[2023 Year in Review] Serendipities of 2023 » Dramabeans

[2023 Year in Review] Serendipities of 2023

by mistyisles

“Life can’t all the time provide you with every little thing you need, but it surely typically hides small presents right here and there.”
–Twinkling Watermelon

If there’s one lesson Ok-dramas prefer to hammer in again and again, it’s to anticipate the sudden. They simply like to shock us — however too usually it appears these surprises are of the unwelcome selection. Like a serial killer invading your favourite fluffy rom-com. Or last-minute plot twists that overturn the present’s total core message.

However on this put up, I’ve determined to concentrate on the *optimistic* ways in which dramaland shocked me this 12 months. As a result of there are lots of causes I maintain coming again to Ok-dramas — even after an ending fizzles out right here and a beloved character will get a character transplant over there — and it’s not (solely) for the attention sweet!

So, with out additional ado, listed below are a few of my favourite surprises and discoveries from Ok-dramas in 2023.

Unlock the Boss

Between Unlock the Boss and Castaway Diva, my 2023 was bookended by Chae Jong-hyeop. And that’s undoubtedly not a grievance! He exudes a lot heat and sincerity that it truly felt comforting to come back full-circle to a different of his reveals right here on the finish of this loopy 12 months. Unlock the Boss was my introduction to him, and I immediately fell in love together with his portrayal of Park In-sung, an everyday man who acquired dropped into a totally ridiculous scenario and but by no means let the in a single day energy achieve go to his head. Not like many Ok-drama heroes, he was a genuinely good individual from begin to end, and Unlock the Boss did an important job of exhibiting how that goodness naturally rubbed off on (virtually) everybody round him.

Along with the attractive characterization of In-sung, Unlock the Boss additionally gave me an unexpectedly compelling redemption arc within the character of mortgage shark Ma-pi, a candy (if understated) romance, some attention-grabbing questions on expertise to chew on, and the heart-pumping OST “No one Is Good.” It wasn’t with out its shortcomings, however all issues thought of, it was a really pleasant method to kick off the 12 months.
 

Alchemy of Souls 2

I virtually didn’t embrace Alchemy of Souls 2 on this record, not as a result of I disliked it, however as a result of I don’t absolutely think about it a separate present from final 12 months’s first season. But it surely did shock me in some actually nice methods, so right here we go. As I discussed in my evaluate of Half 1 final 12 months, letting myself get so invested within the story after we have been alerted early on {that a} second season — with out our main woman! — was within the works felt like an enormous danger. Particularly when all indicators, particularly the emotionally wrecking finale of that first season, pointed to a decidedly sad ending.

It’s not usually {that a} present can each 1) absolutely persuade me that some degree of tragedy is inevitable and a pair of) serve up a blissfully unqualified pleased ending anyway — however Alchemy of Souls did. And, apprehensive as I used to be about our beloved murderer being become another person — actress- and character-wise — I discovered myself shocked by how a lot I loved her new journey. I can’t converse for a lot of Ok-drama second collection, however this one, unexpectedly, actually labored for me.
 

The Secret Romantic Guesthouse

If ever there have been a Ok-drama that took additional enjoyment of stunning us, it’s The Secret Romantic Guesthouse. The twisty, “who’s who” thriller retains you in your toes for quantity of its run, throwing you for one more loop simply if you assume you’ve acquired all of it found out. And but it doesn’t fall into the entice of piling on plot twists for the sake of plot twists alone — when it’s lastly time to disclose the reality, this story opts for passable character resolutions as an alternative of blindly pushing within the course of no matter is least predictable.

One other factor The Secret Romantic Guesthouse did very effectively was balancing its plot amongst its ensemble forged, giving every main character their very own arc and contributions to the plot as an entire. That mentioned, I believe it’s additionally protected to say that Kang Hoon stole not solely each scene through which his character, Shi-yeol, featured, but in addition the complete present. I might write pages and pages (past those I’ve already written!) about how a lot I cherished this present and why, however I’d hate to deprive anybody of the complete, spoiler-free expertise. So I’ll merely shut by saying that this was my Ok-drama of the 12 months, partly as a result of by the top my hopes have been fulfilled and only a few of my fears had been realized.
 

Stealer: The Treasure Keeper

Fingers down, this was THE MOST enjoyable I had weecapping any Ok-drama all 12 months. I shouldn’t be shocked, although, as a result of the mixture of a Robin Hood-esque artifact thief with a love for dramatic aptitude (and who goes by the moniker Skunk, no much less), a wonderful Hacker Ajumma (TM), treasure looking hijinks, unfairly engaging assassins, and dastardly villains with elaborate secret lairs is all the time a recipe for time. And whereas the overall zaniness waned a tad close to the top, the present as an entire actually delivered on the promise of enjoyable and video games and lovable group dynamics.

To be clear, Stealer: The Treasure Keeper will not be a present to show to for hermetic logic or realism. However the much less it takes itself significantly — and the extra absolutely the actors decide to the silliness — the extra enjoyable is had by all. My solely want? For extra episodes to develop the characters (and the barely-there romance!), seek out extra cultural treasures, and navigate more strange booby traps.
 

Story of the 9 Tailed 1938

Perhaps it’s simply because a lot time has handed that I don’t keep in mind a lot of the unique Story of the 9 Tailed, however this was a type of uncommon reveals whose second season truly outshone the primary for me. To make sure, it includes plenty of hand-waving and squinting at plot holes to make them disappear (particularly the place the time journey is anxious), but it surely was simply a lot enjoyable that I didn’t actually care if it made whole sense. Or any sense, for that matter. I used to be alongside for the journey irrespective of the place it’d select to go.

And it went to some incredible locations, imaginatively and emotionally. From the dynamic relationship between the gumiho brothers to the awesomeness that was Episode 7’s demon-constructed channel-surfing dreamscape, Story of the 9 Tailed 1938 stored me invested in its characters and worldbuilding it doesn’t matter what ridiculous curveballs it added to the combo. Plus, it gave me one in every of my favourite Ok-drama heroines of the 12 months: Hong-joo. Satirically, when she was first launched, I believed I might hate her, or a minimum of discover her presence within the story pointless. However she shortly proved that she wasn’t there to be a brand new love curiosity for our (fortunately married) hero — she was there to be a brand new, highly effective heroine along with her personal trajectory and relationships.
 

Delightfully Deceitful

These of you who watched Delightfully Deceitful may be shocked to search out it on this record in any respect. Admittedly, this present was fairly deceitful and by no means pleasant. But it surely did have its moments, and it did have a discovered household comprising (largely) endearing characters that I genuinely got here to care about. The group’s pc whiz, Da-jung, particularly, was a shiny spot all through, and when she lastly smiled in that last episode, most of my prior complaints light only a bit. Actually, I added half a star to my private general score of the present only for her.

Simply as a horrible ending can bitter an in any other case fulfilling present, a satisfying ending can elevate a mediocre present, and Delightfully Deceitful is an instance of the latter. Regardless of underutilized characters, bizarre tonal switch-ups, and different missteps, it wrapped up the characters’ journeys effectively and despatched them off into a way more becoming and hopeful future than I anticipated.
 

My Beautiful Liar

Sure, My Beautiful Liar earned my Bean of Disappointment for the best way it fumbled the ending and didn’t reside as much as its potential. However there was nonetheless quite a bit to get pleasure from about most of its run: the main couple was completely lovable collectively; the present raised vital questions on belief, fact, perspective, and codependency; and the attractive coloration palette was a feast for the eyes.

Missed potential and questionable (at finest) plot twists apart, I loved Do-ha’s journey from reclusion to lively member of his personal little group, and the best way Sol-hee gently coaxed him out of his shell with out making an attempt to push him too far without delay or to overstep his boundaries. And, though lots of the facet characters ranged from annoying to disappointing, there have been just a few nice ones — particularly the jazz bar proprietor and Sol-hee’s trustworthy worker and pal, Cassandra.
 

CEO-dol Mart

I went into CEO-dol Mart anticipating cute, foolish sweetness, and that’s just about precisely what I acquired. Positive, the entire thing sort of falls aside for those who assume very arduous about it in any respect (WHY didn’t they lock the door???), but it surely’s additionally surprisingly heartfelt if you take it at face worth. Every character had classes to be taught and introduced one thing distinctive to the desk, and the present stored issues largely lighthearted whereas nonetheless coping with some fairly heavy subjects like choosing up the items of damaged desires and grief over the demise of a pal.

Maknae Sang-woo was an absolute angel and my favourite of the bunch, however even the extra prickly characters endeared themselves to me over the course of 12 episodes. And I undoubtedly didn’t anticipate to say this, however I’d completely watch extra seasons — or an entire sitcom — concerning the Thunder Boys making an attempt their palms at working varied varieties of companies.
 

Twinkling Watermelon

Twinkling Watermelon was an attention-grabbing present in that it was plenty of enjoyable, however I persistently loved it extra when it was leaning emotional than when it was being humorous. A part of that, I believe, is that Eun-gyeol’s explicit model of fish-out-of-water didn’t fairly land for me, however a part of it was that the emotional storylines have been simply so good. I anticipated hijinks when Eun-gyeol traveled again in time to satisfy his mother and father as youngsters. However I didn’t anticipate to cry over him breaking Chung-ah out of her pressured isolation.

After which there’s Yi-chan, whose character was lovable from the beginning however whose progress was much more beautiful to look at. From the peculiar method he typically phrased his ideas to the best way he discovered signal language for Chung-ah — even earlier than he realized he appreciated her — he received my complete coronary heart. If I used to be let down by the ultimate episode, an enormous purpose for that was as a result of it robbed us of the possibility to see extra of Yi-chan’s progress and adjustment within the hole between previous and (new) current.
 

Vigilante

On paper, this present doesn’t appear to be it will depart as sturdy of an impression on me because it did. Vigilante was intensely violent, and its characters have been, for probably the most half, tough to attach with emotionally. However from begin to end, it stored me engaged and invested anyway.

Initially, the largest drawing card for me was the forged. And let me inform you, they greater than delivered! I’ve been a Nam Joo-hyuk fan just about because the first function I ever noticed him in, however I’ve by no means seen him like this — and whoever considered pairing him with Yoo Ji-tae deserves a elevate, as a result of they have been electrical in each confrontation. I received’t spoil Vigilante’s ending, however I’ll say that it shocked me. It felt “proper,” in a method, but it surely actually wasn’t pleased, and but it wasn’t the place I believed it will find yourself, both.
 

Castaway Diva

And right here we’re again to Chae Jong-hyeop with Castaway Diva, A.Ok.A., the drama that wasn’t in any respect what I anticipated and but was precisely what I didn’t notice I wanted. Once I say this present made me cry, I imply I cried. Each. Single. Episode. Have you ever ever watched a Ok-drama and felt just like the characters have been breaking the fourth wall only for you? Not actually, in fact — they have been talking to one another about their very particular fictional scenario that doesn’t actually relate to your life in any respect… and but they have been additionally talking on to your individual experiences? That’s what Castaway Diva did for me. Repeatedly.

Add to that the truth that I’ve an enormous mushy spot for Cha Hak-yeon, Park Eun-bin, and now Chae Jong-hyeop, and effectively — I do know loads of folks have been disenchanted with Castaway Diva, and I perceive why, but it surely’s very treasured to me. Plus, dramaland — and life, for that matter — might all the time use extra genuinely good folks whose goodness pays off ultimately.

So right here’s to all of the pleased surprises, lovely characters, and heart-pinching moments that Ok-dramas gave us in 2023 — and right here’s to many extra of them (and fewer disappointments, please, drama gods) to come back!

 
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