The 7 K-dramas That Stood Out To Me in 2023

Before starting anything, I have to say this first: 

If not for the dramas on this list, it would’ve been SOOOOO easy for me to call 2023 K-dramas completely disappointing. 

Yes, the year started off great, but once certain dramas of the 2nd-3rd quarter started to roll in, particularly the big name dramas (don’t even get me started on the rom-com) I’d ecstatically and dreamily looked forward to devouring, I got gobsmacked. Big time.

I was genuinely confounded by how bad and mediocre they were. And this downward spiral (serious boredom) continued for a long stretch; it was Chinese rom-coms and K-dramas released in the latter half of the year that finally managed to draw me out of the soul-sucking boredom 2023 dramas plunged me into.

Sigh.

Well, join me as I laud the shows that saved me and the year – the ones actually made with the exceptional depth, thought, heart, and brilliance K-dramas are reputed for. They deserve to be lauded, so let’s dive right into them!

Call it Love

As a hopeless romantic, immediately I saw the moody, sombre poster for this romantic melodrama, I knew I was going to check it out, if even just the first episode. Its plot hooked me instantly — it’s about a woman falling in forbidden love with the man she avowed to revenge for making her family homeless. 

What’s more, Shooting Stars didn’t give me the patience to enjoy Lee Sung Kyung’s last role, so I was curious to see her in this. As for the leading actor, Kim Young Kwang, I’m not a fan of his. Not because I don’t like his acting, but because I don’t particularly consider him attractive — Yep, shallow of me. But it is what it is. I like my leading men handsome to taste. So, I was kinda bothered about not enjoying the show.

To cut the long story short, I got deeply sucked into this one. 

I savoured every minute, ironically managing to fall so hard for Kim Young Kwang’s quiet, profoundly kind and pitiful character, Han Dong Jin. As for Sung Kyung’s character, Shim Woo Joo, indeed, for the first few episodes, I was not fond of her. She was bull-headed, sulky, rebellious, difficult to read, and tongue-sharp in extreme ways. But gratefully, I grew to understand and warm up to her a lot.

Holistically, Call it Love was just absorbing. 

It surprised me by how much depth and sway it held, even when it seemed like nothing was going on. Every aspect of the drama held weight. The My Mister-like moody cinematography; the incredibly humane, intimate and heartbreaking acting especially by Kim Young Kwang; the pure, raw chemistry shared between him and Lee Sung Kyung; the impressively self-aware, thoughtful and pulling writing; the perfectly paced plot — not too fast and not too slow; the thought-provoking scenarios; the interesting and lovable side characters’ story and romance—precisely that of Shim Hye Seong and Yoon Jun—everything added up to be highly gratifying and memorable.

Truly one of the best romance dramas to come out of 2023. What a special, underrated gem. Wholeheartedly recommend. If you can take a gloomy vibe and a languid pace that is not exactly languid.

Moving

Moving is the kind of masterpiece that doesn’t need to toot its own horns.

Its sheer, enormous brilliance markets itself far and wide, literally moving, driving people to gush about it endlessly, with the most contagious passion and amazement. When I was in the thick of jadedness caused by 2023 K-dramas, I kept seeing netizens showering the most unreserved and unabashed praises on Moving practically everywhere. On Instagram, Reddit, YouTube… you name it. Its praises were littered at every street and intersection. At this junction, I knew that there had to be something huge here.

And Jesus Christ, when I finally got to unpacking Moving, my blood kept BOILING. My skin kept ITCHING. At high levels. Why? Because, even as highly praised and ubiquitous as the show was, I was still wishing, WISHING FREAKIN’ BADLY, that the drama had been on Netflix and not Disney Plus. Because, just like some comments kept swearing with their life, I truly, TRULY believe that this drama would have equalled, if not surpassed the levels of astronomical popularity and hype that Squid Games garnered and revelled in FOREVER, if only it had been on the giant streaming platform, Netflix. Its hype would have been overwhelmingly loud, way more powerful and impactful than that of Squid Games. 

GUYS, Moving is sooooo blooooooooody gooooood. Dammmmmmitttt!!!!

I’m not a “superheroes” girl. I don’t care for Marvels and whatnot (except for Spiderman, of course. Precisely, Tom Holland’s Spiderman). But Moving took everything in this larger-than-life genre that I normally deem superficial, insubstantial and exaggerated, and turned it into something extremely heart-tugging, romantic, human, deep, and monumentally real. 

Gosh!!! 

Let’s dive a little more into this show. 

Moving is a drama about superpowered parents who literally go through storm and fire to save their kids with inherited powers, from a dangerous organization that’d taken advantage of and caged up their own lives. And like I’ve dramatised, everything about this drama blew my mind. Particularly the depth, richness and brilliant nature of its flashbacks. They redefined what true full-circle moments are in ways I haven’t even seen ANY other long serial drama do. They were extremely rich and creative!

That aside, the entire cast was strikingly awesome. Han Yoo Joo, one of my favs since day one, plays a haggard yet bad-ass mother, and she was compelling.

Her flashback romance with Zo In Sung was also one of a kind; absorbing me in completely, and telling a fully whole and convincing love story within just two episodes. Mindblown. 

I loved their son, Kim Bong Seok (Lee Jung Ha). He was so guileless, innocent, cute, and fluffy. What a teddy bear! I did think he was played in a little too ditzy way, but I absolutely loved him all the same. I lived for his cute romance with Jang Hee Soo, who by the way, I found so endearing. She was indifferent, but not in a cold way at all. She was just pragmatic while being so understanding, mature, friendly and good-natured. Loved her! Go Yoon Jung played this character really, really well.

Her father, Jang Ju Won, was played by Ryu Seung Ryong and I wouldn’t be surprised if he was the highest paid amongst the leading actors on the show. The countless physical torture Ju Won put himself through and was put through in this drama, are second to none. Not to mention, Ryu Seun Ryong’s emotional performance was right up there too. He outdid himself. What amazing rigour and performance put in.

I also loved the detailed flashback to his love story. So sweet and touching! I was ecstatic to see Kwak Sun Young whom I’ve always been captivated by and as expected, she totally delivered as Ji Hee. I love that woman!

Lest I forget, Kim Sung Kyun, hands down, gave one of the best performances of the show. The way he played the mentally handicapped yet consummate and passionate father, Lee Jae Man, was so amazingggg. What an explosive, yet heart-piercing performance he gave! Whew!

I can’t wrap up this review without highlighting Moving’s bright, unique cinematography, its complex, exhaustive action scenes, and the fantastical superhero-power displays — they were absolutely riveting. Mammothly entertaining, engrossing and fascinating. I could barely catch my breath from it all. 

Should I touch on how AWESOME the screenplay is? It’s unbelievable that the writer and artist of the Webtoon Moving is based off of, is the SAME person that wrote the script for its screen adaptation. Is that why the writing is so rich and intimate?

Anyway, hats off to the man in question — Kang Full. Some people are insanely talented in this life. Insanely talented.

Let me stop here, else my exultations for this single drama won’t end here. If you haven’t seen Moving yet, here’s all I would say: It’s one of the richest, MOST moving and breathtaking superhero dramas or even K-dramas in general, you’ll ever watch. So… don’t freakin’ miss it. 

Meanwhile, Baeksang Arts Awards, you know what to do with the Best Drama of the Year category. You know what to do!

My Dearest

This is the only drama I’ll be okay with winning “Best Drama of The Year” if Moving (for whatever reason) does not clinch it. My Dearest’s second part has its loopholes and pitfalls, but I still think that overall, it is one of the most remarkable Seguk (traditional K-dramas) I’ve ever watched. The first part of the drama had me by the jugular and absolutely lived up to its hype.

To start with, its depiction of war was incredibly profound. Asides Jumong, this is probably the only K-drama to humanize war this deeply and closely, and not make it sound so generalized and theorized. For the first time, in real time, I was able to see the destruction and devastation war causes to the smallest units of mankind such as couples, families, vulnerable women, kids, and intimate communities. I could see firsthand, the physical, mental, and psychological pain and trauma that war impacts on both the privileged and everyday people. This aspect of the drama really enriched the whole story; and the way that it was suspensefully written and emotionally acted had me gripped. The suspense, high stakes, lurking danger, and intense emotions — they hook you in so fiercely and tightly.

Furthermore, we have our major characters whose eccentric and unprecedented love story was the centrepiece underneath which all the war unfolds. The war’s complications served as their push and pull, causing them to push and pull each other as well, and these made for such a torturous yet delicious love story. I loved both of the characters in this main romance, finding them to be so unique and fully drawn out, particularly Gil Chae (Ahn Eun Jin).

Apart from Kim Tae Ri’s Hee Do in Twenty Five, Twenty One, Gil Chae is the literally the most realistic, nuanced and multifaceted “strong female character” I’ve ever seen. She didn’t know how to fight physically; neither was she unnecessarily rude or aggressive. Instead, she was carefree, playful and cheeky while possessing a very strong fortitude and attitude to life. The kind that stands up for herself and others, and refuses to victimise herself and others. 

Now, perhaps the most interesting thing about Gil Chae is the growth she underwent right from the beginning of the series to the end. It was freakin’ organic and impressive. I can’t praise the writer enough for this. With each adversity and painful experience the war put Gil Chae through, a newer side of her emerged. And these sides of her were always full of amazing qualities. Gil Chae went from being proud, self-centred and frivolous, to being an incredibly selfless, strong, protective, quick-witted and resourceful heroine. She became a leader; a protector, and a guider.

So awe-inspiring!

Now that I think about it, those newer traits were always embedded in the greener version of the Gil Chae we knew. The war just amplified these other sides of her and they were such a treat to behold. “Unconforming” is the encompassing way I would describe Gil Chae. Right from when she was introduced to us, Gil Chae was always the unconforming character who simply used her brains, wits, and initiatives to get what she wanted. And as she evolved, she used those qualities to cater to those around her, bringing them to warmth, provision and safety.

I can’t wait for Ahn Eun Jin To nab the Best Actress Award at the Baeksang Awards next year. She truly delivered the performance of a lifetime with this incredibly rich and complex role she was given—an untouchable, career-elevating performance that mesmerized and blew the heck out of my mind. No other actress deserves that award the way she does. No. Other. Actress. Full STOP.

Moving on to the male lead, Jang Hyun played by Min Namkoong: he was absolutely fascinating as well. First off, the man consistently looked breathtaking in his Seguk hat and dress—his sharp, chiselled jaws enchanted and intrigued me to no end. And his character? I was swooning like a headless fowl. He was so unconventionally romantic and charismatic. He was Gil Chae’s match through and through. A playboy who was just as unconforming and frivolous, yet so graceful and chivalrous. He didn’t have to brag about anything. He was just effortlessly cool—I loveeeeeed his sharp, suave sword scenes so much!—fighting for, protecting and saving people he didn’t have to. Not to mention, he was more righteous and virtuous than certain characters claimed to be. 

Min Namkoong portrayed this character in such a classy, dynamic and nuanced way. He owned the character completely. The only person I can see nailing his role this good and similarly would be Jung Kyung Ho. I actually think they look alike and find their acting styles to be very similar. I’m rooting for Min Namkoong to win Best Actor as well, but I fear that Ryu Seung Ryong from Moving might get it. It’s all good. Regardless of the case, Namkoong gave a phenomenal performance that he should forever be proud of.

As mentioned earlier, My Dearest was not a flawless drama. Its second part especially came with a lot of gaping flaws such as bad pacing; not fully fleshing and utilizing its secondary characters; and its cheap use of random amnesia arcs. But My Dearest still wins largely by its deep, emotional and humanized depiction of war; by its fully fleshed, nuanced, and dimensional major characters; and by its tragic but absolutely epic and beautiful love story. 

Another transcendent drama that saved 2023. No stories there.

Twinkling Watermelon

The synopsis of this drama doesn’t do it justice AT ALL. Especially to people like me who are not a fan of the time travel-fantasy genre; but a fan of the family, youthful friendship, nostalgia, young romance, and comedy genre. The entire latter of which this drama is really all about. 

Thank goodness I came across @kdramadicttt Instagram post. She deemed Twinkling Watermelon to be her “Fav Drama of 2023”. And mind you, this is a K-drama account I find uniquely reflective and philosophical; I resonate with her thoughts on dramas a lot. So seeing her declare this drama to be her FAVOURITE from the WHOLE YEAR really made me sit up tight. For her to have said something like that, so heartily and categorically, I knew I was going to like this drama too. 

Heck, I suspected I was going to fall in love with it—especially since my close friend, Melody had been persuading me to watch it too.

Anddddd, that was precisely what happened. I checked out the first episode and lord, I GULPED — LOVEDDD every bit of it. Everything was beautifully refreshing, warm and heartfelt. Seeing a mostly deaf family happily communicating with sign language, and seeing how the only CODA (the hearing child) among them did all his best to be there for them right from a young age—even getting cutely angry on their behalf—was so heartwarming and touching. I immediately loved Eun Gyeol and his deaf, but content and happy family.

When Eun Gyeol finally time travelled to the past, I won’t lie, I was worried that the drama was going to lose its warmth and immersive quality. But boy, was I wrong. Instead, the drama’s warmth and entertaining quality was amplified!

The new developments and cast made the show so much more FUN! Starting from the boy band members and their comedic interactions and reactions; the funky, beautiful music and instrumentals played; the great chemistry and comical bromance between Eun Gyeol and his teenaged dad, Yi Chan; the way Yi Chan confessed his feelings for deaf Chung Ah — everything was thoroughly beautiful, hilarious, warm and exciting.

Let’s come to the twinkling star/heart of the show – Yi Chan. I grew to love and adore him wayyyyy beyond my expectations. To be honest, I’d thought Choi Hyun Wook’s real life “Cigarette butt-Smoking scandal” would affect how I viewed him in this drama, but it didn’t. At all. Yi Chan was just too endearing as a character. He was such a social, upbeat and determined goofball with lots of hilarious and charming naivety. I absolutely loved him and found Choi Hyun Wook’s portrayal of him to be fabulously and effortlessly cool! 

The impressive thing about Choi Hyun Wook is that all the roles I know him for — Twenty Five, Twenty One, Weak Hero Class 1 and now this — are very very similar (goofiness and all), yet he has managed to make all of them feel distinct and even more so, managed to make his role here much more endearing. I’m freakin’ impressed! Yi Chan is a well-written, sweetheart of a character, so I’m sure that contributed to how endeared I was to how he was portrayed. So well done to the writer!

Lest I forget, goofiness aside, Choi Hyun Wook’s emotional acting was just as amazing. As in, how heart-wrenching was that hospital scene of Yi Chan realising that he had really lost his hearing? Such a masterclass, emotionally wrecking performance. Wow!🥺

As for Yi Chan’s romance with Chung Ah; it legit became one of my favourite aspects of the show. It was full of innocence, warmth and endearing awkwardness. I would say that overall, I enjoyed Chung Ah as a character. The very beautiful, baby faced Shin Eun Soo portrayed her obstinacy, independence, and strong-will really well.

Although I found Chung Ah to be a little more difficult than I preferred or understood (particularly when Yi Chan first tried to be friends with her); most of her actions made sense, and I appreciated how her deafness didn’t make her intimidated or weak-willed. Despite all the abuse she was put through, she was rather strong, discerning, and stood up for herself without batting an eye. Really admired those qualities of hers and enjoyed how Shin Eun Soo portrayed them so well.

Now, to Eun Gyeol. What a precious soul he is! The child actor (Jung Hyeon Jun) and older actor (Ryeoun) that played him totally felt like the same people and I loved that. The same good-natured, responsible, mature and puppy-like vibe exuded from them both. I enjoyed their performances. They executed the emotional scenes so freaking well. However, I did think that Ryeoun went a little overboard in some of the more shouty, angry scenes with the man that caused him to time-travel. The context of his anger was always understandable without him needing to over-shout or over-act. So such outburst scenes would have benefitted from a more restrained, tethered acting, making him come off as naturally furious, rather than try-hard.

Notwithstanding, his emotional performances were so so so good; so visceral and affective that I didn’t really mind his over-shouty scenes. Well done Ryeoun!

Regarding Seol In Ah, whom I really enjoyed in Business Proposal, I was curious to see what she had in store here. And honestly, for the most part, I didn’t vibe with the first character she played, Se Kyung. Se Kyung was stiff, snobby, and aloof, so I wasn’t fond of her. She wasn’t letting the Seol In Ah I know shine as an actress. And by the time I was introduced to the other character, Eun Yoo, I still wasn’t in love; despite this being a character that is more upbeat, naughty and teasing like the acting Seol In Ah I know.

It was only later on I grew to actually enjoy Seol In Ah on-screen and even began to find her useful to the plot development (I mean, I’d wondered what she was doing in the show🤷). Anyways thank God; I got to enjoy her as Eun Yoo and ultimately found her friendship and romance with Eun-Gyeol fitting and entertaining. They had great chemistry and I loved how casual, comfortable and unpretentious their relationship was.

I saw some online comments saying that the ending of this drama was rushed. What??? I can swear with all of my heart that it wasn’t. Not even in the slightest. This was a perfectly paced drama. Nothing ever felt slow or rushed from episode 1 to the very last. Everything was appropriately and proportionately paced, and the ending came together in such a wholly satisfying, heart-warming and earned way. This was an A show. It didn’t bite more than it could chew; it just focused on delivering heartfelt emotions and themes, and it absolutely aced them.

Not to mention, there were no confusions with the time-travel scenes. No muddiness or disturbing logic stretches. It was just uniquely refreshing, vibrant, light-hearted, entertaining and heartening. Yo, I recommend this show with the whole of my Reply 1988 loving heart!!

Bloodhounds

The hopeless romantic in me is also into a good action series filled with bromance. So of course, immediately this show was recommended by male colleagues of mine who are not even into K-dramas, I knew I had to whip it out and watch, and… what an instant favourite it was!

Just as I love my actions series done, it was brimming with heart, warmth, humour, and camaraderie. I adored and enjoyed the show so much! It’s pretty much about two young boxers who developed a precious friendship and partnership; fighting against ruthless loan sharks that threatened the lives of the people they cherished.

I was fond of the sexily handsome Woo Do Hwan as Geon Woo. In contrast to his face, he was so soft, innocent, and lamby, but also buff and tough when it mattered; when the lives of his sweet mum and innocent people were being scattered. So adorable.

My favourite of the two, however, is Woo Jin played by Lee Sang Yi!🤭😍🤩

Should I begin with his curls and black ear studs? His playfulness, unseriousness, dad jokes, and free-spirited ways? My heart literally turned into candy fluff whenever this man was onscreen. He owned the whole of my damn heart. He was not cookie-cutter clean nor was he as naïve as Geon Woo, but he was just as good-natured and sacrificial. 

If he had died during the fire scene where he was left unconscious, I would have legit dropped and cursed this show for life—that is before facing my completely shattered heart, crying tears of blood. I loved him that much. Lee Sang Yi was extremely charming in this role. 

His effortless transformation to Woo Jin amazed me because I had seen him before in Hometown Cha Cha and Crash Course in Romance, but neither of his roles there resemble what he embodied here – both physically and character-wise. And that was when I was like, damn! What a versatile and dynamic actor this guy is. I’m so in love. He’s definitely my latest actor crush!

Onto the action scenes in this show; they were freaking fun and exhilarating to watch. There was constant blood, bone-breaking, split-lips, and bandages, but our duo were relentless against evil. And this is a big deal because the villains of this show were no small feat to defeat.

The major villain, Myeong Gil was so magnetic, charming, cunning, terrifying, and dangerously smart. Park Sung Woong delivered such a dominant, impenetrable performance. He legit scared the shit out of me every time he appeared on screen, or made a threat in that charismatic, smirkful ways of his.

Give this man an award. He’s such an interesting actor with a HUGE onscreen presence. His performance made even more of an impression on me because in the last drama I saw him in, Snowdrop, he was the MOST entertaining to watch. He played a villain there as well, but he was rather more hilarious and dramatic while being unpredictably dangerous. Whereas here, he’s more formidable with a sprinkle of wicked humour, and he was so captivating. What an actor.

As for Kim Sae Ron, I wasn’t really interested in her role as Hyeon Ju. The actress’ real life DUI controversy caused her to be replaced with another actress. And while I genuinely liked the new actress’ character and performance compared to Kim Sae Ron’s, she was not focused on. Do Hwan and Sang Yi were the stars of the show, and thankfully they held it from start to finish.

On the downside, Kim Sae Ron’s replacement obviously affected the drama’s climax and denouements. If they hadn’t had to replace her in a rush or even replace her at all, I’m certain that the director/writer would have flawlessly executed what it had originally planned.

Notwithstanding, Bloodhounds made great use of what it had; it still gripped and thrilled me with its suspense and intense action scenes. 

It remains a wholesome, solid watch I would recommend instantly to anyone craving a concise action series that grabs the heart with ungainly, brotherly characters and thrilling fight scenes!

Crash Course in Romance

In all honesty, I went back and forth as to whether to add Crash Course in Romance to my list of 2023 K-drama stand-outs. But no matter how I think about it, it deserves a spot here.

It’s the first, official drama I saw in 2023—I saw it in January when I’d just moved into my very first apartment, living on my own—and I have quite the memory of how much I looked forward to it every weekend. Guys🤣🤣, it made me LAUGH MY RIBCAGES OFF, particularly in its first sets of episodes.

Granted, it does not match the stronger and deeper dramas like Moving or My Dearest, and doesn’t hold up to the cohesiveness and consistency of Call it Love or Twinkling Watermelon, but I would still say that this drama entertained me a whole lot and even grabbed my heart in acute ways.

Besides, it was the last good rom-com I watched in the first quarter of 2023 — yeah, before K-dramas took a swerve for the worse. Geez.

Anyway, Jung Kyung Ho as Choi Chi Yeol is the BIGGEST reason I enjoyed this drama. He had me rolling in laughter and at the same time, had me sobered up with his astonishingly nuanced, emotional performance. I had high expectations for this show and due to Jung Kyung Ho’s comedic and emotive expertise, I was mostly satisfied.

CCIR is not just a rom-com, it’s also a familial and satirical drama that depicts the trauma that Korean parents’ obsession with grades causes to high-school students. 

On the rom-com side, I reasonably enjoyed the main characters’ romance, although I found the actors to be physically mismatched onscreen and even cringed every now and then. Their real life age difference was very glaring. But I was okay with putting up with them. Moreover, the characters were entertaining in their own rights.

The drama also introduced me to the adorably handsome and talented young actor, Lee Min Jae. And he’s ABSOLUTELY the other big reason I enjoyed CCIR. He portrayed the teasing, fun and dynamic Geon Hu so freakin’ well! I loved how clueless yet cool he was, and how he made me reel with laughter.🤣💗 

The drama also entertained me with heartwarming high-school friends, including two mature best friends whose boy-girl relationship evolved into a well-earned, youthful romance.

On the side of satire, the show totally achieved what it set out to do. I would never stop being amazed at how consumed Korean parents are with grades. It’s seriously funny and not funny. As for its family theme, I felt all the warmth and satisfaction in my heart, especially with Choi Chi Yeol’s selfless care for his students; Lee Sun Jae’s family’s conflict resolution; and the sacrificial way in which Nam Haeng Seon took in her niece as her own child.

This drama was not without its flaws. The major one being inserting a needless villain and mystery plot to the interesting rom-comness and satire we already had going on. It also had other pointless plot points that sidetracked it.

But, in spite of it all, Crash Course in Romance deliciously ruined my bones with laughter and injected warmth into me, charming its way into my heart.

So yes, I dare declare it to be one of my stand-outs for the year. Check out my full review of the show here.

The Glory 

There’s a reason The Glory is Song Hye Kyo’s redemptive drama. Both literally and figuratively. 

For the first time, in the longest time, she showed us what just she’s capable of. The Glory is a drama that tells the revenge story of a high-school girl, Moon Dong Eun, who was brutally bullied by a gang of heartless classmates.

Everything about the drama was on point.

First off, Song Hye Kyo’s acting took a new dimension. Interestingly, she had the same expressionless face she had always been critiqued for, but this time it was put to killer use. And it worked so appropriately, effectively and brilliantly. Song Hye Kyo truly came into her own in this role, proving to us, to me, that she ain’t an A class actress for nothing. She effortlessly portrayed complex emotions, constantly moving in and out of them, in the most convincing ways. 

The clever writing of the drama was also stellar. It really helped Hye Kyo shine. I find it glorious that the show was written by the same writer who wrote Descendants of The Sun, the hit K-drama that’d paired Song Hye Kyo with now ex-husband, Song Joong Ki. Her divorce, which led to harsh and unfair public scrutiny, had all started with that drama, and here she is in another hit drama written by the same writer; shining bright and reclaiming her glory in the limelight.

So prophetic, so cathartic.

All that slight tangent aside😄, I fancied The Glory’s cinematography. It was so immersive and sleek—without being overly sleek. And the episodes were crisp, making the show even more engrossing and bingey.

For the Show’s villains, I did think they were too evil, almost to a cartoonish extent. But I think it worked in this case, and the actors did a fantastic job. We needed the bad guys to have zero redemption because we wanted to root for Moon Dong Eun all the way without feeling a bit bad for any of them, so that worked well to the drama’s favour.

Fun-fact: I am yet to watch The Glory‘s second part — yep, despite excitedly looking forward to it when I’d just binge-watched its first part. Well, due to not wanting to watch shows with high curse-words count and X-rated stuff (I’d heard there was a boob flash in the show), I’ve been putting off the watch.

BUT, I bet it had a great resolution and ending. People have had nothing but positive things to say in those regards. Besides, you don’t win Best Drama of The Year at the Baeksang Arts Awards if you don’t pull your weight to the very end (I think?).

So yeah, I don’t know for sure, if or when I’ll finally get to watch part two, but I do know this: The Glory is one of the most cohesive, well-crafted and absorbing thrillers to come out of 2023. Check out my full review for its first part here.

In Conclusion

These seven dramas had their drawbacks, from big to small, but they did so many key things right and for that, I appraise the writers, directors and actors involved. They honestly saved the year and me!😩❤️👏

To be completely blunt—after all’s said and done—2023 dramas as a whole, did not grab me in the intimate and consummate ways that 2021/2022 dramas did. 

Nonetheless, the dramas on this list are the closest to the magical and incandescent ways I felt in the preceding years. So if you’ve not watched certain dramas here and you’re anything like me, I promise, you’ll enjoy them!

Thank you so much for reading, Lovers. Happy New Year in advance!❤️❤️❤️

You can catch my review of the 2023 dramas I found disturbing but strangely enjoyable here and the exceedingly boring and uninteresting ones I dropped here.