KDrama to Miss: Memorist (2020)

 

Memorist (2020)

Grade: C+

16 Episodes, 1 hr each

Viewing Platform: Viki

With no memories of his childhood, aside from one grisly scene of his dying mother, blood on her face, Dong Baek is determined to make the bad guys pay for their misdeeds, using his unique psychic abilities. With a simple touch, the psychic detective can read memories and find evidence to put away murderers and rapists. However, this job takes a huge emotional toll, as Dong Baek is flooded with the feelings of the victims every time, and the public starts to complain about his “mistreatment” of criminals (he often physically expresses his anger). He soon crosses paths with one of the youngest police superintendents, the serious, highly intelligent, and focused Han Sun-mi. Sun-mi is determined to prove her father's innocence, as he was brutally murdered in front of her when she was a child. What happens when Sun-mi's investigating uncovers a series of murders, each one more difficult to prove than the last? Will Dong Baek recover his memories and true identity, or will the serial killer continue to make fools of them all, as the murderer moves from “justice” killings to murdering innocent bystanders?

*This is NOT my taste in Kdramas. It's a super-creepy cop-drama murder-mystery, with tons of violence, psychological trauma, and all of 3 minutes of romance. It keeps you guessing (just don't turn on the comments section, because several people SPOILED it) and has a really good pace that kept me watching, despite my repulsion (and confusion – it's really twisty). It ends pretty well, too, but I definitely wouldn't watch it again.*

KDrama to Maybe Watch: Rich Man, Poor Woman

 

Rich Man, Poor Woman

Grade: B-

16 Episodes, 1 hr each

Viewing Platform: Viki

Kim Bo-ra is in the grueling last term of college while interviewing at dozens of companies – for any office job, to make a living - when she comes across a familiar face: the genius computer programmer and billionaire tech company CEO Lee Yoo-chan. Fortunately for Bo-ra, the CEO can't recognize her – in fact, he can't recognize anyone, due to his prosopagnosia, or face blindness – so she takes a chance and accepts a temporary job there. Her task is to memorize hundreds of pages of material, related to a government contract the CEO would like to procure, in a matter of days. What happens when the government realizes Bo-ra is not what she seems? Will Yoo-chan ever overcome his face blindness, or will his fiery temper, humongous ego, and complete disregard for those around him cost him everything?

*This drama has an interesting premise, but there isn't nearly as much focus on the romantic storyline as I prefer; it's really about the bromance, redemption, and maturing of the male characters. Bo-ra felt underdeveloped; her character really didn't change much over the course of the story. The music felt redundant by the end as well, and the filming style reminded me of a higher end Taiwan drama production (not necessarily bad, just different). This does have a decent ending, though, and some good eye candy. Probably wouldn't watch again, but it's good for one viewing, if you don't mind the slower pacing and lack of romance.*

KDrama to Maybe Watch: Lucky Romance

 
Lucky Romance

Grade: B-

16 episodes, 1 hr each

Viewing Platform: Viki

Shim Bo-nui was once a promising computer engineer, until an accident sent her sister to the hospital in a coma. Now Bo-nui floats from job to job, her odd superstitious rituals hampering her attempts to mitigate her bad luck. Meanwhile the hospital threatens to discharge her comatose sister, for non-payment of medical bills, and she's about to be evicted. Bo-nui visits her favorite local shaman for more advice, desperate for some sort of guaranteed offering that will let her sister wake up. He reveals to her that if she spends the night with a man who has the zodiac sign of the tiger by the next full moon, then her sister will be cured! What happens when the only available tiger she can find in her social circle is the cold and calculating Je Soo-ho, the CEO of the famous game developer company, Zeze Factory? Will he help her, or will Bo-nui lose everything to her terrible fortune? And what happen whens a childhood friend comes back into the picture?

*This drama had a promising start, but it lost steam after about 5 episodes and just plodded along. There was some ramping up to major drama, but it fizzled out as the characters make choices that just weren't dramatic (which can be nice to watch sometimes). I didn't find the main actors attractive or charming, and the main theme song got on my nerves eventually (not enough to the song/enough length or variety). It does have a nice ending, however, and I do appreciate that with any story. I probably wouldn't watch it a second time, though.

Kdrama to Miss: Warm and Cozy (2015)

Warm and Cozy (2015)

Grade: C+

16 Episodes, 1 hr each

Viewing Platform: Viki

Lee Jung-joo drew the short end of the stick when it came to relationships and jobs. When Jung-joo flies to Jeju to check on the property her brother was supposed to purchase with her life savings, she discovers her boyfriend cheating on her. Then Jung-joo is fired from her job and has nothing left but a ramshackle, dirt floor house that is literally falling apart. She finds work at a small restaurant nearby, named “Warm and Cozy,” and soon makes friends with the renowned diver women of the island. What happens when she starts to have feelings for the restaurant owner? Will the reappearance of her mother cut off the budding romance? How will the villagers' efforts to match her up with their mayor go? And what happens when a secret is revealed about who took the life of the head diver's husband 30 years ago?

*This drama has a slow pace from the get-go, but it seemed to fit the slower paced island lifestyle. The lead actors are attractive, but the script did not give their characters many opportunities for romance. The script also relied heavily on drinking as a way to get anyone to admit anything; I understand that as a device to use once in a drama, maybe twice – but any more often than that reflects poor character development and lazy writing. There are a few cute comedic moments, but that's about the only good point. There was too much push and pull between two immature characters, to the point I lost interest in whether or not they'd ever end up together. I would not watch this drama again.*

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.*