[Featured] 2016 Year in Review: Kdramas I Cared About, Part 2
We're finally at the Part 2 of our Year in Review which will close my Featured Post for this year. It was an interesting year in dramaland, with a wide array of genres to choose from all year long. It was also a year where our hearts were emotionally challenged because there were just so many good dramas to consider that I got a hard time watching them one after the other.
So for my Part 2 of Kdramas I Cared About, I'll present to you a list of categories and from there, I'll be choosing dramas based on my evaluation on them, justifying why I think so and why I don't. The process of selecting my choices of the year was fraught with indecision, bitter tears and angry rants as I argued with myself for better selection. Just Kidding! I won't promise that you will agree with my list 100% but I do promise that everything that's in here were purely because of my love for the craft and better judgement. I hope you wouldn't miss this for the world! Here's to present to you my Year Ender: First KICA Awards 2016!
KICA Awards 2016
Best Drama: Descendants of the Sun
This was particularly difficult category because like I told you before, this year has been extravagant with outstanding dramas and productions that gave me a hard time dealing with it. So who could you blame? lol
So Descendants of the Sun made it to the Best Drama category for having the best mix of reality and creativity combined. If it was only about a Doctor fighting to save lives, a Soldier fighting to kill, if it had only been just romance between them.. but it wasn't. It was all of those things, and more. Descendants of the Sun gave us the experience of being in a real tragedy, knowing what it's like in the matters of life and death and doing all you can to save those people even if you, yourself is on the brink of death. Sometimes a drama becomes more than just a story when it stirs your heart, reminds you the importance of living and make you want to be that kind of hero everyday.
Runner Ups:
Signal
Goblin
Best Writing: Signal
Signal has been the likeliest vehicle for best screenplay for this year because of a lot of impressive things: like intricate plotting that took place in two or more time periods and jumped around with shifts in perspective. It's addictively paced, emotionally gripping and genuinely thrilling. In short, it's damn entertaining. I would also like to mention that Signal didn't need romance to stand out. The creative communication through walkie-talkies gave a whole new meaning to human connection than any face-to-face. This drama makes us believe that if you have a strong desire to really want to change something in the past, then that could convince the universe to bend time and space to give you that chance.
Runner Ups:
Cheese in the Trap
Descendants of the Sun
Best Directing: Goblin
This is the most unanimous decision I've come across with in this awards. I've seen lots of Drama Productions that are groomed to perfection but I've never seen such production who gives big importance to cinematography and production design that gives a lot of meaning to the story in a whole new level. Goblin still has a few more weeks up on its sleeves, but as it turns out, it doesn't need the whole story to determine how well-made the drama is, which was one of the better things about it. Its Director Lee Eun Bok, who is also the Director of DOTS, really knows what he's doing, took the command with a strong vision and lets the audience enjoy his masterpiece proudly.
Runner Ups:
W - Two Worlds
Descendants of the Sun
Best Actor: Lee Je Hoon, Signal
Signal bearing the biggest contender to many categories this year also had some of the strongest performances of the year. Lee Je Hoon's portrayal of the curious Detective Park Hae Young made me see him in a new light that have me following his other projects as well. His acting makes him credible and believable - like he's always in the side of justice. Lee Je Hoon can embody a character so completely that his passion for solving crimes didn't seem like acting anymore.
Runner Ups:
Song Joong Ki, Descendants of the Sun
Park Bo Gum, Love in the Moonlight
Ji Sung, Entertainer
Best Actress: Seo Hyun Jin, Another Oh Hae Young
Seo Hyun Jin definitely bagged the Best Actress for me because she wholeheartedly threw herself of "Just" Oh Hae Young and did so much more that she proved herself worthy of an Actress. Her Hae Young was loud, aggressive, insecure and demanding - everything we've been conditioned to believe a heroine shouldn't be. And yes, Seo Hyun Jin made her character so relatable and lovable that we couldn't help but cheer her on, even when she did things that shock and surprise us. That marks an incredible Actress, we love her for those very flaws she had.
Runner Ups:
Kim Hye Soo, Signal
Oh Yeon Seo, Please Come Back Mister
Best Ensemble: Hwarang: The Beginning
This may be off because Hwarang's only been on it's 4th Episode. So how the hell could I justify their ensemble coordination when I haven't seen them? Well, to be honest, it's technically correct. I haven't seen scenes that the six Flower Boys were together. But remember that Hwarang is 100% pre-produced so the drama is completed before its official broadcast. Despite the fact that it still has a long way to go, judging from their interviews and scene previews, the Flower Boys surprisingly complements each other well. They did believe they grew closer while filming and witnessing scenes that they worked on together made me so much eager to see more of them! I didn't need the upcoming episodes to see that they're like brothers from different parents.
Runner Ups:
Entertainer
Descendants of the Sun
Best Music: Moonlovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo
I actually haven't watch this but I also actually didn't need to see it to appreciate its Soundtrack! I've discovered it on a music app and was surprised to know that it came from a Historical drama because its music had nothing but modern and refreshing songs at hand. They even Featured talented singers like EXO, Lee Hi, Akdong Musican, etc. Do listen to the full soundtrack and enjoy!
Runner Ups:
Descendants of the Sun
W - Two Worlds
Best Character: Kang Chul, W - Two Worlds
Who could have won the Best Character Award but the actual character from a manhwa, Kang Chul? Not just a Character, but a manhwa hero with a free will so strong he can defy his fate and creator? He literally brought the entire world to a halt in search for the truth. Pretty Badass.
Runner Ups:
Yoo Jung, Cheese in the Trap
Crown Prince Lee Young, Love in the Moonlight
Best Villan: No Face, W - Two Worlds
W - Two Worlds did a lot of refreshing things that we thought impossible in dramaland. Perhaps the most fearsome was a faceless villain that took us to a deep evaluation of our complex imagination: What happens when the villain takes control of the story? Can a villain give up being a villain? A reason why No Face is so effective is how different his concept was and kept evolving - like literally evolving, always keeping us at the edge of our seats.
Runner Ups:
Ma Dae Yong, Legend of the Blue Sea
Worst Character: Shim Bo Nui, Lucky Romance
Forgive me, Queen of RomCom Hwang Jung Eum, when I tell you all the reasons why you got a worst character. The whole 'superstitious' character was over-the-top. I couldn't imagine loosing a character's virginity to a guy she just met online just because he's born in the year of the Tiger. Shim Bo Nui's attempts to eradicate bad luck got me cringing in disbelief. She displayed exasperating flashes of stubbornness and odd manners that follows no reasonable logic. People may have rooted for her because the writer made it seem to throw all inevitables - but maybe it's only because she was weakly made as a walking bad luck.
Runner Ups:
Young Bin, Entourage
Eun Ha Won, Cinderella and Four Knights
Best Romance: Descendants of the Sun, Yoo Shi Jin & Kang Mo Yeon
This is by far the most competitive category since everybody loves couple romance and its dramaland's bread and butter. Descendants of the Sun won from this category, not because of those swoony kisses and cute pick-up lines, but because it delivers that kind of perfect feeling that they're meant to be in that kind of relationship. Yoo Shi Jin and Kang Mo Yeon (or Song-Song couple iihh) offers the most romantic and captivating move on love that even if your works are so opposite, you're willing to accept your differences and love well. Take note that they're professions are also applicable at life and death situations - having all the chance saving one another!
Runner Ups:
Prince Lee Young and Hong Ra On, Love in the Moonlight
Heo Joon Jae and Shim Cheong, Legend of the Blue Sea
Best Bromance: Descendants of the Sun
Of course, the Bromance who got us giggling in glee first were the Bromance of Descendants of the Sun, Song Joong Ki and Jin Gu! They're the kind of bromance that supports each other through thick (being imprisoned by terrorists) and thin (going to amusement park dateless but together) and lets you down when nothing else matter but their hostile girlfriends against their past dates lol. The Dynamic Bromance of Big Boss and Wolf gave us endless antics of mischievous inside jokes and pranks that tells us they're always in the same wavelength of thinking and loyalty for each other.
and
Goblin
The lovable Goblin and Grim Reaper need not an introduction since they're the talk of the town this season! Goblin took a very big step of getting veteran characters such as Gong Yoo & Lee Dong Wook for the role just to be thrown into an unstoppable bromance chemistry! These two lovable nonhuman beings are being loved by humans because of their child-like bickering and pranks that let's you want to adopt them! Don't forget about their one-on-one knife/fork telepathy fight and mind reading shenanigans! So adorable!
Best Girlfriends: Please Come Back, Mister
Oh Yeon Soo and Honey Lee's characters were one of the best friendship goals (without the malice) I've seen this year. For a fact that Hong Nan (Yeon Soo) and originally an ahjussi, came back to Earth after dying to save his first love (Honey) from her abusive husband. So when ahjussi became a girl, she became so close to Song Yi Yeon that they do the things only bffs could do. Hong Nan's there to save the day when Yi Yeon's being ridiculed by the people and Hong Nan literally flies in when Yi Yeon's embarrassingly thrown into shame. It would be so good to have a girlfriend who protects you like a man but shops with you till you drop!
Runner Ups:
Hong Seol & Shin Bora, Cheese in the Trap
Breakout Performance (Actor): Kim Min Suk, Doctors
We knew Kim Min Suk as the prodigy Soldier of Seo Dae Yong at DOTS but for me, he shined thoroughly in Doctors, returning as a jolly intern Doctor of the Department of Neurology. I appreciated Kim Min Suk's portrayal of a Happy-go-lucky Doctor whose passionate when it comes to his work. His jokes and antics as an exterior deeply shadows his sad fate of heartaches and pain - that he prefers to take care of his younger brother even if he's sick and rather cover for his mates' absences albeit his hands are already full. I feel like treating him as a younger brother so I could take care of him. lol More passionate roles for Kim Min Suk, please!
Runner Ups: Kwak Dong Yeon, Love in the Moonlight
Lee Tae Sun, Entertainer
Breakout Performance (Actress): Kim Go Eun, Cheese in the Trap
To refresh our minds, this is the first drama Kim Go Eun was cast into. Because of Cheese in the Trap's popularity, anyone cast for the role of Hong Seol would have faced the pressure of some pretty high expectations. It's a good thing Kim Go Eun stepped up to the challenge and manage to make Hong Seol an outstanding heroine. Her portrayal to Seol brought her into the limelight of dramaland, and it looks like she'll be keeping it up with her follow up role in Goblin.
Runner Ups:
Jung Hye Seong, Love in the Moonlight
Kim Yoo Jung, Love in the Moonlight
Biggest Disappointment: Cheese in the Trap
You could fill a whole room of Cheese in the Trap viewers whose expectation in the remake was tarnished in the last few episodes of the drama. The premiere of Cheese in the Trap was so lively and refreshing that it gained so much momentum from its viewers. Unfortunately, halfway there, the story continues to a path different from the manhwa, focusing on the plight of the second male lead instead of the original idea why we're intrigued to watch in the first place. Maybe that's why they decided to do a movie? Hmm. Perhaps we all just need to wait for this film version to finally walk the path we've always wanted to pass by.
Runner Ups:
Entourage Uncontrollably Fond
Biggest Waste of Talent: Jisung, Entertainer
Entertainer isn't actually the worst. It's actually a moving story about aspirations and talents despite conflicts of your past. But out of all the dramas presented this year, this one made me pause and wonder, "Why the hell are you there, Jisung?" Entertainer was okay, but Jisung wasn't just an 'okay' actor. He's over-qualified for the role that's why he felt so misplaced. He blew us in his acting in Kill Me, Heal Me then follows us up with this role of an overconfident CEO who searches for his perfect boy band seems like a huge step backward. Because Jisung is Jisung, he's been given so little for him to adjust but we still wouldn't care about it anyway.
Runner Ups:
Lee Hyun Woo, Moorim School
Lee Dong Hwi, Entourage
Cho Jin woong, Entourage
Best Worst Drama (most watchable despite itself): W - Two Worlds
W - Two Worlds immediately captivated its audience with its mind-bending, inter-dimensional premise that blurred lines between reality and fiction. As the drama unfolded, the narrative moved forward and was distorted as to who was really in control of the story. Each taught us something new about the rules that made us so excited.
But as we headed into the latter part, anticipating for answers led us to more questions instead. The variables were so much that it becomes fluid and senseless. Even if we're excited with the last few episodes, we are still rather confused as to why it was ended the way it was ended (especially the fine line between the romance of a human to comic book character). No matter how many times we imply it's imperfections, we can't help but love W - Two Worlds for giving us an imagination of a lifetime in dramaland.
Runner Ups: Cheese in the Trap
Luckiest Girl Alive: Lee Cho Hee, 7 First Kisses
Who in the dramaland could bag the title of the luckiest girl alive but Lee Cho Hee's role as Min Soo Jin in the 7 First Kisses Drama?! She got partnered with 7 Different Hot Guys and she needs to pick one to have a first kiss with, I mean what the F is that?! I was wondering the whole time if she was a hero in her past life or something. Haha! But whatever, I do hope I won't have the same category for next year because I'll be needing more blood transfusions after being anemic in jealousy from this Lucky Girl! Augh
Finally! We finished evaluating the Kdramas I Cared About for this year! It was such an overwhelming experience to choose and justify my selection even though it was distressing because I just can't choose one! All of the dramas this year were so competitive in different aspects as it gives you reasons why you have to watch them again and again.
Thank you, thank you so much to all the people who stopped by and read my endless blabbering. I hope you didn't exit too fast before finishing the whole thing! I also wish you to take into consideration the dramas/movies I recommend because I want to share the effort and time these filmmakers gave to produce these masterpieces. Sooo it was a fun 2016 year! I am so looking forward to many years of writing reviews in my blog. I really wish you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing. Let's welcome the new year together! Have a happy and prosperous New Year to all of us! <3