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Forecasting Love and Weather (2022)

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Forecasting Love and Weather (2022) Where to Watch: Netflix Number of Episodes: 16 Netflix Summary: " Inside a national weather service, love proves just as difficult to predict as rain or shine for a diligent forecaster and her free-spirited co-worker. "  Starring: Park Min-young, Song Kang, Yoon Bak, Yura Creators: Cha Young-hun, Kang Eun-kyung, Sun Young MyDramaCritic Rating: Watch MyDramaCritic Short Review: Forecasting Love and Weather (2022) surprised me.  I had put the show on in the background and expected a cut-and-dried romantic comedy.  However, the show quickly developed into a well written examination of love, dating and marriage in modern South Korea. The show follows several couples through various stages of dating, break-ups, marriage, and divorce.  Despite being a romantic comedy, the writers were able to show the difficulties of balancing a career, marriage and parenthood in South Korea today.  The serious subject matter balanced well with the main love stor
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Green Mothers' Club (2022)

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  Green Mothers' Club (2022) Where to Watch:  Netflix Number of Episodes: 16 Netflix Summary: "Five moms in a competitive grade school community keep their enemies close, and one another closer, as envy and secrets tangle and unravel their lives." Starring: Lee Yo-won, Choo Ja-hyun, Kim Gyu-ri Creators: Ra Ha-na, Shin Yee-won MyDramaCritic Rating: Watch MyDramaCritic Short Review: Green Mothers' Club (2022) got me hooked on KDramas.  I couldn't stop watching the series and thoroughly enjoyed the drama. Some scenes in this show are especially intense because the main characters' children are regularly part of the plot.  The child actors are fantastic, but it makes some scenes or interactions difficult to watch. Lee Yo-won's performance is absolutely fantastic.  In fact, most of the actresses from this show are firm favorites of mine after seeing their performances. There is domestic abuse (mostly language) and drug use. I do think the writers captured the p
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Café Minamdang (2022)

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 Café Minamdang (2022) Where to Watch:  Netflix Number of Episodes: 18 Netflix Summary:  "A suspicious business that offers the services of a purportedly all-knowing shaman catches the attention of a tenacious police inspector." Starring: Seo In-guk, Oh Yeon-seo, Kwak Si-yang Creators: Ko Jae-hyun, Park Hye-jin MyDramaCritic Rating: Favorite MyDramaCritic Short Review:  Café Minamdang (2022) is a better version of the American show Psych.  The story is well-written, the drama is deliciously campy and over-the-top.  I laughed and felt sad with a good balance throughout the whole series. Watching Café Minamdang (2022) was just a lot of fun and I am looking forward to re-watching the show. Arguably, the plot is somewhat predictable, but not in a way where the journey is ruined for the viewer.  The heavy handed drama of other comedies is not present, but I found that refreshing. MyDramaCritic rating is "Favorite" and I will hopefully have a chance to re-watch Café Minam
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Familiar Wife (2018)

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  Familiar Wife (2018) Where to Watch:  Netflix Number of Episodes: 16 Netflix Summary: "After receiving a bizarre chance to go back in time, a man wakes up to find that his whole life - including the person he married - is different." Starring: Ji Sung, Han Ji-min, Kang Han-na Creators: Lee Sang-yeop, Yang Hee-seung KDramaCritic Rating: Meh KDramaCritic Short Review:  I stopped watching Familiar Wife (2018) after three episodes.  The humor used in this romantic comedy is mostly cringe or awkward situations and I was not finding it to be funny.   In addition, the marriage between Seo Woo-jin and Cha Joo-hyuk was clearly not in a healthy state.  In addition to the lack of communication, Seo Woo-jin throws items and yells at Cha Joo-hyuk.  In turn, Cha Joo-hyuk hides purchases and tries to avoid home (and by extension his children).  When Cha Joo-hyuk wakes up to his new life with Lee Hye-won as his wife and she shows him basic affection, I decided that was a good enough ending
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The Uncanny Counter (2020)

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  The Uncanny Counter (2020) Where to Watch:  Netflix Number of Episodes: 20 Netflix Summary: "Noodle shop employees by day and demon hunters by night, the Counters use special abilities to chase down malevolent spirits that prey on humans." Starring: Cho Byeong-kyu, Yu Jun-sang, Kim Se-jeong Creators: You Sun-dong, Yeoh Gee-na, Kim Sae-bom  KDramaCritic Rating: Watch KDramaCritic Short Review: The Uncanny Counter (2020) is a solid fantasy show.  Some parts were predictable fantasy plot arcs, while the writers surprised me in other places.   The writers and actors developed the main characters well and I enjoyed seeing Kim Se-jeong's range in a more serious role.   The heart-tugging scenes did make me cry and the overall sense of urgency that the show communicates would make this a difficult re-watch for me.  However, I do think it is solidly "Watch" and that less sensitive viewers could easily add it to "Favorite." 
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Hotel Del Luna (2019)

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  Hotel Del Luna (2019) Where to Watch:  Netflix Number of Episodes: 16 Netflix Summary: "When he's invited to manage a hotel for dead souls, an elite hotelier gets to know the establishment's ancient owner and her strange world." Starring: Lee Ji-eun, Yeo Jin-goo, Shin Jung-keun Creators: Oh Choong-hwan, Hong Jung-eun, Hong Mi-ran KDramaCritic Rating: Watch KDramaCritic Short Review: Hotel Del Luna (2019) crafts a surprisingly emotional narrative.  The show's premise necessitates discussions about life and death and handles those dialogues well.  I cried multiple times throughout the series. The viewer grows very attached to the characters, especially because the writers and actors do an excellent job and fleshing out their stories.  Again, lots of tears but some were happy tears. If there were holes in the fantasy logic, thankfully they were not glaring ones.  Overall, the suspension of disbelief was easily maintained for the entire course of the story.  While I
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Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021)

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  Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021) Where to Watch:  Netflix Number of Episodes: 16 Netflix Summary: "A big-city dentist opens up a practice in a close-knit seaside village, home to a charming jack-of-all-trades who is her polar opposite in every way." Starring: Shin Min-a, Kim Seon-ho, Lee Sang-yi Creators: Yu Je-won, Shin Ha-eun KDramaCritic Rating: Meh KDramaCritic Review: I tried to give Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021) a fair chance.  I watched about ten episodes before abandoning the effort.  I have never had the desire to finish watching the series. The premise works well for a romantic comedy movie, but not as well for a full-length romantic comedy show.  About half way through the show, I felt like the writers were scrambling for ways to keep the main characters apart and to add drama. Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021) could have been wrapped up in about eight episodes and been a cute story.  Sadly, I am rating it Meh since half the show was filler content. 
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