2021 Jaybird Awards

2021 Jaybird Awards

As 2022 draws to a close I am increasingly aware that I never did a Jaybird Awards post for the K-Dramas of 2021. I’m sorry 2021. The main reason for this is just that I didn’t really watch that many dramas last year (and even less this year…) so it felt kind of superfluous, and also felt as though I wouldn’t be doing the dramas of 2021 any justice- because I had missed so many of them! So for 2021 and for 2022 when it comes to a close, rather than sticking to my usual structure of Awards, I’ll be giving every single drama I watched in 2021 an award (or at least a runner up). They won’t be the best or the worst out of all 2021 K-Dramas, only of the small handful I’ve managed to watch. Hopefully 2023 is less hectic and I’ll get more time to dedicate to watching K-Dramas and writing reviews.

Best Mystery/Thriller:

Beyond Evil

This was by far one of the best dramas of 2021. I pride myself a fair bit on being able to guess twists and surprises in TV shows and movies, and I have to say, I just had no idea who was behind anything in ‘Beyond Evil’. And not in a confused, what the heck is happening, nothing makes sense way, but in a layered, everyone has something to hide way. The acting in this was PHENOMENAL. I haven’t seen Shin Ha Kyun in anything before but wow, that man can act. He perfectly balanced between being creepy and being desperate. The whole cast was fabulous and the storytelling was tight, well paced and addictive. It was a great mystery, a great thriller, and an all around great show.

Runner Up: The Silent Sea

 

Best RomCom:

Mr. Queen

It was one of the first dramas in 2021 that I watched, and I clearly remember thinking ‘jeez, it’s going to be hard to beat this one’. It was quirky without being ridiculous and low-stakes without being boring. The writers gave themselves plenty of space to bring in plot with palace politics, but thankfully never let the show get bogged down in too much angst or boring politicking which can often happen to romcoms in historical settings. This drama also gave us Shin Hye Sun doing comedy which was something I didn’t realise I needed in my life until ‘Mr Queen’.

Runner Up: Yumi’s Cells

 

Best Melodrama AND Jaybird’s Choice:

Navillera

I don’t usually like melodramas. I find them too slow and either too cringey or too depressing. But I adored ‘Navillera’. It was a beautiful story with wonderful characters and an extremely talented cast to back it up. Good dramas are the ones that make you feel something towards the story and the characters, and ‘Navillera’ did just that. It was a lovely story and I am glad that I took the time to experience this well-crafted show.

 

Cutest Cast:

Racket Boys

I nearly bowed out of this drama after the first episode because it was young, silly and nothing made sense. And then I realised that I had started on episode four which is why nothing made sense. After starting from the first episode the show was still young and silly, but it had a certain heart and warmth to it that made it an enjoyable watch. So much of this came from the group of young actors portraying the main cast. They brought a great energy to the show and did a great job at showcasing their growing talents as actors. ‘Racket Boys’ was a sweet story with a charming young ensemble.

 

Worst Second Male Lead:

Sunbae, Don’t Put On That Lipstick

Second male leads can be a tricky thing to navigate. You don’t want them to be too swoony otherwise they will overshadow the male lead and none of the viewers will be on board with the main romance. But you also don’t want them to be too terrible, because otherwise why is the heroine even considering them? Hitting that sweet spot in the middle where the second lead is fabulous but just not the right fit for the heroine is where every drama love-triangle aims to be. And that’s exactly where ‘Sunbae’ ISN’T. Lee Jae Shin was a long-term cheater, a liar, and all around *sshole. I didn’t want to watch him on my screen any more than was necessary, and I certainly didn’t want to watch that bulls*t redemption arc the show gave him. He’s just gross.

 

Most Popular:

Squid Game

‘Squid Game’ was a massive success. And rightly so- it was a great drama. I wouldn’t say it’s the best drama I’ve ever seen (I wouldn’t even say it’s the best drama I saw in 2021!), but it was by far the most talked about K-Drama I’ve ever seen. It was addictive and unique and massively appealing to both people who watch K-Dramas regularly, and those who don’t.

 

Most Depressing:

D.P

Objectively this was a good show. But did I like it? No. No I did not. I kind of don’t know why people make shows like this. I guess there’s something to be said about a drama showing realism in order to make social commentary, but to be honest I don’t want to watch characters get physically and emotionally abused in my free time. It’s just not fun. Nothing good happened in ‘D.P’- it was a dark show full of selfish and hateful people and an authority body that did nothing to protect the vulnerable from people who would take advantage of them. Low-key regret watching this one to be honest...

Runner Up: One Ordinary Day

 

Most Forgettable:

The Veil

Apparently I watched this? I remember seeing Namgoong Min in a revenge mystery/thriller and this must be it. I do not remember anything that happened. I think there were some good fight scenes though, and I’ also pretty sure I remember thinking that all the hero’s problems would have been solved if he’d just never given himself amnesia in the first place? But yeah, that’s pretty much it. It’s a show. That I did indeed watch.

Runner Up: The Witch’s Diner

 

Least Convincing Couple AND Biggest Disappointment:

Doom At Your Service

I disliked this show. I disliked it quite a bit. There were so many things wrong with it. But there were so many things that should have been right with it- which is why it ended up feeling like such a massive disappointment. My expectations were far too high. It had Park Bo Young and Seo In Guk- the chemistry should have been so intense it was short-circuiting my laptop! Instead we got barely a fizzle. The whole plotline had varying levels of frustration throughout, and the story just didn’t really incorporate the fantasy elements very well. It ended up being quite a struggle to get through all the episodes this drama had as it was so slow moving, and really, I just didn't care after a certain point.

 

Highest Body Count:

Mouse

K-Drama loves a good serial killer storyline. Even romcoms can’t get away from it. I guess nothing heightens the tension in a show quite like the possibility that anyone could die- regardless of if it fits the genre or not. And ‘Mouse’ had not one but TWO serial killers! Such tension! (I mean not really, the whole show felt strangely both too confusing and too predictable at the same time). But boy were there a lot of deaths. And I mean a LOT. People were dying left, right and centre. Strangers, family members, main characters- no one was safe. I think all in all the drama could have come together better than it did, but boy the writers did not care about who they killed off and in a world that is filled to the brim of characters protected by plot armour, it's a pretty refreshing direction for a drama to take.

 

Best Sequel:

Hospital Playlist 2

This is basically a continuation of the first season- you could go through watching the last episode of Season 1 to the first episode of Season 2 and probably not even know you had entered a new season. The show gave viewers everything they loved about the first season, but just changed up the development and the main plot points a bit so we weren’t given an exact replica. The cast and characters remained delightful and the story remained engaging and heartfelt. A win all around.

 

Most Haunted:

Sell Your Haunted House

Was this the only show I watched with ghosts in it in 2021? Maybe. Do I remember much about the ghosts? Not really. Jang Nara gave a wonderful performance and I appreciated her taking on a darker role that her usual chipper, baby faced, loveable heroines. Jung Yong Hwa was passable in his role. There were ghosts and possession and a mystery that centred around the death of our heroine’s Mum, and it was a pretty good ghost show all things considered.