KDrama to Maybe Watch: Doctor Slump (2024)

 

Doctor Slump (2024)

Grade: B-

16 episodes, 1 hr each

Viewing Platform: Netflix

Nam Ha-neul and Yeo Jeong-woo were rivals in high school, with dreams and talent to go far in the medical field one day. However, almost 20 years later, each of them has experienced major setbacks in their careers and personal lives. Ha-neul is diagnosed with depression and suddenly quits her job at a prestigious hospital in Seoul - she has severe burnout, but the mistreatment of her professor and an older peer stealing her dissertation work is the last straw. Jeong-woo is embroiled in a medical scandal and has PTSD from it, as a patient of his dies on the operating table under mysterious circumstances, and all his friends abandon him. Will the two rivals actually find comfort in each other, all these years later? And will justice finally be served for those who have taken advantage of the two bright doctors?

*Good production value, nice music, decent plot - it's all fairly grounded in reality, though. I was hoping for a traditional Kdrama trope when the mom lies and says Ha-neul is dating Jeong-woo - but they do NOT play along with the mom's deception! With the show including characters in therapy, the conclusion is not that people will be happy, but that they'll come to accept and be strong enough to deal with life's miseries. Then there was the love interests - the male lead has a fun, cute character, but I was actually more interested in the secondary male & female characters' love story. Overall, I could have used more drama; not bad, but not a favorite. Good enough for a first watch.* 

KDrama to Miss: The Secret Life of My Secretary (2019)

 The Secret Life of My Secretary (2019)

Grade: C

16 episodes, 1 hr each

Viewing Platform: Netflix

Do Min Ik loses his ability to recognize faces after a head injury, and he ends up having to rely on his secretary Jung Gal Hui to keep his upper management director position at work while they wait and hope his ability returns. Strangely, he can still recognize her face - but only when she wears a certain sweater & her glasses. Gal Hui accidentally ends up tricking him, pretending to be one of her former bosses, a very glamorous potential client/ally for the company. Meanwhile some important information has disappeared from Min Ik's office. Will the pair discover the other deception of how Min Ik came to be injured in the first place? What happens when Min Ik finally realizes his secretary's deception? Will they be able to uncover the plot at work before it's too late?

*I forgot to do a write-up for this kdrama, and honestly, it's pretty forgettable - I had to go online to look up plot summaries to even jog my memory about it. I don't think it was bad, just clearly not anything that made an impression on me. Wouldn't watch again.* 

KDrama to Miss: Doctor Cha (2023)

Doctor Cha (2023)

Grade: C

16 episodes, 1 hr each

Viewing Platform: Netflix

Cha Jung Sook has successfully raised two children, choosing to stay home with them, caring for her mother-in-law, and supporting her husband's career as a doctor. Then one day she finds out she needs a liver transplant, and going through that experience helps her realize she wants more out of life now that her children are basically grown. Jung Sook goes back to school to finish her own doctor training, with her doubtful and even mocking at times husband. Along the way, she discovers her husband is having an affair - but the mistress is a powerful doctor in the hospital Jung Sook is working at. Will Jung Sook be able to finish her residency, despite the interpersonal conflict? How will her family handle her transition back into the work force? And will her pampered husband give up his affair and be the husband she deserves, or at the very least, be able to let Jung Sook go?

*Production value is fine; the destructive and conflicting nature of discovering one's spouse is cheating is very realistic, especially including the history of an unequal marriage (the wife doing everything to take care of everyone, while receiving next to nothing in return from the incredibly selfish, self-centered husband). It was almost too hard for me to watch... The ending is very unsatisfying, albeit realistic (spoiler alert) - she does get a divorce and gains all sorts of self-confidence & self-worth, but she ends up [romantically] alone. By Shakespearean standards, that makes this whole show a tragedy instead of a comedy. Wouldn't watch again.*

KDrama to Miss: Crash Course in Romance (2023)

Crash Course in Romance (2023)

Grade: C+

16 episodes, 70 min each

Viewing Platform: Netflix

Nam Haeng-seon is a Korean side-dish shop owner, raising her sister's daughter, Nam Hae-e, as her own. It's the teen girl's junior year in high school, with intense competition and pressure to do well on the national college placement exam. Hae-e's friend encourages her to study harder, and she gets into a prestigious private after-school program. Haeng-seon wasn't much of an academic herself (she retired as a handball athlete when her sister abandoned Hae-e), but she decides to support her niece as best she can – even if it means dealing with a curmudgeonly “star” teacher at the Pride academy. Choi Chi-yeol is in fact a very talented math teacher, with millions of dollars to his name for his efforts – but he doesn't enjoy what he has. He is so stressed out he can hardly eat, having lost a student to suicide several years ago, due to the extremely competitive academic environment. What happens when he encounters Haeng-seon's home cooking? Will the intensified attacks on those around Chi-yeol finally lead to tragedy, or revelation?

*The romance between Chi-yeol and Haeng-seon is cute, but it is only a tiny part of the drama. They're not physically a great match, either (he is more handsome than she is pretty). The whole drama was too reality-based for my liking, even with a serial killer plot line sprinkled in it. The bad guy “offing” himself felt super convenient, and Chi-yeol doesn't appear to give a second THOUGHT to the betrayal or death! With all the misery Chi-yeol felt at losing one of his students, which is heavily played up with his eating disorder, his under-reaction is bizarre. At times it feels like the show is a condemnation of the competitive culture in Korea – but Chi-yeol does nothing to change the system. Then the ending is much softer than I was expecting, considering the violent buildup with the villain and the rather despicable antagonist side characters. Wouldn't watch again.*

KDrama to Miss: Crash Landing on You (2019)

 

Crash Landing on You (2019)

Grade: C+

16 Episodes, 1.25 hrs each

Viewing Platform: Netflix

Yoon Se-ri runs a successful cosmetics and fashion company, but one day during a test-flight of some new athletic wear, her simple paragliding outing turns into a stormy nightmare: she is blown right across the North Korean border into enemy territory! Luckily the army captain who finds her at the border outpost wants to cause as little trouble as possible for his small troop of loyal soldiers, and Ri Jeong Hyeok does everything he can to return Se-ri before anyone else finds out. 

However, Ri Jeong Hyeok is also investigating his brother's mysterious death – an accident which appears to be part of larger corruption among North Korea's top military leaders – and who better to expose Se-ri than Cho Cheol Gang, the man with leverage against almost every top official in North Korea? What happens when Cho Cheol Gang evades capture for his crimes and flees south, threatening Se-ri's life? Will Ri Jeong Hyeok allow himself to love after losing his brother so tragically?

*This story felt a bit long and slow in places. All the “bad guys” aside from Cho Cheol Gang end up not actually being bad. There is also an actual – spoiler alert – death of a secondary character, the 2nd male lead, which I don't recall seeing in a drama before! So the 2nd female lead doesn't get a happy romance story line; instead she gets the “it's cool to be single” ending, which feels quite American/Western, unfortunately, or just plain tragic at the very least. 

I have heard that the portrayal of North Korea is based on actual reports from defectors, so it's supposed to be quite accurate in that regard. There are some cute, humorous moments seeing people experience technology & plentiful stores for the first time – very similar to other kdramas where people from the past end up in modern times. 

Overall, this doesn't have the happiest of endings – he can't leave North Korea long term, and she certainly can't live there, so they settle for only seeing each other for 2 weeks of the year, living together in a neutral country (Switzerland, where they originally met). Wouldn't watch again.

KDrama to Miss: "Doom at your Service" (2021)

Doom At Your Service (2021)

Grade: C

16 Episodes, 1 Hr each
Viewing Platform: Netflix

Tak Dong-kyung is an editor at a web novel company who helped raise her younger brother after both their parents died when they were young. Her aunt did take them in, but now that the siblings are grown, Dong-kyung has been on her own for a while. She gets the life-changing news that she has a brain tumor, and it is fatal, with only a few months to live. To top that off, she discovers her boyfriend is actually married with a pregnant wife, a pervert bothers her, and she gets reprimanded at work. In a moment of deep frustration, she wishes for “doom” to end everything – her life, and the entire world! What happens when Dong-kyung discovers Doom is real and he offers to grant her a wish in exchange for ending the world? Will “god” allow Doom to destroy humanity? And what happens when Dong-kyung's kind heart starts to pity the miserable Doom?

*The premise had promise, but this ends up being a super soapy drama with little humor and a lot of angst. I ended up watching this on 1.5x speed just to finish it faster. “God” is portrayed as a creation of mankind – a teen girl who suffers and dies repeatedly as humanity's way of purging sin (an odd interpretation of religion). I wasn't totally invested in Doom succeeding either way; Dong-kyung was kind of cute, and because she's kind I did want her to get a happy ending. I was going to give this a lower grade, but the last episode and overall ending is soft, happy, and gentle, so that bumped it up a bit. Still, not a drama I'd recommend or watch again.*

 

Philippines/Korean Film to Miss: Ultimate Oppa (2022)

 Ultimate Oppa (2022)

Viewing platform: Amazon Prime

Yana is a Filipino girl, working in a fast-food chicken shop while she dreams of one day becoming a romance writer. Yana would love to write a drama for television starring her favorite Kdrama star, Moon Shi Woo – he replies with such sincere, heartfelt support every time she sends him her fanfic online. It isn't actually Shi Woo who replies to all his fans, though – his assistant Jay does. One day the conceited actor responds to some haters online, and it immediately spins out of control. His agency then decides to hold a special contest for all his fans to help redeem his image. Yana is selected, and she gets to experience an all-expenses paid trip to a ski resort in South Korea! The other contestants try to outdo each other in the elimination round competitions, but Yana is gracious throughout, genuinely impressing Shi Woo. Meanwhile, Jay keeps coming to Yana's rescue – finding her locked out of her room in the cold, locating her misplaced passport, singing a duet with her in the karaoke competition. What happens when the two young men both start to develop feelings for the sweet, kindhearted Yana?

*This was a disappointing movie. There were at least a dozen F-words throughout, and with the mix of Korean, English, and Tagalog, the dialogue didn't come across with the same sincerity as the single-language shows I've watched. While it does have a happy ending, the charm was lost in translation, coming across as stilted and cheesy in an uncomfortable way. Wouldn't watch again or recommend.*

InFilm to Miss: Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety (2018)

Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety (2018)

Viewing Platform: Amazon Prime

Verdict: Pass

Sonu and Titu are childhood best friends. The pair became inseparable when, at age 13, Sonu's mother died and Titu's family took him into their home to finish raising him. Sonu is more worldly and he takes it upon himself to assist in hapless Titu's disastrous love life. Is it a bit manipulative of Sonu to pressure his friend to end what Sonu considers a bad relationship? Yes, but it comes from the right place – especially as Titu is the sole heir to his family's successful sweets shop franchise. When Titu jumps into an arranged marriage after only a few months post-breakup, Sonu tries to talk him out of it, thinking it's just a “rebound” type response, but Sweety is the perfect bride candidate and the family welcomes her with open arms. Sweety finally shows her hand after the engagement ceremony, admitting she is the villain in this story – but only after Sonu blundered into an ungraceful accusation against Sweety, which she easily (and convincingly) explained away. Will Sonu be able to convince Titu he's telling the truth about Sweety's gold-digging scheme? Or will the villain succeed in coming between the two lifelong friends?

*This should not be labeled a comedy, as ~ spoiler alert ~ there is NO wedding among ANY of the characters! I have a feeling the writers chose this in order to stand out from all the other traditional Bollywood films, which is their prerogative, but I was disappointed. It would have been funnier if Sweety and Sonu fell for each other instead – they're a better match with their machinations and plotting anyway – and Titu could have gone back to his former girlfriend. Plus there was Sweety, taking all these steps to trick and manipulate Titu and his family, while Sonu did next to nothing; again, it would have been funnier if the writers had him match her, move for move. Instead it all came down to Sonu crying at the end; seemed like a weak way to end it. I also didn't like how several dance numbers were very suggestive, in an American/western fashion; and Sweety looked too fake (veneers, contact lenses, and possibly a nose job). I won't watch this again, and I don't recommend it.*

KDrama to Maybe Watch: Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency (2019)

Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency (2019)

Grade: B-

16 Episodes, approx 1 Hr each

Viewing Platform: Netflix

Low-born Gae-ttong has one goal in life: to earn enough money to find her long-lost brother and have a decent place to live. Her friend, the local blacksmith's son, promises to help her and proposes, after the locally famous matchmakers, the Flower Crew, agree to help. On the day of the wedding, however, Kim Su never shows up, and Gae-ttong is devastated. Ma Hun does not want this blemish on his record though, so he commits to helping Gae-ttong find her missing fiance and allows her to stay with them and help with their business in the meantime. What happens when the crew discovers the reason Su never arrived is because the royal court kidnapped Su and revealed his true lineage, as Joseon's new king? Will Su be able to gain enough power to elevate Gae-ttong and make her his queen? Or will the other crew members' pasts catch up with them and the evil machinations of Hun's father destroy everything?

*I'm still not a huge fan of period dramas, but I like to give one a try every now & again. Honestly, this would have been SO much better if the writers had focused on the marriage crew's job, writing the episodes to detail various funny matchmaking story lines. Instead, it focused on politics and the tragedy each main character had gone through. I'm also not sure I like who Gae-ttong ends up with – SPOILER ALERT – it really isn't Su's fault that he became king, so why should he also lose his love? I guess it's good Gae-ttong wasn't also forced into an aristocrat's life, but it seems a little disloyal of her to choose the other guy; plus I didn't get much chemistry between Gae-ttong and Hun. I probably won't watch it again, but it might be enjoyable to those who like the period kdrama pieces.*

KDrama to Miss: Because This Is My First Life (2017)

Because This Is My First Life (2017)

Grade: D+

16 Episodes, 1 Hr each

Viewing Platform: Netflix

Yoon Ji-ho is a struggling assistant drama writer, and when she is almost sexually assaulted by a coworker, she decides to quit writing altogether. Then her younger freeloading brother gets his girlfriend pregnant and Ji-ho's father kicks her out of their city apartment she'd been making payments on for the past 5 years. A mutual friend finds her a room in someone else's apartment though, and a solid week goes by before Ji-ho meets the owner: the socially withdrawn computer programmer, Nam Se-hee. (Each had assumed the other was their same gender.) Ji-ho and Se-hee have simliar fastidious, clean habits however; also, Ji-ho just wants somewhere safe to live while Se-hee wants everyone to stop nagging him to marry – so they end up getting married (in name only) to meet both their needs. But what happens when Ji-ho starts to develop feelings for the taciturn older man she's married to? Will Se-hee be able to confess why he's given up on love for himself? And what about their friends' relationships?

*This is NOT a rom-com but a dreadfully tedious commentary on society. Sure, there are a couple funny moments, but the romance is not the focus. Rather, it's an exploration of adult life of a particular generation (1980s babies) and a criticism of traditional Korean values & societal roles. All the main characters have sex out of wedlock (at least, I think 2 of them are divorced when they get together – it was hard to follow at that point); marriage is looked down on; and there are several uncomfortable instances of workplace sexual harassment (towards/against women – which, if it needs to be said, then fine, but I don't like watching it when I'm trying to be entertained). It's not a fun show and I wouldn't be surprised if Netflix removing it from their platform is because it didn't do well ratings-wise. Wouldn't recommend and won't watch again.*

KDrama to Maybe Watch: Heartbeat (2023)

Heartbeat (2023)

Grade: C+

16 Episodes
Viewing Platform: Amazon Prime

Joo In-hae is a young school nurse, trying to make ends meet ever since her father abandoned their family and her mother died. She loses her apartment and deposit as her “landlord” runs off on demolition day and is about to lose her job because she cut a student's hair. (It was an attempt to draw attention to the girl being bullied.) Then In-hae receives word that her father has been declared legally dead, and she receives a spooky mansion as an inheritance. While exploring the large old house, she discovers a coffin with a BODY INSIDE. Turns out she interrupted vampire Seon Woo-hyul's hundred-year sleep – one day short of his goal to turn human because he wants to experience “heart-pounding” love! Will Woo-hyul be able to complete his transformation into a human and find his reincarnated lost love? Will In-hae's successful old college friend (who is actually a vampire hunter descendant) succeed in drinking a half-vampire's blood to cure his early, inherited death sentence? And what will Woo-hyul's vampire rival do in response to Woo-hyul's return?

*The first 6 episodes of this drama were SO GOOD! I always love a supernatural element to a kdrama, and the intro music and animation are the PERFECT backdrop for a story like this. There are several funny and romantic tension scenes, which I love – but then the pacing drops off and a bunch of sad dialogue and moody “staring off into the distance” shots take over. Honestly, it would have been SO much better if they had chosen to make this an action-romance-comedy instead of a romance-tragedy. The writers portray Woo-hyul like a terminal patient instead of a supernatural creature, and (SPOILER alert) they just let him die! I don't want to see a normal, believable ending when there are characters who are unbelievable; give me a fantastic ending to match the fantasy start! I enjoyed parts of this show, but overall I won't watch it again.*

Photo By Naver, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73858975

KDrama to Miss: Twenty-Five Twenty-One (2022)

Twenty-Five Twenty-One (2022)

Grade: C-

16 Episodes, about 75 min each

Viewing Platform: Netflix

Na Hee-do is an aspiring teenage fencer in the 1990s, with only one dream: to be the rival of talented, Olympic champion Ko Yu-rim. Hee-do convinces her famous news anchor mother to let her transfer to Yu-rim's school, and in the meantime, she meets an alumnus of that school, Baek Yi-jin – a young man who is down on his luck ever since his rich father's lawbreaking was discovered and the huge financial crisis hit South Korea. Will Yu-rim accept Hee-do as a worthy opponent? What happens when Yi-jin has to go live near the sea with his uncle because he isn't a college grad and can't find a job anywhere else? And what will Hee-do's aspiring ballerina daughter, looking back on her mother's adolescence, think of all this?

*This kdrama felt SO LONG and sad and drawn out! I don't like when a show decides to cover several years of time with its characters (not including the flashbacks). This is definitely a “coming of age” story with a heavy dose of nostalgia (a particular flavor of which I don't relate to as an American). It is also NOT a lovely, exciting romance, but rather a *spoiler alert* bittersweet, slow-death tale of an ill-fated first love. Seriously, I don't understand the drive to choose career over love in modern storytelling; it's so depressing and too much like real-life, when all I want to do is escape reality with my precious downtime. I understand that Yi-jin had MUCH fewer options because he wasn't able to continue his education, but it just wasn't romantic for him to pick his job over his girlfriend. Won't watch again.*

KDrama to Miss: Beauty Inside (2018)

The Beauty Inside (2018)

Grade: D

16 Episodes, 1 Hr each

Viewing Platform: Netflix

The talented actress Han Se-gye has a strange secret: once a month, she mystically transforms into an entirely different person! Her transformation mimics that of a woman's monthly cycle, in that it is mostly predictable and lasts a few days to a week at a time – but it differs in that she can become young or old, male or female, as well as any race or nationality. She can recognize the signs of it coming, which has earned her the reputation of a runaway of sorts, but the saddest part is not even her friends or family recognize her when she is wearing a different face. What happens when the face-blind chaebol Seo Do-jae runs into Han Se-gye and still recognizes who she is, despite her other forms? Will she be able to keep her secret? Will Do-jae ever recover from his malady?

*This kdrama had a lot of promise – I love a touch of mysticism or magic in a show (“Secret Garden” comes to mind), but I was greatly disappointed in this drama: there is no explanation for it whatsoever, and it's treated like a background or secondary problem. The other issue is the male lead was not very charming or attractive; it makes sense for a person with face-blindness to have a “dead” look in their eyes, but it made him a lot harder to like. Plus I just don't think he's a good actor. I also didn't like the pro-trans/gay messaging, with Do-jae's character having to love Se-gye no matter her gender. A person's identity is intrinsically tied to their gender, and the modern ideology that one's soul is “beyond” or “outside” of that is false. The drama also moves rather slowly, with far too many sad moments. I wouldn't watch this again or recommend it.*

KDrama to Miss: Vincenzo (2021)

Vincenzo (2021)

Grade: C-

20 Episodes, 80 minutes each

Viewing Platform: Netflix

Vincenzo Cassano, a former South Korean native, is a member of the Italian Mafia. His mother put him into foster care as a child, and a nice Italian couple adopted him – but it wasn't enough to protect him from the darker side of life. Vincenzo's education instead included the most creative ways to manipulate, murder, and even massacre one's enemies, all while sparing any "innocents" and staying one step ahead of the law. But one day Vincenzo's duties as a “concigliere” take him back to his homeland, in order to recover billions of dollars worth of gold hidden under a building set for redevelopment. What happens when this puts the hotheaded, ethically questionable lawyer Hong Cha-young in his path? Will she shy away from Vincenzo's morally murky methods, or will she embrace his help once her father is brutally murdered by the powerful Babel Group conglomerate? And will the team stand a chance against Babel Group's psychopathic chairman as he finally steps out from the shadows?

*Extremely violent, dark, and gory throughout. The ending for the two biggest villains is particularly disturbing (one involves fire, one involves a slow drill). There is also only about 1% of romance in the entire production. The show does have its moments where it is reminiscent of fun heist movies such as “Ocean's 11,” with different players coming across as traitors or double agents – but it grows tiresome since there are so many episodes. Very good production quality, soundtrack, etc., but violence and vengeance are not my cup of tea. I also don't care for the modern trope of morally gray characters; it makes it a lot harder to root for the good guys when they really aren't much better than the bad guys. I definitely won't watch this again and I don't recommend it for the traditional Kdrama fans like myself.*

Chinese Drama to Miss: Love 020 (2016)

Love 020 (2016)

Grade: C

30 Episodes, 1 hour each

Platform: Netflix

Bei Weiwei is a college student studying computer science and is the top in her class. She particularly enjoys the MMORPG “A Chinese Ghost Story," where she has an in-game husband. Meanwhile Weiwei and her roommate are trying to find internships for the summer break, and when Erxi uses one of Weiwei's accounts to look more like a nerd to get picked for an internship, it creates a big misunderstanding. Amid some in-game rivalry, Weiwei's in-game “husband” breaks up with her in order to “marry” another player, at which point the server's best player proposes to her. Unbeknownst to Weiwei, this top player attends her university in real life, and he is about to start his own computer company with his friends. 

What happens when this real-life attraction leads to some unwanted real-life attention from jealous classmates? Will Weiwei be able to navigate this new relationship in her life without losing her friendships? Will Erxi be able to fix the misunderstanding and subsequent gossip?

*This drama was a real slog to get through. There is no character growth, and while everything is technically well-done in terms of cinematography, music, and setting, this Chinese drama lacks the passion and direction of a Korean drama. It's as if someone took incredibly detailed notes while watching a Kdrama but didn't understand it. It's a slow meander through 30 episodes of content where not much actually happens. Then there is the way all the other characters revere the male lead's aloofness (they call him “Lord”) - it's almost as annoying as his lack of development. The scenes of the actors as video game characters were neat, and it reminded me a lot of my WoW (World of Warcraft) days – but that wasn't enough to make the show worth it. The casual references to communism were bizarre, too. I wouldn't watch it again, or really recommend it.*

KDrama to Watch: Cinderella and the Four Knights (2016)

Cinderella and the Four Knights (2016)

Grade: B+

16 episodes, about 1 hour each

Viewing Platform: Netflix

Eun Ha-won is determined to save up enough money for college, just as her mother hoped. Ha-won's step-mother and step-sister do not make it easy for her though, treating her like Cinderella, and Ha-won's dad is rarely around to see the abuse. On top of that, Ha-won finds out her dad has not been paying the crematorium fees for her mother's remains, so Ha-won gives up her tuition to catch up on back rent. Then one night Ha-won makes a delivery for one of her part-time jobs, and a third-generation chaebol catches sight of the fiery young lady. Kang Hyun-min convinces Ha-won to play his date, for a good chunk of change – at his powerful conglomerate CEO grandfather's fifth wedding! What happens when the grandfather sees Ha-won disciplining his grandson for his disrespect at the festivities? How will she handle the grandfather's demands that she bring his grandsons together, in exchange for tuition money?Will the forbidden romantic feelings developing between Ha-won and the grandsons cause her to lose everything?

*Fun premise, good cinematography and music; a solid kdrama overall. Park So-dam doesn't look like the typical kdrama main female lead, but she is still super cute with her pixie cut. There are a few good heated romantic tension moments throughout, but several of the characters engage in the “selfless sacrifice” trope, which is a bit annoying. Still, it has a nice ending that wraps up for almost everyone, including some redemption for the antagonists. Worth watching at least once.*

Kdrama to Miss: Mad for Each Other (2021)

Mad for Each Other (2021)

Grade: D+

13 episodes, 30 minutes each
Viewing Platform: Netflix

Detective Noh Hwi-oh is on leave from work in order to receive anger management counseling after assaulting the man who stabbed his partner on duty. He's also reeling from a breakup with his fiancee. In a series of misunderstandings, his new next-door neighbor accuses him of stalking her and ends up beating him with an umbrella and damaging his car. To be fair, Lee Min-kyung is suffering some paranoia after her boyfriend turned out to be married, then subsequently beat her when she tried to leave and dragged her name through the mud. Will these “mad” individuals be able to overcome their past, or will the hardships of life doom them to a lonely existence?

*This kdrama was rated MA, but it felt more like a PG-13 show. There are certainly adult topics covered – drug use (Hwi-oh is a detective, after all), extramarital affairs (but Min-kyung was not aware at the time), a pervert flasher (nothing is shown and it's used more as a comedic device), and a cross-dresser (this is more American influence, trying to get viewers to think of it as a “harmless pastime”) – but nothing seems quite strong enough to warrant the MA rating. It isn't nearly as funny and lighthearted as the synopsis suggests, though, hence the lower rating. A lot of time is spent exploring the psychological damage that comes from being in an abusive relationship; while insightful, it's not uplifting. Wouldn't recommend.

KDrama to Miss: Mine (2021)

 Mine (2021)

Grade: F

16 Episodes, 80 minutes each

Viewing Platform: Netflix

Despite numerous secrets, everything seems to be going well at the Cadenza mansion and Rubato annex, until one day a new tutor is hired for the 8-year-old Han Ha-joon. The new tutor starts doing inappropriate things at the annex, like dancing in the mother Seo Hi-soo's fancy dress, or acting like Ha-joon is her son. Hi-soo, Ha-joon's step-mother, can't help but feel the new tutor is strange, and soon she discovers her husband, Han Ji-yong, knew the tutor previously. Meanwhile Hi-soo's sister-in-law, Jung Seo-hyun, thinks she has everything at the houses under control – until the new maid attracts her step-son's interest, derailing him from her father-in-law's plans for the grandson to inherit the company one day. (Seo-hyun's husband is an incompetent alcoholic, and his sister has anger management issues, so neither of them are acceptable candidates.) Then it is revealed that Ji-yong is not actually the chairman's biological son, which is another reason the oldest grandson is in line to inherit the Hyowon empire. But what happens when Hi-soo discovers her relationship with Ji-yong was all a lie? Will she be able to escape the mansion and take her beloved step-son with her?

*This is probably the soapiest, most dramatic Kdrama I have ever watched – and I disliked it so much I had to watch it on 1.5 speed, just to get it over with. The music was better suited to a horror film, and there is such ugliness among the family members. Eventually the three main women team up to “take down” the monstrous (or just plain incompetent) men in their lives, making the whole theme a new wave feminist movement. Then there is a significant amount of time spent on one of the women and her lesbian identity, and on top of that, they have a quasi-religious person telling her that it “isn't a sin” (yet another example of western/worldly influence). Luckily the women don't end up actually committing a murder – it's just self-defense – but it's evident they would and could have lied to cover up a murder. Even if it's a terrible person, that doesn't justify murder; the hero needs to bring the bad guy to justice and let the law take care of it. Won't watch this again, and I definitely do not recommend it.*

KDrama to Watch: Business Proposal (2022)

 

Business Proposal (2022)

Grade: B

12 Episodes, 1 Hr each

Viewing Platform: Netflix

Shin Ha-ri is from a hardworking middle-class family who landed a great job as a food product developer at South Korea's Go Food company. Its young CEO, Kang Tae-moo, has just come back from working at the overseas branch, when his grandfather demands that Tae-moo start dating. Meanwhile, Ha-ri's best friend Jin Young-seo is avoiding the blind dates her powerful executive father keeps trying to set up for her. What happens when Ha-ri's efforts to be an over-the-top flirty, worldly, and immodest stand-in leads to a proposal from eligible Tae-moo after the first date? Will Tae-moo destroy Ha-ri's dreams of rising in the company, or will he decide to enlist her help in fooling his grandfather next? And what happens when Young-seo falls for Tae-moo's secretary?

*I ended up watching this drama TWICE – not because I loved it, but because I didn't realize it was only 12 episodes long and I forgot what this one was about while I watched other shows, waiting for it to finish in the meantime! Cute little drama with fun sound effects and occasional cartoon animation sprinkled throughout. Not too much tension, and a shorter than average run (which made sense considering how light the drama stayed). Good cinematography, good soundtrack, but it did lose steam near the end, and Ha-ri's character felt a bit boring eventually, especially after her initial acts tricking Tae-moo. I also didn't like the translation the second time around – there were a few F-bombs and more swearing than the first time I watched! Might not watch again, but worth an initial viewing at least.*

KDrama to Watch: Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022)

 

Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022)

Grade: B

16 Episodes, 1 hr each

Viewing Platform: Netflix

Woo Young-woo is an extremely gifted autistic person who loves whales and the law (and probably in that order). After graduating at the top of her class from a prestigious law school, she has trouble landing a job because of her so-called “disability.” Then, seemingly out of the blue, she is invited to join one of the top law firms in South Korea, Hanbada. Will she be able to adapt to life in the “real world”? Or will her stubborn side and unusual tendencies get in the way of her leading a fully independent adult life? And what are the motivations behind Hanbada's CEO hiring the inexperienced, socially-awkward young lady?

*Well-written individual episodes, with great cinematography and a “soft” ending – meaning the conflicts are resolved without going too dramatic or dark. The cases the attorneys solve are interesting, with moral and ethical quandaries thrown in, so the show ends up being more thought-provoking than simply entertaining (but it is also that). The romance is definitely lacking though; the writers tried to focus on Young-woo as a whole person, not just her love life. There is also an episode that includes a lesbian relationship – which, as I've said before, feels like American standards being shoehorned into Korean culture – but it's a couple minutes that can easily be skipped over. It's a nice show for a once-through watch, but not an instant favorite.*