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K-Drama
K-Drama Couch: “My Strange Hero” Impresses On Premiere, “Feel Good To Die” & “Priest” Suffer Major Character Losses
Things are getting more interesting, exciting and complicated for all the 2019 korean dramas currently airing and the ones that premiered last week as 2018 is coming to a close.
This week, Yoo Seung Ho’s drama My Strange Hero made its highly-anticipated premiere.
The Last Empress, Sky Castle, Encounter, Memories of the Alhambra and Less Than Evil continue with stable well-received following in week 2 of December.
Read our quick roundup of the things that happened in K-Dramaland from December 10 to 16.
Read: Weekly K-Drama Round Up: Dec 2 – Dec 9
MY STRANGE HERO (MON/TUE/SBS)
I was so excited about the premiere of My Strange Hero, and it did not disappoint at all. Yoo Seung Ho as the hero out for revenge is something truly worth watching. He acts really well, be it a heart-wrenching drama or a light romantic comedy. It seems that his new drama will be a mixture of both and serves as an opportunity for him to flex his acting chops.
Fans can watch it on KPLUS.
READ: My Strange Hero Premiere Recap
Currently Airing Dramas
JUST DANCE (MON-TUE/KBS)
Dance sports girls are in a full swing on finding their dreams and discovering themselves through dancing. I find this quick drama special a breather, and it’s easy to relate to the angst and fears of the lead characters. Jang Dong Yoon’s portrayal will open new windows for him in the coming year that I can bet. It is hard not to enjoy the youthful romance shared by the main love couple.
TALE OF FAIRY (MON-TUE/TVN)
We don’t know how much more circling Tale of Fairy would do. Geum dreams of his past life as Fairy Seon’s woodcutter husband. Then, fragments of Professor Jung’s sad reincarnation life showed same despondent likeness to how he was treated when he was young owing to his mother being a nun. We have already spent six weeks of finding Fairy Seon’s husband so she can get the winged dress.
I just want to know the full picture of this drama to be honest. I am not that hopeful that the weak building of its narrative can still be salvaged.
CLEAN WITH PASSION FOR NOW (MON-TUE/JTBC)
Clean With Passion For Now is turning out to be Yoon Gyun Sang’s shining moment. His comedic timing is impeccable and his facial expressions are hilarious.
In this week’s installment, we’ve had quite a few revelations for Choi Rim’s piece of the puzzle. It turns out he’s the psychiatrist Sun Gyeol has been consulting with over the phone. Initially he’s given the impression that he was a lazy pervert who lived above Oh Sol’s family, but he’s actually a highly capable psychiatrist. Aside from that, he has known Oh Sol for quite a long time already.
When Oh Sol visits her mom in the crematorium, she finds the same yogurt that has been mysteriously appearing there for years. Unknown to her yet, it’s actually Choi Rim who has been leaving it there for her. On top of that, he already met Oh Sol years ago when he was one of the construction workers who demolished their neighborhood.
Sun Gyeol’s sudden admission of liking Oh Sol is unexpected but it totally seems to be something he would do. Oh Sol visits him to bring him beef bone broth and his sudden outburst of love catches her off guard.
I’m happy to see that this drama has been moving along nicely and is finally picking up steam. The leads have been charming their way into my heart, Yoon Gyun Sang most especially has impressed me with his over the top, sometimes exaggerated acting that totally works in bringing in the laughs. That being said, I can’t wait for next week’s development.
FEEL GOOD TO DIE (WED-THUR/KBS)
Week six of Feel Good To Die takes on a more serious tone as the conflicts start to manifest. MW Chicken is having an internal power struggle because of President Kang’s grudge against his father. He calls for a board meeting to depose the Chairman. He exposes a long-hidden secret regarding Joon Ho’s father (the Chairman’s eldest son) being alive and this affectsthe Chairman’s health. Kang Joon Ho promises his grandfather he will take care of the company. Completely fooled, President Kang signs a document that is used against him which results for his dismissal.
Baek Jin Sang is also confronted by a past misdeed that brings back painful and hateful memories. He finds out that a former member of his team is currently in the hospital and he might be responsible for it. He wants to apologize and the father (the security guard who tries to harm him and the one sending him those hate messages) agrees to meet him. Without knowing the true intention of the father, Baek Jin Sang goes to the rooftop and is surprised to see the man. He is then asked to stand on the ledge and jump if he is sincere and wants forgiveness. As they struggle, Lee Roo Da arrives and talks some sense into the older man. However, the police approach and in desperation, he attacks Jin Sang once again.
Lee Roo Da gets in the middle of their struggle, and in doing so, she is the one who falls from the rooftop. At the hospital, the doctors tell Jin Sang that it is (spoiler alert) too late. Baek Jin Sang is seen crying his eyes out after hearing what the doctors have to say.
CHILDREN OF NOBODY (WED-THUR/MBC)
Cha Woo Kyung has some suppressed memories from childhood and it might involve abuse. She is now on a quest to uncover the truth and starts contacting people from her past.
Meanwhile, Detective Ji Heon investigates Red Cry, a code name for a person they suspect who he murders abusive parents. As they talk to people, they discover that Cha Woo Kyung has been in contact and acquainted with these people.
Ji Heon refuses to believe that she could murder people, but circumstantial evidences points to her somehow. Cha Woo Kyung also denied being Red Cry. She sends a message asking if Red Cry knows her and she gets a chilling confirmation reply. She points out to Ji Heon that Red Cry seems to know and see what is on her mind as she recalls thinking malicious and bad thoughts about the murdered victims.
ENCOUNTER (WED-THUR/TVN)
Jin Wook and Soo Hyun labeled a new stage of romantic relationship. Of course I am a willing supporter of these love birds.
Park Bo Gum’s portrayal in Encounter is set to become one of those K-Drama poster boyfriends that all women would ever dream of having. Delighting us with all those “interesting places” he knows about is something I look forward to each week.
In K-Dramas, we usually get the heart-flutters through the female lead’s perspective. But in Encounter, just like that necktie scene when Jin Hyuk hits the jackpot of getting physically close to Soo Hyun with the latter telling him not to smile was simply cute and refreshing. On that note, I am enjoying the refreshing blend of this rich-girl-poor-boy romantic story.
The last empress Wed/Thurs/SBS
Sometimes I feel like The Last Empress uses its fast-paced storytelling to cushion the shallow power struggle conflict, the series has been circling on.
This week, Sunny faces the harsh reality of everything about her being an empress is but a lie. She finally learned about the emperor and Yu Ra’s relationship. Moreover, the people intent to hold the empire’s reign is growing in numbers that it begins to overwhelm.
Amidst all these events, Nam Shik/Woo Bin shifts allegiance to where he will get greater favor. Now that Sunny has no one to help fend for herself, will he be there to help her as pile of problems kept being thrown at her?
GOD’S QUIZ REBOOT (WED/THUR/OCN)
Initially, I was hesitant to start God’s Quiz Reboot because I haven’t seen the first four installments. Although that can be a slight disadvantage on my part, it hasn’t prevented me from enjoying my weekly dose of the highly talented medical team of Dr. Han.
I’m enjoying the camaraderie among the medical practitioners, and as I’ve mentioned before, the cases that they come across are all unique and socially relevant. Aside from the cases, tension has been also building up between the CODAS team and the medical practitioners as it’s slowly being revealed that something in their past has come back for them.
Kim Jae Won is also stellar as the good boy who has gone bad. It seems that he’s killing people off for revenge. This week we got a hint of why he’s doing it, and as he also zeroes in on the CODAS team and Dr Han, I can’t wait to see what he has planned next.
LOVE ALERT (WED-THUR/MBN)
Nearing the home stretch, the drama is no longer holding back as reconciliations, amendments and realizations happen within the episodes this week. Yoo Jung and Woo Hyun finally put an end to the distance between them as both realize that it is much better to go through hardships together, rather than apart. After being stabbed and hospitalized, Jae Kyung also has an epiphany. She is now letting Yoo Jung date Woo Hyun and advises her to do things that make her happy.
Meanwhile, Yoo Jung finds out how Woo Hyun knew her father and makes up with him. Woo Hyun’s brother admits that he caused the fire but has no intention of killing or hurting Woo Hyun. He says that he hates their situation and their father, not Woo Hyun for he really likes him as a brother. The Madam Director also realizes that to secure Se Hyun’s place in the family, she needs to acknowledge and accepts Woo Hyun. She asks forgiveness from Woo Hyun’s mother and promises not to treat them badly any longer.
Kang Hye Joo recruits Yoo Jung’s ex-boyfriend Jae Min in another attempt to hurt her and destroys her image. However, Yoo Jung’s act of kindness and professionalism foils her evil scheme. It seems that things are starting to crumble for the haughty Kanghan Group daughter.
I wonder what happens in the finale week as Woo Hyun finds out about his father being sick. I am curious as well regarding Kang Hye Joo’s fate. A happy ending is already guaranteed for the couple, and it is going to be a nice conclusion to this tangled yet simply sweet drama.
SKY CASTLE (FRI-SAT)/JTBC)
The truth about what made Young Jae’s family fall has been revealed. Even when Dr. Kang confronts his wife Seo Jin on letting their daughter be coached by Kim Yoo Jung, she remains firm with her decision.
Preparing for the school president election, Ye Seo needs a running mate and tries to get Woo Joo to be her partner, but the latter wants to team up with Hye Na. Soo Im starts writing about the alarming situation of the high society education she has been witnessing.
Halfway through the series, I’m completely drawn to the tangled lives of Sky Castle families. The surge in the ratings is understandable given its neat storytelling. The birth secret that was just dropped would add more thrilling complications for Seo Jin’s family. Balanced mix of the youth and veteran actors makes this series feel like a thriller compel to watch.
A PROMISE TO THE GODS (SAT/MBC)
I love this drama! It keeps getting better each week and I just can’t wait for the next episodes. A lot of truth bombs have been dropped and viewers learned what really transpired in the past.
The brothers hit it off the moment they met. Meanwhile, Na Kyung’s insecurity has been fueled by her jealousy and she can’t seem to think straight. She and Jae Wook have another argument because of Ji Young. She pleads with Ji Young to stay away from her family and reiterates Joon Seo is her son, not Ji Young’s.
Min Ho and Jae Wook also have a talk about Hyeon Woo. Min Ho asks Jae Wook to delay telling Hyeon Woo the truth until he is a little bit older. He says he will not prevent Hyeon Woo from seeking his biological father when the time comes, but until then he is his son. Jae Wook agrees and verifies if Hyeon Woo is once again sick. Min Ho assures him that the result of his last medical exam is all good and normal.
The question on what made Jae Wook marry Na Kyung has been answered. It turns out Na Kyung framed Ji Young’s mother. She has had her incarcerated by implying she miscarried because of her assault. Jae Wook compromised with his father by accepting a position in their company in exchange for his former mother-in-law’s freedom. When Ji Young discovers this, she apologizes to Jae Wook for the harsh words she said. Both get on their car and drive away, presumably to meet in person. I wonder what will happen next. I hope Hyeon Woo is not having a relapse (but all signs are pointing to it) because the boy has been through enough (and so are his parents).
Next week’s preview shows that Jae Wook’s father is about to meet his grandson and Hyeon Woo asks Jae Wook if he is his biological father.
MEMORIES OF THE ALHAMBRA (SAT-SUN/TVN)
For now, we have to park the mystery of how Hyung Seok’s defeat in the AR game transcended to his death in real life. Aside from that, I refuse to believe in the implied status of Se Joo’s character.
Like Jin Woo, Memories of the Alhambra also exhausted me with Hyung Seok’s incessant chase. So I’m glad they know the point when to stop because a week of mini cardiac arrests will really make me seek and kidnap Chanyeol even if he is promoting the comeback with EXO right now, just so to fix the unexplained lapse of the game he created. *grin
Fans can watch it on Netflix.
Memories of the Alhambra Recaps: Ep 5 & Ep 6
PRIEST (SAT-SUN/OCN)
It is a week of mourning and painful losses as Detective Koo grieves over the demise of his partner. He has to tell the Internal affairs officer that Detective Kyung Ran committed suicide in order to protect 634 Regia. He begs Father Moon to tell the police that Nurse Jae Moon killed her. However, the priest refuses because he can’t testify without exposing the group. This angers the detective and makes him decide to leave the group. Vulnerable and anguished, Detective Koo becomes an easy prey for the evil being.
Spoiler alert – a major character has died in the latest episode of the Priest. I still can’t believe it but, it happened. Also, the background story of the evil entity has been revealed as well. The latest episodes shed some light on Father Oh Soo Min and Doctor Ham Eun Ho’s connection. Furthermore, the drama introduced a new character half-way through its run and I am curious to know what role she would play and how influential she could be in the lives of Oh Soo Min and Ham Eun Ho.
