THE SHORT VERDICT:
Less slick and less stylish than the first season, this second season is grittier, darker and way bloodier.
While I missed the finesse of Season 1, Season 2 did give us more meat in terms of character development and team & relationship dynamics.
The episode-to-episode crimes generally also showed more complexity compared to those in Season 1.
Most importantly, Season 2 gave us more time with our favorite vampire prosecutor – and who can argue with that?
THE SHORT VERDICT:
A stylish, light, polished sequel to I Need Romance.
Although it’s hyped as a more realistic picture of modern-day dating and romance, the show managed to make its world romanticized in its own way.
I liked this more than the original series, but in the end, it still left me a little cold.
THE SHORT VERDICT:
More engaging and interesting in the first half than the second half.
The writing got somewhat haphazard in the second half and I found it hard to stay engaged with the characters.
Worth checking out if you’re a fan of Uhm Tae Woong, Lee Joon Hyuk &/or Lee Hyun Woo, who deliver strong performances. Just don’t always expect the story to make complete sense.
THE SHORT VERDICT:
I Do, I Do is a show that seems to divide people. Most people say it’s too slow and boring, but there is also a fairly strong fan-base that loves it to bits.
I started on it feeling it was slow and that the chemistry between the leads wasn’t great, but somewhere along the way, I came around, and I actually enjoyed it fairly well.
Not fantastic, but not all bad. Continue reading
THE SHORT VERDICT:
This drama had a somewhat raw, rough-around-the-edges sort of feel to it, which gave it a sense of realism.
Several plot-lines felt under-developed, which made the show feel a bit off-kilter, but some great characters and a couple of meaningful plot-lines which did get nicely fleshed out made this unassuming little show one that I enjoyed quite a lot more than I thought I would.
The characters snuck up on me and made me start to care about them, which is always a plus in my books.
A character piece with songs.
Celebrate with me! This is a double first for me: my first Year-In-Review, AND, my first guest post too! 😀
This guest post is especially close to my heart because how it came about is actually the origin story of this blog.
THE ORIGIN STORY
Up to about 2 months ago, I had been a persistent lurker in the kdrama-verse.
For most of my six kdrama-watching years, I visited lots of blogs regularly and kept up with the k-entertainment news and lapped up other people’s views and reviews, but I almost never commented on anything.
Once in a long while, I would leave a comment somewhere, but mostly only if I had something that I was just burning to say.
I’m an introvert at heart, though most people who know me in real life wouldn’t guess it, and this was my inner introvert acting out.
THE SHORT VERDICT:
This was bad. As much as Dream High was DA BOMB, this was simply, A BOMB.
Dream High 2 was comprised of a lackluster script, poorly drawn characters, a cast who could manage only very, very average acting, and random musical numbers which went on.. & on.. & on..
The only bright(ish) spot was Jung Jin Woon, who ironically delivered a better performance than the only actor-actor of the bunch, Kang So Ra.
A very strong contender for worst drama I have ever seen. And I have seen a LOT of dramas.
THE SHORT VERDICT:
Lee Dong Wook is cute and Lee Si Young is natural and likable, and we get some nice bickering romance between them. One of the sub-plots (popularly known as the Robot Couple) is also pretty adorable.
BUT. The writing is weak – sometimes spectacularly so – and that shows up more and more as the show progresses.
A few bright spots, but rather disappointing overall.
Continue reading
THE SHORT VERDICT:
You might like this if you’ve read the manga &/or seen the other versions and already know the story, plus you don’t mind a drama that’s trying to be both a manga and a regular kdrama at the same time and therefore seems to have a split personality.
Acting is mostly average and random plot points are plenty, but the writers do give quite a fair amount of couple moments as fanservice.
I loved the Japanese version, which helped me to make sense of this version, and I ended up enjoying this more than I thought I would.
This has a niche fanbase. Very, very niche. It just depends on whether you’re in, or you’re out.
Continue reading
THE SHORT VERDICT:
A sincere, heartfelt drama populated with characters who feel familiar, complex and real.
Even if you didn’t grow up in the 90s, and even if you have no prior knowledge of the popular idols of that era, you’re likely to still find a lot to enjoy in this drama.
A small drama with a lot of heart.