#k drama reviews | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

k-nonsense · 1 year

Text

My updated rankings/reviews of all the k dramas I have seen so far (up to 54 now). I would recommend any show I gave a C grade or higher, which is most of them. I bolded recently added shows.

1. Hometown Cha Cha Cha: An absolute masterpiece. It’s a heartwarming fish out of water story about a big city girl who finds herself in the quirkiest little seaside town. I wanted to stay in Gongjin forever. Grade: A+(Netflix)

2. Extraordinary Attorney Woo (S1): Delightful! Never have I ever rooted for a lead harder. She is the most endearing lead you will ever find. And the male lead is so so swoony. Grade: A+(Netflix)

3. Alchemy of Souls: The wildest of rides and the perfect blend of fantasy, adventure, mystery, comedy, and romance. The characters are just so lovable, you’ll never want it to end. Season 2 just as good as Season 1. Grade: A+ (Netflix)

4. Love To Hate You: New fastest binge of my life. 10 episodes and I didn’t fast forward at all. There were no bad/slow parts. Also the funniest KDrama I’ve ever seen. Just watch it. You won’t regret it. Grade A+ (Netflix).

5. My Demon: This show had me utterly enthralled, it was so mysterious and suspenseful and yet incredibly goofy and romantic. My new favorite main couple in all KDrama land. Yes it wasn’t perfect but I enjoyed it so much, it really encapsulated everything I love in a tv show. Grade: A (Netflix)

6. Business Proposal: It’s got every trope you can think of and it does them all to perfection. Plus it’s hilarious. Grade: A (Netflix)

7. Healer: This super romantic action mystery drama will keep you on the edge of your seat. Ji Chang Wook is equal parts sexy and adorable which is a seriously winning combination. Grade A (Viki). One caveat: I was very disappointed by a certain wardrobe decision in episode 3.

8.Her Private Life: Super funny and charming. The romantic leads have incredible chemistry. The premise is so good! Might be the one of the most rewatchable kdramas. Grade: A (Netflix)

9. Castaway Diva: Just utterly heartwarming. An instant classic. Ultimate underdog, redemption, story that teaches us what real love and family is. Also Ki-Ho is the new standard by which all men will be judged. Grade: A (Netflix)

10. Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung: Great strong female lead. Very good messages. Couldn’t stop watching. The most adorable prince I’ve ever seen 💜Cha Eunwoo💜 Grade: A (Netflix)

11. Bad Prosecutor: Absolutely thrilling and hilarious. It’s like a heist, detective, lawyer, action comedy that will keep you wondering who is outsmarting who? Super shocking plot twists. Amazing OST. Stuck the landing with a truly satisfying finale. Grade A (Viki)

12. Sh**ting Stars: Probable the biggest turnaround of any show I’ve seen (The “Africa” part was so problematic). However it turned out to be one of the funniest and swooniest KDramas out there. There are 5 couples and you will cheer for all of them. Grade: A- (Viki)

13. Strong Woman Do Bong Soon: The main couple is absolutely everything! Just fast forward through pretty much every side plot (they are not important) and you’ll love it. Grade: A- (Viki)

14. So I Married the Anti-Fan: It’s campy, fluffy, goodness, with a fierce female lead and a K-pop star enemy/love interest. 2nd fastest binge of my life. Grade: A- (Viki)

15. 100 Days My Prince: An absolute classic period drama romcom. Who knew D.O. could kiss like that? Such a great strong female lead. I LOVE a show with adorable, quirky, townspeople. Grade: A- (Netflix)

16. Romance is a Bonus Book: Might be the most romantic K-Drama I’ve ever seen. Nothing about the trailer or setup intrigued me but I’m so glad I watched it anyway. It was a truly beautiful love story. Grade: A- (Netflix)

17. Because This Is My First Life: This drama really does everything right for me… A slow burn romance built on mutual love and respect. Supporting characters who I genuinely cared about and had incredible side stories of their own. A critique of the patriarchy. Women supporting women. An adorable cat. Maybe a bit melodramatic at times but not too much. Grade A- (Netflix)

18. Start-Up: Exceptional acting, compelling storylines, intriguing plot twists, great cinematography, intense love triangle. It’s just all around high quality. Grade: A- (Netflix)

19. Run On: Cute, fun, silly and pretty light. I especially loved the supporting cast. Strange storyline but it was a fun easy ride. Grade: A- (Netflix)

20. Forbidden Marriage: This is a weird show, but weird in the best way. It’s like a comedy, horror, romance, fictional-historical. I don’t know how to describe it but it’s really fun. B+(Viki)

21. Soundtrack #1: Short and beautiful. I just loved it. No one does heart eyes better than Park Hyung-Sik. Grade: B+(Disney+)

22. Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo: A bad-ass yet vulnerable female lead. The main couple just had a lot of fun together. Refreshing. Grade: B+ (Viki)

23. Doctor Slump: This show was a really nice journey of both mental health and romance. Grade: B+ (Netflix)

24. Welcome to Samdalri: Very heartwarming and beautiful story about love, family, friendship, and going home. It has quirky townspeople and Ji Chang Wook 😍 what’s not to love? Grade: B+ (Netflix)

25. My Lovely Liar: Creative and engaging premise, intriguing mystery, and a swoon worthy romance. A very fun viewing experience. Grade: B+ (Viki)

26. King the Land: This drama pretty much has no stakes or conflict and the main couple has THE MOST chemistry I have ever seen in my entire life. So if you just want to turn your brain off and be happy, this is the drama for you. I absolutely loved it. Grade: B+ (Netflix)

27.Law Cafe: This drama has so much to love, a strong/fierce/brilliant and morally righteous female lead, lovable side characters, steamy romance. But what I loved most was how the show spotlighted important issues like consent and abuse in nuanced and progressive ways. Yes it’s a fun rom-com but it felt like the beginning of a new chapter of more egalitarian storytelling which made me really excited for the future of k-dramas. Grade: B+ (Viki)

28. Not Others: A lovely Gilmore Girls type show about the relationship between an immature mother and her very mature adult daughter. It was a pleasure seeing them grow in their relationships with each other, others, and themselves. I want more! Grade B+ (Viki)

29. Cheer Up: Sports, comedy, romance, mystery, suspense, coming of age, this show had everything. The female lead was the lovable, feisty, driven, and brave. The male lead was adorkable, considerate, and sweet. It’s all very enjoyable and wholesome. Grade: B+ (Viki)

30. I Am Not A Robot: Zany premise but it was surprisingly pretty grounded for how crazy the set up was. It’s funny, emotional, good story telling. Great character development. Grade: B+ (Viki)

31. See You in My 19th Life: The shared experience of watching this mystical mystery drama week to week made it a really enjoyable watch. Not sure if it was totally satisfying, or that any of the couples’ chemistry felt authentic, but it was a very interesting and creative storyline. Grade B (Netflix)

32. Summer Strike: This show made me cry a lot. It’s heartbreaking yet healing. I’m still not sure if I liked watching it or not but it was a beautiful story of found family. Grade B (Netflix).

33. Shopping King Louie: Adorable! So many light fluffy feels for this show but it does drag a bit in the second half. Grade B (Viki)

34, Fight For My Way: Such lovable leads. Love the fierce female lead and adorable himbo male lead. It’s like a coming of age story but for 30 year olds. Storyline was ok. Second couple was skippable. Grade: B (Viki)

35. What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim: More PSJ is always a good thing. This drama did all the tropes in ways that didn’t always feel fresh, but it was very romantic and hilarious. A true classic. Grade: B (Viki)

36. Touch Your Heart: If you can just stick it out through the first few very shaky episodes, you will enjoy this adorable, fluffy, series. Grade: B- (Netflix)

37. Doom at Your Service: It was sometimes real sad yet ultimately a heart warming mystical story. Grade: B- (Viki)

38. True Beauty: Fun, cute, teen drama however, it’s a little too “antsy teen” for me. Cha Eunwoo though💜 Grade: C+ (Viki)

39. Destined With You: The chemistry between the main couple was absolutely sizzling. Rowoon was both hilarious and next level adorable. However, the plot and the characterization of women occasionally made me very frustrated. Grade: C+ (Netflix).

40. Suspicious Partner: Great story, great characters, attractive actors, beautiful romance, interesting plot, sometimes funny, sometimes suspenseful, but with 40 episodes, the plot was dragged. Grade C+ (Viki)

41. Crash Landing On You: The first half is GREAT but the second half is way too melodramatic for my taste. It’s a very interesting storyline, the main couple has insane chemistry, and there are very lovable side characters. Grade: C+ (Netflix)

42. Secret Romantic Guesthouse: First few episodes were a fun scooby gang mystery, middle episodes were super boring, last 3 episodes were crazy fast paced and thrilling. It ended well- I’ll give it that. Grade: C (Viki)

43. Dear.M: It was inoffensive and decently entertaining. If you like school dramas, you’ll probably enjoy it. Grade: C (Viki).

44. A Good Day To Be A Dog: The storyline is bonkers but very intriguing. It started off so well but the storyline lost its way in the back half. But hey, Cha Eunwoo + dogs, it’s worth the watch. Grade: C (Viki).

45. Angel’s Last Mission: Love: This drama was very similar to Doom At Your Service but it was more a bit more redundant with all of the tragedy and crying. I LOVED the chemistry of the main couple but I found myself fast forwarding a lot. Grade: C- (Viki)

46. Marry My Husband: Episodes 1-11 were phenomenal. Such an interesting premise with shocking twists and turns. After episode 11 it seemed like there were new writers who had never seen the show. Very disappointing but top tier villains. Grade: C-

47. Our Beloved Summer: I LOVED V’s “Christmas Tree” OST however I struggled to keep watching. Boring storyline but great acting. Grade: D+ (Netflix)

48. Heavenly Idol: An absolute hot mess. It was completely convoluted and just low quality but I also weirdly liked it. I can’t bring myself to rank it higher because I know how bad it was but I actually enjoyed it better than many shows I ranked ahead of it. Grade: D+ (Viki)

49. My Secret Romance: The story of a total screw up female lead falling for a manipulative, gaslighting, hottie. It was problematic yet fun? So 🤷‍♀️ Grade: D+ (Netflix)

50. My Man Is Cupid: Pros: many cute dogs, sometimes those dogs wear human clothes, cute ending. Cons: Makes no sense, not much chemistry, murder plot takes up too much time. Grade D+ (Prime).

51. She Would Never Know: As handsome as Rowoon is, I found his character problematic at the beginning (no means no buddy) but he did get a lot better as the show went on. I just ended up skipping to watch just the scenes with the main couple, which made the show way more enjoyable. Grade D (Netflix)

52. My Love From the Star: I found myself fast forwarding a lot through all the parts that didn’t involve the main couple and most of the flashbacks. Grade D (Viki)

53. Goblin: The age gap is too disturbing for me, like call the police disturbing. However, the Grim Reaper who is one of the most adorable characters I’ve ever seen. Grade: D- (Viki)

54. Extra-Ordinary You: I have never felt so betrayed by a second half of a series as I did in this one. All of the character development that it seemed to be leading to was replaced by a pretty sickening codependent relationship. Grade: D- (Viki).

Currently Watching: Wedding Impossible (I think I like it)

Dramas I’m Thinking About Watching: Gaus Electronics, Bad and Crazy, Hospital Playlist, Another Miss Oh, Oh My Venus, My Roommate is Gumiho, She Was Pretty, Crash Course in Romance, Soundtrack #2, Queen of Tears

Dramas I just couldn’t Finish (I’m sorry I tried): Today’s Webtoon, Once Upon a Small Town, Love in Contract, Hotel Del Luna, Kings Affection, Record of Youth, Behind Your Touch, Sparkling Watermelon, Tale of Nine Tailed 1938, Strong Girl Nam Soon, The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract

What are your thoughts on these shows? Do you agree or disagree with my rankings? Any k-romcom recommendations that are not on the list yet?

823 notes · View notes

deafening-enthusiastic-dreamer · 2 months

Text

Queen of Tears

I truly admire the new techniques used in terms of camera angles and the way it tells the story in a way.

this scene was soo good.

I love how they show . rather then tell us how she feels when she hears about the fact that she has only three months to live. There are parts where they do the exact opposite, which i am somewhat iffy about. I hope they reduce it along the coming episodes.

the scene below though short, feels perfect at this time- it feels like foreshadowing of events. and also the long shot with symmetry and the pillar that acts as the divide, along with the lighting showing different moods. Very interesting to see.

also the shots when they reveal her understanding of time being lost. the static images with handheld camera scenes shows how unstable and confused she feels.

also this is the very first drama that i have seen that has willing broken the 4th wall. Its very rare and feels quite invasive as a viewer. But I do like this non traditional way of story telling, so far in the series.

#kdramas #kdrama #south korea #tv series #comedy #romance #netfilx korea #tvn #tyv korea #queen of tears #review #reactions #reads #tv review #ott #series review #k drama recommendation #recommendations

40 notes · View notes

chthonic-empyrean · 11 days

Text

أنت الشخصية الرئيسية في كل قصائدي

You're the main character of all my poetry

37 notes · View notes

northnodal · 5 months

Text

doona! reflections (spoilers):

i initially expected it to be the typical average boy falls for manic pixie dream girl trope—a male fantasy of a vulnerable, unstable idol dropping everything for them.

however, i found the storyline realistic for the context. doona was vulnerable and taken advantage of at a young age then later grew attached to someone—won-joon—who showed her real care for the first time in her life.

her performing passion was associated with emptiness. she first did it because she didn’t want to be abandoned nor forgotten, but the payoff was artificial. the intention drained her.

with won-joon, she experienced something genuine—it meant a lot to her and kept her alive, as she said in the finale. that’s why it was so “passionate,” ecstatic, and tumultuous for both of them.

of course, that didn’t automatically heal her complicated attachment to park in-wook, and it was hard for her to deal with such unfamiliar emotions (toward won-joon). she acted in inconsistent ways and didn’t know how to maturely navigate the relationship.

but she gained knowledge from her connection to won-joon—she got a taste of how it felt not to be lonely or used.

she eventually made a comeback, not for artificial love, but because performing brought her joy. won-joon regretfully let her go, leaving her feeling abandoned once more.

4 years later, she was in a completely different place. not only was her career successful, but she was no longer lonely. she had a support system. she no longer “needed” won-joon, but missed him nonetheless.

the show ends with them consciously parting ways. doona returned to her career in a much better place—a place of joy, not a need.

the show was on the darker side and centered around doona transforming her relationship with idol life and loneliness. the main characters don’t need to end up together for it to be a happy ending. sometimes they just grow from their time together and move on—doona grew to form genuine relationships and love for herself. that’s what i loved about the series.

gif source

#doona!#bae suzy #nn intuition #visuals #kdrama #korean drama #netflix series #netflix kdrama #k drama #kdrama series #kdrama review #kdrama recommendations #business proposal

21 notes · View notes

miyasbingelist · 2 months

Text

Finally got the time to start w this! Istg it was so hard to avoid the spoilers lmao. This looks sooo promising can't waitttt to watch it!

Poster

#will be back for reviews when im done w 4eps!#currently watching #marry my husband #park min young #na in woo #kdrama #kdrama series #tv series #k drama #korean drama

18 notes · View notes

stuffnonsenseandotherthings · 5 months

Text

Castaway Diva - Wrap Up Review

I'm not quite sure what it was, but something about Castaway Diva felt like something of a throw back to the K-drama golden age of the early 2010s. Perhaps it was the plot(s - there were a lot of them), perhaps it was the characters (who were both deeply traumatised and wonderfully carefree), perhaps it was the way it was a simply just very fun watch (as long as you didn't think about it too hard, once you started asking questions things got a little holey).

Overall I did have a good time watching this; I liked the characters, I enjoyed their different dynamics, I even liked some of the songs, which is not normally the case for me with musical dramas but Dream Us is now on a playlist and I've looked up a few of the other songs too. The story itself was a relatively fun ride too, although it did suffer from being, for lack of a better phrase, very over stuffed. Domestic abuse, identity theft, the politics of the Korean entertainment industry, a social re-intergration plotline, a love triangle, and more all jostled for screen time and dominance and there were definitely times when it felt like were two completely different dramas going on at once, ones which just happened to be sharing sets and a cast. That feeling only grew as the drama progressed, unfortunately, along with the suspicion that, because Castaway Diva couldn't decide on what it wanted to be, both major plotlines suffered as a result.

One thing I did really enjoy the whole way through was the cast. Park Eun Bin was as stunning as always (although for the first 2 episodes it did sometimes feel like she was trying to shake off the last vestiges of Extraordinary Attorney Woo); it was great to see Chae Jong Hyeop in a lead role again; and Hakyeon impressed a lot as the second male lead with an actual heart of gold. I also really enjoyed Kim Hyo Jin as Kim Ran Joo, it was my first time seeing her in any role and she definitely left a very positive impression, so positive that I'm planning to keep an eye on what she does next.

Equally impressive as the adults were Lee Re as young Mok Ha and Moon Woo Jin as young Ki Ho, both of whom put on such compelling performances that I almost wished we could have had a drama solely dedicated to their lives on the island. Their performances and plotline were some of the highlights of the entire show for me and perhaps therein lies the main problem: the first episode was so impactful but so different from everything that came after it that my mind kept drifting back to those first 60 minutes and wanting more, wanting it so much that the fact that there wasn't more felt like a genuine loss, the loss of a very different, much darker, much more serious drama-that-could-have-been.

TLDR Stats

🎧 Music: 7.5/10 - Dream Us is on repeat and the other songs weren't skipped.

🎭 Acting: 8.5/10 - They carried the many plots and they carried them well.

📑 Story: 7.0/10 - The writers should have picked one story to focus on instead of trying to shoehorn two very different it's into one drama. The bits we got of each drama were pretty good and would only have got better if the focus was solely on them.

👩‍⚖️ Overall: 7.5/10 - I enjoyed it while I was watching it but I doubt I'll be watching it again.

🙆‍♀️ Rec for: People who are looking for a relatively light, uncomplicated watch with highly enjoyable chemistry between characters although be warned the first episode is anything but light.

🙅‍♀️ Wreck for: People who like to ask the question "why?" when watching dramas.

#k-drama #castaway diva #k-drama review #castaway diva review #wrap up review

8 notes · View notes

somedayillbepeterpan · 1 year

Text

I tried to re-"catch" the feelings I was having from watching Crash Course in Romance.

So, I looked into my deep watchlist and ended up with two very thoroughly enjoyable k-dramas that are re-watchable for a picky watcher like me. This is going to be long so read below if interested about the k-dramas Our Beloved Summer and Reply 1988

our beloved summer

I'm a sucker for slice-of-life stories. while this story navigates through different timelines, it expertly toes the line between the past and the present thus presenting a full growth for each character in this simple yet relatable story. i love the script. i especially love the ost which i listen to every day even after finishing this drama a couple of months back.

our beloved summer, adapted from a webtoon, is the story of Choi Woong and Kook Yoon-seo who became viral after starring in a documentary about the contrast of the top and worst student in their highschool. that alone makes you curious. it's a catchy premise and the whole story manages keep the premise alive until the end.

the story is simple and you can guess where the story is headed. but what made me stay is the pacing and the writing. and it being true to what it set out to do-- to say that love can be found in different people in different times. but there are special moments where you find a different love in the same person at a different time.

i can confidently say that Choi Wooshik and Kim Da-mi are both actors to watch out for. they are not just made for the small screen. they each have such a presence that can't just be contained in a small screen. or maybe i just loved their chemistry so much. it's not even that kind of chemistry where it will grip your heart but it's the work that they put on both characters to make them as authentic as possible. i was drawn in on how they portrayed Woong and Yoon-seo. i was drawn on why they did what they did that led to their eventual *spoilers ahead* break-up and subsequent marriage.

watch this if you're not too heartbroken and you like a slow paced stories that fleshes out human emotions particularly of love-- to a romantic partner, to a mother, to a friend, and to found family.

i particularly loved the way they blindsided me about the reason why Woong was the was he was and why in a way he couldn't open himself up completely to Yoon-seo made me fall in love with the writing. with the sheer amount of content and stories readily available for us to consume, you become so desensitised that it's sometimes a welcomed gift when you don't get to predict what happens in a story.

that particular scene where they get back together and Woong says "...please keep loving me," is engraved in my heart.

--the only downside to this wonderful drama is a 1/4 of a love quadrangle that is too green to handle a wonderful script like this one. you'll know what I'm talking about when you watch it.

2. reply 1988

i don't know what got me drawn to the works of the tandem director Shin Wonho and writer Lee Woo-jung but i am so glad that i am. i started with hospital playlist after seeing so much memes about it and now i can't imagine my life without hosplay (i still watch the whole thing like every month).

but i'm not here to talk about hosplay but the third installment of the critically acclaimed "reply" series.

Reply 1988 is the highest rated in tv ratings among all the "reply" series. and i can totally understand that as this show captures all the tales and woes of each generation.

i can say that the number 1 appeal of the Shin-Lee series' is the nostalgia and the bravery it takes to tackle the simplest yet the most constant worries of a human.

for the 3rd "reply" installment, it goes back to 1988, before the year looked funny (as you will see on one of the episodes). there definitely is something true about that as that's when all the technology in the world started to become accessible.

this show crept up to me (much like Prison Playbook). this was my second attempt at watching it since the first time made me drop it for being too "scream-y" which to be honest, a lot of shows are anyway. but what made me stay were the moms and dads. only did the last few episodes made me notice the actual gang of young misfits.

i loved the way it tackled real-world, real-family problems without being preachy. i love the way the pacing is so slow and nostalgic. i love the way all the families interacted with each other and with the other families.

don't come watching this show for the love story (although i absolutely loved who the main girl character ended up with). come watch this show if you enjoy stories about family dynamics.

--the only thing i didn't like (and this is just totally me), is how the noona who seems to be levelheaded fell in love with an immature child. maybe i was too salty to understand how it all went down but it just wasn't for me.

#i review k-dramas now #our beloved summer #reply 1988 #shin wonho #lee woojung #choi wooshik #kim dami #kdrama #reply series #hospital playlist #tvn #netflix #sbs

22 notes · View notes

bisolaspice · 27 days

Text

youtube

Already such a wild emotional show

#kdrama #netflix korea #queen of tears #k drama #kdrama review #Youtube

3 notes · View notes

survivalistghost · 1 year

Text

The transition of ryu su yeol being disturbed by k’s unhinged-ness to becoming equally on crack as him was one of the best things ever fight me

#kdrama #korean drama #kdrama review #review #kdrama text post #tvn netflix #kdrama recommendations #lee dong wook #wi ha joon #wi ha jun #bad and crazy #ryu su yeol #k

41 notes · View notes

beeoftheboop · 25 days

Text

D e s t i n e d w i t h y o u ; SPOILERS

I just finished watching Destined with you and AHHH <3

Plot: 7/10

The plot while one of the best things about it and is very entertaining it does get a bit repetitive they always come back to the overarching plot which is good but they only have 2 actual plot points (and yes I know its a limited series) and one of them the Stalking plot they don't really play on it at all and pretend that its normal?!? they act as if nothings wrong until the end and then ALL of a sudden they are responding normally too it because it could wrap up the series nicely.

The other plot point of the past lives I like it and a lot of dramas have done it amazingly and this drama does well at it but from the information you find out from episode 12-16 (ish) you earn no new information and they just keep going back to it from different perspectives not really adding anything new. Although I do love the plot of its destined to happen so why try to avoid it.

Also the ending left me wanting more although I know realistically that was the natural end to the show I still wanted to see Lee Hong jo and Jang Shin Yu have the wedding I feel like we don't get enough scenes of them happy together maybe that just the rom-com lover in me though.

Also the ex plot and her father (mayor of the company) just did not interest me at all the only good thing to come out of it was Lee Hong Jo's speech to her in the restaurant (in one of the final few episodes) and the scene where Jang Shin had figured out that the GF (now ex) slept with his old boss (correct me if I'm wrong), but other than that I was bored of it a few episodes in.

The magic / spells plot was honestly the best plot and funny asf especially when they only half believed in it towards the middle, and the whole scene with Kwon Jae Kyung when they were trying to prove to him it worked was good!

Characters / Acting: 7/10

The acting throughout the whole show for a most part is great there is a few moments especially in the first few episodes that the actors just don't funny understand there characters yet but apart from that the acting is good (yes there is a lot of 'cringy' bits BUT when is there not in a Drama, although I will say I did notice toward the middle and end i stopped pausing it from second hand embarrassment)

However the characters is what brough this catagory as the characters had the possiblity to be fleshed out and they have bac stories its just never gotten into, i mean Lee Hong's back ground is she was bullied and an orphan and while yes the part with her dad was cute and bonding for her and Jang Shin for the majority it is not explained like - WHAT I would have really liked to see that more and especially the behind the scenes with her mum and yes I get she died while Lee Hong was young i still would have at least liked for the show to show the affects of both of her parents dying.

I also think while yes there are quite a few characters I would have liked Lee Hong to actually have a good friendship instead of her and the women from her office as they were mostly in it to get closer to Jang Shin and Kwon Jae Like 0-0 at least let her make an actual friend!!

But all in all the characters have the potential to be fleshed out but they just didn't go into depth and I know that it is a limited series but still there is 16 episodes FIND SOME TIME.

Pace: 5/10

The pace of the whole show is quite slow BUT it does start to pick up around episode 7, and although it picks up at some point it becomes repetitive. And yes although I did watch it all in one (over the spa of like 3 days) and not weekly like intended but I still don't get why they give us the same plot point over and over again, ALSO the pace of the show is very much intended for a casual watch while still giving a good romance and thriller just thing they could have done it a bit better. And I'm glad they only stuck to a handful of plot points so they could go fully in depth in to a plot (meh) I wish they sped it up a tiny bit and gave us more of the day to day life.

Also the in universe time frame can get confusing at some point as they jump back and forth and sometimes a day had passed between scenes and sometimes months and most of the time they just don't tell you.

All in all I loved the show and I probably will try and watch the other shows that the actors are in just to see how they are in that.

This is all just for fun and what I liked and disliked! <3

#destined with you #kdrama #netflix series #rowoon #korean #show review #review #romance #thriller #happy ending #rating #Beeoftheboop #kdramas #k-drama #netflix kdrama

5 notes · View notes

withlittletrust · 1 month

Text

an ode to "Daily Dose of Sunshine"

trigger warning: mentions of suicide, depression, other mental health illnesses and spoilers to “Daily Dose of Sunshine”.

some time ago, i told myself that i wanted to finally share some highlights from last year. why now - almost a quarter of the way through the new year - you may ask. well, no reason in particular. i’ve wanted to do it for a while; i just haven’t gotten around to taking some time to sit down and organize my thoughts until recently. i figured, what better time than now?

the first highlight i’d like to share is probably something unexpected. it is not a place, it is not a moment in time, but it is a piece of art that i discovered sometime last year. shortly after my last birthday, i went on a trip with my beloved sister to strasbourg. she was feeling a bit unwell at that time, so instead of exploring the city until late, we decided it was best to return to the hotel and get some rest.

i turned on netflix because i had nothing else to do, and there it was: a new korean drama, titled “Daily Dose of Sunshine”.

having seen the trailers in passing before, this work was something that i had been looking forward to — albeit not in an overly excited kind of way. in my defense, how was i supposed to know it’s a heartwarming story, when the director made the trailer into some kind of m. night shyamalan situation?

well, i’ve never been more glad to be proven wrong.

this is something i would like to recommend to anyone interested in gaining insight into mental health issues and/or illnesses. it is suitable both as a first point of contact with these topics, and as a deeper, more insightful and eye-opening experience for those already somewhat familiar with them.

this story begins by introducing us to our main protagonist, nurse jung da-eun. she had just transferred from internal medicine, and we got to experience the station through her eyes. ones, that were somewhat unfamiliar with mental illnesses, that is.

now, as a medical student who did a 1,5-month internship in psychiatry, i already somewhat knew what to expect. nurse da-eun, however, understandably felt like she was thrown into cold water. from her first patient who slapped her before proceeding to (while running around naked) urinate in the corridor, causing nurse da-eun to fall and get soaked in (what i presume must have been still lukewarm) smelly kind of human secrete, all the way to being accused of theft and terrorized by a patient dealing with her own trauma, nurse da-eun was overwhelmed.

but all of that did not last too long, because the next moment we see her, she had already found her footing. it wasn’t all too difficult, because she was, at her core, a nurse who loved her job so much and cared deeply about her patients.

maybe, if i’d believed it were a thing, i would have said that she cared a bit too deeply. :-(

it all came crashing down when one of her patients committed suicide. it was a patient whom she had built a great rapport, who was discharged on her (through extensions) recommendations — adding to the guilt she felt. the cherry on top was the fact that this guy called her and asked her to meet up directly before he committed the act — a final request she was unable to fulfil.

depression hit hard.

at first, nurse da-eun tried to bury herself in her work. then, it was days of sleeping and nothing else. ultimately, she was forcefully committed to a psych ward after attempting to run into active traffic, because the pain she felt was so great, she couldn’t feel anything else.

in the psych ward, the first thing she felt was overwhelming anger. toward her mother, the doctor, other nurses, everyone. she was in complete denial - no, she was not depressed. no, other nurses shouldn’t treat her like a patient - she was also a nurse! a psychiatric nurse, goddamnit!

the resolution came slowly, not rushed. not in a, suddenly, everything’s good again, kind of way. not that now she’s happy again, problem solved, kind of way. she had to learn to slowly and painstakingly love herself, to see herself in a kinder way. she made the decision to choose happiness and was willing to put in the work every day, every step of the way.

—

now, WHO estimates that globally 1 out of every 4 people will be impacted by mental illness at some point in their lives. 350 million people worldwide suffer from depression. if you’re lucky enough to have made it through life unscathed so far — well good for you, but there is absolutely no guarantee that it will not happen to you or people closest to you in the future.

i think it’s important to recognize that being healthy is a privilege. while mental illnesses might not be as visible as physical illnesses, they are, as the name suggests, illnesses. just as you need to see a doctor when you get a cold, mental illnesses are medical conditions that often require treatment. the least we can do to help people that are affected is to destigmatize mental illness and promote access to mental healthcare. it is our responsibility as a society to recognize that everyone deserves the opportunity to attain and maintain good health, and it is our responsibility as fellow human beings to fight against the inequalities and disparities associated with having mental illnesses.

obviously, it can sound overwhelming at first. and no one person should bear these burdens alone. i guess what i hope you can takeaway from all of these are the simple things: educate, listen, validate, encourage treatment, and provide emotional support. be decent human beings. call me naïve, but i feel like the world could be a better place if we all followed these principles. <3.

alexa, play imagine by the beatles. :-)

—

bonus part: the juicy stuff

this work also features what is probably my favorite love story of all time. the other half of the pair is made up by one mr. dong go-yoon, a colorectal surgeon who fell for nurse da-eun. he was sweet to her while being a dependable, emotionally stable figure throughout the series. he always seemed to know exactly what to do and what to say, to support her just to be her.

now i have to admit, i initially thought he was somewhat of a weirdo. he received consultation for his ocd, because he couldn’t stop cracking his fingers so much, they became callous. he also seemed kind of like a stalker when regularly hid and waited for her at bus stops. but the later we got into the story, the more admirable and adorable i found him to be.

dr. dong go-yoon was the reason nurse da-eun got the help that she needed.

i mean, i’d like to believe that it probably would’ve happened nonetheless, sooner or later. but he was the actual reason she made a successful recovery. i feel he was a kind person, truly. he always seemed to know how to help, but not in an overbearing kind of way. he always gave her space. he let her figure things out at her own pace.

he also has a love rival in one song yu-chan, but instead of overstepping his boundaries with the childhood best friend of his crush, he deals with it like an (awesome!) adult. he even manages to be a big brother figure for the latter. he has such a kind heart and such wisdom, it leads his brain to be able to reach places i couldn’t even fathom existed.

to conclude, this guy really had the perfect response at all times. he could understand she was still hurting, he didn’t preach even though he probably knew better. he got a black eye getting into a fight with demonstrators who wanted nurse da-eun to be fired for having been admitted into a psych ward. he went out of his way and gets up early to take her on morning walks, because some days, she still stood on the border between depression and hope. but to her, he was someone who visits her before depression ever does (even though he might fall asleep during breakfast time).

it was so heartwarming to see nurse da-eun found someone like him to rely on.

—

tonight, i wish for everyone find love and companionship as solid as what they had. calm and unbothered, with roots so strong, the storms never stood a chance.

—

feel free to strike up a conversation with me regarding this topic! i’m always interested in broadening my knowledge and listening to stories from other people!

#writing #k-drama #daily dose of sunshine #park bo young #yeon woo-jin #jang dong-yoon #film review #kdrama review #series review #mental health awareness

3 notes · View notes