KDRAMA
Abyss (4/16): Go Se Yeon was a tough, accomplished, and an unrivaled beautiful female prosecutor who worked in the Seoul District public Office but gets into a fatal accident and dies. However, due to the mysterious magical marble—Abyss—Go Se Yeon is revived, but now in a totally different appearance. Go Se Yeon now possesses a common appearance based off of how “good” her spirit was in her previous life. Cha Min was the highly intelligent heir to Korea’s top cosmetics company but was also a smart, humble, and a kind-hearted man. Although he has both the brains and an astounding amount of wealth, he considers himself unattractive and is insecure about his looks. Like Go Se Yeon, Cha Min gets into an accident and dies. Due to the mysterious magical marble—Abyss—he comes back to life with a different appearance as an exceedingly handsome man just as bright as his spirit he had in his previous life. Go Se Yeon and Cha Min begin to work as a lawyer and an administrator at a private law firm and decide to investigate the magical incident. Romance blooms in the office as the two intertwine together to accept their same fate.
This show is honestly such a mess tbh. It wants to be this crazy fast moving sci-fi murder mystery but in order to enjoy what's happening we need to slow down sometimes. I'm trying to follow along with who's who but I'm so confused and like I get that we're supposed to be learning information as Se Yeon and Min learn it but it's like too much. I think from what I've gathered that Oh Young Cheol is the serial killer Se Yeon was hunting and he killed Park Gi Beom's daughter. Gi Beom found out who Young Cheol was through reasons and then got pissed the police/prosecutors didn't know and so he attempted to kill him on his own which he did until Min accidentally saved him. After Young Cheol woke up he murdered Se Yeon cause she had caught onto him and then attempted to kill Gi Beom again in revenge for killing him before. Young Cheol also seems to be related to Ji Wook and somehow working with Hee Jin which is why Ji Wook seemed so sketchy every time the serial killer case came up and why Hee Jin disappeared at the airport. He then tried to kill Hee Jin cause she got tired of working (for? with?) Young Cheol and then killed Min for reasons. I'm mostly following along with this but I'm really confused as to why he picked Min to be his scapegoat and how he's working with Hee Jin. It also sucks that Min died but I can't think of a way to get him back unless Young Cheol dies so the Abyss can be passed to Se Yeon or if they trick Young Cheol to somehow get near Min's body. I'd assume it'll be the second option cause I doubt the show would kill off their main villain so quickly. I also want to know what Ji Wook's deal is and why Hee Jin is such an asshole.
FINISHED Entertainer (18/18): Shin Suk Ho was once a manager at an agency handling the nation’s top singers, and is now the CEO of an agency repping the most pathetic rookies. Through various struggles and incidents, he’ll learn to become “a genuine manager."
Everyone by now knows my love for shows set around music and the music industry so was it any surprise that I decided to check this one out? I thought it was interesting that instead of idols, a band was the main focus even more so since I didn't think Korea had many bands! This show also introduced me to Ji Sung as an actor and man if I did not fall head over heels in love with him the first moment he appeared on screen! I really liked all the main characters of the show though I wish that we had focused a smidge less on Ha Neul so that we could have gotten more of the other characters. In addition to this, I wish a bit more focus had been placed on music rather than constantly fighting. Don't get me wrong, I loved the emotional moments but I wish that less of it had been about fighting against KTOP and a bit more of them working in the industry. I do think the music in this show was pretty amazing though and I definitely loved the placement of all the songs whether they were original for this show or other popular music. I also loved the romance between Suk Ho and Geu Rin which was totally precious though I wish it had been a bit more overt cause we didn't even get one kiss or hug from the two though they did end up together in the end. I wonder if it was because of the age gap between the two actors which I really didn't mind in this drama cause like I said in my I Hear Your Voice review, I don't mind age gaps as long as the younger person isn't in high school so since Geu Rin was 24 and an adult, I was fine with the ten year age gap in the show. Overall I'd give this show a 9.5 / 10!
FINISHED Eulachacha Waikiki 2 (16/16): Lee Joon Ki is an unpopular actor who runs the Waikiki guesthouse. However, business is bad and the guesthouse is facing bankruptcy. In order to revive the guesthouse, Lee Joon Ki asks his friends Cha Woo Shik and Kook Ki Bong to invest their savings in it. Cha Woo Shik is a picky person who dreams of becoming a singer. Kook Ki Bong used to be a promising baseball player, but instead is now stuck playing in the minor leagues. After Lee Joon Ki's request, they all put their money into Waikiki Guesthouse and start living there together.
So the finale finally aired this week and I have to say that after watching all sixteen episodes, this season was not as good as the last and I'm pretty sure it has to do with the characters and the heavy focus on romance over friendship and comedy like last season. I just couldn't fall in love with Woo Shik and Soo Yeon or Joon Ki and Jung Eun so I wasn't interested in their romantic relationship especially since Woo Shik and Soo Yeon were the focus of this show as evidenced by how much time we took to deal with their relationship. I suppose I'm glad that they ended up together cause it made the characters happy but Min Ah was in too many episodes especially since Woo Shik made it pretty clear that he wasn't interested in her. Joon Ki had a couple of funny moments this week with the other actor in that play and how they tried to bond. I'm not entirely clear on how his relationship with Jung Eun ended but I think they just stayed friends even though he seemed to fall for her in the end which is fine by me. I'm still a little sad that Seo Jin didn't come back for him... The best couple in this show were definitely Ki Bong and Yu Ri and I loved how they ended though I wish we could have seen their wedding! I was living for Woo Shik's reaction when he found out about them and then when he found out Yu Ri was pregnant. I suppose they did actually sleep together all those episodes ago after they got drunk! Overall I had a good enough time with this show but I doubt I'll rewatch it as many times as the first season so I'd give it a 7.5 / 10!
Her Private Life (12/16): A romantic comedy about a talented gallery curator named Sung Duk Mi, who is an idol fangirl underneath her professional veneer. Meanwhile, her boss Ryan becomes a passionate fanboy of her. Sung Duk Mi lives a double life as both a gallery curator and a home master for a fansite about Si An, an idol group member. She’s a pro in both aspects of her life, and because of her fangirl dedication, Duk Mi has had to break up with several boyfriends, deciding instead to go all in for her fangirl activities instead of dating. Ryan is a new director at the gallery where Duk Mi works. Once a painter, Ryan was a sensation in the art world from his debut to his retirement, and is now seeing career success as a director. An individualist through and through, Ryan comes to find out about Duk Mi’s double life.
Damn it why is this show the cutest thing I have ever seen?? I can't even describe to you in words why I adore this show and why it works for me! I haven't felt this warm and bubbly inside since I watched Strong Woman Do Bong Soon. I suppose the closest I can explain is that the relationship in this show feels so real! Most kdramas have some sort of silly trope that is meant to separate it from other dramas but by doing so, the male leads usually feel over the top and not like they're meant to be a dream guy while Ryan is the epitome of everything you want in a man. Never mind how sexy he is (and lord have mercy is he sexy as sin) but he's so honest and understanding and that's what attracts me to him. Instead of lying or letting himself stew in misunderstandings, he asks Deok Mi to explain everything and explains his side as well in a calm manner and away from the second lead instead of trying to hash it out in public. I adored that even when he was angry with her, he still hid her from Si An to prevent her from being outed as a fangirl. On another note, for a while I assumed that Lee Sol was such a huge thing for him cause it was probs his mom and that would probs make him Si An's brother and we all but confirmed it this week cause Si An met him mom and told her he was collecting her paintings so the only thing left is for her to see Ryan and then everything would come together. I still hate the second leads and I would love if they just disappeared from the show but I adore the gallery crew and I'm been really getting a soft spot for Cindy who's precious. I also feel bad for Seon Joo and her problems with her husband and I'm really not sure where we'll end up. I thought for a while it might be heading towards a divorce cause it really feels like Seon Joo is the least happy when she's with her husband but maybe it'll turn towards reconciliation instead?
FINISHED I Hear Your Voice (18/18): Jang Hye Sung, a bold, sassy, thick-faced, comical, and a materialistic public defender who becomes a lawyer after overcoming poverty and painful memories from her childhood, comes to realization about society and justice after meeting Park Soo Ha, a 19-year-old boy who reads other people’s thoughts and Cha Kwan Woo, an innocent lawyer who lives a disciplined life. Jang Hye Sung is actually Soo Ha's first love after she gave a decisive testimony on his father's murder case 10 years ago and Soo Ha promised to protect her from the killer's threats. Meanwhile, Cha Kwan Woo is Jang Hye Sung's fellow lawyer, a cheerful and an idealistic former cop even though his character is a bit slow, he is nice and pleasant with a firm idea of his principles and justice. Together they will team up to find the justice in the courtroom and solve the toughest cases with less than 1% chance of winning.
I was in the mood for a drama similar to He Is Psychometric this week cause I missed that drama so much and I heard this one was very similar to it which is why I decided to check it out and though it wasn't nearly as good as He Is Psychometric, I had a pretty okay time watching it. Part of my problem with this show was the age gap between our leads and part of the problem was the writing of the show. I normally don't mind age gaps between leads regardless of if they're older man or older female romances cause love is love in my opinion but the one time I don't love large age gaps is when the younger lead is in high school while the older lead is an adult cause it's a little creepy to me. I do think this was less horrible cause the Hye Sung wasn't Soo Ha's teacher or anything and I did overall ship her more with Soo Ha than Kwan Woo but because of the age gap, I wasn't in love with our main couple which I find is what really attaches me to a drama. My other struggle with this show was it's writing. The cops were such complete and utter morons and normally in dramas (and real life) when a convicted murder is creeping around you and then is thought to have committed another crime, the public opinion isn't that the victims are overreacting but that the criminal obviously hasn't changed! I also HATED the three or four episodes in which Soo Ha randomly got amnesia cause I hate amnesia in dramas and it felt like it came completely out of nowhere. I really thought the time skip was going to bring back a more adult Soo Ha with a job or something that would make him more appealing to Hye Sung but instead they brought him back acting even younger and it was super not great. I did like the ending and the idea that Soo Ha would become a cop cause almost from the start I was like he'd make a pretty good detective. Overall I'd give this show a 8.5 / 10.
My Absolute Boyfriend (4/40): Dan Dan, is a woman who works as a special effects make-up artist but has a very cold-heart. She then, unexpectedly, falls in love with Yeong Goo, a humanoid robot programmed to be a perfect boyfriend. Yeong Goo begins to develop human emotions, and they end up in a love triangle with her famous actor childhood friend, Ma Wang Joon, who also falls for her.
Surprised I'm watching this drama especially if you know me and the kinds of shows I don't like? Well so am I tbh. Ironically I started this drama without really knowing the premise cause my boy Yeo Jin Goo was the main lead and I adored him in Circle so I wanted to check out his other dramas but I just didn't care for The Crowned Clown. After jumping it I was actually surprised to find out it's a robot/human romance but Jin Goo is such a cutie that I can't help but fall in love with him too and since I figure that a human ended up with a robot in Are You Human Too, it's not so weird to have the romance here. The synopsis of the show does mention that the robot will develop human emotions so maybe that'll help a bit too? Either way I'm down. I like Dan Dan as a character so far and I like that she's a special effects artist cause I always like when a lead has a unique career. I also really like the second lead too which is interesting cause he seems pretty multidimensional for a second lead and I'm curious to know why he wanted to break up with Dan Dan since it doesn't feel like he fell out of love with her or cheated on her. I also really like that Dan Dan found out that Yeong Goo is a robot so quickly and that his programmer is around as well cause it reminds me a bit of I'm Not A Robot and I hate when the main leads lie to each other cause when they know the truth about each other, then there's a fun us against the world feel. I'm curious as to what the plot of this show will be since so far it doesn't seem like there is one except maybe to keep Yeong Goo away from Diana the robot wrecker?
CDRAMA
Detective L (15/24): Shanghai in 30s: An intriguing crime case emerges amidst the bustling city. A beautiful new graduate of police academy, Qin Xiaoman, joins the investigation unit. The famous detective Luo Fei becomes her colleague and neighbor.
What a strange case we had this week. It was super creative and I loved that it related back to another case. It was clever of the show to have Xiao Man ask Luo Fei about previous unsolved cases so that we could have that in the back of our minds as a clue and I defs want to give props to the thieves who literally waited 10 years in order to get the diamonds they stole. I don't know how I feel about Huo being the guy behind the fires and attempting to steal the diamonds cause though I've always felt that Huo was sketchy, I didn't think he was that greedy. A part of me wonders if the whole thing was a ruse to get into prison with the Captain cause he did give him a weird look at the end of the episode but if that were the case then Huo could have committed a less serious crime. These fires killed 10 innocent people and he killed 4 more by hand so like wow. I'd guess he is going to use his circumstances to his advantage or maybe try to assuage his guilt by figuring out the Captain for Luo Fei. I also like the slow building of Luo Fei and Xiao Man's relationship cause now we got an official confirmation that Luo Fei likes her and based on how he's always been jealous when Xiao Man and Huo interact though it was a bit sad that he decided to back off in the face of someone else liking Xiao Man instead of stepping up. Also can we take a moment to gush about how handsome Bai Yu is in this role??
La Coup de Foudre (18/35): Zhao Qiao Yi and Yan Mo are classmates in high school. One is a bad student and the other a top student. Although they don’t seem to have anything in common, they make a promise on the day before graduation to go study abroad together. But due to an unforeseen incident in Qiao Yi’s family, she can’t keep the promise and the two lose contact. Four years later, they meet again at their first class reunion. Qiao Yi finally admits her own feelings and decides to move to where Yan Mo lives in order to pursue him, but has to discover that there is already someone by his side. Yan Mo, though, secretly does a lot of things for Qiao Yi. While nobody can rival him when it comes to studying or working, he is unable to express his feelings. Will the two find together in the end?
I've officially decided why this show isn't clicking for me. I mean I'm enjoying it enough but the problem is that both main leads are so passive that it's exhausting. I wonder if I just don't like Janice Wu as an actress that much cause I've been finding myself annoyed in both the shows I watch with her cause she does this whispering thing that's super irritating. Like I understand being shy but there's a limit cause at some point you need to say what you mean and stop feeling sorry for yourself. I thought that maybe the reason they broke up in high school was cause of Mo's mom but it turns out it was because of Qiao Yi's dad getting into an accident which makes total sense why she wouldn't want to leave the country but like instead of telling Mo what happened, she lies and lies and I just don't understand why. What was so embarrassing or shameful or whatever? She didn't even tell her teachers or her friends and I just don't understand her character. And then both spend 6 years just straight up pining for each other and I'm sitting here like why couldn't one of you pick up the damn phone? She knew that Mo liked her and she didn't even call him when she was in London! And then when they meet again after 10 years, still they don't say anything! Like spit it out already, it's not cute anymore. I also really don't understand why Qiao Yi sees in Mo cause all he does is grumble at her. I have to admit though that him crashing her date and ruining it cause he was jealous was pretty cute though. The worst part of all this is that if Qiao Yi literally says I'm here for you, he'd melt at her damn feet!
FINISHED I Hear You (24/24): Bei Er Duo, a girl from an ordinary family, dreams about studying in Japan to be a professional voice actress. However, her mother wants her to marry rich whilst she is young, leading to continuous blind dates which irritate Bei Er Duo. In her desperation to raise funds for studying overseas as well as helping her best friend Tang Li out of a crisis, Bei Er Duo joins a couple reality program, encountering top violin maker Ye Shu Wei. Ye Shu Wei is from a family of artists and has a low-key, mysterious, and genius character in both the composing and violin industry. He was forced to join the reality program having lost a bet to his nephew Yu Sheng. In fact, the actual reason that attracted Ye Shu Wei to participate in the show is not his bet with Yu Sheng. Instead, he seeks to identify the person who correctly answered his audition question. Because the reality show is faced with the crisis of integrity, Bei Er Duo and Ye Shu Wei start a lively and funny cohabitation life, and spontaneously fell into the fate of a wonderful romance together.
As you can tell by looking at the dramas I was watching this week, I was really in the mood to check out musical dramas. Part of it was because I adore musical dramas but part of it was also because of how sad The Brightest Star In The Sky made me so I tried to overcompensate for my pain. This one wasn't as music centric as I hoped tbh and though it started out really strong, it lost it's way towards the middle and came to a disappointing end if I'm being honest. I really liked the concept of this show being set in the foreground of a reality show but to my disappointment, the reality show aspect started to disappear as the show went to only to become something we are told happens offscreen. I liked Er Duo and Shu Wei at the start and though Shu Wei just got cuter as the show went on, Er Duo lost a lot of her charm. It took waaay too long for her to realize her feelings for him and when she did, nothing much in their relationship changed. I found myself more invested in the secondary couple only to have my heart broken when they didn't end up together. When Mars first appeared I was super down cause I was like yo now Yu Sheng will get jealous and realize how much Tang Li means to him but then even after he got jealous and realized his feelings, he still didn't act on them and spent the rest of the show depressed and Tang Li married some other dude for comfort. It was such a strange message! The music was also an afterthought in this show and I disliked the ending where both Shu Wei and Er Duo went off to follow their own feelings before shockingly returning to be together in the last second cause though I approve of the idea of not changing life decisions for a guy, I think last minute breakups to come back together is too cheesy. Overall I'd give this show a 6 / 10.
FINISHED My Idol (24/24): A coming-of-age story that follows a group of young trainees in an entertainment company. Aspiring ballerina Ha Lei starts a hilarious and touching journey when she meets the members of a boyband. Ha Lei was born into a traditional family known for their skills in embroidery. She has always dreamed of becoming a ballerina, but lacked the talent to succeed which often relegated her to the sidelines as the ugly duckling that can never take flight. Through a stroke of luck, she earns the chance to join an entertainment company as a backup for a girl group where she meets the members of MY, a boyband that is soon to debut. Helian Rongguang is an outstanding street dancer and the flashy leader of the group. Mao You is the social magnet who is friends with everybody. Du Wang is a gentle person who is gifted with the talent for variety and Han Che is the mysterious member of the group. Helian Rongguang begins to notice Ha Lei as she devotes her heart and soul for the sake of her dreams and decides to lend her a helping hand in achieving her goals.
This drama was everything I love in a music and idol drama and everything I had hoped The Brightest Star In The Sky would be! In case you can't tell yet, I freaking adored everything about this. There aren't that many dramas out there that have romance set between two idols (or trainees but you know what I mean) which was a highlight all on it's own since most dramas have romances between a male idol and a female manager. While this is a fun scenario to watch (and one I really never get sick of), it felt so unique to have the male and female leads be so equal to each other. Their romance felt so real because both Ha Lei and Rong Guang loved to dance and together they worked to reach that dream. I loved all the performances and the music choices and the emphasis on never giving up on your passion. I also adored all the side characters and their storylines too and want to give a special shoutout to Blue Wang who played a female character playing a male character and it was everything. My only complaint with this show was that the show was left on a cliffhanger. It felt as though it wanted to pick up for another season but couldn't. We ended with all the villains succeeding in their evil plans and the heroes either not having a clue or just realizing what happened. The CEO was a devil having murdered two people for his own gain and the best friend was just as terrible cause she knew about the CEO and how much Ha Lei and Rong Guang loved each other but decided that her own obsession towards Rong Guang was more important cause if she loved him not only would she want him to be happy but damn girl you know the real reason his mom died and you don't give a shit. I'd like to imagine that either Rong Guang gets his memory back or he falls in love with Ha Lei all over again despite the amnesia. I'm also not entirely sure what Zi Qian's longterm plan is cause unless she deleted all his memory footage, he'll know the truth by watching it or through his MY teammates who aren't going to be like oh yeah you totally love this random girl we've never seen you interact with. Overall I'd give this show a 8.5 / 10 and it's definitely up there with other music dramas.
The Brightest Star In The Sky (26/44): As singer-songwriter C-POP star, Huang Zitao plays a role of a recalcitrant idol who debuted and become famous since he was young. He deeply likes music and keeps persistent, that is similar with Huang Zi Tao. This time Yang Zhen Zhen is a newbie manager who just starts the work. Being a newbie staff, she faces various obstacles but she never gives up her music dreams.
I officially dislike this show. I don't know about you all but I'm watching this show for Bai Xu who is literally the main character of this show but it feels more like he's the second lead and not just in terms of romance. At first I thought this was a creative way of writing his character but that only works if there's some sort of evolution involved because it feels like the writers of this show have a crush on Zi Rui and all the focus is on him. Like Bai Xu gets a lot of screen time obviously but he does nothing. I'm tired of hearing about how Bai Xu is a terrible singer and that Zi Rui is an angel because if the show wanted to go this way then they should have written it so Zi Rui is the lead. I can't believe Z Tao picked this role tbh cause I understand that a character shouldn't be all around perfect but I want my main lead to have good qualities so I can understand why the female lead would fall for him! Other than Bai Xu being hot and nice enough, he sucks at everything else and it's exhausting to watch cause it feels like the show is just shitting on him continuously. At the very least we shut down the Zi Rui and Zhen Zhen relationship and we're getting clear hints that Bai Xu is into Zhen Zhen but she's still acting like an idiot so I'm still not on board. I kind of want to drop this show but I also kind of just want to finish it for Z Tao. I did the same thing in The Negotiator where I thought the writing was super shitty and the main couple had no chemistry.
xoxo Allie
