TV Show Reviews

reviews of TV shows

The Early Spring – Review

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Title: The Early Spring

Language: Chinese – Mandarin

Episodes: 24

Where to Watch: Netflix

Genres: Romance, Life, Drama

Objectionable Content: Suicide, Toxic Relationship

Synopsis (from MyDramaList): Shang Zhi Tao, a determined recent graduate from an ordinary background, unexpectedly lands a job at a prestigious, top-tier global advertising agency in Beijing. Stepping into the corporate world as a complete rookie, her first day begins with a harsh wake-up call when her brilliant yet ruthlessly sharp-tongued boss, creative director Luan Nian, bluntly tells her to resign. Undeterred by the fierce environment and intense professional pressure, Shang Zhi Tao pushes forward, determined to grow through the challenges and prove her worth as a capable professional. What starts as an uphill battle against a demanding mentor gradually evolves into a complex, hidden workplace romance. As intense career ambitions, personal choices, and underlying misunderstandings pull them in different directions, the two are forced to navigate the heavy costs of love and success.

My Review of The Early Spring

Where do I even begin with this drama? Watching The Early Spring brought to mind when I first watched Boys Over Flowers. I wanted so much for the female lead in that to come to here senses and see that the better guy had been beside her all along. In The Early Spring, I just wanted this girl to grow a spine and stand up for herself, to realize she deserved so much better and finally kick this guy to the curb.

In the beginning of The Early Spring, Shang Zhitao is fresh out of college when she lands her dream job at an advertising company called Lime. From the first second, the manager, Luan Nian or Luke, is harsh with her, telling her to quit and that she’s not good enough. To give Zhitao credit, she doesn’t cave to his rudeness and works hard to prove herself and show she deserves to be at the company.

What makes very little sense to me, is why Luan Nian suddenly becomes enamored of her. He looks down on, insults her, and belittles her constantly yet starts to show jealousy whenever someone of the male gender gets close to her. I can somewhat understand why Zhitao might be attracted to him. She’s a prodigy of the company, someone who’s approval she would naturally crave, and he is handsome.

The first time they get together was so annoying. Zhitao is drunk at a bar, when Nian steps in to take care of her. Not knowing where she lives, he takes her to his apartment to sleep it off. When she wakes up, she basically sober and he pretty much tries to seduce her pretty quickly. This guy cannot take a hint. She literally covers her mouth with her hands the first time he tries to kiss her. Then, he does it anyway. Despite, her obvious discomfort and feeble attempts to say no, he persists. In the end, she does give in and chooses to stay and sleep with him.

Afterwards, she tries to draw a line between them, to keep things professional at work and stop whatever relationship is starting. Again, Nian will not take no for an answer. No matter how many times she tries to push him away or keep her distance, he repeatedly comes back and seduces her.

I feel like he took advantage of her from the very beginning. Using her youth and naivety to get what he wanted from her. For someone who was at least 30 at the beginning of the show, he had no emotional maturity to speak of. Anytime he felt like she wasn’t paying enough attention to him, or someone was paying attention to her, he would get jealous and throw a tantrum like a toddler. At one point he even tells her not to wear certain clothing because he doesn’t like other men looking at her. He constantly insults her and acts like she should be grateful that he’s even with her.

They do show some growth throughout the run of the show. Zhitao especially become more confident in her works, earning her way up in the company and getting promotions. Miraculously, Nian does recognize her hard work and dedication, not giving her any special treatment because of their relationship. I wish I could say that he became a fully developed person by the end, who understood Zhitao and her feelings, but he doesn’t. He gets better, but he’s still a jerk.

When the show wasn’t focused on the relationship between the two leads, it was a good show. I enjoyed the dynamic between Zhitao and her roommates. I also like when the focus was more on Zhitao excelling at work and earning her own place in the world.

I wish so much there had been an alternate love interest for her, someone who would have treated her the way she deserved instead of like a toy. Although, had that been the case, I’m sure I would have been even more frustrated when in the end she still chose Nian. As I learned from Boys Over Flowers, the leads will end up together no matter how unsuitable they may be for one another.

My rating for The Early Spring is 2 out of 5 stars. Only the stuff that didn’t focus on the main relationship saved it from being one stars. I wouldn’t really recommend this drama unless you enjoy toxic relationships where the woman is a push over and the man is domineering.

If you have watched The Early Spring, I’d love to know what you thought.

Thanks for reading!

The East Palace – Review

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Title: The East Palace

Language: Korean

Episodes: 8

Where to Watch: Netflix

Genres: Historical, Action, Mystery, Fantasy, Supernatural, Horror

Objectionable Content: Violence, Death

Synopsis (from MyDramaList): In a fictional kingdom haunted by strange and terrifying events, the king secretly summons Gu Cheon, a proud and powerful ghost-slayer who can transform into a spirit and traverse the spectral realm, and Saeng Gang, a court lady cursed with the ability to hear and communicate with the dead. Tasked with investigating a sinister force lurking within the Crown Prince’s East Palace, the unlikely pair uncover long-buried secrets hidden behind the royal walls. As they venture deeper into a world where the living and the dead intertwine, they must confront vengeful spirits, dark conspiracies, and an unimaginable evil that threatens the palace from within.

My Review of the East Palace

Gu Cheon drowned as a child and was revived. Afterwards, he gained the ability to see spirits and traverse the Realm of Gwi (the realm of the dead). When the princes in the palace start dying in the same way they did 30 years ago, the king summons Gu Cheon to the palace to find the spirit responsible, destroy it and save the last remaining prince. Having little other choice, Gu Cheon works together with, Saeng Gang, the king’s only daughter, to rid the palace of it’s curse and hopefully save his own life.

Gu Cheon is a reluctant kind of hero. He complains about how bothersome it is to fight spirits and banish them, but he also does what needs to be done in order to protect innocent people. Saeng Gang is headstrong and curious, constantly asking questions of Gu Cheong despite him getting annoyed with her. They make an unlikely pair, but form a bond quite quickly.

The East Palace is definitely a supernatural horror at it’s core. From the first second of the first episode, a very dark and spooky atmosphere is established. Within the first 10 minutes we see a child getting possessed and trying to kill himself with a pair of scissors. I was completely hooked from the beginning.

There is a good balance here between the suspense and revelations. Shows like this sometimes try to be too mysterious and don’t really reveal anything, making it feel needlessly dragged out. I didn’t feel that way with the East Palace. However, I do feel like they tried to a few too many twists in there. You’d think you knew what the mystery was, who the culprit was, and then it would twist again and the narrative would sort of reform. There’s nothing wrong with this, but do it too many times and it’s no longer shocking.

The visuals in this drama, I think, were particularly stunning. The Realm of Gwi made me think of the Upsidedown from Stranger Things, but with more red. The editing showing the juxtaposition between the real world and the world of the dead was spectacular.

Then there is the true scene stealer of the show. This little thing called a ggeomeoksali. Gu Cheon is terrified of this adorable creature at first because it feeds on Yang energy. It could potentially kill him if it were to drain his energy. However, it attaches itself to Gu Cheon and starts following him around the palace, and even protecting him.

The ending of the show did leave things open for a possible second season, but I don’t think one has been announced yet.

My rating for The East Palace is 4 out of 5 stars and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a spooky, unsettling watch.

Have you seen The East Palace? What did you think?

Pursuit of Jade – C-Drama Review

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Title: Pursuit of Jade

Language: Chinese – Mandarin

Episodes: 40

Where to Watch: Netflix

Genres: Historical, Romance, War, Mystery

Objectionable Content: Violence, Death

Buy From: Amazon

Synopsis (from MyDramaList): It follows Fan Chang Yu, a butcher’s daughter, and Xie Zheng, a fallen noble seeking revenge. Their fake marriage turns into true love, but war tears them apart. Determined, Fan Chang Yu wields her butcher’s knife on the battlefield, searching for justice and her husband. Meanwhile, Xie Zheng reclaims his title, fighting to protect his country and love. Reunited in battle, they stand together, defying fate and uncovering the truth.

My Review of Pursuit of Jade

This drama came across my Netflix feed a few times, but I passed it by due to the number of episodes. At the time, I wasn’t in the mood to commit to such a long drama. So when I had some time off work, I decided now was the time. Honestly, I wished I’d watched it sooner but at the same time I’m glad I waited til I was on vacation because I ended up staying up til 4 am because I just couldn’t stop watching.

At Pursuit of Jade begins, Fan Chang Yu has just lost her parents. In order to support herself and her young sister, she takes up her father’s trade: slaughtering pigs and selling the meat. She finds a young man in the snow, gravely injured, and against her better judgement, saves his life. Initially, he gives her the name Yan Zheng, in order to hide his identity. When Chang Yu’s uncle tries to take her house from her, Yan Zheng, agrees to a live in marriage so she doesn’t lose everything.

To explain, as I had to look it up myself, a “live in marriage” or “live in husband” is where the man marries into the woman’s family. This means, that instead of the woman moving into the man’s family home, taking his name and basically become subject to him, the man agrees that the woman is the head of the household. This is important because during this time period, women couldn’t inherit property, only a male heir could. After Chang Yu’s parents die, the only male relative is her uncle, who tries to take her house from her in order to pay off his gambling debts. By Yan Zhang marrying in to Chang Yu’s family, the Fan family now has a male heir and Chang Yu is able to keep her house.

Initially, this agreement is one of convenience. It’s a way for Yan Zheng to repay Chang Yu for saving his life. They both know the marriage isn’t real and that when he is well again, he will leave. We soon learn that Yan Zheng is actually a nobleman who nearly died in battle and the time comes for him to leave and return to his responsibilities.

From the moment they meet, Chang Yu and Yan Zheng have amazing chemistry. Yan Zheng is fairly reserved in the beginning, being unsure of the people around him and his identity being revealed. Though he rarely smiles, he’s never rude or mean to anyone (unless they deserve it) and he quickly becomes protective of his new found family.

I honestly loved every moment of this drama. The couple is so sweet together, gradually falling deeply in love. Even when they’re separated, you know they’re thinking of one another and doing everything they can to be together again. There’s a lot of funny moments too, though not outrageously so. The comedy doesn’t deflect from the mood. The acting is perfection from all the characters, even the psychotic ones can evoke some sympathy while the so called “good” ones can be bad. The costumes are beautiful and the sets spectacular.

The blood effects are a bit lacking for the amount of death and war there is. However, the show is rated 14+ so it makes sense the gore would be minimized.

I will admit that I had some trouble following the political intrigue. There are a lot of names, places and titles being said, some being used interchangeably that I found it hard to follow. This is totally on me and no a criticism of the show.

My rating for Pursuit of Jade is 5 out of 5 stars and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical romance with a nice dash of comedy, action and mystery.

Have you watched Pursuit of Jade? I’d love to know what you think!

My Name – Review

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Title: My Name

Language: Korean

Genres: Action, Thriller, Mystery, Crime

Objectional Content: Violence, Sexual Assault

Synopsis (from MyDramaList): After her father’s murder, Yoon Ji Woo seeks revenge by infiltrating the police under the direction of Choi Moo Jin, the head of a powerful drug ring. As she goes undercover, she partners with rule-abiding detective Jeon Pil Do, while Cha Gi Ho, the head of the Drug Investigation Unit, targets Choi Moo Jin. Meanwhile, Choi Moo Jin’s loyal subordinate, Jung Tae Joo, and former gang member Do Gang Jae, who seeks revenge, add to the complex web of crime and betrayal.

My Review

My Name is a fairly typical revenge story. Yoon Ji-Woo witnesses her father’s murder, and after the police do nothing to investigate and find the killer, she turns to a crime boss to help her get revenge. She trains to become an amazing fighter and join the police force so she can find the person who murdered her father. It’s the type of show where nothing is really as it seems and there’s a twist around every corner. Unfortunately, those twists have become predictable and I was pretty sure from the beginning how it would all go.

That’s not to say that the show isn’t good, it is. Han So-Hee, who plays Yoon Ji-Woo, did all of the physical stuff herself to the point that she collapsed from exhaustion during filming and had to be hospitalized. I think he doing that really connected her with the character, who basically went through hell to get where she wanted to be. This woman endures constant harassment from the male members of the crime ring, to the point where she is almost raped. She constantly has to prove herself and stay on her toes because no matter how much she trains, she can’t gain the same physical strength as male opponents.

I thought I knew how it would all go and how it would end but then the last episode happened. I try to keep my reviews as spoiler free as possible but in this case, I just need to vent. So.

****Spoilers for final episode ahead****

By the final episode, Ji-Woo has made some choices that are going to land her in a lot of trouble, but she also connects with her police partner Pil-Do in a romantic way. He convinces her not to take out revenge by killing Choi Moo-Jin and instead allow the law to punish him. Then, Pil-Do is murdered right in front of her by Choi Moo-Jin. Just dead, shot in the head, no chance of recovery. This of course motivates her to go after Choi Moo-Jin directly and kill him herself. Yes, she achieved her goal, got her revenge and survived, but for what? She finally had a slight chance to find some semblance of happiness and then that happiness was torn from her. This honestly made me so mad and I wish she had just died from her injuries at the end. At least things would have had a sense of closure that way. Instead, she survives and the ending is left open for a possible sequel.

****Spoilers end here****

My rating for My Name is 4 out of 5 stars and I would recommend it to anyone who likes a good action show with twists and turns, even if those twists and turns are kind of predictable.

As always, thanks for reading!

GyeongSeong Creature Season 2 – Kdrama Review

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Title: GyeongSeong Creature Season 2

Language: Korean

Genres: Romance, Horror, Action

Objectional Content: Graphic Violence, Language, Death

Synopsis (from MyDramaList): “Gyeongseong Creature” returns, extending its narrative from the tumultuous spring of 1945 to the bustling streets of 2024 Seoul. This continuation, set against the backdrop of monstrous creations born from human greed, further entwines the fates of Jang Tae Sang and Yoon Chae Ok.

My Review

**Note: this review will contain spoilers for season 1.**

Geyeongseong Creature season 2 takes place nearly 80 years after the conclusion of season 1. We are introduced to Jang Ho-Jae, who looks suspiciously like Jang Tae-Sang. He lost all of his memories in an accident around a year ago. Since then he has lived and worked in the building that used to be the Pawnshop in 1945. While investigating a missing person, Ho-Jae runs into Chae-Ok, though he doesn’t recognize her.

Chae-Ok has survived all this time thanks to the najin that he mother gave her. She has worked finding missing people, the same as she did before the events of the first season. Once she crosses paths with Ho-Jae, everything starts to go awry.

The human experiments have continued underground and we see what became of the baby Akiko had after being infected by a najin. There are new, human looking creatures that are insanely fast as well as ones like the original. I’m not entirely sure if Chae-Ok’s mother is supposed to be one of those, or if she actually died at the end of season one.

Although I really enjoyed this show, I felt like the pacing was off. It felt rushed and didn’t really explain a lot of things. I have a lot of questions still. There was nearly 80 years in between seasons. What happened during those years? How did the two main characters not cross paths sooner? I feel like Chae-Ok would have kept an eye on Tae-Sang throughout his life, even if she never spoke to him.

I’m not sure how I feel about the ending. I wouldn’t call it a cliff hanger but it was open to interpretation. Then there’s the after credits scene. The implications of this scene are devastating and just get even more horrifying the more I think about it. This scene alone would suggest a third season was planned. However, as of the time of this writing, a third season has not been confirmed and with how Netflix can be about renewing their shows, it seems unlikely at this point that there will be a third season. The main actress, Han So-Hee, also seems to be in demand for very physical roles, which may contribute to the delay of the third season.

My rating for Gyeongseong Creature season 2 is 4 out of 5 stars and I would recommend it to those who watched season one. Definitely watch season one first.

Thanks for reading!

Cafe Minamdang – Review

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Title: Cafe Minamdong

Language: Korean

Genres: Mystery, Comedy, Romance

Objectional Content: Mild Violence, Death

Synopsis (from MyDramaList): Nam Han Jun is a former criminal profiler now working as a conman. To run his scams, he disguises himself as a fortune teller with his shop called Minamdang. Clients are drawn to his attractive appearance and smooth-talking manner. While he cheats his customers out of money, he works to solve their issues, all the while providing excellent customer service. He’s partnered up with Kong Su Cheol, who runs a private detective agency, and his younger sister, Hye Jun, an elite hacker. For the last three years, detective Han Jae Hui performed her job with enthusiasm and integrity. Will her involvement with Nam Han Jun jeopardize all of that?

My Review

My honest first impression of this show was “Wow, this is ridiculous!” But, I had recently finished Boyfriend on Demand and wanted more of Seo In-Guk, who plays the lead Nam Han-Jun in this series. So, I stuck with it and I’m not sorry that I did. Although the type of comedy in this show isn’t really to my taste, it was so obvious that the actors were having a blast in their roles that I couldn’t help but enjoy that.

Thankfully, the show does get more serious, as Nam Han-Jun is trying to find the person who killed his best friend. From the beginning I had an idea who the real culprit behind everything was. I second guessed myself a couple of times, but I still kept thinking it was him. When the reveal came I was so happy to be right but there was no one around me for me to brag to so I just sort of carried on with the show.

I didn’t really like the character of Kong Su-Cheol. His mannerisms and way of speaking was odd and kind of got on my nerves. Nam Han-Jun’s younger sister, Nam Hye-Jun also wasn’t my favorite. The relationship the two of them end of up in didn’t really feel like it had substance. I also didn’t really like the stylization around Han Jae-Hui, like she was some kind of super hero with crazy powers.

Seo In-Guk as Nam Han-Jun is the absolute highlight of this show and really shows his acting ability here. Looking at other shows he’s been in, this a very different and entertaining character for him.

My rating for Cafe Minamdang is 3 out of 5 stars and I’d recommendation to those who enjoy a good dose of comedy in their murder mysteries.

Thanks for reading!

GyeongSeong Creature – Kdrama Review

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Title: GyeongSeong Creature

Language: Korean

Genres: Historical, Romance, Horror, Action

Objectional Content: Graphic Violence, Language, Death

Synopsis (From MyDramaList) Jang Tae Sang, a charming and resourceful man in Bukchon, Gyeongseong, enjoys his comfortable life until he crosses paths with Yoon Chae Ok, a skilled todugun known for finding missing people. Chae Ok, hardened by a tough childhood traveling through Manchuria and Shanghai, arrives in Gyeongseong searching for her mother, who disappeared a decade ago. Together, they tackle puzzling missing person cases that reveal a chilling truth, pushing Tae Sang to question his values and Chae Ok to confront her past.

My Overview

The synopsis from MyDramaList doesn’t really begin to tell you what this drama is about. It takes place in Korea, during the Japanese Colonial era. As the first episode opens, we see Japanese soldiers preparing to abandon some kind of laboratory. Dead bodies are being piled up and doused in gasoline. Those in charge are gathering important papers and samples in test tubes. Some sort of monstrous creature can be seen before the building goes up in flames.

The narrative then moves to Gyeongseong, where Jang Tae-Sang is tasked with finding the mistress of a Japanese police official who has been missing for a week. To help with the search, Tae-Sang employs a pair of sleuths, father and daughter duo Yoon Joon-Won and Yoon Chae-Ok. The trail leads them to Onseong Hospital, which appears to be a respectable medical centre that caters to the wealthy Japanese, but below the surface lies underground dungeons filled with people being experimented on.

My Review

After watching a few more light hearted romantic comedies, Gyeongseong Creature was a bit of a shock to the senses. This drama grabbed my attention from the very first moment and didn’t let go. I hated the fact that I had to sleep and go to work instead of being able to watch this to the end.

Park Seo-Joon (Tae-Sang) and Han So-Hee (Chae-Ok) are great together. I honestly thought it was so funny how Tae-Sang is clearly infatuated with Chae-Ok from the second he sees her face while she is quite indifferent and standoffish. Jo Han-Chul as Chae-Ok’s father is also fantastic. I’ve seen him in a few other dramas where he’s mostly playing some kind of corporate yuppie, so to see him in a more down to earth and action type role was really great.

There is a fair amount of gore and graphic violence in this drama. Human experimentation, including on children, does take place, so viewer discretion is advised for that. I have seen worse in terms of gore, but I think the fact that it stems from human experimentation makes it more disturbing.

If I hadn’t known that there was already a second season I would have been pretty mad at the ending as it ends on a cliffhanger. Thankfully, season two is already out and available to watch.

My rating for Gyeongseong Creature is 5 out of 5 stars and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys a historical horror drama with a good amount of action and some romance and mystery thrown in.

Thanks for reading!

Tale of the Nine-Tailed: 1938 – Review

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Title: Tale of the Nine-Tailed: 1938

Language: Korean

Genres: Historical, Romance, Fantasy, Horror

Objectional Content: Violence, Language

Synopsis: (from MyDramaList): An unexpected case leads Lee Yeon back in time to 1938, where he reencounters Ryu Hong Ju. Once a guardian spirit of the mountain in the west, she’s now the owner of a high-end restaurant in the capital city of Gyeongseong. He also meets his younger brother, Lee Rang. Meanwhile, another former guardian spirit and ex-friend, Cheon Mu Yeong, has become hostile. Lee Yeon struggles to return to the present, to his loved one.

My Review

I’ve been trying to think how to write this review and where to start, so I think I’ll begin with the negative. To be clear, by “negative” I don’t mean “bad” necessarily. This drama deals with time travel, which is always a difficult thing to do well. It’s stated in the show that anything Lee Yeon does while in the past will not have any affect on the future. This is obviously meant to ensure that the events of the first season can’t be impacted, but honestly, if you think about it even a little, how can his presence there not have an affect? The more I think about it, the more things I think of that would have affect on the timeline.

So, my conclusion is that the best way to enjoy this show is to just not think about the consequences of time travel. If you can.

Ok, time travel conundrums aside, Lee Yeon has regained his nine-tailed fox powers and has resumed working for Taluipa in exchange for Lee Rang’s soul being allowed to reincarnate. Not long after the deal is made, the guardian stone which keeps evil spirits from entering the Stream of the Dead is stolen and the thief jumps into a cabinet, traveling back to 1938. Lee Yeon follows after, on a mission to retrieve the stone. Soon after he runs into his younger brother, Lee Rang. From here, shenanigans ensue as Lee Yeon becomes involved in the current events of 1938 while he waits for the right time to be able to return to the present.

We get glimpses into Lee Yeon’s past, his childhood friends and how they grew up before becoming mountain gods. I love the relationship between the brothers. One moment they’re trying to kill one another, the next they’re trying to kill someone else for daring to harm one of them. They bicker and argue constantly but in the end, they truly love each other, even if they won’t say it.

I love when Lee Yeon goes in Fox mode. His eyes turn yellow and his tails show up. The only thing better would be if he actually turned into a fox.

I’m a bit disappointed that there was a pretty major plot point that wasn’t resolved. I’m not sure if a third season is intended or going to be made or not. I certainly hope so because, not only do I love the characters, that one point really needs to be addressed.

My rating for Tale of the Nine-Tailed:1938 is 4 out of 5 stars. It loses a star for the time travel confusion. I’d recommended this to anyone who has seen Tale of the Nine-Tailed and those you enjoy historical dramas with some supernatural flare.

Thanks for reading!

Genie, Make a Wish – Review

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Title: Genie, Make a Wish

Language: Korean

Genres: Comedy, Romance, Fantasy

Objectional Content: Violence, Language, Death

Synopsis: (From MyDramaList): Cold, impassive Ga Yeong has spent her life under her grandmother’s care, whose watchful eye and tough-love approach have helped keep Ga Yeong’s psychopathic tendencies in check. When Ga Yeong unexpectedly stumbles upon a magical lamp, she awakens the mysterious spirit Genie from his thousand-year slumber — and yes, he promises the young woman three life-changing wishes. Unleashed into a new millennium, Genie’s mischievous magic shakes up Ga Yeong’s quiet life, and as he navigates the unfamiliar realities of the modern world, the two find themselves in a surprising whirlwind romance. But just when things couldn’t get any less predictable, Ga Yeong learns her wish-granting sidekick is actually Iblis, better known as Satan, who is hell-bent on proving that humans are corruptible. It’s a whole new twist on the genie-in-a-lamp story, and when Ga Yeong’s intractability and tightly controlled routines meet Genie’s trickster energy and clueless charm, it sets the stage for a romance that will be anything but ordinary.

My Review

Where do I begin with this one? It showed up as a recommendation on Netflix and I saw that Kim Woo Bin was the male lead, who I have very much liked in other dramas/movies. I watched the trailer and decided this series would be worth a watch. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite what I was expecting or hoping for. The genie, Iblis, is literally supposed to be Satan, and therefore, evil. Iblis is definitely not evil. Mischievous and kind of a dick sometimes? Yes. Evil? Not by a long shot.

I understand that seeing the modern world after spending nearly a thousand years trapped in a lamp would be very confusing and awe inspiring, but his behaviour borders more on childish than anything. He allows the female lead to literally beat him, despite the fact he can disappear at will, and gets addicted to an arcade game. There are a few times when he does become serious, and almost like an all powerful being that hates humans and wants to corrupt them so they go to hell, but those moments are few and far between.

Bae Suzy as Ki Ga-Yeoung was fantastic. She shows a great deal of range in this show. Ki Ga-Yeong is a psychopath and not once did I disbelieve that. In her past life, she was a sweet and kind person, despite being oppressed and degraded. The supporting characters were also pretty good. I quite liked Sade and Irem. I think they could have a really cute relationship.

My rating for Genie, Make a Wish is 3 out of 5 stars. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a slightly more serious romance, though with a good amount of comedy thrown in. I think if you start knowing that Iblis isn’t nearly as evil as he should be, this drama is a good series.

Have you watched Genie, Make a Wish? What did you think?

Boyfriend on Demand – Review

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Title: Boyfriend on Demand

Language: Korean

Genres: Comedy, Romance, Fantasy

Objectional Content: None

Synopsis: (from MyDramaList) The story follows exhausted webtoon producer Seo Mi Rae as she escapes reality through a subscription-based virtual dating simulation program, where she meets the boyfriends of her dreams. Seo Mi Rae is someone who longs for a second chance at love in virtual reality. Accustomed to a nonexistent dating life due to her hectic schedule, Mi Rae receives a ‘Monthly Boyfriend’ device by chance, allowing her to enter a virtual world. Entering this virtual reality, she encounters unrealistically perfect boyfriends, awakening her dormant desires for romance. Park Gyeong Nam is Mi Rae’s colleague and rival webtoon producer. Although he is capable and competent at work, Mi Rae feels uneasy around him. To Mi Rae, he’s the last person she wants to see, yet in the office, he’s known as one of the best. Despite his indifferent and cold demeanor, he is someone with surprising secrets, sure to stir emotions in Mi Rae.

My Review

I have to say, I loved this drama. Is it the most amazing cinematography I’ve ever seen? No. Is it entertaining, cute and funny? Yes! The leads have gorgeous chemistry, I was rooting for them the entire time and nothing really annoyed me.

Korean dramas tend to follow a formula, as anyone who has seen more than one Korean rom com will know. We have the two leads, then normally there are two secondary leads who are alternative love interests for the main leads. While I wouldn’t really say there is a prominent secondary female lead to distract Gyeong Nam from Mi Rae, in this drama the secondary male lead happens to be an AI construct.

After receiving the virtual reality “Boyfriend on Demand” as a free gift in exchange for reviews, Mi Rae discovers that she does long for romance, though she has been living single since she broke up with her long term boyfriend. However, when she realizes that literally thousands of other women are “dating” the same man she is, the illusion of a perfect relationship shatters. That’s when she’s given the opportunity to create a custom character, her perfect boyfriend. What she gets, isn’t quite what she expects.

About half way through, the perspective shifts a bit and we, the audience, gets to see things a little more from Gyeong Nam’s point of view. From Mi Rae’s perspective, Gyeong Nam is very quiet, cold and distant. So much so that she has a hard time believing that he would like her. But from his point of view, it’s kind of like, how could he not fall for her? Honestly, it’s really cute and adorable. He’s clearly shy and a bit socially awkward so his attempts to talk to her are a little cringey, but also sweet.

I also loved the cameos of different actors in the Boyfriend on Demand simulation. Particularly, Lee Soo Hyuk. I really enjoy him as an actor, so it was fun to see him in this, even if his appearance was brief.

I really liked that there wasn’t some sort of overly dramatic scenario where one of the characters gets amnesia, or someone tries to break them up with a cheating set up. Instead, the relationship felt natural and relatable.

My rating for Boyfriend on Demand is 5 out of 5 stars. There was nothing I didn’t like about this drama or anything that annoyed me. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a cute romantic comedy.

Thanks for reading!