Korean Drama Update for January 2017

2017 has started out pretty great when looking at kdramas! January was a very solid month. There were two dramas I loved and three that were good. It was four new dramas and one older drama this month for a total of five dramas in January:

Goblin: The Lonely and Great God

Goblin is an epic tale with some amazing characters, talented actors, stunning visuals, and a fresh and unique story woven beautifully throughout each episode. I really love seeing a kdrama with such a heavy fantasy concept. It creates a full mythology surrounding the characters and how certain things work. That makes discovering this world and its secrets very interesting.

My favorite parts of the drama were the more dramatic aspects that focused on the story surrounding Shin, his back story, his curse, and how everyone was connected to that. The story is very rich, and I loved delving deep into it. The drama sets up the story very well with high stakes and plenty of questions. While it does take a while to get answers, once we continue deeper into the story, the drama just gets better and better. I also absolutely loved the bromance between Gong Yoo and Lee Dong Wook.

Goblin is a unique drama in the kdrama landscape. It’s an epic story of love, friendship, and forgiveness that tugs at the heart. It’s a poignant and moving drama that definitely left a lasting impression. (Goblin: The Lonely and Great God Review)

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo was a nice slice of life story on a college campus. The drama has some nice humor with lots of heartwarming moments.

The romance between Nam Joo Hyuk and Lee Sung Kyung was very cute with a lot of playfulness and fun that provided a lot of humor. I didn’t find them particularly swoon-worthy in any way though. But they are still unbelievably adorable, and their strength comes from how natural they are together.

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo is a fun and inspirational drama on many levels. While I did find it a bit slow overall and would have liked to have seen more story with higher stakes, it still had plenty going for it. If you like cute couples, slice of life stories, and dramas without a lot of angst, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo is a perfect fit. (Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo Review)

Oh My Geum Bi

What a moving and heartfelt drama! The oh so talented Heo Jung Eun completely shined as our little Geum Bi. She took on this weighty role of a child suffering with a terrible, incurable disease and completely nailed it.

Oh My Geum Bi excelled at hitting the right emotional beats to completely warm my heart while watching the relationship of a father and daughter blossom. The drama perfectly built up the conflicts and issues between the two and then delivered completely moving and beautiful moments where the characters experienced growth. And this special little girl transformed the lives of everyone around her.

Geum Bi brought many smiles to my face with her humorous and heartwarming moments, but then her harrowing journey through illness broke my heart. But even in the midst of sadness, there was always hope. This story was told so beautifully, and I’m glad I ended up giving it a chance. (Oh My Geum Bi Review)

Warrior Baek Dong Soo

Warrior Baek Dong Soo is a very rich and full drama with plenty of intrigue and conspiracies to keep things interesting. And of course, there is plenty of action! And the action always felt like a nice compliment to the story which is really how it should be.

The drama does eventually become a bit repetitive and draggy because of way too much bad guy scheming. This issue just becomes worse as the drama progresses. But luckily,when I did find myself starting to lose interest in scenes, the drama would pull me right back in because the main characters and their stories were so engaging.

But as a whole, Warrior Baek Dong Soo was a very fun drama. There are so many intense scenes both in action and from an emotional standpoint. The wonderful actors embodied their characters and easily drew me into their stories. All in all, there is a lot of fun to be had with Warrior Baek Dong Soo. (Warrior Baek Dong Soo Review)

7 First Kisses

A cute little fantasy web drama about a woman that gets the opportunity to meet seven handsome guys to choose from for her first kiss. The star studded cast includes Lee Joon Gi, Park Hae Jin, Ji Chang Wook, EXO’s Kai, Taecyeon, Lee Jong Suk, and Lee Min Ho.

It’s a total fluff piece meant to just be fun. But overall it is a nice drama with a little bit of everything: romance, comedy, action, and melodrama. So just sit back and enjoy the parade of men as they woo our lady. The short episodes go by quick, and I found the drama to be a cute and fun experience. (7 First Kisses Review)

As you can see, January was a lot of fun! There was laughter, tears, swords, and love. Oh My Geum Bi and Goblin were fantastic. I also enjoyed Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo, Warrior Baek Dong Soo,and 7 First Kisses. It was a great way to start off the year, and I look forward to what the new year has to offer!

For the month of February, I hope to complete Legend of the Blue Sea, My Wife’s Having an Affair This Week, and a couple others.

So how was January for you?

Happy drama watching to everyone!

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