My 2022 Drama List
Dramas I completed during 2022 and my opinion/recommendation.
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1. The Red Sleeve
Korean Drama - 2021, 17 episodes
Pros:
- Chemistry between the leads is amazing.
- Historical background is interesting.
- Junho is an amazing actor who really shone here.
- Lee Se Young is also brilliant.
- Great supporting cast.
- Beautiful OST.
- Beautiful and complex relationship between grandson-grandfather.
Cons:
- Some dull moments.
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2. Hotel del Luna
Korean Drama - 2019, 16 episodes
Pros:
- FL's backstory is the best portion of the drama.
- IU is gorgeous. Fashion here is on another level.
- 2ML is charming.
- Great side characters.
- Case-of-the-week style story.
- Tearjerker when it comes to the FL.
- Magical OST.
Cons:
- First five episodes did not impress me.
- No chemistry between leads.
- ML is bland. He is a little too perfect and he has no flaws.
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3. Bad and Crazy
Korean Drama - 2021, 12 episodes
Pros:
- A fairly entertaining drama with some plot twists.
- The MLs have good chemistry.
- Lee Dong Wook and Wi Ha Joon look great.
- Action is fun.
Cons:
- Probably wouldn't re-watch since I wasn't attached.
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4. Mr. Queen
Korean Drama - 2020, 20 episodes
Pros:
- Hilarious comedy with funny antics.
- Shin Hye Sun is in probably her best role. She somehow pulls the whole modern-man-in-a-queen's-body kind of role. It's hard to imagine someone else playing this role since she made it her own.
- Didn't mind the ending.
Cons:
- At some point, the political part takes the spotlight and the comedy is subdued, which made it less fun.
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5. The Crowned Clown
Korean Drama - 2019, 16 episodes
Pros:
- Yeo Jin Goo plays two roles well.
- Kim Sang Kyung has a nice presence. Probably my favorite part of the drama.
- Wonderful OST.
- Heartbreaking story.
Cons:
- Average and forgettable.
- Lackluster romance.
- Ending wasn't my favorite.
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6. Pachinko
Korean Drama - 2022, 8 episodes
Pros:
- High production and quality drama.
- Intriguing character journeys.
- It doesn't go in chronological order, but the style they go with is interesting because it shows the difference between the FL as a young woman and as a old woman.
- Top-notch acting.
- Lee Min Ho's performance is great. Definitely different from him usual roles.
- Very beautiful and heartbreaking.
Cons:
- The grandson story is dull.
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7. One Ordinary Day
Korean Drama - 2021, 8 episodes
Pros:
- Sets the tone from the first episode, and it's thrilling.
- Stories concerning ML's case and prison life are gripping.
- Loved the lawyer character more than I expected.
- Has its focus on law, but it's not dull.
Cons:
- The ending was anti-climactic.
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8. Tempted
Korean Drama - 2018, 32 episodes
Pros:
- Laughably stupid in an entertaining makjang way. It takes itself too seriously.
- The chemistry between the three friends is the best.
- Moon Ga Young and Kim Min Jae's plot is good, and they have a good romance.
- The guys also work well together, and it helps that they're good friends IRL.
- Filled with pretty people in great clothes
Cons:
- We were robbed of a good romance between Moon Ga Young and Woo Do Hwan.
- There are lulls in the middle that couldn't grip me enough to pay attention.
- The story about the adults especially was boring.
Would ONLY recommend if you're ready to not take it seriously (and to endure/skip chunks of it).
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9. Tomorrow
Korean Drama - 2022, 16 episodes
Pros:
- FL and her story are the highlight of the drama.
- Lee Soo Hyuk is gorgeous here.
- Heartbreaking and beautiful story.
Cons:
- Not everything was interesting.
- I feel like I've watched a lot of dramas with this style.
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10. My Liberation Notes
Korean Drama - 2022, 16 episodes
Pros:
- Chill and peaceful vibes.
- Wish I can re-watch at times.
- Siblings feel different and charming. They're sympathetic and I rooted for their happiness.
- Chang Hee is funny, and he is my favorite.
- Related to Mi Jeong's personality.
- Open, but satisfying ending.
- OST adds to the vibe instead of distracting.
- Good drama to watch if you like My Mister.
Cons:
- Some stories were less interesting to me than others.
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11. 365: Repeat the Year
Korean Drama - 2020, 24 episodes
Pros:
- Full of twists and turns.
- Characters are not what they seem, and they have their flaws.
- Mind-blowing twists.
- Relationship between the leads is great. Whether you see it as platonic or romantic, it works either way.
- Time travel done right. Doesn't focus on the mechanics too much, but rather on consequences.
Cons:
- There are some dull parts here and there.
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12. Our Blues
Korean Drama - 2022, 20 episodes
Pros:
- One of the best dramas out there in terms of emotional impact.
- The drama goes into different stories of different characters within the same friend/family group in Jeju island, and each story has its spotlight in what I like to call "their own little movie".
- Peaceful vibes.
- Delves into characters and their struggles that are mostly internal.
- As the stories progress, the emotional impact goes harder.
- Tearjerker, but to the point where I sobbed multiple times.
- Top-notch acting.
- Beautiful and peaceful music.
- Cinematography is beautiful.
Cons:
- There are a few stories I wasn't a particular fan of.
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13. Bloody Heart
Korean Drama - 2022, 16 episodes
Pros:
- Politically intriguing.
- Smart and badass FL.
- ML is not a goodie-two-shoes.
- Jang Hyuk has a great presence. His character is my favorite, too.
- Exciting OST.
Cons:
- Not all the characters were tolerable.
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14. Pinocchio
Korean Drama - 2014, 20 episodes
Pros:
- Gets better and better after the second episode.
- The reporters' stories and the cases they handle are significant.
- Gives you a reason to care for the characters and the cases.
- Characters learn from their experience constantly.
- 2ML is a puppy, and he is my favorite character.
- 2FL is hilarious.
- Case-of-the-week style drama that isn't dull.
Cons:
- The first episode is terrible. Made me drop the drama at first.
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15. Love Playlist
Korean Drama - 2017, 8 episodes
Pros:
- Light and short.
Cons:
- I didn't really care for this drama.
Would not recommend.
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16. A Piece of Your Mind
Korean Drama - 2020, 12 episodes
Pros:
- Cozy and comfortable ... in vibe, story, setting, music, and characters.
- The two leads meet and help each other throughout their journeys, especially after the ML tries to move on.
- Sound and music play a big part, and the OST reflects that.
Cons:
- Has its dull parts.
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17. Link: Eat, Love, Kill
Korean Drama - 2022, 16 episodes
Pros:
- It started off intriguing with its low fantasy plot and the missing person mystery.
Cons:
- This drama had no idea what it was doing and tried to put "twists" that led nowhere. Nothing really happened.
- The characters were not smart.
Would not recommend.
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18. Age of Youth
Korean Drama - 2016, 12 episodes
Pros:
- Well-done and well-written.
- The characters were flawed and interesting. Each had their own stories and secrets that made me curious.
- Han Ye Ri has a strong presence here. She was my favorite.
- Good friendship between the leads.
Cons:
- This story was not for me.
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19. Love Alarm
Korean Drama - 2019, 8 episodes
Pros:
- Interesting premise.
Cons:
- This is my second least favorite drama, only beat by a webdrama I didn't care for.
- The characters were dumb, the plot was dumb, and nothing interested me.
- Managed to do the impossible. It made me drop it back when I had no expectations or much experience when it can to Korean dramas.
Would not recommend. Not a bit.
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20. Poong, the Joseon Psychiatrist
Korean Drama - 2022, 12 episodes
Pros:
- Kim Min Jae is good to look at.
- Has its sweet and funny moments.
Cons:
- Average and not too entertaining.
- Doesn't have a lasting impact on me.
Would not recommend.
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21. Today's Webtoon
Korean Drama - 2022, 16 episodes
Pros:
- Some characters were good.
Cons:
- Painfully average.
- Didn't care for the characters or the webtoon creators they handled.
Would not recommend.
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22. Narco-Saints
Korean Drama - 2022, 6 episodes
Pros:
- Good acting.
Cons:
- I didn't care for this story.
- It kept me glued to my phone, and that's the worst crime a drama can do to me.
Would not recommend.
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23. Twenty-Five Twenty-One
Korean Drama - 2022, 16 episodes
Pros:
- Brilliant acting. Kim Tae Ri is energetic and charming, especially. Nam Joo Hyuk works well in this role.
- Good chemistry between all actors.
- The ending itself wasn't too bad.
- Hilarious in a laugh-out-loud way, and it also has some heartfelt moments.
- Good soundtracks to listen to.
Cons:
- Last few episodes were a letdown.
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24. Little Women
Korean Drama - 2022, 12 episodes
Pros:
- More entertaining than expected.
- Kim Go Eun is entertaining, and Wi Ha Joon looks cool.
- The villains are nuts, and I love it.
- Good score in the OST.
- Not a drama to take seriously, which makes it fun.
Cons:
- It's definitely not the original Little Women.
- It can be dumb or it can not make sense at times.
- The initial relationship between the younger sister and her older sisters was terrible. Could not stand the younger sister.
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25. Glitch
Korean Drama - 2022, 10 episodes
Pros:
- Nana has a great presence.
Cons:
- I didn't care for this.
Would not recommend.
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26. The Golden Spoon
Korean Drama - 2022, 16 episodes
Pros:
- Starts off well.
- The characters are interesting, especially the ML, 2FL, and the Hwang father. They're gray and they seem to have backgrounds or motives that add to the story.
Cons:
- They didn't treat the interesting characters well for the sake of superficial lessons. These characters deserve better.
Would not recommend.
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27. Alchemy of Souls
Korean Drama - 2022, 20 episodes
Pros:
- Ensemble fun cast that have great interactions with each other.
- The comedy beats are well-written, and I want to see the characters happy together because I'm attached.
- Jung So Min is entertaining, and so is Shin Seung Ho.
- Secondary romances/love triangles were more fun than the main.
- Mist of intrigue and mystery made it compelling.
- Fun fantasy adventure.
- Fun costumes.
Cons:
- Lee Jae Wook is not my favorite here.
- I didn't care much for the romance.
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28. Big Mouth
Korean Drama - 2022, 16 episodes
Pros:
- First half of this drama is entertaining and unexpectedly hilarious.
- Lee Jong Suk and Yoona blew me away.
- Ending felt fitting.
- Unexpectedly got me in the feels.
- Fun OST.
Cons:
- After a while, the interesting plot points are gone.
- The parts of the ending that were rushed were bad.
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29. Weak Hero Class 1
Korean Drama - 2022, 8 episodes
Pros:
- Park Ji Hoon changed my perception of him in this role. He is the highlight of this drama. His character is gray and fun to follow.
- All the main characters are interesting.
- Thrilling and exciting plot.
- Great chemistry between the leads.
Cons:
- Some parts were hard to watch.
- Young Yi felt useless.
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30. Somebody
Korean Drama - 2022, 8 episodes
Pros:
- Kim Young Kwang was genuinely creepy.
Cons:
- Didn't care for anyone or the story.
- Too much nudity, and it's useless.
Would not recommend.
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31. Connect
Korean Drama - 2022, 6 episodes
Pros:
- Intriguing plot.
Cons:
- Stylized, but in a weird way.
- Would've worked better as an animation.
Would not recommend.
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32. Kingdom
Korean Drama - 2019, 6 episodes
Pros:
- Compelling mashup of interesting characters and genuinely unsettling zombies.
- There's political issues at play, but it's not interfering with the plot. In fact, it highlights characters and what makes them interesting.
- You get into the zombie action pretty fast, and it leaves not only the characters, but also the viewers, guessing.
- Of course, there are the dumb characters, but the smart ones have a big presence.
- My favorite out of all of them is Young Shin, who made me fall in love with him more and more each episode.
Cons:
- Not really attached to the characters.
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33. Reborn Rich
Korean Drama - 2022, 16 episodes
Pros:
- Fun elements in this revenge story.
- The relationship between Jin Do Jin and Jin Yang Cheol is the best part.
- Lee Sung Min as Jin Yang Cheol is phenomenal.
Cons:
- Episode 1 was not interesting.
- I didn't mind the last episode too much at first, but I started to hate it after hearing what happens in the original story.
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34. The Glory
Korean Drama - 2022, 8 episodes
Pros:
- Bullies are genuinely terrible, and the actors did well portraying them.
- Actresses in the flashbacks are soooo good.
- Revenge part is fun.
Cons:
- Didn't care for the leads.