Chinese Drama : Painting Heart Expert 画心师

Year Released

2017 

Genre

Fantasy, Historical Fiction

No. of Episodes

20 - running time of 35 minutes per episode

Starring

Zhu Xudan, Xiong Ziqi, Sun Bohao, Bao Tianqi, Li Junchen

Storyline

Cen Huan (Zhu Xudan) is a painting heart expert who has been forced to leave her sect due to an attack from Jiu Si (Sun Bohao). Painting heart sect's mission is to protect Shi Meng Mo (dream-eating beast). The world that everyone is living in, is in fact a dream and once Shi Meng Mo is awake, everyone will disappear.

Jiu Si does not wish to see this happen as his mission is to protect Zhao Meng Shou (dream-creating beast). He has been controlling humans to get their rage so as to feed Zhao Meng Shou. Cen Huan happens to meet Physician Ning Wei Yu (Ziong Ziqi) and his assistant, Sima Kong Kong (Li Junchen).

The trio often work together to cure people filled with rage so as to destroy Jiu Si's goals.

My View

PHE gives me an anime-turned-drama vibe with multiple hilarious moments which I can only find from animes. Overall, story is not too bad with individual cases which painting heart expert manages to resolve. 

Rating

3/5 Stars

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: The Ghost Detective

Year Released

2018

Genre

Horror, Mystery

No. of Episodes

32 - running time of 35 minutes per episode

Starring

Choi Daniel, Park Eun-bin, Lee Ji-ah

Storyline

Lee Da-il (Choi Daniel) and Jung Yeo-wool (Park Eun-bin) have a common goal that is to look for the ghost who killed Da-il's mother and Yeo-wool's younger sister. Seon Woo-hye (Lee Ji-ah) had a bad childhood and died after her suicide. 

Woo-hye uses the selfishness in humans to make them turn against themselves. Da-il eventually makes her realise her wrong perception.

My View

Plot is all good with a litte twist here and there but in the middle it starts to get kind of boring. But the ending is overall not too bad so I have decided to rate a 4 instead of 3.

Rating

4/5 Stars

Chinese Drama : Cute Programmer 程序员那么可爱

Year Released

2021

Genre

Office, Romance

No. of Episodes

30 - running time of 45 minutes per episode

Starring

Xing Zhao Lin, Zhu Xu Dan

Storyline

Lu Li (Zhu Xu Dan) admires Jiang Yi Cheng (Xing Zhao Lin) as he is a genius programmer and they both played games together anonymously back in the school days. Due to betrayal by fellow girl programmer Li Man (Sheng Lang Xi), Yi Cheng only recruits male employees into his Co. 

Lu Li had no choice but to disguise herself as a male. She was recruited but her identity was eventually exposed by Yi Cheng. They somehow got involved into a contract marriage. Yi Cheng began to fall in love with Lu Li but was still entangled with his previous love, Li Man.

In the end, Lu Li divorced Yi Cheng and left him for good. Yi Cheng vowed to chase Lu Li back when he realised his true love was actually Lu Li all along.

My View

Quite an adorable drama and I kind of like Bambi here.

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

Korean Drama : Reply 1997

Year Released

2012

Genre

Comedy, Family

No. of Episodes 

16 - running time of 60 minutes per episode

Starring

Seo In-guk, Hoya, Jung Eun-ji, Shin So-yool, Lee Si-eon, Eun Ji-won, Song Jong-ho

Storyline

Plot about a group of schoolmates in the late 90s struggling between studies, first love and going after their favourite idols.

My View

Not too bad being the first of reply series with tears and laughters here and there.

Rating 

4/5 Stars

Korean Drama : Reply 1994

Year Released

2013

Genre

Romance, Family, Comedy

No. of Episodes

12 - running time of 1 hour 17 minutes per episode

Starring

Go Ah-ra, Jung Woo, Yoo Yeon-seok, Kim Sung-kyun, Baro, Do-hee, Son Ho-jun, Sung Dong-il, Lee Il-Hwa

Storyline

A warmth story about the Sung's family who moved to Seoul and started a boarding house welcoming everyone coming from various countrysides. 

My View

Reply 1994 has a combination of hilarious, touching and sad moments. The plot twist is somehow unexpected at times and it's just heart-wrenching. I must say the scripwriter for reply series is extremely awesome.

Rating

5/5 Stars

Korean Drama : Hwarang

Year Released

2016 - 2017

Genre 

Historical Period 

No. of Episodes

20 - running time of 60 minutes per episode

Starring

Park Seo-joon, Park Hyung-sik, Go Ah-ra

Storyline

A 'faceless' King Jinheung (Park Hyung-sik) who has been hidden since young by his mother Queen Ji So (Kim Jee-soo) after the late King Beopheung passed away. Moo Myung (Park Seo-joon) who is a cheonin and becomes Ahn Ji-gong's (Choi Won-young) son, Son Woo to avenge the death of his friend Mak Moon (Lee Kwang-soo). Mak Moon was the real son of Ahn Ji-gong but separated from his father since young due to Queen Ji So.

Both Jinheung and Son Woo join as Hwarang which is established by Queen Ji So to later on act as an army to support King Jinheung. They both fall in love with Ahn Ji-gong's daughter, Ah Ro (Go Ah-ra) who is a physician looking after the Hwarangs.

My View

While the drama has my favourite veteran actors Choi Won-young and Kim Won-hae, the stroyline just somehow falls short and does not have that much of an impact for me. It feels like the villian Park Yeong-shil (Kim Chang-wan) was easily defeated without a proper fight. 

I actually shipped for Park Hyung-sik and Go Ah-ra instead but oh well. 

Rating

3/5 stars

Korean Drama : Bad Guys 2: City of Evil

Year Released

2017

Genre

Action

No. of Episodes

16 - running time of 65 minutes per episode

Starring

Park Joong-hoon, Joo Jin-mo, Yang Ik-jun, Kim Mu-yeol, Ji-soo

Storyline

Plot is about a group of prosecutors, detectives and an ex-gang member who team up together to crack down corrupted powerful connections within the government bodies.

My View

Loved all the fighting scenes and little of twist here and there. One part which touched my heart so much was when ex-prosecutor turned lawyer Min Tae-shik (Lee Yoon-hee) forgave Han Gang-joo (Ji-soo) for trying to kill him years ago.

Rating 

4/5 Stars

Korean Drama : Team Bulldog: Off-duty Investigation

Year Released

2020

Genre

Crime

No. of Episodes

12 - running time of 70 minutes per episode

Starring

Cha Tae-hyun, Lee Sun-bin, Jung Sang-hoon, Yoon Gyung-ho, Ji Seung-hyun

Storyline

A team made up of Detective Jin Kang-ho (Cha Tae-hyun), TV programme Fact Check PD, Kang Moo-young  (Lee Sun-bin), ex-profiler turned pyramid scheme sales person, Tak Won (Ji Seung-hyun), ex-pathologist turned funeral director, Lee Ban-seok (Jung Sang-hoon) and ex-gangster turned bar owner, Teddy Jung (Yoon Gyung-ho) where they solve crimes together.

My View

Overall an okay plot and I'm only impressed by the first case at how they managed to get the fingerprints of a murderer.

Rating

3/5 Stars