Dramas Completed: 2024

I picked this up on a whim after seeing a few seconds of the trailer on Netflix. I was surprised how much I liked it and more impressed that it wasn't filled with annoying characters making stupid decisions xD It was executed well and the pacing was good. The 2 main leads carried their roles well. Not familiar with the cast...the only actor I remember well was Kwon Hae Hyo. Just to add the female character who was in charge of the police dept felt a bit forced, her behaviour and reactions were out of place at times.  

I can only describe this drama as a very pretty box with lots of sparkles lol. This is one of those rare times I completed a very popular and hyped series. Not sure why I picked it up but the premise did get my attention and I liked Kim Ji Won's role in My Liberation Notes so I wanted to see her again. As for Kim Soo Hyun this is my first completed drama with him since his other works didn't get my attention. Firstly I have to say I totally agree with the comments picking out all the flaws and frustrations. The series is more style over substance....it became a guilty pleasure for me to see all the visuals from both the leading couple and the stunning location settings hence why I call this a 'pretty sparkly box' drama. My rating is reflected by how much I enjoyed the visuals haha. Story wise it was lacking and messy particularly towards the end....the villains had too much involvement and just added unnecessary angst. It took away the potential of a more in depth and nuanced story of a couple trying to overcome their obstacles. Park Sung Hoon's character annoyed me so much....don't remember the last time I disliked a character to this level. It's a shame the overall story didn't quite meet it's potential. A story about married couples will always intrigue me but in this case they glossed over some of the aspects where there could have been more impact. There was a large cast but I didn't form any attachments to them except for the main couple. Everything else was surface level. I liked some of the OST's.  It was indeed a guilty pleasure watch :)

This was a decent watch with some emotional aspects to the story. I was intrigued to see Kim Nam Joo again since her last drama Misty. She was in a completely different role this time which made it interesting to see. My first complete drama with Cha Eun Woo....(his other works didn't pique my interest). I can see that he is making more attempts to delve into different roles in his career which is a good thing. His acting has improved since I skimmed through 'My ID....'. but he still lacks nuance and depth (I wasn't expecting much lol.) There were some good reveals as the story unfolded and pacing was fine and I'm glad it was 14 eps because it didn't need anymore. 

It's been a long while since I last completed a J-drama. This was a nice slice of life family themed drama. I would have enjoyed it more if I connected with the characters more. 

Decent thriller despite rushed ending. 

I liked the story concept even though it's not something I would typically go for. Acting from the main cast was good overall. I wasn't drawn in as much as I wanted to be and some parts dragged out more than necessary (mostly from the back story...). Maybe I'm just in the minority where I wasn't wowed by it but it was a decent enough watch. 

The posters here are accurate showing the distance between the 2 lead characters (where all I wanted was more screen time of them together xD...). Overall it was a solid drama with good cinematography and pacing was steady. I loved the OSTs which created a nice ambience that complemented the slow build up of the romance. I enjoyed the role and performance of Namkoong Min. I couldn't finish one of his previous dramas so maybe it came down to finding the 'right' drama. Acting was good from the main cast. There were some frustrating flaws which could have been avoided.