Wow, I can't believe it's 2013. I've been watching Korean Dramas for nearly a year now, but I feel like I have only begun to scratch the surface of this crazy Kdrama world. I tried to watch as many of the Kdramas that aired in 2012 as I could. See my "2012 Korean Dramas" post for information about the dramas that I watched. Now, I will list the best dramas that I watched from this year. This is similar to my "The Best Kdramas of 2012 (preliminary)" list, but I did make a few adjustments
1. Rooftop Prince
I genuinely love this drama. Mickey Yoo Chun and Han Ji Min make a beautiful couple. I find it to be a hilarious comedy and an emotional romance all rolled in to one. I am a sucker for the ever-funny scenes that take place when a person from the past is thrust into the modern world and bombarded with the substantial advancements of technology since their time. I think Rooftop Prince is by far the best of the time travel dramas that I have seen (Faith, Queen In Hyun's Man, and 3 episodes of Time Slip Dr. Jin).
 |
| Park Yoo Chun and Han Ji Min |
Watch Rooftop Prince with English subs DramaFever.com
2. The Innocent Man (Nice Guy)
The Innocent Man (Nice Guy) become a big part of my life for a while (as sad as that sounds). I originally had planned to watch it when it completed airing, but I started this blog on October 20th and decided I need to write about this show because it is daebak. I watched the first 14 episodes over the course of 2 or 3 days (it's all a blur now) and began my screen cap/ blog writing fury. Now that it is over, I feel an emptiness. I am not loyal enough to say that I won't be able to fill the emptiness left by The Innocent Man (Nice Guy), but it might take some time to be replaced in my heart. Song Joong Ki is amazing as Kang Ma Roo because he has an angelic baby face, but does some very bad ass things in the show. Also, I fell in love with Moon Chae Won while watching this drama. She is gorgeous, and I love when she gets to act strong-willed and ferocious.
Watch The Innocent Man (Nice Guy) with English subs DramaFever.com
3. Arang and the Magistrate
Arang and the Magistrate is one of the first dramas I wrote about. Watching Korean Dramas to write about them is a very different experience than just watching them, I believe. While I am much more efficient with my time when I watch a drama without worrying about what to write about it, I feel that I get a better insight into the drama when I stop and think about it. With Arang, I was able draw out many beautiful ideas and lessons from this drama during my writing process. It really makes me think about the power of desire and will and how considering other people can be the most rewarding way to live.
Watch Arang and the Magistrate with English subs DramaFever.com
4. Queen In Hyun's Man
Queen In Hyun's Man is one of the best love stories I have seen in a Korean drama. Maybe not everyone will agree with me on that, but that's okay. I think that the love between Kim Bong Do (Ji Hyun Woo) and Choi Hee Jin (Yoo In Na) is pure and sweet. Unlike some Kdramas where the main couple starts off with
a relationship of hate and hostility, they were never tarnished by that dirty feeling of "are these people masochists or what?" that I get from some couples. As a time travel drama, it is almost (but not quite) as amazing as Rooftop Prince. I don't really like to compare these two dramas too much, though, because I think that they each have their own individual spirits. Queen In Hyun's Man is a must-see drama for any Korean drama lover.
Watch Queen In Hyun's Man with English subs DramaFever.com
Watch The King of Dramas with English subtitles Viki.com
What were your favorite dramas of 2012?
The Innocent Man (Nice Guy) become a big part of my life for a while (as sad as that sounds). I originally had planned to watch it when it completed airing, but I started this blog on October 20th and decided I need to write about this show because it is daebak. I watched the first 14 episodes over the course of 2 or 3 days (it's all a blur now) and began my screen cap/ blog writing fury. Now that it is over, I feel an emptiness. I am not loyal enough to say that I won't be able to fill the emptiness left by The Innocent Man (Nice Guy), but it might take some time to be replaced in my heart. Song Joong Ki is amazing as Kang Ma Roo because he has an angelic baby face, but does some very bad ass things in the show. Also, I fell in love with Moon Chae Won while watching this drama. She is gorgeous, and I love when she gets to act strong-willed and ferocious.
 |
| Song Joong Ki and Moon Chae Won |
3. Arang and the Magistrate
Arang and the Magistrate is one of the first dramas I wrote about. Watching Korean Dramas to write about them is a very different experience than just watching them, I believe. While I am much more efficient with my time when I watch a drama without worrying about what to write about it, I feel that I get a better insight into the drama when I stop and think about it. With Arang, I was able draw out many beautiful ideas and lessons from this drama during my writing process. It really makes me think about the power of desire and will and how considering other people can be the most rewarding way to live.
 |
| Lee Jun Ki and Shin Min Ah |
4. Queen In Hyun's Man
Queen In Hyun's Man is one of the best love stories I have seen in a Korean drama. Maybe not everyone will agree with me on that, but that's okay. I think that the love between Kim Bong Do (Ji Hyun Woo) and Choi Hee Jin (Yoo In Na) is pure and sweet. Unlike some Kdramas where the main couple starts off with
a relationship of hate and hostility, they were never tarnished by that dirty feeling of "are these people masochists or what?" that I get from some couples. As a time travel drama, it is almost (but not quite) as amazing as Rooftop Prince. I don't really like to compare these two dramas too much, though, because I think that they each have their own individual spirits. Queen In Hyun's Man is a must-see drama for any Korean drama lover.
 |
| Ji Hyun Woo and Yoo In Na |
Watch Queen In Hyun's Man with English subs DramaFever.com
5. Reply 1997
Reply 1997 (Answer Me 1997) is a treat. Sung Shi Won (Jung Eun Ji) is such a spunky, relatable female character that it is impossible (for people with warm blood) not to love her. She lives in the world of super fandom and worships her kpop idol with an extreme (almost dangerous) passion. This drama features an array of interesting and well-developed characters that interact flawlessly with each other in their realistic environment spanning from the late 1990's up to present day. The ending has a sweet twist that is both funny, and romantic (clearly, I love that combination), and there is really nothing but joy, youth, and fun (with some tears too) to be had.
Watch Reply 1997 with English subs DramaFever.com
6. The King of Dramas
The King of Dramas is not finished airing yet, but it is a great show and I wanted to it to my list. I was skeptical about watching it at first because he premise sounded boring and cliche to me, but I was very wrong in that assumption. This drama is exciting, hilarious, and has a subtle, sweet romantic side to it. There are only a few episodes left, and, as we all know, the ending could ruin the show (i.e. Big). I am adding this drama to the list, though, for the episodes of it that aired during 2012, and hopefully the final episodes will prove to be just as awesome.
Reply 1997 (Answer Me 1997) is a treat. Sung Shi Won (Jung Eun Ji) is such a spunky, relatable female character that it is impossible (for people with warm blood) not to love her. She lives in the world of super fandom and worships her kpop idol with an extreme (almost dangerous) passion. This drama features an array of interesting and well-developed characters that interact flawlessly with each other in their realistic environment spanning from the late 1990's up to present day. The ending has a sweet twist that is both funny, and romantic (clearly, I love that combination), and there is really nothing but joy, youth, and fun (with some tears too) to be had.
 |
| Seo In Guk and Jung Eun Ji |
6. The King of Dramas
The King of Dramas is not finished airing yet, but it is a great show and I wanted to it to my list. I was skeptical about watching it at first because he premise sounded boring and cliche to me, but I was very wrong in that assumption. This drama is exciting, hilarious, and has a subtle, sweet romantic side to it. There are only a few episodes left, and, as we all know, the ending could ruin the show (i.e. Big). I am adding this drama to the list, though, for the episodes of it that aired during 2012, and hopefully the final episodes will prove to be just as awesome.
 |
| Kim Myung Min and Jung Ryu Won |
Watch The King of Dramas with English subtitles Viki.com
What were your favorite dramas of 2012?
nice collage ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks! I love Picasa.
DeleteGreat choice! I love all the series you place in this post.
ReplyDeleteThanks! There were so many goods dramas to watch. It was hard to choose just a few as my favorites for 2012.
DeleteI Agree in the QUEEN INHYUN'S MAN. In all korean drama's i saw ever since in 2010, I REALLY LOVE THIS DRAMA. I CRIED ALOT, JELLY AND ALL EMOTIONS OF YOURSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS <3
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's such a sweet drama. I miss Ji Hyun Woo! I hope he makes a drama when he is discharged from the military.
DeleteJust finished watching Queen Inhyun's Man. Wooow!!! For so many times I have attempted to watch this drama before but couldn't finish the first episode coz I always thought it was gonna be boring since it had quite a serious beginning. So after watching Innocent Man, I was looking for another kdrama and I saw your blog. Actually your blog isn't the first that says this drama is great but I took your word for it and decided to watch it and just bare with it, which I did. First two episodes still didn't have any effect on me and I was battling again if I should just give it up or just hold on to it a little more. Hahahahaha! I'm really glad I did coz it was one of the the best, most heart-tugging and most satisfying (especially with all the smooches and the happiest ending) drama. Thank you Kdrama Therapy! Keep up the good work! Will watch the other dramas that you have listed here. Have watched a lot of them already but there are still a few that i haven't. Thinking of watching I Do, I Do next. Hmmmm.... :)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you liked. I have a theory that you can't judge a kdrama off of the first few episodes. I usually have to watch 5-8 eps before I know if I want to finish the drama. Sometimes I watch even more before I realize I don't like it. I Do, I Do is good, it has a different feel than other kdramas while maintaining the themes we all enjoy to watch. Have you watched any Taiwanese dramas? I'm watching Summer Fever right now and it's soooooo sweet. The main couple's relationship reminds me of Queen In Hyun's man
DeleteYou are so right. I guess I'm just a person who wants to see action right away. LOL! Most of the time I fall asleep during the first few episodes unless the lead stars are my favorite (like Song Joong Ki) or at least someone whom I'm familiar with. The girl in QIHM I am familiar with but the guy, it's the first time I've seen him. Anyway, the fact that they became a couple in real life because of this drama makes it even more exciting to watch! They're so cute together. :) I have watched a few Taiwanese dramas before and they also make good ones especially when it comes to romantic comedies but it's been over a year now that I have been very loyal with kdramas that I kinda didn't want to watch anything else anymore... Hahahahaha! Maybe I should go back to watching them again. Hehehe. Last one I watched was Down With Love so you could see how long it has been. Gosh! These dramas are so addictive! It's like my day wouldn't be complete without them. Sorry... Let me rephrase that. My life wouldn't be complete without them even for just a day. LOL!
DeleteSame here. It just doesn't feel right not to watch. I haven't watched many twdramas, but I plan on watching more. I also want to waych more Japanese dramas. I just don't know where to start. I've watched a few, but it's like a whole other world I haven't explored yet.
Delete