I had such high hopes for this drama, but the ending left me disappointed. The drama is beautifully shot, and the side characters are wonderfully written, but it threw away the unconventionality that had originally kept me watching. I had hoped that the drama would dive into the character development of the female lead and her struggles with love after leaving a toxic relationship, but it did none of that. The main couple had chemistry, but halfway through they got incredibly boring, and I found it hard to believe either of them changed for the better since the drama rarely bothered to show it. While it's arguable that it was more realistic this way, I found that it fell into the same tropes of the female lead ending with the toxic male lead, and the theme of choosing romantic love over choosing oneself.

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A healing drama that didn't feel quite that healing

Twenty-five Twenty-one is a wonderful and unique coming-of-age drama that encapsulates the bittersweet nostalgia of youth and friendships, with strong performances from Nam Joohyuk and especially Kim Taeri. While the drama excelled in its character writing, I found its overall message to be lost towards the end, because the ending felt...reductive. It didn't take away from my enjoyment of the drama greatly, but I still wanted an opportunity to talk about it.

Although I appreciated how the writers tried for a realistic approach, I found it to feel a bit nihilistic in the way that none of the other characters besides Heedo felt important to add in the present time, and that Heedo herself didn't seem to deem them as important to her life anymore as well. The drama spent 15 hours building these deep friendships, and it just didn't make sense to disregard them as simply being "in the past". It made feel as though the time invested in the drama--and, likewise, the time invested in one's youth--did not give as much as an impact as it should've.

I had never expected a happy ending for Yijin and Heedo, but their break-up, while beautifully written, felt inconsistent with their characters. I found it hard to believe that these strong-willed characters couldn't make it work. The reason they broke up contradicted what the audience saw in their relationship beforehand, where they gave each other emotional support through hard times quite easily. Heedo's current husband, while never shown, is away for work overseas which is exactly what she didn't want from Yijin, which made the break-up feel even more reductive. If the drama wanted to convince me that Heedo and Yijin's development was realistic, I think it would've benefited from one more episode.

Despite this, I could see what the drama was aiming for, and I appreciate the themes they tried to tackle. I don't regret watching this drama and I'd still recommend it for the strong characters and solid plot. It's just unfortunate that the ending did not quite fit what the rest of the drama was building up to.

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Unexpected gold

While there were a few choices I could nitpick, the Devil Judge overall had a solid story throughout and I never found myself bored while watching. I added an extra 0.5 points to a show I'd normally give a 9.0 to because it had so many archetypes I adored, and I haven't found myself falling in love over a kdrama like this in a while.

PROS:
- Kang Yohan. I haven't seen another morally grey character in kdramas so well acted and written
- The plot moves really nicely, and even though I had been spoiled for some scenes, I still found myself on edge for majority of the show
- The dystopian setting helps offset any unrealistic aspects of the live show court
- The relationships between characters are nicely done, especially between Yohan and Elijah

CONS:
- The female characters were underutilized, they had so much depth that didn't feel completely paid off in the end. That being said, Sunah is a fantastic villain
- Any romance between Gaon and Soohyeon felt very unconvincing, especially since they didn't have too many moments together and the writers seemed to be torn whether or not they wanted to show subtext between Gaon and Yohan instead
- The last few plot points could have benefited from at least one more episode

The Devil Judge is definitely one of the best dramas of the season. You will come for beautiful cinematography and dark plots but stay for the characters and found family. Give it a few episodes and if you find yourself liking the vibe, you won't regret staying along for the ride.

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Set the standard for BLs

After dabbling in a few gay dramas/BLs from different countries and feeling neutral to most of them, I am so glad to have uncovered the delight that is Cherry Magic. Don't be thrown off the the synopsis--this drama is sweet and healing, with an emphasis on self-worth and self-discovery. It's a shorter, lighter watch, but the protagonists (Adachi and Kurosawa) are written so nicely and sweetly, and I especially enjoy how they're both adults. I find a good amount of bls, probably due to lower budgets, tend to be toxic or stiff, but Cherry Magic stayed warm throughout. If you want a romance that's healing, this is definitely the one for you.

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The most average fantasy kdrama

People are either too harsh on this drama or overhype it too much. It's well-produced with a great cast, and the writing is fine. It just feels...average. It follows a very typical fantasy kdrama plot, and falls into the common pitfalls of getting slow towards the middle and recycling tear-jerker tropes towards the end. It was enjoyable to watch, but after watching numerous fantasy dramas, I found there was nothing too special about it. I would recommend it for casual watching, but not to someone who wants a masterpiece. (It does get bonus points for giving a love triangle to the second leads instead of the main couple.)

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A melodrama disguised as a thriller

It's a bit difficult to write an in-depth review without spoilers (and this drama is best enjoyed going in blind) but Flower of Evil is hands-down one of the best kdramas I've seen to date. It's gripping, the plot is well-done (barring a few plot holes), the character development is incredible, and the ending, which some viewers disliked, I found fitting. Plot aside, Moon Chaewon and Lee Joongi were incredible and had amazing chemistry. I can confidently say this is Lee Joongi's best performance so far, and his nuanced expressions really brought his character to life.

I think it's important to note that those who really adore Flower of Evil are the ones who are fall in love with the characters rather than the overall crime plot. While majority of the show is crime/thriller, the core of it is the main characters and their relationship. If you have no interest in seeing their relationship unfold, the main themes and emotional impact of the show will simply fall flat. I suggest go in as blind as possible, watch at least three episodes, and hopefully it will enrapture you as much as it did me.

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what most romcom kdramas aspire to be

If you want a high quality romance kdrama with a good buildup, then Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha will not disappoint. The atmosphere and setting is beautiful, the leads are flawed but charming, and the story between them and the town is so heartwarming to watch. While there are definitely some sad parts (read: obligatory traumatized male lead), it never strays into heavy angst that feels hopeless or overtly dark. This is a drama that is first and foremost about healing, and it never forgets that.

Now a few reasons why this is almost a 9/10 but not quite:
- After ep 10, it's not as good as the first episodes
- While I liked Gongjin, I never became super attached to any of the stories of the townsfolk
- There was a really good opportunity for a wlw couple to take the stage but the love story was instead given to a less-than-stellar ex-husband
- Dusik's past was built up a bit too suspensefully for the pay off

Despite this, it wasn't enough to bump the rating further down, especially since it never got boring, which, to me, is one of the biggest flaws a show can have. It's still a great kdrama to watch when you just want something fun, sweet, and romantic, and I'd highly recommend it, especially if you're the type to be picky over romcoms. The ending was also very satisfying to me, which is a rare find.

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