Chinese Drama: Destined to Meet You 别跟姐姐撒野

Year Released

2022

Genre

RomCom

No. of Episodes

20 - running time of 13 minutes per episode

Starring

Yang Ze, Lu Yanqi

Storyline

Gu Chongbei (Yang Ze) who was threatened by his stepbrothers to befriend Jin Rongrong (Lu Yanqi) to get information about her family business. Things did not go as planned and they got married in the end. The couple went through obtacles and overcame misunderstandings.

My View

Didn't expect this to be a web drama. Everything happened so fast before you knew it. I guess short stories is not my cup of tea though the plot is still acceptable.

Rating

3/5 Stars

Chinese Drama : Moonlight 月光变奏曲

Year Released

2021

Genre

Romantic Comedy

No. of Episodes 

36 - running time of 45 minutes per episode

Starring

Ding Yuxi, Yu Shuxin, Yang Shize, Ma Yinyin

Storyline

Chu Li (Yu Shuxin) dreams to be an editor and happens to be given a chance when she joins Yuan Yue Publishing. Her first author is young and promising Zhou Chuan (Ding Yuxi), then a once popular Jiang Yucheng (Yang Shize) and a trying to make a comeback Suo Heng (He Xinlin).

Coincidentally, Chu Li under nickname 'Monkey' and Zhou Chuan 'Mr. Fox' are web friends since young. Gu Baizhi (Ma Yinyin) used to be Jiang Yucheng's ex-girlfriend and former editor but they broke up due to misunderstanding. The four leads help each other overcome their fear, accompany each other when they need someone.

My View

Moonlight is pretty sweet and adorable romcom. The part where Jiang Yucheng is reading Liu Lao Shi's husband letter, those words are extremely touching and I cried so so much. Jiang Yucheng also mentions about He Shuhuan from Romance in the Rain drama from 20 years ago where he popped up from a box. That is funny too as I watched that drama upteen times.

Rating

4/5 Stars

Chinese Drama : My Girlfriend is an Alien 外星女生柴小七

Year Released

2019

Genre

RomCom, Fantasy

No. of Episodes

28 - running time of 45 minutes per episode

Starring

Bie Thassapak Hsu, Wan Peng

Storyline

Fang Leng (Bie Thassapak Hsu) is met with a car accident on a stormy night. Xiao Qi (Wan Peng), an alien who happens to be on earth, saves Fang Leng. Xiao Qi loses her annunciator in the midst and is unable to return to her planet.

Her only clue is Fang Leng and she tries all ways and means to get close to him. However, Fang Leng suffers from amnesia (only on rainy days) whereby he only forgets any girls he dated. 

My View

An interesting romcom plot which keeps me entertained throughout the serial. This is a must watch!

Rating

5/5 Stars

Korean Drama : What's Wrong with Secretary Kim

Year Released

2018

Genre

Romantic comedy

No. of Episodes

16 - running time of 69 minutes per episode

Starring

Park Seo-joon, Park Min-young

Storyline

Lee Young-joon (Park Seo-joon) is the vice-chairman of a major corporation. He relies on his secretary Kim Mi-so (Park Min-young) very much. His world comes collapsing down when Mi-so announces that she will resign after working for him for nine years.

Mi-so longs to have a proper date, get married and start a family. After seeking some advice, Young-joon decides to make Mi-so stays by pursuing her. However, Mi-so is uninterested in the narcissistic Young-joon.

As the time goes by, the pair get to know more about each other. Mi-so soon realises that Young-joon is the boy who shared the same kidnapping trauma when they were young.

My View

A romantic comedy indeed and I enjoy every single bit of it.

I like the little twist on their kidnapping case as well.

Rating 

4/5 Stars

Korean Drama : Love with Flaws

Year Released

2019

Genre

Romantic Comedy

No. of Episodes

32 - running time of 30 minutes per episode

Starring

Ahn Jae-hyun, Oh Yeon-seo

Storyline

Joo Seo-yeon (Oh Yeon-seo) dislikes good-looking men as she has three attractive brothers. She also has a strong reaction on people who drink and drive as her parents passed away in an accident. 

Lee Kang-woo (Ahn Jae-hyun) is a chaebol who only focuses on outer appearance. This was due to a childhood trauma caused by Seo-yeon.

After the two get to know each other, they realise on their misunderstandings. Together, they overcome obstacles blocking between them.

My View

An interesting romcom and every character plays a part.

Love with flaws is literally imperfect love meaning no one is perfect and we just have to understand each other.

Reminds me of a quote, "Love means different things to different people - just because you don't understand another person's relationship doesn't mean it is wrong."

Rating 

4/5 Stars 

Korean Drama : Level Up

Year Released

2019

Genre

Romantic Comedy

No. of Episodes

12 - running time of 60 minutes per episode

Starring

Sung Hoon, Han Bo-reum

Storyline

Ahn Dan-te (Sung Hoon) is a director at Yuseong CRC, a company specialising in restructuring. He does not express his feelings and is a perfectionist at work. Dan-te begins to work as Joybuster's company CEO to save them from bankruptcy.

Shin Yeon-hwa (Han Bo-reum) is the leader of Joybuster development. She tries working on a new game but argues pretty much on everything with Dan-te.

My View

I don't have much memory on this drama probably due to my high expectation after watching Sung Hoon in My Secret Romance.

Rating

1/5 Stars

Korean Drama : Kill Me, Heal Me

Year Released

2015

Genre

Romantic comedy

No. of Episodes

20 - running time of about 62 minutes per episode

Starring

Ji Sung, Park Seo-joon, Hwang Jung-eum

Storyline

Cha Do-hyun (Ji Sung) suffers from split personality and seeks help from psychiatric resident Oh Ri-jin (Hwang Jung-eum).

Do-hyun and Ri-jin actually has a dark past back during their childhood days. However, both of them had lost their memories due to an accident. That is how Do-hyun develops DID.

My View

That episode when Do-hyun turns into a girl and flirts with Ri-on is so hilarious.

Also the part where Se-gi (one of Do-hyun's personality) finally bids goodbye and leave Do-hyun for good - that is kind of sad.

Plus how the story unfolds when Ri-jin and Do-hyun regain their memories is really surprising.

Rating

5/5 Stars

Korean Drama : Hotel del Luna

Year Released

2019

Genre

Horror, Fantasy

No. of Episodes

16 - running time of 80 minutes per episode

Starring

Yeo Jin-goo, IU

Storyline

Hotel Del Luna is a hotel only visible in its true form at night. It caters to souls and ghosts who have unfinished businesses in their former lives. Once their wishes are done, they then leave to the afterlife.

Most of the staffs in the hotel have been there for decades and even centuries as they have not settled their grudges. The only human is the general manager who needs to help pay bills or fulfilling ghosts' requests with still-living relatives and friends. 

Hotel owner Jang Man-wol (IU) has been cursed to look after Hotel Del Luna due to a huge sin she committted a millennium ago. Gu Chan-sung (Yeo Jin-goo) replaces the current general manager Noh Joon-suk (Jung Dong-hwan), when he retired. 

My View

There is this story about a blind ghost looking for her love interest in her former life.

Turns out that man is the one who murdered her. My God..nearly fainted when I watched that part.

Rating

5/5 Stars

 

Korean Drama : EXO Next Door

Year Released

2015

Genre

Romantic Comedy

No. of Episodes

16 - running time of 15 minutes per episode

Starring 

EXO, Moon Ga-young

Storyline

Ji Yeon-hee (Moon Ga-young) is an extremely shy and introverted girl with zero dating experience. She tends to blush terribly when she is near good looking boy. 

One day, four members of EXO - Chanyeol, D.O., Baekhyun and Sehun move into the house (which belonged to Chanyeol's grandfather) right in front of Yeon-hee's house.

My View

A lovely web serial, short and sweet.

Rating 

3/5 Stars

Korean Drama : Cinderella and the Four Knights

Year Released

2016

Genre 

Romantic Comedy

No. of Episodes

16 - running time of 60 minutes per episode

Starring

Ahn Jae-hyun, Park So-dam, Jung Il-woo, Lee Jung-shin, Choi Min, Son Na-eun

Storyline

Eun Ha-won's (Park So-dam) mother passed away in an accident and her father re-married. She is being treated poorly by her step-mother and step-sister. Ha-won takes on part-time jobs to support her tuition fees.

She runs into Kang Hyun-min (Ahn Jae-hyun) and upon seeing her daring personality, he brings her to his grandfather's 5th wedding ceremony as his fiancee.

Chairman Kang Jong-du (Kim Yong-gun) is impressed by Ha-won and requests her to live in together with his three grandsons. His intention is for Ha-won to stir up his grandsons' bad relationship and help bond them together.

His other two grandsons are Kang Ji-woon (Jung Il-woo) and Kang Seo-woo (Lee Jung-shin). There is also a dashing bodyguard to the boys, Lee Yoon-sung (Choi Min).    

My View

The relationship between Ahn Jae-hyun and Park So-dam is lovely like a childish couple.

It would be great if they ended up together.

Rating

3/5 Stars

Korean Drama : Another Miss Oh

Alternative Title

Another Oh Hae-young

Year Released

2016

Genre

Romantic Comedy, Fantasy

No. of Episodes

18 - running time of 70 minutes per episode

Starring

Eric Mun, Seo Hyun-jin, Jeon Hye-bin

Storyline

When Park Do-kyung (Eric Mun) hears that Oh Hae-young (plain Seo Hyun-jin) is getting married to Han Tae-jin (Lee Jae-yoon), he takes a revenge on Tae-jin leaving him bankrupt.

Little did he know that Oh Hae-young is just another lady with the same name as his ex-fiancee (pretty Jeon Hye-bin). Coincidentally, Hae-young (plain) has been seen in Do-kyung's visions lately. He could foresee some parts of the future with her in it.

My View

AMO is a romcom indeed especially Do-kyung's younger half-brother Park Hoon (Heo Jung-min).

Every drama that I watched with Jung-min in it, definitely must be some comedy. He is truly entertaining.

Rating

4/5 Stars

Korean Drama : 12 Signs of Love

Alternative Title

Twelve Men in a Year

Year Released

2012

Genre

Romantic Comedy

No. of Episodes

16 - running time of 45 minutes per episode

Starring

Yoon Jin-seo, On Joo-wan

Storyline

Na Mi-roo (Yoon Jin-seo) and Cha Jin-oh (On Joo-wan) have been dated for quite some time and eventually broke up.

Mi-roo happens to take up a magazine's new section on romance where she dates men with different zodiacs and writes with real experiences.

My View

A hilarious drama where you get to see how men of different zodiacs react in a relationship.

Rating

3/5 Stars

Korean Drama : Touch Your Heart

Alternative Title

Reach of Sincerity

Year Released

2019

Genre

Romantic Comedy

No. of Episodes

16 - running time of 60 minutes per episode

Starring

Lee Dong-wook, Yoo In-na

Storyline

Actress Oh Jin-shim (Yoo In-na) by the stage name of Oh Yoo-seo has no jobs for two years due to a scandal.

In order to get a chance to star in a drama, she works as a secretary to lawyer Kwon Jung-rok (Lee Dong-wook) to gain experience.

My View

I think I have a high expectation for TYH since the chemistry of Yoo In-na and Lee Dong-wook is so great in Goblin.

But perhaps it is the plot which makes me feel bored at times. 

Rating

1/5 Stars

 

Korean Drama : Big

Year Released

2012

Genre

Romcom, Fantasy

No. of Episodes

16 - running time of about 65 minutes per episode

Starring

Gong Yoo, Lee Min-jung, Shin Won-ho, Bae Suzy

Storyline

Gil Da-ran (Lee Min-jung) is a teacher who is engaged to Seo Yoon-jae (Gong Yoo). One month before the wedding, Yoon-jae gets into an accident with Kang Kyung-joon (Shin Won-ho). Kyung-joon is a transfer student at Da-ran's school.

When Kyung-joon comes to his senses, he finds out that he is inside Yoon-jae's body. Yoon-jae and Kyung-joon actually have a special relationship.

My View

Gong Yoo is suitable to play roles that come with some childish trait.

I have a good laugh watching Gong Yoo acting like a boy.  

Rating

4/5 Stars 

Korean Drama : My ID is Gangnam Beauty

Year Released

2018

Genre

Romantic Comedy, Coming of age

No. of Episodes

16 - running time of 60 minutes per episode

Starring

Im Soo-hyang, Cha Eun-woo, Jo Woo-ri, Kwak Dong-yeon

Storyline

The story revolves around Kang Mi-rae (Im Soo-hyang), Do Kyung-seok (Cha Eun-woo) and Hyun Soo-ah (Jo Woo-ri) who are university mates. Mi-rae gets plastic surgery due to her ugly looks prior to entering university.

Soo-ah, on the outside seems like a kind and gentle girl. In fact, she craves to be in the center of attention. In order to maintain her petite figure, she suffers from anorexia.

Kyung-seok (Cha Eun-woo) who is son of congressman Do Sang-won (Park Sung-geun) longs for her mother Na Hye-sung (Park Joo-mi) who left the family when Kyung-seok was young. 

My View

The drama is trying to tell society on the true meaning to happiness and beauty.   

Rating

3/5 Stars

Korean Drama : My Horrible Boss

Alternative Title

Ms. Temper and Nam Jung-gi

Year Released

2016

Genre

Business, Romantic comedy

No. of Episodes

16 - running time of 60 minutes per episode

Starring

Lee Yo-won, Yoon Sang-hyun

Storyline

Nam Jung-gi (Yoon Sang-hyun) is such a good-natured person making him an easy target to be stepped on be it at work or at home. 

Ok Da-jeong (Lee Yo-won) is his new boss and has a feisty temper. Though she may looks cold on the outside, Da-jeong in fact cares about others. She has great marketing business ideas which save the company multiple times from crisis.

My View

It is exciting to watch how Da-jeong is able to make a comeback when business rival steals her idea.

She re-acts calmly on failure turning it to a winning situation after that.

Rating

3/5 Stars

Chinese Drama : Find Yourself 下一站是幸福

Year Released

2020

Genre

Romantic comedy

No. of Episodes

41 - running time of 45 minutes per episode

Starring

Victoria Song, Song Weilong, Wang Yaoqing

Storyline

He Fanxing (Victoria Song) works as a Director of Administration in an interior design company. She is being pursued persistently by an intern, Yuan Song (Song Weilong). 

Though Fanxing accepted to go into a relationship with Yuan Song, she still feels rather insecure. This is due to their ten years age difference. When the couple's love is on the rocks, Ye Luming (Wang Yaoqing) finds an opportunity to make Fanxing his woman.

Fanxing could not get over Yuan Song. She eventually makes up her mind to be with him despite their age gap.  

My View

To be honest, ten years age gap is nothing if the older one is a male. But, when it comes to female, it is a different story. It takes a lot of courage for a lady to disregard gossips from others.

Fanxing's mother, father and younger twin brother He Canyang (Zhang Yujian) crack me up all the time. There is this conversation between the father and mother about a drama they watched on tv. 

Here it goes roughly from what I could remember (if not all):

Mother: Why is this girl so stupid? Is she blind or what? Why can't she tell that person is the villian trying to cheat on her?

Father: If she finds out about the villain right now, how is this show going to continue for the rest of 68 episodes? Of course, she will only find out on the last 5 episodes. Then she will take revenge and the end.

Rating

4/5 Stars

Chinese Drama : Love O2O 微微一笑很倾城

Year Released

2016

Genre 

Romantic comedy

No. of Episodes

30 - running time of 45 minutes per episode

Starring

Yang Yang, Zheng Shuang

Storyline

Bei Weiwei (Zheng Shuang) is a 2nd year computer science student. She goes by the user name of "Luwei Weiwei" in an online RPG - A Chinese Ghost Story. 

Xiao Nai (Yang Yang) is Weiwei's senior who excels in both academics and sports. He is loved by all female students and envied by male students in school. His user name is "Yixiao Naihe", a famous top player in ACGS.

Xiao Nai meets Weiwei by chance at an internet cafe and is impressed by her gaming skills. He approaches her to be his virtual husband. Weiwei falls for Xiao Nai unknowingly and could not believe her eyes when she finds out that he is her senior.

Xiao Nai is always there for Weiwei whenever she needs him. He helps her resolve misunderstandings with her friends and also online players. Weiwei in turn provides support in Xiao Nai's technology company. 

My View

LO2O is a lovely lighthearted romantic drama revolving around students growing up into young adults.

Rating

4/5 Stars

 

Korean Drama : Strong Woman Do Bong Soon

Alternative Title

Strong Girl Bong-soon

Year Released

2017

Genre

Romance comedy, Fantasy, Thriller, Action

No. of Episodes 

16 + 1 special - running time of 63-70 minutes per episode

Starring

Park Bo-young, Park Hyung-sik, Ji Soo

Storyline

Do Bong-soon (Park Bo-young) was born with superhuman strength. However, she will lose her superpower if she uses it to take innocent human lives. Bong-soon has a crush on In Guk-doo (Ji Soo), a police officer.

Bong-soon is hired as bodyguard to CEO Ahn Min-hyuk (Park Hyung-sik) at his gaming company. Min-hyuk takes interest in Bong-soon at first sight when he saw her using superhuman strength to fight off gangsters.

Min-hyuk helps Bong-soon to train and control her strength. They captured a serial killer together. The pair then move on from normal friends to a serious relationship.

My View

I'm super impressed by Ajusshi Kim Won-hae in his character Oh Hol-ppyeo. He is terribly versatile in his role. Took my hats off for him. Even the main leads could not focus properly due to laughing too much during BTS.

The love between Park Bo-young and Park Hyung-sik is beautiful. Makes you feel like those puppy love in high school. Just so adorable.

Rating

5/5 Stars

 

Korean Drama : My Love from the Star

Alternative Title

You Who Came from the Stars

Year Released

2013 - 2014

Genre

Romantic Comedy, Fantasy 

No. of Episodes 

21 + 1 special - running time of 60 minutes per episode

Starring

Jun Ji-hyun, Kim Soo-hyun, Park Hae-jin, Yoo In-na, Shin Sung-rok, Ahn Jae-hyun

Storyline

Do Min-joon (Kim Soo-hyun) is an alien who landed on Earth during Joseon Dynasty. Due to an unforseen circumstance, he missed out on his return trip to his home planet. He lived on Earth for the next four centuries, before chancing upon an opportunity to go back home when there was news of a spaceship appearing on Earth once again.

Cheon Song-yi (Jun Ji-hyun) is a famous Hallyu star who happens to be Min-joon's neighbour and student. Love slowly sparked between them when Song-yi started to stay at Min-joon's house temporarily as she was accused of murdering her fellow actress.

Lee Hee-kyung (Park Hae-jin) has a one-sided love for Song-yi since middle school. Yoo Se-mi (Yoo Yi-na) is Song-yi's childhood friend, who also has a one-sided love for Hee-kyung.

Cheon Yoon-jae (Ahn Jae-hyun) is Song-yi's younger brother. Lee Jae-kyung (Shin Sung-rok) is Hee-kyung's elder brother who is full of secrets whether it is about his family or relationship.

My View

MLFTS is my all-time favourite K-drama ranking number one. 

The chemistry between Jun Ji-hyun and Kim Soo-hyun is so good and they are the best on-screen couple ever. I can re-watch this drama almost every year and still remember the plot vividly in my mind.

Remember to catch those special scenes after the end of each episode. 

At the end of the day, what matters most is not only company, but also knowing that your other half is still alive somewhere in this world.

Rating

5/5 Stars