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[idontwanttowhy]

Now, We Are Breaking Up (2021)

*In heavily Korean-accented textbook French* comme çi comme ça...

Synopsis: Cold-hearted fashion designer Ha Young-Eun has a one-night stand with a man she encounters while visiting Paris for fashion week, and thinks nothing of it. But the two meet again when Young-Eun poses as her friend on a blind date. Young-Eun is clearly not interested in getting to know him, but the date, freelance photographer Yoon Jae-Gook, is curious about her. Fate has his back when Young-Eun has to enlist him to save a fashion shoot, and when, back in Seoul, her company also hires him. They are drawn to each other, and find they also have a connected past.

AC Overall: 7/10, bit slow but complex and intriguing story

There's...a lot going on in this show. Yet simultaneously, not a lot at all. It's definitely a mature melodrama without the typical happy ending, so if you're looking for a cute rom-com, or even satisfying romance, definitely look elsewhere.

The major message in this show seems to be: love is not necessarily the dream we are usually sold. Love takes on different forms, can be letting go as much as it is holding on. Maybe the writers, like me, just finished re-reading Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist or are having a Deepak Chopra moment or something. But they have a point. Be prepared to be both sad with the ways things develop, and comforted by more expansive ways of loving others than we're use to in the most popular kdramas, and media in general.

AC Review with spoilers:

The plot is so wild I couldn't stop watching to find out what happens, despite the show being slow off the bat: as an aspiring fashion designer studying abroad in Paris, Young-Eun encounters Soo Wan, a fellow Korean also visiting Paris short-term, through his brother; they start dating, quickly develop a summer romance, etc, but en route for a reunion/rekindling in Seoul, Soo Wan dies in a car accident. Homegirl thinks she was stood up (whereas she was LITERALLY GHOSTED), and holds a grudge against love and relationships. 10 years later, we see her on a blind date posing as her friend/coworker Hwang Chi-Sook, where her date is Jae-Gook, a photographer...and the guy she had a one night stand with the night before. They exchange pleasantries without addressing the éléphante in the room, and Young-Eun makes an excuse to leave abruptly. But as fate would have it, the photographer for an important photoshoot drops out, so Young-Eun enlists Jae-Gook's help. He jumps at the opportunity to see her again and is intrigued when he realizes she isn't the real Chi-Sook at the shoot. They flirt; he toys with her in ways that are supposed to be sexy, but are decidedly not. They meet again in Seoul, and "flirt" some more, but Young-Eun clearly has her reservations about getting romantically involved. But he is persistent, and she lets go just enough for feelings to develop (theoretically, we don't actually see much feeling on her part...yikes). Soon after, of course, a spanner is thrown in the works: Jae-Gook realizes that Young-Eun is the same Young-Eun from his late brother's romantic tryst while visiting him in Paris for a summer 10 years ago...his late brother's GREAT LOVE, the one the brother almost broke his engagement for (yes he was actually cheating on his FIANCÉE with Young-Eun, who also happens to work with Young-Eun frequently in Seoul). It was Young-Eun who he was on his way to meet before he died in the car accident. And GET THIS. Turns out the car accident was inadvertently caused by the fiancée. Because she thought Soo Wan was going to run off with Young-Eun and leave her behind, she followed him and swerved in front of his car to stop him from going, but he swerves into construction on the sidewalk.......AND Soo Wan had decided moments before, on a call with Jae-Gook no less, that he was going to break up with Young-Eun because he couldn't face making the "wrong" choice for his family!! PHEW. And with all that the whole time I sat there thinking...GAH. With all this history, these two want to be together? Their entangled-beyond-belief past sounds like a giant RED FLAG to me! Not to mention the complication of being the (half, but still) brother of the man that made her swear off love?? And sir, how can you still want to be with the woman your brother was hoping to be with??? (Idk if I'm just immature, but it's a little icky to me, tbh. Akin to dating a close friend's ex-partner...) AND she's who the mother blames for the death of her eldest (and only biological) son! To me, there were enough reasons to not continue any sort of relationship. But alas, ~allofthat~ was more of a concern for everyone around them than it was for the stars of the show. And the storyline would have you believe they were the ones meant to be together all along, with Young-Eun "saving Jae-Gook from turning away from his career" after buying and cherishing one of his first photos on the streets of Paris all those years ago, without knowing it was his photo. And with Jae-Gook inadvertently naming Young-Eun's clothing line that summer too--he had left an encouraging note on a post-it in an aspiring designer's portfolio...the portfolio Soo Wan (the dead brother, keep up) was tasked with delivering--and thus, how Soo Wan and Young-Eun met. GOSH. Anyway, they ponder how weird life is for a hot second, and promptly resume hooking up. Lovely. But their actual downfall ended up being that Jae-Gook's life leads him to Paris, and Young-Eun's to stay in Seoul.

Knowing that a relationship would be a ticking time bomb, Jae-Gook and Young-Eun agree to date for two seasons (spring and summer of course) and part ways when they will inevitably need to, lest they dim each other's light. A ~mature~ decision in some ways, and one not everyone can handle. I can't help but go back to The Alchemist, how the main character finds the woman he wants to be with on his way to achieving his "Personal Legend"/life's pursuit, and makes the hard decision to leave her behind and continue his perilous journey rather than stay. Like our leads here, he understood love to be a guiding force on the path of life, that can push us in a direction we perceive as away from love--when it's truly in the direction of personal fulfillment, where love is at its peak. Had they stayed with their loved ones, all would have seemed nice enough, but ultimately not as great as having left. So, they decided to let themselves pursue what their hearts desired, even though it led them to be in different places.

The side stories, though, breathed more realistic less chaotic life into the drama. Chi-Sook, Young-Eun's chaebol friend, has an adorable arc where she falls for someone she isn't typically attracted to: Seok Do-Hoon, aka the sweeetest man ever, and a grounding match for silly, immature Chi-Sook. Their love was that of holding on, with him loving her regardless of her clear attachment and daddy issues, and resulting misconceptions about our fav. He portrayed a steady, consistent love that didn't demand anything of her beyond her self.

Young-Eun and Chi-Sook's childhood friend Mi-Sook, however, had a love through letting go. She gets diagnosed with late-stage cancer, and prepares for her death by loving as much as she could: through teaching her young daughter how to do things on her own, like bathing, tying her shoes, doing her hair; forgiving her husband for cheating (even asking the side chick over for tea and family shopping...IMAGINE); fulfilling her dream of modeling for Young-Eun's show; and just being present as much as she physically could be. She decided her form of love would be letting go of the future she had imagined, and reckoning with her present in the best way she could.

I watched this drama on Viki, where comments gave me insight into other viewers' thoughts while watching and I gotta say---unsurprisingly people did not understand why the main couple couldn't be long distance, or why Young-Eun wouldn't just move to Paris when she also got a job offer that seemed like it would line up perfectly with Jae-Gook's Paris plans. But we have to understand that love shouldn't anchor. So they took their love with them, using it to walk with their heads high, knowing somewhere in the world there is someone that continues to love them. And I think that's beautiful and probably the best decision for both of them. But it's also the reason the drama gets such mixed reviews. (Also, the amount of people cussing Young-Eun for not accepting the Paris job offer...she knew it was a bad offer?? And why is the onus on her to move when Jae-Gook could have just as well kept his studio in Seoul??? Why were you not also cussing him for making plans to go back to Paris???? aNyWaY.)

Loved the message of the drama, but the experience of watching it was like waiting for water to boil. A good chunk of it was them deciding whether the opposition they faced could be trumped by their love for each other. And than love, I gotta be honest, was not portrayed well by the actors, especially Song Hye-Ko. She had the same deadpan expression as in Descendants of the Sun. I barely felt any chemistry, just had to ~trust~ that they loved each other deeply. Not entirely their fault though, there were not many scenes with intimacy between them that could've shown love. But, when you imagine their love was as great as they said, you can understand the decisions they make. I'll end the review with Jae Gook's and Young-Eun's last thoughts, respectively: "Above the love we left behind, life flows. While the unfading love stays behind there."; "The promises I made with you. Your love has made a path. Walking down that path is my response."

[idontwanttowhy]

King the Land (2023)

Stooopid--ly charming...at first. Then boring.

Synopsis: Heir to luxury hotel conglomerate The King Group, Goo Won had been avoiding involvement in the company for as long as he could. But, inheritance woes bring him back to King Hotel as the Head General Manager, where he meets the smiley hotelier Cheon Sa-Rang. Of course, childhood trauma causes Won to hate Sa-Rang's smile, and the two quickly dislike each other but are forced to work closely together on multiple occasions. The two navigate the hotel business, with Sa-Rang working her way up the hotel ladder and Won fighting to change the conglomerate's status quo.

AC Overall: 7/10

Solid enemies-to-lovers with lots of flirting, and commentary on service work and conglomerates. Won starts as a childish, clueless chaebol who begins to care about plebeian life after unwittingly falling for his cheerful and sincere employee, Sa-Rang. Together they try their best to change the way things are done at the hotel and conglomerate as a whole, contending with many obstacles on the way.

I enjoyed the first half of the show, because everything was very silly and unserious. But at some indefinite point I realized I was--dare I say--bored. At face value I enjoyed the plot of going against the norm and actually having empathy for service workers, but someone dropped the ball somewhere and I lost interest. This drama is a decent watch though, especially for a chaebol ML and poor FL. There was actually growth outside of the relationship; it's clear that Won's affection developed not just for Sa-Rang, but for all his employees too: empathy and compassion for all!

AC Review, with spoilers:

I appreciated a few aspects of this drama: the relationships the characters had with others (Sa-Rang and her two friends, and Won and his secretary), and the commentary on service work and capitalistic work culture more generally. The flight attendant friend Oh Pyung-Hwa struggled with not getting the typical promotion expected despite not truly wanting it. The show hinted at the brown nosing she "should have done" to get the promotion, and Pyung-Hwa mused on not wanting the promotion in the first place--just being pressured to move up the ladder. She had also been scammed into a marriage and divorce that ruined her social reputation, making her even less desirable. The duty-free shop owner Kang Da-Eul also struggled with overworking herself to reach target sales...and then, of course, the incentive was a "trip to South Asia"--really a Thai restaurant in Seoul--good old work-hard-and-you-may-or-may-not-actually-be-compensated-for-that-work capitalism. So in an effort to actually reward the conglomerate's hard workers, secretary Noh Sang-Sik steps up and with the approval of Won, takes everyone on a trip to Thailand! Sang-Sik's energy was everything in this show; he was hilarious as the trip lead and pretending to be head manager, with his customized t-shirts--I'd love to go on a trip with him. He's an aspirational trip planner, like me!

That being said, I couldn't help but want to do something else while watching during the slower bits, which were almost entire episodes by the last third of the show. I didn't get as engrossed in the general going-ons as the soundtrack and editing called for. Waaay to many slow-mos! (I did some online shopping, laundry, drafted reviews, etc. all while watching...yikes). I vaguely remembered it was decent fun at first, and that memory (and random silly moments) was the only reason I finished it.

P.S.: Anupam Tripathi (Ali Abdul in Squid Game) made an appearance and brought some life to the show! (though his portrayal as a rich womanizing wealthy Arab investor was controversial...)

[idontwanttowhy]

Review: Destined With You (2023)

An instant classic...for some

Synopsis: Being a civil servant is not the easiest job, and for Lee Hong Jo, its only made worse by being transferred to a team that can't stand her. Her first assignment on this team is to demolish a centuries old shrine, which is held on the private property of Jang Sin Yu, a sharp lawyer haunted by a curse as old as the shrine. Her efforts surface a spell book with a mysterious past that only she can use. In need of a miracle, Sin Yu makes a deal with Hong Jo to use one of the spells on him, in a move that ultimately sets their fates in motion. Can love bloom in cursed soil, or will they be cut red-handed?

MZ Overall: 9/10, you had me at "I am Groot"

... aaaand absolutely not before "I am Groot." Seriously, I almost gave up on it early, thank god I didn't. When I saw the love triangle blooming I stuck around and am glad I did. If you are looking for a romcom that hits all the hallmarks (past lives, love triangle, jealous ex, etc.) you are in the right place. The leads have great chemistry, though it does feel like they are sometimes off in their own little worlds. Rowoon (as Jang Sin Yu) is great at playing a love-sick character, and Jo Bo Ah (as Lee Hong Jo) is the perfect ingénue AND doomed shaman--talk about range. Definitely give it a watch, this is easily one of my top favorites of the year (right behind Love to Hate You, of course).

MZ Review: Parks and Recreation, but make it a supernatural kdrama rom-com (no spoilers)

no one:

absolutely no one:

Jang Sin Yu: ThAtS A cRiMe!!!

Ok, I got that out of my system. This was my second Rowoon drama and now Netflix thinks he's the only guy I want to see on my screen. I'm not mad at that, but I do think if his role in this and Extraordinary You (2019) are any indication, I may need a little bit more time before I can handle the brand of lovesick desperation that he brings. Not a bad thing, but much like candy you can have too much of a good thing. I will be looking out for his stairs scenes going forward, in much the same way I have cataloged Hyun Bin's elevator scenes. (It's an art people!)

This show strikes a near-perfect balance between time spent on the side characters, developing the main couple, fanning the flames with the love rivals, and hinting at the past lives of this group. Seriously well done, I did not have any complaints in this area. Really my only gripes would be the first few episodes, which really tested my resolve on supporting womens' wrongs. If it were not for the next episode previews at the end, I would not have made it past episode three. After that, it's smooth sailing with lots of laughs, drama, and suspense as the many mysteries of the show unfold. Those first eps are why this only gets a 9/10 for me though. Otherwise, A+ work!

As I sat down to write this review, it occurred to me that the setup for the show was kind of similar to Parks and Rec, if you're mainly looking at the fact that the context for the show is a municipal parks department, leading to lots of outdoor events and internal politicking. It also works in the comedy department, because both shows had me absolutely ROLLING with laughter at the absurdity of some of the stuff going on. I cannot recommend this drama enough!

AC Overall: 7/10, could've been great but

It took me sooo long to finish the show, even on 1.5x speed (thank you, Netflix). And I was so excited at first! Like MZ, I thought the first few eps were...off, but once the show fully planted its feet I fell for the silliness, especially the supernatural love-spell aspect of the drama, and the stupidity with which those entranced acted "because of it". But the show ultimately became unbalanced, and the fantasy charm faded to reveal...a few thriller episodes within a cute and silly rom-com. It's not bad, just...took a turn I wasn't looking for at the time.

Honestly, its fine if you don't take it too seriously, and don't barf at cute moments like I currently do. Solid, just know what you're getting in to. It's definitely a cutesy rom-com with a dash of thriller and pinch of fantasy.

AC Review (with miiiinor spoilers):

It wasn't all bad! I cheeeesed at Sin Yu inadvertently confessing his "love" for Hong Jo against both of their wishes, and was curious about how Hong Jo's crush on her second lead Jae Gyeong would play out considering. It was a pretty unusual and juicy love triangle at first, especially with the fantasy aspect of Sin Yu's feelings...and possibly Jae Gyeong's...but somewhere they decided to ignore the whole love-spell part of the drama and Sin Yu just--accepted his love for Hong Jo? And Jae Gyeong barely put up a fight. And and I wasn't convinced Hong Jo actually had feelings for Sin Yu, I feel like he just wore her down with pretty words and concern. And and and I just kept thinking of Legend of the Blue Sea the whole time--much better fated love fantasy drama. But alas, I got too far along to just stop.

Hong Jo's character annoyed me quite a bit. She had a way of acting shy most of the time, but would suddenly talk with her chest at other moments...it's personal, but I really dislike the demure act when it's clear it's not real. But, Rowoon as Sin Yu made up for it in the beginning. The character was played and written well; we could feel the (delicious) inner turmoil when he recognized his feelings.

Overall, this was a drama-that-couldn't for me. But I must admit, the early, fun moments of Sin Yu fighting his inexplicable love for Hong Jo were classic in itself.

[idontwanttowhy]

Descendants of the Sun (2016)

The Kingda Ka of kdramas: thrilling at first...

Synopsis

South Korean military Captain Yoo Si-Jin and Master Sergeant Seo Dae-Young are part of the Special Forces, always on standby for emergency military situations. When on a brief break in Seoul, Si-Jin falls for doctor Kang Mo-Yeon. They flirt and casually date after a brief enemies-to-lovers jaunt, but Si-Jin always disappears after receiving calls for duty. Mo-Yeon, frustrated with not knowing the details of his work and realizing they have opposing views on life and death, decides to break it off with Si-Jin before getting serious. She is later sent to do some medical volunteer work at a military peacekeeping outpost...where Si-Jin also happens to be stationed.

Meanwhile, Dae-Young is also struggling with his love life, having fallen for the Chief Commander's daughter and Mo-Yeon's med-school rival, military surgeon Myeong-Joo. The two are not accepted by the Commander, and thus Dae-Young breaks off contact with Myeong-Joo despite her wishes and advances. The other doctors dispatched all navigate their own love lives while in the midst of a war, earthquake, and measles outbreak.

AC Overall: 7/10, had me in the first half

Be forewarned; this is a military and medical melodrama, with the majority of episodes having combat and intense life and/or death situations. That being said, those moments seemed packed into the first half of the show, and without them Descendants got...boring (and then classically ramped back up for the last 3 episodes). I sooo missed the cheekiness of Si-Jin's flirting once he and Mo-Yeon got together, it's what drew me in in the first place (love a cheeky man!).

So, the courtship is nice to watch and the side characters are good additions, but the drama couldn't keep its own pace, making for a rollercoaster of engagement for me.

AC Review with spoilers

Let's start positive: loved Si-Jin a.k.a. Big Boss! He CARRIED the main relationship, and did it with a cheeky little smile to boot. Mo-Yeon was...kind of a brat. Spent most of her time either being upset that her soldier boyfriend had to report for duty, or on the brink of death waiting for him to come save her. (To be transparent: I'm currently watching Now, We Are Breaking Up also starring Song Hye-Kyo, and might be conflating the characters because--in my defense--she acts the same in both shows! And it's fruuustrating! Importantly, I didn't actually realize until watching her in a different role that...she might only know how to act one way. Oops.) And speaking of men I love, Dr. Daniel was beauuuutiful. And his accented Korean was so adorable, I couldn't get enough of him. I only wish we had seen more of him. (As always, if anyone knows a doctor who also doubles as a handyman, you know how to contact me...).

At first I liked Si-Jin and Mo-Yeon together, and personally felt their struggle with liking each other despite their differences and inherent unavailability. But, MZ watched a bit of an episode in the middle and insisted they had no chemistry?? So I put my personal feelings aside and actually considered them as a couple and...she may have had a point (don't tell her I said that). Because during the courtship they had that palpable, inexplicable attraction to each other, but once they acknowledged their feelings it got less...charming. Don't get me wrong, Si-Jin is forever a charmer, but Mo-Yeon didn't play off of his charm nearly as much as before their feelings were expressed.

But GOSH. I was exhausted with all the ~events~ happening again and again and again throughout the show. I understand it as the nature of war and combat but....geez. And then, once things cooled off, there was nothing left to rely on. You realize by like episode 10 (being generous) that they relied waaay too much on the surrounding events. And so it became a struggle watch from then on.

As usual, the saving grace were the other characters. The older unmarried doctors relationship arc was cute, and Dr. Chi-Hoon was a(n entertaining) struggle to watch--how could he have left his pregnant fiancé hanging?? No contact, just cowardly crying in a corner...unbelievable. But...I get it. There was lots going on that med school doesn't prepare doctors for. Especially not a chaebol. And the elephant in the room: Dae-Young and Myeong-Joo were veeery awkward to watch, especially Dae-Young. He played his character so painfully stoic it was cringe when paired with how over-the-top Myeong-Joo was, trying to get ANY emotion out of him. And then when they did become a couple again, I just felt bad for Myeong-Joo because he STILL acted like a robot. The only thing that saved him was his face, honestly.

Overall, I don't really get why it's a classic. For me it was...kinda meh, with a few saving graces.

P.S.: I just found out our leads were married irl?? And they STILL managed to not have chemistry in this show???

[idontwanttowhy]

AC's and MZ's Review Rubric and Running Record

Ranked list of dramas we've watched (and some we've also reviewed) in order from best to...not so good.

AC's list and comments: I watch a variety of dramas, and every new one starts at a 7/10 and has to prove themselves otherwise. Sorry not sorry.

10/10: FANTASTIC I WOULD DIE FOR THEM

It's Okay Not to be Okay (2020)

While You Were Sleeping (2017)

Hirugao: Love Affairs in the Afternoon (2014) -first jdrama!

9/10: Okaaay, I admit, this was great!

Past Lives (2023, film)

Love to Hate You (2023) - reviewed

Mr. Queen (2020) - reviewed

Rain or Shine/Just Between Lovers (2017)

Familiar Wife (2020) - reviewed

Hwayugi: A Korean Odyssey (2017)

My Love from the Star (2013)

In-House Marriage Honey (2020) - reviewed

The Penthouse: War on Life (Season 1) (2020) - reviewed

Hospital Playlist (2020) - reviewed

12 Years Promise (2014) -one of my first kdramas!

Strong Girl Do Bong-Soon (2017)

Welcome to Waikiki (2018)

Kimi wa Petto/You're My Pet (2017)

Oh My Ghost (2015)

8/10: Good, even

Business Proposal (2022)

The Legend of the Blue Sea (2016) - reviewed

Holiday Love ホリデイラブ (2018) - reviewed

Sweet & Sour (2021, film) - reviewed

Dr. Cha (2023) - reviewed

My Secret Romance (2017) - reviewed

Hello, My Twenties (2016)

One Spring Night (2019)

What's Wrong with Secretary Kim (2018)

Before We Get Married (2019)

Because This Is My First Life (2017)

It's Okay, That's Love (2014) - reviewed

Kill Me, Heal Me (2015)

Crash Course in Romance (2023) - reviewed

Weighlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo (2016)

Something in the Rain (2018)

Cheese in the Trap (2016)

W: Two Worlds (2016)

The Beauty Inside (2015, film)

Itaewon Class (2020)

My ID is Gangnam Beauty (2018)

Chicago Typewriter (2017)

7/10: Solid, didn't kill me.

Descendants of the Sun (2016) - reviewed

Another Miss Oh (2016)

Encounter (2018)

Crash Landing On You (2020) - reviewed

Nevertheless (2021)

The Beauty Inside (2018)

Still 17 (2018)

Triad Princess (2019)

Romance is a Bonus Book (2019)

Abyss (2019)

Mystic Pop-Up Bar (2020) - reviewed

Extraordinary You (2019)

Destined With You (2023)

1-6/10: Why did I watch??

She Would Never Know/Sunbae, Don’t Put On That Lipstick (2021) - reviewed

School Nurse Files (2020) - reviewed

True Beauty (2020) - reviewed

To All the Guys Who Loved Me (2020) - reviewed

Start Up (2020)

Boys Over Flowers (2009)

MZ's list and comments: I am in no way surprised by the amount of variation we have here, and in fact I feel very lucky to be in conversation with AC because we have such different takes. That said, my list is the correct one...

11+/10, will not shut up about these in this lifetime (or the next)

Secret Garden (2010)

Crash Landing on You (2020)

Coffee Prince (2007)

Love to Hate You (2023)

10/10, no notes!!! they are everything!!!

Boys over Flowers (2009)

Kill Me, Heal Me (2015)

Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022)

While You Were Sleeping (2017)

9/10, loved and would recommend to anyone

You're Beautiful (2009)

Hwayugi (2017)

My Girl (2005)

Start Up (2020)

Extraordinary You (2019)

What's Wrong with Secretary Kim? (2018)

Oh My Ghost (2015)

Destined With You (2023)

8/10, solid but wouldn't necessarily rave about

My Lovely Sam Soon (2005)

Strong Woman Do Bong Soon (2017)

A Hundred Days My Prince (2018)

Full House (2004)

My Princess (2011)

True Beauty (2020)

Business Proposal (2022)

Her Private Life (2019)

Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung (2019)

7/10, no strong feelings

School Nurse Files (2020)

Crash Course in Romance (2023)

Imaginary Cat (2015)

Mystic Pop Up Bar (2020)

The Bride of Habaek (2017)

1-6/10, strong negative feelings

Full House Take 2 (2012)

The Undateables (2018)

She Was Pretty (2015)

To All the Guys Who Loved Me (2020)

Dr. Cha (2023)

Personal Taste (2010)

Cheese In The Trap (2016)

Hyde, Jekyll, Me (2015)

Memories of the Alhambra (2018)

My Love from the Star (2013)

My Holo Love (2020)

Mr. Queen (2020)

[idontwanttowhy]

Review: The Legend of the Blue Sea (2016)

Lots going on...in a good way!

Synopsis:

On vacation in Spain, con-artist Heo Joon-Jae encounters a mysterious woman sporting a precious bracelet. They spend two days together as he conspires to obtain the bracelet for profit. Meanwhile, modern-day bounty hunters have been sent to capture Joon-Jae as revenge for a past conning. He and the woman are eventually cornered at a lighthouse on a cliff, where she convinces him to jump into the sea to escape. Upon becoming a mermaid when they hit the water, she saves him from drowning while erasing his memories of her with a kiss, and promises to visit him in Seoul.

A few months later, Joon-Jae is tortured by gaps in his memory and a picture with a woman in Spain he doesn't recognize. He bumps into her in Seoul, and, determined to have her fill in the gaps, brings her to his home for interrogating. But she seems out of place, keeps mum, and claims she doesn't have a name. Her naïveté earns her the name Sim-Cheong (meaning: very stupid), and she is taken under the wings of Joon-Jae and his associates/roommates as she learns the ways of Seoul while pursuing her own personal mission.

At the same time, Joon-Jae has also been plagued with dreams about the life of a nobleman who looks just like him, from the Joseon era--Kim Dam-Ryeong. With the help of a neuropsychiatrist and a former classmate/forever friend-zoned admirer Cha Si-Ah, Joon-Jae uncovers more about Dam-Ryeong, and heeds his warnings to not let history repeat itself.

And with all this going on, Joon-Jae also navigates having been estranged from his now sickly father, looking for his birth mother, and fighting with his step-mother and step-brother for a seat at the chaebol table as the rightful heir.

AC Overall: 8.5/10, renewed hope in Lee Min-Ho

This drama had been on my list since forever, as it's a kdrama classic, but I'd been avoiding it since being traumatized by Lee Min-Ho's Boys Over Flowers performance (the beginning of it--I never even finished the show). That being said, I should've watched it sooner! A classic fated-love drama with resistance from the male lead at first, and a Lee Min-Ho redemption to boot. He played Joon-Jae so well it almost (...but not quite) made me want to take a second stab at watching The King: Eternal Monarch. His role as Joon-Jae called for a range of emotions, and he did that beautifully. I can't believe I'm saying this but, he was adorable? As a 6'2" man who doesn't fit the stereotype of a soft male lead?? The main couple was sooooo cute, with Sim-Cheong trying to seduce Joon-Jae and Joon-Jae (unsuccessfully) resisting and then actually fully falling into it and....UGH. MY HEART!

The side characters were great too, and the story developed organically, in a way that was intriguing and not too boring or redundant. I was loving this rollercoaster of a drama--until I realized there were 20 episodes instead of 16. Not sure if it was because I had prepared for 16, but those last 4 felt excessive and unnecessary. And still, some strings were left out of the final bow; questions remained unanswered and the overall ending wasn't as satisfying as the journey. First 3/4-ths is GOLD, just be prepared for a few odd last episodes and unfinished business sloppy put together.

AC Comments (spoilers)

There's much too much to go over in a complete way, so I'm just going to nitpick at characters and their actors by making comments rather than whole points:

Let's start with the female lead. Jun Ji-Hyun tried her best as Sim-Cheong; loved her from My Love From The Star (with my fav, Kim Soo-Hyun...I have a condition where I have to mention him whenever I can :), but her acting here was inconsistent. At times she played naive, fresh-out-of-the-water quite well and comically, but in other moments she'd be sage-like--knowledgeable "beyond her years" in a way that was incompatible with her "dumb blonde" persona at all other times. Which only added to my confusion throughout the series of whether she was the same mermaid from Dam-Ryeong's life in the Joseon era, or simply a reincarnation/descendant of that mermaid. They acknowledged that mermaids live longer than humans but never truly clarified much else about them. Which made it harder to understand her meeting Joon-Jae in the beginning, back in Spain. Did they just happen to bump into each other, and that set off history repeating itself, or was there something she already knew before meeting him? Wish they had explored mermaids a little more...

And the last conflict, where Sim-Cheong decides to take Joon-Jae's memories before she leaves on her little sabbatical in the sea was DUUUUMB. He EXPLICITLY said he wanted their memories, and what does she do? Robs him YET AGAIN of their time together. But then Sim-Cheong returns...for what? Just for fun-zies?? Knowing he shouldn't recognize her but that there would be a ~connection~ between them, WHYYYYY would she return to torture and confuse him??? Overall I'm glad Joon-Jae* (*the writers) did the journaling work-around...but the poor guy should've either been left alone again, or not had his memories erased. Preferably the latter.

Now, Lee Min-Ho. I never got the hype, but this drama did it for me. He was able to be both childlike with his schoolboy crush on Sim-Cheong, and a suave man with the way he approached everything else. Unlike his leading lady (sorry love), he was able to balance the two personas expected of him beautifully, and his character did nothing wrong. Which is unusual for me to say of a kdrama man but, here we are. And the emotion! The scene where he breaks into his father's house to get him out before it's too late--broke my heart! Joon-Jae PLEADED with his dad but was ultimately betrayed by his own past and reputation...almost had me in tears when watching, and I'm on the brink of tears writing this now...

And then the other characters; they were cool too. The step-brother Heo Chi-Hyun was a great villian-who-tries-not-to-be-a-villian, and the step-mother Kang Seo-Hee/Ji-Yeon was masterful as the puppeteer of Chi-Hyun and his biological dad Ma Dae-Young. Although, they really lost the plot when Ma Dae-Young lost his memories and thus himself. It's almost as if the writers wanted us to lose our memories of him too or something...;).

Joon-Jae's friends and fellow conmen were cool too, although Tae-Oh and Cha Si-Ah getting together at the end was very...weird. Yet again, it's like they needed to give Si-Ah a happy ending after being betrayed (but not really bc he was never actually yours, girl), and the only way to do that was to have her be in a relationship? Not to mention that Tae-Oh looks like a high schooler...but I digress. I could go on and on about Si-Ah being a puppy for a man who never wanted her but I'd rather not waste my energy. It is what it is.

And I admit, they really had me with the fake-out that Jo Nam-Doo, Joon-Jae's OG, was the ultimate betrayer...I honestly believed it after he was such a dick about Sim-Cheong being a mermaid the first (and second and third) time he found out. But his character was redeemed when it turned out he was only pretended to betray to ultimately save his BFF. PHEW!

There's sooo much more to talk about (loved how Joon-Jae was the only one to hear Sim-Cheong's thoughts--besides the grade-school bestie--, and Joon-Jae's mother played a cool role in the drama too, etc. etc.) but I'll end it here before I do too much (more than I already have). Just...give it a watch if you haven't already, truly is a gem worthy of being a classic.

[idontwanttowhy]

Review: It's Okay, That's Love (2014)

Love in the face of trauma

Synopsis:

Ji Hae-soo is a psychiatrist who shares a house with Park Soo-kwang, a Tourette's patient, and Jo Dong-min, her senior work colleague. The house is owned by Jang Jae-yeol, a successful, and of course cocky, writer with a traumatic past and OCD as a result. Jae-yeol's first interaction with Hae-soo is contentious, but of course, circumstances force Jae-yeol to move into the shared house and subsequently become close to his new roommates. All have traumas of their own that they hope to overcome with each other's help.

AC Overall: 8/10, fast trauma-centered romance

Enjoyable watch, with a comedic romance that starts early and holds up throughout. The leads were a good match for each other; they played their roles well, and the side characters did not disappoint (shout out to everyone's favorite ahjussi Sung Dong-il!). But the last few eps, as expected considering the *ahem* developments..., relied heavily on being emotionally invested in the characters...in a way that I wasn't.

Solid drama that didn't lose my interest completely, and also renewed my interest in old(er) kdramas. I'd recommend if you want a quick dive into a cheeky romance: enemies-to-lovers...with more emphasis on lovers.

AC Review (slight spoilers)

Yeah, so as I said above, the romance was nice to watch (me, enjoying an early-onset romance! there's a first), but there was more to be desired by episode 13. With all the time lovingly spent watching Jae-yeol and Hae-soo grow in love and Hae-soo overcome her relationship trauma, I should've been more invested in Jae-yeol's situation when it played out. But I wasn't. There was something missing for me, something I can't pinpoint. So when Jae-yeol really hit that wall so-to-speak, I didn't really FEEL anything, and kind of just watched as if it was a case rather than a story.

Might have to do with Hae-soo's character. It's been a minute since I've disliked a female lead. But, here we are. She was just sooo petty and entitled to me. Her relationship with Jae-yeol felt like a dictatorship, and Jae-yeol helplessly appeased her because she's been the only partner to accept his trauma. He was constantly compromising, whereas she got what she wanted most of the time, and incessantly teased him about being a player which...he wasn't? A little frustrating to watch (but not as frustrating as watching Park Soo-kwang ogle--and eventually date--a teen?! As a man in his 20's?? Shouldn't have happened but I digress...).

I appreciated the commentary on mental health, the psychiatrists being messy themselves, and the commitment to each other that Jae-yeol and Hae-soo had, keeping the other's best interests in mind despite their own desires. I love a trauma drama--especially when both parties have trauma--too often in unbalanced situations it becomes the other's job to address the trauma. Although, I do have to take a point away here because it was literally Hae-soo's job as a psychiatrist, but hey, it was 2014. A small step in the right direction.

P.S.: My favorite drama with two traumatized leads? Rain or Shine/Just Between Lovers. Highly recommend! I actually had FEELS with this one.

[idontwanttowhy]

Sweet & Sour (2021, film)

A realistic depiction of young relationships with a twist I did not expect

Synopsis: First we are introduced to a Hepatitis patient, nursed on by Da-eun. Da-eun treats the patient sweetly, and the two seem to be fond of each other. She even lovingly calls him "Hyeok-ee oppa", eats with him, and takes naps on his bed. Once the patient is discharged, he conspires to contact Da-eun, who answers his phone call and invites him over...to stay the night. They eventually start dating, and Da-eun invites him on a trip to Jeju Island during Christmas-time, for which she had gotten tickets in advance, but was cancelled on. She gifts him sneakers at the airport, and he promises to lose weight so they can wear couples sweaters (in a previous scene they almost bought a pair, but he could not find his size).

In the next frame we see a slim man running in a worn-out version of the sneakers that were gifted. Jang-Hyeok lives in Incheon with his girlfriend Da-eun, but has been contracted to work at a big engineering company in Seoul. So he decides to commute to and from work, which frustrates him. Even more bothersome is his unexpected competition, Han Bo-Yeong, who also has a contract and puts all her efforts into impressing her boss and coworkers (and foiling Jang-Hyeok's attempts at the same). The two begin vying for a more permanent position at the company, perhaps at the expense of Jang-Hyeok's relationship.

AC Overall: 8/10, did not see the ending coming!

So before landing on this I had started watching the first episodes of 4 to 5 different kdramas in an attempt to find je ne sais quois-- something I couldn't even put a name on. All the other dramas failed to pull me in within the first 10-15 minutes, but this one did for some reason. It seemed cheeky and intriguing to me, watching the patient-nurse interactions and wondering what would come of it. And I'm glad I watched--I did not get bored, and enjoyed the lightness of the film. Icing on the cake was the twist at the end! Recommend if you looking for something light yet real, and not melodramatic or overly comedic.

AC Review (spoilers)

Maybe it's because I tend to gloss over names until I absolutely HAVE to know them, or because I was just generally exhausted from all the misses before landing on this, but I did NOT see the twist coming. They framed it like there was a time jump but...turns out, the Hyeoks (henceforth OG and N-a-I: New-and-Improved?) were two different men, dating Da-eun at different (somewhat overlapping) times. The one time I felt like something was off was when the doctor who seemed to be hitting on Da-eun during rounds, asked her to play the video game--like it would be their first time playing--prior to OG Hyeok picking her up from work...which was actually the second time we saw him make that request ("first" time was when we saw her get picked up by N-a-I Hyeok). Anyway, they had me fooled. My jaw didn't drop, but I was like....HUH. Because it really got me thinking about the characters and changed my whole perspective on Da-eun specifically. I wasn't even planning a review until all was revealed--I immediately wanted to write my thoughts...

From jump, I was concerned Da-eun was being nice to N-a-I Hyeok just to continue taking advantage of his food and his bed (also, 8-hour shifts are NOTHING. I guess nurses in SK have it gooood). So imagine my shock when she actually invited him over? And asked him to stay? And then all-of-a-sudden they were dating?? She seemed quite passive about him in the beginning but the shopping montage solidified that she was actually kinda serious. So then, me thinking the Hyeoks were one person, I was worried when he seemed to have neglected her after losing weight and getting the big-boy job in Seoul. Suddenly, it seemed he was no longer at her beck and call, and she got mopey. BUT THEN she finds out she's pregnant, has the abortion, and even though he starts commuting again rather than staying overnight in Seoul so much, she seemed to be pushing him away, telling him to go to work and not really answering his texts at one point. So classic relationship turned sour right? He looses interest/doesn't invest time into the relationship, and she feels lonely because of it, and picks on things like not changing the lightbulb like she asked, or taking out trash.

WHOLE TIME homegirl saw a patient with almost the same name as her bf and fully transfers her feelings onto him. So he becomes New-and-Improved Hyeok, who will cover for her when she sneaks a cigarette, who feeds her and lets her sleep on her bed ON SHIFT, who changes her bad lightbulb and just, genuinely, seems excited to be with her! (dude was lit.er.al.ly jumping at the airport when she gave him the sneakers...and took them for a spin...) She went from victim to participant in their demise, and victimizer--because poor N-a-I Hyeok is just happy to have a girlfriend, has no idea she bought him, probably on purpose, the same exact sneakers her ex had---I wouldn't be surprised if they were couple sneakers between her and OG Hyeok first!

We're--I'll speak for myself but I feel like this is generalizable--I'm...quick to blame one member of the relationship more than the other, sometimes to the extent of seeing little to no fault with the not-so-obvious offender. But it takes two to tango, and my girl Da-eun can mooove. OG Hyeok led, but she followed gracefully.

In that spirit, let's do a quick recap of OG Hyeok's faults: while there wasn't sex involved, there was definitely emotional cheating, evidenced by OG Hyeok mistakenly, and without remorse (or even acknowledgment?!), calling Da-eun by his coworker/competition Bo-yeong's name at one point--because how can "my pretty Bo-yeoung" roll off your tongue so easily if you haven't been thinking that OFTEN?? And, whether this was done purposefully or not, he was visibly emotionally detached from Da-eun, not really listening to her patient stories and not commuting back to Incheon as often. Let's not forgot conveniently not letting Bo-yeoung know he has a girlfriend despite both of them knowing she was clearly into him. But perhaps the lack of emotion behind feeble attempts to fix the relationship was the point, rather than a flaw. (Or maybe these actors and writers just didn't do a good job? Who knows...)

I choose to view the film and characterization of the OG Hyeok as the person who both takes for granted and settles for whoever he happens to be with at a particular moment in time: Da-eun became an obligation rather than a choice. And Da-eun searched for, and found, love elsewhere--with her ex in mind. What really hit me was the--again--lack of emotion concerning their break-up on both parties' parts. Da-eun had found a better Hyeok; though she looked a bit reflective at times, before knowing the twist it just reads as your normal not-being-sure-about-the-direction-the-relationship-is-headed-in-but-going-with-it-anyway. A little sus, but nothing crazy. And OG Hyeok was quite emotionless--didn't seem to think about Da-eun after the mutual break-up outside of the reminder notifications about the Jeju tickets, and subsequent Jeju references at work. Even his racing to the airport to catch Da-eun before leaving for Jeju felt, again, more like a desire to fulfill an obligation rather than an emotional choice, made only after realizing that the contract was over and there was no permanent position, and his fling with Bo-yeong turned out to be just that. His confession of love to Bo-yeong was disingenuous, and Bo-yeong's response of "we're not there yet" was a quick and much-needed block of yet another transfer of "love" from one partner to another made in desperation rather than genuine feeling.

Emblematic of the relationships that have gone routine and static. Which is common enough, especially during the ~stability-seeking~ years. The human condition. We recognize patterns and contribute to them, however harmful it may be for everyone involved. Da-eun seeing Jang-Hyeok in Lee Jang-Hyeok as the basis for her feelings towards him is...not unrealistic. And Jang-Hyeok expressing "love" for Bo-yeong prematurely out of desperation? Ditto.

[idontwanttowhy]

Review: Crash Course in Romance (2023)

Cute, nothing groundbreaking

Synopsis

Choi Chi-yeol is a celebrity...math instructor at The Pride Academy, where only the best of the best get first-class tutoring. Nam Hae-e has been studying on her own, but wants to join her top classmates at this hagwon/after school program, so her banchan restaurant-owning aunt and adoptive mother, Nam Haeng-seon, signs Hae-e up for Mr. Choi's uber-popular class. The Nams become further entangled with Chi-yeol when he discovers that the only food he can stomach is the banchan from Haeng-seon's shop.

In the midst of all this are the mothers of the top students, pulling strings and conniving to get their children the best possible preparation for their future college admissions processes.

MZ Overall: 7/10, definitely enjoyable but my heart wasn't in it

This drama aims to give you the same warm and fuzzy feelings you may get watching Crash Landing on You (2019), but something was just.... missing for me. I can't quite put my finger on it; the chemistry between the main leads was there, the lovable side characters, the thrilling side story, all of it. And the setup is just delicious: Haeng Seon's food is the only thing Chi Yeol can eat. He literally needs her to live! So all in all it's a solid drama. It's heartwarming and strikes a perfect balance of funny and dramatic moments. Definitely worth a watch!

MZ Review (spoilers)

Choi Chi Yeol opens his eyes, blurred by the combination of his fever and encroaching hangover. His dream girl, the one he can never have, looks upon him lying on the bed with concern that turns to surprise as Chi Yeol casually utters "Oh, you're in my dreams again." There is a pause as Chi Yeol decides how his dream would proceed. He reaches out to the specter of Haeng Seon, and as he caresses her arm he pulls her closer to him on the bed. He speaks again to his vision: "Let's be together, just this time." Slowly, with intention, he lifts himself to steal a kiss.

SWOON!

Now you have read the singular most romantic part of this drama, so do you really need to watch it? Maybe, actually. This scene is so good to watch. But they really make you work for it in this drama, let me tell you!

With chemistry like this, I'm really not sure why I didn't like it more. If I had to guess, I'd say that while all the major elements are there, some of the characters just aren't. I will admit that it's at least partially since I'm coming off of Love to Hate You, but I couldn't stand the way that the moms were all made pretty one-dimensional, to the point where you would think they have never had another thought in life beyond what seat their child was going to get in their academy. I understand that they are trying to portray a lot of complicated dynamics in a short amount of time, but you would really think that the moms are the villains in this story, not the broader society that creates the need to stress over exams like they are life or death. If this weren't enough, they are constantly criticized for their attempts, even to the point where it is suggested that it's their fault if their husband cheated on them, that they deserve it for some reason.

To this point as well, I couldn't stand the scene where Sun Jae asked his mom if she was happy with her life, since she wanted it for her sons so bad. You would literally think she had never thought of this question. UGH. Don't get me started on the other moms. If there was a Bechdel test for tests (instead of men) this show would barely pass. If it included tests and banchan, well, lets just say Hae-e did better on her reading midterm, and she turned in a blank test.

Anyway, the other thing that bothered me was how Jae Woo's character was barely more than a plot device the entire time. We are laughing at him, not with him. And we feel bad for Haeng Seon when she has to pick him up from jail because he was beaten up by someone while trying to get a waffle. He was primarily someone everyone else acted on, which is a pretty stereotypical way to portray someone with autism/Asperger's. While he is included in many of the touching moments of the show, I can't help but feel like he wasn't written as an actual person.

I guess beyond these two critiques, the show was pretty good. The main leads have incredible chemistry, but even they are sometimes upstaged by the drama going on with Sun Jae and Hae-e. Frankly, this show could have been about them and I would not have been mad.

Alls well that ends well, and the endings for each of the characters were more or less satisfactory, despite the lack of character development. I'd say I was really sad about Mr. Ji, but when I considered that he like, murdered people, I got over it. I also didn't like how things ended with Hae-e's mom, but that storyline was going nowhere fast anyway.

AC Overall: 7/10, meh--got boring at the end

I started off liking the show; characters were likable, and the plot development began beautifully, kept you guessing enough to keep you watching. But once everything was resolved two-thirds of the way in, the show really started to drag for me and I was no longer as interested in the characters or the new little plot developments they brought in for shits and giggles (I, for one, was not laughing). Honestly, I almost didn't even watch the last episode because I. just. stopped. caring. So, Crash Course had a promising start, but like too many dramas, ended flat. Crashed, if you will. Should've been a 12-episode series.

And, it's really not a crash course in romance, but in Korean high school student life? The romance took a backseat most of the time. Might as well have been about the students, with the main romance as a side plot.

AC Review (spoilers)

Let's start with the romances: the main was fine; Chi-yeol and Haeng-seon had good chemistry and a good romantic arc. Enemies to forbidden lovers to actual lovers--I enjoyed the I'm-the-single-aunt-not-the-married-mom secret and Chi-yeol's pining because of it. I was so here for the melodrama between those two! And then, it ran it's course with me right as Hae-e confessed the truth--didn't drag too much imo. But once they actually got together, I checked out. Fair to say I wasn't really there to see lovey-dovey-ness between those too. And to be fair, there wasn't tooo much of it anyway. The romance I was more invested in was Hae-e's; I really liked both Sun-jae or Seo Geon-hu for her, especially since a little friendly competition never hurt anyone (wink). Although...she really kept both guys waiting until the bitter end! And then we have Jae-woo and Haeng-seon's friend/employee Kim Young-joo, which I have mixed feelings about. On the one had, I guess it's good that someone with autism/Asperger's was depicted with a little romance, but it felt like it was thrown in carelessly. Left me wanting to have seen that development a little more? Idk.

The suspenseful plot was what really kept me watching. I knew something was up with the assistant Ji Dong-hui/Jeong Seong-hyeong early on, and was satisfied with how it played out, but once everyone knew he was the culprit behind the (successful and attempted) murders, I also checked out. Actually, even before everyone knew. Once I knew he was the culprit I was just kind of...waiting for everyone else to figure it out. And when they did, it marked the end of the drama for me. Sorry to say, but I didn't even really care for Hae-e to wake up once they didn't actually neeeed her to implicate him. Yikes.

Furthermore I do not understand why they had Hae-e's mom Nam Haeng-ja show up! It was from then that I knew for sure...it's time to give up bc where was that going??

But the students! The stars of the show; the pressure that they faced in preparation for college admissions was heartbreaking to watch and also a reminder of the realities of competitive students vying for the limited spots meant to "guarantee" a "good" life. Me, I appreciated the warning: pressure does not always make diamonds. And maybe diamonds are not worth the risk. Sun-jae's brother Hui-jae becoming a shut-in, Su-a having hallucinations, one of the kids fainting in the hagwon--hell, committing s*****e after having realized your parent went so far as to cheat to force your success...all very real and should be taken as a cautionary tale.

All in all, Crash Course was okay, pretty good even--until all the questions were answered. But hey, that's the point of a crash course? Everything after was a little unnecessary.

[idontwanttowhy]

Review: She Would Never Know/Sunbae, Don’t Put On That Lipstick (2021)

Boring main leads, intriguing and thoughtful side story

Synopsis

Secrets are revealed as new cosmetic marketing hire Chae Hyun-seung romantically pursues his job trainer and sunbae/senior Yoon Song-ah. He soon discovers Song-ah has been, for 2 years, secretly dating their boss Lee Jae-shin, who was more recently pressured into a secret marriage arrangement to his long-time admirer Lee Hyo-joo, the younger sister of his childhood friend and grandson to the CEO of the company, Lee Jae-woon. Hyun-seung’s sister Chae Ji-seung gets wrapped up in the mess, and his other sister, Chae Yeon-seung, slowly realizes her husband Kang Woo-Hyun’s biggest secret. 

AC Overall

I stomached the first few episodes, but once it was clear the leads (obviously) were going to end up together with fewer hiccups than deserved, I read episode recaps and only watched the scenes related to the other couples. And I’m so glad I did! The mains have a typical sunbae-hubae coworker dynamic: (insignificantly older) woman recruits and trains a younger man, who dotes on her and, despite being friend-zoned, manages to woo her. Nothing wrong with this, but often it’s not done tastefully--and this may be worse than usual. I typically like when the male leads are more into the female leads, but this guy was pu-shy. You know what, this whole drama was a seemingly un-purposeful crash-course on manipulation, from Hyun-seung to Jae-shin and Hyo-joo...all mess.

The side characters, however, were who I kept watching for. Specifically the sisters, with love stories of their own: one blossoming while the other’s unraveled. Ji-seung’s relationship with Jae-woon, the chairman’s grandson, was soooo adorable and silly--really balanced out the drama. Because the unraveling of Yeon-seung and Woo-hyun’s marriage? Could’ve been a whole drama by itself.

So, She Would Never Know (2021) is worth it for the sides, but the mains? Not so much. 

AC Review (spoilers)

Some things to get off my chest before we get into the main (side) event: Hyun-seung inserted himself everywhere he didn’t need to be--overstepping and excusing it as “helping”. Gaslighting King. I did NOT agree with his actions--if someone with whom you have a trainer-trainee relationship is being cheated on, how much of a responsibility do you have to let that person know? From what we saw, he and Song-ah got along at work and everything but didn’t have a relationship outside of work, so big question mark there! Even if you’d still let them know, the way Hyun-seung did it was distasteful. Blindly forcing Song-ah to catch “the man she puts lipstick on for” (I wish they kept the literal title, not sure the “English” one does it justice--or maybe it does, because She Would Never Know how repulsive her future boyfriend’s tactics were...)--at Jae-shin and Hyo-joo’s WEDDING PLANNING CONSULTATION??? And homeboy really thought his conniving would make Song-ah immediately go “fuck the man I’ve enthusiastically dated for 2 years, I’ll be with you now”?? Hyun-seung was goading her into being just plain nasty about it too, constantly *whiny baby voice*: “wHy ArEn’T yOu MaD”, throwing fits (and fists) at work whenever Song-ah and Jae-shin interacted and she wasn’t literally SPITTING on her BOSS and JUMPING on her TRAINEE’s dick---Hyun-seung was a whole five-year-old! Basically, his character shows why you don’t go for immature younger men...because geeeez...So obviously I had to skip the mains’ relationship development. Song-ah deserved more than Hyun-seung, and I hated that he got her in the end with little self-reflection. She did take her time though, I’ll give her that. And she needed to! Jae-shin had traumatized her by not accepting that their relationship had to end, and with Hyun-seung simultaneously in her ear like a parrot--would’ve been enough for me to swear off men for at least 10 years. Glad Song-ah ditched Hyun-seung and ran away to pursue her career at the end too. (And yeah, Jae-shin was an asshole too, not taking no for an answer and going to extremes to get Song-ah back and all, but with his past it felt more...justified? Not excusable, just...I get it. And he was attempting to balance his own desires with the Lee family’s mess, particularly the manipulation by Hyo-joo---threatening s*****e for a man is no way to bag him, girl. SO glad she finally got herself together by the end, and moved on from both him and playing the victim in general. With little animosity towards Jae-shin too! Growth.)

If you want to read a very thoughtful review that further fleshes out my issues with the main relationship gracefully: https://seoulbeats.com/2021/03/she-would-never-know-toxic-relationships-have-never-looked-so-stylish/

Dead Fish (buckle up, this is a marathon)

So, the plot of Woo-hyun and Ryu Han-seo’s relationship is what kept me watching. First off, well acted(?) because I picked up on Han-seo and Woo-hyun being or at least having been romantically involved from jump, and knew I couldn’t just stop watching the drama because---I had to know if I was just fishing for a non cis-het relationship in a chlorine swimming pool, or if there was in fact a fish and I’d been fishing in the ocean this whole time. AND there WAS a fish (but it was already dead).

*exasperated sigh*

I felt for everyone involved: Yeon-seung questions her whole relationship after finding out her husband had “done stuff” with another man--his only friend, Han-seo--during college; Woo-hyun fervently denies that he’s gay; bestie Han-seo had been sticking around despite clearly being in love with someone who CANNOT reciprocate...it’s all just UGH. 

But I especially felt for Yeon-seung. Her questioning everything did not only stem from her husband’s MSM past but reminded her of the incompleteness of their relationship, marked by the lack of ANY “I love yous”(how can you only have said “thank you” in response? To your WIFE of how long?!)...my heart nearly exploded. Because she seemed to have known something was always off but accepted it as her hubby’s personality, and that nothing is perfectly perfect, right? I can’t blame her for that; her reason for being with him was that at dinner dates he would stop eating and intently LISTEN to her whenever she talked which, is rare. And for her part, worth forgiving a little lack of verbal affirmation. But the real nail in the coffin was Woo-hyun not only keeping this ex-lover around, but actively hiding him from her all those years--they had never met until she began working again, and what kills me even more is that shit wouldn’t have blown up had she not innocently befriended her husband’s friend, god forbid! And Han-seo--he really shouldn’t have stuck around as he did knowing his continued feelings, Woo-hyun’s own confusion, and the whole part where there’s a whole ass wife and adorable daughter involved--kinda reckless. Not that he was wooing Woo-hyun (had to do it, I should try poetry next), but rather torturing both himself and his love. I don’t know that Woo-hyun’s necessarily gay-if you don’t identify you don’t identify-but he’s clearly got some questions, or heavy guilt at the very least, surrounding his sexuality that continue to eat him up inside, and that’s no way to live. So while I feel for Woo-hyun’s internal struggle, he and Han-seo are clearly masochists because they did this to themselves, and without caring about others involved. If I were Yeon-seung, I’d be livid and distraught and everything in-between--truly don’t know how she kept it basically together in front of her siblings with that can of worms sitting right there in front of her. Which only added to my emotions--I’m true water sign FOR REAL. My scorpio ass would’ve been bawling and isolating myself until I figured out how to burn the world down.

Gracefully and beautifully, the story evolved and became less about his sexual past/sexuality and more about whether he was living as full of a life as he could be if he just accepted his past and his self for whatever it was and is. And that’s what I could not appreciate enough about the way their story was written. Woo-hyun ended up taking time to himself at his wife’s suggestion, encouragement, and support, and Han-seo stepped away, choosing not to continue to torture himself and the person he loves. 

This is one thing I appreciate in dramas--the human experience. Discovery, confrontation, forced reckoning--all good entertainment but also palpable situations. And it makes you...or at least me...put myself in the shoes of all the characters to explore motivations, feelings--conniptions of my own as well as theirs. It reminded me of a similar relationship hurdle (although the people involved were only briefly dating) represented in the HBO show Insecure--directly speaking to some things people have had to face in relationships, and within, as a direct consequence of homophobia prevalent in so many communities. It made me think of what I would say or do if I was in this situation, and I can only hope to remain supportive of my partner as they dig through their feelings. So, loved this plot of the drama and the loving message of taking care of your self and those you love; it’s just a shame that it was paired with the nonsense that was the lead coupling. 

[idontwanttowhy]

Review: Love to Hate You (2023)

A rom-com for the 2020s

Synopsis

Yeo Mi Ran is a woman of many talents. She's a street-smart fighter, a sharp lawyer, and a notorious pick-up artist. She only uses her powers for good though, so when she crosses paths with the famous actor Nam Kang Ho, she can't help but make him fall all over her (*wink wink*). Though they are both determined to believe that the other is intrinsically evil based on their gender, they are forced to fake date when Kang Ho's career is put on the line. Will their prejudices keep them apart, or will love prevail?

MZ Overall: 10/10, so fun, WHY was it only 10 episodes!?

I knew in the first 5 minutes I was gonna love this show. Something about seeing Mi Ran break up with a guy when she catches him cheating WHILE SHE IS ALSO BEING CAUGHT CHEATING is so... right. I'll admit I was a little shocked to see how quickly things were progressing between the leads, but when you realize it is only 10 episodes, it does make a lot of sense. My only gripe is that I wish it was longer! There is a ton of physical comedy which the actress portraying Mi Ran, Kim Ok-vin, nails. If you want something that will get you actually laughing out loud, this is your show.

MZ Review (spoilers!): If I had a nickel for every time my favorite drama had the main female lead be a stunt double, I'd have two nickels - which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice, right?

I'll say off the bat that I decided to watch this show because Netflix told me that the main female lead was a stunt double. My alarm bells started going off because one of my top favorite dramas of all time is Secret Garden, where the main female lead, Gil Ra Im, is a full-time stunt double. I said to myself, "self, you need to watch it... just in case." In case of what, you must be wondering. Well, me too... Just in case...

...Anyway, one thing about me is I'm going to make everything about Secret Garden. I definitely enjoyed this drama because it works so well just as it is (which AC will be able to tell you in her review). But I saw a commentary recently that pointed out its faults as a commentary on misogyny that really got me thinking about rom-coms as a genre. I disagree with the author on a lot of points, but I realized that a key difference in our disagreements stems from where our analytic focus is. That is, I'd argue that our focus as (re)viewers should be on what Yeo Mi Ran and the women around her are doing, not on Nam Kang Ho and the himbo CEO Do Won Jun. If we look at how both main male characters develop, all we are going to see is misogyny because that is pretty much all they are able to do. Patriarchal society does not allow for men to develop a critical consciousness about gender dynamics as much as it does not allow for women (and queer people, for that matter) to participate in its systems equitably. The game is rigged!

I'm not going to sit here and say that the show is unproblematic or that the author of the commentary is completely wrong. But I think there is a reading of this show that takes into account how it uses the rom-com genre as a vehicle for feminist commentary that is at least self-aware, though not necessarily subversive. This makes me bringing up Secret Garden perfect, because it is a near-perfect foil for Hate to Love You, though both are squarely within the rom-com genre.

You see, Ra Im, who is a full-time, life-long stunt double in Secret Garden, spends her life being pushed around on film sets and pining over the director of their action company. She is in relation to three other women: her roommate/best friend, her "love rival," and Kim Joo Won's mom. So at least two are adversarial, and for the best friend's part she does her best to make sure she helps Joo Won in his quest to harass Ra Im into a relationship.* Obviously we've come a long way from when this was made in 2010, but if we look at the same sort of character set up for Mi Ran, we can already see important differences. For instance, they set Mi Ran up with a Barbie-esque range of skills and jobs, from crime-fighting ability to lawyer-ing. The organizing impulse behind most of what she does is a strong sense of justice, especially when considering gender-based inequities in society. Her core set of women includes her best friend/roommate, her mom, and her first client (who was also the reason that she got hired at her firm at all). All of these relationships are based in mutual respect; when Mi Ran does encounter women she disagrees with, such as her "love rival" and Kang Ho's fan group, she is not there entirely as Kang Ho's lover, but as someone who is trying to be herself and have a relationship. She goes out of her way to not be defined by her relationship to men, though over and over we see that this is inevitable, even for someone as savvy as her.

The key imagery that makes this comparison between shows made 13 years apart is around when the female lead gets a serious injury (because of course this has to happen). Gil Ra Im, in the very first episode, is robbed of agency in her decision to go to the hospital for her arm, instead whisked off by Joo Won. She is belittled by him and her stunt director for not being more careful or for looking out for herself and her health. This is supposed to be the romantic part, because oh look, both of these guys like her so much that they are getting mad at her. Swoon? When we look at Mi Ran's case, it's almost inverted. Firstly, rather than her injury being a complete accident (which Ra Im's was), she intentionally put herself into the fray when she saw a (potentially fatal) accident about to happen. When she took a fall and was taken to the hospital, she was heralded by everyone for saving so many people. Well, everyone but Kang Ho, whose ideology did not account for a woman being able to make a decision. But instead of being able to whisk her away wherever he wants to take care of her, he has to beg her to stay in his room to look after her. So here, the romance comes from hearing him over and over try to argue that he should be there to look after her after she saved his life. Swoon!

I'm not going to continue these comparisons, but my examples speak to how the creators of Hate to Love You are (presumably) using the moments that are expected in these dramas as points for reorganizing the power dynamics between men and women. Ultimately, its goal is not to say that rom-coms in general are problematic, but that there are a lot of dynamics that are. I mean, the leads still end up together, and we still have a lot of the same beloved shows of affection that are characteristic of rom-coms. I think Hate to Love You just does so in ways that poke fun at the expectations rather than subvert them entirely.

I think the ending brings together a lot of the societal-level commentary. For example, Mi Ran, far from regretting her decision to date a lot of men, fully tells someone off saying that at least she did her due diligence in finding someone she really likes rather than trying to make it work with someone she didn't trust. We even see that at the end, she doesn't "learn a lesson" that what she did by dating a lot of men was wrong. Rather, she learned that public opinion is more often going to rule in favor of patriarchy than not. This is even seen in the final scene with Choi Soo Jin, her client, who comments that there were more reporters when she was being accused of cheating on her chaebol ex-husband than when her name was ultimately cleared. So the commentary on misogyny, rather than pointing at the interpersonal level between Kang Ho and Mi Ran, is actually pointing at the societal factors that organize relationships between men and women.

This got a little meta, so I'll conclude by saying the key point: This rom-com is not about men. They are there, they are problematic, and they are (regrettably) in charge of many aspects of life. I think this drama has done a really good job of creating a hilarious commentary on all of that, while highlighting Mi Ran's relationships with other women. While the men in her life may view her as "not like other girls," she herself is a staunch defender of womens' wrongs, as much as their rights.

*This sounds harsh but I really (really) love Secret Garden. I can be critical and still love it!

AC Overall: 9.5/10, so fun!

UGH! It's been a long time since I enjoyed a kdrama THIS much. I, sorry to say, had forgotten kdramas could *actually* made me blush and laugh OUT LOUD--often! I had to stop myself from bingeing the whole thing So. Many. Times. It was short and sweet, full of funny moments and a romance I actually rooted for?! It's good from first to last ep, and from the cast to the production to the direction, everything was *chef's kiss* damn near perfection. There was such attention to detail in the scenes and camerawork, I just...AND Teo Yooooo! So so good in this (as in everything else I've seen of his--officially a fan). Truly a "modern" kdrama rom-com, updated to better fit today's viewers' appetites while still employing the tropes we know and love. If you want a more mature enemies-to-lovers, relationship contract, and a not-so-typical female lead, give it a shot!

AC Review (spoilers)

I feel like I don't have much to say, MZ really nailed the whole this-is-not-perfect-and-it-was-great-two-things-can-be-true-at-the-same-time-thank-you-very-much thing I had planned, and the connection to Secret Garden that I didn't recognize has only strengthened my views of this drama. One of the things I liked about Love to Hate You was the theme of respect that ran throughout: Mi Ran sought to bait disrespectful boyfriends who were cheating on their partners, her friend Shin Na Eun demanded Do Won Joon respect Mi Ran after seeing the contract (and because of this Won Joon respects Na Eun), Kang Ho repeatedly said how much he respected Mi Ran as a person, and then there's public opinion/respectability politics...the list could go on. For me, what made the romance so pleasing was Kang Ho's fully realized attraction to Mi Ran--more than the basic I-like-you-because-you've-cured-me, or you're-not-like-other-girls feelings he starts with. He actually sees her for who she is and loves her for it (and played so well by Teo Yoo, his emotions were palpable and portrayed in a different way from what I'm used to from male leads in kdramas). SWOON!

My cringe moment: the talking and touching Kang Ho does while Mi Ran was thought to be asleep TWICE was...not cute. Did not appreciate that. And yeah, more could've been done to subvert and blah blah blah....but you get what you come for, and many come to kdramas for those tropes, right? Not a huge deal, and--this drama is a step in the right direction?

[idontwanttowhy]

Review: Autumn's Concerto (2009)

AKA Next Stop Happiness, AKA the reason that I don't hate time jumps anymore

Synopsis

Liang Mu Cheng has had a tough life. Between her parents dying young, having to give up her passion for playing the piano, and being forced to live in a house with her step-mother's predator boyfriend, she can't seem to catch a break. When fate forces her in the path of one Ren Guang Xi, a law-school-flunking rich kid with anger management issues, things only seem to get worse. Meanwhile, Guang Xi, though he appears to have it all, is being torn apart from the inside--physically and emotionally. The accidental meeting sets in motion a drama that takes place over the span of years, complete with political intrigue, amnesia, courtroom trials, and of course, beef and carrot stew.

MZ Overview: 11/10, can't wait to watch it again!

I watched this at the recommendation of one of my friends who said it was a good entry into the world of Taiwanese dramas, and she was absolutely right! Each one of the 34 episodes was a treat where I was left wanting more. I went into this knowing nothing about the plot, so I was confused at first at the pacing of the show. Surely, I said, there isn't anywhere to go from here? But reader, there WAS. In the best way possible. One major component was a time jump, which was done so well and with so much story afterward that I didn't even mind. Hell, I even liked it! The cast of characters in the second half are so endearing that I kept forgetting that they weren't there the whole time. Don't even get me started on Liang Xiao Le.... one word: ADORABLE. I will most definitely be watching it again, especially when I need to constantly ask "WILL THEY JUST GET TOGETHER ALREADY?" (Because that's a thing I need in life, apparently) Be prepared for major second lead syndrome!

MZ Review (spoilers): I'm not crying YOU'RE crying

CW: Sexual Assault

We meet our heroine, Liang Mu Cheng, as she is trying to transport an expensive fish back to her family, who have designs to use it in a VIP's lunch. The VIP, of course, is none other than the president of the university where Mu Cheng's family now runs the cafeteria. She is warned as she sets out on her journey that the fish needs to be brought home in a certain time, otherwise it will go bad and will not be suitable to be served to such an important person.

With this warning she hops on the bus to her house, which is stopped dead in its tracks by a couple in a fancy sports car ahead of them. Desperate to arrive home on time, Mu Cheng decides to intervene. That is when Ren Guang Xi, the driver of the sports car, is introduced.

What ensues from this point on is in turn touching and traumatic, yet it manages to toe the balance between them, as any good drama does. Yet I do have to say that if I didn't love the characters I would have major issues with the plot lines in this show. Mostly because of the use of sexual assault/trauma over and over again.

I would say its definitely worth watching even with this in mind. The characters are SO GOOD. Not so much in a character development way, but in an exaggerated personality way. Take Mu Cheng for example-- she is the ultimate martyr. Time and time again through the show, she makes the decision to sacrifice for others over herself. While this could get annoying, I appreciated that she was consistent. You know what to expect from her, which is a lot more than you can say for a lot of other main leads.

The best (or worst) part of the love triangle was that I had MAJOR second-lead syndrome from the jump. Hua Tuo Ye is so cute and wholesome, despite the hard edge he tries to portray as a farmer who isn't afraid to throw hands when necessary. We should really call him Hua "I'm his human dad while his alien dad isn't here" Tuo Ye. When he said that to Liang Xiao Le, my heart MELTED. I knew the entire time there was no chance for him and Mu Cheng to end up together, especially since he was already the "big boss" of the house, but I HOPED. At the same time, I couldn't be too mad about this development, because SIX YEARS? Dude, you have to make a move in that time. C'mon.

Everything between Ren Guang Xi and Liang Mu Cheng developed as I expected, so it was nice to watch their love overcome the multiple hurdles that were placed in their way. The only thing that I hadn't really predicted was the way Guang Xi's mom would develop. She starts off as your typical chaebol mom who wants to control the life of her kids, but ends up a loving grandma. I was surprised since I thought she was going to be evil the whole time. So it's not 100% true none of the characters had any development, but I'd say its still pretty accurate.

I'm really glad I watched this show! It was a journey from beginning to end, and as promised the next stop is happiness!

[idontwanttowhy]

Review: Dr. Cha (2023)

Dr. Roy Kimberly is the answer to the question of “Can a doctor also be a complete himbo?”

Synopsis

Cha Jeong Suk has been a homemaker for 20 years, raising her two children, taking care of her inconsiderate mother-in-law, and making sure her absent and perfectionistic husband gets three meals a day. When she gets a life-altering diagnosis and subsequent surgery, she becomes determined to live her life for her. This includes returning to her medical career as a first-year resident, at the very hospital where her son and husband work. Oh, and her husband’s lover, who is hell bent on breaking up their marriage. This show follows Dr. Cha as she carves out a life of her own from the life everyone wants (and needs) her to live.

MZ Overall: 6/10, the second half was better than the first???

I really needed a turn-off-your-brain-and-enjoy show, and this pretty much fit that bill. It does take a long time to really enjoy, especially if you think you are there for the romance (which I was). The pacing is very annoying if you are looking for that type of show. However, this was a nice change of pace in the sense that I became more invested in the second half. I’m not sure how I made it to that point, but I did and I’m happy for it. Usually with a rom-com type, I fall off after the main couple gets together. The chemistry between Dr. Kim and Dr. Cha was enough for me to follow through I guess!

MZ Review

I don’t have too much to offer here! I did not feel invested in this show in the usual way, but it was entertaining enough that I kept watching. The pacing and the way that some of the information is introduced is awkward, and the tone of the show will give you whiplash with how quickly it changes. I did wonder how long it would take Dr. Cha to divorce her husband though, AND I wondered if her and Dr. Kim were gonna get together??? You’ll be asking both of those questions all the way until the end, I regret to inform you. I was also hoping Seung Hee was going to resort to drastic measures at some point, since she for whatever reason seemed committed to being Dr. Seo’s wife. I don’t think this was ever done satisfactorily, though her daughter definitely made up for it.  

AC Overall: 8/10, iS dR. cHa A sCoRpIo?

MZ and I began watching this drama together, and the first few eps we watched were stupid silly in a way we both appreciated. Dr. Cha’s antics after getting the surgery and determining to reckon with everything wrong in her life was a DELIGHT....then she starts as an intern (first-year resident) and she seems to have yet another personality shift, back to the overly caring, endlessly forgiving, and purposefully ignorant Dr. Cha we were first introduced to. The show does shift a lot: first third was fun and cool, the middle was a huge reversion, but the last third became emotional, and propelled everyone forward. My investment also rollercoastered similarly, but I found that as I continued watching, it wasn’t giving me what I wanted, but what I needed. Come for the light-hearted reckonings but stay for the deeper ones (with fun moments in between--the drinking scenes were my favorites). Rather than approaching it as a typical rom-com, I’d suggest keeping an open mind and looking elsewhere if you want romance and quick resolutions. 

Also, MZ goaded me into continuing to watch (I was on the fence at one point) by saying Dr. Cha might be a scorpio (like me) and STILL HAS NOT TOLD ME WHY AND I DON’T APPRECIATE IT.

AC Review (spoilers)

I usually use my reviews to rant about things that went wrong in the kdramas I pick, but here I’ll focus on what’s right, and could be easily unappreciated if you treat it like your average kdrama. 

Elephant in the room is Dr. Cha and Dr. Kim’s relationship, which was primed to be the ultimate romance in the beginning, but ended up being lackluster. The rapport they had was more than your average doctor-patient, or even colleague-colleague relationship, but good old Dr. Cha didn’t even blink at Dr. Kim’s over-the-top attentiveness, even after her friend insisted he was romantically interested in her. But, I appreciated Dr. Cha’s graceful rejection once Dr. Kim finally confessed, emphasizing that she wanted to live enjoying the mundane. I think we’ve been primed since forever, some more than others perhaps, that romantic feelings should--and even have to be--acted upon (within reason, of course). So the rejection comes as a blow to most (especially since Dr. Kim seems like a great catch). I appreciated that she didn’t all-of-a-sudden develop feelings for him, or even entertain him for the heck of it. She was thoughtful in her consideration of what their relationship might be like, and in the end stood for what she wanted--a great departure and moment of growth for her, considering how she went along with her husband’s (and daughter’s!) foolishness for so long. And good for Dr. Kim too, because at the end of the day she also may have saved him from a life that might’ve been toooo mundane. (And we got to see him happily dating at the end too!)

Dr. Seo and Seung Hee also had a questionable arc I couldn’t have guessed but ultimately appreciated. I really did not understand Seung Hee’s character AT ALL--howwww, whyyy, .... I don’t have words to express my confusion over her motivations. And she seemed just as confused as I was, doing simultaneously the most and the least. Her “fighting” for her man was childish--all facial expressions and no actual umph-- and too reliant on her daughter’s actions. AND her giving up was equally like...what?? We didn’t actually see her grow as much as we saw her told by her DAUGHTER and her RIVAL that he’s not worth the energy and pain. Dr. Seo himself seemed to know he couldn’t show up for Seung Hee like she wanted him to, and cowardly begged for Dr. Cha’s forgiveness as a crutch. But, I was satisfied when Seung Hee ultimately “talk to the hand”-ed him and seemed to actually move on from the man tormenting her all these years. And I doubly appreciated Dr. Seo looking ridiculous in literally every single person’s eyes for last few episodes-his turmoil really carried the ending for me. 

All in all, everything in the drama pretty much worked out as it should have, with: Dr. Cha and Seung Hee committing to themselves and profitably forcing Dr. Seo to make up for his bullshit with the building and the extra work, Dr. Seo’s mom finally taking care of the household herself, Dr. Kim finding romance elsewhere, the daughters focusing on themselves rather than vindication, and the son reaffirming his desire to be a surgeon-without his father’s influence. I honestly enjoyed the ending quite a bit, despite how different the show turned out from where it started.

(I will agree with MZ that it really didn’t look like Dr. Cha was actually serious about getting divorced once we were in the thick of it, and I was really questioning if maybe she also had a little brain tumor or something?? Like I kept wanting to shake her and be like, DO YOU REMEMBER ALL THE SHIT YOU REALIZED HE PUT YOU THROUGH LITERALLY TWO SECONDS AGO?! BUT nO, YOU’RE FOCUSING ON BRACELETS?!...But the lull in the middle wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been.)

[idontwanttowhy]

Review: Mr. Queen (2020)

Joyously Utterly Ridiculous with a dash of Politics

Synopsis

So there's this outspoken Blue House head chef, Jang Bong Hwan, who gets in some trouble and is running away from the police when he has a near-death experience. But instead of regaining consciousness in the 21st century, he wakes up in the body of softspoken Kim So Yong, the Queen Cheorin in the Joseon period (19th century). Here he gets thrown into marriage preparations to King Cheol Jong, and swept up in the secrets of the palace.

AC Overall: 9/10, just good fun at first...and then I really got into the plot

Lord Jesus when I tell you I CACKLED at the mere premise of this womanizing man waking up in a Joseon woman's body--and a Queen much less! So I watched the first few eps just out of sheer awe of the plot and hilarious shenanigans that ensued. And honestly didn't pay the rest of the plot much attention...

But then it became something worth paying attention to, and it grasped me until the end of the drama. Very thoughtful. This is a comedy with some political undertones, and a romance (or 4) to die for (lol).

Favorite things about the drama: the silly comedy, the plot, the character development, the list goes on. And kudos to the team for not making the gender swap too weird, I've seen other dramas do it less tastefully. It's a step.

AC Review (spoilers)

Let's face it, Bong Hwan as So Yeon was the best thing that happened to that palace, to Cheol Jong, Bong Hwan himself, to So Yeon herself, to the country...etc. The ~growth~ Bong Hwan went through as a result was *chef's kiss*. From the jumping-into-any-body-of-water-to-get-back-home, to establishing the "no touch" rule between him and the King, to being willing to further ~explore~ romance, sex , pregnancy as a woman, was beautiful, thoughtful, even intriguing to watch, and didn't seem abrupt or distasteful. Do wish we could've seen So Yeon in 21st century Korea as a man more too, though we did get glimpses of her trying to unsuccessfully bag some men at a club and then engaging with a woman in the kitchen's storage room as Bong Hwan himself used to do. I suppose Mr. Queen's developing attraction to Cheol Jong could be imagined as being from/because of So Yeon's co-habitating yearning soul but, I prefer to believe he organically developed that soul-soul attraction while So Yeon's soul was galavanting around Seoul.

Now, I'm a fan of Welcome to Waikiki (S1...couldn't watch S2 it was so...not Waikiki) so it was hard for me to see Kim Jung Hyun as anyone other than goofy ass Kang Dong Gu. And honestly, his acting here was...aight. His way of portraying the King as comely-in the agreeable sense only imo-was by lowering his eyelids and looking like a zombie. Forgive me, but i. wanted. more. nuance. They had a hard time convincing me he was pretending to be meek around the palace and was truly a force beyond. Shin Hye Sun's acting carried the drama, she was a star in portraying Bong Hwan's soul and So Yeon's soul at the right moments. A little extreme at times...but the drama called for it.

And I can't not shout-out the side characters here too. Court Lady Choi and the Royal head Chef need a spinoff, they were so cute together, and maid Hong Yeon deserves the man of her dreams--maybe the King's best friend Hong, maybe not. I was so proud of her for turning down Kim Hwan so beautifully...and let's be real, he deserves someone too, such a sweetheart! Both Prince Yeongpyeong and Byeong In needed a happy ending too...why was it that both these men looked like they had been crying in every scene??

Speaking of my Byeong In...in every drama I have a "man", which is usually the one who could do no wrong because he's so good to look at (both inside and out, thankyouverymuch). Most of the time it's the second lead, and that held true here too. My man...I know his character's a little gross for romantically loving his (adoptive?) cousin the Queen, but I kept rooting for him, even when he became a bad apple and tried to force her to be the Kim family's puppet. And I must admit Mr. Queen had a point when he accused Byeong In of not noticing the change in his loved one after the soul switch. How could he still believe that was his So Yeon?? But I forgive him, he redeemed himself by letting the Queen live, get away, and ultimately find her King and make it back to the palace for some sweet revenge.

(Not gonna mention the family drama or Eui Bin here, it was exhausting enough to watch. But Eui Bin redeemed herself too, I guess.)

All in all I really loved this drama, and it's something I know I wouldn't have appreciated before this year, honestly. Lots of laughter, good chemistry between the King and Queen, and the storyline wasn't bad either. Give it a watch if you need some silly laughs with a dash of romance and substance.

P.S.: Kinda mad that in the end, the real So Yeon got to ride the wave of love from the King that had developed for Bong Hwan's soul...So Yeon didn't earn his love! And I felt bad for the King too, having lost Bong Hwan and his ~energy~ without so much as a goodbye. (And it would've been cool to see Mr. Queen give birth...) But hey, they all needed a happy ending after everything they went through those last few eps.

MZ Overall: 6/10, i needed to know how this whole thing would end

AC described this as a "comedy with some political undertones" but I would say the opposite: a political show with some comedic undertones. WAY too much plot. I was not trying to follow all that. AC also said to me that this romance was a "slow burn" which was JUST A STRAIGHT UP LIE. I was struggling at the end. There is a lot to like about this show if you like physical comedy and politics. I'm very whatever about this show though.

MZ Review (spoilers)

As usual, AC and I have disagreed completely on a drama. Firstly, this show did NOT need to be 20 episodes. After 10 I was truly asking myself if I was going to invest another 10 hours of my life in seeing it through. That was when I decided to watch it while crafting, so I'll see the major plot points (dramatic background music is a universal language!) without feeling like I had to have my eyes peeled.

By the end, I was staying to figure out how they were going to resolve the whole thing with Jang Bong Hwan. Would he go back? Would he stay and somehow fuse with So Yong? I don't know what I wanted but what happened was.... not it.

Ok, so I wasn't staying only to see how it ended... I was also there for Lady in Waiting Choi. She had the absolute best bit in the whole show, with the smutty kaleidoscope. Why was I ROLLING when she brought it out? The writers did not have to do her like that but there it was and I loved it. The side characters are generally good in this show overall, which also made it fun to watch.

I would use the rest of this time to complain about how Lady Uibin and Kim Byung In were terrible love rivals, but that is quite frankly my most boring take. Instead, I'd like to talk about queerbaiting. I am from the era of fandom tumblr that was held in a chokehold by gay ships such as Merthur, Destiel, and Johnlock, so I am no stranger to this concept. What I haven't made up my mind on is how queerbaiting shows up (or not) within k-dramas. And while I'm completely comfortable with accusing white people of the global west in engaging in this sort of practice, I would not extend this lens to cultures I only know through slivers of the media they produce. Which is to say that I can't speak to one of the hallmarks of queerbaiting: trying to "lure in" queer/ally audiences using these suggestions of representation.

So for the purposes of this blog, when I say "queerbaiting," I'm referring to how showrunners write/create visuals/otherwise hint at romantic relationships between people of the same gender, but who are ostensibly straight. I'd say this is part of the undercurrent of Mr. Queen, and particularly the relationship between Bong Hwan (as So Yong) and Cheol Jong. It is usually played for laughs: So Yong's body has physical responses to Cheol Jong, that Bong Hwan mentally fights off. Bong Hwan still has his urges, leading him to seek out courtesans, pick out the concubines for Cheol Jong, and TRY TO KISS HONG YEON AS SO YONG. The writers go through great pains to establish Bong Hwan as a Straight Man (TM), which begins to crumble after he and Cheol Jong have sex (but he's drunk and in a woman's body and thinks he is having sex with a woman, so it's not gay, just lowkey sexual assault!!!). What begins to dissolve is how much Bong Hwan is portrayed as pushing back against the affections of So Yong towards Cheol Jong. Especially towards the end, how much of the kissing, affection, and care was Bong Hwan? This is a question that is up for the viewer to decide, even up to the end.

When Bong Hwan wakes up in his body back in the 21st century, the first thing he does is attempt to find out what happened to Cheoljong. He then figures out that their lives changed forever because they met each other. He learned that he can ~fight injustice~ in any era blah, blah, blah. No addressing how he was about to die for Cheol Jong, or how he had fully even stopped trying to get back to his body, or how Cheol Jong felt like he "lost something" after the fight.... No, just Cheol Jong being straight with So Yong and Bong Hwan getting to go back to his life as a Man.

Listen, I know this show was not supposed to be a rom-com, but am I so wrong for still wanting some kind of resolution for this? They really wrote themselves in circles trying to make sure we know they are straight, and yet they throw in just enough doubt... In my view, classic sign of queerbaiting.

And to disagree with AC again, I have seen genderswap/gender changing done MUCH better in other shows. Take You're Beautiful (2009) for instance: when the heroine has to pretend to be her twin brother to join an all-male band, one of the bandmates never figures out that he is a girl, so struggles with his growing attraction to her. This show was far from perfect, but we actually see the characters deal with the fallout of the gender swap rather than just be like "oh that happened." We see something similar in Coffee Prince (2007), which sees the main male lead struggle a lot over his attraction to the main female lead, who presents as a man. Both of these, while far from perfect, at least portray something about what means to contend with sexual/romantic attraction in homophobic/transphobic society. Both of these shows were made over 10 years ago; you would think that by now we'd be doing a bit better.

[idontwanttowhy]

Review: The Penthouse: War on Life (Season 1) (2020)

The makjang that taught me I could like makjangs...me!

Synopsis

Hera Palace is a luxury apartment building designed for the wealthy, by the wealthy, to be an elegant safe haven. Sim Su-Ryeon and her husband Ju Dan-Tae live in the penthouse, the pinnacle of wealth and success. Cheon Seo-Jin and her husband Ha Yun-Cheol live a few floors below, where Seo-Jin covets the position of the "Penthouse Queen". Outside of the Palace is Oh Yun-Hui, a poorer former classmate and rival of Seo-Jin's. Their paths cross again as the families' children apply to the premier Cheong-Ah Arts School, run by Seo-Jin’s family. The parents will stop at nothing to ensure their child(ren) attend(s) the school.

Su-Ryeon, the queen of the penthouse apartment, soon discovers a secret that tears her world apart and vows revenge, just as Yun-Hui does everything she can to guarantee her daughter achieves what she wanted and more.

AC Overall: 9.5/10, clicked for the hype, don't regret ANYTHING

I was intrigued by the dark and glamorous poster on Viki for Penthouse 2, and then like ~magic~ (or by silicon valley’s graceful listening devices and tracking systems) it would pop up randomly, and my “For You” page on TikTok became a kdrama recommendation hub (possibly for other reasons too, that shall not be mentioned), with Penthouse (tied with Vicenzo) being the most recommended. So I caved. I didn’t really know what I was getting into, but I knew it would be a departure from my newfound gems (slice-of-life dramas) and my og diamonds-a-dozen (rich-man-poor-woman-who-have-met-in-childhood-but-forgot-and/or-are-forced-together-with-a-sprinkle-of-trauma), but I didn’t expect THIS. A MESS of a drama that reminded me of the telenovelas I watched in high school for Spanish class. 

My emotions ranged from shock and surprised that so many bombs were dropped so quickly (spoiler alert: someone dies within the first few minutes of ep 1) to disgust at the things the characters would do to each other (and themselves tbh), to awe at the way the plot just kept. on. thickening. It had been a while since I had been so enthralled by a drama. It’s so ridiculous it’s fascinating. Wild facial expressions, screaming contests and bitch-slaps galore, this drama has everything I didn’t know I wanted. So without revealing too much, I suggest you stop reading rn (unless you’ve seen it) and give it a shot if you don’t mind a little violence and lots of screaming. You never know, you might surprise yourself and like it too. And it’s best watched not knowing anything. I will warn, though, that to enjoy it, it’s best to keep in mind that it’s overdramatized. Don’t take it too seriously.

AC Review (Lots of spoilers)

Again. Read if you dare. And buckle in, because this is a whole essay:

So, lets start with how amazing the cast was. From Seo-Jin’s twitching red lip to her daughter Eun-Byeol’s crazy wild eyes (I really had to look away when she was on screen most of the time, it was a bit much tbh) to Yun-Hui and her Ro-Na’s screaming matches, the actors and actresses brought everything (and in Seok-Hun’s case, consistently nothing) to the set. Kudos to them. They did that.

That being said, though, it also made the first few episodes really hard to watch. Bullying is a tough for me to watch on screen in general, especially with how it’s portrayed in kdramas. True Beauty is another recent kdrama that stood out with the bullying scenes in the first few eps too; it seems kdramas bring it to another level that makes it especially hard to swallow. So that, paired with it being a makjang, made the bullying of Min Seol-Ah by the Hera Privileged really intense?! Grown-ass adults AND their children?! The ABUSE! There were so many moments during the bullying scenes that I was thinking “I can’t watch this. This is so bad”. I’d look away when the kids would interact with Seol-Ah, and I came very very close to stopping the show altogether because of how harsh they were, and still cringe at the thought of it. But the parents’ storylines kept me in, and the harshness of the bullying made the revenge arc have that much more of an impact too. [Still, I really wanna know what the hell all that is about. I know about Han and the often violent themes of a lot of (popular in the US and/or my circles) Korean movies and stuff but, it would be interesting to know more. Why does it seem that much more violent than what I’m used to seeing in American and British shows? Food for thought...or maybe it’s just me.]

Anyhow, back to lighter things. The side parents, especially Lee Gyu-Jin, the not-so-sharp lawyer and momma’s boy, were hilarious most of the time and a good comic relief from the drama surrounding the main three families. And of all people, he was the one to figure out Seo-Jin and Dan-Tae’s affair? Wild. Kang Ma-Ri, the mom whose husband is “in Dubai” i.e. prison, and works secretly as a masseuse/exfoliating lady at a sauna, seems to have an interesting story that I really hope gets expanded upon in later seasons, being that she’s able to maintain wealth and keep up the charade. Still, them and their children were god-awful, also torturing Min Seol-Ah and later Ro-Na, though not as intensely. 

Speaking of Ro-Na, I was not a fan of hers at all. In the beginning she read as a brat who didn’t understand, or want to understand, where her mom was coming from when she said she shouldn’t sing, and was disrespectful at so many moments. Screaming in her face and all that. If I ever did that to my mom...But by the time she got to Cheong-Ah and was also harshly bullied (though not as badly or life-threateningly as Seol-Ah), I did feel some sympathy for her because no one should have to go through that. And from the teachers too? Ughhh. Which is why I was sooo happy when Gu Ho-Dong the PE teacher showed up and attempted to punish the bullies, and even the moms.

Su-Ryeon was pretty much the only redeemable character for me. She had good intentions throughout, and had remorse for not being able to take care of Seol-Ah despite her ignorance of the body-switch and bullying. Even Yun-Hui got a second chance with her at the end, despite being Seol-Ah’s ultimate killer. Yun-Hui seemed like she’d be redeemable at first, but she ended up just like the others in her willingness to forgo morals in order to get what she wanted, which...became muddled. At first her motivation was giving Ro-Na the life she couldn’t live because of Seo-Jin, but then once she got into Hera she exposed herself as also consumed by personal greed and even coveted the Penthouse Queen position despite Su-Ryeon’s kindness toward her. She was not as bad as the other parents but showed her “true colors”, especially towards the end of the season. Her hooking up with Dan-Tae made me sick. She and Seo-Jin became two sides of the same coin. All things (wealth) aside, had it been Yun-Hui slicing Seo-Jin, basically the same shit would’ve happened. I rest my case.

The whole Logan Lee thing was nice, and effective, but near the end he and Su-Ryeon were giving away their identities a little too soon imo. Su-Ryeon’s first mistake was revealing herself when she trapped the parents; it was so unnecessary, and I felt like from then on sooo many mistakes were made that ultimately led to her death. But, until the very end she cared about her step children despite how harsh they were towards her. Which is why she remained my favorite character. 

I could go on and on and on about all of the things that happened throughout the season, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed the rollercoaster Penthouse had me on! I’m usually not into overacting but for whatever reason this show’s ridiculous situation + overacting combo made sense to me.

P.S.: Dr. Ha was my second favorite character, probably because he was so level-headed and although he was involved in the mess, he was much less central to it. And had the sense to get a psychiatrist to check Eun-Byeol out. Although, it did have me wondering...where were you for the past 15 years or so of her life, when she was developing this way?? sIR

[idontwanttowhy]

Review: Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022)

🐋🐋🐋🐋 whale nation 4 life 🐋🐋🐋🐋

Synopsis

When rookie attorney Woo Young Woo (spelled the same front and back:  racecar, noon, rotator, Woo Young Woo) starts working at one of the best law firms in South Korea, you would think that a summa cum laude graduate of SNU Law School would be the star rookie attorney. And you would be right! However, Young Woo faces prejudice from her co-workers because she is autistic, which means she has a non-traditional approach to law and life. This show follows her as she navigates life as an autistic person in a cut-throat profession, complete with romance, intrigue, and whale facts!

MZ Overall: 10/10, I’m going to be watching this again!

I watched this show at the prodding of one of my friends, and I do not regret it at all. I will admit I had my concerns about this show, because of the ways that disabled people are usually portrayed in media. I thought this might end up being one of those that makes the “autistic character” some kind of cautionary tale, or rob her of any complexity of emotion, social life, etc. I’m glad to say that I was wrong about that, and Young Woo’s character was as rich, complex, and funny as any other main lead (and knows more whale facts!). Her office romance with Lee Jun Ho was not only swoon-worthy, but explored how autistic people are often seen in Korean society (and I would say there is a lot of the same stigma in the U.S., where I live). I would have given this show an even higher rating if it weren’t for the last two episodes. If you like a slow-build, quirky romance, and/or a law drama, you should watch!

MZ Review: You’re not (necessarily) there for the whale facts, but you will listen intently anyway

From the very first episode, you are brought into the world Woo Young Woo and her dad, former law student turned gimbap restraunt owner Woo Gwang Ho, inhabit as a father-daughter duo. Gwang Ho, who left school and the profession of law to raise Young Woo, cares deeply for his daughter yet is flawed in the ways he tries to shield her from the world. Though he supports her career in law, there are secrets and underhanded tactics that shroud Young Woo as she begins at Hanbada as a rookie attorney, later than the other rookie attorneys. This fact does not go unnoticed by her peers, leading “tactician” Attorney Kwon Min Woo to make things as hard as possible for her as she finds her footing. Even Senior Attorney Jung Myung Seok has his initial reservations about her, given her autism and late start at the firm. However, Young Woo soon proves that she is a valuable lawyer to have, and he quickly changes his mind about her. The same cannot be said for Attorney Kwon, who is only angered more by the senior attorney’s approval of Young Woo. 

Given this set up, I was thinking that Attorney Kwon would be the main bad guy for the series, yet the secrets that Gwang Ho and the CEO of Hanbada, Han Seon Yeong, hold prove to be an even bigger threat to Young Woo, though she doesn’t know it at first. Attorney Kwon turns out to be at worst annoying, which was a bit of a disappointment. Not even to mention how he has that quasi-romance with the other rookie attorney, Choi Su Yeon, who I think had one of the best character growth arcs in the whole show. She, like most of Young Woo’s colleagues, started off not liking Young Woo, especially so because they had graduated from the same law school where Young Woo’s reputation was that she would always be first place in anything. However, her resentment changes throughout, eventually growing into an uneasy friendship. Not that Young Woo was short on friends: her best friend from high school, Dong Geum Rami, a thick-skinned rebel who eventually forms a partnership with Young Woo, consistently delivers laughs when she is in a scene. Partnered with the bar owner Kim Min Shik, when the three of them are sitting in a bar eating gimbap you are guaranteed a laugh. 

Undoubtedly, the best relationship in this show is between Lee Jun Ho, a member of the litigation team at Hanbada, and Young Woo. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when Lee Jun Ho started having a crush on her, though I would argue it was from the very first moment he helps her dance her way through the rotating doors that serve as the entrance to the law firm. From the beginning he is on her side, thought their romance develops slowly. It is not helped along by Jun Ho’s friends and family, who view Young Woo not as someone he could be romantically involved with but as someone he would have to take care of. Despite all of this, Jun Ho always makes time to listen to Young Woo talk about whales, and sees the things that make her different as strengths. He’s no prince charming, but he is a genuine person who just wants to date Young Woo. I am now a Young Woo - Jun Ho shipper!!

Each episode you watch, up to the last two, are so interesting and heart felt. The ending honestly felt like a big let down, because it loses so much of what we had come to love about the dynamics of the group. I felt that there was too much to wrap up at the end, leaving all of the characters and their relationships on the backburner when those were what were drove the whole thing (for me). So while I would definitely recommend this to someone else, I have to warn you to be prepared for the ending. 

[idontwanttowhy]

Review: Crash Landing On You (2020)

There are some shows that completely ruin your life and some that improve it so much you can’t remember what your life was before it. This is both of those. For one of us...

Synopsis

Yoon Se Ri is a successful CEO of a cosmetics company in South Korea, and was chosen over her two brothers to take over their father’s conglomerate. Ri Jeong Hyeok is a captain with powerful connections in the North Korean army. When Se Ri gets caught in a freak storm while she is parasailing near the 38th parallel, causing her to land on the North Korean side, Jeong Hyeok is the one that finds her and unwittingly helps her out. But how is she going to get back to South Korea and take over the family business? This is just the beginning of a love story for the ages, complete with feuding family members, romance, and... gardening. 

MZ Overall: 11/10, I can’t rewatch it until I forgot what happened that way I experience it new all over again

This is definitely a must watch for any k-drama fan (even AC sort of liked it, which says something). It is truly an emotional roller coaster, and it has you wondering what the outcome will be the whole time. If you love strong side characters and/or a great second leading woman, you will especially love this show. It has plenty of fun cameos and references to other k-dramas, if you like that sort of thing (I do). This is one of the few that I do not rewatch often because it is so special to me, I want to try to recreate the feelings from watching it the first time. That isn’t really possible, but a girl can try. 

MZ Review (No Spoilers)

So funny story with this one is that I watched the first 30 minutes of the first episode of this drama when it first came out, decided it wasn’t worth my time, and moved on to something else. I returned to it in quarantine because, why not? Turns out, in a surprise to no one, I judged it too quickly and this is one of my top favorite dramas ever! 

When I first watched this, I thought it was going to be super sad, which I wasn’t into at the time. I was obviously too quick to judge, and upon actually watching it I realized that, while it does have really sad, emotional moments, it is balanced out with humor, action, and suspence. I would not say that any one thing characterizes it until the end, when it definitely leans more melodrama. But that is to be expected with these shows (I think). 

The thing I enjoyed most about this show, as AC also points out, was the side characters. I did really enjoy the main couple, but more on that in a second. The side characters brought this show from being a straightforward romance into an all-around show about love. For example, Jeong Hyeok’s fellow soldiers, who help him hide Se Ri, are a beautiful example of a chosen family and stark contrast to Se Ri’s family life in SK. Over time, they grow to love each other and the arc over time is so sweet, I found myself getting really emotional during their scenes. The NK town ahjummas were also wonderful in a different way, demonstrating that women in these shows don’t have to be just out to get each other all the time but actual human beings with feelings and interests and flaws. All of the characters, no matter how small of a role, felt complete to me in ways that side characters often don’t. Not to mention the second leading couple was one of the best I’ve ever seen. I would not go so far as to say they were my favorite couple from the show, but I would say that Seo Dan was one of the best second leading women in any kdrama ever. 

So more on the main couple: my first thought is that this was by far Hyun Bin’s best role, which I believe is because he isn’t really acting. I try not to ship real-life people, but Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin being a couple is just... *chef’s kiss* One day I will finally post my analysis of Hyun Bin, king of elevator scenes, but until then suffice it to say that my relationship to the works of Hyun Bin is.... complicated. I L-O-V-E Son Ye Jin though, and I thought this was definitely a good role for her. AC is not the HB aficionado that I have (unwittingly) become, so in my *expert* opinion I thought he was great in this role. His stoicness belies his true feelings for Se Ri, which makes the scenes where he starts to let on to his feelings that much more sweet. Above everything else, I loved that Se Ri was able to find someone she trusted whole-heartedly, which I was really hoping for her to find. 

The ending was......... the worst part for me. I won’t spoil it here, and its not really a bad ending per se, but its also not a good one. I guess no show can have everything? 

Anyway, in sum, I love this show and you should watch it! We (I) named this blog after something in the show (I won’t say now, but hopefully you’ll get it when you watch). 

AC Overall: 7/10, watched for the hype, liked it enough to stick around

Took me a while to watch this one because it seemed so romantic and sad, but I’m glad I did--Netflix previews don’t do it justice. Was it the best drama of 2020? Not for me, but I definitely see why everyone loves it. Was it good enough to watch to the end? Yes yes and yes. Although I laughed where some people cried, I still enjoyed Crash Landing thoroughly, and did not expect to like the non-leads as much as I did. What made me watch was all the hype, and what kept me watching were the sides and overall okay, but realistically? wth is gonna happen with the leads? oh this is for shits and giggles? got it lol. I recommend if you can suspend disbelief, like fated relationships with a little melodrama and tragedy. With some comedic moments in between. 

AC Review (Spoilers)

One of the things I liked most about this drama was not necessarily the high-production as MZ makes it seem (she literally said, and I quote, “I thought you’d like it because it’s well-done...”--I pretended not to be hurt by that comment), but it was the humanity of it all! The narrative about North Korea, at least where I’m from, is dominated by negative, doom-and-gloom, there-go-the-crazies language that I’ve always taken with a grain of salt, so it was really nice and a pleasant surprise to see North Koreans depicted as real people outside of the politics surrounding their country. Ri Jeong-Hyeok’s subordinates and the women of the village were the best part of the drama. The fellow kdrama enthusiast was an especially nice touch too! The camaraderie as a whole was heartwarming, and I think a positive step in the right direction in depictions that don’t dehumanize ~the other~. 

The main romance, however, left me wanting more tbh. I’m still trying to piece together why I, for most of the show, just didn’t have any feelings towards them, but I think part of it was just Jeong-Hyeok as a character. I wish he was more emotive (this may or may not be Hyun-Bin’s fault, don’t get mad at me MZ). I like a stoic guy...to a point. But this guy? Literally a robot. I believe him as a soldier, but a pianist?? Are you sure??? Every time he actually smiled it felt so awkward to me, and for the majority of the eps I kept wondering if he actually liked Se-Ri. And during the romantic scenes I. felt. nothing. It actually got to the point where, by the time the goodbye-forever-but-not-really-bc-it’s-a-kdrama embrace happened or whatever, I was DYING of laughter at how ridiculous it was. I guess they just lacked chemistry for me. Especially for people who are now dating irl.

Which brings me to the next thing--in real life, there is no way everything could have possibly played out the way it did. And I just couldn’t suspend enough disbelief to not have that in the back of my head from the moment the crew went looking for Jeong-Hyeok in SK, on. Which is also why the romantic parts became more comedic to me. Sorry y’all. Even the Switzerland stuff did nothing for me, and it usually would? I’m a sucker for fated relationships but this one was a no-go. Love Se-Ri though, she was plenty emotive and a “boss” who is also not reliant on that being her only personality trait, and really developed throughout the eps. But was still able to handle her god-awful family when she returned. She had decent depth, just not enough for both of them ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

One romance I did like, however, was the second leads, between Seo Dan and Gu Seung-Jung (despite his face putting me off for some reason I can’t explain, ever since Waikiki tbh. Like his mouth-region does something uncomfortable to my brain. Can’t help it). I felt like it was more realistic, and, dare I say, I like that he died?! Not that I wanted either Jeong-Hyeok or Se-Ri to die, but--their romance was more...palpable for me, and sometimes irl you don’t get a happily ever after, you get a tragic ending. I especially appreciated that Seo Dan found someone other than her unrequited first-love, who honestly made more sense for her than Jeong-Hyeok ever did. And Seung-Jung was not afraid to share his feelings once he recognized them, and didn’t push it too much. Their romance was a slow burn that actually made me feel something. 

And, I must admit, it is a well done drama. The production is really good, which, while not a deciding factor for whether I’ll like a drama *coughcough* MZ *coughcough*, was a pleasant bonus that had me consciously going, “wow, this is really well done”. I laughed at the stupid jokes and interactions between the comrades, enjoyed the hate-love second romance, and rooted for Se-Ri, obviously. And there were enough plot lines and side-characters to keep me interested even though I didn’t like the main romance. And now I see bbq•chicken literally EVERYWHERE.

Give it a chance, and don’t trust Netflix previews. They’re shit.

P.S.: I swooned every time Lee Sin-Young spoke. Had to be said. Only reason I can forgive them for not giving Kim Soo-Hyun more screen-time.