22 Anticipated Dramas for 2022

Last year I made a list of the dramas that I was excited for this year, and while a lot of that list didn’t end up airing because of various reasons, it was still fun to take some time to dive into the dramas that are expected to air for this coming year. I narrowed the dramas down to 22 picks. A lot have very little information on them, and I’m expecting like last year a lot will be pushed - in fact, some of the dramas on this list are from last year. While I tried to vary my picks, kdramas are really the only dramas that have the most information on what’s coming for the new year, and thus make up the majority of my list.

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-All of Us Are Dead (Netflix: January)
horror/youth/sci-fi

High school students trapped in their school during a zombie outbreak. What more to love. No official date, but it is in Netflix’s coming soon section and by all accounts should start in January. King2Hearts director Lee Jae Gyoo and screenwriter Chung Sung Il (recently LUCA: The Beginning) are attached to the drama.

-Connect
mystery/horror

More of a hope that it will be out this year, than an actual knowledge, Connect will be the first kdrama Japanese director Takashi Miike (Audition) will work on. It's about a story of a man who has a part of his body stolen by organ hunters and becomes connected with the person who receives it. Jung Hae In and Go Kyung Pyo have been cast, and if I had to guess this might be making it’s way to Netflix (both were in the recent Netflix production, D.P.).

-Deep
horror/mystery/action

There’s is very little known about this but it is adapted from the webtoon by Towoo and Kim Tae Heon of the same name and follows the story that takes place when a long-lost family returns.

-Goosebumps (Daum Kakao TV)
thriller/horror

The drama will contain short stories of the horrors that are often encountered in everyday life and props. Minho from SHINee will be starring.

-Grid (Disney+)
thriller/sci-fi

Starring Seo Kang Joon and Kim Ah Joong, as well as a slew of other notable names, Grid will be Disney+'s next kdrama after Snowdrop. It follows a mysterious entity who saved humankindi n the past, but has reappeared to help a serial killer escape. This was Kang Joon’s last drama before enlisting. Lee Soo Yeon is the screenwriter and has worked on Stranger and Life, and I have hopes that this is going to be a good one.

-Heaven and Hell: Two Psychos
thriller/mystery/comedy

A remake of a Japanese drama that aired the beginning of 2021, the drama is the story when the souls of a detective and a murder suspect swap. No cast has confirmed nor production team - really stretching on picking this one - but I think it might have a chance to be a lot of fun.

-Island (tvN)
action/thriller/horror

A drama that was scheduled last year, but because of delays and casting changes it was pushed to this year. Filming has already started with Kim Nam Gil and Lee Da Hee as leads. It was slated as a ten episode two season drama, but it might drop all at once because of delays. Island follows Mi Ho who's father assigns her to work at high school in Jeju, where evil roams free.

-Minamdang: Case Note (KBS2: May)
mystery/comedy

Another comedy. I know, who am I? I don't know, this one just looks interesting, Go Jae Hyun is the director, and I really like his previous works. It's about a profiler (played by Seo In Guk) and a suspicious cafe.

-Monstrous (tvN)
thriller/horror/supernatural

The drama follows and archaeologist (Kyo Hwan) who searches supernatural phenomena for a magazine and YouTube channel. I know I’ve said this in the past, but this one sounds like an episode of The X-Files and I am very much here for it. The cast looks great with Koo Kyo Hwan, Shin Hyun Bin, Kwak Dong Yeon, and Nam Da Reum.

-Shoutai (WOWOW: Mar 12)
thriller/mystery

The first jdrama on the list. The drama follow Keiichi (Kamenashi Kazuya) who is arrested as a suspect in a murder case but escapes.

-Snow White Must Die
mystery/drama

Two detectives go in search of mysterious incidents that happen in a village.

-Somebody (Netflix)
thriller/mystery

Somebody focuses on a social media app that leads to murder. Kim Young Kwan stars.

-Superior Day (OCN)
thriller

Despite not much a summary, the drama seems perfect for me. It follows a guy who finds out his neighbor is a serial killer. Lee Won Keun is rumored to be playing the serial killer and I just can't wait. The director is the same from Tale of the Nine-Tailed.

-The Journalist (Netflix, Jan 13)
thriller/drama

One of the jdramas that will be airing on Netflix, The Journalist is about a journalist (Yonekura Ryoko) who pursues the truth about a government corruption scandal. One of the screenwriters, Yamada Yoshitatsu, worked previously on Million Yen Women.

-The Mansion
thriller/mystery

Ji Na (Im Ji Yeon) is on a search to find her missing sister. Residents at an apartment building may know the answer.

-The Murder’s Shopping List (tvN)
thriller/mystery

Lee Kwang Soo plays a supermarket cashier who observes things that happen in his neighborhood.

-The Police Station Next to Fire Station (thriller)
drama

The drama follows a joint operation between a fire department and police force. The drama kind of sounds like one you’d find on NBC, like Station 19.

-The Youngest Son of a Conglomerate (jTBC)
thriller/fantasy

The plot for this sounds incredible. After an employee is framed for embezzlement and murdered, he is reborn as their son to seek revenge. It's directed by W/I'm Not a Robot director Jeon Dae Yun and stars Song Joong Ki.

-Thirty-Nine (jTBC: February)
drama

The only non-thriller on the list, Thirty-Nine is about three friends who met in high school and are now in their late thirties. I love a good female friendship story and with Son Ye Jin, Jeon Mi Do, and Kim Ji Hyun this can only be great.

-Through the Darkness (Jan 14)
thriller/crime

Starring Kim Nam Gil and Kim So Jin the drama is about criminal profilers, which is an automatic add for Jessie.

-Urban Myths: Tooth Worms (Netflix)
thriller/horror

The second season of the short horror anthology Goedam that aired in 2020, this has already been to a film festival so it has to show up this year. This time the cast features mostly idols.

-When the Day Breaks (jTBC: February)
mystery/crime/drama

After a body is found in a suitcase, a former forensic pathologist is suspected of the murder. The drama is an adaption of a Chinese book The Long Night by Zi Jin Chen which is also 2020 cdrama. The cast looks great including Han Seok Kyu and Jung Yu Mi and Hye Ran.

What are you looking forward to this coming year in dramaland? Let me know!

Last year’s list can be found here.

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December Premieres

A good amount of dramas premiered last month that are still airing and several projects got pushed to next year, but there’s still a good variety of dramas and movies coming out this month that I’m personally excited for.

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-The 2015 action comedy film Veteran is coming to Netflix on the 1st about a detective (Hwang Jung Min) who pursues a man on the run (Yoo Ah In). It did really well when it was released in theaters, it's the 5th all-time highest grossing film in history.

-Thai horror movie The Whole Truth will be available on the 2nd on Netflix. It is directed by Sid Wisit Sasanatieng who wrote the thriller Deep (also on Netflix). The movie follows two siblings who find a strange hole in the wall at their grandparent’s house.

-Thai drama 55:15 Never Too Late premieres on the 6th. The fantasy drama is about second chances, following five high school friends. It should be available subbed on GMMTV.

-Psychological thriller kdrama Artificial City premieres on the 8th from the Mystic Pop Up Bar director Jun Chang Geun. The drama looks like more of a makjang, and is about power struggle and greed of the wealth.

-Indian crime series Aranyak drops on Netflix on the 10th about two cops trying to figure out a puzzling murder.

-Netfix will drop the Vietnamese horror film The Guardian (Thien Than Ho Menh) on the 16th about a backup singer who is pushed to the front due to the sudden death of a pop star. The movie was released in theaters earlier this year.

-Amazon Prime jdrama No Activity: Honjitsu mo Ijou Nashi premiers (potentially drops all of its episodes?) on the 17th. It follows a former detective who joins up with a rookie to work an undercover drug case. No word if it will be accessible internationally on the platform, but if I had to guess: no.

-Starring Lee Dong Wook and Wi Ha Joon, the Korean drama Bad and Crazy premieres on iQIYI also on the 17th. It is about a superhero who decides to become a champion for justice against police corruption. The Uncanny Counter director/screenwriter team is working on it.

-Bulgasal: Immortal Souls will begin airing on Netflix on the 18th. The fantasy kdrama revolves around two characters, one a woman who remembers her past lives and keeps reincarnating and a man who used to be human. The screenwriters for The Guest (Seo Jae Won and Kwon So Ra) will be writing for the drama.

-While the upcoming kdrama Snowdrop is not a horror, thriller, or fantasy, it is worth mentioning on this list. The drama is set in 1987 and adapted from notes from a man who escaped a political prison camp in North Korea. It’ll kick off Disney Plus’s Asian content as the service’s first kdrama on the 18th.

-And finally as a Christmas Eve gift Netflix drops the long-awaited sci-fi/thriller, The Silent Sea about a team traveling to the moon who uncover a mystery at an abandoned space station. The drama stars the best of the best in Korean actors and I have been literally waiting years for this one.

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November Premieres

It feels like so long since I’ve just done a regular post that’s not a review! November has a lot of dramas premiering, and a lot that I’m personally excited for. It’s going to be a heavy watching month for me, especially with some other dramas that premiered during October.

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-The supernatural romance Thai drama Prajan See Daeng will be out today, the 1st, about a boy born cursed to turn into a tiger-man during the red moon, and his journey to try to find the only way he can break the curse.

-Not a new movie, but the 2020 Korean horror The Closet will be available on Shudder today. The film follows a widower who enlists the help of an exorcist to help him find his daughter after she goes missing.

-On the 3rd the cdrama Wisher premieres on iQIYI. The sci-fi thriller tells the story of a mysterious organization that creates an app that allows users to make a wish - if they do the assigned task. It is part of iQIYI’s Light On Series, iQIYI produced dramas that are in the suspense genre.

-Also coming out on the 3rd in celebration of Apple TV+ being available in South Korea is the sci-fi thriller Dr. Brain - the first original Korean drama on the platform. It’s director/writer is Kim Jee Woon, known for being the director of the movie I Saw the Devil. I have high hopes for this one.

-While Dead and Beautiful may not be a by-the-book definition of an Asian horror film, it does follow an almost entirely Asian cast and is partially set in Taipei. A group of friends bored with their socialite lives go out for the night…and end up vampires. It’s been making the rounds at film festivals but will be streaming on Shudder starting on the 4th.

-Another older movie, the 2014 Japanese movie The World of Kanako will drop on Shudder on the 5th. The movie follows a former detective who uncovers a secret about his teenage daughter.

-Kdrama Happiness begins on the 5th about a deadly virus that spreads throughout a city, and the apartment building that has been sealed off from it. It looks super interesting, and the team behind it is really good.

-The webdrama Find Me if You Can will premiere on the 9th about a four-way love…square? And a stalker who is obsessed with the main female lead. The drama will star almost the entirety of the kpop group ASTRO.

-Korean horror drama Hellbound drops all of its episodes on Netflix on the 19th. The drama is about people being able to hear predictions on how they’ll die and are able to see the death angel in front of them. Director/writer Yeon Sang Ho is known for Train to Busan. This is one of my top dramas this month.

-Taiwanese drama Light the Night will be streaming part one on Netflix on the 26th. Set in 1988 Taipei Red Light District about the lives, love, and struggles of the club madam, and their hostess ladies.

-On the 27th the kdrama One Ordinary Day premieres. The drama is about the murder of a woman, and the person in jail who might not be the culprit. It is a remake of the BBC series Criminal Justice.

No Date:

-There hasn’t been much movement or information on the kdrama Goosebumps after some casting news, so there might be a good chance this one won’t be out this month. It’s directed by Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum director Jung Bum Shik so I’m interested and hopeful it’ll appear.

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31 Days of Asian Horror: Ju-On Origins (2020)

If you’ve seen the original Ju-On, or even the US remake, you’ll know the basic story of Ju-On and the idea that when an incident happens in a place that is so tragic or horrible, it’ll stay with it forever haunting anyone who encounters it. While the original does focus a good bit of the story on the house itself, the Netflix original series Ju-On: Origins places it in a new light.

The series heavily focuses on the house, and the way it is presented is from a paranormal researcher’s quest to find out about all that happened there, interviewing other people’s accounts, and in turn, uncovers the horrific stories that happened. The drama series is much more darker than its original, really honing in on the idea of the grudge and what type of evil creates it. The series gives the distinction a little more weight, in that the grudge happens when the worst of the worst tragedy and events unfold and that it’s abnormal making the house so much more special.

I enjoyed the series the first time I watched it when it premiered back in July of last year, and still enjoyed it after a second watch. I always found that the original movie’s downfall was that it tried to separate the movie into each individual story and didn’t work to make it cohesive enough like it was trying to be more of an anthology, which I feel the series worked well within. Some of the stories are ongoing throughout the episodes, but because it’s broken into individual episodes, it allows for the jumps to previous incidents in time to flow better within the plot.

Placing the series in more of a documentary style or a faux-true story viewpoint was interesting and I think worked in that sense to keep up the scares when normal jump scares were not used as much, as it focused the horrors onto terrible humans doing terrible things and almost drawn to the house’s evil to carry out their acts. It still has the same flare that the movies do, though, and nods to the original with the use of the closet being a central place and a child's horrific death the catalyst for the grudge. The episodes are fairly short (under and half an hour) so it’s a quick easy binge.

If you are a fan of the series of movies, I do think you’d get something out of the series as it does kind of tie up loose ends regarding the grudge and its specificity of it being at that house thus showcasing how terrible the house is, but it does take the levels of the stories to a whole new extreme that is far enough removed from the original that I could see there being a divide in its reception. They are much more graphic and violent, the focus being on the worst of humanity which can be sometimes hard to stomach. I didn’t find that the series had many scares of a normal horror film, but more of a general sense of uneasiness the entire time that escalates as the series progresses and the stories get much more tragic.

Ju-On: Origins can be found streaming on Netflix.

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October Premieres

October seems like a fairly quiet month in comparison to previous months, which is a good thing so we can all focus on rewatching all of our Halloween favorites and just generally catch up on things. I personally have a lot of things going on in October, and while I will still be watching a lot I won’t be able to get to many new things. However, there is some great content heading to Shudder this month that I’m super excited for.

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TBA/No Date:

-The kdrama Crime Puzzle follows a criminal psychologist who is sent to prison for murdering a political candidate, who is met with a former lover who is a criminal profiler trying to figure out a murder that occurred at the prison he is in.

-Some of the Drama Special Season 12: TV Cinema will be premiering this month. Here is this list of the darker drama offerings for October:

• F20: A psychological thriller about two mothers, one whose son has schizophrenia.

• Landscape of Pain: A thriller that tells the story of three people who are caught up in a bizarre murder case.

Confirmed:

- On the 3rd the jdrama Solomon no Gisho premieres, an adaption of the 2016 Korean drama Solomon’s Perjury and previous Japanese movies from the same source.

-Remember You is a Thai drama remake of the kdrama Hello Monster that premiered back in August, but Netflix will be dropping the subbed episodes on the 5th.

-The Labyrinth finally has an official premiere date on the 6th.

-While V/H/S/94 is not necessarily an Asian horror film, it does feature Indonesian director, Timo Tjahjanto. It’ll be available for streaming on Shudder on the 6th.

-Based on a true story about an incident that happened to a band that went on a trip to Chuncheon, Fearsome premieres in Korean theaters Oct 7th. The teaser looks interesting and has a pretty good cast lineup.

-Taiwanese drama Danger Zone S2 will be airing starting on the 8th following the previous season. iQiyi had the English subs for season one, so I assume it’ll also sub this season.

-The Taiwanese movie, Detention, will be hitting select US theaters on the 8th. The 2019 horror film is based on the horror game with the same name. Set in 1962 during Taiwan's White Terror period the movie is about two students trapped in a high school. There is also a Netflix limited series that is also based on the game that was released end of last year.

-The Medium will be available on Shudder for streaming on the 14th. I’ve talked about this one before, and am super excited for it. I’m glad that Shudder was able to get rights.

-Rasen no Meikyu: DNA Kagaku Sosa follows Detective Genji Ando (Yasuda Ken) who’s wife has been killed by a serial killer, and the DNA expert that he reaches out to help with the investigation. The jdrama starts on the 15th.

-Also on the 15th, Netflix will drop all the episodes of a kdrama I’m personally excited for, My Name, starring Han So Hee who plays Ji Woo, a member of a crime ring who goes undercover as a police officer.

-The Japanese remake of the 1997 Canadian film by the same name, Cube, will premier on the 22nd. 6 people are locked in a mysterious cube-shaped room, if they don’t decipher the code they won’t get out of the cube. No word on International release yet, but I assume this is one of the films that will get one sooner than later.

-Jirisan/Cliffhanger, one of the most anticipated kdramas of the year is finally coming out this month. Starring Jun Ji Hyun and Joo Ji Hoon and written by Kingdom screenwriter, Kim Eun Hee, the action/thriller follows the mystery surrounding the mountain and the rangers trying to rescue the survivors and lost trekkers. It’ll be available Internationally on iQiyi on the 23rd.

-Rounding out the month on the 30th is the OCN drama, Chimera. A present-day case leads to evidence being uncovered that relates to a series of murders from 1984.

Want some more new dramas and movies to watch? Check out what happened in September.

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May Dramas '21

I didn’t do one of these for the month of April because I really didn’t have anything to talk about, but I’ve been slowly getting back on track for this month and have been watching a good amount - especially towards the end of May. I’ve been trying to focus on catching up on some of the airing dramas that are nearing the end to get them out of the way for dramas I’ve put on hold. This month I don’t have a lot of airing shows, so my schedule is a bit free - outside of all of my Summer Horror craziness.

It’s been nice to get into the groove of watching again. I’ve talked about this in the past, but when I get into a not-so-great headspace, I don’t keep up with the things I enjoy. Dramas take a back seat. If you want to know what I’m currently watching, I’m fairly good at updating on MyDramaList and Letterboxd. Follow me on one of those places to really get a sense of what I’m doing.

Completed
I know. It’s painfully small.

• Thirteen - サーティーン: It’s been a while since I actually finished this one, but it’s a quick and short binge if you are looking for one. I haven’t watched the show it’s based on, so I can’t tell you if it stays true but I enjoyed it.

• Voice 1 - 보이스: I had planned to finish this months ago, but I failed miserably. But powered through it and finished it over the weekend. I have plans to watch the other two seasons in the next couple of weeks before the premiere. I enjoyed most of it. It had some weird parts in the storyline that I didn’t care for, and would have loved it to be more of a procedural with the overarching storyline, cause it would have been interesting to see the emergency line be an actual emergency line - but the story really didn’t allow for that and I understand.

Currently Watching
A lot of these I may not be prioritizing at the moment, but these will be my priorities to (very hopefully) finish this month. All of the airing dramas on this list end this month, and I really need to get the next seasons of Voice done before Voice 4.

• Sherlock: The Untold Stories - シャーロック アントールドストーリズ: I feel like I always have at least one jdrama on my list that’s just hanging out.

• Dark Hole - 다크홀: The first two episodes were magically straight out of an X-Files episode.

• Sell Your Haunted House - 대박부동산: The surprise favorite of the group.

• Taxi Driver - 모범택시: I haven’t gotten to the writer switch yet, but am enjoying this.

• Youth of May - 오월의 청춘: I’m going to be obsessed with this one.

• Voice 2 - 보이스 2: I’m hopeful that this is as good as the first season.

• Voice 3 - 보이스 3: Same for this one.

• Law School - 로스쿨: I haven’t watched past episode one, hoping that the murder mystery plot stays keeping me interested.

New Dramas/Movies

Jun 17 Hospital Playlist 2 - 슬기로운 의사생활++ // tvN (Netflix)
Not going to lie, I’ve been needing a drama like Hospital Playlist to come out. Glad it’s finally here.

Jun 18 Voice 4 - 보이스4: 심판의 시간 // tvN (seasons 1&2, VIKI has it in coming soon)
I’m not doing these massive Voice binges during the weekends for nothing. Hopefully, by the time this airs I will be caught up with the other seasons and can start this when it drops.

Jun N/A Whispering Corridors 6: The Humming - 여고괴담 여섯번째 이야기: 모교 // movie
I haven’t read too much into the plot of this one (trying to avoid spoilers) but I’m pretty positive that it’s going to be a reboot of the first movie. And it stars Kim Seo Hyung, so I’m already going to want to watch it. This has actually been completed for about a year now, it was scheduled to be released last year but because of Covid it had to suffer delays. I don’t actually think this will be available to watch (pretty sure this is a theatrical release), but figured it was worth mentioning.

Jun N/A Midnight - 미드나이트 // movie
I have a special spot for Jin Ki Joo since Come and Hug Me and she hasn’t really been in anything lately that I’ve wanted to watch. I saw this trailer and knew that I needed to watch it. Will it be available to watch with subs? Probably not, but this is my plea that it somehow lands somewhere I can watch. I’m fairly positive TVing has picked it up.

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March Dramas '21

Despite having a lot to watch, I watched very little. I’ll be happy when this round of airing dramas ends, too many dramas to keep up with and too many dramas to keep dodging spoilers. I am not good with airing dramas, especially with the year I’ve had.

Completed

• Nishiogikubo Mitsuboshi Youshudou - 西荻窪 三ツ星洋酒堂: This was a fine little drama. Nothing special, I found the last half much better than the first. In the end it’s a small little drama that was an easy watch.

• The Silenced - 경성학교: 사라진 소녀들: I have gotten into the habit of watching movies over dramas, and I’ve been going through my list of wanting to watch ones. I had kept seeing this on MDL because their search is absolutely terrible, and when we were doing our Seo Ye Ji episode on the podcast if you searched her name, this movie came up before her. I don’t know why either. She’s not in it. It was …ok. Honestly would have been fine never watching this, but it was a random night watch so what can you do. The twist is weird, and the story is a little funky. Tension doesn’t really work either, and for it being in the horror category it definitely is not.

• Dear Friend - 령: This is an older movie, but I still really enjoyed it. Another on my list for a while, I stumbled upon it and had to watch it.

• Little Big Women - 孤味: This was just recently released on Netflix and I thought it looked interesting and gave it a chance. I really enjoyed it. The story follows a wife and daughters after their father dies and their grief, and how they are dealing with it based on their different relationships they had with the father.

• The Wicked - 마녀: You know that site, Asian Crush? I always think it’s not a legal site, but I guess it is possible that is. I don’t know. I found out that they had an app when I was setting up a new Roku and figured I would try it out since they have things for free with ads. This movie was painfully terrible and slow and boring and I wish I had never watched it.

Currently Watching

• Beyond Evil - 괴물: Currently my favorite drama I’m watching this month. I’m slightly behind, but its been consistently great.

• Mouse - 마우스: I really wish that it kept up the greatness that was its first episode. It’s a fine drama, but pretty big let down after watching what it could be.

• Sisyphus the Myth - 시지프스: The Myth: I honestly don’t know why I’m still watching this drama. I’m behind (like all the other dramas), but I will watch most dramas before this one.

• Vincenzo - 빈센조: The humor is hard to get through, but when it gets dark, it gets dark and I am in love with crazy Taec.

• 13 - サーティーン: I started this randomly yesterday and am halfway through the series. It’s only four episodes, so I should be done with it today/tomorrow. Jdramas will always win me over, and I love to binge. I think I’m honestly watching this more because I was overwhelmed with all the other things I’m watching. This is a remake of the BBC show, Thirteen, but I’ve never seen it so I can’t tell you how it compares.

• Voice 1 - 보이스: I’m sorry Voice. I really, truly, am. It keeps being pushed to the bottom of the watching pile but I am determined to keep it in my currently watching and not move it to on-hold so I will be able to finish the season before Voice 4 premieres (in June).

New Dramas/Movies
I doubt I’ll actually get to these, probably focus on Deluxe Taxi and Dark Hole. Look out for the premiere posts for more information and what I think of the teasers so far.

• Train to Busan: Peninsula - 반도 (1st)

• Deluxe Taxi - 모범택시 (9th)

• Law School - 로스쿨 (14th)

• Real Estate Exorcism - 대박부동산 (14th)

• Ride of Die - 彼女 (15th)

• Dark Hole - 다크홀 (24th)

Missed last month’s wrap-up? Find it here.

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