tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68467094234408451372024-02-19T08:32:52.308-07:00 KDrama Fighting! Your Korean Drama Advice-Giving Best FriendsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11410627517583515240noreply@blogger.comBlogger202125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846709423440845137.post-31730524733705976702018-11-17T23:06:00.001-07:002018-11-17T23:07:59.383-07:00To All the Dramas I've Loved Before: Top 10 Favorite K-dramas of All Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHuDuILKK-afm_PzihyphenhyphenC8YiQBcpTKIbETOa0b3PkJL3hyFzY5s1n8vTc55SLRx-V0c2dnjKH4wMH73DbqKzqqMfFXQhyphenhyphenS9XqnC1HoygEC_NMvV9pEC04tFCej_vaiTqT-xDlZBGH6wFNC/s1600/Healer+Ji+Chang+Wook+on+phone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="580" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHuDuILKK-afm_PzihyphenhyphenC8YiQBcpTKIbETOa0b3PkJL3hyFzY5s1n8vTc55SLRx-V0c2dnjKH4wMH73DbqKzqqMfFXQhyphenhyphenS9XqnC1HoygEC_NMvV9pEC04tFCej_vaiTqT-xDlZBGH6wFNC/s400/Healer+Ji+Chang+Wook+on+phone.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Almost exactly six years ago, I discovered my first K-drama. It was <i>Coffee Prince</i>, which I binge-watched in my pajamas over the course of Thanksgiving break. By the end, I was overly tired and in desperate need of a shower—but I also found a new love.<br />
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Coco and I built this blog because we wanted a way to connect with other fans before the widespread popularity of K-dramas hit. I know there were plenty of K-drama viewers who found each other long before 2012, but it was nothing back then compared to the widespread popularity now. Back then, I was too embarrassed to tell anyone I knew in real life (aside from Coco, of course) that I would even dream of watching a show called <i><a href="https://www.kdramafighting.com/2013/05/thirsting-for-more-vampire-prosecutor.html" target="_blank">Vampire Prosecutor</a></i>.<br />
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Saying Goodbye (for Now) to K-dramas</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij3Ccg5va-UHfzPSqtYApCsohPp6tSjfEBuujX9SlXimNv2KtN-gHC0_VkJNPOitO5DZmr83ay7ufDqEwkn7O2M7bhiSHAIT2tlYdeKaNdXZRkHBV_nk2jl3sgmRPyIISMP4S5rrjvb9zX/s1600/Coffee+Prince+crying.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="720" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij3Ccg5va-UHfzPSqtYApCsohPp6tSjfEBuujX9SlXimNv2KtN-gHC0_VkJNPOitO5DZmr83ay7ufDqEwkn7O2M7bhiSHAIT2tlYdeKaNdXZRkHBV_nk2jl3sgmRPyIISMP4S5rrjvb9zX/s400/Coffee+Prince+crying.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Over the years, we've met so many likeminded fans both online and at events like KCON and the DramaFever awards. We've laughed together, cried together, and thrown things at the computer together when a show suddenly gives a character amnesia to draw out the plot.<br />
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<b>But I think it's time for a change.</b> When <a href="https://www.dramafever.com/" target="_blank">DramaFever abruptly shut down</a> a month ago, something broke for me. I don't mention it much on this blog, but Coco and I both worked for DramaFever for a time, and Coco was working there right up until it closed—she was as surprised as anyone.<br />
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Even though I had moved to a different company a few years ago, DramaFever was one of my first big gateways into K-dramas. I remember when Coco first <a href="https://www.kdramafighting.com/2013/09/its-korean-snack-time.html" target="_blank">visited the DramaFever office</a> to taste test some snacks, and I was so jealous. It felt like she was meeting celebrities or something. (She did that, too. I'll never forgive her for meeting Park Bo Young without me!)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijZDVf4LhbTJAAGMggclkndgBRw_WASSczVg1LfbJ5DdIPSCOqifc7ObVvygFkBrut6i6aRFepPKcWMk4DxP1Ujh9PZqtHAInpTskqINnJ_nXwjiY0d_PYeXQXY3qkOOJnr7vbW7iwwwKm/s1600/korean+snack+taste+testers+dramafever+kdramafighting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="246" data-original-width="400" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijZDVf4LhbTJAAGMggclkndgBRw_WASSczVg1LfbJ5DdIPSCOqifc7ObVvygFkBrut6i6aRFepPKcWMk4DxP1Ujh9PZqtHAInpTskqINnJ_nXwjiY0d_PYeXQXY3qkOOJnr7vbW7iwwwKm/s320/korean+snack+taste+testers+dramafever+kdramafighting.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coco tasting snacks with the DramaFever team</td></tr>
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Working at DramaFever gave me a lot of insight into what it takes to be able to subtitle and stream dramas legally. I understood more about the ins and outs of the drama industry and quirky details like why some shows get bizarre English-language titles. I got to see some of my favorite actors and actresses in real life (and I wish I <i>hadn't </i>seen some of them so I could maintain the illusion, but I'll never tell which ones!). I interacted with thousands of fans from around the world and got to gush about my favorite shows.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJoCS4NYf2JCXiGXw7f-Dk1ALmS3tbhsXsCSFtNcICQQxBhQwPcveP9aRJka9CJTNSAVw_kFCMVe9MjySdKWChQQDT2lreLm8BvCk8kEKvrsua8W_gkaocdarUByqIkaFakIgjks6LKbsH/s1600/DF+Awards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJoCS4NYf2JCXiGXw7f-Dk1ALmS3tbhsXsCSFtNcICQQxBhQwPcveP9aRJka9CJTNSAVw_kFCMVe9MjySdKWChQQDT2lreLm8BvCk8kEKvrsua8W_gkaocdarUByqIkaFakIgjks6LKbsH/s320/DF+Awards.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Attending the DF Awards together. Yes, we apparently took a photo of a photo because we're suuuuper classy like that.</td></tr>
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When DramaFever shut down, it stopped mid-show on a few dramas I was avidly watching. That was a bummer, but it was nothing compared to suddenly realizing that the hundreds upon hundreds of articles, memes, and social media posts I created were *poof* <i>gone</i>. Maybe it seems weird to mourn the loss of fluff fan pieces like "Handsome Korean Actors Holding Adorable Kittens," but those were <i>my </i>handsome Korean actors holding adorable kittens, and now they don't exist. So much of my personal creative energy disappeared without warning, and that hurts more than I expected.<br />
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After a couple of big drama disappointments in the form of <i>Mama Fairy and the Woodcutter </i>and <i>Fluttering Warning/Love Alert</i>, I've found myself drifting farther and farther away from my former K-drama obsession. With that, I think it's time to take a pause on this blog.<br />
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Before we say farewell, though, I want to do one big post I've been dreaming of for years, but always felt too overwhelming to tackle.<br />
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Here are <b>the absolute best K-dramas I've ever seen</b>. By "best," of course, I mean stuff I personally like, which means nothing super long or historical or melo-ish. So really more like "shows that happened to strike Vivi's fancy" rather than THE best of the best K-dramas in the history of time.<br />
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The 10 Best K-dramas </h3>
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1. Healer</div>
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2. Cheer Up/Sassy Go Go</div>
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3. Sungkyungkwan Scandal</div>
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4. Coffee Prince</div>
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5. Bad Guys</div>
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6. Marriage, Not Dating</div>
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7. Answer Me, 1997</div>
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8. Age of Youth</div>
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9. Oh My Ghostess</div>
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10. Arang and the Magistrate</div>
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These are in no particular order because picking the best K-drama of all time is like going to a store full of kittens and trying to pick just one—it's just not possible. (There's a reason I own three cats, people.)</div>
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1. Healer</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmY9BwhlR4SjHTLStWn-MKEVI0C6M83OFQQweCnoGIehTJSujrDj5i5dbuscC0At-p3Q0OqfRTZNaOirqbVgVRRq5GUyqQoPECm4RxROmNVOuwalh0hsKfjQR11F6lU3tl8lUCJ5Ig1_N8/s1600/Healer+cover2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="750" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmY9BwhlR4SjHTLStWn-MKEVI0C6M83OFQQweCnoGIehTJSujrDj5i5dbuscC0At-p3Q0OqfRTZNaOirqbVgVRRq5GUyqQoPECm4RxROmNVOuwalh0hsKfjQR11F6lU3tl8lUCJ5Ig1_N8/s400/Healer+cover2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Is this a surprise to anyone? <i>Healer </i>first introduced me to the magnificence that is Ji Chang Wook, and even though I'm <i>totally not ranking these</i>, Healer might be the best start-to-finish drama I've ever seen. (Shhhhhh don't tell the other kittens that they're not my favorites.) </div>
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It has knee-buckling romance. It has action. It has Ji Chang Wook. (Have I mentioned how I love Ji Chang Wook?)</div>
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Full <a href="https://www.kdramafighting.com/2015/02/my-newest-k-drama-love-healer-korean.html" target="_blank"><i>Healer </i>review</a></div>
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2. Cheer Up/Sassy Go Go</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNiG0DLnoHinpSEpm5H3nPjx9LSZTWCjXi6m_YkLauLqLtQzJGY4GdlFAxQ7w8FVGy5ClO6CxTKmR_EnzCeE84EefkyoM_I9Us80PZy1oUVKQkuTNO9bwIKIbjIFrtFD2EZ0Ndo34WjoHc/s1600/Cheer+up+finale+ep12.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="356" data-original-width="640" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNiG0DLnoHinpSEpm5H3nPjx9LSZTWCjXi6m_YkLauLqLtQzJGY4GdlFAxQ7w8FVGy5ClO6CxTKmR_EnzCeE84EefkyoM_I9Us80PZy1oUVKQkuTNO9bwIKIbjIFrtFD2EZ0Ndo34WjoHc/s400/Cheer+up+finale+ep12.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Fun fact: <i>Cheer Up </i>is the one and only drama I've watched multiple times. Even though the premise of kids having to cheerlead to get into Harvard (yes, that's the actual premise) is eye-rollingly absurd, it manages to pack in a lot of genuine, earnest emotion with an immensely talented young cast. If I'm having a bad day, I can always count on this pack of dancing teens to lift my spirits.</div>
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Full <a href="https://www.kdramafighting.com/2015/11/cheer-up-sassy-go-go-korean-drama-review.html" target="_blank"><i>Cheer Up </i>review</a></div>
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3. Sungkyungkwan Scandal</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Z_xB8Be87QI-Bxc5siVIAVDKN-Y6p2KNUy5qvUXONGh8Gnf9uA7e9Ao4-YjEkyfR_DEmPZ50IoEDnjAkAQkmFvWx01_W1gR65GXyWhqBJEMaNErwXIvgotbLyUcQlJQdhHYqtNEeJkCz/s1600/Sungkyunkwan+Scandal+Joseon+F4+Jalgeum+Quartet.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="985" data-original-width="1600" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Z_xB8Be87QI-Bxc5siVIAVDKN-Y6p2KNUy5qvUXONGh8Gnf9uA7e9Ao4-YjEkyfR_DEmPZ50IoEDnjAkAQkmFvWx01_W1gR65GXyWhqBJEMaNErwXIvgotbLyUcQlJQdhHYqtNEeJkCz/s400/Sungkyunkwan+Scandal+Joseon+F4+Jalgeum+Quartet.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'll admit I don't know how well <i>Sungkyungkwan Scandal </i>holds up if you've followed male lead Yoochun's fall from grace, but we all know we were watching for Park Min Young, Song Joong Ki, and Yoo Ah In anyway, right? This was the first "historical" drama I watched from start to finish, and I adored the smart, determined female lead and her posse of dashing scholars. It will always hold a special place on this list as one of the first K-dramas that really captured my heart.</div>
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Full <a href="https://www.kdramafighting.com/2013/08/a-new-favorite-from-old-story.html" target="_blank"><i>Sungkyungkwan Scandal </i>review</a></div>
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4. Coffee Prince</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif9QMliA5u3LUI7m5SjYUb9zplIgH8IZV9frYbEYgkt7eiuLkEJGC4AsXWDgXQNZbJNaNLdHWtpv5cL7ZefjpWmxlexfh5P8RLgJ4YjsuWHmn8Px24Khvsb0fPRf_GPqssKTmz3FaBM9qP/s1600/Coffee+Prince+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif9QMliA5u3LUI7m5SjYUb9zplIgH8IZV9frYbEYgkt7eiuLkEJGC4AsXWDgXQNZbJNaNLdHWtpv5cL7ZefjpWmxlexfh5P8RLgJ4YjsuWHmn8Px24Khvsb0fPRf_GPqssKTmz3FaBM9qP/s400/Coffee+Prince+poster.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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How could I <i>not </i>list <i>Coffee Prince</i> among the best K-dramas? It was the one that started it all for me, and it still stands out as easily the most convincing gender-bender of all time. You have the phenomenal pairing of Yoon Eun Hye and Gong Yoo (not to mention Lee Sung Kyung, Chae Jung An, Kim Jae Wook...). And then <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vm6SPKIiMC0" target="_blank">that kiss</a>. Whoa. That kiss alone might be halfway to blame for my K-drama obsession.</div>
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Full <a href="https://www.kdramafighting.com/2013/02/my-1-kdrama-love-coffee-prince-review.html" target="_blank"><i>Coffee Prince </i>review</a></div>
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5. Bad Guys</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2jiJEmYVPr8JkeB3a4hqWza5QOc_zYx0Fk3Z3YLl1qCNimKvqMt0iPds21OVlWChyAzUNoq0yLGnhREdMSoB4w8HfPxe83QKQ1fP83KwLyZz_PnUg1CV8XQJTtp1FsnAxBXZh2eQP3f9/s1600/Bad+Guys+Kdrama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="580" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2jiJEmYVPr8JkeB3a4hqWza5QOc_zYx0Fk3Z3YLl1qCNimKvqMt0iPds21OVlWChyAzUNoq0yLGnhREdMSoB4w8HfPxe83QKQ1fP83KwLyZz_PnUg1CV8XQJTtp1FsnAxBXZh2eQP3f9/s400/Bad+Guys+Kdrama.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Some days, you don't want romance—you just want to see bromance and some punching. <i>Bad Guys </i>is the drama for those days. Ma Dong Seok and Jo Dong Hyuk stole the show—and my heart. It's dark and grim, but with enough friendship and levity to keep from weighing it down too much. In six years of drama watching, this remains the only one my husband has managed to watch with me from start to finish.</div>
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Sadly, I never did a full review of <i>Bad Guys. </i>I adore it. End of review. </div>
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6. Marriage, Not Dating</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglX9vw5MKG3fmdUN1YpbESC31hX8efpEHkDp0w48NeWpIA9p9mqSka5kKHiy5tYNP-1cr-fJVxXh2Jhq_DolhRiOowE5kKxra1wYSY04Bd2WES6OhEwrlPQ6irKfZs-FoJNK8Comk8dV9C/s1600/Marriage+not+Dating.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglX9vw5MKG3fmdUN1YpbESC31hX8efpEHkDp0w48NeWpIA9p9mqSka5kKHiy5tYNP-1cr-fJVxXh2Jhq_DolhRiOowE5kKxra1wYSY04Bd2WES6OhEwrlPQ6irKfZs-FoJNK8Comk8dV9C/s400/Marriage+not+Dating.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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If you like romcoms, go with <i>Marriage, Not Dating</i>. It somehow manages to be one of the very, very few K-dramas that maintains both the romance <i>and </i>the comedy for a full 16 episodes. I laughed, I cried, and then I cried some more when Han Groo got married and was never in anything ever again.</div>
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But at least I'll always have this delightfully fun show.</div>
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<a href="https://www.kdramafighting.com/2014/07/new-kdrama-alert-marriage-without-love.html" target="_blank"><i>Marriage, Not Dating </i>first impressions</a></div>
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7. Answer Me, 1997</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDYlK98M7mV0HcPZhqPkIMXeX6GJmHyAydOU1pVZVEZtu7SEBVvlszHMuyQaNPPUPOhVLWdQ7opJLqL1W5YR-94pcX9uwm1VAwmBXkmehc-GoJBPPnEKavM_vw17IEK9HV1V0C_falk2_/s1600/Answer+Me+1997.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDYlK98M7mV0HcPZhqPkIMXeX6GJmHyAydOU1pVZVEZtu7SEBVvlszHMuyQaNPPUPOhVLWdQ7opJLqL1W5YR-94pcX9uwm1VAwmBXkmehc-GoJBPPnEKavM_vw17IEK9HV1V0C_falk2_/s400/Answer+Me+1997.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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In all honesty, you could add in <i><a href="https://www.kdramafighting.com/2014/07/ahhh-young-love-answer-me-1994-reply.html" target="_blank">Answer Me 1994</a> </i>or <i><a href="https://www.kdramafighting.com/2016/01/when-ratings-trump-narrative-answer-me.html" target="_blank">Answer Me 1988</a> </i>onto this list as well. Every version of the <i>Answer Me </i>series builds lovable characters and a sweet sense of nostalgia in different ways. But 1997 gets to be on the list of best dramas because in some ways it's the tightest of the three—it packs the same emotional punch in literally half the run time. It also doesn't go too far off the rails with the husband hunt, and I do adore the coupling of Eunji with Seo In Guk.</div>
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Full <a href="https://www.kdramafighting.com/2013/07/reliving-my-adolescence-korean-style.html" target="_blank"><i>Answer Me 1997 </i>review</a></div>
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8. Age of Youth</h3>
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This drama speaks to me. The female friendships, the complex characters who all grow over the course of the series, the balance of lightheartedness with more serious issues—I wish we could get a million seasons of <i>Age of Youth</i> (but only if they take back that one epilogue from season 2—you know the one I mean). <i>Age of Youth </i>is a delightfully female-centric drama with just enough side stories of romance.</div>
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Pssst: If you like <i>Age of Youth</i>, <i><a href="https://www.kdramafighting.com/2013/12/the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving-white.html" target="_blank">White Christmas</a> </i>is a beautifully bleak drama from the same writer. It's a lesser-known K-drama, but it features a cast that includes Kim Woo Bin, Sung Joon, Kim Young Kwang, Lee Soo Hyuk, Esom, Baek Sung Hyun, Hong Jong Hyun, and Kwak Jung Wook at the start of their careers.</div>
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Full <a href="https://www.kdramafighting.com/2016/09/age-of-youth-k-drama-review.html" target="_blank"><i>Age of Youth </i>review</a></div>
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9. Oh My Ghostess</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwd5IoIGKkmmFashY0zNS8VmpcYSEdUzTXiShZRTH8Url7YJ-3Ejis8LJ_AQe3UExmRytuLO48lnCwoWS9k5-x0oDZLnEFSXeG5bMyKkHxf7VlFSLDWOM7ju9l1bAkmh1fAKgOLN0XduP/s1600/Oh+My+ghostess+kdrama2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwd5IoIGKkmmFashY0zNS8VmpcYSEdUzTXiShZRTH8Url7YJ-3Ejis8LJ_AQe3UExmRytuLO48lnCwoWS9k5-x0oDZLnEFSXeG5bMyKkHxf7VlFSLDWOM7ju9l1bAkmh1fAKgOLN0XduP/s400/Oh+My+ghostess+kdrama2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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If you have to get past the plot description on some dramas, <i>Oh My Ghostess</i>, if anything, has to live up to the promise of "lusty virgin ghost possesses shy woman." Add in Park Bo Young as our possessed/not possessed female lead, Jo Jung Suk as an adorable male lead, and Kim Seul Gi as the feisty ghost, and it has become my go-to K-drama for tricking people into a new K-drama habit.</div>
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<a href="https://www.kdramafighting.com/2015/07/new-drama-alert-oh-my-ghostess-and-time.html" target="_blank"><i>Oh My Ghostess </i>first impressions</a></div>
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10. Arang and the Magistrate</h3>
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Bottom line: Shin Min Ah will steal your heart as the sassy ghost out to solve the mystery of her own murder. It's been a while since I watched <i>Arang and the Magistrate</i>, but what still sticks out to me is the sense of worldbuilding. Gorgeous shots of both the heavenly and earthly scenes, backstories for all of our supernatural characters, and a villainness who remains one of the most menacing I've seen all put this on my list of favorite dramas. </div>
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Full <a href="https://www.kdramafighting.com/2013/11/arang-and-magistrate-korean-drama-review.html" target="_blank"><i>Arang and the Magistrate </i>review</a></div>
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What's Next for Kdrama Fighting?</h3>
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Whew. It's done. And I'm just going to have to publish before I change my mind and swap some honorable mentions onto the list. (<i>Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo </i>for adorable romance, <i><a href="https://www.kdramafighting.com/2015/05/a-breath-of-fresh-k-drama-air-angry-mom.html" target="_blank">Angry Mom</a> </i>for a badass female lead, <i><a href="https://www.kdramafighting.com/2013/08/nice-guyinnocent-man-review.html" target="_blank">Nice Guy </a></i>as my guilty pleasure that really isn't all that good but was weirdly cracktastic and made me Google every single thing about Song Joong Ki....)</div>
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After this post? Who knows? Maybe I'll want to post again in a week or a year. Maybe I'll just use this as a platform to post all my feelings about Christmas Hallmark movies (and hooo boy, do I HAVE FEELINGS). But in the meantime, I'd love to hear which are the best K-dramas you've seen. There must be some gems I've missed over the years!<br />
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So long for now,<br />
Vivi<br />
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<br />Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518010523528252915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846709423440845137.post-7636526035692557302018-09-16T22:10:00.001-06:002021-08-28T10:40:37.034-06:00My ID Is Gangnam Beauty K-drama Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhygTWQm86rRNQLH2v8r8yO3f4TOC0R9TMDWcBm4RikrZKS8Vi5tokYWefQ-_sAs2_KdY1yXtmKUr-2ZThSblWFEOPOln9YlmfIqK8Yo90slBvq_5iEH3NL75KX-Edk62chmUrY6HH5zbBC/s1600/My+ID+Is+Gangnam+Beauty+Mi+Rae+Kyung+Seok.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="908" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhygTWQm86rRNQLH2v8r8yO3f4TOC0R9TMDWcBm4RikrZKS8Vi5tokYWefQ-_sAs2_KdY1yXtmKUr-2ZThSblWFEOPOln9YlmfIqK8Yo90slBvq_5iEH3NL75KX-Edk62chmUrY6HH5zbBC/s640/My+ID+Is+Gangnam+Beauty+Mi+Rae+Kyung+Seok.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>My ID Is Gangnam Beauty </i>is the latest in a long line of makeover K-dramas. Given my overall distaste for the genre and my recent propensity for quitting dramas at the first sign of trouble, I'm more surprised than anyone that I made it all the way to the end to review this particular series.<br />
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Honestly, I didn't even realize this was a full-length series when I first started watching. I saw the promos and idol-turned-sorta-actor Cha Eun Woo headlining the cast, and I assumed it would be a short, shallow web series full of offensive stereotypes about appearances.</div>
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Color me pleasantly surprised to find that <i>My ID Is Gangnam Beauty</i>—while definitely on the fluffier side of the K-drama spectrum—managed to avoid many of the pitfalls I initially feared. </div>
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<b>What it's about: </b>After enduring years of severe bullying about her looks, Kang Mi Rae (Lim Soo Hyang) chooses to have plastic surgery before starting college. She runs into her old schoolmate Do Kyung Seok (Cha Eun Woo), who doesn't care what other people think.</div>
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The Good </h2>
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Makeover dramas are always tricky. At worst, they reinforce the idea that changing your looks will change your whole life. At slightly less bad, they make halfhearted nods at "Love Yourself!" and "Looks Don't Actually Matter!" slogans while still reinforcing that changing your looks will change your whole life.</div>
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<i>My ID Is Gangnam Beauty</i> doesn't entirely sidestep this issue—without plastic surgery, it's doubtful Mi Rae would have ended up in the same place. Still, though, I was surprised to see how frankly the drama talked about self-worth and societal standards of beauty, and the drama didn't drop those central issues the moment it became inconvenient to the plot (looking at you, <i><a href="https://www.kdramafighting.com/2015/01/birth-of-beauty-korean-drama-review.html" target="_blank">Birth of a Beauty</a></i>). </div>
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The show never treats plastic surgery as a cure-all for Mi Rae's ills. She still faces cruel, judgmental comments about her appearance. Her father rejects her for half of the show for "ruining" her face. </div>
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Most importantly, the surgery doesn't magically take away Mi Rae's own fixation on appearance, both for herself and others. I would normally be annoyed at a drama where the female lead still hasn't overcome her insecurities with one episode left. Seeing her still so repulsed by her own face made me sad, but somehow it felt like a natural character progression. You can't expect her to find a hot boyfriend and then suddenly give up on years of self-loathing in an instant.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBV5lpnhpKEvxHQYiy9K3Ie0leotvAFPvd7vFeRCo0NFV6aSMEjoohqnuGp87Ns2S846TpojqKESzLjxjrbwbz8SJZ5BFkuj2oVAeIDs-gogp2s2yL8iegAYkECX58LULSCvAyF-vYbOnz/s1600/IMG_3242.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1334" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBV5lpnhpKEvxHQYiy9K3Ie0leotvAFPvd7vFeRCo0NFV6aSMEjoohqnuGp87Ns2S846TpojqKESzLjxjrbwbz8SJZ5BFkuj2oVAeIDs-gogp2s2yL8iegAYkECX58LULSCvAyF-vYbOnz/s640/IMG_3242.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Maybe my expectation bar was set way too low going into this thing, but I appreciate a drama that can surprise me with character development and depth.</div>
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You know what else I appreciate? A drama that's actually fun to watch.</div>
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Societal commentary aside, <i>My ID Is Gangnam Beauty </i>is a cute, pleasant romance, which seems to be absurdly hard to find these days. I never found myself in a bad mood after watching, and really, what more can you ask for than that?</div>
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The Not-So-Good</h2>
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Uhhh....*glances around nervously for fangirls* we can all agree that Cha Eun Woo is <i>not </i>the world's greatest actor, right? ....Right?</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghX8Gmy7EZkq8d35_SZQ5sIH66Ncz94YiyZfm5GXFiRGJcaICl6rQoAc_0ASRlUIdqYYXVB_BOJt-M2yMGGUkKe3etnmZukC1hMQmr8z-GAMVtcZdPaorwei9VDPRMMge2VwAhZPXJUxzo/s1600/My+ID+Is+Gangnam+Beauty+Cha+Eun+Woo.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="820" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghX8Gmy7EZkq8d35_SZQ5sIH66Ncz94YiyZfm5GXFiRGJcaICl6rQoAc_0ASRlUIdqYYXVB_BOJt-M2yMGGUkKe3etnmZukC1hMQmr8z-GAMVtcZdPaorwei9VDPRMMge2VwAhZPXJUxzo/s640/My+ID+Is+Gangnam+Beauty+Cha+Eun+Woo.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jealous face</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSTR-42xSumxj8m_k9F2TQR5S0rcZPOw35k9eUOV_1-TI8HaeDtiBHRqNW_wa3zN_rM8bpwQerVIVRzd6RtKwdPVHw9xzLyxN6EvHrUmIipLpz0AH_dZ2_sEHr_yXH2moNlfHhd1BVopLw/s1600/My+ID+Is+Gangnam+Beauty+Cha+Eun+Woo2.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="639" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSTR-42xSumxj8m_k9F2TQR5S0rcZPOw35k9eUOV_1-TI8HaeDtiBHRqNW_wa3zN_rM8bpwQerVIVRzd6RtKwdPVHw9xzLyxN6EvHrUmIipLpz0AH_dZ2_sEHr_yXH2moNlfHhd1BVopLw/s640/My+ID+Is+Gangnam+Beauty+Cha+Eun+Woo2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perplexed face</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTeWcg8DDUgZwd4v1u5SqaM3hwTvNv5gkb6X0qrh9wu-4Qv9m3_OyQlLAPtGyjLC5ar9ulNCZZr10m2YmJ3PrYYkwioqySplH26gPgA3FhYLr5pjplVGr6HHVg6ud4W48uov278kpZJHbq/s1600/Cha+Eun+Woo.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="816" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTeWcg8DDUgZwd4v1u5SqaM3hwTvNv5gkb6X0qrh9wu-4Qv9m3_OyQlLAPtGyjLC5ar9ulNCZZr10m2YmJ3PrYYkwioqySplH26gPgA3FhYLr5pjplVGr6HHVg6ud4W48uov278kpZJHbq/s640/Cha+Eun+Woo.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Annoyed face/in love face/basically every other face</td></tr>
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Don't get me wrong: Cha Eun Woo is a total cutie patootie, and he definitely <i>looks </i>the part of a "face genius" (a term I now want to try dropping in casual conversation), but I definitely found myself wondering just how much more I could have enjoyed the series with someone who <i>didn't</i> look like his robotic limbs were about to malfunction every time he moved. (Especially when you've got Kwak Dong Yeon in second place....)</div>
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I liked him best in the final episode, when he actually smiled more and he seemed more comfortable in his own skin. Maybe take on a cheerful second (or third or fourth) lead role for practice next time?</div>
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A Note about Soo Ah</h3>
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For the most part, I liked Soo Ah's character arc. I've had friends who were slightly toned-down versions of Soo Ah before, especially during my college days. Maybe they weren't as malicious as Soo Ah, but the same need to be liked by every boy, the flirtation with any male in her view, even if he's dating another girl—that's something I bet you could see on most college campuses.<br />
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I didn't even mind the stalking story. Unfortunately, that's also something that can and does happen in real life. Where the drama lost me, however, was shoehorning in Soo Ah's pity party at the very end of the series.</div>
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Why did she have to be a <i>literal trash child</i> to garner sympathy? Soo Ah could easily be the product of an appearance-obsessed society without being abandoned by a mother who tells her to bathe. Just saying.</div>
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Final Verdict</h2>
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<i>My ID Is Gangnam Beauty </i>was far more enjoyable than it had any right to be. Go in with tempered expectations, and you may find a fun watch that won't make you tear all your hair out in frustration. How's <i>that </i>for a glowing recommendation?</div>
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<b>Where to watch <i>My ID Is Gangnam Beauty</i></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.dramafever.com/drama/5200/my-id-is-gangnam-beauty/" target="_blank">DramaFever</a></div>
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Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518010523528252915noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846709423440845137.post-2677183350037445672018-06-10T21:54:00.000-06:002018-06-10T21:54:52.099-06:00New K-drama Alert: Secretary Kim, Are You Human Too, and Life on Mars Reviews<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0835ao1CJ8VmSS0eMdkTcamzIL4yPYFM2h_cgFR3rYLWTqpgr06ip2y16aRSQA5NvJxKtwMq9b7N2Tp1DI26zMUlY7LNVyyYbNHXgFFr-zl1nAA9FEEvdiotnwnhtTM1zlaC_AAU7ZVk1/s1600/Why+Secretary+Kim+couple2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="711" data-original-width="1241" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0835ao1CJ8VmSS0eMdkTcamzIL4yPYFM2h_cgFR3rYLWTqpgr06ip2y16aRSQA5NvJxKtwMq9b7N2Tp1DI26zMUlY7LNVyyYbNHXgFFr-zl1nAA9FEEvdiotnwnhtTM1zlaC_AAU7ZVk1/s400/Why+Secretary+Kim+couple2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Another week, and <i>more </i><a href="https://www.kdramafighting.com/2018/05/new-k-drama-alert-about-time-miss.html" target="_blank">new K-drama premieres</a>! This week was packed with a nice variety of genres, and the trifecta of <i>What's Wrong with Secretary Kim</i>, <i>Life on Mars</i>, and <i>Are You Human Too? </i>included a couple of the K-dramas I've been keeping an eye on all summer.<br />
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Given the drama slump of this year, I didn't want to get my hopes <i>too </i>high for <i>What's Wrong with Secretary Kim </i>or <i>Life on Mars</i>, so let's review and see how they've fared so far!<br />
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<i>What's Wrong with Secretary Kim </i>K-drama Review</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQMa76yvhCIYEnfU4hE4-1XyHB07M917gcvm7vEr7MuYOcDng_m2hYFIEzGkinOJzw8hvYwPoGSLHDAPtCJQoTuqUYwRt8eF4sqJAy5IUEI0lqHdG0RXRDhTpqnNRaxgA2I-psyRQDulq/s1600/Why+Secretary+Kim+couple.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="1251" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQMa76yvhCIYEnfU4hE4-1XyHB07M917gcvm7vEr7MuYOcDng_m2hYFIEzGkinOJzw8hvYwPoGSLHDAPtCJQoTuqUYwRt8eF4sqJAy5IUEI0lqHdG0RXRDhTpqnNRaxgA2I-psyRQDulq/s400/Why+Secretary+Kim+couple.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>What it's about: </b>Narcissistic heir Lee Young Joon (Park Seo Joon) finds himself at a complete loss when his faithful secretary of nine years, Kim Mi So (Park Min Young) abruptly tells him she wants to quit.</div>
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<b>Episodes watched: </b>2</div>
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<b>First impressions: </b>I've been waiting with bated breath for <i>What's Wrong with Secretary Kim</i>. All I've wanted over the last few months is just <i>one </i>lighthearted romance with a smart script and a talented cast. </div>
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So far, this is <i>exactly </i>what I wanted. The rich jerk/perfect secretary trope <a href="https://www.kdramafighting.com/2018/01/jugglers-and-i-am-not-robot-k-drama.html" target="_blank">isn't exactly new</a> in K-dramaland, and there are a lot of ways that dynamic can get really tiresome really fast.</div>
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What I love about <i>Secretary Kim</i> though, is the way it subverts a lot of the things I tend to dislike about that setup. Park Min Young is absolute perfection so far as the ideal secretary on the outside who longs for her own life. Park Min Young tends to have impeccable taste in scripts, so I'm hoping that, unlike other, similar shows, we'll end this drama with Mi So finding her own path even if she falls in love with her boss along the way.</div>
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Then there's Park Seo Joon's arrogant heir. Normally, I hate this type of character because <i>somehow</i> the female lead falls for his handsome looks after a couple of small moments of not being a total monster, and meanwhile I'm left tearing my hair out at the state of modern feminism. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipov5ttGvMa89TDms6fGH1NxIzDVB1sy36cfDt-qEAgizQyvP5JCHOP54da5zt3f-8OaUH4fUekrrFZTqJvDntNRZVHoo3kSuBZwigGWSloDc02fnbKliL3lBYtyrI7dGhrN8XcsepPt4V/s1600/Why+secretary+Kim+Park+seo+Joon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="1259" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipov5ttGvMa89TDms6fGH1NxIzDVB1sy36cfDt-qEAgizQyvP5JCHOP54da5zt3f-8OaUH4fUekrrFZTqJvDntNRZVHoo3kSuBZwigGWSloDc02fnbKliL3lBYtyrI7dGhrN8XcsepPt4V/s400/Why+secretary+Kim+Park+seo+Joon.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That haircut isn't doing you any favors, either....</td></tr>
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In this case, though, Mi So has already had a chance to bask in Young Joon's "radiance," and it hasn't fazed her one bit in nine years. It'll likely take more than a wrist grab or two to win her heart, and I'm all in if that means actual, genuine character development.</div>
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Of course, it's only been two episodes, so I guess there's still plenty of time for her to decide that her only goal in life <i>is </i>tying ties for her rich boss, and maybe he <i>won't </i>change at all, and I'll still be left tearing out my hair at the end of the series. (Please don't let me down, show!)</div>
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<b>Where to watch <i>What's Wrong with Secretary Kim:</i></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.viki.com/tv/35835c-whats-wrong-with-secretary-kim" target="_blank">Viki</a></div>
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<i>Are You Human Too? </i>K-drama Review</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOcgAQt2NTRqivSmawu490XnxfQm2iKueZW1E7i0uWphKvRapuclyikiTF9TgWVXeLHBr-eqiN9STdm-JeMgZRGxsPz4gVGvZkR7vxiUBLqLrev68bCiH6sjaT_8UEJfPVj41qLEFrpGrS/s1600/Are+You+Human+Too+Seo+Kang+Joon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="750" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOcgAQt2NTRqivSmawu490XnxfQm2iKueZW1E7i0uWphKvRapuclyikiTF9TgWVXeLHBr-eqiN9STdm-JeMgZRGxsPz4gVGvZkR7vxiUBLqLrev68bCiH6sjaT_8UEJfPVj41qLEFrpGrS/s400/Are+You+Human+Too+Seo+Kang+Joon.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>What it's about: </b>When heir Kim Nam Shin (Seo Kang Joon) is in a serious accident, an android that bears his face (also Seo Kang Joon) replaces him and interacts with his bodyguard, Kang So Bong (Gong Seung Yeon).</div>
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<b>Episodes watched: </b>2 (30 minutes each)</div>
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<b>First impressions: </b>You know, I'm not sure yet. The premiere took a while to ramp up, so I didn't feel totally invested in any of the characters by the end. If anything, robo-Seo Kang Joon was the best part of the episode. Seo Kang Joon is the kind of actor who needs just the right type of role to do well, and having him play a sweet android might just be the perfect match. (That's not a backhanded compliment—I don't think a dual robot/human role would work for every actor.)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL9vGtw9A4pN1_dZ8fKoBP2aVGfxkQ2y7tvyR33leReXmKJau52XQLVoTJY1-SHNIQh6xmz4ljCRD-NKgfgdoGNNHCcVW1e61r4tqMhDRpHcVN8HLpyhjpmXEVevhDixR7g1ffeR-NBwh1/s1600/Are+You+Human+Too+Seo+Kang+Joon+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="695" data-original-width="1242" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL9vGtw9A4pN1_dZ8fKoBP2aVGfxkQ2y7tvyR33leReXmKJau52XQLVoTJY1-SHNIQh6xmz4ljCRD-NKgfgdoGNNHCcVW1e61r4tqMhDRpHcVN8HLpyhjpmXEVevhDixR7g1ffeR-NBwh1/s400/Are+You+Human+Too+Seo+Kang+Joon+2.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't <i>blame </i>her for falling in love with the friendly robot,<br />but I'm also not really into it.</td></tr>
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I'm just not entirely invested in robot/human romances, which seem to be dramaland's flavor of the year right now. <a href="https://www.kdramafighting.com/2018/01/jugglers-and-i-am-not-robot-k-drama.html" target="_blank"><i>I Am Not a Robot</i> </a>mostly worked, but I'm not sure I have it in me to watch <i>another </i>16 episodes about robot romance—especially when I feel much more squicky knowing that this time, a human will unknowingly fall for an <i>actual </i>robot, not a human they mistake for a robot.</div>
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If sci-fi conundrums are your jam, though, this looks like a very pretty drama to explore some questions of humanity.</div>
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<b>Where to watch <i>Are You Human Too?:</i></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.dramafever.com/drama/5193/Are_You_Human_Too%3F/" target="_blank">DramaFever</a></div>
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<h3>
<i>Life on Mars </i>K-drama Review</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQtO-W1F0ikAHE0nab0ta35sqkSJaYHQYdg-oO-ZVr9VTl7-xsAW0wL3i4s_ecKst0g4081AD2zu3gsO0pq3lJVt3mUFVlwSsk9xq0CCbTvORwMg2avZxDJ1FHWGQIVBgxwke985AHpPv/s1600/Life+on+Mars+Jung+Kyung+Ho.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="443" data-original-width="822" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQtO-W1F0ikAHE0nab0ta35sqkSJaYHQYdg-oO-ZVr9VTl7-xsAW0wL3i4s_ecKst0g4081AD2zu3gsO0pq3lJVt3mUFVlwSsk9xq0CCbTvORwMg2avZxDJ1FHWGQIVBgxwke985AHpPv/s400/Life+on+Mars+Jung+Kyung+Ho.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>What it's about: </b>A remake of the 2006 British show of the same name, <i>Life on Mars </i>follows forensic specialist Han Tae Joo (Jung Kyung Ho), who suddenly finds himself transported from 2018 Korea back to 1988. He must work with a team of old-school police officers, including Kang Dong Cheol (Park Sung Woong) and Yoon Na Young (Go Ah Sung) to track down a serial killer.</div>
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<b>Episodes watched: </b>1</div>
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<b>First impressions: </b>This cast is A++++++++, and I think they may have a script to match their skills. Never having seen the original series, I walked into this with no idea what to expect. So far, I'm loving how <i>Life on Mars</i> straddles the line of straightforward police procedural with those strange surreal moments—is he dead? In a coma? Actually traveling through time? (If you've seen the original, don't tell me!)</div>
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As if Jung Kyung Ho weren't enough of a sell, we also have Go Ah Sung, who can basically do no wrong in my heart. Given OCN's track record, I don't know that I should get my hopes up for a romance here, but I wouldn't be at all mad to see Na Young get together with the guy from the future who actually treats her like a colleague from day one. Just sayin'.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG6PnPcXLRWWGTwWmeHMXERRKsFWvXmm2uObBIevATZepUSyLV57svR0T2c1Osgqs3jf-y6rd08rhwBmBCLR18XBj2kbzO5isWL3vXIuV4IbGV0FQj7T286Th4VgwiJbez4YNBWmIFrfUF/s1600/Life+on+Mars+Go+Ah+Sung.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="723" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG6PnPcXLRWWGTwWmeHMXERRKsFWvXmm2uObBIevATZepUSyLV57svR0T2c1Osgqs3jf-y6rd08rhwBmBCLR18XBj2kbzO5isWL3vXIuV4IbGV0FQj7T286Th4VgwiJbez4YNBWmIFrfUF/s400/Life+on+Mars+Go+Ah+Sung.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aaaah the look on her face when he takes the time to ask her name!</td></tr>
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I can pretty much commit to only one crime show at a time, so I might have to bump Rain's <i><a href="https://www.kdramafighting.com/2018/05/new-k-drama-alert-about-time-miss.html" target="_blank">Sketch</a> </i>off my schedule to make room for <i>Life on Mars</i>.</div>
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<b>Where to watch <i>Life on Mars: </i></b>¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Listen—I'm not condoning streaming illegally, but you may have to ask your friend Mr. Google on this one.</div>
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Which New Shows Caught Your Interest?</h3>
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Are you on board for the summer's fluffy romcom? Or are you desperately scouring the internet for <i>Life on Mars </i>subs? Let's chat!</div>
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Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518010523528252915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846709423440845137.post-81154043232597669192018-05-30T22:27:00.000-06:002018-05-31T08:28:51.267-06:00About Time, Miss Hammurabi, Undateables, and Sketch K-drama Reviews<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh302L7avFErgjcJ28Es9__bReEcr0QxEAXPqDSxRo7IXhbMTYip3JPLgBoKlU0_Szn4u_0Lc5-BX42VOufMsG5-VolELAfNHxWMuL5ksDAApKHU2cYWSWeULWl9Ad0wkvFdT4jLcbeLK6g/s1600/About+time+Miss+Hammurabi+Undateables+Sketch+Kdrama+review.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1252" data-original-width="894" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh302L7avFErgjcJ28Es9__bReEcr0QxEAXPqDSxRo7IXhbMTYip3JPLgBoKlU0_Szn4u_0Lc5-BX42VOufMsG5-VolELAfNHxWMuL5ksDAApKHU2cYWSWeULWl9Ad0wkvFdT4jLcbeLK6g/s400/About+time+Miss+Hammurabi+Undateables+Sketch+Kdrama+review.png" width="285" /></a></div>
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Whew, the new season of K-dramas is in full swing, and I took advantage of a holiday weekend to try out all of the whopping <i>four</i> new shows that aired last week: <i>About Time, Miss Hammurabi, The Undateables, </i>and <i>Sketch.</i><br />
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I won't be able to keep up with all four on top of <a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2018/05/new-k-drama-alert-greasy-melo-wok-of.html" target="_blank">Greasy Melo (Wok of Love)</a>, but I'll give each one a preliminary review. Let's talk about which one had me at the edge of my seat, which ones had me rolling my eyes and reaching for the fast-forward button, and which one turned into a pleasant surprise.<br />
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<i>About Time</i> K-drama Review</h3>
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<b>What it's about: </b>Choi Michaela (Lee Sung Kyung) has the ability to see the lifespan clocks of everyone around her. One day, she meets rich heir Lee Do Ha (Lee Sang Yoon), who mysteriously makes Michaela's clock pause whenever he's near her.</div>
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<b>Episodes watched: </b>3</div>
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<b>First impressions: </b>On paper, this premise sounds interesting. The time clock builds in a unique reason to force closeness between the lead couple (and who doesn't like forced closeness in a romcom?), and it also creates emotional stakes from the very beginning. </div>
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Sadly, the show isn't living up to its premise so far. The first few episodes aren't <i>bad</i>, per se, but I found myself constantly checking how much time I had left in each episode—not a great way to start.</div>
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Michaela should be the heart of the series, but episode 2 started off with so much secondhand embarrassment that I started to cringe every time she and Lee Do Ha interacted. Episode 3 settled in a little, but there's still something off about the chemistry between our leads. She's too much of a manic pixie dream girl, and he's playing the "love at first sight" trope so straight and serious that it just comes off a little uncomfortable.</div>
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I've seen both Lee Sung Kyung and Lee Sang Yoon spark with other costars, but something about the combo just isn't working—a bad sign for a series firmly rooted in the central romance.</div>
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<b>Will I keep watching <i>About Time</i>? </b>I might give it one more episode, but I'm pretty close to letting <i>About Time</i> carry along its merry way without me.</div>
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<b>Where to watch </b><b style="font-style: italic;">About Time: </b><a href="https://www.viki.com/tv/35745c-about-time" target="_blank">Viki</a></div>
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<h3>
<i>Miss Hammurabi </i>K-drama Review</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiazlSf30rSf2AJyysl2qdQt9OCbXgjYY8VqgcEUyewCyhp0sgHMmuDkfeg8hxbcVJmFzrE2KBojcL0m-VieCL_d8DVArhY-o7_-eeiZIxhtm738e8AixztB4fya77jSYa6Aha9cTMphiBy/s1600/Miss+Hammurabi+Go+Ara+Park+Cha+Oh+Reum.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="1217" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiazlSf30rSf2AJyysl2qdQt9OCbXgjYY8VqgcEUyewCyhp0sgHMmuDkfeg8hxbcVJmFzrE2KBojcL0m-VieCL_d8DVArhY-o7_-eeiZIxhtm738e8AixztB4fya77jSYa6Aha9cTMphiBy/s400/Miss+Hammurabi+Go+Ara+Park+Cha+Oh+Reum.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>What it's about: </b>Fiery and passionate rookie judge Park Cha Oh Reum (Go Ara) and straightlaced junior judge Im Ba Reun (L) join a team together under prickly senior judge Han Se Sang (Sung Dong Il).</div>
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<b>Episodes watched: </b>4</div>
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<b>First impressions: </b>Honestly, when I read that Go Ara and L would play babyfaced judges, I was ready to give this drama a hard pass—especially since <i>Judge vs. Judge </i>tanked hard with a very similar premise.</div>
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Episode 1 had me pretty worried—Go Ara's Park Cha Oh Reum seemed only a small step away from <i>Judge vs. Judge</i>'s Lee Jung Joo's wild courtroom outbursts, and if I couldn't handle complete and total unprofessionalism masked as "passion" in Park Eun Bin, there's pretty much no chance Go Ara could pull it off.</div>
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The difference between the two obviously similar dramas is the writing, though. While it's not without its pitfalls, <i>Miss Hammurabi </i>comes from the pen of an <i>actual </i>judge, and it keeps one foot in the real world in a way that <i>Judge vs. Judge </i>never could. We see that Oh Reum's emotional approach isn't always just or without consequence, and that lets me root for her more. (Though I wouldn't be mad if every court case <i>didn't </i>end with everyone in the courtroom sobbing and hugging as what can only be described as Disneyland-ride theme music blares in the background.)</div>
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I also admit that the central focus on sexism in the workplace has me more intrigued than cast. </div>
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So what about that cast?</div>
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We all know there were plenty of people skeptical of whether Go Ara and L could carry a show on their own, right? I quite liked Go Ara in both <i><a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2014/07/ahhh-young-love-answer-me-1994-reply.html" target="_blank">Answer Me 1994</a> </i>and <i><a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2014/07/you-are-all-surrounded-korean-drama.html" target="_blank">You're All Surrounded</a></i>, but it did take a few episodes before I bought her character here. She kept <i>saying </i>all the right things, but it's almost like her reactions were a half second delayed and I couldn't quite believe her. She's settling into the role just fine, though, and I like the character of Oh Reum more and more as I see her.</div>
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L is...L. I always find him on the bland side (No amount of dimples can fool me!), but at the same time, I think this role suits him well so far (Okay, maybe some amount of dimples can fool me). His character is <i>supposed </i>to be a little stiff, and I think he carries off Ba Reun's awkwardness well. It's hard to make a tough acting assessment on a character who hasn't had to do much so far, and if the writer continues to play to his actors' strengths (and weaknesses), this drama might just work.</div>
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<b>Will I keep watching <i>Miss Hammurabi</i>? </b>I'm surprised to say this, but yeah, I definitely will.</div>
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<b>Where to watch <i>Miss Hammurabi</i>: </b><a href="https://www.dramafever.com/drama/5177/Miss_Hammurabi/" target="_blank">DramaFever</a></div>
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<h3>
<i>The Undateables </i>K-drama Review</h3>
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<b>What it's about: </b>Jung Eum (Hwang Jung Eum) is a perpetual dump-ee who works for a dating agency but has trouble finding love for herself. Hoon Nam (Namgoong Min) is some sort of rich, successful guy who becomes entangled with Jung Eum...or something? (Psst I didn't get far enough to figure out the whole plot.) ¯\_(ツ)_/¯</div>
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<b>Episodes watched: </b>1.5</div>
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<b>First impressions: </b>Does Hwang Jung Eum have an agent? Because she should fire that person for constantly choosing the exact.same.role. </div>
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Maybe I didn't give this show a fair shake, but it didn't take long to know that yet another shouty, slapstick female lead following around yet another stoic dude wasn't going to be my jam. I didn't like it in <i><a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2015/11/she-was-pretty-korean-drama-review-or.html" target="_blank">She Was Pretty</a>. </i>I didn't like it in <i><a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2016/07/another-oh-hae-young-and-lucky-romance.html" target="_blank">Lucky Romance</a>. </i>I'm a big Namgoong Min fan, but I'm out on this one.</div>
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<b>Will I keep watching <i>The Undateables</i>? </b>That's a hearty nope.</div>
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<b>Where to watch </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Undateables: </i><a href="https://www.viki.com/tv/35839c-the-undateables?q=undateabl" target="_blank">Viki</a></div>
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<i>Sketch K-drama Review</i></h3>
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<b>What it's about: </b>Detective Kang Dong Soo (Rain) runs into a detective (Lee Sun Bin) with the special ability to sketch future crimes before they happen. They team up against two villains (Lee Dong Gun and Jung Jin Young) who have the same power to see the future.</div>
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<b>Episodes watched: </b>2</div>
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<b>First impressions: </b>Very promising so far. This isn't the first crime thriller to combine the elements of rogue cop with a tragic past + supernatural intervention + some charismatic villains. Still, there's something to be said for taking familiar elements and executing them well.</div>
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Rain is in his element in this role: he gets to showcase his action skills, and he's a good fit as the rapscallion cop with a soft side. Similarly, Lee Dong Gun and Jung Jin Young will make some compelling baddies—though I'm not <i>completely </i>sold on justice-loving family man Kim Do Jin coldly offing innocents within a 24-hour turnaround.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dude, like two seconds ago, you were the good guy.</td></tr>
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I made the mistake of watching <i>Sketch </i>alone in the middle of the night, and I found myself clutching blankets and gritting my teeth with nervousness—the hallmark of any solid thriller.</div>
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I'm here for the cast, the story, and that intriguing central question of cause and effect.</div>
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<b>Will I keep watching <i>Sketch</i>? </b>Admittedly, I have a bad track record with finishing thriller procedurals, but I'm 100% on board for now. This is easily the best start of the whole new batch.</div>
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<b>Where to watch </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Sketch: </i><a href="https://www.dramafever.com/drama/5178/Sketch/" target="_blank">DramaFever</a></div>
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Which new K-dramas are you watching?</h3>
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Did you manage to keep up with the influx of new shows? Which ones snagged your attention?</div>
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Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518010523528252915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846709423440845137.post-41517620748392014722018-05-13T18:26:00.000-06:002018-05-13T18:26:25.061-06:00New K-drama Alert: Greasy Melo (Wok of Love) Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2018/04/where-have-all-good-k-dramas-gone.html" target="_blank">My last post</a> lamented the lack of any K-dramas to watch, but now that we're heading into the summer season and the fresh romances that come with it, I'm feeling cautiously optimistic. <div>
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I didn't initially watch any trailers for <i>Greasy Melo </i>(which also goes by the more appetizing English title <i>Wok of Love</i>), but when you give me Jung Ryeo Won paired with the writer from <i><a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2016/09/new-k-drama-alert-jealousy-incarnate.html" target="_blank">Jealousy Incarnate</a> </i>and <i><a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2014/03/miss-korea-korean-drama-review.html" target="_blank">Miss Korea</a></i>, of course I'm going to give it a shot. Here's the initial review from <i>Greasy Melo</i>'s premiere week.<div>
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<a name='more'></a><br /><b>What it's about: </b>Star chef Seo Poong (Junho) finds himself kicked out of a job. He joins forces with ex-gangster Doo Chil Seong (Jang Hyuk) and homeless heiress Dan Sae Woo (Jung Ryeo Won) to build a Chinese restaurant.</div>
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<b>Episodes watched: </b>4 (split into 30 minutes each)</div>
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<b>First impressions: </b>Hmmm. Looking back at some of my initial impressions of both <i>Miss Korea </i>and <i>Jealousy Incarnate</i>, I'm realizing that this writer often starts out dramas with a weird mishmash of tone and slapstick humor that eventually evens out over the course of the drama.</div>
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I don't recognize the director for <i>Greasy Melo / Wok of Love</i>, so maybe the direction heightened the writer's natural inclination toward initial confusion. The first two episodes felt jerky and disjointed, with weird transitions between scenes and some oddly stilted direction. (That clumsy seduction scene between Seo Poong's fiancee and his boss comes top of mind.)</div>
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And yet, if there's <i>another </i>thing this writer does well, it's creating charming characters outside of typical K-drama settings. Despite the erratic jumping from scene to scene, I caught myself laughing at the absurdity of Sae Woo strolling around Seoul with a fencing mask and a horse. Or tough guy Chil Seong seeing butterflies the first time he sets eyes on Sae Woo.</div>
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It'll take some convincing before I buy in to the gum-selling woman who looks like she accidentally wandered off the set of <i>My Fair Lady</i>, and Chil Seong's band of ex-gangsters is giving me <i><a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/04/strong-woman-do-bong-soon-k-drama.html" target="_blank">Strong Woman Do Bong Soon </a></i>flashbacks in the worst possible way, but I'm willing to let the writer prove me wrong.</div>
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Of course, I'm not here for the writer alone. (I <i>do </i>remember the simultaneously boring and infuriating <i>Pasta</i>, after all.) It's really the cast that piqued my interest, and so far, that casting seems spot-on. Jung Ryeo Won is one of my K-drama woman crushes, and this type of role seems perfect for her. And Junho, who suddenly stole my heart this week when I picked up <i>Just Between Lovers</i> on a whim and found myself marathoning episodes into the wee hours of the night for the first time in a year. (I have three episodes left. You do not want to know what will happen to you if you spoil this for me.)</div>
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Then there's Jang Hyuk. Because I didn't watch any trailers for this drama, I'm kind of thrown by the idea that he might actually be the second male lead here. <i>How is that even possible?</i> I mean, as I said above, I have a newfound appreciation for Junho, but I did <i>not </i>turn on episode 1 thinking that in any universe it made sense to have Jang Hyuk playing second fiddle to a relative newbie at this point in his career. </div>
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Still, though I'm surprised by the romantic setup (and maybe I'm reading it wrong and Jang Hyuk is the actual romantic lead), I can't even complain because this role is right in Jang Hyuk's wheelhouse. Watching him swagger down the road in his gangster suspenders makes me pretty excited to see him bumbling around in love, even if he's not the endgame here.</div>
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Is anyone else watching this one? Did you get whiplash in episode 1? Are you sticking it out? Let's watch together!</div>
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Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518010523528252915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846709423440845137.post-30936680302399727702018-04-29T18:06:00.002-06:002021-08-28T11:22:40.413-06:00Where Have All the Good K-dramas Gone?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I <a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2013/02/meet-vivi-more-die-hard-than-twilight.html" target="_blank">started blogging about K-dramas</a> five years ago, K-dramas as a whole were new and shiny and exciting. Sure, I knew some of them were completely ridiculous (Lee Min Ho's <i>Boys over Flowers </i>hair comes to mind), but they were charming and addicting in a way that was different from most of the American shows I watched. I have a distinct memory of sitting on my couch over Thanksgiving break, unshowered at 3:00 p.m., hitting "play" on the next episode of <i>Coffee Prince</i>, and loving every minute of it.<br />
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For the last year, I've lost that K-drama–loving feeling a little. So what happened? Is it me getting jaded and overthinking a genre I used to enjoy? Is drama quality really going downhill? Or are external forces impacting the way international fans interact with dramas? Maybe all of the above?<br />
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<b style="font-size: medium;">First, a disclaimer:</b><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: 400;"> I'm coming at this post from the perspective of a K-drama fan living in the United States. I know my experience accessing and discussing K-dramas differs from that of local Korean viewers or even other international fans across the world. I'm just observing how the landscape in my region has impacted fans and viewers here.</span></h3>
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Are K-dramas Getting Worse?</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKO2Fi9dbLXN3KJMT_LCvGFj-bWRz2m7JlM25o6Shyphenhyphenft0csisEf26Z9jaHHkdufVmKl6vsaPT-asVNCPp_TaiZaM42MYoEvF7dtYiich0YeMbEf4A2tFbfEleOov-jvbW1QkdJ2mXtK8fe/s1600/Fight+My+Way+you+think+too+highly+of+yourself.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="676" data-original-width="1216" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKO2Fi9dbLXN3KJMT_LCvGFj-bWRz2m7JlM25o6Shyphenhyphenft0csisEf26Z9jaHHkdufVmKl6vsaPT-asVNCPp_TaiZaM42MYoEvF7dtYiich0YeMbEf4A2tFbfEleOov-jvbW1QkdJ2mXtK8fe/s400/Fight+My+Way+you+think+too+highly+of+yourself.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Tough to say. I can't remember the last drama I absolutely adored from start to finish and couldn't wait for the next episode (<i>Radiant Office</i>, maybe?), but it's been at least a year. Everything since then has ranged from moderately enjoyable to "<a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2018/03/misty-korean-drama-review.html" target="_blank">You are a garbage writer who writes garbage finales</a>." </div>
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<b>K-drama trends</b></div>
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I don't care about doctors. Ditto lawyers. But if there's one thing I know about K-dramas, it's that they loooooove trends, and doctors and lawyers were the two hottest trends of the last couple of years. </div>
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Who can really blame the networks for airing legal drama after legal drama when those were the only shows pulling in higher-than-lackluster domestic ratings? From the sounds of it, some of those legal dramas last year had truly stellar headlining talent, but no amount of Ji Sung is going to convince me that "Let's watch everything go wrong for 20 episodes while some rich baddies get away with rich baddie stuff" is my cup of tea. And that's mostly okay. </div>
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But would it be the <i>worst</i> thing in the world to give me a smart, funny, thoughtful romcom starring Jung Kyung Ho and Han Groo? (I <i>will </i>take Jung Kyung Ho and Go Ah Sung in <i><a href="https://www.soompi.com/2018/04/26/park-sung-woong-go-ah-sung-jung-kyung-ho-gather-script-reading-life-mars-remake/?from=seealso" target="_blank">Life on Mars</a> </i>in a pinch, though.)</div>
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<b>Pickier viewing</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIuZEXp2LdwNV7mU3SDec_EG-BL8w-O6LKNj9Wl4jMJ1oMdyveiHEam6n9W8np1OA4iFaCvIj5gjy9EsEOFLoP5Vr0t1Lv_N1OTrqwrLCTnw-pk2RJCPzu9VpxyTOL6ytM8FyJhDv_mC41/s1600/Strong+woman+do+bong+soon+annoyed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="431" data-original-width="709" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIuZEXp2LdwNV7mU3SDec_EG-BL8w-O6LKNj9Wl4jMJ1oMdyveiHEam6n9W8np1OA4iFaCvIj5gjy9EsEOFLoP5Vr0t1Lv_N1OTrqwrLCTnw-pk2RJCPzu9VpxyTOL6ytM8FyJhDv_mC41/s400/Strong+woman+do+bong+soon+annoyed.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I also have to own that my drama tastes have probably changed over time. I can think of a bunch of dramas I binged start to finish early in my drama-watching days that I would drop immediately now (*cough*<i>Prosecutor Princess</i>*cough*). I'm definitely pickier nowadays, probably because I've had a chance to watch some really, truly fantastic shows in the meantime.</div>
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Plus there was the novelty factor. Before <i>Secret Garden</i>, I had never seen a show that actually used amnesia as a plot device—after seeing shows like <i><a href="https://www.kdramafighting.com/2013/08/nice-guyinnocent-man-review.html" target="_blank">Nice Guy</a> </i>that go for the double amnesia, it starts to get a little eyeroll-worthy.</div>
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I also have to remind myself that there's a bit of time bias at play here. It's like those people who insist that <i>all </i>music from [insert decade of choice here] was sooooo much better than what we have today, but they forget that only the best stuff continues to get airtime. You think everyone in the 1780s was a Mozart? Nah—we just stopped listening to all the washouts.</div>
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The same goes for K-dramas. It's easy for viewers (or me, at least) to romanticize dramas of past years when I had the ability to pick and choose from a vast library of content that came before. There are plenty of pre-2012 dramas I <i>haven't </i>watched because they got terrible reviews. Now, though, I've already picked through most of the shows people regularly rave about, and I'm left narrowing in on the currently airing dramas—of course it's going to seem like there aren't as many standouts to choose from.</div>
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2018 Battle of the K-drama Licensing Rights</h3>
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Still, though, I had many of the same drama-watching habits back in 2014 and 2015, and I ran into a much higher proportion of high-quality simulcasts back then. There's a little more at play here than just changing habits.</div>
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Possibly one of the biggest hits to American K-drama fans over the last year has been a lack of legal access to shows. Yes, back in the K-drama days of yore, fans had to scour the internet, hoping that illegal fan sites would subtitle their favorite shows. But for as long as I've been a viewer, Viki and DramaFever managed to license and subtitle the vast majority of K-dramas. The immense uproar whenever a show didn't get picked up right away by either site was often a sign that we (American) K-drama fans really did have access to legal subs for most dramas.</div>
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In 2017, that changed. We saw both heavy-hitters losing out on licensing rights as the Big Three (KBS, SBS, and MBC) decided to branch off and form their own streaming service, Kocowa. <i>Then</i>, after a trend of licensing less and less K-drama content over the last few years, Netflix made a deal with cable provider JTBC to air much of its content exclusively. Initially, some fans took a "What's the issue with more streaming options?" mentality. As a cynic with some background knowledge of the K-drama licensing game, I wasn't as optimistic. </div>
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Either way, we can now see some of the results over the last few months. Viki and DramaFever have both lost out on a fair amount of content, Viki ended up adding a higher-tier plan to allow access to some Kocowa content, tvN (which isn't part of the Kocowa trifecta) became a total crapshoot on whether anyone would get any of its shows, and anyone hoping to see JTBC dramas like <i>Age of Youth 2 </i>or <i>Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food</i> gets to sit and twiddle their thumbs, wondering when it will finally show up on Netflix. </div>
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Or you can give up on all of that nonsense and find *ahem* <i>alternative</i> options that will probably give your computer the electronic version of syphilis. </div>
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Sometimes I'll be lucky and find access to a show as it airs, but the farther we get from the premiere date, the less enthusiasm I feel to follow along. </div>
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Dying Fan Discussions</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmb_tTYVdP8JZpAFHY_lQ8cyvfsOfjeSGdnwvQe-4-3glvWMmDLsVrm5ljWEE0khhJZ3FbE6Nu9kyQ-G1Oo1mATjegPQ7H8Ahc6OkQRspepm1qUcFZPKByJZx67jW8vav7nb7GE7W5uPDk/s1600/Oh+My+Venus+sad+couch.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmb_tTYVdP8JZpAFHY_lQ8cyvfsOfjeSGdnwvQe-4-3glvWMmDLsVrm5ljWEE0khhJZ3FbE6Nu9kyQ-G1Oo1mATjegPQ7H8Ahc6OkQRspepm1qUcFZPKByJZx67jW8vav7nb7GE7W5uPDk/s400/Oh+My+Venus+sad+couch.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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When you fragment when the international fandom gets access to shows, you also fragment the discussion. Some people watch raw or scour the internet for illegal subs so they can follow along with the simulcast, while others end up waiting until weeks—or months—after the show first airs.</div>
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In a similar vein, if you poke around <a href="http://www.dramabeans.com/" target="_blank">Dramabeans</a>, you'll see that it's not nearly as active as it once was. I've read that the site has been struggling with technical difficulties over the last few months, so I'm definitely <i>not </i>implying they're under any obligation to publish more when they're busy fixing stuff. Still, Dramabeans is probably a first stop for many new K-drama fans, and when their recaps suddenly dwindle to one lone recapper, it's hard not to feel like no new shows are airing—or maybe that the new shows just aren't worth talking about.</div>
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I wouldn't have noticed any of this early in my K-drama days. I started out with fully complete dramas, and I didn't watch my first live drama for months. Now, though, I enjoy the hype of watching a show at the same time as everyone else and seeing how other fans react in real time before we all know how a series will end. When you're not sure who's watching what or where they're going to discuss it, some of that enthusiasm starts to fade.</div>
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Is It Just Me?</h3>
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With all that being said, is it just me? Or has anyone else been feeling the same sense of drama malaise of late? If I'm just not watching the right shows, let me know so we can get through the drought together!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKP4aA98fJYB0kmuVY8VlSPJ7_IfM9P9KPzZGiaJsDMcl9QFAsJvXYj93lmTp3hvshMayVDXBRn9rGXi9YM2U_ii5rmMShSCNvF73Fpx3N9qG1GMZsRP92lQAZHmypuZCUaPTVIgGnN9B-/s1600/Age+of+youth+friendship.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="750" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKP4aA98fJYB0kmuVY8VlSPJ7_IfM9P9KPzZGiaJsDMcl9QFAsJvXYj93lmTp3hvshMayVDXBRn9rGXi9YM2U_ii5rmMShSCNvF73Fpx3N9qG1GMZsRP92lQAZHmypuZCUaPTVIgGnN9B-/s400/Age+of+youth+friendship.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518010523528252915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846709423440845137.post-15164025391379900352018-03-24T17:02:00.001-06:002018-03-25T11:25:04.180-06:00Misty Korean Drama Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You'll notice I've been too lazy to post anything in about two months. But now, thanks to the complete and utter trash fire disguised as cleverness that was the finale of <i>Misty</i>, here I am. Nothing like a little (okay, a lot of) rage to fuel the blogging flames!<br />
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The thing is, I wouldn't be so angry at <i>Misty</i> if I hadn't loved it so much up until the ending. I started reviewing this K-drama in my head all last week, ready to sing its praises to the heavens (and the drama viewers who hadn't started it yet).<br />
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So, before I have my say about <i>Misty's </i>ending, let's review all of the many things that went right in this K-drama. Don't worry—I'll warn you when we're heading into spoilers.<br />
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The Good</h3>
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<b>A complex female lead you can't help but admire</b></div>
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<i>Misty </i>revolves around successful news anchor Go Hye Ran (Kim Nam Joo). When she's accused of the murder of a former lover, her estranged husband, Kang Tae Wook (Ji Jin Hee) must step in as her defense lawyer.</div>
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Let us all pause here to recognize the sheer glory that is the character of Go Hye Ran. I jumped ship over to this show in a bout of frustration over <i>Hwayugi</i> basically sidelining its female lead, and <i>Misty </i>saved me from just about giving up on all K-dramas.</div>
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Years ago, I wrote a post about <a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2015/05/in-defense-of-unlikable-female-leads.html" target="_blank">"unlikable" female leads</a> in K-dramas. I didn't know it then, but Go Hye Ran is the drama character I was wishing and waiting for. She's not a perfectly "good" person, and I often disagreed with the choices she made—but that's exactly what makes her so compelling.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">😍😍😍</td></tr>
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Here we have an ambitious, successful, capable, determined, and brilliant woman, and we see how having all of those qualities in a world dominated by men has forced her to also be calculating, hard, and, at times, outright cruel. Over the course of the drama, she doesn't become an entirely different person or a docile, domesticated female lead, but instead, she embraces who she is while also learning how to be vulnerable and open herself to love. </div>
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I don't often watch melodramas, but I found myself swept up in Hye Ran's story because all of the emotions felt realistic and earned.</div>
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<b>The pantsuits</b></div>
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Yes, the pantsuits get their own subhead (and ahead of the romance, to boot). Whoever ran the wardrobe department on this series should get a gigantic bonus because Kim Nam Joo looked flawless from head to toe in every single scene. I would watch this entire series all over again just to bask in the beauty of those pantsuits once more.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Absolute perfection.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiM4uLe_tLovoPFZLFxA2o9Q4LhB2jJ_p_kmZHJul5nhBZgcEYuP_VEKMcCB5wrLcwlLQ4Vnn6epnROaxL2LImUVEJ3rL1mlo83gKO_AkKyxU6zhGSaCWMxJxu2Bz3_b_bfLb_B48iQxe-/s1600/Go+Hye+Ran+pantsuit+misty+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="897" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiM4uLe_tLovoPFZLFxA2o9Q4LhB2jJ_p_kmZHJul5nhBZgcEYuP_VEKMcCB5wrLcwlLQ4Vnn6epnROaxL2LImUVEJ3rL1mlo83gKO_AkKyxU6zhGSaCWMxJxu2Bz3_b_bfLb_B48iQxe-/s640/Go+Hye+Ran+pantsuit+misty+2.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bam. (Ji Jin Hee ain't half bad, either.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Pantsuit envy is a very real malady, okay?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>The relationship dynamic</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>Misty </i>isn't a traditional romance by any means, but it's certainly a compelling one. Just like I rooted for Hye Ran without applauding every single decision she made, I also fell hard for what a friend called Tae Wook's "courtly love" while also recognizing that his adoration wasn't always healthy or productive. (More on this later.) </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
They're two flawed people navigating a very flawed relationship, and I found myself breathlessly hanging on to every longing glance from Tae Wook or small smile from Hye Ran.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It doesn't hurt that Kim Nam Joo and Ji Jin Hee make for a mature, sexy onscreen couple. There were a few scenes where they walked off arm in arm, and I just thought "<i>Dang</i>, they look good."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiILUzgyk5T9MiAJ1dkfwpjRS3yj4bSLDLPnRHticJZWmvGlfS_4ummWbDiYiKR7_D0GQpIXi6S6OHOgLlBjDux2nY3DL3pQsiFabBKXUJvdlvIMEbKpWz7zjpqjVEDo6BES6IHqEhGFDUQ/s1600/Go+Hye+Ran+Tae+Wook+Misty.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="899" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiILUzgyk5T9MiAJ1dkfwpjRS3yj4bSLDLPnRHticJZWmvGlfS_4ummWbDiYiKR7_D0GQpIXi6S6OHOgLlBjDux2nY3DL3pQsiFabBKXUJvdlvIMEbKpWz7zjpqjVEDo6BES6IHqEhGFDUQ/s640/Go+Hye+Ran+Tae+Wook+Misty.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cue "Sexy and I Know It"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
The Bad (WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD)</h3>
<div>
Don't read after this if you don't want to be spoiled on what happens!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
(Is it safe to start?)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
THAT ENDING.</div>
<div>
DJF;HGSHG;OISEHRG;IUEHRGUHERIULGHERLIUGBHVJEBRLGIUHELRG</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Related image" height="320" src="https://media.tenor.com/images/5d6f38b9d0192b7f88aa9b90fc6330fc/tenor.gif" width="400" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I did not go into <i>Misty </i>expecting a happy ending. I wasn't watching to see Hye Ran and Tae Wook strolling off cheerfully into the sunset, so the fact that it's a tragic ending isn't what made me so upset.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
But here's what gets me: that <i>particular </i>choice of an ending undermined almost every single thing I loved about the rest of the show. Some people may see the whole thing as a clever twist or as a reasonable outcome for a complex story like this, but I honestly feel like the writer sacrificed the heart of the series for the sake of surprise.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Let me climb atop a very large soap box to explain why.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Ok, so Tae Wook is the killer. SURPRISE! Yes, it's an unexpected outcome, but it also takes all of those nuanced, emotional interactions between Tae Wook and Hye Ran and releases a giant fart in their face.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Tae Wook didn't have to learn to trust and believe Hye Ran because he knew she wasn't the killer from the very start. Sure, there's still the internal conflict of defending a wife he believes has betrayed him, but he also doesn't have much choice because she's getting blamed for something <i>he </i>did. Way to cut the emotional legs out from under the entire first half of the show.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
All those scenes where she's begging him to believe her? Oh wait, pointless. He's a murdery murderpants. And he just stood there and watched her sob.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoKCXAMnlSlpI2D-1_sZpZErz2RtUJLPFyzpFeRjvZEkWKTg5tj0PLwIsytsUu-kcxQtCv4XX5yvWJIwbgHe-SB-82WfO6EXKZJW3h3k60l_kzpdjJ1F8Fzhm_vW2CS8LdQ51xm4dOJPkA/s1600/Kang+Tae+wook+gaze+Misty.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="505" data-original-width="894" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoKCXAMnlSlpI2D-1_sZpZErz2RtUJLPFyzpFeRjvZEkWKTg5tj0PLwIsytsUu-kcxQtCv4XX5yvWJIwbgHe-SB-82WfO6EXKZJW3h3k60l_kzpdjJ1F8Fzhm_vW2CS8LdQ51xm4dOJPkA/s640/Kang+Tae+wook+gaze+Misty.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So what you're telling me is this face was a lie.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7NGb7mMZ1Wy_PVokg2-HZsEeFgTKT-Ub5MpdyOOeEIb2svEowY5MfO3lUfO7lt19HSsoOp7PT7J3aCeXI9kAKcpoFBARk7Vxy54LUVpYWwM9FfXwSydM1ElsnbQfoIopuaGMuQHSUXZ70/s1600/Misty+Tae+Wook+gaze.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="888" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7NGb7mMZ1Wy_PVokg2-HZsEeFgTKT-Ub5MpdyOOeEIb2svEowY5MfO3lUfO7lt19HSsoOp7PT7J3aCeXI9kAKcpoFBARk7Vxy54LUVpYWwM9FfXwSydM1ElsnbQfoIopuaGMuQHSUXZ70/s640/Misty+Tae+Wook+gaze.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And these puppy eyes?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-LfMKjHciU1GhaJRrjUasVaCGNdTThnn-2ZOrbM3Yd9K1qpntTrEgLyRHBNmCCexBSwkwQRWmOjvWBctvLCDk7xwrOt79Z7P3tjy7_N6rkBhSqxxFbWAc57zfP3aCO-ENnKj1T5oLrHK/s1600/Misty+Tae+Wook+gaze+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="893" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-LfMKjHciU1GhaJRrjUasVaCGNdTThnn-2ZOrbM3Yd9K1qpntTrEgLyRHBNmCCexBSwkwQRWmOjvWBctvLCDk7xwrOt79Z7P3tjy7_N6rkBhSqxxFbWAc57zfP3aCO-ENnKj1T5oLrHK/s640/Misty+Tae+Wook+gaze+3.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Surely not this one too!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
But even if the writer <i>must </i>make Tae Wook the killer (which I don't buy because who killed Kevin wasn't the actual point of the show to begin with—why not just reveal that it really was an accident or leave it ambiguous?), the way the aftermath played out in the final episode was even worse.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Allow me to take some deep, calming breaths before rage typing about this.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Throughout the entirety of <i>Misty</i>, people like the police officer and Eun Joo keep making comments about how the death of the pawn shop owner and, later, Kevin, are Hye Ran's fault because the men around her kill to protect her.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The way the finale plays out just reinforces that claim.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
So let me get this straight. Because Hye Ran has the <i>absolute audacity </i>to want to go to college or break the glass ceiling or—I don't know—not get sexually assaulted by a guy she dumped a decade ago, she cannot possibly learn to have a normal, loving relationship.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Did she do things wrong throughout the show? Yes. But we already saw how she and Tae Wook worked through the betrayal of her abortion and her tryst with Kevin. Literally the only reason the show has for suggesting that she doesn't deserve happiness at this point is that she's Go Hye Ran. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLpxL-9tqMXn59v_W_XiQMY4nUzFx26tZjdDn2-I6miH7nRn1vAN96wYs9FS0UCO649HzdS7sLTPBC9ROIjQ_6HO4FATwgi1oTwfLCh963WmLF5TqEQRylfpZILIZhdhRY7YgFL-CxVy50/s1600/Misty+couple.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="897" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLpxL-9tqMXn59v_W_XiQMY4nUzFx26tZjdDn2-I6miH7nRn1vAN96wYs9FS0UCO649HzdS7sLTPBC9ROIjQ_6HO4FATwgi1oTwfLCh963WmLF5TqEQRylfpZILIZhdhRY7YgFL-CxVy50/s640/Misty+couple.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The finale reaffirms that no one in their right mind would love such a woman, and the only men who could possibly stick with someone as ambitious as her are obsessive, impulsive killers. If only Hye Ran had been nice and sweet and popped out babies for her in-laws to admire, Tae Wook wouldn't have snapped! </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Even the final scenes support the idea that Hye Ran had no right to think she could ever be happy. Tae Wook's "Hye Ran-ah...so, are you happy?" mocks her and her foolish belief that a powerful woman is also allowed to have a personal life.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
OF COURSE SHE'S NOT HAPPY, YOU MORONS! Why would she be happy when she's spent her entire life traumatized by guilt over an act of violence that wasn't her fault, only to let her guard down a teensy tiny bit and have ANOTHER idiot take over her life with ANOTHER act of violence that wasn't her fault.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Forget the beautiful relationship of mutual respect she's built with her boss over the years. Forget how she becomes a trusted mentor for the upcoming generation of reporters. Forget how she took down the untouchable baddies. Forget all of that because this ending is about dudes making terrible decisions and everyone blaming it on her. (And that police officer can go take his self-righteous lectures on a long walk off a short pier because accusing people of murder over decades-old hunches is <i>way </i>less ethical than anything Hye Ran did.)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Image result for rage gif" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/cWycD1RFLr88U/giphy.gif" /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Watching all of this play out makes me want to go full Myung Woo on whoever thought this was a great idea. Congratulations. You've taken badass Go Hye Ran fighting against sexism and injustice and turned it into dudes controlling Hye Ran's entire life again. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<h3>
Is <i>Misty </i>worth watching?</h3>
<div>
If you asked me a week ago, I would have said yes times ten million. But now? Maybe I'll have a better answer for you once the emotional response wears off.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
At least we'll always have the pantsuits.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwr1IyDe5RklGn2izmmHy2MgRz9zkllPMndWoHn7QvVv-FIH3LCkMT8xeYmr6ircJxjEiBX7Vu47sAv_4TwkCwdorynTBzD1okqoe-eWig1GmR_OS6MSPPmXz8h_qqBUmHiLUsmhCl3doX/s1600/Go+Hye+Ran+pantsuit+misty.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="874" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwr1IyDe5RklGn2izmmHy2MgRz9zkllPMndWoHn7QvVv-FIH3LCkMT8xeYmr6ircJxjEiBX7Vu47sAv_4TwkCwdorynTBzD1okqoe-eWig1GmR_OS6MSPPmXz8h_qqBUmHiLUsmhCl3doX/s640/Go+Hye+Ran+pantsuit+misty.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Where to watch <i>Misty:</i></b></div>
<div>
<a href="https://www.dramafever.com/drama/5154/Misty/" target="_blank">DramaFever</a></div>
Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518010523528252915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846709423440845137.post-41330873058659668612018-03-18T11:00:00.000-06:002018-03-25T11:16:50.624-06:00List of the Best Korean Dramas Available for Streaming On Netflix 2018Here is a list of K-dramas currently streaming on <a href="http://netflix.com/">Netflix</a> <b>(updated March 2018)</b>. It's pretty great considering that when I first started watching Kdramas on Netflix years ago, they had only three. We've noticed that this is a popular search term, and people have asked us for this list. Netflix rotates their selection of Korean dramas, so we'll try to update this every once in a while. I tried to categorize them as best as possible, but some of them fall under multiple genres. I put symbols next to the ones we've watched to show how we feel about them.<br />
<br />
You can find out more about them and other K-dramas we recommend that aren't on Netflix but are on <a href="http://dramafever.com/?utm_source=hasoffers&utm_medium=textlink&utm_term=kdramafighting&utm_campaign=affiliate&offer_id=7&aff_id=220" target="_blank">DramaFever</a> or <a href="http://viki.com/" target="_blank">Viki</a> in our post <a href="http://kdramafighting.blogspot.com/2013/03/best-korean-drama-recommendations-for.html">Best Korean Drama Recommendations.</a> There are also links to the ones we've reviewed here on our blog. Have fun watching your favorite K-dramas without commercials!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRjIxfoh3OqOsgm6H7rWy1kRIYhRiGVFX8tUoOG59iZDMOPIGIZBi5e2WZvbQj3cwXcR9vGUbeL1bJMH4wmA88ya7Rsnwih7lAZbUKDycOjsZzBraXQiq7xESJJLMMelWPGMGLwfcVpSA/s1600/me+when+a+commercial+interrupts+kdrama+kdrama+fighting+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRjIxfoh3OqOsgm6H7rWy1kRIYhRiGVFX8tUoOG59iZDMOPIGIZBi5e2WZvbQj3cwXcR9vGUbeL1bJMH4wmA88ya7Rsnwih7lAZbUKDycOjsZzBraXQiq7xESJJLMMelWPGMGLwfcVpSA/s320/me+when+a+commercial+interrupts+kdrama+kdrama+fighting+2.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<h4>
Key: </h4>
<b>* Really Liked</b><br />
<b>+ Just Ok</b><br />
<b>- Didn't Like</b><br />
<b># Quit Watching</b><br />
<b>% Web Series (very short, fluffy episodes)</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Pro Tip:</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">You can pull up a full list of Korean dramas on Netflix at any given time by going to </span><a href="http://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/67879">www.netflix.com/browse/genre/67879</a>. <span style="font-weight: normal;">I like to sort alphabetically instead of looking at the Netflix recommendations because I've often already seen the recommended dramas. If you want Korean movies instead, swap out that number at the end of the URL for </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">5685.</span></h4>
<h4>
Here's the full list of what's currently available:</h4>
<h4>
<u>Romantic Comedies</u></h4>
After School; Lucky or Not%+<br />
<a href="http://kdramafighting.blogspot.com/2016/09/age-of-youth-k-drama-review.html" target="_blank">Age of Youth</a> (under title <i>Hello, My Twenties</i>)*<br />
Can We Get Married<br />
Click Your Heart%+<br />
The Cravings%<br />
Descendants of the Sun#<br />
Detective Alice%<br />
Dream Knight%+<br />
Falling for Innocence (under the title <i>Beating Again</i>)<br />
Kpop: Extreme Survival<br />
In Need of Romance<br />
In Need of Romance 2<br />
<a href="http://kdramafighting.blogspot.com/2014/06/mini-reviews-sly-and-single-again-i.html" target="_blank">In Need of Romance 3</a>+<br />
Jumping Girl%<br />
<a href="http://kdramafighting.blogspot.com/2014/04/lets-eat-korean-drama-review.html" target="_blank">Let's Eat</a>*<br />
Let's Eat 2*<br />
Love Cells%<br />
Love for Ten: Generation of Youth%<br />
Magic Phone%<br />
The Miracle%+<br />
Miss Temper and Nam Jung Gi (under the title <i>My Horrible Boss</i>)<br />
Momo Salon%<br />
My Little Baby<br />
My Only Love Song+#%<br />
My Runway<br />
Never Die%<br />
Noble, My Love%+<br />
<a href="http://kdramafighting.blogspot.com/2015/07/new-drama-alert-oh-my-ghostess-and-time.html" target="_blank">Oh My Ghostess</a>*<br />
One More Time<br />
Panda and Hedgehog<br />
Part-Time Idol%<br />
Ready for Start%<br />
<a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2013/07/reliving-my-adolescence-korean-style.html" target="_blank">Reply 1997</a>*<br />
<a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2014/07/ahhh-young-love-answer-me-1994-reply.html" target="_blank">Reply 1994</a>*<br />
Sound of Your Heart%<br />
Spark%<br />
<a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/04/strong-woman-do-bong-soon-k-drama.html" target="_blank">Strong Woman Do Bong Soon</a>+<br />
Tamra, the Island<br />
To Be Continued%#<br />
What in the World Happened?<br />
<br />
<br />
<u><b>Melodramas</b></u><br />
<br />
28 Moons<br />
A Man Called God<br />
Argon<br />
Beloved Eun Dong (under the title <i>This Is My Love</i>)<br />
Black<br />
Cain and Abel<br />
Color of Woman<br />
Falling in Love with Soon Jung (under the title <i>Beating Again</i>)*<br />
Fantastic<br />
Goodbye, Mr. Black<br />
Goodbye, My Wife<br />
Happy And<br />
Heaven's Garden<br />
Immortal Classic<br />
Lady in Dignity<br />
Love Rain<br />
Lucid Dream<br />
Mirror of the Witch (under the title <i>Secret Healer</i>)<br />
Misaeng, Incomplete Life<br />
Night Light (under the title <i>White Nights</i>)<br />
Nightmare High%<br />
Operation Proposal<br />
Outstanding Woman<br />
President<br />
Prison Playbook<br />
Quiz from God<br />
Saving Mrs. Go Bong Shil (under title <i>Go! Mrs. Go</i>)<br />
Secret Love Affair<br />
This Week, My Wife Will Have an Affair (under the title <i>Listen to Love</i>)<br />
Tong: Memories%<br />
Under the Black Moonlight<br />
Wild Chives and Soybean Soup (under title <i>12 Years Promise</i>)<br />
<br />
<h4>
<u>Action/Thriller/Crime Drama </u></h4>
Aftermath%<br />
Bad Guys*<br />
Bad Guys: Vile City<br />
Cho Yong<br />
D-Day<br />
Gab-dong<br />
Last<br />
Man to Man<br />
<a href="http://kdramafighting.blogspot.com/2014/06/mini-reviews-sly-and-single-again-i.html" target="_blank">Nine</a><br />
Solomon's Perjury<br />
Stranger (Forest of Secrets)*<br />
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<b>Note: </b>Netflix swaps out its Korean dramas pretty regularly, so if you see any new ones that have been added and aren't on the list, let us know! Also comment below on which of these you recommend.<br />
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<b>After a recent layout switch, we're seeing comments posted before April 7, 2017 missing on a few posts. We're working on a solution, and in the meantime, any new comments you leave will work!</b><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11410627517583515240noreply@blogger.com145tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846709423440845137.post-24157317304303082452018-01-28T21:24:00.002-07:002018-01-28T21:24:38.706-07:00Jugglers and I Am Not a Robot K-drama Reviews <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU3ghGOx5D3a6FcsvEhY5lGSVwBHoFB4uyancv4MymH3wtle0y1PVIGdfekxO2hW2r1_IuKrhCaF36XJ7e2Gu6wOEPM18NEdlcs0ULhzLErXw9bH37x8lqDA5EGzadVv4z5q0tgTSO49DA/s1600/I+am+not+a+robot+jugglers+posters.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="658" data-original-width="903" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU3ghGOx5D3a6FcsvEhY5lGSVwBHoFB4uyancv4MymH3wtle0y1PVIGdfekxO2hW2r1_IuKrhCaF36XJ7e2Gu6wOEPM18NEdlcs0ULhzLErXw9bH37x8lqDA5EGzadVv4z5q0tgTSO49DA/s640/I+am+not+a+robot+jugglers+posters.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Ugggggggggggggggggggggh January. I just can't. As someone who doesn't winter well, I have this rule where I limit myself to a strict entertainment diet of romcoms (plus a healthy dose of the ever-fantastic <i>Grace and Frankie</i>) from roughly November through February. Once the sun comes out, I can watch legal shows and melos, but for now, I need light, cheery K-dramas, and plenty of them.<div>
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That's where <i>Jugglers </i>and <i>I Am Not a Robot </i>come in. Though they have very, very different premises, they both billed themselves as fluffy romances perfect for the dead-of-winter doldrums. Basically, I'm basing these reviews on how well they dragged me through January.</div>
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<a name='more'></a><h3>
Jugglers K-drama Review</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkEx3yDhRxWPEZxq-zkgUTTd1mOEGQYRCsplnyG0afAjq5DtUKejFV2aVovRCe9SXqYTURZr5ude-gXX22OXmFvciNf6ly4tnBfPSmPnuzhAoRwtWzT4jlRe6GSTFrX7uTXrJQ1v-h74Ys/s1600/Jugglers+steamed+glasses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkEx3yDhRxWPEZxq-zkgUTTd1mOEGQYRCsplnyG0afAjq5DtUKejFV2aVovRCe9SXqYTURZr5ude-gXX22OXmFvciNf6ly4tnBfPSmPnuzhAoRwtWzT4jlRe6GSTFrX7uTXrJQ1v-h74Ys/s640/Jugglers+steamed+glasses.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>Jugglers</i> isn't anything we haven't seen a bazillion times before. Rich boss with a tragic history healed by the magic of looooooove when he meets his match in a poor, sassy underling.</div>
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Despite its cliche beginnings, <i>Jugglers </i>managed to stay afloat with a couple of charming leads in the form of Choi Daniel and Baek Jin Hee. Their adorable and often hilarious interactions (exhibit A: that questionnaire; exhibit B: their matching slippers) kept me watching, and I was incredibly pleased to see that the drama avoided the obvious noble idiocy traps that would usually pop up in a series like this.</div>
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And yet. </div>
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As much as I initially enjoyed <i>Jugglers </i>for what it was, I lost that desire to watch new episodes the second they came out (and maybe/definitely made it through the last third of the show with a combo of recaps and watching only the romance scenes). When I looked back after the finale, I realized that in retrospect, the show was pretty disappointing on a few fronts that weren't immediately apparent. Allow me to list a few complaints:</div>
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<b>Why are they in love? </b>No, seriously—why? We went from enemies to kinda-trusted colleagues and then leaped straight to dating for the entire second half of the show. </div>
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A friend of mine complained after the first kiss that she didn't get why Chi Won was so attracted to Yoon Yi when she consistently seemed annoyed by him. At the time, I argued that she was noticing his needs and caring for him, but I also assumed that the attraction would take some additional time to build. </div>
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Not so.</div>
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They barely realized they liked each other. Then he kissed her (without bothering to see if she had any interest in him first, which seems like a terrible idea if you're someone's boss, for the record). Then they were full-fledged dating and magically cured all of his relationship issues and PTSD because loooooooove and couldn't live without each other and were willing to give up everything for each other (again, because loooooooooove). But where was the part where they got to that stage? Did I miss it during a bathroom break?</div>
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<b>The power dynamic. </b>From episode 1, it's clear that the secretary/boss relationship across the company was completely toxic, but Yoon Yi bought into it wholeheartedly. At first, I had high hopes that Chi Won would help Yoon Yi take down the idea that a secretary is a glorified servant.</div>
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And then where do we end up? Sure, they get rid of some of the terrible bosses, but they leave the underlying boss/secretary structure unquestioned. Yoon Yi and Chi Won basically lose their minds at the idea that Yoon Yi might not be able to sharpen Chi Won's pencils anymore. Because sharpening her boyfriend's pencils (which <i>definitely </i>sounds like a euphemism for office sex) is apparently her absolute highest aspiration in life.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ6568cnSJxAJLc6J7dV7wkev2Yn5yX4-EqBm9IasZ9vRzMPTyEf4tFm9jOyiMnmBVoAXEefM0umm-AVCGrIr579hrs6uYz03G4BYJy3ojjUupS1UkwLzksK74weUHrNDz_gBk8R7aKAY_/s1600/Jugglers+crying.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="909" data-original-width="1600" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ6568cnSJxAJLc6J7dV7wkev2Yn5yX4-EqBm9IasZ9vRzMPTyEf4tFm9jOyiMnmBVoAXEefM0umm-AVCGrIr579hrs6uYz03G4BYJy3ojjUupS1UkwLzksK74weUHrNDz_gBk8R7aKAY_/s640/Jugglers+crying.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But...*sob*...<i>the pencils!</i></td></tr>
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Let's not even get into the fact that her continuing to be his secretary is pretty problematic from an HR perspective, especially when you consider that he already abused his position of power to take out petty jealousy on one of his subordinates. But they're in loooooove (Why, though?), so sure, it's totally fine and appropriate.</div>
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<b>The kissing scenes. </b>Were those supposed to be romantic? A couple of them worked, but then you get him Quasimodo-hunching over her while she's supposedly sick and probably snotting all over his face, and then you start to wonder if the director has ever kissed anyone in real life. </div>
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<b>Is <i>Jugglers </i>worth watching?</b><br />
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If it sounds like I hated <i>Jugglers</i>, I really didn't. I thoroughly enjoyed myself for the first half of the series, but one cute, bickering couple didn't end up being enough to carry a full 16 episodes for me, and I couldn't help but end up wishing it packed a little more punch. If you're content with light fluff and a lot of fast-forwarding though pointless office filler, it could be just the ticket for you.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRxSDpz1iOBx-KwWU33H_AyMYM5ziDupZUCF6tb4sFJ8qQ4CdeTmS7sdtVNnCGSyK2aNyFXo_mBEmihyphenhyphenomN3ZJildl1NzxT-urtg27Aj3InFxIZTYEVVQZUWl7M5mUrapPsW5T7SDRPRox/s1600/Jugglers+crinkle+eyes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRxSDpz1iOBx-KwWU33H_AyMYM5ziDupZUCF6tb4sFJ8qQ4CdeTmS7sdtVNnCGSyK2aNyFXo_mBEmihyphenhyphenomN3ZJildl1NzxT-urtg27Aj3InFxIZTYEVVQZUWl7M5mUrapPsW5T7SDRPRox/s640/Jugglers+crinkle+eyes.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just assume this screenshot is a stand-in for me saying things about Lee Won Geun's storyline.</td></tr>
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<h3>
<i>I Am Not a Robot </i>K-drama Review</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6yzj4JI9NIdsWQvk3l0vdTb_yTw91BuOJA9EW1dQ65HczvYMNsxUX-FDv62Kf113v9RYSo2bFhWilspnONRjq2mT411ghSjixVm5zxs1fmF6pbgjoFU2HWb6OySVS9NacW9x7YNwko1so/s1600/Im+not+a+robot+min+kyu+and+jia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="1280" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6yzj4JI9NIdsWQvk3l0vdTb_yTw91BuOJA9EW1dQ65HczvYMNsxUX-FDv62Kf113v9RYSo2bFhWilspnONRjq2mT411ghSjixVm5zxs1fmF6pbgjoFU2HWb6OySVS9NacW9x7YNwko1so/s640/Im+not+a+robot+min+kyu+and+jia.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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If <i>Jugglers </i>was a typical, cliche K-drama plot, <i>I Am Not a Robot </i>was at the complete opposite end of the spectrum. Sure, you still have a rich boss with a tragic history and a poor, sassy underling, but that rich boss happens to be allergic to humans, and the poor, sassy underling has to pretend to be a robot. </div>
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It's looking like robot romances will be the next big trend in dramaland, which means time travel and legal dramas might finally be running out of steam—unless there's a drama about a time-traveling android lawyer on the horizon somewhere (and if not, don't you dare steal that idea without paying me royalties, drama producers!). </div>
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Fortunately for <i>I Am Not a Robot</i>, it got out ahead of the trend, which allowed it to feel completely fresh and unique. Chae Soo Bin playing Jo Ji Ah pretending to be the robot Aji 3 captivated me from the first episode. The dual roles got so good that at one point, I caught myself forgetting that Aji 3 was <i>not</i>, in fact a robot with Chae Soo Bin's face. (Blame it on my paranoia about the inevitable robot revolution—it starts with robots who serve you tea and <a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/smalt-the-world-s-first-interactive-centerpiece-health#/" target="_blank">pointless salt shakers that play music</a>, and next thing you know, we're in full-fledged <i>Terminator </i>mode. That music-playing salt shaker is not your friend!)</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ieJOzMGV1ZNyAb2JFFp40qyEAJsyxBvjuqL31Z7IHFPYqVYmm2U_8t6rEj0LSxBFohp1cDX8989VD2DxTD-d8YEptdLyOf13Bbt1bYcNW5rbzm2LSHFc303oN9RwtlRP26poIpFRN-F6/s1600/Im+not+a+robot+aji3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="736" data-original-width="1280" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ieJOzMGV1ZNyAb2JFFp40qyEAJsyxBvjuqL31Z7IHFPYqVYmm2U_8t6rEj0LSxBFohp1cDX8989VD2DxTD-d8YEptdLyOf13Bbt1bYcNW5rbzm2LSHFc303oN9RwtlRP26poIpFRN-F6/s640/Im+not+a+robot+aji3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's allllll fun and games until Aji3 becomes our robot overlord with that lil Roomba as her second in command.</td></tr>
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Yoo Seung Ho also brought vulnerability and humanity to the character of Kim Min Kyu, who could easily have seemed like a run-of-the-mill controlling K-drama jerkface. When Min Kyu cried, I cried. When Min Kyu smiled, I smiled. (It doesn't hurt that Yoo Seung Ho and Chae Soo Bin have some of the most beautiful eye smiles ever in the history of all things.)</div>
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Together, the two leads had a comfortable, lived-in chemistry. I rather loved the idea that Ji Ah grew to know and love the real Min Kyu as he dropped all pretenses around his robot friend. Now <i>this </i>was a couple I understood and believed (and while we're making comparisons, I see the highly awkward and stiff countertop kiss from <i>Jugglers </i>and raise you the smoking countertop kiss in <i>I Am Not a Robot</i>).</div>
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<b>Downsides to <i>I Am Not a Robot</i></b></div>
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That's not to say that <i>I Am Not a Robot </i>didn't have its own struggles with pacing. The whole corporate intrigue/shady uncle/murderous American investor storyline was obvious filler that I watched only long enough to realize it was boring nonsense. Ditto to the cousin's predictable redemptive arc and everything involving Ji Ah's "love doctor" BFF who somehow manages to survive even though she literally has zero cafe visitors ever. <i>How does she pay for all those accessories?</i></div>
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<b>Is <i>I Am Not a Robot </i>worth watching?</b></div>
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In spite of some filler storylines and slow pacing with the robot/human reveal, <i>I Am Not a Robot</i> was a well-acted drama with some poignant moments and sweet chemistry. Be prepared for a saggy middle, but it's still a decently good watch.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuaQwTLpgNgOHVPbVVHpH9_bvQz_x6PmaspQe0JlpdC8NJL09oab5o3iedggkPMt6tOSMW_dHbufybWf20PrHIg0Y3Ljrw1ZP6U8G-GcrkwVXyVfe3kFa7En21UA5oOt1Hm5ChpLo7EmMu/s1600/I%2527m+not+a+robot+eye+smile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="1280" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuaQwTLpgNgOHVPbVVHpH9_bvQz_x6PmaspQe0JlpdC8NJL09oab5o3iedggkPMt6tOSMW_dHbufybWf20PrHIg0Y3Ljrw1ZP6U8G-GcrkwVXyVfe3kFa7En21UA5oOt1Hm5ChpLo7EmMu/s640/I%2527m+not+a+robot+eye+smile.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gah. How can you resist that face? You can't.<br />Unless you're a robot—in which case you also can't, if this show taught us anything.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h3>
What did you think?</h3>
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Did you watch <i>Jugglers </i>or <i>I Am Not a Robot</i>? Did winter make me too harsh on these dramas? Share your thoughts!</div>
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Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518010523528252915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846709423440845137.post-14952579013026689762017-12-23T16:30:00.000-07:002017-12-23T16:30:31.385-07:00Best and Worst K-dramas of 2017 Review: A Year of Disappointments and Pleasant Surprises<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0IMwxzDBdIneAHeKtZcsYUfsWZZrGKc4gpY5lsU5OX8YS-z6B2uJ3JWkx_9Es9E6xEW4C_6MCW60_GF-wN2mM9gLG23jv9vbV7MyM6WgnDxzfmyWJytJNnQ4TXEJ22Yj1gJbH9rwhBZyC/s1600/Because+this+is+our+first+life+shocked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0IMwxzDBdIneAHeKtZcsYUfsWZZrGKc4gpY5lsU5OX8YS-z6B2uJ3JWkx_9Es9E6xEW4C_6MCW60_GF-wN2mM9gLG23jv9vbV7MyM6WgnDxzfmyWJytJNnQ4TXEJ22Yj1gJbH9rwhBZyC/s640/Because+this+is+our+first+life+shocked.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I started writing this blog almost five years ago (Five years!!! Quick, someone give me awesome ideas on how to celebrate when our blogiversary hits!), and I have to say that 2017 was an off year in K-dramas.<br />
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Maybe it was just me being busy with real life and getting jaded with dramas, but based on the responses to my <a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/08/drama-slump-all-ridiculous-reasons-im.html" target="_blank">two K-drama</a> <a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/10/and-great-drama-slump-of-2017-continues.html" target="_blank">slump posts</a>, I tend to think this was an off K-drama year for quite a few people.<br />
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Like 2016, which I dubbed "<a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/01/2016-year-of-dropped-k-drama.html" target="_blank">The Year of the Dropped K-drama</a>," I dropped a whole bunch of shows without making it remotely close to the end. Even worse, I didn't even <i>start </i>a whole bunch of shows for several K-drama cycles.<br />
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Unlike 2016, though, I also found myself at the opposite end of the spectrum this year, pleasantly surprised by a few gems I didn't expect to like nearly as much as I did.<br />
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To cover the year of mixed bags, I'm reviewing the best and worst things about every drama I watched (or attempted to watch) in 2017 as I rank them from best to worst (according to my own very subjective enjoyment, of course).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcnYFr_essWlOml_DF3-k0dBTzBGRxWH8hHulo9P_37NLEFkdBJ5lpQ_ejn-nM-jlZSJHxfnzUwJ-1IBrxWT9LQtMgjpAWdxzWB1QcZOdhi9UDAKg6_lgm0-Z6yxYxlUHpbsig0qArySBD/s1600/Suspicious+partner+couple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcnYFr_essWlOml_DF3-k0dBTzBGRxWH8hHulo9P_37NLEFkdBJ5lpQ_ejn-nM-jlZSJHxfnzUwJ-1IBrxWT9LQtMgjpAWdxzWB1QcZOdhi9UDAKg6_lgm0-Z6yxYxlUHpbsig0qArySBD/s640/Suspicious+partner+couple.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px;">Note: </b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "lora" , serif; font-size: 16px;">I'm counting anything that mostly aired in 2017, even if it started in 2016 or will end in 2018. </span><br />
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<h2>
The Best and Worst of Every 2017 K-drama</h2>
<b>1.</b> <a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/10/new-k-drama-alert-20th-century-boy-and.html" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Because This Life Is Our First</a><br />
<b>Episodes watched: </b>All<br />
<b>Highlights: </b>Everything. Every. Single. Thing. This is one of those rare dramas where every time you brace yourself for disappointment, you end up pleasantly surprised by thoughtful writing and delightful characterization. This ranks as one of the top dramas of 2017 for sure. It wins for best writing, best feminism, best friendships, best cat, best everything.<br />
<b>Disappointments: </b>Okay, so maybe not <i>everything</i>. Those last two episodes let me down with a separation and time jump for no apparent reason. And then she has the nerve to <i>laugh</i>? No.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">2. <a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/05/an-underrated-gem-radiant-office-k.html" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Radiant Office</a></span><br />
<b>Episodes watched: </b>All<br />
<b>Highlights: </b>I'm getting a little depressed seeing other year-end posts and realizing that apparently no one else loved this drama nearly as much as I did. LISTEN UP, HUMANS OF THE INTERNET: <i>RADIANT OFFICE </i>IS A MAGNIFICENT GEM, AND I WILL FIGHT ANYONE WHO SAYS OTHERWISE.<br />
<b>Disappointments: </b>Yes, some small nitpicks exist. I do not care.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRfay_XDzd-uY-a7Zz4fev1QKgkFTKqkRyhbebpZP_R8DhF4qHffRMfNBnC6chvPfkjLsocLcK68KXzVoEyOu0EzsQrL9WwTZHZOtHafduZK76dI_sH6glh3u1tClw4sqyOvhTe5QdHvYc/s1600/IMG_0495.PNG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRfay_XDzd-uY-a7Zz4fev1QKgkFTKqkRyhbebpZP_R8DhF4qHffRMfNBnC6chvPfkjLsocLcK68KXzVoEyOu0EzsQrL9WwTZHZOtHafduZK76dI_sH6glh3u1tClw4sqyOvhTe5QdHvYc/s640/IMG_0495.PNG" width="640" /></a></b><br />
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<b>3. </b><a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2016/09/age-of-youth-k-drama-review.html" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Age of Youth 2</a><br />
<b>Episodes watched: </b>All (ish. I watched the last two raw while waiting for subs and never came back around to them later.)<br />
<b>Highlights: </b>The girls are back in top form! Everything I loved about <a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2016/09/age-of-youth-k-drama-review.html" target="_blank">season 1</a>—camaraderie, romance, slice-of-life scenarios—all returned in season 2. I could watch a zillion episodes of my Belle Epoque lovelies.<br />
<b>Disappointments: </b>Much of Eun Jae's arc irritated me this season. Couldn't have cared less about Heimdal. Couldn't have cared <i>more </i>about squeezing in a few extra scenes with Ji Won and Sung Min. Don't get me started on that epilogue.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">4. </span><i style="font-weight: bold;">Buamdong Revenge Club</i><br />
<b>Episodes watched: </b>7 (I'm finally finishing over Christmas, though, so this won't be a dropped drama!)<br />
<b>Highlights: </b>Lee Yo Won. Ra Mi Ran. Myung Se Bin. <span style="font-family: "apple color emoji" , "segoe ui emoji" , "notocoloremoji" , "segoe ui symbol" , "android emoji" , "emojisymbols"; font-size: 16px;">😍</span><span style="font-family: "apple color emoji" , "segoe ui emoji" , "notocoloremoji" , "segoe ui symbol" , "android emoji" , "emojisymbols"; font-size: 16px;">😍</span><span style="font-family: "apple color emoji" , "segoe ui emoji" , "notocoloremoji" , "segoe ui symbol" , "android emoji" , "emojisymbols"; font-size: 16px;">😍</span><span style="font-family: "apple color emoji" , "segoe ui emoji" , "notocoloremoji" , "segoe ui symbol" , "android emoji" , "emojisymbols"; font-size: 16px;">😍</span><span style="font-family: "apple color emoji" , "segoe ui emoji" , "notocoloremoji" , "segoe ui symbol" , "android emoji" , "emojisymbols"; font-size: 16px;">😍</span><span style="font-family: "apple color emoji" , "segoe ui emoji" , "notocoloremoji" , "segoe ui symbol" , "android emoji" , "emojisymbols"; font-size: 16px;">😍</span><span style="font-family: "apple color emoji" , "segoe ui emoji" , "notocoloremoji" , "segoe ui symbol" , "android emoji" , "emojisymbols"; font-size: 16px;">😍</span><span style="font-family: "apple color emoji" , "segoe ui emoji" , "notocoloremoji" , "segoe ui symbol" , "android emoji" , "emojisymbols"; font-size: 16px;">😍</span><span style="font-family: "apple color emoji" , "segoe ui emoji" , "notocoloremoji" , "segoe ui symbol" , "android emoji" , "emojisymbols"; font-size: 16px;">😍</span><span style="font-family: "apple color emoji" , "segoe ui emoji" , "notocoloremoji" , "segoe ui symbol" , "android emoji" , "emojisymbols"; font-size: 16px;">😍</span><span style="font-family: "apple color emoji" , "segoe ui emoji" , "notocoloremoji" , "segoe ui symbol" , "android emoji" , "emojisymbols"; font-size: 16px;">😍</span><span style="font-family: "apple color emoji" , "segoe ui emoji" , "notocoloremoji" , "segoe ui symbol" , "android emoji" , "emojisymbols"; font-size: 16px;">😍</span><br />
<b>Disappointments: </b>Some of the episodes feel repetitive from a plot perspective, which is why it's taken me a bit to finish. But unless everyone dies in the last episode and the husbands win, I feel pretty confident in this ranking.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">5. <a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/07/fight-my-way-and-suspicious-partner-k.html" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Fight My Way</a></span><br />
<b>Episodes watched: </b>All<br />
<b>Highights: </b>Talented leads playing unique, interesting characters. Friendship turning into romance. Kim Sung Oh! WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT FROM A SHOW?<br />
<b>Disappointments: </b>Oh, yeah. We want to not be distracted by a bunch of pointless side characters and birth secrets.<br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
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<div style="font-weight: bold;">
<div style="font-weight: 400;">
<b>6. <i>School 2017</i></b></div>
<div style="font-weight: 400;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: 400;">
<b>Episodes watched: </b>All</div>
<div style="font-weight: 400;">
<b>Highlights: </b>I almost didn't watch this, but who knew my favorite couple of the year would be this pair of high schoolers?</div>
<div style="font-weight: 400;">
<b>Disappointments: </b>Sure, the X mystery dragged on too long, but we're all in this for Tae Swoon anyway.</div>
</div>
<div style="font-weight: bold;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuPQGdDrFeLNcHN92mqnh5eeNJYgdnc5kyG9r_fjoGUGrGyVqn9apdUgbRqh86jy-NFxBee4SQdp2C-bdKM3BertY4P4bf-62o6SHva9f9GOSFcOIjhMgsV3rYOrjE05lg00gx0iEs_eMi/s1600/School+2017+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuPQGdDrFeLNcHN92mqnh5eeNJYgdnc5kyG9r_fjoGUGrGyVqn9apdUgbRqh86jy-NFxBee4SQdp2C-bdKM3BertY4P4bf-62o6SHva9f9GOSFcOIjhMgsV3rYOrjE05lg00gx0iEs_eMi/s640/School+2017+image.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>7. </b><i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/07/fight-my-way-and-suspicious-partner-k.html" target="_blank">Suspicious Partner</a></i><br />
<b>Episodes watched: </b>All<br />
<b>Highlights: </b>Oh Ji Chang Wook, how I do love thee.<br />
<b>Disappointments: </b>A sludgy second half not nearly as strong as the first.<b> </b><br />
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<b>8. <a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/10/new-k-drama-alert-20th-century-boy-and.html" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Go Back Couple</a></b><br />
<b>Episodes watched: </b>All<br />
<b>Highlights: </b>As someone whose mom died at a young age, I ugly cried over Jin Joo finding herself and reuniting with her mom every single week. This was the 2017 drama that hit me in the feels and got me emotionally invested way more than the drama probably deserved.<br />
<b>Disappointments: </b>If you have only 12 episodes to tell this story, how about you don't spend more than half of them with the male lead being a total dirtbag? Also, literally no one cares about the cheerleading couple. NO ONE.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>9. <a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/10/new-k-drama-alert-20th-century-boy-and.html" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">20th Century Boy and Girl</a></b><br />
<b>Episodes watched: </b>All<br />
<b>Highlights: </b>Female friendship abounding. The best cameo of the year in the form of Kim So Yeon. Also, Kim Ji Suk as the sweetest, most supportive male lead in a long time. It's very rare that I say this with all the emotionally broken, extremely wealthy man-children running amok in K-dramas, but he is someone I would encourage my friends to date if he existed in real life.<br />
<b>Disappointments: </b>Pretty lightweight on the <i>drama</i> side of K-drama, if that's what you're into.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLSBVPaZJIsHtB44qmtNQG8eXG2I3ZYm8DJ6W4gTZL0zhDzJlFLVRAh-PBmk0ASnTXlG9hHW_C-Vm_vt_FRaDIkF68FKKhe1ffV8BL5t129m0Rq-B8UErKffHt5pynB8Kj_cAmqTbCJp4W/s1600/IMG_0430.PNG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLSBVPaZJIsHtB44qmtNQG8eXG2I3ZYm8DJ6W4gTZL0zhDzJlFLVRAh-PBmk0ASnTXlG9hHW_C-Vm_vt_FRaDIkF68FKKhe1ffV8BL5t129m0Rq-B8UErKffHt5pynB8Kj_cAmqTbCJp4W/s640/IMG_0430.PNG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">10. </span><i style="font-weight: bold;">Chief Kim</i><br />
<b>Episodes watched: </b>All<br />
<b>Highlights: </b>Namgoong Min having a grand old time. This show also introduced me to the delights that are Junho and Dong Ha.<br />
<b>Disappointments: </b>I mean, I don't <i>actually </i>care about office politics in basically any show, so there's that.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">11. </span><i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/04/strong-woman-do-bong-soon-k-drama.html" target="_blank">Strong Woman Do Bong Soon</a></i><br />
<b>Episodes watched: </b>All<br />
<b>Highlights: </b>And IIIIIIIIIIIIIeeeeeIIIIIIIIIIII will always love youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.<br />
<b>Disappointments: </b>How they managed to make everything other than the central romance so incredibly bad is impressive.<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></i>
<span style="font-weight: bold;">12. </span><i style="font-weight: bold;">Goblin</i><br />
<b>Episodes watched: </b>5<br />
<b>Highlights: </b>Easily the most sweeping, captivating premiere of any show all year.<br />
<b>Disappointments: </b>This show is a paradox. How can it simultaneously be so magnificent and so boring?<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></i>
<span style="font-weight: bold;">13. </span><i style="font-weight: bold;">Chicago Typewriter</i><br />
<b>Episodes watched: </b>All<br />
<b>Highlights: </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22byTfD4uUk" target="_blank">That kiss</a>, which encapsulated so many of the best parts of this series (minus hot ghost Go Kyung Pyo, of course).<br />
<b>Disappointments: </b>Is there a cut of this show that's just the 1930s parts minus all the whiny modern-day parts? I want that, please.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7C51kfl66uRvVby7EtT21PO-5Ns3B0u0XE7ejo4ZDrpWLNSb1uF3SfXxFwRav8-EQHh2NrV-fAixexAjFDsel83sgobg44xFJY1tEtt6R5wrV5XrInaIvA-Qq26VP_7X_dFXkL3w-4ygj/s1600/Chicago+typewriter.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7C51kfl66uRvVby7EtT21PO-5Ns3B0u0XE7ejo4ZDrpWLNSb1uF3SfXxFwRav8-EQHh2NrV-fAixexAjFDsel83sgobg44xFJY1tEtt6R5wrV5XrInaIvA-Qq26VP_7X_dFXkL3w-4ygj/s640/Chicago+typewriter.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">14</span><i style="font-weight: bold;">. <a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/06/new-k-drama-alert-fight-my-way-my-sassy.html" target="_blank">The Best Hit</a></i><br />
<b>Episodes watched: </b>10<br />
<b>Highlights: </b>Harabeoji and Mal Sook making me ugly cry. The OST, including <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOI1Qr3iXBE" target="_blank">this Yoon Mi Rae song</a> that got stuck in my head for like a month.<br />
<b>Disappointments: </b>They should have skipped the romance and stuck to the father-son relationship.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">15.</span><i style="font-weight: bold;"> <a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/08/new-k-drama-alert-strongest-deliveryman.html" target="_blank">Strongest Deliveryman</a></i><br />
<b>Episodes watched: </b>8<br />
<b>Highlights: </b>Our clueless chaebol couple.<br />
<b>Disappointments: </b>After <i>Chicago Typewriter</i>, I thought for sure Go Kyung Pyo's first role as leading man would be amazing. Instead, I found his character self-righteous and boring.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">16. </span><i style="font-weight: bold;">Tunnel</i><br />
<b>Episodes watched: </b>4<br />
<b>Highlights: </b>Emotional punch from the beginning, and a good balance of humor against the darker subject matter.<br />
<b>Disappointments: </b>No disappointments—I just forgot to keep watching.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">17. </span><i style="font-weight: bold;">Voice</i><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Episodes watched: </span>6<br />
<b>Highlights: </b>Kim Jae Wook being creepier than I ever imagined possible.<br />
<b>Disappointments: </b>See <i>Tunnel. </i>Maybe no one should ever trust my judgment on crime shows because apparently I am terrible at finishing them.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">18. </span><i style="font-weight: bold;">Live Up to Your Name</i><br />
<b>Episodes watched: </b>6<br />
<b>Highlights: </b>Solid actors<br />
<b>Disappointments: </b>Meh, I couldn't get into it. I think I finally have to give up on pretending I like Kim Nam Gil's slapstick acting.<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></i>
<span style="font-weight: bold;">19. </span><i style="font-weight: bold;">Tomorrow with You</i><br />
<b>Episodes watched: 6</b><br />
<b>Highlights and disappointments: </b>I have to collapse these categories because I genuinely can't remember a single scene from the series, aside from maybe Shin Min Ah wearing some horrifying socks with heels. It ranks so high in the list only because there weren't things I actively hated about it.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">This is where the really bad ones start! Ranking #20 is not an accomplishment in this list!</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96W-rFPqUdNADXIxA8EHfpwISfQYN4jql9YI5hbBOr3iWOHwunx9ktvmYJQK9GnHqhaS9F3JvUZY4AcZEQlGPUHUkcmbtnRPlaRzW1x8jS66fVfzRGfRyk53RsPqXYCjDyDAqohv5emKO/s1600/Bride+of+the+ater+god.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96W-rFPqUdNADXIxA8EHfpwISfQYN4jql9YI5hbBOr3iWOHwunx9ktvmYJQK9GnHqhaS9F3JvUZY4AcZEQlGPUHUkcmbtnRPlaRzW1x8jS66fVfzRGfRyk53RsPqXYCjDyDAqohv5emKO/s640/Bride+of+the+ater+god.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-weight: bold;">20. </span><i style="font-weight: bold;">Bride of the Water God</i><br />
<b>Episodes watched: </b>All<br />
<b>Highlights: </b>Shin Se Kyung's wardrobe. Nam Joo Hyuk's sky palace costume.<br />
<b>Disappointments: </b>Pacing. Plot holes. The ending. Nam Joo Hyuk's human mullet.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">21. <a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/03/missing-9-k-drama-review-what-in-world.html" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Missing 9</a></span><br />
<b>Episodes watched: </b>All<br />
<b>Highlights: </b>This would be dead-last on the list if not for a wonderful romance built on mutual respect and friendship.<br />
<b>Disappointments: </b>A wonderful romance <i>where they never actually get together and <a href="https://media2.giphy.com/media/kHU8W94VS329y/giphy-downsized-large.gif" target="_blank">instead you have to watch a murderer wandering around for no discernible reason for a zillion episodes</a>.</i> What the hell, show?<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></i>
<span style="font-weight: bold;">22. </span><a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/10/new-k-drama-alert-20th-century-boy-and.html" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Revolutionary Love</a><br />
<b>Episodes watched: </b>6<br />
<b>Highlights: </b>Siwon and Kang Sora are so, so lovely.<br />
<b>Disappointments: </b>This series as a whole was written so, so poorly.<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></i>
<span style="font-weight: bold;">23. </span><i style="font-weight: bold;">Lingerie Girls' Generation</i><br />
<b>Episodes watched: </b>4<br />
<b>Highlights: </b>An interesting view into a period of Korean history I know very little about.<br />
<b>Disappointments: </b>A more boring and less good version of <i>Answer Me 1988.</i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">24. <a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/06/my-secret-romance-k-drama-review-is.html" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">My Secret Romance</a></span><br />
<b>Episodes watched: </b>All<br />
<b>Highlights: </b>Sung Hoon in a suit. Sung Hoon playing with children.<br />
<b>Disappointments: </b>Pretty much everything else.<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></i>
<span style="font-weight: bold;">25. </span><i style="font-weight: bold;">My Only Love Song</i><br />
<b>Episodes watched: </b>I don't remember. It's a blur.<br />
<b>Highlights: </b>I get weirdly excited about K-dramas on Netflix.<br />
<b>Disappointments: </b>I didn't actually like any of the characters. Bad sign?<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGc3QYAOoBQHI1pjKZqQ_mOKj6opwV44j1pYxYckY8sT2hUTZsGvSsk9Ghyphenhyphencj7BG_F5AeUEotFM-DRF4sZNr3uT0IZgy2JJx5G4953i0clmloBs03ZVzLLEwCCN6msdlXlS_0GSdzoIhox/s1600/My+sassy+girl.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGc3QYAOoBQHI1pjKZqQ_mOKj6opwV44j1pYxYckY8sT2hUTZsGvSsk9Ghyphenhyphencj7BG_F5AeUEotFM-DRF4sZNr3uT0IZgy2JJx5G4953i0clmloBs03ZVzLLEwCCN6msdlXlS_0GSdzoIhox/s640/My+sassy+girl.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">26.</span><i style="font-weight: bold;"> <a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/06/new-k-drama-alert-fight-my-way-my-sassy.html" target="_blank">My Sassy Girl</a></i><br />
<b>Episodes watched: </b>4<br />
<b>Highlights: </b>Pretty costumes?<br />
<b>Disappointments: </b>Just because Oh Yeon Seo <i>can </i>do over-the-top doesn't mean she <i>should.</i><br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></i>
<span style="font-weight: bold;">27. </span><i style="font-weight: bold;">Judge vs. Judge (aka Nothing to Lose)</i><br />
<b>Episodes watched: </b>8<br />
<b>Highlights: </b>A truly impressive cast<br />
<b>Disappointments: </b>Nothing about anything on this show makes sense.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">28. </span><i style="font-weight: bold;">Temperature of Love</i><br />
<b>Episodes watched: </b>4<br />
<b>Highlights: </b>Seo Hyun Jin<br />
<b>Disappointments: </b><a href="https://media.giphy.com/media/10fxZavhBFXsUE/giphy.gif" target="_blank">Me watching this show</a>.<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">29. <a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/03/new-k-drama-alert-liar-and-his-lover.html" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">The Liar and His Lover</a></span><br />
<b>Episodes watched: </b>1.5<br />
<b>Highlights: </b>...Other people seem to enjoy it?<br />
<b>Disappointments: </b>Every once in a while, you watch a show and think you're on crazy pills because your feelings do not line up AT ALL with how everyone else in the universe seems to feel about it. That's this show for me. <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">¯\_(ツ)_/¯</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">30. <a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/08/new-k-drama-alert-strongest-deliveryman.html" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Manhole</a></span><br />
<b>Episodes watched: </b>4<br />
<b>Highlights: </b>The premise was interesting<br />
<b>Disappointments: </b>Whyyyyyy are we supposed to be rooting for this couple in the first place?<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPkd8nu5hUCEaDuv7RYWatW1csG263R_9wEH7E0PJ6DlZfMng7JCTnPSTdCXKbgZEtCmCmCKffaqeIWS6Iwybx1jrnlc8rchsIXbjLtZVq-a49VtA8k-B81gl9CMq5E09R7jrTgRjVQTlT/s1600/Manhole+pathetic+pil.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPkd8nu5hUCEaDuv7RYWatW1csG263R_9wEH7E0PJ6DlZfMng7JCTnPSTdCXKbgZEtCmCmCKffaqeIWS6Iwybx1jrnlc8rchsIXbjLtZVq-a49VtA8k-B81gl9CMq5E09R7jrTgRjVQTlT/s640/Manhole+pathetic+pil.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">31. <a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/01/new-k-drama-alert-introverted-boss-my.html" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Introverted Boss</a></span><br />
<b>Episodes watched: </b>2<br />
<b>Highlights: </b>.......<br />
<b>Disappointments: </b>Sigh.<br />
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<h2>
Dramas I Wish I Had Watched in 2017</h2>
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With weird licensing, waiting for subtitles, and having to scrounge up illegal streams in some cases, here are the dramas I still have on my watchlist from the year:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Forest of Secrets <b>(Update: I kicked off my Christmas break last night by binge-watching the first four episodes now that it's on Netflix. I get it, y'all. I finally get it.)</b></li>
<li>Seven-Day Queen</li>
<li>Smart Prison Living</li>
<li>Argon</li>
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So I'm sorry if I left them off the list! I have been shamed for my lazy drama-watching ways and may someday catch up!</div>
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What Were Your Favorite Dramas of 2017?</h2>
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How did you rank your favorite dramas this year? Where did I get it right? Where did I get it horribly wrong? What dramas did I totally miss out on? Let me know!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-l3O7cFxgNHL74kzf9MUzgqgW7G5iKyY2meS2gnco_uR9XB-dZpAQnS5d4tXnxHx89zbF0_r6rxooEZDPlukiorZJmPBw2ZjmmCe56cb4IsGnTi_QWXWMu91QXFiv9gIuptZcHQWRE_vE/s1600/20th+Century+boy+and+girl+friends.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-l3O7cFxgNHL74kzf9MUzgqgW7G5iKyY2meS2gnco_uR9XB-dZpAQnS5d4tXnxHx89zbF0_r6rxooEZDPlukiorZJmPBw2ZjmmCe56cb4IsGnTi_QWXWMu91QXFiv9gIuptZcHQWRE_vE/s640/20th+Century+boy+and+girl+friends.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518010523528252915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846709423440845137.post-57029463479019547412017-11-12T21:15:00.000-07:002017-11-17T21:36:43.542-07:00The 10 Best Smart, Strong Korean Drama Female Leads<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFLAGxQIUi_IRuxFRLWp-qMYZ8_4d_6z7e9zH0Ojr6Ggxj7LSWhlUf14q2OTAsGxxsHlFhTfytOn9QOekiSBCHYgDzBXmLiEMY7wp6EprAVm1dqYSMwk3xGY6fi2StLkBIYnBGzo4pfTv/s1600/Best+strong+kdrama+female+leads.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="682" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFLAGxQIUi_IRuxFRLWp-qMYZ8_4d_6z7e9zH0Ojr6Ggxj7LSWhlUf14q2OTAsGxxsHlFhTfytOn9QOekiSBCHYgDzBXmLiEMY7wp6EprAVm1dqYSMwk3xGY6fi2StLkBIYnBGzo4pfTv/s400/Best+strong+kdrama+female+leads.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Ever since my <a href="http://kdramafighting.blogspot.com/2013/07/battle-of-time-travel-queen-in-hyuns.html"><i>Queen In Hyun's Man</i> review</a>, I've been thinking about the stereotypical dumb-as-a-rock-but-nice kdrama female lead and searching for some smart, strong female leads to root for instead. I really, really liked the leads in that show, but I was infuriated that she kept calling herself stupid the whole time (and no, I don't think that his response of "You're not stupid; you just don't know anything" made things much better).<br />
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In many dramas, it's much worse. The male lead often belittles the female lead for her stupidity, pushing on her forehead with his finger and saying things like "Do you just smash things with this rock?" or "I'm surprised you can even chew food with this useless lump." (I don't know if those are actual kdrama insults, but they <i>sound</i> like real kdrama insults.)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4vfh8J_g7d9NHZ9KFsrpeK9eBZ2lRPQzDo3wEveEK6ZCy5DPM8507j0JCV7MNX2WrWgocXFpF1ipWXc4jrsoqO8v3pZAh8uly0ePyKiZZqcDfPSHXHFsvqlYbn1VLcAduWsQD4Azwk8y/s1600/Flower+Boy+Next+Door+Kdrama+Man+Pushing+Finger+Into+Forehead.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4vfh8J_g7d9NHZ9KFsrpeK9eBZ2lRPQzDo3wEveEK6ZCy5DPM8507j0JCV7MNX2WrWgocXFpF1ipWXc4jrsoqO8v3pZAh8uly0ePyKiZZqcDfPSHXHFsvqlYbn1VLcAduWsQD4Azwk8y/s1600/Flower+Boy+Next+Door+Kdrama+Man+Pushing+Finger+Into+Forehead.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If a man did this to me, I would break his finger off. And then do some calculus out of spite.</td></tr>
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<a name='more'></a>Now, I'm not saying that every woman has to be a rocket scientist, but these shows seem to consistently assume that the <i>only </i>thing women can do well is being "nice." That's why they need big, smart men to help them escape their own stupidity. In essence, saying that women are always stupid and incompetent infantilizes them.<br />
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For those of you kdrama viewers who get tired of girls pounding their fists on their heads and blinking absent-mindedly, I've put together a list (in no particular order) of some smart and sassy kdrama female leads who have some brains behind all that beauty. If you don't mind the she-can't-tie-her-own-shoes-but-she's-so-cute lead, then you're welcome to ignore this list and go watch <i><a href="http://kdramafighting.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-good-bad-ugly-playful-kiss-review.html">Playful Kiss</a></i> or <i><a href="http://kdramafighting.blogspot.com/2013/02/i-demand-recount-part-2-you-are.html">You Are Beautiful</a> </i>on repeat.<br />
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<b>Note: </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px;">We've overhauled this post to celebrate all the many wonderful K-drama female leads we've seen since we originally composed this in 2013. Updated: November 2017</b><br />
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1. Baek Yeo Chi (played by Jung Ryeo Won), <i>History of a Salaryman</i></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghY1G6SV71cR1uATsKISvbqW9k0lpZ6dcxGcgVvLTEU4y9L9BYZVYUnxf60uIYM-_XtYdUZ8RnQLlVWJUyJwlwoM4u-VENZvauhD35KmQONHub6JE4RODmli_Sx4TFr8nhlZTUJO2ORqpq/s1600/History+of+a+Salaryman+Baek+Yeo+Chi2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="424" data-original-width="750" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghY1G6SV71cR1uATsKISvbqW9k0lpZ6dcxGcgVvLTEU4y9L9BYZVYUnxf60uIYM-_XtYdUZ8RnQLlVWJUyJwlwoM4u-VENZvauhD35KmQONHub6JE4RODmli_Sx4TFr8nhlZTUJO2ORqpq/s640/History+of+a+Salaryman+Baek+Yeo+Chi2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Have I <a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2013/10/history-of-salaryman-korean-drama-review.html" target="_blank">ever mentioned</a> <a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/04/some-underrated-k-dramasas-recommended.html" target="_blank">how much I love</a> <a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2014/05/balance-in-k-drama-relationship.html" target="_blank">Baek Yeo Chi</a>? Let me say it once again. Are you feeling sad and let down by all the downtrodden, mousy, idiotic female leads out there? Do you get enraged when strong female leads become all docile and domesticated by the end? (I'm side-eyeing you, <i><a href="http://kdramafighting.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-prime-minister-and-i-prime-minister.html" target="_blank">Prime Minister and I</a>.</i>) If so, You. Must. Watch. This. Show. Baek Yeo Chi will never let you down with her fire and sass that miraculously last from her first appearance onscreen all the way through the last few seconds of the series.</div>
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<a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2013/10/history-of-salaryman-korean-drama-review.html" target="_blank">Full <i>History of a Salaryman </i>review</a></div>
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2. Kim Yoon Hee (played by Park Min Young) <i>Sungkyunkwan Scandal</i></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJQltDyT5bVIpu6l8DSkeVcCu5cVEzo7PEC_cqmF2UnS8XO3pQQv7sOkoIz5KVFpefAxltPQ3zCtJPKFIzTJWayT6Vjz5wCGuciVaWQ1jzv5XyJpERrYySxsqRIuwhYZO4CSny5fsqT2I/s1600/Sungkyunkwan+scandal+kim+yoon+hee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJQltDyT5bVIpu6l8DSkeVcCu5cVEzo7PEC_cqmF2UnS8XO3pQQv7sOkoIz5KVFpefAxltPQ3zCtJPKFIzTJWayT6Vjz5wCGuciVaWQ1jzv5XyJpERrYySxsqRIuwhYZO4CSny5fsqT2I/s640/Sungkyunkwan+scandal+kim+yoon+hee.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I want <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-WHW-QNswE" style="font-size: 12.8px;">this</a><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> to be her theme song.</span></td></tr>
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I actually started watching <i>Sungkyunkwan Scandal</i> because I really, really needed a K-drama with a female lead who was smart enough to hold her own against the male characters. Kim Yoon Hee to the rescue! In terms of gender-bending dramas, she's the anti-Go Mi Nam. I'm pretty sure you would never catch Yoon Hee accidentally gluing her fingers together, even if she time traveled and had never seen glue before. But she goes way beyond this bare minimum of brain power; she's a brilliant scholar who refuses to give up on knowledge just because she's a girl. </div>
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<a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2013/08/a-new-favorite-from-old-story.html" target="_blank">Full <i>Sungkyunkwan Scandal review</i></a><br />
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3. Hwang Tae Hee (played by Kim Nam Joo), <i>Queen of Reversals</i></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ex5c3EBDg8zHU_-nuVIwEHvjMkY-agBgLf9EcBEUGjFd8MGD-Of94ZdYHtL81NBnRdkExeiNXEjzT9JWA7Yv01SqXrAKmwlEkUShSicLMlVg85KVA21J02c6oLKwoQ9r1EWeeKJ1EX17/s1600/Queen+of+reversals+hwang+tae+hee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ex5c3EBDg8zHU_-nuVIwEHvjMkY-agBgLf9EcBEUGjFd8MGD-Of94ZdYHtL81NBnRdkExeiNXEjzT9JWA7Yv01SqXrAKmwlEkUShSicLMlVg85KVA21J02c6oLKwoQ9r1EWeeKJ1EX17/s640/Queen+of+reversals+hwang+tae+hee.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I suspect that she derives special brain powers from her helmet hair.</td></tr>
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Hwang Tae Hee doesn't even have niceness going for her, so maybe she has to be smart by default. Even her enemies can't deny that she's the best of the best at her job, but their constant sabotage is no match for her sharp wits. </div>
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<a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2013/04/pencil-skirts-presentations-and-whole.html" target="_blank">Full <i>Queen of Reversals </i>review</a><br />
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4. Choi Yoo Jin (played by Song Yoon Ah), <i>The K2</i></h3>
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In my mind, the complicated, conniving, and charismatic Yoo Jin definitely ran off with Je Ha, while Yoona's bland Anna had a lifelong love affair with her favorite ramen packet. I didn't actually finish this series, so no one can convince me this thing ended any other way (*puts fingers in ears*). As much as <i>The K2</i> tried to distract me with Ji Chang Wook naked-fighting a bunch of other dudes in the shower (and boy oh boy, did it try to distract me), Song Yoon Ah easily stole the show with a character who was not only one of the most interesting antagonists I've seen in a drama, but also one of the best female characters, period.</div>
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5. Cha Soo Hyun (played by Kim Hye Soo), <i>Signal</i></h3>
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You know what crossover drama I would watch the hell out of? One where <i>Signal</i>'s Cha Soo Hyun chases <i>The K2</i>'s Choi Yoo Jin around and around and around in an amazing game of cat and mouse. (And if Jo Jin Woong and Ji Chang Wook make cameos as well, so be it.) Yoo Jin might have the edge on cunning, but Soo Hyun is a badass who doesn't give up easily. These are both tvN dramas, so there's really no reason this can't happen—someone give me money for this genius idea! *grabby hands*</div>
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6. Chae Young Shin (played by Park Min Young), <i>Healer</i></h3>
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This list could have been a rundown of Park Min Young roles, but for the sake of variety (spice of life and all that), I'll leave it at my two personal favorites: <i>Sungkyunkwan Scandal </i>and <i>Healer</i>. You'd think it would be hard to hold your own when you're in a relationship with a super-secret ninja-like dude, but nope. Young Shin doesn't have to jump across buildings to be her own brand of awesome as a tenacious reporter who refuses to let go of the truth. At the end of the day, having a female lead this powerful in her own right sells the romance and makes it all work.</div>
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<a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2015/02/my-newest-k-drama-love-healer-korean.html" target="_blank">Full <i>Healer </i>review</a></div>
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7. Jang Hye Sung (played by Lee Bo Young), <i>I Hear Your Voice</i></h3>
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Jang Hye Sung comes with a bit of a caveat. She's smart and good at her job, but only when she wants to be. She isn't always passionate about doing a good job, but when she is, she can work a case like a champ.</div>
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8. Yoo Jung In (played by Lee Young Ah), <i>Vampire Prosecutor </i>and <i>Vampire Prosecutor 2</i></h3>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiar7i0G0cvY40vTJeruyWJnISPFT6HK8-Hg4y14I26Oq0NLxDU4TXw7nrR2bpOAeI4aSK3iW_VsqsV_d75Oi-qsVFZF1fOzi57GRuer0CCgtoWmCaiDz6kt3KkkTcAmZIrhyphenhyphenJhDlWH1-p9/s1600/Vampire+prosecutor+smart+kdrama+female+lead.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiar7i0G0cvY40vTJeruyWJnISPFT6HK8-Hg4y14I26Oq0NLxDU4TXw7nrR2bpOAeI4aSK3iW_VsqsV_d75Oi-qsVFZF1fOzi57GRuer0CCgtoWmCaiDz6kt3KkkTcAmZIrhyphenhyphenJhDlWH1-p9/s640/Vampire+prosecutor+smart+kdrama+female+lead.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">"Let's see who wins"? It's you, Yoo Jung In. You win. At everything.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Okay, if you <i>really</i> want to see a female prosecutor done right, look no further than Yoo Jung In. Unlike the previous entry, she comes to the job full of passion and a drive to succeed. When she gets left out of the boys' club for being female and a non-vampire, she doesn't mope or dress up as a boy. She just does her own sleuthing (<i>without</i> the help of cheater vampire powers, might I add) and solves crimes on her own. Also, she beats up gangsters. Also also, she interrogates people like a boss. Also also also, I LOVE HER. (Also also also also, can we please have <i>Vampire Prosecutor 3 </i>now?)</div>
<div>
<br />
<a href="http://kdramafighting.blogspot.com/2013/05/thirsting-for-more-vampire-prosecutor.html" target="_blank">Full <i>Vampire Prosecutor </i>review</a></div>
<div>
<h3>
9. Ji Hae Soo (played by Gong Hyo Jin), <i>It's Okay, That's Love</i></h3>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLcHqNFzchufAKuRDbeN2KHW6hP3Zz-yWXl1F3OXAvOtRQGYAkm9tuubui3PdgAhpc26ZVgQHMcjTXq21hxuHls7FmAPxBYQM8J0AAZoBhBR1ZxVD4QNxPlDpzExyof33sMWSeHwEvA55P/s1600/Its+okay+thats+love+gong+hyo+jin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="520" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLcHqNFzchufAKuRDbeN2KHW6hP3Zz-yWXl1F3OXAvOtRQGYAkm9tuubui3PdgAhpc26ZVgQHMcjTXq21hxuHls7FmAPxBYQM8J0AAZoBhBR1ZxVD4QNxPlDpzExyof33sMWSeHwEvA55P/s640/Its+okay+thats+love+gong+hyo+jin.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This might be a weird thing to say, <br />
but she also gets bonus points for knowing how to dress herself in professional attire.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<i><br /></i>I love when drama characters feel like real humans with real flaws, and that's Hae Soo for sure. She's a smart, capable doctor who clearly cares about her patients and stands her ground when she crosses paths with Jang Jae Yeol, but she's also vulnerable in realistic ways that make her stand apart from completely sweet female leads.</div>
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<h3>
10. Eun Ho Won (played by Go Ah Sung), <i>Radiant Office</i></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpLT_o7-CxlYnPz0fRma1OR2KblbxYiNOcaYUzU5kqyWGOYYarVI3ycKtHSMkzAWIZf3vAO910zFEE1cLcynirWrjHlk-AMCKYtJYlhXySjQjXycS9-pN2SXIMNUMAN54vY11LJIQXFhUR/s1600/Radiant+Office+Go+Ah+Sung.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="750" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpLT_o7-CxlYnPz0fRma1OR2KblbxYiNOcaYUzU5kqyWGOYYarVI3ycKtHSMkzAWIZf3vAO910zFEE1cLcynirWrjHlk-AMCKYtJYlhXySjQjXycS9-pN2SXIMNUMAN54vY11LJIQXFhUR/s640/Radiant+Office+Go+Ah+Sung.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
I didn't ever expect to be saying this when the series first started, but <i>Radiant Office</i> is definitely one of my top three K-dramas of 2017, in large part thanks to Go Ah Sung's depiction of the determined Eun Ho Won. I love how the series built up a large cast of side characters, and yet it never lost sight of Ho Won as the core of the show.</div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/05/an-underrated-gem-radiant-office-k.html" target="_blank"><br /></a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/05/an-underrated-gem-radiant-office-k.html" target="_blank">Full <i>Radiant Office </i>review</a></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<b>Why didn't Cheon Song Yi make the cut?</b></h3>
<div style="text-align: left;">
As I was revising this list for 2017, a friend of mine complained that basing the list on brains alone automatically excluded a lot of fantastic female leads who are interesting and wonderful in other ways. <i>My Love from Another Star</i>'s Cheon Song Yi is the obvious choice—she's brash and outlandish, even if the show consistently plays off of her idiocy. <i>Weightlifting Fairy</i>'s Kim Bok Joo and <i><a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2015/05/a-breath-of-fresh-k-drama-air-angry-mom.html" target="_blank">Angry Mom</a></i>'s Jo Kang Ja are some other favorite characters who didn't quite make the cut (though Kang Ja's street smarts almost put her on the list anyway despite her lack of traditional book smarts).</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMBYyYJGIzokJ7aU18sNpBPBwGcI73YoBB_bCUgJhkTtPTUZDmTn13uAe2zNUG9ZLSV5gopwBKoOjGwyYLHUUmQjQOjK8oiEO2Bi_x1UkmuNQZaA7k7tf47c1ZjCcJT6uR8R8-GH4L2u70/s1600/Cheon+song+yi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMBYyYJGIzokJ7aU18sNpBPBwGcI73YoBB_bCUgJhkTtPTUZDmTn13uAe2zNUG9ZLSV5gopwBKoOjGwyYLHUUmQjQOjK8oiEO2Bi_x1UkmuNQZaA7k7tf47c1ZjCcJT6uR8R8-GH4L2u70/s640/Cheon+song+yi.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I know, I <i>know</i>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Then there's the other end of the spectrum, with characters like <i>Cheese in the Trap</i>'s Hong Seol, who is intriguing and multilayered, even if she's a bit too timid to be included in a list of "strong" characters.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
There's definitely a point to be made there, though I decided to stick with the original spirit of this list with "smart" female leads because I remember my intense frustration back in the day when every single drama constantly harped on the idiocy of its women in contrast to the geeeeeenius men who love them. I'm happy to see that we're slowly getting to a point where we don't have to have it all one way or the other, and we're balancing out even more well-rounded characters for both men and women.</div>
</div>
<div>
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<div>
<h3>
Who are your favorite K-drama female leads?</h3>
So who did we miss? What other series should we check out for other smart, capable women? What characteristics do you love in K-drama female leads? We're always looking for more drama recommendations!<br />
<br />
---------------<br />
<br />
If you're curious how our original list from 2013 ranked, here it is. I'm happy to say that quite a few old favorites held strong, but we're also seeing new female leads to challenge the title!<br />
<br />
1. Kim Yoon Hee (<i>Sungkyungkwan Scandal</i>)<br />
2. Hwang Tae Hee (<i>Queen of Reversals</i>)<br />
3. Sam Soon (<i>My Lovely Sam Soon</i>)<br />
4. Noh Eun Sol (<i>Protect the Boss</i>)<br />
5. Gong Ah Jung (<i>Lie to Me</i>)<br />
6. Seo Yi Soo (<i>A Gentleman's Dignity</i>)<br />
7. Jang Hye Sung (<i>I Hear Your Voice</i>)<br />
8. Ma Hye Ri (<i>Prosecutor Princess</i>)<br />
9. Yoo Jung In (<i>Vampire Prosecutor</i>)<br />
10. Kim Na Na (<i>City Hunter</i>)<br />
<br /></div>
<form action="http://poll.pollcode.com/114mp" method="post">
<br />
<b>Watch Kdramas With Strong Female Leads:</b><br />
<a href="http://dramafever.com/?utm_source=hasoffers&utm_medium=textlink&utm_term=kdramafighting&utm_campaign=affiliate&offer_id=7&aff_id=220" target="_blank">DramaFever</a><br />
<a href="http://www.viki.com/" target="_blank">Viki</a><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20111228181436AAqPtzs" target="_blank">1</a><a href="http://mydramalist.com/article/2013/03/22/k-dramas-with-strong-female-leads" target="_blank">2</a><a href="http://mydramalist.com/forum/showthread.php?2078-Asian-drama-recommendations-about-a-strong-female-lead" target="_blank">3</a><a href="http://www.dramabeans.com/2008/02/drama-leading-ladies-oh-how-youve-changed/" target="_blank">4</a><a href="http://seoulbeats.com/2012/04/girls-run-this-world-of-k-dramas/" target="_blank">5</a><a href="http://outsideseoul.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-other-f-word-feminism-versus-korean.html" target="_blank">6</a><a href="http://forums.soompi.com/discussion/334060/k-drama-from-2008-2010-with-not-so-girly-weak-female-lead" target="_blank">7</a><a href="http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/korean-dramas/answers/show/366478/good-korean-dramas" target="_blank">8</a><a href="http://asian-drama-recommendations.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">9</a><a href="http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20120818110535AAcgAfX" target="_blank">10</a></span><br />
<br />
<b>Note: After a recent layout switch, we're seeing comments posted before April 7, 2017 missing on a few posts. We're working on a solution, and in the meantime, any new comments you leave will work!</b></form>
</div>
Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518010523528252915noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846709423440845137.post-18648181084346281042017-11-05T20:00:00.000-07:002017-11-06T17:58:37.454-07:00K-drama Snack Fix: Korean Snacks Box Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5YGM0YTYw5va0PnFgxNGNKcrRMaQ0lk3ispwUGbAHCovLEWQi7F0Difu1UYmEiREvmVkN4-c5QZtcJnWOFo37d9IYTW09V4-N_YlfPUlDTDu17qDLDD5rfzgog-DjAUckY0Ub293zZvDv/s1600/Oh+my+venus+eating.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="1274" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5YGM0YTYw5va0PnFgxNGNKcrRMaQ0lk3ispwUGbAHCovLEWQi7F0Difu1UYmEiREvmVkN4-c5QZtcJnWOFo37d9IYTW09V4-N_YlfPUlDTDu17qDLDD5rfzgog-DjAUckY0Ub293zZvDv/s640/Oh+my+venus+eating.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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You know when you're watching a K-drama and you see the characters eating treats of all kinds, and suddenly you feel like you need to eat that thing RIGHT NOW? (I have consumed a shameful amount of ramen this way. Seriously, ramen companies should be the ones paying for product placement—not Subway.)<br />
<br />
A while ago, I saw some of my fellow K-drama-loving buddies posting about <a href="https://koreansnacksbox.com/?rfsn=829251.6ccd0&utm_source=refersion&utm_medium=influencers&utm_campaign=829251.6ccd0" target="_blank">Korean snack box</a> subscriptions that they tried out. Well, if you've ever been curious how those snack boxes work—and, more importantly, <i>how those snack boxes taste</i>—I decided to give one a whirl and share my experience.<br />
<br />
<i>Disclosure: Korean Snacks Box provided a free box for me to try. If you decide you're interested in trying it out and buy some snacks through this post, I receive a small payment. But rest assured, I will never lie about food—all opinions in this review are my own.</i><br />
<i></i>
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<a name='more'></a><i><br /></i>
<script src="//cdn.refersion.com/creative.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script>$rfsn_creative.generate('refersion_client/19770/creatives/dynamic/28046-5cf1d8b31a73e01c4585e5bf03188e78.json', {
aid: '829251.6ccd0'
});</script>
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<h3>
What's in the Box?</h3>
<div>
Every month, Korean Snacks Boxes has a different set of snacks to match the monthly theme. Because I got the November box, I got the <a href="http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2014/11/511_167943.html" target="_blank">Pepero Day</a> theme. </div>
<div>
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<div>
I'm not going to lie. I am a creature of anticipation, so half the fun of the whole thing was waiting to see what I would get in my box. That's right—I already knew the month's theme and could pretty easily guess that there would be quite a bit of Pepero in there, and I was <i>still </i>checking my mail like a little kid. Look, I like packages, okay?</div>
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Here's what I found when I opened my box (I got a Medium):</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtjgsSk3u8Hr-GNJG5DOTt54348nhcfSUmzjzHAnvTcEJA7eOktFGZCqRVHk0jr_F4HkOmojzjUtWIp-GOOG7QlNCOCIDY_hPYBnviX3wjG4UMfyB7NSroKnjU6NE8vBAwhX9SzfeGM7W/s1600/Korean+snack+box+review.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtjgsSk3u8Hr-GNJG5DOTt54348nhcfSUmzjzHAnvTcEJA7eOktFGZCqRVHk0jr_F4HkOmojzjUtWIp-GOOG7QlNCOCIDY_hPYBnviX3wjG4UMfyB7NSroKnjU6NE8vBAwhX9SzfeGM7W/s640/Korean+snack+box+review.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I honestly forgot that the snacks come in a cute little Bokjumeoni (silk bag). I have no idea what I'm going to put inside said cute little bag now that the snacks are gone, but that's a problem for another day.</div>
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I also liked that it came with a note explaining the various snacks and a little bit about Pepero Day.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBSCvJhmsSwhuwYbwwce_xym9QaRNVVhL3r_fhbfj7uo-71PzZ0vfIu94HS2pbrMcCdbcas63arBA0uEh9HO3OmOxN4UPyB_sdjqcO6GkMt9_DNWX5gHicNFBX6nuRIv1oyQDc5RHkyJ9/s1600/Korean+snack+box+contents.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBSCvJhmsSwhuwYbwwce_xym9QaRNVVhL3r_fhbfj7uo-71PzZ0vfIu94HS2pbrMcCdbcas63arBA0uEh9HO3OmOxN4UPyB_sdjqcO6GkMt9_DNWX5gHicNFBX6nuRIv1oyQDc5RHkyJ9/s640/Korean+snack+box+contents.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div>
I'd like to say that I'm going to save some Pepero sticks they sent for November 11 so I can force my husband to reenact all those <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3XHIZA84X4" target="_blank">Pepero games</a> you see on variety shows, but that's just a dirty lie. The second I opened the box, I already ripped one of those packets open. We all have our weaknesses.<br />
<br />
<h3>
How Did the Korean Snacks Taste?</h3>
</div>
<div>
Both my husband and I tried all of the snacks in the box. Here's a rundown of what we thought.</div>
<div>
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<div>
<b>SNACK #1: PEPERO STICKS</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
There were three types of Pepero in the box: Almond, Vanilla Black Cookie (aka "don't sue me" speak for Oreo), and Original. If you're unfamiliar with Pepero, they're basically cookie sticks dipped in various types of chocolate. For those who have tried Japanese Pocky before, Pepero is a similar idea, but the sticks tend to be thicker (and have a thicker coating as well).</div>
<div>
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<div>
My husband and I both really like Pepero, so it's no surprise that we were fans. My husband particularly liked the Oreo—I mean, generic vanilla black cookie—flavor, which reminded him of cookies 'n' cream bars. I think my favorite was the almond.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdHzD4LegwyhH5UtxE4jXME0R3O6f72Rauy_nNeARjHq90_aCibjZa-ztTwyu1Sn5cZd_Sfm72Y9gqtUQJb4LZbhIqCR0yH5M2fwlgprc2w9MSnNnKapFrCNIzYhcamyxw2EKwn1fpmduY/s1600/Optimus+and+Korean+snacks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1578" data-original-width="1504" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdHzD4LegwyhH5UtxE4jXME0R3O6f72Rauy_nNeARjHq90_aCibjZa-ztTwyu1Sn5cZd_Sfm72Y9gqtUQJb4LZbhIqCR0yH5M2fwlgprc2w9MSnNnKapFrCNIzYhcamyxw2EKwn1fpmduY/s400/Optimus+and+Korean+snacks.jpg" width="380" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cat for...scale?<br />
She just assumes that all snacks are <i>her </i>snacks (and promptly proceeded to sit in the box).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div>
We were both kind of <i>meh</i> on the Original. It had the lowest chocolate-to-cookie ratio, and the plain chocolate has a slight aftertaste. (My husband asked if it was strawberry flavored before I told him what it was.) Even so, Pepero is always going to be tasty any any form, and we shouldn't have any problems polishing them all off pretty soon.</div>
<div>
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<div>
<b>Verdict: </b>The Song Joong Ki of Korean snacks. A classic love that will never fade.</div>
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<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>SNACK #2: REAL BROWNIE</b></div>
<div>
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<div>
Yup, "Real Brownie" is the actual name of the snack. As it turns out, if you have to put "real" in the name, maybe that means you're overcompensating for something....</div>
<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC8H4RitERTmfkWONAjM4f2KXLPcNTlcyRrr2wM83-dUBVODiphXd-qx4c6uXF9r1-qzN6HaEUmu4AzN2a_tk57sITi8eNqMp2cpBMy6u-YTYHK0vWOKd_A7x8RxtV8mAXatkiRO18pds2/s1600/Korean+snack+box+real+brownie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC8H4RitERTmfkWONAjM4f2KXLPcNTlcyRrr2wM83-dUBVODiphXd-qx4c6uXF9r1-qzN6HaEUmu4AzN2a_tk57sITi8eNqMp2cpBMy6u-YTYHK0vWOKd_A7x8RxtV8mAXatkiRO18pds2/s400/Korean+snack+box+real+brownie.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<b>Husband: </b>"Real" brownie, huh?</div>
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<b>Me: </b>This tastes like cardboard and sadness.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCE81RBGPIkm2IGw_1_jrINsMYKpl6IoQheywtmqMLSUy5YtCRnsi6fzMyaCDL0xYs9n1z-5Aes0rMD7-jdp7WJcD8Z7FrOlC4nawzbGseIAaNZaTb9gqj7Tp0s2L3XRME94hSLkCXqyTW/s1600/Korean+snack+box+eating+real+brownie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCE81RBGPIkm2IGw_1_jrINsMYKpl6IoQheywtmqMLSUy5YtCRnsi6fzMyaCDL0xYs9n1z-5Aes0rMD7-jdp7WJcD8Z7FrOlC4nawzbGseIAaNZaTb9gqj7Tp0s2L3XRME94hSLkCXqyTW/s400/Korean+snack+box+eating+real+brownie.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not the most flattering photo ever taken in my life. <br />
Then again, this is my legit "trying out snacks" outfit.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Verdict: </b>If Pepero is the Song Joong Ki of snacks, this is the...<a href="http://kdramafighting.blogspot.com/2013/12/marry-him-if-you-daremiraes-choice.html" target="_blank"><i>Marry Him If You Dare</i> </a>of snacks. You're intrigued by the advertising, and then it leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<b>SNACK #3: CHOCO PIE</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
Om nom nom nom. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Choco Pies may not be the objectively tastiest food out there, but they're just so fun to eat. They make me kick my feet like I'm a little kid again.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.playbuzz.com/cdn/6881ca97-266b-4020-aff6-14ee0649ba4b/3a175f14-2214-4dda-b060-b37c4cdb7d0c.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn.playbuzz.com/cdn/6881ca97-266b-4020-aff6-14ee0649ba4b/3a175f14-2214-4dda-b060-b37c4cdb7d0c.gif" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="480" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basically me inhaling that thing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Verdict: </b>Like <i><a href="http://kdramafighting.blogspot.com/2015/11/cheer-up-sassy-go-go-korean-drama-review.html" target="_blank">Cheer Up</a></i>, it's fluffy, a little bit nostalgic, and a lot of fun.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>SNACK #4: MALANG STRAWBERRY MILK CANDY</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
I don't know what to call these. They're little strawberry gummy puffs that come in (very cute) individually wrapped packets. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Me: </b>I...I don't know what's in my mouth right now.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Husband: </b>It tastes like a Hi-Chew and a marshmallow had sex—but not in a good way.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Verdict: </b>My mouth was confused, but mostly because of the texture rather than the flavor. I was trying to make a K-drama comparison to match the other verdicts, but the only possible comparison is G-dragon's hair—not necessarily bad<i>, </i>just a little perplexing.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb4LIFTKoQxrex2_UtizawhOtuyMzpiIiMzZeLv0DfbRANdY2irxlUJhvZ2CkIv2qRv09izsIEHsrObZqnSq62QVUM3DtmIWY5498Pl7jQvjP_MSn12WGKe5_El6ZInfH6HzG5RosytgqQ/s1600/gdragon+hair.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="403" data-original-width="745" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb4LIFTKoQxrex2_UtizawhOtuyMzpiIiMzZeLv0DfbRANdY2irxlUJhvZ2CkIv2qRv09izsIEHsrObZqnSq62QVUM3DtmIWY5498Pl7jQvjP_MSn12WGKe5_El6ZInfH6HzG5RosytgqQ/s400/gdragon+hair.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exactly this in snack form.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
Would I Try Korean Snack Boxes Again?</h3>
<div>
I think for me, it would depend on the monthly theme. Not every snack is going to be a hit every time, so it's probably best to accept that up front. That being said, if you don't live near an Asian market, this could be a fun way to try something new and taste some of the snacks you see on shows that you wouldn't otherwise have access to. I also really like the fun of getting a box of surprise treats in the mail, so that's a selling point for me. </div>
<br />
The little note inside the November box said next month will have "Christmas and winter themed snacks that will keep you warm and healthy in the cold winter months." I have no idea what that means, but, as someone whose guilty pleasure is watching terrible Christmas made-for-TV movies right around this time of year, I'm all for it.<br />
<h3>
How Korean Snack Boxes Work</h3>
<div>
<script src="//cdn.refersion.com/creative.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script>$rfsn_creative.generate('refersion_client/19770/creatives/dynamic/28649-be5b91949a7830c1ea4f6bbaa23f65fc.json', {
aid: '829251.6ccd0'
});</script>
<br />
<div id="rfsn_img_28649">
</div>
<b>THE SHORT VERSION</b></div>
<div>
You sign up for a monthly snack box subscription on the <a href="https://koreansnacksbox.com/?rfsn=829251.6ccd0&utm_source=refersion&utm_medium=influencers&utm_campaign=829251.6ccd0" target="_blank">Korean Snacks Boxes website</a>. You get snacks in the mail every month. You feed your K-drama habit while chowing down on Korean snacks.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>THE LONGER VERSION</b></div>
<div>
The website offers two basic subscription packages: Medium (5–10 treats/month) and Large (10–15 treats/month). Once you pick a size, you can then choose whether you want to may month to month, quarterly, or annually. If you pay quarterly, you save $1 per box, and if you pay annually, you save $2 per box. <b>Shipping is free, and it ships worldwide.</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Pro Tip: </b>There's no reason to sign up for a month-to-month subscription. If you plan on buying more than two months, pay quarterly and save a couple of bucks. If you plan on only buying one or two months, Korean Snacks Boxes sells <b>gift boxes </b>that are the same exact price and won't hit your autopay if you forget to cancel.
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Have You Tried Korean Snack Boxes?</h3>
</div>
<div>
For those of you who have tried these boxes on a regular basis, what did you think? How was the mix month to month? What Korean snacks are your personal favorites? Share your responses in the comments!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If you're interested in trying out a snack box, you can <a href="https://koreansnacksbox.com/?rfsn=829251.6ccd0&utm_source=refersion&utm_medium=influencers&utm_campaign=829251.6ccd0" target="_blank">still buy the Pepero ones through November 15</a>. (If you buy through that link, I get paid for referring you.) After that, you can sign up for the next month's box or a recurring subscription.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Happy snacking!</div>
Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518010523528252915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846709423440845137.post-72786164590650334582017-10-19T18:43:00.001-06:002017-10-19T18:51:07.742-06:00New K-drama Alert: 20th Century Boy and Girl, Because This Is My First Life, Go Back Couple, and Revolutionary Love Reviews<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGItUZwkX8fNEwNBnqmn_MfvkWBV442cyQclRH4VR3WDfyJzVo0aTniAyFrv94MaaG-NrEXmOjlvEVjhZTMiFFZtxtizOM5n1FqrQ0sIE15XlQs9eDxYha_TvQUQNDLKAo37o3f5KqHEJ/s1600/Revolutionary+love+siwon+beautiful.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="834" data-original-width="1482" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGItUZwkX8fNEwNBnqmn_MfvkWBV442cyQclRH4VR3WDfyJzVo0aTniAyFrv94MaaG-NrEXmOjlvEVjhZTMiFFZtxtizOM5n1FqrQ0sIE15XlQs9eDxYha_TvQUQNDLKAo37o3f5KqHEJ/s640/Revolutionary+love+siwon+beautiful.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Ok, remember that <a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/10/and-great-drama-slump-of-2017-continues.html" target="_blank">K-drama slump</a> that went on (and onnnn and onnnnnn)? I know I've cried wolf on this before, but this time I think I really, truly might have at least <i>one </i>K-drama from the currently airing shows that I'll be able to enjoy from start to finish!<br />
<br />
I tried the first few episodes of four shows so far: <i>20th Century Boy and Girl, Because This Is My First Life, Go Back Couple, </i>and<i> Revolutionary Love. </i>As it turns out, some of the ones I anticipated the most aren't as great as I had hoped, but some dark horses ended up being pleasantly surprising! Let's review.<br />
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<h3>
20th Century Boy and Girl</h3>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkBLw4L90XCzBf9cK7Q2OOp7cHQWlAanb3nuOAMGKBsO1ILp4gfKUckZI8uFlOh6affuJAc8AD8gOaG-qS00QiKbAPVd7vxNlrOa5saGw45BvwMnClFuR7R-uiCUsem53rjistFUuxUxl8/s1600/20th-Century-Boy-and-Girl-Poster-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="895" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkBLw4L90XCzBf9cK7Q2OOp7cHQWlAanb3nuOAMGKBsO1ILp4gfKUckZI8uFlOh6affuJAc8AD8gOaG-qS00QiKbAPVd7vxNlrOa5saGw45BvwMnClFuR7R-uiCUsem53rjistFUuxUxl8/s400/20th-Century-Boy-and-Girl-Poster-1.jpg" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image <a href="https://www.instiz.net/pt?no=4727464&page=1" target="_blank">via</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>What it's about: </b>Top actress Sa Jin Jin (Han Ye Seul) and her lifelong best friends navigate single life. Things get complicated when Jin Jin's childhood crush Gong Ji Won (Kim Ji Suk) suddenly appears back in her life.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Episodes watched: </b>8 (30 minutes each)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<b>What I like so far: </b>Out of all the premieres I checked, <i>20th Century Boy and Girl </i>has the richest world of side characters by far. I was surprised in the first few episodes to see that even the people who seemed like annoying stock characters at first glance (like Jin Jin's manager) actually had their own backstories and depth. It makes for a much more contemplative, slice-of-life feel than I originally anticipated, and I like it.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
After <i>Age of Youth 2</i> ended, I also love that I have another show anchored in strong female friendship. I confess that I'm much more engaged in the scenes between Jin Jin and her BFFs than pretty much anything else on this drama at this point.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<b>What I don't love so far: </b>One of the big pulls of this show for me was seeing Kim Ji Suk finally take a lead role after playing second (or third or fourth) fiddle for so long. He's definitely got charisma in spades and I like how sweet his character seems, but I can't help but feel like the romance plot is kind of dull in comparison to everything else.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
I was obsessed with this series after week one, but week two left me wondering if there's going to be enough plot to spread over the course of the series without getting into heavy melo angst. My <i>we-ran-out-of-plot-and-need-noble-idiocy </i>sensor is going off, and it makes me nervous. Please, please prove me wrong.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Where to watch <i>20th Century Boy and Girl:</i></b></div>
<div>
<a href="https://www.viki.com/videos/1122067v-20th-century-boy-and-girl" target="_blank">Viki</a> (Viki Pass Plus only)</div>
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<a href="https://www.kocowa.com/series/20th-century-boy-and-girl/600649" target="_blank">Kocowa</a></div>
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<br /></div>
<h3>
Because This Is My First Life</h3>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga1FTV2a2P1vcmpyu08zbJvmLfOHuEJTn60G2CFsl0l0NlVySFQoGAHug0ZQuPw_9WME6nvamdYmGvpJie723gr_koVGx6qCsGpoQtnKORYMgsWt4ESv-Yic9ivIhCeNi02YiQvqPfOvxn/s1600/Because-This-Is-My-First-Life-+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1425" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga1FTV2a2P1vcmpyu08zbJvmLfOHuEJTn60G2CFsl0l0NlVySFQoGAHug0ZQuPw_9WME6nvamdYmGvpJie723gr_koVGx6qCsGpoQtnKORYMgsWt4ESv-Yic9ivIhCeNi02YiQvqPfOvxn/s400/Because-This-Is-My-First-Life-+poster.jpg" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image <a href="https://0.soompi.io/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/19010348/Because-This-Is-My-First-Life-2.jpg" target="_blank">via</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div>
<b>What it's about: </b>Yoon Ji Ho (Jung So Min) needs a place to stay. Nam Se Hee (Lee Min Ki) needs a tenant. Through a series of misunderstandings, they end up as roommates.</div>
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<div>
<b>Episodes watched: </b>4</div>
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<b>What I like so far: </b>#1: That beautiful, fluffy kitty whose fur I want to snuggle my face in.</div>
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<div>
#2: Pretty much everything else. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
I had no expectations at all for this drama, but its unique blend of quirky and realistic is winning me over in a big way. It's an adult drama that doesn't clutch its pearls over serious topics like sex and workplace harassment, and yet its lead characters are so delightfully odd that it never feels overly heavy. I also love that we're starting with a couple that doesn't hate each other, but rather appreciates how they complement each other.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>What I don't love so far: </b>I <i>like </i>Lee Min Ki's awkward character, but thus far into the series, I can't quite wrap my head around how he's going to transition into romance. I keep trying to imagine what a romantic scene might look like and sort of cringing inside. But with so much other stuff to like, I'm not too concerned at how it will all unfold.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Where to watch <i>Because This Is My first Life:</i></b></div>
<div>
<a href="https://www.viki.com/tv/35630c-because-this-is-my-first-life" target="_blank">Viki</a> (Viki Pass only)</div>
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<br /></div>
<h3>
Go Back Couple</h3>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaKEQ_a9ZL6tYgBNlHRonGT9K2PvnzMK50sIYzFjkjegHv6YAL_WdAm1gOBny4oUxFCbePQlcAE77Np1quzb1MYoV0wvOOLsafRAcmvqRa65o7VwWG38qpUsFNxY3np4mb0qf32S2Ym78p/s1600/Go+Back+Couple+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1431" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaKEQ_a9ZL6tYgBNlHRonGT9K2PvnzMK50sIYzFjkjegHv6YAL_WdAm1gOBny4oUxFCbePQlcAE77Np1quzb1MYoV0wvOOLsafRAcmvqRa65o7VwWG38qpUsFNxY3np4mb0qf32S2Ym78p/s400/Go+Back+Couple+poster.jpg" width="278" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image <a href="http://isplus.live.joins.com/news/article/article.asp?total_id=21981170" target="_blank">via</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div>
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<div>
<b>What it's about: </b>Ma Jin Joo (Jang Nara) and Choi Ban Do (Son Ho Jun) are a recently divorced. On the day they sign the divorce papers, they suddenly find themselves transported back to their college days in the '90s, before they ever started dating.</div>
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<div>
<b>Episodes watched: </b>2</div>
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<div>
<b>What I like so far: </b>Don't mind me—I'll just be ugly crying over here in the corner. Honestly, I was on the fence if I would even <i>try </i>this show. Jang Nara is a decent actress, but her cutesy characters drive me up the wall, and Son Ho Jun is in decidedly <i>ehhhh</i> territory for me.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
But wow. Those first two episodes packed way more emotional punch than I expected. The scene where Jang Nara saw her mom again had me alternately sobbing and guffawing (and hideously snorting in transition between the two). Now I'm convinced that these two were the perfect picks for the casting, and I'm wayyyyy too antsy waiting for new episodes to come out.</div>
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<div>
<b>What I don't love so far: </b>The fat shaming. Ban Do's terrible friends (and that terrible fake muscle suit). Ban Do isn't exactly Prince Charming at this point, but I think the first week gave us enough redeeming hints (like when he was fawning over his child's photos) to show that he'll learn and grow with time.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Where to watch <i>Go Back Couple:</i></b></div>
<div>
<a href="https://www.dramafever.com/drama/5130/Go_Back_Couple/" target="_blank">DramaFever</a><br />
<a href="https://www.kocowa.com/series/go-back-couple/621833" target="_blank">Kocowa</a></div>
<h3>
Revolutionary Love</h3>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDnaFNAp6eS3bnHoFgTlYVt3xDqn4ylnRUm0LUlpFkPRchFdNFWPs72fXEbigK1yphXnD5CrRXUbEIbRpKlafTDYfhguZgCpMLUWFqsBjGJQI-qLPWryiWd-6sTvFRkvkidgAx9aHoodQ4/s1600/Revolutionary+Love+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1446" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDnaFNAp6eS3bnHoFgTlYVt3xDqn4ylnRUm0LUlpFkPRchFdNFWPs72fXEbigK1yphXnD5CrRXUbEIbRpKlafTDYfhguZgCpMLUWFqsBjGJQI-qLPWryiWd-6sTvFRkvkidgAx9aHoodQ4/s400/Revolutionary+Love+poster.jpg" width="275" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image <a href="https://i1.wp.com/www.kdramapal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Revolutionary-Love-Poster-1.jpg?ssl=1" target="_blank">via</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>What it's about: </b>Chaebol heir Byun Hyuk (Choi Siwon) gets mistaken for a part-timer by hardworking Baek Joon (Kang Sora). They form an unlikely friendship.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Episodes watched: </b>2</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<b>What I like so far: </b>Siwon's face.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
No, seriously, Siwon makes the best faces.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<b>What I don't love so far: </b>*Sob* This was the show I was waiting for, but it's just. so. cliche. Every character and every interaction is ramped up to 11, and it's like they just stitched together dialogue from a bunch of other dramas to make this. Where's the surprise? Where's the emotion?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm also kind of worried that they'll make Gong Myung's character into a resentful villain, but maybe that's my recent <i>Falling in Love with Soon Jung </i>PTSD talking. I'd love to trade out disappointing brooding for bromance!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
On the upside, there is a kind of <i>Shopping King Louie </i>vibe to Siwon's puppylike character, and I always love a male lead who isn't a jerk. Plus, Kang Sora was one of the only bearable things about the otherwise nearly unbearable <i>Warm and Cozy</i>, so I know she's up for a challenge. I'll give it another week and see if it can spark my interest a little more.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Where to watch <i>Revolutionary Love:</i></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.dramafever.com/drama/5116/Revolutionary_Love/" target="_blank">DramaFever</a></div>
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Which premieres did you watch?</h3>
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Anything I missed? Which dramas disappointed you? Any that caught your eye?</div>
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Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518010523528252915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846709423440845137.post-40946680906169732142017-10-07T16:41:00.000-06:002017-10-07T16:41:46.840-06:00And the Great Drama Slump of 2017 Continues<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPkD0kvBPTPeYB3I8KrSymcKVR3tWpasnc-EAU3wRkwqE4E0-_Wi31crJ54gDW95KxnEI4lE5ILvauXs7EJhNhwKqP1bWO2EIWem4c3fdBy-k8XWDS3qYyKsLtF4pg4VoSTcz1G3noCa1a/s1600/School+2017+asleep.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="800" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPkD0kvBPTPeYB3I8KrSymcKVR3tWpasnc-EAU3wRkwqE4E0-_Wi31crJ54gDW95KxnEI4lE5ILvauXs7EJhNhwKqP1bWO2EIWem4c3fdBy-k8XWDS3qYyKsLtF4pg4VoSTcz1G3noCa1a/s640/School+2017+asleep.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Two months ago, I wrote about the <a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/08/drama-slump-all-ridiculous-reasons-im.html" target="_blank">massive drama slump I was facing</a>. At the time, there were a handful of promising shows coming up, so I thought the slump would have to pass sooner or later.<br />
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<b>It didn't.</b><br />
<br />
Now it's October, and despite <i>attempting </i>to watch quite a few shows, I have managed to finish exactly ONE K-DRAMA since mid-July (two if you count <i>Age of Youth 2</i>, though I'll be re-watching with subtitles).<br />
<br />
I'm genuinely starting to wonder: is it just me? Or is the second half of this year genuinely kind of lackluster? Let's take a look at everything I've watched—or tried to watch—in the last three months of drudgery.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<h3>
K-dramas I actually finished</h3>
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<b>School 2017: </b>As of my previous post, I genuinely thought I would give this one a pass. But then I started seeing adorable screencaps everywhere, and I ended up marathoning eight episodes in a row to catch up. Is it the best show I've ever seen in my life? No. I certainly could have used less emphasis on X, and the last few episodes left some things to be desired.</div>
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But it was a breezy, feel-good watch with likable leads and a central couple I couldn't help but squee over a little. I'm starting to wonder why high school dramas seem to be the only ones lately that sell the romance. They actually manage to convince me that these couples genuinely <i>like </i>being around each other! What a novel idea.</div>
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<b>Age of Youth 2: </b>Literally the only show giving me any hope in K-dramas right now. <i><a href="http://kdramafighting.blogspot.com/2016/09/age-of-youth-k-drama-review.html" target="_blank">Age of Youth </a></i>was my favorite drama of last year, and the sequel feels like I'm picking up where I left off with some wonderful old friends. Because of licensing debacles, I've been watching the whole thing raw, but I'll post a full review once I finish re-watching with subtitles. Thank you, Belle Epoque, for giving me life.</div>
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<h3>
K-dramas I tried very hard to like</h3>
<div>
<b>Bride of the Water God: </b>It started out as a fun, pretty, guilty-pleasure watch. But the mythos behind the whole thing never quite came together, and I spent so much of the show wondering why anyone was doing anything that I eventually skipped five episodes and tuned in only for the finale.</div>
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Don't get me started on that finale. You're going to sacrifice your life so someone else can pull a dead body out of the water? Yeah, no. You don't deserve to be in charge of tying your own shoes, let alone the entire realm of the gods.</div>
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<b><a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/08/new-k-drama-alert-strongest-deliveryman.html" target="_blank">Manhole</a>: </b>Oof, where to start. I had some mild hopes at first, but it very quickly felt like Pil was learning nothing at all, and Soo Jin became an empty shell of a character who was simply there to be acted upon. From what I hear, I didn't miss much bailing on this one early.</div>
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<b><a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/08/new-k-drama-alert-strongest-deliveryman.html" target="_blank">Strongest Deliveryman</a>: </b>Again, I started out hopeful here, but I realized at some point that I didn't really feel like watching the next episode—ever. Not actively bad, but I never connected to the leads the way other viewers seemed to. Kyung Soo was so incredibly boring to me (and had so incredibly terrible hair to boot), and I couldn't bring myself to finish the whole show just for the second leads.</div>
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<b>Girls' Generation 1979: </b>What I liked about the portion I saw of this show is that it had a dark side without being overly melodramatic. In fact, it almost threw me off how matter-of-fact the drama was about tough subjects, and it also gave me a glimpse into an era of Korean history that I know very little about.</div>
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That being said, I got halfway though without actually caring about a single character. The non-serious half of the show essentially involved a series of people seeing each other for the first time and then falling in love, and none of the actors were quite experienced enough to make it feel realistic or poignant. It's like a less-good <i>Answer Me</i> with 50% more blank stares.</div>
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<b>Live Up to Your Name: </b>I tried. I really, really tried. But. *whispers* <i>I don't actually like Kim Nam Gil's slapstick side that much.</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<b>Temperature of Love: </b>I think I may be in the minority on this one, but the first couple of episodes left me decidedly lukewarm (yep, made the obvious temperature joke here). The dialogue tried way too hard to be clever, leaving what seems like it <i>wanted </i>to be a pleasant slice-of-life show feeling way too stilted and manufactured. </div>
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Also. What's with the music on this show? One moment, we've got 90s synth in the background, and then suddenly we're riding a train to a <i>Masterpiece Classics</i> soundtrack.</div>
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<h3>
Are you in a K-drama slump?</h3>
<div>
Someone please tell me it's not just me. Or am I just missing out on amazing shows? I can tell you right now I can't bring myself to care about <i>While You Were Sleeping</i>, but maybe next week's premieres will jump-start some interest?</div>
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<br />Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518010523528252915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846709423440845137.post-28037575834512724432017-08-20T18:34:00.000-06:002017-08-20T18:36:37.031-06:00Let's Play: K-drama Dream Brunch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Do any of you have a go-to ridiculous ice breaker question for when you're getting to know new people? Like "If you were on a deserted island and could bring only one book with you, what would it be?" (An unabridged <i>Oxford English Dictionary</i>, obviously. That thing can be used as kindling to start fires to stay warm. If you bring a book to read for pleasure, it'll just turn soggy and useless in the first rainstorm anyway.)<br />
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Aside from "What superpower would you choose?" (anyone who says invisibility is creepy and automatically off my friendship list, FYI), my other favorite get-to-know-you question is "If you could have brunch with five famous people from any time in history, who would you choose?" It's so interesting to hear justifications for different answers. </div>
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But now that I've been blogging for several years, I want to adjust the question for my online K-drama-loving buddies. This one's a toughie, and I'm excited to hear your answers!</div>
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<br /></div>
<h3>
Which K-drama Characters Would You Invite to Brunch?<a name='more'></a></h3>
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But first, some rules (because yes, I'm the kind of person who just really, really loves rules).</div>
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1. You can invite up to five characters to your brunch. A group bigger than six (including you) probably gets out of hand.</div>
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2. You're inviting characters, not actors. Of course you can consider who plays the character, but there won't be any breaking of the fourth wall here. If you invite Wang So from <i>Moon Lovers</i>, you're getting the dude who murdered lots of people at your brunch, not mild-mannered Lee Joon Ki.</div>
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3. You can assume none of the characters will pose a physical threat to you during the course of the brunch. Again, you could invite Wang So without worrying that he'll murder <i>you</i>, but I make no promises that he'll be a pleasant conversationalist.</div>
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I've thought about it long and hard, and here are my picks!</div>
<h3>
Brunch pick #1: Kim Shin (played by Gong Yoo), <i>Goblin</i></h3>
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I was <i>going </i>to pick a time traveler so I could learn about history with someone who also understands modern social cues and wouldn't flip over the table in the middle of brunch or something (again, Wang So is off my brunch list for sooooo many reasons), but why settle for someone who knows only about one time period when you could have someone who just stayed alive the whole time?</div>
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Dude has clearly seen some stuff, and I'd love to hear all about it. I'm afraid I <i>will </i>have to include a dress code on his invite. 1960s suits only, please. <a href="http://kdramafighting.blogspot.com/2013/12/fashion-face-off-friday-turtleneck.html" target="_blank">No turtlenecks allowed</a>.</div>
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<h3>
Brunch pick #2: Lee Do (played by Han Suk Kyu), <i>Tree with Deep Roots</i></h3>
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In a perfect world, Lee Do would just be played by Song Joong Ki all the time, and he would come regale me with nerdy tales of creating Hangul, but if I'm being 100% faithful to the show, I'll have to skip young Lee Do and his whiny Sudoko phase in favor of the older, more mature King Sejong.</div>
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<h3>
Brunch pick #3: Arang (played by Shin Min Ah), <i>Arang and the Magistrate</i></h3>
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She's been a ghost, she's from another time period, <i>and </i>she's encountered the gods and faced the portals of hell and all that jazz. Yes, please. I want to hear all her secrets and maybe also talk about whether King of Heaven Yoon Seung Ho's hair is as magnificent as it looks once you get up close.</div>
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Plus, she spent half the show whining about how hungry she was, so maybe she'll be a grateful guest and take some of the pressure off of picking the perfect brunch spot for this crew.</div>
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Brunch pick #4: Healer (played by Ji Chang Wook), <i>Healer</i></h3>
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Definitely for some other very good reasons that are not just Ji Chang Wook.</div>
<h3>
Brunch pick #5: Choi Choon Hee (played by Eunji), <i>Trot Lovers</i></h3>
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This might seem like a throwaway pick if I only get four characters, but I'm a pragmatist at heart. If I'm going to be inviting some of the other people on my list, I need <i>one </i>person there who can help calm my social anxiety and keep the conversation going. Every time I watch a show with Eunji as the lead, I feel like we could be best friends in real life, so that's why I'm pulling in an Eunji character.</div>
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But why <i>this </i>Eunji character—arguably from the worst show she's ever been in? I'm not going to argue that <i>Trot Lovers </i>isn't a garbage show (because it definitely is), but Choi Choon Hee seems like she would be the best at wrangling a crowd for me and coaxing guests like my moody goblin into conversation. Plus, I have this mental image of all of us laughing and clapping along as she enthralls us by singing some trot songs, so there's that.</div>
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<h3>
Who Would You Invite?</h3>
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Ok, your turn! Ready, set, go! Tell me your brunch picks, but choose wisely!</div>
Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518010523528252915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846709423440845137.post-38528408554330481472017-08-15T21:36:00.000-06:002017-08-15T21:36:28.601-06:00New K-drama Alert: Strongest Deliveryman and Manhole Reviews<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, despite being in a deep and dreadful <a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/08/drama-slump-all-ridiculous-reasons-im.html" target="_blank">drama slump</a> for several weeks (and getting increasingly bored with <i>Bride of the Water God</i>), I managed to rouse enough energy to try out a couple of NEW new shows. With lots of busy stuff going on in real life, I gravitated to the new comedies—<i>Strongest Deliveryman </i>and <i>Manhole</i>—first, though I'm still trying to build up the courage to try out <i>Save Me.</i><div>
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Can any of these break the recent drama curse?</div>
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<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<h3>
<i>Strongest Deliveryman</i></h3>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibJM1x0XjN58PDUy9LO8ZzwkpM9cK2WZXB4KHsgO0ghKETdRFmQiym83xfmcn6Vz0EfA8eX8MEcro7gqjEp0ESMInZM9Q9hWa-eiwEqLRACigu523w4sAYOqcZSuBsdHGBtTLHU1MWO8Tw/s1600/Strongest+Deliveryman+go+kyung+pyo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="750" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibJM1x0XjN58PDUy9LO8ZzwkpM9cK2WZXB4KHsgO0ghKETdRFmQiym83xfmcn6Vz0EfA8eX8MEcro7gqjEp0ESMInZM9Q9hWa-eiwEqLRACigu523w4sAYOqcZSuBsdHGBtTLHU1MWO8Tw/s640/Strongest+Deliveryman+go+kyung+pyo.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Food delivery is no laughing matter.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<b>What it's about: </b>Choi Kang Soo (Go Kyung Pyo) and Lee Dan Ah (Choi Soo Bin) are hardworking delivery people who clash when they start working for the same restaurant. They also get tangled up with a couple of rich kids, Oh Jin Gyu (Kim Sun Ho) and Lee Ji Yoon (Go Won Hee).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Episodes watched: </b>4</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>First impressions: </b>I <i>like </i>it, but I'm not <i>in love </i>with it. At this point, I'm sticking around for our central characters, all of whom have some interesting little quirk to keep me intrigued.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I came into the series assuming that Chae Soo Bin and Go Kyung Pyo would be fantastic, but I've found myself surprisingly engaged by the character of Oh Jin Gyu. Yes, he's a stupid rich kid who does terrible things and has a <i>long </i>road of redemption ahead, but Kim Sun Ho is playing him extremely well and balancing that line of making you feel sympathetic and rooting for him to turn things around even when you're furious at what he's done.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I've seen some fan comments complaining of "oppa favoritism" with Oh Jin Gyu, saying that viewers are overly tolerant of his character while unfairly criticizing Dan Ah. While I think there is a general tendency to go easier on male leads than female leads, I don't think that's <i>necessarily</i> the case here.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM1GK8TnNboTo1eOfeachYhZX7CyYsc1XTwPAqgS3uWazl0I20BSYpoIfHWewyWqjgcs9Z2PK3rCmsmG56mUPQWAHA-_hd8N2zgHKxNRfBU-oMtZnw3lFqNYZ7akxySVOyeeygbB2us4eO/s1600/Strongest+Deliveryman+I+think+I+might+love+you.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="750" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM1GK8TnNboTo1eOfeachYhZX7CyYsc1XTwPAqgS3uWazl0I20BSYpoIfHWewyWqjgcs9Z2PK3rCmsmG56mUPQWAHA-_hd8N2zgHKxNRfBU-oMtZnw3lFqNYZ7akxySVOyeeygbB2us4eO/s640/Strongest+Deliveryman+I+think+I+might+love+you.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
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<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
For the most part, I like Dan Ah. I can also 100% recognize that Jin Gyu's actions had <i>far </i>worse outcomes than Dan Ah kicking people in the nuts or blackmailing them. But the reason her behavior bothers me more is that the show itself <i>recognizes </i>his actions as bad and has clearly established that it's not okay, all while shrugging at everything Dan Ah does as "but she's a badass who takes care of herself!" Sorry, but blackmailing someone for cross dressing in the privacy of their own room isn't "badass" in my book, and it hinders my appreciation of a character I would otherwise support totally and completely.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Weirdly, at this point I'm having the hardest time connecting to Kang Soo out of everyone, which shouldn't be the case since, you know, he's the main character and all. I know we got his sad backstory and all, but I guess we haven't really seen enough of his actual personality to know much beyond "nice guy with lots of scooter buddies," which isn't enough to make me care. Of course, the perm doesn't <i>exactly </i>help me take him seriously, either.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In any case, I care enough about everyone else to stick around to see what happens with Kang Soo. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
<i>Manhole (Feel So Good)</i></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQoKImreLJld5EKn1TWdMKm8d-WKj9fwn0hvy_TzQEtslBOkSXUgxgZ8XYF6L9F9rI8kg8Q_KVqvM63OnglNAStGcoL7ummw73FL2nix8OfRA3Jh8tuZOJJ21BXFdl1zMLeRH6SPQLoxLa/s1600/Manhole+pathetic+pil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="1280" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQoKImreLJld5EKn1TWdMKm8d-WKj9fwn0hvy_TzQEtslBOkSXUgxgZ8XYF6L9F9rI8kg8Q_KVqvM63OnglNAStGcoL7ummw73FL2nix8OfRA3Jh8tuZOJJ21BXFdl1zMLeRH6SPQLoxLa/s640/Manhole+pathetic+pil.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<b>What it's about: </b>Sad, pathetic loser Bong Pil (Jaejoong) is devastated that his longtime friend and love of his life Kang Soo Jin (UEE) is getting married to another guy. Suddenly, he gets a chance to set things right when he travels through a magical burping manhole (Yup, as weird as it sounds) into the past.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Episodes watched: </b>2</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<b>First impressions: </b>30 minutes into episode 1, I almost quit. It was slapstick and cheesy in all the wrong ways, and Pil's constant flailing and whining made me think it was no wonder Soo Jin pretended to have no idea Pil was in love with her all that time. </div>
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<div>
It also seemed like a waste to assemble such a large cast of neighborhood regulars if those characters were all going to feel slick and empty instead of lived in and real like the very best neighborhood stories should.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After sticking it out for two episodes, I can't say that the slapstick is gone or that I really care about the neighborhood crew yet, but there were a few key moments that made me want to come back for this week's episodes:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>The moment where Pil tries to confess to Soo Jin (and she nods eeeeever so slightly to encourage him) had that emotional hook I was missing earlier in the episode. In that one moment, I was aching for both of them not being able to say what they wanted to say.</li>
<li>When Pil comforts Soo Jin after the mirror falls, he seems like a totally different person. Suddenly, you see what he's like when all the self-consciousness is stripped away, and that makes me want to know how he got from that popular, helpful guy in high school to the whiny loser he became in the present day (and how he can switch back, of course).</li>
</ul>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgn1LA56ft2gmaQbs11eYW-l_zjrRZQ4I9quEoHUXphGuEFr6iIb_Z6zuVnqp8flQzhnmH-JOkxaIzkCaKYq2V5soNcV0UhgEj1XSa8uEUMpnrLOcR8_hpwaVyUdoV294K075dFj_BDGpz/s1600/Manhole+Pil+comforting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="1280" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgn1LA56ft2gmaQbs11eYW-l_zjrRZQ4I9quEoHUXphGuEFr6iIb_Z6zuVnqp8flQzhnmH-JOkxaIzkCaKYq2V5soNcV0UhgEj1XSa8uEUMpnrLOcR8_hpwaVyUdoV294K075dFj_BDGpz/s640/Manhole+Pil+comforting.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>The prospect of the butterfly effect making Pil into a gangster is just too good to resist. I <i>have </i>to stick around for episode 3!</li>
</ul>
<div>
Honestly, I think I responded better to this series having read comments about how pathetic Pil is and how slapstick the comedy is ahead of time. It helped me push through all that nonsense and get to the hints of something better I might have missed otherwise.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
What Do You Think?</h3>
<div>
Are you watching either show? Or something else entirely? Let's beat this drama slump together!</div>
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<div>
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Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518010523528252915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846709423440845137.post-19652121889388897022017-08-04T19:24:00.000-06:002017-08-04T19:31:34.234-06:00Drama Slump: All the Ridiculous Reasons I'm Not Watching Any K-dramas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqTw0XuAI-0ngmZaYS6EQEoKYCNkRNKaVqQgWxek4xrXfN9qFiArGy3jskTHVaJOvdaKUXGF6cRcmIv1HsXkCLXahcKoeh0Abny3M6dTtGnHTy8rn4Wxvdbvg8AgBGmzQKW6ql7LI_la4y/s1600/Kdrama+slump1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqTw0XuAI-0ngmZaYS6EQEoKYCNkRNKaVqQgWxek4xrXfN9qFiArGy3jskTHVaJOvdaKUXGF6cRcmIv1HsXkCLXahcKoeh0Abny3M6dTtGnHTy8rn4Wxvdbvg8AgBGmzQKW6ql7LI_la4y/s640/Kdrama+slump1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I've already finished waaaaay more dramas this year than <a href="http://kdramafighting.blogspot.com/2017/01/2016-year-of-dropped-k-drama.html" target="_blank">last year</a>, but I've finally hit the first big drama slump of 2017. I'm watching exactly <i>one </i>drama right now (more on that later), and I just can't seem to muster the energy to watch any others. Here are all my terrible justifications for skipping out on everything airing.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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<h3>
Currently airing (or very recently completed) K-dramas</h3>
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<b>(in alphabetical order)</b></div>
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<div>
<b>Bride of the Water God: </b>The only show I'm actually watching right now. I'm embarrassed to admit that the only reason I bothered is that it looked <i>so bad</i> that there was no way it would disappoint me. Look, I don't know either. I never said it was a <i>good</i> reason.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Criminal Minds: </b>Where even does one watch this? I probably would have tuned in for Lee Joon Ki and Moon Chae Won, but then mediocre viewer reviews started to roll in. No way am I expending effort tracking down a mediocre show—especially if I have to watch it on some skeezy site that crashes all the time and is probably trying to steal my identity.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Duel: </b>I am not even really sure what this drama is, and I keep getting it confused with both <i>Circle </i>and <i>Forest of Secrets </i>with its serious-ish vibe. I sort of know that they are not remotely the same thing, but until I watch one of them, my brain is going to keep insisting otherwise.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Falsify: </b>Are there any actually <i>guilty </i>people in K-drama prisons?<b> </b>Wake me up when this year is over and I can watch something that isn't about people falsely accused of stuff.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Father Is Strange: </b>The only thing that interested me was the Lee Joon/Jung So Min loveline, but that's not really enough to make 89 gagillion (yep, that's the real episode count) episodes worth it.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Forest of Secrets: </b>I keep hearing that this is the best K-drama ever created in the history of all K-dramas. Truth time: I'm secretly worried that I will watch this, get bored by it, and then realize that I have terrible taste in shows and be ashamed of myself forever. </div>
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<b>Man Who Dies to Live: </b>I'll take my shows <i>without </i>any culturally offensive content, thanks.</div>
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<b>Queen for Seven Days: </b>I have multiple K-drama-watching buddies who keep telling me I MUST WATCH THIS SHOW. But...it's just too hot outside to feel that sad.</div>
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<b>Reunited Worlds: </b>*Side-eyes Kocowa* Yeah, nope, I'm not signing up for yet another (more expensive and less functional) streaming site. If that means skipping this show, so be it.</div>
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</div>
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<b>School 2017: </b>I haven't watched any of the other <i>School </i>series. This doesn't seem like the one to break the streak, either.</div>
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<b>The King Loves: </b>Is bad hair a good reason?</div>
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<b>Thief Nom, Thief Nim: </b>Unless someone tells me that Im Joo Eun's character has killed off Seohyun and become the female lead, I'm protesting.</div>
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<b>Unni Is Alive: </b>Unni may be alive, but my interest in long weekenders is dead.</div>
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<b>Woman of Dignity: </b>I lovelovelovelove the two leading ladies, but man, the promos for this were weird and confusing and enough to turn me off.</div>
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<b>You Are Too Much: </b>This show is too much.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4TgcBIHahv6l9AWYVmYGoL_dGZagcvRd_X8QEswYpxC6Qo79BNTfnDcXBiOT0FPQIEoSqsAmBZuns8CmDJUIT-8a7Q_xX5Fw70COnaFgkuYO8ZBE1Vzn_JHKK9GE6B8gVIywthICTmoFu/s1600/Kdrama+slump2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4TgcBIHahv6l9AWYVmYGoL_dGZagcvRd_X8QEswYpxC6Qo79BNTfnDcXBiOT0FPQIEoSqsAmBZuns8CmDJUIT-8a7Q_xX5Fw70COnaFgkuYO8ZBE1Vzn_JHKK9GE6B8gVIywthICTmoFu/s640/Kdrama+slump2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
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<h3>
<b>Upcoming dramas that may or may not break the slump</b></h3>
<div>
<b>Manhole (Feel So Good): </b>While it wins for absolute worst English translation of a drama title ever (so, so many dirty jokes I'm not going to make here), the zany teasers have me semi-intrigued.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Save Me: </b>Taecyeon is my K-drama guilty pleasure. I <i>know </i>in my heart of hearts he's not that great, and that makes me wonder if watching him in something this serious will just make me sad at how not-great he is.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Strongest Deliveryman: </b>I wrote this blog post while waiting for the subbed first episode to come out. Please, please, please be good. Go Kyung Pyo and Chae Soo Bin have more than earned it.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Anyone else in a drama slump? Or are there shows out there that I really should be watching that you want to take a stab at convincing me to watch? I'm open to your persuasive arguments! </div>
Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518010523528252915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846709423440845137.post-9657963980878155972017-07-22T19:59:00.000-06:002017-07-22T19:59:11.716-06:00Fight My Way and Suspicious Partner K-drama Reviews<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMwnH9Z66urRxsWS0AJbzFCL_R682siuxhsz89l8BNepO9hQk7IE8GJdZY_zvEbzkFfg03d6mXaz84W-HcCtY9wqgHK1p2FHA5JG8LzQdTzr9_DHx-GxqjeO_z_HGIAGO9pv4AGzS9lALp/s1600/Fight+my+way+suspicious+partner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="496" data-original-width="692" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMwnH9Z66urRxsWS0AJbzFCL_R682siuxhsz89l8BNepO9hQk7IE8GJdZY_zvEbzkFfg03d6mXaz84W-HcCtY9wqgHK1p2FHA5JG8LzQdTzr9_DHx-GxqjeO_z_HGIAGO9pv4AGzS9lALp/s640/Fight+my+way+suspicious+partner.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
I started out last drama cycle with sooooooooo many shows on my list, but at the end of the day, I really only managed to finish two—<i>Fight My Way </i>and <i>Suspicious Partner</i>. Both had moments I really, really loved. Both also disappointed me in some ways. So let's review both shows and see how they fared!<br />
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<a name='more'></a><h3>
<i>Fight My Way</i> Review</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-0jWc_6XOPRK4ldr-zwqQg1Rxlz4Wz0MZ47wxpWHMQZ2c0w4slovQqDf66jNZnNH1P1j4H-E-_NZSHWgd_nJYzWDEWkd5hLgq5sbI4qqCy-sb5lfuk3NHIwAKxrJ-3urwebwyJSDLK6iV/s1600/Fight+My+Way+best+friends.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="750" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-0jWc_6XOPRK4ldr-zwqQg1Rxlz4Wz0MZ47wxpWHMQZ2c0w4slovQqDf66jNZnNH1P1j4H-E-_NZSHWgd_nJYzWDEWkd5hLgq5sbI4qqCy-sb5lfuk3NHIwAKxrJ-3urwebwyJSDLK6iV/s640/Fight+My+Way+best+friends.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div>
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<div>
<i>Fight My Way </i>started off on the slow side, but wow, did it steal my heart somewhere in the middle. I'm a huge sucker for friends-turned-lovers stories <i>and </i>slice-of-life dramas, so this ended up being an extremely pleasant, at times laugh-out-loud funny watch filled with well-rounded, lived-in characters who felt like real people.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
I loved Kim Ji Won's Choi Ae Ra from the get-go—she was brash and stubborn while still being vulnerable and human. It took me a little longer to figure out Park Seo Joon's Go Dong Man, but I ended up falling for him totally and completely by the end. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
I don't know that I've ever seen a K-drama male lead quite like him. I mentioned this in the comments on my <a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/06/new-k-drama-alert-fight-my-way-my-sassy.html" target="_blank">initial thoughts on the show</a>, but in some ways he seems more like a K-drama female lead (in the vein of <i>Weightlifting Fairy</i>'s Kim Bok Joo, for example) than a male lead. K-dramas are peppered with female leads who rely on brawn over brains and are a little dimwitted and naive when it comes to love, but have genuinely good hearts. That, to me, is Dong Man to a t. I kept being completely shocked every time he just blurted out whatever was on his mind, and I found it both refreshing and incredibly attractive (okay, Park Seo Joon doesn't hurt the attractiveness) how open he was willing to be throughout the entirety of the series. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQUMYkBALieRK96HMdYV27Jyxxie4cMdl1uPlxS8h3pmddaP-s3-ktoU1rNtx2VC2opAUyhbAEV6Gil6VF6SiShBzhXIcYRUeWxplORyQHsUYqQ5ShweIMlbo3W6DtgPPF4jM896mZI_-l/s1600/Fight+My+Way+pouting+Park+Seo+joon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="909" data-original-width="1600" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQUMYkBALieRK96HMdYV27Jyxxie4cMdl1uPlxS8h3pmddaP-s3-ktoU1rNtx2VC2opAUyhbAEV6Gil6VF6SiShBzhXIcYRUeWxplORyQHsUYqQ5ShweIMlbo3W6DtgPPF4jM896mZI_-l/s640/Fight+My+Way+pouting+Park+Seo+joon.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WHO CAN SAY NO TO THIS FACE?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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<div>
Whenever you get interesting characters, there's always the fear that they'll stop being interesting halfway through the show, but these two never really lost their uniqueness. </div>
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<div>
<b>I guess I have to mention the second leads.</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
Yeah, they existed. I guess while watching I was sorta invested in the character growth there as well, but today is a hot summer day and trying to analyze this part of the show makes me so sleeeeeeeepy and bored that I just..can't...muster...energy...to...care....</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Things that made me roll my eyes and/or sigh in annoyance</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b>The whole mom plot. </b>WE DIDN'T NEED IT. For a slice-of-life show, it would have been perfectly fine to leave her as the quirky, badass landlady. Instead, we ended up wasting time cramming unnatural resolution to that whole story into the finale when we <i>could </i>have been resolving Ae Ra's whole problem with Dong Man's fighting instead.</li>
<li><b>The "brother." </b>Yup, I'm using two bullet points on the mom plot. I did not care about this guy and his mommy issues. Again, whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy are you wasting time that could be spent resolving more important plot points? *Pouts and throws things*</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqUDxM0IxyXJcG6-00abs8yUN3XHN_0OFeiHDoLgWvnv7cvxbIG3Zh8wLhBGtMxCCmXEiYNzKpH6iFMlRvJcoKWIBBbAlu6VK0Hn8hgFWqqetmRtol_TlNJ9JHuRsF6kGGGPW12p4V2e2d/s1600/Fight+My+Way+brother.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="909" data-original-width="1600" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqUDxM0IxyXJcG6-00abs8yUN3XHN_0OFeiHDoLgWvnv7cvxbIG3Zh8wLhBGtMxCCmXEiYNzKpH6iFMlRvJcoKWIBBbAlu6VK0Hn8hgFWqqetmRtol_TlNJ9JHuRsF6kGGGPW12p4V2e2d/s640/Fight+My+Way+brother.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Also, too much <i>Chicago Typewriter </i>definitely made me think he was going to cause a lot more trouble than he did.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b><ul>
<li><b>Hye Ran. </b>Another unnecessary character whose resolution seemed shoehorned in. Surprise! She's human after all even though absolutely nothing in the first half of the series seemed to indicate that she was anything other than a cardboard cutout.</li>
<li><b>Dong Man's fighting. </b><i>This. THIS. </i>This is the thing I wish they had spent more time addressing instead of any of those other things. Soooooooo he might be permanently injured. Except then he's not. And Ae Ra makes us have a weird time skip of them apart because she haaaaaaates his fighting. Except then they're getting married. Because that's what happens when your mom suddenly shows up out of nowhere and makes us spend time resolving issues with her and your jealous adoptive brother.</li>
<li><b>Choi Woo Shik's character. </b>I loved how this extended cameo initially represented a completely realistic depiction of "nice guy syndrome," where he tries to manipulate Ae Ra into dating him just because he's "nice." The resolution to his storyline kinda cheapened the realism, though it <i>did </i>force a confession out of Ae Ra <i>and </i>allow me to realize just how much I enjoy Choi Woo Shik in all the things, so that's probably a win overall.</li>
</ul>
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<b>Is <i>Fight My Way </i>worth watching?</b></div>
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That would be a hearty yes from me. If you have any kind of emotions, even the minor side characters <i>will </i>grow on you—and if you have no emotions, at least you can enjoy lots of Park Seo Joon shirtless and bickering with a hilarious Kim Sung Oh.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmkFQvzTinTFx1MT6q_Qg6lISVZ36g95fJ0PEA8M6B7BQwCly797s64aZ_ck-riTGI_nctPUKR4ytvHGQCny9vI32Nf-aLCdzrITEDC-0IHevAJUo78C4_K5BdUirVZs23Au0MgBCqCvit/s1600/Fight+my+way+park+seo+joon+kim+sung+oh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="909" data-original-width="1600" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmkFQvzTinTFx1MT6q_Qg6lISVZ36g95fJ0PEA8M6B7BQwCly797s64aZ_ck-riTGI_nctPUKR4ytvHGQCny9vI32Nf-aLCdzrITEDC-0IHevAJUo78C4_K5BdUirVZs23Au0MgBCqCvit/s640/Fight+my+way+park+seo+joon+kim+sung+oh.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Where to watch <i>Fight My Way:</i></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.viki.com/tv/34479c-fight-my-way?locale=en" target="_blank">Viki</a></div>
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<h3>
<i>Suspicious Partner</i> (<i>Love in Trouble</i>) Review</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZrKUPGJ_-Gr87-PL8KwcyMDkhiVqYiC2Wx_D_JU-D_R-dDTYsRQGN6UPzNo0Gd7qoI8VLv2ehjeENvlBYaXm-HHTaDuXnuUkRD6vxuNx5nII7tb4_W4TMzCdDSHfwq7zCRW6l0zfLW0SB/s1600/Suspicious+partner+couple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="909" data-original-width="1600" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZrKUPGJ_-Gr87-PL8KwcyMDkhiVqYiC2Wx_D_JU-D_R-dDTYsRQGN6UPzNo0Gd7qoI8VLv2ehjeENvlBYaXm-HHTaDuXnuUkRD6vxuNx5nII7tb4_W4TMzCdDSHfwq7zCRW6l0zfLW0SB/s640/Suspicious+partner+couple.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>Suspicious Partner</i>. A show that did <i>so much </i>right, and yet somehow I ended up forcing myself to finish it by the end.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<b>All the good stuff</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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Ji Chang Wook and Nam Ji Hyun are a match made in K-drama heaven. They're both excellent comedic <i>and </i>dramatic actors, and sparks flew every time straightlaced Ji Wook interacted with the hot mess that was Bong Hee. Their romance was fun and filled with fantastic chemistry from episode 1.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeD8u-cTeXQLtL5bjAHPdKmSz4TvxwZGFM6u6f00ylrYwOfsBCT6ShhY9VjQH5SqnAFajyMaeQ37OZEP4JhhSXcJ-v6o5c7SDQcOO97hOtdfW4OIs2dvXey88moNpNQAeJrIWSvvfi426Z/s1600/Ji+chang+wook+suspicious+partner+what+should+I+do.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1176" data-original-width="734" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeD8u-cTeXQLtL5bjAHPdKmSz4TvxwZGFM6u6f00ylrYwOfsBCT6ShhY9VjQH5SqnAFajyMaeQ37OZEP4JhhSXcJ-v6o5c7SDQcOO97hOtdfW4OIs2dvXey88moNpNQAeJrIWSvvfi426Z/s640/Ji+chang+wook+suspicious+partner+what+should+I+do.jpg" width="398" /></a></div>
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As we know from <a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/04/strong-woman-do-bong-soon-k-drama.html" target="_blank">recent experience</a>, a cute central couple alone isn't enough to keep a show afloat, and fortunately, this series filled its cast with talented actors playing fun supporting roles. Eun Hyuk and Chief Bang were two notable standouts, though it took a few episodes for me to shake Choi Tae Joon murderer vibes after his previous role on <a href="http://kdramafighting.blogspot.com/2017/03/missing-9-k-drama-review-what-in-world.html" target="_blank">Missing 9</a>. (So, SO glad he wasn't the murderer in this, or I probably wouldn't have been able to watch him in anything ever again.)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Even the murderer plot kept me engaged thanks to a winning turn from Dong Ha, though I do have to admit the whole "handsome, charismatic killer" thing wasn't <i>quite </i>as captivating the second time around from this writer after <i>I Remember You.</i></div>
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<b>Where it lost me</b></div>
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Towards the end of this drama, I was texting very whiny complaints to a drama-watching friend of mine, and she said she thought I was being overly hard on this show. That may be true, but I tend to get extra irritated when a show I really love wastes potential at the halfway mark. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://media.giphy.com/media/V7pPGoPjoA8Sc/200.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="300" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/V7pPGoPjoA8Sc/200.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm the Tyra in this scenario...and in all scenarios.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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If <i>Suspicious Partner </i>had been 16 episodes instead of 20 (or I guess 32 instead of 40 with the split-episode format), it might have become one of my all-time favorites. Instead, somewhere around episode 12, it started to lose direction, and I couldn't help but feel that every passing episode and nobly idiotic decision the characters made (seriously, how many times did we need to do the "Ji Wook hides the truth to save Bong Hee, but Bong Hee finds out anyway and wants to break up" cycle?) was more a function of needing to fill time than doing things the plot required.</div>
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Just think: at 16 episodes, we could have skipped the whole my-dad-maybe-killed-your-dad-so-we-must-not-be-together-because-reasons thing altogether, and I maybe would have saved myself some eyestrain from rolling my eyes so hard so much. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH2qr6znBwVJmdygv1WM99TBP2o6Qqqexr1XZX6-wt5exUGk7L_A_YfEgtzwPN1sH-2ZtgSBLm4pXalyQVMMujBWs1tqt-OWy32KokAbdLPYCZzPEQuXyaG-LTsIbvsfpIsSbyeaKd1qWK/s1600/Suspicious+partner+angry+bong+hee.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="750" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH2qr6znBwVJmdygv1WM99TBP2o6Qqqexr1XZX6-wt5exUGk7L_A_YfEgtzwPN1sH-2ZtgSBLm4pXalyQVMMujBWs1tqt-OWy32KokAbdLPYCZzPEQuXyaG-LTsIbvsfpIsSbyeaKd1qWK/s640/Suspicious+partner+angry+bong+hee.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basically my face for the entire duration of the daddy fire plot.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div>
Dear Drama Writers, </div>
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<div>
I really, really don't need every single character to be weirdly connected to every single other character on every single show. Sometimes people just meet and fall in love without their long-lost cousins possibly being related and/or maybe murdering each other in the past.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Sincerely, </div>
<div>
Vivi, A serial K-drama watcher who can't keep her eye rolling under control</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Is <i>Suspicious Partner </i>worth watching?</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
If you're okay with abusing your fast forward button for the last third, then yes. Even the plot slowdown couldn't diminish my absolute adoration for the Ji Chang Wook/Nam Ji Hyun pairing, and this show is still an excellent way to tide drama lovers over while Ji Chang Wook heads off to military service.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgANdQACngXYhlu5h5eRw1QH5MigTBNw7FSFXH9l9vYauGWuDHBroJ91vLZUsXmaFSg9PhyNDVo2S1IF3N4CVDsxFHPAgwGtY9CKkxbU2OOeDiOc85_X8G9I15Wmd2xUenACJqPaBEwGif0/s1600/Suspicious+partner+Ji+chang+wook.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="945" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgANdQACngXYhlu5h5eRw1QH5MigTBNw7FSFXH9l9vYauGWuDHBroJ91vLZUsXmaFSg9PhyNDVo2S1IF3N4CVDsxFHPAgwGtY9CKkxbU2OOeDiOc85_X8G9I15Wmd2xUenACJqPaBEwGif0/s640/Suspicious+partner+Ji+chang+wook.gif" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can forgive a lot for failed Ji Chang Wook aegyo.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div>
<b>Where to watch <i>Suspicious Partner</i></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.viki.com/tv/34557c-suspicious-partner" target="_blank">DramaFever</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.viki.com/tv/34557c-suspicious-partner" target="_blank">Viki</a></div>
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Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518010523528252915noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846709423440845137.post-60003063043132034862017-07-03T22:14:00.000-06:002017-07-03T22:14:09.417-06:0010 Best K-drama OST Songs <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUwUtEpuIzWyO6tQDmvyKph03WzdgTTcgIUrFyGgrUnt8ZVvCOwIXSM6g4op56zA-3lfY-f1WdOpTQBKk-hlRcINTh9RZp5gDA8VlT94lqqlCxvjgzGK2p_Biz16bj1y8fLJkJxnAFs9K4/s1600/Answer+Me+1997+singing.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="750" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUwUtEpuIzWyO6tQDmvyKph03WzdgTTcgIUrFyGgrUnt8ZVvCOwIXSM6g4op56zA-3lfY-f1WdOpTQBKk-hlRcINTh9RZp5gDA8VlT94lqqlCxvjgzGK2p_Biz16bj1y8fLJkJxnAFs9K4/s640/Answer+Me+1997+singing.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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When I first started watching K-dramas, the soundtracks were one of the things that took a lot of getting used to. Many viewers come to K-dramas by way of K-pop, but I wasn't one of them, and the upbeat bubblegum pop and prom-theme ballads seemed pretty over the top at first. Of course, with <i>Boys over Flowers </i>being one of the very first dramas I ever watched, I also suffered from having "Almost PAAAAAAARADIIIIIIISE" stuck in my head on repeat for several weeks. (Definitely memorable, but not in a good way.)<br />
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All that being said, drama OSTs (original soundtracks) have grown on me over time, and there are some that really hit the nail on the head in terms of setting the right mood at just the right moment. For me, these are the 10 best K-drama OST songs of all time—the ones that really worked for the dramas they were in and that I didn't mind hearing over and over throughout the series.<br />
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<br />1. "Run" by Nell, <i>Two Weeks </i>OST</h3>
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Confession: I have a complete and utter weakness for the combination of angsty guitar plus falsetto. As a result, Nell's "Run" was the very first K-drama OST single I went out of my way to hunt down. Thank you, <i>Two Weeks</i>, for introducing me to the magic that is Nell and Kim Jong Wan's voice. Now it's gotten to the point where I heard a few bars of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUcTnkfcorA" target="_blank">most recent OST release</a> for <i>Suspicious Partner </i>and knew right away it had to be Nell.</div>
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2. "Touch Love" (터치 러브)<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "youtube noto" , "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 20px;"> </span>by Yoon Mi Rae, <i>The Master's Sun</i></h3>
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Admittedly, "Touch Love" makes me feel just a teensy weensy bit like I should be shuffling around at prom, avoiding making eye contact with my teen crush, but this song IS <i>The Master's Sun. </i>It's the perfect example of why Yoon Mirae is one of the ultimate OST queens—whatever she touches becomes inextricably tied to the drama in a way that doesn't make your ears bleed. Her latest ballad, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_HeBVc72jg" target="_blank">Sky</a>" from <i>The Best Hit</i>, is yet another winner, though it's not quite "Touch Love" levels of iconic—yet.<br />
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3. "Wake Up" by Eye Candy, <i><a href="http://kdramafighting.blogspot.com/2014/01/mini-reviews-werewolf-boy-boys-before.html" target="_blank">Shut Up Flower Boy Band</a></i></h3>
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Pro tip: "Wake Up" is great bathroom-cleaning music. It's also the perfect song for the fake band in <i>Shut Up Flower Boy Band</i>. They have youthful feelings that they can only express through song, okay?<br />
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4. "Dreamlike" Vodka Rain, <i><a href="http://kdramafighting.blogspot.com/2015/06/ex-girlfriend-club-korean-drama-review.html" target="_blank">Ex-Girlfriend Club</a></i></h3>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NQAUKAdEqAg" width="560"></iframe>
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Most K-dramas use the same songs over and over and over (and over and over...) until you're ready to put your TV on mute every time it plays. <i>Ex-Girlfriend Club</i> played its cards perfectly with a single-use song, using Vodka Rain's "Dreamlike" to build up to the romantic climax of the series. This perfectly timed song proves that when it comes to the best OSTs, less really is more.<br />
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5. "Sad Thing" by Eorunai, <i><a href="http://kdramafighting.blogspot.com/2013/02/my-1-kdrama-love-coffee-prince-review.html" target="_blank">Coffee Prince</a></i></h3>
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<i>Coffee Prince </i>was my very first K-drama, so I didn't fully appreciate the music until I saw other shows with soundtracks I enjoyed much less. Even years after first hearing it, "Sad Song" immediately evokes the melancholy of the scenes where it appears—just what a good OST should do.<br />
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6. "Like a Dream" (꿈처럼) by Ben, <i><a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2016/07/another-oh-hae-young-and-lucky-romance.html" target="_blank">Another Oh Hae Young</a></i></h3>
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<i>Another Oh Hae Young </i>had a smart, effective soundtrack all around, and I can't help but wonder if putting such an emphasis on how the male lead <i>listens</i> to anything and everything around him encouraged the production team to take care of the sound details. Of the entire OST, Ben's "Like a Dream" is the one that immediately reminds me of this series, and that's why it nabbed a spot among the best K-drama songs.</div>
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7. "A Little Girl" (소녀) by Oh Hyuk, <i><a href="http://kdramafighting.blogspot.com/2016/01/when-ratings-trump-narrative-answer-me.html" target="_blank">Answer Me 1988</a></i></h3>
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The <i>Answer Me </i>series is great at evoking a sense of the time period with its musical choices, and Oh Hyuk's rendition of Lee Moon Se's "A Little Girl" is a perfect example of a song that knows what show it's in and matches perfectly. If you <i>really </i>want to go down the musical <i>Answer Me </i>rabbit hole, though, the winner has got to be <i>Answer Me 1994</i>'s "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kr3bOs5s8U" target="_blank">To You</a>," which went straight '90s with the synth intro and the sexy saxophone/sultry mumbling in the background. Compared to that, "A Little Girl" is definitely on the subtle side of things.<br />
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8. "All for You" by Eunji and Seo In Guk, <i><a href="http://kdramafighting.blogspot.com/2013/07/reliving-my-adolescence-korean-style.html" target="_blank">Answer Me 1997</a></i></h3>
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If pretty much anyone other than Eunji and Seo In Guk had sung this song, I would have tossed it directly into the "way too cheesy ballad" pile, but I really can't resist the charm of these two, and the fact that they're singing a duet about their characters' romance on the show is so incredibly adorable that even watching the music video makes me want to go rewatch the entire series from episode 1.<br />
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<br />9. "Love High" by the <i>Dream High</i> cast, <i>Dream High</i></h3>
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My guess is everyone has a guilty pleasure OST that they find absurdly catchy in spite of themselves, and <i>Dream High </i>is mine. It's a sentimental favorite because I watched this series while grading hundreds of student papers during finals week, and I distinctly remember closing my office door and watching episodes of <i>Dream High </i>as a reward between piles of papers. The dancing and singing kids of Kirin Art School got me through that week, and therefore I succumb to the unapologetic cheeriness of this song.</div>
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<i><br /></i>10. "Stay with Me" by Punch and Chanyeol, <i>Goblin</i></h3>
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It kind of blows my mind that "Stay with Me" has 78 <i>million </i>views on YouTube (Chanyeol fans don't mess around, do they?), but I do have to admit that I like the atmosphere of this song, and it was one of the things that drew me into the first few episodes of <i>Goblin</i>. It matched the mood of <i>Goblin </i>without having to go full-fledged belted ballad like so many other top OST tracks (like <i>My Love from Another Star's </i>"My Destiny," for example). It stays in your head, but not in an "Almost Paradise" kind of way.<br />
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Bonus: "Hold on There," <i><a href="http://kdramafighting.blogspot.com/2015/11/cheer-up-sassy-go-go-korean-drama-review.html" target="_blank">Cheer Up!</a></i></h3>
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And now, for a bonus instrumental track: the whistling song from <i>Cheer Up</i>. While not something I would go out of my way to listen to, the second I hear any portion of this song, I start whistling along and wondering why I'm not watching <i>Cheer Up </i>over and over and over. It's the perfect little tune for a happy little show.<br />
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What's Your Favorite K-drama OST Song?</h3>
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These just so happen to be some of the songs <i>I </i>found most effective in their respective dramas, but what about you? Do the big ballads get your tears flowing? Are you more into instrumental themes? Let me know in the comments!</div>
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Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518010523528252915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846709423440845137.post-46548394859551290492017-06-18T20:22:00.001-06:002017-06-18T20:24:13.499-06:00The 9 Best K-drama Second Male Leads Who Broke My Heart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqJAg931Z5BXF54BV4bsmG-ua3JsN2wSYrf7QP8wZYVAVlCaYi0pIrXAtZWPdpNL7ymV35XiPOBdoz5I5SeAPPED8ARcHzMh_liCI61XImTKK1RWc3-AM5jND8fUzQXoLSGbmlcwQmuc-K/s1600/Siwon+perplexed.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="358" data-original-width="640" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqJAg931Z5BXF54BV4bsmG-ua3JsN2wSYrf7QP8wZYVAVlCaYi0pIrXAtZWPdpNL7ymV35XiPOBdoz5I5SeAPPED8ARcHzMh_liCI61XImTKK1RWc3-AM5jND8fUzQXoLSGbmlcwQmuc-K/s640/Siwon+perplexed.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's been a while since I've had a good bout of Second Lead Syndrome—the kind where you spend half the series clutching your heart and shouting at the screen because you know deep down inside that the female lead of a K-drama is going to pick the "wrong" guy.<br />
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Recently, I've been in weird limbo with <i>The Best Hit</i>, and I can't tell if my heart is going to be crushed by second lead syndrome for Ji Hoon or if he's actually the romantic endgame for our female lead this time. Usually K-dramas are so blatant about the central pairing that I haven't been this confused since <i>Answer Me 1988</i> In this case, though, I think it's less about stringing the audience along and more about developing non-romantic parts of the story, which I'm okay with.<br />
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Either way, the whole thing's got me reflecting on all my favorite second leads of yore. Here are my 9 favorite K-drama second male leads of all time—the ones I would have picked in a heartbeat if I were in charge of writing the script.<br />
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1. Kim Shin Hyuk (played by Siwon), <i>She Was Pretty</i></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0CiwwGCIZxoVIupq7IwSOr9mTMR581XWxGZw_HtJbD2MWzgz5ZLRS-gOdQXJsxsl0ciC_Dn6r4bl5im-MrjTHZ3Ia5WY6tp2S2t0DBjr41qSWbwLVJfigThUdwvOEpol4EVDablZVSVS/s1600/Siwon+she+was+pretty+look+at+me+too.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="640" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0CiwwGCIZxoVIupq7IwSOr9mTMR581XWxGZw_HtJbD2MWzgz5ZLRS-gOdQXJsxsl0ciC_Dn6r4bl5im-MrjTHZ3Ia5WY6tp2S2t0DBjr41qSWbwLVJfigThUdwvOEpol4EVDablZVSVS/s640/Siwon+she+was+pretty+look+at+me+too.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aaaaaaaand now I'm clutching my heart all over again.</td></tr>
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I've said this before, and I'll say it again: I started this series for Park Seo Joon, and I stuck around for Siwon. Siwon stole the show with Shin Hyuk, and this is one case of Second Lead Syndrome where I genuinely think the leads should have swapped partners. Shin Hyuk's quirky sense of humor seemed much better suited to Hye Jin's personality than stick-in-the-mud Sung Joon's grumpiness. </div>
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What made it all worse is that Siwon really threw himself into this role and proved himself as an actor better than any of his previous roles (at least the ones I've seen). And then he finished this show and ran off to military service, and we haven't been able to see him in a leading role since. Sigh.</div>
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<a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2015/11/she-was-pretty-korean-drama-review-or.html" target="_blank">Full <i>She Was Pretty </i>review</a></div>
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2. Moon Jae Shin/Geol Oh (played by Yoo Ah In), <i>Sungkyungkwan Scandal</i></h3>
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Geol Oh. Ohhhhh Geol Oh, my first true K-drama love. In the context of <i>Sungkyungkwan Scandal</i>, I guess I kinda sorta get why Yoon Hee picked who she did, but you'd better believe that if <i>I </i>found myself hiding out in Sungkyungkwan, I'd have heart eyes only for our tousled, grumpy warrior. </div>
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I was already rooting for him as the scruffy Batman type, and then, THEN they went and gave him nervous hiccups around women, and I was a goner.</div>
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<a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2013/08/a-new-favorite-from-old-story.html" target="_blank"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2013/08/a-new-favorite-from-old-story.html" target="_blank">Full <i>Sungkyungkwan Scandal </i>review</a></div>
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3. Yoon Ji Hoo (played by Kim Hyun Joong), <i>Boys over Flowers</i></h3>
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This was the first drama where I actually googled who the female lead chooses as I was watching the show. It was also, incidentally, where I first encountered the term "Second Lead Syndrome."</div>
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Jun Pyo spent the entire series being a terrible person. There, I said it. He opened the series bullying someone into attempting suicide. Then he bullied Jan Di into dating him. And you know what? Even if he fell for Jan Di, I never got the sense that he really got over his terrible personality.</div>
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Then you have Ji Hoo, who is kind and supportive. Unlike other second leads who never really have a shot with the female lead, Ji Hoo is not only Jan Di's first love but also—as a fortune teller informs the audience in the most rage-inducing piece of second-lead info ever—her true soulmate. Thanks for nothing, fortune teller.</div>
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4. "Master" (played by Lee Chun Hee), <i>Dating Agency Cyrano</i></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8XgGWdksdaR9xI5jYH0_AJ7kPSzXXeSIqw6vksobPWO7rVIHe_icLJNPgK8rxfqqdI6QLjNz1xGruPCfXQajbNUMa0ssLIOxYQkZrn2IvWHwcE_joHTyaBqwXrvl8hCvEowYCh3OuENvp/s1600/Dating+angency+cyrano+master.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="641" data-original-width="1123" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8XgGWdksdaR9xI5jYH0_AJ7kPSzXXeSIqw6vksobPWO7rVIHe_icLJNPgK8rxfqqdI6QLjNz1xGruPCfXQajbNUMa0ssLIOxYQkZrn2IvWHwcE_joHTyaBqwXrvl8hCvEowYCh3OuENvp/s640/Dating+angency+cyrano+master.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Exactly</i> what I said to him every time he was on my screen.</td></tr>
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Continuing with the theme of "female leads who have nonsensical taste in men," we get to <i>Dating Agency Cyrano</i>, where I spent the entire series wondering what on earth sassy Min Young saw in boring, emotionally stunted Byung Hoon when she <i>could </i>have been dating smart, fun, kind chef with a bad boy side (and Lee Chun Hee's face), "Master."</div>
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Out of all the shows on this entire list, I think this one might win for the biggest discrepancy in quality between the first male lead and the guy relegated to the sidelines. I don't get it. I really, really don't.</div>
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<a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2013/08/summertime-funnertime-dating-agency.html" target="_blank"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2013/08/summertime-funnertime-dating-agency.html" target="_blank">Full <i>Dating Agency Cyrano </i>review</a></div>
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5. Jung Hwan (played by Ryu Joon Yul), <i>Answer Me 1988</i></h3>
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Is it really any surprise that one of the <i>Answer Me </i>series made it to the list? I managed to root for the right guy in the first two installments, but I kinda feel like the <i>Answer Me </i>gods visited their wrath on my heart tenfold with Jung Hwan.</div>
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It's not that I <i>disliked </i>Taek as a husband—it's that a giant chunk of the narrative structure was built to make me feel root for Jung Hwan, and then we got the rug pulled out from under us and didn't even get a satisfying resolution to his story. No, I'm not at all bitter about this anymore! (Yes, I am.)</div>
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<a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2016/01/when-ratings-trump-narrative-answer-me.html" target="_blank">Full <i>Answer Me 1988 </i>review</a></div>
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6. Jeremy or Shin Woo (played by Lee Hong Ki and Jung Yong Hwa), <i>You're Beautiful</i>)</h3>
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Pretty much anyone—<i>anyone</i>—would have been better than Jerkface McJerkerton Tae Kyung. I think this might be where my weird aversion to Jang Geun Suk comes from. Try as I might, I cannot talk myself into watching any of his other shows after the trash fire that was this romance.</div>
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Go Mi Nyu could have picked the lovable and playful Jeremy. She could have picked the secretly supportive Shin Woo. She could have gone back to the nunnery. Any of those options would have been fine. But no, she threw up in Tae Kyung's mouth, and so the laws of all dramadom decreed that she would love him forever. *Shudders*</div>
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<a href="http://kdramafighting.blogspot.com/2013/02/i-demand-recount-part-2-you-are.html" target="_blank">Full <i>You're Beautiful </i>review</a></div>
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7. Choi Young Do (played by Kim Woo Bin), <i>Heirs</i></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY6jRx-oBzIkYlW6atHqFBtkLNbXRQWv1az634V6l8RlUXBjrRD3_GYkHAjxAoU-5zxZ9FcTEX6RA7ZysFjCr_Vo4Yu5LDYC0H_tRO8TkIC26v9rKbRCg-IPIiRg45xXrPlZwBSc9c6vP8/s1600/Young+do+heirs.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="650" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY6jRx-oBzIkYlW6atHqFBtkLNbXRQWv1az634V6l8RlUXBjrRD3_GYkHAjxAoU-5zxZ9FcTEX6RA7ZysFjCr_Vo4Yu5LDYC0H_tRO8TkIC26v9rKbRCg-IPIiRg45xXrPlZwBSc9c6vP8/s640/Young+do+heirs.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Ok, if I had a friend who asked me if she should date Kim Tan or Young Do, I would probably tell her to ditch them both and run as fast as she could from that toxic school (and then sell that super expensive uniform on eBay or something). That being said, I couldn't help but root for Young Do, who Kim Woo Bin made genuinely intriguing and heartbreaking to watch in comparison to Lee Min Ho's Kim Tan, who had the personality of a potato.</div>
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Don't date bullies in real life. But maybe it's okay to clutch your heart a little when they're crying over noodles on a show.</div>
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<a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2013/12/heirs-kdrama-review-or-why-coco-and.html" target="_blank">Full <i>Heirs </i>review</a></div>
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8. Chief Gook (played by Lee Mil Mo), <i>Emergency Couple</i></h3>
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Coco and I were on exact opposite sides of the shipping fence for this show. She was 100% in favor of Chang Min and his rippling muscles, and meanwhile I was pining away for Chief Gook, the scruffy, gruff second male lead (mayyyybe I'm seeing a pattern here with Geol Oh...). I mean, just look at these texts I sent back in the day:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-xlYkfH84x3smql5np31eMRYaAIcXdQmgSzcBFnJhgw57Zm0XMBftDJjl6ybtRvWQYOnnYCxtxyot2AiIyWU1d9-gkXRgjZkXuf21ShXr6Wf2f7_nre6bmMEOBVdkZhrrD_35ZJAESOaZ/s1600/EC+texts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="995" data-original-width="639" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-xlYkfH84x3smql5np31eMRYaAIcXdQmgSzcBFnJhgw57Zm0XMBftDJjl6ybtRvWQYOnnYCxtxyot2AiIyWU1d9-gkXRgjZkXuf21ShXr6Wf2f7_nre6bmMEOBVdkZhrrD_35ZJAESOaZ/s400/EC+texts.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
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You know you've got it bad when you're insisting that other people share your second lead pain. </div>
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<a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2014/04/emergency-couple-korean-drama-review.html" target="_blank">Full <i>Emergency Couple </i>review</a></div>
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9. Hwang Wook (played by Kim Sung Oh), <i>Warm and Cozy</i></h3>
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I loooooove me some Yoo Yun Suk, but the character of Gun Woo needed to fall off a cliff into the ocean, get eaten by fish, digested, and pooped out far, far away from Jung Joo so she could get over him and his emotionally manipulative ways and date the goofy mayor instead.</div>
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As if I didn't already love Kim Sung Oh enough, this role has endeared him to me forever. He may or may not have been the only thing that kept me watching to the end—that, and I was watching with a group of friends, <i>all </i>of whom kept squealing with glee whenever Hwang Wook showed up.</div>
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<h3>
What about second female lead syndrome?</h3>
<div>
K-dramas are typically constructed to favor second male lead syndrome. In order to properly play out the reverse harem fantasy, show writers often make second female leads either completely irrelevant to the main loveline (aka the best friend with her own story going on) or a terrible bitch who no one would root for in the first place. Most second female leads are disqualified as actual threats to the central pairing the second they show up on screen, and they're relegated to being annoying plot devices that keep our leads apart for as long as possible until they pair up with the second male lead, turn so evil that they become murderers and go to jail, or both.</div>
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Still, second female lead syndrome does sometimes happen—In <i>She Was Pretty, </i>I for sure thought Hye Jin's best friend Ha Ri would be a better fit for Sung Joon (which would conveniently leave Hye Jin to date Shin Hyuk...), and I've heard from a lot of viewers that the second female lead in <i>Doctor Strange </i>far outshone the female lead. </div>
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<div>
My one true case of second female lead was <i>Joseon Gunman</i>, where Jeon Hye Bin's Hye Won had awesome chemistry with Yoon Kang, and I definitely wanted them to get together for the entire first half of the show (after which I dropped it so I wouldn't have to watch her go evil.) As it turns out, Lee Joon Ki and Jeon Hye Bin eventually started dating in real life, which makes me feel extra validated about the chemistry vibes I was getting!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5mriLpEvk7_MmzdwwSPPgWk-L4lhK6b0Bj_hHzrvCZyzMo_K0i2INVHUz5-70iWUwC4K4cXDeX_WhMk9fZKWBBH6Ibg-85KEC1xKE2wjDBV8WUgUYmwOzc3BHrK-sblXCINYlsyp_nrmn/s1600/LJK_JHB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="647" data-original-width="970" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5mriLpEvk7_MmzdwwSPPgWk-L4lhK6b0Bj_hHzrvCZyzMo_K0i2INVHUz5-70iWUwC4K4cXDeX_WhMk9fZKWBBH6Ibg-85KEC1xKE2wjDBV8WUgUYmwOzc3BHrK-sblXCINYlsyp_nrmn/s400/LJK_JHB.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image via Namoo Actors</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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But really, Second Female Lead Syndrome happens few and far between, and it's usually the men we're left heartbroken over at the end of the show.<br />
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<h3>
Who's Your Worst Case of Second Lead Syndrome?</h3>
<div>
Have you ever suffered from Second Lead Syndrome? Who got you worst?<br />
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If you want to discuss more Second Lead Syndrome, <a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2014/04/exploring-second-lead-syndrome.html" target="_blank">check out this post</a> from way back in the day, when we talked about all the reasons we catch (or don't catch) the second lead disease. </div>
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Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518010523528252915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846709423440845137.post-27878040809042808142017-06-07T19:04:00.000-06:002017-06-07T23:19:38.878-06:00My Secret Romance K-drama Review: Is Sung Hoon in a Suit Enough?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJeo4QVYX7hK_VutFoUAlaK7tCQvSKu2F0ryN6JHZaJVXQUQt6p9eLDtRhbNNZoi2d1j1Xu0wJIPJvJNjwPhSV5NkphUv5qpCYJt_q5eNdRkDDPE5O-fOT8NBIEhk7UGsZyqOHxT54ZCE/s1600/My+secret+romance+catch+fall.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="403" data-original-width="750" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJeo4QVYX7hK_VutFoUAlaK7tCQvSKu2F0ryN6JHZaJVXQUQt6p9eLDtRhbNNZoi2d1j1Xu0wJIPJvJNjwPhSV5NkphUv5qpCYJt_q5eNdRkDDPE5O-fOT8NBIEhk7UGsZyqOHxT54ZCE/s640/My+secret+romance+catch+fall.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Back when <i>My Secret Romance </i><a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/04/new-k-drama-alert-my-secret-romance.html" target="_blank">started</a>, I was fully on board to watch it as sweet, fluffy nonsense (with some absurdly handsome Sung Hoon tossed in as a bonus). As it turns out, the series didn't even manage to meet that very low bar—aside from absurdly handsome Sung Hoon remaining absurdly handsome, of course.<br />
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<h3>
What didn't work</h3>
Let's get right down to the review. <i>My Secret Romance</i> had only 13 episodes—and I <i>still </i>fast forwarded 90% of the last four episodes.<br />
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At first, the show promised to be a little on the silly, cheesy side, but also pleasantly romantic. While there were some cute moments between the leads at first and I definitely enjoyed Sung Hoon's comedic timing (and handsome face), eventually the show just couldn't get around the fact that it was completely and utterly boring. Like read-things-on-my-phone-while-the-leads-kiss boring.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxGwdhe2bmKi7vjjzsNw3Mno8c7CMtt-12BuryZ-LpqK3n1lA4EvaDStskSeAHgIsaFlCApWTys-XxMOmIyPmzer7Sy5nKng3UPJzCw7ODNYS7t4LWOTTDj-0buwfE-YKWQKJfNryTN7zX/s1600/my+secret+romance+sung+hoon3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="750" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxGwdhe2bmKi7vjjzsNw3Mno8c7CMtt-12BuryZ-LpqK3n1lA4EvaDStskSeAHgIsaFlCApWTys-XxMOmIyPmzer7Sy5nKng3UPJzCw7ODNYS7t4LWOTTDj-0buwfE-YKWQKJfNryTN7zX/s640/my+secret+romance+sung+hoon3.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wut. Why are people even allowed to look this handsome?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<i>1% of Anything</i>, which shared a director and a similar setup with <i>My Secret Romance</i>, managed to pull off a show where the main purpose was romance. But what mostly worked there fell through here for a couple of reasons. First of all, that show had 16 episodes, but each episode was only 30–40 minutes long. Maybe with a slightly shorter runtime, <i>My Secret Romance </i>could have avoided the endless stream of flashbacks and completely nonsensical angst that made up the last third of the drama.<br />
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The second big difference was the female lead. In <i>1% of Anything, </i>Jeon So Min brought Da Hyun to life, and she had a spark to her that made her fun to watch and helped carry the show on the power of sheer chemistry alone. In <i>My Secret Romance</i>, Yoo Mi is basically a walking, talking, hiccuping log. You kind of have to wonder why Jin Wook wants to date Yoo Mi when she does nothing but look wide-eyed and terrified every time she interacts with him.<br />
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I think this is a case where a better actress <i>or </i>a better-written character would have made a huge difference, but as it was, I felt kind of uncomfortable watching Jin Wook overtly pursuing a woman who seemed completely afraid of him and was sending clear signals that she wanted nothing to do with him. (That's sexual harassment, for the record.) Sung Hoon's not the best actor in the world by any means, but I think he had enough charm and humor to pull off this level of romance. Song Ji Eun, on the other hand, couldn't quite hold up her end of the chemistry, which didn't help an already flimsy show.<br />
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To be honest, I couldn't help but feel that Yoo Mi would have been better off dating her best friend because he was the only person she seemed comfortable around. It wasn't really second lead syndrome, but more a desire for her to not have to be so startled all the time.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK0jxJ7DIL2hcfHba9gMZy8DC5ZL3CJPqwsQWnGMy-wx2DGcQWg1KYRMLvQ9qsXeg3RxRjIK3Wh-g4jppiMgzxTxPj_L7ytiMkdXhvnWTcD_AzTiDoi2fA5JBoyLWB5KxVa0VVl4bFJr7i/s1600/My+secret+romance+second+leads.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="750" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK0jxJ7DIL2hcfHba9gMZy8DC5ZL3CJPqwsQWnGMy-wx2DGcQWg1KYRMLvQ9qsXeg3RxRjIK3Wh-g4jppiMgzxTxPj_L7ytiMkdXhvnWTcD_AzTiDoi2fA5JBoyLWB5KxVa0VVl4bFJr7i/s640/My+secret+romance+second+leads.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See? She's smiling! And having a conversation that doesn't involve startled stammering!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h3>
What did work</h3>
<div>
Of course, the entire show wasn't a complete failure. As I said earlier, the romance in the first few episodes was pleasant, and the show definitely leaned on Sung Hoon to pull his weight as handsome, funny eye candy. He didn't fail. If this series had just been him hanging out at the playground, playing with children as moms hilariously ogle him, I probably would have felt okay about that.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMJjr8ER60ZYQH33l9YD3I22rI7ot6lsXqVCiAmDb6r-NzcXte7nXuoAzWSZdaURI8RZjgOPk5uN1BsnuzeJ2S-3S7mma6PqltVCAs9gvdTI_BFWUAtUtjY8OI1TPMncLXDMGCLuUHRmqB/s1600/My+Secret+Romance+Sung+Hoon+baby.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="750" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMJjr8ER60ZYQH33l9YD3I22rI7ot6lsXqVCiAmDb6r-NzcXte7nXuoAzWSZdaURI8RZjgOPk5uN1BsnuzeJ2S-3S7mma6PqltVCAs9gvdTI_BFWUAtUtjY8OI1TPMncLXDMGCLuUHRmqB/s640/My+Secret+Romance+Sung+Hoon+baby.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm sorry—did my ovaries just explode?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I also thought there was a really interesting story hiding beneath the surface with Yoo Mi and her mother's relationship. <i>My Secret Romance </i>kind of addressed why Yoo Mi feels so embarrassed about sex, but it would have been interesting to see more character development there, and there was some potential to have a really interesting discussion about the ways women internalize sexual guilt. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzZ4AgEelRXhHato0bXdFUyAQDBiLNwhCFqrG417unXfNUAT31hAHK8-k20PHQgJdxVS7jT7AQyRUshyphenhyphenAqWUwARi4Ojjo6Fvsek-WKBOde8mxFydGOCYGpGVq7OqH33sA-7H7gNyUwVhPH/s1600/My+Secret+Romance+mother.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="750" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzZ4AgEelRXhHato0bXdFUyAQDBiLNwhCFqrG417unXfNUAT31hAHK8-k20PHQgJdxVS7jT7AQyRUshyphenhyphenAqWUwARi4Ojjo6Fvsek-WKBOde8mxFydGOCYGpGVq7OqH33sA-7H7gNyUwVhPH/s640/My+Secret+Romance+mother.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This. THIS is the drama I wanted to watch!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Of course, I was probably hoping for too much from a series like this, but mostly I was hoping for something—<i>anything—</i>to make Yoo Mi more human.</div>
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<h3>
Would I recommend <i>My Secret Romance?</i></h3>
<div>
If you're okay with super, duper light fluff, maybe the first half of the series is okay. Or just skip to episode 8, watch some kissing and Sung Hoon being the handsomest pied piper of children ever, and move on to better shows.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirkjWCQrs7sPd91BFtBae4s1gcqKFgrkC23J480BxAf6UnXM6Xg3nyXogLSASWOCRYPBwjutf8nkf808eQAxj4o4Kq0xclNHFvnHEP_egmp-AhgehO4qMrRHF3_N5s3WEbjg7A1GRcJcOO/s1600/My+secret+romance+sung+hoon+kids.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="750" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirkjWCQrs7sPd91BFtBae4s1gcqKFgrkC23J480BxAf6UnXM6Xg3nyXogLSASWOCRYPBwjutf8nkf808eQAxj4o4Kq0xclNHFvnHEP_egmp-AhgehO4qMrRHF3_N5s3WEbjg7A1GRcJcOO/s640/My+secret+romance+sung+hoon+kids.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Where to watch <i>My Secret Romance</i></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.dramafever.com/drama/5000/My_Secret_Romance/" target="_blank">DramaFever</a></div>
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Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518010523528252915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846709423440845137.post-42122905952050692762017-06-06T20:43:00.000-06:002017-08-20T18:51:34.023-06:00New K-drama Alert: Fight My Way, My Sassy Girl, and The Best Hit Reviews<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHKvYAH0EJuu8B4WIrFhFSvZSSuFGR4x1B_2eo1p50H1sSE5V69H2Ws59sWJFD36LSm3bVxiTo8x6ZYTmC-S3sUL4YX6z5k4mBgoiwkC9KPZjUTkruw-kN9I9T5xsQYu4pZo0ZTtZ7GT3I/s1600/My+sassy+girl+fight+my+way+the+best+hit+drama+posters.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="1192" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHKvYAH0EJuu8B4WIrFhFSvZSSuFGR4x1B_2eo1p50H1sSE5V69H2Ws59sWJFD36LSm3bVxiTo8x6ZYTmC-S3sUL4YX6z5k4mBgoiwkC9KPZjUTkruw-kN9I9T5xsQYu4pZo0ZTtZ7GT3I/s640/My+sassy+girl+fight+my+way+the+best+hit+drama+posters.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Hi, hello, someone please toss me a life raft—I'm drowning in new K-dramas over here! Not only am I completely and totally in love with <i><a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/05/new-k-drama-alert-suspicious-partner.html" target="_blank">Suspicious Partner</a>, </i>but I also decided to test out <i>Fight My Way, My Sassy Girl, </i>and <i>The Best Hit</i>. And I'm still not even halfway through all the premieres I <i>wanted </i>to watch. Let's review what I've seen so far, shall we?<br />
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<a name='more'></a><h3>
<i>Fight My Way</i></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIEI9LeZx1iWcspfKXA7bsDNXkEZznz6YSGApG8mww9hvzNdMGmem2zJzMS4LYsHvSY7cwz4zRFSh2p_T0iT2vTeNw-t3ymXdRe4hi1VLfoOucY2NoW3jrHrQIUNzGcgUd2RayWCWxN3xU/s1600/Fight+My+Way+best+friends.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="750" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIEI9LeZx1iWcspfKXA7bsDNXkEZznz6YSGApG8mww9hvzNdMGmem2zJzMS4LYsHvSY7cwz4zRFSh2p_T0iT2vTeNw-t3ymXdRe4hi1VLfoOucY2NoW3jrHrQIUNzGcgUd2RayWCWxN3xU/s640/Fight+My+Way+best+friends.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><i>Update: <a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/07/fight-my-way-and-suspicious-partner-k.html" target="_blank">Final Fight My Way review</a></i></b><br />
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<b>What it's about: </b>Choi Ae Ra (Kim Ji Won) and Go Dong Man (Park Seo Joon) have been best friends since childhood, when they both dreamed of stardom. As adults, they're both living third-rate lives, but they're always there to support each other (and obviously fall in love at some point, I assume).</div>
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<b>Episodes watched: </b>4</div>
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<b>First impressions: </b>For the majority of episode 1, I just felt sad for all the characters and maybe a teensy bit detached and bored. then Ae Ra and Dong Man shared some screentime, and I was hooked.</div>
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<i>Fight My Way </i>isn't the flashiest of dramas, but I just so happen to love slice-of-life shows when they're done well. Kim Ji Won finally got her chance to headline a series, and she's making Ae Ra one of my new favorite drama heroines—she's strong willed and never lets others put her down or push her around, and yet she has a vulnerable side that makes her feel well-rounded and human.</div>
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I kind of thought that Park Seo Joon's Dong Man would be the big draw in the series, but really, his character shines most when he's with Ae Ra. I'm a huge sucker for best-friends-to-lovers stories, and the way Dong Man recognizes Ae Ra's crying voice and gazes at her when she's not looking melt me into a puddle of goo.</div>
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I haven't really found myself caring much about the secondary love story yet, but on the other hand, Kim Sung Oh unexpectedly appeared in this drama, and whenever Kim Sung Oh appears, that automatically earns any show five zillion bonus points, so it all evens out.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3yNjUUK_tnnqw-GYGGbCTOVDRSKhu8ZqUJgXWWuvYNinrAanTf0Eh4PjfHd9dwJE6nRmQIptg_TSa48oUcEBBxqAit6xmq1P8UpW94Fzne8363G0FE3DYuewpcyFUO4Hec_POBwDhLaSg/s1600/Fight+My+Way+Kim+Sung+oh.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="750" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3yNjUUK_tnnqw-GYGGbCTOVDRSKhu8ZqUJgXWWuvYNinrAanTf0Eh4PjfHd9dwJE6nRmQIptg_TSa48oUcEBBxqAit6xmq1P8UpW94Fzne8363G0FE3DYuewpcyFUO4Hec_POBwDhLaSg/s640/Fight+My+Way+Kim+Sung+oh.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div>
<b>Where to watch <i>Fight My Way</i></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.viki.com/tv/34479c-fight-my-way" target="_blank">Viki</a></div>
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<h3>
<i>My Sassy Girl</i></h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBD6TF7kWJdOHgAIgnyEhhoOtZfk6uGm8XFTNJjR16_uTCKjudPZoeqpcI-oqlzVt2hi2PZxpNB_F_YPXQYizrvirDQ0CYh9Pg67H3KCtj-h7tnfuoQUTltYAJhNTC7fJhWXhNwfGH5Z9n/s1600/My+sassy+girl+oh+yeon+seo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="750" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBD6TF7kWJdOHgAIgnyEhhoOtZfk6uGm8XFTNJjR16_uTCKjudPZoeqpcI-oqlzVt2hi2PZxpNB_F_YPXQYizrvirDQ0CYh9Pg67H3KCtj-h7tnfuoQUTltYAJhNTC7fJhWXhNwfGH5Z9n/s640/My+sassy+girl+oh+yeon+seo.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>What it's about: </b>A Joseon-era remake of the popular 2001 romcom film of the same name, this series follows arrogant scholar Gyun Woo (Joo Won), who meets his match in outlandish Princess Hyemyung (Oh Yeon Seo).</div>
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<b>Episodes watched: </b>4 (or two unsplit episodes)</div>
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<b>First impressions: </b>Ummm. I don't even know. First of all, I think it's unfair to call this a "remake" when the majority of the plot is totally different from the movie (as far as I can tell, though I haven't actually seen it). I went into the series liking both leads and not having any bias about the movie, but I still wasn't really sold on it.</div>
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I get that the entire point of <i>My Sassy Girl </i>is, you know, the whole sassy girl part. As a result, I wasn't really bothered by Hyemyung's over-the-top behavior in the premiere week like some other viewers were. Where my hesitation comes in is the really slapstick humor. It's not totally my style (see my love of slice-of-life dramas above), and it made it hard for me to connect with the leads or the plot right off the bat.</div>
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That's not to say this series doesn't have potential in the romance department. If I were in the midst of a drama drought, I would probably brave all the bodily humor for the stunningly gorgeous costumes and the hope of a sweet love story, but with the currently saturated K-drama landscape, I'll probably give it a pass for now.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVGyeODPG4uCOOXK-TFWzG_DjO8NKK_ShVim2PlSYJG22D2qRHSmED9KEougl3tSAD_CR0f1XqpAdDajPAqqA2R6mpyiiko9zGd2MloiyUCjsMmqsoU0a4ButH9qcbfuDq8Ra1UX2UEo45/s1600/My+Sassy+Girl+couple.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="750" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVGyeODPG4uCOOXK-TFWzG_DjO8NKK_ShVim2PlSYJG22D2qRHSmED9KEougl3tSAD_CR0f1XqpAdDajPAqqA2R6mpyiiko9zGd2MloiyUCjsMmqsoU0a4ButH9qcbfuDq8Ra1UX2UEo45/s640/My+Sassy+Girl+couple.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Where to watch <i>My Sassy Girl:</i></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.dramafever.com/drama/5030/My_Sassy_Girl_" target="_blank">DramaFever</a></div>
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<h3>
<i>The Best Hit</i></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvtyYLDKM6iOjN2rdBQFhBpfEDuKWkW4n7SckkaoHvsltYSbiAL62zwzNSYE9qN2sMaYhWG1DJ3N_VWWQDMe521v__kbChDMdlK_kLFdWy7knEZrnROJ20s4FxYiS6-groZQTOdHbKVI2g/s1600/The+Best+Hit+leads.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="750" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvtyYLDKM6iOjN2rdBQFhBpfEDuKWkW4n7SckkaoHvsltYSbiAL62zwzNSYE9qN2sMaYhWG1DJ3N_VWWQDMe521v__kbChDMdlK_kLFdWy7knEZrnROJ20s4FxYiS6-groZQTOdHbKVI2g/s640/The+Best+Hit+leads.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>What it's about: </b>'90s pop sensation Yoo Hyun Jae (Yoon Si Yoon) disappears one day, only to pop up in 2017 Seoul. There, he runs into idol trainee Lee Ji Hoon (Kim Min Jae) and Choi Woo Seung (Lee Se Young), a young woman busy studying for the civil service exam.</div>
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<b>Episodes watched: </b>4 (according to the new split episode schedule)</div>
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<b>First impressions: </b>This drama went right under my radar, so I had no idea it had premiered or even really what it was about until a friend mentioned it to me. As a result, episode 1 was basically a series of me trying to figure out what on earth was happening and who anyone was and how they were all related to each other.</div>
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I'm still getting a feel for this show, but what I <i>can </i>say so far is that Lee Se Young's character is awesome, Yoon Si Yoon's character is hilarious with his time travel antics (telling the phone she could rest was my favorite), and Kim Min Jae's character has completely and totally stolen my heart to the point where I'm not sure I can handle watching if he's not the romantic endgame.</div>
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My feelings might change as we get to know Hyun Jae a little better, but when you spend almost all of episode 1 with Ji Hoon and his little puppy dog eyes, how in the world can I <i>not </i>root for him?</div>
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In other words, <i>The Best Hit </i>is a little confusing, very hilarious, full of fun cameos, and definitely worth checking out, if only so we can all sob together when Ji Hoon loses the girl of his dreams to his time-travelling (maybe) father.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvXzlqds4RGKJCx1xA_E6CmuK331w56Aq2SzS3xcNdYE9f84SqwHY24_XQtIvaZh2569BwzXeLuvpuJ1ujuPWR7UrqIZBCy9OrPrHYw1CXe6ZpzKcNqGTgxwwJ18Avrlujz4Yl6c6qjFA/s1600/The+Best+Hit+Ji+Hoon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="750" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvXzlqds4RGKJCx1xA_E6CmuK331w56Aq2SzS3xcNdYE9f84SqwHY24_XQtIvaZh2569BwzXeLuvpuJ1ujuPWR7UrqIZBCy9OrPrHYw1CXe6ZpzKcNqGTgxwwJ18Avrlujz4Yl6c6qjFA/s640/The+Best+Hit+Ji+Hoon.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yup. That's it. That's the look right there that's going to break my heart.</td></tr>
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<div>
<b>Where to watch <i>The Best Hit:</i></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.dramafever.com/drama/5038/The_Best_Hit/" target="_blank">DramaFever</a></div>
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<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
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<h3>
What Are You Watching?</h3>
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That's everything I'm watching, but I haven't even touched <i>Circle, Lookout, </i>or <i>Seven Day Queen</i>, all of which my drama-loving heart insists I <i>should</i> be watching if I were a proper drama fan. Too bad for my drama-loving heart, though, because a woman's gotta sleep and remodel her house sometimes, and that means I've just about hit my limit for now.</div>
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<div>
In this bounteous harvest of dramas, which ones have caught your eye? Any I'm missing that I should just skip sleep to watch? Let me know!</div>
Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518010523528252915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846709423440845137.post-90963130435257110302017-05-11T22:01:00.001-06:002017-08-20T18:52:10.484-06:00New K-drama Alert: Suspicious Partner (aka Love in Trouble) Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFTnfJm0aUtWVePO2lCXEb7ewj84Aa2mQ0eAd7Cy93KZSunoEHst1Oed5AkzzRiFsweaufExb2s03mr1YgiOJZzceOxwXokgjAZEuazBQWGNuGws6FUIAZsuYXV1A9dQJ3eBa-Z-CeADr2/s1600/Suspicious+Parnter+ji+chang+wook+nam+ji+hyun.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFTnfJm0aUtWVePO2lCXEb7ewj84Aa2mQ0eAd7Cy93KZSunoEHst1Oed5AkzzRiFsweaufExb2s03mr1YgiOJZzceOxwXokgjAZEuazBQWGNuGws6FUIAZsuYXV1A9dQJ3eBa-Z-CeADr2/s640/Suspicious+Parnter+ji+chang+wook+nam+ji+hyun.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>Update: <a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/07/fight-my-way-and-suspicious-partner-k.html" target="_blank">Full Suspicious Partner review</a></i><br />
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Ji. Chang. Wook. Need I say more? Ever since <a href="http://kdramafighting.blogspot.com/2015/02/my-newest-k-drama-love-healer-korean.html" target="_blank"><i>Healer </i>stole my heart</a>, I've been waiting for him to star in another solid romance. (Sorry, but Yoona dancing with a packet of ramen kinda killed <i>The K2 </i>for me.)<br />
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And here he is—in a romcom penned by the writer behind the oh-so-enjoyable <i>I Remember You</i>, no less. Of course that means I was going to pick up <i>Suspicious Partner (</i>aka <i>Love in Trouble</i>) the moment it aired.</div>
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<b>What it's about: </b>I...am not even really sure since so much was crammed into the first batch of episodes. So there's this woman, Eun Bong Hee (Nam Ji Hyun), and she's studying to be a lawyer. She keeps having run-ins with upright prosecutor Noh Ji Wook (Ji Chang Wook). And then she gets framed for murder. And there's what appears to be a serial killer on the loose? Oh! And there are some side characters who I'm pretty sure are important to the backstory, like Ji Eun Hyuk (Choi Tae Joon), who is either going to be a charming little puppy or turn out to be the serial killer, or possibly both. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Episodes watched: </b>4*</div>
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*The networks are testing out a new format where they break each episode in half with a commercial break in between, so what <i>looks </i>like four episodes is really only two.</div>
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<b>First impressions: </b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZbit_esV_t71KfeLitjgggqwEYW5ae31IvPuJ3f-fNv8xyXYUNCej-c51UKaCiDLd7AA_3YqxKDebfybiQcsat1gZAY0MkUTD5H2f1kKr7oNcfbG6wB72Lo_00oh-mW050u5tff7m6Ul/s1600/Suspicious+Partner+Ji+Chang+Wook+I+missed+you.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZbit_esV_t71KfeLitjgggqwEYW5ae31IvPuJ3f-fNv8xyXYUNCej-c51UKaCiDLd7AA_3YqxKDebfybiQcsat1gZAY0MkUTD5H2f1kKr7oNcfbG6wB72Lo_00oh-mW050u5tff7m6Ul/s640/Suspicious+Partner+Ji+Chang+Wook+I+missed+you.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I missed you too, Wookie.</td></tr>
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For months now, all I've really wanted is a good crack drama—one that's not so dumb or sexist or terribly written that it makes you fast forward everything, but also a fast-paced watch that keeps you coming back for more without making all your brain cells hurt.</div>
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<i>Suspicious Partner </i>might just be that drama. As we've established, I'm a diehard Ji Chang Wook fan, and this role is already playing to his strengths. The entire charm of <i>Healer </i>was that it let him be a little charming, a little badass, a little emotional, and a little goofy all at once. <i>Suspicious Partner </i>appears to have a similar setup, and I'm getting <i>Healer </i>flashbacks (in the best possible way) when I see him doing those slight facial movements that convey so much emotion. Here's an actor I can fangirl for shamelessly because I don't feel at all in doubt about his talent.</div>
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Then you have Eun Bong Hee, who I'm already loving from the get-go. I only recently caught up on the joy that was <i>Shopping King Louie</i>, but I really enjoyed Nam Ji Hyun's role there, though that was my only experience watching her. Within the first couple of episodes in <i>Suspicious Partner</i>, I'm even more impressed—loose cannon Bong Hee is the perfect foil for the straightlaced Ji Wook, and Nam Ji Hyun has shown impeccable comedic timing and ability to throw her whole body into a scene for comedic effect.</div>
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Even better, though, is how well the two work together. That scene in the hotel had me laughing out loud, and I'm all in to see how sparks fly every time they interact.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0S9gHEA588L4C6ES_o0e6EYg8pbiWo9PgqkHF6_1T3Ra0C8F4JpbQShtCEW8nGiwtD11SjWJvzfkLyGh-8PLnZ3-GP6xpFAdf4Snekxv3VgGLelEqvVuMj3zdMmbBByCXD3nMwrdXSkI-/s1600/Suspicious+Partner+Sure+I%2527ll+Sleep+with+you.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0S9gHEA588L4C6ES_o0e6EYg8pbiWo9PgqkHF6_1T3Ra0C8F4JpbQShtCEW8nGiwtD11SjWJvzfkLyGh-8PLnZ3-GP6xpFAdf4Snekxv3VgGLelEqvVuMj3zdMmbBByCXD3nMwrdXSkI-/s640/Suspicious+Partner+Sure+I%2527ll+Sleep+with+you.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">*Fans self* Dead. I'm dead.</td></tr>
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<b>But what's all this about a serial killer? </b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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I know what you're thinking. If you're anything like me, you have <i><a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/04/strong-woman-do-bong-soon-k-drama.html" target="_blank">Strong Woman Do Bong Soon </a></i>murder dungeon trauma, and you don't want any stupid killers throwing off the tone and ruining the romantic fun.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Well, I guess this is one of those cases where we'll have to trust the writer. <i>I Remember You </i>managed to blend an interesting thriller with likable characters and a sweet romance far, far (and I mean <i>far</i>) better than <i>Strong Woman </i>did. So far, that aspect of the plot doesn't really worry me because it seems to be following in <i>I Remember You's </i>capable footsteps. Even within <i>Suspicious Partner's</i> premiere week, the tone felt much more consistent and the killer felt far less peripheral to the story than in <i>Strong Woman.</i> </div>
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I feel like every time I set myself up to love a show and announce that love publicly, my heart gets smashed to smithereens. And yet, here I am, giving <i>Suspicious Partner </i>the benefit of the doubt and hoping that at least Ji Chang Wook won't let me down.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRepUrlhybHGc9c-errRjS6Zo2wlDukT35-_xGvWp_qKpSE_DLvQF4pyed-vDT7baFcFc8l5AQ22ZHgwdXRk80Opx0Ub_JhEW_7TXAuLCKnasviv1nHoZ9tiHe_pjCGwNfZofxvmJ3yW-y/s1600/Suspicious+Partner+couple.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRepUrlhybHGc9c-errRjS6Zo2wlDukT35-_xGvWp_qKpSE_DLvQF4pyed-vDT7baFcFc8l5AQ22ZHgwdXRk80Opx0Ub_JhEW_7TXAuLCKnasviv1nHoZ9tiHe_pjCGwNfZofxvmJ3yW-y/s640/Suspicious+Partner+couple.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<h4>
Where to watch <i>Suspicious Partner/Love in Trouble</i></h4>
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<a href="https://www.dramafever.com/drama/5011/Love_In_Trouble_(Suspicious_Partner)" target="_blank">DramaFever</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.viki.com/tv/34557c-suspicious-partner?q=susp" target="_blank">Viki</a></div>
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Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518010523528252915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846709423440845137.post-8142719133036623972017-05-04T22:57:00.001-06:002017-05-04T22:57:31.908-06:00An Underrated Gem: Radiant Office K-drama Review<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipYECLu1OVmRP5MkALj7NE1Nje30cIu4i3iKr_rgpdiakKXDCnQJ-4B_8tUWL5_ku12jwaXSSnOiuSeGmS8Hl0gJm2kwugu-ObSuDi8SG4rV-9_z2mCDapIraSpB0QrTK-FkymQdZYjIOA/s1600/Radiant+office+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipYECLu1OVmRP5MkALj7NE1Nje30cIu4i3iKr_rgpdiakKXDCnQJ-4B_8tUWL5_ku12jwaXSSnOiuSeGmS8Hl0gJm2kwugu-ObSuDi8SG4rV-9_z2mCDapIraSpB0QrTK-FkymQdZYjIOA/s640/Radiant+office+poster.jpg" width="428" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Radiant_Office_poster.jpg" target="_blank">via</a></td></tr>
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I've been thinking about how to review <i>Radiant Office </i>for a while now. It's a show that doesn't seem to have much buzz among K-drama viewers compared to other recent dramas like <i><a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/03/new-k-drama-alert-liar-and-his-lover.html" target="_blank">The Liar and his Lover</a> </i>(which I didn't like at all and immediately dropped) or <i><a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/04/strong-woman-do-bong-soon-k-drama.html" target="_blank">Strong Woman Do Bong Soon</a></i> (in which I liked only the romance). As is sometimes the case in dramaland, this show that no one seems to be watching was infinitely better in nearly every way than either of those shows, and for some reason, I feel like I need to defend this series tooth and nail from anyone who might say otherwise.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<h3>
Why I Loved <i>Radiant Office</i></h3>
If you take a gander at what other online reviews say about this show, you'll see a smattering of "It's boring" or "The plot doesn't go anywhere" or "There isn't enough romance."<br />
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<b>The people who wrote these reviews are not my people.</b><br />
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Sure, at first glance <i>Radiant Office </i>has a lot going against it (that honestly almost made me skip the whole thing entirely). It's <i>yet another </i>office drama with <i>yet another </i>terminal illness plot featuring <i>yet another </i>sad, hardworking heroine with Ha Suk Jin playing <i>yet another </i>rude, powerful male lead.<br />
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And yet....<br />
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Dare I say that <i>Radiant Office </i>is my favorite show of 2017 so far? It started off slowly, but this immensely well-written series with its host of well-rounded characters and its charmingly natural central romance sneaked right up on me and captured my heart.<br />
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About halfway through this series, I found myself googling the team behind it all, and I wasn't at all surprised to learn that it was both written and directed by women. Unlike so many other shows that abandon the female lead halfway through to focus on the more interesting male lead, <i>Radiant Office</i> never forgot that Eun Ho Won (played to perfection by a radiant Go Ah Sung) was the beating heart of the entire series.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_k8fYQvitPvOO5Za9KQjBYsNk9V2D_pfnRhZZqSx7-8DKgX4fQhFFx-vywO5AG7boZy9uieOvFSl8wWJ13Va9NHck1WuNb2Aql03d-_XMMABtLJ-EJq2ctXfyfYKbhYfnNAcljPuwl7t/s1600/Radiant+Office+Go+Ah+Sung.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_k8fYQvitPvOO5Za9KQjBYsNk9V2D_pfnRhZZqSx7-8DKgX4fQhFFx-vywO5AG7boZy9uieOvFSl8wWJ13Va9NHck1WuNb2Aql03d-_XMMABtLJ-EJq2ctXfyfYKbhYfnNAcljPuwl7t/s640/Radiant+Office+Go+Ah+Sung.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pure perfection</td></tr>
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What's perhaps even <i>more </i>impressive is that the drama managed to keep its focus on the female lead while still building out a full cast of characters with their own backstories and cares. There were only one or two truly unlikable villains in the show, and even they had moments to remind us that we might run into people like them at our own jobs. By the end of the show, I cared about way more people in that little office than I ever anticipated at the outset, and I particularly appreciated the way the drama treated all of its female characters and the issues they faced in the workplace.<br />
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<h3>
But What about the Romance?</h3>
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Under normal K-drama circumstances, I would be furious at a series for taking this long to get to substantial romance. But it works <i>so well </i>in this show. The slow development of feelings between Ho Won and Woo Jin is completely natural and true to character for these two. I found myself squealing in delight at any little glance or interaction between them far more than I normally do for over-the-top romantic gestures in other shows (<i><a href="http://www.kdramafighting.com/2017/04/new-k-drama-alert-my-secret-romance.html" target="_blank">My Secret Romance</a>,</i> I'm side-eyeing you here).</div>
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As it turns out, the male lead wasn't exactly the character I initially expected him to be, and that really worked in the romance's favor. There's something immensely satisfying about watching two characters grow from dislike to trust to friendship to love, and the many scenes of them enjoying just <i>talking </i>to each other made their eventual romance make way more sense than 99% of K-drama couples. Besides, how can you <i>not </i>swoon for a guy who puts his own ego aside and encourages the female lead to break the glass ceiling and become the CEO?</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This man sure does know the way to my feminist heart....</td></tr>
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<h3>
A Few Minor Issues</h3>
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I really, really, really appreciate this show so much that it's hard for me to find fault, but I guesssss there are a few things to discuss.</div>
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There were a few slow episodes in the middle where the office politics could have given way to give the finale more time. To be honest, the last episode was mostly satisfying, but it did feel a little rushed.</div>
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<b>(Major spoiler alert)</b></div>
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I lovelovelovelove Do Ki Taek (played be Lee Dong Hwi), but I didn't love how they handled his illness. From the beginning, I thought it would be cheating if Ho Won wasn't ill and no one else was, either. I think having the cancer apply to someone in the Suicide Squad was smart writing, but the way it played out was far too rushed. I don't mind an open ending to his story, but for what a major character he was, dropping that bomb right at the end of the series felt emotionally manipulative. (How much did you love Ha Ji Na's growth, though?)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8USVQZiVLZXKZZBwOrTX1hZWE6bCsxXGAQmS_J1MCIXT_jjTA8-YIbFuuqWGQ9979MhXviV9A0oNqHsMgT68rdxWjldZ_srjgg4kaDHRAB0Caak7Xq2tGqKS_CYOsiOQLQ3oxXKgVYACq/s1600/Radiant+Office+Suicide+Squad.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8USVQZiVLZXKZZBwOrTX1hZWE6bCsxXGAQmS_J1MCIXT_jjTA8-YIbFuuqWGQ9979MhXviV9A0oNqHsMgT68rdxWjldZ_srjgg4kaDHRAB0Caak7Xq2tGqKS_CYOsiOQLQ3oxXKgVYACq/s640/Radiant+Office+Suicide+Squad.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Suicide Squad forever!</td></tr>
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Similarly, Kang Ho felt like he got the least screen time and development out of the central trio. Sure, he learned to have a backbone, but I think we could have spent a little more time with him in the middle episodes.</div>
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(And I wouldn't have complained if we got a better kiss between our leads at the end....)</div>
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All of these are minor quibbles, though, and they can't really dampen my enjoyment of this series.</div>
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<h3>
Final Thoughts</h3>
<i>Radiant Office </i>isn't going to be for everyone. It isn't flashy or exciting all the time. But it does have a lot of heart, solid writing, a supportive romance, interesting characters, and a fiery leading lady holding the whole thing together.<br />
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If you're anything like me, there's not much more you could ask for.<br />
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<i><br /></i>Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518010523528252915noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6846709423440845137.post-25292920548531962092017-04-20T19:48:00.001-06:002017-04-20T19:48:55.873-06:00New K-drama Alert: My Secret Romance Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO72GmXkUJUw5ySBYfDGxrOtBneAq9oDyQMkgMDq4qooWzM4cegveemg12j99O6MliMcM5BEeqgPXnHiS_8cTWQS3ZugAMzh0dCAHbEG2afougnUzCHUc36cV5bsLtAeDVbfwGBvnrSUc6/s1600/My+secret+romance+couple.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO72GmXkUJUw5ySBYfDGxrOtBneAq9oDyQMkgMDq4qooWzM4cegveemg12j99O6MliMcM5BEeqgPXnHiS_8cTWQS3ZugAMzh0dCAHbEG2afougnUzCHUc36cV5bsLtAeDVbfwGBvnrSUc6/s640/My+secret+romance+couple.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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I picked up <i>My Secret Romance</i>, a new romcom starring Sung Hoon and Song Ji Eun, on a whim last night, hoping it would make me feel less annoyed about the incessant rain downpours we've had for what seems like infinity years now.<br />
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While this show is complete and utter garbage, it managed to accomplish exactly what I wanted, and it might end up as my new guilty pleasure watch. Be warned—the coming review is 100% about me trying to justify my unrefined taste in TV.<br />
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<b>What <i>My Secret Romance </i>is about: </b>Playboy chaebol Cha Jin Wook (Sung Hoon) and nerdy wannabe nutritionist Lee Yoo Mi (Song Ji Eun) have a passionate, unexpected one-night stand. Three years later, she ends up working in his office—awkward!<br />
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<b>Episodes watched: </b>2<br />
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<b>First impressions: </b>I wasn't sure what to expect from a romcom airing on OCN, the cable channel of serial killers, rough-and-tumble cops, and lots and lots of blood. I hadn't seen many trailers for this series, but the stills made it look suuuuuuuper fluffy, like the exact opposite of everything I've ever seen on this station.<br />
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If anything, the promo materials were an understatement. This show is like if someone took a ball of cotton candy, stuffed it full of Sweet Tarts, and topped it off with whipped cream. It's cheese with a side of cheese (and not in a great way). The writing is predictable, the dialogue is wooden, and the soundtrack sounds like maybe someone scrounged up a bunch of free audioclips from Windows 97.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiinLLIQF8nipaAs3f26E9pLpQ95ouLPkuCWkqQ6c6De68ID2kszZg7-Fr_5yM1xZ2gQt7pNvAEjFVSn2ruF0ax1jPxQl-4frWkhRwVY39M8u7iaNuTWdSTE551wj3EJkTcaB5wT6GvZYA/s1600/My+secret+romance+catch+fall.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiinLLIQF8nipaAs3f26E9pLpQ95ouLPkuCWkqQ6c6De68ID2kszZg7-Fr_5yM1xZ2gQt7pNvAEjFVSn2ruF0ax1jPxQl-4frWkhRwVY39M8u7iaNuTWdSTE551wj3EJkTcaB5wT6GvZYA/s640/My+secret+romance+catch+fall.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soooooo many cliche "She fell on him! Cue romance!" moments.</td></tr>
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Here's the thing, though: I'm not convinced this show <i>needs </i>to be good. If you've ever seen a short web series, you know it can be fun to skip all the character development and just watch a comfortable show that's not trying to be anything grand. Similarly, last year's <i>1% of Anything </i>remake—which very noticeably comes from the same director as <i>My Secret Romance</i>—started out with a bunch of cliches and managed to be a pretty fun, low-key romance by the end.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5QC-aNfZoT2RIZXluII7qg3fVwa4U_PXhPHDamF3o4BwUmc8Bb1jNCnv-sbkfIcPi2-GxLYaZLbDhb4rU2qiVs8Hfj_GOTejqa7NULQ5YB9Pjq3sQKDNCenKB6MKYqBkC-VoS4DqoYQfh/s1600/My+secret+romance+cartoons.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5QC-aNfZoT2RIZXluII7qg3fVwa4U_PXhPHDamF3o4BwUmc8Bb1jNCnv-sbkfIcPi2-GxLYaZLbDhb4rU2qiVs8Hfj_GOTejqa7NULQ5YB9Pjq3sQKDNCenKB6MKYqBkC-VoS4DqoYQfh/s640/My+secret+romance+cartoons.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even the little cartoons are back!</td></tr>
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Okay, so that's my logical explanation for why I'm watching, but now it's time for <b>my very shameful confession:</b> I just generally find Sung Hoon very easy on the eyes. The man is absurdly handsome, and as much as I fight against the oppa-favoritism trend, I also have to admit that I'm not sad at the prospect of watching 12 hours of Sung Hoon in suits. *Hangs head in shame* I'm only human, okay?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm not proud of myself, but I also can't deny this is a good incentive for me to watch.</td></tr>
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On a more serious note, though, I also think the show hit a couple of small, but critical points really well, especially in terms of consent. Two little moments stand out in the car scene in episode 1. First, when Yoo Mi pushes Jin Wook away while he's kissing her, he immediately backs off, looking both flustered and apologetic. Unlike so many K-dramas, where the male lead kisses an unsuspecting woman until she gives in and enjoys it (blech), he immediately respects her feelings and allows her to make the next move. Similarly, when they're mid-makeout in the car, he stops for a moment to look at her, and she nods explicit consent before they continue.<br />
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While it might seem silly to applaud such small moments in a cliche-riddled series like this, those kinds of things make a <i>huge </i>difference to me as a viewer. While I might roll my eyes and shake my head at the "whoops she tripped and he caught her!" trope, an aggressive male lead who doesn't respect boundaries <i>will </i>make me rage quit a series. <i>My Secret Romance </i>did just enough with those scenes to make me feel okay about my inability to stop watching Sung Hoon.<br />
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Anyone else in for this guilty pleasure drama? It's going to be 12 episodes of absolute nonsense, but hopefully enjoyable, romantic (plus handsome Sung Hoon) nonsense!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have nothing to say for myself.</td></tr>
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<br />Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518010523528252915noreply@blogger.com0