We Broke Up

Ep: 10 

Summary: 

What if you had to see your ex every single day? No Woo Ri (Sandara Park) and Ji Won Young (Kang Seung Yoon) are former college sweethearts who broke up. Although their relationship has ended, their living arrangement has not. While Woo Ri struggles to find a job and Won Yeong works part-time as the vocalist for an indie band, the former couple is forced to live under the same roof together. “We Broke Up” is a 2015 South Korean web drama series directed by Kim Young Wan and Kim Ki Yoon. It is based on a webtoon by Ryu Chae Rin.

Review:

     This is a very fast drama with very short episodes. If you are looking for a fast watch that is light-hearted and has idols and a cute romance, this is probably the one to go for. I did find things weird at first because I was confused as to how the guy managed to pay for a share-house simply by selling his guitar. It made me wonder exactly how much it must have cost. No Woo Ri and Ji Won Young were very happy dating one another until they broke up and were forced to continue living in the same house as one another. Then new people appear as new relationships seem to be on the horizon. However, the two realize that they still haven't gotten over their past relationship.
     Personally, I did not enjoy this drama that much. Everything was going very fast. It was hard to have any form of connection for any character. I was very neutral when watching this. 

Hot Mom

Episodes: 38 

       This drama was so enjoyable and endearing to watch. It's a Chinese drama that portrays a realistic, humorous, and serious side of relationships and love. The characters are so distinct and complement each other very well. Xia Bing, the protagonist, is a very independent, confident woman and focuses on her career as well as expresses herself through fashion. Her boyfriend, Yuan Bao, worships her like she's a goddess and is willing to serve her in any aspect from getting a certain food to wearing certain clothes. Xia Bing then finds out that she is pregnant which leads to marriage, getting along with the mother-in-law, and also not being able to get the promotion she wants in her career. Everything that she has going on in her life is put on hold as she learns to adjust to a new lifestyle.

          Even though there are a lot of cute and romantic scenes that portray a realistic relationship, it also had a fair share of sad and angry moments. Xia Bing has a beautiful baby girl but she gets post-natal depression. She gets better and is ready to work but her family wants her to hold off on working. She works but struggles to balance between taking care of her daughter and going to work. Her husband's business faces a crisis. Arguments. Mother-in-law gets Alzheimer's. The question of divorce. The roles of dependence and independence.
          Throughout this drama, we alternate between two couples: Xia Bing & Yuan Bao and Li Mu Zi & Luo Tian. The connection between those two couples is that Xia Bing is the secretary of Beauty Magazine while Li Mu Zi is the executive. Both couples have different in experiences in love, conceiving a child, raising a child, and marital issues. However, both women work together to rise to the top in their careers reminding themselves that no matter what, they need to become their own queen.
      Not only does it show a realistic side of relationships but it also sends out an important message about how women should be independent and have their own character instead of depend on others for happiness. The ending was also very cute.  I highly recommend this drama.

P.S. The OSTs were amazing.

The Journey of Flower

Episodes: 58

Synopsis: This drama was made in the year 2015. The story takes place in ancient China with strong fantasy elements. Hua Qian Gu is a young girl who was born with a perfume-like smell. Her mother died upon giving birth and her perfume attracted a lot of evil. The Taoist priest notices this and helps her hide the smell. He warns her father that her scent will attract evil and that his help will only protect her for sixteen years. By her sixteenth birthday she would have to go to Zu Mountain to be apprenticed. Along the way, she falls in love with Bai Zi Hua. She has friends for the first time. She begins to develop her skills. She has many love interests who are willing to sacrifice their own lives for her. Soon, Bai Zi Hua becomes her teacher to help her train. Her feelings for him grow despite the forbidden romance between teacher and student. As Hua Qian Gu struggles to hold back on her feelings and continue training, the people around her slowly begin to die or turn their backs on her as she tries to rise to her full potential. 

Review:

      I really liked this drama and the characters. This definitely wasn't romance-filled but I still loved it. There was no romantic action such as kissing or intense making out or anything like that. Things were kept very innocent such as hugs or caring for the other secretly since the romance between Bai  Zi Hua and Hua Qian Gu was supposed to be a forbidden romance. I loved the characters and with every death, I felt sad. I enjoyed it greatly. It had two of my favorite celebrities acting as the protagonists. One, Zhao Li Ying played the role of Hua Qian Gu and did an amazing job of it. She played a cute, innocent version and then a sexy, evil version. It was great to see her do that. Two, Wallace Huo played the role of Bai Zi Hua. But he looked so different from his previous dramas and his eyebrows looked really weird. 

      I really liked the whole martial art concept of it. I loved how though her love interests are considered the "enemy" or just a "friend" they are willing to sacrifice everything just for her. They were willing to give up lifetime goals just for her. It was just so amazing to watch. You also get to see her true friends and her fake friends. Every story line was well done. It did drag in some parts but I still liked this drama a lot. It's not one of my favorites but it was still enjoyable. 

Orange Marmalade

Episodes: 12

Synopsis: 

Although humans and vampires signed a peace treaty 200 years ago, there is still much misunderstanding and animosity between the two groups of citizens in modern society. Out of fear of discrimination, Baek Ma Ri (Kim Seol Hyun) has been forced to move around a lot and hide her true identity as a vampire. Although she just wants to settle down in a new city and lead a quiet life, her desire to live anonymously is foiled when she catches the attention of Jung Jae Min (Yeo Jin Goo), the most popular boy at her new high school. And when Ma Ri accidentally bites Jae Min’s neck, both their lives will never be the same again… “Orange Marmalade” is a 2015 South Korean drama series directed by Lee Hyung Min. It is based on a webtoon by the same title.

Review: 

This drama is based on a webtoon so I went into it expecting something cheesy and typical. I was so confused when the drama went from modern day corny high school drama to historical weird fantasy-like drama. It was just so bad that I wanted to stop watching it all together. But I continued on and hated it even more. First of all, I did not like our male protagonist's personality. He was just so annoying to me. He was just so dogmatic, so weak, and often irrational. Things could've been so much easier if he wasn't in his "I'm in love so I get to do whatever" mindset. It was ridiculous to me. It also was frustrating that this girl just kept going to him despite being emotionally hurt every time. This is suitable for a younger audience but it is really poorly done for those trying to see something with fantasy elements. 

The Technicians (Movie)

Synopsis: 

Ji Hyuk (Kim Woo Bin) is a safe cracker and steals diamonds from President Cho, the dangerous owner of a high-end jewelry store. However, instead of prosecuting the thieves who tried to rob him, President Cho decides to forcefully recruit them and help him with a bigger plan. Along with his trusted partner Koo In (Go Chang Suk), Ji Hyuk links up with the untrustworthy genius hacker, Jong Bae (Lee Hyun Woo) and assembles the perfect trio for the greatest heist of their lives. 

Review: 

I really enjoyed this movie. It was so fun to watch and very intense at times. At the same time, I loved the characters and their distinct personalities. It was very unique how this movie tied their personalities together and also give that unexpected end. Everything that you watch is important to how the story turns out and ends. It was well-made with a very intricate plot that flowed smoothly. I really enjoyed watching every minute

of this movie.

Gong Suo Cheng Xiang (Movie)

       I really enjoyed this movie for several reasons. For one thing, it was nice to see the baby-faced and innocent Zhao Li Ying play the role of the antagonist. Every drama that I have watched her in, she was always played the lovable character as seen in dramas such as Legend of Lu Zhen, Boss and Me, and the new Huan Zhu GeGe. So seeing her play the antagonist showed just how great her acting spectrum is and it made me appreciate her in a new light. 

       This movie takes place within the palace. Chen Xiang, the protagonist, is sent to live in the palace as a maid when she was a little girl. Her kind and timid nature made her quite vulnerable in an unfamiliar environment. Thankfully, she befriends a confident and bold girl named  Liu Li. The two grow up together. Upon growing up, Liu Li begins fantasizing marrying a man from a well-off family (such as a prince). Dragging Chen Xiang along, she seeks to bump into one of the princes one night and makes Chen Xiang do her shift's work. Liu Li met the ninth prince who was manipulative and cold-hearted and took advantage of Liu Li. Meanwhile, Chen Xiang bumps into the thirteenth prince who falls in love with her kind nature but he never saw her face as she covered it with a handkerchief. When news spread that he was looking for her, she couldn't come out and say that she was the maid from that night  because Liu Li would get punished for not being at her shift. Taking Chen Xiang's identity from the night before, she pretends to be the girl that was with the thirteenth prince and marries him. At the same time, Liu Li still is messily involved with the ninth prince and doesn't really love the thirteenth prince wholeheartedly. 

      Chen Xiang goes along with it despite feeling depressed. She got her chances to talk to the thirteenth prince though because the thirteenth prince came up to her often to ask her what Liu Li liked since Chen Xiang was Liu Li's best friend. As Liu Li gets used to her status, she begins to order Chen Xiang around and abuse Cheng Xiang at times. Overtime, the truth is revealed and everything begins to work back in place even if it was the most gruesome option. 

Love Myself Or You

22 episodes

Synopsis:

Can anything be more important than comics and good food? Du Kai Qi (Puff Guo) is an independent, single woman who loves comic books and her job as a sous chef in the fine-dining French restaurant, Figaro Cuisine. When an unassuming man, Fu Zi Jie (Jasper Liu), moves in next door, they immediately begin to bicker over trivial matters. But when Zi Jie shows up as a new employee at her restaurant, Kai Qi, as well as other staff members, mistake him for a lowly intern, not knowing that Zi Jie is a classically trained chef who just returned from France and that Figaro Cuisine is actually his father’s restaurant. Can Zi Jie help save Kai Qi from the wrath of the mysterious “Chef Louis”? “Love Myself or You?”, also known as “Love Meets Cupid" and "Pleasantly Surprised," is a 2014 Taiwanese drama series.

Review:
This was a really cute drama. It was nice seeing Puff again and her character wasn't as bubbly as her character in Just You so it was nice to see a more serious side of her. The male protagonist was very easy on the eyes. I enjoyed the chemistry between the co-workers in this drama because it reminded me of how Puff got along with her co-workers in Just You. There's a sense of family. I also really liked the second male lead because he really was a nice guy. He knew Kai Qi from before and were best friends at a point which was why he was used to her foul temper and he liked her for who she is. He was very kind to her and stayed quiet even though he noticed her feelings growing for Fu Zi Jie and immediately backed off when the choice was made warning Fu Zi Jie to treat her well. It was nice to see. This drama had a lot of food because the main setting is in this French restaurant called Figaro Cuisine. It was cute but it's not a favorite. 

Divorce Lawyers

Ep: 46
Synopsis:
Two opposing divorce lawyers wind up living next to each other, one a hopeless romantic and the other a bitter cynic. Can they settle their differences at work or home?

Review: 
I really liked this drama for several reasons. For one thing, it is about divorce lawyers dealing with crazy people and their drama. Another thing, they were divorce lawyers going through similar situations in their own love lives. At the same time, it's about divorce lawyers who have a sense of rivalry with one another at the same time living next to each other in the same apartment and bonding through work and rivalry. It was also very humorous with a nagging and exaggerated mother that comes visit every once in a while. The romance was also very mature without a lot of the typical high school giggling and worrying. It was very refreshing to watch. I loved watching the chemistry between Chi Hai Dong and Luo Li. It was hilarious and cute all at the same time.
      At the same time, we had to watch relationships crumble and build up while dealing with irrational characters. For example, Chi Hai Dong's ex was a nightmare for the majority of the drama. Not only did she have this mentality that Chi Hai Dong was still her's after their divorce due to HER cheating on him but she was also constantly running back to him playing victim despite marrying the guy she cheated on Chi Hai Dong with. I did pity her though despite my annoyance toward her behavior because the guy she ended up marrying was filled with jealousy that she might still have feelings for her ex-husband and as a result spurred a domestically violent relationship. It was very awful to watch and it was great to see her fight to get out of that relationship at the very end.
       Tang Mei Yu is Luo  Li's best friend and she used to be a partner at Luo Li's law firm. Upon getting pregnant and then married, she resigns from her job to become a full-time wife and mother. But times are getting tough as her husband Chi Kai Qiang struggles to support his family and keep a job. As stress builds up and his inability to relieve that stress with Tang Mei Yu, the appearance of an old high school friend Shi Jiang sparks his interest and he "emotionally cheats" on his wife with her (whatever emotionally cheating means). Tang Mei Yu finds out and gives him subtle hints that she knows and forgives him time and time again asking him to stop without confronting him about it until she could handle no more. Their relationship gets rocky and divorce battles ensue as well as they drag in their friends (the good old divorce lawyers) into the mess. Though they solved the issue, it just shows that even the strongest relationships can experience turmoils that both parties wanted no part of.
     It was just realistic and hilarious and  I enjoyed it a lot. Some parts did drag and seem unrealistic but it's easy to overlook that. 

Who Are You: School 2015

Episodes: 16 

Synopsis:
The lives of identical girls with very similar names – one who disappears without a trace and one who loses her memory – collide in unexpected ways. Lee Eun Bi (Kim So Hyun) grows up in an orphanage and deals with the relentless bullying from a group of girls at her school. Go Eun Byul (Kim So Hyun) attends Segang High School, a top-notch school in Gangnam, but disappears without a trace during a school field trip. As Eun Bi tries to escape from her miserable life and ends up in the hospital with no memories of her past, Eun Byul’s mother (Jeon Mi Seon) thinks Eun Bi is her lost daughter and takes her back to live her life as Eun Byul. As Eun Bi tries to recover her lost memories, can she discover what happened to the real Eun Byul and why she looks so much like the missing girl?

Review: 

    I really liked this drama a lot. I loved the character dynamics and how differently the twins dealt with situations. At the same time, I did ship both the girls with the two guys. Even though my ship didn't turn out the way I wanted to and Eun Byul ended up staying single, I think in a way it played off in a more realistic sense. Not everyone gets paired off and some people have other aspirations. I did feel extremely upset about the bullying scenes. I did not understand why the dead girl's sister kept bothering Go Eun Byul when it wasn't anyone's fault for the girl's death. That girl died due to health issues. Just because her one and only friend didn't go up to talk to her doesn't mean that she deserves to be terrorized the way she was. 

   The OSTs were on point.

    I loved Eun Byul's friends because they were so funny and I liked how that class was so anti-bullying. The minor characters were a pleasure to watch. It was nice to see how everyone struggled a different way to school pressure and self identity. It was interesting to see how changes were made and how people helped one another out. Eun Bi is more nice but she is emotionally weak so I was extremely greatful that she had Taekwang's guidance and I wanted them to end up together. At the same time, I wanted Eun Byul to end up with Han Yi Ahn. It just seemed so much to me that Han Yi Ahn got over his crush of that many years so soon without even thinking "Ok...Eun Byul isn't acting like herself." And even when he did, he just didn't question it and went along with it. 

    There were a lot of beautiful scenes in this drama that brought on a lot of feels. Also, Gong Tae Kwang dyes his hair from blond to black at some point and he looked good. It gave him a sense of maturity and I preferred it a lot over the blond. However, I think the blond was essential to showing his character in the beginning and making him more distinct. I loved it when Eun Byul finally came back and showed Kang So Young who's boss. Kang So Young's actions seemed very exaggerated and I did not like her. I mean...come on, who likes bullies? 

20 Once Again (movie)

                                       

I watched this movie on a plane ride and enjoyed it greatly. This is a Chinese movie and I really enjoyed it. All of the actors and actresses in this movie were very beautiful and charming in their own way (especially our protagonist). Also it was nice to see Luhan continuing his career in the entertainment industry in this movie. I'm glad that he's doing well since leaving Exo. 

Synopsis: 

        Sheng Meng Jun is now a 70 year old widow. She's extremely prideful of her son who she raised as a single mother for all these years. She's constantly bragging to others about how he's a professor at a top university and placing herself on the pedestal. She's also constantly nagging others while picking at all of their faults. She constantly hangs out with her old friend Li Dahai. Li Dahai used to work for her family when he was a teenager and developed a crush on Sheng Meng Jun since then. However, the two never got together but it is evident that he still has feelings for her after all this time. She lives with her son and his family. Sheng Meng Jun's daughter in law suffers heart problems and her grandkids (twins: 1 girl, 1 boy) are constantly arguing with one another. Sheng Meng Jun shows her bias toward her grandson Xiang Qianjin because of his musical aspirations reminding her of the dreams she had when she was younger to be a singer. 

          Because of all the nagging and pressure she places on her daughter in law Yang Qin, Yang Qin ended up going to the hospital. The doctor recommended that Yang Qin shouldn't be stressed for any reason. After this, the family decided it was best if they send Sheng Meng Jun to a nursing home for the time being until Yang Qin gets better. Feeling hurt, she wanders about until she comes across a photography studio that she had never found before. Upon leaving the studio after taking a picture, she is surprised to find that she has been transformed back into her 20 year old self. The prime of her beauty. 

            She rents a room at Li Dahai's house hiding her identity as Meng Li Jun. As her family and Li Dahai worry about where she is, she finds ways to send messages to them about how she is fine. Then at the senior recreation center, she has a singing battle with her long-time rival. Upon this, her grandson seeks her out to be the lead singer in his band and a music director also begins to search for her. With this, her musical aspirations and dreams take flight while helping her grandson achieve his dreams. As her grandson and music director fall for her, Sheng Meng Jun has quite an interesting adventure. At the same time, Li Dahai finds out that his tenant is actually the young version of Sheng Meng Jun and tries to help her out while expressing his feelings. 

            However, at the end, Sheng Meng Jun must decide what is more important. To go back to her normal age and focus on those close to her or to live life again as Li Jun and experience everything she wasn't able to. With a series of events, she realizes how unnatural it is for her to be so young while her generation slowly dies out and how despite the second chance to relive her younger years, she would still want to live the life she chose back then because there are things she values more. It was a very comical movie but at the same time very deep. But the ending is still confusing to me even though I found it beautiful. 

Emergency Couple

Episodes: 21 

Synopsis (viki.com): 

Some couples marry for love but can’t overcome the objections of their families. Chang Min (Choi Jin Hyuk), a medical student, falls in love with and marries Jin Hee (Song Ji Hyo), a dietitian, despite the objections of Chang Min’s family, which is full of successful doctors. Chang Min’s family cuts him off and he is forced to drop of medical school and go to work as a pharmaceutical sales rep, but the strains and pressures from his family finally wear on the couple, and Chang Min and Jin Hee divorce. After they separate, Chang Min returns to his medical education and Jin Hee also puts herself through medical school. Years later, they meet up again unexpectedly when they both start their internships in the emergency department of a hospital. Can the couple survive their three-month rotation in close proximity to one another? “Emergency Couple,” also known as “Emergency Man and Woman,” is a 2014 South Korean drama series directed by Kim Cheol Kyu.

Review: 

       I really liked this drama a lot. It was really cute and humorous. It was such an enjoyable watch with lovable actors and actresses. I really liked the whole set up for this drama. It was really interesting. All the actors and actresses were absolutely endearing. I loved the interaction between Choi Jin Hyuk and Song Ji Hyo. Especially in the hospital environment, it made falling in love stressful and filled with events. The "evil mother" that always appears in dramas was despicable but at the same time someone you felt sorry for as her own marriage wasn't working the way she wanted it to. 

          There were a lot of flashbacks in the episodes. I think it was a way to make the readers know what happened in the past and also allow us to empathize in that moment. However, it did feel a bit excessive at times. Like, thank you...I get the point now. In a sense, this was very similar to Cunning Single Lady in that two people divorce only to meet again and have their feelings rekindled while understanding previous misunderstandings. The second lead didn't really play too much of a role in this drama. He was an evidently weaker character than Choi Jin Hyuk. It really wasn't that much of a dilemma when it came to falling in love and choosing between one of them. This drama was a very light and fluffy watch. 

My Girlfriend is an Agent (Movie)

        This movie was actually really interesting for me and quite amusing to watch. The two main characters in this drama used to date but faced problems in their dating life when the girl, Ahn Soo Ji, was constantly neglecting her boyfriend to fulfill her duties as a secret agent. Keeping a double identity was hard as it caused her boyfriend, Lee Jae Joon to lose trust and grow suspicious as to what she's doing. After splitting for a while, Lee Jae Joon returns a rookie international agent who was often messing up on his job. 

           Little did the two know that they would be working to stop the same crime. A Russian organized crime group takes possession of an advanced biochemical weapon from Korea with the help of a corrupt Korean scientist and it was up to Ahn Soo Ji and Lee Jae Joon to work with their agencies to save the world. Ahn Soo Ji is skilled at her job while Lee Jae Joon is clumsy and inexperienced. They bump into each other and keep their secret identities hidden. They begin to fall in love again. However, their work often gets in between them causing them to lie about what it is that is happening. This causes them to grow suspicious of one another and even believe that the other was working for the bad side. However, as the truth begins to come out and be understood, they work together to defeat the crime group as well as get back together in a relationship based on trust.

           This drama was actually really amusing for me to watch. It was nice to see the girl be so tough and skilled. It was also nice to see how they balanced each other out. I enjoyed this movie. 

She's So Lovable

16 episodes

Synopsis (viki.com): 

Can music heal all wounds? Hyun Wook (Rain) is the president of an entertainment agency and a music producer who hold emotional scars from losing his girlfriend in an accident. When his dead girlfriend’s sister, Se Na (Krystal Jung), comes to Seoul to become a songwriter, can the two help each other achieve their dreams and heal from their shared pain? Shin Hae Yoon (Cha Ye Ryun), a director in Hyun Wook’s agency, is determined to be the one to stick by Hyun Wook, both professionally and personally. Meanwhile, vocal trainer Sung Jin (Alex) has his hands full trying to keep Kang Rae Hoon (Hoya), the leader of the idol group Infinite Power, in line. “She’s So Lovable, ” also known as "My Lovely Girl" and "My Lovable Girl," is a 2014 South Korean drama series directed by Park Hyun Ki.

Review:

I did not like this drama for many reasons. I had to push through this drama because it was boring and it did not appeal to me as I wished it would. I did start watching it because Rain was in it and also I wanted to see some of the other idols. However, this drama was a mess for me. Here are some of the reasons why I did not like this drama: 

1. It was boring. 

2. Scenes were unrealistic
3. It was kind of creepy considering Hyun Wook was Yoon Se Na's sister's boyfriend. Even though her sister passed away, it is still creepy to me. I have a sister and I can't imagine dating her boyfriend in any scenario.  I asked my friends who were watching this and they agreed that it was unrealistic and weird to have this kind of plot. And to make things worse, they didn't really pull it off very well...like Autumn Tale aka Autumn in My Heart had a similar situation like this that was kind of creepy but they pulled it off well enough that it was still acceptable.
4. I also didn't like that she only found out that Hyun Wook used to  date her sister in episode 12 and it wasn't even from Hyun Wook himself.
5. I liked Si Woo better than Hyun Wook but he isn't a strong character and it didn't help that Yoon Se Na was cold and indifferent toward his feelings.

All in all, I don't have much to say about this drama other than that I didn't like it.  

Mischievous Kiss 2: Love in Tokyo

Episodes: 16

Synopsis (viki.com):

Will life be one of married bliss for Naoki and Kotoko? In one of the most-anticipated sequels, the unlikely couple of the average Kotoko (Honoka Miki) and the brilliant Naoki (Yuki Furukawa) from “Mischievous Kiss: Love in TOKYO” returns for a second season! After the original series ended with the wedding of Naoki and Kotoko, the special episode “Mischievous Kiss 2: Love in Okinawa” follows Naoki and Kotoko on their honeymoon, where a strange couple turns up and meddles in their romantic getaway. As they settle back in their new lives after the honeymoon, can Naoki and Kotoko handle the pressures of marriage and their careers? “Mischievous Kiss 2: Love in TOKYO” is the sequel to the popular “Mischievous Kiss: Love in TOKYO” (2013). It is the fifth live adaptation of the popular Japanese manga “Itazura na Kiss,” following the original in 1996, Taiwan’s “It Started With a Kiss” (2005) and “They Kiss Again (2007), and Korea’s “Playful Kiss” (2010).

Review: 

        Ever since I watched the Taiwanese version (It Started With a Kiss) and the second season of that (They Kiss Again), I fell in love with this show. I have to say that Mischievous Kiss 1 and 2 have not disappointed me. I fell in love with the dynamics of the show and the characters once again. I liked this version almost as much as I loved the Taiwanese and that says a lot. Watching this, it reminded me of why I liked the show in the first place. The first season is the light-hearted high school romance where things just fall perfectly into place for the characters. The second season is college life and the immediate confrontation of the future. It targets so many more issues and it allows the relationship to expand in ways that wouldn't be possible in the first season. They targeted issues as to how the high school love develops into one that thinks about sex, babies, jobs, what kind of future they want, and becoming codependent of one another while becoming more independent.
        However, I feel like Kotoko's character is just exaggerated. I don't think she's honestly slow in learning. She's motivated with a sense of independence. In It Started With A Kiss (Taiwanese version) and even in Playful  Kiss (Korean version), we were more worried about the development of our female protagonist because her goals were solely based on what our male protagonist's goals are. I see it in Kotoko as well but she seemed a little better off...just very incompetent in what she does. She was very ebullient throughout the entire drama and I really liked the scene where she fought with Irie. I loved when it happened in the Taiwanese drama and I still liked it in this version. The reason is that it truly showed that despite the infatuation Kotoko feels for Irie, the two are still very different. Love can be difficult when the people are on opposite ends of a spectrum. However, they worked it out and that little fight was a wake up call to all of us and the characters that they are different and will have to work together to make it work.
        In episode 9, when Irie's cousin visited and was totally open on confessing her love to Irie (which is kind of creepy but okay). My favorite quote of Kotoko from that episode when she said, "You might have loved him longer, but you'll never love him as much as I do." I liked this because it showed that love is not necessarily about the length of time you've been together but about how deep you love one another. In episode 10, it allowed us to see Yuki's mini romance start with a mini Kotoko. Their little romance continued on with an older version of Yuki and that was just very fascinating to watch. History truly repeated itself.
         I really enjoyed this drama. The Taiwanese version stopped at two seasons so I'm hoping that maybe the Japanese version will make up to three seasons? (Though I doubt it because both versions based it on the manga and this was how the manga ended because the author died). 

The Virtuous Queen of Han

Episodes: 47

Synopsis: 

Wei Zi Fu is a lowly servant's daughter. Wei Zi Fu and her brother work at Princess Pingyang's manor and as a songstress, she was recruited to entertain Princess Pingyang and her brother (the emperor). Zi Fu immediately captivates her audience including Emperor Wu Liu Che who brings him to the palace. She learns to get along with others and avoid the problems in the harem using her intellect. Over the years, she deals with all sorts of plots to bring her down and builds up the reputation of being virtuous. Can a simple-minded but virtuous girl survive in the palace filled with deceitful courtiers and malicious intentions? 

Review: 

    This drama is said to be historically accurate for the most part. 47 episodes did seem like a lot to watch for me but I finished this drama without too much thought. Many people that commented were saying that this drama was flowing nicely and really entertaining. Although this drama was entertaining in many aspects, I also found that a lot of scenes dragged. I always felt like they talked too much, explained the politics too much, or just dragged out a scene with too much dialogue. However, I think that it did help to show the issues in politics and show how the characters would solve many of those problems. It also showed depth in the story allowing me to understand what exactly was going on and why the characters were getting uptight. 

     I thought the most interesting scenes took place in the harem. A bunch of woman sharing one powerful husband and all vying for attention and power...sounds like a good place to start drama. The empress was this spoiled brat and was trying extremely hard to be able to conceive a child. Her jealousy got the best of her most of the time but she does improve as the drama progresses (not that you see her often as it goes on). It just shows how catty someone could get because of jealousy and the insecurity of losing power. Wei Zi Fu uses kindness and her virtuous personality to win over others and get along with as many people as she could. This drama really emphasized the concept of family and how during those times, serving the husband was a big aspect in a woman's life (even if she has such a high status).
       In terms of costume, I thought everything was beautiful. The dresses were extravagant with beautiful designs. The robes were amazing. The clothing shows the progression of one's character as she rises or falls. A lot of the makeup and hair reminded me of ancient drawings. This drama tried to stay historically accurate in the costume and makeup of the people and I thought that was really nice to see. However, a lot of the eyebrows cracked me up because though it did look like the people in ancient paintings, it was still interesting to see it in person.
        I really liked the amount of trust between the emperor and Wei Zi Fu in the beginning. In history, that trust deteriorates when the emperor begins to get swayed by some corrupt officials and begins turning on his own family with the idea of witchcraft. Thankfully, this drama never reached that gruesome point. Therefore the love and trust between the main characters was extremely strong and comforting to see. The Princess Pingyang was also a great and strong character. Her personality truly outshines in almost every episode she is in and I shipped her with Zi Fu's brother so hard. The characters were probably the main reason I stayed. Their character depth really made them palpable characters that are easily adored.My favorite scenes from this drama is when justice got served and when the plan of evil characters backfire. All in all, I enjoyed this drama though I did think some scenes were slow. 

First Time (Movie)

                                     

     This movie was very short but surprisingly beautiful and I was on the verge of tears at the very end. I did not have to doubt whether the love was real or not because I think that was the idea of the story. They wanted to convince you that despite the scenarios, the love was real. This story is kind of complicated in it's own way. It starts off convincing you that this man is the girl's high school crush and his name is Gong Ning. They form this relationship rekindling old feelings. However, this romance was not as innocent and fluffy as it appeared to be. 

       The girl is named Song Shi Qiao.  This girl has some sort of genetic problem that affected her respiratory system. Her father passed away because of this genetic disease (I think). So her mother is very loving and protective of her. You see a very strong bond between mother and daughter. That love the mother had for her daughter played a huge role. Song Shi Qiao likes to record her thoughts on these cassettes like it is a diary. Her mother listened in on the cassettes without her knowledge and finds out that her daughter's still talking about her high school crush Gong Ning who had passed away. Because of the medication Song Shi Qiao was taking, her memory was slowly fading. Using this to her advantage, Song Shi Qiao's mother hires a man named Lu Xia to play the part of Gong Ning and got his family and friends to play along. All the beautiful scenes of love were scripted. Then slowly things started to get unscripted as feeling begin to develop for the kindhearted girl. 

          In the process of all this, it showed family problems that Lu Xia faced. The touching moment in the rain with his father made me tear up. As it went on, Lu Xia's double identity was showing in many aspects even though he managed to hide everything pretty well. He enrolls Song Shi Qiao at a dance studio so that she can perform. It was a way to let her do something that doctors said she couldn't. Almost like a dying wish. However, upon her death, you find out that she was hiding the biggest secret of all and that just maybe their love was not as scripted as it seemed. Their love had been real. 

         I loved the dynamics of the characters, the character depths and background stories were great, and the scenes with family were extremely touching. The romance made me feel fluttery feels the entire way. The cinematography was also beautiful as the director used light tones strategically. Great film and I really enjoyed it. 

Fall In Love With Me

Episodes: 20

Synopsis (viki.com): 

A man at the peak of his career and fame suddenly walks away from it all. Lu Tian Xing/Xiao Lu (Aaron Yan) is a renowned prodigy in the advertising industry who makes a surprise announcement that he is taking three months off and goes off the grid. Going by the name Xiao Lu, he re-surfaces with his new persona at the ad agency of Tao Le Si (Tia Li), a young woman who is struggling to keep her deceased brother’s agency afloat and away from sharks trying to take it over like the former Tian Xing. What could Tian Xing have in mind and will he ever return to his former high-profile life? “Fall in Love With Me” is a 2014 Taiwanese drama series.

Review: 

        It was really interesting to see Aaron Yan act with Tia Li after acting with her bandmate Guo Puff in the drama Just You. It was nice to see the change in partner and how the chemistry shifted into a different form. It was also interesting to see that one of Puff's friends from Just You also appeared here. However, I did not like this drama as much as I liked Just You. I felt that Tao Le Si was a very weak female character despite her ability to maintain her brother's advertising company. She wasn't witty or bubbly but rather serious and awkward for the majority of the drama. I felt the chemistry that Aaron Yan was trying to project through his eyes and kissing but I couldn't see the two together as a couple. It felt awkward for the most part. 

       However, I would recommend this drama for anyone that wants something fluffy filled with romance and friendship and conspiring, dramatic evil people. It was still a cute drama with all the things required for a fun watch. It had second leads, company issues, love, and also the big issue that Lu Tian Xing had to make Tao Le Si see that he is the same person as Xiao Lu (who he pretends is another person). I still don't understand how she was unable to see how similar Xiao Lu and Tian Xing were to each other considering they were one person. Everyone was too trusting on the idea that Xiao Lu was a different person that looks similar to Lu Tian Xing and I found it odd that no one suspected that the dude was lying about looking similar to Lu Tian Xing and is actually Lu Tian Xing until the very end. Surely nobody can be that blind, right? But to my dismay, they kind of were. And it was interesting to see how Lu Tian Xing's worst love rival was himself while Tao Le Si had to realize her true feelings for two people that looked identical as well as recognize that they are the same person. On the bright side, because of the two characters Aaron Yan had to project, we saw two sides of him. One was the cold, business-like Lu Tian  Xing and the other was the cute, dorky Xiao Lu who got close to Tao Le Si. 

      I had frustrations throughout this drama though. I mean, why couldn't Lu Tian Xing just tell her the truth? Yeah, it's probably a big deal and it can lead to complications considering Tao Le Si despises Lu Tian Xing. But if he explained his motives and why this was happening, I' m sure that she'll come to understand. Again, it was my high expectations for drama land. I also felt that Tao Le  Si's character was not attractive when Xiao Lu left her life. It showed how weak and delusional and crazy the girl can get. She was depressed and dramatic. I considered understanding her because it was heartbreak but it got to a point where she went crazy and she wasn't listening and she was running in the rain and not trying to be open to new ideas. It frustrated me and her character had no emotion throughout the whole freaking drama. Her face was the same the whole freaking drama.  I was constantly torn between the emotional and expressive Aaron Yyan and the expressionless Tia Li. Big difference. I also despised the whole conspiracy part to get Lu Tian Xing to marry Huan Huan. Huan Huan is the girl that grew up with Lu Tian  Xing and has this mindset that she is destined to be with him and that it is meant to be. I was hopeful that she would not be the bitch of the drama because she started off giving us this impression that she's spoiled, young, immature, very little sister-like, and someone that only knows how to whine. I was hoping that she'd be like the cousin from the drama Perfect  Couple and that she would not pose a threat. But after a ridiculous accident upon a cliff, the girl is injured for a while and she ends up faking the injury because her brother thought it was best for her to do so until the very end. She got increasingly bitter, angry, and had to constantly remind everyone that she was the only one for Lu Tian Xing when it was evident that marrying her was going to be torture and forced on his side. I personally hate when dramas have those kind of storylines because it's manipulative and ridiculous at how helpless everyone is. Like I just wanted to shake Huan Huan and get her brother's words out of her head and tell her that that is not the way to find love by manipulating them to stay with you.
      Even though, the unrealistic aspects and scenarios frustrated me. There were parts that I did enjoy. In episode 8, I thought it was a very hauntingly sad scene that was extremely similar to the scene that appeared in Tiny Times 3 (movie). Strangely, that is one scene that I will never get over because in both this drama and that movie, it was portrayed hauntingly beautiful. Basically, you have Tao Le Si confiding in Xiao Lu that she fell in love with him while Lu Tian Xing's mindset was for her to forget the fake character he made and fall in love with him. So he disappears while she's making a wish resulting in her crying for him to come out while he's crying and hiding from her behind this wall. The funniest unrealistic scenario that I ever saw was in episode 11. You have Lu Tian Xing holding on to both Tao Le Si and Huan Huan as they dangle off of a cliff. It was the funniest thing because it wasn't really a cliff. It was like a grassy hill that led to these rocks in the ocean. It was the hypothetical "If I was hanging off a cliff with this person, who would you save?" It was hilarious. And I was so shocked at how stupid they were in dealing with the situation. Considering that Lu Tian Xing already was holding on to them, the girls could have easily curled up so that their foot gets a grip on the grass and slowly make their way up. They didn't. And Huan Huan's injury did not seem realistic to me because she was already in a vertical position. With the grass and her shoes and her position, I saw no reason why she couldn't stop herself from falling on to the rocks. Also if Lu Tian Xing can walk down the freaking hill to go get Huan Huan, it is not that bad. But I mean, it was a good laugh. I also loved that part where Lu Tian Xing and Tao Le Si were outdoors just having this make out session. That was a beautiful scene.
       As for the ending, I felt it was kind of abrupt in a way because of all the drama that happened before the end. It was very typical that everyone got their happy endings in the end and everyone's happy. So I can't say I hated the ending nor can I say I liked it. I'll just leave it at that.
       

Tiny Times 3 (Movie)

      This movie was probably my least favorite of the Tiny Times movies. It just was so weird and unrealistic and because the scenes were choppy, I was confused many times.

        This movie starts off with the girls going on a business trip together.  The girls had fun, they took weird pictures, and they played around. They even bumped into Lily's "little brother." And then, Lin Xiao is on the airplane crying and immediately we're introduced that Zhou Chong Guang is dead. And from the last movie, we basically kind of get the idea that the two are dating. So it was confusing for me because the movie just started and you know five minutes ago, we saw a scene of him with Lily's boyfriend and they both looked perfectly fine. Not to mention, his cancer was taken care of in the second movie. At the funeral, Lin Xiao goes to the casket to see him one last time but Gong Ming wouldn't let her. I was very upset to know that the actor for Gong Ming changed. I really liked the previous actor and I just couldn't get into this new one. 

       Lin Xiao then is depressed and acts half dead. Lily tries to get Lin Xiao to do daily tasks like taking a shower and tells her to get her act together but Lin Xiao blows Lily off saying that she can't be as cold as Lily is. Offended, Lily leaves the shower with the water running on the fully clothed Lin Xiao. This is when the relationship flashbacks are shown. It was a really cute and simple way to show how great the relationship was and depicting how much she hurt without dragging these scenes out. Nan Xiang then comes into the shower to turn off the water and to comfort her while Lin Xiao says that no one would love her as much as he had. Following that, Lin Xiao had one of those New Moon depression scenes (Yes, I'm talking about one of the Twilight movies). Lin Xiao did the Bella thing where she sat in front of a window expressionless and watched the seasons pass and life move on. 

       Nan Xiang's ex boyfriend is extremely annoying and keeps bothering her while she has to deal with her mom's problematic gambling problems. Her ex boyfriend shows his abusive side once again by hitting her simply because she said that she didn't want to get back with him. While Nan Xiang cries, Wei Hai appears and recognizes her. Meanwhile, Gu Yuan is buying a ring and getting ready to propose to Lily. Ruby and Lin Xiao tease him as they fantasize the whole situation.
       Moving forward, there is that weird appearance of another one of Lily's little brothers. That was weird. There are just so many little brothers popping out in this movie. Then we see this weird blond version of Zhou Chong Guang walking around the company as the new model. His name is Shaun. Lin Xiao spots him and starts stalking him because of the uncanny resemblance to her dead boyfriend. After this, I was very confused. It was a jumble of thoughts. Like: what's up with Chong Guang? That is Chong Guang right? What is happening?  Did Gu Yuan just take Lily's position? What is this weird spy mission?
        Lin Xiao finds out that Shaun is Chong Guang which led to a very sad scene of her screaming into the streets for him to come out and face her while he hides behind a tree. Both were crying. It was painful to watch but it was confusing. His motives were so weird. Lin Xiao then finds out that Lily had suspicions about  Chong Guang's death and felt hurt that this information was withheld from her. Ruby sees Wei Hai kissing Nan Xiang and is infuriated because she had a crush on him for so long. Nan Xiang tries to clear up the misunderstanding to no avail and then told Wei Hai that she had no feelings for him. Lin Xiao's crying in the snow. Lily had a failed proposal. Gu Yuan's trying to get the ring out of the sewer. Ruby's crying in front of their high school picture while crossing out Nan Xiang. She then packs and leaves the home. Chong Guang tells his brother that he's old and is ready to be independent and that his brother doesn't have to worry about him anymore. That was a depressing birthday for Gong Min but it was a progressive step for Chong Guang. Ruby and Nan Xiang then fight and then Lily and Lin Xiao fight. However, both end up making up with one another especially when Nan Xiang's debtors get involved in the fight. Ruby defends Nan Xiang like how Nan  Xiang used to defend her back in high school and Ruby ends up getting hit in the face with a brick.
         I thought it was hilarious when Ruby woke up at the hospital and faked amnesia just to scare Lin Xiao. Everything was okay by the end of the movie. Gu Yuan and Lily are still cute as ever.The movie ends with Lin  Xiao getting encountered by someone in a bear costume. The person in the costume did the secret handshake that belonged to Chong Guang. This movie is leading up to the fourth. The trailer for the next movie seems to be very dramatic and I am actually looking forward to that one because I didn't like this movie that much. 

Tiny Times 2 (Movie)

Review: 

       This is the movie following Tiny Times. It's very similar to the first movie but with new issues popping up. To start things off, the movie ended on a rather good note and Lin Xiao worked things out with her boyfriend. However, we come to see that Jian Xi might not be all that devoted to the relationship as he makes it seem he is. To start things off, Lin Xiao witnesses a girl kiss her boyfriend who then said that he was very busy when she called him. Then I begin to feel this horrible feeling as I watched Zhou Chong Guang throw up blood. This is when you realize that the boy is actually suffering from gastric cancer and not some publicity stunt that Kitty claims he uses. Then we get introduced to the fact that Lily may have had an affair with Nan Xiang's manipulative and abusive ex boyfriend (Xi Cheng). After a rather ill-tempered encounter between Lily and Xi Cheng, Lily said a quote that I thought was really raw. 

Lily: "Everyone, including myself, has a time when they are completely stupid. Because of that, everyone deserves the right to be forgiven once." 

      It shows that the cold perfectionist also makes mistakes and is also just as vulnerable no matter how tough she appears. Lin Xiao decides that since Lily is someone she cherishes, she would not reveal this affair. Lily immediately regains her composure and begins planning for her royal birthday. It's all about the money and how fancy the party is for Lily while everyone begins to worry about what to do for the Queen's Birthday. However, after all the planning and all the ordering of what to wear and what not to wear, the birthday ended up just like Christmas in the first movie. It was the Birthday of Tears. 

       First of all, Lily did something that was rather harsh and uncalled for. Believing that she never makes mistakes, she went and invited Wei Hai for Ruby. Wei Hai is Ruby's crush but he has a girlfriend. Upon inviting Wei Hai, it forced Ruby to relive humiliation. Because of that, Ruby's outburst led to many more outbursts. And secrets were revealed. Nan Xiang reveals that Lily had sex with Xi Cheng to everyone and pours wine all over Lily. She then proceeds to coldly walk off breaking off a friendship that was once so strong. It was really dramatic. 

         Following that, Lily's dad dies in a car accident because Lily had rushed him to be at the party faster. At the hospital, as they awaited the news of her father's condition, we see Lin Xiao's stoic boss suffer quietly from whatever he faced. Turns out that Zhou Chong Guang was Gong Ming's (the boss) step brother that he took responsibility for. Zhou Cong Guang was so childishly cute as Lin Xiao expressed her concern and disbelief that he actually had cancer. Lin Xiao's boyfriend, witnessing it, immediately begins suspecting her for the worst even though he was the one that was actually cheating. 

         Lily's dad dies and I thought it was really cold that Nan Xiang didn't go to the funeral. I understand that she feels betrayed that her best friend did this to her but Xi Cheng was an abusive creep. Come on! And when Lily looked down at the will, her mother blames her for the death of her husband and also saying that she was born from an affair the dad had and that she raised a monster. It turns out, the mother that Lily thought she had wasn't even her real mother. 

      I love it when the OST: "Time Boils Rain" comes on. It makes everything so beautifully sad. 

      Then the three girls, Lily, Lin Xiao, and Ruby move to a  new place together. I thought it was hilarious when Lily had to use three moving trucks to bring her things over whereas the other girls all had suitcases. It just shows how strong Lily is to move on and how capable of work she is. It's something that I aspire to be. Lily then has to deal with the fact that Gong Min is trying to buy her Dad's company away using all sorts of methods. However, this ends on such a bitter note for Lin Xiao's relationship with her boyfriend. He's the one that is cheating on her yet had the nerve to say that she's also guilty of cheating and that she's dirty as well because she stayed the night in the author's (Zhou Chong Guang) hospital room the day Lily's dad died. It was totally a way to make his actions justified. And in the end, he didn't even come back to Lin Xiao. However, after a moody fight that Lin Xiao and Lily had, they made up after dealing with Jian Xi's "I'm the victim" ways. 

        Gu Yuan and Lily are so cute and it was nice to see them get back together. They planned a nice revenge to secure the company and also to get revenge on the arranged marriage Gu Yuan's mother had planned. The ending was really beautiful when they had a snowball fight. Ruby went crazy during the snowball fight so it was hilarious. I loved this movie and I thought it was so sad when it ended on Jian Xi's video message back in high school saying that no matter who is by Lin Xiao's side in the future, even if it isn't him, that she'd be happy....and I believe that Lin Xiao and Zhou Chong Guang might just end up together (especially since he's fine after the surgery). 

Tiny Times (movie)

Review:

     This movie is about four high school friends facing college and internships together. They are all very different. Lily is from a wealthy family and is often considered the cold queen in her group of friends. Though she appears to be cold, she has a soft heart. Nan Xiang aspires to be a fashion designer. Ruby is the athlete among their group of friends and is always training in badminton. Then there is Lin Xiao, in which this story is narrated from, who aspires to work at M.E. and considers herself to be the most ordinary one among her distinct friends. This movie depicts their friendship, struggles in work, and their adversities in love. 

         I absolutely adored this movie. It was straight to the point and beautifully done. The cinematography was absolutely beautiful. I found that this movie was sad, beautiful, and touching. The four girls all had such unique personalities and different forms of beauty. They also faced different problems. There was a nostalgic feel with this concept of moving bravery into the future.

        I felt a very devil wears prada feel in the beginning for Lin Xiao. I thought that there are a lot of beautiful faces in this movie. I also thought that the break up scenes were hauntingly beautiful and that the friendship dates the girls went on were really cute. You watch the different struggles the girls go through in love. Nan Xiang deals with an abusive ex-boyfriend that seems to cling on to her like a leech. Ruby has a crush on a boy who has a girlfriend. Lily is more practical in terms of wealth than her boyfriend who believes that everything would still be the same even if both of them were poor. Lily also had to deal with the fact that her boyfriend's mother is trying to arrange a marriage for her son with some other girl. Lin Xiao had to balance work and love which didn't work too well for her. 

          This had a bitter sweet ending and I'm looking forward to watching Tiny Times 2. 

Modern Farmer

Episodes: 20 

Given Synopsis (viki.com): 

Can the answer to life’s quandaries be found in the land? When the members of the rock band Excellent Souls – Lee Min Ki (Lee Hong Ki), Kang Hyuk (Park Min Woo), Han Ki Jun (Kim Jae Hyun) and Yoo Han Chul (Lee Shi Un) – decide that they want to escape from it all, they decide to move to a small, rural village to take up farming. There, they meet Lee Soo Yeon (Min Ah), who also has escaped from Seoul to the countryside to take a “break,” and the tough young village leader, Kang Yoon Hee (Lee Honey). Can the band members really make their new lives in farming work? “Modern Farmer” is a 2014 South Korean drama series directed by Oh Jin Seok.

Review:

    I found it hard to take this drama seriously in the beginning because it was very humorous and exaggerated. However, I was glad that it got better later on and focused on some serious issues such as the fact Kang Yoon Hee encountered her ex. There were other more issues as well and it got more interesting as it went. Admittedly, I do not believe that this is Hongki's best drama that he starred in. He has a very wide acting range from what I have seen and this drama had a very immature feel to it that was hard for me to get used to (especially after watching Bride of the Century where he was very mature). I did like that it allowed him to show off his music skills because of his character. 

       This drama did focus a lot on living in the countryside and their humorous adaption to get used to the different environment and to get along with the quirky people that lived there. The kids were so cute whenever they appeared and it was so cute to see how supportive Lee Min Ki (Hongki's character) was of Yoon hee's son, Minho. It was also nice to see that the female protagonist is a very optimistic and fun person but also being a single mother. It was nice to see how this drama showed that mothers are women too and that regardless of your situation, love is for everyone. You could be a single mother, you could be sick, you could be lying about your identity, you could be a musician that suffers from a lot of stress, you could be divorced, etc and love can still find you. It's a nice and hopeful message to those feeling down. 

       I also loved how despite their depressing situations, Minki and his band still wanted to pursue their dreams of music. In the end, they didn't achieve fame and popularity but it was nice to see that they all found their own happiness and found their own peace in their own way. 

Birth of a Beauty

Episodes: 21 

Given Synopsis (viki.com):

Can a woman’s life be saved by completely changing her appearance? Sa Geum Ran is in a desperate situation. With nowhere else to turn, she goes to Han Tae Hee (Joo Sang Wook), the heir to a large company who suffers from a broken heart. With Tae Hee’s help, the woman undergoes plastic surgery and transforms into the beautiful Sara (Han Ye Seul). Can Sara adjust to her new life as a stunning beauty while also helping Tae Hee heal his broken heart? “Birth of a Beauty” is a 2014 South Korean drama series directed by Lee Chang Min.

Review: 

        The beginning was kind of confusing because Sa Geum Ran acted as though she was a completely separate person after she got her plastic surgery. She even commented on her previous appearance as though she was an outsider. That threw me off a lot. I also disliked her husband, Lee Kwang Joon, so much. The guy is such a cheater. I had trouble understanding why the poor girl put up with all his BS and still diligently look after his family.
         This drama started off with a pretty bad message despite being extremely intriguing. It literally started off by saying that if you're not a certain weight and don't look as good, then you don't deserve love. It also started off with a very superficial vibe. Despite not liking this aspect, I think it was to show the contrast of being in an unhealthy relationship and being in a healthy relationship. True, Han Tae Hee was totally superficial at first and had to keep convincing himself that her looks were "fake" so that he doesn't develop a crush on her. However, I really loved that episode when he convinced himself to look past who she is on the outside and who she is on the inside. Even when he saw her for how she originally was before the plastic surgery, he still found himself loving and caring for her. That was really cute to see. You can also see that from this relationship, Sa Geum Ran regained her confidence as Sara and realized that she did not need to worry about superficial and materialistic things to get love and validation. She accepted herself and who she was inside and Han Tae Hee saw her for who she was inside as well.
        It was pretty funny watching Han Tae Hee play this fake doctor and calling her ahjumma all the time. It was such a nice quirk to the relationship. I also adored the revenge aspect of the drama. When the protagonists are out to get the antagonists, they are fierce as hell. I loved it. Their revenge had to be fierce especially when her ex husband made this lie about her killing herself when he was the culprit for forcing her to get into the car accident. His wife, Chaeyeon, was also creepy and manipulative. When she turned her back on Kwang Joon, I was like, "KARMA! OKAY!"  And Kwang Joon's mother and sisters reminded me of Cinderella's stepsisters and stepmother. They were kind of funny and annoying. The only good person in that family was Kwang Joon's father (and that is just sad). And to watch Kwang Joon face all the bad karma was great. It also allowed everyone around him to realize how superficial and horrible he is. All he cared about was looks and money. That was why I thought it was hilarious when he started saying that he loved Sara and then got all whiny and angry when she was like, "But I don't like you."
        Not only did Sa Geum Ran get her revenge but so did Han Tae Hee. It was such a satisfying feeling to watch those trying to ruin Tae Hee's life get arrested. JUSTICE IS SERVED, GUYS.
It did drag in the later episodes. But I actually enjoyed this drama a lot. It was amusing for me to watch. AND IT HAD THE CUTEST ENDING EVER. 

Boarding House 24

Episodes: 12

Given Synopsis (viki.com):

What would you do if you found out that you have a 24-year-old child but had no additional information? The owner of a boarding house (Kim Kwang Kyu) learns on his mother’s deathbed that he has a child, but she doesn’t tell him anything else other than the fact that the child is now 24 years old. Determined to locate his offspring, the man researches the children of all of his past relationships and identifies six 24-year-olds (Dongjun of ZE:A, Dohee of Tiny-G, Ken of VIXX, Hyunyoung of Rainbow, High Top of BIGFLO and Kim Sa Eun) – three men and three women – and executes an elaborate plan to get the six to come live at his boarding house. The very different 20-somethings deal with life, love, work and relationships as they all live under one roof. But will the house owner be able to identify which one of these six youngsters is his child? “Boarding House No. 24” is a 2014 South Korean comedy series.

Review:

     This drama is pretty short considering that it is only 12 episodes long. However, I think it is important to understand that this is a drama that focuses on comedy. It was pretty funny watching the characters interact and how their different personalities affect how they deal with situations. I enjoyed watching all the idols in this drama. However, other then enjoying the appearance of idols and laughing at the exaggerated moments, this drama did not appeal to me in any other way.  The storyline was a little bit unbelievable and I found it slightly creepy that the dad did all this research to find out who his child is. The best part is that he didn't even know whether his kid was a girl or boy and would randomly side with one of the people in his boarding house when he thought they were his kid.

     I did not enjoy this drama because I don't think that this kind of drama is my type. I'm not saying it was bad because it was pretty funny. It just wasn't for me.

Pinocchio

                                      

Episodes: 20 

Given Synopsis (viki.com):

Can 20-something rookie broadcast reporters make their mark covering the bustling news of a busy metropolitan city? The idealistic Choi In Ha (Park Shin Hye) has her work cut out for her when she becomes a broadcast journalist, especially when she suffers from a condition known as “Pinocchio syndrome,” which makes her break out into hiccups whenever she tells a lie. Her rookie colleagues include Choi Dal Po (Lee Jong Suk), whose shabby appearance masks his true eloquence and sharp memory; Seo Bum Jo (Kim Young Kwang), a wealthy heir who has had everything handed to him in life; and Cha Hye Seung (Lee Yoo Bi), whose fangirl knowledge comes in handy in covering the news. Can the 20-something newbie reporters pursue justice as they try to discover themselves in the process? “Pinocchio” is a 2014 South Korean drama series directed by Jo Soo Won.

Review:

    This drama reminded me of I Hear Your Voice. I don't know if it's because of the similarities in Lee Jong Suk's character in Pinocchio and his character in I Hear Your Voice or if it was the fact that his characters in both dramas were seeking justice. This drama was really appealing. In many ways,  I feel as though this drama might be better than I Hear Your Voice. I genuinely enjoyed this drama. 

       The characters were likable and the acting was satisfying. The characters were very 3-dimensional. You could see many sides of the characters. It was hard to truly dislike anyone in this drama. I'll begin with the minor characters. To start things off, Gi Ha Myeong's brother was an absolute favorite among my friends who watched this. It helped that he was good looking and it also helped because he had this sort of action-packed revenge mindset. To be honest, if he was the main character, this would be a revenge-oriented action film. However, he was well-liked because the reasons behind him doing what he did were understandable and kind of sad. As for In Ha's mother, she played a rather dislikable role in the beginning. You kind of sit there wondering how one person could be so cold. However, over time, I warmed up to her. You could see how human this character was and when you learn the backstory, she becomes a more relatable character. I understood where she was coming from and I enjoyed her character. The grandfather and dad of In Ha were absolutely adorable. They were so supporting in their own ways and loved both In Ha and Gi Ha Myeong (more commonly known as Choi Dal Po) equally. There were a lot of smart characters and good characters. Ahn Chan Soo's character was absolutely endearing because not only did he help with the reporters and went through hell, he also brought back a lot of high school memories for Choi Dal Po and Choi In Ha. The reporter trainees were hilarious and fun to watch. Especially Yoon Yoo Rae. She was originally a sasaeng fan who joined the blind auditions to be a reporter. Throughout the entire drama, you could see her stalking skills as she learned details about new reports. She was such a comedic character and absolutely adorable. Seo Beom Jo liked Choi In Ha but his character was so upright and good. I loved him for who he was but I did not ship him with Choi In Ha. This was why I really liked how the writers didn't make him that big of a threat. 

         Now for our main leads, Choi In Ha and Choi Dal Po (originally was called Gi Ha Myeong). Their chemistry was amazing. Their kisses were so loving and natural. They did so much acting with their eyes. I swooned at Lee Jong Suk's eyes over and over again while Park Shin Hye's eyes were filled with trust as she stared up at his loving eyes. It was just amazing chemistry. So amazing that some of their most loving/touching/intense scenes didn't even need words. That was how strong their body language was. Also, because Choi In Ha is a Pinocchio, it made life so much easier. They understood each other and communicated well with one another. There were no misunderstandings or lies since Choi In Ha couldn't hide anything. It just eliminated mistrust in each other. It also allowed them to solve everything by working together. They became my ultimate OTP after this drama. They made such a cute couple (especially when  I saw them holding Ahn Chan Soo's kid...it looked like a legit family photo). 

         The storyline also flowed nicely. I loved the concept of being a Pinocchio and how it tied to Gi Ha Myeong's childhood and how it later on became a part of his future as he got his revenge by seeking justice and only speaking the truth. The concept of Pinocchio also fitted well with the whole "reporters only tell the truth" idea. Reporter Song, Choi In Ha's mother, played an amazing role in hiding the corruption at first and then slowly regaining her true self as she revealed everything one at a time. It was admirable to watch the characters rebuild their respect for her and also to work together to get this revenge for the defamation of Gi  Ha Myeong's father. The Chairwoman was so corrupt and I felt bad for Seo Beom Joo because he was the good son. He had watch his mother go from this angel that he always saw her as to this scheming woman that would stop at nothing. I really liked how the chairwoman faced the reporter's questions at the end. It was dramatic and the best way to let her experience what she did to Gi Ha Myeong's family back then. 

All in all, I absolutely adored this drama.