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

Best Chicken (10/12): A man works for a big company although his dream is to run a chicken restaurant. A woman who lives at a bathhouse that her late grandfather left behind, only leaves her home when she absolutely has to. She wants to become a webtoon writer. These two meet and grow with each other.

So everything is finally out and it was exhausting to watch cause Bo Ah didn't want to tell the truth to the very last second! Choi-Go was literally chasing her around asking her over and over why she was quitting and she kept talking about how she was a bad person but never explaining it cause if she did then he would agree. The only reason a person lies like that is cause though they say the opposite, they actually doesn't want the other person to agree and would rather sit in their guilt and not face real consequences. She should have known based on the kind of person Choi-Go is that he would be angry but ultimately forgive her cause she regretted her actions and the best way to make up for a mistake like that isn't running away but staying to make things right. I do blame all of this on Bo Ah cause she should have told her friends to back off when she changed her mind but it was super weird how pissed Mi Na got about it! Like be upset that your friend didn't trust you enough to tell you her secret but not angry enough to give up on her! It was fun though watching Andrew find a place to live with Bo Ah's friends and then watch them fix up his apartment probably out of guilt but with a touch of friendship. The grandpa's death literally came out of nowhere tbh but hopefully it give Bo Ah a need to return to living her life the way she wanted to.

FINISHED Doctors (20/20): Yoo Hye Jung was a tough bully in school with a prickly personality and always goes wayward. She had many scars from her childhood and through self-preservation, Hye Jung keeps her heart shut away from other people. However, she changes after meeting her mentor Hong Ji Hong who plays a key role in transforming her life from a helpless gangster to a compassionate doctor.

This was an interesting drama for me to watch and I started it cause I wanted to watch a medical drama and I heard good things about this. Overall I think it was cute but there was too many episodes. I started getting bored about halfway through and this continued on until the end. I really adored Hye Jung and Ji Hong's relationship and I think their cuteness and flirting was one of the only reasons I stuck around until the end. The other was how adorable Kang Soo was and his interactions with the other doctors. I really enjoyed the setting in the hospital though I pretty much skipped all the boardroom politics cause I wasn't into that and like we all know who's going to win in the end. I actually thought Hye Jung and Ji Hong had pretty amazing chemistry from the moment they met when they were young to the last episode and I loved how Ji Hong was pretty much head over heels the entire time and that he didn't hide it for a second and that Hye Jung was able to accept it as well and didn't run away. I also loved that everyone in the hospital pretty much knew cause they were terrible at hiding it. The second female lead was annoying as always but I liked where she ended up and that she didn't end up with the second male lead cause she was such a bitch to him and didn't deserve him who was an adorable puppy from start to finish. I'd give this drama a 8 / 10!

Romance Is A Bonus Book (4/16): Cha Eun Ho is a successful and handsome writer who is also the youngest chief editor at a publishing company. He has a calm demeanor and remains reasonable at work. He then becomes involved in the life of his childhood friend, Kang Dan Yi who was once a popular copywriter. She is now divorced, a single mother, unemployed and struggling in life though still attempts to find a job, but even with her once good career, she cannot. However, in a desperate attempt to find a job, she lies about her background and begins to work as a temporary worker in the same building under none other than Cha Eun Ho. As they become involved in each other’s life more than often, a love story begins to unfold.

I started this drama for Lee Jongsuk and after watching two episodes, I'm pretty much staying for him. I will never truly understand why every single drama has to have a female lead who's not only a bit of an idiot but someone who isn't good at what they do. I've lost count of how many drama leads I've watched who are jobless or clumsy or bad at their job until their love interest steps in. What is it about asian dramas that say a female lead who's smart or ambitious or good at what they do isn't a good idea? That aside I love love love Eun Ho so far and I love how different the romance in this show already feels. I love that Eun Ho and Dan Yi have been friends for so long and that Eun Ho is lowkey in love with Dan Yi but either doesn't know it or knows not to act on it cause Dan Yi doesn't feel the same. It reminds me of Fight My Way and you know my soft spot for friends to lovers stories so I'm super down with the romance so far. He's constantly worrying about her and looking out for her even if she doesn't know it. I also like the way the story is being told and how it feels so lighthearted and cute despite the heavy stuff that's happening. I even adore the second lead already who swooped in to help Dan Yi in one of the most romantic ways ever which is awkward cause if he was the main lead, we'd all be falling in love with him! At first I wondered if there was a second female lead too but it looks like that one coworker is it but she seems nice so far and I wonder if it'll stay that way tough even if it doesn't, Eun Ho seems like a solid kind of guy who would put his foot down and make his feelings clear which is just so hot honestly.

FINISHED Shopping King Louie (16/16): The romantic comedy series “Shopaholic Louis” revolves around a handsome shopaholic named Louis, who is the successor of a vast business empire but becomes homeless after suffering from amnesia. Meanwhile, Koh Bok Shil, a country girl who lives a life that is worlds apart from the rich and famous, encounters Louis in Seoul. The improbable romance that unfolds between the two characters named Louis, who is able to buy everything he wants, and the angelic girl named Koh Bok Shil, shows the viewers that the value of true love is priceless and is not something that can be bought.

I had heard nothing but rave reviews about this drama and how cute it was and after watching it I have to say it was just as cute as I heard it was but it felt like the drama went on for a bit too long without a clear story. It seemed as though the amnesia storyline ended a bit too early and the show meandered a bit before then finding Bo Nam and then it felt like the story was pretty much over only to keep going for like 3 more episodes where nothing really happened. Ultimately I suppose it was okay though cause I did find Bok Shil and Louie super cute so I didn't mind that there were so many episodes of them being cute. I loved how precious Louie was and how much of a puppy he acted like and how much he loved Bok Shil. The second male lead was super annoying though in the shouting overprotective kind of way where I always wonder why the female lead isn't pissed. Like if some dude even it was my boss was so involved in my personal life I'd be like "Dude are you my father or my boyfriend? No then butt out of my personal life!" I did love that there was no truly evil characters in this drama (just misled ones) and that there was no you can't be with my son cause you are poor mentality from the grandma who by the by was adorable the whole time! I loved the mom and son who lived in the same building as Louie and Bok Shil and the butlers and Audrey who was straight up waaaay too good for her husband! Overall I'd give this show a 9 / 10!

The Last Empress (44/52): 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.

I was actually really upset to find out that the Imperial Family now knows everything about everyone and all the secrets are out until I realized that the show as almost over and in order to really end it, the secrets needed to come out. Though I like that we can clearly see the love Sunny and Wang Sik have for each other through the way they try to protect one another and worry about each other, I wish we would have had at least one kiss and if the show ends without this, I'll be really sad. The Emperor is still the damn worst and it's ridiculous how much he trusts his mother even though he's been repeatedly let down by her. I mean of course she's right though it was a little too convenient that all of a sudden she has these photos of all these people working together but if I was the Emperor, I wouldn't trust it especially after knowing that the first Empress was set up by her. I actually really love that Yu Ra is working with Sunny and Wang Sik now and I know she was the worst once upon a time but you know I feel so bad for the old guard that was her fiancee that I can't help but want him to be happy and to do that he needs Yu Ra. I'm really curious where the show is going to go now cause I really don't know what our crew's plan can be. If they reveal that the first Empress was murdered by the nanny, yay but then what? The Emperor and Empress Dowager are still fine and I'm still wondering why Wang Sik didn't murder them in their sleep or something when he had their trust... I also don't really know why the Empress Dowager is working so hard to protect the nanny. Like let the phone be evidence and then the nanny can be arrested and then the Emperor can be free of murder charges and Yoon will have to leave again and the Empress Dowager will be perfectly happy. Trying to frame Woo Bin and Sunny seems a little too extreme a measure other than the fact that she doesn't like them.

FINISHED W: Two Worlds (16/16): Cardiothoracic surgeon Oh Yeon Joo's father mysteriously went missing while writing the last chapter of his webtoon "W". Yeon Joo goes to his office and is shocked to see a scene of a bloodied Kang Cheol, the main character of W, on her father's monitor. While reading something left behind by her father, a hand from the monitor pulled her in. She found herself on the rooftop of a building, next to a man lying down in blood. She manages to save him and realizes that the person she saved was Kang Cheol. She later discovers she can only enter and leave the webtoon depending on Kang Cheol's feelings.

Seriously guys I adored this drama! I mean how could I not have with my love for romantic sci-fi shows? This drama hit every note that I wanted from a drama. Action, romance, a great plot, fun twists, a great villain and no real drama cliches. There was a hint of amnesia but it fit the story really well and I actually liked the way it was portrayed. Overall I thought the concept for this show was super creative with the whole comic book thing and I loved the way we saw both worlds. I originally thought Yeon Joo would be stuck in the comic for the whole show so I was actually pretty shocked when I found out that she could go back and forth and I really think that's a big part of what made the show so fascinating. I also loved the idea that Kang Cheol solved his own comic problems because he was so smart that only he could outwit the villain and that Yeon Joo was right there with him when most drama female leads are kind of idiotic. They were both able to solve problems on their own and together. Both the villains were the absolute worst (in a good way!) and the main culprit was seriously horrifying with how he could pop in and out of the comic. I adored Soo Bong as a side character and everyone in the hospital though the comic side characters weren't as interesting cause they weren't comedic like the hospital ones and they didn't know the truth like Soo Bong so they felt kind of pointless. And let's not forget the romance which was everything! I loved how Yeon Joo and Kang Cheol fell in love and how she was the one person he picked on his own to love and know unlike everyone else in his life who were products of a planned destiny. It gave me butterflies every time they called each other husband/wife and their kisses were so full of chemistry! I'm glad that we ended with them having a happy ending cause I really thought one or other was going to die. I'd give this show a 10 / 10! It's definitely up there as one of my favorites!

CDRAMA

Shall We Fall In Love (21/35): A story filled with hilarious circumstances that leave you not knowing whether to laugh or cry. It follows a young man's journey from nothing into someone who proves himself at work and wins over love and friendship. Jiang Yi Nan is an unemployed youth with limited options due to his lack of credentials, Nevertheless, he is optimistic and cheerful as he waits among the many people in the jobless pool. During a random encounter, Yi Nan saves Chen Xin Yue who has fallen into the water. Encouraged by his attraction to her and Xu Hao Yu's provocations, Yinan applies to work at the same company as Chen Xin Yue. Yi Nan relies on his hard work and quick thinking to not only secure the job but to become the top applicant of ShenYuan Group's open recruitment. Unhappy with Yi Nan's happy-go-lucky attitude, Xu Hao Yu makes life difficult for Yi Nan at every turn. His girlfriend Liang Ding Fei, on the other hand, is full of curiosity towards Yi Nan. As it turns out, Yi Nan's acceptance was a mere mistake by President Jin who tries to cover it up by roping in colleagues to ensure that Yi Nan is pushed out of the company.

What a weird week for this show. I literally have no idea what's happening and I have a feeling the writers don't know what they're doing either. Xin Yue decided last week to seduce Hao Yu again and I assumed it was for revenge rather than a need to have him back and as it turned out that is exactly what happened but with the added twist of proving to Ding Fei that he doesn't like her as much as he loves Xin Yue. It was a savage and a part of me loved her for doing it but at the same time I couldn't enjoy it cause it made me feel so so bad for Yi Nan and Ding Fei. Honestly I lowkey started to ship those two cause Xin Yue and Hao Yu were treating Yi Nan and Ding Fei like garbage and I loved how open Ding Fei was around Yi Nan. I also didn't love that Xin Yue was so weirdly jealous cause it's like she's the one who kept pushing Yi Nan away so if he had moved on, it would have been her own damn fault. All that I understood on a level but then the show got weirder cause Xin Yue went back to normal after she finished her revenge and suddenly everything was fine again between her and Yi Nan and goddamn but I wouldn't have ever gone back to the company again after everything that happened and how much embarrassment I would feel if I were Xin Yue! I don't know if I find Xin Yue and Yi Nan cute anymore and I feel like I really want to drop this drama except I adore Yi Nan as a character and want to watch him be adorable a little more.

The Story of Ming Lan (64/73): The Story of Ming Lan, based on the novel written by Guan Xin Ze Luan, follows our heroine through her youth, into her adulthood, and well into her marriage life as well. She’s the 6th child of the Sheng household. Though she is an intelligent and beautiful child, she was not loved by her family (her dad, her sisters, her mom dies early.) She has to hide her intelligence and suffers through the years, hoping to avenge for her mom. During this process she will meet many friends and foes, one of which is our male lead, Gu’s second son, Gu Ting Ye. He has helped and mistreated her before, but also the one to witness her sharp wits and lonely soul. After they get married, they will work together as a power couple, managing the new King’s regime as well as harvesting a world of happiness on their own.

For a chunk of episodes I was consistently stressed out that the Emperor was going to turn on Ting Ye with the Empress Dowager having that concubine constantly stirring up trouble but I am a bit more hopeful after seeing that he stood tall with the Empress after the Concubine Zhou thing and was able to see her strength in throwing her pride away and trying to solve his politic problems. She is such a badass and I hope that rubs off onto him too. I also love that Ming Lan is such good friends with Madam Zhang now cause it's about time she had some female friends and I love that she was able to curry such strong favor with the Duke and Duchess of Ying after the birth debacle and then also solve the problem of General Shen being an idiot. Ting Ye and Ming Lan are seriously all powerful right now with their influence reaching everywhere! I also love that Ming Lan is pregnant now but it was giving me all the stress knowing that Ting Ye was out of the city cause I was so worried that someone was going to like poison her or cause her to miscarry somehow especially with the Gu stepmother-in-law losing her mind in the shrine and screaming about how she's going to kill Ming Lan but luckily none of that happened. Instead the poison went to Ming Lan's grandmother and I was living for how Ming Lan took care of everything that happened but the best was when Bai'er and Ting Ye swooped in all badass-like and took Ming Lan's side. The Wang family was like oh good Bai'er is here and he'll help us but they didn't know that he's the most upstanding person! It was beautiful and sidebar but I still love how excited Ting Ye gets when Ming Lan is all out of control. I do hope that Bai'er doesn't quit being an official and was just using it to threaten his mother cause he deserves to do well!!

xoxo Allie