[2023 Year in Review] Editors’ Picks
by DB Staff
One of our favorite features at Dramabeans is our annual Editors’ Picks, which is the product of much voting, deep internal debate, hand-wringing – and of course, fangirling. While some of us found the drama offerings this year to be mediocre with a few gems thrown in, others encountered a string of dramas they loved and wouldn’t give up for the world. Below are our picks for the year, reflecting what we enjoyed, what grabbed our hearts, and what made us want to pass out golden statues. Enjoy!
2023 Editors’ Picks
BEST DRAMA
Call It Love
dramaddictally: Before it aired, Call It Love stood out for its visuals — notably a pink filter that provided atmospheric warmth, and also spurred much debate. But once this lovely drama began to unfold, it stood out for its storytelling: the way it pushed boundaries, fleshed out its characters, and set up tropes only to knock them down. What starts out as a revenge plot becomes a healing story about moving on from past hurts without succumbing to vengeance — because hate only ends up hurting the person doing the hating. Lee Sung-kyung portrays the unforgettable heroine at the center of this moral dilemma, nailing the tough but vulnerable character who goes through this transformation. Filled with palpable pain, this slow-burn romance becomes a journey from overwhelming loneliness to healing connection. And the sense of isolation is in every aspect along the way, from the leads’ micro-expressions, to the dialogue, to shots of lone characters in otherwise empty rooms. While the fractured but ultimately unbreakable family at the story’s core is the root of all the heartache, the drama shows us that strong bonds — wherever they may be found — are also the cure. With rich and evocative emotions, complicated and relatable leads, and a cast of characters that hold their own against the main love line, it’s difficult to remain dry-eyed to the end — but that, of course, is the beauty of it.
Honorable Mentions
Perfect Marriage Revenge
Moving
BEST DIRECTING
Alchemy of Souls 2
alathe: Beanies, it is my pleasure to again sing the praises of the beautifully directed Alchemy of Souls 2. Season Two had its work cut out in making us — and Wook — fall for its resurrected heroine all over again. I adored Mu-deok’s sly gambits and scarcely-contained homicidal tendencies. However, in casting Go Yoon-jung they brought a whole new, coquettish dimension to Yeong, whilst still delighting us with her calculating glances and unexpected craftiness. With its subtitle Light and Shadow, the name of the game this season was opposites, and this theme was brought out splendidly. Last time, love was associated with poison; this time, with medicine. Yeong, rather than Wook, was now the wide-eyed magical newbie whom her partner tried — and failed — to see as a means to an end. And in this role-reversal remix, Daeho took on a darker, gothic feel: all boats coursing through the mist, and lightless rooms for Wook to brood in. The Jang estate became a Beauty in the Beast style haunted house for Yeong to breathe life into. And all of it culminated in a gorgeous show about revitalizing the old and welcoming in the new.
Honorable Mentions
Call it Love
Revenant
BEST WRITING
Call It Love
quirkycase: Call It Love has a lot going for it, but certainly one of its strongest features is its writing. There’s a subtlety to the writing that made for fantastic conversations, wonderful character arcs, and nuanced approaches to relationships. Rather than overstuffing scenes with dialogue, writer Kim Ga-eun knew just when to pull back and let a scene breathe. The care and nuance with which the drama depicted a variety of relationships from platonic to romantic to familial gave it depth and emotional acuity. The cast of characters was varied and memorable, each with their own foibles, strengths, and journeys. Characters were unraveled bit by bit, allowing us to get to know them through their actions and reactions throughout the story. Shim Woo-joo and Han Dong-jin were fantastic lead characters, both independently and together, who exemplified the power of internal conflict and quiet moments. Crafting a slow-burn story that remains interesting and even addicting throughout its run is no doubt a challenge. But when it works, it’s something of beauty.
Honorable Mentions
Revenant
The Kidnapping Day
BEST ACTOR
Lee Sang-yub (My Lovely Boxer)
dramaddictally: It’s not easy to make us root for a morally corrupt character, but that is the magic of Lee Sang-yub in his role as the sports agent antihero, Kim Tae-young, in My Lovely Boxer. Toeing the line toward unlikable, we’re never quite sure how to read his actions. Even when it seems that he cares for his athletes, it could be just another of his cold and calculating schemes. However, we see his human side when he’s in the throes of sobbing or shrieking in grief over the struggles of the people close to him. When he cries, the pain is real. And when he stops, the dullness of despair settles into his eyes. The organic way he shifts between outward callousness and internal hurt with depth and sincerity, makes it impossible to ever fully dislike him — even when he does the most questionable things. While everyone around him ends up hurt, he also tries to protect them. But when he fails to protect one of his athletes at a crucial moment, Tae-young is the one that ends up needing protection. And Lee Sang-yub lets us feel for his character by becoming a raw nerve before our eyes. Add to that his chemistry with co-star Kim So-hye — as he moves from an intent to use her boxing skills for quick cash to deeply caring that she achieves her goals — and it’s a performance that grips ahold of you, sucker punches its way in, and stays with you long after the final scene.
Honorable Mentions
Choi Hyun-wook (Twinkling Watermelon)
Oh Jung-se (Revenant)
Namgoong Min (My Dearest)
BEST ACTRESS
Han Hyo-joo (Moving)
jenzy: Han Hyo-joo’s performance in Moving marks a significant milestone in her versatility as an actress. For over a decade, she’s nailed the dynamic leading lady or romantic interest, cementing herself at least in my mind as this perpetually young, sparkly-eyed heroine. Which is why her character in Moving — a single mom to a high-schooler — initially felt like such a jarring departure from her typical roles. But as each episode came around, she impressed me so much with her world-weary maturity and maternal ferocity, I’d catch myself wondering if she wasn’t somehow secretly a mother herself. Pulling off the complex character of Mi-hyun could not have been an easy feat. She had to nail both the physicality and calculation of a super-spy alongside the chaotic emotions of a mom to a teen, all while keeping audiences grounded in the supernatural premise of the show. But nail it she did. She melded these personas so effortlessly that you never felt like you were getting “mom Mi-hyun” or “spy Mi-hyun” — you just got one deeply layered, elusive character. Han Hyo-joo’s performance in Moving has me convinced that this is the start of a new chapter to her career. The Hyo-jooissance is upon us, and I for one am so excited to see it unfold.
Honorable Mentions
Ahn Eun-jin (My Dearest)
Kim Tae-ri (Revenant)
BEST ROMANCE
Call It Love
missvictrix: Call It Love is a special little drama that takes its time to tell its story, including that of its romance. But a slow-burn romance needs more than well-paced yearning from afar — it needs depth behind it too, and that’s exactly what Call It Love does so well. By letting us spend time with our leads and sit with them in their low places, we not only understood their sense of isolation, but felt it along with them. Hence, the magic of Shim Woo-joo and Han Dong-jin falling in love with each other feels just like that: magic. These two lonely souls came together in a way that was so tender and tentative, as if they didn’t know quite what to do with the love they’d discovered. Though their start was rocky and there were plenty of moral and logistical obstacles impeding their way, this was a romance that I would follow anywhere for its genuine portrayal of gentle longing, and the hopefulness that lingered amidst the melancholy. It’s not every drama that can take a revenge premise and have it evolve into a healing romance, and it’s not every healing romance that gives you the romance flutters and the sense of emotional wholeness at its conclusion — but that’s what makes Call It Love a special one.
Honorable Mentions
Destined With You
My Dearest
Moving
BEST COMEDY
Doctor Cha
unit: Off with the apron and on with the scrubs! With a premise like Doctor Cha’s, I tailored my expectations to “medical drama” and all the sentiments that come with the genre. A bit of makjang, maybe. But comedy? I didn’t think so. Surprisingly, the drama steeped its emotional beats into comedy so well that while you’re fully aware of the stakes at hand, you can’t help but laugh alongside the situation. Whether it’s at the caricature husband begging his mom for permission to donate a piece of his liver to his wife, or at the ego-fueled race between In-ho and Dr. Roy to save Jung-sook from falling off the building with her suicidal patient, Doctor Cha is an entertaining show with several pockets of humor tucked into each episode that’ll have you laughing out loud and eagerly clicking on the next episode button. I loved the blend of comedy styles: there was the character humor (Kim Byung-chul as the over-the-top and almost cartoonish Seo In-ho was gold!), the situational humor, the deadpan jokes (who can forget Jung-sook’s declaration of her husband’s death — to his face — at a work dinner?), and of course, the slapstick moments. (I will never get over Jung-sook slamming her husband’s face into their anniversary cake after she found out that he cheated.). Amidst all of these hilarious moments, Doctor Cha still did its best to deliver on a good story. And while the drama might have slipped a little too into the dramatic side of things towards the end, this second chance story with humor and heart aplenty is firmly rooted in place as one of the comedy greats.
Honorable Mentions
Twinkling Watermelon
Divorce Attorney Shin
BEST ACTION/THRILLER
The Kidnapping Day
quirkycase: Right out of the gate, The Kidnapping Day differentiated itself through its unique premise and tone. Although it was about a kidnapping, it was by no means an overly serious or dark drama – in fact, it was often comedic. The tone struck a precarious but effective balance with just enough makjang flavor to make things interesting without detracting from the more serious moments. As a shorter drama, it didn’t overstay its welcome or lose steam which can be the death blow for an action or thriller drama. There was a nice balance between plot and character development that kept things moving and lent an emotional gravity to the story. But what really set this drama apart from the pack was the wonderful dynamic between the surprisingly lovable kidnapper with a heart of gold, and the precocious and jaded kidnappee with no one to turn to. These two had fantastic chemistry as an adorable, father-daughter found family duo that was delightful to watch and provided another source of tension as they fought for their happiness despite everything conspiring against them. The Kidnapping Day was at turns fun, tense, and touching – and that’s not a combination every action-thriller manages to pull off.
Honorable Mentions
Revenant
Taxi Driver 2
BEST FANTASY/SCI-FI
Moving
ttcolb: The genre of superheroes is very familiar territory for Disney and I almost expected a Marvel-esque caper when watching Moving, but I was happily surprised to be wrong. Based in an expansive universe crafted over a series of webtoons, the live-action series would have been a completely different beast without the original’s creator Kangfull penning the scripts himself. He laid down a dense foundation with his expert hand, building a world impacted by superpowers. All the moving (hehe) parts were then woven together with strong directing and characters brought to life by all around superb acting. I fell hard for our heroes’ journeys and although the action is cool – and cathartic – Moving pushes us to dig deeper, wrestling with identity, ethics, ideologies, and more — because the heart of the story is about more than just saving the day.
Honorable Mentions
Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938
Twinkling Watermelon
BEST ENSEMBLE
Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938
daebakgrits: Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 is a prime example of how an amazing cast can transform a rather lackluster plot into an engaging piece of television because — let’s be real — this sequel-that-no-one-asked-for was objectively silly and kind of all over the place. Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 had all the markings of a giant flop — and yet, it was the kind of fun that can only be achieved when the cast is in sync and doling out the same amount of excitement for their roles. Sure, this drama had some heavy hitters headlining, like Lee Dong-wook, Kim So-yeon, and Kim Bum, but even stars of their caliber can’t win over an audience by themselves. It took the full cast of Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 to deliver enough on screen chemistry needed to pull off the wacky hijinks featured in this drama, and their success is largely due to the fact that the audience could tell they were enjoying themselves. They weren’t there for the paycheck. Instead, it felt like a group of friends getting paid to role-play and act out silly scenarios featuring zombies and channel-surfing demons. Their enthusiasm was infectious, and it was hard to not have fun alongside them.
Honorable Mentions
Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim 3
Divorce Attorney Shin
Moving
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY/ART DIRECTION
See You in My 19th Life
daebakgrits: By the time See You in My 19th Life concluded I was mostly disappointed, but the one exception was the drama’s cinematography. In fact, I’d argue that the director told a better story through color theory than with the actual plot. From the beginning, Ji-eum’s extroversion and warmness were associated with shades of red — often found in her wardrobe — while Seo-ha’s loneliness and sadness were reflected in the blues of his swimming pool and the walls of his family home. These colors, which were so vividly represented in the present, also had ties to Ji-eum’s first life when she and her sister were tasked with dying fabrics. So not only were the reds and blues a beautiful way of mirroring the characters’ personalities, but they were also a means of connecting the present to Ji-eum and Seo-ha’s shared past life. I adore this attention to detail, and if the story had lived up to its visuals, we’d have had a major hit on our hands.
Honorable Mentions
A Time Called You
Song of the Bandits
My Dearest
BEST BREAKOUT PERFORMANCE
Yoo-na (The Kidnapping Day)
solstices: At just twelve years old, the young rookie Yoo-na managed to hold her own amidst a cast of veteran actors, delivering a performance that was both deeply compelling and utterly memorable. The character of Choi Ro-hee — a sheltered yet neglected girl with intelligence beyond her years — came to life through Yoo-na’s nuanced interpretation. Ro-hee’s privileged upbringing was woven into her pompous demeanor, yet her haughtiness never veered into arrogant condescension and her impudence never crossed into obnoxious brattiness. Instead, Yoo-na imbued her character with pathos, making the precocious Ro-hee so endearing that it’s instantly believable how she had her kidnapper wrapped around her little finger. As Ro-hee gradually grew to trust Myung-joon, her vulnerability began to slip through in subtle mannerisms and fleeting expressions. It’s a testament to Yoo-na’s realistic portrayal that this trajectory felt natural, and when Ro-hee finally broke through years of conditioning in order to protect the person she cared for, that emotional catharsis felt fully earned. Yoo-na kept us invested in Ro-hee’s journey every step of the way, almost like we were watching her grow up and discover true happiness. Striking a deft balance between sassy and smart, she maintained stellar acting and palpable chemistry with her costars right up to the emotional climax of the show. Yoo-na is a force to be reckoned with, and I’m certainly anticipating her future roles.
Honorable Mentions
Moon Woo-jin (Castaway Diva)
BEST CHARACTER
Yi-chan (Choi Hyun-wook in Twinkling Watermelon)
mistyisles: Thanks to Twinkling Watermelon’s time-travel mechanisms, we get to know the character of Ha Yi-chan in a somewhat nonlinear way. First, he’s a loving father who nevertheless contributes to the overburdening of his youngest son. Then, he’s an exasperatingly single-minded teenager chasing after a girl who doesn’t care to give him the time of day. But as the story progresses, his teenage self grows and changes in such a way that not only leads him to a brighter future, but also alters our understanding of the original all-grown-up Yi-chan and the cycles he (and Chung-ah) broke just to raise their kids so well. Choi Hyun-wook imbues Yi-chan with boisterous energy and perfect sincerity, so that he’s not just a delight — he’s a downright beautiful soul who loves deeply and unabashedly, shines brightly, makes plenty of mistakes, and keeps on trying to do and be his very best no matter what life throws at him.
Honorable Mentions
Jang Shin-yu (Kim Ro-woon) in Destined With You
Bong-seok (Lee Jung-ha) in Moving
Choi Ro-hee (Yoo-na) in The Kidnapping Day
RELATED POSTS
Tags: Alchemy of Souls 2, Call It Love, Choi Hyun-wook, Editors' Picks, Han Hyo-joo, Lee Sang-yub, Moving, My Dearest, Revenant, See You in My 19th Life, Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938, The Kidnapping Day, Twinkling Watermelon, year in review, year in review 2023, Yoo-na
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1 vienibenmio
December 25, 2023 at 5:39 AM
I really would give honorable mention to Castaway Diva for writing as well. That drama you could rewatch over and over and pick up something new time.
Also I think you've finally convinced me to watch Call It Love Now.
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Wise
December 25, 2023 at 6:32 PM
I rarely said this but Castaway Diva needs at least 14 episodes. The plot is good enough with characters like one of the greeniest flag male lead in kdrama and a real loving father with no blood relation as the superhero, but I do think the drama feels rushed and the directing wasn’t neat and smooth enough present the complicated story.
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vienibenmio
December 26, 2023 at 5:53 AM
Imo if it was more eps they just would have dragged the Kiho mystery out longer.
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2 jerrykuvira
December 25, 2023 at 6:04 AM
Call It Love has called the wins.
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3 HopefulRomantic 🦋 Tigermoth 🦞
December 25, 2023 at 6:14 AM
YAYYY!!! So excited to see Call it Love receive so much love here. It was my best drama of the year, too. Also pleased to see Twinkling Watermelon and See You In My 19th Life represented - Twinkling Watermelon had the most wonderful, warm characters, and See You In My 19th Life was a beautiful watch experience.
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4 john
December 25, 2023 at 6:21 AM
Can’t say I watched any of “the best “ .
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john
December 25, 2023 at 7:14 AM
I will give Call It Love a try .
I watched a J drama many years ago, similar plot. FL loses her man to her rival, rival has son. Years later FL is hired as son’s nanny/tutor, (of course no one recognizes her, 😂), as years go by FL seduces son and tries to ruin his life. Dark Japanese makjang equivalent.
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Diana Hansen
December 25, 2023 at 11:12 AM
Think I'll have to try it too. Sounds too good to miss. That is if I can find it. (Forgot who was showing it)
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DancingEmma
December 25, 2023 at 2:23 PM
Disney+ for me but might be different where you are.
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DancingEmma
December 25, 2023 at 2:22 PM
You should! “Call it love” was sublime and memorable.
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Dylan [JooJoo couple, fighting!]
December 25, 2023 at 10:20 PM
What is this jdrama's name, please?
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john
December 26, 2023 at 6:32 AM
For the life of me I don’t remember 😔
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john
December 26, 2023 at 7:08 AM
Years ago, there was a Beanie, alua, she was a big J drama watcher and a bit of a sensei when it came to Jdramas.
She had a blog too. She would have remembered the drama 🤔
5 Ally
December 25, 2023 at 6:28 AM
Call it love is in my top 10 dramas of all time because of the restraint in its writing, and the talented actors that you just hang on their every word. I loved it. Doesn’t hurt that Kim Young Kwang is my definition of a brooding green flag, but there it is.
I agree with all the supernatural honorable mentions and the win to Moving! I’d also pick this one for ensemble cast too. It was just stellar.
I might have been one of the few that stayed for all of 19th life and now I remember why. The cinematography was excellent.
And best costuming would go to 9-tailed 2 for me if there was such a category. The suits alone would win that.
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6 Gum Shoe
December 25, 2023 at 6:38 AM
Best Writing: PERFECT MARRIAGE REVENGE should be in the mix for best writing. As a rom-com/comedic makjang, the writing may be downplayed or overlooked. But what the writers did in PRM was difficult--they made a tightly scripted (IMO the tightest scripted drama that I saw all year as there was no filler, no wasted space, no double amnesia) well-thought-out drama that delivered romance, comedy, tension and heart in every episode. Moreover, every episode delivered zingers and one-liners that killed. PMR's production value and budget may have been less than the others so sometimes it's hard to take as seriously as the artier dramas with better lighting and filters, but I think the tight writing (and the solid performances of the actors who all got the brief and brought it) is what made this the sleeper gift we didn't see coming.
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jillian
December 25, 2023 at 6:55 AM
I agree PMR screenwriter did an amazing job condensing and making the story coherent for 12 episodes
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vienibenmio
December 25, 2023 at 7:15 AM
And imo even improved upon the source material
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bomibeans
December 25, 2023 at 7:38 PM
Agreed. Just the dialogue alone is better than like 99% of kdramas this year. I’m sorry but this is facts.
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Kurama
December 25, 2023 at 11:33 PM
I had fun to watch it because I never took it seriously. Adding every tropes in one drama is not what I consider best writing...
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🌸 Seeker 🌸
December 27, 2023 at 8:45 AM
It was actually very smart writing adding tropes, setting up reveal after reveal each week. It was definitely many steps above the webtoon.
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Kurama
December 27, 2023 at 8:56 AM
But again, when you put all the tropes possible that you know to make the story instead to develop the different characters, it's not good writing for me.
It's entertaining but pretty forgetable too.
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🌸 Seeker 🌸
December 27, 2023 at 9:06 AM
I agree with you. I'm just saying that "working the tropes" is a smart / fun thing to do. 🤷♀️
7 Bunny Sonaki
December 25, 2023 at 6:43 AM
Best Drama A tie between Twinkling Watermelon and The Matchmakers
Best Writing The Matchmakers Honarable Mention Call it Love The Kidnapping Day
Best Actor Namgoong Min Runner Up Lee Do-hyeon
Best Actress A tie between Han Hyo-jo and Kim Tae-ri
Best Romance Yi-chan and Chung-ah Runner Up The teenage parents in My Perfect Strangers and the matchmakers couples
Best Comedy Dr Cha
Best Fantasy Moving
Best Ensemble The Matchmakers
Best Cinematography See You In My 19th Life (That is the only good thing in the drama)
Best Breakout Performance Ro-hee from The Kidnapping Day
Best Character Yi-chan
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Bunny Sonaki
December 25, 2023 at 6:45 AM
I would like to send a shout-out to the second female lead in Lies Hidden In My Garden. Such a great actress
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Bunny Sonaki
December 25, 2023 at 6:47 AM
Best Scene Stealer Kang Hoon He stole the show and my heart and practically said there is no one else but me to enjoy here.
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8 bong-soo
December 25, 2023 at 6:50 AM
Thank you DB Editors. It is so nice to know that I wasn’t the only one in awe as I watched Lee Sang-yeob in MY LOVELY BOXER (Viki) give the best performance of his career.
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Dylan [JooJoo couple, fighting!]
December 25, 2023 at 10:21 PM
Yes, I'm so happy his amazing acting made put this underrated drama on the list!
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9 jillian
December 25, 2023 at 6:52 AM
Call It Love and Doctor Cha deserves the love! 💕
Tale 1938 was indeed a fun watch. Just don't look too deeply into it. I love the cast and would definitely rewatch the drama sometime soon.
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10 Seon-ha
December 25, 2023 at 7:00 AM
I feel that Matchmakers wins for my best art direction, no question. Now I'm off to see if it's gonna break my heart...
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Seon-ha
December 25, 2023 at 7:05 AM
Yeah. Check that ending shot, y'all. No comment on my heart ;)
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Unaspirated
December 25, 2023 at 7:46 PM
Yes, for sure. I was disappointed not to see it represented at least in the honorable mentions for art direction. (Or costumes or direction overall, or writers who didn’t completely whiff the ending…)
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Seon-ha
December 26, 2023 at 5:39 AM
I'm going to chalk it up to the drama not quite being over when this was posted, but now that it has concluded, I'd like to petition for an "ETA" from our editors at least in terms of an honorable mention or two or five???
*Best Ensemble Cast
*Best Art Direction
*Best Cinematography
*Best Writing
*Best Costumes
*Best Hair (esp. from Rowoon for actually growing his hair long enough that it could be more authentically tucked up into the back of his mangeon)
*Best "Didn't whiff the ending here in 2023 when that plagued way too many dramas" EVEN??
@db-staff ??
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Unaspirated
December 26, 2023 at 6:34 AM
"Didn't whiff the ending" should be it's own category! And it would honestly not have that many nominees in it...
A thousand percent agree about Rowoon actually growing his hair out to tuck it up. It doesn't look awful when actors wear it with short hair, but I think this is the first time I've seen someone wear it long for this purpose and it looks so much better.
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11 Kafiyah Bello
December 25, 2023 at 8:30 AM
Yup, Call it Love and PMR were my tops this year. Just great from start to finish. So I am happy it is tops here too!!
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12 Lostpanda is celebrating My Ajusshi 💔
December 25, 2023 at 8:46 AM
This is why I love Dramabeans. Sometimes I feel like the editors are found family.
All their picks and honorable mentions are spot on.
I duuno about you but I just restarted Call it Love again. Even the intro music (gosh I missed that OST) was enough to create a tear of joy.
Happy Holidays everyone!
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Diana Hansen
December 25, 2023 at 11:15 AM
Agreed! They all write so beautifully about the dramas!
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13 Olivedreams
December 25, 2023 at 9:00 AM
Call it Love stands out for its excellent story telling and acting but it especially stands out in a year full of cliches and overhyped dramas if we’re being honest. King the Land, Strong Girl Namsoon, Heartbeat, My Lovely Liar, Moon in the Day and I can go on.
I’m even struggling with My Demon at the moment…once you get past the pretty leads what really is left? The superhuman/demon trope has been done before and much better.
My wish for 2024 is that writers go back to the drawing board and take some risks because these generic played out story lines are not it.
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bomibeans
December 25, 2023 at 7:46 PM
Yeah they need to start writing the shows like What’s up Fox! or My Lovely Samsoon or the Lovers trilogy. No Korean studio is making shows like that anymore. God what they have done to this amazing genre, in particular romance kdrama… *sadly shake my head*
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WEnchanteur
January 2, 2024 at 12:58 AM
I agree, many of these new rom-com lacks soul. I even don't trust the romance story anymore. I can just enjoy the comedy if there is good one. And there isn't even that in many cases.
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WEnchanteur
January 2, 2024 at 1:01 AM
I watch My Demon without motivation. It's sad.
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14 OldLawyer
December 25, 2023 at 11:20 AM
CALL IT LOVE is another show I could not get even though I subscribed to Disney+. This is so frustrating.
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fournier48
December 25, 2023 at 12:45 PM
It's on Hulu!
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OldLawyer
December 25, 2023 at 5:37 PM
Thank you
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Grand Sophy
December 26, 2023 at 2:00 PM
I have found that if I do an actual search for a show on Disney it's there, although it's nowhere to be found if I'm browsing through the sections. I'm in Canada.
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Minnie🫘👩🏻🚀Pioneer and Teacher 👩🏻🏫🌱🏹
December 27, 2023 at 3:17 AM
I missed it initialy as well and then realised it is on Hulu. By then my schedule got packed and I missed the bus. I need to make time for it.
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OldLawyer
December 28, 2023 at 10:03 AM
I can add Hulu as part of a Disney+ bundle. But time is also a problem.
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Minnie🫘👩🏻🚀Pioneer and Teacher 👩🏻🏫🌱🏹
December 28, 2023 at 10:11 AM
I am beginning to realise once you miss an ongoing ship, it's very hard to get onboard later. I could only do Twinkling watermelon after it aired.
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OldLawyer
December 28, 2023 at 10:22 AM
I know exactly what you mean. The problem is that there are so many shows and only so much time.
15 Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️
December 25, 2023 at 11:41 AM
These picks make an interesting read, thanks for sharing.
It is my pleasure to award the staff a 🫘Beansprout🌱 for another year of exceptional content that gave us beanies plenty of food for thought. 2023 on DB has been a real joy even if the dramas themselves have not always lived up to their initial promise. Looking forward to sharing many more hours reading your thoughts on K dramaland in 2024.
A special thanks to all the beanie who have been active this year, looking forward to spending time with you in 2024.
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mmmmm
December 26, 2023 at 4:24 AM
A Beansprout award for uri dear @db-staff! Yay!
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OldLawyer
December 28, 2023 at 10:22 AM
I heartily concur.
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16 hacja
December 25, 2023 at 11:57 AM
I appreciate the editors picks, although they did tend to bring home the weaknesses of the year. Even the best show choice-- just speaking for me, for all its virtues--acting, cinematography, production--the narrative of Call it Love was irreparably damaged by its last episode, which chose not to prioritize the romance which was presumably at the center of the show. However, I well know I'm way too obsessive about endings.
Going slightly off topic, I would just add an arbitrary category to the editors picks-- that is, best actress 24 and under. For me the choice for that would be Cho yi-hyun of Matchmakers--of course she was playing a great character-a funny, smart and strong widow in an oppressive era--but for me she has really stood out in a smartly written show with a cast of strong actors. (I haven't seen the ending, yet--so given my issue with endings I might in the future feel badly about the show, but not her performance.)
But that pulls me further off topic to highlight what was the bright spot of the year for me--exceptional performances by younger actresses, starting with Roh Yeon Seo (age 23) in Crash Course in Romance, Won Ji-An (24) in Heartbeat; and then My Lovely Boxer featured 2 great performances-- Kim So Hye (24) as the lead and Chae won-bin (22) as her ring rival. Chae won-bin also starred in one of my favorite rom coms of the year, the wish I could it have been a full show, Love Attack.
So even if I found the shows this year a little uneven, I feel the future of kdrama acting is capable hands!
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bomibeans
December 25, 2023 at 8:26 PM
“A little uneven”? Oh hacja… *cry*
I feel like I’ve lived through some glacial era in kdrama since 2021. Not a single show I watched in these past 3 years where I can say, yep, I’m going to re-Watch it at some point in my life. Recently rewatched Squid Game, Kim Sam Soon, I’m not a Robot, Lovers trilogy, all Queen series by Park Ji-Eun, you know those classic, smartly written and wickedly funny shows. Where the shows like A Gentlemen's Dignity or What’s Up Fox! , the risky, sexy, observational and funny shows?! Intellectual juggernaut like, It’s Ok That's Love?! Funny sexy shows with ridiculous flair and excellent banter-dialogue like Secret Garden or Masters Sun or Greatest Love?! I mean, shows like Misaeng, for heavens sake?!?!
Am I turning into termagant or was I simply too impressionable in my younger age?!?!
I need answers, 2024, cause I’m having here a bit of kdrama identity crisis you know. Some good, funny, smart, sexy answers, for goodness sake!!
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PYC
December 26, 2023 at 5:54 AM
I feel you - the spark that lightens your screen with wit and fills you with anticipation for the next episode. It’s now harder and harder to get that very spark despite the onslaught of new dramas by heaps and bounds than, say, just 10 years ago.
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hacja
December 27, 2023 at 9:19 AM
@bomibeans I feel that way about all those shows you mention, but I wonder if they too were highlights that, with the luxury of streaming, we can enjoy without suffering through weekly episodes of less sparkling shows. I guess we'll see after this year--two years for me would make a trend.
P.S.: I love the word termagant, but I guarantee you--you are not turning into one!
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bomibeans
December 27, 2023 at 10:46 AM
Absolutely - I'm sure there have been many TV shows back then that "diluted the scene", so to speak. But my barometer for a "good show" is very simple: Is this a show I will re-watch, i.e. give my precious time to again in the future? The last such show show that passed my barometer was Squid Game in 2021. In fact, I believe, every year before 2021, I had at least such a show to "savor" for years to come. Unfortunately, that has not been true for the past 3 years, and I'm not sure what in the world happened. Not a single show, when I can say, yep, this is on my re-watch list.
(I wanted to use the word curmudgeon, but I think it refers to an old grumpy man, no? so I endeavored to find the best female-gendered equivalent, lol. English can be such a fun language because it's all about words and synonyms rather than suffixation and endings and etc.! )
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WEnchanteur
January 2, 2024 at 1:22 AM
It's true there are some shows today I liked, but the big test is "would I rewatch?". Often it's a no. Shows I'd like to rewatch aren't the expected ones. Here some of recent shows I can rewatch:
"From Now On Showtime". Yes this one, because the comedy relies so much on the two main actors, it's a delight to watch again. And also lot of good lines.
"The Penthouse". Here too I like to rewatch, it's so funny and also an actor fest, with no boring scenes.
"My roomate is a guihmo". I didn't rewatched it yet, but during first watching, I was thinking "wow! main actress is so funny, I want to rewatch". Maybe I could just rewatch first part. It what I do with "I'm not a robot", I mostly like first part and rewatched it x3 maybe.
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OldLawyer
December 28, 2023 at 10:24 AM
Roh Yeon Seo was also positively luminous in OUR BLUES.
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WEnchanteur
January 2, 2024 at 1:07 AM
For me the journey is the most important, so it won't disappoint me if the last episode is really bad.
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17 💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
December 25, 2023 at 12:35 PM
I am once again begging you. Cinematography and Art Direction are NOT the same thing.
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mmmmm
December 26, 2023 at 4:28 AM
Can you tell me the difference between the two?
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john
December 26, 2023 at 4:48 AM
Quick definitions
Cinematography is camera, lighting, angles
art direction is look, costume, design
Here is a decent description for cinematography
Cinematography is the art and craft of making motion pictures by capturing a story visually. Though, technically, cinematography is the art and the science of recording light either electronically onto an image sensor or chemically onto film.
Taken from the Greek for "writing with movement," cinematography is the creation of images you see on screen. A series of shots that form a cohesive narrative. Cinematography composes each shot, considering, where everything in frame demands attention.
CINEMATOGRAPHY ELEMENTS:
Lighting
Shot size
Camera focus
Shot composition
Camera placement
Camera movement
A description for art direction
Art Direction
The critical responsibility of art directors, who closely work with the director, is to keep the art elements consistent throughout the film production and execution to ensure that the visual and pictorial representation of the settings is perfect.
Other film production crew members, like the Costume Designer, Stylist, Set Designer, graphic designers, Scenic Artist, Matte Painter, Sketch Artist, Draftsperson, Illustrator, etc., are supervised by the art director to make the film set look precisely how the director has visualized it.
By collaborating with the film directors and understanding how the sets of the film should look, an art director ensures that all the locations, along with the look and style of the artists, bring out authenticity. Art directors typically oversee set designers and assistant art directors to ensure that the film’s visual style matches the production designer’s and director’s vision.
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mmmmm
December 26, 2023 at 5:11 AM
Thank you for your thorough explanation. I can’t say I understand this 100% (perhaps 50%), but that is because I’m not familiar with the field. I’m sure this is insightful for a lot of Beans and lurkers!
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john
December 26, 2023 at 5:38 AM
I have posted a video on my fan wall . It is a mashup of black and white film scenes , Bright Night- Visions In Black and White , which should give you a visual idea of how the camera shot, angle and lighting come into play in capturing the scene.
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
December 26, 2023 at 2:22 PM
Thank you. I had actually drafted out a comment to define them better even before @mmmmm asked but I didn't have time last night, and the following will have to do now anyway.
Another way of looking at Cinematography M, is their other title, Director of Photography; it is essentially Photography for Cinema. So lenses and camera choices and all the technical and technological elements of cameras are important too.
Art Direction:
To my understanding what John is describing is more of the Production Designer, and the Art Director would be the role directly under them, and alongside, in tandem with Set and Costume design etc. but all the elements he mentioned are still very important to understanding it.
Art Direction is essentially a key component of Production Design, and therefore, especially in smaller productions, there can be overlap between the two roles.
This probably, to honest, doesn’t matter as much in the context of kdramas, as say, big budget films.
https://kievkelvin.com/blog/production-design-vs-art-direction/
What is important to remember for both areas, is that the PD is the Director of everything, and their role is to direct all the components under them into putting a story to screen, and in charge of the overall vision. Some directors will give those working directly with them more autonomy, and merely tell them their vision and leave say, the cinematography the freedom to decide how best to implement that vision, some will be much stricter I suppose, in how they want their vision to come about.
If I were to talk about Kdrama examples, and ignore writing for the time being (which I don’t like doing, because writing actually affects everything, since film and tv are storytelling MEDIUMS), but if I were to ignore writing, and use some kdramas to give you a better understanding of these terms
Then, for Art Direction, the kdramas I first think of would be something like Sell Your Haunted House and It’s Ok to be Not Ok.
SYHH had a very distinct visual design, from Ji Ah’s costuming and character design, to her house, to the contrast between her and In Beom, to the bold colours, to the campy elements, to the sets used for the exorcisms, to the artistic design of how the exorcisms work in general, just really fun art direction overall.
And IOTBNO with how it used Fairy Tales and Storytelling meta, and different film and storytelling styles to accentuate and to dictate its visual design, costuming, sets and character, and story itself.
As much as I hate to say it, but I’m still ignoring writing so whatever, Squid Game DID have VERY distinctive and purposeful Art Direction.
In 2023 I would probably pick Daily Dose of Sunshine, because it has a very deliberate visual design, and for how it tried to convey different mental health issues in a visual format, and in particular the design of the main hospital set, colours etc.
For cinematography,
It's hard to NOT get a pretty drama...
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💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
December 26, 2023 at 2:23 PM
... these days because of how camera technology has advanced, so you really gotta look for something stand out here in this category. Something that REALLY makes you wow. A lot of kdramas to me, are just pretty for the sake of being pretty and don’t really do anything MORE with their visual design overall, either AD or cinematography.
In 2023 the obvious one would be Call it Love …
Personally, I would say CIL's really unique and intentional and strong visual story telling is a collaborative result of its PD, its cinematographer and its scriptwriter talking to each other and working really well with each other. Without more information, I think I would probably give it to the PD more though, just because the PD is more in charge of translating a story to film overall, and because it has a really unique style that I associate more with a Director’s style than I do a Cinematographer’s style, just the way the shots themselves tell the story is well basically one of the director’s main jobs, so... it was additionally carried a lot by silences and silent acting, and that's definitely the PD’s doing.
It also has pretty strong Art Direction as well.
I want to know who I should blame for the Pink Filter though, because I would deduct points off for that. Probably the cinematographer, since that’s usually in their wheelhouse.
There’s also a possibility, that in kdramas, the director IS the cinematographer, more often than not, because they have smaller crews.
And I would also be curious to know how much freedom the scriptwriter in CIL had, because depending on the production, the choice of shots and how they tell the story could also be them, and then it’s just up to the PD and CM to execute that technically well.
Nonetheless, it really was shot and framed exquisitely, and made the most use of its visual medium to tell its story.
Tell Me That You Love me also currently has a REALLY excellent use of all of the above, directing, cinematography, art direction, all. Mwah.
And the first 6 episodes of My Dearest also, wasted no shot, and the framing, lighting, colouring, style of shot etc was all very intentional and well made.
I would personally NOT pick See You In My 19th Life, because to me, that show was just Pretty for the Sake of being Pretty, and often times I found the choice of shots to not make any sense, as to why it was happening then and there, and like that, and in that order. But tbh, that was a symptom of the show overall. The colours might work ok, but to me it’s a very weak example of good use of Colours in dramas.
I could mention a lot more but that will do.
Post Script: I also want to point out, because ignoring writing is really too hard for me to do long term, that honestly, you can have the prettiest, most symbolic, most stylish, most well thought out, most technically well executed, most intentionally shot drama in existence, but if the story itself all these elements is telling is...
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
December 26, 2023 at 2:24 PM
... is rubbish, it doesn’t make a lick of difference. Little Women for me is a great example of this.
mmmmm
December 26, 2023 at 7:07 PM
Wow, thanks to you, too, @sicarius! This is also a thorough explanation of both terms. I think your and John’s insight made me learn much more about these aspects of shows, and now I will watch shows with this new knowledge. I think I’ll appreciate shows that have excellent cinematography and art directing more. No wonder you know a lot about this since you’re a writer :)
Minnie🫘👩🏻🚀Pioneer and Teacher 👩🏻🏫🌱🏹
December 27, 2023 at 3:23 AM
So, in layman terms, taking My Dearest as an example, the set up of a room with its artefacts and costumes, bedding, lamps etc would be art direction.
The composition of outdoor shots (like when Gil Chai is on a swing, or when they show the slave market, the capture of the angles, lighting, the sweeping scenery would be cinematography. In the same slave market, the entire set up would fall under Art Direction (much like art direction for a theater production). Am I right?
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
December 28, 2023 at 11:37 AM
@minniegupta1
Sorry, I don't have a lot of spare time rn to get into this more or get back to people properly.
Yeah, pretty much.
WEnchanteur
January 2, 2024 at 2:25 AM
To see differences between what come from writing and what come from directing, obviously, you need to read a kdrama screenplay. But we can't find them easely. I have a bunch of them. Not recent dramas. Still, we can get the idea (once translated). Screenplay don't do camera choice or move. It happens only very exceptionally. But it gives the mood of a scene, and the only details useful for the story. It's also written in a way suggesting shots (without saying how), it's called cinematic order. It's because when you make descriptions and action lines, it's made in the same order than on the screen. But the director is free to change that if the set allow something better, or if the story can be better with a slightly different order.
Without kdrama screenplay, you can still looks at screenplay of western movies and compare with the movie. Just the format is different and less easy to read.
Midnight
January 2, 2024 at 2:54 AM
@wenchanteur Related to what you have written about writingvand directing, I have recently been watching a lot of Junho content on YT. In one interview he explains that the script of The Red Sleeve had been written in the most detailed way imaginable and praises the director for being able to photograph exactly what was written so beautifully.
In contrast, in King the Land bts scenes it is obvious that the writing gives more of a general idea of the scene. There are lots of talking and debating and changes being made between the directors and the actors.
It is interesting how different these things can be.
WEnchanteur
January 2, 2024 at 3:53 AM
@Midnight,
Ah, it's difficult to answer with the tabulation.
It's not a good new for King The Land. It's the first screenplay produced of this writer. If there is debate to change, it means the script isn't good enough.
I could compare the whole W drama with the screenplay. It's golden script. Director change almost nothing, but add his talent to make that even better.
I know less the drama, but I could compare also Healer. Same, no much changes. And I started translate ep1 of "I hear your voice", same, no much change, makes you feel like watching the drama.
I haven't watched Red Sleeves yet, but I'm curious to watch. I'd dream to get the screenplay too. I'll make a search but I doubt it's published. +I'm often worried it's not the original script but a transcript (then, it's useless).
Giving too much details can be problematic too, but mostly if they are useless ones. Usualy, the screentime is close to the writing about number of page. Western screenplay is about one page = one minute. But korean screenplays are more permissive.
I just made a quick check up. Some dramas have one hour episode of 16k korean words, up to 26k words for some others.
Midnight
January 2, 2024 at 5:53 AM
@wenchanteur Hmm, this is very interesting. I didn't mean to discredit the writer at all. The changes I noticed weren't very drastic, more like oh I should stand up rather than sit down. I only noticed the debating because he had said that about the other show before. I don't know much about filming, I'm sorry if I'm giving wrong or discrediting info.
WEnchanteur
January 2, 2024 at 6:07 AM
@Midnight, Yes. I have maybe the wrong idea. I didn't watched the drama or the BTS, so impossible to really say.
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
January 2, 2024 at 11:32 AM
@wenchanteur I've actually done a Scriptwriting course and written some of my own scripts so I know all this haha.
I have... Opinions™ about the role of the Scriptwriter, and goal of the Script, especially in relation to the PD. Lol.
If you ever get your hands on the Call it Love script let me know!
WEnchanteur
January 2, 2024 at 12:05 PM
To your last message. That's great. I propose you to stay in contact. I feel very lonely. Each time I do a search on internet, I find out I'm the only one person outside Korea writing korean screenplay. You are the first person I meet having interest in both kdramas and screenplay. You can contact me via my blogs (see my profile) or PM via MDL, https://mydramalist.com/profile/7647047
Or eventualy tweeter: https://twitter.com/EnchanteurW
I didn't watched yet Call it love. I note: search screenplay of this drama and Red Sleeves. Almost impossible to find probably. But I can try.
I guess you have opinions! ha! It's an endless thinking about the craft. Then tell me more about what you do. Kdrama too?
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
January 2, 2024 at 7:02 PM
@wenchanteur
Hello then!
I don't have a twitter. I am on MDL but I'm not on it very often. You can add me if you like though: https://mydramalist.com/profile/Sicarius
I have several main writing WIPs. Several novels, a couple of novel series, and a couple of screenplays.
And endless plot bunnies, including kdramas.
OldLawyer
December 28, 2023 at 10:43 AM
The key point is that they are both very important elements in creating a good film or show.
I have on occasion described an outstanding show as an actual work of art, as something beyond being a very good drama. One of the distinguishing features of such a show is great Cinematogaphy, Art Direction and even special effects. The acting, direction must be superior, of course, but add superior performance in these areas to it and the effect is magical.
Example: I'LL COME TO YOU WHEN THE WEATHER IS FINE. I can still picture the scene where out ML is out in the winter forest at night. That scene is captured perfectly - even the sounds were perfect (as a young man I had actually been out in a winter forest at night, and they nailed it). I cannot recall a single scene in that drama where the costumes were not perfect, the camera work always spot on, etc. The visual and auditory impact carries a serious impact which serves to underscore and further illustrate the story that is being told. (BTW if you have not seen I'LL COME TO YOU WHEN THE WEATHER IS FINE this is actually the perfect time of the year to do it).
Think how much the Cinematography and Art Direction added to the just completed THE MATCHMAKERS as yet another example of the value of these things.
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💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
December 28, 2023 at 11:35 AM
Storytelling is an Art Form, a Craft, and Film is a Medium, so yes, all these and more not mentioned are key parts of what should be considered when telling one in said medium, if you're doing it right they will all work together to tell the story to the best of their ability.
I have seen IWFYTWIN. I dropped it at 10 and then wrote an essay on it because I don't like the writing... Lmao.
https://www.dramabeans.com/members/sicarius/activity/1034649/
Midnight
January 2, 2024 at 3:09 AM
@sicarius What I want to know is how were you able to dig out a fanwall post from nearly 4 year ago. 😳 Going to older fanwall posts drives me nuts and I usually give up very quickly. Load more. Load more. Load more. I start to pull out my hair around the third load more.
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
January 2, 2024 at 11:13 AM
@midnight
I have all my essays bookmarked. 😂
Midnight
January 2, 2024 at 11:20 AM
@sicarius 😂 Well that makes a lot of sense!
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
January 2, 2024 at 11:36 AM
@midnight
I have a lot of things bookmarked. It's basically the only way I can find anything, otherwise I have try keyword search on Google, or remember the rough location on my wall by page and THEN scroll. But usually I try to bookmark.
WEnchanteur
January 2, 2024 at 1:29 AM
Thank you. I often confuse Cinematography and Directing. But when I know well my fav directors, I see it's very close, or maybe the director orders are clear, or the photo designer is always the same.
When I compare different dramas of Jung Dae Yun director, there are always the same qualities: a specific way to use intense and shinning lights, warm, and strong contrats, high definition on faces. Some shots using mirrors, a way to compose images. Often references to cinema scenes.
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john
December 26, 2023 at 8:22 AM
I’ve posted another video. This is a mashup of Red, all scenes are red.., Mature tag, nudity, violence and 🩸
Definitely in the Art Directors territory here. They’re responsible for the set, the scene , the look.
A link here too.
RED - Movie Montage
https://vimeo.com/744856657
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mmmmm
December 26, 2023 at 11:23 AM
Thanks, John! I feel you’re very insightful in these areas. Have you been working in the field, may I perhaps ask?
(I’m not sure I want to watch it because of my fear of blood (seeing a cut on my finger makes me faint), but maybe I’ll give it a shot one day. )
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john
December 27, 2023 at 4:45 AM
Just an ardent fan of film and photography .
OldLawyer
December 28, 2023 at 11:02 AM
I saw it- blood is definitely featured but it carries quite a visual punch.
OldLawyer
December 28, 2023 at 10:58 AM
Thank you John.
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18 Gikata
December 25, 2023 at 1:08 PM
Uhm... totally with yall on BEST KDRAMA ENSEMBLE (for cdramas it's A JOURNEY TO LOVE for sure), but everything else - nah!
BEST DRAMA: Revenant, Till The End Of The Moon, Ripe Town, A Journey To Love in no particular order.
BEST DIRECTING: Revenant, but My Dearest, TTEOTM, AJTL, Ripe Town and My Journey To You all worked hard.
BEST WRITING: Ha-ha-ha... 2023, go home, you're drunk! Ripe Town was probably the closest tho.
BEST ACTOR: Oh Jungse (Revenant) and Namgoong Min (My Dearest) 50/50, LYX (TTEOTM) hands down for cdramas.
BEST ACTRESS: Kim Tae Ri (Revenant), new cross-dressing legend of our times He Landou (AJTL).
BEST ROMANCE: A Journey To Love, but TTEOTM put up a good fight, esp with its 3rd lead couple.
BEST COMEDY: Tale Of The Nine-Tailed1938 and Destined With You 50/50, AJTL, MYSTERIOUS LOTUS CASEBOOK.
BEST ACTION: TOTNT1938, TTEOTM, AJTL in no particular order. MJTY is somewhere between this and next category.
BEST THRILLER: Isla... just joking! Revenant and Ripe Town ofc.
BEST FANTASY: TTEOTM with its God-Slaughtering Crossbow brutally murdered all the competition.
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY/ART DIRECTION: TTEOTM, My Dearest and MJTY tried.
BEST COSTUMES: TTEOTM.
BEST SOUNDTRACK: TTEOTM, AJTL. Love You Seven Times could've stand the chance if it had one more great song aside of LYN and A-Lin's ones.
BEST KISS: Bai Lu and Luo Yunxi (TTEOTM), Jo Boa and Rowoon (DWY). Park Gyu Young and Cha Eun Woo (A Good Day To Be A Dog) could've fight for the crown if she was reciprocating his efforts a bit more.
BEST BREAKOUT PERFORMANCE: Shim Dalgi (Revenant), He Landou (AJTL), Sun Zhenni (TTEOTM), Tian Jiarui (MJTY), Yu Yao (Ripe Town).
BEST CHARACTER: Tantai Jin (Luo Yunxi)
and all the many voices in his headfrom TTEOTM.BEST FICTIONAL MAN WE'RE UNWORTHY OF: Ning Yuanzhou (Liu Yuning) from AJTL - what, you really thought I could forget HIM? No way!^^
BEST THING ABOUT DRAMAS IN 2023: Discovering new actors and the fact that this freaking year finally ends soon.
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bong-soo
December 26, 2023 at 6:14 AM
Thanks for reminding me about the terrific cdrama mystery RIPE TOWN. How come I forget it. D**mn. I am going back to my bean count to add it as an ‘out of competition honorable mention’.
In cdramaIand last week I was sidetracked by Zhang Ruo Yun in Youku’s THE HOPE (YouTube) and Qin Hao in the gritty (cops/crime/mystery) THE LONELY WARRIOR (iQIYI). Both highly recommended.
Last night I returned to A JOURNEY TO LOVE (eps 22-24) and still enjoy it. Lol, Best Fictional Man We’re Unworthy of: Ning Yuanzhou. You got that right. (The scene of the guys discovering the graves of their fallen comrades was heartbreaking.)
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Gikata
December 26, 2023 at 7:29 AM
I almost forgot about it too - perhaps because it was very short and I watched it all in 2 days, unlike with other c-shows that I usually watch ongoing so that they occupy my mind for weeks. But it deserves being mentioned for sure, esp in acting and writing categories. I'd even put it as a contender for Best Ensemble, but AJTL touched me more emotionally, so...
I'm not very familiar with modern crime cdramas - only saw RESET and that's it, I believe - mostly out of fear of excessive propaganda doses... Even in kdramas it often gets too much, and China is on a whole another level with such things.
AJTL is totally worth finishing imo, I'm very sad that so many people completely dismissed the show just because of its ending. I understand not wanting to go through the pain, but still, what a shame, it's an awesome story(((
He left me no choice))) Kudos to actor for making such a blinding walking perfection and not so dynamic character to feel human nonetheless, that's way harder to achieve than it may look like - flawless heroes have this unfortunate tendency of leaving the audience bored.
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OldLawyer
December 28, 2023 at 11:06 AM
My wife loved RIPE TOWN and she is a great judge of these things. (I had to work while she was watching so I depend upon her reports). It is unusually short for a C-drama which probably made it much better dramatically.
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Gikata
December 28, 2023 at 12:39 PM
It's really good - tightly written, greatly acted and impressively filmed. Some people were quite critical of a few episodes in the middle because of LONG flashbacks, but that part is crucial to uncover the show's main mystery, so personally I didn't have problems with it. Beginning and ending are explosive tho, it's been years since I saw last episode twist in a drama done this well. But it's a rather depressive watch - in a realistic way, not the usual "let's have a bloodbath out of nowhere for shock factor" cdrama kind. You've been warned)))
Apparently Tencent is planning to make a whole collection of a high quality, serious shorter dramas like this one. If that is indeed the case, I'm all attention.
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OldLawyer
December 28, 2023 at 2:53 PM
Given that most C-dramas are simply too stretched out I think that this is a good decision on their part.
19 Neolttwigi
December 25, 2023 at 1:31 PM
see You in My 19th Life- Beautiful cinematography, Interesting Soundtrack, forget about the story. I recently rewatched it (with someone who was watching for the first time) and now that I have let go of the story- It was just gorgeous. It's going to go on my rewatch list just for the prettiness
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20 Lalla32
December 25, 2023 at 1:58 PM
YAY for best male! <3 His perfomance was just glorious <3
Even though I found Call it love quite interesting and I agree that it stands out from the very predictable stories we got this year... I found it very flawed. My main complain is probably with the ML who I found too stiff. And maybe there were too many korean aspects that I couldn't fully understand or embrace.
For me best drama this year was Revenant. Simply perfect in every aspect... just not totally my genere.
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21 Linarrick
December 25, 2023 at 5:26 PM
Yay for TALE OF THE NINE-TAILED 1938 winning best ensemble! I feel like I might lose my beanie badge if I don’t get to CALL IT LOVE and TWINKLING WATERMELON . At least I’m halfway through MATCHMAKERS and wow is the drama gorgeous!
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22 rlg07
December 25, 2023 at 5:52 PM
I was really impressed with Han Hyo Joo's performance as well. I feel like a lot of people who aren't mothers themselves have been able to pull off the role of young mom to a baby, but being a parent to teenagers adds like three thousand layers. So I was super impressed at her performance especially in that part of the drama.
Alchemy of Souls was one of the standout dramas for me last year and this year as well, so it's nice to see that one mentioned.
The other two huge standouts to me were Twinkling Watermelon (yay!) and also Castaway Diva. Loved the writing in Castaway Diva and I agree with @vienibenmio; that one will stand up well to multiple watches.
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WEnchanteur
January 2, 2024 at 3:02 AM
Quite funny to answer you, because you have the manhwa image of Yeon-Joo.
I haven't watched enough dramas or nothing jumped at me about acting, so I'm ok with Han Hyo-Joo choice. The part when she has to seduce the hero guy was top!
Of course Go Youn Jung got me, in Death's game. But I can't say if it's for best acting. She just have to be here and 50% of the job is done. It's quite a subjective opinion.
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rlg07
January 2, 2024 at 6:31 AM
Yes, I'm originally a Han Hyo Joo fan :) (And among her characters, Oh Yeon Joo is one of my favorites)
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WEnchanteur
January 2, 2024 at 6:43 AM
First time I saw her was in W. Her acting was impressive. Many micro-expressions, able to go from clownish moments to tragic ones and good crying. Then I catched up, "Dong Yi", "Shinning inheritance" and even "Spring Waltz".
In case you want to watch (or read) an original drama with her, look at my profile here, links to my blog. Maybe you could like, as Yeon-Joo is your fav character from her, and you certainly like LJS too. ;-)
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23 MikeyD signed up
December 25, 2023 at 6:02 PM
Two dramas that should have been in contention are 'Lies Hidden In My Garden' for best action/thriller, and 'One Day Off' for... something. Best Director, perhaps? It was such an efficient, satisfying little drama.
Lee Sang-yub for best actor runs into the problem that I didn't buy the premise of the show at all. So for me it was just actors reciting dialog.
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Midnight
December 25, 2023 at 8:02 PM
I'm at episode 3 of My Lovely Boxer and this is exactly what I'm feeling unfortunately... I keep thinking did I skip scenes? Are the subs wrong? Is it because I don't understand boxing? I just don't get anything about it so it has no impact... yet... Maybe a few episodes more?
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Olivedreams
December 26, 2023 at 12:25 AM
I agree with Lies Hidden in My Garden. Good plot and very well acted. Kim Ji-yeon is a terrific actress and in my opinion upstaged Song Hye-kyo in The Glory.
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Minnie🫘👩🏻🚀Pioneer and Teacher 👩🏻🏫🌱🏹
December 28, 2023 at 5:24 PM
I 100% agree that Lim Ji Yeon upstaged Song Hye Kyo. She was beyond great in Glory.
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WEnchanteur
January 2, 2024 at 12:07 AM
"Lies Hidden in My Garden". Damnit, I need to watch that. I like very much actress Kim Tae Hee. But I wasn't sure about the drama, was feeling it slow and boring. It's stupid I know. I'll watch.
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24 Wise
December 25, 2023 at 6:46 PM
Seems like Disney’s drama were either completely hit of miss for me. Call it Love and Moving deserves all the recognition (even maybe they deserves more), but drama like Race ot Worst of Evil were completely disappointing.
For best actor I picked Im Si Wan from Boyhood. After finished watching it last night I think the whole show could be awarded as Underdog of the Year, and Im Si Wan should have be given a trophy for his perfomance. It’s not so easy with a face like him to successfully made a character look tacky, pitiful, ugly, sneaky, cute, funny and somehow daring. It is a complicated character Jang Byeong Tae and he nailed it.
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Grand Sophy
December 26, 2023 at 2:07 PM
This was my first time seeing him, and I actually googled images of him to check if he was that odd/sneaky looking in real life (he isn't).
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25 bomibeans
December 25, 2023 at 7:34 PM
…interesting choices.
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26 parkchuna 🍉
December 25, 2023 at 10:14 PM
I’m just amazed that the little makjang that was Perfect Marriage Revenge got an honourable mention for Best Drama! Daebak!
Now i need to put Call It Love in my to-watch list. I can’t call myself a romance lover if i don’t watch the Romance of the Year..
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27 panshel
December 25, 2023 at 10:34 PM
Best Breakout Performance's Yuna and Moon Woo-jin are the most deserved winners.
I'm happy for Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 winning Best Ensemble.
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28 PYC
December 26, 2023 at 6:12 AM
This list, I concur. In fact, it is the list for a long while that I give my nod.
Call It Love deserves all the praises and appreciation, even though I was never a fan of LSK or KYK. I love everything about it and can’t wait for the next piece from this writer.
My own ‘ Best’ is however Moving as it demands a much higher level of excellence across all departments to deliver an emotionally and technically complex drama. In fact, it’s a rare feat for a superhero movie to be deep and moving at the same time.
Happy to also see my fav The Kidnapping Day being acknowledged here.
A bonus of this list is its confirmation that I should watch Twinkling Melon and My Lovelt Boxer. Thanks @db-staff team!!
Thanks @db-staff team!!
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29 shoppingking
December 26, 2023 at 7:32 PM
I logged into my dramabeans account for the first time in years just to express how happy I am that The Kidnapping Day and Yoo-na got their props in this review! I feel like the show went under the radar with international fans, which is a travesty because it was SO GOOD. Definitely my best drama of the year and one of my all time favourites. Everyone should watch it.
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30 🌸 Seeker 🌸
December 27, 2023 at 9:02 AM
Great picks by DB Editors!! 👍 👏
Thank you for you hard work throughout the long and tough year. Looking forward to spending more time with all of you in 2024, enjoying more dramas and having fun discussions about them here on DB. Thank you!! 🙇♀️
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31 WEnchanteur
January 2, 2024 at 12:02 AM
Death's game, part1, is my favorite 2023 drama.
I haven't watched "Call it love", so I can't make a comparison. But your article has the merit of making me curious. So I'll add it to my list.
Just in the absolute: the screenplays of Castaway Diva (Park Hye Ryun) and The glory (Kim Eun Sook) were of exceptional quality. The best of both authors' long experience. That doesn't necessarily make them their best dramas, or a matter of preference.
Castaway Diva: phenomenal density. Nothing is wasted and everything is ultra-correlated. Excellent choices of scene order and conjunctions of meaning. Themes applied to several situations and characters in their own way, each episode. Genius ideas that resonate with the themes. (SPOILERS: An episode 11 "Take Vs Give" where an umbrella is given out of pity, and what is returned is an umbrella hiding a stab wound. The final concert scene, where all the setup converges).
The Glory: Expert concealment/dissemination of information, whether it's the order of flashbacks or present scenes leaving an absent moment revealed later. Often short, high-impact scenes. And the dialogue mostly surprising. I mean: the next line is rarely the expected one. This makes it my favorite of this writer's dramas.
Directing. Without a doubt, Alchemy of Souls 2 was excellent. I rewatched some of the scenes, the image work and the beautiful blurs in some of the flashbacks. But many of the points you mention actually come from the screenplay. Secondly, I'm at a loss to say why this would be the best?
The direction of Moving was phenomenal. Never seen before in a drama. But is it deceptive because of the budget and the spectacular action?
The direction of The Glory, also in a cold genre, was striking.
And Castaway Diva's was princely, with striking shot choices. Great complicity with the screenwriter, easily giving meaning to her story. I could give lots of examples, but see Ep05 from 09:20 to 10:52. There's only one location: a street. But the number of different angles chosen is insane. The narration is through images (there's no dialogue).
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32 hallyucinations
January 3, 2024 at 11:37 PM
I am a little surprised with Our Blooming Youth not being mentioned in any of the lists so far. I quite liked the handling of the political plot and even the romance between the leads (even if the end could have been more passionate). Definitely preferred it to Destined with You.
I am definitely going to check out Call it Love now. Dunno how I missed it.
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Kurama
January 4, 2024 at 12:59 AM
I think the difference between what could have been Our Blooming Youth (the title had no connection with the drama itself) and the drama we got was too big. The story didn't make sense with the Queen attacking the wrong persons.
The love story was very lackluster too.
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