KDrama to Miss: My Secret Romance (2017)

My Secret Romance (2017)

Grade: C+

14 Episodes, 50 minutes each

Viewing Platform: Viki

Lee Yoo-mi is a quiet, modest girl in the midst of her nutritionist studies when her former erotic-film-star mother decides to remarry. Yoo-mi has a few accidental encounters with a bell hop, Cha Jin-wook, and the two find themselves in a sleepy seaside town, sharing a bottle of wine at the shore. Jin-wook and Yoo-mi spend a passionate night together, but Yoo-mi slinks off at first light. Three years later, Yoo-mi is assigned her first real work experience at the large conglomerate DaeBok Group, which – unbeknownst to her – is Jin-wook's father's company. Jin-wook, unable to forget Yoo-mi, has put his partying days behind him and focused on work to the point of being malnourished. What happens when Yoo-mi is required to personally make all of Jin-wook's meals? Will she pretend their one-night stand never happened? Or is she finally ready to stop letting her mother's life choices get in the way of her own happiness?

*This kdrama seemed much older than its 2017 airing date – probably because it felt like a low-budget production. There were some plot holes, sound editing issues, and far too many flashbacks, plus some weird end-of-episode filler that was an identical scene from that episode, shot from a different angle. (All kdramas utilize flashbacks,and it can be an effective tool for storytelling, but usually it's kept to a reasonable amount. This show was nearly 30% flashbacks.) The writers' decision to have them sleep together right at the beginning killed the rhythm of the show, and from that point I just couldn't get into it. I also prefer more comedy in my kdramas. I loved Jin-wook's secretary, and Sung Hoon is very handsome, but again, there really wasn't much substance to the story. Won't watch again.*

KDrama to Maybe Watch: Her Private Life (2019)

Her Private Life (2019)

Grade: B-

16 Episodes, 1 Hr each

Viewing Platform: Viki

Art lover Sung Deok-mi is a dutiful museum curator, putting in the time to hopefully move up the ladder, but her secret, private life could put all that in jeopardy. Deok-mi is a secret SUPER fan, spending her spare time following around the singer Cha Si-an and running a successful, popular blog on the idol. She manages to keep her secret over the years, including from her own parents, but unfortunately, when the current director's husband is imprisoned for using the museum and its art acquiring process to embezzle millions of dollars, Deok-mi is passed over for the promotion. The cold, detached Ryan Gold – an American-raised Korean and fairly well-known artist – swoops in and changes all their plans in an effort to “re-brand” the museum and take attention away from the scandal. What happens when Deok-mi inadvertently poisons the new director? Will Ryan be able to overcome his secret illness that forced him into early retirement as a painter? And how will the new director react when he starts to suspect Deok-mi's secret?

*The first few episodes were energetic and fun to watch, with plenty of secondhand embarrassment and cringe-worthy comedy. However, Ryan's character was cold to the point I could not see anyone falling for him, and in retrospect, it's hard to believe. There is (spoiler alert) no true villain, which makes for a gentler ending, driven by character development rather than plot, but I was disappointed with how soon Deok-mi's conflict was resolved. The second half of the drama focuses all on Ryan and his backstory, so it isn't even about “her private life” anymore. (I've found a majority of dramas follow this pattern, a kind of bait-and-switch, from the female to the male lead; I'm not sure I like it.) There are also a few pro-LGBT messages throughout, and the leads sleep together before marriage – two themes that follow traditional Western television (so for those viewers who enjoy Korean dramas because they are definitively NOT American, this drama might be a “miss” for them). The music is fun, and there are some entertaining parts, but it's disappointing how the drama just couldn't keep up the energy and momentum it starts off with. I probably wouldn't watch it again, but it also wasn't terrible.*

ChDrama to Miss: My Little Princess (2016)

Chinese Drama

My Little Princess (2016)

Grade: C

16 Episodes, 40 minutes each

Platform: Amazon Prime

Self-proclaimed “princess” Lin Xing Chen seems like she has everything a girl could want, but her life is not quite her own: Xing Chen's stepmother is forcing her to become engaged to a wealthy and powerful businessman's only heir, in order to help save her deceased father's faltering business. She is also cursed: The man she loves will not return her affections. Still, Xing Chen knows she must at least try. The soon-to-be couples' first meeting is thrown off when she mistakenly flirts with the poor but talented Jiang Nian Yu, instead of the proud and rash Zheng Chu Yao. Brushing off the mishap as only a princess can do, Xing Chen accepts the challenge to win her prince's heart and starts attending his school. What happens when the seemingly innocent Yu Yang Yang starts to interfere with Xing Chen's plans? Will Xing Chen be able to keep her secret about her birth? And what happens when she starts to develop feelings for someone other than her betrothed?

*This entire drama feels like an imitation of a Kdrama, without quite achieving the same charm. Chinese dramas always throw me off with the way they dub over their own actors – the vocals don't match the mouth movements or the expected ambient noises – and it is very hard to achieve that “suspension of disbelief” required to fully engage with a story as a result. A lot of the seemingly “romantic” or “funny” parts in the script felt forced as well, as if someone was trying very hard to copy a Kdrama but couldn't quite pull off the sincerity of one. Plus a couple of the plot and character developments didn't quite make sense, from not being fleshed out enough. The actors didn't seem bad themselves, and the ending was one of those more “realistic but still happy” endings, but overall, it just didn't do it for me. Won't watch again.*

KDrama to Watch: Touch Your Heart (2019)

Touch Your Heart (2019)

Grade: A

16 Episodes, 1 Hour each

Viewing Platform: Viki

Beautiful actress Oh Yoon-seo is in a slump – a scandal forced her into “early retirement,” but she is optimistic about making a comeback. When she comes across a script with a role of lawyer's secretary, she jumps at the chance to prove herself. Through connections between her talent agency and the CEO of a law firm, she agrees to become a temporary secretary to hopefully improve her famously terrible acting. What happens when she is teamed up with the office grump? Will Lawyer Kwon Jung-rok force her to quit with all the extra tasks and demands, or will something more come from their relationship?

*This is such a cute show! It might be a little TOO sweet at times, but there's great comedy in here as well, with perfectly timed sound effects as well as hilarious, over-the-top, “extra” characters. One of the side stories was boring, though – the relationship between Jung-rok's old college friends – and it didn't add anything to the story whatsoever. I did enjoy the legal cases sprinkled in the drama; it kept things fresh without dragging on or becoming too dark. The leads actually communicated clearly, in a mature fashion, which was refreshing. There is lots of product placement evident in the show, but it is usually fairly subtle, so not too distracting. The only reason this doesn't get a higher grade is because the main actor isn't my type :p (Lee Dong-wook from “Goblin” 2017). Otherwise, a very fun drama! Would watch again.*

KDrama to Maybe Watch: Suspicious Partner (2017)

Suspicious Partner (2017)

Grade: B

40 Episodes, 30 minutes each

Viewing Platform: Viki

Aspiring lawyer Eun Bong-hee finds out her boyfriend has been cheating on her, the same night some pervert in the subway touches her behind. The supposed pervert, Prosecutor Noh Ji-wook, happens to be meeting someone at the same hotel where Bong-hee discovers her boyfriend's infidelity. When Bong-hee bluffs about sleeping with the next man she sees in an effort to prove a point to the cheater, Ji-wook graciously plays the part to help her save face. The relationship doesn't end there, though – she is assigned to work as an intern for Ji-wook. Then she ends up facing the prosecutor in court when she is accused of murdering her ex-boyfriend, whose corpse is found in her apartment not long after her breakup. What happens when the straight-arrow Ji-wook stumbles across evidence that could throw Bong-hee's case out of court? Will he give in to pressure from the higher ups and sacrifice his integrity? How will they find the real killer, who seems to outsmart them at every step?

*This drama is entirely too long. I could have gone without the whole murderer's story line, and it was annoying that *spoiler alert* the amnesia hinted at in the synopsis/teaser doesn't even come in to play until two-thirds of the way through the show, AND it lasts barely one episode. Ji Chang-wook (the star from “Healer” 2014-15) is a very talented, handsome actor, so I enjoyed watching him – particularly when his character would go off on rants or just look glum, or pout. Usually the male lead is always strong and stern, or withdrawn and angry, but Chang-wook added a great layer of depth to his character with expressing emotions from a wider, more realistic range. There's some fun chemistry among the male coworkers; the female characters were just okay. There are a lot of self-imposed blockages to the romance between the two leads and a lot of poor communication that was frustrating to watch. I did enjoy several of the musical themes/songs, and there were some gorgeously lit scenes throughout. Not a favorite drama, but decent.*

KDrama to Watch: Kill Me, Heal Me (2015)

Kill Me, Heal Me (2015)

Grade: A

20 Episodes, 1 Hr each

Viewing Platform: Viki

Upbeat psychiatric first-year resident Oh Ri-jin encounters an intense and strikingly handsome man at a boat party one day, a man who clearly states his intentions to pursue a relationship with her. The other residents at the hospital poke fun at Oh Ri-jin once she is stood up, claiming she simply has bad luck with men. Meanwhile, the reticent chaebol Cha Do Hyun finds himself back in Korea, despite his self-exile, all because one of his personalities decides it's time to come back and face the family that made him this multiple-personality monster. What happens when Do Hyun realizes his edgy, tough personality Shin Se Gi is the one wanting to date Ri-jin? How will the young doctor's protective adoptive brother react to her encounter with the chaebol and his strange family history? Will Ri-jin and Do Hyun be able to find peace once they fully understand their tangled past?

*If you want to see a world-class actor, this is the drama for you! Ji Sung plays multiple roles, as he is a DID patient, and each one has incredible detail, from the shifting look in his eyes, to the completely separate accents and speech patterns, to the tilt of his head for each personality. The story does have a few slow points, and the “brother-zoning” is a little weird, but the score is great, as is the cinematography, and there are lots of little tie-ins as the story all comes together that show a great attention to detail. The girl who plays Oh Ri-jin is a little annoying, as are the numerous redundant flashbacks, but it's worth it to watch Ji Sung work his magic. I also like how the villain is not immediately forgiven or excused; it seems like the writers were trying for a healthier ending rather than a simply romanticized one (although there is still plenty of kdrama “unreality” going on elsewhere). All in all, it's a very emotionally compelling story, and I'd probably watch it again.*

Kdrama to Maybe Watch: The Legend of the Blue Sea (2017)

The Legend of the Blue Sea (2017)

Grade: B

20 Episodes, 1 Hr each

Viewing Platform: Viki

Con-artist Heo Joon-jae started on his crooked path trying to find his estranged birth mother. He does only scam crooks out of their ill-gotten gains, though. Then he comes across an interesting, shoeless lady one day. Little does he know, this woman is actually a mermaid, and unbeknownst to both of them, they are playing out a fate that began hundreds of years ago, in the Joseon era. What happens after the mermaid, Shim Cheong, erases Joon-jae's memory of her, but she crosses many oceans to find him again in Seoul? How will Shim Cheong survive on land? Will they be able to stop the murderous plotting of Joon-jae's stepmother and rewrite their doomed history?

*I enjoy Lee Min Ho and Jun Ji-hyun in their other roles, but this kdrama was a bit too long and sad for my taste. While there is a *spoiler alert* happy ending, I had to take a break for a couple months before I could bring myself to finish it. The writing ties everything together well, what with the flashbacks and reincarnations and whatnot, and the good guys are all likable characters, but for whatever reason, it didn't draw me in like other dramas. I probably won't watch it again, but it fits the criteria for a better grade than that (it was better than “Mama Fairy” after all).*