Touching Story With Sweet Romance

Friends, this is easily the most bingeable watch this year. I could not stop pressing play and impatiently waited for episodes once I caught up with the live release schedule. Not only was the story interesting, it was incredibly touching the way this family came together to solve their issues. The story revolves around the ladies of this family - both the family members and their servants. I really enjoyed the intricacies of these various relationships. Their shifting dynamics created genuine character growth for many of the women. There are lots of #ladiessupportingladies as well as #ladiesLEARNINGtosupportladies in this drama, which felt really refreshing.

The main couple had a sweet and slow romance built over the course of the story. A bit more passion from them would have been nice, but I understand these dramas typically are on the tamer side. They did have some great hugs! The main leads did a good job portraying the characters and had decent chemstry together. I'm not sure their performance was as memorable as the overall story, but I will probably remember them fondly. I wonder how I would have felt about their romance with different actors in the roles. Overall, a great and touching story paired with a sweet and steady romance made this one of my favorites this year (so far).

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Heartwarming Story

If you haven’t heard about Extraordinary Attorney Woo, then you have been living under a rock. I honestly don’t know what more I can add to the conversation that hasn’t already been said. Park Eu-bin shines as Woo Young-woo, portraying her as a multi-faceted and dynamic woman experiencing the challenges and joys of a young career woman (as well as first love). Many people have commented on the actress' thoughtful portrayal of a woman on the spectrum. Whether you think she succeeds or fails in that performance, it does seem like the actress and the writing team attempted to be as authentic and genuine as possible.

It’s a joy watching Young-Woo interact with the secondary characters on the show, particularly her love interest Lee Joon-ho (played by Kang Tae-ho) and her boss Jung Myung-seok (played by Kang Ki-young). I have seen Kang Ki-young in several roles over the years, and he always manages to bring so much depth and nuance to his performances. Luckily, Jung Myung-seok is a complex character dealing with many challenges as a mentor to his team and the demands of his job on his health. He was the right actor to take on such an intricate role.

Much love is also given to the romance between Young-woo and Joon-ho, and rightfully so. It’s refreshing to watch a woman on the spectrum have such a beautiful and slowly built romance with a sweetheart of a guy. The two actors had chemistry in spades - I could literarily watch any scene with them over and over again. However, I felt a bit unsatisfied by the end of the series with Joon-ho’s character. In many ways, he felt one-dimensional. Much of his character development is through the lens as a love interest, not as an individual. As a show balancing between a love story, a legal drama, and an individual introspection, I suspect his character just didn’t have the opportunity to be given the same amount of attention as Young-woo and Jung Myung-seok.

While this is a character-driven story, much time is spent on the legal cases taken by the law firm. Some worked better than others in layering challenges Young-woo faces personally alongside her client's challenges. I enjoyed that all of the cases weren’t necessarily solved within the episode - it broke up some of the procedural moments into more manageable pieces. Not to be outdone, the OST and cinematography for the show was well-executed and memorable too.

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Excellent Pairing, Yet Odd Tone

You Are My Glory is an odd mixture between mellow contemplations about careers, and romantic comedy in an opposites attract situation. While I expected levels of upbeat romcom similar to My Little Happiness, I didn’t actually see these type of moments until the last third of the show. The first part is very much dedicated to Yu Tu pondering his career choices and Qia Jing-Jing securing her contract. Do you see the two falling in love slowly with each other? Sure, but it is certainly not the driving force I expected it be. Episode eight through ten even spent much time in the aerospace sphere as Yu Tu and his counterparts attempted to fix an issue with a satellite. Maybe these episodes would resonate with someone interested in the field or hobby, but I found them to be rather lackluster and boring.

Once the leads began a relationship with each other in the last third of the show, it more than made up for the slow start and mellow mood. Yu Tu and Quia Jing-Jing, as portrayed by Yang Yang and Dilraba Dilmurat, truly had some excellent chemistry together. Their romance felt genuine and authentic as it evolved from cautious strangers to long time lovers. Honestly, I love the time skips interjected into the series to see their relationship deepen and mature. The two actors played long time lovers really well with tons of skinship. Their ending, both as a couple and as career-minded individuals, was completely satisfying and heartwarming.

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Political Drama With Soulmates

Who Rules the World was my first foray into Wuxia storytelling. And, my friends, I learned one important lesson - Wuxia dramas are not my thing. While I find Xianxia romances to be fantastically beautiful, I find the martial art fantasy elements to be unrealistic. From my research, the elements featured in WRTW are pretty standard to the genre and were executed well so I can only assume it is a me, not the genre, issue.

The worldbuilding and setting were completely overwhelming during the first few episodes. I could not even begin to tell you the major players or overarching plot because so many names, nations, and locations were being rushed down the pipeline. It wasn’t until around the 5th episode I came to a clearer understanding of the general synopsis. Between the fifth and thirtieth episode, it found a well-balanced rhythm between political intrigue and character-driven moments of growth. Was some of it boring and tedious? Yes, for sure. Anyone who enjoys the political aspects will probably enjoy these parts more than me.

The last ten episodes were almost frenetic as the pacing attempted to push forward the plot and characters to wrap up the story. Don’t get me wrong - I actually loved a lot about these episodes. However, it would have been better had the story been more evenly split between the two types of tones and energy. I read that the director left the project midway through production, and it shows. A bit more editing would have made for a better blended story.

While the genre and story pacing may have kept me from enjoying the story as much as I wanted to, the actors by far made up for a lot of mistakes. I absolutely loved Bai Feng Xi, played by the every lovely and versatile actress Zhao Lusi, and Hei Feng Xi, played by the talented Yang Yang. Their friendship, which eventually moved toward romance, was beautifully executed. The two had loads of chemistry. Honestly, I would have loved to have seen more intimate moments between the two, but it is understandable the genre calls for a focus on plot over romance. Their characters arcs, particularly Bai Feng Xi, really made me root for them as individuals and as romantic partners. Typical romantic tropes are mostly avoided, which makes for a refreshing storyline.

I also have to commend the actors playing these roles. I’ve seen Yang Yang in several shows by this point (H2O and You Are More Glory). While I liked him in the contemporary romances, he excelled in this setting. He encapsulated the fine gentlemen traits of Hei Feng Xi flawlessly. His mannerisms, way of speaking, and overall aura really impressed me. Zhao Lusi’s performance was just as powerful as Yang Yang’s, especially toward the end of the show. She has a chameleon like ability to switch between mischievous prankster, royal lady, and martial arts master as she navigates between all the various facets of her character. Any way we can get these two to act opposite of each other in the future?

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Fun Premise With Little Character Development

Reset was a quick and fun psychological mystery thriller. I typically shy away from the time loop genre as the “what ifs” tend to drive me crazy, but I couldn’t pass up a premise so similar to the movie Speed. The show layers intense action sequences with an intriguing “who done it” mystery, and, at fifteen episodes, the story is a quick and entertaining binge. It had some plot holes and pacing issues, but it was overall a fun and frenetic ride.

While the plot kept me entertained, I found myself frustrated with the characters. Secondary characters, such as the suspects of the bombing and the police officers, are given more character development that the main protagonists. Ziao He Yun is by far the more developed character as he actually has character-driven interactions outside of the main plot. Li Shi Qing is given little to no backstory other than broke college student. These two had loads of chemistry and excelled at the emotional beats of the story so it was disappointing to not know them as well as the secondary characters at the end of the show. More time fleshing out their backstory would have made for an impactful, not just interesting, story.

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Cute Romance With Overboard Product Placement

FIYS features a cute romance between Ton Yao, the first female e-sports player on the team, and Lu Si Cheng, the team’s captain. The actors, Cheng Xioa and Zu Kai, had excellent chemistry together. It seriously had some of the best kissing scenes and romantic gestures I’ve seen in a Cdrama before! I absolutely adored Lu Si Cheng. While he had a standoffish personality, at his core you could see the care and attention he gave to the people in his life. Zu Kai played these attributes to perfection. I was less impressed with Cheng Xioa’s performance. She did sarcasm and pouty really well, but it got a bit tiresome after 20+ episodes. A bit more emotional range would have been appreciated. The secondary characters were all interesting and unique in their own way even if the rarely got to have their own stories outside the main plot.

As this is an e-sports drama, it included tons of game footage. I found these parts to be rather uninteresting and boring, but the animation and shots were well done. In fact, the overall production of the show was top notch. However, the slick camera shots and beautiful cinematography came at a price. Product placement is RAMPANT in this show. Full on scenes were spent with characters essentially buying something without any main purpose to the plot or story. The actors did well with those scenes - I, personally, would have laughed if I had to shoot a mini-commercial during a drama as an actor.

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Gripping Action with Sweet Romance

It took me two attempts to get invested in this show, but it grabbed me by the throat once it happened.

❤ OMG, the romance blew me away. It had it all - pining looks, hand holding, unrequited (or not so unrequited) love, forced proximity, and marriage of convenience. While the romance isn't the driving factor of the story, it certainly builds episode by episode as Sae Bom and Yi Hyun work together to keep the residents of the apartment building safe. The chemistry between them, their absolute loyalty to one one another, and their refusal to back down on fighting for the things they loved made them one of my all time favorite couple duos.

❤ There is some shady shit going down in the apartment building prior to the lockdown, all of which comes full circle as the resident secrets begins to unravel the longer the quarantine continues. Their are certainly some memorable characters and interactions. I will admit some of the storylines for secondary characters petered out by the last episode. It would have been nice to have some clarity on whether or not the characters in peril during the end of the lockdown made it back to the real world alive and unharmed.

❤ I have been really impressed with the expansion of zombie lore over the past year! First this show and now All of Us Are Dead are giving us some interesting zombie alternatives. Honestly, this was a terrifying premise as infected individuals switched between madness and sanity.

❤ The lockdown and quarantine elements of the show certainly paralleled the real world during the Covid-19 epidemic. It explores themes of isolation, fear, and panic as the residents are moved into lockdown. If you're someone with PTSD from Covid-19, perhaps this show isn't for you (at least at this time).

Watch if you like: ?Slow burn romance | ? Zombies / Undead | ? Engaging female lead
Find it: Viki (12 episodes)

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Friends-to-Lovers Perfection

Fight For My Way snuck into my heart from the moment I started watching. I loved almost every element of this contemporary romance.

❤ Be still my heart - Ko Dong Man and Choi Ae Ra had the best friends-to-lovers story I've seen in a long time. Their connection on screen was immediate, and their adorable confusion as their feelings deepened for each other was utterly unforgettable. Whenever they were on the screen, I could not take my eyes off them.

❤ I have a new girl crush, and her name is Ae Ra (and actress Kim Ji Won). I loved how all of the people in her life, including the hard core martial artists, cowered before her. She had some memorable moments of escalating situations or pushing characters who she felt were threatening herself or her loved ones. I want to be her new best friend!

❤ If anything, this showed just how versatile Park Seo Joon is as an actor. It was like watching a different person act compared to his performance in What's Wrong with Secretary Kim. I think my preference caters to his himbo version rather than the sophisticated businessman, but only by a margin. He played Ko Dong Man so earnestly with the perfect touches of confusion, vulnerability, and determination.

❤ The story did an excellent job of showing two different types of relationship dynamics. You have the two main leads moving from friends to lovers. On the other spectrum, you have the second leads going through a rough patch during their six year relationship. As a string unraveled for one couple, another string would bring together the other couple.

❤ The discussion about dreams versus reality, especially in their twenties, felt so relatable. I understood completely their drive and passion for their dreams, yet their weariness and somewhat acceptance of their circumstances.

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Angsty Plot with Ambiguous Ending

Like other series in the past, I think I watched this show at the wrong time. I wanted a fun and fluffy romance, but got an angst filled plot and ambiguous ending.

❤ The highlight of the series is 100% IU as Jang Man Wol. When she was on the screen, you could not look away from her. She was a messy, emotional, and materialistic immortal with a touch of vulnerability giving her enough humanity to make her story (and redemption) plausible.

❤ The leads had tons of energy and chemistry. Unfortunately, Yeo Jin Goo as Goo Chan Sung was so one-dimensional as to be laughable. He was a character that could not stand on his own outside of the story. I'd also say the romance is not the driving force of this series, but more of a factor in Jang Man Wol's character development.

❤ The cinematography is absolutely breathtaking. It truly is a cinematic experience on the small screen. I can't think of one scene that didn't feel fully realized.

❤ While I enjoyed the side characters, few of their stories felt integral to the overarching plot as they were all crammed into the latter half of the series.

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Humorous & Heartfelt

Let me tell you - this show and this romance had me hook, line, and sinker.

❤ The romance is the heart and soul of this show. Kim Min Kyu and Jo Ji Ah are electrifying on screen. They each find solace and value in themselves from each other, building each other up even as the lie tears them apart. While I think the lie could have been releveled earlier, I still loved the juxtaposition of it all.

❤ The show featured several other romances outside the main couple, all of which were sweet and funny.

❤ If you've read any of my reviews in the past, you know how much I adore found family. Kim Min Kyu, Jo Ji Ah, and the Santa Maria robotics team are the perfect example of lonely people coming to lean and love each other.

❤ The concept of a robot looking and functioning so much like a human has always fascinated me. How would we as human process such a evolution? While much of the show focuses on the romance, it does explore the actions of such a technology out in the real world. It was such a beautiful and moving experience watching Aji-3's journey from concept to reality.

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Gripping Story & Compelling Characters

All hail the show that first got me interested in k-dramas!

❤ If you're looking for an action-packed story with a grim dark setting, you've come to the right place. Squid Games is not for the feint of heart - it's gruesome, visceral, and haunting with lots of on-screen violence and gore.

❤ OMG, the characters were utterly unforgettable. Some will break your heart; some will betray you; and some will make you want to scream and laugh all at the same time. The characters are multi-faceted with understandable motives. It can be quite unnerving to understand why a character is acting a certain way even as their actions put others in dangerous or perilously situations.

❤ All of the actors gave powerhouse performances, but I have to give an extra amount of credit to Lee Jung Jae as Seong Gi Hoon. I disliked him so much during the first episode, but he somehow managed to turn me into his fan by the end of the series.

❤ The setting, music, and general vibe was atmospheric and haunting. No expense was spared on the production, and it showed. It had such a polished look and feel as to make everything feel very, very real.

❤ This has a lot of social commentary looking at the problems and challenges people face in a society that has pretty much ignored or cast them off. It certainly is thought provoking.

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Legal Thriller with a Touch of Romance

I watched this at the wrong time. I wanted something sweeping and deeply romantic, but what I got was a psychological legal thriller with moments of romance.

❤ The best part of the show are the various cases. While the structure was similar to the "case of the week" style popular in Western shows, they did tend to be extended over multiple episodes. I found them all to be fascinating with multiple layers and details. I also really enjoyed the detective work that went into discovering solutions to the cases.

❤ The dreaming sequences were well executed, if a bit repetitive. There were several times when I would get confused between the dream and reality, although I think it was supposed to be part of the equation.

❤ The OST for this series is absolutely outstanding - it truly set the tone between the romantic, emotional, and tense beats. The instrumental music is probably one of my favorite scores ever. If I had one big complaint, it would be that the opening sequence did not match AT ALL the actual show. It always threw me off how whimsical and dreamy the opener was compared to the darker moments of the show.

❤ The poster for the series makes it look like the romance dominates the story, but it truly doesn't. The romance between Nam Hoong-Jo and Jung Jae Chan is super slow burn. It was like watching grass grow in the dessert. Once they finally accepted their feelings for one another, they became a smidge more romantic.

❤ I loved Jung Hae-in as Han Woo-tak. He had such a calm and stoic presence to his scenes. I also loved how nerdy he is, and how it shows in his room.

❤ This is another story focused on "found families" - one of my favorite tropes ever. I love how the three main leads, as well as Jun-Jae's little brother, end up being adopted by Nam Hong-Joo's mom, Yoon Soon-Sun. All of their scenes were such a delight.

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Creepy And Campy

I'm surprised I liked this show as much as I did. I'm not going to lie - the first four episodes didn't really hook me.

❤ I found Bong Soon to be a rather bland character despite her interesting ability. Around the halfway mark she became more of a fully realized person rather than a caricature of a superhero. The show did a pretty good job with her powers, and, for the most part, I felt her natural strength.

❤ God save me from love triangles. They are usually so cliché and tiresome no matter the circumstances. I did like all of the actors so at least I didn't dread every episode, but I much preferred it once the triangle was wrapped up.

❤ The MVP of this show, and probably the only reason I stuck it out initially, is Park Hyung-Sik as An Min-Hyuk. He has to balance between love sick puppy, remote CEO, and slightly crazy anti-establishment asshole. And, my god, does he excel at all three. He completely and totally won me over, and his obvious joy and love for Bong Soon was absolutely adorable.

❤ The side characters are a bit much, particularly Bong Soon's "kids" and the mafia-style antiheroes. Most of their scenes were meant to add levity to a somewhat dark storyline, but it felt rather pushed into the story rather than layered into it. That said, I did enjoy how everyone comes together in the end to stop the big bad of the series.

❤ Finally, I have to comment on the number of placement adds. They are so obvious. It's also interested how the last episode, while giving us a pretty "happily ever after ending," also felt like the showrunners attempting to add as many product placement ads as possible.

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Sweet & Heartwarming

After watching some amazing horror and fantasy k-drama shows, I was hesitant to choose something more lighthearted. I will be forever grateful to my husband for pushing me to giving it a try because it is now my favorite k-drama to date! Below lists all the ways I fell in love with this sweet and heartwarming show.

❤ It’s easy to fall in love with Hong Du-sik (or Chief Hong as most of the residents of Gongjin call him). He’s easy going, intelligent, hard working, and charming. The actor, Kim Sun-ho, shines at creating this affable character without his performance coming off as forced or insincere. You can see how much Du-sik loves his town and the people in it. It’s not till the end of the season that his story is revealed, but the last few episodes really hit home the reasons behind his lifestyle decisions.

❤ It’s a lot harder to connect to Yoon Hye-jin. She is initially portrayed as materialistic, judgmental, and remote in the first few episodes. And yet, when her guard is down, you also see she’s compassionate, driven, and decisive. It’s utterly fascinating watching this woman who has built up walls for most of her life slowly allow the residents of Gongjin into her heart. Kudus goes to the actress, Shin Min-a, who is able to pull off such a complex role.

❤ The romance is so sweet and giddy. When the story starts, it was difficult imaging Du-sik and Hye-jin falling in love as they were complete opposites. The show spends time building up their friendship before any other feelings are expressed. Their romance teeters between giddy and sweet, making for fun moments and memories between the two.

❤ Typically I detest love triangles, but I actually adored the execution of it in this show. The show excelled at creating separate moments for each of these relationships individually and as a group. It created an interesting tension between the three as they began to express their feelings mid-season. I also appreciate the love triangle is quickly wrapped up once everyone is open and honest with each other.

❤ The heart and soul of this town is the relationships between people. While they don’t always like each other, they do put their conflicts aside to be there for one another during times of crisis and celebration. All of these various threads come together to create such a rich tapestry that truly make Gongjin feel alive. I can’t think of one character I didn’t absolutely adore by the end of the series.

❤ This show brings together so many elements to create the perfect and charming small town setting. It had a fantastic score filled with whimsical and lighthearted music, which set so much of the overall tone of the show. Who will ever forget DOS and Yoon-Oh’s songs? Not me, that’s for sure! The snippets of the beach, the docks, the vendors, and aerial shots of the entire town were absolutely gorgeous. I couldn’t help but feel as if Gongjin were a real and bustling place, one I can’t wait to visit (even if it is only on my screen).

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Multifaced Story Within A Story

I cannot begin to express exactly how much I adored this story, but I’ll give it a try anyway.

❤ Dan-O is everything you could want from a protagonist - she’s feisty, passionate, driven, and courageous. You can’t help but root for her as she pushes against her destiny to create her own story.

❤ It’s absolute perfection watching Dan-O and Ha-roo fall in love. Their romance is like eating warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies straight from the oven (the highest of compliments from me). This is very much a “first love” story with a focus on looks and hugs, not kisses.

❤ I 100% could not get enough of the friendship between Dan-O, Har-roo, and Do-hwa. I loved how they supported one another, particularly when they went on one of their “missions” to change their fates. If anything, I wish the other self-aware characters had been more integrated into their story and shenanigans.

❤ This story is multifaceted, layered, and always intriguing. It’s very much a “story within a story” so be prepared for lots of surprising twists and turns.

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