We are now in the second half of 2024 given that it is now July. YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS - I will be spending the month of July talking about my favorite dramas that I watched in the first half of 2024. That means the July podcast episodes will also be about my favorite dramas from the first half of 2024. This week it is all about Korean dramas. So, if you don't see a favorite of yours, it probably means I have not watched it yet OR I watched it, but it wasn't a favorite of mine.
This is just a list of Kdramas I liked and would recommend watching if you have not seen them yet. This list might change by the end of 2024, but it also might not, WE WILL SEE! This list also is the Kdramas that I completed in the first half of 2024 (January to June), so it does not just mean these Kdramas had to premiere and/or air in 2024. It will also not include any Kdramas I have completed this month (July) because this month is in the 2nd half of 2024. This list is also in NO PARTICULAR ORDER and NOT RANKED!
I have had a fair amount of good luck when it comes to Kdramas in the first half of 2024. I will say, I have not watched a few of the most popular ones, so, that is why they aren't on this list. I also acknowledge that there were a few that I completed in the first half of 2024 that I should have just dropped and not completed. It was a mix of completed Kdramas that I absolutely loved and others I should have just let go. So, the first half of 2024 was a mixed bag in my opinion in kdramaland.
ALRIGHT HERE ARE SOME OF MY FAVORITE KDRAMAS I HAVE WATCHED IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2024!
EPISODES: 12 (NETFLIX)
This drama was a surprise for me. I will FULLY admit that I started this drama because of Jang Dong Yoon. We know he is one of my favorite Korean actors. If you guys are looking for a healing drama - LOOK NO FURTHER! I learned so much from this drama. It highlighted a sport that I knew almost nothing about so, that was fun watching and learning about that. I love a good underdog story and this one is a great underdog story. Not only did I love the leads, but it had a great cast and supporting characters. I loved the male lead's characters and his character's personality throughout the drama. I don't think a lot of people watched this drama and it sort of flew under people's radar. I FULLY RECOMMEND THIS DRAMA! I wish we did get more story with some of the side characters and the ending was little rushed BUT I STILL LOVED THIS DRAMA!
RATING: 9.5/10
EPISODES: Part 1: 4 & Part 2: 4 (AMAZON PRIME)
2024 KDRAMALAND STARTED OUT A BANG! This drama BLEW MY MIND! I literally don't have almost anything bad to say about it. I definitely was thinking about this drama for months after it ended. The acting was AMAZING! I loved the cameos. The writing and story were IMMACULATE! I just remember being so invested in this drama. I loved reexamining every life and picking apart everything. The twists and turns blew me away. This was a dark subject matter but also had some comedic moments too. TRIGGER WARNING FOR SUICIDE AND VIOLENCE! I really thought 2024 was starting so well in January since this ended in January. It sort of has gone downhill for me since then, depending on the drama. I did make a podcast review for this drama when I launched the podcast back in January, so, you can go listen to the episode now. It is the first episode of the podcast.
RATING: 10/10
EPISODES: 8 (HULU)
Another drama that I ABSOLUTELY loved. It had my favorite trope in it which is found family. I loved all of the action. I thought the cinematography highlighted that well. THAT FIRST SCENE BLEW ME AWAY! The acting was good. It got me to care about these characters in a short period of time. I liked how the story sort of dropped you in the middle of it. It hooked me right away and then as the drama progressed, it filled in the blanks for you. I downrated this for 2 reasons. Some of scenes were SO DARK. It was difficult to see what was going on in them. So, the lighting was an issue sometimes. It also DEFINITELY needs a season 2. It didn't leave off with a MAJOR cliffhanger but definitely needs to answer a TON of questions. I would totally watch a season 2 of this drama.
You can read my review of this drama here, but I also have this drama up as a review episode for the podcast which you can listen to now if you want my full review.
RATING: 9.5/10
Episodes: 16 (AMAZON PRIME)
Now, this might a controversial choice to put in my top Kdramas from the first half of 2024. The first half of this drama was better than the second half, I will admit that. I also liked Perfect Marriage Revenge more than Marry My Husband. This was not a perfect drama. I wish it had taken some different routes in the second half but I still was entertained and liked it alot. I don't know if it will survive and make this list at the end of the year. WE WILL SEE! The revenge was a lot of fun to watch. The villains were delicious and fun to watch. There was one storyline that I don't think was needed at all and could have been eliminated. It also did not need to be 16 episodes. It could have been 12. I liked that we got 3 couples and they were all fantastic. I loved that we got a satisfying ending. This would be a good Kdrama to show to someone as their first one and to get them into watching Asian dramas.
You can read my review of this drama here, but I also have this drama up as a review episode for the podcast which you can listen to now if you want my full review.
RATING: 9/10
Episodes: 8 (IQIYI)
THE ACTING WAS SO GOOD IN THIS! I liked the concept of the main character being transported into a videogame. It made for a unique story/concept. It was more emotional than I thought it would be. It had a lot more angst than I thought it would have. I thought the main couple had great chemistry. The story was a bit messy. The drama was way to short and it seemed like the writer had one too many ideas and tried to cram them all into one drama. It was a SOLID Korean BL drama though. I am glad I watched it. I REALLY NEED TO WATCH MORE GAY CONTENT IN THE SECOND HALF OF 2024!
RATING: 8.5/10
Episodes: 6 (NETFLIX)
This Kdrama was A LOT better than I expected it to be. It was nearly a perfect drama for me. I ABSOLUTELY adored this drama. I think I appreciated this drama more because I watched the anime first. This allowed me to get more immersed in the lore and get some of the references seen throughout the drama. I love that the drama made this more of a spinoff and not a scene-by-scene remake. I think it carved itself out as its own thing and made quite an impact that way. Acting was great. The fight scenes were top-notch and the CGI was great. It had a good message behind it. This drama DEFINITELY needs a trigger warning for gore and violence. It wasn't a perfect 10/10 drama because it did not answer some questions that I had at the end of the drama like where did the parasites come from? I will be curious if they do a season 2 of this drama and where would the story be taken.
Here is the link to the VERSUS blogpost and you can also listen to the episode now on the podcast.
RATING: 9.5/10
Episodes: 12 (NETFLIX)
I have done a full review of this drama on the blog/podcast and talked about it in length. So, I won't talk about it ALOT here. This Kdrama is DEFINITELY one of my favorite Kdramas I have watched in 2024. I loved the found family. I thought it had some great messages that the audience got from it. I liked the romance, but it wasn't the highlight for me. I LOVED the father/daughter relationship and how that changed and grew through the drama. The acting was really good. I thought the plot was unique and made the drama stand out. It wasn't a perfect drama like the fat suit but still this one surprised me and I will fully say that this drama is one of my favs for the first half of 2024 BUT ALSO will probably be one of my favorite Kdramas of the entire year 2024.
You can read my full review of this drama here and my review of this drama is up on the podcast now.
RATING: 9/10
Episodes: 12 (HULU)
This Kdrama I think flew under a lot of people's radar or people just did not check it out. I understand - it is a crime drama. I knew I was going to watch this when it was announced. I assumed I was going to like it BUT I did not know that I was going to like it so much that it would end up on this list. I was interested in this drama because it was the first Kdrama that I came across that talked about a police unit concentrated on vehicle related crimes. I thought that made this drama really unique. I loved getting to know the team. I loved the found family in this drama. It had a good mix of comedy and dark crime topics. I did not think there were as many vehicle related crimes as there were in this drama. I assumed it was going to just be like accidents and murder, but it also included fraud and like underground garage. I can definitely see it getting a season 2 and also a season every couple of years. It could have been a 10 episodes drama, but I am fine with 12. I also wished it had more episodic crimes and the overarching crime did not last for as long as it did.
RATING: 9/10
And there you have it - my list for my TOP KDRAMAS FROM THE FIRST HALF OF 2024!
I think this will DEFINITELY change by the end of 2024. I already know that one Kdrama I am currently watching will probably make my list for the end of the year 2024. I am really going to try to drop more and be more selective for Kdramas in the second half of 2024. There were about 8 dramas I should have dropped and not completed in the first half of 2024. I also need to pick better dramas for the NON-KOREAN dramas I watch in the second half of 2024. I have rewatched a lot of those so, far in the first half of 2024.
What were some your favorite Kdramas of the first half of 2024?
Did some of your favorite Kdramas make my list?
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