Cinderella and the 4 Knights

Episodes: 16
Synopsis:
         Eun Ha Won is preparing to go to college to become a teacher because it was what her late mother wanted for her to be. However, Ha Won's preparations to go to college have not been easy after her mother passed away in a car accident when she was ten years old. Living under her stepmother and stepsister's rule, Ha Won takes on many part time jobs, doesn't get much to eat, and also is forced to sleep on the balcony. Her father is constantly out working so he's rarely home to see the mistreatment and her stepmother knows how to put on quite a show to hide what is done behind her father's back. Her father also doesn't treat Ha Won the best after her mother's death forcing Ha Won to fend for herself, work for herself, and also attempt to stay as optimistic as possible.
        Ha Won grows up to be an extremely strong and bubbly girl. She lives off the morals and values that were taught to her when she was young and tries to live in a way that would make her mother proud. Working for her upcoming university tuition fees is not easy but then life gets harder when she discovers that her father had not been paying for the storage of her mother's ashes at the cemetery and that her mother's ashes were removed and kept in storage because of the unpaid bills. That was when her life becomes entangled with the extremely rich Kang cousins.
         The Kang cousins are all unique in their own ways but they are all similar in the way they do not believe in family and do not like each other. The three boys Ji Woon, Hyun Min, and Seo Woo live in the mansion Sky House under the careful eye of their butler. They are forced to live in the house together because their grandfather wants his grandsons to get closer together and also so that he can decide who is to take over their family business in the future. When Hyun Min decides to ruin his grandfather's fifth wedding by bringing Ha Won along and calling her his fiance, the grandfather sees Ha Won's attitude toward Hyun Min and the way she stuck to her values. Thus, he decides to hire to work at the Haneul House to help change his grandsons and allow them to understand the meaning of family. By taking on this job, Ha Won becomes closer to the three Kang cousins, learns more about herself, and also is able to slowly start paying for her college tuition.

Review: 
       This drama is really cliche and it reminded me of a lot of the old dramas. This reminded me of Boys Over Flowers and Romantic Princess  in a lot of ways. I actually enjoyed watching this despite knowing how typical the plot is and cliche all the scenes were. I also really liked Ha Won's character because she was really cute in her own way and she was really strong. I liked that she held on to her morals and values throughout the drama and that she didn't really need the boys to rescue her. The scenes in which something happened to her usually were really comedic like when she fell in the bathroom and broke her leg. Her character made the boys seem more than just love interest but like best friends who need help dealing with personal issues. So as she got closer to the boys, the closer the Kang family got and they stopped ostracizing each other. I also love how she is constantly bickering with Hyun Min and Ji Woon because it shows that she isn't scared or intimidated by them and that she understands them better than anyone else does.
         I enjoyed all of the characters in this drama. However, I had a hard time watching  APink Na Eun's acting and I didn't like her role that much. Hye Ji wants to be that tough and really interesting girl but she just can't match with the main character's charm. She also seems to do the exact opposite of understanding the boys' feelings. Na Eun's acting was also really bad. It didn't feel natural and she seemed to have a hard time blending into her role without seeming awkward. There were a couple of scenes in which she looked awkward just walking. At the same time, it felt like she was being a little fake and that she was constantly trying to look pretty in all her scenes. It was also hard to understand her character and how she was so attached with Hyun Min's life because they were childhood lovers. It seemed that they didn't share anything special other than growing up together and being each other's childhood crushes. And that shouldn't mean that they end up together for life which is what Hye Ji expected throughout the entire drama. It made Hye Ji appear to be a really pathetic and dependent character with the way she kept trying to catch Hyun Min's attention and demand Ji Woon's care because she was going through heartbreak (caused by herself, to be honest).  The relationship between Hye Ji and Hyun Min was really weird and hard to understand in my opinion. Hye Ji's character in this story annoyed me more than it should have but I felt like it would've been more interesting if the storyline was actually focused on Ha Won and later on  splitting off to each other's happily ever afters.
          I enjoyed Ji Woon's relationship with Ha Won because the two are very similar to each other from their backgrounds to their attitudes about wealth and to the way they interacted with each other. The bickering and the way Ha Won was always so happy and energetic allowed the two to start falling for each other--especially when Ji Woon's change toward Ha Won throughout the drama was very drastic. He began to take care of her more and think of her more as well. But once again, Hye Ji's unnecessary appearance in this relationship bothered me. She obviously still liked Hyun Min but begins to confess to Ji Woon and starts acting possessive over him. It made her appear to be extremely selfish with the way she assumed everything she wanted to be her's. It made me enjoy Ha Won's character moreso because she was so giving and understood that nothing comes easy and that she has to work for it. I also enjoyed Seo Woo's interactions with Ha Won because he was such a bubbly and happy person. He was the first person to open up to her and help her out. As for Hyun Min, I enjoyed him in the beginning because he seemed like the stereotypical rich and arrogant jerk that eventually turns into a softie because of the main lead. However, because of his complicated relationships with Hye Ji, I didn't invest so much into him as it went on. Also, it slowly became clear he wouldn't really end up with Ha Won because he began to close himself off more which gave the spotlight to Ji Woon who was opening up more. The fourth knight, the butler, was also extremely endearing because he was righteous and did all the tasks he was given to do by the chairman. He is also very talented and he knows how to fight, cook, and also handle all the issues the boys cause under the Haneul House. Underneath his calm exterior is a huge softie who has a lot of good intentions and I enjoyed him in the drama because he was like a loving father figure to everyone in the house, including Ha Won.
           This is a light-hearted watch and very enjoyable to watch. I would recommend this to people who are looking for something cliche and romantic. If you're looking for a drama that gives off Boys Over Flowers vibes or Romantic Princess vibes, this is the one.

Let's Fight Ghost

Episodes: 16

Synopsis: 

Kim Hyun Ji is a young girl who died at the age of 19. She is now a ghost who wanders about without any memories of her life as a human and without any memories as to how she died. When she encounters Bong Pal, she gets a flashback of a memory from when she was living. Thus she believes that Bong Pal could help her greatly and decides to follow him around. Believing that she might be stuck as a ghost because she wasn't able to complete her SATs, she asks him to tutor her and allow her to stay with him while she helps him fight ghosts to earn money. The two solved many ghost-caused problems and helped send many ghosts away. As the story unfolds, the two begin to like one another and they slowly begin to piece together missing parts of Hyun Ji's story and Bong Pal's. 

Review: 

       This drama was fairly interesting and reminded me of a lot of other dramas that involved dealing with ghosts. I was a bit scared throughout the drama when the ghosts popped up but it was nothing as scary as watching a horror movie because you expect it. It was interesting how the drama showed how the ghosts were all once people, how they all had certain motives, and how they also had certain wants. It definitely helped knowing that there were good ghosts out there and that Kim Hyun Ji, herself was a good ghost who was willing to help Bong Pal fight off ghosts while attempting to recover memories. It was also interesting to see how Bong Pal dealt with his ability to see ghosts and how he dealt with his ability to fight them as well. 

        I thought it was interesting how they were trying to discover what really happened to Kim Hyun Ji and why she was a ghost without any memories. It reminded me of Arang and the Magistrate as they tried to figure out who her murderer was and it also reminded me of "Oh My Ghostess" as they tried to release the soul to heaven and also figure out the cause of death. I enjoyed watching Kim Hyun Ji and Park Bong Pal work together to fight against ghosts and they made an incredible team. I also enjoyed the comedic aspect of the duo who constantly followed Park Bong Pal around to ask him to join their exorcism club. They were really funny and also fairly helpful throughout the drama in helping Bong Pal find work and also watching out for him in different ways. I also really liked the monk because not only was he serious and extremely helpful in defeating the evil spirit but he was also hilarious throughout the entire drama. His goals to defeat the evil spirit drives him throughout the drama to help Bong Pal and to find the evil spirit again. The monk's story, Hyun Ji's story, and Bong Pal's story were all linked together through this evil spirit and it was amazing to see the team come together at the end to succeed against the evil spirit. 

  

Uncontrollably Fond

Episodes: 20 

Synopsis: 
Shin Joon Young and Noh Eul were high school sweethearts and shared a lot of meaningful and funny memories together. They were inseparable in many ways. However, life continuously got in the way as Noh Eul was trying to track down the person who killed her father in a hit and run while Shin Joon Young was trying to protect his biological father--a man who was never present in his life but who was in charge of burying Noh Eul's case to rise to a position of power and authority. The two were separated due to certain circumstances and went their separate ways. Shin Joon Young is a superstar actor and singer while Noh Eul becomes a producer-director of documentaries. Their paths cross again and the two learn to fall in love again as they unravel the secrets in regard to the hit-and-run. Not only were they rekindling their romance and solving a case, the two also are on a race against time as Shin Joon Young secretly suffers from a terminal illness.

Review:

        I watched this in a span of 2 days and I have never cried so hard at the end of a drama as much as I did for this drama. I am absolutely in love with this drama. It was the perfect mix of everything cliche in Korean dramas but also with just the right amount of emotion for it to be special and unique. I loved the relationship dynamics between Noh Eul and Shin Joon Young. It was cute watching them fight and argue while both having good intentions at heart. It was cute how he constantly teased her just to keep her with him and the fact that she was able to deal with him in her own way. The way their lives were winded together through a series of events and through numerous encounters made it all the more special. 

       Noh Eul's character was very likable in my opinion. She was funny, and worked hard and rarely did she project her worries on to other people as she found ways to confidently earn money to pay off her family's debt. She obviously is kind at heart but because of her circumstances she has hardened to be brash, impudent, and also to constantly seek ways to monetize at other's expense. I enjoyed how she never used a "sob story" to get away with anything but rather used actual ways to get the money. I enjoyed that about her character and I admired how strong she was. Meanwhile I found that the men in her life are all extremely supportive and loving of her -- Joon Young, her brother, and Ji Tae were all constantly watching out for her and understanding her regardless of what she does. They also all did it in their own ways. Her brother is constantly trying to protect his sister since she's doing all that she can so that he has a successful future. Joon Young was trying to watch out for her by keeping her by his side by teasing her and offering her jobs. Ji Tae constantly watches over knowing the truth of her father's death and even pretends to be poor to get close to her and take care of the siblings. He got so close to her brother and from taking care of him that her brother constantly comes up with ways for him to work out with Noh Eul. 

          The way this drama was filmed this was amazing because it allowed me to see both character's point of views, their past and their present, and so forth. It also doesn't just dump the information on you as it hops back and forth from present to past, showing both viewpoints. I enjoyed figuring out the links and the reason why these two people keep constantly running back to each other. I also loved seeing how Ji Tae fit into the story and his point of view throughout the story.   

The Legend of the Blue Sea

Rating: 4/5 
Episodes: 20

Synopsis: 

A mermaid from the Joseon era attempts to survive in a modern society as she tries to follow her true love, the magistrate of a town named Kim Moon from the Joseon era. In a love story that spans over thousands of years, the mermaid acquires different names (Se Hwa, Shim Cheong) and finds the modern lookalike of Kim Moon. This young man is named Heo Joon Jae and he is a scam artist. The two get involved as he tries to take her very expensive jade bracelet from Shim Cheong. However, he takes pity on her and allows her to stay with him since she had no where to go. She begins to help him and the two begin to like each other. As the two fall in love, they find history repeating itself in a new setting and with people who do not have the best intentions at heart.

Review: 

          I was extremely excited to watch this drama because of the amazing cast and the supernatural elements in it. I figured it'd be somewhat similar to "My Love From Another Star" since the relationship is between a human and a mythical/supernatural being. I saw a couple of clips prior to watching this drama and I loved that Jun Ji Hyun was going to play another hilarious and spunky character. One thing that I really loved about this drama was the way it transitioned from the past to the future, showing the similarities and differences. It made it a lot clearer that history was repeating itself and made it easier to follow with the plot line. Often times, the scenes are very beautiful and I really enjoyed watching those scenes.
            This drama was absolutely perfect and so intense in a lot of scenes. It was the perfect mix of romance, comedy, and mystery as they try to end their ill-fate. I loved the characters, the people, and the way it made me constantly second guess what is going on in the drama. I also loved the character development in all the characters as they learned from each other and learned about themselves.  I've never considered Lee Min Ho as my bias or as my favorite, but time after time, I have to praise his acting in every drama he's acted in. He is truly an exceptional actor and Jun Ji Hyun was the perfect actress for this role. I can't imagine anyone else who could've been so serious, intense, badass, and funny at the same time. I couldn't even get that annoyed of the side characters because of the way Shim Cheong dealt with them and the way she was arrogant and confident in a very clueless way.
          Not only were the main characters amazing, I also loved the supporting cast. The people that helped Heo Joon Jae in his scams are probably some of the best people in this drama because of how cute they were and how they contributed to the humor of this drama. They were also people that added intensity and also helped take care of things from the sidelines. As for the antagonists of this drama, I loved the actors as well. They did an amazing job in portraying a role that is purely manipulative and evil. I found it interesting how their roles played out and how they came about achieving what they wanted. It is very interesting because they played a lot on the psychology of people and the way that trusting the wrong people can end very badly for many. I loved watching how the modern day side characters played a role in the previous lives as well. It was very fascinating to watch.
        I also love the OST of this drama so much. It was beautiful with just the perfect tinge of emotion in it that gives the drama a special place in my heart. The music track to any drama is just as important as the plot and the acting. It makes everything better. It fit well with the happy parts, the frustrating parts, the scary parts, and the touching parts. I would highly recommend this drama to many people --especially those who enjoyed My Love From Another Star.

Also Viki has 2 extra episodes from the director's cut if any of you guys are interested!

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo

Episodes: 16 

Synopsis:
Kim Bok Joo is a weightlifter and has focused on barbells her entire life. She attends Hanwool College of Physical education alongside with other competitive athletes who are all driven to succeed. Everyone hopes to excel in their sport and represent their country in national and international competitions. All the athletes must face different tasks and face different challenges given to them in life--for instance, some people have to deal with social groups making fun of them, some are competing against very competitive rivals, and some people have to deal with backstabbers and gossiping within their sport. After a few bad encounters with Jung Jeon Heong, Kim Bok Joo and Jung Jeon Heong realize that they knew each other from when they were children. They went to the same elementary school together and they were reunited in college. As Jung Jeon Heong begins to excitedly greet Kim Bok Joo and tag along to her constantly, Kim Bok Joo finds him increasingly annoying as he constantly teases her with childhood names ("Fatty").
            Jung Jeon Heong is a competitive swimmer who has trouble recovering from the trauma of being disqualified for a false start in his first international swim competition. His ex-girlfriend, Song Si Ho is competitive rhythmic gymnast who broke up with Jeon Heong to pursue her athletic dreams and to do even better. As they deal with different social groups in their school and train for their sport, Bok Joo finds herself falling in love with Jung Jae Yi, a former athlete who becomes an obesity doctor. Throughout the drama, the characters learn more about themselves and learn to love themselves more while experiencing the best few years of their youth training, loving, and hanging out with friends.

Review: 

I really enjoyed this drama because it followed a female character that is different than most females that we see in dramas. Of course, the actress is still gorgeous and extremely slim. However, her character, Kim Bok Joo, is a weightlifter and she is often teased for her weight, for her "tough, manly" body type, and so forth. However, her optimism and the way she still manages to show that love isn't based on physical attributes all the time is extremely uplifting. The way her friends supported her and each other because they understood the struggles of being a female weightlifter was is also very sweet. This drama also put a lot of other weight-related and body-related themes in this drama. There's a character who is extremely underweight and lacking in nutrition due to her family's financial conditions. As a result, she suffers from symptoms similar to those of anorexia. It showed the ugly side of being "underweight" considering how her body starts rejecting food when she tries to eat and how she also doesn't get her period anymore. It shows the struggles athletes sometimes have to deal with such as being under the pressure to excel and to also maintain their weight regardless of personal desires or personal situations. 

         I also loved how the male character, Jeon Joon Hyeong, is constantly on Kim Bok Joo's side defending her and also constantly reminding her to love herself. He does come off a bit immature in the beginning because he thinks that by teasing Kim Bok Joo and by getting a reaction out of her (even if it is a negative one) is a good thing. However, he really helps her out in numerous ways and even calls her out when she is not living up to her potential. Similarly, it is also nice to see the way he and his ex interact and it shows how both of them have lives and worries of their own. It was nice to see them living their own lives. At the same time, it shows that sometimes love stories don't work out and that people have histories. It is also interesting to see how sometimes no matter how badly you try to make a relationship work, it can't work when someone has moved on. Song Si On bothered me after a certain point because of her obsessiveness and the way she made herself into the antagonist by constantly starting things with Bok Joo. 

           This drama also reminded me of my school life since I go to college out-of-state. It showed me how much more there is to experience with more freedom. You may have a roommate, like Kim Bok Joo, who asks for the windows to be closed at all times to prevent catching a cold when you actually want them open because you produce a lot of body heat. However, you have to learn to work with your roommate. This drama also made me want to be more into sports since it takes place in a sports school and all of the characters are competitive athletes. It did make me extremely jealous that they maintained such great bodies despite constantly eating unhealthy foods like fried chicken, burgers, and choco pies.
            It also has a great message about relationships and loving yourself. For instance, you cannot pretend to be someone you aren't just to get someone to love you. People will love you for who you are and if they don't, they weren't meant to be in your life to begin with. This couple was ultimately goals and extremely realistic. They unconditionally love and support one another and often have really cute and petty arguments. When this drama ended, I was extremely sad because this drama made me so happy. This has got to be one of the most comfortable dramas I've watched and definitely the one where I caught myself smiling stupidly at my computer screen the most. I would highly recommend this to all viewers.  

Moonlight Drawn By Clouds

Episodes: 18
Synopsis:
Hong Ra On is a young woman during the Joseon Dynasty who disguises herself as a man named Sam Nom. She ghostwrites for people and also offers relationship advice for men. As she brings people together, she also ruins other relationships in the process. As people try to find her to get "revenge," she is brought into contact with the crown prince through a love letter she helped write for a client. Through a series of events, Ra On ends up getting sold into the Royal Palace as a eunuch, gets accepted by chance, and is then assigned to work for Royal Consort Soo Ki and Princess Young Geun. As the crown prince enjoys her presence and realizes she is a girl, he begins to order Ra On to be his own personal eunuch. As a political power struggle ensues, Ra On will have to try harder to hide her identity, maintain her relationship to the crown prince, and also learn new things about herself and politics.

Review:
           This drama is originally a web novel. I read somewhere about how much this story means to the author because she wrote it in secret after promising her husband to watch over her newborn baby for the first few years. She wrote this to regain her own identity and she came to discover, that with the birth of her child, she was able to write in a new style that was more happy and colorful than her previous works. She must not have realized how popular her story would get nor did she imagine that her writing be turned into a drama as it has today. So I'm actually very proud for her in regard to that and figured it'd be nice to include a bit of the story behind the making of this story. Now, I'll give my review about the drama.
            This drama is a cross-dressing drama where the girl character is dressing up as a boy in order to survive on the streets and she ends up becoming an eunuch for the crown prince. While I do not enjoy dramas that have oblivious boys wondering if the girl is really a boy, I enjoyed this one because the male characters were pretty fast on catching on with the situation. Also, the fact that Ra On had to hide her identity and become a Sam Nom is a big factor in relation to her history as well as how it ties into the story. Therefore, it is easier for me to follow and not feel frustrated by the boys in the drama.
          There were some scenes in this drama that I found were pretty slow for me but the scenes were all extremely aesthetically appealing.
          I really liked the actors in this drama. I have been following Kim Yoo Jung from when she starred as a child actress in dramas to now, where she is the main lead. It has been a pleasure of watching a girl grow up alongside with me (and do more things with her life in comparison to me haha). I also loved Park Bo Gum as the prince because he is the perfect mix of intensity and softness mixed in one. The chemistry between the two was amazing and all the scenes they filmed together were beautiful.
          One downside of this drama is that things moved really slowly for me. I started to get bored with the drama toward the end. It didn't appeal as much and there was more "setting up" the storyline than anything actually happening.

Lie To Me

Episodes:16 
Synopsis:
Gong Ah Jung is a young woman who is a government employee of the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. In order to not lose face in front of a friend, she lies about being married and this lie begins to spread like wildfire. Soon everyone is gossiping about her supposed secret marriage to Hyun Ki Joon, the wealthy president of World Hotel. Ki Joon begins to be burdened by this lie as well as he has to constantly address these rumors. Thus, he decides to get Ah Jung to correct the situation by revealing that she had lied. However, when things don't go as planned, Ki Joon decides to take legal action against Ah Jung. They begin to bond more and more in the time being and the two find that they could mutually benefit from this situation if they pretend to be married for a short while and then divorce. Ki Joon is still bitter about the rumor and says he will continue to follow through with the lawsuit after this pretend marriage. The two begin to fall in love in this pretend marriage and when his ex-fiancee returns from France, he questions his commitment to her as he is becoming increasingly fond of Ah Jung.

Review:
I watched this drama a long time ago and I don't really remember the details nor do I remember how I felt about it. I do recall enjoying it and thinking that it was an interesting drama. However, I do not want to state any more opinions on this as I don't really recall this drama.