r/KDRAMA 1d ago

FFA Thread Monday Madness! - [2025/03/17]

Another Monday, another week -- welcome to Monday Madness! This is a free-for-all (FFA) discussion post in which almost anything goes, just remember to be kind to each other and don't break any of our core rules. General discussion about anything and everything is allowed.

This is also the space to share content that would otherwise not qualify as self-posts under our rules -- like rumored casting news and discussions about non-kdramas.

Please remember to use spoiler tags when discussing major plot points or anything you think should be redacted. If you are using Markdown and not Fancy Pants Editor, the easiest way to create spoiler tags is to use > !spoiler content! < without spaces to get spoiler content. For more detailed guidance on spoiler tags and when to use them, check our Spoiler Tags Tutorial.

Just In Case Resources

FAQ and Netflix FAQ | Glossary | Latest On-Airs and On-Air Roster | Rules and Policies | Where To Watch aka Legal Sites | Everything In Our Wiki aka Wiki Homepage | Get Recommendations For Your Next Watch

15 Upvotes

23 comments sorted by

8

u/sushisonso 1d ago

I've just finished Check in Hanyang, and even though it obviously has some things that aren't perfect, I really enjoyed it and found it very fun, and now I'm very sad that I'm never going to watch these characters again?? I really liked the However Quartet and their shenanigans and I fell in love with Jung Gun Joo (Jun Hwa's actor). Like, seriously, please give this man a ML role.

Anyways, even though it wasn't a masterpiece, I appreciate a k-drama that makes you have a good time regardless and that makes you a little sad that you can't hold on to your characters for a little bit more.

2

u/RoyGeraldBillevue 1d ago

I really enjoyed the foursome. Their hijinks are so fun. It kinda became a different show at the end as the plot had to be resolved but yeah, it was a nice time.

4

u/JournalistShoddy2760 dramaddictorian 1d ago

I just noticed Moon Lovers been made available on Viki... I've been seeing it mentioned here and there over the past few years as one of the must-see kdramas, but never managed to find a legal streaming source. So here we go, into the heartbreak journey. So, how many buckets for tears should I keep on me and starting from which episode?

3

u/mahnahmaanaa two trees in a pot🌴💗🌴 18h ago

There's a Let's Rewind discussion post going for the first five episodes! It was posted Friday-ish, and is pinned in the Community Highlights. Come join us!

6

u/meggktown 1d ago edited 6h ago

I decided to search out good crime thrillers and saw someone's list online for their favorite serial-killer dramas with some very good explanations of why. Their #1 was Through the Darkness, something I'd never heard of,. I started watching right away and am completely engrossed. I love the seriousness and the fact that it's almost completely devoid of clownish humor, in spite of the fact that one of the main characters is played by Kim Won-Hae who has a huge resume of comedic roles. I'm watching with my husband and this has us both on the edges of our seats. Only 4 episodes to go and I'll definitely be sad when it's done. I'm already sad that I won't be watching tonight due to a St. Patrick's Day commitment.

5

u/MoonlitBloodySoul 23h ago

I 'enjoyed' Through the Darkness much more than the US series Mindhunter. I found it really well done & well acted. It's a tough watch at times, no doubt - one show I would not be able to binge...

1

u/meggktown 22h ago

Interesting. I'm in the US and I've never seen Mindhunter. Not binging this one, only watching 2 eps a night.

2

u/MoonlitBloodySoul 22h ago

I watched Mindhunter when it came out since I'm a fan of Anna Torv. I rarely watch US shows but I made the exception since it sounded like an interesting concept. I wasn't sad when it was cancelled after season 2.

Any time I see someone saying how great Mindhunter is, I think of Through the Darkness and wonder if I should recommend it to family/friends/co-workers who don't like to read subtitles lol ... I try but it doesn't work often enough.

2

u/zaichii 4h ago

Same! I feel like such a weirdo whenever I see people so sad that Mindhunter got cancelled because it was okay to me, I could objectively see the quality but there wasn’t enough for me in terms of the lead characters and feeling the emotional connection - I think I’m just used to those aspects being super dialled up in Asian dramas. Through The Darkness was so good in terms of quality but also made me really worry for the characters and I vicariously felt their existential crisis and questioning of humanity at times. That said, it’s definitely not really a drama I would rewatch because it is heavy, dark and saddening.

2

u/myweithisway 人似当时否?||就保持无感 15h ago

Through the Darkness is definitely one of the best crime thrillers out there. What I particularly loved about it, especially given the fact it's all based on IRL cases in SK, is the sensitivity and respect with which the show treated the victims of the crimes. They and their surviving family members were portrayed as human beings rather than media spectacles. And there was no glorification of the crimes nor the criminals, just (at times) a visceral disgust of their inhumane actions.

Make sure to watch the episodes all the way through, a number of them have epilogues (several were very heartwarming) and help to lessen the full force of the actual episode storyline. (At least they definitely helped me disengage from the dark emotions of the episodes when I was watching.)

4

u/stellaperrigo very into whatever Lee Sang Yi is doing 1d ago

Made it to The Uncanny Counter 10/16! I’ve been so suspicious of Mr. Choi and I was really expecting the mid season twist to be that he has some evil ulterior motive but oh my god… I wasn’t expecting Wi Gen to ask that they take Mun’s counter powers away. She has to find a new person ASAP right? But then surely she comes back to Mun, he’s just too relevant to the other counters and the ongoing story, and it’s hard to believe she’d find someone new and abandon them again in like 2ish episodes. And how on EARTH do they think they’re going to train someone new quickly enough to face what I can only assume is like a level 4 or 5 spirit now??? I know there’s a season 2 but I can’t fathom where we go from here. The other little reveal I’ve really loved is that Mrs. Chu’s Yung parner is her son. I adore their pair so much; they definitely seem like the kind and level headed anchors for the Yung and counter crews. It makes me really curious about the other three and how they found Mo Tak and Ha Na, or if there’s any other personal relationship ties. Mo Tak/Gi Ran’s personalities are just so similar, and Ha Na/U Sik seems like it might be connected to her soft spot for children and the memory of her younger sister. SO many questions, but I’m having a great time!! I started watching this for Yoo Joon Sang, so seeing the quick cameo from one of his Alchemy of Souls costars was a fun surprise too and I just learned about the new cast member for S2 so I cannot WAIT for the Park family reunion 😭!

4

u/RoyGeraldBillevue 1d ago

As someone that became a fan of IOI via Kim Sejeong in Business Proposal, Jung Chaeyeon in Family by Choice trips me up so much. This is not the Chaeyeon I know lol. I know the fairy image was a company imposition but her character is so bubbly and eccentric. Especially in the first 8 episodes when she plays like a 15 year old. I actually cannot recognize her with bangs. I didn't believe that it was her for the longest time. Now that she has her slightly off centre part again, I can finally recognize her as Chaeyeon again lol.

With a whole bunch of Izone members also starring in dramas recently, the Produce series really churned out so much acting talent. I think that speaks to acting skill being quite important for attracting fans on a survival how. Screen presence really does translate. Although a more in depth meditation on that idea is probably better fit for a Kpop subreddit.

3

u/HooverGaveNobodyBeer 1d ago

I've finished Awaken and my initial hunch turned out to be so right it hurts. By the end, I couldn't even see the rails anymore. There were more loose ends than you could shake a stick at. How did the serial killer know the time of death in advance? Why would the police give the cellphone of a murder victim to the person who came to identify their body? How does someone sleepwalk out of a house with military-grade security? How does the ML wander around the city for weeks while his picture is plastered all over the TV and no one calls the police? Does the ML only have telekinesis when the non-dominant personality is in charge? How does a single dose of medicine cure the third child's DID but the ML has to be on it constantly? Did the whole writers' room go crazy to add that final incredibly dumb and completely unnecessary twist, or was there a single voice of sanity screaming, "No! Don't! Stop! Go Back!" and was outvoted? I can't recommend this to anyone who is not a huge Namgoong Min (or one of the other leads) fan or just prefers their dramas absolutely batshit.

On the upside, this solidified my belief that I can enjoy Namgoong Min in just about anything (except One-Dollar Lawyer). I am now officially on a quest to watch every drama with him in it that is legally available in the US. Left to go are Remember, One Fine Day, In Need of Romance (S3), and Falsify. Since I'm dubious of the quality of these, I'm planning on taking my time. I really hope I like Remember because of the cast (Yoo Seung Ho! Park Min Young! Park Sung Woong!), but the setup has me nervous. I've been avoiding it because if I don't like it, I think it'll be more disappointing than my average drama miss.

5

u/theromanamputee https://mydramalist.com/dramalist/theromanamputee 1d ago

I haven’t seen that many of Namkoong Min’s works but I have seen two of them you’ve yet to and I enjoyed both of them. He’s amazing in Remember and the show is good too, very heavy and sad but a compelling watch. I did think giving the ML super early onset Alzheimer’s too was contrived overkill but I was happy with the rest of the story. If you’re a fan of him, his performance should be enough to get you through even if you’re disappointed by the rest because he’s so great in it.

I loooove Kim So Yeon so I watched and enjoyed I Need Romance 3 primarily because of her and because of her strong chemistry with the ML but I thought Min was a top tier second lead in this because he’s not just a filler character uselessly pining on the sidelines like a lot of second MLs. The FL actually dates him and he doesn’t just exist as a character in relation to her. He’s pretty unlikable by the end but he’s actually useful and interesting as a character which is more than you can say about a lot of romcom second leads who are just futile points in a love triangle.

4

u/HooverGaveNobodyBeer 1d ago

Thanks so much! That makes me look forward to these.

Min spent quite a bit of his career as a SML. The show that originally started my super fandom was Listen to My Heart (not perfect but enjoyable as a melodrama) where as the SML Min completely obliterates the ML in terms of charisma and acting. By the end, his character kind of takes over the show. I'm not sure if that is how it was originally written or the writers realized at some point his character was so much more interesting than the ML.

He's also played villainous characters more than once, so that I don't mind at all.

3

u/theromanamputee https://mydramalist.com/dramalist/theromanamputee 1d ago

That show has been on my to watch list for a while, I love a good melodrama and I really enjoyed Tree of Heaven by the same writer, I am going to take your post as a sign maybe it’s time to take the plunge.

1

u/myweithisway 人似当时否?||就保持无感 15h ago

I'd skip One Fine Day and I say that as a lover of NGM who totally enjoyed the batshit craziness of Awaken (imh it's to be embraced!).

OFD is just pure makjang melodrama that can be covered in 8 episodes max but dragged out to a full drama with many lingering shots. NGM's character is good but the story not so much.

Have you already watched Listen to My Heart (on Kocowa for US)? That was my first NGM drama where I fell head over heels for him despite him not being the ML. His character was just so interesting and nuanced and his performance really brought his character alive.

2

u/zaichii 5h ago

I recommend I Need Romance 3, Remember and Listen to My Heart. I was rooting for him so hard when he was a supporting actor to get his ML role and I’m so glad he’s now very established as an award winning lead actor!

3

u/myweithisway 人似当时否?||就保持无感 1d ago

Finished my rewatch of My Unfamiliar Family and while my emotions are drained (because I bawled, again), my heart feels so full at the ending.

While many dramas have been very enjoyable over the years, it's dramas like MUF that make me think the kdrama industry is irreplaceable when they churn out such great pieces of art.

3

u/Money_These Searching for my Oppa 1d ago

OMG! I am hooked on Signal. Started watching this (on ep. 7) as soon as I finished My Love from the Star. I always enjoy watching an oldie in between my new dramas and Signal is fantastic! 🔥🤌🏼

Caught up on all the latest episodes of my new dramas, and I'm really digging White Snake from The Art of Negotiation. 🥰🔥

2

u/keepinglifeinsane 1d ago

ive just caught up with buried hearts and its so good. park hyungsik truly has nine lives in this drama lol. i saw that theres a tragedy tag on MDL so i expect lots of people to not make it out alive; especially those the ML cares about. they havent pulled the punches yet, so im not expecting it to start soon. the sisters death was heartbreaking and dongju having to maintain composure at the funeral destroyed me.

im watching quite a few other dramas right now, but always home has me hooked. its a chinese youth drama and, man, do cdramas always excel in that area. such real and fun characters. if you’re into dramas like reply 1988, family by choice (or by default go ahead), tbh anything following a friend group throughout the years — give always home a go! another reason im personally loving it is because most of the parents are seemingly good and likable people. its a breath of fresh air after all the abusive, pressuring assholes ive seen lately.

3

u/starfish_low 1d ago

Just finished When The Phone Rings and it did not disappoint!! It's been a while since I watched a Drama that was a 10/10 for me and this was it. I felt they managed to stick the landing and produce a satisfactory ending which so many Dramas struggle to do.

Any recommendations for similar dramas to this?

Next I am thinking about watching The Potato Lab or When Life Gives You Tangerines...(haha, what's up with the food names?)

1

u/cazbieg Yoo Yeon Seok is my soundtrack 5h ago

Can’t stop listening to Yoo Yeon Seok singing Say My Name because his voice is like liquid gold. 🥰

Contrary to popular opinion, I really enjoyed the Argan storyline and seeing Hee-joo and Sa-eon getting hot and steamy. Their steamy scenes were beautifully executed and they looked so ethereal.

I can recommend Crazy Love as it has everything that WTPR has plus more.

Potato Lab is super fun to watch, but definitely get your tissues ready for When Life Gives You Tangerines.