DREAM HIGH (2011)
comment: dream high was the very first kdrama i watched, and going in i didn't really know what to expect. the reason i watched it was mainly because my 2pm babies were in it (none other than my ultimate bias + bias wrecker), so at that point i was pretty much already sold. source of second hand embarrassment, terrible haircuts, and me not being on board of the taec/suzy ship (mostly due to jealousy, i know). at one point the only reason i kept watching was because of the wooyoung/iu ship, but hey, it wasn't all that terrible. poor taecyeon basically didn't make it to the favorite characters nor favorite ships.
characters: jason, pil sook
ships: jason/pilsook; hyemi/samdong
SASSY GO GO (2015)
comment: sassy go go, cheer up, call it how you want, was one fucking great drama. i like to consider it as my "first" drama, even tho dream high technically came first. i loved everything about it: from the setting, the scenery (all of the shots were full of light, so blessed), the characters, the struggles. plus it was about cheerleading, c'mon. only complaint: why the love triangle when you could've had a beautiful ot3? honorable mention for jisoo.
characters: loved them all tbh
ships: yeondoo/kim yeol
CHEESE IN THE TRAP (2016)
comment: however bad the drama started to get in the second half of its run, i can't really give it a lower rating because i admit it got me hooked. i actually binge watched it up until episode 12 or something like that, and then followed the regular schedule. the ending was ????, the piano scenes were 🙄, but cheese in the trap opened my eyes to the glory of lee sung kyung (the mental hospital scene????? hold me????) and nam joo hyuk. also, kang joon was a bae with the perm and the earring.
characters: fucking eun taek, fight me
ships: bora/euntaek, yoo jung/hong seol
TWENTY (2015)
comment: twenty is one of those movies i could watch a hundred times and never get tired of it. it's so funny it makes you actually laugh every time, the cast is what dreams are made of, and basically i just really fucking love this movie. twenty was also a nice break from the more pg rated stuff i had seen in dramas up to that point, aka also why i loved it so much. it's a movie about sex you guys, it's a movie about sex.
characters: all of them
ships: junho/yoobi (too lazy to go look at the characters names)
MODERN FARMER (2014)
comment: honestly, if i had to recommend a drama, modern farmer would be one of those on top of the list. i went in because i was in my
roommate phase and i lowkey had a crush for minwoo, but the drama quickly caught my attention and left me with the familiar "i want to watch some other drama just like this one" feeling once i was done. modern farmer wasn't super heavy with the love lines, but it was truly enjoyable. plus, it gifted me with
the pig screenshot that is now my favorite reaction pic.
characters: ki joon tbh and now you're probably getting my deep love for secondary characters
ships: kijoon/hwaran
HOTEL KING (2014)
comment: where do i start with hotel king? first off: no, hotel king is probably not the best drama ever made, but this doesn't change the fact that it is on top of my list. i admit i have a soft spot for lee dong wook, he's my favorite male actor, but watching hotel king finally made me find a female character i could enjoy AND relate to, because up until that point no female character really made me feel like they could be one of my faves. ah mo ne is fantastic, lee da hae is incredibly beautiful, and i ended up shipping both the characters and the actors (dear me). in the cast i found some familiar faces (N!!! and seulong aka jyp family pride) and others i fell in love with. the story is full of cliches, but what can you do in front of multiple great kisses and a bed scene? raise your arms and yell holla. i love hotel king, i love the ost, and the only reason i haven't done a proper rewatch is because we're talking about 30+ episodes.
characters: ALL HAIL THE QUEEN AH MO NE
ships: mone/jaewan
IT'S OKAY, THAT'S LOVE (2014)
comment: it's okay that's love is one of those dramas that are incredibly dear to me because of the OST rather than the actual drama. it started out great: i loved the characters, the setting, the scenery (again with light sceneries hold me for i am weak), the plot, but then it turned dark and emotional and i wasn't really expecting it. it was incredibly sad at a point, and the sudden turn kind of threw me off a bit. still, it's well made and if you're into suffering, then go ahead. i admit i started it because lee sung kyung was in it, not really knowing her role was practically nonexistent (not really, but still). the OST tho, the OST is an actual blessing. let me
link it for you.
characters: no one in particular, they were all great
ships: sungkyung/kwangsoo hold me
SHE WAS PRETTY (2015)
comment: i don't really have much to say about this drama. i watched it because i didn't have anything else to watch and the ratings on viki were pretty high, plus siwon was in it and you can only do so much in front of a scruffy siwon. she was pretty wasn't particularly bad nor good, i could've done without watching it tbh. at least i had some eyecandy. in general, it's forgettable and i don't even remember the OST. maybe it was also unfortunate because it was the first drama i watched after finishing hotel king, but really, completely irrelevant.
characters: min ha ri aka she deserved better, siwon
ships: i did ship siwon with hwang jung eum's bff at a point ngl, but for the rest i was on board with the main ship
THE HEIRS (2013)
comment: love is the moment y'all, love is the moment. i watched the heirs merely because justine liked it so much so i wanted to make her happy and try it, but dear god was it bad lmao. i guess the heirs is kind of in the same genre together with hotel king, with all the overly dramatic stuff + cliches, but while hotel king was truly enjoyable, the heirs only gave me a handful of second hand embarrassment moments. i wasn't too fond of eun sang, i couldn't stand young do until the last episodes, i still don't get how rachel was called rachel, but lbr, the drama is memorable for how bad it is. plus, it finally made me get why everyone's head over heels for lee minho. honorable mention to
characters: bo na!!!! whom i actually didn't like in the first couple of episodes but then thank god for krystal
ships: bona/chanyoung pls the true mvps. also, again on board of the main couple, i really didn't feel the eunsang/youngdo. i shipped chanyoung's dad with rachel's mom and im lowkey bitter they didn't tell us how that turned out. also kang ha neul was better with won's bae than with rachel but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
DOCTORS (2016)
comment: doctors was the first drama i watched as it was airing, since i had only binge watched before (actually, i binge watched the first five episodes and then followed the airing schedule). doctors is one of those dramas, to me, that start out really great but kind of don't live up to the level they set at the beginning as the drama progresses. i was really into it for the first half, looking forward to each monday and tuesday, but as the plotline of hyejung's revenge progressed i kind of lost interest. i have to point out that i really wasn't in general into hyesung, i preferred seowoo as a character much more. that's due to me being biased since sung kyung is my favorite actress, but i really think that no one being into seo woo was the least realistic thing in the drama. i would've been into you, seo woo, i would've loved you. kidding aside, sung kyung's acting skills are so good that she makes you really appreciate every character she takes. it also happened with her character in cheese in the trap, i hated inha, but the way she portrayed her was so good that i couldn't help but appreciate her, even if she was a terrible character.
characters: seo woo. justice for seo woo.
ships: seowoo/yoondo honestly i was hoping for a happy ending towards the end but nope no joy for me. also jihong/hyesung.
LET'S FIGHT GHOST (2016)
comment: this goes together with doctos, especially cause the airing schedule was the same (both were monday/tuesday dramas), but in the contrary to doctors, let's fight ghost started out pretty bland to become one of my favorite dramas. was it the constant presence of my ultimate bias? was it the feels that the bongpal/hyunji ship gave me? we don't know, but the drama was well made (the only complaint i have is about the small plot hole about hyunji's memories, since they never tell us if she regains them or what), it was funny but also emotional, and i will probably end up rewatching it one day. my taecyeon slayed, and i'm enjoying the surprise presence of the other actors in other dramas i've watched afterwards.
characters: bong pal, hyunji, and chunsang and inrang.
ships: bongpal/hyunji
MARRIAGE BLUE (2013)
comment: truthfully, the primary reason why i watched this movie was because of the legendary taecyeon makeout session with a random actress that i had already watched too many times to count in clips :') the movie wasn't bad, i like movies with many different storylines and marriage blue was okay. definitely not the best thing i've watched and it really doesn't get anywhere near twenty, but it was still enjoyable.
characters: no one in particular
ships: i did ship taec's lady with the other dude lmao, also the actress from she was pretty with the dude from legend of the blue sea
TO THE BEAUTIFUL YOU (2012)
comment: i don't think i've ever truly known the meaning of regret before watching this drama. i don't even know what to write, if not that i couldn't even actually complete watching it because it came to a point where i would just eyeroll the fuck out of everything after my patience went down the drain with the overly dragged storylines. i'm also pretty sure a big chunk of why i couldn't enjoy the drama was because of minho's poor acting (boy i hope you improved) that honestly keeps me aways from other works with him in it (nothing against the dude, i love him as /himself/), but in general if felt like the acting really wasn't a shining point - take out kang ha neul and hyun woo from the equation. also yes, i did start the thing because of kang ha neul, and thank god for all the shirtless scenes he had that truly were what kept me going until i gave up.
characters: the second lead dude after he gets a haircut, and the school doctor who was, indeed, fucking gay
ships: sulli and minho i guess but honestly
SCARLET HEART RYEO (2016)
comment: if you ask me, scarlet heart ended after episode 7. no, i'm not kidding, apart from the obvious doom that the second half of the drama brought, it really felt like the two parts of the drama were almost two different dramas. when i started watching scarlet heart i was so excited because it hooked me right at the very beginning. i was actually already looking forward to it from when doctors was already airing, of course because the cast. i love iu, i knew kang ha neul from the heirs but most importantly twenty, both jisoo and nam joo hyuk were in it, and also baekhyun, i was sold instantly. little did i know the drama would become something i would never get over, that would emotionally traumatize me to no end because to this day every fucking thing leads back to one of the innumerable traumatic memories from this damn drama that ruined my (and justine's) life. do i have to mention i never cried so hard for a drama before? i'm gonna stop now because i really don't want to go deep into the scarlet heart pit of doom. on the other hand, the OST is a fucking gift: of course i had to stay away from it for a couple of weeks after scarlet heart ended, but it's truly great and a think everyone should give it a go. honorable mentions to lee hi's songs especially but also say yes by punch and crush, no matter how much the consensus hated the "baby baby boy". also, really, apart from the tragic storyline, the cast is a blessing to humanity and i'm feeling guilty about not appreciating the actual cupcake that lee joonki is before because i couldn't stand wang so. sorry joonki, i love you now.
characters: wang wook, with a big ass sorry not sorry on top
ships: wook/soo, hence my very first experience with the second lead syndrome
WEIGHLIFTING FAIRY KIM BOK JOO (2016)
comment: weightlifting fairy was one of the dramas that i looked forward to before it even started, since it starred by all time fave actress lee sung kyung and it also featured nam joo hyuk, whom i had previously enjoyed in citt and scarlet heart. this drama is probably up in my top favorites: the storyline was fun, sad at times but without having to resolve in tragedy. it was light and adorable and all the characters made sense and you easily end up loving every single one of them, the ship doesn't bore you after a while, the scenery is pretty and not one of the episodes is boring. bonus points for a finale that was worthy of all the previous episodes, unlike many of the dramas i watched that kind of wrapped the thing up in such a messy way that left you wondering wtf was happening. kudos to weightlifting fairy, definitely one of those dramas i wouldn't mind rewatching.
characters: bok joo
ships: bokjoo/joonhyung
LEGEND OF THE BLUE SEA (2016)
comment: i love lee minho. i really do. but much like doctors, legend of the blue sea had me hooked during the first few episodes until the drama reached halfway through, and it started following the messy daddy issue storyline that made me basically skip through some of the scenes. i started to lose interest and by the end of the drama i was basically happy it was over. not super bad, but it could've been better. definitely doesn't live up to the first episodes' standardt tho.
characters: none in particular
ships: joonjae/cheong
GOBLIN (2016)
comment: ah, goblin. i don't have much to say about goblin, mostly because it became such a popular drama there isn't much left to say. it's beautifully done, the characters are all flawed and precious and you can't just not love every single one of them, both the ships are interesting and with their beautiful moments. the drama engages you fully and you can't watch it expecting not to cry, because you will, a lot, but at the end everything will be worth it. excellent storytelling has i haven't seen in any other drama before, the finale lives up to the standard of the drama and every single episode tops the previous, which is something you don't easily find. i'm so glad so many people came to love goblin and appreciate lee dong wook as he was already my favorite actor who finally got the recognition he deserves. honorable mention to the OST, which is a jewel.
characters: grim reaper
ships: grim reaper/sunny
AGE OF YOUTH (2016)
comment: age of youth was a drama i watched in literally two days because it was so hooking i couldn't stop watching it. it was definitely different and oh so relatable. it was great to see the drama talk about young adulthood in a way that i could say "same", as not many of the other dramas had. the only downside was the way ye eun's storyline went near the end, though i'm happy with the way they handled it.
characters: probably ye eun?
ships: eun jae/jong yeol
STRONG WOMAN DO BONG SOON (2017)
comment: [screams on top of her lungs] park hyungsikkkkk. backstory: i was already developing a crush on park hyungsik during the heirs, in which his screentime was that of a chocolate bar, and low and behold he gets the main role in a drama, could i not check it out? strong woman was such a nice watch. kind of preferred the first half to the second one, but it was still a good drama that didn't require a huge emotional involvement. i'm not the biggest fan of the finale, but it was still satisfying.
characters: min hyuk
ships: bong soon/minhyuk
AGE OF YOUTH 2 (2017)
comment: writing this after literally almost 3 years so it might not be the most accurate commentary, but age of youth season 2 is a literal gem that should be mentioned more often. it was better than the first season, it was lovely and heartbreaking at the same time while never losing the elements that made season 1 so good. the OST is incredible and one of my favorites ever.
characters: jiwon
ships: jiwon/sungmin DON'T GET ME STARTED on how they never kissed i feel like i need vengeance on this
TOUCH YOUR HEART (2019)
comment: i wanted to go back to kdramas for a while but i didn't know what to watch (i tried a couple of things over the past two years but nothing sticked) and then i remembered dong wook and inna's reuinion. i, being the goblin trash and dong wook hoe i admit of being, could never say no to a light, romantic drama, so. touch your heart was fun and light and exactly what i needed, all the characters are lovely and by the end of the drama they feel like family. i realize that per se the drama wasn't the most particular one out there, but it's still cute and at least the side plots, when they were a bit heavier, were never dragged for too long. would've loved for it to be a bit more explicit and for dong wook's forhead to be shown, but it's a kdrama after all lmao. bonus point for the chansung cameo that had me yelling like the seagull meme because i wasn't aware of it beforehand.
characters: yoon seo
ships: yoon seo/jung rok, choi/dan
MY FIRST FIRST LOVE (2019)
comment: let it be known that i, too, would like to kiss ji soo. that being said, i feel like part 1 of the drama was a solid 4 stars but the second part just dragged it down a lot. i feel like they kind of ruined do hyun's character for the sake of getting taeho and songyi together at the end and tbf i wasn't that on board, especially considering how they treated songyi like someone who never even had feelings for do hyun?? but like she was super smitten all throughout the first part? anyway part 2 was saved by hoon and garin imo and taeho must be protected at all costs.
characters: tae ho, ga rin
ships: hoon/ga rin, do hyun/song yi
WHAT'S WRONG SECRETARY KIM (2018)
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HOTEL DEL LUNA (2018)
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TALE OF THE NINE TAILED (2018)
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