Unique Story, Cute Romance, Likable characters

9/10 is my rating. This a 2016 South Korean Romantic Comedy television series With 16, 1 hr, episodes.

Shim Bo-nuI had lived a life filled with a series of tragic events. Looking for meaning she turns to a Shaman who tells her she is the epicenter of all the bad luck and gives her advice to take physical measures that make her seem odd to other people. She keeps many people at arms length for fear that her unlucky aura will cause bad things to happen to them. She keeps crossing paths with a cold genius CEO Je Soo-ho (Seol Woo-Byung). It has been years since her sister fell into a coma and doctors are encouraging Bo-nul to discharge her sister and care for her at home which is a likely death sentence. With years of unpaid medical bills and the diminishing possibility that her sister will ever wake up result in an urgency to the situation. Feeling powerless, Bo-nul once again turns to the Shaman for advice and he tells her she must sleep with a man from the year of the tiger to change her sister’s fate. It just so happens that the socially awkward and cold genius she keeps running into is year of the tiger. At the same time, Choi Geon-wook/Gary Choi (Lee Soo-Hyuk), Bo-nul’s childhood friend, returns to South Korea, after making it big as an international tennis star. He still has feelings for Bo-nul who was secretly his first love.

Spoiler 🚨 I really liked all the characters and the romance progressed in a way that was believable. It was even relatable how she became convinced she was unlucky and why she might try to feel in control by doing things the Shaman said would change an outcome. It felt a little frustrating at times when those around her point out how illogical some of her conclusions were she would stubbornly stick with her beliefs even when the outcome of events was overall positive. It came to a point where clinging to superstition was a way to shield herself from tragedy. It felt a bit cowardly at times and I found myself going from understanding to irritation because she hurt others by withdrawing lest her bad luck rub off on them. It was enjoyable overall well worth the watch.

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If you liked “My Shy Boss” This has similar elements

8.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2017/2018 romantic comedy television series that has 16, 60 minute episodes.

Jwa Yoon-yi (Baek Jin-hee) prides herself on being the perfect secretary even though her boss is too busy cheating on his wife to notIce. Like every secretary who tries to have their own life around juggling every aspect of their boss’s, she looks happy on the outside but is stressed and miserable on the inside. When scandal breaks out around her boss, Yoon-hi is let go. Nam Chi-won (Choi Daniel) arrives at the company at about the same time as a super star new Director. While he is very skilled in business he is totally lacking in social skills which earns him a lot of enemies. One of those enemies, knowing Yoon-yi is desperate to get back to work pulls strings to bring her back on but as Chi-won’s secretary. He figures he can plant a spy to bring Chi-won down. But he does not know Yoon-yi and her ability to make her boss shine. Hwangbo Yul (Lee Won-keun) is a 3rd generation chaebol who seems to have everything except many people in his life who truly care. He does not take work seriously and cannot keep a secretary because he is immature and unreasonably demanding. He has decided that Chi-won is cool and would make a good Hyung. Yul is also intrigued by Chi-won’s secretary and in lieu of luring her away accepts her recommendation for a secretary who is Wang Jeong-ae (Kang Hye-jung) a single mother who was abandoned by her philandering husband and left penniless and desperate for a job. The problem is Yul has criteria for his secretary that would exclude Jeong-ae so she has to pretend to be her younger sister and not a separated housewife. Will this one of many secretaries be the one that makes Yul grow into the successful business person hiding deep inside?
spoiler alert.
I decided to watch this one because I had finished “My Shy Boss” (MSB) and was looking for other drama that had a male lead that was really shy or had similar personality issues. This one was recommended as having a cold and not very socially adept boss that was similar to the boss in MSB. Because of that I was a little concerned that the two dramas would be too similar. There was of course a love triangle in this, as well as a friend group, another side couple, and a Bromance or two. I like all those elements and really can’t get enough of them played out in many different ways. What reduced my enjoyment about three quarters of the way through was a romance that was juvenile and over-the-top on cringe factor for me. I know that people can be sort of silly when they first discover they love each other but the age of the people in this just made that behavior seem out of place and it broke the fourth wall for me. Still if you like my shy boss I would say that this parallels in enough elements that you would likely enjoy this as well. Of the two I like my shy boss just slightly better but this one was a very close second for that type of movie. I recommend this for a romantic comedy that has workplace issues and a slice of life for the way secretaries supports high-level executive positions.

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Sorry when it ended

10/10 is my rating. This South Korean tv drama aired in 2017 and spanned 16 episodes (45 minutes/episode).

Life and love happen to long time friends Ko Dong-man (Park Seo-joon) and Choi Ae-ra (Kim Ji-won). Dong-man is a formerly famous martial arts fighter who fell from fame Choi Ae-ra works in a department store but dreams of much bigger things.

Spoiler 🚨 The descriptions and ratings do not do this show justice. It is one of my favorites and I will definitely be watching it again and recommending it to everyone who will listen. I can't think of anything that I would change. It reminded me a bit of "Rocky Balboa" but just a bit. It was it's own special and very unique story. If you are an Asian Drama Fan and like great story lines, sizzling chemistry, friendship and character growth - you don't want to miss this one. These two actors now top my list and I will be looking for other things they are in.

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Surprisingly good

Also known under the title you are my pet. This is a 2017 Japanese television series. It has alternate titles “Tramps Like Us”, and “Kimi Wa Petto”. This romantic comedy has 16, 45 minute episodes. It was a remake based on a popular Manga entitled “Kimi wa Pet” by Yayaoi Ogawa (2000-2005).

Although a beautiful and successful career woman, Sumire Iwaya (Noriko Iriyama) hides a painfully shy, socially uncertain and self-effacing nature from all but her close friends. Having both attended Tokyo University and Harvard she is considered elite in terms of a marriage prospect. Expecting a proposal from her current boyfriend, he instead breaks off the relationship after telling her he cheated and has fathered a child. Iwaya is devastated and gets inebriated to drown her sorrows. After staggering back home, she opens a cardboard box to discover an attractive young man who is hiding from the jealous partner of a current romantic interests. He looks up from the box at Iwaya and his wide eyed look reminds her of her beloved pet Momo. The next day she wakes up to find this young stranger, Takeshi Goda (Jun Shison) in her bed. When she tries to kick him out and he says he has no place to go. So Iriyama issues a challenge and says he can stay but only if he will act as a pet. Surprisingly, he agrees. Iriyama finds comfort in her new pet, Momo and can talk through her many concerns and worries with him. Things get complicated when Iwaya’s long time love, Shigehito Hasumi (Seiiche Tanabe) returns from oversees. She must hide her unusual pet from friends and family. Who will she choose? The young man seems to understand her like no other but her lost love is back and just as handsome and charming as ever.

Spoiler 🚨 I was a bit surprised how well I liked this. I have known people just like Iwaya who are beautiful and people assume their lives must be perfect. Really attractive people must develop a tough shell as people have very high expectations and are often less forgiving of mistakes and flaws in persons they deem that lucky. Her vulnerability is what made the situation more plausible. Momo is also understandable as he is in desperate need of a place and also is drawn to Iwaya’s kindness and vulnerability. Momo constantly builds Iwaya up and helps her to overcome her fears. Takeshi loves Iwaya but is willing to help her relationship with Hasumi if it means she will be happy. There was a female rival after Hasumi, Shiori Fukushima (Wakana Sakai), and evening if Iwaya and Hasumi did not wind up together I did not want to see him with Shiori because she went about it in a very catty way. But it became clear that love often has its own ideas. It ended perfectly all the way around. Noriko Iriyama is genuinely beautiful so it was easy to see why so many men would be interested despite her somewhat awkward nature. It is a fun, feel good watch.

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Loved it the whole way through

This is a 2012 South Korean Historical Medical Fantasy Romance television drama with 24, 1 hr episodes. It is also known under the title “Faith.”

When the queen is mortally injured General Choi Young (Lee Min-ho) is sent through Heaven’s door to the land of the Gods to find a doctor to heal her. First doctor he encounters is a plastic surgeon, Yoo Eun-soo (Kim Hee-sun) but there is no such distinction 700 years in the past so he abducts her to take her back to save the queen, Queen Noguk (Park Se-young). Seeing her skill and the medical tools she brought with her, the people believe she was trained by no other than the legendary Chinese surgeon Doctor Hwata. Soon all those currently battling for rights to the throne believe that having her as their royal doctor will tip the scales in their favor. As love grows between the doctor and the captain of the royal guard, he must battle not only for the young king he has come to respect but also for the woman doctor he has grown to love. He also must keep a promise to her, on his honor, to return her to her world.

I was afraid this would be just another historical drama. Should have known better with Lee Min-Ho involved it has both fantasy and sci-fi time travel mixed in. His role is so dynamic. Not only is he a intelligent military strategist and strong warrior but his ethics and moral code are truly impressive. It is the first time I have seen this female lead and I just loved the role she played. She was smart and forceful yet completely feminine. Very pretty both in her behavior and appearance. I thought Lee Min-Ho was a great couple with Park Shin-Hye and he was but I thought these two were even more perfect together. Looked up to see if they dated and seems she was married. That is how great their chemistry was. There was good and evil a bit of a mystery and lots of suspense. Lee Min-Ho shines in action scenes. He puts so much emotion into his acting I suspect he is an empath and probably deeply feels his roles I would imagine he is exhausted when he finishes a drama. I greatly admire his talent and knowing he is in something greatly influences whether or not I watch it. spoiler alert** I was a bit worried at the ending as it seemed they might not wind up together. Things ended well I just wish there had been a bit more screen time when things wrapped up happy. Still very good and a must see if you like the genre or either of these very talented actors.

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Well paced, well acted and developed slice of life romantic drama

10/10 is my rating. This is a 2022 South Korean slice of life romantic comedy. It has 16, approximately 65 minute episodes. Alternatively known as Weather People and KMA: The Cruelty of In-House Romance.

Synopsis

Jin Ha-kyung (Park Min-young) was on the verge of getting married to her fiance after a 10 year relationship. Both worked for the Korean Meteorological Administration (KMA) and were a well known couple in the office. Ha-kyung is humiliated when she finds out, on the brink of their wedding, that her fiance is being unfaithful with a young reporter who also works with them. Han Ki-joon (Song Kang) is a forecaster at KMA and Ha-kyung winds up being the Director of the section he works in. He is the ex of the girl Ha-Kyung's fiance cheated with. Ha-kyung vowed to never have a workplace romance again but when a one night stand with Ki-joon leads to something more it may be hard for her to keep that vow. Can the two convince each other and others that their romance was not just a rebound and that they had no intention of becoming a couple out of revenge? Can they keep their relationship a secret from co-workers who may judge them as a superior and subordinate as well as for the age gap?

Review

Korean dramas are rarely risque but this one has some moments that make it refreshing and also lead to some hilarity. I liked that they slept together and it created this dynamic tension between them. Overcoming the age gap and supervisor subordinatehurdles added a layer of intrigue. Getting a glimpse inside the complexity of forecasting and the political ramifications of getting things wrong was interesting. I loved how her team grew closer throughout the series. I found each of the bonus romances believable and did not feel irritated when time was spent in them as I was also very drawn into those stories.

Spoilers

I thought her fiancé and his girlfriend who slept together and cheated on them would be irredeemable but was pleasantly surprised the writers turned it around and I was not angry on the main character's behalf but even started rooting for the relationship. The fact that she was able to put aside the hurt and become a good friend to her ex fiancé made her an all the more likable female lead. Same with the male lead and his ex girlfriend, the fact that he was always there for her and she for him as friends was heartwarming. Park Min Young is such a great actress and Ienjoy watching her bring the characters to life. I recommend this for fans of any of the main characters, for those that like slice of life, and as a well paced heartwarming romance.

#forecastingloveandweather

#parkminyoung

#songkang

#weatherpeople

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All Star Cast, Amazing Acting, Compelling story, some inconsistencies

8/10 is my rating. This is a 2021 South Korean Action and Crime drama with 20, approximately 80 minute episodes.

Park Joo-hyung (Song Joong-ki) grew up in Italy. At eight years old he was adopted and harbors resentment towards his Korean mother who he feels abandoned him. He later becomes part of the Italian mafia and is such an asset the head, Don Fabio, adopts him. As a member of the Cassano family Joo-hyung is renamed Vincenzo Cassano. He becomes a lawyer and utilizes his skill as he works as a representative for his adopted father in mafia dealings. When the father dies, the biological son attempt to kill Vincenzo and, after taking revenge, Vencenzo flees the country back to South Korea.

In Seoul, Vincenzo goes to the the Geumga Plaza which is a site where he helped a Chinese tycoon hide 1.5 tons of gold and install tenants to disguise the real intention of the building.
The Chinese tycooln is dead, and ownership of the gold now falls to the Cassano family, and Vincenzo plans to recover the gold for himself. Of course, the building has been taken over by a South Korean crime organization in the form of a pharmaceudical company, the Babel group. The Babel group has been strong arming the tenants so Vincenzo decides to team up with one of the tenants, a lawyer, to take down the Babel group. The lawyers daughter, Hong Cha-young (Jeno Yeo-been) was originally represting Babel but after her father is murdered by them, joins up with Vincenzo to exact revenge on the Babel Group. Sparks had originally flown between the two but as they unite toward a common purpose those strong feelings evolve to something more.

Overall, I liked this series a lot. All of the actors, and you had a pretty much all star cast with a few exceptions, did an amazing job acting out their characters. The storyline was exciting and the villians were incredibaly villanous. The whole "it takes a villian to catch a villian" axiom was true throughout the series. The chemistry between the two leads was not immediate, which made sense to me because they did not start out liking each other but developed a deep friendship through working to take down a common enemy.

*Spoilers The pros were the incredible acting, great locations and filming, and appropriate but not too invasive musical scores. Who doesn't love Song Joon-ki in action, he is incredibly handsome and charasmatic. The sense of community with the building tenants was both refreshing and engaging. I loved that Cha-young was a tough, no nonsense lawyer with a bit of a dark streak. It made her the perfect pairing for Vincenzo because she did not have an issue, if justice would not be served, with going outside of the law. I loved that there was gold hidden in the building and how disturbed Vincenzo would get whenever someone would pursue his gold. He reminded me, in those cases, of a Leprechaun guarding his gold. One of the most comedic scenes was when he had to pretend to be gay to lure in a bank that was willing to work with Babel. Whether you are gay trying to be heterosexual or heteresexual tying to be gay if you are engaging the sexuality that does not fit - it is cringy. I was laughing, so hard during that part. The funny thing, was he seemed to turn all the guys around him gay. The men seemed to love him as much as the women did. It was like everyone's dark fantasy, apprently, to be in the mob. So there were bromances galore.

The cons were the times that Vincenzo failed to stay true to character. What it seemed, was he was a South Korean child, adopted into the Italian culture but was old enough to remember the language and most of the culture of his original country. His anger at his mother for "abandoning" him, and the death of his foster parents through criminal activity, led him to embrace the dark side for revenge. I got that. Made sense. But, it showed, in so many ways that he was very humane and caring and had conscience and could love and all that - not even a sociopath because he wasn't simply "blending in" his feelings appeared genuine and he underwent an evolution through meeting and falling in love with Cha-young, being mentored and befriended by her father, and just forming so many friendships in South Korea. But then, his mother, who he was on the precipice of a true reunion with, is murdered and it is like it flipped a switch. He backtracked on all the progress he made and the brutal element fully came back in him. The fact that he had flashbacks and nightmares of past incidents clearly showed that he had remorse to that point. But then it was like he became a slightly different person after his mother's death. I thought the way he killed the Babel villians was just a bridge too far. I cannot reconcile burning someone to death with someone who is a good person. Although the chairman was evil and had done horrible things, drilling someone to death is just the next level of brutality. Becoming as evil as the evil you are punishing does not make you a good person. I was disappointed when he blew up Cha-young's father's killer. He broke his word in my opinion. hHe told him once he did this thing the debt was fulfilled and he could go free. It was dishonest and it seemed even Cha-young felt he had gone too far. But she never said that although her response to the news seemed as if it bothered her.
When he killed the female lawyer he broke his morale code which was no women and children. She even said you are going to do this to a woman and he said, basically, you are not a woman, you are a monster. Still, burning her alive was the next level up brutality. It took him from a batman like, superhero justice seeker, to just a murderer little better than the people he was "punishing". I also could not buy that the law enforcement friends in his circle were so okay with him brutally murdering those people. They helped him get away with it and even shook hands with and hugged him when he had the blood on him. It was a bit like "Dexter" in that dark anti hero type persona but I am just not a fan of that level of "eye for an eye" because his treatment of them was even more brutal than the way they treated their victims.

The ending also fell short for me. Perhaps they are setting it up for another season. I did not like the very "Pirates of the Caribbean" end where he can only come back when on a diplomatic mission (diplomatic immunity). It was over obvious in the postcards he sent that he wanted her to come find him - yet she didn't. To me it seemed as though her emotions toward him took a turn. I did not have the sense she would be willing to leave South Korea and go join him on an island off the coast of Malta. I had no care for his Italian family. We never got to know enough of that piece to care that he had reunited and was now ruling that family. And, we were reminded of his brutality when he mentioned the revenge he took on a rival family and that their remains were fertilizing his grapes. They confessed and kissed but then parted ways with a somewhat sad and whistful look in both of their eyes.

His behavior, as other reviewers have pointed out, was not even consistent with what is often the case in organized crime. I knew a situation like that once - one of my best friends in high school let's just say her father was a retired person in a very well known organized criminal entity. In those situations, usually the lawyer is very valuable and also high up in the crime organization. They do not have those folks act as "hit persons" they are too valuable to the organization. And they typically have done their dues and don't want to get their hands dirty that way. Not that they have suddenly grown a conscience, but they just don't do the dirty work anymore. So that did not make sense. He was a lawyer and the second in command - the family would typically not risk such an individual by involving them so intimately. Even if he, himself, wanted to be involved, unless there was a compelling reason he would usually be ordered by "the boss" not to.

That being said - I would still recommend it and might even rewatch it at some point. It is unique and so well acted that the flaws are not a complete deterrant. Others really liked it and did not consider these things flaws. Cha-young had just enough darkness in her to accept a lot of what he did. It was very "Game of Thrones" in the darker elements and how most of the characters were not completely good or completely evil but various mixes thereof. And how you were rooting for anti heroes. The "Queen of Dragons" in Game of Thrones reminded me of Vincenzo in the way their characters evolved and the sudden switch down a much darker path. But I wasn't a fan of how that ended either. I like redemption and character growth. This followed the opposite trajectory. If there were a second season I might watch it. I am extremely disappointed in the brutality of the murders so I can't think of a way back from that but would be interested to see where their relationship evolved.

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I liked the second one as well as the first

5/10 is my rating. This is a 2019 television comedic drama with 16, 60 minute, episodes.
📍Lee Joon-ki (Lee Yi-kyung) CEO of the Waikiki Guesthouse. He takes but roles in series and movies in a quest to become a famous actor like his father.
📍Cha Woo-sik (Kim Seol-ho) One of Joon-ki's high school friends and an investor the Waikiki Guesthouse. He plays gigs while trying to get a break in the music world.
📍Gook Gi-bong (Shin Hyun-so) A “farm league” baseball player who aspires to the majors. Another Joon-ki‘s high school friends and fellow investor in the guest house.
📍Han Soo-yeon (Moon Ga-young) Joon-ki, Woo-sik and Gi-bong's first love. She was the dream girl in high school and everyone‘s first love. In high school they all confessed to her only to be rejected, except for Woo-sik who had a mysterious encounter with Soo-yeon in the past. Woo-sik is playing a gig a her wedding when it gets called off. With nowhere else to go, she winds up at the guest house. Coming from a formerly wealthy family who went bankrupt she is now having to work to support herself and is learning about life without wealth.
📍Kim Jeong-eun (Aha So-hee) Like Joon-ki she dreams of becoming an actress. She works multiple part time jobs to make ends meet. She knows Joon-ki from the university and it seems he has let her stay there as she fell on hard times.
📍Cha Yoo-ri (Kim Ye-won) practically raised her younger brother, Woo-sik. She is not above using manipulation and blackmail to get what she wants. Because if this, the others are a little afraid of her. She often has her friend and brother’s interest at heart but her methods can be unwelcome and brutal.

Spoiler 🚨 This is loosely a sequel to the first one. The only character in common with the first is Joon-ki who it seems bought out his former friend. There is not a lot of direct reference to the characters from the first although there is mention they were all successful in their various endeavors and thus left the guest house. There is very little explanation as to why Joon-ki broke up with Chewbacca and it makes his presence in this series a bit awkward. The new cast is entertaining with many of the same elements that made the first season so enjoyable.

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I have watched over 260 and only dropped a couple I dropped this

5/10 is my rating. This is 2023 Chinese Action Romance drama with slices of medical and fire emergency life. There are 40, approximately 45 minute episodes. Adapted from the web novel “Waiting For You in a City”

First I provide a unique synopsis then review.

Synopsis
Song Yan (Yang Yang) and Xu Quin (Wang Chu Ran) fell in love in high school but their social status was very different leading to Xu Quin’s mother driving them apart. After breaking off their relationship, Xu Quin leaves to study abroad.

It has been ten years since Song Yan has seen the girl who shattered his heart and he is not ready to start up where they left off when their paths cross again. He has excellled in his chosen field, firefighting, and while his goal is to become successful enough to stand before anyone it does not mean he plans to forgive and forget. Xu Quin is an emergency room doctor and finds her path crossing Song Yan’s frequently. Her desire is to win Song Yan back.

Can the two resolve the past and find a new path to love?

Review

I stopped watching after episode 9 as I found it too slow and boring. I do not know how two such exciting careers could be portrayed in such a hum drum manner but they were able to. If you like series that are heavy on the dramatic element you may be okay with It.

I do not quit watching many, I will usually muscle through if there is just one aspect I do not like. But there were so many things I did not like. i thought they seemed horrible for each other, he was whiny, she was clingy and selfish, and it was boring. I was not interested in watching another 31 episodes of a drama where I did not care if the couple got together nor to see more of their jobs.

Spoilers*

I found the male lead character whiny and abrasive. He took his moods out on everyone around him. It is not an admirable trait. His relationship with his best friend had a very gay vibe. Men do not tend to act jealous and cry over other men in a typical friendship. They were also very touchy feely to the point if they kissed I would not have been surprised. Some like boy love series and that is fine. It is not my preference so it felt misleading to have two supposedly heterosexual characters act very homosexual in their interactions with each other. I have seen the actor in other roles and he is very manly, handsome and charismatic but I was disappointed in this role.

The female lead character sees him after a decade and then rather than slowly trying to win him over she comes at him like a sledge hammer. She also did not seem to have overcome the issue with her mother making it likely she would break his heart again..

#YangYang
#WangChuRan
FireworksofmyHeart

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Has some laugh out loud funny moments, intrigue and romance

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2019 Josean era based historical romantic comedy with 32, 30 minute, episodes.

After assassins attempt to murder his family, Jeon Nok-du/Lady Kim Nok-soon/Yeon soo (Jang Dong-toon), sets out to find out who sent the assassins and why. He traces them back to a widows only village and disguises himself as widow Lady Kim, so he can remain undercover and investigate. He is provided a room to share with Dong Dong-joo/Yoo Eun-seo (Kim So-hyun) who is pretending to be in training as a courtesan but has her own mysterious reason to disguise herself in the widow town. Dong-joo’s goal is to secure a place in the palace were she will have access to the king. Nok-du’s investigation leads him to the palace as well. With a king, King Gwanghwamun (Jung Joon-ho) who is insane with the need to guard the throne at all costs, getting close to him is no small endeavor. Can the two succeed in their separate yet intertwined quests and manage their growing feelings for each other? Will what they each discover draw them closer or tear them apart?

spoiler alert**. The first part of this series had some laugh out loud moments where he is struggling with all the pitfalls of trying to be a woman. The mystery around both of their pasts is highly intriguing. I loved so many of the supporting characters. I really liked the character Nok-du and wanted to see good things happen for him. When he discovered the king was his father who attempted to kill him as an infant due to some prophesy, I hoped he would come around and be happy his son was alive and had grown to an exemplary person but he never did. Even after getting to know him as a close confident when he did not know he was his son, he wanted to kill him the moment he found out. There were moments when the king was almost a sympathetic character but then he would do something awful again. The ending was happy in terms of the romance but there were disappointing elements. Nok-du winds up back in exile and I would have liked to see him be Prince after all the struggle. He would have made a fine future king as he was kind, brave and loyal. Instead the evil cousin basically got his way and deposed the mad king. I wanted to see the king and perhaps the cousin come around. But both remained evil at their cores. The opening music did not fit with a historical drama and I would laugh at how silly it is. It was very good and extremely entertaining but those few elements kept it from being exceptional.

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