[2023 Year in Review] Editors’ Picks

by DB Staff

One of our favorite features at Dramabeans is our annual Editors’ Picks, which is the product of much voting, deep internal debate, hand-wringing – and of course, fangirling. While some of us found the drama offerings this year to be mediocre with a few gems thrown in, others encountered a string of dramas they loved and wouldn’t give up for the world. Below are our picks for the year, reflecting what we enjoyed, what grabbed our hearts, and what made us want to pass out golden statues. Enjoy!

 

2023 Editors’ Picks

BEST DRAMA

Call It Love

dramaddictally: Before it aired, Call It Love stood out for its visuals — notably a pink filter that provided atmospheric warmth, and also spurred much debate. But once this lovely drama began to unfold, it stood out for its storytelling: the way it pushed boundaries, fleshed out its characters, and set up tropes only to knock them down. What starts out as a revenge plot becomes a healing story about moving on from past hurts without succumbing to vengeance — because hate only ends up hurting the person doing the hating. Lee Sung-kyung portrays the unforgettable heroine at the center of this moral dilemma, nailing the tough but vulnerable character who goes through this transformation. Filled with palpable pain, this slow-burn romance becomes a journey from overwhelming loneliness to healing connection. And the sense of isolation is in every aspect along the way, from the leads’ micro-expressions, to the dialogue, to shots of lone characters in otherwise empty rooms. While the fractured but ultimately unbreakable family at the story’s core is the root of all the heartache, the drama shows us that strong bonds — wherever they may be found — are also the cure. With rich and evocative emotions, complicated and relatable leads, and a cast of characters that hold their own against the main love line, it’s difficult to remain dry-eyed to the end — but that, of course, is the beauty of it.

Honorable Mentions
Perfect Marriage Revenge
Moving

BEST DIRECTING

Alchemy of Souls 2

alathe: Beanies, it is my pleasure to again sing the praises of the beautifully directed Alchemy of Souls 2. Season Two had its work cut out in making us — and Wook — fall for its resurrected heroine all over again. I adored Mu-deok’s sly gambits and scarcely-contained homicidal tendencies. However, in casting Go Yoon-jung they brought a whole new, coquettish dimension to Yeong, whilst still delighting us with her calculating glances and unexpected craftiness. With its subtitle Light and Shadow, the name of the game this season was opposites, and this theme was brought out splendidly. Last time, love was associated with poison; this time, with medicine. Yeong, rather than Wook, was now the wide-eyed magical newbie whom her partner tried — and failed — to see as a means to an end. And in this role-reversal remix, Daeho took on a darker, gothic feel: all boats coursing through the mist, and lightless rooms for Wook to brood in. The Jang estate became a Beauty in the Beast style haunted house for Yeong to breathe life into. And all of it culminated in a gorgeous show about revitalizing the old and welcoming in the new.

Honorable Mentions
Call it Love
Revenant

BEST WRITING

Call It Love

quirkycase: Call It Love has a lot going for it, but certainly one of its strongest features is its writing. There’s a subtlety to the writing that made for fantastic conversations, wonderful character arcs, and nuanced approaches to relationships. Rather than overstuffing scenes with dialogue, writer Kim Ga-eun knew just when to pull back and let a scene breathe. The care and nuance with which the drama depicted a variety of relationships from platonic to romantic to familial gave it depth and emotional acuity. The cast of characters was varied and memorable, each with their own foibles, strengths, and journeys. Characters were unraveled bit by bit, allowing us to get to know them through their actions and reactions throughout the story. Shim Woo-joo and Han Dong-jin were fantastic lead characters, both independently and together, who exemplified the power of internal conflict and quiet moments. Crafting a slow-burn story that remains interesting and even addicting throughout its run is no doubt a challenge. But when it works, it’s something of beauty.

Honorable Mentions
Revenant
The Kidnapping Day

BEST ACTOR

Lee Sang-yub (My Lovely Boxer)

dramaddictally: It’s not easy to make us root for a morally corrupt character, but that is the magic of Lee Sang-yub in his role as the sports agent antihero, Kim Tae-young, in My Lovely Boxer. Toeing the line toward unlikable, we’re never quite sure how to read his actions. Even when it seems that he cares for his athletes, it could be just another of his cold and calculating schemes. However, we see his human side when he’s in the throes of sobbing or shrieking in grief over the struggles of the people close to him. When he cries, the pain is real. And when he stops, the dullness of despair settles into his eyes. The organic way he shifts between outward callousness and internal hurt with depth and sincerity, makes it impossible to ever fully dislike him — even when he does the most questionable things. While everyone around him ends up hurt, he also tries to protect them. But when he fails to protect one of his athletes at a crucial moment, Tae-young is the one that ends up needing protection. And Lee Sang-yub lets us feel for his character by becoming a raw nerve before our eyes. Add to that his chemistry with co-star Kim So-hye — as he moves from an intent to use her boxing skills for quick cash to deeply caring that she achieves her goals — and it’s a performance that grips ahold of you, sucker punches its way in, and stays with you long after the final scene.

Honorable Mentions
Choi Hyun-wook (Twinkling Watermelon)
Oh Jung-se (Revenant)
Namgoong Min (My Dearest)

BEST ACTRESS

Han Hyo-joo (Moving)

jenzy: Han Hyo-joo’s performance in Moving marks a significant milestone in her versatility as an actress. For over a decade, she’s nailed the dynamic leading lady or romantic interest, cementing herself at least in my mind as this perpetually young, sparkly-eyed heroine. Which is why her character in Moving — a single mom to a high-schooler — initially felt like such a jarring departure from her typical roles. But as each episode came around, she impressed me so much with her world-weary maturity and maternal ferocity, I’d catch myself wondering if she wasn’t somehow secretly a mother herself. Pulling off the complex character of Mi-hyun could not have been an easy feat. She had to nail both the physicality and calculation of a super-spy alongside the chaotic emotions of a mom to a teen, all while keeping audiences grounded in the supernatural premise of the show. But nail it she did. She melded these personas so effortlessly that you never felt like you were getting “mom Mi-hyun” or “spy Mi-hyun” — you just got one deeply layered, elusive character. Han Hyo-joo’s performance in Moving has me convinced that this is the start of a new chapter to her career. The Hyo-jooissance is upon us, and I for one am so excited to see it unfold.

Honorable Mentions
Ahn Eun-jin (My Dearest)
Kim Tae-ri (Revenant)

BEST ROMANCE

Call It Love

missvictrix: Call It Love is a special little drama that takes its time to tell its story, including that of its romance. But a slow-burn romance needs more than well-paced yearning from afar — it needs depth behind it too, and that’s exactly what Call It Love does so well. By letting us spend time with our leads and sit with them in their low places, we not only understood their sense of isolation, but felt it along with them. Hence, the magic of Shim Woo-joo and Han Dong-jin falling in love with each other feels just like that: magic. These two lonely souls came together in a way that was so tender and tentative, as if they didn’t know quite what to do with the love they’d discovered. Though their start was rocky and there were plenty of moral and logistical obstacles impeding their way, this was a romance that I would follow anywhere for its genuine portrayal of gentle longing, and the hopefulness that lingered amidst the melancholy. It’s not every drama that can take a revenge premise and have it evolve into a healing romance, and it’s not every healing romance that gives you the romance flutters and the sense of emotional wholeness at its conclusion — but that’s what makes Call It Love a special one.

Honorable Mentions
Destined With You
My Dearest
Moving

BEST COMEDY

Doctor Cha

unit: Off with the apron and on with the scrubs! With a premise like Doctor Cha’s, I tailored my expectations to “medical drama” and all the sentiments that come with the genre. A bit of makjang, maybe. But comedy? I didn’t think so. Surprisingly, the drama steeped its emotional beats into comedy so well that while you’re fully aware of the stakes at hand, you can’t help but laugh alongside the situation. Whether it’s at the caricature husband begging his mom for permission to donate a piece of his liver to his wife, or at the ego-fueled race between In-ho and Dr. Roy to save Jung-sook from falling off the building with her suicidal patient, Doctor Cha is an entertaining show with several pockets of humor tucked into each episode that’ll have you laughing out loud and eagerly clicking on the next episode button. I loved the blend of comedy styles: there was the character humor (Kim Byung-chul as the over-the-top and almost cartoonish Seo In-ho was gold!), the situational humor, the deadpan jokes (who can forget Jung-sook’s declaration of her husband’s death — to his face — at a work dinner?), and of course, the slapstick moments. (I will never get over Jung-sook slamming her husband’s face into their anniversary cake after she found out that he cheated.). Amidst all of these hilarious moments, Doctor Cha still did its best to deliver on a good story. And while the drama might have slipped a little too into the dramatic side of things towards the end, this second chance story with humor and heart aplenty is firmly rooted in place as one of the comedy greats.

Honorable Mentions
Twinkling Watermelon
Divorce Attorney Shin

BEST ACTION/THRILLER

The Kidnapping Day

quirkycase: Right out of the gate, The Kidnapping Day differentiated itself through its unique premise and tone. Although it was about a kidnapping, it was by no means an overly serious or dark drama – in fact, it was often comedic. The tone struck a precarious but effective balance with just enough makjang flavor to make things interesting without detracting from the more serious moments. As a shorter drama, it didn’t overstay its welcome or lose steam which can be the death blow for an action or thriller drama. There was a nice balance between plot and character development that kept things moving and lent an emotional gravity to the story. But what really set this drama apart from the pack was the wonderful dynamic between the surprisingly lovable kidnapper with a heart of gold, and the precocious and jaded kidnappee with no one to turn to. These two had fantastic chemistry as an adorable, father-daughter found family duo that was delightful to watch and provided another source of tension as they fought for their happiness despite everything conspiring against them. The Kidnapping Day was at turns fun, tense, and touching – and that’s not a combination every action-thriller manages to pull off.

Honorable Mentions
Revenant
Taxi Driver 2

BEST FANTASY/SCI-FI

Moving

ttcolb: The genre of superheroes is very familiar territory for Disney and I almost expected a Marvel-esque caper when watching Moving, but I was happily surprised to be wrong. Based in an expansive universe crafted over a series of webtoons, the live-action series would have been a completely different beast without the original’s creator Kangfull penning the scripts himself. He laid down a dense foundation with his expert hand, building a world impacted by superpowers. All the moving (hehe) parts were then woven together with strong directing and characters brought to life by all around superb acting. I fell hard for our heroes’ journeys and although the action is cool – and cathartic – Moving pushes us to dig deeper, wrestling with identity, ethics, ideologies, and more — because the heart of the story is about more than just saving the day.

Honorable Mentions
Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938
Twinkling Watermelon

BEST ENSEMBLE

Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938

daebakgrits: Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 is a prime example of how an amazing cast can transform a rather lackluster plot into an engaging piece of television because — let’s be real — this sequel-that-no-one-asked-for was objectively silly and kind of all over the place. Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 had all the markings of a giant flop — and yet, it was the kind of fun that can only be achieved when the cast is in sync and doling out the same amount of excitement for their roles. Sure, this drama had some heavy hitters headlining, like Lee Dong-wook, Kim So-yeon, and Kim Bum, but even stars of their caliber can’t win over an audience by themselves. It took the full cast of Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 to deliver enough on screen chemistry needed to pull off the wacky hijinks featured in this drama, and their success is largely due to the fact that the audience could tell they were enjoying themselves. They weren’t there for the paycheck. Instead, it felt like a group of friends getting paid to role-play and act out silly scenarios featuring zombies and channel-surfing demons. Their enthusiasm was infectious, and it was hard to not have fun alongside them.

Honorable Mentions
Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim 3
Divorce Attorney Shin
Moving

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY/ART DIRECTION

See You in My 19th Life

daebakgrits: By the time See You in My 19th Life concluded I was mostly disappointed, but the one exception was the drama’s cinematography. In fact, I’d argue that the director told a better story through color theory than with the actual plot. From the beginning, Ji-eum’s extroversion and warmness were associated with shades of red — often found in her wardrobe — while Seo-ha’s loneliness and sadness were reflected in the blues of his swimming pool and the walls of his family home. These colors, which were so vividly represented in the present, also had ties to Ji-eum’s first life when she and her sister were tasked with dying fabrics. So not only were the reds and blues a beautiful way of mirroring the characters’ personalities, but they were also a means of connecting the present to Ji-eum and Seo-ha’s shared past life. I adore this attention to detail, and if the story had lived up to its visuals, we’d have had a major hit on our hands.

Honorable Mentions
A Time Called You
Song of the Bandits
My Dearest

BEST BREAKOUT PERFORMANCE

Yoo-na (The Kidnapping Day)

solstices: At just twelve years old, the young rookie Yoo-na managed to hold her own amidst a cast of veteran actors, delivering a performance that was both deeply compelling and utterly memorable. The character of Choi Ro-hee — a sheltered yet neglected girl with intelligence beyond her years — came to life through Yoo-na’s nuanced interpretation. Ro-hee’s privileged upbringing was woven into her pompous demeanor, yet her haughtiness never veered into arrogant condescension and her impudence never crossed into obnoxious brattiness. Instead, Yoo-na imbued her character with pathos, making the precocious Ro-hee so endearing that it’s instantly believable how she had her kidnapper wrapped around her little finger. As Ro-hee gradually grew to trust Myung-joon, her vulnerability began to slip through in subtle mannerisms and fleeting expressions. It’s a testament to Yoo-na’s realistic portrayal that this trajectory felt natural, and when Ro-hee finally broke through years of conditioning in order to protect the person she cared for, that emotional catharsis felt fully earned. Yoo-na kept us invested in Ro-hee’s journey every step of the way, almost like we were watching her grow up and discover true happiness. Striking a deft balance between sassy and smart, she maintained stellar acting and palpable chemistry with her costars right up to the emotional climax of the show. Yoo-na is a force to be reckoned with, and I’m certainly anticipating her future roles.

Honorable Mentions
Moon Woo-jin (Castaway Diva)

BEST CHARACTER

Yi-chan (Choi Hyun-wook in Twinkling Watermelon)

mistyisles: Thanks to Twinkling Watermelon’s time-travel mechanisms, we get to know the character of Ha Yi-chan in a somewhat nonlinear way. First, he’s a loving father who nevertheless contributes to the overburdening of his youngest son. Then, he’s an exasperatingly single-minded teenager chasing after a girl who doesn’t care to give him the time of day. But as the story progresses, his teenage self grows and changes in such a way that not only leads him to a brighter future, but also alters our understanding of the original all-grown-up Yi-chan and the cycles he (and Chung-ah) broke just to raise their kids so well. Choi Hyun-wook imbues Yi-chan with boisterous energy and perfect sincerity, so that he’s not just a delight — he’s a downright beautiful soul who loves deeply and unabashedly, shines brightly, makes plenty of mistakes, and keeps on trying to do and be his very best no matter what life throws at him.

Honorable Mentions
Jang Shin-yu (Kim Ro-woon) in Destined With You
Bong-seok (Lee Jung-ha) in Moving
Choi Ro-hee (Yoo-na) in The Kidnapping Day

 
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• [2022 Year in Review] Editors’ Picks
• [2020 Year in Review] Editors’ Picks
• [2019 Year in Review] Editors’ Picks
• [2018 Year in Review] Editors’ Picks
• [2017 Year in Review] Editors’ Picks