Dramas Completed: 2023

Good cast with a couple of exceptions. Lee Sung Min carried the most impact in the show. Female lead didn't have much screen presence so I didn't pay much attention to her. I was more focused on the Soonyang family. As for SJK his role was fine, his performance was fine they kept his character pretty much safe so there wasn't much room for depth or nuance. Some things were not followed through despite the build up but overall it was entertaining to watch with steady pacing. When I got to the ending I was like what?? Wait....did they take a page from Dallas? xD (No-one here will know what I mean lol....). I guess it's just one of those dramas where viewers have to settle on their own interpretation.  

Short, simple and sweet. I prefer Suzuki Nobuyuki's delinquent portrayal in this drama than the other delinquent in 'Koi Desu: Yankee-kun to Hakujou Garu'. The romance was nicely conveyed though the overall story wasn't that original and things felt predictable. I liked that I was more emotionally connected with the main leads compared to the previous delinquent drama. The short episodes helped to keep it compact and avoided unnecessary fillers. A good one for J-drama newbies who want something light and easy. 

This crime drama has mostly gone unnoticed with international viewers but gained high viewership in China when it was airing. The most intriguing character was Gao Qi Qiang seeing his humble beginnings and his dramatic rise and the dynamics between him and An Xin was interesting to watch as both had contrasting personalities. Chen Shuting had the most depth and screen presence among the female characters. The story had an intriguing premise however it did lose some momentum and direction during the last quarter of the drama which made the pacing a little inconsistent but it did pick up. Overall a well-written and well-acted crime drama. 

Waiting for part 2....

While the story was decent and acting was good it didn't quite captured my attention or my emotions. It was refreshing to see the way Tsumabuki Satoshi portrayed his character because it was the first time I have seen him in this kind of role. The flashbacks and back story was necessary as part of the narrative but it still didn't make me connect with it as much as I would have expected. 

I enjoyed this asadora up to around the halfway mark but I gradually lost interest in the remaining half. Both the characters and the story didn't fully hold my attention and the supporting characters were not so interesting. I could have dropped it but I skimmed through the remaining half and was glad I saw the ending (which was a bit rushed due to the production being affected by the pandemic...). 

I had this at the back of my mind to watch at some point but while playing The Bad Kids game I found the poster of this drama (same production co) which prompted me to give it priority. Product placements can work lol xD The way the story unfolded and how intriguing it became was interesting. Although it had some tense moments I think some aspects could have been darker but censoring may have restricted it. Acting was good by the main cast particularly the actor who played the father. The drama wasn't without issues....a few aspects were not made clear so not sure if that was down to editing or writing. Overall it was an intriguing crime/family drama with good acting.

(I liked the grandmother although she had a minor role the way she dressed and how she was reminded me of some of my elderly relatives in Hong Kong....)

I gave the same rating for both parts. I will touch on 2 points: The story and the cast. First the story, while intriguing in some parts I felt the balance was inconsistent. The hard to watch scenes were drawn out where they could have put more tension in the slower parts. As for the cast it was mostly done well except for the ML I didn't find him convincing as a character....something about him was lacking. The actor who played Ha Do Young had more screen presence with the FL (maybe the fact they are closer in age helped...). I can see why they wanted to put a stark contrast between the FL and the bullies but I don't think SHK acting had the subtle nuance and depth for someone who had to stay pretty much stoic. I'm not keen on noona romance if the age gap is obvious as it was in this case so fortunately the romance wasn't the focus. It was a good enough revenge story to keep me watching despite some of the flaws. 

This was so fun, refreshing, warm and engaging to watch. The story concept was well scripted and executed and most of all Ando Sakura's solid performance in her role as A-Chin was brilliant. ♥  I couldn't imagine any other actress taking that role. Also the drama was filled with so many different nostalgic references watching it was like taking a trip down memory lane. 

What can I say? I overwhelmingly enjoyed this asadora! ♥♥♥ What an amazing hidden gem. The characters were the highlight of the drama but the warm, healing story equally shone. Everything fitted naturally well together from the cast, the pacing, the writing and the direction. I loved the background music which complemented the drama well and some instrumentals reminded me of Studio Ghibli's works. I liked Mone and Kiyohara Kaya carried her role well. One of my favourite parts were the interactions between her and Sensei. ♥ The romance was subtle (very subtle and slow...) but wow it sure did make an impact where a single touch or a hug would bring me tears of happiness. It was also a bonus that Sensei played by Sakaguchi Kentaro became one of my favourite male leads - his quiet, unassuming and often socially awkward personality captured my heart ♥. I loved the sweet, supportive companionship between them. It is something I always look for in dramas but not many meet my expectations. Overall this was an uplifting and meaningful drama with relatable characters and it handled it's relevant themes well with consideration and poignancy. It took a year to finally rate something this high but a drama has to hit many high notes for me to give such a deserving rating. 

Side note: Sakaguchi Kentaro is so cute and he makes me curious about his other works so if the right drama comes up I will be right there to watch him again ♥

I enjoyed this more than I expected considering it wasn't on my mind to watch and glad it was a random pick. It is one of those dramas where if you connect with it you will enjoy it but if you don't you will find the vibe and pacing too slow. I found it was engaging to watch both in terms of the story premise and the characters despite the weaker ending which left me wanting more. I will add a note about the male lead's character Han Dong Jin and he is as described in the story as gentle and decent. His loneliness and unhappiness was well portrayed and it was heartwarming to see him slowly open up. As for the actor Kim Young Kwang he created a good balance with the character, his acting though was not as natural and nuanced as I wanted which I know is not easy with stoic personalities but that's what sets good acting apart. The OST's were lovely with a mix of nice ballads and instrumentals which enhanced the ambience of this character-driven drama. 

I did pick this up for Kame-san ♥ Although I'm selective with his dramas I hope he continues to choose more diverse roles. The drama was decent enough for a time pass but the story was a little contrived in some parts and the police/investigation didn't have impact. It felt rushed towards the end and would have liked to see more of the ending. The overall script could have been stronger and I felt it didn't quite meet it's potential. Edit: I may re-rate this before the year ends.

This is the first full drama I watched with Seo Kang Joon and I haven't watched anything with PMY since Healer. Both leads were engaging to watch with nice chemistry and the story with its slice of life vibe was decent. It didn't feel like a slow burn romance, it had a natural build up. The previous couple of dramas had very slow romance....this was fast in comparison xD There were couple of aspects that could have been improved on. I did skip the parts with the Aunt and the writer/editor guy because they were boring. I saw some comments mentioning Seo Kang Joon looks like Sakaguchi Kentaro. I do see some resemblance and also in some angles he kinda looks like Gong Yoo. With the right drama I would watch him again. As for PMY I have always been selective with her dramas and have avoided her rom com office-based dramas. I'm up for watching her again in more challenging roles and for her not stay in the same comfort zones. Loved Eun Seob's private blog posts at the end of each episode, they definitely added a sweet charm to his character. 

A decent mystery with some interesting developments set in the backdrop of the art world. Acting and cast was good overall. 

This drama reminded me of My Rosy Life, both dramas covered the story of terminal illness told in a similar way. The performance of the main actress was heartbreaking and poignant to watch but among the sadness and struggles there were moments of warmth and gratitude. Only 4 episodes but it will still leave an impact with viewers. Choi Ji Woo has hardly aged after all these years since Winter Sonata but there isn't much range in her acting so not much improvement there. A box of tissues is highly recommended for this emotional family drama. 

I made an exception for this drama because I wouldn't normally pick older woman/younger man age gap but the positive feedback made me curious. The calm and simple story was easy to follow but the chemistry between the leads could have been better to enhance the relationship and the romance. I liked the soothing way Ichika prepares and cook food and since the manga is on-going maybe a second season will offer more developments in the story and for the couple. The ending credit scenes were nice to see and I also managed to find the ending song. (The song title was noted in the credits otherwise it would have been difficult to find....) 

Summer Eye - 白鯨: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4N49Jostis

Insightful to watch since it was based on real events of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011. It was good to see Takenouchi Yutaka again and I prefer to see him in serious roles. (It's never a good sign when experts are at a loss in a crisis but at least in this case they are not pretending to know what to do...)

Took a mini hiatus after completing this drama so I don't remember all the details. From what I remember it was a good time pass but felt slow at some points. 

This was a decent watch and it kept my interest despite taking long breaks between episodes due to being on hiatus so it took a while before completing it. I liked the dynamics between the main characters particularly the 2 male leads. The female lead was okay but her acting lacked range. Overall the story had an intriguing premise and the flashbacks were integrated well without it being dragged out. Pacing could be a bit slow for some viewers but for me it was steady and didn't feel too slow. A couple of aspects were a little confusing like the extra Jang character who seemed to have come from nowhere...but maybe I missed something along the way. 

Side note: I am still on hiatus with things in general so I have been very slow at picking up dramas. I will be back to a more regular routine in a few months.