#yer2022

[kdramalands]

year-end drama recommendation

2. First Love: Hatsukoi (2022)

9 eps, 55min each

First Love: Hatsukoi is a Netflix Original story inspired by the songs "First Love" and "Hatsukoi" by Utada Hikaru. Both "First Love" and "Hatsukoi" are featured throughout the series a few times so even if they're not really familiar to you, you will be able to listen to the songs and enjoy the ambience during your viewing.

This series tells a story of high school sweethearts reuniting after 20 years apart. Noguchi Yae and Namiki Harumichi changed and moved on from their first love. Now, Yae works as a taxi driver and tries her best to bond with her teenage son, meanwhile Harumichi enjoys his quiet days at a security company and prepares for his upcoming wedding. Fate brings them together once more two decades after their parting to give them a chance to rekindle their romance.

From the bottom of my heart, I hugely respect actors behind the roles of Noguchi Yae and Namiki Harumichi. Both Mitsushima Hikari and Sato Takeru consistently deliver the best performance. I truly think that they outdo themselves with each project they participate in. Actors who portrayed younger versions of the main characters, as well as actors of the background characters did amazing job to bring this story to us as well.

The premise of First Love: Hatsukoi made me feel very emotional. I watched all 9 episodes in one sitting, waiting for the conclusion with bated breath, tears in my eyes and my heart on full display. Yae and Harumichi's journey accompanied by Utada Hikaru's powerful vocals was one of the best things I've seen this year. I'm sure this drama will be well-suited for a romance-hungry soul in need of a good cry.

Part 1 || Part 3 || Part 4

[kdramalands]

year-end drama recommendation

3. Silent (2022)

11 eps, 54min each

Silent tells a story about two former lovers, Aoba Tsumugi and Sakura Sō, who meet 8 years after their sudden breakup. Tsumugi feels unsettled over Sō cutting contact with everyone for such a long time, but she doesn't harbour any resentment towards her ex-boyfriend over the painful parting. One day, they meet each other on the street by coincidence, only for Tsumugi to find out that Sō lost his hearing and it was the reason why he distanced himself from her and his friends from high school.

I felt moved by this story. The writing was marvellous, and I appreciated the feelings they tried to convey with Sō's character. I could clearly see the intentions behind every conversation and feel how subtle the relations between characters were. Hearing loss may be taxing both physically and mentally to the people affected — Silent portrayed how the diagnosis impacted many aspects of Sō's life, especially his family life, social life, and love for music.

Tsumugi and Sō's reunion was very emotional and well-thought out. 8 years apart made a dent in their relationship and, as the couple still parted very suddenly and with no explanation, there is a visible distance between them when they start to meet up more frequently. However, Tsumugi doesn't feel discouraged and tries to reconnect with Sō and we, viewers, can only watch how they try to welcome and accommodate each other in their new lives.

Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 4

[kdramalands]

year-end drama recommendation

4. Alice in Borderland 2 (2022)

8 eps, 60min each

This is a proposition for all of you who watched first season of Alice in Borderland and can't decide whether to watch the second season and for the rest of you who can't find it in themselves to start watching Alice in Borderland altogether. Please do it. Do my poor little heart a favour.

Second season of Alice in Borderland continues where we left off at the end of the first season. After completing ten of hearts game, all numbered cards are collected and a second phase begins. Alice and his friends have to participate in jack, queen and king's games to learn the truth about borderland and how to escape it.

Alice in Borderland 2 is a Netflix production and this season was 2 years in the making for it to finally hit us with the feels on December 22, 2022. This season felt like a definite conclusion of the story so I would not assume there will be a third one. I'm basing this information solely on my knowledge of the story from manga, I'm not an insider so at the end of the day, who knows? However, if you're curious on how Alice is faring after the end of season 2, I can recommend you a manga sequel to Alice in Borderland, Alice in Borderland Retry. It's a 13 chapter short story that could shine some light on what's going on in his life.

Alice in Borderland 2 was honestly everything I've ever wanted. I read all manga chapters right after I finished the first season and I could not wait to see it on the screen. In my opinion, AiB production team did their best to bring the comic to life.

The conclusion of Alice's story and the truth behind borderland may not be perfect for everyone, but for me it was poetic, beautiful, but also kind of ridiculous. I laughed in disbelief when I uncovered the truth, but after I revaluated the whole journey, I concluded that it truly was the best case scenario. I thoroughly enjoyed characterisation of jack, queen, and king games' hosts and I appreciated that they were given impactful introductions and respectful exits. Alice in Borderland is an action packed drama with many twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat till the freaking end.

This concludes the end of my list for 2022. I hope I got you interested enough to at least check one of the dramas.

I can already hear and see fireworks behind my window announcing the end of 2022. It was an honour being here with you all another year. It's been 6 years now! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you to succeed in 2023. I hope you have fun plans and to-do lists ready for that brand new year! And, as always, I offer my endless gratitude for all of you who visited my tumblr, left some likes, reblogs, or comments under my posts. This is all from me! With the last item of this year’s year-end recommendation project, I wish you all the best, less drama and more dramas in 2023! Happy New Year 2023!

Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3

[kdramalands]

year-end drama recommendation

Welcome, come on in. A whole year has passed, and it's finally time for me to emerge from my review cave again to show you my shiniest picks for this year. I'm glad to be back!

I hope 2022 was kind to you.

For me it was mostly uneventful, slightly challenging, and a bit turbulent at the end, but I emerge victorious. Maybe I'm wiser now, maybe I'm weaker, maybe more emotional than I was last year, or maybe I'm just different. But I'm here with another year-end recommendations to show you what entertained my days and allowed me to enter my escapism bubble even just for a moment.

I will present top 4 j-dramas from all Japanese series I watched this year. Starting from today, 28th of December, all the way up till 31st of December, New Year's Eve, I will post one recommendation a day. As always, I hope my list for 2022 will be well received and maybe it will convince you to check something out. I proudly present

1. Kanojo wa kirei datta/She Was Pretty (2021)

10 eps, 60min each

If you recognise this title and concept, you may have seen the original, Korean, version of this drama, She Was Pretty from 2015, or any of the remakes that's been made of this story: Chinese Pretty Li Hui Zhen (2017) or Thai Me Always You (2021).

Kanojo wa kirei datta tells a story of two childhood friends who, after a long time apart, decide to meet again. Hasebe Sosuke is a confident handsome man who's successful in his career, while Sato Ai struggles not only with her self-esteem but also with finding a job, which left her self-conscious about her abilities as well. Ai decides to lie about her identity to Sosuke, which causes a lot of misunderstandings and damage.

This story may seem superficial with how the romance plotline proceeds, but Ai's journey of rebuilding herself found a special place in my heart. I loved watching Ai starting to care more, accept more people into her life, and feel confident in her work. Koshiba Fuka's character is very lovable and relatable to many people who feel lost.

For those of you who watched Korean version, Japanese She Was Pretty offers a 6-hour-shorter experience that will feel lighter because setting and office drama don't take over the main romantic storyline as much. However, compared to k-drama, this version is more fast paced and more straightforward, so it may seem rushed at times.

Part 2 || Part 3 || Part 4