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 reviews, click here and if you want to see a list of my Favorite Asian OTPs and Ships, click here!

KDRAMA

Backstreet Rookie (12/16): Jung Saet Byul is a 22-year-old four-dimensional girl with amazing fighting skills who loves her friends, family, and retro fashion. She has the boys lined up but only has one person who keeps her distracted, Choi Dae Hyun. He became imprinted on her as an unforgettable person after a cigarette errand three years ago. Three years later, Jung Saet Byul meets Choi Dae Hyun again at his convenience store that he now manages and becomes a part-time worker. Here, Saet Byul and Dae Hyun’s love story begins as they heal the wounds of the heart, gain love, and become adults dreaming of the future. Their stories unfold into a pleasant comedy within the familiar sensibility of a convenience store.

Okay so low key this is what we should have had from this show at the start! Like I get the idea of Dae Hyun and Saet Byul having a more slow burn romance but in actuality it felt this show made the fatal mistake that Melting Me Softly did and that was spend more time away from our main leads than needed! I mean seriously if we're watching a rom com especially a slice-of-life like this one, the main leads bickering and fighting and acting cute should be the main focus not the second leads! By having Dae Hyun spend most of his time worrying after Yeon Joo, it feels like all of a sudden he's interested in Saet Byul to the degree where they're flirting and he's jealous of her spending time with Ji Wook. When Ji Wook was like don't use Saet Byul to make Yeon Joo jealous, a part of me was like low key that's what it feels like. Just cause Saet Byul drank with him after his breakup he sees her as a woman and not a girl? Having said all that I did enjoy every moment the two spent together and honestly I did feel like they felt really natural together. I was also really surprised that Saet Byul and Ji Wook's photos hadn't been leaked yet but now I think it'll be a scandal for the sister more cause they'll say that Ji Wook and Eun Byul are dating and that's why she debuted which is totally going to suck. It doesn't help that Eun Byul's bullies are running around with terrible photos of her but I can imagine that Saet Byul will end up helping out and saving the day. I also high key loved when Dae Hyun's mom called out Yeon Joo for feeling superior cause after how she and her mom treated Dae Hyun and his family, it was well deserved.

Chip In/United Effort To Accomplish One Thing (4/8): A painter gets diagnosed terminally ill. On his 58th birthday, he plans to share his last will and testament. His great legacy and immense fortune slowly draw out his family's inner greed, causing a fierce mental battle amongst them. There are too many people around him who are only after his legacy; including his ex-wife, Ji Sul Young, who has taken care of him, Kim Ji Hye, a former mistress and mother to his daughter, and Dokko Chul, a son from a different father. They face different outcomes by the different choices they make as their greed overwhelms them. What are the limits of human greed?

I feel like no one's watching this show and that's unfortunate cause I do think it's a really fun murder mystery! I think I've put together the puzzle pieces as best I could though I'm not sure if I'm right or just falling for this show's trap. As it turned out In Ho died cause Ji Hye, Go Cheol, Hae Joon, Jeong Wook, and Park all gave him sleeping pills which he was allergic to and the only one to know that about him was Seol Young which is why I can't decide if it was or wasn't her who sent the letters. Go Cheol ended up being the one to steal the will and I have a feeling that it was Seol Young who found it and allowed Bit Na to find it. I can't imagine that it was Hae Joon who stole it cause he's too smart to have not destroyed it especially after we found out that he was adopted by In Ho so if the will wasn't found he would have gotten 50% of the inheritance. That's probs why he left Bit Na for dead instead of calling the cops cause then he'd get all 100%. At first it looked like it was a man who hit Bit Na but I think it makes more sense if it was Seol Young who did it cause even in Bit Na's nightmare flashbacks it looks like Seol Young was standing over her drowning and if anyone would be pissed about Bit Na's birth it'd be the wife that was cheated on. I also still wonder if she's having an affair with Jeong Wook but I also wonder if she did all this to not only get a larger cut of the will (since now the money can only be split 3 ways instead of 8) but also to write a book based on this murder mystery and make more bank. In the end though my theory is that In Ho wrote those letters thinking that he could find out who was only around him for the money and didn't expect the others to give him sleeping pills. Maybe that's why Bit Na was the only one to not get a letter? He might have trusted her not to be around him for the inheritance like the others.

FINISHED Come! Jang Bo Ri (52/52): “Can a long-lost daughter find happiness when she is reunited with her parents after 20 years?” In a complicated twist, a young woman from a wealthy family goes missing and is raised by a foster mom instead of her own parents. Meanwhile, her wealthy family adopts a girl to overcome the loss of their daughter. The tensions that arise when the daughter finds her real family results in a journey of understanding and forgiveness.

If you've followed me for a while you should know by now that Because Of Meeting You is one of my favorite cdramas of all time which is why I had this drama on my watch list for a while as it's the original version of the story I adored in Because Of Meeting You but I was a little worried going in that my love and clear preference for the cdrama would mar my appreciation for the kdrama. After watching this whole show I do have to admit that yes the cdrama is still my preferred version of the story no matter how much I adore Oh Yeon Seo but I enjoyed the kdrama telling of this story well enough. Not only was the cinematography and the design element more beautiful in the cdrama but I also thought the romance between Guo Guo and Yun Kai was much better done than Bo Ri and Jae Hwa mostly cause the cdrama focused on it a lot more while the kdrama seemed to want to spend more time with the villains. I also preferred the cdrama version of at what point Guo Guo was discovered to be Yi Bai cause it gave us more time too see her happy with her family and happily married before the final confrontation happened. The extra added characters in this kdrama such as Ga Eul and Secretary Kang felt pointless as well though I think the romance between the aunt and the gangster was better in this version. On that note there was a lot that I actually did end up preferring in this version! I liked the emphasis on Bo Ri being a country girl with the whole accent situation and inability to have finished school as well as the fact that we didn't have an arc where her childhood friend came back and pretended to be Eun Bi like in the cdrama. I also think that Min Jung on the whole was the better villain even if she did the same things as Yu Xin only cause Lee Yoo Ri was able to play her like such a psychopath! Overall I'd give this drama a 8.5 / 10 and honestly I'd recommend the cdrama version if you're into this story!

It's Okay To Not Be Okay (12/16): The story of a community health worker at a psychiatric ward who lives on 1.8 million won (approximately $1,520) a month and a storybook writer suffering from an antisocial personality disorder. A man who denies love and a woman who doesn’t know love defy fate and fall in love, finding their souls and identities in the process. Moon Kang Tae is a community health worker at a psychiatric ward who was blessed with everything including a great body, smarts, ability to sympathize with others, patience, ability to react quickly, stamina, and more. Meanwhile, Ko Moon Young is a popular writer of children’s literature, but she is extremely selfish, arrogant, and rude.

After last week's traumatic episodes, this week felt like a bit of fresh air cause not only did we see Kang Tae and Moon Young reconcile but we also saw Kang Tae, Moon Young, and Sang Tae become a real family. I spent most of the week grinning from ear to ear cause this was everything I wanted from this show and honestly it makes this review kind of hard to do cause I'm just so content that I don't know if I have anything to say other than excited squealing all over the place. Kang Tae and Moon Young are just so cute together and I love the way they bring out new sides to each other but I adore how Moon Young and Sang Tae are together too. One of my favorite moments this week was when Kang Tae woke up on his day off and was confused as all hell when Moon Young and Sang Tae were off in their own world without him! The kiss Kang Tae and Moon Young shared was leagues better than their first peck cause it was loving and passionate all-in-one!! I was a little worried about where the show might take us in terms of the murder story cause I really didn't want to see another noble idiocy sacrifice breakup but I have a feeling that both Kang Tae and Moon Young are too possessive to ever give up their love for something like that. As it turned out I was right all those weeks ago in guessing that Moon Young's mom killed Kang Tae's mom out of what I'm assuming was a sense of possessiveness though why she would kill the mom and not Kang Tae himself in order to keep Moon Young to herself is up for debate. I still don't know if I believe that Park is the mom or if she's just an obsessive fan but I really just want to see the trio close ranks and be all protective of each other if that woman tries to bother Moon Young or Sang Tae!

DROPPED Was It Love? (8/16): Tells the story of Noh Ae Jung, a movie producer and single mom who has been living on her own for 14 years. Despite having already given up on romance, she suddenly finds herself embarking on an unexpected second chapter of her story when four men walk into her life at the same time. First up is Noh Ae Jung’s ex-boyfriend Oh Dae Oh, a bestselling novelist who is described as a “charming bad boy”. Oh Dae Oh is irresistibly tempting to women, even when they know they should stay away. Secondly is million-dollar smile A-list actor Ryu Jin, who is described as “pitiful” even though he’s “great on paper.” Despite being seemingly perfect in every way, Ryu Jin has a surprisingly different kind of appeal hiding behind his movie-star persona. Next is Oh Yeon Woo who looks cheerful and confident. A physical education teacher who “makes women’s hearts’ flutter” in spite of his young age. His endearingly pure-hearted desire to win Noh Ae Jung’s affection is certain to win viewers over. Last but not least, Koo Pa Do exudes a tough, manly aura as the “scary but sexy” former gangster who has turned over a new leaf and is now a CEO. The flower in his hand hints at the warm heart hiding behind his intimidating exterior. Finally, peeking out from behind Ryu Jin as a A-list actress, Joo Ah Rin, will add another layer of intrigue to this complicated “4-against-1 romance.”

We're about halfway through this drama now but I think I'm going to drop it which makes me feel totally bad cause I'm used to watching at least 6 or so dramas at a time and by dropping this drama I'll only really be watching 3! This chunk of dramas really haven't been for me so here's hoping the next cycle of dramas will work better for me! The main reason I'm dropping this drama is cause I'm shipping the wrong couple and I find myself being bored during the actual main couple's romance which I hate in a drama. We're also nowhere closer to finding out the truth about who Ha Nee's father is though I still think it's Dae Oh which is going to be crazy cause it'll make Ae Jung look truly horrible cause if all that stood between them being a happy family was misunderstandings, wow. I already hate in dramas when the women hide the fact that they're pregnant from the boyfriends cause the men deserve to know and if they then back off or run away then it's like well the women did all they could and it's not on them anymore. It was super strange how shocked Ae Jung was that Ha Nee might be looking for her father though cause it's like no matter how happy you are, a part of you will always be wondering! I do have a feeling that Jin knows too and is maybe trying to keep Dae Oh and Ha Nee from finding out cause the way he looked at Dae Oh and Ha Nee together was super sketch. Speaking of Jin, he was going around thinking about how he has the right to ask Dae Oh to back off of Ae Jung just cause he liked her first. I always hate that kind of thinking cause it's like if you couldn't manage to grow a pair and confess, then don't blame someone else from swooping in! I had this thought in Love Alarm and I had it here.

FINISHED What Happens To My Family (53/53): Every family has its issues but what happens when the patriarch in the family is not happy with the behaviors of his children? Cha Bong Soon does not intend to just sit back and take bad treatment from his three adult children – Cha Kang Shim, Cha Gang Jae and Cha Dal Bong – and decides to take legal action against them. With such chaos going on in her family, Kang Shim has a tough time focusing on her job as secretary to the president of Daeoh Company and constantly at odds with the president's son, Moon Tae Joo, the company director.

Here's the thing with this drama. I adore family dramas but it's been forever since I watched one cause they're just such a big commitment but after watching My Unfamiliar Family, it got me in the mood again so I dived right in. This one has been on my watch list for a while now cause Park Hyungsik might be my bias and I adore Nam Ji Hyun so I was pretty excited for this one. At first it started exactly the way I wanted it to be with a cute main romance and a fun family dynamic even if some of the characters were problematic but as the show went on, I started to enjoy it less and less. Maybe it's cause I was totally biased in favor of Dal Bong but I seriously hated the way he was treated by the entire family and even Seo Wool. It seemed ridiculous to me that in this family, of all the kids he was the one who cared the most about his dad and other than being a little bratty here and there, he never attacked or made the dad feel horrible like the others but when push came to shove, suddenly everyone was better than him and he was an idiotic troublemaker and nothing more? I could not stand Kang Jae from top to bottom and it really pushed my buttons when he told Dal Bong to grow up and treat the dad better only after he found out about the cancer cause like where was this righteous anger when you decided to dissolve your father/son bond after getting married? Even Seo Wool who I did think was mostly super cute with Dal Bong spent so much of this show managing him and trying to make him into a person she wanted like that's not how relationships work! I hated that she kept the father's cancer secret for so long cause it was totally in Dal Bong's right to know! While I loved Dal Bong and hated Kang Jae, Kang Shim on the other hand was kinda just there as a character but I low key hated her romance cause Tae Joo was a giant whiny baby for this whole show and I did not understand why she fell for him. Kang Jae and Hyo Jin ended up being fairly cute too which really surprised me cause I expected Hyo Jin to be more of a villain or a cause for Kang Jae to regret his choices more. Overall this isn't going to end up being one of my favorite family dramas but it is a fairly good watch so I'd give it a 8.5 / 10.

xoxo Allie

What Shows Am I Watching This Week?

Hello everyone and welcome back! Let's dive right in shall we?

Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 16

I hate this show for making me cry every week! I mean you literally cannot watch this week's episode and not cry unless you're heartless! The whole theme of this episode was missing someone you loved and whether it would be better or worse for them not to be around or to be here but you couldn't see them. Tohru ended up going to the Sohma estate cause she found out from Uo that the man she was in love with was someone named Kureno and it made Tohru think that maybe it was the Kureno Sohma she met. On her way there she met up with little Momo who broke my heart anew cause she apparently had been watching Momiji for a while in secret cause she thought he looked like their mom and wanted to ask him to be her big brother so they could play together and the saddest thing was how she decided to play violin so that they might learn together only for Momiji's father to be like sorry Momiji but you have to stop going to the teacher that taught you for years cause it's too dangerous and the whole thing was so hateful cause it's not like the teacher can't have two students or something! The one thing Momiji wants is to play violin and his dad is even taking that away. It wasn't Momiji's fault that he was born with a spirit! The whole thing made her think of her mom and how much she wishes that she could see her again but can't just like Momiji with his family. Kureno and Uo also added to this cause they both clearly want to see each other so much but Kureno is afraid to go against Akito and bring Uo into this world. It's kinda similar to Kyo and how much he loves Tohru but how he told her that when she falls in love, he'll be there to help her cause it's like not even in the back of his mind does he hope that Tohru would love him back and honestly it's the sweetest and made Tohru cry though I think it was more of a subconscious thought since she doesn't realize that she loves Kyo yet.

Stargirl Season 1 Episode 10

This show is absolutely insane and the stakes are seriously higher than I've ever experienced in a superhero show! In most shows you know that pretty much the entire cast will be safe from harm just based on the fact that shows don't usually kill off main characters but Stargirl has no qualms with making you love a character only to lose them. I mean it was crazy enough when Joey Zarick and his parents were killed by Icicle but this week we had Brainwave kill his own son Henry and we find out that he killed his wife Merri too. As it turned out Merri was Starman's sister and cause Icicle saw that she was changing Brainwave into a good person, he lured the JSA to be killed knowing that Merri would never forgive Brainwave for killing her brother and apparently after that Brainwave made a decision and picked the ISA over his own wife. It was absolutely shocking and horrible and I'm so upset cause I finally was on board with Henry being a good guy only to have him die. I wonder how this will affect the current JSA members cause now they definitely know how evil the ISA is if they're willing to kill their own children for the "cause." Meanwhile Barbara and Pat went through some stuff cause she found out the truth and though at first it looked like she was ready to leave Blue Valley and possibly divorce Pat, it now looks like maybe she might end up joining the team instead cause she's got a great position to spy. Other important news looks to be the fact that Courtney's real dad might still be alive cause he emailed Barbara back and though I'm not surprised with the fact that her dad isn't Starman, I'll be interested to know if he's an important character or just a throwaway civilian.

Agents Of SHIELD Season 7 Episode 9

Man this episode was depressing as hell but mostly just cause of the ending! My favorite thing about this episode was that SHIELD gave the whole time loop episode an exciting twist by giving our characters a deadline so they couldn't just jump endlessly. Of course that meant that there was no comedy to be found since our characters were looping towards death. It was seriously awful that the whole thing ended with Enoch's death cause Enoch has always been one of the best characters on this show but I guess it helps that his best moments are with Fitz and with Fitz not being in this season, it stings a little less. Speaking of, we still didn't get any Fitz but we did manage to get Jemma's implant out for a few seconds to figure out how to fix the Time Drive and Jemma had a full mental breakdown which makes me even more curious as to why Fitz is in hiding! I know the popular theory around the internet is the idea that Fitz is in hiding with their daughter but I can't imagine that she would breakdown like this or that she and Fitz would program Enoch to kill her before letting her memories come back. Another thing to note was the fact that Daisy and Sousa kissed and though it got reset, I'm sure that Daisy won't forget it and at first I wondered if she would go for it but after what Enoch said at the end about this being the last mission these SHIELD agents would go on, I'm wondering if she'll decide that spending time with the team is more important. Speaking of, what in the world did Enoch mean by that? I know this is the final season of SHIELD but I sort of assumed that the show would end with pretty much how every other season did with the team staying together but us just not seeing their adventures anymore. The real plot twist would be if Fury showed up and was like we don't need SHIELD anymore so come with me to SWORD and that's what breaks them up cause some would like a normal life on Earth while others go on the adventure again.

Next week's promo shows us that we're returning to Nathaniel and Afterlife and though I'm happy we'll be getting more Jiaying, I do kinda hope we can deal with Nathaniel next week cause I'm already over him as a villain.

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 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 reviews, click here and if you want to see a list of my Favorite Asian OTPs and Ships, click here!

KDRAMA

Backstreet Rookie (10/16): Jung Saet Byul is a 22-year-old four-dimensional girl with amazing fighting skills who loves her friends, family, and retro fashion. She has the boys lined up but only has one person who keeps her distracted, Choi Dae Hyun. He became imprinted on her as an unforgettable person after a cigarette errand three years ago. Three years later, Jung Saet Byul meets Choi Dae Hyun again at his convenience store that he now manages and becomes a part-time worker. Here, Saet Byul and Dae Hyun’s love story begins as they heal the wounds of the heart, gain love, and become adults dreaming of the future. Their stories unfold into a pleasant comedy within the familiar sensibility of a convenience store.

Every week I'm just left thinking about how sorry I feel for Saet Byul cause she is the only character in this show that's not pathetic but is the one that gets tread on the most. I mean like props to Yeon Joo for finally breaking up with Dae Hyun cause that pathetic idiot has no backbone for himself so he would have stuck around no matter how miserable he was but at the same time Yeon Joo only broke up with him cause she was tired of how guilty he made her feel. When she realized what game her mom was playing with Dae Hyun's parents, she actually hid in order to not have to deal with the mess and it's like if you're that much of a mama's girl that you need your mom to make every one of your decisions for you then you shouldn't have tried dating anyone not handpicked by her! Can you tell this week made me furious?? I cannot for the life of me figure out what it is that Saet Byul sees in Dae Hyun but I did feel so horrible for her this week cause not only did she have to quit at the the connivence store but she had to leave Dae Hyun's house and then lost her side job of selling things and then got kicked out of Ji Wook's house by his manager. I have a feeling that when the photos of her and Ji Wook will be leaked, it'll cause everyone to think that Eun Byul only got a trainee spot cause Saet Byul begged Ji Wook to give it. Maybe then Saet Byul and Dae Hyun will end up fake dating to throw the press off and the love will turn real or something.

Chip In/United Effort To Accomplish One Thing (2/8): A painter gets diagnosed terminally ill. On his 58th birthday, he plans to share his last will and testament. His great legacy and immense fortune slowly draw out his family's inner greed, causing a fierce mental battle amongst them. There are too many people around him who are only after his legacy; including his ex-wife, Ji Sul Young, who has taken care of him, Kim Ji Hye, a former mistress and mother to his daughter, and Dokko Chul, a son from a different father. They face different outcomes by the different choices they make as their greed overwhelms them. What are the limits of human greed?

This drama is literally the korean version of Knives Out and I'm totally fascinated by that cause though the concept is the same, it's possible the story will play out differently! So basically In Ho is this rich painter and we're trying to figure out who killed him through Bit Na's eyes I'm assuming cause she feels like the female lead alongside her mom. The interesting thing to note is that In Ho is not kind like the grandfather in Knives Out but actually kind of a giant grouch so there's no wonder that everyone would want to see him dead. He clearly doesn't care for any of his family other than his nephew Hae Joon who I totally have a feeling will end up being his biological son cause there's no other reason why he would toss aside his own biological daughter for a nephew unless he's also sexist on top of everything else and was pissed that Bit Na was a girl and not a boy. We definitely see that Bit Na loved her father in her own way and was clearly jealous of his bond with Hae Joon but also that she was severely bullied as a child but I'm honestly surprised at how the whole family thinks so horribly of her including Hae Joon who at first I thought might be the only other nice one in the family but now I don't think so. I'm not sure if I have a guess yet for who killed In Ho but it's clearly someone who knew that In Ho wasn't terminal so they killed him in an attempt to speed things along. Other than Bit Na, Ji Hye and Go Seon (who really seems like a throwaway character tbh), it could be anyone. I also want to throw out my guess that Seol Young and Jeong Wook were having an affair cause I think that his picture was of In Ho, Seol Young and him when they were young and I just didn't feel any romantic vibes between Seol Young and In Ho when they're supposed to be lovers.

It's Okay To Not Be Okay (10/16): The story of a community health worker at a psychiatric ward who lives on 1.8 million won (approximately $1,520) a month and a storybook writer suffering from an antisocial personality disorder. A man who denies love and a woman who doesn’t know love defy fate and fall in love, finding their souls and identities in the process. Moon Kang Tae is a community health worker at a psychiatric ward who was blessed with everything including a great body, smarts, ability to sympathize with others, patience, ability to react quickly, stamina, and more. Meanwhile, Ko Moon Young is a popular writer of children’s literature, but she is extremely selfish, arrogant, and rude.

This week actually sent me through the gauntlet cause it started out the cutest it may have ever been with Kang Tae finally deciding to live for himself and not just for Sang Tae only to end up worse off than when he began. It's hard cause you can't exactly blame Sang Tae for everything that's happening cause of his autism but also it leaves you wishing that Kang Tae could separate himself from this. No matter what anyone says, he deserves to be more than just Sang Tae's caregiver and maybe they need a whole lot of therapy or something but Sang Tae and Kang Tae need to realize that they can be brothers and there for each other but not be plastered side by side every single moment of every single day. What really drove me crazy was not only the fact that half of the hospital residents turned on Kang Tae without knowing the whole story but also the fact that everyone keeps saying things like if Moon Young stayed away everything would be okay especially Jae Su who should know more than anyone how miserable Kang Tae has been all his life! It's crazy cause to me Kang Tae is like night and day when he's happy with Moon Young and when he's miserable. For a while I did wonder if Moon Young was really just faking her affection for Sang Tae in order to appeal more to Kang Tae but with how she was watching the cartoon Sang Tae loved and how she went to him alone, it made me feel better about how she actually did miss him. I'm also fascinated with the idea that Moon Young's mom is actually living in the nursing home and acting like a different person but I'm not entirely sure why she's been hovering around the dad rather than Moon Young cause it seemed like in the flashbacks that she saw Moon Young as an extension of herself.

DROPPED Men Are Men/To All The Guys Who Loved Me (9/32): This romantic comedy is about a woman who chooses to remain single after getting hurt from past relationships and a man who wants to change his relationship with this woman through love. The story will combine the theme of a past life with realistic topics such as marriage and remaining single.

Ugh I'm sorry guys but I could not force myself to get through another episode of this show when there are so many shows out there that are better or more fun to watch! I just can't vibe with this show's version of comedy and plot points and I can't help but wonder how much of it is cause of my bias against Hwang Jung Eum's acting style which makes me feel bad but things like that are in the eye of the beholder so if you guys enjoy her acting or this show then all the more power to you! I honestly think that maybe she should stick to slightly more serious shows like Kill Me Heal Me where the comedy is either dialed down or the majority of the comedy is handed over to her male counterpart. Maybe I'll come back to this show after it ends but honestly I highly doubt it.

FINISHED My Unfamiliar Family (16/16): Is blood thicker than water? Kim Eun Hee, is about to find out. She is the middle child in a family that is slowly starting to drift apart. Her older sister is a former patent attorney, and her younger brother is a sensitive soul. And although her father is hard-working, he is often distant – an attitude that has her mother poised to begin a new chapter in her life. While she pines for intimacy, Kim Eun Hee keeps her feelings hidden from her family. Instead, she prefers to confide in her close male college friend Park Chan Hyuk – a man who has become more like a brother to her than any of her real siblings. And it is to him that she turns for love advice as she looks to return to the dating scene after a long absence. But what happens when events take a turn? Could the family pull together in time to weather the storm? And when the going gets tough, will it be Kim Eun Hee’s family or her friends who step up to the plate?

I'm sad that this show is coming to an end but at the same time I feel like 16 episodes was the perfect amount of episodes to tell this story. Eun Hee and Chan Hyuk finally started dating and though I feel a little gypped for having to wait until the finale to see how cute they were as a couple, I still loved every moment with them. That moment where they were just chatting in Chan Hyuk's office and both just looked at the other thinking about how much they love each other was everything cause it was just such a soft and quiet moment. It was also absolutely hilarious how Eun Hee's mom knew that the two were more than friends without Eun Hee having to tell her. I do wish we had seen a little more of Chan Hyuk's family but I can understand that this show is following the Kim family so maybe there's not enough time. I also like the idea that Eun Hee's next book will be about her family but was anyone else confused about the fact that she didn't always plan on doing that cause I totally thought that's where this show was going to go á la Little Women. The open ending for Eun Joo and her co-worker was also nice cause it would have been too early after her divorce for anything to develop but at the same time I see how good they are for each other and can imagine that one day in the future they'd end up together. Jin Woo's whole thing was honestly so embarrassing and cringey and I felt so horrible for how he ran off only to come back with his tail tucked between his legs! This show is definitely going on my list for recommendations for people who love family dramas or people who don't know if they'll like family dramas and want to dabble a little before diving into a 50 episode family drama! I'd definitely give it a 10 / 10!

Was It Love? (6/16): Tells the story of Noh Ae Jung, a movie producer and single mom who has been living on her own for 14 years. Despite having already given up on romance, she suddenly finds herself embarking on an unexpected second chapter of her story when four men walk into her life at the same time. First up is Noh Ae Jung’s ex-boyfriend Oh Dae Oh, a bestselling novelist who is described as a “charming bad boy”. Oh Dae Oh is irresistibly tempting to women, even when they know they should stay away. Secondly is million-dollar smile A-list actor Ryu Jin, who is described as “pitiful” even though he’s “great on paper.” Despite being seemingly perfect in every way, Ryu Jin has a surprisingly different kind of appeal hiding behind his movie-star persona. Next is Oh Yeon Woo who looks cheerful and confident. A physical education teacher who “makes women’s hearts’ flutter” in spite of his young age. His endearingly pure-hearted desire to win Noh Ae Jung’s affection is certain to win viewers over. Last but not least, Koo Pa Do exudes a tough, manly aura as the “scary but sexy” former gangster who has turned over a new leaf and is now a CEO. The flower in his hand hints at the warm heart hiding behind his intimidating exterior. Finally, peeking out from behind Ryu Jin as a A-list actress, Joo Ah Rin, will add another layer of intrigue to this complicated “4-against-1 romance.”

This show is seriously killing me cause I keep getting SLS with how adorable Yeon Woo is but I have a feeling that once his mom steps onto the screen as more than a background character that my SLS might just fade. Though I adore him now, a lot of that adoration comes from the fact that he's so kind and sweet and unproblematic compared to the others but honestly if I look at all the characters a whole, the ones with crazy moms are the absolute worst so I have a feeling that he won't be unproblematic for long. In fact it might end up being Dae Oh who's the uncomplicated one cause though he's famous in a sense, he's not like celebrity level and he doesn't have any crazy relatives so he can be quietly supportive and cute. In terms of being the father, I'm still confused cause Dae Oh never once has the thought that her daughter could be his unlike Jin who has full breakdowns at the thought over and over. I still think that it'll end up being Dae Oh though cause this is a kdrama and I can't imagine they would be like oh the father is one guy but Ae Jung ends up with the other. It is really interesting though how little Ae Jung reacts to the men interacting with her daughter but I suppose after 14 years of saying stuff like my husband died, she'd get used to the lies.

xoxo Allie

What Shows Am I Watching This Week?

Hello everyone and welcome back! Let's dive right in shall we?

Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 15

This episode really should have been renamed Aya is an angel cause he is!! He swooped in to save Yuki at the exact moment Yuki needed him the most and we all swooned! Okay but seriously this week was the parent/teacher conference episode and to my surprise it actually only lasted one episode instead of a multiple episode arc like I expected. I can't decide if this was a good or a bad thing though. Part of me is content with how it all played out but the rest of me thinks that we could have squeezed out so much beautiful angst! Hana and Uo mostly just were there for comedic effect though it was interesting to note that Hana seemed to have a crush on Kazuma which was hilarious. Kyo didn't pay much attention to his meeting cause he's pretty much given up fighting against Akito and imprisonment but what Kazuma said to him was still so sweet while Tohru decided to keep following her mom's goals and work after graduation though from what I can gather it seems like she's just doing all this in order not to fall into a pit of despair. It's been clear for a while that Tohru likes to push away her emotions and focus on others but I really liked the metaphor we got this week of her most emotional moments shoved into a box and the shipper in me was thrilled that alongside her dad and mom were her feelings for Kyo! Yuki's meeting was the most important I think cause it finally gave us a glimpse of his mom and how she's both controlling but also uncaring. I'm not sure why I was expecting her to be worse honestly but after Akito's brand of emotional, mental, and physical abuse I guess no one can hold a candle though I did like that Yuki was able to stand up to her in the end as he realized (the same as all of us children do at some point) that our parents aren't the big scary mountains we thought they were. Of course on a more positive note, the best part of the whole episode was when Aya swooped in and Yuki told him that he was dependable. Aya and I both teared up!

Stargirl Season 1 Episode 9

This was a strange mishmash episode cause I feel like it was attempting to do a whole bunch of things at the same time! Since Henry got his powers last week and found his father's secret hideout, he went back and watched all the videos that Brainwave filmed as he slowly learned about his powers. As we found out, Brainwave got his powers from running tests on himself and slowly being able to read minds drove him a little crazy cause he realized that people were monsters and Henry started to feel that way too. Meanwhile Courtney attempted to talk to him and recruit him for the JSA side and though he shut her down, I have a feeling that she was right when she said that he's probs just reading the surface level of thoughts where we think whatever spontaneous thing that comes to mind rather the inner thoughts we have which are probably full of love. Yolanda also visited him and basically threatened him and it was interesting to see the way Henry interacted with her all full of guilt and remorse so I think in the end I agree with Courtney that he can't be all bad like Cindy. The most surprising part was the fact that it looks like Brainwave woke up but his tone was so strange that I'm wondering if he somehow got amnesia or lost his telepathic powers so he can remember who Henry is but not that he probs brain blasted him. On the other hand we had Jordan and Cameron coming to dinner where Jordan's parents decided that they liked Barbara but not Courtney in what I'm assuming means as a wife for Jordan. Courtney also guessed that Jordan must be Icicle which is totally going to ruin her thing with Cameron but also Barbara found out about the Staff and I have a feeling it's going to ruin Barbara and Pat's relationship though whether it'll push Barbara into Jordan's arms we'll have to wait and see.

Agents Of SHIELD Season 7 Episode 8

Am I the only one who completely forgot that Jiaying had a daughter before Daisy and that daughter killed herself cause she control her powers?? Yeah just me? Well then. I was so confused about why the show kept focusing so much on Kora only for Jiaying to be like I need to find my daughter and everything just clicked. I can't wait until Daisy gets to interact with her just to see how she would. It already sucks a little that she couldn't meet Jiaying this episode and while normally I'd be like it's probs not good to see her anyway cause then Jiaying in season 2 would remember meeting Daisy, we're playing with the multiverse theory in this show so it wouldn't really matter if they did interact especially since Jiaying and Gordon were the only ones to escape Nathanial's attack on Afterlife and I can't help but feel like that changes the original timeline anyway so why not give us all the fan service?? YoYo and May worked through YoYo's block and as it turned it, it was psychological and not physical so once YoYo was able to forgive her past actions, she actually unlocked more powers in that now she doesn't have to bounce back to where she started so she's more like the Flash now. Coulson got a new body and Sousa got a new leg but we weren't able to stop the time drive from jumping around and literally every week where there's a problem I'm sitting here like oh is this where Fitz will appear and save the day??

The promo for next week shows us that we're somehow going to be stuck in the time stream and like I said earlier, I'm wondering if Fitz will somehow be the one to save the day. It's a little strange cause I totally thought we'd be dealing with Jiaying and Afterlife for another episode since we can't just leave Nathanial running amock but maybe we'll get to that in two weeks.

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 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 reviews, click here and if you want to see a list of my Favorite Asian OTPs and Ships, click here!

KDRAMA

Backstreet Rookie (8/16): Jung Saet Byul is a 22-year-old four-dimensional girl with amazing fighting skills who loves her friends, family, and retro fashion. She has the boys lined up but only has one person who keeps her distracted, Choi Dae Hyun. He became imprinted on her as an unforgettable person after a cigarette errand three years ago. Three years later, Jung Saet Byul meets Choi Dae Hyun again at his convenience store that he now manages and becomes a part-time worker. Here, Saet Byul and Dae Hyun’s love story begins as they heal the wounds of the heart, gain love, and become adults dreaming of the future. Their stories unfold into a pleasant comedy within the familiar sensibility of a convenience store.

Wow this week really just put the nail in the coffin for Dae Hyun and Yeon Joo's relationship. I had said last week that I did feel bad for her and how Saet Byul seemed to be getting in the way of her relationship with Dae Hyun but after this week, I will no longer feel bad for her. In fact I'm going to be pissed when next week she throws a tantrum over Saet Byul living at Dae Hyun's house when she's literally the one who made out with another man! Oh poor poor Yeon Joo who's constantly embarrassed of being seen with Dae Hyun! Whatever will she do but make out with a rich guy?? The problem is that she won't make a decision one way or the other and keeps dragging Dae Hyun along. Is it love or prestige that matters to her cause I have no doubt that she loves Dae Hyun but she also seems to really enjoy what comes with her wealth and privilege so Dae Hyun's shitty concert seats and job bother her. Saet Byul on the other hand went through the wringer this week after not only quitting the job she loved but also losing her apartment and having her sister run away with all the money she had left. My goodness is the sister selfish! The way she screamed about how embarrassing it was to live in that terrible motel cause it's not like she's helping out at all! I still high key ship Saet Byul with her idol friend but he's clearly the second lead so there's no point in wishing!

FINISHED Ga Doo Ri's Sushi Restaurant (12/12): “Ga Doo Ri’s Sushi Restaurant” will be about the sweet yet fierce romance between dating expert Ga Doo Ri, who’s well known for her refreshing dating advice, and her mysterious next-door neighbor Cha Woo Bin.

So this show was nowhere on my radar when it first came out cause I'm not usually a fan of short web dramas as they always either leave me wishing for more or seem silly and pointless but someone I knew kept raving about how cute this show was and since the episodes were only like 15 minutes long, I figured why not check it out. After binging this whole thing, I have to say seriously guys this show was just as cute as I heard it was! I mean yes there's very little plot and yes everything's super lighthearted but sometimes you just need exactly that! Doo Ri was absolutely amazing as the female lead but Woo Bin stole my heart with his absolute cuteness! I loved that since this show was so short that we went through enemies to friends to lovers at a breakneck speed and that any misunderstandings were brushed away fairly quickly! I also really adored how Woo Bin was both this smooth operator at work and this bumbling cutie at home and how he spent almost this whole show fangirling over Doo Ri's cuteness. The secretary was adorable too and I loved his bromance with Woo Bin as well as the way that Doo Ri was able to stand up for herself when she needed to! Overall I'd give this show a 8.5 / 10!

It's Okay To Not Be Okay (8/16): The story of a community health worker at a psychiatric ward who lives on 1.8 million won (approximately $1,520) a month and a storybook writer suffering from an antisocial personality disorder. A man who denies love and a woman who doesn’t know love defy fate and fall in love, finding their souls and identities in the process. Moon Kang Tae is a community health worker at a psychiatric ward who was blessed with everything including a great body, smarts, ability to sympathize with others, patience, ability to react quickly, stamina, and more. Meanwhile, Ko Moon Young is a popular writer of children’s literature, but she is extremely selfish, arrogant, and rude.

This week marks the halfway point for this drama and I'm so happy that I'm still just as in love with it as I was 4 weeks ago! I know some people were complaining about the pacing of this show but I actually really like the slow pace cause it makes the romance feel more real. The slow burn makes you ache for the leads to get together but it doesn't make your blood boil like Eun Hee and Chan Hyeok over in My Unfamiliar Family! I actually really liked that both Kang Tae and Moon Young realized that they loved each other this week cause while Kang Tae was trying so hard to suppress his feelings, Moon Young wasn't focusing on more than just wanting him like he was an object so both were surprised to understand that their feelings were so intense. I love that he makes her want to be a better person and that she makes him want to stop hiding everything about himself. When he finally punched that visitor, you could see the catharsis he felt on his face but more than that I'm hoping that he realized that he doesn't have to spend his whole life taking care of Sang Tae. I understand why Sang Tae would have been upset at the idea of Kang Tae being with Moon Young but Kang Tae needs to get Sang Tae to understand that he's not an object to be claimed and that if he loves Moon Young and spends time with her, that doesn't mean that he's just going to vanish forever. In other news I was living for Kang Tae's jealously with Choi Daniel and how he blew up on Moon Young's editor but what I did hate was how everyone at the hospital seriously ignored the fact that the visitor slapped Moon Young. Just like when her own father strangled her, they seriously care so little about Moon Young.

Men Are Men/To All The Guys Who Loved Me (8/32): This romantic comedy is about a woman who chooses to remain single after getting hurt from past relationships and a man who wants to change his relationship with this woman through love. The story will combine the theme of a past life with realistic topics such as marriage and remaining single.

This show seriously makes me uncomfortable from top to bottom with the only two things I'm interested in being that Yoon Hyun Min is just much too attractive for me to not want to watch this show and the reincarnation storyline. We pretty much got all the info we needed this week with the reveal that Ji Woo also started drowning at the same time Hyun Joo did and so he remembered his past memories of her too but unlike Hyun Joo, I don't think he mentioned it to anyone or if he did his therapist decided to embrace this fact rather than erase it like Hyun Joo's therapist did so while she's forgotten him, he's never forgotten her. Everything he did last week was to bring Hyun Joo to his side and away from that horrible webtoon company she was working at which is a nicer reason than I first thought but I still don't understand why he didn't try to stage a meet-cute and seduce her instead of all cause the girl was definitely interested before he revealed himself as the CEO. It also looks like Seo Yoon's mom was the other girl in Ji Woo, Hyun Joo, and Do Gyum's friend group from their previous life but Ji Woo never gave her the time of day and I'm thinking that somehow the trio died leaving her alone to marry and have Seo Yoon so now that she's seen that Ji Woo looks like the man she loved, in an attempt to live vicariously through them, she's forcing Seo Yoon to marry Ji Woo á la Mary Stayed Out All Night style. I guess I should also be glad that this show is throwing away the Ji Woo is gay storyline cause it made me super uncomfortable with how much this show seemed to be doing a version of gay bashing. I also find it fascinating that last week I was thinking that I might get SLS but now I'm fully on board with Ji Woo cause I hate second leads who grow up as the female lead's brother.

My Unfamiliar Family (14/16): Is blood thicker than water? Kim Eun Hee, is about to find out. She is the middle child in a family that is slowly starting to drift apart. Her older sister is a former patent attorney, and her younger brother is a sensitive soul. And although her father is hard-working, he is often distant – an attitude that has her mother poised to begin a new chapter in her life. While she pines for intimacy, Kim Eun Hee keeps her feelings hidden from her family. Instead, she prefers to confide in her close male college friend Park Chan Hyuk – a man who has become more like a brother to her than any of her real siblings. And it is to him that she turns for love advice as she looks to return to the dating scene after a long absence. But what happens when events take a turn? Could the family pull together in time to weather the storm? And when the going gets tough, will it be Kim Eun Hee’s family or her friends who step up to the plate?

This damn show is really about to play this game with us huh? They're really about to force us to wait until the finale to see Chan Hyuk and Eun Hee be together??? I say this but I suppose it wasn't all that bad this week cause finally one of the two stepped up and found their courage and Chan Hyuk told Eun Hee that he wants to be with her romantically for the rest of their lives. It was the sweetest confession cause it came on the heels of him finally telling her about his dead older brother and why he never learned to drive and everything about that scene was perfection. I'm not thrilled that Eun Hee decided she needed more time to figure herself out first cause the girl should have been doing that this whole time rather than dating her boss randomly but I liked the way she was subtly flirting anyway. Eun Joo finally got her divorce and told her parents about it and the way her mom reacted was just so heartbreaking cause it must destroy her to know that Eun Joo got married to leave the family rather than out of love. I am a little weirded out by the fact that I think we met Eun Joo's future love interest this late in the game but then again it wasn't like she was in the headspace to think about anyone else earlier so it's okay. I like that he's all maniac like Eun Hee cause Eun Joo is so serious all the time that she needs an easy-going person to pull her out of her shell. Opposites attract and all that. The thing with Jin Woo really confused me though cause I'm almost fairly certain that his girlfriend is catfishing him but it was super crazy that he just up and flew to Canada without really telling anyone!

Was It Love? (4/16): Tells the story of Noh Ae Jung, a movie producer and single mom who has been living on her own for 14 years. Despite having already given up on romance, she suddenly finds herself embarking on an unexpected second chapter of her story when four men walk into her life at the same time. First up is Noh Ae Jung’s ex-boyfriend Oh Dae Oh, a bestselling novelist who is described as a “charming bad boy”. Oh Dae Oh is irresistibly tempting to women, even when they know they should stay away. Secondly is million-dollar smile A-list actor Ryu Jin, who is described as “pitiful” even though he’s “great on paper.” Despite being seemingly perfect in every way, Ryu Jin has a surprisingly different kind of appeal hiding behind his movie-star persona. Next is Oh Yeon Woo who looks cheerful and confident. A physical education teacher who “makes women’s hearts’ flutter” in spite of his young age. His endearingly pure-hearted desire to win Noh Ae Jung’s affection is certain to win viewers over. Last but not least, Koo Pa Do exudes a tough, manly aura as the “scary but sexy” former gangster who has turned over a new leaf and is now a CEO. The flower in his hand hints at the warm heart hiding behind his intimidating exterior. Finally, peeking out from behind Ryu Jin as a A-list actress, Joo Ah Rin, will add another layer of intrigue to this complicated “4-against-1 romance.”

Wow you know what low key sucks about all of the men in Ae Jung's life? The fact that all but one are so high maintenance and the one that's not isn't even a real contender! Yeon Woo who was my favorite last week as it turns out is a secret chaebol (cause that's exactly what we were missing) with the usual overbearing mom while Dae Oh and Ah Rin are both public figures in which case the public feels like they have a say in their lives though I'd assume that Dae Oh being a novelist would be less pressured about dating a single mom especially when I still think the kid is his own. The way the show is focusing on everyone but Dae Oh being the father makes me think it's him all the more though the fact that Ah Rin panicked at the thought of being a father while Dae Oh thought nothing of Ae Jung having a kid makes me wonder. Does that mean that Ae Jung and Ah Rin slept together after Ae Jung broke up with Dae Oh or is Ah Rin panicking out of jealously cause he realized that it was Dae Oh's kid? I definitely don't think it's biologically Yeon Woo's kid but I have a feeling that he and Ae Jung might have agreed that symbolically the kid was theirs and that after his mom found out, she threatened Ae Jung to leave which she did leaving Yeon Woo high-and-dry. Either way it's getting low key ridiculous how Ae Jung just ran away from everyone and I'm still wondering what the situation was where she didn't tell the father. I am a little glad that with a little more screen time for Dae Oh that he's not exactly the man-baby I thought he was cause it'll make me less annoyed when he gets the girl.

CDRAMA

FINISHED Symphony's Romance (40/40): A talented musician, Li Zhen Yi, had the world at his feet. With invitations to study abroad, under some of the greatest musical masters of the modern world, pouring in, Zhen Yi should have had no reservations about stepping out into a wider world. But the ghosts of his past refuse to let him go. Suffering from severe childhood trauma, Zhen Yi is trapped in a world of demons from which there is no escape. At least not until he meets Fang Xiao Wo. An extraordinarily gifted pianist, Xiao Wo possesses more talent than even Zhen Yi, but her odd behavior and weird personality don’t exactly endear her to those around her. Despite her being such an oddity, Zhen Yi can’t help but be a little intrigued by Xiao Wo, especially not when they share an unwavering passion for music. The two eventually begin to spend more time together and Zhen Yi slowly starts to find the courage to continue pursuing his own dreams. With Xiao Wo by his side, the wounds from Zhen Yi’s past begin to heal, allowing him to dream like he’s never dreamed before. Finally free from the ghosts of his past, Zhen Yi and Xiao Wo step bravely into a bright new future, together. 

It feels weird to say that I'm already done watching this drama cause the show released episodes at a breakneck pace not to mention the fact that I watched this show in weird spurts of binges but here we are. I am a little proud of myself and this show cause I finally managed to finish an adaptation of this story though I can't say that this version really wowed me cause as the show went on, I started to struggle with it more and more. I can't really say if the problems came about from extending the amount of episodes from 11 or 16 to 40 or if the writing literally just couldn't figure out a way to have both Zhen Yi and Xiao Wo have storylines at the same time but either way I found myself thinking that it was super strange that whenever Zhen Yi had a conducting storyline that Xiao Wo pretty much stopped playing piano and focused on him and the same happened vice versa. Even by the end of this drama it didn't feel like Xiao Wo grew as a person! I mean yeah she did learn to place her ambitions over him and be able to be apart for a little while but I still didn't get a vibe from her that she really loved music or wanted to be a professional or anything of the sort cause to almost the last moment she was jealous and sad at how much better she thought Zhen Yi was from her when all he did was talk about how he loved her. Speaking of, I still think it's hilarious that Zhen Yi and Xiao Wo never actually had a moment where they decided they were dating or in love. She kinda just plowed into his life and he was just like yep this is happening. I did love that there was little drama in this show in terms of family or messy breakups and I did like a lot of the side characters and their romances. Overall I'd give this show a 8 / 10.

JDRAMA

FINISHED Kiss Me At The Stroke Of Midnight (1/1): Hinana is a high school girl who wakes up at 5 am to prepare for school every day. She's also the Student Committee secretary. While she's quite serious, in reality, she actually dreams of one day finding herself a prince. When a famous actor, Ayase Kaede, shoots a movie at their school during golden week, the Student Committee's members have to act as extras. Hinana thinks Ayase is just like the prince of her dreams until she finds out that in reality, he's actually a pervert who has a butt fetish? A comedy romance starts.

You all know how obsessed I am with jmovies especially ones set in high school cause there's something just so cute and hopeful about the romances! I saw this one pop up on my drama feed and at first I wasn't sure what kind of a mess it would be cause the synopsis sounded truly silly like a hentai plot rather than a movie one but I had a little free time over the weekend this week so I figured why not try it out and guys it was actually so much cuter than I expected! The whole butt fetish thing had no more a few minutes of screen time and instead we got a totally sweet romance with very little obstacles in it's way. When the main couple got together very early on in the movie, I was so confused cause there was so much movie left but I actually ended up liking the way the story played out. By placing the main leads together so early on, we could focus more on who they were as people rather than the will they/won't they aspect. I liked seeing Hinana and Kaede learn what love is and that they need to follow their dreams. The age gap between the two was only 3 years which I thought nothing of cause so many other dramas and movies have more intense gaps so it surprised me when the show made a point to be like Kaede needs to apologize to the public for dating a 16 year old when he was 19 even if they didn't even kiss until she was 21 and he was 24. Overall I really enjoyed this movie and though it's not doing anything new or exciting, I'd definitely give it a 9 / 10 cause it's a perfect popcorn flick!!

xoxo Allie

What Shows Am I Watching This Week?

Hello everyone and welcome back! Let's dive right in shall we?

Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 14

Ahh so the second half of this second season is officially starting and you can tell cause the opening changed! So far I do prefer the opening from the first half but maybe this one will grow on me! I do know that I like the new ending! This episode once again felt like the calm before the storm the way that the episodes before the beach arc did and this time around it feels like our next big battle will take place during the parent/teacher conferences. It's going to cause all of our Sohma characters to have to interact with their parents again especially Yuki who's parents we haven't seen much of but Yuki's clearly terrified of his mom so there's that. So much plot moved forward this week that I don't know where to start! Kyo as it seems has been distant from everyone ever since his meeting with Kagura but the thing is that he seemed fine last week and he seemed fine after his meeting with Kagura so I'm wondering if this is meant to be a lingering effect from meeting Akito instead. He's no longer fighting with Yuki and he's quietly watching Tohru from a distance as if he's already given up and ready to watch the world move along from his cage. I did love that despite everything, he was there to pick Tohru up when her world was falling apart again. Tohru's grandpa hurt his back and it caused her to flashback to right after her dad died and to what seems like her mom not doing well without him. Meanwhile we saw more of Rin and Haru and how sweet the two's relationship was all the way back from childhood. She's clearly trying to break the Sohma curse but I'm not sure how pushing Haru away would help but I did like that Haru was like I don't blame her cause clearly I'm not strong enough to be her safe shelter yet. It was also interesting to note that it was Haru begging Shigure that allowed Akito to let Yuki leave his side.

Stargirl Season 1 Episode 8

This episode was a big old yikes in terms of how literally everyone knows that Courtney is Stargirl now! What's the point of masks when the villains know who you are?? I do suppose it's better that it's the kids that figure it out over the adults cause they might think that it'd be funny to taunt the others with their secret identities compared to the adults who'd kill their families to keep the ISA safe. I seriously can't decide if I think Henry Jr will be a good or bad guy cause unlike Cindy, he's had moments of goodness but at the same time with Brainwave down for the count, the ISA would need him and with Courtney being the one to put his dad in the hospital, it'll be easy for them to pull him to their side. I also think it's hilarious that the show pretty much entirely forgot about the big dance that was so important last week and I'm sitting here wondering if poor Cameron is just walking around the school thinking Courtney stood him up. The stuff with Pat, Beth, Yolanda and Rick was alright but my favorite thing was exhausted Pat just being exhausted with everything the kids do. This is why you don't get teenagers to be heroes! I also actually really loved the scene with Mike and Courtney where he apologized for snapping at her last week and that they both were like I'm happy your my family now cause it was sweet and I'm still low key waiting for him to pick up the pink pen and become a hero too cause duh.

Agents Of SHIELD Season 7 Episode 7

If I'm being honest, this episode was fun on paper but in actuality not one of my favorites from this season. Not only did it ask you to logistical problems and pay attention on what we got but it also focused on Mack and his grieving process which was mostly meh to me. As much as I like Deke and I usually love the bottle episodes where the whole episode is focused on one or more SHIELD characters, this one wasn't as good as previous ones which might low key be because I'm still waiting on Fitz or because it had no fun cameos but either way I was pretty much just waiting for this episode to end. Mack and Deke spent 20 months in the 1980s and during that time Mack spent most of it mourning while Deke built a team of SHIELD agents and found Coulson's mind drive which survived the explosion from last week. Also having survived last week was Sybil and Nathanial Whitehall who have now teamed up to do evil though we haven't actually learned what the plan is. The interesting thing to note is that Coulson did blow up all the Hunters that the Chronicoms had and I think we're left with only Sybil and her mind drive though I'm assuming that her mind drive has all the other Chronicoms too otherwise we've pretty much won the fight. At the very least this episode allowed us to cheat and say that Mack mourned his parents without actually having to live through it and it was also really sweet to find out how much Deke cares with how he was taking care of little Mack. We weren't able to stop Sybil from taking back the Time Stream but by doing so I think it allowed the Zephyr to catch a Time Wave and returns to Deke and Mack though like I said 20 months later. 

The promo for next week looks seriously epic and that is exactly what I want from a time hopping SHIELD crew! We're going to see Jiaying again and I'm left to wonder if the show is somehow going to change Jiaying's future death or Daisy's dad's. 

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 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 reviews, click here and if you want to see a list of my Favorite Asian OTPs and Ships, click here!

KDRAMA

Backstreet Rookie (6/16): Jung Saet Byul is a 22-year-old four-dimensional girl with amazing fighting skills who loves her friends, family, and retro fashion. She has the boys lined up but only has one person who keeps her distracted, Choi Dae Hyun. He became imprinted on her as an unforgettable person after a cigarette errand three years ago. Three years later, Jung Saet Byul meets Choi Dae Hyun again at his convenience store that he now manages and becomes a part-time worker. Here, Saet Byul and Dae Hyun’s love story begins as they heal the wounds of the heart, gain love, and become adults dreaming of the future. Their stories unfold into a pleasant comedy within the familiar sensibility of a convenience store.

I really want to say that I'm totally on Saet Byul's side and that Yeon Joo isn't a great person but the fact that Saet Byul is clearly out to steal Dae Hyun away really takes the wind right out of my sails! Like don't get me wrong, there's plenty wrong with Yeon Joo and Dae Hyun's relationship aside from her but I just can't help but feel sorry for Yeon Joo who's a much better person than I first expected her to be. Like if she was out-and-out playing with Dae Hyun and Seung Joon then I'd get it but she seems to be really in love with Dae Hyun and definitely clear about her feelings with Seung Joon. I mean yeah she's embarrassed to be seen with Dae Hyun but I also sympathized with her about constantly seeing Dae Hyun piggyback with Saet Byul especially since she knows that Saet Byul wants him. It's low key fascinating cause in most stories, Saet Byul is usually the evil character who steals Yeon Joo's boyfriend before Yeon Joo finds true love with someone else so if you look at the story from another point of view, Seung Joon might be the male lead swooping in to save the woman he loves. As this show goes on I find myself less and less into Dae Hyun as a character to the degree that I'm even starting to wonder if I find Ji Chang Wook attractive anymore and it's the strangest experience cause I've seen even worse man-baby characters but something about Dae Hyun really rubs me the wrong way. It's possible that cause this show has very little overall plot that with this terrible low brow humor that I focus so hard on the characters and how Dae Hyun is not swoon-worthy or charming as a male lead.

It's Okay To Not Be Okay (6/16): The story of a community health worker at a psychiatric ward who lives on 1.8 million won (approximately $1,520) a month and a storybook writer suffering from an antisocial personality disorder. A man who denies love and a woman who doesn’t know love defy fate and fall in love, finding their souls and identities in the process. Moon Kang Tae is a community health worker at a psychiatric ward who was blessed with everything including a great body, smarts, ability to sympathize with others, patience, ability to react quickly, stamina, and more. Meanwhile, Ko Moon Young is a popular writer of children’s literature, but she is extremely selfish, arrogant, and rude.

I thought I read somewhere that this show wasn't doing all that great in Korea and I'm sitting here like this show is an absolute masterpiece so how is the entire world not obsessed with it?? I do have to admit that I thought there was a little too many hospital scenes in this week's episodes for my taste but, as we all know, this show's strength is with Moon Young and Kang Tae so since we had a bunch of fantastic moments between them, everything is forgiven! I loved the scene that we opened with in the motel cause everyone was that motel clerk eating popcorn and living for their cute banter. I do think Moon Young went a step too far if I'm being honest by basically forcing Kang Tae to live in her house with her when he said no so many times before especially since she manipulated Sang Tae to do so. The only thing that stops me from really being soured by it is the fact that Kang Tae clearly feels something for Moon Young himself and he really only seems to say no cause he thinks he has to in order to take care of Sang Tae. Like he said she makes him forget all about his pain and I'm high key saddened that his friend listened to that and basically told Kang Tae to stay miserable like he is by staying away from her. I'm also fascinated with how territorial Kang Tae got with her editor cause jealously speaks volumes and all that. In other news, I'm still so curious about Moon Young's relationship with her mom cause it really doesn't seem normal but I'm pretty sure that the mom died in some sort of car accident now and that everything we've seen about Moon Young watching her mom die is a metaphor. Maybe Moon Young ran away to see Kang Tae and her mom followed and got hit by a car causing her dad to despise her. It really irritated me when all the hospital employees were like there's no way her dad tried to hurt her as if they know everything and that sometimes parents aren't the good guys!

Men Are Men/To All The Guys Who Loved Me (4/32): This romantic comedy is about a woman who chooses to remain single after getting hurt from past relationships and a man who wants to change his relationship with this woman through love. The story will combine the theme of a past life with realistic topics such as marriage and remaining single.

I wasn't entirely sure how I would feel about this drama cause you all know that I'm not a Hwang Jung Eum acting fan but I love rom coms that have a simple story without a crazy trope attached to it so I jumped in. After checking out the first 4 episodes of this show, I'm not sure how I feel. The comedy is too over-the-top, Hyun Joo is too maniac, and I'm a little worried that I'm going to have SLS cause Seo Ji Hoon is just too cute but I love the concept of Hyun Joo and Ji Woo finding each other in every one of their reincarnated lives and that they've had 4 tragic love stories. It sucks though cause this was the one part of this premiere that really caught my attention so the fact that the show didn't exactly focus on that aspect is low key annoying. I'm also a little annoyed that we've got another rich chaebol and poor girl romance but so far it doesn't seem like the male lead has family so maybe we can skip the evil in-laws story beats. What is important to note is that Ji Woo seems to have something against Hyun Joo but I can't decide what it is. Does he think that she's the reason someone he loved died and is doing all this to get revenge on her or does he remember his past lives like Hyun Joo did when he was young and is doing all this to bring her to his side again? He definitely feels like he's a little jealous of Do Gyum's closeness with Hyun Joo and I feel like remembering his great love would be a good reason for him to not be into dating or other women. If the show wanted to go the getting revenge route I feel like it would have told us this week.

My Unfamiliar Family (10/16): Is blood thicker than water? Kim Eun Hee, is about to find out. She is the middle child in a family that is slowly starting to drift apart. Her older sister is a former patent attorney, and her younger brother is a sensitive soul. And although her father is hard-working, he is often distant – an attitude that has her mother poised to begin a new chapter in her life. While she pines for intimacy, Kim Eun Hee keeps her feelings hidden from her family. Instead, she prefers to confide in her close male college friend Park Chan Hyuk – a man who has become more like a brother to her than any of her real siblings. And it is to him that she turns for love advice as she looks to return to the dating scene after a long absence. But what happens when events take a turn? Could the family pull together in time to weather the storm? And when the going gets tough, will it be Kim Eun Hee’s family or her friends who step up to the plate?

One of these days I'm going to spontaneously combust because of Eun Hee and Chan Hyeok and their neverending slow burn! As I guessed last week, there was no actual kiss and in fact the two went through another break up cycle and I'm just sitting here like Eun Hee have you literally learned nothing from what happened to your parents?? She should have talked to Chan Hyeok about whether he told Seo Young about their texts and she should have said the reason that she jumped to conclusions is cause she doesn't trust herself. It's clear that Eun Hee doesn't believe that she's worth fighting for and it sucks cause Chan Hyeok is so head over heels but he's a coward too. He couldn't even manage to tell her that yeah he liked her too back in the day let alone that he still loves her. At least Eun Hee kept fighting for them this week when I was so afraid that both would back down. I'm also curious about what this big secret is about why he won't drive cause last I remember both his parents are still alive so it can't be that a car killed on of them. Eun Joo's story it feels is just circling the same drain. She refuses to really make a decision about divorcing her husband or telling the others but I did adore every moment of Eun Hee and Eun Joo's sleepover this week and it was high key sweet that she took her husband's side over his mother's. Ji Woo has been forgiven for his transgressions from two weeks ago and I still can't help but feel like he's got the shortest end of the family stick at all times. I have a feeling that the show is trying to set up Ji Woo and Seo Young but I'm still thinking that there's more to his whole girlfriend thing cause it's obvious something is up with that. In terms of the parents, I'm glad they finally cleared the air but I still can't help but feel it's a little too late even if it's cute watching them try to date like 20 year olds.

Was It Love? (2/16): Tells the story of Noh Ae Jung, a movie producer and single mom who has been living on her own for 14 years. Despite having already given up on romance, she suddenly finds herself embarking on an unexpected second chapter of her story when four men walk into her life at the same time. First up is Noh Ae Jung’s ex-boyfriend Oh Dae Oh, a bestselling novelist who is described as a “charming bad boy”. Oh Dae Oh is irresistibly tempting to women, even when they know they should stay away. Secondly is million-dollar smile A-list actor Ryu Jin, who is described as “pitiful” even though he’s “great on paper.” Despite being seemingly perfect in every way, Ryu Jin has a surprisingly different kind of appeal hiding behind his movie-star persona. Next is Oh Yeon Woo who looks cheerful and confident. A physical education teacher who “makes women’s hearts’ flutter” in spite of his young age. His endearingly pure-hearted desire to win Noh Ae Jung’s affection is certain to win viewers over. Last but not least, Koo Pa Do exudes a tough, manly aura as the “scary but sexy” former gangster who has turned over a new leaf and is now a CEO. The flower in his hand hints at the warm heart hiding behind his intimidating exterior. Finally, peeking out from behind Ryu Jin as a A-list actress, Joo Ah Rin, will add another layer of intrigue to this complicated “4-against-1 romance.”

After watching the first two episodes of this show I have to admit that I'm fairly interested in this world. I actually really like that there are 4 men in Ae Jung's life and they all are people who have met her at different points in her life cause it gives our world some depth. It actually reminds me a lot of the Reply shows in that we are introduced to a female lead and several men around her and we're supposed to guess who she ends up with only in this show it's more of a guess about who the baby daddy is. Having said that, of course it's super clear which of the four men Ae Jung is going to end up with and which one was her baby daddy and I'm low key pissed cause of course it had to be the man baby character. Nothing about Dae Oh's character is sexy or swoon-worthy and I'm hoping that I'm just seeing Son Ho Jun as a man baby here just cause the 2 dramas I've seen of him before have been where he played that type of character. What I am curious about is what happened in their past. Both Dae Oh and Ae Jung think that they were dumped and I'm wondering if maybe it's a situation where Ae Jung broke up with him for some reason and he dropped out of college cause he was sad so when she found out she was pregnant and went to look for him, he was gone. That way both could think that the other was the cold one. In terms of the other men in this show, I'm more interested in Pa Do and Yeon Woo cause Pa Do is just fascinating as a loan shark with this heart of gold and Yeon Woo is just an angel so that if this were real life, every girl would be picking him! Ah Rin we haven't seen much of but it does look like he was in college with Ae Jung and Dae Oh and had a crush on Ae Jung but couldn't make a move cause she was dating his friend.

 CDRAMA

FINISHED Fake Princess (27/27): So what if she loves money, don't all mountain bandits love money? For a chest full of gold, the mountain bandit offers herself up to the black-bellied prince thus marking the start to a beautiful romance. Chang Le was once a free and untamable female bandit. However, she becomes a fake bride in marriage to crown prince Li Che. Stepping into the confines of the palace, Chang Le finds it difficult to adjust after being repeatedly humiliated. Despite her situation, she learns to adapt like a feral cat showing her true stripes. Li Che who has traced every step vigilantly finds himself gradually attracted by Chang Le's liveliness. Each wearing a mask to hide their own motives, the two people find comfort in each other.

The finale for this show aired this week and it was a pretty fitting end to this story. The Emperor had made it clear that no matter what the others did, Li Che would be the next Emperor so Heng'er had to take drastic actions. He decided to poison the Emperor and his mom the Empress in order to frame Li Che as the killer so that he could both get rid of Li Che but also to take the throne. Ultimately he was thwarted with the help of Yu Yao's mom, Chang Le, and Chang Le's master and if that's isn't amazing then I don't know what is cause girlpower and all that. These last three episodes literally tossed out plot twists left and right. As it turned out Yu Yao and Chang Le were not only twin sisters but also daughters of the Duan family. Yu Yao's mom helped get Yu Yao out of the Duan home before they were attacked and decided to adopt her after she lost her own child while the master raised Chang Le. It was a little too late for it to matter honestly and in the end the Lius were imprisoned while Heng'er found out that it was his mom who caught him and the woman he loved not Li Che's men. Li Che was too kind by a half when he basically exiled him and his girl so that they could live happy lives as commoners. Chang Le was able to take the Duan name again as Empress and I have a feeling they're probably telling people that she was adopted into the Liu family to be protected but that she was a Duan all the time. Overall I'd give this show a 7 / 10 cause it was nothing to write home about tbh.

xoxo Allie