It’s time for the Kdrama Kisses 2018 Korean Drama Awards! If you haven’t already, be sure to check out my huge list of favorite dramas this year in my Best Korean Dramas of 2018 post. But these awards are meant to show some love to a few of my favorite performances and dramas of the year. As always, there was a lot of good stuff to choose from which made it quite difficult. But I did narrow it down to give some special attention to my favorites of 2018:
Best Actor:
Jang Hyuk (Money Flower)
This was an incredibly tough category for me to choose. After a lot of debate, I finally went with the incredible Jang Hyuk for his role in the revenge melo Money Flower. He was absolutely perfect for the character of Pil Joo as he gave a subtle yet extremely powerful performance that commanded the screen and was utterly captivating. Just amazing!
Best Actress:
Seo Ye Ji (Lawless Lawyer)
Seo Ye Ji wins best actress for her role in Lawless Lawyer. She easily held her own opposite of my favorite actor Lee Joon Gi, which says a lot about her. She was perfect to play the strong willed and moral Jae Yi. She pulls you right into her character through her wonderful performance.
Best Breakout Actor:
Lee Yi Kyung (Eulachacha Waikiki)
Lee Yi Kyung has been acting for many years and has been in a whole lot of dramas, but 2018 seemed to be a particularly good year for him with a marked increase in popularity. He had a breakout role in the comedy Eulachacha Waikiki with his absolutely hilarious performance. He followed that up with a couple more main roles that were well received. So I definitely think he deserves an award as this years Best Breakout Actor.
Best Breakout Actress:
Won Jin Ah (Just Between Lovers)
Won Jin Ah gave a lovely and moving performance in the romance melodrama Just Between Lovers. She owned the character and brought her to life in such a real and relatable way. You definitely wouldn’t know it was her first drama!
Best Romantic Comedy:
Thirty But Seventeen
Thirty But Seventeen was endearing, funny, and heartwarming to make for the perfect romantic comedy. Yang Se Jong and Shin Hye Sun were such a sweet couple with moving character journeys. It’s such a feel good drama that gives us a beautiful story of healing that delivers so much emotion and heart in the best kind of way.
Best Crime/Thriller Drama:
Return
Return easily wins the crime/thriller category. This is one exciting ride with twists, turns, and lots of over the top craziness as a group of spoiled elites fall deep into a hole of lies, deception, and murder. Events were always shifting during this crazy fast paced story that had me glued to the screen!
Best Melodrama:
Money Flower
Best melodrama has to go to Money Flower. In addition to Jang Hyuk’s amazing performance, the drama featured some delicious revenge, angsty goodness, and lots of twists and turns. It’s exactly what a revenge melodrama should be!
Best Historical:
Grand Prince
I know this choice might come as a surprise considering the big contenders it was up against, but Grand Prince simply won my heart. The star crossed romance was completely swoony while the drama also gave me action, angst, and thrills. I loved the script, directing, and soundtrack too which just brought everything together for a wonderful historical.
Best Couple:
Lee Joon Gi and Seo Ye Ji (Lawless Lawyer)
Lee Joon Gi and Seo Ye Ji had to win this as they make one fantastic couple! They are beautiful together and have some seriously amazing chemistry. The romance angle was very well done in Lawless Lawyer even though it was a legal thriller. This pair was both fun yet mature, and they had an amazing rapport between them. I loved them!
Best Bromance:
Kim Jung Hyun, Lee Yi Kyung, & Son Seung Won
(Eulachacha Waikiki)
Kim Jung Hyun, Lee Yi Kyung, and Son Seung Won were absolutely hilarious in the comedy Eulachacha Waikiki. This trio of friends got into all sorts of trouble which left us laughing out loud at all of the ridiculousness. But they also have plenty of heart which made them incredibly endearing. I loved this friendship!
Best Girlmance:
Park Min Young, Hwang Bo Ra, & Pyo Ye Jin
(What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim)
The girlmance in What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim was more of a subplot, but I just loved the relationship between these girls. These work friends were all kinds of fun with some quirky personalities that always made their interactions lively.
Best Villain:
Choi Min Soo (Lawless Lawyer)
It was no contest that Choi Min Soo had to win best villain for his role of Ahn Oh Joo in Lawless Lawyer. He’s so intense and intimidating in a way that just jumps right through screen. He’s has a quirky side though that makes him a very interesting character. He really is the best kind of villain!
Best Kiss:
Yang Se Jong & Shin Hye Sun – Bridge Reunion Kiss
(Thirty But Seventeen)
The Bridge Reunion Kiss in Thirty But Seventeen was easily my favorite kiss of the year. It had an emotional lead up of epic proportions filled with confessions, revelations, and relief. This all resulted in a passionate kiss that gave me all kinds of feels.
Best Costumes:
Mr. Sunshine
As with many historical dramas, Mr. Sunshine boasts some amazing costumes. But this one is unique because the vast array of costumes on display. There is traditional clothing from Joseon and Japan, western fashions, and military uniforms from several countries. There really is a lot to see and enjoy with this one!
Best Soundtrack:
Thirty But Seventeen
Thirty But Seventeen sure did have a wonderful soundtrack. It had so many great main songs, and the OST perfectly complimented the drama. It also had a lot of wonderful background music that just livened things up. The music beautifully enhanced this great drama.
Again this year, there were a few dramas that really left their mark on me for multiple reasons. So many other wonderful shows and performances were left out though. That’s always too bad, but I am glad I got the chance to showcase some of my favorites.
So who were your favorite actors and what were your favorite dramas in 2018?
Kdrama Kisses 
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