KDrama to Miss: So I Married the Anti-Fan (2021)

 So I Married the Anti-Fan (2021)

Grade: C

16 episodes, 1 hr each

Viewing Platform: Viki

Lee Geun-young is a promising young journalist working at a local magazine when an assignment to attend a posh party ends up with her puking on pop star Hoo Joon's shoes and Geun-young throwing her own dress shoe at the pop star's head! Then the pop star cancels a big shoot with Geun-young's magazine and specifically requests Geun-young's dismissal. Her boss finds out how Geun-young was involved in the pop star canceling the shoot, so she is fired. Enraged, Geun-young decides to try and expose Hoo Joon for the “duplicitous” person he really is, but when his devoted fans catch wind of her, they beat her up in front of his studio. Hoo Joon witnesses the beating and intervenes, taking the opportunity to spin the situation to his favor, telling his fans he will “embrace” everyone, even those who might hate him. What happens when Hoo Joon's agency agrees to a reality TV show starring Hoo Joon and his biggest anti-fan, Geun-young? Will Geun-young be able to gather enough material to justify her hatred and bring the star down? And what happens when Hoo Joon's former love interest & former friend/secret anti-fan get involved?

*This show had a really promising premise, but it failed to deliver in a number of ways. Hoo Joon's inevitable transformation once he falls in love just isn't believable. He is surly and rude in the beginning, as is the typical kdrama formula, but he doesn't quite manage to come across as likable with all his sulking. There aren't enough signs leading up to his transformation, either. Then there is the secondary story line with his former friends – it is very dark and heavy, dragging the whole drama down. The guy & girl have a seriously toxic relationship; they are supposed to be dating, but the guy actively thwarts the girl's chances at fame (he started his own talent agency & wanted Hoo Joon to join them), completely controls her life, and he even slaps her across the face! *spoiler alert* His diving in front of a truck to save her from her suicide attempt did nothing to endear him to me; he shouldn't have pushed her to that breaking point in the first place, and she should have left long ago. This kdrama also felt more worldly/American than normal, with several couples shacking up & a gay couple kissing in the beginning. I won't watch this again, and I wouldn't recommend it.*

JDrama to Maybe Watch: 99 Days With the Superstar (2011)

 

99 Days With the Superstar (2011)

Grade: C+

10 episodes, 50 minutes each

Viewing Platform: Amazon Prime Video

Namiki Kohei works as a security guard, but his lifelong aspiration is to discover and name a new star. (He was working in an observatory, but when he defended a coworker from a supervisor's attempt to take credit for the coworker's discovery, he was fired.) Han Yoo-na, a top Korean actress, comes to Japan for a project in a drama there, and that's when Kohei is assigned to protect her. Yoo-na keeps running off, a free-spirit that just wants to mingle and taste all kinds of Japanese cuisine. Kohei is always able to find her, though, and he soon realizes she isn't just running off for fun – Yoo-na is looking for someone! What happens when Kohei stumbles across the person Yoo-na is seeking? Will he be able to keep his job? And how will Yoo-na handle her developing romantic feelings?

*I haven't watched many Japanese dramas; this has a manga-type feel to it, with the support characters' stories, head-smacking/physical comedy, and vocalizations. It didn't have the same buildup of emotion of a K-drama, but it did have a fun comic-relief that didn't know he was the comic relief (he takes himself very seriously). It wasn't terrible, but I didn't love it, either.

KDrama to Watch: Clean With Passion For Now (2018)

 

Clean With Passion For Now (2018)

Grade: B

16 Episodes, 1 hr each

Viewing Platform: Viki

Jang Seon-kyul is a successful business owner of a moderate size cleaning company – an endeavor he started to avoid entering his overbearing grandfather's large business conglomerate. It's where Seon-kyul's mysophobia (fear of germs) can be indulged, as no one thinks it strange for a cleaning business CEO to be so fastidious. Then comes along the somewhat aimless, indeterminate job applicant, Gil Oh-sol. Oh-sol was once a promising high school athlete, but when her mother passed away unexpectedly, Oh-sol gave up on her athletic dreams in order to constantly study, apply for office type jobs, and work part-time jobs to help their family make ends meet. Personal hygiene and grooming went out the door along with her athletic dreams. What happens when Seon-kyul finds out the repulsive Oh-sol was hired into his cleaning company? Will Oh-sol be able to keep her job a secret from her father, who wants something more for his children than a life of menial labor? And what will Seon-kyul's grandfather have to say about the budding romance, in light of what happened to Oh-sol's family?

*The first half of the show is EXACTLY what I have been looking for in a drama! TONS of comedy, cringe-worthy secondhand embarrassment, and great pacing. Unfortunately, it really drags towards the end (I do NOT like when writers insert long periods of time where the characters are apart), and I did not find the male lead attractive at all. That being said, Yoon Kyun-sang has some great facial expressions and enjoyable comedic timing instincts. The music is cute, and the secondary characters are fun, with interesting side stories. I even appreciated how the second male lead wasn't as pitiful as is typical for kdramas. I might watch it again; definitely worth a first watch.*

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.*