It looks like 2024 is coming to end, so it’s time to look back on all of those dramas we watched throughout the year. It was kind of a mediocre year for me drama-wise, but I did still get in a few that I really enjoyed. It’s also been fun continuing to chat dramas with all of you, and I’m so glad to be part of this amazing community.
Time for the list! It includes all of the dramas that I watched which aired and concluded their runs in 2024. We will be counting down my favorite dramas from least to most favorite. Full reviews are available for all of them.
As always, this is completely my opinion on these dramas, and it does not reflect Korean or international ratings or the popularity of any particular drama among fans. Hang around for the grand total of how many new and old dramas I watched at the end of the article 🙂
12. My Sweet Mobster
Sadly, My Sweet Mobster is one of those dramas that just didn’t really click with me. Overall, it’s a lighter romantic comedy that leans heavy on the humor with a side of action. It doesn’t do anything terrible, but there were a lot of things that didn’t work.
Most of the humor didn’t click, and the gang-related back story was mediocre. The pacing felt slow all the way through with the drama being way too long. The drama does improve by the latter third which was definitely nice, but it was too little, too late and not really enough to save the series for me.
My Rating: 5.5/10 (My Sweet Mobster Review)
11. Serendipity’s Embrace
Serendipity’s Embrace is a pretty basic romantic comedy. It has a simple premise with two high school friends meeting again as adults and having to deal with their feelings. The pacing is laid back and nothing particularly exciting happens. The couple is sweet but pretty ordinary. There’s a dash of drama mixed with humor and a bit of heart.
Overall, Serendipity’s Embrace is pretty run-of-the-mill. The series was on the bland side and not very memorable. At only 8 episodes, it’s good if you want a simple, low-stress watch with a relationship journey at the center and just enough conflict to push things along.
My Rating: 6/10 (Serendipity’s Embrace Review)
10. My Demon
My Demon fits well into what you would expect from the fantasy romantic comedy genre. We get a classic bickering-to-lovers type of romance that mixes in humor as well as dramatics. The fantasy elements add to the interest and complexity of the overall story.
My Demon was a decent watch for me. It had enough good elements that I wasn’t bored with it, but it had a lot of negatives. The characters were hard to warm up to, the pacing wasn’t the best, and the drama just felt messy.
It was disappointing that it felt like the drama had all of the pieces needed to make for a great series, but it just couldn’t quite fit them together. This drama can definitely work for you if you really enjoy fantasy rom-coms and just roll with what it dishes out without thinking too deeply about it.
My Rating: 6.5/10 (My Demon Review)
9. Bad Memory Eraser
Bad Memory Eraser was a solid drama. It was a slow burn for me and took a bit of time to get going and find its groove, but once things got rolling, it got better and better. It’s definitely not a drama to take too seriously, but I liked its exploration of trauma and the individual character journeys.
I thought the overall story progressed nicely with good pacing, and the characters were engaging. The emotional moments were touching, and the soundtrack was utilized well. There was a lot of humor that blended well with the more serious elements. So in the end, it made for a fun watch that I enjoyed.
My Rating: 7/10 (Bad Memory Eraser Review)
8. Queen of Tears
The hit drama Queen of Tears was a good watch that I mostly enjoyed. The production value was high with a solid story throughout. We have a big romance with Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Ji Won that chronicles their difficulties with a bit of humor and some melodrama. They are engaging with a very strong, independent woman in a Hae In and a dedicated, loving, and swoony man in Hyun Woo.
It had some issues for me such as being a slow burn, many of the characters were not that likable, and the episodes were too long. But despite its issues, there’s a lot to see with this one, so you’ll just have to check it out too see what all of the hype is about. Overall, Queen of Tears was a fun watch.
My Rating: 7/10 (Queen of Tears Review)
7. The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract
The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract was a solid watch. There is an interesting back story concerning why Yeon Woo is transported to the future and why she meets a man who looks like her husband. The romance between Yeon Woo and Tae Ha was sweet and supportive with nice individual character journeys.
The drama did feel a bit flat at times. I definitely enjoyed the story, but I was never very emotionally invested. Luckily, it was still mostly fun with a bit of mystery and dramatics to spice things up. Despite its issues, if you like time travel romances, this one has enough going for to make for a good time.
My Rating: 7/10 (The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract Review)
6. Knight Flower
Knight Flower was a fun historical comedy drama. It delivers a refreshing story of a widow-turned-masked hero that mixes humor with drama and action. There’s also a mystery element that keeps our characters busy.
The entire cast was fantastic. They brought the comedic timing as well as serious acting chops for the more dramatic portions of the series. They really brought to life a group of dynamic and interesting characters. The romance is more low-key but still delivers a very satisfying relationship. I didn’t get super emotionally invested in this one, but it was quite fun, and I don’t have any major complaints.
My Rating: 7/10 (Knight Flower Review)
5. Lovely Runner
Lovely Runner is a fun time travel, romantic comedy. It has a well-developed and multi-layered story that remains pretty engaging all the way through. There’s plenty of humor and lots of fun characters. This is a series with a lot of heart. If you like time travel and rom-coms, Lovely Runner is a great entry in the genre.
There’s a super sweet romance at the center with a big, fated sort of feel to it. They have a fun rapport and good relationship progression as they face joy and hardship. Our fated couple of Sol and Seon Jae bring a heart-fluttering romance that you just want to see work out.
My Rating: 7.5/10 (Lovely Runner Review)
4. Captivating the King
Captivating the King was a very well done drama that I quite enjoyed. It has a gripping story that is filled with political intrigue. We see engaging character journeys and excellent performances from the actors. There’s family, friendship, romance, loyalty, betrayal, and revenge all at play. There’s a lot too see with this one.
Jo Jung Suk and Shin Se Kyung’s relationship is fascinating and very complex. Caring, betrayal, trust, and revenge all mix together to make for an interesting journey for them both individually and as a couple. All of the elements are woven together nicely to make Captivating the King a great watch.
My Rating: 7.5/10 (Captivating the King Review)
3. A Good Day to Be a Dog
A Good Day to Be a Dog was such a fun watch. It’s a mostly lighter romantic comedy that had a really nice progression. The first third leans pretty silly, the middle third brings in some more serious plot elements, and the latter third gets noticeably heavier.
The romance is very cute with nice individual story arcs. The supporting cast is also great and add a lot of humor to the show. The show had a lot of heart, and I laughed and I cried with this one. I stayed engaged with the story all the way through and just had a lovely time.
My Rating: 7.5/10 (A Good Day to Be a Dog Review)
2. Marry My Husband
Marry My Husband was a fun time travel revenge drama. The story was entertaining, and the characters were mostly interesting as we go on the journey with Park Min Young as she plans to get revenge on her husband and best friend for cheating on her and then murdering her.
The drama has a mixture of elements. There is a serious side with revenge, bullying, illness, and death. There is also a lighter side with humor and romance. It was all balanced pretty well.
There were some slow spots, and I didn’t get very emotionally invested in it, but it was a fun drama to watch play out. Marry My Husband is a nice entry into the time travel revenge genre.
My Rating: 7.5/10 (Marry My Husband Review)
And the #1 drama of 2024 is…
1. The Atypical Family
The Atypical Family was a fantastic drama all around. I found it to be extremely unique in every way. The premise itself is different, and there aren’t a lot of the usual tropes. It has this mysterious and melancholic quality to it that draws you in. The series is very contemplative and really allows the audience to take in each scene and what it means for the story and characters. It has some very emotional moments that really leave an impact. The pacing isn’t really quick, but I felt like it was always moving nicely along.
The time travel element had a unique twist to it that was fun to see play out. I liked learning how everything tied together and how all of the different past and present events intertwined. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed The Atypical Family. I appreciated the unique premise and beautifully told story. The wonderful cast brought to life complex and interesting characters. I was always interested in what would happen next and felt the show had lots of heart. Contemplative, unique, engaging, complex, and beautiful sum up this drama.
My Rating: 8/10 (The Atypical Family Review)
Other Dramas I Completed in 2024
As a year end review, here is a list of the older Korean dramas that I completed this year. Full reviews for each drama are available by clicking on the drama title. Here they are broken into categories depending on how much I liked them with each category listing the dramas alphabetically:
Loved:
The Matchmakers
Perfect Marriage Revenge
Great:
Good:
That brings my total count to 12 new dramas and 5 older dramas for a grand total of 17 dramas! That’s one more than last year, so I consider that a win. Now onto the loads of dramas I still want to see as we move into 2025!
How was 2024 for you? What were your favorite dramas of the year?
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