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.*

Kdrama to Maybe Watch: The Man's Voice (2021)

 

The Man's Voice (2021)

Grade: B-

8 Episodes, 30 minutes each

Viewing Platform: Viki

Part-time convenience store worker Go Mi Rim has a bit of a crush on one of the regulars to the store – airline pilot Baek Tae Hwa. Part of his attractiveness is how attentive he is to his pet cat, Natsume. One day, Tae Hwa ends up asking Mi Rim to watch his cat for a few days – of course she agrees, because this could be the way to make her daydreams of getting to know the handsome pilot come true! But what happens when lightning strikes and grants Mi Rim the ability to hear Natsume's thoughts? Will the middle-aged cat help Mi Rim win his “butler's” heart, or will the jealous cat sabotage her efforts?

*Promising premise, with a touch of the fantastic injected into the banal. It is a short series based off a web toon, so there isn't too much substance, and it does fall a bit flat by the last episode (too much time spent on a breakup that wasn't really a breakup since they hadn't quite started dating), but it is at least a little entertaining. Lower quality production, with obvious sound editing issues. The voice actor for the cat was the best part! They picked someone who sounded like a grumpy old man, which worked well for the overall concept. I probably won't watch it again, but it's fun for at least one viewing.*

Kdrama to Miss: Dodosolsollalasol (2020)

Dodosolsollalasol (2020)

Grade: D+

16 episodes, 60 minutes each

Viewing platform: Netflix

Gu Ra-ra wasn't originally a musically gifted student, but with her father's encouragement and money (for hiring the best instructor in the country), she becomes a concert-level pianist. Tragedy strikes when her father suddenly has a heart-attack and dies on her wedding day, plunging his business into chaos and scaring off her fiance. What happens when Ra-ra travels to the sleepy seaside town Eunpo and breaks her arms swerving to miss a young man on a bicycle? Will the now penniless, naive young woman be able to provide for herself, or will she keep having to rely on the kindness of Sunwoo Jun, the guy she hit? And what happens when Jun's identity is revealed?

*Slow, sweet, sad - and STUPID! Good cinematography, decent music, a small mystery to solve, but absolutely ridiculous use of the “selfless breakup” trope (where 1 part of the couple pretends to be a jerk to "save" the other person from having to suffer with them) AND the “time skip” trope (where a drama skips ahead 1-5 years in its timeline). There is no couple in the WORLD who can survive that much time apart; you're almost an entirely new person by that point! And I hate the idea of nobly suffering alone – that's what loved ones are FOR: to lean on and grow closer! I definitely won't watch this again. I guess it's nice Ra-ra finds a community & friends to help her out in life, but it's not anywhere NEAR enough to redeem this drama. Unforgivable use of these two tropes!*

JDrama to Watch: An Incurable Case of Love (2020)

 Jdrama: An Incurable Case of Love (2020)

Grade: B

10 Episodes, 1 Hour each

Viewing Platform: Viki

Nanase Sakura is about to graduate high school and she doesn't know what to do next, but one morning an old woman collapses in front of her. Nanase shouts for help – and the handsome doctor Kairi Tendo, who just happens to be out for a morning jog, hears her. Nanase then decides she must pursue nursing, to be worthy of the handsome doctor, and five years later, Nanase starts working at Kairi's hospital. What happens when Kairi turns out to be a bad-tempered “devil” instead of the knight in shining armor that Nanase had always imagined?

*This Jdrama is based on the Japanese manga, so there are some extra cheesy/unrealistic moments throughout. There are also plenty of “cringe” scenes (secondhand embarrassment for the childish Nanase), but she does seem to show some character development, which makes this show a bit better. I don't love the age gap between the main leads (Nanase is 23 and Kairi is 31), and the cold-hearted male lead trope almost goes too far in these instances – as in it almost feels a bit toxic/unhealthy. Takeru Satoh does an amazing job in the steamy romance moments though – I'd watch this again just for his scenes! Fun music, too. I might watch again.*

KFilm to Watch: How to Steal a Dog (2014)

 How to Steal a Dog (2014)

Viewing Platform: Amazon Prime

Ji-so is a young homeless girl, living in a pizza van with her mom and little brother. When their family fell on hard times, the father left with the promise to soon return, but not before the rest of the family was kicked out of their home. Tired of being homeless and wanting nothing more than to have a grand, fun birthday with all her friends at a nice big house, Ji-so concocts a scheme with her friend & brother to kidnap a rich person's dog! Her plan is to return the dog for a reward, then use that reward money to buy a new home for them. Wolly initially outsmarts the kids' dog-napping attempt, and then the nephew of Wolly's owner tries to make the dog permanently disappear in order to secure his inheritance! Will Ji-so's father ever return, or will she spend the rest of her childhood living on the streets?

*Pretty sure this was a family/children's movie, what with the “hijinks,” colors, and camera angles. It had a good balance of happy and sad moments, but it didn't have the “happily ever after” ending one would typically expect from a children's film. It had more of a Pixar movie ending, where the characters still end up happy, but not everything is fixed. Not an instant favorite, but it was okay for at least a one-time viewing. *