We’ve handed out the Bean of Greatness, the Bean of Disappointment, and the Bean of Squee. For our final bean of the year, we’re awarding the Bean of Hiddenness. You know the drama — it was flying under the radar. Well, until it flew right into your heart and became the hidden gem you didn’t know you needed.
Not to be confused with the famous Editors’ Picks, this bean series is much like our other DB team posts — each writer sharing their feels. Add your own personal Bean of Hiddenness in the comments and share your gems!
missvictrix: Can a hidden gem drama also be painful and full of torment and tension? If so, my Bean of Hiddenness goes to Trolley. It’s not a fluffy drama. You won’t leave with stars in your eyes. You’ll probably be a wreck of emotions. But that being said, it’s a drama that’s amazingly acted, well-written, and absolutely riveting. And even though our heroine goes through a harrowing journey of lies and deception, the overarching message is about facing your demons, and being able to discover a deep well of inner strength, even when it feels like there’s nothing left inside of you. How’s that for being totally depressing and yet vaguely uplifting? Jokes aside, this is a well-crafted, high-intensity drama that deserved much more attention than it got.
mistyisles: Unlock the Boss aired during that in-between period of the year where it’s easily overlooked — too late to be included in 2024 reviews, but so early in the 2024 timeline that an entire year’s worth of K-dramas stand out in more recent memory. It does seem like more people have discovered it throughout the year, but I’d still consider it one of 2024’s hidden gems. I came for the weird premise, but it didn’t take long for Chae Jong-hyeop to cement the theater-kid-turned-acting-CEO Park In-sung as one of my favorite K-drama heroes of the year. His cleverness kept his enemies on their toes even when it seemed his back was against the wall, his unfailing kindness was inspiring — especially in how it affected those closest to him and won him surprising allies — and the little glimpses into his imagination were just delightful.
solstices: Tinged with the nostalgia of bygone memories, imbued with the magic of Christmas, and wrapped up in the warmth of a lovely found family, Finland Papa was my hidden gem of the year. A beautifully understated tale of forgiveness and healing, the drama reflected the way grief lingers in the crevices of common spaces and the threads of tucked-away things. It gave its characters the space to simply exist in liminal moments, allowing us to feel the weight of unspoken emotions in poignant silences. Pared down to its emotional core, the show wove in a nuanced tapestry of details into context clues, trusting its audience to stitch the pieces together. At just three hours long, this pocket-sized story painted its magic in broad strokes, unfurling its secrets with minimal fanfare and allowing the simplicity of its sincerity to shine through. Sometimes misguided wanderers just need a little nudge back onto the right track, and Finland Papa — both the cafe and the show — felt like returning home to cozy blankets and a warm cup of cocoa after a long trek through the snow.
Unit: The Matchmakers gets my uncontested bean as my hidden gem for the year. This is one drama I started for the actor, and stayed for its intentional storytelling and beautiful production value. The drama had a well-woven plot, a great ensemble (featuring awesome female characters, THE best Joseon king, well-utilized side characters, and a number of secondary couples to root for aside from the OTP), lots of humor, gorgeous aesthetics, and best of all, it stuck the landing! I’ve largely expressed my feelings about this drama in the recaps, so I’ll just say this: if you must pick ONE 2024 show to binge — and I say binge, because the odd-even episodes were designed to be watched as a pair — before diving into next year’s offerings, you should absolutely watch The Matchmakers.
Dramaddictally: Finding a hidden gem is the best feeling. When you go in with few expectations, not only are you less likely to be disappointed, there’s also so much room for happy surprise. One Day Off was the 2024 drama that had this effect on me — and I want it to not remain hidden! At a tight eight episodes, it has an overall vision for its philosophy of life. But each episode is self-contained, unearthing little lessons in the day to day. We follow high school teacher Park Ha-kyung (Lee Na-young) as she takes one-day trips, eats good food, walks around new places, and interacts with everyday people. Sound boring? It’s not. It’s packed with food for thought, as well as indie-film cinematography and experimental methods of storytelling. This isn’t one of those dramas I love so much that I want to keep it to myself. It’s one I want everyone to see so we can talk and debate it together — since there’s lots of room for interpretation. My one and only gripe with this drama is that more people haven’t seen it.