2018 In Review – Series – Best to Worst
This year I scored each series and episode in a series. Here are the empirical results:
| Show | Rating |
| Mr. Sunshine | 8.8 |
| Money Flower | 8.7 |
| Hwayugi | 8.7 |
| Sketch | 8.6 |
| Lawless Lawyer | 8.5 |
| Bad Papa | 8.4 |
| Wok of Love | 7.9 |
| Great Seducer | 7.7 |
| Criminal Minds | 7.6 |
| Mystery Queen 2 | 7.4 |
Do I agree with the scores? Would I rank the dramas differently now that I’ve got the advantage of time and comparison?
The only show that I’d bump into the next tier is Sketch. I loved that series. Otherwise, I agree with the hard numbers.
What did I love about each series?
Mr. Sunshine – Grabbed your heart after a slow start, strong bromance, Writer Kim and Producer Lee are a powerhouse team
Money Flower – Intricate, stunning cliff hangers, Jang Hyuk owned this show
Hwayugi – Jerk to hero role for Lee Seung Gi, love story marred by bracelet
Sketch – Intricate story, rich connections between characters, blind side moments, satisfying struggle of good versus evil
Lawless Lawyer – Unexpected twists and turns, the struggle of revenge versus justice, good versus evil, stellar performance by Lee Joon Gi
Bad Papa – Fabulous father and daughter relationship, new Writer Kim worth watching, Jang Hyuk worked his magic
Wok of Love – Watchable, you won’t suffer but you won’t soar
Great Seducer – Dangerous Liaison brought to a kdrama by writer Kim Bo Yeon with mediocre results.
Criminal Minds – Limited character depth, underutilized Lee Joon Gi, procedural drama hampered by how fascinating the case and criminal was
Mystery Queen 2 – Strong sleuthing pair but not a cohesive series
Here’s my blogging timeline of each series in 2018:
Asian drama fan. I watch and blog dramas on https://kjtamusings.wordpress.com/.
amusings 
From your list I have only watched Hwayugi ,which I consigned to 2017 in my mind so I did not even bother to review on my blog, I also watched Lawless lawyer and i was so happy that Lee Jun Ki picked a successful script this time around. Also as a sageuk fan this has been a year of slim pickings I sure hope 2019 brings some good shows to the table.
As always thanks for the recaps as they do guide some of my viewing choices may you continue to be creative and interesting even in 2019, Have a happy new year 🙂
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Lawless Lawyer was a winner for Lee Joon Gi. When you like an actor, you want their choice in a kdrama/movie be a good one. Seems like kdramas success are dependent on too many variables outside an actor’s control.
Appreciate the kind words. I just subscribed to your blog so I can start benefiting from your insights. May 2019 be a good year!🥂
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Wow thanks for following, a lovely new year gift for me 🙂
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I 💗 the concept of comparing the empirical data of your series ratings to the snapshot of how you feel looking back on them. I find the strong correlation interesting … your ratings of each series was independent from each other. I 🎊congratulate🎉 you on your rating objectivity, especially as the time period of watching and recapping many of the series overlapped.
“Mr Sunshine” was my favorite series of 2018❣️ Lawless Lawyer was my runner up and then the rest is pretty much the same as KJT, except I would would place The Great Seducer (despite the better story and acting) at the bottom of the list as I was DISGUSTED with the games the Toxic ☣️ Trio played with other people’s lives; Justice Jane was not satisfied with consequences for the Toxic ☣️ Trio compared to other characters. I was also not as objective as KJT, as the original (and superior) Queen of Mystery series influenced how I saw judged the sequel (even though it was disappointing). I recommend watching the original and not wasting you time on the sequel.
Redbutterflys, I’ve heard a little buzz about promising saeguks planned for 2019.
KJT, if you are up for recapping a saeguk I think “Aseudal Chronicles” or the “Crowned Clown” (which starts next week) look the MOST PROMISING, but who can resist the dashing eye 👁️🍭 candy of Jo Joon Suk and Yoon Shi Yoon in “Ugeumchi” OR Yang Se Jong and Woo Do Hwan in “My Country” and the thrilling terror of a zombie epidemic in “Kingdom”❓⁉️
I’m curious about the projects chosen by favorite actors returning from military service in 2019, namely Lee Min Ho, Joo Won, and Ji Chang Wook.
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“Mr Sunshine” was my favorite series of 2018❣️
What impressed me was the slow start it got with what I thought was a reserved couple but how things changed. Mr. Sunshine was a show that proved the axiom “The Whole is Greater than the Sum of its Parts”
Queen of Mystery series influenced how I saw judged the sequel…recommend watching the original and not wasting you time on the sequel.
Maybe a binge watch weekend show.
“Crowned Clown” (which starts next week)
I’m considering it. I’m not recapping anything currently and starting to feel the need to begin a new series.
curious about the projects chosen by favorite actors returning from military service in 2019, namely Lee Min Ho, Joo Won, and Ji Chang Wook.
You and me both!
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Are you going to finish recapping “The Smile has Left your Eyes” 🙈❓⁉️
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Yes I am
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Yeah❣️ I’ve been waiting to finish it.
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Appreciate your patience. Planning to watch/blog this weekend.
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Yes! I’m so glad that you will be recapping The Smile Has Left Your Eyes until the end. Real life got in the way of my dramawatching again, but things have finally settled down now for me and I can’t wait to watch the remaining episodes of this drama and discuss with everyone, because I am loving it so far.
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Thanks for doing these Year In Review posts. I really like seeing how all of the dramas fared when looking at the entire year, and comparing the hard numbers with overall impressions at year’s end. My favorite drama for 2018 wasn’t covered here but I sure had a great time with everyone discussing The Great Seducer here at this blog, and I agree with both your drama rating score and overall year end ranking and thoughts. The Great Seducer had a lot of potential but the decision to reinvent the story as a teen drama on a national network channel crippled the drama and I think contributed to a lot of the drama’s problems and weaknesses, most definitely with the script. That being said, I did enjoy The Great Seducer as a “guilty pleasure” once I accepted that it was really a standard teen melodrama with limitations. I look forward to 2019!
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I did enjoy The Great Seducer as a “guilty pleasure” once I accepted that it was really a standard teen melodrama with limitations.
I also enjoyed the show for what it was once I realized what it would not be.
My favorite drama for 2018 wasn’t covered here
What was your favorite drama of 2018?
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My favorite drama for 2018 was Just Between Lovers. The directing, writing, acting and production values were all so good for that drama. The drama had an almost Dickensian feel to it with its wide cast of characters from all walks of life, and the somewhat seedy world of the main lead was populated by several quirky characters. Many of the characters were interconnected as often happens in Dickens as well. Just Between Lovers had a great sense of place and the cinematography was so pretty- the director really knew how to frame a shot. It was a wonderful romantic drama dealing with themes of how people deal with trauma, loss, and guilt and had a wonderful “healing” love story.
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I enjoyed Just Between Lovers … That’s when I fell for Lee Joon Ho (also played Seo Poong in Wok of Love). I liked it but it was not my favorite; it was worthy of my precious drama watching time.
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Glad to find another Just between Lovers fan here. I agree, definitely worth a person’s drama watching time. What was your favorite drama for 2018?
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Mr. Sunshine was my favorite. 2018 had a bumper crop of good dramas. I also REALLY LIKED Terius Behind Me, Thirty but Seventeen, The Beauty Within, Sketch, and Lawless Lawyer. There were SO MANY MORE that I enjoyed.
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an embarrassment of riches is a good thing!
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I’ll have to check Just Between Lovers out.
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Definitely worth checking out. Hope that you enjoy it.
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