Stockholm Syndrome Kdrama Style

I Picked Up A Celebrity on the Street (2018)

Likes
1. The plot was so ridiculous that i almost thought of dropping this after ep 2. But it was also so intriguing and funny so i continued watching. I think by ep 3 i started appreciating the dark humor. Plus Sung Hoon is so handsome as grouchy arrogant Hallyu star! 🥰
2. The female lead is not too bright but im impressed how creative and out of the box she is in coming up with solutions to her problem. (If only she channeled it at work) Afraid she killed a person? Drag him home and really kill him. He woke up and threatens to report you to the police? Kidnap him and hold him hostage! Worried he might escape? Sign a contract that he agrees to live with you without escaping! 🤣🤣🤣 Totally absurd but the leads are so hilarious and cute together! Of course they will fall in love in the end!
3. More than the kidnapping, this was also about Joon Hyeok investigating who was trying to kill him. I had an initial guess who it was (i ended up being right) but i didnt know the motive. The reveal was as dark as the mood of the second half and liked it.
4. I liked how much the trio have grown up so much by the end of the drama. Joon hyuk became softer and nicer, Yeonseo became happier and more hardworking and Nakgoo finally found his passion.
5. The OST was fantastic! Im getting LSS from swing swing swing baby🎶🎶

Dislikes
1. The change in the vibes. The first half was light and wacky, the second half became too serious and dark.
2. The ending came too fast, should have added one extra episode or extended 30 more mins.

Rating: 8/10

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Should have been called Misery

Misty (2018)

I just finished this 10 mins ago and still processing the ending 😥 i know why they called this Misty but i think Misery is more appropriate.

Likes
1. Hands down the twisted relationship between Go Hye Ran and Kang Tae wook! 😍 Their palpable chemistry and Kang Tae Wook's angsty eyes were so sexy yet so sad. I just wanted them to live happy ever after.😭 (and Ji Jinhee just went straight to my oppa collection 😍 Cant believe i've been sleeping on him for years!!)
2. Go Hye Ran being so powerful and successful. I loved what Han Ji won said to her, "i dont know about respect, but I know Go Hye Ran always win."
3. The fashion. Go Hye Ran's pantsuits and her different shades of lipsticks. Kang Tae Wook's gorgeous coats and turtlenecks.
4. Director Jang! I normally hate all the characters that Lee Gyun Yeong plays but this time he was amazing!
5. The whole murder-Kevin Lee affair at the start got me so hooked with the story. It was short but Go Joon nailed the playboy Kevin Lee. It was fun to think of who killed Kevin, how and why.

Dislikes
1. The super incompetent Detective Kang 😡 i loved it when Taewook's assistant shouted at Kang to do his job properly. Can't believe he has worked as a detective for 20 years and arrests people based on bias and circumstantial evidence. Oh and the trial was a big mess.
2. There were some plotholes and other questions that were never fully answered but in the end it didn't really matter anymore.
3. The last 2 episodes lost focus of its original intention. Hyeran let go of her principles and it was a little disappointing. I already knew this will never have a happy ending and i would have been happy upto the second half of the last episode. Ha Myung Woo's sacrifice didnt make sense and was all for nothing because of the last 10 mins. But i understand why the ending was that way. That final scene when Kang Tae Wook said, "Are you happy?" And Hyeran was crying 😢

Rating: 8.5/10 (8 for the story +0.5 for tragic lives of the leads)

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Confusing from start to finish

Likes
1. Really liked the first half. The premise was interesting and i loved the it was action packed. The middle dragged though and story stopped making sense.
2. Loved Taesul and Seohae's team work and Taesul always has great ideas. But later on i thought Taesul's actions started getting conflicted when he fell in love with Seohae. He kept choosing the girl vs the world.
3. Loved Seohae and her dad.
4. Park's story and the Asia Mart team.
5. Taesan and Taesul's bromance esp that part when Taesan gave him the injection.

Dislikes
So many questions and not enough answers!!
1. No explanation of how the time travel works. Writers assume we understand the rules. We don't even know when the time loop started.
2. Sigma as a villain is lame. His reasons are not enough to blow up Korea. Eddy as the last minute bad guy felt forced.
3. Taesul's final decision just wasted everyone's efforts (and our 16 hours of watching)
4. Lots of unnecessary or wasted characters like Jaesun or that guy that keeps chasing after Seohae.

Rating: 7/10

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It was Friday night, I didn't feel like watching a drama so I was looking for a light hearted comedy movie and saw this in VIU. I had zero idea what the story would be but I clicked play. I was expecting to laugh a lot, but instead I was crying a lot (esp in the second half).

I thought this movie was just about a fussy old lady and an orphan civil servant becoming like family, but it was more than that. The first half was fun as we get to know both characters and I loved the scenes where Min Jae taught Ok Boon how to speak in English in fun ways, like playing chinese checkers or going to the bar to talk to foreigners. I also admired Ok Boon for being able to pick up English quite easily.

The second half turned serious as we get to the real reason why Ok Boon wanted to learn English. I'm not going to reveal the reason in case some people don't want to be spoiled but the reason was heartbreaking. I was weeping especially when it was time for Ok Boon to speak in front of everyone. And I loved that Min Jae was there with her and now considered her as family.

I liked the ending - before the neighbors taught she was a busybody, but now after understanding her, she was now considered as the friendly neighborhood grandma.

Rating: 8.5/10

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Fight for truth and justice despite the odds

Likes
1. Loved the Park Tae Yong and Park Sam Soo, they both want money and success yet they forego of it to pursue justice. I also loved the actors. KWON sang Woo is ageless, Bae Sung Woo is crazy fun and Jung Woo Sung is too tall and handsome to be sloppy and goofy 🥰
2. Drama was less about legal scenes but more on exploring the feelings of the wrongly accused and the real killers. Ep 9-10 were 😭. This drama had a lot of sincerity and heart, without being too preachy.
3. We know there are really a lot of corrupt people in the government, from the police, prosecutors, mayors to judges. It is hard to change the system. But we should also remember there are good guys out there willing to work hard to ensure justice and truth.
4. I loved the ensemble cast, from the 4 main baddies to Tae Yong's tight circle of friends.
5. Also loved the last minute cameos of Lee Jong Hyuk, Lee Elijah and Lee Jung Jae.

Dislikes
1. The drama spent too much time on the truck murder case, almost 10 episodes that sometimes there were too much flashbacks, too much rehashed scenes and conversations (How many times did i near I'm Han Sang Man??" I wished they kept the drama at 16 episodes (18 at most) instead of 20.
2. The final episode was okay but too convenient. The Seungwoo principal and director easily apologized to everyone. Also it felt like they didnt really take down the bad guys. Im sure they'll be back after the publicity has died down. So goes back to what did Taeyong and Samsoo actually accomplish?
3. I thought Tae Yong wanted to change the system that's why he is running for a seat in Jongno, but he ended up foregoing the chance and work on the ground. It was okay but he will never change the system if he stays small. Let Samsoo do the ground work and he goes up the chain.

Rating: 8/10

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Nice story but had a lot of usual tropes

Likes:
1. Story tackled the benefits and dangers of AI and the consequences when used selfishly or for goodwill. It's scary to think that AI is so powerful that it can be uncontrollable. And that it can evolve from a simple algorithm to adapting emotions like humans. And humans should also be careful of handling such technology and to know their limits.
2. I didnt really like Soyeon at the start because i thought she was too pathetic to cross the line and start caring and even falling in love with Holo. But she ended being a great person and was able to be more herself.
3. Holo is a great character that he felt so real. I was as sad as the group in the end when he had to go.
4. I loved Nando although he did go the noble idiot way during the middle part of the show (and made the story boring).
5. The last 2 episodes totally redeemed the drama. I loved how it ended and how they resolved everyone's story.
6. I thought face blindness and childhood friends tropes again? But this time i was delighted that it was actually put into good use.
7. Nando and Holo may look alike but Yoon Hyun Min made them into two distinct characters.
8. Finally saw the actor playing the detective as a good guy! He always plays the mean character.
9. The super cute kid actor who played the young Nando. I want to squish his cheeks and take him home with me.
10. Good thing this drama is just for 12 episodes.

Dislikes:
1. Of course Chairman Baek!! I was glad that Nando was able to punch him once (i wish Soyeon let Nando hit Baek one more time). He was too evil! And Chansung finally had the courage to break his cane! (I wanted to do the same plus slap his face)
2. Soyeon and Nando during the first part were so full of self-pity i almost dropped the show.

Rating: 7/10

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Terrific historical drama

Likes:
1. Season 2 didnt disappoint! It is as amazing as the first season. Get ready for more blood, more gore, more monsters, more politics. Even in 2020 people are throne grabbing.
2. Several characters die in this season but there's no time to grieve because new fantastic characters are introduced
3. Lee Chang is getting more and more handsome and every bit the rightful heir to the throne/king after each episode. And i love all his cool slow motion scenes. He is almost like the Captain Ri in this era.
4. I was right the Queen is so evil, more evil than her own father
5. Beom Pal provides the right comic relief in some of the pivotal scenes
6. The cameo from Jun Ji Hyun is so exciting, i cant wait for season 3. Can i wish for a loveline between her and Lee Chang? (I know i know this is a horror drama not a romance hehe)

Dislikes:
Seobi has to speak up more! She always has the crucial info when it comes to the plague and she doesnt relay the info to Lee Chang and others on time!!!

Rating: 9.5/10

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Revenge is sweet

Likes:
1. Park Saeroyi's dad must have been one amazing man to be able to make a huge impact to SRY and Soo ah.
2. PSRY finally realizing what life is all about and smiling (i missed those eye wrinkles)
3. Danbam reaching the top after a lot of hard work
4 i disliked Soo ah for the most part of the show and she proved me wrong and redeeemed herself in the end. She totally deserves Park Bogum in her life.
5. Love that this show wasnt the typical kdrama and tackled a lot of social issues even though eps 13-15 felt like a different drama with the sickness, kidnapping, and gangster showdown.
6. Yiseo getting her man and still being a badass
7. Park Seo Jun can start growing back his hair!

Dislikes:
1. Chairman Jang and Jangga. I could never understand why everyone thinks he is so great when all i see is a pathetic and petty old guy trying to prove to the world that he is still powerful and relevant. I loved the ending when PSJ finally realized that he wasted a lot of years over nothing. I felt the same way and i could have told him that 5 episodes ago. Lol.
2. So what happened to Geun Won? I guess it doesnt matter now. I was still hoping he would change and be a better person but he was so far gone.

Rating: 8.5/10

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Flashy legal drama with sizzling chemisty between the leads

Likes
1. Explosive chemistry between the two leads. I loved their petty fights, legal battles when they were fighting againat each other and when they finally learned to work together, those moments when they became personal and emotional and opened up to eo. They may not have ended up together but the finale was still perfect because they are now partners in their own firm.
2. I believe that Geum Ja will get to buy her own building with Hee Jae's help and Law Firm Choong will be bigger than S&K.
3. Their team, the old smart guy, the funny talkative best friend, Geum Ja's secretary, Ms Boo, newbie lawyer and the detective. Each one has their own strengths and skills that they bring to the table.
4. Reminds me a lot of Suits with the flashy office, 2 representative lawyers fighting over the law firm, annoying lawyer at odds with Hee Jae, the witty lines and the amazing ost.
5. The cases were fun, a lit bit intriguing, well developed that you see the connection in the later episodes. At first i was team Song but ugh! So bad to betray Hee Jae. I still didnt like Kim though.

Dislikes:
1. That 16 episodes went by too fast. I want season 2 please!!

Rating: 9.5/10

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Suspenseful melodrama

Likes:
1. Amazing chemistry between Kim Dong Wook and Moon Ga Young. Felt giddy every time they came onscreen esp when they started dating. Sometimes trying out new actors/actresses you barely watched before can really pay off!
2. I also loved the cute romance between the second lead couple. Their funny story contrasted well against the slightly dramatic and mature story of the main couple.
3. Learning something about Lee Jeong Hun's illness. Must be tough to be able to remember everything from good to bad memories but i also envy him since at least he can relive those memories that we have forgotten over the years.
4. The drama was interesting because aside from the stalker plot, we also had the first love never dies plot, Ha jin's acting journey, a little dramatic murder and heartless doctor on the side stories. All stories were written well and cohesively throughout the 32 episodes so i never got bored.
5. I always look forward to what Yeo Ha Jin is wearing and her perfectly coiffed hair.
6. Beautiful scenery esp since they filmed during spring time so the flowers and colors were so pretty. Also the drama only had 2 or 3 ost but i really loved them and fit well with the scenes.
7. Seo yeon was so nice and pretty, no wonder LJH cant forget her.

Dislikes:
1. The old doctor who took advantage of Lee Jeong Hoon. Even in the end he didnt apologize to LJH or looked remoreseful for what he did. To think he was almost like a second dad to LJH.
2. Hajin's stalker made for good drama and suspense but it didnt really give any reason why he was stalking her in the first place.

Rating: 8.5/10

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Visually pleasing but messy in the second half

Likes:
1. Lee Min Ho looks so good in every single scene that he kept me watching even though this drama was boring half of the time.
2. The very interesting idea of parallel universe where there are two kinds of korea. I had to keep pausing the drama so that i could think of what happened. And after the show i still kept thinking and guessing what would happen next.
3. Thoroughly enjoyed Woo Do Hwan as Eunseop and Jo Yeong (but i like Eunseop more!)
4. The stunning visuals and ost
5. At first the blatant display of the PPL was laughable but it also made me look for them on the internet

Dislikes:
1. During the first half i was confused if we were in kingdom or in the republic. There were too many characters to track and questions kept piling up without answers until ep 11. and the biggest plothole just felt lazy like they didnt have time to explain because we're on the final episode.
2. Super boring like nothing really happens until the last 10 mins and then it makes me anticipate the next episode. The next episode will answer a little bit of the previous ep by first 15 mins then it becomes boring again until the end. I was honestly watching this because of Lee Minho. Good thing the second half saved this show.
3. This happens in every time travel drama that as we get deeper into the story, the less the time travel logic makes sense. Until we end up just following the story without thinking of the logic anymore.
4. The romance build up was rushed that i didnt feel invested in them. I was just forced to believe they are in love and they need to be together in the end..because they are our leads. .

Overall, you dont need to be an intellectual to watch and enjoy the show, but you need to remember that this is a fantasy kdrama, not scifi. You need to suspend an appropriate level of disbelief while watching the show. Dont overthink the plot and concentrate (on their lines and the small details) so you can follow the story.

Rating: 8.5/10

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I want a dinner mate too!

Likes
1. Amazing chemistry between the two leads. I love Hae Kyung and Dohee's relationship from being strangers, to dinner mates and to lovers. Of course we should still be careful befriending a random stranger in a foreign place, no matter how handsome they are!
2. I love the thought of food as therapy and providing comfort to people. It is true. We often use food to help us when we are stressed, sad or happy.
3. The food, the beautiful visuals, Seo ji hye's dresses, Song seung hun's biceps.
4. I loved the ost a lot! I thought they weren't the usual songs because they were more rnb /hiphop than ballads and pop. And it fit the show. Yum yum!

Dislikes
1. One crazy ex was enough. Bringing in both toxic exes for the entire run of the drama was too much. Noeul was not very helpful in building the plot. She could have shown up in the first few episodes and left on a good note.
2. Honestly wasn't that interested in Jaehyuk's story. I thought he took away a lot of the bonding times HK and DH could have shared on screen.

Rating: 8.5/10

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Too short - when is season 2??

Likes:
1. Short but oh so sweet! I was expecting this to be a light cheesy romcom but was surprised that it also had a lot of heart!
2. Despite only having 6 episodes and the super quick romance between Yihang and Angie, i totally believed in them and wanted them to be together! Cried when Yihang cried in the car.
3. I also liked the stories of the other characters - Sophie was like a b*tch robot but i cried when she said "i love morons"
4. I also liked Liu Yin and i hope she finds Hao Hao!
5. Ding ding and Gui were so funny! 😂
6. Eddie -- ugh! I thought he was going to be the sweet second lead but he's not! I forgot that he is a gangster's son!

Dislikes:
Not much but i wished they extended 2 more episodes so we get more romantic scenes between Yihang and Angie. Oh and sometimes the english subtitles were too colorful and had more swear words than what the characters are actually saying!

Please tell me there is going to be a season two! 🥺

Rating: 8.5/10

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Nice revenge drama

Likes
1. The sudden relationship between Sangpil and Jaeyi was a surprise but since they focused on their working relationship more than the romance, it was fine. I liked how their minds clicked and how they discussed things.
2. I loved the lawless lawyer team, esp Kwangsoo, Geumja and Geun Gang. They may have an unorthodox way of investigating but it still worked.
3. Really hated An Oh Ju from the start but the actor was so good that i actually felt bad for him in the end.
4. Cha Moon Sook was so bad i wanted someone to please slap her face and see her unruffled. But even when she got jailed she had the same frowning expression and remained calm. I wanted her to at least go crazy for once.

Dislikes
1. For a drama that mostly featured lawyers and prosecutors, there were not a lot of court case scenes where they actually did the hearing. Most of the time the defendants were acquitted so we never got a real sense of how good bong sang pil or Jaeyi was in their jobs.
2. The finale was not that impactful since there were no big twists or shocking events. It is more like will An Oh Ju or Nam Soon Ja betray Cha Moon Sook or not? Still it was satisfying.

Rating: 8/10

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Terrific acting but boring and filled with plot holes in the second half

Likes:
1. The greatest part of this drama is the wonderful story about Sangtae and Gangtae. Esp the fantastic performance of Oh Jung Se. I loved the progress of the brothers, from being bitter and holding past grudges, to letting it all out and starting to have honest communication. To finally realizing they need to support each other. Sangtae belongs to Sangtae. Gangtae belongs to Gangtae. But they are brothers.
2. More than the romance between Munyeong and Gangtae, i loved how the three became their own family. How Munyeong learned to open up and start feeling for other people. Loved the messages of her fairytales.
4. Also loved Juri's mom and Dir Oh.

Dislikes:
1. Lots of boring episodes and scenes that i fast forwarded some of them.
2. Lots of plot holes. Like how did The brothers survive on their own for 20 years? Where and when did they meet Jaesu? With both parents gone, who took care of Munyeong growing up?
3. Nurse Park turning out to be Munyeong's mom doesnt make sense. They teased this twist so much but ended in just 1 or 2 episodes without sufficient explanation on how she survived or backstory why she turned psycho.
4. The reveal of younger Do Hui Jae's face was disappointing. For all the mystery surrounding her face and for all the talk about Munyeong's dad falling with love with her because she was beautiful, i was expecting a super elegant and gorgeous looking lady but she was not.
4. The stories of the patients didnt leave a lasting impression on me, except for the old guy and Kwak Dong Yeon's cameo. They could have totally removed the patients stories and the drama can still survive. There were unnecessary characters or underutilized characters. Juri and Ceo Lee were relegated to just a secondary love line when they could have better storylines. Seungjae seemed more like comic relief. I was interested in Jaesu and his story. Why he ended up following the brothers around and where he gets his money to be able to open his own businesses. Instead Jaesu only shows up to be Sangtae's babysitter or when Gangtae needs a shoulder.

Rating: 8.5/10

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