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 the amount of 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

Arthdal Chronicles Season 3 (2/6): Following Part I & II, Ta Gon has gotten what he wants as he sits atop his throne. However, now his life and throne are threatened when Eun Seom begins to gather power among the slaves and peasants of Arth as he starts to fight back against the elite. Although Ta Gon has so far kept his half-Neanthal heritage a secret from the world, his eyes shine purple, preparing to go all out in fighting Eun Seom. Meanwhile, Kim Ok Bin faces the threat of assassination from an unknown adversary, while Kim Ji Won struggles to adjust to her newfound power in Arthdal.

We're finally back with the last 6 episodes of this show and I don't know if this is a highlight of this show or not but I still have no idea how this show will end! When it first started all those episodes ago I figured that Eunseom taking the Arthdal throne and uniting all the tribes would be the ending and that's still possible tbh but like we only have four episodes left and I just can't see how everything will be wrapped up by then! The problem lies heavily in the second season in my opinion cause straight up while everyone else made progress, Eunseom sat in prison and though I assume that he'll now end up going to all the major tribes that live outside of Arthdal and uniting them, it just feels too rushed. I think we should have either skipped the slavery arc or have it take only an episode or two cause I was so bored during that time and I would have much rather preferred watching Eunseom learn about the Arthdal tribes! I also am sick and tired of seeing Tagon and Taealha take up all the screen-time. Like we get it already! Tagon had a sad childhood wah wah and oh wow Mihol is on his side and now he's not and oh look Asa Ron did something to stab him in the side again. Plot twist or what? Seriously it got old after season 1 and now I just want everyone to murder one another so when Eunseom shows up the people will flock to him and peace. I'm loving Karika though and like I said, I'm curious to know more like how many tribes are out in the wilds. Are they considered to be part of Arthdal like territories or are they sort of just in an alliance with them kind of like how countries are allied to one another? The Daekan Forces seemed to be afraid of the Momo Tribe so like I'd guess that it's probs more the second option in that if they harm the Momo then it's war otherwise they'd be like we're here on official Arthdal business. I'm also a little upset that the two remaining Neanthals didn't join Eunseom despite knowing who his parents are cause like I want them to have a bigger role and tbh with them Eunseom is even stronger. The saddest part though was how heartbroken he looked after they walked away like neither people in Arthdal or the Neanthals want him.

FINISHED Doctor John (32/32): In a refreshing take on the genre, “Doctor John” will portray the doctors’ search for the cause of their patients’ mysterious pain as a thrilling chase, almost like a detective hunting down the perpetrator behind an unsolved crime. Cha Yo Han is a genius anesthesiologist, who is also the youngest professor at his medical school. The brilliant doctor goes by the nickname “10 Seconds,” referring to his ability to figure out his patients in the 10 seconds that it takes for them to enter an examination room and walk to their seat. Kang Shi Young is a legendary anesthesiologist, who was always at the top of her class throughout medical school. The talented doctor inherited her skills from her cool-headed, rational mother, while she inherited her empathy, listening skills, and warm bedside manner from her father.

I honestly mixed about this ending cause I can't decide if I thought it was cute or super annoying but I'm leaning towards cute with some things I was pissed about. As I expected after the death of that CIPA patient, Yo Han pulled away from pretty much everything and I completely understood it cause it was like seeing his own mortality flash before his eyes so who wouldn't be scared! That scene where he mimed a ticking bomb was absolutely heartbreaking and like seriously I adore Ji Sung so much but it was low key downhill from here cause Yo Han kept doing stuff that Shi Young had no idea about until Yoo Joon told her. But like okay I could forgive him hiding his involvement in her father's surgery cause he was afraid to give her hope and even hiding the fact that he got extremely ill in the states cause he didn't want to scare her but it was the returning to Korea a year before he showed himself that bothered me. I'm trying not to mind it too much cause kdramas seem to have this thing for showing us that a love is real by separating the leads for an extended period of time but like in real life Shi Young would have moved on after being ghosted for 3 whole years. I wish that he was the one to tell her the truth with his own mouth instead of second hand and I'm furious that in the end she was the one to run to him again! I wanted to see some groveling on his part cause this whole show has been her chasing him and it's why I haven't been the biggest fan of this romance. Now having said all that, I did love every single kiss these two shared (cause Ji Sung!!!) and I'm happy they ended up together but I'm not sure how I feel about Yo Han becoming a terminally ill care doctor cause I always thought he enjoyed the diagnosing and caring for patients in hospitals but I guess after facing death it might change a person. Overall I'd give this show a 9 / 10 though cause I definitely enjoyed the medical aspect more than I have in any other medical drama!

I Wanna Hear Your Song (24/32): A murder takes place. Hong Yi Young, who is a timpanist, does not remember what happened on the day of the murder. She is simple-minded and suffers from insomnia. Hong Yi Young looks for a job. She happens to meet Jang Yoon. He is bad at singing but is a pianist in an orchestra. To help with Hong Yi Young's insomnia, Jang Yoon calls her every night. They try to find the truth about the murder. Meanwhile, Nam Joo Wan is an orchestra conductor. He has charisma and showmanship. Ha Eun Joo is a violinist in the orchestra. She is arrogant.

Slowly but surely we're unraveling this mystery and despite all my complaints it looks like Yi Young and Yoon are still chugging along blindly down this road and being the worst detectives that have ever existed. I'm still high key annoyed that every time Yoon has a clue that he runs straight to the person in question and alerts them to what he knows! Like damn boy play the game a little and lie! How else are you supposed to get the upper hand?? Can we also take a moment to just point out what a complete and utter moron Yi Young was for trusting that the thug? I get not telling Yoon even though if I was her I would have so that we could make a plan but at the very least she should have looked at the pen and found out what was in it before giving it to the thug! It's not like he would have had any proof that you lied. I still think it recorded something about Professor Kang but I don't know what could have warranted all this cause this show is too light for it to be something truly heinous! It's also interesting that though we know the main players of that night, we don't actually know who did the killing. Both Joo Wan and Kang claim they had no part in it and the thug claims he was also innocent and that it wasn't Yi Young even though she did actually stab Ian at some point. I'm low key worried that Yoon might be pinned as a murderer by Kang trying to get him off the board after Yoon played his cards too early especially since we know that the thug has photos of Yoon beating him up. On a similar note, who do we think has the pen now? I assumed that Joo Wan killed the thug cause of how torn up he was before the performance but not only does he claim to be innocent but he also doesn't know about the pen so if he did it, maybe it's at the police station otherwise Kang has it.

Melo Is My Nature (10/16): Im Jin Joo, Lee Eun Jung, and Hwang Han Joo are best friends who are 30-years-old. Hwang Han Joo is the head of a marketing team for a drama production company. She is a single mother who struggles to balance her work and personal life as she is raising a kid. Im Jin Joo is a drama writer with a lot of emotional ups and downs. Her personality is unique, talking to a luxurious purse at times. Even though she is a drama writer, she tries to write her scripts in a literary style. Lee Eun Jung is a documentary director. She runs her own production company, although she's the only employee. One of her documentaries surprisingly becomes popular overnight.

I wasn't feeling last week's episodes but this week punched me in the gut once again with emotions and now I'm a sobbing mess! Eun Jung realized that she wasn't dealing with her boyfriend's death in a healthy way after she could actually see what she looked like as she talked to an imaginary version of him. I was sobbing when she took that tour now memory lane but the worst was when she told her friends that she wasn't okay cause of all that it meant. She has been trying to deal with this pain all on her own and it's time she asked for some help! It also feels like she's finally moving from denial to acceptance in a sense and I think that's why we've met a new love interest for her which is something I wondered about at the start of the show. There was just something about the way that director reacted to her yelling at him that I was just like yeah no he just fell head over heels. We also met Han Joo's in-laws and man they're just as terrible as her ex. I really want her to slap him with her awesomeness and I'm just waiting for that moment in this show cause it has to come! I also low key wanted her son to stand up for her too because as funny as it is to have a child make fun of his mom, his mom is the one who stayed with him so he should feel a little protective! Jae Hoon finally broke up with his girlfriend which was a surprise cause I didn't think that they would find the courage already but I think it was definitely about time not only cause I want him with Han Joo. I still low key ship Jin Joo with her ex so I can't really get behind her romance with Beom Soo no matter how funny their interactions are but once again she did have the funniest moments and I'm curious as to whether Hwan Dong still likes her or is just feeling possessive like my ex can't be happier than me! I do wish the show would learn to balance their main leads better cause it always feels like we spend 70% of our time with Jin Joo.

FINISHED The Girl Who Sees Scents (16/16): Officer Choi Moo Gak lost his younger sister to a barcode-murder case and lost his ability to taste, smell, and feel pain. He then meet a girl named Oh Cho Rim, who is the only witness to the murder case and possesses a special sixth sense, which is the ability to see smells.

I started this drama cause I was in the mood for another police/investigation drama with romance mixed in but I was a bit hesitant cause I don't entirely love Shin Se Kyung as an actress and none of the three dramas I've seen her in so far have worked for me and though that was true for this drama as well I found myself pretty solidly enjoying myself. I really liked Moo Gak as a male lead cause he was that brand of earnest I love and he reminded me a lot of someone like Chun Jung Myung or Jo Jung Suk tbh especially given he was a cop like Jung Suk in Two Cops. Cho Rim was kinda annoying at the start of the drama cause it's like girl your comedy troupe is not more important than a serial killer but she quickly grew on me and I liked that though she was a bit bumbly, when it counted she knew how to play things off and was smart enough to either mislead the villain or leave clues for the heroes (I'm looking at you I Wanna Hear Your Song's Yi Young.) I loved the idea of using scents to solve crimes but I kind of wish it had a bigger part in the show and I was actually really surprised that Jae Hee never actually figured out her powers and used it against her somehow since usually the villains do. Why have an absolutely unbeatable superpower? That brings me to what might possibly be my favorite part of this drama and that was Jae Hee who was an incredible villain! He was so charming before we knew who he was though part of that might have been my bias for him but at the same time he played creepy amazingly as well and it goes to show what a complete genius he was cause without Cho Rim's powers he never would have been caught with how well he planned for everything. I also really loved the whole police group though I do have to admit that pretty much everyone in the police force were idiots and I don't know if that was on purpose to show how easily Jae Hee worked around them or if it was to highlight Moo Gak. Overall I'd give this show a 8 / 10!

The Great Show (6/16): Wie Dae Han is an ex-lawmaker and is a materialistic kind of politician. He wants to get elected as lawmaker again. One day, 18-year-old girl Da Jung comes to him. She tells him that he is her real father. Her mother raised four children, including Da Jung, alone, but she died in a hit-and-run accident. Da Jung is the only one now taking care of her 3 younger siblings. Wie Dae Han accepts Da Jung and her 3 younger siblings. He carries out “The Great Show” to become a lawmaker again.

Man oh man when I started this show I didn't expect it to be so heavy! Here I was thinking that this drama was totally a lighthearted romp through politics and instead we're debating abortion and teenage pregnancy. It was a struggle to get through cause Dae Han was acting like such an asshole for so long and I really hope that this is the turning point for him. Like be a politician but stop thinking of your kids as commodities and think about their wants and needs too! I'm not going to get into my opinions on pro-choice v pro-life but I do have to say that it was easier to watch the debate knowing that Dae Han really has no opinion either way and was only choosing what to say that would get the most press. Of course he then went on to try to force Da Jung to choose an abortion and I'd like to think that he had her future in mind like he said he did but it came across more like he was worried about his own future. It wasn't until he talked to Jung Woo's CEO that he fully came onto Da Jung's side and I loved his speech about how he'd stay by her side through it all. It definitely brought Da Jung to tears! I'm hardcore horrified by Assemblyman Kang though cause what kind of an asshole outs an 18 year old as being pregnant? And what's worse is that he was planning on holding onto the info until Da Jung got an abortion which ones of the reasons why I'm glad that Dae Han was able to swing the public to his side after everything. On another note, Soo Hyun might as well hook up with Dae Han now cause she's already acting like the mom. I do think that sketchy guy at the end will end up being their stepdad who's coming back to have his five seconds in the spotlight not Da Jung's biological father but I also wonder if Da Jung's biological father is actually a Kang whether that's the Assemblyman or Joon Ho. If I had to pick though I'd vote on the Assemblyman cause Joon Ho seems just as nice as Dae Han so if he was the dad, why would Da Jung's mom lie? I have a thought that Kang raped her or assaulted her making her pretend like her first love was the father to make it less horrifying.

CDRAMA

DROPPED Queen Dugu (28/50): After their family was wrongfully persecuted due to the machinations of a corrupt official, Dugu Jia Luo held strict expectations for herself to be independent and strong even at a young age. Her husband Yang Jian is a man of great spirit. He is a warrior, skilled in battle, who rises up the ranks to become the Emperor. With Dugu Jia Luo by his side, they succeed in uniting the country under the Sui Dynasty. The husband and wife stay in a monogamous relationship despite their imperial status and come to be revered by people as the two saints due to their extraordinary contributions to a new golden age.

Remember when I talked about how much I get bored with political dramas? Well here I am a little past halfway through this drama and honestly so over all of it. It's not that I hate everything but the fact that I'm bored and like with so many dramas out there to check out, I don't want to spend time on something I'm not even 80% into. I wanted to watch this drama for Jialuo and Jian but other than being married and once in a while telling each other to be careful, there are no interactions between the two and everything they talk about is political and they're not even the Emperor and Empress yet so it's exhausting to watch. I wanted to stick through it cause I do low key want to see how they get to rule the country but at the same time I can't force myself to do it. It's obvious that somehow Yong will be convinced to hate Jian and think he's out to get him through evil machinations and I'm just not into it. Unfortunately that means that I'm going to drop this drama.

Walk Into Your Memory (12/24): An Ning is a cook who can see other people's memories. When her boss Long Haoqian mysteriously loses memories from one year of his life, she starts to help him find the missing pieces. Initially at odds with each other, a series of amusing events bring them closer together.

As I expected Haoqian's mom is very much against Ning dating her son but his dad is like if you love someone why not marry her cause I think his focus is on Haoqian's happiness and extending the family line. I will be straight heartbroken if it turns out to be a game of some kind on his part like a reverse psychology thing but I think with how light and fluffy this show is that I don't think that will happen. I do think we met some sort of second leads with those random rich siblings who I feel like will try to break our couple up in order to date the partner they want and I really just hope that Ning and Haoqian stay solid cause I'm still afraid that getting together so early in the show means that we've got so much breakup drama to deal with yet. I really love the quartet we've got with Ning and Haoqian's best friends also dating but I don't particularly care about them as a couple unless we're in a foursome and then it's just fun to see them all interact. It's interesting that now that Ning and Haoqian are a couple that Haoqian's whole memory loss thing feels so much less important. We did learn that he tried to save some girl from being raped and the guys who were attacking her attacked him but that doesn't explain why that girl told him she hated him and why she left him in the woods injured. I have a feeling that he was somehow related to that girl being attacked and ended up feeling bad about it or something but that also doesn't really work cause he's our male lead and if he's a complete asshole like that it'll be hard to root for him and Ning.

xoxo Allie