2025 KDC Completion

#6 Medical Emergency Wheel of Chance: A drama where a character has a fever after being caught in the rain. Episode 8, Hong Du Sik
January 1 - January 7

favorite characters: Hong Du Sik and Mi Seon
favorite scene: doing Gam Ri's laundry
started because? sister picked this in one of our semi-regular show exchanges

A warm and lighthearted collection of silly romcom tropes woven together perfectly. An enemies to lovers situation where the 'enemy' is realistic but not irredeemable. A love triangle that didn't overstay it's welcome (and still delivered a happy ending to both male leads in the end). I honestly loved the last six episodes because I spent the rest of the show in agony rooting for them to be together, so it felt earned. I have been la la la-ing ever since I finished the show. Now I have to move to a Stardew-esque beach village with my best friend and pine for the mysterious hot guy who’s lived there forever.

#20 A drama where one of the characters is a celebrity. Choi Taek
January 11 - January 16

favorite characters: Deok Sun and Dong Ryong
favorite scene: the last 16 minutes of episode 6
started because? picked from a list of recommended classic kdramas

Accidentally caught SLS but the ending here is perfect. I’ve been padding out my watchlist with dramas starring anyone from the main cast because they’re all so funny and talented. Aside from the obvious highlights, the father/daughter relationship with Bo-ra and the friendship between Deok-sun and Dong-ryong were the source of my favorite moments.

#12: A drama where changes in time are visible. time traveling between 2023 and 1995
January 20 - January 24

favorite characters: Eun Gyeol and Ma Ju
favorite scene: Grandpa teaching Eun Gyeol to speak guitar
started because? light and fluffy recommendation from Kay

A charming, phenomenal addition to the vault of time travel stories. It was really touching to see a central storyline more focused on a son and his friendship with his parents. Cried a lot- the last 30 minutes of final episode were so stressful but it was so worth it. I’m a sucker for a good time twisted plot and storylines focusing on familial relationships. SO glad the writers did not equate improving Eun Gyeol's family circumstances with 'fixing' his father's hearing loss. This is the best, most thoughtful deaf representation I can recall seeing, and it’s sparkling.

#35 A mid-long form drama. 20 episodes over 1 hour
January 14 - January 30

favorite characters: Jang Uk and Mu Deok
favorite scene: "And what is a letter? As long as it reveals your heart, then it's a letter."
started because? co-watched with sister because of the writers + actress involved in the upcoming Kim Seon Ho drama

I am so impressed with everyone involved with putting this masterpiece together. Special shout out to the Hong Sisters- every twist was unpredictable but made so much sense, and the characters were intelligent and human, so the plot moves at a lightning pace and I was genuinely shocked with how quickly things escalated. The cast also seems to have a lot of chemistry together, and I wish there was another show with all of them included because I fear the final 10 more episodes are not enough for me. Favorites are definitely Lee Jae Wook and Jung So Min, their comedic timing and chemistry is so special to me.

#11 A drama where a character has a pet. Go Won's turtle
January 30 - February 5

favorite characters: Jang Uk and Park Jin
favorite scene: "I guess you are still dreaming. That's a shame." "I'm not dreaming anymore."
started because? finished season 1

Made me cry to the point of physical pain but the ending was perfect. I can’t think of any other show I’ve seen, ever, that shocked me as much as this one did, where it still made sense and I still liked it at the end of the day. The weight of all of the foreshadowing with Park Jin and Maid Kim’s hypotheticals came crashing down at once and it HURT.  I can understand why not everyone is a fan of season 2, but it felt like the natural conclusion from where we started. There were several characters I expected to hate in the beginning and by the finale we were cheering for them. I cannot believe how much fun we had. This season was like the second half of the broken jade, and I’m so thankful for it; I’ll be thinking about this for a long time.

#10 A drama featuring a mentor-mentee relationship. Dr. Baek and Dr. Yang
February 6

favorite characters: Yang Jae Won and Park Gyeong Won
favorite scene: Jang Mi and Jae Won screaming into the air vents
started because? newer, shorter, completed drama that was getting good reviews

“How much longer will money be allowed to decide the fate of our patients? Are we going to let money be the reason patients suffer, even when treatment is available?” A very quick-paced, light hearted show with flawless timing- healthcare systems and their financial corruption have been making a lot of headlines lately and Dr. Baek’s sentiments echo the feelings of so many people globally. I hope we get a happy ending too.

#14 A drama with a character who moves or has previously lived abroad. Cho Yong Pil
February 6 - February 10

favorite characters: Cho Sam Dal and Cho Yong Pil
favorite scene: falling asleep in the hideout
started because? Hometown Cha Cha Cha adjacent recommendation from Kay

INCREDIBLY satisfying. Everything I ever wanted in a show. Replayed several scenes over and over again, especially the flashback where she gives him the scarf and the cuddle scene in the hideout. I’m not usually one for “second chance” romances but this is a perfect exception. I loved experiencing the beachy small town vibes while also getting to explore a relationship that already had so much history to it and the related storylines about family, grief, and healing. Each of the secondary couples deserve their own spinoffs too, all of these characters are so precious to me.

#5 A drama chosen by the Wheel of Chance: A drama with a main character whose surname is Ahn. Ahn Ja Young
February 11 - February 13

favorite characters: Han Ji Yeol and Choi Yun Hyeong
favorite scene: "You don't know squat."
started because? quick romcom for Valentine's day ft. Choo Young Woo

Nothing too impressive, but it was very fun to see CYW in a romantic lead role after watching Trauma Code. Secondary male lead was also very cute and well acted, but the competition is stiff. My first time watching Joy- unsure if it was the writing for her character or her acting but I felt very mid about her role. Overall, a very quick, easy, light watch, a good palette cleanser. And the puppies didn’t hurt either.

#17 A drama featuring two characters wearing matching items. Episode 7, the shiny red booty shorts
February 13 - February 14

favorite characters: Woo Jin and Geon Woo
favorite scene: #bodyguard #manager #uffa
started because? Lee Sang Yi but main lead + sister recommended

SO much more gutwrenching than I anticipated. Episode 4 actually gave me stomach cramps. I have never felt so sick over fictional characters. The plot integration of COVID and the financial consequences it had was executed flawlessly; the shift for the last two episodes actually provided some welcome relief as someone who doesn’t regularly watch action dramas. And finally, my new favorite duo, goofy golden hearted outrageously handsome boxer bros. Very high hopes set for season 2! (Please just let LSY keep his curls)

#8 A drama where a character watches a kdrama . Scarlett, "What's Wrong With My Mother In Law"
February 14 - February 18

favorite characters: Scarlett and Seol Ji Hwan
favorite scene: "I'm infertile!" cutting to Scarlett crying
started because? Lee Jae Wook

A rollercoaster of emotions. An almost flawless show that was ruined for me by the main couple’s romance plot. Still worth it for Lee Da Hee and Lee Jae Wook, who provided the brightest moments and the biggest smiles. This one also taught me that MDL has a tagging feature that would have saved me some heartache (and also what a “sismance” is).

#27 A drama that fills a wheel of chance option from previous drama challenges you wish you got [2024 #3C Common Scenes: A character riding the bus or at the bus station]. Eun Oh, multiple significant occasions
February 18 - February 19

favorite characters: Eun Oh and Jae Won
favorite scene: Candle Night
started because? Ji Chang Wook

As both a former teenager who was obsessed with 500 Days of Summer and an adult who’s obsessed with whatever the hell Ji Chang Wook is doing, this is an easy hit for me. It’s been a long time since I’ve consumed any media involving manic pixie dream girls, and this deconstruction of it brought me to tears. Eun Oh is finally confessing everything to her closest friends and being met with their love, understanding, and affirmation healed something in me. I really really love that this take on it gave us insight on her perspective and that they were both able to love each other for who they really are by the end. The main cast is full of stars and the various relationships were fun and engaging to follow. My only real critique was the lack of closure we got because they were setting themselves up for a season 2 that never happened.

#23 A drama featuring a scene where a character prepares for or takes an exam. Episode 8, midterms
January 23 - February 20

favorite characters: Ga Min and Jun
favorite scene: basically every fight scene but especially the one with a flaming backpack
started because? short drama with Hwang Min Hyun that started airing while we watched Alchemy of Souls

My first drama to catch as it was airing and it was an emotional sucker punch. First they disarm you with mesmerizing action choreography and quick witted humor, then they hit you with the most gutwrenching reminder of all of the people who poured into you when you were a student. I don’t even like fight scenes like that but I was EXCITED to see Ga Min in action every week. I wish there was more but I don’t even want the episodes to be longer because the shorter time limits kept everything fast and fresh- I just need another season and I need to know what happens next.

#4 Common Scenes Wheel of Chance: A drama where a character watches a news broadcast on television. nearly every episode, multiple characters throughout show
February 21 - February 27

favorite characters: Kim Moon Ho and Chai Chi Su
favorite scene: "I couldn't love you."
started because? widely recommended as a career highlight for Ji Chang Wook

So easy to see why many think of this drama as a classic. I loved that telling this story through the lens of an honest, gutsy journalist crew opened up the story to include depictions of corruption in a lot of systems that are supposed to be responsible for justice. The villains were truly villainous and wrongs were eventually made right. The three leads were magic together and discovering their connections alongside them was a delight. Long live Someday News!

#21 A drama which features a sibling relationship. every main character, but especially the Song sisters
March 1 - March 10

favorite characters: the Yoon brothers, Song Ga Hee, and Kang Cho Yeon
favorite scene: "Be my lover."/forming an alliance/"Don't blame yourself. Just cry."
started because? Lee Sang Yi

"According to the monk who passed away, a child chooses his parents from heaven. The parents are so grateful for choosing them, just for that one reason, they give in to their children a thousand times." In a drama with 100 episodes and what felt like a thousand things happening simultaneously, we always seemed to return to each character's family and specifically their relationships with their parents (even the side characters that we saw for less than a fifth of the drama). Those were always the moments that brought me to tears. I think I was especially touched by the portrayal of Ga Hee because there was so much of myself I could see in her as the oldest daughter in a big family. This struck the perfect balance between goofy moments and heartbreaking, poetic conversations between characters who truly care for one another. The length at first is daunting, but by the time you reach the end, it almost wasn't long enough.

#36 A drama featuring a Truck of Doom™. within the first 5 minutes
March 11 - March 17

favorite characters: So Mun and Mo Tak
favorite scene: Mae Ok and Su Ho together in Yung discussing their former life
started because? Yoo Jun Sang

A glittering hidden gem- a lighter, webtoony-action thriller with perfectly balanced notes of heart, humor, and familiar faces! So Mun is such a sweetheart, and the counter crew is an incredibly warm iteration of a found family. Yoo Jun Sang seemingly thrives in these tough but goofy roles, so it's easy to see how he went from here to Park Jin. Managed to genuinely shock me and still make sense, which is always a bonus. I'm so thankful they ended on a high note in a way where I can pretend that the second season (which I've dropped) doesn't exist.

#15 A drama starring a beloved grandma and grandpa of Kdramaland. Na Moon Hee, Oh Ae Sun's grandmother
March 7 - March 28

favorite characters: Oh Ae Sun and Park Cheong Seop
favorite scene: Cheong Seop chasing the bus
started because? Park Bo Gum + IU

Beautifully stunning, outstanding performances from the cast as a whole, and a lovely comeback drama for IU, Park Bo Gum, and Kim Seon Ho. FAR easier to watch as it aired, I cannot imagine trying to binge this with all of its emotional weight. Kim Seon Ho was absolutely the highlight for me and made the second half easier to watch than the first 8 episodes. Probably not one I will rewatch because it's so different from what I usually choose to enjoy (more trauma and tears than I prefer), but a drama I'd encourage everyone to try at least once.

#18 A drama starring a lead actor who goes by a stage name. IU
February 11 - April 5

favorite characters: Chan Sung and Sanchez
favorite scene: "It's just winter."
started because? Hong Sister drama (pregaming for Can This Love Be Translated?)+ IU

A warm, exhilarating, and emotionally brutal take on love, grief, and life. I think it was obvious how it was always going to end, but the road there was much twistier than I expected it to be. I have never seen men as intelligent and competent as Chan Sung and Sanchez, it's impossible not to root for them. Even the characters I spent most of the show booing got some sort of redemption, and one of my favorite moments ended up being the final conversation between Mrs. Choi and the pregnant pharmacist about daughters and a family legacy. It takes your tears and some watercolors and paints a really beautiful picture that encourages you to look for the humanity in others and to value the time you have together.

#19 A drama with an OST by a K-pop group member. Kim Seokjin of BTS
March 30 - x

favorite characters: x
favorite scene: x
started because? the most intriguing drama with an OST by Jin!

update incoming!

#? TBD. tbd
March 31 - x

favorite characters: x
favorite scene: x
started because? lighter on-air drama starring Lee Da Hee

update incoming!