Saturday, September 26, 2020

What Shows Am I Watching This Week?

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

FINISHED Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 25

I don't know how I feel about this season 2 finale honestly cause for all the reveals we got, we still haven't gotten the answer we want! I was actually spoiled way early on about Akito being a girl and not a boy so the biggest reveal that probs should have shocked me was one that I was mostly just like thank you, next about. It doesn't explain why Akito is pretending to be a guy cause the only thing I can think of is that the head of the family must be a man (sexism and all that) but that means nothing in terms of the zodiacs cause Akito, girl or boy, is God and that's the way their family is built. Or are we to assume that all this is for the humans? The other big reveal we got was the fact that Kureno actually broke his curse and isn't a zodiac anymore and this I actually guessed based on context clues about how he's the only one in the family not allowed to spend time with the others and how Yuki was distancing himself last week and made Akito freak out. What sucks though is that Kureno himself doesn't know how he broke the curse!! I also really don't know why Kureno refuses to leave Akito cause it was out of pity that he stayed all those years ago but are we meant to believe that he loves Akito romantically now? That can't be true cause he said that Uo was the first person he fell in love with after breaking the curse so it's kindness or familial love that keeps him around? Akito's not a good person so it's not like she makes him happy so why stay? 

Overall I did really love this season as a whole and though I do think the season 1 finale was more impactful than this one, I actually enjoyed this season better than season 1 cause it was all new material! We have been told that there will be season 3 which will be the final one and I'm assuming that it'll air in Spring of 2021 as per usual so I will be there!

xoxo Allie

Friday, September 25, 2020

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


Do You Like Brahms? (8/16): “Do You Like Brahms?” is a drama about students at a prestigious music school and the people in their lives. It will tell the stories of the students experiencing lessons, practicing, performing, and competitions since a very young age along with their parents and teachers who obsess over these processes. Park Joon Young, started playing piano when he was six years old. He won prominent competitions in the country before going on to win competitions across the world. Chae Song Ah, a college senior majoring in violin performance. After graduating previously as a business major, she entered the same university again to go to the music school after four attempts and is seven years older than her classmates.

We're about halfway through this drama now and I have to say between this show and Record Of Youth, I feel like I've really hit my quota of watching quiet/melancholy shows about trying to follow your dreams but falling short!! It's much too much sadness on the same day no matter how much these shows also make my heart melt at the same time!! And melt my heart this show definitely does! I read back my review from last week and despite it low key sounding like I don't approve of their relationship, I do want to make it clear that I really do ship Song Ah and Joon Young! Yes they have problems: Song Ah is a little insecure cause Joon Young is a famous musician while she's barely scraping by and Joon Young really needs to learn to communicate cause he really struggles to allow others in but I think that could be a problem for later. For now I want to bask in how happy I am that the two are finally dating! I love that they're able to be super cute like during their ice cream date but also hot and heavy like when they made-out on the piano. I love that Joon Young only smiles so widely when he's around Song Ah and that they communicate so that misunderstandings don't stand for too long on the whole. I still don't understand what Song Ah's teacher wants from her but I hate that she's taking Song Ah's precious time and not even helping her play better. Meanwhile Joon Young's teacher seems to be jealous of him for being a genius and going to a famous school. All-in-all both teachers seem bitter as hell and it leaves me wondering whether they even bother to love music. We saw a little of Dong Yoon again but the whole scene cut out so abruptly that I'm left wondering what happened. He confessed cause he realized that Song Ah was into Joon Young now but all he did was cause her to cry and I wonder if she was like if only you came to me before Min Seong or if she was just like I had a terrible day sorry. Jung Kyung meanwhile continues to be the absolute worst cause not only did she rip out poor Hyeon Ho's heart but she also managed to seriously destroy the one other friend that Joon Young had. Every time we see flashbacks of Hyeon Ho and Jung Kyung all I can think is that he deserved better. I also want to note that I actually might have been wrong about Jung Kyung's grandma being a bad person cause as it turned out she really was trying to do good even if that meant that she would look like the bad guy.
FINISHED Flower Of Evil (16/16): 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.

Wow I'm of two minds about the finale for this show cause on the one hand I'm like this is the perfect bittersweet end to this tragically dark show but the on the other, I'm actually high key pissed about the sudden bout of amnesia. It's so unfair that after everything that Hyun Soo and Ji Won went through that they have to deal with him losing all his memories of her and their child and their life together after his name was finally cleared. On the other hand it makes sense that he would have to start over cause 15 years ago is when his life first fell apart and he had to start living as another person. Either way I'm happy that he managed to fall in love with Ji Won all over again and he figured out that the Hyun Woo that he was all these years also really loved Ji Won despite his lies. I loved that he was able to clear his name of all the murders that the public thought he committed and that Hae Soo also was able to get away with the murder she committed by it being self defense. It highlighted once again how truly horrible that village that they grew up in was cause what kind of monster causes all this to happen just to skim some money from them??? Eun Ha also broke my heart cause she was being such a good girl by not talking about her dad in front of her mom cause she saw how her mom would break down after it but then when she reunited with him, I almost started crying with how happy she was and how happy he was when he got flashes of his complete love for her. I'm also low key thrilled that Moo Jin and Hae Soo didn't end up together cause though I warmed up to him as the show went on, I still can't entirely forgive him for how he treated Hae Soo in the past and how he wanted her back in the present without ever really apologizing for it. Overall I did really love this show and I'd give it a 8.5 / 10.
Lonely Enough To Love (7/10): 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.

Normally I would have been annoyed with the whole Na Eun walks in on Kang Woo receiving a confession from Kyung Won but I think it's the kick in the ass Na Eun needs. She and Kang Woo clearly like each other and he's all but confessed to her so it's not a matter of her having no idea about his feelings but that she's afraid to take the plunge. Maybe by seeing that Kang Woo is a great man and that someone else likes him she'll be able to gather up her courage and try to date him. I am seriously tired of Hyeon Jin though cause you know I hate second male leads who try to act all possessive of the female lead just cause he's known her longer cause it's like if you're such a big man then confess to the female lead instead of playing games and see how quickly she turns you down. The thing is that Hyeon Jin knows that Na Eun is falling for Kang Woo so it's especially annoying. At least Kyung Won deserves props for actually confessing and not worrying about whether he'll turn her down cause I'm sure like Hyeon Jin she too knows that Kang Woo likes Na Eun. It was also interesting to learn more about Ji Ah and why she's so afraid to say yes to marrying David when he's clearly head over heels for her and that's cause she was already married once and it didn't go well. I do hope that she manages to also find the courage to give marriage another shot. Meanwhile Ah Reum and Dong Seok are super flirting and it's real cute.
Record Of You (6/16): Youth Record follows the lives of young people in the world of modeling. Sa Hye-Joon is smart and handsome. He is a nice guy and a popular model, but what he really wants is to become an actor. He has auditioned for many acting roles, but hasn't found success yet. Unfortunately, Sa Hye-Joon doesn't have much presence as an actor. Meanwhile, An Jung-Ha works as a make-up artist.

I adore that Hye Joon and Jung Ha are already dating and I really want to praise the screenwriter for writing such snappy dialogue between the two. It reminds me so much of something like The West Wing or Gilmore Girls and it's such an unexpected surprise in this show alongside the great chemistry I think the two have. Having said that, I am really disappointed that Jung Ha has pretty much been relegated to love interest in that we only really see her when it's in relation to Hye Joon or Hae Hyo and any backstory we need we get through exposition. Can't we give some of the time that Hye Joon's awful family gets to her? What about her dreams? What about her family? And seriously if I have to sit through another scene where Hye Joon's family is talking down to Hye Joon and his career I will scream. When his dad slapped him this week, I almost threw my laptop! On that same note, I do have to say that I am almost completely sure that his brother was conned this week cause he really seems to think that he's the smartest in the room but something about the way he signed his new lease was sketchy to me not to mention the fact that we keep hearing about how the brother is so much like the grandpa who was conned. I'm also really disappointed at the hints that we got this week about how we're going to be dealing with a time skip soon enough. If you follow me you know I think time skips are nothing more than a sign of lazy writing on the most part cause it takes all the character development they want their characters to go through and makes it happen offscreen so the writers don't have to write it. I'm worried that cause Hye Joon and Jung Ha got together so early in the show that now it just means that we'll be watching them go through a horrible breakup. One of these days I'll watch a drama in which the main couple gets together really early on and then stays together cause of communication and I'll be shocked out of my mind.

CDRAMA


Dating In The Kitchen (8/24)
: Working as an assistant chef at the Zijing Hotel, Gu Sheng Nan was a woman well on her way to making her dreams come true. Well situated, in a job that she loved, she was free to express herself through her food, as she sharpened her skills as a chef. In addition to having a great job, she was happily settled in her secret relationship with the hotel’s head chef. Convinced they were destined to build a beautiful life together, Sheng Nan was devastated the day she caught her boyfriend cheating. As if breaking up with her boyfriend wasn’t bad enough, Sheng Nan soon learns that she may soon be out of a job, thanks to the hotel’s impending acquisition. To make matters worse, an unfortunate misunderstanding lands her on the wrong side of her soon-to-be boss, the sharp-tongued CEO, Lu Jin. As a business prodigy, Lu Jin isn’t afraid to make the tough decisions. Ready to condemn the Zijing Hotel, Lu Jin changes his mind after a happy accident brings one of Sheng Nan’s dishes his way. A hardcore foodie, Lu Jin is impressed with Sheng Nan’s skill as a chef and readily recognizes her talent. Sharing a love of food, this unlikely pair begins to form an unexpected bond that leads them to a place neither of them ever expected to be.

I was pretty excited to check this drama out despite the fact that our male lead was old enough to be our female lead's father cause after I adored Zhao Lu Si to pieces in The Romance Of Tiger And Rose, I was curious to see what her next role would be and though I've never actually seen Lin Yushen in anything, I know a lot of people adore him so I expected him to be a good character too! Now having seen the first 8 or so episodes, I have to say this show left me with mixed feelings. Personally I didn't have a problem with the age gap in this show cause the characters themselves had amazing chemistry and when they were together, everything about this show shone. I loved how quickly the two went from enemies to lovers and I kind of adored how both thought that they were seducing the other only to be seduced themselves. I like that Lu Jin is so calm and cool at all times without being the typical cold male lead with a poker face and though Sheng Nan is the typical bubbly lead that Zhao Lu Si is known for, there's a bit more maturity to this role than her previous ones (due to the actress growing up a little too.) I also really love the way cooking and food is portrayed but what bothers me is how Lu Jin has been treating Sheng Nan especially once his secretary comes around. Like I get that she's in love with Lu Jin and she's protective and all that but why in the world is he letting her dictate his life from where he goes to who he sees. I hate when male leads don't stick up for their girls and it leaves me feeling like Sheng Nan deserves more than him though the second male lead hasn't had much development yet so I'm not sure I would choose him.
Maiden Holmes (26/32): After being defeated in a war against an invading kingdom, the Prince of Qi had his military power removed. His brother, the Prince of Yun decided to make use of the chance to support the ascension of the young Emperor. Prince Qi came to a tacit agreement with the Emperor and decided to retreat from courtly affairs. Meanwhile, he embarked on a search for the truth in secret under the alias of Pei Zhao. On his journey, he meets young detective Su Ci, the young master Xie Bei Ming, and poison master Dong Ru Shuang. As the four teams up to solve a series of mysteries, they also discover each other’s and their own secrets.

What a crazy rollercoaster of a week! So many secrets were exposed though some were only for the audience and some were for the cast! Firstly though we should talk about how the case from last week resolved. The Princess was cured and the engagement was broken in one of the most hilarious moments in this show. We then moved on to the main meat of this week which was the reinvestigation of the Bai Liang clan's extermination. It's still really funny that no one in this show suspects Prince Yun of being sketchy when it's not as though he's ever acted nice. I mentioned last week that I hate that we never learned his real motives behind all the evil he did but I guess I didn't realize that he was a Prince too and not just as royal Uncle so maybe his evil plan is to kill the King at some point, blame it on Prince Qi and then take the throne since the King is clearly too young to have heirs. Either way the biggest shock of the episode was the reveal that Beiming was actually the adopted son of Prince Yun and his letters to his father actually were the reason that Yun was able to constantly hunt down Prince Qi and his group at all times. I like the idea that Beiming is struggling to reconcile the man who loved him and helped raise him as a child with the Prince who's out to murder Qi and may be pulling the strings behind every bad thing he's seen recently but I wonder if I would have liked it more if Beiming had been purposefully spying and just felt guilty after falling in love cause it would make Yun a bigger threat. I am glad though that he's not a purposeful spy cause he kept Su Ci's real identity as a daughter of the Bai Liang clan a secret. In terms of the Bai Liang clan investigation, we did find evidence of the letter being forged and a written confession from the forger that explained what he did and we figured out that Princess Yun was the one to give the tonic that was the catalyst to the chronic poison in the King's system but none of that serves as enough evidence to get rid of him and I'm left wondering what magical Deus ex machina will. I also really didn't mind that Su Ci and Qi fell out this week though I know a lot of others did cause I though that if there would be one time that Su Ci acted emotionally and forgot her logic, it would be in facing her family's death. At the very least the misunderstanding didn't go on for too long!
Oh! My Sweet Liar (7/29)
: Xiong Xi Ruo is a young female painter who infiltrates the family home of the powerful Li family to paint a copy of a precious item. However, her escape from the Li home goes horribly wrong and she finds her fate at the mercy of Li family heir Li Hong Bin. On the verge of arrest, Li Hong Bin and Xiong Xi Ruo hatch a lie – they pretend that she is pregnant with his child. This arrangement suits Li Hong Bin fine, as a marriage with Xiong Xi Ruo will help him escape an arranged marriage with the daughter of the Song family – a union he is particularly keen to avoid. The Li family grants its consent for Li Hong Bin and Xiong Xi Ruo to get married, but it is not long before some relatives – and the plotting Song family – begin to suspect that the pregnancy is a fake. Meanwhile, as Li Hong Bin and Xiong Xi Ruo spend more time in each other's company, they begin to develop a growing fondness for one another. Could love bloom between the pair? And can they survive – or even thwart – the schemes at court?

This is seriously making me say yikes like every five minutes! The Li family are just so kind and good and loving and it's making me cringe more and more as Xi Ruo keeps lying to them over and over again. I can already see the complete and utter heartbreak that's going to be coming when Xi Ruo reveals that she's not pregnant cause I can't see a female lead pretending to miscarry instead of telling the truth as that's more of a second lead or villain action even though I kind of wish that would be the correct path to prevent the pain. At the very least Xi Ruo NEEDS to tell Hong Bin the truth cause he clearly loves her so even if he finds out the truth, he won't force her to leave and maybe that'd help with the guilt a little. It's extra awkward cause the Third Uncle is the only one who can see what's going on though part of me wonders if Hong Bin's parents can tell that Xi Ruo isn't a noble girl and are just won over by her and the fact that they're excited to be grandparents more. I mean seriously of course this show would give me everything I wanted from a contract marriage to a mother-in-law who is loving only to crush my soul with this fake pregnancy nonsense!! What's interesting is that of the two other women who were trying to seduce Hong Bin, Lady Song actually seems like a sweetheart though easily led astray and I wonder if she does end up marrying Hong Yu whether she and Xi Ruo will become friends.
Qing Qing Zi Jin (24/40): During the days of the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 CE), Chinese arts and culture are experiencing a golden age. Poetry is highly prized – and the rewards for becoming a prominent poet are great. Luo Qiu Chi is a talented young poet – a poor scholar from a troubled background who is dreaming of a life full of art and writing. He is forced to leave his family home and hide his true identity in order to pursue his poetry dreams. Fortunately, he one day meets a female scholar named Wen Ren Jun. She decides to help him as he attempts to pass the tough entrance test for the prestigious Zhu Xiu Academy. He manages to gain admission – but now the going really gets tough. He forms a bitter rivalry with the Zhu Xiu Academy’s star pupil. And then he must truly prove his mettle when he is selected to take part in a fiercely competitive poetry competition against the top scholars of a rival kingdom. Luckily, Wen Ren Jun and other newfound friends are ready to help Luo Qiu Chi duke it out against the best young poets in the land.

It's been a hot minute since I watched a cdrama that has more than around 20ish episodes so I'm casually sitting here feeling like wow we're only just halfway past this drama so we've still got a lot of story to tell even though I partially can't help but feel like we've wrapped up every major storyline. Qiuchi and Ah Jun broke up twice after Qiuchi thought that her father attempted to kill him and after Ah Jun thought that Qiuchi hurt her father only to get back together in the end after both those misunderstandings were cleared. Qiuchi found out that Gong had a solid alibi for the day that he would have supposedly written the letter to have him killed and so someone must be framing him. Everyone seemed to brush this off really quickly and I'm left sitting here like duh someone must be grabbing the stamps and using them and I still vote on the uncle. We also seemingly wrapped up the romance with Yuanzi and Qinghe cause now the two are together and in love even though Yuanzi does have to leave the college to do his duty now that he's been reinstated as the Commander. Even Prince Kang no longer seems to believe that Qiuchi is the Bandit. On the other hand I suppose we still need to find who tried to kill Qiuchi and why and I'm sure that Ruxue will use Shu somehow to either spy on Qiuchi and Ah Jun or plant evidence against Qiuchi cause the man has no chill whatsoever. On the plus side everything with Qiuchi and Ah Jun was adorable again after they reconciled and I loved the way he won what basically amounted to Pictionary because he knew her.

JDRAMA


Watashitachi wa Douka Shiteiru (6/8): Hanaoka Nao’s mother Yuriko is a single parent and a live-in confectioner at Kogetsuan, a traditional Japanese confectionery shop of long standing. That is how Nao meets Takatsuki Tsubaki, the 6-year-old son of the owner of Kogetsuan, and they become each other’s first loves. However, Tsubaki’s father is stabbed to death by someone. Nao’s mother is arrested as the suspect based on Tsubaki’s statement. Nao is kicked out while her mother passes away while under interrogation. Now daughter of a murder suspect and son of the victim, Nao and Tsubaki separate with ill feelings for each other. More than 15 years later, Nao and Tsubaki are reunited at a competition on Japanese confectionery. Tsubaki takes an interest in Nao’s creations and asks her to marry him at their first meeting without realising that she is his childhood friend. Nao hides her true identity and decides to get into Kogetsuan through her marriage to Tsubaki in order to prove her mother’s innocence. Little does she know that all sorts of adverse circumstances lie in wait. Despite being made sport of by cruel fate, Nao and Tsubaki are drawn to each other. What is the truth of the case 15 years ago?

This show is so totally the definition of an old jdrama with it's twists and turns in plot and very soap opera element which is funny cause I usually am not a fan of soap operas but the thing I don't like about them isn't a factor here and that's the long drawn out story beats. Like give me all the crazy twists and turns that you want but don't drag out plot points for episodes on end! Tsubaki found out that Nao was actually Sakura and Nao found out that Tsubaki's mom was the one who killed the Master and blamed it on her mom in order to punish them for having an affair. In the end Nao lost her baby out of grief and decided to leave Kogetusan cause she was too heartbroken over everything she went through and the thought that Tsubaki chose the shop over her. What she doesn't know is that Tsubaki was knocked out the whole time so he couldn't have gone for the tools and I have a feeling it was actually the mom who grabbed it and then told the employees that Tsubaki grabbed him as a way to force Nao to leave and she got her way. Fortunately for us all, she doesn't have the real will so when and if Nao shows up and is like I'm Sakura, the mom will lose. I do wonder at what point Tsubaki will find out that Nao was pregnant and lost their child cause I really feel like there should have been more to that loss.

TWDRAMA


Lost Romance (16/20): 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 week was closer to what I wanted to see and that was Xiao'en being angsty but not creepy. I loved the conversation she had with Tianxing about why she watched him and why she ran away and honestly it's not as bad as the word "spying" makes it out to be! All she did was sneak a peek at him every once in a while the way fans do to their favorite celebs or how you stalk someone on social media. It's funny though cause Xiao'en thinks that she means nothing to him and that she should just bow out but what she doesn't realize is that she's exactly the type of warmth a man like Tianxing needs in his life. Like I said last week, Tianxing is much more human than Aoran and it will never cease to amaze me at how soft he's played but Tianxing much more than Aoran had so little kindness and genuine care in his life that someone who just wants good for him is someone Tianxing won't be able to look away from. I was super cringing though when he went out and bought all the books Xiao'en published cause I'm assuming they're the Taiwanese version of something like Fifty Shades or those dime-a-dozen period romances that fill up the shelves of adult erotica sections and you don't want a guy you like to think that you're obsessed with CEO romances! I also wonder if the author of Qingfeng's original story is going to be played by Qingfeng's actor cause it would make sense that a first time author would write a lot of himself into his main character and maybe he couldn't end the book cause he lost the woman he loved in real life.

xoxo Allie

Saturday, September 19, 2020

What Shows Am I Watching This Week?

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

Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 24

Ahh we're at the penultimate episode of this season and I'm already heartbroken cause I don't want this show to go on break for a year before the final season!!!! So much happened this week and I feel like we jumped around from story to story and yet it all kinda fit together. We started out looking at Machi more closely and how she feels like she's nothing but an empty shell. All her life her mother didn't allow her to live as a child and only wanted her to focus on being better than Kakeru and yet when she did that, she was told that she's boring and emotionless and man oh man if I could slap every single adult in this show I would! I wonder if her parents had a son in the the years since the whole thing and if that's why she was "abandoned" as she says. It also really highlights how she comes out of her shell around Yuki cause she showed more emotion in that one conversation than she has all season! We followed the Machi stuff with the reveal that it's already New Years! All of the zodiacs headed off to the annual banquet while Kyo and Tohru went to Kazuma's house and found that Rin decided to skip the banquet too which probably doesn't mean much cause unlike Yuki, Akito doesn't like Rin so he was probs like the further Rin is the better. I loved the story of why Kyo and Rin fought as kids and how Tohru found it adorable and I loved that she ran to hug Rin when she saw her even though Rin acted all tsundere about it and was like I don't wanna see you! Speaking of, Kyo and Tohru flirting about her new scarf was everything and I hardcore had to rewind just to see it again. The major meat of the episode though was Yuki's talk with Akito and how he told Akito that he's done blaming others for his mistakes and he's ready to move forward which seriously freaked Akito out enough to attack him with a bottle. Yuki really deserves all the praise cause though he's not my favorite Sohma, it's very clear to see that he's become one of the most mature of the bunch.

Next week is the finale and I have a feeling we'll be focusing on Kureno cause it was his voice in the end card and he's the only Sohma left who's backstory we haven't really seen yet.

xoxo Allie

Friday, September 18, 2020

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


Do You Like Brahms? (6/16): “Do You Like Brahms?” is a drama about students at a prestigious music school and the people in their lives. It will tell the stories of the students experiencing lessons, practicing, performing, and competitions since a very young age along with their parents and teachers who obsess over these processes. Park Joon Young, started playing piano when he was six years old. He won prominent competitions in the country before going on to win competitions across the world. Chae Song Ah, a college senior majoring in violin performance. After graduating previously as a business major, she entered the same university again to go to the music school after four attempts and is seven years older than her classmates.

Wow this week was the definition of depressing on all fronts and even Song Ah and Joon Young's cuteness couldn't hold all the sad back! I'm finding it honestly so hard to read Joon Young cause I really thought that he was slowly falling for Song Ah with how happy he gets when he sees her and how he's always looking for her but now I'm wondering if he was just enjoying how easy it was around her. The fact that he can't open up to her about his problems really says something and I was so mixed about Song Ah confessing her feelings for him cause like on the one hand I was like good girl for not hiding your feelings for years like with Dong Yoon but also I was cringing cause I don't think Joon Young feels the same way or if he does, he's still torn about Jung Kyung. I really wish I could see what the boys see in Jung Kyung but I just see a miserable girl who feels the need to make everyone else around her miserable and she really doesn't feel worth all the pain they're in. I hate that Hyun Ho is taking it out on Joon Young cause the man might like her but he's never once made a move and if Jung Kyung is confused or whatever, it's her own personal thing! On the other hand Dong Yoon seems to have always liked Song Ah which makes me wonder why he even dated Min Sung in the first place. I'm also worried on the music front too. Song Ah is being used by that Professor but I don't know why yet and I really hope that this show doesn't end without her somehow getting her dream. Director Nah had me shook too cause she's not the kindly old woman that I thought she was either with how she drew a line in the sand with both Joon Young and Hyun Ho. I wonder if at some point Song Ah will end up taking Jung Kyung's spot in the Founders Day event in the trio or if at some point Song Ah and Joon Young will play together cause I'm just counting down the days for that!
Flower Of Evil (15/16): 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 wonder if my waning interest in this show as it goes on is due to the fact that it's not exactly what I had hoped it would have been and if I even know what that would be. On the one hand I think about how much fun it would have been if Ji Won was in the dark longer but then on the other I wish she had told Hyun Soo the truth earlier so I could have seen them be a team. Though I wasn't exactly right in guessing that everything that happened at the end of last week was a ploy by Ji Won and Hyun Soo, I was mollified by how Ji Won was so ride or die for Hyun Soo regardless and how she's basically strong-armed her detective task force into being on her side and believing in her cause of her previous track record in solving cases. They were able to figure out that Hee Sung was the accomplice for multiple reasons one of which was that he attempted to kill Hae Soo thinking she was Ji Won so obviously the accomplice couldn't be Hyun Soo. I also really love that Hyun Soo meanwhile made friends with Min Sook and I hope that she'll be helpful in the future. I'm not worried that Hyun Soo will die and now we know that Hae Soo is okay too so no one was really lost. I wonder if Hyun Soo is going to end up going to jail for the village head murder anyway cause since Min Sook is alive then the people can't think that Hyun Soo was his father's accomplice anymore as she can clearly say that it was Hee Sung that was being groomed all along and I don't think that Hyun Soo would let Hae Soo confess. I do wonder if we'll have one final twist and find out that Hee Sung killed that man too out of wanting to frame Hyun Soo and he drugged Hae Soo which is why she was so weirdly loopy when Hyun Soo found her all those years ago.
Lonely Enough To Love (6/10): 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.

Because this week was basically the aftermath of Na Eun being scammed, it was pretty tough to watch. She broke down quietly before trying to act like nothing was wrong in front of others while also giving up her dream of being a writer in order to keep from ever feeling like this again. It super sucked on a whole but I was really glad that what she didn't do was try to isolate herself entirely and stay away from Kang Woo cause of her shame. Just like him when she was buying him shoes I felt myself wondering if this was the beginning of her cutting him out of her life but fortunately when she went to him at the end of the episode, that wasn't the case. I think he really helped her remember how much she loved writing and that she shouldn't give up because of one horrible person. I also want to shout out how terrible her mom is cause who in their right mind calls their child and is like I told you so when she's going through something terrible. In that same vein of terrible parents, we saw a flashback to when Kang Woo's mom died and we learned that his mom was depressed which he blames his dad for but also that his dad had no sympathy for what happened either and maybe it's just me being the bitter/dramatic human I am but I low key was like yes Kang Woo don't forgive him and only appear on his deathbed. I also think that we learned a bit more about Jung Hoon and the fact that he must low key be from a chaebol household from which he is estranged cause he came out to them and they're not okay with it. I wonder if he's playing on telling Bo Ra soon cause she's going after him without knowing the truth of his feelings.
Record Of You (4/16): Youth Record follows the lives of young people in the world of modeling. Sa Hye-Joon is smart and handsome. He is a nice guy and a popular model, but what he really wants is to become an actor. He has auditioned for many acting roles, but hasn't found success yet. Unfortunately, Sa Hye-Joon doesn't have much presence as an actor. Meanwhile, An Jung-Ha works as a make-up artist.

I'm really enjoying this show but I'm a little curious as to where it'll go. I mean I'm sure that we're watching the story of Hye Joon becoming a star but I'm also a little worried that he's going to go from this good guy to a bad one and that we'll end up losing what makes Hye Joon so charming. My skin still crawls every time his family shits on him cause I will never understand why they can't support him when he actually is a professional model that makes money. His brother is definitely too arrogant for this world too and the small look we got at him at his bank really just proved that making me wonder if he'll end up having to taste some humble pie at some point. Even his mom who says she supports him only does so in words. I mean Hae Hyo's mom is a little too much but you can never say that she half-asses her feelings. I still want to see Hae Hyo realize how much of his career is due to the money his mom waves around and I wonder if that will be the thing to break up Hae Hyo and Hye Joon's bromance cause Hye Joon is the opposite. He's got the charisma and acting chops but not the money to bribe others and like in the end which one is better in the long haul? You can't pay off the general public who will clearly rave about Hye Joon and his acting. Hae Hyo's weird obsession with Jung Ha is strange too cause is it just that she doesn't like him that he's like I need to force all my attention on her to get her to like me? The funny thing is that he thinks he's doing good by getting her more work but he's actually ruining her life. I do think Jung Ha's breakdown was a little overdramatic cause it's not like any real setup in her career happened yet but I get the overall picture in needing Hye Joon to fall harder for her. Speaking of, their relationship is definitely still the best part of this show and I love that the truth came out about her being his fangirl. I also really love Hye Joon's new manager cause he needs someone who cares about him but is also competent and she fits the bill.

CDRAMA


FINISHED Love Yourself / Love In Shanghai (36/36): 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.

So the finale for this show aired this week and honestly I'm a little torn over it. I was really into how different this show felt when it first began only to be slightly disappointed as it went on. The charm and uniqueness of this show never really went away but like I think I just didn't realize that this show was going to be focused not only on the friendship of our core four but also super character focused rather than romance. We spent so so long with Ren Ran and Yi Hye's exes while their new romances felt tacked on which I think brings us back to the whole character focus. We knew that their exes weren't the ones for them but like people in real life, you go back to your exes more than you should and it takes hella long to realize that you shouldn't have gone back. The problem lies in the pacing cause one minute they're still thinking about their exes and the next they're suddenly into Youting and Chen Nan respectively. Youting's storyline about opening his own company came out of nowhere and I think we're supposed to believe that Ren Ran is joining his company in parallel with her ex and his wife while Yi Hye and Chen Nan were so cute and I wished we had seen more but then I didn't understand the weird ending where I thought that things were okay with them only for Yi Hye to tell Ren Ran that they feel like colleagues rather than lovers now cause of their fight and I'm like but five seconds later they're sleeping together! Of course Ding Ding and Si Rui were still the best overall paced romance in this show even though I also had a few problems with them too but I loved the way he proposed and refused to leave her side when her father went bankrupt. Karen and Yi Tian were meh from start to finish and I wonder if it was that Yi Tian was too good and Karen never seemed to want to place more than 70% of herself into the relationship. The ending really made me feel like the show is aiming for a season 2 with how the vibe was between Yi Tian and Yi Hye and then Karen and her mom's old doctor. Overall I'd give this show a 8 / 10 cause it wasn't what I hoped for but it still wasn't bad!
Maiden Holmes (18/32): After being defeated in a war against an invading kingdom, the Prince of Qi had his military power removed. His brother, the Prince of Yun decided to make use of the chance to support the ascension of the young Emperor. Prince Qi came to a tacit agreement with the Emperor and decided to retreat from courtly affairs. Meanwhile, he embarked on a search for the truth in secret under the alias of Pei Zhao. On his journey, he meets young detective Su Ci, the young master Xie Bei Ming, and poison master Dong Ru Shuang. As the four teams up to solve a series of mysteries, they also discover each other’s and their own secrets.

Su Ci's identity was exposed this week by the evil Uncle in hopes of trapping Prince Qi in some sort of political nightmare but Su Ci the genius that she is was able to figure out what was going on and preemptively struck by exposing herself and preventing Qi from lying in front of the King more than he did. It was everything I would have wanted from this show in terms of a public reveal cause a lot of shows use the whole woman dressing up as a man as a joke but like in actuality, the King and/or the royal court would be pissed especially since the woman was in a place of semi-power so I liked that Su Ci did get thrown into jail and tortured for a while and the only reason she was let out was through more political maneuvering. I do really love the relationship between Qi and the King though cause it's like the two really do love each other and it's only that the Uncle holds so much power that they have to pretend half the time to make him feel better about whatever the problem is. It's amazing cause Kings are always either puppets or monsters so the fact that this King is both reasonable and smart enough to read political plots is everything. Having said all that, the best part of this show is still the weekly cases though so I was excited when we got another one since it's been a while. After Qi bargained with the King to let Su Ci go after he marries the Princess of a neighboring kingdom, she was poisoned by the Uncle cause he just can't stand Qi having any sort of power. It's the one thing that I wish this show would explain better cause it's like why does he hate Qi so much? Is it just that he doesn't want anyone else to influence the King? Either way we pretty much were able to uncover the plot though the Uncle murdered the Minister who he was using as his scapegoat so we've still got a ways to go in order to catch him.
Oh! My Sweet Liar (3/29)
: Xiong Xi Ruo is a young female painter who infiltrates the family home of the powerful Li family to paint a copy of a precious item. However, her escape from the Li home goes horribly wrong and she finds her fate at the mercy of Li family heir Li Hong Bin.On the verge of arrest, Li Hong Bin and Xiong Xi Ruo hatch a lie – they pretend that she is pregnant with his child. This arrangement suits Li Hong Bin fine, as a marriage with Xiong Xi Ruo will help him escape an arranged marriage with the daughter of the Song family – a union he is particularly keen to avoid. The Li family grants its consent for Li Hong Bin and Xiong Xi Ruo to get married, but it is not long before some relatives – and the plotting Song family – begin to suspect that the pregnancy is a fake. Meanwhile, as Li Hong Bin and Xiong Xi Ruo spend more time in each other's company, they begin to develop a growing fondness for one another. Could love bloom between the pair? And can they survive – or even thwart – the schemes at court?

This show ended up being a lot more fluffy than I expected it to be which is funny cause you would think with a name like it has that I would assume that it'd be silly but something about the synopsis screamed low key serious to me which was very wrong. I've only seen the first two episodes so far and though I'm not exactly stunned by what I got, I also wasn't bored or disinterested so there's that. Xi Ruo is silly but she's not the type of naive airhead that I don't like in these types of shows so I'm okay with her. Hong Bin is stoic so far and clearly has some sort of PTSD but we haven't actually seen much of him yet. I do hope that Hong Bin doesn't believe the lie for too long cause honestly it'll be much worse for Xi Ruo if he actually starts to want a child. I do think it's funny how out of his depths he is around her cause it's like with how he spends all his time on the battlefield, I'm sure he's never really met women before. I'm also really into Hong Bin's parents so far cause they're totally adorable in their own way. Neither are bad people and they really seem in love with each other which is sweet and I hope that translates into them accepting Xi Ruo pretty quickly. I'd love it if the two just got really excited about a grandchild more than the scandal of him getting a servant pregnant or whatever. I also hope that there's no love triangle with the brothers cause that always makes me low key sad to watch. 
Qing Qing Zi Jin (21/40): During the days of the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 CE), Chinese arts and culture are experiencing a golden age. Poetry is highly prized – and the rewards for becoming a prominent poet are great. Luo Qiu Chi is a talented young poet – a poor scholar from a troubled background who is dreaming of a life full of art and writing. He is forced to leave his family home and hide his true identity in order to pursue his poetry dreams. Fortunately, he one day meets a female scholar named Wen Ren Jun. She decides to help him as he attempts to pass the tough entrance test for the prestigious Zhu Xiu Academy. He manages to gain admission – but now the going really gets tough. He forms a bitter rivalry with the Zhu Xiu Academy’s star pupil. And then he must truly prove his mettle when he is selected to take part in a fiercely competitive poetry competition against the top scholars of a rival kingdom. Luckily, Wen Ren Jun and other newfound friends are ready to help Luo Qiu Chi duke it out against the best young poets in the land.

We're a little past halfway through this drama now and I'm pretty pleased with where we're at in terms of story. I love that Qiuchi and Ah Jun have both clearly realized that they love each other so there's no more wondering at why they feel jealous or disagreeing when the other makes a comment about them being together. Even everyone in their lives knows including Ah Jun's dad cause the moment he found out that Qiuchi thinks that he tried to have him killed, his first thought was oh shit that's why Ah Jun hates me now. I am pretty sure though that her dad wasn't the one to kill Qiuchi cause he really had no recollection of telling his first-in-command to go kill and if I had to guess, it'll end up being the uncle aka the younger brother of the legal wife cause their family is just evil to the core. It does bring me back to the same question as to who Qiuchi really is and who is family was cause once again there's no freaking way that all these rich nobles are out to murder a random commoner family. I still cast my vote towards Qiuchi being a lost Prince who's dad or mom was a royal but ran away to get married and people didn't want them to be found cause the current King as a child is a better puppet for the villains. It's still interesting that we're still shrouding the true Big Bad in shadows so like we don't know who he is yet but that makes me wonder if it'll end up being someone we know otherwise why hide a random person from the audience?

JDRAMA


Watashitachi wa Douka Shiteiru (5/8): Hanaoka Nao’s mother Yuriko is a single parent and a live-in confectioner at Kogetsuan, a traditional Japanese confectionery shop of long standing. That is how Nao meets Takatsuki Tsubaki, the 6-year-old son of the owner of Kogetsuan, and they become each other’s first loves. However, Tsubaki’s father is stabbed to death by someone. Nao’s mother is arrested as the suspect based on Tsubaki’s statement. Nao is kicked out while her mother passes away while under interrogation. Now daughter of a murder suspect and son of the victim, Nao and Tsubaki separate with ill feelings for each other. More than 15 years later, Nao and Tsubaki are reunited at a competition on Japanese confectionery. Tsubaki takes an interest in Nao’s creations and asks her to marry him at their first meeting without realising that she is his childhood friend. Nao hides her true identity and decides to get into Kogetsuan through her marriage to Tsubaki in order to prove her mother’s innocence. Little does she know that all sorts of adverse circumstances lie in wait. Despite being made sport of by cruel fate, Nao and Tsubaki are drawn to each other. What is the truth of the case 15 years ago?

I called it last week when I said that Nao was definitely the Kogetsuan heir but thankfully the show also cleared up the fact that Tsubaki isn't a Takatsuki after all cause just like Nao for a second I was like oops are Nao and Tsubaki half-siblings??? I do have a feeling that Tsubaki's real father is the man from the kitchen who thanked Nao for making Tsubaki so happy cause not only did he seem to know more about the Tsubaki family than most of the men working in the kitchen but also it was just a weird thing to say to someone who you don't really know. It's funny cause Tsubaki really seems to be burying his head in the sand about Nao when he keeps getting proof after proof that she's most likely Sakura. I can't fault the guy though cause he's clearly in love and happy for the first time in forever so he doesn't want anything to ruin it. I also can't help but wonder why in the world the grandfather hasn't done a DNA test on Tsubaki after which he can kick his horrible mother out of Kogetsuan. She's running around as if she's got it all when it's like her son isn't even a Tsubaki and whether or not she proves that Nao is Sakura or prevents the marriage, blood can't lie. Even now she's screwed unless she somehow gets the lawyer on her side cause the grandfather wrote a will so even if she kills him like she clearly killed the father, there's no winning for her. I think I just hate her so much that I want her to suffer. The way she attacked Nao's fake mom for no reason really shows what kind of person she is.

TWDRAMA


Lost Romance (15/20): 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?

Wow this episode was high key uncomfortable to watch just cause it was so cringe-y to see Xiao'en chase after Tianxing looking for Aoran. I mean we all know that Aoran's memories will come back to Tianxing in time cause this a romance drama after all but I still felt so much secondhand embarrassment for her when she hugged him in the van and asked him if he remembered her while his bodyguard and secretary watched. I also think it's a little hilarious that the police were even thinking of charging Xiao'en with obstruction cause it's not like she hid evidence because she fell into a 3 month coma like Tianxing did and the stalking is a whole different charge. It did totally throw me at first how kind Tianxing was cause I'm so used to Aoran being overbearing and all that but Tianxing feels like a real person which like props to Marcus Chang for playing two entirely different people! I wonder what it will be about Xiao'en that will totally catch his attention other than the fact that he admires her bravery for stepping forward about what she saw cause a normal person would be low key creeped out by her behavior. It also seriously sucks that she doesn't have a copy of Tianxing being pushed off of the building and that the bad guys destroyed the drone so I'm a little confused about how this story will be wrapped up. I do like the idea of Mingli's right hand man joining Tianxing's side cause he knows that he can only save her if Tianxing helps.

xoxo Allie

Saturday, September 12, 2020

What Shows Am I Watching This Week?

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

Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 23

It's Cinderella-ish aka the rewritten Cinderella play was just as amazing as I hoped it would be and gave us the excuse to see Hiro, Kisa and Kazuma come to watch the play alongside Momiji and Haru. This episode was honestly one of the funniest we've had all season but it was also an episode to take a look at all our main couples who are at different stages. Uo really misses Kureno and it breaks my heart watching her but Tohru and Momiji are plotting to give Kureno a DVD copy of the play so that he can see and it's hilarious cause I know the two mean well but dude I would be so embarrassed if the guy I liked saw me yearn for him like that! Hiro spent a large chunk of the episode being low key jealous that everyone thought Kisa was so cute and that Haru kept hugging her and in the end blew up on Haru about why he was so nice to everyone and that he broke Rin's heart which made everyone think that Haru likes Rin when it's like so beyond clear to anyone with eyes that he loves Kisa and sees Rin like a big sister! It's definitely going to lead to some delicious angst in the future! Hana flirted with Kazuma to Kyo's complete and utter mortification which is hilarious cause I really thought that this thing was meant for comedy but maybe the two will end up together? Beside everyone low key teasing Kyo and Tohru on stage (which was everything), Kyo talked about who would care if he locked himself in a castle forever and Tohru freaked out on stage which was the absolute cutest and I was living for it but in the end it feels like both are sealing up their emotions: Kyo cause he doesn't think that he can live happily under the Sohma curse but Tohru's reason is less obvious. I think she must just be afraid of looking at her emotions cause she'll fall apart. Even Yuki and Machi had a moment where Machi once again mentioned that Yuki isn't a prince and that he seems lonely which is really what I think that will get Yuki to fall for her. Machi is the one person who can see past his walls the same way that Kyo can read Tohru when no one else can.

xoxo Allie

Friday, September 11, 2020

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


Do You Like Brahms? (4/16): “Do You Like Brahms?” is a drama about students at a prestigious music school and the people in their lives. It will tell the stories of the students experiencing lessons, practicing, performing, and competitions since a very young age along with their parents and teachers who obsess over these processes. Park Joon Young, started playing piano when he was six years old. He won prominent competitions in the country before going on to win competitions across the world. Chae Song Ah, a college senior majoring in violin performance. After graduating previously as a business major, she entered the same university again to go to the music school after four attempts and is seven years older than her classmates.

Joon Young and Song Ah are the absolute cutest little dorks and I'm living for them!!! I kind of adore how quickly the two are falling for each other cause I was worried we'd have to spend so long watching awkward love triangles but at the same time I'm worried cause if the two get together so early on, there must be a lot of misunderstandings and breakups coming! What I'd like is for the two to get together and be a team as they navigate each of their musical problems instead. On that same note I'm hoping that Song Ah's internship ends quickly cause I want to see the girl play the violin and live her dream not be Joon Young's assistant no matter how much I love that circumstances keep throwing them together. I think because of how complicated their previous loves were that they just love how simple it is to be together. They're both so similar in their kindness and love of music and they know that the other won't judge them no matter the situation. I said last week that the love triangles seem to parallel each other though they don't intersect but this week I think that Dong Yoon and Jung Kyung are more similar than I first thought. Dong Yoon isn't immune to Song Ah's feelings as I first assumed or maybe it's that he's realized that he likes Song Ah and not Min Sung which is why he told Min Sung not to tell Song Ah about them sleeping together. Everything Min Sung said about the situation was so skeevy and I was just like run Song Ah cause Dong Yoon is not good. Jung Kyung on the other hand is always weepy and melancholy and it leaves me wondering what in the world Hyeon Ho and Joon Young see in her. I thought at first that it was a matter of her being like Joon Young needs to pine for me forever but now I'm wondering if thinking about losing him first to music and then to Song Ah made her realize her feelings.
Flower Of Evil (13/16): 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.

There's absolutely no way that things are going according to Hee Sung's plan no matter what the episode is trying to hint at. I mean he's clearly an evil genius and like props to him for planning out such an evil plan which he definitely learned from Min Seok but I just can't see Ji Won or Hyun Soo or even Detective Choi falling for this. Anyone who's spent any little bit of time with Hyun Soo can tell that he's not a killer for all that he is and I bet my last dollar that all of this is one big plot though whether Choi is a part of it or not we'll have to see. What I can bet is that his intuition is probably ringing off the charts especially after that meeting with Madame Baek cause the woman always looks anxious as hell and it's like the Baek family should really not be sending her out to give alibis and interviews and stuff. What Hee Sung also doesn't know is that Ji Won ran a full blood test in the basement so of all people she would know that there's not just magically buckets and buckets of blood to be found so of course she's not going to fall for the sudden reveal that Hyun Soo is a killer. I am a little sad that we're going down this set up for murder route though cause I low key would have wished that we could have seen more of Hyun Soo working with Detective Choi, Ji Won, Moo Jin, and Hae Soo like a team. Jung Mi Sook being alive also seriously threw me for a loop and it seems like she lost her memory so as of now it doesn't exactly look like she can point out Hee Sung as the killer but maybe once she sees him, the memories will all fly back. Either way she's definitely a hidden card that Hee Sung doesn't know that Hyun Soo has and Hyun Soo needs all the help he can get. Hee Sung really shouldn't forget that the training he got from Min Seok, Hyun Soo got too regardless of whether he ever used it or not.
Lonely Enough To Love (5/10): 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.

We're about halfway through this drama now and honestly guys raise your hand if you too guessed that Na Eun's book publishing company was going to be a scam. It always irritates me that people in dramas act so completely dumb. If you're about to sign a contract or transfer a large sum of money, why in the hell wouldn't you get a lawyer to look over your contract or do some research first?? I had a feeling it was too damn early in this show for Na Eun's dreams to come true but I had low key hoped that this show might subvert my feelings anyway but nope Na Eun lost 5 million won which is like 4000 dollars. It extra sucks cause I have a feeling that she's going to take out her anger on Kang Woo for just being there when all he's done is be her biggest supporter. I was wondering last week if episode 4 was too early for these two to get together but with this show actually only having 10 episodes, I find myself just glad that both Kang Woo and Na Eun look to be falling for each other at the same pace. On another note I'm worried that Hyun Jin somehow did real damage to his arm cause he spent all episode rubbing it and due to this damage he won't be able to be a pilot anymore which will make him double down on getting Na Eun or making her feel guilty cause it was her fault he hurt himself so badly. Poor Bo Ra is also trying to take her shot with Hoon but she's not realizing that he's into Hyun Jin and not Na Eun so she has next to zero chance of getting him.
Record Of You (2/16): Youth Record follows the lives of young people in the world of modeling. Sa Hye-Joon is smart and handsome. He is a nice guy and a popular model, but what he really wants is to become an actor. He has auditioned for many acting roles, but hasn't found success yet. Unfortunately, Sa Hye-Joon doesn't have much presence as an actor. Meanwhile, An Jung-Ha works as a make-up artist.

I was fairly excited for this drama to come out when I first heard of it cause I absolutely adore Park Bo Gum in everything I've seen him in and though I enjoyed Park So Dam in Cinderella And The Four Knights, I was more interested in knowing why she picked this drama in particular. So Dam doesn't seem to be the kind of person who picks dramas to star in easily and I assumed that after getting as much clout as she did from Parasite, there was no way she was going to pick a meh drama so there had to be something extra in this. Luckily after watching these first two episodes, I'm super on board. I do have to say that I was actually really surprised with how much screen time went to Hye Joon and his struggles with wanting to become an actor cause usually it's the male leads that are successful and it's the female leads that aren't but I love that both Hye Joon and Jung Ha are starting out pretty early in their careers. I love their dynamic already cause it's like the two clearly see something of themselves in the other even though they've literally just met and I always live for when we get a drama where the main leads aren't enemies at the start. I'm not sure why Jung Ha felt the need to lie to Hye Joon and why she kept that lie up cause I get being embarrassed to tell your idol that you're a fan but eventually I would have told the truth! I do feel really bad for how horrible Hye Joon's family is so far cause it's one thing to shit on his dreams but it's another to treat him like he's slouching around the house whining for money when he's literally not asked them for one thing since he graduated high school. I'm also curious to know more about Jung Ha cause we barely scratched the surface of her character and I wonder if she's got no family or if she distanced herself from hers cause they treated her and her dreams like Hye Joon's. We know that she quit a cushy company job to be a makeup artist but that's all.

CDRAMA


FINISHED Go Ahead (40/40): 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?

The finale for this show aired this week and I have to say that I'm a little mixed on the ending cause I absolutely adore that Haichao and He Mei finally got married making Ziqiu and Jianjian officially siblings like they're always wanted but at the same time I hated the way Chen Ting was swept aside and I can't help but feel like some of our endings were too vague and open. To the very last second Chen Ting refused to apologize for all that she put Ling Xiao and Chengzi through or that it wasn't poor Ling Xiao's fault that his sister died! I almost started crying myself when Ling Xiao asked his dad if he made up his debts to his mom for letting his sister die and it broke me that Heiping didn't say anything about it not being his fault either! I despised that Chen Ting was forgiven by everyone especially after she tried to commit suicide to really screw with everyone. The more we saw of her flashbacks, the more horrible she was. She left Ling Xiao with her own two legs but hated Heiping and Haichao and Jianjian and Ziqiu cause they loved him in her stead. At the very least Chengzi was redeemed and I'd like to imagine that some day in the future she might end up with Ziqiu cause he really was the only person she listened to. Jianjian's reputation was saved but like Tang Can and Mingyue had these real vague endings too. Maybe it's just cause I'm used to cdramas having all their characters paired up and happy that I was weirded out by the fact that neither girl ended up with anyone and that Mingyue even ended up giving up her dreams for her mom which really felt like a regression rather than growth to me. Jianjian and Ling Xiao had a fairly vague ending too but I suppose that one day in the future they'll get married too now that Chen Ting has given up. Regardless of all my problems, I'd give this show a 9 / 10 cause I think this show told a lovely story about what it means to be family.
Love Yourself / Love In Shanghai (30/36): 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 week was basically the week for all our main cast to take a step forward in their lives whether that was good or bad. Yi Hye finally broke up with Sam cause she realized that the biggest problem with forgiving a man who cheats or lies is the loss of trust that you have to deal with afterwards. Sam could literally never tell a lie ever again in his life but Yi Hye would still see lies coming out of his mouth. If I liked Sam more maybe I'd be sad but I've been on the Yi Hye and Chen Nan ship since the beginning so I'm just waiting for her to realize that Chen Nan is an option. Renran also realized that Youting was an option though I'm not sure I should give her any points cause it wasn't until he kissed her and then confessed that she was like oh this man likes me. I know she's worried about him being a rebound but honestly he's so much simpler than Lu Hao so it's worth trying. I expect drama to unfold once he finally comes back and sees that she's moved on but maybe it'll be enough to get Renran to leave DMA and work somewhere else. Ding Ding and Si Rui started dating this week too after Ding Ding decided to take the dive and risk her heart and they were super cute together but I'm worried about the fact that Ding Ding's father might be going bankrupt. Karen also had a big moment this week when she found out that she was in fact a carrier for the breast cancer gene so she decided to get a preventive mastectomy and it caused Yu Tian to get upset and I can't decide if it's simply that Karen won't have breasts anymore since if that is the case, he will have lost a lot of my favor. I do know that on top of that he's upset that Karen reached out to Ma Ke but it's like no matter who she dates or marries, Ma Ke is still the father of her child and deserves to know life changing news like this.
Maiden Holmes (12/32): After being defeated in a war against an invading kingdom, the Prince of Qi had his military power removed. His brother, the Prince of Yun decided to make use of the chance to support the ascension of the young Emperor. Prince Qi came to a tacit agreement with the Emperor and decided to retreat from courtly affairs. Meanwhile, he embarked on a search for the truth in secret under the alias of Pei Zhao. On his journey, he meets young detective Su Ci, the young master Xie Bei Ming, and poison master Dong Ru Shuang. As the four teams up to solve a series of mysteries, they also discover each other’s and their own secrets.

It's really surprising how much I'm into the different cases that our heroes need to solve cause in most dramas the cases are just a way to move the plot toward but in this show there's several things that are interesting me. Firstly I love that the cases really have nothing to do with politics. I mean yeah eventually we find out that everything leads back to Qi's uncle but other than that there are culprits to catch and murders to solve on the commoner/noble level. Secondly I think I just adore how smart every one of our characters are. None of the girls are led around by their emotions and the guys are all so kind and sweet. Even Beiming who at first is meant to seem like an idiot and the comedy aspect of this show can read political maneuvers from small hints that Qi gives. This wedding ghost case was totally fascinating though I low key knew from the start that it had to be the portrait maker though once I saw it was the guy we had met before I changed my mind cause I was like there's no way that one of Qi's friends did it only to be fooled again when it was him. I am wondering if Su Ci's whole breakdown about her identity getting out will mean that she's going to give up on being a man but I can't help but wonder since everyone knows her as this famous detective that even if she returns to being a woman, won't people recognize her anyway? Qi really needs to tell her the truth about who he is and then they need to go beg the King for forgiveness cause if he hears it from Qi's uncle then they're all screwed!
FINISHED
My Girl (24/24): As a child, Meng Hui was involved in a terrible accident. Though she has born the physical scars of that moment on her face all her life, it’s the mental scars that have caused the greatest damage. Traumatized by the event, Meng Hui developed a dissociative identity disorder which causes her to switch between two distinct personalities at random. Never knowing when her alternate personality might emerge, Meng Hui has struggled all her life, to find a balance between her two sides. Now grown, Meng Hui works as a makeup artist who has started creating her own small line of homemade cosmetics. As fate would have it, she happens to cross paths with Shen Yi, the CEO of a large cosmetics company, during one of her episodes and suddenly declares herself to be his girlfriend. Though shocked by this sudden outburst, Shen Yi decides it’s better to save face by playing along, than make a scene in public. In turn Shen Yi is rewarded for his seeming gallantry when he discovers, not long after, that Meng Hui has developed a liquid foundation that has the potential to revolutionize the cosmetics industry. Desperate to get his hands on her formula, Shen Yi continues to play the part of the devoted boyfriend, a fact that shocks Meng Hui once her alternate personality relinquishes control. Though at first, only interested in Meng Hui’s formula, Shen Yi soon finds himself falling for the girl fate seems to have thrown into his life, and even more surprising, she seems to be falling for him. But their relationship is put to the ultimate test when Meng Hui learns that Shen Yi was the one responsible for the accident that changed her life, all those years ago. Will their love become the salve that heals their deepest wounds or will they find that some wounds really do leave permanent scars?

Here's the thing with this drama. When I first heard about it back before it started to air, I was curious cause I loved Li Jia Qi in Meteor Garden and I ordered the main pair in My Youth where I thought they had pretty solid chemistry but then I heard the premise and I was less interested. It wasn't until only recently that I saw a super cute video of the two of them and suddenly I was like wait hold the phone the show seems cute so I dived in. Now that I've seen the whole thing, I'm very mixed about how I feel. There was a lot that I liked but also a lot that I didn't. It reminded me a lot of shows like Kill Me Heal Me cause though the synopsis claims that Meng Hui has PTSD it's closer to DID than anything else. I was actually really surprised how quickly things moved in this show cause like Shen Yi found out that Meng Hui has DID and that she had a scar really early on but the plot felt like it jumped from one thing to another especially the middle section where Meng Hui thought she was Director Meng. I did adore all the side characters though especially Wei Lei who I thought was going to be the second female lead but ended up being one of Meng Hui's fiercest friends. I also adored the side couples too but of course the reason that I really stuck around was the chemistry between Meng Hui and Shen Yi. There were so many more kisses and casual touching than I expected and like I'm the last person to want to ship actors in real life but if these two got together, I wouldn't be complaining wink wink. I do think that it was a little sucky in the final chunk of these episodes that everyone was lying to Meng Hui about Shen Yi having scarred her and it was especially icky when Shen Yi convinced Meng Hui to marry him before admitting the truth cause it was like he wanted her to have no way to leave him. The makeup part of this show was meh and honestly if you wanna watch a show about makeup, the kdrama Touch (even if I hate the main couple) or the cdrama Face Off (even if it's more monster makeup than beauty makeup) are better picks. Overall I'd give this show a 7 / 10 cause it's fluffy but without any real substance.
Qing Qing Zi Jin (16/40): During the days of the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 CE), Chinese arts and culture are experiencing a golden age. Poetry is highly prized – and the rewards for becoming a prominent poet are great. Luo Qiu Chi is a talented young poet – a poor scholar from a troubled background who is dreaming of a life full of art and writing. He is forced to leave his family home and hide his true identity in order to pursue his poetry dreams. Fortunately, he one day meets a female scholar named Wen Ren Jun. She decides to help him as he attempts to pass the tough entrance test for the prestigious Zhu Xiu Academy. He manages to gain admission – but now the going really gets tough. He forms a bitter rivalry with the Zhu Xiu Academy’s star pupil. And then he must truly prove his mettle when he is selected to take part in a fiercely competitive poetry competition against the top scholars of a rival kingdom. Luckily, Wen Ren Jun and other newfound friends are ready to help Luo Qiu Chi duke it out against the best young poets in the land.

I might have spoken too soon when I said last week that Ah Jun's family isn't going to be related to Qiuchi's family's deaths cause now it seems like something is fishy. Ah Jun's master who was a disciple at the same temple that her mom was in seems to think that Jing was embezzling money while Qiuchi found out that Jing alongside Prince Kang bought the jade pendent. It's strange cause honestly Jing doesn't seem like a bad guy but then again Kang doesn't either so I'm left wondering which one is the real bad guy. I still think there's more to Qiuchi than meets the eye though cause there's no way that an assassin killed a random commoner family. In other news I'm glad that Ah Jun found out that her sister isn't the angel she thought she was cause it was going to get tiring seeing Ah Jun tell her sister everything while her sister just did horrible things for no reason. Like I got ruining her sword dance in front of the nobility but why did she need to expose that poor servant girl who just wanted to recite poetry other than the fact that it would make Ah Jun sad. It was totally strange when Ah Jun and Qiuchi met the King on the streets but I have a feeling that the King's promise to help them will come back in the future when Qiuchi needs a pardon for being the Dongyi King and all that. Ah Jun and Qiuchi are still super adorable but I can't help but wonder when the romance really will ramp up. At the very least Qiuchi seems to be avoiding telling her about her father's possible involvement but he's also not running away.

JDRAMA


Sixteen Shoukougun (4/8): The story centers on a high school girl who stronger and cooler than any guy, the prince, and her beautiful best friend, the princess.

We're about halfway through this drama now and I think my favorite thing is how chill the world feels. For all of Asada's big talk about hating women and being a playboy and how he could bag the prince, when real feelings appeared, Asada ran and it was absolutely precious. It was even sweeter than Ibuki worried about him and how he low key distanced himself but the best moment this week was when he realized that he shouldn't push Ibuki about why she follows Mei around and instead was like okay you protect Mei and I'll protect you. I really shouldn't have been surprised at how quickly Ibuki fell for Asada back and how she found out about the bet cause this show does only have 8 episodes so what normally would have gone on for episodes, only took one for them to work things out. I was proud of Asada for telling the truth and being like I like you for real and it's not just cause of a bet and I liked that Ibuki found it in her to tell him that she missed him too. Of course she's too afraid to admit that they're dating but I think we'll get there soon enough. I also found myself surprised with how much I like Mei cause at first I thought she would actually be more manipulative but I find her antics more funny than anything else and honestly I think she just depends on Ibuki more than she loves her romantically. Since Mei was bullied as a child and Ibuki saved her, it made her feel like no one could ever like her and that if she gives Ibuki any space, she'll be left alone again. I still wonder how Ibuki fits in cause even the way Ibuki shut down when Asada asked her felt really important. I don't feel anything for the new character we met this week but maybe in the future I'll warm up to Nao like I did Mei.
Watashitachi wa Douka Shiteiru (4/8): Hanaoka Nao’s mother Yuriko is a single parent and a live-in confectioner at Kogetsuan, a traditional Japanese confectionery shop of long standing. That is how Nao meets Takatsuki Tsubaki, the 6-year-old son of the owner of Kogetsuan, and they become each other’s first loves. However, Tsubaki’s father is stabbed to death by someone. Nao’s mother is arrested as the suspect based on Tsubaki’s statement. Nao is kicked out while her mother passes away while under interrogation. Now daughter of a murder suspect and son of the victim, Nao and Tsubaki separate with ill feelings for each other. More than 15 years later, Nao and Tsubaki are reunited at a competition on Japanese confectionery. Tsubaki takes an interest in Nao’s creations and asks her to marry him at their first meeting without realising that she is his childhood friend. Nao hides her true identity and decides to get into Kogetsuan through her marriage to Tsubaki in order to prove her mother’s innocence. Little does she know that all sorts of adverse circumstances lie in wait. Despite being made sport of by cruel fate, Nao and Tsubaki are drawn to each other. What is the truth of the case 15 years ago?

We're about halfway through this drama now and the only thing I could think about after this week is that this show is not about to go down a Hundred Million Stars In The Sky route is it?? There's three possible routes this show could take from here. One: Tsubaki's grandfather has lost his marbles and Tsubaki really is his father's child and most likely his mom killed his dad out of anger for having the affair with Nao's mom. Simple but little drama. Two: Tsubaki is an illegitimate child cause as it turned out his dad actually loved Nao's mom and thus Nao is the actual Kogetsuan heir which is why Tsubaki's mom killed the dad and convinced Tsubaki to point out Nao's mom as the killer and why his grandfather is telling Tsubaki to hunt "her" down. The two can still get married in this route and live happily which is my preferred ending. Three: Tsubaki and Nao are half-siblings and share the same father which is why Tsubaki keeps saying things like he cannot ever love Sakura and why his mom is so so so against him marrying Nao cause she knows that Nao is Sakura. The only thing that's preventing me from believing this is the fact that the guy who knew Nao's mom isn't stopping Nao from marrying Tsubaki cause you would think people would be more upset to know that these siblings are hooking up. It's ironic cause if this wasn't a jdrama I would be like there's absolutely no way this final route could happen cause duh but we know that jdramas like to march at the beat of their own drums so maybe. As a sidebar everything with Jojima was super cute and part of me is like Nao girl you should have picked route 4 cause marrying him and opening a little sweets shop would have given you the happiest ending ever. It's also interesting to see that in actuality Tsubaki isn't this horrible person after all cause he had nothing to do with Jojima's family shop failing and actually helped when he found out the truth.

TWDRAMA


Lost Romance (14/20): 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 kept wondering this whole episode if our heroes would return to the real world only for the episode to end and for me to realize that ah the return will be next week. I'm really just so excited for the future angst in which Tianxing doesn't remember Xiao'en or that he was Aoran and for Xiao'en to have to pretend like she doesn't love him. With 6 episodes remaining I guess we'll be dealing with Tianxing's return to power and the outing of his horrible half-siblings and all that they did to take over the company. I'll also be curious to know if the Chu Chu of the real world actually is Tianxing's girl or if she was just a random person who was nice to him. We know based on what Aoran said that Tianxing was miserable his entire life with not one person giving him love so if the real Chu Chu was nice to him, I could see Tianxing latching on. I also wonder if the uncle actually will run the company into the ground cause something about the way Tianjian doesn't actually read any of the paperwork he's been handed makes me feel that he's going to end up signing away the rights of any of the He siblings. In other news we found out that Qingfeng has actually been jumping from world to world like in Extraordinary You though he never knew that he was in a book until Xiao'en showed up which is totally and completely sad but maybe once Xiao'en returns to the real world she can find his original book and finish it so he can have a happy ending too. 

xoxo Allie