Korean Drama: Penthouse 1, 2 & 3

 
Year Released

2020 - 2021 (season 1), 2021 (season 2 & 3)

Genre

Family, Melodrama, Mystery

No. of Episodes

21 - running time of 1 hour 25 minutes per episode (season 1), 13 (season 2) & 14 (season 3) - running time of 1 hour 15 minutes per episode 

Starring

Uhm Ki-joon, Kim So-yeon, Eugene, Lee Ji-ah, Yoon Jong-hoon, Bong Tae-kyu, Shin Eun-kyung, Park Eun-seok

Storyline

Soprano Cheon Seo-jin (Kim So-yeon) dreams to be the successor of her father's Cheong Ah Foundation and Cheong Ah Art School. Pinning her hopes onto her own daughter, Ha Eun-byul (Choi Ye-bin), Seo-jin forces Eun-byul to win against her peers especially Joo Dan-tae's (Uhm Ki-joon) daughter, Joo Seok-kyung (Han Ji-hyun).

Seo-jin's world collapses when Oh Yoon-hee (Eugene) and her daughter Bae Ro-na (Kim Hyun-soo) appear in her life. Both Seo-jin and Yoon-hee had extremely bad past together back when they were in high school. Seo-jin snatched away Yoon-hee's title to be South Korea's best soprano as well as her then-boyfriend, Ha Yoon-chul (Yoon Jong-hoon).

At the same time, Seo-jin is jealous of Joo Dan-tae's wife, Shim Soo-ryun's (Lee Ji-ah) luxurious life as the Penthouse's owner at Hera Palace, the richest property in South Korea. Wanted to be the next owner, she had an affair with Dan-tae. Their affair was accidentally found out by Min Seol-a (Jo Soo-min). 

Soo-ryun happens to find out her real daughter that she had with her dead ex-husband was Seol-a. However, before Soo-ryun could reunite with her, Seol-a fell to her death at Hera Palace. Soo-ryun vows to search for Seol-a's murderer and little did she know every member of Hera Club seems to be involved in this crime.

My View

Initially, I wanted to write the storyline of all three seasons but I realise I would have provided the entire spoiler. Anyway, first season was acceptable all good. Then come second season, I was totally mind blown at some point. During the finale season, I became very angsty and cried so much towards the end. All I could say is the scripwriter is pretty creative and dramatic.

Rating

5/5 Stars

Korean Drama : Backstreet Rookie

Year Released

2020

Genre

Melodrama

No. of Episodes

16 - running time of 70 minutes per episode

Starring

Ji Chang-wook, Kim Yoo-jung

Storyline

Jung Saet-byul (Kim Yoo-jung) works as a night shift part-timer at Choi Dae-hyun's (Ji Chang-wook) convenience store. A series of misunderstandings lead Dae-hyun to believe that Saet-byul is a girl gangster.

After they get to know each other more, Dae-hyun eventually falls for Saet-byul's personality. 

My View

A light-hearted drama with exaggerating scenes since this is from a webtoon. Love the cute action part of Kim Yoo-jung apart from her usual adorable way.

Sincerely wish to see more action dramas from Ji Chang-wook. Melting Me Softly was meh and Backstreet Rookie is not too bad at least.

Rating

3/5 Stars

Korean Drama : Welcome to Waikiki 1 & 2

Year Released

2018 (Season 1), 2019 (Season 2)

Genre

Comedy

No. of Episodes

20 - running time of 65 minutes per episode (Season 1), 16 - running time of 70 minutes per episode (Season 2)

Starring

Season 1 - Kim Jung-hyun, Lee Yi-kyung, Son Seung-won, Jung In-sun, Go Won-hee, Lee Joo-woo

Season 2 - Lee Yi-kyung, Kim Seon-ho, Shin Hyun-soo, Moon Ga-young, Ahn So-hee, Kim Ye-won

Storyline

Season 1

Kang Dong-goo (Kim Jung-hyun), Lee Joon-ki (Lee Yi-kyung) and Bong Doo-shik (Son Seung-won) are best friends since school days. They come together to open a guesthouse named Waikiki. However, they struggle to make ends meet. 

Joon-ki's dream is to be an actor, Doo-shik is a scenario screenwriter while being a part-timer at convenience store and Dong-goo starts from a photographer for baby showers before going back to be a film director.

Waikiki families include Han Yoon-ah (Jung In-sun), a single mother. Kang Seo-jin (Go Won-hee), Dong-goo's younger sister, who grows beard overnight if not shaved off. Min Soon-ah (Lee Joo-woo), Dong-goo's ex-girlfriend who stays at Waikiki due to being cheated by another man.

Season 2

Lee Joon-ki is still trying to hard to be a main lead actor. He has another two best friends, Cha Woo-shik (Kim Seon-ho) and Kook Ki-bong (Shin Hyun-soo) and they continue the guesthouse business. Woo-shik is a song-writer and Ki-bong an aspiring baseball player.

Waikiki families include Han Soo-yeon (Moon Ga-young) who is Woo-shik's first love. Cha Yoo-ri (Kim Ye-won), Woo-shik's elder sister who dreams to open her own restaurant. Kim Jung-eun (Ahn So-hee) who strives to be an actress.

My View

Both season 1 and 2 are equally hilarious in their own ways. I laughed so much that I cried seriously. Realise that Kim Jung-hyun is the lead actor in Mr. Queen (this drama is still in my pending list). 

Didn't like Kim Seon-ho in Two Cops and Start Up, but I find him funny in WTW. His on-going drama Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha with Shin Min-ah is having a blast now. My news feed are just full of them everywhere.

Rating

5/5 Stars

Korean Drama : Where Stars Land

Year Released

2018

Genre

Melodrama

No. of Episodes

32 - running time of 30 minutes per episode

Starring

Lee Je-hoon, Chae Soo-bin, Lee Dong-gun, Kim Ji-soo

Storyline

The story depicts the daily working lives of employees at Incheon International Airport. Mainly the Passenger Services team, Security team, Transportation team and Mooring Management team.

Each team has a role to play when it comes to emergencies happening around the airport.

My View

I enjoyed every single bit of this lively drama making me want to work in an airport as well.

I actually ship for the second lead couple Oh Dae-ki and Na Young-joo from the Security Services team.

Rating

4/5 Stars

Korean Drama : Encounter

Alternative Title

Boyfriend

Year Released

2018 - 2019

Genre

Romance, Melodrama

No. of Episodes

16 - running time of 70 minutes per episode

Starring

Song Hye-kyo, Park Bo-gum

Storyline

Cha Soo-hyun (Song Hye-kyo) is an unhappy woman whose path in life has always been arranged for her. She enters a marriage only to benefit her politician's father. She divorced with her husband due to his love affair.

One day on a business trip to Cuba, she meets Kim Jin-hyuk (Park Bo-gum) who happens to travel there. Jin-hyuk is a happy-go-lucky young man and his carefree personality attracted Soo-hyun. The pair meet again when they are back in Seoul.

My View

This drama depicts how a couple with age gap from different backgrounds strive to be together.

Will definitely re-watch if I have time.

As of now, I have about 100 K-dramas and 20 C-dramas pending.

What's worse is that I have new lists to be added every month.

Even if I die, also I cannot finish watching.

Rating

4/5 Stars

Korean Drama : The Beauty Inside

Year Released

2018

Genre

Romance, Melodrama, Fantasy

No. of Episodes 

16 - running time of 60 minutes per episode

Starring

Seo Hyun-jin, Lee Min-ki, Lee Da-hee, Ahn Jae-hyun

Storyline

Han Se-gye (Seo Hyun-jin) is an actress who changes into someone else every month. Seo Do-jae (Lee Min-ki) is an executive director of an airline company. He suffers from face blindness due to an accident years ago.

Se-gye and Do-jae get close together when Se-gye becomes spokesperson for his airline. From there, Do-jae realises her special face changing illness. He is amused and would like to know more about her.

Se-gye accepts Do-jae's face blindness condition and the pair started on serious relationship. Little did she know that she was the cause of it all.

My View

The story is bizarre and I quite like it since this is fantasy. I have re-watched this drama multiple times and never get tired of it.

Seo Hyun-jin is extremely beautiful that I fell in love with her too.

At the end of the day, what matters most is to accept yourself for who you are.

Rating

5/5 Stars

 

Korean Drama : Descendants of the Sun

Year Released

2016

Genre

Romance, Melodrama, Action

No. of Episodes 

16 + 3 special - running time of 60 minutes per episode

Starring 

Song Hye-kyo, Song Joong-ki, Jin Goo, Kim Ji-won

Storyline

Yoo Si-jin (Song Joong-ki) and Seo Dae-young (Jin Goo) are with the South Korean Special Forces unit. Kang Mo-yeon (Song Hye-kyo) is a doctor while Yoon Myung-joo (Kim Ji-won) is an army surgeon.

Both Si-jin and Mo-yeon were attracted to each other at first sight. However, due to Captain Yoo's job nature, the couple could not have proper dates which hindered their relationship. Dae-young and Myung-joo faced difficulties as well since Myung-joo's father opposed them being together.

All four leads met up by chance in Uruk months later. After being through thick and thin during an earthquake and viral epidemic, they were finally able to overcome obstacles among themselves.    

My View

This drama has a fair share of funny and sad scenes. Those hilarious ones happens around Mo-yeon's colleagues and the four leads' jealousy.

As for the sad part would be rescuing earthquake's victims in Uruk. A lot of quick decisions had to be made in order to minimise further impact.

Rating

5/5 Stars