A powerful female CEO, Yoon Se Ri (Son Ye Jin), gets caught in a tornado while paragliding and crash lands in the DMZ on the North Korean side. A North Korean soldier, Ri Jung Hyuk (Hyun Bin), decides to help her return to South Korea. His actions draw the pair into a whirlwind romance that transcends political boundaries, threatening his family as well as his own safety.

The big stake throughout is whether their love can survive across the dangerous border. I was lukewarm to it at start cause I thought it would be dark and angsty, but it is romcom-y. Nevertheless, this drama was satisfying, as it shines in the comedy, swoony moments, meaningful epilogues, and the everyone’s chemistry. Thanks to the direction and talented cast, each emotional scene hits the way it should. I invested equally in the main and secondary couple; Dan and Seung Jun, who could easily have their own spin-off. Jung Hyuk’s ducklings and their blossoming understanding of South Korean culture were hilarious and heartwarming. Also, beautiful scenery and heartfelt OSTs.

My few hot takes are… First, why the dead fish-eye kisses? It was very jarring considering Son Ye Jin and Hyun Bin's perfect chemistry and that they're in real love. Then, I wouldn't mind a slightly less fairytale scenario for the leads and a fairer scenario to second lead couples. Despite all of that, it's undeniably an engaging and memorable watch! :D

Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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With crisp sound effects, lively OST, and wholesome characters, this show gives me a lot of joy!

Yeon Seo, a popular celebrity who is known for bad acting got involved in a drug scandal which made her get cut from all her projects. Few years later, she gets a chance to play a lawyer role in a drama on one condition: interning in a law firm to learn what their day-to-day life is like. All her new colleagues admire her persona, but not her cold-strict mentor Jung Rook.

This show is not all light romcom, we have interesting law cases that kept me invested throughout. The whole law firm team are all nice people, each has their own quirkiness, adding dynamic to the show. With crisp sound effects, lively OST, and a wholesome cast, it’s just a lot of joy!

Yeon Seo our actress is no doubt goddess-like gorgeous! She’s extremely bubbly and straightforward, thanks to Yoo In Na, she showed both really genuine acting and also bad acting very well. Though her character doesn't have a lot of practical skills, she's eager to learn. When someone is giving her a hard time, she stands up for herself instead of giving up. Jung Rook doesn’t look special as a stereotype-perfect male lead at first, but Lee Dong Wook portrayals of him feels fresh, blunt, and quirky. His sincerity, innocence, and chipmunk smile are too die for :3 But my favorite aspect is seeing them together. They encouraged each other out of their comfort zones in a very positive way. Their romantic scenes made me smile and very lovely. Anyone who watched Goblin will not deny the chemistry between these two actors is undeniably real!

The only con for me is a twist in almost the final part, which seems out-of-the-character and so cliche. But the ending is sweet and satisfying. This is a heartwarming show that I’d always happy to watch after a busy day, like a cup of hot chocolate. This show is not a Goblin spin-off, but it is everything I need and more.

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A drama about how precious family bonds and healthy communication are.

18 Again was a blast! It deeply explores the consequences of mistakes made, empathy, hope, and second chances. The story delivers a lot of relevant elements in today's modern society; like single parents being unemployed or trying to find a job and restart their life, and high schoolers' struggles. I get wholeheartedly invested in these elements they discussed throughout the episodes. The ending is also satisfying! ?

In brief, it's about an aspiring basketball player, played by Lee Do Hyun. He ended up getting his girlfriend pregnant and they decided to give up their dreams and raise their babies, yes, they had twins. 18 years later, he is stuck in a dead-end job as a washing machine repair guy (he's actually really good at fixing anything). Even though he's capable at his job, he keeps getting passed over for promotion in favor of the younger higher educated employee, so this is frustrating. Not only that, his wife was intending for a divorce and he can't seem to get close to either of his children. Feeling devastated, he went back to his school's basketball court to shoot some hoops to let out some steam. Upon realizing he's not as good as he used to be, he made a wish to go back to his youth and behold, his wish comes true! He is suddenly 18 years old again!

This is not a time slip show, only his body has reversed back to 18, and his mind is still 36. It's still the present day: he still has kids, his wife is still there, and everything is the same. This is a twist I appreciate because I think it allows the story to be more complex than if it was a time-slip show, as this way he's able to interact with his children and realizes that it's not his dream that he needs to pursue. This isn't an opportunity for him to become the basketball player he's always wanted to be, but an opportunity to be there for his children.

I have just two cons: there were a bit too many Kdrama tropes in the middle part of the show that makes our couple misunderstand each other in inconvenient situations, and I was getting a bit tired of them when they were repeated several times. Then a minor but fun con that I just have to say, I felt the actors' faces playing the younger and adult version of our male lead is very contrasting (Lee Do Hyun vs Yoon Sang Hyun). They have equally same screen time too. It's not about their performance at all, but simply their looks. I was hoping for someone more attractive (Gong Yoo, please?) to play the adult version so it feels balanced, sorry!^^"

But both of their acting is superb, especially I enjoyed Lee Do Hyun's range of emotions reliving his character wholeheartedly. I've been noticing him since Hotel del Luna (he was not the lead but he's so swoony!), and I'm already impressed with him from his expressiveness in The Good Bad Mother. He really is a versatile actor!

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This reminds me of Titanic but with a weaker storyline

Youth of May is a 12-ep melodrama that follows a romance between a nurse and a son of a dictator. They fell in love during the Gwangju Uprising conflict, and because of their parent's background, their relationship gets complicated. This show has 12 episodes.

What got me interested in Youth of May is the characters and their effort to overcome the conflict. Youth of May is absolutely what I would call a plot-driven show. There’s basically no breathing room to really feel comfortable, nor to get invested in a few of the relationships that were formed within the show.

The problem that stands out to me is the romance, yes even though I appreciate the actor's performance and their setup for this romance at first, the pair actually get together, and there's great tension, but no chemistry. As soon as they do get together, their relationship milestones and choices all seem mindless. I don't get why they act a certain way. Their story progression feels slow to me and I don't personally feel as connected with them.

The midpoint episodes were quite a drag for me to get through. I didn't find any character growth, nor did I enjoy watching them. Instead of dealing with the conflicts, the drama shows a lot of self-inflicted misery which contributes a little to the progressions of the story and makes me bored.

I found the ending so dissatisfying, I really felt nothing. In the last two episodes, I wasn't shocked by any of the climaxes, I wasn't sad, I was pretty emotionless because I could see that the show was ending and I just didn't care. It seems that Youth of May gains popularity due to the "based on real event“ cover, but the storyline is weak and unfocused so it doesn’t buy my sympathy. So my overall rating for Youth of May is 5.5/10

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Good show about friendships and fencing, go watch!

This is a true coming-of-age story with a large lovable cast. 25-21 is a drama about the dreams and friendships of a group of young students who thrive together despite their struggles. As the story spans from Na Hee Do's teenage years until she's a mom of Kim Min Jae, it shows how the time we enjoy with our friends and families changes our lives to an extent. Time might fly by but still brings success and all of the consequences of our choices.

The enemies-to-friendships between Na Hee Do and Ko Yu Rim are my favorite part. Oh my god, I just love how pure the camaraderie between them is. Not only them, there's not a single cast member that I dislike, they're all just so beautifully written as real people. The ones you don't like at first, you learn more about them or the characters themselves interact more and form understandings of each other. I really commend all of the actors and actresses involved.


! Spoiler section: don't read unless you want to be spoiled :)




Regarding the ending, As I wasn't invested in the romance plot much, nothing hurts me in the end. It's lovely to see the slow-burn romance between Na Hee Do and Baek Yi Jin evolves from meaningful friendship to pure love, so to me there's no surprise whatever happens in the end. Overall, I enjoyed their conversations and interactions together.

So, why my rating is 8/10? Because I have frustrations and questions about the whole news anchor plot. This conflict of interest issue, everyone clearly sees is a problem from afar. So then why Baek Yi Jin is not being clear to Na Hee Do and just say it from the beginning that they are not meant to be? Just be friends from the beginning. Also, some scenes on the present-day Na Hee Do as a mom I feel they're a bit unnecessary. Her husband is not introduced at all in the story, so why bother breaking up with Baek Yi Jin, if the future husband is not living together with Na Hee Do?

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Enjoyable, rewatchable and I love it for the daring social representations

The story of a wrongfully-accused young man’s journey in realizing his 17-year business plan to avenge his father's death. He recruits his trustworthy friends and acquaintances to run a pub in Itaewon.

Life lessons are learned right away, we got introduced to our protagonists and villains. A lot happened to our male lead Park Saeroyi. I got invested and rooted for his life in every aspect: from his dad to his first love, to his dreams. He doesn't give up although unfortunate events happened to him. I also respect these villains characters, they’re smart and driving the plot significantly, keeping us guessing how Saeroyi can win.

Park Seo Jun did so well portraying Park Saeroyi. His calmness has a certain charisma that brought his friends to trust him as their leader. I appreciate the uniquely written DamBam staffs. Each of them has their unique background and motivations, which is not often portrayed but needed. We need more positive highlights on social diversity. I love all their stories, especially Jang Geun So.

There’s also a character briefly shown on the 1st ep but appear again later in the 3rd ep, Jo Yi Seo. She is quite hard to describe and you need to just watch her. Her mannerism, face expressions, fashion, her abrasiveness fits perfectly together. She’s tired of the socially-expected life of studying hard, going to university, work as hard as possible until you die. She even wish for the world to end so she wouldn't have to live that routine. Kudos to Kim Da Mi for carrying Yi Seo as a very authentic female lead.

My quibbles are, the ending was overdramatic, the car fighting scene was too long. Also, I never believe the romance as they’re perfect as friends, why can’t man and woman be friends? Nevertheless, I very much enjoyed Itaewon Class, it’s a great underdog story, with uplifting and awesome OST!!

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It's comedy hours with gumihos!

An unexpected error leads Lee Yeon to time travel to 1938, where he reunites not only with his brother but also his past nemesis. Can Lee Yeon return to the present and his love before it’s too late?

Tale of the Nine-tailed 1938 is the first kdrama I watched as it aired, and LOL! It was the highlight of my weeks. The characters don’t take themselves too seriously, they’re always bickering, doing hijinks while being so stylish. The story is clear and entertaining, with a mission. There is slightly creepy demons, time-travel and rich retro-fantasy universe. I feel it’s a very light-heart watch, like watching anime.

I felt the pacing and the plot are significantly more tighter than the prequel, without compromising the characters set. I love the unbreakable brotherhood of Lee Yeon and Lee Rang. Despite their issues, they’re always there for each other, in good times and in crisis. Also, it was cute to see Lee Rang, who is manly and clueless about love, falls for the mermaid lady.

The finale part felt a little too chaotic with the climax involving so many battles in different places, but it does not take away the overall fun. If you're in for light, pure entertainment with very good styling and crisp cinematography, I highly recommend this!

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If you are looking for a heart-wrenching angsty long-drawn-out melodrama you will love this

The Red Sleeve has a promising premise. My favorite moment is Deok Im's childhood when she is so full of life! I also love the friendships between her and other palace maids last throughout the episodes. The casting is really fitting, I loved the couple's chemistry together, and I thought they were incredibly swoony. I loved that they're both adults and yet can be so innocent and giddy together, it makes me smile. The visuals are gorgeous, and the OST is so wonderful and gives me all the feels.

But around the midpoint way I kind of lost a little bit of interest because it started to veer into heavy melodrama territory, and that aspect lasted too long because they're constantly faced with inconvenient circumstances, misunderstandings, miscommunications, the male lead is sometimes really harsh and showing off his power. I know that is part of his character and part of his growth, but I found it annoying. And the slow pacing just stretched for the rest of the entire series and I just got so tired. The final episode is too jarring, there’s no build-up towards the ending. I couldn't fully enjoy it anymore. For me, It would have been perfect if this drama is 8 episodes.

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It may not be boring for fans of slice of life genres, but this is not my cup of tea.

Jung Da Eun is transferred to the psychiatric ward of her hospital, she tries her best learning how to help and care for her patients. Disclaimer: I don’t have the experience nor knowledge on the subject matters so there will be no commentary on whether the portrayal regarding the mental health issues is relatable, accurate or not. But I would not recommend it to anyone struggling with their mental health, as the graphic depiction of self-harm and suicide might be triggering.

First impression, the drama seems to be an exact opposite of Daily Dose of Sunshine, it’s more like Daily Dose of Chaos. As the story unfolds, the trauma and mental health problem of everyone is shown, not only patients but also the caregivers. You'll follow these characters through their rollercoaster of emotions, some hitting their sunshine moments, while others navigating their twists and turns. I find the show is unique in showing the hallucinations from the patients’ perspective, some are quite comedic.

With the pacing, I honestly feel bored upon the halfway mark, but it may not be boring if you can relate with the characters emotionally, I just find it lacks engaging moments. Also, the solutions for the patients’ issues feels oversimplified, that their problems are solved with new habits, simple actions or short conversations, while often recovery needs time, even with all the desperate efforts. I get that it want to show good arcs and delivers feel-good vibes by the ending though… Or else, it might be too depressing to watch.

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It felt like a long-winded journey, with not many satisfying twists.

Queen for Seven Days is adapted from a tragic Joseon legend, centers on the love triangle among King Yeonsangun (Lee Dong Gun) as the older brother of Crown Prince Jinseongdaegun (Yeon Woo Jin), and Shin Chae Kyung (Park Min Young) who becomes the Queen at some point, but seven days later is deposed by political rivals, exiled, and must live apart from the her loved ones.

Music and direction were beautiful. The love triangle is written remarkably well, that even though it's convoluted with the palace intrigues, it still manage to pull me in emotionally and made me feeling conflicted between the two ships. The love and hate relationships among our three leads involves political marriage, separation, and heartbreaking family dynamic. Another thing I appreciate is

As it unfolds, the story and becomes more and more depressing. It felt like a long-winded journey, with not many satisfying twists. Sometimes I am tired of Chae Kyung’s decisions that put many people in danger, but it was so sad to see her inner conflict being the Queen. She got into many lose-lose situations and I understand she just wants to survive and protects her heart.

What turns me off a bit towards the end is the turn of events that felt overly dramatic *heartless me*. The arc of the Crown Prince is so frustrating too. Though it didn't end as epic as I thought it would be, I understand it is adapted from real history. Oh man... living in this era is like hell :(

-Jan 2024, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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Sword fights, love, friendship, and a mystery of whom shall claim the throne

First, the cinematography and sword fighting choreography are amazing. The story itself doesn't involved much emotions but it does hit the right beat. It kept me guessing without dragging plot points out.

Secret Romantic Guesthouse’s highlight is its’ tight pacing, consistent writing, great characters, and plenty of lovable tropes! All leads and support characters have equal footing, so you can root for whoever you want to emotionally invest in. Palace politics are not dull; No overdose of ministers discussions!

Although I had bumps on the 2nd half and felt bored for the lukewarmth vibe doesn’t moved me emotionally; Overall, everything is wrapped up neatly at the end. I'd highly recommend it for something that's not too deep but not too superficial either.

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What is the moral of the story, writers? :(

One day, a young woman named Anna effortlessly takes on a background that was never hers. She becomes a pathological liar and live well for years successfully. The premise: how far can she go before it all comes crashing down?

Anna: Extended version was recommended to me by a friend, so I have only watched this and not the prequel. In her childhood and teenage years, Anna was seen as a prodigy. She aced in everything she put her mind to. With many talents and excels in her schoolwork and arts. But as she was brought up in poverty, finding recognition was a struggle for her. One day during her first job, she failed to satisfy her boss and she entrapped herself in a web of lies, masking her identity and educational background. We follow her journey to earn her reputation in the rich society.

What I really liked about Anna beyond the plot is how visually stunning it is this is one of those like art house Kdramas, the storytelling, and the plot is delivered as much through visuals as it is with dialogue. For this, I think the rewatch value is quite high, as I noticed that certain mundane scenes are actually quite impactful upon rewatches.
For example, one day she's getting ready for a meeting, there was no dialogue nor explanation as to where she was going or who she was meeting but I learn later that she was getting prepared for a confrontation and that just put everything into context when I think back to that scene where she's getting ready, she's essentially getting ready for war, she is choosing her armor when she's choosing what shoes to wear what shirt to wear and I really really love that detail.

Another pro that hooked me is the OST, which is mostly classic piano music with high energy. It fits the shows and all scenes perfectly. Really propelled me to watch further because of the rush I got from the music.

Although I was invested in watching Anna, the story is quite slow and I wasn't attached to Anna on a personal level, I felt quite distant from her as a character and wasn't care much towards the end. What bothers me most is that even though she's lying all the time, there's no justice, no consequences she has to bear until the finale. So what is all that tension built up for?! I was so unfulfilled at the ending, the writers really write her character to win despite all things. So for that reason, I'm give this show a 5.5/10!

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Heartwarming story but it's not as engaging as I thought it is

This drama is very warm-hearted in the beginning, but the episodic nature of the drama becomes a bit repetitive. I could not get as sad about the second and third clients, after the first one. The story involving the uncle and Geu Ru's dad is the part I like the most.

I have a problem with the character's progressions: If the show spends some time letting Han Geu Ru feels devastated at first from the trauma of losing his dad and the unexpected intrusion from his guardian, and then we see him recovering from it, I would pay more sympathy. Instead, he seems to be undisturbed and can maintain his work productivity at the same level as when he's doing it with his dad. I appreciate his independence, but it feels too unnatural / fairytale-like. This is not the first time I see an Asperger syndrome lead portrayal in a drama. Tang Jun Sang did very well, but he's a bit stiff.

In the last episode, I see they planted some plot seeds in order for romance to develop, and I don't want this! The story should maintain its' uniqueness as its' strength and not start something unrelated, in order to continue the story. Apparently, there is no second season confirmed, so I feel somewhat at ease :)

I don’t regret watching it, though. It's a beautiful story.

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I really liked it, but...

A young woman, Yi Joo, is treated miserably by her family, and almost dies. But then, time rewinds and she finds herself traveling to the past. Taking her chances she's plotting a marriage with Do Guk, that will allow her take revenge for the wrongs she's suffered. Do Guk eventually gets wants a real marriage with her.

First, I gotta say that the time-slip works smoothly, once she goes back in time and she makes her decision for a revenge. Jung Yoo Min who plays Yi Joo has such a beautiful expressions, I feel all her pain in her tears. The main couple is a real guilty pleasure with amazing chemistry, their cliché moments that are just so fun to watch! Sung Hoon plays so well in this role, it's perfect for him! I enjoy the second couple too, they are doing awesome being villains. Kudos to all the other villains too!

The show is totally a soap opera, with all the messy twist and turns of a soap opera; back stabbing within a chaebol family - crazy but works well with the over-the-top acting from all cast. Even though it’s messy, it does not drag from the beginning all the way to the end. Every episodes has a drama, angst and reveals to keep the momentum. However, the resolution doesn’t feel as satisfying as the twist and turns by the end... it feels like it's written just for closure, wasn’t as genuine anymore. I don't think this show stands the test of time, but if evil scheming melodrama is your jam, you will enjoy!

-Dec 2023, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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A great start but ended up not so satisfying of a romcom.

Upon finding out his ex-boyfriend was two-timing her, Hae Young (Shim Min Ah) pursues a fake marriage with a convenience store clerk, Ji Uk (Kim Young Dae), to surpass her ex's position at work and to ensure her financial security. Surely, everything goes as planned, until their feelings grow and their past unfolds…

I really like how this drama introduced our leads, Hae Young (Shim Min Ah) is a wild desperate noona, ambitious to win against her ex, while her contract groom, Ji Uk (Kim Young Dae) is a realist and very kind-hearted gentleman. I was entertained by their funny banters, butterfly moments and sweet smiles …while it last. Unfortunately for me, their backstory kills the fun of their romance. Also, I’m not on board with the second lead couple, the second male lead especially, was annoying in the beginning and I didn’t buy his character development. I felt a lot of cringe and forced swoon moments. However, I like her portrayal as a talented romance writer but often struggling with her drafts. I think anyone who’s also a writer or likes to write can find her character a bit relatable.

I appreciate this drama for addressing not-so-mainstream topics, like poly-relationship, foster sisterhood and jealousy of mother’s love. These aspects are woven into the story without drag, but they get too dramatic when their past incidents and trauma get involved. I still enjoyed it, but for sure I would enjoy it even more if we get more moments of our lead couple being passionate, enjoying their happy married life.

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