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 Do Sol Sol La La Sol (2/16): "Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol” is a romantic comedy about a pianist named Goo Ra Ra who hits rock bottom after her family’s sudden downfall. After she finds her way to La La Land, a piano academy in a small village, she ends up crossing paths and falling in love with the tough and mysterious Sun Woo Joon, who seems to be hiding a lot of secrets. Goo Ra Ra is an immature and mischievous pianist. With her bright laughter and sunny disposition, she’s a simple, confident, and lovable person, having the charm of making anyone laugh no matter how difficult the situation. Goo Ra Ra also enjoys making jokes and acting unpredictably even during serious moments as she has lived a life without fear, being able to gain whatever she wanted with money. Something happened that caused her to become bankrupt. She doesn't have anything now, and she is frustrated with her situation. Sun Woo Joon doesn't care what other people think about him, but he has a warm heart. He is free-spirited and doesn't have a specific dream or goal for his life. He makes ends meet by working part-time jobs. Goo Ra Ra and Sun Woo Joon meet at the small private piano academy LaLa Land in a country village.

I really had no idea what type of show I was getting into with this drama other than thinking that maybe it would be Do You Like Brahms but if it were a rom com instead of a melo. Instead it looks like we've gotten a Legally Blonde meets Shopping King Louie style of show and I'm super down with that twist! Ra Ra is super air-headed but she's kind and I'm hoping that we'll get to see her grow into herself. I mean her company is bankrupt and unless we suddenly get a reveal that someone did something to ruin it and she gets her money back, I can't see her not having to learn to take care of herself money-wise. Maybe she can learn to teach piano to others? I do have to admit that for a hot second I did get irritated with how utterly shameless she is in terms of forcing Joon to do everything for her but then I realized ah that's the same thing that Louie did in Shopping King Louie and then I found out that the two shows have the same screenwriters and that makes it extra hilarious how obviously this show is copying that one. One big difference though is that Joon is also a chaebol heir here though unlike Ra Ra has left his rich lifestyle for reasons unknown. I have a feeling that his mom is actually dead and the woman who came to Ra Ra's wedding is actually his stepmom and Joon ran away cause of her. I do kind of adore how Joon fell in love with Ra Ra on first sight and the way the show has thrown the two together is low key perfect cause it's like give me all the cohabitation antics though I still find it so hard to understand how in kdramas neighbors try to have such a big role of your life. Like what right does the beauty shop owner have to tell Joon that Ra Ra can't live with him? I also have to say the second lead is super creepy. Like dude you barely know this girl so why are you following her around like this?

Do You Like Brahms? (12/16): “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.

I really really really hope that this week is the final straw for Song Ah and that after this point she'll change the way she's been living her life. I've been saying for weeks now that I'm in her corner no matter all the naysayers that I keep seeing but this week I really just hit my limit. Like I completely understand that insecurity is a hard beast to fight and unlike in Lonely Enough To Love we've spent so much time seeing why she is the way that she is and like constantly being surrounded by horrible people who make it their life's mission to take away her happiness is hard but this is a drama I'm watching and there's only so much realism I can take! Poor Joon Young must be exhausted out of his mind too cause honestly his life is terrible from every angle and it was Song Ah who was a beacon of light in his darkness but ever since they returned to school, every time she's with him, it's like all she can see are her insecurities. Joon Young has been jumping through hoops to prove to her that he loves her and yet a single word from some random person breaks all her trust in him. If this were real life I would tell Joon Young that he deserves better or the two need to go to couple's therapy but in actuality the simplest solution is for Song Ah to just say what the problem is! If only she told Joon Young, hey everyone thinks I seduced you so you could play piano for me and Jung Kyung is running around telling me that eventually you're going to dump me for her, the problems would be lessened! The most terrible part of all this is that we still don't know what Song Ah wants in the end. I know she wants to play the violin but does she want to be a soloist or a teacher or work in management?? She needs to figure that out first before she continues to spiral!

Lonely Enough To Love (9/10): A story of young people residing at a co-living house. They do want to date, but they don't want to be serious. They prefer being free, but they also don't want to be lonely. Cha Kang Woo is a single man in his 30's and he works as a psychiatrist. He is full of curiosity about human beings. Even though he is an attractive man, he is afraid of having a romantic relationships due to trauma from his past. A woman appears in front of him and he begins to have feelings for her. Lee Na Eun is a freelancer copy editor. She is generous to good people, but she does not tolerate injustice. She hopes to become a novelist one day. Due to her situation, she has not had a boyfriend in 4 years. She begins to stay at the co-living house and develops romantic feelings.

This week was the penultimate episode of this show and really I'm just so over it. I feel like I'm only sticking around just to see Kang Woo's beautiful face grace my screen but I'm no longer interested in the story or the characters. I don't know if I'm disappointed that this drama seemed to suggest that this would be more of an ensemble show or if I just hated the second lead so much or what but this show just bored me to tears. There's only so many episodes of the same back-and-forth that I can handle! I could not connect with Na Eun's reasoning for dumping Kang Woo especially when her friend did the same thing he did in the same episode and Na Eun didn't mind it entirely. One person leaving hate comments was enough to destroy every bit of Na Eun's confidence and that was exhausting to watch. Insecurity if depicted well should be an excellent plot point but unlike Song Ah in Do You Like Brahms where your heart and soul hurts for her, in this show there isn't enough backing up Na Eun's insecurity which makes you emotionally unavailable. As it turned out, the internet troll was Hyun Jin's ex which was totally out of left field cause I really expected it to be Kyung Won but even stranger was the half confession we got from Jung Hoon which was swept under the rug way too quickly leaving me confused and a little annoyed about it. Like I said up top, the finale is next week and I really just want one episode of Kang Woo and Na Eun being cute so I can feel like these ten hours were worth it.

Private Lives (2/16): Swindlers come across a secret of the nation and try to reveal the secret. They must go up against a large company by using all of their skills. Lee Jung-Hwan is a team leader for the major corporation. He looks like an ordinary company employee, but he is a mysterious figure. Cha Joo-Eun is a swindler, who has the looks of a sweet & innocent woman. She supports herself with her crimes. Jung Bok-Ki is a professional swindler. She often targets other swindlers. She is elegant and also charismatic. Kim Jae-Wook is Jung Bok-Ki’s partner in crime.

Wow talk about being totally shooketh by a drama! Okay but seriously I went into this drama without actually knowing anything about what it was about. I mean obviously I knew that it would be following con artists but that was pretty much it so I was seriously thrown with what we got. I know a lot of people were complaining that these first two episodes were too slow but I actually liked that we took a minute to really get to know Joo Eun before throwing her (and us) into the deep end. The poor girl is so naive to this con world and it's like all she wanted was to help her dad and look where's she now. I mean I thought that Jung Hwan was supposed to be a con artist too based on some of the promo pics I had seen but I was still low key shocked when he conned Joo Eun with a marriage scam. I don't know why but I thought there might be a Mr and Mrs Smith type of situation here but instead I'm not sure what he gained from all this cause it's not like Joo Eun gave him any money as they dated. Something about the vibe in this show isn't like jdramas that follow con artists because there's this general sense of shame so if I had to guess, Jung Hwan is going to end up being like a NIS agent and maybe his mission was trying to get in with Bok Ki and her crew so Bok Ki gave him Joo Eun as a target but I also don't know what's her obsession with Joo Eun either. For a second I wondered if this show would have Bok Ki become a mentor to Joo Eun but I can't see Joo Eun forgiving the woman for ruining both her dad and her own life. 

Record Of You (10/16): 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 guess I want to start this review by saying that I was actually wrong about there being a time-skip in this show cause it's apparently been a whole year since we found Hye Joon struggling to be an actor which is honestly so relieving cause I had been watching this show on eggshells waiting for the inevitable time jump. Of course I still can't help but watch this show all anxiously cause I can feel the breakup between Hye Joon and Jung Ha coming and I really don't want that! It seems that it really will be time that breaks the two apart cause it was super glaring how when Hye Joon needed Jung Ha after his fight with his dad she was there but when she needed him after her fight with her mom, he slept through the night but even worse was what happened after the awards show. I can't decide why Jung Ha would just walk away from him like that cause she clearly came all the way there to see him and then left cause she was what embarrassed? Or she was insecure? It's extra annoying cause she left with Hyeon Ho cause he was sad! Things like this always remind me of that line from Temperature Of Love where the male lead talks about priorities and how the woman he loves is more important than a casual friend. The weird thing is that I can't help but feel like the problems all stem from Jung Ha's side. She's the one who won't share her burdens with him whether it's about her parents or her job while he despite being so busy is the one who calls her all the time to hear her voice or cook for her. Having said all that I was living for Hye Joon's career skyrocketing! He deserves it!

Tale Of The Nine-Tailed (2/16): The story features the mythical nine-tailed fox, or gumiho, Lee Yeon who has just settled in the city. Able to transform into human form, he goes about cleansing human spirits, all the while creating havoc. Enter the talented television producer Nam Ji Ah whose current show features urban myths. With nerves of steel, she will stop at nothing to secure unusual, if not dangerous, subject matter to showcase. She sets her sights on Lee Yeon who appears just too good to be true; irresistibly handsome, intelligent, fit; in fact the ideal guest. But his heartlessness will render doubt in her that he is indeed of this world. Step-brother to Lee Yeon is the captivating Lee Rang, reputed to be the most dangerous of all gumihos living among humans. Despite being half-human himself, he harbors a deep-seated contempt for all people. For sport, he will unleash his seductive prowess upon his human-du-jour, by promising to grant them their wishes, only to trick them into paying a hefty price for their earthly desires.

I went into this drama without many expectations and so far I'm fairly into it. At first it reminded me a lot of Moonshine And Valentine but as I finished the second episode, I have to say that it reminds me a lot of A Korean Odyssey too. Of course the Moonshine and Valentine side is in the fact that we have a similar story of a mythical creature that is looking for the reincarnation of the woman he loved but the Korean Odyssey side is just the vibe this show gives. Yeon is like Oh Gong in that he really doesn't care about the humans but somehow gets roped into helping one. I'm sure that Ji Ah will end up being this reincarnation and I have a feeling that Rang somehow interfered with Ji Ah's birth and somehow blocked Yeon's powers from reaching the fox bead inside her. I also have a feeling that all those reincarnations in the past were also the same woman but once again Rang stepped in. It feels like he's jealous of the fact that Yeon loved a human but it really just feels so petty. Why isn't he being chased by the afterlife police when he's clearly led to so many human deaths? Are the deities actually not all powerful? Having said all that I do have to admit that I am a fan of this cast so far cause I love that Ji Ah remembered everything from her past and that she's clued into this magical world from the start and that we've already moved past her hating Yeon or thinking he's a bad guy. I do high key hope that Rang doesn't end up in a love triangle with Ji Ah but I have a feeling that since there's really no other second male lead around that the show won't be able to not have a love triangle. I'm supposing that the overall plot in this show will end up being finding Ji Ah's parents and maybe stopping Rang from continuously hurting others.

CDRAMA

Dating In The Kitchen (16/24): 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.

Ugh guys I'm so in love with Lin Yu Shen. He's older than I usually like my men but whenever he smirks or looks at Shengnan all lovingly, my heart falls right out of my chest. It's the one thing keeping me around in this show besides the chemistry between our leads cause I can't help but feel like the storylines keep jumping all over the place and we literally just met new important characters even though we're like already way past the halfway mark of this show. We just met Lu Jin's father, the father's new wife, and Lu Jin's half-brother and it seems like the brother might end up being into Shengnan too but I also wonder if the father and Shengnan will become friends while her grandfather is in the hospital thus acting like a bridge to reunite Lu Jin with his father. I have a feeling that Lu Jin's mom is so against Shengnan cause she doesn't want Lu Jin to follow in her footsteps and have her heart broken by the person she loves but it's kinda funny cause whenever I watch a rich man/poor woman show my thought is always either irritation or amusement towards the mother-in-law antics. Like the whole point of these types of shows are to give women a fantasy about being swept up out of our boring lives into this fabulous new world but I will never understand the allure of making every person in the rich man's life hate the female lead. I mean if it's a fantasy wouldn't the family love her just for loving their son or whatever? Who fantasizes about a monster-in-law?? Having said that I do think that Shengnan is able to hold her own so far and I'm sure that Lu Jin will eventually help though right now he seems to be in the dark about how terribly she's being treated by his mom and his damn secretary who really needs to learn her place. Like damn girl you're not his family or a high up employee like the VP or even a rich girl so why are you so arrogantly sure that you're what's best for him??

Oh! My Sweet Liar (15/29): 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?

I'm starting to get real tired of Xiruo. What part of having married into a noble family doesn't she understand?? Not only is she faking a pregnancy but she has to know that constantly sneaking out is a horrible idea cause someone will catch her at the dancing pavilion. Does she not understand that Hongbin is trying to protect her and not torture her? It's high key ridiculous and it's what irritates me most about historical dramas that are meant to be comedies. In real life no woman would act like this but we're supposed to watch a drama and be like wow I totally relate to this idiot!! It's also super sad cause we're about halfway and I want more romance between the leads! Hongbin is head-over-heels and Xiruo sometimes has moments where she likes him back but I need her to stop assuming the worst in him at all times. I'm also really hoping that Hongbin and Xiruo use this poisoning as the reason for having lost the baby. Like I get that doing so will give Ru'er exactly what she wants but there's only so long that they can pretend there's a baby and yet Xiruo has no baby bump. I also get the other two times not being used cause it would have harmed good people who didn't mean what happened but Hongbin is already kicking out Nanny Fang so why not use it as an excuse? I do have to admit I'm a little disappointed that Hongbin isn't killing the nanny cause if there really was a baby, this would be the absolutely most horrible thing to have done!

The Moon Brightens For You (12/36): Quirky and unconventional, Zhan Qinghong grew up well enough, but she never shared the dreams most treasured by her peers. While other girls dreamed of marrying well, Qinghong dreams of only one thing: to become a great martial arts master. Ready to turn her dreams into reality, Qinghong entered the martial arts world with wide-eyed innocence and insatiable curiosity. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for her to realize that the world which she had so long believed to be a world of righteousness and honor, was actually controlled by wicked traitors. Determined to reform the fighting world, Qinghong relies on her intelligence and tenacity to bring about change; but the work proves to be both difficult and dangerous. Realizing the path she has chosen may be too treacherous to travel alone, Qinghong never suspected that Junan City’s notorious playboy would be the one to come alongside her on her quest. Yet, when fate brings them together, that is exactly what Lin Fang does. Using his reputation as a sickly aristocrat with a penchant for wooing women to hide much darker motives, Lin Fang has but one goal in life: to exact revenge for his clan. After meeting Qinghong, Lin Fang’s hardened heart begins to soften and he finds himself drawn to her unexpected charms. Unwilling to let Qinghong fight her battles alone, Lin Fang takes up her cause and together, they take on the daunting task of reforming and rebuilding the world of martial arts from the ground up.

I went into this drama low key hoping that maybe it would end up feeling a lot like Oh My General based on how the synopsis for this show made me think that our main leads would have their typical gender roles swapped. Of course I assumed that Lin Fang would be a closet badass in his own right cause how else would he get the revenge he oh so wants but the idea of seeing the female lead protect the male lead from danger really just called to me. After having watched the first 10 episodes of this show, I have to say despite my high hopes, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this show. It's all about the martial art world which is amazing cause I really do prefer those types of fantasy shows over the political ones but of course it wouldn't be a cdrama without scheming even if I don't entirely mind it here. Lin Fang as it turns out really doesn't have any kungfu abilities and Qinghong really is here to protect him but at the same time I have a feeling that as the show goes on, somehow by some sort of magic Lin Fang will get his qi working again. Qinghong is great cause she's a little naive but nowhere near air-headed and I love that she fights so well! I'm not the biggest fan of Wen Yu and I was super thrown by how he and Qinghong got together so quickly making me wonder if she actually doesn't end up with Lin Fang or if Wen Yu somehow turns on them or breaks her heart completely so she finds love with Lin Fang. On the other hand while my first thought was that it was Gu senior who killed Lin Fang's father, I can't help but wonder if that would be too simple. Maybe it was the prime minister aka the man who told the Princess that she's better than Qinghong and so if she wants him she has to be more creative about it. Maybe he was pissed that Lin Fang's father got the Emperor's ear through his exploits.

JDRAMA

Sixteen Shoukougun (6/8): The story centers on a high school girl who stronger and cooler than any guy, the prince, and her beautiful best friend, the princess.

Yikes this week was super rough to watch and yet it finally explained why everyone acted the way they did. Mei had been molested by her teacher when she was young so she always saw everyone and everything as being dirty. Ibuki moved in next door to Mei and they became friends though Mei got jealous any time Ibuki spent time with anyone but her and as a child that's a lot of pressure so Ibuki told Mei to leave her alone and this led to Mei being kidnapped. Ibuki felt horrible and now she refuses to ever leave Mei's side out of guilt that the kidnapping was her fault. All this was truly terrible and hard to watch but the thing is I'm not sure if it'll make up for the way Mei treats Ibuki now. Like before this I was pretty indifferent about Mei as a character and I actually thought that she and Sakurai might make a cute couple but it seems like now Mei is about to act more possessive than before. I wonder what Asada's text said that seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back. It's going to be real awkward for Mei when she realizes that Ibuki is already in love with him and nothing she can say will stop that. I don't even think Mei is actually in love with Ibuki despite kissing her. I think she just sees her as her salvation and has mixed up the feelings cause she doesn't know how else to keep Ibuki by her side.

FINISHED Watashitachi wa Douka Shiteiru (8/8): 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?

The finale for this show aired this week and I'm a little sad about it cause I'm going to miss this crazy insane show! I'm not entirely sure that I like the final whodunnit reveal we got cause it broke my heart a little but other than that I was all about what came out! I liked that both Nao and Tsubaki found out the real truths of what happened in the fire though once again I really wished that Tsubaki like Nao would have had a more visceral reaction to finding out that Nao lost their baby but I guess that learning about it and losing it in the same sentence takes the wind right out of your sails. I wasn't thrilled by either of them hiding their feelings until the final moments of this show but at least they decided to be together in the end cause they both lost every single person they loved. The matron died too but not until after she told him who his real father was and who killed the Kogetsuan heir which to my sadness turned out to be the man who had been helping Nao this whole time. I'm not sure if I shipped them but I loved how much he was always there for Nao which is why it was so sad that it was all done out of guilt. I low key did hate that Nao decided this was the perfect answer cause it allowed her to forgive herself for loving Tsubaki as if he still didn't point out her mom as the killer anyway and it sucked that in the end she didn't forgive him though she forgave everyone else including the matron just cause she was Tsubaki's mom. Overall though I did like this and the angst we got so I'd give it a 8.5 /10!

TWDRAMA

Lost Romance (18/20): 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'm a tiny bit disappointed in how Xiao'en acts around Tianxing but I guess I should chalk it up to the fact that she's just so in love with Aoran that she can't help but be flustered around Tianxing. Having said that though I still don't know if it's enough to force her to lose all sense of personality around him. Like I understood why Aoran would fall for her but what part of Xiao'en has Tianxing fallen for? Is it just her kindness? But if that's the case then wouldn't he fall for any woman who was nice to him? I really wanted her to be as spunky and feisty as she was in the start of this show! The whole drinking contest was honestly so lame and I really wanted her to be like what do you want me to do with cufflinks after Tianxing gave her his! Having said all that I do still love Tianxing as a character especially since he's much less of a cartoon than Aoran was. We're nearing the end of this show and I'm assuming that we'll see Tianxing and Xiao'en be in love next week and then in the finale Tianxing will get his memories as Aoran back probs after he reads the book. We didn't get any more Qingfeng this week but I did like seeing Mingli and Tianxing work together. The Uncle has totally forgotten that when push comes to shove, chaebol families like the He's pick blood over strangers.

xoxo Allie