KDramaCritic

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 ...

  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 dec...

  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....

  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. 

Business Proposal (2022) Where to Watch: Netflix Number of Episodes: 12 Netflix Description: "In disguise as her friend, Ha-ri shows up to a blind date to scare him away. But plans go awry when he turns out to be her CEO - and makes a proposal." Starring: Ahn Hyo-seop, Kim Se-jeong, Kim Min-gue Creators: Park Seon-ho, Han Sul-hee, Hong Bo-hui KDramaCritic Rating: Favorite KDramaCritic Short Review: Business Proposal (2022) is the first romantic comedy to make me laugh out loud multiple times throughout the series.   The only major weakness of the series is that the last plot arc felt like filler to stretch the series out.  While not as strong as the majority of the show, I completed watching the series without being disappointed.  In regards to social issues, I would say the trope of pursuing someone romantically even after a firm "no" has been said is present.  Sadly, I think most kdramas I have watched use this to extend romance arcs.  However, I still en...

  It's Okay to Not Be Okay (2020) Where to Watch:  Netflix Number of Episodes: 16 Netflix Description: "An extraordinary road to emotional healing opens up for an antisocial children's book writer and a selfless psych ward caretaker when they cross paths." Starring: Kim Soo-hyn, Seo Yea-ji, Oh Jung-se Creators: Park Shin-woo, Jo Yong KDramaCritic Rating: Watch KDramaCritic Short Review: Initially, I stopped watching It's Okay to Not Be Okay (2020) after the first episode.  The show jumps straight into the bizarre world that the characters live in and it was jarring.  However, I kept thinking about the episode for several days afterwards and internally debated giving the show another chance. I started watching it again and finished the series. I would caution that this drama is a hard watch.  The mental illness and trauma depicted are difficult to watch at times, but the redemption arc for each character brings hope. On a personal note, I did relate to the autist...