This is awards time in Kdrama land with Korean broadcasters MBC, SBS, KBS and JTBC airing awards shows to recognize the best Kdramas and performances from their networks. Also on the awards scene are the APAN Star Awards, focusing on excellence in television in South Korea. (Way to go Lee Jun-ho with 5 awards!) But there is only one place to find the Kdrama Hot Shot Awards. (It’s like a shot of something in your favorite drink.) Presenting the first annual KafeNook Kdrama Awards 2023!
Before I get to the awards, I have an admission. The Hot Shot awards are not completely fair to all Kdramas that came out in 2023. For one thing, I only started watching Kdramas in March 2023 and most of them are Kdramas from previous years. My first viewing of a 2023 Kdrama was True to Love, featuring the lovely Yo-In ah. In total, I watched (or am still watching) 20 Kdramas from 2023, with a few spilling into 2024. I am only one person after all. This means I have missed a bunch of highly rated Kdramas like: The Glory Part 2, Alchemy of Souls Part 2, Crash Course in Romance, Love to Hate You, The Good Bad Mother, Celebrity, Queen Maker, A Daily Dose of Sunshine, The Worst of Evil, My Dearest, Mask Girl. I could go on. If only there were more hours in a day. In 2024, I will try to do better.
Now – without further ado….
Best Contract Marriage/Revenge Kdrama
Several contract marriage stories aired (or started) in 2023: Perfect Marriage Revenge, My Demon, The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract, but only one of them (that I watched) also includes revenge. Perfect Marriage Revenge is the drama I didn’t know I needed in 2023. In addition to a contract marriage and a revenge theme, it includes time travel and one of the best couples of the year – Han Yi-joo (Jung Yoo-min) and Seo Du-guk (Sung Hoon). For any woman set on a marriage revenge quest, Du-guk is the man to have by your side. Add in a bunch of nasty characters who will do anything to destroy the main couple and Perfect Marriage Revenge is one of the most delicious shows to watch from 2023.
Hot Shot for “Best Contract Marriage/Revenge Kdrama” of 2023: Perfect Marriage Revenge
Best Kdrama Featuring a Time Travel/Mystery
Anyone who has read my blogs on Kdramas knows I love a good time travel show. 2023 provided a number of them utilizing different vehicles for time travel: a tape cassette/player, a music store, past lives, a portal in a well. I gave Twinkling Watermelon 4.8 sips because it is a great drama – maybe one of the most underrated of the year. See You in My 19th Life, Moon in the Day, and Destined with You all feature interesting past lives storylines that amp up the mystery and intrigue in the present day. The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract is a great fish-out-of-water story with Lee Se-young as Joseon era girl Park Yeon-woo who time travels to New Joseon after being abducted and dropped into a well.
It’s with A Time Called You, however, that I most enjoyed performing the mental gymnastics to keep up with the complicated plot – while also trying to figure out the identity of the killer. A good time travel mystery drama should do that that – keep you guessing (and wanting to watch more) right up until the very end.
Hot Shot for “Best Kdrama Featuring a Time Travel/Mystery” of 2023: A Time Called You
Best Rowoon Performance in a Kdrama
This year’s awards would not be complete without a Hot Shot recognizing Rowoon’s (Kim Seok-woo) best performance of the year. He starred in two dramas in 2023 – Destined with You and The Matchmakers. Destined with You was my first time watching Rowoon in a drama and what a great introduction to this versatile actor. This led me to watch The King’s Affection and Extraordinary You – both of which I highly recommend.
No matter what character he is playing, Rowoon brings his all to the role and sells the relationship with his romantic lead. His chemistry with Jo Bo-ah in Destined with You is practically legendary. At the same time, I couldn’t help but fall in love with matchmaking couple, Prince Jung-woo and widow Soon-doek (Cho Yi-hyun).
There is a third drama Rowoon made an appearance in 2023. It’s the uncredited role of Tae-ha in A Time Called You. Tae-ha may only be in one episode and just a few scenes at that, but Rowoon’s performance is outstanding. It probably helps that he is acting alongside his good friend Ahn Hye-seop. Whatever the case, this short appearance left a hug impression on me.
Hot Shot for “Best Rowoon Performance in a Kdrama” of 2023 goes to his role as Tae-ha in A Time Called You. (I have to give Destined with You a close second.)
Best Action Kdrama with a Touch of Heart
I don’t just watch romance Kdramas. (Really!) I like to mix it up and sprinkle in shows with some action. 2023 Kdramas I watched filled with exciting action include: Black Knight, Bloodhounds, Vigilante, and Death’s Game Part One. Even a good action drama needs a touch of heart. Vigilante has gritty fight sequences but never quite generates those heartfelt moments. The same is true of the apocalyptic Black Knight. Episode 4 of the action-packed Death’s Game digs into protagonist Choi Yi-jae’s (Seo In-guk) heart and the result is like a punch to the gut. I suspect more gut-wrenching moments are on the way in the second half.
The show that hits both of these notes consistently is Bloodhounds. Woo Do-hwan always delivers on both and he, along with the veteran actors in the cast, are a key reason why the first six episodes of the show are so good. On top of the excellent fight choreography, Bloodhound’s not only reaches your heart – it rips it out and tears it to shreds before stitching it back together.
Hot Shot for “Best Action Kdrama with a Touch of Heart” of 2023: Bloodhounds
Best Kdrama Smash-up
A smash-up is when you take two or more things and smash them together to make a new something. Kdramas do that well. There is one show that smashed things up the best to create a heartwarming, music infused Kdrama like no other – Twinkling Watermelon. Running at sixteen episodes, that might seem like plenty for any drama, but I could have watched at least two – maybe four more episodes easily. More music. More time with the Watermelon Sugar gang. More scenes between eighteen-year-olds Yi-chan and Cheong-ah. Especially more of Eun-gyeol and his dad back in the future. No more of Ryeoun crying though. Ok – maybe a little since he’s so good at it.
Hot Shot for “Best Kdrama Smash-up” of 2023: Twinkling Watermelon
Best Fantasy/Romance Kdrama
There are quite a few Kdramas in this category. Heartbeat provides a twist on the Vampire story where OK Taec-yeon’s Seon Woo-hyeol wants to be a human and spends 100 years (minus a day) in a coffin to try to achieve that goal. Destined with You, A Good Day to be a Dog, Moon in the Day, and See You in My 19th Life all deal with the pain of past lives (or ancestors) of one or more of the main pair. A Time Called You, Twinkling Watermelon and Perfect Marriage Revenge show how time travel can make or break a romance. The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract and My Demon bring characters from the Joseon era into the present to meet their true love. For this award, I’m looking for that perfect blend of fantasy and romance and I think one show has it.
Hot Shot for “Best Fantasy/Romance Drama” of 2023: My Demon – It may not have completed airing yet but I suspect the final six episodes will be just as good – if not better, than the previous ones.
Best Actor/Actress Portraying Two Characters in the Same Drama
Sometimes an actor or actress in a Kdrama gets to play two characters in the same drama. When this happens, it’s always fun to see how they bring out the differences. Kim Young-day of Moon in the Day stands out as Jun-oh, the spoiled and childish Hallylu star, and his counterpart Do-ha, a warrior from ancient Silla. Twinkling Watermelon’s Seol In-ah beautifully portrays the differences between Se-kyung, and her daughter, Eun-yoo.
Hot Shot for Best Actor/Actress Portraying Two Characters in the Same Drama of 2023: Kim Young Day of Moon in the Day and Seol In-ah of Twinkling Watermelon.
Best Couple in a Kdrama
No Kdrama awards would be complete without the Best Couple award. I can’t believe how many great couples there are to choose from this year from the dramas that I watched. I made a list:
- True to Love: Yoo In-na and Yoon Hyun-min
- See You in My 19th Life: Shin Hye-sun and Ahn Bo-hyun
- King the Land: Lee Jun-ho and Im Yoon-ah
- A Time Called You: Ahn Hye-seop and Jeon Yeo-been
- Destined with You: Jo Bo-ah and Rowoon
- Twinkling Watermelon: Ryeoun and Seol In-ah / Choi Hyun-wook and Shin Eun-soo
- Perfect Marriage Revenge: Jung Yoo-min and Sung Hoon
- Moon in the Day: Kim Young-dae and Pyo Ye-jin
- Matchmakers: Rowoon and Cho Yi-hyun
- A Good Day to be a Dog: Park Gyu-young and Cha Eun-woo
- My Demon: Kim Yoo-jung and Song Kang
- The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract: Lee Se-young and Bae In-hyuk
This is so hard! Ok. I can do it. I just need some criteria. Chemistry. Swoon worthiness. Visuals. Which couple had me rooting for them the most? Which couple could I watch again and again? This gets me down to three: King the Land, Perfect Marriage Revenge and My Demon.
Hot Shot for “Best Couple in a Drama” for 2023: Jung Yoo-mn and Sung Hoon from Perfect Marriage Revenge. Just look at those beautiful family photos! AND – Lee Jun-ho and Im Yoon-ah in King the Land because they are amazing together. I really couldn’t decide which couple I like better. What about My Demon? Don’t worry. With episodes left to air in 2024, Kim Yoo-jung and Song Kang will be on the list again for the next awards.
Most Memorable Kiss in a Kdrama
Lots of steamy kisses in Kdramas this year. Here are the best. The King the Land kitchen kiss. I still can’t get this one out of my head. Lee Jun-ho and Im Yoon-ha – you are masters. Destined with You closet kiss. With the strains of Park Won’s It’s You playing, this is one kiss that that is worth the wait. Not to be outdone in closet kissing – A Good Day to be a Dog’s Cha Eun-woo has definitely graduated! The sprinkler kiss in My Demon ignites the chemistry between these two leads. And, Perfect Marriage Revenge’s “I can’t hold back any longer” kiss. Don’t worry, Du-guk, Yi-joo doesn’t want you to.
Hot Shot for the “Most Memorable Kiss in a Kdrama” of 2023: The King the Land kitchen kiss – also known as “The Kiss that Broke the Internet”.
Best Dimples in a Kdrama
If Kim Seon-ho (Start-Up, Hometown Cha Cha Cha) had been in a Kdrama this year, the Dimple King would naturally take this title. Sadly, he only graced the big screen in the movie The Childe this year for which he won the Best New Actor award. Who to choose instead? There is one set of dimples I could not get enough of – and still have two episodes left to watch: Bae In-hyuk of The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract. After that, I guess I’ll be watching Under the Queen’s Umbrella to see more of those charming dimples.
Hot Shot for the “Best Dimples in a Kdrama” of 2023: Bae In-hyuk of The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract
Most Adorable Dog in a Kdrama
Honestly, I can only think of one Kdrama I watched this year that has a dog in it. That makes this is an easy one. Cocoa (aka doggie Hae-na) in A Good Day to be a Dog takes the cake, um – I mean bone, for the most adorable dog in a Kdrama. I also love nephew Yul (Yoon Hyun-soo) in the drama. He is not a dog but he’s adorable all the same.
Hot Shot for “Most Adorable Dog in a Kdrama” of 2023: Cocoa in A Good Day to Be a Dog
Best 2nd Male Lead Who Never Stood a Chance
Poor Kwon Jae-kyung (Ha Jun) in Destined with You. He really never stood a chance against Rowoon’s Jang Shin-yu. Lee Hong-jo (Jo Bo-ah) may have crushed on him first but any chance he had went down the drain the moment he turned her down. After that, how could he possible compete with Shin-yu? He tries. He really tries. Still – Ha Jun is totally leading man material, which is why he has his own 2023 Kdrama, Live Your Own Life. Is that on my list? Hopefully you get the girl this time!
Hot Shot for the “Best Male Lead Who Never Stood a Chance” of 2023: Kwon Jae-kyung in Destined with You
Most Badass Female Sidekick
I created this category simply to recognize this truly badass female sidekick in 2023: Joo Hyun-young as Sa-wol in The Story of Park’s Marriage Revenge. There is nothing that young woman can’t do. Stuck in New Joeson – no problem. Braid children’s hair and cook for money. Become a maid/cook for a wealthy family. Take care of best friend. Steel the heart of a handsome (and athletic) man. It’s no wonder secretary Hong Seong-pyo (Jo Bok-rae) wants her for his wife.
Hot Shot for the “Most Badass Female Sidekick” of 2023: Sa-wol in The Story of Park’s Marriage Revenge
Most Anticipated Final Episode
For this award I’ll exclude dramas that are still airing into 2024. Several Kdramas kept me in suspense to the final episode including Moon in the Day (will they be able to break the curse and stay together?), True to Love (will he ever confess his feelings for her?), Dr. Cha (will she end up with Roy Kim?), Heartbeat (will he finally become human?), Perfect Marriage Revenge (will they survive and get to live in the new timeline?).
Maybe it’s because this show is so fresh in my memory, but The Matchmakers had me on pins and needles between the final two episodes. The preview scenes for the final episode gave hints of bad things in store for Jung-woo and Soon-doek. Episode 14 aired Christmas Day and brought the best gift – a happy and satisfying ending. (Finally, I can breathe again.)
Hot Shot for the “Most Anticipated Final Episode” of 2023: The Matchmakers
Best Original Song in a Kdrama
I have many Kdrama playlists containing some of the best songs from Kdramas over the years. For the winner in this category, I turn to my Kdrama Favorites playlist which includes my favorites of my favorites. These are the songs I listen to over and over again. Several original songs from 2023 Kdramas are on this list.
- Dive and Get to You – King the Land
- It’s You – Destined with You
- Wherever and Loveless Night – Twinkling Watermelon
- I’ll Embrace Your Past and Here with Me – See You in My 19th Life
- Between Love and Friendship and Melody – A Time Called You
- Even if There’s No Miracle – Death’s Game
Of these, there is one that hits me every time.
Hot Shot for the “Best Original Song in a Kdrama” of 2023: It’s You sung by Park Won as part of the Destined with You original soundtrack. His voice in the refrain – breathtaking!
Best Kdrama Soundtrack
When a Kdrama has at least five great original songs, I add them to my Kdrama Soundtrack playlist. What happens when there are more than five or six songs? That Kdrama OST gets its own playlist. For 2023, King the Land, See You in My 19th Life and A Time Called You all made my Kdrama Soundtrack playlist. But only one drama got its own: Twinkling Watermelon. This OST is filled will so many great original (and throwback) songs that I couldn’t decide on just four of them.
Hot Shot for “Best Original Soundtrack of 2023”: Twinkling Watermelon
Best Kdrama I Didn’t Watch – Yet
How can I name the Best Kdrama I didn’t watch? Yeah – that’s not really fair. But I’ll try. To start with – I check my watch list to see which 2023 Kdrama’s are at or near the top of shows yet to watch. I’m currently watching Moving and so far I am enjoying it. The 2022/2023 Kdrama Alchemy of Souls is there on the list along with season 2 of The Arthdal Chronicles – Sword of Amaroon (I’ve got to see Eunsome and Saya finally meet!). Love to Hate You looks like a lot of fun. DP season two and Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 – though I need to watch season one of each of them first. Once I get Viki Plus, I can finally watch Joseon Attorney and My Dearest. The show I wish I had watched in 2023 instead of what I did watch: The Good Bad Mother (I watched Dr. Cha).
Hot Shot for “Best Kdrama I Didn’t Watch – Yet: My Dearest (going on IMDB ratings here). Followed closely by – Moving.
I hope you enjoyed the 2023 KafeNook Kdrama Hot Shot Awards! I know I’m looking forward to all the great Kdrama’s coming in 2024.
