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Monday, July 30, 2018

Princess Agents


Episodes: 67

Synopsis: 
The story starts off with our heroine, Chu Qiao, being thrown on to hunting grounds along with other slaves (who were criminals of some sort). Confused and mostly illiterate, the slaves are given clothes with a Chinese character on it. The next thing you know a group of ruthless, wealthy lords begin to play a hunting game in which the Chinese character (representing a character from each lord's name) on the last slave standing's back indicates the winner. As Chu Qiao runs, fends off wolves and arrows, and uses martial art skills to survive, she is saved by the Prince of Northern Yan, Yan Xun and the lord, Yuwen Yue. Her unexplained ability to fight the way she does and her strong-headed personality intrigues the Yan Xun and Yuwen Yue. Soon, she is brought into the powerful family of Yuwen and begins to train under the strict supervision of Yuwen Yue. She then witnesses the ruthlessness of the nobles, the bloody power struggle, deception and lies, and so forth.  

Review:
This is a long drama as most historical fantasy dramas usually are. Did I really watch this with the intention of finishing a drama of 67 episodes? 

No.

Did I finish a drama of 67 episodes? 

Yes. 

The big reason why this drama was appealing despite its obvious lack of romantic scenes and comedic moments was the plot. If you've been reading my unorganized drama review posts, you can see that I definitely am more likely to enjoy a drama with romantic and funny moments. I also do not like it when dramas are too drawn out. This drama lacked both comedy and romance and had scenes that made me want to skip, skip, skip.  But it still held on to my attention. There were some memorable scenes, great characters, and also an intriguing plot. Despite these pros, I did not feel like this drama deserved a place on my favorites list. Just because I enjoyed a few specific scenes did not mean I enjoyed the whole drama with a lot of dragged out plot lines, shady characters, and unexplained loose ends. 
     Now, let's start with the cons. You would think that a drama of 67 episodes would allow me to understand how Chu Qiao is so skilled at martial arts and also what her backstory is that she forgets that she was once the young master of the Feng Yun order. But I did not get that..so...disappointing.  This drama wanted to highlight ruthless young lords who were ready to steal the throne by any means necessary, even if it meant killing off a childhood friend and his entire family. While some scenes were extremely shocking and powerful, other scenes just made me feel a little bit disgusted at how inhumane some of these "bad" characters were. Also this drama makes the two blandest characters the main lead. Chu Qiao is emotionless throughout this entire drama which is disappointing because I wanted to see her grow as a character and as a person. I wanted to see her interact and charm the people around her. I wanted her character to have some weight on this story as she is the main lead. I did not get that. A part of me liked that she was so cold toward others because it was a refreshing look on a character. But as it went on, her personality made it hard for me to understand why the male characters were so obsessed with her and in so much pain over her being gone because she would show no affection or friendship toward anyone whatsoever. Yuwen Yue, our supposed male lead, is not much better. His strict and serious personality and appearance made it hard to understand him or truly appreciate him for his acts of kindness or "romance." I found myself investing more in Yan Xun (as many other people did as well). Yan Xun was probably the most complex character in this entire show and I only looked forward to his scenes as there were so many moments where I was bored senseless. So since we are on the topic of Yan Xun, let's jump into some pros. 
         Yan Xun is a pro, pro, pro and I wish they focused more on him and also made him the main lead. Throughout the beginning of the drama to the end, he has feelings for Chu Qiao and he clearly shows his interest. He accepts her cold, standoffish ways and also doesn't even question her martial arts abilities as much as others did. He never viewed her as a tool. And he sacrificed himself over and over to keep her safe. He was the most cheerful, brightest character throughout the majority of this drama. Then the climax hits and the power struggle affects him greatly as his siblings, parents, and loved ones were all murdered and displayed before his eyes. 
         "Treason" was the reason. Yan Xun was supposedly spared as he was in the city and not acting in on this "rebellion" his father was planning. It was a set up on Yan Xun's family to relinquish the Northern Prince's family's control on their portion of royal power. Yan Xun was supposed to grovel and accept kindness in his pardon while watching his whole family burned before his eyes. Expectedly, he begins to fight back. Hurt, betrayed, and saddened he lashes out at anyone who came toward him. And this was the point that Yan Xun was pushed to the "dark side." This was honestly the most fascinating part of the drama and I felt his character, his story, and his growth was just so interesting and I wanted to know more about him. His kindness toward Chu Qiao despite his need for vengeance against the emperor and his childhood friends would've allowed for a great love story to develop. But the writers did not go down that path. Instead, they contradicted this character by making him solely focus on vengeance, being a ruthless king on his own lands, and also using Chu Qiao as a tool to bring down Yuwen Yue. This could be because the writers wanted Chu Qiao to eventually return to Yuwen Yue and truly understand how much he silently loves her. But honestly it was so stupid. I had invested so much into Yan Xun, the character they made stand out amongst everyone, and now they wanted me to just accept that Yuwen Yue's love is the best kind of love Chu Qiao should be receiving. 
       So as you can see I have many complaints. But I did love some of the characters (such as Yan Xun), I loved the bada** vibes that Chu Qiao portrayed in all her scenes, and I actually also liked the princess in this drama. The princess is not necessarily a good person but she was complex, young, naive, and also faced so many misfortunes in this drama in her quest to receive love from Yan Xun. All in all, I enjoyed this drama but it had its flaws and it isn't one of the dramas I'd recommend you 100% watch (I'd probably just show you some of the intense scenes and call it a day). 

Sunday, July 29, 2018

What's Wrong with Secretary Kim?


Episodes: 16
Synopsis: 
Vice President Lee Young Joon is a narcissistic, high-demanding boss and being his secretary is not an easy job. After 9 years of working with a highly competent Secretary Kim, Lee Young Joon is used to having his life in order and used to having a secretary who knows how to handle any personal or professional problem on his behalf. One day, Secretary Kim announces that she wants to resign from her petition and to start finding her own identity as Kim Mi So instead of Secretary Kim. Thus begins a hilarious yet touching series of interactions and romantic gestures as Lee Young Joon tries to keep Secretary Kim by his side. As the two add on a romantic side to their professional relationship, the two begin to fall for one another and also learn about the true origin of their love story.

Review:
           This drama is a classic rich chaebol + financially struggling, kind-hearted girl romance. It has all of the main components that make an addicting drama: rich men, attractive characters, a sad and slightly traumatizing backstory, cute side couples, comedy mixed into reality, and also constant contact between the two main leads. While all this sounds cliche and "typical," this drama made me so happy when I was watching it and it has a special place on my favorites list. Now, I don't seem to be the only one as this drama had amazing ratings and has also been favorably received on the internet as well. 
           There was a time period that dramas like this often left me bored as I was used to the general premise of the drama plot. However, this drama brought back a lot of the joy in watching chaebol dramas because it was realistic and relatable. I greatly applaud Korean dramas for trying to change up their usual drama plots to offer more "slice of life" dramas. I have mentioned in a few reviews how glad I am that screenwriters are moving away from the basic storylines such as: shady homewrecker, misunderstandings due to lack of communication, and also domineering rich parents who disapprove of their child's lover. These recent dramas are starting to depict much more healthier relationships in comparison to what they once showed ten years ago. 
          Now enough of this "wow this drama was amazing" talk. Let's jump a bit into specifics.
          The chemistry between the entire cast was amazing. The main leads made such a beautiful couple and every dialogue, scene, and script seemed to flow so smoothly. Maybe a big reason was that the cast were all friendly with one another or maybe a big reason was that the main actors were actually dating in real life. But all in all, the actors and actresses in this drama made it absolutely enjoyable to watch. The romance scenes were not only funny but also romantic, passionate, and realistic (despite the fact that a lot of Lee Young Joon's gestures cost a lot of $$$). I love that kiss scenes are no longer just face plants anymore but instead intense makeout sessions with a tint of sexual passion (hello episode 8, 12, 13). These romantic scenes were a beautiful portrayal of a healthy relationship. We got our passionate moments, our fun moments, our LOL moments, and even petty moments. Truly enjoyable to watch. It was also nice to see other relationships dynamics in this drama as well as the side characters all got into relationships. Each relationship was unique and the way the couples acted with each other were so cute. These relationships genuinely made me very happy as I watched them. The friendships between the female secretaries in the drama also made me joyful as they were so supportive, mature, and funny. (Honestly the best scene was when they all got drunk together in episode 15 and then called Lee Young Joon sounding like drunk hyenas, fangirling over the VP's relationship with Secretary Kim).
              The backstory behind the main leads was also so intense and it also touches on taboo topics such as suicide, PTSD, and other psychological based trauma. The whole story of how Kim Mi So and Lee Young Joon met as children was so creepy yet powerful. It tied the whole drama together and it also showed how psychological trauma can affect more than just the victims. Lee Young Joon's brother was also affected by this childhood event and while he was extremely annoying throughout the drama, the backstory allowed the audience to empathize with him. It also gave him room to change as a person and grow into a more mature version of himself. This drama also highlights how trauma may last a long time but people will eventually learn to continue carrying on and finding joy and feelings of safety through other means.
            All in all, this drama made me happy, made it on my favorite's list, and made it on my personal recommendations list. This is definitely one of my favorite dramas of 2018.