Top 10 Asian Dramas Of 2018

And now last but not least, here's a new Top 10 list! As I've watched and fallen in love with asian dramas this year I thought it would be fun to make a list of my top 10 of 2018. Again, this list is based on my personal opinions and may have spoilers. Since I also binged shows from previous years, a few in my honorable mentions will be ones I loved that didn't air this year! If you'd like to see more, make sure to check out my Weekly Drama Reviews, Favorite YouTube Videos and My Asian OTPs & Ships!

Fight My Way

My first honorable mention is a kdrama from 2017 called Fight My Way/Third Rate My Way. This is the drama I fell in love with Park Seo Joon in. I adored the way his character (Dong-Man) wore his heart on his sleeve. It was so refreshing to see a male lead who didn't play games and didn't hide anything from his love interest. His romance with Kim Ji Won (Ae-Ra) was perfection cause not only did I love their chemistry but I loved that they were a friends to lovers story and it was so much fun to see them learn new things about each other despite knowing each other for so long. I adored that the drama focused on a bunch of middle class/poor people without any chaebol problems and that the main theme of the drama was to follow your heart and never give up on your dreams. Click here to see my favorite YouTube videos of them.

Mad Dog

My second honorable mention is a kdrama from 2017 called Mad Dog. I loved that the main plot of this show was about getting revenge while running different cons cause you know I love con artists cause I love watching them run schemes and outsmart their opponents. The villains were so cunning and evil and because of that it was so satisfying when our heroes came out on top. The Mad Dog crew were so loyal to each other and I loved watching Woo Do Hwan (Min Joon) be adopted into the family. Speaking of, this was my second drama with him and though I was meh about his first, this one really sold me on him as an actor. Woo Do Hwan played a perfect mischievous con man but the best was his extremely flirty relationship with Ryu Hwa Young (Ha Ri) and though they never kissed on screen, some of their moments were hotter than any kisses in other dramas! Click here to see my favorite YouTube videos of them and here to see a longer review of this show!

My Mr Mermaid

My third honorable mention is a cdrama from 2017 called My Mr Mermaid. When I started this show I didn't know how deeply I would fall in love with it and how this would end up being my absolute favorite cdrama. I loved that this show was set around the college years cause there's so few shows set around this time period and that the swimming in this show felt like a whole character in itself cause I have never felt more anxiety watching a sport on a show. I loved that the main couple started out as friends without any annoying misunderstandings and that they both supported each other's careers and dreams with every inch of their hearts. The slow build of their relationship made their love feel more intense and when they finally did get together, it felt earned! The friendships between the swimmers also felt so real and it was so much fun seeing their antics and how much they supported each other as well when one was down. There were also no real mustache-twirling evil villains which made it feel so refreshing as well! Click here to see my favorite YouTube videos of them.

My Only Love Song

My fourth honorable mention is a kdrama from 2017 called My Only Love Song. This was actually one of the first dramas I had ever watched and before this I didn't know much fun they could be! I laughed as much watching this show and I loved every single moment from the comedy to the romance to the friendships to the plot. One of the most interesting things was the way some episodes were narrated from a different character's POV so you could get to know them and their thoughts. Each character had so many layers to them and I loved the time travel shenanigans. The main couple had the most incredible chemistry as well and I melted every time Lee Jong Hyun as On Dal smirked! I loved how Gong Seung Yoon's character Soo Jung was so confident and sassy. She exasperated him completely but I loved watching her grow on him going from someone who he was trying to get away from to someone he couldn't live without. Click here to see my favorite YouTube videos of them.

Strong Woman Do Bong Soon

My fifth honorable mention is a kdrama from 2017 called Strong Woman Do Bong Soon. Unless you've been living under a rock or don't watch asian dramas at all, you've heard of how amazing this drama is! I discovered the love of my life Park Hyungsik in this show and I've never seen a better male lead than his Min Hyuk! He not only wore his heart on his sleeve but he was also confident and romantic and loving and so so cute. I loved that he supported Bong Soon's strength and wasn't scared or repulsed by it and that he actually helped her train, building their friendship before the romance which was perfect too. I also loved how he didn't go all caveman on her and let her set the terms while also letting her know how he felt without overwhelming her. The confession followed by their ultra cute dates were everything which showcased how amazing their chemistry was!!! The cute was also interspersed with the serial kidnapper story and that prevented the drama from being too boring! Click here to see my favorite YouTube videos of them.


And now for my Top 10!

Hymn Of Death

Coming in at number 10 is a kdrama called Hymn Of Death! I started this show not expecting anything and found a beautifully tragic story that made my heart break in half. I loved how intense the love between Shim Deok and Woo Jin was and how it felt so believable that the only thing that kept them alive despite being apart for so long was their love for one another. They supported each other's dreams and seemed to be the only ones who did. I also loved that this show was set in the 20s because it gave the show more of a melancholic feel than if it was set in modern day cause the problems they faced could have been solved in a second if it wasn't this time period. It also helped that there was not really any major side characters so we had to focus on our main two and really understand them and what led to their final decision. Click here to see my favorite YouTube videos of them and here to see a more in-depth review of the show.

The Flame's Daughter

Number 9 is a cdrama called The Flame's Daughter! I really adored this show cause it showcased one of the strongest female leads I've seen in a while and I loved that this was her story. Ironically the romance between Ru Ge and Yin Xue was the only problem I had with this show cause it was like half of the time he was "dead" and then all of a sudden Ru Ge was in love with him, though I am happy that they got a happy ending after all. Despite that, I loved that Ru Ge was such a well written character. She took over as head of the family despite pressure to have a man lead and she was kind and loving while also being smart. I loved that she made friends with someone from every clan including the prince and those friends would have given up their lives for her. I really enjoyed learning about the world and that we started the show getting to know the main tribes and characters before heading off to war. Click here and here to see more in depth reviews of this show!

The Great Seducer / Tempted

Number 8 is a kdrama called The Great Seducer/Tempted! I had a lot of fun with this drama cause it was a loose adaptation of Dangerous Liaisons and I was super into the over-the-top dramatic feel to the whole thing. I loved the romance between Shi Hyun and Tae Hee (played by Woo Do Hwan and Joy respectively, both who I adore) and that she was so kind and sweet that he couldn't help but fall for her almost from the start. I loved the twists and the turns of the plot and the mysteries of what happened in the past and how connected the two were from long before they even knew each other. I also loved the toxic relationship between the three rich kids but I was waiting and waiting for them to break up cause they really were the worst together. The only things that made me enjoy this show less were how many times Shi Hyun and Tae Hee broke up (seriously it was like every few episodes) and the focus on the parents cause literally no one cared about their nonsense. I didn't even mind the whole thing starting out as a dare since the tone of the show was so dark and melodramatic so I didn't mind it as much as I would have in other shows. Click here to see my favorite YouTube videos of them.

Eulachacha Waikiki / Laughter In Waikiki

Number 7 is a kdrama called Eulachacha Waikiki/Laughter in Waikiki! Imagine Friends meets New Girl and that's what kind of show this is. I cannot tell you the last time I laughed so hard watching a drama and I savored every single minute of this show. The writing was smart and witty, the acting was amazing and like I said, the comedy was everything. The best thing about this show was that I loved every single character and pretty much every storyline which is hard to find in an ensemble show. I loved that all the main characters were living in one house and since there was no real overlying plot to this show, episodes were there to showcase and highlight different relationships between the characters which placed character growth over plot development like most sitcoms. I also loved the romances for all three guys though Seo Jin and Joon Ki's was my favorite probably. Baby Sol was also a highlight. The only thing is that the first few episodes are a little rough cause the show is trying to find it's feet and the humor in those episodes are a little more potty humor than I would have liked but once this show finds it's groove, there's no way you can put it down and you constantly want more! Click here to see my favorite YouTube videos of them.

Lawless Lawyer

Coming in at number 6 is a kdrama called Lawless Lawyer! I adored so much about this drama from the soundtrack (this hilarious barking pump up music would play every time something fun was happening) to the Lawless Lawyer crew of thugs (who were so supportive and loyal and hilarious) to the extremely well written and cunning villains. I loved that Jae Yi was such a smart independent woman who didn't jump to conclusions about things and took the time to understand other people's points of view while also taking no shit and being ready to punch someone at the drop of a hat. I loved her romance with Sang Pil and that they really wanted to protect one another and had so much in common which is why they got together so quickly. I also loved the plot being a revenge one although as time went on, the writing became weaker until it sort of puttered to a weird end. Despite that there was so much I loved in this that I still had to put it on my top 10! Click here to check out longer reviews for this show and here to see some YouTube videos.

Siege In Fog / Color Of Night

Coming in at number 5 is a cdrama called Siege In Fog/Color Of Night! This drama had everything I enjoy in a drama in it with the addition of an extremely sexy man (hey Elvis Han) and the return of Sun Yi who I loved in Because of Meeting You. I was taken with the fact that the show started in the middle of Qin Sang and Lian Kai's arranged marriage and that we got to see their normal interactions before watching it turn into love (at least on her part cause he loved her before they married.) It was so much fun seeing how cold and calculating Qin Sang was and how desperate Lian Kai was for her to love him back. I also adored the Yi family dynamics and how tight-knit and loving they were and how it really felt like they were all there to keep the family strong against enemies. The only downside for me was the tragic end to this show cause I thought everyone deserved to be happy! Click here to see a more in-depth review and here to see YouTube videos of them!

I'm Not A Robot

Coming in at number 4 is a kdrama called I’m Not A Robot! You know I don't really like romances where both parties aren't human and that's pretty much what made me hesitant to start this show but when I finally started it after hearing nothing but positives, to my pleasant surprise the romance was between two humans where one was acting like a robot and I was all in! I loved this show from it's comedy to it's plot to the Aji-3 crew antics to the company drama! I loved how much Min Kyu and Ji Ah loved each other and how much he was torn about loving something that wasn't human. The second half of the show after Ji Ah stops pretending to be Aji-3 was even better than the first half in my opinion and I really could not stop binging it! I loved how upset he was that everyone was lying to him but I loved the scenes where they finally talked everything out and got rid of all misunderstandings even more! Click here to see my favorite YouTube videos of them.

Just Between Lovers / Rain Or Shine

Number 3 is a kdrama called Just Between Lovers/Rain Or Shine. I fell in love with Lee Junho in this drama and honestly what can I say but that I loved pretty much everything in this show? I loved that the tone of this show was melancholy and that it touched on such deep dark topics from PTSD to anxiety to amnesia to death and loss. It was so different from pretty much any other drama I had watched and I think that's what won me over. I loved that our main couple both went through the mall collapse and lost family and pretty much built each other up from the ground. Their love literally healed them and they brought out the best in one another. I loved the motley crew that Gang Doo had and how much they supported each other as well as the rebuilding of the mall collapse monument being the reason to bring him together with Moon Soo who sidebar but I kind of adored for choosing the poor guy over the rich one. Honestly the only thing I disliked about this show was Joo Woon and his rich family drama! Click here to see my favorite YouTube videos of them.

The Smile Has Left Your Eyes / Hundred Million Stars In The Sky

Coming in at number 2 is a kdrama called The Smile Has Left Your Eyes/Hundred Million Stars In The Sky! If you were following my weekly drama reviews, this should be no surprise to you! I freaking adored this drama and everything about it. I loved that Moo Young was such a grey character who never technically did anything to break the law but wasn't the most morally clean and that you spent half of the show wondering what kind of person he was. I loved the slow build of his romance with Jin Kang and how she saw him for who he really was underneath his snarky demeanor and how for the first time he lowered his walls and wanted to be good for her. They found a little piece of themselves in each other. I loved the horribly tragic ending to this show and the fact that all of it could have been solved if only Jin Gook had told the truth rather than wallow in his own failures cause it showed us that we all make mistakes and how we need to learn from them and grow rather than try to ignore them. Click here to check out longer reviews for this show and here to see my favorite YouTube videos.

A Korean Odyssey / Hwayugi

And finally my number 1 asian drama of 2018 is a kdrama called A Korean Odyssey/Hwayugi! How on Earth could it have been anything else cause I seriously rewatched this drama waaay too many times for it to be healthy! I was fascinated by the world this show gave me and the characters it portrayed as well as the overarching plot to rid the world of evil and the weekly plots to get rid of smaller demons. I loved that every main character except Seon Mi were demons and that Oh Gong was so mischievous. His frenemy relationship with Ma Wang as well as the building romance with Seon Mi were everything. I loved that it started out as a fabricated love for her by the bracelet only to evolve into real love and it's fun to try to go back and figure out when that switch happened! I also loved that they had a deadly fate to them in which one would die for the other because it made their love feel stronger when it went against fate and I loved the way it played out in the end. The comedy and witty dialogue as well as the evil spirit that possessed the body of their zombie friend only added to my enjoyment. I also didn't mind the open ending unlike others cause I feel like it's pretty obvious how Oh Gong would get Seon Mi back so it wasn't that vague to me personally! Click here to see my favorite YouTube videos of them.


And with this last post, that concludes my year end rankings! I hope you enjoyed these as much as I did and hopefully you checked out a lot of these too and if you haven't, do so now! I hope you all have a wonder New Year and I'll see you all in 2019!

xoxo Allie

Top 10 TV Shows of 2018

Hi everyone! As promised, I'm back with my Top 10 Favorite TV Shows of 2018! Again, this list is based on my personal opinions and may have spoilers. There was a lot of great TV out this year so I'm going to start with some honorable mentions which has some shows that I binged this year but have ended and some shows that are still on air but that just missed the top 10 list! If you want a refresher, check out my Top 10 TV Shows of 2013, my Top 10 TV Shows of 2014, and my Top 10 TV Shows of 2015, Top 10 TV Shows of 2016 and Top 10 TV Shows of 2017 lists! Fair warning, there may be spoilers below so keep that in mind!

Up first are my honorable mentions: two shows that I loved but got cancelled!

Iron Fist

My first honorable mention is Iron Fist! The second season aired this summer and though I enjoyed season 1 more than most people did, I still wasn't the biggest fan of it. Season 2 however was everything and after the way it ended, I was really disappointed it got cancelled! Danny Rand is still the least interesting of the Marvel Netflix leads but his relationship with Colleen is the best Marvel Netflix romance and I adore all of the characters on this show from Ward who went from pain in the ass last season to one of my favorite characters this time to Davos who is a totally understandable villain to Colleen who is the most kickass and smart women on the show! I loved diving into the mythology of the Iron Fist more this season and I was really excited to learn more about Colleen's family and what happened to Danny that he got the Fist back. Unfortunately all those questions will never be answered unless you're into the comics.... Click here to see my season 1 review!

Daredevil

My second honorable mention is another Marvel Netflix show that got cancelled this year and that's Daredevil! This one hurt more that Iron Fist cause Daredevil has always been my favorite of the Marvel Netflix shows and season 3 was great! I really loved the return to basics this season with Matt fighting Fisk again and the reconciliation of Matt, Karen and Foggy who are the core of this show. Foggy especially started to finally feel like a real lawyer with how smart his dialogue was and Karen was really fleshed out this season. I really enjoyed the episode in which we went back to learn about her past. I also loved the addition of Maggie as Matt's mom and Ray as the FBI agent who really lost out this season. The idea of Matt struggling with his faith and wondering what it was all for after everything he loss (cough Elektra cough) was everything and the ending of this season did have more of a bow on it than Iron Fist did but I'm still going to miss it. I also didn't love how we'll never get an answer to what happened to Elektra because not only do I love her as a character and as a love interest to Matt, her fate was left in the air! Click here to see some YouTube videos of them!

And now let's get into our Top 10!

Vikings

Coming in at number 10 is Vikings! Now I've been consistently watching this show since 2014 but other than in 2014 I haven't really had this show on my list cause unfortunately unlike most shows I watch, Vikings's strongest season was season 1 in my opinion and it's been consistently going downhill from there. After Ragnar died in season 4 and the show became about his sons, there was a fresh feel to this show which did reinvest my interest and I have been pretty into season 5 so far cause I've really enjoyed the war between brothers. I'm really into Ivar as a villain though he seems to be losing his mind more recently and Alfred as a king who's really coming into his own and Heahmund as this antihero who looks out for himself but also really loves Lagertha (or so it seems cause he's so hard to read.) Unfortunately Lagertha and Bjorn have been shuffled off to the side it feels cause neither have had anything really to do other than sleep with others which is annoying cause they've been my favorites for a while now! Here's hoping we'll get more later this season which is currently airing! Click here to see some YouTube videos.

The Flash

At number 9 is The Flash! This show has never been my favorite of the Arrowverse cause I'm not a huge Barry Allen fan but my enjoyment of the show goes up and down. Last season was pretty good but I was really annoyed with how much screen-time Ralph Dibny got cause he was the worst but I really enjoyed Thinker as a villain. This season I've been kind of on the fence about how I feel cause though I've definitely enjoyed Ralph a lot more who went from this creep to a more comedic and kind character, I haven't really been a fan of the villain this year even if I like the idea of him being able to take away meta powers. I was also pretty into the idea of Nora coming back from the future but as the episodes went on she started to get less fun and more annoying and the show suddenly became The Westallen Family Starring The Flash show. I do suppose the more you enjoy them the more you'd enjoy this season but I've never been a huge fan of Iris and Barry so I'm pretty meh about it. The Flash will be back January 15th on CW! Click here to see more in-depth reviews and here to see YouTube videos!

Shadowhunters

Coming in at number 8 is Shadowhunters! I've always been a huge fan of the City of Bones book series and so I've always wanted to love the adaptations of the books whether that's the movie or this show and though season 1 of this show was real bad, season 2 was much better and so far season 3 hasn't been half bad! City of Fallen Angels was adapted for the first half and I assume since the show was cancelled that the rest of season 3 will be mostly City of Heavenly Fire with a touch of City of Lost Souls. I can't wait to see how this will be adapted though I have less of a stake in it since the first three books are my favorites which could mean that I'll enjoy the season more. I've been loving the way Jace and Clary's relationship has played out so far as well as the strong bond between the Lightwoods and Jace so I hope we get more of that not to mention Alec and Magnus! I wonder if the show will end Simon's arc the way it did in the books and I feel like we might get a hint of him and Izzy since there hasn't been enough legwork done to actually get them together now when we get back February 25th on Freeform! Click here to see some YouTube videos.

Gotham

At number 7 is Gotham! This is another one of those shows that have never gotten to be on my top 10 list before but I've been watching since it first aired back in 2014! The first season was rough but once the show gotten into it's second season and embraced the craziness that is the Batman Rogue's Gallery, the show picked up and has been so much ever since! We're about to go into it's final season and I'm sad cause I've enjoyed this show so much. I love all the characters (both the villains and the heroes) and the plot each season and how each season the city gets crazier and crazier showing us why the GCPD isn't enough and why we need someone like Batman! Baby Bruce is everything and I love his dynamic with Baby Selina and their relationship is super precious and very back and forth like Batman/Catwoman is. Lee and Jim are great too and I love that they'll always love each other more than anyone else even if they're not together. I've loved how last season the Sirens have taken over one part of the city, Lee and Riddler another and Penguin was off on his own and I can't wait to see what No Man's Land in Gotham looks like when it returns January 3rd on FOX. Click here to see some YouTube videos and here to see longer reviews!

Agents Of SHIELD

Coming in at number 6 is Agents Of SHIELD! What a surprise to see this show so low right? It's been either 1 or 2 for the past 4 years but I really wasn't a huge fan of season 5 and I personally felt the quality dropped a lot. There were episodes that stood as being really fun specifically the Fitz and Hunter escapade on Earth. I think a lot of it was because Fitz has always been my favorite character on the show and this past season they pretty much made him a monster by telling us that Framework Fitz was just another part of Fitz and I really didn't like how they broke up the Bus Kids (aka Daisy/Skye, Fitz and Simmons) but I could have gotten past this if the story was better but after the first half in space, the second half was just not great in my opinion cause I really didn't care about Ruby and I was pretty disappointed in their 100th episode. I am super curious about what season 6 will look like with Coulson leaving the show and I'm still waiting for at least Hunter to come back cause Bobbi is busy on another show! Agents of SHIELD will be back in July on ABC! Anyway click here to see some YouTube videos and here to see longer reviews!

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

At number 5 is The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina! This is a new show both on my top 10 list and in actuality. I loved the Sabrina the Teenage Witch show when I was younger and I'm really into Riverdale so I was excited to see what this show would do and I found that I loved this show so much! It was crazy in a fun way and dark in a wow is this okay kind of way? I loved how witches were portrayed in this show as basically the version that sold their souls to Satan to get their powers but it was done in a way where it didn't feel like a huge immoral thing as it probably should be. I loved that the plot of season 1 was that Sabrina wasn't sure if she wanted to give her soul to Satan and that the villain was so cunning and manipulative that she sort of convinced Sabrina that it was ultimately her idea to do so. I loved all the members of the Spellman family including the new addition of Ambrose and though I didn't like Zelda at first, she was so protective of Sabrina that I couldn't help but grow to love her too. Sabrina's relationship with Harvey was so sweet and Ross Lynch's Harvey was one of the most loving and supportive boyfriends I've ever seen on tv! The only downside of this show was Sabrina's two girl friends who I thought were super annoying and could have done without!

Riverdale

Coming in at number 4 is Riverdale! This is one of my favorite shows on air and it's one that you need to watch with your brain turned off. During season 2 I started to realize how insane the plots were and how none of the characters or their parents acted like they were in high school and once I noticed that I was able to turn off the part of my brain that was like 'that makes no sense' and just enjoy the crazy ride. Betty and Jughead are still my favorite characters and their relationship is still the best on the show. Archie is a moron but once you decide that yes every decision he makes is in fact idiotic, it's much more enjoyable and Veronica is alright though I'm not a huge fan of her relationship with Archie cause I feel like they have no chemistry which is why a possible thing with Reggie is everything to me. I'm also not a huge fan of Cheryl but since she's not one of the core 4, we do see less of her. I'm not so into the Gargoyle King this season but I love Hiram being such a mob boss! Riverdale will be back January 16th on CW! Click here to see some YouTube videos and here to see longer reviews!

 

Arrow

At number 3 is Arrow! Of course this is in the top 5 of my top 10 list cause Arrow is my baby and no matter how bad it gets, I'm still along for the ride and trust me it got reeeeal bad the second half of season 6 but it's gotten much better during the first half of season 7. I really disliked the OTA v NTA fight last season because not only were both sides wrong but it didn't make anyone look good! I was exhausted being told every week that NTA didn't trust Oliver and they wouldn't go back so when that season ended, it was a breath of fresh air. I did of course love the marriage of Oliver and Felicity and the little family they made with William which was the only saving grace! Unfortunately while a lot was fixed this season, they got rid of William which is kinda sad! I have been enjoying this season so far cause as much as I didn't really care for Oliver in prison, I loved the refocus of the show on Oliver and Felicity as characters doing their own thing but going on similar journeys and the way Team Arrow was split up so everyone had something to do. I'm super into the idea of Oliver as the Green Arrow working with the police and I hope that Felicity gets to build Smoak Tech and Diggle, Lyla and ARGUS work on their own thing but end up leading back to whatever Oliver is working on! Arrow will be back January 21st on CW! Click here to see some YouTube videos and here to see longer reviews!

Legends Of Tomorrow

Coming in at number 2 is Legends Of Tomorrow! This is definitely my favorite of the Arrowverse shows because no matter how insane and kooky the show gets, the writing never falters, the characters never lose themselves and the plot is always exciting. I love how it showcases some of the best LGBTQ relationships on tv and how they're treated like any straight relationship. I love how strong and smart and independent the women are and how they are all such capable leaders. I love the dynamics between all the characters both on the Time Rider and in the Bureau! I love the crazy plans and the comedic writing and the magical creatures this season! Everything about this show is perfection and I really would be hard-pressed to find something I dislike about this show! I really loved Wally popping up last season but it's really unfortunate that he left the Arrowverse cause I felt like this show really allowed him to shine! I'm a huge fan of Zari and Sara and Constantine right now and the only person I don't really understand or need is Charlie but hopefully she'll grow on me when the show returns in April on CW! Click here to see some YouTube videos and here to see longer reviews!

The Magicians

And now my number 1 show of 2018 is The Magicians!! What a crazy jump from the number 8 spot it was in last year but what can I say? I adore this show! As you can probably guess based on this list, I've been waaay into shows that are insane and crazy this year cause they're so much fun to watch! I love how every new episode of this show is so unexpected and leads you to new places that you never would have guessed. It's like Harry Potter meets The Chronicles Of Narnia but with hilarious hijinks and a group of misfit characters who are trying their damndest but screw up every time. I love that sometimes the show digs down deep into dark themes like slavery and sexual assault but other times it has musical episodes and sloths giving love advice! It has everything you could possibly want in a show plus a wide range of diverse characters of different genders, races, personality and sexual preferences! I loved that last season was all about trying to get magic back after the crew screwed up and got magic turned off only to unleash a monster into the world and have their memories wiped! I'm super excited to get back into this world on January 23rd on Syfy! Click here to see some YouTube videos of them!


And with that another top 10 list has been concluded! I'll see you all tomorrow for my top 10 Asian dramas list and make sure you look back on my top 10 lists of previous years!!

xoxo Allie

Top 10 Movies of 2018

Hello all my lovelies! I hope you all had a great holiday season and now it's that time of year again where I list my favorite movies and tv shows of the year! I've been doing these for about five years now so you should know the drill but if you don't, I'm going to be listing my Top 10 Movies of 2017 from 10 to 1 with number 1 being my favorite movie of the year! It turns out that I actually didn't watch that many movies this year so there will be no honorable mentions list at the top! If you're interested, I also have Top 10 Movies of 2013, Top 10 Movies of 2014, Top 10 Movies of 2015, Top 10 Movies of 2016 and Top 10 Movies of 2017! Anyway, let's get right to it with our top 10!

Ocean's 8

Coming in at number 10 is Ocean's 8! Now this movie was by no means a spectacular success and I wouldn't say that I loved it enough to rewatch it again but based on my first viewing of this movie, I had a lot of fun and so onto my top 10 it goes! I've always been a huge fan of heist movies and con artists cause I love watching people outwit others and watching schemes go down and that's pretty much what attracted me to this movie aside from it's killer cast. I loved watching the plan go down and how it turned out that the target was also in on the plan in the end and how they were able to steal what they wanted in the end. My favorite moment though was at the top in the makeup store when Sandra Bullock stole all that makeup by pretending to have lost her receipt when trying to return it.

Wreck It Ralph 2: Ralph Breaks The Internet

At number 9 is Wreck It Ralph 2: Ralph Breaks The Internet! I really enjoyed the first movie and the second was just as fun! I adored this new world we experienced and all the new characters we met though of course my favorites were the Disney princesses who were such a big deal to have and their scene when they met Vanellope was everything! I loved the humor in this movie that was just as good as the last and the new Easter Eggs and hints that popped up everywhere! It was a little crazy that there was no real villain in this movie cause the message was all about finding new things to fall in love with when you're feeling unfulfilled so Ralph was technically the villain cause he was afraid to lose Vanellope and thus tried to sabotage her fun.

Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse

Coming in at number 8 is Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse! I'm always down for another superhero movie and this one looked amazing from almost the first trailer I saw! I loved every moment of this movie from it's animation style to the characters to how many Easter Eggs there were! I loved how many different versions of Spiderman there were without the movie feeling overstuffed! We've seen so many versions of Peter Parker that it was about time to see Miles and even Spider Gwen! I loved the take on Kingpin in this cause I couldn't help but keep comparing him to the Daredevil version! This movie honestly had everything from comedy to action to heartwarming moments and if you haven't checked it out or was like meh it's another Spiderman movie or meh it's animated, you're seriously missing out!

Ant Man And The Wasp

At number 7 is Ant Man And The Wasp! I actually had a ton of fun in this movie and it reminded me of how much I loved the first one though in my opinion, this one might be slightly better! It was the perfect pick-me-up after Infinity War and I loved so much in this from Hope finally getting her Wasp costume to the heist feel of the plot to the humor that seriously killed me watching it. I loved that there was a good reason that Scott wasn't in the Avengers movie and that there were callbacks to him going out during Civil War and how that led to an estranged relationship with the Hank and Hope. It was a ton of fun seeing Luis and the other members of the crew as well as Cassie who was the cutest in this movie. I loved seeing the quantum realm again but the best part of the movie was when Luis was under the truth serum and narrating what happened in his point of view. The only thing I didn't care for was the villains of this movie both Ghost and that gangster dude who wanted to steal all their tech to sell later.

Aquaman

Coming in at number 6 is Aquaman! This was such a fun movie to watch you guys cause though it was nothing new or deep, I was totally on board from beginning to end. I loved the world this movie built and how real it felt and how each underwater kingdom felt different from the last. The underwater graphics were amazing as were all the creatures we met. I loved that there were no air bubbles and that this felt like more of a scavenger hunt than a superhero movie cause though there was a big battle at the end, most of the movie was spent searching for the trident. Jason Momoa was amazing as expected but I was really impressed with Amber Heard who I'd never seen act before. Though their chemistry was a bit lacking and the script was a bit cheesy and one-dimensional, I thought everyone did a great job on their own.

To All The Boys I've Loved Before

At number 5 is To All The Boys I've Loved Before! Though this is a Netflix movie, it was released this year and I loved it enough to decide it deserved a spot on this list! I was a pretty big fan of this book series so when I heard that the movie was coming out, I was pumped! I loved the main cast of this movie and how sweet Peter came out as he was played by Noah and how quirky Lara Jean was as played by Lana! The build of their relationship was perfect and I loved how so many scenes felt taken straight from the book and that the only big changes were made to make the movie better! I loved that the ending was changed so that the hot tub incident was less important and that Peter handled it better. The reconciliation at the end was great but it was a little weird because I'll be interested to see if the sequels follow the books too or if they get changed up a little to fit.

Black Panther

Coming in at number 4 is Black Panther! I liked Black Panther alright in Civil War but I was fascinated by the world he came from and this movie was everything in showing us that! I loved seeing Wakanda and learning about it's strengths and weaknesses and the culture and the tribes! It was amazing and it gave the normal Marvel formulaic storytelling a new light. All the characters were fascinating from Shuri to Nakia to Okoye and I loved seeing all the cool tech that the world had but what really sold me on this movie was Michael B Jordan as Killmonger. He was such a compelling villain and the most fascinating part was how you could understand his point of view and though he was going about it wrong, his complaints had merit. It was fascinating that in a movie about Black Panther, he was the least important part.

Crazy Rich Asians

Number 3 is Crazy Rich Asians! This movie blew up the world when it came out and it was funny to me cause since I watch so many asian dramas and movies, this wasn't a new concept to me but to most American audiences this was and after I watched it, despite having a plot that I've seen before many times, I loved it too! It was so much fun seeing the world that this movie created and seeing what a complete badass Rachel was and how she took no shit from Nick's rich world. If that was me, I would have run for the hills a long time ago! I loved meeting all of his family and how insane they were and seeing how the rich 1% lived in Singapore. The cinematography was gorgeous and I loved all the colors. Peik Lin was hilarious and I adored how much Rachel and Nick loved each other and that Eleanor eventually came around after she realized what a good person Rachel was and just how much Nick couldn't live without her. It was beautiful and fun and such a wild ride!

Incredibles 2

Coming in at number 2 is Incredibles 2! This was a long awaited movie cause Incredibles was so good and we all wanted a sequel and Disney Pixar listened and gave us a sequel that was just as fun as the first. I know some people were bothered that the plot was pretty similar to the first but I didn't mind it! I loved that the gender roles were switched so that Helen went off to fight crime and that Bob was left to take care of the kids and how well written it was because the movie showed just how important of a job being a parent is as well. I loved seeing Bob struggle to do well and how he never took it out on the kids and how he buckled down to do his best. Jack Jack stole the show with his two amazing scenes when he was chasing that raccoon and when he was left with Edna! I do wish that there was more action as a family but I loved the final confrontation on the yacht!

Avengers: Infinity War

And finally my number 1 movie of 2018 is Avengers: Infinity War! Seriously is this a surprise to anyone? I'm a huge Marvel nerd as you all know and I've watched everything Marvel from it's tv shows to all of it's movies so this being the culmination of 10 years in the making made this movie all the more incredible. I was astounded by how every single character was fit into this movie and how each one had something to do and no one felt unnecessary. I loved seeing all these characters who have never met before interact with each other and it was so heartbreaking watching some of them die! Thor was a breakout cause after Ragnarok he was basically reborn as a character and he stole the show for me with his hilarious interactions with the Guardians to his pain over losing Loki to his badass entrance into Wakanda when he almost won the day! I loved that the only ones left at the end were the original Avengers plus a few and I'm sure that most of the character interactions that were missed in this movie will be done there (things like Steve and Tony reconciling.)


I hope you enjoyed this list and I'll see you all tomorrow for my Top 10 TV Shows of 2018 and then Monday for my Top 10 Asian Dramas of 2018!

xoxo Allie

What Dramas Am I Watching This Week?

So here's what I'm watching this week! Of course the list is split by country and episodes I've seen so far are written below! There will be spoilers from now on so if you aren't caught to the episode number on list, you might want to go watch that episode and then come back! If you're interested in previous lists, click here and if you want to see a list of my favorite asian OTPs and ships, click here!

KDRAMA

Dae Jang Geum is Watching (10/16): This food-oriented drama imagines how the descendants of the famous Joseon woman doctor and alleged culinary genius Jang Geum (the subject of the famous sageuk Dae Jang Geum) might live today if they inherited some of her talents. San Hae has been gifted with an excellent sense of taste which has mad him a huge fan and connoisseur of food. His younger sister Jin Mi has been gifted with an exceptional sense of smell, and their younger brother Jung Shik has such excellent cooking skills he has his own Youtube vlog channel. The story follows San Hae at his work and his relationship with a rookie employee at his company, a woman named Bok Seung Ah.

Man is Jung Shik one of the most annoying second leads I've seen in a while. He's constantly hovering around Seung Ah and San Hae and ruining their cute building romance. It doesn't help that he hasn't told Seung Ah how he feels and she hasn't told him that she's interested in his brother because if either of those came out it would be so easy to nip in the bud so of course no one is going to say anything until the very last second. We only have two episodes left of this show and by now the second lead is usually out of the way but we still haven't gotten a real romance between our mains which is driving me crazy. I did love that the boss and that other guy who apparently liked Seung Ah though I had no idea overheard them talking and thought they had slept together the night before. It was amazing. I also really loved Jin Mi and Min Hyuk this week cause it was adorable seeing Min Hyuk all jealous but I was really happy that the friend realized after spending two seconds with those two that they were basically dating without knowing it cause it's always so silly when other people don't realize a couple is a couple or close to it based on how obvious they are. The confession was precious and I can't wait to see them together.

Memories of the Alhambra (6/16): Strong spirited Yoo Jin Woo is the CEO of an investment company with a degree in engineering and a knack for developing video games. He has an adventurous and competitive spirit. Suffering after his best friend betrays him, he takes a business trip to Granada, Spain in search of the mysterious inventor of an innovative augmented-reality video game. He ends up at a hostel that Jung Hee Joo owns. Hee Joo is a former classical guitarist who came to Spain to further her studies. After the death of her parents, she takes on various jobs to support herself, including running the old hostel. They are both drawn into a series of strange and unexpected events.

I still love this show cause of it's high concept but I'm starting to wonder about how everything is going down. I know Jin Woo is a bit of a grey character with how much of an asshole he was at first but watching him down spiral from being a powerful CEO to a man fighting for his life against something others can't see is heartbreaking! I hate that everyone thinks he's crazy and that he actually murdered Cha cause though he technically did, it was supposed to be a video game. It's honestly a bit ridiculous that everyone thinks he did it just cause of some fingerprints on the body. Like it's obvious that there were no external injuries so if he was planning on like poisoning Cha or something why touch him? We also met his asshole ex and she's really just as terrible as she was made out to be and I could not believe the way she was talking to Professor Cha who I really hope stays on Jin Woo's side even if I feel like he's kinda sketch just based on how he treated his own son. I'm still waiting for Hee Joo to find out about the game and the truth in general but also what happened back then that led to Cha leaving J One and taking Jin Woo's wife with him. Did they really fall in love or was it something else? I'm really hoping that this whole show isn't just about Jin Woo's spiral into madness cause I don't know if I'll be able to handle that emotionally. It does look like there might be a time skip next week so that'll be fun to see! Also is Hee Joo and their family just straight up giving up on the brother? Like they moved to Korea and were like meh the brother will call eventually.

DROPPED Sky Castle (8/16): The satirical comedy takes place in a four-story apartment building in the suburbs of Seoul inhabited by a number of professionals: doctors, judges, prosecutors, professors, and their wives. The wives are from prestigious and highly educated backgrounds, and part of the plot will feature their efforts to get their children admitted into universities. Some grew up in families with multiple generations of doctors or lawyers, and their ambitions will be depicted with realism and comedy.

So we're about halfway through this drama but unfortunately I've decided to drop this one cause though I was having a bit of fun hate watching this drama, there's only so far you can go with that. I still can't stand the parents in this show and though I understand why they are the way they are, emotionally I can't handle it cause I had parents like that and I struggle to separate reality from fantasy in this show. What I can say is that Coach Kim is getting more and more freaky and I started the show thinking that she was probs mostly innocent in what happened with Young Jae but now I'm pretty sure she exasperated the situation and I go back and forth over whether I fear for poor Ye Seo who I'm afraid will snap cause she's wound up so tight and taught by so many people that failing isn't okay or if I really want her to suffer cause of the kind of person she is. Honestly I'm leaning towards the first option cause more than her I really want her parents to suffer and I feel a thrill every time something doesn't go their way. It sucks that Hye Na was blackmailed out of being president and her mom died on top of everything and yet that Coach and Ye Seo's mom are still plotting. We also learned that she's actually Ye Seo's half sister too which will be a fun thorn in the Sky Castle's side. I still love Woo Joo's crush on Hye Na but I'm pretty sure she doesn't feel the say way which is a little sad cause I don't want his heart to break either. The mom of the single son started to move away from the head mom and I was hoping that it would happen only for her to turn around and reattach herself to the head mom even more intensely and it disgusted me how smug she was about it. And her husband is just as bad! He started the show looking like the sane parent but now that he's feeling pressure, he's folding just like them. Like how does it make you feel better if your daughter beat your rival's son in something? Ugh.

FINISHED The Best Hit (32/32): Lee Ji Hoon and Choi Woo Seung are two childhood friends who also happen to be preparatory students for the civil service exam, although Ji Hoon has a secret dream to be a singer and songwriter. One day they meet Yoo Hyun Jae, a 90s popular but problematic member of a popular idol group, who accidentally travel through time to the year 2017 from the year 1993. Thus, begin the story of passion, love, and friendship among 20s youth in the entertainment industry.

I started this show for multiple reasons but the main two were that I love shows set around music and I loved Yoon Shi Yoon in Mirror of the Witch/Secret Healer so I was interested in seeing something from him that was set in the modern day (even if there were some time travel shenanigans.) At first I wasn't sure how much I liked this show cause I'm not usually a fan of fish out of water antics cause I always feel so much second-hand embarrassment but it only took Hyun Jae a few episodes to get used to the world and I found myself loving the world. I loved the found family feel of the group and the mystery behind what happened back in 1994 but as per usual the romance between Hyun Jae and Woo Seung was what kept me around. I loved them going from frenemies to lovers and it was so much fun to see her think of him as an annoyance only to end up falling for him after everything he did and for him to try to fight his feelings cause he thinks it's wrong only to fall harder and faster. I was so happy they ended up together cause Hyun Jae started the show being super selfish only to end up giving up everything so that everyone around him would be happy and he deserved a little bit of that happiness himself. The time travel weirdness of there being two Hyun Jaes was strange af but since it led us to a happy ending I can ignore it. I loved that Hyun Jae was so competent and brave and maybe it was the fact that he was from the 90s so he didn't fear taking risks but I loved that he showed everyone how to go for their dreams and not to hold back. It was kind of funny how problems that felt never-ending for everyone else were solved by him in two seconds. And sidebar but Yoon Shi Yoon performing that rap was one of the sexiest things (sue me I have a thing for musicians who can dance) and he looked so hot once he started to dress like a modern day celebrity though I was weirdly also attracted to his crazy 90s look too. I may or may not have found a new crush. Overall I adored this show and I had a ton of fun so I'd give it a 9 / 10 and definitely recommend that you all check it out too!

CDRAMA

DROPPED Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms/Eternal Love (30/58): After a devastating war, the immortal tribe paid a heavy price to seal the demon lord. 70000 years later, in an attempt to re-seal the demon lord who broke free, Bai Qian was sent to the mortal realm. In the mortal world, she meets Ye Hua and falls in love with him after forgetting about her life as a goddess. Ye Hua gifts her the name of Su Su. Su Jin, who is jealous of Ye Hua's love for Bai Qian, intentionally creates a series of misunderstanding between them and causes Bai Qian to lose her eyes. Thinking that Ye Hua has betrayed her, the devastated Bai Qian jumps off from the Zhu Xian Terrace. At her request, all her memories have been erased and she forgets Ye Hua. Hundred years later, the two meets again as deities. Another lifetime another world, Ye Hua recognizes Bai Qian but the latter remains indifferent. Three lives three worlds, her and him, are they fated to bear an entangling love?

So I really wanted to like this drama cause I kept hearing over and over about how this show was the best cdrama ever and that the main couple was the cutest and that is pretty much the only reason that I lasted so long. Well that and the cuteness that was Dilraba playing Fengjiu. I really enjoyed the world and I was super into the idea that both the male and female lead would be royalty cause I'm a sucker for arranged marriages that turn into love or rich people falling in love cause then we avoid the nonsense of the family disapproving of the poor girl/guy their rich son/daughter chose. To my displeasure most of what fascinated me at first was whisked away by an evil spell/trial for ascension and the romance occurred when Bai Qian was mortal and forgot who she was. Not only was this annoying to me personally but her Su Su personality was so different than her Bai Qian one and the fact that Ye Hua fell for that version makes me wonder if he would have liked her real personality or if he would have found it just as annoying as any of his other suitors. What followed was one of the worst and most irritating love stories I've experienced with lies and misunderstandings all tied up with multiple insane women who decided once again to forget all their dignity and pride and force some guy who has zero interest in them to be attached to them against his will cause that's love amirite? I thought if only I could push past this arc to when Bai Qian became a goddess again I could maybe like their third go around only to find that Ye Hua was acting like a creepy stalker (I know he knows that she's the same person he loved but she doesn't know him and his intensity is too much) and their annoying child was in so many scenes. If some kid came up to me and started calling me mom I would run for the hills no matter how cute (and I really don't find Ye Hua that cute) his dad was. The only saving grace of this drama was my love for Fengjiu and Donghua and I really didn't mind their slow burn but then they went down to the mortal plane too and suddenly it was a repeat of the same thing Fengjiu went through in Heaven Palace and I was a little over Donghua being an asshole to her. Plus I don't like the idea of a different version of Donghua being into Fengjiu cause no matter what a show tries to tell me, I don't think they're the same people cause a person's life experiences make them who they are. It also didn't help that these two are a side couple so the fact that they were barely in this show didn't keep me around...Wow this rant got long but I felt like you deserved to really know how I felt if I was going to drop a drama darling!! Sorry not sorry friends.

xoxo Allie

What Dramas Am I Watching This Week?

So here's what I'm watching this week! Of course the list is split by country and episodes I've seen so far are written below! There will be spoilers from now on so if you aren't caught to the episode number on list, you might want to go watch that episode and then come back! If you're interested in previous lists, click here and if you want to see a list of my favorite asian OTPs and ships, click here!

KDRAMA

Dae Jang Geum is Watching (9/16): This food-oriented drama imagines how the descendants of the famous Joseon woman doctor and alleged culinary genius Jang Geum (the subject of the famous sageuk Dae Jang Geum) might live today if they inherited some of her talents. San Hae has been gifted with an excellent sense of taste which has mad him a huge fan and connoisseur of food. His younger sister Jin Mi has been gifted with an exceptional sense of smell, and their younger brother Jung Shik has such excellent cooking skills he has his own Youtube vlog channel. The story follows San Hae at his work and his relationship with a rookie employee at his company, a woman named Bok Seung Ah.

It's really so sad that this show only releases one episode a week cause it doesn't feel like enough especially since like half the episode is spent on food recipes and gushing about how great the food is. Like at first I thought they were funny but now I'm like can we skip this stuff cause I'm not watching this show to learn how to cook recipes! I'm still loving San Hae and Seung Ah but I'm still a bit annoyed with this hard-to-get thing that he's doing and I'm starting to wonder if both San Hae and Jung Shik are just morons cause Seung Ah's emotions play right on her face and it's so clear what she's feeling so it's like why are they confused?? San Hae spent the entire lunch catching up with his ex and though she didn't know the ex was married, why wouldn't Seung Ah be upset by this? Jung Shik finds Seung Ah sad and depressed and she talks about his brother meeting his ex and only cheers up when he mentions that the ex is married! Guys get a clue. I'm a little surprised the show decided to have Jung Shik tell San Hae about his crush rather than having Jung Shik figure out that Seung Ah and his brother have a thing and I'm really hoping that San Hae doesn't decide to back off for his brother's sake in some sort of noble idiocy thing cause Seung Ah likes him not his brother so backing off would do nothing but make 3 people unhappy. We're nearing the end of this show and I'm surprised at how slowly Jin Mi's relationship with Min Hyuk is moving. I do think he knows he likes her and I think she does too but doesn't know it so hopefully by being set up with another guy, it'll click for her and then they can get together!

Fate And Furies (8/40): Even though Goo Hae Ra is smart and beautiful, she is in a miserable situation because of her family. Her older sister attempted suicide and her father passed away. The only way she can escape her situation is with money. She approaches Tae In Joon. He is the second son of a shoe company owner. Tae In Joon falls in love with Goo Hae Ra.

Honestly guys I'm living for this show for one reason and one reason only and that's Hae Ra and what a cunning seductive talented character she is! So many times female characters are put in this small box and they can't have more characteristics than bubbly and warm and though I mostly like that in female characters, it gets a little boring seeing the same naive or clumsy girls that are terrible at their jobs over and over again. It also doesn't help that I'm pretty sure that kind of behavior would not only get you fired from your job but no guy would be interested in that no matter what dramas try to tell you! I love that Hae Ra puts up with no shit and in fact is stirring up the drama herself cause she wants to while also being kind at her core only to hide it because life has dealt her a terrible hand. I was surprised at how quickly In Joon is into her last week and though our main couple didn't kiss this week, he's still falling fast but I do feel like it's more of an interest than true feelings right now cause she reminds him of his mom while also being gorgeous and talented and elegant! It's kind of crazy cause if you put her next to any of the rich women of this show, she's got more class than all of them put together! I was also really surprised at how quickly she was found out by In Joon's fiancee but I don't know what it'll really do for her cause Soo Hyun can't take that evidence to In Joon cause then she'd have to reveal her past with Tae Oh and that would ruin things for her too. Speaking of, I thought Tae Oh would be a fun partner for Hae Ra but he seems to be just as bad as Soo Hyun (though in a different way) and is around just to be annoying it seems. Hae Ra says she's working on it so like back the hell off and let her do her thing! Rome wasn't built in a day and it seems ridiculous to expect Hae Ra to seduce In Joon in like a week and cause him to leave his fiancee!

FINISHED Hymn of Death (6/6): Kim Woo Jin is a stage drama writer while Korea is under Japanese occupation. He is married, but he falls in love with Yun Shim Deok. Shim Deok is the first Korean soprano. She records the song “Praise of Death” which becomes the first Korean pop song in 1926. Woo Jin and Shim Deok's fate ends tragically.

I was excited to check out this drama cause I'm such a sucker for tragedies and I was hoping that since this show was set in the 20s that it would be similar to Chicago Typewriter. It did not disappoint. I fell in love with this world and the beautifully tragic story of Woo Jin and Shim Deok. It made me cry so many times and I found the ending to be perfectly poetic no matter how much I wished that these two could have lived happily ever after. Sometimes the best love stories end tragically and though I was a little thrown by how these two decided to commit suicide, the way the show portrayed their reasoning, it made enough sense for my heart to break for them. I do blame Woo Jin for being a bit of an ass in the beginning for not telling poor Shim Deok that he was married and I'm usually not a fan of affairs or cheating but something about this show made their affair so beautiful. Maybe it's because neither truly acted on it physically until the very end or maybe it's because they both tried so hard to stay away and move on but couldn't. Whatever the reason may be, it was so clear on screen that these two could not live without the other and were only able to breathe when they were together and I found something so magical about it. They were artists born in the wrong era and it was their art that brought them together over and over again. I'd definitely give this drama a 8.5 / 10! You have to check it out if you love tragic romances or period pieces!

Memories of the Alhambra (4/16): Strong spirited Yoo Jin Woo is the CEO of an investment company with a degree in engineering and a knack for developing video games. He has an adventurous and competitive spirit. Suffering after his best friend betrays him, he takes a business trip to Granada, Spain in search of the mysterious inventor of an innovative augmented-reality video game. He ends up at a hostel that Jung Hee Joo owns. Hee Joo is a former classical guitarist who came to Spain to further her studies. After the death of her parents, she takes on various jobs to support herself, including running the old hostel. They are both drawn into a series of strange and unexpected events.

I'm starting to enjoy this show a lot more after this week. Jin Woo is such a fascinating character cause he's kind of an asshole but at the same time he's not exactly a villain cause though he bought Hee Joo's hostel under false pretenses, he didn't scam her by underpaying but gave her the same amount (10 billion won which is roughly 8 million dollars) Mr Cha was going to pay her brother to get the rights to the game. If he was true asshole, then he would have paid market value for the hostel (a little less than 1 billion won) so when Hee Joo finds out that he bought her property for the video game patent, at least he won't be irredeemable (you know minus the lying part.) In all honestly it's probs going to be Jin Woo who ends up losing cause after this week I'm sure there's a glitch in the game where it's killing people in real life so the game will either have to be completely rewritten or Jin Woo just lost a shit ton of money and maybe even his life. At the very least it's a good thing he's learning the flaws in the game before it's out to the public cause it would be a PR nightmare if it got out. I kept waiting this week for the other shoe to drop cause it felt too clean for Jin Woo to have gotten the rights to the game he wanted and Hee Joo the money she needed but even though I was ready for the surprise death of Mr Cha, I was still surprised he died so quickly cause I really did think he would be the villain in this show. With his death we're now out a villain and that just makes me wonder where we'll be going from here though I'm guessing that maybe the video game itself with be the villain. On another note, I was into the romance more this week cause I love how mesmerized Jin Woo was with the Hee Joo in the game playing the guitar and she's clearly into him already so it'll be a fun time to see them together! It's kinda funny though how Hee Joo's charm and overall goodness is just disarming Jin Woo completely cause you can see his overwhelming guilt every time he uses her trusting nature in his favor.

Sky Castle (6/16): The satirical comedy takes place in a four-story apartment building in the suburbs of Seoul inhabited by a number of professionals: doctors, judges, prosecutors, professors, and their wives. The wives are from prestigious and highly educated backgrounds, and part of the plot will feature their efforts to get their children admitted into universities. Some grew up in families with multiple generations of doctors or lawyers, and their ambitions will be depicted with realism and comedy.

Let's all take a moment and give all the props to the twins' mother who I started the show thinking was probably the best of the moms and that she was possibly being abused by her husband and though the jury is still out about her husband, her love for her sons has caused her to finally put her foot down and I was cheering the entire time! She destroyed the study room, destroyed his control over the kids and is taking over their studies while also getting revenge at her asshole husband who tried to control her by destroying her money by refusing to take care of him to prove to him that being a wife is a job too. I will never understand why these women marry these terrible men but I understand that divorce is usually looked down on so I'm all for her getting the power she wants in the position she's in. I'm less into Soo Im this week cause I feel like she's way too involved in the other families' lives. Like on one hand I get why she feels like she needs to step in but her job is to warn the moms of problems not try to solve them herself cause it's seriously none of her business. My worry about her family being destroyed by the others isn't exactly coming true but I do hope that she dials it back a little. Seo Jin is still crazy but honestly props to her for having her hand in every pie and juggling it all even if I don't agree with her. I'm also kind of glad that Woo Joo isn't into Ye Seo cause she is an asshole in her own way but I also don't know whether Hye Na is using Woo Joo or not and I just want the boy to be happy!

The Last Empress (16/52): Set in an alternate universe, in which Korea is a constitutional monarchy in 2018, Oh Sunny is a bright and vivacious musical actress who marries the emperor. She becomes involved in the palace power struggle and a mysterious murder that sets off events that threaten the monarchy itself, while searching for true love and happiness. But, she ends up falling in love with Na Wang Sik who works as a bodyguard for the imperial family. He started working in the palace to take revenge on the person responsible for his mother’s death.

What an intense four episodes this week! I really did not see Wang Sik/Woo Bin betraying Sunny like that though in hindsight I probs should have known cause he's got revenge blinders on and feeling pity for some girl isn't enough to move him from his evil plan. But the fact that he's ultimately still helping her makes me feel better about it especially since now Sunny has a suspicion that he might be against the Emperor too. I also liked the reveal that the old Empress might have been murdered though probs not by the Emperor cause it feels like he did truly love her and that the man who saved Wang Sik/Woo Bin was her father. I really want them all to take a moment and sit down and talk cause they have so much in common and they could use each other's help! A real plan would be super beneficial rather than flying around by the seat of their pants. Even Ari's secret birth came out and it turns out she's just as much of a devious player as the rest of the palace and I really didn't see it coming that the nanny/mom was also trying to rule by sleeping with the prime minister (though girl the PM clearly has like no influence so you've been barking up the wrong tree.) Literally everyone wants to rule and I'm just sitting here like it's not worth it you assholes. Grandmother was also murdered this week and honestly I'm not surprised cause she was the only one who was on Sunny's side and had a conscience. Honestly a part of me is pissed at Sunny cause though she had a lot of badass moments this week (following a whole moronic arc where she saw the Emperor kissing Yu Ra and then overheard them giggling about how they are playing her but that was still not enough proof for her), it would have been so much smarter to play the long con like Wang Sik/Woo Bin and pretend not to know anything while building up power and influence. She was literally the second most powerful woman in Korea and she tossed it aside cause she was angry? Get a grip please. I'm sure that they'll try to blame Grandma's death on Sunny too cause why not but I'm glad that the Crown Prince is with Sunny's family cause he needs to know what kind of person Sunny is and I'm still sure he's going to end up as Emperor with Sunny's sister as Empress so it never hurts to have him on our side.

FINISHED Top Management (16/16): Top Management is a web drama based on an internet novel. It tells the story of a new manager at an entertainment agency who uses her ability to see the future to succeed in the industry.

If you know me, then you know how much I love shows about music and the entertainment industry and if there's romance mixed in, how can I resist? I went into this show hoping that we'd get something like Idolmaster KR and to my surprise, though it wasn't as fun, there was plenty to love and there actually was romance in this! This show actually felt a lot like a Japanese anime about idols with the whole plot being about getting a boy band to debut with a klutzy but pretty manager with whom some of the band members fell for. This is no way a negative cause I adore those kind of shows so I was super down with this one. All the music was great and the whole cast was adorable. I really enjoyed the romance between Eun Sung and Soo Yong and that they were basically the same age cause that made the whole manager/client romance work so much more than in shows where there's a huge age gap. I did wish that Eun Sung was able to show off her idol training a bit more cause it was so different to have a manager who was an ex-trainee cause there are so many fun stories to tell with that but unfortunately we didn't go that way. For a while I thought maybe she might even end the show as an idol herself but I also like the idea that she became a badass manager too. The ending was vague and left open cause I think there's a second season of this show coming (which yes please!) but if there isn't, I do like the idea that the members of SOUL will probs join Eun Sung and Director Kang at their new entertainment company and I like to imagine that Eun Sung and Soo Yong end up together in the end. I'd give this show a 9.5 / 10!

xoxo Allie