Go Back Couple

Go Back Couple

I have to be honest, I am always reluctant to watch throwback k-dramas. If a drama is set in the 90's or so, I don't usually watch it because I miss out on that sense of nostalgia. The music, references, point of view etc make me feel less attached to the drama. However, heavy hitter Jang Na-Ra always keeps me on my toes, so I felt I owed it her to watch it. Boy am I glad I stuck to instincts. 

This drama is AMAZING. We are shown the angst and frustration of a couple who have lost their spark and connection to each other. As they finalize their divorce they are sucked into the past, where their love first started to bloom.and maturity to those who are important to her. 

Jang Na-Ra portrays an innocent housewife who is broken by the isolation in her marriage. As she navigates the young woman she once was, she shows immense compassion, love

I was also really happy to Son Ho Joon play a lead. He's been my lowkey crush ever since I saw him on an episode of "Three Meals a Day". He plays the character of earnest Choi Ban Do. Despite how sincere and hardworking Choi Ban Do is, he seems to fall short of his desired outcomes. Son Ho Joon performance was everything I could hope for, and I hope to see him in other leading roles in the near future. 

The second male lead, Jung Nam-Gil, was enough to give Second Lead Syndrom (SLS). This character seemed cold and aloof, but he was so sweet and tenderhearted. His performance was heartfelt and I hope to see Chang Ki Yong in other roles as well. 

The rest of cast was hilarious. I loved the depth of their individual stories and the illustration of their development and growth. 

I would definitely recommend to anyone who ready for a sweet tearjerker, be prepared to love on your mom!

While You Were Sleeping (2017) Review

While You Were Sleeping

I was not prepared to love this drama. When I read the comment sections there were constant references to "W" and "Uncontrollably Fond", and I didn't want to watch another heartbreaking drama. However, the drama rut that has been the theme of my viewing life this year, so I had no other options. I reluctantly committed to going through the tears and snot, just to enjoy a good drama. 

Within the first 2 minutes, I knew the next 16 hours would be dedicated to sitting in front of my computer. This drama is freaking magical. There are seamless flashbacks, it's wonderfully produced, incredible acting, an amazing soundtrack, and great writing. This drama was everything I could ever want. 

Hong Joo, played by Suzy is a typical spunky female lead. She has a pesky gift of having nightmares that manifest into reality. At times she attempts to alter these trajections, but more often times than not, the foreshadowing comes to pass. Jae Chan played by Lee Jong-Suk plays an adorkable prosecutor who also has dreams that turn into reality. These two team up together and try to circumvent the dangers that could possibly happen to them and their loved ones.

Playing Lee Yoo-Boem, the villainous lawyer, is my absolute crush, Lee Sang-Yeob! I love this actor so much! It was nice to see him playing a darker role, made me want to kill him, but still an enjoyable performance.

This drama is first and foremost hilarious. Suzy and Lee Jong-Suk have incredible chemistry, and I was always entertained by their witty lines. There are heart-wrenching moments, but the ending is just so satisfying that it makes up for the permanent cracks in my heart.




I would definitely recommend this drama to anyone who loves a good romantic, supernatural, thriller. 

The Package

The Package

I dove into this drama head first because my love CNBlue's Jung Yong Hwa was the lead. Like all of his projects, I was left completely satisfied.

 I got sucked in by the crazy range of Korean tourist taking their first adventure into France. This eclectic band of people made me laugh, cry and swoon. Not only are the tourist going through their own life metamorphosis, so is their tour guide. Yoon So So played by the beautiful Lee Yeon-Hee.  Yoon So So is sophisticated and charming as she leads her group to various locations. I loved her blunt, slightly scammy shenanigans. 

San Maru, played by Jung Yong Hwa is the heart and soul of this drama. This character is quirky, awkward and completely melts the heart. San Maru's journey to Paris is laced with sadness given that he was supposed to be on vacation with his girlfriend, who chose to work instead. He finds himself trying to balance his increasingly volatile work situation while on his dream vacation. His strange behavior and odd insights had me rolling with laughter and tears. This character is endearing, and I can't imagine another actor who could've executed this role with the amount of tenderness Jung Yong Hwa did. 

The chemistry between the two leads was palpable and we were rewarded with quite a grown, and steamy kiss. 

The rest of the cast was brilliant. The performances given were heartbreaking and gut-busting. Each backstory revealed how different, superficial first impressions are in comparison to the real story beneath initial impressions.

I definitely recommend this drama to anyone who likes a substantive rom-com. It leaves quite an impression. 

Because This Is My First Life Review

Because This Is My First Life

This Gif adequately portrays my love and excitement for Because This Is My First life.

Why? Because I watched one of the best dramas to ever hit my universe.

My first Korean Sweet Heart, the unforgettable Jung So Min plays  the lead. She has such a sweet presence. Almost every role I've seen her play, she has been demure, and sweet as apple pie. yet with each role, her characters grow more certain of how to navigate the train wreck that is K-Drama. This role as Yoon Ji-Ho is by far my favorite role of hers. Ji-Ho a drama writer who hails from a patriarchal family, is in need of housing. Nam Se Hee is a game developer on a budget due to a heavy mortgage. They accidentally become roommates and realize that they are very compatible. They eventually agree to a contractual marriage, fake marriage for cheap rent.

This drama weaves through, stalking, rape, marriage, family, friends, relationships, and many other topics, perfectly. I've learned so much from this drama.
Lee Min Ki gives an excellent performance. From the roots of his hair to the bottom of his soles he embodies a strange combination of stoicism and quirkiness. Blunt and dismissive on the surface does nothing to hide his warm heart.

For those who want substance in their romance genres, this is a perfect illustration. This made me analyze and question my own behavior toward my family and my romantic pursuits. This drama never ceased to satisfy.

 I mean it's from TvN... of course it's amazing!

Voice

I had reservations about this drama, but I was in for a thrilling, action-packed, rollercoaster ride.

 Jang Hyuk's drama's are always hit or miss with me. When plays characters that are cold and calculating his execution is brilliant. Then there are other roles that make me cringe by the overacting and flamboyancy of the character. I'd seen his picture in the thumbnail and I decided that I would put it on the back burner.

Well I'm happy to tell you that from the first 3 minutes of the drama, I was sucked in! It was amazing, everything flowed together seamlessly. Jang Hyuk's character as Moo Jin Hyuk shows a tough cop who takes a heart-wrenching blow due to the murder of his wife. As he tries to get some closure during the court case, his hopes are destroyed by Kang Kwon Joo played by Lee Ha Na. Kwon Joo took the emergency call Jin Hyuk's wife made, and due to her superhuman hearing, she believes that the killer of his wife, murdered her father as well.              Years later the pair are matched together in the Golden Time

team to help victims who have just recently found themselves in danger.

Romance isn't necessary for this gory, take no prisoners, thriller. Any sensitivity to gory scenes might make this show a bit hard to watch. I've yet to encounter such a wonderfully evil character such as Mo Tae Goo played by Kim Jae Wook. I wish I could accurately describe how the many layers of intrigue in this drama, but I would be giving it away. The only thing that I can do is tell you that each actor delivered gut-punching performances.

The show illustrates the corruptions of people who have too much money, too much power, and a disregard for human life. It will not only stimulate blood pressure, it stimulates the mind. 

Drama Rut

I have to be honest. I have been in a drama rut for the last 6-8 months. That tingly sensation that crawled up my spine has been missing for a while and I couldn't understand why. I LOVE K-Drama's. I love cliche's, I love Chaebols with broke girls. I love the spunky, take no prisoners woman. I love how simple things will snowball out of control, but lately, that special magic has been gone. While I peruse through the comment section of episodes of different drama's, I realize that I AM NOT ALONE! The struggle has been real loved ones. Writing has been dry, plots have been obvious, dramas seem to come with a bang and the fizzle around episode 6. I was losing my joy, my comfort, and then the fall drama roll call came through and this parched heart began to beat again.

I was so excited to devour drama's like Witch's Court, Revolutionary Love, The Package, Because This Is My First Life, Avengers Club, 20th Century Boys and Girls, and Temperature of Love. My senses were awakened and I was submerged in the K-drama feel good. Yet after some episodes, the only shows that are keeping me hot and bothered are Because This is My First Life, and Temperature of Love. I adore The Package, because, lead singer of CN Blue, Jung Yong Hwa, stars in it. I love his character and his acting, but sometimes the writing leaves me a bit disconnected.

The visceral pleasure that racks through my dopamine centers are off the charts when it comes to This Is My First Life. This show is amazing, wonderfully written, exquisitely executed, and the production is seamless. I can feel, heck I can almost taste the loneliness, and curiosity each character. Mondays and Tuesdays become some of my favorite days of the week.

Temperature of Love is this wonderful, writer falls in love with chef combo that I adore. I don't know what it is about those two mediums but I love it when they come together. I love how each character is difficult in different ways. I like that the female lead is so relatable and the male lead isn't pushy. My heart melts with each new episode and I am glad that I caved in and decided to watch it.

I am thrilled that I have three drama's that I find myself enjoying, but I can't help but wonder, is the Drama gravy train finished? And what the hell am I supposed to watch if it is?

Fire In Nirvana

Today commends my very first C-Drama recommendation!!!

Okay, it all started with "The Kings Woman" this on air drama had me desperate for Chinese Historical  binge fix. A couple clicks on the google search drive and BAM! I was pulled into the world of Fire in Nirvana. A whopping 54 episodes later, and I'm dazed and amazed, and super excited to share how amazing this drama is.

Fire in Nirvana has a ton of characters each with their unique charms that bring magic to a series. We start off with Mei Changsu played by one of my favorite Chinese actors, Hu Ge.
 A twitch to the corner of his left mustache can convey gut busting laughter, or rivers of tears. Needless to say I was stoked when I realized he was the lead in this drama. Mei Changsu is a brilliant strategist who wants a past injustice to be rectified. He overcomes and creates various obstacles to achieve this goal, all the while dealing with a life threatening illness.

Mei Changsu's primary goal is to get Prince Jing on the throne. This prince goes largely unnoticed but proves to be honorable, and just as passionate in the quest of revealing unpleasant truths of the past. The stoic prince is portrayed by Wang Kai who never fails to deliver a drool worthy performance.








These two characters are the soul and brains of the drama, and all of the secondary characters make up the heart of this drama. From heart wrenching confessions of Princess Nihuang, or hilarious interactions between Fei Lui, each secondary character gives this drama something special.

This drama made me mostly cry, and want to seek vengeance. The romance is heartfelt, necessary even, but I wouldn't call it central to the plot. This drama is about camaraderie and steadfast follow through for good to triumph evil.
I recommend this drama for those who are looking for a majestic mental thriller.

Full disclaimer this show is 54 episodes... As I was binging I got drama fatigue and had to skip a couple episodes, but it in no way changed how enjoyable this drama was!

Hello Monster/I Remember You Review

Hello Monster

 Hello Monster

Hello Monster is one of the best thrillers in K-Drama! During this show I choked on laughter, bawled my eyes out, and was ready to jump out of my skin! The level of writing and creativity this drama expresses is exceptional. There were twists and turns and much needed comic relief. 

Heavy weight actress Jang Nara portrays the classic spunky detective trying to catch her bad guy. Drop dead talented Seo In-Guk does a stellar job of being a finicky criminal profiler. The way these two interact with each other is amazing.

Photo by Noona Over Forks

Not only do they have chemistry, they show an incredible report with each other. There is so much affection and play between their interactions, it seems as though the actors genuinely had a great time filming. 

While the leads are amazing, I'd be remiss not to mention Park Bo Gum, Choi Won-Young, and Do Kyung So (D.O). These three gave chilling performances. While they were on screen I could sometimes feel the chill running down my spine. I've seen each of them in other genres and I was not prepared for how dark, and scary they could go. Their story lines were beyond amazing. Major kudo's for the writer! These characters are some of the most creative I've seen. 

Photo by dramabeans

Photo by Noona's Over Forks

This Drama left and incredible impression

on me, and I would definitely recommend it!

 

Photo By Dramabeans

   

Queen for Seven Days

Queen For Seven Days

photo by:

dewanontons.com/queen-for-seven-days-season-1/

I stumbled across this beautiful show when I was in yet, another desperate search for a drama to keep me engaged. From the very first episode I was hooked!

The show introduces two young characters navigating their lives in the valiant attempt to validate themselves to their families. 

Lee Yeok  played by the impressive child actor Baek Seung Hwan, wants to emphatically prove that he isn't after his brothers throne, while Shin Chae Kyung played by the talented Park Si-Eun wants to close the distance placed by her parents. 

These children serendipitously smack into each other and they begin a life long love affair.

photo by: 

http://www.dramabeans.com/2017/06/seven-day-queen-episode-3/

Meanwhile King Lee Yoong played by Lee Dong Gun is brutal ruler who tries to prove to his deceased father that he can be a great King. This was one of my favorite characters. He had so many elements to his personality and to his decisions. Though he was bat crazy and beyond cruel... I couldn't help but love him.

Photo by:

http://www.hellokpop.com/tv-movies/queen-for-seven-days-debuts/

Yeon Woo Jin plays the adult character of Lee Yeok, and Park Min Young plays the adult character of Shin Chae Kyung. I couldn't have asked for better chemistry. These two expressed an array of emotions and thoughts in ways that I'm not sure other actors could've done.

 All of the characters engaged with each other in heartbreaking, and funny ways. There wasn't a single episode that didn't make me cry and then laugh hysterically. As a viewer I witnessed misunderstandings, characters being manipulated,  and characters disastrous attempts of resolving issues. Yet, the dialogue expressed empathy, yearning, angst a magical way. 

I adore this drama so much. My heart got shredded to pieces every episode, but it was well worth it.
The best thing about this show was the depth each character portrayed. I couldn't hate the King because I got to understand how his brain ticked. At his cruelest moments he was trying to protect the ones he loved. Even though Lee Yeok is a great male lead, we still got to witness his character flaws, which humanized his journey from prince to King. Chae Kyung was a character we got to see grow and mature, and it was all heartbreaking!

photo by:
http://www.dramapanda.com/2017/06/queen-for-seven-days-2017.html

Photo by:

http://www.ibtimes.co.in/seven-day-queen-episodes-19-20-finale-preview-shin-chae-kyung-face-jail-time-736326

This is one of the great Saeguks along with Empress Ki. I am thankful that I found it fairly late so I could binge watch it, I can't imagine the agony of waiting week to week, but definitely would bring a box of tissues, because this drama drags you through the feels.

Strong Woman Do Bong Soon Review

Strong Woman Do Bong Soon was one hell of a ride. I laughed, I cried, and the antagonist ran chills up my spine. This drama draws you in with irresistible charm, ab aching laughter, and ice cold fear.

 Park Bo-Young lures you in with that sweet mischievous smile of hers. As her character, Do Bong Soon, tries to balance hiding her super strength powers with meting out justice. She often finds herself in interesting positions. This spunky, broke "Job Seeker" finds solace in video games, where she can be strong without hiding her identity.

Coincidentally, An Min-Hyuk played by eye candy Park Hyung-Sik, is the CEO of leading gaming company Ainsoft. These two become entangled with each other as they try to find the perpetrators messing with their individual lives.  Min-Hyuk hires Bong Song as his personal body guard and they realize they are more connected than they previously could have imagined. Their relationship quickly culminates into one of the cutest push and pulls I've ever seen.

Always playing the second lead, Ji-Soo, plays the role of  In Gook-Do. This stern character gruffly takes care of Do Bong Soon, while being completely oblivious to her infatuation with him. Though I don't get second lead syndrome with him in this drama, his earnestness is enough to melt any girls heart.

The most surprising character of all is Kim Jang-Hyun. This character was dark, creepy, and incredibly calculating. There is often a temptation to fall for his bad boy looks, but his character is just so evil and wily that you want to punch him in the face. Model turned Actor Jang Mi-Kwan delivered a wonderful performance.

Over all this drama is warm and mushy, with a surprising thrill element. The last episode is gushy, and wonderful and it's perfect for suckers who love a "Happily Ever After" Story.

Tomorrow With You

If you're ready for the craziest emotional rollercoaster of your life, watch Tomorrow With You. Heart throb Lee Je Hoon teams up with starlet Shin Min-A to deliver a mind-bending drama.

Shin Min-A plays Song Ma-Rin better known as Bap Soon. Ma-Rin tries to distance herself from the role she played when she was 10 years old, by  pursuing her dream of becoming a photographer.Though she is largely unsuccessful, due to her life seen as a cautionary tale of a child-actor,she tries to make the best out of her circumstance. 

Lee Je Hoon plays Yoo So Joon, CEO of a development company who happens to have the ability of time travel. Though his past is tragic, he navigates his life with a light charm.

When Yoo So Joon saves Song Ma-Rins life, he finds their lives are inexplicably entwined. Witnessing a tragic end to both of their lives, So Joon tries hard to manipulate the present so that the future is different.

I have to say, the episodes I watched I enjoyed. However, I got caught up in the comment section and would skip episodes to save myself some emotional angst. I also started watching this show while it was on air, and decided to wait until I knew there was a happy ending. Things were just a bit too tragic for my mental state, and I was concerned there would be a heart-rending close to the drama. I waited until the last episode was subbed, read the comments and picked up where I left off. The ending was so amazing, and even though I cried buckets of tears, it was definitely worth it.

I would recommend this drama for those who need a good cry, it's well written, and it the acting is superb.

Legend of the Blue Sea Review

Legend of the blue sea is a unique drama that seamlessly interweaves modern day reality with the melancholy legend of The Little Mermaid.
Switching between the reincarnated life of Heo Joon-Jae and his past life of as Dam Ryung, Lee Min Ho goes through great lengths to protect his one true love. Affectionately named Sim Chung, this stunning mermaid tries to navigate the modern world that is entirely different from the ocean which she is from. Jun Ji-Hyun plays this character with her special brand of physical humor that never ceases to stop me from cracking a smile. While the leads have a cute chemistry, it was the villain that saved this drama from being a predictable melodrama.

The veteran actor, Sung Dong Il gave a performance that left me with goosebumps as he delivered an eerie representation of a man feeling as though his life culminated in nothing more than punishment. Every interaction he had on screen left me with goosebumps. This role evoked fear and anxiety for the other characters that was brilliantly balanced by all of the comedic and romantic scenes.

The supporting cast gave us insight into Heo Joon-Jae's life and where his priorities in life stemmed from. For the most part they're hilarious and ridiculously self absorbed. The supporting cast that Sim Chung primarily interacts with is full of golden nuggets of wisdom we can all use.

This drama covers a range of genres from family, to crime, and last but not least romance. As much as it makes you laugh, and clutch your chest in fear, it can also make you cry. The interaction between all of the characters, the depth of loss, and the portrayal of regret also gives this drama the little oomph that's needed.

As much as I enjoyed this drama, I did skip a lot of parts. I was never completely sucked into the drama and was able to multitask other things while watching it.

If you need a cute drama, or something to pass the time with, I would def recommend it.

Until the next drama!