Adventures in Asia

Do I have time to watch a Korean drama? No. Do I have slightly more time recently than usual? Yes. Was this one worth it? YES. I had a few reservations about “I Am Not a Robot” (2017) at the beginning. First, I wasn’t a fan of the shorter episodes (30 minutes each) and didn’t recognize the channel, and thus thought it might be a cable show – which didn’t seem promising. Second, it was clearly a rich-guy-falls-for-poor-girl story, which is a bland trope in dramaland. However, it was recommended as “cute” by a friend and ranked highly online, so I decided to give it a shot. I quickly discovered that though the episodes are shorter, there are 32 of them, which allows for 16 hours of drama, which is a normal season. Also, the acting was excellent and overall quality of the drama certainly wasn’t lacking. As for the trope, I’ll dive in to that later. The story is something like this… Kim Min Kyu is a wealthy, successful chairman of a financial company with ...

Ah, I haven’t reviewed a Korean drama in ages! It’s good to be back to watching the best genre of TV in the world. I’ve been sick recently, so I’ve had plenty of time to watch, and chose the well-reviewed “Moonlight Drawn by Clouds,” also translated “Love in the Moonlight.” “Moonlight” is a historical drama set in the Joseon era, in which a girl disguised as a man is recruited as a eunuch in the palace, the Crown Prince hopes to teach his little sister’s secret admirer a lesson, and the King is constantly manipulated by the sly nobles of the court. The Prince’s only friend is his cool, butt-kicking bodyguard, though he quickly becomes entangled with his new “eunuch.” The grandson of the most conniving noble family also finds himself attracted to the effeminate eunuch, who only has eyes for the Prince. And behind it all is a foggy back-story of a failed rebellion. This drama aired in 2016 and has eighteen episodes, plus a nineteenth behind-the-scenes-and-highlights episode....

There are a select few Korean TV shows that I consider in my All Time Favorites, those dramas which warmed my soul with realistic romance, pulled at my feels with heart-wrenching sacrifice, kept me from sleep with unpredictable plotlines – those dramas that I feel confident recommending to my non-drama-watching friends, knowing it’s only matter of time before they also become addicted. Among such glorious kdramas, I listed Lee Min Ho’s “ CityHunter ,” the only non-cop-show I’d seen that combined action and romance. But then I watched “Healer,” wrecking my rankings and superseding my beloved “City Hunter” in a flurry of kick-butt action, compelling back story, passionate kisses, and good-guy criminals. I love this drama. Not sure why this image has "skip" on it, but skipping this drama is not something you want to do. “Healer” depicts two worlds. One, the life of a night courier, code name Healer, the best in his field at delivering top secret documents, esc...

Keeping with my music kdrama theme, the next drama I watched was “Shut Up Flower Boy Band” (also translated “Shut Up and Let’s Go”)! Which I went into with really low expectations! I mean, flower boy is in the title… Which is a clear warning that this pretty boy, high school drama might be just as scarring as “Boys Over Flowers” or “ Flower Boy Ramen Shop .” However, I was caught off guard and quickly fell hard for this drama! My feels are still reeling. “Shut Up Flower Boy Band” (SUFBB) follows a gangle of guy friends in a band together, bad boys who regularly get in fights, book illegal gigs, and are constantly on the verge of getting suspended. Difficult families and financial situations make them fiercely loyal to one another. When their jank school closes down, they get transferred to the fancy, rich-kid school, where they don’t fit in and quickly make rivals. A sudden tragedy and then a chance to make it big set them on a new path to stardom, though fame and fortune migh...

After a couple of moody, intense, recently-aired dramas, I decided to watch something funny from a few years ago. Thus, “Protect the Boss”! Has anyone else noticed that 2011 was a ridiculously good year for kdrama?? “City Hunter,” “Dream High,” “Secret Garden” (technically a 2010 drama, but it finished in 2011), “Heartstrings,” “Protect the Boss”… All of the dramas in my top five are from that year (except for “Heirs”). Maybe I should just watch all the dramas from 2011… What was I doing back then, anyway? Oh yeah, college – studying and not enjoying hilarious, heart-warming, Korean TV. Anyway, “Protect the Boss”: Chaebol Cha Ji Heon (I know, another heir) is an OCD slacker who avoids work and can’t keep a secretary. His cousin and rival for the company, Cha Mu Won, hires an unqualified but determined Noh Eun Seol to be Ji Heon’s new assistant. Perfect setup for a love triangle. An ex-girlfriend eventually shows up, and we’ve got an even more comical love...