My 2023 Drama List

Pros:

• Gives you a reason to care for all the characters.
• All the characters have plot-lines and matter in one way or another.
• The romance for all the characters is beautiful.
• Characters keep growing through the romance, but also through their interaction with other characters.
• The ending is one of the most satisfying.
• Introduced me to Jung So Min, who I loved here.

Cons:

• Wasn't too attached.
• Some plot-lines were more frustrating than others.

Pros:

• Cute with the romance or with the friendships.
• Woo Young Woo is adorable, but so is almost everyone. MVP is Jung Myung Suk.
• Easy watch.
• Beautiful OST.

Cons:

• The ML was a little too perfect for me, and I would've liked it if he felt a little more realistic and flawed.
• Not too attached.

Pros:

• Entertaining drama, at least in the beginning.
• Go Yoon Jung looks stunning and angelic.

Cons:

• Feels like all the characters are not themselves, like the writers forgot how they behave.
• Pacing is weird. It goes super slow then super rushed. Feels like a waste of time.
• Every explanation feels convoluted.
• New plot points are being established without prior setup, which frustrated me.
• Amnesia trope sucks, and it's frustrating to watch.

Would not recommend.

Pros:

• Made me fall in love with almost every character.
• Friendship between characters is heartwarming.
• Every major character is sympathetic.
• Tearjerker, but in a heartwarming and hopeful way.
• Paeng is the best character.
• Bromance between the two MLs is great, but also the bromance between the ML and anyone else is, too.
• Dark humor that's unexpected and well-written.

Cons:

• Nitpicking, but some storylines were more interesting than others.
• Romance was not my favorite here.

Pros:

• Good emotionally driven scenes.
• Characters are consistent throughout.
• Satisfying conclusion.

Cons:

• Wasn't into the characters from the beginning.
• FL is too immature. She got better, but I still wasn't into her character.
• Some relationships felt inappropriate.

Pros:

• 2FL was awesome. She was badass and she won me over.

Cons:

• Didn't care for the drama.
• Most characters weren't to my liking.
• Ending was jarring.

Pros:

• Good acting.
• Good chemistry between leads.
• Complex characters.

Cons:

• Can be frustrating.
• Unsatisfying.
• Characters don't make sense a lot of the time.

Pros:

• Some cute moments between the leads.
• Found family is cute.
• Swoon-worthy moments.

Cons:

• More annoying characters.
• Villains are laughable.
• Forgettable and average.

Pros:

• Characters are great and diverse in personality.
• Great dynamic between leads.
• Go Ara is good here. Was hesitant to watch, but she fits this role.
• Love triangle that gave 2 good options for the FL.
• Satisfying conclusion.
• Lots of touching moments to feel for the characters.

Cons:

• Not really a con, but it's not a pro. Gave me Second Lead Syndrome.
• Really did feel like some episodes were unnecessary. Needed a shorter run time.
• In the finale, they showed the groom by re-showing us the scenes in the future that we already have seen, just with showing the groom's face this time, which is a move I hate. I would rather they be more creative than this.

Pros:

• Great cast of actors.
• Characters had good relationships between each other.
• Characters had backstories and felt important.

Cons:

• Didn't care for the story.
• Felt boring to me.

Pros:

• Sweet romance, for both the main leads and the high school students.
• Chill vibes.
• Character dynamics were fun.
• Jae Woo and Chi Yeol have a great development for their friendship. Bromance is great.
• Has the most charming second lead for one of the romances.
• Shin Jae Ha impressed me a lot.

Cons:

• Thriller plot was not suitable for a romance, and it had an unsatisfying ending.
• Some plot points had no buildup.

Pros:

• Great chemistry between leads.
• Touching story of the families.
• Park Bo Gum is a great actor (seriously, I don't like this drama much, but I still loved him). His character, Hye Joon, is easy to root for.
• Grandfather character is the best. I fell in love with him and his relationship with Hye Joon.

Cons:

• Some stories did not conclude in a satisfying way.
• Second male lead is bland.
• Acting can be bad for some of the side character.
• Lots of plot points felt like a waste. I especially hated the mothers' plot point.

Pros:

• Villains were a highlight.
• Kang Hyun Nam is the best.
• Some scenes were nice and thrilling.
• Yeo Jeong's backstory was quite emotional, as is Dong Eun's, but we saw hers in the previous part.
• Ha Do Young is also the best.

Cons:

• Song Hye Kyo acting was bland.
• Hated the romance. The age gap makes this weird.
• First part promised revenge, but we still continue on with the setup. There is very little revenge.
• Lots of focus on characters I don't care about.
• Revenge fell flat.

Pros:

• Song Joong Ki as Vincenzo is badass, and one of my favorite kdrama characters.
• Hong Cha Young and Song Joong Ki are a great duo on screen.
• Geumga Plaza tenants are the best!
• Taecyeon as Joon Woo is so great! My favorite role of Taecyeon's.
• Kwak Dong Yeon as Han Seo is hilarious.
• The revenge in this drama is well done. The brutal parts are truly brutal.
• OST is exciting, and gets me hyped to watch the next episode.
• Lots of characters had a great ending.
• Many things happen in the span of the drama, and I was never bored.

Cons:

• First two episodes turned me off so much that I dropped the drama when I was watching it on-air.
• Some parts of the finale aren't so satisfying, and the last episode itself wasn't as fun as the previous ones.
• Some plot points could've been avoided, and the writer wrote in cheap tactics to get to an emotional part when it could've been much smarter.

Pros:

• Nana is gorgeous, and has a good role here.
• Ending is very fitting.
• Characters stay true to themselves.

Cons:

• Failed to interest me.
• ML's acting is stiff.

Pros:

• Cute romance is fluffy and sweet.
• Good acting all around.
• Friendship is heartwarming.
• Cute ending.

Cons:

• Not a compelling story to me.
• Some side characters were uninteresting.

Pros:

• Kim Jung Hyun is comedic and entertaining.
• KJH's co-stars from Mr. Queen are good, too.

Cons:

• Expression-less FL who doesn't act well.
• Messy plot is all over the place.
• So many plot holes.
• No chemistry.
• Uninteresting characters.
• Story feels like it's been told before by many other dramas.

Pros:

• Has tropes, but does them well.
• Also subverts tropes in a funny way.
• Cute and fluffy.
• Characters become more likeable as the episodes go along.
• Good ending. Characters still had problems to overcome in episode 10, and we still get a happy ending.
• ML is great.

Cons:

• Episode 1 does not show just how good the rest of the drama is.
• Music is not the best.
• FL is not my favorite.
• Lots of scenes I skipped.

Pros:

• Great pacing of episodes. Not a single moment was boring.
• Politics are good here. They're usually uninteresting in historicals, but here, it's done well.
• Great villain(s).
• Genuinely unsettling zombies.
• Wonderful performance by everyone.

Cons:

• Unnecessarily open ending. Story feels complete, and it didn't need this.
• Young Shin was neglected as a character, and that is a crime.

Pros:

• Park Hyung Shik really suits the role of a crown prince.
• Second couple is fun to follow.

Cons:

• Pacing is off - it drags for a long time, then it rushes the last 2 (ish) episodes.
• Barely any romance for a romantic drama.
• Average at best sageuk. There are many other better ones out there.
• Boring for the most part.

Pros:

• Great main couple consisting of a really interesting female and male counterpart.
• Emotional story that made me invested.
• Drama made you fall in love with the main couple throughout the story.
• Choi Won Young never disappoints me with his roles/acting, and he didn't here, either.
• Great ending, and it's a convincing one. It didn't seem like it came out of nowhere.

Cons:

• Side couple was not as interesting to me.
• Sungjae's character was boring.
• Didn't care for the villain.

Pros:

• Cast did a great job.
• Some parts were somewhat entertaining.

Cons:

• Unconvincing villain.
• Season 1 was more focused on emotion. This has no heart.
• Season 1 showed the desperation of victims and how they try to resort to the law but it's hopeless, and the leads are their only saviors. Season 2 did none of that.
• I didn't care for the victims.
• Was less thrilling than the previous season.

Pros:

• Acting is good.

Cons:

• Failed to capture my attention.
• Original US version is better.
• Didn't care for the characters.

Pros:

• Acting is great all around.
• Chemistry between the two female leads is great. They have a great friendship/relationship.

Cons:

• Boring plot doesn't get exciting for me.
• Failed to capture my attention except for some crazy parts.
• Didn't fall in love with the characters or form an attachment to them.

Pros:

• Cute story that feels warm and cozy.
• While I dislike noona romance, this one was really cute, so I didn't mind the fact.
• Second leads are adorable, and I was fine with anyone ending up with anyone.
• Characters are fleshed out, and they're easy to get attached to.
• Stellar cast with great acting.

Cons:

• First episode did not hook me.

Pros:

• Good acting
• Intriguing characters
• Kim Woo Bin is always a treat to look at

Cons:

• Bad CGI and green screen effects
• Didn't care for the plot
• I expected a sci-fi story to be badly executed, and they didn't do well with the setting

Pros:

• Cute and trope-y, in a good way. It gives you everything you want in a rom-com.
• Choi Shi Won and his character stole my heart. He is the best part of this drama.
• Was not as superficial as I thought it would be.
• Gave me good feelings throughout.
• Lovable side characters.

Cons:

• First few episodes did not hook me.
• Park Seo Joon's character was not tolerable at first.
• 2FL was not a character I liked, either.

Pros:

• Woo Do Hwan is entertaining.
• Lee Kyu Sung and Shin Dong Mi played great supporting roles.
• Revenge portion was great.
• It's a case-by-case drama where most of the cases (especially at the beginning) have much to do with the main plot.
• Some great tracks in the OST.

Cons:

• FL and 2ML acting is flat.
• Some episodes were dull.
• Fun Kang Han Su didn't feel so fun after a while.
• Last episodes sucked and didn't deliver.

Pros:

• Ji Sung as Kang Yo Han is the best part of this drama. Acting and character intrigue were the highlight for me.
• Jinyoung acted well in his role as Ga On.
• Bromance between the 2 characters was both interesting and heartwarming at times.
• The villain is one of the best and most screwed up ones.
• The other villains are also very despicable, and the actors were well-casted.
• The OST is chilling, exciting, and one of the best in kdramas.

Cons:

• 2ML is frustrating as a character. He never learns a thing. It ruined a bit of the fun because it interfered with the main story.

Pros:

• Nice, touching story with friendship and sports.

Cons:

• Didn't care much.

Pros:

• Tearjerker drama with a touching theme of a family of mother and her son getting a chance to reset the clock.
• Acting by Ra Mi Ran and Lee Do Hyun is A+.
• Ahn Eun Ji was also a standout. Her romance with Lee Do Hyun made the drama even better.
• Two adorable little kids!!! They added a much needed cuteness.
• The two men who work under Woo Byeok are great comic relief who get a nice plot.
• Lots of touching scenes between the characters, and not just the mother and her son.

Cons:

• Some actions by the mother are questionable, and they're never villainized.
• Some village people were a little too obnoxious.
• The character Andrea took me out of the drama often.

Pros:

• Choreography done well.
• Bromance between Woo Do Hwan and Lee Sang Yi was one of the best parts.
• Acting was top notch, especially for the main cast.
• Lee Sang Yi's character is the best out of all of the characters.
• First six episodes were phenomenal.
• Kim Sae Ron managed to pull off a badass role despite her innocent look.

Cons:

• The last 2 episodes were detached and underwhelming.
• Woo Do Hwan's character was a little bland.

Pros:

• Great acting.
• Great OST.

Cons:

• I couldn't get over most plotlines and characters.
• It was trying too hard to be too many things.

Pros:

• Touching story where all the episodes have a good message that resonated emotionally with me.
• Group of friends were great together.
• Love triangle had 2 great boys to root for. They each have swoon-worthy moments.
• Adults played a key role in the drama, which played into the family theme and the struggles of parents.
• Characters I disliked at first grew on me.
• All main characters were fleshed out.
• While it tackled emotional themes, it was still pretty light in overall tone.
• Jung Bong. He is so precious.
• Jung Hwan. This is my first drama with Ryu Joon Yeol, and I love him so much already.
• Choi Taek. Adorable role, and Park Bo Gum killed it.

Cons:

• My favorite character was done dirty in the end.
• Gave me heartache that'll last me a lifetime.
• Was not feeling the secondary romance with one of the main boys.

Pros:

• Lovable characters.
• The soldier group is the best.
• Emotional parts are really well done.
• Romance is solid.
• OST is great.

Cons:

• Didn't hook me in the first 1 or 2 episodes.
• Didn't have the first drama magic for me as it did for so many people.
• Se-Ri's family is the most punch-able family.

Pros:

• Hilarious, even more than I thought it would be.
• Kim Se Jeong's character is the best part out of a really good cast of characters, in general.
• Tropes amped up to 100 and done right.
• The ending is not as bad as lot of people made me think it is. I didn't dislike it at all.
• A wonderful combination of romance and friendship for all of the 4 leads.

Cons:

• It took a while to fall for Tae Moo.
  

Pros:

• Romance is sweet and adorable.
• ML is everything!!! Seriously! I love him!
• 2ML is also great.
• Village people are a joy, and they each have their own stories and plotlines.
• The vibes and music make me feel good and happy.

Cons:

• Some parts were cringy.
• Was not attached as I thought I'd be.

Pros:

• Wonderful cast. All 5 main characters are easy to get love.
• Side characters are also easy to love.
• Cried a lot, both for the patients that come and go every episode, and for the main characters.
• Lots of great cameos, OSTs from Shin PD's previous work, supporting, and even main cast members.
• Comedy hits just right.
• Lee Ik Jun!!!! And his sonn!!! Best thing about this drama. Not only is Ik Jun a gem, but his relationship with his son is to die for.

Cons:

• First episode wasn't particularly gripping. I dropped it after 30 minutes in 2020, but I picked it back up this year.
• It's hard to miss a lot of references from the Reply series and Prison Playbook if you haven't seen them before. They flew over my head the first time I watched, but after watching the PD's previous work, I can recognize the references easily.
• Felt slow at times.

Pros:

• Very emotional drama filled with healing.
• Shin Hye Sun was perfect for this role. Or any role, really.
• I cried a lot, which is a good indication that I was attached.
• I felt satisfied at the end. Although it wasn't that well executed, it still was satisfying.
• Child actors were insanely good.
• Ahn Bo Hyun has a new fan because of this drama.

Cons:

• Some plotlines felt useless, like the "accident" not being an accident.
• The parts where they don't focus on the healing feel a bit lacking.
• The OST choice does not fit the scenes in a lot of parts.

Pros:

• Acting is superb.
• Some of the stories were sad and emotionally strong.

Cons:

• Didn't resonate with me like it did in season 1.
• I didn't feel like we needed a season 2 anyway since season 1's conclusion had a lot to say.
• This season was not as thrilling or shocking. Doesn't need to be, but ... this was more boring for me.

Pros:

• The girls' friend group was the best.
• First episode was promising.
• Chemistry between leads is nice.
• Interesting commentary on service workers.

Cons:

• I hated most characters.
• All plot lines were useless to me and felt like fillers.
• No plot.
• Romance didn't feel earned, and everything was handed on a single platter.
• No substance. Just empty carbs.
• Service workers commentary felt like it had no payoff for me? Resolution felt unearned and not satisfying.
• Arab portrayal was a disservice (although it was funny how inaccurate it was) to us Arabs, as usual with any media.
• It felt too sweet for me. Like eating pure sugar and getting a stomach ache afterwards.

Pros:

• All actors and actresses are amazing, but mostly the 3 actresses who played the FL.
• The thriller elements is done well, especially at the beginning when the mask was being used and it added to the horror.
• Each episode focuses on a specific character, and it's an interesting technique.
• The way plotlines connect between characters is great.

Cons:

• Some episodes are better than others.
• I don't like the over-sexual nature of the drama.

Pros:

• Great acting, and I was especially impressed by Ji Chang Wook.
• Villains actually felt like a threat.
• Once FL gets to become a concubine, it started to be exciting.
• Lots of great side characters, like the eunuchs and Wang Yoo's men.
• FL was badass.
• Taltal grew on me so much that he became a favorite.
• Plot twists left and right. The fun doesn't end once it starts.
• Some revenge mixed in, which makes a lot of great moments.
• Pacing is great, with the exception of a few episodes* and the ending.

Cons:

• Ending was rushed.
• Villains got away with the most ridiculous things.
• *There was a boring part in the middle when FL was a maid.
• Wang Yoo is booooring.
• No closure on some plotlines.
• Some character development was lacking.

Pros:

• Time travel stuff was enjoyable and engaging. It made me think of lots of theories.
• Ahn Hyo Seop keeps on improving as an actor, and this drama is a showcase of his talents.
• Mixture of sad and happy tones makes this an emotional roller coaster.
• Lots of puzzle pieces that get revealed in a satisfying way.
• Wonderful OST tracks.

Cons:

• Couldn't buy Jeon Yeo Bin as a high school-er.
• Didn't care for the mystery.

Pros:

• Scenes between leads were cute and sweet.
• Some side characters were adorable.
• Left me with warm feelings.

Cons:

• Was boring when it focused on the murder mystery rather than the leads.
• Didn't care too much for the story overall.

Pros:

• Characters are lovely and easy to get attached to. I especially loved Bong Seok. He's such a sweetheart, and I loved seeing his smile.
• Hui Soo and Bong Seok are my OTP for this year. Alone and together, they're cute, powerful, interesting, and everything in between.
• The parents are some of the best and most interesting parents in kdramas.
• Gang Hoon deserves a shout out. His relationship with his father was so powerful.
• Good pace, and suspense is kept up throughout the story.
• Drama makes you feel bad for the bad guys at times, too. It's that good with characters.

Cons:

• Got attached to the high school students and their stories, and then suddenly we don't see them for a bunch of episodes, which made me miss them a lot.
• Some CGI effects were not quite good.

Pros:

• Sizzling chemistry. Seriously, it is fire!
• Lots of cute scenes that made me smile.
• Great friendship between the prominent characters.
• The character Yi Ra??? I love her. She was so fun.
• Bae Suzy's acting is top-tier.

Cons:

• Left me feeling like I didn't connect with the drama much.
• Felt a little empty by the end of it, and it's not solely because of the ending. I just zoned out and didn't care overall.

Pros:

• Great acting, especially from the lead actors.
• Hae Ryun was a cool character, and I shipped her with Jun Mo.
• Cliffhangers were well done.
• It was interesting seeing Wi Ha Joon play a bad guy, sort of, and I think he works well in this role.

Cons:

• Story didn't grip me all the way through.
• The main couple, the husband and wife, kinda sucked.
• I feel empty after the ending.

Pros:

• Emotional story that hit me in the heart.
• Lovable main characters and supporting character. Even guest characters are great.
• Follows the main story as well as the stories of the patients in the psych ward.
• Park Bo Young's acting was stellar. The best I've seen of her so far.
• Yeon Woo Jin was entertaining as the ML.

Cons:

• Didn't like romance between Dr. Hwang and nurse Min .

Pros:

• ML and 2ML were good.

Cons:

• Everything else.
• This gave me brain damage and I think I lost IQ from it.
• What an insult to the original Strong Woman Do Bong Soon.
• FL was childish.
• Her mom sucks.
• Everyone sucks.
• I want time back from the hours I spent of this POS.

Pros:

• Swole Yoo Ji Tae supremacy.
• Lee Joon Hyuk is fun.

Cons:

• Didn't care for the drama.
• I didn't feel like Nam Joo Hyuk suits this kind of role. He looks too innocent.
• Reporter lady was annoying.

Pros:

• Jung Jin Young's character is precious.

Cons:

• Everything else.
• I hated it.
• I wish this season didn't exist.
• I wish the characters I liked weren't in this season so they wouldn't butcher them (figuratively and literally).

Pros:

• Chae Jong Hyeop and Cha Hak Yeon were great. I already love CJH, but CHY won me over in this drama.
• Made me feel good watching.
• Lots of great themes about family.
• Lots of great and lovable characters.
• Child actors in the first episode were phenomenal. First episode was great, anyway, but the young actors made it better.

Cons:

• Park Eun Bin was disappointing. Her acting didn't convince me, and she was reminiscent of Woo Young Woo.
• I'll probably forget about this drama after a few weeks.