It’s only February but I’m already nearing the point where I will have more new dramas I want to watch than there are hours I’m awake. But I’m ready to take on the challenge of watching as many dramas as I possibly can. It’s a heavy burden, but I’ll manage somehow.
Haechi
Time slot: Monday & Tuesday
Broadcaster: SBS
Genre: Sageuk
Episode count: 48 episodes (two 35 minute episodes each day)
Reasons to watch: Fresh out of military service, Jung Il-woo returns to the small screen in Haechi, the first network drama to depict King Yeongjo’s youth. Jung Il-woo stars as a young King Yeongjo in the years before he ascended to the throne. Before he was king, he was known as Yi Geum and he wasn’t considered a strong contender for the throne. Though he was incredibly intelligent and gifted, his birth status as the child of the king and a lowly common woman meant that he was at a disadvantage. A lesser man may have just decided to take advantage of his princeling status and live a life of luxury, but Yi Geum finds the strength and resolve to lay a claim on the throne. He’s not alone though; along the way he will have help from his merry band of kickass friends played by Go Ara, Kwon Yul, and Park Hoon.
Item
Time slot: Monday & Tuesday
Broadcaster: MBC
Genre: Mystery, fantasy
Episode count: 32 episodes (two 35 minute episodes each day)
Reasons to watch: Another actor making a notable comeback this year is Joo Ji-hoon. 2019 is shaping up to be a big year for Joo as he’s making his return to dramas after a four-year absence during which he focused on his film career. In Item, Joo Ji-hoon stars as a prosecutor who teams up with Jin Se-young, a skilled criminal profiler, to unspool a tangled web of conspiracy and mystery that surrounds a powerful and supernatural item. The item in question may be behind a series of strange events, and the item could also be the reason that Joo’s beloved niece is in danger. He’ll risk everything to protect the people he loves and he won’t shy away from a fight if he can save his niece. Kim Kang-woo co-stars as Joo’s foil, a seemingly charming and humble business executive who’s actually sociopath.
The Light in Your Eyes
Time slot: Monday & Tuesday
Broadcaster: JTBC
Genre: Romance, fantasy
Episode count: 12 episodes
Reasons to watch: How are you spending the time you have? The Light in Your Eyes will be delving into issues of time with Han Ji-min and Kim Hye-ja sharing the role of a young woman named Kim Hye-ja who suddenly loses her time. Kim Hye-ja the character aspires to be a news announcer but when she suddenly ages into an old woman, it seems like her dreams might be over. But after she ages that she discovers she’s gained the ability to manipulate time–but not very well, which results in all sorts of hijinks and issues for her. Nam Joo-hyuk co-stars as Han Ji-min/Kim Hye-ja’s love interest. He once aspired to be a journalist but when the series starts, he’s whiling away the hours of his life. Sohn Ho-joon will provide the comic relief as the unemployed, prospect-less older brother of Han Ji-min/Kim Hye-ja.
The Fiery Priest
Time slot: Friday & Saturday
Broadcaster: SBS
Genre: Crime, mystery, comedy
Episode count: 40 episodes (two 35 minute episodes each day)
Reasons to watch: When I think “comedy” the next word out of my mouth isn’t usually murder. But SBS is taking an interesting spin on the recent dramaland priest trend with The Fiery Priest, with the drama being billed as an “extreme investigative comedy.” When an elderly priest is murdered, Kim Nam-gil’s character, a priest with major anger management issues, decides to tackle the case and find the murderer. Kim Sung-kyun is a violent crimes detective who ends up reluctantly joining Kim in searching for the culprit and while Kim Nam-gil runs hot, Kim Sung-kyun…is likely to just run away. He’s more Keystone cop than hard-bitten detective and their personalities go together like oil and water. Honey Lee rounds out the trio as a prosecutor who talks a big game and always believes she’s in the right. Go Joon joins the cast as a gangster-turned-good but it’s not yet clear if he’s a friend or foe to Kim Nam-gil.