My TOP 20 shows

I honestly can't find much fault in this show...the acting, the directing, the music, the characterizations, the editing, the plot, the cinematography...everything was pretty much perfect or at least gave me the illusion of being so.
I am honestly surprised about having enjoyed an horror drama so much. I generally avoid the genre because I hate jump scares, but you won't find any in here. That's not to say that the show isn't scary, but it's in an sort of 'understated' way which I loved. 

This is my first no-romance drama to get a full 10/10 score from me and it's currently my top ranked drama of all time.

A second watching of the drama just confirmed my first opinion. Of course the tension was much dimmer the second time around, but I managed to enjoy the editing and cinematography even more. The acting was even better than I remembered both from the main cast and the supporting actors who did an amazing job!
It's true that the plot does have a few inconsistencies if you watch it already knowing where the story will lead you, but honestly they are barely there and I managed to explain them away in my head.

I didn't want to start this drama...but I fell in love with it from the get go!
The two leads are charming and endearing and their love story feels so real even with the use of the time-traveling expedient.
This drama makes you realize how much we grow up even after our 20s. Sometimes we do not even realize it ourselves how differently we perceive the world as we get older.

It's definitely a must watch for everyone who likes a good second-chance romance light enough to be funny and yet deep enough to make you think.

More than the plot, it's the characterization that held this drama together and made it an unforgettable experience. The cast's performances and chemistry were off the chart; I believe that less talented and experienced actors would have made a mess of this show since it really relies on small gestures and reactions.
The drama doesn't pander to his audience...while some turns may be predictable, the underlying motivations are complex and rarely understandable right away. I loved how we saw the characters as if we were part of the story ourselves...beside a very few thoughts of the main lead in fact we have very little to no knowledge of what the characters are thinking and we're often left to give our own interpretation to their actions and body language.

That said, it might be boring if you do not pay attention to the smaller details in their performances since the pace does appear slower compared to what the usual crime/thriller dramas usually offer.

This is a drama loved by many, and for very good reasons. It's not without flaws once I think over it (the law side of the plot is a bit hazy and definitely not realistic), but overall it manages to be so enthralling that I can't stop wanting to watch it again everytime I have a glimpse at certain scenes.

It's a great mix of noona romance, paranormal, crime and thriller. The whole cast made a wonderful job, the writing is overall solid both in plot and characterization and the whole production was great. Add to that a very unique OST and the game is done!

This is the first drama I've ever watched during airing, and I did not regret it!

It's one of my favourite comedies and it has a black comedy vibe which I really love and do not find often in Korean dramas.

Here you'll be able to read my no-spoiler review.

This show is a blast!
I never laughed so much at a Korean drama and yet, it does have very heartbreaking scenes.

Big credits to the writer and the whole cast! They managed to give depth and individuality to so many characters that he made me really feel for almost all of them. Another things I really liked were the fight scenes! I'm not a huge fan of the action genre, but I found the choreagraphies really well made and I enjoyed watching them a lot!
There were no huge mysteries, but the plot had good turns and flowed quite smoothly. There was a bit of repetitiveness going on for a few episodes in the first half of the show, but it was compensated with a good dose of humor that managed to keep me entertained, so I was never bored.

This is from the same writer as The Fiery Priest. I did laugh out loud a little less often compared to TFP, but I giggled a lot more!
The themes touched here are more ordinary and relatable compared to TFP and I'm honestly not sure which show I loved more...I'm going to put TFP just a tiiiiny bit above just because I did love the fight action scenes it provided, but it's basically a tie-in.

I love the chemistry showed by all the cast and both MLs are among my favourite Korean actors. The bromance was really good (after all the two MLs did win a Best Couple award for this show), but it's a pity that we saw it at full throttle only towards the end.
I also really liked the minimal touches of romance here and there. It was enough to make me giggle at how cute they were and it didn't feel forced into the main plot.

One more thing...this drama has one of the most addicting OST I've heard till now!

I know the story is basically a rehash of the amnesia plot from Shopping King Luis just set back in Joseon era...but I liked it even more than the 'original'!
Production value is quite high, the acting well done and the casting spot on. Also, this is probably one of the prettiest drama out there. The sceneries are breathtaking and the color palette stunning.
The downside is that it sort of looks a bit fake...especially considering that we should believe that this country has been plagued by drought, but I honestly think it's just to pretty to complain!

After the third time watching, I actually found myself enjoying the drama even more. I'd be tempted to rank this even higher, but I found the last episode to be a little anticlimatic, which ruins things a little bit.

This is an epic, historical love story...quite a perfect one. I was reluctant to start it even if the reviews were so positive, since I was afraid it'd be boring and full of cliches, but I was wrong. There are certainly some common tropes, but they never felt like cliches.

It's considered the Romeo & Juliet of Korean dramas and it's a little bit like that in the sense that the fathers of the two main leads are on opposite political factions. The love story is more mature and better established compared to the usual R&J, the acting of the two leads is wonderful and their characters' choices understandable even if sometimes heartbreaking.

But even more surprising...the political intrigue part of the story was also wonderfully done!
I dind't skip a single scene. All the actors and actresses managed to completely make me feel invested in their stories and I honestly felt for almost every single character (I'm just excluding some very secondary minions here) even Prince Suyang and Prefect Shim. They all had very complex set of motivations, ambitions, ideals and they felt quite like real people...I either liked or at least respected all of them.

While it's very likely that you'll shed some tears, this drama doesn't really feel hopeless. It even has some funny moments in the first few more light-hearted episodes, but even as the plot becomes darker and tragic, it somehow manages to be just beautiful.

This drama is heartbreakingly beautiful.
Every aspect is pretty much outstanding: the production, the cinematography, the performances, the music, the writing, the directing...everything stands out to me.
I especially loved this female lead character. She was down-to-heart, calm, strong and she just felt real. The male lead character is a little too self-sacrificing to be on the same page of realism, but that too still makes sense in the context of the story...so it doesn't feel forced and contrived as it may usually be.

While the second rewatch confirmed my high opinion, I have to admit it might not offer a lot of rewatchability value for me which is why I cannot keept it a full 10.
The message of the drama is hopeful, but also sad and at the second rewatch it felt a tiny bit preachy especially towards the end. I had to stop every 2/3 episodes and start other more light-hearted series and/or movies and I doubt I'll be back for a third rewatch anytime soon.

Romantic, malinconic and somewhat magical. I really loved it!

It does have several cliches, but honestly I fell in love with it anyway. I particularly loved the whole take on the destined lovers theme (which I usually despise and is the reason I dropped more than one drama) as I found it to be quite unique...but revealing too much is a spoiler.

I can't believe I had actually once dropped this drama at the very first episode. Luckily I picked up again after several months and I fell in love with it!

The two leads are adorable together and I loved them both. The second leads were also pretty likeable, especially the ML's little sister who's energetic and optimistic even if somewhat a little bratty.
The story flows extremely well and it doesn't feel too forced even during the costumary separation.

It's a more mature love story compared to your standard Korean drama and I loved it even more because of it!

I was surprised I actually wanted to rewatch this show after barely 4 months and my very positive opinion overall didn't change. I liked some parts of the plot a little bit less the second time around, but I really love all 4 main leads.

It's not the smartest show out there, but I loved it anyway.

The male protagonist is probably one of my favourite k-drama anti-heroes and the female main character was surprisingly level-headed and kind-hearted without feeling MarySue-like. 

I personally liked the writing, even if I recognize both the crime and the business aspects of the plots did have quite a lot of inconsistencies. The worst part of the drama might be the villain, but there was nothing so bad that made me even consider dropping  the show...I was enjoying this anti-hero to hero journey way too much!

This drama feels like a fairytale...it's adorable.
I fell in love with all the characters and cried and laughed with them all. 

The pacing though is a bit off...it's very slow in the middle (a lil bit too much, actually) and then all happens at once in the last few episodes. It seems that a few episodes were cut and that might be the reason for this issue, but still it's a bit jarring.

The OST is really good and the acting was marvelous from everyone. It felt like a true healing drama!

Funny and heartbreaking at the same time.
This drama was addicting and stayed with me for a while.

I do not really buy much of the ending and I'm pretty sure the psychoanalytic accuracy was almost nowhere to be found, but it doesn't really matter after all. Ji Sung performance was amazing and in the context of the story he really managed to make me believe he was several different people. 

I admit there are a few issues here and there but the whole thing way too endearing and sweet to allow much nitpicking.

This drama made me discover Kim Jae Won and Nam Goong Min and they both became two of my favourite Korean actors. Kim Jae Won's character in this (Dong Joo) steals the show in my opinion. He's optimistic, mischievous and positive through it all...he's perfect, yet not perfect at the same time. The FL tends to be a little annoying at first (I like Hwang Jung  Eum, but her acting voice is sure shrilly at times), but it's part of her character and honestly she grew on me.

It's not a perfect show, but it has a lot of heart particularly in the performances of the older cast. I've rarely watched a drama with more than 20 episodes without skipping a single scene, but here the plot even with its inconsistencies kept me entertained to the end.
The ending is a bit weak, but not enough to ruin the whole thing.

Well...I can't believe this has a lower rating that Terius Before Me as I found it distinctly superior in all aspects...from the comedy, to the spy plot and even the romance.

I liked all the characters as well, including the FL whom I found to be down to earth, smart and funny yet ordinary enough to be endearing. I liked how she wasn't clingy neither stubborn in her opinions. I knew I really liked her a couple of episodes in when she actually apologizes! Honestly, it's so rare to see a character in a Korean drama to actually apologize in a rational manner!
I also liked the fact that there was no true moment where you could see the love clinching in. There are no grand proclamations, it's all in the small gestures and left to the audience's imagination. It might have felt bothersome to some watchers, but I actually found that subtletly to be a plus.

Another thing that this drama does right is the fact that the plot keeps moving up till the very end. I found the spy story to be well-done (even if obviously not in realistic manner) and the action scenes were quite enjoyable to watch.

The second watching was also very entertaining and solidified my first positive first impressions of the drama even if some of the plot contrivancies were more evident the second time around. The interaction among the characters is still the strongest point of the show and doesn't disappoint even upon rewatching.

This is definitely a guilty pleasure...

This drama was SO over the top that it was sometimes cringy, therefore I understand why a lot of watchers didn't like it. Still Yoon Shi Yoon is so likeable that, instead of getting mad and dropping the show right away, I just ended up laughing during his overacting scenes.
The FL character is the kind of calm, understated yet strong female character that I tend to like. 

The OST was really pleasant and I found that the writing flowed well even at some of the cheesiest moments. The story, even with the unrealistic and sort of cliche premise, wasn't too predictable and I was always curious (and often suprised) about the plot turns.

The ending was nice, considering that quite a few episodes were cut. Some plot lines do get a 'softer' ending, but it doesn't feel incomplete on the whole.

While the romance side of the story is very cute, it's quite light and very manga-like with its clichees and love triangles/squares and not particularly note-worthy.

What I really liked was the more serious moments in which the FL reflects on her life choices and how she became who she is. After Junko Harumi  has failed her university admission test she has become a 32 years old  without either a career or a lovelife. I had a very similar disappointment in my university years and probably that made me love this drama more than most viewers.

If I should consider this as a romance drama, it would get a 2/10...it was one of the most forced love story I have seen in a drama to date. But for everything else, well, it was really good.

I liked the mystery even when some turns were predictable and I LOVED the performances of all the 3 MLs. Jang Na Ra is also amazing in her role, but my enjoyment for her performance was dampened by the cringey romance.
This was the first show I've seen starring Park Bo Gum and to date it's the only one in which I really liked his character. I honestly find him boring when he plays the perfect boyfriend material, but in here he's the exact opposite and I found him extremely compelling. He definitely steals the show!