This catnip is my favorite. Your last two paragraphs -- same for me.

Thanks for the screenshot, bringing back the Monstar feels.

I didn't even realize this is catnip for me, but it totally is!

Love your last two paragraphs, @odilettante. This one isn't my catnip, but I enjoyed a good story of ensemble cast (especially with high school settings). Sometimes focusing the story to several character's intertwined lives is more heartwarming and felt much real than when the story gave us a set of leads and second leads.

Ugh I want to relive the feels of watching Monstar again. It was such an unexpected gem! Thank you!! I didn't realize I had a ragtag catnip too but as you were going through the shows, I'm like yeah, oh yeah, yup hmm mmm!!

Wow I didn't realise that this is my catnip until I read this post!
On a similar note, the 'Underdog' theme is also a major catnip of mine!

Cheer Up and Solomon's Perjury are two other dramas with a really endearing ragtag crew too in my opinion. The employees of Dating Agency Cyrano weren't bad either. But besides that I think you nailed some of my favourites. White Christmas, Monstar and What's Up were soooo good!

I relate so much to your last two paragraphs! I'm surrounded by people who are obsessed with Dr. Who and everything Marvel, but when I bring up k-dramas/pop, you can hear the crickets in the background. That's why I love this community! I'm glad to at least be virtually surrounded by those who love what I love.

Jot my name down on the list of "I didn't know this was my catnip too until aha, lightbulb moment!" I've seen most of the shows mentioned in this post, with many of them holding dear spots in my heart, but I may have to go investigate some of the others now...

"The moment passes and everyone moves on. Yet there will forever remain that glorious sensation when the competition is won, when the last note is sung and the fists are pumped into the air in a triumph of victory — that instant is captured forever and can never be forgotten. For just one brief second, these misfits achieved their goal and everything was right in the world."

@odilettante THIS. I love this. This was part of the reason I loved the ending of Shut Up Flower Boy Band so much. I think we all relate to having that moment where everything was wonderful and perfect, and it's what keeps up going now.

This is definitely a catnip for me -- especially because it always reminds me so much of my university days. Age of Youth especially brought up a lot of feels for me (I also lived in a house with six girls and one working shower), but any band of misfits is one I love watching.

favourite catnip ♡

Oh wow :') @odilettante, your whole schpel about being a misfit yourself because of your "unconventional" preference to watch Korean dramas and listen to K-pop instead of the mainstream American music really got to me... Because that is essentially me also in a nutshell... I'm happy to be able to rediscover a sense of belonging that I have been struggling to feel for the last little while in the Dramabeans community, so thank you for that =)
Dang, ragtag teams and misfits--- where do I begin?? I have to say that "Dream High" season 1 is definitely one that has stuck all these years, and our beloved misfits of the "Reply" series also have a special place in my heart <3 Another ensemble that I can think of, but don't know if it would fit under this category, though, is our beloved "Joseon F4": None of them really ever fit in with the rest of the student body at Sungkyunkwan-- Yoon Hee was a girl dress a boy who was afraid that her secret would be exposed if she got too close to anyone; Lee Sun Joon was the "genius" of the school but because of his father's position in court being on opposing sides of the father of the Student President, he was essentially made into a cast out; Moon Jae Shin a.k.a. "Goel Oh" never fit in with anyone in the first place and had a boatload of his own secrets to be kept; and Gu Yong Ha was the "playboy" who hid behind his facade of happiness to hide his own insecurities and of never fitting in with anyon and never having a core group of people he could turn to...
Sigh, the wonders of youth and the struggles of trying to find one's place and identity in this cruel, cruel world ???

Awh agreee!!! ?

This entire post was so heartwarming and touching to read. I very much sympathize with this post. What gets me with the ragtag band of misfits is the relationship between the characters. Well developed friendships/relationships between characters are my quickest undoing. It makes me so happy to watch people who are as lost in the world as I often feel coming together to support, love and cheer on one another. And even when they have their disagreements and fights they don't lose that sense of "I'm here for you; I've still got your back; Where do you want me to help you bury the dead body?; etc".

I especially love the ragtag group when its a group of females. Their plight always resonates so strongly with me. Age of youth is hands down one of my favorite dramas simply on the basis of the character relationships and the camaraderie/family that they built with another. I laughed and cried in equal measure while watching it. How the girls came together to support Jin Myung at her brother's funeral (and they were so adorably clueless about what to do), how every single one of them went and worked the night shift for her when she couldn't. How they all banded together to save Ye Eun despite the danger of the situation. And many other little moments that meant so much.

It's that sense of sisterhood/brotherhood and family where you immediately step in to protect each other either without thinking of the consequences first or despite knowing the consequences.

I love romance just as much as the next person but NOTHING pulls at my heartstrings more strongly, NOTHING makes me tear up faster than a good drama with strong friendships and family bonds (be they blood-related or self-made). It will ALWAYS get me. Right in the heart. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

Evasive Inquiry Agency is the ultimate band-of-misfits catnip for me! Age of Youth hit the spot as well, though, I agree. Park Yeon-seon is definitely the master when it comes to quirky characters bonding through (bizarre) shared experiences. She has this incredible ability to make ridiculous people and events feel so real at heart.

Yoona's Street was such a gem!

What a great post-- and I'm right there with you. The combination of misfits and music is especially potent catnip for me. I love nearly all of the dramas you mentioned (but there are a couple I haven't seen).

I learned the word "misfit" from watching Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer as a young girl, and have been drawn to stories of misfits triumphing (or at least learning to appreciate their uniqueness) ever since.

I'm so grateful that Dramabeans is a sort of virtual water-cooler around which we misfits from around the world can hang out together!

Beautifully put! ❤️️ I love everything about this post, even though this catnip isn't for me. I do enjoy stories with good squads, so I'll have to check out some of these dramas you've mentioned, if I can find the time that is ?. My favourite part of these kinds of stories is when they first start to learn things about one another and people notice and the small gestures they do to show they care just kills me every time.

Right there with you on this one, and it's so beautifully written!

I also really loved Bad Family, which fits in that overlapping venn diagram of misfits and found families.

(I like to imagine us here at Dramabeans are a squad of sorts, no? ❤️)

"I am a misfit in my own world, longing for something to be a part of so I can look around and say, “Look what we’ve accomplished!” — be it glory, fame, or friendship."

Oh god I think @odilettante just made me cry with these words taken right off my mouth :( Yes probably why I love group of people unconsciously having connection with one another brought by whatever. Because I'm longing one for me, exactlt brought by whatever it is because I know I'm not the type that'd easily blends into ring of friends

What about Mixed-up Investigative Agency ?? I really liked it.
Also, shut up flower boy band & white Christmas were so good.
While ragtag group doesn't act as a catnip for me but it feels good to watch if it is executed properly.

Okay, that nearly had me in tears over my breakfast. I relate to this so much. I'm a writer - which is a lonely profession by definition - and when I celebrate success by opening a bottle of wine by myself and dancing around the kitchen by myself followed by watching an episode of my favourite kdrama as a treat, I realise that I'm totally a misfit.

I'm supposed to be working, but maybe now I'll have to watch a bit of Shut Up FBB again.

Wow odilettante! What a lovely post-essay-article with heart. Thank you for sharing your personal story. I am touched and full of feels about it, and identify with it too... that loneliness, that knowing one cannot fit in and no one to share moments with. What a blessing and a relief, to have this place to let out these thoughts. ?

While not exactly a catnip for me, I do always look forward to watching groups of individuals, bringing with them, all their flaws and strong points, to form, amidst much rubbing off of sharp corners ?, a team that works and a caring community. I look for this in just about any show I watch, and rejoice heartily ? when I see at least 2 if not more characters, able to cooperate and communicate.

Thanks once again, odilettante. ? I look forward to reading you again.

That was fantastic, thank for you working so hard to write this.

YAS This is one of my ultimate catnips omg >/////<

I love this catnip, and almost triumph as my favourite, untill I realise, I only watch Dream High & Shut up flower band. LOL .

Btw, how about Moorim school and Sassy Go Go? It shud be falls into this catnip too right?

They r chased and thrown in one misfitted group trying to be a fitted but they shined differently at the end

Yessss. This is definitely my favorite one yet! I really relate to your feelings about wanting your own rag-tag group of misfits to go through life with. You mentioned so many of my most memorable misfits in dramas: What's Up, SUFBB, Answer Me, Age of Youth, White Christmas, etc.

Mixed-up Investigative Agency and Bad Family are some other dramas with a wonderful rag-tag group coming together. Mixed-up Investigative Agency, especially, made me feel like unforgettable adventures lurked around every corner, even for the slackers and misfits and all those who'd let life pass them by.

I was waiting for this catnip and yes, the found families catnip, as well! I'm so happy someone finally explained the pull of ragtag misfits in a drama. You just can't help but root for them. ❤

Thank you @odilettante for such a lovely post. I feel I know you better after this, especially the concluding paragraphs. It's not my catnip, but I do enjoy it.

Speaking of which, The Best Hit is assembling its own band of misfits. There are the ones who are struggling at the bottom of the food chain, and the ones who seem to have made it. But being a successful idol doesn't mean you've actually found a squad. It can be lonely in the limelight too (ugh, Dream High did that to me).

This is definitely one of my favourite drama types. I loved White Christmas, Sungkyungwan Scandal and Police Unit 38. Misfits, found families and underdogs. Evasive Investigation Unit is already on my list to watch. Thanks Odilettante and beanies for ideas of other shows to watch in this genre.

This is just beautiful. I didn't realize this can be a catnip, for one. Then @odilettante put lots of heart in her writing. What a wonderful read.

The theme of a ragtag team working together speaks to the idealists among us who believe that despite differences in personalities, backgrounds, or opinions we can always find understanding and support to achieve the common goal. This concept is perhaps even more appealing today amidst the seeming disintegration of institutions like the United Nations and NATO.

Hi Odilettante, I hope you see this comment, because I think you'll really love JDrama Just Friends. A share house, young adults with their own secrets and problems, learning to trust and support each other... and a very moving ending.

This is my favorite catnip. Camaraderie in the face of adversity. Who doesn't enjoy a ragtag cast coming together and winning the day?

I think that is why DB is so wonderful. It's a place where a bunch of kdrama misfits and congregate and became part of a team. I think there is a little bit of what you said in all of us here.

This is exactly my catnip, thanks for writing down -almost- exactly what was in my head!

All the Monstar feels are coming back to me

As soon as you started describing this catnip I said, 'Yes! Same!' It made me think of the misfits that made me ache the most, the bad boys group of School 2013. They had to take care of each other when there was no one else around. It just killed me every time one of them had to accept a kindness but didn't know how because they hadn't been taught to expect kindness.

Beside Reply 1994 I have never watched any dramas on this catnip.
Looks like I found my binge-watching list for the summer.

God I LOVE this post. This speaks my heart.

Nearly every show listed here is one I love. ha.

Urgh. I could kiss you for this post. This is SO my catnip.
Count Chief Kim and Misaeng too as one with a great ensemble cast. Radiant Office and Shopping King Louis also has this catnip. <3 Oh yes, PU38 is squad goals, and the playground fight scene is bromance fight goals. I love me some good bromance within the bands of misfits, and even more so when it's literally a band like with Eye Candy. (Tho I've totally been cheating on them with Crude Play lately... shhh don't tell them :PPP)

Oh my gosh, great post and very well-put! I love this trope and I love all of the shows you included as well -- especially White Christmas, wherein you hope for the survival of the characters' friendship just as much as the characters themselves!!

One thing, though, is that I get incredibly aggravated when the side characters are much more likable or interesting than the main characters, but the drama spends too much time on the mains instead. So much wasted potential...

You forgot the Entertainers!!!!
Kang Min-hyuk
Gong Myung
Lee Tae-sun
L.Joe
Oh, they made me laughed and cried so much!!!!

agreed agreed agreed. ditto sis! :D

How did I miss this one? Love it!