2018 K Drama Year in Review

AdminFebruary 3, 2019

My K Drama Year in Review -2018

As my blog is a victim of real life, this list is mostly for my benefit-for any one stumbling across my very quiet blog, if you have any questions about these dramas ask me in comments. As always, if it’s not in this list, I didn’t watch it and cannot include it.

It was a very long year, and a tiring year, personally, with my nations’ political insanity. I feel the bidding wars with Viki, Drama Fever, and Netflix over cable dramas messed up my viewing. Did Drama Fever’s death impact my viewing? I was already in drop mode on the ones I was watching there, so not on the dropping. But there have been several dramas I have wanted to watch that have not been picked up-would DF have picked them up? Maybe.

2018 Dramas I wanted to watch but have not been available to me:

Children of a Lesser God

Risky Romance

I Picked Up A Star On The Road

Cleaning With Passion

Top Star Yoo Baek

Sweet and Salty Office

DROPPED DRAMAS:

I just didn’t care/lost interest-

Jugglers

Just Dance

Suits

The Beauty Inside-I tried, cast was great, but I just did not care about the leads very much.

The Third Charm-After the 2^nd split for WTF reasons, the lead fem character lost me. This drama had a HUGE start, out the gate it was fabulous. Seo Kang Joon and Esom were so good.

My Strange Hero- I watched almost all of it and just stopped, tired I guess. Kwak Dong Yeon was terrific.

Sketch-Rain was weird. I think I might have liked the fem leads trajectory but I just couldn’t get into the drama. I tried 3 times.

Didn’t Like-

Time –Just too much ugly for me.

Rich Family’s Son –I liked the couples well enough, I couldn’t take the parents.

About Time –Just didn’t care.

My Ahjussi –I hear this drama was great. It was very depressing at least in the first few episodes and it lost me.

What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim- I love the cast. I did not like the lead characters much, everything seemed off.

One Hundred Million Stars from the Sky –This screamed I am going to win the what the fuck did I just watch award. While it did not go where I thought it was going I think it still ended WTF so I am glad I did not stay.

Laughter in Wakiki –Big no, too something for me.

Player-Not even for Krystal.

12 Nights-Yawn.

Happy If You Die- I found the leads loud and obnoxious. I think I might have stayed for the satisfaction of getting to kill your anal retentive boss and Gong Myung. But then I got behind and got spoilered on the ending so I dropped it.

This was bad-

Where Stars Land-So WTF. Rising Muffin Kim Kyung-nam was great though.

Fluttering Warning-it bored me and I did not like it visually.

Sound of Your Heart Reboot

COMPLETED DRAMAS:

Are You Human Too? Uri Shin. That is all. No seriously, URI SHIN. I seriously loved this character. Seo Kang Joon was wonderful in portraying 2 characters.

Boyfriend- This was NOT the drama I was expecting. I was expecting more melo, more makjang, and a divorced Mom from a prominent family trying to break from the familial expectations, meeting a young hot man from a different class that stirred her mentally and sexual. For one thing, there was no kid. I think it was more than what I expected, and less. It was a very quiet drama with the threatening political chaebol shenanigans pretty much fizzling out. Beautiful to watch, a thoughtful drama. I very much liked Soo Hyun, and how she was so very calm and collected, measured and thoughtful. I think life experiences certainly played into how one interpreted and reacted to this drama, as well as attitude-actors are professional liars and have a job to do regardless of personal relationships. My god it was not like they are siblings in real life, people. Please learn to separate actor from character.

Come and Hug Me-This drama pulled you in. I am not great with melo, but I really loved this drama. The ending was anti climatic but the ride was awesome. Jang Ki-yong was super. And the supporting cast! There is a scene between Nak won oppa and Na moo hyung, in Nak won oppa law office. A small scene, really, That was some of the finest k drama I’ve ever seen. The actor that played Na moo hyun, Kim Kyung-nam, he’s a lovely rising muffin.

Dae Jang Geum is Watching-This was a fun little show, a little idiotic, but fun.

Devilish Joy-This drama came out gang busters with Choi Jin Hyuk hot factor on scorch level. And then not sure where this drama went. Everything was so contrived. Hoya was a lot of fun.

Ghost Detective-Let’s create all this canon AND THROW IT OUT THE WINDOW IN THE LAST 2 EPISODES.

Hoon Nam and Jung Eum-I didn’t think I would stay with this but I ended up liking it.

Live – Great cast, great drama. The only complaint I have with this drama is the awkward exposition delivery. I loved the female cast and characters in this. The male cast was no joke, and being a police drama, it seemed to lean male dominated, but really, this drama was very female centric. Bae Jong Ok as Ahn Jang mi was fabulous.

baejongok

Lawless Lawyer –Lee Joon Gi made it so much fun. I think this is the most chemistry I have seen him have with his lead, Seo Yi ji, who was great. And watching Lee Hye-young and Choi Min-soo chew up the scenery was pure k drama watching payoff in platinum.

Let’s Eat 3-The greatest thing about this drama was the writers killed off Soo ji from Let’s Eat 2. THANK YOU. But because of this, the drama suffered from severe melancholia which does not make for a great social eating drama. Also the theme of a featured item in every dish of the meal got old. Real old, as much of it was fish. I was kind of glad Doo Joon got his marching orders and they had to wrap it up. I really wish they would circle Dae Young back to Noona and the weirdo law office gang with a happy ever after and close the “series.”

Mama Fairy and the Woodcutter–A little long for its content, but it was charming enough. The OTP had to be the most cinnamon roll OTP in the history of k drama.

Memories of The Alhambra – Lovely visually. So much potential. Hyun Bin was hot in black jeans. The romance was seriously contrived, and terrible. The characters were rather unlikeable. I stuck through it to find out how they were going to wrap the “mystery” even though I know it would have a wtf ending. For the most part, this drama was a big nothing burger.

Miss Hammurabi-I liked the plot. L stepped up his acting game. This is one of those low key dramas you just go with for a slow but satisfying ride.

My ID is Gangnam Beauty-I enjoyed this drama very much. It was killing it totally on point with social commentary. The male lead character was great, a really stellar best guy ever type. Which made him boring to a lot of viewers, as well as that lovely Cha Eun Woo is not the best actor made people turn up their noses, and I think they missed out on another thoughtful drama.

Mystery Queen 2-This was missing something important. Like heart. It made me sad after that awesome first season.

My Secret Terrius- Why couldn’t they call it Mysterious? I am assuming the Korean title is a pun I do not get. This was So Ji Sub being So Ji Sub and it was great fun. These are the worst spies since Level 7 Civil Servant but way more charming and fun and I liked L7CS more than most. Did I mention fun?

Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food-Loved this drama, every delicious low key bite. Well except the over use of Stand By Your Man (which I think a lot of people missed the point of the use of that song). The drama was not what we expected or wanted but it was satisfying. I thought the workplace issues were spot on. I thought the non resolution was spot on. Based on my t list I could see people did NOT relate to Jin-ah. I saw a lot of internalized misogyny and buying into cultural gender roles in the reactions to the ending. She may not have handled it well but no one would have questioned the male lead character making decisions on his own. Oh wait, he did. I loved watching her journey from a door mat to a person that said hey, I am making myself a priority. I think life experiences certainly played into how one interpreted and reacted to this drama.

Radio Romance-This was a weird drama, weird mood. I liked the cast and enjoyed the story. Use of color was fun.

Switch-A fun ride, lost me a bit toward the end.

That Man Oh Soo –This was a cute little drama that did not make a lot of sense but I would watch the hell out of it just to see Lee Jonghyun’s character meow.

The Great Seducer-Woo Do Hwan was awesome. Cast was great. This was the Disney version of Cruel intentions. It should have been on cable. Woo Do Hwan would have light our screens on fire. FIRE.

Witches Love-Perfectly entertaining little summer romance drama as well as female centric.

Wok of Love-The talking horse was weird and made no sense, glad they dropped it but it made the show uneven. I loved this drama though. Jang hyuk finally won me over in a role.

Your Honor-Yoon Si Yoon. That is all.

Best Dramas:

Live

Pretty Noona That Buys Me Food

Favorite/Most Enjoyable Dramas:

My ID is Gangnam Beauty

My Secret Terrius

Come and Hug Me

Drama that surprised me how much I liked it-Gangnam Beauty

Breakout/Memorable/People to Watch

Kim Kyung nam-Come and Hug Me, Where Stars Land

Seo Ji Hoon (for the second year in a row) in Mama Fairy