2024 viewing diary

Watched in January. 

The fanservice in this LMAOO I was cringing so hard but also blushing it was so over the top. I started watching for Ji Changwook and Kai (of course) but enoyed all the episodes even though some were a bit dodgy.... but this is a short webdrama that's also an ad so I didn't expect much to begin with. I kinda wish we got Ji Changwook in the third episode instead though because I love office romance plots (and him in suits... aha....).

Watched in January. 

I had high expectations of this because of the good reviews I've heard about it and it following a storyline I usually really love (slice of life about someone going through life changes and returning to their childhood home or a small town to heal). But to be honest it did nothing for me.... this is a movie I could've easily had to pause to go do something and not bothered to keep watching. 

Finished in February. 

I'd been looking forward to watching this drama since it was announced because the story really seemed like my kind of thing (and also because of JCW lol), but I felt like it could've been a lot better. The plot had so much potential but the writing fell short....  The side characters didn't really have enough screen time for their individual storylines to feel complete, and the ending felt pretty random too (spoiler: especially the part of the convenience shop worker being an Arab prince?? what). That aside the acting was phenomenal!! I've never seen Shin Hyesun in something before but she was so amazing! Ji Changwook was perfect as always too.  To me the acting alone is almost enough to make up for the ways in which this drama fell short. I also really liked the small details like the red scarf being knitted again at the end. 

Watched in February.

Randomly saw this on tv with my mum.... I didn't expect to see Jackie Chan and Lay together in an Indian movie lol. It was a bit ridiculous but still entertaining.

Watched in February.

The ML honestly had the personality of cardboard and the FL carried the entire show. She was so much fun to watch! 

Watched in February.

At this rate I'm going to end up watching all of Akaso Eiji's dramas LOL. His character in this wasn't my favourite and the show felt a bit draggy at times but it was still an okay watch. The life advice didn't really resonate with me though and I also didn't get why it was so hard for the male characters to understand the female characters' frustations.... they made perfect sense to me....

Watched in March. 

A nice short variety show to watch as stress relief ^^ I enjoyed this more than Season 4. Minseok is so cute!

Watched in April. 

Honestly.... the ratings for this are a bit deceiving. To me this is a mediocre drama at best, which is disappointing because I've been wanting to watch this for years :( The acting is quite good but for about the first half of the drama it felt like nothing even happened? Or that none of the scenes are memorable enough for them to leave an impression. The story progression and writing in general is really bad.... 

Maybe I would've enjoyed this more when I was younger and didn't have expectations for dramas lol. For a romcom the romance isn't good either. I  like Lee Minki but this is far from his best.... This type of character was perfect in Because This Is My First Life but it doesn't really seem to fit this drama :/ I wish drama writers would realise that they can write cool, mysterious, loner characters without making them like robots

Watched in April. 

Honestly SO GOOD...!! Thank you Meeks for the recommendation!!! I was surprised at how much I ended up enjoying this... it was so funny and touching and I laughed so much at all the dumb jokes. I really liked the coming of age themes and how sincere Ida was about answering Aoki. I almost never rewatch stuff but I watched this a second time almost instantly, only without English subs. Aside from being an enjoyable watch it's also great as Japanese listening practice because the episodes are quite straightforward and it's easy to follow.  

Watched in April.

Saw this at my uni's movie night! I don't know if it's something I would choose to watch because it's pretty fast paced and the humour isn't exactly mine but it was still fun to watch.

Watched in May.

Watched in May. 

Objectively this isn't a bad drama.... it just wasn't really my thing. The acting is decent but I didn't like the characters or the plot so I ended up finishing this feeling worse than when I started :( I wouldn't rewatch but if you like the ship dynamic where one is a bit teasing and wishy-washy while the other is kind of bold but easily embarrassed, you'd probably like this.

Watched in May. 

Watched in May.

Watched in May. 

Watched in May. 

Watched in May. 

This was exactly what I thought it would be.... just a toxic relationship and a story without depth. The whole storyline was essentially them having misunderstandings because of not communicating and then "solving" them by sleeping together. There was a moment towards the end of the show that allowed for some development but nothing ended up happening? I can't even say I'm disappointed because I didn't expect this to be good lol

Watched in May. 

Just kinda mediocre. It didn't really do much for me.

Watched in May.

Watched in May. 

THIS WAS SOOOOO CUTE! TT I'm going to evaporate or explode or maybe both?! From the start to the end he whole thing just felt so heartwarming.... seriously a perfect romcom drama.  I loved how one of the MLs was a secret fanboy and I also loved the way their characters complimented each other. Like one of them gaining confidence from being loved so much and so passionately by the other. Really it was so touching. It was only a short drama but nothing felt missing or rushed. This is definitely one of my favourite watches of the year! 

P.S. that one scene with the managers shocked me so much LOL I really wasn't expecting that hahahaha

Watched in May.

I started watching for Ryuche and if it wasn't for him I would've dropped this instantly. I haven't seen the anime this is based on but I already know there's upskirt shots in every episode :/ It just sucked.

Watched in June.

Yet another show I only watched for Naniwa members (Daigo my love). It wasn't great but it's only a short drama so for what it is it was okay. 

Watched in July. 

Another drama that left me with a heavy heart. The writing was well done and it was filmed in a way that makes you feel like you're back in time. I do think they could've expanded on some things but all in all it didn't feel like anything was missing. I liked the slower pacing and overall feel of the show. I'm glad I waited until this finished airing to watch it all at once and savour the feeling. 

Watched in July. 

This storyline had a lot of potential but the actual execution fell flat and it ended up being another mediocre jdrama :(

Watched in July.

Watched in August.

I cried so much I have a headache.

Watched in August.

Watched in August. 

I originally wasn't going to watch this but once I came to know Aloha I wanted to see him in something so I chose this as my binge tonight. It was unexpectedly sweet....?? Not amazing acting but both leads were still  good at their roles and the home/intimate scenes were so cute. Their chemistry was reeaaally good and gave me the impression that they're both comfortable with each other and close even outside of their characters. There were a few moments where I felt like Aloha was a little shy with the skinship but I think that's just his personality irl and he's not experienced enough with acting yet to be able to hide it. I'm keen to see him in more shows in the future (his expressions are so cute!) ♡ 

The intimate flashback scene with the younger male leads made me a bit uncomfortable (just because they're so young) but I'm glad it was cut short and done in a way that didn't feel voyeuristic and creepy. [SPOILER] I think my favourite moment was when Kazuma told Ren he would cover his eyes and ears as long as Ren was comfortable. Honestly that almost made me shed a tear.... idc how cliched and overused it is I love when one character has trauma and the other helps them heal from it just by loving them and being gentle with them :( ♡

One of my only complaints is that the storyline with the mum felt a bit rushed at the end.... I really enjoyed this though and I'll  watch it again!

(Re)watched in August.

Watched in August 

Things I disliked: (1) No chemistry between the leads.... even though they had a couple sex scenes there was just no yearning feeling at all. (2) The dynamic between the leads in general. I feel like this type of pairing appeals to a very specific niche and I'm just not part of that niche. (3) The winery guy??? His personality just sucked. (4) The writing was a bit messy, lots of things left unsaid and the ending felt disjointed. Nothing in the last episode even made sense to me.

Things I liked: (1) The relationship between the younger versions of the main characters. The flashbacks were kinda nice and I honestly thought they had better chemistry than the other leads. (2) Beautiful lighting in the intimate scenes. (3) Takamatsu Aloha! Even though his character sucked a bit I just like him. (4) That shower scene... HJSJKHDSKJ SORRY lol iykyk 

Watched in August. 

This felt like being wrapped in a warm blanket on a chilly Winter's day.... ♡

Watched in August.

Watched in August.

Watched in August.

Watched in August

Watched in August.

Watched in September.

This was so sweet!!! It's such a cute and comfortable watch once you get through the initial secondhand embarrassment in the first couple episodes. There's no drama, not annoying side characters, just the female lead figuring herself out while falling in love with a quiet nerdy maintenance guy who has some problems of his own. But they become support to each other and grow in the relationship, inspiring each other to become better people at the same time. It was just so cute.

Watched in September. 

Once you get past the oddness of a 17/18 year old trying to pursue a 30 year old it's honestly pretty cute. I liked seeing a new side of Takuya (Minato's actor) and Nishigata Sho 's (Shin's actor) subtle expressions were nice too. I usually don't like age gap romances but I like how they both seriously thought things through and considered everything about the possible relationship before getting into one. The sincerity made me want to root for this couple. 

I'm also glad Minato never had a creepy older man vibe or tried to take advantage of Shin's affection. It was solely a close friendship for a few years until they had both matured enough (maybe Minato more than Shin) to be what each other needed.  Shin bringing out Minato's childish side was also cute.... It was probably both because he's younger and because he's comfortable with him. I can understand how some people think twelve episodes is too long for this story but as someone who loves slow-paced slow-burn dramas it didn't feel that long at all. 

Watched in September. 

Watched in September. 

Watched in September. 

I suppose this is okay for what it is, but it felt too emty and the characters didn't have the chemistry for it to be memorable to me.

Watched in September. 

I loved the atmosphere of this show.... The entire time I just felt so calm and like time was passing at the right speed rather than too fast or too slow. The actors were both really good at conveying that yearning feeling, my only complaint is that at times I didn't feel the romantic chemistry between them. I think I'll come back to this once I read the manga to compare.

Watched in September. 

Watched in October. 

Watched in October. 

Watched in October.

Watched in October. 

Watched in November. 

Watched in November. 

Watched in November. 

Watched in December.