Castaway Diva

castaway diva kdramaOngoing drama. Still watching.

Preview: Seo Mok Ha is a teenager who tries to escape from her abusive father. By the help of a friend, Jung Ki Ho, she escapes from the island where she lived her whole life. However, by avoiding her dad, she falls off the boat and gets stranded at a remote island for 15 years. She gets found later by two brothers who help her continue what she originally wanted to do, find her idol diva and be reunited with her friends, Jung Ki Ho.

Castaway Diva Trailer

Genre: Romantic Comedy, Music
Episodes: 12
Stars: Park Eun Bin as Seo Mok Ha
Kim Hyo Jin as Yoon Ran Jo
Chae Jong Hyeop as Kang Bo Geol
Cha Hak Yeon as Kang Woo Hak

A Good Day to be a Dog

good day to be a dog kdramaOngoing drama. Still watching.

Preview: Han Hae Na is a single woman and works as a high school teacher. Her family carries a curse that whenever they kiss someone, they turn into a dog after midnight for six hours. To fix that, they have to kiss the same person in their dog appearance. Han Hae Na accidentally kisses her colleague, a math teacher, Jin Seo Won. To stop the transformation, she has to kiss him again in her dog form, but Jin Seo Won is unfortunately petrified of dogs.

A Good Day to be a Dog Trailer

Genre: Romantic Comedy, Fantasy, Webtoon
Episodes: 14
Stars: Park Gyu Young as Han Hae Na
Cha Eun Woo as Jin Seo Won
Lee Hyun Woo as Lee Bo Gyeom

My Dearest Part 2

Ongoing drama. Still watching.

Preview: This continues the story of Lee Jang Hyun, an interpreter during the Qing invasion of Joseon being reunited with his lady love, Yoo Gil Chae, who gets dragged all the way to Qing and becomes a prisoner. Upon knowing, Lee Jang Hyun rescues her, but things get complicated when Qing’s princess Gak Hwa, who likes Lee Jang Hyun, becomes unhappy about the whole situation.

My Dearest Part 2 Trailer

Genre: Period, Romance, Melodrama
Episodes: 10
Stars: Nam Goong Min as Lee Jang Hyun
Ahn Eun Jin as Yoo Gil Chae
Lee Hak Joo as Nam Yeon Joon
Lee Da In as Kyung Eun Ae
Kim Yoon Woo as Ryang Eum
Lee Chung Ah as Gak Hwa

Moving

moving kdramaSummary: Three students who attend the same high school have extra-ordinary abilities. Kim Bong Seok has the ability to fly. Jang Hui So has excellent athletic skills and the ability to heal quickly, and Lee Gang Hoon has some power and speed. They inherited these abilities from their extra-ordinary parents.

Genre: Fantasy, Mystery, Action, Supernatural, Romance, Webtoon
Episodes: 20
Stars: Ryoo Seung Ryong as Jang Ju Won
Han Hyo Joo as Lee Mi Hyun
Jo In Sung as Kim Doo Sik
Cha Tae Hyun as Jeon Gye Do
Ko Yoon Jung as Jang Hui So
Kim Do Hoon as Lee Gang Hoon



Likes: This wasn’t on my watch list until I saw a trailer and it had Han Hyo Joo and Jo In Sung in it. How did I even miss that? Glad I started watching, and yes I couldn’t stop anymore after a couple episodes. It was just so good! And that was even before the love story of Lee Mi Hyun and Kim Doo Sik.

Power Couple. Since I’m already talking about it, let’s just finish it up! There are several back stories in this drama, and they are the stories of the parents who possess superpowers. A lot them made it to the government’s secret agency as black agents. Lee Mi Hyun, a lady agent whose all four senses are magnified, meets elite black agent Kim Doo Sik, who has the ability to fly. I love the chemistry between these two. I love how an elite black agent became all giddy with the lady he liked. These power couple gave birth to a baby, who possessed both parents’ abilities. Of course, this black agent couple was portrayed by Han Hyo Joo and Jo In Sung. It was such a treat!

Their son, Kim Bong Seok, looked very ordinary but inherited his parents’ superpowers. He keeped it as a secret until he met a girl at school who also possess a superpower, and that’s the ability to not feel pain and to heal quickly. Her name is  Jang Hui So. Now, this girl is actually the daughter of another agent, who was close friends with Kim Bong Seok’s parents.

The Hulk. The story of the hulk is quite sad. Before Jang Ju Won became an agent, he was just a thug, considered as monster by many because of his ability to cut himself open without getting hurt. He met the love of his life, who was normal, and they gave birth to a baby girl, Jang Hui So. His wife died in an accident, and he couldn’t do anything about it, but raised their daughter alone and tried to be normal.



Protecting the Kids. These parents who have superpowers just wanted to live normal and in peace. They all went incognito to protect their kids. However, when their kids suddenly were in danger, they all came out to protect them. I love how Lee Mi Hyun went all out to protect Kim Bong Seok, Jang Ju Won to protect Jang Hui So and Lee Jae Man to protect Lee Gang Hoon. The scene was just too cool! They might be superheroes, but they’re also parents, and children, always do come first.

The bad men who were not that bad. I like how the characters of the North Korean agents were justified. Like the South Korean black agents, they just also wanted to live normally. However, in order to survive, they had to kill, to hunt and destroy. They had to follow orders, whether these orders make sense or not. It’s just pretty sad just how they were exploited for their power. In the end, the men on top, didn’t even care about them

The teacher. I love the character. Although his job was to find new talents, he eventually developed empathy. He started becoming like a true teacher, who would teach the kids and also become someone who the kids can rely on, just like their own parent.

Cliffhangers. I won’t be surprised if you’ll end up binge-watching this drama. The cliffhangers are sooo good, it’s always tempting to take a peek on the next episode.

Ending. I just love how it ended. I love the power couple reunion and the story for the young superheroes was kind of left open. Maybe the romance between our cute Bong Seok and pretty Hui So will continue, who knows!

My Rating: 9 stars! (10 as highest)


A Time Called You

A Time Called You kdramaSummary: Han Jun Hee still grieves the death of her boyfriend who died a year ago. One day, she receives a cassette recorder from a mysterious sender, which allows her to time travel back to 1998. There she meets Nam Si Hyeon who resembles her dead boyfriend.

A Time Called You Trailer

Genre: Fantasy Romance, Time-travel, Mystery, Melodrama
Episodes: 12
Stars: Ahn Hyo Seop as Koo Yeon Jun / Nam Si Hyeon
Jeon Yeo Bin as Han Jun Hee / Kwon Min Ju
Kang Hoon as Jung In Gyu



Likes: Such a good combination of melodrama and time-travel. I love time-travel, but oftentimes endings of this genre don’t always have that good closure. Not this one though. I know it feels very melodramatic in the beginning, but somehow in a good way. Keep watching until the end, and everything will make sense.

Beautiful love story. He fell in love with someone who traveled from the future and lived in a borrowed body. This is someone who fell in love with her personality. Well, that is something unusual. It goes beyond appearance and beyond time. I love the fact the he drew her in the past with her bubbly personality in mind. She might have been living in someone else’s body, but he was thinking of her as a different person already back then.

Overlapping timeline. Keep a good eye on the years. It can be confusing, but in the end it all makes sense. I just love how intricate the timeline was. The going back and forth time in an attempt to find a solution to the root problem. It was just fascinating!

The mysterious cassette recorder.  I like the way they time-travel here. It’s through music and without surprise I get to like that song already. The cassette tape was a present from the shy Kwon Min Ju that made Nam Si Hyeon travel to the future and meet Han Ju Hee. Han Ju Hee got hold of the recorder with the tape in it and travelled to the past and in the end saved Kwon Min Ju. Yes, so it all went back to Kwon Min Ju.

The love triangle in the past. This is the hardest when a girl likes a guy who doesn’t like her back however his bestfriend likes her, but the girl is not interested in the bestfriend. Lots of unrequitted love here, but the friendship is strong though, so let’s stick to it.



We all want our own In Gyu. In reality, we would love to have someone who would sacrifice for us, who would be there for us always, who would accept us for being who we are, who would love us no matter what. In Gyu, the bestfriend, was such a likable character and I think Kang Hoon, kudos to him, really did him justice here

Brilliant top leads.

Ahn Hyo Seop as Koo Yeon Jun / Nam Si Hyeon – He was such a natural as the young Nam Si Hyeon. The older one got really gloomy understandably from all the sad pasts. As Koo Yeon Jun, he was somewhere in the middle, calm and loving. Overall, Ahn Hyo Seop did such a great job with his roles.

Jeon Yeo Bin as Han Jun Hee / Kwon Min Ju – She did amazing! She was able to show a big difference between the two characters. You couldn’t even tell it’s the same person. She got really into a big drama as Kwon Min Ju, lot’s of tears there, such a moving scene.

Favourite Quotes. “I have to die to fall in love again.”

“Whenever your heart calls for me, I will go to you.

Awesome cameo. Such a surprise to see Ro Woon  (I’m watching his drama, Destined with You) as the love interest of the real Koo Yeon Jun, just before Nam Si Hyeon took over his body. When the two held hands, I was like, Oh my gosh 😲!

The Ending. As mentioned above, I love how it ended., how they closed that crazy time-travel cycle. And of course I love it that there was even an epilogue at the very end, and our two main characters meet again anew, unkowing of their past but the connection was still evident 😊❤️.

My Rating: 8.5 stars! (10 as highest)


Destined with You

Summary: Lee Hong Jo is a civil servant working at a city hall. She meets Jang Shin Yu, a competent lawyer who just got assigned in the city hall. Jang Shin Yu suffers from a hereditary and an incurable disease. And to lift that curse, he needs help from Lee Hong Jo, who happens to be the owner of a mysterious chest that contains a book of spells.

Destined with You Trailer

Genre: Fantasy Romance, Legal
Episodes: 16
Stars: Jo Bo Ah as Lee Hong Jo
Ro Woon as Jang Shin Yu
Ha Joon as Kwon Jae Gyeong
Yura as Yoon Na Yeon

Likes: I love the See You in my 19th Life kind of vibe in this drama. The tragedy in the past lives, the reincarnation, the curse, but in a lighter, funnier way. The details of the past in balance with the present are very well represented. As the story progressed, it was getting clearer and clearer where our two characters came from and why they were naturally drawn towards each other.

My Dearest

my dearest kdramaSummary: Set in the Joseon era during the Qing invasion, a love story between Lee Jang Hyun, a wandering businessman and Yoo Gil Chae, a daughter of a nobleman, blossoms. However because the whole country goes through a difficult time, the two gets separated. Yoo Gil Chae receives the news that Lee Jang Hyun died, so eventually she gets engaged to someone else.

My Dearest Trailer

Genre: Period, Romance, Melodrama
Episodes: 10
Stars: Nam Goong Min as Lee Jang Hyun
Ahn Eun Jin as Yoo Gil Chae
Lee Hak Joo as Nam Yeon Joon
Lee Da In as Kyung Eun Ae
Kim Yoon Woo as Ryang Eum



Likes: What I love most about this drama is that even though it was set during a struggling Joseon period, when it was invaded by the Qing armies, and most scenes were filmed in winter times, it’s able to convey the most important theme, and that’s the love of Jang Hyun to his Lady Gil Chae. It was always the center of it all, it defied everything including war, politics, dirty business, torture and survival on those very hostile times.

The love story. I like the playful and colourful background of how it all started. Gil Chae, one of the most beautiful noble ladies in the village, was adored by the gentlemen around her except for that one person who she wanted the most. However, he was already set to marry her best friend. That of course didn’t stop Gil Chae from trying to seduce the guy. Hence, that earned her the title fox lady, meaning like a fox, she would try hard to get the guy that he wanted. Then came Jang Hyun, a noble, businessman who had been traveling around. Jang Hyun was also good with women, but when he set his eyes on lady Gil Chae, he was captivated by her beauty and personality. But Gil Chae had only eyes on her bestfriend’s betrothed, that made it more challenging for Jang Hyun to capture her heart.

I love how this drama put so much importance to the courtship of those long-gone eras. There were lots of emphasis on strong emotions and bonds. It was slow courtship but very beautiful. You can feel the sincerity, loyalty, love and desire with simply just how they look at each other. It made me fall in love several times. It’s like reading a romance novel. Everything is described beautifully and you feel every emotion.

A powerful backdrop. The invasion of Qing, which puts Joseon into disarray, that even the Crown Prince had to leave the palace and travel to Qing to basically serve as a hostage, so Joseon could be under Qing’s control, is a very interesting and powerful backdop. Although the main topic is the romance between Gil Chae and Jang Hyun, the country’s story of politics and war under Qing’s control was very well elaborated. That actually made Jang Hyun’s character, a more interesting one, because as the story progressed into the war, he then became someone who was in the front line. A very important character who had helped the Crown Prince became more confident politically in dealing with the controlling Qing.



The sets. I love the small village where Gil Chae originally hailed. Before the invasion, the village was a representation of peace, unity and slow progress. Everyone seemed happy and contented. Very unaware of hostility and unaware of how to protect themselves. The people had to flee the village which was really a sad scene. A beautiful place where you grew up and thought would stay there until you get old. It was sad and the feeling was just so relatable.

When people had to seek refuge at the island because they thought it was the safest place, but then turned out to be not. Such a beautiful island, but when the invaders arrived it felt like a trap. Everyone was trapped there.

All the sets in this drama made me feel like I was dragged into it. It felt very real. You can feel the spring breeze when everyone was out for a picnic. You can feel the cold when they walk on the snow. You can feel the fear during the fights. You can feel the hunger when there was no enough food on the table. You can feel the desperation to survive. And above all, you can feel the desire and longing of someone, who had been separated from his beloved.

Our amazing top leads. Hands down for all the brilliant acting.

Nam Goong Min as Lee Jang Hyun – Nam Goong Min is one of my favourite kdrama actors. He’s always to fall in love with. As Jang Hyun, I would take any pairs of floral shoes he would offer 😊. I just love the character. Not so good boy, not so bad boy either. Very smart guy, well-dressed and the way he adored Lady Gil Chae, the way he would look at her, was to die for! A good sword fighter! Who doesn’t want a man who can fight when there are invaders roaming around. He knew he was reliable but not enough to the one he loved.



Ahn Eun Jin as Yoo Gil Chae – First time to see her in a drama and I would say I’m impressed. She did so well as Yoo Gil Chae. Young, conceited, outspoken, no filter-kind of lady, but then at those difficult, challenging times, she came out the strongest and bravest. I love that scene when she became a midwife because no one else could do it even her servant. She was the total survival lady. Would do anything to put food on the table.

The kiss!  It was just a peck on the lips but my gosh it made me sooo giddy! Beautifully done with a romantic field with sunset setting. Such a memorable moment! And then Jang Hyun said to Lady Gil Chae, “I do not understand myself either, why is it that when I look at you my silly heart makes such a big fuss.”

Sad OST. This song makes me sad and that’s how the story of love between Jang Hyun and Gil Chae unfolded, nevertheless it’s such a heartwarming song, With My Heart! Complete OST brings you back to that time!

The Ending. I completely understand Lady Gil Chae’s last moment’s decision to choose her family over Jang Hyun. I would have done the same thing as well. It’s sad, but I’m not losing hope for this two though.

The good news is we’re getting a second season and I can’t wait any further. I like the teaser. Jang Hyun seemed to have found another love interest. Let’s see how that would unfold in season 2.

My Rating: 9 stars! (10 as highest)


Heartbeat

heartbeat kdramaSummary: Sun Woo Hyeol is a vampire who wants to become human. In order for that to happen, he has to sleep in a hawthorn coffin for 100 years. However, he is awoken one day earlier by a girl named Joo In Hae who is a descendant of his butler. So now Sun Woo Hyeol is neither a vampire nor a human.

Heartbeat Trailer

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Supernatural
Episodes: 16
Stars: Taecyeon as Sun Woo Hyeol
Won Ji An as Joo In Hae
Park Kang Hyun as Shin Do Sik
Yoon So Hee as Yoon Hae Sun / Na Hae Won



Likes: This a nice break from all the gumiho kdramas I’ve watched recently. It’s rare to see a vampire drama and with Taecyeon  as the main lead I was all convinced with this one.

Reincarnation theme. It’s been a common theme this year with other popular kdramas like Durian’s Affair and See You in My 19th Life which have similar themes, good storylines, and this interisting switch between the past and the present. Heartbeat also shows the past love and life of our main lead, Sun Woo Hyeol way back in the Joseon era when he was with his beloved, then continued to live in Japanese colonial era waiting for his love to be reincarnated. The emphasis on the past settings gave the show depth and helped create a better, more meaningful character developments.

Taecyeon as Sun Woo Hyeol – he’s the reason I watched the show. Vampires have to be super good-looking and he passed the requirement. His performance in Vincenzo was brilliant but his character was quite dark. I’ve been wanting to see him in a protagonist role and I think our handsome and romantic Sun Woo Hyeol is the answer. He’s definitely one hot vampire!

Won Ji An as Joo In Hae – It took me a while to warm up to her. Was it her acting? Maybe. But eventually, it happened and since then I was always looking forward to the next episode. I still believe though she could have done better, but anyway, the next week point was definitely a plus to her…



That vampire kiss. So yeah, I was skeptical with the leading lady until that jaw-dropping kiss in the air! Of course, I give most credit to Sun Woo Hyeol for being a super cool kisser, but that was the moment when Joo In Hae made a very important connection with him. And yeah, there was definitely chemistry! I don’t know how many times I repeated that beautiful kissing scene, it was awesome and it’s stuck in my head!

Beyond the looks and likeness. I love the emphasis on the person within versus the person who totally looks like the one he previously loved. Our dear vampire, as cool as he already was, followed his heart, even without his heartbeat, to find who he’s real love was. And he did in the end.

The vampire comedic relief. I think it wouldn’t have been this fun without Sun Woo Hyeol’s vampire friends. Kyu Pil and Byung Hee brought a lot of laughters for the show. Loved how these two slept like bats inside the wardrobe 😄. Also love the vampire bromance between these two and Sun Woo Hyeol. Bromance that lasts for hundred years!

That intro music. It’s addictive and what better way to start an episode. I also like the animation, so cute and matching. Check it out.. Heartbeat Opening

Favourite quote. “Time is a relative concept. 100 years could feel like a day while a day could feel like 100 years.”

Ending. Not really so happy how it ended. The last two episodes were a bit draggy only for our main character to actually die! He made a promise though that he’ll be reincarnated and that he’ll be the first one to find her. Hm, I still have to get used to this reincarnation concept. But all in all, not bad so giving it a…

My Rating: 8 stars! (10 as highest)


Durian’s Affair

durian's affair kdramaSummary: Du Ri An, a noble lady in the Joseon era, gets transported to the present time together with her daughter-in-law, Kim Seo Jeo. The two ladies are taken in by the Dan family, who are mostly reincarnated relatives from the past. Du Ri An, who lost her son gets reunited with him and Kim Seo Jeo too gets reunited with her husband, however he doesn’t recognize both of them.

Durian’s Affair Trailer

Genre: Period, Time-travel, Fantasy, Romance, Mystery
Episodes: 16
Stars:  Park Joo Mi as Du Ri An
Kim Min Jun as Dan Chi Gam / Dol Soe
Lee Da Yeon as Kim Seo Jo
Yoo Jung Ho as Dan Deung Myung
Choi Myoung Gil as Baek Do Yi



Likes: What can I say when my favourite genres are consolidated in one kdrama, finally someone has heard me right. We’ve got a combination of past and present here, highlighting vital scenes in Joseon era when all things begun. Time-travel is one of my favourites too! Fantasy, romance and mystery completed the whole roller-coaster plot which involves two noble ladies who time-traveled to the present and meet their long-gone relatives. Crazy but brilliant idea!

Durian’s Affair. Whatever happens when you watch the show, never forget, it’s all because of Durian’s affair. So it’s about the impossible love of a servant and a noble lady who was given a chance to sleep with one another to give the lady a son that her husband couldn’t possibly give due to declining health. The two involved were kind of thankful for that impossible chance. The servant especially couldn’t believe his luck and he was anytime ready to accept his bitter fate after that. This affair obviously complicates and twists the lives of the reincarnated people involved.

How the story told. I’m impressed with how the story unfolded. It started in the present time presenting this great, wealthy, good-looking family. The family seems very nice. Wealthy but good people. Their lives were suddenly shaken when these two noble ladies from the past appeared, and Du Ri An, the older noble lady knows that the wealthy family members are mostly reincarnation of her loved ones from the past. I liked the going back and forth, past and present unfolding of stories. The slow revelation of things (but not draggy) makes the drama so interesting and exciting.

Very well defined-characters. Everyone has a story, everyone’s character especially the main ones were built-up properly, creating very important roles in the story. Everyone is likeable and relatable because of that. We understand the feelings and the reasons involved because of how defined the characters are. We understand why Du Ri An was scared of the mum but at the same time respectful of her. We understand why she was uneasy with the youngest son but also couldn’t help getting curious about him. We fully understand how she felt when she saw her dead son alive in front of her. How these important characters are connected to one another, is so well-architected in this drama.



Good-looking cast. Everyone was just stunning! The two noble ladies from the past looked great in their Hanboks, primmed and proper, and exhibited classic elegance! The rich family in the present time also exhibited elegance, luxury and never dying beauty!

Park Joo Mi as Du Ri An – her beauty suits her role. Simple, serene and exuded elegance. She really did a great job portraying lady Du Ri An as someone so soft-spoken, respectful, choosy with her words, and so demure when she moved around.

Lee Da Yeon as Kim Seo Jo – I find her sooo pretty! Loved the way she spoke, so soft and shy. The role was a young grieving woman who lost her husband, and she did an amazing job portraying that. The way she would look at her reincarnated husband was so full of love and longing!

Choi Myoung Gil as Baek Do Yi – I loved the role. First you would think of her as someone evil, but she was not. That’s what Du Ri An thought as well. She feared her mother-in-law, but she respected her. In the present life, the Baek Do Yi was still the centre of them all, a beautiful, powerful, and a reasonable lady, who unbelievably got along with all her grown-up sons. Truly remarkable.

Gorgeous wardrobes. I’ve got to give credits to the stylists of the show for coming up with a solid, gorgeous outfits for everyone. My favourite showdown was the first episode at the birthday of Baek Do Yi when everyone was dressed up for the event and all her kids and grandson gathered, looking handsome and rich, including the beautiful daughters-in-law. They were all consistently well-dressed throughout the show. It’s fun to watch.

Of course, the Hanboks worn by our Joseon ladies were also top. It was like a battle between the traditional and the modern. Both were so tastefully worn.

The addictive intro. I never got tired watching the intro everytime I watched an episode. It just sooo good! Loved the music, the timing, and everyone looked great here. Check it out… Durian’s Affair Intro!

Cliffhangers! It would make you binge-watch, well, if you have all the episodes ready. Unfortunately for me, had to wait for the next two episodes every week. But yes, awesome cliffhangers!



Favourite quote. “If there is the sun, there is the moon. If there is the moon, there is the sun. If there is happiness, there is misfortune. If you oovercome the misfortune, there is happiness.”

The ending. The whole story is about reincarnation and karma. In the end, these two women who came from the past, who fell in love and who spent time with the person they loved, but then later in life lost them, kind of got rewarded when they made it to the present and met the love of their lives again. However, it wasn’t as simple with Du Ri An, maybe because of her affair. The father of her son became the son’s uncle and her past husband became the brother of her’s son’s father. Entangled relationships! And in the end, Du Ri An realized that her life in the past was about to repeat itself, and she was unhappy about it. She would rather go back, and be alone than being with someone she doesn’t love. I agree that the ending was too abrupt, but I assume Du Ri An disappeared with Chi Gam, the reincarnation of her one truly love.

Baek Do Yi’s (the mother-in-law) fate was very sad. She lost her favourite son and her husband. Everything was going well with her but then maybe because of what she did in the past, her present took a different turn. I actually really loved her present personality, couldn’t see a fault in her. But I guess karma had spoken and there she had it.

I loved Kim Seo Jo’s ending the most, as she stayed with Deung Myung. She became a famous actress herself and has a son with him.

Overall, it was a great drama. Kept me hooked every week. Loved the setting, great story, well-developed characters and with such brilliant acting.

My Rating: 9 stars! (10 as highest)