416. Piece of Your Mind 반의 반 (2020) Korean

Jung Hae In, Chae Soo Bin, Lee Ha Na, Kim Sung Kyu, Park Joo Hyun

Drama Rating: 7/10     Neck Score: A+

When I started this, it was perfect for the mood I was in. I didn't know it, but melancholy sweet was the perfect mood for me. Unfortunately, it is just the general mood of all dramas currently, so I also think I'm done with it now, but I did like this drama. The breakdown of how I came to this rating is: 10/10 for the main couple's romance, 8/10 for general writing, but probably 4 or 5/10 for basic plot. I loved that it was a healing story about love, loss, and self-worth, but the dramatic causes of these people needing to be healed was quite frankly, to me, the worst. Yeah, people dying in such random and weird ways wasn't doing it for me right now. It was both too realistic and not? I don't know. Also, you have to suspend a lot of disbelief with the whole conversation AI. I can accept that the AI will develop the personality of the person, but I don't think there is anyway that it would then have all their memories or reasoning. Nope. That was too much for me. However, despite all that, and the fact that the drama was cut short and had to be rushed, it was still a cute, healing, melancholy sort of feel good drama.

New Neck Crush: King of High School (2014)

You probably know how much I love Seo In Guk, from my reviews on Love Rain, Answer Me 1997, and Master's Sun, but his new drama King of High School proves that he is just getting better with age... which is funny to say since he is still playing a high school student, which he still pulls off, but boy is he getting hotter.


You know who else is getting hotter?  Lee Soo Hyuk.

Man.  Rawr.

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!

105. High School King of Savvy 고교처세왕 (2014) Korean

Seo In Guk,  Lee Ha Na, Lee Soo Hyuk, Lee Yul Eum

Drama Rating: 5/10     Neck Score: A++

What... the... heck... I don't think this show actually had a plot.  It was just a situation.  No wonder it was super hard for me to get into it.  I designated it my "work out" show because there was no motivation to watch it, because nothing actually happened.  It was just funny and cute with no real action.  Just a situation.  A high school kid has to pretend to be his older brother and work as a director for this big company.  It pretended to have a plot for like two episodes... episodes 14 and 15 to be exact, but then it was resolved so quickly so there was no point really.  Then after that it got extremely boring... and completely ridiculous.  Seriously ridiculous.  The last episode was outright stupid.  Whatever.  I think the only thing that made this show work at all was the actors.  Seo In Guk can pull off everything from the high schooler to his cool older brother.  I loved the two high schooler best friends and the little sister.  Loved, loved, loved the grandpa.  Also, as I said in an post earlier, Lee Soo Hyuk is super super hot.  That man... that part when he was crying in the rain and his hair was all wet.  Actually his character had the most plot out of all of them.  He had a situation and drove the action along when anything ever happened.  Also he and Seo In Guk had a fun bromance.  Lee Ha Na was amazing at being so naturally awkward.  Props to her.  I have a hard time not believing that that's the way she is in real life.  It was very outlandish and not typical, and that is something on the positive side.  It was constantly funny and cute, but lacked the driving force that an actual plot would give you.  It didn't need to be that long and it needed to have more action, although it was plenty funny.  At least the characters were all lovable, and the cameos were great.  Loved it and hated it at the same time, but mostly just because it was long, draggy, and ridiculous.  The last episode just kept going, and going, and going...