KDrama to Miss: Romance is a Bonus Book (2019)

 

Romance is a Bonus Book (2019)

Grade: C-

16 episodes, 60 minutes each

Viewing platform: Netflix

Kang Dan-i is a divorced mom who is down on her luck. After her husband cheated on her and lost their house to pay off debt, she wants nothing more than to return to her career in marketing. However, no employers will look past her gap in employment – the years she spent raising her daughter and caring for their home – and give her a chance. Her childhood friend, Cha Eun-ho is now a famous author and college professor who also works at a publishing company. What will happen once he discovers Dan-i has been squatting in his house, pretending to be the housekeeper she recommended to him, all because her ex-husband skipped town and refuses to pay child support or alimony? Will Dan-i be able to return to the workforce through her friend's company? And what happens when she discovers the secret Eun-ho has been keeping from the world all these years?

*Such a slow, melancholy, sentimental kdrama! Not enough humor, several F-bombs, more western/American influence, and no wedding at the end. There weren't enough heated moments between the two leads to sustain my interest. Plus there was an overall negative attitude towards mothers who want to stay home to raise their children; this show had the potential to be an insightful commentary on that issue, but her desire to be a good mom and wife at home was barely addressed. I even ended up watching this on a higher than normal speed, just to get it over with faster! Not the worst drama, but definitely one you can skip.*

KDrama to Maybe Watch: Revolutionary Love (2017)

 Revolutionary Love (2017)

Grade: B-

16 Episodes, 60 minutes each

Viewing Platform: Netflix

Byun Hyuk, the playboy second son of the Gangsu group conglomerate, is just drifting through life, in and out of minor legal trouble and romantic relationships. His closest friend, Kwon Jae-hun, secretly hates Hyuk, for constantly having to clean up after the spoiled, clueless rich kid. Baek Jun accidentally crosses paths with Hyuk during one of her many part-time jobs and ends up assisting him, thinking he's just some cute guy down on his luck. If she knew Hyuk was Gangsu group's heir, she would have never helped him. What happens when Hyuk is kicked out for yet another scandal and starts to understand how most people live in the world? Will he appreciate the struggle and grind, or will he side with his father and older brother, in a cutthroat corporate world? How will Jae-hun deal with the growing attraction between his longtime friend Jun and his employer's son? And what will Jun do once she realizes Hyuk's connection with Gangsu group?

*This drama started off strong – cute sound effects, 4^th wall breaks, and even some “meta” type awareness with characters talking out loud to themselves and then the characters around them actually looking at them oddly, reacting to the crazy self-talk. The MA rating is because of 2 F-bombs, out of 16 hours of material, and there is some violence, but I wouldn't consider it more than a PG-13 rating. The main serious theme song was slightly distracting, as it contains the first 6 notes of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” (I'm guessing that song isn't well-known in Korea). Choi Si-won's character is reminiscent of a giant, clumsy puppy – not very smart, but enthusiastic and energetic – and he is SO fun to watch. But then the romance cools off, and Jun's character smacks of modern-day feminism because *spoiler alert* she “chooses herself” in the end, which also doesn't show any growth on her part since that's what she did all along. Then there isn't a clear “winner” between the two male leads until the last 5 minutes of the series, and it just feels unsatisfying. So while I probably won't watch this again, the first half is definitely fun.*

KDrama to Miss: 100 Days My Prince (2018)

 

100 Days My Prince (2018)

Grade: C+

16 Episodes, 60 minutes each

Viewing Platform: Netflix

Lee Yul is the crown prince, but not by his own choosing. His father plotted a coup and overthrew the king when Yul was a child, ripping Yul away from his childhood love, Yoon Yi-seo. However, the king cannot rest easy: his right-hand man, the vice-premier Kim Cha-eon, has his own designs for power in the kingdom. Meanwhile, Yi-seo has assumed the life of a commoner after her noble-born father was slaughtered in the coup and her older brother went missing. What happens in the palace when Yul is attacked while on a diplomatic mission and declared dead? How will the crown prince's decree that every bachelor and old maid in the kingdom get married to help end the drought impact Yi-seo's plans to find her brother? And what happens when the crown prince loses his memories?

*Way too tragic for my taste. The costumes are done well, and the music & camerawork are good quality, but I just don't like the dramas where so many of the characters are miserable and or die! The second male lead was a bit confusing as a character as well; he joked when I expected seriousness, and because he kept his motives so close to the vest, he never really felt like a “good guy.” I know now that TV shows are often written on the fly, compared to planned movie scripts, but it was glaringly evident in this show, which makes it harder for the viewer to achieve that “suspension of disbelief” and really get into the story. Not a terrible drama, but definitely not one that I'd watch again.*

India Film to Miss: Good Newwz (2019)

 

Good Newwz (2019) 

Viewing Platform: Amazon Prime

Varun and Deepti Batra have been trying to conceive for nearly 6 years, and the constant hinting from well-meaning family and friends has put a strain on their relationship. Varun's sister finally suggests they meet with a fertility specialist, who suggests in vitro fertilizaiton (IFV). Varun is skeptical about the entire endeavor, mocking the pamphlets and whining about his contribution, but Deepti convinces him to cooperate. Less than two weeks after the embryo is implanted, Varun and Deepti are called back to the clinic, with some astonishing and disturbing news: the lab technicians mixed up the sperm samples with another couple whose last name is also Batra! Will the couples try another round of IVF, or keep trying on their own? If both couples move forward with the mismatched genetic material, what does this mean for their families and their babies' futures??

*The premise is quite interesting; any time a story has these kinds of improbable, yet not entirely impossible scenarios, it draws the listener in and allows them to engage on a meaningful level. This is probably the best aspect of the film. The characters do consider abortion, but luckily the writers do not go that direction, instead valuing life. I didn't love the musical numbers, and some of the humor didn't translate well (I think some of the wordplay was between English, Hindi, and a third language I couldn't distinguish from Hindi, so those jokes were lost on me). I wouldn't watch this again, not because it was particularly bad, but because it was just "meh."*

ChDrama to Maybe Watch: Accidentally in Love (2018)

 (Chinese Drama) 

Accidentally in Love (2018)

Grade: C+

30 episodes, 30 minutes each

Viewing Platform: Netflix

Heiress Chen Qingqing is being forced into an arranged marriage, but after a dream-visit from her deceased parents, Qingqing decides to attend the same college where her parents met. While dodging her grandfather's henchmen, she runs into famous idol singer Situ Feng – who then uses her to disrupt his father's marriage, with Feng declaring he is engaged to the now disguised, scruffy-looking Qingqing. What happens when Qingqing and Feng realize they're attending the same school? Will the resident “mean girls” manage to drive Qingqing away before she finds out more about her parents, or will her grandpa find her and drag her back home? And how will Feng take to constantly being paired up with the outspoken, dorky-looking Qingqing?

*This is probably one of the better Chinese dramas I've watched. The lip-synched dialogue is not as annoying as usual, and it has a more sincere feel overall (compared to the times it felt like the script was written by a bunch of “suits” sitting in a board room, simply checking the boxes off for common/popular tropes). It did feel a bit juvenile with all the high school type antics, but the writers managed to give at least some depth to the characters. I disliked the inclusion of an F-bomb and a couple suicide attempts; it brought a darkness to the drama that didn't quite fit. I also didn't like how the “bad guy” treated the [rather flat] female best friend; he never became likable. Bright colors, decent music; possibly worth at least one viewing, but I wouldn't watch again.*

KDrama to Miss: Was It Love? (2020)

 

Was It Love? (2020)

Grade: C-

16 Episodes, 1 hr each

Viewing Platform: Netflix

Single mom Noh Ae-jung lives with her mother and young teen daughter and is striving to follow her dream to become a top movie producer. Her boss at the tiny production company Thumb Film tricks Ae-jung into co-signing a billion-won debt and goes into hiding, leaving Ae-jung with an impossible problem to solve. Meanwhile, her daughter is starting to wonder who her father might be when she stumbles across some clues that point toward Ha-nee's school PE teacher and possibly a famous actor. What happens when Ae-jung finds a contract for the production rights of a vastly popular yet vengeful novelist? Will the scary loan shark coming after her settle on a new deal, one where he actually gives her MORE money to invest in her movie idea, as long as she signs on his favorite actor?

*This kdrama is basically the plot to “Mama Mia!” if it were fleshed out into a miniseries, which sounds cute at first, but it turns out to be pretty sad and unnecessarily dramatic. This doesn't follow the traditional kdrama formula, and they included some pretty big swear words (annoying, and not true to kdramas). I couldn't stand how “progressive” Ae-jung's character is in * spoiler alert * refusing to let the father know about their daughter. Let's say she's right and the daughter doesn't really need him – what about HIS need to BE a father/have a daughter to love and care for? Such a selfish perspective fostered by her ignorant mother. It would be a different situation if he purposely ignored her for all that time, but he didn't even know she existed! And then they had to do the trope of a 1-2 year separation for the two leads – that is a traditional kdrama thing, but I hate it. A separation like that isn't healthy; if they love each other, they should stay and work out their problems, together! There's also some hinting that one of the other characters had an abortion, which, while she seems to regret it, it still feels like just more western/worldly influences creeping in to further destroy the original charm of the kdrama. I won't watch this again, nor would I recommend it – despite their use of the really cool Cranberries song, “Dreams.”*

Kdrama to Miss: My Sassy Girl (2017)

 

My Sassy Girl (2017)

Grade: C

16 Episodes, 1 hr each

Viewing Platform: Netflix

Hye-myung, the princess of Joseon, often sneaks out of the palace to drink and carouse – very unacceptable behavior for royalty. When the returning young scholar Gyeon Woo bumps into the princess (unaware of her station) on one of her drunken escapades and saves her from trouble, she repays his courtesy by barfing on him and then accusing him of attempting to rape her! What happens when Gyeon Woo discovers the real reason behind the princess sneaking around? Will it jeopardize his new prestigious position as the crown prince's instructor?

*Too much politics, not enough romance! The costumes and colors are very bright, and there are a few funny moments, but in all my years of reading and watching TV/movies, I have NEVER come across such an impotent, ineffectual king! The bad guys walk all over him for YEARS, and I never see the king do anything to try and shift the power back into his own hands! Not only that, the first two-thirds of the show are about how the naughty princess keeps sneaking out of the palace, but by the end, she's outside whenever she feels like it and nobody says “boo.” She also becomes exponentially less “sassy” as the drama unfolds, and I'm tired of the feminist endings where the girl doesn't want to get married because she wants to be “fulfilled” before she commits to the guy. Plus, it's clearly freezing during their night shots, with snow on the ground in many scenes, yet we're supposed to believe the princess has access to a palace garden in full summer bloom. (It was clearly a greenhouse; there are even a few scenes where you can catch glimpses of the modern structure.) The villains are disposed of much too quickly as well; it's disproportionate to the grief they caused. I wouldn't watch this again.*