is it possible to love while retaining one's independence and freedom?

One of the absolute best historical dramas came in The Red Sleeve- a gut wrenching, tightly woven, and intricately created drama that told the story between a Crown Prince-turned King and a "lowly court lady." Usually many historicals fall flat for me as the story line drags on, but I'm happy to announce that The Red Sleeve had none of that.

Right from the start, we are thrown into the life of Sung Deok Im, a court lady who has served the Crown Prince her whole life. She's content with her position- serving the Prince while being accompanied by her three friends. I loved every moment of their bickering, yet the drama highlighted how tightly knit these court ladies were together. Like many historical dramas, Red Sleeve transitions from light comical moments to deeper scenes as the episodes progresses- this is noticeable when the Yi San (Crown Prince) falls in love with Deok Im. Deok Im's strong desire to maintain her independence and free will as a court lady contradicts her feelings for Yi San, and the drama pushes and pulls at these feelings.

One of the central themes of the drama is power imbalance. It may be uncomfortable for viewers to experience, but it accurately portrayed the power of the royalty vs. the common folk. Deok Im herself has called herself a "lowly maid", and at times, Yi San can be seen doing the same. Yet, as he realizes how much of a role Deok Im has played in his life, his attitudes towards court maids began to change.

Without spoilers, the drama ultimately made me feel absolutely raw towards the end, but the relationship dynamic between the two main leads were absolutely captivating and beautiful. Lee SeYoung and Junho brought their characters to life and breathed fresh air into the historical genre. While the OSTs (imho) weren't quite memorable, they did serve to accompany more dramatic and intense scenes when called for.

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Hit or Miss for some

Behold what may be the most polarizing 2021 k-drama! Doom at Your Service (DAYS) brings us a new fictional character in drama land: cold and charming Myul Mang, and his pairing of probably the most tragic character setup of all time.

I will admit DAYS has been a rocky watching, with some aspects of the plotline more gripping than the other. At times you're left wondering "Why? Why did so-and-so make that decision?" Not to complicate the matter, the contract is very vague in the beginning, and if you aren't paying attention, it's very easy to miss over and skip important details, leaving you utterly confused. Also the second lead love triangle didn't really do much for me, although it provided a nice contrast from the deep emotional scenes that our OTP face towards the end.

Gripes aside, I really had a soft spot for this drama- SIG and PBY are two of my favorites, and they definitely helped this drama move through. As unfortunate as the ratings for this drama were domestically, internationally it was immensely popular, and that may have lead to its controversial sidings- this is NOT a Goblin 2.0. The drama explores what it means to be human, the imminent threat of death, and so much more. It manages to balance somber and dark themes with light and comical interactions, which was something I appreciated.

The OSTs did wonders in portraying our OTP's feelings towards another- it amplified whatever was happening on the screen and made it memorable for the viewer. Personal favorites: (ALL) hee

Overall, you may love this drama, you may like it, you may find it meh, or you may find it the worst thing you've ever seen. DAYS is more enjoyable if you watch it without scrutinizing all the details. >>> my score is inflated .5 because of personal bias, but it would be a 9 if I knew none of the cast.

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What would you do for your loved ones?

I really didn't expect to love YOM as much as I did, I stumbled upon it while waiting for another drama to air, and seeing how it was a 12-ep drama made me severely underestimate how powerful this drama was. However, my expectations were shattered upon watching the first ep.

Story/Casting: I've never seen Lee Do Hyun in any other drama, and Go Min-Si I saw in a supporting role in the Smile Has Left Your Eyes, which didn't give me much exposure to her acting capabilities. In YOM, these two make every emotion feel authentic. Their subtle expressions of happiness or heart-wrenching sobs of pain were enough to make chills resonate throughout your entire body. The problems they had to face during the 1980 Gwangju Uprising made me realize how significant the event was- the scriptwriters couldn't include every detail for the drama's sake. Nevertheless, I also really enjoyed how every character had an important role to the development of the story, and no one felt left out and disconnected from the plot. Seeing Myung Hee and her father highlighted the issues of misunderstanding within a family, and how it could threaten to tear one apart. A parallel relationship was Hwang Hee Tae and his father- the father made for a very ominous and unstoppable villain. It was almost comical how evil he was portrayed, as it isn't fully revealed what his motives and intentions were. On the flipside, YOM also emphasized on the more positive aspects of what you'd consider a family, regardless of blood-relationship or not. In terms of the Gwangju uprising itself, the drama is heavily centered around the protests and those involved in it- obviously I'm not a native, so I can't speak will full reassurance on the events that took place, but as a viewer, YOM made it seem very real and impactful.

OSTs: Quite literally some of the saddest (but amazing) OSTs I've ever heard in a drama. Notable ones: Winter of May, Words I want to Say To You, I Regret, and Days In Memory.

Overall, this was one of the most heart-wrenching and emotional dramas I've ever seen. I've seen some people quip about the ending, but personally, I felt like it was rightfully balanced and didn't pull any fast tropes on us either. It felt like a very natural ending with lot of drama and tension building up right before then. In 12 strong episodes, YOM pulls through with a powerful narrative with a compelling cast to make it stand out from the dramas released in 2021.

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Is it worth the hype? Corn salad says yes!

Most definitely, and I agree with the corn salad. I was afraid that the hype I saw on my social media pages would leave me disappointed, and I'm so glad to be wrong.

This drama introduced me to JYB as an actress, highlighting her expressive character and streamlining it with the more collective Vincenzo. SJK did an amazing job at portraying his character, handling all the issues that came his way with a flare of dramatic expressions and his signature smirk and occasional Italian lines (I don't speak Italian, but damn they were so cool!) Taecyeon and Kim YJ did amazing with their characters. While Kim YJ/ Choi Myung Hee did a better job as passing off as villainous, Han Seok felt like a comedic ragey villain who throws a tantrum every time he fails. (though the ending episodes, he definitely felt more villainous).

That leads me to my only quip with this show. A majority of the episodes ended with a stupidly frustrating cliffhanger, only to be extinguished within ten minutes the next weekend. In a way, the show's unpredictable nature became predictable. Issues were dealt with rapid pace, and it felt largely anticlimatic. For example...you'd never expect to see a flock of pigeons as a form of deux ex machina, but figures.

Regardless of the anticlimatic cliffhangers, our leads partnering up together was an enjoyable watch. Seeing them scheming together to bring down Babel was extremely pleasurable to watch, it's so hard to not root for them and the Geumga plaza squad working together to keep their building and each other intact.

Now the OSTs are a bit less memorable when compared to other dramas, but they're still very good regardless at boosting the feels during specific scenes (my two faves are Adrenaline by Solar and I'm Always By Your Side by John Park).

Go watch Vincenzo now!! While you're at it, try and sneak some gold from the vault, will you?

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Interesting Concept, but did it work?

After seeing Chang-Wook in Healer, I started looking for more of his dramas to watch. One of the titles that caught my attention was this one...but the thing that made me hesitant was all the negative reviews for the drama. Of course, I dropped my expectations very low, but that probably helped me enjoy what I could from it. By no means is it a bad drama, I thoroughly enjoyed what was presented. The two leads did the best that they could, given the flawed storylines and the plot holes that are as clear as day. The side characters were more of an interesting note for me, the villain didn't have much in terms of plot development, only to contribute as filler to help push the characters closer together. The second female lead's actions, well they were questionable to watch. Where does her true allegiance lay? It was hard watching her development, but at least the drama ended on a positive note and gave everyone what they deserved. I'd watch it if you're a Won Jin-ah/Ji Chang-Wook fan, but don't expect it to top your drama list.

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One of the lightest and most touching dramas of the year!

In a world where everything is stressful, I’m so thankful for a drama like HCha to exist. It’s such a breath of fresh air seeing everyone interact in their own way. The characters are all fully fleshed out with their own side stories to make you fully immersed in the village of Gongjin. At moments the drama touched on several life lessons, each of which where very touching- you could feel the characters’ emotions (and admittedly I teared up quite often). The sad moments were contrasted by lighter moments to have you ROTFL 😂

Props to Shin Min-ah and Kim Seon-ho for bringing Yoon Hye-Jin and Chief Hong to life! I loved seeing all their bickering and banter turn into a light and fluffy romance~

The drama did hit a few minor snags along the way, such as a few characters making questionable decisions. However, it was very in character- so although there could have been different decisions, everything flowed together naturally.

By no means is HomeCha a perfect drama, but for what it is, it’s excellent. If you’re looking for something to destress, have at it!

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Slow burn that never fully ignites

While I did enjoy CaHM for what it was, my goodness was this a slow drama. Nothing particularly happened, as you were repeatedly shown flashback after flashback. Anything that happened in the present storyline could’ve been fit into six episodes or less. True to the drama’s name there were so! many! hugs!! The leads paired well, they had rly good chemistry! Of course there’s the childhood connection trope, so the romance was always there, but in different forms. I also liked the side characters, but tbh they didn’t really do anything. The main villain…although he was spine-chilling, there are definitely more well rounded villains out there. Without going too much in depth, I’d say watch this drama if you have time, but the slowness in the drama’s story development might be a turn off.

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It's not POX, its F O X- FOX

Romcoms usually aren't my cup of tea, but MRIAG got a lot of hype on my social med so I decided to give it a try-

Of course with every drama comes with the tropes- these tropes come from fated first encounter to forced cohabitation (etc etc.) Although these tropes can be found everywhere in dramas, MRIAG makes it feel well incorporated into the plot. I liked how the characters developed. Nothing felt too sudden and jarring, and mostly* everything made sense. Of course, some things remained nonsensical as this was a fantasy drama- the world around gumihos and what happens around them remains solely up to the scriptwriter, but from how everything played out, MRIAG was easy to follow.

I loved the casting in this drama! They brought the characters to life. JKY made Shin Woo-Yeo seem cool and refined, and Hyeri made Lee Dam a refreshing and chaotic individual. I also loved the other two pairings with Kim Do Wan and Kang Hanna- their relationship was absolute comedy. The only quip I had with this drama was the love triangle. I couldn't feel the tensions of second-lead syndrome- it may have been how Gye Sun-woo's character was established, but that initial impression remained with me throughout the drama. Also...how Lee Dam addresses Woo-yeo seemed...interesting? ?

Quips aside- I would recommend this to someone seeking a fun time without much to worry about :)))

**review +.5 for personal bias for Jang Ki Yong ;)

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good concept, bad execution

to be honest, this was one of my first kdramas. I liked it at first, but as I gradually grew my kdrama portfolio, I realized how severely lacking this drama was. I liked that the drama portrayed vampirism as a virus that could be cured, but the development between plot lines felt very stagnated and fragmented. I really did not understand the logistics behind everything, and a lot of scenes felt very filler. Our female lead is initially a cold and standoffish person, and so is our male lead. So why...did they end up together? Their chemistry felt non-existent and completely unnatural. This is one of the weakest dramas I've seen, with forgettable OSTs and meh casting and story...do skip this drama, there are so many others you can spend your time on instead.

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"I won't be able to forget because you are the one who recognized me first."

Before going too deep into this review, I honestly think that this is one of the best rom-coms out there in Dramaland. Sure, it's got some of its flaws, and some storyline aspects were left unmentioned, but those are overlooked by what TBI has to offer.

Casting // Acting // Story
There honestly couldn't have been such a better cast- with Seo Hyun Jin brining Han Se Gye's character to life, whether it be happily in love with Seo Do Jae or facing angst because of past events long ago. Throughout the drama, Seo Hyun Jin demonstrated her capabilities as a top actress- there were some challenging emotional scenes that she needed to pull off, and I'm wondering how her tear ducts were able to handle all of it. Thankfully, the angst doesn't last long. Lee Min Ki on the other hand delivered his lines with a mostly deadpan expression, but through his eyes he conveyed all the emotions needed for someone who struggles with prosopagnosia. He could be cold in the beginning, but he shifts to someone who deeply cares for those he loves. To be honest, Kang Sara and Ryu Eun Ho felt like side character rather than main, and I wish that they too got some more screen time, but it was ok for what it was. Lee Tae Ri and Moon Ji in brought so much life to the scenes that they were in, whether it be Secretary Jeong's bromance with Seo Do Jae or Woo Mi being the best suportive friend for Han Se Gye.

I've seen a lot of people wondering about why Han Se Gye transforms, or what happens to the dads. Unfortunately, TBI never touches on these topics- in reality, although it would have been nice to understand contextually why these events happened, show used them as a placeholder to reflect on other themes. In the end, Han Se Gye realizes her transformations were an opportunity to help other people. She reflects on all the times she's helped others come to terms with their problems, with each transformation setting the stage for something else. We don't know if Han Se Gye would become a young child or an old man in the next, which makes each transformation a surprise. The cameo of Kim Min Seok was a really nice one, and it set the stage for all the future transformations to come. I also really liked how Seo Do Jae portrayed acceptance and love to what's truly on the inside, and not based off of the exterior alone. In one particular scene, it really touched me how Seo Do Jae promised Han Se Gye that he'd be with her, even with her current state as an old grandpa. TBI also portrays the difficulties between what happens behind the scenes in a Hallyu star's life, and I thought that it was done very well, with Han Se Gye running whenever she transforms and how she deals with the media afterwards. My only quip with the story was why did Ryu Eun Ho want to be a priest? It was never explained his origin (like the earlier two I mentioned), but unlike those, this serves no real purpose at all, except to create tensions between him and Sa Ra. Now TBI never has any true antagonists, except in Han Se Gye's rival hoobae actress Chae Yoo Ri. Such a trivial character, but I love the way Han Se Gye stood her ground and dealt with all of Chae Yoo Ri's shenanigans (the orange juice scene...damn girl!)

OSTS //
As for the OSTs, I really loved the tracks Falling in Love (Davichi), Beautiful Moment (K.Will), and Goodbye (Wendy). Maybe I'm just a sucker for ballad-y songs, but these songs hit differently whenever our characters felt poignant and angsty. It really set the mood for the scenes, and I loved how they didn't just overuse one song repeatedly for "sad scenes."

Overall //
As a rom-com, TBI feels familiar in all its aspects. There's no true antagonist constantly pining after our OTP's lives, but it didn't need it. It didn't need any major plot movers because the love between our leads was enough. As a viewer, I never thought it was slowpaced and boring- seeing the character developments between our OTP coming to terms with themselves and finding peace in each other was enough for me. One final thing, I also really liked how the show used the time to fully flush out the relationship of our OTP. Unlike other dramas that end immediately upon reunion (or shortly afterwards), TBI focuses on our characters' lives and gives good fanservice to what we can expect should the story continue on years into the future. The ending scene with all of Han Se Gye's transformations walking behind Han Se Gye herself towards Seo Do Jae's open arms in the end really set it for me: this is one of the best rom-coms in Dramaland.

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Noisy Gongs and Angels... good match?

I immediately fell in love with SHS's acting in Mr. Queen and when I saw that she was in this one too, I knew that I had to check it out. Of course, she delivered with perfection- her eyes could act better than many actresses found today ;) On the other hand, I first saw L in Meow the Secret Boy, which was one of my least favorite dramas ever. Seeing him in this, I initially believed that he was an alright actor. I was so glad to be proven wrong- although there were some scenes that I could sense that he wasn't fully immersed in character, the majority of the time his acting pulled through.

Now onto the main storyline- everything worked out well until they started approaching the religion aspect. There were just a few too many holes for me to not notice- they range from subtle loopholes to glaringly obvious plot hols (the ever-so unforgiving god becomes super forgiving and willing to _______?), esp the ending of ep. 16. The side characters were also really flat and brought little to the story, only to serve as a way to push the two leads closer together. For example, Ru Na stating that her sole mission was to get her sister to be Giselle? That's one of the weakest motives I've seen in my 50+ dramas. Despite the blundering issues with the last 3-4 episodes, I really enjoyed everything else. The revelations of the secrets that Dan held and how Yeon Seo was connected to them made me tear up, and I really enjoyed how everything was intertwined with each other. The angel and God aspect could have been a bit less ambiguous and confusing, but I'm not a Christian, so can't speak on that behalf.

The OSTs were some of the best in dramaland! Notable ones such as STAY, My Angel, and Pray each made me tear up every single time I listened to them on Spotify, reminiscing about the emotions I felt while watching this show.

Regardless of all the issues I had with the show, if you're willing to just go with the flow and not linger on the problematic aspects too much, I think this will be a great watch. A drama is a drama, dramatizing aspects of human society- it's not meant to be taken too seriously. After all, these shows were made with an audience's enjoyment in mind. With this drama being filled with a story of perseverance and an angel's love, Angel's Last Mission made it into my top 10 dramas of all time.

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Too sour to enjoy

I get it- hectic work schedules will ultimately put strain on anyone, even to the most extreme workaholics. However it’s how you react to that work that reflects yourself as a person. What this movie seems to depict is that it’s not a romcom like what the description suggests, but a slew of poor decision making and mentality. I really like JKY as an actor, and props to him for making his character irritating to the viewer. As everyone highlighted, I was really caught off guard by the ending. They could’ve chosen to make the movie end on the sweeter note by having the female lead repair her relationship with her boyfriend, however it just made everyone seem more pathetic. It also seemed to derail the flow of the movie, it felt so abrupt and out of place- I was left reeling. Ultimately, I would watch the movie if you enjoy watching JKY, CSB, or Krystal, but sweet and sour is an ultimate waste of the immense talent of the cast.

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Haunting, Enchanting, and Incredible

My goodness, IU, and co-star Jin-goo did such an incredible job! The production felt so clean and exquisite, and each of Jang Man-wol's outfits was astonishingly beautiful. I was hooked from the very beginning, and the drama perfectly balances romance, fantasy, comedy, and soul. Many of the side characters had touching backstories, and I'm so happy the writers gave them each a satisfying ending! The OST soundtrack was one of the most memorable things from the drama, HEIZE and Chungha (to name a few) did a fantastic job adding a haunting and emotional touch to the deeper scenes. Easily one of the best dramas I've seen by far!

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