Drama Watching: A Year In Review - Part 1
From rom-coms to thrillers to slice-of-life, a look back at the dramas that stole my heart in 2023.
Hey everyone! It’s me, DramaQueen, back from a rather long and unexpected hiatus that derailed all my plans for this blog. Now that I’m finally back and 2023 is history, I’ve decided that instead of making individual posts, I’ll do a series of posts to collectively talk about the dramas I watched last year - those I enjoyed and those that left me underwhelmed.
Here’s the first part of this series.
My Top 5 Dramas of 2023
2023 was highly fruitful in producing some excellent dramas but also for me in drama-watching.
The journey that got off to a slow start in 2022, turned into a full-blown roller-coaster ride in 2023 year and I ended up watching more dramas than I can remember or count on my fingers. I think of it as a real feat. Lmao 😅
I’ve watched a lot, and I mean a lot of dramas this year but only a few managed to touch me. So here is the list of my top 5 dramas of the year.
1. Hidden Love
Number 1 on this list is a show that I never expected to like or even planned to watch in the first place. As I previously said in my post about this drama, I only chose to give it a try because a friend suggested I check it out.
But Hidden Love has earned a place in my heart that can never be taken by any other show. This sweeter-than-honey story of Sang Zhi and Duan Jiaxu will always be iconic for me.
Chen Zhe Yuan and Zhao Lusi did a fantastic job and I feel like I can never praise this show enough so I’ll try to stop here. 😁
2. The Good Bad Mother
A show that I wanted to watch because of Lee Do Hyun, as I was still fresh off The Glory Part 2 but also because I was intrigued by the title.
A story of betrayal and revenge, but also a story of estrangement, second chances, and healing, The Good Bad Mother has a little bit of everything - drama, comedy, bromance, and romance.
The powerful performances by Lee Do Hyun and Ra Mi Ran will have you glued to your screen and maybe bring a few tears to your eyes. And then there’s also Yoo In Soo as Bang Sam-Sik who starts as a bully but then turns into the ultimate cutie patootie 😂 Combine this with the adorable twins and the goons-turned-farmers, and the drama makes up for its minor short-comings.
With a moving story and emotional performances, The Good Bad Mother is easily one of the best dramas that came out in 2023.
3. Mask Girl
One of the most thrilling and unpredictable shows I have watched. Everything about this show - intro included - is grisly, eerie, and unnerving.
The story sheds light on the unrealistic standards of beauty that society places on women and tells a tale of revenge and reinvention and the impacts of one’s actions on others as we see how Kim Mo-Mi’s reputation as the notorious “Mask Girl” affects the life of her daughter Kim Mi-Mo.
The drama is a mix of social commentary, horror, and dark comedy. Every episode tells the story from the perspective of a different character which makes the show an interesting watch. While the three actresses portraying the main protagonist were brilliant in their respective parts, it was Yeom Hye Ran playing Kim Kyung Ja who captured my attention.
A mother seeking revenge for her son’s death without knowing the wrongs he had done and trying to kill Kim Mi-Mo without knowing she was her granddaughter had me at the edge of my seat. Up until the last minute, I wondered if she would learn the truth or what her reaction to it might be. But she died without discovering anything and my mouth quite literally fell open when she was shot dead.
This show was a wholly different experience and I’m not sure if I want to ever rewatch something so grisly. But it was a worthy watch nonetheless and that’s why I am listing it among my Top 5.
4. Twinkling Watermelon
Another show about which the more I say the less it feels. Just like The Good Bad Mother above, Twinkling Watermelon is a very touching tale - albeit of time travel.
Twinkling Watermelon is a dramedy with stellar performances by the four leads Ryeoun, Choi Hyun Wook, Shin Eun Soo, and Seol In Ah. The story is not just well written but also well executed with strong character development.
A nostalgic story, at its heart, lies the message that life does not need to be perfect for us to be happy and that we should never give up on ourselves no matter what the odds. We see the growth of the four leads and are treated to heartwarming moments of friendship and bromance, and the emotional reunion of a father and son.
Twinkling Watermelon gets a 10/10 for being such a comfort watch. A must-watch.
5. Daily Dose Of Sunshine
Daily Dose of Sunshine is a medical drama that sheds light on the various illnesses of mental health patients in the psychiatric ward of a hospital.
I don’t usually watch medical dramas to the end. Oddly, I always end up dropping them at some point, but DDoS had me hooked until the last episode. The drama follows the story of a young nurse Jung Da Eun played by Park Bo Young, who seeks to be a ray of sunshine for her patients in the psych ward.
Every episode, however, also focuses on the story of a different character. Daily Dose of Sunshine is a very well-written show that deals with mental health issues in a warm, endearing manner. It is educational and poignant and one that must be added to your watch list if you haven’t already watched it.
An Honourable Mention:
6. My Demon
While this post was originally meant to talk about my top 5 dramas, one drama deserves a special mention.
My Demon.
My feelings for this show changed faster than the seasons do lol! When the first two episodes came out, I was like “Yeah okay. Not bad”. Then episodes 3&4 happened and I thought it was all pretty over-the-top and kind of childish. But then episodes, 5&6 came out and I was completely sat down. Now I look forward to each week’s episodes because Do Do Hee and Jeong Gu Won are just so cute together.
It is rather unsettling that the devil is being romanticized nor am I entirely comfortable with Gu Won displaying disdain for God. But given that he is the devil, it is only natural for him to do so. And we’re just going to roll with God being a woman. Yeah. 🤷♀️
While the story might not be a groundbreaking one, the drama is at least worth the hype around it, unlike some other shows. And I’m happy that Song Kang and Kim Yoo Jung won the Best Couple award for their beautiful chemistry.
There are at least three more dramas that I am tempted to add here but then I may as well have made this my top 10 dramas rather than top 5 so I’ll just leave it with My Demon. 😁
The dramas listed here are of different genres but if there is one thing they have in common apart from belonging on this list, is that I never really expected to like any of these shows. Somehow, it was always the ones I had little to no expectations from that I ended up enjoying. There are many more dramas that I enjoyed watching which I plan to cover in a future post.
All the dramas listed here are available on Netflix, except Twinkling Watermelon which is a Viu original.
Did you enjoy reading this post? Are any of these shows in your list of top dramas too? Leave a comment