In case you missed it, we’re doing something special and different to end off the drama year this year! Guests posts, by patrons on Patreon!
You can read more details, and check out Shahz’s inaugural post, here. You can also find JJ‘s post here, and Trent’s post here!
After today’s post, there will be three more guest posts by mystery guest writers, whose identities will be revealed when their various posts go live. And then we’ll cap everything off with a poll, where you’ll be able to pick YOUR favorites for the year, from among the gems identified in these posts. How exciting! 🤩
..But, wait! Didn’t I already say, the last two times, that there would be three more..? 😂 You are very right. What’s happened is, one more mystery guest writer has volunteered to share their picks for 2021! Huzzah! 🥳
Today’s post is brought to you by Sean, who seems to have the much-coveted, uncanny ability to watch just about everything that Dramaland puts out. It always, ALWAYS blows my mind, whenever he talks about the number of dramas he’s watched! I’ve always strongly suspected that he secretly knows how to bend time and space. That, or his drama-watching set-up looks something like this picture below..! 😁
You might also like to check out Sean’s blog, where he writes about management and leadership!
I hope you guys enjoy!
~ KFG ❤️
I bet this is how Sean manages to watch everything! 😁
Sean’s 2021 Year End Award List 🎥
In determining my list of worthy recipients for 2021, I looked back over the year and did a drama count:
Kdramas: 51
Cdramas: 23
HKdramas: 02
Jdoramas: 06
Pdramas: 00
Sdramas: 01
Tdramas: 00
Thai dramas: 01 (Not all Thai dramas are Lakorns 😉)
Total: 84
So, a total of 84 dramas. What was surprising for me is that, for the first time, I didn’t watch any Taiwanese dramas. They usually include a time-bending fantasy or two, which they are extremely good at and I have promised kfangurl previously a list of some of these.
The Top Ten
My Top Ten, after much soul searching (because there wasn’t much in the first five), is:
1. On The Verge of Insanity
2. Inspector Koo
3. Happiness
6. Sell Your Haunted House
7. My Name
8. Vincenzo
9. Chimera
Best Female Lead
Lee Young Ae in Inspector Koo
It was a tour de force this year re the female leads, even though this may not have been the best drama year across the board.
For me Lee Young Ae as Inspector Koo takes out my award. To see her depart from those classy and polished appearances to one of a crazy hair, dishevelled whisky drinking on-line gamer was delightful. I think she truly relished the part. I did promise Jennifer that she would be able to watch IK comfortably. The show is more about the cleverness of the leads and not grisly crime scenes.
Best Male Lead
Song Joong Ki in Vincenzo
It goes to Song Joong Ki as the revenge seeking lawyer: Vincenzo. And if he hadn’t survived then Inzaghi, that heroic pigeon, would have been my next choice. 😂
Best OTP
Jung Il Woo and Kwon Yu Ri in Bossam
What would we do without our One True Pairings?
It came down to a choice of three shows. In the end, the stoic and never ending love portrayed by Jung ll Woo as Ba Woo and Kwon Yoo Ri as Princess Hwain carried the day. They just managed to push out our delightful and supportive Happiness couple and the crazy Mad for Each Other misfits who came to appreciate some normality in their lives.
Best Supporting Actor (Female)
Shin Dong Mi in Bossam
It has to be Shin Dong Mi as Court Lady Jo in Bossam. A delightful performance made even richer through her interactions with her other co-star Lee Joon Hyuk as that delightful scoundrel Choon Bae.
Best Supporting Actor (Male)
Lee Duk Hwa in The Red Sleeve Cuff
Without a doubt it is Lee Duk Hwa from The Red Sleeve Cuff. Truly a masterful performance and makes many of the other Joeson kings we have seen much, much more wimpier 👑 👑👑
Razzie Award
The Razzie Award goes to, wait for it: Devil Judge. It even pushed out: So I Married an Anti-Fan (which was excruciatingly bad) and LUCA (which I think a particular actress probably regrets being in this one). 🤣
Best Original Score
Inspector Koo
Well I just loved the sound track from Inspector Koo, it’s as simple as that!.
Best Original Song
Yeah (Round and Round) by TRPP, Inspector Koo
For me it is Inspector Koo’s Yeah (Round and Round) by TRPP. It really did suit the dynamism of this drama.
Chimera’s Don’t Go, by Klazy was a close second. Take a look at the film clip.
Best Drama
On The Verge Of Insanity
Why was On the Verge of Insanity my best drama for 2021?
Apart from the wonderful performance by The UnHoly Trinity, aptly named by Shahz, it was a drama I could relate to. You see, I have run HR departments and teams in a previous life, and I can tell you, nothing like what we saw in OTVOI. For me, it was always about credibility and the C suite never liked to see me walking down the corridor towards them. 😎 This also stood me in good stead for when I became a CEO later on.
Hidden Gem
Times
For me it was the time travel mystery thriller: Times. It was very different, with some fine cliff hanging twists at the end of each episode. I also thought it was quite cerebral when it came to the resetting of the timelines each time. There were moments you were not aware that the timeline had changed until someone said “who are you?”
Definite Rewatch
Ta dah: it is Mad for Each Other. Show was short, packed a delightful punch for each of its 30 minute episodes, a format which worked extremely well.
Best Ensemble
Revolutionary Sisters
Without a doubt Revolutionary Sisters. This was a weekend family drama and probably the best such drama for some time. Although the sisters were a nightmare, you can’t help but feel a real attachment to their poor suffering father (and some sympathy for the husbands too).
In Conclusion
I felt that, in the end, Kdramaland left the best for last regarding 2021. There are a number of shows that have popped up towards the year’s nadir that have been very good (The Red Sleeve Cuff, Uncle and Happiness) and it looks like there will be a couple more right on Christmas.
~Sean
