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? 🤩

If you missed our earlier posts, you can check them out here: Sean, Deni+JJ, Natalia, Ele, j3ffc, MC.

Today, I’m pleased to announce that Elaine’s sharing her drama year!

I’ve told you guys about what a hardworking, full life Elaine tends to lead, but this year, I wanted to add on that the thing that really stands out to me, as I get to know her better, is that through it all, Elaine manages to maintain a warmth and generosity that I find truly impressive.

Even when she’s juggling a schedule that would make most people’s eyes glaze over, she manages to still prioritize being sensitive, considerate and empathetic, while retaining a sense of humor too, and that’s no small deal, as far as I’m concerned. 🥲

Thank you Elaine, for making time to write, and also, for making time to hang out with us!

If you’d like to read more of Elaine’s writing, you might like to check out her EOY post from last year here, &/or her insightful reflections on doppelgängers and the question of identity, which you can check out here.

I hope you guys enjoy!

~ KFG ❤️

A LITTLE ABOUT ME

Hi everyone! My name is Elaine, and I live in sunny Singapore, an independent island city in the middle of Southeast Asia.

We are a modern city, very Westernised and the younger generation is mostly English-speaking. However, we do try to keep our Asian culture and languages alive.

The main ethnic groups we have here are Chinese, Malay and Indian, from the days when the British brought foreign labour from different parts of the region to work in the ports and mines here.

But over time, a whold diverse range of people have come to call Singapore home (including a number of Koreans!) 

I say a little bit more about the pop culture I grew up with and why I like K dramas so much in my 2022 year-end post (link) but in a nutshell, after Netflix repeatedly promoted Crash Landing on You to me, I finally clicked in during the pandemic lockdown of 2020 and got hooked!

I used to watch mainly Western TV shows from the US and UK, and a smattering of Asian content, but after CLOY I found thefangirlverdict and have been happily consuming majority Korean and Chinese drama content since then! 

After I found KFG’s blog, I really enjoyed her writing style and reviews.

When I started watching The King: Eternal Monarch (my second-ever K Drama) and realised KFG would be covering the drama in her Patreon notes (link to KFG’s Patreon here) I signed up as a Patreon and have been ever since!

The Patreon community has grown to become friends whom I treasure cos so few of my friends in real life like K dramas as much as I do.

(In fact, one of my close friends pointed out to our other friends “Do you guys realise that Elaine keeps relating things which happen in real life to her K dramas?” Lol. I think this was after I said oooh this apartment complex really reminds me of the one in Happiness, which got overrun by zombies and the characters had to find creative ways to hide, including blocking the staircases etc etc. Side note, Happiness was one of the watches I really enjoyed in 2023, see my EOY post. link)

Well I digress! Anyway, to give you a little idea of my K drama tastes, some of my favourite dramas ever include Crash Landing on You, Nirvana in Fire, Healer, My Mister, Prison Playbook, Moving and My Liberation Notes.

MY DRAMA YEAR 2024

All in all, 2024 was a pretty good drama year for me, in the sense that I found many dramas to enjoy and get absorbed in.

Dramas were a wonderful hobby, not just entertainment but also a comforting balm getting me through the stresses and challenges of day-to-day life.

I’ve divided this post into the following sections:

• Drama Awards 2024 (Top 5 Dramas, Disappointments etc)

• Top Older Dramas

• Non-Drama Goodies (1 anime and 3 Korean/Korean-American novels!)

TOP 5 DRAMAS OF 2024

While preparing this post, I wondered what I would have to say, cos I felt like overall I didn’t have that spectacular a drama year compared to 2022, when I was really impressed with quite a number of outstanding dramas that year (see link for my 2022 EOY post).

But looking over my 2024 drama year, I do see a pattern.

I feel like the tent pole, A-list, high budget shows (eg Queen of Tears, Captivating the King, Love Next Door) were not the ones which stole my heart.

Instead, it was the low-key, niche little underdogs which impressed me the most and made it to the top of my list.

5. The Ace Action Gun-fu Thriller – A Shop for Killers

This is a confident, gritty and action-packed little gem which had the confidence to let its young heroine Ji An (played by Kim Hye Jun) shine, while top star Lee Dong Wook played a supporting role in the shadows as Ji An’s mysterious uncle.

I’m quite an action film aficionado. I like my action films to have physically plausible, well plotted sequences which thrill you with what human agility and intelligence can achieve in split-second life-or-death decisions.

Thus, I favour Jet Li and Donnie Yen over special-effects heavy xianxia dramas or Crouching Tiger style floaty gongfu physics, and I also prefer the more grounded fighting style of John Wick or the Russo directors (see Captain America Winter Soldier) over the more flashy Mission Impossible and James Bond series (although those can be fun too!)

Thus, I found A Shop for Killers very satisfying! It is so tight and confident in its action chops and is extremely fun to watch, as its characters fend off attacks by using their intelligence, specific skills and the environment to their advantage to compensate for their physical weaknesses. The plot also had its twists and turns and surprises.

Season 2 has been announced, but I am also happy to treat Season 1 as a one-and-done as it has a satisfying arc while still leaving room for more story to be told.

4. The Imperfect But Sweet Rom Com – Brewing Love

The premise is that ML is an especially talented master brewer of craft beers, while FL is a marketing manager at a mass market beer company who is trying to win him over to do a collaboration project. 

It is useful to know beforehand that ML is a highly sensitive person (see this link for an explanation of the concept developed by Elaine Aron).

This means he is an empath and can detect people’s feelings with a high degree of accuracy, but he also gets drained easily by others.

FL, on the other hand, is a former military special forces officer who is bright, optimistic and is not shy to jump into action (eg climbing tall ladders, rappelling down roofs or even engaging in a high-speed motorcycle chase) to get the job done.

The first two episodes are quite chaotic and OTT but it calms down considerably after that.

One thing which charmed me about the show and I found quite unique in contrast to other shows, is that instead of having the OTP bicker or have misunderstandings to generate sparks, our FL and ML here really try to look out for each other and support one another from quite an early stage.

While FL initially in the first couple of episodes comes on too strong for our sensitive ML, after she learns more about him and what makes him tick, she looks out for him, such as when he might be feeling socially overwhelmed, or when he needs help at the brewery.

He, in turn, reminds her to take care of her own needs or be honest about her emotions and not have to put on a strong front all the time. And when the OTP have disagreements, they talk it through!

I don’t want to oversell the show as an A-grade artistic triumph.

Instead, it is a sweet and funny little thing, that surprised me in how the characters talked honestly about relatable insecurities and life challenges in work and family life, with a heartfelt yet not heavy touch, in between the comedy hijinks. Recommended!

3. The Loveable Underdog – Like Flowers in Sand

The very definition of an underdog drama, it had no big names, and its main character Kim Baek Du, as adorably performed by Jang Dong Yoon, is a talented ssireum wrestler who has a big heart, but just can’t seem to make a breakthrough in winning matches.

In daily life, he might seem simple-minded but he just processes things differently from others!

I had a huge soft spot also for FL Lee Joo Myung, who was my top supporting actress in my 2022 EOY post cos she was so charming and spunky as Seung Wan in Twenty-Five Twenty-One, and she does not disappoint here!

One thing to note – this is not a rom com.

Instead, it is a sports drama with a mystery element, and the romance aspect is very subtle and understated.

But don’t worry, the mystery does not take over the show, and both the sports and mystery aspects of the show are used very effectively to move our character development forward!

This show is not glamorous at all. Baek Du and his brothers schlep around town in the very realistic attire of t-shirts, cargo shorts and flip flops. Nobody’s hair or makeup is super stylish.

But the dialogue is witty and funny, and the character dynamics are a joy to uncover.

It takes a while to figure out who is friends with whom, and who is against whom, but all of these character dynamics are part of the rich tapestry of a very lived-in town, and through it all we get to understand our Baek Du better.

Some things which might potentially put a new viewer off this show, but in my opinion, they really shouldn’t:

1. Ssireum is a traditional Korean wrestling sport. I knew nothing about ssireum, but somehow the necessary points are conveyed organically as show goes along, without me feeling like show “dumbed it down” for me.

The matches are also very well filmed and exciting to watch, and importantly, the way the training and matches play out, inform us even more about the characters – their quirks, motivations, values and unique talents.

2. There is lots of satoori (regional dialect) in this show. This did not bother me. 

3. In my opinion, Episode 1 plays up the “odd and mysterious” angle of FL’s sudden appearance in town more than is necessary.

For starters, why is she carrying a lacey parasol everywhere? It’s like she was purposely styled to stick out like a sore thumb in the rural fishing town, which gets people talking about her, and unfortunately this depiction makes her character initially seem standoffish and even pretentious.

So ignore the whole parasol business, she doesn’t hold a parasol for the rest of the series and acts much more normal thereafter, phew!

Side note, did anyone notice that Baek Du’s parents (played by Choi Moo Sung and Jang Young Nam) were Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo’s team coaches?! Lol. If you’ve watched Weightlifting Fairy you will know why that is quite a meta joke. 

2. The Rip-Roaring Adventure Tale – Knight Flower

Why do I call this an adventure story? Because even though it is set in the Joseon era and has court politics, at its heart it is an exciting adventure or hero’s journey for our swashbuckling heroine.

Blessed with a high degree of skill in martial arts, but duty-bound to follow the strict Joseon roles governing widows (even though she never even met her husband before he passed away), our heroine fulfills her widow duties and serves her in-laws during the day and then at night, she hops over the estate wall to do good deeds, such as distribute food to the needy, and teach gambling fathers a lesson when they try to sell off their child to pay for their debts. (I felt very sleep-deprived on her behalf, but she seemed to manage!)

But as I said, this is an adventure story at heart, and our heroine must find out what happened to her brother, and how his disappearance might be connected to his role as Royal Guard to the former king, who had died under mysterious circumstances. Ooooh. 

And as if that were not enough, she must keep the Capital Guard off her illegal vigilante tail, particularly one very dashing, handsome captain with chiselled cheekbones and a commanding voice (played by Lee Jong Won, swoon!).

Knight Flower is a great example of a drama that is “just right”.

The story has enough meat on its bones, and is well written and tied up in a satisfying way, without getting too huge and ambitious, or losing the plot and falling off the rails. Very satisfying.

Honey Lee is delightfully funny and expressive as our heroine, and Lee Jong Won, whom I found rather stiff in the first couple of episodes, grows very nicely in his first proper ML role and I came to find him very charming and appealing indeed!

1. The One that Stole My Heart and Ran Away With It – Lovely Runner

Was there any doubt that this would be my pick for Drama of the Year? After all, I was “only” obsessed with it for a mere 2 months!

But what an obsession that was! While waiting for new episodes to come out, I would rewatch earlier episodes, go on Reddit to participate in fan theory discussions, go on Patreon to write long posts about the show, squee ad nauseum about the OTP’s chemistry, and go on YouTube to watch fan edits of the show.

I was also shipping the leads to get together in real life, because they seemed to get along really well in the behind-the-scenes clips and talk show interviews. Byeon Woo Seok in particular seemed genuinely smitten with our adorable Hyeyoonie!

OK putting the shipping aside, let’s get back to this show.

It seems 3-for-3 now, that I do heart time-travel high-school romances very much! The 3 shows being Someday or One Day (Taiwan), Shining for One Thing (China) and now Lovely Runner (Korea).

In all 3 shows, an outdated piece of technology turns out to be the time travel device, and all 3 send the FL back to high school days. In each show, there is also a mysterious death to prevent.

But that’s where the similarities end. Each show really is its own unique creature and has its own story to tell!

I feel like Lovely Runner was lightning in a bottle.

It has been compared to The Little Engine That Could, as it did not receive a big budget or draw big stars yet became hugely popular by word of mouth.

Many actors reportedly rejected the lead role until Byeon Woo Seok took it up. And what a star-making turn it was!

Aside from Byeon, Kim Hye Yoon also put in a sparkling, adorable performance that had emotional depth.

The two directors put in a lot of specific efforts to get the tone of the relationship right across the various time lines.

The soundtrack was great and the supporting cast was super fun too.

Like I said, lightning in a bottle!

I will admit that not everyone would like the cutesy hijinks of the show, especially the high school era. There were also regrettable moments of toilet humour. And FL and ML both make frustrating decisions, especially at the show’s three-quarter mark.

BUT the series tied up in a satisfying way (to me at least!) and generated many hearts in the process. Aside from the lovely OTP, both side’s parents were a hoot. And I loved 2ML Song Geon Hee and ML’s bestie Lee Seung Hyub.

A really fun, loveable ride.

MV for the song “Sudden Shower” or “Sonagi” (contains some spoilers for the show)

DISAPPOINTMENTS

I’m labelling this category as Disappointments instead of Razzie Awards, because these shows were not all bad.

In fact, they really wowed me at the start with good story lines and performances, but then somehow, the story got all muddled in the second half of the series, and my goodwill went down the drain.

Most Promising Sageuk – Captivating the King

Captivating the King, true to its name, really captivated and enraptured me in the first 8 or so episodes.

Jo Jung Suk was marvellous as the ML, first as the Grand Prince in a push-and-pull dynamic with his brother the King (played incredibly well by Choi Dae Hoon), and cute interactions with FL Shin Se Kyung, before dramatic things happen and then Jo Jung Seok showed me acting prowess which I had no idea he was capable of! 

The show was surprising and twisty and tense. I can still vividly remember one scene near the end of episode 7.

The melancholy cello music, the landscape shot of the sunrise, the shot of Jo Jung Seok’s face. Very dramatic and compelling. I thought it was one of the most lovely, moving and cinematic moments in a K drama that I had seen. 

And then….

I don’t know what happened. Did they change script writers after episode 8? Things got meh, and muddly, or beyond meh and just plain frustrating.

I managed to finish it for Jo Jung Seok, but I do hope for better scripts to come his way in future.

Most Promising Romance – Love Next Door

Another show where I felt like the writing team changed partway through. Up to about episode 6 or so, I actually thought this was going to be my drama of the year. 

The romance caught my heart, and the FL’s longstanding arguments with her mum about the latter’s unrealistic expectations, her burnout due to work and her relationship that didn’t work out, all resonated with me strongly as I’m also the eldest daughter in my family and have felt burdened with parental expectations. 

The development of the OTP was beautiful in those first 6 episodes too! There were super sweet moments, then heart-tug moments as we wonder whether one side will be able to take the risk and express their feelings. 

Apologies to those who watched and enjoyed the show! I did enjoy episodes 1-6, and 9-10, but then… hmm.  

SPOILER WARNING

As a testament to how solid and wonderful the early episodes were, I can still remember specific, heart fluttering moments very clearly, where my heart really soared for the OTP.

Like the playground scene where ML sits with FL in solidarity and encourages her to let her feelings out, and the swimming pool scene. 

And then I really liked episode 5, as FL interacts with ML’s ex who is a crafter of onggi pots (pots for fermenting traditional Korean sauces) and through that experience, FL Seok Ryu suddenly realises she has a passion for traditional food and cooking and wants to do that for her career, and seeing her light up, ML Seung Hyo realised there has never been a time when he wasn’t in love with her. 🥲

The moment of parallel discovery was so great, and the song was perfect.

The beautiful song “What Are We”

AND THEN

AGAIN

Disappointment. Frustrating childish behaviour from ML as FL’s ex shows up again (for way too many episodes). Draggy family hijinks which I found unrealistic. Very unrealistic and comedic/awkward 2ML and 2FL relationship.

Sigh. I couldn’t make it to the end and dropped it at episode 14.

END SPOILERS

Side note, if you liked the glimpses of Korean traditional cooking in this show like I did, do check out K Food Show: A Nation of Banchan on Netflix (link)!

Drool-worthy and pays tribute to the long tradition of Korean cooking. It was quite refreshing to see female chefs taking the tradition forward, cos Western cooking shows are very much still dominated by male chefs. 

Most Promising Sci Fi – Blood Free

An ambitious, stylish and compelling sci-fi thriller which really looked high budget and had interesting things to say.

Ju Ji Hoon looking super sharp and super handsome in a suit, fighting bad guys capably, and then smouldering with understated chemistry with Han Hyo Joo? So good!

I got to around episode 8, and then, I heard the series ended very unsatisfactorily. So I didn’t even bother to watch the last two episodes. What a waste!

TOP OLDER SHOWS

I wanted to include a section on the older shows I watched in 2024, because I think I watched some absolute gems this year, thanks to KFG’s reviews, and also the recommendations of my fellow Patreons!!

All of Us Are Dead

I really enjoyed this tight little zombie action thriller.

It gives quite a plausible take on how things might unfold if there was a zombie outbreak starting in a high school.

Our ragtag band of survivors are just ordinary high school kids, and though they might start off a bit like stock characters – the jock, the science guy, the rich bitch, the girl and guy next door – they develop and evolve over the course of the series. 

I really enjoyed how this bunch of classmates worked together to think of solutions to protect themselves from the zombies as they move through the school, using subterfuge or resources available in their environment instead of pure action brawn.

The show briskly moves along yet takes time to flesh out the individual challenges and motivations of its key characters, and the disagreements between them. The array of challenges they must face is daunting indeed, will they survive?! Tune in to find out.

Money Flower

I finally watched it! I was aware that a few years back, KFG hosted a Group Watch for Money Flower.

But at the time it didn’t appeal to me and on hindsight it was mainly cos I only read the barest of its premise, which was that it was a long-game revenge melodrama and, well, looking at this screenshot above, I thought the protagonist was implacable, serious and believed in “revenge is a dish best served cold”.

Well, I couldn’t have been more wrong! Right from the first episode, we see that although Kang Pil Joo can be ruthless when he wants to be, he also has hidden sadness.

And as we see him follow FL Mo Hyun around to research her, presumably for a political marriage, we can see that slowly he is falling for her, because she is just that awesome.

And because he’s following her, he’s on hand to fight off some drunken men who want to take advantage of her (and we see Jang Hyuk’s fighting chops, yay!) and then, we get this scene!! (Note: She’s drunk and won’t remember this, but it was just so 😍 to see him be a gentleman.)

Later in the series, we find out the reason Pil Joo wants revenge, and it is heartbreaking indeed. So I was firmly on Pil Joo’s side, even as he struggles with morally questionable decisions in the service of his revenge plot.

Another key success factor for Money Flower is that its varied cast of characters are all fleshed out and each has their admirable traits as well as their flaws.

And this includes our villains, who are cunning and intelligent, such that we see a worthwhile battle between the very smart and strategic Pil Ju and his formidable opponents. 

(Side note: This puts Money Flower in a much higher tier than other makjang thrillers where I felt like nearly every other character aside from our ML and FL was pretty flat or downright unlikeable, and the villains were not even competent against the protagonists!)

DP Deserter Pursuit S1

I was really really impressed with this drama, and I think it approaches a work of art.

The first episode is like a mini-movie, and sets out the heartbreaking dilemmas for Private An Jun Ho (played by Jung Hae In) as he hunts down deserters running from compulsory military service, while he is just as much a prisoner of the system as they are. 

It’s not all grim-dark though, there are procedural elements as our DP unit investigate their cases and find their fugitives using creative detective work.

I also loved the buddy-cop dynamic that forms between Jun Ho and his corporal Ho Yul, played very memorably by Koo Kyo Hwan. 

But brewing behind the scenes is a larger story arc which culminates in episodes 5-6. I won’t spoil it, just go watch it.

It’s only 6 episodes, it’s tough at times but very beautiful and rewarding. This raised my estimation of Jung Hae In’s acting abilities by a lot!

(Side note: I did give Season 2 a go, but did not like the change in tone from Season 1. Lots of people did appreciate Season 2 though! I would say you can take Season 1 as a complete story arc and decide at that point if you want to watch Season 2 or not.)

Alchemy of Souls S1 and S2

This was an epic treat for the senses from start to finish.

It wasn’t perfect for sure, with some sections dragging or featuring odd or frustrating solid choices, but I’m really glad I watched it.

A fantasy sword-and-sorcery series set in the fictional land of Daeho where mages train in elemental magic for combat and root out black sorcerers who practice the forbidden “alchemy of souls” or swapping souls between bodies in a bid to stay immortal.

A very well fleshed out world, and a lovable cast of characters too. 

The elephant in the room is the swap in lead actress between Season 1 and 2.

Some audiences apparently did not like the switch. But for me, the switch made story sense.

The vibe of Go Youn Jung was different from Jung So Min, but again, this also made sense in the context of the story.

Key plot lines and characters are followed through from Season 1 to 2, and Season 2, being just 10 episodes, told a compact and effective story to wrap up the saga. 

(Note: Unlike some of the other shows above where I mention that Season 1 can stand on its own as a complete story arc, that definitely does not apply to Alchemy of Souls; you need to watch both seasons to see the full story completed. 

I would say Season 2 helps to address some of the frustrating plot points or questions left hanging at the end of Season 1, so if you were frustrated by the end of Season 1 as I was, give Season 2 a try!

It took me a while, like a bit more than one episode, to get into the groove of Season 2, but then I really enjoyed it.)

Fated to Love You / You Are My Destiny

Aaaaaah!!! I wasn’t expecting to love this as much as I did.

I was already impressed by Jang Hyuk in Money Flower. And then I read Dark by j3ffc and you really should go read it yourself, to find out why I was then triggered to check out Jang Nara and Jang Hyuk together in Fated to Love You.

I had vaguely glimpsed P. Jasmine warning on Patreon that ML Lee Geon in Fated to Love You is quite an OTT character, given to bursts of maniacal laughter. Nevertheless, she enjoyed the drama as a whole, and so did a number of other Patreons!

So I gave it a go and my goodness, I luffed it so so so much!

My favourite thing about this drama is how, even amidst the OTT comedy hijinks, Show takes time for little moments which reveal more about the characters, and heartfelt conversations between our OTP.

Even when they are virtually strangers and hardly know each other, they commiserate about their common struggles, and ML always finds a way to affirm FL for who she is and encourage her to be confident, even when others take her for granted.

Do give this show at least a 2-episode chance if you decide to try it?

Episode 1 was almost cartoonishly OTT with a couple of cringey side characters, and FL was such a doormat I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to take an entire series of her acting like that, but don’t worry, she gets more fleshed out later, and the cartoonish hijinks also calm down somewhat. 

The OTT humour does pop up again as Show progresses, and I was all for it! I had many LOL moments with this show. And a lot of heart squeezing moments too. ML is flawed and makes mistakes, but he is also sincere and tries hard to make up for them! 

Also, I give Show lots of points for integrating the ML and FL’s families very well into the plot.

Again, some initial interactions get a bit OTT but as the Show unfolds, you find out why FL’s omma reacts that way, and you get heartfelt interactions between her and FL, and even omma and ML. 

There’s some family drama on ML’s side also, but overall I felt show handled the family drama aspects/plot lines in a more satisfying way than (ahem ahem) Queen of Tears and Love Next Door did.

NON-DRAMA GOODIES

I did not want to end my end-of-year post without sharing about some non-drama goodies which I really enjoyed. 

Anime – Terminator Zero

Is this considered Asian? It was written by an American, but animated by a Japanese animation house, so I would say yes, it counts as Asian.

It is set in the Terminator universe, and the basic premise is – what was happening across the world in Japan in 1997, in the run-up to “Judgement Day” when Skynet came online in the US?

I watched it with the Japanese voice actors + English subtitles for immersion in the Tokyo setting (you can also watch the English version voiced by Hollywood actors). 

I found this anime to be really excellent. It has a moody, melancholic atmosphere which prevails even amid the robot-against-human fights.

The protagonists are sympathetic (three children, their nanny and their Japanese inventor father) and the story is well told, with twists and turns yet never losing sight of its eventual goal.

I really enjoyed this and recommend it even if you have never watched a Terminator movie before. 

All you really need to know is that Skynet is a fictional sentient AI intelligence created by the US army which, once it comes online in the Terminator movie universe, decides that the greatest threat to the world is humans themselves, and proceeds to launch nuclear warheads against the major cities of the world, and also send killer robots to destroy the remaining human refugees.

Oh, and time travel is frequently used in the Terminator franchise too. There, that’s all you need to know!

Fair warning, there is gun and hand-to-combat violence in this. 

KOREAN/KOREAN AMERICAN LITERATURE

Welcome to the Hyunam Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum

Check it out on Goodreads here!

A meditative slice-of-life novel where we follow Yeongju, a burned out career woman who decides to start a bookstore in the quiet neighbourhood of Hyunam Dong.

We follow her as she chooses her books, thinks about ways to promote her bookstore, and interacts with her clients and neighbours.

It is very calm, gentle and reflective, rather than plot-driven. I enjoyed the minutiae of how she runs her bookstore, both the artistic aspect of choosing what books to feature, and the practical budgeting aspects. 

The supporting characters are also likeable and we gradually find out more about what makes them tick and what draws them to the store.

I found Yeongju to be a very likeable heroine to root for, and in my mind’s eye, I imagined Lee Na Young from Romance is a Bonus Book playing the role if the book were ever to become a drama!

Bonus: I got to attend a book talk by the author herself, when she came to Singapore to promote the book.

In fact, it was her second book talk in Singapore, the first was when the book was first released, and the second was about 6 months later, after the book had become very popular in Singapore! 

It was quite a treat to listen to the book talk, not just because the author herself is very modest and lovely as she shared about her favourite character and favourite scenes in the novel, but also because the translator of the novel, a young Singaporean lady (Shannon Tan), was also at the book talk and she helped to translate Hwang’s replies to the audience’s questions! 

Shannon also shared a bit about how she started learning Korean – she was an avid K pop fan in her student days and learned Korean so she could post about G Dragon!

Through a combination of self-learning and training courses she took on more and more translation assignments, and this is her first full-length novel translation in Korean! Very cool.

The Red Palace by June Hur

Check it out on Goodreads here!

On the more dramatic side of things is this murder mystery set in the Joseon era by Korean-American author June Hur.

Our heroine is a palace nurse who uses her medical knowledge and insight into the palace goings-on to investigate a spate of mysterious killings. Oh and she ends up working with a (young and handsome) police inspector, naturally! 

I found the world-building to be really detailed, such that I felt a strong sense of place in Joseon Korea, during the era where Crown Prince Sado was alive. The mystery was well plotted too! 

Although the book is in the Young Adult bracket, I didn’t find it to be trite or dumbed down.

Aside from the protagonists being in their late teens (which means they are already considered adult in the Joseon era) I don’t think you will find it “YA” at all. Highly recommend.

June Hur also wrote A Crane Among Wolves which needs a “reader beware” warning as it deals with a very dark time period in history, where the king kidnapped hundreds of girls to be in his harem.

While not Game of Thrones-level of violence, the book does not shy away from talking about violence against women. I found it also well worth reading, although I would say The Red Palace had a more satisfying murder mystery plotline.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea

Check it out on Goodreads here!

This is a reimagining of a traditional Korean folk tale. So unlike the other two novels which are set in the real world, this book delves into myths and legends and the spirit realm. 

I really enjoyed the fairytale aspect of it, and it was not hard for me to get into given that there are a lot of common legends between the Chinese, Japanese and Korean cultures, like dragons as spirits of nature and symbols of royalty, or the need for your family to remember you after you have passed, and burn offerings for you so that you will lack for nothing in the afterlife. 

The heroine is very brave and goes on quite an epic adventure, and I enjoyed the storyline! Which has a romance of course! ❤️

CONCLUSION

So there you have it! My drama year 2024. A very good year, I must say.

A lot of entertainment, and a lot of touching moments. And moments of solidarity seeing some characters go through similar struggles to what I have gone through before.

And many many moments of sheer fun and enjoyment, thinking to myself “This is why I love dramas!”

Here’s wishing all of you a wonderful year ahead in 2025, both in your personal life as well as in your drama watching! And wishing you all a Happy Lunar New Year!

~Elaine