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