What Shows Am I Watching This Week?

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

The Great Pretender Part 1

Here's the thing with this anime. I really wanted to like it cause by now if you're a loyal reader then you know how much I love con artist shows so I decided to wait until the full first half of the season was out on Netflix to watch it rather than trying to bootleg it and now that I've finally watched the whole chunk, I have to say that it was fun enough. I really liked the concept obviously and I loved the style choice of throwing in different languages and accents to fit the idea of these being an international ring of con artists but I kinda wish that we had stuck to it rather than wimping out after 10 minutes or so. The cons started out rough cause I wasn't especially interested in the first con but after a while I was able to settle in though I can't help but wonder if maybe it would have been better to have shorter cons so instead of 2.5 hours per con, one hour would do. That's about as long as a Leverage episode or a Confidence Man: JP episode and those con artist shows did plenty well. That way we could have focused a bit more on the characters who we could have gotten to know better cause we waited so long to introduce Abby and Cynthia's backstories and by that point I wasn't all that interested anymore. I know the plan is to break up the season into two parts (so we'll get the second chunk on Netflix around December or January) but I can't decide if that reason makes up for my problems especially since I didn't realize that there would be two parts until after I finished this first part. I did think was hilarious that Edamara kept trying to back out of cons and go straight but kept coming back like Boku did in Confidence Man: JP! Overall I don't think this will go on a list of my favorite anime of all time but I want to give it props for even trying out a concept like this.

Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 21

Wow this episode guys! I think you know by now that I'm not especially a fan of Yuki and on the list of Sohmas I'd rather watch, he's fairly low so I was worried that with this being a Yuki-centric episode that I would be a little bored but in the end I shouldn't have been surprised cause this is Fruits Basket and if they could only do one thing right it's sad backstories! It's totally funny cause when I heard this was going to be a Yuki backstory episode, my first thought was that I thought we already knew his backstory but this filled in some of the gaps and also gave us the story behind the hat that Tohru keeps too. At first it seemed like Akito wasn't the horrible person he is now but over time he became terrible so part of me feels for Akito cause I'm sure that whenever we get his backstory that we'll see some horrible moments but the rest of me refuses to feel pity cause Akito took all the pain he was under and hurt others and that's not right. I did adore that all baby Yuki was a friend and that he was desperate for baby Kyo to like him but baby Kyo and current Kyo as well viewed Yuki as the reason for his misery and now all I want is for the two to actually talk and bond and become friends! It was also interesting that the hat that Tohru had was actually Kyo's but that Yuki was wearing it when they ran into each other cause we know from a previous episode that Kyo knew Kyoko which makes me wonder if Tohru knew him too but just didn't know that it was Kyo. I also want to shout out the fact that I called it last week when I said that Yuki sees Tohru in a motherly sense cause I was totally right. I'll also have you know that I'm holding back a joke about Kyo and being a dad cause this is a classy joint and all that.

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

Flower Of Evil (10/16): Baek Hee Sung seems the ideal husband. A hard-working craftsman, his metal-working studio has met with its fair share of success. Able to provide a good life for his wife and daughter, he’s a good example of what a husband should be. But this perfect façade hides some very dark secrets that even his wife, Cha Ji Won remains unaware of. Unfortunately, secrets have a way of coming out and as a hard-hitting homicide detective, it’s Cha Ji Won’s job to uncover as many as she can, in her never-ending quest for the truth. While investigating a particularly cruel case, she finds herself on a dark path that could crumble the very foundations of her happy life. But she is determined to bring this psychopath to justice. Delving deeper into the case, she realizes that he may have been close by all along.

Just when I was starting to believe that Ji Won might be able to accept Hyun Soo as he is, this show hit us with Sang Pil figuring out the truth cause he is the last person able to give Hyun Soo a fair shake. The struggle is that there's no way for Hyun Soo to prove his innocence cause even if Hae Soo confesses, people will just believe that she's protecting her brother when it's the other way round. What's really interesting though is the possible reveal that the accomplice might be Hee Sung's dad and though I had wondered for a second if that could be possible cause of his burner phone, I'm not sure if he would have treated Hyun Soo the way he did if he idolized his father. The real Hee Sung waking up didn't mean anything this week though but it's interesting to note that he acts a little more childish than expected but then again if he fell into a coma at least 14 years ago, mentally he might still be in his early 20s. I still haven't picked up his personality yet and whether he'll be a good or bad addition to this show. Meanwhile in terms of Ji Won and Hyun Soo's relationship, my heart was breaking cause if I looked at it from Ji Won's POV Hyun Soo acting like Hee Sung would be absolutely sickening but if I looked at it from Hyun Soo's POV Ji Won wanting to leave him was soul crushing which is why when Ji Won started to forgive him, I was grinning from ear to ear. This show should really be called Secrets & Lies at this point cause I'm getting twisted up in knots trying to remember who knows what! I do think that Hyun Soo realized that Ji Won knows who he is now but Hae Soo is also hiding the fact that she remembered that green bracelet on the accomplice and she's probs going to go to Hee Sung's house now and like what if she gets hurt??

Lonely Enough To Love (3/10): A story of young people residing at a co-living house. They do want to date, but they don't want to be serious. They prefer being free, but they also don't want to be lonely. Cha Kang Woo is a single man in his 30's and he works as a psychiatrist. He is full of curiosity about human beings. Even though he is an attractive man, he is afraid of having a romantic relationships due to trauma from his past. A woman appears in front of him and he begins to have feelings for her. Lee Na Eun is a freelancer copy editor. She is generous to good people, but she does not tolerate injustice. She hopes to become a novelist one day. Due to her situation, she has not had a boyfriend in 4 years. She begins to stay at the co-living house and develops romantic feelings.

You know what a seriously hate in shows like these? Na Eun and Hyun Jin are best friends but everyone around them keeps talking about how they can't just be friends and at first the two are like nope we're just friends only for one to fall for the other. It drives me mad cause I'm low key a vindictive bitch so the fact that everyone keeps talking about a guy and a girl can't just be friends makes me want the characters to be like suck it everyone who's way too interested in other people's lives we're just friends but instead we have the characters falling the exact pattern people around them comment on and it makes me sad. Like seriously I don't mind if friends turn into lovers, in fact I love those types of stories, but it's like if you're going down that route, why make it so meta?? It's also sucky cause I really am not finding myself liking any of the characters in this show other than Kang Woo and Na Eun cause of all the intense love hexagons this show is building. Kyung Won likes Kang Woo and Bo Ra likes Jung Hoon while Kang Woo, Hyun Jin and now possibly Jung Hoon all like Na Eun while it looks like Na Eun is going to like Kang Woo and I'm just sitting here like well everyone's going to hate Na Eun huh. In other news we did learn a little more about Kang Woo's backstory in that it looks like he might be a secret chaebol though whether he's the bastard or the legitimate son is to be seen and he's estranged from this family cause he blames his father for the death of his mother. I also think that he's childhood friends with Kyung Won or it's that her family is friends with his family cause of the way they interact with each other and I also think her mom is in the hospital not Paris.

CDRAMA

FINISHED Crossfire (36/36): Despite living in different years, Lu Xiao Bei and Xiao Feng transcend space and time as they chance upon each other within the same game. From a position of mutual distrust to that of camaraderie, they form their own teams, map out their tactics to help each other grow. Captain Xiao Feng sends a message via radio signal through Lu Xiao Bei. In the year 2008, Xiao Feng is a downcast e-sports captain who is barely keeping his team together. It was a time when e-sports has yet to reach its peak. Xiao Feng's team is looked down on and ridiculed, yet they insist on fighting for their dreams. In the year 2019, Lu Xiao Bei is a genius in battle when it comes to the gaming world. In reality, he is a young man in a wheelchair. He vowed to continue his brother's legacy to become a professional e-sports player, yet loses his chance to join a professional team because of an accident.

So I didn't realize this last week but since I took a million years to finally watch this show, the finale actually aired this week and it was bittersweet as hell. I was still disappointed with the time travel antics of this show cause even with Xiaobei finding out about Xiao Feng's death, other than having one conversation with An Lan, we still didn't dive into the time travel enough. I suppose this show really needs a warning sign like even if time travel is the concept for this show, there really isn't much to look forward to in that aspect. The bittersweet part of this final chunk of episodes was the fact that Xiao Feng ended up in a coma for 11 years and it always breaks my heart when characters lose that much time cause the world changes so much. I did love that he and An Lan almost immediately got back together and man oh man their kiss was exactly as hot and heavy as I would have wanted. His reunion with his friends also made me cry and of course he ended up being Continue's coach cause it's like what else does he know but e-sports?? The craziest part of all that is how Luhan is actually 30 and Xiao Feng was supposed to be like 34 or something but he straight up looked younger than 20 year old Xiaobei played by 20 year old Leo Wu! Talk about a brain-melter! Continue meanwhile ended up winning the Chinese national game but losing their first international before going on to winning 11 competitions and the international championship in the next 3 years. Xiaobei and Chuge didn't kiss but I wonder if that's cause they're both in their early 20s so they were like nah no makeout scenes for us. Overall I had a blast with this show and even though I'd recommend King's Avatar over Crossfire if you could only watch one e-sports show, I'd still give this show a 9 / 10!

Dance Of The Phoenix (24/30): Once hailed as a genius girl, Feng Wu is discarded after falling victim to a plot against her. A modern-day girl enters the world of cultivation in the body of Feng Wu and falls in love with Jun Linyuan. Because of the machinations of her rival Zuo Qing Yu, Feng Wu loses the true blood of the phoenix. Her teacher expends all energy to save Feng Wu and falls into a state of slumber. In the 21st century, Meng Yuan is a homebody and a student of traditional Chinese medicine. She accidentally enters the world of cultivation to become Feng Wu. Meanwhile, Feng Wu has a seemingly non-existent marriage arrangement with Jun Lin Yuan. Meng Yuan living as Feng Wu uses her knowledge of Chinese medicine to protect those who are dear to her.

The thing that drives me most crazy in cdramas is how they all have these magical powers but damn if they can't ever have a private conversation without the villains listening in. I do think it's hilarious that Qing Yu didn't wait a second to go and tell everyone she knows what she knows and I'm just sitting here like how did the Queen even believe her? It sounds super fantastical that a person would become another person! At the very least I'm just glad that Linyuan knows the truth now cause Feng Wu won't have to keep pushing him away and they can face the future together which is all I want in dramas! I also can't wait until Feng Wu gets her Phoenix Blood back especially now that she knows that Qing Yu has it but Qing Yu is really making a mistake by turning to the Dark Court to learn their magic cause for so long she cultivated this persona that she's a good person and the dark magic is totally going to ruin that and I will be cackling when it happens cause the bitch deserves it. The whole sidestory of Wu wanting to destroy the Academy cause he blamed it for killing his lady love was high key ridiculous cause it ultimately led to nothing and Feng Wu found the Star Shard on her own but I suppose it's also good that Linyuan knows that Feng Wu is trying to wake up her master cause he can also help there.

Go Ahead (26/40): The story revolves around three troubled youths who find solace in their common experiences to become the best family that they can be for each other. Growing up in dysfunctional households, three individuals who are unrelated by blood treat each other like family as they yearn for the love that they cannot find at home. Eldest brother Ling Xiao, second brother He Ziqiu, and youngest sister Li Jianjian grow up together, experiencing life’s joy and strife as they support each other’s chosen paths. As Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu graduate from high school, they return to their original families. Five years later, the three are reunited, but the heartaches from their complicated family past becomes a shadow that constantly lingers. Can they finally fix their personal issues to become better versions of themselves?

We're now a little over halfway through this show and I really do feel like I'm living this show alongside Jianjian cause almost every emotion she feels so do I! Last week and at the start of this week I was right there with her that her brothers were coming on too strong and that she felt like they were strangers only for my heart to thaw as soon as her's did. I still didn't love the idea that Ziqiu was into Jianjian this week cause as we know Ling Xiao has clearly loved Jianjian forever but Ziqiu treated Jianjian as a sister all this time so thankfully that was nipped in the bud as soon as it was brought up. Ziqiu just doesn't realize it yet but the fact that he was like ew why would I kiss you is exactly it. He wants Jianjian to be in his life forever and everyone around him convinced him that the only way to do that is through marrying Jianjian. Hopefully now that they've had this conversation, Jianjian and Ziqiu can get back to normal though it'll be awkward explaining to Jianjian's dad that she turned me down. I wonder if he'd be less shocked when Ling Xiao and Jianjian come to him and are like we're in love cause it's only a matter of time! Their kiss was so cute this week and I loved every moment between them from his confession to her nervousness around him (compared to how completely she shut down Ziqiu) and I'm also glad that Mingyue's fight with Jianjian has also moved on. I agree with Ling Xiao in that I don't think she ever really liked him but she liked the idea of liking someone. I just really hope that they don't pair her with Ziqiu cause I think Ziqiu deserves better. I kind of hope they put Ziqiu with Tang Can and Mingyue with that neighborhood friend that has a crush on her cause personally I thought the short scene we saw between Ziqiu and Tang Can was super cute but I have a feeling the show won't go with that pairing which is unfortunate. In other news I have a feeling that Ling Xiao's mom and sister are going to move here from Singapore cause like the others I refuse to believe that his mom would ever just let him go like that when she has a free caretaker out of him. Meanwhile I didn't think there would be anyone worse than Ling Xiao's mom but then here comes Ziqiu's mom who definitely didn't regret how she abandoned her son all those years ago but at least it doesn't seem like she would be stupid enough to ask him to take care of her after everything like Ling Xiao's mom did.

Love Yourself / Love In Shanghai (18/36): A story that follows four women in their thirties during a glorious chapter in their lives. In the city of Shanghai at the age when they are most beautiful, they continuously strive for growth, independence and ultimately find friendship and love. As four friends step into their thirties, their lives which seemed to be on the right track start to go off the rails. TV producer Sun Yihe may be bold and fearless at work, but she is at a loss when it comes to love. Wang Xinyi is a fitness coach and single mom. As she hesitates before a relationship, she discovers something about herself. Dingding is an aspiring manager who wishes to help her trainees become the best boy band in China. Corporate executive Renran has always been rational and on top of things, but she craves for love and finds that the harder she holds onto it, the faster it fades.

Just when I was starting to wonder if I read the atmosphere of this show wrong, Chen Nan finally started to show some interest in Yi Hye and it's kinda cute how comfortable he is around her now and how cute their low key bickering is. I feel like Yi Hye's cheerful outlook is pulling out Chen Nan's softer more playful side while he can see right through her wall to the insecure girl she is behind it. This is the perfect cold male lead/warm female lead that most shows go for but don't nail. It's fascinating to compare the Yi Hye who's with him with the Yi Hye who's with Sam cause Chen Nan hit it on the head that Yi Hye will bend over backwards to please Sam cause she's worried that he's too good for her and I am really not a fan of that Yi Hye. Meanwhile I thought that Ren Ran's love triangle was nipped in the bud with her engagement but as we saw You Ting came back into the picture though I have a feeling that unlike Yi Hye, Ren Ran will stick with Lu Hao cause she was straight up glowing this week out of happiness so though part of me worries for her, I want to believe that she knows best. Unlike the Yi Hye and Chen Nan situation where I feel like Chen Nan's feelings appeared at the right time, it does feel like Si Rui's interest in Ding Ding came out of straight nowhere. Five minutes ago he was like teasing her and judging her and saying things like don't fall in love and now he's clumsily trying to follow her around? I wonder if this disconnect is cause Ding Ding gets the least screentime. This sucks cause I adore relationships where the playboy falls in love! Xingyi didn't get much this week other than the fact that her mom is getting worse though I still think her relationship with her son is super cute.

TWDRAMA

Lost Romance (12/20): Zheng Xiao En works as an editor of romance novels at a publishing company, and secretly dreams about falling in love with a CEO. When she isn’t working, she spends her days daydreaming about He Tian Xing, the handsome chief executive of the company that occupies the building opposite her company’s offices. One day, Zheng Xiao En magically finds herself transported into the pages of a romance novel – and comes face-to-face with her crush He Tian Xing. However, she soon discovers that in this fictional universe, his name is Si Tu Ao Ran – and his personality is very different. She hopes to use all the tips and tricks she has learned from the romance novels she has edited to help snare his heart. But she soon discovers that in this fictional world, she isn’t the heroic female lead – and instead is an evil side character! Can she flip the story on its head – and end up with the man of her dreams?

This show is slowly but surely killing me with it's one episode a week release schedule!! I mean seriously how am I supposed to live after how hot and heavy Xiao'en and Aoran got?? Just when I thought Crossfire killed it with Xiao Feng and An Lan's kiss, Xiao'en and Aoran walked up like step aside and let us show you what a real sex scene looks like. It's funny cause at the top of the episode I was low key pissed at Aoran for not believing Xiao'en right away which was a first cause I don't know if I've ever seen a male lead not believe the female lead but I wonder if part of it was cause he's a book character and like Xiao'en's two friends who were struck with this need to hate her just cause that's what the book says Aoran's girl should be treated like. I thought the whole jealously thing was funny but I can't help but wonder how terrible it was that Xiao'en had to actually pick between Aoran and Tianxing cause though part of me still thinks that they're the same person and that as soon as Tianxing wakes up so will Xiao'en and they both will remember being in the book, it still feels weird for Xiao'en to have to pick cause Aoran isn't exactly real and once they wake up will she have to tell Tianxing that he's the replacement or what? Chuchu's sudden villain turn really took me by surprise but in the end she did the right thing but I wonder if it was just that she didn't want to go as far as Motan wanted but since we still have 8 episodes to go if she'll continue being second lead evil. I just hope she doesn't drag Qingfeng in.

xoxo Allie

What Shows Am I Watching This Week?

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

The Alienist Season 2

I actually ended up enjoying this second season a lot more than I enjoyed the first and I think a major part of that is cause I ended up waiting until all 8 episodes of season 2 were out before binging them. In that sense I could remember all the hints from previous episodes and I did not forget important points week to week. It also helped that this season's mystery was much more interesting to me than last season's where I spent much of the time confused as to who was who and who was doing why. I thought it was interesting to have this season focused on Sara rather than Laszlo and it was pretty fun to watch her come into her own as the badass detective she was. I also really liked that our villain for the season Libby was in a sense a parallel to Sara with the two sharing a similar childhood and the only difference being in what people they became. In another world Sara might have been insane with Libby the sane one. I also really liked that the way the story played out reminded me a lot of a Criminal Minds episode with us learning about what made the criminal into who they were now and how they devolved to a point where they couldn't hide it anymore. I also low key want to shout out Goo Goo who was the absolute most devoted man I've seen in a drama with how he took all of Libby's craziness and did everything with her wishes in mind. The side romance with Laszlo and Kate was fine as well and the only thing that didn't work for me was where Sara and John's relationship went! I was high key heartbroken and a little furious that John ended up marrying Violet cause she got pregnant even though it's clear that John will never love Violet the way he loves Sara and the whole time I kept waiting for her to realize that the reason she can't pull the trigger on marrying John is cause she's afraid to lose him and herself and it's like she should have known that of all people John would never force her to become a stay-at-home wife or mom!

I haven't heard if there will be a season 3 but honestly this second season was a surprise to me too so who knows! Part of me does feel like everything is wrapped up in a tighter bow that the first so I'm leaning towards this being the end.

Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 20

This wasn't my most favorite episode of this season but I think I am fairly glad that we got a slightly less emotional one anyway cause last week and the week before were so Rin heavy which made them heartbreaking. I do think it's fascinating that the show is still trying to hide what relationship Yuki wants from Tohru when it's pretty clear after last week what he wants from her and I also can't decide if I understand why Yuki and everyone around him is treating this as pathetic. Is it just cause Yuki's a guy and guys shouldn't want to lean on girls for strength? Either way I'm fairly certain that Yuki sees Tohru as a motherly figure the same as Rin did cause they didn't get that love and affection from their own mothers. Speaking of mothers, we saw Yuki's again for a quick second and it looks like her talk with Yuki in the hallway showed her that maybe she was a little too cold and uninterested in Yuki growing up so she attempted to be kinder this week. I can't help but feel like of all the parents, Yuki's might not be that terrible cause to me coldness is a little better than out-and-out abuse like Rin got. It was also interesting to learn more about Machi and Kakeru's family life and how they're apparently half-siblings with Machi being born to the main wife and Kakeru to the mistress though Machi was younger. It all felt very Korean chaebol drama to me but in a fun enough way. I still think they're trying to set up a romance between Yuki and Machi but I can't decide what he would find in her that would make him love her unlike every other Sohma couple I've met to this day. Maybe when Machi opens up a little more?

Lucifer Season 5 Part 1

Honestly the first thing that I want to say about this season is damn what a cliffhanger! I am a little pissed that Netflix decided to release this final season in 2 parts rather than just one chunk like it did with season 4 but I do wonder if it was partly due to the whole coronavirus thing so rather than hold off on releasing the whole season, Netflix thought it best to release what they finished. Either way it was about damn time that God finally appeared in this show cause he's such a big part of Lucifer's story that it's a little crazy that he hasn't shown up in person yet! Overall I think I enjoyed this first half though there was one glaring point that I hated and one that I didn't entirely understand. Chloe and Lucifer finally got together and it was oddly sexy as hell which is funny cause until they hooked up, I didn't realize how much chemistry they had. I know it's been like 5 seasons but I was never all that invested in their romance and I don't know if I still am but I do know I love the idea of their romance. I mean they're literally soulmates and I adored that Chloe realized that Michael was pretending to be Lucifer from just one kiss! Speaking of Michael, he was kind of the worst this season and he was the one point I didn't understand cause it's like Michael is supposed to be an angel right? So then why did he seem to hate humans so much and want to ruin Lucifer's life? I'm hoping that God came down to finally shut down Michael's idiocy. I also liked that Dan found out the truth though I wish that we had gotten a little more time for him to sit with this fact other than having most of his reaction be offscreen but I do have to say that his random bromance with Lucifer this season was everything. Now we just need for Ella to find out the truth!! The final thing I want to talk about is where Maze's story went and how much I hated it cause it's ridiculous that the writers have nothing to give her except having her randomly side with the villain every season cause she's pissed at one thing or another Lucifer did rather than just sit down and talk to him. It also high key made me miss Eve but the way Maze was heartbroken makes me worried that it portrayed Eve as a terrible person for "abandoning" Maze when Eve really just went to find who she was without a man in her life.

We haven't actually got a release date for the second half of this final season but here's hoping it's soon. I would like God to take Michael away, tell us what's going on with Charlie and maybe what he meant by gifting Chloe, Eve to come back and live happily ever after with Maze, and Ella to find out the truth!

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

Flower Of Evil (8/16): Baek Hee Sung seems the ideal husband. A hard-working craftsman, his metal-working studio has met with its fair share of success. Able to provide a good life for his wife and daughter, he’s a good example of what a husband should be. But this perfect façade hides some very dark secrets that even his wife, Cha Ji Won remains unaware of. Unfortunately, secrets have a way of coming out and as a hard-hitting homicide detective, it’s Cha Ji Won’s job to uncover as many as she can, in her never-ending quest for the truth. While investigating a particularly cruel case, she finds herself on a dark path that could crumble the very foundations of her happy life. But she is determined to bring this psychopath to justice. Delving deeper into the case, she realizes that he may have been close by all along.

We're halfway through this show now and it's seriously giving me hives cause all I want is for Ji Won and Hee Sung to sit down and talk! It was horrifying watching Ji Won take Hee Sung to his father's basement only for Hee Sung to have a full on panic attack which you know is extra serious cause he barely feels emotions in the first place. I don't believe for a second that Hee Sung doesn't love Ji Won despite him saying it over and over that he can't feel love cause the only reason that he would feel so desperate for their life to remain the same is cause he loves her and their life together. It's honestly hilarious cause I feel like this show is pretty much just Hee Sung wanting to be a house husband and stay at home cooking and cleaning but everyone around him keeps forcing him to think about murder. The best part of this week was Hee Sung and Hae Soo meeting again and just how cute their reunion was with her bursting into tears and him showing off his family all proud. I also love the idea of them working together with Moo Jin to find the accomplice and I just want Ji Won to join them cause now that she knows that Hee Sung had nothing to do with it by overhearing his conversation with Hae Soo, at least she's a tiny bit more relaxed at the idea that she didn't love a killer. As we learned it was Hae Soo who did it but I can't help but wonder if what we're seeing is the whole picture. What if the accomplice did it and drugged Hae Soo and then convinced her she did it? Idk Hae Soo just seems too kind to have killed someone and it wouldn't explain why the accomplice bragged about it. Another big moment was the fact that the original Hee Sung woke up and I'm just casually wondering what the parents's plan is cause I'm sure everyone knows our Hee Sung as their son so are they just going to be like my son got plastic surgery nbd? 

Lonely Enough To Love (2/10): A story of young people residing at a co-living house. They do want to date, but they don't want to be serious. They prefer being free, but they also don't want to be lonely. Cha Kang Woo is a single man in his 30's and he works as a psychiatrist. He is full of curiosity about human beings. Even though he is an attractive man, he is afraid of having a romantic relationships due to trauma from his past. A woman appears in front of him and he begins to have feelings for her. Lee Na Eun is a freelancer copy editor. She is generous to good people, but she does not tolerate injustice. She hopes to become a novelist one day. Due to her situation, she has not had a boyfriend in 4 years. She begins to stay at the co-living house and develops romantic feelings.

For a second I was about to praise this drama for nipping the love triangle in the bud so early on but just when one side of the triangle leaves, another appears! No but seriously I really enjoyed this episode cause Na Eun finally figured out that Kang Woo was not a bad guy and that what she saw was not everything. It's clearly going to be enough to make her curious about him both as a person and a future love interest. I think my favorite thing about them is how natural their chemistry is and how comfortable Kang Woo is around Na Eun. One of my favorite scenes in this episode took place when Na Eun got all flustered and tried to explain why they were together and Kang Woo just leans over like you're making it weirder. We also found out that Hyun Jin aka her best friend was basically dumped by his girlfriend who thinks that he's too interested in Na Eun and because of that I'm sure that his story is going to be that he realizes he likes Na Eun as he starts to see her get interested in Kang Woo. Meanwhile one of the other residents is going to like Kang Woo and it's going to be all the drama which is low key ironic cause I really thought that the concept for this show was that all these people weren't into romance but in reality everything in this show is about romance! I'm also really glad that Na Eun ended up writing an online novel cause I'm pretty sure that webtoons and the like are more popular in Korea than physical books so I can see her really killing it there. 

CDRAMA

Crossfire (26/36): Despite living in different years, Lu Xiao Bei and Xiao Feng transcend space and time as they chance upon each other within the same game. From a position of mutual distrust to that of camaraderie, they form their own teams, map out their tactics to help each other grow.Captain Xiao Feng sends a message via radio signal through Lu Xiao Bei. In the year 2008, Xiao Feng is a downcast e-sports captain who is barely keeping his team together. It was a time when e-sports has yet to reach its peak. Xiao Feng's team is looked down on and ridiculed, yet they insist on fighting for their dreams. In the year 2019, Lu Xiao Bei is a genius in battle when it comes to the gaming world. In reality, he is a young man in a wheelchair. He vowed to continue his brother's legacy to become a professional e-sports player, yet loses his chance to join a professional team because of an accident.

I had been meaning to watch this show as soon as it came out cause it reminded me a lot of The King's Avatar which I adored and I always think it's super creative when cdramas take place around the e-sports world but I was busy the first few weeks that it came out and the episode count kept growing and growing until I was a little overwhelmed. I finally had time this week to binge practically 70% of this show at once and though I don't think I love this show as much as The King's Avatar, I did really love everything I watched! I mean how could I not with two amazing actors like Luhan and Leo Wu headlining?? The idea of following two characters in two different time periods always feels so creative to me so I really enjoyed that aspect though I do wish that the whole two timelines thing played a bigger role cause for so much of the show it just felt like the two guys were only meeting up to say hi and catch up rather than doing anything other than trying to stop Xiaobei's brother's death. I'm hoping that now that Xiaobei knows that Xiao Feng actually died that more time travel shenanigans will happen! I also really liked the gaming in this show cause it was actually really easy to follow as it's a multiplayer shooting game though I ended up being much more invested in Xiaobei's side cause we already knew that Xiao Feng would win so there were no stakes there. In terms of team I also preferred Xiaobei's team cause I feel like we got to know them as people a lot more and other than Xu Wei and An Lan, we didn't really know much about Xiao Feng's team. In terms of romance I was the opposite in that I preferred Xiao Feng and An Lan and I kind of adore how even after all this time she still loves him.

Dance Of The Phoenix (18/30): Once hailed as a genius girl, Feng Wu is discarded after falling victim to a plot against her. A modern-day girl enters the world of cultivation in the body of Feng Wu and falls in love with Jun Linyuan. Because of the machinations of her rival Zuo Qing Yu, Feng Wu loses the true blood of the phoenix. Her teacher expends all energy to save Feng Wu and falls into a state of slumber. In the 21st century, Meng Yuan is a homebody and a student of traditional Chinese medicine. She accidentally enters the world of cultivation to become Feng Wu. Meanwhile, Feng Wu has a seemingly non-existent marriage arrangement with Jun Lin Yuan. Meng Yuan living as Feng Wu uses her knowledge of Chinese medicine to protect those who are dear to her.

We're slowly moving along with the plot and though it's still as fun as it was last week, I can't help but wish that Feng Wu wasn't being taken over by Meng Yuan and that the storyline was as simple as Feng Wu's Phoenix Blood being stolen and her having amnesia. If that were the case then first of all we wouldn't have to deal with the whole Feng Wu trying to stay away from Lin Yuan cause eventually Meng Yuan will leave but also the original Feng Wu seemed a little less air-headed than Meng Yuan. I'm really getting tired of watching the same over-the-top naive female leads from one drama to the next and maybe that's due to the fact that I prefer fantasy cdramas to historical ones cause seriously gag me with a spoon if I have to watch more political maneuvering but sometimes I wish we could get a fun fantasy drama with a competent, intelligent, and/or elegant lead. Based on what I'm seeing it does seem like that when Meng Yuan wakes her master that they might be able to take the Phoenix Blood Qing Yu stole and return it to Feng Wu's body therefore expelling Meng Yuan and reviving the original Feng Wu. With 2 out of the 4 things needed to revive the master, we're moving along pretty nicely. I'm also enjoying the side romance with Zhao Ge and Yi cause they're just so cute together and low key it might be better than the main romance! It's also interesting that we've randomly switched the setting for this show and moved it to an Academy so we get more fantasy school antics which is reminding me a little of Fights Break Sphere.

Go Ahead (14/40): The story revolves around three troubled youths who find solace in their common experiences to become the best family that they can be for each other. Growing up in dysfunctional households, three individuals who are unrelated by blood treat each other like family as they yearn for the love that they cannot find at home. Eldest brother Ling Xiao, second brother He Ziqiu, and youngest sister Li Jianjian grow up together, experiencing life’s joy and strife as they support each other’s chosen paths. As Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu graduate from high school, they return to their original families. Five years later, the three are reunited, but the heartaches from their complicated family past becomes a shadow that constantly lingers. Can they finally fix their personal issues to become better versions of themselves?

This week was an emotional rollercoaster cause I cried and cried and cried and then felt just as bitter as Jianjian did by the end! I know I said that the trio needed to be apart so that the romance could bloom but I didn't realize how horrible seeing it would be! Honestly though Ziqiu's reason for leaving made a lot more sense than Ling Xiao's cause at least he was forced into it by his horrible father who tried to destroy Jianjian's dad's business while Ling Xiao mostly was just blackmailed into going to Singapore and taking care of his mother. My blood was seriously boiling while this was happening cause it's like how dare the uncle claim that an 18 year old should take the responsibility of taking care of the mother who abandoned him. It's probs a Chinese cultural thing that I don't understand but seriously the fact that you are blood related to someone doesn't mean that you should bend over backwards for them no matter how horribly they treat you. I also thought it was super believable that the trio at first tried to talk to each other all the time but life got in the way and eventually they were reduced to empty platitudes so that by the time they saw each other again after 10 years, they felt like strangers. I was totally on Jianjian's side in the present day cause it's like low key creepy that they would plan their adult lives around what Jianjian wanted as a child like becoming a cafe owner and a dentist and moving in across the hallway from her apartment just to force their company on her. I'm especially irritated with Ming Yue who gives zero shits about how Jianjian feels and only cares for her one-sided crush on Ling Xiao when it's like clearly he gives zero shits about her. I do love that Jianjian ended up being super successful on her own and has an art studio cause it would have really been terrible if the boys came back to swoop in and save the day after leaving. I'm just casually over here hoping that her boyfriend will end up being super cute and that would really just be the cherry on top.

Love Yourself / Love In Shanghai (12/36): A story that follows four women in their thirties during a glorious chapter in their lives. In the city of Shanghai at the age when they are most beautiful, they continuously strive for growth, independence and ultimately find friendship and love. As four friends step into their thirties, their lives which seemed to be on the right track start to go off the rails. TV producer Sun Yihe may be bold and fearless at work, but she is at a loss when it comes to love. Wang Xinyi is a fitness coach and single mom. As she hesitates before a relationship, she discovers something about herself. Dingding is an aspiring manager who wishes to help her trainees become the best boy band in China. Corporate executive Renran has always been rational and on top of things, but she craves for love and finds that the harder she holds onto it, the faster it fades.

This show is seriously a hidden gem! I wanted to watch it originally cause it starred Victoria Song and Celinda Jade who I adored from Arrow but also because the concept of the show sounded similar to a mix of something like the HKdrama Sexy Central and the cdrama Ode To Joy. You all know I'm a sucker for gorgeous competent woman finding love while being best friends so I hopped right in! So far I'm really into the fact that all four of our leading ladies are actually depicted as grown women and not the children that other dramas like to portray them as. I don't even mean that they're sleeping around cause honestly I don't think any of the ladies have spent the night with their boyfriends or even really kissed them but more in the sense that they react to problems like adults. Yi He seems to be our main character and I'm wondering if her romance is going to be with Chen Nan rather than Sam cause honestly Sam just rubs me the wrong way and Chen Nan and her spend more screen time together. Ren Ran's romance with her boss is really a no-go for me but she reminds me of Andy from Ode To Joy so part of me adores her anyway. Ding Ding is probs my second favorite character and I'm super into her romance with Si Rui and I think it's totally fascinating that for once a character is going to fall for the person their parent set them up that's in the same class as them. Karen is totally charismatic but I'm not sure if I'm really into her romance with Yu Tian yet cause I low key think that Ma Ke is more swoon-worthy but clearly Yu Tian is the better more stable guy so we'll see where that goes. I think it's hilarious that like 50% of this show takes place at Karen's gym and it's like props to the actresses for working out while doing their lines!

TWDRAMA

Lost Romance (11/20): Zheng Xiao En works as an editor of romance novels at a publishing company, and secretly dreams about falling in love with a CEO. When she isn’t working, she spends her days daydreaming about He Tian Xing, the handsome chief executive of the company that occupies the building opposite her company’s offices. One day, Zheng Xiao En magically finds herself transported into the pages of a romance novel – and comes face-to-face with her crush He Tian Xing. However, she soon discovers that in this fictional universe, his name is Si Tu Ao Ran – and his personality is very different. She hopes to use all the tips and tricks she has learned from the romance novels she has edited to help snare his heart. But she soon discovers that in this fictional world, she isn’t the heroic female lead – and instead is an evil side character! Can she flip the story on its head – and end up with the man of her dreams?

I honestly love when shows like this that take place in a comic twists things and makes the on paper female lead into the second female lead! Unlike in The Romance Of Tiger And Rose, I'm hoping that Xiao'en will realize that with her becoming the female lead that Chuchu turned into the second female lead and stop trusting her so much. I was worried that with Xiao'en becoming the female lead that she would stop being able to use her brain and be pranked the way Chuchu was but luckily for all of us, she outfoxed everyone except for Chuchu who until the end of this episode I don't think she realized what happened so I can let that go. Also how hilarious is it that Chuchu thinks that Aoran or Qingfeng will believe her? I am back on board with Xiao'en and Aoran being a couple though I really wish that he would remember who he was sooner rather than later. I really want the main couple to laugh at everything together like in Extraordinary You! It's definitely certain though that Qingfeng believes Xiao'en about this being a comic though and I'm a little surprised about that cause like why would he? Maybe the twist will end up being that he's the author of this comic?? I also hope that we get a better kiss between Xiao'en and Aoran next week cause I know that Marcus Chang can kiss so a peck is not enough for me!

xoxo Allie

What Shows Am I Watching This Week?

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

FINISHED The Umbrella Academy Season 2

So yeah I know I'm a little late in terms of reviewing this show cause it did come out three weeks ago but hey I finally got around to it and that's what counts! I actually really enjoyed this season possibly more than the previous one which is honestly most likely cause now that I've watched two seasons of Doom Patrol and a season of this, I was totally ready for all the crazy we were going to be thrown our way. My favorite part of this show is the way our main characters interact with each other so at first it was a rough start to the season with the characters all being spread out but I loved the way they came back together and how they were even able to save Vanya. I also really like the way this show plays with time travel and the consequences of time travel cause it shows us that pretty much any move you make with time will screw you and it makes me really curious as to what we'll see in the next season. I'm assuming that cause Reginald met the Umbrella Academy that he realized that they were all morons and so when he went to pick his 7 kids, he chose differently this time hoping that they'd be more up his alley and so far it does look like the Sparrow Academy is more well trained and clearly still living in the mansion. It makes me wonder where the Umbrella Academy of this time is and if our main characters are going to be replacing the present day versions of themselves or if there will just be 2 of each of the cast running around. At the very least it does look like Ben is back which is amazing cause he was defs one of my favorites. Maybe Herald and Lila will be part of the Sparrow Academy now cause we know that they were two other kids with powers that Reginald didn't pick up. 

Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 19

I do have to admit that this episode wasn't one of my favorites even though I was really excited for Tohru and Rin to interact. Something about the pacing of the episode just felt so disjointed like we jumped from one POV to another without any transitions. I did hardcore have to laugh at how easily Rin was won over by Tohru despite her acting as if she wouldn't give Tohru the time of day. All it took was one look at Tohru from a distance and Rin saw what a kind gentle person Tohru was and like Yuki, she craved the motherly figure that Tohru could be. The two were finally able to talk and realize that they had the same goal and that maybe they should work together to break the curse though I still can't help but wonder how cause it seems like no one knows how it works. It also seems more and more like the curse itself isn't the fact that the Sohmas turn into zodiac spirits but that they are bonded to Akito and have no say in that bond. The episode also made me wish that someone could see Tohru's heartbreak and help her the way that she helps others. Why can't they see that her happy-go-lucky persona is just a mask that hides her broken soul though I wonder if Rin actually saw the way Tohru is broken cause she said she wishes that Tohru had a Haru like she did. It did seem like Tohru was looking at Kyo's door at the end as if she could gain strength from him after her nightmare. Yuki also seemed to have made a decision to be stronger but I'm not sure how that's any different than the decision he made back during the beach arc. 

FINISHED Stargirl Season 1 Episode 13

So this week was the season 1 finale of Stargirl and overall I think it was a fairly good outing though not the most emotional or impactful episode of the season! The biggest shock ended up being the final moments of the episode in which we saw the return of Sylvester aka Starman and whether he's actually returned from the dead or if he's some sort of evil clone. The ISA v JSA fight on the other hand was mostly meh and it left me feeling as though the ISA was defeated waaay too easily especially since we saw how they soundly beat the original JSA. Jordan, Dr Ito, and Brainwave all died throughout the fights leaving only the Gambler, Sportsmaster, Tigress and Solomon Grundy as ISA members though I have a feeling that Cindy will end up taking over the ISA with Isaiah and possibly Cameron now out for revenge. Cindy also found some sort of gem that she called Eclipso and we saw the return of Shade who we knew turned on the ISA cause of Jordan making me wonder if Shade thought that Jordan's plan was not evil enough. The best parts of the episode however ended up being the quieter character moments such as Beth realizing how to break the ISA control on Justin and Pat and Courtney finally telling Pat that she sees him as a father. I also wonder if Yolanda killing Brainwave will come back next season and whether Rick saving Solomon Grundy will make him like Rick like Grodd loves Caitlin over on Flash.

We have been renewed for a season 2 but it's moving from the DC App to CW and I'm a little worried cause one of the highlights of this show has been it's high budget effects and compact writing style so here's hoping that even if the CGI and fight choreography gets dialed back that at least the writing and low soap opera drama will stay the same!

FINISHED Agents Of SHIELD Season 7 Episode 12 & 13

You know I really thought that I would be more sad after this show came to an end but right now I'm mostly just numb and I have a feeling the sadness will show up at some point later this week as it'll all hit me at once. Overall I do think it was a pretty amazing finale even if there were moments here and there that I wasn't about. I still wish that there was more Fitz this season but we were totally right in guessing that Fitz and Simmons had a baby and actually while our team were off on their mission, it was only a few minutes in Fitz's time so he had been ready to go and save the day. I did love their vast reaching plan though and I was glad that Jemma's memory loss was fixed in the end. It was also nice to see Piper and Davis and Flint and even a young Victoria Hand! I also liked the creative way we ended up saving the day by bringing everyone back to the original timeline and giving the Chronicoms empathy rather than killing them though that is how Nathanial and Sybil were dealt with. I still don't understand why all our agents needed to spread out cause like it made sense that Fitz and Simmons would retire and maybe even for May to teach at the Academy but Daisy, Mack, and YoYo splitting up just felt like the show needed everyone apart. It was hilarious though that we spent seasons upon seasons acting like these ten or so agents were the only ones in SHIELD but now that the show is over suddenly SHIELD is returning to pre-Avengers levels? Honestly though I'm just glad that most of our characters got happy endings and I'm definitely going to miss this world, this cast, and this writing style.

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

FINISHED Backstreet Rookie (16/16): 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.

This show came to an end this week and I have to admit that I really wasn't a fan of this finale which is also pretty much how I felt throughout this whole show. I really think that Ji Chang Wook needs to take a minute and actually think through his next drama pick cause I'm not joking in the slightest when I say that he went from being one of my most favorite kdrama actors to me being a little turned off every time I see him and it worries me that if I try to rewatch The K2 or Suspicious Partner, I might not be into it as much as I was before cause I won't be unable to see Dae Hyun or the Melting Me Softly character superimposed on his other roles. I also wonder if the backlash for this show was the reason for Dae Hyun and Saet Byul not really getting together until the final moments of the finale and it that's why they didn't even share a kiss other than the short peck in the premiere. I mean normally I despise the noble sacrifice route but I suppose that since I wasn't that emotionally attached to this show in the first place that I kinda just rolled my eyes at this finale throwing that in last minute. The funniest part of this finale was the reveal that Dae Hyun's weird friend ended up being even richer than Saet Byul's friend and it like really sucks for the actor who played him cause he's fairly good looking in real life and the wig and the character was really not doing anything for him. The happy endings for everyone were good as well and I'm low key glad that Dae Hyun decided to return to running the connivence store cause that was where he was happiest. Overall I'd give this show a 7 / 10 and really I'm just glad it's over.

FINISHED Chip In/United Effort To Accomplish One Thing (8/8): 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?

As the finale aired this week, the saddest thing about this whole thing was how short it was! I really enjoyed the way this show told it's story and what story it told and it makes me think back on what could have been. I mean like imagine if this drama had been a normal 16 episode one and if it threw in a little romance alongside the drama. We could have spent more time getting to know all our characters before killing off In Ho and beefed up the mystery more! Having said all that, it doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy what we got cause even as a miniseries this show was super fun and I thought it was creative to end the show with everyone giving up on the inheritance even though I was like Bit Na girl keep the money! As we all guessed Sul Young was the one who was behind the whole thing and she worked with Jeong Wook to do so. What I don't entirely understand is her motivation behind it. Was it all because of hatred? Like I get that her life was pretty horrible after losing her husband to Ji Hye and then losing her baby and having to take care of Bit Na but like it was her own choice to go back to him when he came to find her when she could have washed her hands of the whole thing. I did like the final twist where she tried framing Bit Na so then everyone would be out of her way though I wonder if it would have been more impactful if she revealed it earlier. My other problem with the whole mystery was how Sul Young suddenly regretted everything and turned herself in. At least Jeong Wook went out in a rage of insanity! Overall I'd give this show a 9.5 / 10 and would definitely recommend if you're into murder mysteries!

Flower Of Evil (6/16): Baek Hee Sung seems the ideal husband. A hard-working craftsman, his metal-working studio has met with its fair share of success. Able to provide a good life for his wife and daughter, he’s a good example of what a husband should be. But this perfect façade hides some very dark secrets that even his wife, Cha Ji Won remains unaware of. Unfortunately, secrets have a way of coming out and as a hard-hitting homicide detective, it’s Cha Ji Won’s job to uncover as many as she can, in her never-ending quest for the truth. While investigating a particularly cruel case, she finds herself on a dark path that could crumble the very foundations of her happy life. But she is determined to bring this psychopath to justice. Delving deeper into the case, she realizes that he may have been close by all along.

I know I know! It's actually week 3 of this show having aired and you're probs all wondering why it took me so long to check this one out but I have to chalk it all up to bad advertising! I was hesitant to check this drama out cause I fell for the marketing strategy and thought it was about an actual serial killer who was hiding behind his police wife like ooh look how evil I am and how dumb my wife is which ugh not my jam but then as the second week rolled around I started to hear that this show was a lot more than that and that got me to finally sit down and churn out 6 episodes in one sitting! Hee Sung as it turns out is actually not a serial killer but a much more complex character. I don't know if I entirely believe that he feels no emotions whatsoever but I think he struggles to express them cause it's clear that he does love his wife and his daughter. Ji Won is a badass in her own right and I love how by the book she is. When she started to suspect Hee Sung, she jumped right in and refused to hide from the suspicion but she also refused to believe any of the rumors surrounding him. Unlike every other person in his life and even random strangers, she won't just go by hearsay. It already drives me mad that the village tried to exorcise him and that everyone just assumed that he was working with his father on the kills like damn people he was in high school when all this happened! I really hope that we are able to move past the suspicion phase and move to Ji Won and Hee Sung working together with Moo Jin who definitely doesn't believe that Hee Sung is a killer to find the real accomplice. At first I wondered if it could be the sister who killed the village head out of self defense and Hee Sung took the blame but the voice is a man's so maybe the village head's death had nothing to do with the kids. I also want to shout out the pacing in this show cause things are actually moving along rather than stagnating until the penultimate episode like so many thriller/investigation dramas tend to do. 

FINISHED It's Okay To Not Be Okay (16/16): 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.

So the finale for this drama aired this week and seriously guys I'm sad cause I'm going to miss this world so much! With it's high production value, creativity in storytelling through fairy tales, and incredible chemistry between the leads, this drama may well end up being my favorite drama of the year (at least so far.) Of course that doesn't mean that everything was perfect about this show though little ever is but I think that all the positives vastly outweighed any negatives I had. I mean yeah we probs could have dialed back the screen time given to Joo Ri and Sang In cause I really couldn't find it in me to care and yeah I really wasn't a fan of how Moon Young's mom came back without any explanation as to how she survived but all that was nothing in the face of Moon Young and Kang Tae's slow burn romance and found family antics between our main trio. The trio helped heal each other's wounds, both known and unknown, through love and acceptance cause just like Director Oh said humans are weak but they lean on each other for strength. I loved the way Sang Tae stepped up as the show went on and became the older brother Kang Tae needed so that Kang Tae could step back and actually enjoy his life. I like that he's going to try going to college now and though Moon Young says otherwise I'm fairly certain that she's going to keep writing especially since Sang Tae is going to be an illustrator for other writers now. Overall this show is definitely a 10 / 10 if you haven't guessed it by now!

Love Is Annoying, But I Hate Being Lonely! (1/10): A story of young people residing at a co-living house. They do want to date, but they don't want to be serious. They prefer being free, but they also don't want to be lonely. Cha Kang Woo is a single man in his 30's and he works as a psychiatrist. He is full of curiosity about human beings. Even though he is an attractive man, he is afraid of having a romantic relationships due to trauma from his past. A woman appears in front of him and he begins to have feelings for her. Lee Na Eun is a freelancer copy editor. She is generous to good people, but she does not tolerate injustice. She hopes to become a novelist one day. Due to her situation, she has not had a boyfriend in 4 years. She begins to stay at the co-living house and develops romantic feelings.

This show is honestly such a mood guys. I originally wanted to check it out cause of Kim So Eun but also because the title caught my attention cause I mean how many of us think the same about dating being annoying but wanting someone around us when we're lonely?? It is really weird that this show seems to only be releasing one episode a week especially since it's not like the episodes are longer than normal but other than that I'm fairly into this show. Na Eun is the typical kdrama female lead who's down on her luck, messy, and clumsy but a good person all the same and this would normally bother me more except I'm just thankful that neither of our leads are chaebols at least so far. Though she and Kang Woo have had a typical misunderstanding during their first meeting, I do like that Kang Woo seems like such a nice person that he doesn't hold it against her. Instead of rallying back, he kinda just lets her act however she wants assuming that eventually she'll figure out the truth and apologize. I'm also really hoping that this isn't one of those shows where Na Eun will spend half the show into someone else while Kang Woo will be around helping her before she realizes that she actually likes Kang Woo cause based on the synopsis you'd think that Na Eun would be more hesitant about falling for someone but also cause I'd hope this show took a more creative route. 

CDRAMA

Dance Of The Phoenix (12/30): Once hailed as a genius girl, Feng Wu is discarded after falling victim to a plot against her. A modern-day girl enters the world of cultivation in the body of Feng Wu and falls in love with Jun Linyuan. Because of the machinations of her rival Zuo Qing Yu, Feng Wu loses the true blood of the phoenix. Her teacher expends all energy to save Feng Wu and falls into a state of slumber. In the 21st century, Meng Yuan is a homebody and a student of traditional Chinese medicine. She accidentally enters the world of cultivation to become Feng Wu. Meanwhile, Feng Wu has a seemingly non-existent marriage arrangement with Jun Lin Yuan. Meng Yuan living as Feng Wu uses her knowledge of Chinese medicine to protect those who are dear to her.

I was pretty excited to check this drama out cause it's been a minute since I last watched a good fantasy cdrama that was focused on wuxia over politics. I tend to be super picky cause I'm really not into the cold male lead situation so I prefer my male leads to be a little more dopey like in Romance Of Tiger And Rose or playful like Martial Universe. So far I'm finding that Lin Yuan is the fun version of a tsundere where he says mean things but actually adores Feng Wu and will do anything for her. I do wish his face would relax a little but I suppose we can't have it all... Feng Wu is a little closer to annoying than cute and I high key wish that she had stayed a badass but after losing all her cultivation she had to start all over again as an isekai protagonist. I do wonder if story beats are moving so quickly cause this show only has 30 episodes instead of the normal 50 or so cause we've seen Feng Wu go from no cultivation to low-level to mid-level cultivator in 10 episodes and I really just can't wait until she returns to being the most powerful cultivator in the land in order to put all those people who looked down on her in their place. I don't particularly care for the evildoings that the villains are up to but fortunately I can mostly tune it out in favor of the cute cause the plans are always the same.

Go Ahead (6/40): The story revolves around three troubled youths who find solace in their common experiences to become the best family that they can be for each other. Growing up in dysfunctional households, three individuals who are unrelated by blood treat each other like family as they yearn for the love that they cannot find at home. Eldest brother Ling Xiao, second brother He Ziqiu, and youngest sister Li Jianjian grow up together, experiencing life’s joy and strife as they support each other’s chosen paths. As Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu graduate from high school, they return to their original families. Five years later, the three are reunited, but the heartaches from their complicated family past becomes a shadow that constantly lingers. Can they finally fix their personal issues to become better versions of themselves?

My girl Seven Tan has really been killing it so far this year with at least 3 dramas coming out with her starring in them. I ended up enjoying Under The Power well enough but wasn't a fan of The Eight so I was really curious to see where this one would fall and so far I'm stunned with how amazing the story in this drama is! It reminds me a lot of one of the Reply shows with the same it tells it's story and I really adored the fact that we started out seeing our main characters as children and then as high schoolers and I'm assuming at some point they'll become adults cause it makes us really feel like we're a part of these characters' lives and we get to see them grow. I adore the little family our trio and their dads have created so I'm already so scared to see when they split up like the synopsis states though maybe in the end it'll be a good thing cause I totally ship Jianjian and Ling Xiao but the way they see each other as siblings kind of retracts from that. I also think that Ling Xiao and Ziqiu leaving might be the push that Jianjian needs to become less childish but I just hope that when they reunite it won't be the cliche cold lead pretends like he doesn't need her in his life sort of storyline. I also bet that the second ship in this show will end up being Ziqiu and Mingyue who are cute as well though we haven't seen him notice her at all yet. The best thing about this show though is definitely the heartwarming tone and can I just say that I'm so relieved that Jianjian's dad didn't die like I totally expected him to??

TWDRAMA

Lost Romance (10/20): Zheng Xiao En works as an editor of romance novels at a publishing company, and secretly dreams about falling in love with a CEO. When she isn’t working, she spends her days daydreaming about He Tian Xing, the handsome chief executive of the company that occupies the building opposite her company’s offices. One day, Zheng Xiao En magically finds herself transported into the pages of a romance novel – and comes face-to-face with her crush He Tian Xing. However, she soon discovers that in this fictional universe, his name is Si Tu Ao Ran – and his personality is very different. She hopes to use all the tips and tricks she has learned from the romance novels she has edited to help snare his heart. But she soon discovers that in this fictional world, she isn’t the heroic female lead – and instead is an evil side character! Can she flip the story on its head – and end up with the man of her dreams?

So I was actually pretty excited when I found out about this drama despite not really following that many twdramas cause I adore when dramas/anime/tv shows take their main characters and throw them into a comic book world like in the cdramas The Romance Of Tiger & Rose and Unexpected, the kdramas W: Two Worlds and Extraordinary You, and even the anime My Next Life As A Villainess. I was a little hesitant though cause if you've followed me for a while you know that I'm not a fan of overbearing CEO types and I was worried that I would watch this show and get major SLS despite the fact that I loved Marcus Chang in Behind Your Smile. Eventually I dived in anyway and I have to say that so far I am exactly where I thought I would be. I do think this show is super fun and I'm loving Xiao'en cause of her confidence and feistiness especially compared to Chuchu who's the definition of everything I hate in a female lead (being a clumsy naive doormat.) I also adore how much the show pokes fun at romance tropes and I'm hoping that now that Aoran has figured out that he likes Xiao'en and not Chuchu that he'll start treating her better and I'll ship them again cause I did think their bickering was fun at the start of the show but I started to waver to Qing Feng's boat once Aoran treated Xiao'en like shit. I even wondered if maybe the show would pull a twist on me and have it so that Tian Xing was actually inside Qian Feng instead of Aoran cause it seemed like he was starting to understand all of the comments Xiao'en made about being in a book but now it seems more like Aoran is starting to remember and I'm just sitting here hoping that like Extraordinary You we'll see our main leads trying to figure out a way out of this book.

xoxo Allie