The Best of 2018

This has been a great, if weird, year for drama. If last year I learnt not to try and persevere with a drama I'm not enjoying, then this year I learnt that I can love a drama wholeheartedly even if it isn't the best I've ever seen, from unlikely obsession Grand Prince and there after. I was also graced with two additions to the Hanadan canon this year, one fantastic and one appalling. I was also happy to discover that I haven't fallen completely out of love with SBS, which I basically didn't touch any dramas from last year! There isn't a lot of worsts this year, to be honest - I don't pursue shows I don't like anymore. Here are my favourites of the year, in no particular order.

NOTE: To save time, a few favourites that I already feel I've done justice to are exempted here. That would be Your Honour, and Come Here and Hug Me.

Thirty But Seventeen, when it came out in the summer, was something I desperately needed. It's a warm drama that dug into the nature of adulthood, and comforted me massively. I consider it a masterpiece that restored my faith in romantic-comedies - after all, the romance genre is often considered lazy and shallow, and many of the lackluster romcoms last year reflected that. My first impression of this show was that perhaps they were taking the number of coincidences bringing these two individuals together too far, but what does that matter when Thirty But Seventeen drew the most laughs, the most heartskips, and the most tears? 

There were a number of stunning procedural dramas released this year, but Unnatural was certainly the cream of the crop. Somehow improving more with every episode, Unnatural managed to capitalise on the cathartic potential of every beautifully written case arc whilst maintaining the intriguing overarching mystery. I cried every episode. It was unbelievably clever and never forgot to be empathetic, although that's to be expected of writer Akiko Nogi who penned of the smartest romance dramas in history. If you want an engaging and heartwarming watch for the humanist in you, I couldn't recommend this more.

Live, the newest baby from acclaimed melodrama writer Noh Hee-kyung, was potentially the first Korean drama to focus on ordinary police officers, not genius detectives. It set out with a lot of prove and did so succinctly, touching places more raw and sensitive than police dramas past ever dared to. It was frankly horrifying, and I couldn't tear my eyes away. Everyone had a chance to act their heart out, including the wonderful Lee Kwang-soo in what was effectively his first lead role. Ultimately, despite how upsetting and traumatising some of the material was, Live decided to break through it with a final message of hope that I won't soon forget.

I didn't expect to become quite as enamoured with Hana Nochi Hare as I did - after all, it was intended as a cheap money-grab, a spin-off exploiting one of the most well-known franchises in Asia. But I did love it. It somehow capitalised on what made the original so great without copying the messy execution. I rooted for Haruto, who proved the greatest male lead of the year (despite the fact Hirano Sho is a little green) for his learning to be content with his flaws. Essentially, the drama was far better than it had any right to be. If it had me sobbing and giggling in turn, then it has succeeded, and I am a goner.

I didn't catch Miss Hammurabi until December, having been put off by the cast, since Go Ara and L are usually inconsistent or bland actors, respectively. I feel pretty stupid for doing so now. Miss Hammurabi is, hands down, the best law drama I've ever watched. Everything about the execution was remarkable - for example, we never got to experience the truth behind a case. We were as blind as the judges. It was the biggest punch to the gut I experienced last year; Miss Hammurabi's greatest brag is the approach of ruthless realism it too to every case arc, and no-bullshit look into real issues like workplace sexism, solvent abuse and more. The drama empowered me like no other.

Mother (and movie Miss Baek) marked last year as a strong year for social protest against child abuse; the adaptation of the Japanese drama really tested moral relativity, and I think that was necessary. Mother swept in with powerful performances led by Lee Bo-young and the electric Heo Yool, a distinctly unique instrumental soundtrack that filled me with dread, and a story to tell like no other. I can't do justice to Mother's striking visuals or the synergy between the extensive and talented cast. All I can say is that whether you perceive it as an intense thriller or a tender family story, Mother needs to be on your watch-list.