Taxi Driver S1 (2021)

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Drama: Taxi Driver (모범택시)
Network: SBS
Episodes: 16
Release Date: April 9 – May 29, 2021
Runtime: Friday & Saturday 22:00-23:10
Country: South Korea

Plot:
Rainbow Taxi Company is a regular taxi by day, revenge team at night. They take cases of victims and punish the bad guys on their behalf.

Main Cast
Lee Je Hoon – Kim Dogi
Esom – Kang Hanna
Kim Eui Sung – Jang Sung Chul
Pyo Ye Jin – Ahn Go Eun
Jang Hyuk Jin – Choi Kyung Koo
Bae Yoo Ram – Park Jin Eon
Cha Ji Yeon – Baek Sung Mi

Review
Yay i love the Rainbow Taxi Squad!! Their teamwork, their disguises and cases were so cool. Esp love the invincible Kim Dogi.

My favorite cases were the voice phishing with Madame and the high school bully with Choi Hyun Wook and Lee Min Jae. All the other cases were almost connected with the main storyline of the female villain. I also loved and cried at Go Eun’s sister’s story.

Kang Hana could have been smarter and faster when investigating. Most of the time she needed clues from the Rainbow Taxi. Maybe if she worked earlier with them plus the detective team, they could have caught more suspects! And  maybe Minho didn’t have to die. His death was the most shocking part of the drama and I was also crying when I watched Hana cry for him.

Hana just had a debate with Dogi that she doesn’t understand how the victims feel until she experienced it first-hand. And even went to Dogi for help.

The Udata episode and the twins went a bit too long, this could have been done in 14 episodes or less. They even added a last minute twist in the last 2 eps about Kim Dogi’s mom’s real killer.

More than the cases, the story was about justice through the system or justice at the hands of a few people. Sometimes courts take too long and the law doesnt appropriately punish the perpretrators. Who will defend the victim and family? But i also liked what one of the bad guys said to Dogi, why is your revenge justified but mine isnt?

Im ready for season 2!! Hoping for Dogi x Goeun romance please!!

Rating: 8.75/10

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Love to Hate You (2023)

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Drama: Love to Hate You (연애대전)
Network: Netflix
Episodes: 10
Release Date: February 10, 2023
Language: Korean
Country: South Korea

Plot: A top star and a lawyer fake a relationship because of a scandal but ends up falling in love.

Main Cast
Yoo Teo – Nam Kangho
Kim Okvin – Yeo Miran
Kim Ji Hoon – Do Won Jun
Go Won Hee – Shin Na Eun

Review:
Finally, a straight up romcom without murders or fantasy elements!! I wasnt planning on watching this until i saw the preview. Enemies to lovers? Top star and lawyer? Sassy lady vs Cool guy? Count me in!

I love Miran. She’s feisty, assertive and can beat the guys in any game or fights. No wonder Kangho was so impressed at this “unusual” woman. He doesnt get to meet a lot of them in his work. I love the maturity of their relationship even the dates and bed scenes looked more age appropriate and natural. I laughed at the scene where she spoke aegyo to Kangho while on the phone. She was so shocked that she can do aegyo, even the lawyers in the office were grossed out. LOL.

I also like Kangho, he looks cold but is actually playful and romantic when he finally got past his trauma. His bromance with his bestie was so funny and cute. I wouldnt have minded if they ended up together! i mean that scene in the early episodes when they were rehearsing a confession/kiss scene was so hot!

The second leads are cute but I wasnt as charmed by their story like the leads. Most of the time Na Eun was in love with Won Jun because of his looks and kept stopping him because of it (like hello, he wasn’t interested then!). On the other hand, Won Jun prolly fell in love because she understood him or was the only other female he can comfortably talk to.

This drama probably takes a jab at actors and actresses who look like they are friends in public but actually hates their guts in private. And all the insider rumors that go around the industry. Again, fans and netizens should also stop obsessing on their faves and let them live their own lives. Im imagining Lee Seunggi as I watched this show and how awful fans have been to him because of his upcoming wedding.

That super cringy public confession. I’m so glad Miran didn’t accept! The ending although is not bad is also not especially fantastic. But it also feels like it’s more realistic and the two leads stayed true to their characters.

Sometimes the vocalizing background music didnt fit the scene or was too loud.

Rating: 8.5/10

Brain Works (2023)

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Drama: Brain Cooperation (두뇌공조)
Network: KBS2
Episodes: 16
Release Date: January 2 – February 28, 2023
Runtime: Monday & Tuesday 21:50
Language: Korean
Country: South Korea

Plot: A neuroscientist works as a consultant to the Neuroscience Investigation Team to solve crimes.

Main Cast
Cha Tae Hyun – Shin Haru
Jung Yonghwa – Geum Myung Se
Kwak Sun Young – Seul Sojung
Ye Ji Won – Kim Moran
Jeong Dong Hwan – Hwang Dong Woo

Review
Comedy + crime solving is always up my alley. The cases were related to the brain so very interesting esp when Shin Haru describes how the brain normally works and there are little cute characters showing to demonstrate his explanation.

I thought CTH again as a detective? But he was slightly different here than Police U. Here he is still upstanding but more softhearted. His nice guy was a big contrast to YH’s serious Haru. I wished the last episode showed Haru to smile more and join the team dinner and be more friendly, but it would break his character’s psychopathic personality. But at least he was able to make a friend despite his condition.

I also like Captain Seul, esp when she became the wild girl vs her usual timid self. I wish she stayed like that but she went back to her normal self when she recovered. Im not used to CTH having a romantic story but he and Captain was so cute together. Esp when he tried to say her name instead of Captain Seul.

I think the ex wife’s story was necessary. I didnt get why she had to be there other than to serve as a plot point against the love story between Detective Geum and Captain Seul.

The main villain at first i thought was going to be creepy but i was a little underwhelmed by how sinister he was. I just saw him in the last episode as a pathetic old man bored in prison. Haru shouldnt have wasted his time on him. Although his games were interesting enough.

The ending was neatly wrapped with almost everyone getting their happy ever after. But that zombie hunting case would have been fun even for 1 extra episode!!

Rating: 8.5/10

Falling Into Your Smile (2021)

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Drama: Falling Into Your Smile (你微笑时很美)
Country: China
Episodes: 31
Aired: Jun 23, 2021 – Jul 15, 2021
Aired On: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Original Network: LINE TV, Tencent Video, Youku
Duration: 45 min

Plot:
Tong Yao joins the all-male ZDGX OPL team, replacing Ming, and becomes the first female professional esports player. ZDGX team leader, Lu Si Cheng, at first didn’t accept her, but they slowly grow close.

Main Cast:
Xu Kai – Lu Si Cheng
Cheng Xiao – Tong Yao
Zhai Xiao Wen – Jian Yang

Review:
Somehow i always end up watching esports themed drama even though I’m not a fan of esports. But i appreciated the esports players after watching this drama. Didn’t realize they also do a lot of trainings. I just thought they were naturally talented.

I liked getting a peek into the good and bad sides of the industry. I think it’s the same as with showbiz where fans, rumors and fake news can make or break you. Fans dont own the players and we should respect them and their personal lives. You are watching esports because of the sport and the player who is good at the sport. It shouldn’t matter who the person was dating or doing unless it’s something illegal.

I like the ZGDX team and their friendship. Accepting Tong Yao as the only female player in the team. They also fight and argue a lot but they all grow and learn better.

I also liked that they showed the different teams and their sportsmanship with one another. The ending when Tong Yao won the championship and everyone (not just ZDGX) was cheering and praising her skills (even the ex boyfriend who at first was annoying).

I found the romance cute from the first time they met until they got together around ep 21 or 22. One of the cutest confession scene when the kitty came out of Cheng’s jacket, and Tong Yao was so happy she hugged Cheng. (I would have done the same 😁).

I wanted Tong Yao to be more responsive during the kiss scenes. She always looked wide eyed and wasn’t playful like Cheng. So it felt like Cheng liked her more than she did and the kissing didnt look natural. Which was too bad because there were a lot of kissing scenes and Xu Kai was too hot to not kiss!

Unfortunately, I got bored starting ep 23 and was fast forwarding to finish. I didnt like the forced issue with Cheng as the captain.

Rating: 8/10