KDrama to Miss: Vincenzo (2021)

Vincenzo (2021)

Grade: C-

20 Episodes, 80 minutes each

Viewing Platform: Netflix

Vincenzo Cassano, a former South Korean native, is a member of the Italian Mafia. His mother put him into foster care as a child, and a nice Italian couple adopted him – but it wasn't enough to protect him from the darker side of life. Vincenzo's education instead included the most creative ways to manipulate, murder, and even massacre one's enemies, all while sparing any "innocents" and staying one step ahead of the law. But one day Vincenzo's duties as a “concigliere” take him back to his homeland, in order to recover billions of dollars worth of gold hidden under a building set for redevelopment. What happens when this puts the hotheaded, ethically questionable lawyer Hong Cha-young in his path? Will she shy away from Vincenzo's morally murky methods, or will she embrace his help once her father is brutally murdered by the powerful Babel Group conglomerate? And will the team stand a chance against Babel Group's psychopathic chairman as he finally steps out from the shadows?

*Extremely violent, dark, and gory throughout. The ending for the two biggest villains is particularly disturbing (one involves fire, one involves a slow drill). There is also only about 1% of romance in the entire production. The show does have its moments where it is reminiscent of fun heist movies such as “Ocean's 11,” with different players coming across as traitors or double agents – but it grows tiresome since there are so many episodes. Very good production quality, soundtrack, etc., but violence and vengeance are not my cup of tea. I also don't care for the modern trope of morally gray characters; it makes it a lot harder to root for the good guys when they really aren't much better than the bad guys. I definitely won't watch this again and I don't recommend it for the traditional Kdrama fans like myself.*

Chinese Drama to Miss: Love 020 (2016)

Love 020 (2016)

Grade: C

30 Episodes, 1 hour each

Platform: Netflix

Bei Weiwei is a college student studying computer science and is the top in her class. She particularly enjoys the MMORPG “A Chinese Ghost Story," where she has an in-game husband. Meanwhile Weiwei and her roommate are trying to find internships for the summer break, and when Erxi uses one of Weiwei's accounts to look more like a nerd to get picked for an internship, it creates a big misunderstanding. Amid some in-game rivalry, Weiwei's in-game “husband” breaks up with her in order to “marry” another player, at which point the server's best player proposes to her. Unbeknownst to Weiwei, this top player attends her university in real life, and he is about to start his own computer company with his friends. 

What happens when this real-life attraction leads to some unwanted real-life attention from jealous classmates? Will Weiwei be able to navigate this new relationship in her life without losing her friendships? Will Erxi be able to fix the misunderstanding and subsequent gossip?

*This drama was a real slog to get through. There is no character growth, and while everything is technically well-done in terms of cinematography, music, and setting, this Chinese drama lacks the passion and direction of a Korean drama. It's as if someone took incredibly detailed notes while watching a Kdrama but didn't understand it. It's a slow meander through 30 episodes of content where not much actually happens. Then there is the way all the other characters revere the male lead's aloofness (they call him “Lord”) - it's almost as annoying as his lack of development. The scenes of the actors as video game characters were neat, and it reminded me a lot of my WoW (World of Warcraft) days – but that wasn't enough to make the show worth it. The casual references to communism were bizarre, too. I wouldn't watch it again, or really recommend it.*

KDrama to Watch: Cinderella and the Four Knights (2016)

Cinderella and the Four Knights (2016)

Grade: B+

16 episodes, about 1 hour each

Viewing Platform: Netflix

Eun Ha-won is determined to save up enough money for college, just as her mother hoped. Ha-won's step-mother and step-sister do not make it easy for her though, treating her like Cinderella, and Ha-won's dad is rarely around to see the abuse. On top of that, Ha-won finds out her dad has not been paying the crematorium fees for her mother's remains, so Ha-won gives up her tuition to catch up on back rent. Then one night Ha-won makes a delivery for one of her part-time jobs, and a third-generation chaebol catches sight of the fiery young lady. Kang Hyun-min convinces Ha-won to play his date, for a good chunk of change – at his powerful conglomerate CEO grandfather's fifth wedding! What happens when the grandfather sees Ha-won disciplining his grandson for his disrespect at the festivities? How will she handle the grandfather's demands that she bring his grandsons together, in exchange for tuition money?Will the forbidden romantic feelings developing between Ha-won and the grandsons cause her to lose everything?

*Fun premise, good cinematography and music; a solid kdrama overall. Park So-dam doesn't look like the typical kdrama main female lead, but she is still super cute with her pixie cut. There are a few good heated romantic tension moments throughout, but several of the characters engage in the “selfless sacrifice” trope, which is a bit annoying. Still, it has a nice ending that wraps up for almost everyone, including some redemption for the antagonists. Worth watching at least once.*

Kdrama to Miss: Mad for Each Other (2021)

Mad for Each Other (2021)

Grade: D+

13 episodes, 30 minutes each
Viewing Platform: Netflix

Detective Noh Hwi-oh is on leave from work in order to receive anger management counseling after assaulting the man who stabbed his partner on duty. He's also reeling from a breakup with his fiancee. In a series of misunderstandings, his new next-door neighbor accuses him of stalking her and ends up beating him with an umbrella and damaging his car. To be fair, Lee Min-kyung is suffering some paranoia after her boyfriend turned out to be married, then subsequently beat her when she tried to leave and dragged her name through the mud. Will these “mad” individuals be able to overcome their past, or will the hardships of life doom them to a lonely existence?

*This kdrama was rated MA, but it felt more like a PG-13 show. There are certainly adult topics covered – drug use (Hwi-oh is a detective, after all), extramarital affairs (but Min-kyung was not aware at the time), a pervert flasher (nothing is shown and it's used more as a comedic device), and a cross-dresser (this is more American influence, trying to get viewers to think of it as a “harmless pastime”) – but nothing seems quite strong enough to warrant the MA rating. It isn't nearly as funny and lighthearted as the synopsis suggests, though, hence the lower rating. A lot of time is spent exploring the psychological damage that comes from being in an abusive relationship; while insightful, it's not uplifting. Wouldn't recommend.

KDrama to Miss: Mine (2021)

 Mine (2021)

Grade: F

16 Episodes, 80 minutes each

Viewing Platform: Netflix

Despite numerous secrets, everything seems to be going well at the Cadenza mansion and Rubato annex, until one day a new tutor is hired for the 8-year-old Han Ha-joon. The new tutor starts doing inappropriate things at the annex, like dancing in the mother Seo Hi-soo's fancy dress, or acting like Ha-joon is her son. Hi-soo, Ha-joon's step-mother, can't help but feel the new tutor is strange, and soon she discovers her husband, Han Ji-yong, knew the tutor previously. Meanwhile Hi-soo's sister-in-law, Jung Seo-hyun, thinks she has everything at the houses under control – until the new maid attracts her step-son's interest, derailing him from her father-in-law's plans for the grandson to inherit the company one day. (Seo-hyun's husband is an incompetent alcoholic, and his sister has anger management issues, so neither of them are acceptable candidates.) Then it is revealed that Ji-yong is not actually the chairman's biological son, which is another reason the oldest grandson is in line to inherit the Hyowon empire. But what happens when Hi-soo discovers her relationship with Ji-yong was all a lie? Will she be able to escape the mansion and take her beloved step-son with her?

*This is probably the soapiest, most dramatic Kdrama I have ever watched – and I disliked it so much I had to watch it on 1.5 speed, just to get it over with. The music was better suited to a horror film, and there is such ugliness among the family members. Eventually the three main women team up to “take down” the monstrous (or just plain incompetent) men in their lives, making the whole theme a new wave feminist movement. Then there is a significant amount of time spent on one of the women and her lesbian identity, and on top of that, they have a quasi-religious person telling her that it “isn't a sin” (yet another example of western/worldly influence). Luckily the women don't end up actually committing a murder – it's just self-defense – but it's evident they would and could have lied to cover up a murder. Even if it's a terrible person, that doesn't justify murder; the hero needs to bring the bad guy to justice and let the law take care of it. Won't watch this again, and I definitely do not recommend it.*

KDrama to Watch: Business Proposal (2022)

 

Business Proposal (2022)

Grade: B

12 Episodes, 1 Hr each

Viewing Platform: Netflix

Shin Ha-ri is from a hardworking middle-class family who landed a great job as a food product developer at South Korea's Go Food company. Its young CEO, Kang Tae-moo, has just come back from working at the overseas branch, when his grandfather demands that Tae-moo start dating. Meanwhile, Ha-ri's best friend Jin Young-seo is avoiding the blind dates her powerful executive father keeps trying to set up for her. What happens when Ha-ri's efforts to be an over-the-top flirty, worldly, and immodest stand-in leads to a proposal from eligible Tae-moo after the first date? Will Tae-moo destroy Ha-ri's dreams of rising in the company, or will he decide to enlist her help in fooling his grandfather next? And what happens when Young-seo falls for Tae-moo's secretary?

*I ended up watching this drama TWICE – not because I loved it, but because I didn't realize it was only 12 episodes long and I forgot what this one was about while I watched other shows, waiting for it to finish in the meantime! Cute little drama with fun sound effects and occasional cartoon animation sprinkled throughout. Not too much tension, and a shorter than average run (which made sense considering how light the drama stayed). Good cinematography, good soundtrack, but it did lose steam near the end, and Ha-ri's character felt a bit boring eventually, especially after her initial acts tricking Tae-moo. I also didn't like the translation the second time around – there were a few F-bombs and more swearing than the first time I watched! Might not watch again, but worth an initial viewing at least.*

KDrama to Watch: Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022)

 

Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022)

Grade: B

16 Episodes, 1 hr each

Viewing Platform: Netflix

Woo Young-woo is an extremely gifted autistic person who loves whales and the law (and probably in that order). After graduating at the top of her class from a prestigious law school, she has trouble landing a job because of her so-called “disability.” Then, seemingly out of the blue, she is invited to join one of the top law firms in South Korea, Hanbada. Will she be able to adapt to life in the “real world”? Or will her stubborn side and unusual tendencies get in the way of her leading a fully independent adult life? And what are the motivations behind Hanbada's CEO hiring the inexperienced, socially-awkward young lady?

*Well-written individual episodes, with great cinematography and a “soft” ending – meaning the conflicts are resolved without going too dramatic or dark. The cases the attorneys solve are interesting, with moral and ethical quandaries thrown in, so the show ends up being more thought-provoking than simply entertaining (but it is also that). The romance is definitely lacking though; the writers tried to focus on Young-woo as a whole person, not just her love life. There is also an episode that includes a lesbian relationship – which, as I've said before, feels like American standards being shoehorned into Korean culture – but it's a couple minutes that can easily be skipped over. It's a nice show for a once-through watch, but not an instant favorite.*