What Shows Am I Watching This Week?

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

Horimiya Season 1 Episode 7

Something about this show just hits all my feelings and I'm thrilled as can be that I've gained a new romance shoujo anime to go on my list. We spent the first half with Yuki who apparently had a crush on Toru and it makes me feel bad cause we also know that Sakura likes him but after seeing how much Yuki gives up everything that she wants for others, I really want Toru to like her too especially since something about Sakura has never clicked with me so I wasn't sure if I wanted Toru with her and now we have options! I'm not entirely sure if there's enough time in this series to give to Toru falling for another girl but since Hori and Miyamura are so sweet and their relationship has been sailing smoothly maybe we do? In terms of my adorable main couple, Miyamura went away for a week and he ended up forgetting his phone charger so the two were apart for a whole week without any communication. I really liked that rather than buckle down on the cliches and make it so that Hori was pissed at Miyamura for not texting her or worried that he wasn't interested that she just told him she missed him and went to see him as soon as she could. Also are we meant to believe that the two slept together while it rained cause it was definitely suggestive in the wink wink nudge nudge sort of way!!!

Superman & Lois Season 1 Episode 1

When I first heard this show was going to be a thing I wasn't very interested but then I saw the trailer and it reminded me so much of a movie rather than the typical Arrowverse show and now after having seen the first episode, I have to say I'm so torn. I really like the world this show is building and there's something sweet about the idea of the Superfamily living their life in Smallville but I can't decide if this show is meant to be outside of the Arrowverse. Last we saw in Crisis On Infinite Earths Jonathan and Jordan had just been born but this show takes place 14 years later. Are we meant to think that this is 14 years in the future therefore none of the Arrowverse continuity matters? What about the cameo we got in the end of Lex Luthor? Will he be the same Lex from Supergirl or a different one? I also don't know how I feel about the balance between the superheroics and the family stuff. Is Clark our main lead or is it Jordan? Every time we cut to Clark fighting Lex in that suit I kinda felt like oh okay cool let's go back to the others now even though the CGI was impeccable and every Superman scene we've had was beyond amazing. Maybe as the show goes on I'll be able to get on board though part of me wonders if this show will be long running or more of a miniseries based on how it feels up to par with some of the Marvel Disney+ shows like Wandavision.

So the promo that aired was actually more of a sizzle reel for the rest of the season. It does look like the Superfamily will be moving to Smallville and they'll be struggling to balance the super life with normal life. I do wish that Jordan wasn't quite so angsty but here's hoping that we don't get too much of his broodiness.

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1 Episodes 20

I am constantly in awe of how stunning this show is but as time goes on I kinda get so used to the beauty of the animation so I tune it out until bam it hits me all over again! I also think it's interesting how obvious it is that the same animator for Demon Slayer is the main animator in this show cause he just has a unique way of animating attacks and it's fun to watch. I was really into the second half of the Itadori and Aoi fight against the special grade curse spirit and not only was it super fun to see them seriously outplay the spirit, I also really liked Aoi's swapping power too. Everyone but Itadori honestly has the coolest powers but I suppose if I had to pick one for Itadori it would be something like brute strength and endurance since as we saw Itadori could pull off 4 Black Flash attacks without breaking a sweat or with any practice and that's supposed to be the record! I also want to shout the fact that Gojou really is a god in this world cause he can literally do anything and I wonder if he's only not in charge just cause he doesn't want the pressure. In less than 30 minutes he was able to break the veil and in less than one second defeat one of the cursed spirits. I also do wonder if that guy that the girls ran into is the human that's helping the cursed spirits and whether he'll be important. 

Wandavision Season 1 Episode 8

This week was seriously epic cause we got a little backstory on Agnes and a little backstory on Wanda and I'm left wondering where we'll go from here. As it turned out Agnes wasn't actually behind the hex as I thought last week and I kinda love that she's more chaotic neutral than true evil despite her saying that Wanda is the one with chaos magic. After Wanda cast the hex, the amount of pure magic she used attracted Agnes who came to not only see what this source was but also how she did it. I wonder if she'll end up being some sort of mentor for Wanda in the future cause it's clear that while Agnes is more well versed in witchcraft, Wanda mostly just does things on pure willpower and has no idea about the mechanics. We also followed Wanda through her past from when she was a child to when she awakened her powers at HYDRA to right after Vision died. We also saw her go to SWORD and say goodbye to Vision and the important thing to note here is that Haywood though he seemed like a good guy at this point must already have been doing sketchy things cause as we see at the end, SWORD wasn't dismantling Vision for the greater good but actually trying to rebuild him as a SWORD weapon and I'm really interested in the fact that the footage that he showed the others was clearly not the whole story cause Wanda didn't break in and steal Vision. She was invited in and she left quietly. With the finale airing next week, I wonder who if somehow Dr Strange will appear cause Agnes can't be the only person in this world who felt the magic Wanda released right? Will SWORD Vision have all his old memories? Are Tommy and Billy even alive or will they vanish like Vision once the hex is lifted? 

xoxo Allie 

What Dramas Am I Watching This Week?

So here's what I'm watching this week! Of course the list is split by country and the amount of episodes I've seen so far are written below! There will be spoilers from now on so if you aren't caught to the episode number on list, you might want to go watch that episode and then come back! If you're interested in previous reviews, click here and if you want to see a list of my Favorite Asian OTPs and Ships, click here!

KDRAMA

FINISHED A Love So Beautiful (24/24): Cha Heon is a student at Chun Ji High School who has both good looks and brains. He appears to be a cold character, but he is actually someone with a warm heart who is awkward at expressing himself well. Shin Sol Yi is a bright and bubbly 17-year-old who has a crush on Cha Heon. She openly confesses her love to Cha Heon continuously, and she is a clumsy but lovable character. Woo Dae Sung is a talented swimmer who transfers to Chun Ji High School and falls for Shin Sol Yi. He does not express his feelings for her and quietly stays by her side.

Because of the weird schedule for this show the finale for this show ended up airing this week rather than last week with the other episodes and so the finale ended up being only one thirty minute episode. Honestly I'm probs the most surprised person in the room that I ended up finishing this drama and I still do feel bad about the constant shitting I did on it but it ended up falling in that random spot where I both disliked this show but also wanted to see it to the end. The finale was what I expected with all the problems having been solved last week. Heon and Sol Yi are engaged, Dae Sung and Heon's doctor coworker might end up together in the future, and we all lived happily ever after tbh. I can't even tell you if I liked this kdrama adaptation more than the original cdrama or if I just had more patience or time this time around which is also super awkward. Overall I'd give this show a 4.5 / 10.

Homemade Love Story (92/100): Three families live under one roof at a boarding house called Samgwang Villa. Sun Jeong's family lives a pure and simple life and doesn't have a lot of money. Jung Hoo's family is rich but is far from peaceful. Jung Won's family looks perfect from the outside but is actually quite rocky. Others join these families at Samgwang Villa, each with their own stories. What is the meaning of family in this day and age, with so many single-person households and people choosing not to get married? Let's meet the people who open their hearts to one another to live and love as a family in Homemade Love Story.

Honestly guys it feels like we wrapped up our story last week after the wedding so I can't help but feel like everything we got this week and if I'm being honest what we'll get in the next two weeks is just filler. I kinda hate that I feel this way cause of course I want a show where our main couple is a team and all the problems they face are from the outside but I think the problem is that the problems they have to face are kinda lame so far. I mean the biggest thing this week was the fallout from the families finding out that Jun Ah and Hae Deun are dating and I have to say that it really doesn't paint Jung Won in a good light. She doesn't like Hae Deun cause Hae Deun was mean to her over the course of this show which is hilarious cause it's like Jung Won why do you think that is? You treated her sister like shit for so long and just cause you want to forget all that doesn't mean that others will! The other big thing that happened was that Hwak Se's friend Eun Ji that we met last week might be Ra Hoon's biological mother and that's interesting cause I really thought the show wouldn't go there with Ra Hoon and Hae Deun's birth parents since the show is almost over and we gave all the screen time to Chae Woon's birth family drama and I still can't help but feel like it's perfunctory in order to fill air time. Honestly this is the case for Ra Hoon's romance too cause I definitely still feel like it went from 0 to 100 in an episode with one minute Ra Hoon disliking her and the next wanting to date her.  

How To Be Thirty/Not Yet Thirty (1/15): Follows the lives of three friends in their thirties. Seo Ji Won is a budding web-based cartoon author who decides to devote her undivided attention to her craft – forsaking love in favor of her career. And her decision pays off. By the time she is 25, she is a published author. Now, aged 30, she has become a well-recognized writer with scores of devoted readers. But turning her back on romance turns out to be harder than she first thought when Lee Seung Yoo, her first love from her middle school days, returns to the scene to turn her world upside down. And things get more complicated when the film director Cha Do Hoon – who has been charged with adapting Seo Ji Won’s web-based series for the screen – confides in her and appears keen to strike up a close friendship. At the same time, her friends Lee Ran Joo, who works as a radio announcer, and Hong Ah Young, who runs a cafe, are also facing hard times. One day, Hong Ah Young's ex-boyfriend who hurt her in the past appears in front of her once again. Meanwhile, Hyeong Joon Young, who had a one-night stand with Lee Ran Joo and now has feelings for her, works part-time at Hong Ah Young's cafe.

This show honestly reminds me of a lot of web dramas that I've watched recently and I can't decide if that's cause the last time I saw Hani was in the web drama XX or if the whole vibe of the show reminds of Lonely Enough To Love. Here's hoping that this story is a little better. Honestly on the whole the show seems like a mix of Be Melodramatic with it's focus on turning 30 and Age Of Youth with the main focus being these three girls and their future love lives. Since we only got a 30 minute episode I'm not entirely sure I know where this show is heading or if it'll even be something for me but so far I'm really into how beautiful the whole show looks and I'm really glad that the show isn't trying to be like oh Ji Won is a schlub who spends all day and night drawing webtoons cause Jung In Sun literally dazzled me in every scene she was in. I'm also into her possible romance with Seung Yoo but mostly just cause Kang Min Hyuk is playing him and you know I'm always on the hunt for more soft male leads. I like that they're practically falling back into the comfortable friend phase and that he knew right away that her romance comic pitch was of them. It is a little embarrassing to know that you first love knows that you still think of him but I can't imagine that Ji Won feels embarrassed like I would. She mostly just seems to be happy to see him again and happy to work!

L.U.C.A: The Beginning (8/12): “LUCA" is based on Charles Darwin’s proposition that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestors. (LUCA stands for "last universal common ancestor.") Ji Oh, who rarely reveals his emotions to others, has a special power and a secret but doesn't know who he really is. He is chased by mysterious figures while he tries to find answers to numerous questions that surround him. Gu Reum is a detective whose parents disappeared when she was a young child. When she decides on a course of action, she won't change no matter what. Gu Reum chases after the truth behind her parents' disappearance. She meets Ji Oh and her life changes.

Wow this show went in a completely different direction than I ever would have expected! After last week's lab break in, Gu Reum ended up being framed for the murder of all those lab techs and cause of that she and Ji Oh had to go on the run. The Captain ended up being on the payroll of the Church though I'm not entirely sure if he's on the lady's side or the guy's side cause as we also saw this week, the organization is splintering with Ji Oh's dad being stuck in the middle. I was honestly thrown when this was revealed cause don't we have enough bad guys that we also need to throw one of the people we thought was good into the mix too? It really seems like there's no way for Ji Oh and Gu Reum to make it with everything stacked so clearly against them. The crazy thing though is how the show jumped a full year in which Ji Oh and Gu Reum hid on a farm and ended up falling in love and having a baby. Meanwhile the Church tried to use those embryos they created from Ji Oh to make the angel babies they wanted but they were too ambitious and the babies ended up killing their moms but now that they've caught Gu Reum and the baby, I'm really worried for that baby cause you know the Church is going to be all about the fact that Ji Oh can reproduce and probs pass on his genes. I also wish the show would dial back the assassins cause I'm so over them. When this show first started I assumed that maybe they would eventually turn on the Church after learning that they were the ones to screw them in the first place but they seem to get more and more loyal so I'm just over it.

River Where The Moon Rises (4/20): Born a princess and raised a soldier, Pyeong Gang is a woman with big dreams and limitless ambition. Determined to become the first Empress of Goguryeo, Pyeong Gang will stop at nothing to make her dream come true. Clever and level-headed, Pyeong Gang is well aware of the obstacles that stand in her way, but she’s more than capable of taking them on. However, things take an unexpected turn, the day she meets On Dal, a peace-loving man, whose sole goal in life is to live in harmony with those around him. On Dal is the exact opposite of the ambitious princess. He is a oasis of calm amid the turbulent storms in Pyeong Gang’s life. The warrior princess soon finds herself falling for gentle On Dal. He's equally in love with the princess, whose heart he now possesses. He finds himself forsaking his principles in order to keep her safe, an endeavor proving to be increasingly difficult, as warring factions lethally vie for the throne. Forced to match both wits and strength against some of the most powerful people in Goguryeo, Pyeong Gang’s quest for power could very well cost her everything. Does she have what it takes to realize her goals, or will the price prove to be too much to pay?

What is it with the recently airing shows and their fast paced plots?? LUCA skipped a year and practically changed the landscape while this show managed to not only tell Ga Jin that she was Pyeonggang but Geon and practically every other main character in this show found out as well! For some reason I didn't think of the fact that Dal would be pissed to find out that the girl he had a crush on was the Princess and that he would indirectly blame her for his father's death and his tribe's downfall but in hindsight duh of course he would. Whenever Dal has a moment to be serious and turn off his fool persona, I see the male lead that I could adore but I still can't help but swoon for Geon who has pretty much picked a side though and like he said when he was a child, he would pick her ignoring the King or his own tribe. I kinda wish that it wouldn't go romantic cause I really don't want another second male lead who turns evil cause he thinks he knows what's best for the girl he loves like Byung In in Mr Queen. He ended up telling the King the truth and I'll be really curious to see how the King reacts cause I know he regrets killing his wife but does he still believe that Pyeonggang isn't his daughter? I think it also helps that Won Pyo all but admitted to feeding him hallucinogenic drugs in order to keep him compliant and that it was Mo Yong who did it so maybe once they wean the King he'll be more sane? It's also important to note that it was Won Pyo who hired the assassins to kill the King but my question is did he always know that Pyeonggang was with them? How did the Chief know who she was? Did the monk who saved her all those years ago drop her off in such a sketchy place?

She Would Never Know/Sunbae Don't Put That Lipstick On (12/16): Yoon Song Ah works as a marketer for a cosmetic brand. She enjoys her job and does it with vigor. Her dream is to start her own cosmetic brand. Meanwhile, Chae Hyun Seung works with Yoon Song Ah as a marketer. He becomes attracted to Yoon Song Ah and tries to develop a romantic relationship with her. However, Yoon Song Ah rebuffs his advances, because she does not see younger guys as dating partners.

I'm fascinated with how everything changed this week yet also stayed the same. Song Ah and Hyun Seung were obviously super cute together and I kinda adore what a solid couple they are. When Song Ah got the job offer, Hyun Seung didn't throw a fit or get pissed that she would think of leaving but calmly told her how he felt. It's such a 360 from the Hyun Seung we were introduced to in the premiere and I wish this Hyun Seung had been around from the start cause then so many people wouldn't have dropped this show! It does break my heart a little that one of the best parts of this show which was the office coworkers pretending like they didn't know that the two were dating is over now since they told them they knew after Hyun Joo showed up and convinced the company that Song Ah was the mistress. This is one of the things I was most surprised about cause I really thought Song Ah would be under more stress from the rumors but I guess that since Jae Woon himself didn't think it was important then no one else would either. The more I see of Jae Woon the more I think he's just a really good guy and I was kinda annoyed that Ji Seung finding out that Jae Woon was the brother of Hyun Joo and probs the head of the company her brother works at wasn't given the attention it deserved. He doesn't know that Hyun Seung and Ji Seung are siblings either but maybe that's less important? Jae Shin also quit the company and left Hyun Joo and is in hiding though I can't imagine that Hyun Joo's obsession will weaken at any point so I'll be looking forward to that drama. Hyun Joo has honestly reached new levels of pathetic this week especially when she got pissed at Jae Shin for not caring about her when she knows well and clear that she forced him to marry her so why complain about feelings? I guess it's also important to note that Yoon Seung found out that her husband and Han Seo definitely had a thing in college and I'll be curious to know if this leads to a divorce or if she decides to stick around for their daughter who is the most precious thing in this show.

Sisyphus: The Myth (4/16): Han Tae Sul, a co-founder of Quantum and Time, is a genius engineer with the highest level of coding skills and outstanding looks that outweighs his engineer fashion sense. Due to his innovative achievements, Quantum and Time is a world-class company, dubbed as "The Miracle of South Korea's Engineering Industry". In reality, Tae Sul has caused his company's stocks to constantly fluctuate after the death of his brother ten years ago. One day, after witnessing the unbelievable truth of his brother's death, he sets off on a dangerous journey. Kang Seo Hae is a soldier who could zipline from building to building, fight big built men with her bare hands, shoot guns, and install explosives. With the survival skills that she's learned from living amongst gangsters and warlords, she sets off a dangerous path of finding Han Tae Sul.

I actually spend the entire time that I watch this show in complete confusion which is kinda the point. We're all Tae Sul in this situation and we've thrown ourselves into this world of time travel and murder and we don't know which way is up or down! I suppose we did get a few answers from last week in that the people that are appearing are actually from the future and not some alternate world. Tae Sul is in fact the inventor of this time travel though he's still in the beginning stages with how he's only really able to teleport small items like sugar cubes. At some point in the near future there's a war that wipes out most of the world and people start using Tae Sul's tech to go back to the past and fix their regrets but the thing with this is that I don't understand why those brokers in the future bother to do this unless they get something out of it too and we just don't know it. I still don't entirely know why the Control Bureau is targeting Tae Sul when he is in fact from this timeline but besides them there's something called Sigma that's out to get him and I think all the time travelers are sent with a side mission to kill him too. I wonder if Edward Kim will end up being the mastermind behind it all out of a need to get rid of Tae Sul so he can take over the company. On that note all the company politics is oddly hilarious cause I don't understand how the board members plan to keep making money without Tae Sul as CEO who is literally the idea machine!

FINISHED The Good Detective (16/16): Neither his forensic skills nor his deductive and inductive reasoning skills can aptly sum up the green Detective Gang Do Chang. His best qualities lie in being righteous and diligent. Returning to the force after a year-long leave is Oh Ji Hyuk, a graduate of the Korean National Police University. An unsympathetic man, he catches criminals using his keen insight and his sharp attention to detail. These opposites are partnered together to reopen a case from five years ago, when the verdict called for the death penalty for murderer Lee Dae Chul. Do Chang had been the arresting detective and when reviewing the file he discovers evidence that would clear Dae Chul while putting himself in a compromising position. More evidence is found following a recent murder involving Dae Chul’s daughter, Lee Eun Hye. Time is running out for Do Chang as the mounting evidence threatens to expose his error. Should the verdict be overturned, Do Chang and all parties involved in the process would.be held responsible. Finding himself caught between those who seek power and those who seek justice, Do Chang must rely upon his guiding principles to resolve this ethical dilemma. Will he choose to save an innocent man from a wrongful execution or succumb to a temptation tinged with corruption?

I've been on a detective/mystery/investigation kick this week as you can see with just how many dramas I'm watching this week that aren't the usual rom coms that I enjoy. One of those that I checked out was Beyond Evil which starred Yeo Jin Goo but I found myself hating almost every part of it and wanting a similar vibe but slightly different which is what led me to this show. I'm not entirely sure why I didn't check it out when it was airing cause you know I love me detective stories but maybe it aired at a busy time and it just flew under my radar which is honestly such a crime cause of how amazing this show was. It reminded me a lot of Stranger/Secret Forest in the way it told it's murder mystery story and also balanced small wins with big losses that you would suffer by fighting those in power. I absolutely loved the dynamic between Do Chang and Ji Hyuk and how unlike in Beyond Evil the young detective that was looked down on for being "green" was smart and competent and a complete badass and it was hilarious that he was rich to boot. The whole cop squad was squad goals as was Seo Kyung who was also perfection in the character department. She was capable and intelligent and able to put her emotions aside when the situation called for it and we didn't spend the whole show watching her be a damsel that needed to be saved cause she uncovered just as many mysteries as our cops! Of course the hints of romance between her and Ji Hyuk were fab as well but the real gem of this show was the way the mystery was paced cause it did the thing I adore in detective shows with one overarching case in that it gave us small victories and losses as we went along so we weren't treading water for 16 episodes. I'd definitely give this show a 10 / 10!

Times (2/12): A passionate reporter with exceptional talent, Lee Jin Woo has dedicated his entire career to pursuing nothing but the truth. Committed to telling the whole story, Jin Woo will do whatever it takes to find and report the hard facts. A hard-working man with a nose for news, Jin Woo’s life takes an unexpected turn when a mysterious phone call connects him with Seo Jung In, a woman who claims to be living five years in the future. A hard-nosed reporter with a burning passion for her work, Seo Jung In has a knack for finding the best stories. But sometimes digging deep uncovers some nasty truths. Following a string of leads, Jung In uncovers a dark plot that could shake the very foundations of the country. With the life of her father, South Korea’s President, Seo Ki Tae on the line, Jung In finds herself in a deadly race against time. But she’s not in this race alone. Mysteriously connected by phone to Lee Jin Woo, the two agree to join forces to save the president. Living and working in two completely different times, Jin Woo and Jung In set out on a dangerous quest for the truth. But will they be able to stop the villainous masterminds plotting this heinous crime before it’s too late?

Every time there's another drama out in which two characters are linked across space and time through technology I find myself thinking that I really should go back and rewatch Signal which was the first drama of this concept that I watched cause I always compare every subsequent drama to it and I wonder how much of my love for it is nostalgia with it being my first of the genre. I do have to say that so far this show is hitting pretty hard in terms of the story cause it's one of the only versions in which I feel like it's part horror story. I mean can you even imagine living your best life one day and the next everything is horrible? I'm also really into both timelines though it does feel like Jung In is getting the better deal so far though I'm sure that will change. As it goes Jung In lost her father to a shooting while Jin Woo lost his younger brother to what the police claim is suicide and I'm assuming that while Jin Woo will be working to help save Jung In's father, Jung In will look for clues about Jin Woo's brother though I can't imagine how searching six years later will help. I do want to point out that I love that the phone calls have no limits to them so they can call each other any time of the day for however long they want! I also find it funny that the show actually wanted me to believe that Seo Ki Tae would be saved in the premiere cause that's definitely too soon and part of me wonders if Seo Ki Tae is too good to be true. Everything we see of him shows us that he's warm and loving and compassionate but I can't imagine any politician to be like that! What if he was involved in Gun Woo's death and helped stage it as suicide?

Vincenzo (2/20): At the age of 8, Park Joo Hyeong went to Italy after he was adopted. He is now an adult and has the name of Vincenzo Cassano. He is a lawyer, who works for the Mafia as a consigliere. Because of a war between mafia groups, he flees to South Korea. In South Korea, he gets involved with Lawyer Hong Cha Young. She is the type of attorney who will do anything to win a case.

This show should really just be called let's look at Song Joong Ki's beautiful face for almost 3 hours a week without really understanding the tone or the point of this show. This may sound like a joke but I'm super serious! The thing is that I'm assuming that this show is going to be about Vincenzo learning to be the underdog and win back the building and then eventually use the gold to rebuild or help the tenants rather than run away rich but I can't decide if I like it or not. Part of it is because I loved him on top of the world in Italy and I wanted that character rather than the underdog and the other part can be chalked up to the tone of this show. It's weird enough that a classy man like Vincenzo would decide to slum it in this shitty building but it also doesn't help that he feels like a character who doesn't belong in this show. It's like he stepped out of a show like Penthouse or Sky Castle and now he's in a family drama all of a sudden. Cha Young as a character is a mixed bag as well cause at first I was thrilled that we'd be getting a shark lawyer of a female lead who is competent and can win cases while also playing dirty cause it's so different from the usual sweet naive in it to help victims sort of lawyer but I don't understand why she's over acting so much which is clearly a direction she was given cause I've seen Jun Yeo Bin in other stuff where she's much more natural. I also have to shout out the one man who's on the Italian organized crime division of the NIS and how he's so sure that Vincenzo is here to do bad while his boss is like why in the hell would the Italian mafia come to Korea of all places?? All this aside Song Joong Ki chewing the scenery in three piece suits might just be enough to keep me sticking around.

CDRAMA

FINISHED A Girl Like Me (40/40): The beautiful baroness, duchess, princess Ban Hua has skirted marital bliss three times. Her straight-shooting manner and explosive temper ensured that each relationship ended in disaster – for the potential grooms! Despite her awful reputation, she is quite well-meaning and thoughtful deep down. Of late, her dreams have been forecasting danger around every corner, She has interpreted them quickly in order to keep her family safe and to protect those around her. Her life changes forever when she meets Count Rong Xia, a young gentleman scholar whose family suffered a tragic fate. Rong Xia is on the hunt for answers regarding the past, including his true identity, a secret long-kept from him. A friendship is formed, with Ban Hua determined to help Rong Xia learn the truth. As their alliance deepens, could this be a case of ´fourth time lucky’ for Ban Hua?

So the finale for this show aired this week and it was pretty much everything I expected from it though I was surprised to see that Xia didn't actually end up on the throne after all. It was absolutely hysterical to see the Crown Prince now Emperor try to abdicate and everyone was like ugh you asshole though if this was a more serious drama like Rebel Princess, Xia and Hua would be dead for even being candidates for the throne. It did feel like a super random turn when suddenly Suyue wanted the throne more than anything and tried to kill Xia for it cause up to this point Suyue never seemed all that crazy for power like her sister was. I also liked seeing the Prince of that other kingdom come back to help and we did finally get to see Xia and Hua get married which honestly was about time. Shi Jin has been one of my fav second male leads in a while cause though he loved Hua he knew that her happiness was more important and let her go but more than that he always knew right from wrong so he was never led astray from doing the right thing. All in all this show was a fine watch though I do admit the first half was more fun so I'd give it a 6 / 10.

FINISHED Douluo Continent (40/40): Having lost his mother at a very young age, Tang San grew up relying on his father just as much as his father relied upon him. Meticulous and mature for his age, with extraordinary talent and wit, he was sent to Ruoding Academy, at the age of sixteen, to begin pursuing his dream of becoming a great soul master. There, under the tutelage of Yu Xiao Gang, he befriends an orphan by the name of Gu Xiao Wu, and together they begin the long and difficult journey of cultivation. As time passes, the two friends draw ever closer, eventually swearing to look out for each other as siblings for life. As their power and connection grow, Yu Xiao Gang realizes they need more guidance than he can provide. Sending the pair to the Shrek Academy, Tang San and Xiao Wu join five other prodigies from various academies, in their journey of cultivation. Strong in their power, the seven students become known throughout the land as the “Shrek Seven Devils”. With their fame ever-growing, the talents of the Seven are eventually noticed by a few very prominent nobles who invite them to continue their cultivation at the esteemed Tian Dou Royal Academy. Not long after accepting the invitation, the Seven Devils find themselves caught up in an imperial struggle for power, between the first and fourth princes. At the same time, Tang San uncovers a long-hidden secret about his mother’s death. Suddenly facing battles on many fronts, Tang San finds himself forced to fight, not only to protect those his loves, but to bring honor to his sect, save his country, and complete his quest to become the greatest soul master of all time.

Like I said before it's a little messy and paced weirdly but it's everything I enjoy and wish that more fantasy shows did. I love that the whole concept of this show was following these seven kids on an adventure as they leveled up their powers and became one big family. My only problem with this show is that it was too short which I think was the main reason for the weird pacing but I think this show is getting a second season so actually I suppose that isn't much of a problem after all as long as this sequel actually comes out unlike in Fights Break Sphere where we left on a cliffhanger but there's no season 2 coming. I'm actually really glad that the final arc we got was the tournament arc cause I absolutely adore those but the thing that makes or breaks one is whether or not we are emotionally attached to the characters and because this tournament took place near the end we had plenty of time to love our Seven Devils and cheer for them. Honestly though the whole plot to assassinate Bi Bi Dong felt like it was tacked on like the writers didn't think a show about kids learning to be badasses would attract enough attention so the conclusion was ridiculous too. Tang San's sudden reveal that he loved Xiao Wu as a woman and not a sister was also out of nowhere cause I know there were hints like him being jealous of Xiao Wu kissing someone in a play and her jealousy over the idea of him getting married but it wasn't enough. I did love the way Xiao Wu was outed to be a Soul Beast and I wonder if the others heard or if they passed out after Bi Bi Dong's attack and I'm really into the idea that she disappears to get stronger so that when she and Tang San reunite then she can protect him. Giving this show a score was honestly so difficult cause it's not exactly perfect but I can't force myself to give it a non-biased score either! So anyway: 9 / 10!

The Rebel Princess/Monarch Industry (59/68): Wang Xuan and Xiao Qi strike a deal for the sake of power. They marry first before falling in love and join hands to protect their homeland. She is a woman who is no less than any man while he rose from humble beginnings. The imperial family has become rotten to the core. The nobles are lavish with no regard for the people. Princess Wang Xuan and her childhood sweetheart, the third prince, become pawns of a prophecy that states, "to acquire thee is to obtain the world." Being pulled into the matters of the court, Wang Xuan is married off by her father to Xiao Qi who comes from a poor family. On the night of their wedding, Xiao Qi is forced to leave the capital. Wang Xuan is shamed and discouraged. The Helan Prince kidnaps Wang Xuan in order to seek revenge on Xiao Qi. The crisis they face becomes a blessing in disguise for the couple. Wang Xuan is moved and inspired by Xiao Qi's wish to bring peace and prosperity to the nation and they fall in love. However, circumstances threaten to destroy them. The Wang and Xie clans are fighting for power, the Empress Dowager schemes to separate husband and wife, the military has committed treason while the Helan clan has raised their flags in rebellion. Wang Xuan puts her life on the line to escort the third prince to safety. She leads an army of men to defend the last stronghold in hopes that Xiao Qi can arrive in time with reinforcements.

Okay I have to admit that Helan is actually really fun and I really like the whole setup for it with them being nomads and traveling around in giant tents and if this were another show I would be living for it. Like imagine if the female lead was from a region like Cheng and she was married off into the Helans and we got to watch her adapt! Wouldn't that be fun? Unfortunately that's not the show we have here so a lot of this week was spent on me rolling my eyes at everything and just counting down the minutes to when Xiao Qi comes to save Awu. It was kinda sad that Helan Zhen died protecting Awu but I was mostly just thrilled to see how happy Awu was to see Xiao Qi alive. I was super disappointed though that this week cut off before we could actually see their real reunion so I'll be on the edge of my seat for that next week. Zitan meanwhile is Emperor and he's spent the whole time moping around his bedchamber sad that Awu is dead and somehow in all this nonsense Jin'er was promoted to being his Noble Concubine and I'm honestly so pissed that this traitor keeps getting rewarded for her slyness though I was glad that Helan Zhen finally was able to tell Awu that Jin'er has been a snake for a long time and the other Wangs know that she's sketch too. There's also some stuff going down with Wang Lin and Wang Su who have reunited and recruited General Song onto their side now that he thinks Xiao Qi is dead which I'm disappointed over cause I liked General Song and I'd like to believe that when he finds out that Xiao Qi is alive that he'd switch sides but I'm worried that all the riches have gone to his head. I'm pretty sure Wang Lin's plan is to overthrow Zitan since they have the previous Emperor's son but I wonder how much their plans will be screwed since Xiao Qi is alive. I want all the nobles to suffer!!

Weaving A Tale Of Love (37/40): In the reign of Emperor Taizong (627—649), which was called the Prosperity of Zhenguan, former clothing maker An is framed and imprisoned. When she was in danger, she entrusts her young daughter Liu Li to an old friend in the palace. Liu Li grows up in the palace and becomes a medical officer, responsible for epidemic prevention. She also inherits her mother’s superb talent for making clothes. After falling into a trap by those jealous of her, she meets Pei Xing Jian, who was exceptionally capable and helps her escape the danger. Liu Li keeps investigating the truth of her mother’s case and, the two work together and secretly fall in love.

This week was a rollercoaster of emotions and plot but really what else can you expect when a large chunk of episodes come out all at once! It was honestly rough on the whole cause not only did Liuli and Xingjian fall out because of Xingjian putting her life above the revenge she craved but then we went through that whole drug thing and the Crown Prince being an asshole. It was very typical of Liuli's character to not understand political maneuvering and judge things based on her own benefit but we also had this horrible drugging plotline. Like I know that her mom died protecting this Golden Needle but I promise you her mom like all the other people in her life that love her would want her to be safe over protecting a Needle that has no benefit other than being a symbol. I suppose part of me thinks it's all worth it cause we got a fun competition out of it and in the very end Liuli's mom was exonerated and the villains were killed. I do think the biggest shout out should go to poor Lady Wu who was basically cornered into shaving her head and becoming a monk in order to not be killed cause of tricks that Prince Cao and his mom pulled but once again she won by marrying the Crown Prince once he became Emperor cause she bet well. On that note I kinda don't even want to talk about the drug storyline cause I hate addiction stories so let's just end with the fact that Xingjian and co managed to make Liuli an antidote so she was okay and Prince Cao was imprisoned and his mom died of illness. The whole Crown Prince going dark thing was super sucky but I guess we're supposed to praise him for not forcing Liuli to marry him anyway? Either way after everything Xingjian did it's horrible that he got kicked out of the palace and Liuli was forced to stay but with three episodes remaining I'm assuming that the Crown Prince will change his mind and let them be together.

JDRAMA

3B no Koibito (7/10): Kobayashi Haruka fell in love before finding out that her boyfriend was actually a married man. At that time, a regular customer predicts that she will wind up meeting 3 different men. She begins encountering them just as predicted. There's the hairdresser Shintaro, the band vocalist Yu, and the bartender Yoshi. What will come of these fateful encounters?

Ahh so apparently that guy that Haruka ran into on the street last week wasn't her ex but some guy that looks the same which makes it kinda creepier that she decides to date him. Part of me is like girl why would you pick some average stage actor like him over all the sexiness that is Yoshi but the rest of me gets it cause trio keep sending mixed signals cause it's like one minute they seem sincere about her but then the next they seem like they're just playing around. I do have a feeling that Makato is going to be a bad person like they predicted especially since Haruka seemed to go from 0 to 60 way too quickly. I mean they went on one kinda date and then she's going to his work with homemade lunches? Girl that's creepy!! I'm thinking that he's going to ask her for money in order to run the theater and I really hope she's smarter than that but I have a feeling she's going to fall for his tricks only for him to disappear or tell her that he's got a girlfriend or something of the sort. I'm still hoping this show ends with Haruka choosing one of the trio but the more time goes on the more I'm worried that it'll end like a lot of harem anime where we're unfulfilled!

Oh! My Boss! Koi wa Bessatsu (7/10): Nami Suzuki was born and raised in a small rural town. She doesn't have a specific dream to pursue and she is an easy going person. As an ordinary woman, she desires to be happy with an ordinary life. She follows Kenya, who is her childhood friend and her unrequited love, and applies for a job in the supply management department of a large publishing company in Tokyo. Nami gets hired by the company, but she is assigned to work in the editorial department of a fashion magazine. There, Nami Suzuki works with chief editor Reiko Horai. She is a devil like boss, who makes spiteful remarks and has a cold personality. Reiko Horai treats Nami, who doesn’t take her job seriously, in a callous manner. But, as Nami Suzuki watches her boss deal with her job, Nami begins to change her attitude toward her work.

Honestly this week it felt like we were wrapping up our story with Nami and Jun getting over what seems like the final obstacle in their love life but since we still have 3 episodes to go maybe the show will do a 180 and focus on the office? We've been told the magazine only has one more month to do well and if it doesn't then it'll be cut which makes sense on paper but I'm pretty sure from a business standpoint 3 months is nothing in terms of long term profit! Either way I'm not entirely worried cause this is a drama afterall. In terms of Nami and Jun, I can see where both sides are coming from cause to Jun he was just being the sweet guy he was but to Nami it's lonely to have your boyfriend be good to every person in his life. I actually really liked that Jun was able to spend time with Nami's family and that he won them over with his kindness and good looks but more than that I liked what Nami's mom said to him about not worrying about his kind side too much cause that's obviously what Nami fell for in the first place. I also really liked that they reconciled at the end though I was hoping for a kiss!

TWDRAMA

Wacko At Law (12/15): Mai Daqi is a genius in the legal profession, but because of his dissatisfaction with the profitism of the law firm, he shelved his lawyer's license. It wasn't until an air crash that suddenly took the lives of his parents and his fiancee four years ago. In order to get justice for his family, Daqi regained his legal profession and overthrew American Airlines' first-class lawyers.

It's always a funny moment when you can literally pinpoint the moment where characters are making mistakes right in front of you? I cannot imagine why Da Qi and Yu Xin think that Mrs Mo is a victim and why they think that Ji Ping is the bad guy cause I keep getting the vibe that it's both of them. Maybe they're not collaborating on their evil doing but now that Mrs Mo knows about what Da Qi and Yu Xin suspect Ji Ping of maybe they will from now on. Ji Ping is definitely for sure committing embezzlement and money laundering and hiring a contract killer but I feel like the stuff from ten years ago has to be all Mrs Mo cause Ji Ping was too young back then. I also find it high key ridiculous that Ji Ping hired Jing Tao as his lawyer cause it's like I get that he want so rub Wan Ting choosing him in Jing Tao's face but it really seems like a bad idea to hire a lawyer who not only mistrusts his client but also had to be blackmailed into it. It's also not like Ji Ping trusts him enough to tell him all his secrets either so how is Jing Tao supposed to put together a good defense like this? In other news Wan Ting is seriously getting scary good at lying cause she doesn't even blink when telling Yu Xin that she doesn't like Da Qi like that and blaming the whole thing on Jing Tao's jealousy. I can't decide if I think it's annoying that Yu Xin believed her right away or if I'm more glad this means no noble sacrifice from her. I did adore how Da Qi lit up out of pride and affection after seeing Yu Xin kill it in the interrogation and I still love every moment where they act so naturally affectionate with each other.

xoxo Allie

What Shows Am I Watching This Week?

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

Horimiya Season 1 Episode 6

The best thing about this show is the way it so obviously subverts all rom com expectations! Like this week the whole school found out that Hori and Miyamura were dating and were horrified about why Hori would date a loser like Miyamura so Miyamura cut his hair and suddenly everyone was in love with him. Part of me in heartbroken cause I thought he looked the best with his hair up but the rest of me adores how little Hori cared about what people thought and was only upset cause girls started to hit on Miyamura now. This takes me to the subversion that I mentioned up top! A new girl was introduced and just when you thought that she would be there to flirt with Miyamura and tell Hori to get lost, it turns out that she actually had a girl crush on Hori but I think she'll end up seeing Miyamura as her older brother and if that's not the cutest I don't know what is! I also love how natural Miyamura and Hori act around each other and I squealed when he kissed her and stole the candy out of her mouth like damn Miyamura you've got moves!

Riverdale Season 5 Episode 5

This episode was fairly interesting as we finally got the answers I was looking for over what would cause our heroes to remain in Riverdale despite having other obligations. Hiram ends up closing down Riverdale High despite all our heroes deciding to become teachers there to protect the students or at least until Riverdale High can hire permanent teachers. This is a little unfortunate cause I actually liked the idea of Cheryl buying the school and making it a private one but I'm not sure where the show will take it from here. I also don't love that Hiram turned down Veronica when she came to him for help cause seriously of all the horrible things they've done to each other, they still love one another and I can't believe that he would be like yo my daughter is in an abusive marriage oh well. Jughead ended up finding inspiration for his new book in Riverdale as well as I expected him to but rather than writing some sort of murder mystery, apparently he's going to be writing a book based on Pop Tate which will give him the perfect excuse to flirt with Pop Tate's granddaughter. Meanwhile Betty and Archie are hooking up now and I'm really confused about this cause isn't Betty dating her FBI mentor? Why are these two so cool with cheating constantly? I guess I should shout out the fact that their scene was definitely hotter than any sex scene that Archie and Veronica have had and maybe even Betty and Jughead though those two were less about the physical and more of the mental/emotional romance. We do find out that they haven't spoken to each other since Jughead's book release 2 years ago and I'm really hoping the plan for this show is to bring them back together slowly whether that's this season or not!

The promo for next week doesn't really seem to show us anything that we didn't already know. Betty and Archie are struggling to find somewhere to hook up (blech) and Jughead learns about something called the Mothman which is maybe the villain of the season?

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1 Episodes 19

What's funny about this week is how Itadori and Toudou have basically become best friends and brothers in the short time we've spent away from them and I can't help but imagine Toudou mostly just strong-armed Itadori into it. Either way I'm content cause in that time away Toudou helped train Itadori enough that he can now visualize his curse energy better and can use something called Black Flash which apparently allows you to better control your energy. It led to a super badass fight in which Itadori and Toudou held their own against the special grade Cursed Spirit. This was also interesting cause poor Megumi and company really struggled to hold it back to the degree that Toge was super hurt from using his power so much. It seems like his power is super OP but the downside is that it drains him too quickly. I also didn't really his powers are dependent on how much stronger he is than the curse spirit which really feels unfair though I guess it keeps him from winning all the time and without any problems.

Wandavision Season 1 Episode 7

I'm cackling cause the end of this week's episode was honestly nothing like I expected it to be! I mean yeah everyone and their mother knew that Agnes had to be Agatha Harkness aka the villain behind this whole reality warping thing but the way the show revealed it in a sort of Scooby-Doo style was everything. We didn't really get an explanation as to why she did all this or what she hopes to gain but I'm sure that'll be a problem for next week. What we do know is that she was behind bringing Evan Peters into this show as Pietro and that she has a Darkhold which really is sad cause it reminds me of Agents of SHIELD and how if this world really is supposed to be connected then she must have grabbed it from hell cause that's where Robbie Reyes tossed it in season 4. I still really hope that the show gives us a good explanation about why she chose Evan Peters and not Aaron Taylor Johnson and that it's not chalked up to meta humor or stunt casting that would suck but I'm really excited to watch the last two episodes and focus on the hero/villain stuff again. Darcy did bring Vision up to speed on what happened out in the real world and Monica managed to get into Westview cause of her new powers which I think makes her Photon now!

xoxo Allie 

What Dramas Am I Watching This Week?

So here's what I'm watching this week! Of course the list is split by country and the amount of episodes I've seen so far are written below! There will be spoilers from now on so if you aren't caught to the episode number on list, you might want to go watch that episode and then come back! If you're interested in previous reviews, click here and if you want to see a list of my Favorite Asian OTPs and Ships, click here!

KDRAMA

A Love So Beautiful (23/24): Cha Heon is a student at Chun Ji High School who has both good looks and brains. He appears to be a cold character, but he is actually someone with a warm heart who is awkward at expressing himself well. Shin Sol Yi is a bright and bubbly 17-year-old who has a crush on Cha Heon. She openly confesses her love to Cha Heon continuously, and she is a clumsy but lovable character. Woo Dae Sung is a talented swimmer who transfers to Chun Ji High School and falls for Shin Sol Yi. He does not express his feelings for her and quietly stays by her side.

Low key this might be the only show I say this about but I don't know if I believe this cast as 30 year olds! Most shows tend to cast actors in their mid to late 20s to play teens but I think this show stuck to casting young so other than Sol Yi, the characters look like babies playing dress up especially Heon! Over the course of this week Heon and Sol Yi managed to get back together (to my disappointment) though I have to say that Dae Sung went the creepy second lead route this week when he decided to buy an engagement ring for Sol Yi when they're just friends. Like it reminded me of Kim Jae Wook's character in Temperature Of Love who decided to set up a whole ass proposal when he knew well and clear that the girl was dating someone else and happily in love!

Homemade Love Story (88/100): Three families live under one roof at a boarding house called Samgwang Villa. Sun Jeong's family lives a pure and simple life and doesn't have a lot of money. Jung Hoo's family is rich but is far from peaceful. Jung Won's family looks perfect from the outside but is actually quite rocky. Others join these families at Samgwang Villa, each with their own stories. What is the meaning of family in this day and age, with so many single-person households and people choosing not to get married? Let's meet the people who open their hearts to one another to live and love as a family in Homemade Love Story.

Chae Woon and Jae Hee's wedding went off without a hitch and it made my heart grow three sizes cause of how beautiful it was. Most family dramas end with our main couple getting engaged and the one or two I've seen that actually have their main couple get married usually aren't as happy due to other problems so it was just nice seeing Chae Woon and Jae Hee be so happy to get married and to have everyone around them be excited too. I love how cute they were afterwards at their honeymoon and when they were deciding what to call each other! The main drama of the episode went down between Hae Deun and Jun Ah who were outed to basically everyone as dating and personally I don't see the problem cause no one's actually related but in terms of what's morally right in Korea I can see the problems. It also doesn't help when you have to say things like technically or by law! Ra Hoon also told the others that he was called up for the military and Seo Ah, Na Ro, and the grandmother all apologized for what they did and I think they're going to give Jae Hee money in compensation which he can use to pay off his debts. The thing I'm not entirely sure about is whether Na Ro actually likes Seo Ah like she loves him or if he's still playing her. I don't really think he deserves a happy ever after and truthfully neither does Seo Ah but this is a family drama so I'm sure that they'll end up happy despite all the terrible things they did.

FINISHED Lovestruck In The City (17/17): Lovestruck in the City is a realistic portrayal of young people who pursue romance and happiness while struggling to get by in a busy, competitive urban environment. Park Jae Won is an honest man, a passionate architect and a lover of city alleyways. His hobby is collecting more hobbies. A romantic at heart, he cannot forget a certain woman. This thief of his heart and his camera had disappeared like a fleeting midsummer night’s dream. Lee Eun Oh is an ordinary woman who temporarily reinvents herself as the spontaneous and free spirited Yun Seon Ah. She takes off to a remote place on an impulse and falls in love with Jae-won under this new identity.

So the finale for this show aired this week and I'm once again just glad that it's over cause I never really connected to this drama. Eun Oh and Jae Won finally found the right timing and became a couple and it was very sweet that all their friends were so supportive rather than being judgmental like I thought they would. I still don't like either person as a character and I was really not about the little games Jae Won was playing to tease Eun Oh and how smug he was over them but they clearly worked cause Eun Oh was the one to be honest first. On the other hand Rin Yi and Gyung Joon broke up cause he finally talked to her about how he doesn't like the way she jumps from part-time job to part-time job but the reason they had this talk was cause she found out that he was lying to Jae Won's dad about what she does. Apparently she had lived in the UK with her mom before Eun Oh disappeared and while she was there her mom went around telling people that Rin Yi was her niece and not her daughter and cause of that she hates liars now. It was all very anticlimactic and I hated the strangely vague ending for them too cause I wanted some sort of closure between them which leads into the short story we got for Choi Min Ho's character. I understand that this is his first drama back from the military and everyone adored his cameo but seriously did we have to spend so much time on his lovestory when we haven't focused on him before?? Overall this was a meh show that could have been so much better. I'd give it a 5.5 / 10.

L.U.C.A: The Beginning (6/12): “LUCA" is based on Charles Darwin’s proposition that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestors. (LUCA stands for "last universal common ancestor.") Ji Oh, who rarely reveals his emotions to others, has a special power and a secret but doesn't know who he really is. He is chased by mysterious figures while he tries to find answers to numerous questions that surround him. Gu Reum is a detective whose parents disappeared when she was a young child. When she decides on a course of action, she won't change no matter what. Gu Reum chases after the truth behind her parents' disappearance. She meets Ji Oh and her life changes.

We're halfway through this drama and I have to say it's honestly so messed up and what does it say about me that I'm more and more interested the more we see how terrible people are? All this is being done in order to make what basically amounts to mutants and the interesting thing is unlike in Awaken, it's not exactly for personal gain cause the people in charge don't want to use Ji Oh's abilities for themselves but they want to implant them embryos in order to basically produce a new form of human. The thing is I'm not entirely sure what they would gain from it especially since it seems like they want people to believe that it came out of natural evolution rather than by a scientist in a lab so it's like why bother with all this? I would also like to hope that Ji Oh's cells weren't removed from the lab so when he destroys it then it would be destroyed too but if this were real life they would remove the cells and implant them before trying to kill him (or letting him go as it were) so I'm curious where the show goes from here. Gu Reum hasn't even seen any of the horror that Ji Oh went through so I'm wondering whether she'll be able to gather any evidence or believe him when he says things were hard. I'm hoping that all this experimentation returned Ji Oh's full memory to himself cause that would be the only positive in all this and I have to say that I was disappointed that Son and Yoo Na don't seem to be gearing up to switch sides cause not only do they really not care about Ji Oh being tortured or killed but they also don't seem to notice that they're nothing but the gum stuck to the bottom of these people's shoes for all they care about them.

FINISHED Man In The Kitchen/Man Who Sets The Table (50/50): After devoting 35 years of his life to his company, he was now retired. People envied him for the success he achieved in his career. Now he was looking forward to enjoying his retirement years with his wife into old age. But his wife suddenly demands a marriage separation. And his daughter whom he had thought he raised well was now rebelling against him. He worked so hard all his life but why was everything going down the drain at this point of his life? The collapse of the family is a reality that one middle-aged man in this TV show is trying to reverse.

I was really in the mood for a family drama and I ended up picking this one cause Choi Soo Young was starring in it but honestly I kinda regret it... The thing with this show is that I hated every single storyline except for the romance between Roo Ri and Tae Yang and even my love for them wavered! You guys know that my preferred couple is one that works together to get past obstacles but these two were littered with misunderstandings from start to finish. I really liked their entire story in Guam and I even liked the two working together at the company but once the second female lead came in, everything was downhill from there. Look the two still had some super cute moments but Tae Yang hid so much from Roo Ri for so long and I hated the whole story where Roo Ri was shamed by his parents for a misunderstanding. I also really disliked everything with Roo Ri's dad who was a straight up monster and I hated that he was forgiven by everyone and that half the time it was her mom who was told that she was overreacting or something of the like. Of course continuing on this trend I disliked everything with So Won and Yeon Joo who he divorced and married again though part of me started to enjoy them at the end once they accepted Han Gyul even after finding out she wasn't So Won's child. The birth secret story was meh too though I did like how precious Hwa Young and Jung Do were and I was actually surprised that the younger siblings didn't have romances (or at least the high school aged brother who I expected a cute one from!) All in all I don't think this drama is honestly worth checking out unless you really enjoy makjang or badly written dramas so I'd have to give it a 5 / 10.

FINISHED Mr Queen/Queen Cheorin (20/20): A male chef has risen up the ranks to find a job cooking for the country’s top politicians in the South Korean presidential residences, the Blue House. He is something of a dreamer – but one day finds himself in the body of a young queen from Korea’s past, Kim So Yong. Kim So Yong’s husband is the reigning monarch, King Cheol Jong. However, he is only king in name – the late King Sunjo’s Queen, Sun Won, has taken advantage of Cheol Jong’s better nature, and is ruling the realm in his name. Queen Sun Won’s brother Kim Jwa Guen also has designs on power. However, Kim So Yong soon discovers that King Cheol Jong harbors secrets, and is not as gentle and meek as he seems…

The finale for this show aired this week and I'm a little sad with the ending. I'm not sure that I like the idea of So Yong returning to her body at the end cause Cheol Jong fell in love with Bong Hwan in all honesty and it feels kinda squicky to me that he never found out the truth. Like imagine that that they were identical twins who swapped places! I guess I should let it go though cause of course that's how this show would have ended and I should just be happy that Cheol Jong and So Yong managed to take back the power in the palace and get rid of everyone in their way. All the Kim and Jo clan members were enslaved due to their traitorous letter that Byung In gave So Yong while the Grand Queen Dowager and Queen Dowager were exiled to the West Palace where they could never leave or see anyone again. Byung In ended up dying to save So Yong and part of me felt it was really lame of the show to try to redeem him last minute but the rest of me fell for the ploy and remembered how much I adored him at the start of this show. I think we're supposed to believe that So Yong has all the memories of when Bong Hwan was in her body but it was still nice that we got to see her say goodbye to him anyway. Overall this show was a solid 9 / 10!

River Where The Moon Rises (2/20): Born a princess and raised a soldier, Pyeong Gang is a woman with big dreams and limitless ambition. Determined to become the first Empress of Goguryeo, Pyeong Gang will stop at nothing to make her dream come true. Clever and level-headed, Pyeong Gang is well aware of the obstacles that stand in her way, but she’s more than capable of taking them on. However, things take an unexpected turn, the day she meets On Dal, a peace-loving man, whose sole goal in life is to live in harmony with those around him. On Dal is the exact opposite of the ambitious princess. He is a oasis of calm amid the turbulent storms in Pyeong Gang’s life. The warrior princess soon finds herself falling for gentle On Dal. He's equally in love with the princess, whose heart he now possesses. He finds himself forsaking his principles in order to keep her safe, an endeavor proving to be increasingly difficult, as warring factions lethally vie for the throne. Forced to match both wits and strength against some of the most powerful people in Goguryeo, Pyeong Gang’s quest for power could very well cost her everything. Does she have what it takes to realize her goals, or will the price prove to be too much to pay?

I was really curious about this show not only cause Ji Soo was the male lead but also since the concept/plot for this show reminded me of My Only Love Song. If you ever saw that kdrama you might be like what in the hell is this girl talking about cause that was a time travel idol comedy while this seems like a serious historical saeguk but give me a minute! In My Only Love Song, an actress from the real world is sent back into Goguryeo and accidentally interferes in history making it so that On Dal falls in love with her rather than the Princess Pyeong Gang that he's supposed to. In my little headcanon this is one of the many versions of the story that should have taken place if the time traveling actress never showed up and just that little bit makes me excited! Go ahead laugh at me but that's where I am in my life! Having checked out these first two episodes, I have to say it's so much darker than I ever expected and I kinda regret the nonsense I wrote at the top of this. It was creative of the show to show us the tragic ending before rewinding to the very beginning and I'm pretty into our main leads though I can already tell that I'm about to struggle with a strong case of SLS just based on how sexy Geon is. In this world Goguryeo is basically ruled by a puppet King who's being controlled and blackmailed and threatened by 4 of the 5 tribes that are meant to protect the Kingdom. I'm not sure if the fifth tribe was all wiped out by what happened and a few including On Dal escaped or if we're meant to believe that the old chief was replaced with someone who followed the other 4 tribes and that's why On Dal is in hiding. Either way I'm fascinated by the politics though I'm really not thrilled that we're starting with amnesiac Pyeong Gang.

She Would Never Know/Sunbae Don't Put That Lipstick On (10/16): Yoon Song Ah works as a marketer for a cosmetic brand. She enjoys her job and does it with vigor. Her dream is to start her own cosmetic brand. Meanwhile, Chae Hyun Seung works with Yoon Song Ah as a marketer. He becomes attracted to Yoon Song Ah and tries to develop a romantic relationship with her. However, Yoon Song Ah rebuffs his advances, because she does not see younger guys as dating partners.

We're finally starting to learn more about Song Ah's backstory and why she and her mom had such a fraught relationship. A parent/child relationship whether it's positive or negative shapes you into the person you are but the thing that drives me crazy is this idea that a child should always respect and love and adore their parent no matter what they put you through and this is especially true in a lot of East Asian cultures including Korean ones. Song Ah's mom never physically abused her but what she did could be chalked up to mental and emotional abuse. After the dad died, her mom refused to let Song Ah out of her sight or let her date and it's completely understandable why Song Ah would want to cut ties with her mom or at least get some distance but the show seems to want us to think that this is something Song Ah needs to apologize for. Even Jae Shin is not immune to this cause he's suddenly wracked with guilt over not loving his dad more when all we've seen up to this point is his dad leeching off of Jae Shin and everyone in his life for money. What part of that is a good dad that you should love and respect?? Now that we've sufficiently depressed ourselves let's move onto something happier and talk about the romances in this show. Song Ah and Hyun Seung are officially dating now as are Jae Woon and Ji Seung and I really just want to fast forward to the moment when Hyun Seung and Ji Seung figure out who she's dating! On the other hand I really don't know what the show is planning on doing with Yoon Seung and the chef and I really wish the show will dial down their screen time.

Sisyphus: The Myth (2/16): Han Tae Sul, a co-founder of Quantum and Time, is a genius engineer with the highest level of coding skills and outstanding looks that outweighs his engineer fashion sense. Due to his innovative achievements, Quantum and Time is a world-class company, dubbed as "The Miracle of South Korea's Engineering Industry". In reality, Tae Sul has caused his company's stocks to constantly fluctuate after the death of his brother ten years ago. One day, after witnessing the unbelievable truth of his brother's death, he sets off on a dangerous journey. Kang Seo Hae is a soldier who could zipline from building to building, fight big built men with her bare hands, shoot guns, and install explosives. With the survival skills that she's learned from living amongst gangsters and warlords, she sets off a dangerous path of finding Han Tae Sul.

I'm really so confused about what this show is! I mean I wanted to watch it cause not only do I love the leads but I'm also really into sci-fi dramas so I dived into this one without any real expectations. It reminds me a lot of Circle only instead of two timelines, it seems as though we're spending all our time in one. Seo Hae seems to have appeared in our world from another one in which the Earth is destroyed though we don't know yet if it's the future and she's time traveling or jumping through the multiverse. There are multiple people that can do this and they bring some sort of suitcase making me wonder if all these people have some overall goal only to be killed before they can do anything by the Control Bureau that hunts down these transmigrators which is probs why our world isn't overrun by these people yet. I wonder if this is a matter of time travel and whether Tae Sul was the reason for whatever went down or if his company was using his name for their misdoings cause we can clearly see that his company does not care about him. The curious thing is that there's clearly a romance being set up between Tae Sul and Seo Hae in the future which surprised me cause I didn't think romance was a tag for this show. 

CDRAMA

A Girl Like Me (34/40): The beautiful baroness, duchess, princess Ban Hua has skirted marital bliss three times. Her straight-shooting manner and explosive temper ensured that each relationship ended in disaster – for the potential grooms! Despite her awful reputation, she is quite well-meaning and thoughtful deep down. Of late, her dreams have been forecasting danger around every corner, She has interpreted them quickly in order to keep her family safe and to protect those around her. Her life changes forever when she meets Count Rong Xia, a young gentleman scholar whose family suffered a tragic fate. Rong Xia is on the hunt for answers regarding the past, including his true identity, a secret long-kept from him. A friendship is formed, with Ban Hua determined to help Rong Xia learn the truth. As their alliance deepens, could this be a case of ´fourth time lucky’ for Ban Hua?

This week was the aftermath of the breakup mixed in with a whole lot of politics. I always hate in shows when people overreact to things that happen as if they don't know the personality of the one they hate which is where I expected this show to go but fortunately it took what should have been a cliche and showed us why Hua and Xia are perfect for each other. Hua knew almost right away that Xia only broke their engagement and took the side of the Prince in order to safe her life and it was a confirmed by Jin who surprisingly didn't hide anything though Xia did tell him the truth so part of me wonders if this whole pretend break up was even worth it since it only actually lasted an episode! He even told Fei Xian that he still loves Hua and would die for her and I'm sitting here like what did you want from this Fei Xian?? I guess it's also important to note that the Emperor died and the Second Prince took the throne after which he banished the Crown Prince and persecuted the Bans in order to consolidate power. The funny thing is the overall brushstrokes of this show are the same as in The Rebel Princess with the whole Emperor loving the female lead like a daughter and her family having the most power due to his relationship with the Empress Dowager but since this is more of a comedy, the big moments don't hit as hard. I still haven't seen a single moment where the Ban patriarch is more than a big teddy bear who's told what to do by his clearly smarter than him wife.

Douluo Continent (29/40): Having lost his mother at a very young age, Tang San grew up relying on his father just as much as his father relied upon him. Meticulous and mature for his age, with extraordinary talent and wit, he was sent to Ruoding Academy, at the age of sixteen, to begin pursuing his dream of becoming a great soul master. There, under the tutelage of Yu Xiao Gang, he befriends an orphan by the name of Gu Xiao Wu, and together they begin the long and difficult journey of cultivation. As time passes, the two friends draw ever closer, eventually swearing to look out for each other as siblings for life. As their power and connection grow, Yu Xiao Gang realizes they need more guidance than he can provide. Sending the pair to the Shrek Academy, Tang San and Xiao Wu join five other prodigies from various academies, in their journey of cultivation. Strong in their power, the seven students become known throughout the land as the “Shrek Seven Devils”. With their fame ever-growing, the talents of the Seven are eventually noticed by a few very prominent nobles who invite them to continue their cultivation at the esteemed Tian Dou Royal Academy. Not long after accepting the invitation, the Seven Devils find themselves caught up in an imperial struggle for power, between the first and fourth princes. At the same time, Tang San uncovers a long-hidden secret about his mother’s death. Suddenly facing battles on many fronts, Tang San finds himself forced to fight, not only to protect those his loves, but to bring honor to his sect, save his country, and complete his quest to become the greatest soul master of all time.

I know this show isn't the masterpiece that Rebel Princess is but seeing as I'm now past the halfway mark of this drama I have to say that it's still the one drama I look most forward to watching the most! It's just silly and fun and lighthearted enough for my taste with the slightest hint of serious plot behind it. I love the way it is able to interweave so many stories for each of our main 7 characters without it feeling disjointed. Like on the one hand we have Tang San trying to find his father but on the other we have Mu Bai's reveal that he's second in line to the Xin Luo Empire. We also found out that the villains of this show aren't going to be Cang Hui School like it was hinted but the Chief of Martial Soul Hall and her daughter who's pretending to be Lie Na right now. They've got these mind control and shapshifting powers that are totally insane and I'm really curious what they want from Mu Bai. Apparently Tang San's mom found a way to become a Soul Master without the need for Soul Rings and that pissed the old Chief of Martial Soul Hall off enough to kill Tang San's mom. She left a small interspace for him in which she could explain everything and help him and meanwhile his dad founded Cang Hui School in order to destroy Martial Soul Hall out of revenge. I also really adore that this show doesn't have all their females obsessed with Tang San and that everyone seems to have their own romance. Tang San and Xiao Wu are still my fav and I love that they're starting to slowly realize that the feelings they have aren't of the sibling sort but I'm starting to get a soft spot for Zhu Qing and Mu Bai too! I do wonder if Mu Bai's memories have been wiped or something based on the fact that he couldn't remember kissing Zhu Qing before but he also didn't seem to remember her sister when clearly the sister knows him.

DROPPED The Blessed Girl (26/40): Shrouded in mystery, the continent of Suchuan exists a land of legend and lore. Once a beautiful place of peace and prosperity, it has since become a bleak land torn apart by division and chaos. Growing up in this land of misery, a young monarch by the name of Yuan Yi (Lin Yi) ascends to the throne. With his position as king firmly established, he vows to put an end to the troubles that plague his people. Believing that the source of his kingdom’s troubles stems from the legendary falling of the gods, Yuan Yi takes it upon himself to find the one with enough spiritual power to restore the fallen gods of old. With rumors circulating of one in possession of such power, Yuan Yi disguises himself as a commoner and sets out in search of the only one strong enough to fight back the evil that plagues his lands. Following the rumors and whispers of his people to a remote village, Yuan Yi meets Ling Long, a young girl in possession of incredible spiritual power, and her father Huo Tu Xin. Convinced Ling Long is the one he’s been searching for, he asks her and her father to join him on a quest to save Suchuan. Agreeing to his request, the Ling Long and her father join Yuan Yi, setting out together on a perilous journey to save their world from the evil forces bent on its destruction. In an age-old battle between good and evil, will the efforts of this intrepid trio be enough to usher in a new era of peace?

A little past halfway into this show now and I think I'm actually going to drop this show. I don't have the time to be watching as many dramas as I have been and unfortunately this one did not make the cut. It's not that the politics in this show are too overwhelming like in other cdramas and it's not that I don't love watching Yuan Yi outwit the others even though he's still a baby but it's the fact that I don't love the way our heroes won't trust each other. Yuan Yi and Ling Long keep hiding things from one another in order to protect them but they need to realize that the best way to get what they want is together! We finally got the full picture in terms of the Yuans and the Gods but I can't help but feel like instead of bringing our heroes closer they'll start distrusting each other instead. Apparently there are no such things as Gods in this world afterall and 500 years ago the Yuans used young women as sacrifices to Evil Souls in order to consolidate their power. 17 years ago Zhu Xi and Weishang Yan worked together to create a new God in hopes of making Zhu Xi Emperor and that woman was Jin'er but she escaped and met Tu Xin in the Fire Tribe and they have Ling Long who inherited the Evil Soul and the rest they say is history. We also learned that Weishang Yan was once part of Ninguan Pavilion and he found Ling Long after she was born but decided to protect them rather than exposing them which leaves me with the question what the hell does he want?? At least Zhu Xi's motives are crystal clear! I've also said from the beginning that I don't like the Yins and while I don't care for the romance between Tu Xin and Yin Zhuang cause I preferred Wu Yuan, I also don't care for Yin Xiao's arrogance and the way that he is so black and white. I'd like to imagine that he knows what kind of person Yuan Yi is by now and even if he's presently allying himself with Zhu Xi then it's gotta be part of a plan but I can't help but see Yin Xiao as a pawn.

The Rebel Princess/Monarch Industry (53/68): Wang Xuan and Xiao Qi strike a deal for the sake of power. They marry first before falling in love and join hands to protect their homeland. She is a woman who is no less than any man while he rose from humble beginnings. The imperial family has become rotten to the core. The nobles are lavish with no regard for the people. Princess Wang Xuan and her childhood sweetheart, the third prince, become pawns of a prophecy that states, "to acquire thee is to obtain the world." Being pulled into the matters of the court, Wang Xuan is married off by her father to Xiao Qi who comes from a poor family. On the night of their wedding, Xiao Qi is forced to leave the capital. Wang Xuan is shamed and discouraged. The Helan Prince kidnaps Wang Xuan in order to seek revenge on Xiao Qi. The crisis they face becomes a blessing in disguise for the couple. Wang Xuan is moved and inspired by Xiao Qi's wish to bring peace and prosperity to the nation and they fall in love. However, circumstances threaten to destroy them. The Wang and Xie clans are fighting for power, the Empress Dowager schemes to separate husband and wife, the military has committed treason while the Helan clan has raised their flags in rebellion. Wang Xuan puts her life on the line to escort the third prince to safety. She leads an army of men to defend the last stronghold in hopes that Xiao Qi can arrive in time with reinforcements.

Well things have gone to shit since last week with literally everyone ready to murder Xiao Qi at the drop of a hat. The Empress Dowager and Emperor are afraid of his power, the Empress wants to screw Awu, Zitan wants Awu to be his, and the Helan want revenge. Because of all this Zitan took advantage of the Emperor's plans to kill Xiao Qi and attempted to kill the Emperor himself and blame it on Xiao Qi which is truly an idiotic plan cause who decides to assassinate someone and leave a note like hey I did it but the nobles have been gunning to kill Xiao Qi for a while so they'll just pretend this whole thing isn't sketchy. I'm sure that Xiao Qi and his army will be on the run for a while but then he'll swoop back in and save the day after Zitan has his rebellion and everyone will regret everything. I am honestly super disappointed in Zitan cause what part of him thinks that by doing all this Awu will come back to him? He has to know that she'd kill herself before marrying him! I also think it's ridiculous that the Empress has focused all her hatred on Awu when she knows well and clear that she had no power in anything that happened to the Xies! Meanwhile Awu did find out that Xiao Qi has been giving her birth control drugs in order to keep her from dying and I actually really loved that she didn't jump to conclusions and calmly asked him what's going on cause it proves why they're so perfect together. I have been struggling with Awu this week though cause I have been so annoyed with her whole countenance as if she's the only person in this world to have lost parents and suffered. She's so weak and I miss the strong Awu from before.

Weaving A Tale Of Love (25/40): In the reign of Emperor Taizong (627—649), which was called the Prosperity of Zhenguan, former clothing maker An is framed and imprisoned. When she was in danger, she entrusts her young daughter Liu Li to an old friend in the palace. Liu Li grows up in the palace and becomes a medical officer, responsible for epidemic prevention. She also inherits her mother’s superb talent for making clothes. After falling into a trap by those jealous of her, she meets Pei Xing Jian, who was exceptionally capable and helps her escape the danger. Liu Li keeps investigating the truth of her mother’s case and, the two work together and secretly fall in love.

We're a little past halfway through this drama now and I'm loving this show more and more. I still think that Liuli is the worst part of this show cause it feels like the writers don't know how to balance her naivety with her cunning. One minute she can read the politics between the inner harem like knowing what the Consort wants embroidered on her clothes and the next she's getting drunk as a skunk and not realizing that getting close with the Crown Prince is a horrible idea. I guess we're supposed to think that since she grew up as a boy that she doesn't fear what most girls do but I find that a terrible excuse. Why couldn't she be more like Lady Wu?? Having said that I'm so into our main four working around the politics of the palace. I loved that they were able to get Xing Jian to be the Crown Prince's bodyguard and I'm super into the fact that he now knows who Liuli is cause he's definitely going to be able to help her clear her mother's name especially since it was Consort Yang behind the whole thing and with her being ready to take down the Crown Prince, Liuli will have the support of a lot of people in power.

JDRAMA

3B no Koibito (6/10): Kobayashi Haruka fell in love before finding out that her boyfriend was actually a married man. At that time, a regular customer predicts that she will wind up meeting 3 different men. She begins encountering them just as predicted. There's the hairdresser Shintaro, the band vocalist Yu, and the bartender Yoshi. What will come of these fateful encounters?

It's going to be super ironic and very heartbreaking if this show ends with Haruka choosing someone who isn't from our trio! It looks like she ran into her ex aka the one she was going to marry only to find out that he's already married but I'm not entirely sure that it wasn't a dream either cause the guy didn't seem to recognize her. If it is her ex, I'm glad she ran into him with the guys cause that'll really show him what he lost. I mentioned last week that my pick of the trio had to be Yu cause I'm honestly such a sucker for musicians but after thinking on last week's kiss and seeing this week's episode I have to say that my vote has shifted to Yoshi instead. Yu is still hot but he's kinda an idiot too and I'd prefer manly like Yoshi but also sweet enough to be able to buy medicine and make porridge when I'm sick! I did think it was interesting that all three guys basically admitted that they were into Haruka this week but I guess since this show is coming to a close soon that it would be too far into the show for them to be in denial!

Oh! My Boss! Koi wa Bessatsu (6/10): Nami Suzuki was born and raised in a small rural town. She doesn't have a specific dream to pursue and she is an easy going person. As an ordinary woman, she desires to be happy with an ordinary life. She follows Kenya, who is her childhood friend and her unrequited love, and applies for a job in the supply management department of a large publishing company in Tokyo. Nami gets hired by the company, but she is assigned to work in the editorial department of a fashion magazine. There, Nami Suzuki works with chief editor Reiko Horai. She is a devil like boss, who makes spiteful remarks and has a cold personality. Reiko Horai treats Nami, who doesn’t take her job seriously, in a callous manner. But, as Nami Suzuki watches her boss deal with her job, Nami begins to change her attitude toward her work.

When I first heard of this show I ended up skipping it cause I thought it was an office drama when I was in the mood for a romance but then I gave it a second chance this week and I ended up binging half of this show at once! It's totally just as cute as most jdrama rom coms are so I'm super into it. Nami took a second for me to get used to cause I couldn't relate to her whole wanting to be ordinary thing and the whole thing actually reminded me of the Devil Wears Prada in how this super underqualified girl ends up as a fashion assistant and spends the whole time judging everyone and putting in the least amount of work possible. Fortunately Nami got a wakeup call earlier rather than later and I ended up liking her more and more as I watched. The thing that kept me around though was definitely Jun who was just as much a puppy as Nami imagined him to be! I loved their first meeting and all the meetings after that though I kind of wish that Nami would take more interest in Jun as a person cause it feels like he's only ever around to help her with her problems and we barely know anything about him other than the fact that he's Nami's boss's younger brother and the heir to some big paper company. We just recently found out that he's had a long time crush on a childhood friend and naturally that friend has returned to Japan just as Nami and Jun were about to start dating. I'm not that worried though cause as we saw Jun put away that picture of Riko so he's clearly moved on.

xoxo Allie