JDrama to Miss: Happy Marriage!? (2016)

Happy Marriage!? (2016)

Grade: C

12 Episodes, 35 minutes each

Viewing Platform: Amazon Prime

Takanashi Chiwa is working hard at a local office supply store, barely making ends meet while her gambling-addict father spends everything she earns. A mysterious gentleman shows up at Chiwa's day job one day and offers to marry her. She declines, deciding that she would rather marry for love, but then some loan sharks show up at her home – her dad had racked up a substantial gambling debt and she was going to have to work as a prostitute to pay it all off. Then the man shows up again and pays off the loan, and Chiwa finally agrees to the contract marriage. Little does she realize she is now married to Mamiya Hokuto, one of the richest men in Japan. He agreed to marry Chiwa in order to please the head of the Mamiya family. What happens when she meets Hokuto's family? Will Hokuto and Chiwa end up finding true love, or will one of the Mamiya family members finish what they started 30 years ago, when Hokuto's mother was killed?

*There's something about how Japanese culture is portrayed in these kinds of dramas (and mangas) in how women are treated compared to men that doesn't sit right with me. The men are very domineering towards women. They do show women having business success, but for the most part it's a “man's world.” Plus their dramas emphasize the tragic side of humanity, with very few humorous moments. There was a little bit of character development, and the actor who plays Hokuto is handsome, but I didn't quite buy how things worked out. I wouldn't watch this again.*

KFilm to Miss: Wonderful Nightmare (2015)

Wonderful Nightmare (2015) 

Viewing Platform: Amazon Prime

A powerful attorney does whatever it takes to please her influential and wealthy clients, bullying and taking advantage of the less educated and vulnerable members of society, until one day when she accidentally dies before her time. What happens when the soul-sorting center offers her a chance to live for just one month in another person's life (in order to correct another error they had made) and then go back to her normal life? Will she be able to convince the family that she is a loving stay at home mother and supportive wife, or will everyone know she's someone different?

*The premise had promise, and while I was pleased to see the handsome Song Seung-heon (from “My Princess” 2011), the story didn't really captivate me. The family still had to lose their mother, and there wasn't any guarantee the attorney lady would be able to join the family as the step-mother. There are a couple F-bombs and some sad/scary situations where young girls are taken advantage of, or nearly so, and those are hard to watch. I wouldn't watch this again.*

KDrama to Miss: Evergreen/That Man Oh Soo (2018)

Evergeen/That Man, Oh Soo (2018)

Grade: D+

16 Episodes, 50 minutes each

Viewing Platform: Dramafever

Seo Yoo-ri is following in her father's footsteps as a local police officer while caring for her high school age sister.  Then Yoo-ri's boyfriend of 3 years breaks up with her seemingly out of nowhere. Little does she realize it was because of Oh Soo experimenting with the family's secret, magic tree's pollen, as he was supposed to do to learn and take over the family business. It has been their family's legacy for generations to help others find love. One person from each new generation is gifted with the power to sense another person's emotional state. Oh Soo doesn't realize that the pink love aura coming off of Yoo-ri's boyfriend wasn't actually for her, and when he gives the love-boosting pollen to the boyfriend, the boyfriend immediately breaks up with Yoo-ri to pursue his new love. What happens when Yoo-ri comes back to the cafe, drunk and upset over her break up? Will Oh Soo be able to make amends for his mistake? And is the tree a truly magnanimous master, helping humans find love in exchange for protection and care, or is it a malignant monster, a curse from centuries past?

*So disappointing! The writers could have done SO MUCH with the fantasy element of this story! Instead it focused on the tragedy and suffering as a result of the family's doomed fate. There was even a shamaness character in this show – why on earth couldn't they have used her for help in breaking the tree's curse?? This could have also been a very FUN kdrama if they had used the pollen in a more mischievous capacity. The only good part was the older brother character. He was definitely the comic relief, but it was a unique way to write an oldest sibling. Most of the time we see older siblings being straight-laced and hardworking, so it was nice to buck that stereotype while still incorporating some of the more tender brotherly love aspects to a sibling relationship. Other than that, this was a big miss for me and I won't watch it again.*

KDrama to Miss: Pretty Man/Bel Ami (2013)

Bel Ami/Pretty Man/Pretty Boy (2013)

Grade: C

16 Episodes, 1 hour each

Viewing Platform: Dramafever

Plucky Kim Bo Tong has only one ambition in life: to marry her longtime crush Dok Go Ma Te. Unfortunately, the pretty playboy has an ambition that is at odds with Bo Tong's goal: to flirt his way to the top, on the backs of the rich, powerful and lonely women he finds. It's all in an effort to provide for his mother, a kind, caring woman who has struggled to make a living their whole lives. His father was never in the picture, but his mother assures him it was for their own protection, and when the time was right, Ma Te would be able to meet his father. Unfortunately, Ma Te's mother is harboring a secret: she is dying. Then a mysterious woman shows up, claiming to know Ma Te's true origins and says he will have to conquer many women in order to learn from them and meet his father. Ma Te must learn to understand things like the true essence of money; how to control people's hearts; networking; perfect timing; the importance of clout; using power; gathering intel; being steadfast; the woman who loves only him; and what makes a Mother, the most powerful and frightening of them all. Will Bo Tong remain at Ma Te's side, as she promised his mother? How will she handle Ma Te's manipulative methods, doing whatever it takes to be in a position worthy enough to meet his father? And how will Ma Te untangle himself from each intimate encounter?

*I enjoyed Jang Keun-suk in “You're Beautiful,” and he is handsome, but this drama felt more like a boring, SLOOOOOWWW soap opera with the love story as the background filler. It was also distracting to have new characters introduced every other episode, only to disappear and never be seen again (with one or two exceptions). It doesn't give the viewer enough time to develop a rapport with the characters; the whole story felt weak. The antagonist's redemption wasn't believable, either. If someone spends most of their life committing unlawful and evil acts in order to ruin people's lives, there isn't enough time for that person to “make things right.” I suppose it was to make Ma Te look good by comparison, and he did go through some character development, but the formula didn't quite work. I won't watch this again.*

K Webdrama to Watch: Go Ho's Starry Night (2016)

Web Drama

Go Ho's Starry night (2016)

Grade: B+

20 Episodes, 15 minutes each

Viewing Platform: Dramafever

Go Ho tends to give things in her life star ratings – it's probably a trait of being an advertiser and habitually comparing products and services. She supports her mother and unsuccessful, perpetually a student brother, so she also writes articles for online magazines on the side. Work is difficult enough with cranky Manager Kang constantly yelling at her, but it all takes a turn for the worse when Go Ho's ex-boyfriend is suddenly hired and placed as her direct manager. The webzine writing isn't going well either, until one night when inspiration strikes: rating her single male co-workers. What happens when Go Ho starts to realize many of her male co-workers are giving her extra attention? Will she ever find out the reason why her ex dumped her? And how will she feel about love transforming her hotheaded boss?

*Cute, quick watch. The plot is not complicated, but enough attention is given to character development that the viewer is hoping, curious and ultimately satisfied along with Go Ho. The only part I didn't like was the one manager that was blatantly sexually harassing the women in the office – it was so over the top and made me feel uncomfortable. I think it was to *spoiler alert* justify him being beat up in the end, but I think that could have been accomplished with a lot less grossness on screen. I was pleasantly surprised with Kim Young-kwang's performance (Kang Tae-ho), as he was the second male lead in “Pinnochio,” which was not a favorite drama to begin with, and that character was more happy-go-lucky. *spoiler alert* Kim Young-kwan pulled off the aloof, strong male lead quite well, and I wouldn't mind seeing him in a longer production as the male lead. I'd watch this again.*

KDrama to Watch: Jealousy Incarnate/ Don't Dare to Dream (2016)

Jealousy Incarnate/ Don't Dare to Dream (2016)

Grade: A-

24 Episodes, 60 minutes each

Viewing Platform: Dramafever

Weather girl Pyo Na Ri is an aspiring news anchor at a large television station. She is also recovering from a 3 year crush on the athletic and charming yet arrogant news anchor, Lee Hwa Shin, who has been on assignment in Thailand as a news correspondent for the past while. Hwa Shin had exposed his older brother's meat company for false advertising and selling lower quality products, creating a rift in their family. Na Ri is excited to go to Thailand to earn a few extra bucks on a short work assignment, even though it means interacting with the object of her one-sided love. She does run into a handsome, kind young man on the plane ride over, Go Jung-won – who just so happens to be Hwa Shin's rich best friend. While in Thailand, Na Ri accidentally feels Hwa Shin's chest and notices a lump – her mother had died from breast cancer, and while Hwa Shin is a man, Na Ri can't shake the feeling that Hwa Shin's health could be at risk. What happens when Na Ri's suspicions are proved correct? Will Hwa Shin be grateful for her help, or continue to reject her? How will Na Ri feel when she realizes Jung-won is interested in her?

*This drama is an interesting cross between a soap opera and a romantic comedy. The first few episodes are very confusing, as coworkers and ex-wives, uncles, step-moms and grandmothers are all introduced and eventually connected. However, the large cast lent itself well to having so many episodes and helped keep the plot interesting. The caricature-like characters were quite entertaining as well – loud and funny yet mostly relatable. Lee Hwa-shin was my favorite character because of the struggles he encounters and growth that happens. Everyone else was not nearly as entertaining, or pitiable, or dynamic. And as always, Gong Hyo-jin's clothes (Pyo Na Ri) are extremely distracting/ugly. She is a good actress, though, and a good foil for Jo Jung-suk. Loved the chemistry, the music wasn't my favorite, but the pacing was excellent for such a LONG drama, and I liked the ending. I also liked how the writers kept coming back to and using the jealousy theme; repetition in art brings balance, and it all worked very well. I'd watch this drama again.*

KDrama to Watch: One Percent of Something (2016)

One Percent of Something/1% of Anything (2016)

Grade: B

16 Episodes, 40 minutes each

Viewing Platform: Dramafever

Unbeknownst to Kim Da-hyun, that elderly man she had seen fall in the ditch behind her school and helped take to the hospital wasn't actually a homeless nobody – he is the owner of a giant, successful business conglomerate, and that is the day her fate changed. Stubborn, hot-tempered chaebol Lee Jae-in has to deal with his crazy grandfather's whims once again when the elderly company owner decides to change his will. This time the grandfather includes an edict that his eldest grandson, Jae-in, won't inherit the company and all its riches unless Lee Jae-in marries the lowly school teacher, Kim Da-hyun. What happens when Jae-in settles not for marriage, but for dating Da-hyun for half a year in order to fulfill the requirements of his grandfather's will? Will he be able to persuade Da-hyun that he isn't a scam artist first of all, and second, that he can make it worth her while to date him temporarily?

*The plot is fairly simple, particularly because there is no true second male lead in this drama. I also didn't love the male lead – his happy smile is weird/cheesy, but not in a cute way. I did like that Da-hyun is a strong female lead, not to be bossed around by the whims of a crazy ex-girlfriend and not swayed by the promise of riches. At the same time, this does eliminate some of the usual tension, which makes a drama lose its excitement. I appreciated that the business side of the drama did not get much screen time. When a drama goes too far off into the complexities of the business or the evil scheming of the antagonist, I lose interest real fast. It also ties up everything neatly in the end. So for a lighthearted drama, give this one a shot.*