Holiday Watch for K-Drama Fans

Year end holiday is right around the corner for many of you. I am here to remind you not to forget to download enough to watch during the flight, especially long flights. These days OTT platforms have far more superior choices) and during the holiday (believe me, there will be times you hope you have something to watch). I am sharing with you what I have downloaded for my own long road trip holiday and some are those I thoroughly enjoy in the past weeks you may want to check out. These are dramas that are completed and downloadable.

The Trunk

Let us start with the well known and buzz-worthy. A series headlined by Gong Yoo, who except for a few appearances have not played much since 2021, who have captured so many people heart with classics such as Goblin and Coffee Prince, is inevitably creating a lot of buzz. It is now number three top non-English show on Netflix. It made top 10 in countries as diverse as Venezuela, India, Indonesia (of course!), Taiwan and United Arab Emirate.
I have to admit that I have read the book (am now in the phase of Asian literature, which by the way a whole different pleasurable kind of read) and find it totally enjoyable read.
The story is about In Ji (Seo Hyun Jin) who works for a contract marriage provider called NM (classic k-drama concept, but the concept still work to entice us until now !), that provide its clientele with providing a spouse for a year. This can be to avoid being told to go into a loveless marriage or because terminal illness and wanting to experience marital live or what not. Jeong Won (Gong Yoo) is her 5th contract, who was told to go through with this contract marriage by his controlling ex-wife, Seon Yeon (Jung Yun Ha). Jeong Won, with his baggage from his past, went through and gradually become fond with each other. In a meantime, a trunk is recovered from the lake that release flurry of secrets to already complicated life of people, including stalking and murder.
The series are a product from Kim Kyu Tae as director and Park Eun Young as screen writer. Kim Kyu Tae has impressive roster of stories such as Our Blues, Live, Moon Lovers; Scarlet Heart of Ryeo and That Winter, the Wind Blows. Park Eun Young who has done Hwarang among others. They both brought strength on the melodrama feel of the whole drama, the Gothically lonely yet luxurious setting, the pain brought to live with the chandelier setting in a concrete huge stairwell (who knows chandelier can create so much drama !) as well lonely room of Jeong Won and the softer feel on the beautiful costumes that contrasted the character of Seon Yeon vs In Ji. The flash back and dream for Jeong Won, showcase the realistic effect of drowning that reflect the mental condition of Jeong Won. The role of Jeong Won which is pivotal for the whole series, brought to live by Gong Yoo excellently. It is a difficult role to play as it is not exactly a
strong character but at the same time from the weakness of the character gradual strength is built with the help of In Ji. Seo Hyun Jin, who play a cold-in-demeanor-but-soft-hearted-inside In Ji, is playing the role exceedingly well. She has played this type of role in Why Her (2022, another excellent k-drama) successfully, hopefully she will not be typecasted into similar flavor of roles. Seon Yeon as Jeong Won ex-wife is a critical role that should bring In Ji’s character to live by being the antagonist and Jung Yun Ha played the role extremely well that we all cant help but hate yet pity her. On top of this already strong story line, there are other story line that is equally enticing, major and
less so. The storyline of stalking and murder as well storyline of how Jeong Won’s
partner Oh Yeon-Cheol who struggle with his wife on daily household, they make the whole drama lively.
It is such an enjoyable k-drama that is shorter than normal at 8 episodes (vs the k-
drama standard of 16 episodes) with melodrama streak well made. While it is a bit slow in its pace but the emotional undertone weighting every episode, the dramatic moments pushed into just 8 episodes, truly make the drama an interesting watch. This is the drama for k-drama fans who loves melodrama and makjang drama. For sure, for the ladies, you will talk about this series with your best friends. Note : there is also a bonus of Jung Kyung Ho playing as cameo !

Family by Choice

Now let me move on to those of you who love subgenre within k-drama that is light touch, heart-filled and full with gorgeous (but good actors, of course) actors. Family by Choice is headlined by Bae Hyeon Seong and Hwang In-Yeop (which I think I need not say more, right). It is by the way a remake of an excellent Chinese Drama titled Go Ahead, a classic played by Song Weilong, Tang Songyung and Zhang Xincheng, a trio of very strong Chinese actors. To begin with it is an uphill battle when a series / movie is a remade.
This is a story about Kim San Ha (Hwang In Youp), Kang Hae Jun (Bae Hyeon Seong) and Yun Ju Won (Jung Chae Yeon). They are not biologically related but due to their family sad circumstances they are raised together by two single fathers, Ju Won’s father Yun Jeong Jae (Choi Won Young) and San Ha’s father Kim Dae Uk (Choi Moo Sung). There are three more characters who are the source of complexity of the drama, Kwon Jeong Hui, San Ha’s mother (Kim Hye Eun), Kang Seo Hyeon, Hae Jun’s mother and Yang Dong Gu (Hae Jun’s father). With all the complexities, the two fathers raised these three cubs and tried their best to heal the trauma these children experience. However, upon graduating from high school, the two boys experience complexity with their respective families and leave Ju Won behind, broken hearted. The story continues to a decade later when the children reunite and complexity further ensues including romantic feeling between the two of them.
Kim Seung Ho as the director who has done The Nokdu Flower, Twenty-Five Twenty-One and Joseon Attorney : A Morality, are experienced with directing drama with moral values but at the same time filled with youth vibes. He created comedic scenes, romantic scenes (for the parents and the children!) very well and also the melodrama that involved the parents. It helps that all the actors are truly playing their role well and bring strength into the roles. Their comedic or melodrama timing are strongly delivered. Even the child actors particularly Oh Eun Soo who played young Ju Won truly well, if she is consistent and avoid all the pitfalls of child actors, she will have a very bright future (think about the Fanning sisters). This is for sure enjoyable family drama, you will enjoy every single episode of the whole 16 episodes. This is one of the drama where it is played tightly with no filler, you will enjoy all the period the children growing up to adult. It emphasizes differently from its original version and with different culture, familial approach is very different but to me both are equally a pleasurable watch. This is for sure something to watch with your families and you end up wanting to hug your kids / parents and wish them merry Christmas (for those who celebrate). Enjoy !

Seoul Busters

There are those of you are not particularly keen with romantic genre and particularly like comedy series, Seoul Busters is an interesting alternative. It is headlined by Kim Dong Wook (Dongbang Yu Bin), Park Ji Hwan (Mu Jung Ryeok), Seo Hyun Woo (Jung Jeong Hwan), Park Se-wan (Seo Min Seo) and Lee Seung Woo (Jang Tan Sik). It is a story about 2nd violent crimes unit at Song Won Police who is known to have the lowest arrest rate and after major failure is moved to work out of former day care center.
Dongbang Yu Bin is their leaders after the previous one is moved out as part of the failure consequence management. Every character of the squad is developed well, from the boxer with questionnable intuition but sexual appeal (Park Ji-hwan), a stingy yes man but excellent shot (Jeong Jeong-hwan), a lady with extremely hot temper (Seo Min Seo) and clueless positive junior (Lee Seung Woo).

This is one of those laugh out loud comedy with a lot of moral values embedded in every episode. The setting itself is totally integral part of the comedy, I want to give kuddos to the set designers, this is one of the series / movies where the set and props are effectively active part of the acting itself. I do not often see a lot of review in google itself but this is one of the very rare k-drama series with a fair bit positive review. While Kim Dong Wook is a truly veteran actor that somehow excel in comedic timing, but Park Ji-hwan and Seo Hyun-woo emerged equally as strong comedic actors with impeccable timing.
For sure this underrated series will fill your holiday and your flight with a lot of laughter and bring even more joy to your Christmas. Watch it with your family, friends or alone, they are equally going to be a fun experience. Enjoy !

There you go, 3 k-drama completed series that you can download for your viewing while on holiday particularly when you are out of country, cannot access your OTT and crave for decent k-drama. Do share if you have any other enjoyable k-drama for this holiday season. Happy Holiday !