#kDrama
Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung
(2019 - Netflix, 20 1:10 eps)

So much to explore:

- Female empowerment: This story would have been impossible in the Joseon era. But pursuing a career over family is still a difficult path - so a relevant topic.

- Korean historians created the single longest record of a dynasty in the world. The show explored things that really happened - beheadings, rewritings, treason. Interesting history to read about.

- Catholicism & other Western ideas coming to Korea

- Western medical ideas like stitches & variolation

- Palace intrigue & a dethroned king

The acting from all the characters was on point, & there was good character development. The chemistry between the leads was wonderful. The relationship between the 2 princes is interesting. Costuming & scenery were also beautiful.

#kDrama
#RookieHistorianGooHaeRyung #신입사관구해령 #RookieHistorian #ShinSaeKyeong #신세경 #ChaEunWoo #차은우 #LeeJiHoon #이지훈 #ParkKiWoong #박기웅 #WhooshReview

https://mydramalist.com/33249-rookie-historian-goo-hae-ryun

#kDrama
Are You Human Too?
(2018 - Viki, 36 0:35 eps)

Sci-fi with Seo Kang Joon! I was hoping for a lot & wasn't disappointed. SKJ plays both an heir & his duplicate robot/AI & he did an amazing job - you could tell which one he was by the tone of his voice & the shape of his smile. All the main roles were really well acted. The OST was very good & cinematography was beautiful.

The story makes you think about what success means. It questions greed, power, control, responsibility, sacrifice, family, how we define love, & what it means to be human. Each character suffers from some kind of greed at some point & how they handle the greed leads to their growth or downfall. The ending with the answer to the human question was a different view & made it all the more interesting.

Overall, a great story with action, suspense, twists, & romance.

#kDrama #AreYouHumanToo #너도인간이니 #SeoKangJoon #서강준 #GongSeungYeon #공승연 #LeeJoonHyuk #이준혁 #WhooshReview

https://mydramalist.com/22939-are-you-human-too

#kDrama
Doom at Your Service
(2021 - Netflix, 16 1:05 eps)

Beautiful. Scenery, sets, actors, clothing, music, writing. This was part of my Park Bo Young quest. I thought she was fabulous. She & Seo In Guk have wonderful chemistry.

The storylines delve into creation & destruction, rebirth & death, growth through love & suffering, how we need to lay down our burdens & love ourselves, how choosing the more difficult journey may be the best way forward. I found it very philosophical. I can't complain about character development. Each grew to become a better version of themselves (except maybe Kevin).

If you've suffered grief, you might find a lot of comfort in this drama.

#kDrama #DoomAtYourService #어느날우리집현관으로멸망이들어왔다 #ParkBoYoung #박보영 #SeoInGuk #서인국 #LeeSooHyuk #이수혁 #KangTaeOh #강태오 #ShinDoHyun #신도현 #WhooshReview

https://mydramalist.com/61489-destruction

#kDrama
Boys Over Flowers
(2009 Viki, 25 1:05 eps)

The popularity of "Boys Over Flowers" helped ignite the K-Wave & it became a cultural phenomenon. Looking back at it, even with all the tropes, the terrible portrayal of women, lack of character development, plot holes, & noble idiots, I *loved* it. I binged the last part of the series.

A spunky, poor girl ends up involved with 4 rich & handsome guys. Due to this, her life becomes awful. It has some great characters to hate & love. The biggest problems with the story is that you don't find out the reasons the boys act the way they do until well into the series.

In the end, some side characters just disappear & there was too much forgiveness for the villainous characters. Yet, I will most likely rewatch this at some point because it was so fun!

https://mydramalist.com/2987-boys-over-flowers

#kDrama #BoysOverFlowers #키스요괴 #GuHyeSeon #구혜선 #LeeMinHo #이민호 #KimHyunJoong #김현중 #KimBum #김범 #KimJoon #김준 #WhooshReview

#kDrama
Kiss Goblin
(2020 Viki, 12 12 min eps)

What an unusual format! In looking for somehting light to counteract the last episodes of another drama, I came across this. The ML was the 3rd ML in "My Roommate is a Gumiho," & I liked him there.

It is a story about a goblin trying to become human. Intersting because I am also watching "the" Goblin with a watch party. It's fun to see how supernatural magic works in different worlds. In this show, the Goblin has to kiss 10 different people to acquire human emotions. Seeing how the Goblin handles each new emotion is fun, heartwarming, & surprising.

The actors are good & attractive, & the story is nicely done. Even in this extremely short format, they conveyed the "feels." It is so cute & completely bingeable. Nothing ground-breaking, but this will be a comfort show I can return to.

https://mydramalist.com/58877-kiss-ghost

#kDrama #KissGoblin #키스요괴 #BaeInHyuk #배인혁 #JeonHyeWon #전혜원 #WhooshReview

#kDrama
Sungkyunkwan Scandal
(2010 Viki, 20 1:10 eps)

A stop on my Park Min Young quest. I was not disappointed! Keeping in mind that it is 13 years old, some minor things, like pacing, if redone today, would likely change.

The 4 main characters where very well acted, but it easy to see why PMY & Song Joong Ki have gone on to have stellar careers. They both stole the show.

Beautiful friendships, a sweet romance, & a smart & determined FL. The history was, from what little I know, somewhat factual. The series addresses class & gender inequality, homosexuality, & talks about western philosophy as opposed to Confucianism.

Although there were small lulls here & there in the action & the romance, it was almost binge-worthy. Unexpected things happened at the end, which made it more fun. It is definitely going to be a future rewatch!

https://mydramalist.com/39-sungkyunkwan-scandal

#kDrama #SungkyunkwanScandal #성균관스캔들 #ParkMinYoung #박민영 #ParkYooChun #박유천 #SongJoongKi #송중기 #YooAhIn #유아인 #WhooshReview

#kDrama
School 2017
(2017 Viki, 16 1hr eps)

I watched because of the leads - loved him in "Mr. Queen" & her in "Business Proposal." (Seol In Ah from BP was also here). They came through for me!

It’s a high school enemies-to-lovers romance. There are a couple of swoon-worthy encounters, but nothing intense. The story is about corruption within a school & how it affects the students.

There's a cute 2nd couple. The wonderful side characters get their own little stories. These stories add up to seeing how various wealthy & poor parents support their children, whether with money, removing obstacles, self-sacrifice, or cheering them on. The contrast among the side stories is interesting & was touching enough to make me tear up a few times.

The ending was pretty well done & I am generally satisfied with the outcome.

https://mydramalist.com/22477-school-2017

#kDrama #School2017 #학교2017 #KimSeJeong #김세정 #KimJungHyun #김정현 #JangDongYoon #장동윤 #WhooshReview

#kDrama
Heartbeat
(2023 Amazon, 16 1hr eps)

It makes me sad to see a drama with so much potential fall flat. Unfortunately, that's my feeling on "Heartbeat." The scenery & settings were great. The ML's costuming was gorgeous. There were interesting side characters, witty lines, & some swoon-worthy moments. The 1st half was very entertaining, but the 2nd half floundered.

The side characters didn't have stories of their own. No parallel or contrasting 2nd storyline to emphasize the 1st. Aside from the 2 leads, there was minimal character development. Vampire lore was minimal & made up for convenience.

The acting was very good. Taecyeon does most of the heavy lifting here, but the other actors were believable & did well with what they were given.

Describing a Vampire drama as cute seems weird, but that's what I'd say, cute, with a dissatisfying ending.

https://mydramalist.com/746637-my-heart-beats

#kDrama #Heartbeat #가슴이뛴다 #OkTaecYeon #옥택연 #WonJiAn #원지안 #YoonSoHee #윤소희 #ParkKangHyun #박강현 #WhooshReview

#kDrama
King the Land
(2023 Netflix, 16 1:20 eps)

On the surface, this is a fun, over-the-top, fairy-tale, trope-filled kDrama rom-com. The leads are wonderful, sweet & perfect (maybe too perfect), with great chemistry. The 2nd couples' relationships are also fun to watch. The product placement can be annoying because there is so much.

The scenery & sets are stunningly beautiful. There's a past trauma & family problems to overcome. I binged this one, not because of a compelling storyline, but because it was so cute.

Unfortunately, if you look a little deeper, I felt that the commentary on the big social problem was handled poorly. [See spoiler comment]

https://mydramalist.com/726273-king-the-lander

#kDrama #KingTheLand #킹더랜드 #LeeJunHo #이준호 #ImYoonAh #임윤아 #WhooshReview

#kDrama
School 2013
(2012 Viki, 16 1:05 eps)

Was going to watch "School 2017" for its leads. I liked them in other dramas, but there was a "School 2013" & thought maybe I should watch that first. I was so surprised to see so many familiar faces! It's interesting to read what they are up to now.

Lee Jong Suk & Kim Woo Bin are the leads with a great bromance. There is no romance in this series, but if you are interested in the Korean school system or are a teacher, you will probably empathize with the plights of the students, teachers, & administrators.

It was not a binge, & the pacing felt rushed at the end, but I liked the stories. For a 10 yr old show, it still held up fairly well. I shed a few tears, and felt frustration at the rules and the awful situations some kids ended up in.

https://mydramalist.com/5571-school-2013

#kDrama #School2013 #LeeJongSuk #이종석 #KimWooBin #김우빈 #ChoiDaniel #최다니엘 #JangNaRa #장나라 #ParkSeYoung #박세영 #KwakJungWook #곽정욱 #WhooshReview

#kDrama
Dr. Romantic
(2016 Viki, 20 60min eps
*** Viki currently has a 21st eps. that answers some of those outstanding questions)

The "romantic" in the title refers to the romantic ideals of the lead doctor. There is still some romance, bromance, comedy, verbal sparring, & a few punches too. In 20+1 episodes you have time to see great character development, & agonize with them over ethical questions, & watch their characters be tested, & see them discover what being a doctor means.

The acting is wonderful. The side stories are good. The patient stories bring up so many medical dilemmas, which intertwine with the hospital staff's stories in unexpected ways.

While this wasn't a binge for me, it is an excellent drama. It’s no wonder there is talk of season 4. I will continue with season 2.

https://mydramalist.com/19510-romantic-doctor-teacher-kim

#kDrama #DrRomantic #HanSeokKyu #한석규 #YooYeonSeok 유연석 #SeoHyunJin 서현진 #WhooshReview

#kDrama
Midnight Runners
(2017 Viki, Movie 1:49)

Great action movie! 2 police university students discover a crime that needs urgent attention & the regular police are too busy. They learn a lot through their efforts & mistakes as they struggle with some ethical questions. There is some comedy & a good bromance, but no romance. I'm glad they didn't try to add that in. That would have been too much for a movie. There is a lot of good fight scenes & training for fighting. I was impressed that the leads don't win every fight, so you don't know what will happen.

If you watch, make sure to watch through the first part of the credits, there's another scene that makes a perfect ending.

https://mydramalist.com/20890-midnight-runners

#kDrama #kMovie #ParkSeoJoon #박서준 #KangHaNeul #강하늘 #WhooshReview

#kDrama
Oh My Ghost / Oh My Ghostess
(2015 Viki, 16 60min eps)

This was recommended for my Park Bo Young Quest, and I couldn't be happier. I stayed up late to binge this one! PBY's acting in this is fantastic, winning 2 awards for it.

It's a rom-com, mystery, thriller combo that brings it all. There is quite a bit of setup, but it all comes together. The last episode does feel somewhat rushed and leaves a few questions hanging out there, but the important storylines get resolved.

Bo Young has heart-fluttering chemistry with the ML, Jo Jung Suk (they won the best kiss award). She also has heart-wrenching chemistry with the 2nd FL, Kim Seul Gi.

The supporting actors are so well cast and are so believable. Kang Ki Young plays dorky goofball so well!

It will be on my rewatch list!

https://mydramalist.com/14213-oh-my-ghostess

#kDrama #OhMyGhost #ParkBoYoung #KimSeulGi #JoJungSuk #ImJooHwan #WhooshReview

#kDrama
Dream
(2023 Netflix, 2:05 Movie)

I was waiting for this one to be available on streaming. Both Park Seo Joon & IU are on my list of favorite actors. They did not disappoint.

I can honestly say I've never cried over sports before, but a single soccer goal brought me down. It had some funny & cute moments, but really was a story of perseverance & hope. It was truly heart-warming.

Park Seo Joon's character has some nice character growth. The soccer was fun to watch. I read somewhere that the actors did those shots over & over again until they got it. You can see that dedication in the movie.

Definitely will be on my rewatch list!

https://mydramalist.com/47057-dream

#kDrama #Dream #ParkSeoJoon #IU #WhooshReview

#kDrama
Celebrity
(2023 Netflix, 12 45min eps)

Because the story, about social media influencers, deals with wealthy people, the costuming is gorgeous, as are the places & products they use. Netflix cinematography rises to the occasion.

It involved many characters with a lot of problems. Not enough time to develop that many characters. The 2nd FL, Lee Chung Ah, with great acting, was the only one with growth. The other actors were also good, but the story didn't give them an opportunity for growth. The main character's background didn't seem to match her current character.

Looking at the world of social influencers was interesting & disturbing. If you want to dwell on it, it brings up a lot of ethical problems. The corruption of the police by the wealthy was present here, along with a few other tropes. It did have some surprises & twists, which I enjoyed.

https://mydramalist.com/708775-celebrity

#kDrama #Celebrity #ParkGyuYoung #KangMinHyuk #LeeChungAh #LeeDongGun #JeonHyoSung #WhooshReview

#kDrama
Live Up to Your Name
(2017 Netflix, 16 1:10 eps)

A friend recommended this one, or it wouldn't have appeared on my radar. I have never seen the 2 leads before. Both were good, but I will actively seek work by Kim Nam Gil - the character change from when he's troubled or trying to be cool to being his real dorky character is amazing.

The story is a time-traveling (Joseon to Modern) rom-com. It has a lot of laughs, typical of someone finding themselves out of their own time. The romance is sweet and strong enough that I cried & sniffled quite a bit.

Watch it for fun, or spend your time thinking about the complex moral dilemmas this show brings up. Although it treats them with a light hand and doesn't beat you over the head about it, it does make you think about the good of the many over an individual, as well as medical ethics.

https://mydramalist.com/23753-live-up-to-your-name-dr.-heo

#kDrama #LiveUpToYourName #KimNamGil #KimAhJoong #YooMinKyu #MunKaYoung #YoonJooSang #WhooshReview

#kDrama
Hotel del Luna
(2019 Netflix, Watchparty 16 1:20 eps)

I watched 1 eps a week with a Fri night watch party. It was great to watch with a group of people well educated in Asian cultures and mythology. I learned so much of the symbolism and meaning in the beautiful cinematography and the story. It is about learning to forgive, or at least accept the past and the consequences, even if unfair, to be able to move forward.

It's funny, touching, and heart-wrenching. The FL costumes are glorious. This is the first time I've seen IU and have become a big fan. She's an amazing actress. The other actors were also wonderful.

https://mydramalist.com/32925-hotel-del-luna

#kDrama #HotelDelLuna #IU #YeoJinGoo #ShinJungKeun #BaeHaeSeon #P.O #JoHyunChul #WhooshReview

#kDrama
What Happens To My Family?
(2014 Viki 53 1:05 NOTE: currently availabe in the U.S. region on Viki)

I binged this show - 53 episodes in 2 weeks. It was amazing. All the actors were phenomenal. Such a beautiful story. It made me laugh and sob (a lot). I was infuriated and astonished at some characters some of the time and so happy and grateful for them at other times. If you want to be a mess of emotion, this is perfect! It only dragged momentarily in a couple of episodes. The side storylines are so well done and the 3 main story lines are so engaging that 53 episodes seemed fast.

#kDrama #WhatHappensToMyFamily #YooDongGeun #KimHyunJoo #YoonPark #ParkHyungSik #KimSangKyung #NamJiHyun #SeoKangJoon #SonDamBi #WhooshReview

#kDrama
What Happens To My Family?

The 1st 5 eps seemed really sitcom like to me and I wasn't sure, but the drama came barreling in around episode 6. It is meant to be funny most of the time - great, silly sound effects and over-the-top reactions to things, but I have been in tears a few times already.

53 eps may seem like too many, but I have faith. It's like 3 dramas in one with each child in the family having a main story line and the side stories are good too. Love triangles, maybe enemies to lovers, arranged marriages, an aunt who can't keep her mouth shut, meddling mothers & cousin, 3 chaebols - it's full of the best of kDrama.

I thought I'd give this update 17 eps in because who knows if it will still be available in the U.S. by the time I finish all 53 eps. There isn't another long holiday weekend for a while.

#kDrama #WhatHappensToMyFamily #YooDongGeun #KimHyunJoo #YoonPark #ParkHyungSik #KimSangKyung #NamJiHyun #SeoKangJoon #SonDamBi #WhooshReview

#kDrama
What Happens To My Family?
(2014 Viki 53 1:05 NOTE: currently availabe in the U.S. region on Viki)

If I wasn't on a PHS Quest (watch everything with Park Hyung Sik) I don't know that I would have considered watching a 53 1hr eps drama. I have been so pleasantly surprised! I ended up binging over the holiday weekend and am on episode 17 now.

I am watching for PHS, but I was pleased to see other familiar actors. Yoon Park shows up as a guy you love to hate, reminiscent of "Forcasting Love & Weather." I saw Nam Ji Hyun in "Suspicious Partner," but I like her character here better. After seeing Seo Kang Joon in "When the Weather is Nice," I was going to look for more shows with him and here he is! There are several other familiar faces too!

(see reply for more info - ran out of characters)

https://mydramalist.com/9848-what-happens-to-my-family

#kDrama #WhatHappensToMyFamily #YooDongGeun #KimHyunJoo #YoonPark #ParkHyungSik #KimSangKyung #NamJiHyun #SeoKangJoon #SonDamBi #WhooshReview