My 2025 Dramas

Pros:

• First 2 episodes were solid, especially episode 2 when we were done with the backstory. The emotions of how the ML's story matters and what his motives are ... masterful.
• Song Joong Ki and Kim Ji Won were the perfect pairing, especially since they've worked together on (now) multiple projects.
• Tanya was an amazing FL.
• Soundtrack was beautiful and epic.

Cons:

• Was so invested in Eunseom from the first 2 episodes only for them to give him like 10% screen time per episode. They made him sound so important when he was going to basically be a side character.

Pros:

• Stacked cast. On top of the already amazing actors, we have Kang Ha Neul, Im Si Wan, Park Gyu Young, Lee David, and T.O.P.
• Speaking of T.O.P, I really loved to hate him. He was so entertaining and it looked like he was having fun playing that character.

Cons:

• Really didn't care for a season 2, and I absolutely did not think it was necessary for a rise-against-corruption plot line cause season 1 perfectly encapsulated how these kinds of screwed up situations are truly hopeless. No one wins except for the mega rich. Maybe I also don't like these types of plotlines cause I've read way too many YA novels as a teen where the characters form a resistance, and now I have burnout from that. Still, I just didn't like the direction.

Pros:

• Just another drama that makes me love Chae Jong Hyeop even more.
• The premise is intriguing, and I was hooked into the drama with the spooky witch vibes.
• Short with only 8 episodes, so it's not a huge time investment.

Cons:

• Would've been grossed out by the high school attending ML if it wasn't for the fact that the actor is actually older than the FL. Still, a little icky.
• Not the most gripping plot. Got a little bored after a while.

Pros:

• Stacked cast. The leads and the supporting actors are mostly familiar faces I know and love.
• While I wasn't a huge fan of the show overall, the ending excited me. I was into the completion of the characters' arcs and how it manifested at the end.
• First drama I see set in the Silla dynasty, and we got a peek into an often unexplored part in kdramas.

Cons:

• Go A Ra doesn't do it for me - except for a few scenes, that is.
• Didn't care for the romance at all. Wasn't rooting for Ah Ro to be with anyone.

Pros:

• The main couple actually communicates and doesn't let misunderstandings ruin their relationship. Very mature and refreshing. Eliminates all frustration from the "break up" beat by replacing it with something else.
• Father-daughter relationship is beautiful, and the girl is oh-so-adorable, as she always is in any drama.
• Second couple were adorable. Thought I'd dislike 2ML, but he pleasantly surprised me by his depth.

Cons:

• Sadly, I think I'll forget about this drama after a while. It's not very special or memorable.

Pros:

• Lee Kang To is probably one of the coolest protagonists in kdramas. If you hated him in the first few episodes and dropped the drama (like I did), give it a chance. It takes 6 or so episodes to get to the meat of the story and it is so worth it.
• This drama seriously knows how to end episodes. After I'd finish watching one, I get the need to watch the rest cause it's that gripping.
• OST has a few bangers that can give you excitement, hope, or sadness for days.
• Speaking of sadness, I cried a good amount. Even cried when the drama was over because it was over. Withdrawal from these characters is insane.

Cons:

• ML was super annoying at first and put me off this drama for a while. That's cause the setup took a long time, and we didn't get to see what made him great as a character.
• Oh Mok Dan was boring, and the acting didn't help at all.

Pros:

• The acting's good for soooome of the cast. Yeah, that's about it.

Cons:

• I think I disliked every single character, which made this a hard watch. There was no one I liked enough to root for.

Pros:

• He is not the ML, but Song Joong Ki brings his usual charm in this drama. It was great seeing him shine yet again.
• Yoo Ah In plays an interesting character, so if you like his acting, you won't be disappointed here.

Cons:

• Can never buy a cross-dressing plot. Park Min Young absolutely still looks like a girl.
• ML is so boring.

Pros:

• Both IU and Park Bo Gum were amazing. I already love them, but here, they shined. They encapsulated their characters' traits so well that it was easy to get immersed because of their acting.
• Do you like crying? I do. So this was perfect for me cause it was a cry fest. You will feel for the characters and you will be so attached that you'll cry whether the vibes are sad or happy.
• All actors were stellar. This drama goes through a range of years of the FL and ML, so actors for the same character change. All of them were amazing, whether they were the younger or older counterparts.
• The shots are beautiful. It was like looking at an artistic masterpiece.

Cons:

• Park Bo Gum doesn't appear as much as expected, sadly.

Pros:

• One of Lee Min Ho's better performances.
• His character was interesting, too, since he was a con artist and was a different kind of role than his typical ML characters.
• Has the typical kdrama feel, like all the other classics from 2016-2017.
• ML's little group of con men was fun.

Cons:

• Did not know, but this had slapstick humor. Depending on the person, this can be a pro, but it wasn't for me. Felt a little too childish in tone.
• The storyline about the brothers and the chaebol stuff was not as gripping as the other parts.

Pros:

• Packed with emotions. Jeong Hee Wan has lost Kim Ram Woo and it's palpable in the drama.  There is not an episode that passed that I didn't cry. Beautiful.
• There is a little bit of mystery to the drama, where it doesn't outright show us what happened to Ram Woo, which kept me asking questions until it was revealed.
• Ending is realistic, and I think this is the best way to end a story with this kind of plot.

Cons:

• Really, really short. 6 episodes only, and I wanted more.

Pros:

• Overall heartwarming and cute. Shows the beauty and struggles of different types of relationships.
• The main characters had an indescribable bond and understanding of each other. Beautiful to watch.
• There's a side character called Bo Mi that was really funny. The actress (also called Bo Mi) had such amazing judgemental facial expressions.
• Lee Min Ki's character Se Hee, while not expressive, is so adorable.
• There's a cat in the drama that's really adorable but also weirdly symbolic.
• Main characters (for the most part) are mature and communicate well. Some hiccups here and there that are frustrating, but they're still pretty mature.
• The OST gives warm, fuzzy feelings. A comfort to listen to.

Cons:

• Didn't like Ho-Rang before her arc came full circle.
• There was a plot line I didn't really like, and I thought the drama was heading in a direction I didn't like, but it was resolved quickly.

Pros:

• The whole cast, and I mean the whole cast, was amazing. From major to minor characters, they all embodies their personalities well.
• Fight scenes were engaging. Credit to the choreography and the action beats.
• While I wasn't too into the story like I was in season 1, it got better as we went along cause the emotional stakes were much clearer.
• The dynamic between the characters is the strong suit of this drama. Their interactions, their friendship, their rivalry, well done.

Cons:

• Season 2 is merely good compared to season 1, which was excellent and peak storytelling.
• Less focus overall on Si Eun, which, to me, made the story feel a little unfocused on his arc and his internal struggles. When we got to them, they felt like an afterthought and a weak insert. Best part about stories to me in the MC's arc, and this one lacked it a little.

Pros:

• The revenge plotline is fun to follow, and the villains make it all the more fun. The husband and the friend are truly despicable characters, and seeing Ji Won get back at them is satisfying.
• Supporting characters were also awesome. At first, I was worried I'd hate almost all the characters, but they start introducing really sweet ones like Hee Yeon and Joo Ran.
• Joo Ran and Suk Joon also had great chemistry.

Cons:

• They introduce a plot line later on with a character called Yu Ra that was just so unnecessary and while she did get tangled with the main plot, she wasn't as interesting as the two established antagonists.

Pros:

• The idea of telling the story in the perspective of "cells" (really, they're emotions) makes mundane scenes much more interesting.
• Kim Go Eun and Ahn Bo Hyun's acting ... wonderful. They settled into their characters well.

Cons:

• The characters frustrated me after a point. They never communicated how they felt, and I really despise the trope they rely on - miscommunication. To me, it wasn't done well here.

Pros:

• Different role for Park Bo Gum than I'm used to, and I liked him enough.
• Lee Sang Yi gave the bromance I knew he'd give us.

Cons:

• Kim So Hyun's acting doesn't do it for me. She did not compel me in the least.
• Knew I wouldn't like the drama from episode 1 because it was all over the place, and the messy story stayed throughout.

Pros:

• Great acting, as always
• Heard lots of people hate the ending but I didn't mind it cause, controversial, if the main character succeeded in his goal, it would've taken me out of the drama cause it didn't seem realistic at all. I like this reflection of society that's bitter but true. We should not deny that rich people get away with the craziest shit.
• Im Shi Wan shined more in this part.
• Was happy when it was over.

Cons:

• Season 2 and 3 were unnecessarily editions in my opinion. It's just more of the same, and it did not engage me.
• Main character continued to be an afterthought. Sorry, but he was not the main character here. He felt like an accessory.
• Yet another sequel bait. Fuck this story for trying to be a franchise. Let it end PLEASE!!