Next on Omona's to-watch list: upcoming Kdramas in March 2023
Despite trying to ignore the existence of March and having cancelled Spring, I am back with another post! In this post you'll find The Glory 2, historical dramas with Woo Do Hwan, Bona and Cha Hak Yeon, and the return of Bang Minah and Ahn Jae Hyun to dramaland and more!
Opinions are mine and should be taken lightly as they are just my first impressions. Other thoughts are welcomed!
Previous post: Kdramas in February
I marked trailers with English subtitles with an asterisk (*)
Click to viewDuty After School*
Release date: ?? March on TVING
Runtime: ??
Cast: Shin Hyun Soo, Im Se Mi, Kim Ki HaePlot: A sci-fi thriller that depicts the story of all students from all over the country conscripted and fighting to gain extra points by fighting unidentified objects ahead of the SAT.
Add to watch-list or skip? Ok seeing young kids in military uniforms and with guns fighting aliens is really not something I would want to watch on my nights off... This drama seems to fall in the recent trend of K-dramas setting high school kids in situations of violence.
Delivery Man*
Release date: 1 March on Viu, Viki, Ena
Runtime: Wednesday & Thursday
Cast: Yoon Chan Young, Bang Min Ah, Kim Min SeokPlot: Seo Young Min works as a taxi driver to support himself. Somehow, Seo Young-Min begins to take only ghosts as his passengers and he grants their wishes.
Kang Ji Hyun happens to get in Seo Young Min’s taxi. She has no memory of who she was when she was alive. She doesn’t know why, but she isn’t able to leave his taxi. She, then, titles herself the sales manager of Seo Youn -Min’s taxi.
Seo Young Min and Kang Ji Hyun together grant the wishes of ghosts, including chasing after a serial killer. They have a helper in Do Kyu Jin. Do Kyu Jin is a workaholic ER doctor with a handsome appearance. He senses signs of sinister events in the ER, where people are in life-or-death situations.Add to watch-list or skip? I usually love dramas where small, socially engaged stories are being told, and definitely do not mind some supernatural/fantasy elements to them either! However, for some reason, the trailer and premise of this drama doesn't do it for me. Is it the fact that there have been a lot of dramas with this premise lately? Is it the serial killer mentioned in the plot? Is it the outrageous accidental kiss in the trailer? Will wait for reviews and see!
Divorce Attorney Shin*
Release date: 4 March on JTBC, Netflix, TVING
Runtime: Saturday & Sunday
Cast: Cho Seung Woo, Han Hye Jin, Kim Sung Kyun, Jung Moon SangPlot: The story of a talented divorce lawyer punnily named Shin Sung Han (the word “shinsunghan” means “sacred” in Korean). As an expert divorce lawyer, the incredibly sensitive Shin Sung Han must deal with clients who are wild beyond belief, but he finds solace in his two closest friends and fellow “40-year-old youths” Jang Hyung Geun and Jo Jung Sik.
Add to watch-list or skip? Oh this looks cuter than I expected it to be? And I love Cho Seungwoo when he does light comedy. Maybe I'll check it out! I am hoping to see more women in the show though!
Oasis*
Release date: 6 March on KBS2
Runtime: Monday & Tuesday
Cast: Jang Dong Yoon, Seol In Ah, Choo Young WooPlot: “Oasis” is set in the turbulent times of South Korea between the ’80s and ’90s. It depicts the fierce life, revenge, and conflict of young people who have to pursue power and wealth by any means in an era filled with wrong social values.
Lee Doo Hak is a young man who was born in a small city in Jeolla Province and grew up innocent with a clever brain. However, he fatefully becomes caught in a whirlpool of events and ends up in the middle of conflict. After going through a real estate fraud group, he becomes a “political gangster” and lives his life to avenge his father’s unjust death.Add to watch-list or skip? I love historical kdramas and especially ones that are set during turbulent political times, because I get to learn a little but about the country! I am afraid this drama will break my heart multiple times like Youth of May did but I will definitely check it out, also to finally see Jang Dongyoon and Seol Inah back on my screen.
The Glory 2*
Release date: 10 March on Netfix
Runtime: Friday
Cast: Song Hye Kyo, Lee Do Hyun, Im Ji Yeon, Park Sung Hoon, Yeom Hye Ran, Jung Sung IlPlot: A high school student dreams 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 her homeroom teacher and starts her thorough revenge towards the perpetrators and bystanders of her bullying days.
Add to watch-list or skip? I haven't watched the first part of this show and I am not sure if I will. But many others must have been desperately waiting for it!
[I could only find a script reading of this drama subbed]
Pandora: beneath the paradise*
Release date: 11 March on TVING, TvN
Runtime: Saturday & Sunday
Cast: Lee Ji Ah, Lee Sang Yoon, Kang Hee Jin, Park Ki Woong, Bong Tae KyuPlot: In order to protect her beloved family, Hong Tae Ra must become the First Lady of Korea.
Hong Tae Ra has a perfect life with her beloved husband Pyo Jae Hyun and their loverly daughter, except for one thing. Hong Tae Ra has no recollection of her past. One day, she regains her memory and faces her harrowing past. Her perfect life is now broken and she finds herself in an uncontrollable situation. Hong Tae Ra struggles to take revenge on those responsible for her past.
Pyo Jae Hyun is married to Hong Tae Ra. He is an extremely smart developer, who developed new technology in the neural smart patch field. He runs his company with gentle leadership skills and a sensible personality. He is admired by those around him. People in the political world begin to talk about him as the next presidential candidate.Add to watch-list or skip? As you might know, I am not the biggest fan of revenge driven K-dramas so it's a skip for me! I can imagine this being a great role to play for Lee Jiah though!
Woman in a Veil
Release date: 13 March on KBS2
Runtime: Monday to Friday
Cast: Shin Go Eun, Choi Yoon Young, Lee Chae Young, Lee Sun Ho, Han Ki Woong, Lee Eun HyungPlot: A drama about a woman who loses her sight due to her husband and his lover and falls into 'Locked-In Syndrome' (conscious general paralysis) getting involved with an heiress who has everything and comes out for truth and revenge.
Add to watch-list or skip? I'm not one for long-form dramas (100 episodes, this one) but one thing is for sure: you'll be getting dramaaa
The Secret Romantic Guest House*
Release date: 20 March on SBS, ViuTV
Runtime: Monday & Tuesday
Cast: Shin Ye Eun, Ryeoun, Kang Hoon, Jung Gun JooPlot: Yoon Dan Oh had enjoyed a comfortable life as the beloved youngest daughter of a well-off family, but no longer. Now the family breadwinner, she runs the Ihwawon Inn. Current guests are scholars taking the civil service entrance exam in the hopes of becoming high-ranking officials.
Among them are Kang San, Kim Si Yeol, and Jeong Yoo Ha, who all have deep secrets. They and Yoon Dan Oh will share information and cooperate to find Lee Seol, who disappeared 13 years ago.Add to watch-list or skip? Honestly I need a good romantic sageuk in my life, although I'm hoping we won't go full on love triangle here...(Omg and not the son in 18 Again now playing a grown-up role!)
[I could only find a script reading of this drama subbed]
The Real Has Come!*
Release date: 25 March on KBS2
Runtime: Saturday & Sunday
Cast: Baek Jin Hee, Ahn Jae Hyun, Cha Joo Yung, Jung Eui JaePlot: The family drama centers around an unmarried pregnant woman, Yeon Doo, and an umarried man, Tae Kyung, who enter into a false contract which leads to them to romance, pregnancy, childbirth, and childrearing. The "Real Deal" (Jin-jja) in "The Real Deal Has Come!" refers to the unborn child around which a family forms.
Add to watch-list or skip? It's interesting to say the least to see Ahn Jaehyun star in a drama around family norms lol. This is a long-form drama again running into September - I won't be watching.
Joseon Attorney
Release date: 31 March on MBC
Runtime: Friday & Saturday
Cast: Woo Do Hwan, Bona, Cha Hak YeonPlot: The story of the wicked lawyer Kang Han Su, who files lawsuits that are previously planned and uses the feelings of wronged victims to his advantage, as he unintentionally becomes revered as a hero and a problem solver among the common people. Eventually, he matures to become a truly just lawyer.
Kang Han Su is a skilled Joseon-era lawyer. Kang Han Su defends and completes the law in order to revenge, but eventually becomes the people's spokesperson and hero. Yi Yun Ju is a person who commissions a case in order to exact revenge.Add to watch-list or skip? Is it really a monthly K-drama post if there isn't a drama with the title Joseon [enter profession] in it? I want to watch some more teasers but it looks kind of fun - maybe this will be the first Woo Dohwan and Bona drama I'll watch/finish :)
Source: Drama information via MyDramalist & AsianWiki | Trailers via KdramaZone, Viu Singapore, The Swoon, Netflix, TVN Drama, SBS Now, KBS 한국방송, KBS World TV, MBCDrama, gif via shinsunghan@tumblr
What are you watching Omona? What dramas are you planning to pick up?