Gabriela

"Story of Yanxi Palace" follows life inside a palace harem.

Ying Luo is a simple maid, but she has a lot of skills, which makes her stand out from the other girls, who are jealous of her and always try to frame her. At one point, she meets the emperor and Fu Heng, two men who will mark her life forever.

There is a purpose behind Ying Luo's arrival at the palace. Her sister was a maid there who ended up dying unexpectedly and there were rumors that Fu Heng was to blame for this, so Ying Luo ends up getting close to the empress, who is Fu Heng's sister, to get information about her sister's death.

The emperor did not like Ying Luo's closeness to the empress, he was suspicious of the girl's intentions, thinking that she did it for personal gain. As Ying Luo becomes like a personal maid to the empress, the two basically fight like children every chance they get, and it is from this that the relationship between Ying Luo and the emperor is formed. Ying Luo is an incredible character, she is not afraid to speak her mind and this is one of the reasons why the emperor ends up falling in love with her, without even realizing it.

The relationship between Ying Luo and the Emperor is very funny, the two seem like two children fighting, there were moments of love and hate, because she was the only person who didn't treat him as superior, but rather as an ordinary person.

The romance plays an important part in the story, but for me, what really caught my attention was the relationship between Ying Luo and the empress. The two created such a strong bond that you could tell when the empress died, a part of Ying Luo died too. She was like a mother and a sister to Ying Luo, helping her whenever possible and I even think she would have let Fu Heng marry Ying Luo, but with Fu Heng's decision to marry Er Qing to save Ying Luo, there was no chance of that happening.

Unlike other dramas that portray the harem of a palace, "Story of Yanxi Palace" is a more entertaining story. There are conflicts, conspiracies, and plots between the concubines for power, but this is done in a lighter way, because where else could we see an emperor basically being ordered around by his concubine? The one who had the real power in this story was always Ying Luo.

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"Salon de Nabi" follows people working in a beauty salon, their day-to-day lives and their relationships.

A light, fun and very easy to watch drama. It's format is very reminiscent of American series, because each episode is different, only keeping the salon as the main setting. It reminded me a lot of "The Office". Everyone in the salon is a normal, realistic person, with their traumas, their tastes and their relationships. This was one of the great positive points of the drama, portraying characters that we can identify with.

Su Ri has a weight problem, Zen was abused and tried to commit suicide, Sang Hui is transgender, Gwang Su has all the weirdness in the world, Gi Ppeum was abandoned by her mother and raised by her grandmother, Mu Yeol couldn't maintain a steady relationship and Michelle is divorced, raising her two daughters alone and taking care of the salon at the same time.

All the characters had their moment in the drama, when the story focuses on them. I especially loved Sang Hui's episode, because being transgender is not something common in Korea, which is why I thought this diversification was incredible. The reaction of the people at the salon was as expected... I just didn't expect that Gwang Su knew about it all along. The best part of all was that they finally realized that whether he's a man or a woman doesn't change anything about the person he really is and the incredible work he does.

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"Fighting For Love" tells the story of Mai, a woman who disguises herself as a man to serve in the army. Over time, she gains recognition, rising to the rank of general.

Mai is surrounded by men, but there is one who simply cannot stay away from her: Yi Zhi. Their relationship grows and eventually, the two fall in love. The romance between Mai and Yi Zhi is not the focus of the drama, but it is an important part; it is their story that builds the rest. Yi Zhi was an essential part of Mai's journey; he was the one who treated her with affection; his love was what changed her, made her feel like a woman; but as he gained power, Yi Zhi became a different person. In that scene where Yi Zhi says he would kill his empress and all her concubines for her, it was clear how much he had changed, but the truly shocking moment is when he lies to Mai and ends up killing Shao Yi. I really didn't expect this from him, especially since he knew how much Shao Yi meant to her, but I think his jealousy got the better of him in that moment.
That's why I really don't care that the two didn't end up together, Mai was better off without Yi Zhi, because he made his choice.

Shao Yi really won my heart, I fell in love with him from the beginning <3
Yu Qing is also an amazing character, you think he's the villain, but that's not true, he's the enemy general, but he was never dishonest, it was just the consequences of a war.

This was my drama Cdrama of 2024 and what a fantastic experience it was to be able to watch this story. Mai is a badass character, a warrior who can defeat any man, very few times have I seen such an amazing woman. She doesn't need any man, that's what makes her great... she even rejected the emperor. Not just anyone can do this. HAHAHA'

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"Oh! My Emperor 2" continues the story of the first season and the quality doesn't change much, it's still very childish, I just couldn't like it, it's really not my style.

Fei Fei is a fun character and the romance between her and Tang Yi is cute, but everything developed so quickly that there wasn't a single moment that marked the beginning of their relationship as a couple.

I also didn't understand why Fei Fei never tried to go back to her time, it was like she didn't care at all about being stuck in that place forever. I understand that she fell in love with Tang Yi and wanted to be with him, but there were probably people she cared about, family... I always found it a bit strange that this never bothered her.

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"A Killer Paradox" is a suspense/thriller about an ordinary man named Lee Tang who one day accidentally kills someone in a fit of rage, only to discover that the person he killed was a serial killer. Lee Tang then goes into a spiral, as he takes this as a sign from God that he should get rid of people like that. Nan Gam is a police officer who is investigating the murders and is close to identifying Lee Tang.

The first person Lee Tang killed was an accident, and like any normal person, Lee Tang felt guilty for what he did, until he discovered that the person was a serial killer. After that, everything changed. All the evidence against him simply disappeared, and all the people he killed later turned out to be horrible people who deserved it. I can even understand why Roh Bin thinks Lee Tang has some kind of special power, because it's too bizarre to be true without it.

I think the ending makes a lot of sense, with Nam Gam freeing Lee Tang. The world needs people like him, because justice is not the same for everyone and there are many bad people who go unpunished.

I didn't like the drama at first, because the development seemed unrealistic, at times even reminding me of the "Final Destination" franchise, but watching it you realize that there is a purpose in all of this. Coincidence or destiny? That is the big question raised by the drama and the main reason for Lee Tang's journey as a serial killer.

Choi Woo Shik's acting is truly incredible!

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"Oasis" is not a light romantic comedy, it is a heavy story to watch, especially because of the suffering of the character Doo Hak.
The drama follows three friends: Doo Hak, Cheol Woong and Jung Shin. They both fall in love with her and try everything to win her over, but against all odds, Jung Shin likes Doo Hak. This makes Cheol Woong crazy with jealousy and, one day, in a moment of rage, Cheol Woong kills a classmate who was bullying Jung Shin and frames Doo Hak for the crime, who ends up in jail and stays there for several years.

I loved Choo Young Woo's acting, he really made me hate Cheol Woong. Speaking of him, I didn't believe the ending with Cheol Woong accepting Doo Hak as his brother. He never treated him as an equal, even when Jung Shin was not present. The situation was not much different, but thanks to her, Cheol Woong's true colors came to light.

The romance between Doo Hak and Jung Shin is super cute, but that's not what really stuck with me; the friendship between the three main characters is the real highlight. Their moments together reminded me of "Prison Playbook," and gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling.
The soundtrack is really beautiful, especially "Let Me Go" and "Nobody Knows."

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"Rule The World" is a drama about Dongge, considered the most beautiful woman and desired by everyone, even the emperor wants her as his concubine, but Dongge has always been in love with Dai San, one of the emperor's sons. He is also in love with her, but their relationship becomes complicated and eventually Dai San marries someone else, leaving Dongge heartbroken. Hong Taiji is another prince who is also involved in Dongge's life; in fact, she even saw his birth, having been close to him since he was little. After being hurt by Dai San, Dongge starts to get closer to Hong Taiji and the two fall in love. In order to be together, they have to overcome many obstacles.

The romance between Dongge and Hong Taiji is very good, they have great chemistry, but here is no depth to it, everything is superficial. For this reason, I ended up rooting more for Dai San, even Cu Yen, before considering Hong Taiji. I also think the drama was cruel to Dongge. This girl has been through a lot, more than one person can handle. First, she was sold by her brother to Beile and forced to live in his country, always having to protect herself. Speaking of her brother, that man is a scoundrel, who sold her to any man who wanted her. Dongge was killed twice in the story, that was unnecessary.

Let's be completely honest, there's no way a drama can be good when the same person assumes three different identities. I'm not referring to when dramas do the whole reincarnation thing or the immortal trials, since this drama has no fantasy elements whatsoever, Dongge literally became three different women. The strange timeline really bothered me, it didn't make sense how time passed.

Hong Taiji married Gedai and a year later Dongge ended up dying, she then became Bu You Ran. She stayed at Hong Taiji's house for a while and then disappeared for two years, but how is it possible that Hong Taiji's son is already a teenager? After Beile's funeral, it's been said that Dongge has been dead for 10 years... it just can't be. No comments about Abahai's son having the same bite mark that Dongge had on Cu Yen, like some kind of reincarnation. HAHAHAHAH

I really don't know what happened to this drama, it had so much potential but it was wasted. The beginning is great, incredibly captivating, both the characters and the romantic atmosphere, but at that point it changed and the story started to drag on and get lazy... I just wanted it to end.

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"Love Like The Galaxy" is a drama about Shao Shang, a young girl who has been trapped in a deserted place for almost her entire life. Her parents didn't know about this, as they fought in wars and left their daughter in the care of her grandmother. When they return and find out the truth, they immediately bring her back.

Shao Shang had to change in order to survive, no one cared about her, so she did what she had to. She is an amazing character who doesn't follow anyone's rules and tries to live life to the fullest, and that's what catches the attention of Bu Yi, a cold-blooded general who takes an interest in her.

The romance is the highlight of the drama, Shao Shang and Bu Yi are literally perfect for each other. In this first season, we see their relationship grow and that was the best part, seeing them slowly fall in love, which reminded me of "The Story of Ming Lan" and "The Sword and the Brocade". It's more than just a romance, they create a bond first. Literally, Shao Shang rejected Bu Yi until the last episode because she thought he was trying to control her, but that wasn't true. Bu Yi was just trying to help her, to be by her side, all his actions were demonstrations of love for her... thank God, she finally understood that.

Lou Yao wasn't really the right person for her, the two were sweet together, but Shao Shang needed a strong person by her side, someone who could accompany her through life.
I loved her revenge against the mean girls, it was so satisfying to see them fall into the water and Shao Shang just laughing, pretending not to know anything.

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"Royal Rumors" is a drama about a woman named Liu Li, the daughter of a family of generals. Everyone knows her as weak, but that's just a facade. Yuan Su is the cold crown prince who got involved with her.

It's a very light drama to watch, but the story just didn't grab me, mainly because there's no chemistry between the main couple, mainly because of Yuan Su.

Liu Li is also a strange character. I understand that she pretends to be weak to fool others, since people have issues with her family's excessive power. But even at the end, when Yun Su knows everything, she still remains like that... to me, it felt forced and ridiculous.

It's not a drama I would recommend, it's just something to pass the time.

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"Battle For Happiness" is basically a story centered around rich mothers and their children, but another person who doesn't belong to that world enters this world and that person is Mi Ho.

Mi Ho is a banker, she is not married and, in fact, she doesn't even think about it, but her life changes one day when she receives a phone call from Yu Jin, someone who used to be her sister when her parents got married. The two women meet again and, unexpectedly, Yu Jin dies and Mi Ho has to take care of her two daughters, since Yu Jin's husband is in a coma. Mi Ho finds everything very suspicious and starts to investigate what happened on the night Yu Jin died.

The rivalry between Mi Ho and Yu Jin started when they became teenagers, because Yu Jin started to feel the difference in the way her mother treated them, always favoring Mi Ho because she was the real daughter. Yu Jin only did small things at first, but the breaking point was when Mi Ho accidentally pushed Yu Jin and she hurt her face, leaving a scar. Yu Jin, out of revenge, told a horrible lie about Mi Ho having a relationship with her stepfather, which ruined her life. The parents divorced and the girls never saw each other again, until now.

Yu Jin was a complete bitch, she mistreated Mi Ho when they were children and continued to do so when they met again as adults, always trying to be the victim... but there is a hidden truth in this, something that no one knows and that is only revealed when Yu Jin dies. Her life was far from perfect, it was all a lie. Yu Jin's husband, Do Jun, was a pervert who even slept with his own daughter and traumatized the other two children by watching obscene videos of him. I think Yu Jin was completely right in trying to kill him, it's a shame she didn't succeed and ended up dying.

The drama had everything to be perfect, but for me Lee El didn't work as the protagonist, her expressions didn't match the atmosphere of the story, as if she always had the same face, no matter what happened on screen.

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"LTNS" is a drama with only 6 episodes, which focuses on a couple who haven't had sex in a long time and have kind of forgotten how to do it.

I really didn't like Samuel, he was cheating on Woo Jin too. Even though he didn't have sex with the neighbor, it was basically an affair, he wanted to spend time with her and ignored his own wife, to me that's even worse than just sleeping around. Woo Jin only slept with someone else because she felt rejected as a woman, she made a mistake out of desperation.

I understand why people were talking so much about this production, it's really the first time a drama has developed the sexual theme so openly. In movies it's more common, but in dramas it's something controversial, even more so to have a company blackmailing people who are having an affair.

There's no prejudice in this story, we have couples of different ages, younger, older, even gay... I liked this diversity. HAHAHA
But to be honest, I felt sorry for some couples, like the older one: the man wasn't happy in his marriage, nor was his wife, so they found happiness in other people, and the lesbian couple, the married woman was mistreated in a loveless marriage, she only got married because she couldn't accept herself... but thankfully this couple had a happy ending.

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"A Good Day to Be a Dog", as the title suggests, is a drama about a family curse: the women in the family turn into dogs when they kiss someone. So every night at midnight, the person turns into a dog and the only way to stop this is to make the person they kiss, kiss them back in dog form.

The story is really creative and interesting, this is the first time I've seen a curse that turns people into dogs, it's so cute. HAHAHA!
Hae Na and Seo Won are so cute together, but Cha Eun Woo is on a whole different level than Park Gyu Young, she couldn't keep up with him. The scene where Seo Won breaks Ha Na's curse is so good, the kiss in the epilogue is even better.

I didn't like that nothing happened to Bo Gyeom. He's a mountain spirit and interfered in the lives of humans, which he couldn't do. He cast a curse on a family for generations due to a misunderstanding, so he should be punished for it, even though he thought he was avenging his love, Bo Gyeom was abusing his power.

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"Blooming Days" follows Qing Lian, a woman who's forced to marry Lian Xin, to save her family. She had to be apart from her loved one, Bei Yi and marry a cold-hearted man that didn't care for her at all, only because her face resembles his father's lost woman.

I have always liked He Hong Shan playing the villain, but here she's so plain and there is things that happened in the drama that doesn't make sense, nothing is taking seriously.
The concubines aren't punished for anything they do, this is different from every drama that I watched with the same story line. One of the concubines do a lot of evil things, like killing the baby of another, pretending to be pregnant and even stealing a baby and nothing happens to her.
Qing Lian was technically raped by Lian Xin, then became pregnant and terribly lost her baby, but not in an accident, it was an evil deed.

It's a drama about intrigues within a harem, but basically fails in every ways.
Sometimes it looks like it wants to focus on the couple, but there's no romance or chemistry between the main leads. Other times, it seems like it will focus on conspiracy and the concubines, but doesn't show us enough to even know their names. It really wasn't what I was expecting.

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"Elegant Empire" it's a revenge drama about a woman named Ju Kyung. She is fooled by Gi Hun, gets married to him, only to be betrayed, send to prison and almost killed. Ju Kyung comes back for revenge with another identity.

This is just another drama that uses the same cliches and doesn't have anything different to show. Also the actors aren't doing a good job.
Kim Jin Woo is the only thing that was worthwhile, but the leaves the drama in episode 33 and the rest is with Lee Shi Kang and he didn't work in the role, his way of acting was too much, even kind of ridiculous.

The romance is basically non-existent and even if there was, the couple is pathetic, there's no way to root for someone like that. It's a drama that I finished just because I started, no other reason than that.

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