2025 Connection Board Challenge

Hello and welcome to the 2025 Connection Board Challenge!

I know, I know, it's a bit late for a yearly challenge but hear me out! 

This challenge is a little different from other challenges. The idea is to connect titles (dramas/movies) through a connection theme they have a common. 

How it works. 
• Pick a random starting title and watch it in it's entirety.
• Select a connection theme (cast, cover, genre, title, or tag) to make your next selection.
• Find another drama/movie that fits the criteria and watch it in its entirety.
• Repeat however many times you want. 

A 'connection' can be the following:
• Cover: color, item, number of people, etc.
• Cast: lead actor/actress, supporting actor/actress.
• Genre: any of the available (tags don't count).
• Title: any word or word combo.
• Tags: any of the available (optional)

Example: 
Starting title: RoOT | Connection: Cover (colour) | Next title: Exhuma | Connection: Actor (lead) | Next title: The Glory | Connection: Title | Next title: You Are My Glory 

It could look something like this:

RULES:
1. You can only use a title once in the challenge (no repeats even if you rewatched the title).
2. Titles must be watched in order.
3. Only post once in this thread and edit that initial post with progress.
4. Sequels and prequels are discouraged since those would otherwise be very easy (side stories are fine).
5. Have fun!

INFO:  
• The deadline is December 31st, 2025 (the challenge will be renewed next year if everything goes well)
    • You can end it earlier if you're so inclined.
• You can join at any point in the year and participate.
• Any kind of title works (movies, dramas, tv-shows, & specials).
• Titles from any MDL country count.
• Since the challenge 'starts' halfway through the year you can opt to either use titles you watched since January 2025 or start from this point onwards.  
• You can edit the format for the challenge however you see fit.
• Feel free to add extra difficulties.
• You can connect titles through more than one thing if you want (bonus points for all 5)

Extra difficulty ideas:
• Only 1 type of media (e.g. only movies).
• Only 1 kind of connection (e.g. connection only through covers).
• Only from 1 country.
• Use the basic wheel to randomly select an connection for you.
    • Use the advanced wheel for even more specific and harder connection points.
• Never letting the connections meet (not using the same connection one after another).
• Never letting the countries meet (never the same country twice in a row).
• Get recommendations from others based on your previous pick (ask here).
• No rewatches.
• Perfect matches (match every connection perfectly. E.g. actor connection has to have the same role (e.g. leads in both), color has to match very closely, etc).

In 2024, a challenge called Connect the Title was created but was promptly cancelled. I didn't have time to check it out before it was removed and thus have no clue what the challenge was actually about, nor why it was cancelled (I believe this challenge might be similar which is why I'm mentioning it). If you know anything, let me know here!
Edit: I was informed that the challenge started in 2023 but I couldn't find a thread so it seems that too was deleted. 

Normally I would let an idea cook for longer before turning it into a challenge so that everything is accounted for but since we're past the midpoint of the year and I want this to be a yearly challenge, I'm doing this now and might edit some things later on. The challenge name for instance, is subject to change since I'm not too keen on it. It's supposed to be a reference to the detective's evidence board 'cause that's how I see this challenge in my mind, lol.

If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to DM me or ask me [here], and I’ll answer to the best of my ability.

BADGES:

By Rien! There are way more badges and also colour variants in Rien's page so please check them out HERE! Thank you so much Rien for taking the time to make them <3
By Me!  [collage] |

If you wanna contribute badges, please DM me and I'll add them!

Template:

✓ = Completed | ✗ = Not Started | CW = Ongoing

Titles	Connection	Connection	Notes
When Life Gives You Tangerines	"Life" in the title	X	✓
My Splendid Life		Orange Poster	✓
The World between Us Season 2	"World" in the Title		✓
I Belonged To Your World		Green Poster	✓
Miss Gold Digger	Actor: Lee Jong Hyuk		✓
Dr. Gang		"Gang" in the Title.	✓
Gangster High	Actor: Jung Kyung Ho		✓
My Lovely Week		Actress: Uhm Jung Hwa	✓
Wonderful Nightmare	Actor: Song Seung Heon		✓
Fate		Actor: Ji Sung	✓
Swallow The Sun	"Sun" in the Title		✓
Soar into The Sun		Action: Rain	✓
For the Love of Money	Actress: Crystal Liu		✓
The Third Way of Love		Director: John H. Lee	✓
71: Into the Fire	"Fire" in the Title		✓
Falling Before Fireworks		"Falling" in the Title	✓
Falling in Love with Cats	"Cats" in Title
Mad Cats		Actor: Matsuura Yuya
Kisetsu no Nai Machi

Cover	Title	Connection Type	Connection notes	Progress
	The Glory P1/P2	-	Starting title *Combined Part 1 & Part 2 as a single title.	Completed P1 on 16/7 P2 on 28/7
	Bloodhounds	Actor (Lee Hae Young)	Supporting role in both The Glory &  Bloodhounds	Completed on 1/9
	Moving	Tag	"Graphic violence" in both Bloodhounds & Moving	Completed on 27/9
	The Mysterious Class	Genre	Both are "Supernatural" with regards to Moving	Completed on 1/11
	Weak Hero Class 2	Tag	"Student Male lead" in both WHC & The  Mysterious class	Completed on 13/11
	The Man of the Vineyard	Tag	"Smart Male lead"  as in WHC	Completed on 26/11
	Hello ! Miss	Genre	"Romance" as in The man of the  vineyard	Completed on 07/12
	Move to Heaven
	Seoul Busters	Genre	"Comedy" as in The man of the  vineyard	✗
	The King of Pigs	Tag	Detective male leads in both "Seoul Busters" & "The King of Pigs"	✗
	Mouse	Genre	"The King of Pigs" & "Mouse" both are under "Mystery"	✗
	Beyond Evil	Tag	Both Mouse & Beyond evil have "Murder"	✗

✓ = Completed | ✗ = Not Started | CW = Ongoing

2025 Connection Board Challenge

Date Started: 25/07/25 Date Ended: 31/12/25 Titles watched: x		Difficulties: - Only dramas - No rewatches - Use the basic wheel
Cover	Title	Connection	Connection	Notes
	Learning to Love	Tag: Happy Ending
	Zhang Gong Zhu Zai Shang		Genres: Romance
	Cinderella Closet	Cover: # of people 3
	Oh No! Here Comes Trouble		Title: Common word "No"
	Tokumei no Koibitotachi	Actor: Han Hyo Joo
	Spring Waltz

Reserved