237. Goblin: the Great and Lonely God 쓸쓸하고 찬란하神-도깨비 (2016) Korean

Gong Yoo, Kim Go Eun, Lee Dong Wook, Yoo In Na, Yook Sung Jae

Drama Rating: 7/10     Neck Score: A

As always with this writer, this show was as watchable a all get out, but of course wasn't actually a great drama.  It was just a good enough drama.  I usually like her characters, and this was no exception.  The characters were the best part.  Especially the grim reaper and the bromance between the reaper and the dokkaebi.  I have never been obsessed with Lee Dong Wook before.  I've always liked him ok, but I've never like fallen in love with him.  Until now.  He was literally the best.  The worst part of this show was probably how they really didn't give the Reaper and Sunny (Yoo In Ah) enough screen time.  We were always shouting out and chanting for more Reaper and Sunny.  I loved that couple to the point of wishing they would date in real life (or at least being happy if they did) and that is saying something because wishing that sort of thing is rather silly.  I at least want a drama starring those two, because seriously good chemistry and interactions.  Of course Gong Yoo was also good, and sexy.  I didn't hate Kim Go Eun's character like I though I would, but I did wish she wasn't a high school student all the time.  That kept me from loving the main couple.  I liked them, but didn't love them, because icky.  So the real worst part of this show was that it was mopey from like episode 1.  There was so much moping.  It got old really fast, but then they would have wonderful bromance scenes, or Secretary Kim (aka Turtle, aka Jo Woo Jin).  Also the dream team- reaper, dokkaebi, and Duk Hwa.  Really most of the relationships were just great.  So it was super watchable and fun, as long as you could make it through all the pretty moping and pretty (and ugly) crying.  Definitely a win for Lee Dong Wook, the depressive diva reaper, and petty childish dokkaebi Gong Yoo.  They really sold the whole show... especially the reaper.

185. Cheese In The Trap 치즈 인 더 트랩 (2016) Korean

Park Hae Jin, Kim Go Eun, Seo Kang Joon, Lee Sung Kyung

Drama Rating: 4/10     Neck Score: A++

Problem #1: I started this show 100% for Park Hae Jin.  Problem #2: The PD is an idiot or something and cut all of Hae Jin Oppa's scenes out.  Problem #3: that gave Freaky Eyes (Seo Kang Joon) too much screen time.  I actually thought he was pretty likable in this show, but why are we wasting so much time on the 2nd male lead?  It makes no sense, the PD must be crazy.  Problem #4: After episode 6 this show stopped making sense and being likable at all.  It was like stuck in a loop of not progressing and being overly dramatic that made me very sad.  I started getting less and less interested in the drama as it went, and every preview made me want to watch the next episode even less.  I finally found the webtoon in English, hoping it would make me like the show again, but it made me hate the show more, because the webtoon actually made sense and was infinitely better than the show.  It made me angry that the show kept getting farther and farther from the webtoon, shafting my leading man and making no sense ever.  So upsetting.  What makes this more upsetting is that the show gripped me in the first episode.  I was already excited for Park Hae Jin, but the show itself was interesting and different, and then it went to the same old lame stuff while also being ridiculous.  I mean, who cuts the male lead out of the show?  That makes no sense.  The character was complex enough without it being further misinterpreted without enough screen time.  The editing also made the once interesting female lead character of Seol into the typical boring, confused, pushover girl for most of the second half too.  She still had good moments, but they were just moments.  Problem #5: that was the most lame-a ending in the history of once good shows.  Well, it was right up there anyway.  Literally this show is Fall In Love With Me bad, only it is worse because it fell from a higher spot.  It definitely had a similar fall for me enough to make me feel FILWM syndrome only this usually did live up to the predicted lameness.  It wasn't quite so bad as FILWM, until the last 2 episodes which were just lame.  So it wasn't as epic, but it was probably just as disappointing because of how much ruined potential there was.  So, I basically forced myself to finish it, only paying attention to the parts with Park Hae Jin, which were way too few and far between.  Sadly, this show had such good potential, as the original material (aka the webtoon and the actors' capabilities) was so good to begin with.  But in the end, it was just disappointing.  Disappointed!