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 ...

  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...

  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." 

  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....

My Name (2021) Where to Watch:  Netflix Number of episodes: 8 Netflix Summary:  "Following her father's murder, a revenge-driven woman puts her trust in a powerful crime boss - and enters the police force under his direction." Starring: Han So-hee, Park Hee-soon, Ahn Bo-hyun Creators: Kim Va-da, Kim Jin-min KDramaCritic Rating: Watch KDramaCritic Short Review:  My Name (2021) maintains mystery and tension throughout the whole series.  The dialogue is more limited, emphasizing the actors' ranges of emotions.  Violence is a key part of the narrative - including an attempted rape.  I would classify it as a hard watch.  However, considering that I wasn't sure if I would like the show until after watching the final episode, I would consider the series to be very well done.  My Name (2021) earns a solid "Watch" rating.  The violence and tension prevent it from being a "Favorite" since I would hesitate to re-watch the show.

Sweet Home (2020) Where to Watch:  Netflix Number of Episodes: 10 Netflix Summary: "As humans turn into savage monsters and wreak terror, one troubled teen and his apartment neighbors fight to survive - and to hold on to their humanity." Starring: Song Kang, Lee Jin-uk, Lee Si-young Creators: Lee Eung-bok, Hong So-ri, Jang Young-woo, Kim Hyeong-min, Park So-hyeon, Park So-jeong My KDramaCritic Rating: Watch KDramaCritic Short Review:  Sweet Home (2020) puts an original spin on the typical zombie horror narrative.  The individual character development and plotlines carry the show.  As with all zombie stories, the exploration of humanity in a crisis is fascinating. It's hard to say more about it without spoilers.  I will add that the dog survives and a second season has been announced.  There is a fair amount of gore in this series.  Personally, the worst scene was early on when a cat head rolls past the camera, but thankfully the show does not rely too ...

  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...

All of Us Are Dead (2022) Where to Watch: Netflix Number of Episodes: 12 Netflix Description: "A high school becomes ground zero for a zombie virus outbreak. Trapped students must fight their way out - or turn into one of the rabid infected." Starring: Park Ji-hu, Yoon Chan-young, Cho Yi-hyun Creators: Lee JQ, Chun Sung-il, Kim Nam-su KDramaCritic Rating: Watch KDramaCritic Short Review: All of Us Are Dead (2022) balances horror and drama surprisingly well.  I have never been a fan of gore horror, so many zombie shows are hit or miss for me. The writing and acting stay strong throughout all twelve episodes creating an enjoyable narrative to watch.  My KDramaCritic rating is solidly "Watch." I would almost upgrade the rating to "Favorite" if I could see myself re-watching the show multiple times.