Here is part one:
K-Dramas (review and recommendations ^^)Ok. I just wanted to write something because I'm going to be a bit innactive on the submittibg art part for the next month because of University. I don't want to fail my SAKs To give you at least something I wanted to share a part of my life with you guys out there... And you! Who is reading this right now xD One day, I had nothing better to do, I decided to go watch some series like many other times before (I'm addicted to series...) and I ended up finding nothing to watch. NOTHING. So I was so desperate that I thought: Why not try some K-Drama? I had heard of them before and just needed something to watch. I was sure that I'll be having ...
1. Chief Kim
I have to start with this drama right away. I was desperate to watch something new at the time and I never thought I would like this sort of drama since it plays in an office/firm and has a lot to do with business... But I never laughed so hard and so much because of one series. The comedy is intelligent and not cringy like in usual sitcoms. The actors... don't make me start on them! They did an amaizing job! The acting, especially from Nam Goong Min, captivated me to the extend that I forgot everything around me. Nam Goong Min did an amaizing job of delivering the comedy through facial expressions, way of talking and simple body movements (I have a folder on my computer which is Nam Goong Min's facial expressions only, I swear) But acting is not all of it: The writing, how the plot was playing out and how they made a construct of problems and obstacles only to make the character's find a solution which is even more amaizing, surprising and especially: clever!; is what made me being glued to the screen. Thanks for that drama!
Can corporate politics turn a bad person into a good person? Kim Sung Ryong is a skilled accountant who works for gangsters. He makes his way into a company called TQ Group as a middle manager in the accounting department with the intention of embezzling money from the company. As he contends with hot-shot accountant Yoon Ha, financial prodigy Seo Yool and peppy intern Hong Ga Eun, Sung Ryong finds himself embroiled in office politics and notices other shenanigans by those in power that threaten to bring down the company. Sung Ryong slowly comes to realize that he’d rather fight against corporate corruption and fight for employees’ rights than complete the mission he originally came to do. Can he succeed at his new objective against all odds?
(Source: Viki) My Rating: 10/10
2. Lucky Romance
I have to admit, I had a hard time watching the first episode, but I was intrigued by the idea for the plot and I was curious about how it's going to play out. I'm usually not a big fan of rom-coms because the usual awkwardness in those types of dramas tend to kill me. I survived for this one! I didn't start watching it for the actors at first but the table turned quickly. Ryu Joon Yeol and Hwang Jung Eum made me fall in love with them quickly. I read in the comments for this drama that some people were bashing Ryu Joon Yeol because he "wasn't handsome enough" for them... Let me tell you, while watching this he was the most handsome man in the world for me because of his CHARISMA! His acting, the character he played... I fell so hard for him. The chemistry between the leads was awkward but cute and lovely and I definetly laughed my ass off more than a few times while watching this.
A superstitious, unlucky lady called Shim Bo Nui, is convinced by her dreadful history and a fortune teller that she was born with very bad luck, which could potentially harm people around her. She believes the fortune teller wholeheartedly and starts following his instructions in every aspect of her life. This affects her life, career, relations and most importantly, her self-esteem. Things become serious when her path crosses the genius Je Su Hoo and international Canadian- Korean Tennis player Gary Choi. Together, they end up in a huge mess while she tries to fulfill an absurd advice from her fortune teller to save her sister.
(Source: My Drama List) My Rating: 10/10
3. Beautiful Gong Shim
Not gonna lie, I watched this after Chief Kim because Nam Goong Min plays the main role in this drama as well and I simply couldn't get enough of him. It confirmed one thing for me: I love Nam Goong Min!
His acting was phenomenal in this as well. He played such a dorky, cute but intelligent and badass character who could be a troll from time to time. The female lead was so adorable as well. I totally could empathize with her and I rooted for them to be happy. The main story itself was very captivating as well! They connected all the events and I really liked the way how the plot developed. I enjoyed this drama very much!
This drama is about the Love story of two sisters and two men. The talented older sister has everything, including a beautiful appearance, and her younger sister, who is less attractive but still has a warm heart. And two men appear in front of the siblings: a progressively more attractive man, who moved into a humble rental room on the rooftop of their building and another man who is handsome and wealthy from a plutocrat family. The romance-comedy drama depicts an eventful and unpredictable love story by the four people from such a warmhearted point of view. (Source: My Drama List)
My Rating: 9,5/10
4. Jealousy Incarnate
I read the plot summary for this an eternity ago but I never gave it a try because it didn't catch my attention. It was recommended to me though and I thought "At least give it a try" Here is the thing: No plot summary tells you that the main MALE lead has an illness: He has breast cancer. He is a news anchor and the weather forecaster, a woman from his past comes close enough to touch his breast and feels something strange. The drama deals with a fierce competition for success on the one side and breast cancer awareness on the other side. The topic is very serious but I am amazed how they managed to put that together with comedy, romance and business without making it look overloaded or strange. The characters and acting were on point and I really enjoyed watching this drama.
Lee Hwa Shin (Jo Jung Suk) is a handsome anchor with notable journalistic talent, a well-to-do family and commendable education. He is also as fierce a competitor as one will find in the world of reporting, and goes after stories relentlessly. But as luck would have it, he also comes across another fierce competitor -- meteorologist Pyo Na Ri (Gong Hyo Jin). Pyo Na Ri doesn’t have the shining resume of her anchor counterpart, went to a third-rate college and only has a temporary contract with the station. Although her dorky exterior hides an inner fire, Na Ri has worked extremely hard to get where she is, even doing odd jobs like lifting boxes. Both anchor and meteorologist now see each other as rivals in their race to becoming the station’s most valued employee. But what happens when the two rivals start to fall in love? The drama may be too much, even for a broadcasting station. (source: My Drama List) My Rating: 9,5/10
5. Tomorrow with you
This drama was confusing at first and it had some frustrating moments but it also left me deep in thought from time to time, making me trying to figure out on my own what's behind the mystery in this drama or how all the loose ends connect. The writing of the story was well thought through which is definately not easy with time travel stories; One has to conside how past actions affect the future, how to solve problems which never seem to change and if there is even room for romance. The main leads did an amaizing job on delivering the feelings and making the viewer their fans. The story itself was uniqu and different from what I was used to. It was a nice fresh breeze and I really enjoyed it.
Yoo So Joon is the successful CEO of a real estate company who has the ability to time travel when he takes the subway. Going back and forth in time, he sees his future self living a life of torment and unhappiness. To try to offset his doomed future, he decides to marry Song Ma Rin, a cheery photographer, even though he does not love her. Can Ma Rin help So Joon change his unhappy future?
(Source: Viki) My Rating: 8,5/10
6. Two weeks
This drama never let me have a break xD The story and the main's fate were heartbreaking... The main male lead is on the run while being chased from the police and from gangster's who want to see him dead. The only thought he has in mind though, is to survive two weeks on the run to be able to give his ill daughter a bone marrow transplantation. While being on the run, he is exhausted, hurt and suffers a lot. Lee Joon Gi acted so well, I had to take a break from the drama because I was exhausted just from watching him run xD I was really impressed with this drama.
A man lives his life meaninglessly. He is falsely accused of murder. The man learns that he has a young daughter stricken with leukemia. For the next two weeks, he struggles to save his daughter.(Source: My Drama List) My Rating: 9,5/10
7. Can you hear my heart?
Nam Goong Min in this one as well, oh boy, guilty as charged. This drama was sweet! The main lead had a disability, he was deaf and he struggled to hide it from the people around him by reading lips and praticing talking day in and day out. He tried to bring the truth to light by investigating dark family secrets. The relationships, especially with the brother, was complicated but no question was left unanswered. the female lead wasn't so bad either (coming from me, means a lot, I usually get annoyed really fast by female leads) overall, the drama had a nice feel to it and every character was interesting. The beginning was very slow though, because it took quite a while for them to move on from the childhood to the time where the story actually takes place.
Family relationships can be complicated and tortured. Bong Woo Ri (Hwang Jung Eum) is a loving, dutiful daughter who does her best to accommodate the needs of her deaf mother and mentally challenged stepfather. After a tragedy that takes the life of her mother, Woo Ri’s stepbrother, Bong Ma Roo (Nam Goong Min), leaves after promising to come back but never does. As Woo Ri grows up and searches for her stepbrother, she meets Cha Dong Joo (Kim Jae Won), a young man from a wealthy family who is tortured by family secrets that he witnessed as a boy. Although Dong Joo lost his hearing in a childhood accident, he has learned to compensate for his disability so that he can keep his deafness a secret from those around him. Dong Joo and Woo Ri learn that they are connected by Ma Roo, who has taken on a new identity as Jang Joon Ha. How will the three reconcile their unexpected connection? (Source: My Drama List)
My rating: 8,5/10
8. Please come back Mister
This drama was siply hilarious. I had many good laughs and it wasn't overly exaggerated in my opinion or funny in a way were it crosses the cringy line. The idea is something new and different as well and the actors were charismatic and emanated a good athmosphere. Rain <3 I wan't exactly a fan of him but I was one after completing this drama. I watched more movies and shows with him and had a look (or a "hear") at his music.
A man is worked to death, but he comes back to the living world in the attractive body of another man for a limited amount of time. Lee Hae Joon is a perfect man with good looking appearance, who works as a section chief in the women’s apparel section at a department store. But his body is actually possessed by the spirit of Kim Yeong Soo who was worked to death. Meanwhile, Hong Nan is a beautiful woman, but her spirit is possessed by a tough guy, Han Ki Tak. At the same time, Shin Da Hye is a beautiful housewife, but her husband suddenly dies. She falls into a love triangle with Lee Hae Joon and a promising store employee Jung Ji Hoon. ~~ Based on the novel "Tsubakiyama Kacho no Nanokakan" by Jiro Asada. (Source: My Drama List)
My Rating: 9/10
9. Queen of ambition
I have never felt like this before. This was the most annoying and blood boiling drama I have ever watched. I ended up questioning my sanity at some points and I am amazed that I managed to continue watching this without any accidents close to me occuring. I watched it because I have a thing for twins in a drama and I saw the main male lead act as a twin before in a different drama. I wanted to see his acting again and started watching this show but even though it was this annoying and frustrating, I COULDN'T STOP! I had dreams about this drama, it wouldn't let me go until I finished it, and that's what I did. The main problem in this is the female lead. She is likable in the beginning and I could empathize with her at some point which explains the decisions she made but then her thinking tuns bad, her intentions turn evil, the character turns evil THE WHOLE GODDAMN STORY TURNS EVIL, it was pure poison. Fate was on her side as well... and misery, darkness and sadness on the male lead's side. I cried for him more than once and I wanted to end this poisoning woman for him... This drama is nothing for you when you can't stand PURE EVILNESS! THIS IS A WARNING... My heart still aches thinking about that poor man and what he went though... Annyways! Great FXXKING DRAMA!
Joo Da Hae has always been unlucky. Although she is an educated, intelligent woman, her poor upbringing has limited her in getting the things she has wanted. In her path, she is helped by Ha Ryu, a man who falls in love with her and decides to help her achieve her ambitions. (Source: My Drama List) (THEY SHOULD'VE CALLED THIS DRAMA "MOST EVIL BI*CH OF ALL TIME" INSTEAD)
My Rating: 10/10
10. Rebel: Thief who stole the people
This drama was SO GOOD! I'm not that much of a sageuk (historical) drama fan but the plot, the characters and the actors had me begging for more (I was watching it while it was still airing and two episodes a week was torture) The family bonding was really strong and lovely; siblings desperately fighting/searching for one another. Strangers, who come into their life and get theirs turnes upside down, only to become part of the family. The nice touch of supernatural/fantasy this drama has intruiged me and I wanted to know all about the mystery of "the mighty child". Usually, evil characters are not really that evil (EXCEPT FOR THAT BI*CH I TALKED ABOUT IN 9), but in this drama, the king was simply pure evil. No mercy for the weak; if something wasn't right for him, people lost their lifes. People around him lived in fear, the whole kingdom did. That's when Hong Gil Dong jumps in to give the village people back their hope for better days and he risks everything he has to achieve that.
What would you do if the mere fact of your birth gives you no standing in society?
Gil Dong is born as the son of servant Ah Mo Gae, in a society in which servants have no legal standing. After years of horrible treatment by the nobility, Gil Dong becomes the leader of a band of smugglers who steals from the rich to give to the poor. Meanwhile, King Yeonsan slowly becomes a tyrannical king who oppresses the lives of the common people. Against all odds, can Gil Dong champion the rights of the common people on his path to becoming Joseon’s first revolutionary activist? (Source: Wikipedia*edited)
My Rating: 10/10
That's it for now. Let me know what you thought about the dramas if you've seen them as well or if I was able to make you interested in any of them in the comments below.
Also, this is only my opinion.