2025 K-Drama Challenge

1. A drama featuring a sweater worthy of The Heirs

Watch this drama and judge for yourself how the sweaters that Seo KangJun's character wore when he was chilling at home gave LMH's in The Heirs a run for their money. He looked so cuddly and fluffy that I almost forgot that it was not a romantic drama that I was watching.

Completed in April 2024.

6. A drama that was originally broadcast on one of Korea's terrestrial big 3 stations

This was one of the easier prompts to fill this year although still choosing which one to watch out of the many options still took some time. This drama was originally aired on SBS.

Completed in August 2025.

8. A drama where a character watches a K-drama

As early as episode 3 and then onwards, one of the bestfriends was seen watching a drama on her phone. I have not seen the show itself but it looked to be Run On (as both shows were done by the same director) and Im Siwan also did a cameo in the 11th ep. I never thought I would be watching a tearjerker this merry season but anything to complete the challenge--this is my last prompt to fill! Yay!

Completed in December 2025.

9. A drama where a character makes a wish

On Iyeong's birthday, she told Dowon that her wish was for him to say yes to all her requests during their elevator-ride to their apartment. Please, these two were probably one of my favorite cutie-patooties from dramaland this year!

Completed in May 2025.

10. A drama featuring a mentor-mentee relationship

Yeon Sieun was a mentor figure to Juntae while Humin was Bekjin's. Also, how did we manage to wait two years for this new season only to finish it in one afternoon?! Le cry.

Completed in April 2025.

11. A drama where a character has a pet

I started this drama just because, with no expectations whatsoever for it to meet any of my remaining prompts. But Subak, the golden retriever, appeared on the screen as soon as the first episode. Subak was the main leads' shared son--his mom took care of him while his dad sent child support. LOL!

Completed in December 2025.

12. A drama where changes in time are visible

The entire story spanned a number of years, with a lot flashback scenes all throughout, showing the leads as their present selves as well as their younger selves. I surprised myself with actually finishing this drama as it was very gloomy and dark. It turned out to be a good watch though. 

Completed in June 2025.

13. A drama which aired across two years

This drama was tagged to meet prompt #17 ever since I finished watching it. But after much thought and rearranging, I moved it here since it perfectly met the requirement: this drama aired from December 21, 2023 until February 09, 2025.

Completed in March 2025.

14. A drama with a character who moves or has previously lived abroad

In this drama, there was a whole delegation that came from China (Ming) but the backstory of their head chef was that he had lived abroad in Joseon before for a number of years. I think Yoona's character also lived in France while training to be a chef--but that I cannot recall being confirmed in the storyline and was just my assumption after seeing her desk at home full of materials in French. Although I had enjoyed this show, it really irked me that there was no sort of explanation on how His Majesty arrived in the present and that gap gave what was a great show a rushed ending. The writer was probably too tired to come up with something plausible and just wanted to give the audience the HEA they wanted. I wanted both. Sigh. 

Completed in October 2025. 

15. A drama starring a beloved grandma and grandpa of K-Dramaland

The lovely Kim HaeSook was part of the cast. I just love her and watching her on screen is just a joy, even when she does mean characters.

Completed in January 2025.

16. A drama where a character wears a nondescript black hat for no particular reason

The Move to Heaven team wore black caps when they had a job to do. Lee JeHoon can do/act anything! I should probably have a month dedicated for his dramas next year. 

Completed in December 2025.

17. A drama featuring two characters wearing matching items

In SoKor, judges and prosecutors wear black robes while court is in session. This being a law drama, there were many chances to see that during the entire show. And yes, I had a Ju JiHoon month in February this year. 'Twas a good decision indeed!

Completed in February 2025.

18. A drama starring a lead actor who goes by a stage name

It wasn't until this challenge prompt that I found out that Ju JiHoon is a stage name. His real name is Ju YoungHoon. Also, are we ever getting a second season for this drama? Helloooo?! I mean, Kingdom first and then this, too. Jebal.

Completed in March 2025.

19. A drama with an OST by a K-pop group member

The song used in the opening montage is "Miracle" by SVT Woozi. Another song that is also part of this drama's OST is "Baby Only You" by NCT U (Doyoung and Mark).

Completed in February 2025.

20. A drama where one of the main characters is a celebrity

Kang Yohan became a celebrity judge because of his televised courtroom. Also, ahem, didn't this feel like the most BL non-BL that ever BL'ed?!

Completed in August 2025.

21. A drama which features a sibling relationship

So JiSub and Lee JunHyuk's characters were biological brothers. I could barely breathe watching this show and that just proved what a great show this was!

Completed in June 2025.

22. A drama where a main character has a part-time job

High schooler SeongA part-timed, albeit secretly, as shaman Fairy Cheon Ji. This was a cutesy drama with just the right amount of fantasy. And I think Choo YoungWoo owned the first half of 2025, if not the whole year. I am so looking forward to more projects from him.

Completed in August 2025.

23. A drama featuring a scene where a character prepares for or takes an exam

Let's just say that there was lot of studying in this drama. LOL! And who doesn't enjoy a great underdog story?

Completed in April 2025.

24. A drama that features location/tourism product placement

Although this was an okay watch for me, I was thankful for it because it bumped up my completion of this challenge since I had forgotten to tag it to a specific prompt. This was sponsored by Jecheon City and Emirates, as confirmed in the end credits.

Completed in November 2025.

25. A drama featuring a scene where characters are at a traditional market

I had already forgotten what prompted me to watch this drama now or if it was just on a whim. But it surprised me on how many prompts can actually be seen here: there was a kimjang scene (imagine my surprise at seeing it in the same week I saw one in Tastefully Yours--after 11 months of wondering if I will ever get to fill that prompt!), a lot of underwater scenes (since some of the characters make their living as haenyeo). But I really wanted it to fill this space because I cannot remember a drama where a story is beautifully centered in a traditional market. Oh sure, there are scenes in other dramas where characters would happen to be in a market for a scene or two. But in this drama, there was a lot of screen time in the market and their sense of community is evident in those scenes. This drama would, had there been one, meet the prompt for "a drama that I delayed watching but surprised me in the best way when I finally did."

Completed in December 2025.

26. A drama where a character calls another character by their professional title instead of name

The story was mostly in the office setting so there was a lot of formal addressing that happened throughout the entire show--as expected of any Korean drama in a similar setting.

Completed in March 2025.

27. A drama that fills a wheel of chance option from previous drama challenges you wish you got

From the Common Scenes Wheel in the 2024 KDC, the wheel gave me: "A drama with an underwater scene." Underwater scenes are quite common in K-dramas although I hope it does not get confused with just underwater shots. In this drama, the FL was saved my the ML from drowning after they were chased by soldiers and fell off a cliff.

Completed in April 2025. 

29. A drama previously covered by r/KDRAMA's The Weekly Binge

Edit: I got dinged for this after submission of my challenge completion--I was looking at the wrong list and didn't scroll far down enough. Good thing I have a drama or two waiting to be picked up again and I just had to watch just a few more eps. But dang, why am I watching all these tearjerkers while still trying to be in the holiday spirit?!

Completed in December 2025

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Previously tagged show: Nine Puzzles (my rating: 9)

I decided to pick this drama even if I had a hard time slotting it anywhere else in the challenge. But I just had to watch it already! Hahahahaha!

Completed in June 2025.

30. A drama with a character that is a part of the LGBTQ+ community

Player 120, Cho HyeonJu. Enough said.

Completed in January 2025.

31. A drama that aired before 2010

This drama aired from January to April 2006. I had attempted to watch this back in 2010s but got stuck in episode 6 (although that's a lie because when I finally watched this again now, I was really stuck in episode 4). Because I decided to have a Ju Jihoon month this year (in February!), what better way than to finally finish this drama.

Completed in February 2025.

32. A drama that aired in the 2010's

This drama aired from June 4 to August 7, 2018. SKJ was so young here that he looked like a baby. A robot baby! LOL!

Completed in April 2025.

33. A drama from the sageuk genre (Must be set prior to the fall of the Joseon Dynasty in 1910)

This drama was set in Goguryeo era (to some more familiar with Western history, it's the same time as the Roman Empire times). Please tell me this drama has a sequel in the works. I mean, who ends a drama like that?!

Completed in January 2025.

34. A single episode drama

As expected, it was going to be short (63 minutes!) but I did enjoy it that I felt it deserved to be a bit longer.

Completed in December 2025.

35. A mid-long form drama

Last year the challenge hosts gave tangerines to whoever did a true long-form drama instead and so I decided then that I was going that route this year--because who doesn't like tangerines?! This drama took me two months to finish and it was a labor of love, of sorts. I was excited to tackle Empress Ki because a colleague said it was one of her all-time favorites but she didn't mention my heart was going to be crushed while I go through the whole 51 episodes!

Completed in December 2025.

36. A drama featuring a Truck of Doom™

I thought my 2025 would start well with this drama. Until I got to the last two episodes. Ugh. And yes, there was a white truck of doom in the drama but after watching the entire show,the drama just felt like one.

Completed in January 2025