1. Today’s Webtoon
Starring: Kim Se Jeong, Daniel Choi, Nam Yoon Soo
On Ma Eum (Kim Se Jong) is a former rising Judo star who quit and is looking for her own path outside of Judo. She is an upbeat and hard working. She is hired as an intern PD for a webtoon company. The company is the center of a power struggle and is at risk of shutting down.
I loved this show as a pick me up. It is a feel good show with an entertaining story and characters. Kim Se Jeong brings her usual feel-good magic to Ma Eum. We get to see the struggles, failures, and successes of those who dedicate their lives to bring us all of the webtoons we always enjoy. This show has fantastic cast chemistry and character development. If you want something sweet and easy, this is the show for you.
2. Curtain Call
Starring: Ha Ji Won, Kang Ha Neul, Sung Dong Il, Ko Du Shim, Stephen Noh.
Ja Geum Soon is terminally ill with only a few months left and her grandkids are waiting to see how the hotel will be divided up. Geum Soon was separated from her husband and child during the war and always felt immense pain for her North Korean family despite living a life full of love and wealth in South Korea. Sang Cheol, her loyal manager, wants to grant her her dying wish to see her estranged grandson and hires an actor, Jae Heon, who has an uncanny resemblance to Geum Soon’s late North Korean husband. He is a kind and upbeat person who grew up poor. Geum Soon’s South Korean grandchildren Se Yeon and Se Joon don’t see eye to eye on what to do with the hotel.
I’m not sure if this show belongs on this list but it didn’t seem to get much buzz while it was on air and the ratings never hit double digits. This show was definitely overshadowed by many great shows that were released around the same time such as Under the Queen’s Umbrella and Reborn Rich. It was the union of two of my favourites from two different eras, Ha Ji Won and Kang Ha Neul. How can you not love them? And the sexy Stephen Noh as a North Korean defector? Come on! I thoroughly enjoyed this show. It was heart warming and I cried a lot. It was a beautiful depiction of sibling relationships and the love for family.
3. Anna
Actors: Bae Soo Ji, Jung Eun Chae, Kim Joo Han
Yu-Mi’s life is flipped upside down after a scandal that happened at school. Her family was already poor and her life just became more difficult. One white lie leads to an entire downward spiral of lies for Yu Mi. All of her lies lead her to marry an overly ambitious man who will do anything to gain power.
Yu Mi draws you into her life as someone who is really just trying to get by in life and live a decent life like everyone else. The lies appear innocent and she had her reasons at the time. She is an anti-hero but it’s easy to get confused about whether or not you want her to get caught. With only 6 episodes this show is definitely worth while.
4. The Killer’s Shopping List
Actors: Lee Kwang Soo, Seolhyun, Jin Hee Kyung, Shin Sung Woo
This dark comedy about a neighbourhood murder mystery. Dae Sung is a sweet man with eidetic memory who has failed his civil servant exam for 3 years. His mom runs the MS Mart near Seoul. The main neighbourhood grocery store that started off as a small convenience store and turned in to a large suppermarket. Dae Sung works there part time and has a supportive mother and girlfriend Ah Hee who is a police officer. Dae Sung’s dad is played by the sexy 90s k-pop rocker Shin Sung Woo who is a trophy husband while his mother is the bread winner. There is a murder that happens in the neighbourhood and the only clue is receipt from MS Mart. Dae Sung and Ah Hee investigate the murder on their own.
This show is very clever and hilarious and must be shared with the masses. I love that there is a trans woman that the neighbourhood supports, after being rejected by her own family. It’s a normal neighbourhood with a lot of unlikely friendships within the grocery story. The dialogue is so well written between the characters and they have picked the perfect actors for each of them.
5. If You Wish Upon Me
Actors: Ji Chang Wook, Choi Soo Young, Sung Dong Il
A group of palliative care workers put together a foundation to allow terminal patients make a final wish before they say good bye. Each episode has a different patient’s heart breaking/warming story. Gyeo Rye gets out of jail and needs to do mandatory volunteer hours. He is man with a tumultuous childhood and adult life that leads him to a life of crime and anger. He gets put with Team Genie and works to grant wishes to the terminally ill.
Why were the viewership ratings of this amazing show so low? Is this a timing of release issue again? This story is absolutely beautiful. Every character has a story of who they are and how they became a part of hospice. Ji Chang Wook brought reality to Gyeo Rye’s pain and healing process. All of the actors were phenomenal. Watch out for Won Ji An. I see this woman making it big. You might remember her from Hope or Dope or her cameo in DP. New face alert!
6. Delivery Man
Actors: Yoon Chan Young, Bang Min Ah, Kim Min Seok
(Not be confused with Strongest Delivery Man with Chae Soo Bin and Ko Kyung Pyo.) Young Min drives a taxi to support himself and his grandmother after his mom’s untimely death. He gave up on his studies to become a police officer to make money. One day a ghost shows up in his taxi and has stuck herself to him. The ghost has no recollection of who she is and how she died. Slowly, they find out bits and pieces about her and she’s linked to Young Min’s mom. The two of them decide to help out other ghosts and try to solve Young Min’s mom’s murder.
This show is ongoing right now and started on March 1st, 2023. Sounds pretty cheesy right? I thought so too when I read the synopsis. This show is awesome. They have some great actors and the chemistry between them is fantastic. The story is creative and well written. I’m excited to see how it ends. I hope this show gets some more viewers.
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