I know the drama had lots of flaws, but hey, hands down to the wonderful friendship that was born between four completely different women in A virtuous busines. I really liked how the drama showed us how these women fought conventionalism (divorce, single mum, a convicted wife, a rich woman who was supposed to be nothing more than a doll) and decided to rule their won lives, understanding something very simple and it is that independence and equality begins only when you earn your own money, so you depend on no other person but yourself. It is still too hard to many women to get there, not to be judged for being something more than a quiet wife or a mum, and not a woman who was desires, ideas and dreams.
I’m cheating today. No kdrama here. The drama that touched my heart the most was indeed Will love in spring>/b>, because it was warm, and the love story was real, and the leads were real, and the struggles were real and everything felt real.
I started watching it this week and WOW. I’m really blown away. Exactly what you’ve said… everything about it is so REAL. I’m only on episode 7 and have decided to go slowly with it because I’m savoring each one. It’s really the ideal romantic drama, isn’t it?
Lee Joo Won. Who is he? You have seen him so many times, he was the younger version of Yi San in The Red Sleeve, of Lee Rang in Tale of the Nine Tailed, of Yoon Gyeo Rye in If you wish upon me, and this year of Seo Ji Hwan in My sweet mobster and of Yoon Eun Sung in Queen of Tears. He will turn 14 next year and I have high hopes for him and his very expressive eyes.
Listing good parents would be easier and honestly, the normal thing to do, but Kdramas are filled with horrible parents, so much that I wonder how much of a reflection of a society is it. It’s sure that certain behaviors that are alien to me (like obsession with grades, being number one, forcing kids to study indecent amounts of hours, pressuring sons and daughters to upgrade when they get married) are not exactly bad parenting because the whole society views it as normal and also what a good parent should do.
This year the nominees for worst parent of the year are:
– JeongWoo mum in Doctor Slump. She never, ever asked her son how was he doing, she was never supportive or showed some kind of love. You could feel how annoyed she was by the mere existence of JW and him causing noise that could affect her husband and her ambition.
– Seo Jae Wong mum in My happy ending. She literally sold her 10 years old daughter to continue gambling. If ahjussi hadn’t taken her with him she would have ended in such a terrible place. That so called mum never apologized, never cared, yes, she was ill (gambling is an illness), but she never tried to get better, not even for her daughter. This woman was so horrible she even faked suicide to make others feel guilty and get money for gambling.
-Kang Joong Mo (The impossible heir) and Bok Ki Ho (No gain, no love) both played brilliantly by Choi Jin Ho. Both of them had a child out of wedlock, and both of them ignored them until they realized they could used them, only to end up being used. The exact same role, the first one in a in theory dramatic way (failure) and the other one in a comic way (success).
– Hong Hae In mum in Queen of tears. Don’t come to me with a redemption arc, because I don’t want it. A mum who blames her daughter for the death of one of her kids forgets that a kid its a kid and adults are responsible for that. At least San-ha mum in Family by choice was never redeemed and showed her true colors. The person who can hurt a child without blinking is a monster.
– Dal mum also in Family by choice was one of those mums who thinks about her daughter like an asset that needs to rise her value on the market. Never good enough, never cared about her. The way she behaved felt like: I had a child, spent 9 months of pregnancy and then years rising this person and no I want to get my gain, where is it?
Which one is the worst? Not really sure, honestly.
Yes, one thing is the horrible, horrible parents, another thing is that we are supposed to be okay with it, or to consider it minor flaws, or even quirks.
Since it’s “awful parent” day, I don’t have to list all the parents on my list, or my winner, because you will probably be browsing bad parents. But the okay’ing of abuse, neglect, callousness and violence is the worst.
This year I have watched some Japanese dramas and I would like to recommend two. First of all House of Ninjas was such fun to watch that I can only hope sometime soon we’ll have a season 2. The second one is an oldie I am sure lots of you have already watched, but I only discovered it this year. I’m talking about First love which is probably one of the most beautiful and warm love stories I’ve ever watched. An absolute delight that now that cold season is here I’m ready to rewatch remembering the snowy landscapes of Hokkaido.
As for C-drama in case someone has any doubt to watch Love me in spring I don’t know what you are waiting for. Oh, but I’m not into c-dramas. Booooo. Go and watch it because it’s probably the best drama I have watched this year. When I finished it, I felt so empty I rewatched Meet yourself and I liked it even more if possible.
Finally one last recommendation that I am amazed I had never watched before after all these years: Only Murders in the building. I’m absolutely in love with it, and how amazing Steve Martin and Martin Short are, and the whole ensemble of actor, with tight and well written scripts, a perfect mix of mystery and comedy.
First Love was incredible. My top Jdrama ever. The soundtrack was amazing. The cinematography was breathtaking. And the storyline was one for the ages. I think it’s time for me to rewatch
The only one I haven’t seen from your list is House of Ninjas (my dad might have though, he watches everything before me that’s new on Netflix). Looks like fun, I’ll add to my list!
First Love was my slow watch drama this year. Just taking it one episode at a time and enjoying it slowly.
I loved Love Me in Spring as well and I totally wanted to go rewatch Meet Yourself, but I don’t have time when I want to watch new things also 😭
Murders in the Building is sooo good! I’ve enjoyed all the seasons. I am still finishing the latest season, but I’m watching it with my sister and she’s never home. Ahh! Aside from this one, Abbott Elementary is the other Western show I keep up with.
Will Love in Spring is among my top shows of all time in *any* language. Have rewatched bits of it so many times now… It’s a forever keeper, for me- I love it so much.
First Love, I enjoyed too, especially the OST.
Stopped Only Murders halfway through S1. Should get back to it.
And thanks for the Ninja recco- sounds fun!
I’m glad someone mentioned Will Love in Spring. I think me and you are one of the few people who liked it till the end. I can’t deny that the first half of this show was amazing but there were certain things off about the second half but I was so endeared to the characters that it didn’t bother me much. I still go back and watch episode 9 occasionally which imo is the best episode of the show.
Dramas are full of tall guys, and I kind of understand the fascination Koreans have over tall guys, being myself married to six myself. But there is a great difference a character being tall and that all you can say about him is: oh, he was tall.
This year we had some memorable tall guys, being Sunjae-a in Lovely Runner the most adorable one probably (like many I had never noticed BWS before), probably followed by JiHan in Wedding impossible, my first drama with MSM.
I was happy pleased that Jang Ki Young finally escaped the fate of the tall guy with his Bok Gwi-ju in The atypical family winning me back after so many dramas.
But who was the real tall guy for me this year? For sure Na In Woo as You Ji Hyuk in Marry my husband. Honestly, he could have been a standee and I wouldn’t have noticed the difference. I always say PMY manages to have amazing chemistry with whoever she has a costar. Well, not this time. This time we got a happy ending with a tall guy. How long will NIW stay a tall guy? I don’t know, but JKY escaped his fate. Maybe he will as well in time.
Well, let’s say most kdramas revolve around a plot hole that is never filled, so I will share mine with you:
The question for My man is Cupid was really what was the plot? Did anyone see it? Just random plot lines that never made sense but Nana and JDY were adorable so I really didn’t care. But please, someone can tell me what was that kid doing there and the whole dog thing.
I have always thought that time travel has rules, and I hate when Dramaland decides to ignore them, so it’s not really like Lovely Runner or Marry my husband had potholes, but the time traveling was just used as a plot device. Even so I have to say that in LR time travel was overused, at a point I thought if Im Sol goes back in time once again, I will drop this drama.
The impossible heir was a big hole per se. If someone can explain to me the reason Taeho wanted so badly to make InHa the heir and schemed and planned and plotted to make him get there, I would appreciate. The fact that he said on episode one “I will make it happen” doesn’t mean it makes sense.
Don’t get me wrong, because I loved What comes after love, and I totally get their relationship, but in the end I think the same issues that made them fade away were there: where was the change that made it possible this time? You can love someone to your bones and yet understand that it is not possible to go on. Everything that made them miserable back then was still there, there was never a conversation (oh, yes there was a book and lots of love and passion), but… does it solve the issues? No, in my opinion.
I have always thought that time travel has rules Time travels /do overs are some of my favorites.
As far as time travel rules go, they seem to have their own set of rules and they still break or bend or have to engage in somewhat dangerous/last hope type scenarios to get the time travel to work one more time !!!
I have started Lovely Runner and recently finished the J drama time travel drama Extremely Inappropriate ! which is also a musical. Very interesting meetups in this drama
It’s available on Netflix fwiw.
Agree regarding The Impossible Heir. Perhaps they thought the Chairman’s shirts would be distraction enough for the viewers not to notice that no explanation was ever provided. Heh! But sorry, it didn’t work!
As I alredy got Song Jung Ki in Queen to tears as Vincenzo as a meta. I will go with Jung Kyung Ho both in Wedding imposible and The trunk. Why is it that every time this man is onscreen the world stops and I can only see him=
Although honestly to me the best one as Park Sung Geun as Chief Park in Dongjae the Good or the Bastard, even if it can be considered too long to be a cameo (he appears in 3 episodes, if I am not wrong).
I had a favorite mess in the worst way possible. The impossible heir got me watching to the end of it wondering every time how it was possible that it was so, so bad. A bunch of good actors and the new you know who made the drama so, so bad, it was still bad. I was amazed it could be so ridiculous and OTT in the worst way possible. Yes. Nothing made sense and in the end I didn’t care.
On the contrary this year gave me another mess that I loved so, so much. My man is Cupid was as nonsensical, OTT and bad as TIH, but in this case it was so bad it was just good. Nothing made sense, but Nana and Jang Dong Yoon won my heart (which is what they always do, by the way). A beanie said that MMiC is like four dramas at a time and that Jang Dong Yoon stars in one. I find it a perfect definiton, and even so, I will recommend this mess to anyone… at your own risk!!
Inspite of what it was, I felt there was a story in My Man is Cupid. Atleast they tried. And when the OTP works, a lot can be forgiven and this show is a prime example of that.
Well, indeed that should be Jung Soon Mi in Marry my husband. Who would have said that the impressive acting of Song Ha Yoon was maybe not so much of an acting… No news from her after the whole thing exploded in April. But hey, her villain was really good. Soon Mi was scariest than other villains that go around killing and menacing, because she was a real abuser, making her victim believe she could not live without her and getting satisfaction in every single way she could win and humiliate her. Soon Mi was not human in the worst way possible.
My honorable mention is to Director Woo and all the mean teachers in The Midnight Romance in Hagwon because, again, they used all their power and will to finish someone and make her miserable. That pettiness of someone who just wants to win no matter what, knowing they will destroy someone and not caring because they just want to win for once and step over someone they hate.
Hard choice for me because it’s hard to compare two completely different dramas, but I would say it’s a tight between Queen of tears and Bittersweet hell. They had everything: the interiors, the use of light, the music, the costumes… even the sense of humor was stylish!
The childhood connection that actually makes sense.
There are actually two dramas for me this year in which the childhood connection is real and pivotal to the drama, and not just a nonsensical plot device.
The first one is Love next door. I basically found the drama frustrating (a friend called it Fight next door which probably was a bit more accurate), but I have to say that the relation between Seok Ryu and Seung Hyun made actually sense. Who hasn’t had a crush over a handsome neighbour or the guy you used to meet while waiting for the bus, or who was the son/daughter of your parent’s friend? But besides, despite its many flaws (and the fact that I was promised a rom-com), I thought the relationship was well built and developed. Timing is everything, and no matter your feelings, you need the exact moment to let things flow. To me, the drama managed this well. I could buy the love story.
On the contrary, Family by choice had an excellent set up on the relations of all the leads (not only our main trio, but also all the couples and the relations with their parents), even if I never really bought how JooWon fell for Sanha as an adult, but I totally bought their first encounter as kids. In fact, the moment I made peace with their being together was in that last scene with mum, when JooWon confesses she felt guilty about being so happy when mum abandoned Sanha and “gave it to her”. I remember while watching “I hate this little girl who can’t see how hurt the boy is”, but then, when adult JooWon confronts that terrible mum, recognizes how she reflected on that moment and how she felt guilty and tried all her life to make up of her reaction. You shouldn’t expect a child to react as an adult or not to be selfish.
And today I will make another entry as there is another song that really set the mood for me in the drama and it is I wonder shy by Elaine in Midnight studio. I liked the drama so much, and this song is so warm and I think it conveys so well Ki Joo’s feelings.
Even if I like many of the Lovely runner OST (special Run, Run, so sorry Sudden Shower) and also Queen of Tears, and I’m a bit hooked to Megalomania in Parole Inspector Lee, there are two songs that are special this year because they set up the whole mood for the drama to me.
This year hasn’t been for rom-coms. I mean real rom-coms. So many labelled as rom-coms like Love next door (are you kidding me?) or My demon (really?) and even if I loved Family by choice I would say it was a family drama. So I was left with very few to almost none rom-coms. But the year was saved by No gain no love. It was not the perfect rom com, I said yesterday I thought KDY was miscasted, but even so, I enjoyed every minute thanks to Shin Min A being as good as she always is. The mood of the drama was perfectly reflected in this song, My side by Hui. Whenever it pops out in my OST playlist I always replay at least once and I start dancing (which can be weird when I am sitting at my desk in the office).
I love Seo Hyu Jin to bits. She is one of my favourite Korean actresses, but I just don’t recognise her in The trunk. It’s like her face I not her face and I am being distracted by it 😕
I just watched the first episode and I barely recognized her. I hope she is healthy. She looked very thin in an unhealthy way.
I hope it’s not some beauty standards that’s making people do these things.
Lots of it had to do with her being much thinner and the haircut. I can tell you that in the last episode she has her “normal” hair and she goes back to being herself a bit more, but her physical appearance was shocking in the first two episodes.
To me it’s Tiffany in Uncle Samsik. Nothing to say about her acting, but it always felt she never got the memo about the drama being set in the 60’s as she always looked like out of a SNSD video. With all her idol style, not a single one of her hairstyles or costumes or make up matched the era she was supposed to be living in, specially considering she was playing a character raised in the USA. While the art direction of the drama was reasonable and always chose a grey palette for all characters, she was always in white. So as the rest of the cast looked accurate, Tiffany just looked pretty and cute, which is not a bad thing but ruined in part a very interesting drama.
Honorable mentions to the new you know who in The impossible heir as she was enable to emote and Kim Young Dae in No gain no love. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the drama, and I usually love KYD, he is great in comedy, but there was something off about him in this drama.
As for TIffany, you can be pretty sure that costumes are not her decision. So it’s more a question of everybody else negotiating a fair compromise between PPL and the drama itself.
But it is a problem of miscasting because she is supposed to be nowadays fancy and could not wear the accurate clothing. And even that I can get it, but not her hairstyle. It was never accurate. So probably, any other actress wouldn’t have required to be SNSD Tiffany. That’s all my point. Her acting was fine.
Tiffany is totally the fish out of water in Uncle Samsik. It’s not just the look or costume but the mannerism and demeanour all crying out I’m from 2020s.
Whenever Kwak Dong Yeon appears in a drama, whether he is the main character, a side one, a cameo or just a photo in a frame, that is it. Game over. Hands down. As Britney would sing… Oooops, he’s done it again.
Queen of tears was no exception and he showed it in the bike scene. Gosh, that only scene made the drama worth it. No other actor could have made that scene, that ridiculous scene so compelling, so touching, so full of feelings, so real, so relatable, and made a stupid guy like Hong Soon Cheol the man you want to protect and defend forever.
Episode 1 of Like flowers in sand, MiRan Coffee and this guy asks about an accent. I wide opened my eyes, yes it was the same guy who had joined the team’s dinner some minutes before but yet… Kwak Jin Su caught my eye from that moment. I loved how Lee Jae Joon played that character, because Jin Su was a good guy, a good friend and a man secretly in love, I think.
I really hope I can see more of him in the near future, but the truth is he’s not a very prolific actor.
One of the reasons I was so dissatisfied with the later episodes of this show was him. Regret for how much we could have seen of his and BD’s story, but didn’t. He was such a great complement to BD.
I loooved this character!!! He started out as the bully-villain, but over the course of the drama we see not only what makes him tick, but we see him come out of the shadows of his youthful behavior into the caring, sensitive adult he has become. Loovvvved. Him.
Beautifully said!! I loved him too! This ensemble of characters was so good… Dare I say it could have sustained 16 (or 18!?!) episodes to let us dig deeper into these characters!
That would be my favourite spin off of the year. I loved every scene with both of them at the coffee, they felt so comfortable just talking. My love for that couple equals Eun Joo and Min Woo in My Unfamiliar Family 😮💨
Totally agree with all the plaudits for Lee Jae-joon’s performance in LIKE FLOWERS IN SAND. We saw him also wrestle and for this role I am sure he had to pack on the pounds like Jang Dong-yoon did.
Eazal
December 21, 2024 at 9:23 AM
#2024RoundUp
Womance.
I know the drama had lots of flaws, but hey, hands down to the wonderful friendship that was born between four completely different women in A virtuous busines. I really liked how the drama showed us how these women fought conventionalism (divorce, single mum, a convicted wife, a rich woman who was supposed to be nothing more than a doll) and decided to rule their won lives, understanding something very simple and it is that independence and equality begins only when you earn your own money, so you depend on no other person but yourself. It is still too hard to many women to get there, not to be judged for being something more than a quiet wife or a mum, and not a woman who was desires, ideas and dreams.
Eazal
December 20, 2024 at 9:00 AM
#2024RoundUp
The drama that stole my heart.
I’m cheating today. No kdrama here. The drama that touched my heart the most was indeed Will love in spring>/b>, because it was warm, and the love story was real, and the leads were real, and the struggles were real and everything felt real.
And of course, the goose.
zindigo
December 20, 2024 at 10:11 AM
I started watching it this week and WOW. I’m really blown away. Exactly what you’ve said… everything about it is so REAL. I’m only on episode 7 and have decided to go slowly with it because I’m savoring each one. It’s really the ideal romantic drama, isn’t it?
Blue (@mayhemf)
December 20, 2024 at 10:50 AM
Such a beautiful drama and the leads were phenomenal. Loved the cinematography and music too.
Procrasti-NationFirstCitizen
December 20, 2024 at 12:01 PM
Completely agree with you… This is my drama of the year so far, up there with the Ringing Phone
wonhwa
December 20, 2024 at 5:32 PM
It’s such a good show, although often not a light and happy one. And the goose!
Eazal
December 19, 2024 at 11:07 AM
#2024RoundUp
The child actor who will become a star
Lee Joo Won. Who is he? You have seen him so many times, he was the younger version of Yi San in The Red Sleeve, of Lee Rang in Tale of the Nine Tailed, of Yoon Gyeo Rye in If you wish upon me, and this year of Seo Ji Hwan in My sweet mobster and of Yoon Eun Sung in Queen of Tears. He will turn 14 next year and I have high hopes for him and his very expressive eyes.
Isa is always time travelling
December 19, 2024 at 11:14 AM
He also was the ML as a child in Love song for illusion and his acting was amazing.
Eazal
December 19, 2024 at 11:41 AM
I didn’t watch that one, so I didn’t include it on my list. But yes, he is a talented actor for sure!
zindigo
December 19, 2024 at 11:59 AM
Love this kid! He was my roundup pick last year 🙃
23new2kdrama 🌱🎄🎅❤️
December 19, 2024 at 5:27 PM
He’s been fantastic in all his roles! How do these kids do it?
Eazal
December 18, 2024 at 10:19 AM
#2024RoundUp
The awful patenting, a BIG list
Listing good parents would be easier and honestly, the normal thing to do, but Kdramas are filled with horrible parents, so much that I wonder how much of a reflection of a society is it. It’s sure that certain behaviors that are alien to me (like obsession with grades, being number one, forcing kids to study indecent amounts of hours, pressuring sons and daughters to upgrade when they get married) are not exactly bad parenting because the whole society views it as normal and also what a good parent should do.
This year the nominees for worst parent of the year are:
– JeongWoo mum in Doctor Slump. She never, ever asked her son how was he doing, she was never supportive or showed some kind of love. You could feel how annoyed she was by the mere existence of JW and him causing noise that could affect her husband and her ambition.
– Seo Jae Wong mum in My happy ending. She literally sold her 10 years old daughter to continue gambling. If ahjussi hadn’t taken her with him she would have ended in such a terrible place. That so called mum never apologized, never cared, yes, she was ill (gambling is an illness), but she never tried to get better, not even for her daughter. This woman was so horrible she even faked suicide to make others feel guilty and get money for gambling.
-Kang Joong Mo (The impossible heir) and Bok Ki Ho (No gain, no love) both played brilliantly by Choi Jin Ho. Both of them had a child out of wedlock, and both of them ignored them until they realized they could used them, only to end up being used. The exact same role, the first one in a in theory dramatic way (failure) and the other one in a comic way (success).
– Hong Hae In mum in Queen of tears. Don’t come to me with a redemption arc, because I don’t want it. A mum who blames her daughter for the death of one of her kids forgets that a kid its a kid and adults are responsible for that. At least San-ha mum in Family by choice was never redeemed and showed her true colors. The person who can hurt a child without blinking is a monster.
– Dal mum also in Family by choice was one of those mums who thinks about her daughter like an asset that needs to rise her value on the market. Never good enough, never cared about her. The way she behaved felt like: I had a child, spent 9 months of pregnancy and then years rising this person and no I want to get my gain, where is it?
Which one is the worst? Not really sure, honestly.
DK-Drama ❤️🎄 Giffing n Space Cadetting 👼🏻🌟
December 18, 2024 at 11:51 AM
Yes, one thing is the horrible, horrible parents, another thing is that we are supposed to be okay with it, or to consider it minor flaws, or even quirks.
Since it’s “awful parent” day, I don’t have to list all the parents on my list, or my winner, because you will probably be browsing bad parents. But the okay’ing of abuse, neglect, callousness and violence is the worst.
Eazal
December 17, 2024 at 7:48 AM
#2024RoundUp
My non K-drama recommendation
This year I have watched some Japanese dramas and I would like to recommend two. First of all House of Ninjas was such fun to watch that I can only hope sometime soon we’ll have a season 2. The second one is an oldie I am sure lots of you have already watched, but I only discovered it this year. I’m talking about First love which is probably one of the most beautiful and warm love stories I’ve ever watched. An absolute delight that now that cold season is here I’m ready to rewatch remembering the snowy landscapes of Hokkaido.
As for C-drama in case someone has any doubt to watch Love me in spring I don’t know what you are waiting for. Oh, but I’m not into c-dramas. Booooo. Go and watch it because it’s probably the best drama I have watched this year. When I finished it, I felt so empty I rewatched Meet yourself and I liked it even more if possible.
Finally one last recommendation that I am amazed I had never watched before after all these years: Only Murders in the building. I’m absolutely in love with it, and how amazing Steve Martin and Martin Short are, and the whole ensemble of actor, with tight and well written scripts, a perfect mix of mystery and comedy.
Isa is always time travelling
December 17, 2024 at 8:24 AM
This reminds me I have not watched First Love yet, and it has been on my list since it was aired.
Eazal
December 17, 2024 at 10:18 AM
Go and watch it!! It’s so healing and will make your heart flutter.
Lostpanda is celebrating My Ajusshi 💔
December 17, 2024 at 8:19 PM
First Love was incredible. My top Jdrama ever. The soundtrack was amazing. The cinematography was breathtaking. And the storyline was one for the ages. I think it’s time for me to rewatch
sonai
December 17, 2024 at 9:20 AM
FIRST LOVE was my recommendation last year! Hooray! Really a very beautiful drama. 🫰
john
December 17, 2024 at 12:36 PM
Yay First Love
Hikari Mitsushima ❤️🥰😍
Jellybn
December 17, 2024 at 8:15 PM
The only one I haven’t seen from your list is House of Ninjas (my dad might have though, he watches everything before me that’s new on Netflix). Looks like fun, I’ll add to my list!
First Love was my slow watch drama this year. Just taking it one episode at a time and enjoying it slowly.
I loved Love Me in Spring as well and I totally wanted to go rewatch Meet Yourself, but I don’t have time when I want to watch new things also 😭
Murders in the Building is sooo good! I’ve enjoyed all the seasons. I am still finishing the latest season, but I’m watching it with my sister and she’s never home. Ahh! Aside from this one, Abbott Elementary is the other Western show I keep up with.
Procrasti-NationFirstCitizen
December 17, 2024 at 9:31 PM
Will Love in Spring is among my top shows of all time in *any* language. Have rewatched bits of it so many times now… It’s a forever keeper, for me- I love it so much.
First Love, I enjoyed too, especially the OST.
Stopped Only Murders halfway through S1. Should get back to it.
And thanks for the Ninja recco- sounds fun!
wapz
December 18, 2024 at 3:29 AM
I’m glad someone mentioned Will Love in Spring. I think me and you are one of the few people who liked it till the end. I can’t deny that the first half of this show was amazing but there were certain things off about the second half but I was so endeared to the characters that it didn’t bother me much. I still go back and watch episode 9 occasionally which imo is the best episode of the show.
Eazal
December 18, 2024 at 9:51 AM
the wall was filled yesterday with posts about loving the drama. It’s such a good drama!
Ghost of Tim (eccentric observations from a male perspective)
December 18, 2024 at 4:02 PM
I watched First Love. It was good but I wasn’t thrilled with its ending.
Eazal
December 16, 2024 at 10:08 AM
#2024RoundUp
The tall guy
Dramas are full of tall guys, and I kind of understand the fascination Koreans have over tall guys, being myself married to six myself. But there is a great difference a character being tall and that all you can say about him is: oh, he was tall.
This year we had some memorable tall guys, being Sunjae-a in Lovely Runner the most adorable one probably (like many I had never noticed BWS before), probably followed by JiHan in Wedding impossible, my first drama with MSM.
I was happy pleased that Jang Ki Young finally escaped the fate of the tall guy with his Bok Gwi-ju in The atypical family winning me back after so many dramas.
But who was the real tall guy for me this year? For sure Na In Woo as You Ji Hyuk in Marry my husband. Honestly, he could have been a standee and I wouldn’t have noticed the difference. I always say PMY manages to have amazing chemistry with whoever she has a costar. Well, not this time. This time we got a happy ending with a tall guy. How long will NIW stay a tall guy? I don’t know, but JKY escaped his fate. Maybe he will as well in time.
Eazal
December 15, 2024 at 3:48 AM
#2024RoundUp
Name the plot hole, A list.
Well, let’s say most kdramas revolve around a plot hole that is never filled, so I will share mine with you:
The question for My man is Cupid was really what was the plot? Did anyone see it? Just random plot lines that never made sense but Nana and JDY were adorable so I really didn’t care. But please, someone can tell me what was that kid doing there and the whole dog thing.
I have always thought that time travel has rules, and I hate when Dramaland decides to ignore them, so it’s not really like Lovely Runner or Marry my husband had potholes, but the time traveling was just used as a plot device. Even so I have to say that in LR time travel was overused, at a point I thought if Im Sol goes back in time once again, I will drop this drama.
The impossible heir was a big hole per se. If someone can explain to me the reason Taeho wanted so badly to make InHa the heir and schemed and planned and plotted to make him get there, I would appreciate. The fact that he said on episode one “I will make it happen” doesn’t mean it makes sense.
Don’t get me wrong, because I loved What comes after love, and I totally get their relationship, but in the end I think the same issues that made them fade away were there: where was the change that made it possible this time? You can love someone to your bones and yet understand that it is not possible to go on. Everything that made them miserable back then was still there, there was never a conversation (oh, yes there was a book and lots of love and passion), but… does it solve the issues? No, in my opinion.
john
December 15, 2024 at 5:10 AM
I have always thought that time travel has rules Time travels /do overs are some of my favorites.
As far as time travel rules go, they seem to have their own set of rules and they still break or bend or have to engage in somewhat dangerous/last hope type scenarios to get the time travel to work one more time !!!
I have started Lovely Runner and recently finished the J drama time travel drama Extremely Inappropriate ! which is also a musical. Very interesting meetups in this drama
It’s available on Netflix fwiw.
korfan
December 15, 2024 at 9:01 PM
Agree regarding The Impossible Heir. Perhaps they thought the Chairman’s shirts would be distraction enough for the viewers not to notice that no explanation was ever provided. Heh! But sorry, it didn’t work!
Eazal
December 14, 2024 at 5:12 AM
#2024RoundUp
Best cameo.
As I alredy got Song Jung Ki in Queen to tears as Vincenzo as a meta. I will go with Jung Kyung Ho both in Wedding imposible and The trunk. Why is it that every time this man is onscreen the world stops and I can only see him=
Although honestly to me the best one as Park Sung Geun as Chief Park in Dongjae the Good or the Bastard, even if it can be considered too long to be a cameo (he appears in 3 episodes, if I am not wrong).
Midnight
December 14, 2024 at 8:21 AM
My… Jung Kyung Ho looks AMAZING!!
Nessa (Bebe) 🌹
December 14, 2024 at 10:03 AM
Jung Kyung Ho is 😍 It’s been years, but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget his role as Paksa of Heartless City
Eazal
December 13, 2024 at 8:04 AM
#2024RoundUp
The meta I loved.
I confess this is a difficult one… is Dongjae the good or the bastard meta? I know it’s more of a spin off, but I wish it qualified.
But probably the one I loved the most was seeing Vincenzo Cassano in Queen of Tears fully being the badass I love… or is it a cameo?
Eazal
December 12, 2024 at 10:46 AM
#2024RoundUp
My favorite mess.
I had a favorite mess in the worst way possible. The impossible heir got me watching to the end of it wondering every time how it was possible that it was so, so bad. A bunch of good actors and the new you know who made the drama so, so bad, it was still bad. I was amazed it could be so ridiculous and OTT in the worst way possible. Yes. Nothing made sense and in the end I didn’t care.
On the contrary this year gave me another mess that I loved so, so much. My man is Cupid was as nonsensical, OTT and bad as TIH, but in this case it was so bad it was just good. Nothing made sense, but Nana and Jang Dong Yoon won my heart (which is what they always do, by the way). A beanie said that MMiC is like four dramas at a time and that Jang Dong Yoon stars in one. I find it a perfect definiton, and even so, I will recommend this mess to anyone… at your own risk!!
Blue (@mayhemf)
December 12, 2024 at 11:35 AM
Inspite of what it was, I felt there was a story in My Man is Cupid. Atleast they tried. And when the OTP works, a lot can be forgiven and this show is a prime example of that.
Eazal
December 11, 2024 at 11:08 AM
#2024RoundUp
Funniest scene.
Not one funny scene. A whole drama!!! Haven’t you watched Seoul Busters??? What are you waiting for?
Eazal
December 10, 2024 at 10:44 AM
#2024RoundUp
The real villain.
Well, indeed that should be Jung Soon Mi in Marry my husband. Who would have said that the impressive acting of Song Ha Yoon was maybe not so much of an acting… No news from her after the whole thing exploded in April. But hey, her villain was really good. Soon Mi was scariest than other villains that go around killing and menacing, because she was a real abuser, making her victim believe she could not live without her and getting satisfaction in every single way she could win and humiliate her. Soon Mi was not human in the worst way possible.
My honorable mention is to Director Woo and all the mean teachers in The Midnight Romance in Hagwon because, again, they used all their power and will to finish someone and make her miserable. That pettiness of someone who just wants to win no matter what, knowing they will destroy someone and not caring because they just want to win for once and step over someone they hate.
korfan
December 10, 2024 at 9:48 PM
Jung Soon-mi was definitely something else! Just an awful person. The actress did a fantastic job playing her, that’s for sure.
Eazal
December 9, 2024 at 10:25 AM
#2024RoundUp
Most stylish drama.
Hard choice for me because it’s hard to compare two completely different dramas, but I would say it’s a tight between Queen of tears and Bittersweet hell. They had everything: the interiors, the use of light, the music, the costumes… even the sense of humor was stylish!
Eazal
December 8, 2024 at 3:12 AM
#2024RoundUp
The childhood connection that actually makes sense.
There are actually two dramas for me this year in which the childhood connection is real and pivotal to the drama, and not just a nonsensical plot device.
The first one is Love next door. I basically found the drama frustrating (a friend called it Fight next door which probably was a bit more accurate), but I have to say that the relation between Seok Ryu and Seung Hyun made actually sense. Who hasn’t had a crush over a handsome neighbour or the guy you used to meet while waiting for the bus, or who was the son/daughter of your parent’s friend? But besides, despite its many flaws (and the fact that I was promised a rom-com), I thought the relationship was well built and developed. Timing is everything, and no matter your feelings, you need the exact moment to let things flow. To me, the drama managed this well. I could buy the love story.
On the contrary, Family by choice had an excellent set up on the relations of all the leads (not only our main trio, but also all the couples and the relations with their parents), even if I never really bought how JooWon fell for Sanha as an adult, but I totally bought their first encounter as kids. In fact, the moment I made peace with their being together was in that last scene with mum, when JooWon confesses she felt guilty about being so happy when mum abandoned Sanha and “gave it to her”. I remember while watching “I hate this little girl who can’t see how hurt the boy is”, but then, when adult JooWon confronts that terrible mum, recognizes how she reflected on that moment and how she felt guilty and tried all her life to make up of her reaction. You shouldn’t expect a child to react as an adult or not to be selfish.
Eazal
December 7, 2024 at 4:19 AM
#2024RoundUp
The OST I’m obsessed with
And today I will make another entry as there is another song that really set the mood for me in the drama and it is I wonder shy by Elaine in Midnight studio. I liked the drama so much, and this song is so warm and I think it conveys so well Ki Joo’s feelings.
Eazal
December 7, 2024 at 4:13 AM
#2024RoundUp
The OST I’m obsessed with
Even if I like many of the Lovely runner OST (special Run, Run, so sorry Sudden Shower) and also Queen of Tears, and I’m a bit hooked to Megalomania in Parole Inspector Lee, there are two songs that are special this year because they set up the whole mood for the drama to me.
This year hasn’t been for rom-coms. I mean real rom-coms. So many labelled as rom-coms like Love next door (are you kidding me?) or My demon (really?) and even if I loved Family by choice I would say it was a family drama. So I was left with very few to almost none rom-coms. But the year was saved by No gain no love. It was not the perfect rom com, I said yesterday I thought KDY was miscasted, but even so, I enjoyed every minute thanks to Shin Min A being as good as she always is. The mood of the drama was perfectly reflected in this song, My side by Hui. Whenever it pops out in my OST playlist I always replay at least once and I start dancing (which can be weird when I am sitting at my desk in the office).
miso
December 7, 2024 at 4:48 AM
The No Gain, No Love song is SO good!
Eazal
December 6, 2024 at 6:54 AM
I love Seo Hyu Jin to bits. She is one of my favourite Korean actresses, but I just don’t recognise her in The trunk. It’s like her face I not her face and I am being distracted by it 😕
Ghost of Tim (eccentric observations from a male perspective)
December 6, 2024 at 8:18 AM
Did you also notice how incredibly thin she looked? I love her too, but to my eccentric eyes she looked borderline anorexic. Sad…
Eazal
December 6, 2024 at 9:05 AM
I think it is exactly that. So thin she almost looks ill 😕
Blue (@mayhemf)
December 6, 2024 at 4:40 PM
I just watched the first episode and I barely recognized her. I hope she is healthy. She looked very thin in an unhealthy way.
I hope it’s not some beauty standards that’s making people do these things.
Eazal
December 7, 2024 at 4:10 AM
Lots of it had to do with her being much thinner and the haircut. I can tell you that in the last episode she has her “normal” hair and she goes back to being herself a bit more, but her physical appearance was shocking in the first two episodes.
Kurama
December 6, 2024 at 9:43 AM
Since Why Her, she lost too much weight. Her haircut didn’t help in The Trunk. It was a nonsense.
Eazal
December 6, 2024 at 5:15 AM
#2024RoundUp
The case of misscasting
To me it’s Tiffany in Uncle Samsik. Nothing to say about her acting, but it always felt she never got the memo about the drama being set in the 60’s as she always looked like out of a SNSD video. With all her idol style, not a single one of her hairstyles or costumes or make up matched the era she was supposed to be living in, specially considering she was playing a character raised in the USA. While the art direction of the drama was reasonable and always chose a grey palette for all characters, she was always in white. So as the rest of the cast looked accurate, Tiffany just looked pretty and cute, which is not a bad thing but ruined in part a very interesting drama.
Honorable mentions to the new you know who in The impossible heir as she was enable to emote and Kim Young Dae in No gain no love. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the drama, and I usually love KYD, he is great in comedy, but there was something off about him in this drama.
DK-Drama ❤️🎄 Giffing n Space Cadetting 👼🏻🌟
December 6, 2024 at 8:02 AM
As for TIffany, you can be pretty sure that costumes are not her decision. So it’s more a question of everybody else negotiating a fair compromise between PPL and the drama itself.
Eazal
December 6, 2024 at 8:12 AM
But it is a problem of miscasting because she is supposed to be nowadays fancy and could not wear the accurate clothing. And even that I can get it, but not her hairstyle. It was never accurate. So probably, any other actress wouldn’t have required to be SNSD Tiffany. That’s all my point. Her acting was fine.
PYC
December 6, 2024 at 10:17 PM
Tiffany is totally the fish out of water in Uncle Samsik. It’s not just the look or costume but the mannerism and demeanour all crying out I’m from 2020s.
Eazal
December 5, 2024 at 9:18 AM
#2024RoundUp
Drama / Scene stealer
Whenever Kwak Dong Yeon appears in a drama, whether he is the main character, a side one, a cameo or just a photo in a frame, that is it. Game over. Hands down. As Britney would sing… Oooops, he’s done it again.
Queen of tears was no exception and he showed it in the bike scene. Gosh, that only scene made the drama worth it. No other actor could have made that scene, that ridiculous scene so compelling, so touching, so full of feelings, so real, so relatable, and made a stupid guy like Hong Soon Cheol the man you want to protect and defend forever.
It’s always KDY. Not once he’s let me down.
Eazal
December 4, 2024 at 11:36 AM
#2024RoundUp
My 2024 Crush
Episode 1 of Like flowers in sand, MiRan Coffee and this guy asks about an accent. I wide opened my eyes, yes it was the same guy who had joined the team’s dinner some minutes before but yet… Kwak Jin Su caught my eye from that moment. I loved how Lee Jae Joon played that character, because Jin Su was a good guy, a good friend and a man secretly in love, I think.
I really hope I can see more of him in the near future, but the truth is he’s not a very prolific actor.
Midnight
December 4, 2024 at 11:51 AM
One of the reasons I was so dissatisfied with the later episodes of this show was him. Regret for how much we could have seen of his and BD’s story, but didn’t. He was such a great complement to BD.
Eazal
December 4, 2024 at 11:58 AM
I absolutely agree!!
Seon-ha
December 4, 2024 at 11:53 AM
I loooved this character!!! He started out as the bully-villain, but over the course of the drama we see not only what makes him tick, but we see him come out of the shadows of his youthful behavior into the caring, sensitive adult he has become. Loovvvved. Him.
HopefulRomantic 🦋 Tigermoth 🦞
December 4, 2024 at 12:12 PM
Beautifully said!! I loved him too! This ensemble of characters was so good… Dare I say it could have sustained 16 (or 18!?!) episodes to let us dig deeper into these characters!
Kurama
December 4, 2024 at 12:11 PM
It’s why this drama frustrated me. I think they waited way too long to reunite the group.
I really liked him too and in the topic of spin-off we would like, I said I wish to see him and coffee shop owner (and the cop).
Eazal
December 4, 2024 at 1:00 PM
That would be my favourite spin off of the year. I loved every scene with both of them at the coffee, they felt so comfortable just talking. My love for that couple equals Eun Joo and Min Woo in My Unfamiliar Family 😮💨
tabong is ironing the crosswalk
December 4, 2024 at 12:11 PM
I love him!!!
bong-soo
December 4, 2024 at 8:37 PM
Totally agree with all the plaudits for Lee Jae-joon’s performance in LIKE FLOWERS IN SAND. We saw him also wrestle and for this role I am sure he had to pack on the pounds like Jang Dong-yoon did.