Solid Romance with surprises along the way -

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2018 South Korean Fantasy, Romance Drama with 16, 60 minute episodes.

Han Se-gye (Seo Hyun-jin) is known as someone who is flightly, literally, she runs out of important engagements and it has given her the reputation of an irresponsible troublemaker. Despite that she is a Hallyu A-list actress but struggles keeping her career moving forward with all the bad publicity she receives. What people do not know, and she cannot tell them, is she transforms once a month into someone else. She could be an old man or woman, a child or any gender and age in between. When it happens, it lasts about a week and she disappears from the public eye. It happens somewhat unpredictably although she can feel it coming on which is why she runs. Her friend and manager, Yoo Woo-mi (Moon Ji-in) has her work cut out for her trying to keep Se-gye out of trouble. Seo Do-jae (Lee Min-ki) is the Managing Director of his family's airline company and Se-gye is their top model/spokesperson. Things take an intersting turn when Do-jae decides to become personally involved in getting Se-gye to re-sign as he knows of her flight risk. He seems to have everything going for him being a Chaboel heir who is very intelligent and handsome. However, a tragic accident left him with prosopagnosia, which he must hide to keep competitors, such as his step sister, Kang Sa-ra from taking the top spot in the family business. Sa-ra is fiercly competitive but meets her match when she encounters Ryu Eun-ho, Se-gyes friend whom she enlists to distract Sa-ra at a critical moment. Eun-ho dreams of being a priest and his calm and peaceful nature seem well suited but there is something about Sa-ra that makes him rethink his plans. Can Do-jae and Se-gye find love in each other and trust each other with their secrets?

Spoiler alert* Most notable for me in this one is just how much I liked all the characters. Se-gye is a beautiful actress who is the perfect blend of sassy, she speaks her mind, and just incredibly kind. Some of the things she did both as herself and when she would become someone else was incredibly heart warming. I decided early on that she most likely became others to do something in that role. And in the end they indicated a bit that was the reason but they did not expand or highlight it. That is the one minor fail I thought was to not fully explain why she shifted. Her best friend and manager, Yoo Woo-mi (Moon Ji-in) is her number 1 nagger (as you would expect from a South Korean talent manager) and biggest advocate. She is one of the few that I think looks amazing with short hair because she has such a delicate face. I wanted to see her get with the male lead's secretary/best friend/jack of everything, Jung Joo Hwan (Lee Tae-ri), as they were so alike in so many ways. They looked adorable together. Woo-mi's boyfriend story was a story unfinished - you were left wondering what was real and what was not. The male lead character, Seo Do-jae (Lee Min-ki) underwent a huge transformation. He was a rather flat character when he needed to be but started to change and flourish when he encountered Se-gye. Very quickly he spotted the beauty inside of Se-gye and became her biggest advocate. His step sister and biggest rival, Kang Sa-ra, underwent huge character development. She went form an Ice Princess whose only goal was to replace Do-jae as the lead heir in the congolmerate to a caring friend, girlfriend and sister. I loved Se-gye's friend/brother of her heart, Ryu Eun-ho (Ahn Jae-hyun), and how he had plans to go into Catholic ministry but the beautiful and complex Sa-ra changed his dream. He said she became his new dream. And the big surprise that he wasn't who exactly you/she thought he was was a great plot twist. I also loved Se-gae's mother, Han sook-he (Kim Hee-jung), and was disappointed when she died so suddenly. I loved seeing her "mother" Do-jae as she was so protective of Se-gye yet could see he was the perfect person for her and quickly gave her blessing. Do-jae's mother, Im Jung-yeon (Na Young-hee), I loved how she went from Se-gye not being good enough for her son to she is the only girl for my son when challenged with an alternate reality. I just loved all the characters and thought they were so well developed and went through great character development. Slight detractor was the death of Se-gae's mom, I did not feel it was necessary and introdoced a sad element to an otherwise heart warming series. There is an absolute cringe scene where Se-gye has transformed into the body of an old man and Do-jae indicates he could love her even in that body. I was afraid of what type of affection they might show each other. I get the point they were trying to make but man, it was cringy.

As with just about all South Korean series, this turned out to be much different than I expected from the description and the clips. I thought the focus would be on her transformations and it was more of a side aspect, the main focus was on the chracters and their relationships. This is one of the more "steady" romances I have seen where the romance is kept front and center and does not get lost in side plots. I loved this series and highly recommend to anyone that wants an, on balance, heart warming romance.

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Fast Paced, great romance and exciting

9.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2019 Chinese military, action, historical and romantic drama with 48, 45 minute episodes.

Xie Xiang (Bai Lu) always looked up to her older brother who aspired to join the miltary to defend the nation. When tragedy strikes and her brother is lost Xie Xiang decides to disguise herslef as a young man and join an elite military school in his stead. She feels she is honoring him by fulfilling his dream. Her new roomate Gu Yan Zhen (Xu Kai), is the son of a wealthy family and he immediately takes joy in teasing the slight young man who shares his room. Shen Jun Shan (Toby Lee) is a member of one of the wealthiest and most influential families and also decides to defend the small young man. As their training progresses the three form very strong bonds and both boys find themselves attracted to the Xie Xiang even as they are confused as they think she is a man. To further complicate this love triangle, Qu Manting (Wu Jiayi) takes a likeing to Gu Yanzhen and is not used to taking no for an answer. Through it all they, and their fellow army classmates, become friends and fight their way through many adventures as they seek to solve a deep root of corruption and espionage.

Spoiler Altert* I loved this one and the episodes really felt like they flew by because there was so much action around the main story it kept it interesting. It was very comical and even cringy at times as she tries to avoid being discovered and as the young men become confused and embarrassed about their sexuality. I would have rated it higher but there was one story line of some side characters that would have been very cute but it ended unnecessarily. There were also several pointless deaths. But the story was still very good, the romance very cute and well developed, and I would watch it again. I also recommend it to others who like the girl disguised as a boy storyline. It was cool to see her be such a strong soldier and not a whiny girl who needed saving. I really like my heroines to be capable of saving themselves. This did not disappoint. Great acting, great action - just great fun.

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Quick Watch, Interesting premise, Great Acting

8/10 is my rating. This is a 2021 South Korean Supernatural Fantasy drama with 8, 44 minute episodes.

Jo Hee-ra (Song Ji-Hiyo) is more than just the cook of a diner, she is a witch who bakes up special dishes designed to fulfill the wish of the desperate diners who come through the door. The price varies by customer as do the wishes but be careful what you wish for as the cost is something very dear. Jeong Jin (Nam Ji-hyun) is one such unfortunate soul whose price is to become an employee of the diner. Practically everything goes wrong in her life - her long time boyfriend dumps her and her job lets her go. So she figures, what does she have to lose? Jeong Jin befriends Lee Gil-yong (Chae Jong-hyeop) when she comes across a bullying situation. She sees herself something like an older sister but that is not how he sees her. He makes a mysterious wish himself and winds up a part time employee at the diner. The situation is just fine by him as he just wants to be by Jeong Jin.

Spoilers**I liked the premise of this and found the "cases" to be very interesting. It worked fine as a shorter series and was surprisingly able to completely tell the story. I think there was room to make it a longer series. It seems whomever is the witch is destined to not find her dream herself and it was disappointing that Jeong Jin and Gil-yong also followed the path of the witch and assistant. I always prefer a sweet romantic ending though. Still it wrapped up nicely, was an interesting storyline, and checked all the boxes otherwise. If you go into it knowing there will not be a romantic happy ending - perhaps it would not be as disappointing. I would recommend this as a quick and entertaining watch with an interesting premise.

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Doom is a new favorite anti hero (along the lines of Deadpool)

8.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2021 South Korean Fantasy Romance with 16, 60 Minute Episodes.

Tak Dong-kyung (Park Bo-young) was orphaned at an early age and has come to expect relatively little of life. She has one incredibly bad day where she learns that the man she has been dating is not only married but has a baby on the way, she has a negative encounter with her CEO at work who is a self absorbed megalomaniac, and if that isn't enough she finds out she is dying form inoperable brain tumors. It's enough to drive anyone to drink and she does just that and, in the heat of the moment, she shouts at the heavens on a shooting star that she wishes doom on the world. Myul Mang (Seo In-guk), lives among humans for the sole purpose of spreading doom wherever he goes. When Dong-kyung shouts her message of doom, Doom responds. It is, after all, his birthday and he is allowed to fulfill one human wish. He is not a fan of being doom, but fulfilling Dong-Kyung's wish would be a quick way to end it all. Fate has had a role in making the two meet. As they grow closer each of their fates seem far too cruel. Can love find a way for a doomed girl and doom himself?

Spoiler Alert*** I really loved this drama. Seo In-guk's portrayal of Doom was spot on. I really cannot imagine anyone else playing that part to the level that he did. One of my favorite tropes is the handsome, arrogant, god so this premise was right up my alley. Park Bo-young who played Tak Dong Kyung was such a sassy and smart counter to Doom that their interactions were always so much fun to watch. it took me awhile to realize she was from "Strong Girl Bong Soon" as she looks so much different with darker longer hair. I loved all of the side characters as well. Dawon's portrayal of her younger brother, Tak Sun Kyung was perfect. He loved his sister so much and when he find out what all was going on with her he went from being the spoiled younger brother to someone that wanted to take care of the person who had shown him so much love and caring his whole life. He showed a lot of character development. His interactions with his sister's romantic interests reminded me so much of my own brother. I know that is also part of the traditional male family member role but it was still adorable. Cha joo-ik (Lee soo-hyuk) was a character that seemed so cold and impersonal but really was a very caring and charismatic person. I loved his portrayal of Gwi in the "Scholar Who Walks the Night" and find that he brings a very deep, intricate persona to the characters he plays. There were sad moments with Dong Kyung's terminal illness, but the majority of the show was very entertaining and funny. It was intriguing that God/Sonyeoshin (Ji So-jung) was a young Korean female with a terminal illness and there was a lot of very deep meaning in both her actions and words. I found it important to analyze the symbolic nature of her garden and the plants and explore alternative meanings to the things she said. I did not find the Uncle Kevin (Daniel C. Kennedy) character to be necessary, in fact the episodes with that character in them tended to break the 4th wall for me as it just did not blend in well so it really took me out of the moment. I think the fact that he only spoke English and those around spoke Korean - it made it like there was a language barrier and made it hard to understand the depth of the relationships and intensity of conversations when, at times it seemed like he understood Korean, and at other times it was obvious he did not. Those scenes could have easily been left out without changing the flow of the story. What dropped this from a perfect 10 for me was the ending. It feels somewhat hypocritical to comment that there was too much after they were reunited but, in this case, there really was. It is such a fine balance I find between ending something abruptly and dragging it out so much that the after story seems pointless. It breaks the magic a bit to see them just going about their every day lives. I could have done with episode 15 plus maybe 15 minutes to tie up all the loose ends. A very picky point. I highly recommend this series and would watch it again. But it is not my very top because of the minor flaws that don't mean much on their own but do stack up to lessen the enjoyment just a bit.

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Very complex which may be a good thing or could be a bad thing depending on what you are after

7.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2021 South Korean mystery, crime, thriller television series with 20, 70 Minute, episodes.

There is a serial killer on the loose and no-one feels safe. After his mother and father are victims, Ko Moo Chi (Song Min-jae) bravely identifies the killer causing one of the most notorious killers to be sent to prison. Fast forward and now Ko Moo Chi (Lee Hee Joon) is a detective who will stop at nothing to get the bad guy. He is on a personal mission to put as many killers behind bars as possible. It seems there is a new serial killer whose crimes rival the brutality of the "head hunter" the killer who killed Chi's parents. After several chance encounters with another police officer officer, Jetong Ba-reum (Lee Seung-gi) who is known for his good deeds and many, including Chi, wonder if he has what it takes, in terms of a hardened personality, to make it as a homicide detective. Nevertheless they team up to stop this new serial killer. Oh Bong-yi (Park Ju-hyun) sees Ba-reum as stability in a life that has been far from stable. Their romantic pairing is something her grandmother wished for seeing handsome and kind Ba-reum as a perfect pairing for her granddaughter who is haunted by a traumatic past. Choi Hung-ju (Kyung Soo-jin) is an investigative journalist specializing in stories about killers. Her work has her working with Detective Chi frequently and he values her opinion. They were once romantically interested in each other but life events drove them apart. Will they catch the killer through their combined efforts before he can kill many more? Is everyone who they seem?

Spoiler alert***
What I liked about this series. It went very in depth on the psychology behind psychopathy. It showed very clearly how some psychopaths are experts at blending in with "normal" people and how those closest to them can be fooled. I liked the relationships between friends, former lovers, and even the interplay between the serial killers and the police. I thought all of the actors played their roles very well.

What I did not like about this series:
1) It was so complex that it made the story hard to follow at times. The plot twists were frequent and you had to pay careful attention to things that may have happened several episodes ago or you may miss the significance of the latest twist. It caused me to tune out several times to let the story play out a little bit and get back to normal.

2) I did not like the inconsistencies. For example the killer was a psychopath even as a child and had one of his father's mice (assumed). But if the mouse was his father's it did not make sense as he was in school when it showed him with the mouse and his father was put in jail before he was born. So, where did he get the mouse as a small child? Another inconsistency was when Bong-yi was rescued as a child by Ba-reum. He gives her a piggy back ride and they seemed to be about the same age. However, earlier in the show the Bong-yi commented on their age gap and it seemed to be significant, like maybe 10 years.

3) An event with new characters would happen in one episode and seem to conclude then several episodes later they would mention the names of the people involved in the episode. By the time I would figure out what event they were referencing, the story would have moved along.

4) I did not like that I felt I had no one to root for. I like Ba-reum early on but when he turned out to be bad, I was very disappointed. The rest had some serious character flaws, Bong-yi jumped to conclusions, Chi wanted to kill the bad guys and be judge, jury and executioner, and Chung-ju does not open up to anybody.

5) Loose ends. There were a lot of unexplained things. Such as the mouse, why did Ba-reum have a mouse. The mouse almost seemed to be controlled by Ba-reum when it attacked the snake - what was that about? We also never got the full story of what transpire to PD Choi as a young child. What happened to her brother? How did the serial killer get her to work with him? The Oz organization was mentioned frequently but when things wrapped up we never got the full story of who all belonged to Oz and why they joined. The pregnant lady who was identified as having a child with the psychopath gene at the same time that Ba-reum's mother was, what happened to her and her child? There were so many psychopaths it was hard to keep track of who was who.

6) Romance died. I know it was never fully intended to be a romance but there was a cute romance developing between Ba-reum and Bong-yi and then we found out the truth about him and that was that, as it obviously would be. But then even Detective Chi and PD Choi, they had a romance in the past and, at the end, Detective Chi indicates to another detective he still has feelings and might confess but then PD Choi and he sit down and talk about their feelings of guilt over the way things played out with the doctor. They sort of agree it sucks and they will live with that guilt then she just walks away and he drives off into the sunset in his egg truck. Felt like we had build up in both cases only to be let down in the end.

7) There was a lot of emphasis put on the psychopath gene and, while they mentioned that there was a possibility the individual may not be a psychopath but a genius instead, they never pursued that angle. It is not dissimilar to what, in reality, is known about psychopaths that there are thrill seekers who have that similar flatline emotional state but do not exhibit as murderers, they may be thrill seekers (extreme sports), highly competitive business or finance moguls, or other such adrenalizing pursuits. It was unclear if the Doctor was thought to have the psychopath gene, he was part of the experiment so you could assume he did, however it was not clear.

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Great medical drama with a really disappointing plot element at the end

8/10 is my rating. This is a South Korean medical romantic drama with 32, 22 minute, episodes.

When they first meet, Kang Si-young (Lee Se-young) is working as a doctor to inmates but has no confidence as she quit medical school after a tragic accident left her guilt ridden and convinced she is flawed as a doctor. Cha Yo-han (Ji Sung) was a famous pain doctor but a career altering decision landed him in prison for three years. In prison he is known as the man with all the medical answers since the doctors that work in the prison tend to shy away from diagnosis and perform medical triage. Si-young is not sure about this mysterious doctor at first but quickly decides he knows what he is talking about. With just a little mentoring from him, Si-young regains some confidence and decides to return to residency only to discover Dr. Cha was released and reinstated at the same hospital she returned to. As they work closely together he as her professor and mentor and she as the mentee and resident, they find many similarities in the circumstances of the past as well as in their approach to medicine.

spoilers* This had such a great start and was intriguing the whole way through. The ending really ruined it a bit for me. I love both the Male Lead and Female Lead characters. Both are doctors who suffer emotional wounds from patients who were terminal and where they had to make a determination between life and death. Their experience in that regard is what draws them together. They are both brilliant, dedicated doctors who do not play politics but do whatever is best for their patients. Because they are so much alike, it is easy to understand how they would like each other as deeply as they do. The series deeply explored the ethics around euthanasia. Where it fell apart for me was toward the end when they have confessed their love for each other and he disappears from her life for three years. He comes back with some lame excuse about needing to take care of his health but, to me, that is exactly the time when you should be drawing the person you love closer not pushing them away. He watches her from afar for nearly a year when she doesn't even know he is back in South Korea. She is so heart broken during that whole time that it is hard to imagine her ever forgiving him for trampling on her heart. But she does forgive him, and actually quite easily, which made me disappointed in both the male and female lead characters. This is worth the watch but just expect that the ending will sour it a bit as he acts in total disregard to her feelings and she forgives far too easily

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Short series yet still well developed and interesting

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2020 South Korean Supernatural Fantasy Romance drama with 12,12 minute,episodes. Also known under the title “Kiss Ghost.”

Ban Sook (Bae In Hyuk) is a 160 year old Goblin who has gotten lonely and wishes to be human. The Goblin Queen stipulates in order to be human he must kiss 10 humans of her choice. Sounds easy he thinks after all his good looks and Goblin magic making kissing the girls easy. What he does not realize is the Goblin Queen carefully chose each woman based on her predominant emotion and that Ban Sook would take on these emotions after each kiss. In the course of his missions he runs across Oh Yeon Ah (Jeon Hye Won) who sees him kiss her friend and another girl and thinks he is a player. She is jaded as she has been cheated on so finds Ban Sook‘s behavior particularly offensive. Circumstances make it so she helps him guarding him from an exorcist determined to kill him. Will dislike lead to like lead to love?
What does the Goblin Queen have in store for him?

*spoilers. I liked this a lot just wished it was longer. On the other hand if you are coming off a long, heavy drama this could be just the short yet fluffy drama you need to recharge. Bae In Hyuk is gorgeous so watching him is worth it in any case. The plot line is interesting and they do a good job with it despite the brevity.

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Great Acting, Interesting Aspects but overall underwhelming

7.5/10 is my rating. Park Cheol (Kim Sang-joong) was a well known cardiac surgeon in South Korea. Dr. Park was asked to go to North Korea to perform life saving surgery on the Nation's leader. As a single father, Cheol decided to take his young son Park Hoon (Lee Jong-suk) unaware that it would be a one way trip. While spending the remaining of his growing years in North Korea, Park Hoon trained first under his father and later at a prestigious North Korean medical school to become a cardiothoracic surgeon. It was at medical school that he met Song Jae-hee (Jin See-yon) and eventually asked her to marry him. Tragic struck the young couple when Jae-hee's father was accused of spying and the entire family was sent to a concentration camp. The elites in North Korea soon discovered Hoon's genius in his field and sent him to a medical center performing highly unethical surgeries to advance medical science. Having no choice but to do as asked Hoon remained there until one day Jae-Hee and her other were brought in and he was directed to do the unthinkable. Hoon's father sacrificed himself to help the young couple escape but they became separated - Hoon made it to South Korea but Jae-hee was either dead or back in North Korea. Hoon spent all of his time and money trying to locate his lost love. A series of circumstances lead Hoon to work at Myungwoo University Hospital as a surgeon and he happened across a doctor at another hospital that looked exactly like Jae-hee but claimed not to know Hoon. This doctor, Han Seung-hee (Jin See-yon) is an anesthesiologist and she winds up working at Myungwoo University Hospital as well. Hoon is confused as to whether or not this woman is his lost girlfriend and his colleague, Oh Soo-hyun (Kang So-ra) falls for the genius doctor while trying to help him sort out the mystery.

Spoilers* I loved the character played by Lee Jong-suk of the joking but far from carefree Doctor Park. His genius in the operating theater was highly entertaining. It was easy to understand why all the main female characters would have fallen for him as he was charismatic and challenged them to be their best while encouraging and believing in them. Learning about North Korea from the aspect of someone that was under the control of the the government was a different slice of life than what is seen from a more elite perspective like in "Crash Landing on You". The fact that he was forced to do so many horrendous things and the constant fear for life and safety was in line with what refugees and those that have escaped have indicated is very common for the people there. I loved the relationship between Hoon and his father. I never felt that strongly about the relationship between Jae-hee and Hoon in North Korea it felt like we got a flash of seeing them in love and planning to marry and then she was taken away and he has to make the horrible decision of what to do with her and her father when they are brought from the concentration camp to the medical facility where they have been forcing him to do experimental surgeries on living patients. Then there is the first scene where they attempt escape and are chased down by the North Koreans and are on the bridge, she gets shot, and he winds up letting go and she falls into the water and he is unsure if she died or not. Later he is in South Korea doing small odd jobs to get enough money to get intel on her and perhaps get her smuggled out. He has a "friend" that he is working with who is a beautiful girl that calls him Hyung and treats him like an older brother. But you never get the full story of how they came to be together you just know they are very close. At that point I thought they would fill that story in later but they never fully did. The only chemistry and believable relationship to me was that between Hoon and Doctor Oh. He calls her Quack but spends a lot of time encouraging and mentoring her as a surgeon. There are many scenes where the two are shown "flirting" and laughing with each other. Jae-Hae even looks on several times noticing the two enjoying each other's company. This led me to think there would be some kind of twist. Perhaps Jae-Hae was actually dead and the Doctor that works at Hoon's hospital is an imposter who was trained and given plastic surgery to look like Jae-Hae. That would have been an interesting twist and would have enabled Hoon to pursue Dr. Oh. They spent a lot of time making the viewer observe the developing relationship between Dr. Park and Dr. Oh so much that most would not care about that old relationship between Jae-Hae and Dr. Park or Dr. Oh and her fiancé. I also was not a fan of the competition for the right to do surgery on the "Prime Minister". I could not see legitimate doctors feeling okay about that sort of competition which treated patients as objects. It was a way to show Dr. Park's humanity and aptitude for being a doctor despite the horrible things he was forced to do in his training in North Korea. However, I did not find the competition as interesting as I would have found just really complex medical cases. In the end of the show I was really disappointed that each couple wound up with the person they had started with. To stray that far from a relationship just does not speak deep and enduring love to me. I did not feel as though I had anything invested in either relationship. I also did not like how the two very talented surgeons were no longer practicing in that specialized field. It seemed as though Dr. Park was working at some kind of farm country clinic and Dr. Han or Chief Han whom he had competed with - returned to the US and was working as a legal assistant. I could not see doctors who had trained for so many years and had such passion and talent for the surgical practice, giving it up that easily. Overall I liked aspects of this show and really the acting carried it. If it hadn't been for such a phenomenal cast I would not have finished watching it as there were so many problems with the plot I would have lost interest. If someone is really into medical dramas - probably still worth the watch. It is also a good one to watch for more insight on North Korean life. For romance I think it falls very short. There is some suspense as you wonder who will wind up with whom and what the real game afoot is but the twist winds up being that there is no twist. It was predictable that the operation was really on the President and not the Prime Minister and it was not a huge surprise that Jae-Hae was really herself.

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Sweet and surprising

10/10 is my rating. This is a 2010 South Korean romantic comedy with 16, 60 minute episodes.

Yoon Gae-hwa (Chae Rim) divorced her cheating spouse some years ago and is struggling to support herself and her daughter. She takes a job as a housekeeper without realizing the apartment belongs to top star, Sung Min-woo. She does not make a great first impression and winds up on the outs with Min-woo. Her next interview is with a musical production company and it just so happens they desperately want to have Min-woo star in their most recent musical. She is ready to beg and plead when she, by chance, is there when Min-woo gets ding dong ditched with a daughter he did not know he had. This perfect piece of blackmail leads them to striking a bargain - she takes care of his daughter and he stars in the musical.

spoiler** This one surprised me how much I liked it. In all the sites where people list series they really liked this one did not come up. When I saw one review for this and the description it immediately captured my attention. I really like the average person meets famous person trope. In the United States, Hollywood, some of the longest relationships have been between famous people and non-famous people. I was drawn to this because I watched Siwon Choi in a couple of others and he was my favorite character. So I was looking for other things he was in and rolled across this. I did not realize who he was until I dug a little to find out more about the actor. I am a little late to having any interest in Kpop but even I heard of Super Junior even before I was listening to Kpop. Siwon did a great job of acting the part of a spoiled, narcissistic super star. Chae Rim played a super sweet and wholesome struggling single mother. I thought she was very cute the whole time even when they were trying to make her look less attractive. The personality of her character alone was enough to make her seem very beautiful. I thought the pace of the romance between the two was perfect. It was very believable when they started having feelings for each other. He was very cold with the little girl in the beginning and Gae-hwa put a lot of effort into getting him to "fall in love" with his daughter. Most of the show was spent hiding the fact that Min-woo had a woman living with him and that he had a daughter born out of wedlock. Both factors could cause a serious career ending scandal for a star. It was so heart warming to watch as his relationship with Gae-hwa and his little daughter became more important to him than fame. The only vey slight things was I wish we had been able to see the daughter come back to speaking and find out what trauma she experience. I was also surprised how abruptly it ended. You have the "their finally kissing seen" then a bunch of camera angles and it just ends. I actually thought I had hit the remote accidentally or something. Despite those minor flaws I highly recommending this very heartwarming story. I loved it! One of my favorites now.

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Lukewarm to this couple in Goblin but they were so cute in this

9.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2019 South Korean Romantic television series drama with 16, 60 minute episodes.

Oh Jin-shim (Yoo In-na), who is famous as Oh Yoon-seo, is a top Hallyu (Internationally famous) actress whose goddess like beauty has covered for her lack of acting skills. When she is involved in a scandal, she loses top billing even when found innocent. Two years later she is hoping enough time has passed that she can climb back to the top. Her agent accidentally leaves a script where she can see it although it was intended for an actress that is currently popular. Seeing this as her chance to reclaim top billing, she convinces her agency to push to give her another chance. The screenwriter, whom she begs to pick her for the role, has one condition - she must train for the role by actually doing the job portrayed in the film. It just so happens her CEO has a cousin with a law firm who is also a huge fan of Oh Yoon-seo and is willing to let this inexperienced star volunteer at their firm to improve her acting. Things get off to a rocky start when the CEO of the law firm pairs her as the secretary to a lawyer named Kwon Jung-rok (Lee Dong-wook). Jung-rok is not impressed that Oh Yoon-seo is famous. He treats her coldly and impersonally as he does everyone and challenges her to actually perform the job she is volunteering for. But still water runs deep and, it turns out, there is a lot more to Yoo In-na than just beauty and she is determined to prove her worth to the very talented lawyer. Can the two bridge the two's seemingly insurmountable differences?

Spoilers*. I wasn't reluctant to watch this as the two had been a pair in Goblin and honestly I felt really lukewarm about their relationship in that drama. However, this was very different and I really liked them as a couple in this. I thought the actress might be more of a spoiled prima donna but she was not. In fact, I found her character to be really kind and personable. It was interesting because my expectations and bias of what she might be like was a mirror for what the male lead thought. He also played the cold, serious almost robotic lawyer really well. I always enjoy the trope where the right person is able to thaw someone's icy exterior. The cases it showed added some depth to the drama and kept my interest throughout. I thought the stalker angle was interesting and was actually a bit disappointed that it resolved so quickly and, relatively, easily. I was worried she would not make her come back and was very happy when she did. The only slight disappointment I had was that she went to all the work to make the comeback and then was going to give it up after only one role when it seemed like, as an actress, she had made huge strides in her acting ability. Guess I am greedy for my characters, I want them to have it all in love and life. It is a very good drama, with surprising depth, and yet very light hearted. I highly recommend this drama.

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A little bit “Bridgette Jones” a little “I Love Lucy”

8/10 is my rating. This is a 2005 romantic comedy with 16, 60 minute, episodes. It is also known as “My name is Kim Sam Soon.”
Kim Sam-soon (Kim Sun-a) is 30 and was just dumped, in a very public way, on Christmas Eve by her boyfriend of three years. Unfortunately Hyun Jin-heon (Hyun Bin), a chaebol son of a wealthy hotelier, is there to witness it and has fun teasing this strange wailing girl about her poor romantic choice. While Sam Soon is much louder and more outspoken than many women her age, her outward brusqueness hides insecurities about her weight and her old fashioned name. As fate would have it, Jin-heon is also the owner of a restaurant where Sam Soon applies as a pastry chef. Looks like she will be passed over for the job until Jin-heon and Sam Soon once again accidentally cross paths. Unable to resist antagonizing the spirited girl, Jin-heon pesters Sam Soon until he earns a face full of the desert she had carefully prepared for the interview. Realizing the flavor of the pastry he is wearing exemplifies Sam soon’s exceptional talent as a pastry chef, Jin-heon is determined to hire Sam soon.
The mothers of the leads are determined to get the two married and they are sent, separately, on blind dates. After thwarting his blind date and ruining Sam soon’s, the girl has had enough and spends the night drinking determined to resign. Jin-heon’s mother stops by and finds Sam soon at her son’s place after he takes her to his house to sober up. Tired of his other setting him up on blind dates, Jin heon asks Sam soon to be his pretend girlfriend, convinced their mutual animosity would keep their relationship strictly a business deal. Sam-soon initially refuses but is in danger of losing her childhood home without ₩50 million (approximately US$50,000) to pay a debt against the mortgage. So Sam soon agrees to be Jin heon’s pretend girlfriend in exchange for the money she needs to save her house. The unlikely pair soon find they enjoy each other’s company far more than expected and what was fake starts to get real. That is until Yoo Hee-jin (Jung Ryeo-won), the girl Jin-heon never got over, returns from the United States and wants him back.

Spoilers* Amazing how much things have changed since 2005. The way the men treat the women in this series, they get very physical with them at times, and the ML even slaps the 2nd girl in the face at one point. It reminds me of the way it was in the United States in maybe the 70s . Not accepted or rampant but people were willing to look the other way. I love the lead character in this, That female character is often compared to "Bridgette Jones Diary" and I get that but only in the chubby girl and rich, handsome guy regard. In very other aspect the character reminds me of Lucy in "I Love Lucy." She is gutsy, outspoken and gets herself in situations. The ML because it was scripted as an "old school" kind of machismo man - I did not always like him for her. I was particularly upset when he just abandoned her, really humiliating her, and decided he would take his ex-girlfriend back. Most women would find that very hard to forgive. And she did, but not in the way I thought she should have to hold his feet to the fire. The little girl that wasn't speaking was so cute and her relationship with Sam Soon was heartwarming. I don't think it came out enough, to the grandmother, the role that Sam soon played in getting the little girl talking. Their relationship was very natural and yet she pushed her sometimes more to speak than some of the other people in her life. The crazy ex-boyfriend was always good for comic relief and the fact that she was not willing to let him treat her 2nd class was gratifying. I also liked the side romances - they were cute but it wasn't clear how they all played out. The ending between the leads was a bit uncertain as well. It was good, very much of the timeframe and that type of era of relations, but there were plot points that could have been completely fleshed out and that were not followed through on. I enjoyed it the whole way through but just felt it lacked in certain aspects.

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If you like horror genre this gore fest is likely right up your alley

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2020 South Korean science fiction, horror drama with 10, 44-59 minute episodes.

An introvert after extreme bullying, teenager Cha Hyun-soo (Song Kant) loses his entire family in a car accident. Despondent and suicidally depressed, Hyun-soo moves into a large apartment building and continues his life of solitude. That is until strange things begin occurring in the building and he and his neighbors must rely on each other to survive. Something is causing people to turn into horrible, blood thirsty, destructive monsters and it is hard to know who to trust. Martial law is declared throughout South Korea but this little micro chasm of humanity must endure and fight both the monsters within as well as out.
Cha Hyun-soo (Song Kang). A teenager who lost the will to live after losing his entire family, finds himself in a hell like existence where humans turned monster roam about and it is hard to know who to trust. Winds up becoming part monster but is able to control it giving him superhuman powers.
Pyeon Sang-wook (Lee Jin-wook) no one is quite sure who he is but he is willing to do what others will not and punish evil doers as he sees fit. He looks rough and gangster like in appearance with a heavily scarred face. He is abnormally strong and ruthless.
See Yi-kyung (Lee Si-young) a character created for the drama (not webtoon) she is an expert martial artist who served in special forces and was also a fire fighter. After her fiancé vanished mere sprays before their wedding, she has trust issues.
Lee Eun-hyuk (Lee Do-Hyundan) is th self designated leader of the group of survivors whose cold rationality makes his leadership strong but cause there’s to consider him unfeeling. He is a medical student and older brother to Lee Eun-yoo (Go Min-si) a former ballerina who has a chip on her shoulder as she had to quit due to an injury.
Jung Jae-heon (Kim Nam-hee) A devout Christian who wields a sword, Normally a mild mannered Korean language teacher, he is diligent and fearless in the defense of others.
Yoon Ji-soo (Park Gyu-young) After her boyfriend’s suicide, she moves into the building and tries to keep to herself and keep her bass guitar playing from annoying others.
Park Yoo-ri, (Go Yoon-jung) is a caregiver for one of the apartment’s residents and her medical knowledge is a valuable asset to the group of survivors who are frequently injured while battling the monsters.
Ahn Gil-seob Kim Kap-soo) he is recklessly brave as he is terminally-ill. Park Yoo-ri Is his caregiver and knows his grumpy facade hides his caring nature.
Han Du-sik (Kim Sang-ho) Former military man with skill in creating weapons. Although bound to a wheelchair his a kill with weapons makes him an invaluable member of the group..
Kim Suk-hyun (Woo Hyun) is both mentally and physically abusive to his wife. He owns a grocery but is reluctant to share food even in the apocalyptic scenario. He frequently creates tension in the group.
Ahn Sun-young (Kim Hyun) She is meek and beaten down as Suk-hyun's wife. The group supper gives her the strength to stand up to him.
Cha Jin-ok (Kim Hee-jung) continued attempts to open the door and escape in order to locate and save her teen daughter repeatedly puts the group in jeopardy.
Kim Su-yeongm ((HeoYool) is a small child (9 Years Old) who along with her brother Kim Yeong-su (Choi Go; 6-year-old) lost their father when he was attacked by a monster while attempting to repel down the side of the building to get them food.
Son Hye-in (Kim Gook-hee) considers her Pomerania; Bom, like her child and continually carries it.
Im Myung-sook (Lee Bong-ryun) devastated since losing her child when the baby’s stroller got loose and rolled into traffic.
Choi Yoon-jae (Go Geon-Han) pretends to be kind to hide among the group from Sang-wook. But he is a human monster of another sort, a Child Predator.

if Movies in the horror genre are your thing then this will likely fit the bill. The monsters were definitely scary and horrific and the fact that the people turn into monsters was in and of itself frightening . That type of transformation was reminiscent of the American movie “The Thing” though only vaguely so. It was interesting the way the people both had to work together while not completely trusting each other to be able to make it through. I liked that there was that central character, the teenage boy, and that he was unique and that he had the monster in him yet was largely able to control it. The series was well paced throughout most of it until towards the end when it got a little chaotic and felt like a lot of people were dying very rapidly. There were also aspects that were not well explained such as why the fire fighter character was suddenly with the military at the very end. The fact that she was working with them had been revealed earlier but it did not seem like she had given them what they wanted enough that she would’ve been able to join them completely. The gangster guy was very different in the television series than in the webtoon where he was more of a goofy character and much more likable. For the most part they stuck to the webtoon enough that it was clear that it was made based on it and yet deviated enough to make it work in the television format. They left it open for more seasons as everything was not wrapped up and in the fact there is additional story line in the webtoon indicates that there is story left for more episodes to the series or another season. I’m not sure why they decided to only do 10 episodes, 16 or more episodes would have allowed for a more complete telling of the story.

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Not a fan of the theme music - too disruptive

7.5 out of 10 is my rating. This is a 2015/2016 South Korean/Chinese romantic comedy drama with 20, 15 minute episodes.

Choi Se-hoon (Jung II-woo); is CEO of a company that recruits and develops new talent. He is known as having somewhat of a Midas touch as those he selects go on to have lucrative careers. Hopeful stars in the making line up wishing nothing more than to be the next one chosen by Se-hoon which is a guaranteed path to their dreams of stardom. Se-hoon is arrogant, rude and very full of himself and no is not a word he is accustomed to others directing at him. His much abused staff put up with their difficult to deal with boss as a ride on his coattails is career success. Leaving his staff in charge while attending to other business results in a top female star escaping from a photo shoot in favor of a wild day of fun. Since it is just a concept shoot, Se-hoon‘s staff has a beautiful stranger, who inadvertently helped the female star escape, stand in for the shoot. Se-hoon returns mid-shoot and sees stars as he watches natural beauty, YooYi-rung (Jin Se-yeon) transform into a pro before the camera.
He decides on the spot to make this nobody an offer she surely can’t refuse - to sign a contract for him to “raise her” to be a star of his own making. To his ultimate surprise, Yi-rung takes an instant dislike to Se-hoon and flat refuses his offer. She heads back to her home deep in the forested hills. Not one to be easily dissuaded, Se-hoon soon follows his reluctant Star to be. He is not one for “roughing it” and she lives her life “off the grid”. He soon finds himself doing many things he has never done in an effort to persuade her. Hilarity ensues as the two very determined people face off. Who will win this battle of wills? Has Se-hoon met his match?
Spoilers** This was a light and fluffy romance. Very predictable but not in a bad way. I would have liked it a lot more but the music that was chosen for this television drama was horrible it reminded me of circus music and really broke the 4th wall. I like Jun II Woo as a male lead - I think he is a really good actor and have enjoyed him in every role I have seen him in (Cinderella and the Four Knights; Flower Boy Next Door for example) and I also liked him in this. Monsta X is the k-pop band that plays one of the clients the male lead manages - that right there is almost enough to carry this for me. The story itself is good and the chemistry is believable. Each episode was short and I tend to like longer episodes as it allows for more plot development. Good, for what it is and worth the watch. Just be prepared for really disruptive music.

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Feelings change

8/10 iis my rating. This is a 2019 South Korean romantic drama with 26, 70 minute, episodes.

After four years with Kwon Gi-seok (Kim Jun-han), Lee Jeong-in (Han Ji-Min) is wondering why her feelings toward her boyfriend have become lukewarm. Still, with family pressuring marriage, that would have been the likely result if a surprise romantic interest did not unexpectedly come into Jeong-in's life. Jeon-in is a librarian and Gi-seol is a banker who has family wealth and would be considered a "catch" by most. One spring night Jeong-in has a drinking party with her close friend and stops by the pharmacy where Yoo Ji-ho (Jung Hae-in) works to get a hangover remedy. What could have been a inconsequential meeting develops into sparks of interest when Jeon-in discovers she forgot her wallet and Ji-ho, immediately attracted to the vivacious Jeong-in, offers to let her pay later. After a series of missed texts, Ji-ho finally revisits the pharmacy to pay back Ji-ho and he expresses interest in her but she firmly tells him she is in a relationship so they can only be friends. Admitting interest in someone is not a frequent or easy thing for Ji-ho as he is a single parent who went through many years after heart break after his girlfriend left him and his son. In South Korea a long term relationship is a form of commitment and with both families in agreement for Jeon-in and Gi-seol to marry, it is taboo to break up, particularly to immediately enter another relationship with none other than a single dad. Single parenthood in South Korea still carries a lot of social stigma and Ji-ho has suffered derogatory comments since his son was born. So, while their situation makes it nearly impossible to be together, they find they actually run in the same social circles and repeat encounters lead to undeniable feelings developing between the two.
Jeon-in finally decides to end her relationship with Gi-seol and follow her heart with Ji-ho. However, not only has Gi-seol, who had been slow to propose marriage, suddenly decided he can't live without her, he also does not want to lose her to Ji-ho who he considers beneath him. With all the obstacles in their way, Ji-ho and Jeong-in have to constantly evaluate if their relationship is worthy and their feelings strong enough for each other to sustain their love for the long term.

*spoiler alert. I liked the overall theme of this which is which was love can conquer just about anything. Jeong-in did not feel the fact that Ji-ho was a single dad to be a detriment to having a relationship with him. It wasn't that she did not realize it made things hard for them, because she did, she just did not personally care that he was a single dad. In fact, as someone that loved kids, she grew to like Ji-ho's young son almost immediately. The ex-boyfriend became extremely obsessed with getting Jeong-in back and it felt irritating at times because it seemed that he was fairly lukewarm about their relationship until he realized he had competition. Jeon-in's dad was very frustrating because he seemed to be more concerned about social status and appearances than the welfare of his daughters. It was very satisfying when Jeon-in stood up to him about not wanting to marry Gi-seol to help advance her father's career, and later when she stood up to him about her right to love Ji-ho. The music in this one was very antnoying. They played the main song loud and so frequently hat it became irritating. I understand the cultural stigma on single parenthood as we like to think in the United States that there is no stigma but, having been a single parent myself for awhile, I can tell you there is. Many people do not want to take on a ready made family and, for the single parent, you have to be very selective about who you would be willing to interact with your children. It did not suprise me that the main character was so accepting of Jeong-in's son as she mentioned she loved children and, since that is the way I feel about children, I understand it. I lreally like children so I know if I were in the position the fact that the person I loved had a child or even children would not deter. It also explored domestic violence and the feelings of shame and denial. It ended and wrapped up well. Recommend for those that like mature themes.

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Lots of comedic moments, good character interaction, disappointing ending

8/10 is my rating. This is a 2016 supernatural comedy romance with 16, 60 minute, episodes. It is also known as Come Back Alive.
Shin Da-hye (Lee Min-jung) is the wife of a nondescript apartment store manager at a Department Store. Kim Young-soo (Kim In-kwon) knows he neglects his beautiful wife for work and always promises they will spend more time together in the future. That future is cut short when he falls to his death while trying to repair something. Even in death, his company fails to properly acknowledge him and attributes his death to suicide so they are not accused of overworking their employees. Young-soo arrives in the Afterlife at the same time as Han Gi-tak (Kim Soo-ro) who also died suddenly. Gi-tak is a successful restaurant owner with a young staff he considers family. Because he was formerly a gangster, his love for Actress Song Yi-yeon (Lee Ha-nui) ended because she could not be associated with his former lifestyle. Yi-yeon shows up suddenly to ask for help in a blackmail situation her ex husband, Cha Jae-gook (Choi Won-young), perpetrated to gain custody of their child. has whipped up a scandal to force her to give him their child, and threatens Yi-yeon with it. In pursuit of a blackmailer, Gi-tak gets in a car accident and comes to close to Young-soo. While being processed to head to Heaven the two men determine they must go back to resolve some things. After a desperate escape, both men are given two months to wrap up their unresolved issues. There are, of course, a list of exceptions and rules. Each man is sent back in a new body, the gangster as a beautiful woman, Han Hong-nan (Oh Yeon-seo), and the store section manager as an attracrptive young man, Lee Hae-joon (Rain). From the beginning both “men” have a hard time following the AfterLife’s three rules: 1) They can not reveal their true identities. 2) Revenge is forbidden. 3) They cannot engage in human affairs.

spollers**. as a comedy there were some laugh out loud funny moments. The older gangster guy winding up in a young attractive female body lent it self to some very funny situations. It was also amusing that this middle-aged nerdy looking guy comes back as a handsome well-built Chaebol son. The story around their lives and the people they came back for is really interesting and I loved the friendships that developed and the interplay between all the characters. It would be very hard if you came back and people did not recognize you to avoid telling those you cared about who you were and what he knew especially when you see them suffering over your death. There were bad guys that were doing things that added some conflict to the story. It was one of the few I have watched were well into it I was not sure who would wind up with whom or if anyone would wind up together romantically and how it might end up. I thought of at least three possibilities and hoped that the first two would be the ending. I like happy and I don’t care for trying to make it very real. If it ended one of the ways I hoped for I would’ve rated this much higher because the majority of it was very good. However the fact that one of them was basically erased from everyone’s memory and the other left a big hole in everyone’s lives did not seem like a good ending it left me feeling rather sad. At the end of it they were showing possible reincarnations and the characters were reacting to them sort of like I know you from somewhere but you have no idea if they would get together or if it was just to show that those particular beings tend to revolve around each other as one of the philosophies of reincarnation. If you are OK with an ending that is not completely happy this is definitely worth watching for the first 14 or so episodes. The last tso episodes are not really bad and it does wrap up a lot of plot points but if you’re like me and were hoping for some of the happier outcomes that just doesn’t happen.

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