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Wow, I’m ten months behind in this supposed “drama list” ??? LOL why did I even try? I should just accept the fact that I am no longer capable of maintaining this blog.
Just kidding! Of course… I still have to do this!
Here’s the many dramas I have watched for the past months I’ve been… away… and working (wew! you know, I’m employed *winks*… but can still watch ofc ofc #asiandramaislife)
NOTE: I’m not gonna include the plot anymore because it takes so much characters and effort. Also I don’t have much luxury of time to rephrase each of them (because we don’t tolerate copy-paste here). I mean I only get them from Wiki! Anyway…
FEBRUARY
Let’s Fight Ghost
Rating: ★★★★☆ | Moderate plot
Country: South Korea
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Romantic Comedy
No. of Episodes: 16
Thoughts: Watched this because of my number one bae, Kim So-hyun!!! This has been on my list since time immemorial but only decided to watch it this year and month. This is a breather from my usual high school drama (because I so dig this theme/genre) since it includes some uh, supernatural elements. Over-all, it was wrapped up nicely and the drama is such a good mix of different… flavors, be it horror, mystery, romance and comedy… I must say.
Finished Watching: February 02, 2019
Witch’s Love
Rating: ★★★☆☆
| Light plot
Country: South Korea
No. of Episodes:12
Genre: Romantic Comedy, Fantasy
Thoughts: I LITERALLY WATCHED THIS BECAUSE I SAW A CLIP ON FB AND THOUGHT THE LEAD ROLE GUY WAS CHANYEOL!!! #clown. It’s my first time to see Yoon So-Hee in a lead role. The last I saw her was in the Ruler: Master of the Mask. The drama is cute! I really ship the main actors!!! It’s kind of confusing in the middle but soon, you’ll get a hang of it… or is it just me?
Finished Watching: February 07, 2019.
SKY Castle
Rating: ★★★★★
| Heavy plot
Country: South Korea
No. of Episodes: 20 + special
Genre: Satire, Drama, Black Comedy, Family, School
Thoughts: I HAVE NEVER SEEN A DRAMA THIS HEAVY??? Maybe it’s just me?? Coz this is the first time I shifted from the usual mood and age of the actors I watch??? I’ve only been seeing tweets about this drama during it’s airing that said “it’s a must-watch” and the like so I literally got curious and watched it. I don’t remember how exactly I felt during the earlier parts of the drama but I’m sure I never dropped it/delayed it until I was able to keep up with the weekly release of episodes. It’s a total page-turner if it is compared to a book. I really like how it was able to portray the side of education that most people with not-so-obsessed-with-merit-parents don’t understand; the manipulation, the strict competition and the emotional impact it brings to the family ganoin. I love how each family has their own issue and how it all got twisted together (I’m that obsessed with angst). It could really be just me because it’s my first time but I totes recommend!!!!!!
Finished Watching: February 11, 2019
On Your Wedding Day (Movie)
Rating: ★★
☆☆☆
| Light plot
Country: South Korea
Genre: Melodrama, Romance
Thoughts: Meh. Just kidding! I watched this during one of my night duties together with my workmate. She was actually the one who’s watching, naki-panood lang ako lol the plot really didn’t appeal to me… or because my attention wasn’t on it full time because I remember we stopped for a moment because I had to work hehe anyway, as someone who fancies… tragedies, it’s nice to see a drama which deviates from the usual happy ending of lead roles.
Finished Watching: February 20, 2019
MARCH
Hwayugi
Rating: ★★★★☆ | Moderate Plot
Country: South Korea
No. of Episodes: 20
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Comedy, Horror
Thoughts: I remember watching this because I was in the mood for a supernatural theme.This has been on my list since its release too but only found the mood to watch this month. It’s the right amount of every genre, I love how it turned out. I watched this alongside four other dramas hahaha la lung, just to put it out there.
I wasn’t able to note what date I exactly finished this though.
Romance is a Bonus Book
Rating: ★★★★☆ | Light plot
Country: South Korea
No. of Episodes: 16
Genre: Comedy, Romance, Life, Drama
Thoughts: Watched this when it’s on-going because it’s my number one oppa and nation’s boyfriend, LJS! I was actually surprised he was paired with a noona but ofc ofc, he was able to carry it. I was kilig the entire time! This is actually very close to my heart; aside from it being the last drama of LJS before enlisting, he was actually a Chief Editor!!! He’s really out there outdoing the man of my dreams by taking all roles/professions I like for my man and myself be it a journalist, a doctor, a lawyer/prosecutor and here, an editor. It’s actually not that deep? It focused on how one found love in the middle of career development and adulting. I really admire Jong Suk’s character here because he’s not the type to shove his feelings to the woman and respected whatever decisions she has.
Finished Watching: March 29, 2019
Cart (Movie)
Rating: ★★★★☆ | Moderate plot
Country: South Korea
Genre: Life, Drama, Family
Thoughts: This was just one of my ‘catching-up-with-EXO-dramas’ moment. Okay, I cried. The plot isn’t perfect but it’s super powerful, it was able to speak volumes. It’s not enough (for a movie) but it was able to talk about the struggle of the working class and was able to show the wicked side of employers and how the upper class together with the media and the government handle situations such as workers’ protest. Just a little eye-opener to those who can’t seem to understand this matter.
Finished Watching: March 29, 2019
JUNE
Criminal Minds
Rating: ★★★★☆ | Moderate plot
Country: South Korea
No. of Episodes: 20
Genre: Action, Mystery, Detective
Thoughts:
I was randomly watching tvN
via SKY Cable (yes free promo)
when I stumbled upon its episode 12. My mom joined me and we got hooked and curious, she asked me to search for the drama so we can watch it from the start. I think this was the first time that I watched an investigative drama. Not sure if Terius Behind Me and Strong Woman Bong Soon count so this was probably a first. Also, based on my little research, there are cases incorporated in the drama that actually happened in real life in Korea. I really love this!
Finished Watching: June 09, 2019
Her Private Life
Rating: ★★★★★
| Light plot
Country: South Korea
No. of Episodes: 16
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Thoughts: I HAVE NEVER RELATED TO A DRAMA SO BAD AS I DID HERE!!! Of course, it’s a fangirl’s story!!! This was a bit anticipated by stan twitter and I’m one of them. Watched this while it’s on-going. Although the fangirl life was put aside in the middle of the plot to give way for the romance, I was glad someone thought of making a drama out of a fangirl’s perspective. I must say, Deok Mi is one hell of a fangirl! I can only dream of being on her level. Of course, that’s understandable because her character is a masternim.
To conclude my thought on this drama in two words: SANA ALL!
Finished Watching: June 10, 2019
Put Your Head On My Shoulders
Rating: ★★★★☆ | Light plot
Country: China
No. of Episodes: 24
Genre: Youth, School, Romance, Comedy
Thoughts: My coming-of-age and high school romance fix! This was one of the many “Facebook made me watch this” because again, I saw a clip of this drama on FB and got curious so I watched it! Haha I seriously can make a list of this sort though. I was lucky to be able to catch it while it’s on-going hahaha so much for #TeamOnGoing. It’s cute, tamang kilig ba.
Finished Watching: June 21, 2019
It’s not a lot because I only watch whenever I’m off duty, whenever I get off from work or whenever I can squeeze it during work hours while waiting for blood work he he he
Some people ask how I manage watching this lot.
Answer: just watch a lot.
The past months, I realize I’ve been watching a minimum of five dramas at the same time. Since most of the dramas I watch are all on-going, it’s not that hard to watch all of them. I watch either which ever drama updates first or what I feel watching first. Actually, each drama has their own schedules naman… one drama I watch either updates on Wed/Thu, another Thu/Fri then one on Fri/Sat and so on kaya it’s really not that hard. It’s also the reason why I get to watch completed dramas because each episodes only run for maximum of 1 hour and 30 minutes so let’s say, 4 on-going dramas with 2 episode-updates wont really take a day for me to finish. Remember, we have seven days in a week! So while waiting for the on-going dramas to update, that’s when I watch the completed ones. I only mentally schedule my on-going and completed dramas so I can watch them all equally and just in time when I can still retain what happened on the last episode I left off. Pero there are also times when I like the completed drama so much, I finish it in two days. I stopped finishing dramas in 24hrs because I have commitment issues, ayoko yung iniiwan ako agad cHAROT HAHAHA ANUDAW
Anyway, ayun lang naman! Let’s see each other again for the other half of this year’s Drama List!
Here it is! My first ever blog post under my Asian Drama Blog Series. The following are the dramas I watched during the month of January 2019.
// Okay, I kinda felt the need to explain. Most of the dramas I watched this month are those of EXO Members’. As I’ve said in my 2018 Highlights, I only decided to officially spazz kpop recently and this is sorta part of it. I really wanted to watch most of the members (if not all) to somehow catch up to whatever I’ve missed when I still haven’t “stanning” as much as I can so I watched and am continually watching their dramas. //
SERIES
1) EXO NEXT DOOR
Rating: ★★★☆☆ | Light plot
No. of Episodes: 16
Running time: 15 minutes
Genre: Web Series, Comedy, Romance
Plot: 23-year-old Ji Yeon-hee is extremely shy and introverted with zero dating experience tends to blush like a tomato when talking to someone she likes. One day, four young men move into the house right next door to hers. Much to her surprise, they turn out to be Chanyeol, D.O., Baekhyun and Sehun from EXO, her favorite boy band who are trying to lay low for a while.
Thoughts: It’s like your typical boy band fanfiction that has been adapted to become a tv series. I don’t know if it’s because I watched so many dramas already or the fact that I grew up reading fanfictions or because I watched it few years after it’s hype that’s why I said this??? Had I watched this during its release, I would have been really stoked! (Probs because I’m much younger back then) But of course, I am not any less glad even though I watched it years late because it’s still like a dream come true of some sort to have seen your idols actually act as the characters in a plot that you have only been imagining or you have just read in a fan fiction. We’re talking about audio-visuals here lol.
This is actually the first drama where I saw Chanyeol, Baekhyun and Sehun act. I have watched Kyungsoo before in Pure Love and 100 Days My Prince (he’s also the main reason why I decided to finally look up and stan EXO lol) and it irks me a bit to see him do the second lead this time. Sehun was really funny here. Total maknae! I can never forget you, brotha. The series is actually short. I finished it in two nights alongside with another drama I was watching. You can totally finish this in one sitting!
Finished Watching On: January 09, 2019
2) THE UNIVERSE’S STAR
Rating: ★★★☆☆ | Moderate plot
No. of Episodes: 6 (MBC)
Running time: 30 minutes (MBC)
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Plot: Byul is a 19-year-old student who has been struggling to keep up with her job to guide dead souls to the afterworld as a Grim Reaper, learned that her favorite singer Woo Joo, is expected to die soon. She decided to save him as he is the only memory that she had in her previous life before she got into the accident which caused her life.
Thoughts: It’s a little refreshing for me because I haven’t came across a fantasy plot between an idol and a fan, more so a mystic entity in this case, for quite a while. Although it’s a bit predictable (perhaps for me since I’ve read a lot of fan fics/ teen fics and watched so many dramas already or it really is predictable), I still liked how it ended and also a bit sad over its bitter-sweet ending.
Finished Watching On: January 11, 2019
3) BE POSITIVE
Rating: ★★★☆☆ | Very Light plot
No. of Episodes: 6
Running time: 10 minutes
Genre: Web Series, Romantic comedy
Plot: Film major student Hwan-dong prepares for his graduation project as a movie director. He is facing a difficulty in finilizing the film due to lack of funding. Left with no choice, he asked Hye-jung, an actress of present time and alumna of his university who happened to be his ex-girlfriend to play the main role in his production.
Thoughts: It’s really light but it’s understandable since it’s only a web series/ promotional series. To be honest, I only watched it since Kyungsoo is the lead role. I think it’s the perfect drama which portrayed relationships that ended without proper closure. Can relate. I like to commend this because true to its mission to “send a message of support to the younger generation”, it actually showed how we must really own up our mistakes and be mature enough to talk any misunderstandings out. Kyungsoo was really cute here huhuhu. It’s super duper short! I mean it’s only an hour!!! I seriously finished this in one sitting.
Finished Watching On: January 12, 2019
4) STRONG GIRL BONG-SOON
Rating: ★★★
★
☆ | Moderate plot
No. of Episodes: 16 + 1 (Special)
Running time: 70 minutes
Genre: Fantasy, Thriller, Action, Romantic comedy
Plot: Born with superhuman strength, Do Bong-soon dreams of creating a video game with the main heroine as herself. Her strength is hereditary and passed along only to the women in her family. She is desperately trying her best to become a willowy and elegant woman to meet the ideal type of her long-term crush, In Guk-doo, a police officer. Due to her strength, she was scouted to be the bodyguard of Ahn Min-hyuk, a rich heir and the CEO of a gaming company who recently received anonymous threats, blackmails and a series of stalking.
One day, a series of kidnapping cases break in Dobong-dong, the district Bong-soon lives in. After her friend was targeted, she became determined to catch the culprit. As they try to find the suspect, the three found themselves in a love triangle.
Thoughts: What’s there to say aside from it being super good? It’s a mixture of suspense, romance and cuteness. The romance isn’t annoying at all. I really liked how the kidnapping case added so much spice to the plot and how after all the ruckus it all went down to family being your major strength.
Finished Watching On: January 18, 2019
5) TERIUS BEHIND ME
Rating: ★★★☆☆
| Moderate plot
No. of Episodes: 32
Running time:
35 minutes each / 2 episodes per day
Genre: Romantic-Comedy, Mystery
Plot: Go Ae-Rin suddenly loses her husband. A mysterious man, Kim Bon, lives next door. Kim Bon is a legendary NIS agent. He was involved in a failed secret operation wherein the woman he loved died three years ago. He has since become disconnected with the world and decided to live alone quietly. He helps his neighbor Go Ae-Rin uncover a conspiracy which her husband got involved with.
Thoughts: Watched this because of a trailer I came across on Facebook and So Ji-sub!!! This has been on my list since last year and I only got the chance to watch it this month. It’s a breather from my usual teen fictions so I was hooked. Super Ioved the twins, they were super cute. I especially enjoyed the part where they had to deal with the bioterrorism coz I can 10/10 relate, my Microbiolog(ist)y heart was very happy and was very amazed to at least see it be executed/ planned even if it’s just on screen. It’s not the most perfect spy series but it’s enough for me (or because I never really watch spy shows). The traitor in the ending (a supposedly plot twist) wasn’t very surprising to me… not sure if it’s predictable or because I have watched so many dramas already that I did predict who’s who already.
Finished Watching On: January 24, 2019
6) SEVEN FIRST KISSES
Rating: ★★★☆☆ | Light plot
No. of Episodes: 8
Running time: 9-12 mins
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Plot: Lotte Duty Free store employee Min Soo-jin has never been in a relationship before. One day, she meets with the goddess of date who grants her an attempt to pick the perfect partner for her first kiss among seven men. Her options are firstly, a religious tech billionaire (Lee Joon-gi), a serious yet romantic boss (Park Hae-jin), a sexy secret agent (Ji Chang-wook), an adorable younger male friend (Kai), an innocent chaebol heir (Ok Taec-yeon), a beloved k-idol (Lee Jong-suk) and finally a free-spirited travel writer (Lee Min-ho).
Thoughts: Bukod pala sa babaeng lahat. Charot! I have watched this during its release but I failed to catch up with every episodes. It’s only now that I decided to watch it as a whole again. Watched this after finishing Memories of the Alhambra as a rebound/ to ease my broken heart. It’s super light, tamang kilig and fantasize sa oppas. Literally watched in one sitting.
Finished Watching On: January 28, 2019
7) SECRET QUEEN MAKERS
Rating: ★★★☆☆ | Light plot
No. of Episodes: 7
Running time: 15 mins
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Plot:
A travel agent who lacks confidence in her appearance finds her hidden beauty with the help of six men she met at Lotte Duty Free stores.
Thoughts: Watched this because of Chanyeol and Sehun!!! I only knew it was also a short series the moment I decided to watch it so I also ended it in one sitting. Dunno what to say other than it was cute and fun and short. I suck at reviews but this is another usual fan fiction I have read huhu but ofc, I love that I have seen it with my eyes than just imagining it.
Finished Watching On: January 28, 2019
8) MEMORIES OF THE ALHAMBRA
Rating: ★★★★☆ | Heavy plot
No. of Episodes: 16
Running time: 65 minutes
Genre: Fantasy, Suspense, Sci-fi, Romance, Melodrama
Plot: After receiving an email regarding a groundbreaking AR game about medieval battles in Alhambra, Yoo Jin-woo, CEO of an investment company that specializes in optical devices, travels to Granada, Spain to meet the creator of the game, Jung Se-joo. However, Se-joo is missing and there, he meets his sister Jung Hee-joo, owner of the hostel he stays in and a former guitarist. Both get entangled in a mysterious incident and the border between the real world and the AR world built by Se-joo begins to blur.
©
Thoughts: Watched this while it’s on-going. 11/10 would recommend!!!! At first, I felt like it has the same vibe as W and got super amazed then I only learned mid-drama that both drama were written by one writer that’s why they have the same vibes. Super crazy plot! I honestly couldn’t quite catch what’s going on in the first few episodes, I thought I was going stupid and going crazy myself but got a hang of it din later on. Super genius! Everything is astounding… except the ending. LOL I’M SO MAD!!!!
I decided to delay watching the finale for a week to “emotionally prepare” myself but I never thought I would be betrayed like this??? Had I known, I would have prepared for a month. Have already watched tons and been watching kdramas for several years already, I shouldn’t be surprised and disappointed to open-ended stories anymore BUT I AM!!!???!!! So proud of Chanyeol here and my girl, PSH, still never disappoints!
Finished Watching On: January 28, 2019
MOVIES
Never a fan of watching movies but for EXO, I watched them loooool
1) SO I MARRIED AN ANTI-FAN
Rating: ★★★☆☆
| Light plot
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Plot:
Top star Hoo Joon ended up living together with his anti-fan reporter Lee Geun-young.
Thoughts: Literally a fan fiction ripped straight off of Wattpad… charot! Not sure which came first but that’s what it was for me. Not that I don’t like it… again, it’s a dream come true to have seen my favorite idol actually act as the character I have only imagined before but I read a fanfic with the same plot before I watched this.
Watched on: January 05, 2019
2) HYEONG/ MY ANNOYING BROTHER
Rating: ★★★★★
| Light plot
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Plot:
All thanks to Doo-Young, his younger brother, Doo-Sik was granted a parole from prison. Doo-Young is a then promising judo athlete but got involved in an accident before the selection for the national team which made him lose not only his break but his eyesight as well. After 15 years, Doo-Sik (Jo Jung-suk) suddenly appears in front of Doo-Young and they begin to live together.
Thoughts: Of course, watched this because of my bias Kyungsoooooooo. Seriously this guy knows how to tickle your lacrimal glands and make you cry. Almost all of his movies were tear-jerker!!!! I felt super proud of him here. He literally pulled it off #nobias. It’s super relatable especially because it tackles about sibling-hood.
Watched on: January 26, 2019
3) SO YOUNG 2: NEVER GONE
Rating: ★★☆☆☆ | Light plot
Genre: Drama, Romance
Plot: A wealthy young man pursues a young woman of modest means, but circumstances often separate them as the years pass. ©
Thoughts: The movie was said to be an adaptation of a novel. Honestly, I didn’t clearly get the plot in whole? I was confused what happened in the end. Not sure if it’s because it’s poorly shown or the fact that maybe the Chinese characters that were flashed (which I can’t transcribe) held a significant role that’s why I didn’t understand the ending. I saw a clip on Facebook and it seemed interesting + it’s Yi Fan’s movie which lead me to watch it. I had to search for reviews and summaries in hopes of finding enlightenment about the ending but I haven’t found any which clearly explains what happened. About the characters, I had to say that the relationship was kind of toxic and they were really immature, I’m so mad! (says the mature one lol)
Watched on: January 27, 2019
Soooo that’s it. Please understand that these are all based on my personal opinion. I am in no way a professional in making reviews. I’m just a plain nobody who loves watching asian dramas. The way I see a plot (as a light or as a heavy one) may be different from others and the ratings I gave could be different from anyone else as well. Most importantly, your thoughts might differ to mine so you do you. I hope I was able to help you find what to binge next!
Annyeong, Danah!
Ever since I graduated college and passed the boards, I went full blast in watching korean/asian dramas and probably watched thrice as much as I did as an undergrad; mainly because I have more time now. I’ve been getting quite a hand of questions from friends who’s asking for recommendations on what to watch and all that so I started sharing my asian drama whereabouts on my Instagram stories last year + made a highlight just so they can access it as they wish. Since I still have much time in my hands (as I don’t have the spirit to find a job yet), I thought I should just start creating a little tag here on my blog dedicated to it because I kinda feel like sharing the feels on IG stories isn’t giving much justice to the actual feels. Also, I can have much more space to try putting my thoughts about a certain drama in this platform than on Instagram. This could also be an attempt to somehow revive this blog so… hahaha
Before 2018 ended, I thought of continuing the little tracker I did in my 2018 journal where I jotted down all the dramas I have watched the whole year in the coming years as well. For 2019, I decided to mainly sort them by months and see just how much I spent my life watching (these) dramas and I’m thinking of doing the same here. In addition, I could also try sorting them in other ways like by genre, by artist, etc. Lol idk, I just really want to make a list to somehow commemorate me watching them and them being a part of my life at some point. Whatever.
So here is my attempt to make a blog series about Korean Dramas as well as other Asian dramas in hopes of helping fellow fans find what to binge watch. In this series, I will share about my thoughts (11/10 bet would be rants) and would try to rate them as best as I can (since I never really consider watching just for the sole purpose of rating the drama). I hope I’d be of some help though.
Hope to see you on my next blogs. Annyeong!
PS: You can find them in my sidebar (Categories) under the “Drama List”.
2018 was totally my year! I’m so glad to have received so many blessings in just one year. Here’s a little rundown of the ride I have had in 2018. A little late but here it is anyways! 💗
