Shows

Spoilers: This was a tear jerker. The love story between Baek Hyun Woo((Kim Soo Hyun) and Hong Hae In (Kim Ji Won) was truly a story of intertwined fate. Baek came from a farming family, but a genius lawyer and excelled in everything he did. Hong was a member of a powerfully rich family and the CEO of the family business. They fell in love and got married 3 years ago. However, a heartbreaking tragedy created resentment and distance, and led to separate lives, while living under the same roof. Baek, after 3 years of unhappiness in his personal and professional life, wanted freedom, but his plans changed when Hae In faced a major health crisis. Faced with her own mortality, Hae In chose life because she wanted to accomplish so much more and had so much living to experience. They grew closer, as a couple, until it was revealed Baek had planned to divorce her. She set the timeline for the divorce, under her own terms. The nod to “Vincenzo”, the lawyer, was hilarious. In fact, the serious storylines and interesting characters, played out by a wonderful cast, was sprinkled in with humor, romance, action, and beautiful sceneries. Not to mention the sometimes heartbreaking family dramas that were stories of love, loyalty, betrayal, and tragedy. Things got complicated when a man from Hae In’s past threatened her relationship with Hyun Woo, obsessed with doing everything he could, including criminal means, to win her. More than once, Baek saved Hae In, at the cost of his own safety. When Hae In was given the chance to beat her illness, she had to make a devastating choice. Hyun Woo had become all her reasons for living. True love was the key to the new challenges they faced. The ending was a tear jerker, but a testament to eternal love.

poilers: I loved this love story between Gu Xun (Lin Yi) & Yue Qian Ling (Zhou Ye). Their chemistry was undeniable. It translated perfectly throughout the drama, including their funny & intimate scenes. My favorite LOL scene was the Lion Dance final. They both worked at the same Game company, just before graduating from the same university. Yue had a crush on Gu and turned to a gamer for love advice, who happened to have a crush on Yue’s handle. Both were unaware of their true identity. Gu’s bad advice resulted in a very painful public rejection of Yue Qian Ling, after graduation. After he publicly humiliated her, he found out his crush’s identity, Yue Qian Ling, and set out to win back her heart. Qian Ling showed her true self as the strong, fierce, beautiful woman that was Gu’s type. They became neighbors, giving him an opportunity to win Yue’s heart. Qian Ling grew as an artist within the company and eventually won the respect of her peers, and Gu. They eventually became each other’s first love. She became his source of support and companionship as they navigated the many challenges of work, trying to accomplish, within the gaming community, what had never been done in the country before. It was a dream that inspired Gu’s father to try, but never finished, and what drove Gu to succeed at all costs. The entire cast brought to life the passionate story of fulfilling dreams, never giving up, and believing that the impossible is possible.

Spoilers: This Rom.com had many cry-worthy & LOL moments from the very beginning. The wonderful cast had great chemistry, perfect comedic timing, & outstanding dramatic acting. The friendships & family relationships gave this drama heart. I loved the competitive bromance between Seon Jae & Tae Sung. The dark themes were balanced out with great comedy. The beautiful visuals, OST’s, and romantic scenes were unforgettable. Ryu Seon Jae(Byeon Woo Seok) & Im Sol (Kim Hye Yoon) were caught up in a “Ferris wheel” kind of fate. Their true, unconditional love was tested across time and by the consequences of changing fate. On a rainy day, high school athlete, Seon Jae, fell for Im Sol the first time he saw her. Later, he became an idol who saved Im Sol’s life, during the darkest day of her life. “Thank you…for being alive” were words that gave her hope. Years later, she had an opportunity to save her idol’s life by going back in time to try to change their fates. However, her plans were complicated by an unreported kidnapping attempt that put Im Sol & Seon Jae in danger. Im Sol tried to change fate several times, but the final outcome always ended tragically. To protect him, she made the ultimate sacrifice to erase her existence from Seon Jae’s life. However, the soul doesn’t forget. Their seemingly “twisted, unlucky fate” ended with someone’s “time to die so someone else may live.” This drama was one of my favorite all-time KDramas and worthy of an encore.

Spoilers: This love story between Zhou Mian (Flora Dai) & Lu Yun Kai (Aaron Deng)began in university. Yun Kai hid the truth about his controlling wealthy family to protect Mian. After the birth of their son, they planned to get married. Instead, Mian thought she was left at the altar on board a yacht. Distracted, she fell overboard and disappeared for 6 years. She came back from abroad, a successful designer/business woman, pretending to be Helsin. Her rescuer, Mike, allied with Mian to plot revenge against Lu Yun Kai. Later, Mian’s true identity was revealed. Yun Kai sought to win her back. Yun Kai built his independent company for Mian, always believing she would come back. They had to overcome many obstacles, including business sabotage and life and death situations. In the process, they uncovered the plots against Mian’s deceased father, a toy designer, and they worked together to clear his name. They discovered their enemies were closer than they expected. Trust and respect was the key to finding their way back to each other and rediscovering their love. Finally, Yun Kai made peace with his parents, with Mian’s help. This was a beautiful, sweet love story with splashes of humor mixed in. I was thrilled to see Kachine in the drama because I was a fan of his in Youth With You 3.

This is a love story 30 years in the making between Choi Seung Hyo (Jung Hae In) & Bae Seok Ryu (Jung So Min). They were next door neighbors since childhood and grew up like family, inseparable, until Seok Ryu went abroad to study in the U.S. She came back ten years later, unemployed and a broken engagement. When Seung Hyo saw her again, his romantic feelings toward her flooded back. However, love is about timing and transitioning from friendship to a romantic relationship has its challenges. The perfect chemistry between the protagonists and the rest of the cast gave this RomCom truly touching, tissue-worthy moments, mixed in with memorable LOL moments. The 40-year friendships of the Lavender female BFF’s added to this amazing story about families and enduring friendships that weathered the ups and downs of the characters. Mostly, it was about love and finding happiness without regrets and ,”The greatest happiness is to love out loud.”

This dramatic love story experience was like a roller coaster ride, a marathon, and thrilling cliff hangers on the very edge of a mountain. Sometimes, the plot was hidden in plain sight, but the answers never followed a straight line. Instead, there were layers to uncover. It was about the consequences of the original sins of a powerful and power-hungry figure who controlled others like a god, at any cost, including murder. For the two protagonists, Baek Sa Eon(Yoo Yeon Seok) & Hong Hui Ju (Chae Soo Bin), they were trapped in an arranged marriage designed to fulfill the highest political ambitions of their connected families. The freedom to be the best version of themselves seemed out of reach, manipulated by their families and ignoring their own feelings for each other. An old, unsolved case of missing orphans led directly to the two families, including the truth about a family tragedy. A kidnapper, bent on revenge, exposed the horrific secrets of one family. Turning away from self reflection, when faced with evil, hides the faces of the monsters that live in the shadows. Confronting the secrets of the past forced Sa Eon & Hui Ju to face what their marriage meant and find a way to break free of the prison that was their reality, without losing themselves in the journey. They had to overcome the dangers of living a lie and find a way to live the truth, the key to their freedom. Self love, forgiveness and belief in a future, built from true love, meant rising from the ashes left behind when they found courage to shed all the lies that almost cost them everything they dreamed of. Lastly, a big standing ovation to the excellent cast. I wasn’t disappointed by Yoo Yeon Seok, one of the best in the industry. Also, a big shout out to Park Jae Yun’s performance, who added depth and dimension to a character with his chilling, but tragic portrayal.