linxminx

Is this Drama Taking on a Toxic Oppressive Industry?

I just finished Idol I. It was not what I expected. In the end it was a murder mystery with romance on the side. The storyline was interesting enough and the characters likable enough to keep me viewing each week. No big statement on how toxic the Kpop industry is. Just a likable Kdrama--no fuss--no muss--just regular Kdrama stuff. I left my initial impressions below.

I've only watched the first two episodes. I'm wondering if this drama is less about the murder-mystery who-dun-it aspect, and more about shedding light on the toxic music/idol industry. Our ML is an anxious/ paranoid idol who doesn't seem very happy doing what he is doing. He appears trapped in a system that continues to oppress him whether it's the perfectionist expectations of the music label and his fans, his fellow group members who seem to despise him for succeeding out on his own, or the fans who stalk him making him paranoid and his life miserable. None of this surprises me about our ML.

I've watched too many You Tube videos of former idols who are now away from industry and speak about:
1. Excessive control by the music label
2. The pressure to always be perfect
3. Live secret personal lives to keep up an illusion for their fans
4. Physical and emotional abuse
5. Sexual harassment and abuse - this came from former female idols about unwanted attention from groping CEO's of labels.
6. Toxic fans, unrealistic fan expectations, stalking, online harassment

I'm a Kpop fan, but only listen to the music. I really don't follow the idols mainly due to the scary fans. I also have a hard time with what the music labels make these idols do all for the purposes of making money, especially all the pretense...all for money.

Is this drama taking on the toxicity of the Kpop industry? I think there is more here than at first glance? It's worth sticking with the drama to see.

Read More

For All The Reviews Where I Criticized the Writing

If you've ever criticized a Kdrama saying the writing was bad....well here is a drama showing you the torturous lives of these writers. Whether its being pressured to just write it so its finished, working through extreme writer's block, taking the blame from everyone (but especially the actors) for bad reviews, trying to be creative when you have to work to pay the bills.......this drama gives an inside view of the lives of entertainment writers in the movie and TV biz and they are by no means glamorous.

I couldn't help but feel a little guilty (how many reviews have I written that stated "just couldn't finish it, the writing was that bad"?)) as I saw the agony these tortured souls go through in doing their craft. I wondered if Park Hae Young , frustrated at criticisms on Kdrama writing, decided to show the viewers the reality of being a writer in the Korean entertainment industry. Is she guilt tripping us??

Whether my musings are true or not, the story is so much more. This Kdrama does not fit any of the usual Kdrama tropes, nor does it have any Kdrama memes. It stands apart from the genre as it is a realistic take on the ups, the downs, the successes, the failures, the excitement, the sadness, and even the very ordinary-ness of being an entertainment writer.

What I liked about it the most is how real the characters were, how easy it was to relate to them, and how real the storylines were. A lot of the drama was about attaining and/or maintaining success. Success is subjective because even a successful person by society standards can, in reality, be oh so miserable in their personal lives. Success can be fleeting, can be slow, can seem to never happen even if someone is working their butt off. Success isn't fair. It can happen to one person right out of the gate, while another works and works without anything to show. The entertainment industry can be cruel. You can work hard on something that another person takes credit for. You can constantly come under fire doing your job well because it doesn't fit your supervisor's narrative. This drama does not sugar-coat the industry, but gives a relatable look at people traversing a not-so-friendly professional world in pursuit of career success.

When all is said and done, the story is about perseverance in the face of failure, always stay true to yourself, and know that relationships with family and friends are the most important even if you aren't always getting along. This is absolutely one of the best Kdramas I've seen. Definitely my #1 pick for 2026 so far.

Read More

Packed Full of Great Acting and A Great Plot

A little late to this superb drama, I just watched this on Prime Video and it had all 8 episodes in one drama.

As a Kdrama fan, I'm surprised I missed this gem and only watched it now....clear in 2026. This drama has everything. All the emotions, suspense, twists and turns, a great love, despicable evil, enormous bravery, redemption at the end. If you are just coming to kdramas for the first time...give this one a look. I always say when people ask me why I enjoy Kdramas..."Because South Koreans are really good story tellers." Much, much respect to Ha Byung Hoon for this great story!! Genius writing in this one.

This drama has different stories for every episode. The main plot is almost secondary to the subplots playing out in each episode. But the writing is so superb that everything comes together in the end, which is so satisfying for the viewer.

The acting is amazing. This drama is full of A-list Korean actors. Park So Dam as Death...she is so good!!!...an Oscar worthy performance. Seo In Guk, Kim Mi Kyung, Kim Ji Hoon, Kim Jae Uck, Lee Jae Wook, Go Youn Jung, Oh Jung Sae, Kim Won Hae, and Choi Woo Jin from When The Phone Rings. So many wonderful actors in this drama, every episode was packed full of them and they really made the story come to life.

All I can say in the end is that this has been one of my favorite dramas to watch. I will enjoy rewatching it again and again.

Read More

Season 5 - Brought the Entertainment

I've watched every SI and I always start the season excited, but end feeling let down. This season was no different but I would say the "down" part of it was slightly elevated. I think the best place to start is to just list my likes and dislikes about this season. I will also write some on the contestants and the coupling up at the end. If you do not want to read spoilers then don't read the end of the review.

What I liked:
-Cooking together in a kitchen/eating place was back and I loved it!! Especially in the first few episodes when the contestants are meeting each other and flirting over cutting carrots and making rice.
-I thought the Inferno sets were really nice. The places the couples could hang out and talk looked comfortable and inviting.
-Paradise was enjoyable, which included some activities like bowling. It was nice that some activities were included as just watching couples eat and drink gets boring.
-Loved the couples photo shoot competition, and also the truth game they played.
-The competitions were also good. Matching up with colored balls where the pink ball was the kiss of death. Very funny!

What I didn't like:
-There is a certain amount of SI that just seems so contrived. Like the contestants are given a role to play and then they play it out, only some are really bad at playing their role. There are so many times when it doesn't feel natural with the contestants. But then reality shows are all about putting people in unnatural situations and see how they react.
-Dating is so different from this show. Korean dating is even different than this show. So it's frustrating to have to watch people "date" in an unnatural way. Really the only thing they do is have numerous conversations but they aren't allowed to know their age or what they do, which in Korea forms the foundation for how people communicate to each other, at least until they go to Paradise. So a great deal of this show is watching and listening to all these awkward conversations.
-For the first time, the panelists disappointed me. More often than not, when I was frustrated with the show, the panelists kept me entertained, but not this time. They did well in the first episodes, really funny and entertaining, but the last couple of episodes I found the panelists to be too judgmental. Almost mean. One example was when Hyun-woo made a confession about his feelings at the final dinner. I thought he was sweet and sincere. The panelists just made fun of him, and I thought what they said was quite rude. In Season 3, drama queen and asshole, Gwan-Hee, got away with so much bad behavior and the panelists for the most part excused it. In this season, they were especially hard on certain contestants who were not nearly as bad as Gwan-Hee.
-I didn't like that they cut out the final challenge and winning couple's dinner. We only saw bits and pieces. But they seemed to do this by making the final choice long and drawn out. I would have preferred the challenge and seeing the couple's date.
-It's getting annoying to watch scenes play twice, and lines repeated two or three times over.

My thoughts on the contestants and the couplings: Warning!! Spoiler Alert!! I actually do not believe any of these couples will end up together once the show is done. Let's just be real here. They are on this show for exposure and to inject some life into their careers.
1. Choi Mina Sue and Lee Sung-hun - Mina Sue was this season's drama queen and boy did she bring the drama. She was definitely the contestant everyone loved to hate. Sung-hun was a breath of fresh air for this show. Incredibly intelligent and successful, he didn't play mind games, just brought his calm and confidant self to the mix. He was a favorite of mine. He was really patient with Mina Sue as she proceeded to try on every guy on the island, but in the end they left together hand in hand.
2. Kim Goeun and Woo Sung-min- Goeun ended up being the female that three guys were vying for. She stayed mysterious to the very end drawing out the suspense endlessly in terms of who she would end up with. The panelists were all surprised when she chose Sung-min but I wasn't. She and her 2nd choice, I-geon, knew each other from a mutual acquaintance and I always wondered if she knew something about I-geon that we the audience didn't know and maybe it was a red flag(???). Who knows.
3. Kim Min-gee and Song Seung-il - these two were definitely the two funnest people on the island. They spoke very openly and honestly and said some things were just hilarious. They are the type of couple people enjoy hanging around because they're so funny together. My favorite of the season.
4. Lee Joo-Young and Kim Jae-Jin - they were the "artistic" couple. She a designer and he a dancer. They were really cute, romantic, and adorable to watch.
5. Park Hee-sun and Lim Su-been - a low-key couple that the producers tried to interject some drama into their relationship, but it just didn't work. They were cute and adorable but so very boring as well.
Others that didn't get picked - You can't talk about this season without talking about Jo I-geon. About as hot a guy as you can get. I saw him in the Kdrama The Trunk and he's smoking hot, hot, hot. He was brought on as a game-changer and he didn't disappoint. I'm sure he did this to get more exposure for his career and I hope he gets it. Also brought on as a game-changer was Lee Ha-eun. She got very little air time, but what I did see of her, she seemed really funny and a fun person to be around. Lastly, Ham Ye-Jin, Youn Hyun-Jae, and Shin Hyeon-woo who along with Ha-eun and I-geon were sitting there at the very end not getting picked. I enjoyed all of these contestants who came across as sincere and nice people. And it just goes to show that attraction is a weird and funny thing because sometimes the nicest people end up alone.

Read More

Real and Raw

I'm currently finishing the Kdrama Bon Appétit, Your Majesty and began exploring the story of King Yeonsangun of Josean. This led me to the movie The Treacherous. As a foreigner embracing entertainment that is coming out of South Korea, I have realized much of it is the sanitized Kpop and Kdrama version of Korea. When I find a more realistic story, I find I'm drawn to it. Much like Bon Appétit, this movie is also a fictionalized version of the tyrant king. However, it did not try to cover the tyranny with the fiction. Every country has its shameful history and South Korea is no different. In modern times this king would have been diagnosed and treated for a mental illness where perhaps he would have lived a fairly decent and fulfilling life with medication. In ancient times, his illness was the terror and death of many thousands in his country. The portrayal of this has been superbly captured in the storyline, the acting, and the production of this film. It is a hard watch at times, but the actors portrayal of these characters caught in the grips of tyranny without much support or resources is powerful. It is raw, especially in the portrayal of the sexual appetite of the king. The film did not shy away from the realness of this. It is definitely different from the usual Kdramas I've seen and the unrealistic innocence portrayed, but it has also captured a sense of reality that others have not, and for that, I really liked it. I also appreciate the hard work it took for the actors to do some of these scenes. The madness, the sense of powerlessness, the portrayal of being forced to do something you wouldn't do is very real in the characters portrayed by the actors. I have much respect for those who worked on this film.

Read More

A Love Story Based on a Drunken One-Night Stand

I debated on whether I wanted to write a review or not. I had a love/hate response to this drama. So I guess what I'll do is just list my likes and dislikes and you can be the judge as to whether to watch or not.

What I liked:
*The actors and the acting, especially the two main leads. There was chemistry between these two and that made their love story that much more precious.
*There was a little of everything in this story. It was cute and funny at the start, then the writer brought intrigue and mystery into it. The story flowed fairly well and it kept me tuned in every week when new episodes came out.
*The costumes and sets were nice. This kept the visuals of the drama top notch.
*The relationship between the two main leads was one of adults. Their romance was not awkward, and it wasn't full of unrealistic juvenile behavior, which I always appreciate when a writer does that.
*I liked that it wasn't the usual historical romance with rampant palace intrigue with the horrible queen mother plotting to take control. The mystery and intrigue was one I had not yet experienced in a drama. It was something slightly different and I would say that kept me tuned in every week.

What I disliked:
The main thing I did not like is how this great love between Seon Chaek and Yi Beon started as a drunken one-night-stand. Seon Chaek was introducing Josean young people to modern day cocktails and mixed drinks. She drank heavily....really heavily. This was really unrealistic as I think if anyone had drank as much as it showed, she would be dead from alcohol poisoning. Anyway, she drunkenly meets up with Yi Beon, and winds up in bed with him spending the night. It is his first time, and from this he falls madly in love with her. I don't like the impression that this great love can happen from a drunken night of sex. In life this almost never happens. I didn't like the possessiveness that Yi Beon's character displayed because of the one night stand. Rather than love, it seemed more like "you slept with me, now I own you." The portrayal of this just left me with a bad taste. His character softened though as the story progressed so that helped. But really it was because Seon Chaek perceived this possessiveness as love, and loved him back for it. Again, I really didn't like the toxicity of representing possessiveness as love.

The switching up part of the story was weak. I honestly did not understand that two different characters had switched places until the end of the story. I thought the modern Seon Chaek had hit her head and she was unconscious and dreaming the whole thing. Because of this I didn't understand the little boy character when he appeared, nor why they had these strange flashbacks to the modern time. The scene with the two of them together in the modern world, the clock ticking, and having to write the ending was really weird. Seo Hyun's character in the modern world was never developed, and I don't believe we found out why she didn't want to be in Josean anymore. All in all, this part of the storyline was very weak and strange.

Overall what really made this drama good was Seo Hyun and Taec Yeon. They did an outstanding acting job in their leads and it really kept the storyline strong in places where it was weak. Well done to both of them!

Read More

When Enough Is Enough

I'm not one to watch nor like the bullying/fighting genre, but damn!!!....Weak Hero Class just sucked me in. I saw advertisements for season 2, so I binged season 1. I had just finished watching the first season when the second started on Netflix. There are similarities, but they are not the same. This was nice as I do not like watching second anything and seeing a repeat of the first. The writer really made this as a continuation....a "what happens next" story.

The ML, again, powerfully acted by Park Ji Hoon, is not only quiet and. stoic (as in the 1st), but he's also numb with a building undercurrent of anger, and overwhelmed with guilt. He is transferred to a new school, Eunjang, where he is precisely at for about 10 minutes when he again becomes the target of bullies. Beautifully acted. Understated, but powerful.

There is a gang of bullies, trying to get into the Union. The Union is another criminal organization led by a shadow crime boss who hides his organization behind gangs of school-age kids. The head high school gang member is trying to get his childhood best friend, Hu Min, to join the Union. Hu min is another character similar to Beom Seok in that he has an abusive, unsupportive father. However, unlike Beom Seok, Hu Min never turns against his friends. Si Eun, Hu Min, Jun Tae, and Hyeon Tak team up to rid their school of the bullies, help Hu Min fight against the pressures of joining the Union, and finally to stop the Union from existing. All of this plays out in highly choreographed fight scenes over and over again.

The ending is both happy, sad, and gives us a teaser of maybe another season. We get to see an awake but still recovering Su ho which is nice. However, there is a scene where Si Eun is unconscious dreaming that he is sitting in a boxing ring and Beom Seok is with him. So what did happen to Beom Seok? Did his father have him killed and we are seeing his spirit interacting with Si Eun? Or, is this just a teaser to seeing this character reappear in a future episode? Regardless, when Si Eun says he has to go, Beom Seok grabs his arm and cries. It is so sad. Even though Beom Seok's character in the first series was responsible for Su ho's coma, he is such a traumatized individual it is hard to hate him. Brilliantly played by Hong Kyung. We also see the death of Hu Min's childhood best friend, the leader of the Union gang. We also see the possibility of a new leader taking his place and with this the possibility of another season.

Yet another excellent story, powerful and emotional. The only thing I could criticize about this one is some of the students looked way to old to be in high school. But a superb addition to the Weak Hero Class franchise.

Read More

The First Rule of Fight Club is You Don't Talk About Fight Club

Not really my favorite type of Kdrama. But if you want to see Park Seo Joon get the s#@t beat out of him every other scene, then this is the drama for you. Same for Han So Hee. It was an action-packed fantasy thriller where the main star were the highly choreographed and graphic fight scenes. I rated this fairly high because I can appreciate the production value and the enormous amount of stunt work that had to go in to all the fight scenes. The acting was superb, The story line, both part 1 and 2 were well written, and the ending (the extra ending past the credits) was sublime. I was not expecting that at all! I also enjoyed seeing Kim Kang Min, a contestant on Physical 100, playing a guest role in it.

The only thing for me that I didn't like was all the fighting which came with lots of blood, and all the crunching and breaking sounds (kudos to the sound engineer). It was just too much. However, I realize it would not be the same without. it. It was a good Kdrama, just not my cup of tea. Out of the two parts, I enjoyed part one better. I enjoyed the historical sets and costumes. There also seemed to be more story than fighting. But, again, this is an action fantasy thriller, and it definitely lived up to that.

Read More

Fun Reality Show Will Make You Hungry for More

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I tuned into this show, but it has turned out to be very enjoyable. These Korean celebrities are legitimately running a Korean restaurant in a tourist destination in Mexico. They are working hard making delicious food to serve their customers with little downtime while the restaurant is open. It didn't take long for tourists and locals to discover this great food and the restaurant stays packed. They even have a local, loyal dog who has adopted the restaurant as a place to hang. You will be craving Korean dishes once you watch this!! Most of these dishes I've eaten, and I can tell you they are delicious. Korean food is no joke...the best food!! I kept thinking that at some point customers would recognize that they are being cooked for and served by celebrities. Although this didn't happen as often as I thought it would, some did recognize V, Park Seo Joon, and Lee Seo Jin. A young customer even left a note on the receipt that said, "I love you Kim Tae Hyung." That was really precious! I didn't think Park Seo Joon could make me a bigger fan of his, but he is absolutely amazing in the kitchen as a chef!!! So versatile, and one of the calmest personalities ever! He is truly amazing! They all are, and I'm impressed at the English and Spanish they speak to the customers. I think the only disappointment in this production will be that Jinny's Kitchen will close one day. I truly believe with the popularity of Korean entertainment and culture today, there should be a Jinny's Kitchen open in every major city around the world with my city being the first. I know they would be enormously successful, and people could sit, enjoy food, drink, and good friends. Really these celebrities and/or production company should seriously think about this. It's a great business idea. If you haven't already tuned into this, give it a try, you won't be disappointed.

Edit: Just finished the series, and it is delightful. Well worth watching!! The interaction of the cast members with each other is entertaining, but what really makes this good is Bacalar, Mexico, the customers, the food, and. how the cast interacts with all of these. I hope Jinny's Kitchen becomes a real business and establishes restaurants around the world. I hope this cast gets together again in another location for some more delightful fun and food, and it is filmed so we can go along on the ride.

Read More

How to Get Unstuck When Life Makes you Stuck

The theme of this drama reminded me a lot of Melo Movie. The trope where some sort of tragedy or event happens and people get stuck just getting by rather than getting past and moving on.

Identical twin sisters growing up with completely opposite personalities and talents discover they can trade places with each other when needed. The drama opens with the adult twins in two different locations and one, Mirae, depressed and stuck in a dysfunctional work environment is thinking about ending it all. Miji, her twin, agrees to trade places with her so she can rest and deal with her emotionally depressed state. It is in the switching that each discover how various tragedies in their lives have brought them both to this point in life. It is also through the switching they discover more in themselves that help lead them out of being stuck in a life that is just existing rather than thriving.

It is also a wonderful story of several women who support and build each other up in order to get unstuck. First the family of the twins, their mother, and grandmother. Miji, Mirae, Ok Hui, and Wol Sun. The bond between these women was the foundation for the movie and the best part about it. There was an absolutely amazing scene when Wol Sun came home and was saying goodbye to Miji that was sad, but amazingly beautiful. I loved the last scene when Miji saw the bird out her window looking at her representing her grandmother still being with her.

These were not the only strong women in the drama, nor the only strong storylines. The story of Bun Hong's devotion to Hosu, the story of Ro Sa and her best friend who was a poet, the relationship between Mirae and Su Yeon were all amazing stories in and of themselves and also showed bravery in moving forward in life after experiencing heartache.

The men in the drama were also outstanding in their own storylines of getting unstuck in life. Hosu's coming to terms with his disabilities left by the car accident that took his father's life. Se Jin resolving the guilt he felt about his grandfather and being able to move past that guilt. Even the lawyer Chung Gu being able to move past the corporate greed to taking on cases that helped the real victims.

It really is a story of getting unstuck. Whether sadness, fear, guilt, there is a way past and a life ahead. That's what the main characters in this story showed us. Along the way, you will laugh, cringe, cry, and feel sad when it all comes to an end. Because it is one of those story's where you want to just move in next door to these people and continue to be a part of their lives.

Well done Park Bo Young!!! It could not be easy playing two roles a t once. Especially when their personalities were so different. She did an amazing acting job with this.

The only weakness in the story, and I have to say it didn't lessen my enjoyment by much, was the story of Miji's track accident. It was completely unbelievable. She is running down the track and sees Mirae and Hosu hugging. This causes her to trip and fall. According to the story, this "trip" breaks her leg so severely that she can never run again, and her athletic future is dead. The physics of this don't work, so it's not believable. Running on a track might cause a fracture, a sprain, but not such a severe break as to end someone's track career. The only possible way this would work is if she had severe osteoporosis. Doubtful considering she was a teenager at the time. Like I said before, this is a small weakness and did not effect my enjoyment of the drama overall.

Read More

1.5 kg x 100 of Humor and Comedy

Yes it's over the top. Yes everything is exaggerated. But so far it works. I just keep laughing and laughing out loud. It was only a few weeks ago I finished watching Lee Jun Young as a diabolical bully and criminal in Weak Hero Class 2. Now he is this intense, but hilarious gym rat/fitness trainer/competitive body builder who can't stop posing with his big shoulders. I've watched the first 3 episodes and I'm loving it. It really doesn't have much of a continuing storyline other than a cast of characters who workout in this neighborhood gym, and the attraction building between the ML and FL. It's the comedy that is carrying it and I have to say it's working. Working on a series like this had to be such fun for the actors. How in the heck did they actually get any decent takes? I would have just laughed my way through. I guess that's why they are the professionals.

Read More

The Sweetest Story Ever

A Korean version of the American movie 50 First Dates without the offensive stupid guy humor that Adam Sandler is so famous for. This is the sweetest love story between two high school students. One, the FL, who had an accident that left her with the type of amnesia where her memory is erased every night while she sleeps. Enter the ML, a shy but handsome boy who asks out our FL on a bet so his deskmate will stop being bullied. However, he's noticed this girl before so doesn't really mind. The majority of the movie is their dating life, which is sweet, meaningful, and will tug at your heart. Their time together is short but strong and significant. That's all I will say and leave the rest for you to watch.

I have to say that I came home today from work having a really hard, emotionally taxing day and watching this movie was exactly what I needed. A special thanks to the screenwriter for an excellent story, the director, the production crew and all the actors who brought meaning to the story. You touched my heart.

Read More

By the End it Was A Lovely Story

Well I came back and changed my initial rating, the headline, and adding an updated review after finishing this Kdrama. I left my initial review below which you can read if you want, or not. In the end, I enjoyed this story. While my connection with the two main leads ebbed and flowed, I really enjoyed the secondary plots the most, especially between Ji Seung and JaeWoon. Lee Kyung Han's Jae Woon was amazing. I really liked his character and thought he brought a lot to the drama as a whole. Although Jae Shin was made out to be such a cad for using the FL, I still liked his character especially as his story unfolded. I thought Yun Seung's support of her husband as he finds himself was amazing. How many people in real life would actually do that? What a great message. I loved the KLAR team, and how fun they were at work. I loved the three siblings and how much they supported each other.

I won't repeat my initial impressions about the two main leads and the beginning of their storyline. Most of the way through I was at odds with these two. I chalked it up to just a lack of chemistry between the two actors. However, around episode 12, I began to change my mind. I think seeing them in more playful scenes made the romance more believable. In the end I was rooting for them to get back together for that happy ending.

Two main things I loved about this drama were the fashions and the weather. I loved the clothes!! The costume director did an outstanding job here. I loved that it was set in the winter, so we saw lots of sophisticated winter fashion. Loved the long coats and scarves!! Loved the setting....I'm sure most was shot in Gangnam, I know the last scene was. The offices, the shops, the restaurants, the coffee places!! I really didn't like the advertisement they did for McDonalds. That added nothing to the storyline. There are still aspects of the story I didn't like because to me they didn't make sense, but overall it was a sweet story of coworkers falling in love.

First 4 episodes:
I've only watched the first 4 episodes, and although this felt like an interesting story at first, by the 4th episode it's turning into the same old thing. I'll add more to this review as I progress through. That is, if I do continue watching it. Just a few things that are bothering me.

First, the script. It appears so far this is the typical Kdrama trope that has been used a million times over. A tall, strong, handsome, wealthy ML falls for a pathetic FL and they have some sort of adventure together. This storyline plays out in the workplace where the FL is having a secret relationship with her boss who (unbeknownst to her) is getting married to another woman. As co-workers, the ML has a puppy-dog crush on the FL, but finds out about her relationship with the boss. Almost simultaneously he finds out the boss is engaged and getting married to another woman. His crush and protective instincts kick into overdrive. While his protectiveness sounds romantic, it really isn't coming off as such. It is more stalker-like, which I do not like a series projecting toxic behavior into something romantic and normal.

So why is the writing a problem? Believability and toxic masculinity
The ML, played by tall and handsome Ro Woon, is from a wealthy family who owns a department store (?? I think---nope, it is a wedding business). Why is this person working for another company instead of his family's business? This doesn't make sense.
He meets the FL while in college where he attends a career fair for the cosmetic company she represents. He is filling out an application when her stomach rumbles. Apparently he falls in love at this moment, sprints to a convenience store to buy her food, then while she is eating he guards the door so no one can disturb her lunch. So, stomach growling is now an aphrodisiac?? This doesn't make sense.
The ML is hired by the cosmetic company and the FL becomes his "trainer." His crush progresses to the point of obsession. He follows her around and this is how he finds about her relationship with the boss.
He engineers it so that she finds out that she is in fact the "other woman." Talks her into a fake relationship with him, and then proceeds to stalk her every move (under the guise of protecting her). The scene in the nightclub where he goes down on the floor to protectively stand behind her while she is dancing is awkward, stupid, and completely unbelievable. This really doesn't make sense.
I'm having a hard time with the level of obsessive, controlling, and stalking-like behavior in the ML being presented to the viewer as a loving, protective person. The way this role is written is toxic, and not loving by any stretch of the imagination.

A little about the FL. I saw this actress in Just Between Lovers with Lee Jun Ho and absolutely loved her, and loved the drama. For this part, she is doing as well as she can considering the unrealistic storyline. Her role is smart and career driven, which I like, but the pathetic side she has to carry out in order for the ML to "rescue" her stands in too much opposition to her role's personality. So, it doesn't make sense. Also, although I like both Won Jin Ah and Ro Woon as actors, I don't think they go together very well. I feel like she has more connection with the actor playing her boss, Lee Hyun Wook. I have a hard time hating him even though he deceived her because the two have more chemistry. Her wardrobe in the drama is superb---I love how they are styling her. Except for the shoes. So far she has been in high heels the entire time. I don't know if they don't fit her feet well, or if they are incredibly uncomfortable, but in some scenes she is walking very awkward. High heels can be tricky. Instead of walking where the heel meets the pavement first following by the foot and toe (the typical human gate), a female in high heels will plant the entire foot down all at once. This produces an abnormal stomp motion, rather than a smooth natural walk. That's what she is doing.

All in all, at this point its a bit of a disappointment.

Read More

Dropped after Episode 8

I don't really think I'll be adding anything new from what other's have said about this drama. I'm a fan of Lee Junho and have loved his other Kdramas, but I just couldn't watch this to the end. When you have a slow burn main plot, you need a lot of good sub plots to carry the story and the viewer forward. I thought this would have some really good subplots, but it didn't. It's basically the story of the IMF crisis in South Korea and the tragedy that hit one family who owned Typhoon Trading. The CEO died and the employees could not hold the business together and left one by one until there was only one left. Enter the CEO's son who knows nothing about the business, has massive guilt over his father's death, and decides he can resurrect the business. The one employee left is a smart, pretty female who wants to grow in her work and is the bread winner for her family, so she commits to helping the son. There is also a spark of attraction between the two. As they put the business back together, this is where the storyline comes off the rails. This was an especially difficult time in SK's history. Businesses and banks went under, people scammed each other to get ahead, and corruption grew. All this had to be navigated to put Typhoon Trading back to gather. Stupidity and poor decisions ruled the day which always got the business into a mess which they had to dig out from under. This happened over and over and over and over again. The same plot played out in 10 different ways. The acting got clownish, it was downright boring, and although I tried....I really did.....I gave up in episode 8.

This had a good cast of actors. It really was a poorly developed storyline so there was no character development. The subplots were either poorly developed or fizzled after barely being introduced. As a viewer, I just couldn't connect to the characters and finally said, "enough." The only enjoyment was the retro vibe it gave in the clothes and the sets of this by-gone era.

Sorry to say, I can't really recommend this.

Read More

What Do You Get When You Cross A Black Dragon and a Strawberry....?

A really cute Kdrama rom com that had just enough of a storyline to hold my attention through to the end. What I like about this story is that it didn't have the typical rom com cliches and overacting that was way too unrealistic. The lead female wasn't overly stupid, pathetic, and mean, but instead she was a strong career woman who held her own. The leading male, though dashing, could be really pitiful at times, and wasn't necessarily who swooped in to rescue the leading lady. Instead, sometimes it was our leading lady who swooped in to save the day.

There were some themes and plot lines that seemed to repeat that made some of it redundant. The storyline between the leading male and his grandmother went a little too far in her hatred for him, yet she demanded he work like a dog which he did. I think if that were me I would've said, "Screw you granny!!". That was a little unrealistic as was the sudden overnight change of heart that softened her. This is the stuff of fairy tales.

But, nonetheless, it still was a good story overall. Very entertaining. It kept me tuned in every week. Nothing especially phenomenal. Just purely entertaining, and for that I thank the cast and crew.

Read More