Advanced Ranked Watchlist

Enjoyment will depend on how you watch any show.  I prefer shows that allow me to take apart its ideas and examine them from different angles.  That's exactly what Lee Soo-yeon has created with this drama.  You will need to reassess how you understand dramas or you may miss it.  Not saying I'm special but I'm the weird person that is constantly trying to reassess the underlying principle of a show, IF, it allows for that sort of analysis.  And I'm okay with a conclusion that is more on the abstract end.

This one is interesting because you could watch it as a romance and still be entertained.  The reason I gave this a 10 instead of a 9.5 is because the drama has value that goes beyond the main couple or even the story.  

It's a critique of society though a world where politics, media, and entertainment have all gone corrupt and the people are either part of the problem, too apathetic to care, or whatever variation in between.

This isn't a romance, but the rekindling of a passion. It's a show for those who feel they've abandoned a craft they used to love. That part of the drama, I would give an 11. If I recall correctly, the revenge plot was not as thrilling as I wanted it to be, so I lowered the overall score to an 9.5. Which is too bad, because it is a beautiful show rarely seen in kdramas.

The same compliments (acting, cinematography, choreography) as WHC1, but I thought this season upped the stakes, had more substance, added depth to the dialogue, and brought in more interesting friends and villains. This season took a darker tone, so I appreciate the comedic moments and the bromance.

For Weak Hero in general, I liked that the story moved on quickly without dwelling too long on conflicts. It knew how to show just enough to get the biggest impact.

For WHC2, it made me think...
There are a lot of shows these days that look good because they're polished. THIS show has specific frames that are burned into my memory, not only because of how good they look, but because of the extra story they tell.

This was unexpected.  The team managed to take a genre I dislike (super heroes) and turn it into a blend of action, life, supernatural, comedy, drama, mystery, romance (and so on).

Ironically, what I loved the most about the show is part of what keeps it from being a 10. I may reconsider after I watch the next season.

For some reason, there is a giant black hole in my memory aside from being sure that this is one of my favorites (below 6FD, Lucifer, Misaeng, Healer, Chicago Typewriter), at least at the time that it aired.

Upon rewatch...
When the show focused on Se-ju as a writer, it was a piece of art. Some of the side stories felt shallow in comparison. But I guess that was often the problem with the hour-long, 16ep format.

I will watch it when I can give it the attention it needs. After 2 eps, I'm assuming the show will fall around here.

Biggest complaint is that many of the episodes were way too long.  

I think that out of the major hit dramas (Goblin, Descendants of the Sun, My Love from the Star), this is the best by far.  

Unfortunately, the soundtrack was fairly lackluster compared to Goblin, but still better than the other two.

This perfectly captures the heart of being young and growing up in the late-90s.

This drama grips the viewer's attention from the intro and carries it to the end. Superb acting from everyone, especially Park Ji-hoon and Hong Kyung. Amazing choreography and cinematography.

About comparing it to some of the shows below it...
it makes wise use of its time and executes it extremely well, making the show an immersive experience.

9-9.5.  I can't settle on a rating because although it was a hell of a ride at the time that I watched this, I don't think it can fit into what I would classify as a 9.5.

Absolutely loved it back then but this is one of those cases where I no longer remember it well enough to know how it actually compares.  It may have gotten a boost for being unique for its time (and The Man from Nowhere) but with shows like Stranger, my standard for a 10 is now much higher.

Rewatching this in 2025 confirmed that despite being an older drama, the experiences remain the same.  Stellar performances by the 4 main actors.  Soundtrack showcases some of the best indie k-artists.  Heavy on the dialogue.  Character development.  It may crush you.  

The more I think about this drama, the more I realize how difficult it must be to create a near-perfect rom-com such as this one.  The natural developments in the relationships make Coffee Prince one of the few shows that hasn't become dated.  Is it weird to have a rom-com this high?  I guess not.

Webtoon adaptation.  Most of its strengths lie in the acting, directing, and the cinematography.   There is also a decent amount of thrill but expect the Sci-Fi parts to require a bit of a stretch.  Regardless, the peculiar way the mystery is told makes this a fascinating experience.  Extra points for style and originality.

I understood much of it to be exaggerated on purpose, for comedy.  And the style worked.  It tops many dramas in numbers of enjoyable characters.  This is an example that you don't need to make a whole lot of sense, as long as you can convince the viewers of your story.

THE Racket Boys are the highlight of the show.  In fact, there may be some personal bias here with the ranking.  This is fun and heartwarming.

I found the philosophical aspects to be the most interesting part of this drama.  That may explain why I disagree with a good majority of viewers who watched this as an ordinary action drama and disliked it.  The drama is a depiction of today's society and I actually would say it's NOT limited to established religion.

Too much filler for my tastes. However, It had a particular atmosphere that made it feel...ethereal? I have respect for the product, especially considering it was made when live-shoot was still a thing.
Probably one of the best soundtracks in kdrama.

I hesitated trusting the writer because kdramas often neglect having nuance when it comes to relationships.  With it wanting to be more realistic, I had specific expectations.  That hesitancy may have affected my early experience. 

Solid soundtrack.  I think a show like this could be better with a second watch because of the details.  It seems that the writer put a lot of thought into her script.

I can't believe the smile badge was a real thing.

Gave it an extra .5 because of how it was able to portray the military experience, which is something I wouldn't be able to appreciate fully.

I think Lee Hong-nae stole the spotlight.

I don't remember this much anymore.  It was somewhat unique for it's time and my score is from that time.

It was my first drama, back in 2007. The score more due to it being a classic. I don't remember much aside from it breaking me.

I probably wouldn't like it today, but I can't penalize it using modern standards.

Kim Se-jeong shines.  Plus, it helps that it's only 12 episodes.

Entertaining despite the silly plot.  That's a compliment.

The show being episodic makes it more difficult to rate as it depends on the episode.  Also, I think it's easier to write in 1 hour chunks.

This is the rating I gave at the time I watched it.  I do not remember it anymore aside from enjoying it more than the other medical drama.  

The show being episodic makes it more difficult to rate as it depends on the episode.  Also, I think it's easier to write in 1 hour chunks.

I'm liking Kang Full's non-traditional method of storytelling.

This is a remake of a Japanese drama.  It is a show about relationships.

Not my type of show but it I can't deny it managed to create something.

This is the rating I gave at the time I watched it.  I do not remember it anymore.

Frustrating because they had an interesting story to work with but it was poorly executed.  The writing was sloppy at times.  Some of the actors had excellent performances while others were in need of more nuance.  The constant shouting and wailing was off-putting.  Sure, it's a dark topic, but balance would've made the most important scenes more impactful.  I would've rated it lower but considering this still tends to be more interesting than other kdramas of this genre, I'll compromise with an 8.  That, and there is one particular performance that elevated the show.

A separate rating for entire show will be in the comment section of Part 3.

What's with the awful cover, Korea?

It was great when it was focused.

I prefer it a tiny bit over the Taiwanese version.

This is the rating I gave at the time I watched it.  I do not remember it anymore.

Original.  It tried.  Gave me the feeling of watching LOST for the first time.

This is the rating I gave at the time I watched it.  I do not remember it anymore.

This is the rating I gave at the time I watched it.  I do not remember it anymore.

This is the rating I gave at the time I watched it.  I do not remember it anymore.

This is the rating I gave at the time I watched it.  I do not remember it anymore.

Cute moments.  But you know when that music starts to play and you turn your head to watch paint dry.

This is the rating I gave at the time I watched it.  I do not remember it anymore aside from enjoying the start.

This is the rating I gave at the time I watched it.  I do not remember it anymore aside from enjoying the start.

This is the rating I gave at the time I watched it.  I do not remember it anymore.

Second drama.  It's been almost 15 years and I barely remember.

Mixed feelings because it was great until it went crazy.  I'm probably too harsh on it because I only remember the crazy.

This is the rating I gave at the time I watched it.  I do not remember it anymore.

This is the rating I gave at the time I watched it.  I do not remember it anymore.

This is the rating I gave at the time I watched it.  I do not remember it anymore.