POV: When you wanna take up law as a profession after watching too many dramas.

WELCOME TO SAMDAL-RI

GENRES: Drama, Romance

SUMMARY: When life gets too tough, its important to have a place you can go where people believe in you for who you always were.

THIS SHOW HAS EVERYTHING: Convenience store hideouts, corporate abuse, haenyeos, amusement park failures, dog mascots, weather forecasting, old flames, flashy sports cars, loss and forgiveness, crooners, drunken kisses, and dolphins.

HOT TAKE: I'm always hesitant to watch these small town slice-of-life dramas since I know they're going to be slow and drawn out, but you know what? I've never regretted sitting through one yet. There's something just very soulfully soothing about casual strolls, nosy-yet-supportive neighbors, and honest dialogue and communication, and this show is no exception.

Nevermind best kdrama kissers: I want a list of best kdrama huggers, starting with the King, Ji Chang Wook.

Welcome to Samdal-ri

It has been a while since I felt like making a wallpaper for a drama. I just wanted to make sure that all the characters that I loved had their spotlight. This is such a sweet romantic story! I loved the main plot and all the subplots, I loved the family dynamics as well as the friendship ones. The Power Rangers were so cute to watch as kids and adults and the sisters are a power house all on their own. . . And Ha Yul stole my heart too.

It was endearing to watch. This is definitely a drama I see myself going back to later on.

LOVELY RUNNER 선재 업고 튀어 (2024) - Episode 1

Upcoming Kdrama January 2024 🌈

1/1: Marry My Husband with Park Min Young, Na In Woo, Lee Yi Kyung. 16 episodes; rom-com, fantasy.

2/1: Love Song for Illusion with Park Ji Hoon, Ji Woo, Hwang Hee. 16 episodes; historical, romance, fantasy.

12/1: Knight Flower with Lee Hanui, Lee Jong Won, Lee Ki Woo. 12 episodes; historical, mystery, comedy.

17/1: A Shop for Killers with Lee Dong Wook, Kim Hye Joon, Seo Hyun Woo. 8 episodes; action, thriller.

19/1: the Bequeathed with Kim Hyun Joo, Park Hee Soon, Park Byung Eun. 6 episodes; thriller, mystery.

19/1: LTNS with Ahn Jae Hong, Esom. 6 episodes; rom-com.

21/1: Captivating the King with Jo Jung Seok, Shin Se Kyung, Lee Shin Young. 16 episodes; historical, melodrama.

26/1: Flex X Cop with Ahn Bo Hyun, Park Ji Hyun, Kwak Si Yang. 16 episodes; action, mystery, rom-com.

27/1: Doctor Slump with Park Shin Hye, Park Hyung Shik, Yoon Park. 16 episodes; medical, rom-com.

31/1: Queen of Divorce with Lee Ji Ah, Kang Ki Young, Oh Min Suk. 12 episodes; law, drama.

Let's start the year with some good dramas!!

ALCHEMY OF SOULS: LIGHT AND SHADOW (2022-2023) - ep.7

No uppies for the Crown Prince? :(

You know, I'm a part of Uk-Yeong nation just as much as anyone else.

But this...

And this

And of course this

He's ready with the ring

Let's not forget this

This is the real ship..🥰💖😁😂

LOVE CLASS SEASON 2 | S01E10

Korean Drama - 2023, 10 episodes

Episodes | Gaga | Viki | YouTube | iQIYI | WeTV | Tencent | Catalogue

nIGHT HAS COME-EPISODE 7,8,9,10 AND 11 (PART 1)

EPISODE 7 (Up there)

EPISODE 8 UP THRERE - I promise this is not a BL.

individual alchemy of souls posters are so magical

the devil's plan on netflix is genuinely so good and so entertaining and so fascinating, but it's also so infuriating how everyone just decided that seok-jin, si-won and dong-jae were their enemies and all completely isolated/targeted them the whole time. it's especially apparent in the poker game, the way they all just treat seok-jin as though he isn't part of the community there. from game one, they acted as though that group were villainous for winning, and it was hard to watch. it made them hard to like, when they all acted like they were the 'good guys' with humanity, while targeting the hell out of the far smaller group for having the audacity to do well early on.

the impossible heir episodes 1-4 ramblings

Last week was an eventful one for Lee Jae Wook, Hong Su Zu, and Lee Jun-young's The Impossible Heir. Not only was last week the premiere of the series, but Dispatch, the popular Korean tabloid, released "earth-shattering" news that Lee Jae Wook was dating aespa's Karina. This garnered controversy and scrutiny towards the show and could have contributed to its ratings. However, as a self-professed Lee Jae Wook fan, I tuned in to watch the show last week regardless of the news. The Impossible Heir is arguable Lee Jae Wook's first "adult" show. Much of his prior work involved dramas that catered to the YA audience and for the first time we see him essaying a far more mature and morally dubious character as Han Tae Oh. While the show is marketed as having three leads, in my opinion, Tae Oh steals the show.

In the first episode, we are introduced to a teenage Han Tae Oh. The son of a murderer, for the sake of his and his mother's safety, he's forced by himself to a small town. Unlike his peers, he has no legal guardian and rents a rundown house in the village. Before the first day of school, he manages to provoke the ire of Kang In Ha, the illegitimate son of the Kang-Oh chaebol family. While the two boys are initially at odds with each other and even end up having a dramatic fight in the school lunchroom, the episode ends with an unlikely partnership- Tae Oh offering to use his intelligence to help In Ha achieve the impossible- the opportunity to be the next heir of Kang Oh Group over his two legitimate half brothers.

Over the next three episodes, we see Tae Oh and In Ha grow up as college students and later employees at Kang Oh. During their college years, we see a blossoming friendship between the two as In Ha becomes Tae Oh's only companion during their time at Hankuk University. Alongside their internal scheming to take over Kang Oh, we see glimpses that their friendship is no different from any other peers. They have birthday meals, eat lunch together in the cafeteria, and drink late night beers from the convenience. In Ha constantly chides Tae Oh for working too many part time jobs, but remains the dutiful wealthy friend that is willing to book a tutoring gig for Tae Oh or drop him off at work to help him financially stay afloat. The dynamics between both men take a sharp turn with the introduction of Na Hye-Won, who both male leads end up falling for though she ultimately ends up dating In Ha, mainly because she views In Ha as her key to overcoming poverty and acquiring wealth and prestige.

Just as episode two ends, the show takes another five year time leap and both men are working for Kang Oh group. Hye-Won also becomes what appears to be a staff member for a political party. The three remain as co-conspirators in their efforts to take over Kang Oh Group. Of the three, perhaps the person who gets closest to the chairman, Kang Jun Mo, is Tae Oh, who ascends to the role of his personal secretary. Tae Oh becomes Jun Mo's greatest asset and trusted confidante. Through his role, he starts to move the game pieces that would create a clear path of succession for In Ha.

The weakest aspect of the The Impossible Heir 's writing has to be Na Hye Won's character arc. Nothing about her frankly makes any sense. During the second episode, we are introduced to Hye Won as both In Ha's and Tae Oh's classmate and Tae Oh's neighbor. While its obvious that Tae Oh may have developed feelings for Hye Won due to their chance encounters, In Ha's feelings arise out of nowhere- to the point that it almost feels like he only wants Hye Won because he wants to take a person Tae Oh cherishes from him. However, if this was the case, the intensity of love that In Ha develops for Hye Won makes no sense. Furthermore, its puzzling to see the two boys so readily accept a stranger as a partner in developing and implementing a plan they have spent years working on together. Exacerbating this poor placement of the female lead is her poor portrayal by Hong Su Zu. Hong Su Zu's acting has been widely criticized by the Korean audience since the airing of the second episode. While I could see others' complaints last week, it did not initially bother me as much. However, the poor acting has become glaringly apparent in this week's episodes. If Hye Won is supposed to be who she's written to be- a morally grey character who is willing to do whatever it takes, including playing with someone's feelings, to escape her present circumstances, I would expect her to be desperate, shrewd, cunning, manipulative, and charismatic. However, the version that is presented to us is so blasé, stoic, and mediocre. Hong Su Zu's expressions and delivery are extremely limited- it's hard to swallow the thought that she's supposed to be a crucial main character.

Conversely, Tae-Oh's arc is the strongest point in the writing. As audience members, we are gripped by the elusive question- what does Tae-Oh get from this partnership? Why is he fiercely loyal to In Ha? and Does he truly want the best for his friend or is he planning on throwing him under the bus? Lee Jae Wook excels in playing the ambitious yet guarded Tae Oh, who becomes the "catalyst" of the story. Without Tae Oh, there's no plot. While Hye Won is a disappointing female lead, I was surprised by the chemistry between Tae-Oh and Choi Hee Jin's Kang Huiju, the younger half sister of Kang In Ha. Huiju develops an obsessive never-ending one-sided crush on Tae Oh when he becomes her short-lived mathematics tutor. At first glance, it's easy to brush her off as a minor character, but the amount of screen time she receives on the show suggests otherwise and Choi Hee Jin excels in playing the "petulant spoiled brat who surprisingly may be the only person in her family with a conscience".

If Tae Oh is a volcano patiently waiting to erupt at the right time,Huiju is a raging forest fire traveling at 100 mph. Her love and desire for Tae Oh is all consuming and destructive- something she wholeheartedly embraces but Tae-Oh fears. When Huiju's spontaneity comes to a head with Tae Oh's restraint, we see an electrifying chemistry between the two and we see another dimension of Tae Oh. While he can be avoidant and harsh, he is also gentle, kind, and protective. Its this internal push and pull that makes their relationship worth exploring.

One of the highlights of the latest episode was when Huiji confronts Tae Oh in a parking garage adamantly professing that she will force her parents to agree to their marriage and that she "will protect" Tae-Oh. I found her confession interesting on many levels because so far, all of Tae-Oh's relationships are exploitative. The other characters including his closest friend In Ha are only concerned about what Tae Oh can do for them and this is the first time we see someone offering to do something for him with no reciprocity. It's unclear if Hui Ju is a red herring or someone who will grow to be an integral part of Tae-Oh's life. As a viewer, I have to say that this relationship is one of the main draws to the show and is something that the writers utilize appropriately.

Overall, Impossible Heir is a Malthusian and Machiavellian drama that wholeheartedly embraces the capitalistic jungle. It may not be a show that fans of prior Lee Jae Wook's dramas will love, but it still deserves to be given a chance.

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️.75/5

Favourite shots: Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 [2023]