As we prepare to welcome a new year, it’s the perfect time to reflect on 2024’s contributions to Korean entertainment. This year came the crop of Kdramas that thrilled and warmed the heart and even ignited global conversations. Of course, not all of these managed to make the cut and some even made it into the title as the Most Disappointing Kdrama of 2024. Maybe it was just a poor storyline, lack of performances, or lousy pacing, but all these fell short for viewers.
I’m a true blue Kdrama enthusiast who’s always ready for some magic to be done by the series, but it gets very difficult to get that feel out of the system when something much-hyped comes up as a disappointment. So here is my Disappointing Kdrama of 2024, asking why.
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Most Disappointing Kdrama of 2024 List
Sweet Home 3
Of course, it’s impossible to not put Sweet Home 3 on this list. This show was once a thriller in suspense and horror. This season, however, is something quite different. Its riveting legacy had made the third instalment a watered-down version of the first two. Key characters such as Song Kang’s Hyun-soo were sidelined while new faces lacked emotional depth. Though Netflix overproduced it, Sweet Home 3 became one of the worst Disappointing Kdramas of 2024 on Netflix, that fans were hoping this show could go back on its emotional roots like before.
Hierarchy
I had such high hopes for Hierarchy. The trailer gave Elite vibes, and I was all in for the drama and mystery. But instead, we got seven episodes of…nothing. Roh Jeong-eui’s character was introduced as this brilliant mastermind, but he barely did anything significant. The entire revenge plot? Handed to him on a silver platter. It was all style, no substance, leaving me wondering what could’ve been if the writers had just committed to the intrigue.
Weddings Impossible
A rom-com is bound to make you smile, so much so that when the end credits roll, your grin would still be intact. That’s not what happened when I watched Wedding Impossible. Although this drama boasted a cast made of talented stars such as Jeon Jong-seo and Moon Sang-min, there was nothing romantic on my end, nor entertainingly engaging. Instead, this drama ended with me feeling irritated. That’s a disappointment among disappointments in Kdramas this year.
Impossible Heir
What do you get when you have a tired love triangle along with an anemic revenge plot? Impossible Heir. The drama, with Lee Jae-wook and Lee Jun-young, was as starry as possible but fell into pieces when there were repetitive arguments and one-dimensional character arcs. It is worth keeping at the place of Most Disappointing Kdramas of 2024.
The Frog
Cinematically, it’s stunning and conceptually ambitious, with The Frog having every appearance of being the work that finally broke through. But the whole thing feels more of an art piece than an intriguing drama; its timelines play interestingly enough but emotionally, nothing was touched there, hence it was purely a visual treat devoid of soul.
The Whirlwind
Political dramas can be a hit or miss, and unfortunately, The Whirlwind was the latter for me. With big names like Sul Kyung-gu and Kim Hee-ae, I expected something on par with Kingmaker. Instead, it was a chaotic mess of plot twists and alliances that switched too quickly to follow. By the end, I didn’t care about the characters or the outcome—never a good sign.
Branding in Seongsu
Body-swap dramas can be fun, but Branding in Seongsu was anything but. The thriller elements clashed awkwardly with the romance, and the high-stakes moments lost their edge as the plot became increasingly convoluted. While it tried to tackle meaningful issues, most of them fell flat, making the entire series feel inconsistent and frustrating.
Goodbye Earth
End-of-the-world dramas normally bring an emotional gravitas and some good storytelling. Goodbye Earth, however, didn’t manage to deliver both. Its nihilistic tone and very shallow character arcs made it one of the Disappointing Kdramas of 2024 on Netflix. It promised to bring existential reflection, but instead, it gave a slow-paced and uninspiring plot.
Seoul Busters
With a quirky premise and diverse cast, Seoul Busters had everything to be a lighthearted gem. The humor did not fall in place, however, and the characters lacked that charm that would make it sustain as a sitcom drama. It is a perfect example of a Kdrama of 2024 that had all the ingredients but could not cook up a satisfactory story.
Do any titles leave you disappointed or scratching your head? Let me know in the comments below!
