[Drama chat] What are your hopes for dramas in 2023?
by missvictrix
Happy New Years to all! In addition to wishing everyone a beautiful year ahead, it seems like a good time to toss up a couple of wishes for dramas in 2023 as well. To start things off, I think we can all agree that we want to see fewer lawyers, prosecutors, and rom-coms interrupted with murder subplots — and in their place, more of what made dramas great in the first place: character-strong, plot-rich, genre-faithful tales of true love.
What are your hopes for dramas in 2023? What are some particular genres, stories, or story elements that you’d like to see?
Let the chatting begin!
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Tags: Drama Chat
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1 jerrykuvira
January 1, 2023 at 5:45 AM
No hopes on the genres. However I have hopes on the pairings. I hope they pair actors correctly in coming time. And there are some pairings I'd like to see, one of such is @solstices pairings mentioned in the Dramabeans AMA
There are some actors and actresses that were formerly taking leading roles or substantial supporting arcs in the 2010's but are now taking secondary or even tertiary roles currently. With the surge of dramas casting middle aged actors in 2022 I hope these actors get better character offers that allows them more screentime and more to do this year.
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Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️
January 1, 2023 at 6:01 AM
I agree a Hospital Playlist/Reply 1988/If you wish upon me vibe where the young and older actors have equal importance to the storyline and the presence of older characters is not because they have dementia or are trying to control their adult child’s life. I have just finished watching Avengers social club and the key players were all Ajummas and Ahjussis with young people involved as appropriate for the drama’s themes.
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2 Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️
January 1, 2023 at 6:20 AM
I would like to see a range of dramas:
1) Normal life without past childhood trauma with ensemble casts with stories just as interesting as the main leads so it feels like a community, found family. I didn’t watch Our Blues or My Liberation Notes but got the impression that they were community based dramas with multiple stories. Prison Playbook would be a good example of a group of people with their own stories alongside the lead.
2) Slice of life mixed with romance which can be slow paced like Dear my friends, I will come to you when the weather is fine, Twelve nights or Would you like a cup of coffee.
3) Slice of life with lighter moments alongside serious issues like Oh my baby, Jealousy Incarnate, The Package, Chief Kim.
4) Straight up rom com like What’s up with secretary Kim, Business Proposal, Mr Queen, Shooting Stars. They all had additional elements like trauma or the palace politics but on the whole were laugh out loud funny.
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jerrykuvira
January 1, 2023 at 6:35 AM
Yes to the absence of childhood connections and shared childhood traumas.
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Dorotka
January 1, 2023 at 7:06 AM
Ha, I was about to write something similar 🙂 (though not so eloquently): I wish for a cracky romcom and a good slice of life weekender.
I also want Shin Hye Sun back on my screen (and that wish I'm going to get 😊 )
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mmmmm
January 1, 2023 at 12:42 PM
ITA especially on 2 and 4.
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3 Linarrick
January 1, 2023 at 6:30 AM
Only having a season two for series that deserve it, most kdramas don’t need more than one season to finish and complete their stories.
More comedies that are actual comedies like Welcome to Waikiki or Gaus Electronics
More fantasy kdramas, while yeah I have plenty of issues with Alchemy of Souls, it’s still making me crave more fantasy dramas
Lee Jae-Wook to be the lead in every single kdrama this year
Yoon Park to be the main lead in a drama
Dispatch crying because they couldn’t reveal their stalking of a celebrity couple in the 1st of January (oh wait that did happen)
Overall kdramas to be consistent from the beginning to the end since 2022 had a lot of disappointing endings
More Ajusshi and Ajumma romances
Far more Queer representation
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jerrykuvira
January 1, 2023 at 6:41 AM
Yessssss to Yoon Park🥺🥺🤭
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Linarrick
January 1, 2023 at 8:01 AM
Oh wait I’d also like Park Eun-bin to confirm being in that new Park Hye-ryun and have her partnered with a male lead just as charismatic as her ( Sorry Lee Jong-Suk please don’t do another Park Hye-ryun drama please…)
For it to also be hella campy fun especially with the title like Diva of the Deserted Island.
And Park Hye-ryun to write her typical preachy way of how being a diva in a deserted island is very bad lol 😆
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Toodlepip
January 1, 2023 at 8:12 AM
Yes to Lee Jae Wook!
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Elinor
January 1, 2023 at 2:39 PM
😂 I sense a problem, and yet I'm right there with you. And double 👍🏼👍🏼 to your last two.
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4 Kurama
January 1, 2023 at 7:11 AM
Well written drama until the end!
No fantasy or Scifi theme that writers can't handle, world building is a difficult exercice and even famous writers failed (AoS for example...).
Not too much violence!
I miss rom-com, romance or slice of life without violence in it.
I want to swoon over a good romance, none of 2022 was completely satisfying. Lack of chemistry, not well written, bad tropes, etc.
No lawyer!
Let them rest a little bit.
More sageuks!
I really liked The Queen's Umbrella but Forbidden Mariage is really pushing the modern touch too much.
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Ally
January 1, 2023 at 8:45 AM
There’s already 2 sageuks on my radar for 2023! PHS’s and Woo Do Hưan’s.
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loveblossom🌸
January 2, 2023 at 6:52 AM
Oh yes, those will be on my list too. *please be good*
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5 wapz
January 1, 2023 at 7:53 AM
Hoping Jung Kyung Ho, Jeon Do Yeon's Crash Course in Romance and Gong Hyo Jin, Lee Min Ho's Ask the stars are genuinely wonderful dramas.
These are the only two shows I've been waiting for trusting in the PD, writer amd one actor in each. But it would be nice if we can have pleasant surprises like A Business Proposal which was unexpectedly fun.
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Blue (@mayhemf)
January 1, 2023 at 8:47 AM
I am eagerly looking forward to Crash course!
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mmmmm
January 1, 2023 at 12:45 PM
I realized that Crash Course will be on NF so that one might be one that I can live watch.
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bong-soo
January 1, 2023 at 4:34 PM
Thanks for the heads up. I see CRASH COURSE will be available on Netflix US. One less to worry about.
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bong-soo
January 1, 2023 at 4:29 PM
Comment was deleted
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bong-soo
January 1, 2023 at 4:32 PM
Right now with all that is on the horizon tvN’s CRASH COURSE (being a JKH fan) and ENA’s CAN WE BE STRANGERS (being a Jang Seung-jo fan) are the only drama/dramadies I am interested in probably until Park Hyung-sik’s historical drama shows up in February. I have availability angst for all of them.
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bong-soo
January 1, 2023 at 4:35 PM
@mmmmm above has clued me in to CRASH COURSE being available on Netflix US. Excellent news.
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6 Ally
January 1, 2023 at 8:41 AM
I’m easy—an engaging story, and we’ll developed plot, crackling chemistry between actors —male and female, and and ending that I don't have to rewrite in my head and pretend it's cannon. Some pretty cinematography is nice too.
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7 kimchiturka
January 1, 2023 at 8:45 AM
I just want butterflies. Give me butterflies.
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Lord Cobol (Kdramas, like water, flow downhill)
January 1, 2023 at 8:58 AM
Cats!
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mmmmm
January 1, 2023 at 12:45 PM
C dramas!!!
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emsel
January 3, 2023 at 4:04 AM
😂 Simple!
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8 Blue (@mayhemf)
January 1, 2023 at 8:47 AM
Hoping for some mature romance, where the leads are adults and their relationship grows organically over the course of time. No meet cute or love at first sight or fated to be. While all this happens I definitely don’t want a murder mystery shoved in randomly. Lol.
Here’s to a wonderful drama watching year! Happy 2023 fellow beanies. Wishing you all good health and happiness.
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Jance
January 1, 2023 at 11:36 AM
I want a romance like you've mentioned with the addition that it doesn't have a depressing feel with people cheating / breaking up / divorcing / moving on - because there can be so much fun (and challenges) in normal, successful relationships!
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Blue (@mayhemf)
January 1, 2023 at 6:27 PM
I love all relationships, even if they are messy or complicated. Imho, there is no 'normal' in relationshps. In fact, at my age, I am more open to see dramas about divorce and finding love again. or even finding self love again. I definitely felt differently when I was in my 20's ; )
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Jance
January 2, 2023 at 2:14 AM
True - I just feel that dramas at the mo either fall into “romcom” with childhood trauma or “slice of life” where there’s way too much angst…
Weightlifting Fairy is a good example of what I’m after :)
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wapz
January 1, 2023 at 10:16 PM
You guys need to watch Hi Venus.
It fits the bill to a T.
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9 Lord Cobol (Kdramas, like water, flow downhill)
January 1, 2023 at 8:58 AM
1: Death to undeserved sequels. Hoping Arsedal 2 & Joseon Psychiatrist 2 both bomb so spectacularly and expensively that the entire industry learns an unforgettable lesson. Yah, fat chance, but I can dream can't I?
2: More shows that stick to what they are good at -- whatever that is -- without giving us too much tonal whiplash. Be like Mother, Signal, Gaus (except maybe episode 1), Queen In-Hyun's Man, etc.
3: Kim So-hyun.
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The Kdrama Enthusiast
January 1, 2023 at 10:52 PM
Yes, yes, and yes. Particular emphasis on the first two. Down with undeserved sequels and down with tonal whiplash.
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10 OldLawyer
January 1, 2023 at 9:43 AM
I hope we see more comedies that stay comedies rather than riffing into something else.
Please also remember to put comedy into the romcoms.
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mmmmm
January 1, 2023 at 12:47 PM
😂 For your second paragraph.
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11 Unit
January 1, 2023 at 9:54 AM
I just want a drama from Park Jae-bum writer-nim. 🥺
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12 gilrin
January 1, 2023 at 10:02 AM
1) I am liking the trend of shorter kdramas so I hope for more stories than can be wrapped up in less than 16 episodes to stick to that.
2) I'm hoping that perfectly decent kdramas land their endings well this year and not go off the rails in their final episodes, there were way too many disappointments in 2022.
3) I'm hoping to see Jisung on my screen sometime soon! I have a feeling he might not take a project this year, so I hope I'm proven wrong.
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i see castles
January 1, 2023 at 12:15 PM
i agree with your number 1. so many dramas feel like they are dragging or lose the plot because they need to fulfill 16 episodes. 8-10 episodes might be ample for some stories.
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Emily Hewett
January 6, 2023 at 10:02 AM
100% agree with all the points.
The short drama trend is what I'm looking forward to.
& yeah, they should do justice to the endings, too, really!
& finally, more Ji-sung please 🤞
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13 ar_arguably romantic
January 1, 2023 at 10:17 AM
More fun ensembles! I like dramas giving chances for non-headlining actors to get their own stories and romances. Give me multiple pairings.
More royal inspector type/light historical-mystery dramas where they go around and solve mysteries/problems for people...after getting 2 of them in 2021 and none in 2022, I miss them. Palace stuff was kept to a minimum and the romance was more secondary/tertiary to the comedy. And they got to travel. Sageuk Queen of Mystery? Sageuk Sherlock Holmes?
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mmmmm
January 1, 2023 at 12:49 PM
Yes to more fun ensembles! I feel like shows that have a good ensemble makes me feel whole, and I love that feeling.
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14 rainbowdash
January 1, 2023 at 10:35 AM
I'm happy to see blue chip U.S. companies (Amazon, Disney, Netflix) pour money into the kdrama industry. But the splitting up the show to hang onto subscribers? That needs to die.
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15 Snow Flower
January 1, 2023 at 10:46 AM
Good old-fashioned sageuks.
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16 amfalulawatching
January 1, 2023 at 11:16 AM
I would like to see shorter individual episodes. I have trouble with episodes that go over an hour both in attention and finding the time to watch. I really like good writing and engaging stories that take on challenging topics and give me complicated characters. I love politics historically and current, but would like to see more stories of how politics have impacted people outside of those pulling the strings. I like comedies, but often that humor doesn't translate well to me especially because so much of the humor is a kind of in joke (referencing other dramas that I may not have seen) or just culturally different. I would like more stories that revolve around any age but the 29/30 year old set, perhaps even some more 2nd chance love stories. Banish all stalkers, serial killers and the lawyers that represent them and their victims. I came to k-dramas because of the great storytelling, the abundance of really interesting characters. Not all my stories need to be love stories, but I do like them and love stories is not something that western dramas have embraced well. That is really what sets k-dramas apart, and I hope that is something they retain. I'm still finding some great k-dramas and this year there were quite a few that I liked. So, I am hopeful for the new year.
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i see castles
January 1, 2023 at 12:17 PM
"I would like more stories that revolve around any age but the 29/30 year old set, perhaps even some more 2nd chance love stories."
YES to this!
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17 hacja
January 1, 2023 at 11:17 AM
More lawyer shows:
Sageuks: Crown Prince Lawyer, Queen Maidservant Lawyer, Concubine Lawyer, Joseon Accountant Lawyer,
Fantasy: Reaper Lawyer, Alchemy of Lawsuits, Gaming Avatar of Law
Slice of life dramas: The modern Lawyer family (with husband wife and two child prodigy lawyers), Lawyer 1997, Lawyer Neighborhood.
Rom Coms: Love Lawyer Star Agent, I Married an Anti-Lawyer, A Lawyer Named Su.
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mmmmm
January 1, 2023 at 12:53 PM
SK will shock the whole world when it announces that this year they will only produce lawyer shows in all genres. Let the world burn with passion in law.
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Kafiyah Bello
January 1, 2023 at 5:19 PM
🤣🤣🤣
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emsel
January 3, 2023 at 4:12 AM
Lawyer Neighbourhood is already there. Just interchange the positions and you are set!
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18 asterell
January 1, 2023 at 11:24 AM
for the love of God, no more rom-coms that involve a childhood trauma where the other lead (cue childhood connection trope) is a decisive participant in said trauma involving evil chaebols/assemblymen, and we have to sit through 2 episodes of noble idiocy and manufactured conflict.
Also, no murder in rom-coms.
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Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️
January 1, 2023 at 11:40 AM
👆🤣 I felt the heat of the desperation.
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queenmee
January 1, 2023 at 12:03 PM
Every time i'm watching a drama were the leads remember meeting when they were kids, i'm like here we go again. They need to stop this nonsense! hehehe
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The Kdrama Enthusiast
January 1, 2023 at 10:54 PM
The childhood connection drives me crazy. It's unrealistic, and an unnecessary contrivance.
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19 i see castles
January 1, 2023 at 12:21 PM
I am desperate for a well-written coming-of-age story with or without a first love component. or a coming into one's self (at any age) story that is honest but not depressing, complex but not complicated.
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mmmmm
January 1, 2023 at 12:55 PM
Im not sure but this sounds like Jdramas? Unsure about this but the one I watched (First Love) kinda gave me the feeling you mentioned.
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i see castles
January 1, 2023 at 1:03 PM
ha! you're probably right. i did watch First Love so maybe that's coloring my perspective :)
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mmmmm
January 1, 2023 at 1:07 PM
But I like First Love as well, and I also would like to see something like that (what you described) being shown in Kdramas. :)
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Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️
January 1, 2023 at 1:06 PM
I agree as Sleeeper Hit the Japanese version of Today’s webtoon had her getting to know herself with no love story.
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20 mmmmm
January 1, 2023 at 1:06 PM
I’d like more light shows.
I’d like good love stories that transcend time and space. I know I might sound like a hopeless romantic, but I think Cdrama do this so well I wonder if Kdramas can pull this off.
What I like about Kdramas are characters. Most of the time these characters are complex. This is why I think I’d like more coming-of-age dramas that have happy endings. 2521 has perfect ending imo, but having a sad ending made me reluctant to rewatch it. One heartbreak is enough for me, so it seems.
More simple dramas. By simple, I’m thinking of I am not a Robot simple. It’s simple, yet it’s so good. I’d love to have more like this.
I think the Cdrama New Life Begins has this simple, understated feelings to it which I loved. I’d like to also see if Kdramas can pull this off.
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21 jessi
January 1, 2023 at 1:08 PM
More Lee Min-ki, please. Like, wouldn't it be cool if he starred in a drama opposite Nana? That's something he's never done no matter what anyone says or shows you, and I think they would make a handsome pair.
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Elinor
January 1, 2023 at 1:38 PM
😂😂😂 I could completely get behind these first-time co-stars in 2023.
My hope for dramas this year is that one of those geeeenius drama doctors comes up with a selective amnesia technique that would allow a viewer to erase the memory of certain shows so that I could (a) rewatch favorites as if for the first time and (b) eradicate all memory of the very existence of some others. That would be a *good* use of the amnesia trope and is probably safer than space lasers, which are a bit of a blunt weapon.
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jessi
January 1, 2023 at 2:55 PM
lol! If that's not what Jung Yong-hwa's character is working on in the upcoming Brain Cooperation, I'll be very disappointed.
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22 jinvincible
January 1, 2023 at 1:36 PM
the fiery priest 2!!! it's been 4 years!!!
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23 bong-soo
January 1, 2023 at 4:18 PM
To reiterate from another post. I hope in 2023 cops/crime/mystery writers get their mojo back. 2022 was not a good year for that genre imo. They can begin by finally giving us SIGNAL 2.
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kakakash
January 2, 2023 at 8:48 PM
omgsh i second this. signal 2 would be awesome.
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24 seoul_searcher
January 1, 2023 at 8:19 PM
My hopes for 2023 is to see more middle aged actors in romance genres, more romance melodramas to be announced (although I know these dramas aren’t very popular) and to see lee soo hyuk as a lead 🤞🏼I hope that’s not too much to ask 😅
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FiyaShady
January 2, 2023 at 6:07 PM
I have always wondering why Lee Soo Hyuk always get 2nd lead or sideline instead of ML...does he not interesting enough in front of our writernim's eyes? Is he lack of many expression and so colorful as we sees him? 😌
My bet is his face is too exotic to become ML 😏😎
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25 Gikata
January 1, 2023 at 8:40 PM
In 2021 there were 2 shows that I loved with my all heart, both of them very unexpectedly so. In 2022 there was only one like that and I somehow always knew it's gonna be good. So, to conclude my wishful thinking about the matter - I hope that shows I'm already looking forward to will turn out good (or, at least, watchable enough) and that some of the maaany shows I have no faith for currently will manage to surprise me in a good way. And please, PLEASE let there be MORE than just 1 great drama in the whole year again!
P.S. No more Disney+. At all. In any form. Especially in collab with my faves. Leave kdramas alone altogether, you greedy monster, and go back to sucking the last bits of life, joy and artistic freedom from western cinema like you've been doing for ages now. My eternal gratitude in advance^^
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