KDrama to Miss: Madame Antoine (2016)

Madame Antoine (2016)

Grade: C+

16 Episodes
Viewing Platform: Netflix

Go Hye-rim is a divorcee and single mother working as a fortune-teller in a cafe. Her gimmick is to claim she channels the dead queen of France for her inspiration, and she is only caught a couple times when a client happens to understand her few memorized strings of French. Choi Soo-hyeon is an award-winning psychologist, and he opens a counseling center right above Hye-rim's cafe after entering a business deal with a makeup manufacturer. Soo-hyeon is determined to prove women do not know or express true love, claiming it is all a temporary hormone-induced state, of which companies can take advantage in their advertising strategies. What happens when Soo-hyeon decides to try and win Hye-rim's affections? Will she fall for the rich, famous doctor, as Soo-hyeon hypothesizes, or will the psychologist find himself the victim of his own experiment? And how will Soo-hyeon's abandonment as a child influence his relationship with the pretty fortune-teller?

* I had a hard time seeing Sung Joon as a male lead – he's played the antagonist in at least a couple dramas, and he just isn't attractive in my eyes. He has that cold, intellectual, almost mean look to him, and I'm just not sure this character's vulnerabilities were enough to see him as anything but the “bad guy.” Go Hye-rim's character was cute, but having her daughter end up living with her ex-husband seemed like a shortcut for allowing Hye-rim to be carefree in her dating, and the deception between the two main characters got old fast. The old grandma having a crush on the guy 30+ years younger than her was really weird, too, although it didn't go too far (thank goodness). This drama had an okay ending, and I liked the mischievous, playful tone in the main theme song, as well as some of the initial “who's deceiving who” mind games. Definitely not scientifically or even ethically sound, though. It's okay for a first-watch, but I probably won't watch it again.*

JDrama to Watch: Good Morning Call (2016)

Japanese Drama  

Good Morning Call (2016)

Grade: B-

17 episodes, about 45 minutes each
Viewing Platform: Netflix

High school student Yoshikawa Nao decides to live in the city on her own in order to attend a decent high school, as her parents now live in the countryside. Unfortunately, Nao soon learns that she is a rent scam victim once she walks in to find the school's resident “hot guy” also moving in to the same apartment! All the girls dormitories are full by this point, and Uehara Hisashi refuses to move back in with his now-married older brother, so the two reluctantly agree to share the apartment and split the rent. What happens when Nao's parents find out? Will the school find out and expel Nao and Uehara before they can graduate? What happens when Nao starts to have feelings for her cold, distant roommate?

*This drama had a very strong start with lots of awkward falling-in-love moments, but it slowed considerably towards the halfway point. There were also a few F-bombs and a clearly lesbian character (if that bothers you – I thought it was an interesting story arc), but the show stayed innocent despite having two teenagers living together. I didn't see a lot of character development for Uehara, however. He stays quite taciturn throughout the show, belittling and insulting Nao when he does talk to a point that even when he *spoiler alert* decides to commit to her, he's still not treating her all that well. It feels like a shallow victory for the viewers. All the guys' haircuts were distractingly bad, too. I might watch this again.*

KDrama to Miss: Dream Knight (2015)

Dream Knight (2015)

Grade: C+

(web drama)

12 episodes, about 10-18 minutes each
Viewing Platform: Netflix

Joo In Hyung is a high school girl living alone in an RV after her mother's sudden death. She also has some sort of degenerative disease that will soon kill her. Despite the loneliness and bullying at school, In Hyung is determined to have a positive outlook on life. One day four handsome guys show up at her RV, and while she tries to shoo them away initially, they eventually win her over and help make her hard life much more bearable. What happens when the teen idol from her school, Junior, finds out about her four helpers, or knights? Will he be able to convince In Hyung that she no longer needs them? And how will the knights react when they learn their fate once In Hyung finds happiness?

*While the script wasn't the best, the plot was very interesting from a conceptual point of view. Girls in despair have knights magically show up in their lives to help them find happiness again, but the question arises about the fate of said knights once their duties are fulfilled. There were a few references to the traditional “little mermaid” fairy tale: the non-Disney version has the mermaid turn into sea foam or bubbles and disappear at the end of the story. Honestly, though, how is anyone supposed to be happy when one of the lovers in a couple has to die? That's why this drama didn't earn a higher grade; I like everyone to have a truly happy ending.*

KDrama to Watch: The Sound of Your Heart (2016

The Sound of Your Heart (2016)

Grade: B-

10 episodes, about 30 minutes each
Viewing Platform: Netflix

Jo Seok is an aged, famous webtoon artist, and he tells the story of how he found his way into the business. At the time he started - set in the present day - he lived at home with his mom, dad and brother. His dad owned an unsuccessful fried chicken shop, supplementing with odd jobs, his brother worked an office job, and his mom ran the household while Jo Seok struggled with creating an appealing webtoon, since he lacked talent and ambition in every other field. (His drawing style is unappealing to most – but these days that isn't always an indication of failure.) Each episode tells two short stories about Jo Seok's life with his family and with his then-girlfriend Ae-bong.

*This is the first Korean sitcom I've watched, and it really did have a variety show type feel to it, as each episode had a different theme or style. One episode had the dad and Jo Seok acting as if they were in the mafia, while another episode looked like a romance between Jo Seok and Ae-bong, for example. A few episodes really had me laughing out loud, just at the plain absurdity of the situations, but the other episodes I didn't appreciate quite as much. I'm not sure if that was cultural or just my taste. Definitely lots of bathroom humor, and more cursing than usual Kdrama shows. It is based off the very popular, longest-running web comic in South Korea, “The Sound of Heart.” It was a very interesting diversion from my normal drama fare. I might watch those few episodes I liked again.*

TDrama to Watch: Refresh Man (2016)

Refresh Man (2016)

Grade: B+

28 episodes, 40 minutes each
Viewing Platform: Netflix

In high school, Zhong Yu-tang was the top of her class, and everyone thought she would go far. Ten years later, and she's slated to become the company's next head secretary. Then the new CEO shows up – the kid with the lowest grades in school she used to be friends with – and he quickly demotes her to sales. Yu-tang is determined to prove to the new CEO, Ji Wen Kai, that she has what it takes to prove her worth in the work world, despite being relegated to the “garbage disposal” sales team 3. Will Yu-tang prove Wen Kai wrong, or will the “refresh man” coast along with the other slackers? How will Wen Kai react once the head secretary from the company they are collaborating with starts making moves on Yu-tang?

*Aaron Yan is a super cute actor. This series has a lot of fun flashbacks, slowly filling in the pieces to their connections in the past. I also really enjoyed the chemistry between Wen Kai and Yu-tang – there was plenty of buildup without feeling too slow. Near the last few episodes I started getting bored, but that's typical with these longer dramas. I also appreciated how Wen Kai and Yu-tang treated each other like adults – at least *spoiler alert* once they confessed their feelings. It's still a little sad that the two had to spend ten years apart because Wen Kai needed to “improve” himself – why couldn't he have done that with Yu-tang by his side? They would have had that much more time to love each other. The antagonist was written in an interesting way – not evil, just ambitious, but with enough conflict to keep the story (mostly) interesting. I'd watch this again.*

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.*