First up in alphabetic order are my honorable mentions which once again are dramas that I watched this year but aired in previous years!
Hello Monster / I Remember You
First up on my honorable mentions is a kdrama called Hello Monster/I Remember You! Not only was this an awesome romantic investigation drama but it had the most fascinating characters with an interesting look at morality and what makes a killer a killer. I loved every single moment of this drama from it's humor to it's storylines to the romance to the bromances! The villain was so much fun to watch cause he was so much more than bad just to be bad and not once did our heroes need to dumb themselves down in order for the villain to outwit them. The ending was a bit of a letdown but all in all I had a great time with this drama. If you're curious read my full review here.
Kill Me, Heal Me
Next up is a kdrama called Kill Me, Heal Me which seriously guys if it had aired this year would without any doubt be my number one drama of 2019! I can never run out of wonderful things to say about this drama cause I went in thinking it'd be a comedy based on what little I knew only to have my heart ripped clean out of my chest. The main theme of this drama was learning how to process trauma and how to accept and be accepted. Every single moment was well written and well acted and everything we learned acted as a new piece to the puzzle. The main leads were linked from their childhood to the current day and for once a childhood connection trope actually felt like more than a trope cause it made the leads into the people they were now. The romance was so heartwarming and I could see why they felt like the other saved them. Click here to read my full review!
Love Me If You Dare
My third honorable mention is a cdrama called Love Me If You Dare! Honestly if you know me at all you know that I tend to find it harder to connect or relate to cdramas especially modern ones so when I do find a cdrama I adore, I love it more intensely! To no one's surprise or shock this one is a romantic investigation drama but what made this show so fascinating was the way it was written! The male lead was a bit of a mentalist so he went about approaching the cases we had differently than a detective would and the show felt so raw and real in it's exploration of mental health and mental illnesses. I loved the bond between the leads and how they never doubted each other no matter what outside forces told them. Once again the villain was so fascinating to watch and I thought it was fascinating that the male lead and the villain was basically opposite sides of the same coin. If you're curious, click here to read my full review!
The K2
Next up is a kdrama called The K2! This is probs a shock to a lot of people who have watched this drama cause I know that based on everything I read online that most people didn't like this drama but I truly cannot imagine why cause I had a blast! Besides the fact that Ji Chang Wook is a bias of mine, I just really enjoyed the story of this drama and it's portrayal of characters. Yes the female lead was a bit of a damsel and a little naive but would you be any different if you were locked up your entire life? I loved the connection between the leads even if I did think his interest in her came about too quickly. The villain was so much fun to watch cause she was an exact parallel to Anna in that she was who Anna would have been if she chose power over love which made her totally relatable! Click here to read my full review!
W: Two Worlds
My last honorable mention is a kdrama called W: Two Worlds! From the first moment I checked this drama out I was in love with how unique it was and though that's not exactly true anymore I will never forget my awe when watching this drama the first time around. I'm such a sucker for found family stories and that's what attached me to the main couple and their incredible romance which is a highlight of this drama. The one and only decision that he made without the help of the manga writer was to love her and there's just something so sweet about that. I loved the mystery of this show and how the villain kept the story moving and unlike what I've read from a lot of reviews I didn't think the way the story played out made no sense or came out of nowhere. I loved all the twists and the turns and the jumping back and forth between the real world and the manga and if you're curious, click here to read my full review!
Now let's get into my Top 10 list ranked from 10 to 1 with number 1 being my favorite drama of the year!
Leverage: Con Artists
Coming in at number 10 is a kdrama called Leverage: Con Artists! It's technically a remake of an American show but I actually never saw the original so I went in pretty blind but having seen this I might go back and watch the original! I love con artist shows and movies as you all know and this one unlike previous con artist shows actually managed to live up to my expectations. The overall mystery was well done, the weekly cons were so much fun and the main characters were all amazing. The only downside was that not only did I ship who I believe wasn't the intended couple but there was practically no romance to be had at all. I do have to say though that the ending was perfect in my opinion cause it solved our season long problem while also setting up for a second season unlike some other dramas where the season long problem didn't even get solved to set up for a new season which was so annoying!
V.I.P.
At number 9 is a kdrama called V.I.P. So if you know anything about this drama or have been following my weekly reviews you know that this wouldn't be the type of drama that I would normally be into or want to check out! I absolutely despise cheating and I'm of the mind that once a cheater always a cheater but I adore Jang Nara who plays the female lead so I had to check this drama out and I found myself falling in love. The cinematography in this drama is absolutely stunning and I loved the portrayal of so many badass females! The mystery about whether the husband was cheating or not and then who he was cheating with played out so beautifully that I was second guessing what I thought until the moment they fully showed us what had happened. I loved the way this show ended and the message that sometimes a happy ending is just loving yourself!
Arthdal Chronciles
Coming in at number 8 is a kdrama called Arthdal Chronicles! What can I say about this show other than it's like Avatar: The Last Airbender met Game Of Thrones and if that doesn't get you excited I don't know what will! The story is so well written and the world feels so real and lived in. Each character from the main to the supporting is so multi-dimensional and goes through their own personal arcs throughout the course of the drama. Everyone and everything was so gray cause there really aren't any good or bad guys as everyone was a hero in their own point of view and whether their actions were righteous only mattered depending on which side you were on. My only complaint with this drama is that despite having 3 seasons the story wasn't completed and when I was watching it I didn't know that this was how the drama was written so it took out of my enjoyment cause I was so furious with the cliffhanger we ended on.
The Story Of Ming Lan
At number 7 is a cdrama called The Story Of Ming Lan! Like I mentioned up top I'm not a huge fan of cdramas but when I like one, I REALLY like one and that's what happened here! This show was so unique in that each and every person whether a hero or a villain acted like a real human being and there were actual consequences to not following society's rules. It felt like we were watching a real documentary though a dramatic one! I adored the slow pace of the show cause it really made us fall in love with our characters and their lives and their loved ones so that we could understand how they grew and changed as people. The romance in this drama took a bit of a backseat to everything else which is probs my only real problem but again it has more to do with my love for sweeping decelerations of love more than bad writing!
The Secret Life Of My Secretary
Coming in at number 6 is a kdrama called The Secret Life Of My Secretary! I ended up loving this drama more than I expected to simply due to the incredible charisma of Kim Young Kwang cause on paper this drama had the most cliche trope-y story ever with a male lead who couldn't see faces and a female lead who was pretending to be someone she wasn't. Instead I found the most cinnamon roll of a male lead that I saw in any drama this year and his poor inability to use more than 3 brain cells at a time one of which was shared with the female lead. I loved that the male lead told the female lead the truth about his secret almost immediately cause it led to a them against the world trope and I loved that they were friends before they were lovers with no enemy stop. There was no love triangle, the comedy in this show was everything and I even adored the second couple!
Go Go Squid!
At number 5 is a cdrama called Go Go Squid! I know! Another cdrama and more importantly a modern cdrama! What are the odds?? I wish I was kidding but I truly don't know what it is about this show that won me over so much. I don't particularly like Yang Qi as an actress (I know, shoot me), the writing was all over the place, and the show had such a rough start with the female lead basically stalking the male lead but in the end I found myself impatiently waiting for new episodes and falling in love with the main couple. I adored the gruff male lead who was basically a cinnamon roll on the inside and his group of kids who were not only the best hype-men but also the funniest part of this show! I loved that the female lead was smart on her own terms and that the male lead learned to get over his past.
Extraordinary You
Coming in at number 4 is a kdrama called Extraordinary You to no one's surprise as this drama is a favorite among pretty much everyone! I was so excited to see another drama that was set in a manga and I wasn't disappointed. Kim Hye Yoon as the female lead was so spunky and adorable and this show would have been nothing without her! I loved her relationship with the male lead and I adored all of the side characters. The show was funny and sweet and tragic all at once. The only down side was that as the show went on the fact that there was no real villain or antagonist caused the story to drag a little and I think it spent waaaaay too much time on the second male lead when that time could have been used elsewhere. I love how the show ended and the way the story paralleled the previous one!
He Is Psychometric
At number 3 is a kdrama called He Is Psychometric! I told you I love romantic investigation dramas so why are you surprised? Though seriously I do think this drama was overlooked a little in terms of how many people watched and liked it! This drama lived and died on how charismatic Park Jin Young was. I adored that he was so silly but at the same time so kind. He and the female lead were a team from almost Day 1 and I loved the way they helped each other get past their tragic childhoods! The psychometry was a fun twist cause it wasn't too mystical but it gave just the perfect amount of uniqueness to the story. The mystery was incredibly written with not even one moment feeling like a plothole. Even the villains were fascinating to watch and the final plot twist really had me falling out of my chair!
Angel's Last Mission: Love
Coming in at number 2 is a kdrama called Angel's Last Mission: Love! What can I say about this drama other than it's practically perfect in every way? I was so attached to this drama from the first moment I started it and I loved the unique concept of an angel being charged to help a woman fall in love only to fall in love himself! The romance was absolutely incredible to follow and it felt believable in how the two fell for each other and how they became a team that no one could break up including the Deity! The male lead was so adorable and charming and the female lead was so preciously tsundere. My only complaints are that the second male lead was so creepy and I kept waiting for him to become the villain only to never actually do so and that the ending was a bit messy. I don't actually know why this couple was given permission by the Deity to be together compared to every other angel/human couple out there and I do low key think a tragic end would have fitting this drama better.
Her Private Life
And with that I have officially wrapped up all my Top 10 lists of 2019! I hope you all have a wonderful New Year and I'll see you all in 2020!
xoxo Allie
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