Itaewon Class

Episodes: 16

Synopsis: This drama focuses on Park Saeroyi, a righteous young man who refuses to be anything but straightforward. His life gets turned around after he is expelled from school for punching a bully, his father is killed in a car accident, and he is forced to carry the weight of knowing who did not pay for their crime. After coming out of prison for assault, he decides to open up a pub called DanBam in hopes of taking on the Jangga corporation. With the help of an interesting group of characters -- a smart sociopathic girl, a biracial Korean, an ex-gangster, and a transgender chef, Park Saeroyi begins to rise in the food industry. A true story of how revenge takes time and that bad karma can always be manifested and delivered to those who deserve it.

Review

I watched this drama as there were a lot of people hyping it up. In fact, a few of my friends have recommended it to me saying that they were currently watching it as well and that they enjoyed it. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy it. A big part of the reason is the fact that most of the characters in this drama are unlikable and very shady. I spent most of the drama stressed out, frustrated, and angry. I found it hard to invest in the characters as many were inconsistent and unlikable. The characters that I did enjoy were either too rigid or too in the background. 

       Saeroyi felt so unrealistic about how rigid he was. I hated all the love interests in this drama because I felt none of the girls were particularly likable. There were many unrealistic aspects that threw me off in the drama such as: how poorly Saeroyi ran his pub when he first opened (a lot of the stuff seemed like common sense, but they needed to introduce Jo Yi Seo to the business somehow), how Saeroyi thought his pub could grow to tackle on a recognized and giant food industry, and how he actually managed to succeed. It jumped a lot so we never truly saw the process for success. While it was satisfying to see DanBam climb up the food hierarchy, it felt like things were too easy. I feel like characters such as Hyunyi, Toni, and Choi Seung Kwon were the most enjoyable to watch. However, we saw so little of them...especially Toni. I know many stressed how nice it was to see diversity in the Korean drama, especially as he acted as someone biracial and was highlighting the stigma he experiences of not being recognized as Korean. However, it felt like he wasn't on screen that often and the acting was subpar. The best acting in this drama has got to be from Jang Dae Hee...it gave me chills, and at the end, he confused me as to how I should treat him because I actually felt bad for him.  

            Also real talk: the hair was not a vibe in this drama...especially for the main leads.

I do want to commend the drama for a few things: 

- Their OSTs were very catchy 

- Their focus on issues such as transgenders in Korea and foreigners with Korean heritage in Korea -- it targetted a lot of discriminatory practices that occur, and it provided a good perspective on those individuals. It made you like those characters more and feel thankful they had DanBam to call their home. (I will never forgive what Geunsoo did to Hyunyi in episode 12) 

Tune in For Love (Movie)

Synopsis and Review:

        This movie tells the poorly timed love story between Hyun Woo and Mi Soo. They first meet in the 1990s. Mi Soo works at a bakery with her mother-like figure/friend Eun Ja. Hyun Woo just got out of a juvenile prison center after being found guilty of his classmate's accidental death and begins to work at the bakery alongside the two women. The three become close friends but separate when Hyun Woo's past catches up with him and he leaves the bakery. Years later, Hyun Woo and Mi Soo unexpectedly meet one another. However, the time they were able to spend together was only for one night as Hyun Woo heads off to military service. 

        During the two years, Mi Soo sends Hyun Woo numerous emails to an account that she failed to give Hyun Woo a password for. She hoped he would one day figure out the password and reunite with her.  At this point, Mi Soo begins to pursue a career in writing and Eunja marries a single-father and begins to run a noodle shop. Lives are not what they have hoped it would be. Despite many poorly timed parts to their love story, they eventually are able to reunite. As they fall in love despite the gaps in their relationship, the two learn to trust, love, and grow together. 

        This was a very cute movie. It was simple and made you nostalgic for a time that you weren't a part of. I found many scenes very aesthetic -- such as the rain scene while they sat at their bakery. The cinematography was great. However, I did find the romance to be fairly unrealistic. They never truly had a long-term relationship considering the time they did spend together was so short and the gaps in their relationship were so long. When I was watching this with my boyfriend, we both questioned the likelihood of two individuals both remaining single and waiting for the other person despite the story being told in almost five years of time.

The story was cute but I feel like it didn't do anything beyond and above. I think a big part of my failure to be invested in their relationship despite the movie being about their relationship is because of the many gaps in their relationship. However, interestingly, I did appreciate the talks of not being in a satisfying job or not feeling good about oneself when comparing to others. It definitely shows how it takes time to grow and develop ourselves. That everyone's timing is different and success isn't measured on the same scale for everyone. It did make me think about the ways we often associate productivity/prestige to success at school or work...but that is definitely me thinking deeper than what this movie was showing. 

Hotel Del Luna

Episodes: 16

Synopsis: 

Hotel Del Luna is a fancy hotel located in Myeongdong, Seoul. However, despite being open, no guests seem to reside there. This is because all of their clients are ghosts. In fact, Hotel Del Luna acts as a resting stop for ghosts before they move on to the afterlife. Jang Man Wol is the CEO of the hotel, and she is tethered to Hotel Del Luna and forced to cater to the dead due to a huge sin she committed a millennium ago when she was still human. Her grudge toward those who harmed her then and her bitterness toward life force her to live a life tied to the hotel. With the help of the deities, Jang Man Wol meets Gu Chan Sung's father and makes a deal with him. He is allowed to safely return home to his son but his child would have to come work for her after 20 years. This child, Gu Chan Sung, grew up to be a righteous, sincere young man who works as a hotelier. He comes back to South Korea after his father's death to be an assistant manager at a well-known hotel corporation, only to find Jang Man Wol is awaiting his arrival to come work as the manager of Hotel Del Luna. As Gu Chan Sung gets used to the strange line of work he is engaged in, he also teaches Jang Man Wol to do more good for those who have passed away and to also face her fears and grudges. 

Review: 

        I loved this drama so much! This is by far one of my top favorite dramas that I watched in 2019. This drama reminded me of Goblin in many ways as it deals with the same questions of what life is like after death, the same concept of a character tethered to the mortal world for thousands of years due to a grudge/sin, and the ways in which we can learn how to let go and find peace in ourselves. I also cried so much at the ending (so much more than I expected to).

Some things I liked:
- IU's acting as Jang Man Wol was so impressive. She was sassy, emotional, deeply sad, cold, hilarious, serious, etc all at once. I was very pleased with the wide range and depth she provided with this role. I have also read many reports that she enjoyed this drama a lot more than some previous drama roles she had.
- I think Yeo Jin Goo is great at recognizing how much he needs to act and how he has to act. In fact, his crying scenes really hit differently. It's crazy how I watched him when he was a child actor in dramas like "Iljimae" and "The Moon Embraces the Sun" to him now acting in mature lead roles as such.
- The ghost stories were very entertaining to watch as each told a story. It definitely feels less scary when you have Jang Man Wol explaining things or assisting along the way. I definitely was more invested in the three main ghosts that worked at Hotel Del Luna. Most of my tears were for them.
- I do question how Gu Chan Sung resumed normal life after Jang Man Wol. I know he is a mature, reasonable, and strong-willed character in this drama. But it seems close to impossible to move on from a connection he shared with Jang Man Wol.
- I feel like Jang Man Wol and Gu Chan Sung had great chemistry as friends but it did feel a bit awkward when they turned romantic. I can't quite put my finger on it...but their chemistry and compatibility were amazing in scenes when they're engaged in deep conversation or are joking together.
- I loved the ways in which it showed different soulmate connections and also the ill-fated ones. I loved the way it depicted life, death, and so forth. It was very comforting.
- Cried so much during the last two episodes

The Legend of the White Snake

Episodes: 36
Synopsis: This drama is basically another retelling of the mythical story of the white snake and her romance with a mortal. It tells the story of Xu Xian, a virtuous medicine apprentice, and Bai Su Zhen, a 1000 year old white snake spirit. After transforming into a woman, the two fall in love. However, they face many challenges.

Review:
        The only thing I really liked about this drama was their OST. It was very beautiful, mysterious, and upbeat all at the same time. I think that is the only redeeming quality of this drama. This drama definitely has many weak points, and it was pretty easy to deem as not up to par.
         The cinematography of this drama is extremely overexposed. The characters were blindingly white...basically like you're looking at a blank Word document for most of the drama. In some scenes, the brightness did enhance the viewing experience because you can see things clearly. However, more often than not, it just resulted in a very monotonous viewing experience. The plotline was also fairly weak. A big part of it may have to do with the fact that this story has been told and retold in so many formats that it is hard to really spice things up/give it it's own identity. All in all, I found myself very bored with the plot for most of the drama as it was fairly repetitive. I was annoyed at the monk because I felt like he was causing more problems than good to begin with. I was also annoyed with Ruyi. She was just so obnoxious in her pursuit for Xu Xian despite knowing that she wouldn't get him. Hence, the character shift toward the very end where she became "good" seemed so abrupt and inconsistent with her irrational her character is. There were also many things I did not find necessary for the plot either. I felt like there were a lot of loose endings and no comforting resolution to any of their issues...especially those tied to the monk and Ruyi. There was never a clear cut answer and they seemed to continue to be a hindrance.
          Other than poorly written plots and characters, the acting was so bland. I felt like all actors and actresses were trying to make their faces as stiff and perfect as possible. There were no expressive emotions throughout the entire drama. Every emotion these characters felt seemed to have the same expression. There was no depth in the acting. I found myself getting annoyed with how boring the acting was. Our main character, Bai Su Zhen, was played by a beautiful woman. I think she would have been a great lead actress to have if her character allowed her to have more depth. I wish the director allowed her to be more expressive rather than just sit there and look pretty/dainty. A good example of good acting despite acting as a spirit/deity would be Yang Zi's performance in "Ashes of Love." I became more invested in the green snake despite her acting being fairly shallow as well.  I did find the green snake's story more interesting, and I wish the plot focused on her a bit more. I was so glad when they let go of her human lover because the moment he appeared and started interacting with her, I got bored so fast. I loved her more as an independent because she was just so much more quirky and impulsive than when she started to fall in love.

In conclusion, I do not recommend this drama.

Romance is a Bonus Book

Episodes: 16

Synopsis:

Kang Dani is a newly divorced stay-at-home mom. With many years not being in the workforce, she struggles to find a job with a lack of recent experience and intense job competition. In a desperate attempt, she hides away her prestigious education and previous work experience and applies for an internship position at a book publishing company where her childhood friend, Cha Eun Ho, works as a senior editor. Cha Eun Ho does what he can to support his friend as she seeks to find her sense of self and become more independent. He helps her at work in ways he can, lets her room at his home, and takes care of her during hardships. It is during this time that Kang Dani feels more confident in what she can accomplish on her own and also where she finally starts to realize that the person who has truly loved her had been around her all this time. 

Review:

This is a long-overdue review, especially considering I watched this a year ago. I have rewatched this a few times and have recommended this drama to many friends during this time period. I think this is a great drama to watch because it involves healthy communication, strong female friendships, independent characters, and also interesting takes on the family vs. career question women constantly face when they join the workforce. The characters were all very likable and this drama somehow managed to give them all enough depth for you to understand their motives, their personality, and what really makes them unique from another character in the drama. Since I cannot speak to the small details as clearly, I will list a few things that I genuinely enjoyed in this drama in terms of what it has to offer (in no particular order)

1. It makes me want to work in a book publishing industry. It dived into small details such as what happens when printing goes wrong, the amount of teamwork that goes into it, and the ways in which the book industry is constantly shifting to keep up with a device-driven world.

2. It makes you analyze what decisions are meant for you. There was one very touching scene where three women in the office got together to look back on the decisions they made: whether it is sacrificing a career for love, sacrificing love for a career, or not sacrificing either but losing oneself to family/work/responsibilities. The way it goes in-depth shows the complexity of what a woman will face as they move into the future, and it also shows how all the sacrifices are not fulfilling at the end of the day with so many other considerations such as personality differences, gender roles, the person you are with or not with, etc.

3. Strong female role models. Normally, we find ourselves disliking women who are interested in the same men BUT you actually see how their lives are more than just liking one person. They are able to accept the reality and move on gracefully AS WELL AS excel in the job they are doing with great professionalism. You can see this in Song Hae Rin's character. You can even see it in other female characters in this drama as they all try to strive to be better versions of themselves.

4. Character growth in many characters -- you can see growing confidence, responsibility, and maturity in not just the main characters but also the side characters

5. The relationship between Kang Dan I and Cha Eun Ho was very natural and sweet. It had just enough to be realistic yet also unrealistic (because it is still a drama haha). It's also a great contrast to what Dan I's relationship was like with her previous husband, who was stifling her in so many ways

6. Beautiful cinematography throughout

7. Shows that romance is multifaceted -- can be beautiful but there will always be hardships in life

8. There is a plot hole though! Kang Dan I has a daughter that goes to school abroad. However, we only hear of this child in the beginning when she is requesting tuition and medical fees. Her daughter had like one phone call in the beginning. However, as the drama went on, we seem to forget that Kang Dan I is a mother and it seems like she did too.

All in all, watch it! Things resolve themselves easily, great character depth, good plot! It is not frustrating drama but also a drama that can make you feel many things!

Crash Landing on You

Episodes: 16

Synopsis: 

This drama follows the story of Yoon Seri, a South Korean Chaebol heiress, and Ri Jeong Hyuk, a North Korean soldier from an elite family. After a natural disaster and Yoon Se Ri disappears during a paragliding event, people did not expect her to have ended up in North Korea. Through using threats against Ri Jeong Hyuk and his soldiers of not protecting their area well and allowing her trespass into the country, Yoon Seri finds herself living at Ri Jeong Hyuk's home and well-protected while figuring out how to get back to South Korea. The two fall in love and go through many hurdles together both in North Korea and South Korea.

Review:

      I ugly-cried during this drama and went on an ultimate emotional rollercoaster. One minute I'll be laughing and another minute I'd be crying. It really hit me hard in the feelings in so many scenes, especially as things picked up from episode 10 onward. One thing I do want to mention is that this drama reminds me of Rooftop Prince. Instead of time travel separating the couple, we have a border separating Yoon Seri and Ri Jeong Hyuk. The three soldiers and the spy under Ri Jeong Hyuk's command also remind me of the little time travel squad in Rooftop Prince, especially in the scenes when they arrived in South Korea. This drama's army squad had more of a voice than the characters did in Rooftop Prince. I really liked that they all had their own strengths and flaws, and that the writers took the time out to strengthen the friendships between Seri/Jeong Hyeok and them on individual levels such as: letting the kdrama fanboy character meet his favorite actress Kwon Ji Won, having a big brother-little sister bullying relationship with one of the other characters, making clothes for them, and so forth. These characters also played to their own strengths as well, such as the spy utilizing his spy knowledge and skill to help out Seri and Jeong Hyuk. Another important thing I want to mention before diving into the details is that I'm really appreciative of many Korean dramas steering away from unhealthy love triangles and causing unnecessary tension between characters. For a period of time, Korean dramas used to use the love triangle trope in every drama and would portray one person as vulnerable and good, while the other as a homewrecker and a b*tch. It's not the most realistic trope and it is also quite frustrating to watch. Nowadays, a lot of dramas either have ditched the love triangle idea completely or have created love triangle dynamics where all three individuals involved are rational, empathetic, and willing to grow in other ways. 

      I want to start with the character of Seo Dan before I touch on the main leads. Seo Dan is a side character who is seemingly very cold and emotionless. As we get to know her and her pains of an unrequited love toward Ri Jeong Hyuk, we see that she has a soft side she hides behind a tough exterior. Her calmness despite feeling anxious and panicked makes viewers like her more in comparison to making her a character who is b*tchy and domineering toward Ri Jeong Hyuk. Her reasons for not wanting to let go and rationalizing why he didn't love her when she was in his life first was very understandable. It made viewers empathetic toward her, especially as she learned to let go and interact with the love interest meant for her. Now while, Seung Jun, the eventual love interest of Seo Dan, is a very complex character with a sad background--I found the ending so brutally harsh for Seo Dan. She has such bad luck with love, and the one time she felt appreciated and had her feelings reciprocated, it got taken away from her. Her internal strength really showed at the end as she remained on her own but it seemed really unfair for a girl like her. Likewise, I found Seung Jun's decisions to enter Seo Dan's life without realistic plans of actually being able to be with her a bit selfish. The more you watch, the more you realize that Seo Dan is pretty naive despite putting on a cold front. So if Seung Jun tells her that he loves her when she's interested, she would 100% put her all into the relationship up till the very end. Thus, I found Seung Jun selfish as he knew he wasn't safe to stay in North Korea or South Korea, and yet made so many promises of coming back for her one day and so forth. Seo Dan might have already been stuck on him by then but I feel like it'd be harder for her to move on when she knows that they had talked about this promise of him coming back one day for her. His last thoughts as a character involved with the idea of feeling sad and happy that someone would be crying for him and thinking of him. In my opinion, it's really not fair to Seo Dan and she really did deserve better--whether it's having her happily ever after with Seung Jun or moving on to find something better for herself. The girl just wanted to be loved!! But also our secondary relationship between Seo Dan and Seung Jun was very fun to watch as they shared a lot of chemistry in the bits and pieces of screentime that they got...which is very impressive since I was also very emotionally invested in their ending.

           As for our main leads, the chemistry was pretty good. I think there was a healthy balance of comedy, drama, and emotional scenes (especially since the little army squad was so funny). I really enjoyed the relationship dynamic between Jeong Hyuk and Seri but I got to say Jeong Hyuk really be risking it all for Seri. He puts his life on the line again and again. Maybe that's why I like their relationship dynamic so much because it gives me unrealistic expectations of men and of love. But honestly, that's what makes life fun---the unrealistic expectations (haha). I did find some scenes toward the end unrealistic. I genuinely don't think that they would've ever met again. I can also understand why they had to go back to North Korea because they have responsibilities toward their own families and so forth. But I feel like once they are back, Seri would not be reunited with Jeong Hyuk. Likewise, the last few interactions via Jeong Hyuk's pre-written texts for Seri made me very grateful that long-distance relationships will never be as bad as a North Korea-South Korea LDR (LOL). It was also great casting for this drama, especially since they have these big-shot actors playing in the main leads. They also have an impressive cast in this drama that has previously featured in dramas and films such as When the Camellia Blooms, Romance is a Bonus Book, Parasite, and so forth. There was also quite a few cameos from big names as well -- Kwon Ji Won appeared as one of the NK soldier's favorite Korean drama actress and even performed a hilarious and nostalgic scene tying to Stairway to Heaven (a really old drama lol). Kim Soo Hyun also cameoed as North Korean defector, and I think he did a great job in highlighting the struggles of being North Korean in South Korea. His scraggly appearance also reminded me of his character from Dream High (haha).

        I also liked the separate clips at the end of each episode that provided more depth to the story. I feel like character development is insane for all the characters. None of them are truly unlikable except for maybe the main antagonist that was obsessed with tearing down Ri Jeong Hyuk. I really enjoyed this drama, I wouldn't go into this expecting a very realistic drama. That's because the entire set-up is like a classic kdrama setup to allow you to have unrealistic expectations. First of all, it is based in North Korea which in general we all know little about. It involves an unlikely romance that crosses borders and even has a hint of fate being involved. The girl survives a typhoon and winds up alive in North Korea (how?) There's a lot of action scenes where the main characters just do not die. There are unlikely reunions throughout the drama, and unwavering loyalty to one another despite not knowing each other for long. We got a chaebol-heiress/entrepreneur as one of the characters and the Captain of the guard from an elite North Korean family on the other end. It's not meant to be a realistic drama but it is extremely entertaining and satisfying to watch. I felt like the first half was about world setting and getting us invested in the relationship, and the second half was when everything was truly kicking off. Toward the second half, I missed the first half. But when I was first watching the beginning few episodes I found it slow at times. But when I finished the drama, I found myself watching those beginning episodes again. 

Also, important to know is that North Korean defectors in real life helped give advice for this drama. In many ways, this drama was highlighting North Korean societies in ways we haven't had a chance to see before. They also didn't make North Korea seem evil but rather portrayed them in a more positive light despite being extremely behind in cultural and technological advancements & despite the political environment.

Overall, highly recommend. I really enjoyed it. Here's some scenes and episodes that I liked the most: 

Ep 10 - Man Bok's apology about being part of the brother's death - his guilt made me cry 

Ep 12- The village ladies helping each other out, reunion with the North Korean army in South Korea, watching them be shook at the world of South Korea, the birthday scene

Ep 13-By far the best episode, a lot to unpack-- North Korean kids buying things with her black card -- so cute and funny such as the jeans scene; Hyeok getting jealous of Seri dating guys before; Kwon Ji Won scene; epic fight scene and the scene of them running up to Seri bleeding makes me so sad
The frenemy character makes me so happy b/c he's such a big brother character -- always bullying her but with a soft heart too 

Ep 14- the intimacy of the hug when she wakes up and the way the guy friends rushed to see her

the spy putting spy devices to check on her while she was at the hospital -- everyone playing to their own strengths, distinct characters

Foods to try in Seoul, Korea!

This past summer I went to Seoul, Korea for a week to visit my childhood best friend! Here are some food pics (unfortunately couldn't share all of them). But please let me know if you visit any and let me know of any cool places as well that I can go to when I visit again next time! Yay food places!

Foods to Try

             

• Try fine dining! The picture on the left is from when I went to Ondabile. It's not crazily priced but it definitely gives you the fancy setting that makes you feel beautiful. I want to recommend this because I had a great time there but after recent google searches, it appears it has closed. But I'm not sure how accurate that information is so please look into this further if you want to try! The address is: South Korea, Seoul, Yongsan-gu, Hannam-dong, 28-2 B2
• Street food is a must-try! You can find them in many shopping areas or tourist locations. This picture was taken at Myeongdong and the women running the stand appeared in every one of my friend's stories when they visited. 

• The pink drink on the left can be found in almost all convenience stores in Korea (the most common one I saw being CU Convenience store). There are many amazing drinks from grape juices to teas but this is ALCOHOLIC!!! We all know the standard soju drinks from Korean dramas but this is a peach drink with 2% alcohol. It's very light but be careful to not buy this for your children-- it's definitely a great treat if you're of age though! 
• The drinks on the right are absolutely delicious as well. They are from the Style Nanda Pool Cafe in Myeongdong. Matcha is a go-to if you want to play it safe but I loved the hibiscus drink!

                  

• Line Cafe drinks! - located within the Line Friends Store 
• Yoogane Chicken Galbi - Myeongdong  - this was so delicious and there are many different chains that make amazing dak galbi! You just got to find it! 

• Insadong Korean Art Street has a lot of street food. These are just some examples such as sikhye (rice drink) and squid! I personally really liked Insadong because I love when there are a lot of food stands and mini restaurants/cafes all around. It's a lot of fun. The poop cafe is located here as well as dragon beard candy!! I bought two boxes of dragon beard candy and that is another must-try! 

• My hotel was located in Gangnam and here were just some amazing food places that were walking distance. One is the Kakao store which has the Kakao cafe inside. I absolutely love Apeach so I went to town as you can see. 
• Then there was this ramen place called Maru Ichi - they have single stalls where you can eat ramen and it cost around $10 USD so it was pretty worth. It's not very Korean but it was comforting and light for when I was jet-lagged. 
• Tanghulu - This classic Chinese treat is typically made with Hawthornes. However, in Korea, they put their spin on it and they use strawberries. It's a bit too sweet for my taste and can get sticky since strawberries are very juicy compared to hawthorns. But it was definitely quite an experience! I don't recall where I saw this but a lot of street markets sell them and it's not hard to find! 
• More ddukbokki - did you really go to Korea if you didn't have ddukbokki? This was located near my hotel in Gangnam as well and it is a chain throughout Korea selling cheap and fast food. You can get ddukbokki and kimbap here. It's called Kimbap Heaven! 
• Dkore- this place was probably one of my favorite meals in Korea. Their kimchi jigae was addicting and I couldn't stop eating despite being full. Please go here and eat at this amazing place! It tastes amazing! 

                

There's obviously a lot more that was consumed. But finding food in South Korea is the least of your worries! There is amazing food everywhere and you can make a meal out of anything -- from restaurants to cafes to convenience stores!