343. Angel's Last Mission: Love 단, 하나의 사랑 (2019) Korean

Shin Hye Sun, Kim Myung Soo, Lee Dong Gun, Kim Bo Mi, Do Ji Won, Kim In Kwon

Drama Rating: 7/10     Neck Score: A++

I think this show might be more fully appreciated if you happen to be a Myung Soo fan, which I am. I was sucked right in because of him. I love him and fully acknowledge he isn't the best actor, but I was super impressed with him in this. He is definitely getting better, which I love. Another you just have to know from the start is that it's one of those impossible situations full of forbidden love, so it's going to be a cry fest at times and then fall apart at the end because the set up make a happy ending that makes sense almost impossible. That is, it's possible, but the writers seemed to not want to use logic, so it kind of got weird at the end. But Myung Soo still made it worth it for me. Also, Lee Dong Gun. I love him. I especially love how he can be the second male lead/antagonist/villain and still rock it, being lovably loathsome, etc. Not that his character here was loathsome, he was an antagonist at best. But he rocked it, despite the writing of his character being weird. Like motivation-wise.  Basically the writing wasn't terrible, but it went downhill a bit as the drama progressed and went to pot by the end.

Women Who Make Me Watch Dramas Against My Will: Ahjumma Edition

So, it was recently international women's day, and I was busy all day. Oh well. But I thought that I could at least celebrate it late with the next installment of Women Who Make Me Watch Dramas Against My Will, and no better edition than the one dedicated to the ahjumma.

Whether they play the moms (evil or good), the aunties, the neighborhood ahjumma, or the bad-a mentors, these ahjumma are like the backbone of the drama world. A show is always going to be better with a well placed ahjumma. I realized going into this that it is an infinite list, because there are so many wonderful ahjumma in the world. So I had to try really hard to narrow it down and put my personal top favorites. The cream of the crop in my opinion.

Momance: Sometimes the Mom-Drama is actually the best part of the drama

When we think of Kdrama mothers, we usually think of those evil moms, like in Boys Over Flowers or Secret Garden who will stop at nothing to get rid of our heroine by whatever means.  We think of those moms that are just another plot device to tear the couple apart.  Or we might think of the mom drama moms.  The ones who throw a spanner in the works while trying to protect our protagonists, or themselves, or just make everything overly dramatic.  When the drama becomes a battle between the moms or the mom and children for what is best.  Like You're the Best, Lee Soon Shin, which I watched for Jo Jung Suk who was barely in it, which isn't really about Lee Soon Shin but her mothers.  Every single mother in the entire show was annoying and made me want to scream.

Moms are an important part of dramas, because moms are super important in real life.  But what I love and want to celebrate now is those mothers who actually made the dramas better.  Sometimes, they are the best part of the dramas, or at least so enjoyable to watch that they made it better.

143. Unkind Women 착하지 않은 여자들 (2015) Korean

Kim Hye Ja, Chae Shi Ra, Do Ji Won, Lee Ha Na, Lee Soon Jae, Song Jae Rim, Kim Ji Suk

Drama Rating: 9/10     Neck Score: A

What I liked about this show was that it was about the women, and they were real women who were not afraid to get out there and be mean, and hurt each other, and then make themselves better because they realized that blaming other people just makes things worse and you don't progress, etc.  There were some infuriating parts, and some unrealistic parts, but on the whole I really liked how there was character progression, for pretty much everyone.  I was surprised that one of my least favorite parts was Song Jae Rim's character.  I liked him at first, because he's sexy, but then I realized that his character was a bit annoying and immature and I really hated how they drew out that tension with his romance.  But it's probably more because as sexy as Song Jae Rim is, I am absolutely in love with Kim Ji Suk.  Someday he will get the girl.  Goodness knows his character deserves it 9 times out of 10.  But I really loved how it was about a bunch of women who sunk pretty low on the crappy life scale, for lots of different reasons, and then they all pulled themselves up through their own efforts, and not because some man saved them.  The men were all very secondary in this, and that was perfect.  They were also all pretty sweet (even when they were immature and annoying).  It was a show about women, and it was the women who did everything.  I loved that.  I do have to say though, that the older sister's romance was adorable, and ahjussi was the sweetest man ever and I want a man just like him.  But he didn't solve her problems for her.  He let her be strong, and they worked as a team.  It was great.  And the friendship between the grandma and her "rival" was the cutest thing ever.  It's a great drama, especially if you have a mean sense of humor (which I do) and you think that snarky smack talk is funny (which I do) and you like a lot of character development, which is the best.  Nothing is worse than a static character... especially when it's a lead (and it's typically the female lead- boo sexist writing!) so yay for good character arcs!