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 Homemade Love Story (100/100): 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.
So the finale for this show aired this week and I think it managed to wrap everything up really nicely honestly for everyone except Na Ro and Seo Ah. Jun Ah and Hae Deun got exposed for having registered their marriage and at first it was rough but in the end the families had to accept them. I still wish I knew a real reason why the parents were against them cause it's not like either family hated each other or either Jun Ah or Hae Deun were bad kids so the whole thing felt like it was just taking up screen time for no reason. Chae Woon and Jae Hee ended up having a son, and Jae Hee's parents got back together which was sweet. Pil Hong was forgiven by the others and Professor Kim was caught and arrested alongside Na Ro who turned himself in out of his own free will. Hwak Se and Man Jung apparently got married as well and are also having twins while Jae Hee's dad bought the Villa building so no one has to move anymore which was a storyline that we had at the very beginning of this show that I totally and completely forgot about! We also found out that Eun Ji really was Ra Hoon's birth mom and I just wish that I had liked Ra Hoon's story more during the actual season but I never liked the way Ba Reun was introduced and I never really warmed to her. Overall this show was fun enough and I enjoyed myself so I'd give it a 9 / 10.
How To Be Thirty/Not Yet Thirty (4/15): 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.
I think it's honestly refreshing how our characters don't beat around the bush. If they like someone they say it and if they don't then they also say it. Ji Won and Seung Yoo have been flirting for a bit now and they've been sending hints to each other that they would like more but I expected like in most dramas that they wouldn't actually do anything about it until much much later so I was honestly shocked when Ji Won asked Seung Yoo if he liked her and then if he wanted to sleep with her. I'm also low key still waiting for the other shoe to drop cause he's just too good of a person to be exactly who he is. On the other hand it seems like Do Hoon isn't the asshole he appeared to be but might be more of someone who struggles with social interaction given the cute scene we got of him in the laundromat. Meanwhile Ran Joo found out that Joon Young ended up getting a job at the restaurant that Ah Young owns and I'm still left wondering who he is?? Is it really not a lawyer as well?
FINISHED L.U.C.A: The Beginning (12/12): “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 what a crazy weird finale that really feels like we just watched both an extended backstory for the real story that is to come and the villain origin story for Ji Oh! Like I wonder if the plan is to have another season of this show following Ji Oh and Gu Reum's daughter as she learns about her powers and her parents and helps Ji Oh realize that he's not right. It's funny though cause part of me is like who cares about what's right or wrong when the people in power always win so why not join them in the darkness and live a happy life rather than struggle in the light. Gu Reum found out that Ji Oh didn't actually kill her parents but after how she pushed Ji Oh away last week he ended up finding solace in his insane father and was convinced that the only way to survive was to create a world full of clones like him so the two ended up on separate sides anyway. All the other bad guys were culled as were the heroes so the only ones to survive were Ji Oh, his dad, and the lady from the government along with the baby who was adopted by what looks like a sweet older couple. Maybe she'll be lucky and her parents will adore her anyway like the Kents in Superman lore cause I can't imagine that Ji Oh's Darth Vader status is healthy for a child. I'm honestly not even sure what to rate this show but I guess I'd give it a 6 / 10.
Mouse (4/20): A suspenseful story that asks the key question, “What if we could identify psychopaths in advance?” A crazed serial killer’s ruthless murders have left the entire nation gripped with fear, and chaos reigns. Justice-seeking rookie police officer, Jung Ba Reum, comes face to face with the killer. While he survives his dangerous encounter with the psychopath, Jung Ba Reum finds his life completely changing before his eyes.
I adore detective/mystery shows but I always feel too dumb to watch them cause I can never solve them with the small hints the show gives. Here's what we know as facts so far. Yo Han is Han Seo Jun's son and Ba Reum looks to have kidnapped Han Kook. Here's what I'm thinking is going on. I'm fairly certain that Yo Han is the killer which is why he killed Bong Yi's grandma for finding his murder room and his friend for recognizing the grandma as being Yo Han's cleaning lady and why he kept trying to see Ba Reum to make sure that he didn't recognize him. On that same note while I think that he's the one in the voiceovers, I don't think he's the kid from the flashbacks we saw. I think that the young kid was Ba Reum though I don't think that he actually killed his family back then and I don't think that he's killing now. I have a feeling that he recognized like as like and figured out how the killer is picking his prey and so he kidnapped Han Kook in order to push Moo Chi to figure it out too and it's his psychopathic genes that are convincing him this is normal behavior and not super weird. Idk maybe I'm just reaching cause I don't want Ba Reum to be the bad guy but either way his whole puppy persona cannot be fully real. I'm sure that he learned as a child to fake emotions like Hyun Soo from Flower Of Evil so I'm also low key hoping that like Hyun Soo, Ba Reum also finds that he catches feelings for Bong Yi.
River Where The Moon Rises (8/20): 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?
So unless you've been living under a rock then you know that some shit went down behind the scenes between last week and this one which made me really curious to see how the show would change. I wasn't one of those people that decided to drop this drama cause of casting changes especially since I actually liked In Woo in Mr Queen but part of me still wished that the show would have rather just changed the male lead to Geon rather than recasting On Dal. After having watched these first two episodes I have to say that yes it is jarring seeing In Woo as Dal especially since it's clear that he doesn't do the bumbling fool act well and clearly thrives in being the more suave male lead so maybe it's good that he was recast at this point cause I can see Dal becoming more serious after this point in the show so the transition might work. I also see why it's important for Pyeonggang to convince her dad to pardon Dal's tribe cause it'll give him a reason to be in the palace more especially given the fact that this week really highlighted that Dal is useless right now. Pyeonggang and Geon are the ones working side by side to fix the court and though it seems like we've reached the point in the story where Geon turns bad cause all he wants is Pyeonggang's love, I still can't stop my SLS! Also I guess we really are pretending like the King didn't slaughter his wife and make his daughter a bastard out of jealousy and the fact that no one has brought it up since means that we really are pretending like Pyeonggang was gone for a bit and now she's back. I do like the parallels in that she and her mom were the only people in this world that could support the King and make him feel like he's got the power to fight the other Tribes.
FINISHED She Would Never Know/Sunbae Don't Put That Lipstick On (16/16): 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.
Okay this was a super cute ending to an annoying final arc. As I suspected it was Song Ah who did the breaking up cause she felt guilty for how little time she had to give to Hyun Seung while they were dating long distance. I totally got where she was coming from but at the same time if Hyun Seung had a problem then he should have said something so she should have known based on his personality that he wouldn't just resent her for her lack of time. What was selfish was the fact that she came back to get him back when she must have known how much she broke his heart though it was nice seeing her try to chase him this time around. Naturally it didn't take much cause Hyun Seung also never fell out of love with her and I thought it was sweet that Ji Seung supported them too rather than telling Song Ah to stay away from him. Speaking of Ji Seung and Jae Woon got engaged over this time skip and they're still the absolute cutest and I kinda loved that we saw that Jae Woon and Hyun Seung are close enough to hang out outside of work and talk cause they are going to be family. I guess this means that Jae Woon's father never had a problem with Ji Seung like he hated Jae Shin? I still wish these two had more screen time through the show. Yoon Seung and her husband officially got divorced and it broke my heart cause it seemed like ever since he came out they were more in sync than ever and it broke my heart even more cause of how sad Ha Eun was over it but I loved once again that Hyun Seung's family came together to love and support one another. All in all this was a cute show that had a rough start and a rough end but still enjoyable. 8 / 10!
Sisyphus: The Myth (8/16): 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.
Having reached the halfway point in this show I still can't entirely say that I think the writing in this show isn't a mess but at least there's some sort of enjoyment to be had from it and as the weeks go by the mystery is getting clearer and clearer. I fairly certain that Seo Hae is basically living in a time loop. In the first go around she must have ended up in the present day and lived a life in which she fell in love with Tae Sul and was killed by Sigma so she left the diary that Tae Sul bought her with instructions to the future Seo Hae about what to do and that's the Seo Hae we're watching currently. I'm pretty sure she's got all the memories from her first life though I'm not sure if she's got the emotions too and it really leaves me questioning everything she's done this whole time and low key Tae Sul is going to be pissed that she knows and yet isn't doing anything to help him other than physically protecting him. We also learned more about Sigma's backstory but I still don't know what he wants or why he's doing all this. We also learned that the reason everyone was trying to kill Tae Sul despite the fact that he was the one to invent the uploader in the first place was cause they thought the blueprints were in the present day somewhere but Tae San was smart and stole them so now no one can kill Tae Sul unless they want to destroy the uploader. The thing I don't get though is how his death is related to the world ending.
Times (6/12): 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?
We're halfway through the drama now and wow do I feel totally stupid! I was all in on the theory that Ki Tae was a bad guy and the one to kill Geon Woo just like Jin Woo so I never even thought about the fact that he might be framed when I should have known cause duh Ki Tae wouldn't have called a hit out on himself. I also love the idea that Jung In isn't the only one with the ability to reach into the past but also that Young Joo and Sung Beom have used up their power so we're the only ones that can use the advantage right now despite the others having the knowledge too. I wonder if every time the past changes that Young Joo and Sung Beom feel it in the present day too or if they stopped noticing once their phones died? The story is a little confusing but it seems like Geon Woo stumbled onto the fact that Baek was shady and he was killed for it and Baek and his crew are trying to frame it on Ki Tae cause they can't control him through the normal means. Honestly this has to be one of the absolute smartest moves I think I've seen a villain pull and like props to the show. I still don't know if this means that Ki Tae is full and clear of any and all sketchiness but at least he's not a killer yeah? I also love that Jung In and Jin Woo have finally met in the present day cause there's only so many times that you can prevent Jin Woo's murder right? I hope that we see the two work together now!
Vincenzo (6/20): 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.
The fun of this show is hands down the fact that everything is so dramatic and over-the-top. Like what's the plot? Who even knows. Is it logical and easy to follow? Not even a bit. But the fact that the show is so beautiful to look at and I live for how we spend half the airtime having our leads pose or do dramatic walks down the hallway is enough to keep me coming back for more. Okay so honestly there is a plot to this show and the bare bones is that Cha Young and Vincenzo are working together to take down Babel but more specifically Babel Chemicals this week through the law though I'm not sure that anything that's happening is actually logical. The first trial was blown up by Cha Young and Vincenzo getting it postponed a week and the second one started off rough because all the witnesses were ruined by Wusang through sketchy means but apparently Vincenzo is going to try to be a special witness and I'm a little torn about it. I was hoping when they talked about the enemy of my enemy being my friend that they would find another chaebol group that is on power with Babel or close enough and use some of their bribed doctors or whatever to help. What even can Vincenzo bring to the table? In other news I'm fairly certain that the Plaza residents just found out that there's gold under their building cause that homeless guy was super sketch.
CDRAMA
FINISHED The Rebel Princess/Monarch Industry (68/68): 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.
The finale for this show aired this week and I'm a little sad about how my enjoyment of this show declined as it went on which makes me probs the only person watching this show that felt that way. I do agree that Awu and Xiao Qi are a great ride-or-die couple and I loved that Awu only spent five seconds before accepting that she is a married woman and in this time period she needs to be happy in the only circumstances she's got. I liked the overall plot and story but I just wasn't thrilled with the way the romance played out on screen. I was glad that Awu and Xiao Qi worked together in the end to draw out Wang Lin who was the real power behind everything though they didn't actually know it at the time. Awu's brother switched sides like I thought he would cause he's too kind to be another Wang Lin and so he deserves to be regent for Jin'er cause I can see him stepping down when it's right rather than craving power like another regent would have. I didn't love the random switch Zitan had when suddenly he regretted everything he did and wanted to give up the throne cause it's like he did all this full consciously though idiotically. General Song never did switch sides which made me sad cause I adored him at the start of this show and the real loser was poor Yixiu who killed herself out of the shame of his rebellion and need to get him to realize his wrongs. The poor girl never knew that he never loved her though a part of him must have felt something for him to react to her death the way he did. In the end I'd give this show a 9 / 10.
The Sword And The Brocade (24/45): Set during the Ming Dynasty, the story revolves around the romance between General Xu Lingyi and the concubine's daughter Shiyiniang that starts from an arranged marriage. Despite being born with a low status, Luo Shiyiniang is extremely assertive and believes that a woman's vision should not be limited to the household. She hopes to rely on her embroidery skills as a ticket to freedom. However, the once esteemed Luo family is in a state of decline. Hoping to save the clan through a marriage alliance, Shiyiniang is selected to become the wife of Yongping Duke and great general Xu Lingyi. Things were not easy for Shiyiniang due to the Xu family's biases towards her. Nonetheless, she manages to win over their trust through her optimism and sincerity. Xu Lingyi also becomes attracted to Shiyiniang's various beautiful qualities such that husband and wife manage to find love after marriage.Through Xu Lingyi's support, Shiyiniang opens Xian Ling Pavilion to have her own embroidery workshop. Meanwhile, Xu Lingyi experiences many setbacks as he tries to protect his homeland and improve the livelihood of the people by supporting the lifting of a maritime ban. As they face a crisis that could spell the end for the Xu family, Xu Lingyi and Shiyiniang continue to support each other through thick and thin.
Shiyi and Lingyi are seriously carrying this show with how cute and awkward they are together. Neither one has been in a situation like this before with Shiyi being too young and Lingyi having had closed his heart to love before this. I know some people have a problem with Lingyi having multiple concubines but honestly I'm not bothered by it partially cause they existed before Shiyi came into the picture and partially cause Lingyi doesn't care about any of them other than Shiyi. I do have to say that as much as I'm adoring everything I'm starting to see the cracks in the foundation of where things could go wrong in the future. Everyone in this show likes to keep things to themselves rather than discuss them from Amber who almost had to seduce Lingyi just cause she couldn't trust Shiyi to find her sister and Shiyi herself who can't tell Lingyi the truth of where she goes and what she's looking for. I also don't love that she's lying about the pregnancy and that she told her second sister that she was planning on running away that day in the temple cause that sister is not good and I can see her using this against Shiyi not to mention the fact that she's been friends with the Ou family's second son. It's also curious that Amber has such a clear crush on him when he likes Shiyi and I'm just hoping that this doesn't turn into a Jin'er and Zitao from Rebel Princess situation.
JDRAMA
Ha poor Shintaro was turned down flat by Haruka this week which I saw coming a mile away since he was never actually in the running for winning Haruka's heart. I still think she'll pick Yu given how much she thought of him all episode and how she turned away at the sight of him being kissed by another girl but then again she also didn't pull away from Yoshi when he hugged her either so it could really go either way. The important thing that happened this week was Haruka finding out that Yu ended up skipping an important meeting with his band to help her and I was honestly surprised that she didn't do more about this. Like whether or not he was on a date I would have expected her to go up to him and be like you idiot why didn't you tell your friends what happened?? It did make me feel better that the bandmates were more upset that he didn't tell them the truth than they were that they missed out on a debut and it also helps that he texted them ahead of time so it wasn't like the CEO sat there waiting and Yu never arrived. I still think it'll be possible for them to get another shot next week!
Oh! My Boss! Koi wa Bessatsu (9/10): 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.
This week was so strange and it can be entirely chalked up to the fact that I don't understand why it has to be all or nothing for Suzuki and Jun. Like Jun proposed to Suzuki and she said yes at first only to eventually give the ring back cause she wants to keep working and chasing after her newly discovered dream of working in editing rather than quitting and moving to Jun's hometown to be his wife. The crazy thing is that this is a modern jdrama so I'm really confused over the fact that his family is so traditional that they're like the wife has to stay at home. I'd get it a little if they have kids but why can't Suzuki work until then? What is she going to do sitting around at home waiting for Jun anyway?? I also really don't love that Jun didn't even bring up the idea of long distance for a bit or a long engagement as options and it breaks my heart a little that he has to sacrifice his dreams while Reiko chases hers and it really makes me wonder if the show will end without Jun's dad changing his mind. I mean he and Reiko already reconciled!
TWDRAMA
Wow can you believe that we're already up to the penultimate episode of this show? I can't exactly say that this show flew by cause we have been watching it for 14 weeks now but that still doesn't take away from the fact that we've spent so much time in this world that it's going to be sad to say goodbye! This week we found out that Jing Tao had been working with Da Qi behind the scenes in order to take down all the big CEOs which like no one was surprised about cause the rich men all seem to forget that even though Jing Tao is poor, he's got pride too. They blackmailed him into defending someone he didn't want to and then Ji Peng kept rubbing his face in it like at what point do you think enough is enough? I also find it outright laughable that the show is trying the whole Da Qi is dead thing cause there's no chance in hell that he actually is. I'm sure that his doctor realized that something was wrong with the L365 cure that Dr Liao gave her and so she and Da Qi put on a show that Xiao Ke is probs in on. It is a little hateful of them to see it from Yu Xin cause she is breaking down but maybe they thought that she's strong enough to make it through. On another note I did like everything with Yun Yun and the Wang family and it makes me think that maybe this whole arc should have started out earlier especially given that Chairman He is our biggest bad.
xoxo Allie
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