potterfangirl

A Quirky, Fun Rom-Com

So I was hyped for this one K-drama ever since I watched the trailer. It didn't disappoint me at all. The story was a breath of fresh; it was fun, easygoing and had just the right amout of quirks to keep you watching. The cast was fun to watch. I really loved the office scenes. I persomally loved the rivalry between Mirae and Kyeongnam. It was really funny and cute. That being said, I do wish there were more scenes between the two because they were so cute together. Now with that being said, this brings us to a few issues that could have handled better.

The pacing threw me off guard sometimes. The first few episodes focused on the VR boyfriends and it was fun to see all these different cameos. But it sort of dragged on for longer than it should have when all this time could have been used to develop the relationship with the leads. The Seo Eun Ho storyline should have ended in college as soon as she accepted the breakup for what it was. But I did like the way Mirae got the ick from Eunho. It could have ended earlier to explore more of the actual relationship instead. The reality aspect was far more charming than the fantasy one although I loved the dating manager. But since it's a rom-com fantasy drama, I should not complain much about how they focused more on the fantasy aspect when the reality aspect was their strength.

Boyfriend on Demand is a fun drama to binge watch but it was let down by the pacing and not untapping the full potential of the leads.

Read More

A Good K-drama That Flipped the Narratives(fell flat at times)

I was extremely excited for the show ever since it was announced. The moment the first episode dropped, I just knew that I had to continue watching this. The cast is perfect but I was let down by how slow the story moved at times. I knew that there would be court politics and all that but honestly, I wasn't engaged with it. So the middle part of it was boring. It could have been more entertaining if there was more comedy because it's where the show shines the most.

One thing that I really liked about the story is how the second leads flipped the narrative. The Queen Mother was supposed to be a villain but she ended up a morally grey character which adds complexity but Jeongwoo was grating on my nerves the moment he appeared to show interest in Huiju and I was worried that they'd make him the good guy. Jeongwoo 's sole reason to destroy I-an was because he got Huiju. But he had every chance to make a move on her all these years. That just gave me the ick. But it is something that I really appreciate because the show was going in a very stereotypical direction until they flipped the narratives. I was glad to see a second female lead be complex and a second male lead be the bad guy because I never liked the stereotype of second female leads being villains and second male leads getting love for doing the bare minimum. Anyway, so I was really glad that Huiju exposed that sneaky prime minister.

However, I was not feeling the chemistry between Byun Woo-seok and IU tbh. I dont know if it was the actors or the character writing. The romance just fell flat at times. I was looking forward to the interactions with the palace staff, the aides, and Huiju's family more at certain points. MAN THE COURT LADY IS SO FUNNY! I was cackling when she brought Wan and Huiju a bed and kept calling Wan "Your Majesty." Guess some habits never change.

Although I complained a lot about the story moving slow, episodes 10=12 were actually really good. Byun Woo seok and IU are both excellent at playing powerful people (watch Byun Woo-seok in strong girl Namsoon and IU in Hotel Del Luna) so them being strong at a time where stakes felt especially high was AMAZING!!! Gong Seong-yeon deserves her flowers for her performance and captivating me in episodes 11 and 12. I loved the way everything came together although there were loopholes. Moreover, I dont know I feel about the abolishment because it makes sense but they could have left it at Wan gaining the throne because it is an alternate reality anyway. But not abolishing would mean that the same hierarchies would continue so it makes sense why they chose it. It just felt political but again I was skipping through court politics scenes unless Wan, Huiju, or the Queen Mother appeared.

Overall, it's a good show that flipped the narratives boldly but kind of fell flat on some of the execution.

Read More

A masterpiece in every sense of the word (spoilers ahead)

I never posted a review but I felt that this drama deserved every bit of praise. This is the first time that I gave a K-drama a perfect 10. When Life Gives You Tangerines is truly a masterpiece. The attention to detail was so beautifully done and the music, while it wasn't to my taste, enhanced the watching experience. I cried watching every episode as I could see bits of myself in Geum-myeong and her family. Some moments were extremely hard to watch because the actors did a phenomenal job at conveying the job, especially IU. I wept during Dong-Myeong's death as I could feel Ae-sun's pain through the screen. Her potrayal as Oh Ae-Sun and Yang Guem-Myeong is so beautifully raw and realistic. I also love how the characters and their dynamics feel real to the point where it sometimes feels like I'm intruding a family moment. Yang Gwan Sik is literally one of the best male leads ever written because of the way he protects his wife, loves his son, and sets the standard for his daughter. Eun-Myeong's storyline also broke my heart a little bit because he was just a child who wanted to feel special on his birthdays like his sister (which made sense why he was always so salty) but instead, he walked around the topic of his birthday like it was a sensitive issue. I broke down when Oh Aesun's mother saw her poems because she still came to see her daughter. This K-drama not only feels like a love letter to all mothers and daughters who broke the generational cycle but husbands and fathers who fight against the patriachial norms to let their wives and daughters "flip the table".

In the end, When Life Gives You Tangerines not only feels like a poem written by Oh Ae-Sun through her support system but a poem written by life to give us hope to go on and hug the people around us.

Read More

Shin Soon-rok, welcome home. But the endgame was rushed.

I have been watching Yumi's Cells since season 1 came out. For some reason, I was not able to vibe with Ung's character despite likinng everything else about the show. The cells were the highlight of the show for me, like everyone else. Even that couldnt stop me from dropping season 2 midway because I was frustated with Babi's character. So I was skeptical going into season 3 just for the cells and Yumi herself (the growth is immaculate)

I was captivated from the first episode where Yumi meets Soon-rok. The one sided hatred was so fun and it is exactly what I came for: the cells dramaticising everything. The whole thing with the strawberry custard bread was really fun to watch. (also Hunger cell is my spirit animal.). I loved the way the system just glitched when Yumi fell for Soon-rok, because it is such a classic rom com move.

Soon-rok's cells are also the most fun to watch. The Love Cell as a doctor is a brilliant representation of his rationality and the Reason cell not being in control because he is always tired humanises the character of Soon-rok. The fact that Soon-rok is driven by love for Yumi after his principles break is so sweet because it just got redirected instead. Soon-rok just chooses Yumi. Something Woong couldnt do despite loving her and Babi...is well Babi. That is what strengtens the romance for me. But it made me realise that the reason why I wasn't into Woong and Babi. Yumi was happy but never in a way she is happy in her relationship with Soon-rok. That is a brilliant creative choice because love is a destination which you reach after trials and errors. Yumi's line, "Because two loves are not the same" anchors the whole thematic outline of the story. But here is where I was side-eyeing the creative choices.

Soon-rok's proposal came too early. I mean they were already moving fast but I wish they showed us more of how their relationship dynamic before the proposal so it feels more earned. It felt like they were rushing because of the honeymoon phrase but it was softened by Soon-rok choosing Yumi always. Maybe I am just salty that i didnt get to see more of their datimg era.

Read More