Utsukushii Kare / My Beautiful Man (J Drama) — A Review

*This review might contain spoilers* Japan has a long history of Yaoi stories (Boy Love) and they are usually tinged with some amount of slice-of-life. A blue-grey pallor covers the cinematography, and the story moves along quickly with a good amount of character development. This is why, I was expecting a lot more going into…

Cherry Blossoms After Winter (K Drama) — A Review

*This review might contain spoilers* Boy-Love or BL dramas have always been popular. Drama audiences tend to skew female and the appeal is obvious. I mean, you get to see handsome boys falling in love with each other and playing out all the rom-com cliches. It's mostly a good time and I have seen my…

Inspector Koo (K Drama)— A Review

*This review is NOT spoiler free* Inspector Koo is a fantastic name for this drama. While it refers to the titular character's last name and profession, I honestly think it must be a stand-in for Inspector Kooky. Because, there might never have been a more kookier character than our very own Inspector Koo herself. This…

A Girl Like Me (C Drama)— A Review

*This review contains spoilers* More than a couple of recent historical Asian dramas have tried to set a story in the olden times with modern sensibilities woven through. Sometimes it works splendidly and other times, it just falls apart. I think A Girl Like Me falls firmly in between those two poles. There are some…

The Story of Minglan (C Drama)— A Review

*This review contains spoilers* The Story of Minglan is the second rendition of the story of Minglan that I have seen. Based on a Chinese novel, this is a story of a concubine's daughter raising up her husband in Imperial China and achieving success because of her intellect and compassion against all odds. This 2018…

Second To Last Love (K Drama)— A Review

*This review contains spoilers* I have the biggest girl crush on Kim Hee Ae. I've seen several of her brilliant dramas (Secret Love Affair, Mrs. Cop and The World of the Married come to mind) and she is a standout performer pretty much always. She is such a graceful presence onscreen with her natural acting…

Move To Heaven (K Drama)— A Review

*This review contains spoilers* Man, do I love Lee Je Hoon! Between Move to Heaven and Taxi Driver, the guy has had an epic 2021, to say the least. While Taxi Driver made the big waves and got all the attention, I think Move to Heaven is a very special drama that deserves more love…

My Heroic Husband (C Drama)— A Review

*This review contains minor spoilers* I think historical dramas tend to be somewhat serious in nature. Most shows that I have seen in the last 2-3 years start out with humor when the main couple is falling love, but then quickly veer toward seriousness once the conflict starts. The main reason why this cute drama…

The Rebel Princess (C Drama)— A Review

*This review contains spoilers* I have been watching Asian dramas for a very long time. As their appeal has grown in the Western world, gone are the poorly translated titles and themes. Channels invest into making sure that synopses and titles convert into English accurately, to attract international viewers. When I first read the synopsis…

The Sword and The Brocade (C Drama)— A Review

*This review contains spoilers* In a world of high fantasy shows, with magical elements, martial-arts based action and cross-dressing heroines, dramas like The Sword and The Brocade attract less attention because they seem almost banal. After all, what is exciting about regular people living normal lives? The answer is- quite a lot actually! This show…