This was my first ever kdrama and is still the only one I’ve rewatched to this day. I know CLOY gets a lot of hype, but there is a reason for it!

First off, the love story is epic and very well done. The premise of the show creates the perfect opportunity for a star-crossed lovers story. I love the meet-cute, I love the grumpy-sunshine trope, I love the backstory of their paths having crossed before. Many, many shows have the storyline that the leads have known each other in the past, but I think few have executed it the way that CLOY does. One of the reasons I think it’s so successful is that it’s not a forced storyline of them knowing each other as kids or unknowingly being a part of the same traumatic event, instead it shows the ways their paths have continued to cross against all odds. This aspect of the show had a fated lovers/red thread of destiny aspect to it that I just loved.

Captain Ri is so reserved for most of the show and, yes, he is constantly saving her life, but he also displays his love through such beautiful, little acts of consideration. Se-ri is also such a fantastic female lead. It would have been easy in a show like this to have her solely be the damsel in distress who needs saving from the hero, but she also saved him multiple times. Se-ri was brave and determined, a perfect match for Captain Ri.

Another one of my favorite parts of the show is the found family dynamic she has with all of his friends. Found family is one of the best tropes and CLOY does it so well. Se-ri had her own relationship with each of the soldiers and they all loved her so much by the end of the show. All of these characters added so much needed humor to the story.

I know not everyone does, but I loved secondary couple as well. I wish they’d gotten more time on screen together. The two of them seemed like a perfect match because they both could be pretty morally grey but had such a soft spot for each other.

I love the majority of this drama but there are a couple things that keep it from being a 10 for me. The first is that I really wish the main couple had been more passionate. These two people are living never knowing when they’ll be pulled apart forever and understanding that when that happens, they’ll never see each other again, and you’re telling me that they barely touch each other?! Yeah, right. There are also several plot lines that the show spends way too much time on, which makes the episodes a lot longer than they needed to be. Dan’s mom and uncle had too much screen time, as did Se-ri’s brothers. Se-ri’s family dynamics were very confusing, especially with her dad.

Even with my minor complaints, I would still recommend just about everyone to watch this show. This is a fantastic starter drama as well and it introduces you to a lot of the most beloved tropes. CLOY was unforgettable to me.

Leia Mais

Great Start, Weak Finish

I loved this drama so much at the beginning. I liked the focus on friendship and the chemistry between the couples. The show portrayed sexism and had a pretty progressive attitude towards sex. One of my main issues is that the show focused on the three main friends and their romances, but I only cared about two of them. I found one of these storylines to be incredibly boring and skipped most of those scenes. The last few episodes really took the show down for me, which I would have rated much higher before I saw those. The decisions that the main lead makes in the last few episodes felt really bizarre and out of character.

Likes: Soo-ji - a part of me almost wanted her and the CEO to be the main couple because I cared about them so much. The portrayal of sexism, especially that in the corporate world. The focus on female friendship. Forced proximity and contract marriage trope for the main couple. Chemistry between all the couples was great. The way that the main couple bonded over the simple things and how those became some of their greatest joys in life.

Dislikes: Ho-rang's relationship just did not work for me and there is just no way that couple would work. I was frustrated when it would switch to this storyline because it took time away from the storylines I was interested in.
Everything with Ji-ho's family felt very unsatisfying as it didn't seem to really address the issues with her dad and brother. While I liked the main couple for the most part, there were quite a few times that I didn't understand her draw to him, as he felt pretty unappealing. The last few episodes Ji-ho made some decisions that felt almost cruel and didn't make any sense.

Leia Mais

Enemies to lovers is possibly my favorite trope of all time and I also love fake dating, so a combination of the two was right up my alley. I was not immediately sold on the show and it took me a couple of episodes to feel invested, but I ended up loving the leads and romance. I did feel like the reasons they hated each other at the beginning felt a little bit forced and didn’t resolve in a very satisfying way but I always appreciate the tension that enemies to lovers trope brings.

The show does have a pretty progressive and feminist lens, at least by kdrama standards. The male lead is fully aware of the female lead’s past and he stands by her completely. It did bother me that the show seemed to really harp on how he was drawn to her because “she’s not like other girls”, but it did bother me a little bit less because to her, he’s also not like other guys, so at least it went both ways.

I love when dramas don’t stick to the 16 episode model and allow themselves to be shorter, but the characters backstories were not as well-developed as I would have liked. It seemed pretty obvious that her issues with men stemmed from her dad’s treatment of her mom, but it was never really explored in detail. The male lead’s issues with women seemed to stem from his mother but they seemed so extreme and then just resolved immediately, with very little explanation about how his ex played into it.

I love when dramas show adult relationships in a complex and realistic way, which this show did really well. Once they get together, the main couple is very affectionate, they communicate well, they tease each other in a very sweet and good-natured way, and they very clearly support and trust one another. I would have liked to see more of them being happy in a relationship, but I do appreciate that this was a legit rom-com, with no wild unnecessary side plots. This was a super fast watch and it was overall a great time.

Leia Mais

Fangirling Over Ryan Gold

I had gotten very tired of hyped rom-coms that had leads in their late twenties or thirties acting like teens and dead fish kissing scenes. I heard this was a more mature romance and I was not disappointed.

Park Min-Young seems to have amazing chemistry with every actor she’s paired with, but her chemistry with Kim Jae-wook was really next level. The chemistry between the two of them paired with a fake dating trope? Forget it, I’m in.

The absolute main reason to watch this show is because of the male lead, Ryan Gold. Ryan was such a green flag and he was written in a way that went against so many drama stereotypes. There were many times where I expected him to get angry about a situation, and if it had been any other kdrama, it would have led to a miscommunication that lasted multiple episodes and probably also an unnecessary breakup. Instead, Ryan and Deok-mi communicated so beautifully with each other. The fights they did have were portrayed in such a healthy way and ended with them laughing and/or kissing. I think miscommunication is such an overplayed and boring trope a lot of the time and I loved seeing this show do things so differently.

I loved Kim Jae-wook’s portrayal as Ryan. He was so attractive and I loved that from the very beginning he was protective of Deok-mi, even if he had a completely wrong read of the situation. The way he was delighted by her fangirling and impressed by pretty much everything about her was so cute. The real first kiss scene was one of the best I have seen and they had many others that were just as good! I loved that the main couple was so playful and affectionate. I think the show did a great job portraying a realistic relationship for people in their thirties.
I think Shi-Ahn was actually adorable. I saw the twist coming, but I do wish that they had built it up a little better.

This show was well on its way to being in my top ten based on the main couple, but I did end up having a couple of gripes with it. I think basically everything with Eun-gi was poorly done. I hate a love triangle where one person has just no shot but tries to force it anyway. I think it was weird that he had those feelings in the first place and he definitely should’ve kept them to himself. I appreciated how unbothered Ryan was by their relationship and he fully trusted Deok-mi, but that whole plot was not needed.

The big reveal at the end of what had happened to Ryan and his connection to Deok-mi was also a major weak spot in the series. It didn’t make much sense and also added a layer of drama and mystery that this show didn’t need. The show also really took it easy on some of the darker aspects of fan culture. Deok-mi being so understanding of the people who stalked, assaulted, and doxxed her felt really unrealistic.

All that being said, I had so much fun with this drama. The leads had me giggling and kicking my feet. I want to see Kim Jae-wook in more rom coms for sure.

Leia Mais

Crazy and Fun

I am not usually a fan of the very soap opera-esque dramas that have over-the-top plots and acting, but this one worked for me. I think the secret to this story is that it was overtly overdramatic and didn't try to be anything it wasn't. The villains were so wildly evil that it was comical at times. Perfect Marriage Revenge is the perfect binge watch because it's a shorter short with a super fast-paced plot that keeps you interested. It's not the most memorable show, but it was super entertaining while I was in it.

Likes: Chemistry between the main couple was great. Keeping the explanations of the time travel vague worked and kept it from overcomplicating the story. The male lead was very protective and supportive immediately, total green flag. The female lead realizing her power and finding her self confidence. The mother-in-law and family was great and I loved her and the stepmother battling it out.

Dislikes: several characters got second chances that really did not deserve them. I wanted to see her entire family punished because they all deserved it. Ending felt a little rushed. The backstory for the romance was not explained or delved into enough and I would have liked more of it. Everything with his brother was kind of bizarre and a definite weak point. I wanted more of the friendship with her, his sister, and his cousin! Seeing Yi-joo before she starts her revenge was painful to watch.

Leia Mais

Comfort Drama

Hometown Cha-cha-cha is the drama that made me fall in love with dramas. It wasn’t the first one I watched but it’s what turned me from someone who had only seen a couple to someone who couldn’t stop watching them. I’ve seen this show twice now and it’s quickly become such a comfort show.

HCCC is the perfect rom com. The first episode drew me in immediately, from their meet cute on the beach to the reveal that behind his aloof exterior, he was obsessed with her from the beginning. Many people hate on Hye-jin, but even though she does some cringey things in the beginning, I always liked her. Hye-jin is a woman who comes off as very cold and detached, often saying the wrong thing and offending people. However, she had a great heart and she would go to bat for the people she cared about; she had a strong sense of justice and wasn’t ever willing to compromise her morals. Chief Hong is pretty notorious for being the perfect boyfriend and that is very accurate. The man’s acts of service are legendary and all the clips that would show him spending his time doing little things to make her happy (the shoes!) were some of the best parts of the show. They had amazing chemistry and I wouldn’t necessarily call it enemies to lovers, but I loved their bickering at the beginning.

There is a love triangle but Lee Sang-yi was incredibly charming and formed a great friendship with Chief Hong, so it didn’t take away from the story. The second couple also had a very cute story arc. This show is the blueprint for a small town drama. All the townspeople are kind of kooky but all get developed personalities and I came to love almost all of them. Even though not a ton happens in this show, it never felt boring and part of it is that they devoted time to all of the characters, not just the leads. Other small town dramas never seem to compare to this one because I don’t feel the attachment to the town the way I do in this one.

The first time I watched this, I sobbed my way through the last few episodes with Chief Hong’s backstory. Kim Seon-ho had an amazing performance. It was quite a tone shift for this otherwise very sweet show but they had really built up the mystery of his backstory and it made me need to see what had happened.

HCCC had the perfect ending. It’s one of the things that makes this a great comfort drama. There is almost nothing that I don’t like about this show. I don’t know if it will ever get knocked out of my top 5 dramas. More of these types of shows please!

Leia Mais

Cute Romance, Terrible Pacing

The Love You Give Me started off great and had a lot of promise to be a fun, sweet romcom and it might have stayed that way, if this show had been 20 episodes or less. There was not enough story for them to make this show so long and it felt like the writers were making up for this by throwing in annoying conflicts to keep this couple apart and prolong the story.

The lead actors had great chemistry and I kept watching because they were very cute together. The child actor who plays their son was adorable and their little family was very sweet to watch. The dynamic between the dad and the little boy was a highlight of the show.

The enemies/exes to lovers trope was really good and the two actors had great chemistry with each other, but the pacing felt so off with the execution. The tension of them being enemies was over very quickly, he found out about their son so early on, and they moved into co-parenting and being friends within a few episodes! It left very little plot for the rest of the show.

The final third of the show was very irritating to watch. It felt like this couple would take one step forward and two steps back. The other two side couples in this show were very uninteresting and had way too much screen time, especially at the end. I didn’t buy that either of those couples would be together. There was far too much time given to the company storylines that weren’t very interesting to start off with.

The flashbacks to the couple’s past at the end of each episode were really cute but the rest of the backstory was an absolute mess. When they did the full reveal as to what had happened, that was around the time I lost almost all interest in the show. I ended up fastforwarding through the majority of the last few episodes.

If they had significantly shortened this show to focus on the romance and take out some of the contrived conflicts, I would have liked it a lot better. There are great elements - the chemistry of the main couple, the adorable kid playing their son, strong characterization of both lead characters - but it wasn’t enough to combat a lot of the really boring filler.

Leia Mais

Severe Second Male Lead Syndrome

The first episode (or two episodes as it’s listed on MDL) was amazing. It was one of the best first episodes of a drama I’ve ever seen and set my expectations sky high. Unfortunately, the first episode was the highlight of the show.

The execution of the romance was one of the biggest issues. While the connection was there at the beginning, it really seemed to fade throughout the show and they stopped seeming romantic. Both the male and female main leads were odd characters on their own, and the two of them together seemed to magnify their awkwardness. Jung Hae-in plays one of the best second male leads in history and it was impossible not to root for him. I loved his character on his own, I loved his friendship with the leads, he was great. The show did handle his character’s feelings towards Hong-ju, the female main character, very well. His character deserved more screen time and a romance plot line of his own.

The psychic dreams started off extremely interesting but the show continued to complicate the lore so that by the end it was just very confusing. It did make for exciting storylines because they were all foreseeing each other’s deaths and then coming to save them. The thing that seemed crazy was that they weren’t better at saving the day when they would have all the details about a tragic event and somehow barely get there in time. It’s just to add the drama but it was a little annoying. Hong-ju made a lot of really bizarre decisions, even while having the knowledge from her dreams.

We all know childhood connections are very overplayed and this one did not work at all. The “twist” of the flashbacks was so unbelievably obvious but the show kept drawing it out as this great supposed mystery. If they were going to have their pasts connect, they could have done it in a much more interesting way. With all the time spent on their connection, the show didn’t spend enough explaining other parts of the main character’s backstories.

While You Were Sleeping has a pretty large cast of characters and a lot of the side characters were great. Firstly, Hong-ju’s mom was very funny and she got to interact with a ton of the other characters. The way she kept score of her daughter’s love interests was one of my highlights. The other prosecutors in Jae-chan’s office started out annoying but became funny and charming over the course of the show. The office romance was another really great side plot.

The beginning of While You Were Sleeping started off so strong for me and it just felt that it had lost some of the magic along the way. I did really enjoy a lot of the show, but the boring main romance and stupid character decisions brought it down a bit for me.

Leia Mais

For Fans of the Friends to Lovers Trope

Fight for My Way is friends to lovers at its peak. The show spent time building up the friendship between Ae-ra and Dong-man so that it felt really believable that they had been best friends for decades. Their banter, jokes, familiarity, and teasing felt very genuine. Fight for My Way felt very different in its portrayal of friends to lovers because there was a lot of honesty and vulnerability when they were coming to terms with their feelings for each other. I loved that they were constantly saying little things before they got together about how the other was making their heart flutter or that they had the impulse to kiss. The two of them were navigating their feelings together and being very cautious about it because it is the most important relationship in their lives. The evolution of their friendship into something more was an absolute delight to watch and the show leaned into the awkwardness that would come with wanting to be romantic and physical with your very best friend in a very charming and endearing way.

While I did have some issues with the storyline around Ae-ra and Dong-man, especially their last minute breakup, most of my gripes were with the other storylines. They have two other best friends that are a couple and he just did not deserve her in any way. Seol-hee was wonderful, genuinely so kind, and seeing the way her boyfriend treated her was so upsetting. It felt like the show really let him off the hook when he did not deserve it. She could have done much better and I would have preferred seeing her storyline be about finding someone who really appreciates her and her getting the life she’s dreamt of. Dong-man’s ex was another character who it felt like the show took it really easy on. She was infuriating to watch and a lot of her behaviors were actually illegal.

The show would have played much better if they just wrote out the entire landlady storyline. It was not executed well and it was very rushed because they waited until the end to reveal anything. It wasn’t needed and it would have been better if they used that time to focus on other relationships in the show that did really work, like Ae-ra and Dong-man’s families.

I loved both Ae-ra and Dong-man individually as characters, in addition to their relationship. Both actors had great performances and fantastic chemistry. This is the perfect pick if you’re looking for a show with the friends to lovers trope.

Leia Mais

I’ve never seen Go Ahead but I was immediately drawn to this show after seeing the previews. Starting from the first episode I loved the characters and their little family. The main dad is so precious and he had such a great dynamic with each of the kids and the other dad as well. I think I liked the first half of this show better, which starts off when they are little kids and then focuses on them in high school. The three younger leads, San-ha, Ju-won, and Hae-jun were all such well-written characters and the actors had amazing performances. Between San-ha and Hae-Jun’s backstories I think I was crying every episode.

The first half of the show did a good job showing the connections between all of the characters and highlighting each person’s personality and backstory. When they had the two boys leave home and then the show did the time jump, it didn’t feel quite the same after. I always loved San-ha and I thought that he had good chemistry with Ju-won, but their courtship felt so extremely rushed. I didn’t have an issue with them getting together but it seemed that Ju-won had no time to process his feelings about her and then think about her own. The show was running out of episodes and needed to have them get together, so it didn’t feel organic. The show could’ve benefitted from another couple episodes. Similarly, I loved Dal and was rooting for her to get Hae-jun, but it felt like another case of not having enough time for Hae-jun to reflect on his feelings and then decide to pursue her. I did really love that couple but I would’ve liked their romance to be built up a little more.

San-ha’s mom was truly diabolical and it killed me that the show and the characters never gave her what she deserved. I know the actress did a great job because I wanted to slap her every time she appeared on the screen.

The heart of the show truly was Ju-won’s dad. His and Hae-jun’s relationship was the source of most of my tears from this show; there were so many heartwarming moments showing how much he loved his son. One of the reasons I think the show worked better for me at the beginning is that I think the strength is the portrayal of their family dynamic. Even just the scenes where they were eating dinner together were fun to watch. Even with my few issues with the last few episodes, I still really loved this show and can see a rewatch in my future!

Leia Mais

Don’t Watch for the Plot, Just Seo In Guk

The Smile Has Left Your Eyes is not a show, in my opinion, that you can watch for the plot because the writing is extremely weak. The characters made little to no sense as the writers couldn’t seem to be consistent about any of their personalities.

The absolute weakest part of this show was the brother. His character made no sense and did the craziest things you’ve ever seen, with somehow little to no reaction from the other characters. His relationship with Seo In Guk’s character changes drastically from scene to scene with no explanation. His relationship with his sister also felt very off. Her characterization was pretty weak and only Jung So-min’s fantastic acting saved it. Her character’s reactions to some of the things that her brother did felt like a reaction that no human would ever have. It felt so bizarre that it completely took me out of the story.

With all of the weak points aside, this is Seo In-guk’s drama. I didn’t know much of him before this and it made me a fan. His character is dark and manipulative, but also magnetic. His performance was so expressive; I could’ve watched him smirk all day. It was easy to understand how Jung So-min’s character was pulled into his orbit. The chemistry between the two of them was what kept me watching. I’ve never seen Jung So-min not have great chemistry with someone in a drama before, but hers with Seo In-guk might be the best. Their characters had great physical chemistry but they also depicted intimacy and connection in a beautiful way as well.

I think this show makes little to no sense in terms of the characters and the story. In order to enjoy it, I think you have to watch it for the vibes. It’s a dark, melancholy show with these deeply flawed characters that are inexplicably drawn to each other. If that’s what you’re looking for, it’s still worth watching, I’d just say to set aside your expectations for the writing.

Leia Mais

Lighter and Princess is enemies to lovers done right. The tension between the two main characters was next level and their chemistry was obvious in every scene.

When the story starts off in present day, it’s very intriguing and you want to know more, but then it quickly jumps to flashbacks and stays there for much longer than expected. Parts of the flashbacks to college dragged on and there was a bit too much focus on school projects, but their evolution from strangers to rivals to friends to lovers was fantastic. The two of them felt like opposites in most ways but for some reason they seemed to get each other. The development of their relationship felt really organic. It was a little disappointing that they got together and the story immediately flashed forward three years, as it would have been great to see more of them as a happy couple in college, although what they did show was adorable.

The main conflict that unfolds at the end of the college storyline was a little strange. For two supposed geniuses, neither the villain nor Li Xun seemed to have particularly good plans. Li Xun could be very impulsive and hotheaded but, since they showed that he did plan his revenge, I would have expected it to be better. The way that he treated Zhu Yun felt pretty unnecessary.

At this point the story flashes forward another three years, to where they started in the first episode. One thing I found kind of bizarre was that they chose to have only three years pass since the end of the college storyline, but the characters really acted like it had been at least 10 years. Zhu Yun helped Li Xun get back on his feet and even though he really didn’t deserve it, it was satisfying to see her use her accomplishments, skill, and charm to get what she wanted for both of them. The company they both begin to work at became one of my favorite parts of the show. All the coworkers were shipping the two of them so hard and it made for a lot of comedic scenes. The chemistry the two of them had in the scenes when they are older showed how they had changed and it was darker and more mature than before. I really enjoyed the second half of the show because of their sizzling chemistry.

Li Xun was definitely a bit of a red flag and he did say some very hurtful things to Zhu Yun. Even if you could tell he was trying to push her away and that he felt bad, there was never enough of an apology to her. She gave and gave to him and he really needed to grovel instead of giving a short apology. However, even before they got back together, this couple was really the definition of a couple that would burn down the world for each other. Even though Zhu Yun did put up with a lot from Li Xun, she wasn’t willing to take any bullying from others, whether it was towards herself or Li Xun. I love seeing a protective female lead. Towards the end, the couple was very cute, I just would have liked them to get back together a little sooner.

Old Gao, their classmate turned villain, was a classic insecure man and I didn’t have a lot of sympathy for him. Li Xun definitely screwed him over a few times but Old Gao’s level of anger felt way too high for the situation. It was obvious that he actually resented Li Xun so deeply because he was jealous that Li Xun was smarter, better, and attractive to women. Li Xun’s trust in him felt insane to me when it was obvious how much Old Gao resented him. The resolution of this storyline in the end was such a disappointment and felt like a total cop out. I wished they’d gone a different way with it.

I could not stop watching this show and I binged it so fast. The chemistry was fantastic, the music was amazing, and there was a good balance between darker, lighter, and more comedic elements.

Leia Mais

I actually ended up watching When the Weather is Fine during the summer, but it was such a perfect cozy show that I’m going to have to do a rewatch in the winter. I was shocked at how much I loved this one from the beginning because it’s very slow but it was so atmospheric and beautiful that it really drew in. The cinematography of this show is gorgeous, the winter scenes especially.

This show was an introvert’s dream. It takes place in a small bookstore during winter, the town moves at a slower pace and the characters are more reserved. The scenes in the bookstore felt so cozy and comforting. The main characters are both quieter and more introverted but they really open up throughout the show. The romance was extremely sweet and their evolution from acquaintances to friends to lovers was beautifully done. Eun-seop could come off as cold or indifferent but it became clear that he just struggled with expressing his emotions. He did so many little things to show Hae-won how much he cared for her. The bookstore blog posts that they put at the ends of the episodes added so much to the story and you got to see everything from Eun-seop’s perspective. Those little bits made me fall in love with him. Even though Eun-seop fell first, Hae-won was the one moving the relationship forward. Her character was willing to put it all out there when it came to love and Eun-seop really needed that. I was so invested in their relationship.

The storyline with the mother felt kind of boring at first but it ended up going in an interesting direction. There were a lot of great side characters, especially Eun-seop’s family. The one character that I truly hated was Hae-won’s ex best friend. I’m glad the show did not entertain a true love triangle but she was such a terrible and deeply self-centered character.

I loved this show and can’t wait to watch it again while it’s snowing outside. This is absolutely a show to be enjoyed during the winter. Even if you usually like slower shows, this one is still worth a shot.

Leia Mais

It was so hard to rate Just Between Lovers because there were characters and storylines that I absolutely loved and then ones that I could not have cared less about. I ultimately did give it a pretty high rating because the best parts of the show made it so worth watching.

The main reason to watch this is Lee Jun-ho. The acting range that he has in this show is astounding. He perfectly captured the heartbreak, anger, charm, and recklessness of Gang-doo. Even without knowing his backstory, I immediately felt connected to this character. It really is Jun-ho’s show and no one else can really match his performance, but I did still like the female lead. The chemistry between the two of them was captivating and they really showed their emotions every time they looked at each other. Their characters and the romance was what kept me watching.

Going into this show, I thought it was going to be a lot more focused on healing and it was a bit of a disappointment that they barely go into that. The characters, especially the two leads, are deeply traumatized people. Highlighting the impact of trauma can be an important message but it didn’t seem like the characters got any kind of help and just were better. The show continued to dump more and more trauma onto Gang-doo’s character all the way until the very end of the show. It would’ve felt a lot less bleak if they didn’t add in all health issues at the end and instead just focused on him getting the help he needed and realizing how loved he really was. It was actually very hard to watch by the end because this kid could not catch a single break.

The second male lead was one of my least favorite parts of the show. He crossed a lot of boundaries and made it impossible to root for him. As her boss, it was very uncomfortable that he asked her out knowing she didn’t like him and then reacted poorly when she rejected him.

The side storyline with Ma-ri was also one of the weakest parts of the show and it was confusing why they were giving her relationship with Yoo-taek so much screen time. I had to skip most of their scenes. Moon-soo’s friend and her romance also felt really distasteful because of how they’d met.

Just Between Lovers brought attention to the real-life tragedy and addressed the importance of honoring those lost but also the emotional and physical scars that survivors and families have forever. There were so many characters that all had different connections to the event and it was interesting to see not only their own reactions but also how they all interacted with each other.

Leia Mais

I went into Flower of Evil not knowing a ton about it, not really knowing the main leads, and expecting a typical action or mystery drama. FoE so far surpassed my expectations and it might be the first drama that I had to keep binging and stayed up into the early morning hours on a weeknight to keep watching.

What I really did not expect from this show was to get such a beautiful epic relationship from the main couple. Part of it is definitely due to the amazing performances from the lead actors, especially Lee Joon Gi who poured every ounce of himself into this performance, but the characters were also so well written. It was a really interesting dynamic that the woman was the cop and she was the one investigating her husband and constantly protecting him. The character Ji won was so strong and she trusted her own instincts about her husband and their relationship, while still making sure to verify, in the face of so much doubt. I have seen criticism of her character, but I can’t say that I agree. All the scenes of her rescuing him were so nerve wracking but beautiful to watch because of their connection. I didn’t know what to make of the male lead for the beginning of the show, which is obviously by design. His character is so obviously showing his love and affection for his family throughout the show, but there are seeds of doubt, and his belief that he is incapable of those emotions was heartbreaking to watch.

One of the highlights of the show is when Lee Joon Gi’s character realizes that his wife knows everything and is still there, always protecting him. The emotion in that scene has me going back to watch edits of it every so often. Ji won’s belief in the good in her husband brought both him and me to tears. The little girl who plays their daughter was absolutely precious and her relationship with her dad made it so that I could never believe he was truly evil because no one who loves their child like that could ever be all bad.

I’m a sucker for a good sibling story and I really liked getting to see the relationship with his sister, and it would have been great to get even more of it. Her character felt so broken in a lot of ways but she was also willing to give everything for those she loved. This show did a really great job with their female characters and they all felt so complex.

The action and mystery in the show always kept me guessing, as there were a lot of times I wasn’t sure how things were going to go for the leads. The plot line with the cops looking into his past was anxiety-inducing because you never knew when he might get caught. The part of the story with the male lead’s parents started with a lot of tension because their relationship felt so off but you don’t know why. By the end of the show, that part felt a little frustrating because their decisions were really bizarre and there were a lot of plot holes around their story. The serial killer did end up being extremely creepy and I think the actor did a great job pulling off the character.

I think what kept this drama from being one of my very top favorites was mainly the ending. If they had added on another couple minutes to the penultimate episode, it could’ve ended there and probably been more enjoyable.

Watching Flower of Evil for the first time was such a great experience and I still would highly recommend the show. The acting performances and relationship between the leads was done so well that it makes me overlook any small issues I might have had with the plot. This show is the first one that put Lee Joon Gi on my radar, and I will absolutely be watching more of his work!

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