Korean Dramas Recommendation

Hi! I will no longer be using this account because this was made as a secondary blog. I can't seem to reply using that secondary blog as it always replies using my primary one. Please visit my new blog at kdramastowatch.tumblr.com (yes same user name hAHA just had to change this one). 

[kdramastowatch]

3 Kdramas that you should already be watching this July

Hi! If you followed me before using the same url, you’re probably wondering why my feed is empty. That is because I have decided to make this blog a primary one instead of a secondary one! You can still see my previous posts at kdramarecommendations.tumblr.com! I decided not to delete it because of some memories and some valuable content! lol Anyway here’s to the main event of the blog. 

Another month filled with exciting Kdramas! i only have 3 kdramas left to finish my 21 kdramas in 2021 but of course i am going to exceed that! This Month, we have an exciting line up of dramas and you should definitely not miss out on those!

THERE ARE SPOILER GIFS BTW but it’s there to hype you guys up to watch hihi.

1. Nevertheless

Han so Hee (Nabi) and Song Kang’s (Jae-Eon) visuals OMG!! We are only 2 episodes in but their chemistry makes me want to scream! Although Song Kang’s character, Jae-Eon really is an epitome of “fucboi” vibes, I definitely understand why people would fall for those type. Like hello, the thrill? Of course, if you are looking for someone who can commit, a guy like Jae-Eon should be off the radar. It’s all fun and games until these guys cheat 🤢. I’m sad this drama only has 10 episodes but I can’t wait to see how their relationship progresses. Sadly, I heard that in the webtoon, they don’t end up with each other but I HOPE THE WRITERS CHANGE THAT HAHAHA. We shall see.

Also if you have watched this scene above, I WAS LITERALLY S C R E A M I N G. And what happened afterwards bruh I was disappointed HAHAH if you watched it, you know.

Inserting more gifs because THEIR CHEMISTRY REALLY IS SPOT ON

2. Hospital Playlist

My childhood dreams of becoming a doctor is lived up here! I love how realistic this drama portrays and how we can see how doctors should interact with their patients. It’s also cute to see Doctor Ahn (the pediatrician that was almost a priest lol) have his heart flutter over Doctor Jang (The General Surgery Resident). I’m hoping though that General Surgeon Lee Ik Jun (Jo Jung Suk) and Neurosurgeon Chae Song-hwa and up with each other! Even though it is understandable that dating a best friend is risky, their chemistry is undeniable. They deserve each other!

^Also this scene was so heartbreaking! I really hope Song-Hwa changes her mind.

3. My Roommate is a Gumiho

This romantic comedy drama is a must-watch. Lee Hye-Ri never disappoints with her comedic side. Her photoshoots with Jang Ki-Yong would make you think that they are real couple in real life! (Sorry Ryu Jun yeol!). The drama started with Shin Woo-Yeo (Jang Ki-Yong), accidentally giving Lee Dam (Lee Hye-Ri) the gumiho marble that sucks human energy, they started to live together so that Shin Woo-Yeo could somewhat protect Lee Dam. Eventually, they fell in love with each other. However, as all romantic dramas in the kdrama industry, there would be trials and obstacles that the couple has to face.

That’s it for now! I will be writing about the 2nd lead syndrome soon but will have to gather some thoughts! If you have any suggestions on what you guys want to read, feel free to message me hihi

[kdramarecommendations]

Hiya! My first post on my new blog is up! Here are 3 dramas you should already be watching this July!

[kdramarecommendations]

Moving to a new site!

Hi! If you have been following my posts, thank you so much for all the support! I have decided to make this kdramastowatch.tumblr.com a primary blog so kindly check it out! I can’t seem to respond to some of you due to this site being a secondary blog and I don’t want to associate this blog with my primary blog (cause lol i made that 11 years ago).  I will be posting something tomorrow at 10 am (July 3) Philippine time and it would mean a lot if you can check that out! 

I will be keeping this blog because it has some memorable content (i.e. CLOY, Hi Bye Mama, and my recent post). 

[kdramarecommendations]

Kdramas that you shouldn't have missed in the first half of 2021

Hello! i am back after a year of not uploading! So sorry guys! i just finished my final year in university so i didn't have time to upload a review on any kdramas. Rest assured, i will be posting again while i am free!! Anyway, before we go back to 2020, there were a lot of Kdramas that kickstarted the year. i have already watched 10 this year but will be sharing you 5 dramas that you should have not missed!

1. Vincenzo

The last drama I've watched of Song Joong Ki was Descendants of the Sun and my heart broke when i found out that he and Song Hye Kyo got a divorce. I'm not into the fantasy dramas like his previous Arthdal Chronicles but when news came out that he was going to star in Vincenzo along with Taecyeon, it became my most awaited Kdrama for 2021. The storyline was pretty slow and revolved around Song Joong Ki protecting the Geugma Plaza and the people from the Babel group. It also had lawyers from Wusang Law Firm who did dirty work with the Babel group. Humor is a bit weird, but the storyline was really good! You just have to be patient as there were plot twists in every episode (coughs ep 4).

Also, can we talk about Vincenzo and Hong Cha Young’s chemistry!!! Even though it wasn’t a romantic kdrama, the way they looked and took care of each other was 💯. 

2. She Would Never Know

I ike Rowoon but I didn't like him in Extraordinary You. But man, I looked forward to watching this kdrama every single week! It was an office romance type of setup, revolving around the company Klar Cosmetics, wherein  Chae Heun-Sung (Rowoon) fell in love for his senior, Yoon Song-Ah. At first, Song-Ah didn't want to date him because she was apparently dating someone else (aka Lee Jae-Shin), until she found out that he was cheating on her. In fact, he was already engaged to Lee Hyo Joo, the younger sister of Lee Jae-Woon,  the chairman of Klar. Song-Ah somewhat used Heung-Sung to protect herself from that guy (will avoid spoilers lol) but she eventually fell in love with him.

3. Penthouse Season 2

This drama was hifalutin but it did not disappoint. It was like Sky Castle but 10x more intense. Can't wait for season 3!

Also, Heung sung was such a baby! HAHAH but I really loved his acting here. 

4. True Beauty

Although premiered last December, it was such a lighthearted drama that you should watch it when you are having a bad time. Cha Eun Woo's acting got so much better than his past 2 dramas and Moon Ga-Young really impressed me! From that spoiled actress from Tempted to a kind-hearted girl in True Beauty. Moon Ga Young's character was someone deemed "ugly" by her peers. When she moved schools, she used makeup to cover her face and gain her confidence. This drama was actually an eyeopener for me because makeup definitely helps people gain their confidence. (please teach me how HAHAH)

I feel bad for this Seo-joon in this drama!! Although I am a Cha Eun woo fan, Hwang-In Youp’s character deserved more huhu.

5. Youth of May 

Set in the 1980′s, it talks about a love story between Kim Myeong-Hee, a nurse, and Hwang Hee-Tae. Myeong-Hee was supposed to study in Germany but had no funds to do so and her best friend, Lee Soo Ryeon, had to go on a blind date for family ties. Lee Soo Ryeon made Myeong-Hee go on that blind date and hence the relationship. THIS DRAMA IS HEARTBREAKING! It has a sad ending because of the political situation in Korea back then. If you are not ready for that kind of sad-romance drama, I suggest you skip it out for now. BUUTT LEE DO HYUN IS SO CUTE! After watching his 18 Again drama, I just could not resist. 

I’ll be doing more reviews soon. I just hope I have the inspiration to write. I just finished “I Married an Anti-Fan” so I might write about that as well.

[kdramarecommendations]

Thoughts on The World of the Married

Another drama down and of course it had to be the number one on the viewers' rating list. 

Warning: SPOILERS AHEAD

The World of the  Married features Dr. Ji Sun Woo who thought she had a perfect life, having her loving director/producer husband Lee Tae-Oh and their son Lee Joong-Young. Things start falling apart once she suspects her husband of having an affair with a younger woman which ended up being true. Da kyung, the mistress, gets pregnant with Tae-Oh's child with Lee Tae-Oh and Dr. Ji was the first one to discover it. The first half of the show was filled with revenge and making you feel angry at Tae-Oh for betrraying Dr. Ji. It makes you want to watch it more and get back at the husband for cheating and constatly lying at his own wife. However, the 2nd half of the show started to focus more on their son as he starts rebelling and having somewhat an identity crisis.

Also, omg if you have seen this scene (i believe it’s in episode 1 or 2), I was so angry at Sun-woo’s friends. Imagine having your friends know that your husband is cheating on you, I’d feel utterly betrayed. My goodness they were annoying af but they were able to sort their differences out eventually (aka more than halfway through the show lol).

Hands down, the first half was really good. Dr. Ji who plotted revenge by having an affair with Son Je-Hyuk to telling Da Kyung's parents and Tae-Oh that Da-Kyung is pregnant with Tae-Oh's baby gave me chills in my spine. Some might think she's spineless for doing that but if you're so angry at people betraying you, you would want to do everything to get back at them. She didn't want to lose her fight against her husband. I was really engrossed with the show but I found the 2nd half of the show disappointing.

The ratings of the 2nd half of the show was so high that the you know the storyline was written so well. However, I still felt that disappointment at the end because it still revolved around Joon-Young and not about Dr. Ji's potential love interest, Dr. Kim and basically Dr. Ji's happily ever after. I was expecting so much from those two because I wanted Dr. Ji to finally have a happy ending and to get back at Tae-Oh for cheating on her. But she was such a loving mom that her main focus was Joon-Young.

Look at that gem! He was so caring but honestly Dr. Ji was so heartless HAHAH. How can she not fall for this cutie??

I actually cried in this scene. Having to hold it together must be tough on Sun-Woo’s part. Being able to release what she truly felt was definitely heartbreaking. 

Joon-young's acting was superb. He made me want to throw my iPad once he started getting stubborn and so self-centered. However, i somewhat sympathize with his character because it was what he was going through as a young adult facing puberty with divorced parents. It must have been difficult for children with toxic divorced parents who just want to get hold of their kid. I commend Da-Kyung though for being able to separate Jenny from Tae-Oh's toxic ways. I know it's kind of controversial to separate a child from their parent but for safety reasons mentally and physically, you only want to think what is best for your kid.

Of course, we can’t forget about Da-Kyung. I found her annoying and really hated her character for being evil but as the story progressed, she just wanted to protect her marriage and save it before it turns out to be another Sun-Woo and Tae-Oh misery. But like what Hyun-Seo said, how sure was Da-kyung that Tae-Oh wouldn’t cheat again? At the end of the show, I felt bad mostly for Da-Kyung because if she didn’t end up as a mistress, her life would have been so much better. Although “love” works in mysterious ways, she deserved a lot better (if she wasn’t that evil).

I wished the writers were able to give time to show how Park In-Kyu, Hyun- Seo’s boyfriend, really died. If Tae-Oh didn’t push him, then who did? So many unanswered questions i was so sad.

Honestly, I wished there were more episodes to this show to explain how the characters affected by Tae-Oh were able to recover. I wanted Sun-woo to finally be with Dr. Kim Yoon-Ki, Da-Kyung being able to do what she was passionate about and such. But I guess we got to accept what the writers had planned.

Since it’s the number one kdrama right now, I recommend you to watch it. However, the thrill of the first half of the show will somewhat died down and a lot of unanswered questions. It’s still worth watching though.

[kdramarecommendations]

Life Lessons from Hi, Bye Mama

Hi, Bye Mama is one of those kdramas that having one box of tissue isn’t enough. It’s the type of drama that moves you and hits you in the heart. It makes you feel guilty if you take life and the people around you for granted. It makes you want to live life to the fullest. It makes living one of the greatest gift that one gets. Every episode of Hi, Bye Mama gives you so many life lessons that you just want to live life at its fullest. With that being said, here are 5 life lessons from Hi, Bye Mama

Life lessons learned in Hi, Bye Mama. 1. Don't take life for granted. As generic and cliche as it sounds, you never know what the future holds. Live life to the fullest and always appreciate the people around you.

2. If your family loves you dearly, they will never abandon you. Yu-Ri may have been a ghost for 5 years but she has never abandoned Seo-Woo. Although it was unfortunate that she got into an accident, she was able to get a second chance to be with her daughter. 

Yu-ri’s mom also got the chance to spend time with her before she had to go again. It was so sweet to see how their relationship as mother and daughter grew even in a short span of time. No matter how old you are, your mom will always embrace you with open arms. 

3. When life gives you second chances, consider it as a gift. Whether your consider yourself lucky or not, it is a gift for you to cherish and to appreciate. It gives you the opportunity to process and reflect on the things you weren't able to do on your first chance, hence given a second chance. 

4. Not all stepmoms are evil. It's sad how children's books or fairytales depict stepmoms as evil like the one in Cinderella. Min-jung, Seo-woo's mom was so kind that I actually felt bad for her character. She loved Seo-Woo as her own. 

It was so hard to hate Min-jung. As much as i wanted Yu-Ri to have her husband back, the fact that Min-jung sacrificed her own career to take care of Seo-Woo was something that shouldn’t be overlooked.  A stepmom that willingly took the role as a mom right away was so beautiful that her character deserved more credit. Obviously it was difficult for her because she wasn’t Seo-Woo’s biological mom, but she was able to show her maternal love for her. It was evident in how she was Seo-Woo’s favorite person in the whole world.   It was also so nice to see how her friendship with Yu-Ri and Hyun-Jung developed throughout the drama, kicking the other mom’s asses when they couldn’t stop backbiting them.

When Min-Jung wrote her goodbye letter to Yu-Ri, I cried so hard. Even though Yu-Ri lied to her, she still forgave her because she was still treated nicely.

5. Letting go isn't bad at all. Although it takes time and courage to accept this reality, it gives you a peace of mind. Gang-hwa lost Yu-Ri once Seo-Woo was born. It was so difficult for him to let go of Yu-ri that it compromised his career. Letting go of what hurt you gives you an avenue to soar higher and reach greater heights. Once he got the closure from Yu-Ri before she left (for the second time), he was able to fix his fear and relationship with his second wife, Min-Jung.

Honestly, I felt so bad for Gang-Hwa’s character. He was so broken even though he got remarried. Losing a loved one abruptly was so hard that it takes so long to move on. Salute to all those people who were able to recover from losing a loved one. From his character, one can realize that moving on from a loss can take awhile. One shouldn’t rush this process but should remember that it will get better. There will be light at the end of the tunnel. 

This show was so good that i wish there were more shows that didn’t have antagonists in them. So many life lessons to learn from here. 10/10 recommend

[kdramarecommendations]

Sky Castle Review

Another week of ECQ, another kdrama done. I just finished Sky Caslte and if I can describe the series in one word, it would be C R A Z Y. It was crazy in a sense that every episode had its own plot twists and turns. Plus, the main antagonist is what you can call a pyscho. 

WARNING: MIGHT CONTAIN SPOILERS AGAIN!

Main Character Han Seo-JIn had one clear goal in the beginning; it was to send her daughter Yeh Seo to Seoul National University to become a doctor and to be the top student in her school. She hires an admission coach, Coach Kim, to train and help her daughter achieve her goals. However, a lot of things were unfolded once she as hired.

Sky Castle is a good example of what educational standards Koreans or even Asian students have to face. Having tiger parents pushing you to become the best student in school and doing  everything in their power to do so. It also shows the toxic culture of competition in the educational field and how it can affect the mental health of the students. Initially, it was difficult for some parents in the drama to accept how harsh they imposed these educational standards but they later realized how familial bond and the growth of their child as a person were more important than their standings in school. 

With that being said, here are the pros and cons of the drama and why it is worth the watch. 

Pros:

1. It is the highest rated kdrama ever (well, we’ll see after world of married finishes but as of now sky castle maintains the number 1 slot). It had an average of 12.5% of audience views nationwide and the last episode garnered 23.779%. That’s huge as compared to other kdramas that can’t reach even above 10%.

2. This drama shows the reality of what Korean Students face. Correct me if i’m wrong, but based on the rest of the korean dramas i’ve watched, they really value education.

3. in addition to number 2, this plot is very timely.   

3. Storyline is a 10/10! You don’t know what’s going to happen until the next episode. 

4. You’ll experience a rollercoaster of emotions. This shows how the writers were able to play mind games and all. 

5. Every character had a story to tell. Of course they focused mostly on Seo-Jin, but the rest of the characters also had a story to tell. 

6. Your curiosity would spike up! You want to unfold more of the story and what is to come. 

7. DRAMA OVERLOAD! You have family drama, neighborhood drama, school drama, and even a bit of love life drama! 

8. So many life lessons in this show! Especially to the parents, it encourages the parents to stop pressuring them and just guide them to what the children want to be. 

9. Sky castle boys are cute :’’) 

Cons: 

1. Although it is a good drama, it has a lot of trigger warnings. Ex. Suicide, mental health issues, pressure, anxiety,deaths, and etcetera. So watch with caution. 

2. I wished they gave Hye- Na’s character more justice. (shes’ the girl above) Although she’s just a supporting character, i wished she had more story to her character and not just a girl who was seeking revenge.

3. it can be frustrating at some times but it was a great drama overall.

WILL SUPER RECOMMEND THIS DRAMA! The first episode’s ending got me like “wtf this show is going to be crazy”

[kdramarecommendations]

Crash Landing on You Review

It’s the 3rd week of quarantine and I figured might as well rate the kdramas i’ve watched this year. First Kdrama i’ve watched this year was Crash Landing on you. Initially i got bored because the first two episodes were BOOOORING. But it got better so here are the pros and cons of this show. 

Note: MIGHT CONTAIN SPOILERS! read at your own risk.

Pros:

- It’s a love story! you can never go wrong with Kdrama love stories! They really have a way to make your heart beat so fast and get kilig! 

- Chemistry of Captain Ri and Se-ri is cute af! Can’t they date already??

- the friendship and loyalty of Captain Ri’s Friends/soldiers are so cute! Barkada feels talaga

- I cried so dinbdib ko yung show! I have this weird thing that if i cry in a kdrama, it automatically gets an 8 or a 9 HAHA it just shows that they know how to capture the viewers

- Has switzerland scenes and switzerland has amazing scenery! it makes you want to go there! 

- Second leads were beautiful! I wished the writers gave them a better ending but they focused more on Captain Ri and Se-ri :(.  Seo Dan IS SO PRETTY! like typical girl crush! 

- Lee Shin young’s cute. (tbh they’re all cute but emphasis on this dude).

- two of the cast (Jang Hye- jin as Seo Dan’s mom and Park Myung-Hoon as Dan’s uncle) were in Parasite! If you haven’t watched Parasite omg go watch it as well! 

Cons:

- First two eps were boring! If my friend didn’t bug me to watch it, i wouldn’t have bothered until it got mainstream HAHA but my friend insisted so i watched it until i had to wait every week for the next episodes.

- THE SECOND LEAD DESERVED MORE! WTF i can’t i cried so much in the last episodes. I wish they had mroe scenes together or produced more episodes.

i was crying so hard when i watched the last ep that i woke up with swollen eyes! ugh 

- It’s kinda mainstream already so you might get disappointed from all the hype. But it’s still worth watching!!