synopsis: Joalarm is a new app that will ring if anyone that likes the user is within a 10 metre radius of them. Kim Jo-jo (Kim So-hyun) is a high school student who lives with her aunt and cousin. In order to pay off her motherās debt that was passed onto her aunt when her parents passed, she saves up money by working multiple part-time jobs. Hwang Sun-oh (Song Kang) was born into a wealthy family, his mother was a popular actor and his dad is a politician. He grew up living with his best friend Lee Hye-young (Jung Gu-ram), the son of their familyās maid. They both attended the same school as Kim Jo-jo and when they discover that they both like her, they use Joalarm to see who she picks.
my response:
!!! SPOILERS !!!
OKAY. So I just finished this drama and usually, I do spoiler-free reviews but I have to discuss this ending. What. A. Cliffhanger. Like seriously I feel like Iāve been abandoned - there better be a second season or Iāll be left curious forever. Before I discuss who I prefer with Jo-jo, Iāll give a quick review of the drama as a whole. So I really liked this drama. The idea of Joalarm is so interesting to me. I think the drama shows how society would react to an app like this quite well, showing both the positives and negatives it would introduce. One thing I feel passionate about is my hatred for Jo-joās cousin, Gul-mi. Iāve found that multiple times sheāll seem quite nice actually but within a few seconds of me thinking this sheāll do something that will legitimately make me rage i.e. her treatment of Duk-gu or when she started THROWING JO-JOāS STUFF OUT THE WINDOW. Major respect for the actor who plays her, Go Min-si. Anyways, overall the plot was super addicting. It definitely felt like it was moving along too fast at multiple points so I do think it would be better if they spaced it out with more episodes. And so, now the major dilemma: Hwang Sun-oh or Lee Hye-young? Now I can definitely see both sides but my choice as of right now is Sun-oh. I feel like most people probably feel the same way about this because legit the whole drama was about Jo-jo and Sun-hoās romance so why spend so much time setting it up and then not following through? I got quite annoyed after the whole motorbike-accident-and-then-cut-to-4-years later thing. It was just getting more interesting and then WHOOP time skip and guess what? Theyāre not together anymore. It was super unsatisfying and I really donāt like it when this happens in dramas bc it feels like weāre leaving behind the characters weāve grown to know. Before the time skip, Sun-ho and Jo-jo were honestly the cutest and I wasnāt even thinking about Hye-young. But then after it happened, Hye-young was definitely creeping up but still Sun-ho is first for me. ALSO Iām just gonna say, if what happened with Jo-jo and Sun-ho in the first episode, like the whole staring at each other, Sun-oh following her and then them going into a laneway and kissing, were to actually happen it would honestly be the creepiest thing. So because of this at the start of the drama I didnāt really like Sun-oh bc he was justā¦. idk way too weird. Hye-young was super sweet throughout the drama and I could tell that towards the end of the season, they were setting it up so that he would be with Jo-jo. I wasnāt really happy with the idea but I was preparing and trying to convince myself that itād work. And then that ending happened and now here I am. Iāll continue to wonder about the direction the drama will take in the next season but for now, I think this drama was really enjoyable to watch and I would recommend it to anyone. Feel free to leave a comment about your opinion of the ending and who you prefer with Jo-jo.
rating: 4.5/5
Also, does anyone know if thereās an English translation anywhere of the webtoon this is based on??? I really want to read it.
cast: Park Min-young, Kim Jae-wook, One, Ahn Bo-Hyun
favourite ost: Smile Again by RUNY
synopsis: Sung Deok-mi (Park Min-young) comes from a family of fanatics and from a young age she has been living as a hardcore fangirl. However, not everyone is as accepting of this side of her as sheād like so she keeps her interests and the fansite she runs for idol Cha Shi-an (One) a secret. When Deok-mi isnāt fangirling, sheās working as a curator at an art gallery. When world-renowned artist Ryan Gold (Kim Jae-wook) takes over as director at the gallery, Deok-mi gets caught up in a scandal to which Ryan suggests starting a fake relationship to stop dangerous rumours head-on. Over time, their fake relationship turns into something more that both parties were not expecting.
synopsis: A boy is mysteriously found dead near his school and, frustrated with the lack of action taken by the adults, the students decide to hold a trial to unravel the story behind their classmateās sudden death.
my response: I watched this drama when it came out and every episode left me on the edge of my seat. The plot, the suspense, the cinematography, the characters ā all amazing. I watched each episode savouring every moment. Before watching Solomonās Perjury, I was unfamiliar with most of the leads and the main cast. That definitely was something that made me really enjoy the drama on a whole new level because it was like being introduced to a new world (for me at least). Every time I see one of the actors appear in a different drama Iām reminded of that feeling. Honestly, the acting in this drama is flawless ā the cast crushed it. Because of this being combined with a captivating plot, my emotions were being tugged in every direction nonstop but Iām not complaining. If I were to describe the style of this drama, Iād call it subtle. I know what youāre thinking: āSubtle? But isnāt it a thriller?ā Donāt worry, thereās PLENTY of action and suspense that will make you question everything. Not to mention the portrayal of very real issues such as injustice, social disparity and corruption. But what I mean is that thereās so much attention to detail and the plot progresses so fluently that the drama in its entirety flows seamlessly. Thereās nothing I can fault about Solomonās Perjury ā itās a must-watch for any drama lover. NOTE: If you like your legal dramas you need to watch this ā it somehow has all of the same elements of a legal drama, a teen drama and a thriller all mixed together. What more could you ask for?
cast: Hyun Bin, Park Shin-hye, Park Hoon, Chanyeol
favourite ost: Memories of the Alhambra by george
synopsis: After receiving an email and a strange call from AR game developer Jung Se-joo (Chanyeol), CEO Yoo Jin-woo (Hyun bin) travels to Granada, Spain to find him, only to discover that Se-Joo is missing. In hopes of finding Se-joo to invest in his game, Jin-woo contacts Se-Jooās sister Jung Hee-joo who is coincidentally running the hostel he is staying at.
my response: I remember watching the first episode of this drama and being immediately hooked on the storyline. I think that centralising the plot around an AR game is so original and relevant ā I wouldnāt be surprised to see this type of technology in the near future. The drama is shot beautifully and the locations are AMAZING. Watching this drama will 100% make you want to travel to Spain. The only drawback of this drama, however, is that I found I wasnāt fully satisfied with the ending. I still yearn for definitive answers and I think that if the ending was more conclusive Iād feel more contented. Other than this, thereās not much else I can fault.
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