Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha 

Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha is one of those cute love stories that has the main characters falling in love in like the first two episodes, so you know it’s real. It’s 16 episodes short, and every time Hye in and Du Sik smile at each other, you can turn it into a game and kiss your partner. 

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It’s Okay to Not Be Okay 

I won’t lie this is a heavy watch, but at least, you won’t have to watch it alone. It’s Okay to Not Be Okay goes deep into what dating with mental illnesses is like and how love doesn’t work without trust and connection. Starring Kim Soo-hyun, Seo Ye-ji and Oh Jung-se, this drama follows the life of an antisocial writer and a psych ward caretaker whose lives intertwine. It’s also 16 episodes too short. 

What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim 

In this movie, a capable personal assistant decides to quit her job. But instead of her self-centred and childish boss to let her go, he falls in love with her. Add the rich boy trope, a cute backstory of them meeting as kids and some extremely cliche love scenes, and this is a recipe for the perfect movie night with your SO. 

Twenty-Five Twenty-One

Love is love, even if it’s from the point of view of teenagers who didn’t even end up together. This series beautifully depicts the life of Baek Yi-jin and Na Hee Do, a fencer and a reporter who fall in love at 18 and 21. It’ll help you reminisce young love and you might cry a lot because of how wholesome both characters are, but it’ll be worth it. 

Love in the Moonlight

Personally, I watched this series for Park Bo-gum’s smile, but don’t be like me. It follows a troublemaking prince and his eunuch/political counsellor, who unknown to him, is a woman dressed as a man. Of course, they fell in love, and it’s too cute, so have your tissues on standby. 

Business Proposal

At least once in your lifetime, a friend must’ve set you up with a rich romantic interest. No? Well, we can’t all be Meghan Markle. Ha-ri’s friend did it differently though; she used her to trick her prospective groom into ending their engagement, but the man fell in love. Then he turned out to be her CEO of the company. Expect cliche scenes en masse but stay for the humour. 

Our Beloved Summer

You can just tell when a woman wrote a romantic drama for women. Our Beloved Summer meets and exceeds all expectations. Sometimes, you love someone, but love is not enough, so you must take a step back and grow as an individual before reconnecting again; Choi Woo-sik and Kim Da-Mi’s characters understood that. They  filmed a documentary together in high school, which was how they fell in love, but they had to wait ten years for the love to take off. It’s cute, the characters are adorably awkward, and all the longing might make you faint. 

Crash Landing on You

No romantic K-drama list can be complete without this series. It revolves around a South Korean heiress who accidentally lands in North Korea and is rescued by a North Korean soldier. Naturally, they fell in love, then the actors fell in love off-screen, and then, we fell in love with them.

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Praise Edrah

I love Wang So and Hae Soo from Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo. They had such a wonderful love story, and I loved witnessing their growth. I particularly enjoyed  how they helped each other become the best version of themselves. 

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Coltan 

I don’t think I’ve watched a lot of K-dramas with the enemies-to-lovers trope.  Maybe I’m just too focused on the part where they fall in love to remember. But, my favourite would be Hometown Cha Cha Cha, which also happens to be my favourite K-drama of all time. Hye-jin and Du-sik weren’t exactly enemies at the beginning, but they didn’t really get along because they had very different outlooks on life. But as they spent more time with each other, they became genuine friends. There was so much depth in their conversations, all the tiny gestures of love were present. both Kim Seon Ho and Shin Min Ah did a stellar job with their roles. And it wasn’t just focused on them as the main leads, it was a story about everyone in the town, the side characters gave the series so much depth. Really, I could talk about why Hometown Cha Cha Cha is the best k-drama ever made, all day.

Also Gaus Electronics, which I just finished watching. It’s a workplace drama and these characters were actually proper enemies oh. I started watching it because I saw a tweet that said it was really funny, and truly it is. I’m yet to watch the last two episodes, but it’s already one of my favourite k-dramas. I love Kwak Dong Yeon. If you saw him in Vincenzo, you do too. It’s very typical enemies-to-lovers stuff — fake girlfriend, fake relationship, and before you know, it all becomes real. The part where Baek Ma Tan got up from his father’s house just to go and experience poverty is something else.

Rane 

My favourites are Hometown Cha Cha Cha,  Her Private Life, Scarlet Heart Ryeo and Touch Your Heart. Hometown leads went from always fighting to “I’ve lived 34 years without you, but each day seems to last forever since I’ve met you”. Every single character had depth, and they all loved each other, weirdly. I liked Her Private Life because it was giving office romance. She fell in love with the boss she hated, and everything else was just funny and lightweight. Scarlet Heart was great. Historical dramas always have umph. 

Kokai  

In no particular order: Alchemy of Souls — Mu Deok-i and Jang Uk were using each other when they fell in love; Shooting Stars — the superstar male lead picked on the female lead who accidentally sent a PR letter about his dick size. I love a great “funny with a nice ending” enemies-to-lovers story. 

Zaynab 

My favourite enemies-to-lovers K-drama is Our Beloved Summer. In most K-dramas the male lead always bullies the female lead until they end up liking each other, but that’s not the case here. Choi Ung was kind and gentle to Yeon Su even after she broke up with him in a horrible manner. The cinematography was beautiful, and the female lead was a strong character.

Athena 

I’m a sucker for comedy and rom-coms, but good ones only occur when the actors have chemistry. I want to see the hate, jealousy, sadness or misunderstanding in your eyes, and I want to see it slowly change to love. My favourite of them all is Semantic Error. Chu Sangwoo and Jang Jaeyoung’s height difference? It was too cute. They made me wish I was one of the characters.

They were so sweet and fluffy that I almost had diabetes. 

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Kaneki Ken (Tokyo Ghoul)

Anime fans probably watched Tokyo Ghoul and decided never to go on a date. My bro thought he found love, went on a date and almost got eaten by the babe, who was a ghoul. After almost dying, all his organs were replaced by ghoul organs. Then he had to watch the illusion of his happy home crumble and his friends get tortured. Your hair would turn white too, if you had to go through all he did.

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Natsuki Subaru (Re: Zero)

Imagine being transported to a universe that resets every time you reincarnate. Sounds fun, except Subaru always died in the most ridiculously painful ways. He’s been ripped apart by carnivorous bunnies, melted alive; he’s died more than 15 times in the span of hours, and he can’t tell anyone. My guy stays wishing for actual death that never comes. 

Levi Ackerman (Attack on Titan)

When I first met this character, I wondered why he never smiled, and then, we saw his backstory, and it made sense. Levi lost his mum young, was groomed as a child vigilante and lost many of his friends. Let’s not add that he lives in a flesh-eating Titan-riddled world. 

Ash Lynx (Banana Fish)

You know those characters that just go through too much for no reason? That’s Ash. He was abused as a child, involved in the mafia, had to watch his brother get shipped to war then learn he had a mindless death over some stupid drug. As if all those weren’t enough, he also had to witness his friend’s kidnap multiple times, lost his best friend and was imprisoned in a human experimentation hospital. Someone give this guy a hug, abeg. 

Shiro (Deadman Wonderland)

Shiro isn’t even a good guy, but she still didn’t have to suffer like that. Imagine thinking you’ve found the perfect family to adopt you, then they start experimenting on you. Anime governments need to be beaten because, what? The constant injections made her body weak, and eventually, her mental state crumbled. All this babe wanted was love, and she got the opposite of it. 

Akira Fudo (Devilman Crybaby)

Imagine your best friend was satan. Instead of enjoying his wickedness alone, mans forces you to turn into a demon and makes sure everyone you love gets killed for some weird utopia he wants for the both of you. Anytime you catch your breath, he’s like, “I raise you even more pain”. 

Special mention: Guts (Beresk)

Imagine being born from a corpse, your best friend betraying you and being in immense pain and suffering until the day you die. No reincarnation for a better life, just back-to-back shege. On top of all that suffering, mans still went to hell. A1 in suffering for real.

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None of the romantic anime in this list has the perfect male lead, or perfect stories romance usually sells. Hell, there’s also no fan service. And that’s what makes them better than the rest. So, If anime’s usual gra-gra is not for you, you’ll enjoy these. 

Rascal Does Not Dream Of Bunny Girl Senpai

I will never understand why this anime is titled this way, but it is perfect. The anime follows the life of Sakuta Azusagawa, a high school student drawn to girls suffering from a condition called “Adolescence Syndrome”. An illness that manifests based on their insecurities. While it focuses on him helping these girls, the highlight is the first story with Mai, an actress who people suddenly couldn’t see. Sakuta and Mai’s relationship has a slow but satisfying buildup. As annoying as Sakuta can be, sometimes you’d find yourself rooting for them.  

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Sing “Yesterday” For Me

I watched Sing Yesterday for Me for the director, Yoshiyuki Fujiwara, who directed Attack on Titan. I knew to expect great storytelling, and it delivered. This anime rewrote what a classic love triangle could look like if each character had a bit more depth. It was highly realistic in its approach to love and friendships. There’s no way to explain this without spoiling it, but you won’t regret watching this anime. 

Yuri on Ice 

Yuri on Ice is a story of how someone’s love and belief in you can encourage you to be the best version of yourself, even if that is a pork cutlet bowl. 

They never actually kiss or date, but you can’t see Yuri and Victor interact and think it is friendship, please. From the opening theme to every other song in the OST, just be prepared to have your heart in your mouth. This series is romance at its finest, and maybe one day, we’ll get a second season. 

Your Name 

You can’t talk about romantic anime without mentioning Your Name. The anime follows Mitsuha and Taki, stuck in a freaky Friday situation where they swap bodies. Mitsuha is a girl from the countryside, while Taki is a city boy living in Tokyo. Their love story should have been doomed from the start because even the forces pulling them together were tearing them apart. This anime is beautifully made with an OST that will be stuck in your head for days. 

Nana

Nana is one of those anime films you need to see at least once in your life. Admittedly, while watching it, I might start to feel like something that “Should have been a movie”, but that’s just because it is slow-paced. Nana Komatsu moved to be with her boyfriend in Tokyo and met Nana Osaki, a punk rock queen musician pursuing her dream. They soon become very close. Living in the same house with chemistry that the sharpest knife can’t cut and multiple kisses type of close. But more than that, Nana is full of realistic characters, spectacular events and good music. times. Sometimes you’ll feel like you want to deck all the characters, but it’s still worth watching. 

I Want To Eat Your Pancreas

I’ve realised that the weirder the title of a romantic anime, the more tears you will shed. I Want To Eat Your Pancreas will break your heart, and you will still say thank you. It’s a story about a girl named Sakura who has a terminal pancreatic illness and makes a list of things she wants to do before she dies. Naturally, an amebo boy named Haruki finds out about her secret list and makes it his mission to help her. As these things usually happen, they fall in love, but she’s running out of time. 

Komi Can’t Communicate

This anime is about a girl called Komi who everyone worships, except she doesn’t talk. That’s until she meets Tadano, the only person to figure out she had trouble talking to people. Tadano makes it his mission to help her make 100 friends; if that is not love, I don’t know what love is. Every one of Komi’s little wins and cute interaction with Tadano and the friends they make along the way makes this anime so great. Enjoy!

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All of Us Are Dead (2022) 

All of Us Are Dead is not a conventional zombie movie. It is unusually bright for a show with that many gory scenes and multiple jumpscares. It follows a group of secondary school students stuck in school which becomes ground zero for a violent  zombie apocalypse.  

Every time these kids fight for their lives against the super strong and constantly mutating zombies, your heart will be stuck in your mouth. But that’s what you like, right? Enjoy. 

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The Cursed (2020) 

The Cursed revolves around a successful IT company called Forest. Usually, rich companies like these in K-drama just means someone is killing all the owners’ enemies like ants. But the chairman of Forest, Jin Jong-Hyun decided to take it up a notch by using diabolical means. Since it’s one day for the thief and another for the owner, naturally, Forest gets involved in a huge case and a reporter,  Im Jin-Hee risks her life to unravel the mystery behind the case. 

Goedam (2020) 

Goedam is a Netflix horror anthology series comprising a collection of short dramas, with eight episodes in total.

Each episode follows a new plot with different characters, and they’ll all make you do the sign the cross if you watch them late at night. Careful though, episodes one, two and six may give you heart attacks. 

Sweet Home (2020) 

Sweet Home is a sublime balance of horror and thriller. It’s also one of the most popular Korean horror dramas on Netflix. The main character Cha Hyun-soo is a secondary school student who becomes an orphan overnight after his family dies in a car accident. Naturally, he wants to commit suicide and moves to an odd building where he can do that undisturbed, but then strange things start happening among the residents. He somehow finds himself fighting for his life amongst other residents battling humans who have been turned into monsters. It’s survival of the fittest in these streets and a gripping take on the monster genre. 

Strangers From Hell (2019) 

The moment a TV series starts in a cheap-ass residential area, you know to expect the worst. 

Desperate for a job, Yoon Jong-woo moves to Seoul from the comfort of his home in the countryside. He soon realises that he can’t afford to live in Seoul, so he moves to Goshiwon. The amenities and living conditions of the building he chooses are horrible, but he tries to endure till he gets a job.  

Even worse than the building are his neighbours, each with their own secrets and eccentric behaviours. Across the 10 episodes, we learn exactly what those secrets are. Strangers From Hell isn’t scary, but the psychological thriller will leave you on the edge of your seat. Stay alert while watching this; nothing will prepare you for the end. 

Kingdom (2019) 

For fans of dramas set in the Joseon era, you’d be amused to see how Kingdom weaves historical drama elements with a zombie apocalypse.

This drama follows Lee Chang, the crown prince, who discovers the outbreak of a mysterious disease. He goes on a mission to find the royal physician who might know something about the outbreak. But instead, he finds someone who worked alongside the royal physician. 

The tension in this drama comes from watching people fight for their lives in an era with medieval weaponry. 

Nightmare High (2016) 

Set in a private high school in Korea, Nightmare High revolves around several unexplained incidents that occur after Han Bong-goo, the new homeroom teacher, shows up.

Usually, a teacher is a nightmare because they’re giving too many assignments, but this man chooses a different way to terrorise his students, bringing all their nightmares to life, and kids begin to go missing. But no one notices until the class president points it out. The most unsettling experience for me was seeing a group of high school students obediently listen to a teacher. In what world is it possible to have such control over teenagers? 

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A couple dared to end in a cliffhanger. Some gave us happy endings. But most of all, they gave us these iconic lines we won’t forget anytime soon.

My Liberation Notes

“I will not pretend to be happy. I will not pretend to be unhappy. I will be honest.” – The Liberation Club

“Life is a series of embarrassments. It’s embarrassing from the moment you’re born. You are born naked.” – Chang Hee

“I want to feel whole for once. So, worship me.” – Mi-jeong

My Liberation Notes tells the story of three siblings and a stranger who want to be liberated from their unfulfilling lives. To watch this drama, just have your pack of tissues ready because the characters’ struggles are way too relatable.

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Business Proposal

“In my eyes, Ha-ri is the prettiest there is.” – Kang Taemoo

“Do you know what my love for you and this credit card have in common? They both have no limit.” – Kang Taemoo

“You know I have no chingu!” – Yoo-jung

This is probably the cheesiest 2022 drama so far, and we love it like that. It has all our favourite K-drama tropes, from being in a fake relationship to kissing under that damn yellow umbrella. If you haven’t already seen it, just start saying “God when” before you do. 

Our Blues

“There is one thing we must remember in our lifetime. We weren’t born in this world to suffer or feel miserable. We were born to be happy.” – Our Blues

“If your depression kicks in and things turn pitch black, call me. Try your best to live.” – Dong Seok

“I had never resented her in my lifetime. I just wanted to embrace and reconcile with her. I just wanted to hug her for a very long time and cry as much as I wanted.” – Dong Seok

One thing Koreans will do is accurately portray mental health struggles and encourage finding and holding your community close. In the softest way, this drama touched on the complexities of being human. If you see any drama this year, let it be this one. 

Twenty Five – Twenty One

“You are by far the most experienced fencer when it comes to losing. Those losses were blocks to build yourself stairs leading up. Think about it. Now you’ve got the highest staircase. Take your time to climb it and take whatever you want.” – Back Yijin

“That summer was ours to keep.” – Na Heedo

“We’re lovers only during the good times, and a burden to each other in the bad times.” – Na Heedo

“I love you. I don’t need a rainbow.” – Back Yijin

I don’t know a world where a reporter and a fencer can’t be together, but Baek Yi-Jin and Na Heedo made it possible in this show. I’m not here to fight today sha. Koreans have perfected the art of making you long for an era you probably weren’t born in and friendship circles you can’t be a part of. Don’t be scared when you get interested in fencing after watching this show. It’s just that good. 

Tomorrow

“It’s amazing how our pets always wait for us when human relationships are never absolute, not even between parents and children.” – Mr. Lim

“The choice you made in your youth was honourable. You have lost so much. Yet you have protected many lives and brought about the world of today.” – Director

“All the people you saved, they’re living good lives. So why are you so unhappy?” – Choi Junwoong

“It is the final cry for help from those who wish to live more than anyone else.” – Koo Ryeon

No matter how prepared you are, this drama will find a way to break your heart, and it’s expected because there’s no easy way to talk about suicide. You’ll cry for the dying dog, the old man who felt he’d lived a worthless life but, most importantly, you’ll learn to handle situations like these better. Good luck. 

The Sound of Magic

“Now, I see that this entire time, it wasn’t money that was pushing me over the edge, but the grown-ups.” – Yoon Ah-yi

“I want to be a grown-up, so immature adults no longer have any control over my life.” – Yoon Ah-yi

The Sound of Magic is an excellent drama about a high school student, Yoon A-Yi, who was abandoned by both parents and forced to grow up way too soon. In a life where she has no good days, what happens when a magician promises to make her problems disappear if she can believe in magic.  

Alchemy Of Souls

“You are the king’s star who has been granted the power of the sky. This is not your end, Jang Uk.” – Master Lee

“Master, you have returned to being just Mudeok.” – Jang Uk

“I do not mind since we are together.” – Mudeok/Naksu

“It is written here: I will go this far just to see you. I can do anything if it means being able to see you. And this is my reply: I also missed you.” – Jang Uk

“Ye Doryeonnim” meaning : yes young master.  – Mudeok/Naksu

Do you even watch K-drama if you didn’t “Ye Doryeonnim” in Mudeok’s voice? This drama changed my opinion of Korean fantasy dramas. From the acting to the stunning visuals, it was all hits and no misses. You still have time to catch up before the next season in December. 

Extraordinary Attorney Woo

“What’s your baptismal name? Mine is Gabriel.” – Attorney Kwon

“Mine is Jennie.” – Choi Suyeon

“What is Jennie? Are you the saint of BLACKPINK?” – Attorney Kwon

“First, children must play immediately. Second, children must be healthy immediately. Third, children must be happy immediately. Children have to play right now. Later is too late. It’s too late after getting into university, after getting a job, and after getting married. Playing with marbles, tag, red rover, double dutch. Later is too late. In a life full of anxiety, it’ll be too late to find the only way to happiness.” – Bang Gu Ppong

“I want to be on the same side as you, Attorney Woo. I want an attorney like you to be on my side.” – Junho

“Woo to the young to the woo.”- Dong Geu-rami

You’re uncultured if someone walks up to you and says, “Woo to the young to the woo”, and you don’t do the whole dance. This show took us on a journey, exploring life and the courtroom through the lens of our favourite autistic lawyer, Woo Young-woo. 

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KinnPorsche (Thai)

If you still haven’t seen KinnPorsche by now, what do you have against enjoyment? How much more convincing do you need? It’s a story about  Kinn, a guy from a mafia family, who meets Porsche, a bartender, while fleeing for his life. Kinn asks Porsche to help him. Porsche being a smart guy decides to help him but for a price and I stan. This drama is packed with suspense, romance and a bit of violence, so viewers’ discretion, please. Also, maybe don’t watch this one with your parents, e get why. 

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Cutie Pie (Thai)

Cutie Pie is a twelve-episode short rom-com that follows the life of Kuea Keerati, a university student engaged to Lian Kilen Wang, a CEO. Someone say God when, please. Kuea loves Lian but trusts a rich man like Lian to prioritise his work over his relationship. As someone who is very anti-love, this made me feel very mushy, just so you know what to expect. 

Semantic Error (Korean) 

Who doesn’t love a perfect love story between the shy, quiet nerd and the outgoing, overly friendly himbo? Chu Sang Woo is a talented computer science student. He managed to keep to himself until he got put in a group project with Jang Hae Young.  This drama made me want to scream because why were they so cute?

Oh! Boarding House (Korean)

If you’re single and you watch this drama, just prepare to be jealous. Seol Won’s mother runs a low-cost boarding house. Since he’s out of work and she needs to go to her hometown, she entrusts the boarding house to Seol Won, which is how he meets Kim Cheol Soo, a teacher and his love interest. You know it’s a good drama when they find love in unconventional places.

Love Class (Korean)

Love Class is a sweet drama about finding love and community. Cha Ji Woo is a university student in love with a classmate Bae Yu Na. Unfortunately, she doesn’t feel the same way. One day a course demands that people pair up as  “couples” to complete a project about love and Ji Woo finds himself paired with Lee Ro Ah, a guy. Like every good project partners to romantic partner trope, this will leave you feeling good for a long time. 

First Love, Again (Korean)

First Love, Again is the type of boy love drama you’d watch when you’re in a drama slump. It has just six episodes, and unlike the rest of them on this list, it’s a fantasy drama. This drama follows the life of Yeon Seok, who was in love with Jeong Ha in his past life, except in this life, she reincarnated as a man. 

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The Law Cafe

First of all, it’s a Lee Seung-gi drama. Come on; it’s going to be good. The story follows Jeong Ho, a former genius prosecutor and current owner of the building where Yu Ri, a lawyer who recently quit her job, now runs a cafe. Of course, she just had to be a former friend of his. I’m expecting meddlesome behavior and plenty romanz. 

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Little Women

Forget every other story you know about the famous Little Women story This show is already shaping up to be the next best thing with a storyline completely different from the original Little Women. It’s about three sisters who have formed a close bond while growing up in poverty. No, because these girls from the trenchiest trenches stumble into an incident involving the wealthiest family in the country. Expect drama overdose. 

Once Upon a Small Town

I just know this K-drama will give an Our Blues vibe but happier abeg. It’s a simple story about a man who moves from Seoul to Heedong Village and meets a countryside policewoman. The show will depict the happiness and sorrows of the people of the Village. If you’re a K-pop fan, you might enjoy seeing Joy from Red Velvet in leading roles.

Blind 

After seeing Ok Taec-yeon in Vincenzo act as a highly psychopathic wealthy heir to a pharmaceutical company, I know it’ll be nice to see him play a good detective this time. Taec-Yeon plays detective Ryu Sung Joon. With his judge brother Ryu Sung Hoon and Jo Eun Ki, a social worker, he becomes involved in a serial murder case involving jury members as the victims. The three work hard to uncover the truth behind the deaths when it seems like the world is willing to turn a blind eye. Set your reminder cause Blind drops on September 16th.

Love in Contract

Where are all my romance lovers? This one is for you. Our rom-com queen Park Min Young has done it again. Love in Contract is set to release on September 21st and follows the life of Choi Sang-eun, who helps people by pretending to be their fake wives at social events. What could possibly go wrong?

One Dollar Lawyer

Don’t overthink which show you’ll have to drop to watch this one, just look at the title. K-dramas keep giving us back-to-back legal dramas, and I can’t even complain. Cheon Ji Hun is a lawyer who charges only 1,000 won ( approximately $1) — for his services which involve helping people fight against rich and powerful people and their expensive lawyers. It can’t get more badass than this. 

The Golden Spoon

If you were born poor and found a magic golden spoon which could exchange your wretched background with a friend born into a wealthy family, would you use it? That’s what happened to Seung Cheon, a child born into a low-income family. He switches lives with his rich friend and gets a taste of wealth. But will he go back? You’ll have to wait till September 23rd to find out. 

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Glasses that blank out

Can we all just admit how goated anime characters that do this thing are? This glasses thing will never not be cool! That’s how you know the character is about to make a profoundly wise or foolish statement. Is the move always a tad bit over dramatic? Yes, but what’s not to love?

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Eccentric old teachers

Every super cool anime protagonist has that weird, eccentric teacher who uses unconventional means to shape them into heroes. Key examples are Ginpachi and Gojo, etc. You just can’t exist as an anime’s main lead without these weirdo teachers. Also, haven’t we all met an eccentric teacher in our lifetime? It’s cute, please. 

When they unsheathe their sword but it has already sliced someone

I know it’s not possible; you know it’s not possible, but it always looks super cool. Especially when they show how the hero did it: opened the sword, wiped the sweat off his head, ran around the room, kicked the villain’s stomach and then sliced him. But all we saw was the slice. Even just thinking about it has me excited. If this thing doesn’t make you happy, then I don’t know for you o. 

The gravity-defying haircuts

Not only will their hair defy every law of physics, but it’ll also be the brightest neon colour. I just want to know how their stylists do it.. 

The beach day

What is life without a beach day filler episode with no fighting or chaos, just ocean waves and good vibes? It’s like the calm before the storm; the rest before the chaos. Anime will give you the most relaxing beach episode, and the next thing you know, someone is dying in the next episode. I love it, sha; it helps you prepare for the worst. 

The out-of-place side character

This happens so often it doesn’t even stress med anymore. All the characters will look as normal as anime gets, and then suddenly, a character with the roundest looking head and flattest, most expressionless face will appear from nowhere. They’re usually comic relief sha, so you may eventually find yourself liking random characters like these. 

The one episode that’s just fight scenes everywhere

Anyone who has followed a long anime by mistake or on purpose knows what I’m talking about. That endless episode with fight scenes lasting the length of five more episodes can be fun because, yes, fight! But that’s also when you know an important character is about to die. There’s no winning with these people. 

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Mu-deok and Jang Uk’s banter

I’ll miss all their stupid fights and arguments where Jang Uk almost always wins. I’ll miss them pretending that Jang Uk is the boss when we all know Mu-deok has more power in the relationship. I’ll miss Mu-deok talking about how she wants to kill everybody but ends up saving their lives. I’ll also miss watching Jang Uk and Mu-deok win every single time! My ultimate faves, I believe so much in their love that I choose not to remember the ending because what was that?

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Maidservant Kim and Park Jin’s relationship

Something I didn’t expect was to enjoy seeing older people fall in love. You’d think since I watch a lot of K-drama, I’d be used to things like this by now. But I loved seeing them flirt, even though it was painful to witness. Maidservant Kim confessed her feelings, and Park Jin was still oblivious somehow. It was adorable. 

Watching the crown prince be a weirdo

This man was just unintentionally funny. He’s usually a character people would hate, but in Alchemy of Souls, there’s absolutely no reason to hate him. He cheated on a test for Mu-deok, was willing to find out the truth about the queen being a soul shifter at all costs and saved Mu-deok’s life on multiple occasions. Sad for him, he fell in love with the one person not even all his money could buy. I was still rooting for him, though. 

Lady Jin’s eye makeup

Half the time I watched this show, whenever she came up, I’d just whisper “bad bitch” under my breath because, wow. Using a graphic liner in the age of magic and keeping that makeup flawless is a trick only she could body. I mean, I saw this woman crying about her daughter, and all I could think about was how her makeup didn’t get smudged. A queen.  

Master Lee musing

Let’s not even talk about how he’s the most unserious character in this show low-key. This man always figures out everything before other people do. Maybe because he’s always thinking? Or maybe it’s because he is over 200 years old? He’s sha my fave because every supporter of Mu-deok’s antics is my fave. 

Jin Mu breathing like he swallowed hot eba

When you’re too busy doing evil things, of course your breathing would be laboured. Okay, that’s not a thing, but I’m glad it was Jin Mu’s thing. Wherever a new scene comes up and Jin Mu huffs and puffs, I always expected the worst. The way this man manipulated every single person around him is just legendary. 

Dang-gu’s earrings 

The way I hated his guts in All of Us Are Dead. They dressed everybody like they were in the Joseon era, but not quite, and Dang-gu came from nowhere with his K-pop idol earrings. I’m going to miss Yoo In-soo playing the role of Dang-gu. Do you know how good an actor you must be to get so many people to like you after killing their faves in an earlier movie?

Hearing Jipsu, Ryusu, and Chisu

Now that Alchemy of Souls has ended, where else will I hear people mention this? What if I also want to open up my gate of energy and master all three? While that might never happen, let’s just sit with that beautiful memory of Jang Uk using Chisu and Mu-deok’s blood to fight as we wait for season two. 

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