The lackluster script wasted these actors. I really was not enjoying it.

Dream is about a B-level soccer player, played by Park Seo Joon, who ends up ruining his public image upon assaulting a reporter. To redeem himself, he got a task to make a documentary where he coaches a soccer team of homeless men. IU is in charge as the director of this documentary and we quickly find out that she also doesn't want this job, which leads to some funny interactions between the two.

I only watch this because these two actors have such a good track record from my drama-watching experience, but I don't get emotionally attached to any of the characters. So the homeless soccer team members were there, and trying too hard to gain my sympathy, without showing any progression of our male lead's character arc. This movie was supposed to focus on him becoming grounded by the homeless men's backstories, and I was hoping by the presence of IU as the female director there will be more productive interaction between them as the leads.

I don't even understand the purpose of IU's character. Her character is pretty useless to the story and her mannerism is annoying. Overall, I think the script needs a more refine editing and make the characters a bit more interesting :/

-Aug 2023, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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Lots of satisfying punches

When Ji Young was a child, his mother was beaten, the criminal was caught but only receive light punishment. So when he grows up, he took revenge on him and continue beating other criminals on the weekends. He's known by public as the mysterious hooded vigilante.

Right from the get go, I see a proper action thriller of an underdog beating up criminal whom the justice system doesn't do justice of their crimes. The show is very fast-paced as the plot thickens by ep 3, becoming even more interesting beyond the main story of a mysterious Vigilante being hunted.

Kudos to Nam Joo Hyuk who is doing the heavy lifting carrying his character's inner struggle and action. He did a great job of showing us Ji Young’s motivations. We understand why he's doing this. It's hinting at neo noir genre because on one side he is supporting justice but also he's in murdering people, so isn't he evil or not? That's the aspect that makes me excited to find out what happens next. This show is very violent and vicious, but it is targeted to one on one combats not like chaotic crowd fighting. Another stand-out character for me is Cho Kang Ok. He provide the thrilling momentum throughout. The closure was quite simple and it’s a good thing! It concludes on a realistic and not-over the top note. I enjoyed it overall, just there's something minuscule off about the show as a whole for me and I can't put my finger on it. I love the premise, thrills and satisfying punches, then for some reasons when I leave it, I have no drive to talk about the plot besides thirst-trapping on Nam Joo Hyuk’s cool and badass actions.

-Nov 2023, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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Ji Sung's mission impossible: accomplished!!

When a psychiatrist Oh Rijin meet a man with dissociative identity disorder, Cha Do Hyeon, she gets fully occupied with each of his seven identities from a man-child troublemaker, an eccentric old man, to an obsessive fangirl. Before she realizes it, she falls in love with one of his egos.

This is a great mix of melodrama and romcom. It’s my go-to show whenever I need a good laugh. The story makes me sympathize with the characters without using cheap tricks. The three leads have the best chemistry! Above all, I'm blown away with not one, but seven characters of our male lead. Casting Ji Sung turned out to be a bullseye! His Baeksang is well deserved! It’s my intro to Ji Sung and I'm happy to be alive. His unpredictability draw me in more than the story does. Shin Se Gi, despite his toxic masculinity spreading, I always anticipate his next moves. And of course, when Yo Na strikes, I was losing myself laughing too much! I also love the OST, Auditory Hallucination.

Kill Me, Heal Me wasn’t without its flaws: the CGI looks messy and chaotic. I also don’t think they need to emphasize the make up and tattoos when he changes personality. I can recognize him changing without all those touch-ups, even from only his gaze. Another con is the repetitive flashbacks and how Ri Jin was bullied by her family. She has the heart of a saint and stubbornness to stick by him even when he was literally changing in front of her eyes, she deserves better! Overall… Fun, heartbreaking, and unpredictable! It's the best guilty pleasure ∋━o(｀∀´oメ）

-Sept 2023, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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The best part for me: the comedy and the chemistry

Set in the small village in 1989, Byung Tae, who was formerly bullied, transfers to a new school. He is somehow mistaken as the school's best fighter, White Tiger. He happily takes on this identity, as he is determined not to be bullied again. However, when the real White Tiger moves to this school, can he handles his daily life with him, bullies, all while he start developing crushes?

It's a unique premise regarding mistaken identity. The retro set was very well designed as it looks charming and vibrant. The first half of the series is just full of ridiculous goodness, slap-sticky comical action scenes that reminds me of watching those old Jackie Chan classics. It’s a coming of age story, with many day-to-day schoolboys activities at school and after school. There is a romance subplot with a sparkling chemistry and it’s the most memorable part for me. However, it gets heavy on the bullying main story towards the ending and the twist towards that turn felt jarring and kind of nasty, personally. Although I get that it gives a decent arc for Byung Tae.

I enjoyed the fun cast interacting together. Obviously, I love Im Si Wan as Byung Tae. Not only he's excellent at being dorky, when he falls in love, his expressions are priceless. He has played a lot of different roles and always nails it.

-Dec 2023, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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Life is not easy but never give up, fighting!

"My Mister" is a healing story about three brothers struggling in their midlife crisis in both their workplace and family. This narrative is intertwined with the story of an extremely damaged young woman dealing with debt and poverty. The show delves into office crimes and corporate espionage, all while exploring marriage problems and the socioeconomic gap. It effectively illustrates that people are messy, showcasing their life situations and the reasoning behind their actions. The quiet, cold, and gritty tone of the show works really well with the OSTs and ASMR, such as footsteps and breathing.

When the two leads start interacting, I become very intrigued to know their story, especially Lee Ji An (IU), who grew up to be an endearing thug. She's a very guarded person with nothing to lose and no fear, doing anything to survive. Her mannerisms are touching, and I feel her vulnerability. I particularly loved her character growth. Then, of course, I can't think of anyone besides Lee Sun Kyun as Park Dong Hun. He truly is noble, with respect for people, life, being generous and sincere. His beautiful voice, heard directly and through Lee Ji An’s perspective (which I avoid explaining further to prevent spoilers), makes him unforgettable. The ending feels complete and gives me a warm feeling. My only quibble is the silly subplots. I think the drama as a whole would be more engaging with less time dedicated to the subplots.

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Those healing and slow burn need more actions to keep me engaged.

Following her father’s death, Woo Joo and her siblings had to move out of their house when her father’s mistress kicked them out. Woo Joo wants revenge, so she starts working in the company owned by Dong Jin, who is the son of this mistress. However, she becomes conflicted when she starts falling in love with Dong Jin.

The first mention is this unique pinkish hue of all present-day scenes, that I'm very fond of; It’s got an artsy feel. Also, I love the sound design which emphasizing ASMR like footsteps or the crinkle of a plastic bag, and when the music plays, it's like a breath of fresh air from the heavy silence.

Another pro is the acting from the two leads. They're pretty much the main characters you'll connect with and it’s easy to root for. The siblings interaction is very real; They don't seem to be that close at first, yet they show a lot of care for one another. They might not be overly bonding, but at the end of the day, they love and care one another whenever they need it.
Now, the pacing is too slow for me. Every scene felt like it went on forever, I kept thinking, 'Is it just a minute?' It is not a good binge; I binged it in three days and felt a bit robbed. I keep watching it because it’s a promising story with a fresh twist.

Sadly, the later part of the story was disappointing: there’s a time jump and it just got much less interesting. I just couldn't get past the unchanged behavior of the leads after all their time spend together, their interactions don’t feel natural anymore. If the writers would have kept the good tension and realistic vibe they had from episode 1-7, It could have been one of the best and most touching stories in a long time then. So it didn't live up to my high expectations, but it is still a beautiful story about healing and finding solace in others.

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An underrated gem. It's a well-written story with lovable characters.

38-year-old married couple raising a toddler were considering a divorce because they are burdened by years of their weary marriage life. But one day, Ban Do (So Ho Jun) and Jin Joo (Jang Nara) wake up to find themselves in their 20-year-old selves, the time just before they meet, with the memories of their 38-year-old. They can choose new love, but if they do their beloved son will never exist, except in their memories

A fun and fresh second chance romance with a fun fantasy twist. Right off the bat this is a fresh, entertaining easy show to binge. The drama is really funny, but it also gets emotional in the right way. Because of their present memory when they go back to the past, it was interesting to see what they’re going to do to change or not to change their fates, and seeing them considering the consequences their decisions.

For me, Jin Joo is the best-written character among all. Jin Joo shows how lonely parenting can be without making fun of it. Her mannerisms bring a lot of depth to every scene. Her relationship with her mother is one of the most grounded representations of mom-daughter relationships.

I also enjoyed both second leads' romances for both Ban Do and Jin Joo, especially Jin Joo and Nam Gil (Jang Ki Yong) together is so swoony. Their scenes made me feel a bit nostalgic with the 2017 kdramas' camera shot style, where they show us all the angles. Second lead romances usually bring syndromes, but here, the ending for everyone is wonderful and hopeful. A very good show! It deserve a praise for the well-written characters and consistent story.

-Jan 2024, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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Yoh and Mizuki are each other's home

When an aspiring manga artist Tanada Yoh (Mashiko Atsuki) was in a tight spot in his job, he agreed on an unusual contract with a weather forecaster Segasaki Mizuki (Higuchi Kouhei) to live together. In exchange, he cooks and cleans for him. What comes from such a contract is a codependent relationship that makes them both happy and anxious.

At first, Yoh was basically a slave of Mizuki, who later implements a way to earn Mizuki's sympathy and possessiveness so that he can indulged in Mizuki’s gentle yet "rude" behavior. Since the two never communicate well, they often misunderstand day-to-day situations. Most often I find this frustrating, but here it allows for Mizuki's character to be fully fleshed out as story goes. It was so heartwarming when I saw the kind of person he really is.

Of course, this won't be as satisfying if it wasn't for the engaging dynamic between the timid Yoh with his dark quirkiness and a drunk clingy Mizuki. The fact that each of them has a peculiar personality makes it an engaging watch. From them provoking each other so casually, the sunny day lovemaking, to the ASMR scene of them doing finger in mouth thing... Their sweet and romantic moment was a delight every time! Even when they are just eating dinner together, clearly crazy in love, like how newlyweds are. Yoh and Mizuki are each other's home. This is just the beginning of their relationship. If season 2 is coming, I hope to see more on Yoh and Segasaki improving their communication with each other.

-Jan 2024, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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A complex political thriller with family drama and personal growth

While the show is dark and serious, it's really engaging. There are numerous plot threads weaving through this series, centering around three sisters characters. The eldest sister who is an outcast at her company because she's poor, lacks a higher education, is divorced, and is also attractive. She forms a unique friendship with another outcast who hides her luxurious alter ego. This relationship leads to our eldest sister gaining possession of a significant sum of money, tainted by corruption. The middle sister is a passionate reporter investigating the background and family connections of a politician running for Seoul's mayor. However, she struggles with alcoholism and often becomes emotional on camera. The youngest sister is an exceptionally talented artist who won a scholarship to a prestigious art school in South Korea. She forms a close friendship with a wealthy girl from the school, essentially becoming part of the rich family. This doesn't sit well with her elder sisters, who suspect that the rich family has ulterior motives. Furthermore, the rich family connected to the youngest sister is the very same family that our second sister, the reporter, is investigating. The connections become increasingly messy as the story unfolds.

Now, this show has an exceptional cast. They delivered outstanding performances, with the eldest sister standing out due to her character's development and screen time. The cinematography is a masterpiece, the set design and overall color grading are meticulously crafted, with subtle clues woven into the details. Also the music is as beautiful as the visuals.

What I don't like are the characters and the story all throughout. The sisters seem so unlikeable and dim, they keep making choices that put them in jeopardy. It was painful to watch them being played over and over again by people around them, it feels that the plot just keep happening around them just for performances. While plot twist after plot twist keep happening, the last 4 episodes do not round the story very well.

-Oct 2023, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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it's the perfect action-romance show and the other ones are not as good! hehehe >:D

Seo Jong Hu, a nimble fighter who goes by the codename Healer, leads a solitary life working as an errand boy for various tasks. When he was asked to collect DNA from a young woman, Young Shin, he discovers her connections to his father's past. Intrigued to uncover this mystery, he disguises himself as an intern at her newspaper agency, while falling head over heels for her. However, the more he investigates, the more he put them both in danger.

Healer gives me unforgettable characters, cute romance with all the butterfly feelings, fun parkour action, unexpected comedy and angsty conflicts... all presented very cohesively in this 20-episode-show. Every emotional scene hits the way it should, I enjoyed every episode equally. Even after months, I still love it as much and keep coming back to rewatch specific scenes.

I love how authentic Healer and Yeong Sin's personalities are, their quirks, their flaws, their chemistry... played to perfection by Ji Chang Wook and Park Min Young. Their romance felt fitting and never take me out of the angsty part. They respects each other and their relationship is based with consent and trust. Their hand skinships scenes are so memorable, I love every second of it. Aside from the romance, the action is full of comedy and thrills! I'm addicted seeing Healer's running sequence, it's like art! As far as ending goes... I like how 'simple' it is, there is nothing grand happened but most characters are given proper closures.

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Yuan & Qian is each other's home

Wei Qian (Chris Chiu) was the breadwinner of himself and his sister. One day, he took a pity on a homeless boy, Zhi Yuan (Kurt Huang), and welcomed him to his home. Qian & Yuan gets united in a family-bond, but overtime Yuan starts falling for Qian. It's hard to confess their feelings but it's impossible to hide it. Will there be a chance for them be together as lovers?

Although coming from a poor background, Qian didn't hesitate to embrace the homeless Yuan, that, I found interesting. Both Qian & Yuan were dealing with harsh realities and it’s heartwarming to see them find solace in their found family. I like their give & take relationship, as Yuan was not only be grateful and receiving, but he tries to contribute to the family’s income, moreover fills the loneliness in Qian's heart. Though I wish he was a bit more straightforward, I completely root for him. It was cute watching him starts crushing on Qian and clings to him.

The acting was good, especially Kurt Huang who played Yuan really shines in his performance! His emotional burst was so profound, also his gaze and weariness of his unspoken feelings makes this drama much more compelling, along with the beautiful OST. Through the beautiful lyrics of the songs I felt the leads' burden. I don't get why the premise and characters emphasize their relationships as brothers turning into forbidden love as they’re not related by blood anyway. It feels unnecessarily conflicting. What I didn't enjoy was the gangster part that felt jarring, like watching another drama. Nevertheless, the finale was great, makes it worth every moment!

April 2024,
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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Missing a lot of beats along the way

A modern woman fell into a river and wakes up in the Joseon period inhabiting another woman's body, Hae Soo. She gets involved with five princes whom she becomes friends to lovers, whilst enduring all sorts of palace political stuff. This is her story of being a very naive woman with modern sensibilities struggling to survive in palace life.

The show is really beautiful and the music is really good, it's very emotional and elevates this show as a whole. The first 11 episodes are the best in my opinion. I like how believable all the character's motivations are, even the villains you understand why they're doing what they're doing. Afterward, there are a couple of time jumps and characters change, relationship dynamics change quite a bit, and it feels very detached from the first 11 episodes. Everything just kind of gets murky and lost its' focus. I don't think the time jump is suitable in this show because the first 10 episodes built my interest to see these characters' journeys in progress. I lost a lot of interest in the show and just stuck it out because of all of the goodwill for the characters. I needed to watch the to the end but the ending just wasn't satisfying. I was just unsatisfied with the conclusion of the relationship. I like their dynamic in the beginning much more and then it sort of changes like it just kind of happened. I didn't see her go from one love to the other, I didn't appreciate it. I feel like they're wasting such a great foundation they have built in the first 11 episodes.

(Spoilers ahead, rants ahead... XD)

I feel that the show as a whole is kind of missing the point as I don't feel like there was a reason for our female lead to go through all this hardship. She goes through so many sufferings and it just at the end there is no point in it all, especially if she wasn't gonna end up with her true love interest. Yes, she learned about ambition and the consequences of power but that is more relevant for the 4th prince. So it's just like I can't pinpoint exactly how the female leads character arc was. The show changed a lot and I am sad that it didn't leave a good impression on me at the end.

To not end up on a negative note, some of my favorite moments from the show. These are actually the little moments... so the first one is when Hae Soo makes the decision not to tell the 8th Prince when the king has died and she actually tells the 4th Prince I really enjoyed that part because she has some agency for herself in making that decision. I thought about the moment between her and the 4th Prince when she looks at him and she's like yes I'm gonna tell him the truth and like he recognizes the significance of her telling him the truth, I loved that entire scene!

OK, another moment is when she cuts herself to give herself a scar so she can't be married off to the 1st King. Oh! like the sound of the vase breaking and then she got a cut. That whole moment I thought it was really well done, it was so juicy. There's a lot of agency there that I really appreciated because she found a solution to her problem even though it wasn't the greatest solution but solved the problem.

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One of the best execution of romance thriller genres, and hidden identity trope

I love this drama for all its' twists and turns, the creepiness, darkness, action and many thrilling / anxious moments, each episode adds momentum to the plot, which constantly evolving and stays unpredictable all throughout the end. The characters are smart, three-dimensional and contribute meaningfully to the story. I like the set up of the leads being a sexy married couple, it sets up the high stake immediately.

All cast are brilliant, but I really enjoy Lee Joon Gi's character, even when I was not sure exactly what his true intentions are, I find him incredibly emotional and caring, and I'm fully rooting for him. Moon Chae Won's character is very well-written, feminine and capable at the same time. Despite of what happened, she stays true to her character, I pro all her decisions with all of her flaws.

Truly one of the most beautifully acted, intense dramas. It sat with me for a few weeks after I finished, to this day I still rewatch it and fully felt the addiction to watch one more episode. This is one of the firsts kdramas I watched, and now... among around 250 dramas later, I still haven't found any drama which combine romance and thriller genres as well as this one. It is one of my very favorites, so memorable!

-July 2023, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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great story, great lessons and great acting!

A genius profiler Lee Hyun (Seo In Guk) returns to South Korea after an anonymous email about a criminal case triggers memories of his childhood trauma. One of his team members, Detective Cha Ji An (Jang Nara) has “stalked” him since childhood and is suspicious of him as her life was also turned upside down by the same criminal. As they investigate the case, they realize that the truth is not far from the unresolved mysteries of their past.

This drama is a good combination if you want a crime drama shrouded with intriguing mysteries around genius characters, without a lot of stress. It was suspenseful at times, but the romance and quirky sound effects lightens the mood. Personally, I did not like the music, but it's not a big deal as I'm invested already. The storytelling was great, as in character's backstories were established well, without revealing too much and as the story goes, it fleshes out the complexity of each character. The twists was paced equally, keeping the momentum alive to the end.

Beyond the crime-thriller aspect, I love how it covers friendships, family love and such a heartwarming brotherhood. The other highlight is Park Bo Gum's character, I've only seen him in romantic roles, and here he was very complex and his expressiveness was outstanding! Seo In Guk and Jang Nara were great too, good chemistry and good teamwork. all in all, great story and acting. Another one I recommend!

- Yovita, Mar 2024
I'm on instagram: @kdramajudge

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Despite not being a genre I'm gravitating towards, it's well-done!

Stranger / Secret Forest follows Hwang Shi Mok (Jo Seung Woo), a brilliant prosecutor who has lost the ability to empathize with others due to a surgery he had as a child and he teams up with a female police officer Han Yeo Jin (Bae Doo Na) as they investigate a seemingly simple robbery turned murder, amid political corruption.

I don't gravitate towards political or corruption, things that seem to be really relevant to the show so I was apprehensive, but the show did a very good job at presenting you all of the puzzle pieces involving different characters. No one and nothing was being purposely left out to divert or keep me confused. I have to say that although it's engaging in the moment of watching, I don't feel any intrigue/addiction for the next episodes, maybe because my own tastes don't really line up with this genre.

What I want to highlight is how well the story was presented. I was surprised because of the synopsis about a prosecutor who lacks empathy would focus on human emotion and behavior. The cameras shot close-up to characters faces, to show all of the micro expressions. For a role that is supposed to be cold and emotionless, Seung Woo's acting is captivating. While his face remains blank at most times, there are slight nuances in his expression that highlight the emotional development. Then the two actresses I was happy to see here were Bae Doo Na and Shin Hae Sun. The acting of the entire cast is top-notch! I loved the Stranger Overture OST (my favorite aspect of this show, really), the cool blue tones for the color grading. I think it matches with our analytical male lead. Also loved how they showed the prosecutor's office as bleak narrow hallways. All in all, the execution is well-done!

Mar 2024
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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