KDrama Challenge 2024

#02. Tropes (Has a haircut)  — Dong Dong Joo cuts her hair twice

Genre: Historical / Romance / Comedy

Completed: January

#03. Common Scenes (Bus / Bus Station) — Bus Stop 'Hangang Middle School'

Genre: Romance / Fantasy

Completed: February

Review: The initial 2/3 episodes of this drama kicked off in an intense and intriguing way. However, as the story progressed, it become predictable. It also ended with important questions answered, the answers on why and when the dreams started for the FL, were left unanswered. It feels like it could have been written better. 

#03. Common Scenes (Lighthouse) — Tower of Hercules, Coruña, Spain

Genre: Romance / Comedy

Completed: February

Review: Such a pleasant surprise, I didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I did. This story pack various concepts, notably the reincarnated star-crossed lovers was the most prominent, the drama was filled with comedy and romance. The breathtaking scenes in Spain added a magical touch. Overall, even though this drama dragged a bit, it was a delightful watch and the chemistry between both lead was amazing. 

#03. Common Scenes (Office raided by prosecutors with blue boxes)

Genre: Comedy / Law

Completed: February

Review: This kicked off with an exciting and unpredictable narrative, offering a refreshing take on the typically heavy legal environment. The two episodes focused on the tragic past of the main lead were done perfectly. Sadly, after these episodes, things became messy and the story was rashly concluded in one single episode, leaving me yearning more episodes. 

#03.  Common Scenes (Singing at the noraebang)

Genre: Romance / Comedy

Completed: March

Review: This drama started on a promising narrative, exploring themes of mental health and building friendships in your 30s. Sadly, to me the progression falls into repetition where everything revolves around the leads living freely, but sadly always ending with excessive drinking. These constant images, made me think that they should have done a better job showing the real side effects of mixing alcohol with antidepressants. However, despite its flaws, I think the cast had great chemistry, I loved the heartwarming family scenes, the small but strong friendships and their portrayal of healthy romantic relationships. 

#04. PPL (Restaurant) — Pizza Alvolo

Genre: Romance / Life

Completed: February

Review: I enjoyed how this narrative was mostly styled like a documentary. The story depicted how humans deal with all aspects related to love, that offered sort of a slice-of-life experience. I also found this drama delivered an amazing lesson on seamlessly integrating PPLs in dramas, setting an example for others on how to handle such elements. The only flaw for me was the lack of a filming crew around the characters while interviewing them. 

#04. PPL (Coffee) — Dal.Komm Coffee

Genre: Historical / Romance /  Melodrama

Completed: April

Review: A masterpiece in every aspect, with stunning cinematography and soundtrack, to spectacular performances and a captivating story that resonates deeply within the viewers. While at times the story felt a bit slow-burn, the rich historical backdrop and the well-developed characters kept me engaged. But as the ending approached and I could predict the outcome, I became overly emotional in every episode, making it harder to finish. Nonetheless, it was an amazing journey that left deep impression in me. 

#04. PPL (Health Supplement) — Good Base Korean Red Ginseng

Genre: Life / Romance / Comedy

Completed: February

Review: With this drama, I discovered a newfound love for female-centered dramas. This one dives into the lives and friendship of three fantastic women in their early 30s. The countless references to classic dramas were a delightful and the narrative that gave us a behind-the-scenes insights into drama production, from casting to sponsorship, added an intriguing layer to the drama which kept me interested until the end. 

#05. Korean Culture (Agrees to drop honorifics) — Between Ha Won and Yoon Sung

Genre: Romance / Comedy

Completed: April

Review: I chose this drama because it looked like a light and low-commitment watch to balance between other heavier dramas that I was watching. While the story was predictable and lacked brilliance, it actually fulfilled my needs. Although I didn’t love this story, I still appreciated the quirky and optimistic FL and great music, but what I really didn’t like was the happy ending for every character, even those that clearly didn’t deserve one 

#07. Started airing in your birth month (April)

Genre: Romance / Comedy

Completed: April

Review: At first I was hesitant to start this due to Park Min Young's typical character style, luckily I found this drama to be a delightful romcom with a captivating storyline, exploring the world of fangirling in your 30s while balancing a successful professional life. This was elevated by strong performances, especially between the leads and their undeniable chemistry. Overall, this offered mr a light-hearted escape from other heavier dramas. 

#08. Title that includes a character's name — "Death's Game" & "Yi-Jae, Will Die Soon"

Genre: Thriller / Fantasy

Completed: January

#09. Character who is an artist  — Han Se Joo & Yoo Jin Oh, Writers 

Genre: Historical / Fantasy / Romance / Comedy

Completed: April

#11. Wears a sports team uniform or watches a sports game — Yunis Badminton Team

Genre: Sports / Romance

Completed: January

#12. Friendship as a key part of the drama — Between every teen

Genre: Youth / Romance / Fantasy

Completed: February

Review: This drama had such a fun and touching story, but it wasn't as heartbreaking as I was expecting it to be. I loved how the time travel concept was introduced, it wasn't the typical near-death experience and it was well-executed, delving into life dilemmas. The way they incorporated sign language was also beautifully done. The ending, even though satisfying, left me with a desire for more present-day scenes. 

#15. Childhood flashback scenes — Ba-Reum, Yo-Han, Moo-Chi, Bong-Yi & Hong-Joo

Genre: Thriller / Psychological / Mystery

Completed: January

#16. Character (M/S) part of the LGBTQ+  — Lee Do Han is gay

Genre: Romance / Comedy

Completed: April

Review: This drama started out really well, but it ended in a huge disappointment. If the plot didn’t focused too much on a trope of contract marriage, and kept showing the uniqueness and quirkiness of each character that we saw in the first half of the drama, this would have been a really good drama. Instead they added all the cliches in the book, reduced the characters to stereotypes and ended with a finale that was lacking in so many ways. 

#17. Title is not a direct translation — "He Who Wishes to Wear the Crown, Endures Its Weight, The Heirs" 

Genre: Drama / Romance / Comedy

Completed: March

Review: This drama feels like a PG-13 Korean version of Gossip Girl, both series presents the glamorous and ridiculous lives of a group of high school students, in both cases the characters lack proper development. Regardless of this, this drama was entertaining and it was mostly like a guilty pleasure to me. At all times, I was aware of the heavily used tropes and I could definitely tell how the story would end. I still enjoyed this drama, not because of it’s worthy story, but because I got to see how some of the most well known actors acted 10 years ago and compare how much they grew over the years, and for that is definitely worth the watch. 

#19. Takes a trip — One day trip in every episode 

Genre: Life / Food

Completed: March

Review: Probably the drama that had the biggest impact in my life. I noticed that since I started working that my weekends are always spent in the worst way possible, sometimes I spent full weekends at home. Not because I couldn’t go somewhere, but because I’m always exhausted from work, I’m always insecure of going on trips alone and other times I think about the amount of money I would spend that I could save for the future. Stupid right? When will I start living? This served as wake up call for me to start living my life, because I also want to walk around, eat good food and let my mind wander. 

#21. A drama set in a rural/non-urban location — Goesan-gun, North Chungcheong Province

Genre: Life / Mystery / Sports

Completed: January

#22. Character (M/S) who is a chaebol  — Queens Group Family

Genre: Romance / Comedy

Completed: April

Review: Overall I enjoyed the meaning of this story and its characters, but one thing that I disliked was the unnecessary use of cliches towards the ending. I understand they were used to bring the viewership to new all time highs, but somehow I found those additions to lack in creativity and even outdated. Despite it’s minor flaws in the script, the technical aspects excelled my expectations, with stunning set designs, incredible performances, beautiful soundtrack and superb cinematography. 

#23. Character who works for the government — Jang Nan Gam, Detective

Genre: Thriller / Mystery

Completed: February

Review: Despite my eager anticipation, this drama fell rather short for what I expected. This had a strong beginning with an accidental kill and a lucky escape, it kept it's momentum with interesting twists, up until episode 5, where the focus shifted from the main character, to another character rendering the main one almost irrelevant. Even though, the performances remained commendable, it felt like an entirely different season. 

#24. Meal with 3 banchan on the table  — Kim Mi Kyung's cooking

Genre: Romance / Comedy / Life

Completed: March

Review: This drama perfectly captured the essence of friendships and love in your adult life. The story resonated with me as it depicted four friends who maintained their bond from teens to adulthood, making me reflect on those close friendships that I built when I was young and I have kept for the past 20 years, because like them we really have been through a lot and at times we are really in different stages of life. The romance between the leads was also heartwarming, it showed a relationship built on trust and respect which I loved to see. What I didn’t like, was how some character arcs wre lacking, like the storyline of the FL sister or the storyline of each mother. 

#27. Main character over 40 (Park In Hwan) 

Genre: Life

Completed: April

Review: With this challenge I set out to watch a drama featuring a main character over 60, a rarity in K-dramas, as they usually play support roles as the grandparents of some other characters. This choice led me to this drama, which felt like an inspiring watch where both male leads' stories beautifully intertwined, showcasing how age and background shouldn’t hinder dreams. This was a testament to never stop pursuing your dreams regardless of limitations. 

#28. Multigenerational main cast — Soo Hyun (mom), Seon Yul (son), Go Eun (grandmother)

Genre: Thriller / Mystery / Drama

Completed: April

Review: I was happily surprised by the stellar performances and an intriguing narrative that kept me captivated. However some of the character development, especially the main antagonist left me disappointed, his motives were too predictable and too similar to other villains in kdramas. Still, the remarkable performances helped to elevate narrative, making its flaws barely noticeable, making this drama an emotional and satisfying thriller.

#29. Drama from the sageuk genre — Goryeo Dynasty & Joseon Dynasty

Genre: Historical / Action / Political

Completed: February

Review: I was captivated by a historical narrative set against the Goryeo-Joseon transition and the unbreakable friendships between Seo Hwi and Nam Sun Ho. But what will forever in my memory is Jang Hyuk's portrayal of Bang Won's cunning personality, his scheming to overtake the throne and desire to get his father's recognition. Even his skills with the lavish fan added an extra layer to my fascination with this character. Overall this drama was filled with stellar performances and an exceptional direction, especially in single-take fight scenes. The only flaw, the miraculous healings. 

#31. Reviewed in one of our past Spotlight On posts — Spotlight On Crime/Mystery

Genre: Thriller / Crime

Completed: February

Review: This drama hooked me with its portrayal of criminal profilers in the late '90s. Unlike typical crime thrillers, this doesn't attempt to justify killers' actions but delves into detectives' methods, portraying the emotional toll of their demanding job. The narrative avoids clichés, offering a realistic slice-of-life perspective in a crime setting. The most intriguing character to me was Song Ha Young, seeing how an empathetic character, exploring criminals' minds and how this affected him. The only flaw lies in the direction of time skips, essential for prolonged investigations, somehow at times I felt confused. 

#32. Single episode drama

Genre: Youth / Romance

Completed: January

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Genre: Action / Historical / Thriller

Completed: January

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Genre: Historical / Romance / Fantasy

Completed: March

Review: This drama transcended all my expectations with its compelling plot and characters. I finished both seasons and in my opinion, the first season was far superior, if they removed a few of the fillers and stretched to 24 episodes, the transition from Jung So Min to Go Youn Jung could have been done in a way better way. Because of this, since there was no proper transition, it was hard for me to enjoy Go Youn Jung performance as much as I enjoyed Jung So Min performance . Regardless of that, the overall story was still amazing and every actor involved did a fantastic job. 

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Genre: Comedy / Fantasy

Completed: March

Review: Such a refreshing drama with each episode running for less than 30 minutes, that perfectly delivered a narrative filled with quirky comedy and witty dialogues, and all combined with a reliable cast that made me laugh in every episode. I still remember some of the nonsensical dialogues and I still hum to Ahn Jae Hong songs. There is even a sense also a sense of nostalgic in this drama with the numerous mentions of the drama Be Melodramatic, the previous work by Lee Byung Hun. It was a short feel-good drama that left me with a smile and wishing for more. 

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Genre: Action / Thriller / Crime

Completed: April

Review: This drama was entertaining and thrilling, a perfect watch on a saturday afternoon with friends. The narrative was straightforward without over the top cinematic exaggerations, it explored the story of a man seeking a better life, that unwittingly ended up being dragged into a drug operation, while still showing how easily he could have changed his life, keeping the whole operation interesting and unpredictable. This was an amazing work of cinematography, with a stellar cast that delivered impressive performances. 

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Genre: Drama / Psychological / Sci-Fi

Completed: April

Review: I’m disappointed with this drama, the storyline was poorly developed, the characters lacked depth and the editing was sloppy with scenes barely connecting with each other. I believe they intended to portray the 5 stages of grief, but somewhere in the editing and writing, the message got lost. However, even though I disliked this drama the last two episodes were probably the best and of course the soundtrack was magnificent. Finally, hope to see Yoo Ah In's quick return in a stronger role.