First Impressions – Twins, Bodyguard & Baseball

Three new dramas aired this past weekend with more to follow this coming week. Naturally I did you all a favor by checking out all three that MyDramaList had done a poll asking about which we’ll be watching. I have very specific reasons for why I checked out each drama as you will see below! How much do y’all appreciate me? Be honest! Hehe. Let’s get into it!

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Queen: Love And War

A war takes place between women who want to become the queen.

Kang Eun-Bo’s twin sister is murdered. To find out the who is responsible for her sister’s death, Kang Eun-Bo decides to become the queen. She does not hesitate to take reckless actions in pursuit of her goal.

Lee Kyung is the king. He is handsome and intelligent. Lee Kyung has precognitive dreams about one woman. He becomes involved in an unexpected case.

asianwiki

Thoughts: I started this drama because I wanted to throw shade at Jin Se Yeon! A lot of people complain about her acting and the only thing that I thought she wasn’t good in that I’ve seen is Doctor Stranger. In all honesty, I liked her a lot in Flower In The Prison and based on what I’ve seen thus far maybe she’s just someone that is better at historical roles? Anyways on to the actual drama… I was a little bit confused while I watched it cause it didn’t align with what I read the plot would be but eventually things made sense and I’m kind of intrigued. Ngl. Maybe because I’ve been watching so many Chinese historical dramas, but this is like the second Korean historical I’ve seen this year that I actually want to invest time in and not in a petty way. Flower Crew. The performance of the young actors were delightful! It feels like it’ll be only a bit more humorous than The Crowned Clown and I’m also into this idea that there’s a girl with a revenge story, wanting to become queen because that’s the woman with the most power. I’m a bit nervous that the drama will try to make her the pawn, but what we’ve seen thus far makes me hopeful. I suppose the one burning question I had at the end of the two episodes could be answered by one of the genres of this drama being fantasy, but I’m still holding out and hoping that we get a proper answer soon.

Recommendation: If you’re into Historicals, don’t think Se Yeon is a bad actress and appreciate a little gore.

Where to watch: Viki

First Impression Score: 7.5/10 Bubble Teas

Crash Landing On You

The series tells the secret romance between a South Korean heiress of a conglomerate and a high-ranking North Korean officer. Yoon Se-ri is an heiress to a conglomerate in South Korea. One day, while paragliding, an accident caused by strong winds leads Yoon Se-ri to make an emergency landing in North Korea. There, she meets Ri Jung-hyuk, who is a North Korean army officer. He tries to protect her and hide her. Soon, Ri Jung-hyuk falls in love with Yoon Se-ri.

wikipedia

Thoughts: Well. I’m going to be honest. I didn’t really have any intention of watching this because the story just seemed like propaganda to me. I ended up watching it because I really wanted to see Kim Jung Hyun cause I missed him a lot and who knew that seeing his psychotic behavior in Time would make me love him even more? I’m glad that he’s gotten the help he needed and seems to be doing much better. After watching these two episodes I have come to decision that I’m not interested in the story line at all. I was right in my assumption that it feels like a bit of propaganda. I felt torn about what they’re trying to portray and think I may be too “woke” for this? Like why exactly did this woman tell someone who is suicidal to go to Switzerland and she’ll feel better? Seriously y’all? SERIOUSLY. That being said, Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin’s chemistry is off the charts. Seriously. Those two. Wow. As very cliched as the romance is already and will become, the chemistry and banter is so present that I’m willing to likely watch this even further. Or at the very least, watch their scenes and gif cuts on twitter/tumblr. I get the sense that if we only pay attention to the romance and nothing else this could be a fun watch.

Recommendation: Son Ye Jin/Hyun Bin shipper, fluffy romance and don’t mind cliches.

Where to watch: Netflix

First Impression Score: 6.5/10 Bubble Teas

Hot Stove League

Baek Seung-Soo is the newly appointed general manager of professional baseball team Dreams. The team ranks bottom of the league. Lee Se-Young is the operations manager of the team. She has so much love for Dreams and she never gives up on the team.

asianwiki

Thoughts: I came here for Park Eun Bin. She can get me to watch anything once as long as she’s in it. However, as I hit play on the first episode I realized something—I fucking HATE baseball. Oh my god. It’s my most hated sport. I really didn’t think I would be able to do two episodes of this drama. I was wrong. This drama completely captivated me. I’m soooo very interested in everything. The first two episodes (er four I guess) were very interesting. I forgot that even though I dislike Baseball, I love sports dramas. Namgoong has a kind of aura about him when he portrays these assertive roles that is very attractive. He’s kind of mysterious, but also super resourceful. I can’t wait to find out more about his background. Park Eun Bin’s character feels a bit similar to what I’ve seen before, but it’s nothing to complain about because like I’ve said, I enjoy her acting. The supporting cast seems pretty solid as well. Overall, I definitely intend on continuing this one.

Recommendation: If you’re into sports dramas

Where to watch: Viki or Kocowa

First Impression Score: 8.5/10 Bubble Teas

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