2023 Kdramas

I love a slow burn but this was nothing of the sort. Just bland... and quite a painful watch.

I wouldn’t even recommend this to my worst enemy.

Cant possibly match up to the first season but the Nina episode made time stop. Amazing.

I wish they had given more attention to the lead's story. Considering how vital it was to the progression of the plot, it was quite rushed. Those first few episodes failed to set things up adequately. To me, it was ironic, given the care the other stories received. However, it's a good watch regardless. Once I got over my first episode slump, it kept me thoroughly engaged. Great stories brought to life by equally great actors. A highlight from 2023.

Well... Korean Nicole Beharie... yeah the acting was not there.

Incredibly underrated body of work. Came like a thief in the night before the year ended. Stellar acting from the leads, particularly Han So Hee. Stunning cinematography and strong storyline.

Quintessential romantic kdrama if you ask me. Hits all the right notes without feeling overbearing.

Everything about this drama was intentional. Major props to the original webtoon creator and those who worked to bring it to life. Stellar acting performances across the board also.

This is a between a 7 and 7.5 . Gives you all the feels you want from a romance, and it's been a while since we've had that. A very different story in the fantasy realm, but it works to it's advantage, that is until the saeguk subplot is inserted. However, I will say it did not feel out of place, rather, the audience felt a certain fatigue with its overuse in dramas this particular year. Slightly falls into the trap of fan service towards the end, which ultimately keeps it shy of an 8.

I attempted this several times due to its popularity, but just couldn't get past the wig on Linghe. Once I successfully started, the wig was the least of my problems. I'd like to chalk up the directorial and editorial decisions to its time period, but the drama premiered in 2023 and seems to have somewhat of a budget. Surely, some of these funds could've been directed to the storyboarding department. We have a lot of flashbacks, given that the story is in line with reincarnation/second chance life. These have the worst colour grading I've seen in my life. I'm curious to know what the thought process was. It seems they wanted to show her past life was wrought with wrongdoings = dark, but it just looks dull and amateurish. Then, the global south flash-rotating camera-ppts special effects combo. You know, when you're watching an over-dramatised show or film, and it's a million edits per frame. As a veteran nollywood watcher, I am well-versed in this. I finally came across the famous scene on social media and had to pause to laugh. Mess.

I don't have much to say about the story itself, because I've enjoyed stories that were much worse. I found the FL a lot less impressive than I would’ve initially thought. You're kind of waiting for her to use all her wits, and it usually falls flat. She's overly concerned with her past life to the point it's a drag. We've seen this same plot with Blossom, The Double, etc., and I've never felt more exhausted than watching the FL. As I've said with costume dramas, the acting is usually unremarkable at best. The leads lacked any tangible chemistry to keep you gripped, and their overall acting performances left me unmoved. This was a shock to me, given I've watched Linghe in The Best Thing (was not a fan) and POJ. However, that simply means there's been a lot of improvement.

Underrated gem.

I couldn't tell you what happened.

Didn't quite have the essence of the first season but still enjoyable.

The Good Bad Mother actually had some of the most moving scenes of last year, with extremely emotive acting. However, outside of these sparse, poignant moments, much of the show felt painfully substandard. Like, I genuinely cannot believe that truly breath-holding scene in the front yard, with the mother's line delivery, holds space with the final plot. There was no continuity or follow-through, every set-up became a mere figment of our imaginations. I cannot fault the acting, particularly the leads, but even that could not remedy the final execution. The twins were an absolute treat though.

The Long Season is particularly harrowing because you see how life chips away at people’s essence, and more often than not, they never get it back. We follow the lives of those bound to an industrial community and the debris fallout of split decisions made by those who feel suffocated and stifled. I'd be amiss to call this a crime drama; I feel that, at its core, it falls into "Life". Throughout the entirety of the series, you feel a pressing on your chest that doesn’t ever completely get alleviated. Rather, you ruminate on what could’ve been done. It's astounding how many chances we have to fail people.

I would've opted for a slightly different ending, but personal preference. Also, I loved the ML, so I wish they would've centred him further... as the ML. Really great acting across the board, which is no surprise.

very much telanovela but in a good way