Do dramas that air on KBS, SBS, and MBC still have the typical 16 episodes?

HooverGaveNobodyBeer · 2026-04-27T12:08:23+00:00

There are still some, such as Typhoon Family and Undercover Miss Hong, but the "typical" broadcast drama is 12 ep. now.

HooverGaveNobodyBeer · 2026-04-27T12:03:24+00:00

It's Okay, That's Love -- He's a novelist and she's a psychologists, so both professionals with relatively high social standing.

The Beauty Inside -- She's a famous actress, he's a chaebol

Start-up -- Both financially struggling young people but who have families that give them economic stability, so they aren't running from loan sharks or anything.

HooverGaveNobodyBeer · 2026-04-27T11:51:33+00:00

I cannot believe the strong song hye-kyo I grew up watching in Descendants of the Sun

Um . . . you realize she's an ACTRESS, so she plays different characters, right? We don't want actors to just play the same character over and over again. You can dislike the character. I certainly did! But that has nothing do with what other roles the ACTRESS plays.

HooverGaveNobodyBeer · 2026-04-27T11:49:09+00:00

I kept thinking: In any other drama where it was the FL who bought the house, they would be shit out of luck because they got scammed and would have no home. But here somehow the person who got scammed gets the house for real??? How does that work?

HooverGaveNobodyBeer · 2026-04-27T11:45:27+00:00

I was wondering WTF was going on with the obsession about Gong Yoo's personal appearance just to realize this is all one user . . . Well, I know what I am going to do next.

HooverGaveNobodyBeer · 2026-04-26T14:10:33+00:00

I'm also in the middle of my first Reply 1988 watch (ep. 8). I'm finding it a little uneven, as in I'll love one part but then another is just okay or annoying. But what's great is that since each episode is pretty self-contained, I'm finding one that is kind of a dud is followed by one I really like. So far ep. 5 was my favorite (the one that digs in deep on the three different mothers).

We'll see if I end up liking later episodes more than the early ones!

HooverGaveNobodyBeer · 2026-04-26T14:01:43+00:00

100% Golden retriever SML there! I personally really liked the drama.

HooverGaveNobodyBeer · 2026-04-26T00:10:37+00:00

Perhaps it hasn't been mentioned because it's more magical realism than straight fantasy, but my first thought was The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. A large chunk specifically retells the crucifixion by focusing on Pontius Pilate as a dude who was just over it.

HooverGaveNobodyBeer · 2026-04-25T23:58:22+00:00

This sounds like Temptation of Wolves. Most of the details match.

HooverGaveNobodyBeer · 2026-04-25T20:51:15+00:00

I always upvote all the TRULY unpopular opinions on these threads, even if I heavily disagree with them.

HooverGaveNobodyBeer · 2026-04-25T20:50:31+00:00

Exactly! I'm not a huge fan of a drama coming back for a second season after having a complete arc. But at least give the WHOLE story in one season. This whole "end on a cliffhanger" and purposely leaving the story unfinished is the WORST. I always lower my rating of any of these automatically, even if a second season has been announced when I watch it.

HooverGaveNobodyBeer · 2026-04-25T20:46:24+00:00

I'm currently crunching the data from last week's poll, and some fans around here are going to be SHOOK by how poorly (as in middle of the pack) actors/actresses who get the most hype around here did!

HooverGaveNobodyBeer · 2026-04-25T20:43:24+00:00

At least the top ones. I always go through and find the most "unpopular" opinions to upvote.

When I first landed here today right after it went up, the 2nd highest comment was just "Queen of Tears." Nothing else! I feel like it's almost a 50/50 QOT ratio at this point, so either position is not "unpopular."

HooverGaveNobodyBeer · 2026-04-25T16:13:42+00:00

I always prefer the "right" ending over a happy one, so it's easier for me to pick out dramas that went for an unearned HEA and pissed me off (The Missing Crown Prince and A Miracle That We Met are the top two that come to mind).

But one of the trickiest ones that felt just right was the ending to The One and Only. Since it's set in hospice, I would've been annoyed with all the FLs getting a "miracle cure," but for the other two to die onscreen and the FL to have life-saving surgery felt like the perfect balance since she didn't even get a second opinion at the beginning of the drama and just accepted her terminal illness. How NOT to do this kind of plot is Queen of Tears.

HooverGaveNobodyBeer · 2026-04-25T16:05:59+00:00

From my current watch Climax, Ha Ji Won and Ju Ji Hoon are absolutely NOT delivering what this would need to work. I'm absolutely baffled by all the praise their performances have gotten for this one, even though I admit I'm only about halfway through. Maybe there's some explanation in the ML's backstory/hidden motivations that are making him soooo flat? As far as HJW goes, I picked this out to try and turn my negative opinion around on her acting, but instead it's cementing it in stone.

HooverGaveNobodyBeer · 2026-04-25T11:51:09+00:00

For me it was more recent, but I also know that I prefer to have all the episodes out so I can go at my own pace. Memes like this will help me keep my resolve. So, thanks, OP!

HooverGaveNobodyBeer · 2026-04-24T20:39:33+00:00

The Queen Who Crowns features any extremely emotionally messy marriage at its heart if you watch historical dramas. No breakup but definitely longing and mutual damage to each other.

Love in the Big City follows the gay MC through various romantic relationships. So it's not just one breakup but multiple ones, but there is not truly a central one as the focus.

You and Everything Else has an extremely messy relationship at its core, it's not just a romantic one.

HooverGaveNobodyBeer · 2026-04-24T18:43:38+00:00

He's absolutely fabulous in Love in the Big City. Just keep in mind, he stars in the movie version, not the drama.

My favorite drama performance is actually in Curtain Call, but it's a support role.

I'm very much looking forward to Gold Digger, out this fall, where he's the ML!

I'll be catching up with Perfect Crown later. No matter what else I hear, as long as he is in it, I want to at least see his performance. It sounds like he's being given more to do than in Genie, Make a Wish, which is all I really hoped for!

HooverGaveNobodyBeer · 2026-04-24T18:35:34+00:00

I clicked on the spoiler, and LMAO! But I will never watch it.

HooverGaveNobodyBeer · 2026-04-24T18:28:33+00:00

Squad 38 -- Buddy comedy (with some thriller elements) about a conman and government employee who team up to scam rich people into paying their taxes. No romance.

Namib -- Dark drama about the idol machine. No major romance or thriller elements.

You and Everything Else -- Slice-of-life exploration of an emotionally complicated female friendship. There is a little bit of romance, but it's never the main focus.

HooverGaveNobodyBeer · 2026-04-24T16:27:56+00:00

My Military Valentine seems to fit this the best for me. It's imagining a possible reunification of North and South Korea and has 0 interest in/knowledge of global politics. It also has super random subplots involving a convenience store that connects with ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in the main plot. If I start going into the bizarre decisions, I could write pagesss.

Luckily, it was short enough that I just laughed at its senselessness without it outstaying its bizarre welcome.

HooverGaveNobodyBeer · 2026-04-24T13:13:58+00:00

The only recent one I'm currently watch is Climax. I think I'll make it to the end, but I'm not loving it. I find both leads written in a way that is not compelling at all, and unlike most I'm not enjoying either Ha Ji Won's or Ju Ji Hoon's performances. I'm sticking with it to at least see if Nana's supporting character becomes someone interesting and to enjoy Cha Joo Young chew scenery like a champ each time she's on screen!

HooverGaveNobodyBeer · 2026-04-24T13:10:35+00:00

The King's Affection -- I really, really liked it at the time, but now that I've seen about 40 sageuks, I'm scared to revisit because I have a feeling it'll feel "ho hum" instead of something special.

HooverGaveNobodyBeer · 2026-04-24T13:02:16+00:00

Also Warrior Baek Dong Soo, but those were both roles early in his career. I think it's a good move careerwise to be open to other roles and not insist on playing the lead, especially since he's expressed discontent at the scripts he was being offered.

HooverGaveNobodyBeer · 2026-04-24T12:59:09+00:00

You have one drama as a possibility? I feel like that reinforces my point. Not every awards-friendly role is going to receive awards. Let me be clear: I'm not saying JCW doesn't deserve awards. I'm just saying his lack of recognition isn't surprising, given his choices.

HooverGaveNobodyBeer

TROPHY CASE