2019 Completed List

★

[SPOILERS] Well, I really enjoyed the first 40 episodes. There was always a lot going on and it was just the right amount of makjang to be entertaining. After those first 40 episodes, however, my interest started to wane. The news of an extension is rarely well-received, and I had mixed feelings about this one. And then they had to go and do Choi Jin Hyuk dirty like that in the last two episodes, smh. His character deserved better. Jang Na Ra's character was great, loved her arc. Shin Sung Rok did great too but they were trying too hard to redeem his character and it just didn't work, making those last two episodes even more wrong.

Despite the extension, ending felt rushed and somehow like there were still a lot of loose ends. Maybe it's because this started off being so heavily about Na Wang Shik's revenge but ended without that being the main resolution thanks to his bizarre off-screen death. The more I think about it, the more disappointed I am. This show deserved a better ending, but I'll try to take solace in the fun I had watching those first 20 hours.

Re-watched (STILL SO GOOD!!)

This was a really well-made drama. Story was good, characters and relationships were good, pacing was good, directing was good, etc. But something was missing or off, keeping me from becoming completely hooked. I wish I could put my finger on what exactly it was, because it all looked so good on the surface, but it just didn't get to me deeply.

If there is one thing that maybe felt different, it was that so many conflicts were resolved with greater ease than I expected. Time and again, the characters overcame things and rose above those trying to undo them without falling prey to scenarios seen in so many other dramas. This should definitely be a good thing, as I wasn't pulling my hair out in frustration, but I also wonder if things were so often too easy that it lessened some of the suspense, or immersion. I really can't say for sure, but it was certainly unusual.

The ending was also a little drawn out and then ruined a bit by some unnecessary dramatics and a death, but I've seen so many "meh" endings in my K-Drama life that they hardly phase me at this point unless they're especially bad.

Overall, still a really good drama, especially if you know my poor history of sitting through historical K-Dramas. While I still had moments of zoning out, it was no more than any other drama, and it wasn't hard to follow even when I missed a few lines here and there. Definitely one of the better saeguks around.

★
So cute!! Great romance, great comedy, great everything. Each week was a joy thanks to this show, I really looked forward to each episode. A rom-com done right!

Re-watched with my mom. Her fifth K-Drama!

This was probably a better drama to watch at the time that it aired, but even now it felt a little refreshing and different. That wasn't enough to make up for the lack of feeling it got out of me, though. It wasn't until I finished episode 18 that I realized I didn't feel anything for any of the characters and at this point wasn't going to. It then took me weeks to get through the last two, and I mostly just skimmed. Ending was predictable. Romance felt tacked on and badly developed. The other relationships either weren't enough or didn't feel right. Overall, just not for me.

My review exceeded the 2000 character limit so it won't fit here. :(

Watched with my mom. Her sixth K-Drama! (Loved the concept and parts of this were really good, but as usual it was dragged out for too many episodes.)

Nice little rom-com that hit all the right emotions and with the right timing. Nothing special but good enough to keep me watching each week.

A little slow and drawn out at times, but still interesting and worth a watch, especially for the unique setting and fantasy/historical elements. Only the first part in three, but so far it seems like a successful attempt at something outside the norm of saeguks.

Re-watched with my mom. Her seventh K-Drama!

I liked the mystery and the complications between the lead couple, but the villain reveal felt weak (wasn't someone onscreen enough for us to care about or anything) and there were a few other slow and weak parts. Overall, good in an average way.

★
I try to avoid youth/high school dramas these days, but the plot of this one caught my attention so I decided to give it a chance. I figured at the very least it would be amusing since it would parody those old shoujo manga/manhwa tropes that spawned from Hana Yori Dango and others of its genre, and it did not disappoint me there. The other factor that drew me to it is slightly more personal: the idea of fictional characters becoming self-aware and realizing the world they live in isn't real. This interested me as a writer in general, but also more specifically in regards to a story I'm currently working on for a writing event.

Overall, I was pleased with what this drama had to offer. The way the cast was introduced throughout the beginning episodes was really great, especially Haru. Those early moments between him and Dan Oh were nothing short of magical, and their relationship was so cute and (surprisingly) healthy. I loved both their characters so much! And both their actors were really good (I already knew that about Kim Hye Yoon, but I was impressed with Ro Woon, who I'd never seen before this).

The second half started to drag a little, especially with the love triangle, and the ending could have been more exciting, but it's a K-Drama, so I know it could have been MUCH worse. I could list some other weaknesses, but it's not really worth getting into, and I don't want to focus on the negative considering I had so much fun watching this drama from week to week and I so greatly appreciate when a K-Drama attempts an interesting plot like this one.

(I do wish we had gotten more scenes and development from the saeguk story though, seeing those parts always really excited me because I'm a sucker for anything related to reincarnation/past lives.)

In conclusion, a really sweet and magical drama with an interesting concept that I'm so glad I got to experience. ♥ 

My review exceeded the 2000 character limit so it won't fit here. :(

Cute.

Re-watched with my mom. Her eighth K-Drama!