My Weekly KDrama Commentary

My Preferences

Warning: All my commentaries contain spoilers!

MY KDRAMA COUNT (as of August 31, 2020): 79

MY TOP 5 LOVES:

1. Love in the Moonlight
2. Healer
3. Touch Your Heart
4. Hwarang
5. Oh My Venus
6. My Sassy Girl

5 THINGS ABOUT MY TOP 5:

• I was hooked – line and sinker – in the FIRST EPISODE.
• I binge-watch the whole series again immediately after it ends, usually without break and taking me just half the time it took to watch it the first time. And again, a third time, a little slower this time, so that I could take note of the other details in the background. I will watch them again when I come to a low point, which is usually when I can’t get through an episode or when I can’t decide what to watch next.
• Each time I watch the show, I still cry during the sad parts and laugh at the happy parts, and still feel absolutely wonderful with the happy ending. Just as if I’m watching it for the first time.
• I have googled the lead cast members and have listed all the dramas they’ve starred in (or will star in), to be inserted in my watchlist, and to be watched post haste.
• You never forget your first love. Love in the Moonlight was my first ever completed kdrama. Whenever I see its actors in other kdramas, I feel a sense of nostalgia and excitement. The same goes for the other kdramas on my list.

MY LIKES (in alphabetical order):

1. Blood
2. Coffee Prince
3. Crash Landing on You
4. Descendants of the Sun
5. Devilish Joy
6. Romantic
7. Gu Family Book
8. Her Private Life
9. Man to Man
10. Sunshine
11. My Love From a Star
12. My Secret, Terrius
13. Pride and Prejudice
14. Secret Healer
15. Sungkyungkwan Scandal
16. Suspicious Partner
17. That Winter the Wind Blows
18. The King, Two Hearts
19. The Master’s Sun
20. Tunnel
21. Two Cops
22. What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim?
23. You are My Destiny
24. You’re All Surrounded

GENERALLY, WHEN I SAY I LIKED A SERIES, IT’S BECAUSE:

• It has a great beginning. Normally, I give a series up to the 3^rd or 4^th episode to reel me in. There are exceptions to the rule, when on the rare occasion, I get hooked right away in the first.
• The male lead is handsome. Well, that goes without saying or explaining.
• The female lead was a perfect match to the male lead. Sometimes, I like the female lead, but for the supporting male and not the chosen male lead.
• I am still watching after the 10^th episode. Some writers, for the lack of ideas, repeat events and acts, while changing the conversation just a wee bit to throw off the viewers. When this happens, I usually catch it and get bored.
• The ending is stretched out over the last two episodes and is neatly tied up with few or (thankfully) no loose ends. Some endings are scrunched up in the one last episode that you probably didn’t catch the “answer to the question you’d been asking for the last five episodes” because it was inserted in the conversation so subtly and briefly.

MY DISLIKES – Completed: (in alphabetical order)

1. A Korean Odyssey
2. Cain and Abel
3. Cinderella and the Four Knights
4. Don’t Dare to Dream
5. Emergency Couple
6. Goblin
7. It’s Okay, That’s Love
8. Memories of the Alhambra
9. Misty
10. Moon Embracing the Sun
11. My Only Love Song
12. Oh My Ghost
13. Rugal
14. She was Pretty
15. Strong Girl Bong-Soon
16. The Heirs
17. The Last Empress
18. Vagabond

MY DISLIKES – Dropped or On Hold: (in alphabetical order)

1. Big
2. Black Knight
3. Boys Over Flowers
4. Chief of Staff
5. Chicago Typewriter
6. City Hunter
7. Diary of a Night Watchman
8. Doctor Stranger
9. Happy Ending Once Again
10. Hospital Playlist
11. Hotel del Luna
12. Hyde, Jekyll and Me
13. It’s Okay to Not Be Okay
14. Justice
15. Kill Me, Heal Me
16. Kingdom
17. Legend of the Blue Sea
18. Ms. Hammurabi
19. Mystic Pop-Up Bar
20. Pasta
21. Persona
22. Queen for Seven Days
23. Reply 1988
24. Stranger
25. Suits
26. Tale of Arang
27. The Bride of Habaek
28. The K2
29. The Scholar Who Walks at Night
30. Tree with Deep Roots
31. World of Married Couple

GENERALLY, WHEN I SAY I DISLIKED A SERIES OR I DROPPED IT, IT’S BECAUSE:

• I couldn’t get past the first episode. But because it has so many good reviews, both from strangers and close friends, I sometimes give it the benefit of the doubt and continue to watch until I really can’t stand it anymore.
• The female lead wasn’t a good match for the male lead. Sometimes, I watch a show because I’m following a certain actor (usually male), and though I understand that he isn’t always “in the lead”, it irks me when the female character overshadows him to the point that his character no longer has any good lines or personality.
• I didn’t like the female lead. Well, how can you watch something when you’re not comfortable with the actors playing the characters? There are a few actresses that I have learned to veer away from.
• The characters have no chemistry. Sometimes, you come across a couple that you felt SHOULD HAVE BEEN the lead love team, instead of the ones chosen to play the parts.
• The plot details don’t agree with my sense of propriety. I will not watch stories about romances between noona/donsaeng whose age difference is more than 10 years; or oppa/yeodongsaeng relationships whose age difference is more than 20 years, especially if the girl is 19 or younger.
• The main plot is about two characters exchanging bodies. I have never enjoyed this concept, even with American movies.

Disclaimer: I am not an expert in film or Korean culture. In fact, I only started watching KDrama in 2016 and have just 48 completed shows under my belt. My writings are my own opinion and not the opinion of the majority. I enjoy shows that a lot of people don’t seem to like, and I dislike a lot of shows that are tagged as “Must Watch”. There are exceptions, of course. My point is, don’t bash the commentator.