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).*

KDrama to Maybe Watch: Mama Fairy and the Woodcutter (2018)

Mama Fairy and the Woodcutter/Tale of Fairy (2018)

Grade: B-

16 Episodes, 1 Hr each

Viewing Platform: Viki

Professor Jung Yi-hyun escorts his undergrad TA Kim Geum home for a special festival night in the mountains. They stumble across a coffee shop in the middle of the forest to find a “barista grandma.” The kind, older lady is actually a 699-year-old fairy named Sun Ok-nam, who looks like an old grandma at times, and at other times a youthful beauty. She is looking for her reincarnated husband as well as her winged robe so she can return to the Celestial Realm. What happens when the fairy decides to follow the professor back to Seoul, accompanied by her half-celestial daughter (part human, part tiger, part cat) and her son (currently in a large egg, going through his first reincarnation)? Will Jung Yi-hyun and Kim Geum believe Sun Ok-nam? What happens when Yi-hyun's longtime friend, a fellow professor, reveals her feelings for Yi-hyun? Will Sun Ok-nam be able to find her husband before she loses all her powers and fades away from being in the earthly realm too long? And how are these three connected to Yi-hyun's haunting nightmares?

*This kdrama definitely has the feel of a manga, with lots of strange elements and rules for each new creature that is introduced. It's a mystery finding out the true identities of the characters, but in an odd, fantasy-fiction way, and I don't quite feel like I'm on the right page because of the cultural differences. The drama is based on a web comic, which is based on an old Korean legend, but only loosely since the drama does not end tragically. It ends up being a story of redemption, forgiveness, and love, but it takes quite a while to get there. So while it does end well, there are lots of slow parts (and cheesy animation), and an odd flavor to it that is definitely foreign. Not sure I'd watch this again.*

Kdrama to Maybe Watch: What's Wrong with Secretary Kim? (2018)

What's Wrong with Secretary Kim? (2018)

Grade: B-

16 Episodes, 70 minutes each

Viewing Platform: Viki

Kim Mi So has worked her entire life to help support her sisters through medical school and to pay off her father's debts, and now that Mi So has finally made the last payment, she puts in her resignation. Lee Young-joon, the vice-chairman of a very successful company, won't simply stand by and allow his perfectly trained secretary of nine years leave just like that, though. After some prying, Mi So admits the real reasons she wants to resign: so she can find love and get married, and so she can “find herself” after so many years of only existing to help her family. How will Mi So receive the vice-chairman's generous offer to let Mi So date his eligible self? Will she find the oppa that helped save her from a kidnapping situation from her youth? And how will Young-joon's family react to Mi so piecing together their dark family secrets?

*This kdrama starts off with a really creepy vibe, as the viewer finds out what the kidnapped children went through, and then the main conflicts resolve halfway through the show. This made for a really slow-moving second half, which can sometimes be nice, but in this drama, it feels like two different shows. I didn't like the main theme song/music, the physical contact felt too much like an American show (sex before marriage), and the actor who plays Young-joon isn't my favorite. Plus, once a certain fact is revealed, it doesn't seem like he actually changes or develops as a character, since he was “always” that way. Mi so is pretty cute, but I liked watching the secondary characters' love stories more than the primary story arc. Not sure I'd watch this again.*

KDrama to Watch: I'm Not A Robot (2017)

I'm Not A Robot (2017)

Grade: B

32 Episodes, 30 minutes each

Viewing Platform: Viki

Spunky entrepreneur Jo Ji-ah is determined to make a difference with her inventions. She lives with her older brother and his wife, but he isn't happy about her lack of focus, especially when he finds out his wife gave Ji-ah money to fund another one of her crazy projects. Then Ji-ah's ex-boyfriend calls – he needs her help, for which he is willing to compensate her (and then Ji-ah can pay back her sister-in-law). Ex-boyfriend Hong Baek-kyun is a brilliant scientist who created an incredible AI robot, and it was all ready for testing with the reclusive shareholder to the country's largest financial institution, Kim Min-kyu, when a malfunction threatens the entire project. How is Ji-ah involved with all this? Apparently her ex made the AI robot look exactly like her! Will Ji-ah be able to fool the highly intelligent Min-kyu long enough for the robotics team to fix the real robot? What happens when Min-kyu, who has a severe, bizarre allergy to humans, comes in contact with Ji-ah instead of the robot? And how will Min-kyu and the robotics team face the enemies within the financial institution, the people who tried to take the company from Min-kyu back when his parents died?

*This was a fun show, with some pretty neat graphics (and then a little that were cheesy) and decent pacing. My biggest problem is we never find out who Madame X is – a mysterious figure who helps Min-kyu from the very beginning, when his parents die and he is about to sign away the company to someone else in the company. The person plays a big role in Min-kyu's success; I'm guessing the writers just kind of forgot about it. I might watch this again.*

KDrama to Watch: Oh! My Lady (2010)

Oh! My Lady (2010)

Grade: B+

16 Episodes, 1 Hr each

Viewing Platform: Viki

Yoon Gae-hwa is a divorced housewife and mother in her mid thirties, barely making ends meet since her own mother's cancer and early death used up all her alimony. Gae-hwa does her best with the odd jobs she is qualified for, but housekeeping doesn't pay much and isn't steady work, and she soon finds herself homeless. After begging her ex-husband to watch their daughter for a couple months, she stumbles upon a production company job opening through her temp agency's mistake. The production company offers Gae-hwa a paid internship position, despite her having no qualifications, but with one major stipulation: She has to “bring in” top star Sung Min-woo to be the lead in their original musical! Little do they know, Gae-hwa had just met the young star while fulfilling her temp agency's housecleaning assignment AND discovered an incredible secret about him. Will the housewife be able to convince the cocky star to join the show? What happens when Min-woo's manager also discovers the actor's secret? And how will Min-woo deal with his burgeoning feelings for the older woman thrust into his life?

*I was genuinely surprised at the complexity of the characters in this simple drama. Even my least favorite, the meddling scandal reporter, showed more than one side (albeit for him it took until the last episode). The plot is relatively simple, and each individual scene is at a slower pace than newer dramas, but I enjoyed the whole experience. Choi Siwon is adorable throughout, with a strength and energy that is charming yet unique to his character. Gae-hwa's character felt genuinely older than Min-woo, as she had the confidence in herself that comes to a lot of people in their thirties. I did have a problem with the youngest actress; the character's age was too old for the actress herself. The music was cute though, and it wasn't a totally predictable plot. I'd watch this again.*

KFilm to Maybe Watch: My Little Bride (2004)

My Little Bride (2004)

Grade: B-

Viewing Platform: Amazon Prime

Bo-eun is a 16 year old high school student, dealing with everything that comes at that age – grades, potential first loves, fights with other girls – with one major exception. Her grandfather is demanding that she marry her lifelong friend and senior, the art major about to graduate from college, Sang-min. The two were practically raised together, all because Bo-eun's grandfather and Sang-min's grandfather had made a pact of friendship that their families would one day become in-laws. After falling ill, the living grandfather manages to manipulate the two kids into fulfilling his wish, and they are married! Will Bo-eun be able to keep her marriage a secret from her peers? What happens when she tries to date a boy her own age anyway? And how will Sang-min convince Bo-eun to return his affections?

*Compared to most kdramas I watch, this had a much lower film quality and a very simple, slow plot. All the dialogue felt familiar though, despite the film's age. It was an interesting look at what might have happened in ancient times, when women were often married as young teenagers to older men. Sang-min was a gentleman though. For something that could have been very awkward, it was tastefully done (aside from one scene where Sang-min is watching porn at his newlywed apartment...). It was also interesting to realize just how much older he was – at first I thought he might be 24, but then they mentioned his 3 years of military service, making his character closer to 28 years old for an age gap of 12 years. That means he felt affection towards her as a toddler, preschooler, kindergartner, while he was in high school – it's a very different way to view love, to consider that it could grow along with the object of affection's age. I might watch this again.*