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[2023 Year in Review] Serendipities of 2023
by mistyisles
“Life can’t always give you everything you want, but it sometimes hides small gifts here and there.”
–Twinkling Watermelon
If there’s one lesson K-dramas like to hammer in over and over, it’s to expect the unexpected. They just love to surprise us — but too often it seems those surprises are of the unwelcome variety. Like a serial killer invading your favorite fluffy rom-com. Or last-minute plot twists that overturn the show’s entire core message.
But in this post, I’ve decided to focus on the *positive* ways that dramaland surprised me this year. Because there are many reasons I keep coming back to K-dramas — even after an ending fizzles out here and a beloved character gets a personality transplant over there — and it’s not (only) for the eye candy!
So, without further ado, here are some of my favorite surprises and discoveries from K-dramas in 2023.
Unlock the Boss
Between Unlock the Boss and Castaway Diva, my 2023 was bookended by Chae Jong-hyeop. And that’s definitely not a complaint! He exudes so much warmth and sincerity that it actually felt comforting to come full-circle to another of his shows here at the end of this crazy year. Unlock the Boss was my introduction to him, and I instantly fell in love with his portrayal of Park In-sung, a regular guy who got dropped into a completely ridiculous situation and yet never let the overnight power gain go to his head. Unlike many K-drama heroes, he was a genuinely good person from start to finish, and Unlock the Boss did a great job of showing how that goodness naturally rubbed off on (almost) everyone around him.
In addition to the beautiful characterization of In-sung, Unlock the Boss also gave me an unexpectedly compelling redemption arc in the character of loan shark Ma-pi, a sweet (if understated) romance, some interesting questions about technology to chew on, and the heart-pumping OST “Nobody Is Perfect.” It wasn’t without its shortcomings, but all things considered, it was a truly delightful way to kick off the year.
Alchemy of Souls 2
I almost didn’t include Alchemy of Souls 2 in this list, not because I disliked it, but because I don’t fully consider it a separate show from last year’s first season. But it did surprise me in some really great ways, so here we go. As I mentioned in my review of Part 1 last year, letting myself get so invested in the story when we were alerted early on that a second season — without our leading lady! — was in the works felt like a huge risk. Especially when all signs, especially the emotionally wrecking finale of that first season, pointed to a decidedly unhappy ending.
It’s not often that a show can both 1) fully convince me that some level of tragedy is inevitable and 2) serve up a blissfully unqualified happy ending anyway — but Alchemy of Souls did. And, worried as I was about our beloved assassin being turned into someone else — actress- and character-wise — I found myself surprised by how much I enjoyed her new journey. I can’t speak for many K-drama second series, but this one, unexpectedly, really worked for me.
The Secret Romantic Guesthouse
If ever there were a K-drama that took extra delight in surprising us, it’s The Secret Romantic Guesthouse. The twisty, “who’s who” mystery keeps you on your toes for a good amount of its run, throwing you for yet another loop just when you think you’ve got it all figured out. And yet it doesn’t fall into the trap of piling on plot twists for the sake of plot twists alone — when it’s finally time to reveal the truth, this story opts for satisfactory character resolutions instead of blindly pushing in the direction of whatever is least predictable.
Another thing The Secret Romantic Guesthouse did very well was balancing its plot among its ensemble cast, giving each major character their own arc and contributions to the plot as a whole. That said, I think it’s also safe to say that Kang Hoon stole not only every scene in which his character, Shi-yeol, featured, but also the entire show. I could write pages and pages (beyond the ones I’ve already written!) about how much I loved this show and why, but I’d hate to deprive anyone of the full, spoiler-free experience. So I’ll simply close by saying that this was my K-drama of the year, in part because by the end my hopes were fulfilled and very few of my fears had been realized.
Stealer: The Treasure Keeper
Hands down, this was THE MOST fun I had weecapping any K-drama all year. I shouldn’t be surprised, though, because the combination of a Robin Hood-esque artifact thief with a love for dramatic flair (and who goes by the moniker Skunk, no less), a fabulous Hacker Ajumma (TM), treasure hunting hijinks, unfairly attractive assassins, and dastardly villains with elaborate secret lairs is always a recipe for a good time. And while the general zaniness waned a tad near the end, the show as a whole certainly delivered on the promise of fun and games and adorable team dynamics.
To be clear, Stealer: The Treasure Keeper is not a show to turn to for airtight logic or realism. But the less it takes itself seriously — and the more fully the actors commit to the silliness — the more fun is had by all. My only wish? For more episodes to develop the characters (and the barely-there romance!), hunt down more cultural treasures, and navigate more bizarre booby traps.
Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938
Maybe it’s just because so much time has passed that I don’t remember much of the original Tale of the Nine Tailed, but this was one of those rare shows whose second season actually outshone the first for me. To be sure, it involves a lot of hand-waving and squinting at plot holes to make them disappear (especially where the time travel is concerned), but it was just so much fun that I didn’t really care if it made total sense. Or any sense, for that matter. I was along for the ride no matter where it might choose to go.
And it went to some fantastic places, imaginatively and emotionally. From the dynamic relationship between the gumiho brothers to the awesomeness that was Episode 7’s demon-constructed channel-surfing dreamscape, Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 kept me invested in its characters and worldbuilding no matter what ridiculous curveballs it added to the mix. Plus, it gave me one of my favorite K-drama heroines of the year: Hong-joo. Ironically, when she was first introduced, I thought I would hate her, or at least find her presence in the story unnecessary. But she quickly proved that she wasn’t there to be a new love interest for our (happily married) hero — she was there to be a new, powerful heroine with her own trajectory and relationships.
Delightfully Deceitful
Those of you who watched Delightfully Deceitful might be surprised to find it on this list at all. Admittedly, this show was quite deceitful and not at all delightful. But it did have its moments, and it did have a found family comprising (mostly) endearing characters that I genuinely came to care about. The team’s computer whiz, Da-jung, in particular, was a bright spot throughout, and when she finally smiled in that final episode, most of my prior complaints faded just a bit. In fact, I added half a star to my personal overall rating of the show just for her.
Just as a terrible ending can sour an otherwise enjoyable show, a satisfying ending can elevate a mediocre show, and Delightfully Deceitful is an example of the latter. Despite underutilized characters, weird tonal switch-ups, and other missteps, it wrapped up the characters’ journeys well and sent them off into a much more fitting and hopeful future than I expected.
My Lovely Liar
Yes, My Lovely Liar earned my Bean of Disappointment for the way it fumbled the ending and failed to live up to its potential. But there was still a lot to enjoy about most of its run: the leading couple was absolutely adorable together; the show raised important questions about trust, truth, perspective, and codependency; and the gorgeous color palette was a feast for the eyes.
Missed potential and questionable (at best) plot twists aside, I enjoyed Do-ha’s journey from reclusion to active member of his own little community, and the way Sol-hee gently coaxed him out of his shell without trying to push him too far at once or to overstep his boundaries. And, although many of the side characters ranged from annoying to disappointing, there were a few great ones — especially the jazz bar owner and Sol-hee’s faithful employee and friend, Cassandra.
CEO-dol Mart
I went into CEO-dol Mart expecting cute, silly sweetness, and that’s pretty much exactly what I got. Sure, the whole thing kind of falls apart if you think very hard about it at all (WHY didn’t they lock the door???), but it’s also surprisingly heartfelt when you take it at face value. Each character had lessons to learn and brought something unique to the table, and the show kept things mostly lighthearted while still dealing with some pretty heavy topics like picking up the pieces of broken dreams and grief over the death of a friend.
Maknae Sang-woo was an absolute angel and my favorite of the bunch, but even the more prickly characters endeared themselves to me over the course of 12 episodes. And I definitely didn’t expect to say this, but I’d totally watch more seasons — or a whole sitcom — about the Thunder Boys trying their hands at running various types of businesses.
Twinkling Watermelon
Twinkling Watermelon was an interesting show in that it was a lot of fun, but I consistently enjoyed it more when it was leaning emotional than when it was being funny. Part of that, I think, is that Eun-gyeol’s particular brand of fish-out-of-water didn’t quite land for me, but part of it was that the emotional storylines were just so good. I expected hijinks when Eun-gyeol traveled back in time to meet his parents as teenagers. But I didn’t expect to cry over him breaking Chung-ah out of her forced isolation.
And then there’s Yi-chan, whose character was lovable from the start but whose growth was even more lovely to watch. From the peculiar way he sometimes phrased his thoughts to the way he learned sign language for Chung-ah — even before he realized he liked her — he won my whole heart. If I was let down by the final episode, a big reason for that was because it robbed us of the chance to see more of Yi-chan’s growth and adjustment in the gap between past and (new) present.
Vigilante
On paper, this show doesn’t seem like it would leave as strong of an impression on me as it did. Vigilante was intensely violent, and its characters were, for the most part, difficult to connect with emotionally. But from start to finish, it kept me engaged and invested anyway.
Initially, the biggest drawing card for me was the cast. And let me tell you, they more than delivered! I’ve been a Nam Joo-hyuk fan pretty much since the first role I ever saw him in, but I’ve never seen him like this — and whoever thought of pairing him with Yoo Ji-tae deserves a raise, because they were electric in every confrontation. I won’t spoil Vigilante’s ending, but I will say that it surprised me. It felt “right,” in a way, but it certainly wasn’t happy, and yet it wasn’t where I thought it would end up, either.
Castaway Diva
And here we are back to Chae Jong-hyeop with Castaway Diva, A.K.A., the drama that wasn’t at all what I expected and yet was exactly what I didn’t realize I needed. When I say this show made me cry, I mean I cried. Every. Single. Episode. Have you ever watched a K-drama and felt like the characters were breaking the fourth wall just for you? Not literally, of course — they were speaking to each other about their very specific fictional situation that doesn’t really relate to your life at all… and yet they were also speaking directly to your own experiences? That’s what Castaway Diva did for me. Repeatedly.
Add to that the fact that I have a huge soft spot for Cha Hak-yeon, Park Eun-bin, and now Chae Jong-hyeop, and well — I know plenty of people were disappointed with Castaway Diva, and I understand why, but it’s very precious to me. Plus, dramaland — and life, for that matter — could always use more genuinely good people whose goodness pays off in the end.
So here’s to all the happy surprises, beautiful characters, and heart-pinching moments that K-dramas gave us in 2023 — and here’s to many more of them (and fewer disappointments, please, drama gods) to come!
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