In case you missed it, we have yet another guest post series to enjoy, this month!

Unlike our previous guest post series, this one was kind of an accident, almost. I have Ele to thank for this one, because it was her innocent question about something, that made me casually talk about the off-the-top-of-my-head, hypothetical possibility of a guest post series on love, in the month of February, in honor of Valentine’s Day.

So many folks on Patreon responded enthusiastically to this idea, that I felt that it would be remiss of me, not to actually make it happen, come February.

And so, here we are. This month, we will enjoy a total of nine guest posts from patrons on Patreon, on the topic of love stories. The brief is pretty flexible, in that, each writer is free to go deep, or go wide, on anything around the topic of love stories in Dramaland. I feel like we have a lot to look forward to, this month! 🥰

You can check out our earlier posts in the series as follows: Uyen, Jaco_4950, Kate & Ele.

Today’s post is brought to you by Sean, who continues to bend time and space, to bring us his thoughts on this month’s love theme in dramas! I have no idea how Sean managed to keep living his very busy life, and keep watching all his dramas, and write this post on top of it all, but I’m sure glad he did, because it’s great. 🤩

You might also like to visit Sean’s blog, where he writes about management and leadership.

I hope you guys enjoy!

KFG ❤️

Love Makes the World Go Round

According to my drama viewing record, I have watched 398 dramas out of an unmentionable number of KDramas, CDramas, Jdoramas and others, that are about love, romance or a love-based theme.

Of course, the challenge with this post, is rising to the task set by kfangurl: a guest post focusing on favourite love stories, in honour of Valentine’s Day. So, with task in hand, I set out to compile a post based on the fabulously delicious broad criteria, “You’d be free to interpret the love theme according to what resonates with you.”

Now, this is not an easy subject, by any stretch of the imagination, for someone like me, because it means dealing with the gooey marshmallow insides of my personality. Not only that, I like a wide range of romantic dramas, from the super cute (eg Cdrama Sweet Teeth) to the deep and emotional heart rendering “burn me on the funeral pyre when I die.”

However, I thought I could at least write about some well-loved shows in other countries that I like (or sort of like) and compare these with the “corresponding” show in kdramaland, recognising that the connection might be very tenuous at best. 😂

Those “Love” Things That Really Irritate Me

Straight up I am going to say those things that really irritate me regarding love-imbued dramas – love triangles, one sided love, frowning CEOs (generally) and sometimes, either party not turning up to a date because they get the jitters, or think less of themselves.

This means that many shows for me end up marooned as part of the “Bermuda Triangle of what was the point of that show!” 😜

Love On a Boat or An Island

Despite suffering from sea sickness each time I think about getting on board a boat or a ship, I thoroughly relish everything nautical, love at sea included.

The Love Boat

So, without a doubt, The Love Boat was an iconic series (even if it was an Aaron Spelling production – okay, I liked Charmed too) that many watched, and a show that helped encourage the world to go on more cruises.

Despite its love-based theme each week, I really enjoyed the friendship the cast had, and the pearls of romantic wisdom they dispensed to the guests along the way on each of its 250 cruises – even if they were hopeless at taking their own advice. 🤣 🛳 ❤️

Hospital Ship

I enjoyed this drama (though many didn’t), a love boat of sorts – well, there are medical ship doctors, and the ship cruised around the islands dispensing medical advice and treatments, along with carrying out surgeries and also dental work.

We have Empress Ki herself – Ha Ji Won – being the cold-hearted surgeon who is serving time out for a mistake instead of it being the male stereotype – hooray. 😊 Her counterpart and eventual love interest is the very warm internal medical specialist: Kang Min Hyuk.

It would have been classified as a noona romance, but for the fact that the doctors are in their “thirties” who were more concerned, supposedly, about their profession, and providing the best of care.

Hospital Ship is not for everyone. And to be honest, it’s the sort of show the Japanese do much better. In fact, it suffered from viewers expecting it to be more than it is. Comments were made at the time regarding the ship and the poor state of its medical equipment.

However, from where I sat, show was quite the commentary on a very real problem. If you have ever lived in small and very remote communities (like I have), where medical facilities are quite basic, if at all, that’s exactly how it is. However, you will always be given care on a much more personal level.

The takeaway from this romance: a warm heart over a long period of time will always melt a block of ice. ❤️🥶

Stirring Rebellions or Rebellious Hearts

Poldark (2015 Version)

Where would we be without the windswept and tortured souls of Captain Ross Poldark and Demelza in this visual and romantic marvel. It was an absolute, delicious, treat.

I did have quite the chuckle recently when I saw comments by The Hollywood Reporter’s Keith Uhlich regarding Poldark. In short, he made positive comparisons to the kind of romance novels sold in airports. He said, “This is trash done ecstatically well.”

Of course, there are many people I know who would disagree with his tongue-in-cheek assessment. 😂 That being said, I also enjoyed the original series, and of course the novels. Ross and Demelza live on forever. 😊

Mr Sunshine

In Mr Sunshine, we have that tortured, heroic army hero Eugene Choi, who, like Ross Poldark, supported the local population by lifting up the downtrodden and giving them hope. This story is told from the point of view of epic events, and love won and lost. I found Eugene and Go Ae Shin to be an eternal love for the ages.

Mr Sunshine was also a visual masterpiece, and I held on to very minute the OTP shared on the screen. From where I sat, Lee Byung Hun and Kim Tae Ri nailed their roles (and, just so you know, KTR is awesome in Space Sweepers to boot – a really good SK space operatic sci-fi movie).

Did you notice I didn’t mention Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo? With this Kdrama adaptation of the various CDramas and novel, I could only give it 5/10. I can hear the gnashing of teeth right now. But you know, kfangurl only gave it a C+. 😝

Slow-Burn Romance – Medical Themes

Yep, I am a sucker for a good medical drama that has a bit of the slow-burn romance thrown in.

Virgin River

I admit I have a love-hate relationship with this show. Many watchers initially grizzled that the show is not like the books. I wouldn’t know as I haven’t read them, but I am almost tempted to.

What we have is a nurse practitioner called Mel, who is also an experienced midwife, and who ends up relocating to the remote Northern Californian town of Virgin River. In essence, this story is about “heal thyself first” and then taking life head-on from there.

Mel falls in love with the local bar owner, Martin, who is a former marine with PTSD. She also works for Doc Mullins, a hard task master who is not very forgiving and has his own complicated relationship with the town’s mayor (Annette O’Toole).

Virgin River doesn’t take the easy way out regarding how it deals with relationships. Doc Martin is more my type of show – where Doc is grumpy, socially inept, but brilliant, and a surgeon with a blood phobia to boot. Also, this show successfully broke the hoodoo re main characters getting married ruining a show.

Dr. Romantic (Teacher Kim)

I absolutely adored everything about Dr. Romantic. The characters are interesting and amazing, and some of them give a new appreciation to what a slow-burn romance means.

Seo Hyun Jin is a personal favourite, and I have said this about her before – the screen absolutely loves her. When she smiles, the rest fades to black. Some of the most breathtaking moments are between Yoon Seo Jung and Kang Dong Joo (Yoo Yeon Sook – who is a wonderful actor – Oh, look, he was in Mr Sunshine too).

I haven’t watched DR 2, despite the cast containing some personal favourites, and there is certainly plenty of very positive viewer feedback out there. I think I will keep it that way. Our beloved Dr Kim said:

“Living life means going down new roads everyday. It means facing the realities that come at you everyday, whether you want to or not.”

In case you didn’t know, it looks like season three of Doctor Romantic is on its way. ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

The Supernatural, Interspecies Romance and Zombies

The supernatural, interspecies romance and zombies abound in kdramaland, as it does in other dramalands too. Where would we be without ghosts, vampires and zombies of all sorts?

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Well, I think some of us already know that there are a reasonable number of Buffy watchers that visit The Fangirl Verdict. 😉 As for me, yes I (we – wifey is a big fan) loved Buffy.

Buffy and Angel are immortalised in vampire lore where destiny plays a big part in their relationship. Despite the way Buffy ended, it generated appropriate spin-offs and helped consolidate acting, producing and directing careers.

In case you were wondering, the ladies in my household also like Supernatural.

Blood

From the writer of Vincenzo (and The Fiery Priest, Good Manager, God’s Quiz), comes this 2015 Kdrama about a doctor who is also a vampire.

Show stars Ahn Jae Hyun (My Love From Another Star and The Beauty Inside) and Gu Hye Seon, who were married at the time. It is the kind of show where you will either “love it, or hate it” (that could be the name of a kfangurl quiz show).

On a side note, GHS is also a talented director and screen writer – and as for other shows she was in, I won’t mention Boys Over Flowers.

So, Blood is a good vampire vs bad vampire show, and just to let you know – the romance in this show will not go the way one might expect.

Overall, Show deals with vampires being infected with a virus rather than by a sire, so it is possible for the vampirism to be cured and our heroic vampire surgeon is dedicated to this course of action. Meanwhile, he tries to keep his love interest on the down low re who he really is.

Why my interest in Blood? That’s easy – I am a sucker for “will she, or won’t she” find out about who he really is (a theme in so many vampire shows – well, it used to be).

Show also stars Ji Jin Hee (and Kim Gab Soo – always good for a dodgy type), where we get a glimpse of what is to come in future shows, with him playing a two-faced role as the power dominating hospital chief. I can guarantee you will hate him, that is for sure! 🧛‍♀️🧛🧛‍♂️

Z Nation

Hands down, the funniest, quirkiest show regarding zombies out there, apart from Zombie Detective.

Where else will you see a giant wheel of cheese wipe out zombie hordes, and zombies moving around at a million miles an hour hyped up on speed?

Of course, the romance in this show is bizarre too, as we see long distance romances, a zombie overlord who is a romantic at heart due to his human side, and a loving and caring group of friends, in which you hope for the best regarding these characters.

Zombie Detective

I thoroughly enjoyed the relationship between Choi Jin Hyuk and Park Joo Hyun in Zombie Detective. They have an intriguing relationship and, okay, Show is not a romance as such, but there are moments where it could have been.

Show is very much about how both Moo Young and Seong Ji turn from enemies to not being able to exist without each other. It is also quite humorous – in particular I enjoyed the so-called fantasy or potential movie sequences. 🧟

The Ghost and Mrs Muir

Oh look, another seaside romantic story. Hmmm, I am now starting to understand a little bit more about myself.

The Ghost and Mrs Muir is an immortal novel, film and tv show. It is something that both my parents watched back in the day, which I thought was very interesting (especially re my dad!).

In short, the romantic tension between a 19^th century seafaring ghost (Edward Mulhare – Knight Rider anyone?) and a 20^th century career woman (Hope Lang) enables them to compromise and overcome their differences.

Hope Lang was also in A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 – which Linda wanted to go and see, and we did, but I laughed my way through it, and she shushed me and thumped me endlessly throughout the movie. Anyway, my eyes were watering, because I laughed that much. 🤣 👻

Catch the Ghost

This is a romantic investigative drama set in a police station in a South Korean subway. So, that alone made it interesting.

What we have, like in the Ghost and Mrs Muir, a difference in opinion on how to lead one’s life – quietly, with no fuss, versus a love interest who gatecrashes the party.

Show is a case of the week sort of thing, with an underlying mystery regarding a so-called ghost that is woven throughout its run.

Our two leads are very good together. We have Kim Seon Ho as the subway station chief who wants to stay out of trouble and lead a quiet life, and his newest team member, the critically acclaimed Moon Geun Young (known as “the nation’s little sister”), whose character has other ideas.

It wasn’t a 10 for me, but it could have been.

Another theme, I suppose, are cop shows and private detective shows with romantic overtones, and there are plenty of those in every country around the globe. So, I guess, Zombie Detective and Catch the Ghost cover these important story sources as well.

On a separate note, should I have included Master’s Son in my discussions regarding ghosts – yes, but you will be able to find it and watch it. It’s a Hong Sisters production that stars So Ji Sub and Gong Hyo Jin. I thought they were awesome together.

Then there is Jang Na Ra’s Sell Your Haunted House, The Beauty Inside and the list goes on…

Mental Health

There are a number of shows such as Its Okay To Not Be Okay, which is a personal favourite personified. Then there is of course the very recent Mad for Each Other. Just pure awesomeness and a great relationship. And just so you know, I did enjoy Kill Me Heal Me, and as those who participated in the group watch know – the Devil Judge Ji Sung puts in a stellar performance.

It’s Okay, That’s Love

Leslie mentioned this delightful drama in her recent guest post.

Here we have a show that does revolve around the theme of mental health in a very positive way. Kfangurl describes Its Okay, That’s Love as a show that “serves up an oddball-flavored 3-in-1 love package exploring romance, friendship and family, with a big dose of dysfunction and dramaland psychiatry on the side.”

Jo In Sung as Jang Jae Yeol is superb. He is a famed fiction writer, and has OCD, and a painful past. Ji Hae Soo is a psychiatrist, who made it as a practitioner against the odds and is, just let us say, very disorganised.

Show outperforms many other Kdramas and Cdramas regarding stories based on mental health and relationships, and our leads not only take the cake, they actually steal it. 🎂🍰🧁

To my mind, Gong Hyo Jin is so good in this drama, that you don’t even realise it’s her. I think she is very versatile – if you ever watch her in darker roles (some of her movies), you know she can really put on a very different performance. I am looking forward to her new show starring alongside Park Ha Sun: Queen of the Scene.

Have I ever come across an equivalent “Western/European” drama? Not really, but plenty of movies though. I watched bits and pieces of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, a show about a young lawyer who takes life lessons from rom-coms and musicals 😱, but I have never felt compelled to go back to it.

Ordinary Guy and The Jaw Dropping Beauty

I grew up in an environment where you can be who you want to be and do what you want to do. That doesn’t mean there are those who won’t judge you, because there most certainly are. Respect is also very important. We just show it very differently to most other cultures. 😉

The Baker and the Beauty

This was originally an Israeli show (which I haven’t watched yet), but I totally adored the American remake.

This is a modern romance and it is about two people from different worlds, but not how they see the world. They enjoy each others company despite the very different circles they move and work in.

She is the brand–supermodel and movie star and he is the hard working baker in his mum and dad’s bakery.

He knows a lot about life, has no airs and graces and is very warm and welcoming. She is a delight too – very concerned for those around her and very savvy business-wise. Sadly, it was cancelled after one season.

I guess I will have to track down the Israeli original now (Seasons 1, 2 and 3) and perhaps the Indian adaptation! There’s also a Dutch version. 😜

That Fool (The Accidental Couple)

I truly liked this drama. It is about a fake marriage based on a contract relationship, which does have a partial love triangle in there.

It stars Hwang Jung Min (who is more of a film actor and stage actor, and very popular) and Kim Ah Joong (who does have a Grand Bell Award for best actress).

Accidental Couple is a romantic comedy that is a character driven show, is heart warming and very easy to binge watch.

In short, we get to see how a famous actress with a jerk boyfriend ends up in a relationship with a very ordinary guy.

This type of relationship wouldn’t seem a typical one in South Korea, but despite the glitz and glamour, something that is not all that unusual in Hollywood.

And yes, I just love when the unassuming guy gets the girl. ❤️❤️❤️

Veterinarians

Just like those shows about bodyguards, I also like shows about vets. Well, I like animals full stop, and so seeing them being cared for is something that resonates very strongly with me.

All Creatures Great and Small (Both Original and the Remake)

In itself, the stories regarding James Herriot (Alf Wright) are literary gems based on his real-life veterinarian exploits.

When they made the original series of All Creatures Great and Small, it was, quite simply, outstanding and extremely popular. Not only that, since 2020, they have made a remake that is faithful not only to the original series, but the books themselves.

It is one hell of a classy production. In short, James is a vet who is very keen on farmer Helen who happens to spy him one morning going for a swim naked in the local natural pool and won’t let him forget it. The story rolls on delightfully from there.

Noble, My Love

In this rom-com, Kim Jae Kyung (aka Veronica Park from The Secret Life of My Secretary) is paid by a conceited CEO (Sung Hoon) to be his girlfriend so that he can avoid blind dates – shock, horror, gasp I hear you say. 😱

So, the overbearing CEO is played by Sung Hoon (Five Enough and I Picked Up a Star on the Road), who ends buying our delightful vet a veterinary practice as a thank you for saving him from kidnappers. So, yes they are sugar-and-spice characters, and it’s cheesy, but if you don’t have the time to watch some of those longer dramas, sit down, be comfortable and just enjoy.

Confession time – I dropped Secret Life after 17 minutes. However, don’t panic re my decision, because kfangurl said she gave show a second chance – everyone loves Veronica Park!

Then there is Kill It with Nana as a former ballerina turned detective and Jang Ki Jong – a vet who is also an assassin! Show was a superb actioner and the ML Kim Jong, just so you know, recently starred in My Roommate is a Gumiho.

Time Travel

My fascination with time travel can be attributed to some iconic shows: Doctor Who, Catweezle and The Time Tunnel, along with the novel: A Wrinkle in Time (notice how I haven’t mentioned the movie?).

Lontano da te (Away From You)

This is a superb Italian-Spanish production.

Candela is a disorganised Spanish flamenco dancer who owns a dance studio, whereas Massimo is a young, super-organised businessman from Rome.

So we have two polar-opposites whose lives are changed by a spell, after bumping into each other in an airport. The hijinks continue once they are back living in their respective countries. One will materialise in the life of the other in some very surprising and ill-timed circumstances, without a rational explanation.

I think you can picture some of these. Sometimes what they experience with each other seems like a dream. Other times it appears to be in the past or present day. What we find though, is that, along the way, they do get to know each other and start to help each other through some very difficult times – becoming closer in the process.

Queen In Hyun’s Man

What more can I say that hasn’t already been said about this breathtaking romance?

With Queen In Hyun’s Man we get to see the scholar Kim Boong Do, who supports Queen In Hyun, travel 300 years into the future to modern Seoul and meets Choi Hee Jin, an actress who is expecting a career renaissance through her role as Queen In Hyun in a TV drama. Boong Do is also able to travel back in time due to his talisman, and as a result starts to change history.

Yoo In Na is an absolute delight and her closing scenes re her narration of the historical documentary on Queen In Hyun, were superb. Oh, and how they made us wait for that final scene was so well done. Interestingly, in real life, Yoo In Na has gone on to narrate historical documentaries.

Special Mention – Tomorrow With You

This is a show that deals with issues in a “grown-up” way, which also gives us an inkling of what Shin Min Ah is planning, career wise.

Tomorrow With You revolves around a time traveller, Yoo So Joon (Lee Je Hoon) and his wife Song Ma Rin (Shin Min Ah). In short, they get married to avoid a catastrophe in the future, but they end up falling in love with each other, despite their trust issues and many challenges.

Psst Double Special mention – Take a Peek at Reset

The show of the moment for me is the brilliant CDrama: Reset. A big thank you to phl1rxd for confirming this is a must-watch.

Quite simply it is a brilliant story with fabulous acting – and you will be yelling at the screen! Also, the young couple are a delight. You will enjoy the time they have together to solve the time loop they are in. In fact, kfangurl has started covering Reset over on Patreon.

I was amused by a watcher’s recent comments when they said, if a Korean remake was made of this terrific show, they would have to throw in a love triangle and ruin it.

I laughed out loud, because you and I both know there is a very good chance this would happen, or at least there would be some sort of love angle and possibly one that is slightly creepy or “squicky” as kfangurl might say (here’s looking at you Alice!!!). 😎

Workplace Romance

As we know, there are many, many dramas that deal with workplace romances. The challenge for me is finding one that resonates.

I am not a fan, generally, of the cranky, cold, entitled CEO or executive. However, there are those shows where the CEO leads a secret life, which I quite like, eg Introverted Boss.

What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim

Park Min Young plays the role of Secretary Kim, an executive officer (chief secretary) that every CEO would kill for.

This is a superbly acted show and explores what happens when Chief Park decides to resign and the Vice President tries to get to the bottom of the reasons why – after all, doesn’t the world revolve around him?

What unfolds is proof that when two people are honest with each other without having any secrets, the things between them will work out. We see their relationship get stronger with each episode.

I liked that issues were not drawn out and not only that, Lee Young Joon’s parents are supportive instead of interfering. Then there are those ooh la la moments and of course our OTP’s chemistry was perfect. Show really upped the ante in this respect. 😱

I think Park Min Young is wonderful and she seems to be powering through some very good drama choices, after a couple of iffy ones a little while back (but I enjoyed). Anyway, Healer fixed any doubts.

Political Romances

So where did my interest in politics start? Well, one of my earliest memories was The Governor and JJ, a Golden Globe winning comedy that only lasted two seasons. I loved that show.

It was very clever, a high level commentary on politics, although some criticised it for not being bold enough.

The West Wing

Donna and Josh perhaps had one of the longest drawn out romances in drama history.

Set amongst the machinations of the White House, they finally get themselves sorted, in the eighth and final series of this wonderful Aaron Sorkin drama. In a nutshell, we have two very clever and intelligent people who dance around their relationship, which everyone else in the Oval Office seems to be aware of.

Linda is rewatching West Wing for the third time (along with our youngest), and I am catching up with it from time to time as I tend to get drawn back in. I thought “she who must be obeyed” might have had enough of politics in her life regarding what I did (and sometimes still do).

Chief of Staff 1 and 2

I think some of you know that I rate CoS 1 and 2 very highly and it isn’t a romance at all, but what it does is highlight the difficulty high-profile people experience in relationships, and not just because the public might have something to say about it.

Shin Min Ah does it yet again – a performance that shows she is an actress of some note. Although she was fabulous in Hometown Cha Cha Cha, we get to see in Chief of Staff an actress playing a substantial and very mature role. Her future dramas tend to paint a similar picture.

Also, I was really pleased to see Lee Elijah get to play a very good role. She is very underrated as an actress. So, what is it that I liked about this show, and season 2 in particular? In short, the OTP rebuilt their relationship over a long period of time in a very considered way (hint: they are politicians that know how to play the long game). In fact, they are, in my view, a couple for the ages.

Spies Next Door!

Yep, I’m just going to put it all on the line. I love anything spy and covert operations related. There are plenty of Kdramas and Cdramas about such activities.

I know Healer is a favourite with most, and I liked it a lot, but it is not my favourite re this genre. I think Beez might have something to say about this. 🤣

Chuck

So, when Chuck came along, I was, wow! Not only that, the whole family watched it. As such, this show was one of the few times I was allowed to take back and use the tv remote.

Chuck is an average computer wiz next door, selling electronics with two deadbeat sidekicks and ends up with America’s greatest spy secrets embedded in his brain.

The thing to note is that we know Kdramas cash in on product placement and using a sponsor’s product. Well, in Chuck we have the same re a certain fresh food eatery, with the spy base located within the store. As such, Chuck ends up being “handled” by top spy Sarah, and slowly turns into a more competent and willing spy. Chuck and Sarah bloom as a couple along the way.

Terius Behind Me (or My Secret Terrius)

Whereas Chuck doesn’t have a clue how to be a spy, our master spy Terius (So Ji Sub) is the consummate covert operative.

Terius goes into hiding after being blacklisted and moves in across from Go Ae Rin (Jung In Sung, who, after Circle has played main roles since – but I liked Naked Fireman better). So, our intrepid spy becomes the babysitter for Ae Rin. He has the most beautiful moments with Ae Rin’s children and through time we see the “family” become closer together.

In amongst caring for the family, Terius continues his spy activities. We also see Ae Rin develop in confidence, and become a fine spy herself, and in the end we have her wonderful character saving the elusive Terius. I loved the ending, and I think you will too.

Legal Dramas

Good legal shows are few and far between, and we have had a lot of them over the years. My favourites are The Practice, Boston Legal, Suits (the first five seasons), Silk, Goliath, and Touch Your Heart. I didn’t enjoy How to Get Away With Murder though – very disappointing (But the very loosely based Kdrama remake is very good).

 JAG

Oh boy – a legal drama and a naval one at that all rolled into one, along with, “will they or won’t they get together.”

Commander (then Captain) Harmon ‘Harm’ Rabb Jr. is a strong but sensitive naval aviator-turned-lawyer. He has a dry sense of humour and is prone to dispensing “righteous” violence on occasion.

Harm meets his match in season two in the form of Sarah ‘Mac’ Mackenzie, a Major (later Colonel) in the Marines. She has a troubled history that includes neglectful parents, teenage alcoholism, and a stint in a high-end law firm.

Overall JAG is well made and it was both fun and serious. Both leads are, despite being adversaries, great friends which transpired into something more.

Touch Your Heart

In Touch Your Heart, true love is the answer in the cutest way possible.

We have our “PiChi” couple back together with Lee Dong Wook playing a very straight-laced lawyer in Kwon Jung Rok who suddenly gets Oh Yoon Seo (Yoo In Na) parachuted in as his assistant.

Yoon Seo joins the law firm in an effort to study for an up-and-coming Kdrama after a scandal. She is smart, resilient and shows initiative constantly – something that no one expected. She also likes the colour pink.

Despite his presumptions, Jung Rok is protective and kind and I like how he asks Yoon Seo to rewind their relationship and start again, each time he comes across as too austere. In short: proximity wins out in the end. 🤗❤️😊

Where Are the Sageuks and The Fusion Ones at That?

Most romantic sageuks tend to crash and burn for me, and the fusion sageuks leave a lot to be desired.

Of course, we all know about The Red Sleeve Cuff – which is awesome. 😂

However, I am going to mention The Princess’s Man (2011). As much as I enjoyed The Red Sleeve Cuff, I rate The Princess’s Man a little higher. I read a delightful review by Jeaniessi, on MDL where they said in part:

“The Princess’ Man is packed full of action and revenge, sword fighting and battles to the death! What I’m saying is…This drama isn’t just for women or those looking for a well told love story. If you are a person who prefers action, you need to know there is a perfect balance of badassery as well as a lovely and sweeping romance.”

I liked 100 Days My Prince, but not Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency. As for The Emperor: Owner of the Mask it was, hmmm, okayish.

So, There We Have It

So, there we have it, my tour through the different types of love-imbued themes along with some of the stories that appeal to me.

Love does make the world go round, because as we see from the raison d’être regarding so many dramas, we all need a bit of romance in our lives. If I had to choose an absolute favourite romantic drama of all time it would be … ❤️❤️❤️ 😁😁😁

~ Sean