Gabriela

"Hunted" is a thriller about a village, the people who live there, and the secrets they hide.

Young Soo often goes hunting wild boar with his friends. One day, he shoots something he thinks is a wild boar, but discovers that it is actually a person. Young Soo gets scared and runs away immediately, leaving whoever it is in the forest to die. When he returns home, he discovers that his son In Sung is missing, as is Hyun Min, another boy from the village. Young Soo fears the worst, that he may have shot his own son.

The truth is that Young Soo's friends went to the forest that day and discovered Hyun Min dead, but decided to hide the body and blackmail Young Soo for money, since he had just won the lottery. But the story doesn't end there. Hyun Min was not a good boy, he bullied In Sung and the two were together in the forest, until Young Soo accidentally shot Hyun Min, In Sung took the opportunity and killed Hyun Min by suffocating him, because he could no longer bear the torture that the boy was doing to him. In Sung was in a state of shock and that's why he didn't return home.

It's an impressive story, from beginning to end. When you start watching, you can't imagine everything that will happen, much less how it will end!
I thought the ending was deserved, since the four of them are most to blame for everything, but my biggest curiosity was: did the people from the village really kill that lady's son and daughter-in-law or was it just an accident and she ended up making up all this madness?! I wish they had answered that at the end.

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"D-Day" is a drama about people trying to survive an earthquake. We see clearly how people react differently in situations like this, how some become heroes and others run away to save themselves.

It's sad to see all these people hurt and dying, but aesthetically, the scenery and photography are simply incredible, it's also clear that no one is really prepared for something like this. The hospital was left without doctors, medicine, blood, materials, basically everything. Most of the doctors ran away from their responsibilities, but thankfully there were doctors who cared about others, people like Hae Sung and Ddol Mi, who didn't give up until the end.

Hae Sung is a person who doesn't follow rules and is exactly the kind of person you need in a crisis situation, someone who makes quick decisions and knows how to deal with any difficulty that comes his way. He literally performed surgeries wherever he could, but at the same time, this need to save others pushed him to the limit, especially when he couldn't do it. Hae Sung ended up with PTSD when a hospital was destroyed and two people ended up dying. It's not like he could have saved them, but Hae Sung carries that guilt with him, and he only starts to overcome it with the help of Ddol Mi, who is a great companion to him throughout the drama.

Ddol Mi is an incredible character, extremely funny, brave and full of energy. The relationship between her and Hae Sung is great, you want to see them as a couple, but there really wasn't much room in the drama for that, because there was a clear focus in the disaster, in helping people, so all we got was the two of them working together and flirting... but that was enough for me. Their romance is light and fun, it was what made the drama complete.

Everything that happened became a kind of redemption for Woo Jin. He started his career with the purpose of saving lives, since he was the doctor who saved Ddol Mi as a teenager and made her want to be a doctor, but as the years went by, Woo Jin became skeptical and only cared about results and money, he lost his sense of responsibility as a doctor.

One of the most tense moments for me was when Ddol Mi's father is injured and needs surgery, but Hae Sung chooses to save someone else. The problem is that her father's doctor turns out to be Myung Hyun, who causes a disaster and almost ends up killing Ddol Mi's father. Hae Sung's decision hurt Ddol Mi's feelings a lot, she felt betrayed after everything she did to help him... I understand that only Hae Sung could save the other patient, but I also think that Ddol Mi's father should have been his priority. But after that, Hae Sung suffers a great tragedy with the loss of his brother and Ddol Mi ends up understanding Hae Sung's attitude.

The 20 episodes are incredible, from beginning to end. Watching this drama was an unforgettable experience, it really makes you think about how you would act in this kind of situation.

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"Doctor Lawyer", as the name suggests, is a drama about Yi Han, a doctor who ends up becoming a lawyer with the purpose of punishing doctors who commit medical malpractice.

Yi Han had basically a perfect life with his girlfriend Seok Young, but everything changes when her brother dies and Yi Han is framed for it. In fact, it's all part of a scheme by the hospital, who stole Seok Young's brother's heart to put in a rich patient.

You can tell from the moment Jayden shows up that he's the person who won Seok Young's brother's heart, so it's not a mystery to be discovered. What we really discover are all the crimes that the hospital director committed and that until the end, he didn't think he did anything wrong. It's also easy to find out about Jayden's revenge, his actions suggested that he was looking for something more than money and after all, he was just another victim.

It's a good drama that focuses on crimes committed by doctors, an interesting theme that hasn't been explored much. The acting is great, as is the development of the story, but the biggest problem is that nothing surprises, everything that happens is predictable.

Shin Sung Rok is simply sensational, he totally outshines the rest of the cast <3

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"A Familiar Stranger" is a face swapping drama. Shen Qin had an arranged marriage with Han Sheng, but since she had no interest in marrying him, she set a trap for Shi Qi, a young artist who is invited by Shen Qin to paint a picture in exchange for information about her sister. What Shi Qi did not expect was that Shen Qin would perform a magic trick to swap their faces and thus escape the unwanted marriage.

It's a light and easy to watch drama. It was the first time I watched such a short cdrama, with 12-minute episodes. The story develops more quickly, especially the romance, and that was great, because we basically see them as a couple throughout the drama, but the rest of the story was left aside because of that.

The focus was really on Shi Qi and Han Sheng, on their relationship and on Han Sheng discovering the truth about his real wife, but everything about Shen Qin and Zi Heng was left in the background, as well as the whole situation of the prince's death. I think they could have added a few more episodes and that would have resolved everything.

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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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"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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"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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