Bar to read repeatedly when I'm feeling dull. 😂 Please do another one version 2018! 😄
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6 keiru
December 2, 2018 at 12:29 AM
This year, I have the lowest number for completing dramas. Out of all 2018 dramas, I have only finished 5 of them and enjoyed it a lot. Mother, Oh Jak Doo, My Ajusshi, Life on Mars, and The Guest 💕
I'll definitelly finish Clean with Passion, I hope I won't drop The Last Empress and Just Dance so at least I will have 8 dramas on my list 😁
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giocare 🌻💛
December 2, 2018 at 12:56 AM
Completely agree with you!! Last year I completed 23 dramas but this year I completed only 7: My Ajusshi, Woohoo Waikiki, Life On Mars, Lawless Attorney, Voice 2, The Guest and Terius Behind Me
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keiru
December 2, 2018 at 6:34 AM
After years of exploring dramaland, I personally think it's much much better to have a few dramas which really stand out and memorable rather than watching lots of dramas but then I forgot about it the minute they ended 😁 I've learned not to waste my time for a drama which I don't really find attractive
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Currently Living On Planet Earth
December 2, 2018 at 11:24 PM
Very true, as the years have gone by of watching Kdramas, I have become more picky with what I watch... I tend to stick with recaps if I don't really want to spend actual time watching it... And even then I might just read recaps for the last few episodes.
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dramamad
December 2, 2018 at 2:49 AM
That’s exactly what I was thinking!!! 2018 is the year of dropped dramas
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hiheel
December 6, 2018 at 6:16 AM
I generally don't watch many dramas but this is one of the years where i've watched fewer than usual, usually i complete around 10 but i only completed 6 dramas so far
A poem a day, laughter in waikiki, the beauty inside, return,mr sunshine, familiar wife
Currently im watching dae jang geum is watching and the last empress so maybe 8?
Unless u include hwayugi and prison playbook which started in 2017 but ended in 2018.
Also technically its 7 dramas completed cus i watched six flying dragons (finally!) this year and i bulldozed through its 50 episodes like it was nothing, thats how much i missed a good historical
But yeah this is one of those years where i dropped quite a few dramas namely, the great seducer, matrimonial chaos, suits, investigation couple, wok of love and player.
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7 wapz
December 2, 2018 at 12:33 AM
This year had better dramas than the previous one but there is hardly ant that I completed. Drama slump is directly proportional to real life and when dramas start depicting life more closely then you lose your escapism. Funny how I watch dramas for the slice of life rather than the escapism. Hope next year is better in drama offerings and life progresses.
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8 Ayan
December 2, 2018 at 3:14 AM
I'm struggling to remember what I have watched this year....
I definitely have changed my drama watching style this year, I have been more ruthless in dropping dramas.
Maybe an post called :To all the dramas I dropped before....
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kpopcrazymuggle
December 2, 2018 at 6:45 AM
I hope you do submit such a post, I feel like I'll relate to it the most!
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Ayan
December 2, 2018 at 12:23 PM
Thank you, I'm going to figure out what I actually watched this year and try to write something..
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mary
December 2, 2018 at 7:47 AM
DO IT
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Ayan
December 2, 2018 at 12:25 PM
Thank you, I'm going to give a go.
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9 Fatcat007 (Kitty 💜)
December 2, 2018 at 5:49 AM
Poetry. <3
Waikiki. XD
LoM. a mix of awesome & head scratch
The Guest. cool!
rest of the drama/year: dropped/ slumped
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10 JustMe
December 2, 2018 at 6:59 AM
Oh this might be hard. I might sit this one out. I have a lot to say and have no idea where to start on how to structure it.
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11 bbstl 🧹
December 2, 2018 at 7:44 AM
Boy, I think of the Year in Dramabeans and what a rollercoaster that's been for our Leaders, minions and Beanies. What a happy ending that we've come out where we are.
And for the Year-end recaps, Fighting! to stroopwafel et al! Here is some sustenance to help get you through 🍱🍜🥗🥞🍫🍻🍩(from @greenfields and friends) and lots of ❤️
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12 kikita
December 2, 2018 at 9:26 AM
Im kinda a new in all of this (dramas in general), the summer of the 2017 i saw my firts dramas, and this years finally im started to see dramas in transmision and the experience is very diferent, because is really paintfull waiting a nex episode when youre catched by the drama or if you are bored, just stoped see it.
In this perspective,this year i started a lot of dramas that i stop see it, im not fallin in love like the past year, so... its a regular year for me, but i dont see historical dramas yet (Mr Sunshina, for example) but i saw such a diferent storys, like 30 but 17 that i really love, its a beatutiful shows of value.
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13 javinne
December 2, 2018 at 2:37 PM
Ohh yes!! This time I have to write something! Best drama of the year: My Ajusshi.
It gave a conclusion: I want to have an Ajusshi for myself 😂😂😂😂😂
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sadie
December 3, 2018 at 9:18 AM
You have to write it!
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14 💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
December 2, 2018 at 3:46 PM
NGL the highlight of drama watching this year for me was watching Meteor Garden with (And without) the Rabbit crew... *snorts*
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egads aka Dame Maggie
December 2, 2018 at 4:03 PM
@kimbapnoona's on the fly translation combined with the snarky wit of Beanies, made Meteor Garden an incredible ride.
I'm still trying to figure out that wedding though....
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🍙 kimbap noona
December 2, 2018 at 6:42 PM
In 30 years we will reminisce this awesome MG live watching experience @egads but still will be scratching our heads and wonder what went on in Angie Chai's mind to allow that wedding fiasco to happen......
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💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
December 2, 2018 at 10:19 PM
I tell you, they were all high. On magic mushrooms. That IS the only explanation. No matter what China's drug laws are...
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15 strawberry
December 2, 2018 at 7:43 PM
Wow it's that time of the year already! Super excited to read all the write-ups and reviews of this year's dramas. Maybe I'll find something to watch from these year-end posts. :D
I've finished 2 new dramas this year (lol): Life on Mars and Life, and a few old ones: ALL of Jung Kyung ho's dramas (LoM hit me hard), Hwayugi, Pied Piper, Black, and some more probs. I dropped way too many dramas to count this year bc I have the attention span of a squirrel. xD
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16 Nessa (Bebe) 🌹
December 2, 2018 at 9:25 PM
already!!!
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17 missjb
December 2, 2018 at 10:08 PM
this year is kdrama gold for me, to the point, I'm on hold alot of good drama... To the point a decent drama end up makes me dissapoint. My Ajusshi, Mother, The Third Charm, Live, Hold Me Tight, life on Mars, Life, something in the rain, Just Between Lovers, Lawless Lawyer.
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javinne
December 5, 2018 at 6:19 AM
Except that "something in the rain" ended up being a disaster, I agree with your list. 😂😂😂
Although I can't say anything about lawless lawyer, third charm, hold me tight, live or life on mars because I didn't watch them 🙄
But I have heard Life was awesome, so that one is in my list to watch very soon!!! 🤗
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missjb
December 5, 2018 at 6:59 AM
Haha... Many of them is enjoyable Despite some of them end up not living up expectation, it's still better than last year for me. Haha... At times I enjoy watching a drama other than the story too. You know, when at times some aspect carried the whole show.
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18 YY Chats with Toast Between Bites
December 3, 2018 at 1:29 AM
I could write about the heartwarming cameos I did the whole year, if you like. These are my favourites.
1. The island in Top Star Yoo Baek. I'm really proud of my character here. I hear that I'm in line for Best Inanimate Object for next year's Baeksang Awards.
2. The Law in Lawless Attorney. This is such an abstract and complex role, but I nailed it. Obviously.
3. My ID Is Gangnam Beauty. I haven't talked about this before, but I played the ID. I was a bit stiff, though, because there's only so much you can do playing a plastic card.
4. Wok of Love. I played the wok. I was on fire here, I stirred things up a bit, and got Jang hyuk all hot and wok-ed up.
5. Mr. Sunshine. I was the candy, or rather, candies - playing multiple roles is nothing new to me. Note: This is not for the faint- hearted. I put my life on the line each day, but food cameos come with risks.
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Rukia wants melona
December 3, 2018 at 9:45 AM
YY, I am waiting impatiently for your complete year in dramas. As one of your countless fans, I implore you to write about all of the roles you took on this year.
We fans NEED TO KNOW!!
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growingbeautifully
December 3, 2018 at 2:05 PM
LOL! @yyishere Now I can aspire to cameo roles as well!!! 😆
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19 larelle79
December 3, 2018 at 11:11 AM
Best shows of the year: Life on Mars, Matrimonial Chaos, Hand: The Guest.
Show that did not bother me one way or the other: What Wrong With Secretary Kim?, When Time Stopped.
What the hell were you thinking in finishing this trainwreck, damnit, you are better than this: Let Me Introduce Her.
Tail end of 2018 in the so far, so good let's hope in continues into 2019 category: SKY Castle, Twelve Nights, Mama Fairy and The Woodcutter.
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20 BdxPelik
December 6, 2018 at 2:01 AM
@stroopwafel
Is there a rule where we should only write about 2018 dramas and not other years?
I'm new here, btw. Hi!
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stroopwafel
December 6, 2018 at 3:33 PM
Hi BdxPelik, welcome! The overall theme for this month is 2018 dramas, so your submission should pertain to dramas that aired this year or at the very end of last year (like Jugglers). :)
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BdxPelik
December 7, 2018 at 12:04 AM
Cool!
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21 blessingwind
December 7, 2018 at 4:29 AM
I have watched many, but also dropped many along the way. I just realized i have watched only 3 dramas without missing a single episode from start till end. Below are the winners:
1. Life on Mars
2.Life
3. Terius Behind Me
Some others i have really liked, but have dropped some episodes here are there ,due to various reasons : With a regretful heart, I present you the following:
1. 30 but 17
2. My ID is Gangnam Beauty :
3. Radio Romance
4.Come and Hug Me
5. Hundred million stars from the sky
6.Wooho Waikiki
7. The Beauty Inside
So i would say 2018 delivered very few good quality dramas. Most of them are just made to fill the empty slot as new dramas come in every 3 months in a year. These dramas, lack proper writing, direction and editing. The characters are either too OTT and bland.
I am in so much need of another Prison Playbook, Forest of Secret, Go Back Couple type drama. These dramas have set the bar too high.
Waiting for 2019. Lets see whether it will shower us with more beautiful dramas or will it be another year of drama slump.
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22 pickledplumtree
December 28, 2018 at 6:45 AM
I love the term “hate-watched!!!”
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