Watched Dramas List ~ 2020

I enjoyed this quite a bit, which was surprising because I'm sure I had watched the first few episodes in 2018 (before I had started keeping track of my dramas) and I had dropped it.

It's far from being one of my favourites, but it was fun to watch and somewhat unexpected.
I thought it would be the usual romcom, but the romance aspect of the plot is quite underplayed and comes in late in the drama. In my opinion the story could have done well even without the love angle, especially considering that it felt as if the writers were thinking "darn, we forgot about the love story and we have less than two hours left...hurry!" It's true that there were a few seeds planted throughout the drama but it felt like they all bloomed without notice all at the same time...a little bit forced, in my opinion.
Yet, I didn't find that aspect to be bothersome either and the overall plot of an arrogant star coming to accept fatherhood and growing as a man worked pretty well.
I liked the secondary couple and their marriage problems. I thought it was dealt with in quite a mature way and I wished we'd see more of them.

Good acting overall, pleasant writing and decent OST.

Watched: 05/01/2020 - 08/01/2020

This is the first drama I've ever watched during airing, and I did not regret it!

It's one of my favourite comedies and it's a black comedy vibe which I really like a lot and do not find often in Korean dramas.

Here you'll be able to read my spoiler-free review.

Watched: 22/10/2019 - 09/01/2020

I had watched this at the beginning of my adventure into Kdramas and I had loved it! 

Upon second watching, the story holds pretty well up till episode 13. After that I honestly couldn't find the will to go on ahead till the end.
Indeed, while the whole idea was good and the characters well-developed, the writing does end up being a little bit tiring in the end. Especially the business 'cospiracy' thing felt sort of weak. 

The characters' journey though, was pretty interesting and kept me captivated by the drama. The decisions they take seemed realistic and in line with all the uncertainties and idiosyncrasies of real life.
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However the fact that the second time around I wasn't able to actually finish it, makes it so that I really can't keep this drama scored at 9. I'm lowering it to 8 for now and maybe raise it again if a third rewatch makes me change my mind.

REWATCH COUNT - 2
1 - late 2018
2 - 30/12/2019 - 10/01/2020 (only till episode 13)

This might be the very best saeguk romance melodrama I've ever watched. 

I was hesitant even if the reviews were very high since it's a Romeo & Juliet cliche and I'm not often fond of the concept, but here it was masterfully carried out. The romance feels real and not rushed, the performances were all amazing (I particularly loved the FL's acting here, but all the cast deserves praise), the characterizations very well done and the story compelling.

I didn't skip a single scene and felt interested in every single character arc.

Watched: 12/01/2020  - 15/01/2020

I liked it. And I didn't really expect I would, considering the several bad reviews.

The show indeed isn't perfect and the interesting premise might have been done at least 10 better, but still in my opinion it was far from being as bad as some people painted it in reviews and comments. It's not the best show out there, but it's generally well-acted, not overly contrived (considering the supernatural elements) and interesting enough to keep my attention till the end.
It has to be said, though, that some of characters' decisions do make little sense and, while the two main leads have decent chemistry, it's sadly not in the romantic kind. They would have worked better as friends or partners, but even so they were sort of cute...in an awkward sort of way.

Overall it was an interesting watch and, after having recently dropped a couple of dramas out of boredom or lack of interest, I currently don't feel like giving this show less than an 8 even if a fairer score would be just slightly above 7.5.

Watched: 19/01/2020  - 21/01/2020

Had I watched this before The Princess' Man I might honestly have enjoyed it more. But with the previous romance/revenge saeguk show still quite fresh in my mind it's hard not to make comparisons and Gunman in Joseon ends up falling short by quite a lot.
The romance is both less developed and less intense, the revenge progression seems both more convoluted yet somehow less effective, the characters are seemingly interesting but end up being not that compelling and the plot also suffers from some weird characters' decisions and reactions.
The story in my opinion improves a lot towards the latter episodes (17+), but by then I was sadly a little disenchanted with the premise.

While this is definitely not going in my favourite list (or even close to it), overall I found the drama to be quite enjoyable. It's a decent watch, but one needs not to expect a masterpiece or it would incur in a serious disappointment. It deserves the current 7.7 MDL rating; I'm actually tempted to give it a full 8 in my watched list.

This is the first drama I watched with Lee Joon Gi and I can see what the fuss is all about.
The guy is obviously very good-looking, but he's also a really captivating actor and he's good both in the more emotional moments and in the several action scenes. For sure the drama wouldn't be as enjoyable without him.

Watched: 22/01/2020  - 26/01/2020

Cute and enjoyable light-hearted romcom. Nothing amazing, but overall it's pretty decent and kept my interest till the end.

I personally liked the female lead, even if she starts of being too weak and many viewers found that to be extremely annoying.
In any case, the highlight of the drama is Daniel Choi who portrays a nice and supportive male lead, which isn't too common in Korean dramas. He's understanding and willing to help in any way he can, but he's also quite childish and sometimes even petty which makes for an entertaining and realistic character flaw. He's also expressing a lot of youthful enthusiasm which is quite catchy even if sometimes a bit embarassing to watch!
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The second rewatch confirmed my first opinion. The drama isn't a masterpiece, but it's enjoyable, had a decently fun OST and some good overall acting. The plot gets a bit repetitive and not that interesting (especially with all the designing contests), but it never felt too bad to me to make me drop the drama.

REWATCH COUNT - 2
1 - spring 2019
2 - 26/01/2020 - 30/01/2020

I kept this drama on hold for several months at episode 5.
I felt the show had promise, but it seemed way too weird for my tastes at that particular time.

When I picked it back up though, I sort of fell in love with it!
Some characters are a bit extreme but not entirely out the realm of reality and everyone is quite flawed, but in an endearing way that actually makes me want to relate to them.
The time loop concept is not new, but explored in a fun way and makes for an interesting premise.
The writing has decent beats (both comedic and not) and overall flows quite well.
The story never gets boring up till the very end.

I'm not a huge fan of the two main leads generally, but I find they do play their parts really well and I do not have any complaints about the the rest of the cast either.
The OST is quite pleasant.

Watched: summer 2019 - 06/02/2020 (kept on hold at 5th ep. from summer 2019 to 01/02/2020)

Fun short watch!
The whole series lasts less than 10 minutes and managed to make me laugh several times even if I'm not too familiar with the blood type stereotypes.

Definitely a must watch if you like short comedy sketches.

Watched: 08/02/2020

What a satisfying drama from start to finish!
I honestly can't find much fault in this show...the acting, the directing, the music, the characterizations, the editing, the plot, the cinematography...everything was pretty much perfect or at least gave me the illusion of being so. 

I am honestly surprised about having enjoyed an horror drama so much. I generally avoid the genre because I hate jump scares, but you won't find any in here. That's not to say that the show isn't scary, but it's in an sort of 'understated' way which I kinda loved. There are also some pretty violent scenes, but the 'goryest' elements are blurred out, so the effect was dimmed for me. This is my first 10/10 in a few months of binge-watching and my first ever in a drama not containing any romance at all.
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A second watching of the drama just confirmed my first opinion. Of course the tension was much dimmer the second time around, but I managed to enjoy the editing and cinematography even more. The acting was even better than I remembered both from the main cast and the supporting actors who did an amazing job!
It's true that the plot does have a few inconsistencies if you watch it already knowing where the story will lead you, but honestly they are barely there and I managed to explain them away in my head.

REWATCH COUNT - 2
1 - 29/10/2019 - 31/10/2019
2 - 06/02/2020 - 10/02/2020

One has to keep in mind that it's a family/makjang-ish melodrama and it has almost all the typical tropes of one...
But if you don't mind this kind of genre and you can tolerate bad video quality and horrible subtitles...well, this show may prove to hold some entertainment value for you!

Here you'll be able to read my spoiler-free review.

Watched: 09/02/2020 - 15/02/2020

It is a sweet story, with good emotional beats and an uplifting message.
It doesn't hurt that the acting is well done. I think they nailed the casting and while the FL does look a tiny bit older than the ML (in real life she's 6 years older while in the drama they are supposed to be the same age), it wasn't that noticeable to me.
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The first time watching this show I loved the start but I got sort of bored during the last 4-5 episodes.
Second time around, I agree with my first  opinion that the show has a stronger beginning (and middle) compared to the ending, but it was still much better than what I remembered. So, I raised my rating from 8 to 8.5.

REWATCH COUNT - 2
1 - spring/summer 2019
2 - 17/02/2020 - 19/02/2020

It wasn't at all what I expected. Looking at the poster, I thought it would be a more mature but still quite silly romcom, but it's not really comedy at all. It has some moderate laughs, but it has really sad and heartbreaking parts as well.

The acting was wonderful. The story isn't bad, but it wouldn't have been powerful enough to keep hold of the drama if not for the awesome performances of the actors, especially (but not only) of the two main leads.
The writing is solid and there are some very quotable thoughs by the two main protagonists that are quite deep regarding life, love, responsibility and being an older adult.

The settings are really nice, the OST is pleasant, the pacing slow, but in line with the message and flow of the drama.
While the main focus of the drama is the main couple and their life struggles, there are also some side couples that were a joy to watch.
Now...the drama has some glaring faults. For starters it has too many melodramatic moments and forced conflicts. It would have been better if some of them (along with a few episodes) were cut down. There are also quite a few contrivancies. Some conflicts were basically solved too easily and without much logic. It would have been better to have less hurdles overall for our protagonits to overcome, but have them to be better fleshed out as to make them feel more impactful and meaningful.

Overall though it's a lovely drama and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Watched: 21/02/2020 - 26/02/2020 

While not bad, it wasn't at all what I expected. I wanted something really fun and zippy, but this was somewhat somber at times even a bit boring which was weird since it was so short.

The problem of the show is that even if it lasts 50mins in total, it basically is more filler than substance. There's an interesting concept there, but it's never explored if not superficially and there's not enough humor to keep the boat afloat.

The acting was fine, but the dialogue could have definitely been improved.

Watched: 23/02/2020 - 26/02/2020

The tone is bleak, yet comedic. It has a bitter and realistic connotation, but it doesn't feel hopeless. It manages to make you smile with your lips and sometimes also drop a tear from your eyes.
I don't think I ever watched anything quite like this and honestly I'm glad that the description of the drama was so vague, because otherwise I might not have given this show a chance.
I usually prefer more boisterous black comedies (like Psychopath Diary) but I found Big Forest to be appealing as well with its melancholic, slice-of-life and somewhat sad but hopeful approach to comedy.

Here you'll be able to read my spoiler-free review.

Watched: 07/03/2020 - 10/03/2020 

This drama is heartbreakingly beautiful.
Every aspect is pretty much outstanding: the production, the cinematography, the performances, the music, the writing, the directing...everything stands out to me.
I especially loved this female lead character. She was down-to-heart, calm, strong and she just felt real.
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While the second rewatch confirmed the overall beauty of this drama, I have to admit it might not offer a lot of rewatchability value for me, which is why I'm lowering my ratings from 10 to 9.5. It's way too somber, too heartbreaking and I really had to stop every 2/3 episodes and start other more light-hearted series and/or movies. I might change my mind if I'll end up eventually rewatching this show a third time, but I doubt that will happen anytime soon.

REWATCH COUNT - 2
1 - spring/summer 2019
2 - 19/02/2020 - 13/03/2020

There are shows that you know are objectively not very good, but that they are so fun to watch, good-hearted and overall well-structured that it makes the cringiness of a few scenes, the undeniable cheesyness of some others and the myriad of inconsistencies seem quite unrelevant anyway.
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What made Nice Witch such pleasant and entertaining watch to me was:
- that the plot is good-paced and never boring; it doesn't give you time to think too much of how little sense what you're seeing actually makes;
- that the acting is on-par for all leads and supporting cast. Everyone seems to be having fun with their roles;
- that the main leads do have some consistent character features and go through growth that doesn't seem too unrealistic and feels mostly earned;
- that the show doesn't take itself too seriously. There are some crazy makjangish revelations in here and some scenes that are definitely inconsistent (the FL is sometimes way too skilled in areas that make little sense and the ML in the middle of the show fights through like 15 gangsters with barely a scratch...), but I found myself laughing WITH the show and not AT it.

Add to this a very fun OST, plain but competent directing/editing and you have a package that's not amazing and definitely not original, but enjoyable nonetheless!

REWATCH COUNT - 2
1 - early 2019
2 - 12/03/2020 - 15/03/2020

Well, the drama is intentionally cheesy and the plot sometimes way too contrived, yet it has charm. I thoroughly enjoyed! 

The characters and the performances by the main cast was probably what sold this drama to me, but even if the writing flowed somewhat smoothly even through some very weird and fuzzy motivations.
Both second leads are forgettable, but the main couple is very cute together.
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Second rewatch was pleasant as well even if some contrivancies and cringy moments were even more glaring the second time around. It's definitely a guilty pleasure and I'm honestly a little bit hesitant about recommending this show...but, hey, I still liked it!

REWATCH COUNT - 2
1 - summer 2019
2 - 16/03/2020 - 18/03/2020

I'm very glad I fished this drama out of my dropped list and gave it a second chance.

It's true that I didn't like all the plot points the drama goes through, but I usually appreciated the way it dealt with them. It was somewhat unusual and mature and felt refreshing. Writing was usually quite smooth, but I couldn't help but feel like some developments were improvised and not thought through.
The characters are the best part of the show with a chemistry between the FL and ML which is definitely uncommon in general and even more so considering that the two leads have a 19 years age difference in real life. But the supporting cast is definitely to be praised as well. I really ended up knowing and growing fond of most of them.

Music is so-so, but the production value is quite good. Editing could have been done better since some scenes are cut in a weird and confuse way, but it's not extremely jarring.

Overall it's a very good drama which is definitely a must-see for everyone liking the older-woman-younger-man trope.

Dropped once: spring 2019 (at episode 4, but I read almost the whole story through recaps)
Watched: 19/03/2020 - 22/03/2020

This was a lovely drama drama. I found the characters really likeable and (in the first half, at least) very compelling. The problem is that the story was better paced and the motivations better structured in the first half of the drama and then everything goes a bit downhill.
Still I enjoyedit till the end, barely skipping anything at all.
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The second rewatch was positive as well, but it confirmed my first impression that the show derailed a bit in the second half. Had it kept going strong as the first 10/12 episodes it might have been entered in my TOP20 favourite dramas list, but midway through characters' actions and motivations get murky and the makjangish part of the plot takes over and doesn't help the situation much.
The performances end up probably being the most consistently good aspect of the drama, as I found the main leads to be very cute and compelling together even if their progress gets a bit stale in the last few episodes making the drama kinda hard to complete to the end the second time around.
Second female lead was fine if a bit boring...I think there was potential there, but wasn't explored properly. Special mention to second male lead though! Eric Cho could make the whole drama worthwhile.

REWATCH COUNT - 2
1 - spring/summer 2019
2 - 03/03/2020 - 23/03/2020

This show is definitely special, especially considering it came out in 2007.
The story presents quite a wide array of complex, likeable and strong female characters. And they are the sort of female characters that I like the most: strong but neither rude, mean-spirited or unrealistically perfect. They are smart, but flawed; sometimes frivolous, but hardworking;  yet determined; romantic and realistic at the same time.
The acting is quite marvelous. The whole cast portrayed their characters beautifully even in the weaker parts of the drama. The OST is quite unique and I enjoyed the use of some very iconic western songs and soudtracks.

One bad point of the show is that it uses way too many tropes. Most of them are actually solved in quite a clever way, but others not so much..and it does make the drama feel cliche. But this is from 2007 and maybe some of these weren't so overdone by them...
What I can forgive a bit less, is the fact that the story gets a somewhat bland after episode 14 or so. It's decent, but it was uninteresting enough to make me get distracted by some other drama and drop the show at episode 16 the first time I tried to watch it. The second watching went much better, but the last third of the drama (ending included) is definitely the weaker part.
Another less important complain is the fact that we're supposed to believe this whole drama took place in about 3 months...but it honestly feels more like 8-10 months worth of events especially considering the relationships that are being cemented during this time period.

Overall it's a good show, one I'd definitely recommend especially if you're a woman in your 30's or late 20's.

Dropped once: spring 2019 (at episode 16)
Watched: 24/03/2020 - 27/03/2020

It is well filmed, the performances are solid, the characters likeable (even if sometimes a little farsical), the story good enough and the music very pleasant.
The reason why I dropped it during the first watching was because the subtitles were really horrendous. But when I tried to rewatch this show I found that some better subtitles were released and, while not perfect, they are infinitely better than the old ones!

The writing isn't ground-breaking, but it's coherent and solid meaning that nothing felt improvised or added in as an afterthought. The actors do a good job with their characters and while I didn't find the acting award-worthy I couldn't find any fault with it either. 

The directing is smooth and the cinematography really good. The scenery is so stunning that it made me want to try and live in a remote island for a couple of weeks...even if I doubt I could resist that long without internet...
The soundtrack is quite unique as it mixes new songs to old ones in a very pleasant way (and also a couple of songs from other dramas...I definitely heard something from Falling For Innocence and Moon Embracing the Sun).

Overall I think it's a quite good romcom with some good amount of comedy and some quite emotional moments.

Dropped once: spring 2019 (at episode 7)
Watched: 28/03/2020 - 30/03/2020

The production and acting were really great. 

A thing that this drama does right is the fact that the plot keeps moving up till the very end. I found the spy story to be well-done (even if obviously not too realistic) and the action scenes were entertaining enough.

I actually also really liked the FL and the romance aspect of the drama even if they were badly tolerated or openly criticized by most viewers.
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The second watching was also very entertaining and solidified my first positive first impressions of the drama even if some of the plot contrivancies were more evident the second time around. The interaction among the characters is still the strongest point of the show and doesn't disappoint even upon rewatching.

REWATCH COUNT - 2
1 - September  2019
2 - 31/03/2020 - 04/04/2020

I can't believe I had actually dropped this once at the very first episode months ago.
The two leads are adorable together and I loved them both. The second leads were also pretty likeable, especially the ML little sisters who's energetic and optimistic even if somewhat a little bratty sometimes.
It's a more mature love story compared to your standard korean drama and I loved it even more because of it!
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I didn't think I would want to rewatch this show after barely 4 months...but here I am!
My very positive opinion overall hasn't changed. I liked some parts of the plot a little bit less the second time around, but I really love all 4 main leads.

REWATCH COUNT - 2
1 - 03/12/2019 - 07/12/2019
2 - 05/04/2020 - 09/04/2020

I had really a bad first impression of this drama and I honestly might not have continued it past episode 4 without some external persuasion.
I found the ML unlikeable for the first 5 episodes or so, but as real feelings begin to develop he does improve his attitude and the FL is less prone to let him get away with being too controlling of her. He's not my kind of ML, but he had his good moments.
Episodes 6 to 12 were quite enjoyable, but the rest I found a bit boring.

The appeal of the whole drama is the main couple. They're cute, had good chemistry and felt strong together in the way they dealt with adversities, but sadly there was little else to be entertained by. It could have been refreshingly simple, but it's just way too simple for my taste.
The secondary characters were flat as cardboard. There were a couple of interesting takes on usual stereotypes, but they were never more than blandly explored. They felt inserted in the plot just as pure filler.

Acting was fine: the two leads were good but they didn't blow me away and the supporting cast did the best they could with what little they were given.
Music, production, directing and editing were serviceable, but nothing stood out to me.

Overall it was an enjoyable drama. It's not one I'll probably ever find myself want to rewatch, but it's one I was happy to have completed nonetheless.

Dropped once: spring 2019 (at episode 4)
Watched: 22/03/2020 - 13/04/2020

Really good drama in my opinion!

The crime aspects of the story were especially well done. There were no pretty deaths, the crime investigation was mostly believable (of course with some fictional aspects, but nothing major enough to break my suspension of disbelief) and the villains downright chilling.
The characters were very well portrayed (same screenwriter as Falling for Innocence) and Lee Jae Sang is my kind of ML. Extremely flawed yet redeemable.
The directing and editing are also quite well done, even if I would have enjoyed longer shots of crime scenes...I understand some viewers do not like the goryness display, but the scene jumps were so abrupt sometimes that I had go back and pause to understand what was supposed to be shown.
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The show proved itself to be quite deserving of the 9/10 score even at the second rewatch.
The directing and editing are well done. The music is engaging. The acting is very good. The writing is solid. The characters are interesting. The premise is not new, but is executed with heart.
If I have to mention one thing that this drama does well and that surprised me even during the rewatch is the fact that it provides serious stakes. Not everything goes well for our protagonists. They can't save everyone. And seeing them fail and grow through their failures makes the victories feel so much more impactful.

REWATCH COUNT - 2
1 - October 2019
2 - 13/04/2020 - 17/04/2020

It's an adult romance melodrama with a crime background with an interesting premise and characterizations. The angst and turmoil was very well portrayed, even if all the staring-with-teary-eyes was a tad bit overdone.
The writing in my opinion could have been better, but it mostly works even if with some contrivancies.

Acting is good across the whole cast. The two leads actually do have very good chemistry both in their quiet moments and during bantering.

I have quite a few complaints, but they are mostly due to the fact that I couldn't fall in love with the drama even if I did recognize a lot of potential. If I had been completely invested I probably would have been much more forgiving.

Watched: 18/04/2020 - 23/04/2020

I didn't want to start this drama...but I fell in love with it from the get go!
The two leads are charming and endearing and their love story feels so real even with the whole time-traveling part.
Definitely a must watch!
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As for the first time around, I was hesitant to rewatch thig show. I loved, but I was afraid I was embellishing it in my memory. I think I didn't. It's really a great drama that managed to both make me laugh and pull at my heartstrings.
Some watchers suffered from SLS, but not me. Not even a bit.
I think both second leads after all they were more enamoured by the 'older' personalities of the main leads and not their original ones from when they were 20. And Jin Joo and Ban Do never really stopped loving each other; they just temporarily lost their love behind misunderstandings and misplaced resentment.

I didn't put particularly notice in this the first time around, but I'm really loving the cinematography, directing and editing as well.
One small critic is that there is some repeatition of certain scenes, but in my opinion it is because the show relies much in showing the different perspectives to certain events, and that's a thing I really loved about this drama. Plus, I personally think these scenes are cut very harmoniously. 

REWATCH COUNT - 2
1 - Spring2019
2 - 24/04/2020 - 26/04/2020

Cute comedy drama!

I don't think I had seen this premise before in an Asian drama and I really had fun watching this show.
The episodic nature of the show with the overarching background plot, made this a pleasant and entertaining watch. The investigation part isn't exactly amazing (and definitely not realistically in the slightest...but it's a comedy after all), but it still held my interest.

Honestly, I could have done without the romance part of the story, but at least the resolution was different than usual.
I'm not giving it an higher rating because I think that it could have been done even better. There was potential for more depth, but the show never commits to it.

Watched: 29/04/2020 - 03/05/2020

Funny and heartbreaking at the same point. This drama was addicting and stayed with me for a while.
I do not really buy the resolution, but it doesn't really matter after all. Ji Sung performance was amazing, he made me believe he was indeed several different people. The whole cast did a great job too.
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I rewatched the show a second time and I'm still quite impressed by it.
I do find the representation of mental illness and psychiatric help quite unrealistic (and possibly problematic), but the show does have a paranormal sort of vibe that didn't make me take this side of the story too seriously, so I wasn't bothered by any innacuracy.

The plot has overall a very good pacing and explores the theme of identity in an interesting and compelling way.  The puzzle of story is built piece by piece the writer used the unreliable narrator trope quite well. It's not perfect, but it was enjoyable and never felt flat.

Ji Sung excelled in this role and is the star of the drama, but the acting in general is quite good all around. The FL does screech quite a bit, but this is something I'm used to with Hwang Jung Eum's performances and here she really grew on me after a couple episodes.

REWATCH COUNT - 2
1 - early 2019
2 - 03/05/2020 - 06/05/2020

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This is definitely one of my guilty pleasures. I admit it's not a great drama, but I found it so enjoyable I can't really rate it objectively.

The acting was so over the top that it's sometimes cringy. Yet, I loved it!
Yoon Shi Yoon overreacts quite a lot, but in such an endearing way I actually liked the drama even more because of it.
The FL is the kind of calm female character that I tend to like, even if some might find her boring.

I had loved the OST during the first watch as well, but I appreciated it even more the second time around. The instrumental music was beautiful and I think it was used quite well to give drama dramatic gravitas.

I personally was happy with the ending. It's not 100% satisfying and some plot points to get 'softer' conclusion, but it doesn't feel incomplete. I'm not entirely sure but I think a couple of episodes might have been cut.

Overall, it's a drama on the corny side, with some good emotional messages but obviously very unrealistic premises. I loved it anyway and my opinion didn't change during the rewatch, but it's a show I'd be a bit hesitant to recommend to most viewers. If you like Yoon Shi Yoon, it's definitely a must watch though.

REWATCH COUNT - 2
1 - spring/summer 2019
2 - 07/05/2020 - 10/05/2020

Weird but for somehow endearing show.

The investigation part of the plot is full of holes, conveniences and is not really believable, but there are a few twists that at least are entertaining.

The human side of the crimes and the real life dramas and situations of the different characters are well portrayed and decently written. This is the strongest aspect of the drama.

Acting overall was fine and everyone does seem to do a good job with their characters.
Still, I do think the show made a mistake in making the female leads too flawed and the male ones too nice.
I could have done with less (or no) romance, but it could have been worse, I guess.

Watched: 26/04/2020 - xx/xx/2020 (kept on hold at 12th ep. from 29/04/2020 to xx/xx/2020)

This drama is quite different compared to what the synopsis had led me to believe, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
I had very mixed feelings about this drama. It's not bad but it fails to live up to its full potential as a healing drama preferring instead to give too much importance to the revenge plot.

Here you'll be able to read my review.

Watched: 17/05/2020 - 20/05/2020

I started this drama with a lot of hesitation, but I really liked it!
I do understand why some watchers considered the two leads so unlikeable, but to me they do make for an interesting pair to watch. They are definitely not role models for their ethics and morals, but it's what made this drama different compared to the most.

The thing with this drama is that if you do not like or find any of the two leads at least entertaining to watch, you'll probably do better to drop the whole show.
The male and (especially) the female lead are at the core of the whole drama and I personally didn't find anything else to be particularly captivating. The cases were realistic, but the solutions are a bit far-fetched and since they often portray despicable people on both sides of the court, the emotional impact wasn't that big. The show has some potentially interesting secondary characters, but they were never explored much and so they ended up being quite flat.

My suggestion for anyone who's hesitant about this show is to try watching the first episode.
It does a good job in giving an overview on both the leads and if you don't find either of them likeable and/or compelling, you might as well save yourself some time and drop the show right then and there.

Watched: 20/05/2020 - 24/05/2020

Saying that I loved this drama is an understatement. It was my first noona romance and it set the bar quite high...
Yet, it's quite far from being perfect...it's just that every time I happen to watch a scene I feel the need to go back at watch at least one episode and while I'm watching I honestly can't see any faults!
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At the third rewatch I'm definitely well aware of the sometimes glaring faults of this drama.
Nonetheless for me it's very hard to rate it objectively because it's one of the very first few Korean dramas I've ever watched and I was so much affected by it the first time around.
Even the third time around, it still manages to pull me in thanks to how the conflicts are emotionally portrayed.
Jung Woong In also plays a very chilling and threatening villain that really manages to keep you on edge.
The last few episodes are the weakest, but overall the drama is still satisfying.

REWATCH COUNT - 3
1 - late 2018
2 - September 2019
3 - 24/05/2020 - 28/05/2020 (skipped/ffs a lot at the later episodes)

Loved it!
I honestly liked most of the characters of this show...even some of the villains! Both the main and supporting cast were amazing and showed great chemistry. Big credits to the writer as well, since he managed to give depth and individuality to so many characters that he made me really feel for almost all of them.
There were no huge mysteries, but the plot had good turns and flowed quite smoothly. There was a bit of repetitiveness going on for a few episodes in the first half of the show, but it was compensated with a good dose of humor that managed to keep me entertained, so I was never bored.
It's also worth to mention that the action scenes in this were very well done and choreographed!
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While the plot is definitely less engaging the second time around, the drama is still a lot of fun!
I should have probably waited longer for a rewatch, because I remembered pretty much everything which made things a little bit more boring that they might have been, but I'm not changing my 9.5 rating, because I do think that was my fault.

REWATCH COUNT - 2
1 - 06/11/2019
2 - 13/05/2020 - 31/05/2020 (only till episode 29)

This drama was great!

The story was catchy, the characters likeable and the production value quite good overall. It had very good comedic and sentimental beats. The fact that it also is only 12 episodes long it meant that the drama never got boring.
The rating might have been higher if only the plot didn't get quite full of inconsistencies towards the end. Nothing major, but it did leave a slightly bad aftertaste to what might have been a trule delicious watching experience

Watched: 24/06/2020 - 08/07/2020

I definitely fell in love with this drama from episode one and even if I kept seeing all the issues (especially in the editing department) I couldn't help but loving it. 

The story overall is good, but it does sometimes have some some convoluted turns and I couldn't help but wonder why they added the whole supernatural abilities part, when it didn't exactly play a very important role. Overall, though, it's still one of my favorite dramas and definitely an iconic one. I  could only wish for it to have better directing and editing...
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At 3rd watching I still think the major issue of this drama was the editing department. It feels awkward...Yet, it still manages to grip me. The writing is far from perfect and it is sometimes draggy and repetitive, but the music is so engaging it actually somehow makes up for it.
I'm still a bit perplexed by the need to having the supernatural powers thrown in the story...I would have preferred if they were either removed or used more often. The special effects are a bit cheesy so maybe this is why they were used more sporadically as the story progressed, but I honestly wouldn't have minded them going all the way in crazy territory.
Some may consider the FL annoying, but I found her character somewhat refreshing. Probably not many actresses could have managed to make this type of characterization work, but to me Kim Hee Sun was the perfect fit.
This was the first drama of Lee Min Ho I had ever watched, and till now it's also the only one I liked and managed to complete. I read he wasn't the first choice for this role, but it somehow worked really well anyway.

REWATCH COUNT - 3
1 - late 2018
2 - early 2019
3 - 28/05/2020 - xx/xx/2020