Your K-Drama Analyst @yourkdramaanalyst - Tumblr Blog

A REVIEW OF MY FAVORITE NETFLIX ORIGINAL KOREAN DRAMA: HOSPITAL PLAYLIST

https://t.co/fkqOasA6Tk

Hello, K-Drama fans! I stepped out of Tumblr for more or less than a month. It's a good thing that I didn't forget I have a blog here. Lol. I've been busy so I wasn't able to cross out most of the dramas on my list. But the drama I am about to review right now is actually a series that I already crossed out of my list twice! So what made me watch Hospital Playlist for the second time?

• Introduction to the Drama

Short Gist:

It's about five friends who used to be school mates in medical school, who are now working at the same hospital.

Director Shin Won Ho and screen writer Lee Woo Jung previously worked on the famous Reply series (which are a work of art!)

The five main characters are (from left to right) Jo Jung Seok, Jeon Mi Do, Jung Kyoung Ho, Yoo Yeon Seok, and Kim Dae Myung . Quite an interesting line-up, huh?

Yoo Yeon Seok also appeared in many dramas and movies. He's in this industry for 17 years now (if my calculations are correct). He was in dramas Dr. Romantic, Gu Family Book, Reply 1994, etc. Yeon Seok has starred in many medical dramas already.

Jo Jung Seok, an award winning actor, has starred in many dramas and movies. He appeared in dramas The King 2hearts, Oh My Ghost, Jealousy Incarnate, etc. He's a good rom-com and drama actor.

Jung Kyoung Ho has been appearing in the small screen since 2004 and has already landed in many roles. He was in Beating Again, Missing Nine, and Prison Playbook. If you noticed, he was Yoon Seri's ex-boyfriend in Crash Landing On You, which was just a special appearance.

Kim Dae Myung is more of a big screen guy. He has been appearing in movies since 2012. Some of other dramas where he starred are Misaeng: Incomplete Life and The Sound of Your Heart.

The only woman in the main cast is originally a play and musical actress. She's a fresh face in the world of K-drama. Jeon Mi Do had her first role 2 years ago in a drama called Mother. She appeared in a movie called Metamorphosis last year and finally, had her second role this year in Hospital Playlist.

A second season of the drama is to be expected next year. 😉

• The Experience

As I mentioned earlier, I've already watched this drama twice! It's not even that long since I watched this for the first time, and I just finished watching it again.

The first time I watched Hospital Playlist, I didn't know what it was all about. I was actually just having a phase where all I wanted to watch was medical dramas (yes... that's true, even though I am not a med student or anything related) so I clicked on it immediately as soon as all of the episodes were released on Netflix. But as soon as I finished watching the first episode, I couldn't really stop myself from watching more.

Typically, I enjoy watching light and funny dramas but this one is on another level. It has become my favorite Netflix original drama! Until now, I still can't get over it. I can't wait for the next season to be released.

•Points that I Liked About the Drama

https://t.co/OC3HEzU0a4

1. Hospital Playlist tells a lot of story about different people. There are five main characters but the story does not only revolve around them but also tells the story of the people around. This is actually common when it comes to medical dramas since there are a lot of patients. However, in this drama, they didn't just focus on patients but also on the hospital staffs. In fact, there are so many doctors from different departments that are shown here. I got to see more of what's happening during their breaks, how senior doctors look over the interns and residents and other staff, etc. Of course those are not real life scenarios, but it seemed real and made me feel like I am one of them.

2. Light and funny but really heartwarming. It's the kind of drama that will make you laugh and cry at the same time. It's not the slapstick comedy kind of drama but more of a situation-based kind? I don't know if you get it at all, LMAO. Watching it makes you feel like you're just catching up with friends, talking about your daily lives and laughing and reminiscing about the past.

3. Plotless but not nonsensical. It is not a complicated drama which is easy to watch no matter how old or how young you are. It should still be watched chronologically, though, because there are still a lot of stories to follow about each character. There's just no definite goal that was shown in the drama but the way the story was told, it's almost perfect.

4. One of the most realistic medical dramas. There are no exaggerated medical scenes where the doctors have to do impossible things and whatsoever just to save a patient.

https://t.co/Z6U1T2nBI0

5. I love the characters. It's impossible to choose a favorite character! Even the supporting ones are characterized well. Each character is different, that's why even if there are many of them, you won't get lost.

6. It's a medical drama so I learned a lot as well. If you are interested in medicine or currently taking up medicine related programs, Hospital Playlist is a good k-drama option to watch.

https://t.co/xGbTvz4giu

7. The OST is good. I highly recommend this drama if you are a sucker for good OSTs like me. All of the songs here are just covers. I am not familiar with the original songs since they are from the 1990s and early 2000s, but I still enjoyed them. For a month, I've only played Hospital Playlist OST. I'm not even kidding!

https://t.co/p3gGyjAKSS

8. They didn't overdo the romantic scenes. I ship a lot of the characters because there are also side stories like doctors who start to like each other. But none of them are cringey. I had a good time watching some characters' love story as it progresses.

9. There are so many cameos. I won't mention them because it may lead to spoilers but I swear, I love those special appearances!

• The Ending

The ending of the first season was satisfying. There are still unanswered questions, though. That's something to look forward to for the 2nd season. I can't say much about the ending because I know that it's not the final one yet. Still, my heart was contented with the 12 episodes.

•Final Thoughts

Will I watch it again? YES. FOR SURE.

Will I recommend it? YES. WATCH THIS DRAMA RIGHT AWAY OR ADD THIS TO YOUR PENDING LIST IMMEDIATELY.

Rate: 10/10 (for this season only)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The reason why it's a 10/10 for me is because I prefer dramas like this, okay? If anyone disagrees with me, you can try to convince me to change my mind but I doubt anything will change. 🤣

•Hospital Playlist Top 5 OST

I really had a hard time picking my top 5 favorite songs because all of them are good. This is a really hard task for me, why did I even do this to myself? Lol. I feel my heart breaking. I. Am. Not. Kidding. So the songs I listed here are not really my top 5, it's rather a proof of my claim that everything is good. ('cos i just can't, i am sorry).

Me to You, You to Me by Mido and Falasol

Lonely Night by Kwon Jin Ah

Introduce me a good person by Joy

Aloha by Cho Jung Seok

In front of city hall at the subway station by Kwak Jin Eon

That's it! There's nothing I don't like about Hospital Playlist and I have no issues, too. If I am to think of one, it would probably be about the release date of the second season because I am dying for it.

So what are your thoughts? 😊 Thank you for reading!

MYSTIC POP-UP BAR REVIEW

• Introduction to the Drama

GIST:

Mystic Pop-Up Bar or 쌍갑포차 is about Weolju (played by Hwang Jung Eum), a spirit who is being punished by the heavens because of a mistake she made 500 years ago. To not end up in hell, she was offered to resolve the problems of 100,000 people and help them let go of their grudges. She opened up a cart bar where she hears the stories of her customers and help them out by visiting them in their dreams. Guibanjang or Manager Gwi (played by Choi Won Young) was sent to help her manage the cart bar. A month before Weolju's deadline, they met Kangbae (played by Yook Sung Jae), a customer service employer who can make people spill their problems and worries by being touched.

This drama is based on a popular web-comic Twin Tops Bar by Bae Hye-soo.

Hwang Jung Eum's last drama was in 2018 which made this drama her comeback. She is a Romantic-Comedy queen who is well known for her roles in She Was Pretty, Kill Me, Heal Me and Lucky Romance.

Yook Sung Jae is a member of the K-pop boy group Born to Beat or simply BtoB. He's famous for his roles in Guardian: The Lonely and Great God / Goblin and Who Are You: School 2015 (I still can't get over my second lead syndrome in this drama. I am Team Go Tae Kwang).

Choi Won Young was also in Kill Me, Heal Me with Hwang Jung Eum. He's been on many dramas like Hyena which was aired recently, Sky Castle and While You Were Sleeping. He also appeared a lot on the big screen.

• The Experience

When I watched the the trailer, it felt odd because it resembles Hotel Del Luna a lot. Even though, this kind of plot is already common among Korean series, the familiar setting, symbolism and elements are what made me think of Hotel Del Luna in particular. But no, Mystic Pop-Up Bar is not based on Hotel Del Luna at all because the web-comic was published in 2016, years ago before it aired on TV.

Here are some similarities and differences the two dramas have that I found:

1. Both the female leads are being punished for their sins and mistakes hundreds of years ago.

2. Both the female leads' goal is to help their customers resolve their problems. The difference is that Jang Man Wol focuses on the dead so they can ascend to heaven while Weolju helps both the living and the dead by entering their dreams.

3. Koo Chan Sung and Han Kang Bae. Both of these young and innocent men appeared to help resolve their cases.

4. The tree! The tree plays a vital role in both dramas.

5. The place of their business. Jang Man Wol has a fancy hotel that serves as a resting place for the dead while Weolju has a cart bar for people who have worries in life.

These are just some of my observations. I'm not implying anything. Both dramas have their own uniqueness.

Going back to my experience, I can say it was pretty good. I was actually busy these days, even so, I was still able to binge-watch the drama. I thought I wouldn't be able to catch up but I ended up watching more episodes whenever I finish one. It was a pretty short one since it only has 12 episodes so it was fast to watch. I finished it in 4 days (I started watching 2 days before the release of 11th episode), which was understandable considering I am busy and also binge-watching other dramas.

• Points that I Liked About the Drama

1. It is easy to watch because it is light, quirky, and funny. Almost every episode is fun to watch but not to the point where you are gonna mistake the genre for comedy. It is not overdone. The scenes and their funny dialogues are what I enjoyed the most.

2. The flow of the story was just right for me. It's not exhausting to watch. Some dramas were hard to watch at a particular time. For instance, boring ones are hard to watch in the afternoon because it makes me sleepy so I prefer watching fast paced aka. exhausting ones in the afternoon. However, with Mystic Pop-Up Bar, I can watch it anytime of the day.

3. The characters are likable. I loved the trio. Even the supporting ones are warm and endearing. Sometimes I would even look for them in some episodes, specially Samsin, the conception dream provider and Kang Yeo Rin, Kang Bae's love interest.

4. Not emotionally draining. I had worries when I watched the first episode. "What if it becomes too emotional whenever they help someone?" Not really. I don't even remember crying. Dramas with plots like this, Hotel Del Luna for example, it drained me a lot that I ran out of tissues to wipe my tears. That's not a bad thing at all, it only means it has impact. It's just that with Mystic Pop-Up Bar, I watched it at a time when I am already physically drained. So far it was bearable. And it feels more fresh that way. (Sorry, I keep comparing the 2 dramas).

5. I like its uniqueness. They showed some afterlife scenarios that are really interesting. One example is the way they deliberate when a person dies, whether you'll get reincarnated or turned in an insect. Another is the afterlife Olympics. It's a really funny episode.

6. There is a theme for every episode/ every case. For instance, the food that they serve for the day has a connection to their client. One more example is when they had a Romeo and Juliet theme for a client who is a writer. They even paid attention to details like this which was fun and appreciative.

7. So Chan Whee's guest appearance! I literally jumped when she appeared out of nowhere.

• Points that I Didn't Like About the Drama

1. Predictable scenes. Not everything, though. Maybe just half of it. Especially the first few episodes when the story revolves mostly on the people who have issues that needed to be resolved. Mainly because, as I already mentioned, dramas like this are already common.

2. It got a little weird when it was almost ending. There are sudden appearances that didn't seem important at all. Their timing of appearance seems off as well.

3. The motive of Kim Won Hyung was not that convincing for me. He just annoyed me but I didn't see him as the main villain.

• The Ending

I did not have high expectations when I started to watch the drama. I told myself that I will not get disappointed if the ending feels rushed because that's usually the case with short dramas.

The ending was fine, though. There were unexpected turn of events which I found interesting and made me nod my head and say "Ohhhh, that's why!" Even though the conclusion was lacking a bit, I didn't regret watching it since I had a good time.

I didn't cry while watching the entire drama but started tearing a little the moment I realized it already ended. When Dive by Jung Jin Woo started playing along with some scenarios from different episodes, I felt a little sad. I will miss the characters for sure.

However, just like other dramas, I had a lot of issues with this drama, too. Don't worry, these "issues" are mostly just observations, uncertainties and questions I have because sometimes, I get out of focus and I get confused, too. I will mention them below on the issues section which you should skip if you want to avoid spoilers!

• Final Thoughts

Would I watch it again? No.

Would I recommend it? Yes. I would recommend Mystic Pop-Up Bar to those who like light and funny dramas. This is also a good drama for those who just casually watch dramas and those who are beginning to explore the K-Drama world.

I am giving Mystic Pop-Up Bar a 7/10.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

• Issues (MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!!!)

1. The queen or the crown prince's mother's appearance and her remembering her past life is too sudden. It seems off and too convenient. She died fast, too. And her death was awful.

2. The group of evil thugs at the last episode. When did Kim Won Hyung gather all those spirits? That was so weird.

3. If Won Hyung could change his face as revealed in the last episode when he pretended to be Weolju, why did he bother possess his father in the previous episodes if he could just change into anyone he likes? So he could prevent his father and him meeting the same people at the same time?

4. For Weolju to not be sent to hell after knowing who Cinnabar is, Guibanjang made it so easy. Just a quick negotiations with Yeomradaewang and everything is smooth once again.

5. Did Yeorin figure out that they are not CIA agents after all? LOL. And where did she go after fighting the weird thugs during the last episode?

And that concludes my Mystic Pop-Up Bar review! I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing this. I hope my personal thoughts and insights were helpful at all.

To more K-Drama Reviews! Cheers!

STRANGERS FROM HELL SHORT REVIEW

"People are the most frightening above anything else."

https://t.co/bPsScVEbvM

• Introduction to the Drama

GIST:

Strangers from Hell is about Jong-u (played by Im Si Wan), an aspiring writer who moved from Busan to Seoul to start an internship offered to him by his senior. Upon looking for a cheap place to live in, he found Eden Residences. He ended up staying there, where he had creepy and suspicious neighbors including Dr. Seo Mun-jo (played by Lee Dongwook).

It is based on a webtoon series by Kim Yong-ki.

• The Experience

I can't remember the last time I watched a psychological-thriller K-drama, but this one is probably the most disturbing! The first season has 10 episodes but it took me a week to finish because it was difficult for me to watch this at one go. It was also impossible for me to have a snack while watching this drama because I am afraid I will suddenly puke. It's violent, maddening, and uncanny. If you have anxiety or mental health issues, I am warning you, this drama might be triggering for you so I advice you to refrain from watching this.

https://t.co/PlFijaJ0dn

Lee Dongwook is one of my ultimate Korean actor faves but after watching Strangers From Hell, I will never dream of him calling me "babe" anymore. In fact, I don't want anyone to ever call me "babe" from now on. He's a dentist in this drama which made it even more terrifying lol. This is the first time he played a psycho villain but it seems like this role is made for him.

(And I kinda shipped him with Im Siwan in this drama jdpshdishdis I know this is weird... sorry.)

• Points that I Liked About the Drama

1. It's totally engrossing. Even if I got scared, I didn't want to drop this K-Drama because it kept me curious about what's going to happen to the main character.

2. This K-drama has the elements I am looking for in a thriller. It's not filled with sloppy jump scares and pointless scenarios. It may look like a plotless thriller but that's not the case at all. It has a brilliant story-line.

3. It has a high quality cinematography. The camera placements and movements were meticulous. The transition from one scene to another is also satisfying. The way they cut the scenes gives an extra terrifying feel.

https://t.co/y0DIw1gXqo

4. The characters and the actors are praiseworthy. All of them are well thought. Everyone gave justice to their roles so there's nothing to complain about.

https://t.co/mPxhZc4yrn

5. Eden Residences is creepy but not in a typical way. Sure, it does not have the best facilities, but would still look quite normal if not only for the story behind it. They focused on the people living there instead, which in my opinion is a good approach.

6. It messed up my mind. Not in a bad way, though. I kept on guessing about what's going to happen next, who should be trusted and who should not, and who is going to be killed.

• The Ending

It was excellent. Though I predicted a certain part of the ending, the way the story was told was good enough to satisfy me. Until the end, the intensity did not decline, not even a bit. Overall, it didn't disappoint me.

However, I just have one single thing I keep thinking about until now. Throughout the drama, I have a question I kept on asking and for every episode I watch, I hoped that it would be answered. But, the ending came and I am still confused about that one thing. I will write about it briefly below on the "ISSUES" section which you can avoid if you don't want to read spoilers.

• Final Thoughts

Would I watch it again? Yes. On Halloween, maybe. And not by myself.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Despite being different from my usual K-drama picks, oddly, I still ended up liking it. If you are a person who enjoys watching thrillers, this drama may be what you're looking for.

I am giving Strangers from Hell a 8.5/ 10.

• Strangers from Hell OST

There are only 4 songs but all of them are good! And of course, all of them are creepy, too.

Strangers by The Rose

Room No. 303 by The VANE

Blow Off by Yoari

Ruin by Isaac Hong

• Issues (spoiler alert!)

I don't have a lot of issues. I just want to know why they are doing it which was not explained until the end. It bothers me because they are psychopaths living in the same place and conspiring to kill some people, an act Dr. Seo Mun-jo calls "art." Yet, there was no back story aside from the four of them being in the same orphanage together. That's why I am hoping for a second season where we could see more of what happened in the past and how they became psychopaths. I also want to know what will happen to Jong-u now that he turned into somewhat like them.

Although even without a second season, I am still completely satisfied with how it ended. Maybe that's what the writers are aiming, for viewers to keep questioning the identities of the characters.

I reviewed Strangers from Hell based only on the drama itself since I can't compare it to the webtoon series that I haven't read yet. To those who were able to finish both, how was the adaptation?

I have a lot of dramas on my plate right now so I made this one short but I did my best to write a direct and thorough review without revealing too much spoilers. I hope you enjoyed reading this! 💖💖

kdramaanalyst

THE KING: ETERNAL MONARCH REVIEW

EDIT: I AM SO SORRY, THIS IS A SECONDARY BLOG AND I JUST LEARNED THAT I CAN’T REPLY TO COMMENTS. PLEASE CHECK MY PINNED BLOG WHERE I WROTE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU!

Spoilers ahead!!! Read at your own risk. Once again, I am not an expert and these are my personal opinions. If you have disagreements, let’s talk it over. Don’t judge me, let’s judge the show together instead and have an understanding.

For the first drama that I am going to review, I chose The King: Eternal Monarch. A lot of viewers who supported the show with all of their hearts could still not get over its ending. Others who like to binge-watch are relieved because they can finally watch the entire series without waiting for a new episode to air. While some are still mulling over about watching it. Well, I hope I could help you with this review.

• Introduction to the Drama

Short gist:

The story revolves around Lee Gon, present King of Kingdom of Corea. He witnessed his father’s death when he was young, an incident that haunted him until he grew older. Due to unfortunate circumstances, a legendary flute with powers called Manpasikjeok that can open different worlds was cut in half. He was able to get hold half of the flute, while the other half was obtained by Lee Lim, his uncle who killed his father. Lee Lim had been going back and forth two different worlds, plotting foul pursuits to fulfill his evil desires, and disrupting the peace between the two worlds. In order to restore balance and order, Lee Gon also traveled between worlds, meeting Jeong Tae Eul who soon became a significant person in his life.

If you’ve been watching Korean Dramas for quite a while now, you must be familiar with some of the characters of The King: Eternal Monarch, especially the lead.

If you call yourself a k-drama fan and you don’t know who Lee Minho is, give yourself a slap (just kidding, please don’t take that seriously). Lee Minho has a good reputation because of his experience, acting skills and obviously, his gorgeous face. He has an impressive list of successful dramas and movies! Most of us probably knew him through his breakthrough role in Boys Over Flowers.

Meanwhile, Kim Go Eun, despite being fairly new to small screen (she first started appearing in movies), is also highly distinguished by a lot of k-drama fans. In all three dramas she starred in, including The King, she always got the lead role. His leading men are no joke either. And because of Kim Go Eun, many of us still wants to be the goblin’s bride.

Among the cast also includes the familiar faces of Woo Do Hwan, Kim Kyung Nam, Jung Eun Chae, and Lee Jung Jin.

Anyway, I’ll try to share every thought I have from the first time I watched it until it ended. I will also try not to give so much spoilers because the drama just ended. I will talk first about my experience watching it and then I will list at the very bottom some of the issues I have and that list contains major spoilers so watch out for that. As you notice, I always warn you with spoilers using red font color.

• The Experience

When I watched the first teaser of the drama, I got intrigued and a little confused. What worlds are they talking about? Do they have super powers? Is this a historical drama? Questions were instantly formed in my head.

It also reminded me of the drama Queen In Hyun’s Man because of a similar scene where the leading man is riding his horse in the middle of the city and finding his woman. But that’s just it, the two dramas are completely different. I just mentioned it because others may have felt the same way.

I don’t usually watch dramas while it’s still fresh. I wait for about two to three weeks before the schedule of the ending so I can binge watch without waiting so much. When I watched The King, there were already 12 episodes available on Netflix. Usually, I would finish 12 episodes in 1-3 days, and if the drama is really good and it’s MY STYLE (i said that in an obviously fake Korean accent), I could watch it for an entire day.

However, I finished those 12 episodes in 2 weeks…

Why??? Why did it take me that long???

I wouldn’t say I was bored, it’s just that during the first few episodes, nothing caught my interest yet. I wasn’t convinced that it was a good drama. There was nothing special and I didn’t know what to look forward to that’s why I couldn’t watch it continuously. I got lazy. The pace was slow and the story build up was a little stagnant. It was too slow that I even started watching a long length saeguk just so I can watch something else.

I could have skipped some parts and dropped it but I continued watching and gave it a chance. Though it was a good thing that I didn’t stop because as I watched more episodes, the story actually became more exciting. Finally, I saw some progress. I started to get invested in the drama after the eighth episode. That’s when the story felt more alive. Finally, there were revelations, more conflicts arose, more emotions were shown, and the story got deeper. I began to appreciate the drama. However, I still don’t like the fact that it took me 8 episodes before I started to like it.

• Points that I Liked About the Drama

1. The plot seemed like it’s going to be too science fiction-y but it’s just the right amount. I was worried that it might be too much for me to handle but it was just okay (i am a potato who dislikes thinking so much, but that depends on my mood lololol). I liked how there’s a mix of history in the drama, as well as of politics but it still feels modern. There is a balance.

2. The distinction between the Kingdom of Corea and Republic of Korea is impressive. It’s obvious that they put a lot of effort in building their vision of KOC to life.

3. Many people were saying that it’s hella confusing and so much was going on. I don’t think so. They actually made it easy for viewers to understand about parallel worlds. You don’t have to study science facts just to get this drama’s concept. I think the slow pace did its job well in this part.

4. The story is unpredictable. You never know what’s going to happen next, that’s the strength of The King’s concept. Because of the two different worlds and the crazy number of characters, there could be a lot of possibilities and backstories.

5. The action scenes are commmendable. I liked the action scenes, the one during the last episode is probably my favorite.

• Points that I Didn’t Like About the Drama

1. The slow pace. I don’t think I still need to explain more but it totally ruined my whole experience of watching the drama.

2. Many characters didn’t leave much impact. Their acting was great, however, I don’t see a lot of personalities that standout. The most remarkable ones for me are the characters played by Woo Do Hwan. The other characters, especially the lead, the prime minister and the traitor were okay, too. The others were just bland and years from now, I probably won’t remember most of them.

• The Ending (spoiler alert!)

The ending was good. It didn’t feel rushed and everyone had a separate ending of their own. I just wished there was more Nari and Eunsup / Yeong and Seung A moment in the end, the conclusion was fine though. I don’t like that Prime Minister Koo ended up in jail but Luna became a cop…

I just have one issue regarding the ending that they decided on. In the end they didn’t show if Tae Eul became a queen. Well, it would be weird if she became one considering there is Luna in KOC. They can’t be together in ROK, too because Gon’s counterpart was able to live. So… what? They just kept traveling whenever they have time? Because if that’s the case, doesn’t that mean they will hide their relationship forever??? I liked that they ended up together but I wish they also kept this in mind. Because it kinda makes me sad. Lol.

• Final Thoughts

Overall, it was alright. It was over-hyped by netizens due to the amazing casting and promotions, but it’s not bad at all.

Would I watch it again? No.

Would I recommend it? Yes. Give it a try! I honestly thought I wouldn’t like it but I still did, even if it took me 8 episodes, I wouldn’t say it wasn’t worth it. If you enjoy fantasy dramas with complicated twists and conflicts, this drama is for you. Just have patience and prepare yourself mentally when you’ve reached the middle. This drama is gloomy and a little heavy, too. It was serious and has a very few humorous scenes.

I am giving The King: Eternal Monarch a 7/10. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

• The King: Eternal Monarch OST Top 5

There are 13 songs in total and everything is so good! I wish I got to hear more of the songs in the drama, some were just played briefly. I swear every song makes me feel things. Choosing just 5 songs is really hard. If you don’t watch dramas but love music, give these a listen!!!

My Day Is Full Of You by Zico, Wendy

Orbit by Hwasa

I Fall In Love by Ha Sungwoon

I Just Want To Stay With You by Zion.T

Please Don’t Cry by Davichi

Now I’ll move on to some of my “issues”. This section isn’t really what you think. The word “issues” is just intriguing ㅋㅋㅋ but this is just a compilation of my opinions, observations, feelings and other stuff no one might care about in the series. If you have answers for my questions or if you can explain it for me, please enlighten me. Major spoiler ahead!!!

• Issues

1. During the time when Lee Gon was time traveling and finally got back to Repuplic of Korea, it probably took him a lot of time, right? He even took his time to take care of Tae Eul in the hospital. I wish they also showed what was happening in Kingdom of Corea during that time because he’s a king and his absence might have caused a ruckus in his kingdom. I can even picture the palace lady Noh getting really worried as Lee Gon travels. The moment he came back, they only gave him updates as if everything was okay.

But since they didn’t show it, I guess it is safe to assume that nothing much happened in his kingdom back then. 🤷‍♀️

2. When Gon and Tae Eul met again in Gwanghwamun, why did Tae Eul hug him? In my understanding, at that period of time, Tae Eul only met him twice—once when she was 5 and once when she was 27. So why did she hug him suddenly as if she knows he’s going to be a significant person in her life? Their dialogue when they met again when she was 27 wasn’t even enough for her to act that way.

3. I hope they also gave Nari more lines and importance. Maybe it’s just me, but at first, I thought she and her KOC counterpart would have more significant roles. When I think of it, even without her, the story could still go on. Though this is just a minor issue. ✌

4. Prime Minister Koo. She was a villain, but I didn’t really hate her until the last 4-5 episodes (can’t recall the exact episode, sorry), though I wouldn’t say I hated her so much. I actually liked her at first! She’s ambitious, fierce, independent and intelligent. She just got blinded by greed.

My issue here is, am I really supposed to feel like that? In my opinion, her character has the potential to become more heinous and despiteful. I was wondering why they didn’t turn her into someone like that? She was just greedy, bitchy, a little sly and annoying.

5. Lee Gon’s and Tae Eul’s love for each other was a little shallow. Sure, the man who saved Lee Gon when he was a child, had Tae Eul’s ID. But how sure was Lee Gon that the woman who owns the I.D. is not a villain? The woman in the ID could lead him to the man who saved him, yes, but it still bugs me how easily they fell in love especially on Lee Gon’s part. Maybe I’m just thinking too much. I am sorry. 😅

In spite of that, I still liked their love progression. I didn’t ship them that hard but their chemistry wasn’t cringey and forced.

6. The scene where Lee Gon gave Tae Eul flowers and then left, was a little confusing. It didn’t break my heart, too. I just felt a little sad while watching that scene because Kim Go Eun’s acting was good.

7. Who the f is thay yoyo boy??? My guts tell me he’s a part of the flute or something because he knows a lot. But I wish it was explained more. It looked weird how he just suddenly appears sometimes and suddenly talks some sense. He remains a mystery.

8. Why the f is Jeong Tae Eul a flat earther??? Well, at least she had a character development in the end. It just annoyed me lmao

9. I don’t get why people keep comparing The King: Eternal Monarch to Goblin. Why??? They don’t even have the same plot or concept.

10. Court lady Noh was from Republic of Korea… What? Was that necessary?

Don’t mind me. Don’t mind me. Don’t mind me.

Anyway I hate how tumblr wasn’t able to save my draft when I was writing additional content. I lost half of it and it makes me furious!!! I had to redo the draft but I can no longer remember some of the things I wrote. I am sad because I lost something that can’t be brought back again. This experience earned me a lesson.

That’s it for my first review. What are your thoughts? I am a horrible reviewer, I know, but I will do better in the future. Thank you for reading!!!

kdramaanalyst

MY K-DRAMA CRITEREA

THE 56TH BAEKSANG ARTS AWARDS JUST HAPPENED RECENTLY. DID YOUR FAVE ACTORS AND ACTRESSES, DRAMAS WIN? WERE YOU SATISFIED WITH THE RESULTS?

AND SO, I AM WRITING MY OWN CRITERIA FOR JUDGING A K-DRAMA AS MY FIRST BLOG. LIKE I SAID, THIS IS MY OWN CRITERIA. I AM NOT AN EXPERT, I JUST LOVE SHARING MY THOUGHTS. IF YOU HAPPEN TO DISAGREE WITH MY OPINIONS, YOU MAY EXPRESS IT COURTEOUSLY AND MAYBE WE CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT IT.

LET’S GO!!!

A GOOD K-DRAMA KEEPS ME GOING

A good drama for me is one that keeps me wanting to watch the next episode. If a drama keeps me curious about what’s going to happen next, keeps me thirsting for more episodes, and makes me look forward to the rest of the story, then, it is interesting enough to keep me watching and see how it progresses. As a viewer who enjoys binge watching, dramas that keep me going is what I enjoy most.

A GOOD K-DRAMA MUST HAVE CONSISTENCY

A story may have an impactful start, but, sometimes the excitement would gradually fall down the slope. That is one of the most disappointing things that could happen when watching a drama. Personally, I would feel betrayed upon encountering ones like this. I don’t like getting my hopes up only to end up downhearted.

There are also ones that are boring at first and seems like it’s not worth your time but would eventually become intriguing and would turn out to be pretty good. This kind of dramas is better than the one I first mentioned. However, they will never end up in my list of faves because the time I spent watching the beginning went to trash especially if it took half the time to get interesting. Worst case scenario, I would never reach the good part because I might have dropped it already.

Good ones, for me, are those that consistently feed the viewers with the same (if not more) energy as it did during the first time it caught the viewers'attention.

A GOOD K-DRAMA HAS A STEADY PACING

Korean dramas are typically fast paced because of having only an average of 16 to 20 episodes for short length ones in general. But some dramas are extra fast that you become exhausted after watching just one episode. I don’t know if it’s just me but I don’t like it when there’s so much complications going on in one episode just for the sake of making it seem “different” from other dramas.

A drama with a slow pacing is not any better as it makes me skip some dialogues and scenes that I find unnecessary or worse, I drop it.

Pacing is important for me because it helps me understand the situations in a drama better. Having a steady pacing, for some reason, avoids creating more questions and confusions. That way, I get to enjoy and focus more on the story.

A GOOD K-DRAMA HAS A DELIGHTFUL STORY TELLING

I am not a film major or anything related so I might lack some knowledge about the terminologies. Feel free to correct me and enlighten me if I write wrong stuff mainly on this part. Nevertheless, I will try my best to explain my thoughts.

Rather than watching because of the main storyline, I stick to a k-drama based on how a story is told. Why? Because there are k-dramas that don’t really have a strong storyline or plot but are still remarkable. Take Hospital Playlist and Reply 1988 for instance where there were no clear goal, no villains, and no in-depth conflicts. If a friend asks me to tell him/her what’s the plot of any of the series that I mentioned, he/she might think that it’s boring and will probably end up not watching it. He/she will miss the opportunity to watch a high quality drama because of focusing too much on the plot. (Seriously, I enjoyed these dramas so much).

While storyline is important for story build up, story telling is superior. My point here is that dramas, for me, don’t really need an extra complicated plot to get to the heart of the viewers. Sometimes, as long as the essence of the drama is conveyed properly and it is enjoyed by many, then I can conclude that the drama is not ordinary.

A GOOD K-DRAMA HAS REMARKABLE CHARACTERS

I said “characters” and not “actors/actresses.” Watching a drama because of your favorite actor/actress or even a k-idol turned actor/actress is fine. Whatever your reasons are for watching a k-drama is acceptable because it’s for everyone! But, as an avid fan of these dramas, I focus more on how the characters are portrayed rather than who are portraying the characters. Though some actors and actresses have already proven themselves in this industry, I must admit that I don’t really care who stars in a drama as long as he or she does the job well. Of course I have my favorites, too. Lots of them, actually. But they rarely become the reason whenever a drama becomes my favorite. Rather, the actors/ actresses become my favorite because of the roles they play.

A GOOD K-DRAMA HAS SATISFACTORY ENDING

Need I explain more? As long as an ending makes sense and the conclusion is in line with everything, then there’s nothing to complain about. I would really love it if every significant character gets a separate ending, though. Everyone deserves their own ending or conclusion. Period. Unless a story is a cliffhanger, then maybe I won’t have a problem.

But let me tell you this, a bad ending of a drama would piss me off, without a doubt. Especially if it progressed well and I invested so much emotions in it.

I might forgive and forget when I get stabbed in the back, but never when a k-drama’s ending is butchered hideously. (Me: stares at a distance)

A GOOD K-DRAMA MOVES YOU

What I am talking about here is the overall feel after watching the entire series. This may sound really cliche but I really cherish those dramas that made me feel like I was included in their world or I was a part of it. Whenever I think about such dramas, it would always bring me back to the moments I loved the most and it would make me feel all the emotions all over again. Love, sadness, guilt, heartache, anger, solitude and all other sensations, they feel alive. The realizations and lessons they impart have changed me, too. I was moved.

I get attached to those type of dramas and for sure their impact would remain strong even after many years passes. Those dramas might have ended, but in my heart, the stories still go on. (Me: stares at a distance part 2)

BONUS❗❗❗

CHEMISTRY

I’m not just talking about romance dramas, chemistry could also be applicable in other genres. It could be the cast’s overall harmony. Something that’s not forced and is not awkward to watch.

OST

Don’t even get me started on how much of a sucker I am for K-Drama OSTs!!! I am actually contemplating whether to put this in the bonus or in the main criteria. Lol.

OSTs capture the scences perfectly, they make the moments better. Be it a song, an instrumental or even just a sound effect (not an ost but I still appreciate them). The display of emotions in a scene, when accompanied by right music, makes a really great impact.

(might make a list of my fave OSTs soon so stay tuned for that!)

DETAILS

The perfect location, the lighting, the costume, the cinematography, everything! Some may not care about these stuff but these are vital and powerful tools in any kind of film or drama. For example, the character’s clothes and accessories help viewers get a grasp of the image they portray. Another is the tone or accent of their voice which is essential if a character is from a certain region.

Minor details should not be overlooked. They may not be noticeable but they make a good contribution to the entire drama.

THAT’S ALL!!! OR MAYBE NOT. FOR SURE, I HAVE OMITTED A CRITERION OR TWO BECAUSE I CAN BE A FORGETFUL POTATO SOMETIMES. BUT FOR NOW, THIS IS ALL. THANKS FOR READING!!!

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

Your K-Drama Analyst