Sh**ting Stars was one of those dramas where there was enough humor and romance and likable characters and general cuteness to keep me around, but the story lacked in some important ways.

First, some of the plotlines went in directions I wasn't a huge fan of. For example, I think Oh Han Byul agreed to date Gong Tae Sung a little too quickly considering she'd been so disappointed by him before and still carried a lot of hurt from the experience to the point that she'd put up a wall in self-defense. I was expecting Tae Sung to have to work for it a little bit, but Han Byul agrees to date him rather quickly. There were also a couple of really dramatic subplots, namely Tae Sung's mom abandoning him as a child and his friend's untimely death, that felt very tacked on for the purpose of dramatics rather than meaningful storytelling. If they had tied these two subplots into the drama's overall theme of working in the entertainment industry managing celebrities and the toll being in the public eye can take on the celebs and those who work with them, maybe they would have been more effective. As is, they weren't integrated well, and I kind of zoned out whenever the drama focused on them. It didn't help that Kim Young Dae's more emotional character moments did not work for me at all. Whenever he was being cute or playful or jealous or argumentative (or smoldering, lol), he sold his character so well I wanted to buy plushie versions. But I did not like his way of emoting pain or anger or sadness. It always felt...weird. Even when he was just being more serious, I just wanted those scenes to be over.

And it must be said here that while there was some decent focus on what it's like working in the entertainment industry from the non-talent's perspective, the drama didn't do a very good of maintaining this focus throughout and was even at times very surface-level in this respect. At a certain point, the romance began to overshadow everything else to the story's detriment.

I also have to ask...what happened to the fun sense of humor the drama had in the first half, because the second half was kind of missing it. Of course, that is kind of the rom-com curse. The build-up to the leads getting together is a fun romp, but then they get together, and the romance (and comedy) sometimes loses its spark, and I think this drama is a good example of that. There's a lot of fun early on, but then the leads get together, and the whole thing kind of feels a little womp-womp. (That and I was disappointed by one of the secondary OTP's, as the characters I wanted together did not end up together. I had some pretty major Second OTP second male lead feels, lol.)

My last critique for this drama, which I really can't write this review without bringing up, is the Africa issue. A humanitarian trip to Africa (not a specific African country, but just...Africa) is used as a plot device for the male lead, and it's really just unnecessary. If they had left it in the first two episodes and not brought it up again, you could have chosen to ignore it. Or even better, they could have turned it into a celeb faux-pas where he went on the trip for the optics and it backfired on him. But it kept popping up, sometimes to help move the plot along in some way, and this just kept reminding the viewer of how poorly written and cringy it was.

So I'm disappointed with this drama. I don't think it's the worst drama I've ever watched, and I certainly got lots of enjoyment out of it. And like I said at the beginning of my review, there's some good humor and romance and lots of likable characters and overall general cuteness, so other viewers might have a more satisfactory viewing experience then me. I just don't think it lived up to its potential, and to me, that's a shame.

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I've watched enough dramas in my life at this point to know that they have a habit of falling apart, and the longer they are, the more chance there is of that happening. It's part of why I've always avoided longer dramas. I can't handle that level of investment if it's all just going to end in disappointment. I was wary going into Legally Romance, as 33 eps is way longer than what I typically am willing to watch. (16 or less is what I tend to stick with.) And at various points while watching, I was unsure how well the writers would be able to handle the story they had created. There are a lot of moving parts to this drama and a lot of elements that have to be done just right for the story to succeed.

And I'm happy to say that not only does Legally Romance succeed, it's also a damn good drama. Consistent from start to finish with absolutely wonderful characters, a use of law that actually makes sense (I mean, I understood the things they said, so that's already a plus), a very moving plotline involving family and loss and grief, two SWOONworthy romances, literally laugh-out-loud comedy, and so much cute I feel like the little girl and her stuffed animal from Despicable Me, I really can't offer up any complaints. I was unsure how they were going to make the transition from Qian Wei's dream world back to her real-life, as we spent a really long time in her dream-world, and if the story were going to fall apart somewhere that would definitely be the place for it to happen. Thankfully, they handled the transition very well, and you don't feel like you're suddenly watching a different drama.

I will admit that once we were brought back into the modern day, non-dream world, I had to make more of a conscious effort to stay invested in the story. The dream-world and the real world have very intentionally different tones, and I LOVED the tone of her dream-world. Qian Wei's dream-world is very colorful and fun and almost straight comedy. There's a lot of cute bickering and romantic development and character development and situational comedy, and it's all just so deliciously pleasant to watch. Her modern-day life, however, is a lot heavier with a lot of focus on law/business machinations, Qian Wei having to reckon with the fact that her dream world was only a dream world and her real-life could use some TLC, and some genuinely emotionally wrought situations. I do prefer Qian Wei's dream-world, but only because it was just so much fun. Both parts of the story are equally compelling and tightly plotted/written, and my preference is just that, a preference.

Speaking of law, it really felt like the laws they referenced and discussed were real laws in China. Whether they are actually followed or enforced is another matter, but they were realistic enough for me think the writers might have consulted with actual Chinese lawyers. I also couldn't help but wonder if the writers were subtly trying to raise Chinese citizens awareness to Chinese law, something I really appreciate if it's true.

And one last note, but I'm very surprised this drama got by the Chinese censors. There were so many references to foreign pop cultures, even a Japanese pop culture reference! I don't know how the writers got away with it, but they were really fun little asides, and I'm glad they put them in.

This is definitely a 10 out of 10 drama, and if you're curious to check it out, I would highly recommend.

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The first six episodes of Business Proposal were literally everything. Lots of supremely well-used tropes that were equally well-subverted. I was constantly laughing at the humor, and anxiously awaiting the eventual romance. But something felt off in eps 7 and 8, something I couldn't put my finger on, so I did something I tell myself never to do, and I looked up spoilers. And I'm honestly glad I did, because they put their finger on what it was that felt off to me.

Somewhere in ep 7/8, the writers forgot that their drama was trying to use classic Kdrama tropes differently, and they pivoted to taking classic tropes too seriously, thus creating unnecessary angst. What I got through with 7 and 8 certainly couldn't be compared to the level of angst in a classic early to mid 2000's Kdrama, but it was a very definite tonal shift, and not one I liked. What's worse though is that the eventual story choices I read about were not something that made sense in regard to the characters. They sounded like obvious attempts at adding drama in a story that had been rather delightfully drama-free most of its run. They also just sounded like a waste of our character's time. I mean, the writers had a perfect opportunity to subvert the classic 'family doesn't approve' trope, and they Didn't take it. How uproariously hilarious would it have been for grandpa to pretend he didn't approve of their romance as a little bit of payback for them hiding it from him?

Armed with the knowledge of things to come, I decided to drop Business Proposal. But it's all good, cause Legally Romance (Cdrama) is doing all of the things with my heart right now, and I'm totally okay with it, lol.

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I recently created a private list on MyDramalist for dramas and movies I want to watch with my future children (if God ever brings such a blessing to my life), and after finishing this charming little series, I definitely have to add it.

This is a short-length drama about friendship and young love and finding your courage. It's hopeful and eager and earnest, both in its characters and subject matters. You'll definitely like everyone, and the way the plotlines play out on screen is very thoughtful and realistic. These are characters I would want my future kids to see, as they are a great example of how to handle conflict and disappointment while still being very much young and working through their emotions. The story also touches on some deeper themes such as bullying and self-isolation without being too dark or depressing. There's obviously a place and time for more gritty stories around these subject matters, but I'm glad this was something more lighthearted and youthful with very hopeful messages. And as a nice little touch, the opening sequence changes periodically showcasing all of our high schoolers in various locations at school with little nods to events that have transpired in the story. It was almost its own bit of storytelling, and I looked forward to each change.

If you enjoy youthful stories with lots of heart and not too much drama, I recommend this one, for teens and adults. It will warm your heart.

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I didn't want to drop this. I had every intention of going back and completing it. But after being stuck at ep 11 for literal months, I just couldn't get myself to go back.

The performances are superb. I really like the mythos/world/world-building of the story. It has a great atmospheric feeling during the more fantastical elements. I love both of the main characters and can really empathize with them. I'm not interested in the love triangle between the three secondary leads, but that's not really important enough for me to drop a drama. And I didn't find the rules of the universe confusing at all.

I just couldn't connect with the story. I really wanted to see the female lead more cut up about having to leave her loves ones, because I know I would be an absolute wreck if this sort of thing happened to me. And as much as I liked the romance, I found some of the leads motivations to not be very strong, and some of their choices frustrating.

I don't think this is a completely worthless drama. The right audience would love it. It's not a drama about the role of god or the mysteries of the universe or building an immersive fantasy world (although I think it does mostly succeed on that last point). The fantastical, other-worldly elements are there to serve the romance and the drama's underlying themes: sadness, loneliness, losing hope and then finding someone in the midst of it all. And that's what this drama is really about. Finding someone to be there with you at your lowest points. Which is definitely something a lot of viewers would enjoy.

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Initially, I didn't really think I liked this drama. Not for the reason most people would suspect (the over-drinking), but because of the main characters. They are...not very likable in the beginning. They came across to me as rather selfish and self-involved and self-destructive (not to mention just weird). But once I got through the first few episodes, the more I came to realize that my first impression was very wrong. I slowly came to understand them and empathize with them and like them until I found myself watching the next episode then the next episode then the next until I'd finish the entire series, and now I'm eagerly awaiting season 2.

Work Later is somewhat reminiscent of Be Melodramatic, which came out in 2019, and truthfully, I think Melodramatic paved the way for dramas like Work Later to exist. Melo was not a ratings hit when it aired and was a risky drama to make to begin with because of its tone and storytelling style, but I think it definitely made an impact on the Kdrama landscape. Both dramas share some common features. Atypical Kdrama female leads, addressing some heavier topics, don't rely so heavily on tropes (Work Later does use more tropes than Melo), and a story about 30-something/late 20's women that isn't strictly romance but a more rounded look at their whole lives. But Work Later is much more comedic in tone overall, even if coupled with some very emotional plot points. I also think the characters in Work Later are more likable than the leads in Melo. I would be more likely to be friends with the Work Later girls.

As Choi Siwon's character, I saw some comments on MDL describe him as creepy, and for the majority of the drama, I didn't get those comments at all. His character is a slob, most definitely (although that changes in the latter half of the series), but he's not exactly a creep. More so just...weird. His sense of humor is strange, and his mannerisms/approach to things equally so, but his behavior never made me uncomfortable. Of course, he makes a mistake in the final episode that would definitely make him look like a perv, but that's later explained in a small moment at the end so that you realize he wasn't intending to come across the way he did. He's just...an odd sort, as they would day.

There are going to be potential viewers who are concerned with the amount of drinking in this drama, which is a legitimate concern. Most of the heavy drinking happens in the first 4 eps, ep 1 and 2 especially, but it does tone down significantly for most of the rest of the drama. They do definitely drink way too often and often too much, but I read an article on Soompi where Eun Ji (who plays Ji Gu) says she saw comments of minors saying they wanted to start drinking after watching the show, and her thoughts in response to that were 'No, don't do that. That's not what the show is trying to tell you.' So I think it's fair to say that this show isn't necessarily attempting to glorify drinking culture, just trying to show the lives of these three women and Why they drink so much. But it's understandable if some won't be comfortable watching people drink themselves under a table, which does happen a few times.

What is unexpected about this drama, is its overall tone. I expected this to be mainly a comedy with maybe some heartfelt moments sprinkled in, but there's a pleasantly surprising amount of heavy drama. What's so surprising about this is the way the story incorporates these two genres. It has a unique way of shifting between comedy and drama, and by unique, I mean we'll be in a comedic scene and suddenly, we've jumped into a very dramatic moment (realistic dramatic, not melo). That sounds bad, but it's very well-done, and I never felt pulled out of the story or like the two genres didn't mesh with one another. It actually made me like the drama more.

If you're concerned by the drinking, I say get through the first 4 eps and if the drinking is still too much, then you should probably drop it. But if you like drama's that are both full-on comedic and full-on hit you in the feels, then this is a good drama to watch.

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I guess this would count as a 'healing' drama, a term I see all over Mydramalist these days. There are some traumatic experiences in our male lead's past as well as some sad things in the female lead's past, and the drama addresses each of them thoroughly, but the over-arching story and the way it unfolds on screen is very much one of hope and restoration through a cozy, warm-hearted lens, hence making 'healing' an apropos descriptor. It's not necessarily a new story, but the over-all charm of the characters and the setting make it a pleasant watch.

That being said, I was personally impressed with the drama's focus on forgiveness and redemption. This is not a typical topic in Korean dramas, namely because of an aspect of Korean culture called Saving Face, but Hometown handles the subject with thoughtfulness and fairness. It never openly mentions Saving Face, but it treats the male lead and difficult past with graciousness.

Of course, it's sad that after portraying such a beautiful story of hope and redemption, the actor playing the male lead has found himself in a very real scandal of his own, and for behavior far more egregious than his character's. We've been seeing a lot of serious scandals recently in the Korean entertainment industry, and each time, there's the same conversation. Should we dump the person, should we dump the media they were part of, should we forgive them, should we believe in their innocence? For my part, I hope Hometown's male lead actor and his ex-girlfriend can work through what happened in their relationship and apologize honestly for the things that went wrong and then move into the future healthier and making better choices. It's a sad situation but not one that cannot be redeemed.

As far as whether you should watch this drama or not after this scandal, that will ultimately be up to you. I don't think it is something that should stop you if you've been eyeing this drama since it started, but you also do not have to watch it if you just can't. There are so many drama's out there. If you are aware of the scandal and are more concerned with whether Hometown will suit your particular drama tastes, then here are my thoughts: If you like 'healing' drama's, then this is a good drama to watch. It has a warm and cozy feeling with charming characters and a beautiful story of redemption and restoration and hope for the future. And if you're looking for a drama that has that perfect, gooey, romantic ending, then is definitely the drama for you. There's some straight cheese in the finale that will be right up your alley, lol.

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I have not watched the original Korean drama yet, but I'm glad I watched this version first. If I had watched the original first and loved it, I probably would have been disappointed by this version. This version is nothing more than a middling remake with very little to really recommend itself. As such, I feel pretty secure in the knowledge that I will most likely like the Korean version much better.

This version felt a lot like the Jdrama, Oh! My Boss!, which came out earlier this year. With the same setting of a fashion magazine and the same major sublot of needing to save said magazine from being shut down, it was kind of a redux of what Boss! had already done. And while I don't think Boss! is a particularly great drama, it did this premise better. On the same note, while I ended up not being all that interested in the romance in Boss!, at least it's couple experiences some real level of relationship development. The couple here feels like they're just jumping from story beat to story beat without anything meaningful happening in-between.

It was when the male lead fainted at the end of ep 8 that I was out. It was such strange timing to me, clearly thrown in for a little drama, and I just didn't care. I didn't care about the character's health, I didn't care about the fashion magazine, and my care for the romantic pairing was meager at that point. If I had thought the drama would do something a little creative and let the magazine be shut down, maybe I would watched the last two eps, but I highly doubted that would happen.

If you want to watch a recent Jdrama with the same Fashion Magazine Trying to Survive storyline and don't need it to be something spectacular, watch Oh! My Boss! instead. Or better yet, you could just watch a drama like Pretty Proofreader (Jimi ni Sugoi!) that both features fashion heavily And is stellar drama. A win-win, in my opinion.

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Ahhhhh, what a delightful special that was! The original series was a charming, more realistic take on the marriage contract trope, and this special was a heartwarming 'where are they now' that touched on a number of issues such as the 2020 pandemic, becoming new parents, and juggling your responsibilities in life. All of our favorite, likable characters are back, and they're all as likable as ever. And what's even nicer about this special is that (pandemic aside), it isn't a story built around melodrama or high stakes but rather the every-day, real-life challenges you face. A character discovers they have cancer and subsequently goes through a major surgery to remove it, a couple we came to love in the series ends up not being together anymore in the special and that's okay, our leads demonstrate to the audience how they found the best way to divide and conquer the household chores and tasks while still appreciating and valuing and supporting one another in a way that is fair and giving. It's a low-key yet very impactful special that reminds you not only of how lovely the original series was but makes you wish the whole thing would just never end. I only have one other drama special in my Favorite Drama's list, but this one is the definitely the second.

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I wasn't sure if I wanted to write a review for this movie. It's certainly not a bad film, and I enjoyed watching it, but it did not have the impact on me similar films have had. What ultimately made me decide to write this review were the lingering feelings of frustration/incompleteness due to some specific elements of the story.

First, I think most everything in the film was very well done. You can't really dislike the characters or the overarching storyline, and this is a movie that does the feelings of youth real justice. But this is also one of those movies where I think the adult versions don't have as strong of an impact as the teen versions, and it hurts the story in some ways. The adult versions are more compelling here then some other films of this theme that I've seen, but you do still ultimately feel a stronger pull towards their younger counterparts. I also have some frustration with the ending, when the movie takes what could have been a very realistic life situation and dramatizes it more than is necessary. The male lead's mother becomes very ill towards the end of his time in high school, and he has to quit his plans for University to go to work in order to care for her and pay her hospital bills. It's a very heartbreaking turn of events, and you feel incredibly sad for him. But instead of treating this with a more delicate and thoughtful and realistic approach, the writers chose to use it as a means to create some melodrama for the adult versions which I think was neither earned nor suitable for the story.

I do think this is a sweet film, and it does it's genre and theme well. I'm also pretty sure the ending will not be as frustrating for other viewers as it was for me, so if you enjoy this genre/theme of story, then this is a good film to check out. You may find you like the ending more than I did.

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Updated Review 2022:

I remember the first time I watched King2Hearts, some ten odd years ago. There's this really great scene in episode 1, possibly my favorite in the series, where the South Korean royal family watch as the Berlin wall in Germany comes down. It's a foundational moment for King2Hearts, as it sets the tone for the rest of the drama. This isn't just a romance. This is a story about a country, two countries, and what could be between them. This is ultimately why I appreciate this drama like I do. There are elements of the story that are clunky in their execution, there are things that are just downright bad, and while I enjoy the romance, it's not one of my favorites. But King2Hearts attempted to do something a lot of dramas don't. Give North Korea a voice and take a serious look at what it might be like if North and South Korea were ever to come together again. Obviously, this was done through the lens of a fictional monarchy and not much time is spent on exploring what life in North Korea really looks like, but it was an earnest attempt to reconcile these two countries, even if just in fiction.

Of course, I can't write a review for this drama without talking about the female lead, Hang Ah. At this point, you've probably seen a swath of people waxing poetic over her and for very good reason. Hang Ah has an incredibly well-crafted balance between the delicate and the fierce aspects of her personality. She dreams of finding love and enjoys dressing up and feeling girly, but she's also principled and supremely tough in the face of danger, and not once is either side compromised for the other. It may be annoying at this point for people to constantly talk about Hang Ah's consistency as a character, but this was such a rarity in Kdrama's of the time, that it stuck with most of us who watched King2Hearts.

It is fair to say that King2Hearts has it's share of very obvious flaws. First, there are the terrible with a capital T foreign actors. I wrote in my original three sentence review (which you can see below this updated review) that watching them was like being tortured and tickled at the same time, and I still agree with that. They are bad to the point of distraction, which is unfortunate as it mars a lot of what goes on in the main villain's storyline. But we will have to chalk up the terrible acting to the fact that there was likely no budget for Kdrama's of the time to hire foreign actors with some actual skill, so they used what they could find.

What can't be as easily forgiven is a villain who is sometimes successful at being terrifying but also sometimes successful at being nothing more than useless. He's very convincingly acted, although again, his character is often undermined by the terrible acting of the foreign actors around him. This could be overlooked, however, if his machinations more consistently successful or even frightening. Sadly for him, his plans are unsuccessful a few too many times, and they fail to consistently inspire fear in the audience thus making it harder for us to understand why we should be afraid of him at all. I will acquiesce that the villain improves upon a second viewing, but I still didn't walk away from the story feeling the level of fear I was clearly meant to. I mostly viewed the villain as pathetic.

Flaws aside, I think this is still an important drama. It's not polished like most Kdrama's coming out today. The drama team would have been limited by the resources that were available to them at the time. But watching with the Korean royal family as the Berlin wall fell made my heart swell with hope for North and South Korea, and I think that was the point. This wasn't going to be a hard-hitting, finely detailed approach to the issue of North/South Korean relations, but an attempt though the storytelling medium to say something of value about the two countries and to express a hope for tomorrow. A hope that one day, peace will reign. And for my part, I hope that will someday be the case.

Original Review:

The villain was pure nonsense, and watching the foreign actors was like being tortured and tickled at the same time. But the scene with the Korean royal family watching the Berlin wall come down in the first episode sold me. Couldn't put it down and was so sad when it was over.

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I don't have anything super profound or revolutionary to say about this drama other than to reiterate what I said about season 1, so I'll copy and paste that here, because this season really deserves at least one review on this site.

The Wakako series as a whole has everything to commend itself; a really interesting female lead, lots of delicious looking food, an overall cozy feeling, an unspoken exploration of belonging and purpose (there's a lot going on in the subtext that I think most viewers probably don't notice.) Each episode hosts, so to speak, 2 real-life restaurants and some of their dishes and spirits, and the show serves as a lovely way of advertising for what look like some really great mom and pop restaurants. I imagine the viewers found themselves frequently compelled to seek these establishments out after each episode.

Really, there's just nothing outside of the slice of life element that could deter someone from watching this drama or it's future seasons, and I would caution anyone from letting that stop them from at least giving it a chance. There's no hyped up drama or high stakes or heartbreak, just lots and lots of charm.

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In general, I'm not good with slice of life dramas. It's not the genre that's the problem but rather me and my attention span. Of course, I haven't watched very many dramas in this genre, and so far, I've only had good luck with them, but I do tend to gravitate towards stories that have a little more going on to keep me interested. So when I started Wakako, it took me some time to really get into it. It truthfully wasn't until starting season 2 that things really began to click for me, and now I'm sad that there doesn't appear to be anywhere to watch the future seasons.

Of course, the Wakako series as a whole has everything to commend itself. A really interesting female lead, lots of delicious looking food, an overall cozy feeling, an unspoken exploration of belonging and purpose. (There's a lot going on in the subtext that I think most viewers probably don't notice.) Each episode hosts, so to speak, 2 real-life restaurants and some of their dishes and spirits, and the show serves as a lovely way of advertising for what look like some really great mom and pop restaurants. I imagine the viewers found themselves frequently compelled to seek these establishments out after each episode.

Really, there's just nothing outside of the slice of life element that could deter someone from watching this drama or it's future seasons, and I would caution anyone from letting that stop them from at least giving it a chance. There's no hyped up drama or high stakes or heartbreak, just lots and lots of charm.

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I wasn't going to write a review for this drama, because I didn't have a lot to say. I dropped it two episodes before the end, because I wasn't enjoying it anymore and it's the kind of generic that if you aren't enjoying it, there's no point in watching it. So I figured I would just leave everyone else to their gleeful enjoyment since the comment section on MDL was overwhelmingly positive and g find something else to watch.

Then I was struck with a sudden craving to finish it, so I pulled it back up on MDL to look through the comments again and maybe get myself a little hyped up, and Wow. It's a good thing I did that, because now my decision to drop it seems like a wise one. I'm also fired up now to write that review I wasn't going to write before, lol.

Upfront, before we get any farther into this review, no, this is not a good drama. It is extremely cliché, and I don't think it necessarily does all of the clichés well. But! It was entertaining for much of it's run, so that kept me around. The thing, the Two things, that ultimately made me stop watching are the male leads behavior and some second lead nonsense that was far more dramatic than it deserved to be.

First things first, I found the male lead to be just way too mean. It starts out fine. He's rude but you can look past it, because there's room for growth in his character. Then it just goes a step too far for me, and I had a hard time not being frustrated with him. And even when our leads get together, the writers still manage to engineer the situation so he Has to continue to be mean or else everyone else in the office will know that they're dating.

Now, It's funny for two characters trying to pretend in front of others that they don't have a relationship to be mildly (or maybe even a little more aggressively than that) rude towards each other as a cover.

It's not funny when one of those characters is really only being their normal self.

So I didn't enjoy that, and if you can't enjoy the main couple, what really Can you enjoy that will make you want to stick around?

This is where the second thing comes in. The second male lead has been nursing a crush on the female lead the entire drama, but he hasn't managed to work up the guts to tell her. This is all pretty sweet and endearing and likable for the most part, even if it is hard at times to feel totally sympathetic for him when he continuously passes up his chances to tell her how he feels. But then he finds out that she's dating the male lead, and instead of the writers treating this like the unrequited Crush that it is where he would have a good sulk for a few days and then move on, instead...

They Hit Him With A Car!

Now, this isn't really your Kdrama truck of doom as we don't see the accident happen, and he has only minor injuries, but good Lord in heaven is this a level of drama that this boy's crush did not deserve. And it ended up being the catalyst for the leads breaking up for no gosh darn good reason too! And this is why I dropped the drama. Because I don't care about this. I was ready for our leads to start just being together for a bit without having to pretend they aren't dating or having one of them talk down to the other. I was ready for some cute romance!

Knowing now how they ended this drama which is a whole thing in and of itself, I don't think I'm going to bother watching the last two episodes. I've got other dramas to watch and not enough time to worry about this one. So goodbye, Monthly Magazine Home! May you find your home elsewhere.

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I would place this drama in the meh category. It's a pretty typical female ensemble drama with romance, career trajectories, pleasant friend group dynamics, and it has it's share of charming and moving moments, but there are also far better female ensemble dramas out there to watch, so if you're looking for one that is realllly good, this one probably isn't it.

The number one thing I didn't like about this drama is the main female lead. There wasn't anything wrong with her. There just wasn't very much To her. First and foremost, the writers did a poor job of creating real motivation for her sudden desire to become a baker. There's a paltry attempt to tie it back to her dreams as a child or something (at least I think that's what they were trying to do), but they barely make any effort to do even that. And outside of baking, she feels bland and personality-less. You learn almost nothing about her other than she really wants to bake all of a sudden. I was also not impressed with the actress, as she left the character feeling like she had no depth. A weak character on paper can be elevated by a good actor or actress. Sadly, this actress did not succeed in this respect.

Inversely, my favorite female lead by the end ended up being Emi-Chan, the housewife. Most modern viewers would probably find her story bland or passé or maybe even mildly offensive because she decides to follow her husbands dream, but in a time where everything seems to be about women, what they want, what they like, what they need, I found it refreshing to see a drama where a female lead sees her partners hopes and dreams and desires and takes them seriously. And not only does Emi-Chan take them seriously, but she chooses to support them. She recognizes that her husband has needs, and they are just as valid as her own, and she just wants him to be happy. It was also a surprisingly funny twist when we discover in the first half of the drama that her husband has Not been cheating on her like she suspects but is actually...in an aerobics class and has just become a little obsessed with it, lol. I don't know why such a seemingly silly story worked for me, but it really did.

I would say I like Kaoru and her story trajectory second best out of the four. I don't agree with some of the presuppositions it presents about about love and marriage, but her story was thought-provoking, nonetheless. I was also glad it didn't turn into a 'Women have to be at the top' sort of storyline. She's good at her job, and she enjoys what she does, but it isn't an obsession with proving herself to everyone. She does her job because it gives her satisfaction, and that's honestly enough.

For Michiru, the only reason I don't dislike her story as much as Kaede's is because I did actually enjoy her parts of the drama in the first half. My engagement with her character began to fizzle out, however, in the second, to the point that her boyfriends proposal didn't inspire much emotion in me. (Which is sad, because I'm a sucker for Noona romance.) Of course, I think others might like her story more than I did.

Lastly, I think the biggest disappointment of this drama is how they created for themselves a neat opportunity, by bringing in younger versions of the leads, to weave the two timelines together and give the audience a deeper understanding of the main characters. The younger versions are immensely charming and lovable, but they are also barely utilized, and it's a terrible waste.

So all in all, I found this drama to be rather boring. But that's fine, because there are too many dramas out there to let one not so great one bother me. On the next!

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