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8.4/10 Stars: The battle for work/life balance commences when the legendary assassin Kingfisher returns to the workplace after maternity leave and finds herself in the the line of fire of the police and a very determined journalist… who also happens to be her husband.

7.4/10 Stars: A refreshing tale of rags to riches that didn't stop long enough to smell the roses of romance along the way.

6/10 Stars: A mediocre rom com with little chemistry where a fangirl lands a dream job at the company founded by her favorite Idol, only to find herself Reverse Uno-ed when her idol becomes her second biggest fan, with first place going to none other than the CEO.

9.1/10 Stasrs: An existential examination of idealism, conviction, and morality seamlessly embedded into a gritty Wuxia that packs a punch by unpacking human nature.

6.9/10 Stars: Spooky in love was touted by marketing material as a supernatural romance with chills and thrills galore, but it was merely your average Chaebol Rom Com dressed up in ghostly attire it ditched all too soon. Though it wasn’t as spook-tacular (I couldn’t help myself) as I hoped it would be, it was still a nice time and added some fun to tired tropes. And with the utter graveyard of failed dramas this year, the barebones of a good story is enough for me.

8.4/10 Stars: A surprisingly chill case study on gender equality packaged in a light hearted romantic comedy in which a foodie forced into marriage must square up against the patriarchy with the help of her girl squad, her farming know how, and her sickly husband. It's like the Barbie (2023) movie, but set in a Feudal Society.

5.9/10 Stars: My Heroic Husband is a story within a story, following a contemporary book character whose author transplants him into a historical webnovel with all his previous memories intact and gives him the role of Ning Yi, a useless matrilocal husband. Determined to make the most of his new situation, Ning Yi joins forces with his new wife, Su Tan Er, and they slowly fall in love as they franchise the family business... and fight off bandits to save the nation.

6/10 Stars: A teenage tinker is forced to marry a fearsome general who she must outmaneuver and friend zone so she can ride into the sunset with her handsome prince.

6.8/10 Stars: A ruthless Princess reborn must find herself a Prince... and the sickly Crown Prince is determined to the one she picks, in a Period Idol Romance that explores unrequited love, power, and the balance in between. The drama has a garden of handsome men whose scheming looked dimensional from a distance, but up close, proved to be flat idol centric origami at work. Nevertheless, some enjoyment is to be had.

8.8/10 Stars: A missing prince, a watchman, and a man with a plan walk into an inn...

8.4/10 Stars: A hybrid of Kingdom and The Haunted Palace with visual traits of Stranger Things, The East Palace is light on frights, heavy on squelching, and filled with vengeful spirits-- both living and dead.

5.9/10 Stars: A story of rebirth and revenge that gets tangled in its own web, but at least manages to still look good while doing so. Starring: Chen Duling and Zhou Yi Ran

9.4/10: Light and refreshing, and yet hearty at the same time, The Makanai is a cozy coming of age tale that believes in and respects its characters, offering a look behind the curtain at the modern day Maiko. If you enjoy the bosom friendship of Anne of Green Gables, the vibes of a non-fantasy Kiki's Delivery Service, or a 'slice-of-life' leisurely narrative, I would highly recommend!

8.2/5 Stars: Eun Chae Ni’s heart is failing, and to add insult to injury, she is flat broke. Determined to spend her waning time on earth abroad, she convinces her two friends to stage her kidnapping in hopes of pocketing the ransom money. However, it gets real awkward when she accidentally dies. And then wakes up...

7.5/5 Stars: Two former academic rivals reunite by chance in adulthood after taking major L's both professionally and personally, and work together to pull themselves out of their slumps in pursuit of W's.

8/10 Stars: An artificially sweetened period idol drama, Pursuit of Jade is flawed in its aesthetic flawlessness, that through no fault of its own, finds itself the recipient of both praise and criticism in response to overhyped internet fandom, reigning as the most thoroughly produced and popular drama of the year.

6/10 Stars: An heiress with a whole harem of suitors must balance clapping back at the superstitious family who sent her away at birth and running her very realistic ancient business with the arduous task of aiding her final rose pick in cleaning up officialdom.

8.2/10 Stars: An amnesiac and his childhood crush join in platonic matrimony for government benefits in a love story set against the rosy (lolz) backdrop of the Cultural Revolution.

6.8/10 Stars: A modern day fairytale made stale by relentless advertisements and confusing stakes.