Viewers have different reactions to the 6 most outstanding December K-dramas as listed below.
The last month of 2021 is also the time when many exciting Korean dramas are released. From historical to modern setting, fantasy to romantic comedy thriller…, each drama appeals to the viewers in its own way. However, not every series earns high ratings and good response. Let’s take a look at 6 most outstanding K-dramas in December to see if they are well worth the watch or not.
Our Beloved Summer: Choi Woo Sik, Kim Da Mi, Kim Sung Cheol
Our Beloved Summer is a romantic comedy that tells the story of Kook Yeon Soo (Kim Da Mi) and Choi Woong (Kim Woo Sik), who used to be classmates in high school. They started dating while filming a documentary together but ended up breaking up and vowed to never see each other again. 10 years later, the documentary suddenly became famous, forcing the two to reunite. This is when old feelings unexpectedly rush back.
Our Beloved Summer‘s viewership ratings are around 3 to 4%. For a drama aired on SBS, these numbers are not high, but the viewers’ reactions to Our Beloved Summer on SNS are all positive. The script and the cast receive praise for well portraying the characters’ transformation of emotions. The chemistry between Choi Woo Sik and Kim Da Mi as a couple is also great and enjoyable. So it comes as no surprise that Our Beloved Summer creates a good response on social networks.
The biggest compliment Our Beloved Summer receives is for its realistic, non-cheesy storyline, making it easy for the viewers to sympathize with the characters. Perhaps the TV ratings are not high because the drama is meant to target young audiences.
Bulgasal: Lee Jin Wook, Kwon Nara
Bulgasal is a fantasy, mystery thriller drama based on Korean folklore, about an immortal man who has lived for 600 years. He cannot end his life no matter what. Meanwhile, another woman died 600 years ago, reincarnates many times and still keeps all the memories of her past lives. Love and revenge from 600 years ago get these two characters involved in fierce battles.
Bulgasal reminds the audience of Goblin. With a promising storyline, a talented cast, nice costumes and soundtracks, Bulgasal is an epic drama that satisfies both the eyes and the ears. However, the drama can be a bit confusing with too many subplots that require better pacing so it can be easier to keep up. This problem probably explains Bulgasal’s downward trend in rating after 4 episodes.
The Silent Sea: Gong Yoo, Bae Doo Na
Sci-fi space thriller The Silent Sea is one of the most ambitious Korean original series of Netflix this year. Depicting a story about the deserted Earth in the future, when water and food resources are in serious shortage, governments around the world start training the elite generation of young astronauts to go into space to find solutions to save humanity.
Cast members with A-listers like Gong Yoo, Bae Doo Na are the biggest attractions of The Silent Sea. Unfortunately, the drama premiered to mixed reviews and could not create a stir as expected. Many viewers think that the pacing of The Silent Sea is too slow, which is understandable because the drama is a remake of a short film of the same name, so to expand the story into an 8-episode drama while keeping it fast-paced is not easy.
Moreover, the storyline of The Silent Sea is deemed not exciting enough and lacks a climax. Perhaps sci-fi is still not a familiar genre that Korean producers can excel at. According to many reviews, Gong Yoo and Bae Doo Na basically carry the plot. On the other hand, there are still positive comments praising The Silent Sea’s good CGI effects and acting. Overall, it’s a pity that The Silent Sea could not achieve the amount of success on par with the reputation of the star-studded cast.
Snowdrop: Jung Hae In, Jisoo
Snowdrop is a drama set in the 1980s. The drama tells the story of a male university student who unexpectedly breaks into a female dormitory in an injured state. Here he was concealed and cured by a female student. The two then fall into a turbulent and complicated love.
This drama is praised because the main couple Jung Hae In and Jisoo are very beautiful, the supporting cast is also famous and talented. Unfortunately, right from its debut, Snowdrop was entangled in a big controversy because it was thought to cause a big misunderstanding about Korean history at that time. Although the station tried to explain and speed up the broadcast, the results were not as they expected. Besides, a series of comments criticized Jisoo‘s acting ability.
However, international fans think that the film is attractive and attractive. As for the historical issue, we will have to wait and see the reaction of the Korean people as well as the authorities. Hoping that JTBC’s excuses are telling the truth and it’s all a misunderstanding.
Bad And Crazy: Lee Dong Wook, Wi Ha Joon
Bad And Crazy is a very engaging drama that tells the story of a criminal policeman who is always looking for ways to succeed and get promoted. One day, he meets K, a different image from himself and thanks to that, he can solve different cases to bring justice to society.
The most attractive point of this work is the unique storyline and the combination of Lee Dong Wook – Wi Ha Jun, the two have a lot of fun and cute interactions. This drama is suitable for the taste of many audiences when combining various elements such as humor, investigation, brotherhood, etc.
Moonshine: Yoo Seung Ho, Hyeri
Another historical drama worth watching coming out in the last days of 2021 is Moonshine. The film is set in the late Joseon period, when a strict alcohol prohibition has been enacted. Accordingly, Nam Young (Yoo Seung-Ho) is tasked to crackdown on people who break the alcohol prohibition. Meanwhile, Kang Ro-Seo (Hyeri) is the daughter of a poor noble family. She is actually the breadwinner in her family. To pay off debt that she fell into, she starts brewing alcohol during the strict alcohol prohibition period. The two then meet and fall in love with each other.
As expected, Moonshine debuted quite smoothly with a good rating of 7%, naturally leading the time slot. Netizens’ response to this drama is also very good. The chemistry of the main couple also received praise.
The Red Sleeve: Junho, Lee Se Young
This is the only drama on the list that didn’t premiere in December but has had the most impact. Being a historical drama that explores the love story of the emperor with the palace maiden, however its plot development is very good. The cast with great acting skills also makes this movie all the more appealing. Junho has also shown his own ability. He perfectly embodies the complicated thoughts of emperor Lee San when thinking about the destiny of the country and his love.
The Red Sleeve also recorded an impressive rating, far ahead of other competitors. There are only a few episodes left before The Red Sleeve will end, however, it is definitely the most worth watching drama this December.
