A Short yet Raw Portrayal of the LGBTQ+ Experience

‘Meet Me Outside’ is a short, honest, and sweet drama that has a runtime of a little over an hour about two broken souls who find solace in each other at resort. Juan Miguel Severo, the screenwriter behind the brilliant drama ‘Gaya sa Pelikula’, also wrote this so to say my expectations were high would be an understatement.

While I didn’t love ‘Meet Me Outside’ as its predecessor I definitely enjoyed it. The plot was pretty straightforward and simple but the cast really made it their own. Both Genesis (Dale) and Kaloy (James) perfectly portrayed the characters. You could feel the chemistry between them right from the start and as the episodes progressed so did the chemistry. The main complaint I have with this drama is the length. I felt the sixty or so minutes we spent with Dale and James were not nearly enough time to flesh them out. But that’s less of a outright criticism and more of a personal preference.

The OST was not that memorable but it definitely helped immerse the audience into the story rather than pull them out of it. The cinematography was very pretty too despite the fact that the majority of the drama takes place in one place. I liked the way the director enhanced the characters feelings through the use of different camera angles.

One last thing I want to point out without giving away any spoilers is that ‘Meet Me Outside’ felt as if it’s truly meant to be a story for and by LGBTQ+ individuals. It was unafraid to dive into certain issues and certainly managed to capture the raw vulnerability of heartbreak.

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An ode to motherhood

When the Camellia Blooms is a romantic comedy and crime/thriller drama but at its very core it’s a love letter to motherhoods—every form of motherhood actually. The good, the bad, and everything in between. I’m not a mother but that does mean the messages that was conveyed didn’t hit me hard. It made me sit back and reflect on my own relationship with my mother and for that I’m thankful.

That being said my high rating kind will mostly be based on my own personal feelings rather than the logistics of the plot. I felt that it really delivered on the crime/thriller part but I know people had issues for me. However, the mystery of the killer was not something that had me anxiously awaiting each episode, no it was waiting to see if Dongbaek will stand up for herself or what the rest of residents of Ongsan are up to. That being said it’s obvious that while I personally liked how the mystery unfold it only played a small factor into my high score.

My high score, as I stated before, relied heavily on my personal emotions and oh boy did I feel strongly about this show. It’s true that I didn’t care about the crime/thriller plot-line but I’m a romance enthusiast so even if I found the focus on motherhood fascinating I needed a pairing to root for. And trust me I was rooting for Dongbaek and Yong Shik early on. It’s no surprise that the cast gained recognition and awards for their roles because you can tell how much attention went into crafting these uniquely human characters. Dongbaek as our protagonist really did grow although some would debate on that fact since there was so much flip flop going on. Yet I was not bothered because in those twenty episodes I was really able understand the core of her character and I know realistically that people don’t change over night.

Yong Shik is hands down my favorite male lead in a kdrama I’ve ever seen yet. Sure he’s incredibly persistent and in your face but he’s such a genuinely nice person that I can’t help but adore him. He’s very an all or nothing kind of guy which I admire and if you are looking for a puppy ML whose feelings for the FL does not waver one bit Yong Shik is the guy for you. Without giving away spoilers I want to shine light on this gentle giant who whole heartedly loves Dongbaek, her son, and the rest of the residents in Ongsan with all he got.

The side characters were all very interesting and I found myself rooting for even the ones I labeled as “the worst.” I thought there was a good balance between the leads and side characters too. By the end I felt almost as if I was apart of that little town because the audience was able to get to know them so well. Kudos to the child actors/actresses for giving it all they got. I thought that Dongbaek’s son, Pil Gu, was a very likable character who unfortunately felt like he had the weight of the world on his shoulder.

Finally I want to address the running themes of motherhood. When The Camellia Bloom shows how difficult it is being a mother. Since there are so many different characters and stories you are able to get different perspectives. There’s a high chance that you’ll be able to relate to one of the stories involving mothers. I thought it was interesting to show how beautiful and ugly motherhood is; how mothers can be selfless and selfish. I was hesitant at the beginning but by the time I reached the final episode I was sold on the idea.

Anyways, When The Camellia Bloom made me feel so many different emotions whether it’s happiness, anguish, anger, amusement, frustration, etc. I’m someone who rates according to what it made me feel and since this drama really had an impact I had no choice but to give it 10 out of 10. I’m sad that it’s over but I’m happy I stumbled across this gem. I’m aware it’s not for everyone but it ended up hitting every little check on my “perfect drama list” so obviously I’m going to praise it. The OST also enhanced the scenes rather than distracted me. This drama will definitely go on my list of favorite dramas of the year.

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Was It A Waste of Time? Yes.

Full disclosure: I actually really liked the first 8 episodes of this drama. I knew that it wasn’t the best thing out there and was fully aware of how dumb it was but still enjoyed it because of how entertaining it was.

Until episode 11. For some reason all the joy and amusement I felt for this drama went out the door. I watched it as it aired but ended up dropping it for three months because of how annoyed I was. What exactly was I annoyed about? The plot, the FL, and the ML, SML, and (third male lead?). It’s pretty bad when you are more invested in the plot of two fourteen year olds, a minor character who owns a bar, the fourth male lead, and the FL’s mother. If it wasn’t for them (and the 2.5 speed button) I would of never finished this. I typically try to find the good in EVERY drama I watch because I understand that everyone has different tastes but this was atrocious. However, I’m not blaming the cast. The cast was wonderful in their roles as was the cinematography but the script was messy. I found myself wanting to reach through the screen to slap the every character besides the kids, dog, bar owner, fourth male lead, and the FL’s mother.

I feel so bad for the cast because obviously they have good acting chops but the characters they played and the script they were given was not good.

Anyways, I would have gave this drama a lower rating but I did enjoy like four characters + the OST which has a really beautiful cover of ‘Dreams’ by The Cranberries. Would I recommend this to anyone? No. Would I recommend this to people who like to hate watch dramas? 100%. It’s the perfect drama to hate watch if you are in a bad mood and want to yell at idiotic characters.

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A Moral Lesson Disguised as A Nonsensical Comedy

Throughout the first half of the show I did not take this drama seriously which is probably why I’m so shocked by the past two episodes. There was always this darkness looming in the background but the tone and cinematography of the series always made me ignore it. Why would anyone take this nonsensical series full of weird characters and dialogue seriously? By the fifth episode I just gave up on trying to wrap my head around the plot; I would just sit back and enjoy myself.

All things considered I did enjoy myself. I really enjoyed the humor, most of the characters, OST, and cinematography. That’s why I’m simply not going to give it a low rating because i was unsatisfied with the final episode.

The series is about two high school students, Pan and Soda, who writes BL fiction about their Ship. The Ship consists of Way who is the resident bad boy with a record but is balanced out by Kim. Kim is the ‘perfect’ top student at school but as the episodes progress we find out that he’s not as ‘perfect’ as every one thinks. That’s not to say that he’s this horrible person but he’s human. Like every other character he makes mistakes and is flawed. Another important character is Kim’s younger brother (and is crushing on Pan) Khet.

Without going too much into the plot Kim and Pan switches bodies after a near fatal accident. The problem is that only Pan wakes up in Kim’s body but he doesn’t. The twelve episodes follow Pan as she struggles to keep the secret hidden and find her way back to her original body. Throughout this journey she, and the audience, are taught lessons. We are taught how toxic shipping real life people can be, you can’t judge anyone by its cover, people can make mistakes without becoming a villain, life is short, etc. There was so many moral lessons that were hidden behind the comedy and I have to give them kudos for it. I feel like a lot of the lessons were relevant but I can understand why a huge proportion of the audience will be upset by the ending.

I don’t want to go over ever little plot point but I do want to address a few things. Keep these in mind if you ever decide to watch it because the way it’s framed (the synopsis/first few episodes/poster) you could be mislead. Not all of these things I’m going to address is bad but I believe still should be mentioned. Obviously there is going to be plenty of spoilers mentioned so if you don’t want to see them refrain from reading below.

The most important thing to remember is that this is NOT a BL. The series wants you to believe that the main characters are Kim and Way but they are just the supporting cast. Pan and Khet are actually the main characters. There is nothing wrong with that but it’s understandable why people would be upset about the back and forth. I pretty much assumed Pan and Soda was just reading too much into their relationship and that the big lesson we would learn is that ‘we shouldn’t push feelings on people’ but...I was wrong. Kim and Way has genuine feelings for each other. Even when Pan is in Kim’s body the drama makes that fact known. It was so refreshing even if I feel like these two characters go the short end of the stick.

There are also incest undertones. I repeat there are incest undertones that happened way too frequently. It’s obvious that things would get weird when your crush is in your brothers body but I feel like the series went too far. I blame this on First and Ohm’s amazing chemistry though. Actually, every character on this show can be shipped together hence the title. If these types of plot lines makes you uncomfortable than you might want to avoid the show. It might be Pan’s soul but it’s still Kim’s body. That’s something that was kind of addressed in the show but pushed aside too: free will and consent. Either way all these characters will need to undergo lots of therapy because the events that take place in this show can scar you for life.

I’m trying to not list every bad aspect of the show because it was enjoyable but the reason it won’t get a higher reason is because of the ending and incest undertones. I just feel really let down. Should I, though? Feel let down? Is it my fault for never taking it seriously or is it just poor writing? There was such a sudden shift in the last two episodes that I feel whiplashed.

So...is this drama worth it? Maybe. I’m not sure. I do want to say that my complaints solely are because of the plot. The cast did a fantastic job and they deserve praise. Especially First (Kim) and Prigkhing (Pan) but all the cast did a phenomenal job. It’s not easy for First to play two distinct character, one of them he even has the mannerisms and nonverbal cues that Prigkhing has as Pan. The cast is a big factor on why I never gave this series up and why it still has a special place in my heart despite how messy the plot is. The OST and cinematography deserves a special mention too. Basically I feel like this stellar cast went to waste. If the writing wouldn’t of been so inconsistent and the ending so jarring I would give it a higher rating but because there is no chance of a second season (which means the characters with unresolved endings will stay unresolved) I can only give it a 6.5.

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Strong Start, Weak Finish

Cheese in the Trap was a drama that started off really strong for me...but ultimately fizzled out toward the halfway mark. I never read the webtoon so I went into this with zero context. CIIT is not the worst drama I have ever watched. Despite its low rating I don’t vehemently loathe everything about it.

Going into this I knew the plot was going to be not that exciting since it’s main focus is around college students. Even though they tried to add drama with Seol’s classmates or the plot around Jung’s borderline sociopathic tendencies everything was grounded in reality. And I loved it. As a college student I definitely related to Seol and her struggles. It felt so good to watch a drama where college is the setting and they actually show the struggle of juggling classes, friendships, jobs, and everything else. Nothing was happening plot wise but I was unable to stop watching it. Which leads to my main issue with this whole entire drama: the romance.

I want to start out by saying this: the acting in this was amazing. Everyone gave it their all and it was flawless. However, the characters are what I have an issue with, more so than the messy plot. Seol was a somewhat relatable character (as was Eun Taek and Bo Ra) but no matter how much I tried to force myself I couldn’t root for Jung. In the webtoon I’m sure we got to learn more about his character but in CIIT he felt like a minor character. I was unable to feel anything more than annoyance with his character. His psyche is super fascinating but because the drama pushed the romance I kind of forgot how intriguing he was at the start. Kudos to Park Hae Jin because he played Jung very well.

As for the side characters I adored Baek In Ho. He’s not somehow better that Jung morally or perfect for Seol but he was interesting. He was fleshed out. I grew to love and root for his character early on. I know fans of the webtoon was complaining because In Ho got too much screen time but since he was my favorite character I was okay with it. That’s probably why I didn’t like Jung at all, if he was the lead he should of had more screen time so that the audience can give him a chance.

Baek In Ha was a truly complex and messed up character but once again I found her interesting. In my opinion, The Baek siblings stole the show from their very first scene. With dramas I never ask for perfect characters who never do anything wrong. I just want properly fleshed out characters. We had 16 hours to flesh out Seol and Jung’s relationship but it was not that believable to me. Again, this solely lies in the messy plot.

As for the controversial ending: I liked it. I won’t spoil it but I was okay with what happened because sometimes an open ending is better. It would of felt rushed if they tried to give every character their fairytale ending.

Anyways, Cheese in the Trap was just an okay drama for me. The only thing it had going for me is the side characters (such as Seol’s friends/family + the Baek siblings), the acting, and the emphasis on showing what a college life is actually like. This might be the first drama in awhile where I actively was rooting against the leads to not get together so...do with that what you will.

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My friend Mi Ho is a cute Gumiho...Hoy! Hoy!

‘My Girlfriend is a Gumiho’ is a fantasy slash romcom starring the oh so adorable Shin Min Ah and equally adorable Lee Seung Gi. One day, a Gumiho (affectionately and cleverly named Mi Ho) is set free by a rich chaebol named Cha Dae Woong. Afterwards, Mi Ho decided to stick to Dae Woong like superglue, first because she temporarily gives him her bead and later because she finds out she can become a human.

It has been a long time since I’ve had this fun while watching a Korean drama. Although the second half is very draggy and there were side characters that were annoying, overall I enjoyed this drama! The main focus of this drama is on Mi Ho trying to become human and the romance she shares with Dae Woong. Their relationship was by far the strongest aspect of this drama but it does fall victim to a lot of dumb tropes but I’ll forgive it since the drama is quite dated. Anyways, in hopes of not spoiling this drama I’ll just briefly describe the things I liked and disliked.

LIKES
Mi Ho: I didn’t think I would like this character because she was quite naive but it was that naivety that made me love her so much. She was naive but she was also strong, brave, sweet, playful, and a but feisty. The scenes where she insinuates that she wants to “eat” and “mate” with Dae Woong are hilarious. Shin Min Ah is truly shaping up to be one of my favorite actresses because all of her characters are so charming and lovable.

Dae Woong: I both love and hate him at the same time. Dae Woong is the typical rich arrogant chaebol who always gets what he wants. When he gets intertwined with Mi Ho his life is thrown into disarray. He did a lot of not so great things to Mi Ho but Lee Seung Gi played the character perfectly.

The romance between the movie director + Dae Woong’s aunt: Alright I fully expected that I would skip all their scenes because I don’t care for side couples but these two were just so chaotic and hilarious. Although their scenes had me cringing from second hand embarrassment they made me laugh a lot.

The OST: I know this drama came out in 2010 but I really enjoyed the OST. It was very catchy and I admittedly went on Spotify to download most of the songs.

DISLIKES
The second ML and second FL: Oh yikes, the SML and SFL were absolutely terrible. At the beginning I didn’t like them but I liked that it spiced the drama up but around the halfway point I was over it. They were so petty and annoying. Kudos to both Park Soo Jin and Noh Min Woo. They both played this characters excellently which is why, even though I wanted to punch the screen every time they appeared, I didn’t skip their scenes. Plus, by the end I went from loathing them to actually enjoying their presence which says a lot

The pacing: After episode 8 everything just got super draggy. I was still invested in the drama but I just grew tired of how slow it was going. I was mostly bored of the SML/SFL storylines and the melodramatic turn it took but luckily Mi Ho made up for it.

‘My Girlfriend is a Gumiho’ is a classic for a reason! Was it the most spectacular drama to ever exist? Absolutely not. Was it enjoyable and made me happy? Yes! That is why I’m rating it so high. I feel like I’ll definitely go back to rewatch some of the earlier episodes or the scenes where Mi Ho/Dae Woong are being all fluffy and soft.

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‘Dairy of Tootsies’ is a hilarious romp about four friends—three gay men and their lesbian best friend—struggling to find love. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community and a regular consumer of BL I obviously jumped on this as soon as I heard what it was about. I had zero expectations yet I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this. It’s pure comedy with gags that might not be for everyone but they all hit the mark for me, mainly because despite dying of laughter when watching this it also hit me with reality. It’s not afraid to tackle things like homophobia and sexually transmitted diseases in both a serious and comedic way. Yes, ‘Diary of Tootsies’ is a chaotic/humorous drama but it’s also very honest and relatable. The drama doesn’t take itself too seriously but that does not mean it doesn’t do a good job at creating discussions around these issues. Watching Gus, Golf, Kim, and Natty try their hardest to find love and stay out of trouble (which they fail at both) was really fun. ‘Diary of Tootsies’ is the perfect drama to binge if you are in need of a pick up or a good laugh.

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Cliche Yet Heartwarming

The title “Perfect and Casual” is a good way to sum up this drama. Well, it’s far from perfect but that does not negate my overall enjoyment. Rather this is the perfect and casual drama to watch when you just want a cute, lighthearted, and stress free watch.

The premise itself is very basic and has been used so many times in the past—contract marriages are not a new or inventive thing. While it might be cliche the characters surely make up for it. Yun Shu, our FL, enters a contract marriage for 1 year with our ML Zhang Sinian for various reasons. One of them is to satisfy Zhang Sinian’s dying grandfather. Obviously they get off on the wrong foot but slowly they fall in love. Overall the romance between the two is heart fluttering and will make you cringe a tad bit but the drama and characters itself is charming so it makes up for it.

The FL is very naive, bubbly, trustworthy, and constantly gets herself into trouble which I usually would find annoying but it was endearing in this case. I always want my FL to be strong but despite these qualities she was pretty vocal in the relationship. Communication is a huge thing in their relationship which I adored. It’s needed for sure because the ML is just as naive when it comes to love. He’s the typical cold ML except he’s definitely just awkward and dorky. He’s not cold in the sense that he bullies the FL, in fact he makes it very clear even before they started the contract marriage and actually dating that Yun Shu was her own person. She could make whatever decision she wanted and he would support her. One of my favorite gags in this drama is that in the beginning of the marriage every time he would engage in any unnecessary physical intimacy he would pay her 100 dollars in compensation. That fact right there made me really like his character because it was refreshing to see such a quirky yet sweet ML.

Since this is a typical cliche romcom SML & SFL’s do exist. I didn’t find them that bad compared to other ones in dramas though because they were no threat at all. As for the side characters I have mixed feelings. I do like all of them, especially Yun Shu’s lawyer sister and Zhang Sinian’s actor best friend. They had some flaws but I found them entertaining. Yun Shu’s best friends originally were adorable but toward the end they were getting on my nerves. Nothing too bad though! But one of my favorite side character is Grandpa Zhang. He‘s like the #1 shipper for Yun Shu/Zhang Sinian. It was so nice to see a drama where family members supported the relationship and in fact was the sole reason they got together.

In conclusion, “Perfect and Casual” is a little gem of a drama that makes me feel very warm inside. The acting was pretty good and the OST was catchy—the only reason this didn’t get a higher rating is because there were weird editing and inconsistencies in the plot that took me out of the drama.

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The Most Important Thing: Beauty or Personality?

Switched is a thoroughly enjoyable drama that is not only full of plot twist but also on it’s life lessons. What’s more important? How beautiful your exterior or how beautiful your interior is? That’s the question Switched tries to tackle. I truly believe it does a wonderful job of handling the topic with grace but fair warning suicide, whether it’s mentioned or actually shown, is a big part of the drama so if that triggers you please be aware.

To be honest Japanese dramas and me do not mix well—I’m not used to the cinematography, subtle language, and acting—but Switched made made open my heart to watching more of them. Like all dramas Switched is flawed, hence the fact that I only gave it 8 stars but I’m fine with overlooking those flaws since I liked it.

Ayumi, Umine, Kaga, and Koushirou as the main leads all have good and bad qualities that will make you root for them which I found interesting. No character is completely evil or completely good—they are just human. How far are you willing to go to achieve what society deems as ‘perfect’? That’s a hard question to answer honestly. You can be the most beautiful person on the outside but at the end of the day it’s your personality that matters. Obviously society is superficial and continues to judge off of physical attributes but to the people who truly matter they will value your personality.

The plot is full of so many twists that I don’t want to go in-depth on what happens but it takes a very cliche trope (body switching) and gives it a unique spin complete with its own backstory and lore. On top of the interesting plot you also have a phenomenally talented cast who really delivers when it comes to the emotions. I could truly feel like the Ayumi we met in the first few minutes of episode one really was stuck in Umine’s body by the little mannerisms and ticks; likewise can be said with Umine in Ayumi’s body. Hats off to the four main leads and the side characters for giving it all they got despite the fact that the limited runtime. I don’t remember anything that stands out in the OST but I would say it enhances everything rather than takes me out of the scene.

Switched is a little gem I’m so glad I stumbled upon on Netflix and I found myself glued to my screen time until the very last minute.

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Fluff Overload!

‘My Little Happiness’ made me so giddy while watching it. This modern cdrama stars Fair Xing and Daddi Tang who previously worked together in ‘Put Your Head on My Shoulder’ as the FL and SML. In PYHOMS, I thought that the two had zero chemistry but they truly made me eat my words because phew, the chemistry between them in this was pure fire.

The plot is quite simple and cliche but I think that’s apart of its charm. Daddi Tang’s character, Wen Shao Qing, is an accomplished doctor who only has eyes for his childhood crush. Coincidentally, his first love turns out to be Fair Xing’s character, Cong Rong who is an aspiring lawyer. She ends of working at the hospital where Wen Shao Qing works and right from the start he is smitten but Cong Rong has no idea that he was the little boy she liked as a child.

Alongside Cong Rong and Wen Shao Qing, we also have an adorable side couple. Zhou Cheng Cheng is Cong Rong’s best friend and is known for being very wild/fickle. She opens up a restaurant next to Wen Shao Qing’s uncle Wen Rang. Right off the bat Cheng Cheng gets under Wen Rang’s skin.

The one thing I really loved about this drama is that I adored both the main leads and side couple equally which is rare for me. I usually skip certain plot lines but with this I was so invested that I didn’t skip a single scene. Both couples were very steamy and not shy at showing intimacy. Especially the lead couples. They were so steamy that the production team had to shorten most of the kiss scenes because of how heated it got.

I do admit that I was not invested in the plots about being a lawyer or doctor but honestly they weren’t terrible I just only cared about the romance and friendship between our four leads. Which, by the way, I really loved the emphasis on the friendship between Cong Rong/Cheng Cheng and Shao Qing/Wen Rang. Even the side characters was delightful! My favorite was Zhong Zen (Cong Rong’s cousin) because he constantly is dragged around as a third wheel (well...fifth wheel toward the end of the drama). In theory, ‘My Little Happiness is not a 10 star drama but it was so wholesome, cute, and fluffy. I rate according to how a drama made me feel and since I loved every second of this drama I had to give it 10/10.

In conclusion: give ‘My Little Happiness’ a try if you want a mature romance with a ton of skin ship!

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A good word to sum up this drama is “unforgettable”. Best Mistake is a fifteen episode mini series centered around our main protagonist: the typical sweet and studious good girl who catches the eye of a bad boy. Through the power of love bad boy eventually changes to be someone our protagonist would like. It’s a very run of the mill high school k-drama that has been done many times before. We also have the supportive best friend, comedic friend, the genius second lead, and finally the ‘evil’ second female lead.

Best Mistake is unoriginal but that’s not a bad thing. The short length allowed me to binge pretty fast but the problem is it brought nothing new to the table. There was a few plotlines (like the second lead and his secret of the second female lead and her insecurities) that I wished they would explored more in-depth. If they did I think this drama would of left a better impression that on me. Even though I just finished it I could not tell you anything about the characters or plot. The acting, script, soundtrack, and couples were okay. Hence the solid 5 stars I’m giving it. It’s not terrible but it wasn’t exactly phenomenal. It was just...okay. If you are looking for a quick, mind numbing, and quirky little drama this is perfect. I don’t regret watching it and I recommend it if you just want to turn off your brain for awhile but just don’t go into it expecting a ton.

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“You said you wanted to turn back the time”

‘Love Buzz’ is one of those short films you happen to come across once every blue moon that makes you want to scratch your head in confusion—not because there is anything inherently wrong with the plot but because it’s baffling how a plot like this only received the green light for a 29 minute film.

☞ PLOT

‘Love Buzz’ starts off with a wacky premise. A boy travels back in time to help his ‘mom’ meet his ‘dad’ and eventually fall in love. I was a bit worried when I started this but as the film goes on the plot started to unravel. I was very much reminded of the 2019 Taiwanese drama ‘Someday or One Day’ and the 2019 Korean drama ‘Tomorrow with You’ as I watched this. I’m trying to make this as spoiler free as possible so I won’t dive into the details but it definitely is reminiscent of those dramas. Despite its short length, it does a good job of mixing the time travel element with the romance and comedy. The only true compliant I have about the plot is that I wish it was longer because it was rushed in the last 10 minutes. I’m surprised that ‘Love Buzz’ did not get a sequel or, at the very least, a 12-16 full length follow up. If an A List all star cast was included in this film than it definitely would have garnered more attention. The plot is solid but the time constraint makes it hard for it to actually flourish. Still, this was one of the better paced short films I have seen.

☞ CAST
No complaints from me. Choi Ji Hui had a certain charm that made Ji Woo captivating. Lee Han Ik as Woo Jin was just as captivating, as was Bae In Hyuk (it was fun seeing his earlier works since I last saw him in My Roommate is a Gumiho).

☞ PRODUCTION
I did have a problem with the editing. There was a lot of quick cuts and cut aways which I was not a fan of. Surprisingly, despite the weird editing the pacing and plot was cohesive. If the editing was sharper I would have given this a higher score

☞ OVERALL
‘Love Buzz’ was a solid short film that i immensely enjoyed. I’m kind of bitter there was never a follow up sequel or a full length drama because there is still so much to explore plot wise. If you have 30 minutes free and want to watch a cute, heartwarming, and funny time travel film than check this out! I’ll probably end up rewatching this fairly soon just to see if I missed anything the first time around

☞ 8.5/10 ★’s

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“I should at least do something”

D.P. is one of the most frustrating, heart wrenching, and hilarious dramas I have ever seen. I was aware that abuse runs rampant, especially in the military, but I was not aware just how deep it runs. I was utterly disgusted with the system of violence that is held in place by the systematic oppression that exists. D.P. follows Ah Joon Ho, a new recruit to the military. Right from the start the audience is aware that abuse is normalized. Sometimes it is often rewarded. Joon Ho, like his comrades, is physical, emotionally, and psychologically abuse. But due to his attention to detail and quick thinking, he is recruited to work as the D.P. team (aka Deserter Pursuit). They are tasked with capturing deserters from the army. Although this drama does deal with heavy topics (such as suicide, abuse, sexual and assault) it manages to still be quite hilarious. It's very difficult to switch tone in dramas but D.P. handles it wonderfully. This is mainly because of Joon Ho's partner—Ho Yeol. Ho Yeol was introduced as this eccentric, weird, yet determined individual who is often in his own little world. He serves as a huge contrast to Joon Ho, who is riddled with grief and closed off. Slowly but surely, as the D.P. duo complete their missions the two guys form a close bond.

They played off of each other incredibly well—it didn't matter if it was a comedic or serious scene. The story of the D.P. duo is nowhere close to being finishing. These first six episodes were just setting everything up, which means in the next season we can hopefully dive into their backstory.

I don't want to give away any major spoilers though so I'm not going any deeper into the plot. The pacing was slow but it works with this kind of drama. Six episodes meant that things were not draggy, which I appreciated. Every scene had its purpose. The acting was phenomenal—from everyone—and it evoked so many emotions from me. Likewise the cinematography and OST matched the gritty-yet-comedic vibe of this drama. I cannot wait for the second season! This is hands down if only one of the best dramas of 2021 but it's also one of the best Netflix original dramas to date.

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Age of Youth/Hello My Twenties was one of the first dramas I ever tried to watch and while I did end up dropping it halfway through around two years ago I decided to give it another go. I’m so glad I did because I really enjoyed the characters, plot, OST, and acting.

As a college student this drama hit really hard for me, especially the parts about friendship. The romance plot lines were okay but I really just cared about the Belle Époque girls and how they slowly grow into this solid supportive family unit.

However sometimes the plot was too slow (hence why I dropped it two years ago) but thankfully the skip and increase speed buttons exists. I don’t want to give away too much but I thought this was a refreshing drama that showed a variety of heavy issues such as domestic violence, mental health, and sexual harassment yet balanced it out with comedy. I’m not sure if I would watch s2 because of the casting change and my attachment to the original characters but one day I might.

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Quirky but Not Memorable

I randomly picked this drama up once I saw that Honoka was apart of the cast. It was interesting to see her expand from her roles in Itazura na Kiss and Nee Sensei, Shiranai no (which are the only two dramas I've seen with her). Peanut Butter Sandwhich is pretty quirky and unusual but the premise was interesting. Sadly, this drama fell flat for it. It was not horrible at it but it was very forgettable. If you just want to watch something different and quick I'd say go for it but it left me feeling very meh.

PLOT/CHARACTERS:
The plot follows five different sets of characters. The first four are the subjects that the PBB crew are assigned to. Each plot line is distinct in it's own way but I found the dynamic of the PBB crew the most interesting. This isn't a spoiler but I thought that Honoka's character Tsubaki was going to pair up with her coworker Kobayashi. They never did, which is not a spoiler since the actual writing never came right out and said it. I think this is a case of "reading too much into the chemistry between characters" but sometimes that happens. As for the other plot lines I found them okay? All of them are searching for love; one looks for it in a man that isn't her long time boyfriend; one tries to find it in a man who has a girlfriend; another desperately clings to anyone yet is always let down; and finally the last tries to pretend like she is someone she's not. All plot lines had a somewhat equal screen time but it's possible that others liked one more than the others.

ACTING:
Acting was okay! I thought most of the love interests were more natural in the acting though. Most of the characters matched the quirky nature of the drama but the most believable was the actress who plays Miharu. She played her character the best and so did the actor who played her boyfriend/secret lover.

OST/CINEMATOGRAPHY:
I don't remember anything special about the OST but the camera work and visuals were really good. If I had to pick my favorite part it would be the production that went into everything. All the set design and shots brought it to life.

Anyways, this was an okay drama. I don't regret watching it because it was a good way to kill time but I'm not sure anything about it will stay with me.

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