What a year it has been for K-dramas! It was almost impossible to keep up with all the shows that were airing. Since I was unable to write about every show that I watched this year, I wanted to make a list of my favorite dramas of 2021, but then I realized that I had way too many favorites. So, I have decided to break them up into categories and list the shows I loved in that category. First up is my favorite genre, romantic comedies.
Mr. Queen
We cannot talk about 2021, without talking about Mr. Queen, one of the funniest dramas of 2021. Since the show started airing in December of 2020, I keep forgetting that it is actually a show that I watched well into Feb of 2021. Mr. Queen is about chef Jang Bong-hwan (Choi Jin-hyuk), who one day finds himself in the body of a Joseon Queen. Bong-hwan is a celebrated chef who works for the Blue House. When a fish hook is found in the food served for the Chinese Ambassador, he becomes a prime suspect. While trying to escape from the authorities he falls into a swimming pool and the next thing he knows, he is in a Joseon palace trapped in the body of the Queen. What follows is nothing short of a laugh riot. I don’t think I ever laughed for any drama as much as I did for this one in recent times. Shin Hye-sun as the Queen with the chef’s spirit trapped inside her is beyond amazing (the best performance by any actress this year). Kim Jung-hyun also does an amazing job as the king trying very hard to understand his queen who does and says the most random things. Mr. Queen is without a doubt one of the best romantic comedies of 2021. Definitely check out Mr. Queen, that is available for streaming on Viki.
Dali and Gamjatang
It is said that it takes 3000 eons for a single moment to occur in our lives (Buddhist Sutra). That is why every moment / encounter should be considered precious. This precious moment occurs in Kim Dali and Jin Moo-hak’s lives, when they meet for the first time in Amsterdam airport. She is looking for a Mr. Jin and he is Mr. Jin, except not the Mr. Jin she is looking for. The Mr. Jin, she is looking for is Jin Hitonari, a world renowned art collector whose knowledge on art could give any expert a run for their money. He is Jin Moo-Hak, the managing director of a pig restaurant chain, who is on a trip to the Netherlands to attend a Pigs Farming Association event. So, when Kim Dali picks up the wrong Mr. Jin at the airport, and takes him to an upscale art collection party where he is asked to express his views on the collection and choose his favorite art piece, we know that a moment such as this had to be 3000 eons in the making. Dali and Gamjatang is a beautiful, sweet, heartwarming, hilarious romantic comedy that you should not miss. While the actors are exceptional in their respective roles, it is Kim Min-jae with his impeccable comedic timing and the very real chemistry he shares with Park Gyu-young that makes Dali and Gamjatang one of the best romantic dramas of 2021. Dali and Gamjatang / Dali and Cocky Prince is available for streaming on Viki.
My Roommate is a Gumiho
When Lee Dam, a university student, accidentaly swallows Shin Woo-Yeo’s (a 999 year old Gumiho) bead, she must move into his house while he figures out a way to safely remove it from her. While moving in is easy, trying to keep it a secret from all her friends and family is not. Like that is not enough, Shin Woo-Yeo is also the new Professor in her college. But that is not all. Since the bead is inside her, there are a few things she cannot do, like eat chicken (her favorite food), drink alcohol (again her favorite) and most importantly come in contact with anyone born in the year of the tiger, because that will make her extremely ill (kind of like an allergic reaction). If you have seen Lee Hye-ri’s dramas before, you already know how great she is when it comes to comedy. Hye-ri along with Kang Han-na as the ex-gumiho make this drama a hilarious watch. Jang Ki-young is perfect as the soft-spoken Gumiho, in love with a human. With some great characters and an interesting plot My Roommate is a Gumiho on Viki is a must watch romantic comedy of the year.
The King’s Affection
The King’s Affection is set in a time when it was considered bad luck to be born a twin in the royal household, especially if you are next in line for the throne. While same sex twins (boys) were considered bad because of the turmoil it would result in due to the confusion it would create as to who the rightful heir to the throne is, the fate of a twin that shares the womb with the opposite sex was considered worse. It was believed that a prince who shared the womb with a girl was weak. The only way to correct this wrong was either to kill both the twins or kill one of them and erase all records of them ever having existed. This is exactly what happens in The King’s Affection, which seems to be loosely based on the fact that there is no recorded history of twins ever being born in a Korean royal household. Amazing performances by the entire cast and the undeniably on-screen chemistry between Park Eun-bin and Rowoon makes The King’s Affection on Netflix a must watch drama.
Hello Me!
What if your teenage self, met the present you? Will you be proud of who you have become, or will you hide yourself in fear that you might disappoint your younger self? We all dream of what our life will be like when we grow up. However, life does not always turn out the way we plan. This is what seventeen year old Bahn Ha-ni (Lee Re) realizes when she meets her thirty-seven year old self (Choi Kang-hee). Hello, Me! is a feel-good romantic comedy about second chances, family and relationships. Regrets can be very devastating, that is why it is important to give ourselves and those around us a second chance. Sometimes in life we end up making bad choices, due to our regrets or because we feel wronged. This does not necessarily make us bad or worthless. What is important is to stand up and embrace ourselves, so we can move forward in life. A little love and understanding is all we need in order to come out of a bad situation. As long as we are surrounded by people who can give us this love and support, we will not be miserable for long. These are the points that Hello, Me! tries to make, and does so quite beautifully. Definitely check out the drama for some great laughs, heart warming moments, and amazing performances by Choi Kang-hee, Lee Re, Kim Young-kwang, and Eum Moon-seok. Hello Me! is available for streaming on Netflix.
My Movie Spotlight 