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 strictly as a romance and still be entertained.  There is no need to think beyond what you see but 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.  I'm also a huge sucker for dramas that delve into the abstract.

It's a critique of a society in 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.  Basically, modern society.  Regardless of their harsh circumstances, each character is given the opportunity to make a choice.  I also appreciate the details the writer put into the visuals, even down to the color of the bed sheets.  Or how every dialogue was actually important, even if it was for something in future episodes.  This show had a clear vision and it showed.

A bit of a quirky start and not in a good way.  Eventually finds its groove.

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.  Giving it a 9.5 and keeping it that way.

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

One might say:

But isn't more of a good thing better?

No.

This was unexpected.  The team managed to take a genre I dislike (super heroes) and turn it into a balanced blend of action, life, supernatural, comedy, drama, mystery, romance (and on and on).  One would think that a show with so many polar opposites would have some tonal whiplash but the director/editor has done an excellent job managing all of the varying genres and arranging them in a way that feels balanced.  Each character has been developed with just enough complexity and while other details are left to be figured out through context and paying attention.

I don't have a problem with the extreme graphic nature of the action scenes and as someone who can enjoy almost every genre (except campy super hero movies), it's possible that I am more easily able to adjust through the different genres, assuming it's done right.  Face-smashing?  A normal person might be horrified but I was fascinated by how it kept caving in.

Some may dislike that it doesn't focus on specific characters, making the drama seem as if it's scattered.  Two sides seem to be arguing about the adults/children but I think all of the stories are equally important and cannot be split into halves.  The unique structure is what makes this drama special as it breaks from the typical, linear formula to instead tell multiple stories in patches that eventually connect.  Imagine that structure instead as a map with many biomes.  I love that each patch has its own genre that fits the character.  

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.

I find that a Romance label would be misleading considering what most Romance dramas are perceived as.  I'd say this is more about the philosophy of love.  Not just in a relationship but also in the rediscovery and the pursuit of and the rekindling of a passion.  11 for that.  9.5 for the other character stories and their development.  8.5 for revenge.

Everything about this was superb, particularly the acting.  Except for the FL.  I liked her character in Coffee Prince but wow, was she a miscast.

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.  

This perfectly captures the heart of being young and growing up in the late-90s.  But that's the point in the Reply series as they are stories about normal life.  The world would change rapidly after this point because of the wide availability of the Internet.

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.

I somewhat enjoyed the individual stories but the last episode had more value than all of them added together.  Possibly will become one of my favorite endings in that it was brilliantly written and filmed.  I was rendered speechless.

Also a webtoon adaptation.

Straightforward but thrilling throughout.  Sure you could make that it depicts the cycle of violence but I appreciate it far more for not preaching at its audience.

Pet Peeve.  People really need to stop whining about how shows that depict classroom violence are unrealistic.  Thanks for pointing out the obvious.  These are webtoon adaptations and in webtoons, teenagers are often getting into grand fights.  It is common for teenagers, who are the target audience, to fantasize about fighting back against their bullies and that is why the protagonists are often school-age.  Yes, the teacher is mysteriously absent.  Yes, the legal system needs to be overlooked for the story to work.  

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 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 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.

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

Honestly, not my kind of show.  Gave it an 8.5, which is pretty good, because I can still appreciate everything aside from the writing.  Plus, the soundtrack is one of the best.

If I forget what happened, 8.5.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

The first half or so was a unique and intimate experience.  The latter portion was unnecessarily repetitive.

It seemed to me that even with several storylines, there was a lack of planning, making the flow a bit choppy.  The dialogue, especially for the side characters, was overly simplistic.  Those characters seemed more like props, saying what they needed to say, only to get the plot going, rather than speaking as fully realized characters with their own voices.

While the score might get lower if I think about it, I wanted to like this much more.  Maybe I'll leave it at 7.

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.