Excited to see everyone’s favorite dramas this year! I'm definitely part of this "popular request." :)

For any interested in following along, I’ll be tallying our collective Top 10s in this spreadsheet, where I’ve also tracked our Top 10 lists from 2023, 2022, and 2017. For the next month, I’ll add any lists that are posted here to that spreadsheet so we can see which dramas are our all-time favorites this year (and beyond!). :)

Full link for accessibility: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16VVIxMJx9h8RcT3A1w3g_0o7vLQ98j7k0P_RHz9jTKo/edit?usp=sharing

For now, I’ll be focusing on just tallying the dramas and getting them added to the 2024 tab (the main tab when you click the link). In the next few weeks, though, I’ll combine this year’s list with the past years to see which dramas emerge as the most popular dramas across the years. I’ll comment back here and on the Open Thread in one month, when the data is finalized and ready for perusal. :)

(In order to help this spreadsheet be representative of our favorite k dramas, I do have some inclusion criteria for eligible dramas/lists -- e.g., I won’t tally movies, non-Korean dramas, or lists that include far more than 10 dramas or are posted over a month from today. Those criteria are to make this data more statistically sound, but obviously this drama chat is just for fun, so don’t feel like you need to stick to that if you’d prefer to make this list your own way. If you have any questions about the inclusion criteria or my rationale for it, you can see the “Inclusion Criteria” note on the “All Years” tab of the spreadsheet. :))

Okay, this list isn’t necessarily my top 10 highest rated dramas on MyDramaList. Instead, I chose the dramas that I would be most excited to see rank high on other peoples’ lists -- the dramas that convinced me to root for them. :)

1. Healer: Forever and always. Cannot beat it.
2. Coffee Prince: My first Korean love. Will always hold a special place in my heart

And then in no particular order:
3. Hospital Playlist: Loved the lived-in cast of characters and their dynamics
4. Pinocchio: Great messaging, most well-utilized characters, great arcs
5. Twenty-five, Twenty-one: Caught me at just the right time to maximize impact.
6. It’s Okay to Not be Okay: I’m a sucker for an idiosyncratic female lead.
7. Fight for My Way: I’ve loved seeing this drama get more attention since Queen of Tears. So underrated!
8. Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-ju: Perfectly captures the feeling of youth and young love.
9. Strong Girl Do Bong Soon: It’s just too adorable to not include.
10. Flower of Evil: This one actually ranks a bit under my other dramas in my normal ranking (mostly due to the cop-out ending), but it’s one I’ve been thinking about and coming back to more lately, and that staying power feels worthy of a #10 spot.

There were several other dramas that I want to root for but either a) they haven’t convinced me of their staying power yet, or b) I feel like it’s been too long since I last watched them to know if I would still love them as much now. So honorable mentions: Gaksital, Ojakgyo Brothers, Call it Love

Ciao!
Happy sunday!
Before to post my favorites drama, I wanted to ask you if they should be only Korean or also Japanese/Chinese
Thanks!

I'm not sure if counting both seasons as one is considered cheating, but I couldn't help it 😅.

My current top 10 of all time (in no specific order):

1. Healer
2. Signal
3. Stranger 1 & 2
4. Life
5. Watcher
6. Weightlifting fairy Kim Bok Joo
7. Taxi driver 1 & 2
8. Extraordinary Attorney Woo
9. Our blooming youth
10. See you in my 19th life

Well, this is a happy coincidence since I announced recently that Lovely Runner has catapulted itself into my top 5 (and it’s only completed 10 episodes). I knew I would love it from the forest episode. So what fell off? Bossam…


1. Goblin
2. Lovely Runner
3. Forest of SecRets
4. Moonlight Drawn By Clouds (Love in the Moonlight)
5 .Circle
6. Coffee Prince
7. My Ahjussi
8. Call it Love
9. My Country
10. Mr. Sunshine

1. Stranger aka Forest of Secrets and Through the Darkness
2. The Red Sleeve
3. Punch
4. Jejongwon
5.Dear, My Friends
6. Hospital Playlist
7. Extraordinary Attorney Woo
8. Vincenzo
9. My Dearest
10. Reborn Rich

I have so many series to 'catch up on' (it hasn't even been two years since I discovered K-dramas) therefore, these are my favorite series, in no particular order, for now...

Crash landing on you
Healer
Extraordinary Attorney Woo
Hospital Playlist 1 & 2
Bulgasal
Goodbye Mr.Black
Ghost Doctor
Designated Survivor: 60 Days
May I help you
Crazy love

It's always a hard choice. I made 2 lists, the first one is the dramas that I found were really good but I didn't rewatch (or only some parts), the second one is about the kdramas I rewatch a lot.

Not in a specific order :

1. On the Verge of Insanity
2. Through the Darkness
3. Racket Boys
4. Forest of Secrets 1 and 2
5. Recipe of Farewell
6. The Nokdu Flower
7. D.P. 1 and 2
8. Stove League

1. Extraordinary You
2. Goblin
3. Healer
4. A Piece of Your Mind
5. She Would Never Know
6. Heartless City
7. Destined with You
8. The Matchmakers
9. Suspicious Partner
10. Mr Sunshine

Ok, this is my list for this year (really just at this moment hahaha!). I struggled with it a bit, I’ll be honest. I guess it gets harder the more dramas you watch? I put them in the order that I finished them because I’m not confident about the rank.

1. Crash Landing on You - my gateway drama, the best ensemble cast, a love story to come back to over and over again.
2. My Ajusshi - two people slowly waking up and becoming human again, incredible performances, the voice I would eavesdrop on any day.
3. Live Up to Your Name - the thousand faces of Kim Nam-gil, off-the-charts chemistry, the most heartbreaking timeslip.
4. Alchemy of Souls - absolutely epic romance, high fantasy stakes, the most complex love polygon ever.
5. Through the Darkness - creepy in the best way, stellar acting, the best tone of any show about profilers I’ve ever seen.
6. Our Blooming Youth - my favorite crown prince, rewriting history for justice, hard conversations about trust and forgiveness.
7. The Uncanny Counter - the best coming-of-age story, cool action scenes, beautiful found family.
8. The Matchmakers - the best crafted drama, incredible side romances, gorgeous to look at
9. Like Flowers in Sand - adorable adorable ML, amazing friend group, my intro to a sport I didn’t expect to care about.
10. Doctor Slump - the healing romance I didn’t know I needed, PHS being PHS, no easy answers about complex relationships.

My current Top 10 K-Dramas in alphabetical order:

Alchemy of Souls
Call It Love
Crash Landing on You
Into the Ring
Like Flowers in Sand
Lost / Human Disqualification
Mr. Queen
Our Beloved Summer
Stove League
The Matchmakers

I wavered between "all-around faves" and "sentimental faves" and ended up with a mix of the two. Maybe because I'm feeling sentimental these days 😉

In no specific order

Tell Me That You Love Me and Perfect Marriage Revenge made their way into my Top 10 and I'm sure Tell Me That You Love Me won't be knocked out for a very long time.

So...
Tell Me That You Love Me.
Perfect Marriage Revenge.
You Are My Spring.
My Liberation Notes.
Hospital Playlist 1&2.
Mr. Queen.
My Dearest 1&2.
Go Back Couple.
My Unfamiliar Family.
Life.

A year ago this was my first-ever Dramabeans post! 🥰 My top-ten list has changed quite a bit since last year, with the biggest contributions from 2023 dramas. 2023 was an awesome drama year for me - it now represents 40% of my top-ten, just beating out 2021 dramas (30%). So far for 2024, Lovely Runner is in the running for top-ten. Everything else remains to be seen!

1. The Matchmakers love is everywhere and is the beginning of everything
2. Into the Ring (2x) do all things with integrity not caring what others think
3. Call it Love the best revenge is healing, forgiveness, and love
4. Unlock My Boss (3x) treat everyone with kindness and believe the best in others
5. Like Flowers in Sand follow your strengths and live with integrity
6. Hello, Me! (2x) making peace with your past dreams for the future and loving yourself
7. Rainless Love in a Godless Land the power of dreams, hope, and faith
8. Thirty But Seventeen growing at your own pace during life's intermissions
9. Bossam: Steal the Fate epic love story across barriers
10. The Best Hit growing up and chasing dreams

My k-drama list hasn't changed tons since last year, but I've been watching a lot more dramas from other Asian countries, so I'm going to cheat and do two lists, one for Korean shows and one for other Asian dramas:

Korean Top 10
1. Six Flying Dragons
2. The Devil
3. Queen Seondeok
4. Jumong
5. Stranger (both seasons)
6. Beyond Evil
7. Twinkling Watermelon
8. Giant
9. Liar Game
10. Healer

Other Asian shows
1. The Untamed
2. A Journey to Love
3. Someday or One Day
4. Love Between Fairy and Devil
5. Oh No, Here Comes Trouble!
6. Kieta Hatsukoi
7. The Imperial Coroner
8. A Dream of Splendor
9. Rainless Love in a Godless Land
10. Joy of Life (this could move up or down the list depending on what happens in parts 2 & 3)

Mydramalist but not in order
1-Mr sunshine
2-Reply 1988
3-Signal
4-Prison playbook
5_ heartstrings
6_ when the weather is fine
7- twinkling watermelon
8_ another miss oh
9- my ajjushi
10_ heartless city

I'm afraid my Korean list has not changed a lot.

_ Prison Playbook (2017).
_ Flower Boy Next Door (2013).
_ Live up to your name (2017).
_ Queen Seon Deok (2009).
_ Misaeng (2014).
_ Twenty-five Twenty-one (2022).
_ The Nokdu Flower (2019).
_ Bossam (2021).
_ Twinkling Watermelon (2023).
_ When the weather is fine (2020).

It's been difficult because I could have included The Matchmakers and My Dearest too. 2023 was a good year.

This is my list, though in no particular order (trying to rank them was too hard to do):
- Hospital Playlist 1&2
- Forest of Secrets aka Stranger 1&2
- Queen In Hyun’s Man
- Like Flowers in Sand
- Queen for Seven Days
- School 2013
- Because This is My First Life
- Healer
- I Hear Your Voice
- Knight Flower

My top 10 has changed 😲 My lists have only ever included dramas that were guaranteed to have the feel good factor running through them. However, this year I have included one drama that was a first time watch and lives up to its reputation as a classic drama for its portrayal of office politics. I felt I would include it on this year due to its lasting impression.

The list is not in any order:

Hospital playlist 2020
Prison playbook 2017
Reply 1988 2015
Twenty five, twenty one 2022
Be Melodramatic 2019
Yumi’s cells 2021
The Matchmakers 2023
Good manager 2017
The Producers 2015
Misaeng: Incomplete life 2014

This is my current list:*

1. ROOKIE HISTORIAN GOO HAE RYEUNG
2. BECAUSE THIS IS MY FIRST LIFE
3. REVENANT
4. HAPPINESS
5. TOMORROW
6. KINGDOM
7. A SHOP FOR KILLERS
8. YOU ARE MY SPRING
9. WEIGHT-LIFTING FAIRY KIM BOK-JOO
10. STRONG WOMAN DO BONG-SOON

* It will probably change as time goes by.