InFilm to Maybe Watch: Dilwale (2015)

Dilwale (2015)

Viewing Platform: Netflix

Raj's rascally younger brother Veer goes to great lengths to woo a beautiful girl he happens upon, even going so far as telling lies about being the sole owner of his brother's successful car detailing shop and about Veer receiving regular beatings from his brother. While trying to impress Ishita, Veer steps in when some drug dealers try to coerce the local bar owner to sell drugs. The drug dealer's leader, King, later sends his men to beat up Veer for interfering. A mysterious figure then shows up at King's warehouse, beats his men, and sets everything on fire – including millions of dollars worth of drugs. King is determined to find the man who calls himself Kaali and seek revenge, not realizing his new “car guy,” the mild-mannered Raj, is none other than his enemy. Will defending his brother bring back bad memories from Raj's former lifestyle? What happens once Raj discovers the identity of Ishita's sister? And how will a misunderstanding fifteen years in the past resolve itself as the two young lovers struggle to reconcile their families' differences?

*This is the best version of a forbidden Romeo-Juliet type love story I've ever watched. However, it is much more violent than I typically enjoy (beating up bad guys with half a dozen repeated punches to the face, versus just one punch to knock someone out – there was a lot of hatred represented in the repetition that made me like the good guys less). The serious, deadly confrontations mixed in with the silly, comical moments was a strange juxtaposition as well. I did love the vivid colors in this film, though, and several of the musical numbers were fun. The ending was a bit too abrupt, and some might find the flashbacks a bit confusing (I kept track by noticing if Raj had a beard or not: beard = present day, no beard = flashback.) It's fun for a first watch, so I can recommend it for that, but I probably won't watch it again.*

InFilm to Miss: Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001)

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001)

Viewing Platform: Netflix

The affluent, successful business owner Yash Raichand and his wife Nandini are unable to have children of their own. One day Yash brings home an orphan and adopts him, and their family feels complete. Eight years later, Rahul becomes a big brother, much to everyone's surprise. Rohan is loved, adored and considered a miracle baby, but he still knows his mother loves his older brother best, a brother he grows up thinking is a blood relation. It isn't until ten years after his brother suddenly leaves home that Rohan overhears the truth. Will Rohan succeed in bringing his brother home and reunite his broken family? Or will their father's pride continue to prevent reconciliation?

*There was so much sadness in this family, not even the incredibly hokey early 2000s dance numbers and ridiculous fashion could lighten the heaviness in this film. Who separates a mother from her child for a decade just because the father doesn't agree with the child's choice in mate? What wife says nothing to the man who is responsible for tearing their happy family apart? Perhaps there were cultural elements to this story that I could just not understand, including a son that is so “obedient” as to never challenge a parent's incorrect judgment. Sure, everyone cries (spoiler alert) and is repentant at the end, but it doesn't justify the fact this man stole a decade of love from his own family all because of something he said in anger that no one dared to correct because he was the “god” of the house. Plus it had that high pitched, nasally female voice I dislike from that period and several provocative dance numbers with scantily clad women. I won't watch this again.*

TDrama to Miss: Bromance (2015)

Bromance (2015)

Grade: C-

20 episodes, 40 minutes each
Viewing Platform: Dramafever

Pi Yanuo has been leading a double life since she was born: she must live her life as a boy until her 26^th birthday, in order to avoid the terrible fate a local fortune teller predicted for her parents. Yanuo learned martial arts, has a boyish haircut, and only wears clothes made for boys in order to trick her destiny and keep herself safe. But 100 days before her 26^th birthday, when she can lead her life as a woman, she helps Du Zi Feng fend off an attack, not realizing the man she helped was the general manager of the amusement park, as well as a triad gang leader. What happens when Zi Feng asks Yanuo to become his “sworn brother” and work for him? Will Yanuo be able to ward off Zi Feng's sister's advances? How will strife within the triad impact their relationship? And what happens when an old elementary school friend arrives on the scene to steal Yanuo's affections?

*I had a hard time finishing this drama. It's half gang story and half gay love story, what with murder over drug trafficking and Yanuo's secret about her being a girl – both subjects which I do not enjoy as entertainment. It was also difficult to have that “suspension of disbelief” for these two virtual strangers to go so far as to swear fealty for each other, then immediately put themselves in risky situations for the other person over and over. It's not justified in their relationship to do something crazy like that so soon after meeting, nor does it make sense for their characters – the viewer doesn't know them well enough to judge if the risky behavior is typical for those characters or not. Then there was way too much kissing throughout – it ruins all the buildup if the two lovers are kissing every other episode, or several times an episode. Additionally, I did not find the two main actors attractive (Yanuo is a pretty woman, but an ugly man), and like I've said before, when I am spending hours watching actors, I have to at least find them a little attractive in order to fully enjoy the show. I really did not enjoy this drama, and I won't watch it again.*

KDrama to Watch: Miss Panda and Mr. Hedgehog (2012)

Miss Panda and Mr. Hedgehog (2012)

Grade: A-

16 Episodes
Viewing Platform: Netflix

Ex-convict and aspiring young patissier Go Seung-ji decides to find a new job once he realizes his adopted grandfather's generosity could very well run the small bakery out of business. When he finds out the baker's daughter is released from prison, it finalizes Seung-ji's decision to move out and make room for the father and daughter to reunite. However, not many businesses will hire ex-cons. Fortunately for him, Pan Da-yang is out of money and desperate for a talented patissier to save the small bakery Da-yang's parents had left her upon their death. Just as Da-yang has accepted Seung-ji's help, a classmate she hasn't seen since elementary school arrives on the scene: the tall and handsome Choi Won-il, the new CEO of the most famous bakery in Korea, ready to reunite with Da-yang, his first love. Who will Pan Da-yang choose? What happens when Da-yang and Won-il find out about Seung-ji's time served in prison? And will Seung-ji, a.k.a. Dochi, ever conquer the famous bakery that rejected him five years ago?

*Most Kdramas tend to focus on or at least start from the girl's side of the story, but this drama is more about Dochi, and he is a very fun, sweet character to get to know. His whole demeanor is that of an energetic, youthful rascal, an underdog that will defeat his enemies with sheer skill and determination, and you can't help but cheer for his success. I didn't think “hedgehog” was that good of a comparison, though, especially because he is so vociferously and physically demonstrative of his love for those in his life. I didn't think the lead girl really resembled a panda in her demeanor, either. There was a really interesting mystery woven into the love triangle, though, and that made this drama really stand out. There is also a great bromance, an enemy that was truly terrible, and victims that let go of potential hate and anger from their past and were happy. Overall it's a positive-feeling show, and although the lead girl isn't my favorite actress, I'd watch it again.*

TDrama to Watch: Murphy's Law of Love (2015)

Murphy's Law of Love (2015)

Grade: B-

31 Episodes, 40 minutes each
Viewing Platform: Netflix

Psychologist Guan Xiao-tong quits her job at the hospital to become a matchmaking website's “Dr. Love” after her rich boyfriend dumps her for not being from a wealthy background. It's her attempt at shaking Murphy's Law – the curse that “anything that can go wrong, will go wrong” – from ruling her life. Meanwhile, the handsome and aloof entrepreneur Ji Jia-wei opens a divorce firm directly across the street from the matchmaking company, and the two are instant enemies. Their relationship becomes a bit more complicated once one of Jia-wei's employees signs up his boss for the matchmaking service as a joke. Now Xiao-tong must convince Jia-wei to help her since he is the website's most popular new member. Will the love doctor be able to shake the Murphy's Law curse to save her job and enlist the help of the cold businessman? How will Jia-wei's ex-girlfriend impact his budding relationship with the determined doctor of love? And what will the handsome, single chef working events with the matchmaking company have to say about Jia-wei moving in on his longtime, long distance crush?

*A couple plot points felt nearly identical to the Taiwanese drama, “Just You” - mothers abandoning their only child and girlfriends leaving suddenly, scarring the lead man's heart, then both reappearing. This show was a bit more somber than “Just You,” however, with less comedy and fewer lighthearted moments. It felt more realistic yet at the same time less intense – each dramatic plot twist fizzled out because of normal, mature adult reactions from the characters. The first part of the show was fun, but by the last third of episodes, spotting the random, long, single strand of facial hair waving from the middle of Jia-wei's cheek was more exciting than the plot. For whatever reason, I just didn't love the characters, and the idea of celebrating divorce (what Jia-wei's company did) bothered me. There also isn't a strong secondary story line going on, and I felt its absence. The romantic gestures were fun (more than I've ever seen in any one drama), the last episode is sweet, the music/production value seems to be a bit better than “Just You,” and the dog in the show was super cute (a Shiba Inu), so I might watch it again.*

KDrama to Miss: Schoolgirl Detectives/Seonam Girls High School Investigators (2014)

Schoolgirl Detectives/Seonam Girls High School Investigators (2014)

Grade: C-

14 Episodes
Viewing Platform: Dramafever

Ahn Chae-yool is on her way to her first day of school at an all-girls private school when she is attacked and bitten by an unknown man. It's a painful, strange experience – the attacker even finishes by shoving a sage flavored candy into her mouth – but she goes to school anyway, determined to brush it off. Later Chae-yool comes across four odd students, girls who call themselves detectives and who are determined to have Chae-yool join their club. Eventually the girls find “the man who bites,” as well as the connection that points to their principal secretly selling test answers to students. But why is the aloof, mysterious teacher Ha Yeon-joon so interested in tutoring Chae-yool? What happens when the girls stumble onto troubling secrets about their schoolmates in the name of finding justice? What does all of it have to do with a student's suicide four years in the past?

*This is not a style of drama I typically watch, but I like to try new things sometimes. It was not fun. The music gives many scenes in the show an unsettling, vague feeling of dread – much like the feeling from “Cheese in the Trap” - and overall it has a spooky, creepy vibe. These teenage girls are having to deal with difficult issues such as suicide, abortion, homosexuality, and real-life revenge, so it was often very dark and sad, despite the comical characters looking into these issues. I think for its genre – teen mystery – it had some decent writing, but this is just not my style. I wouldn't watch it again, and I'd only recommend it to those who don't have a problem with any of the aforementioned topics, or those who love mysteries. There's also more profanity than I normally encounter with kdramas.*

JDrama to Watch: My Little Lover (2015)

My Little Lover (2015)

Japanese Drama

Grade: B

10 Episodes
Viewing Platform: Netflix

High school student Chiyomi is an aspiring dancer and closet online novelist. One day her longtime friend and classmate Riku confesses his feelings for her, but before she can decide how she feels, a stormy night leaves the teenager shrunk to the size of a doll. What happens when her former best friend, the aloof and sullen Minami, is the one to discover Chiyomi in this strange state? Will Chiyomi be able to confess her true feelings and break the curse, or will she remain tiny forever?

*This was my first Japanese drama. It felt very similar to Japanese anime, in that I could picture nearly every scene drawn as animation. (This is based off a Japanese manga that is a retelling of the One Inch Princess legend, so that's probably why.) It's a little sweet, a little sad, and a little silly, with some cheesy, less-than-perfect special effects and lower quality filming, but it had a good pace overall. A fun, short show I might watch again.*