from fun to being overly dramatic

Na Ah Jung (Jeon Jong Seo) works as a guest actress, playing various background roles. She has a gay friend Lee Do Han (Kim Do Han), whom she has known for 15 years. When Do Han needs a wife to appease his family, he asks Ah Jung to be his wife for 3 years. Do Han’s younger brother, Lee Ji Han (Moon Sang Min), is against this plan as he wants his brother to marry for a corporate alliance. Thus, he tries every way to break up their wedding, one being to make her fall in love with him. Ji Han and Ah Jung hate each other at first, but as he's trying, seems like he's the one who starts falling in love...

It started out exciting, I was impressed with the actress Jeon Jong So who played Ah Jung, she's feisty, capable and independent. Her friend/enemy banter with Dohan and Ji Han is great. Their relationships development is comedic and chaotic. Lee Ji Han’s motive didn’t make much sense to me from the start, but it's fine as there were a lot of good stuffs.

However, the character I'm most curious about is Lee Do Han, as an openly gay man. It was intriguing when he’s introduced, but as the story goes, I'm disappointed with the lack of importance given to his character traits.

Frankly, it gets frustrating when the conflict starts. it’s hard to understand why the leads’ react so dramatically and how they made certain choices. Last four episodes were messy, and practically resolved(?!) Well, the cameo saves the ending... XD Glad it's only 12 episodes!

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Raging comedic banter, battle and romance. I highly recommend!

Cho Yeo Hwa (Lee Ha Nee), lives as a dutiful widow by day and by night she's running across rooftops fighting criminals for the poor secretly. One night, she got into a chaotic fight, she landed in the arms of a palace guard, Park Soo Ho (Lee Jong-won). Unbeknownst to both, there’s a secret in the past left to be unfold. As Yeo Hwa continues living her lifestyle, Soo Ho keeps running into her, wanting to know who she really is… will she be able to keep her disguise?

This drama is consistently entertaining! While I expected the show to be as fun as it was, I didn’t expect to be immediately connected with our characters and their motivations. I love Yeo Hwa, her mother-in-law and her quirky friend, too. That she's widowed due to a tragic past, controlled by her mother-in-law and almost 100% locked inside her house, it all sounds depressing, but the storytelling is so so fresh. Also it's interesting to see like how our male lead, Soo Ho with his role to serve justice but he's bind by a lot of rules, while he sees this mysterious person just do it each night.

The intro and the epilogue scenes are A+! Each episode is meaningful with steady pacing. Interesting twists happened here and there. There's a whole lot of wuxia-style fight scenes; flying to the roof, hitting people by acorns, and I enjoyed a lot. The action scenes are funny, also the little gestures, sound effect, visual effect, they're all worked together perfectly. The romance is fun, low-stake, and heart-fluttering! Every romantic scene counts. Not much complicated intrigue until the last few episodes, where it was resolved but falters flat. Though so, the whole experience of my watching is truly entertaining!

-Feb 2024, Yovita
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Perfectly constructed, every episode is just amazing, go watch!

Desperate to fund her daughter’s surgery, Myung Joon (Yoon Kye Sang) kidnaps a feisty child genius Rohee (Yuna), who lost her memories. When his call for ransom remains unanswered, Myung Joon drives to her house only to findher parents were mysteriously murdered.

I’m going to first mentioned my most memorable aspect, that is Yuna as Choi Rohee! Yuna’s performance was such a delight! she stole the show with her vast range of emotions and also strong nuances in her micro expressions. It's magical how her emotions tore me apart. I laughed and cried for her! In one scene, I cried so hard and still cry however many times I watch the scene. T.T, I also love The Kidnapping Day for the solid storyline. It blends different genres expertly, giving me a high-stake, angsty, funny and endearing feel altogether. It’s a found family through kidnapping, but it never delve into Stockholm Syndrome as Myung Joon and Rohee dynamic is equal. Myung Joon is silly but caring, while Rohee tends to dominate, but as a child, she’s yearning for family love.

I enjoy how unpredictable and unconventional the mystery unravels. The investigation isn’t drag, the police make progress, obtain evidence, etc. We are rewarded with clues and twists constantly without them being overwhelming. It's rare to experience a drama that’s perfectly paced & each episode is juicy like this. For me, it’s the best release in 2023 and will always be one of my tops of all time! Wonderful!!

-Oct 2023, Yovita
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You either love it or hate it.

A girl disappears from the world due to an incident in which seven evil people are involved. Besides these sevens, there is/are(?) someone even more evil who is/are(?) way ahead of them. Throughout the chaotic, tech-savvy hijinks, the battle between villains ensues...

That premise sounds like a joke, but it actually quite accurate. I'm laughing at myself for starting and binging all 17 episodes in three days, it's a complete dramatic armageddon, which is satisfying to watch because I am in the mood for it. Even from the first episode, it is crazy and non-sense and just continues to be crazier and crazier... The characters are smart and dumb at the same time. Any minute now, they could get a heart attack and dies from screaming too loud. This is a kind of drama where you have to suspense your disbelief at all times. It is absolutely cheesy, problematic and very cruel in so many ways, but the pacing are so fast and entertaining, I was on board with it, probably because this is my first makjang experience and I'm still absorptive to it. It's quite stressful too and making me angry at times, but it also look ridiculously funny with the over-the-top acting and unrealistic plot points. For example, from the point where Uhm Ki Joon's character appear, this drama relies heavily on CGI, the CGI is overwhelmingly hologram-y. It looks strange that everything is too colorful and shiny. Also the costumes of these characters are like Halloween party. There’re few scenes that reminds me of Mission Impossible. #IYKYK

Aside from the makjang genre, I appreciate how this drama unapologetically fleshes out the ugly side of human nature, such as being an imposter, corrupted and opportunistic while destroying other people, including their own families. I would not recommend this to anyone, except if you want to escape from the reality, experience something unique and hedonic.

-Nov 2023, Yovita
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It’s a mature and melancholic love story so worth the watch!

I adored the calming vibes, soft music, the poetic dialogues, the wonderful aesthetics and most importantly, our heartwarming main couple; Jin Woo and Mo Eun are both flawed and have their own struggles, so empathizing with them requires zero effort. Although the pacing is quite slow, it's never boring as their relationship develops in a very natural way.

Of course, they have doubts and anxiety of not understanding each other, especially when they start seeing how different they are. Miscommunications in personal feelings, family matters... are unavoidable, but it never feels long-winded and frustrating. Watching them interact is just beautiful. Jin Woo conveys his emotions through impactful sign language and his thoughtfulness are shown through his care towards Mo Eun. Then, Mo Eun, even when she cannot exchange dialogues with Jin Woo due to her shortcomings in sign language, she makes efforts to comfort him. Their story gives me all the feels and that's all I could ask for. The drama overall left me feeling hopeful.

-Jan 2024, Yovita
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Fun couple, emotionally engaging in most parts, they lost me a bit at the end.

Day (Sea Tawinan Anukoolprasert) was an aspiring athlete until his cornea was injured and told that he'd become blind eventually. While Day is living his days with his remaining sight, he meets Mhok (Jimmy Jitaraphol Potiwihok), who is hired by his mother to be his caretaker. Mhok and Day's moments together make them attached to each other, but their relationship gets really tough at some point.

"Last Twilight“ emphasizes the challenge of being in a relationship, rather than the obstacles in getting together. From how they portrayed Day and Mhok, it feels more of a character-driven story than plot-driven. As much an independent person he is, Mhok's past prevents him to fully express himself. Day is no 'damsel-in-distress' in his situation, but he often doubts his decisions through the ups and downs of their relationship.

Despite the somewhat sad premise, these two are fun and adorable. Another one that has my heart is Day's brother, Night. I enjoy his story and their brotherhood. The one I never understand is Day's mother. She is talking wise and all-knowing but her attitude is childish.

It was lovely except for the last quarter part, where the conflicts felt forced. They keeps showing us somewhat hopeful cliffhangers, but when we get to the actual scenes they felt underwhelming. At the last minute, they employed a trope I dislike before jumping to conclusion. The ending wasn't that satisfying but worked out pretty conveniently. Last note, this drama has a better than average production value (the editing and OST) as a Thai drama, I appreciate that.

-Jan 2024, Yovita
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Wow, the finale!!

A struggling lawyer with a secret dark side gets pulled into the dark world of a notorious criminal. But what leads him to the line of evil and will he survive the ordeal of events?

Evilive is a noir-themed kdrama with a dark vibe, focuses on the advent of online gambling. Those who love watching ambiguous characters dive deep into crime, with suspenseful and thrilling events will love watching it. I was rushing in head first without watching any trailer/teaser because I already know these men have proven themselves from their previous roles. Anyone who've watched them know how ‘good’ Shin Ha Kyun, Shin Jae Ha and Kim Young Kwang are when they are bad.

Evilive does not disappoint. The first scene bait is intriguing and you discover what really happen sooner than you think. They set up its character well: their inner struggle and what are at stakes, such as their family, marriage and most importantly... their moral values.

I was having a big fun with the friendships and bromance among our leads. Ha Kyun and Jae Ha's characters are supporting each other like siblings, while Ha Kyun's and Young Kwang's characters are like enemies to bromance relationships, they both don’t trust each other but they stick together throughout. My only nitpick is that cinematography and action are of mediocre quality, but it doesn't matter much as the premise is very strong, the plot has rarely any dull moment, the characters are peculiar, the storytelling takes you deep into the world of law, crime suspects and unexpected twists and turns, none of it disappoints... To enjoy the drama to the fullest, I recommend you to binge this.

-Nov 2023, Yovita
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I want to like this series, but I can't... She was a bad mother. Trigger warning parental abuse!

A single mother Young Sun raised her son Kang Ho with strict parenting despite her love for him. Kang Ho grew up and become a prosecutor while keeping his distance from his mother. An accident caused them to start a journey to heal their relationship together. The introduction with the cute pig running on a sunny day, is kind of misleading as to what was coming. I thought it was a very heartwarming cheerful family drama but it's not. Murder, trauma, and painful relationships.

The best part of this series is Lee Do Hyun as Kang Ho, he gives so many layers to his role. He went from a soft cinnamon roll to a cold-hearted prosecutor. He’s an actor that I always enjoy even if the drama he's in does not work for me. I am heartbroken for him, and this is not the first time I cried for his character. His moments with the twins are super lovely and believable. I love when they bicker together 💜

The main problem that steals my enjoyment from watching is parental abuse. From the beginning, Young Sun really did horrible things to Kang Ho. She was strict, she was mean, with the intention of "I want you to be successful", or "I want you to be good in your school", She threw his food away before he finished eating because she thinks he'll get sleepy after eating. She threw his artwork away because he wasn't studying enough for her. Even after the accident, she still did horrible things. She knows that he's basically in a handicapped state like he can't even move his hand, but she left him to feed himself. I'm seeing Kang Ho... Oh, he’s so pitiful, he’s hungry and helpless, but she's so impatient, she took his food away when he can’t even hold his spoon. I truly believe that realistically, this will trigger an eating disorder. Also, she threw him into the river to force him to walk, again and again... and he was screaming for help from her. Why she learns no lesson at all? While I understand she just wants him to grow up well, I saw her behavior is abusive and hard to watch. What's worse is that the scenes are given bouncy funny music, but it's seriously not funny to me. I know it's fiction but the writer really went bad there. She really went back and forth, and the good part is not good enough to redeem herself, because what she's done is too much.

I was conflicted the whole time with the pig plot. Yes! Pig is such an integral part of the story. There's this narrative about how pigs are such clean animals, the only reason why they're dirty is how we treat them, they can only look down and not up and such... Young Sun was raising them lovingly, but I can’t deny the fact that these pigs are sold and slaughtered for food in the end, especially because they showed us when the pigs are going away from her farm several times. I feel uncomfortable about it.

Another thing that detached me from the series is the villagers. I don’t get what the villagers' roles are in the story, and there's a face mask lady who every time she appears on screen, annoys me. Lastly, I don't feel this drama stick to its' ending. They wrapped up everything but it was rushed and wrapped up really quickly.

-Aug 2023, Yovita
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Violence galore lacking meanings and life lessons, too much side stories, good acting

UPDATE: I still think this non-linear storytelling doesn't work well for a 20-episode drama. Many characters were left underdeveloped, their back stories felt like unimportant side stories. I wish they'd cover the core story sufficiently here... So I'm not really looking forward for the 2nd Season.

I have mixed feelings about Moving, I found this action show to be unique and gripping although I do not gravitate to watch a superhero genre. I really enjoy the suspense and stake built within every episode; At any moment the storm is coming and the action really starts where anyone can die. The pacing is fine and what's great is that all the characters are given their moments to shine. Another pro is the CGI, they are great quality and really believable.

Moving spends a lot of episodes introducing us to its many characters and setting up the story. The first 7 episodes highlight the kids' superpowers and friendship while hinting to us that their powers might bring more trouble than they’re worth. It gives us glimpses of the mystery and danger to come. I love the healthy relationships between parents and children throughout the show. I also want Bong Seok to be happy, although I'm not completely sold on a romance between him and Hee Soo. While I appreciated the parents' stories as well, after the 13 episodes of our character's backstories, I still have very little attachment to most characters besides Bong Seok. They are not fully fleshed out. This is way too structured, by the time I get invested in these characters, their story is over already (@,@).

Watching the 2nd half have left me feeling bitter and it does not recover till the end. My main issue is that the writer and director purely highlight violence is romantic in these backstories. In a world dominated by conspiratorial and corrupt governments, the only way you can survive is by murder. Also, the portrayals of North Korean villains as monsters could have been more intriguing if they're written as more morally gray characters. Their superpower is used to kill, not for self-defense, and sorry to say, I really dislike it. If that's the case, then what's the difference between heroes and villains?

-Sept 2023, Yovita
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A decent story that suffers in pacing, could've been better if told in 8 eps

There are a few things I like about Black Out; it nails the creepy and bleak vibes well, decent performance from protagonists and most characters constantly evokes my anger & sinister sides (Although imo these angry scenes are overdone and not always useful to the plot, it makes a good entertainment to laugh at ;P). Whenever we get new clues and revelations after long frustrations of waiting in the dark, it gets intriguing. The cliffhangers keep me coming back.

However, Black Out suffers with its’ pacing, not enough momentum to keep my anticipation high throughout the looong 14-episodes. Without momentum, I often forget what happened, who did what in previous episodes, etc... Some might find the slow-burn investigation to be appealing, but to me it felt sluggish. At some point, the case is not a mystery anymore in viewers pov, but the protagonists keep getting into too many hurdles to reach the truth. In my opinion, the reveals are also a bit dumb, they don’t give the WOW mind-blowing feeling. I still think this is a decent thriller, but would be more thrilling if told in 8 episodes.

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Useless lies after useless lies - a fresh premise with a weak wrap up

Sol Hee uses her ability as a lie detector for the wealthy. However, being able to hear even the smallest lie caused a lot of trust issues within her relationships, so she doesn't have any interest in dating until a mysterious famous songwriter, Do Ha, moves in next door. She's impressed because he never lies, but little does she know about his dark secret. *Trigger warning; The plot has a darker undertone as it deals with toxic relationships, self-harm, and suicide.

Off to a strong start with instantly mystery with a sprinkling of supernatural. The premise is fresh & the leads are fun! The first 4 episodes are 100% binge-worthy! The writers are dropping breadcrumbs for multiple different storylines and I enjoyed. Sadly it's quickly become a drag with no suspense, only suspicion here and there. The reveal just happened like that... Unbelievable, underwhelming and anticlimactic. Useless lies.. -.- The Korean original title described it best.

The leads acting are just fine but I’m not blown away. The other character with whom I am emotionally invested is only the ex, because he looked ambiguous, but his story was just kind of brush briefly. The show also has funny moments, some are a bit over the top.

My persistently recurring issue; so many toxic female characters; Not only hysterical mothers, but I also think our female lead is inconsiderate, i.e. Why she's so bothered with his mask? “Have you not heard of COVID?". There are many reasons that he could wear a mask, why make it a big deal? I'm also not impressed by how they handle the male lead's backstory… I was waiting for a moment when they flesh-out these issues, but seems that the message is not fully concluded.

-Sept 2023, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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A well-told story, wholesome, and beautifully acted by all cast.

A North Korean defector, Loh Kiwan, was struggling to get a refugee status in Belgium and so, at risk of being deported. He also got into a lot of troubles being a foreigner in a new neighborhood. Through trials and tribulations, is there a happy ending for Kiwan?

It was quite an emotional watch. The struggle to survive, with the fear of being deported. What happened was sadly realistic in some cases; the unfair & frustrating bureaucracy some migrants have to go through to live normally. No personal experience, but I know a bit about this from a few people in real life, those who migrated due to various reasons and struggled for their residence permit.

The dialogues were good and to the point. I like the impactful moments when the scenes shift between past and present to explain the context. Kiwan is such a nice guy, I like his character for how he responds to kindness despite his desperate situation, which got me rooting for him. Few unfortunate events he faced in society maybe slightly too dramatic, but not that it gets annoying. Kudos for everyone’s performance, especially Song Joong Ki, WHO? A few minutes going in, I see Song Joong Ki no more, he really disappeared into Loh Kiwan.

- Mar 2024, Yovita
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Lacking in plot development and character motivation

Queen of Tears is story of Hyun Woo & Hae In's unhappy marriage life, threatened by chaebols and Hae In's fatal illness. A classic soapy melodrama, with star-studded ensemble cast and cameos. The production quality is top, with the stylish wardrobes, wonderful scenery and romantic OSTs. However, the execution was not up to the par.

The first 2 episodes set the story quite well, but they didn't make their characters' motivations sensible. At least give a reason to make me believe why their relationship was failing, instead of crying too much and lack of communication. Really, most of their conversations were ended by crying or fighting to the point I got numb. I was bored with the villains' suspenseless and super slow scheming. By the end it gets ridiculous with all the cliché tropes shoehorned. What ended up to be the most anticipated scenes was the cute auntie Beom Ja's romance, it's fluffy & gave off immense heart-fluttering moments. Overall, the flaws of the drama amounts to my disappointments.

Thanks for reading!
April 2024, Find me on instagram: @kdramajudge

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The lackluster script wasted these actors. I really was not enjoying it.

Dream is about a B-level soccer player, played by Park Seo Joon, who ends up ruining his public image upon assaulting a reporter. To redeem himself, he got a task to make a documentary where he coaches a soccer team of homeless men. IU is in charge as the director of this documentary and we quickly find out that she also doesn't want this job, which leads to some funny interactions between the two.

I only watch this because these two actors have such a good track record from my drama-watching experience, but I don't get emotionally attached to any of the characters. So the homeless soccer team members were there, and trying too hard to gain my sympathy, without showing any progression of our male lead's character arc. This movie was supposed to focus on him becoming grounded by the homeless men's backstories, and I was hoping by the presence of IU as the female director there will be more productive interaction between them as the leads.

I don't even understand the purpose of IU's character. Her character is pretty useless to the story and her mannerism is annoying. Overall, I think the script needs a more refine editing and make the characters a bit more interesting :/

-Aug 2023, Yovita
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A boring and dissatisfying reveal

Celebrity follows the rise and fall in popularity of a celeb with humble beginnings. What really piques my interest is the mystery behind our female lead's statement that she is actually dead.

With a stellar cast and a promising trailer... I was anticipating a lot from this drama. Also, it's directed by Kim Chul Gyu who also directed Flower of Evil, which is one of my faves of all time). I would say the pacing is great: the writers are doing a really good job at dropping breadcrumbs for multiple different storylines. The camerawork is also very creative and I want to praise it as it enhances all the emotions going on.

But my overall impression is not positive. After I watched half of Celebrity, the story didn't build enough tension for me. The depictions of wealth and glamour were quite enjoyable, but they're visual fluff that just doesn't really appeal to me. I was getting whiplash with one episode that would be so painfully boring, and then the next episode I saw the glimmer of potential conflict, but it never like reached the point of solid storytelling. Also, I don't personally feel as connected with the lead character. She lacks the charm for me to feel sympathy or buy her motivation. I feel like there's a lot about her that I don't know. So I didn't get invested in her relationships with other characters as well.

The last two episodes of this show were quite a drag for me to get through. Even though the episodes are short (20-30 mins), I watch them like in 10-minute chunks. I found the ending so dissatisfying. I wasn't shocked by any of the reveals. I wasn't happy. I wasn't sad. I was pretty emotionless because I could see that the show was ending and I just didn't care.

-July 2023, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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