Next on Omona's to-watch list: upcoming Kdramas in December 2022
We're in the last month of 2022 can_you_believe.gif? And we've finally got a trailer for Island, can_you_believe.gif? But aside from the long-awaited Island trailer and air date, there's more! A lot of dramas are returning for a second season, including my favorite female friendship drama Work Later, Drink Now, a Jung Hae In scifi drama and a sole sageuk romcom with Kim Young Dae! With which drama will you end your 2022?
Since some dramas got rescheduled because of the Itaewon tragedy, you might see some overlap with last month's post.
Opinions are mine and should be taken lightly as they are just my first impressions. Other thoughts are welcomed!
Previous post: Kdramas in November
I marked trailers with English subtitles with an asterisk (*)
Click to viewRecipe for Farewell*
Release date: December 1 on Watcha & TVN
Runtime: Thursday
Cast: Han Seok Kyu, Kim Seo HyungPlot: Chang Rae is in his 40's. He works as a translator and a humanities instructor. His wife suffers from terminal bowel cancer. She also has difficulties eating, because of digestive problem. She asks Chang Rae to cook for her everyday, even though the only thing he knows how to make is ramen. Chang Rae begins to cook for his wife and she eats little bits of his food, which he cooks with love and care.
Add to watch-list or skip? I love a good heartwarming food drama but I do not love dramas featuring terminal illness :( When will we get a Kim Seo Hyung drama without death as one of its main themes! But if you are someone who can handle such storylines, this drama looks excellent!
Connect*
Release date: December 7 on Disney+
Runtime: Wednesday
Cast: Jung Hae In, Go Kyung Po, Kim Hye JoonPlot: A work that depicts the mysterious story of a man who has been deprived of a part of his body by organ hunters and becomes 'connected' with a person who has received an organ transplant. Ha Dong Soo is part of a new human race called connect, who has an immortal body, kidnapped by a group of human organ traffickers. His eye is cut out from him. He soon sees something and realizes the man who has his stolen eye is a serial killer. Ha Dong Soo is now able to see what the serial killer sees. He chases after the serial killer to stop him from killing anymore people.
Add to watch-list or skip? From the teaser this drama looks a little bit too gory for me but looking at the cast and crew involved it definitely has potential! And only 6 episodes! Now if only these kind of Korean Disney+ dramas would be available worldwide...
Unlock my boss*
Release date: December 7 on ENA, Viki
Runtime: Wednesday & Thursday
Cast: Chae Jong Hyeop, Park Sung Woong, Seo Eun SooPlot: The 39-year-old Seon Ju, a genius CEO of a large corporation who accidentally died and became a smartphone, and In Seong, a 29-year-old job seeker who accidentally picked up the smartphone, work together to find the killer.
Add to watch-list or skip? From the trailer and the plot this looks kind of wild but in a fun way?? Like how does he suddenly become CEO so easily lol. I don't think I've ever watched a Chae Jong Hyeop drama where he stood out to me but he's kind of cute.
The Forbidden Marriage*
Release date: December 9 on MBC
Runtime: Friday & Saturday
Cast: Park Ju Hyun, Kim Young Dae, Kim Woo SeokPlot: Lee Heon is the king of Joseon. 7 years ago, when he was a crown prince, his beloved wife died. To this day, he has not been able to get over her death. For the past 7 years, the royal family and government members have tried to get King Lee Heon remarried without success. The nation has also implemented a geumhonryung edict, which is a ban on all single women marrying during this time when the king has not married. People are furious over the marriage ban. One day, King Lee Heon hears of a woman named Ye So Rang, who claims the spirit of the king's late wife exists within the royal palace. Meanwhile, Ye So Rang is a swindler and claims to interpret martial harmony signs. She is arrested and jailed where Officer Lee Shin Won works. To get out of her predicament, she pretends to be possessed by a spirit in front of Lee Shin Won. During her ruse, she mentions that the spirit of King Lee Heon's late wife exists within the royal palace. She is then brought in front of the king and he asks her if she can really see his late wife's spirit. To survive, Ye So Rang acts like her body is possessed by the king's late wife. Ye So Rang's lies get bigger and more audacious.
Add to watch-list or skip? Though I am always a fan of female scammers and romcom sageuk dramas, I have the feeling this drama will very quickly frustrate me to no end. Kim Young Dae generally shines most in comedic roles, I have learned through Sh**ting Stars, but I'm curious to see how well he'll hold up in a sageuk.
Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area II*
Release date: December 9 on Netflix
Runtime: Friday
Cast: Yoo Ji Tae, Park Hae Soo, Jeon Jong Soo, Lee Won Jong, Kim Ji Hoon, Jang Yoon JuPlot: Thieves overtake the mint of a unified Korea. With hostages trapped inside, the police must stop them - as well as the shadowy mastermind behind it all.
Add to watch-list or skip? I did not see the first part of this show nor have I heard particularly good reviews so I'll skip! Unfortunate, because I feel like Korea generally makes these types of dramas well.
Work later, drink now 2*
Release date: December 9 on TVING, VIU
Runtime: Friday
Cast: Lee Sun Bin, Han Sun Hwa, Jung Eun Ji, Choi SiwonPlot: I could not find a summary for this season, but from the trailer it seems like the three friends are going on a trip in the wilderness together and still drink a lot and be close friends who unconditionally support each other despite being so different.
Add to watch-list or skip? I recently watched the first season despite my reservations because of a certain Elon Musk & Ronald Reagan fanboy, and I really loved it! So I am excited for the second season; the friendship between the three girls was absolutely lovely, seeing them support each other through fun and difficult times, and the 30 minute episodes are a treat. If you haven't watched the first season yet, I would highly recommend! Plus, I guess we'll get to know who Mr nice paper is in this season!
Alchemy of Souls: Light & Shadow*
Release date: December 10 on Netflix, TVN
Runtime: Saturday & Sunday
Cast: Lee Jae Wook, Go Yoon Jung, Hwang Min Hyun, Shin Seung Ho, Yoo Joon Sang, Oh Na RaPlot: Jang Uk returns from death, and three years later, the story of the mages unfolds anew. Jang Uk becomes a hunter of the soul-shifters when a young woman, a prisoner in her own home, seeks his help to reclaim her freedom.
Add to watch-list or skip? Again, I have not watched the first season because I thought it would be a mess, but I've now heard some really enthusiastic responses so I am confused. Is it worth it Omona?
The King of the Desert*
Release date: December 16 on Watcha
Runtime: Friday
Cast: Jin Goo, Jang Dong Geun, Jang Dong YoonPlot: Tells the story of people who believe that money is everything and people who believe that money is not everything.
Add to watch-list or skip? Both the drama trailer and description is not telling me enough - what is this, an American movie trailer? This show is written by the screenwriter who gave us D.P. which is a pro. For the rest I will use this space to say I'm happy to see Jang Dong Yoon back in a kdrama and even happier that I'm seeing that he's got some really promising romcom and social issue dramas scheduled for 2023!
Missing: The other side 2
Release date: December 19 on TVN
Runtime: Monday & Tuesday
Cast: Go Soo, Heo Joon Ho, Ahn So Hee, Ha Joon, Lee Jung Eun, Kim Dong HwiPlot: 3 Gongdan is a village where missing deceased people, including Kang Eun Sil and Oh Il Yong, stay. Meanwhile, Kim Wook, Jang Pan Seok, Lee Jong A, and Detective Shin Joon Ho try to find the bodies of missing people and chase after the truth behind their deaths.
Add to watch-list or skip? Another drama I haven't seen the first season of - would you recommend Omona?
Trolley*
Release date: December 19 on SBS
Runtime: Monday & Tuesday
Cast: Kim Hyun Joo, Park Hee Soon, Kim My Yeol, Jung Soo Bin, Ryu Hyun Kyung, Ki Tae YoungPlot: "Trolley" will tell the story of a lawmaker's wife who hides her past. It will showcase the dilemma and struggles that couples face as their secret got revealed to the world.
Add to watch-list or skip? Another trailer telling me hardly anything! Will not check this one out because there's other dramas I would pick up on rather instead.
Casino/Big Bet Season 1*
Release date: December 21 on Disney+
Runtime: Wednesday
Cast: Choi Min Sik, Son Seok Koo, Lee Dong HwiPlot: A crime-action drama about a casino king who is taking risks and trying to get back into the game.
Add to watch-list or skip? I do feel like a good mob series but where are the women??
The Fabulous*
Release date: December 23 on Netflix
Runtime: n/a?
Cast: Chae Soo Bin, Choi Min Ho, Lee Sang Woon, Park Hee JungPlot: A story of people who have devoted their lives to the fashion industry and struggle to survive there.
Ji Woo Min is a freelance retoucher, who is responsible for improving photographs. He is good looking and competent at his job, but he's not passionate about his work or with love.
Since Pyo Ji Eun was little, she dreamed of working in the fashion field. She now works as the section chief of a luxury brand promotion agency. While she struggles to survive in the fashion field, she maintains herself with a bright personality and positive energy.Add to watch-list or skip? This drama was supposed to air in November but rescheduled, with apparently some scenes reshot or re-edited? I'm usually not one for fashion or music industry dramas - the camaraderie between the cast looks cute though. Could anyone please send me the spicy clips of Minho once the drama has aired?
(there is no official trailer yet for this drama)
The Glory*
Release date: December 30 on Netflix
Runtime: Friday
Cast: Song Hye Ko, Lee Do Hyun, Im Ji Yeon, Park Sung Hoon, Yeom Hye Ran, Jung Sung IlPlot: It's a sad revenge story that begins with a high school student who dreamed of becoming an architect. However, she had to drop out of school after suffering from brutal school violence. Years later, the perpetrator gets married and has a kid. Once the kid is in elementary school, the former victim becomes their homeroom teacher and starts her thorough revenge towards the perpetrators and bystanders of her bullying days.
Add to watch-list or skip? This is a kind of revenge drama that I might pick up, despite the genre and the heavy storyline, considering the production team and actors involved. The show is scheduled for 8 episodes which I hope means that the pacing is good, similar to Little Women.
Island*
Release date: December 30 on TVING
Runtime: Friday
Cast: Kim Nam Gil, Lee Da Hee, Cha Eun Woo, Sung JoonPlot: Won Mi Ho is the only daughter of her father who runs Daehan Group. Her arrogant and selfish attitude causes her to make a big mistake that eventually angers her father into banishing her to Jeju island. There, she is assigned to work as a high school ethics teacher. Unbeknownst to her, the island is where evil roams free. She meets other individuals on the island and together, the characters join forces to live.
Add to watch-list or skip? Ok the trailer does not look great and much scarier than I thought lol but I'm ready for the ride because the plot sounds so wild and I want to know why Kim Nam Gil decided to takes this role! This is apparently the first season scheduled for 6 episodes, with a second season with 10 episodes following in 2023.
Source: Drama info via Asianwiki & MyDramalist, Drama trailers via Dramatrailerspot, Kdrama Zone, Kokowa, The Swoon, Viu, Disney+ Singapore, gif via belsmultifandommess
What are you watching Omona? And what are you planning to pick up? I am currently watching Under the Queen's Umbrella and am continuously impressed by the way they approach themes of gender in the show!