My friends!

It’s officially EOY season, which is when we look back on our drama years, and decide which dramas were worthy of our love, and which dramas we maybe shouldn’t have spent as much time on, as we did. 😁

As before, we’ll be seeing up to 2 guest posts per week, and this will unfold into January 2025, and my annual year-in-review will come out in early 2025, after all the guest posts have been published.

This way, by putting all our experiences together, we get a more wholistic view of Dramaland in 2024. Pretty great, yes? 🤩

Sean is kicking us off this year (thank you, Sean! ❤️).

Our resident time-and-space bender is not just amazing at watching dramas at warp speed, while still managing his many real-life responsibilities, he’s even ahead of the game, when it comes to the EOY posts!

In fact, he’d started writing his, long before I actually announced our annual EOY project, over on Patreon! 🤯

As always, Sean’s drama accomplishments this year are many and varied, which means that more than likely, you’ll learn about more than a few dramas that you might’ve never heard of otherwise. 😁

Sean also writes about management and leadership on his own blog, which you can visit here.

I hope you guys enjoy!

~ KFG ❤️

You Are About to Enter the Twilight Zone

This is my eighth year watching Asian dramas, right across the board.

In more recent times I have noticed that Cdramas are quickly closing the gap with Kdramas. Jdoramas have continued in their usual vein and Taiwanese dramas continue to transition, dealing with more serious topics.

Thai dramas are also changing. They are becoming “glossier,” and we are getting to see other types of dramas and not just Lakorns. Filipino dramas are on the rise but, at this point, I much prefer their films over their dramas.

As we know, all countries have cut back on the length of their shows. Occasionally, some still roll out a longer show (except China).

However, I have found that the shorter Kdrama format of 8, 10, 12 episodes has exposed the weakness of some productions that still insist on 16, 20 or 24 episodes. Viewers are savvy when it comes to filler episodes.

China is finally releasing many dramas from the COVID era and some of these are what is leading to closing the Kdrama gap.

China also has many minisode dramas. These are shows with episodes that are typically 10-15 minutes in length. Some of them are quite good and many actors cut their teeth in such dramas or take time out to catch their breath.

Despite my efforts to cut back on the number of shows, my viewing stats for the year across 156 dramas are:

• Completed: 86
• Dropped: 70 (for more than half I had watched 50% or more)
• Pre-2024: 32
• By Country: K: 61, C: 62, J: 25, TW: 1, Th: 5, HK: 1 P: 1
• Longest: 183 episodes
• Shortest: 6 episodes

So, for this post, I am going to focus on what I consider the best in each category and then, from these select my number one show for 2024. But first…

A Little Bit About Me

For those who don’t know, I live in Western Australia, the oldest landmass on the planet, and the second largest state of any country. This means the landscape is not only ancient but also beautiful from top to bottom.

The most diverse plant life is here, our wildflowers are stunning, stretching as far as the eye can see.

We are also home to the Black Swan, many diverse species of kangaroos and wallabies, along with emus and all sorts of parrots and cockatoos. And, yes – I see our fauna every day, including snakes and spiders, JJ. I live and work in a large outdoor zoo.

I am currently the CEO of a local government that has become a development “hot spot.”

The district I manage is prime agricultural land. Both mining and green renewables worth billions are muscling in on what is known as the “farming golden triangle” and peri-urban notes are developing as we are only an hour and twenty minutes from the State capital, Perth.

2024 has been busier than ever. I have been in the Supreme Court providing solutions to disputes, engaging with state and national politicians (ministers of the crown, shadow ministers and other parliamentarians), participating in the Energy Transition for the State, developing plans for the future, leading multi local government projects (including one housing development that will enable 450 homes for workers across the Wheatbelt).

Kdrama watching and Asian drama watching in general has allowed me to keep my sanity, although some shows make me feel like I am watching something in an alternate universe.

Righto then, here we go with my various award winners…

Best Comedy

Knight Flower came along at the right time, early on and promising much for the drama year ahead.

If you weren’t a fan of Honey Lee before this, you will be after watching Knight Flower.

What we get to experience in Knight Flower is a young widow who becomes the harbinger of crime each night – that is to say, she announces her presence first and then carries out her own brand of justice.

We get to see some hilarious moments and events such as her tiger painting replica to replace the one she stole.

Then we have this fabulous relationship between her and Lee Jong Won (who is okay in Brewing Love – but not a patch on his role in KF). All the while, her father-in-law is not what he seems.

Honey Lee has always been a good actress and a fine comedian. She has had a busy year, with The Fiery Priest Season 2 also on our screens.

As with any show that Honey is in, there is always an in joke and we see this in episodes 9 and 10 of Fiery 2 where she is dressed up as Cho Yeo Hwa from Knight Flower.

It’s also worth tracking down the behind the scenes and out takes from Knight Flower, just to see how involved and professional Honey is with her drama projects 🐝

Best Legal Drama

Good Partner is superb viewing. Whether it’s right from the upbeat opening credits through to each and every case.

The acting is top notch. We get to see Jang Na Ra and Nam Ji Hyun take each story to the next level. We get to see develop between the two female leads a great friendship, based on an evolving mutual respect.

In fact, the relationships between Cha Eun Gyeong, Han Yu Ri, Jung U Jin and Jeon Eun Ho are what makes this show, along with their sensitive treatment of clients and the tricky divorce cases they deal with.

My final comment: wasn’t it great to see Kim Joon Han (as Jung U Jin) play a nice character instead of a scumbag.

Best Action Thriller

What a pleasant surprise A Shop for Killers turned out to be.

What we have is an action based thriller that serves up a good mystery, a secret shopping facility that has all the tools assassins need, underpinned by a relationship between an uncle, who wants to walk away from being an assassin, and his niece who has no idea regarding the type of business he runs.

At its core, this story was full-on entertainment with amazing showdowns between the shop killers and their former employer – very Tarantino.

In other words, A Shop for Killers is the best thing Lee Dong Wook has done since Touch Your Heart ❤️ – my apologies to those who liked the Tale of the Nine Tailed Dramas 😁

Best Crime Drama

I wasn’t sure of Flex X Cop at first. The first two episodes were so-so from my perspective. Then during the third episode, Flex hit its straps.

In short, we have a wealthy young man who is at odds with his stepmother and wants to be a cop, a detective, no less.

He also, after a family falling out, moves into in his mum’s house across the street from the detective who investigated her death when he was a child and who tried to comfort him at the time.

Flex moves from a publicity stunt by the young celebrity faux cop to join the police force to one where, as a result of his well-used connections, he uses his relationships and knowledge to solve long standing crimes.

Of course, he forms a very positive relationship with his lieutenant who just happens to be the daughter of the detective that lives across the road.

Oh, and if you don’t like the sound of this one, take a look at Crash 💥

Best Workplace Drama

There were a number of very good workplace dramas this year and for me it came down to three: Good Partner, You Are My Lover Friend and You Are My Secret.

However, You Are My Lover Friend is the winner due to its adept focus on banking systems, processes and auditing. It also explains the on-line shopping industry quite well. I also enjoyed the romance a little bit more than that in You Are My Secret.

In terms of the leads, our FL, Tang Yang proves her worth time and again. She possesses great integrity and runs rings around her superiors.

By contrast, her lifelong friend, Jiang Shi Yan is a young, brilliant on-line shopping CEO who is both innovative and caring.

Throughout, there are many will they, won’t they moments. Both families dismiss them ever getting together as they always are there for each other, part of the furniture, as it were.

Apart from the main couple being the bees knees, the second couple, as KFG points out in her review of this show, are just as great together and share a wonderful, geeky, cosmic odyssey. I just loved how they were allowed to be an intelligent, sensitive couple.

Many found the third couple challenging but I liked them. Both are friends of the leads and like the parents, never once entertained the idea of the leads being together.

Best Historical Drama

Shogun 2024 is considered not only a masterpiece but has defined how East and West can make an Asian drama together.

I know some won’t agree re its Eastern drama status but it was breathtaking, the acting was so, so good and the level of cultural accuracy was off the charts.

Although Shogun won 18 Emmys (from 25 nominations), the most for any show, ever, the acting was that good and more. Anna Sawai is an acting force to be reckoned with – she delivers, as she has in Pachinko and Monarch – Legend of Monsters.

Then there is the wonderful Sanada Hiroyuk. My sons will always sit up and take note when he is in something because he is always that “Japanese guy,” in every second show or movie they watch. Sanada can be very proud of the production he made happen.

I am looking forward to seasons two and three.

Best Costume Drama

A costume drama is a term Avenue X uses often to cover a range of different shows that may be historical or cultural in nature but certainly have a mythical component.

Blossoms in Adversity does have more of a historical context, pushing out the fabulous xianxia drama The Legend of Shen Li and the enthralling Kdrama – Captivating the King.

Blossoms (there are just as many shows that have the name blossom in the title as there are Fairy named dramas – which can be quite confusing), is a very watchable and enjoyable show.

One of the highlights is the arc regarding the city of exiles. The menfolk from Hua Zhi’s family are sent there in disgrace.

During their time their we get to see how they have to live their lives as an exile and how such communities work, including the arduous journey family members make in order to see them.

During this time, we also get to see how the women left behind make their way in life, which was extremely well done.

We get to see how our ladies managed to pick themselves up and dust themselves with each challenge, instead of show becoming darker and darker and overly oppressive.

It wasn’t until ## perhaps a little bit spoilery## episode 33 that the leads were driven apart by the emperor. Up until then, they resolved things amicably, which was also quite refreshing for a CDrama.

The final stretch of the show was perhaps a little under done and a convenient ending, but it wrapped up a good show quite nicely.

Best Sci-Fi Show

In my view, kdramaland is continuing its trend to give us much improved sci-fi shows each year. Parasyte is no exception to this.

Although some purists had an issue regarding how the story as a remake of the jdorama based on the manga, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This show is a top- notch production that does the sci-fi body-snatching genre proud, with superb performances all round.

At the heart of this story is the various relationships and what happens to them due to external forces (the parasites).

The internal dialogue of the alien brain trying to enforce its will on Jung Soo In (Jeon So Nee – from Scripting Your Destiny) is a very good exposition regarding mind over matter and the use of her alien abilities to fight against the invaders.

I think many of you would enjoy it.

Best Supernatural Drama

The Judge from Hell or The Park Shin Hye Show, as I like to say, was superb.

I love a character who has a devil-may-care attitude, along with a persona that children should never experience.

Although I wasn’t too fussed about the romantic developments (as I felt there were more suited male leads), Bit Na’s unfolding beating heart was well done.

Show was excellent in how it created its own mythology based on Christian, Roman and Greek influences. Kdramas can typically skew these elements and lose the plot. However, Judge keeps it all wonderfully in balance.

Judge is not for the faint hearted. Bit Na’s justice of dishing out punishment that mimics the crimes perpetrated by the offenders is, as Emile Durkheim would have pointed out, appropriate for the society in which the offenders inhabited.

Best Family Drama

Su Ji and U Ri is the winner here – a daily Kdrama – 128 X 30 minute episodes. As a family drama, it rises above the 50 episode weekenders of the last two years. phl1rxd encouraged me to continue on with my watch and she was right!

As with many daily and family weekend dramas, the leads are long drama specialists. Occasionally, they have stars getting back into the industry or doing the right thing and helping a project out.

The supporting cast of such shows consist of dramaland stalwarts and short drama regulars. That is certainly the case with Su Ji and U Ri – with Oh Hyun Kyung from When the Phone Rings.

The focus is on the downfall and rise of Su Ji a very competent psychiatrist who has a relationship with her colleague who is the adopted son of her long lost mother – you get the picture – these shows have close links with all involved and pop corn moments aplenty that make your head turn 🤣

Best Mini Drama

Mini dramas are typically made up of episodes that are 5 – 15 minutes in length. Although China specialises in these types of dramas, there are Kdrama equivalents.

Love in the Tea Garden is this year’s champion, a Cdrama with 24 x 15 minute episodes.

This show is filmed on location in a tea plantation, and in some ways, has Brewing Love vibes re the local interaction.

Show is cute, known for lots of hugging and kissing between the leads. Underneath it all, show does have the theme of a competent marketing executive given the task of reeling in a tea plantation CEO.

Both leads are good together and not a bad way to spend six hours when you have nothing else going on.

The Hidden Gem

Ready, Set, Love is a very worthy winner. Although a Thai dystopian drama, it is so well done.

In short, we have a world where the ladies outnumber the men five to one.

The protagonist Day (Belle Kemisara) was selected to participate in a government-sponsored reality competition called “Ready, Set, Love” where women compete to win the affection of one of the five gentlemen.

Show is a commentary on reality television, declining birth rates and letting others make choices for us. Big Brother is watching but love conquers all!

The Supertanker

This award, hands down, goes to The Auditors. Talk about a big disappointment. Initially, I was excited as were Deni and ABV and we had even agreed to do a mini group watch. As each week went by, we made our comments. In the end, I couldn’t finish it.

Guilty Pleasure Award

This award goes to The General’s Daughter, a Filipino drama from 2018 which is 183 episodes long! It’s soap at its finest but has a heart of gold. Acting royalty make up the cast and they make a good showing.

Angel Locsin is a huge favourite in the Philippines and she did win awards for her portrayal of the spy/assassin renegade used by her adoptive family to take revenge on the government.

Best Romance

For me, Born to Run is the best romance of the year. This show is a very grown up drama and deals with how challenging being dealt a bad hand in life can be.

However, it is the relationship between An Xin and Li Tian Yu that is on the next level in this drama. In fact, it was so much so for me, they knocked off the pedestal the pair from Will Love in Spring.

Born to Run’s great strength is showing why truth is important in relationships. This show doesn’t sugarcoat the difficult subjects and is honest in its dealings between the leads.

I have more to say about this wonderful drama a bit further down.

Favourite OST/Song

Without doubt this is Don’t You by the Brownie Band from that delightful CDrama – I Know I Love You.

This is a great song and one that I was able to perform a very rough rendition of. In fact, other tunes by the Brownie Band are also used in I Know I Love You.

The song itself is so magical. It has a romantic setting from the get go, calling up the mythical jinns of yesteryear and using their power or influences to help paint that swoony interaction by the song’s protagonist.

Fabulous 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩

Best Opening Credits

We have had some amazing opening credits from Cdramas this year. In the main, Kdrama opening credits have been okay. However, Good Partner takes out this award with its snappy, upbeat tune, and to the point montage.

Best Viewing Platform

Out of all the viewing platforms: Viki, Netflix, Prime, Disney+ (Star), iQiYi, You Tube (Cdramaland galore) the one that managed to up its game this year is Viki.

Viki has improved dramas it makes available, including its back catalogue. Of all the email updates I receive, Viki’s are far more appealing and focused on making you feel welcome 🤗

Best Proposal for a New Drama

From the j3ffc production house comes the delightful Dark. It was by far the best proposal for an up and coming drama 🤣 As the descriptor says: a drama imagined by j3ffc and actually edited by Ele.

I thought then I would share with you what I wrote on The Verdict:

@j3ffc @Ele – I enjoyed Dark immensely. The settings were spot on – I could see them clearly in my mind’s eye. The characterisations were awesome. The buffyisms were a real treat – takes me back quite a way. As for how the story

unfolded – classic structures with some fine nods to a classic sneaking around

scene or two. To have Jang Nara, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Lee Se Young in the one drama was superb. Then to have a spot for Shin Min Ah is greatly appreciated 😊 As for Jang Piljoo – excellent 🤩🤩🤩

My favourite piece of music j3ffc, was Requiem for a Zombie. It is something that lends itself to full orchestration. To give Richie such a prominent role that also captured Zombie Girl to a tee was icing on the cake for me.

Poor old Xander missed out again – I always liked his character.

The Coda was a nice touch – I had visions of j3ffc in his cameo as the Donald P Bellisario type creator where he is often depicted at his typewriter. A

nd, yes you did bring a bright spot to what was an awesome day – 10/10 my friend and may there be another creative endeavour from you at some time in the future 🏆🍾🍻

Rising Star

Hong Ye Ji from Missing Crown Prince put in a stellar performance and is a worthy recipient of this award.

She is only 22 but played her main part superbly: comedy, action, with maturity and drama. She is someone to watch out for in future shows.

Missing Crown Prince was a terrific show for the first 12 episodes. I think 20 episodes was too many. I felt Writer Nim really struggled to get this show to the finish line.

Best Supporting Actor

There are just, so, so many supporting actors to choose from. However, Kim Won Hae is this year’s worthy recipient. What a fantastic year he has had: The Fiery Priest 2, A Virtuous Business, Serendipity’s Embrace and Lovely Runner – to name a few.

Without a doubt he is the best thing about The Fiery Priest 2, reprising his role as the Russian gangster, Vladimir Gozhaev. He plays pivotal moments throughout and his comedic prowess lands just right.

At times he is almost like Leo Getz from the Lethal Weapons movies, except he is more adept at playing undercover roles 😉

Best Actor

So, who are the best male and female actors for 2024. First up, I make no apologies for my decision here because I am such a fan.

Jang Na Ra delivered in spades as Cha Eun Gyeong from Good Partner. From hardened divorce lawyer to a champion of those who fall through the cracks we get to see the seasoned lawyer, a vulnerable mother, and a good friend.

Then there is Jo Jung Suk in his spell binding role in Captivating the King. No other male lead this year comes close to nailing their role they way Jung Suk has. There is no doubt when watching his performance he is the king. He exudes kingship as it should be.

Runner-up Best Drama of 2024

Born to Run is an inspirational drama and a very worthy runner up to Best Drama of 2024. It is a great story, although with much sadness. There is car accident, the death of a nephew and marriage failure. Equally, there is also one amazing triumph after another.

An Xin, the FL and centre of the story is a dancer who loses her legs.

However, her mum Xiu Fang (played by the great Xu Di – who was also Niao Niao’s grandmother in Love Like a Galaxy) becomes the inspiration for her daughter. She gets fit, loses weight, gains great neighbourhood friends and opens a chicken shop.

An Xin’s aunty, the mother of her cousin Rouhoa, is emotional blackmail, dynamite. In fact, Xiu Li is the most horrible mum we have ever seen in any show – yes, even more horrible than Kim Mi Yeon in that show that won’t be named), but a great piece of acting by Chen Xiao Li all the same.

So much happens in this drama. The dance routines, the starting of a prosthesis business by our heroine. Then there is the ML, a former principal dancer who as her mum’s personal trainer, intersects with, and then falls in love with, An Xin.

Many of the scenes between the leads, their dance rehearsals, are just beautiful. Ruohua, the cousin heading towards a wedding reality was so sad but masterful. Then the moment where Xiu Li finally watches the video by her deceased son – was as good as it gets.

This show is worth a look.

Best Drama of 2024

Well, here we are folks. We have come full circle. Knight Flower is my show of the year. The reason: Knight Flower was out of the blocks early and was an absolute delight from the beginning of its run through to the end.

Show was also know as Night Blooming Flower. So, the title we are most familiar with is a play on this title, hinting at good deeds being done.

Prime’s short synopsis says:

A dangerous romance between the Joseon version of a widow hero with a mask and an uptight officer begins. Park Su Ho was uptight but what we see is this wonderful transformation once he starts to interact with Cho Yeo Hwa. Conversely, we see a similar transformation with our heroine.

Cho Yeo Hwa running rings around Park Su Ho was a constant source of amusement. Likewise with their common meeting place. However, what really seals the deal is how they left messages for each other.

So simple but highly effective in its delivery for those totally committed to this show.

Knight Flower has ended up on many different viewing platforms. I think this in itself reflects how the good show really is.

Seasons Greetings

Wow, what a ride it’s been. My 2024 drama viewing year was more diverse than ever, and it hasn’t finished yet.

Thank you for taking the journey with me and taking the time to read my contribution to the drama universe.

In case you are interested, I have almost finished my post regarding how I bend space and time to watch the vast number of shows I do.

The plan, providing KFG agrees, is to hand over a draft to her in February 2025. Why will it take so long to add the finishing touches – because I am taking five weeks leave at Christmas 😊

Speaking of which, here is to wishing everyone a Very Merry, Merry Christmas 🤶 🎅🎄

~Sean