#[and gil chae looked amazing in it]

[aellyne]

[Jang Hyun] brought this for you. Why is this mine? [...] Do you think he would have brought it for me or Jong Jong?

MY DEAREST 연인 (2023) — EP. 07

[teafiend]

Gifs credited to @Nungchae (Twitter)

Such realistically raw, gritty scenes. Love everything about this episode ❤️‍🔥 Especially the partial focus on Kang Gil Young (and her developing relationships with the men).

The accusations made by the possessed about Choi Yoon - and Kang Gil Young’s reactions - gave me chills more than all the wailing, curses and screams of the woman because it was the most “realistic” horror in this indelible segment. A brilliant combination of writing, direction and performance (lighting, set up etc too). 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[trendingdrama]

I most recently saw ‘Destined With You’ and ‘Doom at Your Service’ and loved both. I want to watch something that is more serious than silly and I’ve discovered that I really like the whole theme of love that exists beyond time or just love happening despite tragic circumstances. ‘While You Were Sleeping’ is probably my most favorite kdrama. If there are some kdramas you can think of that have similar vibes to those, I’d love to hear about them.

at the outset with time travel or past lives / tragic love...I just know a few ...

Mystic popup bar :

this is more of mix of part comedy , drama , romance ( sub sub plot) and action. Weol Ju (played by hwang jung eum) is a pop up restraunt owner who sets her food tent at night where both the dead and the living can grab a drink and she helps people appease their grudges / problemswith a special drink...( i am sorry this synopsis seems weird but give it a go you might like this :) )

2.Hotel del luna

i think this a mix of romcom , fantasy and horror. The story revolves aroung jang man wol ( played gorgeously by IU ) who is the owner of the hotel del luna (she is bound by curse to look after the hotel for dead and make easy passage for them to the nether world). Things start to be different for manwol once she hires goo chan sung as the assistant manager ....While this synopsis sounds boring it is far from it ... It does explore on some thematic aspects of ' resentment ' letting go and found family themes . Also since you said you liked while you were sleeping it's from the same directors that's an added bonus. Also cinematography and OSTs are my absolute favs...

3. Youth of May

this one not a fantasy but rather a sad romance melodrama.. but the directing acting the story was amazing . It revolves around old school romance of two strangers who met at the time of gwangju uprising. (And this drama made me look into south korean history ) It just gives you that nostalgia of what it is to be in love. Also because it is in the backdrop of a major event in sk history it does depicts deaths and cruel reality of the olden time. Anyway this was one of the best dramas i have watched ( please be ready with lots of tissues when watching this )

4. My dearest

Was released as a two part series with total of 21 episodes with each episodes were a art in itself , set in historical times of Qing invasion Yu Gil Chae is a pretty, bubbly, and a bit spoiled young lady who's called the 99 tailed fox of Neunggun-ri. She is also a bit of an outcast because other young ladies are jealous of her. They seem to think she's too straightforward and her behavior is inappropriate for a young lady, while young noblemen think highly of her. Gil Chae knows how to get men to fall for her but fails to capture the heart of the person she likes. Lee Jang Hyun is a mysterious man who suddenly appears in the Neunggun-ri social scene. Nobody really knows anything about him. Young nobles don't like him, but the elderly are wrapped around his finger. He's been dating around a lot, but he becomes curious about a certain 99 tailed fox, and one day, the said fox quite literally crash lands into his arms.

Once war is brewing, the pair finds themselves separated before they could even start to make sense of their feelings.

But the drama isn't just about their love it is much more than that it captivates it's viewers to empathize with emotions of ongoing war and how wthe invasion affects each and every character ( not just the main ) and the beautiful storytelling and the cinematography with added acting brilliance of nam goong min and ahn eunjin you keep yearning for more and more...

this is definitely the most serious one out of this lot.

JUST another rec of a not romance in fantasy but just a thriller fantasy drama that i am currently watching seems absolutely good

5. TOMORROW

Choi Joon Woong seeks a job, but it's hard for him to get hired. One night, he witnesses a man trying to end his life and decides to stop him. He gets acquainted with grim reapers Koo Ryeon and Im Ryoong Gu, who belong to a crisis management team. Their purpose is to prevent people from committing suicide. After Joon Woong ends up in a coma and becomes half-human and half-spirit, he is employed by a company of grim reapers as the newest member of the crisis management team.

other dramas: that fit love in tragic circumstances maybe :

queen for seven days

it's okay to not be okay ( tragic past )

extraordinary you ( not tragic but how love transcends two webtoons / two stories in fantasy based story where characters are in webtoon and one of the side character relaises THAT FACT !!)

it's okay that's love

[elderflowergin]

Heya, me again! Thank you for getting into it with me. I finished Hot Stove League, what a fun and learning time. I honestly do not find baseball to be at all interesting but this one made me sit through it, and enjoy learning! I agree about Mr Bark and Mr Kwon here, I think they would have, at some point, loved to pulverize eachother from the face of the earth, but in the end came together for Dreams! And Park EunBin! I adore her so much, too much. AHH, what a delight, how amazing is she!

About JangHyun, I am looking forward to his growth. I think Part 1 was about GilChae's growth and part 2 will be his, I'm looking forward to seeing him unlock all of that trauma from his body and release it. Their parting was so horrible horrible horrible. I'm glad I wasn't online much after watching ep10, just so I could l figure out my own feelings about that ending without the many voices getting into my head.

Anyway, I think he will repent.

I'm so team GilHyun or JangChae that my assessment of both in the last EP is that they are both in the spectrum of the the five stages of grief, him: shock and her, maybe anger or somewhere further along the line. I hope I'm making sense. Because he returned to Joseon with the idea that he and GC will be talking about their future, he said they would when he 'proposed' to her before he left. And GC was probably overwhelmed when she saw him alive after thinking that he was dead for so long.(PS: what a horrific way to realise that you love someone). Maybe after a long time reflecting, he may, may, understand that he was asking far too much(the fact that YeonJun said things that make sense before Janghyun was able to see it says a lot.)

I'm very interested in how GC feels about RyangEum.

Extremely proud of GilChae( very sad that we have to keep emphasising this). I'm looking forward to their conversations in the future. To GilHyun or JangChae.🥂

Dearest Anon, I still don’t know how baseball is played but I’m glad that wasn’t necessary to enjoy the show.

I loved Park Eun-bin so much - she’s so smart and gutsy and hotheaded and full of love for her team. I deeply enjoyed her protecting Baek Seung-soo (and on occasion his one cheap suit) by throwing a shot glass at a player built like a tank. I enjoyed Oh Jung-se’s character very much as well - there’s a wonderful scene where he’s with his cousin who drops his key and waits for Oh Jung-se to pick it up - which of course Oh Jung-se does since this cousin will be his boss someday, and Baek Seung-soo observes this moment from his car. Lovely character work in that single thirty second scene.

Thank you for those amazing observations about Gil-chae and Jang Hyeon - it makes so much sense! I think they are deeply misaligned and I agree with you that they are also in two different stages of grief. I think Gil-chae tries to meet him in the middle, but Jang Hyeon didn’t wish to move at all (perhaps partly because he was in shock, as you pointed out). I hope like you do that he reflects on and regrets how he treated her. If there is one very sore point I have with the show, it is that they made Yeon-jun of all people (!!!) say the right thing to Jang-hyeon.

I think you were completely right to stay mostly offline for the post episode 10 discussions. I read very little and backed out. I think it’s just part of a larger cultural conversation that we tend to give men far more grace and leeway than we offer women. I find it ironic here because the characters literally live in an era where men had a lot of leeway to begin with and women had very little (and the show takes pains to address this too!), so it’s a real choice to place even higher expectations and tighter leeway on the women and doing the opposite for men. But this has been going on longer than the internet has been alive, I guess.

Anon, thank you so much for coming by and making these very cool and wise observations. As you progress in your Namgoong Min deep dive, please always know you can come hang out here, link arms virtually and tell me (and us!) all the Namgoong Min feelings. Here’s a hug if you’ll have one! 🫂

[kateknowsdramas]

Hello! Yess! I want to watch Tell Me That You Love Me as well! I've been seeing gifs of it and it looks so soft and lovely! I agree, I absolutely loved my dearest! Everybody acted so well! I love that Gil Chae got her own story and we see her work so hard to care for the people around her. I love how the show always gives her so many other people supporting her. First, it was Eun Ae and then it was Jong Jong, and the other woman after she was forced to leave Eun Ae. Sejak does sound awesome! And I feel the same with Marry My Husband too. I'm not a big fan of Na in Woo but I'll check out anything with Park Min Young. Apart from the general story, is there anything particular you liked about My Dearest? Like their romance or Gil Chae's journey, or Jang Hyun's awesome fighting skills or Gil Chae's little found family?

Is there any trope you like in shows in particular? Found family, or fated lovers, or a second chance etc.?

Yeah, Tell Me That You Love me is just a fantastic, sweet, beautiful show. The actors are amazing and it's honestly going to be in my top 2023 shows for sure.

I think the main thing I really loved about My Dearest were the character journeys - primarily Gil Chae. And not that she just matured as a person - that's too simplistic, I think. It's that she always was a strong person but it took the adversity of war to expose how good she was at so many things. I loved her heart - she was fiercely loyal to her friends and family. Everything she did was for them.

I also loved how it showcased how much Jang Hyun adored her and accepted her for who she was.

I really like all the tropes. I think friends to lovers or enemies to lovers are two of my favorites. But I do love a good found family show as well.

Thanks again for checking in!

[dangermousie]

I'm so happy you ended up loving Rebel! I loved GaRyung from the get go (you dont tell ur bf to shoot you, or else you're breaking up with him if you odnt have a core of steel). But I also hate the youth episodes, because BB!Gil Dong is like my least favourite child actor ever. Usually Kdramas have great to amazing child actors and then there's little GilDong trying to emote and ending up looking like he's trying to not soil his pants. One of the rare dramas that starts weak and ends strong af!

The opening sequence with Ga Ryung and Gil Dong is what got me to check out the drama but then when we actually met her in the story proper I was all “ehhh, you are OK, but Lee Honey’s character is more interesting” only to eventually realize that while I overlooked her at first because she was a normal woman in a sea of larger than life or damaged personalities, her quietness masked a heart of steel. Plus, she is very soul-whole, if it makes any sense, and I love that. (And the fact that she’s a normal, even traditional woman - no combat skills for her or even Lee Honey’s amazing musical talent and ruthless ambition and she is still portrayed as awesome.) Plus, narratively it makes sense that folk hero Gil Dong is married to what is essentially an everywoman in a lot of ways. 

I actually found the progression of that love story very unusual for a kdrama. Because it was clear Gil Dong and Nok Soo loved each other until Nok Soo’s issues resulted in what they resulted in, and Gil Dong only saw Ga Ryang as a little sister and then it so gradually, it was almost imperceptible, progressed to more and now they love each other enough to literally die for each other but there are no flashy moments or declarations or unicorns. That’s an unusual narrative for a kdrama but one I love. 

I hate kids portions in literally every drama so Rebel doesn’t stand out for that for me. I did think the actor who played Amogae was amazing, but nothing can get me into kid portions. It took me literal months to get past those eps.

But the early adult eps were not where my obsession started - that only kicked in when Gil Dong and the King’s stories intersected. I liked the early adult portions just fine, but watching Gil Dong be a cheeky peddler or a thug with a heart was entertaining but not earthshaking. And King Yeonsan is just hard to take in large doses for me because he is just so awful - it’s a good narrative and great portrayal but seeing him get with Nok Soo or tyrannize his court is not my narrative bag (I very rarely go for psychopathic villains; the sole exception being Cao Cao in Three Kingdoms 2010.) So until they started taking on the system, I thought Rebel was a very solid drama - well written and acted and paced - but it was not going on a fave list. But once they started their revenge for Amogae and then like inexorable circles got closer and closer to the rottenness of the Court, I got more and more invested. Watching Gil Dong and Yeonsan clash is amazing. 

Also, Rebel feels a lot more lived in then a lot of sageuks - it’s the visual palette but also the fact that it covers things a lot of sageuks don’t. In fact, I don’t think I have ever seen a sageuk cover the lives of the dispossessed and their hardships and injustices as its main narrative outside of 2008 Hong Gil Dong and Chuno and to a somewhat lesser degree, Return of Iljimae. And when I bring in a HGD 2008 or Chuno comparison in a positive way, you know it’s all over for me in terms of adoring a drama forever. (Apparently Nokdu Flower also has that and is on my very short list.) Sageuks tend to focus on royals, warriors or merchants, and the few that don’t still have other drives - romance, comedy, Japanese occupation. Even the LJK Iljimae was not really class conscious that way because its hero was a wrongly dispossessed nobleman - victory was the restoration of the proper status quo. And that narrative of fighting or showing society-based injustice, one that is baked into the very fabric of the world for these people, is something I find fascinating. 

Finally, the acting is amazing. I’ve seen all of these actors in other stuff and they have been solid to good there, but I’ve never seen any of them give a better performance than they have done here. Yoon Kyun Sang as Gil Dong takes my breath away, and the way the performance ratchets with the narrative, where by the end I want to jump the screen and join his rebels on sheer force of his just rage and strength alone - wow. (And he is not afraid to fall apart unprettily - in those eps where he is the King’s prisoner, it felt viscerally horrible to watch, like an intrusion.) I have seen Kim Ji Suk in a ton of dramas and was always moderately bored by him, but his portrayal of the unhinged monster than is Yeonsan is the first time I am riveted - he comes across as a living breathing human being who is also an irredeemable bight on the world without being a cartoon. Lee Honey is always always solid but she is extra good here because she gets a complex ambivalent character to play - Nok Soo has willingly stayed by a monster and did monstrous things herself but it’s hard to hate her because her every motivation and what drives her are portrayed so well. Chae Soo Bin takes a character who could disappear into wallpaper in other hands and makes her not just Gil Dong’s heart, but a woman I desperately care for, one I want to know more of. And it goes on and on (including Kim Jung Hyun as Mori. I have only seen him in Crash Landing and thought he was charming and whatever. But here I am all “OMG he can actually act this well?!?)

OK, I better stop because I wrote War and Peace in response to your short ask but also - the OST!!! I rarely pay attention to those but I have the entire hour long thing on constant repeat.

[astarlightmonbebe]

10 Kdramas I Recommend part 2

Hey~I’m back again with a part 2! I finish kdramas so slowly, so this took me a while to get to. Sorry if I ramble.

Here is part 1.

1. Life

Year of Release: July-September, 2018

Cast:

Lee Dongwook as Ye Jinwoo

Cho Seungwoo as Cha Seunghyo

Won Jina as Lee Noeul

Lee Kyuhyung as Ye Sunwoo

Yoo Jaemyung as Joo Kyungmoon

Synopsis: Ye Jinwoo is a doctor at Sangkook University. One night, the hospital director dies. Though his death is ruled as a heart attack, Jinwoo believes otherwise. Koo Seunghyo becomes the new director of the hospital, despite being a businessman. He sees the hospital as something to profit from, and decides to forcefully transfer three departments, including the emergency medical center, where Jinwoo works. Jinwoo and the other staff members protest this and start to scheme to have their new director removed.

Thoughts: I went into this for Lee Dongwook and Won Jina only, and only thought it sounded vaguely interesting. I’m not much for hospital dramas and politics, but this drama really ended up piquing my interest! Not only were the actors amazing, but it shaped up a really good story. It showed the bad and good characteristics of everyone, even the so called protagonist and antagonist. I did find it frustrating at times, but only to the point that I felt that I had to watch more to make sure everything got resolved right. From a writer’s standpoint, the ending of this was wonderfully crafted, though watchers might have found themselves deeply sighing. 

Rating: 8/10

2. Healer

Year of Release: December, 2014-February, 2015

Cast:

Ji Changwook as Seo Junghoo

Park Minyoung as Chae Youngshin

Yoo Jitae as Kim Moonho

Synopsis: Kim Moonho is a famous reporter who enlists the service of a mysterious night errand boy, Healer, to find and protect Chae Youngshin, a junior reporter who he believes is connected to a decades old mystery surrounding five friends. The three become intricately connected as they navigate their shared past, the mysterious incident, and current day politics as people in positions of power try to cover that incident up for good.

Thoughts: I LOVED THIS DRAMA! I watched it in around three weeks (it’s a 20 episode drama), and loved every single minute of it. It was the fastest I have ever watched a kdrama. I thought about starting it many times, but always pushed it off because the summary never sounded interesting. Yet after watching a trailer and deciding to see how it was for Ji Changwook, I was instantly tossed head over heels. This drama is thrilling. Secret identities, reporters, mysteries, romance (!!! y’all there’s this one cute scene that really makes me squeal), trauma, pain, and everything in between. You will seriously not regret watching this. 

Rating: 10/10! 

3. Come and Hug Me

Year of Release: May-July, 2018

Cast:

Jang Kiyong as Chae Dojin/Yoon Namoo

Jin Kijoo as Han Jaeyi/Gil Nakwon

Heo Junho as Yoon Heejae

Kim Kyungnam as Yoon Hyunmoo

Yoon Jonghoon as Gil Moowon

Synopsis: Namoo and Nakwon were each other’s first love in high school, until Namoo’s psychopathic father, Yoon Heejae, murdered Nakwon’s parents. Twelve years later, the two meet again--with Namoo as a police detective who goes by Chae Dojin, and Nakwon taking after her late mother as an actress by the name of Han Jaeyi. She suffers from severe PTSD. Together, the two of them navigate their rough past and try to move forward and heal, even as the past threatens to return to their present.

Thoughts: I can’t begin to stress how much I like this drama. It is a drama with a darker theme, but I really liked how they focused on Nakwon’s PTSD and a) how people reacted to the rumors of her mental trauma, b) how they didn’t end up pushing that it made her weak, but rather showed how she grew through it. Every single actor in this was fantastic, especially the child actors! I was really glad to be introduced to Jang Kiyong and Jin Kijoo! They looked so great together :). If you’re a fan of healing dramas with a touch of serial killer, you should definitely check this one out. It checks all the romance boxes, but also all the fun, crime filled ones too.

Rating: 9/10 

4. Descendants of the Sun

Year of Release: February-April, 2016

Cast:

Song Joonki as Yoo Shijin

Song Hyeko as Kang Moyeon

Jin Goo as Seo Daeyoung

Kim Jiwon as Yoon Myeongjoo

Synopsis: Shijin is a captain of the special forces, and Moyeon is a doctor. They meet at the hospital, and decide to date. Unfortunately, it does not work out, as they realize that Shijin as someone who takes lives and Moyeon as someone who tries to save them are not a good pair. The two part ways, but it seems like fate is looking out for them, because eight months later they meet again when Moyeon is assigned to go to Uruk with a medical team, where Shijin is stationed. 

Thoughts: DOTS is a drama classic, and a must watch. I went into watching it expecting to to be very different than it was, but I was not disappointed in the slightest bit. It delves into a lot of topics on morality and making decisions in the midst of a life and death situation. The Song-Song couple’s chemistry was off the charts (and they got married in real life, too!), plus the second lead couple was awesome too! Each character brought something unique to the show. DOTS made my heart leap and feel all sorts of things--especially when Onew (he played a doctor) was crying his eyes out, like dude, I wanted to bawl. This is a classic you cannot pass up.

Rating: 10/10

5. Romance is a Bonus Book

Year of Release: January-March, 2019

Cast:

Lee Jongsuk as Cha Eunho

Lee Nayoung as Kang Dani

Jung Eugene as Song Haerin

Wi Hajoon as Ji Seojun

Synopsis: Cha Eunho is a popular writer and editor who works at a popular publishing company. He is close friends with Kang Dani. With a twist of fate, Dani--who used to be a popular copywriter but has recently fallen upon hard times--manages to get a job at Eunho’s publishing company by lying on her resume. 

Thoughts: Any drama with Lee Jongsuk is going to be good (well...most dramas), and this drama was the perfect mix of funny, romance, and a dash of mystery. Dani’s character was very relatable. She’s awkward, kind, old timey, and genuine. I loved getting introduced to Wi Hajoon as an actor through this drama. He and Jung Eugene were great second leads/supporting actors. The rest of the cast are each very unique in their own way, and lots of kudos to the writers for showing us little slices of how they live and their own problems without making the storyline messy. 

Rating: 8/10

6. My Strange Hero

Year of Release: December, 2018-February, 2019

Cast:

Yoo Seungho as Kang Boksu

Jo Boah as Son Soojung

Kwak Dongyeon as Oh Seho

Synopsis: When Kang Boksu was in high school, he was falsely accused of school violence by his friend (Oh Seho) and his girlfriend (Son Soojeong). Years later, as an adult, Boksu has the opportunity to return to school and graduate. He takes up the offer with the idea of getting revenge, as Soojeong has just become a teacher there, and Seho is the new director as he battles to take control of the school from his mother, the chairman. However, things don’t go as Boksu plans, and he soons find himself tangled up in a major school corruption. 

Thoughts: Okay!!!! I usually get tired of hearing the same old corruption spiel since apparently kdramas love to point out the problems with Korea’s school systems (while nothing changes), and while Chairman Oh definitely made me want to slap her straight across her dumb face, it wasn’t enough to make me completely stop watching. First off, I love all three main actors (or I did as soon as I saw them in here). Yoo Seungho is always enjoyable to watch, and Boksu and Soojeong were sweet and fluffy and balanced each other out perfectly in the relationship. I also fell for Oh Seho! I know a lot of people found him a terrible person...and yeah, he was definitely a prime example of like an anti-villain, but he also had a great redemption arc and I just...wanted to give him the hugest hug.

Rating: 8.5/10

7. Cheese in the Trap

Year of Release: January-March, 2016

Cast:

Park Haejin as Yoo Jung

Kim Goeun as Hong Seol

Seo Kangjoon as Baek Inho

Synopsis: Hong Seol is a hard working college student and Yoo Jung is her good looking, smart, and rich sunbae. Over the course of college, Seol and Jung eventually start a delicate relationship despite other obstacles in their path. However, a friend from Jung’s path, Inho, returns and also starts to fall for Seol.

Thoughts: This drama...I actually only watched it for Seo Kangjoon and he’s the only reason I finished it. This has the biggest second lead syndrome you will ever find. Personally, he’s the only reason this is making it to my recommendation list (that and the fact that I’m horrible at finishing dramas). On the other hand...let’s just say that I hated Park Haejin for so long because I could not get over how much I disliked his character in this drama. It was an interesting character, but I couldn’t stand how manipulative he was. CITT is based on a webtoon, so maybe that’s why it’s so crazy, but it took me so long to finish this. It took me a year because I stopped watching it so many times. This show seriously drove me crazy. There are only a couple things that get me genuinely riled up when I have to talk about them, and this show is one of those things. I don’t know, some people really liked it, but while there were good characters and some nice parts, in the long run it was just really not that good.

Rating: 6/10

8. Bad Guys

Year of Release: October-December, 2014

Cast:

Kim Sangjoong as Oh Gutak

Ma Dongseok as Park Woongcheol

Park Haejin as Lee Jungmoon

Jo Donghyuk as Jung Taesoo

Gang Yewon as Yoo Miyoung

Synopsis: In order to combat the rise in violent crimes, the Police Detective tasks Detective Oh Gutak with putting together a group of criminals to take care of the problem. Gutak, who is currently suspended for excessive violence, puts together a team consisting of gangster Park Woongcheol, hitman Jung Taesoo, serial killer Lee Jungmoon, and Police Inspector Yoo Miyoung. Together, the team tackle the rising crime rate and dangerous criminals.

Thoughts: This show was only 11 episodes, maybe why I was able to watch it so fast. It’s violent and dark--the perfect fit for the crime/mystery genre. I also like to call this Park Haejin’s redemption drama, because after this you know who I liked x.x. There were also a lot of plot twists that made me need to watch the next episode immediately. There’s a sequel to the show with a new cast but the same premise, but I’ll warn you that that show has definitely more violence and blood and death and stuff (I’m still watching it; I’m kind of stalled out right now since a certain episode made me lose faith in that entire show, ahem episode 8). 

Rating: 8/10

9. Kill It

Year of Release: March-April, 2019

Cast:

Jang Kiyong as Kim Soohyun

Nana as Do Hyeonjin

Roh Jeongeui as Kang Seulgi

Kim Jaewon as Philip

Synopsis: Kim Soohyun is an elite assassin who is searching for clues to the past he cannot remember. Do Hyeonjin is the adopted daughter of an important congressman who is a new Police Detective. She is still searching for the killer of her boyfriend, even though nine years have passed. Soohyun and Hyeonjin start to cross paths, finding a connection from their past that leads to a growing relationship.

Thoughts: Sounds like every au ever, right? Jokes, it’s my favorite au of all time and I freaked out when I found out Jang Kiyong was going to the lead. It sounds cliche, but I swear it’s very good. I love the fact that there’s not really a romantic relationship between the two, like it’s not supposed to be romantic, but rather focuses on the platonic, friendship between them. It’s a dark, twisting drama, another one showing how deep corruption runs in the government (that’s always a theme because you know, it’s a thing), and the ending freaking killed me but you know :((. 

Rating: 9.5/10

10. He Is Psychometric

Year of Release: March-April, 2019

Cast:

Park Jinyoung as Lee Ahn

Shin Yeeun as Yoon Jaein

Kim Kwon as Kang Seongmo

Kim Dasom as Eun Jisoo

Synopsis: Lee Ahn has a special ability, psychometry. When he makes skin to skin contact with someone, he sees their darkest memories and secrets. He dreams of becoming the first Police Psychometrist. Yoon Jaein has been running her whole life, ever since her father was charged with the arson of Yeonsung Apartments, where Ahn’s parents died. The two first meet in high school, but their connection is cut short, only for them to reunite two years later and start to solve the mystery behind the fire and the other crimes that connect to it, along with Ahn’s non-biological brother, Prosecutor Kang Seungmo, and Police Detective Eun Jisoo.

Thoughts: OKAY, let me take a deep breath before I get into this one. He Is Psychometric is one of the best dramas I have ever watched. It’s right up there on my top five, I reckon. I didn’t drop this or anything; I watched it from the moment it started airing to the time it didn’t. Fair warning that if you expected happiness, this is not the drama to go for. It’s so twisty and has so many turns, like everytime something was uncovered there was still more threads to follow and it was insane but amazing. Especially for me, being a huge psychology fan, I loved digging into these characters and how unique they each were. The relationships, bromance and romance alike, were so intricate in this drama. I went through a million feelings and emotions in the span of a minute. This drama is also one that you can’t see coming. You can theorize (and believe me, I theorized the heck out of that thing) and guess, but it manages to blindside you almost every time. This show will break your heart and how you think of the world and humans and for that, you have to at least give it a try. 

Rating: 100/10

[teafiend]

I don’t think I am exaggerating when I think that these two have more side profile shots together than Hwa Pyeong did with either of them. Admittedly, I am biased and could be wrong. 😅😉 Visuals wise, these two truly swept the floor, especially as the show progressed and their relationship/friendship/partnership was given more screen time.

[teafiend]

Gifs credited to: @Nungchae (Twitter/X)