Mid-year K-Dramas Round Up

Watch out, girls! These two ahjussi mean business.

We're halfway through 2017, and so many K-dramas come and go. I don't personally watch every drama out there, but I do watch several. Here's a summary of dramas I've watched starting from mid 2016. let's see which dramas make a lasting impression on me.

PS: this list is in no particular order :)

1. Chicago Typewriter

Right. This drama is still fresh on my mind since I've just finished watching its finale 2 weeks ago. Set in 2 different times, Japan's colonization in Joseon and modern time, the story revolves around 3 main characters: Han Se Joo (Yoo Ah In) - a famous author in the present, a leader of a rebel group in the past life, Jeon Seol (Lim Soo Jung) - an all-rounder girl, a sniper in the past, and Yoo Jin-O (Ko Gyung Pyo) - a ghostwriter, a bar owner & a rebel in the past. The story goes back and forth between the past and the present as Han Se Joo tries to overcome his slump in writing with the help of a ghost writer (in a very literal meaning) and a number 1 fan, and at the same time unravels the mystery surrounding the friendship of these 3 people in the past. Who kills Yoo Jin-O, why can't he reincarnate, why is he stuck in the typewriter that belongs to Han Se Joo in the past, and just exactly what happened between these 3 best friends that they were separated in the end? These 3 unlikely buddies might not like the truth, but they must find out nonetheless.

I never thought I'd enjoy this drama as much as I would given the fact that I don't fancy any of its casts at all. But this drama is probably the best drama I've seen so far in 2017 with solid story line and quite unpredictable plot. I love how this drama has the right amount of romance and suspense, and not many cheesy lines or scenes. The writer is good at developing the story each episode with no need to drag on for too long. I do wish that this drama could be 20 episodes long instead of 16, for the closure seems a bit of a rush and could be more neatly tied, but it's still an overall pleasant drama.   

2. Signal (2016)

Signal is not new. In fact, it was a drama that aired in January 2016 that I only managed to watch after it was aired this year on tvN Asia. I was hooked since the very first episode and ended up binge-watching it in 3 days straight. This drama was that good. It was the best drama of 2016 (and 2017 for me), it is the only drama I truly want a second season of, and it is simply DA BOMB. 

Quoting from Wikipedia, Signal is a Korean police drama television series starring Lee Je Hoon, Kim Hye Soo, and Cho Jin Woong. A mysterious walkie talkie allows a detective in 1989 to communicate with a cold case profiler from 2015; with the power of fore and hindsight the two not only solve crimes but also prevent them for ever taking place. However, a long standing murder case is closer to home than either realizes.

Oh well, that synopsis says only a fragment of this drama's awesomeness. Signal is not your typical rom-com, that's for sure. It will keep you on your toes, craving for more. I was glad I watched it when all the episodes had been aired. I can't imagine having to wait for another week to find out whether these bad-ass cops catch the criminals and save the day. I don't re-watch drama often, but Signal is probably one of the very few I'm willing to watch over and over again. Cho Jin Woong as Lee Jae Han proves that you don't need a pretty face to be the star of a drama. A powerful, superb acting and a bit of attitudes is all you need to steal the scenes and the girl.  

3. Man x Man

Can't say much about this drama other than Park Hae Jin makes me watch it. After his fantastic portrayal of Jung in Cheese in The Trap, I wanted to see him in another series where he could shine even brighter and not become a wasted talent. Then come Man to Man. 

Park Hae Jin is a secret agent for the NIS (Korean's version of CIA) who goes undercover as a bodyguard of a superstar to do his secret mission. Well, nothing stays secret for too long when you work for a narcissistic actor and a nosy manager you fall in love with.  

Despite all the action, this drama is just borderline rom-com. The conflicts are easily solved, the villains not so villainous, and the plot is ever so predictable. But I hung on to this because of Park Hae Jin's pouts and smiles. End of story.

4. Strong Woman Do Bong Soon

Do Bong Soon is not your normal heroine. She needs no saving - she is more than able to save herself. She is a super woman with super power. She is so strong she can stop a moving bus (or even throw it mid-air). 

This drama has all the elements of a successful rom-com: a filthy rich, handsome hero who is full of himself, a charming second male lead so righteous he will give up his girl if it means happiness, a seemingly weak girl who needs validation from others, a triangle love, a cold-blooded psychopath, and a bunch of comedic scenes. Unfortunately, no matter how much this drama tries to be the first to portray a strong, independent female lead, in the end Do Bong Soon needs others to tell that she is capable of so much more; she needs others to accept her before she can accept herself for who she is. At the most critical time of her life, she needs a hero to swoop in and save her from the doom she creates herself. 

Maybe it's a cultural thing, maybe it's just hard to break the stereotypical korean dramas' girls, but I love and hate Strong Woman Do Bong Soon for being so entertaining yet frustrating at the same time. I hate the female lead who needs 12 or more episodes before realizing her worth but appreciate the male lead who is always so straightforward with his feelings and never sugar-coat things. 

5. Goblin

A big hit at the end of 2016, this drama is the next thing that sweeps K-realm by storm after Descendants of The Sun. When you have Gong Yoo and Lee Dong Wook as the main leads, I don't see why or how things can go wrong. Their acting skills are top notch and their on-screen chemistry unrivaled. All of their scenes have become iconic. You know a drama has done extremely well when its scenes are parodied everywhere and its sponsors sell out things they promote on screen (yes, you, Boglegel dolls!). Don't forget the soundtracks that dominate national and international music charts for weeks (Ailee singing I'll Come To You as The First Snow? Chills. All chills). 

Apart from the fresh concept and story, what sets Goblin apart is its amazing special effects that is on par with those of the silver-screens. Thanks to Goblin, I love Lee Dong Wook even more, and want Gong Yoo as my husband.   

What is the plot, you ask? Oh, it is simple. A lonely goblin who seeks for his bride to end his eternal life, and a grim reaper who has to face his dark past, befriend the goblin that he has killed in the first place, and dates his frenemy's sister. (oops, spoiler alert?)

6. Legend of the blue sea

When you have Lee Min Ho and Jung Ji Hyun as the main leads, how bad of a drama can you be? Surprisingly, pretty damn awful. Well, it's actually decent and quite entertaining, but it could have been so much more! Maybe this drama is overshadowed by Goblin (they were aired at the same time), or maybe its plot is just too weak, but this drama is full of plot holes and regrets. Drama writers, if you cast 2 Korea's biggest stars, you should have done a much better job. All the hype that was built up before the drama aired was gone after the first few episodes. I felt so underwhelmed. It could have been the next My Love From The Star, but it ended up as just another second rate love story.

Regardless, I still enjoy this mermaid, reincarnation drama, don't get me wrong, but I've forgotten most parts of it except Lee Min Ho's gorgeous face and Jung Ji Hyun's other-worldly beauty and fashion sense.

7. Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo

This drama is what I call a feel-good drama. It's light and fun, no super villain terrorizing everyone - -just two teenagers experiencing love. At first I wasn't interested what so ever, but the chemistry between the two leads was just so real I couldn't take my eyes off them. It has a good mixture of comedy and romance, and it is enough to make this drama a success. Well, its ratings may not be high, but all avid K-drama lovers know that Weightlifting Fairy nails it. 

PS: from onscreen lovers to off-screen? Oh wow, that is what I call a real chemistry!