Watched/Completed in 2025

It's reminiscent of the kdramas I fell in love with. I really loved it. It's a simple enemies to lovers plot. It was cute and fun. It can be predictable, but I was expecting it to be so. The main cons I can think of is that there is a disconnect between the older actors and the actors playing their younger selves. The younger actors killed it. The older actors weren't horrible, but there was less chemistry. Also, FL felt like a weaker actress in comparison. Another annoying factor was ML's dad. He was over the top annoying with his revenge obsession. It was a bit too silly in that aspect. I like how no one was truly evil though, except for the main antagonist.

Short Review: The first half was boring. It struggles with pacing issues, bogged down by an overabundance of characters who fail to leave a lasting impression despite the star-studded cast. It's filled with boring scenes of men discussing, planning, and excessively smoking in a dark room. This slow buildup feels tedious, making it difficult to invest in the story or its players.

The second half becomes more thrilling as the plan to assassinate General Ito comes into fruition. It is packed with more action and suspense. One thing I loved is how they depicted the inner conflict of one of the characters. The film takes a nuanced approach to representing certain historical figures such as General Itō Hirobumi. The climax was intense. There was great use of sound mixing to capture the thrill and suspense of certain moments. Overall, this patriotic film is a great one time watch. I don't think I'll be watching again unless I'm a huge fan of war or historical films.

I suffered. I suffered so badly. It was mainly due to the episode length. This drama went on for way longer than it should have. Don't get me wrong, it's got some solid jokes and comedy in it that had me laughing, but that ended in the second half. I liked the "modern" scenes better than the "ancient" ones. ML + FL's lil bro duo was the cutest. There was also a sweet Flower King. That's about it. I didn't care for anyone else. This is basically a B-list production with cheap graphics. The plot is a mix of overused tropes (girl goes to ancient times and ML with the fish out of water story). I really think they should've ended it at halfway point when the first arc ends. They added this unnecessary, draggy, and repetitive second arc involving the SL that no one asked for. Basically, ML gets severely injured in a fight or is on the verge of death, they go to great lengths to save him, and then he aggravates his injury again and is on the verge of death again. This just repeats for like 4 times. The ending had a lot of holes in it that they never go back and address.

It's a remake of a South Indian film (Drishyam) and they maintain that style of direction. It was personally too overdramatic for me, especially for a cmovie. The suspense was good I guess.

This light drama was just what I needed at the moment. Don't be deceived by the title though. Just because FL is a comedian and the title has the word "smile" in it doesn't mean it's all fun and games. The drama has its serious side with many heartfelt scenes that can make you teary eyed. FL can be a bit annoying and dumb, but her smile is infectious. ML has his problems too, which can also get annoying, but I liked seeing his *very* slow growth. I was really rooting for the guy. I feel like the stand up comedy bits weren't that funny. Maybe it's a cultural difference/preference or maybe stuff got lost in translation. What annoyed me was the toxic parents of some supporting characters. Also, it annoyed me how irresponsibly piss drunk characters would get in this drama...especially the FL. The drama still ended up being worth the watch for me. It's cute and managed to make me smile and laugh. Also, the soundtrack was very pleasant to listen to, even if they might have overplayed the intro song to get their money's worth. xD Oh, and I absolutely loved how it ended. It was a perfect conclusion to the main romance arc.

I don't think anyone has the stamina to watch 60 episode saeguks these days, but I think it was actually great for its time. It has a strong/smart FL. The pacing is very good showing multiple arcs. Some plot points may seem like they've been forgotten, but they do eventually address them later on. The cliffhanger endings kept me hooked. Of course there were things that had me frustrated, the episode count being the biggest. It's not bad if you pace yourself. ML can be sweet, but dumb af. He was completely oblivious to some of the nonsense that was going on. The evil guys can get frustrating too. The acting standards were not that high back then. Adult FL's acting is pretty bad in the beginning, but improves later on. It's hard to believe this is the same actress from Happiness. ^^;; I think the last third of the drama got a bit frustrating with all of the palace politics. Overall, it really is a well made old school saeguk that had me genuinely smiling with glee at times. I think for today's standards I might give it a 7.5, but for back then it was great.

Feeling a bit emotional. It's a beautiful story about someone befriending a cat like person and then falling in love with them. It took some time to earn their companionship, but it was worth the wait. The tone of the first half is different than the second. Sometimes I felt deja vu while watching. Other times it was unpredictable. It felt a bit slow paced...or at least people spoke slowly. Overall, it's pretty good. This couple was cute together.

I don't know why I had dropped this initially on the first episode. Maybe I had no time for it? I picked it back up. It was hard paying attention at first, maybe I should have given it more of my undivided attention. Anyway, the mystery was good. It had many twists that threw me off guard, which I love! Toward the end of the drama, things got a little too farfetched or out of the realm of reality...BUT I just enjoyed that I didn't see things coming. It has a banging OST. Also, you can't go wrong with Nam Goon Min. :D

I had been warned about this drama and even made the effort to add it to my Not Interested list 6 years ago. However, someone forced me to resurrect it this year. The first half was okay. I somehow managed to power through. The editing and storytelling was a mess. The plot would jump all over the place. It didn't stick to a particular genre either. It wasn't quite a xianxia, but it still had magical elements. It's also hard to call it a Wuxia either. Then there were these weird creatures called Gu Abetted Men, which I think got lost in translation. They looked like white haired demons. Basically it was all very confusing to follow. Idk how some stuff got passed the censors. There was a legit butt shown twice! The second half was absolute torture. It had so much unnecessary plot and I don't think much was resolved. At this point, I had it playing on in the background. It was most definitely a waste of my time. The only good thing about this drama that I can think of is the Emperor played by Hu Bing. The man is beautiful and definitely a feast for the eyes. There was also a squirrel that initially gave me nightmares, but turned out to be a cute favorite.

Actually it wasn't that bad. The first 8 episodes were really good with the mystery, suspense, and angst. The music did a really good job of capturing intense emotions. The last four episodes were kind of meh. A few twists caught me off guard because I was expecting this to be a basic makjang. The last episode was a disappointing filler. I appreciate Chae Soo Bin's acting in this. She appeared weak, insecure, confused, and nervous. Her expression and body language were great. People may not have liked her character, which is a different story, but you have to admit the actress did a good job capturing this character. Overall it's an enjoyable watch if you like makjang and binge-watch it.

I liked the mystery. It wasn't too easy to predict. Some of the twists really caught me off guard. The antagonist was an interesting person. I also really liked the unusual friendship between FL and Eun Ho. That kid was an angel. ?Overall, it's a great mystery drama.

*cries in low budget* This was not a good remake. The acting in this drama was really bad and incredibly cringe. I had a hard time paying attention. This is one of those shows that you put on in the background and forget about. Doom scrolling on Tiktok seemed more appealing, and that has been very dark, depressing, and full of fear mongering place since the black out, which is saying something. But let's focus on the positives shall we? I can't really think of any, but I felt that the second half was a bit more interesting than the first.

A simple not too complicated plot. I liked both storylines, but I think I have to like FL's storyline with ML the most. The brother's storyline is okay. It's a high school romance and I think they did a decent job of capturing it. I hope something bad had happened to that one teacher. Otherwise, it was a cute and sweet drama, but also bittersweet.

*surprised pikachu face* What kind of lame ending was that? This is one of those low budget minis, so I've got to be more tolerant. It had an interesting concept of two people sharing the same body. I've seen it done before so I wasn't that impressed. It's a bit like those multiple personality plots. I will call the FLs Daytime FL and Nighttime FL. I didn't like daytime FL. She was very weak. Nighttime FL was badass and cool, but it was hard for me to believe she was badass with that weak looking body of hers. She was a bit of a miscast for me tbh. ML was okay. I didn't really ship him and daytime FL together. The main plot was super predictable as to who the mysterious enemy was.

Aww, this is soo cute. I didn't want to stop watching. Tiny FL is is so freaking adorable. There are a lot of cute and funny situations in this drama. It was a very much needed happy pill.

This was surprisingly pretty good for a Korean BL. It had good production and I liked the soundtrack too. The dialogue was really cute and funny at times. ML1 reminded me of a cat and ML2 reminded me of a puppy that barged into his life. ML2's manager even had golden retriever energy. The main characters were cute together. I also like how they didn't prolong any unnecessary drama. It was short, sweet, and to the point.

Just as I suspected, I didn't like this season as much. It was more gloomy and depressing. The editing in the first episode was a bit confusing cuz it took me a while to realize what happened. I wasn't really invested in the main couple this season. I was more interested in the little girl and her storyline. I also liked how ML1 surrounded himself by found family.

I knew that this wasn't going to be my cup of tea. I had read the webtoon way back, really disliked it, and ended up dropping it. Doona is a very unlikable character, especially in the beginning. The fact that she smoked excessively did not help the case. One thing I did like is ML in this adaptation. He's got a softer, cuter side. His "rival" cracked me up and stressed me out at the same time. I liked the end pairing for this character. The love square was interesting. Overall, it has a few good moments, but the gloomy and depressing atmosphere was not for me.

It's a low investment, relaxing, and stress free drama. It's very cute with all of the adorable animals. Yeah, there were murders happening in this small town, but for some reason it managed to remain wholesome and cute. I loved the older veteran cast. It was refreshing to see them on screen and how they comedically talked about old people problems. Also, the animal cast is excellent too. The dog that played Sophie is an amazing actor. Honestly, there were some scenes in this drama that were so freaking hilarious. The bilingual dog took me out. ? I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'd love to see a season 2.

I thought this drama was pretty good. The story managed to keep me interested, although it does occasionally fall into the palace politics trap. I really liked the FL and how intelligent she was. She was a strategist. ML was cool too. I really don't have much to say about him. Overall, it's an enjoyable drama, but I don't think I'm going to remember much a year from now.

I think this is my average episode rating. I quite liked this one. The backstories of all of the characters were interesting. The action was fun. This is more of a western style, bloody show. I loved seeing LDW in this guardian type role. He was a badass. I also liked FL's growth. The poor girl had a lot to process in those 48 hours. The only thing I got annoyed with is that some of the villains were too extreme. Usually they have a reason for their actions. I couldn't really get behind their logic on this one. Also, there is some sort of honor code among criminals. None of them had it or followed it, except maybe the twins. Episodes 6-8 were where they covered the villains' backstories and that's where I lost some of my interest. Other than that it's pretty great. They left some loose ends open for a season 2.

It started off a bit slow and boring, but it's a chill and relaxing watch. Both ML and FL grew on me. They made a great pair. I was not expecting introvert ML to have some moves. xD It's technically a business drama, but it felt more like a chill school project. I am not a fan of excessive drinking in dramas. Luckily, it seemed like people were drinking responsibly so I was less annoyed than with other dramas. There were some moments that really made me tear up. I also love the fact that ML is practically an empath.

Yo, why did no one (except Dawn) warn me that this drama was creepy af? My dumb ass started this in the middle of the night while it was cold and raining. It was freezing rain too, so the pitter patter was extra loud. It just amplified the experience to the max. Anyways, I have to give this drama props for the spooks. I've seen this shop concept before. I'd say the plot is about 7.5. The editing is purposely confusing and messy to throw you off. I'm just boosting the rating for the proper creep factor. It's perfect for October.

Apparently this is the most popular jdrama in 2024 on MDL. The first episode was kind of controversial, but funny. xD It's short and sweet. This couple is really cute together. I loved the intro theme song. The music grew on me. ML's work stress can get frustrating and start to rub off on you.

I can finally mark this complete! It had a great start and the first few episodes were fun, but somewhere along the line it went downhill for me. The two things I liked were the soundtrack and the visuals. However, too much focus on the visuals hurt the drama too. You had pretty people, pretty costumes, pretty scenery, pretty snow, pretty rain, pretty wind blowing in hair/clothes. In order to get these aesthetic shots, they slowed things down a lot. Not everything needed to be so dramatic and slow motion. It was hard to tell the real dramatic moments from the others. Somewhere along the way, they lost focus of the actual plot.

To sum it up, the plot was pretty much a bromance love triangle in which ML's ex bestie was jealous of ML's new boo. There were a lot of side stories and characters with backstories, which I'm not sure if we needed. The storytelling and editing felt all over the place because of it. Also, so many people sacrificed themselves in vane. What was the point? These villains either came back or were forgiven. And how could one demon be so invincible one minute and the so vulnerable the next? The math wasn't mathing. Anyways, if you're into visuals, you might really enjoy this drama. It felt like a fashion show with a lot of tears. Even the CGI was aesthetic...it was too much for my personal taste. Unfortunately, I'm a plot oriented person and that's where this drama was lacking. Hence, it will not be giving it a 7+ rating. I kept falling asleep while watching this drama and had to go back and rewatch multiple times.

Not necessarily a minidrama, but it's got a similar vibe to short length series because it has a low budget side to it. This was actually quite fun for me. You have two people trapped in a game as a married couple. Both have completely opposite goals that they have to complete. I loved them as rivals, partners, and lovers. The only thing is that I wish they had spent slightly more time winding down the plot after getting out of the game.

Not sure how to rate this one. I think it was probably decent for its time. I just found it longer than it need to be. It gets pretty draggy and repetitive in the second half. And don't get me started on that annoying evil ghost that kept popping up at the most inconvenient of times. FL is basically a ghost with amnesia, a concept that has been done countless times before. The supporting characters are very forgettable. They were mostly fillers. The side story with FL's mom and her love interest was kind of interesting. The main thing I liked was the cast. The main villain is also an interesting character I'd say. They want FL dead, but they also love FL. I'd say this love/hate relationship was interesting because it happened more than once between different characters. FL is really annoying in the beginning, but thankfully becomes a lot nicer after becoming a ghost. It made her seem more tolerable. Oh and the story was mostly very predictable besides that love/hate dynamic and the amnesia portion.

This was very cute and funny. I'm not sure how to rate it. Maybe 7.5 for GL standards. If this was a hetero romance, I'd probably give it a 7. These two were cute and funny together. I find it odd that FL did a complete 180 personality wise in the beginning. How does one go from rigid obtuse employee to golden retriever so suddenly? FL2 was really cool. There's a lesbian love triangle that I thought was pretty cliche. Then they do other typical things that prevents the couple from officially getting together.

Kaneshiro Takeshi stole my heart yet again in this film. His precious character reminded me of a stubborn but adorable puppy that insists on going for a walk, playing, or being fed. You just can't help but give in to his antics cuz he's so adorable. The other storyline involving the hitman was interesting, although the blondie love interest was really annoying. I liked the music for the hitman scenes lol. I also liked this unique filming style. It was very fitting for the cramped spaces of Hong Kong. I haven't seen Chungking Express yet though so I cannot compare. ?

Simple and cute jromance. ML is a bit of a tease...Idk why the English title says he bullies her. I don't usually like noonamances, but I liked this one. They were cute together. I especially loved ML's relationship with the women who raised him. The odds of finding a man like this irl are like 1 in a billion. FL is cute too in a mature way.

The first four episodes were stressful, but it was all worth it. I really loved this drama. This type of narration and editing is not new, but it is very refreshing for Chinese dramas. Narration wise, it can be similar to Jane the Virgin or Pushing Daisies (without the over the top telenova humor). The comedy was great. I loved the social commentary. I even liked the business side of this drama. It had intriguing insights. I'm just really weird and like business dramas that are done well. The story format follows a similar formula in which dramas depict the pioneers of unusual careers. These characters made a lot of sacrifices and paved the way for the industry to grow and be what it is today (similar to esports dramas like Go Go Squid and Cross Fire). The writing is well written in my opinion. The music was fun lol.

Reasons to watch:
- The stand up comedy. I did not bust out laughing, but the humor made me smile. I also appreciate this artform and was eager to see what Chinese stand up was like.

Be Wary Of:
- Business drama. There is a decent amount of it. I enjoyed it, but I can see plenty of people jumping into this drama who don't like this subgenre and expect more romance.
- Do not watch solely for the romance. Yes, there is some, but that is not the focus. This is about FL's journey. Also, she uses these romantic experiences to build her comedy material.
- A somewhat abrupt ending. I was very satisfied with it. FL's growth by the end was enough for me.

It took me a month to finish this one. I understand that there will be drama, but Trauma Code overdid it. It was too far from reality. It just seemed ridiculous how unrealistic this drama was. This hospital was so unorganized when it came to its trauma department. There are certain requirements for a hospital to be considered a trauma center, the most basic being 24/7 availability of specialized surgical teams across various specialties. This hospital didn't have it. The whole funding issue was dumb and the medical politics was even more unrealistic. There was way too much yelling and fighting. Even my mom pointed out how unrealistic, ridiculous, and loud this drama was. If you work anywhere in the healthcare industry, there's a good chance you'll find this absurd and disappointing. They clearly didn't do the research.

This was a cute friends to lovers romance. The main couple had a great dynamic together. ML was friend zoned so hard, he was a sworn brother. xD I actually really loved that about this friends to lover story. The romance is tagged as Slow Burn, but tbh it was mostly dragged out. They could've focused on other aspects of the plot or reduced the amount of fake outs. Some side stories were interesting. Their parents were really cute. The business part of it with the auditing department was kind of annoying and unnecessary. That being said, I liked how things played out with the business side of the drama. There was nothing that made me groan in frustration when it came it, but I was nervous about one sketchy guy. That one CEO was delulu. Overall it's a cute story. You might have to fast-forward through some stuff.

I ended up enjoying this drama despite having low expectations. I watched the OG drama Go Ahead a while ago so it's been long enough for me to forget. This was still fun, although many of my favorite scenes were taken out. I thought the casting was pretty spot on. One of the brothers was slightly off...I'm not saying which one. Unlike Go Ahead, the characters were more flat and one dimensional. I attribute this to there being less time. At the end of the day, Go Ahead is still a better quality product with the layers of writing that it had. However, this remake is still fun. In fact, it seemed like it intended to stay on that lighter romcom side.

I think the main issue I had with this drama was that it was boring. All that fake behind the scenes reality TV stuff was a snooze fest. Oh, and then, what a coincidence? All the contestants know each other. Most of the drama could've been avoided with proper communication. I wasn't really invested in any of the relationships. The main couple had an interesting, but confusing dynamic. I found it really weird that FL never talks about her past until the end. I feel like they were close enough besties to talk about it with each other. The lame antagonists also dropped my rating.

This is not one of SJK's best movies. The narration and flow of the story felt off. It takes place over many years starting from the IMF crisis facing S. Korea. It depicts ML's journey from the scared boy he used to be to the man he becomes. The movie felt like it was constricted to a certain timeline, almost like it was based off true events and had to stick to the script, but it is not based of a true story. It also reinforces negative Colombian stereotypes. I thought the ending was pretty cliche. I was mostly bored watching this movie. There really was nothing exciting about it.

It was alright...Maybe it's just not my cup of tea. It follows the lives of the two main characters, each struggling with problems of their own. One has dissociative amnesia, the other has what appears to be some sort of trauma or stage fright that prevents her from performing as a pianist. Then they add this additional character in who also has amnesia. I felt that this second plot was kind of random. It was like a filler supporting character. I believe this should've been a movie instead.