totoro
on the wrong ship
note: low rewatch value because watching it more than once might raise your blood pressure too much.
Save Me isn’t your average kdrama. I haven’t seen anything like it before. According to some sources, this is the first kdrama that explores the issues of religious cults. I actually started watching this drama the week before it ended, and finished all available 14 episodes in less than two days. Yes, it was that good. For many viewers, myself included, it was kinda slow in the beginning. I was hooked right from the start since each episode was gripping, but the drama didn’t warm up for me until ep 9 (yes, a bit late into the drama, but it’s totally worth it).
*claps* The cast is AMAZING. I can’t believe the actor of Dong Cheol, Woo Do Hwan, is a rookie. He’s so good. His facial expressions (his eyes!), his body language, and everything else shows exactly what he’s thinking. Definitely will be following his upcoming works. I wasn’t a fan of Seo Ye Ji, but that completely changed when I watched this drama (her voice is so rich). Taecyeon was lovely as usual, but Do Hwan completely stole the show for me. I loved the bromance between the four guys. The supporting cast also did a great job; each character had a story and helped keep me on the edge of my seat throughout the drama. btw there isn’t really a romance storyline, but definitely lots of shipping ;-)
There were a few scenes that made me a bit uncomfortable, but other than that, I absolutely loved this show. On the same note, this drama isn’t for everybody, since it tackles darker issues. I’ve been disappointed numerous times by the kdramas this year, but Save Me definitely saved the year (no pun intended). Save Me is one of my favs this year, along with Defendant, Duel, and Avengers Social Club. I don’t think I’ve been this emotionally invested in a kdrama before, and I’m sad that it has ended… will definitely miss the cast of Save Me.
The final verdict: not for everyone, but it’s an amazing drama that dives into darker topics
This is the first religious cult kdrama, so there’s nothing similar to it, but here are a few psychological dramas:
- Liar Game (kdrama)
- I Remember You
- Defendant (“Apostle Jo” is also in this one, but he’s a good guy :D)
- Mad Dog (not psychological, but stars Woo Do Hwan (!!); airs later this year)
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I loved the first couple episodes. They were exciting and unpredictable (most of the time). But after the eighth ep, it slowed down a lot, so I got bored. Why did I stick with it till the end? I was already halfway through, so I stayed for the romance (haha, this isn't the first time something like this has happened) ;-)
Try this drama if you love light school dramas with a bit of mystery. I was really impressed by the acting of the cast, especially rookie actors Kim Se Jung and Kim Jung Hyun. Their chemistry is over the roof. I found myself skipping through episodes just to get to their scenes. The side storylines were incorporated well. Like sunah said, School 2013 has the best bromance, School 2015 has the best second lead syndrome (rip), and School 2017 has the best male lead. I personally enjoyed School 2015 the most out of all the School series (except for that last episode), but go ahead and give School 2017 a try. It might be your type of drama. :-) It was a fun kdrama, even if it lost steam in the second half.
The final verdict: watch if you enjoy predictable fluffy dramas
Check out:
- Sassy Go Go
- Reply 1988
- Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo
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The first four-six episodes were some of the best things I’ve seen since Save Me. they were flashy, dynamic, and unique, and I absolutely loved them. Unfortunately, the drama loses its initial charm and uniqueness after that. Witch’s Court is a perfect example of a drama that had great potential and an excellent start, but failed to keep that momentum going throughout the entire drama. I love the characters and the original premise, so that’s why I’m settling on a 7.0.
The plot hits off with a bang, but quickly fizzles away into a standard law drama. When they start digging up the past, the drama gives me makjang vibes. Like everything and anything can be a secret. ugh, the reason I loved Witch’s Court was because of the amazing and unique first eps, but the plot made a negative turn in the middle. There is romance, but I feel like this drama would’ve been better without it. If the writers wanted to add romance, they should’ve developed it more. The romance starts at the beginning, goes MIA in the middle, and then suddenly appears at the end again. It’s uneven. Plus, I think ‘no-romance’ would’ve fit the concept of a strong female lead who doesn’t need a man. Nevertheless, I can’t deny the fact that prosecutor Ma and Yeo gwam look hella cute together xD i do think it would’ve been better if they were just friends tho…
Ma Yi Deum is arguably one of the best female drama leads I’ve ever seen. She isn’t afraid to put her own reputation on the line just to win a court case and is willing to do anything in order to get what she wants. heck, prosecutor Ma is one awesome character. She isn’t black or white--she’s gray. I wish we had more female characters like her in dramas. Throughout the drama, we see prosecutor Ma grow and develop into a more righteous prosecutor and I respect her so much. I also love how the gender roles were reversed in this drama. Usually in dramas, the guy is the arrogant and sly one, but Yeo gwam is a fair and honest prosecutor (quite the opposite from prosecutor Ma :P). I love Yoon Hyun Min; this is my second time watching him and his acting is great. the teamwork we see from the CAGU is awesome. It would’ve been great if there was more development from these side characters. side note: Cho Gap Soo is one of the evillest villains I have ever set my eyeballs on after Spiritual Father from Save Me. he felt very real and it’s scary to know that there are people like him in the real world.
Overall, an okay law drama. I kinda felt like it was a waste of great characters since the plot was weak, but I still enjoyed it. Not a must watch, but if you’re craving an amazing female lead, give it a go! it was a fun ride and I’m going to miss our Witch’s Court squad :’)
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Avengers Social Club is an excellent drama that perfectly blends comedy and revenge. we get some awesome character development as we see our four avengers scheme how to take down each of their enemies. the villains were very well-written and I like how this drama wasn't like a regular makjang drama that just mixes a bunch of drama and revenge; ASC actually took their revenge plans to the next level.
the cast is on point. this was my first time officially watching Lee Yo Won and I absolutely loved her acting and portrayal of Jung Hye (I also loved seeing her outfits. so classy). it was also my first time seeing Myung Se Bin and I liked seeing how her character slowly gained confidence. this was Jun's first drama role and he totally nailed it. I hope he picks up more roles because this guy's a natural. as usual, Ra Mi Ran shone and there were quite a few scenes that had me rotfl xD
this drama is 12 episodes long (could've easily been a 16 ep drama --> thirsty for more xD), so it's an excellent drama to binge. if you haven't watched this drama yet, make sure to check it out asap... also, you're very lucky that all the eps are already aired and subbed; I was dying every week waiting for the eps to be subbed (they were usually subbed at least 3 days after the eps aired. rip me).
overall, a very satisfying drama. held back from a 10 because I'm stingy with those and ASC didn't leave a particularly big impact on me. now the real question: where to find a Bok Ja club??
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On the surface, this drama seems like your average slice-of-life/romance/comedy drama, but beneath all that, AoY has a more serious tone and many valuable lessons to be learned. This drama is only 12 episodes long, but each episode is packed with laughs and tears. Another thing that I loved about the plot structure is that each girl has a dark secret, but writer-nim doesn't expose them all at once. It keeps us as viewers guessing and speculating.
The entire cast is amazing. This was my first time watching many of the actors, but they've already blown me away. I'll be definitely following their upcoming works. In some dramas, the main character's 'feeling' or aura changes so much that you wonder if it's the same character, but that doesn't happen in this drama. The characters are very consistent; we get to watch them go through challenges and grow. I love how the girls communicate and comfort one another. Overall, Age of Youth is a wonderful drama with great lessons :-)
The final verdict: unique and unpredictable. easy to binge xD
Also check out:
- Reply 1988
- Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo
- Age of Youth season 2!
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I have very mixed feelings about this drama. I absolutely adored the first season because of the realistic characters and excellent plot development, but this second season just felt so… bland?
*evil laugh* Let’s start with the ‘negative’ stuff. Firstly, I didn’t like how Chef didn’t return as part of the main cast. He and Yoon sunbae were my fav couple from the first season, so I was really disappointed :’( Secondly, the actress for Eun Jae changed. I get how they were trying to make it work, but the new actress was trying too hard to act like the original actress. It would have been a lot more natural (and interesting) if they had just written a new character for the actress (also, I don’t get why writer-nim made Eun Jae chase after her ex-boyfriend for more than half of this drama). Thirdly, Heimdall. Need I say more? This character was a complete waste of my time. Every time he appeared on the screen, I would start skipping. I think his storyline was meant to be emotional, but I didn’t feel a thing. Because of him, I felt Yoon sunbae’s storyline was boring.
Now onto the better things. My OTP (Ji Won and Sung Min) had amazing chemistry. Their scenes made me laugh and cry, but I was expecting.… more from them. If there is a third season, it better focus on the relationship between Song sunbae and Sung Min (or else I’m gonna riot). I also liked the character development we saw in Ye Eun; at the start of this season, she was timid and weak, but she grew stronger and more confident.
Overall, this is a nice slice of life drama that focuses on realistic problems, but it has a couple unnecessary side storylines and plot holes. From my perspective, although this drama started strong, the second half was weak, so the positives and negatives are balanced, making this an average drama. Song Ji Won and Im Sung Min made me stick with it, but if you enjoyed the first season, don’t expect much development from this second season.
The final verdict: nice slice of life kdrama, but didn’t live up to the hype (in my opinion). Still worth a try!
For more slice of life, check out:
- Reply 1988
- Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo
- Sassy Go Go
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