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Very good straight forward and relatively light hearted

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2017 South Korean drama spanning 14, 60 minute episodes.
Cha Jin-wook (Sung Hoon) and Yoo-mi (Song Ji-Eun) meet and have a one night stand. Yoo-mi wakes up and disappears leaving Jin-wook preplexed as to why she didn't stay after what he considered a life changing encounter. Three years later Yoo-mi shows up as a nutritionist at the company Jin-wook's father owns. She pretends not to know him out of embarrassment of having a one night stand. Jin-Wook is determined to win over this woman he has never forgotten. He is not the only contendor for Yoo-mi's heart though. And Jin-wook also has a woman his father has identified as his perfect match. Can Jin-wook convince Yoo-mi they belong together? Will he be able to overcome his father's expectations as heir to a company?

Spoiler 🚨 I thoroughly enjoyed this series. The chemistry between the leads was over the top. I could see how the situation would have evolved. It was predictable, but in a good way. I recommend this to anyone that enjoys a straight up romantic comedy.

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Too emotionally brutal for me, I do not like seeing people suffer

7/10 is my rating. This is a 2021 South Korean dating reality series with 15, 61-164 minute episodes.

First I will Provide a Unique Synopsis then Review

Synopsis

This show brings together 10 singles (5 women and 5 men) for a chance to rekindle old love or find someone new. Eight of the singles were formerly in a relationship with one of the other house members but broke up for a variety of reasons. During the show they live together and go on dates and do activities to get to know each other. They send texts to a person they are interested in at the end of each round. With each batch if texts the singles receive a separate message indicating whether or not their ex chose them

House Rules

You cannot reveal who your ex is or mention it directly.

Any expression of feelings or skinship, except confession, is permitted.

On the first day, your age and occupation are not revealed.

You cannot share each other's SNS or contact information.

Cleaning and meal duties are handled in a rotation of 2 people (1 male, 1 female).

Residents eat together every evening.

Celebrity Panelists

Jung ki suck (known as Simon Dominic) Hip hop artist and co-ceo of a record label. He has also been on many variety, shows and done cameo appearances on television series. Born in 1984.

Lee Yong jin Comedian and singer. Born in 1985.

Kim ye won is an actress and singer. Born in 1987

Kim Ah Young (known as Yura) Actress and idol singer with the girl group “Girl’s Day”. Born in 1992

Kunpimook Bhuwakul (known as Bam Bam) is a thai born idol rapper and singer with the boy group “Got7”. He was born in 1997.

Singles

MALES

Yoon Jeong gwon. Cafe staff. Instagram influencer. Born in 2001. So about 20 years old during the show.

Seon Ho min. Semiconductor technology sales representative. Majored in technological engineering. Born in 1992. So about 29 at the time.

Lee Joo Hwey Game company employee. Project manager who worked on games such as Battleground. Prepares launches for new games, and analyzes competitor games to make improvements to company games. Born 1994. He would have been about 27.

Kwak Min jae. Restaurant manager. Plans to open his own Mexican restaurant. Born in 1991. Would have been about 28 at the time.

Lee Sang woo Eyewear brand Ceo. Born in 1995. Would have been about 26 at the time of the series. Joined in episode 10.

FEMALES

Lee Hye seon Graphic Designer. Designs for web and mobile platforms. Edits youtube vidos and provides one on one tutoring.. Is a freelancer who works from home. Born 1995. Would have been about 26 during the series.

Kim Bo hyun Model and Youtuber. Majored in computer engineering. Liked coding from a young age and was designing an app. Born in 1995. About 26 during the series.

Go Min Yeong. English instructor for university admissions. Born 1997. She would have been 24 at the time.

Coco Lee. Singer and reporter. Hosted a part on Entertainment Weekly with the Hollywood actors from “The Avengers”. Ex Bladee and Cocosori. Born in 1991. About 30 at the time.

Jeong Hye im Model and Youtuber. Born in 1993. Would have been 28 at the time of the series. Joined from Ep. 8 (Round 8)

Review

In the most general sense it reminds me a lot of “Heart Signal.” The singles enter the house one at a time, there is all the awkwardness at first, they all live there and they send texts to those they are interested in. They also go on dates sometimes they pick and other times are more coordinated. All of that reminds me of “Heart Signal.” The entire central component, of there being exes is where it is dramatically different as the jealousy is ramped up when it pertains to someone an individual used to think of as their exclusive partner. I think it is a mistake to put people who have only been apart for months in a situation where their ex is flirting with other people. It caused a lot of drama (which may be the point?) but it was hard to watch the pain and heartbreak various individuals experienced. I also thought they should clearly screen out those that are only coming on the show to get their ex back. It should be someone that is open to considering a new love.

i thought this show had particularly harsh elements and I was not comfortable watching the emotional pain a lot of the individuals were going through. It also felt like it biased who they might choose based on such a heavy presence from their ex.

This is not one I would watch again nor recommend to others just because there are so many better options available. But, someone who really enjoys reality shows and wants to see the wide variety might want to watch it as the ex aspect is a very unique angle.

Spoilers

What was clear to me is people who have only been split up a short time are not ready to objectively consider if someone else may be a better choice for them as a romantic partner. Some of them indicated they broke up because of some very real problems with their relationship such as cheating and fighting a lot. If you break up because you are fighting all the time it is very unlikely a short break is going to resolve all your issues. As viewers I am sure we had our opinions of who was best for this or that person but that was rarely who they picked. Judging whether a relationship is good or not based on how happy the people seem when they are together does not seem to be a successful predictor of who the people will select.

South Korean’s are very private about their romantic lives in general so it is hard to look up if any of them continue to date after the show or if new couples form. There is a lot of interest on the part of those that follow the show on what happens with the singles after. I was in the Coco and Min Jae should get back together camp. I thought that had such healthy, mature, interactions and seem to have so much fun naturally when they were together. The rest I thought made a good original choice to break up as watching their interactions in the show I did not feel they were particularly good for each other.

i think it is a bit more challenging watching from an American culture lens as women in the US pride themselves on independence so the “taking care of” me expectation that some of females have has a very different interpretation for American women. Some American women would view that as having a “Princess” mentality or being needy. That definitely had influence on who I thought was good for this one or that.

There were times when an ex would sort of make their ex off limits and I didn’t think that was in line with the spirit of the show. Making someone feel guilty for dating an ex, I don’t think that would have happened if the exes had been split up for a longer period of time.

Each episode was long and there was a lot of emotion displayed. I had a hard time getting through a lot of it as so much of it felt unnecessary. Struggling couples and ex couples need to deal with their issues in a healthier environment. Simply seeing your ex with someone else can spark competition and make you forget what was wrong with your relationship in the first place.

I thought telling the exes whether or not their ex chose them and then, later, who their ex chose was particularly harsh. That type of emotional damage could last beyond the show.

#EXchange1

#EXchangeSeason1

#Jungkisuck

#SimonDominic

#LeeYongjin

#KimYewon

#KimAhyoung

#Yura

#KunpimookBhuwakul

#BamBam

#YoonJeongwon

#SeonHomin

#LeeJooHwey

#KwakMinjae

#LeeSangwoo

#LeeHyeseon

#KimBohyun

#GoMinYeong

#CocoLee

#JeongHyeim

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One of the better Josean era dramas, even pokes fun at some of the over used tropes

9.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2023 South Korean Romantic comedy drama with 16, 60 minute episodes

First I provide a unique synopsis then review

Synopsis

Shim Jung-woo (Rowoon) is still salty about being “sold” into marriage into the royal family. To make things worse his new wife, the Princess, died from poison on the eve of their wedding. Which locks him into celibate bachelorhood and makes it so he has way too much time on his hands. He is known as the grouchy Prince (resentful man) as he uses his exceptional intellect to ensure no one else is having fun either (in the guise of upholding strict Josean law). Jung Soon-deok (Cho Yi-hyun) loved her husband but is a young widow locked in the role of little madam as the second daughter-in-law of the Left State Councilor. She prefers to use her skills as a matchmaker to playing lady of the house. Fate lands these two unlikely accomplices in league to get three old maidens married in order to manipulate the politics to allow the young crown prince to marry. Neither should be interested in anyone romantically as social tradition ties them to their deceased spouses. Will the two succeed in their unlikely task of getting all three old maids wed? Will their hearts abide by the dictates of society?

Review

One of the better Josean dramas I have seen. It even pokes fun at some of the tropes such as the “I love You So I am Going To Leave You” trope. Rowoon is always a joy to watch, he can play such a diversity of characters well. Multiple romances in this, as would be expected given the topic, and they all end well. It is entertaining throughout and ends happy. I recommend to fans of either of the main leads, Josean drama fans, those that like a little action, and a little mystery and not an overwhelming amount of politics. If it was on, I would watch it again and I recommend it as an excellent drama.

Spoilers

I liked the “resentful” man angle and was a little disappointed to find he was not coerced into the marriage. It was less appealing to me that he actually loved the Princess. I thought him being forced made his intractable nature more understandable.

The character growth in this was amazing. The King, for example, I did not think I would like him but he turned out to be one of the best characters. The way he saved both Jung-woo and Sein-dook in the end was heart warming. It was clear he grew to love and appreciate Jung-woo as not only a close trusted advisor but like another son. The queen was also an awesome character in the way she lived her son and how kind she was to others. The young Crown Prince was bright, wise and kind. The royal family in this series is one of few royal families, in Josean dramas, I have liked.

Soon-deok’s mother-in-law (MIL) was purely evil and I know it was supposed to be her punishment was being alone but I would have liked to have seen her seriously punished. Or for her to come around, accept her daughter’s choice, and allow her daughter-in-law to have a life. I was disappointed Soon-deok did not see her MIL’s tweet true character sooner. She admired her through most of the series even when many of the things she was doing were underhanded and evil. I got she was being filial but there were points when I wish she had stood up to her or turned away from her more.

It ending with Jung-woo and Soon-deok just having a magical romance, a courtship, prior to marriage was a little unsatisfying. After all they had gone through to be able to be together, ending in their marriage would have felt more “happily ever after” than we are just going to essentially date and marry later.

#KimSeokWoo

#Rowoon

#TheMatchmakers

#ChoYiHyun

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A solid dating reality show with a slice of dating life in the 20 to 30 age ranges

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2018 South Korean Reality Dating/Game show. There are 13 regular and 3 special, 54-102 minute episodes.

This is a dating reality show where the participants live together for one month. They cannot reveal their age or occupation but can reveal interests and other aspects of their personality. Participants work during the day and go back to the house they are occupying together in the evenings/weekends and other times off work. There are originally six occupants but two more occupants are added through the course of the show. Each night the participants anonymously send a text to the person they found most interesting and the panel has to guess who texted whom. Panelists who guess right are given a token. They act as a 4th wall, commenting on what is going on, analyzing participants behavior and interests in each other, and competing to get the most correct guesses on who is contacting whom. Participants go on dates but are not allowed to directly confess their feelings.

Panelists

Yoon Jong-shin is a South Korean singer and song writer. He is also a record produceer and is the CEO of Mystic Story. He was born in 1969 so would have been 49 when the show aired in 2017.
Lee Sang-min is a South Korean singer, song writer, record producer and television personality. He is a former member of hip hop and dance group Roo'ra. He was born in 1973 so would have been 45 when the show aired in 2017.
Kim Eana is a South Korean song writer who wrote hit songs for some of the top singers in South Korea. She was born in 1979 so would have been 39 when the show aired in 2017.
Yang Jae-woong is a South Korean psychiatrist, motivational speaker, You Tuber and entertainer. He was born in 1982 so would have been 36 at the time this aired.
Shim So-young is a South Korean stage, drama and film actor. He was born in 1970 so would have been 48 when the show aired.
Jung Jae-won (One) - is a South Korean rapper, singer, song writer and actor. He was born in 1994 so would have been 24 when the show aired.
Kang Ji-hyun (Soyou)- South Korean singer best known as a member of the K-pop group Sistar. She was born in 1992. So would have been 26 when the show aired

Participants

Kim Do-gyun - born in 1988 Korean medicine doctor. He would have been 30 when the show aired.
Jung Jae-ho - born in 1990 CEO of a startup company. He would have been 28 when the show aired
Lee Gyu-bin - born in 1993 preparing to join the South Korean public service. He would have been 25 when he show aired.
Kim Hyun-woo - born in 1985 chef and restaurant owner Joined the show in episode 2. He would have been 33 when the show aired.
Oh Young-joo - born in 1991 marketer at Microsoft. She would have been 27 when the show aired.
Song Da-eun - born in 1991 aspiring actress. She would have been 27 when the show aired.
Im Hyun-joo - born in 1992 work as an actress and was a student at Kookmin University. She would have been 26 when the show aired.
Kim Jang-mi - born in 1989 fashion boutique owner Joined the show in episode 6. She would have been 27 when the show aired.

Ages are based on when the show aired not when it was filmed and are aged where birth is considered 0 years old.

Review
All the same elements that made the first season an interesting watch are in this second season as well. I liked more of the couples in this second season and found myself way more emotionally invested. If you enjoy reality shows and those that focus on relationships you will enjoy this show.

Spoilers*

Do-gyun was one of the males I found the most interest in him finding the right one. I had to laugh when Jang-Mi's friend said if he would use some common sense or something like that as she was implying that he did not make a sound decision in how into Hyun-joo he was when Jang-Mi and he got along and had so much in common. I too felt disappointed because Hyung-joo was just stringing him along, just showing him enough attention that he thought he had a chance when he never really did. He also was not seeing the real her - she had a way of being whomever she thought that person wanted. And her cutesy and cheery persona was an act. So, it was disappointing he did not choose Jang-Mi. Jae-ho and Da-eun chose each other a lot but I had the feeling she wasn't as into him as he was into her. I really felt like they wound up being a couple just on the show and it wouldn't go very far after. Young-joo was really into Hyun-woo and I could not see what all the women found so profoundly appealing about him. He was a bit more aloof and mysterious than the other men but, at least with Young-joo I thought he was very inconsistent. He never understood why she was so upset when he chose Hyung-joo as his second for the trip at the end, but I think most women would have been bothered by it. Young-joo felt like Hyun-woo had Hyung-joo waiting in the wings and there wasn't anything Hyun-woo did that would have convinced her otherwise. I felt like Hyun-woo was a bit manipulative as he never fully committed to either woman. I think it was bad for him in the end because he chose Hyung-joo not because she was the one he really wanted but because he thought Young-joo was not going to choose him. It was apparent when Young-joo called him, choosing him, and he just looked disappointed after that. The most frustrating participant to me was Hyung-joo, the reason all the men selected her is she had this way of being whomever each of them wanted and also making them all think she was considering them. Her tee-hee laugh seemed very feigned but it sure drove the men in the house wild. Hyung-joo inserted herself in the obvious interest between Young-joo and Hyun-woo from the beginning, stepped back when he was being aloof to her, then stepped right back in when she saw the least crack. For house members were having a tough time because of what I felt were her selfish actions. But, really she was a good litmus test for how much the others liked each other. She was a wedge between both Young-joo and Hyun-woo as well as Do-gyun and Jang-mi in that she was cutesy to both men and made them think she was all into them and not just pursuing them as a trophy over the other women. But the fact that she was able to be that wedge was actually a positive for the other two women because who wants a man that let's someone who is so obviously fabricating a persona and leading them on become a barrier to a budding romance. I thought Gyu-bin was really sweet to Young-joo and she may have given him more of a chance if Hyun-woo would not have kept vacillating. I admired that he chose her and stuck with his decision.

Although I would like this show to be more than it is being a romantic at heart, it is clear that all the participants wind up viewing it as more of "the game of love" than a true "love match." I look up how and what they are doing after the show and some of them may keep in contact on a friendly basis but most of them return to their daily lives. Instagram is a good indicator it seems and some of them follow each other but there are no couple pictures that would indicate they pursued anything beyond the show. So love it for what it is, a slice of these folks lives and honest attempts to learn more about themselves while developing their dating style and romance skills. A true love match may eventually occur but it would be the exception rather than the rule. Most are going to interact while and for a short time after the show runs. If your realize that, and that it is a competitive/game of romance like situation for most, you will not be as disappointed if the couple you think would work do not wind up together.


*Deep Spoiler
Heart Signal 2 cast member Kim Hyun-woo was arrested for drunk driving in April 2018 while the show was airing

#HeartSignal2
#YoonJongShin
#LeeSangMin
#KimEana
#YangJaeWoong
#ShimSoYoung
#JungJaeWon
#KangJiHyun
#KimDoGyun
#JungJaeHo
#LeeGyuBin
#KimHyunWoo
#OhYungJoo
#SongDaeUn
#ImHyunJoo
#KimJangMi

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Cinderella esque but with more depth and intrigue

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2018 historical romance with 16 (+2) 67-85 minute episodes. Alternate titles are 100 Days My Husband and The 100 Day Husband.

As the nephew of the king, Lee Yul (Do Kyung-soo) is told to keep a low profile and not do anything, such as excel in learning, that would make the king feel threatened. So, instead of studying he spends his days playing and unintentionally bullies the other kids. When Yoon Yi-seo/Yeon Hong-shim (Nam Ji-Hyun) notices Yul’s behavior, as a fellow noble, she scolds Yul for using his authority to make the other children do as he wishes. Yi-seo also teases Yul for his lack of knowledge. Yul has an immediate crush on the pretty and spunky Yi-seo and starts studying to impress her. Before the children can become closer friends, Yul’s ambitious father participates in overthrowing the royal family and killing them and all their supporters, including Yi-seo’s father who was a right hand man of the king. The intent was to kill the entire family but Yi-seo’s brother helps her escape. is the King's nephew who enjoys spending his days playing instead of studying.

10 years later Yul is a cold, distant crown Prince who is reluctantly married to Crown Princess, Kim So-hye (Han So-hee). The marriage was a condition of Vice-premier Kim Cha-eon (Jo Sung-ha) who carried out the overthrow of the former king which allowed Yul’s father to ascend to the throne. There is a lot of pressure on Yul to consummate the marriage with the Crown Princess and the current claim is he must to end the drought. His response is all unmarried people in the kingdom should become married instead. The punishment for not following the royal decree is flogging. Before Hong-shim can be punished for resisting marriage, an assassination attempt leaves Yul with memory loss and he is saved by Hong-shim’s adoptive father. To keep aging-shim from being flogged, her adoptive father hides Yul’s identity and tells the two they are affianced. Will this pretend relationship become real love?

*spoiler alert. I really liked the premise that he loses his memory and lives as a commoner. I like the backstory with the evil left chancellor and the fact that Hong-shim was also nobility that had to live as a peasant. I liked how his character develop from a cold noble to a person that wanted to be a contributor. I thought their relationship was really cute and believable and I loved her adopted father. The timing of when he discovered who he really was worked well. The only part that I found a bit disappointing was toward the end when Yi-sei was like we can’t be together because of what my brother did. I did not think that was a good reason for them not to be together and I felt like she was more using it as an excuse because she was intimidated by the fact that he was the crown prince. To me it made it as if she dId not love him enough to overcome that which conflicted with the relationship they had as commoners in the village. I also thought he should’ve insisted they be together more and reassured her when she was stubbornly insisting they would not work because of past events. I wished Yi-seo’s brother would have lived and fought with the prince to redeem himself. What he did was wrong but I did not feel there was any way he could’ve helped it. I was really happy that the king did not kill the crown princess. That was consistent with his character. The part where they finally got back together felt rushed after all they had overcome to be able to be together. I would’ve liked to have seen them together and maybe the wedding with the king there. Despite the small drawbacks it is overall a very entertaining and heartwarming story. I highly recommend it for romance, light humor, and historical components.

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This was a wonderful spin on a fairytale like story

10/10 is my rating. This is a 2006 South Korean television series, with 24, 60 minute episodes. starring Yoon Eun-hye, Ju Ji-hoon, Kim Jeong-hoon and Song Ji-hyo.
a spin-off, Prince Hours, was broadcast in 2007.

The show is based on the premise and a "what if" scenario of modern Korea having retained its monarchy - much like England. The series centers around the royal family and, primarily, the lives of the young royals. Crown Prince, Lee Shin (Ju Jii-hoon) is being positioned to take on the role of Emperor as his father, the current Emperor, is ailing. This rushes the need for Shin to find a suitable marriage partner as he is on the verge of stepping into the role he has been preparing for nearly his entire life. Shin had the opportunity to select a bride of his choice, but his girlfriend, Hyo-rin (Song Ji-hyo) rejects his proposal as she knows becoming the Crown Princess would necessitate her giving up on her dream of becoming a famous ballerina.

With no other personal marriage prospects, the crown reverts to fulfilling a promise made by Shin's grandfather (the former Emperor) to his friend, to have one of his heirs to the throne marry one of his family. Shin Chae-kyeong (Yoon Eun-hye) is a commoner who is of marriage age in the line of the former Emperor's friend. Her family and her are struggling financially so she accepts the opportunity to marry the crown prince to better her families situation. However, Chae-kyeong has a long way to go in training to fill the role of Crown Princess and, eventually, wife to the Emperor. Word spreads that there is soon to be a succession in the throne and Lady Hwa-young (Shim Hye-jin) decides to return from a 14 year exile with her son. Royal matters are complex and Lady Hwa-young was actually the crown princess with her son, Lee Yul (Kim Jeong-hoon), the crown prince and next in line for the throne. However, Lady Hwa-young's husband, Crown Prince Lee Soo, died in an accident and the royals had to leave the palace based on the royal regulation which required no two Princes reside in the castle. Or at least that was the reason provided at the time (that mystery is revealed throughout the course of the series). Lady Hwa-young deploys a series of plots designed to return her son to what she feels is his rightful place as next in line.

The life of a royal is not always easy and isolation is a big problem for some. Loneliness drives Shin to develop an arrogant, cold and aloof exterior. His mannerisms are very hard for his young wife who is a newcomer on the royal scene. Her loneliness and sadness leads her to befriend Lee Yul who experienced similar loneliness in his exile. The young married couple are very different in their life approach and Chae-kyeong finds herself repeatedly drawn to Lee Yul as someone she can more easily relate to, whereas Lee Shin finds himself drawn back to his love, Hyo-rin. Having a change of hear, Hyo-rin is determined to win Shin back and is ready to give up her dream of being a ballerina to take on the role of Crown Princess. Through all the push and pull of outside forces, the young couple begin to develop feelings for each other although each is not fully aware of the other's feelings nor fully in acknowledgement themselves.

Can love grow and survive in such a turbulent environment? Scandal after scandal follows the young royals as they learn how to navigate the social realities of being a royal. Who will be next in line? Does anyone want the responsibility that goes along with the heavy crown?

Spoiler 🚨 I really liked this series. So much that I was sad when it was ending. It is a little bit Cinderella in nature - but not quite. It gives a real sense of what it might be like to be in a position, such as a royal, where you cannot think and act outwardly, as everyone else does. The saying "it is lonely at the top" definitely comes to mind. In the United States the closest thing we have are celebrities and I observe that young celebrities are subject to a high degree of criticism when really they are acting no different than a lot of young people their ages. You give a young person a lot of power and money and the chance they will make mistakes just magnifies. The love story is well developed, believable and cute. This is one of my favorites!

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Friends to lovers a favorite trope. Sweet and heart warming romance

10/10 is my rating. This is a 2024 South Korean romantic comedy drama with 16, 70-80 minute episodes.

First, I provide a unique synopsis then review

Synopsis


Bae Seok-ryu (Jung So-min) seems to be living the perfect life abroad as a upper manager in a global company.  Her career appers to be going well and she is doing well in her personal life with a prestigious international lawyer fiancé, Song Hyeon-jun (Han Joon-woo).  Her mother, Na Mi-sook (Park Ji-young) has a lot to brag about she feels to her friend and rival Seo Hye-sook (Jang Young-nam).  Hye sook is the mother of Seok-ryu’s friend, Choi Seung-hyo (Jung Hae-in), who she grew up with.  When Seok ryu decides to return to South Korea suddenly to “reset” her life, she finds herself interacting with Seung-hyo frequently as their mothers are friends and they are in the same social circles. Mi sook is not happy with her daughter’s decision to upend what she perceives as a perfect life path. Can Mi sook convince her family and friends she made the right choice? And what about her childhood friend who suddenly sees her as more?

Review

I read a lot of reviews before watching this and, there were a lot of positive reviews but there were also some more negative reviews. I have watched over 300 dramas now, mostly Korean but some Chinese, Tiawanese and Japanese dramas as well. I have watched all of the outstanding dramas so I am really picky when it comes to new dramas. But I loved this drama from start to finish. It has everything I love about a good drama. There are so many heartwarming moments with the family, the friendships, side romances, characters overcoming difficult situations, and of course, with the main couple that it is just a spectacular drama. I would watch it again, even seek it out, and I highly recommend it to anyone that is a fan of any of the actors (they all did outstanding, this type of drama, or are just fans of Korean drama in general.

Spoilers

Let me just say if you haven’t watch this yet and are looking at reviews to decide if you want to, I envy you. Because, if you decide to watch this, I think you will very much enjoy it. You could be among the few that enjoyed it less. But I can see why the majority that I read, really loved it.

It ends very happy. The main couple are together, obviously well on the path to marriage, but, more than that we can see what their future life will be like together. They have a little fight in the end and we see how they will come through conflict like that. All of the side romances are either together or you can see very easily where those relationships are headed. There are some sad moments, but we don’t live through the sad, it’s just telling what happened in the past with her illness. So, it’s what I like to call a happy sandwich. It starts happy, there is some sad event in the middle, but it ends happy. I do not like sad content and will avoid it like the plague but can deal with a little saddness as long as everything resolves and ends happy. I don’t need a rehash of life where that is not always the case, life is usually what I am trying to take a mental break from in watching dramas.

So many nice bonus romances in this. There is main guys mom and dad. Where she was an ambassador so focused on her career she forgot about her husband and son. They are on the verge of divorce, because they aren’t communicating what is really going on with either of them, and then she has that alzheimer/dementia scare that brings home what their true feeling for each other are. That family had to do so much healing and the drama did a great job of taking us on that journey. Surprisingly the mom Seo Hye-sook (Jang Young-nam) was one of my favorite of the older, female characters.

Lead female character’s mom, Na Mi-sook (Park Ji-young) and her emergency medical technician (EMT) friend’s mom, Do Jae-sook (Kim Geum-soon) were what, through so many dramas, we come to expect with a drama mom. They are hyper controlling of their child’s lives even into their 30s. I do not know how true to the culture that is. Asian friends have told me their moms are like that but I don’t know if that is still super prevalant. I found lead female’s mom infuriating at times. Even I, sitting in the 4th wall, knew there had to be something more to the female lead’s sudden return thatn just a “reset”. So the way she treated her, when she first came back, seemed abusive. But, it was a true character type. I knew an American mom that was very much like her. She so did not want her children to make the mistakes she made in her life, that she was completely intolerant of them trying anything remotely similar. They feel like they know the outcome. But two people can do the same thing with different results. It is just harder when you watch one of your children roll those type of dice.

I thought the romance between Jeong Mo-eum (Kim Ji-eun), and (Kang Dan-ho) was on par with the main romance. Not quite as good but reqlly close. She always liked superheroes and the whole “Mudflats Man” concept was cute. They were really very much alike. It was such a wonderful story and the thought they would both be raising the little girl was very wholesome. I felt annoyed when Moeum’s mother was originally opposed to their relationship and even a bit cold to the little girl, but was glad she quickly came around.

I don’t have to spend too much time on just how endearing lead guy was. One of my favorite tropes is the friends to lovers trope because friendship builds such a strong base for a relationship. He was just so there for her it was completely sweet to watch. Yeah he had that error, where his jealous feelings got the better of him and she was reaching out to him during her cancer and he was ignoring her. But he didn’t know she had cancer and she seemed to be clearly with someone else. In a lot of other dramas that would be second guy. Second guy who is her friend, but has feelings for her, but then always misses the timing to tell her. Then, when he tells her, it is too late. What we essentially got to see was second guy successfully get the girl. And I love that. Sweet, loyal second guy is usualy the loser in those situations. It just doesn’t feel as much like he is second guy because we only see her relationship with her ex fiancé in flashbacks. I love the actor. He has the smiliest eyes. And he just portrayed all the emotions so well

I loved Jung So-min in “Alchemy of Souls” so I am biased that it will be good whenever I see her in something. And this did not disappoint. The way she brought out all the emotions in a character that went through something like she did, and the ways she showed the hidden love with lead guy blossom, I loved every minute of it. She is one of my favorite Korean actresses.

The friendships was what set this apart from a mere fuzzy feel good, no depth romance. Thise long standing, with you through it all friendships is the type of connection we all aspire to. The dads were funny drinking buddies. The moms were as volatile as you would expect with a group of close female friends. Watching the bromances and female friendships was like flavorful icing on an already delicious cake. You think you do not want or need it but it is there and it is nice.

This is the type of drama that, when it ends, you miss people that don’t even really exist. It makes me understand, a little, how the actors may feel as they dive into a character and interact for months in another world. As they bring it out and we are feeling all the emotions of events they have to play that through their actual emotions too. I imagine this was a harder one for them to move past as it was so immersive. So I am always so thankful when there is a good drama to everyone that worked so hard to make it possible. I saw an interview with Jung So-min where she talked about this and how much she enjoyed acting with Jung Hae-in and it showed. I though they had amazing chemistry and could see them as a real life couple.

When we learned the real reason she had suddently departed the United States and returned to South Korea, it was such a highly emotionally charged moment. The writers and actors did an exceptional job of illustrating how each family and friend would feel when something that important was kept from them. And yet they were able to make us understand why the main character would have withheld that, in that moment. I wish they had heard more on the way they treated her as someone beneath them because she was a foreigner. Only lead guy really knew that. Because for her to work through not only the fight for her life with cancer but that completely toxic work environment, it was a wonder she didn’t break sooner.

I thought I was going to dislike her ex fiance, Song Hyeon-jun (Han Joon-woo), but was pleasantly surprised I did not. At first I was annoyed he pursued her to South Korea. How dare he come disrupt this beautiful relationship. But, as they built their back story, and he revealed his character it was evident he was not a bad guy, she had just unknowingly had been in love with main guy nearly her whole life. The way he let her go without bitterness showed that he did love her enough to just want her happiness. Same with lead guy’s ex girlfriend, Jang Tae-hui (Seo-hyo). At first I am like who is this love killer but they told their backstory and why she liked him as much as she did that I understood. She also let go of him at the right time and exhibited that she loved him enough to want him to be joyful.

#LoveNextDoor #JungSoMin. #ParkJiYoung. #JangYoungNam. #JungHaeIn #HanJoonWoo #KimGeumSoon #KimJiEun #YoonJi-on

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The female lead character is rage quit level annoying

6/10 is the rating.This is a 2019 South Korean crime drama.  It has 16, 70 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review

Synopsis

Ryeong (Moon Geun-young) is a traffic cop who desperately wants to work with the subway crime unit.  Despite being ignored by investigators at the time, she is convinced her twin sister was a victim of a serial killer they call the subway ghost.  Go Ji-Seok (Kim Seon-ho) was promoted to be a metro police officer partially due to how handsome he is.  But he was also an extremely talented officer who could have clmbed the ladder if it weren’t for his responsibilities with his mother who had severe dementia or alzheimers. The metro freuqently bolsters their image by highlighting the metro police officers and their successes in fighting crime on the train system, so a good looking police officer in a prestigious position is considered a bonus for the optics of the force.  He tends to be very cautious and by the book.  Which is why when out for justice at any cost Ryeong starts "solving" cases to try to impress him, he is reluctant to have the over the top officer join his team.  She wears him down though as her steadfast ability to root out criminals has him joining in to deliver justice.  The unlikely pair soon find themselves not just tackling the string of robberies that have "haunted" Ji-Seok's team but crossing over into the business of the crime unit and pursuing the subway ghost.  Can Ryeong prove that her sister was the victim of the infamous subway ghost?  Can the two solve the case and stop the brutal killer?

Review

I thought, from the title that this would be a supernaturl story. But the “ghost”is a serial killer the nicknamed the ghost. I liked the overall premise but found the way the female lead character was written very annoying. I would not watch this again, found it only mildly interesting the first watch, and do not recommend it unless you are scraping toward the bottom of the barrel for serial kiler dramas, are interested in the subway police slice, or are big fans of one of the actors.

Spoilers

Ryeong was supposed to be a gutsy cop who would get so blinded by justice she cut corners. I think that is what the writers were going for. Instead it seemed she decided in any situation what the right course of action was and be dammed the consequences for everyone around her. She got Jiseok, the male lead character, in trouble multiple times and only showed minimal remorse. Then she would just turn around and do it again. It made no sense to me that he found her attractive with her doing that to him on regular. I would not like someone that continually got me in trouble with my superiors. Jiseok was her boss but she rarely listeed to him and jst did whatever she wanted. I really did not like when she stole the keys from him. It was sneaky and dishonest.

I also thought the leads were very mismatched on the attractiveness scale. A female or male lead can be less attractive if they have something that balances that like a really great personality or wealth. But she had neither. So, I could not by him liking her so much when she was not super beautiful and was constantly getting him in trouble.

To me it was also weird he was having this relationship with someone who was his subordinate and he called “the rooky.” Most professionals keep a separation between themselves and those they supervise.

The lead female character also put herself in grave danger time and again and got others hurt because she would blaze in without being able to take care of the situation. Like she goes in the tunnel where she thinks the serial killer is hanging out, he attacks her, and she just hovers in fear into the main guy saves her. That made her character seem not very bright and extremely foolish.

#CatchTheGhost #MoonGeunyoung  #KimSeonHo #JoJaeYoon #AhnSeungGyun

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Romance lacked chemistry, lost interest about half way and struggled to finish it

6.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2024 South Korean Supernatural romance series with 16, 68-73 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review

Synopsis

Seo Ki Joo (Joo won) is the 7th owner of a photo studio whose purpose is to allow the recently deceased one last opportunity to interact with their loved ones and capture the moment photographically. But he did not come by this supernatural skill amicably, his ancestor struck a deal with reapers that they would perform this duty in exchange for saving the male child who would otherwise have died in childbirth. But it comes at the additional cost that all heirs from that point onward will be tormented by ghosts and die during their 35th year. Ki joo performs his photographer services with the help of Assistant Manager Go (Yoo In Soo) and Baek Nam Gu (Eum Moon suk) who run the office and help with each ghostly case. As his 35th year approaches, things become more chaotic and Kijoo notices that the granddaughter of his landlord serves as a ghost deterrant. The granddaughter, Han Bom (Kwon Nara), is a lawyer who is between jobs because her inability to look the other way in unjust situations doe not sit well with her superiors. Kijoo, eager to keep her near as a ghost repellant, asks Han bom to work with him on the legal issues tied up in recently departed client’s last wishes.

Review

With relatively fewer offerings in the supernatural genre in terms of Korean dramas, I would say that alone would be a reason to watch it if you are a fan of the genre.  The premise is unusual with the whole last photo of the recently deceased angle.  It is interesting that the camera offers a way for those with regrets to have that last interaction with those they care about and resolve things before they depart.  But, if you’re considering watching this one for the romance, there are better romances out there.  I am a bit biased simply because I have watched over 300 Korean dramas now and have seen all the best ones.  So, it makes me really picky with the content.  I share the impression other reviewers that the chemistry with the leads was off.  It was like they went through the motions, the first kiss, the longing stares, all the elements but it just did not add up with the two characters. May have been more palatable if there were strong 2nd or 3rd romances but there weren’t.  The second romance was just not very believable. So, you have one romance with little to no chemistry and the other one that is not believable.  So, in terms of recommending it to anyone I would only recommend to those like the very niche supernatural genre but for those looking for anything else, like a good romance,  I would not recommend it. Those that are fans of any of the actors might like it as the actors did an excellent job with their roles.  The lack of chemistry and other issues were issues with the writing not the actors.  I will not watch it again as I had a hard time getting through it the first time.  I found it boring after about half-way just because I wasn’t all that interested in most of the characters. 

Spoilers

The lack of chemistry between the leads for me began when she wasn’t very nice to him in the beginning of the series. She tried to get him kicked out of the apartment and told some untruths simply because of something her grandmother did.  Her grandmother kicked her out because she wasn’t paying the rent, which I thought was odd given the character of the grandmother. They did not fully explain why the grandmother kicked the main girl out, if it was to give her incentive to get back into practicing law or if it was simply because she needed the income from the rent.  But generally, the main girl’s misplaced anger made me not like her very well. I know that is a common trope, where the leads at first do not like each other at first.  And that is often used as comedic moments.  But there was nothing funny in her behavior, it just seemed mean.  I think they sometimes have the main leads gaze at each other too long before kissing but this is a good example of how too short is not a good thing either.  The kisses were just awkward in a way.  Like two strangers kissing because there weren’t the looks of love and longing gazes around it.  It just felt like, okay time to kiss now.  Same with holding hands.  There wasn’t this huge build up and anticipation.  

I thought the whole mystique around the camera was not very well-developed (pun intended). I understood that the camera allowed recently deceased people an opportunity to see their loved ones, one last time, resolve issues and capture last memories.  And they showed it was only those ghosts who were willing to go through the hardship of navigating back through the netherworld and finding the door that got the opportunity.  But why did that camera even exist?  Why did the supernatural beings feel the need to provide a camera for that purpose?  Who had the camera before main guy’s family got it? How did main guy’s ancestor even know to go to the afterlife and steal the camera?  The Grim Reaper in this one was all dark and spooky looking with like black smoke and stuff around in like an evil spirit.  In other dramas the Grim Reapers are attractive individuals, and the only difference is their skin may be a bit paler and they have supernatural powers. Interpreting Grim Reapers in a different way wasn’t the problem the show should have at least explain why that Grim Reaper looks like he did. Why the spooky black, evil spirit looking, smoke? 

I found the bromance aspects of the series more compelling than the romance. The lead guy and his two ghost assistants and their friendship was more interesting than the relationship between the male and female lead.  However, I didn’t understand how those two ghosts, out of all the ghosts that were moving through his studio, became his helpers. I mean ghosts were coming and going all the time and his goal was to help them resolve whatever they needed to and then take the photos quickly to move them on to the afterlife.  So why did the two ghosts that assisted him get to stay and why did they not only stay but become his assistants? It was emphasized several times that lingering too long could cause the ghost to become an evil spirit.  So, how were they able to stay so long without becoming evil spirits?  I also don’t know why they had to make the main guy like a bad boss.  They made jokes several times about him being cheap and working them too much.  Given the one guy died from overwork, why did he stay with main guy?  And how did main guy even have money?  It wasn’t like he was getting paid for his role photographing ghosts for the netherworld. 

I wasn’t sure why they put the grandma character in there only to have her leave. And it seemed out of character for her, not to want to say bye to her granddaughter.  The grandmother gave some lame excuse for leaving without that final moment and photo but it was out of character of her to leave her granddaughter that way.  I was glad main guy got the main girl to see her grandmother anyway.  But the whole grandma dying seemed pointless.  A big deal was made out of how that was her last family and how devastated she would be without the grandmother but then, once that final photo opportunity happened, they never focused on her again.  It was odd.

 

Hands down what I liked least about the story was the police officers’ situation. They tried to make his wife a sympathetic character because she was lonely, but she never told him that she was lonely so that he had a chance to be there more.  Basically, she pretended to be understanding and told him it was okay when it wasn’t okay to her at all.  She was lying and deceiving him into thinking everything was okay and then she was supposedly noble for doing it.  So, she has this “affair” with the florist guy, and it is spun so that it is his fault for making her lonely.  I wasn’t even clear on what type of affair it was.  Was it emotional cheating or did she have a physical relationship or both?  We didn’t get enough of a glimpse into that relationship to understand any of that nor what was so great about the floral guy that she would cheat on her husband.  I thought the whole pity party around her was ridiculous as she knew she was marrying a police officer and that his job kept him away a lot. In fact, they showed, during wedding preparations, where he did not have time to participate in the arrangements much and she was basically like it’s okay just do this one thing. Many people, early in their careers, work long hours to establish themselves. Given they were a new couple just starting their life as a married couple, and she was a stay at home, you would expect he would need to work long hours to support them in this new venture of a married life. I found her whining and playing the victim annoying.  So, I was very disappointed his story ended that he disappeared forever. He was one of my favorite characters in the show and that was a horrible and unnecessary ending for him.  I wanted him to confront his wife and maybe apologize for not being there but say you should have told me you were lonely.  And she would say something like I know, I was wrong too, and apologize for the affair. Maybe he would have had words with the guy who was such a slime to cheat with a cop’s wife. I didn’t like that guy at all, here he has an affair with the wife of a hero in uniform, then turns around, after the police officer dies in the line of duty and says bad things about him. He deserved some heated words.  But instead, they made cheater florist guy out to be a good guy for easing the cop’s wife’s loneliness.  What?   Even main guy was like I thought you were going to bop him.  And then he doesn’t go to the afterlife in the kind, peaceful manner where you capture a beautiful last photograph and he dissipates, nope he goes down with the evil spirit and since he went all evil spirit briefly himself, he is now going to be gone forever?  I extremely disliked how they played that story out. 

What could have saved the romantic aspect a bit was if the second romance was cute or heartwarming but it wasn’t.  It made no sense.  Their romance would have been cute if he wasn’t a ghost.  But the fact that she never physically saw him and just carried on this relationship with a ghost who possessed other people to have a physical presence, was weird.  I thought, given how many times the story emphasized the ghosts had to leave or would turn evil, there would be that final goodbye with the camera and the emotions like there were for all other visitors.  I thought main girl’s friend would get to physically see the ghost one time and then he would leave and they would agree to be in each other life in another another life or something like that. Oddly though he stayed and basically broke all the “rules” we had been taught leading up to this part.  He is able to somehow stay without turning evil.  And what about her brain tumor?  What was the miraculous cure? And why did it seem, when she passed out and all that, maybe her brain tumor was coming back?  I thought perhaps she was going to die and main guy’s ghost buddy and her would depart to the afterlife together or something like that.  But instead, her brain tumor issue just disappears, they break all the rules on having a ghost stay and they have some weird ghost human relationship.  That was weird enough.  But then him jumping in and out of people seemed very rape like.  Spirit rape or something like that.  And she is just okay with him possessing people even when he is a woman, a really old person, or young.  And she interacts with the person he possessed in a very rapey way, kissing them and other such physical contact.  Eww.  Usually it is the ghost asks someone if it would be okay to possess them to interact with someone so they are a willing partner, but not in this one.  It just made it creepy.   

I felt like it could have ended after episode 14 when the curse was lifted from him and he was no longer going to die.  Having the curse transfer to her and opening up this whole new thread of the story with her as the photographer was awkward so late in the series.  And then his power goes away and he cannot even help his two ghost friends go on to the afterlife?  Weird.  I think they only did that to stretch it two more episodes to make it to 16. 

So of course, they had to have the year separation trope for some odd reason. Let’s get him stuck in the netherworld trying to lift her curse.  Again, it felt like a way to extend the story for the last two episodes.  And then, when he comes back, I am reminded why I did not like her in the first place.  After he lifts the curse to safe her life and is stuck in the Netherworld, he miraculously returns, and rather than her being like “oh thank you so much you saved my life” she’s mad at him because he was gone longer than he said he was going to be.  Yeah, yeah, she didn’t want him to go and was upset he didn’t listen to her on that. But he went with her, albeit reluctant, permission.  I mean, come on, it’s the Netherworld, obviously he would have absolutely no control over when or even if he could come back.  So, her being angry, on any level, toward someone that risked his life to save hers was not a very nice way to be.  It was just a return to her self-centered pettiness that made me not like her in the first place.  And then not root for them as a couple.  But he had his issues too.  There was the one part where he was awkwardly like complaining about a public display of affection.  You’re embarrassing me.  And they weren’t a cuddly couple.  It was like just two people hanging out then bam, a kiss.  Just hanging out, bam holding hands.  I don’t know, hard to describe, just not a lot of lead up.  It was what made the chemistry off the fact they had so little interaction outside of what felt, to me, like random bouts of skinship.  Just not very well scripted.

#MidnightStudio  #MoonJunWon #JooWon #KwonNara #YooInSoo #EunMoonSuk

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Documentary meets game show meets comedy act - liked it more than anticipated

9.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2022 reality variety show with 8, 41-52 minute episodes.

First I provide a Unique Synopsis then Review

Synopsis

In each episode Yoo Jae-suk, Kim Yeon-koung and Lee Kwang-soo travel to wherever a master of a traditional process resides to take part in their craft. They are taught and perform each process from beginning to end. It is naturally comedic as they obviously are not masters themselves so they struggle and make errors all the while competing with each other to earn the distinction of the master declaring one of the best at that craft.

Because this series centers around these three participants a little about each person:

*Yoo Jae suk was born in 1972 and would have been about 50 when the series aired. He is a popular Korean comedian, presenter and tv personality.

*Kim Yeon Koung was born in 1988 and would have been about 34 when the show aired. She is a pn accomplished professional volleyball player. She has a large social media presence with many followers (over 1 million) on her sites and channels.

*Lee Kwang Soo was born in 1985 and would have been about 42 when the show aired. He started as a model but quickly got into acting and also participates at various levels in variety shows.

Review

One if the most fascinating aspects of this series is seeing and learning about these processes from start to finish along with the participants. They go to Junghueng to learn how to make Giwa which are traditional clay roof tiles. They struggle on the mud flats of Shinan they pursue the Getbal, baby octopuses. They go to Seocheon to harvest plants to explore mosi, traditional woven fabric. In Damyang they discover that Jang traditional sauces are very difficult to make. In Namihae they find out how anchovy, Jukbangryeorn, anchovy are trapped in a traditional tidal weir and processed. Korean Jjock comes from the indigo plants in Naju and the three discover making dye and dying cloth is a seriously taxing process. Even the makgeoli, sweet rice wine, made in Busan is a laborious process.

The locations are beautiful but you can see evidence of the heat (they comment but you can also see their flushed faces and them sweating through the processing) the participants are working in which lends a greater appreciation for those that do it for a living. It is all very hard work but the results are beautiful/wonderful.

Spoiler

The only critique was the masters decided, in the presence of the participants, who deserved the thumbs up for that activity. An honest assessment of how each one did would have made that aspect more meaningful.

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Revolving door of single men which is too quick for any depth to occur

7/10 is my rating. This is a 2024 Japanese Reality dating show with 10, ~42 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review.

Synopsis

Singles join the show looking for a partner to marry or at least date with marriage in mind. The men feel some urgency to court their romantic interest as they know they may be asked to leave the show at intervals. The women can continue the relationship with a man by proposing once the man is asked to leave. The singles travel to a variety of nice locations where they can interact informally as well as through formal match ups.

Review

When a man leaves they basically send them a text and ask them to meet at a location away from the other participants. That is the last time the others see that selected participant. Any woman interested in that man must propose to him by 10 AM the following morning to be able to continue a relationship with him. Whether the man accepts or not both the man and the woman leave the show. The first male who left it seemed very abrupt as it was only like four days in. What is surprising is, as that participant is leaving, a new participant arrives. I liked a lot of elements of the show. It mixed free interactions with more formal dates quite well. I could not take it seriously as the interactions were relatively brief. All of the beautiful locations were enjoyable to see and the interactions were interesting. I would not rewatch it and would only recommend it to die hard romantic reality show fans.

Singles

WOMEN

Sora Shibata (26) Social Media Influencer. Sales.

Nona Konona Shiba (35) TV personality. Actress.

Anna Tsumara (28) Works for foreign marketing company.

Saki Kamata (27) Yoga Instructor

Shizuka Eto (32) Spa Owner. Model.

Sayu (29) Nurse. TV personality.

MEN

Keisuke Tsumara(34) Works at a fund company.

Taka Toda (29) Cosmetic surgeon.

Okapi Okane (37) Model. Actor. Event Manager.

Yuta Yanagawa (30) IT Professional

Yuki Fukuda (31) runs a marketing company

Kiichiro Sakamato (29) Pharmacist. Model.

Keijuro (32) Owns fitness gyms and clinics for acupuncture and osteopathy.

Yushi (34) Martial Artists

Spoilers

It did not feel the show allowed enough time for most to develop any deep feelings. Some of the couples seemed to be making a connection only to have the man abruptly leave. I also felt like some of the singles were not serious about finding a lasting partner. They never paused at all about stopping someone from keaving even thise they had a deeper connection with. I was surprised at the degree of plastic surgery some of the singles had and that they were the more popular singles. In the US and what I have seen of Korea, looking too plastic is not a good thing. So it was a different beauty standard.

I do appreciate that Asian dating reality shows tend to be more wholesome. There was one female single in this who came on to the men in a cringy forward fashion. I actually felt sorry for them because it was assuming they wanted the physical contact and it did not seem like they did.

I was not all in for any of the couples that formed and did not feel like there was muxpch romance.

#LoveDeadline

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If you can overlook the silly slapstick elements it is season 2 enhanced

10 is my rating. This is a 2023 South Korean Supernatural Action Drama with 12, 61-74 minute episodes.

First I provide a Unique Synopsis then Review

Synopsis

This is everything season one was but with more intensity. While they defeated the evil spirits in season one as was sinisterly predicted by the level three they extracted, evil is back but even stronger. Ga Mo tak (Yoo Jun-sang) returns and is now back on the police force so arresting the host after the evil spirit is removed is easier. Do Ha na’s (Kim Se-jeong) ability to to sense the evil spirits is no longer as useful as the evil spirits have learned to see the territory and avoid it. Choo Maeok’s (Yeom Hye-ran) ability to heal makes her an emphasized target for the evil spirits who have also absorbed the ability to heal and understand the importance. So Mun’s (Jo Byung Gyu) abilities have now far surpassed that of any other counter. There is a new counter Na ro bong (Yoo In Soo) who is clumsy and oafish but has the ability to “sniff out” evil spirits. The evil spirits in the second season have the ability to absorb counter’s special abilities especially Hwang Pi kwang (Kang Ki young) who has psychokineses on par with Mun and absorbs the abilities of those counters he consumes. Gelli Choi (Kim Hieora) is his right hand evil henchwoman who is a third level with a spike globe that enhances her physical damage by causing britally deep gouges and cuts in her victims. Like Ha na, Gelli can read and erase memories. Their third evil spirit team member is Wong Li Qiang (Kim Hyun Wook) who absorbed the ability to heal but takes psychotic delight in brutalizing his victims.

A third-level evil spirit specializing in speed who scratches, stabs, cuts, and kills. She can also read and erase memories. Mun struggles with concepts of good and evil when someone he greatly admires, Ma Joo seok (Jin Seon kyu) turns evil after his wife and unborn child are murdered. With evil spirits more powerful than ever, and the lines between good and evil blurred, can the counters prevail against seemingly insurmountable odds?

Review

Could you skip two and just watch season one? About the only thing you might miss is Mun becomng even more amazing. But they are fighting new evil so it is a little bit stand alone. In my opinion it is better than season one just in terms of how much stronger and more powerful both sides have beocome. But, the silly slapstick elements incorporated in season two were a huge detractor made some determine they could do without it. It ends well and everything is resolved yet there are onvious openings for additional season(s).

Spoilers*.

I like Yoo In Soo and was happy to know he was going to be in the 2nd season.That is until they introduced Na Ro bong and his character was ridiculous. The whole dung and potty humour was too much. Ok we get it you worked with cows. And his ability to smell evil? That could have been interesting I am thinking of “The Girl Who Sees Smells” but they made it so he would put his head out the window like a dog. And he wasn’t even that great at it. He would lose track and misdirect. He was useless in the physical fights and, if anything, put the others in danger. He had the mentality of a young child. If they had left that character out the show would have been better.

They put way too much slapstick comedy style throughout the series. Reapers are a serious thing in all the other South Korean shows I have watched. The “counters” were serious bad asses in the first season. This season they trivialized their role by making it over the top silly. I mean, the main counters were still serious, but they interacted with Na Ro bong, and he was so silly that it made everything silly.

Once again Netflix deviated from the elements of South Korean drama that most fans love. Repeat after us Netflix kdramas should be one season with 16 episodes. Supernatural beings are serious characters.

One well written plot twist was when Gelli Choi discovered she could see by reading their minds when and how the counters first got their abilities. I thought “big deal what can she do with that?” Then she was fighting with Mun and realized the only way to defeat him was to steal his memory of gaining his power. She did that and it took Mun out for a significant portion of time. I did not see that coming.

From season one I really wanted to see Mun and Ha na become a couple. If anything in season two they mive farther from that. Ha na even has a side romance. The romantic in me still hopes for a season three and they finally get together.

#UncannyCounter2 #YooJungSang #KimJeSeong #SungJiRoo #JoByungGyu

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If you can accept this is almost a decade old then you will appreciate it more

8/10 is my rating. This is a 2015 South Korean Romantic Comedy Legal drama with 18, 70 Minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review

Synopsis

Go Cheok hee (Cho Yeo jeong) was a take no prisoners divorce lawyer at the height of her career when she crossed paths with a legal rival with the power to take her down. Her much beleaguered office manager, So Jung woo (Yeon Woo jin) are not exactly sorry when Cheok heo has her law license suspended as she was a tyrant as a boss. Years go by and Jung woo is now a lawyer determined to do law from a more ethical perspective than he felt Cheok hee operated from. Most of her staff including Jung woo are working for a chaebol who opened a law office to rival hus father’s. Out of friendship and perhaps more he hires Cheok hee to be the office manager. Sparks fly between Cheok hee and Jung woo when they discover they will be working together in reversed roles.

Review

If you know what to expect from the time period then this is, on surface, a fairly simple and straight forward romantic comedy. Male to female relationships were still a little unequal and filial behavior was carried out to a fault. Depending on where you stand in your thoughts on those social relationships, you may either find this refreshing or irritating. It was good not great and I think some of that had to do with things have just changed a lot socially in a relatively short span of time. I would recommend it to those that can appreciate it as something that existed during that timeframe. In terms of rewatching, wouldn’t turn off of it if it was on, but I wouldn’t seek it out to watch it again.

Spoilers

While I thought having the divorce cases be part of the show was interesting, I certainly did not agree with the outcome and resolution of some of them. Like there is one where the wife is making the husband an abusive number of meals and side dishes per day. The compromise that kept them married was make less but we thought “free the elf”. She was sill his house maid and chef. If all he based his love on was how much food she made him, what a horrible relationship for her. Divorce would have been better on that one.

Cheok hee’s sister was a completely unlikable character. The sister acted like a spoiled, petulant child with anger issues the entire show. At the end, she admits that the mother probably would’ve died anyway, and that she was somewhat using her sister as a scapegoat, but then said she was just gonna continue, hating her her whole life. Which made her a pointless character.

Cheok hee was a complete bully when she had her own practice in the beginning. Completely horrible to the male lead and all the staff, and there was no good reason for her to have ever been that way. If she had changed or apologized in any meaningful way. Her character may have been redeemable, but all the changes that happened were by a very small degree . She became a little more humble and generally nicer, but simply changing like that much when you haven’t gone back and apologize to those you injured. Even after her transformation, she was still bullying her one male subordinate. They had the mail we join in, as if that somehow just made it funny or not still bullying behavior. It made no sense for him to do that because they had always been on friendly terms.

A big barrier to the relationship was what the mother thought of the female lead. No one ever effectively explained to her that Cheok hee thought he had told on her and gotten her suspended. Even if they had revealed that fact, it still would not have completely excused her behavior, but it still would’ve been better than she was like that towards him for no reason. he never fully stood up to his mother and said he wasn’t OK with her acting towards someone he chose that way. it was 100% about changing her mind and there was nothing about changing her bad behavior. I found the male lead character’s mother to be a completely unlikable character, because she was mean to her son about his romantic choices and acted like she liked the second female lead better than her own son. I also thought it was completely wrong for the mother to accepted loan. When her son didn’t even know about it, she made him oh, the second female lead. Then for her to later, use that, as a reason why he should be with the second girl was even more abusive.

Their break up was stupid I thought perhaps it would’ve been an opportunity for him to stand up to his mom and tell her that even if the main girl wasn’t around, he was not gonna just marry somebody because she wanted him to.

Not all plot lines were completely closed either. The main protagonist was taken down, but we never fully saw what happened to him. He went iff in hadcuffs but that could have been short lived.

With the second male lead we saw where his father was punishing him by taking all of his assets away and then it seemed like he was redeeming some of that but it left us with him still walking to work and living with less than what he had previously. I thought perhaps he would wind up together with the second female lead and that would’ve made sense. It did show the 2nd leads interact with each other in away that may have been leading to more than friends but that was it. The second male lead was such a likable character it would have been nice for him to have a happy outcome.

They made the being a divorce lawyer such a huge part of who these characters were but there was no backstory on why they chose their professions. FLs impressions on marriage were weird even for a divorce lawyer and it felt like they needed some sort of trauma to explain why she was so passionate about divorce. Everything revealed about the FL’s parents’ relationship was her parents loved each other. They only separated because the FL’s mom tragically died. Divorce law is a very specific niche and it needed clear indication of why they chose it.

The big reveal, the big backstory centered around the subway accident and the “magical” peppermint candy. The whole peppermint candy thing was just weird. It’s not a medical device. I tried stretching my thought to view it a little like smelling salt. But they did not even spin it that way. It was silly and not credible. They also did not explain why the FL didn’t have subway trauma when ML did? I mean she had it but very minimal.

I think the cherry on top of my mountain of discontent was the completely unromantic way the FL acted toward their wedding. I get not everyone wants an elaborate ceremony but FL’s complete disregard for ML and their family and friends’ desire for a ceremony was selfish and disappointing. This was further highlighted when her office was congratulating her and she was being a difficult and wanting to leave. FL was frugal to an annoying degree.It killed the romance.

It was hard to buy off on two men being so into the lead girl when she really had nothing spectacular going for her. That was a bit mystifying. And with the second guy, it wasn’t clear why he was originally giving her a place and a job, and supporting her other than he was just her Sunbae.

#ChoYeoJeong

#YeonWooJin

DivorceLawyerinLove

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Interesting premise, compelling murder mystery but the other elements were sloppy chaos

7/10 is my rating. This is a 2023 South Korean Romantic Comedy, suspense and thriller drama. There are 16 ~60 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review.

Synopsis

Bong Ye-bun (Han Ji-min) is a veternarian in a small community where she, much to her disdain, primarily cares for farm animals. Her life dramatically changes when a meteor strike imparts her with a rare form of pychometry. Embarassingly, she has to touch human or animal butts to get visions. A series of murders leads her to work with homicide Detective Moon Jang-yeol (Lee Min-ki) who was sent to the smaller community from Seoul after making an error with an investigation. When Kim Seon-woo (Suho) comes to town, Dr Bong is immediately attracted to the incredibly handsome yet mysterious stranger. Problem is the Detective has Seon-woo at the top of his suspect list for the serial murders. Dr. Bong has checked out Seon-woo and believes he is innocent. But if not him, then who and why are the bodies stacking up?

Review

Chaotic is the best way to describe it. My impression is the writers were not sure if they wanted it to be a slapstick, regular or dark comedy. The story also switched between romance, mystery, comedy and supernatural but not in a smooth manner. The serial killer mystery was good and I thought it was what made it watchable. If you like murder mysteries it is worth a watch for that. If you like "silly" comedy you may enjoy that element. The psychometry portrayed is different and if you like supernatural you may find this portrayal interesting. I am unlikely to rewatch it because I did not feel it was well written. There is a sad element that hits about episode 14 so if you are one that gets really attached to characters be aware there are a lot of murders. It is sad in parts.

Spoilers

The early episodes were the worste of it to me. They set it up as she is a veternarian who takes over her grandfather's clinic as if that will be an important element but it really isn't. After she starts working with the detective its as if she just closed the doors to her clinic. I guess it was so she had critters early on that would not care if she touched their butts so she was able to discover and develop her ability. They did circle back later where her whole pet psychic thing got her on the talk show circuit.

I felt like nearly all the characters were weird. She was weird because when

she discovered she had to touch butts to use her ability she went about it as if she somewhat enjoyed it. It was no wonder the detective thought she was a pervert at first. But he was also weirdly quick to judgement and violent. He was super violent with Dr. Bong at first. Even if he thought she was being a pervert the way he body slammed her to the ground on several occasions was completely wrong. And he had her do dangerous things on her own so he could get information. The chief was weird and rude to main guy from the outset. Main girl's best friend was also weird she was hostile to nearly everyone and mean to Dr. Bong. Her Aunt though was the weirdest of all. The weird way she acted to the Chief was cringy. Who locks someone to a bed frame then throws the key out the window?

I do not know who did wardrobe but it was horrendous. The best friend looked like she bargain hunted fashion items and sort of threw them all together whether they matched or not. Dr. Bong looked grade school sheik. And the collars on some of her outfits looked like she could take wing.

With all the early physical violence and him treating her so carelessly through most of the show, there was no chemistry with the detective and Dr. Bong. Her best friend's crush and claim on the detective was also ridiculous. No chemistry with Seon-woo because she looked like an old bag lady or a preschooler at various times. No one kissed either. So the romance element was thin.

I did not like how they portrayed her as an idiot. She is a vet, which takes a lot of really difficult coursework and yet she is too stupid to even render first aid when someone is hurt, She saves one of the victims from being stabbed but then stashes her in the vicinity while she looks for help. Then she runs into a bus load of men who could have helped but wastes time looking for the detective. Her absolute ineptitude allowed the killer to get the girl again. Then she runs away when Seon-woo is fighting the killer rather than stepping in to help. There is a scene where she fins what she thunks is the murder weapon, a knife covered with red chili from kimchi (looked a little like blood) and she ripuns down the street and even gets on the bus with the knife extended. When she gets to the police department and they ask if she ran all the way with the knife like that she says she did. A smart person would know that is not how you would take a murder weapon to the police.

The Shaman's son was introduced as if that was an important element of the story, but then he just drops out of the story line with no explanation where he went. I think the sole purpose was to allude he killed his wife and that is why the son was there. It was just weird not to indicate what happened with the son.

#HanJiMin

#LeeMinKi

#Suho

#JooMinKyung

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Surprising complexity buried in a straight forward romance with a happy ending

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2021 Chinese romantic comedy drama with 24, 44-57 minute episodes. Also known under the alternate titles: “Accidentally Found Love”, “I Accidentally Picked Up Love”, and “You Succeeded in Attracting My Attention”

First I provide a unique synopsis then review.

Synopsis
Gu An Xin (Zhao Lu Si) is leading a simple, though impoverished life, as a delivery driver when she accidentally hits Ling Yue (Liu Te) when he stumbles into the road. She does not realize he is crawling out of an accident where rival heirs tried to get rid of the heir apparent. Ling Yue allows An Xin to think she is the primary cause of his injuries in order to use her as cover and her apartment as a hide out while he investigates who is behind the attempt on his life. AnXin also has a secret and is hiding. As they live together and get to know each other it seems fate may have had a hand in things. Can two who seem so opposite actually be each other’s ideal?

Review

Overall it is a good, heart warming romance with some surprising plot twists and complexity. There were some minor plot elements that were not neatly resolved. But the main story is interesting and compelling. It ends happy for all but one side couple.

Spoilers*
I have to say when the apartment flooded that whole incident was a little unbelievable just because of the amount of water and how easily she cleaned it up. In fact, she was never very upset when he did major damage to her apartment like the kitchen fire and the flooding. All of that would’ve taken a lot to repair. Also when she listed the expenses related to that it wasn’t anything about the water damage that that would’ve created. It made it a bit silly in those parts that her response did not mirror reality.

This one takes the cake for most surprising plot twist. At this point I’ve watched over 300 dramas. Because I have watched so many dramas it makes it to where I can predict a lot of the plot twists. So I usually have figured out who is doing what to whom by halfway through. In this one when it turned out it was the little brother behind all of the attempts on main guy I was completely surprised. That level if surprise us rare..

They made such a big deal out of Anxin being kicked out of her family I wanted her to have a big reveal with her dad. She did not get a chance as he wound up with a brain tumor that led to dementia. That was disappointing. He also did not understand how messed up the actions of the current wife were. She denied him his daughter by swapping the paternity test and essentially drove his wife to end herself.

I wish the brother never expressed romantic feelings for her. They had such a cute brother sister relationship before he made it all weird and awkward by telling her he was interested in her romantically. It was ironic to me, because early in the series I kept saying Ling yue was being unreasonable toward Anxin’s brother because that was just her brother. Turns out he sensed all along that he had more than brotherly feelings for her. I was glad the two men mostly bridged their differences at the end and became friendly with each other.

Anxin’s sister was just straight up cruel to her so I did not feel warm fuzzies when she started being nice. I thought she was horrible to both men too, Ling yue and his little brother. She would work on Anxin and get her doubting herself in the relationship and it would either cause problems or break them up temporarily, and there was no reason for it because he had all the opportunity in the world to get with her previously and didn’t.

I did not like how they were willing to forgive the little brother and say he’s just young. The fact that he tried multiple times and showed no remorse would be highly indicative of a sociopath.

An Xin’s sister was a bit redeemable because at least she showed remorse for her actions at the end although I thought Anxin forgave her way too quickly. The little brother and the mom, on the other hand, never showed remorse so it was wrong for them to forgive them, or seem willing to forgive them when they did not even sorry themselves. They were only sorry that they got caught and so they felt bad for themselves.

Two of my favorite characters were his bodyguard and his doctor best friend and I thought the romance between the two was so cute. When he went into the boxing ring to defend her honor and show his sincerity and took a serious beating for her I thought that was so cool. I really started rooting for them then.

It was complete bonus round that Anxin’s manga business took off. It was really cool to see her be successful in her own, right.

#PleaseFeelAtEaseMrLing
#Zhao Lu Si
#LiuTe

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