For the majority of its run, I genuinely felt that Show was quite excellent.
From the sweeping, gorgeous scenery, to the beautiful people in it, Show was a treat to look at. On top of that, I found the writing thoughtful and thematically robust, and I loved following Show’s train of thought from episode to episode.
Unfortunately, Show does wobble in the finale stretch. Not enough to break my watch, exactly, but it sure leaves me with a wistful sense of the could’ve beens. 🥲
Despite that, I do think that Show is worth your time, on balance.
A warm, character-driven melodrama that wears a murder mystery on the surface, but is ultimately far more interested in healing, identity, and love — and the quiet courage each requires.
The plotting can be convenient and the thriller elements tend to be serviceable rather than sharp, but importantly, the emotional throughlines remain steady and sincere.
While it never quite recaptures the early spark, Show stays consistent in tone and delivers a tidy, heartfelt finish that feels earned, if not dazzling.
Show is quite electric and fascinating in its front half, with its main focus on our female protagonist’s unconventional approach to achieving legitimacy, which had me completely absorbed.
However it does veer into rom-com territory in its second half — with a late splash of melodrama for good measure, which makes for an uneven watch.
Still potentially enjoyable if you’re happy to go with the flow.
We’ve watched a lot together this year, my friends. 🥲
Some shows grabbed us by the heart and refused to let go.
Some made us yell at our screens.
Some snuck up on us and quietly claimed a permanent spot in our affections.
And a few… well. Let’s just say the Razzie exists for a reason. 👀
Here’s how the year shakes out, from my corner of dramaland — the masterpieces, the solid watches, the near-misses, and the ones that made me want my drama hours back. 😅
Before I dive into my picks, a huge thank you to all our EOY contributors this year… you gave our yearly wrap-up so much texture and personality. 😘
It is not an exaggeration to say that this show is unlike any other drama I’ve personally watched in my 14 or so years of serious drama-watching.
It’s dark, unsettling, and strangely fascinating — a watch that kept me intellectually engaged even when it wasn’t emotionally generous.
The cast does strong work across the board, with Kim Yoo Jung delivering a particularly impressive performance — easily the best I’ve seen from her so far.
Lens adjustments are critical here, and I’ll talk more about that shortly, because this is not a show that behaves like a conventional drama, nor one that rewards being watched as such.
This show is basically Signal, but instead of walkie-talkies, make it letters, and instead of crime solving, make it love.
It sounds abstract, and there is a lot of ground to cover with two timelines co-existing in just 12 episodes of screen time, but Show’s writing and handling is so deft, so detailed and so confident, that it all works – and really well.
As a whole, our cast does an excellent job, but I have to say, Zhou Yi Ran and Wang Ying Lu truly stand out in their roles as our leads. Their deliveries are so natural and so raw, that I couldn’t help but feel like these characters were real, living, breathing people. 🥲
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.
Today, ABV is sharing his drama year – and if you know ABV at all, you’d be able to guess that it’s a monster post as usual. 😁
For the uninitiated, let me just tell you that ABV is a full-on time-bender.
He manages to watch a literal ton of dramas, despite having a full-time job and other interests – AND while getting a reported full 7 hours of sleep every night! I have no idea how he does it, but I’m glad we get to benefit from his drama adventures, in the form of this EOY post. 😁
If you like ABV’s style and want to know what he thought about dramas last year, you can check out his post here!
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 our earlier posts, you can check them out as follows: Natalia, Kumari, Ele, MC.
Today, Diasporic Chick is sharing her drama year
Diasporic Chick’s been a part of our little Patreon community for several years now, but rarely has time to hang out with us, due to her hectic schedule.
And so, just like in previous years, this EOY post feels like a nice chance to catch up with what’s been going on with her. 🥰
Thanks Diasporic Chick, for taking the time to share your drama year! 😘
If you like Diasporic Chick’s style and want to know what she thought about dramas last year, you can check out her post here!
Show works really well as an homage to the golden era rom-com; it’s got a light, frothy sort of vibe, where the main order of the day is joy in spite of the ridiculous, and logic is quite optional.
Modern tweaks like a male lead who only looks like a golden era tsundere but is really a very easily persuaded green flag, and OTP sizzle that’s allowed to be front-and-center, definitely add to the sense that the classic rom-com is getting an upgrade.
My favorite thing that Show does, though, is how it works to stay faithful to the emotional throughline of its characters; our OTP in particular.
Show does wobble in the final stretch, but not enough to be a deal-breaker, in my experience. Some lens adjustments definitely help – which I’ll talk more about, in a bit.
It’s that time of year again — when we pause, 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. What started years ago as a casual suggestion in our chat corner has grown into one of the warmest things we do together as a community. 🥲
Each post is written by a member of our Patreon community, sharing their drama year in their own voice — with heart, humor, honesty, and plenty of feels.
If you’ve missed earlier entries, you can find them here: Natalia, Kumari, Ele.
Today, MC is sharing her drama year — and it’s especially impressive given how full her schedule has been this year.
One thing I’ve realized is that MC and I have very similar drama sensibilities, except that she’s also often drawn to thrillers (something I venture into less often 😁). So if your taste tends to overlap with mine, there’s a good chance you’ll find plenty here to resonate with.
If you like MC’s style and want to know what she thought about dramas last year, you can check out her post here!
And if you’re curious about something a little different, MC also wrote about her trip to Korea — a trip she took while still recovering from a broken toe, no less! 😱 You can read that here.
