As the end of 2015 draws near, the top five South Korean dramas for the year for both public broadcasting and cable channels have been named by Korean news site, OSEN.
, this drama started its 20-episode run in January, gaining praise for the perfect chemistry combination between Ji Sung and Hwang Jung Eum. From Ji Sung’s portrayal of seven different personalities to the cringing bromance moments between Ji Sung and Park Seo Joon, the drama was well loved from start to end, hitting highest viewership ratings of 15%.
One shortcoming could be the predictable ending, but nonetheless the acting skills are undeniable. It is also less well known to many viewers that this is actually the second drama Ji Sung and Hwang Jung Eum shared as the main couple; the two starred in KBS
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, which brought its many young 90’s-born actors and actresses to the next level of fame. The drama aired its 16 episodes in the middle of the year. There were initial worries of the drama not performing as well as
While the drama capitalized on CG effects as Kim So Hyun took on a double role acting as twins, male leads Yook Sungjae and Nam Joo Hyuk were on their way to stardom, both named as hot acting rookies of the year.
Also aired mid-2015, but was less well-known as it aired on a cable channel. Having 16 episodes, the romance drama revolves around the revival of a first love story between Joo Jin Mo and Kim Sa Rang. This also gave Kim Sa Rang the opportunity to be nominated in two drama awards. And not forgetting to mention, GOT7‘s Jr. furthered his acting career with his appearance.
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Is an 18-episode series that started airing in August on SBS. With the pure intention of saving his sister’s life, Yong Pal went from the extent of giving illegal medical treatment to gangsters to entertaining VIP “clients” at a hospital. With his sense of righteousness, Yong Pal wakes up Han Yeo Jin, who was intentionally put into a 3-year coma.
Saw steady two-digit viewership ratings, with its record-breaking 21.9% seen at episode 8. Television broadcasting channels outside of South Korea fought hard to air the drama in their countries and also to bring in Joo Won through fanmeetings.
Which is still ongoing will continue to air until its 20th episode next January. There were initial doubts about Girl’s Day‘s Hyeri starring as the female lead, but many were pleasantly surprised. Male lead Ryoo Joon Yeol is also seeing increasing popularity although he only debuted in acting this year.With the arrival of 2016, it’s another new year for K-dramas but before we look to the fresh selection of anticipated dramas such as “Cheese In The Trap” and “Moorim School, ” let’s take a look back at the wide array of dramas we enjoyed in 2015. In particular, here are my top five picks.
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Though there was no official criteria for my selection, these five dramas were engaging, both in their plots and in their character developments. The actors did a fine job as well and ensured that viewers cared for their respective characters. Some of them were recognised by the public through drama awards and high viewership ratings, but most of them were criminally underrated (not by international fans though) despite having strong storylines and a consistently high production quality.
Perhaps my pick for drama of the year, “Kill Me Heal Me” was more than a story about a man who suffered from multi-personality disorder (MPD) and had seven personalities, as fun as they were. It was about Cha Do Hyun’s (Ji Sung) journey to find himself, even if it meant digging through his forgotten memories and painful past. Though the plot did get a bit absurd and draggy sometimes, the character development was always tight and definitely kept the show going.
It takes some writing and acting skill for one actor to successfully portray seven different personalities, each of whom had their own moment to shine throughout the drama. I mean, I never expected to get so invested in Shin Se Gi’s (also played by Ji Sung) feelings for Ri Jin (Hwang Jung Eum), at one point I even wanted Se Gi to take over Do Hyun’s body permanently so that he could be with Ri Jin forever. It’s silly, I know, but this show made me think ridiculous thoughts, whether it was imagining Ahn Yo Na (Ji Sung…again) dating Oh Ri On (Park Seo Joon) or Perry Park (Ji Sung) being a bomb-making father.
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With the exception of the villains, who were hilarious in all the wrong ways, the characters were generally fun and relatable, especially Ri Jin and her family. They shared the sweetest family bond and best family dynamic I have ever seen in a K-drama; I really enjoyed watching the scenes of them together. Through this family and the contrast made between Do Hyun’s cold family the show really drove home how important the support and love of family is, a reminder I appreciated.
Of course, the wonderful acting performances put in by the actors really made this drama, with the biggest credit given to Ji Sung, who gave life to the seven different personalities and made them really endearing. Ji Sung’s dedication and hard work was certainly recognised by MBC (he won a Daesang for the role during their Drama Awards) and by the public (he gained a lot of fans) and I can’t wait to see his next production! Hwang Jung Eum and Park Seo Joon did well too.
Probably the most melodramatic and dark drama on this list, “Punch” received lots of critical acclaim and love from viewers, and for good reason. It was heart-wrenching and sometimes painful to watch because of the injustice that takes place in the story, but it all makes for good drama.
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Callous lawyer Park Jung Hwan (Kim Rae Won) is diagnosed with a brain tumor at the start of the drama and is left with a short time to live. Instead of wallowing in self-pity though, he starts to take action against his former allies and create a world in which his daughter can live safely in, a world with a trustworthy government and fair legal system. Sounds idealistic? Probably so, but that just might be the point the drama was trying to prove. Each character in this drama had a bad side to them, be it the main hero (if you can even call him that) or the various figures of authority (Minister of Defense, Prime Minister Candidate and so on) portrayed here; they were at times ruthless and got their hands very dirty, but they were also complex and layered. Take the supposed main villain for example, Lee Tae Joon (Jo Jae Hyun), though the series is essentially focused on Jung Hwan trying to take Tae Joon down, their relationship was far from what you would expect between a hero and a villain. From having virtual jajangmyeon dates to occasionally sharing touching moments, this was a pair that I always felt conflicted about; should I be hoping for them to go back to becoming friends or should I hope that Jung Hwan wins and Tae Joon gets destroyed?
This conflict could probably be extended to my feelings on the characters as well, especially with morally ambiguous ones like Jung Hwan. Contrary to popular belief, just because a character is afflicted with a terminal disease it doesn’t and shouldn’t make the character a more likeable one. While it is a common trend in K-dramas for the characters to undergo a drastic personality transformation after finding out that they have a limited lifespan, this drama didn’t go down that old route because Jung Hwan
Become a nicer person. He still resorted to underhanded and sometimes cruel means to get what he wanted, including using his illness to trick his ex-wife at one point, but his motives were no longer selfish. He worked so hard to clear his own name, to protect his family and all for his beloved daughter. That was perhaps the most moving part about this drama, a father’s unfailing and unconditional love for his child. It motivated Jung Hwan and kept him going even after he was defeated time and again, each time worse than the last, but he gave it all he got, even till his deathbed.
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These layered characters probably worked because of the committed performances put in by the various actors, in particular Kim Rae Won. He pulled off the heartless lawyer very well, but managed to tug on viewers’ heartstrings in emotional scenes with his daughter and even in wordless scenes when he was temporarily paralyzed. This drama may not be for everyone because of its serious and constantly suspenseful nature, but I thoroughly enjoyed how it kept me on my feet while still having the time to enjoy the performances and character development shown.
Another underrated drama which has quite an international fanbase, “Healer” finished airing early on in 2015 but remained as one of the standouts of the year. With a strong narrative and generally fast-moving plot, this drama was at times suspenseful and at times plain adorable.
This drama had one of the best K-drama
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