JANUARY 2026 WRAP UP

Caitlin Connolly
6 hours ago
12 min read

New Year means NEW ME! Seriously, I had an amazing January completing and starting new dramas. I did watch a lot of movies this month as well which is new for me, but I did watch the movies for a reason. Since I watched a lot of movies this month, that means I have a lot to talk about and give you mini reviews of all of those movies. I still worked on getting dramas off of my current watchlist especially the dramas that I brought over from 2025 that I meant to complete in December 2025. I think I did a fairly good job with this because I either dropped the dramas or completed them.

I don't know if I have introduced this post in a while so since it is a new year and this is the first wrap up of the year, I figured I would reintroduce it here on the blog. The Blog's Wrap Up Posts is where I talk about all of the drama I completed in the past month. I also mention if I have dropped anything during the month. The second half of the blogpost is where I talk about all of the dramas, I am looking forward to that is coming out in the upcoming month and also that are rumored for the upcoming month. Now, I don't talk about all of the dramas that are coming out or rumored for the upcoming month. I just pick out the ones I am interested in. Lastly at the end of the blogpost, I talk about the dramas I am planning on starting soon that are older or dramas that I plan to start due to having to review it on a podcast.

DRAMAS/MOVIES I COMPLETED IN JANUARY 2026

Now as I said, January 2026 was a good month for me completing dramas AND MOVIES! I watched a lot of movies in January. I feel like if I did not finish as many movies as I did, I might have completed a couple of other dramas I had on my current watchlist from 2025 but here we are. I still completed some FANTASTIC things to talk about now.

Better Days (CMovie) (AMAZON PRIME): This was a hard movie to watch but it was incredible. I went into the movie knowing nothing and did not expect it to have crime. The acting was phenomenal even the villains. The story was impactful, hard to watch but also heartwarming. A very memorable movie. I can see why it was nominated for an Oscar. I don't want to reveal to much about the plot and give spoilers so, just go and watch it if you have not seen Better Days yet.

RATING: 10/10

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (CMovie) (AMAZON PRIME): This will be a very bias review because this is one of my favorite movies of all time. I cannot tell you how many times I have watched this movie at this point. I even owned the soundtrack on CD as a kid. Are there flaws? Probably but I don’t notice them because I love the movie so much. I love the acting. I love the story. I love the fight scenes. There is a reason why this movie is a classic. This is another movie that if you have not seen it, you should at least one time in your life.

RATING:10/10

Last Samurai Standing (Jdrama) (NETFLIX): If you liked Squid Game/Alice in Borderland, you would love this. I loved that it kept that manga feel. I love that you learned about a character’s backstory with each episode BUT I NEEDED MORE EPISODES! The fight scenes were SPECTACULAR! The cinematography was AWESOME! I am so excited that it was confirmed that this jdrama is getting a Season 2. It needs one. It was a little predictable especially if you have seen dramas from the same genre as Squid Game, but I still enjoyed this Jdrama.

RATING: 9/10

The Yakuza Boss's Beloved (Jdrama) (VIKI): This Jdrama was cute & fun. It isn't perfect. I LOVED the male lead & how he took care of the FL. It needed more episodes because it jumped from one danger to the next. It moved too fast and needed more episodes for more context, depth and explanation. I loved the quieter moments. I needed more growth with female lead because she still was timid by end. I loved that the second male lead was not the cliche second male lead. It needed more Yakuza moments. The male lead did very well acting out those yakuza scenes. I did not like the male lead's Yakuza outfit 🤣

RATING: 8.5/10

Lover's Revenge (Jdrama) (VIKI): I liked this Jdrama more than I thought I would. I did not like the male lead’s motivation for starting the relationship with female lead. I loved that the female lead supported the male lead. I disliked one parent but had a nice surprise at the end. It was too short & people were forgiven too quickly. There were some many needed conversations that never happened because it ended. I loved that it broke some stereotypes with the story

RATING: 8.5/10

Miss King (Jdrama) (NETFLIX): I loved the concept for this drama because it gave me vibes of Queen’s Gambit and one of those tournament anime that we all love. The female lead was great & was acted well. The drama did go a little dark in parts, darker than I thought it would. I loved that the drama highlighted the female characters in the drama. It needed like 2 more episodes. I felt like the last episode everyone just gave up and then there was a time jump & no context behind what the characters were doing.

RATING: 8.5/10

Lost in Starlight (KMovie) (NETFLIX): This had GORGEOUS animation! I loved the sci-fi aspect. I loved that it was still a grounded relatable story about pursuing your dreams & love. It had some unanswered questions at the end. I wanted more info with the characters’ trauma. All of the characters had trauma and sometimes I felt I needed more background on it. I LOVED the OST. This is just a beautiful and wonderful movie.

RATING: 8.5/10

Adoring (CMovie) (AMAZON PRIME): Easy criers at movies be warned - you will cry. This has everything you would expect from a rom com about animals. It was fluffy, heartwarming at parts, other parts were very sad and you will be crying. It had good acting but nothing spectacular. I liked that it was lots of short stories mixed in. I loved how the animals helped with the progression of the relationships. I HATED that I cried so much. Trigger Warning for dog death.

RATING: 8/10

Medical Examiner Dr. Qin: Silent Evidence (Cdrama) (YouTube): This drama was ok but could have been better. I loved how quirky Dr. Qin was in this version. It did not need the comedy. I disliked the female cop at first but she grew on me. IT DID NOT NEED ROMANCE AT ALL! I also figured out the main bad guy somewhat early on but some of the individual cases were interesting. I missed the drama having bromance. It could have been worse.

RATING: 7.5/10

Whisper of Silent Body (CMovie) (YouTube): An ok movie. It wasn’t bad but wasn’t great. The best part was the acting. They had some great actors in this. The writing fell apart. The writing had plot that did not make sense. I didn’t buy into the romance either. It could have been worse though

RATING: 7/10

Tune in for Love (KMovie) (NETFLIX): This movie was not for me. Slice of life is not my genre. I got bored in parts. The leads have great chemistry. Watch it for the main couple but that is all I can recommend. I got frustrated with the lack communication at times. Some things were not resolved or explained by the end. Some things didn’t need to be included in the story either like the creepy boss at the end.

RATING: 6/10

Medical Examiner Dr. Qin: Death Redemption (CMovie) (YouTube): This made for tv special was a little better than the other 2 specials I have watched so far for the Dr Qin series. It at least had an interesting twist at the end. The movie gave little explanation/background for the characters and story and sort of jumped right in. It could have used that context. The lead actor was ok in this special but not great. You can skip this one.

RATING: 4/10

Korean Dramas Awards from All 3 Networks (KVariety) (AMAZON PRIME): I started off 2026 like I always do by watching the Kdrama award shows for 2025. I could only watch the MBC Drama Awards right away due to Kocowa only putting that one on Amazon Prime right at the beginning of 2026. KOCOWA finally put up the other 2 award shows on Amazon Prime a few days after I watched MBC Drama Awards, so I watched both of them when I could. I am glad I can still keep this tradition going. I definitely watched the most SBS Kdramas in 2025 even though I didn’t watch many kdramas overall. It was fun revisiting the 2025 kdramas during the award shows. I always like doing this tradition every year.

DRAMAS I DROPPED IN JANUARY 2026

I dropped 2 dramas in January 2026, and both were Jdramas that I had started in December 2025 and brought over from 2025.

Learning to Love (Jdrama) (NETFLIX): I watched 3 episodes and I just could not warm up to the female lead. I really tried to like her and I just could not. I found myself avoiding watching more episodes and that just tells me it is time for me to drop it.

Romantics Anonymous (Jdrama) (NETFLIX): I think I watched 2 more episodes of this drama. The 2 leads just seemed way too awkward for me. I just could not get used to how awkward they were individually but also together so, I just dropped it.

NEW FEBRUARY 2026 DRAMAS I AM EXCITED FOR

February is about to EXPLODE with some AMAZING looking dramas coming out and rumored to be coming out. I already have a ton of dramas from January I still need to click play on 😂 This means I have a lot to choose from so, I am ok with that. Just a reminder, I AM GOING TO TRY NOT WATCHING AIRING DRAMAS AS THEY AIR IN 2026 AND SEE HOW THAT WORKS FOR ME! I will be curious what I end up completing and starting in January due to the podcast or what I have on my list already to start from previous months.

I still have quite a few dramas that are coming out in February that I am excited about so, let's talk about them

Honour (Kdrama) [PREMIERES FEBRUARY 2, 2026]

2 things pique my interest with this Kdrama. One is that it is a law drama. I love that the drama will concentrate on female characters and female stories because the 3 lead lawyers work at a law firm that specializes in defending female crime victims. The second thing is that this is about 3 female lawyers who have been friends for 20 years. So, we will have a female led drama that is female driven. We all know that all 3 leads are great actresses so, I am excited to see the three leads' characters story unfold. Each female lead is in different points in their lives. I am sure it is going to mix personal and professional drama together in 1 Kdrama. I hope we get this somewhere internationally on a streaming platform.

Bloody Flower (Kdrama) (Disney + - not confirmed for Hulu but looks like it is coming to KOCOWA as well) [PREMIERES FEBRUARY 4, 2026]

This is a crime drama SO, OF COURSE, I am looking forward to it. This is the first time I am seeing Ryeo Un in a role like this. I have seen him in crime dramas before but never as the perceived villain. I also have never seen Keum Sae Rok in a crime drama before, but I have seen her in more youth dramas or romance dramas before. I am curious what sort of twists this drama is going to throw in because it can't be a straightforward as the trailer and synopsis is making it seem.

Million-Follower Detective (Tdrama) (NETFLIX) [PREMIERES FEBRUARY 12, 2026]

This is a crime Taiwanese Dramas that I just found out about when I was making this list. Taiwan has done some really good crime dramas in the past so, this looked interesting to me. It is about a detective who is trying to find a viral tarot reader who accurately predicts the deaths of influencers. The viral tarot reader looks creepy with the mask she is wearing but also the voice she uses. The cast has some great actors/actresses in it so, I am curious to check this one out and it looks right up my alley.

The Art of Sarah (Kdrama) (NETFLIX) [PREMIERES FEBRUARY 13, 2026]

The crime Kdrama is probably my most anticipated Kdrama for February - mainly due to the cast. I mean the leads are Shin Hae Sun and Lee Jun Hyuk, both amazing actors in their own right but I am excited to see their chemistry. This is also a reunion for them because they both starred in Stranger Season 1 together. We know acting is going to be TOP NOTCH with this crime Kdrama. I am really curious how the plot is going unfold with this one because Shin Hae Sun's character is apparently the murder victim of the story.

RUMORED CDRAMAS I AM EXCITED FOR THAT MIGHT AIR IN FEBRUARY 2026

Now Some Cdramas that I mentioned in the December Wrap Up Post actually is now premiering in February so, go back to the December Wrap Up Post here to read my thoughts on those Cdramas. The Cdramas that I talked about in the post are The Truth (which is now confirmed to premiere on February 3rd) and Generation to Generation which is now rumored for a February 23 premiere. Now the rumored cdramas that I am going to talk about are subject to change and I truly believe there are a lot that we don't even know about that are going to be announced for February. Cdramaland is definitely gearing up for 2026 in February.

Unveil: Jadewind (Rumored for February 5)

If you pay attention to cdramas that are coming out, you are not surprised that I am excited for this cdrama. It stars Bai Lu and Wang Xing Yue which are 2 actors I love to watch. It is also a historical mystery cdrama which I have said COUNTLESS times I love this genre and setting. The trailer makes the drama look really nice. I hear Bai Lu trained for 3 months for this drama so, that tells me the fight scenes are going to be great with this drama. I am excited to see her in this role.

Rebirth (rumored for February 6th)

THE TRAILER FOR THIS CDRAMA IS INSANE!! The trailer really sells this drama. Now I have watched Princess Agents, but it has been YEARS since I watched that cdrama. I might have to do a rewatch before I check Rebirth out. I am definitely interested in this drama because I have already watched Princess Agents. I am also watching Blossom right now so, the male lead has caught my eye in this as well. I love a good historical wuxia cdrama as well.

Live Up to Your Youth (rumored for February 18th)

If you have been reading this blog or listening to the podcast for any length of time, you already know why I am looking forward to this cdrama. Bai Yu stars SO OF COURSE, I am excited for it. The premise for this cdrama looks like a good one to watch during the wintertime. It is about a group of people living in a guesthouse in 1990s Beijing and them striving to accomplish their dreams. Sounds like we are getting found family and possibly a romance or two with this one.

Touch (Rumored for February 27)

THE TRAILER FOR THIS CDRAMA LOOKS SPICY! The spiciness of the trailer definitely caught my eye. It is definitely one of those trailers where you ask how this cdrama passed censorship. 😂 The synopsis sounds like we got some time travel involved with this one. I am VERY curious about the chemistry between the two leads and if this cdrama turns out to be as spicy as the trailer makes it seem like it will be.

Born with Luck (Rumored for February)

This crime drama looks like a nice change of pace and a different genre to add to your current watchlist. I AM SO CURIOUS ABOUT TIAN XI WEI BEING IN THIS GENRE! I never really pictured her doing a crime drama but here we are. Wang Xiao being in a crime drama is no surprise. He is known for crime dramas and he is good at them. I am really curious about him and Tian Xi Wei's chemistry and how they will work together.

The Ferryman 10th Anniversary (Rumored for February)

As someone who at least watched Season 1 of the original Ferryman Series, I AM SUPER EXCITED FOR THIS 10TH ANNIVERSARY! I probably should rewatch the original Ferryman series before checking this one out because I don't remember a lot of it. I do remember loving the drama series though. Who doesn't love a good supernatural cdrama?

Sheng Nu (Rumored for February)

This is a revenge drama, and we all know how much I love a good revenge drama. I am a fan of Ma Si Chun and I think she has chosen some really interesting cdramas in recent years. This also sounds like this is cdrama where a woman getting revenge on another woman which sounds interesting to me as another women led cdrama.

OLDER DRAMAS I PLAN TO START IN JANUARY 2026 DUE TO PODCAST RECORDINGS OR OTHER THINGS:

Embrace through the Moon (Vertical Cdrama)

Glory (Cdrama)

Love Song in Winter (Cdrama)

The Guilty (Cdrama)

Princess Agents (Rewatch) (Cdrama)

The Boyfriend Season 2 (JVariety Show)

The Ferryman Series (Rewatch) (Cdrama)

The Company (Cdrama)

LET ME KNOW ON BLUESKY OR INSTAGRAM OR IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!

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