Gabriela

"Happiness" is a drama about a group of people trapped inside an apartment complex, trying to survive an outbreak of an unknown virus.

Sae Bom and Yi Hyun have been best friends since they were teenagers and this friendship has continued even after they became adults. In order to get an apartment in the most famous place in the city, the two get married only on paper to have priority access. It all seems like a dream come true and Yi Hyun plans to confess his feelings for Sae Bom, taking advantage of the opportunity of now being married, but everything changes completely when a psychotic outbreak causes people to attack each other for no apparent reason. An infected person is released in the condominium and begins to infect others. Sae Bom and Yi Hyun, along with other residents, enter a battle for survival... the problem is that the infected are not the only danger.

Do you know what message this drama conveys?! Human beings are the real monsters.
When watching this drama, it was impossible not to make comparisons with the movie "The Mist", because both have a very similar setting and narrative. They are about people who are trapped together during a situation that is out of control, in the case of the drama, an outbreak of a virus that turns people into a mix of vampires and zombies. But the biggest problem they have to overcome in reality is not the infected, but the people who are by their side.

There are so many horrible things that happen, that it makes you rethink before trusting anyone, because in the beginning everyone was nice, but as soon as things started to get worse, their true faces began to appear. The killer doctor and the so-called "representative" of the building, it is easy to identify that they are sociopaths, so everything they did during the drama was no surprise, but some characters surprised me. The son of that older couple telling everyone that his mother was infected and then stealing all the food?! Bastard. The worst of all was when they all joined up with the killer to force Yi Hyun and Sae Bom to turn the power back on. People are really the worst.

Yi Hyun and Sae Bom are absolutely adorable. I wasn't expecting romance, but the drama is full of moments between them, the couple is the central basis of the story and everything else is secondary. Every time Yi Hyun saved Sae Bom, it was a confession of his love. The scene where Sae Bom finds out that Yi Hyun is infected is amazing, her expression when she sees him holding the door and seeing that none of the infected wanted him, not even at that moment did she give up on him.
And when she returns to the apartment looking for Yi Hyun, that kiss was incredible, a scene that showed both the love between them, as well as the way Sae Bom trusts Yi Hyun, since he was infected at that moment.

This was one of the best dramas I've ever watched, it has everything. Great characters, a very well constructed narrative and impeccable development.

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"Newtopia" is a dark comedy drama about people trying to survive a zombie apocalypse.

The story revolves around two groups in different parts of Seoul, one with Young Joo and the other with Jae Yoon. The two are lovers, Jae Yoon is in the army and Young Joo basically spends the entire drama trying to get to where he is. I have to admit that I didn't expect the girl to be this badass, but I have to applaud her for killing the zombies with the chainsaw! It was amazing.

Ji Soo's acting isn't anything spectacular, she made me laugh several times, but in the more serious moments, she couldn't keep a straight face, like in the train scene, but since the drama focuses on comedy, this doesn't end up being very relevant.

Arron Park is amazing, he ended up stealing the show several times. And is it really true that he didn't end up transforming because he was drunk? But does that mean he needs to drink all the time? The moment his body no longer has alcohol, he will probably transform, like what happened to that boy who was with Young Joo's group.

Speaking of Young Joo, it seems like the girl was tripping on acid during this zombie apocalypse, everything that happened to her seems impossible. The zombies talked to her, shouting her name the whole time and she was even saved by the ghost of a train station employee. Oh, we can't forget how she suddenly met Jae Yoon's favorite singer and he was just singing, in the middle of all this and the worst part is that we can't even say it's a lie, because she has the tape signed by him. HAHAHA'

I don't know if there's a need for a second season, I even liked that they didn't explain much about how the outbreak started, we just saw all the chaos it caused. I didn't expect anything from this drama and I ended up being surprised, it's very fun.

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"KinnPorsche" is a drama about the romance between Kinn and Porsche. Kinn is the son of a Mafia boss, and one day he unexpectedly meets Porsche, a bartender who helps him escape from someone who was trying to attack him. Kinn then hires Porsche to be his personal bodyguard. As they spend time together, Kinn and Porsche realize that there is a clear attraction between them.

The romance between Kinn and Porsche is intense, passionate and engaging, their chemistry is literally breathtaking. Of all the BL dramas I've watched, they were the best couple, without a shadow of a doubt.

Pete and Vegas aren't far behind. The romance between these two started unexpectedly, but at times, they stole the show even from the main characters. There was something very tragic between them, as Vegas initially kidnapped Pete and tortured him to get information about Kinn for his father, who is part of a rival Mafia. The problem is that Vegas and Pete end up falling in love, because by spending so much time together, Vegas opens up to Pete about his feelings, his life, his traumas and the two connect, but at the same time, Pete was traumatized by everything Vegas did to him. It is a really troubled relationship, but it really grabs you, you want to see them both doing well, having their happy ending... sometimes even more than Kinn and Porsche.

This was one of the best dramas of 2022 and I'm not just putting it in the BL category, the story is incredible in every way. There's a lot of comedy, especially because of Tankhun, who is simply magnificent. I loved how he watched Korean dramas and always thought someone was going to die, when in fact it wasn't even horror. HAHAHA'
Special note for when he made Porsche dress up as a mermaid and the funeral he held for Pete, even without knowing if he was really dead. It had to be Tankhun.

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"The 8 Show" tells the story of 8 people who decide to participate in a strange and secret reality show that will pay them only for their time. At first, it all seems like a dream, since each of them has a huge debt to pay off, so it seemed like a good idea to earn money just by spending time there... but the reality is much darker than that.

The players discover that each room earns money at different rates, dividing people into two classes: the upper apartments and the lower ones, and the real problem begins when they choose a place to be the bathroom; this is the turning point. The chosen room is number 8, since it earns more money and basically does nothing, but the crazy woman simply cannot stand it, and this marks the change in the atmosphere of the group and in the entire story.

It was obvious that the people in the upper rooms would use the lower ones to do all the work, but I could not imagine the crazy and horrible things they would do to these people. They discover that the time they earn outside their rooms depends on the spectators, on what they find interesting and funny and what they think of doing? Torture them. The four players invented little games and the fun was to see the others get hurt, in various ways, and they also took away their phones and created a system for them to eat, turning them into slaves.

When number 6 was in control, the others were tortured physically, but when number 8 takes over, this changes drastically, since the torture is now psychological. She basically turns them into an experiment, putting them into a depraved sleep and showing them videos over and over, trying to break their minds, and the most shocking thing is that number 8 was not doing this for the viewers, but for herself, she liked to see the suffering and it turned her on. Yes, she is that level of psychopath. HAHAHA'

The drama is clearly a critique of society, how money rules our lives and how our greed can be our downfall. This is the case with number 1: if he had been satisfied with the money he earned and never tried to change rooms, he wouldn't have lost all his money and wouldn't have done that crazy thing that killed him in the last episode. It's really sad because he said exactly that, that he shouldn't have been greedy, but since he had always been on the bottom, he wanted to see what it was like to be on top.

Honestly, I wanted to see revenge for numbers 1, 2, 3 and 5, they deserved it. Number 8 getting arrested at the end wasn't enough, and number 6 being okay after almost killing them didn't seem right. Number 5 should have done more than just castrate him.

For me, this drama was more intense and violent than "Round 4". It's easier to kill people, especially by imposing rules that take away the guilt, but breaking a person's spirit, making them want to kill themselves, especially because you don't know when it will end, the endless waiting, that's pure torture.

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"Till The End of The Moon" is one of the best cdramas I've ever watched.

Susu is a woman who goes back in time to stop a man named Tantai Jin from becoming the devil god and destroying the entire world. To do so, she assumes the identity of Ye Xi Wu, Tantai Jin's wife, and her mission is to destroy his evil bone, which means killing him before he becomes evil. But the problem is that, as she spends time with him, Susu discovers that Tantai Jin is not a bad person, but the way he is being treated will turn him into someone bad. So, she tries to make him fall in love with her, thinking that this way he won't become bad. The twist here is that Tantai Jin is a liar and that was his plan all along: to deceive her, because he was not innocent.

The couple basically has three lives throughout the drama: first we see Ye Xi Wu and Tantai Jin, then we have Sang Jiu and Ming Ye, and lastly Susu and Jiu Min. In all their lives, they made a beautiful couple <3

I was dragging my feet to watch this drama because I knew it wouldn't have a happy ending, as most dramas of this style barely have one. Couples who become enemies are a recipe for someone to die in the end. HAHA!
But I'm glad I watched it, this drama is incredible, it's a spectacular production in every sense. The couple's chemistry is simply perfect, with sweet and passionate moments. The kissing scenes really surprised me and Tantai Jin is a very intriguing character, sometimes he seems like a villain, sometimes he seems very sweet, he's a mystery. I wanted a happy ending for him, but I understand why he had to die, it was his way of redeeming himself for everything.

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"A Shop For Killers" is an action and suspense drama. The story is about Jing Man and his niece Ji An. One day, Ji An receives a call saying that her uncle is dead and after that, her life is no longer the same.
She discovers that Jing Man had many secrets and dangerous people start chasing her... but Ji An is not an innocent young girl, since Jing Man trained her since she was little to be prepared for basically everything and the girl is a badass.

Lee Dong Wook and Kim Hye Joon working together is truly a dream.
The scene where Ji An kills Seong Jo is spectacular, the sequence in the entire house is incredible. Only that smart girl would think of taking over the shop for herself and buying the killers.

The ending gives the impression of a possible second season, since Jing Man is alive, but even if that doesn't happen, it was a good ending.
The drama is simply amazing, in every way. The story is great, as is the acting and the action scenes. You can't take your eyes off the screen for a second.

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"Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace" is a harem drama that shows the life of the emperor, his concubines, all the conspiracies, lies and secrets.

It's a spectacular drama, one of the best cdramas I've ever seen. I initially started it because it reminded me of "The Story of Yanxi Palace", because both stories are about the royal family and life inside the palace, but this drama is much heavier and darker, with lots of deaths, pain and romance taking a back seat. In fact, that's one of the main themes. Ru Yi's love is gradually fading away, as the emperor is becoming someone she no longer recognizes.

Ru Yi never wanted this life or the place of empress; all she ever wanted was Hong Li's love. The problem is that he never truly trusted her. The former empress had prevented her from having children since she got married and Hong Li did nothing. They framed Ru Yi for having an affair, and he really thought that was true. I can't explain how angry I was when Hong Li basically begged Ru Yi to make Xiang Jian sleep with him, because with her it was love at first sight... the constant humiliation never stopped.
I can't judge Ru Yi for her decision to let the disease kill her, because she had no reason to live anymore. Her two children died and the only one left was not being raised by her, and after everything that happened, anyone would be tired and want to give up, it's too much tragedy for one woman.

There are 87 episodes, but you watched it in the blink of an eye. I loved all the characters, especially the ones that were made to be hated.
Ru Yi and Hai Lan's friendship is truly beautiful, they are like sisters, helping each other through life.

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"New Life Begins" it's a drama about an arranged marriage.
Li Wei is a bright girl that doesn't want to get married, so she tries everything to lose the selection and return to her home, but she ends up being chosen as a concubine to Yin Zheng.

The romance between Li Wei and Yin Zheng is freaking cute, the two go together so well. I love arranged marriage dramas!
Li Wei is so funny, what was the whole process of her thinking that Yin Zheng was dying and even ending up wearing that funeral outfit for him?! HAHAHA'
It seemed like everything was going well, but then there was that cold water with Yin Zheng having to marry Yuan Ying, but in the end it was a positive thing, because Yuan Ying helped both of them and was a great person.

It's a cute, fun, light and easy to watch drama, you won't even notice the time passing. All the characters captivate your attention, not just the main ones and this is one of the great positive points, as there is a concern with showing everyone's stories and it was endless fun to follow this.

We saw Sung Wu grow up, become a woman in love and get married. Hao Jia had her baby and almost lost her life, but managed to escape an abusive marriage. Just like An's concubines, who could no longer bear the torture of being with him, who is too dumb for anyone to handle, and opened a restaurant together with Li Wei and Jing, showing that a woman can do anything and doesn't need to depend on no man to survive. It's okay that in the end they decided to give him a second chance, but they completely changed the dynamics of the relationship.
Yin Qi and Jing have completely different personalities and were forced to get married, but as they lived together they fell in love and stole my heart, I loved seeing these two together <3

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"Not Others" it's a drama about the relationship of Eun Mi and Jin Hee, mother and daughter who basically grow up together, since Eun Mi had Jin Hee when she was a teenager.

Eun Mi was extremely brave to have Jin Hee, without a family by her side or even the child's father. Thankfully she had Mi Jung and her mother, who became the support she needed to move forward. Mother and daughter fight all the time, but the two can't live without each other and even though it was difficult, Eun Mi doesn't regret her decision, since Jin Hee is the best thing in her life, but the two are also very codependent and Jin Hee's decision in the end made a lot of sense, for her to put herself first.

Humor is the main focus of the drama, but there are still light moments of romance, which made the story more special. Jin Hee and Jae Won are cute and have very similar personalities, Eun Mi and Jin Hong are complete opposites. Seeing these two couples develop throughout the drama was a beautiful experience.

The was one of the best dramas of 2023, simply sensational in every way.
I didn't imagine that I would love this story so much, but it keeps you hooked from the first episode and that continues until the end.
The relationship between Eun Mi and Jin Hee is incredible, I lost count of how many times I laughed because of them, because of all the crazy things and even though they didn't want to admit it, how similar they both are!

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"It's Okay, That's Love" is a beautiful story about mental illness, about how people suffer from trauma and how it affects their ability to deal with reality.

Hae Soo is a psychiatrist who has a boyfriend, but has never been able to have sex because of a childhood trauma. She saw her mother with another man and this affected her in a way that she associates sex with something wrong. Jae Yeol is a famous writer who also has traumas in his past. His brother was arrested for killing his stepfather and when he got out of prison, he tried to kill him too. In addition, Jae Yeol was physically abused as a child and on one of these occasions, he ended up hiding in a latrine and developed an obsession with cleanliness and also he can also sleep in the bathroom.

The relationship between the two is very good, because you can see that it is not a simple romance, they created a bond from their traumas, their scars, their experiences, they were able to comfort each other... The big twist in the story is something I was already expecting, you could see that Kang Woo was not real, because he was almost an identical version of Jae Yeol, from everything he went through in his childhood and a coincidence like that is very unrealistic. The scene in which Hae Soo finally understands this, how much it broke her heart, is very sad, as is the moment in which Jae Yeol accepts the truth, that Kang Woo does not exist. The dramatic charge of the story at this moment is very intense.

In addition to the main couple, we also have the adorable Soo Kwang and So Nyeo, our adorable couple with Tourette's and kleptomania <3

The message that the drama wants to convey may seem cliche, but it is the greatest truth of all: love does not cure any disease, but it helps you move forward, gives you strength to keep fighting. Having someone by your side is priceless, someone to support you, to pick you up when you fall and that is the essence of this drama.

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"I Hear Your Voice" is a romance/thriller drama about three people connected by a murder.

Soo Ha witnessed his father's death when he was just a boy and ever since that day, Soo Ha has the ability to hear people's thoughts. He has searched his whole life for the girl who helped him catch the culprit, as he promised to protect her... Hye Sung is that girl. She grew up to be a lawyer who cares about nothing but winning, but as she spends time with Soo Ha and he helps her with her cases using his ability, Hye Sung begins to change and realize that justice has meaning.

I really thought this drama would have no real romance, just hints of it, but thank god I was wrong, this couple is fantastic.
Hye Sung and Soo Ha are basically a perfect couple, you want to see them together from the first episode. They are really different people but you can see that they belong together, there is a connection, a bond. One scene that makes this clear is when Min Joon Kook says that he killed Hye Sung to make Soo Ha a murderer too, but he made a promise to Hye Sung to never do that. Seeing Soo Ha running to the hospital, looking for her like crazy and finally finding her, that warm hug, is one of the best moments of the entire drama.

Besides the romance, there is Min Joon Kook, the psychopath who makes their lives hell. I really hated this man and I couldn't understand his actions even after knowing about his past, how his wife died because of Soo Ha's father, that doesn't make everything he did right. Killing Hye Sung's mother, trying to kill Hye Sung and Soo Ha multiple times... there is no way I can feel sorry for him, he became a monster by his own choice.

The story, the characters, the romance, the soundtrack, everything is just perfect. I would recommend this drama to any kdrama fan, this is a story you need to watch.

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"Crash Course On Romance" is a romantic comedy drama about Haeng Seon and Chi Yeol.

Haeng Seon is an independent woman, who runs a side dish restaurant, raises her niece like a daughter and helps her brother with autism. Life isn't easy for her, but she tries to do everything. Chi Yeol is a famous math teacher, his life appears to be perfect, but he has digestive problems, Haeng Seon's food is the only thing he can eat, so Chi Yeol makes a trade with her, he'll teach her daughter Hae Yi in exchange for food. That's the beginning of their relationship.

At first, the two fight like children every chance they get, but as they spend more time together, Chi Yeol falls in love with Haeng Seon, but since he thinks she is married and a mother, he hides his feelings. The big problem is when people find out about their arrangement and start spreading rumors about their relationship, causing Chi Yeol to distance himself so that Haeng Seon and Hae Yi don't get hurt. The scene where Chi Yeol confesses his feelings is amazing, he does it to defend Haeng Seon from the women who were insulting her. Haeng Seon only realizes that she also has feelings for him when Chi Yeol tells the story about her mother's restaurant and says that he mistook his feelings because of her food. It reminded me so much of a scene from "A Gentleman's Dignity", with Yi Soo realizing that she liked Do Jin too. I felt sorry for Hae Yi having to tell everyone the truth, but she needed to do it so that Haeng Seon and Chi Yeol could be together.

These two are a very cute couple, there are lighter moments and more intense ones, but it's a shame that this took a long time to happen and there is little time to see them as a real couple. And honestly, I think the whole situation with Dong Hee was unnecessary, it just wasted moments that could have been about the couple. Within the story, it didn't fit to have a "villain", because there were already enough conflicts. There's the whole situation about Haeng Seon having a daughter, an autistic brother and there's also a big focus on the students, their problems with school, parents' obsession with studying and how this can harm young people, leading them to extreme. All of this was enough to keep the story going.

It's a good drama, it has a light, fun and easy-to-watch story, it just isn't everything I expected.

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"Oh My Venus" is a romantic comedy about Kang Joo Eun. When she was a teenager, Joo Eun was the most popular girl in school, her beauty impressed everyone, she even was nicknamed Daegu Venus, but when she became an adult, she ended up letting her weight increase and before she knew it, it was out of control. One day she meets Young Ho on a plane trip, he saves her and their lives become intertwined from that moment on, as Joo Eun asks Young Ho for help to lose weight and get her old appearance back.

The story is light, fun and easy to watch. The romance between Young Ho and Joo Eun is very cute, it matched the pace of the story very well. I didn't expect anything too passionate because So Ji Sub is not that good at very intense romantic scenes, for the style of the drama he was perfect, since Joo Eun was the more extroverted of the couple.

Soo Jin is an unnecessary character, just like Joo Eun's ex-boyfriend, Woo Shik. The two of them don't really serve the story, especially since watching them become a couple isn't something that interests the viewer.

I liked it because the drama focused a lot on Joon Sung and Ji Woong, Young Ho's two companions, since they became friends with Joo Eun. The romance between Joon Sung and Yi Jin is very cute, it's really hard not to like her and I have to applaud her persistence in trying to make him fall in love. HAHA'

The drama's only mistake was that it didn't show Joo Eun gradually losing weight. She was chubby at the beginning, clearly wearing clothes that were bigger than she should be wearing, but then suddenly in episode 5 she had basically lost all the weight. It seemed like there was no more purpose to her weight loss process from then on, because she had already achieved her goal. That's why I think they should have extended this more and there was also no remarkable moment showing that she managed to lose weight. They decided to follow a more natural path in this part, but honestly I wanted to see a scene focused on this, it was important to the story, even if it is somewhat cliché.

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"Five Children" is a family drama about Mi Jung and Sang Tae and their journey to get married and be happy together.

Mi Jung got divorced because her husband was cheating on her with her friend. The problem is that Mi Jung didn't have the courage to tell her children the truth and lied to them that their father was working abroad. Obviously, they would find out at some point, especially since their father was living with his mistress very close by. Mi Jung wanted to protect her children, while her ex-husband was only concerned about his new wife. The situation with Sang Tae is quite different. His wife passed away, so he has to raise his children alone. The main issue is that Sang Tae has no interest in getting married again, since he lives with his deceased wife's parents, but his parents want him to move on and start his life over. The lives of these two people intertwine and they end up falling in love.

The relationship between Mi Jung and Sang Tae is very beautiful and extremely realistic. It's not a simple love story. They took everything into consideration before deciding to get married, because they knew it would change their children's lives completely. The biggest obstacle was the children, and that was something to be expected. They were friends and at first they even liked the idea of ​​being siblings, but the reality was too much for them. Bin and Soo pretended that they were just hanging out there, they didn't consider it their home, while Woo Young and Woo Ri didn't accept Sang Tae as their father. The situation got so bad that Mi Jung and Sang Tae almost got divorced, but thankfully, in the end everything worked out and they became one big happy family!

In addition to the main couple, we have three other supporting characters. Ho Tae and Soon Young are the most boring couple. Tae Min and Jin Joo are cute, but they can't compare to Yeon Tae and Sang Min, who are amazing together. From the beginning, I knew they were perfect for each other and the story showed that. Sang Min changed so much since meeting Yeon Tae and she became someone more open and expressive because of him. Watching the whole process of Sang Min making Yeon Tae fall in love with him was very entertaining, but nothing beats the scene where he confesses his feelings for her and is rejected almost immediately! HAHAHA'

One of the great positive points of the drama is the way the story dealt with Sang Tae's ex-in-laws. In everything that happened, they would be the ones who would be the most affected, because with Sang Tae getting married again, the children would be raised by another woman and they would lose their place. It was beautiful the way Mi Jung embraced them as part of the family, even when they almost drove her crazy, it clearly showed the beautiful heart she has.

At the time, the drama portrayed a very controversial subject in South Korea: remarriage. Nowadays, this is something common and developed very easily in dramas, but in 2016 it was a bold narrative choice, not only because of the marriage itself, but everything that involves it, especially because of the children. The drama managed to beautifully show that neither surname nor blood makes a family, but rather the love between people and the willpower to continue, despite the obstacles in the way.

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"Café Minamdang " is an investigation drama about a famous fake shaman named Han Joon, who deceives others by saying he has powers, when in reality he has a group of people working for him, finding the information he needs; he is basically a con artist. He seems like a person without any worries in life, but Han Joon hides a secret. Jae Hee is a detective who won't give up on a case until she finds the culprit. They met when Jae Hee was younger and it was Han Joon who made her want to be a police officer, but now he is far from the person in her memories.

In each case, Han Joon and Jae Hee end up getting closer again, since Han Joon is always somehow involved and this has to do with the real reason for all of this. Jae Hee's brother was a friend of Han Joon's and he ended up dying at the hands of a serial killer. Han Joon has been searching for the culprit ever since and Jae Hee joins him to find the killer's identity together.

The comedy is the highlight of the story, even though it is a very caricatured and childish humor, that was what caught my attention the most, especially in the interactions between Han Joon and Jae Hee, their romance ends up taking a back seat.

The revelation that Do Won was the killer came as a surprise, it was one of the few times I didn't guess who the culprit was, maybe because I really liked the character and him being the person who killed Jae Hee's brother would be very cruel, especially considering the friendship she thought they had. His personality change when we find out the truth is impressive, completely different. That fun guy literally becomes a psychopath!

It's a light, fun and easy to watch drama. The soundtrack is amazing, I can't stop singing "Stay Here" <3

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