This year so far, I am going with Ji Sung in Connection. His performance was hauntingly beautiful!!

The first one that came to my mind this year is Ji Changwook's Park Junmo in The worst of evil. Many viewers may not enjoy the show as a whole, but JCW gave a stellar performance you won't be able to forget if you did watch him. Talking about microexpressions, voice, body language,... he delivered all in WoE. Best performance of JCW to date. While WoE PD received Best Director award at Baeksang 2024, JCW was robbed of at least a nomination for that role.

Jang Dong-yoon in Like Flowers in Sand! If feels like the performance of a lifetime - he fully inhabited this role and made his character feel like a fully-realized person we were getting to spend some time with ❤️ I also hold a special place in my heart for Byeon Woo-seok's Sun-jae in Lovely Runner and Uhm Tae-gu's Ji-hwan in My Sweet Mobster. For both, it was their first rom-com ML role, and they created such sweet and lovely characters.

Memorable performances of this year:

Jang Dong Yoon in Like Flowers In Sand
Ji Sung in Connection
Kim Hye Yoon in Lovely Runner
Park So Yi in The Atypical Family

Some recent performances that were genuinely fantastic for different reasons

Kim Nam-joo - Wonderful world.
Han Hyo-joo - Moving
Jisung - Connection
Honey Lee - Knight Flower
Kim Hye-yoon - Lovely runner.

With the exception of Han Hyo-joo who was part of an excellent ensemble, every single one of these actors pretty much carried their respectve dramas on their backs or at least did most of the heavy lifting acting wise

Last week I finished The Red Sleeve, and even though I didn't like that sageuk as much as other people (in fact it was quite a disappointment),
Lee Deok Hwa and Junho's performances were stunning.

Other shows I have watched this year:

_ Kim Sun Ah in My name is Kim Sam Soon.
_ Park So Ji in The Atypical Family.
_ Joo Jong Hyuk in Frankly Speaking.
_ Bae Soo Bin in Secret (even though I didn't like the drama).

Choose any role by Kwak Dong Yeon, even if it’s a cameo. Name the drama, there will always be a breathtaking scene by him. This year, his adorkable Soo Cheol in Queen of tears stole the show the minute he rode a bycicle.

I have to add Jeon Yu-na as Choi Ro-hee (the genius girl) in The Kidnapping Day was extraordinary. I agree completely about Ji Chang Wook's Park Junmo in The Worst of Evil. I also think Uhm Tae-gu's Ji-hwan in My Sweet Mobster will stick as an unforgettable performance as well.

Yoo Seung Ho has always been one of my favorite actors, but his performance in The Deal was one I will never ever forget. He was stunning.
Special mention to Yoo Soo Bin cannot be omitted.

Ji Sung in Connection. Again, he too, is always good. It is not even surprising, but it is still stunning.
Seriously, everybody was good in Connection.

Lee Hye Young in Bitter Sweet Hell. The charisma of this woman!

Ji Sung in Connection is the easy pick this year but I’d like to mention Uhm Tae-goo. Totally out of nowhere comes this very interesting performance and he’s truly impressive once you check out his other works, ranging from fiery to subtlety - he nails them all the same.

Kim Nam-Gil in Through the Darkness, I can't imagine any other actors doing this role.

I love Ji Sung's portrayal in Connection. He is the best actor for me this year.

Honourable Mentions:
Kwon Yul and Lee Mi Do in Connection
Lee Jun Young and Pyo Ye Jin in Freaking Fairy Tale. I just love them in the drama.

Hands down Jo Jung Suk in Captivating the King. That was a powerful performance of a lifetime that took my breath away. Nothing else comes close for me.

I don't know about unforgettable, but there were some good performances.

Jung Ryeo Won in "Midnight Romance in Hagwon."

I mentioned a bunch in last year's thread, but I'll add a few more here:

Kim Sung-oh in Unlock the Boss. After a year, I still feed bad for his character.

Somehow I didn't mention Choi Kang-hee last time. She had three distinctive roles I really liked in Heart 2 Heart, Queen of Mystery, and Hello Me.

Lee Soo-kyung in Let's Eat. I could almost feel her salivating.

He was mentioned numerous times in the last thread but not by me, so Lee Sun-kyun in My Mister, of course, but he was the steady anchor in my kdrama viewing career since Coffee Prince (Triple, Golden Time, Diary of a Prosecutor...)

For me, strictly 2024, I found myself captivated by Ji Sung in Connection; but overall, if a face that keeps floating before my eyes for how effective they were in the portrayal of their character has to be Hanee Lee from Knight Flower.

So while it's still very very close, I would say Hanee Lee.

The whole cast in Mr Sunshine, a masterpiece indeed

Lee Jun Young in Dreaming of a Freaking Fairytale. His commitment was wonderful.

Peng Yuchang in I Am Nobody. He had some amazing comedic timing and was so believable in this character, no matter what feelings he was expressing.

Angel Zhao is so far making a very good impression with in The Princess Royal.

I still recall Lee Sung-kyung's performance in Call It Love very much, she did great work with that character.

An Ode To Two Stars ⭐⭐

All this talk of Ji sung and a recent Beanie post (@coolargo) about The Devil Judge pushed me to write some more.

Very well-made shows like Connection, or The Defendant, have such phenomenal cast and crew before and behind the camera that I can't help think that some other veteran actor might have very well been able to pull off Ji Sung's roles. Not his aura, or the exact replica of his depiction, but any other interpretation of the same role. The show wouldn't have ended up exactly the same, but still very well-made and pleasing to watch.

But there are shows like The Devil Judge, or Kill Me Heal Me, that are unimaginable without Ji Sung. It's not that they would be different. They would simply not exist. Ji Sung is the whole show. He carries every single bit and dialogue on his experienced shoulders in a way that absolutely no one would be able to replicate. It doesn't matter how many great talents are in the making of the show, the show is all him!

Which leads me to: I sometimes think about this difference between Ji Sung and Cha Tae Hyun specifically.
Ji Sung dominates the screen. Cha Tae Hyun is an amazing actor who has a unique talent of standing back and providing the best background for his co-stars. Both are great veteran actors, and each has their own uniqueness, but I do love how CTH always brings out the best in his cast-mates!

So far this year me and kdramas don't vibe together at all. From cdrama pool I've yet to encounter blew-me-away award worthy level of performance objectively speaking, unlike last year. But few were close:

- Liang Yongqi's ex husband from THE DOUBLE. Princess was good too, but I found her character a bit too extra even for show's hardcore camp standard;

- ML (Qin Junjie) and FL (Maggie Huang) in HEROES did a very nice job separately and together, making it even more jarring for me to then see her as flatter than cardboard SFL in SNOW FALL;

- speaking of SNOW FALL, its leads Gao Weiguang and Ouyang Nana were also amazing and made me VERY interested in their future projects. I'd love to see them working together again even tho I know the chances of that are around negative zero;

- Li Geyang from IN BLOSSOM who succeeded at nearly impossible task of making me adore third wheel SML, and not due to pre-existing actor bias;

- special shot-out to actors (I recall them but not their names, unfortunately) who played FL's parents in THE LEGEND OF SHEN LI flashbacks - for such a tiny screentime they managed to make me genuinely invested in their tragic love story. Not to say that actual leads were bad or anything - they fit their roles well and had great chemistry, but I wasn't 100% hooked for some reason. Maybe it's super thick beauty filter that blurred full display of their facial expressions...

Never is a bit of a stretch I probably will some day. I do tend to lean towards performances where the actor is like a fish in water so that it seems he was born to play it. Even though I didnt like the drama itself then Jun in Cinderella was just... I don´t know, it fit him like a tailor suit and it was delightful to see an actor melt into his part and enjoy it. Reminded me of old Fred Astaire movies with the flamboyance and the dance acts and the flashy props

Jung Woo-sung : Tell Me That You Love Me. This one is getting my best actor for DB year roundup.
Kim Ji-hyun : Tell Me That You Love Me
Jo Jung-seok : Captivating the King. Close first for best actor category.
Song Kang-ho, Lee Kyu-hyung : Uncle Samsik
Lee Young-ae : Maestra.
Han Hyojoo, Ju Ji-hoon, Park Ji-yeon : Blood Free.
Jang Seung-jo : Nothing Uncovered, Strangers Again.
Kim Soo-hyun : Queen of Tears.
Lee Yi-kyung, Song Ha-yoon : Marry My Husband
Shin Hye-sun : Welcome to Samdalri, See You In My 19th Life.
Ji Seung-hyun, Choi Soo-jung, Lee Si-a : Goryeo-Khitan War.
Lee Mi-sook, Lee Min-young : Perfect Marriage Revenge.
Jang Dong-gun, Kim Ok-bin : Arthdal Chronicles: The Sword of Aramun.

I can't think of anyone from this year.
I know I am always tooting this horn, but Lee Jun Ki in *Flower of evil* is unbeatable for me.
And Shin Hye Sun in *Mr Queen*.

Time will tell if I actually remember anythinh but so far this year is all about the allure of la femme d'un certain âge :

Although Miss Day & Night never did get around to respecting older women, Lee Jung Eun still managed to out shine that nonsense.

And Lee Hye Young in Bittersweet Hell - a glamorous screwball thriller worth watching.

Um Tae-Gu in "My Sweet Mobster."

This post is rather male heavy, although I agree with a lot of those mentioned. This has been a good year for breakout roles for men in rom-coms. But to even it out, I'm going to mention Jeon Jong-seo from Wedding Impossible who made that show much better than it ever should have been and was clearly a better actress than the material.

I will nominate Jin Goo’s recently completed performance as V.P. Hwang Dae-woong in tvN’s THE AUDITORS (Viki US) as a performance I will never forget. It was the best role he has had in quite awhile.
Dae-woong’s look (mane of glory), his attitude (macho (being in a heavily male industry:construction) but also sensitive) all combined for a great performance.
I hope this performance leads to some offers to Jin Goo for hefty male lead roles.

The best performance so far this year?
I would say JUNG WOO-SUNG for the strong performance, relying on signing and expression, in "Tell Me That You Love Me."

I'm not sure if it was because it was one of the first dramas that I've ever watched, but I was so captivated by Lee Seung-gi in King 2 Hearts.

It has been a while since I watched it, so I'm hoping my opinion would still stand if I were to re-watch ><

Other beanies have already mentionned Ji Sung in Connection and Ji Chang Wook in The worst of evil. These are two of my favorite actors, but these performances were really on a different scale.
Lee Jae Wook was excellent in Death's game. But he is also one of my bias... (I could not watch The Impossible Heir though).

Here are two who steamrolled directly in my major fishbowl : Kim Young Kwang in Evilive and Ji Jin Hee in Undercover. I have since watched more of their dramas and they didn't disapoint even if my first impression was better.

On the actresses side, I liked Kim Ok Bin in Arthal Chronicles, and Kim Min Jung in Mr Sunshine.

Among this year's crop of shows, the standout performances I've seen so far:
Jung Woo-Sung and Shin Hyun-Bin in Tell Me That You Love Me
Song Kang-Ho in Uncle Sam-shik
Esom
 and Ahn Jae-Hong in LTNS
Lee Dong-Wook in A Shop for Killers

Older shows that I've watched so far this year:
Just about the entire cast of Moving
Namgoong Min in My Dearest
Ha Jung-Woo in Narco-Saints
Seo Kang-Joon in Are You Human? (rewatched it just for his performance)
Ra Mi-Ran in a memorable cameo in
The Beauty Inside
Cha Seung-Won in Hwayugi
Yoon Kye-Sang in Last
Yoon Kye-Sang (again) and Yu-Na in The Kidnapping Day
IU in Hotel del Luna (though it might be her wardrobe I'm remembering as much as her performance.)

Sorry to be late but I have some to add to list interesting prompt
Lim Chul-Soo as Go Yang-Hee in My Sweet Mobster. For me he stole the show. His quirky actions and dress and walk was the perfect club owner you love to hate. And yes he was the bad guy but he played the role with style and class.
And had to mention Um Tae-Goo So much heart for those who need him. So unexpected.
Last but not least Jang Ki-Yong from ATypical Family. Acted with intensity and commitment throughout. Beautiful show

Strictly sticking to performances in 2024; and strictly only if they qualify as "unforgettable" --

1. Not gonna lie. It will have to be Uhm Tae-Goo in My Sweet Mobster.
Absolutely unforgettable and in a class of his own. I have re-watched his clips so many times just to study the nuances in his delivery and interpretation. As for aura and screen presence? He is a walking force field all by himself.

==================
Notable mentions for 2024:
JJS as King in Captivating the King
Lee Yi-Kyong & Song Ha-Yoon in Marry My Husband

========================
Ji-Sung fangirl corner: (cos I just finished my re-watch of Heal Me Kill Me a few days back -- a good 10 years after I first watched it in 2015)

(a) KMHM: There's a reason why he is one of my favourite actors, and why KMHL became a cult classic. Playing 7 roles in 1 show - his Shin Se-ki and Yoo-Na alters will always live in my head rent-free.

(b) Devil Judge: JS owned this role. Ji Sung is Yo-Han, Yo-Han is Ji Sung!
confession: watched this show so many times. Unforgettable (just not in 2024 lol)

If just talking about Kdramas watched in 2024 (which isn’t much for me), it’s gotta go to Park Hyung Sik in Soundtrack #1 — yes, I FINALLY watched it, and I loved his performance in it.
I can still feel it’s the same Park Hyung Sik that I’ve come to know and love (his eye acting OMG 🫠🫠🫠 Which he downplays as “nothing” aigoo), but in this one, there’s a sort of maturity and a gravitas to him and his acting now that’s just 🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻
I should seriously try to get myself caught up on all of his projects post-army enlistment 😍😍🥰🥰

No one yet mentioned Jeon Jong-seo in Wedding Impossible? Very good!

And, of course, it was Jo Jung-Suk who made Captivating the King so-so magical.

Drama performances I liked in 2024:

THE KIDNAPPING DAY (2023) Yuna and Yoon Kye Sang, both excellent

A SHOP FOR KILLERS (2024) Lee Dong Wook and Kim Hye Joon in this very well done thriller.

PERFECT MARRIAGE REVENGE (2023) Writers get my vote here, although performances were also terrific

FLEX X COP (2024) Writers again, as this tight story was well told and enjoyable beginning to end

IMITATION (2021) Lee Jun Young memorable; classic category

LOVELY RUNNER (2024) The story dragged for me, but Byeon Woo Seok, Kim Hye Joon and scene stealing Song Geun Hee were standouts.

LOVE LIKE THE GALAXY (2022) Leo Wu and Zhao Lu Si beautifully paired. When you have talent like this, you can do so much. Memorable scene for me was the delightful double shiners; Zhao Lu Si channeling classic film comediennes.

STORY OF MING LAN (2018). Entire cast, every performer nailed their role in this captivating drama.

NIRVANA IN FIRE (2015) Hu Ge and Wang Kai, superb doesn't quite do them justice.

BLOSSOMS IN ADVERSITY (2024) Hai Yi Tian. Lotsa memorable emperors in dramaland, but this one was chilling and creepy.

JUST BETWEEN LOVERS/RAIN OR SHINE (2017). Lee Jun Ho and found grandmother Na Moon Hee. If I had to pick one performance above all others for my 2024 drama watching, it would be Na Moon Hee who was extraordinary with Lee Jun Ho in this outstanding drama. A gift.