In-flight Film Time: Intimate Strangers 완벽한 타인 (2018) Korean

Yu Hae Jin, Yum Jung Ah, Cho Jin Woong, Kim Ji Soo, Lee Seo  Jin, Song Ha Yoon, Yoon Kyung Ho

Movie rating: 8/10     Neck score: B

I had been meaning to watch this for a while. Not just because Epik High quoted it's poster for their recent concert series, or because it has Lee Seo Jin, one of my ahjussi loves, but because it has an all around stellar cast, and the premise was super intriguing and it promised to be completely messed up. So when I saw it as an option in my in-flight entertainment, I jumped right in.

It is about a group of best friends for 40 years and their spouses who decide to play a game at a dinner party where they have to reveal their hidden life on their phones. Essentially answering every call on speakerphone and reading every message and notification out loud. Naturally it was going to get messy and tear everyone's lives apart. Not only would cheating and lying be revealed, but true opinions about each other, and their deepest secrets they weren't ready to tell even their best of friends.

322. Devilish Joy 마성의 기쁨 (2018) Korean

Choi Jin Hyuk, Song Ha Yoon, Hoya, Lee Joo Yeon

Drama Rating: 6/10     Neck Score: A+

I was literally in the middle of an episode of this when the horrific tragedy of Drama Fever's demise happened. It wasn't one of the shows that I missed the most, but I definitely wanted to finish it before I stopped caring about the characters for the sad mopey episodes. But sadly, that's what happened. I only had like 6ish episodes left, but even when it became available on Viki, it still took me forever to finish them. I was down to 2.5 episodes when I just forced myself to make it a priority and finish it. So, it was hard to give it an honest rating, really. I feel like a 6 is probably what it deserves, but based on how much I struggled here at the end, my initial reaction would have been a 4. But really, 6 is probably more accurate... right?

I mean, I knew what I was getting into right away. Stories where the heroes get a terminal illness in the first 2 episodes aren't going to end happy. If they do, then they're not going to end realistically. Some times they just Uncontrollably Fond you in the gut and you have to be okay with that sort of ending. This was completely set up for another Uncontrollably Fond. Why did I do it to myself? Same reason. Choi Jin Hyuk is hot and Song Ha Yoon is adorable. Also, Hoya stole the show. He plays the perfect spoiled chaebol puppy. You love him, but he's also an idiot who can't live without his mom's money.

This isn't really a spoiler when most of you aren't interested or have finished this long ago, right? Right...

257. Fight My Way 쌈 마이웨이 (2017) Korean

Park Seo Joon, Kim Ji Won, Ahn Jae Hong, Song Ha Yoon

Drama Rating: 8/10     Neck Score: A

I would have to say that this one probably wins the prize of being consistently good and the best ending out of our four dramas we watched together.  It never got too bad, and the ending was really cute.  I was probably the most satisfied with this one's resolution.  It also had a good ending that didn't involve stereotypes such as weddings, etc.  It also had a lot of shirtless Park Seo Joon, so bonus points.

The part I loved the best about this one was the characters.  They were just the best.  I loved seeing them grow as they figured out what they wanted in life, both in their careers and romantically.  We started off with expectations, and we were met with some surprises, which was nice.  It was funny, and hard, and relateable, all the things.  There were some characters that we liked more than others.  Joo Man just needed to be punched in the face a lot sooner than he was.  Baked Potato (Seol Hee) was just the cutest, but I loved her when she put her foot down the best.  Ae Ra and Dong Man were probably one of my favorite OTPs of all time.  Like seriously, they were the best.  I especially just loved Ae Ra so much!  But Coach-nim was obviously my favorite character.  (I LOVE Kim Sung Oh!)  But that ex-girlfriend bitca could have just not existed.  I was over her before she first came on the scene.  However my hatred of her probably made the scene where she lost that much better, but I didn't like how she had to help fix things in the end.  Probably the worst part of the ending, in my opinion.  She just was the worst.

I loved that it was fairly equally about the four friends, and that it wasn't just about relationship problems, but about life problems.  No one was completely right and no one completely wrong.  It was messy and had to be worked out.  Overall it was funny and cute and a bit motivating too.  Plus, Kim Sung Oh in a tanktop, serving soondae.  Um, yes!

130. Sweden Laundry 스웨덴 세탁소 (2014) Korean

Song Ha Yoon, Changjo, Kim Ian

Drama Rating: 6/10     Neck Score: B

This was a cute, fluffy little drama that was pretty enjoyable to watch.  It's completely family centered, as it is about this middle child trying to help her family and help people.  It's super cheesy because she is given the ability to read people's problems when she touches their laundry.  However, if you want something cute and lighthearted, it's good for that, even if the family drama went a bit cray cray with birth secret type crap and the love plots never really amounting to much.  At least not all of them.  Whatever.  I still liked it ok.  Cheesy, cute, funny, fluffy etc.

121. Phantom 유령 (2012) Korean

So Ji Sub, Lee Yeon Hee, Uhm Ki Joon, Kwak Do Won, Song Ha Yoon, Choi Daniel

Drama Rating: 8/10     Neck Score: A

Blow my mind, why don't you!  Amazing!  I usually predict everything before  it happens, but not so much in this one.  Especially in the first few episodes.  Tricked us.  Then they kept trying to trick us, but we did figure things out a bit better once we got more familiar with the style.  It's more like an American cop show than a Korean drama.  The style of tropes that is, although it's still very Korean.  Also, there are just so many awesome people cast in it.  I started it for So Ji Sub, Choi Daniel, and Uhm Ki Joon (aka Grumpy Cat) but I ended up just loving Kwak Do Won (who I hated in Good Doctor).  Man that dude is a good actor.  Crazy Cow was my favorite character, and I thought I was going to hate him.  That just shows you how much the first two episodes tricked me.  Also this has about as much romance as 3 Days, in the fact that it really doesn't have much of a romance, at least not the one that you are going to expect.  It just keeps wishy washing around with the main romance, but that is not even a problem.  I would give it a higher rating, but there were a few holes in the plot, even though it was pretty much awesomely written, and there was some frustration (especially with a few of the tiny plot arcs that were suddenly too predictable), but really, I just loved this show.  Except I am now really paranoid about cyber security, which I was already super big into.