GOBLIN

RATING-★★★★★

YEAR OF RELEASE- 2016

GENRE- Drama, Fantasy, Romance

 DIRECTOR- Lee Eung-bok,

Kwon Hyuk-chan, Yoon Jong-ho

PRODUCTION LOCATION- South Korea

 IF GOD ONLY GIVES US HARDSHIPS WE CAN HANDLE, HE MUST THINK TOO HIGHLY OF SOME PEOPLE. FOR SOME JUST BEG THE DIVINITY TO LET THEM STAY BY THE SIDE OF THEIR LOVED ONES A LITTLE LONGER, PRAY FOR THE WAIT TO BE SHORTER AND THE MEETING TO BE LONGER IN THEIR NEXT LIFE.

A note of caution for all of you, if you are a person who is very tenderhearted 'do not watch this drama' it will break your heart into a million💔💔 pieces but if you have the courage to sit through episodes 13 & 16 you'd get the fruit of your wait in the form of the most satisfying end and the best drama of 2016 . 

Goblin as the name suggests is a fantasy drama or rather fantasy blended with history, romance and a transition to the modern era with the most overwhelming plot ever, in short an absolute delight for hardcore drama lovers. This drama has two parallel love stories one, of a lonely deity who is the protector of souls waiting for the end of his long eternal life and Eun Tak the one who is destined to be the Goblin's bride, born with a whale birth mark. The Goblin's bride Eun Tak who has had a life full of misery one day makes a wish and summons the deity himself and from that day on the story of the Goblin and his bride begins. Another, of the ill fated Grim reaper and Sunny, the beautiful owner of a chicken shop who is chased by all men. Although once parallel the lives of all the four change drastically when it somehow gets intertwined with one another.

THE GOBLIN AND HIS BRIDE

The goblin who was once a warrior in the Goryeo dynasty is trapped in an endless lonely life and could only be released of this immortal spell by his bride, one who is destined to take the sword out of his chest but the tragedy lies in this very fact itself for who knew that the goblin will fall for the one who is destined to end his life. Isn't it ironical and like a curse that when you have always wanted to die you can't and when you finally find love and want to live more you can't because that very person is destined to end your life😞😟😔. Who knew Eun Tak would fall for the ahjussi who'd love her for the same abnormalities which once made her an outcast (yeah, she could see ghosts😓).

THE GRIM REEPER AND SUNNY

This love story has its own endless suffering as they can't stay together even if they wanted to, not because of someone else but because of their own mistakes in their past life, the guilt of which won't ever let them stay together. The tragedy of this couple is linked to their past life guilt, back in the era of Goryeo dynasty the king becomes the reason for the death of his own beloved wife one whom he loved the most in the world which leaves an eternal scar on their souls and heart and this past life couple happens to be the Grim Reeper and sunny. Although as Sunny was reborn she eventually doesn't remember anything of her past life, the Grim Reeper is trapped in this immortal life as part of his punishment and remembers everything. Its a relief that things weren't always as sad for them as for the part where sunny was oblivious of her past we could see some really funny and great moments of them together and among all that I really adored how intimidated the Grim Reeper was by her.😍😍😍😍😍😍

THE BROMANCE

This drama has showcased one of the best bromance of all times. Between the Grim Reeper and the Goblin who despite being 900 yrs old still behave like 20 year old high school boys with their constant nagging, awkward hugs, uncomfortable emotional talks and ultimate partners in their journey of long eternal wait. It would literally melt your heart while you watch them be by each other's side while they wait to be reunited with their loves. Its their bromance that will give you the joy of laughter once in a while.💜💜💜💜

Both the love stories of this drama were quite unique in itself and I cannot imagine a better cast or a better representation of stage and feelings as that shown in the drama. No amount of words can describe the pain😭💔 as well as warmth I felt while watching the last three episodes of the drama, at one moment I just sat near my window wondering why god does this to people and that 'Are humans even capable of handling such pain'. The ending though a little satisfying will still leave you lingering on your emotions and train of thoughts for quite sometime and trust me if you can sit through the last three episodes you are in for a Gem. I know it seems impossible sometimes but always dream of happy ending.💟

If I could describe this drama in a sentence I'd say it was 'EPIC'💗💗, go for it.

K2

 

RATING-★★★★★

YEAR OF RELEASE- 2016

GENRE- Drama, Action, Politics

 DIRECTOR- Kwak Jung Hwan

PRODUCTION LOCATION- South Korea

LIFT YOUR HEAD, STRAIGHTEN YOUR BACK. YOUR ENEMIES ARE WATCHING.

I started watching this drama solely because of how much I adore 😍😍Ji Chang Wook and I did not need any other reason too to be honest but as I got invested in the story it had so much more to offer. Yes I agree this drama is very much different in its approach, in fact it might at times feel like you are watching an American series given the action and politics that it beholds. But I guess that is Ji Chan g Wook's thing, which pretty much explains his other dramas like Healer and Suspicious partner. If you are going to watch Ji Chang Wook for the first time on screen I’d suggest you to start with healer, he’ll pretty much steal your heart and keep it locked in his safe of hearts forever.

 Also this is no fan page of Ji Chang Wook although I now am having second thoughts 😅😛. On this note let me brief you about this movie like drama.

K2 is the revenge story of a bodyguard who once was a dedicated citizen of the country and served for the same only to be betrayed by the system. Ji Chang Wook code named K2 in order to fulfill his revenge gets associated with a security agency which is pledged to save and is run by the wife of a presidential candidate Choi Yoo Jin. Choi Yoo Jin single handedly runs the security agency in the name of which layers all her money and assets. She works day and night and is the mastermind behind all the structure of the story be it the candidature of her husband, the security agency and the step daughter who she hides away from the entire country Anna.

The story starts on a very interesting note if taken into account the encounter of Choi Yoo Jin and k2, they started off as sworn enemies who just wanted to get rid of each other’s existence itself but rather end up being each other’s best ally. 

It will really give you goosebumps😲😱 when you’ll witness them working together, they’re like the power duo of this show. The amount of trust that Choi Yoo Jin entrusts k2 with will give you the depth of their relationship. 

Unlike typical, their chemistry is nowhere born out of love rather the feeing of apathy they have for each other makes it unique, you know like they say "all the connections no matter how happy, can fade away but not the ones in which people share their pain with each other." Choo Yoo Jin’s character may prima facie seem to be of villain like but there is so much more to it than just hatred and by the end of the show you’ll end up rooting and sympathizing with her a lot more than you’d expect.

As for the lead couple Anna and Kim Je Ha a.k.a., K2 things start off very rough but eventually K2 falls for her innocence and could be seen protecting her from all the evil staged against her. However little, their chemistry is quite heart warming. 

 Initially you would feel very sorry for Anna because of how she lived the major half of her life in hiding, apart from that her character lacks the basic depth. K2’s character when associated with Anna too doesn’t hold much to it rather than being her white night. So, if you are looking for an attractive love story this is not the one.

This drama is strictly for action dwellers, the initial episodes would literally make you jump off your bed with enthusiasm😲😲 and for people who take interest in politics and are sworn followers of the school of relativism. Also Ji Chang Wook army what is stopping you from watching oppa 💜💜 at his best.  

IT'S OKAY TO NOT BE OKAY

RATING-★★★★★

YEAR OF RELEASE- 2020

GENRE- Drama, Romance

DIRECTOR- Park Shin-Woo

PRODUCTION LOCATION- South Korea

People are all hypocrites. We all live with a lot of hatred but act like that's not the case after all, who isn't flawless. So, if you want to make people around you happy first try and find your own happiness. Being selfish isn't always a bad thing, trying to think or look out for your own self when things get too stressful. It's okay to do that.

I've been preparing for long before coming to write a review on this drama as this isn't just something one could think about and write overnight. It's okay to not be okay is the best drama I've seen so far in terms of the lessons it taught me and is one of its kind. It comes forward to break all the stereotypes associated with romance, fairy tales and really explains what it takes to deal with trauma and mental illness. This perfect blend of attraction piled with horror is not at all an easy watch, rather is layered with multiple lessons throughout the 16 episode journey. Also in this era where every second person is dealing with some sort of mental health related issue this drama has really attempted to educate people in the most intriguing way possible. 

The Drama is about three people who have been subject to mental trauma in their childhood and are constantly on a run to escape the same. 

TALE OF THE TWO BROTHERS

Moon Gang Tae a mental ward caretaker happens to have an elder brother who had witnessed the murder of his mother, strangely he had come to a conclusion that his mother was killed by a butterfly and since then his hyung (brother) is constantly changing jobs and cities whenever its that time of the year when we se butterflies swarming through the flowers. In the initial episodes as a spectator you are bound to feel sorry for this guy who is so devoted to his brother and precisely is living just to protect him. And this is the most practical part of this drama, we have all seen unconditionally good and angle like leads since forever but this story comes to break all those norms, though Gang Tae is devoted to his brother he too is frustrated sometimes and that makes this character relatable. 

TALE OF THE LONELY PRINCESS

Go Moon Young on the other had is a children's storybook author, who always attempts to reach those grey areas of human emptions that have otherwise been left unattended. And although initially you'd think 'who writes such stories for children' later on her fairytales would really help you understand the details of living with a trauma and mental illness. The goth fairytales though had an aura of darkness around it but life isn't always bright itself is it. Moon Young's character will disturb you initially because of her unreasonable actions but with the outspoken and rebellious character of hers she comes out to be really cool.  On the other hand Gang Tae apprehended that she was like an empty vessel who knows nothing of emotions which changes eventually. Facing all their traumas and getting over it, really helps the characters evolve beautifully.  

WHO CARES ABOUT DESTINY, BUT IFSOMEONE SHOWS UP WHEN YOU NEED THEM, IT'S CALLED DESTINY

Moon Gang Tae and Moon Sang Tae came in Moon Young's life when she had nothing to look forward to in life and so did she in theirs. There can be a crisis of conscious here and two arguments can be put forward one, that these three had an ill fated relationship and the second, that each of the three were essential in the story of one another but what hit me the most was that this entire story could have gone wrong if only the characters exaggerated on the ill fate part. 

In life also we might be tied to a person in a manner which brings nothing but the gory memories of the past but we can always put an end to the tragedy by letting the bygones be bygones. 

I am pretty sure you will enjoy the chemistry between the leads (all three of them). A fairytale is not always finding a prince charming, for some people it is having a FAMILY to rely on. Family is a luxury that only some of us has been provided with and this you'd really be able to acknowledge when you watch this show. The entire drama was very preceptive especially the sneak peeks into the lives of all the patients of the OK Mental Hospital.

  

 

DOCTORS

RATING-★★★★

YEAR OF RELEASE-2016

GENRE- Medical, Drama, Romance

DIRECTOR- Oh Chong Hwan

PRODUCTION LOCATION- South Korea

ALTHOUGH IT'S NICE AVOIDING THINGS THAT  CAN BE AVOIDED, THINGS THAT ARE MEANT TO FIND YOU.........WILL FIND YOU

Starring Park shin Hye as Yoo Hye Jung and Kim Rye Won as Hong Ji Hong, Doctors is a very engaging journey one which literally takes you inside the emergency room. While most people would tell you that its a light watch I here think otherwise, rather this drama elaborates on each and every case that comes up in the emergency room and that is quite a unique aspect of this show.

Let's start with the leads of the drama, Yoo Hye Jung as projected in the starting scene itself where she handles a handful of gangsters on her own right before performing the surgery, is a very strong character (physically as well as mentally) one that does never really rely on anyone. The drama is set on a plot where the main characters all have a history, it so happens that Yoo Hye Jung as a teenager was abandoned by her parents as she was a very unruly child and is sent off too her grandmother's, at first she is very stubborn but soon she grows very fond of her grandmother and considers her as the center of her universe. The once ruthless and unruly child now wants to work very hard and make her grandmother very proud by becoming a doctor. But like every story her happy go hut is shattered by a wind soon, she looses her gran and this is not it, the worst part being that she lost her gran due to a medical malpractice. She just refuses to believe that her grandmother died amidst the operation as the doctor had clearly stated that it was a minor operation and that she should soon be fine afterwards. 

This incident really shakes Yoo Hye Jung and she takes it as a sole motto of her life to avenge and know the truth behind her grandmother's surgery which involved the chairman of the hospital she was now working at and some dark secrets that were all layered on top of it.

On the other hand Hong Ji Hong is nothing but a sweetheart, back in the days he was Hye Jung's teacher and rented a room in Hye Jung's gran's estate. It is because of him that Hye Jung developed such a beautiful relationship with her life back then, While he himself was escaping from his weakness  he came into that small town for a break and took up teaching. The most intriguing thing about him is that no matter what, this person's smile will take away even the last ounce of doubt and anxiety away from you.

Hong Ji Hong accepts to have been attracted to Hye Jung while he was still his teacher but no matter how unethical it may look to you, that's not the case. In fact it's so high and mighty of him to never do anything about that feeling given their mentor- mentee relationship , I believe that one has no control over how he or she feels but at least they could  monitor their actions, the fact that some choose to react while others don't is what makes this situation different.

 And as they hope in every love story "If only we meet in a different time, at a different place....." this came true for our leads in this story and they picked it up from where they left. So heart melting is their relationship, they literally complement each other and Hong ji Hong like in the past once again saves Hye Jung from turning into a peace deprived vengeful woman. So pure is their romance that you'd actually start respecting and caring for the characters.

The leads are not the only interesting part about the drama, as the story is shown from a broader purview you'll notice the characters fading in the story and that they are not the highlight of the story rather just a part of it. The weekly cases that come to the emergency room are all so engaging in their own way that you would not be able to help but be filled with so much respect for this profession. Some cases become so interesting that you'd literally wana skip the unnecessary chit chat of the characters to know what happened next.

Also you'll absolutely enjoy the intimate operation theatre scenes if you have ever wanted to be a doctor in your life. 

The side stories of the drama are cherry on top of the cake and are the little joyous breaks after the serious hospital politics and I'm pretty sure you would love Hye Jung's best friend Sooni and the small circle she has in the hospital as they are never the part of the hospital politics and send all the cute vibes indefinitely throughout  the show.

Hye Jung always thinks that she would only find peace after she avenges her gran, that she should not rest until she has achieved her goal but whenever she is next to Hong Ji Hong everything else just fades away and she could find herself falling asleep. 

As the revenge part looses its hold in the plot, the drama makes sure that it delivers the message that 'what kind of person we would end up being is always determined by the kind of people we are surrounded by'. 

UNCONTROLLABLY FOND

 

RATING:★★★

YEAR OF RELEASE: 6 July 2016

PRODUCER: Kim Sung-Geun

PRODUCTION LOCATION: South Korea

WE ALL HAVE TWO LIVES, THE SECOND ONE STARTS WHEN WE REALISE WE ONLY HAVE ONE.

Uncontrollably Fond is one of the most heart breaking drama of all times and will often leave your heart into tiny little pieces throughout the 20 episode series. The story revolves around Shin Joon Young ( Kim Woo Bin) who is a very famous actor and is suffering from a terminal disease which he is not able to come in terms with as he feels completely healthy and also because of his young age. Shin Joon's crew and managers are all tired of him constantly being moody but always put up with him as he has a surging fan base and people are like crazy for him. His mother on the other hand is always hard on him despite of the wealth and fame he had achieved as she wanted him to be a lawyer just like his father. All the characters think of Shin Joon's actions to be extremely infuriating at some point of time as they remain unaware of his illness and we as spectators would always see the reason behind everything and would not be able to help but feel bad for Shin Joon as he just wants to live the little rest of his life with no regrets.

The female lead of this series No Eul's life is also filled with desolating events which lead her to be the exact opposite of what she used to be in her school days (the selfless person who'd give away anything and everything she has in her possession). No Eul is a producer who is always switching jobs and lives a life full of uncertainty, all this she does just to ensure that her younger brother gets quality education as he is the only light in her dark life.

No Eul and Shin Joon have a history, they dated for a while in high school but had a very ill fated end and now No Eun is sent to make a documentary on Shin Joon's daily life by her company and for the same she has to spend an awful lot of time with him. We see Shin Joon falling for her high school sweetheart once again but this time things are not that simple as he has to right all the past wrongs he'd committed with the the little time he has left with himself and trust me his desperate attempts will break your heart beyond repair. 

The worst part is that while I was still watching the drama I came to know that the lead playing Shin Joon Young (Kim Woo Bin) was actually suffering from cancer and so every scene had an exaggerated effect on me, the good news is that now he has bravely fought with the tumor and is completely healthy.

The drama has a great storyline, great actors in the form of Kim Woo Bin (he literally shines) and every character in the drama be it Shin Joon's father, his step brother or him and his step brother fighting over No Eul is well taken care of but somewhere I found the chemistry between the leads missing so I wouldn't call it a love story, in my opinion it is so much more than a love story as each time you'd see the characters getting furious over something you'd end up asking yourself "all of this for what?". In literal sense this drama has taught me the value of life, that life is above every other thing and each one is fighting a battle of their own, one that we know nothing of. 

I learned that waiting for someone you love can be the easiest thing, unbearable is the pain when one day you do not even get to wait for them.

OH MY VENUS!

IF YOU'RE HANGING IN THERE YOU HAVEN'T REACHED YOUR LIMIT. 

RATING- ★★★★★

YEAR OF RELEASE- 2015

GENRE- Romance, Drama, Comedy

DIRECTOR- Kim-Hyung Suk

PRODUCTION LOCATION- South Korea 

IF YOU'RE HANGING IN THERE YOU HAVEN'T REACHED YOUR LIMIT. 

Oh My Venus is one such series that has taught me to be strong no matter what, that 'if you put your mind to it, you can do  anything'. The drama unfolds so many scenarios where a person would not be able to help but succumb to their misery yet somehow the characters always manage to come out of it stronger than ever.😤:fighting:

The story is about a 33 year old lawyer Kang Joo-Eun who in her college days was the beauty of Daegu and had a nickname 'Daegu Venus'. However in order to pass the Bar exams she studied day and night and gained a lot of weight eventually she became successful in clearing her exams but lost on her beauty still she was satisfied and content as  she had the two things at point, her love life and her career. Soon Kang Joo-Eun realises that her 10 year long relationship is collapsing and somehow ends up concluding it is because of her weight and makes up her mind that no matter what, she would bring her old glory back. For this Kang Joo-Eun seeks the guidance of a very famous professional trainer Kim Young-Ho ( a.k.a John Kim ) who has returned to Korea recently to escape from a scandal back in U.S with a Hollywood actress.

Their first encounter is really embarrassing for Kang Joo-Eun, as a life threatening situation unfolds on her and she was saved by Young-Ho but that doesn't stop them from falling in love in any way in fact there entire relationship is entwined in the prospects of health and fitness.😤🙌 

Kang Joo-Eun's self esteem really drops when she could not become the brains with the beauty as she aspired in her college days but Young-Ho comes to her rescue every time and despite her strong character you will often witness her in need of someone to save her out of the situation and that someone always ends up to be the charming and dashing Kim Young-Ho. She is a woman who is very strong and affirmative and we can clearly see the evolution of her character throughout the series.💪

About Young-Ho (male lead), like any Kdrama male lead his life is full of great misery, but his misery comes in the form of a devastating illness due to which he spends most of his childhood in hospitals and that's what takes him to The States in the first place. As they say what doesn't kill you makes you strong, Young's illness in the same way became the reason why he is so persistent and keen on fitness.

 Young-Ho has some really amazing set of friends, I'm sure you'll love them and especially all the four (Young-Ho, Kang Joo-Eun and Kim's friends) of them together, it's such a prize to the eye.👐😍

The story also has the angle of Kang Joo-Eun's ex-boyfriend who starts dating her best friend from school. Kang Joo-Eun's friend or rather former friend, Oh Soo-Jin used to be very fat back in her college days and was often ridiculed by people for the same. However Oh Soo-Jin transforms herself completely and ends up being Kang Joo-Eun's senior at the law firm. The worst part of this angle is that Kang Joo-Eun's ex starts acting in the most typical way after she gains her glory back.

The journey from scratch till the end will be heart-breaking 💔with a lot of life lessons but I assure you, never would you want to leave it in between.

Also there are times when you'll realize that even belly fat sometimes comes in handy.😝😜

 

THE HEIRS

 

RATING-★★★★

YEAR OF RELEASE-2013

GENRE- Romance Drama

DIRECTOR- Kang Shin-hyo

                      Boo Sung-chul

PRODUCTION LOCATION- United States of America,

                                                      South Korea

• In every person's life there comes a phase when they fall in love, like each other, cry and run away, it also happens that we turn our back towards the person we love countless times. Nevertheless we run back into each other's arms, hold each other's hands tightly against one another for we might fall, not once or twice but countless times, we'd have to kneel in front of the one we love. But one thing is certain that despite all of this GO FOR IT is what this drama has taught me.   

The heirs is a typical Princess story in which the rich heir falls in love with an ordinarily beautiful girl who is obviously poor and everybody is in love with the female lead for different reasons. Heirs tells the story of Kim Tan (Lee Min Ho) who is the rich heir to the Empire Group.  Tan and Go Eun Sang's meeting is set in The States where tan is attending school and Go Eun comes to meet her sister in hopes of a better life . But when things go badly with her sister, she is left alone in a foreign country on her own with nowhere to go, that's where Tan swoops in and takes her under his shelter. It so happens that they enjoy each other's company and do not feel lonely for once in their life. Although them living together in America is full of awkward moments where they are always warry of each other, it somehow leads them to actually care for one another. Tan and Go Eun completely unaware of the fact that Go Eun's mother is a housekeeper at tan's house back in Korea, enjoy the best time of their lives going on road trips, sight seeing and so much more.

The part of the drama set up in the states is so heart touchingly cute that it compensates for the rest of the drama set up in Korea with family problems. Once they return to Korea both of them are in for a big surprise. Tan however first discovers the truth and is thrilled to see Go Eun at his place. Tan's life is so much more complicated than the word itself that I wouldn't even go into the details of it, yes it is pretty crazy with all the legitimate son and mistress angle, it is only fun while you watch for yourself. 

With all this you'd feel really sympathetic towards Tan because he really longs for a family and wants nothing but the love of his father and elder brother( who is always turning him down in the fear that he might take his company from him). 

The family drama is not the only bug in the story, parallelly there's another drama going on in Tan's school where his childhood best friend turned enemy also falls in love with Go Eun and is always bullying her in order to seek her attention (i bet you'll love this part). Then there is also Tan's arranged  “fiancé”, Yoo Rachel who is a                                                                       real classic trouble maker.

I truly enjoyed the chemistry between Tan and Eun Sang. Eun Sang is hesitantly tossed into the universe of the rich. No matter how much she attempts to stay away from it, yet Tan simply continues to pull her back in. He falls for her fast and hard and remains devoted throughout. He is always prepared to protect her, if just she would let him. They certainly fit the meaning of star crossed lovers.

This drama has taught me to never let go of the people you love no matter at what cost it is.