#dramaexchange2

[drawde2000]

You Are All Surrounded

I'm sad to say that I was not able finish this drama. After watching five episodes, I have decided that this drama is not for me. When it comes to crime/procedural dramas, I like them dark, gritty, and scary. You are All Surrounded is not it. It is light and is more comedic. That's fine and all. It's just not for me. I was looking for riveting cases each episode, but this drama did not provide that. It also doesn't help, that I am comparing this drama to my three favorite crime dramas: Signal, Missing Noir M, and I Remember You. In addition, Lee Seung Gi's character wasn't smiling, and that's hard to take. He has such a great smile, not seeing it on screen takes a lot of adjustments. It's really not because the drama is not well made. You Are All Surrounded is just not my cup of tea when it comes to that genre. Now it doesn't mean this whole drama exchange project is a waste. I am thankful for my match and for the person who is coordinating this project. This is a great way to be part of a community, and I'm thankful to be a part of it.

[tinytrashqueen]

i’ll write more comprehensive review, but my drama exchange with @lifeofkoreanaddict was definitely a success. i watched marriage not dating and i  finished it within the first 2 weeks of the exchange. it was a solid plot with great characters and i’m glad they pushed me to finally watch it

[wonder-fx]

I Remember You Ep. 13-16 & Final Thoughts

Episodes 13-16

I don’t even know where to start. Maybe I should start with my finale predictions because I think I was pretty wrong... There wasn’t a Lee Hyun/Jun Yeong showdown, a brother reconciliation or a “happy” ending really, but I am very satisfied with the ending. Jun Yeong disappeared in the end hoping to found by Lee Hyun. Min, after escaping near death, leaves the hospital room without the new idenity papers given to him by Jun Yeong. It seems he wants to start living his life as Lee Hyun’s brother? Maybe to turn himself in for his past crimes? It’s a little unclear, but it’s certain that he’s starting his new life on the right path. As for a overall happy ending, I don’t think we got that, but it’s fitting and that’s life. Jun Yeong escaped, but Lee Hyun and Cha Ji An are together and will continue to fight crime.

In my previous thoughts, I now think I dismissed the romance in this drama too quickly. In the end, the romance was handled very well. It didn’t get in the way of the main conflict or the police cases. Two people who were deeply hurt by the same criminal came together to ease each other’s pain and help catch Jun Yeong. I’m a fan of these two together now and happy to see them move with their relationship in the last episode. 

Final Thoughts

After much procrastination, I finally finished this drama and I didn’t realize how attached I was to this drama and its characters until the end. When I first started this drama, I was very unsure of Lee Hyun’s and Cha Ji An’s characters, but now, I think they are awesome. I expressed this in my previous thoughts post, but I really love Cha Ji An. She’s tough, capable in her job, caring, and smart. My least favorite character was Jun Yeong of course, but the actor did a great job with the character. The scenes he did with with Lee Hyun and Min were so tense and chilling, especially when they worked together on a case or ate together.

Thank you @kdramadose for recommending a drama that I overlooked! I don’t think I would have watched this drama and what a shame if I hadn’t! This is a hidden gem in the crime thriller genre. I would definitely watch another drama Ria recommended. I had so much fun!

Rating: 9/10

[gwenchana-gwenchana]

missing noir m - drama exchange review

Dramaexchange #2 - Final Thoughts The drama my match @drawde2000 choose for me was Missing Noir M. I went on vacation for a week and forgot the deadline for final thoughts was today. The drama was about a team of three highly-skilled detective/ex-FBI/ex-hacker who are put together to solve special cases. Overall, I liked it well enough. I honestly couldn't get into it until the 6th episode when the character development started happening. I love a good crime show but it has to be character driven for me to get into it. This show had good characters but it mostly revolved around the cases. Rating: 6.5/10 Favorite Moments: The gritty realism. It was refreshing but also made me sooo angry. I enjoyed the bit in the last episode where Bo Ah and Ex-FBI guy are in the girls apartment and have to pretend for a few moments to be boyfriend and girlfriend. Mr. FBI gets all smiley and a little flustered but Bo Ah just ignores him and continues to do her job. It was cute moment for Mr. FBI and a "she's a badass" moment for Bo Ah's character. I liked the moments when Dae Young had to be clever and think on his feet. Other then that nothing really stood out to me enough to rehash here. Least Favorite Moments: As much as I liked the gritty realism I also hated it. The gritty realism of the show-- Jesus Christ. Can the brooding ex-FBI agent ever get a break?? Can't the writers just let one of the people live? PLease-- why not let Bo Ah's ex-bestie live? Or Dae Youngs wife? She totally could have, you just wanted to ruin my week with your gritty realism. The gore also had me cringing and covering my eyes every time Dr. Kang was on screen or another body turned up. ALSO WTF kind of ending was that. What the shit. Too real, writers, too real. Favorite Character: Detective Oh Dae Young was my favorite. He was resourceful and clever and ass-kissy and him and his feelings about things made me laugh from the get go. His love for his wife made me happy too. I just liked how versatile his character had to be. I liked Bo Ah's character but there just wasn't enough there for me to love. Least Favorite Character: Gil Soo Hyun was a difficult character for me to like. I mean I could be empathic with him and his history and his trauma but I felt like there was not a whole to him. Aside from the brooding serious genius bits he was just... meh. Would I accept another recommendation from my match?: Yes, we like a lot of the same drama's and I'd be happy to take another recommendation.

[squidnietentacles]

So I was really busy while watching this show- Cunning Single Lady, so I wasn't able to give it as much of my attention as I would've liked. I thought it was really quite interesting, and entertaining but I kind of thought the beginning especially was really superficial and petty for the plot. (What with breaking up over money and being upset by wealth and whatnot) I thought the acting was decent and I enjoyed the characters overall and as I got further into the show it got a lot better for me. I think I would probably give this show a 6/10 for me! (Sorry I don't have time to write more of a review currently :( ) thank you so much for the recommendation @neighborhoodnoona !!!

[arentwejustoutlaws]

Final Thoughts

The Drama:

Wannueng Jaa Pben Superstar (I Wanna be a Superstar) is essentially Full House meets Personal Taste. I liked the drama. It was a fun and easy watch. Sometimes that is exactly what you need to get your mind off things. I enjoyed it for what it was: a cliché and cheesy romantic comedy about a wannabe actress. 

What I really liked: 

The premise - I am a sucker for cohabitation dramas. I just love those reluctant roommates hijicks and there’s nothing that allows for great interractios between the leads than placing them under the same roof. 

The characters - I liked most characters, but if I had to pick a favourite it would be the best friend Lukpit. He was sassy, funny and loyal. In the end, he stood by Wanneung and helped her fight her battles. 

The chemistry - The leads had great chemistry and they were really fun to watch. I kept looking forward to their next scene and I did find myself with a goofy smile on my face. 

I know this is irrelevant to the drama itself but I also really enjoyed the blooper reel after each episode. I always enjoy getting a view of the behind-the-scenes and seeing the cast interacting together was amusing. 

What I did not like: 

Mostly, I think the drama could have been shorter. The beginning was a bit draggy and some episodes had this filler feel that could have been avoided if they had cut back 6 episodes or so. 

I was also a tad dissatisfied with the final major conflict resolution. I wished Wanneung would have had her shining moment and been able to avenge herself. (Slight Spoiler) The fact that the “other bad guys” ended up solving her problem and she essentially forgave them...it irked me. These guys tried to rape her. She shouldn’t feel grateful to them. Ever.   

I also did not like how the drama referred to gay men as “not real men”. I don’t know if the translation was to blame because unfortunately I do not understand thai so I couldn’t tell what they were saying and whether their words really had such a strong negative connotation. Hopefully, it was a case of “lost in translation”.  

Final Verdict :

Fun. Funny. Cute. Charming. Nothing special but still highly enjoyable. Although I didn’t fall in love with it, I have no complains and would probably recommend it to someone who is a fan of cheesy romcoms. I rate it between a 7.5/10 and a 8/10. 

This drama exchange was a great experience. I really enjoyed being paired with @samabd and to be able to discover a new drama that would have flown under my radar otherwise. I also loved keeping up with everyones reactions in the tag. If there is another exchange, I will not hesitate to sign up again! 

[all-about-kdrama]

My Love Eun Dong Episodes 7-14

It has been two long days! Honestly, it was a bad idea to finish this drama in two days, it became predictable and at times I found myself looking away at my phone or a book. One thing that bothered me so far is Eun Ho's unrealistic and obsessive behavior towards Eun Dong. I get it, is the drama and all that, but at times I felt that he was rewarded instead of stopped and criticized for this behavior. Specially, in episode 9 when he gets jealous just by seeing Eun Dong with her family, he does not even let her breath! It felt very stalk-y to me and I shrugged many times at it. What has keep me going!? I said before Kim Sa Rang's acting is amazing and her chemistry with Joo Jin Mo is amazing and at times it can keep you into the drama-though their kisses were awkward? Also, a round of applause to Jae Ho, who even when he's the "bad guy," I have come to understand him and more than once I've taken his side. The writers have sold him so well, that I can care less if Eun Ho does not ended up with Eun Dong. I think since we have other people to blame, I guess is easy for me to forgive him and be able to see him as a good guy instead. On the other hand, Seo Ryeong became more and more predictable, I could easily tell which lie or method she would use next to keep Eun Ho next to her. I couldn't stop myself to compare her with other female characters of telenovelas, very flat and predictable. Finally, even when I hate Eun Ho to a certain level, Joo Jin Mo's stares combine with his voice, well I'm weak for that so... So far, I would have love for the show not to have so many cliches that have been dragging the story, but I guess this is what you can expect from a Faithful First Love Drama. My final review for the two final episodes and my thoughts are coming!!!

[pineforphantompain]

Drama Exchange 2 Heart to Heart Final Thoughts

The Drama: Rating: 8/10

Thank you @nothingbutthestory for recommending Heart to Heart to me. I doubt I would have found and watched it, had it not been for this exchange. It’s definitely the kind of drama I like to watch, but I had overlooked this one. The story was interesting and the main couple was tolerable. I really liked the female lead and was rooting for her the whole time. All the family drama was actually pretty interesting to me too. I don't know that it's a show I would definitely watch again, but I'm glad I had to, and I certainly enjoyed it. My favourite characters were Hong Do’s fish (Yi Suk asked her what their names were, but I don’t think she said…). They didn’t get nearly as much attention as they deserved. The Exchange: This was my second time participating in the drama exchange and I would definitely like to take part in a future round (I really shouldn’t do the next one, but I’m already considering it). I enjoyed the drama that my match chose for me and would accept more recommendations from them. The second rec, Mask, is actually a drama I plan on watching. Choosing my recommendations was even harder this time around and I was really worried I wouldn’t be able to find anything to recommend. They’ve watched so many more dramas and have much better taste. Luckily, from what I saw they didn’t seem to hate my recommendation, Pinocchio, yet, so that’s good. This was another great drama exchange, and I'm glad that I decided to take part again. (:

Thanks again to @jungeums for organizing this drama exchange!