Tag: Korean drama

Review: ‘When the Phone Rings’ K-drama (2024)

“The world won’t fall apart if you speak up. Everything you want to say, the things you’ve held back say whatever you want.” – Baek Sa-eon.

The last official K-drama that I followed in 2024 was ‘When the Phone Rings’ and let me tell you after the release of its first two episodes the next day I was hooked when my social media was filled with their edits and I decided to give it a go and loved it. So it follows the story of Baek Sa-eon, a rising politician and his mute wife, Hong Hee-joo. A tense marriage begins to unravel after a call from a kidnapper and their life turns upside down.

I loved this drama so much, especially the beginning. The vibe, the characters, the cinematography, the dialogues, the suspense, the music, everything was top-notch. It was the drama that sucked me in so fast that from the first episode, I was hooked. The plot was plotting and the chemistry was electrifying. I love how everything was very well balanced and the way each episode just sucked you in with its climax scenes.

Talking about Baek Sa-eon, I loved him from the beginning, especially the first 6 episodes. His aura makes him look so powerful and it increases the quality of drama as well. He is the green flag in disguise, he legit arranged his marriage with his wife and showed to the world and his wife that it was a contract marriage. When the revelation started to begin everything made sense and I was in awe. I think his character was written spectacularly and he has suffered a lot even though it was not his mistake.

“I lived because of you. I endured because of you.” – Baek Sa-eon.

Then we have Hong Hee-Joo. In the beginning, I thought she would be a weak character, but I was so shocked to see how she was one of the strongest characters. Her phone call version is my favourite personality of hers in the show. She deserves all the love she gets. The girl goes through a lot but in the end, gets what she always wanted. Her eyes speak so much, and her sign language makes her character beautiful.

Their chemistry was the reason I watched this show. They paired with each other so well and the actors actually looked like they were the characters in real life. I love that there is no misunderstanding between them. Baek Sa-eon when gets to know about Hee Joo understands without misunderstanding her, I liked that they focused on the main plot rather than adding unnecessary problems between the couple. I loved that in the later episodes they understood each other so much, their childhood story was just beautiful. I think they as a couple fit way too well and made the drama excellent. Their love for each other was so strong that they were ready to die for each other. This drama also had some of the best kisses in the whole K-drama trajectory.

“Why was I born? I always thought about it. If I have to live someone else’s life against my will, why was I born? But I think I found the answer to why I was born and why I had to leave as Baek Sa-eon. It was to meet you.” – Baek Sa-eon.

Talking about the plot, it was something different and thrilling. I loved the concept of phone calls, I also love that they let the thriller flow rather than adding too much. I loved the dark vibe at the beginning of the drama, the intense music and Baek Sa-eon’s expression made the drama quality more elegant and watchworthy. Also, the timing was perfect for everything, from revelation to the last episode. I loved that they did not add much family drama but focused on the leads. But then the last episode happened, if you are familiar with K-dramas ending you might know that they drag too much till the end and give only few minutes of happiness, this drama was the same. The last episode was like I watching a new drama’s first episode because it was such an out of the box happening but then they added the political issue and lost me.

Overall the drama is a must-watch, I highly recommend it.

“For once, I want to protect you. So that you never suffer or get hurt again.” – Hong Hee-Joo.

My Rating: 8/10

Total Episodes: 12

Genre: Melodrama, Mystery, Thriller, Romance

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Review: ‘The Judge from Hell’ K-drama (2024)

“Having a pulse does not mean she is alive. Her mental state’s all messed up, and she has no will to live. Breathing isn’t living.” – Kang Bitna

I love revenge dramas, I love the feeling of satisfaction however many dramas that I have watched don’t do a good justice, they just felt muh. But this drama The Judge from Hell exceeds every expectation of mine. OMG! You guys, the punishments are soooooo satisfying, I just love it. This is a story about a devil, Justitia who gets a mission to live in Judge Bit-na’s body and drag criminals back to hell.

Kang Bit-na, what to say about her, every word defining her would not be enough. I love how evil she is I mean come on she is a demon, she is supposed to be wicked and I love that they showed her evil aspect really well. She is so funny and unserious, I love that they did not make her serious but a maniac with every bit of unseriousness filled in her. The thing that I loved the most in this drama was that Bitna was the one giving the punishment, she was the one hitting and unalive the criminal. I love the whole thing where the criminal is living the victim’s life, the criminals are getting the taste of their own medicine. Park Shin-Hye has nailed this role, her eyes are the main character, her clothes, her style, her attitude and her walk, everything about her screams she is a demon from hell. I think Kang Bit-na will be one of my favourite female characters; she is someone I would love to get inspired by.

“The hell you’ll go to after death is scary. But it’s not as bad as the hell you face while living. This place you all live in is the real hell filled with demon-like humans.” – Kang Bitna

Han Da-on, this character, at first, I did not vibe with him because he was annoying as he kept telling Bitna how bad she was and I mean what to expect from her. She is a demon, she is supposed to be like that but later, I loved him. He is funny, especially when he gets confused about Bit-na when he gets to know she is a demon. I loved his techniques in capturing Bita-in in action, but he fails every time. But then he uses his brain. I was not expecting that. I thought they were having a romantic moment, but then PLOT TWIST, I loved it. I think Han Do-on become hotter and capable of being with Kang Bit-na after the 7th episode.

Talking about chemistry, nowadays a lot of K-dramas focus on cute and unserious couples just as Kang Bit-na and Han Da-on. At first, they are like a cat and mouse, Han Da-on trying to catch her while she wants to complete her mission so badly that she even unalive him but makes the situation worse. When they joined hands, it was so much fun to see them being comfortable around each other. Their hugs are so beautiful and so is their chemistry.

The plot was remarkable, I love that there were many stories included and every story ended in a perfect punishment. I loved every second of Park Shin-hye’s action moments. She did her action scenes so well, I was legit sucked in watching her fight. I loved that this show really focused on the demon aspect and it was filled with the grey vibe. At every end of the episode, there is a plot twist and wants us to just keep watching. I was afraid that they would add a plot where they would make Kang Bit-na weak and the same plot but throughout the drama, she proved that she is a demon.

I highly recommend this drama, it’s very unique and very satisfying to watch. I binge-watched it.

“Have you experienced stress lately?”

“Leaving among people is stressful in itself” – Kang Bitna

My Rating: 10/10 (Please check trigger warnings)

Total Episodes: 14

Genre: Dark Fantasy, Thriller, Romance

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Review: ‘Oh My Venus’ K-drama (2015)

“Everyone is in pain, either a lot or a little, in their own way.” – Kim Young-ho

One of the biggest reasons I started this K-drama is because of how hot and handsome the male lead is, and it’s very rare for me to get attracted to a male lead. This K-drama is about a lawyer Kang Joo-eun, who is in her late thirties and gets jilted by her long-term boyfriend for gaining weight. So she decided to get professional help and met a celebrity trainer, Kim Young-ho. This drama features a fat-to-thin trope, and being set in 2015, it may be perceived as offensive to the audience in this era.

However, I think the 2015 drama portrayed the fat-to-thin trope very well. Because her being overweight has to do with her health rather than her beauty. The biggest reason I like it is that the male lead started liking the female lead before she lost weight, and both fell for each other because of their personality, which I think is a positive point for the show. Talking about Kim Young-ho, played by So Ji-sub and if you are familiar with K-drama actors, you know that he is one of the hottest K-drama actors, and I started because of him. In the beginning, he is very harsh, but later he gets to know her personality and wants her to be healthy, and we can see he starts developing feelings for her.

Talking about Kang Joo-eun, played by Shin Min-a, her character is freaking hilarious, but people around her don’t take her seriously because she is overweight. The chemistry is insane, another reason to watch the drama. I can say both were hot as hell as a couple, and I can feel the tension. Aside from the comedy aspect, the drama taught me a lot. I have watched drama recently, and that is why I can come up with things it taught, like no matter how one looks, we truly never know what is going on with them. And insecurities are always there, no matter how one looks.

Like Kim Young-ho, he has it all; he is wealthy, tall, and muscular. However, that is from the outside; from the inside, he has challenges he has to overcome, and his emotional mess prevents him from living a good life. The female lead’s ex-best friend was also overweight, then she lost weight and got a model figure; however, she still has insecurities about it. We live in a world of beauty standards, and if you fit, then the world will take you seriously, but if you are not fit like Kang Joo-eun, then you are a joke to the world.

The last 60 seconds of the drama ruined everything for me. I don’t know what the writer was thinking and writing that scene. I would say just skip that last part.

This drama has both negative and positive points, but I think it is a classic drama to watch once. The chemistry is insane, so I recommend it.

“If you’re hanging in there, you haven’t reached your limit.” – Kang Joo-eun

My Rating: 7.5/10

Total Episodes: 16

Genre: Romance, Friendship, Comedy

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Review: ‘Love Next Door’ K-drama (2024)

“I doubt my decision a dozen times a day and wonder if I’ve made the right choice. But I still think that it’s better to regret doing something than to regret not doing something”. – Choi Seung-Hyo

I am so frustrated and angry with the writers of this drama. OMG, you guys don’t know how excited I was to watch this drama as it was supposed to be a friends-to-lovers trope and it was told that the couple would be chaotic, I mean it makes sense they are friends. However, all my expectations went down the drain, the writers did not make the right use of the chemistry between Jung Hae-in and Jung So-min, they would be such a power couple if the storyline was great. So it is about two friends Choi Seung-Hyo and Bae Seok-Ryu. Choi Seung-hyo is a successful architect while Bae Seok-Ryu works outside South Korea but leaves everything and returns. She tries to reboot her life and her relationship with Choi Seung-Hyo.

Let me break down how it went bad. The first two episodes were perfect, they were chaotic and showed their friendship. It fulfils and shows that the drama will be chaotic and have a healing vibe, and I wanted that. But then the third episode happened and I knew it would not be my cup of tea as in chaotic and happy vibes. In the third episode, the writers went too crazy and included a lot of Seok-ryu trauma altogether, which should have been done in later episodes or in parts. My mood went off then too I continued it and it did get better the next episode, but then the writer did the worst thing by making Choi Seung-Hyo, an idiot. I mean in the beginning he was with her and he was the only one who understood her then why did they make him such an idiot later, he was such a green flag.

“Looking back now, I feel a bit sorry for myself. I cared about how others saw me, and I don’t think I paid attention to myself.” – Bae Soek-Ryu

In the later episodes, Choi Seung-hyo starts ignoring Bae Seok-ryu as he likes her but cannot confess. I mean where is the friendship, she needed him the most and he left her all alone without explaining anything. Love comes second but what about them being friends since childhood? The writers destroyed that by making Seung-hyo ignore and cold to her, I am sorry hello, it makes no sense. Then their exes entered the drama and actually, it was good but the worst of the worst happened they added the disease plot and I would not watch it. Nothing makes sense at all, the fact is most people continued it because Jung Hae-in gave the spoiler. Seok-Ryu endured so much all alone that she did not even tell Seung-Hyo, I mean the way he was with her, how could she tell him.

I wanted to see their friendship, chaotic side, bond, and understanding, but all went downhill. We just get to see their love but I did not feel any chemistry because the writer did all the damage in the beginning. I could not enjoy their love moments because their bond was supposed to be built on trust, not revelation and regret. The chemistry would have been so fierce and I was so excited to see them on screen together but a huge disappointment.

Now let’s talk about the things I love about the drama, actually apart from the main couple I liked everything. The side couple, Kang Don-ho and Jeong Mo-eum stole the spotlight. They were everything that I wanted the main couple to be. They were chaotic, understanding, hilarious, and lovable. Then comes another couple, the parents of Choi Seung-Hyo, they were my favourite of all. If you have watched Queen of Tears, the parents are the older version. I love them, I thought their story would be incomplete but their plot twist was the best. I love the character of Seok-Ryu, she represents all the children out there who are buried underneath the expectations of their parents. I was so touched by her and how strong she was and I am glad she gets to reboot her life the way she wants. She shows it’s never too late and too easy.

“Parents aren’t always right, they make mistakes with their children too. When you argue over it, you end up feeling guilty for no reason.” – Love Next Door

I love the contrast shown between Seung-Hyo and Seok-Ryu’s families. His family doesn’t care so he can be whatever he wants and do whatever he wants but there is no love. But then Seok-Ryu’s family has a bond that binds her to her parent’s expectations, and she doesn’t want to hurt them.

I personally would not recommend this drama as it’s nothing special but infact boring.

“Not everyone can be special. Most people just live ordinary lives. So don’t be too obsessed with becoming someone great. Just find what’s valuable in your life. That’s more than enough.” – Bae Seok-Ryu

My Rating: 6/10

Total Episodes: 16

Genre: Romance, Friendship, Family

Side Note: I just want to clarify that this is entirely my opinion, you are free to love this drama and I am free to give my opinion on this drama. I would be very happy if you loved this drama but please do not take this review to heart; it is okay to have different tastes. Thank You.

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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