Chinese Drama : Here to Heart 温暖的弦

Year Released

2018

Genre

Romance

No. of Episodes

48 - running time of 45 minutes per episode

Starring

Zhang Han, Chang Chun-ning

Storyline

Zhan Nanxian (Zhang Han) and Wen Nuan (Chang Chun-ning) used to go out together during school days. However, Wen Nuan suddenly asks for a break-up and disappears.

Fast forward seven years later, Nanxian is already CEO of Qianyu. Wen Nuan also returns from England and works as executive assistant to Nanxian.

They try to rekindle their love but are meet with multiple obstacles due to past hurts and also third party Bo Yixin (Zhang Jiani). Yixin is Wen Nuan's best friend back in school and has a one-sided crush on Nanxian.

My View

The plot is not too bad at first but starts to get draggy after a while. Many redundant episodes making me lose interest in it.

The only part which I like is the love relationship between Yixin and Pan Weining (Liang Dawei). I actually ship for them than the first leads.

Rating 

2/5 Stars

Chinese Drama : General's Lady 将军家的小娘子

Year Released

2020

Genre

Historical fiction

No. of Episodes

30 - running time of 45 minutes per episode

Starring

Tang Min, Wu Xize

Storyline

General Chu Xiuming (Wu Xize) is known as a cold-blooded demon general who never loses a battle. Shen Jin (Tang Min) is the third daughter of Prince Rui. 

The Emperor decrees an arranged marriage between General Chu and second daughter of Prince Rui. Shen Jin reluctantly accepts to marry the General in exchange for her mother's better life at home.

After some time, the pair gradually fall in love. Though they bicker most of the time, Xiuming and Jin are willing to go through thick and thin together.

My View

I guess my standards are set so much higher after watching awesome historical fiction dramas like Princess Agents, The Wolf, Goodbye My Princess, Nirvana in Fire etc..

The plot is just fine. The villians do not last too long and their plans are being exposed easily. After the main leads return to Capital, things start to slow down quite a bit.

The only part which I like most is during last episode when Emperor decides to return his throne to the rightful heir. That is pretty funny.

Rating

3/5 Stars

Chinese Drama : Go Go Squid 亲爱的, 热爱的

Year Released   

2019

Genre

Esports

No. of Episodes

41 - running time of 45 minutes per episode

Starring

Yang Zi, Li Xian

Storyline

Gun God (Li Xian) was once the top player of Solo team representing China in cybersecurity CTF competition. He retires from esports during his peak period due to two of the members Solo (Li Zefeng) and Appledog (Wang Zhen'er) leaving the team. 

Tong Nian (Yang Zi) is a university student who falls in love with Gun at first sight. Tong Nian is helping her cousin mending the counter when Gun visits their internet cafe.

My View

I guess a lot of people are still skeptical about esports whether it could be treated as a future career. GGS depicts the dreams of youngsters and brotherhood.

The part where Solo and Appledog apologised to Gun made me teared up. The pain, regrets which had been bottled up in them for the past ten years were all being released at once.

Rating

4/5 Stars

Chinese Drama : The Romance of Tiger and Rose 传闻中的陈芊芊

Year Released

2020

Genre

Historical fiction, Comedy

No. of Episodes

24 - running time of 45 minutes per episode

Starring

Zhao Lusi, Ding Yuxi

Storyline

Chen Xiaoqian (Zhao Lusi), a struggling screenwriter faces criticism from actor Han that her script lacks creativity probably due to her zero love experience.

While Xiaoqian makes amendment on her story "The Romance of Tiger and Rose", she falls asleep and gets transported into her very own plot world. Xiaoqian wakes up as the third princess Chen Qianqian of Huayuan City.

Huayuan is where females are more superior than males unlike Xuanhu City where males' are of high status. It happens that Han Shuo, the prince from Xuanhu (looks exactly like actor Han) has come to marry the second princess of Huayuan, Chen Chuchu (Zhou Zixin).

Unfortunately, Qianqian snatches Han Shuo to be her husband instead. Qianqian is supposed to die after drinking poisonous wine on her wedding night. Han Shuo's plan is to kill Qianqian, marries Chuchu, steals Huayuan's national treasure, Dragon Bone to cure his heart disease and lastly to conquer Huayuan.

Since Xiaoqian knows the entire scenes inside out, she plays along while trying to change every sequence of events.

My View

Quite a lovely story but without much ups and downs. Plus point is that this drama is short and sweet or I will have to rate a 1 or 2.

Rating

3/5 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 : 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 : Tunnel

Year Released

2017

Genre  

Crime, Thriller

No. of Episodes

16 - running time of 60 minutes per episode

Starring

Choi Jin-hyuk, Yoon Hyun-min, Lee Yoo-young

Storyline

Park Gwang-ho (Choi Jin-hyuk) is a detective from Hwayang police station who time travels from 1986 to 2016 while chasing a serial killer through a tunnel.

There, he meets Kim Seon-jae (Yoon Hyun-min) who is a lieutenant in Hwayang police station. Together, they get to know criminal psychological professor Shin Jae-yi (Lee Yoo-young).

Gwang-ho continues to chase after the serial killer as he thinks this is the only way for him to go back to 1986. 

My View

Tunnel's plotline is extremely exciting that I'm having goosebumps at times when watching it.

Since the story is that amazing, I don't even want to write any spoilers here.

Rating

5/5 Stars

Korean Drama : Awaken

Year Released

2020 - 2021

Genre

Mystery, Thriller

No. of Episodes

16 - running time of 70 minutes per episode

Starring

Namkoong Min, Kim Seol-hyun, Lee Chung-ah, Yoon Sun-woo

Storyline

Team leader Do Jung-woo (Namkoong Min) heads the special team of Seoul Metropolitan Police agency together with inspector Gong Hye-won (Kim Seol-hyun). 

FBI investigator Jamie Leighton (Lee Chung-ah) has been invited to join special team as well. They are trying to track down serial killer Moon Jae-woong (Yoon Sun-woo) who has been making the victims commit suicide by having lucid dreams.

All of the victims play a part supporting a foundation in experimenting serum of immortality. They use young children below 14 years old as test subjects at White Night Village. 

However, a tragedy happened one night where everyone killed each other in the village. A few children manage to escape and survive until they are adults. Now they are plotting revenge against those evil scientists and members of White Night foundation.

My View

The idea of killing people by making them have lucid dreams is somewhat creative to me. It's like one is unable to differentiate between reality or fantasy.

Rating 

5/5 Stars

 

Korean Drama : Trap

Year Released

2019

Genre

Thriller

No. of Episodes

7 - running time of 70 minutes per episode

Starring

Lee Seo-jin, Sung Dong-il, Lim Hwa-young

Storyline

The story starts with anchorman Kang Woo-hyun (Lee Seo-jin) as a victim to a group of "hunters" while on vacation with his family. His wife and son are kidnapped and taken as baits. Woo-hyun has to decide if he is to save his wife or son.

Detective Go Dong-kook (Sung Dong-il) works together with profiler Yoon Seo-young (Lim Hwa-young) to track down the group of serial killers.

My View

There is a little twist here and there but not that much of an impact. Perhaps, it is due to only 7 episodes which feels pretty rush.

How I wish everything just ends instantly but the ending is a cliffhanger.

Rating

3/5 Stars