Korean Drama: Move to Heaven

Year Released

2021

Genre

Family, Slice of Life

No. of Episodes

10 - running time of 52 minutes per episode

Starring

Lee Je-hoon, Tang Jun-sang, Ji Jin-hee

Storyline

Right after Cho Sang-gu (Lee Je-hoon) was released from prison, he was tasked to be the guardian of his late half-brother Han Jung-woo's (Ji Jin-hee) son, Han Geu-ru (Tang Jun-sang). Jung-woo and Geu-ru have been running a trauma cleaning business "Move to Heaven" whereby they cleaned up after one's death. However, they do safekeep those memorable and important belongings to be passed on to family members/loved ones who would cherish them. Now, it is Sang-gu's turn to grow together with Geu-ru as a family and friend.

My View

Speechless this drama, every single episode I cried without fail. Highly recommended!

Rating

5/5 Stars

Chinese Drama: I Will Find You a Better Home 安家

Year Released

2020

Genre

Business, Office, Slice of Life

No. of Episodes

53 - running time of 45 minutes per episode

Starring

Luo Jin, Sun Li

Storyline

Plot of how a group of people from different family backgounds come together and survive in Shanghai. It depicts the day-to-day life of property agents.

My View

Very down-to-earth and everyone can relate especially those who leave their hometown to earn for a living.

Rating 

5/5 Stars

 

Korean Drama : SKY Castle

Year Released

2018

Genre

Family, Slice of life

No. of Episodes

20 - running time of 1 hour 30 mins per episode

Starring

Yeom Jung-ah, Kim Seo-hyung, Lee Tae-ran

Storyline

A group of rich families trying to outshine each other by forcing their children to be the best in their studies. The parents' desire gives a chance for their children's tutor to brainwash and break their families' relationships. Sometimes, it is at the cost of one's death. 

My View

Quite a good plot here telling all parents that grades don't mean everything in life. What matters most is at the end of the day, family is there for you.

Rating

3/5 Stars

Korean Drama : The Third Charm

Year Released

2018

Genre

Romance, Slice of life

No. of Episodes 

16 - running time of 75 minutes per episode

Starring

Seo Kang-joon, Esom

Storyline

On Joon-yeong (Seo Kang-joon) and Lee Yeong-jae (Esom) met each other when they were twenty years old and fell in love almost immediately. An unfortunate event separated them and the pair reunited seven years later after clearing up their misunderstandings.

But their relationship did not last for long due to insecurity and difference in personality. Fast forward five years later, when Joon-yeong was about to get married and Yeong-jae suddenly re-appears into his life. 

My View

A simple plot but touched my heart a lot. Cried like mad till my eyes went swollen. I enjoy watching drama like this where a relationship lasts for a long time from young. As in everyone has different mindset at different age, like you don't know what you want. The ending was great as in something I'm looking at.

Rating

4/5 Stars

Chinese Drama : Ode to Joy 1 & 2 ~ 欢乐颂 1 & 2

Year Released

2016 (Season 1), 2017 (Season 2)

Genre

Slice of life

No. of Episodes

42 - running time of 45 minutes per episode (Season 1), 55 - running time of 45 minutes per episode (Season 2)

Starring

Liu Tao, Jiang Xin, Wang Ziwen, Yang Zi, Qiao Xin

Storyline

The drama depicts daily lives of five ladies staying at aparment Ode to Joy in Shanghai. 

Andy (Liu Tao) is a Wall Street executive who returns to China in search of her long-lost brother. As an orphan, Andy has difficulties dealing with people. She often battles with hereditary mental disorder.

Fan Shengmei (Jiang Xin) is a senior HR executive at a foreign company. Though she looks like a materialistic lady, she is in fact having financial burden to constantly taking care of her family's expenses.

Qu Xiaoxiao (Wang Ziwen) is a daughter of a rich businessman. She may seems wild and playful but when she puts her mind to it, nothing can stop her getting to her goals whether it is love relationship or career.

Qiu Yingying (Yang Zi) is a happy-go-lucky girl who is innocent and straightforward. She always gives in her all in every relationship. 

Guan Ju'er (Qiao Xin) is a shy and an introvert girl. She lives her life according to her parents' wishes. 

My View

I'm pretty impressed with Andy when she helps to change Qiu Yingying boyfriend's mindset about pre-marital sex. I actually had to re-watch that scene multiple times in order to absorb the information.

Another part is where Andy threatens her boyfriend Bao Yi Fan's mother to stop investigating about her long-lost brother's information at Daishan.

For Fan Shengmei, she is such an unfortunate lady. Her blood-sucking family disgusts me so much. The most ridiculous part is when Shengmei's brother moves their own father (who has a stroke) to her boyfriend Wang Baichuan parent's house.

That is unbelievable and I was swearing all the way.

Rating

4/5 Stars

Korean Drama : When the Weather is Fine

Alternative Title

I'll Find You a Beautiful Day

Year Released

2020

Genre

Slice of Life

No. of Episodes

16 - running time of 60 minutes per episode

Starring

Park Min-young, Seo Kang-joon

Storyline

Mok Hae-won (Park Min-young) struggles to live in Seoul as a cello teacher. She returns to her hometown at Bookhyun Village and meets her neighbour Im Eun-seob.

Hae-won and Eun-seob were once classmates in high school. Eun-seob is now a bookstore owner of Good Night Book Store and he organises a book club which gathers the people in the village with same interest.

After getting know of Eun-seob, the cold Hae-won begins to feel warmth for the first time. Together, the pair starts to heal each other of their own past hurts.

My View

A drama about love, forgiveness and healing. Though WTWIF looks like a simple romantic drama, it is about friendship and family's love. 

It is about acceptance, how you decide to let go, open up and embrace others.

After watching tons of crime and thriller dramas, those slow-paced lovely dramas calm me down.

I truly enjoy every moment of this show.

Rating

4/5 Stars

Korean Drama : Pinocchio

Year Released

2014

Genre

Slice of life

No. of Episodes

20 - running time of 58 minutes per episode

Starring

Lee Jong-suk, Park Shin-hye

Storyline

A misleading news report caused by MSC reporter Song Cha-ok (Jin Kyung) has destroyed Ki's family. Ki Ha-myung was saved by an elderly man Choi Gong-pil (Byun Hee-bong) when he jumps off a cliff with his mother.

Gong-pil suffers from memory loss and insists that Ha-myung is his older son, Choi Dal-po when Dal-po had already died 30 years ago. One day, Gong-pil's grandaughter Choi In-ha (Park Shin-hye) moves in to live with him. She was shocked when being told that Dal-po who is a young boy is her uncle.

In-ha suffers from "Pinocchio syndrome" which causes her to hiccup whenever she tells a lie. She idolises her mother Song Cha-ok very much. However, Cha-ok has long abandons her family for her career.

When In-ha goes to interview at MSC to be a reporter, Cha-ok fails her due to her "Pinocchio syndrome". Seeing how hurt In-ha is at her mother's rejection, Dal-po determines to help her achieve her dream. He announces that he wants to become a reporter as well. 

In-ha and Dal-po apply at YGN's "blind" audition for broadcast news reporters, but only Dal-po gets hired. Meanwhile, with MSC's credibility rating at an all-time low, Cha-ok hires In-ha, using her "Pinocchio syndrome" as a publicity stunt.

Thus, Dal-po and In-ha become rookies at rival networks. In-ha later discovers Dal-po's real identity and is disgusted by what her mother did to his family. 

My View

Not everything we see on the news is true. Sometimes, there may be more to it probably to cover some conspiracies behind the scenes.

Rating

5/5 Stars

 

Korean Drama : Because It's the First Time

Alternative Title

My First Time

Genre

Romance, Coming of Age, Slice of life

No. of Episodes

8 - running time of 55 minutes per episode

Starring

Park So-dam, Kim Min-jae, Choi Minho, Jung Yoo-jin, Lee Yi-kyung, Choi Hye-jung

Storyline

The story revolves around five friends who have known each other for years. When Han Song-yi (Park So-dam) has nowhere to stay, she camps outside of Yoon Tae-oh's (Choi Minho) rooftop house. 

Tae-oh is unaware that he has feelings for Song-yi. Song-yi gets together with Seo Ji-an (Kim Min-jae) in the end.

My View

A sweet short drama about youths growing up to experience adult life.

I was certainly touched when Ga-rin suffers from her father's death, but the other four friends did not try to hurry her. 

They just waited for her patiently until she recovers.

Rating

4/5 Stars

Korean Drama : Fight for My Way

Alternative Title

Third Rate My Way

Year Released

2017

Genre

Slice of Life, Romance

No. of Episodes

16 - running time of 70 minutes per episode

Starring

Park Seo-joon, Kim Ji-won, Ahn Jae-hong, Song Ha-yoon

Storyline

Ko Dong-man (Park Seo-joon) is a former famous taekwando player whose career was stopped because of a painful past. He is now a mixed martial arts fighter trying to make a name for himself.

Choi Ae-ra (Kim Ji-won) works at a department store but her dream is to be an announcer.

Dong-man and Ae-ra are childhood friends who end up falling for each other. Together, they struggle and strive for success in their careers.

My View

Dong-man is such a hilarious character. His exaggerating reactions often make me roll my eyes.

Rating

4/5 Stars

Chinese Drama : Nothing But Thirty 三十而已

Year Released

2020

Genre

Slice of life

No. of Episodes

43 - running time of 45 minutes per episode

Starring

Jiang Shuying, Tong Yao, Mao Xiaotong

Storyline

This drama revolves around three women in their thirties. With different backgrounds and personalities, see how they deal with their problems in life.

Wang Manni (Jiang Shuying), a salesperson at luxurious boutique. Manni constantly struggles to make ends meet. When it comes to love relationship, she just could not find the right man.

Gu Jia (Tong Yao), a housewife and businesswoman. She manages a fireworks company with her husband. In order to let her son get a better education, Gu Jia bought an apartment near his kindergarten.

When Gu Jia comes across other rich housewives, she vows to be one of them. Gu Jia starts planning from purchasing limited edition bag, renting a shop space to sell cakes and desserts to taking over a tea plantation. These are all above her means so much so that she has to mortgage her newly bought apartment and fireworks company.

A neglected Gu Jia's husband, Xu Huanshan (Li Zefeng) gets involved with Lin Youyou (Zhang Yue) behind her back. To make the matter worse, his firework factory accidentally explodes and killed some of his workers. 

Zhong Xiaoqin (Mao Xiaotong) is a happy-go-lucky girl while her husband Chen Yu (Yang Le) is a realistic person. Xiaoqin starts to feel her differences with Chen Yu due to sudden news of her pregnancy. At the same time, Xiaoqin's colleague, Zhong Xiaoyang (Yan Zidong) takes interest in her as well.

My View

I enjoy watching every little bit of this drama especially Gu Jia & Manni's stories. Not so much on Xiaoqin though as I feel she is overly dependent on her partner. 

Rating

4/5 Stars

Korean Drama : Reply 1988

Year Released 

2015 - 2016 

Genre 

Comedy, Romance, Family, Slice of life

No. of Episodes 

20 - running time of 90-110 minutes per episode 

Starring 

Park Bo-gum, Lee Hye-ri, Go Kyung-pyo, Ryu Jun-yeol, Lee Dong-hwi 

Storyline 

A family drama involving five families living together in the same neighbourhood.

Lots of fun, laughter and warmth holding everyone closely for years. 

My View 

Each family has their fair share on good and bad in life. I like it how everyone is being connected somehow.

Do not miss even a second of the drama because it is that good. 

Rating 

5/5 Stars