A fun representation of all of K drama classic tropes

Kim Mi Soo is a capable secretary of a narcissistic vice president of a family-owned company, Lee Young Joon. After 9 years of working diligently for him, Mi So now wants to resign to focus on her personal life & romance. But twist, Lee Young Joon actually finds her presence irreplaceable in his life.

Now, there are a few other layers of convoluted messy chilhood connections happening with the show, as expected by the K-drama formula, but I'm not going to touch on those because they could be considered as spoiler. And if you want to know a bit more about the show, you can just watch the trailer, which will give a bit more information about the plot setup than I just gave. I'm going to go right into my pros and cons briefly as I should be doing schoolwork.

Pros:
- Fun and entertaining to watch
- Very good chemistry between the leads
- Nostalgic feeling for fans of classic K-drama tropes
- Enjoyable friendships between characters, both leads and supporting

Cons:
- Forgettable characters and plot
- Lack of emotional investment
- Pacing slows down in later episodes

Citeste mai mult

Park Eun Bin and Choi Myung Bin saved the ship!

During the Joseon dynasty, the crown princess consort secretly gives birth to a girl and boy twins. While the boy will eventually inherit the throne, Confucianism values really condemn twins especially if it was a boy and a girl because they just don't think a man who shared a womb with a woman will have legitimacy. Therefore to protect the prince's future legitimacy, the King orders that the girl and everyone involved with the childbearing be put to death so no one knows about this situation. To protect the girl, her mother fakes her death and cast her way to live out her life in the countryside. Many years later, this girl the female twin ended up taking her brother's identity as the young prince because an incident killed the prince. The only people who now know her secret are her chief servant and her personal eunuch.

I have quite a lot of pros and the first is the portrayal of every character, especially our female lead. Her charisma and deep voice make it very believable, she is just like a very pretty boy in her prince costume. Although her figure is very slim and her small arm is very obvious she gives a lot of confidence with only just a cold stare. The only thing that I think could have made it better is if they did something to hide how short she is she really is because the height difference between her and her male lead co-stars is really noticeable.

Next, the pacing because overall I think it's very good, I'm completely absorbed by every episode up until probably episode 8. The child actors and actresses are doing a great job to make me emotionally invested right from the first episode. The child actress who played the twins, Choi Myung Bin, really shines in her roles! She pulled out the duality between the different twins' characters very naturally. Another pro is the OSTs are hauntingly beautiful, my favorite is "The One and Only", and "Shadow of You".

My con is mostly on the romance plot dominates the middle part of the story. I am not as engaged and I think that's because of the romance. Even though the romance is beautiful and I ship the couple, it is very heavy-handed and slow-paced. I'm watching the show because I really like our female lead and I want to see her navigate situations and crises, like her dealing with the envoy from China, fighting her grandfather's dictatorship, and keeping her secret. I think they are the strength of this series not so much the romance. Lastly, the action scenes are done incredibly well, but they're so sparse so I wish they are less melodramatic and had more action scenes.

Citeste mai mult

A complicated poem saved by the bell

Choi Yu Jin fled to America after his slave parents were murdered. Due to the harsh treatment which he endured for being a slave in the Joseon period, Eugene feels no love or kinship towards Joseon. In America, he is known as Eugene Choi and has climbed his way up to be a distinguished figure by joining the American military. Several years later, he is stationed in Joseon during an American expedition. There he meets a noblewoman Ae Shin who by day seems to be a quiet lady but by night she's running across rooftops with her sniper rifle, secretly fighting for Joseon's independence. He falls for her but he isn't alone as she is also loved by her joyful quirky fiancee Hee Sung and a yakuza Dong Mae whose heart is a black box. Neither of them is really sure if the other is a friend or foe. This makes three relationships that look like they can never be: Ae Shin and Eugene, Ae Shin and Dong Mae, Ae Shin, and Hee Sung. This is not a love square but a love pentagram because there is also a mysterious hotel owner Kudo Hina who is also a fencing master. So there is lots of love but no one's really happy, yes it's very sad.

A few things that draw me into this drama are first, I know this is a show of quality and I'm gonna enjoy it. There is an artistic flavor to how every scene is set up and shots from the color grading to the music to the overall backdrop are very breathtaking. However, it's not glamorizing life, for every gorgeous breathtaking sunset there's a brutal portrayal of war and violence and death and these scenes are visually engrossing. Second, it was deeply rooted in real important history and also it is set in the early 1900s which doesn't feel that long ago, there was real political scheming in this drama that still left an impact on today's society.

The five leads came from multiple cultures but don’t really belong anywhere, their stories are so full of heart and their arcs are so noble. I think a lot of diaspora like me can relate to Eugene as a character who doesn't belong to either Joseon or America, he's in this gray area. He is a very nuanced character and he holds the whole drama together. Even though he's happy being accepted by the American, as the show progresses he becomes more and more interested in the Korean culture and he wants to find his roots. I just love that his one bullet was used with such wisdom and just such grand effect. Ae Shin is a very compelling character, I love Kim Tae Ri played this role with such unbelievable complexity and nuance that I want to watch her and everything that she does: she gets a lot across with simple looks and she also has an extremely royal noble way about her presence. Kudo Hina, the hotel owner is truly one of the best most complicated female characters and the script took her exactly where I wanted it to.

I absolutely loved the iconic Dong Mae with the double swords at his hip and his sweaty hair, open chest, and half ponytail. Simply Yoo Yeon Seok acting was amazing as the dark and tragic Dong Mae. Hee Sung is such a man with tremendous growth, he goes from this total privilege boy to a guy running an underground newspaper to spurn on the resistance and I was so proud of him at the end. I really loved when he realizes his fiancee is not going to be with him and he respects it, he still loves her but he is respectful. His character was so well written and played so amazingly by Byun Yo Han.

However, I didn't enjoy a significant chunk of my watching experience as the story goes on because this show is very heavy with political maneuvering. It's really taking 20 episodes' time to set up and I got bored but I keep watching for the main characters. Also, there are a lot of different languages being spoken there's Korean, Japanese and then there's American English with a very weird accent. I'm very sensitive to dislike English-spoken very weirdly in Korean dramas. It feels like they're trying to over-pronounce things correctly. These elements dominate the screen time and are really too dry to watch. It is so unfortunate because there are a lot of actions with gunfights and fist fights within each episode and when they do action, these scenes are so well-choreograph almost perfection! I wish there had been a bit more action and bromance moments.

This drama has a fantastic and unlikely bromance between Eugene, Dong Mae, and Hee Sung at its core. Whenever they were on screen together, they made me so happy because they blurted out humor and heart to the drama. I was not expecting these three weird trio were going to be so beloved and it was definitely the highlight of the drama for me. Without giving any spoilers, the finale is an absolute masterpiece, which is really impactful! I dropped my heart because it just gave such cathartic blows. It feels like I was being rewarded for all the time I sit through and overcome the frustrations I had in the first 20 episodes. Thus, my overall impression is actually really positive as time goes by. I'm glad I watched it and the way it impacted me when it's done makes me feel like I came out a better person. If I can divide my enjoyment value, I would give up 1-20 a 7 and ep 21 - 24 a 10.

Citeste mai mult

Great characters, great moments, and a great story of Woo Young Woo

An autistic attorney Woo Young Woo works at one of the top law firms in the country. Her life is eccentric and weird, but meaningful and valuable. Despite having a disability to interact, she manages to defend her plaintiffs in court cases with her creative reasoning and wit. These cases are unique as they tackle a lot of really important social issues that are rarely discussed, such as false homicide, defamation, patent battle, North Korean defector issues, and heritage tax issue... and they're handled in a very organic and non-preachy way. There are a lot of character development moments that happen thanks to these cases. For example, our female lead is given a case with another autistic person who she's defending and she had some challenges dealing with that because some people said her thought process is not justifiable because they're both autistic but of course just because two people are on the autism spectrum does not mean that they're the same.

Each episode hinted at Woo Young Woo's parent's backstories and it doesn't end with suspenseful cliffhangers, yet I want to keep watching. Without giving away any spoilers, her mother's backstory is a bit of a mystery and all the clues we have throughout the episodes lead to some wonderful interactions and moments. The mother-daughter relationship is not what you think of and I love that it's a really refreshing part of the show and it's not following any stereotypical kdrama formula.

I love the subtle adorable romance because it's very rare to watch an autistic lead in a romantic relationship. But beyond the romance, what I enjoy most is the whole cast with great strong personalities. I really enjoyed her friend Dong Geu Ra Mi, the episode when she became friends with Woo Young Yoo is so cute. Woo Young Woo's colleagues, friends, and everybody else included got their own satisfying arcs on their work-life balance and dating. The most memorable one is her direct boss, he's just such a wonderful person. At first, he was a bit ignorant and pessimistic about Young Woo's autistic behavior, but quickly apologizes and makes adjustments to interact with her. It's like really nice to see that kind of character on screen, he's also had issues with work-life balance and his ex-wife later on in the series. Attorney Woo herself also learns to understand her coworkers' points of view and communicates her thought process.

The humor is very genuine and believable when characters interact together, because they introduced lots of little character quirks and mannerisms in episode one to look at that left a good impression on me and they use these details as a source of nitpicks and icebreakers. The fact that our female lead takes three counts before she walks into a new room and keeps organizing everything to be perfectly tidy. Later on, her boss also tries to do it at one point and he quickly gave up. It's really funny, it's such an inside joke moment.

Acting, I want to highlight our female lead. Without discrediting anybody because they are all great, Park Eun Bin deserves a standing ovation. She is Attorney Woo! I'm so happy the show waited for her because I can't think of anybody else who could be Woo Young Woo. She originally turned this role down because she wasn't confident to portray the role correctly and she didn't want to hurt anybody so she turned it down and then she went off and did The King's Affection (Btw, she's amazing here too!!). When she was done with that the offer was still valid and that's when she took it.

All of that said, even though I like the romance, there is a small miss I feel from our male lead's role. Don't get me wrong, I really like him 90% of the time, his love and care are very sincere, like when he's trying to care for our female lead or calm her down when she's having an episode or when she's over-stimulated, also when they're just hanging out on really unique dates. But there's a part that is missing is that he is sometimes quite stiff and his subtleness isn't coming across as perfectly. He just stands there and smiles at her it doesn't work for me but nevertheless super cute romance I love what it represents and overall I ship them wholeheartedly.

Citeste mai mult

It's a nice story but lacks external conflicts.

My strongest opinion being the OST ruins the mood. I was ready to feel sympathetic for Yeo Joon's pitiful backstory, but the problem is that these emotional scenes are presented with happy cheerful music. I wish they had put one more sad song to save this issue!

The story feels flat, it lacks external conflict. The fact that they're dealing with a group school assignment issue for more than 10 episodes is too long. Furthermore, there's no real character development despite their many screentime. I appreciate the friendship between Nam Soo Hyun and Yeo Joon, but it feels very lukewarm.

Citeste mai mult

Well-made thriller and underrated

A struggling writer (Jung Woo) deep in debt encounters a mysterious boy (Baek Hyun Sung) who has lost all his memories, but has a strange ability to physically feel the despair of others. His presence provokes a hint to an unsolved murder, leading them to investigate the case and form an unlikely bond beyond the present time.

The story set up is intriguing and fresh. An aspiring writer that ends up being tangled in a murder mystery, due to the story in his debut novel which threatens his career as well. The time travel and murder mystery were done well, better than most dramas with these tropes I watched since 2023. The fantasy element was fun and emotional. Bae Hyun Sung showed very good acting as the miracle boy, especially when he’s deep in trance under his superpower. There is a plot hole, but it didn’t bother me as much when it ends.

The male lead himself is goofy and selfish, but his story is fun because I was anticipating the consequences from his actions. What stands out to me was his bond with Baek Hyun Sung, Oh Man Seok’s characters and his hate-bromance hijinks with his boss. Shout-out to Lee Ki Woo, his cocky boss portrayal was so fun. Another memorable point was the OST History and Mystery, although imo it fits best for historical dramas. If you like time-travel and thriller genre, give this one a try!

Citeste mai mult

Regardless of its' flaws, Adamas is cool, stylish, and it was fun to watch the twins!

The story of twin brothers (Ji Sung) tracking down the truth behind a murder 22 years ago. Prosecutor Song Soo Hyun searches for the real culprit to clear his father's name for killing his stepfather, and his younger brother, a writer Ha Woo Shin, searches for the evidence of the murder, Adamas.

Adamas has all the elements that makes it an intriguing mystery thriller; greed, lies, conspiracy, shady characters, etc. Though I was not sold with the lack of urgency in the premise, of why now after 22 years they need to investigate this case, I was curious to find out what’s behind the mysterious mansion people and about Adamas.

I had a great time watching the high-class cinematography, editing and Ji Sung. As always, he’s a captivating performer. Playing the twins, an angry-bird-but-soft-at-heart prosecutor Song Soo Hyun and a calm & collected novelist, Ha Woo Sin, who gains entry to the museum-like mansion of a CEO to write his biography, while carrying his own personal agenda; looking for the diamond-crafted weapon Adamas. Both of them have their own quirks and were really fun to watch! :)

The story unfolds slowly, but the twists maintain a good momentum. Unfortunately for me, it wasn’t satisfactory that the later part focuses too much on the villains. The ending could’ve been more conclusive as well. Regardless, Adamas is cool, stylish, plenty of ulterior motives and power play.

Citeste mai mult

The intro was hot! Yohan!! XD *out-of-context* title

Unable to feel pain within his own body but skilled at diagnosing others, an anesthesiologist doctor John (Ji Sung) consistently faces challenges of his philosophy on life and death. People acknowledge him for saving a lot of patients, but they also think he causes others deaths, so if the patient wants death, should the wish be granted?

The story of a doctor who can’t feel physical pain, with an anesthesiologist who is full of love and tries to reach his heart. It presents an interesting viewpoint of euthanasia. Thought-provoking debates, patient stories, emotional healing, complemented with very peaceful and calming OSTs. The depth of the storyline and characters played by Ji sung and See Young inspires us to never give up to life challenges. I got chills from Ji Sung’s intensity when delivering his dialogues. You will be awed by his performances! Plus, he looks very kind-looking & charming in this show, beautifully styled & very swoony.

I enjoyed how the stake gets higher during patients’ critical situations. When they’re discussing the symptoms, the doctors are like detectives, giving thriller vibes. What I less enjoyed was how the female lead’s trauma flashbacks were repetitive and I’m annoyed with her emotional breakdown when it happens during the patients’ emergency situations. I also didn't think the romance was a stand out, but it definitely didn't spoil the show.

Citeste mai mult

Yumi Cells 2 was a very cute watch and I will cherish all the sweet moments :)

After moving on from her heartbreak, we see Yumi (Kim Go Eun) and her colorful cells deal with the courage to step out on her own as a writer as her new romance blossoms with Yu Babi (Park Jin Young).

The arc that bridges Yumi Cells 1 and 2 felt natural. In season 1, Babi has been around as her coworker but he never was presented as another love interest option for Yumi. So after breaking up with Woong and we see her moving on, Babi’s presence just fits as someone who is there for Yumi. The flow of both relationships were just as refreshing because Woong and Babi’s personalities were very different. I also appreciate seeing a more dynamic journey of Yumi as a writer since it was always been her dream.

Although I think season 1's cells were more charming, there are still hilarious, emotional moments. Also, surprisingly naughty moments between Yumi and Babi's little cells, I love those! XD That's a testament to how vibrant Yumi and Babi's chemistry were. I love every time he convinces her in his blunt and swoony manner, and when he was so sincere when he takes care of her. What I don't understand is the annoying side characters and the conflicts that seem to stem from out-of-character decisions, which makes me upset till the ending. Other than that, Yumi Cells 2 was cute and I will cherish all the sweet moments! :)

Citeste mai mult

Tense & gripping, it kept me anxious all the time!

In the process of solving a suspicious suicide case, prosecutor Park Jung Woo (Ji Sung) gets charged for killing his wife and daughter. As he seeks to recollect his memory, will he succeed to prove his innocence and the truth before time is up?

Tense and gripping, Defendant is a drama that is dangerously emotional, but guaranteed satisfying plot twists. It’s one of my favorites because of the performances! Ji Sung went through a lot to his role as Park Jung Woo physically & mentally, and it really shows! He tapped into raw griefs and anguishes of emotions that horribly torn me apart… T.T Uhm Ki Joon as Cha Min Ho, perfect! His face-to-face arguments with Jung Woo, their fist-fights, chasing & scheming each other were so powerful! Another highlight is the entertaining cellmates. They were unassumingly funny and I think if they’re not there, the drama would have been too painful to watch.

In stories, when all hopes are lost and the dark tunnel seems too long, it can make me frustrated, especially with memory loss trope, but they're doing a great job to keep me guessing whether Jung Woo’s inner thoughts are reliable narratives, so any slightest hope keep me rooting for him. Finally, really enjoyed the energetic OST. I'm clapping excitedly whenever the song “To the End” plays in powerful scenes very fittingly. Brilliant!

Citeste mai mult

Not one of my most memorable shows but it's a meaningful and fun story after all

Shin Suk Ho was a music producer at a large entertainment agency, wanting to start his own company. However, this new journey starts on the wrong foot and his plan falls flat on his face. As he's finding his way back, he meets Ha Neul, who gave up dreams to become a singer after losing his parents and being wrongly convicted of a crime. Will he be able to regain confidence and realize his abandoned dream along with Suk Ho?

Entertainer is surprisingly bold in presenting the shady side of the entertainment and music industry. The best part of it was undoubtedly Suk Ho's storyline, from cunning to sincere and the show gave it as much attention as it did. I enjoyed his hijinks with the boys of the Entertainer Band, without all the stress but lots of laughs and tears. The bonding that developed as they went through obstacles in pursuing their passion for music was touching, especially between Suk Ho and Ha Neul. The whole cast made their characters relatable and lovable in their own right. However, I didn't enjoy Hyeri's whining and crying that were so over the top, and it doesn't help her character being naive and rather foolish.

While the show had parts where I get bored (mostly due to pacing), it still delivers a lovely life-lesson well, that no matter how hard life gets, your friends can help realize your dreams. Regarding the ending, it was a little too perfect and fairy-tale-like, but the story made me happy with the everyone's journey.

Citeste mai mult

Halfway and I lost interest, too much self-pity and crying

I wasn't loving part 1 as I found the dynamic between the lead is a bit childish and drags. Part 2 comes and first 4 episodes hit me with massive emotional train wreck, so painful yet so beautiful. What stands out to me compared to the previous season is this new dynamic among the hunter woman, Jang Hyun ang Gil Chae. She has so much passion and her motivation is interesting, so she elevate the stake. I'm in for their painful future stories.

Cinematography is just as stunning as the previous part. The shots are very captivating, that you can't help but admired. Trigger warning: the torture scenes realistically gruesome, comparable to few historicals Mr. Sunshine and Empress Ki. I guess it is to highlight the degradation that Joseon went through during this historical time. Great and emotional acting by all cast! Namkoong Min has rightly been receiving praise for his accolade and I enjoyed his chemistry with Lee Chung Ah. Honestly, they look great together in all situations.

Even if it won't happily ever after, at least I hope the struggles of our heroes come to an end soon because all of them goes through so much pain already. Every little hopeful moment counts, even though I don't know how it's going to end.

Citeste mai mult

I'm struggling to continue since there are so many filler scenes

Going in to this drama I was apprehensive. The first 2 episodes weren't the best. It's jarring, it's a bit icky... I think there's enough consensus to say that it's not the best. I completely agree. I wasn't sold on Rowoon as well. Then, I get to Ep 3, I started to see the fantasy rom-com tone, it's more cute and fun, although I can't believe the romance, it's only set up because of the curse, and the stake is not gripping anymore after they are together. I'm also a bit bitter because I think the second male lead really deserves the female lead much better than the male lead.

For the past two years, I think we've seen these law dramas with past lives connection, time travelling, time slips, too often already. I think we're done with this trope, right?

Citeste mai mult

A fun and weird experience, not necessarily a memorable one

Each member of the Bok family had a unique special power that they lost due to modern life crises. One day, the grandparents arrange a second marriage for their son/single father, Gwi Ju (Jang Ki Yong), with Da Hee (Chun Woo Hee) who might be able to bring their powers back. However, she and her family's true intention is to take them for all their worth.

Just like the title, the vibe and characters of Atypical Family are unique. Certain things gave me cringe, like the obesity portrayal throughout the story and the one-note annoying characters, but the plot’s unpredictability and the complex flawed characters managed to keep me tuned in each week.

Gwi Ju and Ina's father-daughter bonding were heartfelt, and I love the developing friendship between Da Hee and Gwi Ju’s sister, Dong Hee. The chemistry between Da Hee and Gwi Ju was great, although at first I wasn’t rooting for their romance. Sometimes the pacing was slow, but it is never boring because the hijinks were hilarious! XD

I didn’t like how they keep throwing-in angsty cliffhangers in many episodes towards the ending, which makes the story felt drawn-out, but in the end it was very heartwarming. Overall, it was quite a fun watch!

Citeste mai mult