Sugar Baby’s Review Corner: Something Just Like This

Something Just Like This

Genre: Business, Life, Romance, Youth
Origin: China
Episodes: 47
Air-date: Nov 8, 2020 – Dec 3, 2020
Starring: Johnny Huang as Duan Ran, Wu Jin Yan as Qian Xi Xi, Lulu Xuan as Zhang Jia Yun, Cao Yu Chen as Jiang Zhe Yang, Zhao Luo Ran as Su Su, David Liang as Chen Lang

The son of a retail tycoon and an e-commerce live-streamer join hands on a road to realizing their entrepreneurial dreams.
Qian Xixi comes from a broken family. At a young age, she was sent to live in Duan Ran’s home and they grew up together. However, their personalities are like heaven and earth due to their difference in status. Through sheer coincidence, Qian Xixi gets into the field of live-streaming. Duan Ran who’s a fuerdai (second-generation rich) sees the potential in e-commerce live streaming and acquires a company, thus becoming Qian Xixi’s boss. Duan Ran realizes that the industry is more complicated than he ever imagined.
Meanwhile, Qian Xixi throws herself into her work and unexpectedly encounters top star Jiang Zheyang who was her old high school classmate. Duan Ran and Qian Xixi encounter repeated problems at work and also in their relationship that they must learn to overcome.
CHINESEDRAMAINFO

I’d like to think that the sky may be falling or this is truly a representation of the phenomenon that was 2020 and sure to be 2021. For I, Sugar Baby, completed forty-seven.. Yes you read that correctly, FORTY-SEVEN episode MODERN drama. Sighs. The things I do for good chemistry.

It’s really hard to review dramas that are this long because so many things happen in between that it gets so hard to keep track and I get a little frustrated. Overall, this story was very average. There was nothing that is very unique to this show nor genre. It’s funny though, because whereas I’m often a little side eyeing about a story where there’s this pseudo-incest behavior, I found that this was very organic in the handling of it? It really just felt like they were friends that grew up together versus a situation where it was like “this is my little sister”. I think that could be attributed to all the behind the scenes stuff that they did to get into characters which cause a lot of controversy. There were so many classic tropes in this drama and I think the original title “We Are Young” captures the essence perfectly. It was a group of professionals trying to advance their careers and realize their dreams.

It was all about chemistry for me. I’m thoroughly shook by how well Johnny and Jin Yan worked together. I already mentioned the behind the scenes work that I think helped because listen, it was so easy and palpable. I enjoyed watching these friends become lovers. I loved the teasing. I loved how supportive of each other they were. I loved their honesty. Also their first kiss was so damn cute! I was shook when it happened cause my ass was like huh? It’s only episode 23. Haha. Ngl I was disappointed with his mother’s initial disapproval of their relationship.

I enjoyed the characters here cause they all had their own stories and crap that they were dealing with. Although there were people I absolutely detested they didn’t necessarily feel cartoonish. I found this to be a very comfortable and easy watch that could’ve been condensed into maybe 25 episodes? 30 if you really wanted to push the boundaries. Simply said, 47 was just way too much.

So like give this a watch if you really wanna invest your time, but like it can easily be a background watch while you do other things.

Story: 7/10
Acting: 8/10
Music: 8/10
Rewatch Value: 6/10
Overall: 7.5/10

Whatcha Watchin’ – January 11th – Season Two of 2020

Welcome to season two of 2020! Y’all saw them white people storming the capital? Like ew my gahd! If it was people of color then the narrative would be so different. SMH.

Sugar Baby Unnie

New Year, same old me watching a bunch of dramas and then stopping midway to pick more dramas and just being a hot mess when it has only been eight days. When will I learn to be better? So there are a few dramas that I am basically finished with so I will not include.

Korean Dramas

Cheat On Me, If You Can: This drama is so fun?! Like I am so amused by everything it has to offer including a shirtless Kim Young Dae. It is equal parts funny, suspenseful and a dash of unbelievability. I hope I don’t end up hating it.

Run On: I really didn’t think I was going to like this one as much, but once I started I found that I couldn’t stop. There’s something that is so pleasant about this one and I even enjoy Shin Se Kyung which is saying a lot because we all know I be dragging that hoe from time to time.

The Penthouse: Yup. I absolutely drank the kool-aid. It is serving scandal, drama, fun! We had to stan it. I can already see why it was so addictive to others! Well done, Korea!

On The Radar

The Uncanny Counter: I’ve been seeing clips and I am so intrigued. I have been waiting on all the episodes to be completed before I started this one. I believe that Lazy Unnie is doing this one too so maybe a joint review! Heheh.

Dear Missy: At some point this week I will be starting this one because it is a very loose Gossip Girl remake and also because we love lesbians? (Technically not gay, but I have seen the clips and it looks hella gay to me!!!)

My Best Friend’s Story: Like i said, we are actively stanning the gays out here! As such I can’t imagine not watching a NiNi and Cecilia drama. HELLO GAY RIGHTS. MORE SISMANCE GAY STORIES PLEASE.

Lazy Unnie

New Year, Same Shit. It’s 11 days into the new year and I’ve not watched a damn thing besides Bridgerton and play videogames. Let me get my shit together and get back into dramaland.

Dramas

True Beauty – I drank the Kool-aid and I’m sucking this one down the moment the episodes drop. It has so many cliche’s but it’s just the right amount of cute to balance it out. Moon Ga Young is killing it in this role and I can’t wait to see how the second half turns out.

Strongest Deliveryman – This came about because I am so in love with Kim Seon Ho. The show is good so far but I’m just dragging my ass with it.

Tale of the Nine Tailed – I guess I’m still watching this. I was loving the first 5 episodes but when I got to 6, I fell off. Maybe I will finish, maybe not. We will see.

Varieties

Treasure Box – Better late than sorry. I really liked Treasure’s songs this year and I figured what better time to watch their origin. But it got me in my feels from episode one. Why do I put my heart through survival shows all the time?!

What’s On Deck?

The Uncanny Counter – Netflix got me hooked with their dramas. I feel so basic. Anyway, I really want to start this one and I think I will when it gets closer to the end. I know Sugar Baby also wants to watch so look forward to our joint review.

Lovestruck in the City – This is another Netflix one and even though it seems a bit boring on the surface, the cast is one of my faves. Hopefully I can stay awake for it.

Sugar Baby’s Review Corner: Do You Like Brahms?

Do You Like Brahms?

Genre: Melodrama, Romance, Friendship, Music
Origin: South Korea
Episodes: 16
Air-date: August 31 to October 20, 2020
Starring: Park Eun Bin as Chae Song Ah, Kim Min Jae as Park Joon Young, Park Ji Hyun as Lee Jung Kyung, Kim Sung Chul as Han Hyun Ho, Lee You Jin as Yoon Dong Yoon, Bae Da Bin as Kang Min Sung

A drama about the dreams and love of classical music students who find their own happiness while learning music.
Wikipedia

I ended 2020 with a bang and I’m starting it off with an even bigger bang. Bang bang bang. My first review of 2021 is dedicated to a beautiful drama that I binged, yes binged. Listen y’all know I be old and crusty and cannot binge for shit anymore so imagine my surprise when I sat for 10 hours and then 6 hours straight and gobbled this drama all the way up. I even went through a little depression when I was done cause I was like whyyy. It’s so funny because I distinctly remember being told that this drama was a flop and boring, but holy hell, I really loved this shit. It was so beautiful. It was a rollercoaster drama with my emotions and I think this is best described as a very cathartic drama. I enjoyed the way it made me feel watching this drama and the top notch chemistry between Eun Bin and Min Jae.

My favorite thing about this drama was just how realistic the characters were. As much as I hated and I do mean HATED, like it is on SIGHT when I catch that motherfucking bitch in the streets, Jung Kyung, she was still very much a pliable character. The story wasn’t the strongest in the sense that we did receive our cliches and the over dramatics, but it was the characters that made it absolutely endearing. I enjoyed that we had the narration from our female lead from time to time because it set the pace for the drama. I understood the way they tackled their problems and for once I didn’t dislike the inevitable breakup because listen, if I was Song Ah, I would’ve felt the same way.

I can say with certainty that everyone in this drama needed to go to therapy and in a dream world they all did. I think something that really stuck out to me was the choice to have Song Ah give up the violin and the words that were used to explain that. Idk y’all, I can’t explain it, but I really think this is just one of those dramas where you have to be in the right frame of mind to enjoy it. I just really felt such a kismet connection to their struggles be it through grad school, or settling on a job after graduation or the struggles of supporting your family and eventually turning something you love into something you hate, it really just touched me.

Let’s not even discuss the soundtrack because that alone is reason to devour this drama like I did. There were also so many beautiful shots as well and it deserved the SBS award for best couple because THEY WERE IT. Please give this drama a shot because it really was so beautiful and sweet. However, if you’re not a fan of slower paced dramas, then you should definitely skip this one.

Story: 8/10
Acting: 9.5/10
Music: 10/10
Rewatch Value: 10/10
Overall: 9/10

Fave Song: Punch – Close To Me & Gummy – Love Song

Unbothered Unnie’s 2021 Asian Drama Bingo

Well.. Well.. Well… Bitches we made it another year! 2020 was a shit show of a blur. I do not recall much except that our homes became the central point for life. It is where we worked and played. I probably ate more takeout last year than I ever did before in my life. NOT EVEN WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE BRUH. Outside was dangerous and it still is even though we have the vaccine rolling out… COVID said let’s ~mutate~!!

Anyways… Happy 2021! Let’s do some fun things this year and bring back a feature that was very motivating for the Unnies! We will have other fun goodies to grace y’all with this year!

~ Asian Drama Bingo! ~

Below are three cards: Lazy Unnie’s bingo card, Sugar Baby Unnie’s and a Bonus bingo card. We’re back again with our Asian Drama Bingo! Same rules apply as last year with a little added spice. We will be watching various dramas throughout the year (not limited to 2021 dramas) and then picking one drama per block on our bingo card. will be trying to achieve bingo in the traditional way of horizontal, vertical or diagonal. For each drama that will be claimed as a part of bingo, there will be a corresponding review. This year we are making the quarterly exception of allowing a rewatch because we love to do that from time to time and movies. Movies require a review, the rewatched drama does not.

At the end of each month, we will be providing status on our bingo journey! Please look forward to see what else we have in store for this year and don’t hesitate to play along this with us!

Asian Drama Bingo : December Check-In

Here we are closing out 2020.. A year that was truly something. From a global pandemic to cities being overturned because of injustice. We social distanced and kept our masks on and watched the world change from our screens. We don’t know what the next year is going to bring us but because 2020 was a turning point in history, I’m pretty sure we can handle anything at this point.

Blog-wise, we kept up with our bingo and it did make the year more enjoyable. We watched a lot of shows and stayed on top of things the best of our abilities. We had so much fun, come January, we will be holding our own awards to give this bingo a nice wrap up while unveiling our 2021 Asian Drama Bingo!

Lazy Unnie’s Card

The end of the year has arrived and of course I haven’t made bingo on all the cards. I tried but we’re just going to blame COVID for this one.

Eavesdropping – You Drive Me Crazy
Mistaken Identity – Start-Up

Sugar Baby’s Card

Ending our 2020 Asian Drama bingo with a bang and back to my og card. Good riddance to 2020!

Product Placement – More Than Friends
Tragic Past – Tale of the Nine Tailed
Based on a Webtoon – Sweet Home

To All The Oppas and Unnies We Loved – Fourth Quarter 2020

Hard to believe that 2020 is coming to an end and it feels like a fever dream. Here is who captured our hearts for the fourth quarter! (Not exclusive to fourth quarter shenanigans)

Sugar Baby’s ‘Oppa’

Luo Yun Xi aka Leo Luo

Dear Boyfriend,

I just think it’s funny how everyone is suddenly loving my mans, but I just need to let all these bitches know that you are my boyfriend especially because you get along so well with my husband. I have been so wonderfully obsessed with you for a while now. You gave a stellar performance in Ashes of Love, was the only reason I stayed with Princess Silver as long as I did and literally had me by the NECK in And The Winner Is Love. You are everything that is right and glorious within Chinese dramaland.

God really took her time with you. She said let me give you looks and talent! I am in awe of your everything. I know that more good things are coming your way. I am also prepared to stay away from you for a little bit once Immortality drops as I know how these BL stans get. I love you so much, so consider this our parting message. Hehe.

PS- God made you short because she knew you would be way too powerful if you were over 6ft. (x2)

Sugar Baby’s ‘Unnie’

Seo Ye Ji

Dear Wife,

Similar to my oppa, it seems like everyone has just discovered you this year and to that I will say that I am a little jealous. I love you more than words can describe. I have been riding with you since Potato Star 2013QR3 days and truly fell deep in love with you when I watched Save Me. You are one of the sexiest and gloriously funny people I have seen. I love how deep your voice is and how much effort you put into your work.

I cannot wait to see you take more of K dramaland by storm and watch more people fall for your unique charms. I will keep manifesting more dramas with people I love cause clearly I was the reason that It’s Okay To Not Be Okay was even allowed to exist. Thank you for making my year, my love. See you soon! xx

Lazy Unnie’s ‘Oppa’

Kim Seon Ho aka GOOD BOY

Dear Good Boy,

I don’t know why I’m acting all brand new to you. You gave me the second lead feels when I watched 100 Days My Prince, and you were the reason I almost watched Welcome to Waikiki 2. That dimpled smile, deep laugh and charming personality has me head over heels in awe of you. I guess like everyone else this year, it wasn’t until you took the role of orphan turned success, good boy, Han Ji Pyeong, that the little crush turned into full on love status.

I don’t know if it’s because of how humble you are or because we are the same age, but I’m extremely proud of you and your growing popularity this year. Now I’m in the middle of back tracking and trying to binge all the content I can. But it’s your adorableness on 2 Days & 1 Night and the way your relationship with your co-stars that have me fawning even more. I know that 2020 was a big year for you but I’m sure 2021 will be even larger and you will get that leading man slot and get the girl!

Lazy Unnie’s ‘Unnie’

Lee Hi aka Ball of Cute

Dear lil ball of cute,

After all that time being kept in the YG basement, you’re finally free! And free you are. 2020 brought us new songs, you with a new label and the resurgence of Korea’s Adele for sure. I think your switch to AOMG was the best thing that could have happened. You can put out the music that you love and we love from you. We even got you on the show Begin Again!

But it is your soulful voice that really captured me this year. From you AOMG debut with Holo, I knew that this was gonna be your year. Your collabs with Crush were perfect. Tip Toe and For You warmed my heart. But it was your Record of Youth soundtrack appearance that brought me to tears more times I could count. Brave Enough felt like one of those songs that came about at the right time in life. So thank you. I know that the next year is going to be amazing for you and I can’t wait to be a witness!

*Thanks for checking it out. We also have a new NEW twitter account since we are most wanted on that bird app. Follow us AGAIN at @EonnisWaMelanin*

Back That Ass Up – 2020 Year In Music

There is no December roundup because like who really releases any good songs in December anyways? Jk Jk. But for real, I was too busy doing this to even really pay attention to the december releases and 9/10 times they are all ballads anyways. That being said here are my favorite December releases that are not listed in my year end picks.

Twice – Cry For Me : I was immediately hooked on this song. I could be sitting down minding my business and then bam! All I’m singing is about how I want you to cry for me.
Taeyeon – What Do I Call You : I loved the mini so much that it made the list. Oops.
Baekhyun – Amusement Park : I am but a hole for Mr. Byun Baekhyun. #NoShame

Okay so now that that is over, we shall do a forewarning to address the differences between this years year end picks to last year’s. First and foremost, FUCK 2020! With that out of the way, there will be no picks from China this year because it’s their punishment for you know what. Lmfao. I’m kidding, please don’t take me seriously. It was a joke. Y’all know I love me some China and Chinese entertainment. Unfortunately, I didn’t listen to many new Chinese artists releases this year and in the case of OSTs they are so hard to find on Spotify so I end up forgetting the songs which makes it hard to pick my favorites. To prove that I don’t just hate China, I also have no Japanese songs that are not from KPOP artists because truthfully, I spent a majority of 2020 listening to KPOP (shocking but true) and my depression albums. To make up for the lack of Chinese and Japanese content, I decided to give ten title tracks and ten bsides (girls only). I feel like I am allowed to be a little bit of a mess this year because it was a messy year!

Overall as much as it pains me to say… We had a pretty good year in Korean music. IDK if it was them not being allowed to tour or what but I enjoyed a lot of what came out this year especially when I compare ot to last year and the difficulty I had choosing songs because everything sucked. This year my problem was that I had too many options and I had to stick to my only one song from a group per category rule. Smh. Anyways, enjoy! xx

PS- It is kinda funny going back to my roundups and seeing how different I feel about things as time went on.

JAPAN

Listening To Echos – Top 5 Japanese Versions of Korean Songs

5th: SF9 – Good Guy

4th: Pentagon – Dr. Bebe

3rd: Nature – I’m So Pretty

2nd: Stray Kidz – God’s Menu

Top Release: Oh My Girl – Nonstop

According to Knetz, Japan Is Irrelevant – Top 5 Original Jpop Releases from Korean Artists

5th: Oh My Girl – Etoile

4th: TWICE – Better

3rd: Stray Kidz – All In

2nd: Taeyeon – #GirlsSpkOut

Top Release: Dreamcatcher – No More

KOREA

Do Men Deserve Rights? Be Honest. MALES

Let’s Get This Bread – Top 10 Title Tracks

10th: AB6IX – Salute

9th: Golden Child – Pump It Up

6th: Ateez – Answer

5th: TXT – Can’t You See Me

8th: CIX – Jungle

7th: Seventeen – Left & Right

4th: Stray Kidz – Back Door

3rd: Day6 – Zombie

Runner Up: Oneus – A Song Easily Written

Top Release: A.C.E – Goblin (Favorite Boys)

You Are Second Best To No One – Top 5 Bsides

5th: SF9 – One Love

4th: Seventeen – Hey Buddy

3rd: CIX – Change Me

2nd: Ateez – Good Lil Boy

Top Release: Pentagon – Zoom Up

Standing On Your Own – Top 5 Releases From Solo Artists

5th: Mino – Run Away

4th: Woodz – Bump Bump

3rd: Daewitcha – August D

2nd: Crush – Ohio

Top Release: Candy – Baekhyun

You’re My Best Man – Top 5 Bsides From Solo Artists

5th: Kang Daniel – Waves

4th: Kai – Amnesia

3rd: Ong Seongwu – Guess Who

2nd: Woodz – Lift Up

Top Release: Baekhyun – Ghost

No Skips Allowed! – Top 5 Mini/Full Albums

**5TH: DAY6 – The Book of Us: The Demon**

**2ND: CIX – Hello Chapter 3, Hello Strange Time**

THE FUTURE IS FEMALE

Women In Charge – Top 10 Title Tracks

10th: BVNDIT – Cool

9th: CLC – Helicopter

6th: Dreamcatcher – Scream

5th: Gfriend – Mago

8th: Loona – Why Not

7th: ITZY – Not Shy

4th: Twice – I Can’t Stop Me

3rd: Apink – Dumhdurum

Runner Up: Blackpink – Lovesick Girls

Top Release: EVERGLOW – LA DI DA

Aint No Regular Side Chick – Top 5 Bsides

10th: April – Doll

9th: Lovelyz – Dream In A Dream

6th: Itzy – Ting Ting Ting

5th: Loona – Voice

8th: Iz*one – AYAYAYA

7th: Apink – Love is Blind

4th: Dreamcatcher – Black and White

3rd: GFRIEND – Labyrinth

Runner Up: Everglow – Untouchable

Top Release: Blackpink – Crazy Over You

Independent Woman – Top 5 Releases From Solo Artists

5th: HA:TFELT – La Luna

4th: Dalsoobin – Dive

3rd: Hyolyn – Say My Name

2nd: Somi – What You Waiting For

Top Release: Yezi – Mimew

You’re My Maid Of Honor – Top 5 Bsides From Solo Artists

5th: Hwasa feat DPR Live – I’m Bad Too

4th: Yerin Baek – Hate You

3rd: HA:TFELT – Life Sucks

2nd: Heize ft Ji Chanel – 1/1440

Top Release: YooA – Diver

No Skips Allowed! – Top 5 Mini/Full Albums

**2ND: Dreamcatcher – Dystopia: The Tree of Language**

BONUS

Rookie Spotlight – Soloists (Re)Debuts

5th: Lee Sunhyun – Alien

4th: Paradise – Siyeon

3rd: Wonho – Losing You

2nd: Kai – Mmmh

Top Release: YooA – Bon Voyage

Rookie Spotlight – Groups

5th: MCND – Ice Age

4th: Weeekly – Tag Me

3rd: Red Square – Color Full

2nd: StayC – So Bad

Top Release: Drippin -Nostalgia

Duo/Subunits/Collabs

5th: EXO-SC feat Moon – 1Billion Views

4th: WJSN Chocome – Hmph!

3rd: Red Velvet Irene & Seulgi – Naughty

2nd: K/DA – More

Top Release: Blackpink x Lady Gaga – Sour Candy

The Show Is Over But The Music Lives On – Top 5 OSTs

Crash Landing On You

5th: IU – I’ll Give You My Heart

The King: Eternal Monarch

4th: Hwasa – Orbit

Dr. Romantic Kim 2

3rd: Baekhyun – My Love

Do You Like Brahams?

2nd: Punch – Close To Me

Top Release: Heize – You’re Cold

It’s Okay To Not Be Okay

So there you have it! I can’t wait to see what next year has in store for us musically! xx

And the winner is…

Here we are again, another year of amazing releases and another round of voting by our lovely readers. The results this year were again shocking. I’m thankful that all of you took the time to go over the nominees and cast your vote. I know that there were many songs and groups that didn’t make the cut, but this year, the competition was tough. 3 weeks ago, the nominees were posted and finally, here are the winners!

Stray Kids – God’s Menu (Suits Ver.)

Wonho – Open Mind

Taemin – IDEA

#AnySongChallenge – ZICO

TREASURE

SECRET NUMBER

WONHO

IU feat. Suga – eight

Itaewon Class

GOT7 – DYE

TWICE – I Can’t Stop Me

Lee Hi – Holo

WAYV – Turn back time

Baekhyun & Ten of SuperM – One

Chen – Hello

Changbin, Han, Felix of Stray Kids – God’s Menu

Taemin – 2 Kids

HYUNJIN – BACK DOOR ERA

DAY6 – Zombie

Taemin – Criminal

A.C.E – Goblin (Favorite Boys)

EVERGLOW – LA DI DA

Stray Kids – God’s Menu

BTS – Map of the Soul: 7

MONSTA X

MONSTA X had as much as a roller coaster of a year as the rest of the world. 2020 proved to be a year of recovery and rebuilding for the former 7 member boy group from Starship. After former member, Wonho, left the group at the end of 2019, MONSTA X were in a weird place. Fans were hurting as much as they were but they are professionals and had to continue as if business was as usual. At the beginning of 2020, Joohoney announced that he would be taking a break due to mental health issues. The rest of the members had to promote their first all English album, All About Luv, as five. Regardless of the stresses that were going on behind the scenes, All About Luv, debuted at number 5 on the US Billboard 200.

By May, COVID-19 was at its height, and MONSTA X had to cancel their world tour, just like many other groups. Even with those limitations, they released their 8th EP, Fantasia X. They promoted as 6 members with the return of Joohoney from his hiatus. Along with the new EP, MONSTA X were one of the first groups to adapt to the new way of concerts by holding an online concert, Live From Seoul With Luv, where they performed songs from both their English album and EP. MONSTAX kept it going and by the fall came around, they released their 4th full length Korean studio album, Fatal Love.

With each release, MONSTA X seem to have been reinventing their sound but not to the point where their fans would abandon them. In reality, with these new sounds, they seem to be gaining even more fans worldwide. 2020 was the year that the group needed. It was a year where they could heal and grow without dismissing their past. This year laid the ground work so when the world becomes more recognizable, MONSTA X can continue on their incline as the global popular group they are.

Sugar Baby’s Review Corner: Sweet Home

Sweet Home

Genre: Drama, Horror, Suspense
Origin: South Korea
Episodes: 10
Air-date: December 18, 2020
Starring: Song Kang as Cha Hyun Soo, Lee Jin Wook as Pyeon Sang Wook, Lee Si Young as Seo Yi Kyung, Lee Do Hyun as Lee Eun Hyuk, Park Gyu Young as Yoon Ji Soo, Go Min Si as Lee Eun Yoo

Following the death of his family in an accident, loner Cha Hyun-soo moves to a new apartment. His quiet life is soon disturbed by strange incidents that start occurring in his new building. As people turn into monsters which take the form of their hidden desires, Hyun-soo and other residents try to survive.
Wikipedia

I am elated that my final drama review of 2020 is a pleasant one. I am always wary of ‘Netflix’ produced dramas just because of lately these ‘originals’ have not really hit the way they should hit. However, y’all this drama was so good. Netflix put their foot in this shit. The production, the acting, the cinematography. Sign me all the way up for this. I will preface this review by stating that I did not read the Webtoon therefore this is just a look at the drama as its own piece of work.

This drama was really a lovely breath of fresh air. I truly devoured it once I started watching and could not stop. I was enchanted by every aspect of this. The story took it’s time in weaving its tale and we are able to gain insights into all of our main characters. I won’t lie and tell you that I wasn’t simping for Sang Wook the minute he was introduced. I didn’t think that I would become attached to these characters, but I found myself getting emotional during a few scenes and I was like wtf, not me crying over a fictional character for the first time in three months. I loved the idea that the monsters were remnants of our desires. I do think they could’ve placed more emphasis on Hyun Soo’s battle with himself and torment of dealing with the friendships as I am told is done in the webtoon, but I really can’t complain. I think I would have enjoyed seeing more monsters especially in the final episode because those things were ghastly and fun.

The acting was phenomenal. The cast is probably the reason why I loved this drama so much. Like I said, I ended up finding myself deeply attached to our ensemble and a few characters. No one was insignificant, they all played their part. Everyone did such a really good job even though I would pick Si Young, Song Kang and Lee Do Hyun as my standout performances. I think the reason why these three in particular captivated me was because I had always seen them in romantic comedies and more subdued roles. SONG KANG IN MONSTER FORM WAS SO HOT PLEASE TAKE MY NUMBER.

Netflix productions always have good music and this was no exception. The second I heard the theme song I was like yep that’s the shit. Even the Imagine Dragons didn’t feel out of place. The scores worked so well with the cinematography which was a huge selling point in this show. Honestly the transitions between scenes were ethereal. I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen even with the CGI monsters. I think that is what I will certainly serve as a strong memory from this show that all the damn blood. You just know they had buckets of syrup on deck. Heheh.

If you’re into apocalyptic shows, enjoy pretty cinematography I would 100% recommend this for your viewing pleasure. It’s a really good and entertaining psychological horror thriller. Happy Holidays!

Story: 8.5/10
Acting: 9/10
Music: 8/10
Rewatch Value: 8/10
Overall: 9/10

Fave Song: BewhY – Side by Side

12 Days of Kovid-Mas – Day Twelve: How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Redeemed Characters

There’s nothing quite like watching a show and watching someone who was miserable and quite awful become enlighten. It is a well known theme to the point where the term Grinch isn’t just synonymous with someone who dislikes Christmas. Everyone agrees that the best part of How The Grinch Stole Christmas is watching the moment his heart grew in size. Therefore let us talk about two characters that we thought had magnificent redemption arcs and shared similarities with the grinch.

PS – MERRY CHRISTMAS TO THOSE WHO CELEBRATE!!!

Jang Man Wol and Weol Ju

These two characters are similar in so many ways and yet each have a different approach to their redemption. Often when we are introduced to characters who are our anti-heroes, we get the backstory as to how they became that way. In Man Wol’s case she was betrayed when she was young by the first man she ever loved. A betrayal that tore through her in so many ways that she went on a rampaged and killed like it was going out of style. Quite honestly, we had to stan. However, she must atone for her sins therefore she became the owner of Hotel Del Luna, and must remain there until her heart changed. It was glorious watching the transformation that she made and in my opinion this was the best part of the show. She was a five star grumpy ass twat, but it was so satisfying to see. Man Wol’s growth was enough to keep the audience engaged and we were all rooting for her in many ways. When she met with the reincarnation of her first love and many other trials it was a treat to see her overcome them.

Similarly, Weol Ju too was betrayed at a young age. But instead by the man she loved, it was his mother and the man who was sworn to protect him. Weol Ju fell into a relationship with the crowned prince after she helped cured him of night terrors. But because of their status divide and other forces, they were torn apart and her mother was murdered. In a rage, she takes her own life and the life of her unborn child. And as a punishment for that crime, she is forced to run a little outside bar and through going in their dreams, help customers settle their problems. Any woman would be prickly for having gone through what she did. So for the majority of the story, she is seemed as this don’t give a fuck kind of lady. But by the end, you realize she isn’t only that but instead a woman who would sacrifice herself for others. Her growth throughout the series with the companionship she found in Han Kang Bae and Chef Gwi and all the people she was ordered to help, her emotional wounds that were caused by her lost, healed to the point where her soul could rest.

Everyone immediately thinks of males when we discuss redeemed characters in Korean dramas. We wanted to share our love for these women! Who are some of your favorite redeemed women in Korean dramas? Share in the comments! xx