KDRAMA
Abyss (8/16): 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.
Okay so I'm starting to understand a bit more about what this show is about. It's starting to feel a lot like The Ghost Detective in that our heroes are constantly several steps behind the villain and though I still don't entirely know why either Bo Young or Hyo Seop chose this show, I guess I just have to accept the show for what it is. It's not breaking any walls or making me excited to watch every episode but it's not boring me either. I'm really glad all the secrets are out now so that we can actually make plans and get things done. The real Mi Do is back and she's on board alongside Dong Cheol and I kind of find it hilarious that both were like okay cool so you came back to life cool. I figured Dong Cheol probs should have been more pissed at Se Yeon for lying to him but then again she didn't really do anything except call him oppa and he kind of just fell anyway. I'm also glad everyone knows about Hee Jin and that she's basically been forced to be on our side too but I'm still waiting on Ji Wook who's connection to Young Cheol is still vague though I'm still betting on him being Hee Jin's older brother but the only thing that makes me question that is the fact that she can't recognize his face. It's really strange that Ji Wook is so actively helping Young Cheol and not sort of blackmailed into it like I first expected. I also loved that Min and Se Yeon finally hooked up this week cause even if I feel like it's a little fast and a large part of me wonders if Se Yeon is only down for it cause of Hyo Seop's beyond gorgeous face, another part of me recognizes that she's always had a thing for Min and she's only starting to realize it now.
Angel's Last Mission: Love (8/32): People just fall in love and devote their lives for love. Sometimes, they take the other one’s life away for their love. A cold-hearted woman meets an immature angel and they get to confront unexpected tragedy and crucial moment. Lee Yeon Seo is a cynical and arrogant ballerina. She becomes the heiress because of her parent’s sudden death. She doesn’t believe anyone since there are a lot of people around her who want her inherited money. Her distrust and arrogance make herself unable to love. She becomes the best ballerina, but she gets into an accident and has to give up her dream. Kim Dan is a mischievous angel. When he ends his duty as an angel on the earth, he gets to cause trouble and has only one last chance to overcome his critical situation to be extinct. And that last chance is to be a Cupid for Yeon Seo, but he despairs that he has to look after such an arrogant Yeon Seo.
I was really looking forward to this show airing cause I adored both the main leads and after checking out the first 8 episodes, I have to say this show reminds me a lot of That Winter The Wind Blows which was a drama that started out pretty strong and ended with me furious and the show making no sense. So far this drama seems incredible so here's hoping it stays that way! Yeon Seo is a fascinating character cause she has been placed into the worst circumstances at the start and she uses anger as a weapon to keep others at bay including Secretary Jo who was the only person who cared for her. I can totally see why she has trouble trusting anyone cause it's clear that her entire family is evil. Her aunt, uncle and older cousin want money and power and Ni Na wants to be the lead ballerina. I wouldn't be shocked to find out that they all planned her accident cause they ruined any and all chances she had to get a cornea replacement and they even messed with her car hoping to kill her for good. Ni Na is interesting cause so far she seems like a good person who only wants Yeon Seo to do well but I have a feeling like the Black Swan in Swan Lake she will fall to darkness especially given that she likes Kang Woo but he seems to be interested in Yeon Seo. But let's be honest now, the real reason I'm watching this show is L and the beauty that is his every action and movement in the show. How can you not fall head over heels for Dan as the happy lighthearted and silly angel that he is? I assume that by the end of this show Dan and Yeon Seo will fall in love and that Dan will choose to stay here on Earth with her cause obviously Heaven can make angels human if they want. It's fascinating that the two have already kissed and it's so early in the season! Maybe they were best friends as children and then he died and lost his memories? I was also super curious about who Kang Woo was cause at first we're supposed to think that he's Yeon Seo's rib (aka soulmate) and that might still be true tbh but we also learned that he's not human either. I think maybe he and Yeon Seo were in love in another life and somehow after he died and became an angel, he fell from Heaven and now he wants to be with Yeon Seo all over again. His angel wings seemed darker then Dan's and he has a revenge murder board up which makes me think he's not a good person. From the beginning I got creepy vibes from him and I'm kinda glad it panned out this way cause my instincts weren't wrong!
FINISHED Her Private Life (16/16): 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.
You can't see me right now but I was FLAILING after these last two episodes. I wasn't worried per say last week when I saw Deok Mi and Ryan's childhood being connected cause the writers for this drama have been absolute perfection in taking drama cliches and turning them on their head because they write Deok Mi and Ryan as adult humans. I loved that he found out and asked for clarification from Eun Gi before going to Deok Mi and then her mom. I loved that Deok Mi didn't breakup with Ryan out of guilt and they talked about what each wanted. All of his birthday gifts to her were so sweet from setting up a private lunch with Si An knowing how much Deok Mi loved him to painting her a lovely picture now that he can again. It was also super sweet seeing the moms talk and bond and honestly they all make such a cute huge family. I was also glad that Ryan ended up going back to New York as an artist cause I totally figured that once he got his artistry back he'd want to paint again even if he liked being a director in Korea. It was pretty convenient that Deok Mi also got a job in New York so they could go together but like always she was the perfect girlfriend cause she convinced Ryan to return when he was feeling insecure. That's honestly the best part of this show cause these two really and truly care about the wellbeing of their significant other and unlike a lot of other shows they do this by actually talking rather than going behind each other's backs. I also found it hilarious that Eun Gi and Cindy ended up together though tbh if they were going to do that, they should have set it up in more than just two scenes cause we all like the characters thought he was going to get with the artist friend! I really am going to miss this incredible show and for sure one hundred percent I will be paying attention to anything these writers do in the future. I'd definitely give this show a 10 / 10!
My Absolute Boyfriend (12/40): Da Da, 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.
Help this show is so cute that I can't stand it. I watch this show perpetually going awwww. I think what makes it so sweet and what makes me love it so much is the fact that it's not real which makes my love for this show so different than my love for other dramas. Like everything Yeong Goo does melts my heart and like of course no one expects a boyfriend to act the way he does but there's just something so heart warming about it cause it's a pure fantasy and honestly I don't care that it's not real! Da Da needs to get all the props for holding on in the face of this. I'm just sad that this show might end with her giving up Yeong Goo and going back to Wang Joon. Now this isn't a bad thing cause this show might straight up be the only show I've ever watched that makes me root for both the male lead and the second male lead. Like part of me still feels that vicious joy when he sees Da Da happy with another guy but most of me thought his relationship with Da Da was pretty damn romantic and it breaks my heart that he was literally about to propose the night they broke up only to back off because of those death threats. I mean yeah he probs should have told Da Da the truth instead of breaking up but still! I think the fact that Da Da explains that despite loving Wang Joon for so long she was sad and lonely for much of it helps me keep from wanting them together more. I think a large part of why they lasted seven years is cause Da Da was too comfortable cause if your boyfriend makes you feel lonely, it's not worth being together! I'm not really thrilled with the whole thing that Yeong Goo is going to be Wang Joon's manager but I guess it'll give us some new funny moments?
The Secret Life Of My Secretary (16/32): Do Min Ik is an intelligent man and the executive of a leading telecommunications company who always relies on his secretary, the loyal Jung Gal Hee. When Jung Gal Hee gets fired from her job she winds up assuming a double life as a famous movie industry figure, Veronica Park, after Do Min Ik gets into an accident that leaves him with face blindness (prosopagnosia).
We're now about halfway through this drama and I'm still loving everything we get with Gal Hee and Min Ik but the whole pretending to be Veronica thing is in the back of my mind every time something cute happens like I've got a popcorn kernel stuck in the back of my throat. Before we dive into what happened this week can we first take a moment to appreciate the scene where Min Ik was putting on stockings and then he and Gal Hee had their hilarious back and forth in the office? I was dying! Now onto the episodes. The first wasn't so bad but the second made me fast forward through the whole thing cause damn was I uncomfortable by the whole dating scenario! She was basically catfishing him and it creeped me the hell out no matter what her actual intentions are. I kept screaming at her to tell him the truth or break up with him and never appear as Veronica Park again. It got even worse cause they made out in the end and like the kiss was great and everything but I felt so awkward cause he's over there thinking he's kissing someone else! And Dae Joo caught them but Gal Hee never explained what was happening so like he's just like running around thinking Min Ik is a moron or something? I did like that short burst of jealously Min Ik had during the sauna extravaganza cause I still think he's always liked Gal Hee but never known it. I'm back on board the Dae Joo is probably not a bad guy train after this week and I bet the uncle is embezzling money which is what was on that file but Dae Joo's secretary is doing some sketch stuff too though I'd bet it's not against Min Ik and Dae Joo but the uncle as well.
CDRAMA
FINISHED Detective L (24/24): 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.
Well shit the show just ended on a huge cliffhanger! I had wondered for a bit how it would end up wrapping up since I really did think Captain was the Big Bad after all the attention he was given throughout but like we were almost at the show's end and nothing was happening with him. This was both a good and bad thing cause I really wasn't all that interested in Captain in the the first place but at the same time I felt like wrapping up the show without a Big Bad might feel weird. Now that I have finished this show, I kind of like where we ended up going and I think the show is definitely left on a cliffhanger but like I haven't heard anything about a second season so I'm not sure if this is a case of writers hoping for the best cause otherwise it feels like we just got to the climax of the story and we're stopping here. The last case was kinda sucky cause we were introduced to a new character and we're supposed to believe that Luo Fei and this guy are good friends but like since we just met him, I have no attachment to him and honestly it felt like I skipped an episode which is why when the twist happened and it turns out that Dr Huo was in fact trying to take over Captain's syndicate, I was super down. The final shot of Captain smirking though does bring me back to confusion like is he or is he not faking his dementia?? I also thought we were left without an answer on Xiao Man and Luo Fei's relationship cause it's clear they both like each other but we didn't so much as get a confession unless you count everyone else around them knowing. I really do hope we get a 2nd season cause this one definitely deserves a larger episode count unlike a ton of other cdramas! I'd give it a 8 / 10!
Hello Debate Opponent (11/30): Freshman Bai Yu studies Culture Industry Management at Yingli University. He mistakenly attends the new member selection meeting of the debate club and ends up joining the club together with Yi Xiao Xi and others. Final-year student Gao Ting Ting, who dreams of winning the national University Debate Championship, now puts all her hopes on the new team. But the teacher in charge wants to give their practice room away, and in order to keep the room, Ting Ting’s team has to place first in the university’s own debate contest. Will their team of rookies with clashing personalities be able to achieve it?
This wasn't a drama that was super high up on my list of airing dramas to check out but I noticed earlier this week that 11 episodes of this show were subbed and I was kinda in the mood for a cdrama set in college so I was like why not? Overall I do think this is a pretty fun drama and it definitely caught my attention and held it from the first episode. I loved the characters we were introduced to and the friendships we made but I especially adored the relationship between Bai Yu and Xiao Xi. I loved that Xiao Xi wasn't a doormat of a character and could stand up for herself when she needed to and a lot of that has to do with how disappointed I've been with the other cdrama female leads I've been watching right now. She's smart but kind and also able to admit when she was wrong. Her back-and-forth with Bai Yu is also fascinating cause they started out as enemies but like in a playful kind of way where they argued but also felt bad when the other felt bad. I kind of find it hilarious that they are both already into each other even though it's still in the early stages so neither have really said anything or fought their feelings yet. I love that they spend so much time together bonding and their super cute rooftop cat hangout is precious cause even when they didn't like each other that much, they still liked to spend time together. I also like the idea of the world being set around debate competitions cause though I don't always follow the logic of the debates, I think it's a unique approach to this show so I'm super down. I'm just a little worried about the subbing schedule so this show might pop up sporadically on my weekly dramas based on whether or not it was subbed that week.
La Coup de Foudre (30/35): 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?
It's really very awkward that I'm much more interested in Wu Yi's relationship with Guan Chao than I am with the main couple of this show. Idk I think I lost interest weeks ago when neither Mo nor Qiao Yi would step up and admit their feelings and I'm really not a fan of how Mo kind of tramples over Qiao Yi this week. Like instead of having a conversation like normal humans about how he wants Qiao Yi to stay in his house, he waits until she's drunk to publicly out them as a couple to their coworkers and her brother even though he knows very clearly that she didn't want that just to force her to continue staying. His acts of jealously aren't cute either and I'm sick to death of his one facial expression. It's not good acting cause he never emotes! I do think their kisses are cute though but having one every eight episodes isn't that helpful. Guan Chao on the other hand is kind of an idiot isn't he? Wu Yi has been in love with him for ages and ages and even after the pregnancy scare he still didn't realize his feelings. It wasn't until she was dating some other guy that he finally realized how he felt. They're so cute though and I was living for all their moments this week including when Wu Yi's mom caught them and took him to dinner. Honestly though if I were Wu Yi I would be terrified to date him cause it's like you know how short of an attention span he seems to have with girls so like I would be constantly worried that I was smothering him with affection but also if I back off will he find that affection elsewhere? It also doesn't help that he doesn't want to get married! Both couples broke up for silly reasons this week tbh but it was all worth it seeing all the girls drunk dial their exes just to curse at them.
DROPPED My True Friend (17/48): New to the world of real estate, Cheng Zhen Zhen is an enthusiastic rookie agent determined to become the very best in her field. Joining the ranks of a local real estate agency, Love and Family, as an entry-level associate, Zhen Zhen is soon paired with another low-level rookie, Shao Peng Cheng. The only child of the company’s president, Peng Cheng has decided to keep his true identity as secret as he attempts to climb the ranks of the company, in an ongoing effort to prove his worth.Together Zhen Zhen and Peng Cheng set out to make their dreams come true, neither one of the realizing just how personal the world of real estate can be. Diving into the wide world of home buying and selling, Zhen Zhen and Peng Cheng soon find themselves caught up in the swirling emotions that come with home ownership. Sharing in the joys and sorrows of their client’s lives, while facing trials of their own, Zhen Zhen and Peng Cheng come to learn several valuable lessons about life, love, what it really takes to make dreams come true.
I was pretty excited to check out this drama originally cause after falling in love with Deng Lun in Because of Meeting You, I was disappointed by his next two dramas so I hoped that this one would bring me joy again and while at first I was really enjoying myself, the show then took a turn that made me uncomfortable to watch. I had though that Deng Lun was the male lead and maybe he still could be but we spent like 17 episodes watching Peng Cheng fall for Zhen Zhen while she and Jing Ran fell in love. I don't know if eventually Zhen Zhen switches guys and picks Peng Cheng but either way I don't like the idea that Peng Cheng is being a homewrecker in this situation. Most cdramas seem to want to follow a trend of having the female lead be interested in another guy before the male lead but I've never seen them actually get together from the start of their relationship before. It makes me uncomfy and I really don't particularly like Jing Ran cause I was watching this show for Deng Lun so I don't feel like continuing on with something I don't enjoy. It sucks cause I'm always super down when shows have unique settings and I've definitely never seen one set around real estate so it was a fun experience. I loved all the characters of the agency and I loved how Peng Cheng was technically the young master of the company but he was working from the bottom up so there was no power plays going on. He was smart as a whip but rebelling against his father due to personal issues which I liked better than male leads who just are incompetent. Maybe in the future I'll come back to this show once it ends but as of now I don't think I'll be continuing it.
My Youth (8/24): Su Can Can loves learning about literary works. In her adolescence, she meets her best friends. Xu Mei Li is lively and cheerful, Lan Tian Ye is handsome and uninhibited, Lin Jia Ze is gentle and refined, Tao Ya Ting is beautiful and melancholic. In their journey, they have many little secrets and many worries. Whether in high school or in college, Su Can Can has collected many unforgettable memories. When she turned 28, she looks around and realizes that the people with her when she was 18 are still the same people around her now.
Cdramas set around school are always touch-and-go for me cause sometimes I end up adoring them and their simple messages but other times I get so bored. I was also a bit hesitant to check this one out cause I don't think the subbing schedule is constant so like Hello Debate Opponent this show might not pop up every week. Despite that I liked Li Jia Qi in Meteor Garden and Zhao Yi Qin in Accidentally In Love so I was curious to see what they would bring to this drama. So far I'm really loving it. All the characters are really fun and I adore the main leads and their cute banter. I've found that my favorite couples are the ones that play fight without any heat behind it. It was beyond hilarious how everyone including Tianye thought that Can Can was in love with him and I was really enjoying that dynamic so it sucked a little when Can Can told Tianye that she actually liked Jiaze. I really want to shout out Yi Qin for his incredible acting in this scene cause you could see the exact moment that his heart shattered. Despite her crushing on Jiaze, Can Can spends all her time with Tianye and I'm pretty sure she likes him already but doesn't know it which is sweet. The only thing I wonder is that if this show goes across 10 years of these characters' lives then our couple can't get together yet right and that's unfortunate cause I'd hate to watch them go through constant misunderstandings like on La Coup. I kind of hope our whole cast ends up at the same college too cause college era shows are my favorite!
The Brightest Star In The Sky (33/44): 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.
We didn't get too many episodes this week so not too much happened. We're still in the beginning stages of Baixu and Zhen Zhen's romance but also in the middle of Baixu's vocal nodes problem. I totally and completely expected what happened with his father to happen cause for a while he's been sketch and I totally thought that he might just pay a doctor outright to like destroy Baixu's vocal cords so he can never sing again so the fact that his evil plan was just to keep Baixu in America under house arrest wasn't the worst. It was really sad seeing how hurt and terrified Baixu was after finding that out and of course part of that is leading to his father now seeing Zhen Zhen as an obstacle in his way. I knew that we'd eventually get there cause what is a drama without a disapproving rich parent and I hate it of course but at this point I just look the other way. The romance feels a bit stalled on the other hand cause Zhen Zhen seems to be of the mind that despite Biaxu confessing to her and their makeout that he's still not into her or that he's using her to make someone else jealous and I'm sitting here like you complete moron. It did make me super uncomfortable when Zi Rui and Yuan had their whole thing cause not only were both super drunk but he was furious that Zhen Zhen didn't come and she sort of attacked him and I couldn't decide who was being assaulted in this scenario. Zi Rui is looking more and more insane as weeks go by and I keep waiting for him to snap.
Unexpected (8/24): A manga artist, He Jie has entered into his own manga “Crystal Love” and he must complete the mission of saving the evil second female lead, turning her into a better person before he can return back to the real world. He ended up having to keep on filling up the loopholes of his own manga again and again, forming a funny lovestory.
Guess who's the idiot who started ANOTHER drama with a sketchy subbing schedule? If you guessed me, pray for me honestly cause I really should use my brain more! I wanted to check this drama out about forever and a day ago so when I saw that some of it was subbed, I couldn't control myself anymore and here we are with me head over heels in love with this show and scared that I'll never see more of it! Was there really any doubt that I would adore this drama after how much I adored W: Two Worlds? Both these shows are very similar in story concept but while W was more of a thriller, this one is beautifully cute and romantic love story. I adored the main couple from the first moment they appeared on screen and I love the idea that He Jie has to save Zi Xing from her poor fate before he can get free. Of course this makes me sad that this show might not have a happy ending but from how upbeat and positive it is, I have hope that maybe we'll be able to. I also love that as the show goes on He Jie learns more and more about why he wasn't the best writer in the first place and it's kind of sad that Zi Xing was both a place to put his anger and also a reflection of himself. The friendship between He Jie and Gong Cheng is super cute as well and I love how He Jie is inadvertently changing literally everything without meaning to. His appearance showed Cheng Cheng how unhappy he was playing the role he was given from birth and I'm fascinated by the nuance in this lighthearted show.
xoxo Allie
