Tanky Toon

I am normally not into slow-paced dramas, especially when it tries to hard to be serious and funny at the same time, but not quite achieving both. What started out to be as a burgeoning romance (quite rapidly) between a gynecologist in her mid-30s and a happy-go-lucky young man, became more than that. The show tackles many issues surrounding life and death, including people's choices when it comes to childbirth, how people cope with loss, and how people deal with their own insecurities.
Also prominent in this drama is the topic of found family, how blood may not be always thicker than water, and there is no prerequisite when it comes to loving someone.

There's a few things that irked me about this drama, manely (pun intended) the bad hairstyles sported by many characters.
If they were meant to be endearing, they were not. Also, everybody seems to be up in each other's business and coincidentally run or know someone who knows someone. I guess this is typically true of small seaside towns. There are loopholes in how people show up suddenly without any logical reason, because "they just happen to be there."

The saving grace for me is Kitamura Takumi's portrayal of a deaf/mute man who doesn't let his lack of hearing/speaking deter him from enjoying life to the fullest. Hiragi Issei is the anchor that holds everyone together; his big heart injects everybody else with warmth. Issei believes that even broken people are only mean, because they are hurting and deserve love too.

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Though this drama isn't on par with the Untamed/WOH, it has its merits. To preface, this is NOT a censored adaptation of same-sex original work as many believed, so do not expect any lingering gazes or subtle references to a potential romance. . If we discard the non-existent "blooming bromance," then you will see the show as it what it is: a who-done-it, with Lan Jue and Zhang Ping acting as Sherlock Holmes and John Watson.

I loved the unraveling of intricate plots and unsolved mysteries as deciphered by Zhang Ping despite some inconsistencies. In some instances, I was amazed how easily a commoner can obtain access to the Empress, and how fast the higher ranking officials believed Zhang Ping's explanations. But if I overlook some of the loopholes, I find this drama entertaining to watch.

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What a fun drama this is. In the beginning, I was not really sold on the lukewarm, almost non-existent chemistry between the male and female leads, but the main father-son tandem more than made up for it. If you are expecting romance, this is not the drama, but if you are fond of intricate schemes and a hodge-podge of quirky characters, this is the show for you.

I loved seeing Zhang Ruo Yun portray the cunning heir to the Northern region, who uses his dumb, playboy persona as a cover, but he is really a thoughtful person who values friendship, family and loyalty. Hu Jun as Xu Xiao is so freaking adorable as Feng Nian's loving father who, out of good intentions, plans his son's path to the throne, but does so with more shrewdness and usually at other people's expense. Feng Nian tries to outwit his father's well-intended machinations while his merry band of martial artists travel across mountains and seas to meet his brother and sisters. On the way, Feng Nian meets more allies and enemies while on his quest to fight for peace and justice.

Side characters are very well-fleshed out and memorable. I especially loved Lao Huang and Li Chun Gang who are Feng Nian's mentors/companions. The fight scenes can sometimes be over the top some times but are quite entertaining to watch. Can't wait for Season 2.

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I don't know what it is it lately with Wuxia Chinese dramas that are hitting the mark. And "Who Rules the World" is one of them. This frenemies-to-lovers historical romance stars Zhao Lu Si and Yang Yang as martial art masters from opposing lands. My favorite Chinese actress Lu Si delivers as the buoyant trouble-maker who enjoys her freedom despite undisclosed ties to one of the ruling state. Yang Yang is not so shabby himself as the calm and collected prince-slash-fighter-of-justice who occupies two seats of the renowned "Four Gentlemen" with his two personas. Together as Hei Feng Xi and Bai Feng Xi, they make an unformidable team, and their constant bickering reminds me of a married couple in love (though they did not know it yet, or perhaps they do, but are in denial).

Aside from the MC's visuals and flirting though, what makes this drama so good is the wealth of multi-dimensional characters, dramatic intrigue, political twists and turns that kept me on my toes. The cinematography is also something to be admired, especially the seamless battle scenes. What I also liked about this drama is that there are no overtly annoying secondary characters that I want to wring their necks or slap them across the face. Yes, there are pretentious villains, there are ambitious eggheads, and murderous mistresses but what historical Chinese drama does not? At least, in this drama, they were more than just stick-figures. I also liked how compact this drama is, that they managed to condense this story in 40 episodes with hardly any fillers.

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I scored this high only because It's been a long time since I enjoyed a drama and anticipated so much of it that I finished this in record time. And maybe it's because of this, that I was a little bit upset with the drama ending so quickly because I actually wanted more and didn't want it to be over. At 20 episodes, which I usually think is a good enough number, now it is too short. I love the characters as individuals with their own brand of personality and as a group how they lean on each other and help each other grow. This is one of the times that I wish that the writers did not end things with a neatly tied bows and explored more of the ending. I am really hoping for a sequel to this drama.

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Amazing! It is as good, if not better than City Hunter, which was so far my favorite action drama, and this one trumps it. Drama has it all: Fast-paced action, forbidden romance, murder mystery surrounding childhood friends, missed connections and reconnected family, political thriller, etc. Ji Chang Wook managed to make the action scenes look really bad ass and cool and so hot and sexy at the same time. His performance as Healer and alter-ego dorky nerd Park Bong Soo are equally endearing. Park Min Young also slays as the inquisitive reporter and their chemistry on-screen is sizzling. The rest of the cast, especially Kim Mi Kyung, round up the drama with solid acting skills. Healer sets the bar when it comes to Korean Action drama, will be hard to beat.

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Apparently one of the best Korean dramas ever, the Goblin tackles on supernatural themes of after-life and reincarnation. With characters such as the Goblin, the Goblin's bride, the Grim Reaper and ghosts, the drama fluctuates between romance and fantasy. The two male leads are as charismatic as the female leads were lukewarm. As the drama went along, I was more interested in the love story between the secondary couple. Even the bromance between the Goblin and the Grim Reaper was a better watch, IMO. Would have given this a 10, if it wasn't over-hyped and repetitive towards the last part of the drama.

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I absolutely loved this offbeat love story between human and machine. I find the Premise of a Robot developing Human emotions very intriguing as the Robot also is a "better" person than the human version that he was supposed to portray. Seo Kang Joon managed to elicit entirely different feelings by portraying two characters so effortlessly. Kang So Bong as a character initially irritated me but she redeemed herself when she finally made the right choice by being less selfish, and help Nam Shin Robot to grow as his own entity. The other secondary characters, whether they are villains or not, are well-rounded that they have their own distinct personalities and characters.

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I almost did not watch this one as my run-ins with dramas with Gumiho's were mostly forgettable but good thing I did. Though I doubt that Jang Ki Yong and Lee Hye Ri will be winning any Oscars anytime soon, for this drama, their acting chops were enough to convey the aloof writer/professor and the eager student. Putting aside that one is a mythical fox and the other is the host of its magical bead, this drama mainly imparts what it is to be a human: a complex entity that can't be entirely understood despite centuries of learning and studying human behavior. Because what it means to be human, is not being perfect, not having all the answers in the universe, and though there are many that are bad, there's also many that are good. That suffering through life isn't necessarily a bad thing, but we just learn to adapt and know when to make sacrifices, and hopefully still have the desire to live despite failures.

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Finally, after a decade, this drama trumped my previous favorite Korean drama. It contains all my favorite tropes: Rich man/poor woman, Cold man/warm woman, Contract Relationship, Enemies to Lovers. It's like WWWSK without the annoying secondary couple. Ahn Hyo Seop gives Lee Young Joon vibes as Kang Tae Moo, and is quirky as the workaholic and aloof chaebol. But Kim Se Jeong is amazing as the duplicitous Shin Ha Ri who pretends to be her BFF to get her said BFF out of blind dates. Kim Se Jeong is adorable as the ardent food researcher and funny as the fake Young Seo and she plays both characters well.

The situations that Ha Ri find herself in are hilarious and Tae Moo's unusual responses to her antics make for comedy gold. ABP is rom-com done right, and is lighthearted despite all the clichés. The secondary couple isn't too shabby either, and their story is also endearing. Other characters are also multi-dimensional, and I especially liked Tae Moo's grandfather who is a hoot. Love, love this drama.

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I'm not really fond of FML chasing ML first, especially if they are clingy and looking desperate for male attention, but after a few episodes of this drama, I'm not as averse to Yuan Bing Yan as the Princess Chang Le as I thought. But what really kept me going is Zheng Ye Cheng as the aloof Commander of the Guards. He first caught my attention in Love O2O as Hao Mei who was in this bromantic relationship with Vin Zhang. But here, Ye Cheng is a totally different person, much older and with better acting.

As Shen Yen, he endures the silly antics of the stalker-y Princess, sometimes even to the detriment of his missions. The Princess thinks that she has charmed her way in Shen Yen's heart as he was as firm in his rejection. Portrayed as a pampered brat, especially over-indulged by her doting Grandfather, Chang Le is most likely a misunderstood woman who had to deal with political machinations (even from her own father) since her mother's death. Of course, we know eventually that Shen Yan will cave in and profess his undying love for the Princess but before they can live happily after, the couple has to go through the usual trial and tribulation set forth by their conniving relatives and friends and relatives of said conniving relatives.

The drama would not be complete without secondary and tertiary couples, between ML's brother and FL's bestie, and also between their two servants. Contrived couple-dom for the win. This drama is lighter than your usual historical drama, just by counting by the number of times that the FML strategically falls into the ML's arms, and eye-rolls at said "accidental" tripping.

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This is my favorite E-sports drama so far even trumped my previous fave E-Sports Romance (Love O2O). Cheng Xiao is adorable as the amateur game goddess Tong Yao, who in the beginning was like a deer caught in headlights when she enters a professional gaming league as the only female player and a mainly-male dominated sport. She suffers some initial setback and distrust from more seasoned players, including the team captain of ZGDX, where Tong Yao is a member. Xu Kai as Lu Si Cheng is convincing as the cold and aloof leader, who later warms up to Tong Yao after she proved her value to the club. Supporting Tong Yao from the beginning is her bestie Jin Yang, even while she is navigating her own battles with love (the on-and-off relationship with Ai Jia).

In the course of the drama, we see the introduction of many characters, with some falling for the Mulan and God of OPL, and while some are harmless crushes, others fans were far more vindictive. The drama takes this opportunity and others to demonstrate how being a keyboard warrior can affect the lives of the people being talked about. Despite the popularity of some of these players, they are also human who are vulnerable to unwarranted criticism, especially if they are attacks on a personal level. The drama also showcases the level of cooperation between teammates while playing a game, as well, as how they operate in their private lives. For example even though Si Cheng's tenacious protectiveness of his colleagues is well-intentioned, he had to learn to trust his teammates to carry the burden.

In other notes, Though the in-game animation /CGI is pretty badass, sometimes it is difficult to follow the gaming strategies especially if you are not an active player of a MOBA game like Onmyoji Arena. Although the drama imparts many kernels of wisdom regarding teamwork, online bullying, lack of parental support and/or self-esteem, etc. sometimes it tends to get preachy. Otherwise it is a feel good drama.

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The premise started promising of an ordinary girl capturing the attention of the CEO of a very large corporation. However, the story arcs became repetitive, the damsel in distress became less endearing and the expressionless CEO became less attractive. As the story wore on, it reminded me of "It Started With A Kiss," a story which I find very annoying: a seemingly useless girl and an all-talented boy. The leads from this drama also looks and feels eerily similar to the leads in ISWAK. The conflicts in the drama also come across as lackluster. I find the side characters, such as the friends of the main couple, more endearing.

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I would have given it a 💯 if it were not for the lackluster 2nd pairing. There is no chemistry between Bii and Katie Chen despite being easy on the eyes. The story is not as airtight as other melodramas but this is meant to be romantic fluff and we should treat it as such. Having said that, I cannot get enough of the lead characters and they served up quite a good amount of skinship, some are uber hot and some ultra sweet that you would need to have a quick shower before going to the dentist. Megan Lai, who I found annoying in other older dramas, convincingly plays a pretty man. Baron Chen's hair meanwhile becomes a third wheel. This drama turned on my fangirling mode I have thought long dormant.

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This sprawling historical saga spanning thousands of years, is rich and luscious in its story-telling. The war, the love, the tribulations among the immortals and mortals are depicted with detail. Characters and plot are not one-dimensional. Most of them are easy on the eyes, even the villains. It would have been a 10 if it weren't for the female characters in the story, being given less redeeming qualities than their male counterparts. The female characters (even the good ones) are shown as duplicitous at worst, and unreasonably obstinate at best. While the male characters come across as the more forgiving, and more understanding partners. It was nice to see role reversals even at that time - the man cooking for the woman even if he was the crown prince, but this does not negate the fact that the women were given a harsher brush stroke. Bonus: if you don't even like the story, Mark Chao's acting is worth the 58 episode watch.

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