Misc. Favorite Dramas

The main character has a delightful and charming persona that she often uses to entertain other characters or get herself out of trouble, but she's also down-to-earth and sympathetic when she lets her guard down. She has great chemistry with the male lead, who is generally warm and soft-hearted behind his aloof exterior. There is a love triangle that takes a toll on the three main characters, but I appreciate that it never really comes between the close familial relationship between the two men. The supporting characters are generally cute and quirky. Perhaps it is partly because it was one of my first k-dramas, but this has been the most rewatchable drama for me.

This is truly a gorgeous drama in many respects. The characters are sympathetic and memorable and the relationships between each of them are lovely in their own way. It is extremely dramatic, but fortunately, it doesn't take itself too seriously; there's a lot of goofy comedy to prevent the viewer from feeling stifled. The visuals are beautiful, and the music is perfect; they take a lovely story and make it magical. (I doubt I'll come across another drama opening I love more.) I immediately rewatched it with a friend after watching it the first time, and enjoyed it as much the second time. It's not perfect, but it gets pretty close. I'll definitely rewatch again sometime.

This is the drama that got me into k-drama, and I think it was a great introduction. It has a little bit of everything: comedy, drama, romance - and even a bit of a historical element, given that its concept is an AU in which modern-day Korea still has a monarchy. It is interesting and heartbreaking to watch the carefree main character attempt to conform to the high standards expected of her as she assumes the role of princess to ensure the financial security of her family. The two main characters marry before they fall in love, and their relationship develops gradually as the male lead moves on from his first love. There's also plenty of political intrigue and scandal to keep the viewer interested.

Faith had some significant flaws, including a cartoonish villain squad, but there was too much that I loved about it for it not to be a favorite. The couple is one of my favorites in an Asian drama; they have great chemistry and they are both ultimately quite likable characters. It is enjoyable to watch Eun Soo gradually adapt to her new world and become courageous. Perhaps most importantly though - the OST is exceptional. A beautiful soundtrack makes everything so much more dramatic, emotional, and engaging, and Faith fully delivers in this regard.

The two main characters have great chemistry; it is definitely one of my favorite relationships that I have seen in a drama. (Perhaps second only to Yoo Rin and Gong Chan in "My Girl.") I was fully engaged in every episode, stayed up ridiculously late binge-watching, and was kind of disappointed when it was over. My main grievance with this show is the way the gender reveal and the male lead's reaction to it is handled, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment of it too much. I enjoyed it enough to watch a second time, and I will probably watch it again eventually.

I adore Yoon Eun Hye and she was great in this drama, as was the rest of the cast. I've always enjoyed crossdressing stories (i.e. girl has to pretend to be a guy for some weird reason), and this is one of the better ones. What makes it exceptional for me, compared to similar dramas, is that the male lead falls in love with her believing that she is male and actually comes to term with this. His reaction to the gender reveal is believable. This drama is full of fun characters with great chemistry/relationships. I could wholeheartedly recommend it to most people with an interest in Asian dramas... but it is also one that probably most drama fans have already seen.

While I felt a bit let down by this drama overall, because I was so in love with the premise, there were too many things I enjoyed about it for it not to be considered a favorite. I love the ocean, mermaids, fairy tales, and myths - and Lee Min Ho is one of my favorite actors. That said, while he turned in a strong performance as usual, Jun Ji Hyun outshined him as the delightfully childlike, feisty Sim Cheong, especially in earlier episodes. The problem for me was the internal inconsistency and sloppy writing at some points. I was also quite disappointed in the insubstantial mermaid lore. But the acting was good and the couple was likable enough. There were some beautiful instrumental tracks that certainly fit the fairy tale aspects of the story (though otherwise the music was quite bland to me). But, you know, Lee Min Ho, a cute mermaid adapting to human life, and beautiful ocean scenes... it's a winning combination for me. I can be nitpicky, but I can also be pretty easy to please.

I'm really thinking of this as the whole series rather than just "My Girlfriend's Boyfriend 2," but this part contained more of my favorite moments and considerably improved on the first half overall. After reading some reviews, I went into this expecting a lot of humor and warm, fuzzy romantic friendships between the main three characters, and it fully delivered on those expectations. I honestly hoped for a tad bit more physical affection between Ah Zhai and Adam based on the reviews I'd read, but I wasn't really surprised either. The plot seemed lazily written at points, but the dynamics between the characters (including relationships outside of the main three, most notably the friendship between Ah Zhai and Fu Gui) made up for it.

Another Yoon Eun Hye drama that I enjoyed quite a lot - mainly because she and the male lead have such great chemistry. I really enjoyed watching their relationship develop. I need to rewatch this one.