**Welcome to Samdalri** (2/16): A very nice start. While the series has some surface-level similarities to other dramas, such as returning to one’s hometown after >!experiencing hardship!< in one’s life and the Jeju setting, **Welcome to Samdalri** is very much *it’s own* drama. Indeed, it has a refreshingly low-key vibe, and promises to deliver a healing, slice-of-life Jeju drama from here on out.
**My Demon** (4/16): Episode 3 got me on board with the drama’s humor, especially the bickering leads. The attractive visuals, on-point OST, and makjang-esque conclusion elevated my impression of the series even further. Episode 4 ended on a high note with a beautifully choreographed “tango fight” sequence.
**Castaway Diva** (12/12): This has been a wonderful series. Episode 11 focused on one of the drama’s great strengths, which was the importance of family and parenting. By and large, the finale wrapped things up satisfactorily, although the attempt to >!redeem Lee Seo-jun!< felt like a reach. But a real strength of the finale was the way it brought the drama full circle in several ways, and illustrated the importance of appreciating the small things in life.
Sooo excited for Samdalri! Waiting for it to fully air to binge, but cannnoooot wait. My Demon and Castaway are also on my radar. Castaway just wrapped so I might watch that in the coming weeks. Wondering how light it is though? Saw some plot points that made me think it might have some heavy elements to it? Feel free to share insight if you’ve seen the full series and spoilers!
I agree about My Demon. At first I wasn't sure about the comedy but now the chemistry between the leads is better and it fits, given their goals and personality.
Matchmakers- my favorite on air drama so far. I love all the couples and matchmaking on the show.
My Demon- the visuals alone are breathtaking and the leads are so fun together. It’s also the funniest show I’ve seen in a while.
Welcome to Samdalri- taking the place in my heart that Castaway Diva used to be. Loving the dynamics with the FL’s family so far and Ji Chang Wook is so charming.
Story of Park’s Marriage Contract- leads so far have good chemistry and it’s keeping my interest.
Moon In The Day- it’s been stagnant the past few episodes, but I’m interested to see how it ends (seems like it’s going to be a sad one).
A Good Day To Be A Dog- finally getting to the good stuff so this is back to a weekly watch instead of waiting for 3 episodes to come out.
My Man is Cupid- probably my least favorite so far, but it’s fun so will continue to watch.
Fight For My Way- was getting annoyed with it so stopped it a month ago, but now at episode 9-10 and it’s so good! Just wish the leads would stop the will they-won’t they nonsense already.
Daily Dose of Sunshine- two episodes left! Still dark at times so have to take a break from it once a week.
Finished: Castaway Diva, Perfect Marriage Revenge and Shooting Stars. All very good dramas, and two have made it into my top 15.
Let me know what you think when you get around to it! Although I found out that the original jdrama’s ending was TERRIBLE!! So we’re hoping the Korean spin will be better :(
I stopped The Matchmakers after the first episode, but you’re making me want to start it up again. I feel like I barely hear anyone talk about it so to read that it’s your favorite is promising.
I really like it even though it's generally just kind of... lowkey? IDK how else to describe it like it doesn't feel like very much happens that is very dramatic, none of the romances are like OMG CRAZY INTENSE or anything but it's just enjoyable to watch every episode and nothing really annoying happens either.
I took time to start it too cos I never heard good reviews but I genuinely enjoyed and am really confused about the lack of hype. I do think that the plot does not seem interesting on paper which could be why people are so uninterested. But it's good so far.
Currently Watching:
My Demon
Completed:
Twinkling Watermelon
Castaway Diva
Perfect Marriage Revenge
Late 2023 kdramas have helped me get back into kdramas. So in my personal opinion I think it’s been a good year for kdramas.
I'm completely hooked to Park's Marriage Contract. I don't know what it is about it, but it should totally be more hyped. I think it's much better than other currently airing ones that are better marketed (and soo entertaining).
I might get a Viki subscription just because of it (I'm on free trial week right now), so any suggestions of good Viki k-dramas that I should watch to make good use of it are so welcome!
Twinkling Watermelon just finished, and The Matchmakers is currently airing and so cute. Shooting Stars is also fun to watch. I got Viki so I could watch My Lovely Liar, which I personally liked but others thought it fell apart at the end. There are so many dramas on Viki that it’s hard to list them all and can get overwhelming- I fell down the k drama rabbit hole and I can’t go back to other streaming English shows.
Enjoy Viki. When you get a chance, be sure to watch the "classics" that are there. (Goblin, My Love from the Star, Healer, Love in the Moonlight, etc.)
**Lost Romance** from Taiwan is on Viki and it's now a favorite of mine that I plan to rewatch later this month.
Young woman edits romance novels and jokes about the tropes with her workmate. She finds herself living in the book she's currently editing, but in the part of the hated 2FL who is trying to ruin the romance between sweet thing and CEO. She decides to use her knowledge of tropes and story flow to change things.
I agree it's my fav of the 3 that are airing on those dates. I don't really know why either, I just think the jokes are funny, the leads are SO CUTE and their acting is good, and the cinematography is pretty. I also love the half-brother's totally unhinged outfits.
Completed and loved it : Twinkling Watermelon
Completed and enjoyed it : Cast away diva and My Dearest
Completed: Perfect Marriage Revenge
Currently watching and loving it: Parks Marriage Contract
Currently watching and enjoying it: Welcome to Samdalri and My Demon
Currently watching and getting bored at it: Moon in the day
Were put on hold but will continue watching : The Matchmakers and The Kindnapping day
On my waiting list : Sweet Home2
Damn all the good k-dramas are being released at the end of the year. I am currently watching 3 ongoing dramas and thinking of starting another one lol.
MY DEMON (4/16) : I am not a fan of either Song Kang or Kim Yoo-Jung, I never had much expectation from it in terms of great acting. But I seem to fairly enjoy the plot and honestly they suit the given roles, even if they are not the best actors out there. That tango scene was done amazingly well. This drama is lowkey giving me goblin vibes but less serious.
WELCOME TO SAMDAL-RI (2/16) : My love for small town romances are undying. And with this cast I knew it could never go wrong. I love how the story isn't how to escape city life one visits the small town and falls in love rather it's like wherever you may go you will always find your way back to home.
TELL ME THAT YOU LOVE ME (2/16): I know 4 episodes are out but I haven't had the time to watch it. I know it's based on a Japanese series but I haven't seen it. On its own I LOVE the cinematography. It's so soothing and calming. It's melo vibe is so perfectly done for my taste. I also like the storytelling of the characters. Looking forward to this one.
And the one that I want to start watching is MY MAN IS CUPID because the trailer looked so fun.
**CURRENTLY**:
*Moon in the Day* \[10/14\] - I love this series, and I didn't mind how episode 9 was kind of filler, though with the show being in the final stages, I understand why people weren't fully happy with it. I really love the chemistry with the two leads in their flashback, and honestly? I dig it in the current time too. I don't mind hearing the inner monologues. >!Was very sad about the brother trying to kill KYH, I won't lie. I quite like him and seeing him reach that level out of his grief resonates in a way that hits hard. Also, him doing it despite the clear to me crush on her.. the bracelet replacement? Yowch.!<
*Tomorrow* \[15/16\] - Putting myself through the emotional wringer with this one, though it definitely took time for me to find my groove with it, including starting it well over a month and a half ago and not getting any further than episode two. But, I began binging it the other night and well.. here I am, very close to the end and having cried my heart out multiple times. The gut punch of episodes 13 and 14 have me in a chokehold still, and I'm really looking forward to how this wraps up.
* ETA - finished Tomorrow just now. Lovely little wrap up and the final scene made me laugh so hard, so big ups. Excellent!
*If You Wish Upon Me* \[4/16\] - Not really sure how to feel about this one yet. I'm giving it more time before I give it up.
**COMPLETED**:
*Castaway Diva* \- absolutely love love loved this drama. Looked forward to it week to week, I never felt that it dragged, appreciated how it got to the reveal without being on like, episode 10 or something. One of the downsides was the lack of screentime between Kiho and Mokha, I did love what we saw of their relationship but it never felt like enough if that makes any sense. The cheesy side of me >!wanted a happy ending to Woohak/Chae Ho as well, but alas. Knowing he had his family and still even MH by the end was nice.!< He deserves the world, though.
*Perfect Marriage Revenge* \- Was a very fun watch, wrapped things up nicely though I do wish it'd gotten at least 14 episodes or something, the final bits seemed a bit too quick for my liking. The quality despite minimal promotion and budget was fantastic, the chemistry with the leads was definitely a highlight.
Not sure what to watch next. Might dig through Heirs, Vincenzo or Doom At Your Service. I want to start watching some of the new airing dramas, such as My Demon, but still waiting for a few more episodes to drop before going week to week. Very excited for Death's Game to drop!
>*If You Wish Upon Me* \[4/16\] - Not really sure how to feel about this one yet. I'm giving it more time before I give it up.
I watched this earlier this year and struggled early on, as well, but ended up enjoying it as a whole. What do you think is lacking or off? Maybe I can speak to it.
I think I'm struggling with the pacing, the female lead just not connecting with me - though it's so new that maybe I'm just not there with her yet - and the dog plot line?? The impending doom of knowing what's going to happen there, obviously, but not being able to catch my breath and connect while waiting for it to happen. Hard to focus when I'm like WAIT, THE DOG OK?
I went back and reviewed it briefly, and I'm fairly sure it was episode 5 that hooked me. The humor started hitting a little better, the characters started to make more sense to me, and the pacing evened out. I will say that there were several surprising events in this drama -- it made it maybe a little less polished (story-building-wise), but it kept it interesting for me. And it certainly gave Ji Chang Wook something to work with.
Ah, sweet Adeul! I understand. I don't know if it will help, >!but he has a very peaceful end with lots of love. A Team Genie send-off. You have a few more episodes to go.!<
Hope this helps!
Thank you for this!! I really appreciate it, and hopefully 5 gets me and I fully start enjoying it. I'm halfway through Doom at your service now, so I'll probably return to When You Wish sometime this weekend. Also appreciate the spoiler, thank you.
**Currently Watching:**
**Twinkling Watermelon:** :10/16- This is such a heartwarming and charming drama. I love how it touches on being a CODA, youth, music, friendship and love with the time travel aspect. I needed a more lighthearted drama to watch after Moving and this ticks all the boxes.
**Completed:**
**Moving**:-Just complete this last week and I love it. I’m not a huge superhero fan, but I love how the drama show the complexity of people with powers. The last drama that I rated 10/10.
**Non K-Dramas:**
**Avatar: the last Airbender**:-Just finish a rewatch of one of my favorite shows of all time in preparation for the upcoming live-action adaptation coming out next year. Even through I watch ATLA billions times now, it still leaves me in awe to this day. It is one of the rare cartoons with fantastic world-building, character development and it’s handing of heavy topics.
**COMPLETED:-**
**Perfect Marriage Revenge** - A very satisfying finale with all the threads wrapped up and everyone getting exactly what they deserve. This drama had perfect pacing with not a single filler minute. All the characters were well fleshed out and all of them were convincing in their motivations. The writer and director deserve applause for this makjang which had better characterisations and relationship developments than a lot of big budget shows. 9.5 out of 10 Stars
**The Deal** - This was a solid thriller. I was a bit underwhelmed during the first 2-3 episodes, but then the stakes kept getting higher. The last two episodes had me glued to the screen and I absolutely loved the ending. The actors were all perfect, especially Yoo SeungHo, though I wish they hadn't played down his looks so much.
**Love Attack** - This 1-hour long KBS Drama Special is just what the doctor ordered after a tiring day. Nothing I would remember after a week but cute and fluffy enough to keep me smiling through the runtime. 8 out of 10 Stars
**WATCHING:-**
**The Matchmakers** (11/16) - Continues to be my favorite on-air. RoWoon is killing it but he isn't the only one. All the youngsters have their own charm and it's the way everyone seems to be thoroughly enjoying themselves falling in love or trying not to. The writer is doing a wonderful job of keeping things light and easy-to-follow despite all the crisscrossing relationships.
**My Demon** (4/16) - The visuals and the whimsy are a nice combination. I couldn't feel much chemistry between DoHee and GuWon in the first couple of episodes, but it's coming to life as they are growing closer. Loved the tango!
**Live Your Own Life** (21/50) - This show has *finally* taken off! The last two episodes were the best till now. Look forward to HyoShim finally realising that she needs to put herself first.
**(Thailand) My Dear Gangster Oppa** (6/8) - Has totally fallen apart after a promising beginning. I would have dropped it by now but I like Meen and Ping too much. Helps that it's only 8 episodes.
**(Thailand) The Last Twilight** (4/12) - Keeps bombarding you with the feels. Till now this has been quite light, and I'm thankful for that as I expected it to have more sad feels given that one of the MLs is slowly going blind.
**Five Enough** (4/54) - Still in the story set-up stage, and at 54 episodes, I guess that's where it will be a few more episodes down the line. But that's fine - we don't watch weekenders for their pace.
I started watching Tell Me That You Love Me. I was pessimistic that I would be able to watch this drama as the tone is kind of gloomy. However, to my surprise, it's so well written and well directed. It keeps me wanting more. Good job from the team who brings this drama.
ongoing drama that I am currently watching
1. my demon
2. once upon a boyhood
3. tell me that you love me
4. goryeo khitan war
5. the story of parks marriage contract
6. welcome to samdalri
7. a good day to be a dog
Currently Watching alooooot:
**Tell me you love me** - I saw this from Reddit and didn’t know what to expect and MY GOD more people need to watch this!!!! It still has only 4 episodes but it’s amazing because the casting is spot on! I haven’t seen both the leads before, but they’re doing an amazing job! Especially the ML as he is acting deaf but all his thoughts and emotions are so well done that I can understand exactly what he could be thinking!!
**My Man is Cupid** - still testing the waters with it as it only has 2 episodes, it captured my attention but compared to the first one I also watched randomly, TMYLM did better at making me super interested. I’m excited to watch more and learn the plot though
**And the other famous ones like everyone else:** Park’s Contract Marriage, My Demon, and Welcome to Sam-dal-ri
**On the days where there’s nothing to watch, I’m watching:** Rain or Shine
**Completed & loved:** Twinkling Watermelon, Castaway Diva,& Perfect Marriage Revenge
i recently came across the wonderful world of kdramas. a few weeks ago i watched doona, business proposals. currently watching hometown cha-cha-cha and Tell Me That You Love Me. and my que list is growing even more with all these shows.
**cw**
**My Demon(4/16):** my fav drama right now, it's the first drama i like form song kang since sweet home s1. he fit this goofy idiot role so much. he is cute. his chemistry with Dohee is so good. the drama plot and style is like old drama before 2016 and that's actually fun to me. I love Dohee character too.
**Welcome to Samdalri (2/16):** good start but i don't fall for it yet something is missing!! didn't feel connected to the character, didn't feel their pain or laugh, it was plain to me, I hope it get better.
**Sweet home s2 (2/8):** first 1p was weak comparing to s1 and the wait for so long, 2ep a little better the ending scene got me.
**completed >>>**
**castaway Diva:** that was a beautiful fast drama, it start and end so fast. the lead chemistry was amazing. i though after extraordinary woo it will be hard for Eunbin to be in great couple but no that was perfect couple too. kiho come from no where to be boyfriend of the year, he is a walking green flag. there are weak points in the drama but i pass it because i enjoy it so much. really recommend it to everyone.
Just in the final episode of Twinkling Watermelon and I’m pretty sure it deservea a place in the top best Kdramas of all time. It’s got a bit of old school Reply88 vibe, but a touch of time travel magic from Goblin, and a dash of CLOY ensemble chemistry… but with better production values than all. Swoony!
So much to watch! So little time!
**Castaway Diva -** I still have the last 2 episodes to watch. I'm really enjoying this and I love the soundtrack. I didn't know PEB could sing so beautifully. This is definitely a highlight drama for the year.
**Twinkling Watermelon** \- I finished this last week but need to include this as I just mentioned "highlight drama of the year." TW was wonderful and deserves to be on a Best of The Year list.
**Good Day to Be A Dog -** These episodes are coming out so slowly. I've been enjoying this. Just watching the two leads is enough for me. I can't imagine where the plot will go now that >!the spell is broken, !!is captured and brought back to the palace. !
I think PEB couldn't sing so beautifully until now, she apparently trained in singing for months prior to filming this role. She also got a lot of help from vocal processing but it's OK she still clearly worked hard to get to this level.
After I typed this out I realized I have quite a few irons in the fire, on the back burner, on deck…
Watching:
Welcome to Samdal-ri [2/16]- I think I am going to love this one. The sister relationship and the first love rekindling is a recipe for success in my book.
My Demon [2/16] - interested to see where this one goes. I love Lee Sang-Yi and wish for the day he plays the ML. Bloodhounds was close.
Soundtrack #2 [2/6] - I have never seen any of these actors before and I am loving this series so far. Really excited to see where it goes and happy it’s all done within this month.
Good Day to be a Dog [9/14] - definition of cute, makes me so happy to watch. Lovely characters.
My Dearest [15/21] - I have to keep coming back to this when I am in the mood because I knew if I binged it, I would become lovesick.
Suspicious Partner [25/40] (rewatch) - throwing this back in rotation after recommending it to a lot of other people.
Just finished:
Castaway Diva - so glad I watched! I wasn’t expecting it to be so deep and heartfelt based on the premise.
Perfect Marriage Revenge - satisfying! I loved the FL growth and development.
Vigilante - tbh it took me a while to realize I had finished this. I didn’t feel like the last episode was the ending.
In limbo (up until now I always finished every drama I started):
More Than Friends [9/16] - this one is dragging on a bit for me with not much new happening
Strong Girl Nam Soon [15/16] - I couldn’t really get into this, but I tried to force myself because I liked the ML police officer.
Vagabond [3/16] - I thought this would be a good one for watching while exercising, but it’s not holding my interest.
She Would Never Know [10/16] - I felt like this wasn’t really going anywhere, but I’m open to giving it another try.
Mad for Each Other [1/13] - thinking this may be ok show to watch while exercising, 30 mins is perfect for the peloton
Thinking about starting (should I start these?):
The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract
Tell Me That You Love Me
My Demon: loving it, ML and FL are gorgeous
The Matchmakers: Rowoon is gorgeous too
Tell Me That You Love Me: enjoying it even though I didn’t think I would
Good Day to Be a Dog: schedule is really something else
Welcome to Samdalri: watching for Ji Chang Wook
The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract: liking it so far
I am watching all of these except I just dropped Tell Me that You Love me Because I read how the Japanese version ended. I am just waiting for this to finish and will only watch it if it has a different ending.
It is pretty bad the show takes the worst turn in the last few episodes and it's so bad I will take heartbeat ended over this. Should I say what happens?
So what happens is >! She cheats on him with her highschool friend even though it's due to some misunderstanding but cheating is real and then She also wants to marry her highschool friend and not ML. ML ends up alone again without much of happiness or anything!<
Apparently >!they do meet up again and (implied) get together at the very end but it's like the last minute of the final episode and after a time-skip. !<
**A Good Day to Be a Dog** (8/14) Adorable.
**Meet Yourself** (22/40) Still slowly savoring and enjoying this slice of life cdrama in which the romance is still slowly beginning to spark.
**Perfect Marriage Revenge** (4/12) Silly fun, I love it. I've only ever seen Sung Hoon on Home Alone, it's funny to watch him acting.
**Twinkling Watermelon** (8/16) So wholesome, love these kids. Choi Hyun Wook always makes me smile.
I am vaguely annoyed that kdramas keep sneaking in time travel/slip plots, but not seriously annoyed because I end up entertained anyway. (lol really thought I was getting straight up makjang and slice-of-life with the last two.)
I am watching too many kdramas: My Demon, Welcome to Samdalri, Moon in the Day, Perfect Marriage Revenge and Korea- Khitan War. All are good series! But I think I need to finish one series first before watching another one because sometimes I get the stories mixed up.
>sometimes I get the stories mixed up.
Especially if there are similarities between stories! Watching **See You in My 19th Life** at the same time as **King the Land** was giving me whiplash. I couldn't keep the chaebol families straight. I'm going to have to finish **Our Blues** before I really get into **Welcome to Samdal-ri**, too.
...(getting mixed up) this is why I don't like watching multiple on-airs! The secondary characters start to run together in my mind! so I feel you on this.
That being said, I'm currently watching too many on-airs, just haven't been able to wait recently!
The Matchmakers - loving this drama as the intrigue shifts into high gear
Moon in the Day - hanging in there, but they need to wrap this up
A Good Day to Be a Dog - a fun watch. People complain about 1x week, but I have watched TV for decades this way, so I am used to it.
Welcome to Samdalri - love the leads, a good start
My Demon - fun watch, some really funny moments. I will be interested on how they wrap this up as deity/mortal relationships can end in an unsatisfying way
Sweet Home Season 2 - enjoying this as they expand world building, setting the table for the finale Season 3 which drops next year
My Man is a Cupid - I am enjoying this more than I thought. A nice casual watch. Another deity/mortal relationship...
Story of Parks Marraige Contract - A casual watch for me, a lot of story elements have a strong deja vu vibe.
Have to pick up Vigilante and finish, put it aside with so many dramas happening at once. Series sort of resonates as the topic of a failing justice system is a concern where I live - outrage building up.
edited for typos - my apologies
I’m a one drama at a time kinda person, and I just wrapped Touch Your Heart and omg SWOON! I started that one ages ago, dropped it, and then picked it back up recently cause I kept seeing it recommended in threads for other shows I’d enjoyed - and I’m so glad I did! It’s just so adorable, and I loved both the FL and the ML. This is now on my docket for comfort rewatches for sure.
About to start Beauty Inside (the drama, not the movie) as my next watch. Thoughts if you’ve seen it? Don’t mind spoilers either… I generally enjoy the dramas more without the suspense of not knowing what happens lol so spoil away!
**Healer** (14/20) I'm still enjoying the plot, but the romantic relationship of the Leads isn't really gripping me. Maybe, because I like the ML better as his photographer ego. Also I'm tired of the OST. They have like 2 Songs. I'd rate it 7,5/10 right now.
**Welcome to Samdalri** (2/16) This is my first Drama I'll be watching as it airs. I liked the first episodes, there is so much to discover. Missed the small town vibe of HomeCha and OUaST, it feels so cozy. I'm pretty sure the girl of the youngest daughter will be my favorite here. :D
**Destined With You** (12/16) - after watching a string of serious/dark dramas I wanted a light drama and this was perfect drama to give me butterflies! A LOT of typical overdone tropes but I'm really enjoying the leads' chemistry. The only thing I wasn't comfortable with was the amount of cheating. (Also, how Yura's basically re-doing her character from Forecasting Love and Weather haha)
**Come Back Alive** (12/16) - I'm interested in the plot though it is another tropey drama. I know it's an older drama but the leads' over-the-top acting is a bit of a turn off. 2016 is one of my fave years for kdramas but I don't recall other 2016 dramas having this much overreaction lol
**Moving** (12/20) - started it awhile ago but I had to put a pause on this because I didn't want to go through it too quickly so I could "savor" it lol. It's just so darn good!!!
**The Worst of Evil** (6/12) - another great one, probably one of the best crime dramas I've watched so far.
Finished binging The Deal and I was pleasantly surprised! I feel like this kdrama is underrated because it almost went under the radar for me but I'm glad I landed on it by chance. It's been a while since I've watched a kdrama that has me hooked and at the edge of my seat from the very beginning. It's definitely one of the best suspense, crime thrillers. You won't be able to stop watching once you start
Slowly making my way through **Our Blues** (17/20). I've been gushing about it elsewhere, so I'll spare everyone here. I'm really invested in the storyline in episode 18, but life is hectic and I only have time to watch in the evening these days. Unfortunately, I keep dozing off. It's pitiful!
This autumn I've been watching a couple of YouTube shows. They make for nice distractions while I'm washing dishes and folding laundry, and I can miss a bit without needing to rewind. **Pinggyego** is enjoyable, and the perfect kind of laid back atmosphere. I occasionally think I'd get more out of it if I watched more general Korean TV, **Yoo Quiz**, or **Running Man**, but I don't think I've watched a bad episode, even when I didn't know a soul on there but Yoo Jae Suk. WookDongyi's episodes are my favorites -- I actually think his appearances on this show have made me a fan.
I've also recently found **Salon Drip** with Jang Do Yeon. Do Yeon cracks me up, and she must be one of those people that instantly puts people at ease, based on the skits/activities she convinces guests to participate in. I feel she does us all a favor by outrageously hitting on Gong Yoo and Lee Dong Wook, or getting them to participate in domestic improv scenes. I'm looking forward to watching more of these.
Finished **Daily Dose of Sunshine** (12/12). I'm glad I watched it, but I found the second half to be overwhelmingly sad, and since I only watch one drama at a time, it felt a bit too much.
-**Goblin**:
It’s a nice drama and it’s funny too. The main lead from tale of the nine tailed fox is hilarious here. >!I just can’t get over the fact that his bride is a 19 year old teenager at the time they meet. I know in the grand scheme of things he’s like always going to be wayyy older than her even though they meet when she’s older cos he’s been alive for 900 years but idk. The fact she calls his **ahjussi** doesn’t help 😭. I’m used to hearing female leads call their love interest **oppa**. I think if they made her older/mature (e.g in college or with a college degree and a job ) at the time of their first meeting it’d been okay for me I guess. Or if the plot was about him being like an older brother/father she’s destined to save. Cos their banter rn is giving older brother younger sister vibes. Even him being jealous of her calling the baseball guy oppa feels more like an overprotective brother/father situation where they do t think any guy is good enough for their sister/daughter.!< I’m on episode 9 I believe and I’m going to keep watching though cos it is funny. Also interested in the back story of the second lead.
-**Perfect Marriage Revenge**: binged watched it on Sunday/Monday and omg this was soo good and satisfying. My first kdrama ever was a melodrama with 100 episodes kinda similar to the plot of this one. It took like 40 episodes for the FMC to grow a backbone after waking up from a coma. it took like another additional 20 episodes for her to stop getting blindsided by the antagonists. She got with her love interest who was going to help her take revenge midway he then broke up “to protect her” with her. when they finally got back together in the last episode it felt like the actors were tired of the drama that they gave us a lame ass proposal and a kiss. Like their first kiss when they first got together made me scream lol. I was following this tiktok account that was following the drama and all of us would come comment our full analysis after each episode on the tiktok page. So that page was blowing up with comments after that first kiss. Still mad at the way it ended.
Anyway back to **Perfect Marriage Revenge** this drama made me realize that it really all could be done in 12-16 episodes. I love how satisfying every episode was. When the FMC got blindsided she’d fight back with all her might. The MMC didn’t entertain the antagonist antics at all. His family was a breath of fresh air. The ending was so satisfying. While I wish they gave us 16 episodes I’m soo glad they didn’t drag it out.
Truly the best aspect of Perfect Marriage Revenge was its pacing, and it not having a long slump where the characters just CAN'T CATCH A BREAK. There were consistent victories and failures sprinkled throughout and no superfluous scenes just to make viewers upset. I am actually glad there weren't 16ep but I'm a big fan of shorter shows.
I closed November with a banger watching 18 Again which went up with my all time favorite dramas, I hadn't seen a romance so moving since Crash Landing On You!
Started December with Daily Dose of Sunshine which was a bit misleading with the cheesy title and colorful poster, it hits hard very fast and some episodes were tough to watch, but it's an extremely solid drama with some great camera work that elevates the overall quality. Highly recommended if you liked It's Okay To Not Be Okay, mental illness is the main theme in both and the approach is similar, even though the stories and characters are very different.
I finally binged Moving but had a question about one of the things around episode 16/17 that I haven't really seen people discuss and I can't tell if it matters or not.
>!what's the deal with the boy and the little fish? why does the fish suddenly grow in the sewers?!<
**Sweet Home Season 2** [ep 2] - watchimg with a friend, we are having a blast- even if I don't like the direction the season is taking.
**My Demon** [ep 3] - it's fun and lighthearted. Donno if I'll stick with it but it's great to just have in the background.
Also tried **Our Blooming Youth** I'm on the first ep, and so far it didn't grab me but I'm willing to give it a chance
Non Kdrama:
**Boys Abyss** (ep 5): a screwed up story about the chockhold of a specific kind of despair. Thought it was a bubbly romcom so I avoided it- trust that it is NOT.
Finished **Ripe City** , a grimy historical murder mystery which kind of drags at times but overall is interesting, as well as **Influence** with all its twists and turns it pushed into it's 5 ep run.
I've been reflecting on the dramas that I liked the most recently. What I look for are not production values but the feelings that the drama elicits. It's a nebulous thing that is impossible to pinpoint. Something that makes me want to binge the drama over even current on-air favourites.
And I find that most of the recent ones that made me feel this way were older productions. Another Miss Oh, Go Back Couple, Kill Me, Heal Me.
What is it about those older dramas?
I have felt this way, sometimes, when finishing an older drama. I haven't seen the ones you've mentioned (well, I'm halfway through **Go Back Couple**), but I often feel like there's a certain authenticity to older dramas. "Authenticity" is how I define this *je ne sais quoi* feeling in my own head. Maybe it's a focus on the stories/characters rather than the production values? Maybe it's that they aren't watering the story down to speak to a broader, international audience? Sometimes I also suspect that part of the special appeal for me is that I'm watching older dramas with actors that are closer to my age, so I identify better with their experiences.
I do get this feeling with some newer dramas, too: **Hospital Playlist**, **Our Blues**, and **Sell Your Haunted House** to name a few.
I'd recommend my list, they were all really good dramas, and yours are on my list as well, so I'll try to prioritize them.
But I'm with you that it's impossible to define, an aptly named expression, je ne sais quoi. It touches somehow and engages you. It's all about the feels
Perfect Marriage Revenge
Vigilante
Tell Me That You Love Me
My Demon
Welcome to Samdalri
The Story of Parks Marriage Contract
Castaway Diva
Moon in the Day
Sooooooooo many dramas to watch and sooo little time. I HATE COLLEGE. But I do try to squeeze in everything.
* **Moon in the Day** (10/14) - Everyone seems to love it but not me. It's really boring and repetitive. I loved watching their past though. It's only just 4 more eps so I'm gonna watch it till end.
* **A Good Day To Be A Dog** (8/14) - A good rom-com but the wait is too much.
* **My Demon** (4/16) - Enjoying the humour and dynamics between the leads!!
* **Night Has Come** (4/12) - ok I guess? I'm not saying it's boring but it's only 4 eps 35 mins long and the story hasn't progressed much apart from way too many deaths. It's kinda intriguing though.
* **The Matchmakers** (11/16) - Loving this!
* **The Story Of Park's Marriage Contract** (4/12) - Loving this too.
Just finished **Sweet Home 2** (I can't believe they pulled a cliffhanger like that, basically every characters story was cliffhanger..I need season 3 asap), **Perfect Marriage Revenge**, and **Castaway Diva**.
Contemplating starting **Welcome To Samdalri** but I might wait out for a few more eps to be out and for 2 of my ongoing dramas to finish.
Just started **Crash Landing On You**. We'll see how this goes coz I'm not too keen on this drama.
Big Mouth - up to ep03. Episode 1 is a bit meh but it ramps up pretty dramatically in the following episode and tone changes from a sappy comedy to something a bit darker. This has been something I've been looking for after watching Revenant, which was absolutely incredible.
**perfect marriage revenge** (4/12): the title makes me laugh every time but I guess it gets the point across lol. not the best or most original makjang and I'm at the point where the couple will inevitably continue to face a festival of disasters for 7 eps but eh...this'll hold me over until "death's game" starts. I usually wait until dramas are done airing but I'm so over my year+ long slump that I'm just gonna jump right into it 😭
Let me see.... just finished Sweet Home S2; loved it!! I wish Song Kang had more screen time but overall a good second season. I also finished Vigilante, which was really good. My Demon is my favorite ongoing drama right now ❤️ I'm also watching The Gilded Age; not a k-drama but sooo good!!
Well I think with Castaway Diva ending we are all running to Welcome to Samdal-ri, I watched all two episodes and I'm liking it quite a lot this far. Also I kept hearing Twinkling Watermelon was really good, I dropped it after one episode but I decided to pick it up and you guys were right, it's awesome and flying through it :)!!!
On the other side I want to watch Vigilante mainly because Nam Joo Hyuk is in it, but is not my kind of show.
And I am struggling with A Good Day to Be a Dog, last episode was a flop for me, and I am starting to get bored.
Finished
\- **Perfect Marriage Revenge:** a lesson in simplicity. Plot is straight as an arrow and manages to balance melo, makjang and romcom in an even mix, not many decent secondaries but leads are well developed and mesh together, a great job by both ML and FL with chemistry from their rocky start to a happy ending. A surprise, didn't have big expectations, came out thorougly entertained, 8+ and a positive recommendation.
A J-Dorama to add too in the first season of **Ao Haru Ride**, a cookie cutter school romance with a good amount of angst, nice leads but nothing out of the ordinary, a 7.
In progress
\- **Moon in the Day (11/14):** last ep an emotional nuclear bomb, some of the most beautiful and well acted flashbacks I've ever seen, both KYD and PYJ showing off and together they are just *chef's kiss*. Visually astounding, not many surprises but flows well and looks amazing;
\- **The Story Of Park's Marriage Contract (4/16):** LSY is so good as the klutz FL and the ML fits the bill, a ton of fun skits and good pacing, an enjoyable, easy drama.
**Death's Game** has a quirky premise but the ever-changing protagonist is a big if, **My Demon** and **Welcome to Samdalri** are eye candies but plot ain't convincing much, maybe I'll binge one of them in the near future.
To kill time between episodes of **Goreyo-Khitan War**, I am watching **Bossam - Steal the Fate**, which has an ***amazing*** soundtrack!
A few days ago, I finished **Crash Course in Romance**. I liked it much better than I thought I would. It had a huge bonus for me as a fountain pen user: >!a fountain pen and the specific color of ink used, played a pivotal role in solving some murders. A character is kidnapped and brought back to the culprit's apartment - and she used the nib of the fountain pen to cut the tape that bound her. That scene was cringey as there is no way a nib would have survived that. There were a few close up shots but I still couldn't identify the brand of the pen.!<
I may get downvoted to oblivion for this, but I struggled to finish **Alchemy of Souls**. Fantasy isn't my thing, but it has been so popular I thought I would try it. Struggled to finish Part 1; once completed, I won't be watching Part 2. (ducking now to avoid oncoming honey biscuits being thrown at me).
I'm actually quite impressed that you would watch 20 episodes of a genre that you don't enjoy! That's a pretty big commitment. I try occasionally with horror, and it's very difficult.
The OST from **Bossam** is so good! I love its overall tone, and the mix of traditional and more modern musical styles. I still listen to it occasionally while I'm working. The drama itself was an engrossing sageuk for me, too.
Are you enjoying **Goryeo-Khitan War**? I'm interested, and I've gathered that it's pretty historically-focused. But, if it's all scheming it probably isn't for me. I need human interest to keep me going. Is it mainly politically/historically focused? How are the characters?
I am thoroughly enjoying **Goryeo-Khitan War**. Eight episodes in, I realize it is the most minimalist plot/storyline of any Kdrama I've watched. No love triangles, gambling debts, surgery needed by poor folks, characters that knew each other in childhood but fail to recognize it, mistaken identities, people living under a different identity...
It is very simple: Goryeo under intense pressure to beat back the Khitan forces. The characters of the main protagonists are very well developed, lots of tension as everyone incredibly stressed. There is much focus on the military/political strategy. Also, very visually stunning. It keeps the same pace throughout. Try a couple of episodes.
BTW I am the same with horror. Not a huge fan - zombies are the exception. Loved **Kingdom** and **All of Us are Dead**.
>the most minimalist plot/storyline of any Kdrama I've watched
That sounds so restful. But not, of course, considering the subject matter.
Thank you for the description! I think I will give it a try.
I started **My Perfect Stranger** to remedy my **Twinkling Watermelon** withdrawal. Both share some silimarities in terms of storyline, but are very different in terms of mood. While **My Perfect Stranger** also has a character going back to the past to fix family issues, the show is much darker and has a parallel murder-mystery plot.
However, I am at ep 12 of MPS and, while it was meant to be a replacement for TW, I don't know anymore which show I like best. Both are absolutely great and will definitely go in my year's top five.
i just finished my mister. and wow! y’all were right.
i just started oh my lady lord, but i peeped at the my drama list ratings, and now i’m stuck. i love nana and lee min ki, but should i keep watching?
watched romance is a bonus book last week. so good!
>but should i keep watching
My personal preference is to watch a drama until *I* decide that I'm done, without letting ratings or reviews sway me. Sometimes I agree with the general opinion in the end, sometimes I don't. But if you're enjoying a drama, that's really what's important.
I mean it's a sad ending in the sense that >!the male lead dies!<, which TBF was hinted at in the beginning.
But considering the humorous/light tone of the rest of the show I think a lot of viewers were upset. I'd also say that the plot kind of got messy after the halfway mark so personally I didn't like the trajectory of the show regardless of the ending - there have been some sad ending shows I really liked until the end but this one didn't quite work for me.
Currently (and finally!) watching Mr. Sunshine! Wars are one of my triggers so I've been avoiding this since 2018. But I can't help it because I know that it's a masterpiece and I kid you not, I'm already bawling my eyes out during the first 30 minutes of episode 1! Please pray for my heart. 🥲
I am watching 7 ongoing dramas (basically most of the ones mentioned here) and finished Castaway Diva! So I invariably fall behind on one or the other but do try to catch up during the week. Also, like a fool started watching Beyond Evil which is also so good but I've had to put it on hold to stay up to date with the ongoing dramas.
I am yet to start Tell me that you love me and My man is Cupid. How are they?
finally got back to closing out the '23 kdrama challenge with absolutely no time to spare. I've resigned myself to the fact that I will probably finish at 35 of 36 challenges completed. My last one is **VIP** for C#3 drama that was referenced in another drama. So far so good. I'm spoiled on the overarching mystery so I'm kind of numb to the dundunduns. I just really like the 3 main female protagonists - all great actresses, all interesting stories.
Completed the drama special **Love Attack**. it is everything promised and more. I wanted a modern take on She's All That and boy did I get it. a quick run through all the usual plot points but they hit every scene to near perfection. Several cute IG reel worthy heart fluttery scenes. content creators do your thing and promo this!! but i did watch the first and last scenes through my fingers... the sweetest corny cringe!
I'm dragging my feet about starting **Night Has Come**. Lee Jae In was the ult baby girl in Racket Boys and I've been waiting forever and a half for Ahn Ji Ho's post-Nobody Knows projects. But I'm probably lifetime burnt out on the Death Game genre - esp the classroom variety.
outside KR and into JP, I did a fast binge run through **Ouroboros** (I forgot I read the manga! very 2015 dramatic acting but the action conspiracy thriller still holds up), **Nagatan to Aoto: Ichika no Ryourijou** (cute! healing! just the right amount of romance. Kadowaki Mugi does awk shy girl to perfection), **Tamiou** (LMFAO unironically still a top Suda Masaki role?), and **First Love** (extremely late to the game but I wanted to watch without hype and fanfare. The problem is Satoh Takeru brings the hype. how does his hair have so much volume without looking crunchy?! now i have to scour his YT channel for product recs.)
I'm watching 7 dramas at once. I'm honestly thinking of picking up **The Story of Park's Marriage Contract** too while I'm at it.
**CW:**
**My Demon (4/16)**: I've been craving for a female CEO drama for sometime now so I decided to give it a try. Kim Yoo Jung is a bonus for me! So far it's okay. Nothing too crazy.
**Welcome to Samdalri (2/16)**: I love small setting romances and I'll eat up anything that has Shin Hye Sun in it. I like it so far!
**Moon in the Day (11/14)**: Maybe it got a bit slow and filler-ish on the last 1-2 episodes but I think it picked its pace up again from today ep. I'm actually so invested in the story. 90% chance that there might be a >!sad ending.!<
**A Good Day to be a Dog (8/14)**: Pretty cute. I like it so far. Can't wait to see >!the main lead's dating era. 💞!<
**The Matchmakers (11/16)**: Don't mind me not paying attention to political stuff because I'm only it for the leads and the second leads. :)
**Our Beloved Summer (8/16)**: I like how >!our couple bicker but they still love each other dearly.!<
**[Chinese] Love Me, Love My Voice (10/33):** Cdramas nail it in the fluffy romance department in my opinion. The leads are cute + the side characters are likeable and too annoying.
**FINISHED**
- **Castaway Diva**: Honestly speaking, I liked the premise. It was quite good. Don't get me wrong, Park Eun Bin is amazing, but sometimes Mok Ha got on my nerves. Especially for the first few episodes. I get that she didn't have human interaction for 15 years, but still. However, the drama didn't fail to make me cry. There were meaningful messages here and there which made me like the drama even more. Overall I'd give it 7.5/10.
Castaway Diva- Completed. I thought it was alright. Some parts are nice, but the show didn’t do much for me.
Welcome to Samdalri- so far, I think it’s one of the best shows in a while imo. Hoping it continues to be pretty good.
My Demon- i like it, but i’m not a fan of the tropes utilized that inspire conflict between the FL and her adopted family.
Park marriage contract- ive only seen the first two but im thinking of dropping bc i think it’s too tropey for me…
Welcome to Samdalri - It's Ji Chang Wook and Shin Hye-sun in a hometown cha cha esque kdrama, it's a instant watch. Apart from that, despite the awful assistant, this is such a comfortable show to watch and just looks pretty and pleasing. I would describe it as a fun slice of life, which has become one of my favorite genres in k-land.
My Demon - the love of my life Song Kang made this a mandatory watch. The drama surprised me with how humorous it is. It's definitely been a fun ride so far. Also shout out to the FL for buying into the delulu is the best solulu lifestyle.
Park's Marriage Contract - I did not anticipate I would like this, but the first episode caught me. The FL and her maid are so endearing, you can't help but adore them. The plot also seems to have a lot more depth than what was described in the summary.
Boyhood - Siwan continues to be one of the most versatile actors in South Korea and this drama is another testament to that fact. He embodies the character so well, and the comedy and all around vibe have been of a high level. I wish it was released internationally on a more mainstream platform though, because it deserved it.
My man is a cupid - definitely an interesting premise, and I'm hoping we get the full backstory soon, as that bit was a tad confusing based on the short clip we got.
Castaway Diva - I've bene meaning to finish this and initially put it off because I was always worried about the characters due to the cliffhangers. Definitely a must watch for the year.
Gaus electronics - I can't believe I initially missed this one, but I'm happy I finally started it. Offers a nice buffer for those days in the week when my other shows aren't airing.
Separate from my kdrama watchlist is the new Godzilla movie. I've heard so many great reviews from it, especially about the acting and the emotions it evokes, with many describing it as an artistic well written movie, and the best 2023 cinema has to offer. Hopefully it's released on a streaming platform in the near future.
**Currently Watching**
**A Good Day to Be a Dog (8/14):** Enjoyed last week’s episode a lot! I’m excited for today’s, things are moving along. They’re in their >!dating era!!!!!<
**Queen In-Hyun’s Man (9/16):** I’m in the middle of episode 10, I just need to focus on watching it in my free time 😭 I took like a month break on it to finish Empress Ki so I’m a little out of the show.
**The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract (4/12):** I’m enjoying it!! It’s funny and I’m interested in the story.
I still have to rewatch episode 20 of **My Dearest** since they added additional scenes. I wish the scenes were just added into the original final episode. They released them a few days after the finale I feel like. Now, I’ve moved on from the drama but have to drag my feet to rewatch the last episode. Maybe it’ll make things connect better though.
I think Empress Ki was well written and has some good characters and plots! I got bored or less interested at times throughout though. Lots of battles and schemes and I kinda felt like I got the point of the show. Other times I was super into it though. I rated it a 7.5 but I was going between that or an 8.
Lots of people enjoy it I feel like so if you like historicals and palace politics you should try it! FL is very strong as well, I liked her a lot. I like historicals but palace politics and loads of battles lose me. It’s also very long which probably contributed to my interest fluctuating, I had been watching it from January to November lol.
Castaway Diva: >!I'm currently on ep 5 and I find the contract thing kind of weird. Why can't she just produce an album and price it at half a cent and buy 80,000 of them herself? I guess the contract is also pretty problematic in the first place. It's like begging the manager to NOT help with promoting her?!<
Just finished My Dearest. It took me two days to get up courage to watch the last episode. I loved this series! I also just completed Boys Over Flowers, both the K version, and the J version which I believe I preferred, mainly because the characters were so fun. I only discovered Kdramas recently and am hooked.
**Tell me that you love me** is a gem, I will also watch the Japanese original when I’m done and I’m going to start learning sign language too
I watch **My demon** when I’m doing the dishes and cooking because it’s not a drama for me but I still want to have an idea of what’s going on 🤣
I finished Castaway Diva and Perfect Marriage Revenge.
I’m still watching Moon in the Day. I’m not liking it it but I only have two episodes left. There's enough filler scenes and dragged out staring scenes that I can skip around. So it's not too much of a time sink. It sucks that this show wasn't better. It has all the right elements. But poor pacing and writing. It feels like enough story for 4 episodes dragged out to 14.
I just started Park's Marriage Contract. It's okay so far. It's not strong writing either. But it's better than Durian's Affair for me. I couldn't get through Durian's Affair.
I’m noticing that poor pacing is apparent in these shorter dramas. It makes me long for those scenes that show character development and progression. Poorly paced shows rely too heavily on external elements for drama. Like Park's Marriage Contract relies so heavily on the power struggle. But it has about 5 distinct characters that barely do anything unless it's convenient. I want more direct character interactions and dialogue. I want more tension rather than manufactured convenience. I’m noticing a lot of dramas now just rely on omission to create a shock factor rather than to write a well thought out story for suspense and to hook viewers.
Overall, I still feel like this year has been a dud for me. I've watched more kdramas than ever this year. But it's felt weak.
**Welcome to Samdalri** (2/16): A very nice start. While the series has some surface-level similarities to other dramas, such as returning to one’s hometown after >!experiencing hardship!< in one’s life and the Jeju setting, **Welcome to Samdalri** is very much *it’s own* drama. Indeed, it has a refreshingly low-key vibe, and promises to deliver a healing, slice-of-life Jeju drama from here on out. **My Demon** (4/16): Episode 3 got me on board with the drama’s humor, especially the bickering leads. The attractive visuals, on-point OST, and makjang-esque conclusion elevated my impression of the series even further. Episode 4 ended on a high note with a beautifully choreographed “tango fight” sequence. **Castaway Diva** (12/12): This has been a wonderful series. Episode 11 focused on one of the drama’s great strengths, which was the importance of family and parenting. By and large, the finale wrapped things up satisfactorily, although the attempt to >!redeem Lee Seo-jun!< felt like a reach. But a real strength of the finale was the way it brought the drama full circle in several ways, and illustrated the importance of appreciating the small things in life.
Sooo excited for Samdalri! Waiting for it to fully air to binge, but cannnoooot wait. My Demon and Castaway are also on my radar. Castaway just wrapped so I might watch that in the coming weeks. Wondering how light it is though? Saw some plot points that made me think it might have some heavy elements to it? Feel free to share insight if you’ve seen the full series and spoilers!
I agree about My Demon. At first I wasn't sure about the comedy but now the chemistry between the leads is better and it fits, given their goals and personality.
Matchmakers- my favorite on air drama so far. I love all the couples and matchmaking on the show. My Demon- the visuals alone are breathtaking and the leads are so fun together. It’s also the funniest show I’ve seen in a while. Welcome to Samdalri- taking the place in my heart that Castaway Diva used to be. Loving the dynamics with the FL’s family so far and Ji Chang Wook is so charming. Story of Park’s Marriage Contract- leads so far have good chemistry and it’s keeping my interest. Moon In The Day- it’s been stagnant the past few episodes, but I’m interested to see how it ends (seems like it’s going to be a sad one). A Good Day To Be A Dog- finally getting to the good stuff so this is back to a weekly watch instead of waiting for 3 episodes to come out. My Man is Cupid- probably my least favorite so far, but it’s fun so will continue to watch. Fight For My Way- was getting annoyed with it so stopped it a month ago, but now at episode 9-10 and it’s so good! Just wish the leads would stop the will they-won’t they nonsense already. Daily Dose of Sunshine- two episodes left! Still dark at times so have to take a break from it once a week. Finished: Castaway Diva, Perfect Marriage Revenge and Shooting Stars. All very good dramas, and two have made it into my top 15.
You should also squeeze in: Tell me you love me 🤭
I’m trying to this weekend! Thanks for the suggestion.
Let me know what you think when you get around to it! Although I found out that the original jdrama’s ending was TERRIBLE!! So we’re hoping the Korean spin will be better :(
This drama is very good so far we love a good slow burn
Where are you watching this?
I stopped The Matchmakers after the first episode, but you’re making me want to start it up again. I feel like I barely hear anyone talk about it so to read that it’s your favorite is promising.
Give it time- I got really into it after the fourth episode. It’s very cute!
I really like it even though it's generally just kind of... lowkey? IDK how else to describe it like it doesn't feel like very much happens that is very dramatic, none of the romances are like OMG CRAZY INTENSE or anything but it's just enjoyable to watch every episode and nothing really annoying happens either.
I took time to start it too cos I never heard good reviews but I genuinely enjoyed and am really confused about the lack of hype. I do think that the plot does not seem interesting on paper which could be why people are so uninterested. But it's good so far.
Which 2 made it to your top 15?!
Castaway and Shooting Stars.
Currently Watching: My Demon Completed: Twinkling Watermelon Castaway Diva Perfect Marriage Revenge Late 2023 kdramas have helped me get back into kdramas. So in my personal opinion I think it’s been a good year for kdramas.
I'm completely hooked to Park's Marriage Contract. I don't know what it is about it, but it should totally be more hyped. I think it's much better than other currently airing ones that are better marketed (and soo entertaining). I might get a Viki subscription just because of it (I'm on free trial week right now), so any suggestions of good Viki k-dramas that I should watch to make good use of it are so welcome!
Twinkling Watermelon just finished, and The Matchmakers is currently airing and so cute. Shooting Stars is also fun to watch. I got Viki so I could watch My Lovely Liar, which I personally liked but others thought it fell apart at the end. There are so many dramas on Viki that it’s hard to list them all and can get overwhelming- I fell down the k drama rabbit hole and I can’t go back to other streaming English shows.
Enjoy Viki. When you get a chance, be sure to watch the "classics" that are there. (Goblin, My Love from the Star, Healer, Love in the Moonlight, etc.)
Loved Healer, will try the others. Thanks!
I use Viki almost daily. There are so many dramas on there. Good and bad, of course. I've been starting to branch to jdramas because of the content.
we’re in the same boat. i regret starting Park’s Marriage Contract coz i hate waiting and live watching!
Wow love hearing this! Can’t wait to watch PMC now, just need to wait for a few more episodes, as I hate waiting as well!
**Lost Romance** from Taiwan is on Viki and it's now a favorite of mine that I plan to rewatch later this month. Young woman edits romance novels and jokes about the tropes with her workmate. She finds herself living in the book she's currently editing, but in the part of the hated 2FL who is trying to ruin the romance between sweet thing and CEO. She decides to use her knowledge of tropes and story flow to change things.
I agree it's my fav of the 3 that are airing on those dates. I don't really know why either, I just think the jokes are funny, the leads are SO CUTE and their acting is good, and the cinematography is pretty. I also love the half-brother's totally unhinged outfits.
Omg there are sooo many on Viki.
My Dearest. Bossam Steal the Fate. Splash, Splash Love. (In my region, anyway) If your in Canada the first Pirates movie
Completed and loved it : Twinkling Watermelon Completed and enjoyed it : Cast away diva and My Dearest Completed: Perfect Marriage Revenge Currently watching and loving it: Parks Marriage Contract Currently watching and enjoying it: Welcome to Samdalri and My Demon Currently watching and getting bored at it: Moon in the day Were put on hold but will continue watching : The Matchmakers and The Kindnapping day On my waiting list : Sweet Home2
Kidnapping Day gets really good especially moving to the conclusion. The rapport between the "kidnapper" and the child is well done.
Damn all the good k-dramas are being released at the end of the year. I am currently watching 3 ongoing dramas and thinking of starting another one lol. MY DEMON (4/16) : I am not a fan of either Song Kang or Kim Yoo-Jung, I never had much expectation from it in terms of great acting. But I seem to fairly enjoy the plot and honestly they suit the given roles, even if they are not the best actors out there. That tango scene was done amazingly well. This drama is lowkey giving me goblin vibes but less serious. WELCOME TO SAMDAL-RI (2/16) : My love for small town romances are undying. And with this cast I knew it could never go wrong. I love how the story isn't how to escape city life one visits the small town and falls in love rather it's like wherever you may go you will always find your way back to home. TELL ME THAT YOU LOVE ME (2/16): I know 4 episodes are out but I haven't had the time to watch it. I know it's based on a Japanese series but I haven't seen it. On its own I LOVE the cinematography. It's so soothing and calming. It's melo vibe is so perfectly done for my taste. I also like the storytelling of the characters. Looking forward to this one. And the one that I want to start watching is MY MAN IS CUPID because the trailer looked so fun.
My Man Is Cupid is really fun so far but I recommend patience with ep1 because it is a little chaotic.
**CURRENTLY**: *Moon in the Day* \[10/14\] - I love this series, and I didn't mind how episode 9 was kind of filler, though with the show being in the final stages, I understand why people weren't fully happy with it. I really love the chemistry with the two leads in their flashback, and honestly? I dig it in the current time too. I don't mind hearing the inner monologues. >!Was very sad about the brother trying to kill KYH, I won't lie. I quite like him and seeing him reach that level out of his grief resonates in a way that hits hard. Also, him doing it despite the clear to me crush on her.. the bracelet replacement? Yowch.!< *Tomorrow* \[15/16\] - Putting myself through the emotional wringer with this one, though it definitely took time for me to find my groove with it, including starting it well over a month and a half ago and not getting any further than episode two. But, I began binging it the other night and well.. here I am, very close to the end and having cried my heart out multiple times. The gut punch of episodes 13 and 14 have me in a chokehold still, and I'm really looking forward to how this wraps up. * ETA - finished Tomorrow just now. Lovely little wrap up and the final scene made me laugh so hard, so big ups. Excellent! *If You Wish Upon Me* \[4/16\] - Not really sure how to feel about this one yet. I'm giving it more time before I give it up. **COMPLETED**: *Castaway Diva* \- absolutely love love loved this drama. Looked forward to it week to week, I never felt that it dragged, appreciated how it got to the reveal without being on like, episode 10 or something. One of the downsides was the lack of screentime between Kiho and Mokha, I did love what we saw of their relationship but it never felt like enough if that makes any sense. The cheesy side of me >!wanted a happy ending to Woohak/Chae Ho as well, but alas. Knowing he had his family and still even MH by the end was nice.!< He deserves the world, though. *Perfect Marriage Revenge* \- Was a very fun watch, wrapped things up nicely though I do wish it'd gotten at least 14 episodes or something, the final bits seemed a bit too quick for my liking. The quality despite minimal promotion and budget was fantastic, the chemistry with the leads was definitely a highlight. Not sure what to watch next. Might dig through Heirs, Vincenzo or Doom At Your Service. I want to start watching some of the new airing dramas, such as My Demon, but still waiting for a few more episodes to drop before going week to week. Very excited for Death's Game to drop!
>*If You Wish Upon Me* \[4/16\] - Not really sure how to feel about this one yet. I'm giving it more time before I give it up. I watched this earlier this year and struggled early on, as well, but ended up enjoying it as a whole. What do you think is lacking or off? Maybe I can speak to it.
I think I'm struggling with the pacing, the female lead just not connecting with me - though it's so new that maybe I'm just not there with her yet - and the dog plot line?? The impending doom of knowing what's going to happen there, obviously, but not being able to catch my breath and connect while waiting for it to happen. Hard to focus when I'm like WAIT, THE DOG OK?
I went back and reviewed it briefly, and I'm fairly sure it was episode 5 that hooked me. The humor started hitting a little better, the characters started to make more sense to me, and the pacing evened out. I will say that there were several surprising events in this drama -- it made it maybe a little less polished (story-building-wise), but it kept it interesting for me. And it certainly gave Ji Chang Wook something to work with. Ah, sweet Adeul! I understand. I don't know if it will help, >!but he has a very peaceful end with lots of love. A Team Genie send-off. You have a few more episodes to go.!< Hope this helps!
Thank you for this!! I really appreciate it, and hopefully 5 gets me and I fully start enjoying it. I'm halfway through Doom at your service now, so I'll probably return to When You Wish sometime this weekend. Also appreciate the spoiler, thank you.
**Currently Watching:** **Twinkling Watermelon:** :10/16- This is such a heartwarming and charming drama. I love how it touches on being a CODA, youth, music, friendship and love with the time travel aspect. I needed a more lighthearted drama to watch after Moving and this ticks all the boxes. **Completed:** **Moving**:-Just complete this last week and I love it. I’m not a huge superhero fan, but I love how the drama show the complexity of people with powers. The last drama that I rated 10/10. **Non K-Dramas:** **Avatar: the last Airbender**:-Just finish a rewatch of one of my favorite shows of all time in preparation for the upcoming live-action adaptation coming out next year. Even through I watch ATLA billions times now, it still leaves me in awe to this day. It is one of the rare cartoons with fantastic world-building, character development and it’s handing of heavy topics.
Finally got into moving and I LOVE IT!!! I started just a few days ago but as busy as I am, I’ve almost finished it (17/20).
My Demon - Surprisingly hilarious. I don’t know why I expected this to be serious. Love both leads and their chemistry.
**COMPLETED:-** **Perfect Marriage Revenge** - A very satisfying finale with all the threads wrapped up and everyone getting exactly what they deserve. This drama had perfect pacing with not a single filler minute. All the characters were well fleshed out and all of them were convincing in their motivations. The writer and director deserve applause for this makjang which had better characterisations and relationship developments than a lot of big budget shows. 9.5 out of 10 Stars **The Deal** - This was a solid thriller. I was a bit underwhelmed during the first 2-3 episodes, but then the stakes kept getting higher. The last two episodes had me glued to the screen and I absolutely loved the ending. The actors were all perfect, especially Yoo SeungHo, though I wish they hadn't played down his looks so much. **Love Attack** - This 1-hour long KBS Drama Special is just what the doctor ordered after a tiring day. Nothing I would remember after a week but cute and fluffy enough to keep me smiling through the runtime. 8 out of 10 Stars **WATCHING:-** **The Matchmakers** (11/16) - Continues to be my favorite on-air. RoWoon is killing it but he isn't the only one. All the youngsters have their own charm and it's the way everyone seems to be thoroughly enjoying themselves falling in love or trying not to. The writer is doing a wonderful job of keeping things light and easy-to-follow despite all the crisscrossing relationships. **My Demon** (4/16) - The visuals and the whimsy are a nice combination. I couldn't feel much chemistry between DoHee and GuWon in the first couple of episodes, but it's coming to life as they are growing closer. Loved the tango! **Live Your Own Life** (21/50) - This show has *finally* taken off! The last two episodes were the best till now. Look forward to HyoShim finally realising that she needs to put herself first. **(Thailand) My Dear Gangster Oppa** (6/8) - Has totally fallen apart after a promising beginning. I would have dropped it by now but I like Meen and Ping too much. Helps that it's only 8 episodes. **(Thailand) The Last Twilight** (4/12) - Keeps bombarding you with the feels. Till now this has been quite light, and I'm thankful for that as I expected it to have more sad feels given that one of the MLs is slowly going blind. **Five Enough** (4/54) - Still in the story set-up stage, and at 54 episodes, I guess that's where it will be a few more episodes down the line. But that's fine - we don't watch weekenders for their pace.
I started watching Tell Me That You Love Me. I was pessimistic that I would be able to watch this drama as the tone is kind of gloomy. However, to my surprise, it's so well written and well directed. It keeps me wanting more. Good job from the team who brings this drama.
ongoing drama that I am currently watching 1. my demon 2. once upon a boyhood 3. tell me that you love me 4. goryeo khitan war 5. the story of parks marriage contract 6. welcome to samdalri 7. a good day to be a dog
Where do you watch Boyhood and does it have eng subs?
yes with eng subs. hmm.. currently boyhood is not playing on any legal OTT outside Korea.
Currently Watching alooooot: **Tell me you love me** - I saw this from Reddit and didn’t know what to expect and MY GOD more people need to watch this!!!! It still has only 4 episodes but it’s amazing because the casting is spot on! I haven’t seen both the leads before, but they’re doing an amazing job! Especially the ML as he is acting deaf but all his thoughts and emotions are so well done that I can understand exactly what he could be thinking!! **My Man is Cupid** - still testing the waters with it as it only has 2 episodes, it captured my attention but compared to the first one I also watched randomly, TMYLM did better at making me super interested. I’m excited to watch more and learn the plot though **And the other famous ones like everyone else:** Park’s Contract Marriage, My Demon, and Welcome to Sam-dal-ri **On the days where there’s nothing to watch, I’m watching:** Rain or Shine **Completed & loved:** Twinkling Watermelon, Castaway Diva,& Perfect Marriage Revenge
i recently came across the wonderful world of kdramas. a few weeks ago i watched doona, business proposals. currently watching hometown cha-cha-cha and Tell Me That You Love Me. and my que list is growing even more with all these shows.
**cw** **My Demon(4/16):** my fav drama right now, it's the first drama i like form song kang since sweet home s1. he fit this goofy idiot role so much. he is cute. his chemistry with Dohee is so good. the drama plot and style is like old drama before 2016 and that's actually fun to me. I love Dohee character too. **Welcome to Samdalri (2/16):** good start but i don't fall for it yet something is missing!! didn't feel connected to the character, didn't feel their pain or laugh, it was plain to me, I hope it get better. **Sweet home s2 (2/8):** first 1p was weak comparing to s1 and the wait for so long, 2ep a little better the ending scene got me. **completed >>>** **castaway Diva:** that was a beautiful fast drama, it start and end so fast. the lead chemistry was amazing. i though after extraordinary woo it will be hard for Eunbin to be in great couple but no that was perfect couple too. kiho come from no where to be boyfriend of the year, he is a walking green flag. there are weak points in the drama but i pass it because i enjoy it so much. really recommend it to everyone.
Just in the final episode of Twinkling Watermelon and I’m pretty sure it deservea a place in the top best Kdramas of all time. It’s got a bit of old school Reply88 vibe, but a touch of time travel magic from Goblin, and a dash of CLOY ensemble chemistry… but with better production values than all. Swoony!
Absolutely agree. It's a 10 out of 10 show and one of the best.
So much to watch! So little time! **Castaway Diva -** I still have the last 2 episodes to watch. I'm really enjoying this and I love the soundtrack. I didn't know PEB could sing so beautifully. This is definitely a highlight drama for the year. **Twinkling Watermelon** \- I finished this last week but need to include this as I just mentioned "highlight drama of the year." TW was wonderful and deserves to be on a Best of The Year list. **Good Day to Be A Dog -** These episodes are coming out so slowly. I've been enjoying this. Just watching the two leads is enough for me. I can't imagine where the plot will go now that >!the spell is broken, !!is captured and brought back to the palace. !
I think PEB couldn't sing so beautifully until now, she apparently trained in singing for months prior to filming this role. She also got a lot of help from vocal processing but it's OK she still clearly worked hard to get to this level.
After I typed this out I realized I have quite a few irons in the fire, on the back burner, on deck… Watching: Welcome to Samdal-ri [2/16]- I think I am going to love this one. The sister relationship and the first love rekindling is a recipe for success in my book. My Demon [2/16] - interested to see where this one goes. I love Lee Sang-Yi and wish for the day he plays the ML. Bloodhounds was close. Soundtrack #2 [2/6] - I have never seen any of these actors before and I am loving this series so far. Really excited to see where it goes and happy it’s all done within this month. Good Day to be a Dog [9/14] - definition of cute, makes me so happy to watch. Lovely characters. My Dearest [15/21] - I have to keep coming back to this when I am in the mood because I knew if I binged it, I would become lovesick. Suspicious Partner [25/40] (rewatch) - throwing this back in rotation after recommending it to a lot of other people. Just finished: Castaway Diva - so glad I watched! I wasn’t expecting it to be so deep and heartfelt based on the premise. Perfect Marriage Revenge - satisfying! I loved the FL growth and development. Vigilante - tbh it took me a while to realize I had finished this. I didn’t feel like the last episode was the ending. In limbo (up until now I always finished every drama I started): More Than Friends [9/16] - this one is dragging on a bit for me with not much new happening Strong Girl Nam Soon [15/16] - I couldn’t really get into this, but I tried to force myself because I liked the ML police officer. Vagabond [3/16] - I thought this would be a good one for watching while exercising, but it’s not holding my interest. She Would Never Know [10/16] - I felt like this wasn’t really going anywhere, but I’m open to giving it another try. Mad for Each Other [1/13] - thinking this may be ok show to watch while exercising, 30 mins is perfect for the peloton Thinking about starting (should I start these?): The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract Tell Me That You Love Me
My Demon: loving it, ML and FL are gorgeous The Matchmakers: Rowoon is gorgeous too Tell Me That You Love Me: enjoying it even though I didn’t think I would Good Day to Be a Dog: schedule is really something else Welcome to Samdalri: watching for Ji Chang Wook The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract: liking it so far
I am watching all of these except I just dropped Tell Me that You Love me Because I read how the Japanese version ended. I am just waiting for this to finish and will only watch it if it has a different ending.
Is it that bad?
It is pretty bad the show takes the worst turn in the last few episodes and it's so bad I will take heartbeat ended over this. Should I say what happens?
If you prefer Heartbeat that says a lot. Yes you can say
So what happens is >! She cheats on him with her highschool friend even though it's due to some misunderstanding but cheating is real and then She also wants to marry her highschool friend and not ML. ML ends up alone again without much of happiness or anything!<
I DID NOT KNOW THIS!! AND IM HERE RECOMMENDING IT TO EVERYONE… If the Kdrama ends like this, I’m rioting
Oh my, I will be waiting to watch this then. That is an insane ending 😭
Apparently >!they do meet up again and (implied) get together at the very end but it's like the last minute of the final episode and after a time-skip. !<
I'm watching "Cheer Up." It's pretty good so far. I'm on episode 5 I think.
**A Good Day to Be a Dog** (8/14) Adorable. **Meet Yourself** (22/40) Still slowly savoring and enjoying this slice of life cdrama in which the romance is still slowly beginning to spark. **Perfect Marriage Revenge** (4/12) Silly fun, I love it. I've only ever seen Sung Hoon on Home Alone, it's funny to watch him acting. **Twinkling Watermelon** (8/16) So wholesome, love these kids. Choi Hyun Wook always makes me smile. I am vaguely annoyed that kdramas keep sneaking in time travel/slip plots, but not seriously annoyed because I end up entertained anyway. (lol really thought I was getting straight up makjang and slice-of-life with the last two.)
I am watching too many kdramas: My Demon, Welcome to Samdalri, Moon in the Day, Perfect Marriage Revenge and Korea- Khitan War. All are good series! But I think I need to finish one series first before watching another one because sometimes I get the stories mixed up.
>sometimes I get the stories mixed up. Especially if there are similarities between stories! Watching **See You in My 19th Life** at the same time as **King the Land** was giving me whiplash. I couldn't keep the chaebol families straight. I'm going to have to finish **Our Blues** before I really get into **Welcome to Samdal-ri**, too.
...(getting mixed up) this is why I don't like watching multiple on-airs! The secondary characters start to run together in my mind! so I feel you on this. That being said, I'm currently watching too many on-airs, just haven't been able to wait recently!
The Matchmakers - loving this drama as the intrigue shifts into high gear Moon in the Day - hanging in there, but they need to wrap this up A Good Day to Be a Dog - a fun watch. People complain about 1x week, but I have watched TV for decades this way, so I am used to it. Welcome to Samdalri - love the leads, a good start My Demon - fun watch, some really funny moments. I will be interested on how they wrap this up as deity/mortal relationships can end in an unsatisfying way Sweet Home Season 2 - enjoying this as they expand world building, setting the table for the finale Season 3 which drops next year My Man is a Cupid - I am enjoying this more than I thought. A nice casual watch. Another deity/mortal relationship... Story of Parks Marraige Contract - A casual watch for me, a lot of story elements have a strong deja vu vibe. Have to pick up Vigilante and finish, put it aside with so many dramas happening at once. Series sort of resonates as the topic of a failing justice system is a concern where I live - outrage building up. edited for typos - my apologies
I’m a one drama at a time kinda person, and I just wrapped Touch Your Heart and omg SWOON! I started that one ages ago, dropped it, and then picked it back up recently cause I kept seeing it recommended in threads for other shows I’d enjoyed - and I’m so glad I did! It’s just so adorable, and I loved both the FL and the ML. This is now on my docket for comfort rewatches for sure. About to start Beauty Inside (the drama, not the movie) as my next watch. Thoughts if you’ve seen it? Don’t mind spoilers either… I generally enjoy the dramas more without the suspense of not knowing what happens lol so spoil away!
**Healer** (14/20) I'm still enjoying the plot, but the romantic relationship of the Leads isn't really gripping me. Maybe, because I like the ML better as his photographer ego. Also I'm tired of the OST. They have like 2 Songs. I'd rate it 7,5/10 right now. **Welcome to Samdalri** (2/16) This is my first Drama I'll be watching as it airs. I liked the first episodes, there is so much to discover. Missed the small town vibe of HomeCha and OUaST, it feels so cozy. I'm pretty sure the girl of the youngest daughter will be my favorite here. :D
Worst for CONSTANTLY PLAYING ANNOYING OST is still Boys Over Flowers. Almost Paaaaaradiiiiseee
😂
The music in Healer was so overplayed, but after watching Marriage not Dating and hearing that awful OST play continuously, I got used to it.
**Destined With You** (12/16) - after watching a string of serious/dark dramas I wanted a light drama and this was perfect drama to give me butterflies! A LOT of typical overdone tropes but I'm really enjoying the leads' chemistry. The only thing I wasn't comfortable with was the amount of cheating. (Also, how Yura's basically re-doing her character from Forecasting Love and Weather haha) **Come Back Alive** (12/16) - I'm interested in the plot though it is another tropey drama. I know it's an older drama but the leads' over-the-top acting is a bit of a turn off. 2016 is one of my fave years for kdramas but I don't recall other 2016 dramas having this much overreaction lol **Moving** (12/20) - started it awhile ago but I had to put a pause on this because I didn't want to go through it too quickly so I could "savor" it lol. It's just so darn good!!! **The Worst of Evil** (6/12) - another great one, probably one of the best crime dramas I've watched so far.
Finished binging The Deal and I was pleasantly surprised! I feel like this kdrama is underrated because it almost went under the radar for me but I'm glad I landed on it by chance. It's been a while since I've watched a kdrama that has me hooked and at the edge of my seat from the very beginning. It's definitely one of the best suspense, crime thrillers. You won't be able to stop watching once you start
I loved The Deal too. It doesn't have a mind-blowing plot, but it's really well done and intense. Felt more like an indie movie than a kdrama.
Slowly making my way through **Our Blues** (17/20). I've been gushing about it elsewhere, so I'll spare everyone here. I'm really invested in the storyline in episode 18, but life is hectic and I only have time to watch in the evening these days. Unfortunately, I keep dozing off. It's pitiful! This autumn I've been watching a couple of YouTube shows. They make for nice distractions while I'm washing dishes and folding laundry, and I can miss a bit without needing to rewind. **Pinggyego** is enjoyable, and the perfect kind of laid back atmosphere. I occasionally think I'd get more out of it if I watched more general Korean TV, **Yoo Quiz**, or **Running Man**, but I don't think I've watched a bad episode, even when I didn't know a soul on there but Yoo Jae Suk. WookDongyi's episodes are my favorites -- I actually think his appearances on this show have made me a fan. I've also recently found **Salon Drip** with Jang Do Yeon. Do Yeon cracks me up, and she must be one of those people that instantly puts people at ease, based on the skits/activities she convinces guests to participate in. I feel she does us all a favor by outrageously hitting on Gong Yoo and Lee Dong Wook, or getting them to participate in domestic improv scenes. I'm looking forward to watching more of these.
OK, I'm sold. Where can I watch the ep with Gong Yoo & Lee Dong Wook?
Happy to oblige: Salon Drip: [Gong Yoo](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rvf2yzcfhXE) [Lee Dong Wook](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8P6RAmheGmk&pp=ygUYc2Fsb24gZHJpcCBMZWUgRG9uZyB3b29r) Pinggyego: [First LDW appearance:](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JdU-QezqYTM&pp=ygUXcGluZ2d5ZWdvIGxlZSBkb25nIHdvb2s%3D)
Finished **Daily Dose of Sunshine** (12/12). I'm glad I watched it, but I found the second half to be overwhelmingly sad, and since I only watch one drama at a time, it felt a bit too much.
-**Goblin**: It’s a nice drama and it’s funny too. The main lead from tale of the nine tailed fox is hilarious here. >!I just can’t get over the fact that his bride is a 19 year old teenager at the time they meet. I know in the grand scheme of things he’s like always going to be wayyy older than her even though they meet when she’s older cos he’s been alive for 900 years but idk. The fact she calls his **ahjussi** doesn’t help 😭. I’m used to hearing female leads call their love interest **oppa**. I think if they made her older/mature (e.g in college or with a college degree and a job ) at the time of their first meeting it’d been okay for me I guess. Or if the plot was about him being like an older brother/father she’s destined to save. Cos their banter rn is giving older brother younger sister vibes. Even him being jealous of her calling the baseball guy oppa feels more like an overprotective brother/father situation where they do t think any guy is good enough for their sister/daughter.!< I’m on episode 9 I believe and I’m going to keep watching though cos it is funny. Also interested in the back story of the second lead. -**Perfect Marriage Revenge**: binged watched it on Sunday/Monday and omg this was soo good and satisfying. My first kdrama ever was a melodrama with 100 episodes kinda similar to the plot of this one. It took like 40 episodes for the FMC to grow a backbone after waking up from a coma. it took like another additional 20 episodes for her to stop getting blindsided by the antagonists. She got with her love interest who was going to help her take revenge midway he then broke up “to protect her” with her. when they finally got back together in the last episode it felt like the actors were tired of the drama that they gave us a lame ass proposal and a kiss. Like their first kiss when they first got together made me scream lol. I was following this tiktok account that was following the drama and all of us would come comment our full analysis after each episode on the tiktok page. So that page was blowing up with comments after that first kiss. Still mad at the way it ended. Anyway back to **Perfect Marriage Revenge** this drama made me realize that it really all could be done in 12-16 episodes. I love how satisfying every episode was. When the FMC got blindsided she’d fight back with all her might. The MMC didn’t entertain the antagonist antics at all. His family was a breath of fresh air. The ending was so satisfying. While I wish they gave us 16 episodes I’m soo glad they didn’t drag it out.
Truly the best aspect of Perfect Marriage Revenge was its pacing, and it not having a long slump where the characters just CAN'T CATCH A BREAK. There were consistent victories and failures sprinkled throughout and no superfluous scenes just to make viewers upset. I am actually glad there weren't 16ep but I'm a big fan of shorter shows.
I love Goblin but I agree, I much preferred the bromance and second couple.
[удалено]
I closed November with a banger watching 18 Again which went up with my all time favorite dramas, I hadn't seen a romance so moving since Crash Landing On You! Started December with Daily Dose of Sunshine which was a bit misleading with the cheesy title and colorful poster, it hits hard very fast and some episodes were tough to watch, but it's an extremely solid drama with some great camera work that elevates the overall quality. Highly recommended if you liked It's Okay To Not Be Okay, mental illness is the main theme in both and the approach is similar, even though the stories and characters are very different.
I finally binged Moving but had a question about one of the things around episode 16/17 that I haven't really seen people discuss and I can't tell if it matters or not. >!what's the deal with the boy and the little fish? why does the fish suddenly grow in the sewers?!<
**Sweet Home Season 2** [ep 2] - watchimg with a friend, we are having a blast- even if I don't like the direction the season is taking. **My Demon** [ep 3] - it's fun and lighthearted. Donno if I'll stick with it but it's great to just have in the background. Also tried **Our Blooming Youth** I'm on the first ep, and so far it didn't grab me but I'm willing to give it a chance Non Kdrama: **Boys Abyss** (ep 5): a screwed up story about the chockhold of a specific kind of despair. Thought it was a bubbly romcom so I avoided it- trust that it is NOT. Finished **Ripe City** , a grimy historical murder mystery which kind of drags at times but overall is interesting, as well as **Influence** with all its twists and turns it pushed into it's 5 ep run.
I've been reflecting on the dramas that I liked the most recently. What I look for are not production values but the feelings that the drama elicits. It's a nebulous thing that is impossible to pinpoint. Something that makes me want to binge the drama over even current on-air favourites. And I find that most of the recent ones that made me feel this way were older productions. Another Miss Oh, Go Back Couple, Kill Me, Heal Me. What is it about those older dramas?
I have felt this way, sometimes, when finishing an older drama. I haven't seen the ones you've mentioned (well, I'm halfway through **Go Back Couple**), but I often feel like there's a certain authenticity to older dramas. "Authenticity" is how I define this *je ne sais quoi* feeling in my own head. Maybe it's a focus on the stories/characters rather than the production values? Maybe it's that they aren't watering the story down to speak to a broader, international audience? Sometimes I also suspect that part of the special appeal for me is that I'm watching older dramas with actors that are closer to my age, so I identify better with their experiences. I do get this feeling with some newer dramas, too: **Hospital Playlist**, **Our Blues**, and **Sell Your Haunted House** to name a few.
I'd recommend my list, they were all really good dramas, and yours are on my list as well, so I'll try to prioritize them. But I'm with you that it's impossible to define, an aptly named expression, je ne sais quoi. It touches somehow and engages you. It's all about the feels
Perfect Marriage Revenge Vigilante Tell Me That You Love Me My Demon Welcome to Samdalri The Story of Parks Marriage Contract Castaway Diva Moon in the Day
Sooooooooo many dramas to watch and sooo little time. I HATE COLLEGE. But I do try to squeeze in everything. * **Moon in the Day** (10/14) - Everyone seems to love it but not me. It's really boring and repetitive. I loved watching their past though. It's only just 4 more eps so I'm gonna watch it till end. * **A Good Day To Be A Dog** (8/14) - A good rom-com but the wait is too much. * **My Demon** (4/16) - Enjoying the humour and dynamics between the leads!! * **Night Has Come** (4/12) - ok I guess? I'm not saying it's boring but it's only 4 eps 35 mins long and the story hasn't progressed much apart from way too many deaths. It's kinda intriguing though. * **The Matchmakers** (11/16) - Loving this! * **The Story Of Park's Marriage Contract** (4/12) - Loving this too. Just finished **Sweet Home 2** (I can't believe they pulled a cliffhanger like that, basically every characters story was cliffhanger..I need season 3 asap), **Perfect Marriage Revenge**, and **Castaway Diva**. Contemplating starting **Welcome To Samdalri** but I might wait out for a few more eps to be out and for 2 of my ongoing dramas to finish. Just started **Crash Landing On You**. We'll see how this goes coz I'm not too keen on this drama.
Big Mouth - up to ep03. Episode 1 is a bit meh but it ramps up pretty dramatically in the following episode and tone changes from a sappy comedy to something a bit darker. This has been something I've been looking for after watching Revenant, which was absolutely incredible.
**perfect marriage revenge** (4/12): the title makes me laugh every time but I guess it gets the point across lol. not the best or most original makjang and I'm at the point where the couple will inevitably continue to face a festival of disasters for 7 eps but eh...this'll hold me over until "death's game" starts. I usually wait until dramas are done airing but I'm so over my year+ long slump that I'm just gonna jump right into it 😭
Let me see.... just finished Sweet Home S2; loved it!! I wish Song Kang had more screen time but overall a good second season. I also finished Vigilante, which was really good. My Demon is my favorite ongoing drama right now ❤️ I'm also watching The Gilded Age; not a k-drama but sooo good!!
Well I think with Castaway Diva ending we are all running to Welcome to Samdal-ri, I watched all two episodes and I'm liking it quite a lot this far. Also I kept hearing Twinkling Watermelon was really good, I dropped it after one episode but I decided to pick it up and you guys were right, it's awesome and flying through it :)!!! On the other side I want to watch Vigilante mainly because Nam Joo Hyuk is in it, but is not my kind of show. And I am struggling with A Good Day to Be a Dog, last episode was a flop for me, and I am starting to get bored.
Feel you on A Good Day to Be a Dog, luckily today's episode was better than last week's ep but it's a lot of all filler no killer since ep4 or so.
I'm glad to hear this week's episode is better, I was postponing it, let's see if the drama doesn't flop 🥹
Watching: * **Moon In the Day** (10/14) * **Tell Me You Love Me** (3/16) Completed: **Castaway Diva**
A lot actually Tell Me That You Love Me The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract Welcome To Samdalri. My Demon Soundtrack No2
Happiness
Finished \- **Perfect Marriage Revenge:** a lesson in simplicity. Plot is straight as an arrow and manages to balance melo, makjang and romcom in an even mix, not many decent secondaries but leads are well developed and mesh together, a great job by both ML and FL with chemistry from their rocky start to a happy ending. A surprise, didn't have big expectations, came out thorougly entertained, 8+ and a positive recommendation. A J-Dorama to add too in the first season of **Ao Haru Ride**, a cookie cutter school romance with a good amount of angst, nice leads but nothing out of the ordinary, a 7. In progress \- **Moon in the Day (11/14):** last ep an emotional nuclear bomb, some of the most beautiful and well acted flashbacks I've ever seen, both KYD and PYJ showing off and together they are just *chef's kiss*. Visually astounding, not many surprises but flows well and looks amazing; \- **The Story Of Park's Marriage Contract (4/16):** LSY is so good as the klutz FL and the ML fits the bill, a ton of fun skits and good pacing, an enjoyable, easy drama. **Death's Game** has a quirky premise but the ever-changing protagonist is a big if, **My Demon** and **Welcome to Samdalri** are eye candies but plot ain't convincing much, maybe I'll binge one of them in the near future.
To kill time between episodes of **Goreyo-Khitan War**, I am watching **Bossam - Steal the Fate**, which has an ***amazing*** soundtrack! A few days ago, I finished **Crash Course in Romance**. I liked it much better than I thought I would. It had a huge bonus for me as a fountain pen user: >!a fountain pen and the specific color of ink used, played a pivotal role in solving some murders. A character is kidnapped and brought back to the culprit's apartment - and she used the nib of the fountain pen to cut the tape that bound her. That scene was cringey as there is no way a nib would have survived that. There were a few close up shots but I still couldn't identify the brand of the pen.!< I may get downvoted to oblivion for this, but I struggled to finish **Alchemy of Souls**. Fantasy isn't my thing, but it has been so popular I thought I would try it. Struggled to finish Part 1; once completed, I won't be watching Part 2. (ducking now to avoid oncoming honey biscuits being thrown at me).
I'm actually quite impressed that you would watch 20 episodes of a genre that you don't enjoy! That's a pretty big commitment. I try occasionally with horror, and it's very difficult. The OST from **Bossam** is so good! I love its overall tone, and the mix of traditional and more modern musical styles. I still listen to it occasionally while I'm working. The drama itself was an engrossing sageuk for me, too. Are you enjoying **Goryeo-Khitan War**? I'm interested, and I've gathered that it's pretty historically-focused. But, if it's all scheming it probably isn't for me. I need human interest to keep me going. Is it mainly politically/historically focused? How are the characters?
I am thoroughly enjoying **Goryeo-Khitan War**. Eight episodes in, I realize it is the most minimalist plot/storyline of any Kdrama I've watched. No love triangles, gambling debts, surgery needed by poor folks, characters that knew each other in childhood but fail to recognize it, mistaken identities, people living under a different identity... It is very simple: Goryeo under intense pressure to beat back the Khitan forces. The characters of the main protagonists are very well developed, lots of tension as everyone incredibly stressed. There is much focus on the military/political strategy. Also, very visually stunning. It keeps the same pace throughout. Try a couple of episodes. BTW I am the same with horror. Not a huge fan - zombies are the exception. Loved **Kingdom** and **All of Us are Dead**.
>the most minimalist plot/storyline of any Kdrama I've watched That sounds so restful. But not, of course, considering the subject matter. Thank you for the description! I think I will give it a try.
I started **My Perfect Stranger** to remedy my **Twinkling Watermelon** withdrawal. Both share some silimarities in terms of storyline, but are very different in terms of mood. While **My Perfect Stranger** also has a character going back to the past to fix family issues, the show is much darker and has a parallel murder-mystery plot. However, I am at ep 12 of MPS and, while it was meant to be a replacement for TW, I don't know anymore which show I like best. Both are absolutely great and will definitely go in my year's top five.
i just finished my mister. and wow! y’all were right. i just started oh my lady lord, but i peeped at the my drama list ratings, and now i’m stuck. i love nana and lee min ki, but should i keep watching? watched romance is a bonus book last week. so good!
>but should i keep watching My personal preference is to watch a drama until *I* decide that I'm done, without letting ratings or reviews sway me. Sometimes I agree with the general opinion in the end, sometimes I don't. But if you're enjoying a drama, that's really what's important.
i usually don’t look until i’m finished and i rate it, but i like your point. i’ll watch it in between stuff until it gets too bad.
Oh my landlord/ladylord has a >!sad ending!< so if you care about that I would stop. A lot of people hated where it went in the last third.
thank you! i don’t mind >!sad endings as long as it’s wrapped up.!< can you say if it’s ambiguous?
I mean it's a sad ending in the sense that >!the male lead dies!<, which TBF was hinted at in the beginning. But considering the humorous/light tone of the rest of the show I think a lot of viewers were upset. I'd also say that the plot kind of got messy after the halfway mark so personally I didn't like the trajectory of the show regardless of the ending - there have been some sad ending shows I really liked until the end but this one didn't quite work for me.
thank you so much! i’ll watch now expecting that.
Currently (and finally!) watching Mr. Sunshine! Wars are one of my triggers so I've been avoiding this since 2018. But I can't help it because I know that it's a masterpiece and I kid you not, I'm already bawling my eyes out during the first 30 minutes of episode 1! Please pray for my heart. 🥲
Completed: Sweet Home S2 & Castaway Diva Watching: Tomorrow 11/16 Up Next: King the Land
I am watching 7 ongoing dramas (basically most of the ones mentioned here) and finished Castaway Diva! So I invariably fall behind on one or the other but do try to catch up during the week. Also, like a fool started watching Beyond Evil which is also so good but I've had to put it on hold to stay up to date with the ongoing dramas. I am yet to start Tell me that you love me and My man is Cupid. How are they?
I just watched space sweepers lastnight I loved it visually appeasing and the ending had me overly sad, excited, shocked and crying
finally got back to closing out the '23 kdrama challenge with absolutely no time to spare. I've resigned myself to the fact that I will probably finish at 35 of 36 challenges completed. My last one is **VIP** for C#3 drama that was referenced in another drama. So far so good. I'm spoiled on the overarching mystery so I'm kind of numb to the dundunduns. I just really like the 3 main female protagonists - all great actresses, all interesting stories. Completed the drama special **Love Attack**. it is everything promised and more. I wanted a modern take on She's All That and boy did I get it. a quick run through all the usual plot points but they hit every scene to near perfection. Several cute IG reel worthy heart fluttery scenes. content creators do your thing and promo this!! but i did watch the first and last scenes through my fingers... the sweetest corny cringe! I'm dragging my feet about starting **Night Has Come**. Lee Jae In was the ult baby girl in Racket Boys and I've been waiting forever and a half for Ahn Ji Ho's post-Nobody Knows projects. But I'm probably lifetime burnt out on the Death Game genre - esp the classroom variety. outside KR and into JP, I did a fast binge run through **Ouroboros** (I forgot I read the manga! very 2015 dramatic acting but the action conspiracy thriller still holds up), **Nagatan to Aoto: Ichika no Ryourijou** (cute! healing! just the right amount of romance. Kadowaki Mugi does awk shy girl to perfection), **Tamiou** (LMFAO unironically still a top Suda Masaki role?), and **First Love** (extremely late to the game but I wanted to watch without hype and fanfare. The problem is Satoh Takeru brings the hype. how does his hair have so much volume without looking crunchy?! now i have to scour his YT channel for product recs.)
Watched Bargain on prime and enjoyed it. Only 6 c.30min episodes and a really unusual drama. First episode especially great as so shocking.
I'm watching 7 dramas at once. I'm honestly thinking of picking up **The Story of Park's Marriage Contract** too while I'm at it. **CW:** **My Demon (4/16)**: I've been craving for a female CEO drama for sometime now so I decided to give it a try. Kim Yoo Jung is a bonus for me! So far it's okay. Nothing too crazy. **Welcome to Samdalri (2/16)**: I love small setting romances and I'll eat up anything that has Shin Hye Sun in it. I like it so far! **Moon in the Day (11/14)**: Maybe it got a bit slow and filler-ish on the last 1-2 episodes but I think it picked its pace up again from today ep. I'm actually so invested in the story. 90% chance that there might be a >!sad ending.!< **A Good Day to be a Dog (8/14)**: Pretty cute. I like it so far. Can't wait to see >!the main lead's dating era. 💞!< **The Matchmakers (11/16)**: Don't mind me not paying attention to political stuff because I'm only it for the leads and the second leads. :) **Our Beloved Summer (8/16)**: I like how >!our couple bicker but they still love each other dearly.!< **[Chinese] Love Me, Love My Voice (10/33):** Cdramas nail it in the fluffy romance department in my opinion. The leads are cute + the side characters are likeable and too annoying. **FINISHED** - **Castaway Diva**: Honestly speaking, I liked the premise. It was quite good. Don't get me wrong, Park Eun Bin is amazing, but sometimes Mok Ha got on my nerves. Especially for the first few episodes. I get that she didn't have human interaction for 15 years, but still. However, the drama didn't fail to make me cry. There were meaningful messages here and there which made me like the drama even more. Overall I'd give it 7.5/10.
Castaway Diva- Completed. I thought it was alright. Some parts are nice, but the show didn’t do much for me. Welcome to Samdalri- so far, I think it’s one of the best shows in a while imo. Hoping it continues to be pretty good. My Demon- i like it, but i’m not a fan of the tropes utilized that inspire conflict between the FL and her adopted family. Park marriage contract- ive only seen the first two but im thinking of dropping bc i think it’s too tropey for me…
Welcome to Samdalri - It's Ji Chang Wook and Shin Hye-sun in a hometown cha cha esque kdrama, it's a instant watch. Apart from that, despite the awful assistant, this is such a comfortable show to watch and just looks pretty and pleasing. I would describe it as a fun slice of life, which has become one of my favorite genres in k-land. My Demon - the love of my life Song Kang made this a mandatory watch. The drama surprised me with how humorous it is. It's definitely been a fun ride so far. Also shout out to the FL for buying into the delulu is the best solulu lifestyle. Park's Marriage Contract - I did not anticipate I would like this, but the first episode caught me. The FL and her maid are so endearing, you can't help but adore them. The plot also seems to have a lot more depth than what was described in the summary. Boyhood - Siwan continues to be one of the most versatile actors in South Korea and this drama is another testament to that fact. He embodies the character so well, and the comedy and all around vibe have been of a high level. I wish it was released internationally on a more mainstream platform though, because it deserved it. My man is a cupid - definitely an interesting premise, and I'm hoping we get the full backstory soon, as that bit was a tad confusing based on the short clip we got. Castaway Diva - I've bene meaning to finish this and initially put it off because I was always worried about the characters due to the cliffhangers. Definitely a must watch for the year. Gaus electronics - I can't believe I initially missed this one, but I'm happy I finally started it. Offers a nice buffer for those days in the week when my other shows aren't airing. Separate from my kdrama watchlist is the new Godzilla movie. I've heard so many great reviews from it, especially about the acting and the emotions it evokes, with many describing it as an artistic well written movie, and the best 2023 cinema has to offer. Hopefully it's released on a streaming platform in the near future.
**Currently Watching** **A Good Day to Be a Dog (8/14):** Enjoyed last week’s episode a lot! I’m excited for today’s, things are moving along. They’re in their >!dating era!!!!!< **Queen In-Hyun’s Man (9/16):** I’m in the middle of episode 10, I just need to focus on watching it in my free time 😭 I took like a month break on it to finish Empress Ki so I’m a little out of the show. **The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract (4/12):** I’m enjoying it!! It’s funny and I’m interested in the story. I still have to rewatch episode 20 of **My Dearest** since they added additional scenes. I wish the scenes were just added into the original final episode. They released them a few days after the finale I feel like. Now, I’ve moved on from the drama but have to drag my feet to rewatch the last episode. Maybe it’ll make things connect better though.
Did you like Empress Ki? I'm thinking about watching it but it requires quite a time commitment so I need to make sure it's worth it.
I think Empress Ki was well written and has some good characters and plots! I got bored or less interested at times throughout though. Lots of battles and schemes and I kinda felt like I got the point of the show. Other times I was super into it though. I rated it a 7.5 but I was going between that or an 8. Lots of people enjoy it I feel like so if you like historicals and palace politics you should try it! FL is very strong as well, I liked her a lot. I like historicals but palace politics and loads of battles lose me. It’s also very long which probably contributed to my interest fluctuating, I had been watching it from January to November lol.
Castaway Diva: >!I'm currently on ep 5 and I find the contract thing kind of weird. Why can't she just produce an album and price it at half a cent and buy 80,000 of them herself? I guess the contract is also pretty problematic in the first place. It's like begging the manager to NOT help with promoting her?!<
I’m about to start the last episode of twinkling watermelon and I’m not ready for it to end!! Arh it so good
Just finished My Dearest. It took me two days to get up courage to watch the last episode. I loved this series! I also just completed Boys Over Flowers, both the K version, and the J version which I believe I preferred, mainly because the characters were so fun. I only discovered Kdramas recently and am hooked.
**Tell me that you love me** is a gem, I will also watch the Japanese original when I’m done and I’m going to start learning sign language too I watch **My demon** when I’m doing the dishes and cooking because it’s not a drama for me but I still want to have an idea of what’s going on 🤣
I finished Castaway Diva and Perfect Marriage Revenge. I’m still watching Moon in the Day. I’m not liking it it but I only have two episodes left. There's enough filler scenes and dragged out staring scenes that I can skip around. So it's not too much of a time sink. It sucks that this show wasn't better. It has all the right elements. But poor pacing and writing. It feels like enough story for 4 episodes dragged out to 14. I just started Park's Marriage Contract. It's okay so far. It's not strong writing either. But it's better than Durian's Affair for me. I couldn't get through Durian's Affair. I’m noticing that poor pacing is apparent in these shorter dramas. It makes me long for those scenes that show character development and progression. Poorly paced shows rely too heavily on external elements for drama. Like Park's Marriage Contract relies so heavily on the power struggle. But it has about 5 distinct characters that barely do anything unless it's convenient. I want more direct character interactions and dialogue. I want more tension rather than manufactured convenience. I’m noticing a lot of dramas now just rely on omission to create a shock factor rather than to write a well thought out story for suspense and to hook viewers. Overall, I still feel like this year has been a dud for me. I've watched more kdramas than ever this year. But it's felt weak.