Bells or Buzzers - 2023 Drama Reflections

[stroppyse]

Drama Reflections for 2023

 

It's almost the end of 2023, and so it's time for us to reflect and discuss what we liked and didn't like in our drama watching for 2023. To be honest, I don't think I was terribly inspired by my drama watching this year. There was some nice c-dramas that I managed to catch, however, I won't lie. It was definitely not a year for watching in real time. Rather, I found myself binging after all episodes were dropped, assuming that I watched all the episodes anyway. I took from @SilverMoonTea's page this year, and dropped dramas that I didn't find myself thinking about.

 

Anyway, come with us as we ask ourselves those (maybe not so) important questions about our drama watching this past year. We'll post a new discussion topic per day, so come back and share your answers with us!

 

The first topic:

 

Thanks to @Tofu for the graphics and the questions!

 

Edit:

I'm adding links to the other additional topic questions here once I've taken it down from the recommended pin in case anyone joins us late and wants to know what the other topics were.

 

Topic 2: Recommendation free drama

Topic 3: Wishing you had watched it sooner

Topic 4: Fave relationship

Topic 5: Not quite up to snuff

Topic 6: Best Omma/Appa

Topic 7: Thicker than blood

Topic 8: Regretful watches

Topic 9: You're okay going down with the ship!

Topic 10: Ban that trope!

Topic 11: But evil can be so seductive...

Topic 12: Fave charactor

[Tofu]

This is kind of a hard question now that I think about it. I looked at the list of dramas I watched this year and I don't know if there was one that bought me immense joy. I would get excited when a drama start, but it's short-lived. The drama would start dragging on and I, maybe, continue to watch because I've watched too many episodes to stop. 

 

However, one that is bringing me joy right now is A Journey to Love. As an avid Chinese drama watcher, I watched the least amount of Chinese dramas this year compared to other years. There were so many misses for me, but this drama is so fun to watch. I like so many things about it and it's definitely consumed all my drama watching time since it's aired. 

 

 

@mademoiselle Did you figure out yours yet? 

 

[mademoiselle]

Two came to mind without checking my watched list.

 

1. Hidden Love

 

Hidden Love was my happy drama even after it finished airing for quite some time. Duan Jia Xu (Chen Zhe Yuan) and Shang Zhi (Zhao Lu Si) were such joy to watch. The obsession only stopped when Rowoon came back to the silver screen. HAHA. Now I'm like, Chen Zhe Yuan who?

 

2. Destined With You

 

Jang Shin Yu has got to be Rowoon's best character played. Not only he was consistently gorgeous throughout 16 episodes (both modern and Joseon style), he brought his A game to the table, in all aspects. The drama isn't perfect (starting to think I will never find one), but Rowoon's Jang Shin Yu is. It was fun, funny and a joy watching him playing this character.

 

Contender:

 

I'm currently having fun watching My Demon. However, it is still in its early stage so I don't know if it'll be joyful till the very end.

 

@Tofu I kind of think you know my answers.

Edited December 2, 2023 by mademoiselle

[Tofu]

@mademoiselle @stroppyse I expect to see Hidden Love on your list for this question. 

 

Tagging others to join in too: @Chocolate @JenL@ktcjdrama @abs-oluteM @40somethingahjumma @OsmanthusTea @IpohBanana @Yana @ssteph @UnniSara @Maya @dramabler @Min86 @Mizv @gilaswan @Alice Wonderland @NiteWalker @Lynne @N3buLa84 @themarchioness @Phikyl @LaLa @liddi

 

Apologies if I forget anyone. 

 

[OsmanthusTea]

1. Till The End of The Moon
2. Mysterious Lotus Casebook
3. League of Nobleman
4. My Journey To You
5. I am Nobody

At the moment I'm starting A Journey To Love and so far so good.

 

I dropped all of my Kdrama this year except Tale of The Nine Tailed 1938. Perfect Marriage Revenge I watched thru TikTok snippets since I can't committed myself full time for such makjang..... But I love Sung Hoon, so TikTok is perfect since they only give the juicy bits....

 

Another guilty pleasure of the year is DouYin mini series.... I'm surprised that some of the scripts are so good despite the minuscules budget. Some actors are amazing and can rivaled many of the popular C actors, acting wise.

[stroppyse]

Actually, there were 2 memorable dramas for me.

 

Hidden Love was an unexpected delight, especially given that I don't even remember how I started watching it. I don't watch too many c-dramas since I actually have to read subtitles for anything other than k-dramas, I'm not a huge fan of youth dramas, and the synopsis was not written in a way that appealed to me. However, I found that as I watched each episode, I couldn't wait to start the next episode. It didn't have any melodrama, just a story of a young crush which actualizes into a first love, then a forever love. But, I loved both actors, to the point where I've actually started a couple of other dramas with those actors in them. And when I was done, I found myself thinking about this drama, so it's a bit of a happy place for me. There you go @Tofu.

 

Tales of the Nine-Tailed 1938 was a drama that I was cautiously hopeful about. The original drama was a bit of a hit and miss for me, but my fave part was the bromance between Lee Yeon and Lee Rang. This follow up drama gave us a lot more of that, minimizing the romance except for brief touches here and there, which made for a stronger drama. It showed more relationships in all of their nuances, including failures and disappointments which still didn't serve as barriers to true love and friendship. I enjoyed this drama so much that I would rewatch episodes when other dramas failed me and had to be dropped.

 

If I think about it, perhaps there were more dramas that I enjoyed, but I feel as if I was in rewatch mode for older dramas rather than first run dramas this year.

 

Two honorable mentions. I actually ended up enjoying Revolutionary Sisters and Love in Your Eyes quite a bit, though there were episodes in both that made me gnash my teeth. Then again, what would a long drama be without angst and unbelievable coincidences, i.e. fate, both good and bad. And tagging @Nohamahmoud2002, my co-conspirator in long drama watching!

[themarchioness]

I had quite a few dramas that I enjoyed in 2023!  The ones I'd definitely highlight are:

 

1) Meet Yourself.  This drama may not have had a fast-paced plot, but it wasn't meant to.  Instead, it was about getting to know people's stories, watching them build relationships, and learning from them.  The script was beautifully written.  I genuinely enjoyed watching the female lead heal from the tragedy in her life and shift her focus from big city-living to remote Yunnan village-living.  I also was captivated by the male lead's efforts to improve his hometown for the betterment of all and all the stories within that village.  Whether it was one of the village children who roamed around freely in a pack, or one of the gossiping/cantankerous grands, I was invested in each character and inspired, amused, and entertained by all their stories - they had such experiences and perspectives to offer, it truly made for an interesting watch! 

 

2) When I Fly Towards You.  This drama was an unexpected sleeper hit from the summer.  Adapted from a book authored by the same author who gave us "Hidden Love," I actually preferred this drama.  At first, it seemed like it was going to be another one of those high school dramas where the "dumb" girl chases after the "smart, but cold" boy, but it wasn't!  The female lead might not have had the best grades in all subjects, but she definitely had her strengths.  Similarly, the male lead had his strengths, but he also had his weaknesses (which left him lacking in confidence).  He also wasn't "cold," but rather introverted, quiet, and shy.  In essence, what one person lacked, the other made up for, and what resulted was one of the healthiest relationships I've ever experienced and enjoyed in an Asian drama.  It's also incredibly sweet, cute, and adorable.  Each episode left me with a happy, sappy smile on my face and feeling like the world was a brighter place, and it wasn't just the main couple that I loved, but all their friends too.  Truly, this is a sugary drama that shouldn't be missed!  

 

This drama also introduced me to Zhou Yi Ran (the actor, not the actress).  Technically not my first drama with him, but WIFTY was the one where he grabbed my attention.  His filmography led me to You Are Desire, which I'll also name as an honorable mention because I really, really loved it (and his character there).  

 

3) Wonderland of Love.  I'm still watching this one, but it has been my jam and more these past few weeks.  I love everything about it - the story, the action, the characters, the everything!  It's a historical piece and the male lead plays the unfavored grandson of a fallen emperor.  He reluctanctly takes up the cause to restore his family to the throne and in doing so, runs into the female lead who leads an opposing army.  Although hers is not the one that revolted against the emperor, she (and her family) also don't believe there's anyone capable in the royal family - until she meets the male lead - which is how their army gets involved.  Although the two armies work in tandem against the one that revolted, they're still technically on opposite sides too, so it's a little bit like Romeo and Juliet at times.  But the leads have great chemistry, I love watching them flirt and outwit each other, and the story is just interesting and fun!  I highly recommend it.

 

Other honorable mentions from 2023 include Fireworks of My Heart and The Love You Give Me.  

[liddi]

Thank you for the shoutout @Tofu!

Drama that brought me joy?

That's a tough one. My viewing fare was abysmally low this year, and most of it broke my heart rather than gave me laughter, but I am just going to answer based on dramas that I truly enjoyed, even if there is little joy in the actual content itself.

Anyway:

 

Revenant

KEH is back in perfect form, and of course, had to just broadcast the drama on yet another platform, which meant signing up on Disney+ Hotstar for it! Breathtaking tapestry of characters, lore and mystery backed by excellent ensemble performances, mesmerising cinematography, on-point soundtrack and excellent direction. I love too that there is no irrelevant character, but each and every one of them provides an integral piece to the puzzle. And the epilogue... I still can't think of the epilogue without tearing up.

 

Lost You Forever S1

The drama which I am still unable to move on from. The novel and the drama broke my heart, but there is no closure for me yet because S2 has not aired, though I already have pretty much a good idea what will unfold assuming the leaked script remains unchanged. Excellent performances all round with amazing soundtrack that remains on repeat on my playlist, though as a novel fan first, I am not particularly happy with how certain scenes are adapted, nuances omitted or changed. Nevertheless, the drama opened my eyes to the cast, and I know I will be following most of their works going forward.

My Journey to You

I am a little on the fence with this one. I truly enjoyed the mystery and the measured, deliberate way details are revealed, but was extremely put off by the last few episodes which dragged on unnecessarily with ludicrous results. It is also ironic that while there are two couples vying for my attention, ultimately I am truly invested only in the sibling bond between the two brothers.

 

Story of Kunning Palace

I was not expecting to enjoy this one, since I am not a fan of Bai Lu and was not impressed with Zhang Linghe's performance in My Journey to You. Nonetheless, it truly was an enjoyable viewing fare that kept me glued to the seat for the most part, and Zhang Linghe delivered his breakout performance here as Xie Wei.

 

A Journey to Love

It is actually too early to talk about this drama, but I really enjoyed what I have seen so far. Great ensemble performances, particularly from Liu Shishi who is truly awesome here. The storyline is tight, with a good balance of comic relief and tension, though I am already anticipating angst from a well-loved character based on previews. Fingers crossed it remains strong to the end.

[SilverMoonTea]

This year not the most exciting drama watching experience. So far I do like 2 dramas the most : (free of spoiler)

 

* Behind Your Touch

It have great misteries and many plot twists, and more important the casts are really solid. Amazing chemistry and friendship on and off screen. The writer is very talented for sure. I have no boring moment while watching this and always watching it on time. @peperomiadid u finished it? 

 

* Revenant

I think it's best horror mixed with detective genre out there. And the horror is something that I can still munch on. Taeri is quite amazing in here, and that professor somehow suited the character well. It's quite memorable drama overall.

 

Additional worth mentioned drama :

Till The End of The Moon

Great chemistry pairing, among the lacklustre C drama this year I think this still the best (maybe yet, I'm watching Journey To Love now not sure if this will be as good or even better).

But I don't really like how TTEOM goes towards the end, it was draggy. 

 

[40somethingahjumma]

Thanks for the shout-out. 

In a season of gangsters and second chances, I'd say that both K and C dramas have not been consistently good but for some unknown reason things have picked up in the last couple of months. I also think that there's been a bad case of sequelitis going around K dramaland.

 

In the case of C dramas the best ones for 2023... so far...

 

Meet Yourself: Normally C dramas don't know how to do slice-of-life properly but the writing for this was stellar. The cast was great and the sets looked lived-in. It's a lovely, heartwarming, healing show of a group of people who might otherwise never meet but find their way to a kind of paradise on earth. The main romance was something of a slow burn but I loved watching their relationship grow over the course of everybody's journey. Character arcs were very strong in this one.

 

A League of Nobleman: It's Jing Boran, Jing Boran and Jing Boran. That man can read the phone book while I do the housework anytime. The murder mystery side of things was also super fun. 

 

Lost You Forever: It's not just Tan Jianci but there's no denying that his turn as Xiang Liu is mesmerizing. The eye acting is magnetic and alluring. Yang Zi is not bad too. :D She's probably at her best in this show.

 

Fake it Till You Make It: Of course. The best romance oriented drama I've seen in a while. It's even a half decent workplace drama. Fantastic chemistry between Elvis and Elvira. Great build-up, execution of contemporary romance I've seen in a long while. 

 

The Heart: I really liked this slice of life medical drama but it was a marathon at the end largely because of the romances. Loved Mark Chao's character the most but Jin Shijia and Rachel Mao were good too.

 

A Journey to Love: This could potentially be the best C drama this year if they don't screw up the second half and the resolution. I don't want anybody from The Team to die although I have a bad feeling about my favourite character. Fang Yilun is a revelation and I'm loving the princess' growth. Please, please stick the landing.

 

K dramas...

 

My Dearest: This is an easy pick in a droughty landscape. Ahn Eun-jin was glorious in this and of course Nam Goong-min. The most immersive sageuk in a while.

 

Revenant: This was a lot of fun and addictive. Oh Jung-sae playing a straight arrow was a bit different and I think I even fell in love with him slightly. Kim Tae-ri was brilliant playing two characters essentially. 

 

Shadow Detective S2: I loved S1 so yes, not surprisingly I loved the continuation too. Not as convoluted but it's always great to see all the well-known acting powerhouses go head to head. Lee Seung-min is fantastic. 

 

Big Bet S1 and 2: Watched this when I was subscribed to D+. I enjoyed this for the performances and the endless double-crossing. Reminds me of US TV show Justified. Excellent performances by Choi Min-sik and Son Suk-koo. Everybody looks like they're sweltering in the heat most of the time. No good people here.

 

Edited December 3, 2023 by 40somethingahjumma

[Tofu]

Here's the next question!

 

 

We often ask each other for recommendations or we would tag one another when we're watching a good drama. However, was there a drama you watched this year where you went in not knowing much and ended up really liking it?

 

For me, it would have to be Oh No! Here Comes Trouble (Taiwanese Drama). I can't even remember how I started watching it, but I was glad I did. I ended up really liking the drama and thought it was well done. 

 

[SilverMoonTea]

All of J dramas that I watched normally without anyone recommendation lols... I think in this whole Janghaven no one interested on them 😂

 

J dramas that I watched have a lot strange storyline, one of them even had incest storyline or the ML is a stalker lols. If you guys interested, checked in Other Dramas section. Need to be open minded to watch them, and I know sometimes eyebrow will be raised 😆 The latest J drama My Second Aoharu is about 30's lady who decided to go back to university and have romance happened between the student there and her 😅

[mademoiselle]

Q2: A drama I watched & enjoyed without any recommendations

 

Hidden Love, again. It's because it is a drama by Zhao Lusi after her pairing with Wu Lei in Love Like the Galaxy. And it seems like a decent romance drama with reasonable number of episodes that I decided to check it out.

 

@Tofu You said not a drama powered by the love for Oppa, so this killed off Destined With You. Maybe I can get my satisfaction through @gilaswan. I definitely didn't sell it to her.

 

I shall add The Tale of Nine Tailed 1938 because none of them are Oppa. I just thought I'll check out S2, but come to enjoy it a lot more due to the bromance and went away adopting Kim Bum.

Edited December 3, 2023 by mademoiselle

[Min86]

Thank you for the shoutout @Tofu

 

This year, I found myself starting dramas and then dropping them almost right away, also I didn't have a lot of time to binge watch them later. 

 

So, for the dramas I actually enjoyed or am enjoying (bc unexpectedly, I found myself hooked to some dramas rn):

 

- King The Land: I didn't really expect to like it much, but I did. I laughed and cringed and rooted for the MC. 

- see you in my 19th Life: I loved the first episodes but I felt like the last couple of eps were a little convoluted. 

- Twinkling Watermelon: Watched it 4 days.. I LOVED it, even if some parts were predictable. Loved the leads, but mostly the bromance between teenager dad/ son. Oh, and the slow development btwen Future dad and mom.

- Dr Cha: Enjoyed the drama, but tbh, sometimes had to Ffd a lot.

Finally, I'm enjoying The Story of Park's Marriage Contract a lot. Hope the story keeps the pace and the light moments between the leads.

 

And I'm giving the weekend drama another chance, and Live Your Own Life is keeping me interested, though ffding the scenes between some characters that are just too annoying.

 

I think the biggest disappointment was Strong Girl Nam Soon. Just...watched the first 4 eps and then the last two.

 

 

[liddi]

Q2 - A drama I watched and enjoyed without any recommendations? Does this also preclude any drama I already determined I would watch due to the scriptwriter or original author? If so, it would be every drama I mentioned for Q1 except Revenant and Lost You Forever S1 ....

[Chocolate]

Sorry to be late! Question 1 first.

 

I think I watched the least dramas this year since I joined you gals in 2020. A lot of kdramas didn't interest me, so I dabbled in some cdramas. Plus a lot of time spent watching reruns of LLTG, then FITYMI then Devil's Play lol.

 

My favourite this year would be the cdrama Fake It Till You Make It! Such outstanding dialogue, not seen for a very long time. Thanks to 40somethingajumma for recommending - I would be quite sad to have missed this.

 

 

The next would be Revenant for me too. A good suspense.

 

 

And special shout out for League of Nobleman. Loved the mysteries.

 

 

Edited December 3, 2023 by Chocolate

[Chocolate]

Question 2

 

I watched these because it showed up on Netflix, and turned out to be decent:

 

The Glory - surprisingly these 2 had great chemistry lol. It was a good revenge too.

 

 

Lies Hidden In My Garden - super slow but you do want to find out what happened.

 

 

[40somethingahjumma]

I picked up Decoy some time during the year because I saw it advertised on Viki. I waited till both parts were added before jumping in. It wasn't on my radar and it probably went under most people's radar as well. I liked it a lot and it's probably not most people's cup of tea. It definitely had a noir aesthetic to it. There's quite a convoluted storyline because of the non-linear storytelling. Which is all the rage at the moment. It's about a man who started a pyramid scheme in SK and then absconded to China with the goodies. In present day people who used to associate with him start dropping like flies. Why? And is he still alive or is he dead? It stars Jang Geun-seuk, Heo Sung-tae and Lee Elijah. 

 

I liked the Taiwanese drama Copycat Killer mainly for Chris Wu who is so good in it. Yes, there be a serial killer in it and red herrings. Saw it on Netflix. 

 

Another drama I really liked this year that I didn't put in my list is the Taiwanese drama -- Oh No, Here Comes Trouble. That's actually one of my favourites from 2023 that's not a C or K drama.

[abs-oluteM]

Question 1

There were a number of kdramas that I liked a lot but I want to highlight 4 that had my emotional investment. All different genres but the common theme is that they will make you cry .

1. Daily Dose of Sunshine

2. My Dearest 

3. Call It Love

4. DP Season 2

 

The first one in particular is something I recommend everyone to watch for a healing slice of life that deals with mental issues from a nurse's perspective. So glad the nursing field gets the spotlight this time.  They dealt with these hard-hitting issues so sensitively, and they were mental health issues that we can resonate with . There were many lovely quirky characters , and the romance (though not front & centre) was also nicely done.

 

 

 

Question 2

Shadow Detective S1 & S2. It was a drama that wasn't even on my radar and in fact we didn't have a thread here till I opened it much later. I enjoyed Lee Sung Min's performance so much in Reborn Rich , that I ended up clicking on this when I saw it on Disney Plus  This was a very well done crime drama. 

 

The other two that I am very certain no one here has even heard of is two Hong Jong Hyun dramas. I swear this actor is so underrated and so are his dramas. 

Stock Struck (2022)

https://asianwiki.com/Stockstruck

Race (2023)

https://asianwiki.com/Race_(Korean_Drama)

 

 

 

[Nohamahmoud2002]

On 12/2/2023 at 9:38 PM, stroppyse said:

And tagging @Nohamahmoud2002, my co-conspirator in long drama watching!

 

Long time no see dearest chingu. Actually due to both of my parents death in 2022, I was a bit behind, so I rewatched short dramas for consolation, one was Naeli's Cantabile, I did sneak a bit in current revenge KBS2 daily revenge drama starring Lee Sikang. But I was more into Yonghwa's new solo album, his wonderful song "Your City", watching it daily. I also developed a new fandom for singer rapper Zico, my profile pic. 

 

On the other hand, I am doing much progress in learning Korean spelling, I was focusing more on listening, but now I am learning how to read and write more.

 

Ps, I am rewatching Navillera. I adore Park In Hwan.

Edited December 3, 2023 by Nohamahmoud2002

[Tofu]

On 12/2/2023 at 12:07 PM, OsmanthusTea said:

Another guilty pleasure of the year is DouYin mini series.... I'm surprised that some of the scripts are so good despite the minuscules budget. Some actors are amazing and can rivaled many of the popular C actors, acting wise.

I agreed that some of the short form dramas have been entertaining and well acted. Cheng Lei, is an actor who blew up in My Journey to You. I originally know him from a short drama where every episode is around 10 minutes long. It was a nice drama and I recommend it if you have time! It's called A Familiar Stranger. 

 

I love all the responses so far. I read them going, "Yes! That was a good one. Ooh, and that one too!" Haha! 

 

 

[Chocolate]

2 hours ago, Tofu said:

every episode is around 10 minutes long.

 

Isn't that called a trailer? 😂

 

It sounds like torture to keep waiting for 10 min episodes haha.

 

Edited December 4, 2023 by Chocolate

[40somethingahjumma]

38 minutes ago, Chocolate said:

 

Isn't that called a trailer? 😂

It sounds like torture to keep waiting for 10 min episodes haha.

 

I've seen a few of these short dramas. They are very low budget and usually have wacky premises. Some of them have time skip stories and others see the author of a novel finding herself in the story falling for her male lead. There are also reincarnation tropes. Some are classic soap opera. They are fun to watch but yeah, the acting leaves a lot to be desired.

[OsmanthusTea]

@Tofu

I did watch A Familiar Stranger and I love it. Beside I have to say that the authority are closing their eyes completely when it comes to R Rated scenes in such dramas.....  You can ask @SilverMoonTea about that hot 8 packed abs bodyguard that started fully clothed in a suit and long coat during earlier eps of Forever Love and bare-chested in latter eps.... Another raunchy mini drama is Circle of Love....

 

One thing that those mini series appealed to me is because of the short duration the story is focus only on the important points. No fillers or unnecessary side story.

 

 

Edited December 4, 2023 by OsmanthusTea

[SilverMoonTea]

5 minutes ago, OsmanthusTea said:

@Tofu

I did watch A Familiar Stranger and I love it. Beside I have to say that the authority are closing their eyes completely when it comes to R Rated scenes in such dramas.....  You can ask @SilverMoonTea about that hot 8 packed abs bodyguard that started fully clothed in a suit and long coat during earlier eps of Forever Love and bare-chested in latter eps.... Another raunchy mini drama is Circle of Love....

 

One thing that those mini series appealed to me is because of the short duration the story is focus only on the important points. No fillers or unnecessary side story.

 

I was waiting for Osmanthus to call me out about that 8 abs pack oppas 🤣🤣🤣