Year in Review 2017: A Must Watch Or Not?

Now, it’s a month into 2018 and I would like to share my personal reviews on some of the dramas that aired in 2017.

First, I have to admit that I am a very picky person in choosing dramas to watch and I didn’t watch a lot of dramas that aired in 2017. So, please understand if I didn’t include your favourites or the famous dramas.

In general, there were more Chinese dramas that I loved than K-dramas in 2017. I didn’t watch a single J-drama that aired this year, that’s sad because I was craving for J-dramas but didn’t find interest in any of them.

Korean dramas:

2017 was not a good K-drama year for me. There were many dramas that came out with great ratings but only a few drew my attention enough to watch them and none of them really touched my heart except one.

Circle: A must-watch drama

So, this is the one and only drama that really did it for me in 2017. I am glad that I decided to watch this one and the plot and story execution was really good that I was sitting on the edge of my seat all the time. And it wasn’t only about suspense and thriller. The relationship between the two brothers was too awesome to miss it. To be honest, I might be in the minority who never really was impressed with Yeo Jin Goo in his earlier dramas. But in Circle, he nailed the character as a young college boy with so much burden to carry on his shoulder, with so much charisma. All in all, Circle is a must-watch drama in 2017, especially if you are a fan of sci-fi/suspense and bromance. 

Tomorrow with You: Could be a great watch

I do think it is one of the best dramas for 2017. The story is refreshing - although time travel theme has been used here and there a lot, there is just something new about this drama. Execution and pace are well-done. The chemistry between the two leads is great and romance is really believable. It was just so sad to watch at sometimes. Lee Je Hoon really did a great job as a time-traveller who tried everything to save the love of his life. 

Ruler of the Mask: Pretty good but not great

I must admit I had so many expectations for this drama because it has my two favourite new generation actor and actress - Yoo Seung Ho and Kim So Hyun. They did have chemistry with each other but not to a sizzling level. Especially when compared to the chemistry between Yoo Seung Ho and Chae Soo Bin in the currently airing I Am Not A Robot drama, the chemistry between these two is not just that good.  And the story didn’t do justice for these two who have great acting skills and can nail any emotional characters. The character that stands out for me most in this drama is Hwa Gun (played by Yoon So Hee). 

While You Were Sleeping: Just overrated

I watched this drama because of its premise about seeing the future and changing the past and so on. But, it failed to live up to its promised storyline. The story was never as complicated as I expected it to be and was only a repeat of future-seeing dreams and dangers. I am not saying it’s bad. There were good moments and bad moments and the cinematography was pretty good but the main issue was that I didn’t feel an emotional connection with any of the main characters.

Fight For My Way:  Can't say I love this drama

I did enjoy watching this drama, with great chemistry between Park Seo Joon and Kim Ji Won and their cute, cheesy scenes. But, I just didn’t fall in love with the drama mainly because there wasn’t much going on throughout the storyline and it wasn’t as memorable as it should be. 

Chinese Dramas:

Usually, Chinese dramas are hit or miss for me, and most dramas I watched in 2017 at least did not fail me.

Eternal Love: Definitely a must-watch

2017 in review would not be complete without Eternal Love, also known as Three Lives, Three Worlds:  Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms, which is a drama very well done. It is a story of love that encompasses three lifetimes of two deities. There is really nothing bad to say about this drama. Acting, story, cinematography - all was pretty well done. As someone who is normally skeptical of xianxia dramas, I would definitely recommend this drama even to beginners of Chinese xianxia dramas.  

A Love So Beautiful: Could be a great watch

If you are hesitating to watch this drama because its premise is similar to It Started with a Kiss series, you should definitely watch it because it is a much better drama than ISWAK. There wasn’t too much angst and drama and Jiang Chen, the male lead, is not as cold-hearted as ISWAK’s lead and Xiao Xi is a very likeable character. There were clear hints of affection between the two since the beginning. I would recommend this one to all those who like fluffy, cheesy coming-of-age romance.

Princess Agents: Such a guilty pleasure

This drama gave me so much feels even though I know it is a perfect example of a bad drama adaptation of a novel. It had so much potential to become a classic, yet the story execution was poorly done where the story was dragged out till the last episode and gave us the rushed open ending. Yet, I still loved this drama a lot because of all the feels I experienced while watching it. And Yu Wen Yue, played by Lin Geng Xin, stole my heart as someone who seems to be cold-hearted and calculative but in fact, has a strong sense of loyalty to family, friendship and love. Every single moment of XingYue couple is so intense and filled with chemistry. So, it is still one of my favourite dramas in 2017 despite the agony it caused me.

The King’s Woman: Watch it at your own risk

This is a story where a tyrannical, manipulative king falls in love with a young lady and tries to gain her love through every means. As a harem drama, there are a lot of back-stabbings and drama. Thank god, our female lead is spunky and strong enough to fight back her enemies. The chemistry between the two leads was so good but their relationship is not a healthy one, built with lies and manipulations, leading to angst and drama. Personally, I did like the drama despite the fact that there were frustrating and boring moments. So, again, you could watch it at your own risk. 

Currently watching:

Nirvana in Fire 2: So far, I am impressed with the story and relationships between the characters. Just have to see until the end to see how good this drama is. 

I Am Not A Robot: As a fan of Yoo Seung Ho, I couldn't just miss this drama and this drama is such an enjoyable drama so far. The chemistry between Yoo Seung Ho and Chae Soo Bin is just wow. 

So, that's all for my personal reviews on the dramas that I have watched in 2017. Please do share if you have found any must-watch or hidden gems in 2017.