Support. Consolation. Love

It’s been a while since I felt butterflies in my stomach from a Kdrama. This is slow burn romance done right.

The pacing might intimidate you at first but if you hang on the first few episodes, you will begin to appreciate the calmness and beauty of this drama. I love the ML and FL’s performance. Their chemistry is on point.

I really enjoyed watching this. It made me want to fall in love. Not to mention how I love how mature their love is. Their breakup at one point is the healthiest I’ve seen in any Kdrama. It may not be always the case in real life since humans tend to have messy partings, but at least theirs was an example to strive for.

I also love the cinematography, lightning, soundtrack.

Is it worth a rewatch? Definitely for me because I feel like there’s still a life or love lesson to pick up that I can savor and digest which I might have missed on my first watch.

Congratulations to Team Call It Love! It was an amazing ride!

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Is it only me who enjoyed the subplot brain problems than the main plot (Shin Ha Ru’s)?

I find it super ridiculous to shut the gate of a suspicious house. Why would Captain Seul do that? I feel like they reduced her into someone dumb towards the end when we all know how badass and smart she was. Can’t she just leave it open as a clue for the subsection chief to see?

The mind games with that pyscho old man, I cannot! Shin Ha Ru walking back to the house for the 2nd time to confront him was way too much! All the more leaving that morphine shot. He could have just called the cops and surround that house and arrest him. Dying was way too nice for him.

I gotta be honest, I am not a fan of the ending. It made me feel dumb. How ironic!

One of the things I liked though is I learned new mental/brain problems and conditions that I wasn’t familiar with.

Overall, not worth a rewatch but if you need a filler drama while waiting for the ones you like, it’s a decent watch if you’re up for a good laugh.

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A Glorious Comeback

Wow, just finished binge-watching this and I thoroughly enjoyed the first half. To be honest, I never really liked SHK’s past two recent dramas, I dropped Encounter, and Now We Are Breaking Up, because they’re so boring and their plots didn’t impress me. I am glad that she made a good choice of drama this time; hopefully can sustain it until the end.

While I still have an issue with her acting on The Glory, I somewhat want a stronger translation of anger and rage in her acting after seeing what the character she was playing as went through. Sorry to say but I still don’t feel the emotion with Hye Kyo. You can disagree with me but it still felt bland for me for now. I am looking for burning rage in the midst of her calmess. I want the gaze that could send chill down my spine. I look forward to the next part, maybe it will be shown there.

But overall, I like the storyline, and the other actors are doing, they’re great.

Lee Do Hyun, wow, that acting at the end of EP6 after seeing her scars, just wow!

The scoring and cinematography are superb!

I am looking forward to March, hope it delivers. So far a 9/10 since I enjoyed it a lot.

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Could Be Better Without Romance

Going in to this drama, I thought it was fresh and entertaining. It was a good opportunity for viewers to realize what athletes are experiencing as they navigate into their career—their struggles, pain, dreams, problems and hopes. I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of this drama, esp. when they introduced the No Medal Club.

I also like listening and watching the mentoring scenes and advices given between the counselors-counselee. It would greatly benefit even the viewers since it tackles our mental health and how deal with our own pains and traumas.

However, when the dynamics began to shift and the female lead expressed her romantic interest and kissed her mental coach, I cannot lie to myself. I am not comfortable with it, esp, when all throughout the show Coach Jegal kept saying that Ga Eul was never a girl as far as he can see, and just a “kid.” I trusted those words, only to get betrayed in the end. There was a sense of betrayal for the viewers since boundaries was always laid, only to break them down on the last five minutes of the finale.

Not only it was unethical for the profession, I was hoping the writers had something on their sleeves and tackled transference/countertransference in a mature, pro way. Only to get disappointed from this point on.

The male and female lead have more chemistry as friends (older brother) /father figure than lovers. It surely left a bad taste in the mouth as they met together at the end wanting to try “love”. That was the deal breaker for me in giving this show a good rating. It was successful for giving me discomfort than healing as it ends. The drama can stand on its own without the romance.

I hoped they’d just ended it a deep platonic friendship, which could be done beautifully. It is entirely possible as it was done in “My Mister” by IU and Lee Sun Kyun.

Overall, I won’t recommend it to my friends. Neither this drama is even worthy of a rewatch.

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Alchemy of Greed

I have mixed emotions about its finale last night. I think the last two episodes that were aired this week were mostly fillers, only to get salvaged by the last few minutes of the finale.

It is very evident that the production value is massive. I am greatly impressed with the CGI and special effects; and actors delivered very well.

What the show’s failure for me is that the writers have become greedy and introduced so many plots and subplots. They failed to maintain balance by at least giving closure to a few points. There were moments the writing’s juxtaposition is off-beat, and I am very sensitive to this when there’s body switching involved.

Jang Uk and Mu Deok’s love story, surprisingly did not make my heart flutter. Surprisingly, it was Park Jin and Maidservant Kim’s love story I find most entertaining and lovely.

I have a lot of questions left unanswered. This is why I felt betrayed and annoyed than happy and excited.

1. In the trailer preview for S2, the OG Naksu’s body is back. How is this possible when we all saw how they burned her dead body in EP2.

2. Where is Jin Bu Yeon/Mu Deok’s soul? Did a soul switch happen? If not, why did Mu Deok’s body get petrified if she was indeed a powerful priestess?

3. Who is Jin Bu Yeon’s real father? Is it really Choi U Tak or Jang Gang?

I also think the writers (Hong Sisters) were fans of Game of Thrones since I found a striking similarity with the Red Wedding and The Unburnt Queen.

I understand cliffhangers but this one’s became a bit greedy that it made me feel annoyed and unsatisfied. They could’ve pulled off an Atty Woo kind of closure to keep the viewers happy while waiting. I will still watch Season 2 as it airs in December and see if I get the closure I need.

I find the drama still enjoyable and decent to watch. Let’s see how it goes in total when the series ends.

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From Now On, Shorten the Showtime!

I’d be lying if I say that I enjoyed every single episode of this show. I skipped a lot of scenes and my heart didn’t flutter at the FL and ML romance plot. Their romance plot is non-existent despite how it’s pivotal to the plot.

I started fast forwarding, which is not a good sign because the show failed to keep me engaged. The show’s filled with fillers and I couldn’t understand how slow-paced it turned out to be. The three ghosts workers were an appreciated addition to the show and despite defying logic with that speaker-ghost translator device, I let it slide since they were funny.

I have no problems with their acting. It’s just that I didn’t like how this show was draggy and turtle-paced. Beginning at episode 10th, I had a hard time moving forward. And also there’s this feeling that after catching the villain, you somewhat nothing to look forward to in terms of plot.

Will I recommend this? Not at this time since a lot of interesting shows are coming up. I won’t even rewatch this in the future. Overall, this show is a meh, unless you’re a fan of the ML. Neither memorable nor a classic. Such a letdown since I loved Mystic Pop-up Bar, from the same writer.

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Chased My Blues Away

Wow, what can I say? Our Blues is one of the best dramas I’ve seen this year. I am laughing and crying at the same time. It brought me all sorts of emotions and flavors: romance, comedy, friendship, family. I believe that its current rating here on MDL doesn’t give justice to how each characters portrayed their roles. The screenwriting and cinematography are beautiful. Despite dealing with different storylines, it wasn’t confusing and the transition is smooth. I looked forward to every weekends because of this show and it saddens me to say bye to the Pureung Family of Jeju.

I have no major issues or complaints. I absolutely enjoyed and loved each and every story presented. It was wrapped up warmly and perfectly. The soundtrack is also very good. My favorite is “With You” by Jimin and Ha Sung Woon. Not to mention “Quando, Quando”. Everytime I hear it, it will remind me of them.

I won’t have any second thought seeing this again in case I missed the gang or want to relieve their memories. This one is a classic that I will always remember. The powerhouse cast did not disappoint. All the actors did an excellent job. The ending was satisfying and heartwarming.

Why not a perfect 10 if I loved this show a lot? The 0.5 is for the show to leave an empty spot in my memory. This is one of the best slice of life genre in my Kdrama archives.

Congratulations to all the staff, crew and actors behind “Our Blues”. I wish you all happiness from this day on.

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Disappointing and Boring

I am officially dropping this after the 7th episode. Watching it became a chore and I am not enjoying the plot anymore. The acting is bad, both from the female Woo ri and male lead Raphael. How can a chaebol son act like that as if he is some spineless dude? Zero chemistry too. Sorry but I really didn’t like their acting.

The show tried to inject comedy but also failed. Scenes were corny. Glad I have saved time and moving on to other more interesting dramas. Music? Nothing special.

I don’t recommend this show. Much better see the original Jane the Virgin.

P.S.

Sorry but I just need to get this off my chest. I am distracted by the FL’s nose that looks like Voldemort’s. It takes away my concentration on her facial expressions and acting on screen. Just an opinion.

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What's your greed?

Flash news: I watched this on normal speed and no skips.

I never thought I'd enjoy watching this from beginning to end. Admittedly, the first few episodes are seemingly confusing and nonsensical but trust me it gets better. I was intrigued because I couldn't seem to pick out who my fave character is, who'd I root for or the real villain. As you go along, it would make more sense, and it was a pleasant surprise and experience.

9/10 acting for Mo Ran and Ok Sun's character actors. Hyun Woo is probably the least I like character in this show.

My advice is keep watching because it gets better. I love the ending since it wasn't forced. It is not a fairytale or cliche kind of ending that you expect. A part is sad but it ends on a good note.

The plot twists will surprise you. If you are watching it now, keep going because I myself is grateful that I made it until the finale.

One memorable quote I got is from Mo Ran when she said that when you're on top, be careful because you might be really standing on a cliff.

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Motherhood: A Beautiful Destiny

Mother’s Day is fast approaching and I am suddenly reminded of this show after seeing Green Mother’s Club on Netflix. I wish Netflix carries Birthcare Center on the platform because I think this show is underrated.

I watched this while it was airing about two years ago and I still feel all the feels this show has brought. It made me teary-eyed and warmth my heart as well. I wish more people would appreciate this show, but I think all the married and mothers who are Kdrama fans appreciate this show a lot for raising the many issues many women face, including husbands when a child comes to the world.

In Korea, I believe this is also a social issue, even to the actresses who maybe facing discrimination just because they are not “marketable” now than they used to be as single. I remember Park Ha Sun’s interview before how she faced this challenge after marrying and child birth.

Sohyang’s “Beautiful Destiny” OST is on another level and it will always remind me of this drama.

Anyway, I highly recommend this show. I won’t mind seeing it again another time. This will always be one of my sentimental favorite Korean dramas of all time.

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A Funny and Entertaining Watch

If you are looking for a light rom-com after a long tiring day, this is for you. It is filled with funny, feel-good yet full of the usual K-drama trope and cheesy lines but I am not complaining.

The chemistry of the ML and FL are amazing, but I found myself loving the scenes of the SML and SFL Sunghoon and Young-seo. There are still areas to improve on the main leads acting, most esp their lovemaking scene in EP11, which I find a bit cringey and awkward. I felt that the actors were really holding back or shy, at least the viewers like me felt it. It felt forced and unnatural. How did Tae Moo miraculously carried Hari to make love after breaking his arm when he couldn’t even put on a cardigan back at the hospital? The second lead couple did their lovey scenes better in my opinion.

The ending I must say is flat and underwhelming. The grandpa’s sickness came in late and was wrapped up hastily through a year time jump. I wish a wedding or even a double wedding was shown. Even the chef friend seemed like a forgotten part of the story.

The OST was also good. I like Victon’s “You Are Mine”. It was upbeat and perfect for the drama.

Overall, I give this show 8/10. It is a nice watch but not worthy of more than that since it didn’t bring anything new to the Kdrama world, or be called classic. It is entertaining enough though to see.

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Of Nostalgia and Regrets

“Nothing lasts forever. Everything is momentary. They all flow away. And that’s not always a bad thing.”
—Na Hee Do (Twenty-five, Twenty-one)

The ending may not be everyone’s cup of tea but I like that it is meaningful, realistic and bittersweet but with proper closure. I encountered so many emotions watching this drama and I’m not complaining. I enjoyed the ride from beginning to end. I can make a good reaction paper on the ending, trust me. :p

I think Baek Yi-jin and Na Hee-do help inspire each other’s dreams and become better persons, and the way that that unfolds means that they can’t end up together but that their love isn’t any less important or real.

And even if she and Yijin didn’t end up together, Heedo married someone else and has a child (Kim Min Chae) as revealed, 2125 celebrates those loves that came in our youth (friendship and passion) and that they’re just as important as the love you have now. Heedo and Yijin share a memory that is only theirs that is pure and special that no one can take away.

At the end of it all, it’s about how important each person is in your journey, friends or lovers, in wherever you’re going in life.

“My diary from those days is filled with just love & friendship. A time when friendship & love were all that mattered in life. A time like that lasts only a moment. I hope Min Chae experiences such passion as well. A rowdy friendship and passionate love. Because those brief moments are what make your long life shine.” -Na Hee Do, 2021

Will I recommend this? Yes! In fact I am rewatching it a second time, now with a relaxed heart and mind.

P.S. This is so far my favorite Nam Joo Hyuk performance in a drama. He has definitely broke away from the previous role he played in Start-up that many fans didn’t like. He’s back on the game! Kim Tae-ri, as always flawless performance. I have no major complaints with the acting, soundtrack, technicals, all on point.

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Don’t Prolong Your Agony

If you haven’t started this show yet, better not start. It is way too boring. Nothing interesting plot to follow. I am utterly disappointed in this drama that I dragged myself to even reaching EP6. I’m glad that I dropped it early on and I saved my precious time.

I’m sorry but the leads have zero chemistry. Everything just pissed me off. The only thing that’s quite enjoyable is the sick female friend and her jerk of a cheating husband. The second leads were much better but still wasn’t enough to salvage the breaking show apart.

Overall, I’m glad that I made the right choice to drop it right away. It spared my time from getting wasted. If you are thinking of dropping it midway, follow my lead. Don’t hesitate. You won’t miss anything.

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Nevertheless, it sucks…

Top-of-mind: I feel bad for the webtoon writer. If you’ve followed the webtoon, this show totally deviated from it. The webtoon is famous for a reason because that one totally makes sense.

I have a lot to say but I don’t think it’ll be worth the trouble typing all the things I didn’t like about its small screen adaptation. If there’s one thing I know is I’d never support a drama that normalizes (worst, glorifies!) and romanticizes abusive/toxic relationship. Yes, it happens in real life, but it will never be right no matter what you say. The last few minutes of Episode 9 severed all the ties I have with Park Ja Eon’s character. Na-bi is unstable and should seek psychiatric help.

This is the first Kdrama that I did not like the main leads. Blame the plot. Total waste of time and it just left a bitter taste inthe mouth. It’s like sprinkling sugar to a rotting meat.

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