So Incredibly Bad

This is probably one of the worst shows I've ever watched. I love a good costume drama and a good fantasy drama, and this show came highly recommended so I was excited to watch it. Oh boy was I disappointed. There was no plot in this show. It is 44 episodes of waiting for a fight and explaining why there has to be a fight only for the fight to do nothing for the plot. The villains were so ridiculous that they couldn't be taken seriously and the reasons they were villains in the first place were flimsy at best. This is saying a lot because I LOVE a campy show. This was not camp, it was just bad. I had to keep watching until the end thinking "surely the ending must be exciting, right?" Wrong. The fight between brothers was incredibly anti-climatic and the resolution really didn't explain itself well. The random deus ex machina of whatever happened there felt so dumb. The thing that irked me the most about the show was the way it totally negated all of the supposed power of the main female character the moment a man showed up saying he would protect her. They kept saying she was really powerful and skilled and then she proceeded to do NO FIGHTING for the rest of the series, instead showing her shoulder blades as a distraction and fainting a lot???? The love triangle they trapped her in with the main leads PLUS the random introduction of another woman at the end just so the main character didn't "end up alone" was so incredibly contrived. I know Chinese fantasy tends not to be the most kind to female characters, but this all just felt insulting. The only thing I can say for this series is that the actors were giving it their all, I just wish their all would have been spent on a better script. I do not recommend wasting your time on this show. If you want something fun and fantasy, there are tons of other shows to choose from that WON'T make you want to tear your hair out in frustration for lack of progress.

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A Beautiful Train-Wreck of a Show

Autumn's Concerto is not what I would call a "good drama" which is why I have given it a 6.5 overall, but I would call it "a beautiful train-wreck." It was incredibly fun to watch as something to laugh with, but I do not think it's a show for serious viewing. I spent half of the time laughing at the wonderfully 2009 soap opera sound editing and haircuts as well as all of the plot twists and genres the writers managed to cram in there. It's part school (college) drama, part medical/hospital drama, part rich/poor relationship drama, part court drama, AND part gang drama depending on the episode. It is INCREDIBLY melodramatic in just the right kind of way, but I couldn't take any of the show seriously. The romance plotline is really messed up if you want to think about the real implications of it, but if you're just looking for a turn off your brain show where the actors are giving 110%, this is the show for you. Highly recommend it if you're looking to not think too hard and just live in the drama of 2009 for a bit.

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Most Fun I've Had Watching a Drama

Boys Over Flowers has a reputation as a "must see" k-drama and there's a good reason why: it's a classic. It contains every trope you can think of for a k-drama executed as overdramatically as possible. It is not the best show I've ever watched (found myself laughing often at things that were definitely meant to be serious), but I found myself falling so much in love with the characters as the story progressed. The main plot in and of itself is not that interesting and borders on nonsensical sometimes, but that is not why you watch BOF. The character writing is what really shines in this show as you see how everyone grows and changes, Jun-Pyo especially. The overdramatic writing and acting aside, they really managed to capture my heart with the way the showed the personal growth of the characters. Is it a perfect drama? No, definitely not. But even in recognizing the faults of the show, I cannot bring myself to give it anything less than a 10 because of what it exemplifies for the genre of k-dramas as a whole. I started off with a sort of ironic appreciation for it (it was the first k-drama I had ever watched), but now I truly love it in a way I never could have predicted. If you are willing to go along for the ride and suspend your disbelief (and make fun of the show from time to time), Boys Over Flowers is one of the best k-dramas you could watch. It's just fun. Pure, simple, joyful fun.

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