4 Best K-dramas of 2017 according to fans
by mary
Making a best-of list is no easy task. While we all have our favorites, knowing exactly what makes a drama so special requires a bit of context and a lot of compare and contrast. Dramabeans is no stranger to strong (and well-informed) opinions and with that in mind we rounded up the best dramas of 2017 according to those who know dramas best: a.k.a. the fans.
The selected dramas aren’t just your average list of well-liked shows, but those that made an impact in 2017 — whether at a personal level or an international one. If you’re interested in not only what dramas to add to your watchlist, but exactly why you need them in your K-drama knowledge arsenal, read on. These dramas set standards, changed hearts, and turned skeptics into believers.
And so, in no particular order, here are the 4 Best K-dramas of 2017:
1) Forest of Secrets
Writer Lee Soo-yeon ghasted everyone’s flabbers in 2017 with Forest of Secrets, also known as (imo, the more boring title) Stranger. This thriller about lone wolf prosecutor Hwang Shi-mok and principled cop Han Yeo-jin who team up to untangle a web of corruption remains a top K-drama choice among fans. With the perfect trifecta of edge-of-your-seat writing, stellar acting, and atmospheric direction, no wonder beanies gave it an average rating of 9.5/10.
fpdxx: Forest of Secrets/Stranger remains god-tier for me and very few dramas have come close to it. Literally my Roman empire. The acting, the chemistry between the leads, the show-don’t-tell approach which treats its audience as intelligent *chef’s kiss*
eazal: Forest or Secrets/Stranger is not only the best drama in 2017, but also the best drama ever. Nothing more to add, Your Honour.
m3lon4: Objectively speaking, Forest of Secrets should really win all the awards.
The show is full of nuanced characters and relationships that wouldn’t fit into cookie cutter definitions of “friend” and “enemy” (shout out to my favorite Weasel). But everyone agrees that Yeo-jin and Shi-mok’s golden-retriever-adopts-a-cat dynamic is a core reason for loving the show.
ryunami: The best things about this show; the level of high class characters in terms of appearance and acting by the main and the supporting actors. I love the purely professional teamwork and partnership of Hwang Si Mok and Han Yeo Jin; both actors have the best non romantic chemistry ever.
kanzcech: Shi Mok and Yeo Jin don’t have any loveline but their bond is as strong as romantic partners. Chemistry A++!
2) Chief Kim
Next on the Best of 2017 list is Chief Kim a.k.a. Good Manager, starring Namgoong Min as a seedy accountant who dreams big and transfers to a large conglomerate… so he can steal his way into retirement. Of course, those plans never materialize since the corruption annoys him so much that he decides to take on the whole company from the inside.
Chief Kim has all hallmarks of a Park Jae-bum drama that we will come to love so much, as Storyenthusiast explains:
I’m pretty sure the writer is the reason I loved Good Manager so much. Though I wasn’t aware until later some of my favorite drama watching experiences are his including Dinner Mate, Vincenzo, The Fiery Priest and this one. He has perfected the blend of comedy, action, the tackling of corruption with just a smidgeon of romance that keeps me coming back for more. Writer Park Jae-bum is also great at turning morally grey leads into heroes for the oppressed.
Like Forest of Secrets, Chief Kim is not a romance drama at its core, but it has the best enemies-to-loversbrothers arc between Namgoong Min and Jun-ho.
Storyenthusiast: Good Manager also has the benefit of a fantastic cast and the love-hate frenemies played by the talented Namgoong Min and Lee Junho that took this drama from just another ho-hum plot to something that had me cackling with glee and cheering with enthusiasm
Nirbhay: I felt that all characters were given their arc. Namgoong Min was incredible […] also my introduction to Junho! The two characters did a great job in showcasing that most people are not black or white but gray. The writers also tied up the ending neatly which definitely helped.
3) Prison Playbook
2017 was the year when Shin Won-ho and Lee Woo-jung took a break from the husband-hunting Reply series and worked with writer Jung Bo-hoon to give us Prison Playbook (or Smart Prison Living, as translated here on Dramabeans).
This dramedy about a famous baseball player who lands himself in prison and meets inmates from all walks of life had a great ensemble cast that delivered multiple stories of friendship, survival, and redemption.
IsaGC: There are so many stories within this story! So many themes are touched upon, even if subtly. Everything is written with great delicacy and sensitivity. And even though there are some tough moments, the overall feeling the series leaves us with is that of having watched a (sometimes bittersweet) comedy about life.
ryunami: A slice of life drama set in a prison, an easy watch, fluffy, with stories about some men in a bad place but have good hearts. It’s one of my all-time fav K-dramas because of the unique theme; the show masterfully balances a dark grim setting of a prison with humour and heartwarming moments.
4) Because This Life Is Our First
Last on the Best of 2017 list is Because This Life Is Our First/Because This Is My First Life: a thoughtful slice-of-life romance with realistic portrayals of marriage, gender expectations, and modern adulthood.
Despite the wild premise (a struggling screenwriter enters into a contract marriage to solve her housing problems), everything else about the show feels relatable and poignant.
jerrykuvira: Watching the male lead fall in love was the highlight of the story. As a person who fell in love and got burnt, it is no surprise why he is no longer pro-romance. Which made him falling in love again a lovely journey. Man already has a house. But he didn’t have a home. BTLIMF is the story of him making the choice as to whether he wants his house to be a home.
aigooooo: All of the marriage of convenience tropes, but with 2 remarkable characters/actors at the center of it, and through a beautiful lens of history and poetry. This poem is in my head a lot, and it’s one I first heard here, and something that ties the plot together and informs the actions and understanding of the characters: “To have a visitor / is indeed a matter of gravity. / For he / brings with him his past / present / plus / his future.” It’s part of a poem by “A Visitor” by Chong Hyon-Jong.
toomuchtv: I just couldn’t believe this was a mainstream TV show with a happy ending that involved rejecting marriage. It blew me away.
For another 7 dramas that made waves in 2017, check out this list of honorable mentions:
The Package
Age of Youth 2
Strong Girl Do Bong-soon
Lookout
Live Up to Your Name
Suspicious Partner
Fight, My Way
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