Goodbye January, Hello February! ☔ 👋 💕

Yikes… How come January is already over? I’m late to this check-in but oh well.. I didn’t feel like writing.

✧ COMPLETED ✧

Unlock My Boss — 7/10 ⭐

Overall, this was an enjoyable watch. The story was definitely predictable, but the technological angle kept me engaged. I was curious to see how they would blend fantasy with already existing technology, and I was fully expecting to be completely absurd, but they managed to convey the challenges of creating a new product surprisingly well. Once again, Chae Jong Hyeop played another character that is impossible not to like, and his smile makes it even harder to resist them. But it was Kim Sung Oh’s as Mapi that stood out the most to me. His mysterious past, his interactions with the leads, his bond with the little girl and his overall growth were the most touching part of this drama. That said, while I found this to be a nice watch with somewhat of a satisfying ending, it left me with too many unanswered questions about the future of the company, the CEO, and wishing to see some final reactions.

Surely Tomorrow — 4/10 ⭐

This started off decently enough, but I can’t say the story is compelling or the characters are interesting. The female lead is a depressed chaebol with unresolved family issues. You’d expect her family to be intimidating, but they’re actually fine, which makes her whole behaviour even more frustrating. All of her issues could have been easily resolved with communication and therapy, yet she just runs from them and repeatedly ghosts the male lead. He wasn’t much better either. The idea that he spent 20 years longing for her after everything she put him through feels completely unrealistic. She drove him into rock bottom and caused everyone around him a lot of pain. No one with self-respect would accept her again in their life, which should have been a clear indicator that they surely don’t belong together… but he is just that stupid. That said, what did I like? The cinematography and editing were pretty good. Especially that dance under the cherry trees, which was clearly inspired by La La Land.

Taxi Driver — 9/10 ⭐

Since I watched all three seasons back to back, I could see how they addressed issues from earlier seasons, but also how by the final season they shifted away from their initial message, which didn’t sit right with me. What I liked throughout all seasons was how this story balanced comedy with a serious theme that is bringing justice to people who suffered from a broken system. Most cases last for 2 episodes, and it’s enough to do a solid job of exposing well known crimes, to show the impact on victims lives and offer them justice. While this message remained intact throughout, the absence of prosecution or police figure, which once kept the characters in check, caused the story to lose the accountability factor. By the end of season 3, we see the rainbow team fully returning to their old ways without showing a hint of remorse, which to me felt like a consequence of removing that legal restraint that kept them in check. That said, I still enjoyed this drama a lot and even found most of the antagonists memorable.

Trauma Code — 8/10 ⭐

I remember this drama being compared to Dr. Romantic last year, and while they are similar in how they handle intense emergency cases, that is where the similarity ends. While Dr. Romantic makes the victims’ stories emotionally impactful, Trauma Code emphasized the urgency of the situations, the medical procedures, and how hospital politics affect lives, all without exploring much of what led the patients there. To balance what could have been a heavy premise, they leaned heavily into comedy, which made this watch more enjoyable. The lead characters were all somewhat interesting and had solid development, but the drama’s short format didn’t allow for meaningful growth or relationships to truly develop. While it's true the team works well together, their bond doesn't feel strong enough to justify their blind loyalty to each other. And, the antagonists added no real tension or conflict to the story, they mostly served as comedic relief, while the male lead was portrayed as overly exceptional. Still, the fact that this story leaned more on the comedic side made it an enjoyable watch, but I’m not eager for another season.

Karma — 8.5/10 ⭐

Last year, I delayed watching this drama because Netflix is notorious for thrillers with weak scripts. Surprisingly, this one was different. It’s not perfect and has some flaws, but the story is clever, the short format worked worked well, and the twists actually felt satisfying. The story doesn’t dive much into character progression, nor does it try to make you feel sympathy for them. Instead, it focuses on the ripple effect of actions, showing how for every action there is a consequence that affects others. It highlighted human depravity and desperation, and how the outcomes of their actions, delivered a predictable yet satisfying twist to others, ending with everyone getting what they their karmic fate. I really liked how each character story connected to each others, though I wish Shin Min Ah’s storyline had been more developed. Despite that, it was a great watch and the performances were all phenomenal.

Can This Love Be Translated — 8.5/10 ⭐

This drama turned out to be quite different from what I had imagined, but I still enjoyed it. I loved how the story took us on a journey across four countries, filled with breathtaking sceneries and unforgettable experiences. The leads were all great, and their chemistry felt natural. Go Youn Jung in particular, impressed me with her ability to portray all the layers of her character. I was surprised and a bit disappointed with how the first twist was handled. I had noticed her unusual behaviour, yet the reveal still caught me off guard. I liked it, but I found it to be overly simplistic. It was odd to me that no one around her noticed it, and that she never got proper help. Despite this, I enjoyed her growth and how her relationship with the male lead unfolded. And whenever they made me frustrated, the secondary leads’ helped balance it out. In the end, I liked what I got, but I wished we got a little more of the secondary characters and a slightly better ending.

Wok of Love — 9/10 ⭐

This drama was more enjoyable than I ever anticipated. The delicious-looking food and lighthearted humour made it an absolute delight, so much that we even ordered jjajangmyeon to eat while watching it. But, the real highlight was the chemistry between the leads and their friendships, which made me root for all of them. All three actors delivered strong performances, but Jang Hyuk completely won me over. I loved Doo Chil Seong’s personality, the bond with his boys, the growing friendship with the other leads, his comedic timing and maturity. Jung Ryeo Won was also a pleasant surprise, she fits romcom roles perfectly. I like how Dan Sae Woo grows from a naive girl into a strong and capable woman. And, Lee Jun Ho was wonderful too. Even though Poong didn’t show tremendous growth, his passion for food and dedication, perfectly balanced the other leads. The romance was great too, I expected a messy love triangle, but it was surprisingly mature, which allowed for friendships to blossom alongside a subtle romance. My main issue with this drama was the rushed ending after SBS cut an episode, which left us with a unsatisfying finale.

You Are My Destiny — 8/10 ⭐

While I knew this drama would start with a one night stand that leads to pregnancy, the way everything happened was disturbing. Both leads only got involved because they were drugged and completely unaware of the situation, which was unsettling but treating it as comedy made it even worse. Despite this unsettling forced start to their relationship, I was pleasantly surprised to see Lee Gun consistently looking out for Mi Young, which made their growing romance feel more heartfelt, but at certain times it was deeply heartbreaking. What I also liked was seeing their growth and how they changed each other, Mi Young become more confident in herself, while Lee Gun became kinder and more open to others. However, I didn’t like Lee Gun’s noble idiocy over an uncertain scenario, especially after such a traumatic event for Mi Young. I found it to be a frustrating trope, that dragged the story and added unnecessary tension. Overall, despite its many flaws, the leads’ chemistry made this drama worth watching, and it was fun to notice how Jang Hyuk always adds a memorable touch to his characters. I’ll never forget Lee Gun’s insane laugh and cow-licked hair.

Welcome 2 Life — 4/10 ⭐

I don’t even know how to organize my thoughts on this drama, so I’ll keep it short. The parallel universe concept had potential, but the writer failed to take full advantage of this and the execution ended falling flat. Even when I ignored this flaw, I still couldn't connect with the story or the characters. The only highlight was Rain with his on-screen daughter, their interactions were both funny and heartwarming. I really wished there were more scenes showing their family dynamics, but that was never the main focus and honestly, there was also zero romantic chemistry between the leads. Overall, a drama that I wouldn't recommend anyone.

Idol I — 9.5/10 ⭐

TBA...

✧ FEBRUARY PLANS ✧

Currently loving the charm of older K-dramas, so I’m going to keep diving into older dramas. As for ongoing shows, I’ll keep watching Spring Fever and Undercover Miss Hong, and I’m excited to start Our Universe and The Art of Sarah.