Dramas/Drama Specials completed in 2022

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcqlLjCJPd8
https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/RlQbQiP
A bit confusing at first, but unique and very touching in the end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4cMYPT02NQ
https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/RlQ0OCP
The height difference is so cute, their bantering so funny. The story isn't something much, but they look so adorable together!

https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/e4J5gCy
A fast-paced, intense action drama, with nicely inserted comedic, teamwork and bromance moments.
Though it was focused way more on the detective/investigation aspect rather than the first responders/firefighters work (and tbh the romance line could have been avoided), overall it was an entertaining watch.

https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/4EJLoUA
Perhaps if I'd watched it years ago, I'd probably have enjoyed it more.
It seemed dated, with over-the-top acrobatic fight scenes and predictable plot, but it had some strong moments and some good acting, especially from Lee Seo Jin.

https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/EnOoJi3
It took me a while to warm up to it, but overall this slow-paced, healing story was a nice watch.
Beautiful cinematography and colouring, ethereal directing and acting were its strongest elements, while the confusing first episodes, the overly dramatic tone of the last episodes and, especially, the feeling that sometimes 'it was trying too much' to tug at our heartstrings, weakened the final outcome.

https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/6BNXlCl
https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/E4vRjF3
A slow-paced story of friendship, love and loss, divided into too many different subplots and genres that eventually felt disconnected, inconsistent and unbalanced.
The strongest elements were the trio's performances (especially Jeon Mi Do's) and the elegant cinematography, while the weakest were the romance subplots and the unequal screen-time and story progression the three FLs had.

https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/xzJoKIl
A great cast, a compelling premise and a beautifully eerie atmosphere (if that makes sense).
Unfortunately, the unnecessarily too much violence/gore, the short duration and consequently the
under-developed story of most characters, didn't let this drama become something memorable.
It had some strong moments, it was good for a one-time watch, but nothing above average...

https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/pbk27TP
Are there any other partners combinations left to explore?
Are there any other stupid ghost appearances to happen?
Are there any more crazy, unbelievable plots left for this writer to deliver?
Can't believe that I'll still watch (or at least try to watch) season 4 when it comes out, lol!

With a unique sense of (black) humor that probably isn't everyone's cup of tea, an unusual concept and story-telling, this short drama wasn't something extraordinary, as expected from its many Baeksang nominations. An interesting watch, but nothing very memorable or groundbreaking.

https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/d62zwiB
If you turn your brain off about the fact that the ML is a minor throughout the whole drama, then this is an entertaining rom-com with a lot of character development.
Though the story is somewhat predictable and has many grey corners plot-wise, the natural acting and the quirky characters (kudos to grandma & butler!) made this unusual Cinderella story a pleasant watch.

https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/QL2poi8
Uniquely absurd, superficial and provoking at first, it ended up being a refreshing, addicting and thought-provoking watch!
Ohno Takuro with his Mary Poppins cross-dressing nanny style, motherly instincts and over-the-top musical scenes was a natural charmer :)

Enjoyable office slice of life comedy, without any unnecessary toxic rivalry, ex-lovers, birth secrets etc, and a great performance from Kim Hye Soo.
Though the plot was a bit repetitive and predictable, the cool bad*ss character of miss Kim was a pleasure to watch :)

https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/q6nrYcp
Not as intense as it initially seemed to be, but an interesting watch regardless, with some impressive, mature acting from Kame.

Dark and intense, painfully raw, infuriatingly violent, emotionally thought-provoking.
Definitely not for everyone, especially for the faint of heart...

https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/k63RnTJ
Not gonna lie, if it wasn't for Takeshi Kaneshiro that would have been a disaster...
The story was too far-fetched, borderline disturbing in some parts, and very similar to k-drama makjangs.

https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/E4KVZc3
https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/e6mxjTy
As much as I loved Yoon Kye Sang's charms and sexiness, this drama failed to become memorable.
Too bad that, after a promising, intriguing and spicy start, it lost its spark somewhere in the middle, and became nonsensical during the last two incoherent episodes...

https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/wRqVviE
Started strong and intriguing but somewhere in the middle became repetitive and draggy.
Perhaps trying to include so many different genres wasn't a good idea...
Too much crying, too many separations and reconciliations, too much back and forth.
But, despite its flaws, it had some really good moments and the cast did a good job.

https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/6VYyycl
An omnibus of 8 women-centered stories (and their chairs).
Some of them were bizarre, some others touching, a few were dark and twisted, or symbolic and confusing, but this unorthodox approach was definitely gripping and challenging.
Definitely not for everyone...

The story is very predictable and intentionally tear-jerking, but it has Komatsu Nana, Kuroki Haru and Sakaguchi Kentaro, so it's not bad at all!

https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/ZL1nVTx
This is definitely not a typical body-swap case!
It's a dark, mature and rather heavy psychological character-driven story, a bit confusing some times, with some the pacing issues here and there, but Ikeda Elaiza and Yoshizawa Ryo's great performances made this a very interesting watch.

https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/EWPDJC3
https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/p68gpiP
The Hong sisters never fail to give us the most unique, entertaining stories and characters, with the most disappointing pacing and ending. Let's hope they do a better job in season 2!

https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/4qVagKfA
Short and enjoyable, easy to binge historical Cdrama with satisfying chemistry and a well-paced story.
Nothing very memorable or groundbreaking, but good for a weekend watch.

https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/dmRJvfB
https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/ZLqwATx
This drama was one of the rare cases that, in spite of the distinct main cast, all the spotlights were stolen from a support character, played by actor Kang Hyung Suk.
In every episode, I was hoping he got more screen-time. It's about time he gets a leading role!

Feel-good comedy with an adorable tomboy and troublemaker as a FL, trying to become a cabin attendant and maturing in the process.

https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/QRYdOT8
Light and cheesy romcom, with a predictable story but short enough to be entertaining.
The cute child actress made up for the cringy flashbacks of 30-something actors playing high schoolers...
Enjoyable for a one-time watch.

https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/0nlVjcN
An underrated short drama, beautifully shot and directed, with impressive sword fights and an intriguing story. Though there was some more room for the characters backstories (and I wouldn't mind a few more episodes with new cases), it was satisfactorily concluded and thoroughly enjoyable.

Interesting concept, lukewarm execution.

https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/XQ1kVF8
An unusual, mature and dark drama about marriage, mis-communication (or lack of) and infidelity, using a goldfish and its bowl as a metaphor in all of its subplots.
With lots of steamy scenes, especially at the beginning and lots of melodrama during the last episodes, this uneven -in tone, purpose and reasoning- collection of ‘Fishbowl Wives’ stories is saved by some solid performances and camera work.
Definitely not for everyone...

Cute, but nothing so special or memorable.

https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/w6XJDTE
Enjoyable, with a vivid, optimistic tone and beautiful scenery.

https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/k1eYntJ
A rom-com with a poorly-written story containing every single cliche anyone could ever think of and a supporting cast much better than the main leads, especially the unrealistically naive and annoying FL.
It had some beautifully decorated macarons and cupcakes though :)

Strong start, weak middle and a disappointing end, but a charming Roy Chiu that helped me get through it till the end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nyle3WZGOQ&list=PLcDCRC9UAz1yP7fQm9tuFuOQXeWbMB-u2&index=2&t=185s
Cozy feeling, under-developed story...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDiSk6R2n60&list=PL9B0jJCX01sWIsaRX2H696ffjBVVTUYGB&index=4&t=0s 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOTH0xPqg8Y

https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/2loX6cA
"The Korean war was nothing compared to this! Egh, hyo, hyo, hyo, hyo"
With a totally frustrating, illogical, superficial and over-the-top plot, lukewarm love lines and too many (selfish and materialistic) characters not particularly worth rooting for, this family drama was strangely entertaining in its outrageousness, oversimplicity and challenging morals and ethics.

Not bad, but poorly written and too procedural and westernized for my taste...

Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLy0sMBM6Fh9HljeHvWC766LG_LaYAE477
"Forget others. Choose to be yourself."
Easier said than done, but embracing and accepting oneself is difficult for most of us anyway...

An easy, brainless filler watch with some cute cats, some clueless in love people and an overly fluffy office romance.

Ambitious and intriguing premise, lukewarm outcome.

https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/0VbpAIN
Heartwarming, with cute child actors and an un-ordinary story.

The actors did a good job with this uniquely weird story, but the over the top comedy and the manga-ish style was a bit too much for me.

Short but rather dragging, with inexperienced but charming young cast.
Nothing very memorable, but entertaining for a weekend binge-watch.

https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/xl8WAcl
Only for avid fans of Seo Hyun Jin!
Her powerful, elegant performance and her controversial persona was the best part of this average legal-revenge drama.
And, I must admit that I found her chemistry with the main antagonist played by veteran Heo Joon Ho so much better than that with her current or ex partner...

https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/dDOnnFB
An ambitious, tense and heavy thriller which was technically very appealing, but its story and characters were lacking...

https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/jDo0mcj
Over-the-top and savage from start to finish: story, characters, acting, and that ending...
Admittedly, nothing but a guilty pleasure watch!

Nothing memorable, but a short, easy watch, a good enough filler between some longer and more demanding dramas.

https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/EW1wri3
A heavy makjang drama with a chaotic, unnecessarily complicated and outrageously unrealistic story that had very little to do with the original well-known classic novel it was based on.
Unfortunately, the great performances of the cast and the magnificent production, cinematography, colouring and directing weren't enough for the weak story to be ignored.
Overall, great visuals of a mediocre substance...

https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/4W2oBUA
A pleasant surprise of Mr & Mrs Smith story approach, in a historical Cdrama setting.
Cute, funny and light rom-com, with no annoying characters and a well-fitted couple with amusing banters and good chemistry.
A stress-reliever watch!

I expected more with this cast, but eventually it wasn't something memorable.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuUQH5CiOw6nonBCJs8Hvdk-9OJ6GjA8t
An interesting depiction of how queer women  of different generations approach, express and embrace their sexuality, love-life, friendship and family relationships.

The only saving grace of this drama was the ML!

https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/jPW4pFj
https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/4W2wOCA
To be honest, this drama didn't do Doh Kyung Soo any justice at all!
His character was almost one-dimentional - in fact I found the whole writing at least average, with all those predictable and overused tropes and plot-twists.
If not for DO's acting and the 12 episodes instead of typical 16, "Bad Prosecutor" would have been a bad drama...

https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/0nepjiN
Though having high hopes for this one, with its cast and director, the outcome was very underwhelming...
Too many dump decisions from some characters, nonsensical plot-holes and cartoonish actions in a story that had great visuals but a mediocre substance.
The most intriguing elements were the strong, enigmatic, morally grey FL and the animated intro.

https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/qX1lYFp
https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/6J8v6Tl
Promising start with an intriguing plot and well-balanced doses of mystery and romance.
Messy middle with annoying and unnecessary side characters that caused a very disappointing plot detour.
Very touching and satisfying end, though a bit rushed, that made up for all the subpar tropes.
The sweetest dad ever and the scene-stealer flirting FL's friend Yoo So Ra earned most of this drama's brownie points.

 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZq6dW-osFDi5UFKqAlOI_A 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJi-VwGXW_w

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUv0-s7seHHrmFBsoRjM9b9tzFafWshBu 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zOOvS4apxQ
A bit awkward, a bit cute.

https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/k137AuJ
https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/dnQRJFB
Strong beginning, interesting premise, weak and unnecessarily complicated built-up, confusing time-travel back and forth, unsatisfactory answers and closure.
Another lesson why not having high expectations is the wisest thing to do when starting a drama...

Ep.1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1dJy0V4W_c
Ep. 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1dJy0V4W_c
Ep. 3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NksbZP6atc0
Ep. 4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc2IS2UmRaQ
Ep.5 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl-Bbi5g-eA

One of the most disappointing remakes...
Woori's badly written (and acted) character was not in the slightest close to the quirky, creative and adorable 'original' character of Jane - a real waste of time :/

https://mydramalist.com/profile/penel/feeds/47qkvat7
'Somebody' that is not for everybody...
A huge letdown after a promising start, a missed opportunity of a great cast and production team.
A messy attempt to mix too many story arcs and genres, with many things left unanswered, leading to confusing intentions, obscure motivations and illogical actions.
Kim Young Kwang delivered an outstanding performance, but the one who stole the spotlights was
Kim Yong Ji, as Im Mok Won the shaman, the most down-to-earth character (an oxymoron and a fact!).

Not even Kudo Asuka could save this...