My friends!
It’s that time of year again — when we take a deep breath, look back on our 2025 drama adventures, and realize… wow, we really did have a lot of feelings™. 😂
Welcome to this year’s End-of-Year Patreon Awards! This tradition began years ago with a casual suggestion in our chat corner, and it’s since grown into one of the warmest, most spirited things we do together. 🥲
Each entry is written by a member of our lovely Patreon community, sharing their drama year in their own voice — with heart, humor, honesty, and plenty of feels.
If you missed Natalia’s kick-off post, you can check it out here!
Today, Kumari is taking the stage, and I can’t wait for you to read what she’s put together.
Kumari might be a little newer to our Patreon community, but it already feels like she’s been one of us forever.
I love Kumari’s brightness and enthusiasm, and I also love how expressive she is in her writing. I hope you enjoy her EOY post as much as I did!
If you’d like to read more of Kumari’s writing, you can visit her personal blog here.
I hope you enjoy!
~ KFG ❤️
It was 2021.
The world was still kinda sorta hunkered down. I had watched & re-watched all my favourite British detective series, and the latest Tamil movies on the many streaming services we were addicted to. Then as a family we tried cooking our favorite foods from around the world.
My oldest and I had discovered The Korean Vegan and loved making tteokbokki and kimchi jigae at home, much to the consternation of my son.
But nothing beat snuggling on the couch, with our new rescue pup dozing on me as I watched TV. Having exhausted all my options, I turned to Kdramas, Hometown Cha Cha Cha in particular.
I might have rolled my eyes a few times initially at Shin Min-Ah’s whiny tone (I did not know the term aegyo then) but then Kim Seon-Ho’s dimpled smile kept me rooted to my spot in front of the TV.
16 episodes flew by in a couple of days and then I watched Crash Landing on You. I found it even more outlandish than HCCC but still watched the whole thing.
Yet kdramas didn’t stick around and I went back to my detective mysteries soon
2022 was a blur and by the time summer of 2023 came to a close, so did my marriage. I was starting over, and any new start comes with its own new habits and quirks— mine turned out to be Kdramas (I wrote about how kdramas became my lifeline for BR’s blog here, if anyone is interested).
One of the first dramas I watched in my new home was The Red Sleeve and when it wrapped up I missed Jeonha and Deok-Im so much that I went down many rabbit holes on the internet and finally landed on KFG’s blog.
And just like that another habit formed – watching a show and then reading kfangurl’s reviews and basically talking to my laptop as if in a conversation with her.
Since 2023 I must have watched nearly 120 kdramas and finally this year I started my own kdrama reflections blog.
I also took the plunge and joined Patreon. I cannot believe I didn’t do this sooner considering how much fun it has been talking all things drama with so many of you. Thank you KFG for this space and thank you all for making me feel so welcome!❤️❤️🤗❤️❤️
Well that’s enough for an introduction and let’s move onto the fun stuff.
This year I have seen 54 Kdramas, 3 J-Dorams and 1 K-movie so far. This will likely change as there are 2 more weeks left. I haven’t counted any of my re-watches in this list.
I finally learnt the art of dropping shows that were not working for me and it couldn’t have come at a better time as this was a pretty middling year of dramas for me – more mehs than yays.
So instead of ⭐️s , I like to rate my shows on a 🍶scale of 5 😂😂
Here are my Top shows of 2025
No1: When Life Gives You Tangerines earned a whopping 🍶🍶🍶🍶🍶🍶(out of 5) 😉
The show had me at that opening scene: Ae-Sun’s blue crayon sketch transforming into the blue waters of Jeju, 70 yr old Ae-Sun calling for her Omma as the camera moves up to show the constellation in the night sky only for it to change again into the taewak of the haenyos – absolutely mesmerizing transitions.
It was hard waiting a week for each seasonal quartet narrated by both Ae-Sun and her daughter Geum-Yeong – but the performances each week made me realize that I needed the break- to come to terms with their heartbreak, to rejoice in their happiness and to grin unabashedly at Chung-Seob’s smitten face. 😍
For my desi immigrant heart, this show was a sharp dagger and healing balm all at once.
In Ae-Sun & Gwan-Sik I saw my aging parents, dedicating every moment to make their only daughter’s life better. And like Geum-Yeong, I was racked by guilt for choosing a life far from my shores and yet not thinking twice to swim back to them whenever I needed a pick-me-up.
No2: The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call and Romantics Anonymous
Both these shows were a solid 🍶🍶🍶🍶🍶
Trauma Code gave me the same thrills as watching a well made Kollywood masala movie.
It had everything – an absolutely swashbuckling, handsome hero in Ju Ji Hoon, a bumbling yet smart eyecandy sidekick in Choo Young Woo, engaging plot, exciting medical rescues and a surprisingly happy ending for a drama with trauma in its name (side-eyeing you Love Next Door 😉).
Romantics Anonymous (Jdorama) was the wild horse of this year for me.
I picked it up solely for Han Hyo-Joo and this was only my 3rd Jdorama ever. So I was pleasantly surprised by the quirkiness of this show – of two socially awkward, deeply traumatized individuals finding unexpected comfort and eventually love in one another.
What lovely performances and the delectable chocolate making process, in addition to the utterly, butterly delicious leads was an added bonus.
The next list of shows were all 🍶🍶🍶🍶
No3: Love Scout, Our Unwritten Seoul, Beyond the Bar
Love Scout was a masterclass in what happens when adults fall in love – they actually communicate. Duh!
The chemistry between Lee Jun-Hyuk and Han Ji-Min melted me and made me swoon, but what truly made me putty while watching this show was how they dealt with their mistakes – no unnecessary angst stretched forever.
And Gi So Yoo – stellar performance by this child actor as Eun-Ho’s daughter. The second leads and their budding romance was nicely done as well – tad convenient but I ain’t complaining.
If ever there was a gripe – it was that entire evil mentor plot. I would have been happier just watching the smouldering romance of the leads 🔥🔥🔥
Beyond the Bar – I am the de facto president of the “Delectable Wookie Cookie Club” and I was beyond elated to run into another 40+ Wookie who had some serious acting chops and not just a chiseled jawline that gave Cleopatra’s nose a run for her money.
This was an interesting show. I tend to like courtroom dramas and I definitely liked how each case brought new perspectives to the lead’s own predicaments.
Chae Yeon and Lee Jin-Wook did a wonderful job in their roles but the real star was writernim- for not forcing a romance between the leads.
Our Unwritten Seoul was the complete multi-generational healing package I didn’t know I needed.
Park Bo-Young did a phenomenal job acting as twins Mi-Rae and Mi-Ji. So fantastic was her acting that when I would come across those marketing reels on Instagram, I would search for Mi-rae since Mi-Ji was already there 😂
JinYoung was a revelation to me. He really did a splendid job in the emotional scenes, especially the one with his step mom at the end.
I sincerely wished this show was 16 episodes instead of 12 so the second couple had some time in the sun as well. Ryu Kyung-Soo has a unique acting style in every show I have seen, but he made me believe he was an out-of-the-box farmer and a perceptive friend in this show.
There were quite a few disappointments in 2025 as well (Would You Marry Me?, Typhoon Family) but thanks to the unrelenting Hallyu Wave, I had many older shows to mask the taste of a bad show.
Top Pre-2025 Shows
No1: Alchemy of Souls S1 & S2 and Moving garnered 🍶🍶🍶🍶🍶🍶.
Moving was so incredibly addictive that my kids hid the remote from me just to get me off of the couch. 🙄🙄 Bah! What an incredible affront to drama watching this whole adulting is!
Underneath all those incredible action set-pieces, the bloody faces and superhuman traits, this is truly a story of parents going to the ends of the earth to protect what is precious to them – their kids.
Every single performance was top notch, no unnecessary filler scene or side plot and the way the stories linked to each other was just too beautiful. I would have liked one more episode of Doo-Shik (handsome In-Sung) and his adorable family after their reunion on that terrace.
Alchemy of Souls took me prisoner body, mind & soul with its amazing storytelling, world-building, and excellent casting.
Season 1 was Jung So-Min’s from start to finish and what an incredible performance she delivered 🙇🏽.
If Lee Jae-Wook was an adorkable goofball as Jang-Uk in Season 1, he was hotness personified in S2 as the moody, grieving Jang-Uk 🔥🔥.
And unlike others, I did love Go Youn-Jung in S2, and the discombobulating effect she had on Jang-Uk with her unfiltered & innocent utterances. I watched it 4 times already and I am still not bored.
No2: Mr. Sunshine, First Love and Lovely Runner come next with their perfect score of 🍶🍶🍶🍶🍶
Mr. Sunshine was my 2025 opener and it just raised the bar on what I expected from period drama.
Kim Tae-Ri as the stand-in for Korea and the three male leads doing their best to protect her – this was poetry in drama form and that is an understated cliche.
Also the first drama to break my personal kdrama trope of ‘kiss in Ep9, angst in Ep12 and reunite in Ep15’ by not having the lead actors kiss at all – they barely touched but every time they were on screen, I could feel the tension.
Hatsukoi: First Love is one sublime love letter to all first loves. This was the recommendation from the Patreon community and I am so thankful for that.
Satoh Takeru just lived as Harumichi and this show had excellent performances especially the young actors. The only drawback is the lack of closure between Yae & her mom for the mom’s meddling.
Lovely Runner is a beautifully done time-slip romance and one of the first ones where I truly believed Byeon Woo-Seok could do a lot more than just look handsome.
Given how much he was wasted in his role as villain in Strong Girl Namsoon, I was really happy to see him emote a bit more here.
But I guess the real stars of this show was that time-travel watch and bubbly Kim Hye-Yoon who just lit up the screen every time she came on.
When the soju ran out
Typhoon Family
Lee Jun-Ho, Kim Min-Ha, time period during IMF crisis and just when you thought latter half of 2025 is gonna be lit, chakanim decides to light up a torch behind the cardboard villain, making him larger than he needs to be and sucking up all the excitement out of this one.
Two of my favourites in one show – Woo-Shik and So-Min.
The first episode hijinks between the leads made me look forward to the show only to be disappointed when the Samchoon side plot got darker and darker. By the time the happily ever after began, I had lost interest and the show was mostly background score as I doomscrolled.
And now to the exciting bit, when I hand over shiny virtual trophies to people who do not know of my existence —
Welcome to Kumari’s Bling-Fling!
Best OTP award goes to the only couple who met as kids and stayed in love with each other through rain, breached sea walls, broken hearts, calloused hands, undriven fast cars and unpublished books : Ae-Sun & Gwan-Sik.
Both IU/Bo-Gum and Moon So-Ri/Park Hae-Joon share this award for those amazing performances that made me believe I was being a voyeur peeking into their lives.
Best Comeback Star is Kim Woo-Bin! Rocking performance as a martial-arts do-gooder in Officer Black Belt and then his comedic run in Genie, Make a wish.
Best ‘New(-to-Me)Comer Award goes to Lee Jae-Wook.
Both Choo Young-Woo and Lee Chae-Min were close contenders.
Choo Young-Woo did wonders both as tormented high-school archer & the rogue ghost inhabiting him in Head Over Heels , and Lee Chae-Min moving from his ‘blink and you miss it’ cameo in AoS to his Royal Foodie avatar in Bon Appetit, Your Majesty did eat his way to my heart — yet the one who completely floored me was Lee Jae-Wook as Jang-Uk. I am no match for this mage who attained Hwansu!
The Immortal Energy Award goes to So Ji-Sub for being able to face hundreds of violent gangsters in Mercy for None and still be able to walk out on his own legs. And no superpower either.
Best Actor was hard to choose.
If Park Bo-Gum lived as Gwan-Sik in WLGYT, he was adorkable as boxer-turned-cop in the wasteland that is Good Boy and he exuded royal charisma in Love in the Moonlight.
There was also Satoh Takeru who blew me away first as the tortured musical genius in Glass Heart, then as a pining pilot Harumichi in Hatsukoi: First Love and as businessman Suzuki Wateru in Marry My Husband.
In the end, the award goes to Ju Ji-Hoon who was clinical, snarky and quick as an adrenaline chasing doctor in Trauma Code, and a cold soldier-turned-bodyguard keeping his feelings close to his chest as he fought the world in Blood Free. Then he flipped it around and gave a lovely emotional portrayal in Light Shop which was worlds away from the egotistical, suave & highly ambitious lawyer in Hyena.
Best Actress Award goes to Park Bo-Young.
It wasn’t just that she played twins with their own mannerisms, but to then flip places within the story to “act” as the other twin and try to hide her own habits from seeping out – Boy! That was an incredible job and immaculately executed.
So Hot I Should Use Gloves But I Won’t Award goes to the one and only Jang Ki-Yong!
It got mighty dangerous with the Fox in My roommate is a Gumiho and we are finishing the year with an electrocuting kiss electrifying performance in Dynamite Kiss.🔥🔥🥵🥵
Best OST Award goes to When Life Gives You Tangerines. It was eclectic and ear-wormy, especially Ode to the Green Spring.
What is an award season without Razzie Awards?
Worst Show of 2025 – The Potato Lab. I won’t waste any more words.
Wasted Potential of a Fantastic Premise – Too many contenders but First Night with The Duke and Tastefully Yours win this.
Amazing OST wasted on an useless show – Dear Hongrang. Absolutely ethereal music, some Bollywoodish elements as well, and still it cannot save that story.
Action-Wise, Plot-Foolish award – Good Boy. 🤦♀️
What started as filler to drown the noise, slowly blossomed into an enriching hobby (including studying Hangul) and thanks to KFG has also found a creative outlet now.
Thank you all for reading.
Have a wonderful holiday season and here’s to a blessed 2026 to all of us! ❤️
고마워요❤️
Are you still here?
~Kumari
✨ About the End-Of-Year Patreon Awards
This post is part of our annual community tradition, where Patreon members share their drama year — favorites, surprises, disappointments, discoveries, and everything in between. 💛
These EOY reflections are one of my favorite parts of the year, because they show just how thoughtful, funny, and passionate our little community is.
If you’d like to join us for watch discussions, episode notes, voice notes, and next year’s EOY Awards, you’re very welcome to check out Patreon! 🥰
KFG ❤️
You have such a nice way with words! I also loved Love Scout for its refreshing take on adult romance, was utterly disappointed in Good Boy despite PBG’s presence in it, and was glad the romance wasn’t forced in Beyond the Bar. I do have to stick up for my Potato Lab a little – though I can totally understand why someone would have dropped it early on, I mean, it even became a running joke in my household that I came to like it so much. There really is no accounting for taste sometimes! The first couple of episodes were cringeworthy. And though I came to like the ML’s character, I didn’t find Kang Tae-oh particularly convincing in the role. Lee Sun-bin as the FL is the one who really grew on me once she toned down her comedic acting. I mostly loved the Potato Gang supporting cast…
Hi Kumari….so enjoyable to read! My first ever kdrama three years ago was Alchemy of Souls, and it began my kdrama journey. I’m now at 100+ dramas, though number bigger if I factor in rewatches….like the number of times I have watched The Red Sleeve!
Some of my first watches this year are kdramas of yesteryear, like 18 Again and The Crowned Clown, both of which I absolutely love! Had to watch 18 Again on You Tube since not streaming anywhere else.
Share your feelings about Dear Hongrang, and dropped The Potato Lab, though I do enjoy watching Kang Tae-oh, as well as dropping First Night with the Duke and Good Boy.
Yes, indeed, for Our Unwritten Seoul, Trauma Code, Beyond the Bar, and Lovely Runner. I also enjoyed My Winning Try. I started Love Scout yet didn’t finish, but your description will have me revisit.
I enjoyed Typhoon Family, mostly because of Junho, but I agree the cardboard, one dimensional villain got old really fast, yet was with us all the way through, defining the story line way too much.
Lastly, Dynamite Kiss is a fun way to end 2025. The thing with Jang Ki-Yong…his face transforms from sharp and angular to quite melty when he smiles. He lights up!
May the new year be bright and healthy for all, with dramas that truly engage us in wonderful storytelling and memorable performances.
Hi Kumari, that was such fun and a great read! So glad you mentioned Light Shop, too!
Hi ngobee, Thanks for reading. I loved Light Shop once I got over the initial jump scare bits. Hoping I can get to read the original comic next year.
That was a really fun read, Kumari! I too loved loved loved When Life Gives You Tangerines (sobbed my heart out most of the time, but I did love Chung Seob’s smitten faces – am I a Kim Seon Ho fan now?!) and Our Unwritten Seoul was also fantastic. Love Scout (Lee Jun Hyuk! I love that man) and Romantics Anonymous, Lovely Runner were also great watches.
Also Moving?! my best drama in 2023 I believe! I still have yet to watch Alchemy of Souls and First Love Hatsukoi (gasp I know…)
I didn’t love Mr Sunshine as much but the best part of it was Yoo Yeon Seok’s Gu Dong Mae – that scene where he touches the hem of her dress was positively electrifying.
I’m glad I didn’t watch Typhoon Family. I too thought Would You Marry Me rather meh at the end (when the soju ran out! so clever, i love it!)
Your top OTP!! mine too. “breached sea walls, broken hearts, callused hands, undriven fast cars and unpublished books” girl you have such a way with words!!! And “action wise plot foolish” is another banger!
I loved Satoh Takeru in Marry My Husband Japan. the man is so charismatic!
May we have wonderful 2026s ahead!
Thank you MC for your kind words!
oh tell me about the sob-watching Tangerines. By the time I finished the finale I had such puffy eyes my kids wouldn’t stop laughing at me!
Mr.Sunshine was indeed a slow start for me but I did get mesmerized soon enough. Yoo Yeon-Seok was 🔥🔥🔥. I agree that hem touching scene – who knew just that one simple act can be so tantalizing?
do watch AoS and Hatsukoi- two absolutely beautiful shows. Ofc, Hatsukoi is another little emotional as well.
typhoon family and wymm could have been so much more no?
Kumari, sorry to take so long to get to your post but it was worth the wait! Excellent taste in shows (we agree on EVERY SINGLE ONE that we have in common 😁) but also you have a wonderful knack for bringing their feels back in a short write-up. You have had a great year in dramas and thank you for sharing it with us. Also, I look forward to checking out your blog.
Thanks for the post and best wishes for the new year.
Thank you J3ffc, glad you enjoyed the post!
and yay! for similar tastes in dramas this year!
i am excited for 2026 since it will likely open with Kim Seon-Ho outing😍 in January.
have a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year!
see you on Patreon
Loved your reviews, thanks for these! You were very kind – with a name like Kumari, I thought you’d be “meaner” #TooEasy #SorryNotSorry
It turns out we share share similar views on a surprising number of Dramas – including Tangerines: You gave it 6 out 5, on my my personal Drama database, I gave it 12 out 10 👍
hello Robin, glad you liked the reviews and why would a ‘Kumari’ write mean ones?
at least in my mother tongue that name has no such connection 😂
but i do have plenty of mean notes on some really bad dramas or characters which I haven’t posted. Nothing like hate watching a show to get your creativity to flow 😄
Sorry – I am hopelessly addicted to puns and a huge fan of REALLY OLD Hindi films, so your name made me think of Meena Kumari – hence “Meaner” 😁
Yes! to the “Amazing OST Wasted on a useless show” comment. The music in Hongrang was so good! The plot, not so much…
I am so glad I am finding so many people who agree with me on this show. What a waste of good music 🙄
Kumari, wo so many shows – and actually quite a few I loved here too!
Alchemy of Souls was so good – I liked the darker second season too! I’ve watched it twice but could binge it again at some point for sure.
Oh, yes, First Night with the Duke was very disappointing.
I’m hoping Dynamite Kiss keeps being entertaining – I’m enjoying it very well so far.
Thanks for sharing all your watches – I especially liked seeing some older shows. Mr Sunshine was my first ever kdrama. I didn’t even know it was Korean! And I was so confused as I’d never heard of Joseon…
Thank you Ele for reading!
I love sageuks and period dramas so the term Joseon was very familiar. But the entire Korean independence fight was very new to me and Mr. Sunshine sent me down some wonderful history rabbit holes!
hope we do an AoS group watch in the new year!
What a great EOY recap, Kamari. There are a few dramas you mention that I have not seen, as, like Timescout, I am a big fan of costume CDrama. But, I do want to suggest a Jang Ki Yong drama – Kill It. It is about 6 years old, but it is still my JKY favorite drama. Nana is in it and I love her so it was especially enjoyable for me. He plays an assassin, so if you like that kind of genre you may enjoy it. Personally, I love watching his old runway walks.
Your blog is chock full of goodness.
Thank you Phl1rxd for reading the post. I have not seen that JKY show, will look for it in the streaming services I currently subscribe to.
I am yet to step foot into costume cdrama but started with The First Frost and loving it so far.
thank you for visiting my blog. Hopefully this new year I would be a lot more regular 😄
Lovely EOY post, Kumari! I smiled at your kids hiding the remote when you were watching Moving😁. I watched it last year and in spite of having too much violence I thought it was absolutely excellent. My kid is an adult so no one hid my remote. There ARE some perks of having adult children (no matter how much you miss them).First Night with the Duke really was a waste of a good premise. Disappointing!
I got some ideas from you on dramas I should put on my list. By the way, I quite enjoyed The Potato Lab, but I seem to be in a minority.
See you on Patreon!
Thank you My!
Hahaha they had to give it back as I am still the chauffeur and unlimited coffee supplier 😂
First Night with the Duke was one conflicted and confused show.
I couldn’t get on board with FL of Potato Lab, so I guess it was a hard watch for me.
see you on Patreon!
Wonderful EOY post, Kumari! You and I are aligned on the dramas you mention as well as the actors. I also went on a Takeru Satoh journey this year and loved all 3 dramas of his that you mention. If you want more, try the Rurouni Kenshin movie series in which he does most of his own stunt work…amazing! Park Bo Young was great in OUS…she’s a wonderful actor. And I’m right there with you on Jang Ki Young. This is my first time seeing him in a drama and he’s great in Dynamite Kiss–tortured, funny, and hot 😉 And I love Nathan’s idea of an Alchemy of Souls rewatch!
thank you Deb!
I liked him in both My Roommate is a Gumiho and Atypical Family- he has really beautiful expressive eyes.
I am all for AoS group watch- we should do that for 2026 Winter!
I have been curious about the Rurouni movies since I read ABV’s notes on Patreon. Will try to see where I can find them here in US.
@Kumari – I’m in the US too and found them on Netflix!
i’ve not actually watched AoS (shock!!) so i’ll be down for a group watch…
Oh, another aficionado of British detective shows. I’m quite fond of them myself and I’ve seen a bunch over the years. My late mother loved them and it was sort of a tradition to sit down and watch together whatever was the current offering on Saturday evenings. We still get the designated show on about the same timeslot, ha.
You’ve managed to watch quite a few kdramas in a relatively short period of time. It took me much longer to amass that many, but things where a bit different when it came to availability back in the day. From your list I’ve seen Alchemy of Souls, which I really liked. I think I actually liked the S2 a bit more than S1. The other one I’ve watched is Trauma Code. I’ve yet to finish Our Unwriten Seoul.
Trauma Code was fun! Ju Ji Hoon is always good (even in somewhat crappy dramas) and he’s great in comedy too. Not sure if you’d be interested in seeing JJH in one of his first roles and the one that made people notice him. If the picture quality of older dramas does not put you off, I’d suggest Lucifer aka Mawang. It’s from 2007 but imho a very good detective/suspense one. I loved it but then, that’s me and you may see it quite differently. KBS World YT channel still has the whole show free to watch (with eng subs). Now that was a bit of a surprise.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMf7VY8La5REmhk95R1pDQXDVK6Gkk0U2
I’m a grumpy old curmudgeon who started watching kdramas back in the late 2000’s so I’ve pretty much been there, done that when it comes to them. The lustre has definitely dimmed over the years and it’s much harder to find kdramas that suit my taste now. Which is why I’m currently camping mostly in the costume cdrama corner. 😊
thank you TimeScout!
my mom and I loved to read and watch detective mysteries. We must have rewatched Poirot series and Midsommer Murders innumerable times.
i tried to get her onto K-dramas but looks like she beat me to c-dramas.
Yeah, Ju Ji Hoon is wonderful in every show of his that I have seen. I want to see Kingdom for him but then I don’t like zombies or horror so been avoiding that one.
I will check the drama you recommended during my break.
Zombies are an immediate nope for me… unless it’s the Zombie Detective. He was kinda cute, heh. I don’t like horror much either, though it depends on the show. Some are ok to watch, especially if they lean more towards comedy.
Lucifer is old school in a sense that it’s slower paced than current dramas. The setup takes a bit of time but it pays off to be patient and let the story unfold. It tackles topics like guilt, redemption and the collateral damage of revenge. So, definately not a fluffy show.
Kumari, Kingdom was the first Drama I have watched JJH in, and I simply must recommend it. OK, there are zombies, but the show isn’t even about them. Seriously, Kingdom is a masterpiece.
Kumari! We are so lucky you decided to join Patreon this year. You always bring so much depth (and poetry) in your comments.
I loved your EOY post! There are many dramas I haven’t watched, but also many that I have watched and loved. And I do have a suggestion for you: seeing that you liked Alchemy of Souls, which, in my eyes, is a Kdrama with many elements in common with Cdramas, would you consider The Immortal Ascension? I wouldn’t go as far as suggesting the all time classic The Untamed because the low production quality may scare you away before you get a grip on the story.
Thank you so much for your kind words Natalia.
Immortal Ascension is on the list and maybe, I might be able to watch it with my mom during my vacation.
i have just started First Frost as my c-drama starting point. Liking it so far.
First Frost is a good show to start with! I admit to dropping it, but that was only because I tend to loose interest pretty soon when it comes to romance (which kind of explains why I have been married 3 times… 🤣🤣)
@Kumari – That was a fun read and a great EOY post debut. I liked so many of the titles you listed: Trauma Code, Love Scout, Our Unwritten Seoul, First Love: Hatsukoi, Romantics Anonymous, Moving, and Lovely Runner.
I love how your initial journey with K-dramas started after watching British detective series and Tamil movies. That was the same sort of start for me too. I can definitely relate to it. I haven’t yet watched two of your favourites, though: Alchemy of Souls and When Life Gives You Tangerines. I also didn’t watch Beyond the Bar, although I should get to it soon.
I 100% agree with Park Bo-young being actress of the year. She was outstanding in Our Unwritten Seoul.
Thank you. 🙂
Thank you ABV!
It has been a fun year of both watching and chatting about dramas.
Alchemy of Souls is very well made and you will enjoy it.
WLGYT is absolutely the best drama of this year but I felt I should have gone at a slower pace than 4 episodes a week- it was too emotional for me.
Bo-Young does these roles really well- Daily Dose of Sunshine, Light Shop and Our Unwritten Seoul- she brings out the struggles of her character so beautifully it hurts to watch sometimes.
see you on patreon!
@Kumari – Apologies. I completely missed this response.
Glad that you enjoyed your year. I’ll see if I can get my brother to watch Alchemy of Souls with me.
When Life Gives You Tangerines requires a very specific mood, so I’ll wait for the right time to watch it.
Yes, Park Bo-young is a top actor. 😊 I have loved her in pretty much every show I have seen her act in.
@Kumari
Loved your post!
I’ve already noted to you about my own love of Alchemy of Souls. I see there’s a fair amount of interest for a CLOY rewatch, I wonder if we could convince enough to try one for AoS later in the year…..😋🤔. Either that or Moving as that’s another show I loved.
Of the shows I’ve watched as well, we seem to agree a lot of the time. Although, I can’t say that I was as enamoured with Beyond the Bar as others. The nomininal OTP was too much of a distraction for me even with some very interesting court cases.
I see we agree on Dear Hongrang, including the wasted OST. It’s a good thing I can appreciate good music beyond the drama or that would have been an absolute waste.
And I also agree with your choice of Park Bo Young for best actress. It was a PBY discovery year for me and she packs a lot of dramatic punch.
Thanks for sharing your year, very
enjoyable.
Thank you Nathan!
yes! Let’s do an Alchemy group watch please.
both the music and Lee Jae Wook were wasted in Dear Hongrang- i hate watched it, screaming at the TV.
Growing up on Indian movies, loving the music album and hating the movie is par for course 😂
I loved the track Yoamjae, which one did you like?
Well I might have watched Beyond Bar with a slight bias as it was helmed by a 40+ Wookie 😉 so i ignored the others.
Hey Kumari,
Just FYI my wife is Indo-Fijian so I am well versed on Hindi sound tracks.
I like Kwon Jin-ah in general so yes I am in agreement about Yoamjae. I also really like the 4Bout song Burning Petals (correct me if I’m wrong but I believe it was the opening song for the series).
We’ll touch base later in the year about the AoS rewatch, maybe you and I can “host” it……
Have a great holiday season and best wishes for 2026.
Ooh! Butting in to say, if there’s enough interest, I’d be happy to host it here on the main blog – I have Patreon notes I can share! ❤️