My 2025 Dramas

Pros:

• First 2 episodes were solid, especially episode 2 when we were done with the backstory. The emotions of how the ML's story matters and what his motives are ... masterful.
• Song Joong Ki and Kim Ji Won were the perfect pairing, especially since they've worked together on (now) multiple projects.
• Tanya was an amazing FL.
• Soundtrack was beautiful and epic.

Cons:

• Was so invested in Eunseom from the first 2 episodes only for them to give him like 10% screen time per episode. They made him sound so important when he was going to basically be a side character.

Pros:

• Stacked cast. On top of the already amazing actors, we have Kang Ha Neul, Im Si Wan, Park Gyu Young, Lee David, and T.O.P.
• Speaking of T.O.P, I really loved to hate him. He was so entertaining and it looked like he was having fun playing that character.

Cons:

• Really didn't care for a season 2, and I absolutely did not think it was necessary for a rise-against-corruption plot line cause season 1 perfectly encapsulated how these kinds of screwed up situations are truly hopeless. No one wins except for the mega rich. Maybe I also don't like these types of plotlines cause I've read way too many YA novels as a teen where the characters form a resistance, and now I have burnout from that. Still, I just didn't like the direction.

Pros:

• Just another drama that makes me love Chae Jong Hyeop even more.
• The premise is intriguing, and I was hooked into the drama with the spooky witch vibes.
• Short with only 8 episodes, so it's not a huge time investment.

Cons:

• Would've been grossed out by the high school attending ML if it wasn't for the fact that the actor is actually older than the FL. Still, a little icky.
• Not the most gripping plot. Got a little bored after a while.

Pros:

• Stacked cast. The leads and the supporting actors are mostly familiar faces I know and love.
• While I wasn't a huge fan of the show overall, the ending excited me. I was into the completion of the characters' arcs and how it manifested at the end.
• First drama I see set in the Silla dynasty, and we got a peek into an often unexplored part in kdramas.

Cons:

• Go A Ra doesn't do it for me - except for a few scenes, that is.
• Didn't care for the romance at all. Wasn't rooting for Ah Ro to be with anyone.

Pros:

• The main couple actually communicates and doesn't let misunderstandings ruin their relationship. Very mature and refreshing. Eliminates all frustration from the "break up" beat by replacing it with something else.
• Father-daughter relationship is beautiful, and the girl is oh-so-adorable, as she always is in any drama.
• Second couple were adorable. Thought I'd dislike 2ML, but he pleasantly surprised me by his depth.

Cons:

• Sadly, I think I'll forget about this drama after a while. It's not very special or memorable.

Pros:

• Lee Kang To is probably one of the coolest protagonists in kdramas. If you hated him in the first few episodes and dropped the drama (like I did), give it a chance. It takes 6 or so episodes to get to the meat of the story and it is so worth it.
• This drama seriously knows how to end episodes. After I'd finish watching one, I get the need to watch the rest cause it's that gripping.
• OST has a few bangers that can give you excitement, hope, or sadness for days.
• Speaking of sadness, I cried a good amount. Even cried when the drama was over because it was over. Withdrawal from these characters is insane.

Cons:

• ML was super annoying at first and put me off this drama for a while. That's cause the setup took a long time, and we didn't get to see what made him great as a character.
• Oh Mok Dan was boring, and the acting didn't help at all.

Pros:

• The acting's good for soooome of the cast. Yeah, that's about it.

Cons:

• I think I disliked every single character, which made this a hard watch. There was no one I liked enough to root for.

Pros:

• He is not the ML, but Song Joong Ki brings his usual charm in this drama. It was great seeing him shine yet again.
• Yoo Ah In plays an interesting character, so if you like his acting, you won't be disappointed here.

Cons:

• Can never buy a cross-dressing plot. Park Min Young absolutely still looks like a girl.
• ML is so boring.

Pros:

• Both IU and Park Bo Gum were amazing. I already love them, but here, they shined. They encapsulated their characters' traits so well that it was easy to get immersed because of their acting.
• Do you like crying? I do. So this was perfect for me cause it was a cry fest. You will feel for the characters and you will be so attached that you'll cry whether the vibes are sad or happy.
• All actors were stellar. This drama goes through a range of years of the FL and ML, so actors for the same character change. All of them were amazing, whether they were the younger or older counterparts.
• The shots are beautiful. It was like looking at an artistic masterpiece.

Cons:

• Park Bo Gum doesn't appear as much as expected, sadly.

Pros:

• One of Lee Min Ho's better performances.
• His character was interesting, too, since he was a con artist and was a different kind of role than his typical ML characters.
• Has the typical kdrama feel, like all the other classics from 2016-2017.
• ML's little group of con men was fun.

Cons:

• Did not know, but this had slapstick humor. Depending on the person, this can be a pro, but it wasn't for me. Felt a little too childish in tone.
• The storyline about the brothers and the chaebol stuff was not as gripping as the other parts.