Surprisingly hilarious and wholesome!

Upon attending their therapy sessions, an ex-police officer, Noh Hwi Oh (Jung Woo), who lost his job when he couldn't control his anger, met a woman, Lee Min Kyung (Oh Yeon Soo) and become straight-up enemies. Min Kyung has an anxiety disorder and has lost faith in people due to an incident in her past. As they keep crossing paths, will these two fiery hearts help heal each other?

Bada boom bada bam! Comedy in your face, again, again, again! Yes, this is how I felt watching this show. I get immediately suck in to the leads from the start, seeing the hot-headed Hwi Oh clashes with Min Kyung, both of them are crazy! They are literally fire and gasoline. Their hijinks are hilarious, super slap-sticks! Even with some cringy potty humor, I’m pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable this drama is.

Though short, it handles sensitive topics of mental health and trauma so well. It didn’t feel depressing, but we get to see raw and vulnerable moments of our leads. Characters development is very organic that they touch my heart. Of course, I love their wholesome romance. They had a quite sexy intimate moment too, which felt so organic and earned. The only nitpick is the chaos in the finale, that is not my fave part, but it is a very fun short watch. I would recommend it.

-Feb 2024, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

Read More

Intriguing at first, but the suspense fell flat around halfway.

A violinist Cha Se Eum (Lee Young Ae) returns from her study abroad to conduct the Han River Philharmonic orchestra. When Yoo Jung Jae (Lee Moo Saeng), an unwanted man from her past, returns to her life and becomes the new owner of this orchestra, he threatens Se Eum: either the orchestra never plays again, or she divorces her husband and gets back together with him. Thus, Se Eum has to survive in her cutthroat profession while protecting her passion and secret. All that while resolving her personal relationships that have gone awry.

The premise is intriguing, it sets a good tension. I liked how Se Eum is ruthless and fiery, stands out for herself. Also, I was curious about Jung Jae, who seems so crazy and obsessive over Se Eum because of their past, and Se Eum's husband was very suspicious.

However, plot becomes predictable from ep 5 and the suspense really fell flat through the end. I feel the characters become one-note and just written for a plot device. Although the final climax is quite stylish, I had to suspend my disbelief and rolled my eyes at how 'convenient' the closure is. The most interesting character to me was Lee Ro Na (Hwang Bo Reum Byeol), a violinist who idolizes Se Eum. Her performance is excellent, despite my overall impression of the drama.

-Jan 2024, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

Read More

A decent watch but not my type of genre

The story deals with our leads’ personal problems within the paradigm of social norm. The ‘conflict’ of this show surprised me as I had no idea that getting a divorce or dating someone with a child is such a taboo in Korean culture as it's not negative in my reality...  

What I like most are the authentic cinematography and the well-written dialogues among the characters. The romance is very calm, lovely and honest. Despite the lack of spicy passion, Jung Hae In and Han Ji Min create a harmonious and good chemistry. I also enjoyed the bond and communication among the three sisters; Their arcs feel organic. The ending is done in a proper way.

Confession, there are times that I got so bored due to how slow and mellow this story is. I also struggled to finish it because "No Direction" plays on repeat. The OST is good but extremely overused that it gets tiresome. I would appreciate a little more variety or less repetition.

-Jan 2024, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

Read More

We can never fully understand another person but trying is what makes us human.

A high school couple, Sakura and Aoba, shared an interest in music. One day, he breaks up with her without explanation. Years later, Aoba spots Sakura, she approaches him and gets really surprised by his loss of hearing. So she starts learning sign language in an effort to understand him and their past.

What a poignant and gentle slice-of-life story with a lot of attention to detail, giving it a very personal feel. The story has a very important message regarding the isolation in communication, or the feeling of being alone when you're together in a group but can't really say your thoughts. I resonate very much on this issue because it happens to me at times too.

Different than what I'm used to experience in other dramas, they only put subtitle when they’re communicating with sign language, so we don't hear their inner monologues... and I like it this way; It helps me to really pay attention and connecting with the characters. Their interactions are beautifully portrayed by the actors, with a not-frustrating love triangle. Yes, there's a love triangle but they're all very decent and respectful people. They're all just trying to be understood and connecting in their own ways. While many episodes are shrouded with sadness and slight angst, in my opinion it has an appropriate and heartfelt ending.

Read More

Everything you need to swoon, cry, laugh, and appreciate a story

Cha Joo Hyuk (Ji Sung) was unhappy with how his wife, Woo Jin (Han Ji Min), has become after years of marriage. One day he gets a chance to go back in time to redefine his whole life, which affects everyone he has known and loved. How is he now with this new life?

Familiar Wife isn't a show with a complicated plot or high stakes — it’s character-driven, and the characters were the best part of this drama. At first, Joo Hyuk might not appear as an appealing person because the choice he made was solely for his own happiness. But watching him navigating this new life, his character grew so much. He made selfless decisions, which was heartbreaking and heartwarming altogether. Woo Jin, too, wasn't perfect, but both of them for learned that it’s choice, and not fate, that makes a marriage work.

There was so much comedy here, like Woo Jin spunky, love to crack dad jokes with the guys. Everyone has a fresh fun chemistry, the quirky gang of misfits, the bank team. I like the ups and downs of Joo Hyuk & Jong Hoo's friendship. A nod to Ji Sung's acting, he always got me with his genuine emotional scenes. Overall, I enjoyed Familiar Wife. It has everything to make you swoon, cry, laugh, and appreciate a good storyline.

Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

Read More

A nine-tailed fox Lee Yeon was a mountain god but relinquished his godly status so that his first love could reincarnate one day. Now, he is obligated to eradicate devils that threaten the world, including his con-artist brother Lee Rang. His actions intrigued a PD who is exploring the world of supernatural. She looks the same as Lee Yeon’s first love.

First and foremost, I want to express how surprised I was by the very effective horror, there are numerous moments when I genuinely felt creeped out. This show is a blend of the three genres combination, a romance, supernatural elements, and horror. For instance, in the very first scene is already foreshadowing an eerie direction. The visuals and CGIs are remarkable!

Ji Ah is a risk-taker, she's a reflection of a realistic career driven woman. She is knowledgeable about Korean folklore and adds a lot of depth to the show. I think her grit allows her to be more on equal footing with the immortals that are around her, which is hard to do, they often get sidelined because they're human. But my favorite character is Lee Yeon, he is the perfect balance of sass and arrogance and playfulness. Lee Dong Wook plays him so genuinely that it's hard to remember his previous roles, he disappears into this playful, arrogant fox.

Sadly, it quickly gets hollow and bonker! The script is consistently inconsistent, too many plot holes. When the romance is at stake, the scenes between the actions and romcom are giving a strange tone whiplash. The chemistry between the leads is somewhat one-sided. Then it is strangely ending, adding one more plot hole in the very final moment.

Read More

A diaspora diary of home, maturing and love.

As a diaspora myself, I appreciate how this movie highlights that thriving a life outside your home country can be a challenge. You’re faced with choices that make you lose and find different possibilities. It's also one of the bravest things one might do.

On the production side, the cinematography and characters introductions are great. There are a lot of scenes without words that are meaningful, they’re the best show not tell executions.

This is a very personal statement: I don’t feel any emotion to Nora’s romance life nor the longing or yearning. More than the plot shrouded by the fate analogy, I enjoyed the mature interactions among the three leads; Nora, Hae Sung and Arthur. They act natural and casual. there’s definitely a clear chemistry. It is refreshing to find no typical dramatic love triangle here. No one is toxic nor being overprotective.


Final remark without spoiling it, I wasn’t expecting the sudden ending. Just like that the movie ends and we know what happen. It has a clear conclusion and I agree with everything, but there's no build up that make the grand feeling of "ahh, ending!“

Read More

Worth watching for the beyond magnetic chemistry.

An intense melodrama of a rich man falling in love with an innocent woman, imprisoned for her boyfriend's hit-and-run murder. This is the plot of the drama. Seems like a straightforward plot?

The incident involving the two leads made their love very unlikely, and it set up my curiosity to see if they can pull it off or it will be ridiculous. Well, they did pull it off, believe me! The writers took a somewhat weak idea, and crafted something definitely worth watching. They showed that love can come from hate very naturally. Congrats.💕

Pacing-wise, it was boring in the first 8 eps, better when the leads are together, and the last episode was F-L-A-W-L-E-S-S! It rewards my patience with amazing plot twists and shocking reveals. The romance feels normal, it feels right to see hate turns to doubts, doubts if she is actually guilty, and why he started caring and loving her.

Subjectively, this is not a type of genre I enjoy. I’d hate this story if it wasn’t for the couple. I think they overdramatized the female lead, they put her into too much messy situations, and the male lead is your rich-naughty man archetype; He's that toxic male lead in kdrama world that I never approve to exists.

The main reason I kept watching is the acting; Hwang Jung Eum pulls all my heartstrings. I felt every scream, every cry, even when she was smiling, I felt her pain behind that smile. Ji Sung, as you might already know…💕 He’s my #1 💕 Although he's great, his role here is not my favorite compared to others where he’s in the spotlight. But him with Jung Eum shared a shivering chemistry! Special mention to Bae Su Bin, for he delivers! I hated him passionately!

Read More

Just me passionately waxing poetic on The Devil Judge:

For more visual experience:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C04SC4ENuRD/

In a futuristic-dystopic South Korea, three charismatic judges are appointed for a live court show. Citizens have the agency to cast judgment on the defendants as the trials and verdicts are broadcast in real-time. Unknown to the public, our lead judge, Kang Yohan, plans to take down the corrupt government. However, he is challenged by his subordinate, Kim Gaon, and an ambitious secretary, Jung Sun Ah. They fight, they hate, they fall for one another, and they do more amazing things...

Sexy, shiny, and unapologetically cruel, "The Devil Judge" tells the story of broken souls yearning for revenge within their shattered dreams. Mind you, the trials are so over-the-top and can be illogical, but stay calm; that is dystopia. "A trial is a game; fail to serve evidence, you lose," said Kang Yohan. This is not only true for these trials but also perfectly describes our leads' arcs. The evil scheming is fun, ridiculous, and never boring as we’re constantly rewarded by thought-provoking and intense twists. I also appreciate the cinematic sets and aesthetics in this drama.

Of course, I have to talk about the masterfully-written characters. First, the complex, well-spoken Yohan, brought to life by Ji Sung with his arrogance, elegant sensuality, his smirk, and his wink that is worth A-Million-Dollar-Swoon. Just as impressive as him, Park Jin Young as the feisty and smart Gaon is an appropriate match for Yohan. Whoever cast them goes to heaven! Also, Kim Min Jung as Sunah is one of the greatest femme fatales whose presence dominates everyone. Her motivation is intriguing and a delight to see.

Beyond a law-revenge drama, we have a subtle but deep romance that keeps you thrilled throughout the entire drama (and I am not lying). Shrouded in the shades of Beauty and the Beast, Yohan is like a loner Beast who wants Gaon by his side even when Gaon hates him, while Gaon is obsessed with Yohan, at the same time he hates Yohan since he is such a hypocrite, but Gaon still finds truth in his words. They have the best chemistry beyond their dialogues and gestures, in silence and behind the scenes. They are constantly skating on each other's vulnerability while playing out power roles in fascinating ways.

TL;DR: Yohan and Gaon are made for each other, and I can never get over them (Oh my GaHan!) Furthermore, it's beautiful to watch their bond heal each other, giving warmth to Yohan's family, which story I won't delve into to prevent spoilers, but there is Elijah as Yohan's sole family member and there is a mystery to why they ended up this way. There's just so much love in this dysfunctional family; without it, the drama would not be as wholesome.

Honestly, I could go on, and it wouldn't be enough to express my passion, but I will stop here and I hope you won't miss watching this drama if you haven't seen it. I would recommend “The Devil Judge” to all.

Read More

The trio's friendship makes it really fun to watch, but I have my complaints!

The head chef in modern-day Seoul fell into a pool, hit his head and went into a comma. He wakes up in the body of a soon-to-be Joseon Queen right in the middle of the palace scheming dangerous plots and meets a king who hides dark secret.

Mr. Queen is poking fun at sageuks with good intentions, it's clearly coming from the love for the genre. Production-wise, everything looks nice, the costumes look nice. Fans of palace politics will find this to be refreshing as they'll probably get a kick out of many moments, while viewers like me who shy away from the heavy-politics will find this to be fun. The palace intrigue is not innovative in general, it deals with two powerful clans fighting over throne, but the pacing is fast, so it sets up its stage very well.

Mr. Queen is portrayed by the magnificent Shin Hye Sun. She's an actress but she's man spreading really well so I'll use 'He'. Even if he looks like a playboy, he's so kind towards his female servants. Their friendships are wholesome and provide a lot of comedy. The trio plays off of one another so well that both the parodies and serious plot real good.

I think the first 6 episodes have nailed the sweet spot. The comedy is landing for me, it's rare for me to appreciate funnies from a k drama that is intending to be funny since I'm leaning much more toward the comedy from quiet and situational moments. Also, the infusion of modern music is adding to the comedy as it fits our male lead's background as a modern-day man, so there is one scene where he's dancing to a Black Pink song and I thought that was just hilarious.

While the comedy really worked in the first 6 episodes when the stakes hadn't developed very much, as those stakes get higher and higher, the comedy starts to feel really misplaced. It feels like an intense story is being told and then it breaks into a funny scene suddenly, so it wasn't as natural for me who prefers fewer funnies that suit the situation. The way it's presented feels very rhythmic like they switch back to back between an intense scene and the next comedy. Well, this show is supposed to be a comedy so I can give it a pass, that's not that big of a deal.

(Spoiler part) The biggest issue that I had was the subliminal problematic messages in the drama.

I would have preferred Mr. Queen and the King to develop a friendship and mutual respect. As this is a story about a woman being possessed by a man's spirit, I didn't expect Mr. Queen to have romantic feelings towards the King because he isn't perceived as gay. My problem is that this show is showing that hormonal arousal determines your sexual orientation. It's jarring to see a man who never had any gay thoughts would be so influenced by female hormones to switch his sexual orientation.

I think the romance plot does not benefit the plot at all, it has very little consequence on the story, in a way if it is excluded, things would end up the same with our characters. When Mr. Queen goes back to his male body, he's happy that the King is fine and safe. But there's no indication that he's heartbroken or romantically lost something, pointing to the fact that the romance was really unnecessary. Although back in the past, the King mentions that he felt something is lost but he's still with his queen, he does not notice at all that the queen's personality has changed! It's like downplaying characters' personalities and identities over the body that they're born with being the most important thing in a romance and relationship. It kind of derailed the show for me and hence the ending left a sour aftertaste.

Read More

A fun and heartwarming show but forgettable

A talented ssirreum (Korean wrestling) athlete, Kim Baek Du (Jang Dong Yoon), is about to give up on his dreams when he can't rise out of his slump, but then Oh Yoo Kyung (Lee Joo Myung) is assigned as a new manager to his ssireum team. Baek Du was surprised and convinced that she is her childhood bestfriend, Oh Du Sik. Can he relive his dreams and is Yoo Kyung really Du Sik?

Baek Du and Yoo Kyung is like a sunshine meets a grumpy. Jang Dong Yoon as the adorable Baek Du is a fun pair for the secretive Yoo Kyung. From the first encounter, these two's accent and mannerisms are hilarious, as well as most villagers. They're loud but not annoying. I also like the beautiful countryside shots and the OSTs.

Although this is fun and enjoyable, I do have few cons; First, the story is not memorable. Except for Baek Du, all the characters are forgettable, which is a bummer because the best watching experience for me are the ones that I can't leave or excited about after watching, but I don't. Yes, the couple is cute but I'm not so emotionally invested.
Second, I wish they develop the unique premise about the coming-of-age and ssirreum aspect, instead of including the mainstream "mystery in a small town" story, which execution feels wishy-washy. It's a pity because these are the aspects that would make it stand out amongst other shows. Nevertheless, we do get a good final, so thank you!

-Jan 2024, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

Read More

TL;DR: Doom at my verdict, but completed out of goodwill towards the actors.

What captivated me was the unique concept of personifying life and death. Seo In Guk's portrayal of the attractive and mysterious Doom, and Park Bo Young who (starts off) as the unexpected Dong Kyung, she appears brave and considerate and clever. The world-building is visually stunning, and what I like most is the way it is illustrating the beauty of everyday scenes like leaves falling or flowers blooming. One of the OST is a stand-out "Breaking Down."

I also appreciate the lead’s character development, seeing Doom realizes the purpose of life through love, and seeing Dong Kyung starts to express emotions and talking to someone about them, realizing that problems can be solved together. Sadly, their chemistry seemed to suffer by the end, along with the overall storyline. While they could've done amazing things with all kinds of exciting plot twists and such, the climatic reveal occurred too early, and then it lost momentum till the end, and the show never recovers from this slump. The couple was being too emotional on ruminating in the name of love and it just bored me so much. I also don't think the love triangle brings anything useful to the story. I have more things I don’t enjoy about it but I don’t need to talk bad about it further… I think there's enough negative reviews for this one.

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

Read More

Only watch it if you want to see Kim Soo Hyun cry

After a heartfelt encounter, the crown prince of Joseon and a young noblewoman, become childhood friends, but their relationship is cut short when Yeon Woo is chosen as a potential queen candidate.

This historical drama is filled with political conflicts, power struggles, hidden identities, and threats to tear our couple apart. There’s a sprinkle of fantasy element, which makes the show feels unique and intriguing. They built up good backstories for the characters. I had a lot of fun with the young and teen versions of the characters. But once they grow up and something happen to them, I got very bored. The pacing slows down and it becomes depressing as the story solely focus on our two leads emotional romance struggle. This is not to downplay any of the adult actors and actresses by any means, because they played well. Kim Soo Hyun is always impressive with his genuine and expressive performance, and he cries really well here. I miss the younger version of the female lead, Yeon Woo, her adult version is totally different to her younger personality. She was a wise and independent thinker, but after an incident, she let herself be trampled like a rug and too self-sacrificing towards the king.

By the end, I wasn’t caring much on what happened to them. Despite the everlasting depression, I was surprised that they managed to reach conclusion in the final episode. It does feels rush, there were many plot points and time jumps, but all loose ends are tied together.

Read More

Overall, good but not great. Long live the bromance and friendship!^^

Eun Gyeol is the only one who is hearing among his deaf family, he loves his family and has a passion & talent for music. One day he goes back in time to 1995 where he met his young father who is still hearing, so he wants to change the future. Will Eun Gyeol succeed and can he get back to the present?

This drama was love at my first-sight until ep 6. The story within those episodes give me a lot of typical sweet kdrama moments that first got me like first-watching kdramas. I appreciate the heartwarming family, as they have been underrepresented in recent dramas. Each character is given a strong personality that make me root for them. All-round very very good acting! Their expressions seep off of the screen and pulled my heartstring instantly. The young cast, they are so cute and perfect together. Also the emotional moments are so heartbreaking, I could cry any moment thinking about them. Everyone so good in doing sign languages, but my favorite is Bong Jae Hyun who plays the brother, the way he’s doing sign language is so cute especially when he’s angry XD

The film-editing is on-point: the band, the musical world in Eun Gyeol perspective and such... all fit perfectly with the context. The music is nostalgic and few gives 80's vibes. Storyline is easy to follow but the plot is not-so-simple; different threads and relationships are going on without them being confusing. Honestly, I didn’t know this is a timeslip show until I reached ep 2. What can be either a con or a pro, depending on your own taste, is the drama constantly being very plot-driven, that a lot of things are happening around characters and they don't have enough chances to drive the plot through their decisions.

…this part has spoilers:
So after ep 6, it fell a little flat. Even though there's no slump, the concept of wanting to change the future feels out-of-the-blue, they don’t say anything convincing that take me to be on board with this mission. How much time pass in present day while being in the past is not clear as well. They spent many episodes on lovey-dovey moments, which was sweet, but not as impactful. However, I really like how they develop Chung Ah’s character, that part makes me want to learn sign language now...

Also, the foreshadowing incident that is discussed throughout the drama is teased to our faces with a typical high-school trope, which is serviceable, but doesn’t sit very well with me personally, especially due to what really happened to close this incident arc has nothing to do with this. Another thing I was hoping to see is the conflict resolution between Eun Gyeol and present-day father in the early episodes about schooling vs music… I was curious how they handled this and we get practically nothing, so I'm a bit salty on that. The ending is good but also not explainable, it sooths our souls with happy moments but it could have been a lot more interesting had it be a bit more consistent with the premise.

Read More