It started with two young men with opposite personalities get attracted to each other. I was skeptical when watching the first few episodes, when the story is told from Hira's perspective, because their relationship is so toxic. When Hira starts to develop romance for Kiyoi, Kiyoi seems so indifferent and even downright bullying him verbally. It was my first time seeing this trope, and it was jarring. But when the same story is told from Kiyoi’s perspective, we learned so much about him, as well as the root cause of misunderstandings.

Personally, I enjoyed watching the movie version much better than the series for the pacing reason. In the series it keeps going on and on for quite some time before I understand Kiyoi's inner thoughts. Also, the ending of season 1 opens a great potential for a more progressive relationships in season 2, but story of season 2 turns out to be just okay.

What I think it does excellently well is the unique power play between the two, which I don't see often. The one who is dominant in the relationship is actually not the dominant one sexually and that makes it very interesting to watch. My favorite scene is (no surprise here,) definitely the bathtub scene. If you know, you know (≧ヮ≦) /. They were together in a bathtub and one of them was getting shy so he turn his back on the other one and facing a mirror. As we see his expression in a mirror, the other one approaches him and grab kiss him. How fantastic, the whole thing is just hot!

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

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The artistic visuals just comforted me so much.

Ban Ji Eum remembers all her previous lives when she reach the age of 11. She never looks back to her past each time she reincarnates. In her untimely passing in her 18th life due to a car accident, she left her childhood love, Moon Seo Ha, who lives solitarily with a PTSD from the accident afterwards. When Ji Eum is reborn in her 19th life, she wants to reconnect with him and her family she left behind.

This show looks very artistic throughout. Cinematography, costumes, and the color grading are all delightful. It’s very well-shot and edited, that the emotional scenes hit me perfectly. Shin Hae Sun's portrayal of Ban Ji Eum is exceptional! She really shows a sense of wisdom and maturity in her speech that I feel she’s an ancient soul. I loved the acting of other cast too, especially the child actors in their characters. They really create a lasting impression and good foundation for me to invest the characters relationships, which is difficult to achieve if there’re many faces and lives involved. My favorite bonds are: the reunion between Ji Eum and her younger niece from her 17th life, to whom she was an uncle… and her reconnection with her 18th life sister, Yoon Cho Won. It really shows how familial bonds retain regardless of gender and time. The romance is okay, I don't think the chemistry is super strong, but they have sweet and emotional moments that adds to the pacing.

Each episode in the first-half was very interesting, but unfortunately, I didn’t feel that way on the second half because the mystery behind the car crash was handled in an uninteresting way and resolved too simply, that it feels a bit anticlimactic. The ending was really cute and acceptable, to say the least. Despite any plot holes and weak subplots, I really enjoy watching it.

Dec 2023, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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"He is Psychometric" is about a young boy who, after an accident, gains the ability to read the memories of objects and people through touch. This was another show where I knew instantly that this was going to be for me, and I would really enjoy this show.

I like the over-the-top energy level in the music, as well as our four main leads for their own complexities. Love Park Jin Young's character as Lee Ahn, obviously. I came over this show from The Devil Judge because I'm impressed by him and would never miss the chance to watch him act. Not only does he portray that very light-hearted, very youthful energy very well but he also has a couple hard-hitting moments. There is one where he finds a puppy and brings the puppy home and I legitimately teared up. Another thing, since he needs to make skin-to-skin contact to pick up a psychometry, he always wears long baggy sweater sleeves that passes his hands. I just think it’s a nice detail that explains his personality that he's not picking up psychometry randomly while he's living his day-to-day life.

The story was interesting and also heartbreaking. I caught myself questioning so many things throughout... Although I enjoyed the conflicts, a few dark and gruesome scenes were hard to watch. I got a bit bored by the ending because the suspense felt rather flat and dull. I'm glad that we somewhat got a hopeful ending, though. To sum up, the drama is worth watching for the original plot as well the skilled actors, but could have been much better plot-wise.

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

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It scratched the surface of juvenile justice without taking risks.

This drama handles criminal cases protected by the Juvenile Act. At the center of every ruling is a judge who is vehemently biased against juvenile criminals, Shim Eun Seok. Her colleagues who believe in remorse and rehabilitation constantly demands for her tolerance as he thinks her rulings are too cruel.

Juvenile Justice was dark, thrilling and suspenseful — dedicating approximately an episode and a half to cover each case from murders, domestic abuse, to sexual harassments, etc. The episodic nature hinders the narrative from delving deeply into many of the societal issues that lead to criminal acts. Personally, I was disappointed for it to be that way, that it didn't focus on Juvenile Act. Rather, it was more about the judges' struggles and trauma. I found that the victims, the perpetrators and the parents were more like some plot devices for the judge's stories, which I never was really touched by, the judges were the ones who need rehabilitation, in my opinion.

The actors were great, no doubt about this. The most admirable was Judge Shim Eun Seok, very well-portrayed by Kim Hye Soo. Her screen presence brought a unique shock and awe. Whoever is on screen with her, good luck being seen. Finally, I have no clue about the ending, honestly. Why is it that weird?! Nevertheless, if you like a serious law drama with a lot of thrills, you might find this one enjoyable.

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

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Does not deliver its promising premise and instead digresses into the utmost bonkerness...

When a PD makes a variety show about a cryogenics experiments, Ma Dong Chan and Go Mi Ran, a part-timer struggling with family debts, participates in the "24-Hour Frozen Human Project.", but they are accidentally frozen for 20 years. To survive, they must maintain a body temperature below 33°C, while seeing all of their loved ones aged 20 years!

The premise about two people being the sole survivors of a truly unique traumatic incident, is a creative premise, but I can’t enjoy my drama if I can’t get on board with the story and the characters. To me, Melting Me Softly does not deliver its’ potential and instead digresses into the utmost bonkerness... I got really bored when the show becomes more of an office romcom with a jarring murder mystery in the latter part. Of course, it can make an interesting subplot, but shouldn’t they focuses mainly on the characters and their love developing firsthand?

Ji Chang Wook, being our male lead Dong Chan. Honestly, his character doesn't leave very much of an impression, and my liking for his character is truly driven by the actor. Even though he is so cute, act so well and have good chemistry with Won Jin Ah, their romance feels forced since they both have no relationship outside of colleagues, I am not seeing any buildup towards them as a couple. I feel the true love story would be between Dong Chan and his previous love Na Yeong, rekindling a true love story that transcends age differences and experiences. I would love to see them finding each other again after time apart and forgiving each other. To not end this on a negative note, I got to give a shout-out to one kiss scene, which is pure brilliance–in order to keep their temperatures and heart rates at a safe level–Dong Chan turns on the shower and kisses Mi Ran, with both fully-clothed. Talk about one of the most steamiest kdrama kisses out there.

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

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Love the storyline, not so much the romance storytelling

This is a-3-hour-miniseries of a tragic romance between a genius stage drama writer and an opera singer. "Hymn of Death" a remake of the 1991 film "Death Song," based on real-life events. For those who are going in not knowing the story, trigger warning of suicide! So if you know that suicide is a trigger for you, you need to prioritize your mental health and just not watch this show. Even though it's done implicitly, characters' emotions and the vibe gave me much anxiety. There's a part of it that I wished I hadn't seen it. Thus, rewatch value is low, once is enough.

The visual is very artistic: from the luscious costumes, to the very well done cinematography. Maybe it's just me, but I feel the music feels a bit overpowering, it could have benefited from a lot more quieter moments especially for this genre. The show does well in showing their family dynamics, though I think the romance is far too rushed. The first two hours go by way so quickly, and I'm left with snapshots of their lives. I wanted to dig deeper and explore the relationships and how they develop, but it's just not shown.

Overall, this drama is a beautiful tragic void that left me feeling empty... and that is a good point. I want to feel devastated because I appreciate the characters even more that way. I just think I would like it much more if we were given a little bit more time with the characters, to tackle both a powerful romance and the powerful dynamics between the families.

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

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Park Jin Young is the real MVP!

'A Christmas Carol' is a story about a twin brother who goes to a juvenile detention center on his own to avenge the death of his twin brother. It's not Christmas-themed, more about an incident that happen during Christmas time. It's an intense movie filled with very VERY painful scenes, I felt a slow-burn suspense consistently. It looks very dark and gritty, a lot of beating and cursing so trigger warning. The flashbacks scenes are not confusing and it flows well with the plot. It's not just a movie about a crime investigation, it is also asking about whom and what do you take for granted in your life, how important revenge is and how far can you go.

By the climax, I got so angry and sad. It's a very unsettling reveal, so proceed with caution... it’s not a movie that leaves you feeling okay. For this reason, I won't recommend this to all, unless you want to see Jin Young's amazing acting nuance, at the same time ruining your inner child's fantasy on Santa Claus...

Though it’s great that I felt really emotional throughout, I had to suspend my disbelief for the real cause and execution of the main incident. It explains the meaning of foreshadowing scenes leading up to this climax, but I expect this particular scene could have been written better or more realistic. Nevertheless, I think this is a great movie because it manages to grabbed my heart and ruined it to pieces. I will need some time to heal and by re-watching Jin Young's other works. Hats off to you, Park Jin Young, I respect you very much!

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I only recommend the first 6 episodes

A con-artist Joon Jae meets a Shim Chung and he tries to steal her beautiful jade bracelet. However, they ended up crossing paths from then on and had to face a lurking danger. Can Shim Chung survive the human world while keeping Joon Jae safe?

I enjoy the beginning the most for the many memorable and laugh-out-loud funny moments. Thanks to Jun Ji Hyun for portraying her characters as a literal fish-out-of-water meeting a con-artist and learning everything about human world. Lee Min Ho and Jun Ji Hyun is a great match together when they're bickering but not as lover. From the beginning I see them as strangers to friends and can never see them as lovers.

When the plot thickens, they showed mysterious and repetitive flashbacks that I found very predictable but drags for many episodes, that by the time it is revealed, there is no surprise anymore. I remember being more interested in the supporting cast scenes more than the leads because the main plot is just not emotional and feels so underwhelming.

After I paused watching it for many months right after the reveal, I ended up finishing it just for the closure. The ending is decent but fail to bring back the excitement I had in the beginning. I only recommend the first 6 episodes, the part where most of the comedies are landing perfectly. They really could benefit had they wrap up everything quicker.

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Living in an artsy extravagant mansion with secrets and lies, two women, Jung Seo Hyun (Kim Seo Hyung) & Seo Hee Soo (Lee Bo young), find power among each other and seek to reclaim what’s theirs.

I don’t gravitate towards high-society melodramas, but MINE has it’s own charms. Yes, it is a classic soap opera melodrama, but also a fun thriller. A major part of this show is the complicated lives of the rich 1%, with a ‘who-done-it’ mystery that gets revealed peace by peace. What’s nice about this mystery is that each revelation affects how I feel about the characters.

The female characters are well-crafted. Behind their luxurious and appealing fashion style, they are real women, strong-willed women with weaknesses who strive to archive their freedom. I also appreciate that It also breaks the taboo by representing a closeted lesbian and some gays. The cast overall show great chemistry and performances.

The artistic and metaphors crafted in MINE are masterpieces. Not only visually, but the meaning and role behind each art piece is linked to the concept of ‘mine’; what makes you entitled to claim something as yours, or not. It delivers a good message that nothing in the world is really yours, except for yourself, your words and your actions.

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Cinematic masterpiece worth binging

In search of answers for his father's illness, the Crown Prince and his guard, Moo Young, set forth to locate the last physician who might be able to treat his father. But the two end up stuck with Assistant Physician Seo Bi and a mysterious man named Young Shin in a village plagued with a terrifying disease - zombies.

This drama instantly drew me and each episode kept its' momentum. The twists around the zombies and the characters were unexpected and made me root for our heroes even more. I also like that the show was not only about survival, it has an allegory of human instinct, that people could bond together in time of crisis but can deviate for their own needs. Kingdom is stunning in it’s production quality. Every single scenery shot looks magnificent, with a lot of breathtaking scenery, aerial views, fast-moving and slow-moving camerawork. They used fog, shadow and lighting perfectly. It's a cinematic masterpiece!

If you're wondering whether it’s scary…Although there was blood, violence, head-rolling @.@ …it's not a jump-scare type of horror, more like a thriller. Kingdom 2 is everything I wanted from Kingdom 1, it’s the true climax of one story. So if you're in the mood for an engaging watch, just binge both season altogether!

Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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Despite the flaws, it’s entertaining and has memorable characters.

Soo Yeol, the ambitious policeman often cheats in his cases over justice, in favor for his promotion. When a mysterious crazy man entered his life, these two boys join forces
Bad and Crazy is a very funny and gruesome crime thriller, with a sprinkle of personality disorder trope. Also, It is violent. I mentioned it firsthand, in case it’s a trigger for you as it was for me during my experience while watching it. I wasn’t a fan of the character introductions and set up. It start quite bad but also crazy. A lot of scenes were thrown together with loud rock music, as if they’re telling me how to feel. I still want to watch further because I heard some friends are gushing about this drama, and I have faith in Lee Dong Wook from his past works. Himself alone is enough to intrigue my curiosity to push through.

However, I wasn’t excited about the story throughout. It deals with the stereotypical “Hero uncovers mystery from his own past" issue. A lot of twists require suspense of disbelief, while few things were left unexplained. The best part about this drama is the acting and the dynamics between our two male leads. I enjoy their bromance, I am laughing the whole time seeing their slap-sticky comedy. Their first and last scenes together are surprisingly emotional, they’ve given me a lot of feelings. This is one of the rare drama which shows good character development despite its’ shortcomings. I don't regret watching it at all

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A real-life legend who created a martial arts guild in Joseon Dynasty. His group that defends the King is fighting against a mysterious organization of assassins who plot to kill the King...

We got all wonderful friendships, bromance, brotherhood and painful rivalry. A lot of sword fights between enemies and comrades who has just silently sitting next to each other. The acting were so moving and beautiful! All the kid actors enchanted me in less than 4 episodes and I wanted to see their journeys. Also their teen actors, all of them portrayed their characters very well and distinct. It has a stunning choreography and epic OST. The politics are quite confusing and complicated, but I ignored it and focused on the characters and their bonds, it works!

Despite my strong praises, there are shortcomings which actually bothered me throughout, plot is quite messy with a lot of unrealistic twists, with long drags in the middle. (SPOILER!) At a point I lost interest when there’s a twist that really diminish the relevance of the leads, and this infuriated me, why they end up to be so unimportant to the story? So I wasn’t enjoying watching the last quarter episodes and finish it just for the goodwill for the characters, as I really loved them in the beginning of the drama.

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Reply 1988 is hilarious, heartfelt, and bittersweet

Five families, parents and kids, go about their dynamic lives within a neighbourhood set in late 80's Seoul. While navigating their lives and youth, a 'mysterious' romance is blooming among our female leads and her childhood friends. Despite not being glamorous or full of suspense, it's a coming-of-age story focusing on family and community with lots of memorable and emotional moments.

Well, it’s an amazing drama to experience; from mother's friendship, community power, youths finding identities, parents coping with their children leaving home, first love, unrequited love to all the trials and tribulations that we've all gone through. Each episode has a life lesson for everyone.

The production is top-notch! The camera is incredibly playful and shows lots of unique angle. The show is teaching me patience to get into the story. The quiet moments are actually storytelling at its’ finest; They're showing what I need to know and not telling, building up a strong foundation towards a climax. So when it reaches the climax, I really got sink in that emotional arc. The choice of retro OSTs were wisely done. I didn't understand the lyrics but they give me all the nostalgia.

That said, the show can also feel so long, some people might not finish because of the lengthy episodes. But if you get invested with the quirky & real characters, you're going to love this drama. It’s beautifully acted with gentle humour and a coming-of-age story with a big focus on family.

PS: If you’re watching this, avoid googling to avoid spoilers!^^


===== SPOILERY PART=====
Of all the characters, my favourite character was Bora. Some of her moments with her father, especially the ones in the final episodes were so damn relatable to me. I cried so much and cried again upon my rewatches of their heart-warming, at the same time heart-breaking scenes. Also, I like Deok Sun's character, she is incredibly happy and I want to have a friend like her. Now talking about the love triangle between her and Jung Hwan and Taek, I thought they were both really compelling in separate ways like they both are amazing and neither one is better than the other. That's how I appreciate this love triangle. Of course, as the viewer I try to figure out who she will end up marrying and I think it was quite predictable once we reach the obvious foreshadowing scene midway. I was just a bit conflicted because the character of her future husband is nothing like his character in his youth. I read that this choice was deliberate as the writer changed the stories while it was airing, but still, I wasn't completely satisfied because I feel they kind of wrecked his adult character.

My complaints were mostly in the late part of the series, the time jump when the group of friends grew up and were busy with their day-to-day job feels too mundane. The parents are really pushed to the wayside and their conversations are not that interesting to me, but the vast majority of the screen time is devoted to them. I got bored and had the urge to skip ahead a few times on this part. I also am kind of disappointed as the families left their neighborhood just like that. There is no urgency that forces them to leave and had moved out from that street and we didn't need to see the neighborhood gets abandoned.

Finally, the final scene didn't have an uplifting feeling. The final voiceover gave the impression to me that it was really idolizing youth and this makes me feel sad growing up, like oh, I'm old now. While I know that's not true as life goes on and I can experience wonderful moments as an adult, that feeling of never being able to experience youth again felt bitter. I don't like it when it's put on the finale, I prefer that they cut the show without showing all of these.

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Summer Strike highlight the importance of small daily happiness, beyond the hustle culture

"Summer Strike" follows a young woman who quits her office job and moves to the countryside after her mother's sudden death. Then, she meets a mysterious librarian and develop an interesting relationship.

I was interested on the premise set upon criticizing the hustle culture while highlighting the importance of various types of relationships and daily happiness. However, I would have prefer more discussion touching on the hustle culture and more conclusion on them.

From the production and acting, it was great. Visually, Summer Strike is beautiful, they used the environment they were filming in to its full potential. Kim Seol Hyun improved greatly since her debut, and Yim Si Wan is one of the best idol turned actors. I enjoyed was their romance from their hilarious firsts encounter and the natural and slow-burn development. There was no culminating intimate skinship, but they’re so peaceful to watch.

I wasn’t a fan when the plot became muddled with a mystery murder storyline, even though it did serve a purpose for our lead’s character arc. Who likes a healing show about a timid female lead who moves away from the toxic environment to end up in another toxic environment? Not me. So in the end, the show is not really relaxing and warm, and I can’t feel myself learning anything from it.

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Unique and very twisty!

After being traumatized by her parents' death, Jian was raised by her uncle Jinman (Lee Dong Wook). Years later, Jian (Kim Hye Joon) receives a call from local police informing her that Jinman is dead, so she's left on her own. She's about to investigate who is responsible for his death but has to defend herself from an unknown enemy who's suddenly attacking her. Will she survive and discover the truth?

This drama has a very unique storytelling and the characters setup. The cool thing about Jian is that she has the ability to think and act in crisis, even though she was a normal girl who live with her uncle who isn't the most loving-parent figure. Jinman demanded her to be very independent on her own.

The first two episodes were purely shown through Jian’s perspective, focusing on a big mystery surrounding her uncle. At first, I was feeling a bit lukewarm to how they're playing with time, switching between present and past without knowing the full context of the story (and gunfight scenes are not really my taste, but they’re actually very cool to watch if you’re a fan), but I’m fully on board later in episode 3, when they showed twists and clues about Jinman and the other supporting characters. Some scenes were gory, mind you, but it doesn’t really detract me from watching. The suspense and the intrigue are compelling enough to feel connected to the story, that the journey to revealing what's going to happen is just as enjoyable as the final reveal.

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

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