TDrama to Watch: Who's The One (2011)

Who's The One (2011)

Grade: B+

13 episodes, 70 minutes each
Viewing Platform: Netflix

Shen Ruo Wei is a top plastic surgeon competing for her agency's newly vacant chief surgeon position. She receives a letter from a recently deceased aunt: Ruo Wei is now the proud owner of a ramshackle cabin in the middle of a backwoods village in the mountains. Meanwhile, an obese but sweet-natured and attentive orchid farmer named Yan Tien Yan is attempting to marry his longtime fiancee (for the third time). What happens when Ruo Wei's prominent career inspires Tien Yan's fiancee to finally flee the tiny village, on the very same weekend Ruo Wei drives up to inspect her inherited manor? How long will it take Tien Yan and Ruo Wei to realize they knew each other in the past? Will Tien Yan be able to win over his runaway bride after an extreme makeover? How will Ruo Wei handle the Pygmalion effect (and is it simply her work that she loves)?

*The first several episodes were slow and sad, and overall the script is written rather poorly, but the characters won me over. There isn't a lot of complications in this drama either – just enough so the characters have a chance to develop and grow, without dragging on. I really liked Tien Yan's energy and Ruo Wei's self-assured, self-possessed air that still allowed her to love and be loved. Usually the career woman chooses her work over the man, or if she sacrifices her work, it doesn't seem realistic for her to do that complete turnaround after seeing all that pride from her. However, there are enough reasons for Ruo Wei to *spoiler alert* leave her career that it isn't just for her man. My only wish is that the writers would have given Ruo Wei and Tien Yan that “ah-ha!” moment when *spoiler alert* they realize they've technically been married this whole time. That really seems like a lost opportunity for any drama. I might watch this again.*

Web KDrama to Miss: After School: Lucky or Not 2 (2014)

After School: Lucky or Not 2 (2014)

Grade: C

12 Episodes, 15 minutes each
Viewing Platform: Netflix

Four teen boys have a club where they pick a random mission from a box, then do their best to complete said mission. This can be anything from “eat until you barf” to helping someone in need. One of their classmates, Song Joo Hee, decides to join the club in order to humiliate one of its members after he called her “poop girl” in front of all their peers. The “pick-a-mission” club decides to let Joo Hee join because they need a babysitter (one of the boys gets stuck babysitting a little sibling). What happens when Joo Hee's best guy friend joins with her? Will the club be able to complete their missions? What happens when romantic tensions rise between the members?

*The web drama has a “variety show” feel to it, as each mission allows for the writers to explore different themes and settings, including Chinese action, gang violence, and romantic drama. While this can be fun, when each episode is only 15 minutes it's hard to understand the “original” characters. It feels choppy. There's some fun goofy humor, but this format is not my taste. Probably won't watch again.*

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.*