What to Watch Next (January)

I don't know how the year flew by so fast, but here we are, looking ahead to what will be released in January 2026. So many good dramas are airing on my birthday too, thanks, guys!

What are the dramas you're excited about?

Starring: Ji Sung, Park Hee Seon, Won Jin Ah, Tae Won Seok

Synopsis: Judge Lee Han Yeong, who believed justice could be achieved in the courtroom, defied his superiors' orders and sentenced a conglomerate chairman to life in prison, only to be killed for it. But was it because of the secrets he overheard as a child? Retaining all his memories, he is given a second chance at life. The world needs him, Lee Han Yeong, the heretic of the judiciary who knows only justice. Kim Jin A is a prosecutor determined to take down the corporate chairman responsible for her father’s death. (Mydramalist)

All I had to see was Ji Sung acting as a judge again, and I was in for this drama adventure.

The premise seems to have a bit of "Reborn Rich" vibes, but here we will deal with the justice system. This association definitely comes because Judge Lee Han Yeong will have a second chance in life; there are no more similarities. It is a good trope, but probably because I read too many webtoons with it, it makes me wonder what kind of original take this drama will have.

Actors in the cast seem very solid too, even when looking at the support roles: Tae Won Seok, Hwang Hee, Ahn Nae Sang (love to see him in almost every show), and more actors that we know of.

This is also an adaptation from a web novel, "Judge Lee Han Yeong" by Lee Hae Nal.

Hopefully, this all means an exciting time for the law drama fans!

To My Beloved Thief

Starring: Nam Ji Hyun, Moon Sang Min, Hong Min Ki, Han So Eun

Synopsis: Hong Eun Jo is a girl born to a noble father and a slave mother. She is a righteous thief who steals from corrupt officials' granaries for the people. Prince Yi Yeol has outstanding looks, a tall figure, and innate dignity. Yi Yeol, who enjoys detective investigations, falls in love with Hong Eun Jo at first sight while searching for a thief. A rom-com historical drama about a woman who accidentally becomes a thief and a great Joseon army chasing her, whose souls switch, and they save and protect each other. (Mydramalist)

Airs: January 3rd

Spring Fever

Starring: Ahn Bo Hyun, Lee Joo Bin, Cha Seo Won

Synopsis: Follows Yun Bom, who, after enduring emotional turmoil in Seoul, moves to the small town of Sinsu to begin anew as an exchange teacher. Initially detached and cold toward everything, she gradually opens her heart after meeting Seon Jae Gyu. Seon Jae Gyu is a key figure who stirs up the village with his outrageous antics. He is also the CEO of JK Power Energy and the uncle of Seon Han Gyeol, a student at Sinsu High. Despite his large build and rough first impression reminiscent of a back-alley tough guy, Jae Gyu is someone full of unexpected charm, unwavering devotion, and a deep consideration for others. (Mydramalist)

Airs: January 5th

Starring: Kim Seon Ho, Go Youn Jung, Fukushi Sota, Lee Yi Dam, Choi Woo Sung

Synopsis: Joo Ho-Jin is a multilingual interpreter with extraordinary language skills including English, Japanese and Italian. He begins to work for star Cha Mu-Hee as her interpreter. She has bright charms and is always confident. The emotions of a celebrity and her interpreter get lost in translation as they travel the world filming a TV show. Will love find its own language? (Asianwiki/Mydramalist)

I have seen the trailer for this, and one thing that I can say about this drama with confidence is that it'll look stunning.

What caught my attention already are the lingering emotions in their eyes, the beautiful scenery and some humour in it. I am in love. Now, all we have to ask is for the story to be good and actually show what a rom-com is without some murder mystery!

I also like how they included a Japanese actor in this; it makes it feel more realistic, and I wonder if we also get to hear Italian.

The only thing I've seen from the screenwriters (Hong Jeong Eun and Hong Mi Ran) is "Hotel Del Luna", which was very entertaining as far as I remember. I know that a lot of people loved "Alchemy of Souls", so my expectations are high.

Starring: Kim Hye Yoon, Lomon, Jang Dong Joo, Lee Si Woo

Synopsis: Eun Ho is a gumiho, known in folklore as a mythical creature with 9 tails. She is different from other gumihos - she doesn't want to become a human, unlike other gumihos. She enjoys her eternal youth that never changes. To avoid becoming a human, she refrains from small virtues and accumulating bad deeds. Kang Si Yeol is a world-class soccer player. He is the top striker for a famous soccer club overseas. As a soccer player, he accomplished many firsts, and he shines brighter than the club itself. His life is perfect, but one day an unexpected incident takes place. (AsianWiki)

I'm not very familiar with screenwriters Park Chan Young and Cho A Yeon; director Kim Jung Kwon is also a mystery to me. However, I saw so many bits and pieces over the year of filming that I can't wait for the drama to finally be on the screens.

The synopsis sounds good, and even if it seems predictable in a way (Eun Ho, please don't become a human! Don't let any man dictate your eternal youth!) I'm so ready for the fun parts of the drama.

I saw that the drama is already catching some haters for no reason. The drama hasn't come out yet, the actors are great, please calm down.

Just give me a little bit of magic and fantasy, and I'm sat!

Starring: Park Shin Hye, Go Kyung Pyo, Ha Yoon Kyung, Cho Han Gyeol

Synopsis: Set in the late 1990s, Hong Geum Bo is in her 30s and is an elite supervisor for the Financial Supervisory Service. She goes undercover as a 20-year-old high school graduate, Hong Jang Mi, and begins to work for a securities company where suspicious flows of funds are detected. There, she meets Sin Jeong U. He is the new CEO of Hanmin Securities Company. Sin Jeong U is a natural-born management consultant and a corporate raider who believes that only numbers are honest. He meets Hong Jang Mi, whose face is the same as Hong Geum Bo's, whom he once loved. They become complicatedly entangled. (Mydramalist)

First of all, the poster is very cute, with the newspaper showing Hong Geum Bo already being undercover. It gives me the sense of what this drama is going to be like.

Then I saw that the director is Park Seon Ho, who worked on great romance dramas such as "Wok of Love", "Business Proposal", but this is a crime drama... That's when I saw "Suspicious Partner" in his filmography.

I'm ready to see Park Shin Hye and Go Kyung Pyo's chemistry together. It doesn't seem like there will be much romance, looking at the genres, but I do wish to see some good banter.

Positively Yours

Starring: Choi Jin Hyuk, Oh Yeon Seo, Hong Jong Hyun, Kim Da Som

Synopsis: A reverse romantic comedy about a "shotgun romance" that begins with a one-night stand between a man and a woman who both vowed never to get married in this lifetime. Kang Du Jun is a seemingly perfect second-generation chaebol from head to toe. He lives for his family and company in place of his deceased older brother. Jang Hui Won, a career woman who scores 100 in work but 0 in romance. Her carefully structured life faces an unforeseen twist following that one impulsive night. (Mydramalist)

Airs: January 17th

Recipe for Love

Starring: Jin Se Yeon, Park Ki Woong, Yoo Ho Jung, So Yi Hyun

Synopsis: Follows the story of two families in Onjeong that have been in conflict with each other for a long time, as they overcome their past disagreements, heal from their emotional wounds, and find love, eventually becoming one united family. (Mydramalist)

Airs: January 31st