K-drama Reviews

I won’t rate dramas I haven’t finished; Completed dramas get their own review. I give dramas an “objective” rating based on the writing, story-line, acting, and production quality (etc.), and I give a Bethany rating based on how much I personally enjoyed it. Objective Rating/Bethany Rating

Gogh, the Starry Night – A/B-

Full Review. Cute, fluffy Rom-com mini-drama about a woman who has four coworkers vying for her attention simultaneously. Light-hearted, goofy, and easy on the pathos. A good choice for an easy watch, but probably won’t be your preference if you’re looking for something philosophical.

My Father is Strange – A+/A+

Full Review. My personal all-time favorite. A warm, heartfelt family drama with a twist. This story about a happy family plunged into various problems is supported by its talented ensemble cast, rapid-fire pacing, and strong, smart writing that holds you until the end. 52 episodes long, but still too short! I highly, highly recommend.

My Unfamiliar Family – B-/C+

Full Review. UGH! Touching, beautiful, and heartfelt drama about a dysfunctional family lacking in communication, but not in love. Beautiful premise gets hampered down by a story-line that should have run its course in 8 episodes rather than 16. Buoyed by strong actors, gorgeous directing, and a very sympathetic plot, this drama still holds onto some of its magic even when the writing begins to fail.

Something In The Rain – Dropped.

I watched to about the end of episode 4, and then did a Google search to see how other people felt about the show. What I read made me decide not to continue. I already felt a bit tired of the show’s slow-pace and I was not prepared to watch it get any slower. My premature thoughts are this: I didn’t dislike this drama and I was intrigued by how different it is. And by different, I mean differently produced. It’s very thoughtfully (and… interestingly) directed. Some of the shots were a little too dimly lit and far away for my taste, but I was so absorbed by some of the directing choices that I wasn’t bothered for a while by the slow-pacing. This show also had the right director for its content. It’s not your usual rom-com K-drama; it’s very slice-of-life. Things happen slowly and the stakes are mostly low. There are no outrageous or ridiculous personalities. All good things, in my opinion.

The problems: The soundtrack for this was bizarre. I don’t think the songs did anything to serve the show. I almost gave up ten minutes into episode one because I was so irritated by the cheerful, overpowering reggae music playing in the background as Jin-ah’s boyfriend broke up with her. Just imagine your boyfriend breaking up with you to this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiKP-0ejmE4 . Who decided this? None of the song choices contributed to the thoughtful atmosphere this drama was attempting to build. Unfortunately, music is powerful enough to really make or break a scene.

Problem #2: I don’t think the leads had enough chemistry to carry the show through the slow moments (and there are plenty of slow moments). Either that, or I just get irritated when adult women start regressing into children as soon as they’re around a guy they like. (Make eye contact! STOP POUTING!) This didn’t bother me as a kid, but now that I am an adult woman myself, I do not like it. This is common in drama-land however. Regardless, I didn’t find the relationship too compelling.

Small Problem #3: Jin-ah’s best friend, Kyung-seon, exists only to provide exposition on Jin-ah and give Male Protagonist more opportunities to see her. She does not have interests or a life of her own. She lives only for Jin-ah. I just find it irritating when the protagonists’ friends are blatant plot-devices.

Something I did like a lot was the depiction of the women’s struggles in the workplace, and the very sweet colleague of Jin-ah’s who admires her and wants nothing more than to befriend her (pay more attention to her, dang-it!).