#reply:1988

A quick encapsulation of my thoughts on some of the shows I’ve watched. Some in this list I provided a lengthier discussion, but in here it’s going to be brief. Watch out for spoilers. In no particular order. Also will get updated as I watch more dramas!

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo (Korean)

One of my absolute faves. Beautiful OTP chemistry with just the right amount of sweetness and angst. I LOVE the soundtrack, too; not too dramatic and not too grating in the ears. I’ve rewatched this show countless times. 9.5/10.

Descendants of the Sun (Korean)

Probably the funniest drama I’ve watched so far. Lead boy is attractive as hell; lead girl irked me for a good while before I gradually warmed up to her. Story though is not that memorable. 8/10.

Goblin: the Great and Lonely Guardian (Korean)

Funny show with a great cast, although it can get a bit dragging what with all the repeated flashbacks and dramatic stares. I love the themes of the show, and also its soundtrack is probably the best I’ve heard in a drama. I had a soft spot for some of the characters (e.g. Deok hwa), although I didn’t feel the main romance at all (Goblin and Grim Reaper had more chemistry tbh). 8/10

It’s Okay, That’s Love (Korean)

Another favorite of mine. Soundtrack is amazing, and story is just brilliant. It has its own problems, of course, but they’re easily overshadowed by the more beautiful aspects of this show. 9.5/10

Suspicious Partner (Korean)

This is one of those dramas that was okay, but could’ve been better. Some conflicts (like the “your father is my parents’ killer” conflict) were for me unnecessary and should’ve been dropped. But the soundtrack was wonderful and some of the characters were memorable in their own right. 7.5/10

Strong Woman Do Bong Soon (Korean)

An alright show with an alright story, characters, etc. And I’m saying ‘alright’ because it didn’t really stood out much for me; I developed neither strong affection for it nor aversion. That’s good in some ways, I guess. 6.5/10

My Love from Another Star (Korean)

Some characters are great and are akin really to a breath of fresh air in the drama world. And while the premise is good, this show permanently irked me because of one thing: lead girl’s non-participation to the main plot. It involved her, but she wasn’t even aware of it. Nor did she have any active role aside from fawning over the lead guy mid to final part of the season. I know it was eventually explained but ugh, I still think it’s a great disservice to lead girl’s character. 7/10

Mischievous Princess (Chinese)

Guilty pleasure show of mine. I explained in my long review that this show is one of extremes—extremely bad and extremely good aspects. Costume, some of the lines, kung fu, and other aspects are way off. But the solid story and the memorable characters (Emperor!!!! Oh my goodness!) more than make up for it. This may not fit everyone’s palette, but damn did it fit mine. 8.5/10

Healer (Korean)

Watched it because of the rave reviews and while it didn’t disappoint, at the same time it didn’t really secure a solid affection from me. I like lead girl and the third lead, but Healer himself I didn’t warm up to right until the end. It has that political main plot which I like though. 7.5/10

Reply: 1988 (Korean)

Better believe the good reviews about it because it’s all true: this drama is a gem and is a must-watch. Only a few drama ever made me care about each and every character, and this is one of those. I only have a few teeny weeny complaints of course (like the ending and its treatment of my fave character), but overall, it’s all good. 9.5/10 (and before you ask, I am #TeamJungHwan.)

Crash Landing on You (Korean)

Didn’t live up to its hype, or at least not for me. It has a more coherent storyline and a better soundtrack than Descendants of the Sun, but the latter always made me laugh so there’s that. The main romance (and the main characters) kind of...bore me, and I easily found the side characters more interesting (esp the con man and the rat).  6.5/10

Fight for My Way (Korean)

I genuinely enjoyed this show. The leads were good and though I disagreed and was kinda annoyed with Ae-ra (lead girl) by the end of the show, overall I feel like the show really delivered a believable set of characters and story (funnily enough, I enjoyed the leads as friends rather than as a couple. Also, I would have preferred if the second couple never got back together? I don’t know). I like the fact that all characters have their own roles in the story and that no characters were there just for comedy. 8/10

SKY Castle (Korean)

All I can say is that this show deserves ALL the hype and praise it received. The story, characters, and acting from all the artists were just gripping and mind-blowing, and I was really on the edge of my seat with every episode. Needless to say, many tears were shed. 9.5/10

Signal (Korean)

The show was of course excellently written and almost-flawlessly executed, but it occasionally suffers from the overuse of prolonged eye stares and from some dragging scenes here and there (esp the “love story” scenes between the team leader and the missing cop--nope, not interested). Objectively, the show really is a gem, but it somehow didn’t pull at my heartstrings. 8.5/10

Love in the Moonlight (Korean)

Despite its flaws (’cause I tend to nitpick), I enjoyed this show quite a bit. Story is a little unpolished but is overall riveting and engaging. Lead couple also had chemistry (but really, lead girl cries every damn episode). 8.5/10

It’s Okay to Not be Okay (Korean)

It had a really solid start but it kinda lost steam in the middle and up until the end. Some of the characters were well-played (e.g. the lead trio) but others...were not that well-acted (e.g. the patients in the hospital). Also, if you’re looking for a good drama about mental health, this is not it. (The better choice is It’s Okay, That’s Love tbh.) 8/10

Dr. Romantic (Season 1) (Korean)

This drama is an absolute banger. Great story with twists that’ll make you hang on the edge of your seat, plus compelling characters with growth. In the end, I couldn’t be more proud of every single one of them. Also, the operation scenes were so awesome to behold. There were a few loose ends though, but those didn’t bother me as much. 9.5/10

Dr. Romantic (Season 2) (Korean)

As much as I loved Season 1, I extremely disliked Season 2. It lost the perfect balance of melodrama and medical life-saving that Season 1 had, and instead tipped the scale by a lot more towards melodrama. I didn’t feel any of the romances nor did I feel cast chemistry especially among the new characters. There were some good scenes of course, but not enough to save this season unfortunately. 6.5/10

Flower of Evil (Korean)

Absolutely wonderful kdrama up until the ending (because fuck that ending, sorry). Characters were phenomenal, and the story--while having a few jumps in logic--is overall masterfully-made. But I really have to dock points because of that ending. 9.4/10. 

Chicago Typewriter (Korean)

Would you believe that it took me more than a year to actually finish this show? That’s how much (or how little) interest I had for this show, sorry. Story was okay, even touching at some points. But the characters were a bit lackluster and the pacing was uneven. The only up-side is really the music. 6.5/10.

Hyena (Korean)

Quite an enjoyable drama overall. Story is quite good, but the show particularly shines with lead girl, who maintained that charisma all throughout. I had more uneven feelings with lead boy though; I rooted for him at the start, and then got annoyed with his character, and eventually he was okay again. 8/10

Prison Playbook (Korean)

A masterpiece of a drama (as expected from PD Shin). Story is good, but the characters are phenomenal--never one-sided, always layered and nuanced (exc probably for one character). All in all, I think this is a pretty good drama to introduce to non-K-Drama watchers. I enjoyed this drama thoroughly. 9.5/10 

Beyond Evil (Korean)

Another thriller must-watch. The tempo was kind of slow at the beginning, and the first few episodes are actually confusing as hell, but by the middle and end of the show, every single thing was just *chef’s kiss*. This show is probably not for everyone, but it damn did it went straight into my fave list. 9.5/10.

Vincenzo (Korean)

This show honestly surprised me. They were able to nicely blend in some of the more darker themes with humor. It takes time to get used to the ridiculousness of some elements, but overall this was a fun, fun show. I really wish they removed the romance element though as it was unnecessary. 9.0/10

Squid Game (Korean)

Such an enjoyable series that doesn’t miss on anything. Every episode is a treat, except probably the last episode (which is widely considered as the weakest). The show is probably the most “rated” kdrama I’ve watched as well. 9.0/10

The Light in Your Eyes (Korean)

I liked the themes, and I understand that the show is one that is supposed to make you think (which I appreciate). Show is overall excellently made but I guess I just wasn’t attached to it that much. 7.0/10

D.P. (Korean)

Good show with lots of twists and heart-wrenching moments. There were moments during the last episode that made me scratch my head, but that did not lessen my enjoyment of the whole show. 8.0/10

Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (Korean)

Overall a light and relaxing show to watch, although a few episodes (especially when the lead girl and the lead boy got together) were waaaay too sweet for me. I literally had to pause and watch some horror games just to balance the saccharine overdose. 8.5/10. 

Stranger (Season 1) (Korean)