I know for us here at BoD, there’s nothing like a “Challenge” to get our adrenaline going.
Here’s an “End of the Year Drama Challenge” created by @anniedelavoye. I hope this will help us gain perspective and give thanks to all the fictional dramas that helped us get through the real-life dramas of this very challenging year.
2020 was an annus horribilis, but in terms of Asian dramas, 2020 was definitely an annus mirabilis.
1. First drama completed in 2020
“Hospital Playlist,” last week of May.
I didn’t finish “Crash Landing on You.” That’s how much I hated the ending. lol.
2. Favorite actor discovered in 2020
I’ve seen Nam JooHyuk before so I can’t say that I “discovered” him in 2020. Sato Takeru (First name: Takeru. Last name: Sato.) is the actor I discovered in 2020 and I was impressed with his portrayal of “tsundere” doctor, Dr. Tendo.
3. Favorite actress discovered in 2020
I’ve two:
Kamishiraishi Mone of “Love Lasts Forever” (Japanese title: “Koi Wa Tsuzuku Yo Dokomade”) and Jeon Mi-do of “Hotel Playlist.”
4. Favorite drama OST of 2020
The OST from “Start-Up,” namely “Dream” by Jamie is on repeat on my iphone. However, I know this will be true for me: a year from now, if I hear “Flower” by Yoon Mirae, I will immediately remember the market scene when Capt Ri held up a candle in the dark, and Seri found him.
That song is memorable.
5. A drama outside of your comfort zone
I’ve two so far:
“Flower of Evil” — This drama has two things that I don’t like to watch
A. marital discord and
B. attorneys and police shown in a bad light.
“Psycho but It’s Okay” — In real life, the psychological problems of this couple will need on-going therapy. I cannot envision a happy ending for them. The happy-ever-after strains my credulity.
6. A drama you dropped in 2020
Didn’t I tell you that I’m a serial killer? I’ve no problems killing a drama series when I don’t like it. To date, I’ve more dramas on my “Did Not Finish” list than on my “Finished!” list.
But here are some of the kdramas I didn’t finish:
A. Count Your Lucky Stars — Sorry, Jerry Yan.
B. Dating in the Kitchen — Not that this isn’t good, but just ran out of time.
C. Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol
D. Do You like Brahms? — the question really is “Do I like the actress?”
E. I’ll Go to You When the Weather is Nice — Just say no.
F. I’ve Fallen for You – @#$@# Cdrama show
G. My Holo Love — just because I didn’t have time
H. Psycho But It’s Okay/It’s Okay Not to be Okay
I. Record of Youth
K: Tale of the Nine-Tailed
K: The Heiress — open ending messed up the whole thing
7. Favorite character of 2020
Nam Dosan
8. Best Cinematography of 2020
Will write a separate post for this.
9. An older drama you watched in 2020
I was watching these, hoping I could finish the entire series this year. But nope, no luck. Maybe next year…
A. “Tatta Hitotsu no Koi” (2006) — Years ago, I watched the first two episodes and the last two episodes. Again, this year, I watched the first two and the last two episodes. I really MUST watch 6 episodes in between.
B. “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim” — Because I want to know what the fuss is all about.
C. “W: Two Worlds” — Written by the same writer who did “Memories of the Alhambra.” I think I need to finish this before she starts on her third drama.
10. A drama you’re not sure you’ll finish
On my current drama pile, I say I’m still not 100% committed on “The Uncanny Counter,” “Mr. Queen” and “True Beauty.”
11. Favorite action drama of 2020
TBD: To be determined
12. Favorite romance drama of 2020
You’re not going to make me choose just one. For a full-length 16-episode drama, it’s “Start-Up.” For a perfect little kdrama (10 episodes only!), it’s “Love Lasts Forever” or “Koi Wa Tsuzuku Yo Dokomade.”
13. Favorite mystery drama of 2020
Mystery really isn’t my type because I don’t have the patience to drag out a mystery for two months.
14. Favorite historical drama of 2020
TBD
15. Favorite fantasy drama of 2020
TBD
16. Best actor of 2020
TBD
17. Best actress of 2020
TBD
18. Favorite antagonist of 2020
Maggot.
19. A drama that made you laugh
“Zombie Detective.” This one had me in stitches at the most unexpected moments. Even if you’re scared of zombies movies, you should try this one.
20. A drama that made you cry
I’m not really an emotional person. I shut down whenever I sense that the writer and director are trying to tap into my primal instincts. I walk away whenever the plot becomes too “makjang” (or soap opera-ish).
But that scene in “Hospital Playlist,” when the pregnant lady realized that she’d lost her baby in utero, and then all the other pregnant moms, impatiently waiting in the waiting room suddenly touched their bellies — that scene touched me. A miscarriage or a still-birth is one of the most devastating experiences a woman can go through. One moment, the expectant mother is dreaming of soon holding her baby, and feeling so content and confident of her natural ability to shelter and nurture a new living being in her body. Then, the next moment, that baby is gone, leaving only an empty space inside her. The grief is real.
21. A drama that surprised you
TBD
22. A drama that need more episodes
I like that kdramas have a 16-episode run because it forces the writer and the director to trim out the side stories and the filler scenes. I would have liked “Zombie Detective” to have more episodes *if* Season 2 isn’t in the offing. Although it only had 12 episodes, I thought there was enough mystery and character development to continue this drama for another season.
23. A drama that needed less episodes
ALL CHINESE DRAMAS. I know that most of the episodes are only 35 to 45 minutes long but I recoil whenever I see that a drama has 32, 40, 50+ episodes. I have yet to see a drama writer sustain the my interest for that length of period.
24. Favorite costumes of 2020
Is this even disputed? The best-dressed heroine this year is Seo YeoJi’s character “Go MoonYoung” in “Psycho But It’s Okay.”
25. A guilty pleasure 2020 drama
“Dating in the Kitchen”
Almost all of the Chinese dramas are my guilty pleasures. If I were to compare Cdramas to food, I’d say that they’re junk food. They have no nutritional value (or intellectual value) whatsoever, but they’re simply irresistible to snack on. I watch them for the thrills…and because I’m still passing time till I get a new Yang Yang romcom to replace “Love O2O.”
Here are my runner-ups of Cdrama guilty pleasures. (Note the similarity to Yang Yang of the actors. lol)
“Maiden Holmes” — I’ve to remember the actor here: Zhang Ling
“Dr Cutie” — Ditto. I’ve to remember the actor here: Huang Junjie.
More to list later.
26. Most disappointing drama of 2020
Really?!! Do I have to say this out loud?
One word: rosaries.
27. A scene you keep thinking about
TBD
28. Best produced drama of 2020
TBD
29. A 2020 drama that deserves a shoutout
TBD
30. Was 2020 a good drama year for you?
Yes!
31. Favorite drama of 2020
TBD
************
My incomplete list of answers to this challenge. What about yours?
Yay, a challenge! I was just thinking about giving myself some kind of composing challenge for 2021. I still have not decided what to do, so I will take the 2020 drama challenge.
1. First drama completed in 2020: Live Up To Your Name
First 2020 drama completed in 2020: My Holo Love
2. Favorite actor discovered in 2020: Lee Jae Wook
3. Favorite actress discovered in 2020: Seo Ye Ji
4. Favorite drama OST of 2020:
Vocal tracks: Pretty much everything in Psycho But it’s Okay
Instrumental tracks: Pretty much everything in Flower of Evil
5. A drama outside of my comfort zone: Hospital Playlist
6. A drama I dropped in 2020: When the Weather is Nice
7. Favorite character of 2020
Male: Nam Do San (Start Up)
Female: Kong Sun Ji (Zombie Detective)
8. Best cinematography of 2020: Psycho But It’s Okay
9. An older drama I watched in 2020: Because This is My First Life
10. A drama I am not sure I will finish: Do You Like Brahms?
11. Favorite action drama of 2020: Kingdom Season 2
12. Favorite romance drama of 2020: Start Up
13. Favorite Mystery drama of 2020: Flower of Evil (Have not finished Kairos yet)
14. Favorite historical drama of 2020: Kingdom Season 2
15. Favorite fantasy drama of 2020: Zombie Detective?
16. Best actor of 2020: Lee Joon Ki (Flower of Evil), Oh Jung Se (Psycho But It’s Okay), Jung Jin Young (My Unfamiliar Family)
17. Best actress of 2020: Seo Ye Ji (Psycho But it’s Okay), Jeon Mi Do (Hospital Playlist), Lee Il Hwa (Lie After Lie)
18. Favorite antagonist of 2020: Kim Ho Ran, played by Lee Il Hwa (Lie After Lie)
19. A drama that made me laugh: Zombie Detective
20. A drama that made me cry: Psycho But It’s Okay, Hospital Playlist
21. A drama that surprised me: Zombie Detective, Psycho But it’s Okay
22. A drama that needed more episodes: Kingdom Season 2
23. A drama that needed fewer episodes: Flower of Evil
24. Favorite costumes of 2020: Psycho But It’s Okay
25. A guilty pleasure 2020 drama: My Holo Love, Lie After Lie, Zombie Detective
26. Most disappointing drama of 2020: Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol (the ending)
27. A scene I keep thinking about: Lighthouse in the Rain (Psycho But It’s Okay), Pregnancy loss (Hospital Playlist)
28. Best produced drama of 2020: Psycho But It’s Okay
29. A drama that deserves a shoutout: My Unfamiliar Family
30. Was 2020 a good drama for me? Yes, absolutely!
31. Favorite drama of 2020: Psycho But It’s Okay
Snow Flower,
Is “My Holo Love” really good? Did it end happily??
And you’re right! Park Joo Hyun (aka SunJi) is another actress I discovered in 2020! I saw her first on another show, “A Piece of Your Mind” (a spring melodrama) and I thought she was lovely in a haunting sort of way. But she won me with her comedic delivery in “Zombie Detective.”
Yes it did! My Holo Love was like eating a cup of instant ramen with a friend. Kind of predictable but sweet at the same time.
Thanks!
It’s just 12 episodes so it’s doable. 🙂
Yes, I forgot to add this actress in my discovery section. I heard that she was also in Extracurricular, but I am not sure I want to watch this…
1. First drama completed in 2020.
Backstreet Rookie
3. Favorite actress discovered in 2020.
Seo Ye-ji (It’s Okay to Not Be Okay)
4. Favorite drama OST of 2020.
It’s Okay to Not Be Okay (Breath by Sam Kim).
Start-Up (I Know by SeungHee, Jiho, Binnie)
6. A drama you dropped in 2020
Arthdal Chronicles
Bad Thief, Good Thief
Life
Moonshine and Valentine
7. Favorite character of 2020
Han Ji-Eun as Lee Tae-Ri in Kkondae Intern
8. Best Cinematography of 2020.
It’s Okay to Not Be Okay
9. An older drama you watched in 2020.
Way too many, but my favorite is The Legend of the Blue Sea. I fanboy Jun Ji-hyun. My Love From Another Star is also another rewatchable for me.
12. Favorite romance drama of 2020.
It’s Okay to Not Be Okay
24. Favorite costumes of 2020.
It’s Okay to Not Be Okay
25. A guilty pleasure 2020 drama.
Anything with Shin Ye-eun (More Than Friends, Meow: The Secret Boy, He is Psychometric)
26. Most disappointing drama of 2020
Record of Youth, Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol, Private Lives, etc etc.
27. A scene you keep thinking about
Lighthouse scene in the rain w/ GT & MY in It’s Okay to Not Be Okay
30. Was 2020 a good drama year for you?
Yes, a late kdrama consumer (late 2019). 101 completed kdramas in 2020 and counting.
31. Favorite drama of 2020.
Probably not a surprise from my responses above … but It’s Okay to Not Be Okay
101 completed kdramas?!!!
How did you get work done, John? Did you make a spreadsheet?
That’s my ultimate kdrama fantasy, to make a spreadsheet of all the dramas I watched with a bit of notation on the side to help me remember the key points.
@packmule3. Correct, 101 was not a typo. Haha, I’ve always been an expert level multitasker. The Work From Home definitely helped my numbers. I have 2 laptops going–one for work and one for kdramas.
Yes, I do have a spreadsheet w/ multiple tabs–Watching Now, Recs in Queue, Upcoming, Rewatchable, Actors/Actresses, and Watched.
Plus, I’m trying to catch up to you guys since I’m a late adopter.
Let me attempt to answer even though I have not watched a lot.
1. CLOY
2. Woo Do Hwan in TKEM! And the I watched what kdrama I can get my hands on after that. I watched Weightlifting before so NJH is also not new but I was so surprised on his range. I watched Radiant and I’m hooked. They are my top 2 favorites!
3. Kim Go-eun in TKEM. Prompted me to finish Goblin after stopping at first ep.
4. Start Up OST – it’s now in my top list (used to be Goblin OST). Dream is on repeat also, I even attempted to put my own English lyrics so that I can sing along with it. 😂
5. NA
6. I was looking for It’s Ok not to be Ok but I did not find it in your posts… you have renamed it! Hahaha! I did not finish ep1, Not sure why. I’m gonna try to watch it during the holiday break. I was very disappointed at Dodosol ending and ROY was so bland, however, I finished them. So I think I was not being fair on Psycho but it’s Ok.
7. Nam Dosan of course!
8. CLOY. Switzerland looked so good!
9. Chicago Typewriter – love the homage to reading and books (beautiful home library). And the historical aspect woven seamlessly in the story. I like the trio without the love triangle. And discovered Yo Ah In!
10. Not sure yet
11. N/A
12. Start Up
13. N/A
14. My Country – the ending is apt but heartbreaking.
15. TKEM?
16. Nam Joo Hyuk
17. I love the grandma roles and the actresses who played them – in TKEM and in Start Up and in Radiant (2019).
18 onwards I’m mostly NA.
21. hospital playlist! I do choir and band outside of my day job (I’m not a doctor) and these people are like family. I can relate to that aspect of the story.
30. yes! Since I watch mostly kdramas, big kudos to South Korea for keeping the business running even during pandemic 😷. thank you!
31. start up!
Nana (Im Jin-ah) as Koo Se-ra in Into the Ring (aka Memorials) is probably the most memorable character in 2020. Out of 101 kdramas I knew I would leave someone out lol
1. First drama completed in 2020.
A Piece of Your Mind
2. Favorite actor discovered in 2020.
Nam DaReum
3. Favorite actress discovered in 2020.
Jeon MiDo (Hospital Playlist)
4. Favorite drama OST of 2020.
It’s Okay to Not Be Okay (Little By Little by Cheeze).
5. A Drama outside your comfort zone
Hmm…nothing comes to mind.
6. A drama you dropped in 2020
Too many. The ones I remember – Record of Youth, I’ll go to you when the weather is nice, Alice, CLOY (yes – don’t shoot me), The King Eternal Monarch (yes, shoot me because I may yet revisit this just to see the beauteous Lady Maximus once more).
7. Favorite character of 2020
Nobody really jumps out at me.
8. Best Cinematography of 2020.
A Piece of Your Mind
9. An older drama you watched in 2020.
Cheese in the Trap, Prison Playbook
10. A drama you may not finish
True Beauty.
12. Favorite romance drama of 2020.
A Piece of Your Mind
13. Favorite Mystery Drama of 2020
365 Repeat the Year? It was sort of a mystery…
18. Favorite antagonist
Dr Maggot
26. Most disappointing drama of 2020
Record of Youth. A Piece of Your Mind (because it was cut short from 16 to 12 eps and therefore the ending was rushed and disjointed).
30. Was 2020 a good drama year for you?
Yes.
31. Favorite drama of 2020.
Hospital Playlist (except for the last few minutes of Ep12 which didn’t make sense 🙄).
@nrllee – Thanks for reminding me about A Piece of Your Mind. That was a melancholic, poignant story of how to move on. Love the OST, especially the piano music and Rain or Shine by Elaine.
I can’t fill up most of the questions cos I don’t watch that many🤭. One thing for sure 2020 gave me:
Favorite Actress:
Jeon Mido
Moon Chae Won
Seo Yeji
Worst Antagonist:
Maggot (her cult fans)
Fav. Mystery:
Flower of Evil
Drama Dropped:
RoY
Brahms
Alice
TKEM
Mystic Bar
Tell Me What You Saw
Private Lives
Into the Ring
*There is maybe more but I just can’t remember😅
Drama Out of Comfort Zone:
Anything cheesy romcom where I cringe instead of swooning or ML with too pretty a face😂 or just bad acting/ plot galore.
Drama may not finish:
PBIO
Yay for Moon Chae Won! I forgot to put her on my best actress list.
This is difficult! I watched around 20 dramas this year, the most I’ve watched in years haha
#1 First drama completed in 2020:
I cannot remember lol maybe When the Camellia Blooms! Or was it Romantic Doctor?
#2 Favorite actor discovered in 2020
Ahn Hyoseop
#3 Favorite actress discovered in 2020
Jeon Mido (Hospital Playlist) and Seo Yeji (IONTBO)!
#4 Favorite drama OST of 2020
Future (Red Velvet) – Start-Up
The entire OST of this drama is just 👍👍👍
#5 A drama outside of your comfort zone
Save Me – I am scarred forever
#6 A drama you dropped in 2020
My Country, CLOY, A Piece of your Mind and TKEM
#7 Favorite character of 2020
Nam Dosan (Start-Up) and Moon Gangtae and Gu Munyeong (IONTBO)
#8 Best cinematography of 2020
Start-Up?
#9 An older drama you watched in 2020
So many! I watched more older dramas–My Mister, Prison Playbook, Romantic Doctor S1, Stranger S1, Live, Save Me, etc.
My Mister is my favorite now
#10 A drama you’re not sure you’ll finish
Only ongoing one for me is Scarlet Heart and I think I’ll finish before end of the year haha
#11: Favorite action drama of 2020
Flower of Evil
#12 Favorite romance drama of 2020
Start-Up!
#13 Favorite mystery drama of 2020
I don’t know if Flower of Evil counts haha
#14 Favorite historical drama of 2020
I’m liking Scarlet Heart (not yet done)
#15 Favorite fantasy drama of 2020
Didn’t watch any, too
#16 Best actor of 2020
Nam Joohyuk and Kim Soohyun for me! (And Lee Junki too huhu i cannot choose help)
#17 Best actress of 2020
So difficult!! Kim Haesook?? Her halmeoni role in Start-Up makes me tear up way too many times. She’s so warm.
#18 Favorite antagonist of 2020
Jang Daehee (Itaewon Class)? I’m not sure
#19 A drama that made you laugh
True Beauty! And also Start-Up, IONTBO
#20 A drama that made you cry
2020 dramas – Hospital Playlist (same scene as yours @pm3!), Start-Up (dalmi finding out about her grandma’s eyes), IONTBO (many scenes lol)
Older dramas – My Mister made me cry buckets
#21 A drama that surprised you
True Beauty to be honest! I was apprehensive, but it ended up being my crack drama
#22 A drama that needed more episodes
Kdramas don’t need more episodes, though I would love a third season for Stranger and Romantic Doctor
#23 A drama that needed less episodes
World of the Married
#24 Favorite costumes of 2020
Goo Munyeong of course! I also love the uniforms in True Beauty. Very pretty
#25 A guilty pleasure 2020 drama
It’s becoming True Beauty!
#26 Most disappointing drama of 2020
Itaewon Class went downhill for me.
#27 A scene you keep thinking about
Dalmi hearing Dosan’s voice over the phone for the first time in 3 years and trying not to ugly cry. I felt that. And then their conversation after solving the ransomware.
#28 Best produce drama of 2020
Hmmm, I think Stranger S2 is pretty well produced. I love Start-Up too..
#29 A 2020 drama that deserves a shoutout
Shoutout to Start-up for still wrapping up well and delivering a great ending despite all the detractors lol
#30 Was 2020 a good drama year for you?
Yes! I’m finally back to watching regularly. And so many good shows!
#31 Favorite drama of 2020
IONTBO and Start-Up definitely
1. First drama completed in 2020:
Dr. Romantic 2
2. Favorite actor discovered in 2020:
Jo Byung Gyu (Sky Castle), he’s memorable there that when I saw the uncanny counter I remember him from Sky Castle
3. Favorite actress discovered in 2020:
Jeon Mi Do (Hospital Playlist)
4. Favorite Drama OST of 2020:
Running by Gaho (this will always remind me of StartUp)
5. A drama outside of your comfort zone:
Hotel Del Luna (I hate horror movies) but it’s not in 2020
6. A drama you dropped in 2020:
CLOY (I sort of drift off after the setting changed to SK, I did skim watch the last episode just to check the ending)
IOTNBO (After the killer mom reveal I lost interest because no more mystery)
Record of Youth
Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol (After the age reveal)
TKEM (Confused by Ep 1, but still on my watch list)
World of the married (Ep 1)
The good detective
Do you like brahms
When I was the most beautiful
Memorist
I’ll go to you when the weather is nice
There are more I’m sure that I can’t remember
7. Favorite Character of 2020:
Nam Do San (StartUp)
Honorable mention: Chae Song-hwa (Hospital Playlist)
8. Best cinematography of 2020:
A Piece of Your Mind
9. An older drama you watched in 2020:
Sky Castle, Dr. Romantic 1, Extraordinary You
10. A drama you’re not sure you’ll finish:
Run On, True Beauty, Mr. Queen, The Uncanny Counter anything I’m watching now and in the future lol..
11. Favorite action drama of 2020:
Both action drama I watched I didn’t finish, does StartUp fight scenes included?
12. Favorite romance drama of 2020:
StartUp
Honorable mention: A Piece of Your Mind
13. Favorite mystery drama of 2020:
IOTNBO, I was curious about psychotic mom
14. Favorite historical drama of 2020:
I think Mr. Queen is the only sageuk I watched this year
15. Favorite fantasy drama of 2020:
It goes to mystic pop up bar since that’s the only one I can think of with fantasy element in it
16. Best actor of 2020:
Nam Joo Hyuk (he really surprised me with StartUp now I’m a sane fan)
17. Best actress of 2020:
Jeon Mi Do (Hospital Playlist), Seo Ye Ji (IONTBO)
18. Favorite *Worst* antagonist of 2020:
jp fangirl lol..
19. A drama that made you laugh: (I will add memorable scene instead)
– Goo Mon Young showdown with the deer
– Nam Do San CODA Video
20. A drama that made you cry:
I’m pretty stoic but the one that made me feel feels was Hi Bye Mama
21. A drama that surprised you:
StartUp since I didn’t expect to love it this much
22. A drama that needed more episodes:
A Piece of Your Mind only because it was cut short
23. A drama that needed less episodes:
Any drama with extension just to milk it
24. Favorite costumes of 2020:
Go Moon Young (IONTBO) and SeRi (CLOY) wardrobe in SK
25. A guilty pleasure 2020 drama:
Not sure on this maybe mystic pop up bar
26. Most disappointing drama of 2020:
Do you like brahms because I was excited for nothing
27. A scene you keep thinking about:
StartUp most of DoDal scenes and where DoSan proclaimed that he will love DalMi for thousands of years
28. Best produce drama of 2020:
StartUp love it or hate it the impact is everywhere
29. A 2020 drama that deserves a shoutout:
A Piece of Your Mind, I was fixated on it despite the unique tone
30. Was 2020 a good drama year for you?
Yes, so many options so little time
31. Favorite drama of 2020:
StartUp
@Janey I still remember A Piece of Your Mind. It left an indelible mark on me. Plot wise it wasn’t fantastic and I could’ve done without the moody pianist and ditzy gardening aunt (?). But it was just beautifully filmed. The snow scenes and the warmth of the studio. HaeIn and SooBin were just the cutest couple. I liked how they fell in love slowly but surely. I thought I’ll Go To You When The Weather is Fine had a similar feel to it but for some reason I just couldn’t finish it. I think it had to do with Seo KangJoon (whom I just can’t warm to for some reason) and PMY’s character. I liked the stories that they wove into the plot. But…I lost interest mid way.
TMI: Before 2020, I only watched western series but there are so many seasons. As the season went by the stories became more nonsense and they just lost the charms (talkin bout u Arrowverse🙄). I’ve watched Kdramas before, but only when they appear on TV (mostly Lee Minho’s drama lol). I can say 2020 is pretty much the year of my Kdramas journey and discovery so here’s my list of answers:
1. Legend of the Blue Sea. One of the national TV station aired it on June 2020. This one also reignited my interest in Kdrama.
2. Jung Hae-in. I first saw him in While You Were Sleeping. I know it’s 2017 drama but I watched it in 2020.
3. Go A-ra.
4. Where Is Dream by 10CM (Start-Up)
5. Stranger (Secret Forest)
6. Ooooh there’s a lot!
7. Nam Do-san and Lee Ik-jun
8. I don’t know much about cinematography, but I guess TKEM?
9. Goblin, Stranger, While You Were Sleeping, Prison Playbook, The Sound of Your Heart, Legend of Blue Sea, Reply Series, and the list goes on and on and on.
10. Itaewon Class. I watched it for the Danbam’s journey and the squad. I find the romance irrelevant and honestly I lowkey hate the blonde girl.
11. Is Crash Landing on You an action drama? I also like The Uncanny Counter
12. Start-up aaaand I really like Because This Is My First Life
13. Stranger 2
14. –
15. The King: Eternal Monarch. I already enjoyed TKEM before I found this blog but I must say got a lot of help from this blog to understand the drama.
16. Oh Jung-se who played Moon Sang-tae. His acting as Sang-tae is so real and believable.
17. Kim Go-eun
18. –
19. 18 Again. It made me laugh in the most unpredictable time and way.
20. Reply 1988. I cried a river.
21. W: Two Worlds and Something in the Rain because they’re so lame. I was surprised of myself who was able to finished the drama
22. Hospital playlist! 12 episode is not enough
23. Dodosolsollalasol. Should’ve ended on episode 13.
24. Dodosolsollalasol. Rara’s outfits are so cute!
25. –
26. Dodosolsollalasol. I enjoyed watching it, I waited for it every week but the ending is really disappointing. Itaewon Class too! I haven’t watch the 3 last episodes because of the sudden r0ma4nc3
27. Start-up ending when we saw the Dosan and Dalmi’s desk and the we saw them being a power couple
28. I’m not sure…
29. Can I say Hot Stove League? It first aired on December 2019-February 2020.
30. Yes!
31. Hospital Playlist & Start-Up can’t choose aaaa
I have a gif set from somebody’s tumblr (cuddlybitch’s tumblr??) of the Start-Up ending scene. I’ll post it for you later.
1,2,3) No idea.
4) Too many!
5) None
6) More than Friends, the worse ML and FL.
7) Park Chan-Hyeok (My Unfamiliar Family) / Han Yeo-Jin (Secret of Forest/Stranger 2) / Ah-Reum (the Spies who Loved Me)
8) Into the Ring/Memorials
9)None
10) Live On
11) Awaken?
12) Into the Ring
13) Kairos
14) 2020 wasn’t a year with sageuks 🙁
15) Missins the Other Side
16) Kim Sun Ho
17) Han Ye Ri
18) Lee Hye Joon and Yoo Jin Hyun in Money Game
19) Zombie Detective
20) Backstreet Rookie (Kim Young Jung is too good for crying scenes)
21) Extracurricular
22) A Piece of Your Mind >_<
23) No idea.
24) It's Okay to Not Be Okay
25) I didn't have one this year 🙁
26) DDSSLLS
27) Hum… The confession in A Piece of Your Mind
28) Stranger 2
29) My Unfamiliar Family and Into the Ring
30) Yes
31) My Unfamiliar Family
Hello everyone! Well, I am a k-drama newbie so, I will answer the questions above with what I have discovered / watched so far!
1. It’s okay to not be okay. It’s my first k-drama that started the k-drama journey for me.
2. That is difficult for me because I have discovered so many but I will stick to my top 5 favorites so far, as I have watched the k-dramas chronologically:
1. Lee Min Ho
2. Woo Do Hwan
3. Song Seung Heon
4. Gong Yoo
5. Ji Chang Wook
3. The same rule applies over here:
1. Seo Yea-ji
2. Kim Mi-kyung / Ajhumma
3. Kim Go Eun
2. Park Young Min
4. I have a top 3:
1. The King Eternal Monarch
2. The Legend of the Blue Sea
3. Healer
5. Sweet Home
6. I wasn’t in the right mood at the time:
Hotel Luna
Mystic pop-up bar
7. Lee Yeon
Healer aka Jung-hu + Young-shin
8. The Legend of the Blue Sea, even though it is not a 2020 production.
9. My favorites:
• Black
• Guardian: The Great & Lonely God
• Healer
• The Bride of Habaek
10. –
11. Healer, although it is not a 2020 production
12. The King Eternal Monarch
13. The Memorist
14. I haven’t seen any yet!
15. The King Eternal Monarch
16. Lee Min Ho
17. Kim Go Eun
18. Lee Lim
19. Guardian: The Lonely and Great God
20. It’s okay to not be okay / Psycho and it’s okay
21. The Memorist
22. The King Eternal Monarch
Healer
23. –
24. It’s okay to not be okay
25. The King Eternal Monarch / Healer
26. –
27. In TKEM there are several scenes but I will choose the one in Episodes 11+12 with the best rescue scene ever in k-drama world!
In Healer, in Episode 16, when Young-shin runs downstairs to say to Jung-hu to come back to her, with or without evidence that clears his father’s name.
28. Sweet Home
Tale of the Nine Tailed
29. I think I will do that for The King Eternal Monarch.
30. Definitely yes! I am currently watching my 11th k-drama since late August!
31. The King Eternal Monarch has a special place in my heart!
I am adding Awaken into my list of fav mystery! Nam Goong Min’s comedic timing and effortless flirting are just 🥰🥰🥰. I love Lee Chung Ah’s character too. These two are my OTP for Awaken. Of course there is another junior crushing on her superior plot here 🙄 That role is definitely worth ignored lol.
Won’t you watch this @packmule3? I think the mystery part is interesting. Would love to read your take in solving the serial ‘suicide’ cases.
@miracle23 I prefer the junior for the romance. NGM and LCA’s character are too similar. Both are too tormented by their past. LCA’s character suffers from OCDs, she needs help. But I really like their interactions like a mind game.
1. First drama completed in 2020:
Something in the Rain (first ever k-drama I ever finished—while waiting for new episodes of CLOY to drop. I just started watching k-dramas this year.)
2. Favorite actor discovered in 2020
Lee Jae-Wook, Gong Yoo
3. Favorite actress discovered in 2020
Kim Go-eun, Jun Ji-hyun
4. Favorite drama OST of 2020
TKEM (from 2020) But everything was new to me. My favorite OST I’ve heard so far is from Goblin, with Shopping King Louis second.
5. A drama outside of your comfort zone
“Psycho but It’s Okay” – the FL creeped me out but I’m glad I watched it to the end, when some of her issues seem to ease up (I agree with @pm3 that this couple—together and individually—will need therapy the rest of their lives)
6. A drama you dropped in 2020
• Tale of the Nine-Tailed (I may go back someday but it didn’t seem to be going anywhere after 5 episodes, just becoming unnecessarily creepier while I was getting bored with the main couple.)
• Mystic Pop-Up Bar
• (I wish I had dropped Record of Youth—what a waste of time—nothing really happened.)
7. Favorite character of 2020
• Grandma from Start Up
• Jo Eun-Seob from TKEM
• Kim Joo-meok from CLOY (being new to k-dramas, I learned a lot from this N. Korean soldier who tried to explain them to all the other characters)
8. Best Cinematography of 2020
IOTNBO; CLOY
9. An older drama you watched in 2020
Almost everything I watched this year was an older drama since I was going back and trying to find the classics (* = favorite):
*Something in the Rain
My Love From the Star
*Goblin
* Coffee Prince
*Legend of the Blue Sea
*Shopaholic Louis
While You Were Sleeping
for fun:
What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim
Touch Your Heart
10. A drama you’re not sure you’ll finish
Tale of the Nine Tailed
11. Favorite action drama of 2020
Does TKEM count as an action drama?
12. Favorite romance drama of 2020
CLOY
13. Favorite mystery drama of 2020
I am not watching mystery shows during the pandemic—can’t take the stress.
14. Favorite historical drama of 2020
All the historical dramas I watched were from pre-2020…
15. Favorite fantasy drama of 2020
TKEM
16. Best actor of 2020
• Really liked Lee Jae-Wook (in the earlier episodes of DDSSLLS)—he has a great career ahead of him
• Woo Do-hwan in his double role in TKEM
17. Best actress of 2020
Kim Hae-Sook (grandma in Start Up); Kim Go-eun in TKEM
18. Favorite antagonist of 2020
(not sure)
19. A drama that made you laugh
CLOY
20. A drama that made you cry
Start Up; CLOY
21.—-
22. A drama that needs more episodes
I’m usually OK with just 16 episodes.
23. A drama that needed less episodes
DDSSLLS!! If it had stopped at Episode 13 it would have been fine, even without any resolution–because the resolution the screenwriter came up with made for the worst final episode in k-drama I’ve seen so far.
24. Favorite costumes of 2020
Seo Yea-ji in IOTNBO; the king’s jackets in TKEM
25. A guilty pleasure 2020 drama
All of them?
26. Most disappointing drama of 2020
DDSSLLS (episode 13-16); Record of Youth
27. A scene you keep thinking about
When Grandma visits JP in the last episode in Start Up.
28. Best produced drama of 2020
Start Up
29. —–
30. Was 2020 a good drama year for you?
Yes—it was my first year of watching k-dramas. They are helping me get through the pandemic.
This is a great drama summary questions but I have to think right back in January. What were we watching then? 😂
I’ll post my answers before the year ends. ☺️
Kumawo! 🙇🏻♀️
Welcome to kdrama, @ BethB! I didn’t know this was your first year! Ooohhh! I’m excited for you.
It’s like kissing the frog, 🐸 you know. You have to watch a lot of dramas till you find the one that speaks to you personally. Then you just kiss 💋 it.
The popularity of “Boys Over Flowers” baffled me. Couldn’t understand why viewers were going gaga over the school bullies. Redemption-schmemption. That character Lee MinHo was portraying needed therapy before he could be considered a worthy hero.
However, I liked the meaning of the title in Japanese. It’s “Hana Yori Dango.” I read that it’s an idiom meaning to value substance (dango is a kind of sweets you can eat) over style (hana means flower which is pretty too but doesn’t last long).
To value substance over style means to focus on what’s essential and real instead of what’s trivial and false.
So I adapted it for this blog’s name: Bitches over Dramas.
My implicit goal has always been to mold viewers into Bitches who can THINK, not just “feel.” I want to be with people who can distinguish the essential/real from the hype.
I got tired of discussing drama at soompi where most of the fans argue over “ships” instead of discussing the toxic vs admirable relationships. Many of them dissect the guy’s body parts with gusto but skip the script and go ballistic when the endings don’t go their way.
I was creeped out when posters (even moderators) salivate over the shower scenes. 😂😂 Look: I can appreciate a shower scene, but many of these viewers just don’t get it. The shower scenes are clauses stipulated in their oppas’ contracts. The fact that their oppas HAVE TO do these naked scenes meant that their oppas could still be exploited and marketed for their bodies — not talent. 🤦♀️ If they really admire their oppas, then they should stop clamoring for these gratuitous shower scenes. 😂
There were times when being in the forum reminded me of being stuck in a room of hormonal teenagers. Everybody’s so emotional, excitable and sensitive.
We were about to watch Crash Landing on You in January.
Are you wrapping your gifts already? I’m going to have a nightmare tonight of being attacked by rolls of gift-wrapping paper and bundles of strings.
Oh I forgot that CLOY was back in January. It’s not my best drama though. 😁
I’ve finished my wrapping already. I’ll come over to help you wrap, I love wrapping Christmas gifts. 🥰
@Beth B
Curious about your opinion on Something In the Rain since it’s your first foray into kdrama
I don’t mind wrapping presents that come in a box. But the odd-shaped ones? I really should just pop them in gift bags but that feels like a cop-out to me. 🙂
I need a boozy eggnog. 😂
Sounds yummy, the boozy eggnog 😂
True about those odd shape ones. I’ve had a bit of everything this year so I had some on gift bags. 😆 I’m giving my niece two big plushies so she got the biggest gift box. 😂
I just happened upon k-dramas while I was lying around sick one day last January and an ad for CLOY popped up.
I got hooked on k-dramas real fast. I really enjoyed watching CLOY in real time (i.e., as it dropped) because half of the enjoyment was anticipating the next episode.
But–I started itching for more than those two hours a week, which led me to Something in the Rain because 1., it was on Netflix (didn’t even know Viki existed then) and 2., it starred Son Ye-jin, whom I really liked in CLOY (dang, I should have put her as one of my favorite actresses this year, but Jan. was so far away!)
Anyway I’m writing all this because @Ella asked me what I thought of Something in the Rain. Since it was my first finished k-drama I will probably always have a sentimental attachment to it. Here’s what I liked about it:
• the real-time feel of it (they seemed to try achieving this real-time feeling again in One Spring Night but at an even slower pace and it was like watching paint dry—I bailed after two episodes)
• the delicious melancholy feeling it gave me in the later episodes, when the main couple break up and Jin-ah struggles to find herself (underscored by the moody jazz music that finally replaces those awful Stand By Your Man renditions)
• my introduction to the noona relationship
• seeing people eat real Korean food (I remember they ate a lot of noodle dishes) instead of packaged ramen and Subway
What I didn’t like about it:
• the OST. I like Tammy Wynette but even she would be sick of hearing “Stand By Your Man” that many times. They would sometimes run two versions of it in the same episode (and it was the theme song)! What were they thinking? And there was an awful (Bruce Willis?) cover of Save the Last Dance for Me. Why? SITR would have been far better with a better OST.
• the mom. I guess she was a little over the top, but this being my first k-drama I really didn’t know if that’s how all moms were going to be portrayed.
• the ending. That five-minute resolve wasn’t very satisfying and like the couple in IOTNBO, that couple would need help if they wanted to stay together. (My fantasy ending is Jin-ah ending up with her female friend so they could continue to run the cafe together, perhaps later even adopting a couple of kids together…).
@PM3, so that’s the back story of BoD name! Same here, Boys over Flowers and even the Taiwan version of F4 Meteor Garden never appealed to me. There was a big fandom way back when, I felt like I was the only one who didn’t watch MG and why I probably avoided watching dramas if this was the content.
I only started kdrama in 2019 and have been lucky since a lot of my friends recommended the good ones to start with. And boy did I start well with Mr Sunshine! I was floored with the story, the cast, the cinematography, the music. Woah!
I like my dramas to have relevance, something I can learn from, with strong female characters and male leads who adore them. It’s a plus if the ML is swoon-worthy! And the OST has to be really good, transcending language barrier.
And now, I’m adding that the discussion has to also be good for the drama to be extra compelling. 😊😉
@Beth
Something in the rain is the reason I signed up for netflix subscription when I normally get my kdrama fix from streaming sites, spur only by my love for Jung Hae In (Joon Hee) lol.. but the over the top mother really put me off the whole drama itself (the same actress play supportive mother role in One spring night). I agree with you on Stand by your man ost being too much as well. But my friend thinks it’s the perfect drama, she rewatch SiTR countless time.
@Sayaris, that junior and her crushing on her senior plot are too similar with that who should not be named. I am still traumatised. And she is gonna be a headache later on. I am not into that kind of jealousy and overbearing character, especially in this line of work. They are cops, aigoo. Get too emotional and something bad is bound to happen. The way she acted as if she owns him is uninviting. Definitely like that one person. The flashback of how the junior fell for him the first time *roll eyes*. She confessed and he changed the subject. What is this? HP parody? hahahahaha. I kenneth with that one. Did you watch Sweet Home? They had a Bible Samurai x Ms. Bassist as a pair. She practices on HP song where Shwa was jamming like pro. kekekeke… definitely parody.
Their story is nothing like HP. Junior falling for a senior is a pretty usual plot in Kdrama too. Her emotions are what is making her different from him, they saved him, and he’s the one who chose her in the first place. He already showed he has feelings for her (not like in HP we had to wait for the last episode). Jamie is rational but she did mistakes too.
I see they are similar. 😊 Not the same but similar. Her loveline plot is a filler to the main plot here i.e. the White Village case. The writer used the too common a trope i e. falling in love with your enemy’s daughter plot, using her initially, falling for her later. Plus in ep 6 and 7(?), the writer also apply similar formula as ShinLee by writing an extended of an earlier flashback to show how he fell for her the first time when from ep. 1 they were shown bantering like senior – junior do just like ikjun – jang do. There is no real/deep caring moments from his part. He is written to be nonchalant most of the time even towards her. Then writer also shows he kept rejecting her, he even walked away leaving her fighting his attacker. A tsundere (?) written like this is not working for me. Are they trying to make this another repressed guy?🤭 They wasted most part of ep. 6 and 7 focusing on elaborating her feelings to him, justifying his ‘uncertainty’ that is her. Then ep 8 we are back to focus on him, his plans and his fellow friends i.e. Jamie and the hacker guy. Jamie and his two subordinates actually did their job finding him, understanding his motives when the girl just stuck in her emotional roller coaster. If this thriller tries to emulate the balance between melo-romance and thriller that is FoE, for me it fails. I find I am more intrigued about the connection between these three experimented children, the death of all experimented kids than this love fillers. But that is just me cos clearly I have issue with such weak loveline plot, especially in a thriller like this…😊
I think the romance shows that he didn’t become completely sociopath because of the experiments they did with him. It could be with Hye Won (junior-senior trope) or Jamie (childhood connection trope). I prefer Hye Won because Jamie and Jung Woo are too similar, both needs normality to get from their past. I don’t think Hye Won’s emtions are a weakness, I’m pretty sure Jung Woo didn’t kill them when Jamie thought he did. But the show is clearly not focused on that. The fact he’s dying forces him to stay focused on his plot. We got a lot of new elements during the last episodes. The connection between the 3 kids is the White Night, the question is wich one killed everybody this famous night? Jae Woon has a split personality disorder? Or a twin? Because the bad guy looked a lot like him from behind.
Jamie first thought it was Jung Woo who started the fire, then she thought she did it, all from her broken memories that are returning. I think she will eventually remember who actually did it. I don’t think Jung Woo is a sociopath. He can empathise. He has shown emotions despite not growing up in a normal environment i.e. anger, joy, fear and protective of his friends. However, he is on a vendetta. He wants to uncover and bring down the people behind White Village. The one with multiple personality disorder may be the sociopath. Though it seems that he is targetting those with shady backgrounds. So is he really the bad guy? And it seems his plans gave way to Jung Woo to execute his own plan. The height of that bad guy is similar to Jae Woon and that last scene when he changed at the beatings… they might disclose who he is in next episode. We’ll see.
Jamie has discovered that Jung Woo did not do the killing. She follows her evidence, her memories and derives a conclusion. Whereas HW has to be reminded to decide between doing her job or attend to her crush i.e. his wounds. In the end she did not get to do neither as he left her fighting the killer and she lost him yet again.
There was an older boy who survived the fire. Who was possibly in his 40s. He might be another suspect. I am not sure if writer will let Jung Woo die in the end after telling us that if they are fully developed, they can remain healthy and youthful. That gangster turned bodyguard to the Chief Sec., what is his power, I wonder? Why would he seek help from the very organisation that experimented him?🤔🤔🤔
Jamie accused Jung Woo to be the killer. She’s a genius but she understood everything too late. She had to threaten the bad guy to understand the 3rd kid can be the killer. Because of her accusations he must run away from the Police and the bad guys.
HW always did her job. She arrested JW and brought him to the police station when it’s Jamie who let him leave twice… She doesn’t believe in his culpability, because of her instinct and her emotions, but she did her job. It’s these emotions that saved him too. She investigates with the reporter too.
I think the mob guy needs a surgery like Jamie and JW, so he needs the Foundation help. They all are dying.
Hi! Newcomer.. Hope everyone is having a good festive break?
I’m glad I came across this – Loved your posts and discussions on start-up.
Not sure if I’m allowed to post on here though? But I’ve been watching K-dramas for just over 2 years now, I’ve seen 2 or 3 C-dramas and haven’t seen any J-dramas. But these are my answers for this challenge:
1. First Drama Completed in 2020
A Piece of your mind
2. Favourite Actor Discovered in 2020
I can’t pick one…Jung Hae In, Kim Soo Hyun, Yoon Shi Yoon (Love how he can play dual roles)
3. Favourite Actress Discovered in 2020
Seo Ye Ji (watched “Save Me” this year as well as IONTBO)
4. Favourite Drama OST of 2020
Most of the OST’s of Oh My Baby & Start Up but if I had to pick a favourite it would be by Gaho “Start” (Itaewon class)
5. A Drama outside of your comfort zone
Strangers from Hell – can’t carry on with it I’m getting horror vibes 🙈
6. A drama you dropped in 2020
Quite a few some include: Forest, Tale of the Nine-Tailed, Record of Youth, Good Casting
7. Favourite Character of 2020
Nam Do San & Moon Ha Won – I think the actors were amazing at bringing these characters to life.
Koo Se Ra (played by Nana in Into The Ring) A Refreshing strong female lead.
8. Best Cinematography of 2020
Definitely A Piece of Your Mind!
9. An Older Drama you watched in 2020
There was a point when I felt I needed to watch something I knew I would definitely enjoy.. So I re watched “Fight for my way” & “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo” 😅
But watching an older drama for the first time, there’s been a lot… Save Me has to be the most memorable!
10. A Drama you’re not sure you’ll finish
A lot of them….Itaewon Class, Doldolsolsollalasol, Private lives, When my love blooms
11. Favourite Action Drama of 2020
Train
12. Favourite Romance Drama of 2020
Can’t pick between Start Up and A Piece of Your Mind – they’re both beautiful in different ways
13. Favourite Mystery Drama of 2020
Missing: The other side
14. Favourite Historical Drama of 2020
Haven’t watched any this year as none seem to catch my interest like Tale of Nokdu did 🤷♀️
15. Favourite Fantasy Drama of 2020
My Holo Love?
16.Best Actor of 2020
Oh Jung Se – Moon Sang Tae could not have been played better by anyone else.
17.Best Actress of 2020
Seo Ye Ji & Jang Nara
18.Favourite Antagonist of 2020
Not sure does Han Ji Pyeong count as one 🤣
19.A drama that made you laugh
Its okay not to be okay, Once Again, Into the Ring
20.A drama that made you cry
Its okay not to be okay – that scene where Sang Tae accuses Gang Tae of trying to get rid of him when they were younger.
Chocolate – This wasn’t a 2020 one but I watched it this year – a scene where a little boy called Ji Yong is going through his final moments at the hospice (His Dad told him that he was from another planet with a mission to save the earth… he then developed his own explanation for his cancer based on this – that he was sick like this because he’s been away from his home planet too long and that when he passes – he’s just returning to his home planet) So in his final moments, despite struggling he asks the doctor to carry on his mission.
Oh and Missing The other side – When the little boy Haneul runs towards his mother but she doesn’t realise he is there and can’t see him and Kim Wook is torn that he’s fulfilling his promise to Haneul of reuniting him with his mother but not in the way he wanted/expected. That was quite emotional – without giving more away it was like a final nail on the head if you knew the details and the lead up to that moment.
21. A drama that surprised you
Once Again!! I thought this would be a good filler to watch in between dramas as it’s one of those family dramas that are quite long…but no I ended up bingeing 😅
And of course Start up! I did not expect to become so invested in it.
22. A drama that needed more episodes
A piece of your mind (I hate that it was cut short)
Missing: The other side… definitely needs another season
23. A drama that needed less episodes
I think this year most dramas had a decent number of episodes? (Korean ones any way)
24. Favourite costumes of 2020
Ko Moon Young, I also liked the way Na Hee’s MIL and Ga Hee in Once again dressed throughout the show
25. A guilty pleasure 2020 drama
True Beauty
26. Most Disappointing Drama of 2020
Itaewon Class – I just lost interest half way
I was looking forward to Run On but I don’t know something about it puts me off
I’m really hoping the korean version of A Love So Beautiful doesn’t disappoint (But I find myself comparing it too much to the chinese version)
27.A scene you keep thinking about
When Sang Tae tells Gang Tae that He doesn’t belong to him but Sang Tae belongs to Sang Tae
28. Best Produced drama of 2020
Its okay not to be okay
29. A 2020 drama that deserves a shoutout
A Piece of Your Mind – how people preferred I’ll go to you when the weathers nice… I will never understand.
30. Was 2020 a good drama year for you
Yes – watched a good range of dramas that pleasantly surprised me and brought a little goodness to this year
31. Favourite drama of 2020
A Piece of Your Mind
😊
Welcome to the blog, Tazz.
I forgot about Oh Jung Se (aka Moon Sang Tae in Psycho but it’s Okay). He was good in that role.
Thanks for sharing.
Hi Tazz,
A fellow fan of A Piece of Your Mind here, legitly bummed when they cut down the episode due to the rating. The two k-drama I can’t get over in 2020 is StartUp and A Piece of Your Mind.
I did say before end of the year. 😊 Thanks!
1 – CLOY. I thought it was good but I prefer the ending to be more definite.
2 – Sato Takeru as Dr Tendo in Love Lasts Forever. My first ever dorama and I loved it! At 10 episodes, it was great. My friend in Japan is now a big fan and so she gives me updates on him. ☺️
3 – Zhao Lusi from The Romance Of Tiger and Rose and Dating In The Kitchen. I’m going to watch all of her dramas for sure.
4 – I’ve got a few but these one’s are special.
Paul Kim – Dream – TKEM
MiDo and Falasol – Me To You, You To Me – HP
Falling In Love – Dating In The Kitchen
Davichi – Please Don’t Cry – TKEM
Cheeze – Little By Little – IOTNBO
5 – The Uncanny Counter because there’s lots of violence and there’s some scary parts as well.
6 – I haven’t dropped a drama. If I start it I still finish it even if it’s gone topsy turvey.
7 – Nanase Sakura from Love Lasts Forever.
8 – Dating In The Kitchen.
9 – Reply 1988? I’m pretty sure I watched it this year unless I really can’t trust my memory anymore. 😂
10 – I always finish a drama.
11 – The Uncanny Counter. I really like the action scenes on this one.
12 – Love Lasts Forever / Dating In The Kitchen / The King Eternal Monarch
13 – It’s Ok To Not Be Ok, this is the opposite of the favourite mystery because I didn’t expect Nurse Nam to be Moon Young’s Mom.
14 – The Romance of Tiger and Rose.
15 – The King Eternal Monarch.
16 – Takeru Satoh as Dr Tendo.
17 – Kamishiraishi Mone as Nanase Sakura.
18 – Han Ji-Peong. As much as he wanted to repay Grandma, he could have reached out to her after 5 or 7 years and not when he saw Dalmi again. He’s just mostly rude for me.
19 – Dating In The Kitchen. It was really good funny right up before the company takeover happens.
20 – Definitely Hospital Playlist.
21 – The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion. At 40 episodes I thought the story will be sacrificed but it still worked right to the end.
22 – I can’t think of any.
23 – Dr Cutie. I think 24 episodes should be fine, not the 27.
24 – Moon Young of IOTNBO. Her dresses and outfits were just wow.
25 – Dating In The Kitchen because I didn’t think the age cap between the main leads would work but it did. It was wonderful.
26 – A Piece Of Your Mind.
27 – When Lu Jin picked up Shengnan and put her up on the table to scold her.
28 – Love Lasts Forever. I can’t fault it.
29 – Love Lasts Forever! I loved it from beginning to end!
30 – With so many dramas out and between kdramas, cdramas and doramas, yes!!!
31 – DATING IN THE KITCHEN! ☺️
I should finish “Dating in the Kitchen”! 😍😍
Howdy! ☺️ @Phoenix and I loved DITK.
Enjoy the rewatch of SU. I’m only on episode 7. I’m just too busy with Christmas/family/niece even with the restrictions in place that’s why I haven’t caught up with the episodes. But I’m loving it so far. ☺️
Thanks @packmule. 🙂
And Hi Ella. I feel the same – and could’ve done without the pianist guy taking up screen time in the final episodes too.
Hello everyone.. I saved this post till the end of year. And I made it.
Here are my end of the year drama challenge.
disclaimer: Because of pandemic and WFH, I watched some old dramas in 2020 that I couldn’t watch previously, so I counted them in, not only the drama that aired in 2020. haha..
1. First drama completed: Dr Romantic 2
2. Fav actor discovered: Kim Do Hwan (as Yong San), he’s new but I see his potentials.
3. Fav actress discovered: Jeon Mi Do (where have you been omg!)
4. Fav Drama Ost: Dream (start up) & the song for by brother (CLOY)
5. Drama outside comfort zone: Itaewon Class (especially when the lead female slapped an older woman.. oh my)
6. A drama I dropped: The World of Married Couple since eps 1.
7. Fav Character: Nam Do San 🙂
8. Best Cinematography: I just watched mr. Sunshine this year so it’s mr sunshine
9. An older drama I watched: Japanese drama called a Long Vacation, Mother (it’s a remake of Japanese drama too), and many more..
10. A drama Im not sure will finish: Records of Youth..
11. Fav action drama: Kingdom 2 (is it thriller or action? haha)
12. Fav romance drama: Start Up
13. Fav mystery drama: Stranger 2 (and 1 too)
14. Fav historical drama: Since I didn’t watch many historical.. MR Queen
15. Fav fantasy drama: Mystic Pop Up Bar
16. Best Actor: Nam Joo Hyuk and Oh Jung Se (Sang tae Oppa)
17. Best Actress: Shin Hye Sun (on Mr Queen)
18. Fav Antagonist: I’m not sure about this category, should we fill the one who we like even though they are antagonist, or the one whom we hate. If it the one whom I like, it’s Oh Soo Ah (Itaewon Class). She’s the key of the ending revenge party. If it’s the antagonist that I dislike: Dr. Maggot. hufft.
19. A drama that made me laugh: Mr. Queen
20. A drama that made me cry: Mother and Dr. Romantic 2
21. A drama that surprised me: Start Up (for creating such a beautiful character of Nam Dosan, and how many people failed to notice him, and the fan war. hhhh)
22. A drama that need more episodes: Dr. Romantic 2 and Stranger 2 (pleaseeee make season 3)
23. A drama that need less episodes: Itaewon Class? (I figured out how the ending would be like from the middle of episodes)
24. Fav costumes: Koo Moon Young
25. A guilty pleasure: I just watched Her Private Life this year. lol
26. Most Disappointing Drama: Itaewon Class (for making the female lead as harsh as she is, and this drama only focused in revenge..)
27. A scene I keep thinking about: From start up whenever Dosan called Dalmi with a gentle voice (Dalmii yaa..)
28. Best produced: Hospital Playlist
29. A drama that deserves a shoutout: Hot Stove League (i just watched it this year)
30. Was 2020 a good drama for me: one of the best i ever experienced, moreover I meet you all here…
31. Fav Drama 2020: Start Up and Dear My Friends (I just watched it this year too)
thank you everyone 🙂