KDrama to Watch: Hotel Del Luna (2019)

Hotel Del Luna (2019)

Grade: B+

16 episodes, 1.5 hrs each

Viewing Platform: Viki

Jang Man Wol has been serving as the owner of the mystical Hotel Del Luna – a place for souls to come to terms with their mortal affairs before moving on to the afterlife – for a thousand years. It is her punishment for the lives she took in a grief-stricken rage all those years ago. Normally this hotel keeps out mortal visitors, but the occasional not-dead-yet human makes his way inside, and Gu Chan Sung has to serve as the hotel's human manager as a result of his father's deal with Man Wol. What happens when the dead tree that holds Man Wol's soul starts to change once Chan Sung enters the establishment? Will the ghost employees with their unresolved deep grudges allow this change to continue? Or will they all dissolve into nothingness, unable to reincarnate, once the destroyer god finds their revenge-riddled souls?

*Absolutely stunning visuals, beautifully tragic tales, and fabulous fashion mark this show as one the entire kdrama community will reference for years to come. This story is one of revenge, resentment, and redemption, based on the Buddhist philosophy of reincarnation. There is a hefty dose of spookiness in the first half or so, with a few “jump scares,” plenty of death and some gruesomeness, with lots of sadness throughout. It has a different pace than the typical 16 episode kdrama, partly because of the extended length of each episode, and partly because it doesn't focus on the romance between the two leads. This was a high-quality production, but it isn't my favorite “universe” for a story; for a person who believes our souls are eternal and that we can be with our loved ones forever, the idea of forgetting one's past life every time makes the whole idea of love fleeting and meaningless. Still might be a worthwhile watch though, for the sheer production value and sense of community since it was such a popular show.

KDrama to Maybe Watch: Emergency Couple (2014)

Emergency Couple (2014)

Grade: B-

21 Episodes, 1 Hr each

Viewing Platform: Viki

Oh Chang Min and Oh Jin Hee got married in a hurry while in their twenties, but in less than a year, it ended in a bitter divorce. Chang Min was unable to finish medical school, as his family disapproved of the match and cut him off financially. Resentment for Jin Hee grew over time as he was forced to wine and dine hospital officials in order to sell pharmaceuticals and make ends meet. When Jin Hee couldn't find work as a nutritionist, she felt pretty useless and lost confidence. Fast forward six years, and the divorcees cross paths in an unlikely place: an emergency room's internship rotation of the same hospital! Chang Min went back to school after the divorce to finish his original plan to become a doctor, and Jin Hee went back to school as well, in order to make something of herself. Neither one suspected they would cross paths this way! Will the divorcees be able to keep their secret from the rest of the staff until the internship period is over? What happens when the department chief starts to develop feelings for Jin Hee? Is it even possible for a divorced couple to start over?

*The pacing for this drama is unique, as it starts with a breakup. I had “second-male-lead syndrome” for a few episodes, but I've noticed when it's easy to like the second male lead, it makes the drama less compelling. The pacing is slow, despite the medical emergencies, especially because it's several episodes longer than average. There are some amusing moments, but there doesn't seem to be much in the way of character development, at least for Jin Hee. Then, most of the issues Chang Min and Jin Hee had as the basis for their divorce aren't addressed, so it makes their *spoiler alert* coming together again less believable. It's definitely not my favorite drama, but I might watch again.*

KDrama to Maybe Watch: Melting Me Softly (2019)

Melting Me Softly (2019)

Grade: B-

16 episodes, 1 Hr each

Viewing Platform: Viki

Go Mi-ran is a spunky college student busy helping her family make ends meet in 1999. She most often does stunt work for a local television program, with visionary Ma Dong-chan as production director. Dong-chan is always on the lookout for the next greatest idea when it comes to television, and his motto is to do what no one else will dare to do. When an opportunity to participate in a 24-hour cryogenic test hits his radar, Dong-chan immediately signs up. However, the doctor running the experiment needs a female participant as well, and Dong-chan finally persuades Mi-ran to join him in the freezing chambers. What happens when the doctor receives a mysterious phone call, leaves the lab with only 2 hours to go, and his car is blown up? What will happen to Mi-ran's and Dong-chan's family as a result of their mysterious disappearances? Will the doctor's assistant ever be able to finish his mentor's work and wake up the frozen test subjects, fully restoring them to their pre-frozen state?

*The premise for this drama is exciting and unique, but it is better suited for an action drama, not the rom-com it ends up in. I loved Ji Chang-wook in “Healer” and “Secret Garden,” but this was definitely not one of his better works. The pacing was different, with a weird swing between serious drama and lighthearted comedy several times per episode in the beginning, but the drama really loses steam and basically fizzles out by the tenth episode. There wasn't much chemistry between the two leads, either, and minimal character development throughout. The doctor when he has amnesia was my favorite part. If you like a sci-fi flavor to your drama but without the action, then this drama is for you! I probably won't watch it again, though.*

KDrama to Watch: Jugglers (2017)

Jugglers (2017)

Grade: B

16 Episodes, 1 Hr each

Viewing Platform: Viki

Professional secretary Jwa Yoon-yi is one of the best in her field. She keeps things in the office running smoothly, juggling many tasks at a time as an assistant to all. However, this includes handling her boss's many affairs and keeping his wife in the dark. Yoon-yi complies in order to keep her job, but it backfires once her boss allows some ugly rumors to spread. In the wrong light, Yoon-yi's professional attentions are misinterpreted as something more with the married man, and to save himself, her boss does not deny the accusations. What happens when Yoon-yi is reassigned to be a secretary for the cold, distant Nam Chi-won in the same company? Will her professionalism and cheeriness help make Nam Chi-won into a truly respectable boss? And will they be able to save their “whistle blowing” department from reorganization?

*The first two-thirds of this drama had great pacing and some wonderful comedy. Even the villain is comedic. Yoon-yi and Chi-won are not my favorite couple, though, and I ended up enjoying the background characters more than the main story/couple. It's also a bit slow getting started, and it drags towards the end. The ending itself ties everything up nicely, and it is a good quality production, so I might watch this again.*

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.*