Dramas/Drama Specials completed in 2024

Masterfully crafted in any way: neatly written, exemplary produced, exquisitely acted, this drama is a wonderful, wholesome journey of romance, friendship and camaraderie full of heart, hope, humanity and healing.
Sugisaki Hana and Wakaba Ryuya were fantastic in their roles and their chemistry dominated the screen every time they appeared together.
Highly recommended!
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A wholesome women-centered story with a raw, painfully realistic depiction of their relationships, love and work life, growing and aging, inner thoughts and demons.
A beautifully crafted study on choices and decisions, lingering feelings and regrets, as well as an honest take on women's insecurities, anxiety, rivalry and competitiveness - and the 'ugly' side of their marriage, family and work environment.
Ariel Lin and Tiffany Hsu were fantastic in their demanding and very complicated roles, while their chemistry and bonding was more impressive than any romance.
A perfect drama about imperfect people.
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This series is one of the best rom-coms (not just BL, but rom-com in general) Japan has to offer.
Heartwarming slice of life, cute romance, adorable friendship and bonding, all presented in a refreshingly funny and touching way.
Tanaka Kei, with his animated, cute and over-dramatic reactions, expressions and inner monologues was the star of the 1st season, but this time Yoshida Kotaro and his unique mannerisms was also a real delight.
The addition of Iura Arata and Miura Shohei's characters was a pleasant surprise and inserted some interesting dynamics in the plot.
Highly recommended!
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Having read the book and watched the 80’s miniseries, I was a bit skeptical about what this new drama could offer, but I really enjoyed it a lot.
Exemplary production, picturesque settings, lavish costumes, top-notch acting from most of the cast members (Blackthorne’s character and actor I'm not talking about you!) and, especially some new perspectives/changes in the story about the characters and their actions, gave this drama more depth and weight than its predecessor.
Toranaga and Mariko were undoubtedly the real stars in this Shogun. Both their characters and acting were amazingly multilayered as well as imposing, and their Emmys well-deserved.
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A great continuation of a heart-warming rom-com about a mature gay couple in a long-term relationship, in a realistic, honest and emotionally deep depiction, without the usual fluffy, fan-servicing and exaggerated situations found in most BL mass-production dramas, cleverly seasoned with slice of life elements and delicious food.
Wholeheartedly recommended!
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Bakarhythm never fails to deliver unexpected and very entertaining stories.
Witty and quirky black comedy with brilliant matter-of factly dialogues, a well-matched cast and some clever plot-twists that no one could see coming.
Highly recommended!
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A wholesome found family story, with a wonderful bonding and some bittersweet life lessons.
Kawahara Eito as Kotaro was the cutest bundle of joy, the brightest ray of sunshine, and a catalyst that led to a significant character growth for all the people around him.
Highly recommended!
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Fast-paced, action-packed and full of tension story of survival, revenge and camaraderie.
An unusual but very engaging plot with beautifully built suspense -through flashbacks, bits of information and background stories-, amazing action scenes and a great cast made this short drama a pleasant surprise and a bingeable watch.
P.S. 1 Amazing performance from Kim Hye Joon
P.S. 2 Lee Dong Wook should do more dark roles than romcoms.
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Delicate, subtle, healing and mellow.
With soothing silences, poetic words and genuine feelings, this was a slow-paced romance story, as well as a slice-of-life and character study that focused on the value of friendship, communication and second chances.
Superb acting from Jung Woo Sung, who could convey all his emotions without speaking a single word, and wonderful cinematography that complimented elegantly this down-to-earth and heartwarming melodrama.
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With an intriguing and thought-provoking premise, compelling storytelling and exceptional production, as well as exceptionally written characters and acting - and a sizzling chemistry with subtle but strong romance vibes, this drama was a pleasant surprise and a great addition to the thriller/sci-fi genre.
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A heartwarming family story with two adorable little girls, and some great family and friendship bonding. Highly recommended!
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An engaging legal/social drama with challenging, thought-provoking and emotional divorce cases, as well as some wonderful character development and exemplary family dynamics.
The sismance and camaraderie between Jang Na Ra and Nam Ji Hyun was a real pleasure to watch.
They really were Good Partners!
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A gripping investigation thriller with a well-crafted plot, masterfully interconnected subplots and some solid acting.
Without any unnecessary diversions or characters, forced romance or convenient tropes, this was a refreshingly enjoyable story with a promising start, intriguing plot and satisfactory conclusion.
Time well spent.
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An intriguing concept of true love and support among lying, fake family members!
A bittersweet and very touching story of a found family, with a nuanced nostalgic vibe, engaging characters and many strong, heartfelt moments.
Beautifully written, filmed and acted, with well-balanced comic and dramatic moments, this little gem is highly recommended for those who love family and found family tales.
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A delicate and considerate depiction of neurodivergent people, their struggles to fit in their working environment, social relationships and friendships while trying to be real to themselves and follow their dreams and aspirations.
Though sometimes too convenient and simplified, the story does have many life lessons, some great friendship goals and a few very powerful emotional moments.
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An interesting omnibus of ten unique love stories and relationships set during the pandemic.
One different take on love per episode: unrequited, reciprocated, forbidden, mature, suffocating, liberating, new or old, ending or blooming.
With a great cast and production, watching those ordinary people struggling through life and yearning for love was time well-spent.
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A wholesome and cute story of a fake dating student romance.
Predictable, with many classic romance tropes, but so adorable and very entertaining.
Time well-spent!
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Three childhood friends balancing between friendship, unrequited love, longing and despair.
A sad, very emotional story, beautifully acted and filmed.
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An underrated supernatural action story on the surface, but dark, infuriating, desperately painful and heavily emotional underneath. Watch with caution.
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With a superb cast, engaging storylines and the undoubtedly breathtaking beauty of Jeju island with its landscapes, people, traditions and fascinating haenyos, this was a smooth, heartwarming and comforting watch.
In spite of a few over-simplified plot devices and weak character dynamics, this healing slice of life story was engaging, with its strongest elements being the beautiful friendship, camaraderie and family aspects.
Time well-spent.
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Happiness is sharing delicious food with the ones you love!
Soothing and comforting, with a delicate as well as considerate approach to some serious, deep and complicated matters, and a wonderful (even if a bit beautified) depiction of a slow-burn romance and sismance.
Nishino Emi did a fantastic job depicting the fascinating character of Kasuga, with her reserved persona, her pragmatic thoughts and actions, her warm and compassionate feelings, and her sad backstory.
A heartwarming and rewarding watch.
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An inspirational coming of age / found family story full of dreams, emotions, talent and heart.
Park Eun Bin’s acting and singing performance was exceptional, and the solid core of this powerful yet comfort drama.
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That pink poster almost made me skip this, but I had to watch Uhm Tae Goo's first leading role in a romcom, and he definitely didn't disapoint - in fact, he deserves most of the credits for this!
Nice pairings, great bromance and an adorable ML, who carried the show on his shoulders most of the time.
Though it had some pacing issues and some unnessesary subplot diversions during the second half, overall it was an entertaining, funny, fluffy and very summer romcom.
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Dense plot, engaging storytelling and great production in a well-crafted, fast-paced investigation thriller. Though it took me quite a while to warm up to it, mainly because I found it a bit confusing and difficult to follow during the first episodes, it soon became absorbing and, even if some things turned out to be too convenient and neat, it still was very entertaining thanks to the veteran cast, especially Ji Sung, Jeon Mi Do and Kwon Yul, and their demanding performances.
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Far from perfect in terms of plot and storytelling (especially the rather confusing use of two timelines and the dumb decisions/actions of some characters), but with top-notch cinematography, perfectly eerie atmosphere, imposing music score and, most of all, impressive cast and performances (Go Min Si and Lee Jung Eun were fantastic in their roles).
An interesting, bingeable addition to the mystery, psychological thriller genre.
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A thoroughly enjoyable rom com, not much for the main romance, but mainly for the FL's story and character growth, as well as the family relationships and dynamics.
Though the male characters (especially the ML) could have been written much better, the duration wisely reduced and the pacing towards the end effectively increased, it still had an interesting story to tell with a strong emotional impact and a heartwarming tone.
Jung So Min -as Seok Ryu- was the highlight and biggest asset of this drama, Shim Ji Yoo -as Yeon Du- was the cutest character ever, and Lavender squad an exemplary sismance goal.
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A bittersweet slice-of-life story about parenthood, as well as loss, grieving, healing and moving on in life.
With some emotionally heavy moments, some frustrating ones, and a pacing that became too slow during the second half, this was a demanding but also a comforting watch, mainly because Meguro Ren and Izutani Rana's chemistry, bonding and superb acting - can you imagine this ray of sunshine is only 7 years old?
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Pleasantly surprised by this funny, angst-free and heartwarming drama.
Full of positive and somehow bubbly vibes, even though all the protagonists were more than 60 years old, this was definitely a cozy, relaxing watch thanks to its refreshing unique story, great acting and camaraderie from the veteran cast, magnificent scenery - and the most adorable dog.
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Park Shin Hye was the reason I was hesitant to watch this drama, but she turned out to be the reason why I had such a blast watching it!
She gave life, spice and grandeur to Bit Na's character like no other actress probably could, perhaps because this was the polar opposite from all her previous roles.
Though there were some plot mishaps here and there, overall the story was refreshingly unique, fast paced and well-acted, while the settings, the special effects and, especially, Bit Na's wardrobe were a feast for the eyes.
Time well-spent.
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A very entertaining drama with many hilarious moments, lots of touching scenes and some intriguing cases in a unique approach of an investigation/action centered story.
The cast did a very good job portraying their eccentric characters and personas, as well as their commendable team work, and they definitely had a great time while filming this.
Highly recommended for some good laughs and a lighthearted, not-so-serious watch.
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A historical romcom fusion story with some far-fetched inconsistencies and more cringe and melodrama than necessary, but overall enjoyable thanks to the charming and charismatic main leads, as well as the beautiful scenery, settings and hanboks.
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Not as fast-paced and action-packed I thought it would be, but still an entertaining, fun watch.
The storytelling might had some issues, the music choices might have been much better, the villains might have been fleshed-out with more depth, but the shinobu family members and their bonding, interactions, secrets and fight scenes were enough reasons to make this refreshing, satirical intake of ninjas' code and life in modern era a pleasant watching experience.
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An intriguing concept of second chances, revenge and making amends.
Although it had some issues with a few subplots and characters introduced towards the end (e.g. unfortunately it couldn't avoid the trope of a clingy ex), it still was an enjoyable watch, mainly thanks to the scene-stealling antagonists, some interesting supporting characters and their cute romance, as well as the endearing character of Yoo Ji Hyuk, who was by far a rare boyfriend material, and Park Min Young's classy wardrobe.
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A whimsical, entertaining historical drama, with lots of romance and comedy, some scheming and manipulation (as expected from every sageuk), spiced with some action.
Fast paced, light and fun, it was an easy -though not to be taken too seriously and rather predictable- watch.
Lee Ha Nee was a real beauty and delivered her cheeky, witty character in a believable, charismatic way.
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A piercing social commentary on school bullying in a sad story told from the victims and bystanders perspective. Watch with caution.
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A sweet coming-of-age story about a transferred school boy who loves basketball and hates heat.
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Dark and sad, with some unexpected twists and a compelling story.
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There were some really good episodes/stories in this season.

A police investigation story with strong retro vibes, interesting cases and satisfying wrapping up.
Even though I found the comedy elements a bit off sometimes, and Lee Je Hoon overacting and trying too hard from time to time, it was an enjoyable watch with its great bromance and camaraderie being the strongest elements.
The scenes with the original Park Young Han, Choi Bool Am, were the most touching and a clever and valuable addition!
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A fast-paced and very bingeable death/survival game, showing the depths of human darkness, greed and desperation.
Focused mainly on the graphic depiction of the participants' struggles and mentality rather than their character development and background stories, with some difficult to ignore plot-holes and a lukewarm ending, it was saved by its high production value and exquisite cinematography, as well as the exemplary acting of some of the leads.
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An enjoyable procedural police investigation drama with some thrilling car chase scenes, nice team work and satisfying closure.
This kind of role suit Lee Min Ki perfectly and I'd like to see him in something similar again.
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Slightly better than season 2, but definitely not on par with the 1st season, this was a rather underwhelming closure to a very promising story. Not bad, but not as epic as it was expected to be.
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A strange, refreshingly unique psychological thriller -spiced with large doses of makjang- focused on infidelity, revenge and their implications.
Though the premise is definitely cliche, some actors should tone down their overacting and the ending may be confusing for some viewers, the clever retrospective storytelling, the classy filming and production, some unpredictable plot-twists and its short duration (only 4 episodes long) made this an interesting, bingeable watch.
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A female centered plot in an office setting, full of sismance and social commentaries about working women/moms and their struggles, challenges, sacrifices and setbacks.
Though the storytelling had some issues, especially towards the end, and some characters felt a bit one-dimensional, it was a drama worth watching for Ra Mi Ran -who was exceptionally good in this, both as an intern and as a mom, owning her character and making it very realistic and relatable- as well as her family members and their lovely bonding.
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Sweet, cute and very bubbly school romance, full of youth, innocence and nostalgia.
With a charming cast, short duration and an adorable first love trope, this was a fluffy and enjoyable watch.
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A heartwarming story and a cute romance between two adorable introverts.
Too bad it's too short.
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A refreshingly charming sismance-centered story (at least the first half of it), with strong retro vibes, lots of character development for most of its leads, and a great female friendship and camaraderie depiction.
An entertaining watch that could have been much better if the ending wasn't rushed, the focus was on the team's  quirky business till the end, and not too much screen time was lost in the mystery subplots and the lukewarm romance.
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A subtle but impressive short story about all those people who struggle to live 'normally' their everyday lives, trying to find a safe and comfort place to be themselves.
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A business drama spiced with friendship, character development and some hints of romance.
Though it had some heartwarming and inspiring moments, it felt bland and predictable, with some unrealistic, too convenient and bubbly situations.
Not bad, but not to be taken too seriously.
Worth watching for its three charming and talented main leads.
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The provocative premise of a realistic depiction of married couples' everyday struggles, love and sex life, as well as the study of emotional and physical infidelity, fizzled out towards the end, but what kept me invested were the brilliant, bold and brave performances from the main couple, Esom and Ahn Jae Hong, who were very convincing in their demanding, surreal roles.
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A heartwarming and healing story about sports, second chances and sismance bonding.
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A simple yet funny story of marital miscommunication and misunderstanding in Joseon era.
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Based on true historical events, this is a funny and lighthearted depiction of scholar Kim Yu's coming-of-age journey that led him to write 'Suunjapbang', a cookbook and a national Korean treasure recording the food of early Joseon period.
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An emotional and healing journey of two wounded, mourning people to find truth and justice, through revenge, anger, repentance, forgiveness, and many obstacles on their way.
Kim Nam Joo gave a splendid performance as a mother who tragically lost her precious child, while Cha Eun Woo showed a real effort to improve his acting skills - and that he is maturing to a very handsome and attractive man.
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Intriguing premise in a story with an atypical multi-genre blend about a dysfunctional family with various superpowers.
Despite its strong and promising beginning and some very engaging arcs (especially Bok I Na's school life and romance), somewhere in the middle it lost its spark as it relied mainly on the different timelines and an endless back and forth.
And, call me shallow but I have to say it: they did Jang Ki Yong dirty by giving him this awful and very distracting haircut!
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Too short for a drama, too long for a movie.
A high octane sci-fi thriller: dark, action-packed, bloody, gory, with an excellent cast and high production value, but confusing in terms of storytelling, characters interconnections and purpose, and lacking the essence and the background that could blend all the above in a captivating outcome.
The scene-stealer badass FL, Jo Yoon Soo, as well as Cha Seung Won's eccentric persona and Kim Seon Ho, who slayed the last episode, were more than enough to make this is a decent one-time watch, but it could have been so much better.
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A dark, violent and very controversial sageuk, with intentionally more westernized elements than necessary that often felt over-the-top shocking without any clear purpose.
Ji Chang Wook's majestic appearance and demeanor could have been utilized more,
Jeon Jong Seo could have learnt a lesson or two from some older sageuks about her posture and dominant presence, and
the storytelling could have been more engaging by focusing more on the characters than solely on the action and political scheming.
Overall, an interesting premise in an average outcome.
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An enjoyable romcom despite some writing mishaps, unresolved plot arcs, a rushed ending and a chemistry that wasn't chemistrying enough, but also one of the cutest SL couple romance and, most of all, Han Ji Hyun: a ray of sunshine that can melt any frozen heart!
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An enjoyable short spinoff with one of the cutest SL couple romance of 2024.
Though it felt too 'loud' and cringy sometimes, it still was a nice addition to its parent story, mainly thanks to the cast, their interactions and charisma.
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Enjoyable for what it is, though too frustrating and over-the-top in many cases.

A bingeable short romcom with a cute couple.
Nothing extraordinary, but good for a leisure weekend watch.

With too many frustrating characters and substories (especially that one towards the end), this family weekend drama had a lot of potential in the beginning that the writer couldn't fully develop and utilise. Most of the actors did a good job, but eventually this wasn't enough to make this drama a memorable watching experience.

In spite of the weak writing, using every japanese and korean trope available, and the annoyingly childish and poorly acted FL character, this was an easy cute and fluffy watch, mainly due to the scene-stealing MVP Chae Jong Hyeop and his charming character.
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An emotionally charged road-trip of two wounded and aching souls, who find solace and purpose in life through their confrontations.
Though it was heavy on dialogues and dealt with many depressing themes, such as terminal illness, euthanasia and trauma, the great cast and especially the strong bromance between Watanabe Ken and Tsumabuki Satoshi, made this an engaging watch.
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A predictable story with many typical cliches of its time, large doses of melodrama and some really  unnecessary subplots, this wasn't Lee Bo Yong's best work, and it was worth watching only for Ahn Jae Wook and his charisma.
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Intriguing premise and promising cast, but subpar outcome with many missed opportunities in terms of storytelling, pacing and conclusion.
Many characters and subplots felt underused or even unnecessary and what made me keep on watching were:
* Lee Jung Eun's talent and charisma that make her give life to any role she's given
* Choi Jin Hyuk's rare and genuine smile
* Mi Jin's supportive parents and bestie
Not bad, but it could have been so much better.
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From time to time I watch one of the kdrama oldies for the nostalgic feeling, the classic tropes and clichés they come with, as well as to see some of my fave actors in their early works.
This 22 years old drama offered exactly that but, though it was a real pleasure to see young So Ji Sub and Kwon Sang Woo's talent and charisma, it soon became a real chore to finish, mainly because the main love story was too repetitive, frustrating and inconclusive, unlike the secondary one that was much more entertaining and fulfilling.
Overall, not something memorable - and I'm afraid I'd have felt the same even if I'd watched it back when it aired.
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A frustrating, sad story where everything that could have gone wrong went wrong.

Low budget, low quality, low logic in a story full of frustration, toxicity and nonsense.