Annyeong Chingus!

As we shuffle from 2024 to the futuristic year of 2025, let’s take a moment to acknowledge the K-dramas that hijacked our sleep schedules, made us question our life choices, and turned us into unapologetic couch potatoes.

This year, South Korea’s drama Santa really put the elfs to work and came too early and churned out everything from swoony romances to eerie thrillers, leaving no stone unturned in their quest to emotionally wreck us.

Here’s our overdue wrap-up of 2024:

1120 Minutes of Lovely Runner

Someone say “Sun Jae ya…”

Runaway with Sunjae on Piggyback, also known as Lovely Runner is a time slip, romantic comedy and fantasy drama about a top celebrity Sun-jae (played by Byeon Woo Seok) who inspired Im Sol (Kim Hye Yoon) after an accident that left her paralyzed. He later battled depression, which led to his death, and guess who travels back in time to when he was a teenager to prevent his horrible fate? The grateful superfan Im Sol.

It was a 16-episode roller coaster of emotions, and I enjoyed every second.

1280 Minutes of Love Next Door

Imagine returning home for a little break from adulting only to run into your super successful and handsome family friend and neighbour who is perfect in every way and whom you always get compared to. Annoying right? Well, I’m sure you’re not as pissed as Bae Seok-Ryu (played by Jung So-Min) who had to put up with perfect Choi Seung-hyo (played by Jung Hae-In).

It’s a classic story of childhood friends turned lovers but with a comical plot and deep themes on life and self-fulfillment. It was a 70-80 minute, 16-episode drama of nostalgia and will be sure to bring back childhood memories.

1022 Minutes of The Judge from Hell

All rise for Justitia (played by Park Shin-Hye), the proud and manipulative demon god of Justice. I’m sure when you imagine a god of justice, you probably think wise, truthful, fair, and just, but Justitia was banished from Hell into Earth for not doing that, and guess what? She hates humans!

To redeem herself and take back her throne, she was tasked by the king of hell with sending 10 murderers to hell within one year, and she’s determined to do it with a bang and her way, even if it means breaking the rules, increasing her punishment, and falling in love.

1120 Minutes of Marry My Husband

Sticks and Stones may break her bones but a woman scorned will travel through time and relieve her past to get her revenge, fall in love, and become the ultimate femme fatale; and that’s what “Marry My Husband” is all about.

Kang Ji Won’s (played by Park Min Young) life hit rock bottom after discovering her lazy gas lighting husband making out with her childhood friend on their matrimonial bed after leaving the hospital after a long stay due to cancer.

840 Minutes of No Gain, No Love

Want to watch a K-drama about a fake wedding between a woman, Son Hae Yeong (played by Shin Min-A) who would go to any lengths to get a job promotion, and an average guy, Kim Jin-Wook (played by Kim Young-Dae) who just wants to make everybody happy? Try No Gain, No Love, a practical approach to getting married for benefits for those who can’t order a Chaebol online.

It’s 12 episodes of comedy, the pursuit of money, and shocking scenes that will be sure to make you go, did that just happen?

1440 Minutes of Queen of Tears

It’s everyone’s dream to get married to a rich chaebol and say hello to money, but what happens after getting married? Let me guess, lots of waterworks that earn you the title of the Queen of Tears.

The drama centers around Baek Hyun-Woo, a lawyer from a humble family who marries a third-generation Chaebol heiress, Ho Hae-In (played by Kim Ji-Won). Their marriage is constantly interrupted by Hae-In's meddlesome family, her Chaebol arrogance, and reoccurring love interests which causes a huge rift in their marriage.

Everything changes when she discovers that she has few months to live due to a brain tumor, does this rekindle their love or will Hyun-Woo see this as a fast cash grab as compensation for putting up with his snotty rich wife's family and become the King of Tears?

It’s a legal, romantic, comedy series that will transform you into a couch potato, and guess who also made an appearance? It’s everyone’s favorite lawyer and consigliere, Vicenzo Cassano.

770 Minutes of Mr. Plankton

Who would have thought that a K-drama about a man who was born due to incorrect artificial insemination and goes on a father-finding search would be fun to watch? Well, hallyuwood did and we bought it hook, line, and sinker.

Mr Plankton is a romantic comedy about a drifter Hae-Jo (played by Woo Do-Hwan) who accidentally crashes Jo Jae-Mi’s wedding (Lee Yoo Mi), tagged the world's most miserable bride and both of them explore finding a connection, overcoming loneliness, and falling in love.

Also, Hae-Jo has a few months to live, so he went all out with his craziness and stupid decision, so expect to be on your toes and fight the urge to enter the TV/phone to give him a well-deserved smack across the head.

588 Minutes of The Atypical Family

Tired of normal family dramas with normal problems and childhood traumas, how about a family of superheroes with problems? No, I’m not talking about the Thundermans, it’s the Atypical Family.

This superhero series is about Bok Gwi Ju (Jang Ki-Yong), a time-traveling father of one and his extended family of superpowers who lose them due to several societal issues and how they struggle to stay together, survive and overcome their various traumas.

If you think Christmas dinner is awkward, try doing it with a family of superheroes with traumas.

Whether these dramas had you swooning, sobbing, or staring blankly at your screen during a plot twist, 2024’s K-dramas proved once again that they know how to entertain and emotionally manipulate us like pros.

Here’s to more sleepless nights and binge-worthy dramas in 2025!