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Striking Cinematography, Perfect Leads, and Powerful OST

Sometimes I just want an story with an elegant vampire, don't you? Even better if it was set in the Republican Era—dramas I've just recently discovered. I love so much the look of them: the clothes, hair, cities, interiors, and cars (oh, those cars!). Such style and class.

I can't say enough good things about the FL. She was charming, sweet, brave, and such a nice change from the silly, ineffectual girls that are often portrayed in Chinese dramas. The actress did an amazing job depicting an abused girl slowly being transformed by love. The ML was mesmerizing as he transformed from cold and aloof to cautiously looking forward to a future filled with happiness.

There were some cheesy moments and exasperation that some people refused to die and stay dead, but I overlooked all that because the main leads were so charismatic, the visuals were stunning, and the music was fitting. It's worth watching just for those alone.

The drama was hampered by censorship. The word "vampire" was never uttered, no fangs were shown, and no direct feeding was depicted. The romance was greatly hampered. I realize there was a theoretical age gap of 82 years between the two leads, which could be problematic for some. It didn't bother me and I was rooting for them (they both deserved love and happiness in their lives and were optimally suited to one another due to their damaged psyches), but the censors downplayed the romance due to the age difference. Even so, the chemistry was deep and strong. I'm left to wonder how amazing this drama could have been without censorship.

The last episode was rushed and unsatisfying. I wasn't happy with the ending, but it made sense, and I've made peace with it. I wasn't the only one displeased: after the drama ended, there was so much vitriol directed at the production team that the director had to disable his Weibo, and the screenwriter posted a happy ending epilogue on hers to placate the viewers.

An extra half star was awarded for beautiful images and lovely music.

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=kHrHfFAqfpc&list=PL_cn955nlB8Tsq16mP_RBZIYoOLvHqbkM

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Odd But Entertaining

I was immediately drawn in by two scenes shown in the intro: a beautifully dark, rainy night with the lovely FL bending down to "shake hands" with a young man sitting on the concrete and a dynamic, dancing shot of ML in a suit. Sadly, neither one of those featured in the drama! Maybe that's par for the odd drama I just watched.

The concept was having a young man as a pet. I totally bought the ML as a dog! He had puppy dog eyes and shaggy hair. He was pretty adorable. Also appealing was the way ML and FL filled in the empty spots of each other's lives. There were warm moments between the two that were a joy to watch.

This could have been a very sweet, fluffy romcom, but it made me uncomfortable that the FL kept having sex with her boyfriend, the 2ML, when it was evident she wasn't that into him and felt closer to the ML. Too much time was spent on FL/2ML's relationship to the detriment of the drama. Judicious editing could have eliminated at least two episodes of FL's endless waffling between the two men. Also, the 2FL was a horrible person. I can't see an accomplished man falling for her, but love is blind, as they say. If she'd been edited out, the drama would have probably lost another two episodes. Twelve episodes would have made a tighter, better story.

ML's dance scenes were awesome and worth an extra half star.

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Fun RomCom

Cliches done right! Rich, cold guy/poor, warm girl, love triangles (at least five?), misunderstandings, amnesia, comas (both leads!), falling into a kiss, obligatory fan service male torso shower scene, etc. It was entertaining to watch a gentle satire of Asian dramas.

The editor of romance novels found herself inside one of her novels, and her knowledge of their inner workings helped her leverage out of the second female role into the lead female's place to capture the heart of the cold CEO.

The romance was sweet once things were straightened out from misunderstandings. This is only my second drama from Taiwan, and I'm going to have to check out more, as I'm impressed! I realize I'm looking at a tiny data point, but if other Taiwanese dramas are done this well, they've made me a fan. The two dramas I've watched have known how to make a happy ending. I was given that dopamine hit that Korean dramas often fail to produce in the last episode (they are killer up to that point, but I've often been bitterly disappointed by the ending).

I've awarded an extra half star to the ML for his quizzical looks as he read FL's romance novels. I found his bewilderment amusing. "Cheetah, again?"

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If You're Going to Bubble Wrap Your Daughter, Make it into a Princess Dress

I expected this to be a silly piece of fluff, and the addlebrained expressions of the FL in the beginning seemed to confirm this (seriously great performance by the lead actress; we have a tendency to admire dramatic performances but rarely realize the talent needed to play a comedic role). However, as the drama went on, I was treated to a slice of life with flawed humans who struggled and learned to overcome through the help of family. FL's development from an overprotected, coddled child to a competent adult was satisfying. Much more than fluff.

I loved the bubble wrap princess dress at the beginning of each episode!

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Sweet Slow Burn

A young woman entered a marriage arranged by her parents with a man she'd never met. He was asea for their wedding ceremony; a photograph took his place. The drama detailed their slow adaptation to one another and the deep connection that gradually developed.

This was a very sweet story about two people with tall walls who overthink internally. There were no villains except for that treacherous inner voice many of us have that comes to rob our peace.

The romance between the second leads was just as compelling, if not more. I didn't begrudge their time onscreen as I often do with secondary romances.

MDL doesn't have this listed under the "Comedy" genre. The over-reactions may seem out of place if the viewer isn't expecting a romcom, but this is firmly in that category.

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Being a Genius Doesn't Bring Happiness

The Kidnapping Day showcased many of the reasons I find K-dramas appealing: an intriguing story, warm human elements, and emotional impact. The suspense was balanced with surprisingly comedic moments (I was giddy with amusement during the hamburger eating scene). Best of all was the growing relationship between the kidnapper and his "victim." The child actress did an amazing job.

As much as I enjoyed the drama, there were plot holes and unanswered questions. Evil doesn't stop just because circumstances change. Those holes left ample opportunity for a continuation of the story. With Ro Hee's intelligence, would she be tempted to continue her parents' plans? Or could she look for vengeance? I'd love to see more of Ro Hee.

Note: It's important to watch the post-credit scene of the last episode. Holy open ending!

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Friendships Save Lives

It seems I've watched mostly light, quirky Japanese dramas, so I was unprepared for the beauty and suspense of Erased. The visuals were stunning: starry night skies, snowy fields, barren trees, and a little girl in a red coat at the center of it. The story kept me at rapt attention, jostling me from sweet interactions with a rag-tag group of school children to gut-gripping dread that one of them will become the next victim. Kudos to the child actors; they were all exemplary. And, amazingly, they resembled the adult actors they were to become.

When first introduced to Satoru, he wasn't in a good place. He lived estranged from his mother, was a sullen loner, and his career as a manga artist wasn't going anywhere, so he worked as a pizza delivery guy. Even so, when he had his "revival" spells, he still tried to help people anonymously. He was afflicted with a five-minute reset of time whenever something bad was about to happen. He saw the issue in real time and worked to remedy it during the reset.

Every reset was about five minutes previous until something dramatic happened, and Satoru was sent 18 years back into the past to his younger self. He realized he was reset to prevent the murders of three school children that occurred when he was a child. In order to do that, he had to break out of his shell, stop being a loner, and reach out to his classmates. The ensuing friendships changed Satoru. He wasn't just trying to solve the mysteries in order to return to his timeline; he began to genuinely care for his classmates, and they loved him in return. He started to see his mother in a new light and began to appreciate her. His character development was rewarding to watch.

There's also a psychopathic killer on the loose if personal growth arcs and adorable children don't hit your sweet spot.

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Cuteness Overload

The ML was puppy dog cute and worth watching the drama for; the actor owned the role of a narcissist who dealt with the world relying on his looks. When ML was confronted with his future, ugly self, he was first horrified and in denial. As time went on, and he began a romantic relationship based on caring rather than looks, he began to change. I love character growth in dramas; it gives me hope for some people I know.

I was wishing for a better ending, but it fell flat, just like old beer. Who wants a rom-com to end with a stiff, off-putting romance? Who wants the adorable ML to become an ugly, old man? It's a downer ending to a cute drama. I waffled on how many stars to rate after my disappointment. I considered 6.5, but the lead was engaging. I decided to award 7 stars, but I gave another half star because of the lead's cuteness factor. I'm allowed; don't judge me.

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Enjoy the Scenery: Mountains, Yi Lin, and Esther Yu

I like sports dramas. I appreciated learning more about snowboarding, but I wish there had been a little more competition shown. Except for two jumps, there was no suspense involving the snowboarding.

There should be an expiration age on full-time aegyo for adult humans, and Esther Yu, approaching 30, has reached it. I didn't mind the childishness in Love Between Fairy and Devil, because aegyo suited the character of an innocent flower fairy. It's different when Esther Yu is playing an adult businesswoman. This is not a criticism of the actress; I like her very much and will happily watch most of her dramas, but I hope she can get more adult-ish roles where she plays an intelligent, competent person without all the toddler, spoiled attitude. What's cute as a toddler just isn't as an adult. I'm not saying she has to take cold, calculated roles, but wouldn't it be fun to see what she could do with a villain role?

When watching this drama, leave logic at the door. FL wore a new snowboarding outfit every day but claimed she couldn't afford to buy fogless snowboard goggles. This from a woman staying at an exclusive resort and taking personal snowboarding lessons. And she carried one suitcase a trip when she wore the equivalent of a complete dress shop. She seriously couldn't get two of her coats in that suitcase, much less all of the boots/shoes/purses/hats/dresses. That suitcase must be like the Tardis: bigger on the inside.

Kudos to the secondary romance of a snowboarder and his ex-skier girlfriend who lost her legs in an accident. Their love story was more interesting to me than the leads. It's not often a disability is done well. Either the person is pitied or made into a saint. The girlfriend was treated like a normal, sweet person with dreams and abilities. The third romance between FL's best friend and snowboarder Lao Yan was weird and unfinished.

Loved the scenery. The mountains were exquisite. It's hot summer where I watched the drama, but I had to cuddle up in a warm blankie to make it through all that snow! Beautiful scenes!

All in all, I'm not mad I watched, but I was a tad disappointed, because I expected more.

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We Are More Than Our Brains

This drama ticks many of my boxes: a plethora of brain conditions/injuries, intelligent characters, and engaging actors. The co-leading man was a handsome psychopath; the other co-leading man was the relatable, comic relief; and the supporting/guest actors were gems. I'm always mesmerized by Ye Ji Won: she never plays a boring part.

I enjoyed all the brain dilemmas, even though the science was flawed. I'm capable of overlooking poetic license for a little drama.

I'm a sucker for intelligent characters, and this drama had mostly smart people until the 15th and 16th episodes, when everyone must have take stupid pills and overdosed. I was cringing at the thought of two neuroscientists being so brainless, and three cops (count them!) being so unprofessional and unprepared. There is also no way a truly psychotic being would have ended the way he did. It was agonizing sitting through all that while muttering, "Call for back-up!"

I wanted to remove a star due to the cringe-worthy ending, but I can't because the leading man had a two-story library and a mouse/rat named Algernon (read the short story Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes; don't read the novelette as the short story is superior: https://www.sdfo.org/gj/stories/flowersforalgernon.pdf). It obviously doesn't take much to make me overlook a disappointing ending. I also liked the philosophy that we are more than our brains. We don't have to be constrained by what we're given.

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The Winner of Worst Wig...

Is Hong Ryeon/Mu Yeon, by a landslide. Wigs are often bad in historical dramas, but this one was atrocious. The actress had dark auburn hair, but her wig was raven black. The actress, Kang Moon Young, did a fine job chewing the scenery in her role as a villain, but I couldn't keep my eyes off her wig. Very distracting. As was the rap music in the fight scenes. Still, time spent with Lee Joon Gi and Shin Min Ah elevated what, otherwise, could been an average offering. I enjoyed Hwang Bo Ra as comic relief, too.

In typical K-drama style, early episodes started promisingly, middle episodes had a tendency to drag, and the last episode had everything thrown into the blender at high speed, then poured out haphazardly. I won't add this to my "Unsatisfying Ending" list, but it just barely escaped. It isn't a sad ending, but it's unfulfilling. It's just enough to leave me disgruntled.

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Loopholes, We've Got Your Loopholes of All Sizes Here!

Nothing was explained or made sense: why was a modern woman outrageously, belligerently fearless in an isolated area when a man repeatedly tried to kill her (with arrows, sword, and knife!); if she was from the future and had foreknowledge, why didn't she make better choices or give out warnings; why would cooks well-known for their knife skills choose wooden spoons as weapons to save their lives; and why was the king's mother killed? The ending is equally nonsensical, and the writers even admitted in a sideways fashion that they couldn't come up with a viable explanation. As for loose ends, the whole drama garment was frayed! If you don't need logic or explanations, this is the drama for you.

Even so, I enjoyed myself. The leads and supporting cast were fun. I enjoy food dramas, and I could happily watch the ML eat in slow motion for an entire drama. Which is, basically, the main reason to watch this show. I've added an entire star for the ML's acting skills in relishing each bite.

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