Realizing a new decade is about to end has had me go to this last-minute list of 2012 Korean Dramas.
I’ve been time traveling in the last couple of days until I got stuck on what to do with 2012 Korean dramas. You see, this particular year is quite pumped. Also, at that time, I was absorbing all that I can.
You may find my best picks in the link below for 2012 Korean dramas. But who knows, you might want the story in the other dramas featured that year. That’s why, I made this list.
Love Rain
A “first love” drama festival that pushed plenty of tears. I always cry when the lead man is left no choice but to hurt the lead girl for some reason I don’t understand. The directing really captured emotional scenes in such a way that it pierces your heart.
Taking only one conflict which is how to defy your parents’ love to get your one true love, it made me cheer on how the love pairing worked together to overcome the problem.
Less the oldies’ side love story turned eventual conflict, Love Rain gifts pleasant moments and somehow you just let romance feeling overwhelm. It has a sweet and simple love take coming from the director who gave the iconic “season dramas”.
Soothing and serene, its stunning cinematography also sweetly drowns like the flow of its love story.
Tale of Arang
The one-sided love of the magistrate; the too-late-reciprocated-and-realized-love-for-Joo-Wal-to-Lee-Seo-Rim/Arang; and the restricted-by-full-moon-love-of-Arang-to-the-magistrate illustrate a harrowing yet understanding picture of love.
Something I greatly appreciated because for a change, I saw characters not ending up twisted because of the love they so wanted to have. Instead, they respected whatever emotions they are feeling and they are getting.
It was an incessant shower of disappointing sighs as I groped my way to finish Arang and the Magistrate. For the most part, it was bland and bleak before showing signs of promise.
Although it showed languid episode movements, it sustained a convincing closure that has made it escaped a drama disappointment tag. The main characters vibrant portrayals attributed to my not giving up on the drama. That being said, it helped that there are not that much characters to munch, and them being effective to their personas has helped the drama survive its slow-footed premise.
Arang and the Magistrate was able to evade an almost drama fury on my end. It was a safe drama, period. It goes down to the point of how you manage to end something, no matter how unsure and average the narration of the story was, as long as you give a decent ending that would suffice.
Wild Romance
It was one hell of a sweet, wild ride, and although the romance manifested itself in the latter part, I still find this drama endearing.
It’s hard not to miss the humor, the bickering and adorable geek and geeker second leads; and Lee Dong Wook in his childish, but still melting hot prince-like self.
More than that, the heartfelt truth-about-love sweeping lines and the simple, yet vibrant attitude of the drama itself is just a gift.
It is a memorable love story full of fun, transparency, understanding and realization that “love is choosing to make a change with your feelings to the point of even defying fate”. A love tale you won’t overlook and will make you appreciate love even more.
Deviating from the usual male domineering “I’ll protect the girl” story, the female lead took charge. But she would show her cute girly side when needed.
Operation Proposal
Operation Proposal is sweetly and richly narrated that even if I went to a lot of time traveling courtesy of 2012 Korean dramas, I enjoyed it so much. I love how they moved the romance from young childish love to a taking time to realize kind of love; and to a love that didn’t understand reasons but felt what’s important and to a love that was meant to have and to give.
There are a lot of love situations tackled in this drama but it all goes down to two main points: how far you are going to wait for someone for them to realize your worth and that you are waiting?; and being brave to fall in love and discarding the what-if’s and saying it at the very moment you are feeling it.
We’ve seen a lot of beautiful love stories, but Operation Proposal took us from blushing to crying to understanding that in love someone can run crazy to be with you that’s why he might have let you wait.
The time-space continuum voyages of Baek Ho is an endearing journey full of twist, oh no’s and romance. It is a refreshing feel to have a conflict that is not evil motivated that’s why the supernatural spike in this drama is endearing. The hero was competing with himself – with his past self for that matter, and his forbearance endured his painstaking drive to be with the girl he loved.
Panda and Hedgehog
Basking in brightness all throughout, this series is a feel-good watch while the story unfolds. Albeit underacted, it is an easy watch that you will just go with the flow and never feel a negative feeling in your veins.
Panda and Hedgehog is an epitome of a predictable drama. It won’t promise you ohlalas, but it won’t disappoint you either. It worked well that they limited the number of characters, simplified the conflicts, but they added zest in the romance and relationship on their main players.
That I think is the reason why I finished Panda and Seul-ji’s love story. It does not dig on misunderstandings. It knows what it want all throughout. Withdrawing when it can’t, but taking a stand when it has to. It is a realist romance, and even the sugar-coating was true to life.
I Do, I Do
Endearing to watch, I Do, I Do is for people whose emotional involvement is not prioritized as one’s love for independence.
It is a smooth flowing 16 episodes with the right insertions of peevish soon to be mom who struggles with her emotions. Mixing equally disarming male leads with overflowing love for her who does not know how to reciprocate, yes it is kinda sweet and reality-biting.
A story of a love that you can almost have, but you can’t have because life intervenes and throws in circumstances were you have to decide if it really matters. But if you did bravely choose, you’ll learn that an ALMOST LOVE is one of the sweetest love, you can have in your life.
To The Beautiful You
This will be the 3rd adaptation of the Japanese shojo manga “Hana Kimi” and my favorite of ‘em all I say. Well Koreans have this knack on doing their adaptation even better than the original.
Prepare to be in constant tug-of-war between Eun-gyul and Tae-joon. Better yet, utilize a “who-you-really-likes” scoresheet to break the sweet confusion.
This is another teenage love drama without worries, just purely cuteness, sassiness and first love feels. Worth applauding in the series are Eun-gyul’s social media shout-outs and weird mind wanderings. Jae-hee’s radiant smile and pure heart, and Tae-joon’s… well everything about him. *wink
Candid and totally charming, To the Beautiful You promises you smiles and refreshing moment. Everything about it is lightly done, even the conflicts. Simply narrated, it progressed smoothly and ended at a happy ever-after note. A rom-com for young people.
Shut Up Flower Boy Band
The friendship and the boys are all that I remember most from this teenage drama.
It is simply presented, and I have nothing much to complain, but Eyecandy failed to charm me in their boyish, cute ways. I love high school rock group, they bring so much excitement, and maybe that’s where the driving edge of this drama comes from.
Vibrant and faintly thrilling, you’ll like it at the moment, but it won’t linger.
The Innocent Man
The last quarter of 2012 Korean dramas is a melodrama shortstop where vengeance, money-tug-of-war, misplaced love primarily spin the main ingredients to watch out.
I neither liked nor hated Innocent Man, I loved Kang Ma Ru so much, but the story was not able to engross me. I’ve been there in that kind of story a lot of times, the only novelty was that the main character was given the ability to hold both the yin and yang torches and rescue the people around him, and he did the rescuing unfavorable to him. He wants a one-man show in becoming the best sacrificial lamb ever.
After catching the viewers in a web full of deceit, hatred, annoyance, angst, and the rest of the negative vibes they can think of they settle to a bright, happy ending. Considering the dark tone set in the story all throughout, I would have preferred retribution deserving to the characters.
Innocent Man was able to bring out an excellent protagonist, even with unequal footing and at times annoying goodness, he still managed to bounce back from the evil doings the villains thrown at him. On that note, I didn’t like that all of the players are on the same level but the retaliation for the protagonists was snail-like when the villains weren’t that even scary compared to the bad guys I’ve seen in the past.
In short, Ma Ru’s support team is not efficient enough to make the story worth remembering for me. Even if you have a star player on your team, he still needs some help.
As a character, I applaud Kang Ma Ru’s texture. His vision gives a message of relying that there’s always another day to hope and believe in life even if you’ve gone through days of tears, pain and sacrifice.
The Great Seer
Set in the waning part of the Goryeo period, this snail-paced sageuk tested my patience to a hilt. The long background just span unnecessary side stories that didn’t solidify the intention and the richness of the tale from where it was derived.
I almost dropped it, but they threw Ji Sung’s handsome face at the right moment. My easy-to-please heart inevitably overlooked the dry beginning and settled to focus on the essentials.
The Great Seer really started slow but moved decently. It was not a flashy and a gripping sageuk, but it has a very easy-to-understand and follow depiction. It was done fairly in the story and directing, but I was expecting more considering the talented roster of the cast.
Nevertheless, it was consistent in its filial love, brotherhood, and patriotism life lessons. The resident sageuk elements of swaying loyalties, indecisive protagonist, misplaced love were all in full swing and though minimal humor was evident, it didn’t go dry as it switches in each arc of the story.
Dr. Jin
This series made me think I could pass for a Korean History teacher, after dissecting all the tales of antiquities relating to the period dramas I’ve seen so far.
I’m not complaining, a little research helps in assimilating the plot. I struggled in finishing this drama, as Dr. Jin really took time to have all the pieces fall together.
Most of the episodes are open-ended, switching from the blending of the medical plot, the political dissensions and the paranormal insertions, which in my unbiased opinion was a no-nonsense attempt to present a different blend of sageuk drama.
The metaphysical aspect of the storyline is nebulous. It was even explained at the tail episode and in just 30 minutes. The multiple identities of the characters time travelling to an alter universe but coinciding with a time from the past made me so bewildered. If not for my Fringe TV experience knowledge where everything is possibly impossible.
In the tradition of period dramas, the death of the main characters, the daring moves of the villains and the counter-attack of the underdogs, the double-crossing and last minute betrayals keep Dr. Jin true to its genre.
The bromance and the supernatural-defying romance are also present and whirl the major conflicts of the story. It flows and reaches destination without minding the bridge. Albeit the craziness and lapses, it is still an engrossing watch for me, but incomparable to sageuk classics.
Fashion King
Fashion King kicked off in a Darth Vader-ish tone. It is dark, cunning, treacherous and hindered. It takes a realistic tone, no fancy playing and leaning to character-driven conflict.
The usual fight-for-the-lead-girl is presented in the story in an annoying and painful way. Spoiler Alert! It has a sad ending. Sadder than Autumn in My Heart ending.
I was hoping that with all that painstaking and half-cooked victories, in the end it will be inevitable for the deprived lead couple to be blissful and at peace, but then again if that will be the case it will break the dark tone of the story. I know the closure has to be sad because the story tone is dark and cunning… and a happy ending won’t fit in.
But why a disheartening death?! It could have just let the hero live alone planting crops in the suburb or be blind. It could have traveled back to Joseon era and get King Suyang to spite those loansharks. Or display Young-gul in a shower scene for the entire finale episode for a mind-blowing closure. Yet, it remained firm and snob!
The angst that the series has been carrying around the whole time I thought would be transformed to something light that sprout out of the bravery and forbearance of the lead characters, but it did not. It disappoints, yes. But it is what was expected to happen.
What’s notable about Fashion King is its straightforwardness and strong vibe. It’s your typical underdog story and it gives us the reality that underdogs sometimes no matter how hard they tried, they will remain suppressed and bound by their limitations.
If not for the immersion of the actors to their characters the drama would have been a failure for me. I stayed with it because of Yoo Ah In mainly, but more than that would be its maturity and the transparent feel. It thrived on my emotions. It stood there tapping on my emotions annoying me, making me feel giddy, making me sigh and making me anticipate.
Compared with the rest of the second quarter kdrama bunch, what set apart this fashion world-themed production was its fixed conflict of power manipulation and struggle that was concluded in a heart-wrenching fashion. It’s a drama I won’t recommend watching right away, but I will recommend to someone if he wants some time alone.
The Equator Man
The outwitting game and the broken friendship that find back its footing are some of the reasons why I gave a shot on this drama. In a vengeance thriving and friendship betraying world, I was left moved and appalled.
A classic father-and-son love relationship spectacle, it emphasizes the faces of family attachment – the good and the bad.
The male leads anchored the story to secure a strong story and a gripping ending.
I won’t say that it’s a great drama because I’ve seen a lot of underdog-bouncing-back-from-the-unfairness-of-life stories. It’s a decent watch, but something that you can see when you don’t have something to watch on your priority list.
If it involves your family or a romantic attachment with someone no matter who is right or wrong, you will always be left to choose to turn your back on a friend. That’s human nature and that’s what the Equator Man focused on in a drama fest where ironically the main leads are men.
That’s what got me hooked. It was thriving on emotions but not a weep fest. It was solid and steady and has never derailed throughout the series. This gave a different meaning to the word “Bromance”. Serious and stellar, this is a delight for its amazingly woven human struggle plot and friendship-affirming vibe.
BIG *Spoiler Alert!
But really BIG? What happened to the ending? It was so flat and it didn’t really end. You got all the watchers who dragged themselves to finish the drama really disappointed.
I stayed even when I was dozing in the first six episodes, I said Gong Yoo can make it up for it, and hope that halfway I’ll see a light. You obliged and I was close to buying the soul switching-secret siblings who were vitro fertilization twins born years apart and who fell in love with the same girl who was all confused and weak throughout the drama.
With the supernatural, time travelling and impossible stories I have seen this year, I was not surprised with how they wove the miracle conceived brothers. I was not perplexed and I won’t applaud it.
It is hard to process the main conflict they were trying to arrive at. Was it Gil Da Ran’s emotion and who-i-really-love-analyzation? Was it Kyung Joon’s why did my long lost family forsake me questions? They presented a love story and didn’t give a decent ever after?
I was waiting for Yoon Jae to come back and answer the million dollar question. I was rooting for him, yes even in his comatose state. Because I thought that it was really their love story and his little brother was just someone who will make them realize each other’s worth. But it diverted otherwise forcing a May-December love affair that looked good, but didn’t feel right.
BIG is half-baked story wise, and you can barely feel its romance because it is not meant to be. Signature Hong sisters’ humor went in every now and then, but nothing much special like how they used to insert it.
To be honest I didn’t like how indecisive and somewhat faltering Gil Da Ran was. That’s maybe the reason why even if Kyung-joon paraded the most adorable teenager trapped in a full grown man’s body, I was not left fascinated nor interested on how their love has progressed.
I didn’t like the love story. I didn’t like how the characters play their parts, but failed to salvage the drama potentials. BIG was made me crawl on my way to finish it. It made me wonder if some evil spirits took over the Hong sisters’ body. It made me sad that Gong Yoo was all pretty and hot and funny there, but I won’t remember everything about it.
I hauled myself to get through it. I went to 5 stages of grief to let go of it. I ended up feeling lost, empty and not in love after seeing it. That being said you have to love Gong Yoo and the Hong sisters soooo much to finish it.
Jeon Woo-chi
I had to create a time line to connect the pieces, the characters, the trips to memory lane, the events and the conflicts evolving to the magical world of Jeon Woo-chi – and yes Hello Harry Potter, meet your long lost Korean brother. •wink
It started off beat for me but my part-witch-and-even-now-still-Gyeonwoo-lovestruck-self stayed loyal and while it groped its way to my curiosity, it finally hit the right nerve, and I stayed firm and loyal happily sending him off on the finale episodes. It was a scenario where patience is required to finish the drama to realize its potential and worth.
Jeon Woo-chi narrates a Taoist wizard who hunts down his former fellow sorcerer friend, Gang Rim, after he destroyed their Taoist wizard community and runaway with the woman they both loved. He has the Naruto cloning ability which comes in handy when he went to Joseon to track his frenemy.
The series relied on its profound characters to cover the loose ends and frustrating subplots of the story. But it was also where I saw a stubborn cast as a whole; and a hero, who albeit his magical prowess and sort of brainy-self, is sometimes confused on his strategies to defeat the opposing warlocks.
Jeon Woo-chi might have failed to live through its “consistency” mantra but it was still a good watch. This drama has half-convinced me to give a fair rating because of the humor surge and main actor’s performance. Other than that the screenplay, directing and even the visual effects were just mediocrely done.
May Queen
All the fundamentals of a melodrama are ever-present as the narrative crawled to its finale in May Queen. The-vilest-of-‘em-all-villains. The meek-overly-optimistic-lead-girl and the good-prevailing-over-wickedness-theme.
It is a slow-moving drama but I can say I appreciated that all was explained when it comes to the conflicts raised – the motivation, the actions after the intentions and the resolution.
What I liked about this drama is it compensated the long run to explain everything they have to explain. It also made sure that each character gets a redeeming moment. It has become my yardstick to melodrama that’s not taking romance as an integral part.
It never lost its track to where it is heading. I guess it helped that it drew delineation between the villains and the protagonists and clearly defined where the problems of the story are derived.
If you have some time to spare, this is a good watch to share with your family… actually with your aunt or mom. Strongly portrayed and defined, MAY QUEEN just like that historical ship famous for her endurance was able to justify its slow pacing. And just like a mighty ship soaring on the ocean and billowing waves, it will give you a serene feeling after.
The King of Dramas
With four main players and side characters moving to the riches to rags to riches to happiness kind of story, I was an invisible member of the production team feeling the reality, the failure and the triumph of the King of Dramas.
Staging a comeback to Korean drama production, Anthony Kim who used to be a big shot drama producer beat all the odds and reformed himself to successfully notch his return to the world he was once famous for. But he has to compete with his former master and assistant to do that. With his keen mind and full heart, he managed to achieve his hard-earned return and more than that he understood what was lacking to him as a person.
This drama is smart and brave at the same time. The humor is hilarious, witty and points out a lot of inside jokes in Korean drama production land. The romance is not the primary driver of the drama, it is really the characters and how they evolve to a better version of themselves as well as how they blend well to each other.
It makes viewers anticipate on the characters’ next move and it is nice that the underdogs are not so overly under. The writing gives the upper hand to the villains but it also provides an equalizer to the main leads by outsmarting the evil guys.
The King of Dramas is beautiful depending on the perceiver’s eyes. If you are up to just rose petals and romance, then this might not work for you. It is a drama narrating a great story of bouncing back after a slump in life.
Photos: SBS | MBC | KBS | Channel A | TV Chosun
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