You can only pick one, and boy the pressure is on. The DB team will answer a new prompt in each post, and you’re invited to do the same in the comments. Ready to play?
You can only pick one slice-of-life drama
mistyisles: I’ve mentioned before that, as a general rule, I tend to steer clear of slice-of-life (or drop off after a few episodes) unless the characters really grab me. Answer Me 1988 was one of those few exceptions. I lost sleep for the sake of “just one more episode…” (and those are long episodes!). I’ve gone back on multiple occasions and re-watched parts of it. I can’t even pinpoint exactly why these characters got under my skin the way they did, but whatever it was, it worked.
solstices: Both seasons of Age of Youth! Not only are the girls so relatable, but the show also doesn’t shy away from showing how friendship can simultaneously be both the pettiest and the most magnanimous thing. Sometimes it takes the form of fighting over borrowed clothes, and sometimes it means dropping everything to cover your friend’s shift at her part-time job. There’s no grandeur to it — it’s an understated yet true-to-life portrayal of both the beautiful and the ugly sides of human connection. These characters are so multi-dimensional and lived-in that it really feels like we took a peek into these girls’ lives for just a moment; at the end of the day, we’re given the hope that they’ll keep trying to live life to the fullest. And I think that reassures us that we’re doing our best, too.
Unit: Here’s five reasons why Answer Me 1988 is my favorite slice-of-life show: 1) It has a relatable female lead. 2) It features a part adorable, part chaotic friendship squad (both the younger and older generation). 3) It takes me on an emotional rollercoaster — one minute I’m laughing, the next I’m either crying or reflecting. 4) I enjoy the OSTs. 5) Park Bo-gum. *Opens laptop to re-watch Answer Me 1988 again and pretends not to see the other dramas on my waitlist*
Dramaddictally: There’s nothing I like better than depictions of the mundane. But when it comes to picking just one, I’m going with a drama that’s maybe a little bit of a stretch: Yumi’s Cells (and more specifically, Season 1). This is one of the most brilliant shows I’ve seen in any language, and while the animation may not seem like the stuff of everyday life, it’s the cells that make the story all the more average and relatable. There’s nothing more mundane than watching someone think! This drama feels like a journey — from every minor decision that needs to be made to all the major changes that Yumi experiences. I loved watching her at work, at home, and in love, and I think the first season especially captures the annoying mental hang-ups we all have, rooted in our insecurities and past experiences. And best of all, the drama does it with humor. I don’t think I’ve laughed harder or shed more happy tears than while watching Yumi and Woong try to have basic conversations, hindered by their very different communication styles. It’s the little snippets of life, when the drama digs in deep, that make it so true to life, straight to the (realistically) heart-wrenching end.
alathe: I mean, as much as I wish my choice were less obvious… My Liberation Notes is the clear winner for me. It is one of the best written, most soulful dramas I have ever seen, and every moment was a delight. Who can forget Chang-hee’s glorious tangents? Mr. Gu launching himself heroically over the gully? Ki-jung and her lottery ticket crisis? Or, best of all, the two words that propelled this drama into the realms of the unforgettable: “Worship me”? I actually got chills down my spine when Ki-jung was told that her “genre” of romance was slice-of-life — it was the cleverest hat-tip to the fact that this show knows what it wants to do, and does it well. Never have those little, unremarkable scenes in everyday life felt so watchable — and so endearing.