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Month: November 2020
Lie After Lie (2020)
Profile
Drama: Lies of Lies (거짓말의 거짓말)
Network: Channel A
Episodes: 16
Release Date: September 4 – October 24, 2020
Runtime: Friday & Saturday 22:50
Plot
A woman is falsely accused of murdering her husband and was sent to prison. She had no choice but to give up her child to her mother in law. After she was released from prison, she went to her mother in law to take back her child when she discovered that her mother in law gave away her child. She will stop at nothing to find her child and take revenge on her mother in law.
Main Cast
Lee Yuri – Ji Eun Soo
Yeon Jeong Hoon – Kang Ji Min
Lee Il Hwa – Kim Ho Ran
Lim Ju Eun – Eun Se Mi
Kwon Hwa Woon – Kim Yeon Joon
Review:
One of the best Kdramas in 2020! Not surprised it broke Channel A’s rating records and managed to compete against the local channels. Non-stop thrills from the first episode all the way to the end. The story was addicting, the twists were shocking and the family scenes were both heartbreaking and beautiful.
There were so many memorable characters too. I loved Ji Min so much!! He is handsome, good father, a little bit corny when it comes to romance but so endearing. He protected both Woojoo and Eunsu and did not stop until he exposed Chairman Kim for the evil person that she was! Eunsu was so lucky to have found someone willing like Ji Min. Chairman Kim is the worst evil mom in law I’ve seen this year! But that had a twist and it also explained her actions and behavior. I still dont have any sympathy for her though. I loved Woo Joo – she reminds me so much of a younger Kim Yoo Jung!
There were no filler episodes, every scene was jampacked with details and information. The soundtrack was on point. I thought that classical music BGM from AWOTM was scary but every time I hear that violin sounds in this drama, I just know something bad will happen to Eunsu 🤣
The weakest link is Semi. She was annoying for the most part of the show, doing nothing but put her anger and blame on Eunsu without taking a look at herself and reflecting on her mistakes.
Lessons learned – hell hath no fury like a “mother” scorned 😁 The lengths parents go to to protect their family. And even at your darkest point, you can get up and move forward, and find someone who will accept and love you as you are 🥰
“The fact that I was by your side and by Woo Joo’s side feels like a miracle in itself to me.”
“The light is so small but it’s bright. Even if the light goes off, this moment will remain in your memory forever. It will stay in your heart all the time. I will engrave you whom i’ve never forgotten even to the last line of my life.”
For most episodes reviews, please check out my IG: http://www.instagram.com/kdramadreaming or search for the hashtag #kddlies.
Rating: 9.5/10
Alice (2020)
Profile:
Drama: Alice (앨리스)
Network: SBS
Episodes: 16
Release Date: August 28 – October 24, 2020
Runtime: Friday & Saturday 22:00-23:10
Plot
Park Sun Young is a time traveller from 2050 who decided to stay in the past to give birth to her child. Years later, she was mysteriously killed and the child (Jin Gyeom) eventually grew up to be a cop. Fast forward to 2020, Jin Gyeom continues to search for clues on the night of his mother’s murder and meets a professor who looks just like his mom. Together, they try to solve his mother’s murder and fight against the time travellers who wants to stop them.
Main Cast
Kim Hee Sun – Park Sun Young / Yoon Tae Yi
Joo Won – Jin Gyeom
Kwak Si Yang – Min Hyuk
Review:
Warning: The last 30 minutes ruined the entire show for me 😭
The first half was so interesting and intriguing. I loved the twists at every last scene. But story got so confusing esp episode 14 that i had to stop watching coz it was a big WTH just happened? The final reveal of who the Teacher was unexpected and i loved the main conflict of killing the son or the mother. It’s like chicken and egg dilemma. Wished they explored this earlier rather than giving out all the information in the last 2 episodes! I dont know if Park Sun Young is selfish or selfless. I really liked her more than Yoon Tae Yi who is supposed to be a professor but doesn’t have a lot of common sense.
The time travel rules kept changing to suit the story when it didn’t make sense. I already gave the show a pass on a lot of things. My main issue here is that the show keeps insisting that the people in each dimension may be the same but are different. How can that be when it’s just the say person, you just went back in time to your own self? So whatever you do while you time travel should affect yourself. Plus, what’s the point to going back to time travel if the person is not really you? I think they were pushing this theory to justify that Jin Gyeom fell in love with Profession Tae Yi who is not his mom because she’s from a different dimension. I mean, c’mon! Tae Yi and Sun Young are the same person and have the same DNA!
The unnecessary romantic vibes between Jin Gyeom and Taeyi grossed me out for most part of the show but i kept on watching hoping there is a valid resolution to this. And up until episode 14 i thought the show finally put a stop at it. Had i known this was where the show was really going i would have stopped watching earlier on. Too bad because I really liked the interaction between Tae Yi and Jin Gyeom when they are being non-romantic.
Further to the stupid theory, in the latter episodes, Jin Gyeom and Tae Yi met their own selves and when they went back to 2020, suddenly the memories from their different dimensions are merging and now they’re saying they are actually the same person! LOL! Really couldn’t handle that weird logic.
Probably the main highlight and only reason I continued to watch the drama is because of Minhyuk 🥰🥰🥰 He shined in every scene. I was already expecting that he will make this “big” sacrifice to show Jin Gyeom that he could have been a good father to him had he known. I think his character’s story could have been meatier. Can i propose a prequel of Minhyuk’s and Sun Young’s love story? Or maybe create another dimension where they survived and lived happily ever after? (Without Jin Gyeom haha)
Overall, I would have given this an 8 despite the flaws but the ending made zero sense. Spoiler: if all time travellers reset then why is Jin Gyeom alive and why Jin Gyeom and Tae Yi were able to retain their memories?
Please check out my instagram (www.instagram.com/kdramadreaming) for more episodes thoughts on Alice. You can use hashtag #kddalice for faster search.
Rating: 7.5/10
Record of Youth (2020)
Profile:
Drama: Record of Youth (청춘기록)
Network: tvN
Episodes: 16
Release Date: September 7 – October 27, 2020
Runtime: Monday & Tuesday 21:00
Plot
The story of men and women in their late 20s, and their struggle to find a balance between their dreams, relationships, family, friendship and career.
Main Cast
Park Bo Gum – Sa Hye Jun
Park So Dam – An Jeong Ha
Byun Woo Seok – Won Hae Hyo
Kwon Soo Hyun – Kim Jin Woo
Review:
I was really looking forward to this drama because this is Park Bo Gum’s final drama before he heads to the military. The premiere lived up to its expectations and I loved the first couple of episodes. The scenes were riveting and heartbreaking and you really just want Hye Jun to succeed. I really loved Park Bo Gum in this show. Extra special because it is almost like him and not Sa Hye jun reminiscing about his 20s and saying goodbye to all the fans.
The theory is all about money. The emotional stability I inherited from my parents. Honesty and sincerity. It completely overlooks such values as well as my motivation for success, which I cultivated while watching my parents struggle.
From the title and from the narration, I already felt like they were talking about the past and the romance was always about making good memories so I already braced myself that they were going to break up. I also expected the time jump. I honestly think they are better off as friends. There was something off about their relationship. It was too fast and surreal. And i felt that Hye Jun loved Jungha more. But it’s not bad, I think it was a prefect way to sum up their 20s.
Fangiring over you was therapeutic. I believe fans and stars shouldn’t have real-life relationships. On top of that, we forged a new friendship out of all relationships. I will stop fangirling over you! I won’t do it. – An Jeong Ha
Gosh, I just lost a fan when I dont have a lot of being with. – Sa Hye Jun
The romance fell flat in the middle. Most of the time it felt like Jungha was never 100% in the relationship. She distanced herself as soon as Hye Jun became successful. Most of the time i didn’t really get her issue. Actually, her character didnt get a lot of screentime and there wasn’t growth as a person. I know it must be difficult to be the girlfriend of an idol and be subjected to a lot of hate comments, maybe she just wasn’t ready for the relationship like she thought she was. Maybe she needed to be successful and be validated before she can be happy with someone else.
I really loved all the scenes with Hyejun’s family. Esp loved how much Gyeong Jun, Grandpa and Yeong Nam matured by the end of the drama. And how they grew closer as a family. It did took a long time for me to warm up to Hye Jun’s drama. He was just so vicious and typical Asian father. I could understand him though. He just wants his son to succeed and be tough. But it couldn’t hurt if he just showed it a little more without having to hurt Hye Jun repeatedly.
Who will believe in our children if we don’t believe in them? Look outside. There is a long line of people waiting to criticize them. – Hye Jun’s mom
Why is it only a man’s job to provide for his family? Are you saying that you provide for me? I work for a living too. Have you lived your life doing what pleases you? No one can live by only doing what they want. – Hye Jun’s mother
You should be the one encouraging him, not the other way around. – Hye Jun’s grandpa
You as my dad, have never encouraged me once. You’ve never supported the things I do. None of it matters unless the support is visible! – Sa Hye Jun
It was only to guide you down the right path. Am I a joke to you now that you’re a hotshot? – Yeong Nam
I super loved Minjae! I was hoping we see her get more clients after 2 years and be more successful but it seems like she only had Hye Jun as a client. haha. Realistically speaking, i think Minjae will not survive the cutthroat showbiz life. She is too soft and not too competent. I feel like Hye Jun wouldn’t have to endure such rumors and scandals had she been better at her job. But I do note that it’s Hye Jun who is calling all the shots and as the artist, he gets to be the one to tell Minjae what to do.
One of the things I really loved the start were the friendship of the 3 guys. They used to hang out every time near the playground. Felt sad that their scenes together, dwindled in the middle and we barely saw them together. I guess that’s also realistic. There are times we don’t get to speak or hand out with our old buddies like we used to because we become busy with our lives. And with the tension between Hae Hyo and Hye Jun, it was bound to happen. At least in the last two episodes they were back to almost normal and are close again.
Why does everyone compare me with Hye Jun? – Hae Hyo
That’s nothing new. – Jin Woo
Really? But it didn’t bother me back then. Why does it annoy me so much now? – Hae Hyo
Because you were ahead of him then and it’s the other way around now. – Jin Woo
Was he also bothered by how people compared him with me? – Hae Hyo
No, he didn’t have the time because he was busy making ends meet. – Jin Woo
One of the center themes of this drama is the parent-child relationship. I appreciated the ways the drama tried to portray different relationships between parents and children. Hye Jun’s father is the type that doesn’t communicate their emotions well and is tough on the children while the mother is the nice and supportive one, though she is also passive. On the extreme side, Hae Hyo’s mom is the “helicopter” parent while his dad is the largely not very hands on but expects the best. Jeong ha’s dad was the loser who ended up becoming richer while her mom was the clingy and selfish parent. We saw how each parenting style affected the outlook and personalities of their children. In the end, parents just wants the best for their children. I realized it is crucial for parents to understand their children and find that balance where you can support them but also “parent” them. On the other hand, children should learn to appreciate their parents more and not take them for granted. They are older, not necessarily wiser, but they can give good advice based on their experience. It is still up to us to make the final decisions.
I want you to be more aggressive. Maybe it’s because we’re well off. You have no backbone. Doesn’t seeing Hye Jun make you want to work harder? It looks like he’s on the rise. – Hae Hyo’s mother
What about me? Am i going downhill? – Hae Hyo
No, you’re stagnant. Your graph is drawing a straight line. – Hae Hyo’s mom
The show really started strong. I loved everyone and all the possible storylines, but after Hye Jun hit big time, the story slowly went downhill. Just like how Hye Jun’s life became complicated, the writing also got confused. We were seeing less Hae Hyo and more useless scenes with his mom and the slimy agent, long scenes of the mothers trying to one up each other. I ended up fast forwarding some of the scenes because I wasn’t interested in them. The story focused so much on Charlie Jung (poor guy) and the endless scandals that are false. I hated Suman and Taesu, they never paid for their misdeeds and are still working in the industry without being exposed for being terrible people. I guess that’s how scary media can be and how they can ruin a person’s life.
This is my room. I wanted my own room for years, and I finally have it. I needed a room where I can cry alone. Because in this room, I can cry all I want without being interrupted. – Sa Hye Jun
Are you happy right now? You have everything you wanted. – An Jeong Ha
Hae Hyo was supposed to be the second lead but he didn’t really get a lot of story lines other than always having to look broody and sad that his mother was doing everything on the background. i thought it was so naive of him to think that everything was because of his own efforts. I felt like as someone with that kind of advantage, he should have appreciated it more and worked harder to prove that he is more than his money. And i didn’t like how he almost (but thank god he didn’t) tried to steal Jungha away from Hye Jun. I mean for most part of the show, they were trying to hint that he will do it, but then took a 360 and he never confessed and he was really trying to be a friend to Jungha. C’mon i thought it was “bros before hoes” (sorry for the expression). And i wish the show explored and showed more the rivalry between the two guys and not just tell us it is happening.
Took me some time to think of my final rating because I really loved the first few episodes. But after writing down all the likes and dislikes, I think it’s not as good as i thought it was.
Life is like a race. You never know who’s going to win until it’s over. – Hye Jun’s mom
You and I shine in our own way. – Sa Hye Jun
Rating: 7.5/10
KDrama Dreaming 
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