November and December were full of a lot of family situations that made drama watching take a back seat on my priority list. Which meant I was left with a bunch of shows half watched and a ton of ideas for blog posts unwritten. While it is not feasible to play catch up on the blog posts, I decided it was doable to write a giant post on what I have finished and whether or not they were worth watching. So join me as I get all of my thoughts off my mind and ready to start anew in 2022.

Jirisan

Cons: I am a bit of a cinematography snob, and a lot of the scenes in the mountains just didn’t work for me. You could tell what the director wanted to achieve, but he either didn’t have the funds or the ability to really get the effect intended. Also, the last few minutes of the drama had me roll my eyes a bit with the awkwardly forced HEA.

Pros: The murder mystery was really well written. While you had to slog through a bunch of filler to get there, it was worth the watch just to find out who the killer was. They also did a good job of shining a light onto a profession that is rarely focused on in dramas.

Final Verdict: I recommend this drama to those that don’t mind spending the time to really get to the good stuff. I was satisfied, but it won’t be one I watch again. I give this drama a 7/10.

Chimera

Cons: The plot is more of a slow-burn storyline. It is pretty complex, and you have to stick with it to really begin to understand the whole picture. This might put some people off who want a more fast-paced murder arc.

Pros: I am a big Park Hae Soo fan and will try anything he is in, and he did not disappoint. The twists were really well done, and almost none of my guesses turned out to be right. This is great when you are used to guessing the endings before they actually occur. While this drama doesn’t really bring anything new to the table, it is a great mystery that was very satisfying.

Final Verdict: It didn’t get a lot of love, but I highly recommend it for everyone who enjoys crime shows; give this one a try. I give it an 8/10.

The King’s Affection

Cons: I love this drama so much; my only con would be that the action sequences are just OK. Everything else is great.

Pros: There are so many pros that it is impossible to list them all. Park Eun Bin is a national treasure and steals the show as the hidden princess that becomes the King. The politicking is absolutely top-notch and is perfectly mixed with the romantic story arc.

Final Verdict: This is one of my favorite dramas of the year and earns a 9.5/10. If you can only start one show, this is the one I would pick. It was drama perfection.

Dr. Brain

Cons: This drama is a bit harder to find since it aired on Apple+. I got a subscription for a month just to watch this show. For those of you who haven’t watched it yet, now is a perfect time. It is complete, and you can get a 7-day free trial, watch the show and then cancel. I think the drama is worth the extra effort.

Pros: The cinematography is pretty epic and suits the classic monster/horror theme perfectly. If you want something that is brilliantly performed without very many jump scares, then this is the drama for you. It also has Park Hee Soon playing a sexy PI, and I was thrilled to see him back in a drama so soon after My Name. And with only six episodes, this drama is a fast and fun watch.

Final Verdict: I had so much fun watching this drama, and I need more people to join me in giving it some love. It is well worth the hassle of getting Apple + for a little bit.

Inspector Koo

Cons: There were a lot of plot moments that took some cognitive jumping to make sense. The director was really trying to be creative, and for me, it just didn’t succeed. Also, there are some broad character habits that just got slightly annoying as the show continued. For example, the leading lady is described as unkempt and smelly, so there are often flies buzzing around her head. I personally think this kind of thing can be excused once, but it kept on with the joke throughout the series. Just little things like this knocked some points off my final rating.

Pros: The fight between the leading lady and the female serial killer were really well done. Both were very smart and created a really well-done nemesis duo. This was definitely a good binge, and I would recommend it to someone that doesn’t need every detail actually to make sense.

Final Verdict: I give this drama a 6.5/10. I love the mystery, but the comic vibe they choose to use just doesn’t work for me. I just wish the visual and storytelling were a little bit cleaned up.

One Ordinary Day

Cons: This is a drama you can’t find in the US unless you are using a VPN. There is nothing more annoying than seeing the previews for an interesting drama and being denied the ability to watch.

Pros: Che Seung Won and Kim Soo Hyun are veteran actors who always give top-notch performances, so having them together in this project is reason enough to give it a watch. I really enjoyed the story and might have enjoyed it more if I was in a different frame of mind.

Final Verdict: Because of the mood I was in when I watched this drama, I might have scored it a bit less than it deserved. I just wasn’t ready for the dirty handed tricks used by the police and prosecution to achieve “justice”. I gave it a 7.5 rating but it probably deserved a little higher.

Happiness

Cons: Not enough people got munched for my tastes. I like annoying people in horror shows to get their comeuppance, which didn’t happen to the extent I wanted. That said, I did like that they took a new look into the zombie trope and humanized it. It was a different approach that made the show feel new and refreshing.

Pros: This drama had one of my favorite OTPs of the year. They had so much chemistry, and their acting styles blended into a super swoony couple that you could get behind. If for nothing else, you have to watch this show for them.

Final Verdict: I give this drama a 9/10. It was funny, scary, thought-provoking, and easily on my favorite dramas of 2021 list.

There you have it. A list of all the dramas I finished up in a massive binge-watch. Which were your favorites? Let me know in the comments and look for a lot more great drama reviews in 2022.

Til the next binge,

Kmuse

Dramas With a Side of Kimchi