So I picked up this drama FINALLY after hearing and reading many good things about it. Romantic Doctor Kim took me through a roller coaster ride of emotions; some characters I hated up until about episode 15, other characters I truly cared for, and it was THOSE characters that kept me watching this drama. The main reason why I probably continued watching this drama even though the beginning of it was so rough for me was because I have an extremely soft spot for medical dramas. They're my closet passion, so I think deep down I wanted to see what happened all the way to the end.

What made this drama so rough in the first half for me personally was the fact that I found Master Kim to be insufferable for more than the first half of this drama. It wasn't that I disagreed with his reasons for giving such severe "tough love" to the other characters, I just didn't agree with how severe and cut throat he addressed the desired character changes of the younger doctors he was trying to inspire to change. I think there were other ways for Master Kim's character to have been written that would not have made such an extreme impression. The fact that his character was written in such a rough and sharp fashion left me feeling bitter and angry on behalf of the other characters - which some people might say is a "good" thing because the writers got me emotionally involved, but to me, his character was enough to make me want to drop the drama. What actually kept me hooked was the young doctors aspiring to learn and specialize as well as the sick patients that came into the hospital requiring treatment. Which leads me to the acting in this drama.

The acting in RDK was phenomenal. All the actors, ranging from the main cast and supporting cast all the way to the guest roles who only played in one episode were absolutely moving in their roles. I truly cried nearly every episode which I simply attribute to the expertly chosen cast paired with the swelling soundtrack. The main actors did an exceptional job demonstrating raw emotions and character growth, which I found so incredibly awesome.

Honestly, I don't think I'll rewatch this drama. It wasn't that it was bad or that I disliked it as a whole, I just struggled getting through the first half that I'm not sure I can get through it all over again. I *did* enjoy the humorous moments scattered throughout the drama, but I wouldn't call this drama a romantic comedy at all. The drama touches on very serious and emotionally charged topics in every episode that truly break your heart. The first half of this drama is really what brings down the rating of this drama for me with the second half of this drama bringing up the rating significantly.

I think the people who will enjoy this drama are those people who have a severe hankering for medical dramas with melodrama. I would not recommend this drama for someone who wants a light, fluffy, romantic comedy medical drama.
Another drama with similar tones and motifs would be Pinocchio, which I think was much more successful in portraying the moral issues and dilemmas tackled in RDK.


*****UPDATE after completing Romantic Doctor Kim Season 2*****
Season 2 was a huge improvement from season 1 - Dr. Kim was so much more balanced and well-written and the new characters were great! So glad I took a chance on watching season 2 after such a rocky experience with season 1! Definitely has me contemplating whether I should rewatch season 1 and season 2 altogether to see if my overall outlook is changed.

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So I ended up watching this all in one sitting and didn't expect to get so severely hooked to the story, characters, actors, and OST. The OST was refreshing and upbeat, which kept me tapping my foot to the beat while watching without being annoying. I really enjoyed the opening song too! Seeing all the actors smile to the camera along with the song had me smiling too for some reason! I also didn't know so many actors I thoroughly enjoy were in this one drama, specifically, Kim Min Jae, Lee Yi Kyung (after seeing him in Go Back Couple and Euchalala Waikiki, I'll watch anything he's in!), Cho Hye Jung, and Choi Min Ho. After seeing all these familiar faces in just the first episode, I new I'd absolutely love something about the drama. By the end of the drama, I was left with some mixed feelings because there are some things that I wish were done just a little differently OR as least clarify some things by creating a sequel.

I was so relieved and happy that the love triangle ended in the way it did, but I was also sad for the guy that didn't get the girl. I think I would have been left more satisfied if he had gotten some kind of happy ending rather than just him moving on in a bittersweet way. What made me so happy though about the love triangle resolution was that for once, the heroine wasn't jumping back and forth between men - she knew who she wanted and stuck to him and remained faithful through and through. And I respect the writers and the girl for that fact immensely. I think the writers could have simply improved the story (maybe by making the drama a little longer or making a sequel) by giving the other guy his own happy ending. Something else I'd have liked to see was the side character's relationship blossom too. Those are the reasons this drama didn't get a 10/10 from me - I think there were some areas it could have been improved to take it up to a higher level of satisfying.

Since it was such a quick watch and overall a good story, I'll probably rewatch it some day. An important thing to note is that this drama isn't really plot driven, but rather character driven, which I usually don't like. But for some reason, this story was written in such a straight-forward and quick-paced manner that I found it satisfying to (binge) watch.

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The Best Hit is one of those unexpected gems that you don't expect much going into it, but find it to be entertaining episode after episode. Plus, I was one of the fortunate viewers who shipped the two characters throughout the drama who did end up being together, which simply made me ecstatic!

The OST is wonderfully catchy - I've been listening to it's soundtrack DAYS later. I've also discovered new actors that I thoroughly enjoy and would like to see again in other dramas, specifically Yoon Shi Yoon, Kim Min Jae (*love* his dimples!) and Cha Eun Woo.

This drama is very light with no real bad guys. I think the reason why I enjoyed it as much as I did is because it constantly had me laughing with the character's antics and incorporated comic-relief noises that simply made *me* feel lighthearted while watching. It's not the plot itself that's wonderful, but instead, the atmosphere the characters and *their* stories create. That's what hooked me and kept me watching happily till the end.

UPDATE: Rewatched 1/2021 - I *still* adore the main couple pairing (swooned often! Haha!), but this time around, I really came to appreciate the side characters more. The familial relationships created between Gwang Jae and Lee Soon Tae (President Soondae hehe) especially was really precious. When I first watched TBH, I remembered not really caring for the romance and relationship between Gwang Jae and Bo Hee, but watching it again now, everything leading up to them adopting Mal Sook was sweeter. Also, I *completely* forgot why Hyun Jae disappeared in the past (1994) (I'm getting old! ;D)! Yoon Shi Yoon really *is* a good actor - the way he depicted his 1994-self compared to his 1993-self was really good - I could *feel* the change in feelings and emotion between both selves. Even Lee Se Young was spectacular in demonstrating her heartbreak before the resolution to the drama. Anyways, the point in this update is: I wasn't sure if I'd like this drama as a rewatch and I needed to confirm if it's really one of my favorites, hence the rewatch. TBH truly is a drama that makes you all school-girly with loads of giggles and sweet relationships. I still 100% recommend after 2.5 years, even if the time travel and celebrity occupations aren't your preferred tropes.

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So I really liked Jealousy Incarnate up until both boys in the love triangle realized that they both love the female MC and the female MC became indecisive as to who she wanted to be with. It drove me crazy. In real life, she would know who she wanted to be with - both men were vastly different so her being wishy-washy really isn't realistic. I personally do not enjoy watching a woman cheat and being indecisive, hurting people along the way. Overall, I really enjoyed the first half of this drama - it was HILARIOUS and the sexual tensions were building very nicely. But unfortunately, I really lost interest and became fed up with how they were dragging out the love triangle. I read recaps for the remaining episodes and come to find out, the love triangle doesn't resolve until the second the last episode. That's just too much for me, which is what officially caused me to decide to drop this drama.

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I really liked Switch Change World. I was hesitant to watch it just because it looked kinda cheesy but I was pleasantly surprised. It has a great cast and I enjoyed the dynamics between all of the characters a lot. The soundtrack was also very enjoyable and catchy with songs I've sought out to re-listen to.

Overall, this drama had a well paced plot, there was a decent balance of lightheartedness and crime-action, and it had a good ending. There wasn't really any romance, but you could see the relationship budding and a true respect for each other developing. I would like to think that a romance is down the road in the hypothetical world of the drama world after the series officially ended. For those of you who absolutely need romance in your dramas, this might not be something that holds your attention. BUT, *I* am one of those people who really thrives off a romance in a drama and I enjoyed this drama quite a bit. The plot was so well-written that I was curious to see what happened in the next episode (there were no lulls in the action which kept me binge watching).

If you're not convinced about whether or not you should watch this drama, I'd encourage you to give the first 3 hours a shot and see if it hooks your attention after our conman and prosecutor start working together for real.

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My thoughts of the drama as a whole are warm and happy. While I don't have any sentimental value for the violin specifically, I could empathize with the feelings of losing over 10 years of your life to an accident that ripped your future away from you. I loved how each character healed and grew simply due to their interactions with one another. They fed off of each other's optimism, grief, growth, friendship, and honesty. The pacing was excellent - no particularly draggy or filler moments. The plot was well thought out and things were so well tied together. The adolescent actors selected to represent "past" characters were well selected and their acting meshed seamlessly to portray the same character. The balance between the fun/happy moments and the sad moments was so perfectly done - one moment I was welling up with tears of sadness on behalf of the characters and the next, those same characters were making me laugh. I'm left with true feelings of happiness for all those characters and their stories. AND the soundtrack was a wonderful companion to many scenes, aiding in the mood and atmospheres nicely. There was quite literally not one flaw in this entire drama for me. I enjoyed Still 17 to the fullest and will probably encourage others to watch it. The moral of the story? Things aren't always what they seem, therefore, you can't make yourself solely responsible for everything. We all impact each other in ways we may never fully realize. 10/10. :}

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Okay, so I knew that I wanted to watch Splash Splash Love for a while, but I just never got around to it (which seems pretty silly since it's only a 2 episode drama). I *finally* watched it today and I kicked myself in the butt after finishing it for putting it off for so long! This drama was sooooo sweet and romantic. The pacing was excellent with not one moment of filler or boredom. I found myself laughing throughout the entire drama AND I rooted for the characters through and through. I couldn't help but smile as sweet and romantic things happened and I couldn't help but feel sad when the characters were sad. The writers did an excellent job of connecting the entire plot, both in the future and in the past. I also think the actors selected for these roles were perfect. Each actor did a wonderful job portraying their respective characters! I also loved the soundtrack selected for Splash Splash Love - it was upbeat and fit the genre extremely well.
For those of you who are history buffs - no, this drama is not accurate or representative of what history would have really looked like, but I was totally okay with that. This story was so light and fluffy with good feelings that it'd be difficult for the average viewer not to find it appealing. I will definitely be rewatching in the future! Happy watching!

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I think this was a decent hospital show, I just didn't really like the main characters that much. I found the second lead male doctor to be extremely aggressive and therefore, some of his interactions with other characters were infuriating. The main autistic doctor was sometimes really hard to watch in certain situations because many times, he was treated really unfairly due to his autistic label which made me feel sad. That sadness and my desire to advocate for the male MC was my main reason for dropping this drama. Also, having practiced in the medical field, there were some ethical issues that came up while watching that gave me inner turmoil. Trying to decide what's ethically right versus what's morally right can sometimes be a very challenging task.
In regards to the genre of this drama being a medical drama, I wasn't partial to the overall execution of this drama's hospital feel. For me, Good Doctor had a bit too much medical stuff, not enough personal lives interweaved for me to get entirely absorbed into the characters and plot. That's not to say there was anything wrong with this show, I have just preferred other medical K-dramas such as Doctors and Doctor Stranger when compared to this one.

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The first 2 episodes of this drama were so incredibly brutal with killing and rape (or attempted rape) taking up the majority of the plot. For me, I decided to drop this drama because, if the drama was going to be this dark and have such heavy and serious topics addressed in just the first 2 episodes, I decided it wasn't likely going to be a drama I enjoyed as a whole. I personally do not find entertainment in a story that portrays such dark, evil, and cruel topics. I will never deny the fact that history (in any country) is bloody, cruel, messy, and not somewhere we'd realistically like to live in, but that doesn't mean that I want to have all those atrocities on my television screen for me to visualize for entertainment. It's not entertaining to me, and I will admit that I enjoy romanticized historical tales. Sure, romanticized historical tales are not necessarily true to history, but that's the type of historical entertainment I fancy. So while there is nothing really wrong with this drama, *I* couldn't stomach the atrocities displayed on screen and I could not find the plot entertaining for my own personal tastes. People who will probably enjoy this drama, or at least, be drawn into the plot of this drama would be viewers who enjoyed Moon Lovers (which actually started off quite light and ended with similar tones I noticed in this drama).

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I didn't dislike this drama, really, I didn't. I actually found the sweet romance to be adorable to watch, but switching from sweet cute romantic comedy to dark murdering killer scenes was just too much for me to comfortably enjoy on my couch in the evening...And honestly, the bad guy was just frickin creepy...
When the scenes switched to the bad guy, I got such Criminal Minds vibes (that spooky thriller bad omen vibes) that I'd be too spooked to sleep comfortably. I'm a pretty big wimp though, so maybe my interpretation of how spooky and scary the bad guy was is just me...
BUT, something else I found jarring was how the romantic comedy was very slap-stick in nature, and then it would switch to the bad guy and it was very dark and scary....the abrupt switching between both extremes of those genre's just didn't smoothly blend and transition to be in one drama. I think if the bad guy scenes were less creepy and dark, I'd find the drama less unbalanced.
Overall, I did like the romantic comedy aspects, but inevitably, I dropped this drama because the scary scenes were just too outside my comfort zones for me to enjoy this drama in its entirety. You might find this drama fitting to your own preferences though, so I don't think it'd hurt to try starting and see if it's something you enjoy.

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My incredibly poor rating for this drama is mostly due to my dislike for how back and forth the male MC is with his behavior. He's so mean to the female MC but then so nice the her best friend. This extreme hot and cold behavior was so abrupt and uncalled for that I couldn't define it as anything other than being unrealistic and completely annoying and infuriating. I really went into She Was Pretty with high expectations, having watched many trailers and funny clips prior to starting it. I was hoping to enjoy the drama based on the high ratings and the promising clips. I was so disappointed that the male MC was such a horrible person toward the female MC. The reason why I dropped the drama was because I couldn't stomach knowing that the female MC would essentially end up with her ruthless bully. The atrocities of his behavior just couldn't be redeemed in my eyes. I knew that by the end of the drama, I wouldn't be happy for the female MC because his prior behaviors were a true indication of his poor character and therefore, no, I wouldn't want her to be "happy" with him. We are all entitled to be displeased by someone's work, but that gives you no right to treat them as inferior (which the male MC did multiple times, in front of others in a *professional* setting nonetheless). People can like this drama all they want because we're all entitled to our own opinions, but coming from someone who *has* been bullied, I cannot be moved by this kind of love story.

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I started this drama because I was curious to watch more of Song Hye Kyo's work after falling in love with DOTS. And honestly, I think she did a great job portraying a person who was blind (you know, since she's not blind in real life), but what I couldn't get over was how the story was spiraling out of control and without reason. Nothing much happened in the course of the story, and the Song Hye Kyo's character wasn't really likable because of her bratty tendencies.
I think this tragic love story could have been so much more without the silly over-the-top plot twists that came along with the way the story was being wrapped up. I read a re-cap of the ending and I was so glad I didn't waste my time in watching the remaining episodes because the last "twist" ending would have infuriated me if I watched it all happen.
Overall, this melodrama reminded me of those Latino over-the-top tele-novelas my mother forced me to watch as a kid growing up. The same type of drama that I would roll my eyes after the 2 MC's screamed at each other and then kissed each other passionately at least once an episode. I guess what I'm trying to say is that this drama lacked depth, where the poor execution of plot took away from the things that should have actually mattered for the story to progress.

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I was a little hesitant to watch Eulachacha Waikiki just because it didn't look like it would have much going on when watching trailers. BUTTTT after watching some "funny moments" on Youtube, I decided it looked humorous enough to give it a shot. And man oh man am I happy I did! I laughed during every single episode and not just "laughed" but truly had full belly laughs that would make my sides hurt and my eyes tear. I found the comedy to be extremely lighthearted and truly hilarious. The balance of comedy with the slice-of-life drama was perfect - when something got "serious" there was always something to help lessen the blow. The romance was predictable (I figured out who would be paired with who early on), but I didn't mind the predictability because the story was told in such a fun and light way, it made me happy to watch everything unfold. I loved watching the friendships (old and new) between all the characters as well as watching all the romances develop. I also adored baby Sol. Every time she smiled or laughed or simply came up on the screen I would want to cuddle her because she was so cute!

In regards to the actors, I think everyone did a pretty great job with their roles. The only person I had a bit of trouble with was Jung In Sun - she was a good actress, but I think she had some trouble showing us the inner turmoil and mixed feelings her character was having in regards to her love interest and so it made her difficult to read and interpret, especially early on. I think her acting and representation of her character significantly improved in the last quarter of the drama when compared to when she initially rejects her perspective love interest more toward the beginning of the drama.

What I really loved about this drama aside from the comedic aspects of the story telling, was how there was no "bad guy." There wasn't someone who was ridiculously malicious or evil for the sake of moving the plot. Everyone had well-rounded characters who all made mistakes and tried their best to fix them or make amends. The conflicts weren't drawn out or bogged down with melodrama, instead they resolved things relatively realistically (with of course, the comedic flare). Another point I'd really like to make in recommending this drama would be that every conflict was resolved. The drama is definitely slice-of-life, showing us how we might fight with our loved ones and how inevitably, we figure things out without super grudges or vendettas.

If you are a fan of the ABC Family, Baby Daddy, or simply enjoy slice-of-life with romance and some serious comedy with a non-rushed ending, I would highly recommend Eulachacha Waikiki. You won't regret it and you absolutely won't be able to stop binge watching it, so maybe start on a Friday night. ;P

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Okay. So I originally dropped this drama months and months ago because the first episode was just too over-the-top for me, which didn't appeal to me. Song Yi in the first couple of episodes was pretty intolerable because she was so arrogant and such an airhead, but as the story progressed, her character changed in realistic ways and she was likable by the end.
The story's plot really thickens around episodes 4-6 and that's when I finally got hooked and wanted to binge watch it as much as I could. Aside from the twisted plot that intrigued me, I also liked how Min Jun reminded me of Superman in many ways. I also felt that Jae Kyung and Min Jun were pretty well matched foes and so watching them struggling against each other had me on the edge of my seat.

I did almost, for a split second, have second lead syndrome because Hui Kyung was just so sweet and tender with Song Yi, so I was swayed during a couple of scenarios. But then I remembered and was reminded how Song Yi and Min Jun needed to be together, sooooooo yeah, I stayed on my ship XP

The most heart wrenching things for me were Hui Kyung and his family discovering the truth behind his older brother's death. I truly cried for Hui Kyung and his father.

I think the ending was pretty good, but I kinda wanted an even better ending; the ending is truly happy, but I just wanted a more "happily ever after" ending (you'll understand when you watch). For me, Song Yi and Min Jun went through so much hardship together, I just wanted things to end *perfectly* with no caveats.

This was my first drama with Kim Soo Hyun and I thoroughly enjoyed his acting. His little outbursts when Song Yi was just getting on his last nerve were so adorable. His crying was pretty well done too. I think I preferred Jun Ji Hyun in Legend of the Blue Sea, especially since I think her crying scenes were better in LotBS than in YWCftS, but that's just my personal opinion.
Park Hae Jin was probably my favorite actor in this entire drama because he portrayed Hui Kyung in such a raw manner that I couldn't help but love him and cry for him.

The soundtrack was well placed and appropriate, but not anything that I'm dying to relisten to.

Overall, I'm glad I decided to pick this back up because I really did love it. It's not one of my top favorites, but it's definitely something I would recommend to others, especially to those who enjoy Superman (he's my favorite superhero personally :)).

***As a complete side note that didn't impact my rating, but just something I noticed being in the medical field --- every time someone had a surgery or some kind of extreme injury, they recovered or healed or bounced back way to quickly in unrealistic ways. For example, Song Yi has at least 2 major abdominal surgeries in the entire drama and within days they show her sitting up on her own without wincing or crying out, implying that she feels no pain from the very recent surgery incision....which simply wouldn't happen because she literally had SURGERY - it wasn't just a scratch! I think to make the screen writing a bit more flawless, having more care with those scenes would have made it an even better drama.

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I liked Big overall, but there were some things that I noticed that I think could have been improved. The first 10 out of 16 episodes had some really comedic moments that helped balance some of the more serious topics, but then after episode 10, things became more serious and the drama as a whole lost its comedic flare that balanced how heavy the plot became, making it more of a melodrama than a comedy. Also, the drama was pretty fast paced up until episode 10 and then after that, everything was dragged out and the ending was just too slow in comparison to the rest of the pacing of the drama. I also feel like the ending scene where the MC's meet again was supposed to be symbolic, but ultimately failed in being poetic because by using Gong Yoo as the actor, it made it confusing for viewers to understand definitively what happened. I kinda feel like the writers kept Gong Yoo as the main visual for Gyeung Jun instead of using the little brother's actor was to try to distract viewers from how young the younger brother's actor looked that way viewers wouldn't notice the "nouna" relationship as much since Gong Yoo looks more mature and manly. Which leads to my question, why didn't they pick a different actor for the younger brother that looked a bit more mature instead of so pubescent?

I did enjoy the drama for what it was, but after episode 14, I kinda just wanted to skip to the ending and just see how it ended because I was getting bored. The writers essentially repeated the same conceptual conflicts between the two MC's to draw out the ending and that just made me bored. I also think that having Gil Da Ran deny her feelings once for Gyeung Jun was enough - there was no reason to have her confess her feelings and then when things got tough for her to go back on them, break his heart, and then boom, they love each other again. It was just too much of the same shit and I think there was a better way to go about getting to their happily ever after. Also, Gil Da Ran was way too gullible about Gyeung Jun losing his memories prior to the ending and that just got on my nerves.

Overall, I think the story was creative and the "plot twist" was believable (parents really do that to/for their children, as despicable as it is). I just think the plot and flow of the drama would have been better if they had maintained the comedic aspects throughout the entire 16 episodes and lightened up on the melodrama in the last 6 episodes.

What I did absolutely love was Gil Da Ran's brother. He was so sweet and caring toward his sister and exceptionally suave in his pursuit of Jang Mary. He never failed to make me giggle and wish that he were my little brother.
Something else I really appreciated was how Gil Da Ran didn't just all of a sudden develop feelings for Gyeung Jun and that their relationship developed over time. The writers also did a nice job showing how torn Gil Da Ran was in being unfaithful to her fiance instead of just jumping ship the second she began to waiver.
I also appreciated that Gyeung Jun tried his best to respect Gil Da Ran and Dr. Seo's relationship by not being overly aggressive in his pursuit for Gil Da Ran, so initially their relationship kinda fell into place. I do kinda wish that there were a couple more romance scenes with them though.

I probably wouldn't recommend this drama to anyone unless they were avid Gong Yoo fans, which my mother is, so she said even though she didn't like the ending, it was worth watching just to see Gong Yoo's hunkiness ;D.
Gong Yoo is an exceptional actor and did well portraying both Dr. Seo and Gyeung Jun's characters. He did a great job portraying an adolescent as well as being flirtatious and charming.
I'm not too much of a fan of Lee Min Jung, but she didn't do a bad job in this drama. I think she fulfilled her role decently.
It was weird to see Suzy playing the "bad" character even though she wasn't actually bad, she was just a character that wanted what she wanted and got what she wanted.

Anyways, this review on Big makes it seem like I didn't like it, but honestly, it was a good drama, I just think things could have been done a bit differently toward the end to make it better received and make more logical sense.

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