#30DayDramaChallenge
I was too lazy to do this every day but had still been eyeballing it so here it is. Thank you @purplesheesh for starting this! I created extra rules for myself – sticking to one entry for each, not repeating dramas, and only choosing from the shows I have finished.
1. Favorite Kdrama
Reply 1988. Need I expand on why?
2. Favorite Cdrama
My Queen. I will just never shut up about this drama. I relate SO much with the FL and the actress brought her character to life phenomenally, using minute expressions to relay the contradiction between her real feelings and what she ends up spewing out of her mouth. And the way the ML sees right through her prickly facade after a while (while still realistically misunderstanding her sometimes which just ends up making the other times even better)! Ghosh! Also, noona romance. Hee!
3. Favorite Jdrama
Liar Game from the handful I have seen.
4. First Drama Ever Watched
Meteor Garden 2001. The forgotten OG! Jerry Yan! Barbie Hsu! Ah. Just thinking about this drama transports me back to the summer, all those years ago, when I discovered this drama and started down the path of no return.
5. Favorite Male Lead
Do we have nice MLs in kdramaland? Yes, we do. However, how many of them are men in powerful positions? Yeeeah. So my pick for this will be Lee Gon from The King: Eternal Monarch. I know I know. Shock! Lee Gon stands out, despite the show not having fleshed out any of its characters well, because he is a man who has the utmost power but is still one of the most grounded chars I have seen. Lee Min Ho plays him with a lot of heart and grace under the circumstances. He is kind, gentle, and caring. He doesn’t use his trauma to excuse any bad behavior. He doesn’t try to throw around his power and money in order to win the FL. Most importantly, he doesn’t mind, what would be akin to, emaciating himself in front of his lover. But more on that, and the surprising ways this show has reversed romantic gender dynamics within the context of their culture, later. I have a tentative plan of making a post about it. Finally, his kisses (and hugs)! They are so soft and gentle! I am not going to mention them in the Best Kiss section however because the FL doesn’t receive them well, but I really liked them otherwise. Especially the Ep 12 kiss! Omo! The passion, care and vulnerability in his eyes when he kissed her! *swoon* (it was his *cough* first time too! hehe).
6. Favorite Female Lead
Hands down Jung Geum Ja from Hyena, I don’t care what anyone says. She was whip smart, vicious, and powerful. Look at her wrong and she will cut you down. Watching her was liberating and gave me a vicarious thrill. I wanted her to walk out of my screen and become my friend, because she will protect you like a mama lion with her cubs once you are under her wing. She was no sacrificial white knight concerned with the greater good and all that. But there’s a reason why black knights are equally fantasized about – because they protect and fight for what they hold dear, including themselves, by hook or by crook. And you know what? That’s ok.
7. Best OTP
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo
8. Worst NOTP
Oh dear. I can think of multiple just off the top of my head. I am going to go with Fight For My Way though because it gets hyped up a lot. The FL turns disgustingly emotionally abusive at the end.
9. Favorite Secondary Couple
Gu Dong Mae and Kudo Hina from Mr. Sunshine.
10. Best Kiss
Oh boy. This is a tough one. I will go with the Ep 10 kiss of Encounter. That had been such an emotionally perfect culmination of all that had started in Ep 1. I like to believe that’s where this show ended.
11. Worst Kiss
The Ep 8 kiss from Bubblegum *gags* I feel so bad for the actors.
12. Drama That You Can Watch Over and Over
Flower Boy Ramyun Shop. It’s such a ridiculous show, I cannot. 😂
13. Overrated Drama
Just Between Lovers (actually from my drop list but I had to break my rule here because…well, the serial dropper that I am, I wouldn’t have finished anything that I found overrated)
14. Underrated Drama
Matrimonial Chaos
15. Best Drama Villain
Ji Sook from The Village: Achiara’s Secret. Oh my heart hurts for her. She was such a tragic character.
16. Worst Drama Villain
Arthdal Chronicles?
17. Drama That Deserves a S2
Ahem
18. Drama with SLS
Doctor Stranger’s Quack Couple (Park Hoon and Oh Soo Hyun). They should have ended up together and those are non-contestable facts.
19. Drama With Squad Goals
I have nothing. So I will just add in Exo Next Door here 😁
20. Drama That Made You Cry
Hmm from the ones yet to be mentioned, the last one I remember was Itaewon Class. It happened some time in the beginning of the show.
21. Drama That Made You Laugh
The Sound of Your Heart
22. Drama With The Best Ending
I actually don’t really have anything in particular for this from the ones I have yet to mention, so I will just give a bit of love to Secret Love Affair.
23. Drama With A Terrible Ending
God’s Gift: 14 Days
24. Best Drama OST
The one I have been listening to recently is Serendipity by 2young off of The Heirs. It’s just so youthful and upbeat.
25. Best Drama Family
Jealousy Incarnate. They may not have been related by blood and they may have been messy, but they were a family nonetheless.
26. Best Drama Bromance
Two Cops
27. Drama Cliche You Never Tire Of
Friends to Lovers, noona romance.
28. Drama Cliche You Can’t Stand
Childhood connection tropes. No. Just no. I feel like ripping my hair out every time I catch sight of this.
29. Best Drama Confession
Ep 13, Accidentally In Love. A great twist on the typical “tell me what you like about me”, this isn’t a proper confession but the heart flutters were real – ML and FL start to play a game to list things they hate about each other. While the FL has no problem rattling off her list, the ML cannot go beyond three. The FL gloats over her win…until the ML sighs and, his expression softening, says “Can I tell you the things I like about you then?”. !!!
30. Recently Finished Drama
Unrequited Love. FL was refreshingly strong but calm and was well acted. I also really liked how the unrequited love isn’t just used as a gimmick at the start but its effects are present throughout. Like the ML feeling insecure about himself after learning about it because what if he’s not as special as she thought he was? Also, reverse candy. That’s all I will say.