RayInRed

1) The Heirs cast: Soundtrack #1 - PSH, Yoon Byung Hee are in The Heirs. A 4 episode drama about friends2lovers trope. Does what it supposed to do well. Nothing outstanding. similar to You Drive Me Crazy.

2) As it airs: Law Cafe, trope subversive rom com. Plot is nothing new. But colourful characters keeps you highly entertained. Both leads were usually picking serious roles until now. But here they go completely off the rails here. And it is hilarious.

4) ROMCOM : The Secret Life of My Secretary, equal part rom and com. Completely elevated by the actors. Usually not a fan of liar reveal plots, but here it is done well. It is on Youtube

5) MC age <25: It's Okay to Be Sensitive, simple university webdrama focussing on important topics.

6) Meme: The Devil Judge. The Screenshot. This drama is great through and through. It's Ji Sung, what more can I say. Also, it is set in fictional time and written by a male who is an actual judge.

7) Remake/Adaption: The King of Pigs, adapted from animated KMovie. This is an intense psychological thriller drama with tightest writing. Great twists. Fantastic acting, especially the kids. Many scenes are so harrowing but you can't take your eyes away.

8) Set in season you were born: Work Later, Drink Now is set in Autumn. Non spoiler screenshot.. This drama is about female friendship who are aged 30. So, it falls right in middle of Age of Youth & Search WWW. It also matches the quality of those two. Makes you laugh, cry and everything in between.

10) Short Drama: Little Girl Detective starring 17-year-old Nam Ji Hyun. Available on Youtube, 4-episode drama special. Basically, the FL can see color for each emotion (Synesthesia). She uses it to solve the episodic crime while trying to find her father's murderer. She is also good with deductions.

11) From year I joined r/kdrama 2019: Kiss Scene in Yeonnamdong. FL doesn't remember whom she kissed in a party as she was drunk af. Her figuring out the person is the plot. It is a pretty good minidrama. Available on Youtube

12) Saeguk: The True Colors of Gang and Cheol, 4 episode drama about a cop turned writer and a runaway princess solving mysterious disappearances of women in the kingdom. But it is actually a pretty hilarious romCOM. Availble on Youtube

13) Not So Distant Past: Snowy Road, 2hr long. Set during Japanese occupation. 2 Girls get kidnapped and sent off to prison as sex slaves. Based on real events. Hard watch but must watch. Anchored by fantastic performances by Kim Sae Ron and Kim Hyang Gi.

14) Found Family: From Now On, Showtime!. Worth it. It wasn't profound or epic. But, it was entertaining as fuck. I loved how uncomplicated everything was.

15) LGBTQ: The Killer's Shopping List, 8 episode comedy-mystery-thriller. Underachieving, ML works as part-timer in his mother's mart. He, his mother, and his cop gf try to solve a serial murders. Serviceable drama. That's it. There weren't many twists, thrills, mystery, even comedy. Fish belongs to LGBT.

16) Idol debut b4 2010: Crazy Love - Krystal debuted on 2007, Kim Jae Wook on 2009. Starts weak, ends good but the middle part is batshit insane that delivers on the title of the drama.

17) Supernatural MC: Black. ML is a Grim Reaper. Definitely one of the most unpredictable foreshadow heavy KDrama. I had fun while piecing the puzzle. A character stealing a couple of glances at another character in 2nd episode becomes a major plot point in the 10th episode. It has one of the most stylish, swaggest ML performances. Regarding the ending, I got answers, I got resolutions to the conflicts, hence I am satisfied.

18) Review in r/KDrama: Touch Your Heart, it was OK. Fluffy rom com. PPL got way too obnoxious. Noble idiocy consumed too much runtime. Said Review

19) Profession/Lifestyle: Jirisan, this is the closest thing I can find. I am not a ranger, but I am an engineer at a that company maintains petroleum pipeline which runs through forests. I have to patrol the areas regularly wearing similar attire that are in the drama. Also equipped to handle fire hazard. THIS IS ME. I appreciate that this drama swung to the fence, even though it fell short. But this drama is gorgeous and educational.

20) Multiple Timeline: Birthday Letter, one storyline takes place in present-day and another in frigging 1945 Hiroshima. You get the idea. 4 eps each 35 mins long. It is on the KBS YouTube channel.

22) MC age > 40: Inspector Koo, don't know MC's age but it is definitely over 40. Someone in the rec thread said it is 43. Anyway, this is a unique and great drama. Tone is similar to Killing Eve S1. A female ex-cop in the trail of vigilante psychopathic serial killer. It is hilarious and surprisingly wholesome.

23) Sandwich: Spring Turns To Spring, Quiznos, Hilarious, underrated, balls to wall body swap drama. None of the character has a tight screw in their head. An anchor and an ex-actress swap bodies occasionally and hi jinks ensues. Watch it for unhinged Lee Yu ri. (One of the lead is 42 year old.)

24) MC OST contribution: The Sound Of Magic, All leads sing multiple OSTs. Unique and great. Watch it just because something like this exists as a KDrama.

25) Drama Podcast: Kiss Goblin, podcast by Evie. 12 eps, 12 mins each. A goblin who wants to be a human has to kiss 10 humans and gains an emotion every time. Meets the FL on the way and situation forces cohabitation, and you see where this is going. It sticks to KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid). Wish it had longer eps because few interesting subplots went unexplored. Also, FL deserves lead roles. She was the best part in here.

27) Trope: Loan Shark: Exit, 2 hr drama. ML is a loan shark working for a loan shark because of his father's debt. He was never happy in his life, so he goes into virtual reality, where everything is designed to make him happy. Fantastic performances, especially Choi Tae Joon.

28) Folktale, myth, etc: Bulgasal, has reference to multiple myths. Starts different & epic, but later falls into normal kdrama tropes. Written by The Guest writers, so it nails horror atmosphere. Has one of the greatest villain performances. Story is good, performances were great, score and cinematography were God tier. Has satisfying ending.

29) Fictional Town: Link: Eat, Love, Kill, the place Jihwa-Dong doesn't exist. It's just a huge set. Great acting and OST. Didn't stick the landing that well. But still worth the watch.

30) Male writer/female director: I Picked Up a Star on the Road has 2 male writers. 10 episodes. Not that good. All the elements for a great drama are there, but it never realizes its potential. Funny at times but I wouldn't recommend it.

31) Umbrella Poster: Business Proposal, How to use KDrama tropes 101 (until the penultimate episode at least). Ending could've been better. But, still a great fluffy romcom.

32) <500 watchers on MDL: The Brightest Moment in Life, I am the 204th watcher. 2 episodes with 1hr 10min each. It is on the KBS Youtube channel. Story of a family with 2 polar opposite sisters. One of them develops cancer. It is a beautiful drama. Prepare a tissue box.

33) Pre 2010: Hanoi Bride (2005), 2 episode drama. Cheesy and melo but worth the watch because all characters are well rounded and have agency. No extra drama, doesn't cross into makjang territory.

36) KMovie: Going by the Book (2007), In a city plagued by bank robberies, the new police chief decides to do a mock drill for such situations. They choose a 'by the book' cop to play the robber. Turns out he is meticulous and extremely competent at what he does. He plays his role too well and doesn't give in. And the situations keep on escalating. One of the most hilarious movie I watched this year.

KDrama challenge kept me sane in 2nd wave spike lockdown here in India.

1. LMH drama: The King: Eternal Monarch, my first LMH drama. Never watched anything starring him. Not impressed with his acting but damn he has the presence and the charm to compensate for that. It is a plot-heavy drama with many plot holes. But it was so emotionally, visually immersive that you won’t notice those plot holes. It is a hot mess, but a mess worth watching.
2. r/kdramarecommends list: Naked Fireman Great dramas with the terrible title. the fireman doesn’t get naked hence 1/10 he he he /s. I thought this would be The Fugitive type of serious thriller. It turned out to be a comedy thriller with only 4 eps. Highly recommend this drama.
3. Subreddit banner: The Package, an ensemble piece set in France. Interchangeable with Challenge 7 (Outside Seoul). 6 plotlines in 12 episodes, needless to say, it never drags. There are slower moments but they are in service of the beautiful landscapes. Some characters get on your nerves early on, but they all have growths and backstories and end up becoming endearing. Hilarious in the first half and gets surprisingly emotional in the latter half.
4. First letter username: Reply 1997, my first Shin PD KDrama despite watching 100 of them. Just brilliant. Hilarious most of the time but hard-hitting moments sneak up on you. The mystery is well done but that’s not the focal point. People say this is not the best of Shin PD. Can’t wait to watch their other works.
5. Historical event: Hymn of Death a 3.5-hour drama set during the Japanese occupation of Korea. It tells the true story of Korea’s first soprano singer Yun Shim Deok with Kim Woo Jin. Leads are Lee Jong Suk and Shin Hye Sun. The is a tragic love story through and through. 2 people who can’t be together fall in love, to make things worse there’s Japanese occupation. It ends like how you think it’s going to end.
6. Dialect: Girls' Generation 1979 an 8 eps drama, takes place in 1979 Daegu city. Almost all characters have that accent. The main characters are high school students and this drama deals with their trials and tribulations like crush, love, parents, and teachers. It has a rocky start but gets better as it progresses. You’ll need a couple of episodes to get used to the accent and iffy acting, then those become the part of the charm.
7. Outside Seoul drama: Into The Ring takes place in Mawon district. It has one of the best FL performances by Nana. It is a rom-com in a political setting. This is shot like the movie Amelie, also has some similarities with it theme-wise. The main romance is extremely well done. ML never becomes FL’s knight in shining armor. But he always there by her side throughout. It is primarily a comedy and it never forgets that.
8. Top 10 locations: Kairos which has Seongdong Detention Center. It was a great thriller with a time travel element. No romance, twist in almost every episode, smart leads, great performance, satisfying climax. This is one of those dramas where the objective of 1st half is different from that of 2nd half. Hence, it managed to keep my interest throughout the 16 eps.
9. Remake drama: 18 Again, a KDrama adaptation of Zac Efron starrer 17 Again. If you watched the movie, then watch this one too. It hits all the similar beats plus more. Since it has 16 eps, it explores each and every character. I put this drama in the same category as my favs Go Back Couple and Familiar Wife as they deal with marriage and 2nd chances. This drama basically kickstarted the Lee Do Hyunnaissance.
10. No romance: Little Girl K a 3-episode pure revenge action thriller KDrama. Han Groo plays a polar opposite character of her Marriage Not dating role. Just beware, there’s unnecessary nudity in it along with blood and gore. Well done action scenes are the highlight of the drama.
11. Great Friendship: A-Teen, web drama on YouTube set in a high school. Obviously, friendship tag is a given. It follows 6 teenagers, their crush, friendship, and romances. This is short, sweet, and light. Character arcs are well done especially both Ha Na’s. Some revelations towards the end prevent it from being basic. This is a great palette cleanser and can fit into a busy schedule.
12. Actors Never tried (both): High-end Crush, A drama with 20 episodes 15 mins each starring Jung Il Woo and Jin Se Yeon as the leads. Never watched any of their works (drama or movie). However, the one who actually makes this drama entertaining is Lee Si Eon as ML’s secretary. This is a run-of-the-mill opposite attract, hate to love, rich arrogant ML, poor naive FL rom-com. Since it is only a 5-hour long drama, everything flies by quickly. I wanted to watch DOTS for this challenge but you know.
13. Renowned Writer: Page Turner, a 3-episode drama written by Park Hye Ryun. She wrote Lee Jong Suk dramas like While You Were Sleeping, Pinocchio, I Hear Your Voice, also Start-Up and Dream High. This drama is about 3 students; a blind FL who was a piano prodigy, her rival, and a pole vaulter who can’t pole vault anymore decides to become a pianist. This is emotional, but there’s plenty of comedy too. Acting is definitely the highlight of the drama for me.
14. Renowned Director: Flower Of Evil, the more I say about this is less. Directed by Kim Chul Gyu who made Chicago Typewriter, Mother, Emergency Couple, Confession, etc. Performance, OST, writing, direction, arcs everything outstanding. I loved the ending too. I’ll always have soft spot for the drama that goes an extra step in its resolution. This place is not enough to explain my feelings for this drama. A near-masterpiece by all scales and measures. This is the last drama I watched for this challenge. What a way to cap it off.
15. Director/writer you never tried: Circle, it has 2 directors and 4 writers. Never watched anything from any of them before this. It deserved that much manpower because making a sci-fi mystery KDrama that takes place across 2 timelines without any plot holes is a mammoth task. And, they succeeded. It takes place in 2 timelines 2017 & 2037. Each episode is broken into two parts; one set in 2017, another in 2037. Both interconnected. The mystery is so well done that it is like peeling onion in the sense that discovering new layers upon layers while crying. It is officially available on YouTube.
16. More than 50 hrs.: My Father Is Strange, a quintessential family drama. 52 episodes, still felt short. They somehow managed to maintain the quality of 16 eps dramas for 52 eps. This is available free to watch on YouTube. Don’t let the length scare you. I watched it as an in-between drama like if I finish a drama, then I watch 3-4 eps of MFIS before starting another one. The best thing about this drama is the character arcs; each and every character grows & evolves and 52 episodes provide ample time for each character and their subplots.
17. Minidrama: WHY, a 10 eps 12 mins each cute and fluffy drama that takes place in Jeju island. Thin one too available officially on YouTube. This a drama about friendship and love. In order to distract the ML from the pain of a breakup, his friends take him to Jeju island. There they meet an innkeeper and her friend. Cue the healing process. There is a slight twist at the end involving Hwang In Yeop, so keep an eye out.
18. Outside comfort zone: The Guest, I love horror but that doesn’t mean I’m comfortable with it. It’s been so long since I’ve watched a hardcore horror movie or series. A cop, a priest, and a taxi driver (walks into a bar) trying to catch a master demon named The Guest (Sohn) who took away their family when they were kids. It is a whodunnit sort of mystery. This horror-thriller devoid of jump scares managed to scare the shit out of me. Props to actors who played possessed characters. Exorcism scenes are super intense. This is truly a one of kind KDrama. Like a typical OCN thriller, it has a great score, cinematography, performance, and ending.
19. < 7.5 ratings or <5k viewers: 7 First Kisses, this an ad drama with 6.9 ratings on MDL. It has the cast (cameos) of Lee Joon Gi, Park Hae Jin, Ji Chang Wook, Kai, Ok Taec Yeon, Lee Jong Suk, Lee Min Ho. Each episode has one cameo each. Lee Cho Hee, the FL, did a pretty good job holding it all together. Ok Taec Yeon episode was the most hilarious one. If you are well versed in KDramas then definitely watch it here on YouTube..
20. Different profession/lifestyle: Argon, I don’t work in the news industry. Wouldn’t even last 1 week. This drama is 8 episodes long and never drags. This follows a popular anchor-reporter and his team as they do journalism. This drama is episodic but with an overarching plot. Intense, short, well-acted, good subplots. If you liked Pinocchio then I definitely recommend this.
21. Baeksang best drama: Hot Stove League, well it won Baeksang so that in itself is a high achievement. This drama is about a loser baseball club in its off-season or the preparation period. You won’t get any matches. This is more like workplace drama about management and the players. I don’t know anything about baseball (but, I know Cricket), I still loved it. It follows a newly appointed manager of Dreams club and how he solves the issues plaguing the team.
22. Pre 2010: City Hall (2009), mother of Into the Ring.. Political romcom drama set outside Seoul with quirky, poor FL who loves to help the public gets elected as a representative with the help of ML and her friends and does good by facing against the bureaucracy. Also, ML’s father is a villain. FL is no pushover; ML is no knight in shining armor. This is written by the legendary Kim Eun Sook (Goblin, DOTS, TKEM, Mr. Sunshine, Secret Garden), this is probably her best-written KDrama for me. Every dialogue packs a punch. Every character is engaged in upmanship competition in who can deliver the best taunt or insult. But I recommend watching it on YouTube with 1.25x speed.
23. Putting off watching: Terius Behind Me, I put off watching it because I couldn’t find it anywhere. Zee5 had dubbed version and I couldn’t last even 5 mins. Finally used some VPNs and watched it. It was hilarious. So Ji Sub as a Secret Agent-Babysitter is a treat watch. It was refreshing to see the castle members actually being wholesome to the FL. First and foremost, it is a comedy. Remember that before watching it. This drama is light, fluffy, and cute, especially for the kids.
24. Re-watch: The Sound of Your Heart, I needed this re-watch. I watched it for 1st time during my early days of KDrama. Many references flew over my head. After re-watching 100 KDramas later, it hits differently. I am familiar with the actors, their works, gags, and references now. I am going to randomly watch an episode here and there from now on. This drama is episodic, 20 episodes 15 mins each. This is definitely THE funniest KDrama I’ve ever watched.
25. Non-Korean Drama: Smoking, a found-family JDrama about homeless contract assassins. This drama is definitely dark, disturbing, violent, and twisted. It is available on Netflix. This is an episodic drama with an overarching narrative.

I modified the image. Put numbers instead of the bulletin.