November Watched

I can't say this was a good month for me, K-drama-wise. I have finished my fillers, but there is one drama that really stood out for me.

In this blog, you will find reviews for:

• My Youth

• You and Everything Else

• A Hundred Memories

• To The Moon

• Shin's Project

Have you watched any of these dramas? How do you feel about them?

First impression: It's not the most exciting drama, but it's good as a background one

Last impression: Let's stop the cancer trope. This is becoming too much

Synopsis: Sunwoo Hae was a popular child actor who shone in his youth. He barely made it through the turmoil and now lives peacefully as a novelist and florist. Sunwoo Hae and Sung Je-Yeon were each other's first love, and they helped each other get through the darkest times of their lives. They reunite after 10 years. The appearance of Sung Je Yeon also reminds him of his past. (Asianwiki)

Before starting it, I saw that the ratings were low, and the reviews from the first episode were not very nice either. It was deemed as boring, without a clear plot and very cliched, and I have to agree with that.

However, what kept me watching after the first few episodes was the witty dialogue. The way it was simple and fun, I feel like Chun Woo Hee is very good at those.

The chemistry between the leads was okay; those funny moments between them helped me see Hae and Je Yeon as a couple. I loved the second couple more; they were cuter together, and the way they slowly got to know each other was very sweet.

You have to keep in mind that "My Youth" is extremely slow drama; there is not much happening, just a lot of conversations, so if you're into that, this drama might be okay, and to your taste.

What I hated about the drama is the illness trope. Maybe I've seen too much of it this year, but it felt so unnecessary, and after it, I could barely care for the characters.

It's not like I had a strong connection with the characters, but after it, it became sadder and sappier. Even more cliched than it was before, which was a turn-off.

Also, using this as a method to bond with anyone and reconnect with people is a bit lazy.

It was never going to be my favourite drama just because of the pacing, but the way the dialogue flowed it had me hoping that I would at least look at it with great memories. Sadly, it wasn't the case. The 12th episode felt like the biggest filler, and I wanted something more from the characters and the plot.

5/10

First impression: The ending hooked me up

Last impression: I need to process a lot of things.

Synopsis: Ryu Eun Jung, a woman with a candid personality, attracts people effortlessly. Her best friend and lifelong rival, Cheon Sang Yeon, has been by her side since elementary school. Coming from a wealthy background and being exceptionally talented, Sang Yeon was the source of Eun Jung's jealousy, yet they remained close, even if they sometimes hated each other. Over the years, they drift in and out of contact, reconnecting in their teens, 20s, and 30s. Now, at 42. (Mydramalist)

I had so many things to say about the drama, but now that it has actually ended, I have no words.

Sadness, some kind of acceptance and understanding, is washing over me. Why things were done the way they were, maybe if I wanted some things changed, it doesn't matter because the title says it all.

YOU and everything else. As much as stories of other people were interesting, as much as I loved Eun Jung interacting with other people, and would love to see Sang Yeon finding her place, it was not about all those things.

It's about this raw friendship where jealousy comes first, and as a story for that, this was beautiful.

During the drama, I could find myself relating to both of the women. At the same time, there are choices that I could not believe were made, but this is what made the characters so realistic.

I have been talking about the characters and no plot, but this was very heavily focused just on two of them. Yes, there is this first love story line that is tragic and at the same time gets you hooked. The college days are when you start to question what is cheating and what is still acceptable.

Those plot lines very nicely added to Ryu Eun Jung and Cheon Sang Yeon's personalities.

However, when both of the friends came to their 30s, I expected something more from them, not just rehashing everything that went down before. There was a need for a different conflict before we got into the 40s.

My only suggestion for the viewers is to forget the black-and-white perspective. Throw away "is it a green flag or a red flag" discussions. This is a situation about two women who know everything about each other and sometimes become the only people they can rely on.

Real-life situations are much more complicated than these internet words, and the drama portrayed them very well.

9.5/10

First impression: Female leads are so cute, and I'm trying to understand what is going on with the male lead.

Last impression: This was wholesome and not...

Synopsis: Ko Yeong Rye works as a bus conductor at Cheong A Transportation to her job to support her family. She's soon joined by Seo Jong Hui, a young woman with an impressively loud voice who also decides to become a bus conductor. Yeong Rye and Jong Hui become fast friends, but their bond is soon tested by Han Jae Pil, an aspiring boxer from a troubled yet wealthy family who bursts into their lives. Yeong Rye develops a crush on Jae Pil, but Jae Pil seems to have feelings for Jong Hui, straining the friendship between the two. (Viki)

At the beginning, I was very on board; the friendship was very heartwarming, and it really felt like Ko Young Rye and Seo Jong Hui always had each other's backs. Even at the start, when they met Han Jae Pil, everything seemed to go fine.

What was bothering me, at the time, was the slowness of the drama. Things were happening, but at the same time, the plot barely moved. The episodes are an hour and 20 minutes long (more or less), so my attention span had a hard time.

There were still funny moments at the time, and the story was good. Then we got 7 years later...

This is where my problems start. The first of them that we got more focus on other characters, not the main three.

Don't get me wrong, I loved the story of Jeong Bum and her child, and loved to see bits of the ladies who were bus conductors with the lead, but there is so much to grasp among the leads that they should have gotten less screentime.

Not every story can be told, especially when you have so many characters.

Seo Jong Hui's story with her brother got brushed so quickly. Her trauma with that was forgotten as she led her life 7 years later. Mild spoilers: why does he even get a random redemption arc??

There is now also a distance between Jong Hui and Yeong Rye (which is understandable), but I wish it had been resolved differently.

In a way that doesn't revolve around a guy.

Talking about chemistry... Young Rye + Jae Pil, Jong Hui + Jae Pil, no matter who you wish to come together, I don't think they had good chemistry.

The drama has its good moments in the second half, but I wish they had changed most of the things.

Gives us more friendships and fewer love triangles!

7.5/10

First impression: Surprisingly interesting, there are things to relate to

Last impression: This is almost a perfect friendship drama

Synopsis: Da Hae, a weary marketing team manager at Marron Confectionery, wonders how long she can endure her seemingly hopeless life. Just then, Eun Sang from sales, who relentlessly pursues financial gain, entices her with the bold proposition of investing in cryptocurrency. After endless failures, cryptocurrency is Eun Sang's last lifeline and one shot at turning her life around. Ji Song from accounting, who equates happiness with spending, impulsively joins them. What begins as a gamble quickly turns into a rollercoaster ride of highs and lows in the crypto market. The unpredictable chaos only deepens when Ham Ji Woo, the rising company director who gave up on singing, joins them. Can these three ordinary workers hit the jackpot and make it all the way to the moon? (Kocowa)

If only this didn't have cryptocurrency, it would have been almost a perfect drama. It's manageable at the start of it as only Eun Sang is investing, and is the only one who talks about it, but as the drama goes on the more is consumed by this plot.

However, the friendship between Da Hae, Eun Sang and Ji Song was all I needed to keep going.

They had so many wholesome moments, a few fights, but at the end of the day, this drama showed a great friendship that can be found in difficult or unexpected places.

Excluding the crypto plot, this has so much relatable stuff for office workers and others. The trio is still finding themselves in this work environment that sometimes can be hostile, but these situations make our leads grow very well.

This is not romance drama, yes, it does include it, but it's not the main focus.

Ham Ji Woo is a doormat male lead. Yes, he has ambitions, but he's there to help Da Hae grow. It wasn't a big problem for me, and some of their scenes together were funny, but even by the end of the drama, it established that friends come first for her.

There is also a second couple, which I was at first opposed to, but they came around to be quite cute together.

Again, if we delete the crypto plot, that work gossip site wasn't needed very much; it would have been better. Watch it like me, skip those parts to see the friendship!

7/10

First impression: First episode has "Salon de Holmes" vibes

Last impression: The last episode was very unnecessary

Synopsis: Mr Shin may look like an ordinary chicken shop owner, but he's the kind of person who appears just in time-when tempers flare, fists are about to fly, and chaos looms-to cool things down with one sharp, satisfying line that settles everything. When Philip, a by-the-book rookie judge, is suddenly reassigned to the chicken shop instead of a courtroom, and Si On, a delivery rider secretly working as Mr Shin's informant, joins the team, the unlikely trio begins to chase the truth and seek new ground for justice. (Mydramalist)

My rating for this drama might differ from everyone else's, but it's probably because I watched too many dramas like that.

This is one of those episodic dramas where something happens, and we have that eccentric main character who goes to solve everything. It doesn't make it immediately bad, but there is nothing special or anything that stands out in this drama.

The side stories are okay; it's always fun to see how they will deal with the culprits. The main story dragged out a bit, but you could see where Mr Shin is coming from, and why he's acting the way he is.

There is also a tiny bit of romance between Philip and Si On. It didn't bother me much, but I saw a lot of people not liking it. This side plot is not that big, so you can easily skip it if preferred.

Other characters were alright. Of course, there's a sense of rooting for the team, but I don't feel like I connected with them much.

It feels like everything about this drama was mediocre, not bad enough, but good enough to keep it as a background drama.

6/10