2020 K-Dramas Recommendation

1. Hospital Playlist

    If there’s anything I felt happy about in 2020, it’s the fact that I’ve found my next ultimate fav kdramas. More than another, this kdrama feels like a home I could return to every time. Yes, hospital playlist is a slice of life drama that portrays the lives of people in hospital, but there’s something about it that is so captivating to watch. I love how it realistically portrays the adults’ daily lives & has no major villain of the story that heats things up whatsoever. Instead, I find it easy to emphatize with every character here, even with a patient who appears less than 5 minutes because this kdrama taught us that every life is worth it. And the friendship of the professors… it really has the power to bring joy & warmth to me.

2. Flower of Evil

    Stories that revolve around someone who isn’t capable of having emotions aren’t nothing new in kdrama land. But this one, especially, is a gem. This one kept me on the edge of my seat because of how nerve wracking some of the scenes are. The suspenseful dramas, the mysteries, the romance…they’re all so engaging to watch. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the lead character and therefore it’s exciting to see what was going to happen & to see how the characters would develop. And to be noted, I swear the cast who played the villain here gives off really scary vibes. He deserves an award for that alone

3. Mr. Queen

    I’m not usually a big fan of Saeguk drama and yet here I am putting one on my fav kdrama list. I watched it merely to ease my boredom but then I surprised myself of how much I enjoyed this kdrama. The opening video was appealing & I love how entertaining Mr. Queen was. It became my weekly dose of serotonin (though it gets angsty at times). I thought the story’s gonna be weird since it’s about a man trapped in a woman’s body in joseon era but heck, it was worth it; hilarious, and delicious (yeah, the cooking part) to watch. I’ve always known Shin Hye Sun is great at acting, but she truly nailed it in this one I swear.

4. 365: Repeat the Year

    This drama is gold! It has a promising premise, and the rest of the story went better than I expected. It just never let me down. I thought it’s merely about a time travel story, but turns out it’s more than that. I never knew what to expect & every time I thought I figured something out, they always have a way to throw a surprise every week. This drama deserves more recognition imo.

5. When the Weather is Fine

    This drama is a pleasant to eyes and heart. Watching it is like having a warm tea during winter days. I wasn’t truly engaged with the first eps, but I slowly began to see how beautiful & heartwarming this drama is. Yes, the story pace is a bit slow, but I realized that it’s important to make us understand each character deeply, what they suffer from, and how the characters slowly develop. It shows us that the journey toward emotional healing may take time, but it’s worth it. Choosing to heal itself is a big step & deserves an appreciation. Another thing I highly praise from this drama is how it implicitly reminds us that if we do suffer emotionally, don’t be afraid to ask for help, or to let someone help you.

6. Tale of the Nine Tailed

     From the first moment I knew who would cast in this drama and what the drama is about, it’s obvious that I’d love it. And I was right. The first eps had already got me hooked. The stories were amazing & funny at times. It has an intriguing plot wrapped in mystical & suspenseful vibes–the vibes I never knew I liked! It was interesting how they told the story of urban legends in a (mainly) modern setting.  I absolutely love the lead female character! Throughout watching, I keep finding myself being amazed by her tough and intelligent character. In addition, it has unique lovable characters that complete the drama. Not to mention how adorable Kim Bum’s character here. He & Lee Dong Wook’s bromance is to die for.

7. Do You Like Brahms?

    I watched it merely to ease my boredom and later found myself fall in love the instant I watched the first eps. The drama is just beautifully done. It has soothing music & ambience and mainly revolves around good people. It’s appealing how they portrayed the different perspectives between the lead couple–one who doesn’t have talent but works hard to achieve her dream, and one who has talent but wishes he didn’t have it. Though the lead couple has different dreams, I can’t help but rooting for them… as I’ve never seen a relationship so awkward yet so real and so adorable before them.

8. Record of Youth

    Honestly, it took a bit long for me to be completely enamored of the stories and feel what the characters feel. But as the stories developed, I began to cherish what this drama tried to show us: of how important it is to have good communication & to support each other in our family, of how everyone has different timings in life, and that everyone could have second chance in life. It’s also refreshing to see the main couple here & how they interact; we could learn a lot from their communication & relationship. Overall, record of youth is one light & comforting kdrama that’s perfect to watch while we need a short escape or need something to cheer us up.

9. Start Up

    To be honest, I have a conflicted feelings towards this kdrama. It started off as great but…I have a hard time making sense of some of the stories afterward. And not to mention how people used to ship-debating every week it was a bit draining 😅. But to exclude it from my last year fav kdrama list seems wrong anyhow because I did love some part of this drama. Idk, it gave off this positive energy that I needed to go through a crazy year. It somehow encouraged me to move forward & fight for my dream no matter what. The story’s also quiet creative and relatable in nowadays world, while also educating us about the world of business.

10. Find Me in Your Memory

    I started watching without any expectations and turns out it’s really good. It’s not hard to love this drama since it has likeable characters with interesting background (a guy who can’t forget everything & a woman who forgets some of her important moments). The lead couple’s interactions were interesting to watch. They have the kind of romance that grows slowly & when it finally reachs its peak, it burns. I loved every minute of it.