"Petals with many wounds smell sweetest"

"Love in Contract" takes the basic relationship contract trope to the extreme with Park Min Young as the ideal bride for hire to dozens of men over the years. There's a wide range of reasons these men need a wife and much like her role as Secretary Kim (which I loved) here she plays Choi Sang Eun, a practically perfect and always-prepared companion who's avoided love in her own life while focusing on her work.
I think the concept could've easily just been cheesy and is played up to be exaggerated and not very realistic, but I think Sang Eun is an interesting character, and her backstory and her desire to change her life was a way more unique and engaging story than I expected it to be. However, the true star of this drama for me is Go Kyung Pyo as Jung Ji Ho, her Monday-Wednesday-Friday client, and the one she plans to be her last contract husband. I loved them together, but it's his performance that kept me caring.

Like Park Min Young, Go Kyung Pyo is in a few of my favorite dramas ever BUT in those dramas, he was always the 2nd lead. I finally get to see him as the main love interest and even with such a socially awkward and often blank-faced character he did not disappoint. Ji Ho is clearly depressed and at times close to robotic but his charisma shines through making it hard not to empathize with him. The leads have a straight-talking banter similar to what was so great in "What's Wrong with Secretary Kim" but instead of the classic arrogant male lead Ji Ho's softspoken low voice is more reminiscent of Eeyore from Winne the Pooh. There is an initial mystery to his character's social awkwardness and cold directness so I won't reveal too much but he made me laugh, brought me to tears, and gave me butterflies while always staying true to his character. I love actually getting to see a character's growth and he delivers that.

As for the true 2nd lead, we have Kim Jae Young as Heartthrob Actor Kang Hae Jin. Anyone who hates love triangles will certainly be annoyed by his character but I found him to actually be likable and empathetic as well. I also found his rivalry with Go Kyung Pyo pretty hilarious. Sang Eun is the classic woman caught between two great men, but her real plan is just to go off on her own and live her own life. I thought it was nice to have a female lead whose ultimate goal isn't falling in love but instead finding herself but know that this is still 100% a romance drama. There are melodrama elements too, and a convoluted conglomerate families war plot, but it's the relationships in this drama that made me like it as much as I did. There are so many great performances including Kang Hyung Suk as BFF Gwang Nam, Ji Ho's boss, and his wife (#goals), as well as his quirky coworkers. Then there's Jin Kyung as the classy and calculated Svengali Ajumma from hell Yoo Mi Ho! This is a drama where the cast makes the story work!

Would I watch this drama again? Yes! The greedy family scenes repeated ad nauseam are definitely skippable, and those characters are pretty cartoonishly bad, but thankfully they don't take up too much time. The story is all over the place, changing focus several times throughout, but I liked how things resolved for most of the characters by the end. I would probably want to skip to scenes with the main couple but I liked most of the other characters enough to rewatch some of their antics again too.

Overall, "Love in Contract" is a modern open-minded version of an old-school cliché rom-com. One where marriage is a little less idealized. Watching two people eat dinner may seem pretty boring but I think it was a nice benchmark for their journey together. Shout out to Tiffany for finding a great way to do product placement for so many rings, but the Kopiko candy scenes were too much! If you want a love story with some light drama and laughs then I would give this a chance. This may not be a favorite of mine but it was different and I absolutely loved Go Kyung Pyo as Jung Ji Ho. He is enough of a reason to make me recommend this drama. There's a line that says "petals with many wounds smell sweetest" which is a perfect analogy for this drama. This drama is also imperfect but the sweetness shines through.

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Came for the creepy kids. Stayed for the emo drama.

I love creepy kids and emo drama, so this movie has a lot of elements that I loved. The downside is that the story is pretty standard for a supernatural mystery, and drags unnecessarily at times. I never even heard of this movie before it popped up on Shudder, but based on good reviews on that site I was immediately intrigued. Although I didn't love "The Closet" as much as I thought I would I can see why others may have liked it more. I've seen so many creepy kids and haunted house movies that the tropes in this were at times way too familiar and predictable. I still appreciated the themes around how we treat and see children and Heo Yool was phenomenal as Yi Na, which kept me engaged from the start.

Heo Yool is the standout but the entire cast is good, including Ha Jung Won as Sang Won, the depressed and overwhelmed dad of Yi Na. I definitely empathized with his character but he was so low-key at times that certain situations didn't feel as heightened as they could have been. Despite many good performances, not many seemed memorable, but there is a great cameo from Park Sung Woong who I thought was perfectly disturbing. I think maybe trying to play things more real and subtly just made the pace feel slower. Also, some of the lightly comedic moments didn't help the mood and felt pretty "meh".

Would I watch this again? I think I would. I'm curious about what details I may have missed. The story gets super explanatory in the middle, which wasn't very engaging the first time watching, but maybe knowing the ending would make some of those parts more interesting.

Overall, "The Closet" is way more haunting and tragic than scary, The ending and its message are what make this movie memorable. In a lot of ways, this is a very basic creepy-kid-haunted-house-ghost-with-a-grudge-story that delivers what is expected. It has a few clever and intense scenes and some great disturbing imagery, but it was never intense enough to actually make me scared. If you think of it more as a supernatural melodrama about a father and daughter's relationship after a tragedy you may be able to enjoy this drama more than if you expect a true horror movie. Yes, the story could have been more concise and I didn't feel as emotionally connected as I could have, but it is still a movie worth watching for fans of this genre. I'm glad I found out about this movie. I wasn't moved to tears but I was moved.

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Worth revisiting for Rowoon and Romance...

"She Would Never Know" is a drama I had to revisit after putting it on hold. I enjoyed watching this when it aired, but the slower pace made it easy to forget about, and more fast-paced and addictive dramas stole my attention. This is ultimately an office romance story with a realistic feel. If you like to have more time to get to know and feel invested in a drama romance, then this pace may be perfect for you. If you like mature and imperfect love stories then this drama has some interesting couples and non-idealistic relationships. If you don't like the leads together, then this drama is pretty much a waste of time since the plot revolves around relationships more than events or particular storylines.

I loved the chemistry between the leads, but they were more cute together than exciting and more real than sexy. Won Jin Ah plays Yoon Song Ah, an ambitious cosmetics marketer with a poker face when it comes to her personal life. She is matched with Rowoon who plays adorable Chae Hyun Seung. He can't hide his crush on his work mentor Song Ah. The alternative title of the show (and apparently webtoon) "Don't Put That Lipstick On" speaks to an office drama that ends up connecting the two leads, but this drama doesn't really rely on love triangles too much. It's more about the dynamics between the characters. From pure love to truly toxic love, the couples throughout this story have a range and the cast plays all aspects of these relationships well. Overall this is a great and believable ensemble cast but there are no major breakout performances besides the Swoon-worthy Rowoon who is charming in every single scene he is in. He was enough to keep me watching, but there are no weak actors in this cast.

The story however is not always as strong as the cast. I think along with the slower pace a lot of the things that happen start to feel repetitive. Some of the surprises in the story are pretty obvious, and some of the ways things are resolved seem a little too neat, especially toward the end. As I started to care about the characters more the pace started to bother me less. Some of the characters are extra frustrating, almost to the point of being nonsensical, but at least there's some character growth that becomes what drives the story. There also aren't too many tropes in this story (besides a major time jump) even though the plot does often seem pretty generic. This drama also isn't a romcom, even if there are a few funny moments, this isn't a very emotional story either, which may be why it falls flat at times.

Would I watch this again? Maybe. Some of the best moments are flirting scenes between the leads, and there are a lot of rewatchable flirting moments fueled by Rowoon's cuteness. The other stories were fine to watch once but I wouldn't have any interest in watching them again. Did I mention how cute Rowoon is in this? lol! That explains my 'higher than it probably deserves' rewatch score.

Overall, "She Would Never Know" is a drama for people who like traditional romance but don't want heavy emotions spoiling the mood. If you like a love story with a satisfyingly clear beginning, middle, and end, this drama delivers. All of the character relationships have a statisfying resolution, even if I didn't agree with some of the character's choices. This drama explores how love can empower and break us. Included in that is self-love, and although every story isn't happy, this drama felt inspiring in how it showed the way both good and bad relationships can impact our lives for the better. Binging also helps with this drama's pacing, and although It's far from a favorite, I'm glad I gave this one a second chance.

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A comedy-thriller with Seo In Guk? Count me in!

"Café Minamdang" is a kdrama that does double duty. It's a super silly comedy and a revenge thriller centered around the extremely versatile and talented Seo In Guk. He plays an ex-criminal profiler turned conman shaman on a quest to solve his best friend's murder. I am a huge Seo In Guk fan and I love how easily he can go from dark and serious to over-the-top humor. He is perfectly cast as Nam Han Joon and his antics got me hooked from the very beginning. I think the concept is pretty clever too, since most "psychics" are master profilers, but just know that this drama never takes itself too seriously and takes the humor to ridiculous levels.

The cast is full of fun characters, but I was biased towards the main trio. Kwak Shi Yang & Kang Mi Na are great as Han Joon's Café Minamdang ride-or-die team and they match his craziness well. Baek Seo Hoo is pretty funny too, or at least cute. I really liked all of the main characters except for one, and sadly that was the FL Oh Yeon Seo as Han Jae Hee. It's not that I disliked her completely. I loved that she was strong and determined, but I hated how frustratingly stubborn she was. It just started to feel one-note for too long. I also didn't feel like she was an even match for Seo In Guk when it came to romance or comedy. There was no chemistry, so even in scenes played up for laughs their romance felt forced. They were decent rivals but any attempt at butterflies fell flat to me. I also couldn't take their character's supposed age difference seriously. She looked older than him to be honest.

Seo In Guk had better chemistry with Kwon Soo Hyun who was great as straight laced and awkward Cha Do Won. I enjoyed their rivalry more than the romance. One thing that everyone did well was balancing the funny moments and the genuine crime-solving moments. The jokes didn't distract from the intrigue, it just kept the story from ever getting too heavy, even during sad moments.

Would I watch this again? I'm not sure. I did enjoy watching it week to week but didn't have the same kind of excitement I had for other on-air dramas I was watching. The story was pretty predictable, but the twists were well written and didn't feel thrown together. If the main romance was stronger I would probably feel differently about rewatching this drama but knowing how each mystery gets solved would take away most of the fun I had watching. I could also watch other dramas to get my Seo In Guk fix, but I admit just watching him outsmart everyone may be entertaining enough if I'm in a certain mood. Knowing certain twists ahead of time may make earlier scenes more interesting duringa second viewing too.

Overall, this is good but not great drama. The crimeand corruption stories get a little convoluted and hard to follow at times but it all makes sense and comes together by the end. The revenge story is less "old boy" vibes and more "scooby doo", but know the subjects touched on are not childish at all... including murder, abuse, & rape. Still, I found this drama to be lite and equally corny and hilarious, so if you're not laughing at the cast's hijinx it will be hard to enjoy this drama. As for me, this drama wouldn't make my favorites list but if there is a season 2 (which is totally possible based on the last episode) I would definitely watch.

I will miss Han Joon's knowing smirk, fan waving, and thinking man pose, at the very least.

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I liked it less than Season 1, but I still appreciated the new season!

I was literally in the middle of randomly rewatching season 1 of Yumi's cells when season 2 finally appeared! Yay!!! If you were a fan of season 1 then season 2 tries hard to recapture that magic and continue Yumi's story right from where the last episode ended. I was glad to see all of the old characters and cells return, but I will also confess that I am unapologetically team Wung, and was rooting for him more than Yumi at the end of season 1. I say that so that my bias is clear, although I will try to not let that cloud my review too much.

I think the main issue I had with this season is that unlike season 1, which was a clear linear plot about the evolution of Yumi & Wung's love story, season 2 tries to possibly do too much. Yes, as you can see from the poster art, Yumi has a new main love interest, Yoo Babi from season 1. We do get to see their relationship turn romantic and get introduced to Babi's cute and festive cells, but a lot of time is also spent on Yumi's writing career, some new characters, and an appreciated update on Wung too. I didn't read the webtoon, so maybe they just tried to fit as much of the original content as they could into the story. Sadly, although Yumi's emotions and the storytelling overall is still super creative and often relatable, the actual plot starts to drag and get repetitive about halfway through. And although watching season 1 first makes the most sense, there are plenty of flashbacks for context just in case you skip to this season for Park Jin Young as the male lead.

He may not have been the ship I wanted to sail but he is cute, so I understand.

Speaking of Park Jin Young as Babi, I do think he played his role pretty well, but once Babi became the center of the story he also became super boring. He and Kim Go Eun do have some cute chemistry moments in the first episodes but there are also quite a few cringy-trying-too-hard-cute moments too. Their cells often have to save the day to keep the story fun, or make their fights much more engaging. Watching Yumi become super jealous and distrustful on loop was already annoying in season 1, but Babi always being even-keeled with the same bland smile or sad expression just made it worse. If you are a Park Jin Young fan I'm sure he will be sufficiently cute for you to enjoy but compared to the chemistry in season1 I was kinda disappointed. Side couples were often much more interesting than the leads were. Wung's character having a decent amount of guest star screen time helped a lot too, but he always wore a shirt this time : ( #imissedhisabs

The rest of the cast were the same quirky characters I liked in the first season with some good new editions. My favorite of the new characters hands down was illustrator Control Z. ("Zeeeeeeee" lol ). He was another character that saved me from wanting to drop the tedious love story parts. I was hoping Da Eun would be as involved in the story as Sae Yi was, but I feel like she was underutilized. I think because of the self-centered nature of the Yumi character some great performances are more like guest appearances than the feel of an ensemble cast. There were some literal good guest star moments too. Park Jin Joo's cameo was really funny.

And all of the voice actors were amazing once again! I truly missed their antics!

Another plot issue was, as inspiring as Yumi's writing pursuit was, without the cell's POV, that was boring to watch as well, and definitely started to feel like filler in the last episodes.

Kim Go Eun as Yumi grew on me too and had a little more life in her performance this time. Or maybe that's just compared to boring Babi. Bland Babi's character was never allowed to evolve much past pursuing Yumi. Or was the lined black and white version of Babi also a metaphor for his lack of a personality? Apparently, in the original story he's the fan favorite, but I had a hard time seeing his appeal in the show. Their relationship was shady from the start, which was also pretty hard for me to look past after liking Wung so much!

Would I watch this again? Sure. I would definitely skip past a lot of scenes but the same charm of the cells and getting frustrated at Yumi makes even this messy plot still fun to watch. The Cells are everything, and along with favorites (like naughty) they really got creative with some of these new cells... like the hilarious "hand"!

And yes, I still love the OST and the new song editions. I was very glad to hear certain songs again.

Overall, it's super hard to recapture the energy of a successful first season, which the writer even blatantly has Yumi stressed over during the show's last episode (very meta). What Yumi's Cells 2 does well is stick to what worked in season 1 without trying to repeat it exactly. I still never cried, but I LOLed often. It's still the perfect length to binge and re-binge, even if the story drags at times. I got some character updates that I needed. I still wished for more growth from Yumi, but through her chasing her dream I saw some. I was also satisfied with everything ending as it did, and how they implied what was next in Yumi's love life without me needing to see it all played out, but if they do decide to actually go for a season 3, count me in... again!

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How this drama got me so hooked is magical!

It took me a while to finish this drama because I really didn't want it to end. "From Now On, Showtime!" is a hilariously silly comedy but there's also the perfect balance of romance, suspense, and heartwarming emotion. I genuinely laughed and ugly cried and truly felt connected to the cast at the end. Yes, the story is pretty well written but it's honestly the cast that makes this drama work so well. At the start of the first episode, I was not impressed and thought it would be too cheesy for me to get into. The arrogant magician meets the stubborn lady cop plot didn't have any appeal. It turns out that these characters would become way more interesting and endearing than they initially seemed, and Cha Cha Woong's "assistants" would soon steal the show, and keep me watching! This isn't just a romance with great chemistry, it's the bond between characters that got me! I won't say too much about the supernatural aspect, since the reveal is so well done, but that's also a major hilarious highlight!

Park Hae Jin as Cha Cha Woong is a cold and conceited loner who is the unlikely match for Jin Ki Joo as emotional and impulsive Go Seul Hae. These characters are extreme in order to play up the comedy, and at first, it felt like too much, but soon I grew to love their banter and they seemed perfect together. You can expect some standard romance tropes like denying their attraction, melodramatic destiny, and past life connections, but the ghost aspect of the story made this drama still feel very original. Go Gyu Pil, Jung Suk Yong, and Park Seo Yeon, much like the characters they play, are the glue that holds this story together. Their chemistry with each other and the leads are what makes this drama magical. Their comedic mystery-solving antics (later including Jung Joon Ho) are the plot of the majority of the episodes, and that was enough to keep me addicted.
They were all so good at conveying emotion too, as well as comedy, making the characters also feel memorable and real.

The entire supporting cast is great as well. Sure, some of the characters are cartoonishly evil (like Detective Seo) or overly sweet (like Officer Lee), but because this is mainly a comedy having over-the-top characters made sense. The guest star ghosts were also great. I'm not the biggest fan of dramas with random stories introduced each episode, but the writers did a great job of connecting most of the ghost stories seamlessly to the main plot. I should also shout out Kim Jong Hoon as Seo Hee Soo for giving big second lead energy! For those who hate love triangles, yes this drama has one as a major factor in the plot, but it is also a well-written aspect of the plot not just thrown in as a contrived conflict for the main couple to face.

Would I watch this again? Definitely. It's super fun and I never got tired of watching the main characters work together. The cast seemed like they had a lot of fun making this drama too. I could have done with fewer past life scenes, but they did feel important to telling the story. I also had no interest in the officer vs shaman side romance storyline, but it wasn't bad enough to skip. Watching this whole cast just put me in a good mood, and that's a good enough reason to watch this again.

Overall, I highly recommend this drama if you want to laugh, which I know is weird since this drama also deals with a lot of death. I think this drama being well balanced is why it works so well. I LOLed and wiped tears through so many episodes, especially near the end. I think romance fans will love the awkwardly cute leads, but it was the loner learning to depend on his "employees" & "partner" theme that got me right in the feels! If the idea of ghosts makes you nervous, just know that this isn't scary. It has more of a kid-friendly haunted house vibe than actual horror. I also thought the ending was very satisfying. I don't think this drama is perfect, but it's definitely a new favorite of mine. Even the opening theme song started to get me hyped!

If you're looking for a different kind of feel-good drama, you found it.
Grab some snacks and tissues and get ready to laugh a lot... It's show time!

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Melancholy Slice of Life

I'm not the biggest fan of slice of life dramas but there is something strangely satisfying and cathartic about this one. "My Liberation Notes" is more about the mood than a specific story, which usually feels too tedious for me to enjoy, but because the characters felt so vulnerable and relatable I ended up liking this drama way more than I expected to. This isn't your usual dose of escapism. The characters here are mostly solemn, depressed, and disappointed with the life they live. Still, there's something inspiring about the way their stories evolve and something honest about how imperfect they all were without being too sad.

The leads in this story are 3 siblings who live with their parents in a rural small town despite working in the big city. The family is very close as far as working and surviving together, but not emotionally. One dreams of success, one dreams of true love, and the third attempts to be less apathetic about life in general by sparking a connection with an alcoholic stranger who works as a day worker for the family while barely saying a word. The alcoholic stranger is actually my favorite character and the mystery surrounding him was my favorite part of this drama. Son Seok Koo as Mr. Gu is just HOT. He has dysfunctional Bad Boy Swag that is somehow irresistable even when he's silent. I'd probably drop by with a few soju bottles if I were Mi Jung too! I'm also gonna steal her "worship me" line, but I don't want to spoil even a little bit about their chemistry by saying too much about them. I'll just mention that I liked Kim Ji Won way better in this than "Lovestruck in the City".

I also liked a lot of the supporting characters. The man of few words dad, the worried mom, the small town friends, the woman from HR, the single dad... every single character supported the main theme well while bringing their own unique perspectives to it. There are no throwaway or one dimensional characters.

Oh, so what are the actual liberation notes? Inspired by every introvert's nightmare, imagine your job forcing you to socialize with coworkers after work as a job requirement. 3 coworker holdouts (including younger sis Mi Jung) presured to join one of the offered after-work group activity "clubs", decide to form their own club that they name the Liberation Club. Although just reactionary at first it becomes a place where they can vent and reflect on what they want to be liberated from in life with the silent support of the other members. They write their thoughts in their own personal liberation journals which inspires the title. It's not the main focus of the plot by any means but it is a benchmark for being more proactive about the lives the characters want to live, which is what I think is the main theme.

This drama may seem boring if you are expecting something major to happen, and I can see being annoyed by hearing some characters constantly complain or being perpetually moody, but I think what this drama does well is making disappointment, loneliness, and depression palpable. Is a good life about changing your circumstances or your perspective? What does it really take to feel happy or satisfied? I think this drama may not have an exciting storyline but it offers up some interesting perspectives on life and life choices.

If I'm honest, I would not watch this drama again unless I was feeling really emo. This is a raincloud sky dressed in all black full Eeyore emo drama. I also wasn't completely satisfied with the ending, although it made sense to the storytelling style. Maybe part of me still wanted something less vague for closure.

Overall, this drama is a mood. If you can relate to feeling lost or unmotivated you may feel seen, or feel inspired to start journaling with no pressure to be profound. I did find out after finishing that the writer (Park Hae Young) wrote "Another Miss Oh" one of my favorite dramas ever, and "My Mister", and although this drama is completely different, the interesting character dynamics, family relationships, and honest to a fault perspectives is refreshing once again. I look forward to her next drama. I was caught off guard with moments of unexpected laughing, ugly crying, and seemingy mundane moments that had me truly intrigued. I recommend giving this drama a chance and you may be pleasantly surprised. Make peace with the slow pace, the unresolved relationships, and the full on sads and you may find yourself truly touched.

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Ambition and Entitlement are a helluva drug!

This was my third time trying to watch SKY Castle. Twice before I dropped it during the first episode. I just don't find dramas about blind ambition and shallow social circles that interesting without a compelling story, so I didn't understand the high ratings. After finally giving this drama a real chance, and making it to the end of episode 1, I realized that this story builds pretty slowly, and getting to know the families and their dynamics becomes important in caring about what happens later on. If you were raised in an environment where getting amazing grades in school was prioritized over everything else then this drama and its message may resonate with you more. I would almost call this a lite melodrama, because of its comedic and silly scenes, but It's the mystery part of the story that actually kept me watching. If you weren't raised with that pressure (like me), the attention put on grades and college may seem super exaggerated and hard to take seriously, but it was the dynamic between parents and their kids that affected me the most in SKY Castle. It's taken to the extreme for sure but was easy to empathize with. The cast is also great, even if the majority of the characters often aren't likable. Some characters are ridiculously over the top too, but it all works with the satirical style of the drama.

This is very much an ensemble drama too. Most of the story focuses on Yeom Jung Ah as fierce "Tiger mom" Seo Jin, but each main family in SKY Castle has its own interrelated stories and some really great performances. However, the standout for me is Kim Seo Hyung. I wish I could go more into why without spoilers but I'd rather you learn by watching. The mystery of her character is the glue that holds all the pieces together and she made a strong impression on me while doing it. Also, don't let these slightly campy characters fool you, there are some super emotional moments that I didn't expect that lead to real tears quite a few times.

Would I watch this again? Probably not, but not because it's a bad drama. Not knowing what to expect is what kept me intrigued and there were a lot of unexpected twists from the first episode, despite its slower pace at times, and I just don't think I would have that same excitement watching it again and knowing what to expect. It's also a pretty sad drama, even with its more comedic and catty moments, so it's not a "fun" rewatch either. I do think knowing the characters better would make the earlier episodes seem less boring, especially the first celebratory dinner scene, but I couldn't rewatch it all. I can maybe see fans of any of the actors wanting to watch this again, or people who relate more to the high achiever plot and find this cathartic rewatching. I would be much more interested in a sequel instead, although I can't imagine where the story would go from here. I felt this drama did a good job of bringing closure to all the characters even with the provocative ending.

Overall, I see why this drama was so popular. It really is well-written and never gets too melodramatic to make a real emotional impact. It's more than a look into the secret lives of the rich and entitled, which is what I expected (and why I kept dropping it), and is more about examining and challenging the pressures put on young people to succeed. I'm sure watching it from a Korean point of view is different from my American perspective, but once I was drawn into that high-pressure world of SKY Castle, I empathized more than I ever thought I could. If you're bored by the beginning like I was, just know that the pace picks up, and the story gets addictive. The world of SKY Castle is realistically unreal. I don't think it's perfect, nor would I add it to my favorites list, but like one of the major themes in this drama, it doesn't need to have perfect grades to be appreciated.

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Weather forecast metaphors can't make shallow relationships deep.

"Forecasting Love and Weather" tries to use weather predictions as a metaphor for messy and complicated love relationships, but that concept quickly became boring to me and the relationships were pretty shallow and not very compelling. In the beginning, I did find the pressure to get weather predictions right interesting, and the office dating drama was fun, even sexy, but as time went on too much focus was placed on the same arguments and petty fights. The relationships in this drama are meant to be mature, and not your typical idealistic love story, but so many of the characters seemed immature, even childish. There is also a ridiculous love triangle/square element to the plot that resolves way too easily and that's partly when I started losing interest. This drama played it way too safe which is what stopped me from caring enough about any of the couples, even the pretty well-matched leads.

This drama stars a favorite, Park Min Young as stubborn and guarded Jin Ha Kyung, with super cute Song Kang
as impressive weather expert newcomer Lee Shi Woo. I expected their big age gap to be an issue, but I honestly believed them as a couple. I knew Song Kang could handle a mature plot from watching "Nevertheless", but now I wonder if maybe his ability to flirt so well hides his lack of character depth. Their chemistry was much stronger when they were falling for each other but all the other scenes lacked any spark.

Yoon Park and Yura round out the leads and all I will say about them is that I disliked both of their characters so much! Yura as Chae Yoo Jin eventually became almost sympathetic but Yoon Park's Han Ki Joon annoyed me from the beginning until the end. Any time they were on the screen I could feel myself checking out.

The supporting cast was mostly great. It included another favorite of mine Kim Mi Kyung as a meddling mom, but in her style. There were great coworker characters with their own life dramas and one unexpected favorite in the cast Moon Tae Yu, who was hilarious to me. I admit I liked the weird comic relief relationship subplot way more than the jaded marriage subplots, and at times even the leads, but I still think all of the actors did a good job. Without a strong actual story, they all did the best they could with what they were assigned. The work atmosphere at least felt authentic, although they did seem to overreact in order to force drama into less interesting scenes.

Would I watch this again? No. The parts that I liked, in the beginning, aren't exciting enough to rewatch. The weather room arguments began to feel the same no matter the season or the forecast. I also didn't care enough about any of the relationships to want to watch their struggles again. I appreciate that the end gave me sufficient closure but I was honestly over this drama long before the last episode.

Overall, this drama is a miss. I will definitely never think about weather forecasting the same again, but I will probably forget all of these characters quickly. I think it fails to be romantic enough for romance fans or deep enough for a good slice of life drama. There are certainly far worse dramas, and I was never bored enough to drop it completely, so perhaps it can be a decent filler drama. I just wish it had a stronger story since the first episode seemed like a setup for something great, especially with episodes so long. I expected a mature romance plot, so maybe that's my fault. I know Kdramas more often play stories safe and nice in this genre so maybe that's my fault. In spite of the overuse of weather metaphors, this drama mostly sticks to a mild and predictable temperature. However, enjoying whatever the weather actually is outside right now is probably a better use of your time.

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I came for Kim Se Jeong, and stayed for the amazing unlikely hero cast.

Honestly, I ignored this drama for a while. I didn't even bother to check reviews about it even after it repeatedly showed up as a Netflix suggestion. It was only when I started to obsessively watch "A Business Proposal", that I decided to watch this to fill the time in between those episodes. I figured I liked Kim Se Jeong so much in that cute rom-com that maybe I'd like her in this too. I was right about that, but I had no idea I would instantly love this odd group of unlikely heroes just as much. This drama started off grabbing my attention from the very first moments and the pace never slowed down for me. I was intrigued by the mysterious story, impressed with the cheesy but exciting and well-choreographed superhero action scenes, and loved super cute Cho Byeong Kyu as So Moon.

"The Uncanny Counter" in many ways is So Moon's coming-of-age/superhero origin story, so Cho Byeong Kyu being so likable is a huge reason why it works so well. I won't say too much about his journey and how it starts but I will say the permed hair element was a really nice touch. The character is so super sweet and easy to root for, and he's the perfect, believable, choice for this role. The rest of the team is just as perfectly cast. Kim Se Jeong plays the tough and guarded Do Ha Na. Yoo Joon Sang plays tough guy Ga Mo Tak. Yeom Hye Ran plays nurturing mother figure Chu Mae Ok. Their team seems completely mismatched and I think that's what makes this show so good as we learn about "counters" and what they are called to do. I also loved that each counter has their own story and reason for joining the team, their own unique strengths, and none of them really outshine the other. Teamwork is the major theme in this plot, in spite of the focus on So Moon specifically, so it's great that all of the leads shine.

The supporting cast is filled with great characters and performances too. Kim Eun Soo & Lee Ji Won were so great as So Moon's protective BFFs, which is amazing considering the real-life age gap between them. They are definitely #friendshipgoals. Ahn Suk Hwan is funny as the fifth-wheel member of the team and flamboyantly rich Choi Jang Mool. I loved the wholesome grandparents, the equally mismatched "Yung" beings, especially the motherly yet disturbingly creepy Wi Gen. The villains are pretty campy and over the top, but work well with the style of the drama. The real evil MVP, however, is Lee Hong Nae who is so good at being bad, and dare I say he made evil a little too sexy. He is the perfect match for the main team of heroes with a great evil grin and those eyes... I love a good villain and although this show is full of evil types he definitely out-evils them well.

I don't want to say too much about the plot itself because part of the fun of this drama is discovering everything as the main character does. There's a lot of violence, and many bullying scenes, but nothing that I would call gory or scary. The story is pretty dark and often sad, but I would still say it is more of a lighter feel-good drama. The story also has a great pace, with thriller elements and many moments that I didn't quite expect. There are many tropes that you would expect in a show like this, beginning with the infamous white truck of doom, but I applaud the writer for keeping the story exciting from beginning to end. I LOLed, I cried, I cheered, and embraced the blatant messages about the power of having support and alliances and letting go of trauma and guilt.

Would I watch this again? Absolutely. Even though there is a suspenseful element to this story there's so much more than that that makes this drama so enjoyable. It's also inspiring to watch So Moon's determination despite all obstacles, that's a whole mood all by itself. I also think some of the early scenes will hit different knowing how the story unfolds and who the characters are. I'm sure there were a lot of small details I missed.

Overall, I'm so glad I decided to watch this drama. I definitely consider it a new favorite and I am excited about the thought of a Season 2. I would definitely recommend it to fans of superhero stories, movies like the Matrix, or people who love to root for the underdog. This drama is great as a complete story, but I can easily see all the possibilities of continuing the story of this whole "counter" universe and I'd love to see more of this specific team.

This drama is equal parts familiar and original. It makes the unbelievable relatable. It also, like So Moon, surprised me by exceeding my expectations. I can't compare it to the webtoon, since I obviously never read it, but I am almost tempted to, although I would never want to ruin whatever ends up inspiring season 2. Next Season Count me in!lol

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Too fun to be this short : (

"A Business Proposal" is a classic addictive RomCom. Yes, It's filled with tropes galore, but it's also self-aware, which I loved, including a drama within a drama that reminds the viewer to not take the cheesy plot too seriously. Nothing in this drama is original. As the title suggests, It's the cliché Rich Boss Poor Employee cliché complete with a contractual relationship that starts getting real. What feels different about this drama is that it doesn't waste a lot of time on repetitive obstacles, and most of the time is spent instead on the amazing chemistry between the leads.

It stars Kim Se Jeong as Shin Ha Ri. A quirky-klutzy but smart and hardworking employee who I loved! She's hilarious and ridiculous but still felt real and relatable and was thankfully not a passive doormat. This was my first time seeing her in a drama and I'm an instant fan. Seriously, she's so good that I will definitely watch whatever she is in next. I already started watching "The Uncanny Counter" to kill time waiting for the next episodes of this each week, and I love her in that too, but she's a perfect rom-com leading lady. She is matched with Ahn Hyo Seop as Kang Tae Moo, the typical cold and arrogant boss leading man. He plays that role really well and was a great straight man for Ha Ri's antics, but it was his vulnerability when he starts letting down his guard that really got me. I was immediately sucked into their rom-com banter. Even watching them just look at each other I could feel butterflies, and I am definitely adding them to my list of favorite Kdrama couples. Their story is everything I've already seen in a million KDramas before and I was still excited, that's how good they were together. I also liked how the love story escalated without wasting too much time (Tae Moo's favorite saying) but then again, I didn't realize there were only 12 episodes. I feel gypped. I wasn't ready to let this go!

Another great thing about this drama is that it almost felt like getting 2 romcoms for the price of one. Each lead had a BFF and they had their own cute love story with amazing chemistry. I also really loved the friendship between Young Seo and Ha Ri and between Sung Hoon and Ta Moo. Special shout out to Kim Min Gue's dimple who deserves its own credit for being a valuable part of the cast. There's a great underlying theme about the family you create beyond the one you're born into. I also liked that even the rich and privileged lead characters were given some depth and not just reduced to what you would normally expect from a typical sheltered heir/chaebol character.

The supporting cast was fun too. Some characters are extra over the top and borderline annoying (OMG Young Seo's cousin's voice was so excruciating), but the silliest moments still usually make me laugh. One of my favorite characters of all was Lee Deok Hwa as Ta Moo's drama-addicted matchmaking Grandpa. He looked like he was having fun too, playing a sillier spin on the kind of role he's played so many times before. The only characters who were a buzz kill were the Chef and his petty Girlfriend. They weren't bad, they were just... "meh". I'm glad their screen time was limited.

Would I watch this again? Definitely. I already rewatched many of the episodes while waiting for the next episode. There's something comforting about a lite drama like this that's so easy to binge and is still fun to watch even with such a basic plot. Next time I'm in the mood to watch attractive couples with great chemistry I'll queue this up! I will be tempted to fast forward to my favorite moments and skip the filler, but even the filler is pretty funny.

Overall, after being disappointed by so many recent dramas, and not being in the mood to watch something deep or gutwrenching, this drama exceeded all of my expectations. I watched knowing nothing about the webtoon, so I can't compare them. Is the plot logical? Absolutely not. Will that matter while watching? I doubt it. Sometimes it felt like I was watching "What's Wrong With Secretary Kim" Jr but take that as a compliment. There's a reason so many of these tropes are in so many dramas again and again, and "A Business Proposal" embraces that unapologetically, and with cute animation to help set that mood. I am genuinely going to miss this drama. I wasn't prepared for it to end but I'm so glad it ended with me still enjoying it and didn't drag on and become stale and disappointing. This drama stays consistently silly and sweet from beginning to end but also has heart and its own original flavor thanks to the cast. There's also mild food porn, so I wouldn't attempt to watch while hungry. I'm hoping to find another drama this cute, since real life has been too heavy lately to appreciate a heavy drama, and this was the perfect escapism.

This is 100% a guilty pleasure drama, but I feel no shame that I enjoyed every episode.

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I still can't believe I watched all 52+ episodes of this mess voluntarily.

I gave myself an extra week before finishing this drama because after weeks and weeks of this hot mess of a drama I wasn't quite ready for it to end. Watching this show has been slightly masochistic. The plot is possibly the most ridiculous I've ever committed to watching, the main couple was well past my threshold for cheesiness, and yet I couldn't look away. Every week I volunteered to be irritated by characters and baffled by their actions. The actors committed to some of the worst written characters I've ever seen, so I can respect them for that, but it is so way over the top that I couldn't take a minute of this seriously. If I could rename this drama I would call it "Why can't everyone just mind their own business?!!" since most of the plot ends up being about meddling parents and caring too much about what others have to say. I'm sure culturally this maybe resonates more with a Korean audience but I couldn't relate, and the actions of many of the characters felt insane. I felt insane too because I couldn't stop watching.

The main story is pretty basic. A young tutor/nanny and her widower boss fall in love in the most nonsensical way. There is also an implied HUGE age gap between them which already felt strange because in real life there isn't that same big age gap, and it shows. Their romance also feels extremely childish. The FL was constantly having random mood swings that went from obsessed crush to pouty brat while the ML was usually in robotic and gullible mode. They fought like immature kids, not lovers, for most episodes. Maybe people who like an old-fashioned love story will like how innocent they are but I felt like they traded in chemistry for a more "wholesome" style that was more cringy and corny than exciting and romantic. Still, this didn't stop me from waiting and watching to see what would happen, even when the same tropes kept repeating episode after episode. The silly music often played to remind us when it was supposed to be funny but I don't remember ever laughing... not even once in 52 episodes. I just stared at the screen wondering how something so terrible could put such a spell on me.

The rest of the characters consist of selfish parents throwing tantrums... a Sa Ra who is just as evil and slap inspiring as Se Ra's of dramas past, a lot of random family members in their own relationship messes, and 3 kids... 2 of which are super adorable and the show's highlight by far. All of these characters also constantly talk to themselves aloud which adds another layer to the ridiculousness. Still, I can only blame myself for tuning in each week. I dare say the end didn't disappoint, complete with a cringy musical moment that felt like our big prize for finally finishing this. There were also dramatic moments that left me completely dry-eyed but helped with the closure I need to move on.

Would I watch this again? Bahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaa.

No.

Should you watch it? How do you feel about wasting hours of your life watching parents act like toddlers and the dysfunctional relationships they cause through meddling? Do you think dramas today aren't wholesome enough? Can you just not get enough of Amnesia plots? How about birth secrets and false paternity claims? Do you enjoy yelling "This is so stupid" at the screen? Do you enjoy being frustrated by characters doing things that make so sense at all? Do you love stories that drag out plots and jokes? Then by all means enjoy all 52 episodes of this train wreck of a drama. Scroll through the comments here and commiserate with others who also decided to watch this madness week after week. This is the one time where I feel like watching in real-time was better, and I just can't see binging this show for 52+ hours. The way so many parts of the plot drag on would be more blatant if watched back to back.

And don't forget the special... which could have easily been added to the last episode but maybe they needed more time for product placements and cheesy montages and flashbacks.

I admit that I will miss the "Do-Ba Do-bi-do-bi..." song during the awkward moments, which was a guilty pleasure.
Not to be confused with the more lighthearted "Dodo lehdehdeh..." lol! The music was definitely cued up to set the mood and will probably haunt me for years to come.

Overall, this is definitely a drama for a specific audience, so I don't want to trash it too much because I chose to keep watching. I'm still in shock that I made it to the end. If you dropped it, don't bother trying to watch it again. It doesn't get any "better" If anything it gets worse. Or maybe gather friends and you can heckle it together like "mystery science theater", because I know I wouldn't have made it without the comments here showing me I was not alone.

To all those who also made it to the end, We did it! I don't know why we did it to ourselves, but we did it!

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The perfect interlude drama that's far from perfect

To be honest, I am watching 2 on-air Monday dramas and 2 on-air weekend dramas and the wait in the middle of the week was getting to me. Since I am watching so many dramas (yes, that's a lot for me at once) I didn't want to invest in another drama that would have a deep story or serious content. I wanted a fast food drama. I wanted something I could binge quickly and not invest too much in a whole new set of characters. "Ga Doo Ri’s Sushi Restaurant" was exactly what I ordered. It's a cute n' quick drama filled with tropes and assorted silliness. Yes, there are a lot of flaws and not much substance, but it can fill a void if you're in a classic rom-com mood. I know 5 is a low rating, but I'm glad I watched.

Lee Joo Bin plays Ga Doo Ri, owner of a trendy small restaurant, and she reads tarot cards on the side. Her character is the cliché prettiest girl in every room character but she's clueless about how that makes others feel and is just her weird quirky self. As the main character, she should have been a lot more interesting but she does have a few cute moments that made me laugh. She's matched with Hyuk as Cha Woo Bin, her new next-door neighbor. I know many of his fans will just love watching him smile and switch up styles but don't expect a groundbreaking performance. Together, their chemistry is cute enough to make this drama entertaining but it's overwhelmingly awkward, and often cringy. The good thing about this drama being so short is that the cringy parts don't last too long and the story doesn't waste time moving forward. There is also a hilarious 3rd wheel, Jung Jae Oh as secretary Mo Tae Kyung. He's completely over the top but kept me laughing at his ridiculousness. If you don't like silliness you will probably quickly become annoyed by his character, but I was in the mood for silly.

Would I watch this again? Probably not. I can't think of a single moment that I would want to rewatch. The story is not one where I felt attached to the characters or connected with the plot. Not all fast food leftovers are good reheated.

So obviously I wouldn't recommend this drama, right? Wrong! If you enjoy romcoms and can adjust your expectations, this could be the perfect drama to quickly binge and move on. Misunderstandings, Betrayal, Fate, and Food Porn. You get a taste of each without anything being too heavy or needing sleepless nights to complete. If you want an original story, memorable characters, and hot chemistry, this is definitely NOT that drama. If you want to watch something mid-week so that the time for weekend dramas "comes sooner" then this drama is the perfect distraction... for RomComs fans who have tropes as guilty pleasures. If there are any more dramas like this one please recommend them to me. Are interlude dramas a genre? If not, it should be. They'd be the perfect fix for my on-air drama-watching-and-waiting woes. I know this one was.

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Those who fail to review a drama are doomed to repeat it!

So, long story short, I apparently watched this drama before and forgot all about it. Once I watched the first episode I knew it was vaguely familiar but I somehow completely blocked it out. Why? Is it that bad? Yes! Sure, It was good enough to struggle through for a second time. Yes, the male lead is so attractive that I willingly forgave his stupidity, but this drama is terrible. Even with its brief moments of cute chemistry, and a pretty adorable 2nd lead. Why? Because the story is too ridiculous.

This drama basically tried to somehow make Stokholm Syndrome romantic. I don't consider it a spoiler, since it's in the main synopsis, but the female lead in this drama literally holds the male lead hostage. Briefly? Nope. For the majority of this drama.
Kim Ga Eun plays Lee Yeon Seo, a young woman in crisis struggling to make ends meet, who ends up bringing an unconscious celebrity to her apt. That one poor decission leads to more crazy choices that made it hard for me to like her character at all. I think we were supposed to sympathize with her struggles and therefore forgive her actions and laugh, but I just couldn't find it cute or funny, just frustrating. But Sung Hoon held my interest as arrogant Hallyu star Kang Joon Hyuk. His character is also very ridiculous but somehow still appealing throughout. Probably because, let's be honest, he's hot as hell! He is also funny without being as frustrating as his kidnapper, just silly. They do have great chemistry in the few cheesy moments that highlight their interest in each other, but something about the hostage plot leading to romance just did not sit well with me, no matter how they tried to spin it. I think they just waited too long to change direction. Even though this drama is short (only 10 episodes) it is not until about episode 7 that things finally follow the trope filled romcom playbook, which at least picked up the story pace. I think they tried to be original with a dark comedy twist in the earlier episodes, but it just made me never want them to get together for most of the drama. Ga Eun needed some consequences not a choice between two attractive men.

Normally I would ask if I would watch it again, but I clearly did. Did I like it when it originally aired? Who knows, but it's doubtful. I thought maybe I dropped it, but it looks like instead I watched it all (or definitely most of it), and then chose to immediately forget it and move on with my life. I'm writing this review to save myself from making the same mistake again. Even if the lead is cute. Really really cute. His smile just distracted me from the awful plot... sometimes. Not enough.

Also, why are women named Se Ra always trash humans in KDramaland??!!!

Overall this is the kind of drama that would be perfect to watch in between other dramas, but the female lead is just too annoying for my recommendation. The mystery plot is terrible too, and is resolved in a rush but still dragged on until the end. It's pretty easy to guess who the bad guys are and who's just a misunderstood red herring. The characters outside of the main trio also aren't very interesting either. So 10 episodes started to drag, feel repetitive, and even boring during it's most outrageous attempts at absurd humor. If the first episodes are hilarious to you then you will probably like this drama a lot more than I did since they stick to that scenario for a while. The actors did do the best they could with the dumb plot they were given, and not taking anything too seriously, but too many things made no sense at all. I can't blame Ga Eun for her poorly written and inconsistent character (is she super strong or not?!). I don't think any actress could have done any better with the role. If you are a fan ( like saesang level fan) of any of the leads you can probably find enough moments in this drama to keep you from being too disappointed, but I would rather watch any of them in anything else. 100% of Anything Else (lol). Yes, it all gets resolved in the end, but I was just happy it was finally over. The last episode felt sooooo long (maybe that's when I dropped it initially). The comedy, the suspense, and even the romance were a miss for me. Any cute scenes were too little too late and too corny too. This drama is well beyond my silliness threshold. I would need to be held hostage and forced against my will or go through another serious case of kdrama-amnesia to ever watch this in it's entirety again.

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Will this finally be my gateway drug to CDrama?

I love dark comedies, and stories that present difficult subjects in unique and intriguing ways. Suicide and depression are topics that are difficult to appropriately address without going heavy on the melodrama but this drama succeeds in a refreshing way. This is also a super easy drama to binge since the 8 episodes are under 30 mins and that is exactly what I did one Sunday evening, ironically when a famous suicide in my area was just making the headlines. This drama made me laugh and empathize and reflect without being preachy or corny. It isn't perfect, but after watching so many disappointing dramas recently it was the best I have seen in quite a while. If this is what CDrama's are like, count me in!

It stars baby-faced Connor Leong as Mi Chong, a depressed almost 30 yr old who has plans for the perfect suicide that keep getting ruined by Vivienne Tien as the bold and unpredictable Zhi Liao. I won't say too much more about how they meet and what happens next, but the suicide attempts are worth mentioning just in case that's too much for some viewers. They have great chemistry from the very beginning, less in a cheesy romcom way (which I do love too) but more as just two quirky characters who influence each other. One of my favorite movies is "Fight Club", and they definitely gave me similar vibes to the narrator and Marla. "Definitely Not Today" also relies on narration much like "Fight Club", with some super creative visuals and animation that add to the uniqueness of the storytelling. Their relationship carries the whole drama, with only a few side characters of any importance, and I never grew tired of watching them together on screen. The story only slowed down for me when too many other characters, like the officer and brother, were introduced. The two main leads were all I cared about and a good example of being strong characters individually but even stronger together. Both balanced being hilarious and heartbreaking masterfully.

The rest of the cast is pretty forgetable or too generic... even the funny ones. Figaro Tseng was convincingly cast as her brother, but still forgettable because it's a relatively short appearance.

Would I watch this again? Definitely. In fact I definitely started watching it again... (wait for it)... today lol. It's so short and well-paced that it's easy to watch in one sitting. Where this story goes and how it ends is less impressive than how it starts. The ending does feel rushed and the villains just weren't as interesting as the leads, but just watching them face all the random (VERY random) things that came their way, and each other, was enough to keep me entertained throughout, along with the clever visuals. I can see myself wanting to watch this if I'm in a 'woe is me' mood. There's something oddly comforting and heartfelt about watching these messy characters and all the hijinx that ensues.

I have to thank AnQuat for this brilliant suggestion! I feel like I have a favorite CDrama now, even if it's only my first. (too soon? lol) Dark comedies may not be for everyone, but I love how that style of storytelling allows more freedom to not take even serious matters too seriously. I'm impressed by how much storytelling they packed into these short episodes too. There are some poetic reflections, maybe a tad too much diary entry style narration, and a few possibly triggering scenes, so it isn't only about laughs but it always stays true to its unique style even when somber, which makes me definitely recommend "Definitely Not Today". I wasn't moved enough to tear up but the writing, directing, and acting all impressed me. It was the perfect cure for my recent drama slump. I hope for more dramas like this!

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