Warren Moore

More weird than thriller...

The Trunk

Genre: Mystery, Romance
Episodes: 8
Streamed on: Netflix

Plot Summary:

A mess. A big sloppy mess. So you have a divorced couple, using a marriage company for societies “elites” as the ex-wifes punishment (you’ll find out later) to the ex-husband. So while she’s manipulating and cucking him at the same time, she’s paired him up with a woman she thinks he’ll hate, but they end up falling for each other. There’s also a creepy stalker and the wife-for-hire has other issues. A sloppy mess.

Characters & Cast:

Main Characters: Ships.

Gong Yoo ⇒ Han Jeong Won
Seo Hyun Jin ⇒ No In Ji

Villains: Notable actors.

There really aren’t many good characters in this story, and depending on which aspect of the story you’re focusing on, there are villains everywhere.

Best of OST:

Ok, one of the most redeeming things about this whole drama is this track.
https://youtu.be/T8CvJNt8ILI?si=j_wzYkBVteWhLJ8l

And the Kyuri version is just as good, both earn a spot on your Spotify playlist.
https://youtu.be/PM09KnppR3w?si=JrHdnL7eMU5glS-X

Most of the rest of the OST is pretty average, or worse it feeds into the awkward silences. But a couple other tracks are interesting, but not something I’d listen to regularly.
https://youtu.be/a-mdCYLMq5M?si=2aULUzaAkdLc1hx5

Gripes:

I don’t know if they where trying to portray sexual tension, but I swear half the drama was just awkward silences. For an 8 episode drama, this felt like it dragged on far too long. I think we get an editor in, and make this a 2-3 hour movie, and I wouldn’t feel like I wanted all these hours of my life back.

Like I mentioned above, there are really no likeable characters in this drama. Likeable actors for sure, Seo Hyun Jin is one of my all time favourite actresses, and I hear Gong Yoo is pretty popular too I guess. But I like to like at least one person in the drama’s I watch, otherwise I just don’t feel invested.

Re-watch:

**Would I watch it again?**
No… well maybe part of episode 2—am I right guys!?— but really, no.

**Would I watch it with my brother?**
Not even close to anything he’d be interested in.

**Would I watch it with my kid?**
No… just no.

Final Thoughts:

A sloppy mess. Half of the running time was awkward silences, the other half was mostly horrible people doing horrible things to each other. Edit this down to a movie and I think it would serve the audience much better. It’s a short drama, that was too long. It’s such a shame, because I feel like I was looking forward to this drama for so long.

Rating:
5.5/10

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Cheers!

Brewing Love

Genre: Romance, Comedy
Episodes: 12
Streamed on: Viki

Plot Summary:

The military-trained and stoic Yong-ju works for a beer company that needs to get the overly empathetic brewmaster Min-ju to work for them. With her extroverted personality and his introverted personality the task would seem impossible. But shenanigans ensue and the pair somehow find a way to work together, heal each other, and find love.

Characters & Cast:

Main Characters: Ships.

Lee Jong Woon ⇒ Yun Min Ju
Kim Se Jeong ⇒ Chae Yong Ju

Shin Do Hyun ⇒ Bang A Ruem
Baek Sung Chul ⇒ O Chan Hwi

Villains: Notable actors.

It’s Kim Joong-Hee. You knew it, I knew it. As soon as this guy walked on screen, we all knew he was the bad guy.

Special Mentions

Jang Won-Young and Seo I-Yeon were such a delightful couple

Best of OST:

I can’t remember but I swear this was on another Kdrama OST that I’ve seen. Either way, I’ve had this song on my playlist for a long time, and Kim Sejeong’s version of this song is haunting and beautiful and… just *chef’s kiss*
https://youtu.be/RE-84wwBXT8?si=WJcqJYbp7BhnAM5j

And it’s almost impossible to go wrong with a Melomance track on your OST…
https://youtu.be/AgAppV-X8GI?si=toz5aSQtX_Bv--Ne

I don’t know who’s in charge of the OST’s for Kim Sejeong, but they need a raise.
https://youtu.be/CnXbAOxCzCE?si=Lg6ChREH4Ax9Q9ym

Gripes:

If I’m being completely honest, I don’t disagree with the villain’s take that the product line was unviable. Also… I don’t know how successful her business at the end would be either…

Re-watch:

**Would I watch it again?**
Yeah. After a while I’d give it another spin. It had some really touching moments, but was also a light and fluffy rom-com.

**Would I watch it with my brother?**
There’s just no way this is his cup of tea.

**Would I watch it with my kid?**
Yeah, the romance is tame enough and I also like introducing different career paths to her.

Final Thoughts:

This drama had little to no fat to trim. The fact that it was a tight 12 episodes served it well. Towards the end you get a little bit of whiplash going from sad to cutesy a bit to quick. But overall this light and fluffy rom-com is worth the watch for sure. Great OST too.

Rating:
7.7/10

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Squee

Hidden Love

Genre: Romance
Episodes: 25
Streamed on: Netflix

Plot Summary:

From middle-school admiration, to high school first love, to college romance and true love, Hidden Love tells the story of a girl that falls in love with someone 5 years older than her and waiting until the time is right, and he falls for her, to realise that love.

Characters & Cast:
Chen Zhe Yuan ⇒ Duan Jia Xu

Zhao Lu Si ⇒ Sang Zhi

Best of OST:

I mean, what a bop! Not mention FL singing. Grade A playlist bait.
https://youtu.be/ZOavfADzOto?si=QA4XEba5k7qUJ0k5

And the FL strikes again!
https://youtu.be/w9u9JjXZLCc?si=-abbFgRHBzSbOQUf

Ugh, this track is so good!
https://youtu.be/Ays2i9p6vL8?si=CwFNPQpCyX9q2Z_k

I though about leaving this song off of the list, then I was dancing to it and thought again!
https://youtu.be/5kgqFqvGBYY?si=2z1sEy8VzSwFUK_a

I already feel my blood pressure dropping and peace returning to the force when I play this… and I don’t even like star wars…
https://youtu.be/-bmzHdkcTJ4?si=g_pA7E8Q6XKpQYkt

Overall this OST was a masterpiece that didn’t miss. It set the tone so well.
https://youtu.be/4eUlNiuyQUE?si=ZjXDnzvbjXKQsLMo

Gripes:

I don’t have any gripes with this drama. Everything kind of made sense, even the conflicts were reasonable. I wish it were longer and we could spend more time with them as a couple.

Re-watch:

Would I watch it again?
Yes. It’s so good. I'm re-watching it now... with the First Frost

Would I watch it with my brother?
No, I don’t think he’d let me make him watch it.

Would I watch it with my kid?
Yes. I’d have to wait some years. Or do it soon. It might be pushing it. I don’t want to encourage the age gap romance with my kid… but also I think it deals with some interesting topics to discuss with her… Also it’d be nice to watch this again 😂

Final Thoughts:

What a lovely story. I love love. I love this drama. From the cast to the OST this drama was near perfection.

Rating:

9.7/10

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People lose their s!@# over girl who plays video games...

Falling Into Your Smile

Genre: Romcom, Gaming

Episodes: 31

Streamed on: Netflix

Plot Summary:

A girl plays video games. Girl is pretty good at video games. Good enough to join an esports team. Everyone loses their shit for about 30 episodes because a girl is playing video games. There’s also shared living and romance plot in there too.

Characters & Cast:

Main Characters:

Cheng Xiao ⇒ Tong Yao
Xu Kai ⇒ Lu Si Cheng
Zhou Yi Ran ⇒ Ai Jia
Rachel Wang ⇒ Chen Ji Yang

Best Of OST:

The OST seemed a bit meh, but it did it’s job trying to hype up during the times of tension and evoke emotion at the appropriate times, it’s just that nothing was particularly outstanding…

https://youtu.be/KhtaaH6-R8M?si=aoEWC4ozloCmFK5M

Gripes:

Netizens. They Suck. Also, I get "don't be a sleezy piece of shit", but I don’t understand feeling responsibility to fans… I guess I never will. Given that they kind of realise the short life span of an esports career, I think that they should have encouraged finishing school first.

Re-watch:

Would I watch it again?
Nah, not for me.

Would I watch it with my brother?
Nah, not for him

Would I watch it with my kid?
Hell no. I don’t care how much they romanticised it, I don’t think playing video games competitively is a healthy thing.

Final Thoughts:

Here’s the thing… I’m not that into video games. But I feel like the drama You Are My Glory did this theme so much better than this. I guess I think that it’s hard to revolve a story around competitive gaming and keep my attention. Maybe cut the gaming down and make it a 20-24 episode drama.

Rating:

6/10

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The Legend of CHICKEN!

The Legend of Shen Li

Genre: Romance, Fantasy
Episodes: 39
Streamed on: Viki

Plot Summary:

In order to escape an arranged marriage that she wants no part of, the Azure Sky King hides out in the mortal realm, where she finds herself under the care of a seemingly weak mortal. But with demons, immortals, old gods and monsters, not everything is as it seems. Action, magic and forbidden love shenanigans ensue.

Characters & Cast:

Main Characters:

Zhao Li Ying ⇒ Shen Li
Lin Geng Xin ⇒ Xing Zhi || Xing Yun

Villains: There is a bigger bad and more enemies and betrayal etc, but this is the main bad of the show.
Wei Zi Xin ⇒ Fu Sheng

Special Mentions:**
Fu Rong Slidey Boy

Best of OST:

This banger hits the spot…
https://youtu.be/qfLNcs3qWZw?si=HFcEipbsTjjOhn5M

This track… it’s almost there you know. I bet a live performance of this would go off.
https://youtu.be/hrP1y83US6g?si=SuS9lOzHSsBCOifv

This one however, best banger from a Cdrama I’ve seen so far.
https://youtu.be/XHF7EYL7hkU?si=68AtPvGfBfpQmVDH

Did I mention these pipes go off?
https://youtu.be/Hqt_2l_Vo1I?si=IFblTvw_2wgYjObl

When all is said and done, from the BGM to the titled tracks, this was one banger of an OST.
https://youtu.be/XcVGpj_O3zU?si=qgbB8oKz4qjsdkcD

Gripes:

This show was pretty epic, and is one of my favourite Chinese drama’s so far. If I had one gripe, they could have cut the last 2 episodes and incorporated the important things from it in the last episode. Maybe by cutting down on the flashbacks, we didn’t need so much backstory. But if you were stressed and binging, the last 2 eps are relaxing and rewarding.

Re-watch:

**Would I watch it again?**
Yeah

**Would I watch it with my brother?**
I did, he was the one who found it.

**Would I watch it with my kid?**
I would when she’s older, but some of the scenes are a bit too adult.

Final Thoughts:

Probably the best Cdrama of 2024. The reed pipes hyped you up every episode. There was also that banger OST. And most importantly a happy ending. The couple took far too long to get together, but ultimately this drama had enough going on for you not to worry about it. There was action in almost every episode.

Rating:
9.2/10

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Half-way through the show the character's personalities become unrecognisable.

My Boss

Genre: Romance, Legal
Episodes: 36
Streamed on: Viki

Plot Summary:

Cheng Yao is sick of the misogynistic legal partners she has had to deal with until now and prompted by serendipity, leaves her job for her dream firm. Qian Heng has stress induced insomnia and thinks that returning to his old apartment will help him sleep. Turns out the apartment has been rented out to both of our protagonists and we’ve entered the forced shared living trope. The cherry on top is that he ends up being her boss at the new law firm.

Characters & Cast:

Main Characters:

Chen Xiao Yun ⇒ Cheng Xi
Li Jun Xian ⇒ Wu Jun
Zhang Ruo Nan ⇒ Cheng Yao
Cheng Xing Xu ⇒ Qian Heng

Best of OST:

I might revisit this, the show probably left me with such a bad taste that even the OST seems meh, but I didn’t find any track particularly amazing.
https://youtu.be/t_rPqffmEm0?si=GnpbUwj01Gk16zYn

Gripes:

Okay, I thoroughly enjoyed this show, up until they ended up in a relationship. At that point I found that the characters turned into completely different people. The cute bubbly FL turned in a block of stone. Ultimately, I feel like yes, the ML needed some reckoning for his past behaviour. But they took it too far. I’m just going to say it, feminism came into the second half of this drama and ruined it.

Re-watch:

Would I watch it again?
No, this had so much potential. It could have been the What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim of Cdrama, but it dropped the ball.

Would I watch it with my brother?
Definitely not his style of drama, but I wouldn’t recommend it even if we added dragons.

Would I watch it with my kid?
Maybe, to scare her off relationships and get her to be more career driven.

Final Thoughts:

This drama was so cute in the first half, got angsty and feminist in the second, and got almost unwatchable towards the end. I’m more disappointed than if this had just been a bad drama to begin with. I feel catfished. Even though this drama has a happy ending for our couple, even that is tainted with the ick of feminism gone too far.

Rating:

5.5/10

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The amnesia cake is a lie!

Please Feel At Ease Mr. Ling

Genre: Romantic Comedy
Episode Count: 24
Streamed on: Viki

Main Characters:

Zhao Lu Si as Gu An Xin
Liu Te as Mr. Ling

Plot Summary:

An Xin accidentally runs over Mr. Ling one stormy night, and both because he seems to have lost his memories, and also because she can’t afford to cover his hospital bill, she decides to take him home an care for him until he recovers.
As the pair grow closer, a convoluted chain of events conspire to keep the pair apart.

Characters & Cast:

Gu An Xin: Our female lead is a thrifty ex-adopted child of a rich tycoon. She aspires to be a webcomic artist, while doing odd jobs to survive.

Mr. Ling: Our male lead is also adopted, and also to a rich tycoon. He is incredibly smart and successful, and also overly paranoid about threats to his life… ok maybe justifiably paranoid.

There are other characters; The hot female bodyguard. The doctor friend. The third-wheel love rival that wont take no for an answer. The incestuous brother. Too many to mention, and not really worth mentioning in depth.

Best of the OST:

One of my favourite things is when the lead actor/actress puts a track on the ost.
https://youtu.be/N8GT2q7XNCo?si=X9IvwDSx3WHGQyLp

And I find this track has a haunting beauty to it
https://youtu.be/6Jt2f29R_D0?si=YgJ1nLROEU1s148I

All in all, it’s quite a chill OST for such a crazy plot.
https://youtu.be/WeDBJt-Upwk?si=k2M-n8hE4U6FgxmE

Pacing & Flow:

The romance progresses at a nice pace. The rest of the story…WHIPLASH

Final Thoughts:

I love love. So I was here for the romance. I’m also very forgiving of a lot of content. So I would say I enjoyed this enough to say I got what I was looking for. (Plus Zhao Lusi is pretty 😊)

That being said, unless you’re a fan of Zhao Lusi, or maybe really like crazy convoluted plot-lines and plot-holes big enough to drive a bus through, I wouldn’t really recommend this drama.

Rating:

4.5/10

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I wanted a little more...

You Are My Hero

Streamed on: Viki

Plot Summary:

Years after a heist thwarted by a SWAT agent, a victim (a doctor) meets the SWAT agent again. In her mind the person who saved her and the person in front of her are polar opposites, and they she doesn’t recognise him for quite a while, in his eyes, this is the girl of his dreams. Medical and criminal shenanigans ensue.

Best of OST:

This duet is really nice

https://youtu.be/jTDkohYOo1A?si=ov2wFPO-uMcCAXM4

The OST was ok, with only one track that stood out to me.

https://youtu.be/vy3NtAkjiLI?si=roaDopN8f2A0b0tX

Gripes:

I might be the minority in this one, but I didn’t really feel the chemistry between the main leads. I’d buy them as friends, but not so much as lovers. There were a few too many flashbacks. And the second couples ML needed to be killed off early in the show. I’ve never seen a more frustrating character (That statement is hyperbole). It might not be the drama’s fault. I came looking for something similar to “Fireworks of My Heart” and this wasn’t it.

Re-watch:
Would I watch it again?
Not by myself. There’s better dramas in my opinion that would scratch the itch.

Would I watch it with my brother?
Nah, he’d get bored.

Would I watch it with my kid?
I might watch it with my kid, but I don’t know if she’d make it through 40 episodes.

Final Thoughts:

The drama was ok. The chemistry between the leads could have been better, the romance didn’t romance enough and the drama elsewhere didn’t feel intense enough. But it wasn’t a stressful watch and it had a happy ending. I’m not angry I watched it.

Rating:

6.6/10

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The unofficial sequel to Love Game In Eastern Fantasy

Plot Summary:

Chu Li is a finance major that somehow shifty’s her way into becoming a book editor, Zhou Chan is an author. Actually they’re online friends that have developed crushes on each other but neither of them knows the others identity at first and they butt heads constantly. Shenanigans abound.

The Second leads for me is actually the better relationship to follow. But they don’t get the screen time for it to feel satisfying. Which is fair since it’s not really their story.

Esther Yu, as Chu Li is an adorable well meaning and competent book editor. Ding Yu Xi, as Zhou Chuan is an arrogant, proud and dumber than his success would lead you to believe author.

Best of OST:

Esther Yu on the OST. Cute… 😍
https://youtu.be/4thQ92s26BU?si=IGNrJmEEiEkV_7Fc

Overall, this drama doesn’t really have a comprehensive OST, relying a lot on the above track. But it gets the job done.
https://youtu.be/dghP0XCF8eI?si=YF2Rj5uYXcDSV6SY

Gripes:

The pacing is a bit slow, I would have liked to have spent more time with the relationships, but the story got bogged in the minutia of the publishing industry, which I guess is exactly what they were going for.

Re-watch:

Would I watch it again?
Yeah, it’s cute enough, but I’d probably be skipping through a lot of it.

Would I watch it with my brother?
I might be able to convince him to watch it as a sequel to “Love Game In Eastern Fantasy”, but this is exactly the type of show he avoids watching.

Would I watch it with my kid?
I think when my daughter get’s older, I’d like to watch it with her, if only for showing her that this is a possible career path.

Final Thoughts:

The drama was cute, the romance was satisfying, but the publishing industry remains kinda boring.

Rating:

7.6/10

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Tomato Swissue

Extraordinary Attorney Woo

Genre: Legal, Romance, Comedy
Episodes: 16
Streamed on: Netflix

Plot Summary:

Our story revolves around an autistic genius that until recently has struggled to find employment as an attorney due to her disability. As the story progresses, Attorney Woo will have to learn to navigate the legal system, workplace politics, family drama, romance and, worst of all, revolving doors.

Characters & Cast:

Main Characters:

Woo Young-Woo
Lee Jun-Ho

Other Cast:

Choi “Spring Sunshine” Su-Yeon
Jung Myeong-Suk
Dong to-the Geu to-the Rami

Best of OST:

I just realised that this calming tune was done by SUZY!!!
https://youtu.be/CzSOnojxrqk?si=AQOhPdEWw3OpRZDM

And this is a bonus. This track was sung by Extraordinary Attorney Woo herself. I believe on the plane trip either to or from Jeju.
https://youtu.be/QT93FwerODU?si=G-KtMYxKzVW5uVCl

Good luck not hearing this every time you attempt revolving doors from now on…
https://youtu.be/Wz0cqovS730?si=zLb-3WcuFn0Iz2cv

From the intro, to the special song sung by Park Eun-bin in the later episodes, the OST is catchy and memorable, complimenting the show rather than outshining it at any point.
https://youtu.be/OvbEvBXrzkw?si=uI2TYi3yrdZy433O

Writing & Themes:

It’s difficult to properly assess the writing for this drama. This is because I am in no way knowledgable on:

- Autism
- Being a lawyer
- The Korean Legal System

However, I’ve heard people say that Park Eun-bin is just playing the same character she always does. I’ve seen a few of her drama’s and in this one, and in the others, she plays a radically different character. I can see the effort placed into the idiosyncrasies of her character. The emotional growth the characters go through is gold, and the legal drama is just the engine that gets them there.

Pacing & Flow:

The format of the show takes on a case-of-the-week sort of flow, with the cases in the later episodes sometimes spanning multiple episodes. Most of the show is paced really well. If there is one complaint I have, it’s that I wish we could have spent more time with the couple, and dealt with more of how their relationship would have panned out.

That said, while the romance was sweet, I understand that it wasn’t the main driver of the show.

Final Thoughts:

Extraordinary Attorney is a lovely drama that tugs at the heartstrings. For some reason this scene in particular always chokes me up no matter how many times I’ve seen it.

https://youtu.be/A4IxJj4eHWM?si=3CG0KrNtERpUe6_h

If you’re someone that empathises easily, someone that likes a good underdog story, or someone that likes a legal drama, I think that *Extraordinary Attorney Woo* is the drama for you.

Rating:
9.2/10

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The real monster of this story is the female friend...

Love Your Enemy

Genre: Romance
Episodes: 12
Streamed on: Viki

Plot Summary:

Jiwon and Jiwon were born at roughly the same time, and grew up frenemies from the crib. With a family rivalry that resemble the Montague’s and Capulets, they’re pretty much destined to be at odds.

Well no-one gave them the memo and they fall in love. 18-year-old love being what it is they end up in a fight and an almost fatal disagreement between the elders (and some psycho supposed friend) separates them for 18 years.

Meeting again as enemies shenanigans ensue that can hopefully mend the hurt of the past and maybe even rekindle old flames.

Characters & Cast:

Main Characters:

Ok, so we got:

- Ju Ji Hoon
- Jung Yu Mi
- Oh Ye Ju
- Hong Min Ki

all playing older and younger Ji Won’s lol


- Villains:

Sure there was the whole property fraud and negligent homicide thing but actually, the real monster of this story is this b!@#$ female friend. Just… Wow… probably isn’t technically a crime, but it should be.

Best of OST:

There’s just something about this track that keeps me coming back to it. Something in the vocals.
https://youtu.be/92B0Nb14C-s?si=oi75OYkdpw-lXiKT

This has the sound of a classic. I could chill to this for hours…
https://youtu.be/lDMLRtMD_r0?si=jSFUw7PaTPMsvnNN

This track almost has me in tears…
https://youtu.be/KJT1lvp2rgQ?si=VhGYafdwPffkjajl

Okay, so not every track is a banger, but as a whole this is a great OST, and with the few amazing tracks, this OST is really elevated.
https://youtu.be/SgiETOXwsGk?si=fefoYeCaX7wDUJid

Re-watch:

**Would I watch it again?**
Yeah, this was a really touching drama. I’m close to the adult characters age too and feel their struggles.

**Would I watch it with my brother?**
For the sheer audacity of Kim Ye Won’s character I’d try, but this isn’t his bag.

**Would I watch it with my kid?**
Yes, I think this show would be really good to watch with my daughter.

Final Thoughts:

I felt the heartbreak. And the 18 year regret. I feel really bad for my main characters. I was really touched when the FL basically discovered his actions over the years and promised to make it up to him. This drama was a tight 12 episodes with hardly any fat. I’d recommend it for sure.

Rating:
8.9/10

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Marty! We gotta go back... to show those cheating !@#$

Blossom

Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Mystery, Historical
Episodes: 34
Streamed on: Viki

Plot Summary:

Our heroine gets cheated on, poisoned, and murdered in the space of a couple of days. Luckily the universe was like “aw hell nah!” and sent her back in time with a cheatsheet to her childhood to live her life out again. With this second chance, she’ll need to avenge her mother, get pre-revenge on everyone that wronged her in her past life, and stop the country from falling into war… maybe finding love along the way.

Characters & Cast:

Main Characters: Ships.
Li Yun Rui ⇒ Song Mo / Yan Tang
Meng Zi Yi ⇒ Dou Zhao / Shou Gu

Villains: Notable actors.
There are so many villains. Most of the cast of the show that isn’t the OTP are villains. Maybe not Granny’s group… though
even some of them turn. Can’t trust no ho’ on these Blossom streets.

Special Mentions
Li Bai Hui ⇒ Dou Ming
Coming from the generation that birthed emo music, the famous saying; “Whores don’t get a second chance” comes to
mind… But man… I wish she did though. 😢

Best of OST:

Ooooh the leads singing! My favourite!
https://youtu.be/mBGnxcC0KiM?si=ThtAeI2IiuH3d0ld

For a historical drama, the OST really sets the mood. This drama’s OST does a good job of that.
https://youtu.be/PV_jzr4UQs8?si=jyc4pfgjzraksgVt

Gripes:

Being filial. This whole requirement. It’s crazy. I mean I get it, but they take it to the extreme. So I guess I don’t really get it. I think if my dad cheated on my mum I’d stop being filial there. Maybe after his actions caused her death. Yeah there too. Maybe after trying to marry my rich ass off for political gain. Yeah there too. Sheesh. Shitty parents shouldn’t get special treatment.

I’m not talking about parents that tried and failed. They deserve respect, but parents that are spiteful and act against you shouldn’t be rewarded for busting a nut that one time. At some point somethings gotta give, and earlier than the point at which it does in this show.

Re-watch:

**Would I watch it again?**
Yeah, it’s a good drama.

**Would I watch it with my brother?**
Yeah. I think this borders on what he’d find a good watch.

**Would I watch it with my kid?**
No. I don’t think this is a drama I’d show my kid.

Final Thoughts:

All’s well that ends well. This was a bumpy and stressful ride. I felt like the couple could have gotten together sooner, and been around each other more. But the drama skirted the edge of having a good balance of romance, angst, politics and action. The juice was worth the squeeze.

Rating:
8.5/10

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A fun romcom with all the nonsense that entails

Fall In Love With A Fox

Ship 1:
Xu Hao *as* Jin Bai Wan
Wanyan Luo Rong *as* Qu Zheng

Ship 2:
Pan Yue Tong *as* Jin Mu Qiu
Li Yu Han *as* Yu Lin Feng

Ship 3:
Eve Lu *as* Su Zhuo Zhuo
Jian Ze Sheng *as* Song Jian Shan

Episodes: 29 (+3 Epilogue Episodes)

Streamed on ⇒ Viki

Best of the OST

https://youtu.be/3RCwWcT2Oqs?si=uwKmSsgqwNnxRy8j
The OST sufficed, but was mostly not worth noting.

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Fall In Love With A Fox is a fun romantic comedy set in a “historical” fantasy setting. It focuses on Jin Baiwan, a girl who has amnesia and Qu Zhen, a sly fox-like man who is determined to get the girl, and get his revenge.

When the ships are sailing, the romance is sweet and cute. But some of the drama that separates the couples at times in outrageously stupid. Especially with the second couple. Going around in circles like that was maddening.

The main couple was very sweet, and their back and forth was what made up the main comedy of the show. Their big misunderstanding was, again, hard to get. She discovers he lied, but I don’t understand how that is out of character from everything she has known about him since they met? She knows that he is a cheeky liar and also knows that all of the lies he’s told have never been malicious and often been for her benefit. So I don’t understand why she wouldn’t seek an explanation.

The “martial arts”, which was more like magic, was hilarious. It gave the characters the power of flight, and the ability to neck-chop people into unconsciousness for convenience. But it never once, looked like anything that you would call martial arts in real life.

If you can look past the silly martial arts and the sometimes irksome angst, the drama is an at times touching and funny drama, with a couple of really good songs on the OST and, most importantly, a happy ending.

Final Score: **6.7/10**

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I... I don't get it...

Love O2O

Genre: Romance, Gaming
Episodes: 30
Streamed on: Netflix

Plot Summary:

Boy and Girl are good gamers. Boy and Girl are both popular. Boy meets girl, and decides he wants her, basically gets her in a couple of seconds. I guess the plot revolves around how other people can’t mind their own business? I don’t know what I watched…

Characters & Cast:

Yang Yang ⇒ Xiao Nai
Zheng Shuang ⇒ Bei Wei Wei

Best of OST:

There was an OST…
https://youtu.be/PpRM1t-FD2o?si=dKQr_pJhtJ59vILE

Gripes:

It was hard to come up with a take away for this movie. People need to mind their own business. I don’t know. I felt like there was no real struggles for the couple to overcome. The ML just solved issues as they arose. It felt like watching one of those isekai anime where the protagonist is way to OP, and so, you lose interest in the show pretty quick. Boring. I guess I’m trying to say that my main gripe with the show was that I was bored.

Re-watch:

Would I watch it again?
Nope

Would I watch it with my brother?
Nope

Would I watch it with my kid?
Nope

Final Thoughts:

It can’t possibly be the case that everyone is in other peoples business that much. I feel like this has to be exaggerated. I mean—people have their own shit to deal with. Also, I get product placement but nobody’s gaming on laptops like that. What didn’t frustrate me about this drama bored me. Maybe the movie version does a better job.

Rating:
5.5/10

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What the hell is with the mum?!?

Fireworks of My Heart

Genre: Romance, Medical, Rescue
Episodes: 40
Streamed on: Viki:

Plot Summary:

The Firefighter and the Doctor where childhood sweethearts, but were torn apart by family members because of history. This is the story of how the Firefighter goes through hell and back to be worthy of the girl he loves, who in turn must find a way to say enough is enough to a manipulative mother… There’s a lot of natural disasters and action and medical shenanigans to distract you a lot from how hard it is to take the Doctors side, lol. I swear it’s actually quite a good drama.

Characters & Cast:

Yang Yang ⇒ Song Yan
Wang Chu Ran ⇒ Xu Qin / Meng Qin

Villains:
It’s the mother. In these types of dramas it’s always the mother or father. I feel like the dad was complicit too. But It’s the mum.

Best of OST:

Plucks at the heartstrings…
https://youtu.be/UxSag_q9R_Q?si=pVWxPEzUoCo6hru2

Oooh this is smooth…
https://youtu.be/-Fml9wJSjJc?si=7J6LK0I_-X9pmOaE

Almost every track in this OST, I think, is deliberately chill. Probably in order to bring you down from all of the suspense and action the show is packed with.
https://youtu.be/H93CHYBtHuQ?si=WcXpAHudBqlr9KSp

Gripes:

Ok, my gripes are specific to this drama I guess. Call me unfilial, but my god… There’s a line between showing your parents respect and listening to their every instruction. If my daughter grew up, and never pushed back on anything I asked, I feel like I will have failed her as a parent, because she can’t fight for what she wants, can’t think for herself, and might as well be a slave.

My other major gripe, is the false rape plot. I get it. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. But it’s just evil, and I feel like it was brushed over pretty quickly. I saw how they tried to redeem her in the end, but it was just gross.

Re-watch:

Would I watch it again?
I wanna watch it again right now. It’s the closest thing to a Dr Romantic (Kdrama) I’ve seen in a C-drama. Are there more drama’s like this?

Would I watch it with my brother?
Yeah… It’s not really his bag, but everyone can enjoy this surely. I don’t think I’d manage to get him to watch it unless I snuck it in though

Would I watch it with my kid?
Career based drama’s are something I think my kid could benefit from. There are a lot of lessons she could take from this show.

Final Thoughts:

The atmosphere, the tension between the leads will get you hooked. The “action” with racing into dangers is addictive. This is a super fun watch that I think everyone could get behind. I don’t know what the Chinese term is, but I think in Korean it’s “makjang”? Either way, there’s plenty of that audacious behaviour in there as well.

Rating:

8.8/10

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