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 How To Be Thirty/Not Yet Thirty (13/15): 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.

Well this show came to an end this week and I suppose I should just be thankful that it didn't end with Ji Won and Seung Yoo getting back together cause everything about their relationship got so sour by the end! I do have to say that I didn't love that all the focus and blame went to Ji Won for "breaking up" Seung Yoo and Hye Ryeong and that she was the one having an affair cause seriously she was a victim as much as Hye Ryeong was. It's not like she started dating him knowing that he was in a relationship no matter how open or relaxed Seung Yoo was about it. I imagine that people eventually forgave Ji Won for having this affair and I'd like to imagine based on the ending where she called Do Hoon one of her precious people that the two end up together or are at least on their way to being together. Ironically if this were a longer show I feel like I would have enjoyed seeing this story play out. Like what if Ji Won and Do Hoon claim they're dating to clear the affair rumors and fall in love while pretending? Ran Joo also finally got over her trauma of appearing on screen and became an announcer which like good for her for finding a new place after the radio show vanished. She and Joon Young seemed happy enough and I think it's interesting that this show didn't wrap everything up with a nice bow cause it gives off the vibe that we just snuck a peek into the lives of these people and that they'll go living on after we leave them. Overall I'd give this show a 6.5 / 10.

Law School (2/16): When a grim incident occurs at their prestigious school, justice through law is put to a test by a tough law professor and his ambitious students. Yang Jong Hoon is a criminal law professor and a former elite prosecutor, whose harsh words make him the professor to steer clear of. At the same time, there’s something compelling about his strict teaching methods and his refusal to accept less than the best from his future juniors in the legal profession. Han Joon Hwi, a first-year law student, is at the top of his class. He’s a natural leader whose good looks and easy charm make him the perfect man - on paper. However, there’s an unexpected side to him that remains well-hidden. Kang Sol is another first-year law student who overcame childhood poverty and hardships by gaining special admission to the school. She walks a path of thorns due to her constant sense of deprivation and shame amidst the wealth and talent that surrounds her. Eventually, her passion will enlighten her on what it truly takes to be a good lawyer. Kim Eun Sook is a civil law professor who was once the head of the law school’s free legal clinic. Her natural air of authority and freewheeling personality earned her the reputation for being a master in court. Known for being a highly-relatable professor, she is the sole colleague Yang Jong Hoon dares to confide in.

I wasn't sure what kind of show we'd get from this drama after having read the synopsis but it reminded me a lot of an American show called How To Get Away With Murder which was incredible in it's first season but then went downhill from there and I thought hey if this kdrama is even close to similar to that first season then maybe it'll be incredible! To my complete pleasure this show is probs even more exciting! The cast is stacked, the production quality is top notch, and the OST is killer. I mean naturally the concept is fascinating cause it's been a minute since I last watched a drama set in college and I don't think I've ever seen a kdrama that follows law students other than maybe Suits where Hyung Sik's character was a law intern. The idea for this show is that a sketchy Chief Prosecutor is killed and the suspect is either a law professor or a student (if I had to bet I think it would be a student) cause he died in a locked room that the public didn't have access too. First we're told it's Professor Yang but he proves it wasn't him in three seconds which low key confuses me cause then why go through the whole detainment process unless he was hoping that the reporters and police would solve his cold case for him? After Yang was proven innocent the next suspect is Joon Hwi who we know is Seo's nephew and I really honestly doubt it was him too cause it's too early in the season to find the real killer. I'm also curious about the rapist that's running around and why he's still a character. He needs to high key be sent over to the Taxi Driver world and gotten rid of.

Navillera (8/12): Shim Deok Chool has had a life long dreaming of performing ballet. He is 70-years-old and retired from his job as a post office employee. Due to life situations, he put aside his dream of becoming a ballet dancer and worked a normal job to support his family. Now, Shim Deok Chool makes the decision to pursue his dream again. His family, including his wife and adult children, are not happy with his decision, but Shim Deok Chool does not waver in pursuing his life long dream. He joins a ballet company to learn ballet. There, he meets Lee Chae Rok. Lee Chae Rok is a 23-year-old man. While growing up, he played different sports like baseball, swimming, and soccer, but he wasn't talented in any of those activities. He then became interested in ballet. His mother was a ballet dancer, but she died from a disease when Lee Chae Rok was young. His father later went bankrupt. Lee Chae Rok learned that he has a talent for ballet, but, after pursuing ballet, he barely has contact with his father and he has a hard time supporting himself financially. Going through hard times, his desire for ballet fades away. At this time, Sim Deok Chool appears in front of him.

I freaking knew this show was going to make me cry buckets of tears and that's exactly what it did at the end of this week! It was truly horrific seeing just how lost Deok Chool was at the end cause we've spent so long watching him be the absolute cutest little bean. He's such a good father and husband and grandfather and friend and I just want the best for him. It makes so much sense though that this was the thing that finally gave him the courage to try ballet and to not die with regrets and it makes it all the more worse that he almost gave it up cause of his family earlier. When they find out about his Alzheimer's, they're going to be heartbroken and guilty especially the eldest son who's still kinda the worst and his snarky comments to Chae Rok at that family dinner weren't appreciated either. Chae Rok meanwhile struggled with whether he should focus on rehab or do the competition despite the pain and we saw why his teacher quit back then and I was so thankful that Chae Rok realized that there would always be another competition cause I also want nothing more than for him to soar as well! Eun Oh is also working at the radio station as we saw last week but I don't know why I expected her to be more than a go-fer. Either way I can't exactly tell if she enjoys it or not but I liked the idea of her being like well I'm young and I don't know what I like so I might as well try different things to find out!

Sell Your Haunted House (2/16): Ji Ah, a woman who has inherited exorcism abilities from her mother, is the owner of Daebak Realty, a company that specializes in selling haunted houses. Ji Ah looks perfect and is also brilliant, but her hot temper makes her fists fly before her words. One day, Ji Ah encounters a conman named In Beom who specializes in exorcism fraud. Late at night when Daebak Realty operates, In Beom visits Ji Ah to make an offer. He suggests that they team up to exclusively sell houses that are haunted by vengeful spirits and lingering ghosts. Can the two get along well and deal with house prices, ghosts, and their sorrowful stories?

I was pretty excited about this show when I heard about it cause you know I love fantasy romances and not only has it been a minute since we had a good romance drama but it's also been a hot second since we saw one that was also a fantasy. I mean Tale Of The Nine-Tailed might have been the last I saw and I wasn't all that into the romance in it so I'm not sure it should count. So far though this show is everything I would have wanted it to be. It reminds me of a mix of A Korean Odyssey and Master's Sun in that it follows the CEO of a real estate company who exorcises ghosts. In this world an exorcist seems to have to work with a psychic to get rid of ghosts because they can only exorcise the ghost once it enters a psychic's body. I love that Ji Ah is the badass and that she's not afraid of spirits and that she runs around killing them while looking stunning. In Beom is suave and charming and though I'm not thrilled that he still refuses to believe in the supernatural, I do believe he will soon. It is kinda surprising that psychics don't seem to be able to see ghosts like exorcists do but maybe that's the thing that separates the two? I also like the idea that the two lost people based on one case though it's interesting that neither one remembers the other as a child. I'm sure what happened was that Ji Ah's mom and In Beom's uncle were a team back in the day and were trying to exorcise a ghost only Ji Ah walked in and interrupted and both died. 

Taxi Driver (2/16): Do Gi has lived more honestly than anyone else as an officer in the Special Forces. Yet, when a serial killer murders his mother, he spends his days in agony. While feeling wronged and broken, Do Gi meets Jang Sung Chul, who recruits Do Gi to work for his company, Rainbow Taxi. Far from an ordinary taxi service, Rainbow Taxi is a secret organization that avenges victims whom the law didn’t protect. Here, Do Gi becomes a star driver who delivers satisfying revenge. Meanwhile, Ha Na is a prosecutor who investigates Rainbow Taxi. She is furious with their lawless behavior, but at the same time, she feels confused to see them solve cases that the law cannot. Between those who believe that revenge embodies true justice and those who pursue the outlaws, Do Gi seeks what justice truly means.

Where has this show been all my life??? I mean seriously! Drama drought no more cause this show is giving me everything I could ever want. You guys all know that I'm such a sucker for shows about con artists cause there's something so fun in watching them plan out schemes and outwit those around them and this show though not actually a con artist show has the feeling of one which is why I'm so on board. The funny thing is that I went into this show not actually know what it was about so I thought I'd be watching some sort of slice-of-life Fight My Way style of drama about a taxi driver but instead we've got a high stakes revenge drama that reminds me of Mad Dog which is one of my favorite kdramas! It follows a group of five people who help those that have been wronged but the fascinating thing is that we don't actually know where this show is going just based on this premiere. I can't imagine that the show sticks with the procedural cases but we also really haven't set up a Big Bad given that Do Gi's mom's killer is already dead but I suppose that Sung Chul's parents' killer could still be out there? Lee Je Hoon's bread and butter is definitely the cold male lead and I think given that this isn't a romance that it works really well for him. I love watching him kick butt and brood and I suppose the only sticking point is Ha Na's character who is the typical female lead in one of these shows in which she's smart and quirky and out to get our lead. I do hope that rather than spend the whole show with her being the antagonist that she'll end up joining our team or maybe just consulting with them by giving them cases that the law can't help with anymore. I also really hope that she doesn't end up in a romance with Do Gi cause ugh.

Vincenzo (16/20): 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.

Wow you know shit is hitting the fan when Vincenzo is out-and-out murdering people again Mafia-style and not a single person is condemning him for it. I mean I guess technically no one but Babel and the two cops he's got on his side really knew that he killed 3 Mafia hitmen out of self-defense so there was no one to condemn him but now he's gone on a killing spree that ended up at the Jang household and I can't help but wonder what will happen next. I get that Vincenzo probs doesn't just want to kill Jun Woo cause he wants him to suffer more but if I was writing this show then I'd at least have him kill Myung Hee cause she's Jun Woo's gopher and I have a feeling that without her, he'll be a little easier to catch. I do hope that he doesn't take it out on Han Seo cause between the actor's charisma and the way he's been bumbling around half-in-love with Vincenzo this week seriously warmed me to him to the degree that I practically forgot that he's not all that innocent either though then again if we're following a Mafia guy who's murdered before who's to say that Han Seo can't turn over a new leaf? I wasn't entirely all that interested in Vincenzo bonding with his mom but I did enjoy everything else we got and I will never not be amused with the way Vincenzo carries out his schemes and the way the Plaza members help in the silliest ways.

xoxo Allie