#there are things i like more about the webtoon but overall i prefer the drama tbh

[thecrazyanimegirl]

Fall anime 2020

And wow, it’s the last season of 2020! May the new year be a lot better, not just anime related!

{ Winter ‘18 }  { Spring ‘18 }  { Summer ‘18 }  { Fall ‘18 }  { Winter ‘19 } { Spring ‘19 }  { Summer ‘19 }  { Fall ‘19 }  { Winter ‘20 }  { Spring ‘20 } { Summer ‘20 }

Alongside the continuations and new seasons like fire force, danmachi,  mahouka koukou no rettousei, golden kamuy and so, these are the new shows that we started:

100-man no Inochi no Ue ni Ore wa Tatteiru 

It is pretty typical isekai anime, just that it has twist and they can go back to their world every time they do a quest. I could see potential in characters and their development, but they aren’t kind of characters I would care about or watch something with meh plot for. Maybe they are building up for something cool, but for now, it was kind of boring for me.

Akudama Drive 

Overwhelmingly cool show about criminals in a dystopian future world. There is not much to say about the story without spoiling other than being so unnecessary cool that I loved it an unnatural amount! The characters, the setting, the action scenes, the animation and conversations, everything is just so aesthetic! I looked forward to it every week! Gonna miss them a lot. Just beware of a lot of violence and blood scenes (even though they are mostly censored).

By the Grace of the Gods 

A really soft isekai with a boy who tames slimes. This is that one (at least) show of the season where you can just turn off your brain, watch some cuteness and forget about everything. It comes with no strings attached, you can drop it halfway and not think twice about it, it won’t make you feel bad in any way, just happiness and rainbows, and sometimes that’s what I need.

Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle- Rhyme Anima 

Women rule the world and pretty boys rap to assert dominance. That’s it, that’s the premise and if you think that ridiculous, yes, it truly is haha If you want to have a laugh, listen to some rapping (can’t say much about the quality of it, but I enjoyed it immensely, good va’s!), go watch it. The plot quality is debatable to say the least, but it’s not really an anime about the story, rather about the 12+ guys and their friendships and rivals and well... rap.

Ikebukuro West Gate Park 

Although a little bit on the improbable side to happen IRL, Ikebukuro WGP showcases multiple situations where we dive behind the back of many realistic happenings in bigger cities. There is always some company in conflict with another thinking solving it in their way is the best possible choice, not taking into consideration what happens to the little people bearing their consequences. It is of course up to the “good mafia” guys to solve it. If you are reading the Webtoon Weak Hero and are in search for some more realistic gang divisions, then feel free to give this anime a try. It has a pretty lovable and crafty MC minus the high-school setting.

Jujutsu Kaisen

Ohh my where to start xD yes, you are looking at the fan favorite anime of this season and there is no doubt about it having that title. I can go on and try to convince everyone saying it has the perfect animation, soundtrack, appearance of the characters and so on but to truly experience it, you will have to watch it. Character development is on the slower track but it is understandable since it is obvious that the series will be a “long distance runner”. What impressed me the most is the perfect balance of humor and tragedy, so if you are one to typically enjoy shonen anime, give it definitely a try through the 3 episodes rule!

Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear 

A girl got isekai’d in a game and now finds friends and people she cares about. Oh and she’s in a bear suit. This was one of those shows I watched for relaxation. There are no bad emotions coming from it and you can just relax, watch something that doesn’t need you to turn on your brain and try to be happy. If you are looking for something serious, you won’t really find it here.

Majo no Tabitabi 

A witch that travels the world, visiting many cities and meeting a lot of people, hearing their stories and moving on. Not action packed, but has things happening throughout the eps. I thought it would be another happy show, but it turned to be quite dark in some episodes. Most episodes have their separate story with minimal connection to the previous ones and some are heartwarming and some are downright grim. Overall, the plot is interesting and the MCs development and way of thinking is interesting too! 

Maoujou de Oyasumi

I KNEW this one is gonna be good when I first read the description of the manga in the bookstore 2 years ago xD What you see above is a small princess who wishes nothing more than a good sleep and a bunch of demons who decided to capture her. It becomes clear early on that she isn’t your typical prisoner as she sets out on quests to find stuff to make her rest more comfortable and NOTHING is gonna stand in her way. Your time watching this anime will be filled with heartfelt laughter and love for the all the characters. Yes, some people might be triggered by her actions and personality but I do believe since I (as a person who prefers to watch shonen) am impressed with it, a great number of people will like it.

Munou na Nana

I really love this anime. MC is an antagonist, pretty much an antihero, but she was made to believe that she is the hero. She is very smart, so anything she plots end up interesting. This show always keeps me on the end of my seat. And it’s a great combination of everyone has supernatural abilities + high school setting, but with a darker twist to it. It’s one of my favorites this season! 

Noblesse

I read the webtoon and I am fan of it, so I am really happy to see Noblesse became an anime! Characters are really awesome and plot is action packed. I’m sure you won’t regret watching it! The humor, the lore and the action is very well balanced and it’s just a good story. If you feel like you really like the anime, but something is missing and you have some time, the webtoon is amazing! Of course, they actually did the anime quite well, but some jokes or additional train of thought that goes in the characters head cannot be all transferred into the animation. Oh and - watch Noblesse: Awakening before this! That’s like the crash course of the first arc of the story.

Taiso Samurai 

A MAPPA anime about a japanese gymnast on the verge of retirement, his daughter and a ninja they adopted! That about covers it! It’s a soft and heartwarming story that really leaves a good feeling after watching it. The characters are lovable and the drama side of the story levels out with humor pretty well, without glossing over stuff too much. I can’t say much about the sports aspect since I don’t know much, but it was worth the watch even though it isn’t the most amazing action-packed anime ever. But it was a solid story, good charas and was just soft.

With a Dog AND a Cat, Every Day is Fun

One and a half minute of a lady with a cat and a dog being incredibly relatable.

Yuukoku no Moriarty

Ah yes, I’m a sucker for every possible variation of sherlock homes, so it’s no wonder how much I enjoyed this. It’s centered about Moriarty, but Sherlock has his time in the later half of the show. The animation is just so beautiful, I loved the stories and mysteries and the way they handled Moriarty as a character. Also a good mixture of mystery, people being hideous creatures, main characters being pretty af and humor. I should continue to the manga now.

Dropped: MAGATSU WAHRHEIT, The Day I Became a God   

[nikkirecs]

for the baby weeb (roa)

buckle in bc you haven’t even seen enough to have preferences which means i’m just throwing everything at you. sorry the comments are so short but i have a lot to include

p basic shounen bc i know you like that

Aoashi  - great sports anime, more people need to watch it

HUNTER×HUNTER (2011) - dude you will love this

Kekkai Sensen - it’s fun, great characters, don’t 100% understand the plot

Soul Eater - it’s my brand, you saw this coming

Arslan Senki (TV) - by the creator of fma

BLEACH - dude i love this anime so much. skip the filler arcs but there’s a few one off filler eps worth watching

BURN THE WITCH - by the creator of bleach. watch after bleach and read the one shot first

Enen no Shouboutai - by the same author as soul eater, it’s so glowy and fun

Magi: The labyrinth of magic - god the manga gets truly terrible but as far as the anime gets is so good

Ansatsu Kyoushitsu - so much fun

Ao no Exorcist - ignore the ending of s1, they went anime original then decided to adapt s2 and it makes little sense but overall good

Durarara!! - i don’t think this is technically shounen but it’s a load of fun

Kemono Jihen - not something i think about ever but i really enjoyed when i was watching

NARUTO - tbh i think you just need to watch this to understand. skip fillers and know the cunin exam arc is where it starts getting good. i’m sorry but you need to do this

Noragami - they’re good kids

Ookiku Furikabutte - cute baseball gays

THE GOD OF HIGH SCHOOL - not technically shounen bc it’s source is korean but it’s so fun, the webtoon is better though ofc 

EDENS ZERO - i feel like there’s a law where there must always be ongoing anime by mashima

Kuroko no Basket - tbh i’m surprised you haven’t seen it

Shokugeki no Souma - it’s v ecchi so if you don’t like i don’t blame you, the first ep is probably the worst but overall it’s v fun

Yowamushi Pedal - i will always rec sports lbr

One Punch Man - i think this might technically be seinen but if you like mp100

Owari no Seraph - it’s like snk but vampires and actually likable characters

Tennis no Ouji-sama - i’ve read it all but i think the anime has 

everything else

Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch  - one of my fav anime of all time

GREAT PRETENDER - it pretty and fun

Kuragehime - fun story about loving yourself

Koe no Katachi - i cried. bullying & suicide tw

Ouran Koukou Host Club - the greatest romcom of all time

Zankyou no Terror - love me a good thriller

Akatsuki no Yona - i love when romances have actual plots. also super likable characters

Baccano! - it’s a ride

Cross Game - sports romance that’s really about the drama more than the sport

Gin no Saji - farming anime by the same author as fma, to help you heal from how fma will destroy you

Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun - it cute and the manga made me cry

Karin - this has been one of my favs since middle school, just a cute romance

Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru - what a good sports anime

Kyoukai no Kanata - i’m weak for spn romance and it has pretty art

MONSTER - the entire time i was watching i didn’t know how to feel but i think it might be one of the greatest anime ever

Promare - it’s fun

Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii - good romcom about weebs

3-gatsu no Lion - idk it makes me feel things

86: Eighty Six - it destroyed me

Ballroom e Youkoso - god i love sports anime

Chihayafuru - see above

Death Parade - it’s just. so good

Doukyuusei - gay

Given - gay

Hataraku Maou-sama! - v fun

Hyouka - i enjoy mystery and pretty art

K - if you like bsd you’ll probs like this

Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne - idk if you’ll like it i just wanna rec some ms here

Kill la Kill - it be wild, ecchi though if that’s a no for you

Kono Oto Tomare! - technically a shounen but defs not basic, i would die for every single character

Machikado Mazoku - they’re gay your honor

Made in Abyss - i’m still fucked up over this

Otome Game no Hametsu Flag shika Nai Akuyaku Reijou ni Tensei shiteshimatta - it’s so funny

PSYCHO-PASS - love a good thriller

Samurai Champloo - it’s a good time

Shadows House - it cute

Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru - it’s ecchi but such a cute romcom

Vinland Saga - it’s v good, if slow to start

Yuukoku no Moriarty - they gay

Boukyaku Battery - i can’t say it’s great but it’s short and gay

Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensaitachi no Renai Zunousen - what a  good romcom

Kami no Tou: Tower of God - it good

Prince of Stride: Alternative  - fun sport

Sasaki to Miyano - gay

Tian Guan Ci Fu - you like mdzs so you’ll probs like this

oh and things i think you’ll like but i’ve only read not seen so give it a try but idk if it’s good

FAIRY TAIL - listen, ofc i’m recing you all the basic shounen

Barakamon - it’s so wholesome

Beelzebub - god what a great shounen

Black Clover - it was pitched to me as bnha but magic but tbh i like it much better

Blue Lock - god i’m so excited for this the manga is so good

Chainsaw Man - i don’t actually really like it but everyone will be watching the anime

Eyeshield 21 - my understanding is the anime art is not the best but the manga is a load of fun

HELLSING OVA - manga was a ride and i’ve heard great things

Inuyasha - tbh i haven’t seen or read but i said i was gonna suggest old shounen for you and i’ve only heard good things

Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan - one day i will watch this classic. i loved it when i was reading it though

SLAM DUNK - i still don’t love basketball but the manga was fun

World Trigger - tay can tell you what parts to skip bc i know the first season is a whole lot of filler but the manga is v good

[dreamingsnowflake2013]

The Autumn Watchlist

1. Melting Me Softly (starts September 28) | teaser

My feelings about this drama kept constantly changing in the past months. At first, I had been excited about the collab between Ji Chang Wook (HEALER FOREVER!), the SWDBS writer and the Secret Garden PD. Then, they announced Won Jin Ah to be the female lead and my excitement dropped by a notch because I belonged to those who weren’t impressed by her performance in Just Between Lovers and even the first teasers left me with mixed feelings. However, a few days ago the long trailer dropped and I’m fully on board and halfway in love with the show. It has the trademark writing of Baek Mi Young, JCW is epic as ever and WJA seems to hold her own against him and furthermore, they both share amazing chemistry and have a huge potential as the two people who get together stuck/frozen together in time while the whole world passes them by, only to wake up and realize that 20 years have gone by. They have not only to face the same challenges of dealing with the consequences but also their own physical condition as they must maintain a core body temperature of 31.5 degrees Celsius which in the era of global warming might not be the easiest thing to do, plus I can think of several physical activities when...

2. The Tale of Nokdu (starts September 30) | teaser 01, teaser 02, teaser 03

There is nothing new about a crossdressing kdrama, not even a sageuk one, but a man, and one of the best swordmen in Joseon to boot, doing the undercover crossdressing is something completely special. Moreover, he even poses as a widow and has all the men swooning over him and wooing him. With Joseon Marriage Agency being such a huge letdown for me, I have high hopes for this one. One of the writers is responsible for Love in the Moonlight and I think The Tale of Nokdu might maintain the magic which LitM lost the moment it got lost in the political mess. I like KSH very much and Jang Dong Yoon looks like he is having the time of his life playing the crossdressing nobleman.

3. Extraordinary You (starts October 2) | teaser

A high-school student from a wealthy family who suffers from a lifelong heart condition that inevitably means she will not live past her teenage years suddenly realizes that  she is a character in a Korean webtoon and all of her actions are predetermined by the artist who draws her. If her luck weren’t bad enough she also discovers she is only a supporting character so she decides to change her own plotline. This might end up being either slapstick awesome with all the possibility for kdrama references and making fun of all the clichés or utter mess. I hope for the first.

4. My Country (starts October 4) | teaser

What can I say? It looks like my dream sageuk - gritty, complex, dark and absolutely visually stunning plus it boasts some stellar cast. Also I don’t know how but for some reasons the drama is giving me Slave Hunter vibes - maybe because of the slave element, overall grittiness and JH being all intense and the main lead’s look reminding me a little bit of JH’s character in Slave Hunters.

5. TharnType The Series (starts October 7) | teaser 01, teaser 02

I can’t even describe how much I’m excited for this one. Type, the dark, tall and handsome freshman is homophobic because he was molested by a man as a child. His life turns up side down when the new year of college brings along a very interesting person in his life, a gay roommate, Tharn. Tharn, is a very handsome music major with fair skin and mixed features who is openly gay. Type is a minor character who had a minor role in another favourite Thai BL drama of mine, Love by Chance. At first, I was disappointed they didn’t cast the original actor; however, I have to say I have never been more happy to be proven wrong because the actors playing Type and Tharn have without a doubt the most awesome chemistry between all the couples in the upcoming BL Thai shows, only comparable with Pete and Kao.

6. Dark Blue Kiss (starts October 12) | teaser

PETE AND KAO!!! I’ve been waiting for this drama for a year now! To be honest, I don’t really care for the secondary couple I just want to watch Pete and Kao being utterly perfect for each other.

7. Ore no Hanashi wa Nagai (starts October 12) | teaser

It’s been ages since I enjoyed a jdrama and I hope Ikuta Toma changes it as the failed 31 year-old NEET living with his mother.

8. HIStory3: Make Our Days Count (starts October 16) | teaser

Another installment of the successful HIStory franchise. Crossing Boundary is with Together With Me my favourite BL drama of all time and I can’t wait for the movie. On the other hand, Trapped was a mild disappointment for me because somewhere in the middle the writer gave up any pretense that there was actually any plot and the only reason I kept watching until the end was the OTP. Make Our Days Count is a BL high school love story between two polar opposites - the bookish Yu Xi Gu who prefers to keep a low profile and focus on his schoolwork and the outgoing, hot-headed extravert and some-time bully Xiang Hao Ting. I’m not even ashamed to admit I love these kind of stories.

9. Motokare Mania (starts October 17)

If it’s been ages since I enjoyed a jdrama, it’s been an eternity since I liked a jdrama rom-com - not since Suki na Hito ga Iru Koto and From Nine to Five. I don’t really expect Motokare Mania to change that but a girl can still hope.

10. Emergency Lands of Love (starts November 23 December 7 14)

Hyun Bin + Son Ye Jin + a romance between a stranded SK heiress and NK military officer + the YWCFAS writer = I’m on board.

11. Until We Meet Again The Series (starts November 9) | teaser

A reincarnation BL love story between two lovers with tragic past who end up being reborn and get the chance to be together.

[somegirlsnerdywords2]

Anime i’ve Watched

Tower of God:

Synopsis:There is a tower that summons chosen people called "Regulars" with the promise of granting their deepest desires. Whether it be wealth, fame, authority, or something that surpasses them all—everything awaits those who reach the top. Twenty-Fifth Bam is a boy who had only known a dark cave, a dirty cloth, and an unreachable light his entire life. So when a girl named Rachel came to him through the light, his entire world changed. Becoming close friends with Rachel, he learned various things about the outside world from her. But when Rachel says she must leave him to climb the Tower, his world shatters around him. Vowing to follow after her no matter what it takes, he sets his sight on the tower, and a miracle occurs. Thus begins the journey of Bam, a young boy who was not chosen by the Tower but opened its gates by himself. They call his kind "Irregulars"—beings that have shaken the very foundation of the Tower each time they set foot inside it. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Status: Completed

My Rating: 7.5/10

Finished airing in 2020 with a total of 13 episodes. 

Characters: Fun fact! I was pronouncing Rachel and Bam wrong while reading the webtoon... so that was just super! Aside from that I feel like I really can’t say all that much here without giving away too many spoilers. I will say one thing though. Khun. Khun is my favourite character. 

Art/ Animation/ Character Design: The art/ animation is much better than the Poster image implies, I promise. That being said it is a bit odd at first in my opinion, though it only took an episode or two for me to adapt to it. No idea what I found odd about it but there was something... 

Sound: High point of the anime. I’m a big fan of Stray Kids, the group that did the opening and ending themes so really my being a fan of the music there is no surprise. I also enjoyed the music throughout the series and felt it fit each specific scene quite well. 

Story: A boy, a girl and a tower full of tests, god like powers and monsters. Let’s get some drama! 

Overall: I’m still reading the webtoon... and really should not have been reading the second season of the webtoon while also watching the anime adaption of the first season.... the second season is just so much more fun! And in this case more interesting since I came into the anime knowing exactly what would happen already which put a bit of a damper on all the shocking twists and turns. 

I suggest avoiding that if you can and for the love of god do not read any of the comments if you’re watching on a site like crunchyroll. Spoilers galore! if you can manage to enjoy this series in webtoon or anime form without stumbling upon a landmine of a spoiler I commend you. 

Overall it’s an interesting series, if not a bit cliche at times. The first season (anime and webtoon) feel like a prologue, so as you can imagine everything’s getting all set up so the fun can really begin! That’s not to say the first season is boring but it’s really just the beginning and it feels that way if you get what i’m trying to say... god I hope someone gets what i’m trying to say. 

Anyways the anime was fun. I think it could have been super cool and interesting if they released it in Korean instead of Japanese considering the series is a Korean one but that didn’t impact my score at all... just a little thought that came to mind. Like I said the anime was fun and i’ll watch a second season if it comes but I think I prefer the webtoon and would suggest it first and foremost to any interested in this series! Not too often I think the source material is so much better that I suggest it over the anime version... Anyways do as you please and for the love of god avoid the spoilers! 

[odanurr87]

2019: My year in K-Dramas - Part 1

I’ve been getting into kdramas for a few years now, but I usually only watch one or two at a time. This year I watched a lot more (and that’s not counting The Bride of Habaek, which I dropped when it became clear it was a very bad adaptation of the manhwa; Crash Landing on You, which started airing a couple of weeks ago; nor Tomorrow With You, which I haven’t yet finished, what’s probably not a good sign), a few being rewatchs of old shows that I like. Seeing as it’s unlikely I’ll ever write up full reviews for each like I did for Goblin (you can read my review here), I decided to compile this list to tell you what I liked and didn’t like about each, what I feel worked and what didn’t. I’m also including a qualitative metric (Rewatch meter) that tries to gauge how likely it is that I’ll find myself returning to the show in the future (Low, Medium, High). Naturally, your very own meter may differ from mine.

For future reference, these are the shows I watched in 2019 and that I aim to cover in this series of posts:

While You Were Sleeping (2017)

W (2016)

My Strange Hero (2018)

The Secret Life of my Secretary (2019)

Angel’s Last Mission: Love (2019)

Strong Woman Do Bong-Soon (2017)

When the Camellia Blooms (2019)

Bring it on, Ghost (2016)

One More Time (2016)

My Girlfriend is a Gumiho (2010)

My Love From The Star (2014)

Descendants of the Sun (2016)

Regardless of which show did better, overall, I find myself drifting more and more towards Korean dramas than your run-of-the-mill American TV show, save for a few bright exceptions, such as The Expanse. Heck, they’re better than most Hollywood movies nowadays.

Since I’ll probably end up writing a lot, I’ve decided to split this review list into two parts. Let’s start with the last kdrama I watched and work my way backwards... if I can remember, that is.

WARNING! There will be spoilers so read at your own risk.

While You Were Sleeping (2017)

Bae Suzy as Nam Hong-Joo, and Lee Jong-Suk as Jung Jae-Chan.

Release Date: September 27 - November 16, 2017

Episodes: 16

Available on: Viki

Summary: Nam Hong-Joo is a young journalist who has had bad dreams about the future since she was a kid, but she has never been able to change the outcome. Jung Jae-Chan is a rookie prosecutor who moves in across the street with his younger brother. When Jae-Chan has a prophetic dream of his own about Hong-Joo being involved in a car accident, and the tragic events that follow, he makes an impulsive decision to interfere, changing Hong-Joo’s fate and that of police officer Han Woo-Tak in the process. When the three of them start having dreams of one another, they realize their lives are somehow entwined. Together, they decide to use their knowledge of the future for good, but changing someone’s fate is never straightforward, and the consequences for doing so may be more than they can handle.

What I liked:

The concept and writing. This is the second show I’ve watched, in chronological order, with Lee Jong-Suk as a lead where I’m really attracted by the concept. Imagine if you could take the precogs from Minority Report and give them (relatively) normal lives inside a kdrama. This is the result. Even better, having Hong-Joo and Woo-Tak have different and often contradicting dreams about the future makes for an interesting twist, as we see prosecutor Jae-Chan struggling to navigate these prophetic waters in search for the best outcome. Curiously, the show makes a point early on about how Jae-Chan’s the variable upon which their dreams diverge, but nothing really comes off it. Naturally, the concept of multiple diverging futures gives the show’s cinematography a chance to play around a bit, often comparing the same event in alternative timelines, or in the same timeline but at different moments in time. It may sound complicated, but it’s pretty to grasp once you start watching. Furthermore, the writing’s pretty tight all around, what’s not a mean feat when you’re juggling multiple realities, with some very emotional payoffs as the show draws to a close. Perhaps its weakest point is exactly how this prophetic dream ability is transferred from person to person (a theory is put forward which doesn’t entirely convince me), and the unnerving (and unexplored, fortunately) implications should someone less honourable were to have these dreams.

When The Nightmares Started. This is the best track in the entire show and if it’s not the main theme, it damn well should be. It has moments of calm, a hint of romance and hope, and that awesome shit-is-about-to-get-real cue starting at 1:38 that never fails to make a scene tons more epic. Your dish-washing experience will be 100% more epic playing to this track, guaranteed!

The Justice League (and friends). This show could’ve probably gotten on my bad side real fast if it had created a villain with the same superpower as the heroes (depends on the execution to be honest) and, indeed, I thought that was the direction it would inevitably take, revealing at some point that (evil) defense attorney Lee Yoo-Beom also had prophetic dreams and had been using them for his benefit all along, muahahaha! Instead, the show gave us three average people, connected by their prophetic dreams, who decide to team up and use these visions for good. It’s not always easy to change the future, as it has many ramifications, and therein lies the show’s narrative potential that it manages to exploit, perchance to its fullest. Even in the very last episode there’s a hint that maybe the people they’ve helped throughout also have dreams of their own that they use to help others, sort of a pay-it-forward chain. It may be somewhat unrealistic, but it’s a good note to end the show on all the same.

Kim Won-Hae as Choi Dam-Dong. Easily the best supporting character in the show, delivering a stronger and more rewarding performance than in Strong Woman Do Bong Soon, where he played two characters (he was pretty funny as the over-the-top head of development planning at Ainsoft), veering towards the more serious/dramatic/emotional end of the spectrum, although with some comedic elements mixed in. I was surprised by how strong his arc turned out to be, and my respect for his character went up by several points when his arc comes to a close and we finally put all the pieces of the puzzle together. This man can do both comedy and drama, so kudos to him.

What I didn’t like:

Mr. Perfect (also known as Han Woo-Tak). It’s not that I dislike him, far from it. Woo-Tak is so good, smart, selfless, and even good-looking, that he kinda undermines the OTP just by existing. He’s really setting unreasonable standards for any man to compete against. I mean, he even plays Cupid for the OTP... while also being in love with Hong-Joo! On the plus side, the show doesn’t really try to push the romantic triangle angle, what usually has mixed results. The one thing I did mind is how the show hints at him potentially being a better attorney/prosecutor than the main lead since that’s kind of Jae-Chan’s thing. I mean, if you take everything that makes the lead special and give it to someone else, is he still the lead?

OTP: A stronger performance from Lee Jong-Suk than in W, complemented by a relatively (and I cannot stress this word enough) weaker performance by Suzy in some aspects (I think Han Hyo-Joon’s Oh Yeon-Joo in W does sad love better than Suzy as Nam Hong-Joo, but it’s a matter of preference), results in a better pairing with more chemistry. Suzy is great and lovable at being the quirky Nam Hong-Joo (watch the video below if you’re unconvinced) and Jung Jae-Chan is a lot more vulnerable than Kang Chul ever was, but I was left wondering at times whether this couple would’ve gotten as much traction were it not for the strength of their past connection (especially with Mr. Perfect around).

Verdict: What can I say? While You Were Sleeping was an excellent show from beginning to end. If I were to nitpick, I would’ve chosen the end wedding to be the one between Jae-Chan and Hong-Joo since that honestly makes more sense, and maybe I would’ve made Woo-Tak more of a bro than a somewhat-but-not-entirely romantic rival (think Seo Dae-Young in Descendants of the Sun).

Rewatch meter: High

W (2016)

Han Hyo-Joo as Oh Yeon-Joo, and Lee Jong-Suk as Kang Chul.

Release Date: July 20 - September 14, 2016

Episodes: 16

Available on: Viki

Summary: W is a bestselling webtoon by cartoonist Oh Seong-Moo that follows the adventures of Kang Chul, an Olympic gold medalist framed for the murder of his family, who’s eventually acquitted and becomes a multi-millionaire who fights crime (think Bruce Wayne but without the costume). Tired of his creation, Seong-Moo decides it’s time to kill the protagonist and put an end to the series (much like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle decided to kill Sherlock Holmes at the Reichenbach Falls). Oh Yeon-Joo is Seong-Moo’s daughter, a doctor and passionate fan of W, who is one day mysteriously transported to the world of the manhwa, where she sees a dying Kang Chul and saves his life. Intrigued by his mysterious saviour, Kang Chul decides to learn out more about her and Yeon-Joo finds herself constantly returning to the world of the manhwa. Will Kang Chul learn the truth about her and his world? And if so, what will be the consequences?

What I liked:

The concept. It’s not an altogether original concept, and I’m reminded of Schwarzenegger’s Last Action Hero (Who Framed Roger Rabbit before that), but it’s also not one that you see often on the screen, big or small. The idea of being able to enter the world you’re reading about and meeting the characters you know and love is extremely appealing and there is some fangirling from our protagonist initially. Naturally, since she knows everything about this world, it’s good fun to see her inadvertedly reveal something that she couldn’t possibly know and deal with the reactions/consequences. What’s better is how Yeon-Joo tries to figure out the laws of the manhwa world by applying the real-world concepts of cliffhangers and dramatic revelations, often to hilarious effect. Seeing how the manhwa continues to write itself to reflect events in W’s world, and the reactions by readers (and by Yeon-Joo) in the real world is really entertaining, especially those from the more passionate W fans.

The transition between animation and live-action. I love the blend between animation and live action, as in the example below. There are more subtle transitions, like when a character’s hand oscillates between the real world and the cartoon world. Perhaps it’s a very simple filter but it looks good. Also, what little we see of the manhwa is very well drawn.

Han Hyo-Joo as Oh Yeon-Joo. Despite the fact that Yeon-Joo’s character becomes less proactive in the second half of the series (as I will discuss below), she was the one who really carried the show for me, certainly on the emotional side of the spectrum, where Kang Chul felt a little flat throughout (to be fair, he’s more the analytical type and he’s a manhwa character). She was also able to convey humour quite well, especially in the earlier, funnier, episodes.

The execution (of the first half). The first episode doesn’t waste a second setting up the story and there is never a dull moment. Watching Yeon-Joo read the latest episode of the manhwa and witness her reaction as she sees herself in the comic was gripping and I was eager to see what the next episode would bring. The show was also fairly consistent with the rules of travelling back and forth and what one could and couldn’t do in the cartoon world. We were witnessing an epic struggle between the cartoonist who wanted to kill his creation with his stylus and the daughter who wanted to protect him so much that she had willed herself into his world (if that’s not a good setup for a love story, I don’t know what is). And all the while, Kang Chul was putting the pieces of the puzzle together in his universal and unrelenting search for truth. Every episode brought something new to the table and, much like the manhwa, ended with some revelation or cliffhanger that kept you on the edge of your seat asking for more. Unfortunately, I think that was also its downfall.

What I didn’t like:

The execution (of the second half) and the overall pacing. I think the (relative) downfall of this series was trying to do too much too early. It worked for the first half because the show had a lot of material it could burn through and, in a way, it was refreshing that it was willing to do so. Sadly, my thoughts eventually turned from, “What’s going to happen next?” to “What can even happen next?” The story was moving so fast that I began to wonder where exactly it was going, and that’s when some of the flaws started to seep through. Episode 9 focused on the aftermath of Yeon-Joo resetting events, thus making Kang Chul forget all about her. While I certainly felt for her when she met her amnesiac husband, this was largely thanks to Han Hyo-Joo’s performance (and good track selection), for Kang Chul had been her husband in name only. Had we previously seen more episodes of their life together, this scene would’ve been a lot more impactful, and her desperate crying outside the operating room more heartfelt. Then, the plot thickens as we move into the (overly) dramatic second half of the show, with the introduction of a villain who knows about the real world and starts manipulating events in the manhwa for his benefit... by possessing cartoonist Oh Seong-Moo! What? This was never established as even remotely possible! (not to mention it doesn’t make sense) As you can imagine, this is whereabouts the rules of this universe start to break down and anything goes. Furthermore, when this villain is defeated in Episode 13, the show suddenly remembered it already had an antagonist perfectly cast for the part and finally decided to put him to use, although too little too late for my taste. As if that weren’t enough, a character is killed because drama, since any other explanation would make no fucking sense. This death is entirely nonsensical and I was beginning to conclude the show should have ended a lot sooner.

The amount of flashbacks/dreams/recaps/plans. I don’t mind a good recap or a flashback every now and then, but there came a point where the show started abusing this narrative device a little too much. The show spent a lot of time either: going over things we already know; featuring lengthy dream sequences that are very transparent and serve no purpose (although, incidentally, would make for a better ending); or laying out how events are supposed to go only for them to go in a completely different direction. While they are sometimes necessary, most of the time they were just padding that actually detracted from the story.

How secondary the supporting characters in the manhwa truly are. I know Kang Chul is supposed to be the protagonist but his bodyguard and secretary aren’t given a whole lot to work with throughout the show. I wish they had been active participants in learning the truth of their world rather than passive bystanders.

How Yeon-Joo becomes less proactive in the second half. Maybe it’s just a feeling, but I think our female protagonist became more reactive and less proactive in the second half, with Kang Chul being the one who mostly directed the course of events. It didn’t help that she kept fainting every now and then, what meant she had to spend some time in bed, what was a shame since she was the more interesting character. To be honest, I think the whole father arc should’ve been over and done with in the first half, with Yeon-Joo stepping up to be the new cartoonist.

OTP: Undercooked, but Han Hyo-Joo manages to almost convince me.

Verdict: It’s hard not to say W is one of the most refreshing shows I’ve seen in a while, even despite its more prominent flaws in the second half. I don’t like how powerful the drawing tablet became, especially after it was established that the manhwa could, at times, overrule the will of the real world, as clearly depicted when Kang Chul refuses to commit suicide. I’d rather the manhwa characters had resolved things on their own, aided by Yeon-Joo, without having to resort to some ultra-powerful plot device. Furthermore, I think the show should’ve taken things a bit more slowly rather than try to surprise us every episode, and use that time to build the relationship between Yeon-Joo and Kang Chul. Another thing I feel the show didn’t exploit to its fullest was the fact that Yeon-Joo knows just about everything that’s transpired in W’s world, what maybe could’ve aided Kang Chul in his investigation (sadly, this is undermined by the fact that the murderer really has no identity, what I find odd). Last but not least, Kang Chul never remembering his “past life” was a missed opportunity.

Rewatch meter: Medium

My Strange Hero (2018)

From left to right: Jo Bo-Ah as Son Soo-Jung; Yoo Seung-Ho as Kang Bok-Soo; and Kwak Dong-Yeon as Oh Se-Ho.

Release Date: December 10, 2018 - February 4, 2019

Episodes: 32

Available on: Viki

Summary: When Kang Bok-Soo was a high school student, he was falsely accused of committing acts of violence and ended up expelled from school. Those who brought the accusations against him were his first love, Son Soo-Jung, and a fellow student, Oh Se-Ho. Nine years later, Bok-Soo saves Soo-Jung’s life and suddenly finds himself a mediatic sensation. In order to improve the school’s somewhat tarnished image, he’s invited back to finish his studies. Bok-Soo hesitates, but when he learns Soo-Jung is a teacher there and Se-Ho is the new director, a latent desire to get revenge surfaces. Will Bok-Soo finally get his revenge on the people who wronged him nine years ago? Or will he spend most of his time doing anything but? The latter.

What I liked:

Teacher Park. He’s the kind of teacher everyone would like to have in high school and an example of moral rectitude that Soo-Jung tries to follow. You can tell he really cares for all the students and always tries to be fair and just, no matter the personal cost.

Soo-Jung’s arc. Probably the character who experiences the most growth throughout the show, in no small part thanks to her starting point. She’s the only teacher who stands up for her students, is willing to expose the corruption in the school, and goes so far as to quit her job because she feels she didn’t earn her spot fair and square (despite Oh Se-Ho telling her she was hired because of her qualifications). It is worth noting that when Mr Park gives the other teachers the chance to own up and resign honourably nobody does.

What I didn’t like:

The series meanders a lot early on. Initially, I watched till Episode 14 and dropped it because nothing was really going on. Bok-Soo says he wants to get revenge but his heart really isn’t into it. He certainly doesn’t have a plan like, say, Edmond Dantes in The Count of Monte Cristo, or Emily Thorne in Revenge. In fact, for those first 14 episodes, it only seemed he went there to suffer some more at the hands of the same people who wronged him all those years ago. What leads me to...

Son Soo-Jung isn’t a very likable protagonist initially. I don’t know if this is done on purpose to get us to side with Bok-Soo, but it doesn’t seem like a very smart strategy to have us dislike the lead’s main love interest for almost half the length of the series. I mean, that’s what the antagonist is for. It seems like at every opportunity she twists the knife on Bok-Soo’s back a little more, so much so that a hurt Bok-Soo outright demands, “Why don’t you just ask me what happened instead of constantly making assumptions?” (I’m paraphrasing) Her response, basically telling him to fuck off, didn’t win her any points in my book. That’s about when the writers probably realized their mistake and started filling us in on how Soo-Jung’s life was also miserable after Bok-Soo was expelled so please don’t hate her. They also pull a 180 when she stands up for Bok-Soo during a disciplinary hearing, what I thought was quite out of character for her at the time. The two seem to patch up their relationship awfully fast, what struck me as odd as they didn’t seem to have much chemistry. Having said that, Soo-Jung’s character certainly grows after Episode 14 and has a very satisfying arc, ultimately being the only teacher worth a damn in this school, other than Mr Park.

“Is Kang Bok-Soo’s revenge finally starting?” After I initially dropped this show at the Episode 14 mark, a video popped up in my YT feed with that title (only they used the actor’s name instead of the character’s). It was a scene where Bok-Soo went about exposing the many deeds of corruption within the school. Great, I thought, shit is finally hitting the fan... in Episode 26. I resumed watching from that mark until the end. The series had finally managed to get me invested, almost as it was over, and I decided to watch the episodes I’d missed.

OTP: There are some cute moments but I still didn’t feel the chemistry (what, ultimately, is my entirely subjective take).

Verdict: I don’t feel this is a true romance drama like others on this list, if ever it tried to be, what’s decidedly strange because there are many episodes dedicated to exploring the relationship between Bok-Soo and Soo-Jung with little else going on. Instead, I see it as more of a critique on the Korean education system and the immense pressures students are subjected to in order to meet unreasonable standards, with some romance elements sprinkled on it so that it’s not too depressing. That’s my take on it anyway. As such, it has some enjoyable aspects to it, like seeing Bok-Soo share nuggets of wisdom every now and then, or the students standing up for Bok-Soo and their school, or the revenge/investigation finally kicking into high gear. It’s just unfortunate it took so long to get there and didn’t really encourage me to do so.

Rewatch meter: Low

The Secret Life of my Secretary (2019)

From left to right: Koo Ja-Sung as Ki Dae-Joo; Kim Young-Kwang as Do Min-Ik; Jin Ki-Joo as Jung Gal-Hee; and Kim Jae-Kyung as Veronica Park/Park Ok-Sun.

Release Date: May 6 - June 25, 2019

Episodes: 32

Available on: Viki

Summary: The story follows Do Min-Ik, a prominent director at T&T Mobile Media, and his secretary, Jung Gal-Hee, as together they deal with the onset of an illness that prevents Do Min-Ik from seeing faces, the result of a possible attempt on Min-Ik’s life by some unknown party. On the corporate drama side, this undermines his shot to succeed his (jerk of an) uncle as Chairman of the company, and we see Min-Ik and Gal-Hee struggling to hide the truth of his illness and overcome the many obstacles set on their way to chairmanship. On the romance side, his inability to recognize faces causes him to mistake his secretary for Veronica Park, a rich heiress and leading figure in the film industry, whom he eventually falls in love with... what is kind of a problem since the real Veronica Park develops a crush on Min-Ik’s best friend, Ki Dae-Joo (also a director at T&T), while Gal-Hee falls in love with her boss. And, just in case we didn’t have enough corporate drama, we learn early on that someone may be embezzling from T&T and all the signs point to Dae-Joo. How will this all turn out?

What I liked:

Do Min-Ik and Jung Gal-Hee working together. Min-Ik is one sharp boss, and the moment he’s unable to recognize faces, he starts devising other strategies to recognize people, such as identifying them by their height. Gal-Hee pitches in with the different directors’ hairstyles, and eventually Min-Ik is even able to recognize them by their specific tics. Another example is the first stockholders’ meeting where they team up to prevent Min-Ik’s dismissal. Everything goes so smoothly that it prompts Veronica Park to ask Gal-Hee, and I’m paraphrasing here, “Did you write the script to this play?”

What I didn’t like:

The deceit lasting so long. Min-Ik doesn’t start as the best of bosses, we see that in the first episode, but that very same episode opens the door for him caring for Gal-Hee more than he’s willing to let on. The show does a good enough job of explaining his rather rude behaviour towards his secretaries and why he always fires them within a year, what makes the deceit all the more hurtful. However, the problem I have with Min-Ik not realizing Gal-Hee was pretending to be Veronica Park, is that this happens for 24 episodes! That means we only have 8 episodes left for him to feel betrayed about the whole thing yet also recover in time to start dating Gal-Hee. I don’t feel this was enough time to successfully explore their relationship.

How weak/bland every other story is. The attempt on Min-Ik’s life and the police’s investigation of it is handled abysmally, with the detectives only appearing from time to time to create what some writer thinks is drama. They’re so useless that the perpetrator actually has to turn himself in! I thought Dae-Joo was a bland character throughout, so I had zero interest in his relationship with Veronica Park. The same goes for Gal-Hee’s family. Even Min-Ik’s mother somehow pulls a 180 out of the blue. The only other plot thread that caught my eye was the possible embezzlement and that was wrapped up horribly, what leads me to...

No one facing the consequences of their actions. No matter how much the writers want to frame this secret organisation within T&T as Robin-Hood-like, the fact remains that they were stealing. Not only that, but they can be directly tied to the assault and attempted murder of Do Min-Ik, among other crimes. Sure, they’re all fired at some point, but they all get hired back thanks to Min-Ik. Nobody faces any jail time except for the guy directly responsible for Min-Ik’s accident who actually apologizes to him and turns himself in. The leader of this shadowy organisation comes out unscathed and has her machinations to see Dae-Joo become chairman of T&T rewarded when...

Dae-Joo becoming the chairman of T&T. What a payoff. The blandest and most uninterested character in the entire show becomes the chairman when the character we’ve been rooting for throughout, the only one who’s willing to put everything on the line to help the downtrodden secretaries, gets the short end of the stick. I guess it’s true when they say no good deed goes unpunished.

OTP: There is some chemistry there and I wish we had seen more of it, but sadly the (official) relationship between Gal-Hee and Min-Ik takes place a little too late.

Verdict: Usually, most of the kdramas I’ve watched and liked, to some extent, have some scenes that are imprinted on your mind (much like Gal-Hee’s face is imprinted on Min-Ik) and that you find yourself returning to from time to time. With this show, I honestly had to struggle to recall any such scenes, even with the aid of YouTube playlists. This is not helped by the fact that I can recall none of the music used, and that’s not a good sign. Memorable scenes and songs usually go together, as the next show in my list will prove. Ultimately, The Secret Life of my Secretary, while entertaining enough, didn’t live up to my expectations and, as such, it’s unlikely I’ll be rewatching it any time soon.

Rewatch meter: Low

Angel’s Last Mission: Love (2019)

Shin Hye-Sun as Lee Yeon-Seo, and Kim Myung-Soo (Infinite L) as Kim Dan.

Release Date: May 22 - July 11, 2019

Episodes: 32

Available on: Viki

Summary: Kim Dan, a troublemaking angel with a kind heart, is 24 hours away from Heaven when he meets the beautiful, talented, yet cynical and arrogant, prima ballerina Lee Yeon-Seo. Recently blinded by an accident during a performance, Yeon-Seo somehow manages to spot Kim Dan, who should be invisible to any human. His curiosity sparked, he follows Yeon-Seo around and eventually, in a fit of impulsiveness, saves her life in a car accident. However, for having interfered and saved a human’s life, Kim Dan is fated to turn to dust... unless he’s willing to undertake one final task. His mission? He must help Yeon-Seo find true love, but will he be able to keep from falling in love himself? Obviously not. And, naturally, Yeon-Seo has some evil relatives who are out to get her, because it wouldn’t be a kdrama otherwise.

What I liked:

The songs. I can’t vouch for the entire OST for I haven’t listened to it all yet (Correction: I’ve now since listened to all of it and it really has a lot of good tracks), but there are at least a handful of songs that will stick with you like glue. I can’t say if I like the songs more because of the scenes in which they play, or if I like the scenes more because of the songs that are used, but I can say the songs play an important role in engraving these scenes into my mind. Songs like ‘Sweeter’, by Jess Penner, that play when we’re playfully exploring the relationship between Yeon-Seo and Kim Dan; or ‘Pray’, by KLANG, when some important relevation or dramatic scene is about to transpire; or ‘Oh My Angel’, by Chai, that plays during the more romantic moments; these songs have made it into my Spotify list and are a must-listen on a daily basis for now.

The humor. Beyond the interactions between Kim Dan and Yeon-Seo, which sometimes make for very humorous situations, my hat’s off to the characters of Archangel Hoo, Dan’s senior (played by Kim In-Kwon) and Chung Yu-Mi, Yeon-Seo’s butler (played by Woo Hee-Jin). The former has dozens of opportunities for humor as he’s able to take the form of any human and keeps surprising Kim Dan by keeping tabs on him. The latter is probably the closest thing Yeon-Seo has to a mother (or maybe an older sister), and can be playfully mischievous when she starts noticing our leads may have feelings for each other. There are two scenes that perfectly embody the show’s humor that I would be remiss if I didn’t direct you to. Be aware they contain spoilers.

The leads and their chemistry. You cannot make a kdrama work if the leads don’t have some sort of chemistry (well, I suppose you could but it would be a bit of an uphill battle) and Shin Hye-Sun and Kim Myung-Soo have that in spades. This shows not only during the more romantic scenes, what’s expected, but also during their fights, what’s even better (if that makes any sense). This isn’t the first time I’ve seen L acting, in fact, he played the character of Yoo Tan in the short kdrama One More Time, with actress Yoon So-Hee playing his love interest, Moon Da-In. He sold me on that show then, as did Yoon So-Hee, but I feel his acting’s improved in this, or maybe the script and length of the show allows him to flesh out his character more, showing us more sides of his personality as the show draws to its end. And it’s really amazing to see how effortlessly Shin Hye-Sun can don the skin of the strong, cold, and harsh Yeon-Seo in one scene, and then swap it for the playful, romantic, and vulnerable Yeon-Seo that Kim Dan falls in love with in the next. Just watch more of those KBS World TV clips if you don’t believe me. These two steal every scene they’re in, but I feel Shin Hye-Sun is really the standout here. (At the time of this posting, Shin Hye-Sun has won the Top Excellence Award (Female) in KBS’s 2019 Drama Awards for her role in this show, so congratulations to her on an award well deserved!)

What I didn’t like:

How the show meanders towards the end. I laid out the plot in the most succinct way possible, but it’s hardly that straightforward. Dan’s mission should, in theory, be over when Yeon-Seo learns to love again, but then the show would then be over a lot sooner than Episode 32. The writers know that so they move the goalpost, at some point revealing that Dan also had to learn to love for the mission to be truly over. Not only that, but they both had to be willing to sacrifice everything for their loved one in order for God to believe their love was sincere or something, what leads one to think they need to commit suicide and the other to think they need to commit murder. I don’t know, by this point the show’s either stretching things out to reach the 32-episode mark or they’re milking each scene for every ounce of drama they can get, probably both. This problem gets compounded by the fact that...

Some (other) things don’t make a whole lot of sense. To start with, the theology and consistency on this show is all over the place. The same God that apparently ordered a couple of angels to shoot someone, gangsta style, because an angel broke the rules and fell in love with a human, is moved by our lead couple’s Romeo-and-Juliet love story and by Yeon-Seo’s ballet performance. Oh, and by the way, shooting someone is not how unruly angels are dealt with, God can simply pull a Thanos and have them vanish into mist, so why did he decide to use a gun that one time? Because drama! God also decides that the best time to send Dan to Heaven is when Yeon-Seo is lying commatose in the hospital (what a dick), to which Dan says, “Fuck it, I’m staying here,” and God lets him return as an angel so he can help Yeon-Seo wake up, interfering once again and thereby ceasing to exist... except he’s still an angel an episode later! What the f*** is going on here?! Archangel Hoo broke the rules once and he got the Thanos treatment, so how come Kim Dan gets so many second chances?

Some characters are either superfluous or their arcs are unclear. As an example of the latter, there’s the character of Ji Kang-Woo (played by Lee Dong-Gun), Yeon-Seo’s ballet instructor and Kim Dan’s rival for Yeon Seo’s affection. It’s revealed early on that he’s an angel-turned-human after breaking the rules and falling in love with a human himself... whom the gangster angels promptly killed. It’s never explained why she had to die while Yeon-Seo and Kim Dan are allowed to stay together, but apparently Kang-Woo is satisfied that his pain was necessary so he could help them trick God or something. I’ve no idea. But the award for the most superfluous character has to go to Ni-Na’s secret ballet instructor who only appears when the script dictates and is not developed at all. I can’t even remember if she had a name! What was her point even?

OTP: Probably one of the best pairings of the year (says the guy who’s watched maybe 4-5 2019 shows out of who knows how many).

Verdict: This is a case of the pros outweighing the cons. There’s simply too much that works for me, so many scenes and songs that stayed with me thanks to the strong performances of our leads and some of the supporting cast. I was never unaware of its more glaring flaws, what prevents this show from reaching Goblin levels of quality, but I could easily find myself rewatching it from time to time.

Rewatch meter: High

Strong Woman Do Bong-Soon (2017)

From left to right: Park Bo-Young as Do Bong-Soon; Ji Soo as In Guk-Doo; and Park Hyung-Sik as Ahn Min-Hyuk.

Release Date: February 24 - April 15, 2017

Episodes: 16

Available on: Viki, Netflix

Summary: Do Bong-Soon has a secret: she is insanely strong, a superhuman ability that has been passed down to the women in her family for generations. She also aspires to create a video game with herself as the main character. When Ahn Min-Hyuk, the CEO of gaming company Ainsoft, chances by her as she’s beating up half a dozen thugs, he’s instantly mesmerized by both her beauty and strength. The recent target of anonymous threats, Min-Hyuk decides to hire Bong-Soon as a bodyguard (she ends up being more of a secretary) and she accepts with the promise of joining the planning department of Ainsoft once the culprit is caught. Meanwhile, detective In Guk-Doo, Bong-Soon’s secret crush and childhood friend, investigates a series of strange kidnappings and murders in Bong-Soon’s neighbourhood. When the culprit targets Bong-Soon’s best friend, Bong-Soon and Min-Hyuk find themselves involved in the hunt for the criminal.

What I liked:

Gangster Bong-Soon. Okay, maybe saying she’s a gangster is a bit too much, but after beating a bunch of school bullies into submission, they soon look up to her as their new boss, taking orders from her and even looking out for her so that her secret isn’t exposed. It’s pretty funny then that Bong-Soon has to save her crew from being harassed by the new neighbourhood bullies, acting the part of a gangster for a short while.

The need for training. I appreciate the fact that Min-Hyuk foresaw the need to help Bong-Soon have full control of her strength, although he also created routines to bolster up her endurance, not to mention some of the moves she learned could have come in handy when she was depowered (sadly, she doesn’t use them). And all of this training does indeed pay off, as we see Bong-Soon fight smartly and using only as much strength as is needed to get the job done, as opposed to her Episode 1 self who used way too much strength with hilarious results. You can witness the results of Min-Hyuk’s training in the fight with the “new bullies” I mentioned previously, as well as the one at the beginning of Episode 9. Beyond fighting, her training also had positive results in her everyday life, like now being able to hug people without worrying about choking them.

The leads and their chemistry. The chemistry of these two is off the charts (it’s over 9000!!!). Everything about Park Bo-Young as Do Bong-Soon screams cute, from her short height to the way she talks, and even her glares of disapproval when Min-Hyuk does something he shouldn’t have. She’s also confident when she needs to, but not afraid to show vulnerability around the people she loves. I could shower similar praise on Park Hyung-Sik as Ahn Min-Hyuk, especially where the vulnerability department is concerned. Male leads tend to be more stoic (like In Guk-Doo), so it was quite refreshing to see how devastated Min-Hyuk was when he learned the identity of the one threatening him, or how crazy-in-love he is around Bong-Soon (she’s his kryptonite). Min-Hyuk is never afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve and it shows in every single scene. These two can just stare at each other in silence and convey more emotion than any spoken word.

The humor. I’m not talking about the dumb hospital scenes that feature humor more similar to what you’d find in a crappy Hollywood “comedy” (peeing jokes, really?), but things like Hyung-Sik’s ad-libbing throughout the show (he’s having a blast), or the more funny interactions between Min-Hyuk and Bong-Soon, even the ever-changing Romeo and Juliet scenes as Bong-Soon’s feelings for the different characters evolve.

What I didn’t like:

The sudden disappearance of Min-Hyuk’s family. Initially, the show has two distinct storylines: the string of kidnappings/murders, on the one hand; and the threats to Min-Hyuk, likely related to the question of who in his family will become the new Chairman of Ohsung Group. As expected, Min-Hyuk has several brothers who are a bit jealous of his success with Ainsoft and intuit their father will name him the Chairman, so it makes sense one of them is behind the threats. Once the storyline is resolved however, Min-Hyuk’s family is completely out of the picture, even during his marriage, what I find extremely odd.

The randomness of the depowering rule. Very early on the show explains that, while the women of the Bong-Soon family are blessed with superhuman strength from birth, they can easily lose this ability should they try to use it for less than honorable pursuits. It can be something as simple, and apparently harmless, as using this strength to become an Olympic weightlifting champion, as Bong-Soon’s mother soon found out, but it’s usually tied to using this ability to hurt innocent people. Naturally, once this rule was made known, it was only a matter of time before Bong-Soon would lose her powers as well, and this did indeed happen towards the end of the show. The problem I have with it is two-fold: its execution and its consistency. Bong-Soon doesn’t purposefully hurt an innocent man, she’s tricked into doing so by the villain. One could argue that whatever higher power granted this ability can’t tell the difference, except that argument falls apart entirely when you realize Bong-Soon has already purposefully used her power to hurt innocent people, like that one time she crushed Min-Hyuk’s foot to keep him silent (among multiple examples). That this event is played for laughs should have no bearing on the outcome. Furthermore, we later see Bong-Soon pleading for her strength to return so she can save Min-Hyuk, so it would appear that whatever higher power was listening is intelligent. At the end of the day, we all know this happened because the writers didn’t want to limit the fun possibilities of Bong-Soon abusing her power a little bit, saving it for the right moment to amp the drama. So, in reality, I was aware of it, and decided to roll with it.

OTP: Cuteness overload.

Verdict: This is one of the strongest shows in this list (no pun intended), more so given how much it’s able to pull off in 16 episodes as opposed to other shows’ 32, which is why I’m more lenient in terms of its writing. This is simply a good, fun, show, easily rewatchable thanks to the cute OTP. While its soundtrack may not be on par overall with the one from Angel’s Last Mission: Love, it still features some solid, memorable, songs (’Heartbeat’ by SURAN being the most obvious, but also ‘Double Trouble Couple’ by MAMAMOO, or ‘Super Power Girl’ by Every Single Day), not to mention a highly effective and comedic use of sound effects. Definitely one of my favourite shows.

Rewatch meter: High

And that brings us to the end of Part 1. I hope you had a good time reading through this post, maybe even found a show to your liking. What were some of your favourite shows in 2019? Stay tuned for Part 2!

[team-redveluv]

Kdrama Recommendations❤️

Here are some of my recommendations. The list is in no particular order. Let me know if you want more recommendations!

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo

Synopsis

A coming-of-age story about a group of college athletes who are fighting for their dreams, experiencing and finding love in the process, and growing every step of the way.

My Thoughts:

Weightlifting Fairy is truly a gem. The overall lighthearted tone of this drama makes it easy to follow and fun to watch. I find that a lot of dramas are often too dramatic and have unnecessary plot twists that just makes the story a lot to handle so it was nice having a story that feels refreshing. The plot is nothing crazy; it’s a bunch of college kids trying to figure life out. It’s simple and relatable but that’s what make it so charming. The titular character, Kim Bok Joo, is an icon. It was really interesting to watch her grow as a person and athlete. This drama is definitely one of my favourites of all time. I would gladly rewatch it a thousand times and even a little more after that. If you’re going to watch only one thing from my list, it HAS to be this.

P.S Don’t watch this on an empty stomach. The eating scenes are mouthwatering

Angel’s Last Mission: Love

Synopsis

Dan is an optimistic, carefree angel who is always getting into trouble. In order to return to heaven he is tasked with a mission to find true love for the talented but emotionally distant ballerina Lee Yeon-seo, but ends up falling for her himself.

My Thoughts:

Saying that I love this drama would be an understatement. I have not loved a show this much since Weightlifting Fairy, and that’s saying something. It’s the perfect combination of funny and dramatic. There is no denying the chemistry between Dan and Yeon-Seo. Shin Hye-Sun really outdid herself in this one. I laughed when she laughed and cried when she cried. The way she portrays her emotions is outstanding and I’ll definitely be checking out more of her work. There’s typically one or two episodes in every drama that I don’t really care about or is forgettable but I didn’t feel that way in this one. Every episode had me on the edge of my seat and every time it ended, I kept wanting more. I highly recommend this drama. Also, I never say this but I LOVE the soundtrack. It’s all I’ve been playing recently and there isn’t a single song on the track that I don’t like.

W: Two Worlds

Synopsis

A romance takes place between Kang Chul, a multimillionaire who exists in the webtoon “W,” and Oh Yeon-Joo who is a surgeon in the real world. The two must work together to solve a mystery.

My Thoughts:

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve seen this but I remember really liking it. The whole concept of a fictional character coming to life is really interesting and it gave the story some pretty good plot points. I’m not gonna lie, towards the end, it felt like it was beginning to drag on a little but with that said I would say that I enjoyed the overall experience. It felt refreshing because it was a premise that I haven’t seen in any other drama so it was fun to watch it unfold. The two leads had good chemistry and there were moments where my jaw actually dropped from shock. This is a good watch if you like modern fantasy type genres.

While You Were Sleeping

Synopsis

Nam Hong-joo is able to see the future through her dreams. She, rookie prosecutor Jung Jae-chan, and police officer Han Woo-tak work together to solve multiple crimes and prevent her ominous dreams from becoming reality.

My Thoughts:

Oh wow another Lee Jong-Suk drama. I really love this actor and honestly I would recommend anything he is in. As for this drama, I love that every character adds a new dimension to the storyline and when I say every character, I mean EVERY character. Supporting roles are typically forgotten about and don’t get much development in many dramas but here, they’re just as loveable and quirky as leading trio. From work life to home life, everyone adds something that just makes the story a lot richer. You feel more connected to these characters thus raising the stakes when something bad could (and does) happen to them. There was a certain character reveal towards the end that blew my mind and I’m still not over it. Overall, it’s a good watch and you should put it on your drama bucket list.

Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo

Synopsis

During an eclipse, Go Ha-jin travels back in time to the Goryeo era. She wakes up in the body of Hae-Soo, a 16 year old aristocrat who lives in the royal palace. She finds herself caught in between the rivalry among the princes over the throne.

My Thoughts:

I remember first hearing about this drama because my friends were talking about how sad it was and boy were they right. I cried so hard so many different times throughout the drama. While it does get sad, it makes the happy moments feel even better  because they’re so rare. Hae-Soo’s relationship with each of the different princes felt unique and it was interesting to see how she impacted them in different ways. I enjoyed it but WARNING! If you don’t like sad endings then this drama might not be for you. I’m still hoping for a season 2 though.

Itazura na Kiss

Synopsis

Aihara Kotoko, who isn’t that smart, is in love with the school’s most intelligent student, Irie Naoki. An incident causes her house to be severely damaged and until it is rebuilt, she and her father are are invited to live with his friend and his family. It turns out that she will be living with Irie Naoki’s family.

My Thoughts:

This is technically not a Kdrama but I prefer the Japanese version over the Korean one. I remember having so much fun watching this show and it got some good laughs out of me. What I love about this drama is that you get to see the development of the couple’s relationship over a long period of time. I’ve noticed that a lot of dramas just end after the couple gets together and they never show the aftermath. With Itazura, you get to watch their relationship grow throughout high school, college, and adulthood. You see them deal with and work their way through issues that some couples have to face in real life, such as unrequited love, jealousy and having to go long distance. Another great thing about this drama is that it has a second season which wraps up everyone’s story really nicely. There aren’t really any loose ends and it leaves me feeling satisfied as a viewer. I would highly recommend if you like romantic comedies.

[kdramareviewsbylizzie]

A Review: Love Alarm

status: Complete

network: tvN, Netflix

air time: Aug 2019

episodes: 8

genre: Romance, Comedy

cast: Kim So-hyun, Song Kang, Jung Ga-ram

favourite ost: Can I Fall In Love Again? By KLANG

synopsis: Joalarm is a new app that will ring if anyone that likes the user is within a 10 metre radius of them. Kim Jo-jo (Kim So-hyun) is a high school student who lives with her aunt and cousin. In order to pay off her mother’s debt that was passed onto her aunt when her parents passed, she saves up money by working multiple part-time jobs. Hwang Sun-oh (Song Kang) was born into a wealthy family, his mother was a popular actor and his dad is a politician. He grew up living with his best friend Lee Hye-young (Jung Gu-ram), the son of their family’s maid. They both attended the same school as Kim Jo-jo and when they discover that they both like her, they use Joalarm to see who she picks.

my response:

!!! SPOILERS !!!

OKAY. So I just finished this drama and usually, I do spoiler-free reviews but I have to discuss this ending. What. A. Cliffhanger. Like seriously I feel like I’ve been abandoned - there better be a second season or I’ll be left curious forever. Before I discuss who I prefer with Jo-jo, I’ll give a quick review of the drama as a whole. So I really liked this drama. The idea of Joalarm is so interesting to me. I think the drama shows how society would react to an app like this quite well, showing both the positives and negatives it would introduce. One thing I feel passionate about is my hatred for Jo-jo’s cousin, Gul-mi. I’ve found that multiple times she’ll seem quite nice actually but within a few seconds of me thinking this she’ll do something that will legitimately make me rage i.e. her treatment of Duk-gu or when she started THROWING JO-JO’S STUFF OUT THE WINDOW. Major respect for the actor who plays her, Go Min-si. Anyways, overall the plot was super addicting. It definitely felt like it was moving along too fast at multiple points so I do think it would be better if they spaced it out with more episodes. And so, now the major dilemma: Hwang Sun-oh or Lee Hye-young? Now I can definitely see both sides but my choice as of right now is Sun-oh. I feel like most people probably feel the same way about this because legit the whole drama was about Jo-jo and Sun-ho’s romance so why spend so much time setting it up and then not following through? I got quite annoyed after the whole motorbike-accident-and-then-cut-to-4-years later thing. It was just getting more interesting and then WHOOP time skip and guess what? They’re not together anymore. It was super unsatisfying and I really don’t like it when this happens in dramas bc it feels like we’re leaving behind the characters we’ve grown to know. Before the time skip, Sun-ho and Jo-jo were honestly the cutest and I wasn’t even thinking about Hye-young. But then after it happened, Hye-young was definitely creeping up but still Sun-ho is first for me. ALSO I’m just gonna say, if what happened with Jo-jo and Sun-ho in the first episode, like the whole staring at each other, Sun-oh following her and then them going into a laneway and kissing, were to actually happen it would honestly be the creepiest thing. So because of this at the start of the drama I didn’t really like Sun-oh bc he was just…. idk way too weird. Hye-young was super sweet throughout the drama and I could tell that towards the end of the season, they were setting it up so that he would be with Jo-jo. I wasn’t really happy with the idea but I was preparing and trying to convince myself that it’d work. And then that ending happened and now here I am. I’ll continue to wonder about the direction the drama will take in the next season but for now, I think this drama was really enjoyable to watch and I would recommend it to anyone. Feel free to leave a comment about your opinion of the ending and who you prefer with Jo-jo.

rating: 4.5/5

Also, does anyone know if there’s an English translation anywhere of the webtoon this is based on??? I really want to read it.

[unnursvanablog]

Some of the shows that I have been Watching

Parks and Recreation: Now, I have some problems with some of the male actors on this show and I debated for some time if I should watch it. But people keep talking about how good it is and it was on Prime, so I just decided to give it a try. It took me some time to get used to the mockumentary style but before I knew it I was on season four and I rather like it. An it is so easy to watch that I kinda don't want to watch anything else. Sometimes Parks and Rec is all I want to watch. I will maybe become a little sad when I finish it.

Victoria: Now, I have struggled a bit with Victoria this season. They keep killing off some of the side-characters I was fond of, and therefor I can't bother to get attached to any of the new ones, which they keep on introducing to us each season. Also Albert and Victoria just keep on bickering and I find it tiring to watch. But this show is still a very nice produced and the scenery and the costume porn is like 60% of why I keep going at this point. I hope it will improve. I want to love this show like I used too.

The Crowned Clown: I like the progress that this show is making, how it keeps surprising me and the romance is nice as well. I still believe there is like we are watching two shows in one, with the sweet romance and then the politics, but I think that might start to mix a lot more now. I can't see how it will end and it is exciting.

Haechi: Now some might not even check this one out because they are watching The Crowned Clown and they can only deal with one sageuk at a time. I sort of get it, few years ago I might have done so myself, but over the years I have gotten very found of the sageuk genre. It is one of my fav kdrama genres to watch tbh. The first episode went quite heavy on the politics and such things, which can end up being confusing, but overall I liked it. It is different enough from The Clowned Crown, but it is still a lot of royal palace politics, and I do wish that we could get more sageuks that focus on the lower class like Rebel or maybe just takes us a bit further from the palace life like Arang and the Magistrate and maybe Tamra the Island.

Start Trek Discovery: I am not that invested in the show, but I do like it. I am quite good at keeping up with it, although sometimes I do laundry or cook while watching it. It depends on the episode and what topic they take on that week.

Romance is a Bonus Book: I am only like one an a half episode in. It is on Netflix an it sounds sweet and it looks cute. And it is sweet and cute and I like the wipe of it and the main female character - I just want what is best for her. And it is about books! I love books! I am sort of watching it while I can, since I feel like my tv scheduled is sort of packed, and I am not 100% invested yet, but I am enjoying it so far. 

Miracle Worker: I just started this. It is pretty cute little work sitcom (or that is how I would describe it). It has Daniel Radcliffe in it, just being adorable and stuff, and it is a short limited series so I think I will find it quite enjoyable. For the most part I just want it to be cute.

On Hold:

A Series of Unfortunate Events: The story has gotten so repetitive, I can only take it in small dozes. Also, I have a lot of other tv shows to watch and I just don't really put this one as a priority then.

Miss Sherlock: I do enjoy it, even if I don't find it as binge watchable as I thought I would find it. But then again I tend to be an extremely slow binge watcher. I so much prefer to watch shows weekly. But when I finish Park and Rec I might start this one again when I find some spare time.

Dropped

Item: It is sort of clunky and all over the place and non of the bits are particularity interesting. Odd mix of genres as well. They can work together quite well, but the drama is doing it quite poorly. It also gets very comic-booky at times. I know it is based on a webtoon but it just doesn't work that well. I got one and a half episode in. I nearly fell asleep.

Queen Seon Duk: I have to throw in my white flag with this one. This is my second attempt of watching this show, I really want to love it, but there is a part of me that just doesn't click with this show. It has been on hold for a while, I never make time to watch it and the last time I tried I fell asleep. I think it might be because I know how the show ends and all of that and the fact that I find the male lead and his character so goodamn dull and the actor has annoyed me even before his scandal and now I can't stand to look at his face. I thought things would get better when YSH showed up, but nope. I am still a bit bored. I really tried but I can’t fight it anymore. I can’t spend my time on a show that I really want to like but don’t. It just feels silly. 

[asiandramastoke]

Drama Rating: 7/10

Baek Ma Ri is a teenage vampire who wants nothing more than to be a normal high school girl. In the current world she lives in, humans and vampires co-exist with each other. Vampires are able to live under the sun due to the change in their diet, they should only drink animal blood. However due to their nature and history, they are still feared by humans and are considered as an outcast in the modern society because of the havoc that they have brought to humanity in the past.

Upon checking the previous reviews and comments, I realized not a lot of people liked this drama and had almost the same complaint. I would also have to admit that I was the same. I had to put the drama on hold for a long time before resuming it. I guess the first few episodes were pretty much disappointing compared to the original story line.

Do take note that this live action drama is VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE WEBTOON. If you are watching for that reason, beware and do not put your expectations too high.

If I would be rating this prior to the saguek part, it would probably have received a 5/10 for me. For the saguek period, I give it a 7/10. Post sageuk and after finishing the whole drama, I give it an 8/10 and here are my following reasons for the different ratings.

Pre-sageuk:

I felt that the drama was a bit draggy and had this vampire teenage angst going on, then not to forget that I have read the Webtoon version which I thoroughly enjoyed. It was pretty much hard not to compare, which I did throughout the episodes and had myself disappointed a lot of times. It might have been better if I haven’t read the webtoon first prior to watching the drama, unfortunately… the drama came 1 month after I have read the whole thing. But anyway, the first few episodes for me was blah. The fact that I wasn’t a fan of the lead guy did not help at all. The other cast members were pretty much new to me as well, except for the parents of the main characters who I think brought something in at the table with their pro-acting skills.

Sageuk:

I know a lot of people hated this part, but not me. I love sageuk and this was probably one of the reason why I continued on with the show, despite the fact that this was not even part of the original webtoon story line. I’m glad though that they included this, because if not, the drama would have probably ended at 6-8 episodes. This part explained a lot of things about the vampire community, the history of their diet and the treaty between normal humans and vampires. It had the cute, the romance and the exact heart breaking scenes you need in a drama to keep you moving forward. It also told the backdrop about the fate of the main characters.

Post Sageuk:

Initially, I didn’t feel like continuing on with the whole thing because I was already satisfied with the saguek part so I put this on hold for a few months, but I knew I had to finish this and so I did. There was this sort of dismal feeling on the first few minutes of episode 11, but the songs and bits of change in the story line made me push through. I guess the last 2 episodes were able to give closure to the whole story and I accepted it with a whole heart.

Other bits that made me like the drama:

Second Leads – I enjoyed the fact that the supporting characters had shifted in their attitude. The way the actors delivered it may not be perfect but they still definitely gave me the feels. Compared to the webtoon – the attitude change did happen and I’m really happy about that.

Music – it was cute, bubbly and left me with a good feeling. Seol Hyun and Lee Jong Hyun’s voice were pretty good. In each of their solo songs, I was caught in a bit of trance. I’d prefer rock anytime, but having to listen to their music gave me a different feeling all over.

Overall, I liked the drama and how it changed my mind on rating it. I don’t feel cheated at all that I watched the whole 12 episodes. I’m glad that I had a different perspective for this drama.

Photos are not mine. Credits to the owner.

Orange Marmalade (Korean Drama 2015) Drama Rating: 7/10 Baek Ma Ri is a teenage vampire who wants nothing more than to be a normal high school girl. 751 more words

[soonhoonsol]

I hope you get back good days sooner 🥺, i'm okay! and yes i finally got to listen to jun's song it wasn't available on spotify before but now is, his voice is so soothing i love it. And the seungkwan ost i was talking about is 'the reason' from lovestruck in the city drama!! but song still isn't available on spotify :c.

also about true beauty :

Like suho going to states and things which unfold after he goes there should've been showed in episode 10 or 11 if they wanted it to be a little late. to push a big plot twist like this almost at the end made all things which happened after, seem rushed. with suho, jug, seojun their different timelines and timeline together all of it felt rushed :/

i can understand where suho is coming from when he aksed for breakup. he himself has been in relationships where he always had to wait and wait, he has felt the neglect of being in a relationship of name only with his dad he didn't want jug to wait for him and be in same position as he once had been in. i can understand why he did but his method of doing it was very wrong :( i wish he had explained it to her instead of throwing "we should break up". doing something without much explanation is something i would expect from first episode suho not the suho who made some progress and learned how to be in friendship and relationship also him coming back and following around jug as if the break didn't even happen is something webtoon suho would never have done had he been in relationship with jug before going to japan. Webtoon suho doesn't share much but he knows how to read room and is considerate of other's feelings ( sorry for comparing both so much it's just i'm disappointed in writers for creating small differences like these which made drama suho a little less likable in my eyes ) it was not fair to jug :(.

i also feel bad for seojun because from start till end writers only gave him one thing, his feelings for jug it's only towards the very end they gave him something to work with ( his debut) for himself only. sigh.

wedding of jug's sister and teacher was fun, also soojin looks so good in short hair 🥺 i love sua's hair too idk if it's just me but her hair in last two episodes looked extra pretty. i'm glad soojin came around ( would've loved a little more explanation, her p.o.v of her unlearning her toxicity and healing. as i said it felt rushed :3 )

I'm not happy nor sad towards its ending i feel. suho and jug's reading compilations from childhood till present were really nice i liked that. you can add whatever else you wanna vent about hehe. take care <3 - couprang anon

hey couprang anon!! this is long so i’ll answer under the read more :)

ahh that OST :( it isn’t on Spotify yeah... feels bad tho that I’ve never heard that OST either... I’m not really an OST fan I realize; most OSTs I hear are ballads and they’re not my style T~T

that’s honestly a really good analysis of Suho... again idk anything about relationships but yeah I think Suho should’ve explained it to Jugyeong better instead of breaking up like that... but he looked so hurt after he did it... I just wanted to hug him :(

although the whole story of them getting back together after 2 years? I was so confused... why did the producers decide to take this webtoon and turn it 360 degrees? I mean... my #TeamSuho heart is so happy but my #TeamSeojun heart is broken on the floor, stomped on by the producers. Seojun doesn’t deserve this

drama Suho is lowkey obsessive tbh... like I understand wanting to protect your gf or whatnot but going after her even when she says she doesn’t want to see him anymore? that part made me so angry at Suho like dude, yeah, please read the room

webtoon Suho deserved better, which we got with drama Suho, but webtoon Suho was a much more likeable character and I miss him :( (but he’s back so all is gud). Webtoon Seojun got all the good stuff which drama Seojun was robbed of and I can’t help feeling injustice for this drama

like I wanna be a video editor or director or anything in that industry, and I think it’d be cool to adapt a book/webtoon into a drama/movie... and TB filled a lot of plotholes from the webtoon in the first half of the series, but then it immediately turned around after Suho confessed in Ep8. are we still watching a webtoon-based drama? I don’t think so. I think this is a drama drama now.

either way, #HanSeojunProtectionSquad is a go. would you like to join, couprang anon? my son deserves better T~T

but on a lighter note, Heegyeong and Junwoo marriage!! SO CUTE AHHHHH I love how they did it; it was so wholesome and funny. but also Juyong not giving up on his crush on Gowoon... my poor heart can’t take this. I’m glad Gowoon’s starting to reciprocate, even if she doesn’t wanna admit it

overall I guess this was a pretty good drama? I definitely preferred it in the first half of the series, but I really hope we have a second season or something (idk how kdramas work). I really wanna see #TeamSeojun in action instead of getting just crumbs T~T

sorry this got lengthy T~T

[idontwanttowhy]

Review: True Beauty (2020)

Synopsis (copied from earlier post)

Im Ju Gyeong is a high schooler who likes horror comics, heavy metal music, and spending time in the local comic book store. She is bullied by a group of students at her school because they find her “ugly”, which leads Ju Gyeong to her wits end. When she moves to a new school, she decides to change her life around by using makeup to cover her bare face. Her new “goddess” level looks bring her a lot of attention, though not without a lot of stress. Her complicated relationships with two of the best-looking guys in school (and mortal enemies), Lee Su Ho and Han Seo Jun, doesn’t exactly help. Can Im Ju Gyeong keep her secret, and what will happen if she is found out? 

MZ Overall: 7.5/10, it was a fun watch!

There were some truly funny moments in this show, and despite dealing with many dark themes, for the most part True Beauty kept it light. It pretty much departs from the source material after the first half, which was good... until it wasn't. I didn't really care that much about the main couple in the end, and felt that many of the last plot points were just "eh." Ultimately if you're looking for something with a great plot combined with the best parts of this show, I'd say watch Extraordinary You (2019); it definitely helps that they make several references to EY throughout!

MZ Review: (spoilers ahead)

The strong suits of this show were definitely the humor and relationships of all the characters. Ju Gyeong's siblings often stole the show with their scenes, and her friendships and classmates rounded out the romantic elements of this show nicely. I have mixed feelings about how they handled all of Ju Gyeong's friends finding out about her bare face (though there wasn't much to find out imo) but I'm happy that Su Ah stayed her friend, and that they were able to fight the bullies that tormented Ju Gyeong and Hye Min together. Even the way they wrote Su Jin's character was understandable, and I'm glad that they didn't just write her off as a villain to the very end. Do I wish they would have explored her thought process a little further? Absolutely. But something is better than nothing, and I saw room for them to be friends again even with everything that happened. The most delightful development was the friendship between Su Ho and Seo Joon, which was so refreshing considering that usually being love rivals is the thing that ends friendships, not the thing that brings them together. Enemies to friends is such an underrated trope! Probably the only relationship on this show I didn't like was Ju Gyeong's parents', and it doesn't get better at all. Overall they make Ju Gyeong's mom pretty unlikable, which is fairly in line with the webtoon, but I guess I was wishing that they would explore her character a bit more. The dad was a welcome edition to the Im family household and their dynamic, while hard to watch at times, still added a lot to the show.

Now, this might be a controversial statement, but I hate time jumps. Hate. H A T E. Plenty of dramas I've loved (looking at you Start Up) have done this to me and it doesn't necessarily take away from my overall experience, yet I can never get fully into the relationships again afterwards. There is something so wrong to me about there being what is effectively a pause on people's whole lives for however long the jump is that just doesn't sit right. True Beauty does not escape my ire in this area, and in fact this was one of the worse experiences with a time jump that I've had. First of all, I was really thinking that they had departed from that part of the storyline when Ju Gyeong and Su Ho started dating in the first place, so to have this happen was surprising. Then, Su Ho turned around and broke up with her? For... what exactly? She said she wanted to stay together, and he broke up with her knowing that he was going to pursue her again when he got back to Korea. What would have happened if she had moved on? To that point, my third (and always my biggest) pet peeve with this was that Seo Joon didn't confess while Su Ho was gone. UGH. Absolutely the worst part of any time jump is this. Like, dude, if you are so in love with her, are you really going to wait two years to start anything? UGH.

Anyway, I'd say overall it was fun to watch and I'm glad I spent the past months watching this show with my friends. The good parts outweigh the bad, and I think it is a welcome edition to any watch list.

AC Overall: 6.5/10, I watched it

So. True Beauty started off promising, with some intriguing elements to keep me, someone who normally doesn’t watch high school and/or strictly rom-com kdramas, interested. But, I gotta say, they found their groove and stuck to it. It’s everything I imagine high school kdramas have-teenagers being teenagers, with love triangles, bullying, and friendship drama. These last 11 episodes or so became typical, and definitely veered away from the webtoon (which I’ve now caught up on, shocker!) and stayed in the less chaotic world of teen romance with decreasing focus on the whole makeup thing. I gotta say, nothing really crazy happens, so if you’re up for teenagers being teenagers and like having second-lead syndrome, True Beauty is for you. 

AC Review: (spoilers)

For me, however, I was definitely less invested once I realized they weren’t going to follow the webtoon’s path of having Su Ho go away before he and Ju Gyeong could start dating, and having Seo Joon as an actual love interest. Instead, Su Ho and Ju Gyeong got cute high school bf/gf scenes, and my boy Seo Joon didn’t shoot his shot. I was disappointed, probably because I prefer that Seo Joon and Ju Gyeong got a chance in the webtoon, and Su Ho wasn’t so destructive. But no, drama Su Ho said “it’s all about me” and did what he wanted (like a stereotypical teenager, I suppose) despite Ju Gyeong’s feelings. And for two years, Ju Gyeong couldn’t let go of Su Ho, probably because they had gone too far by the time he left (and after), and thus Seo Joon didn’t get an in. So the time jump in the drama’s case wasn’t an opportunity for Ju Gyeong to move on and then (maybe-we don’t actually know yet) finally choose Su Ho after exploring other options. Instead, it was--pointless? a fake time jump? because nothing really changed but their jobs and Su Ho’s hair. Su Ho himself made it clear when he came back AFTER 2 YEARS and acted like nothing happened. 

Outside of the triangle, though, I did appreciate that Ju Gyeong and Su Jin were able to make up. And it seemed like a genuine I-turned-my-life-around-and-am-really-truly-sorry-for-being-a-bitch kind of apology; they even threw her “volunteering in Haiti” in there, which was...interesting. A topic for another post. AND we got our favs! ~Grapefuit~ and Hee Gyeong got a funny proposal and wedding fitting for their relationship. Ju Gyeong’s brother was still simping for Seo Joon’s sister, which–I guess. 

I did wish the premise of Ju Gyeong "being ugly” and “hiding behind makeup” was explored more...it fell of once she was found out, went through it, and then was able to show her classmates that she could still bag Su Ho with her natural face (not that it was strong to begin with but-). So, if you want more consistent commentary on beauty standards and physical appearance, check out the webtoon, maybe try out the kdrama My ID is Gangnam Beauty or try another webtoon, Lookism, for a male perspective on appearance, and some action (I’m sure there are others...these are all I’ve watched/read pretty much). 

Overall, it wasn’t a bad watch, especially with others and some drinking games. Read the webtoon if you shipped Seo Joon and Ju Gyeong and want a proper time jump (with more ~developments~), and watch the show for a more developed Su Jin, more side characters, and a typical high school kdrama.