Patreon Year End Awards: dreamingdrama's Year In Dramas 2023!

Hey everyone!

Like what we did for the past couple of years, we’re having guest posts from the lovely folks on Patreon, to help us take stock of our drama years, yay! 🥳

We’ll be seeing about 2 guest posts per week, and this will unfold into January 2023, and that’s perfectly ok.

My annual year-in-review, which usually comes out in December, will also come out in January (or thereabouts 😅), after all the guest posts have been published.

If you missed our earlier posts, you can check them out as follows: Ele, Natalia, JJ, Sean, j3ffc, Uyen, MC, Elaine, lotusgirl, ABV, learjet.

Today, I’m pleased to announce that dreamingdrama is sharing her drama year.

dreamingdrama’s been a part of our little Patreon community for some time, but this is the first time she’s sharing her drama year with us.

Although dreamingdrama has shared little bits of her drama journey with us over on Patreon, I’m excited that we’re finally getting a formal glimpse into her drama journey, which will help us to get to know her properly. 🥳

Thanks dreamingdrama, for taking the time to write this post! 😘

I hope you guys enjoy!

~ KFG ❤️

MY DRAMA YEAR OF FIRSTS

Happy (almost lunar) new year, everyone! How is it already the end of January?!

I am ~debuting~ here (heh) as dreamingdrama – it’s been an intriguing exercise putting together this post.

Some folks on Patreon may remember that I tend to take time to process, and words don’t often come easily for me. At least not consistently.

Some days, I’d go down rabbit holes and interact way more frequently than expected. Other days, I can’t keep up and don’t even reply to texts 😛

I understand in theory that everyone has their own taste, and any enforced hierarchy or assigned value is often arbitrary. At the same time, it can feel vulnerable to share my thoughts, even in this totally low-stakes environment ha.

As an early career filmmaker who went to film school, we were taught that simply liking or not liking a piece of media is insufficient as an explanation.

While valid especially for professional writers or deeper dives, I wonder if that gets in the way of my ability to enjoy things without second-guessing my enjoyment of things.

Sometimes I relate to the friend in this silly clip.

All that to say, I am still exploring what I like, and practicing being comfortable with expressing it.

[cue harp flashback sound effect]

I vaguely remember when Lee Young-ae became a global sensation via Dae Jang Geum (2003-4). As a kid in Hong Kong, the Cantonese-dubbed dialogue on TVs everywhere became a familiar soundtrack.

Quick tidbit: The first time I properly watched Lee Young-ae was last year (!) in the 2005 film Sympathy for Lady Vengeance. My mind was blown. I mean, things get violent and gruesome – but her performance! Loved it.

Sometime after 2007, my sister introduced me to Taiwanese dramas – to brush up on our Mandarin, of course.

Excluding Cantonese dramas our family watched growing up, my first Asian dramas were: It Started with a Kiss (2005), They Kiss Again (2007), and later, In Time With You (2011, also directed by Chu Yu Ning).

I once thought myself too “cool” for K-dramas (lol), and totally judged my university roommate for binging shows…until around 2016, when I encountered TV re-runs of Rooftop Prince (2012) and I Hear Your Voice (2013).

I promptly ditched my mom and binged both shows instead of waiting for the weekend re-runs.

Somewhere before or after that, I found Strong Woman Do Bong Soon (2017) on DramaFever. Because of Ariel Lin, I eventually watched my first C-drama Prince of Lan Ling (2013).

I’d usually take a long time to start a new-to-me show, and instead: rewatch the same show(s), watch fan MVs/YouTube clips, and/or read spoilers. None of which are “bad” things on their own, and still part of my routine depending on my mood.

My drama-watching was just treated exclusively as guilty pleasure/unhealthy escape I was embarrassed to talk about (probably didn’t help that I wanted to assimilate into Western/North American culture after moving).

At some point I started reading reviews and recaps and lurking in comments sections, which brings me to 2023: the year I began to engage more!

For now, I can’t quite articulate why I’m so drawn to K-dramas (esp. every time my family asks me haha).

I’m reminded of Lee Jung-jae’s response during a Q&A after the North American Premiere of Hunt, on why Hallyu continues to be a global phenomenon (Link jumps to his initial answer in Korean; live interpreter’s translation below):

…Korea has [had] up and downs, mixed emotions of sorrow and joy, historically, so even with the sad emotions, I guess you have to live through today, you have to live tomorrow. So, our ancestors, they have been trying to find [the] meaning of joy, so it came down to us. So, in a way, the Korean culture is very distinctive, because of these variations of emotions, and we know how to express it.

At the time, hearing that made me emotional heh.

MY WATCHLIST, ORGANISED BY RELEASE DATE

Slowly finishing (2023 dramas): Daily Dose of Sunshine | My Dearest Part 2 | Tell Me That You Love Me

2023 movies: Sleep | Great Absence [Japan]

Wasn’t sure how much I’d be able to expand on my picks (esp. since so many great notes have already been made in the other posts!), but will still try:

ACTORS OF THE YEAR

Because I checked out more shows last year, I was introduced to a handful of seasoned actors for first time / started to recognize more faces.

In fact, my first Han Hyo-joo drama ever was Moving! Loved her performance as a quiet, unassuming badass. It didn’t take long for me to start rooting for Mi Hyun.

My Dearest was also my introduction to Namkoong Min (I am at episode 19, finishing part 2). He was quite the powerhouse in this show!

Special Mention

I started watching See You in My 19th Life for Shin Hye Sun, but I was impressed watching Park So Yi as young Ji Eum, especially when she’s first introduced.

Maybe it’s also that the other few roles I’ve seen of her were generally more serious, so it was fun to watch her comedic timing.

OTP OF THE YEAR

Gil Chae and Jang Hyun in My Dearest

Took me a minute to warm up to them, but I’d have to give it to this couple. They take “love you to the moon and back” to the next level (heh).

Might be fun if Namkoong Min and Ahn Eun Jin work together again in a completely different genre!

LATE TO THE PARTY GEMS

Hospital Playlist (2020) – BTS/Related Content

I spent the better part of my year watching Hospital Playlist related content between shows, so wanted to mention here too, especially for fans of the cast/drama.

This was also my first time really seeking out behind-the-scenes content for dramas – a fan compilation piqued my interest. I also enjoyed getting glimpses of how the beloved and hardworking band, Mido and Falasol, came to be.

The variety spin-offs with the cast were wholesome and silly, and whatever they cook always looks delicious!

In case you’re interested:

Hospital Playlist S1 BTS (YouTube Playlist)

Hospital Playlist Goes Camping (YouTube Playlist)

Three Meals a Day: Doctors *available on Viu

Move to Heaven (2021) – Production Design

So glad I joined the group watch! Simply wanted to note that one of my favourite parts of the show, was observing how the different spaces were decorated.

[VAGUE SPOILER?]

With the emphasis throughout the show that the deceased can communicate through the things they leave behind, it can be challenging to tell a story only through objects.

We do get flashbacks here and there, but it’s also not easy to make a space feel lived-in. For me, some of the clients’ rooms/things also felt like supporting characters in their own right.

[END SPOILER]

Mystic Pop-Up Bar (2020)

Charming show! Including this to mention I’d often get hungry during an episode.

FINALLY, MY DRAMA OF THE YEAR

Moving

I joined the party when episode 8 was airing, quickly caught up and was totally hooked.

Not every big-budget project with an all-star cast and crew ends up with substance. This show somehow pulled it off with tons of heart/sincerity from all departments, which only elevated the flashy production.

I appreciated that every detail mattered.

This moment still stays with me when I think about the show:

[SPOILER ALERT]

During a flashback as Kim Deok-yun (Park Hee-soon), the North Korean military officer, reconsiders his mission before he dies:

The kids weren’t in the plan…They’re just kids…

The people are innocent. Those who force sacrifices are to blame.

For me, that scene added more depth to the already-rich story world, and the “forced sacrifices” we’d already witnessed hit harder.

[END SPOILER]

That’s all for now. Thanks for reading my first year-end post!

Thankful to KFG and everyone for creating a welcoming and fun space ✨🥰

~dreamingdrama

8 Comments

phl1rxd

2 years ago

Hi DD! Loved your year end! I cracked up over that clip of those thee dudes sitting on the coach watching TV. That is like me with camera gear 😅

Rooftop Prince – laughing at you watching all the reruns. That drama is one of my favorite. My heart skipped a beat with the mention of The Prince of Lan Ling. I madly loved that drama. It is no wonder Hu Ge’s favorite co-star is Ariel Lin.

I am amazed at the various issues covered by KDrama and how, even with some crazy themes, they still can pull off a great drama. Let’s hope they continue to amaze us in 2024! Happy New Year!

Elaine

Thank you dreaming drama for taking this step to share a little bit more of yourself with us! Ah so interesting that you grew up in Hong Kong, my mum is from Hong Kong and I still have relatives living there. I would visit Hong Kong every few years (I live in Singapore). I understand some Cantonese but speak very little unfortunately. I did watch some TVB dramas when I was younger but by the time I was in university I was watching more American shows. Got into K dramas with the pandemic in 2020! High five we both chose Han Hyo Joo as our best actress of 2023! She is also really good in Happiness, if you can take some zombie elements and suspense, it’s not very violent though don’t worry!

Ele

Hello @dreamingdrama! Thank you for sharing – and I know what you mean about sometimes feeling quite chatty, other times not at all! I think kfangurl has created a great space here and on Patreon to just be yourself. I often worry sharing what I’ve thought of something but people are very kind, even when they think differently 🙂

Move to Heaven was such an interesting premise. I really enjoyed it, especially the relationship between uncle and nephew.

hello dreaming drama, it’s so lovely to hear from you! i really enjoyed reading your write up – it was just too short. hahaha! but please don’t feel afraid to share, it’s a very very safe space, im often spazzing and saying silly things and people welcome it (surprisingly!). i don’t always watch a lot of current shows so i may not chat much in the chats but i still love seeing you around and hearing from you.

btw you did watch many shows this year, impressive!

for your shows – han hyo joo! is so so wonderful. seems like the two shows that featured heavily this year is My Dearest and Moving. My Dearest must be wonderful. im just waiting for it to appear legally in my area!!

how was decision to leave? i’ve been wanting to watch that!

ABV

@dreamingdrama – Thank you for sharing your drama journey with us. The fact that you were a filmmaker is really interesting, as it gives you a unique perspective as a viewer.

A very nice list of shows that you mentioned too. I have Mystic Pop-Up Bar on my priority watch list, and those pictures of food only make me want to try it out sooner. 😊 I also appreciate that you gave a shout-out to Hospital Playlist.

Your awards are excellent, and if you liked Han Hyo-Joo in Moving, you might want to check out Happiness too. She’s excellent there alongside Park Hyung-Sik.

Last edited 2 years ago by ABV

seankfletcher

A tasty little treat from you regarding you EOY post, Dreamingdrama! There are some great shows you have listed in what you watched throughout 2023.

You and I had the same OTP Of The Year – yes to the moon and back is so apt. I would love to see them both in another show together. As j3ffc recommends, if you can fit in Hot Stove League somewhere in your watch going forward, you will see another very fine performance from NKM and also one from Park Eun Bin.

I’m glad you got to watch 100 Days My Prince and Live Up To Your Name, as I enjoyed both shows.

I’m also slowly finishing Tell Me That You Love Me because it is so good and I’m hoping it will be a slight departure from the Japanese original.

Here is to a wonderful 2024 drama year for you 😊😊😊

learjet1

Thanks for sharing your year, Dreamingdrama. I’m very interested that you had the Japanese movie, Plan 75, on your list. I watched this on a plane at the beginning of 2023. It was a really thought-provoking, challenging movie for me. It’s encouraged me to seek out other Japanese movies and I’ve found some gems. I recently watched Perfect Days which was excellent. Have you watched any other J movies?

j3ffc

Welcome, dreamingdrama, to the Big Stage! So cool that you are a trained filmmaker….such a challenging field. It’s so hard for us civilians to determine what’s good and what’s not, but I can’t imagine the added complexity that comes with an appreciation of what’s going on behind the camera. Along those lines, loved your little clip.

We have a lot of similar touchstones in our drama journeys, but I especially appreciated your noting “Pop Up Bar”. I think this is a great beginner show but also holds up well for more, uh, seasoned viewers. And I love depictions of food in my dramas. And I was also superlate to “Hospital Playlist”, just having seen it this year and holding off a while until I delve in part II. It was great too have you along on the group watch of “Move to Heaven” and I am still finishing “Moving”.

If you like Namkoong King, have you seen “Hot Stove League”? I was just talking about that today with @Princess.Jasmine, and I strongly recommend it if you haven’t seen it.

Thanks for the cool post, once again….and look forward to future insights in 2024!