The best K-dramas and K-movies of 2022 according to Korean netizens: “Decision to Leave” takes the reign
Korean netizens have been discussing K-dramas and movies they feel is the best of 2022.
As over half of 2022 has passed, and various interesting contents have been dropped both on the large and small screen, Korean netizens are having a field day picking out works they believe are the best. And surprisingly, ratings don’t mean everything
K-dramas: “My Liberation Notes”, “Yumi’s Cells 2”, “Extraordinary Attorney Woo”
2022 has been filled with great K-dramas that attained popularity both in and outside of Korea. Therefore, many netizens have a hard time choosing, but overall, these are the most mentioned names.
Surprisingly, while “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” boasted the most impressive viewership ratings, another K-drama got more mentions than this mega hit law series.
In particular, Korean netizens’ most favorite K-drama is actually the web-series “Yumi’s Cells 2”. Where there were some comments that season 2 of “Yumi’s Cells” fell behind the first season, the general consensus is that this is a healing and pleasant series that’s extremely well-written. On the other hand, it seems that “Yumi’s Cell 2” did not do too well on the international field, though perhaps this is due to the series being aired exclusively on TVING.
Next in tow is “My Liberation Notes”, a “dark horse series” that starred Kim Ji Won, Lee Min Ki, and Son Seok Gu. While mentioning this K-drama, Korean netizens often cite its meaningful messages, well-developed character, simple yet elegant writing, as well as brilliant acting performances. Overall, most find “My Liberation Notes” to be a realistic and relatable series that still has a healing effect.
Finally, “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” is the 3rd most mentioned K-drama by Korean netizens. There’s no denying the insane popularity and impact of this series, as Koreans and foreign fans of all ages would tune in to watch it’s interesting stories. “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” recorded viewership ratings increasing over ten-fold, and successfully boosted its cast member into superstar, so its place in this list is irrefutable.
K-movies: Decision To Leave
If 3 dramas were mentioned, “Decision To Leave” is Korean netizens’ No.1 choice when it comes to the best Korean movie released this year.
Although 2022 has seen the release of various highly-appreciated Korean movies such as “The Roundup”, “Broker”, “Alienoid”, “The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure”, “Decision To Leave”, co-written and directed by iconic director Park Chan Wook, is objectively the most critically acclaimed one. It surpassed other strong contenders and has been selected to represent South Korea at the 2023 Academy Awards in “Best International Feature Film”.
Director Park Chan Wook’s films are always known to have various layers of meaning that keep viewers’ eyes glued to the screen until the end. “Decision To Leave” is no exception. Park Chan Wook once again shows off his genius portrayal of the characters’ psychology, purpose and actions, leaving a strong and lasting impression on the audience after watching. He did not win the 2022 Cannes Film Festival’s Best Director award for nothing.
The acting of the two leads, Park Hae Il and Tang Wei are also excellent. They brilliantly delivered a sexy and thrilling romance between a police detective working on a case to investigate a man’s death and the dead man’s gorgeous, enigmatic wife against the mysterious backdrop of the mountains.
