Dramas Completed: 2022

This was engaging to watch from beginning to end. The cast was solid and I liked Lee Jun Ho's performance where he delivered well on his emotions and acting. It was intriguing to see the complex dynamics between Yi San and Deok Im and the complexity couldn't be more contrasting where at one point one was hopeful and looking at the future and the other was yearning for the past. Overall the script was good, the direction of the story progressed well but there was one point where the gap could have been expanded on. I enjoyed seeing Deok Im's friendship with her 3 court maid friends and Court Lady Seo, they were the moments where I felt she was truly happy. I won't say anything about the ending because anything I say would give something away. I can see why this drama is a success, the story is compelling with a great set of cast. 

A thrilling and entertaining watch. Interesting ensemble of characters some are more likeable than others. It kept up the momentum with quieter moments for a breather. If there is no second season I am satisfied with how things ended. 

Despite the slow build up it was interesting to watch. I liked the filming style with it's muted colours and calm, realistic atmosphere. The characters were natural and believable along with how the story progressed. It hasn't left as much impact as I had expected but maybe my mood wasn't as engaged. 

Still a little undecided about the rating....and mixed feelings about the drama. Not sure I will watch any sequels.

Edit: Adjusted the rating.

Don't remember the last time I binged watched a drama so fast. Addictive right from the first episode and I couldn't let it go. I liked the 2 main leads they were so compatible and natural together ❤ and I also liked the calm personality of Zhang Cheng. The pacing and direction was excellent....did not feel like it dragged at any moment and no fillers nor did it feel repetitive despite the concept of the story. I enjoyed how the mystery was slowly revealed and it kept me guessing. Overall a really well made and enjoyable drama which I can easily recommend. ❤

I picked this up for 2 reasons. I saw the anime movie quite some time ago but I had forgotten a lot of the details plus I wanted to see Matsuzaka Tori in another role. It was overall a touching drama which focused on the struggles of the families of the main couple during WW2. I liked the sweet awkwardness between Suzu and Shusaku and seeing their relationship develop. I found it more romantic than I expected which was nice. The acting and cast was good which made this a memorable drama to watch. ❤ 

Enjoyed this touching little drama. The highlights were the interactions between little Kotaro and his apartment neighbours. A bonus point was definitely given to how cute and adorable little Kotaro was. He reminded me of a little warrior the way he carried his sword around and his serious disposition which made him even more adorable. 

A suspenseful dark crime drama set in a hot bright summer had me hooked to the end. Who would have thought a captured moment would lead to such a cascade of events. Acting was top notch by the main cast, story was well paced and things were not what they seem especially towards the end. Reading comments and other view points made me realised the drama was even more sinister than I initially thought. In hindsight maybe I wasn't cynical enough or I was fooled into not thinking more deeply in the bigger picture..... (with spoilers...https://cyn-lynn.blogspot.com/2020/06/the-bad-kids-review.html) 

I really felt the passage of time watching this asadora....seeing the different fashion through years and the journey Itoko went through. Itoko's personality was so much like her father xD I enjoyed the first 3/4 but lost interest in the final arc as I found the transition harder to connect with and the time skips didn't help. 

I had some hope I would like this more but it turned out to be pretty generic with the story and the characters. I saw familiar tropes and plot set ups. For a simple light-hearted drama without much expectations it was fine to watch but some depth and substance would have made it feel more meaningful. Knowing more about Shishio-san would have made it interesting plus he was more eye candy than the ML. If I were to change anything in the drama it would be to make it more tender, delve deeper into the relationship, focus on the couple opening up to each other and overcoming their obstacles (without external interference...). That's a whole lot of change xD

Getting through this drama was a rollercoaster of tension and excitement and it kept me on edge where the pressure kept building. A very well made and well acted drama where each phase the stakes would get higher. Ever since seeing Karasawa Toshiaki in The Great White Tower I have come to appreciate his acting. I was very much absorbed in the story of Iki Tadashi whose calm, stoic and subtle exterior portrayed a person inside who had nerves of steel and kept his cards close to his chest. I thought hard how I was going to rate this drama and decided to go with my objective rating taking in the overall production value, script, acting, execution and direction of the narrative. My subjective rating would have been a tad lower and the reason for this was due to one aspect to the story (not the main part of the story...) where the direction took a different turn and not the way I would have liked. Although it did add a layer/dimension to Iki Tadashi I felt that the direction was unnecessary and I would have liked it much more if that aspect had not changed. Though it didn't take away the impact and how good the drama was but it did affect me enough that my rating would have been lower. Overall it was a captivating drama which I am glad I made time for.

This drama was not as interesting as I had hoped. The pacing was too slow and the way the story was set up did not engage me. Somewhere along the way I was losing interest before it finally got to the point I didn't care what was going on. I didn't connect with the story or the characters which was a shame because the acting was good. 

This was one of the few times where I picked the cast ahead of the story/plot. I wanted to see Eguchi Yosuke and Karasawa Toshiaki together again (years before they worked together on The Great White Tower and Roosevelt Game...). Plus there was Suzuki Honami so all big names from the 90's. The drama itself was pretty decent and it did get better as it went along. The story about friendship, the obstacles they faced and their coming of age had the trappings of 90's melodrama that was common at the time. Still it was pretty engaging to watch and to see the cast when they were much younger. This was my 8th drama written by Nojima Shinji.

I had Ryoma den on my list to watch for years and somehow I ended up picking Sego-don as my first taiga....the perks of being random xD Still I feel like I haven't got too far off track since both were from the same era and I got to know Sakamoto Ryoma character albeit through a different drama. It was a well produced drama (I assume all taigas are...) and it was engaging as well as insightful to watch getting to know an interesting transitional part of Japan's history. At times it felt like I was watching an asadora because it was a journey from beginning to end with a narrator and had an emphasis on family as well as getting to know the supporting characters and local communities. How Saigo-san managed to travel to and fro different places on foot with no means of proper transport was beyond incredible.  I hope one day I get to see Takamori Saigo's statue and other related historical sites when I visit Japan.

It's been 9 years since I last watched LMH in a drama (Faith)....I know how is that even possible lol. The drama felt like an extended movie, the cinematography and production value was very good. It was interesting to see this aspect of S.K and Japan's history....particularly seeing Koreans in Japan. The acting was good overall and it is always great to see Youn Yuh Jung since she's one of my favourite actresses. I didn't connect so much with a couple of characters (Solomon and Hana). I preferred watching the older timeline and seeing Sun Ja's journey. LMH's character did remind me of Jacopo xD

A character driven slice of life drama relying on dialogue and interactions between the characters although most scenes consisted of either talking, drinking or eating. At first I was interested and curious about Mr Gu...I thought Yes...I found another quiet, calm and unassuming male lead (my favourite type....) but as the drama progressed I realised that I don't think I saw a side of him where he wasn't in a drunken haze so it held me back from connecting with him the way I would have liked. Still it was engaging to see how him and Mi Jeong developed their interactions and seeing them take solace in each other's company. Mi Jeong was interesting to watch but the other characters didn't stand out as much. Gu's background felt a bit out of place....maybe it was to highlight the differences in people's lives but it didn't sit that well with me. I could relate to Sampo village since my family home in HK is also in the countryside....quite remote from the main part of the city. Overall it was pretty interesting to watch but I had to overlook a few things. 

This was an intense dark revenge crime drama which will leave an impact. One of the few times where the back story was more compelling to watch than the present time. I have high praise for the acting of the 3 younger actors....their screen presence made much more impact especially Kim Chul (Cheolie) who was quite mysterious. The weakest link was the female lead investigator who's role wasn't very convincing and the investigation overall was a bit lacking. I had to hold back tears on those very final scenes which left me thinking kids are just kids who all simply want good friendships. 

Not a bad drama but it failed to hold my interest. Not sure if it was just my mood or something was lacking in the drama. Good that it was short. 

For something short and quite suspenseful this will be fine to watch. Set in a small rural community you get to know the characters. Acting from the cast and story was fine. There was one aspect which wasn't followed through to my satisfaction and don't expect too many surprises or twists but the story does flow through quite well and there is enough to draw in the viewers. The opening intro was definitely inspired from 'The Bad Kids'.

I was a little conflicted on how to rate since the drama didn't resonate with me much. Story was quite good but pacing felt uneven and slow in parts. Acting in general was fine but I didn't connect much with the male lead. I don't normally have a problem with the background music but in this case it was distracting to the point it made things seem more melodramatic than it needed so instead of complementing the tone of the drama it was overdone. The character played by Ken Watanabe stood out the most, he had more screen presence compared to the others. It was fine to watch but I felt somewhat disconnected with it. 

I remember reading about this drama when I joined MDL 10 years ago. Only now have I got round to watching it. The story wasn't anything original since terminal illness/disease has been covered quite extensively in J-dramas/movies. What drawn me in this particular drama was the way the story was told and the acting by the main leads particularly Yamada Takayuk's role who was so young back then. The love story was understated, natural and subtle which didn't feel forced in any way. The background music added to the emotional tone of the story. A classic drama which I'm glad I finally watched. 

A dark, intense thought-provoking drama where a father hits rock bottom and left with a single mission. Well acted by Takenouchi Yutaka who balanced out the emotions of a father who had nothing left to lose. The police investigation lacked impact which I think was the main down side for me. 

Edit: After reading an article on the real life case of Junko Furuta it was indeed very harrowing. If the drama was influenced by what happened in the case I can totally understand the lengths the father was willing to go through to get justice. That would hit anyone rock bottom and would be entirely driven to get revenge on those men no matter what their 'juvenile' age was. 

The cast was good but the story/script and execution lacked some cohesiveness (and tighter writing..?). The characterisations could have been better developed. There were some illogical moments that didn't make sense (why would a nurse just run away after witnessing something like that?!...). I got through crazy penthouse so surely I could overlook anything right?? There was some good suspense in some parts but the overall story structure, writing and the characterisations wasn't up to my expectations. 

Papa was so sweet! I had high anticipation for this drama while waiting (patiently) for the subs. As it turned out it was indeed a heartwarming little family drama set in a tight-knit local community. The father/daughter relationship was the highlight and those special moments towards the end really did bring out heartwarming happy tears. As a parent letting go of your child as they move towards independent life is definitely a hurdle to overcome and in this drama we get to see it from different perspectives. Acting from the cast was generally good. The only small thing (it's kinda minor...) was that it took a while for me to warm up to Keiichi-san. I would have liked it more if his character was portrayed more natural. All the other characters were natural except for him. I appreciated his calm, straightforward nature but the acting wasn't nuanced to make it natural. Just my own observations. It was nice to see some development from him towards the end. 

Although this drama came out in 2022 I felt like I was back in old familiar grounds. After 8 seasons of CSI (LV) which I watched years ago I was familiar with the procedural set up with the combination of criminal profiling and forensics. (I miss Grissom xD...) I liked the natural progress in this drama with it's different arcs so it wasn't just stand alone cases. Nice to see Kim Nam Gil in top form and I liked his unassuming and calm portrayal. 12 episodes was the right amount where the pacing felt consistent. It was interesting to gain an insight on how South Korea took it's first journey in criminal profiling. 

This drama will touch upon some heavy and thought-provoking themes so it will leave an impact. Some powerful scenes towards the end, it was raw and haunting to see but it's a reality some people will carry.....that never-ending burden of guilt....

A poignant story which delves into difficult themes. The psychological aspect was intriguing which made me read up on it more after finishing the drama. Cast and acting was good in general. A drama worth watching if you can handle the themes. 

Though the story wasn't original it was well delivered and acted with nice cinematography and music. I did pick up this drama for the main cast since both leads are among my favourites. The criss-crossing of the different timelines/flashbacks wasn't too distracting since the story of the younger cast was engaging and captured the sweet moments of first love. The younger male lead was indeed very cute. I could nit-pick on a few flaws like the son's love storyline felt a little contrived and was not that engaging to watch. One particular song in there was so lovely. ❤ First Love: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1sUaVJUeB0 

An intriguing and absorbing mystery which captured my attention. This is what it takes to write a female-centric story that is cohesive and well written and where you feel the connections between the 3 female leads (this made up for my disappointment in Little Women which in my opinion was lacking in comparison....). I was only familiar with Suzuki Honami from the cast but I did enjoy Hashimoto Kanna's performance.

This slice of life drama's core message was a journey about knowledge, understanding and acceptance. Cast and acting was good overall and I liked Takahashi Issei's character and his acting was just as natural as always no matter what role he takes. I enjoyed it up to around ep 4 then I started to progressively lose interest in the story....can't pin point why. I guess I am in the minority where I wasn't so engaged with this drama. 

A touching drama where most of the characters were likeable including the 2 main leads. I felt the drama focused more on the friendships and support aspects which I still appreciated but I would have liked the romance to have been stronger and more developed. I wasn't emotionally pulled in as I would have liked but this was still an enjoyable and meaningful drama where the 2 leads were engaging to watch. The instrumental music was lovely and uplifting.