danisdiary

A Virtuous Watch!

When I first started watching A Virtuous Business, I had a hard time connecting to the story but I don’t like to give up on kdramas right away because they usually take from two to four episodes until the viewer can start to see the bigger picture of the story. And this was absolutely the case for this particular kdrama.

I also think there’s an added issue with the way it was promoted, mainly because the team behind this kdrama didn’t want to give the story away and it worked a little too well.

A Virtuous Business it’s so much more than a story about four women empowering themselves. I don’t think this kdrama is given enough credit for how progressive it actually it’s when you take into consideration the time and country it takes place, or the cultural impact the reinterpretation of Confucianism had in South Korean values, believes and relationships.

This kdrama might be set in a particular time and of course things have changed, but I think it’s fair to say there’s still some relevance in the experiences of these characters. There are very specific scenes that come to mind about this issues but I would hate it to spoil it for anybody.

The story also has a secondary subplot about a very dark and heartbreaking part of contemporary korean history, and that many people are still reckoning with to this day. This part is well balanced with the main story and the comedy, so it never takes too much (which easily could) and instead only gives the kdrama more gravitas.

The relationships are at the heart of this story, with the four female leads front and center but the other women, kids and men around them get their chance to shine and make this world feel lived-in, their dynamics real and development earned. The story ask some hard questions about women’s issues, it questions the definition of what is a “good family man”, the best way to connect with your partner and how to raise children.

I highly recommend giving A Virtuous Business a chance, I think you might be pleasantly surprised!

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A feel good romance!

King the Land follows the traditional troupe of classic contemporary romances involving a Chaebol and Candy leads but this drama gives it a new life and breath to the story by making the characters (all of them) well rounded, with background stories, and agency.

Won is a great leading man. At first he comes across like any other chaebol character but quickly you realize he's nothing like it. He's confident, not cocky, has good manners and treats everything fair and square. Those who cross him had it coming tbh and even then he doesn't resent them for what they did. He simply puts them in their place.

Sarang comes from a working class family, and her parents passed away, but she never feels inferior to anyone and treats people with sincerity. She's also an independent, fun and lovely young woman who likes to go dancing with her friends, date and hanging out with her grandma. Sarang it's not, under any circumstances, the typical Candy heroine shouldering a hard, pitiful life. Sarang's life is full of color, warmth and joy.

Pyung Hwa, Da-eul, Ro-woon and Sang-sik complete the found family group of friends and they are equally enjoyable to watch. They all have strong, nuance personalities and have to deal with their own issues. They are not just background decoration for the leads to rely on when something happens.

The story is solid, angst free and really fun to watch. It's nothing new but, at the same time, the characters make it feel fresh. I particularly enjoyed the soundtrack, which I found to be perfectly placed at all the right moments. The cinematography it's also good, editing and directing wise there's no complains.

Overall, I recommend this drama to fans of rom-coms looking for a quality watch!

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The best kdrama of 2024

I don’t use the word “masterpiece” easily because it’s no easy to create a film or tv show that’s literally perfect but that’s the only way to describe Disney+ kdrama Light Shop.

Actor turned director Kim Hee Won makes a perfect directorial debut with this very human and heartfelt Korean gothic ghost story.

Light Shop is a masterfully crafted production, every detail full of significance and important to understand the story as it progresses. No character is unimportant, all playing a key role in the lives of each other; and the performances of each actor nuance. Never giving away too much but managing to connect with the audience at the same time.

The technical aspects, such as cinematography, lighting and special effects, are simply some of the best you will ever find in a Korean drama.

This is the kind of kdrama you want to watch without knowing anything beforehand, but you should know the first four episodes are key for the world building and then, it twist and turns in order to take you on one of the most beautifully made ride.

Perfect.

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I can’t believe I didn’t drop it.

This was a rather mild watch. It had a good start but lost momentum when it dispersed from the leads’ relationship and never fully developed the motivations behind the main “villain”. So, the stakes were never there. I am, overall, disappointed as the leads had great chemistry and I was looking forward to see them play it off as they worked cases together. But that barely happened.

It’s impossible not to compare this version with the original source material that, thank to its sixteen episodes, had enough room to let the story breath and the characters grow.

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A web drama well done

Look, I have been in a string of poorly made web-dramas. When it wasn't the performances, it was the infuriating storyline; or both. And I am no fool, I know the golden rule it's to leave logic at the door of the first episode to be able to enjoy them but lately it's been really bad, fam.

I started watching Rainkissed Fate with no expectations ,and maybe that helped but honestly? I think this is actually a solid drama. Yes, the story is wild and as I mentioned before I left logic behind, but the performances are really good for the material the actors have to work with. And the leads' chemistry? Off the charts. FINALLY.

This doesn't mean the drama it's not filled with annoying secondary characters that are so sure they are doing the best for the leads that they resource to CRIME or misunderstandings that need to be solved in order for them to be together but it all pushes the story and the relationship forward.

This was nice. At the very least, I was entertained for a several weeks.

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A warm blanket kdrama.

Love Scout it's a really lovely drama, perfect to watch if you need to disconnect from reality while you are enjoying a warm cup of hot chocolate and your favourite snack. It's full of colourful and endearing characters, who are good people and you are more than happy to cheer for as they strive to succeed in their personal and professional lives.

All of these goes perfectly in hand with solid performances and a cohesive story, although a little formulaic and, at times, lacking bite. If I am being completely honest I think this drama suffers a little from the writing. It builds up conflicts and character development but they don't fully go into the nuances or undertones of it, instead preferring to waste time in classic troupes that, honestly, we could have done without. For example, there are two secondary characters who had a very interesting situation going on but we never really find out much about until the last few episodes. Another example it's the main antagonist whom, for the lack of a better description, it's absolutely flat and irrelevant. I won't mention other instances because I don't want to spoil the story for everyone since, despite this issues, I think Love Scout it's a story worth your time.

This it's very much a character driven drama and the production crew knew this because they used it to perfection. Everyone's chemistry is impeccable and the relationships among characters make sense, developing in a good rhythm. The cinematography, music and camera work are also very well utilised to visually comment on the characters' inner turmoils, growing feelings for each other and their teamwork.

Overall, this was an enjoyable watch and I recommend it.

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Riveting!

Blossom was the right drama to start the new year. I refuse to come down from this high, all the other dramas better be this good but let's start from the beginning.

Don't let this drama's promotion fool you. On the surface it was promoted as another romance but it's actually the story of revenge, karma slapping back and the rise of a couple, whose relationship is developed over time, common goals, understanding, communication and really smart power plays. Song Mo and Dou Zhao are one hell of incredible leads, refusing to be pawns in somebody's else chess game, I really liked how the drama didn't make them to be perfect strategist from the beginning but actually show their respective growth in society and the court's power struggle, slowly rising and understanding their situation within their households to create better opportunities for each other and one-another. It also helped develop their growing feelings for each other, friendships and camaraderie.

The script it's honestly the highlight of this drama, developing the story in a riveting fashion. Helping the viewer understand the characters' motivations and desires but never giving you the whole picture, so there's plenty of surprises, twists and turns along the way as the lives of our character move from the politics inside their respective homes to the stage that it's society and the Emperor's court.

On a technical aspect, the cinematography it's beautiful and the music really well used. The performances are engaging, allowing the viewers to emotionally connect with all the characters.

Everyone on my BlueSky timeline was recommending and raving about this drama, I now understand why. If I had seen it before 2024 ended, it would have probably made my list of favourite dramas from that year. Overall, it's really entertaining and solid storytelling, I can't recommend it enough.

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Best drama of 2024

Are You The One is a must watch for fans of historical and cunning, independent and smart characters, playing mind games against their enemies. If you liked cdramas like Story of Minglan and Wonderland Of Love, this might be for you.

This was a perfect drama. I have no notes. It delivered on everything that promised from beginning to end and properly developed the troupes of fake marriage and enemies to lovers in a fresh and entertaining way.

The court politics were fascinating to watch, giving the viewers all kind of strategies, taking down enemies one by one, making friends and even breaking down emotional walls for our lead characters. It was a treat to watch every single scheming they put on.

The development of each arc, with its respective main conflict, was entertaining. I am incredible happy with how the scriptwriter of this drama handled every storyline. All the characters consistently grow through this journey and have their moments in the spotlight. The resolution really well done, cohesive, grounded and coherent to each character’ respective personalities and wishes.

The cast director really outdid themselves in this drama, each actor is the perfect choice for the character they are playing. My hat off to them for giving Zhang Wanyi such an incredible well written character as Lord Huaiyang, whom delivers some of the best moments of this drama from his war tactics, home life woes and comedic timing. Watching him grovel to win back his loved one was a never ending source of entertainment.

Wang Churan’s Miantang is the perfect match. The growing of her character is perhaps more subtle but incredibly well performed and poignant. She delivered in every scene as a savvy business woman and every scheme at court as Lady Huaiyang.

Lord and Lady Huaiyang’s respective strategies are different but they complement each other in an harmonious way, helping each other, growing together as people and governors. They consider themselves equals and respect each other, which is why I think they are one of the best couples in Dramaland I have seen in a while.

As for the secondary characters, there’s always someone that stands out in a drama and for me, this time, it was Empress Shi, played by Yuan Yu Xuan. She gave us one of the best performances of this year. Her character grows from timid concubine daughter being emotional abused at home to a revered phoenix. When she finally stood her ground, against her own family, it was a wonder to watch. She got a standing ovation from me.

Chang Huasen was a really good choice to play Ziyu, a very stoic character that made sacrifices along the way to power. His growing has a lot to do with trust and I think, at the end of the day, he learns who should never be used as a pawn in the court games.

Marquis Zhennan and Miss He, played respectively by Zhang Chi and Liu Lingzi, were a source of entertaining. Both characters equally smart and filial in different ways that made them complement each other, and help their friends find ways to navigate the art of war.

Even the actors playing the enemies were outstanding, smart as the leads, and keeping them on their toes until the very end.

From a technical point of view, Are You The One also had a beautiful cinematography, the locations and sets were wonderful, the costume design matched each character really well. The use of sound and lack of it, which it’s more important than we actually realize, was perfectly matched on every scene.

The strongest point was the writing and directing. It was clear Directors Liu Guo Nan and Cong Xiao know what they are doing when it comes to visual storytelling. As for screen writer Zhao Tian You, I think they did an outstanding job writing these characters and story.

This is how I like my dramas: smart, coherent, cohesive and fun. I highly recommend it.

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Park Ji Eun does it again.

Queen of Tears strongest point are the performances, directing and cinematography, there's no doubt about this. Scriptwriter Park Ji Eun has a talent for teaming up with great talents, particular actors, and that's in my opinion the main reason why her drama are usually so successful. She manages to write really interesting and endearing characters, and put them in entertaining situations that grasp the attention of the viewer.

The casting director did a particular excellent job on this one because every single character was cast to perfection, every actor and actress fitting into the role as if it was written for them.

I am fascinated by the way scriptwriter Park Ji Eun has managed to mix genres in one drama, because Queen of Tears is a dark comedy, makjang, comedy, romance and melodrama all in one. This screenwriter is not stranger to making a successful and entertaining kdrama, but if you are looking for something that will dwell into the deeper reasons as to why the leads' marriage crumble, logic and cohesive editing, this story might not be for you.

Queen of Tears strongest point is the way both families come together, learning to respect and love each other but apart from that the drama is developed at a surface level. The scripts lean hard on the other genres which is perfectly fine but there were times when I was frustrated at the desiciones being made, the complete waste of time when the families are running against the clock to save one of their own AND the family's business, etc. This is when I think Queen of Tears is a lot like other Park Si Eun's kdramas: they start strong but run out of material towards the second half of the episode, almost as if she introduce a bunch of plotlines with proper solutions to a few of them.

Overall, I found Queen of Tears to be a really entertaining watch to disconnect from reality.

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This was precious, and everything is alright in the world. Granted, Suspicious Partner wasn’t a perfect show but it was a good one, particularly when it came to presenting well-rounded characters and their personal journey to become whoever they were meant to be. Let’s put the romance aside for a moment and concentrate on what this show really did right, which was giving each character their own personal story and life, apart from the main murder-mystery story and couple. It wasn’t all about one or two people, it was about all of them, which is why it was so easy to fall in love with each and every one of the characters the more you got to know them with each passing week.

We were introduced to Ji-wook as a grumpy, hard-ass prosecutor but soon found out he had vulnerabilities that ran deep into his past and soul. Ji-wook, though, wasn’t a wounded hero. He was a well adjusted young man, from a loving and caring family, with a flair for angry rants and soft spot for dirty but pretty leading ladies. He wasn’t perfect, he made mistakes -which I’m glad Bong-hee called him on it today- and learnt from them. At the end of the day, he was a better man that the one we met in the first episode.

Same goes for Bong-hee who from the first scene was shown as a badass, independent and courageous young woman but if you look deeper you could see she had insecurities about her personal and emotional life that she needed to overcome in order to become a more grounded person. Bong-hee never once disappointed me, even when I wanted to tell her to make up her mind quicker, because if she always did something right was to respect her own times and admit when she was wrong.

Ji-wook and Bong-hee are going into my TOP 5 list of Favourite Couples of all time. Their chemistry exploded in the screen ever since the subway pervert indirectly push them together (Where is that guy? I wish I could have seen him one las time!). Maybe it was fate that made their paths cross several times but ultimately it was their choice to stay in each other’s lives. They kept on choosing each other over and over again, even when everything was going to hell and they made some questionable decisions, they kept fighting for each other because of the love and friendship they shared. And if that’s not love, I don’t know what is.

All of this it’s really important to me to have in Dramaland because I don’t want perfect characters that don’t show improvement, a difference or understanding of who they are as people, between who when the show started and when the show ended.

The law firm shenanigans were one of the highlights of the show, of course, but then again every time more than two characters got together in the same place, you knew something good was going to happen. I love how at the end they just kept on running their business on Ji-wook’s house even after he and Chief Bang were long gone, back to the prosecutor office’s. Like it was a matter of fact that it was the place to be and grow for them. CEO Byun remains one of the best Dramaland Fathers, funny and caring, who in his own way wished only the best for his kids. Same goes for Chief Bang, the most extraordinary Ship Captain I have seen in years, he was the perfect Hyung for all the crazy lawyers.

I wish Yoo-jung could have been better explored, especially because it would have give her more redeeming qualities and I would have grow to understand her motivations better. To this day, Yoo-jung remains the woman who did a wrong and ran away, and didn’t properly apologize to either man. I do get she took her punishment quietly, in a way that because she had no other friends other than Eun-hyuk and Ji-wook, by going away she ostracized herself but in contrast and comparison to what Eun-hyuk went through to get his friend back, she falls short.

I spent a good portion of this show wishing for Eun-hyuk to be showered in love and I got what I wanted, just not how I thought it would look. I like the idea of Eun-hyuk and Yoo-jung starting over because they need to get to know each other as adults in order to figure out if they want to be in a relationship, especially her who had never seen him as a love interest before. But I thought the writer would break the Second Leads Get Together Law and actually make him realize he can do better with someone else *coughJi-haecough*

As I mentioned in a past review, I think Ji-hae was one of the better and most improved characters through out the show. Her growth is clear when instead of making a move on Eun-hyuk, knowing he’s with Yoo-jung, she makes the choice to try to move on from her feelings for him.

The frenemy-ship between Bong-hee and Ji-hae was another highlight for me, and every week I was looking forward to see what these two would do. I love that Bong-hee ended up living in Ji-hae’s apartment for a year and I wish I could have seen more of that living arrangement, the same way I would have love for the three girls to form a bond sooner so we could have gotten more drinking scenes of them, and their exasperated men picking them up. Pffft!

Of course I cannot possible end this without mentioning Hyun-soo. This writer has a knack for creating complex criminal characters in a way that you actually grow to care for, despite their actions. There wasn’t a moment in which I didn’t try to figure out Hyun-soo’s motivations or mind, what had happened in his life for him to become a serial killer. Or what had happened to that young girl he loved so much. The truth gutted me because even when I didn’t agree nor validated his actions, I understood in some level where he was coming from.

With such a compelling story and charismatic cast, Suspicious Partner it’s a show I will make sure to come back to again, and again. And again.

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Beautiful

A Poem A Day’s story was a slow burn but I find myself happy with the journey and satisfied by its end. The relationships between the characters was low-key, there was never a big *gasp* moment, the good and heartbreaking things built up slowly just like in real life. And the poetry put words to feelings they didn’t dare speak of at times.

I instantly fell in love with Bo-young in particular, flaws and all. She was hardworking and kind, full of emotion, but she needed to learn how to stand up for herself and speak up instead of just accepting the cards life deals her. Each time we saw her getting her hopes up about getting a full time job at the hospital, only to end up as deflated as her when things didn’t work out. And the worst part was the she just took it like that was it. That was her life. But Bo-young’s also had an amazing resilience and optimism, which always made her get back in her feet and push the story forward.

Lee Yoo-bi choose an amazing lady to play and she did it with grace and charisma, in a quiet but strong fashion that makes Bo-young one of my all time favorite leading ladies. She made me feel exactly what Bo-young was feeling and with the same intensity.

Which is why I’m so happy Bo-young not only got the job but also a colleague, friend and lover who truly appreciates who she is and everything she does in Dr. Ye. He noticed everything about her (and everyone) which is why I was a Ye Liner since day one. Dr. Ye Jae-wook was respectful, kind, smart and supportive in a quiet but unyielding way. The kind of person Bo-young really needed by her side when the story started in order to built up her confidence.

And I loved seen his development too. From the quiet, mysterious new perfect doctor at the hospital but a (perhaps) not so perfect personal history, all the way to becoming a dork with heart eyes for only our leading lady. He might have been portrayed many times as perfect through the eyes of others but I don’t actually find him to be perfect since his strong-headed personality was extremely infuriating at times.

Plus, I still think Dr. Ye trying to be low-key about his relationships with Bo-young was one of the cutest things I have seen all year. And the rest of the staff was so freaked out by his sudden attentive behavior. It was the best.

The show was also smart enough to set up Min-ho with all the usual leading man characteristics and behaviors only to throw us off when we realized he was actually the second lead. And it’s exactly all those traits that other shows disguise as “charming” what made him lose the girl in the end. It was a surprise how A Poem A Day called us out on our own acceptance of nasty leading men behavior. How we naturally continue the “pulling pigtails” myth.

It’s not that Min-ho was a bad person, not at all, and through the story he grew to be more attentive, kind and caring towards others. But his teasing of Bo-young was borderline bullying at times, going as far as ridicule her, the things she loved and everything else she did in private and public.

When Bo-young gifted him the poetry book for children I understood that Min-ho still had a long way to go before he could be able to properly love someone, in a way where he could respect and cherish them. In part it’s his family’s fault, they never cared enough to be like that with him and always treated him like second best but there’s a limit to that excuse since he was also a man with his own mind who knew right from wrong.

The Min-ho at the end of the show was a completely different man, going through heartbreak and rejection from the person who could have give him everything he has been looking for in his family is, in my opinion, his biggest regret at the end. Because now he’s aware that he missed a very important chance and person. Now, he can begin to truly appreciate the feelings portrayed through poetry in a way he couldn’t before.

As for the rest of the characters, they were fun, colorful and full of life. Each with their own poem, emotion and troubles. They managed to have their own spotlight and become the lead of the show when the time called for it, and then make way for the next person. I like how they also got their time to shine.

tvN has delivered one of the most beautiful slice of life tv shows I have seen in a long time. Giving light to those unremarkable moments that shape us. I used to wonder who the “you” was in the title, now I think the it was directed to us, the viewers, who look for extraordinary moments on television and perhaps forget to appreciate the small ones that belong to us and only us.

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Love in the time of COVID-19

Set in the early months of pandemic, two strangers find themselves as neighbours at a recovery center after testing positive for COVID-19. Without ever seeing each other's faces and talking through a paper cup phone they become confidantes in quarantine and share secrets and worries.

This was a really well done rom-com. The isolation from the outside, made it possible for these two people to get to know each other with out anyone's interference and they manage to create their own world which resulted in a very cute bubble. Every scene the leads "shared" was really fun, butterfly-inducing, blood-warming and heart-skipping. The characters are nuance on their own, not just as a couple, Hee Joo struggles with work life and whatever she will be able to find her way in life. On the other hand, Ki-joon has found success as a pastry chef but hasn't spoken to his sister in four years after a disagreement they had. Both characters have their own problems and with the help of one another they get the courage to do better. I love it when a drama portrays a green flag couple that manages to become the best version of themselves with each other's support.

The drama also tries to portray some of the struggles of this time period in human history, but only a surface level. It's more like the background to justify how the leads met. Props to Go Ae Ri who had to perform in a full body suit as the doctor attending the leads and somehow managed to show every emotion. Her eyes said it all.

Speaking about performances, I am shook at Kim Gun Woo's performance. For half the drama special I knew he looked familiar and then it dawn on me he was one of the nasty lead characters in The Glory. MY GAWD THE MAN HAS RANGE. In here he plays a charming, open-minded and sweet young man that made me fall for him.

Han Ji Eun gave a very solid performance (no surprise). I thought her character to be deeply relatable and that is one of the strongest points of this drama special, because one can see themselves in her and so you could be living that situation, share her concerns over the future and the world.

Overall, I thought this was a very cute drama that left me with a big smile and that's a big win for me. I absolutely recommend it!

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