Feel-good Drama about Family and Love

The first thing I saw of My Father is Strange is a clip of Miyeong hiding behind Junghui in the elevator and tearing his tshirt. I immediately wanted to watch the show after seeing this clip, but hesitated when I realized that it was 52 episodes long. (I struggle with 16-episode shows as it is)

When I finally gave the first episode a try, I found it very weird. It was soapy and choppy and different from other kdramas I have seen. But as I kept watching I got attached to the characters and got swept into their lives. I loved how the story revealed itself in layers, and actually thought it was sort of a master class on writing soaps.

My Father is Strange is hilarious, heartfelt and so much fun.It's overall mood is light, even though it deals with some serious situations here and there. My favourite part of the show was the relationship between Junghui and Miyeong, and wanting to see how their relationship progressed was actually why I ended up bingeing it. But somewhere along the way, I fell in love with all the characters and their relationships with each other. I loved all the siblings and their partners and enjoyed all their storylines. The father is an absolute sweetheart and mom is so badass. The sibling-wars and in-laws wars were hilarious, and the warmth of family that has each other's backs no matter what, fills your heart. It is one of the funniest kdramas I have ever seen, and it had some jokes about drama production and actors which were super meta.

The drama leaves you feeling good, happy and hopeful. Even though it tends to be quite unrealistic / overly idealistic that's part of its charm. There are parts of the plot / twists that are completely whacky and would never happen in real life, but if you can get over how unrealistic it all is, and accept its soapiness, you'll end up really enjoying the show. Towards the end of the drama I felt like I was part of this beautiful family and knew each of the characters deeply.

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Do You Like Brahms? soars aimlessly ; it’s a good thing and a bad thing.

I am not a fan of melo dramas and I hate love triangles, but I fell in love with Do You Like Brahms? at the get-go, regardless of it being a web of love triangles. I loved the leads, they are likable and relatable, and you root for them throughout. The romance was really sweet. Most of the characters were well-written, you understand their struggles even though they seem unreasonable at a glance. The drama overall brought me this sense of comfort and tranquility.

The show starts up really well, I was hooked right from the beginning. The writing was really subtle without unnecessary exposition or subplots. But it falls flat towards the end, as if it lost its path and didn’t know where to flow. Unnecessary plot points , complications and misunderstandings towards the end makes the show lose its shine. There are certain plot points that makes no sense when you really think about them.

Regardless, I loved the drama overall and the emotions it brought me. I love the characters and enjoyed their journey. There were things I wish they had done differently, but I am happy that they made this drama and took me on this journey.

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As slice-of-life as it gets!

From all the kdramas I have watched My Liberation Notes is the first drama that for me was undoubtedly a 10/10 rating. The writing of this drama is so masterful that I am in awe. It’s so well-woven that the storylines connect to one another so smoothly and the drama flows just so gently. I loved every single character and every storyline, which is something that has never happened to me with another drama before. It was wonderful to see the characters developing and eventually finding themselves.

The drama is slow, and nothing much happens, just like life, which is why I feel that this is the ultimate slice-of-life drama. We get to peek into the mundane lives of these three siblings living in Sanpo and traveling to Seoul every day, and the lives of people around them. It can get sad, happy or even cruel just like life. But this drama comforted me and made me feel better without being preachy or over-the-top. It reminds you that it’s okay to live life your own way as long as you are at peace with yourself. It portrays these realistic relationships that can’t fit into frames set up by the society. The characters go on this journey where they figure out what they want and whether or not they want to live by the conventions forced upon them. I loved how realistic the relationships in the drama were because in life nothing is black and white, and being in love doesn’t magically make everything go smoothly in life.

The conversations and dialogues in the drama were so witty and so relatable for me on a personal level. As someone who is depressed and has felt like I don’t fit in with the rest of the world, seeing such emotions put into words, I felt understood, I felt that maybe there are other people out there who feel the same way too.

Overall, My Liberation Notes is a feel-good, comforting slice-of-life drama that helps you slow down and catch your breath. There aren’t many mind blowing twists or complicated plot lines, but it manages to keep you captivated with it’s honesty, mundanity and refreshing wholesomeness.

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