My Mister Review

Welcome to another tearjerker! I was hesitant to start this drama because the poster looked sad, and I wanted a romantic comedy, but I was in a drama drought, so I took the plunge. I plunged into depths of despair and I loved it!

IU plays spirit broken Lee Ji-An. Life has handed her one crappy scenario after another, and the girl is shut down. She is our anti-Kdrama female lead. She's not perky and she's not optimistic. Ji-An is solely in survival mode. The typical kdrama archetype comes into play because Ji-An is in debt. She is stuck paying her deceased mothers' soul-crushing debt. Ji-An is also the only person left to take care of her ailing grandmother. I loved this character because she was smart and cunning. Though she gets beat up regularly, she still tries to do what is right. When faced with great temptations, she goes out of her way to make things right again. I loved that she was a threat, but she was able to wield her sword in all the right ways. I can't reiterate this enough, Ji-An was kick ass and dangerous and it was incredibly refreshing to see her handle all of the b.s bureaucracy!

Lee Sun Kyun plays the best ahjussi ever. I loved his character. This man plays the ultimate good guy. He was able to see Ji-An for the kid that she is, and there was never an instance in which he took advantage of her. The show allows us to know him in an intimate way. We get to see his most confounding moments, his saddest moments, and when he is livid. I loved his dynamic with his brothers and his family. The way he handles obstacles with such integrity is so admirable.

The brothers are hilarious in this! They are inept, lazy, and a little broken. When it comes to their family, however, they will rally and fight no matter the cost. It was great seeing them fall in love, and try to figure out ways to keep their family together.

Give this drama a try, it will really tug your heart strings.

Come and Hug Me Review

By the time I finished this show, my eyes were swollen from crying so much. Be prepared to cry every single episode. I cried, then I cried some more, and then I cried because my eyes stung from crying so much! If you want something light-hearted, skip this. If you want something real, you want something that will help you unload a truckload of unshed tears... this is for you. I waited until the last episode to start this drama. The synopsis was pretty dark, so I figured, I'd wait for the reviews to roll in before giving it a chance. While I loved this drama, I'm not sure if I should've watched it on-air or if binge watching it was better. It was a breathtaking drama, and I was worn out when it finished.

The drama is about Chae Do Jin and Han Jae-Yi. Chae Do Jin comes from a precarious background, comprising of a shady father, a violent older brother, a stepmother who works too much, and a precocious little sister. Han Jae -Yi, on the other hand, comes from an affluent family. Her mother is an actress, her father is a lawyer, and she has a devoted older brother. Outgoing and cheeky Han Jae-Yi pulls Chae Do Jin into her shenanigans, and Do Jin reluctantly befriends her. They find their fates intertwined by unspeakable horrors, and in their adult lives, they have to navigate their love for each other.

Chang Ki-Yong's performance was utterly stunning. I hope he wins awards for this role because it was brilliant. We never know how sane he is in this drama. He portrays a kindhearted brother and lover. He's a loyal and faithful leader in his police academy, but when he's interacting with criminals we get a glimpse of low-key insanity. The torture and harassment Do Jin has to put up with was heartbreaking. Every episode I wanted to hug him, and give a huge dose of unconditional love. Luckily he has a great support system in his stepmother and sister. We watch him navigate a truly painful existence with such kindness, and understanding and it touched my heart that he wasn't the least bit jaded. He was constantly putting himself in the shoes of others' and it was incredible to see. Do Jin has become my favorite k-drama character, displacing Lee Sang Yoon's Park Dong Joo character in "Angel Eyes"

Jin Ki-Joo plays effervescent Han Jae Yi. She works as an actress, and she tries hard to maintain a bright outlook. Despite losing her family, she keeps a sweet disposition. However kind she may be, she definitely isn't a pushover. She turns into a feisty firecracker when need be. I admired her strength and her commitment to love.

Heo Jun-Ho was electrifying in his role as the abusive father. I was filled with terror everytime he was on screen. His presence was menacing even when he was trying to be friendly. The dead shark eye stare he would give made me get goosebumps!

Nam Da-Ruem, this majestic kid, has struck gold once again! Every performance he shines with vulnerability and emotion. The depth to this kids acting is amazing. I was so happy to see him deliver once again. Ryoo Han-Bi was adorable. I loved how capricious her character was, it was incredibly entertaining to watch. 

Overall, I love this drama, this could be the best drama of 2018! 

What's Wrong With Secretary Kim? Review

The first episode of this drama was pure comedy genius. The audio in this drama added so much!!! I consistently laughed so hard almost every episode. The writing was witty, the dialogue was reminiscent of a 1940's screwball. For all of its hilarity, the mystery aspect of this show was thrilling. The serendipitous connection between the characters is typical of K-Drama's, but it added so much value to the story.

Park Seo Joon, one of the greatest kissing male leads of all time, plays narcissist Lee Yeong Joon. The quirks of his eyebrows, the tilts of his head... every minimalistic movement added so much to the overall delivery of this character. Seo Joon played the typical chaebol male lead, but he added a je ne sais quoi that I've never seen before. Yeong Joon is oblivious, persistent, thoughtful, self-sacrificing, a bulldozer wrapped into one. The romantic gestures were wildly over the top, the jealous inquisitions were hilarious, and the chemistry was off the charts. This unique character dragged me through the feels, despite myself. The smoking chemistry between Park Seo Joon and Park Min Young added gasoline to the hardcore ship I had of them.

Park Min Young plays Secretary Kim Mi Soo. Like the typical female lead, she is self-sacrificing and has a heart of gold. She is also the long-suffering secretary that delivers a solution before the problem is even addressed. Kim Mi Soo should be a director, a chairman, or something with a higher pay grade and more power because she is integral in making that company run. She's a doting baby sister, she's the bridge of communication between her boss and her co-workers, and she is the glue that holds everything together. I loved this character because she was willing to give up her career to focus on her self after a decade of making unimaginable sacrifices for her family. Unfortunately, her quest to find herself doesn't manifest to it's fullest potential but I think the way she grew in the series was phenomenal.

Lee Yeong Joons best friend Park Yoo Shik plays a heady comedic role in this drama as well. He delivered every line perfectly and helped to elevate some of the heavier emotions with his sardonic commentary. In a strange way, he was essential to this drama. Kang Ki Young always makes a lasting impression, and I'm really happy to see him consistently in the drama's that I watch.

The ensemble cast was just as entertaining as the leads. Each of them had a pretty developed storyline, but I will admit that I skipped some parts because the cringe factor was just too much for me to handle. However, I had a great time watching this drama and I would recommend it to anyone. They also had shoutout episode to "Because It's My First Life" and it made this drama all the sweeter for me.

Black (Korean Drama)

This drama sucked me in because of  Song Seung Heon. Every role I've seen him play, it's been an awesome ride! And bonus... he's the sexiest thirst trap in the K-Drama game (cheekbones, abs, chiseled jawline... this list can go on and on)

"Black" was this whirlwind adventure of mystery, love, and paranormal navigation. Black is a grim reaper played by Song Seung Heon. He's a rough, tough, bounty hunter type, who is trying capture all the souls who are trying to run away from their judgment date. He then posses Han Moo Gang (also played by Song Seung Heon) to find a runaway grim reaper-in-training. In the midst of searching for the runaway, he begins investigating Han Moo Gang's case and it takes us through an interesting ride.

Go Ara plays Kang Ha-Ram who plays the typical k-drama lead. She's spunky, she's smart, and she's got a heart of gold. She gets premonitions of how people are going to die. She teams up with Black to help prevent people from meeting their untimely death. She tries not to get involved, but inevitably she helps those who need help, which often times causes her to be in danger.

The romance in this drama is sweet and short. It's cute but it's not necessary. What makes this a gem of a show is the action and the mystery aspect. The deeper they get into the case, the crazier the story gets. The best way to describe it, is "Truth is stranger than fiction"

The ensemble cast adds a lot to this drama. The characters are filled and have a developed storyline. They also add to the mystery and intrigue of the show. While I enjoyed the ride, the ending wasn't nearly as amazing as the journey. It wrapped up nicely, but I wasn't really satisfied.

Chicago Typewriter

I thought that I had written a review on this drama, only to realize that...no, in fact, I had not written one about this creative masterpiece. So here we go!

If you haven't watched it yet, GO... NOW! It's amazing!!!

Yoo In Ah plays Han Se Joo who is a prolific writer. Though he has accolades, status, and money, he lives an isolated existence. Han Se Joo is skeptical, cynical and mistrusting of people outside of his small trusted circle. Throughout this drama, we get to see him evolve into a loving, and compassionate person. His hilarious antics often stem from suspicion and jealousy, and it was a pleasure watching him. We also get to see him reconcile to the supernatural elements of his world, and that was a great source of laughter. Han Se Joo finds that he has to navigate between his incarnated past and his present. He writes about these encounters with the hope of helping out his neighborly ghost, Yoo Jin Oh.

Yoo Jin Oh, (played by Go Kyung Pyo) is also a writer, who happens to be a ghost. His bar was instrumental for Korea to be liberated from the Japanese occupation. The only problem is, he doesn't remember how he died, and his soul has been captured inside a typewriter that happens to find it's way to Han Se Joo's desk. He makes his way back from Chicago to Seoul, and he's looking for the beautiful Jeon Seol. This character was lovesick throughout the series, and he had such beautiful puppy eyes. Go Kyung Pyo continuously pulled my heartstrings.

Jeon Seol played by the amazing Im Soo-Jung. Jeon Seol is an... unfortunate soul. She loses her father after being abandoned by her mother. Once she finds the talent for shooting guns, she begins having visions of the murder of someone of her past life. She then pursues a veterinarian degree but develops another scare. She's our typical spunky K-Drama lead girl. I adored the chemistry between Jeon Seol and Han Se Joo. They were electric and it was such a joy seeing them.

The story developed amazingly, the soundtrack was perfect, and by the last minute of the drama, I was completely satiated.

It's Okay That's Love

This incredible work of art is my all time favorite drama of all time. This includes American shows and every other Asian drama I've watched. This drama revealed my prejudice toward people who are mentally ill. Preconceived bias' I had, have been completely blown out of the water because of this amazing story.

"That's Okay It's Love"  introduces two of the most beautifully insightful, and honest characters I've ever seen. Prepare to have some unrealistic relationship goals after watching this male lead.
 Jang Jae-Yeol is an incredible writer with a turbulent past. He is witty, cunning, and very caring to those he considers family and friends. I adored this character so much. He was honest and vulnerable all while maintaining his playboy charm. He is also a love "Wiseman" with amazing insight on how functional relationships work. Watching him navigate through his mental journey was at times heartwrenching to watch. Reconciling his past with his present, was a pleasure to watch.


Ji Hae Soo is a prickly psychiatrist with a few scars of her own. As she tries to navigate her relationships, we see how difficult it is for her to be vulnerable. Her biggest scars come from her relationship with her mother. I liked this character because she never tried to be sweet. She had very human first reactions, and she felt really human. The love she develops for Jae Yeol made my heart ache. I loved the dynamic between both of them. They have such fun banter between the two of them. The depth of conversation and the way that they bared their souls to each other was a lesson of how love should work.

This blog would be a 5-page dissertation if I broke down the amazing the ensemble cast. Park Kwang Soo, Jo Dong Min were incredible. They executed their roles impeccably. I loved their chemistry with the leads. The conversations were sensational, and the impact and challenge that it made on me were beyond anything that I could've expected for a K-Drama.

I love this drama, and I hope that you can give it a chance. I assure you, it will change you.

Live (Korean Drama)

I almost skipped this drama because I wasn't impressed by the thumbnail. However, I noticed that Lee Kwang Soo and Jung Yu -Mi were on the cover and I decided this would need my attention. I hit the brakes again because I noticed that too many of the episodes weren't being subbed in a timely manner, so I waited until the whole series was subbed and then I decided to watch it. As usual, the writer Noh Hee-Kyung doesn't disappoint.

This show takes on the journey of two young people who take up a last-ditch effort at a career by becoming police officers. Initially, Yeom Sang Su and Han Jung Oh, are only there to work and get a steady paycheck. After time passes they begin to develop a sense of duty for their position. 

Yeom Sang Su is played by comical genius Lee Kwang Soo. I was first introduced to this actor in my favorite drama "It's Okay That's Love". He's also widely known from the variety show Running Man. Known to be silly and goofy, I find it shameful that his acting can often be dismissed. He absolutely breathes life into Sang Su. This character cares very deeply for his impoverished family, and he is absolutely resilient in his pursuit of a career. It was a pleasure watching this character fall in love with his job as well as fall for Han Jung Oh. While blossoming into a police officer of indisputable integrity and loyalty, Sang-Su is constantly getting injured and learning tough lessons. 

Han Jung Oh is a reserved character that has to consistently process the horrors that come with the job. She has been the caretaker of her single mother who suffers from panic attacks. It was nice to see her come into her own identity. She goes from a brittle angry woman who needs a career, to a powerful policewoman who can support her man without giving up her dreams.

While the leads are impeccable, the ensemble cast deserves a standing ovation! Bae Sung-Woo plays the hard to like (though eventually, I loved him!) Oh Yang-Chon. This character really drove the group performances, he had a difficult dynamic with his family and his co-workers, but he was the heartbeat of both groups. The captains, the mentors, the mentees all illustrated how difficult it was to navigate being a police officer. 

While I loved the characters... this show called into question several things that made me wonder if I was watching Korean societal issue's, social commentaries, or artistic license. The first thing I found disturbing was a lack of sanitary habits. There were several scenes where people didn't wash their hands after using the bathroom, a scene where Han Jung Oh has to clean throw up with her bare hands and other things that made me want to run some soap and water over my body. The second thing I found disturbing was (SPOILER) how the rapists' children were treated. Yeom Sang Su seemed to think it was okay that the family was being harassed by their neighbors, and the grandparents didn't want to take the children in because of their fathers' crime. The third thing I was perturbed by was the blatant disrespect of the congressmen toward the police officers. When watching these scenes I wasn't sure if this was a characterization of things that actually happen in South Korea, or if it was a dramatization. 

If you want a good cry, and some great laughs sprinkled through, I would recommend this drama for you!