2022 did not fail to serve us quality Korean dramas. Fans, like me, had a hard time catching up. Proof to show is my growing list of Kdramas to finish and watch! But as 2023 comes with more series to stay up late at night for, I am presenting my quick review of the Korean dramas I watched, I am yet to finish and are still on my watchlist.
Warning: contains spoilers.
1. AGAIN
MY LIFE 3/5
Lee
Joong Gi, Kim Ji Eun
Another villain has appeared before the series ended, so I am hopeful for another season. However, that would change the premise of the entire series because that seemingly new villain did not have anything to do with Hee Woo’s life reset.
2. ALCHEMY
OF SOULS SEASON 1 4/5
Lee Jae Wook, Jung So Min
Not my favorite fantasy series, but it’s on top of my list for that genre. (My top 1 is Gu Family Book.) I love how well-written the characters are, especially the contrast between Jang Uk (Lee Jae Wook) and Naksu/Mudeok (Jung So Min). The first season did not end well though and I am looking forward to a happy ending in the second season.
3.
ALL OF US ARE DEAD 3/5
Yoon Chang Young, Park Ji Hoo, Park Solomon, Cho Yi Hyun
I love zombie stories from Korea that’s why I really looked forward to this series and it did not fail. Primarily set in a high school, it is so amazing to see these young people fighting for their lives without the help of adults. It’s an allegory of their struggles in school.
I am looking forward to the second season of this series.
4.
BUSINESS PROPOSAL 3.5/5
Ahn Hyo Seop, Kim Se Jeong
The two second leads, Cha Sung Hoon (Kim Min Gyu) and Jin Young Seo (Seol In Ah) are my favorites.
5.
CAFÉ MINAMDANG 5/5
Seo In Guk, Oh Yeon Seo
I watched this series after all episodes are uploaded on Netflix and I regretted it because it is so hard to put down!
It is funny. It is thrilling. It is so good! I never knew In Guk is good with comedic acts. I have only seen him in ‘Light in Your Eyes’ and ‘Doom at Your Service’ which are both on the serious side. Meanwhile, I think Oh Yeon Seo’s character as Han Jae Hui is somehow similar in personality to her character in ‘A Korean Odyssey’ as Jin Su Mi, but I prefer her better as Detective Jae Hui.
6.
EXTRAORDINARY ATTORNEY WOO 5/5
Park Eun Bin, Kang Tae Oh
I have no criticism of this series. I love everything about it, especially the whales! I probably have learned more about whales and dolphins in this series than in my Science class.
7.
THE FIRST RESPONDERS 5/5
Kim Rae Won, Gong Seung Yeon, Son Ho Jun
Like a bulldozer, like a tank, like a soldier ~
I can’t help but sing this whenever Bong Do Jin (Son Ho Jun) aka Bulldozer appears on the screen (haha). Anyway, this series is on my top list this year. It has the right amount of thrill, excitement, and comic relief. It also highlights the importance of police, firefighters, and paramedics working together. And it has a second season!
8.
FORECASTING LOVE AND WEATHER 2/5
Park Min Young, Song Kang
I hate to say this, but the two leads don’t have chemistry at all. The only reason I finished this is that I am fascinated with how they monitor the weather and all. And Yoon Park. I would like to see him and Min Young in another series as main leads.
9. GHOST
DOCTOR 4/5
Rain, Kim Bum
This one is fun and Kim Bum still looks so young it’s as if he did not age at all ever since ‘Boys Over Flower’. After seeing him all so serious in ‘Law School’, it’s so refreshing to see him as an energetic and clumsy medical doctor Go Seung Tak. His and Cha Young Min’s (Rain) banters really make this series fun to watch.
10. JUVENILE
JUSTICE 4.5/5
Kim Hye Soo
I have loved Kim Hye Soo since I saw her on ‘Hyena’, one reason why I watched this drama. Another reason is that as someone whose undergraduate thesis is on juvenile delinquency, this series is personal to me.
Watching this drama brought two contrasting emotions to me: pity and anger. I understand that many factors cause delinquency among the youth, however, it angers me to see how some of them are unapologetic about their crime, especially when another person is the victim. The series also shows how important it is to have a sound justice system for cases involving minors.
11. THE
LAW CAFÉ 5/5
Lee
Seung Gi, Lee Se Young
I am a huge fan of both Lee Seung Gi and Lee Se Young. I have watched all series of Seung Gi and two of my top KDramas of all time are Se Young’s (Doctor John and The Red Sleeves). That is why when it was announced that they were going to work together in a series, I was ecstatic. And they did not fail me.
After completing the series, I watched it for the second time and I plan to watch it again (hehe). Everything I love is here: coffee, law, Seung Gi, and Se Young. Their chemistry is overflowing. Even the supporting characters are so good. I was also happy to see two other actors (Kim Do Hoon and Jang Hye Jin) who have worked with Se Young before working with her again in this series. (I was actually hoping that Lee Jun Ho, who was Se Young’s leading man in The Red Sleeves, would make a cameo here, but sadly, he did not.)
Easily this is one of the best rom-coms I have watched.
(Btw, they won the Best Couple Award at the KBS Drama Awards 2022.)
12. MAY
IT PLEASE THE COURT 5/5
Jung Ryeo Won, Lee Kyu Hyung
This is a genius series, too genius I had a hard time solving the mysteries surrounding Jwa Sibaek (Lee Kyu Hyung) and the deaths of the wealthy men. It will really keep you watching until the last episode. Also, I love the dialogues, especially the exchanges between Noh Chak Hee (Jung Ryeo Won) and Sibaek. It’s so witty and sassy!
What I did not like about it is that I expected a love line between the two leads. I mean, come on! The chemistry is overflowing.
13. REBORN
RICH 5/5
Song Joong Ki, Shin Hyun Been
Anyway, this series is wonderfully written, except for the unnecessary romance between Jin Do Jun (Song Joong Ki) and Seo Min Young (Shin Hyun Been). Plus, they just did not have the chemistry (sorry). I understand that her character is important in the story, but I just don’t like it. Shin Hyun Been’s acting was not impressive, I actually thought she brought her character from Hospital Playlist and just gave it a new name.
Still, I give this a perfect score. It’s one of the best dramas of 2022.
14. REVENGE
OF OTHERS 3.5/5
Shin Ye Eun, Park Solomon
This series is proof that Shin Ye Eun is made not for romantic series, but for thriller, mystery, and action type. Two of her previous series (Meow: The Cat Boy and More than Friends) flopped in ratings probably because of the slow storytelling (I actually dropped More than Friends halfway and I haven’t watched Meow yet). She actually lamented about it previously, saying she felt responsible for her dramas doing poorly back-to-back.
But this series is her redemption as a main lead. I know romance here is little to none, but she has good chemistry with Solomon.
What I just don’t like about this series is that it seemed that the writer had writer’s block and did not how to proceed with the story. It was as if they twisted it so much that they forgot how to undo it. Good thing they reached a so-so ending, but like any drama where the villain dies, I felt dissatisfied. I don’t like villains dying. I want them to suffer.
But I feel good knowing I am correct about my suspicion of Seok Jae Beom.
15. SH**TING
STARS 5/5
Kim
Young Dae, Lee Sung Kyung
This one is another enjoyable series. It’s soooo fun to watch especially the bickering between Oh Han Byeol (Lee Sung Kyung) and Gong Tae Sung (Kim Young Dae). I actually watched this because I was curious about the past relationship between the two main characters. I thought they were exes. But I did not expect it to be so good.
My favorite scenes are when Tae Sung chased Han Byeol to show he is not impotent (hahaha!) and that scene with Tae Sung and Do Soo Hyeok (Lee Jung Shin) at the stairs after they were rumored to be dating!
Also the cameo of some of The Penthouse stars! Gold!
16. SUMMER
STRIKE 4/5
Seol Hyun, Im Si Wan
My healing drama for 2022. This series has an excellent mix of romance, drama, and mystery. It is not boring at all. Even the awkwardness between the two introverts, Yeo Reum (Seol Hyun) and Dae Bum (Im Si Wan) is so cute. My favorite scene is their first meeting when Yeo Reum called Dae Bum ‘eonnie’ because from behind, he really looks like a woman. Haha!
The series really focused on the development of all its characters and it’s beautiful.
17. THE
GLORY 5/5
Song Hye Kyo, Lee Do Hyun
I can’t wait for the second part of this series!
Moon Dong Eun’s (Song Hye Kyo) revenge plan is chef’s kiss. I also love how supportive Ju Yeo Jeong (Lee Do Hyun) is of Dong Eun, probably because they share the same feeling: deep-seated grudge.
I haven’t watched any dramas of Hye Kyo
after Descendants of the Sun, but I anticipated this series and I don’t regret
watching this until 3AM.
By the way, Shin Ye Eun as a villain is a revelation. She’s so good at it!
18. TWENTY
FIVE TWENTY ONE 5/5
Kim Tae Ri, Nam Joo Hyuk
This series really trended in 2022. Everything about this series is great: Tae Ri’s acting, the cast’s chemistry, the story…nothing is wasted. I understand some wanted a different ending or a second season, but for me, I love it as it is. I am satisfied with how it ended. It’s the kind of open ending that is just right, so I hope those who believed it would come back for a second season last November could now move on.
2022
SERIES I STILL HAVE TO FINISH
I cannot believe I have only finished 18 series in 2022. It felt like a hundred. Anyway, I still have a lot to finish. Some I have started the first episode and dropped because I don’t feel like watching them that time, and some I have watched halfway and for some unknown reason, I just did not watch the next episode.
- Adamas
- Anna
- Bad Prosecutor
- Big Mouse/Mouth (I lost interest in this one because I got frustrated trying to wait for the reveal of who Big Mouse is.)
- Curtain Call
- From Now On, Showtime
- Good Job
- If You Wish Upon Me (Slow-paced and melodramatic. I don’t know if I’ll get back to it.)
- The Killer’s Shopping List
- Link: Eat, Love, Kill
- Military Prosecutor: Doberman (For some unknown reason, I can’t seem to finish any series of Jo Bo Ah. I did finish watching ‘Forest’ and ‘Tale of the Nine-Tailed’ but I dragged myself to it. But this one is actually good. I might return to it.)
- Money Heist (I dropped watching this one. It’s boring.)
- Once Upon a Small Town (I dropped this one too because it’s boring. There’s nothing charming about the location and the characters.)
- One Dollar Lawyer
- Rookie Cops
- The Sound of Magic
- Today’s Webtoon
- Tomorrow
- Under the Queen’s Umbrella
- Woori the Virgin
2022
SERIES ON MY WATCHLIST
I have just finished ‘May It Please the Court’ and currently browsing for something to watch while waiting for the next episodes of 'Missing: The Other Side S2', ‘Island’ (another gem), and ‘Big Bet’. Here are the 2022 series I wanted to watch next during my spare time. Let me know what to watch first.
- Blind
- Bloody Heart
- Cheer Up
- Connect
- Crazy Love
- Doctor Lawyer
- Eve
- The Fabulous
- The Forbidden Marriage
- Gaus Electronics (This looks fun!)
- Glitch
- The Golden Spoon
- Grid
- Jinxed at First
- Little Women (I know, I know. I had doubts on this series that’s why I still haven’t watched it.)
- Love in Contract
- Love is for Suckers
- My Liberation Note
- Somebody
- Through the Darkness
- Trace
- Why Her