Ji Chang Wook, who continues to practically ooze charisma from his damn pores, plays straight laced and uptight Prosecuter Noh Ji Wook opposite Nam Ji Hyun's chipper and plucky Lawyer Eun Bong Hee. Bong Hee works for Ji Wook, but when she's framed for murder, he ends up being the one prosecuting her (apparently conflict of interest is not a thing, at least in kdramaland court rooms). This all happens in the first handful of episodes, but the real story follows after the resolution of her prosecution for murder. The drama really follows them, Ji Wook's mostly estranged best friend (played charmingly by Choi Tae Joon, who manages to hold his own against Chang Wook's own effortless charm - not an easy thing to do), his ex-girlfriend/fiance (played by Nara), and his extended family/friends. Throw into the mix a serial murderer. The resulting recipe is a lot of fun to watch. The notes in this show are mostly up beat. They do trot out some dramatic family secrets, but even the sad and down moments are balanced out by bright and cheerful ones so you never come away from this feeling like you've had to slog through anything.

I'm pretty sure Ji Chang Wook's inherent charm is what keeps the Earth rotating on its axis.

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Wow. What can I say about this show? I finished it a while ago and have been sitting on writing a review because I loved it so very, very much. It has a great cast, wonderful atmosphere, and a really interesting story line. It's interwoven lives - past and present - and is set in both modern day and in 1930s Korea during the Japanese occupation. Yo Ah In plays Han Se Joo, a Stephen King-esque level writer in the modern day who finds himself struck with writer's block after a stalker almost kills him. He meets Im Soo Jung's Jeon Seol in the present life, a veterinarian and former Olympic level athlete in shooting, who is also his number one fan. Introduced to this is a ghostwriter Yoo Jin Oh (played by Go Kyung Pyo) who has a secret. The three (and most of the important people around them) are all linked by their past lives in the 1930s as resistance fighters during the Japanese occupation. The story kept me guessing quite a bit of the time, which is not always the case in k-dramas, and the atmosphere was spectacularly done. All the modern day characters have abodes that overflow with books, which was a visual touch that I found very appealing, while the historical segments brought that past era to life. There is love, intrigue, scheming, conflict, struggle, loss, and triumph. The music in this drama was also wonderful and engaging. I really can't recommend this drama highly enough.

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My Secret Romance

This kdrama was cute and thoroughly enjoyable. Light and fluffy, it's good for watching when you don't want to think too deeply (like after a long day at work). The premise is that Lee Yoo Mi (the straight-laced nutritionist daughter of a former "erotic" actress), played by Song Ji Eun, meets Cha Jin Wook (the chaebol heir/company CEO and known playboy), played by Sung Hoon, at the wedding for her mother's second marriage. Lee Yoo Mi is mortified by her mother's past, while her mother is not only not ashamed of it, but embraces it as an important part of her identity. Lee Yoo Mi and Cha Jin Wook end up having a one night stand (in his car, on the beach! Downright racy for a kdrama!) after which Lee Yoo Mi sneaks away before Cha Jin Wook wakes up. Cut to three years later and the renowned playboy has basically been celibate since that night because he's fallen in love with the mystery girl from the beach. Because it's dramaland, Lee Yoo Mi's new job is as the nutritionist for Cha Jin Wook's company's cafeteria. High-jinks ensue!

There is nothing really ground breaking in the story line here, and nothing is really going to be a huge mystery. It's a short series (only 13 episodes), and the pacing falters a little bit. Upcoming complications are telegraphed pretty obviously if you're familiar with kdramas, at least. The bromance chemistry between Sung Hoon and his character's secretary, Jang Woo Jin - played by Park Shin Woon - is gold every moment they are both on screen. Also, Sung Hoon is no slouch at kissing, even when his co-star is almost a foot shorter than him (manner legs almost certainly employed generously - either that, or Song Ji Eun got to stand on a lot of boxes).

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Lovely Love Lie (AKA The Liar and his Lover)

The alternate title sounds racier than this show actually is. It's a music industry story line with a girl in a high school band (think 19 years old) named Yoon So Rim (played by Idol Actor Joy from Red Velvet) and the superstar kpop producer Kang Han Kyeol AKA K of Crude Play (played by Lee Hyun Woo) who meet coincidentally several times and end up falling in love. There's also the base player from the fictional group Crude Play, Seo Chan Yeong (played by Lee Seo Won) who ends up being the producer for So Rim's group. There's some minor love triangle plotting going on, but mostly it ends up about being the trials and tribulations of the musicians - conniving music company execs, dating scandals, and industry scandals galore. Since it is technically a high school drama, it remains pretty firmly on the chaste side of things romance-wise. I feel like the story lost a bit of focus as it picked up various subplots and then dropped them just as quickly in several instances, but it remained cute and entertaining throughout. Even with several hardships thrown in for various characters, it never really loses its upbeat rhythm. Special shout out to UNIQ's Kim Sung Joo as Yoo Shi Hyun, the lead vocalist of Crude Play, and Jang Ki Yong as Crude Play's drummer Ji In Ho. There was never a point when I was watching where I felt like I was wasting my time, but there was also not really a point in the drama where I was overjoyed. This one's pretty middle of the line.

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I finished watching Legend of the Blue Sea last night. This was a solid little drama, really. It stars Lee Min Ho (from Boys Over Flowers and Heirs, among many other shows) as Heo Joon Jae, a modern day conman with a troubled family past, and the amazingly lovely Jun Ji Hyun (best known for My Love From Another Star - which was very good, you should check it out) as Shim Chung, a mermaid who has come to dry land to find her love and live her life as a human. It comes complete with evil stepmothers and weird serial killers and quirky friendships. The supporting cast is just as amazing as the lead couple. I could listen to Lee Min Ho read the phone book, really. Jun Ji Hyun is not afraid of physical comedy and it was a delight to watch her as Shim Chung. The drama moves back and forth between modern day and historical with some reincarnation storylines. Got7's Park Jinyoung does a lovely job as the soulful young Kim Dam Ryung in the Joseon era bits. There were things about the plot that kept me guessing until the end, which was nice, and it kept up pretty well with the pacing. It's a lovely story.

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I'll preface this by saying that I actually enjoyed watching this drama and would probably watch it again in the future. That said, it was also kind of a hot mess. The pacing of the story line was all over the place - both too slow, and too rushed, simultaneously. It seemed as if there were really two entirely separate stories being told here and the result was that neither one got the depth and development that it really deserved and one of them, after a lot of lead up, got dropped like a hot rock right before the final episode. Nam Joo Hyuk plays Habaek, the titular Water God, who is destined to become king of the gods, if only he can complete some pesky quests in the human world first - unfortunately, he arrives without direction, without resources, and without his powers. He meets up with Shin Se Kyung's Yoon So Ah, a psychiatrist who doesn't particularly like hearing about people's problems (seems like an odd choice of career given that), and who is struggling to make ends meet in her private practice. Oh, and who is also the last descendant of a family that was indentured to be the servants of the gods. Their story was pretty run of the mill basic romance line - nothing ground breaking or earth shattering there. The much more interesting story line for me as Im Joo Hwan's CEO Shin Hoo Ye, the half-god with the power of death. His story and character were more tragic and much more interesting. It was a shame that the story line got dropped so hurriedly at the end of the show. His was by far the most sympathetic character. Joo Hyuk's cold disdain as Habaek was off-putting in comparison. I do feel that this drama suffered from some of the lead up advertising pitting it as the next Goblin: The Lonely and Great God. Also, the producers flirted with these exotic fantasy elements, but continually shied away from them again like they were unwilling to commit to being that over the top. There were genuinely funny moments, also some genuinely moving moments, so I'm not sorry that I watched it.

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Radiant Office.

This show just finished airing and I just watched the last episode. It stars Go Ah Sung as Eun Ho Won, a young woman who has applied and been rejected for office work 100 times, and Ha Suk Jin as Seo Woo Jin, the rigid Chief at the company where she finally manages to get hired as a contractor. Eun Ho Won is hired as a contractor at the request of the son of the company's CEO (Seo Hyun played by Kim Dong Wook (who was in Coffee Prince!)) along with two fellows (Hoya as Jang Kang Ho, a timid man from a rich family whose lack of confidence has plagued his job searching efforts, and Lee Dong Hwi as Do Ki Taek, a caring man who was dumped by his long time girlfriend because of his inability to get a corporate job) that she met in the hospital after all three attempted suicide.

This show is very much about office dynamics. Seo Hyun transitions from being a doctor to trying to take over his father's company and pulls strings to get the three job seekers hired as part of his machinations to do just that. Seo Woo Jin is a follow the rules kind of guy who hates nepotism, and his arc is very much about him finding humanity in the workplace and striking a balance between his rigid desire for following the rules and doing the right thing and understanding that his subordinates are human beings with all that entails. There is a mild romance subplot between Eun Ho Won and Seo Hyun, but it's really only flavoring and not the main focus of the show itself. There are a fair number of both likable and unlikable characters in this show. The story was a little bit slow - the pacing feels a bit off - but the actors were engaging and it was an enjoyable run.

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Descendants of the Sun. I just finished re-watching this drama. There is a reason why this drama was such a huge hit when it was airing. The majority of kdramas are filmed as they air, but this drama bucked the trend by being entirely pre-filmed and produced before airing. Song Joong Ki plays Yoo Shi Jin, a military man and member of the special forces in the Korean army, and Song Hye Kyo plays Kang Mo Yeon, a high profile doctor. The chemistry between them is so wonderful they were dubbed the Song-Song Couple and they are the primary couple in this drama (which refreshingly lacks any real love triangles). Jin Goo is Seo Dae Yeong, a Sergeant under Yoo Shi Jin in the special forces unit, and his romantic partner is Kim Ji Won playing Yoon Myung Ju, a doctor in the Korean army. Both romantic couples have story lines that are touching, funny, heart warming, and heart wrenching. They both have their obstacles to overcome. This drama has an amazing mixture of humor (especially in the bromance between Yoo Shi Jin and Seo Dae Young) and drama. Fair warning, Episode 15 is the One With All The Crying. The supporting cast and sub-stories in this drama are as engaging as the main actors and stories and the writing is witty and fast paced. I highly recommend this for anyone who likes a good romance mixed with a little action and flavored with a touch of melodrama. It scratches a lot of itches. The story can veer off into the territory of 'Seriously?' on occasion, but it's completely forgivable.

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To be honest, I didn't have particularly high expectations going into this drama and was pleasantly surprised. It's possible that my rating is a bit higher than it deserves because it was so much better than what I was expecting. I did enjoy it, though some of it was pretty rough around the edges story-wise. It was an interesting conceit: Young woman who grew up being teased for being ugly fixes the outside, but still has all the same insecurities and problems on the inside that she had before the surgery. Therefore, she has no coping skills/mechanisms for her new life as someone pretty enough to garner regular attention just for her looks. The story kept /almost/ introducing plots and then abandoning them very quickly, like they were afraid to full commit. Poor Cha Eun Woo. So much flat effect. I was not particularly familiar with him prior to this show but having seen him on promotions in some variety shows, I feel like the choices to make his character so flat effect don't really give him any time to shine here.

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I didn't hate this drama, but i'll be honest that it was a struggle to make it through the last five or so episodes. One character in particular with their pathetic "Oh, if only there was a way I could be a better person without actually, you know, having to be a better person and do the right thing. But alas, I guess I'll just have to be a pathetic sad-sack who blames everyone around me but myself for my own poor life choices." would make me want to turn it off. In the end, I actually fast forwarded through that particular character's scenes in the final episode and a half because I just couldn't take it anymore.

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This is a 54 episode weekend family drama that centers on the main couple, Ahn Jae Wook's Lee Sang Tae, a widower with two children, and So Yoo Jin's Ahn Mi Jung, a divorced mother of three children (two of whom are the same age and friends/classmates with Sang Tae's two kids). They both work at the same company and the central story is them falling in love and marrying and blending their families and all the trials and tribulations that go with that. Being a family drama, there's a lot of pairing up going on here. Sang Tae has two siblings, as well as a sister-in-law, all of whom pair up (not with each other!) as well. My favorite couple is, hands down, Sung Hoon's Kim Sang Min with Shin Hye Sun's Lee Yeon Tae.

I can honestly say that I absolutely binged this show. I watched all 54 episodes in 15 days. It's heart warming, heart wrenching, sometimes ridiculous and over the top, and at least one hair pulling fight scene. As usual, there's a lot of careful not-communicating going on so that people can continue to misunderstand each other as long as possible, but that's really kind of par for the course in kdramas. (It's possible I may have chosen that turn of phrase specifically because Sung Hoon's character is a Model turned Golf Pro.)

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This was a re-watch of a drama that I've seen before.  It's one of those dramas that starts out kind of rom-com and then veers abruptly into melodrama, so story feels a bit uneven as a result of this.  But it's Lee Hong Ki as the main male lead and I can forgive a lot for Lee Hong Ki.  He plays Choi Kang Ju, the heir to Taeyang Group, who is engaged to Jang Yi Kyung, played by Yang Jin Sung, who just happens to look exactly like Na Doo Rim, also played by Yang Jin Sung.  Rumor has it that Kang Ju's family has a curse where the first bride of the first born son of each generation will die after the wedding. Yi Kyung and her conniving mother have a plan to thwart that fate when they discover the existence of Doo Rim. One of the things I love about this drama is the chemistry Yang Jin Sung has with Lee Hong Ki when she's playing Doo Rim and yet there's a complete lack of chemistry when she's playing Yi Kyung.  Sung Hyuk has a wonderful (though at the end somewhat dogged) turn as the Second Lead Who Will Not Get the Girl.  As usual, the second lead is a bit too passive and sad-sack and thus stands no chance.

One of my frustrations with this drama, however, is that they spend a not insignificant amount of time in the first two episodes establishing that Doo Rim is not only plucky - as any poor girl must be if she's to meet and win an arrogant chaebol - but also that she's competent at fighting and taking care of herself and anyone else.  Therefore, it's especially disappointing when, later in the series, there are multiple instances of her life being in danger and all she does is flail uselessly and gasp and scream and otherwise act ineffectually in her own defense. Another frustration is how comically deplorable the bad guys end up being. They hit a point where they are so bad that it borders on tedious.

All that said, I still very much enjoy the show. The pacing is good and keeps you moving, even through the frustrating bits. And really, I could listen to Lee Honk Ki speak forever.

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The premise of this show has Lee Yo Won playing dual roles (Song Yi Kyung and Song Yi Kyung possessed by Shin Ji Hyun). Shin Ji Hyun is the daughter of a wealthy family who has lived a seemingly charmed life and ends up getting into a car accident and dying before her time. Fate offers her an opportunity to reclaim her life. While her body is in a coma, she has 49 days to find three people (parents and siblings don't count) who will cry genuine tears for her. Unfortunately, just before her accident, she discovered that her best friend and her fiance are not exactly who they seem. The 49 days include a lot of interlinking relationships and twists and turns. Lee Yo Won is great at glowering, which she gets plenty of opportunity to do playing Shin Ji Hyun interacting with her fiance. While there is plenty of humor in this show, I would not categorize it as a comedy. Definitely in the drama/tragedy corner. The ending of this show wrecked me.

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This one is a Chinese drama that I picked up because the advertisement I saw indicated that it was like Secret Garden (one of my favorite Kdramas).  It... is only like Secret Garden in that the souls of the main couple swap bodies. Body swap hijinks ensue.  Really though, that's where the similarities end. The bulk of each episode is set in a semi-historical setting with a little modern day vignette at the end of each episode.  The main couple is cute, but the whole thing kind of takes an abrupt change of direction around episode 15, ultimately leading to an ending that I didn't really find very satisfying.  Still, it was cute and fluffy, which is pretty much what I wanted it to be. Zhang Yi Jie is really good at adorably, traditionally female pouting.

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This was a surprising gem of a drama. It's a one night stand/contract marriage set up with the ever lovely Jang Na Ra as Kim Mi Yeong, a woman who can't say no when people ask her to do things and ends up being treated like a 'post-it' i.e. disposable. She, through a variety of 'are you kidding me' circumstances ends up having a one night stand with Jang Hyuk's utterly demented, and yet somehow still charming despite clearly being demented (I mean, oy that laugh), Lee Gun. Of course, she ends up pregnant. The marriage doesn't end up being as straight-forward as one might fear, and the drama takes a three year jump in time about half way through, but the relationship between Gun and Mi Yeong is thoroughly satisfying, at least once everyone stops shoving their heads up their butts. Some of the hurdles get to be a little tedious towards the last handful of episodes, but it's still worth watching through to the end. There are some genuinely heart wrenching scenes in this drama, as well as a lot of laugh out loud funny moments. Choi Jin Hyuk as Daniel Pitt is one of my top second lead syndrome instigators. He's devastatingly charming and sweet and lovely in this show. And man, his voice could melt butter.

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