"Feel behind the times somehow" — Internet divided over TIME Magazine's best K-dramas of 2024 list

TIME Magazine unveiled its best K-Drama list, titled The 10 Best K-Dramas of 2024, on December 18, 2024. Lovely Runner topped the list with praises for the performances by Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon. Other notable entries included tvN's Jeongnyeon: The Star is Born, which came in second place, and TVING's Love in the Big City in third.

Rounding out the TIME Magazine's best K-Drama list, Disney+'s A Shop for Killers secured fourth position, whereas JTBC's The Atypical Family came in fifth. SBS's The Judge from Hell and TVING's Pyramid Game ranked sixth and seventh, respectively. tvN's Marry My Husband stood eighth, while TVING's Death's Game claimed ninth. Finally, Netflix's Mr. Plankton completed the top ten list.

However, the rankings stirred debate online, with fans questioning the absence of some popular titles and the inclusion of lesser-known works. One X user commented:

"I feel behind the times somehow."

Others, too, shared their mixed feelings on this recently released top K-Dramas of 2024.

"Looking for #QueenOfTears and I can't find it. I taught my eyes were bad. This list must be a total joke. Lol," said one fan.

"This is crazy! How did they rank this?" commented another.

"Maybe unskilled professionals came up with the list," reacted one fan.

On the other hand, some fans were pleased with the titles that were included in TIME Magazine's best K-Drama list.

"lovely runner you will always be famous," commented one fan.

"I totally agree with Time Magazine naming Lovely Runner as the best Kdrama of 2024 and for me the best kdrama of all time. Exceptional chemistry of Byeon Woo seok and Kim Hye Yoon I love everything about Lovely Runner! Super fan of Woo seok and Hye Yoon tandem." said another.

"Great list, very well compiled," one remarked.

---

More about some of the dramas in Time Magazine's best K-Drama list

Lovely Runner, ranked first on TIME Magazine's 2024 best K-Drama list, stars Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon. Based on the web novel Tomorrow's Best, the tvN series aired from April 8 to May 28, 2024.

The story follows Ryu Sun-jae, a weary celebrity, and Im Sol, a devoted fan. After Sun-jae's tragic death, Sol is transported 15 years into the past, where she strives to change their intertwined fates.

Securing second place was Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born, a South Korean drama starring Kim Tae-ri, Shin Ye-eun, and Ra Mi-ran. It is based on a Naver webtoon.

It tells the story of Jeong-nyeon, a talented singer in 1950s Korea, who joined the Yeoseong Gukgeuk troupe and grew through the challenges of the performing arts. The series aired on tvN from October 12 to November 17, 2024, and is available on Disney+ in select regions.

Love in the Big City, which came in the third position, is a South Korean melodrama based on the novel by Sang Young Park. The series follows Go Young, a gay man navigating life and love in Seoul, and his close friendship with Choi Mi-ae, a straight woman. As Young embarks on a 10-year journey of self-discovery, he faces challenges with his mother, societal pressure, and a breakup with his lover, Sim Gyu-ho.

While recovering, he travels to Thailand with a stranger named Habibi, deepening his understanding of himself. The series, starring Nam Yoon-su and Lee Soo-kyung, premiered on TVING on October 21, 2024, and is also available on Viki in select regions.

---

TIME Magazine's The 10 Best K-Dramas of 2024 has sparked diverse reactions, with fans praising series like Lovely Runner, Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born, and Love in the Big City, while others question the exclusion of popular titles. The rankings have ignited ongoing debate, reflecting the opinions of K-drama fans on what defines the best in 2024.