#[didn't expect so much of the episode to actually focus on his nephew]

[aellyne]

PAYBACK: MONEY AND POWER (2023) — EP. 01

[coreancitizen]

2021 Year in Review: My Korean drama recommendations

Another year, another batch of Korean dramas that I thoroughly enjoyed. This year's list is a lot longer than last year's, and I don't know if that's because 2021 had a better "crop" of shows or if I just watched a million more, LOL.

To be clear, this is NOT a list of the best Korean dramas of 2021, just the ones I've actually watched and loved. If you're interested in checking out my recommended shows last year, you can find them here. And here's 2021's list in no particular order, more after the cut:

YUMI'S CELLS

I love, love, love this series. It's hilarious, sexy, clever and touching. I'm laughing one moment, crying the next, and then back to laughing again. Kim Go Eun stars as Kim Yumi, an office worker who's been stuck in a rut after her longtime boyfriend dumped her. "Yumi's Cells," based on a popular webtoon, is the story of how she learns to live again, rediscover a long-forgotten dream and open her heart. What makes this familiar story different is that we see part of it told from the point of view of her cells -- animated characters that represent reason, emotion, love, lust, hunger, fashion, etc. The animation is so well done, the voice actors pitch perfect and Kim Go Eun grounds Kim Yumi and makes her utterly human and relatable. Plus I was happy to see her in adorable outfits! Ahn Bo Hyun gives romantic interest Goo Woong, a straightforward game developer, an awkward, lovable charm. (Viki)

UNCANNY COUNTER

This series came out in 2020 but didn't air its last episode until January 2021. It follows high school student So Mun as he joins a group of grim reapers called Counters in battling evil spirits. That's when they are not staffing a very popular restaurant called Eonni's Noodles. There's so much to love about this show: a heartwarming found-family aspect, cool action sequences, interesting demon cases and a well-paced overarching mystery that is connected to two of the Counters. With So Mun are Mrs. Chu, the healer Counter and chef of Eonni's Noodles; Ga Mo-Tak, an amnesiac former detective with ties to So Mun who employs impressive knife skills to chop up vegetables as the restaurant's assistant cook; and Do Ha Na, the chief server who can hear/spot evil spirits miles away and read memories with a touch. The cast has a fun chemistry that makes the members enjoyable to watch. No wonder the show earned a second season. (Netflix)

NAVILLERA (LIKE A BUTTERFLY)

Get some tissues before you start watching this lovely drama about a retiree, Sim Deok Chul (Park In Hwan), who decides he wants to pursue his long-abandoned dream of dancing ballet and the young male dancer, Lee Chae Rok (portrayed by Song Kang), who has the gift and the passion but not the focus to truly soar. The lead actors in this are wonderful and have such a tender chemistry. Watching the characters learn to trust each other, care for each other and stand up for each other is heartwarming. And the lead characters are not the only ones figuring out their dreams. The series does a very good job looking at how dreams are sometimes imposed on us (parental expectations), how dreams change, how we figure out what our dreams are, etc., through its supporting cast. (Netflix)

MOVE TO HEAVEN

You'll need to grab more tissues for this heartfelt drama about Han Geu Ru, a young man with autism, and his estranged uncle, Cho Sang Gu, an ex-convict who moonlights as an underground MMA fighter. Sang Gu becomes Geu Ru's reluctant guardian after his brother's untimely death and helps his young nephew with the family's trauma cleaning business. Tang Jun Sang (baby duckling from "Crash Landing on You") and Lee Je Hoon are fantastic as two strangers bound by blood who learn not only to live together but to trust and love one another as they uncover the secret lives of strangers while cleaning their homes and packing up what remains of their lives after they die. (Netflix)

TAXI DRIVER

Another series revolving around a found family. Kim Do Gi (Lee Je Hoon) is a former elite soldier whose mother was murdered several years ago. He now works as a driver for a taxi company that is essentially a cover for a group of vigilantes headed by CEO Jang Sung Chul. A hacker and 2 mechanics make up the rest of the group. All members had known tragedy and pain and now offer a "revenge" service for clients to get back at people who've managed to elude legal justice. However, a sharp prosecutor threatens the secret group as she begins sniffing around their cases. Lee Je Hoon showed he can handle action in "Move to Heaven" and he is featured in several amazing fight and chase sequences here. The cases of the week are fascinating and heartrending and there's an overarching case that becomes the focus in the latter part of the series. Hear tell there's a second season coming and I'm excited for it. (Viki)

MISTER QUEEN

This series is SO. MUCH. FUN. A cocky chef from the present gets his soul transported to the Joseon era into the body of a young, depressed queen. Chaos AND hilarity ensue. Nothing in my previous encounters with Shin Hae Sun in other series prepared me for how PERFECT she would be as Queen Cheorin. It's not easy to exude alpha male energy when you're wearing a pretty royal dress but she makes it work. And she has great chemistry with Kim Jung Hyun, who plays King Cheoljong, who may not be what he seems. I'm slightly disappointed with the ending only because the series seemed to imply some things but didn't have the courage to follow it through. Still, it didn't take much away from my overall enjoyment of this hilarious fusion sageuk as a whole. (Viki)

THE KING'S AFFECTION

I just realized I saw quite a number of sageuks last year. We go back to the Joseon era for this, where the crown princess gives birth to twins! You'd think this would be cause for celebration -- 2 for the price of 1 -- but apparently not if you are royalty. Some nonsense about the legitimacy of the young prince's claim to the throne being questioned because he shared a womb with a lowly girl and it's a faked death for our baby princess. Fast-forward a few years later and her brother meets an untimely demise so she takes his identity to save everybody from certain death. Park Eun Bin is another revelation for me, totally exhibiting BDE while surrounded by impossibly tall and pretty men. Rowoon is the royal tutor who becomes the object of the royal affection. (Netflix)

HOMETOWN CHA CHA CHA

The plot of this series sounds like a Hallmark Channel movie: Girl has a bad experience in the city, moves to a remote town, clashes with the residents before finding common ground and finds herself falling for the local handyman, who may or may not be what he seems. But a charming cast, solid writing and 16 episodes certainly make a huge difference. Shin Min Ha and Kim Seon Ho are adorable as the bickering and bantering Yoon Hye Jin, a dentist, and Hong Du Sik, the jack of all trades of the fictional town of Gongjin. And Lee Sang Yi as Director Ji Seong Hyun has made me rethink my aversion to love triangles. In fact, the love triangle in this K-Drama is one of the things I enjoyed most about it. I love the relationship between Hye Jin and her sunbae, the director. BUT, I also love the bromance between the director and Du Sik. A charming supporting cast with solid storylines of their own completes this wonderful, heartwarming, healing series. (Netflix)

HOSPITAL PLAYLIST 2

At this point, visiting with the Fab Five of Yulje Medical Center is as comforting as a bowl of chicken noodle soup on a rainy night. The second season brings more songs, more patients and more bickering among our favorite doctors. A couple of the supporting cast members get a bit more of the spotlight, but the show knows the main attraction is still the group of Ik Jun, Seong Hwa, Jeong Won, Jun Wan and Seok Hyeong. During the show's run, it was announced that it was likely going to be the final season -- for now. So it's no surprise that romantic seeds planted in the first season FINALLY bear fruit. I'm going to miss our quirky quintet and hope they return sometime soon. (Netflix)