Ahn Jae-hyun was cute

Well, at the end of the day, that's what this drama boils down to. Ahn Jae-hyun was a cute looking vampire. I wasn't expecting much from it to start out with, which I feel is the right way to approach anything vampire-related that is not "Train to Busan". Was I entertained? Yes. Was it GOOD? No. Did the end make any sense at all? NO (spoilers at end). My mostly coherent thoughts about this drama:

The medical aspect of the drama was pretty captivating, particularly as they begin understanding the nature of the virus, its origins, and how it mutates. I'm not a medical doctor, so most of it went over my head, but it did make the drama seem smarter that it probably was. I'm very easily impressed when I first finish a drama (because I try my best to get into the story and character development) and my personal notes say that the ML had good character development and that the music matched the theme well by being appropriately dramatic.

Notable characters:
- I'm still not sure how I feel about Ahn Jae-hyun's acting chops, but he looked pretty good as a broody, yet soft, vampire who wants revenge for his parents. He does seem to do a good job at balancing between hot shot and goofball (like with the "expensive glasses" he makes a big deal about that were easily replaced with some street knock offs)
- Ku Hye-sun was bearable in it. I found her completely obnoxious in Boys Over Flowers, and she had much better chemistry with Ahn Jae-hyun than she had with Lee Minho, which makes sense since she married AJH a year later. Their relationship turned from hate to love pretty quickly, but at least you could buy into their attraction.
- Jung Hae-in was great comic relief with his mothering of the ML, and robot antics.
- The two main villains (director and uncle) are both pretty hateable, so I guess they accomplished their roles.
- Intern was pretty bad ass as well.

Ending spoilers (my take on the ending that made no sense): I'm assuming this drama ran into the same type of problem that many kdramas encounter. For some reason, they either run out of money or time and need to rush the ending. After our vampire hero presumable dies on the rooftop, FL makes a trip to Romania. As she's about to get attacked by vampires, Ahn Jae-hyun's character pops out and somehow he's alive and saves her. The possibilities are that some other person saved her and she's imagining it's him, or that he truly did survive. My take is, he somehow survives the sunlight in the rooftop (why did she just leave him there then?? who knows), but had an extended period of recovery (again, why he didn't reach out?? who knows.) After his recovery, he follows her to Romania where he saves her. They live happily ever after.

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Watch it if you must

The "core" story of Boys over Flower is powerful. It's a story about violent school bullying to the extent of leading children to attempt suicide, a story about class struggles and the rich viewing the poor as not only a different class, but altogether less than human. While many take issue with the way that bullying is portrayed here, I believe at the time of release it was good to put these issues out in the open. Bullying is happening and it is terrifying. Poor people are not less than.

I watched original Meteor Garden (way too many times, and probably last time was in 2007) as well as Hana Yori Dango. Leaving aside the 2018 Chinese Meteor Garden than I hope to never watch, the Korean version was the worst in my opinion. The Japanese version has the edge simply on being short (only 9 episodes!) and having better chemistry between the leads. Original MG had a stellar cast, great chemistry between Barbie and both Vic and Jerry. Also, 12 years later I still hum the opening song randomly and remember lines from it.

Concentrating solely on BoF now, it was too long with too many unnecessary twists and heartaches. JanDi was unbearable. All the screaming, all the crying. You still root for her, of course, because she's being stepped on and is the only one with enough guts to stand up, but wow was the role miscast. The second ML also didn't sell me. I know he was a broken character, but unlike Hua Ze Lei from Meteor Garden there was nothing approachable or vulnerable that made him attractive. Then there's Goo Joon Pyo, the terrible rich bully that has no conscience. He'll send someone to beat you bloody, but then he'll save you. And he'll be so loving as he saves you. He has grown a lot as an actor since then, but he was still great in this. It was hard to not like him, even as he fully personified toxicity, which was the point. The best characters though were the two minor F4, Kim Bum who actually showed growth and Kim Joon, the mafia boss son with a ridiculously funny dancing sequence.

At the end of the day, this is a drama you watch to cross of your list because it's a classic. You may even really get into it, the way that a train wreck sucks you in. Or, you may decide that you're not into the bullying, which drags on and and on and is very draining.

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Would I rewatch? I already have lol

Cheesy? Yes. But when you sign up to watch True Beauty, you already know that you're in for high school drama, and it's definitely the best one I've seen so far. I was in awe that this teenage drama made a 30 something year old get this hooked.

The story is very cute. Many times the female lead in a story like this doesn't have that many qualities to admire and you end up wondering what the big deal is. Jukyung is bubbly, a great friend, driven (but for her own aspirations, not just for the sake of winning) into metal music and horror manga. Lee SuHo and SeoJun were likeable on their own tights, despite portraying flawed teenage boys.

I was happy to see everything tied together nicely at the end, without the drama being drawn out unnecessarily. I looked forward to my Wednesday and Thursday True Beauty watches for some great few months there, and I was sad enough when I had no episodes that I would rewatch what was out. But nothing is worse than a show being ruined for the sake of making more money and keeping it alive for years (I guess that's what's happening with the webtoon).

Some other highlights: great use of music (including intro), superb acting by FL, iconic moments (okey dokey yo, otoke otoke), strong second female leads (including vegan sister).

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Absolutely Weird Casting

I watched Absolute Boyfriend in 2012, and I Absolutely only watched it for Jiro. The premise of a lonely girl ordering a robot boyfriend is funny, I just recommend watching a different version.

What stuck with me:
- Casting of Ku Hye Sun absolutely perplexing. They dubbed over her in Chinese, and from what I remember they kept on trying to creatively pan out from her face when she was speaking, or whenever she was speaking to herself, it'd always be internal voice. A lot of her acting was mime-like and cringe because she can't speak the language.
- I read Absolute Boyfriend as it was coming out in Shojo Beat and watched the Japanese version when it released, but the story never ceases to be heartbreaking. Actually, I accidentally forgot to read the end of the manga, and thought it was a happy ending for at least a full year. It's not, and it stings. Night is perfect and caring, but he's not human, and at the end of the day, the human gets the girl.
- Jiro is a pretty bad ass robot boyfriend. If there's a reason to watch it, it would probably be that.

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Short and Sweet!

Ten-ish minutes, only 12 episodes. It could even earn an overall 9 for being a sweet little story wrapped up so nicely and quickly. The production level was honestly good for such a small project. This is obvious, given how much time they have to cover ground, but the story doesn't drag, with FL and ML figuring out each other out rather quickly. There's some side drama/plots aside from the Kiss Goblin having to kiss 10 humans and acquire 10 emotions, all done with good pacing.

Some minor "negatives" for me that I saw the FL in True Beauty first, where she plays the bully role. She's honestly perfect for the bully role, and I had to try hard to see her as anything else. The ML has a bit of a lisp which was a little distracting sometimes.

Still, I bought into the story, and they even allowed for *some* growth in there as the FL began realizing that she was developing the feels. The ML acquiring emotions was full of hilarious (like feeling joy for the first time). The re-watch value is high because it goes by so quickly and there were some adorable little moments in there.

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WYWS is a fantasy, romance, thriller. The fantasy aspect of it (premonitions) were thankfully left unexplained because no possible reasoning could have successfully explained it. The romance was convincing enough. The leads didn't have sparkling chemistry, but coming from painful pasts (and also seeing into painful futures) they clung to each other and seemed comfortable with each other. I bought it. The thriller aspect of it totally hooked me in. We immediately start out with knowing someone is going to be killing the main actress.

First of all, the villains. Lee Yoo-beom as a child or adult is a know-it-all POS that you want to smack around. He knows exactly how to bend the rules and laws to make things go his way. And yet, he recognizes the path that he keeps on following is a terrible one, is internally terrified, but he's all gas and no brakes. Then, the biggest surprise of all of them to me. Kang Ki-young playing the chicken restaurant owner. Just the previous week I was actually thinking about how much I had liked him in all his supporting cast roles (WWWSK, Weightlighting Fairy, W) and seeing him as a sociopath seriously broke me a little bit. It was so incredibly jarring that it colored the entire series even darker for me on how scary human nature can be. The rest of the villains were truly evil as well, though maybe less complex, such as the professor abusing students and the serial killer. They were in there to paint a better picture of Lee Yoo-beom's path to destruction.

This was my first time watching a Suzy drama. I'd avoided because I heard she wasn't a great actress. I could tell literally all of her tears were fake, but she did a fine enough job. In my opinion she's a bit plain looking, so everyone being in love with her is a bit ...eh, but that's the way these go. I find Lee Jong-suk interesting as an actor. He has a dang interesting face, almost so child-like that I just can't imagine him as a lawyer. He looked so much more like "him" when he was wearing a hoodie. I think he fit better as a chaebol in W.

My favorite characters were minor. I particularly loved Lee Ji-kwang (Min Sung-wook) letting prosecutor borrow his car, and just being a total goofy friend and secretly dating in the office. We didn't get to see too much of kid Suzy and Lee Jong-suk, but I absolutely loved all their scenes, particularly the river scene when he yells for her to save them. I saw some comments didn't find the flashbacks impactful, but there was so much emotion in that scene, and it colored their future as they each carried the guilt and responsibility of saving or choose to not save lives.

I don't think I'd fully rewatch, but I may skip around to some of the cutest or scariest moments.

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Can I have my heart back now, please?

There was so much to appreciate about this drama.

- The story was very unique to the South/North Korea situation. Such an unlikely love story unfolding between just two humans of rival nations. I was setting myself up for heartbreak from the get go. At first, I thought that Ri would never make it to South Korea. And when he did, I was sure he'd leave without saying a word and I'd just have to cry myself to sleep.
- All involved really committed to their roles. Hyun Bin as the quiet, miserable North Korean soldier, slowly warming up and becoming vulnerable and cute pouty. Son Ye Jin as the lonely depressed but also charismatic, strong and snobby Seri. Even the second leads had complex personalities and growth. There was almond no one dimensional characters (exception being the Seri's siblings and sisters in law).
- The music, weather classical or OST was poignant. It always picked up at the right time to give the feels.
- I really appreciated seeing the differences between South and North Korea. Obviously it wasn't shot in North Korea, but looking at the scenery and how beautiful the country likely is, the differences in infrastructures, differences between their bureau and the NIS. As well as the perceptions held by the people - For example, the sergeant that was in love with dramas saying how all South Koreans suffer from amnesia, and I think Pyo Chi Su saying it was because in capitalist societies they drink too much coca cola which leads to amnesia.
- Ri's squad in general was so well balanced for comedic effect. We had the "bad" guy who was actually soft in the inside, the little kid, the funny guy, and the quiet model guy.
- I really loved how strong all the women were. Seri choosing to live and choosing to stand up to her family. Managing to keep herself together while trying to escape from North Korea and then trying to take care of Ri Jung Hyuk. Seo Dan, having to realize that she's been waiting for nothing for 10 years, only to fall in love to basically become a "widow" and then choose to be alone and work on herself and her career. The ahjummas, that initially seemed like they'd be a bunch of gossipy troublemakers, but actually bonded with each other and Seri, even getting involved to stop the Rat's wife from being kidnapped.
- I actually even liked the first husband's wife. Despite obviously being an idiot and evil, the fact that their relationship was so solid, especially in juxtaposition to brother #2, was very refreshing.
- It obviously had a great budget as a Netflix production, and was beautifully shot.
- I'm glad there was no true "love triangle". The two leads always knew who #1 was, there was no confusion (despite Jung Hyuk initially thinking he would go along with family obligations). And their first kiss in the rain! "stop looking at me with such wistful eyes" I may have rewinded to watch that scene a few times. The amount of care and attention that he put into her, even while pretending that he would forget about her in the future was so touching. Coming back with the candle, finding her with the scented candle, setting future messages for her phone, leaving recipes for her to cook. <3

The main negative aspect of the drama was the sheer number of "coincidences". I know that they write this as destiny, and not a coincidence, and that the director viewed the drama as a fantasy. It is fantastical to have met that many times, but I just can't say that it was necessary since the plot of a South and North Korean falling in love as she accidentally crash lands into North Korea is interesting enough as it is.

On the last episode, I had to stop and ask my husband to check if the ending was too sad. He said "it's not 100% bad" so I don't know why I was still so sad when I found out they are spending only weeks out of the year together. I immediately decided that they're just waiting until his parents pass, and then he'll probably defect. It just doesn't seem like a long-term sustainable solution, and how long will he be part of the national orchestra? Forever? What happens when they're 70? Or 80? And they can't communicate at all between visits. What happens if one of them has an accident, or a disease? And to appease these questions, I'm believing that this a short-term solution. She probably gets pregnant, they keep this up for a little bit, and then he just hops over forever.

I read that the filmed the last episode at the beginning, and so the Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin weren't fully "into character" yet and some people found particularly Hyun Bin lacking. But actually, I found how relaxed the characters were very comforting. To me, this showed that the urgency and the fear that they would never see each other again was gone. They knew they loved each other, they found a way to keep their relationship forever. No longer wondering if there would be a tomorrow. It was truly a beautiful way to end with Jung Hyuk walking into the hall and Seri simply saying "He just started playing" and he replies "I know" and then they hold hands, instead of crying like I was expecting.

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One too many coincidences

This story, about two 30 year olds that are basically stuck being their teenage selves due to a tragic event, takes its sweet time setting itself up. The first episode or two are great. Lots of color as SeoRi walks down the street, with musical notes and steps lighting up. We get to see that WooJin has a crush on her. And then the accident happens and everything basically comes to a halt. This has both positive and negative aspects.

On the positive side, the characters feel very comfortable with each other toward the end of the series. This is true for our main couple SeoRi and WooJin, but also for Chan Chan, Jennifer, and even the two hilarious side kicks of Chan DoHyun and HyunShick (who IS in fact SO much older than the other two). The negative side of of the pacing was that it was just too slow at times for me, and I found myself skipping forward quite a bit, something that I rarely do in dramas. Only around episode 18 things really started picking up. It was very back-loaded in terms of events and revelations.

Despite needing to fast forward due to pacing in the beginning of the drama, the casting was superb. I started watching specifically because Shin Hye Sun is possibly my new favorite actress after Mr. Queen, and she did not disappoint here acting as a 17 year old in a 30 year old body, trying to grow as quickly as possible. Yang Se Jong's character was unbearable for only the first ten episodes due to the writing not the acting- the extent to which they made the ML fully disassociated and apathetic was too extreme for me, but 10 and on, you really got to see him change and grow. Ahn Hyo Seop was a giddy child throughout "DON'T THINK! FIL!" I also loved both of the young versions of the ML and FL. Even for characters that I disliked, like Jennifer, it was due to writing, not acting.

The biggest issue I take with this drama is the number of coincidences. Off the top of my head:
- The leads both noticed and liked each other as kids, without having met.
- After waking up and running away from the hospital, SeoRi meets WooJin twice as "Pervert" and "Poop Pants".
- WooJin's parents happened to buy SeoRi's old house.
- WooJin just happened to start inhabiting that house again, because Chan's parents just left for Africa.
- Jennifer just happened to be the maid of HyungTae, SeoRi's friend.

One coincidence, two maybe, would have been fine. But when the writers throw these many at the watcher, it is a very lazy way to try and create shock. I likely wouldn't watch it again, but it was enjoyable enough.

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