Meru

It will make you hungry!

After watching Culinary Class Wars I have been interested in food-related shows. So this drama came intrigued me from the get go.

The beginning of the drama was tbh a bit slow. It started to get interesting when they had the food festival competition. After that a lot of interesting things happened that kept me wanting to watch the next episode. I liked the Sapporo episodes too although the fight in the hospital scenes were a bit too much!!!! But after the recipes got stolen I was a bit disappointed and mad. I imagined it to turn out totally different. I had wished Beom-Woo would have told the Diamant judges that the recipes were stolen and created a showdown. Instead he just started to sulk. He couldn’t even properly tell Yoon-Joo that it wasn’t him who stole the recipes!!!! IT WAS FCKING YU-JIN!!!!! Like just the fact that this whole Yu-Jin mess was not clarified, also with Choon-Seung and how he got locked up, made me feel really mad and frustrated.

And then they had a cook-off in the end which was rather underwhelming…
The mother was really annoying too. Even the cold-hearted brother Sun-Woo changed into being good in the end but the mother was still being a heartless sucess monger.

So to sum up, The beginning was slow, the middle was fast-paced and exciting, the end was a let down.

My favorite scene was when the actor from Lovely Jogger enters the restaurant (played by Park Ji-Hoon aka the main lead of Weak Hero Class) And Choon-Seung goes like “Wait a minute, which high-school did you go to? 😂😂😂😂 It was SUCH an obvious reference to Weak Hero Class I was cracking upppp!!!! Best scene in the drama for sure!

I think it’s a nice little watch with only 10 episodes.

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An ode to female solidarity

This movie has actually surprised me quite a but ngl! It had a lot of nudity and sex which I have never seen so much of in KDramas so far 😂 and shockingly, it was set in the 80s??? I feel like people were wilder back then than they are today it seems.

In general I really liked the setting of the 80s in the drama. Since watching Reply 1988 this era has interested me a lot about Korea and its history.

The main theme of the drama is misogyny and the exploitation and objectification of women especially in the entertainment society. I am sure that the traumatic things we saw that happened to the young women in this movie are definitely not something that only happened in the 80s in Korea (the P.Diddy case for example is still very recent).
I loved so much how the two female actresses turned from enemies to besties in this movie.
Also, because this drama is all about female solidarity we had no attractive male leads that played the love interest of the women, obviously since the women were just so sick of all the men objectifying them and treating them badly that they just gave up on falling in love with them.
I did hope that there would be more of a romantic connection betweenJu-Ae and her friend who looked like a guy (tbh I still think they were in love with each other and was wishing for them to kiss at the end when she runs after her car).

And then, the scene where Ju-Ae rescues Hee-Ran on her horse was EPIC!!!! (sadly the traffic cgi was kinda lame 😅).

I definitely liked this drama a lot and totally fell in love with the main actress who played Hee-Ran omg who is that woman? I definitely gotta watch more of her dramas!

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So much better than expected!!!

I loved this drama!!!! I love how it portrays difficult family dynamics and how the certain behaviour of people comes from deep pain, sorrow, grief, or trauma.
In general I love how things got resolved in the end, not in a fairytale, unrealistic way but it showed how you have to put in some effort in order to succeed. Things won’t change for the better just because you want to.

I want to go through each character that I liked or had certain thoughts of:

1. The twins Miji and Mirae:
I definitely liked Miji more and also could relate to her much more. She was bubbly, energetic and loud. She took care of her grandma and did all kinds of jobs and her dark past made me sad and I could also relate to her a bit.
Tbh Mirae seemed like a very pale character next to Miji, almost boring. Throughout the majority of the drama I really disliked her. When the harrassment happened at work, I tried to feel sorry for her but I was annoyed again!!! like WHYYYY did she suggest to forget about what he tried to do???? Idk but that was soooo strange and kinda unrealistic!!! as a woman, if my colleague starts to harrass me I would cancel every contact with that person, even consider leaving the company!!!! And she just wanted to move on like nothing happened??? I got SO mad at her!!!! The only thing I liked about Mirae was her relationship with Han Sejin, the strawberry farmer 😂

Which brings me to the next character!

2. Han Sejin aka the strawberry farmer:
I loved this guy!!! I already saw him in Lovestruck in the City where he plays an author and I already liked him a lot in that drama! He was actually one of my favorites 😂 And hos character in this drama was amazing too!!! Definitely one of my faves!!!

3. Lee Hosu:
I know he is the Male Lead but somehow I liked the Second Male Lead much more, again 😂 Le Hosu was just ok. I felt sorry for him at some parts especially when he was younger. I didn’t like how he treated his mom, so there were some scenes when I got really annoyed with him because I really liked his mom! She was my favorite character! So I was happy when I watched the scene when his mom comes to Seoul and hits him and then they hug and cry and I cried so much in that scene too!!!! 😭😭😭

which brings me to my next character:

4. Bon - Hong aka Hosu’a mom:
I LOVED this woman so much!!!! Everything she said and did was so touching and sweet and I loved her fighting with Ok-hui 😂😂😂 idk if I am biased or not because she is a Reply 1988 actress but I genuinely loved Bonhong so much!!! Her quotes were my favorite 😂

5. Ok-hui aka the twins’ mom:
At the beginning and throughout the whole drama I was SO annoyed with her!! Her talking aggressively ALL THE TIME put me so much on edge!!!! She is mean to everyone literally! To Bon-hong, Miji, her mother, just everyone!!! I got so fed up with her until the scene she cried on the floor with the real Miji and then cried at the hospital in her mother’s lap. Her story was maybe one of the most heartbreaking and although I still dislike her aggressive side, I got to like her in the end…

7. Kim Rosa aka Sangwol:
Her story was one of the most impressive! I cried so much! The way she protected her friend gave me goosebumps!!! When women love and help each other they can move mountains!!! Her story was such a story! I was so happy she got a happy end so quickly! 🥰 It was so heartwarming!

8. Tae-i and his sister:
I cant really say much about his sister, but I really loved Tae-i!!! As a very minor character he was very well done! I would have liked to see more of him!

9. The grandma:
Once again, a drama with a grandma plot can never disappoint!!! One of my favorite Korean words is the one for Grandma, (halmeoni) because some of my favoritr dramas are the ones that have a kind grandma starting (e.g. Start-up).

I would say this is it for the main characters!
I just love this drama and lowkey want a season 2 just to see Mirae get together with Sejin. Also I feel like the twins are both the main characters but it felt more focused on Miji. So I wonder whether there shouldn’t be a part 2 which focuses more on Mirae 😍

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Amazing start, Best games, disappointing ending

So basically, Squid Game 3 started off with a bang! The first two games were probably the best games in the Squid Games so far!!! especially the Hide and Seek Game has destroyed me!!! Not only because of the set up of the game which required the red players to kill the blue players, actively!!! basically, in order to survive, they had to commit murder!!! which was quite sick!!! And then the fact that so many crucial characters died in this game (we all know who we are the saddest about… 😭😭😭), and then the baby coming was just like “what?? seriously??” Tbh I still have mixed feelings about the baby but I will share my theory later.
One scene that was horrific as well was when the old mother had to kill her son!!! I guess most people will not understand the reason behind this but for my part I could totally understand her… first of all, no mother would want their children to become the murderer of a new mother. She probably thought that “instead of him killing someone else, I will free my son from this burden by killing him.” This aspect of the drama has shocked and intrigued me a lot!!! this point of view was insane and something I have never seen in any other movie or drama before. One of the most crucial scenes in this drama I think…
One tiny little thing I didn’t like about the Hide and Seek game was the fact that Gi-hun killed Dae-ho!!! He was mad at him and hunted him down bcs he thought his friend died bcs of Dae-ho. I felt really sad because in the end he just got scared which is a very humane reaction. I wish Gi-hun had killed the old greedy entrepreneur instead…

The jump rope game was crazy too!!!! not to mention the song omgggg!!!! Squid Game songs are always such bangers!!! And they kept getting better and better too!!!
Mingle in S2 was already great and ngl it would have been way mess fun without Thanos dancing to it 😂😂😂 But the jump rope song was next level!!! Kudos to the music producers of this season!

And, well the games and music are about it when it comes to the things I liked in this season!!!
After the junp rope game everything went downhill!!!

From the finalist to the end of the last game, everything was disappointing and left us feeling like “that was it?”

First of all, I hated the final players!!!! Idk why nobody could kill that old greedy fart!!! And apart from Minsu and player 333 who tf were the other guys???? They weren’t even that important!!! Why were they in the final???? I just don’t get it!!! I wish Thanos had not died but made it to the final game omg how fun that would have been!!!

Second, the fact that the police officer Junho doesn’t get any answers to his questions frustrated me soooo muchhhh!!!! Like, I understand that Gi-hun had to die and I do feel like his death in order to save the baby was symbolic. But I wished there was more of a conversation and exchange between the brothers aka Junho and the Frontman! And also I am still curious in what relationship the former Frontman, Il-nam stood to the new Frontman In-ho.

Then, what was that ending in America with Cate Blanchett as the new recruiter??? It definitely hinted on an American version of Squid Game coming up!!! and idk if i like it or not!!! And tbh, I genuinely feel like Squid Game might have had a different ending initially, before the success was so overwhelming and before netflix asked the director to split season 2 to two parts. I honestly think that the director was asked by Netflix to change the ending in a way that it still leaves room to play in case they want to film another version. And I guess thats why the story between the brothers was unresolved!

One thing at the end that I did like was No-Eul’s arc and how she rescued the father of the girl and then it even showed how she met them outside at the theme park again. That was a slightly happier moment from the otherwise depressing end.

I am also curious about what will happen to Junho and the baby and Gi-hun’s daughter.
If they make an American version, I assume that the frontman and Junho will be the only Korean characters from the original series, continuing their dispute in the American version… that’s my prediction…

My theory as to why the baby brought in to the games and why it survived is probably because of the following reasons: It could have a biblical / religious / spiritual meaning, highlighting the importance of new life and how it is worth risking so many people’s lives for a new life. Also, it showed the evilness of some or most of the remaining players and how the majority of them was ready to kill off an innocent baby instead of dying showed how the majority of the world, especially roch, old greedy men do not care about newborns, or children whatsoever and the reason why society is crumbling and why we do not have enough children on this earth anymore… Another point that was proven right by the frontman: greed as the driving motivator for the majority of humans when it should be the appreciation of new life. And I assume thats also why Gi-hun’s death was so symbolic! He who has also been driven by greed before he joined the games has realized that unlike himself, most people will never stop to be greedy for money. Although he did change, he realized that that’s not the case for the majority of humans…

In general it’s a good watch but the ending is very messy and disappointing…

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The first and only hospital drama I’ve watched

I am usually not a fan of medical / hospital dramas or should I say, they never sparked my interest enough. However, I have heard really good things about this drama and since the writers are from my favorite drama ever (1988) I decided to give it a try! And I didn’t regret it!!!

Of course, it doesn’t even come close to the greatness of reply 1988! Still, it is a very nice and heartwarming drama. Seeing the daily lives of doctors was very interesting, and I also learned a lot of things about surgeries, sicknesses and the systems and hierarchies of hospitals and medical workers.

The best thing about this drama however are the characters! Not only the main characters but also the side characters, like the residents, interns and assistant doctors. It’s funny how relatable each character is! That’s definitely the strength of this drama!

And of course the point that makes this drama different and unique from other medical dramas is the fact that the main 5 characters who have been friends for decades, also play in a band and the music they play is just AMAZING!!!! Every track was a banger and soooo beautiful!!!

Sadly, there were some things I didn’t quite like. The main reason was the fact that they explicitly showed the surgeries!!! It was seriously too graphic for my taste!

And in general, some scenes were too sad and heartbreaking for me that it was hard to handle it.

But in general it is definitely a well-made drama!

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Great Joseon-era drama filled with hot men

First of all, this was my first, full Joseon-era drama I have ever watched so I was really impressed with the production quality, costumes, and the beautiful sets that were chosen.
The storyline was so well-thought of, from beginning to end with so much drama and intrigue, as well as romance, comic relief and sadness!
The cast was star-studded and there were so many hot male characters I didn’t know where to look at! 😂😂😂

The characters/actors:
I love Park Eun-bin and she naturally did not disappoint in this role either. The way she played the King was remarkable! She proved once again that she can take any role. When I first saw the adult version of the King played by Eun-bin I was like “Oh wow she is sooo handsome!!” 🤯
As the character of the King, she initially displayed her cold, heartless side but slowly softened up throughout the drama. Sometimes it was so sad to watch her long for her femininity whenever they went to the market places 🥺

Then there was Ro Woon!!! I now understand the hype around him! This was my first drama of his I watched and omg I have definitely been missing out!!! He is so handsome like how!!???? as if an artist drew him! I am seriously obsessed with the way his face looks like 😍😍😍 also he looks a bit like Taehyung from BTS.
As for his character, Jung Ji-un he was such a cuutie!!!!! From his first appearance on he was interesting! His love for the king and his friendship with Jaeun and the other scribes and teachers was very funny to watch. I loved to see how he was behaving when he realized he had feelings for the king without knowing that he was a woman 😂 I just loved the fact that he was the male lead.

Next, Lord Jaeun aka Hyun was my favorite character of the series 😍 He was so kind and smart and respectful to everyone, quite literally my dream man. It was a bit strange tbh that he was in love with his cousin 😅 But he realized that his feelings were wrong and acted accordingly which was again very remarkable. Also, I did not expect him to become the next King at the end of the drama. Actually, I thought he was gonna die while protecting the King or sth but I am really happy that he survived ☺️ I just wish he had a girl fall in love with him because he is HELLA FINE!!!! 😍😍😍

And of course, two of the most important characters, Court Lady Kim and Eunuch Bok-Dong were the pillars of this drama and the female lead. They might seem like mascot characters at the beginning but they actually had very crucial roles. Court Lady Kim was like her mother she never really had and the Eunuch was a replacement of her dead twin brother 🥺 They both gave her the warmth and support of a family she never experienced since her own family was just cold and distant all the time.

I really grew to like Kim Ga-on as well. At the beginning he was very misleading and we all thought he was a bad guy. But I love how he turned out to be the most loyal and skilled warrior to the King. And his little love story with Ju-Un’s friend was soooo cuteeee omg!!!! 🥹🥹🥹

One of the villains with a redemption arc was Commander Jung aka Ji-Un’s ruthless father. He was the roundest character of this drama! His character development and decisions were very unexpected. He reminded me of Snape in a way. Up until the moment Commander Yoon died partly because of him he was this evil commander doing all the dirty work for Lord Sangheon. But after his old friend’s death he started to change. His last scene with Ji-Un were sooo heartbreaking, I cried so much 😭😭😭 I an glad he got a redemption arc because he was a very skilled warrior that benefited the King greatly in the end (although they lost the battle).

And last but not least, Seo-un and Ha-Gyeong were quite interesting too. I loved how Seo-Un realized that Ji-Un had feelings for anothet and just how she could not marry the King for these reasons, she understood exactly how Ji-Un must be feeling. It was still very sad to see her suffer and hurt at the end and she cane to become one of my favorite characters as well.
Ha-Gyeong was so cute when she first fell in love with the King not knowing that she just fell in love with a woman 😂She was a little bit naive and clumsy at times but I really loved her character. I kind a wish she had more screentime or actually I was hoping she would fall in love with Jaeun but that did not happen sadly.

These were my favorite characters. Of course Lord Sangheon and the rest of the royal family were important too but I didnt really care about them. Sangheon was just an evil, manipulative old man who should have died earlier! I wish Ga-on had assassinated him earlier!
And then the Late King aka the father of the female lead was a character I don’t have much to say about. Him and the Queen Dowager were quite insignificant for me tbh. And then the most annoying characters were Lord Changun aka the uncle and Lord Wonsan aka Jaeun’s evil brother. I HATED them!!! especially the uncle!!!! They were probably even worse than Lord Sangheon.

As you noticed the characters in this drama were amazing! No character was abundant or useless. Everyone had a purpose even the very small minor characters. Loved how they were utilized to strengthen and keep the storyline moving.

Some pros and cons:

Pros:
1. Characters
2. Storyline
3. Soundtrack
4. A lot of handsome men
5. Sword fight choreos were on point
6. The ending was beautiful

Cons:
1. The episodes with the Ming guy were a bit strange and I still don’t know how that fit into the general plot.
2. Some things were left uncleared in the end for example what happened to Lord Wonsan, or whether Jaeun found out that the King was the twin and how they ended up switching their lives.

Not that many cons at all and very small minor ones.

Definitely a 10/10 watch for me!!! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

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