K-Drama Wrap Up: What I Watched in November 2023
Plus what I’m looking forward to in December!
If you read my last wrap-up, you’ll know I was in sunny Bali for the beginning of November, so it ended up being a slower month for me on the K-drama–watching front. But I still managed to get through a few dramas, including one that was a complete surprise fave! So without further ado, let’s dive in.
Castaway Diva (2023)
Again, if you read last month’s wrap-up, I was only very tentatively considering watching Castaway Diva. To be honest, I thought it looked far too cringe-worthy and that I would loathe it, so it was very far down my list! BUT … I started to hear good things about it so decided to give it a two-episode try. And I was blown away — it was actually pretty good!! I ended up binge-watching until I was caught up and actively looked forward to new episodes dropping.
So what’s it about? Mok-ha, as a teen, is an aspiring singer. She’s got a very sunny disposition and her dream is to meet her favourite idol, Ran-joo. However, there’s more than meets the eye and it turns out life at home is less than sunny — and when she attempts to run away with her crush and confidant Ki-ho, disaster strikes, leading her to become stranded on a deserted island alone. This all happens fairly early on, and it was when I realised this wasn’t going to be the corny, light drama I was expecting. In reality, it actually covers some pretty heavy topics and contains some hard-to-watch scenes. What unfolds is Mok-ha’s journey back to the mainland, but that’s actually a pretty minor plot point in the end. Without giving too much away, it’s also about life in the idol spotlight, with themes of ageism, as well as the aftermath of domestic abuse (told you it was heavy!).
I think it’s well-told, soft and beautiful in parts. I do wonder though if there were a few too many plot points — while they are all connected and bring parts of the storyline together, it did feel a little jarring at times, like I wasn’t quite sure what type of show I was watching. But overall, I did really enjoy it and I’m glad I didn’t let my initial judgement get in the way!
4 stars
Strong Girl Nam-soon (2023)
Oh boy. Unfortunately I barely made it across the finish line with Strong Girl Nam-soon. I had very high hopes — off the back of Strong Girl Bong-soon which is one of my most rewatched K-dramas. Despite being written by the same team … I’m sorry to say that I just didn’t think it had the magic of the original. Where Strong Girl Bong-soon was, in my opinion, subtle, sweet and playful, the latest instalment is the exact opposite. It takes the superhero genre on in a much stronger way, with the powers of three generations of females very much on display to the wider public (as opposed to Bong-soon who hid her powers from everyone). And while at a stretch I could say that’s a great message for female empowerment, the rest of the plot did absolutely nothing for me, unfortunately. It was very cringe and exaggerated and just not my cup of tea. So sad!
2 stars
Descendants of the Sun (2016)
Another of my most re-watched K-dramas is Descendants of the Sun — a fact that always makes me laugh a little at myself because I actually remember not really loving it when I first watched it! When it comes to Song Joong-ki it’s been a slow-burn, but I am definitely a fan all these years later.
Descendants of the Sun is a love story between a soldier — Si-jin (Song Joong-ki) and a surgeon Mo-yeon (Song Hye-kyo) who ends up as a medical volunteer in the fictional country of Uruk, where Si-jin is stationed on a peacekeeping mission. It’s long and epic and swoony in places — and if you like a man (or woman!) in uniform, there’s no shortage of eye candy to be had. And if one romance isn’t enough, the simmering tension between the second leads — Si-jin’s friend and fellow soldier, Dae-young and army surgeon Myung-ju — won’t leave you disappointed. In fact, their romance is one of my absolute favourites!
4.5 stars
What I’m Looking Forward to in December
There’s quite a few K-dramas to look foward to as the end of 2023 approaches. I’m already hooked completely on My Demon, staring Song Kang and Kim Yoo-jung — fantastic chemistry and an intriguing plot that’s made me very keen to continue watching.
I’m also about to jump into Welcome to Samdal-ri which, based on the trailers I’ve watched, seems to give Our Blues and Hometown Cha Cha Cha healing drama–vibes, which I am very much here for. Plus it stars two of my favourite K-drama actors — Shin Hye-sun and Ji Chang-wook so my expectations are high! I really, really hope this is a very successful drama for Ji Chang-wook — I haven’t felt his drama choices have been particularly strong lately. He was fabulous back in the days of Suspicious Partner (2017) and Healer (2014), but I just haven’t loved a lot of his recent work.
And finally, my number one favourite, Park Seo-joon’s latest drama Gyeongseong Creature premieres on 22 December, and also stars Han So-hee who is an incredible actress, so very keen!
What K-dramas have you been watching lately? I am always open to recommendations, so drop me a comment below.
I’ve recently started an Instagram account where I’ll be posting regularly about K-dramas. Feel free to follow me there: instagram.com/sam_adoreskdramas
If you love K-dramas as much as I do, you might enjoy the K-drama Journal and Activity Book I have available in my Etsy shop. Take a look here: https://samanthaadores.etsy.com/au/listing/1575847311/kdrama-journal-template-printable
