✦ Shows I’ve Watched in 2025 ✦

Watching

Park Bo Gum x IU <3

Director of My Mister (my all-time favorite K-Drama).
Screenwriter of When the Camellia Blooms  & Fight for My Way.

Watching

Yook Sung Jae x Kim Ji Yeon (Bona)

Watching

Kang Ha Neul x Go Min Si

Watching

Gong Myung x Choi Soo Young

Episode 3: Finally some payoff after 3 episodes straight of FL being wronged. And damn I’m tired of hearing about alcohol over and over again… but at least I see some hope that the upcoming episodes will be better.

Completed

I don't even feel like expressing it in words, but this was such a beautiful story and journey to experience.

Best C-Drama of 2025.

10/10.

Completed

As someone who dislikes the school delinquent (or bullying) trope due to how pointless and hollow the subject is, this was surprisingly very well-executed and entertainingly fun.

A great adaptation.

8.5/10.

Completed

Go Youn Jung

Liked this one. It’s grounded and embraces the mundane, everyday moments, relying not on sensationalism but on realistic, heartfelt story and dialogue. In particular, Yi Young’s manner of comforting in Ep 5 & 8 (my favorites), really left an impression on me (you know it‘s good when you re-loop the conversation). All this is supported by genuinely likeable characters whose growth feels honest without completely erasing their “flaws”. I say “flaws” because these imperfections were often portrayed as strengths as well too in this show, which I loved, since it wasn’t just simply a one-dimensional removal of the flaws, but a more nuanced and thoughtful approach.

Overall, it was relatably realistically written, and surprisingly addictive, even with how mild the story might seem on the surface.

P.S. And Go Youn Jung is actually gorgeous asf here. Not something I would usually comment on, especially considering that I had already seen most of her previous works by chance, but I guess I really liked Yi Young’s character and her acting here, and it all  just clicks.

8/10.

Completed

Fast-paced and intense medical drama with no dull moments and a dash of action. It can be unrealistic, but who cares? Everyone is just here to watch the godly doctor at work with his top-dog attitude.

Entertaining? Yes. But it‘s capped as far as it goes for me since it basically follows the same formula repeatedly, with the "golden hour" messaging rehashed and emphasized countless times, much like other medical dramas. This is why medical shows, in general, aren’t really my thing, as the structure itself just doesn’t hold much appeal to me in the first place.

7.5/10.

Completed

Not too bad. I enjoyed the first half much more than the second. I always enjoy the 썸 (sseom) stage more, when the romantic undertones are more ambiguous and the tension is higher, so once they got together (Episode 8), it kinda fizzled out for me.

Nothing mind-blowing, but I can see why people think it was well done, considering there weren’t any obvious flaws to nitpick about.

7.5/10.

Completed

A very strong start, though some of the plotlines didn’t flow smoothly as it progresses—which I can overlook since it was still subjectively enjoyable. However, some of them felt somewhat out of place, particularly in the last episode (or the last two)—and the controversy caused by Netflix’s mistranslations didn’t help either (MDL ratings literally fell from 8.9 to 8.1).

Overall, I think it largely depends on how much you enjoy the couple’s chemistry.

7.5/10.

Completed

A light-hearted and silly watch that you don’t have to take too seriously.
Some fun and some laughter, but that’s about it.
 The romance was more of a side plot.

It’s watchable, but nothing particularly stands out. If there’s anything, it’s that I’m looking forward to Kim Minju’s (Yena) future projects; I liked her acting here.

6/10.

Completed

Moon Ga Young x Choi Hyun Wook

Not your most polished drama—entertaining at first to see how their relationship develops, but it grew stale once all the intrigue elements were gone. By Episode 7, I was losing interest, and from Episode 8 onward, finishing the show was a struggle. The chemistry wasn’t chemistry-ing enough to hold my interest, while the weak grandma plotline didn’t help either.

Honestly an easily forgettable show.

5.5/10.

Completed

So bad… very rushed, and the sequences were all over the place. All the rawness and poignant storytelling from Season 1 were thrown out the window, leaving us with nothing but dumb delinquency. It’s such a poor adaptation that I don’t think it can even be called one. Huge, huge downgrade from Season 1.

4/10.

Completed

Indisputably the most well-deserved winner.

Jang Dongmin returns 10 years after his last survival game show, and he didn’t disappoint. He‘s by far the most complete player,  and what makes him even more fearsome is that he‘s not just a genius but also one with the greatest tenacity and a strong ’hard work is the most important’ ethic. Some people who are new to him might find his gameplay restrictive for others, but imo he elevates the games with approaches only he is capable of—meticulously too, which was interesting to watch.

Hong Jinho had a disappointing performance this season sadly, and the only excuse I can come up for him is that he was stuck with Steve Yea; otherwise, he really didn’t do much this season.

Heo Seong Beom - Knew he was capable from University War. I think he played decently well overall but was just overshadowed (reasonably so) by Jang Dongmin.

Acau - He was excellent in Accomplice Season 2, glad he managed to display some capability towards the end.

Xitsuh - Still entertaining to watch, both gameplay-wise and personality.

Steve Yea - No.1 Korean Poker Player so he does have some skills, but they did not match up to his sky-high ego or condescending attitude he displayed throughout, easily the most off-putting player for me this season.

Eon Kyu - Expected more from him since he was quite capable in The Time Hotel, but he performed poorly here and was simply outclassed.

Yurisa - Still one of my favorite players to watch, her learning to work as a team was an enjoyable character development arc. She’s capable too—would have been interesting if she made it further since it might have led to more competitive individual games (imo).

Choi Hye Seon - Most unlucky, felt that she did not managed to play up to her full potential due to all the unnecessary social conflicts.

Chungju Man - Not necessarily capable, but makes the most chaotic/eccentric plays which spiced up the show in a good way.

Others - Not much to say.

9/10.

Completed

Main hosts: Yoo Jae-suk & Yoo Yeon-seok.

Pretty fun comfort variety show that's easy to watch and perfect for casual viewing. The chemistry is great, and it's a nice improvement from Season 1 that requesters now get the chance to participate in the games.

9/10.

Completed

Kian84 +Jin (BTS) + Ji Ye Eun

This was a fun one. Kian84 laughing at them suffering from his quirky architectural designs was hilarious in the beginning haha.

I enjoyed the earlier group (rock climbers, carpenter, KAIST, father with two kids) much more.

Overall, it was still quite a refreshing concept to execute and I’d love for a Season 2 with new ideas from Kian84.

9/10.

Completed

Kwang Soo + Kyung Soo (D.O).

So much laughter thanks to Kwang Soo, this guy is just hilarious asf and his chemistry with Kyung Soo is great too.
I also like that it isn’t as hectic as Jinny’s Kitchen Season 2 due to its smaller scale, and honestly that makes the show feel more balanced overall in terms of cooking and lighthearted comedic entertainment.

9/10.

Completed

Ep 9: Na-u conducting +  Sohyang’s (나가거든 + 레퀴엠 Lacrimosa) was such a legendary performance.
Ep 10: Another highlight from Henry - ‘Golden Hour’.

And Jong Ho from ATEEZ has a very nice singing voice too; reminds me of one of those seasoned ballad singers.

9/10.

Completed

Watching this made me appreciate how charming and crazy the original cast lineup was. This season, however, takes a while to find its footing (at least for me).

Episodes 1 - 3: The concept of having real locations with only a single fake dish is so utterly bad, since it diminishes the fun and uncertainty of second-guessing everything else. The original appeal came from the full doubting process (and how the cast approaches it), but now, the deception could come down to just one singular dish.

Thankfully, it’s not the only format—Episode 4, where they had to determine whether a person was real or fake (in terms of what they work as), was more engaging.

Episode 5: This concept felt like the OG sixth sense format. This and the previous episode have been getting better.

 Episode 6: Jeon So Min  & Oh Na Ra as guests.

Episode 8: Rei (IVE) & Cha Tae Hyun as guests.

General Note: Also, I think voting individually and competing for a prize, even a small one, like in previous seasons, would be more interesting, since it would make the cast more invested, and in turn, more enjoyable for us viewers. The current collective voting system lacks stakes and feels like a “so be it” outcome for both the cast and the viewers.

Since at half of the episodes were mehh, I’ll give it a—

7/10.

Completed

7/10.

Watching

Looking real good so (up til Episode 3), they are hilarious asf.

Watching

Main hosts: Yoo Jae-suk & Yoo Yeon-seok.

Episode 1: Gong Myung & Cha Seung Won. 1st Half 10/10.
Episode 2: Lee Jung Eun & Ryu Deok Hwan.
Episode 3: Sana & Jihyo (TWICE).

Watching

Lee Se-dol (Legendary Go Player)
Justin Min (Korean American Actor)
Kyuhyun (Super Junior Member)
Kang Ji-young (Announcer)
Yoon So-hee (So-hui) (Actress)
7High (Pro Poker Player)
Lee Seung-hyun (Korea University Student)
Jeong Hyun-gyu (University Student - MENSA IQ 156)
Choi Hyun-joon (Kaist University Student/Model)
Chuu (Idol)
Kim Ha-rin (Plastic Surgeon)
Park Sang-yeon (Yonsei University Student - MENSA member)
Son Eun-yu (Lawyer)
Tinno (Board Game Youtuber)