Gabriela

"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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"Circle of Love" it's a web drama about a woman in a journey for revenge. Gu Meng lost her entire family in her wedding day and she thinks her husband-to-be is the killer.

I really like Li Jiu Lin, but it's too bad that he likes to do this web dramas, because I just can't like this type of story, this is the last one I will ever watched. Everything happens too fast, the rhythm is totally different of a normal drama, there's no character development and in particular case, I just couldn't like Hong Ye. I usually like bad boys, but he was just an abusive and possessive man.

Hong Ye fooled Gu Meng since the beginning, making her think she was his maid and let her trapped for a long time, always using an excuse to humiliate her. When she learns she's pregnant, Hong Ye thinks the baby's is Zi Chen and makes her do an abortion. We can't forget that he really killed her entire family.
In conclusion, this drama is really bad, don't bother watching this.

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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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"My Dearest 2" continues the story of Gil Chae and Jang Hyun, exactly where it stopped in the first season. The two are apart, with Gil Chae married with Won Moo and Jang Hyun in a faraway land, trying to help Joseon people, but fate pulls them back together.

Gil Chae Is kidnapped by the intruders, where she's reunited with Jang Hyun. Even in that situation, she tried to stay loyal to her husband, fighting her feelings for Jang Hyun, who literally does everything for her and stops at nothing to keep her safe.
She suffers a lot of humiliations, with people even cursing at Gil Chae when she comes back home, telling her that she should have killed herself, that she has no shame, that was really horrible to see. Only Jang Hyun is the exception.

I always liked Yeon Jun a lot and thought he was an upstanding and fair person, but he's just like all the other men in Joseon. That speech he made to Eun Ae about women who were only touched by intruders disgusted me, him saying that they lose their chastity, that they become dirty. Eun Ae suffered the same thing and the worst it was him blaming her for not telling him.

This production is truly amazing!
Both the first and second parts are sensational, they complement each other, it is the journey of Chil Chae and Jang Hyun, we follow the characters growing, falling in love, the separation, the reunion, all the pain and suffering to finally be happy.

What do I do now that Nam Goong Min stole my heart?! HAHA'

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"Longing For You" is an investigation drama about a cop named Jin Sung, he's really passionate about his job and tries to do everything to catch criminals. Young Joo is his childhood friend who's a prosecutor, the two are still friends even as adults. Jin Sung starts to work on a case about a serial killer and unexpectedly, his brother Jin Woo is brought in as a suspect. This starts the chain of events that changes their lives forever. Yeong Woon works alongside Young Joo and he's clearly in love with her. He's also investigating the murders and the truth is connected to him.

The killer's name is Gi Yeong, he's Young Woon's friend. He started all of this to get his revenge. Gi Yeong wanted to create a serial killer, with the purpose of framing Jin Woo, Jin Sung's brother, to stop Yeong Woon's transplant. This sound confusing right? Let's me explain.
Jeong Sook is Gi Yeong's mother. She knew her son needed a heart transplant, so she went to find a donor. That was the whole purpose of his friendship with Gi Yeong, because he's Young Woon half-brother, as is Jin Woo, they have the same father.

Yes, Gi Yeong was completely wrong and deserves to be punished for what he did, but in my opinion the real monster is Jeong Sook. This woman used the excuse to the end that she was doing this for her son, as if only he was important and that was the role of a mother.
There are many victims in this story, but the biggest of all is Yeong Woon, because even though he was alive, he ended up losing everything. The heart in his chest belongs to his half-brother who was killed by his mother and his other brother is in prison. Yeong Woon also lost Young Joo since he can't be with her after finding out what happened to Jin Woo.

A very intense drama, from beginning to end. With an incredible cast of Kwon Yool, Lee Kyu Han, Kim Ji Eun and Na In Woo, the story grabs you from the first moment and instigates curiosity at all times to discover the truth.
The soundtrack is great and fits perfectly with the story ^^

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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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"Arsenal Military Academy" is a drama about Xie Xiang, a girl who dresses as a man to enter a military academy in place of her deceased brother. There, she meets Yan Zhen, who not only becomes her partner, but also the person she falls in love with!

The romance between Xie Xiang and Yan Zhen is incredible; they're cute, fun, and passionate together. At first, it takes a while for Xie Xiang to accept Yan Zhen's feelings, especially since everything he did seemed like a joke, that he wasn't taking her seriously, but then Xie Xiang realizes how much Yan Zhen loves her. I lost count of how many times he confessed his feelings to her, even when everyone thought she was a man. HAHA'
It's a shame there isn't even a kissing scene between them... I think there should have been at least one.

In fact, the drama's biggest selling point is the love triangle between Xie Xiang, Yan Zhen, and Jun Shan. I loved seeing all of Yan Zhen's jealousy over Xie Xiang and Jun Shan's closeness, and after Jun Shan discovers the truth, he tries to seduce Xie Xiang, who becomes trapped between the two! It's so much fun to watch.

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"Glass Mask" is a revenge drama about Kang Yi Kyung, a girl who has been mistreated her entire life by her mother and sister Seo Yeon, who believe she is the daughter of a murderer. She ends up being framed for a crime she didn't commit, only for Seo Yeon to save the love of her life, Ha Joon. To cover up the truth, Seo Yeon "kills" Yi Kyung, who survives and returns with a new identity, seeking revenge.

The first half of the drama is excellent; the entire development is very well done, until the moment when Yi Kyung is betrayed by everyone in her family, including her father, who was the only person she trusted. When Yi Kyung returns as Seo Jung Ah, the story didn't deliver anything I expected. Where was the revenge? The episodes passed, and it seemed like nothing happened. This ending with everyone happy wasn't something I could swallow, especially after everything Seo Yeon did... she ends the drama as the victim who needed to be saved.

The romance between Yi Kyung and Seon Jae is very dull, the two have no chemistry on screen, literally none, and this was one of the story's biggest problems, since the revenge is weak, so they should have at least won over the audience with the couple... but even with that, they couldn't.

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"Dating in the Kitchen" is a drama about a young cook named Sheng Nan and Lu Jin, a wealthy man who falls in love with her cooking.

Sheng Nan ends up in debt to Lu Jin and makes a deal with him to pay her back in exchange for meals. During this process, the two fall in love, but at first, Lu Jin refuses to accept his feelings for Sheng Nan, hurting her. When Zi Qian appears, Lu Jin's jealousy leads him to try anything to win Sheng Nan's heart. Another obstacle for the couple is Li Man, Lu Jin's assistant, who is in love with him.

The romance between Sheng Nan and Lu Jin is an essential part of the drama, but it's not the only focus, as the food is the second most important element. I love when cooking dramas focus on the food, the entire process until it's ready; watching it becomes a much more immersive experience. Sheng Nan's dishes are truly mouthwatering; you literally want to climb into the screen and try them!

It's a shame that at some point the food took a back seat, no longer appearing in the story, which focused more on the couple. I can't say this was a mistake, because I loved seeing Sheng Nan and Lu Jin together, but I really enjoyed watching her cook.

The soundtrack is incredible; every song is addictive <3

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"Chef Hua" is a cooking drama about a young woman named Xiao Mai, who loves to cook and wants to make a living out of it.

One day in the forest, she meets Yu Huai and falls in love at first sight. The two begin to spend more time together, especially when Xiao Mai opens a noodle stand. Yu Huai is always there to protect her, but at the same time, Xiao Mai knows how to stand up for herself very well!

Guan Rong is the bitch of the story, a simply detestable person who pretended to be innocent and fragile to gain sympathy from others. I loved when Xiao Mai showed her true colors to everyone. It's a shame they only used Guan Rong at the beginning; they could have drawn her out longer, at least to create some source of conflict.

The romance between Yu Huai and Xiao Mai is delightful; they're sweet and completely in love with each other. The drama is light, fun, and easy to watch, and one of the things I liked most was the way they focused on Xiao Mai's cooking. There was a big focus on the food, the preparation, and the little details that made all the difference. Seeing all that food made my mouth water! HAHAHA

I also loved seeing, for once in my life, a mother-in-law who treats her daughter-in-law well. At first, Yu Huai's mother didn't like Xiao Mai very much, but over time she opened up to her, and by the end, they were like mother and daughter. They formed a bond, thanks to Xiao Mai's efforts to win over her mother-in-law and show her that she's a good person.

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"A Robot in the Orange Orchard" is the chinese version of the korean drama "I'm Not a Robot," about a girl named Shan Shan who accepts the job of pretending to be a robot for Lu Sen, who is allergic to human contact.

I understand the purpose of making different versions of the same story, but sometimes I find it quite unnecessary, and this was one of those times, because they changed a lot of things and lacked the essence of the korean drama, because it wasn't something that could be replicated. The characters are similar, as is the romance, but it doesn't quite reach the same level of complexity, especially regarding Lu Sen's illness, how it really was a life-or-death situation, and also the whole issue of him thinking he's actually in love with a robot, all the questioning, his mental confusion—it lacked more focus.

I'm not saying the drama is bad; the romance is cute and the story is good, but it doesn't have the same impact as the original version.

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"General's Lady" is a drama about an arranged marriage between Shen Jin, the daughter of a concubine, and General Xiu Ming.

Their relationship begins like any other of its kind. Shen Jin is forced to marry Xiu Ming. At first, she doesn't even know what he looks like, only the rumors that he's like a beast. She has no interest in marrying him, she even takes a pill to fake her death and escape. The big problem is that Shen Jin suddenly falls in love with him, which was hard to believe.

The drama doesn't have much conflict; it's basically the couple being happy, with a few funny moments in between. It's a light and easy-to-watch story, but at the same time, there's nothing particularly interesting; the romance is shallow and lacks any depth. Furthermore, I don't really like it when some dramas end like this, implying that everything was just a made-up "story" and showing the characters meeting in real life.

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"Princess Agents" is a drama about Xing'er's journey, her quest to find herself.

Yuwen Yue and Yan Xun have been friends since childhood, even though they are from opposing countries. Their friendship is tested when they meet Xing'er, a slave with great abilities, with whom they both fall in love. She begins working in Yuwen Yue's house as a maid, and he teaches her martial arts. When Yan Xun's family is murdered, Xing'er allies with him, seeking revenge, and becomes Yuwen Yue's enemy.

There is no real romance in the drama, as Xing'er ends up caught between the two men, like a chess piece. This was the story's biggest mistake, because Xing'er only realizes Yuwen Yue's true feelings at the end, that he was protecting her all along, that he was the person she should have followed.

She thought Yan Xun would give her the home she so desperately wanted, a family, but he changed completely when he gained a bit of power. It went to his head, and he became worse than the people who massacred his family, especially with what he did to Yuan Chun. The poor girl had only known love for Yan Xun since she was little, and he completely broke her, her heart and her body. That scene where Xing'er finds Yuan Chun after she was raped was painful to watch.

They focused too much on the wrong relationship, when the focus should have been on Yuwen Yue and Xing'er. Furthermore, since the drama spends so much time on Yan Xun's revenge, they completely neglected Xing'er's past, her true identity... They dropped some information at the end, which was left open-ended. What happened to this drama is a shame. They took a story with great potential but failed to develop it properly.

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