#monthly posts

Crash Landing on You (finished)

I’ve already mentioned this one last month. Also it’s been all over my blog for a while now. My post about the finale.

The spoiler-free version is that I loved the journey this drama took me on. Did I love the ending? No, but it wasn’t bad. It was just okay.

The romance ticked off most of my favourite tropes and the acting was flawless.

Se Ri is such a good character. Businesswomen are often portrayed as cold and heartless, and it’s kind of how she’s perceived in SK, but it quickly becomes obvious that she’s anything but. She’s extremely warm, funny and charismatic, and if she trusts someone (basically, if they’re not her family) she actually shows her vulnerable side. Also it’s great to see her thrive when she’s around people who care about her.

Great ensemble. The secondary characters are so attaching. The non-evil ones I mean.

Extraordinary You (ep6 of 16)

Teenager figures out that she’s a comic book character and, unhappy with the direction of her story, takes matters into her own hands.

It’s still early on for me but I love this fresh take on the concept. I actually don’t know where this is headed, and I’m anticipating the twists and turns.

I love a heroine who takes charge of her life.

Mysterious love interest is adorable and getting more fleshed out and compelling every episode. I can’t hate Baek Kyung though. At least not so far.

Joy of Life (ep36 of 46)

Mentioned last month.

I’m still enjoying this one a lot. It’s as funny and interesting as ever.

Wan’er doesn’t get that much screentime but she’s a great character. I loved that scene with the princess in ep30 or 31.

I’m still in love with Fan Xian.

Forest (ep12 of 32)

Businessman and demoted surgeon are reunited in a countryside village when he becomes a rescue worker for all the wrong reasons.

This one comes with plenty of mysterious childhood trauma and fate.

Gorgeous forest shots.

Park Hae Jin’s character has a soft side, but I have to say he often rubs me the wrong way with his attitude and values. Although he is changing. Jo Bo Ah’s is a lot more likeable, but I’m not in love either? BUT they have an interesting love-hate dynamic that I really like.

It feels like I can predict where the story is going and I’m not sure I’m going to like all of it, but we’ll see!

Chocolate (finished)

Mentioned previously.

I ended up liking it a lot.

The hospice setting was original, you don’t see too many kdramas speaking about palliative care. And if they do it tends to be about one particular character who’s dying.

Lots of food. Lots of heartbreak, which comes with the territory.

I loved the kids and their conversations with adults.

Lee Jun, who isn’t one of the leads, ended up becoming my favourite character. I found that I could relate to him more. Like, honestly I wrote a whole post about that and then I got self-conscious and didn’t publish it.

The romance at the centre of the story is somehow the least memorable thing for me, although there were a few great emotional moments. Usually tearful ones.

Terrius Behind Me | My Secret Terrius (finished)

Fugitive spy turns into the perfect babysitter for his neighbour, while investigating her husband’s murder.

I’d watched 4 episodes back in november, and kind of picked up where I’d left it.

It’s a lovely, heartwarming drama. Terrius with the kids makes for great comedy. That and the network of neighbourhood sort-of-spies, stay-at-home parents.

Go Ae Rin is a lovely, resilient character.

Yes there’s some big conspiracy and spy stuff but ultimately it’s more of a drama about two people dealing with the loss of a loved one in different ways, and learning that they can lean and rely on each other. (And their community.)

Find Yourself (ep19 of 42)

Supervisor and intern 10 years her junior begin a secret office romance.

Full disclosure: I skipped significant parts of these 19 episodes, that happens when I’m watching stuff really late at night and I need to know what happens next. Not before ep9 or so though.

The drama gives a great insight into the kind of pressure chinese women may feel to get married and have children by a certain age. For that reason, many interactions are very frustrating to watch.

So many characters dismiss He Fan Xing’s every accomplishment because she’s single, and I really want to slap some sense into them. She’s 32 but everyone acts like she has one foot in the grave.

Also very frustrating: the plot. As funny and entertaining as it can be, I get mad at the many misunderstandings and entangled relationships. I hate it when I can see the trainwreck coming episodes in advance. Maybe that’s just a “me” thing. It makes me anxious, which is why I’m currently taking a break from it. I think I’ll try to finish it though.

In a way it’s a great guide to what not to do in a relationship. I guess they’ll end up together in the end, but it’s not a smooth ride. Like, I hate how at some point she just assumes he can’t afford the gift he gave her and returns it without telling him! Girl, learn to communicate. There’s lots of lies on both sides tbh.

They do have chemistry though! Also Zhang Yu Jian from Le Coup de Foudre plays the main character’s brother and I enjoy seeing him in this completely different role a lot. I had no idea he had this whole range of facial expressions due to the fact that Yan Mo had a blank face 99% of the time.

My Holo Love (finished)

Lonely, faceblind woman ends up with expensive AI, falls in love with it. Unless it’s the hot human lookalike she’s into…

It’s only 12 ep, perfect if you like shorter dramas.

I can believe a human falling in love with an AI very easily, but the AI becoming sentient is usually were my brain draws the line. It’s still a very enjoyable drama. The hologram aspect gives it a fresh twist. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen this kind of relationship portrayed between an AI and its maker.

These are two very good-looking people. Not that the other dramas don’t have pretty actors but, just saying.

My Mister (finished)

lonely young woman in lots of debt will stop at nothing if it helps her and her grandma survive, until someone treats her with kindness.

very emotional. so much pathos that, if you’re anything like me, it will become hard to watch at times.

there’s a bit of comedy here and there, especially with the brothers, to counterbalance the darkness. plus i ended up loving the actress character.

excellent cast all around. every single character has layers (ok maybe not everyone at the office, i can think of one evil man in particular). IU shines in this. she doesn’t say a lot but she doesn’t need to.

i think it shows what being poor and isolated is really like. it’s not only that you don’t have money or connections, it’s also that you’re missing opportunities that you didn’t even know existed. simply because there was never anyone to tell you about them.

love the community aspect.

Psychopath Diary (finished)

amnesiac man becomes convinced that he is a serial killer.

possibly the weirdest kdrama I’ve ever watched.

has great comedy, somehow the silly stuff manages to coexist/blend in with much darker topics (loss of identity, mental illness, suicide, murder, etc). Yoon Shi Yoon is probably one of the reasons that it works so well. Very convincing psychopath smile.

also great ensemble cast.

my only quibble (and that could have to do with me binge-watching the first 6 ep or so) is that the “omg i’m a murderer” part of the story dragged on a bit longer than I would’ve liked.

also there is almost no romance so if that’s a prerequisite for you then you might miss it.

i love a drama title that makes sense on all levels. like, this one already worked because the diary is the most important object in the story and we learn that at the very beginning. but then the last ep added another layer and i really appreciated that.

Crash Landing on You (ongoing, 10 of 16 ep watched)

i’m not sure this drama needs any introduction at this point but

influential south korean businesswoman accidentally ends up stranded in north korea, gets rescued by handsome righteous captain Ri.

i love this drama so much. i’m not sure what they’d have to do to make me hate it. it would have to be very bad.

makes me laugh, cry, stare blankly ahead while thinking about it.

Joy of Life (29 of 46 ep watched)

21st century character is sort of reborn in what looks like ancient china, with memories from his past life intact.

could very well become my fav cdrama.

great plot, very funny, but with some emotional scenes as well.

main character has so much charisma! never ever gets boring.

cute romance, even if it’s not the main storyline.

complex and smart women. i can think of four already just off the top of my head. that’s not necessarily a feature of cdramas in my experience.

i need to catch up!

Flower Boy Next Door (finished)

ok this one is on every kdrama list ever

lonely writer meets exuberant video-game maker who helps her overcome her social anxiety, I guess.

i see why it’s a classic. i particularly liked all of the neighbours a lot.

it’s much shorter than dramas nowadays, feels like. episodes are only about 40 min long, in the 16 ep format.

i liked it fine, and i did tear up at one point (when the leads were having the big fight), but i was in no hurry to watch the last 4 ep for some reason. i didn’t find the “to go to spain or not to go to spain” bit that compelling and i’m not sure why.

Chocolate (6 of 16 ep watched)

this one is surprisingly hard to summarise.

neurosurgeon and cook who met each other as children are reunited by fate again and again, until they become a couple, i assume.

it took me 3 whole episodes to get into it. i think it’s due to the structure. there’s a number of flashbacks and then leaps in time from one point of view, then another. that just made it really hard for me to focus and care about the characters.

also when i sense a love triangle where the 2 people are decent options i tense up lol.

i really liked ep 4 to 6 though! i finally care about what’s happening.

hopefully less brain surgery from now on because i hate these close ups. i love the food though.

Eun Joo’s Room (finished)

Eun Joo quit the job she hated and she’s struggling to give her life meaning. with help from her best friend, she discovers a new talent.

this one was short and sweet (it’s only 12 ep).

very cute romance. (i don’t think it’s really a spoiler to say it’s a friends-to-lovers.)

this is a very good “i’ve had a long day and i don’t want to think too hard” drama. also a “i don’t know what i’m doing with my life pls tell me it’s gonna be ok” drama.

When the Weather Is Fine (ep9 of 16)

Seoul music teacher leaves the city and her unfulfilling job for the countryside, reconnects with adorable highschool classmate. They heal from the past together.

You may have noticed, this is the drama I’m enjoying the most right now.

Very atmospheric. Transports you.

I love the narrative structure. I love how the past and present are intertwined.

It’s such a delight to watch! Definitely a feel-good. There’s a weekly book club with a bunch of lovely people. Eun Seob is the kindest, warmest man and yet carries around a lot of pain and secrets. He and Hae Won are more alike than you'd think and I love her a lot.

If you need more incentive, read this post.

Also please look at this, I spent far too much time on it.

Extraordinary You (ep11 of 16)

Mentioned last month.

I’ve been enjoying it but my brain can’t really handle the plot right now, so it’s on hold until I’m in the mood for anything other than 100% feel-good romance.

I have absolutely no idea how this is going to end.

Itaewon Class (ep6 of 16)

Ex-convict seeks revenge on wealthy family who wronged him. First step: opening restaurant with the help of an eclectic group of employees.

I’ve put it on hold for now but will try to watch ep7 at least.

I like the idea of it more than I enjoy watching it? Which is unfortunate. I like the actors, and the main character is great, but some aspects just aren’t my cup of tea. I want to give it another chance though.

Also the soundtrack is good!

More thoughts on it.

Meow, the Secret Boy (ep4 of 32)

Cat adopted by unwilling new owner discovers he can turn into a human around her.

I don’t even care about the rules of how/why, I just enjoy Kim Myung Soo acting like a cat. And I love Shin Ye Eun and she is so pretty. The concentration of beautiful people in this drama is high, actually.

Cute romcom vibes and that is exactly what I need.

Showed a few scenes to my mum and she asked why the cat’s pupils are always super round. I hadn’t even noticed? I couldn’t pinpoint why that cat looked strange. I mean he’s cute, but his eyes!

Mr Sunshine (ep9 of 24)

How do I describe this? Joseon noblewoman rebel fighter meets and falls in love with American man of modest Korean origin.

For some reason I thought I wouldn’t like this, but I am that person who thinks she won’t like things and then falls in love with them anyway. (See also: kdramas as a genre.)

Visually stunning. I love the female characters in particular, they’re tough.

I really like the pace of this drama, when I finish an episode I usually want to start the next one. It’s on hold too for now, though.

Skate into Love (ep19 of 40)

Star hockey player is reunited with the girl he hated in primary school at age 18, decides to take revenge. They won’t hate each other for long.

I wrote such a long post about this.

My Shy Boss (finished)

Introverted and socially anxious boss begins to work with woman of opposite personality. They fall in love.

Also I think I should warn you, she is the sister of a previous secretary of his who killed herself at work, it’s a huge part of the plot.

I enjoyed it, but mental health isn’t treated as it should imo.

I didn’t put the poster up top because I didn’t want to mess up the symmetry lol. Also technically I watched this at the end of February.

When the Weather Is Fine (finished)

Seoul music teacher leaves the city and her unfulfilling job for the countryside, reconnects with adorable highschool classmate. They heal from the past together.

Mentioned in the last post and all other my blog. I said it was feel-good and having finished it, I stand by that. The great thing is, even when what’s happening with the leads isn’t great, there’s always another storyline to balance things out.

It looks so good. I love the fashion, which is almost exclusively thick jumpers and warm coats and gloves.

There’s two readings of the ending, one more positive than the other. But either way the finale is worth watching for Jang Woo’s little speech about happiness and mundane things.

Meow, the Secret Boy (ep18 of 24)

Cat adopted by unwilling new owner discovers he can turn into a human around her.

Started this one last month with hopes of cute romcom but it’s too weird to ship at this point. For me anyway.

It is, however, ridiculously funny. But I can’t watch more than one ep at a time due to the aforementioned weirdness. So I haven’t caught up yet.

Cute second couple, though.

Skate into Love (finished)

Star hockey player is reunited with the girl he hated in primary school at age 18, decides to take revenge.

It becomes more about how to navigate a relationship when you have an entire childhood of history and Olympic dreams. Also meddling parents and manipulative admirers.

Did I fast forward a bit? Yes. It’s 40 episodes after all, and the drama is edited to be a bit slow I think. You can easily watch it at the 1.25x speed. There’s plenty of supporting characters with their own stories, some more interesting than others. But I still found it worth watching.

I love the leads! And they actually grow, individually and as a couple. They both make mistakes and apologize and move on together.

While I’m here, let me mention that there are decent kisses!

Here’s what I wrote about the drama in the beginning.

If you don’t mind spoilers, here’s more thoughts.

Joy of Life (finished)

21st century character is sort of reborn in what looks like ancient china, with memories from his past life intact.

It’s been a long time coming, but I finished it!

By a long time coming I mean I started this drama in... December? Which might as well be a century ago at this point. I mentioned it here in January if you missed that.

46 episodes is a lot for me, especially if the drama is no longer airing. If I don’t watch it as it comes out, I 100% will end up taking up to 6 months to finish it. That’s just my brain.

The drama itself is a delight! Both funny and heartbreaking. Lots of intrigues and politics, but not in a boring way. It definitely keeps you on your toes.

Wan’er being one my faves (I don’t care if some find her plain), I was sad to see her character fade in the background as the drama progressed. The lack of romance from ep35 or so might be why it took so long for me to finish it. I love my romance ok?

Also this is season 1 of at least 2, so the ending is... an interesting and shocking one.

A Piece of Your Mind (finished)

Two people dealing with the loss of loved ones help each other through the darkness. Also there’s artificial intelligence involved.

I thought the fact that there was AI would mean the plot would inevitably end up where it usually does for this genre of kdrama: some evil person or entity trying to acquire the technology through legal or illegal means. Thankfully, that never happens. It’s not that kind of drama but a sweet melo.

Did you know I love Jung Hae In? I have that one post about him where I say exactly that but in more words and I’m always happy when it gets notes. The thing is, I don’t mind that he’s been playing similar characters lately. On an emotional level, his portrayals always work. I can’t look away from his eyes. Especially if he’s about to cry. He plays “overwhelmed with emotion” so well whether it’s anger or sadness or love. Plus, I’m all for kinder and softer male leads.

I know Chae Soo Bin from 3 other dramas and they were all comedy I think. I didn’t know she had the range! It was a good surprise to find that she could play a more poised character. I love her in this.

Is it because I’ve been re-watching One Spring Night but this drama looks so bright! In a good way. I love the light and colours. Especially at sunset. Plus all of the snow in the beginning, and Soon Ho’s plants!!! Also I love how they film through windows and play with reflections.

I’m sad they had to cut 4 episodes but they managed to wrap things up pretty well.

So many great characters. And I love that there’s several very strong non-romantic relationships. Soon Ho and Ha Won for example. As someone who wants to scream anytime I hear “men and women can’t be friends”, I love that these two are best friends. Also the boarding house scenes were great. Especially once Min Jung and the medical student moved in.

More thoughts about the AI.

Hyena (finished)

How do I describe Hyena?

It’s an unusual love-to-hate-to-love. Two resourceful, rich-people’s lawyers cross paths and well, sparks fly.

It’s not cute and fluffy. They defend the worst people and with questionable means. They have ethics but they’re different from mine.

As I have mentioned here, it was Hee Jae that grabbed my attention. Joo Ji Hoon is a brilliant actor.

The drama is fast-paced and I watched it in like a week.

Read this post I wrote at the end if you want to know more and don’t mind mild spoilers.

The King: Eternal Monarch (ep2 of 16)

King with a tragic family history finds the door to a parallel universe.

Technically I’ve watched 2 eps and like 15 min of the 3rd ep.

I’ve decided to give it at least 4 episodes. I still haven’t caught up.

Main appeal for me: Woo Do Hwan. He’s not the lead though so there’s that.

I don’t usually pay much attention to that but since I edit them for this... the posters aren’t great? And none of the ones I’ve found have the standard format so I had to choose between cutting the title and cutting off half of Lee Min Ho’s face.

Love is All (ep4 of 26)

Historical romcom. I kinda didn’t pay attention to ep1 so I’m not super clear on why the male lead is hiding his identity but he is. He’s left the capital to become a county magistrate in a small (?) town. There he meets a romance writer who becomes his adviser.

They fight all the time.

Also she keeps unknowingly declaring her love for him because she knows him by name and has a crush on him, but he’s living under a false identity. So she’s annoying him a lot but also complimenting him all the time and he’s not indifferent.

Fun supporting characters.