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K-Drama Couch: “Touch Your Heart” & “Legal High” Leave On A Sweet Note + “Welcome To Waikiki 2” & “The Banker” Begin
We are officially entering into the Spring of 2019 Korean dramas.
Slowly shaping up the new season of 2019 Korean dramas, the current lineup interestingly showcase heavy-themed types of plot. In contrast to the usual romance infused season of Spring dramas, viewers might have to wait for the second wave to bask on staple K-Drama love stories.
Here is the roster of 2019 Korean Dramas currently airing:
MON-TUE
My Lawyer, Mr. Jo 2 (KBS) *Finale
Haechi (SBS)
Item (MBC)
He is Psychometric (tvN)
Welcome to Waikiki 2 *Premiere
WED-THURS
Doctor Prisoner (KBS2TV)
Touch Your Heart (tvN) *Finale
Big Issue (SBS)
The Banker (MBC) *Premiere
Possessed (OCN)
FRI-SAT/SAT ONLY*
The Fiery Priest (SBS)
Legal High (jTBC)
SAT-SUN
Confession (tvN)
Kill It (OCN)
My Healing Love (MBC)
Babel (TV Chosun)
K-Drama Couch Recap: Feb Wk1, Feb Wk2, Feb Wk3, Feb Wk4, Mar Wk1, MarWk2, MarWk3,
Read through the highlights of the dramas you might have missed.
*Covers March 25 – March 31, 2019.
*Note: weekend and daily dramas are not included in Hellokpop’s weekly roundup coverage
*Disclaimer: Some K-Dramas we really do not cover. We choose our K-Drama battles wisely.
Image credit: tvN, JTBC, MBC
Monday/Tuesday
Haechi (SBS)
Carefully planning an attack, villain Prince Mil Poong shook the relationship between Crown Prince Yi Geum and the King. The latter received an appeal letter suggesting the prince to vicariously govern, a request deemed leading to treason, as it reflects Yi Geum’s growing strength of support from the Kingdom.
Dal Moon also pretended shifting camps to Prince Mil Poong’s to obtain information for the prince. Meanwhile, Mun Soo stumbled on a lead about the death of his cherished mentor. Prince Yi Geum was summoned for a special investigation, with the king presiding the questioning. But, Minister Min Jin Heon stepped up to cancel the questioning.
The conspiracies, betrayals, attacks, and counterattacks make up the thrilling surge of historical dramas. As this series is really focusing on Prince Yi Geum’s world, the underdog royal hero appeals to my heart with how he seemed to have everything, yet he still has to continuously prove himself.
How Yi Geum escapes the rift caused by Prince Mil Poong is one that I will look forward to in the next episodes of Haechi.
Item (MBC)
Starting slow, at least viewers are now rewarded with the heroes’ riveting journey to defeat the monstrous villain.
Unaware that Da In has been communicating with Prosecutor Kang from the Dream World limbo, Jo Se Hwang moves to bait Kang Gon to bring the items in their possession. Last week, Se Hwang stumbled on how two items could function as a teleportation medium. This week, Gon discovered another “item” that can amplify another item and also freezes time.
Team Gon devices a way to prevent the train tragedy bound to happen based on Da In’s warning and Gon’s dream. So Young volunteered to be the bait after her father sacrificed himself to go to Dream World limbo to protect Da In. Gon meets with Se Hwang and freezes time to rob Se Hwang of his super strength inducing bracelet. They race time to prevent another tragedy using the amplified bracelet’s power.
Item felt so movie-ish this week. Now that all the secrets are out, the layering of supernatural seasonings will make or break the story to its culmination. Heading to its finale week, when I look back, this is one drama that really tested my patience. But with one hurdle to accomplish in the finale week, I am now appreciating that it has gone to a neat and slow storytelling.
He is Psychometric (tvN)
The drama is slowly uncovering the past of Kang Sung Mo. He may have been a victim of abuse, perhaps by the same man who caused the residential fire. And the events prior to the fire incident thirteen years ago are slowly unveiling the secrets of the past.
The anniversary of the residential fire coincides with Lee An’s birthday and he does not want to remember it. The same day also causes distress to Yoon Jae In and her anxiety attack is more severe. Kang Sung Mo deals with his grief in his own way – burying himself in his work.
Lee An follows a delivery truck that seems to be following his older brother Sung Mo. They figure in a street chase and they end up in a secluded area and the man attacks Lee An. Despite being hurt and bleeding profusely from his stab wound, he still manages to touch the man. He sees that he is indeed following Sung Mo. He tells his brother and he want answers.
Yoon Jae In agrees to be Lee An’s mentor and to help him to further develop his psychometric ability, and he is showing signs of improvement. They found out the identity of the woman in the suitcase and much to their shock, she is Kang Hee Sook, the missing caregiver from the burned down nursing home two years ago. However, the woman has been dead for five years based on the cadaver’s condition.
Lee An finds out that the home care fire “witness” is the person who killed Kang Hee Sook. He also discovers that he was only following orders. Meanwhile, Yoon Jae In’s father hangs himself in prison and learns about it. Her anxiety once again consumes her and struggles to breathe on the sidewalk. Lee An remains by her side.
Welcome to Waikiki 2 (jTBC) *Premiere
Clever humor is something that makes this series appealing to watch. It is easy to nail emotional moments, but comedic highs and its preparations always have to rely on their timing and execution. I am happy to report that the sequel of this well-loved series is keen on keeping its color and vibe intact.
Along with the friendship memories to picture in Welcome To Waikiki 2, we also expect the love lines to brighten up the plot.
Wednesday/Thursday
Doctor Prisoner (KBS2 TV)
Brimming with mind games, viewers would love the convoluted attacks and counterattacks served by the cast of Doctor Prisoner. The numbers are not lying on the thrilling trajectory it has so far thread on.
It is a showdown between Na Yi Je and Seon Min Sik as they bait each other with web of problems to secure power in the Western Seoul Penitentiary. A flashback of Doctor Na’s mother’s death was also presented which could have pushed him on his vengeance drive. The revenge plan involving Lee Jae Hwan, the chaebol son who caused his medical license to be suspended, seems connected to a deep underlying conflict. Answering the connected problems will surely be highlighted by the succeeding episodes.
Polished and driven, Doctor Prisoner is a must-watch weekly drama for those who want plot yarning with depths.
The Banker (MBC) *Premiere
The Banker started off with enough intrigue and drama. It has a unique quality to it that makes the drama interesting. Perhaps it was the series’ immediate relevance to the current economic situation that hooks. Maybe it was the familiar way how those people in the series look at and treat money, or it could be both. Nevertheless, this series opened up to a good start.
The contrast in how people from rural and urban areas view banks, well money really, was shown in great detail. As a manager from the small branch of a farming town, life is simpler. He needs to encourage the residents and introduces to them the banking system. And how they can take advantage of the bank’s many offers.
READ: K-Drama Premiere: “The Banker” Explores The Depraved And Convoluted World Of Banking
Touch Your Heart (tvN) *Finale
It was a happy ending for Jung Rok and Yeon Soo. Overall, Touch Your Heart ended on a satisfying note Not only were Jung Rok and Yeon Soo back together, their trust for each other has become a lot stronger.
Yeo Reum and Se Won are engaged and Lawyers Choi and Dan also decide to end their contract relationship and be together for real. Though Secretary Yang rejected Paralegal Lee’s feelings, they remain as good friends and colleagues.
Yoon Seo’s comeback was successful, and she and Jung Rok got through the month-long separation successfully, albeit with a small hiccup (dating article). It was nice to see Jung Rok bright and happy, though still awkward at times (these two have a long way to go). I have grown fond of the characters and I am going to miss seeing them, especially Lee Dong Wook and Yoo In Na.
READ RECAPS: Premiere, EP03, EP04, EP05, EP06, EP07, EP08, EP09, EP10, EPs11&12, EPs13&14, Finale Review
Big Issue (SBS)
Let’s pretend the fourth week of Big Issue is just a dream – a spin-off of the recent controversial scandal which had popular celebrities condemned by the public. As I don’t want to go through that again, let’s focus on that plot detail about Soo Hyun’s past, which I think may or may not appear again.
If Big Issue will be taking different photos and stories behind it each week, let’s hope for those stories to be at least engaging.
Friday/Saturday
The Fiery Priest (SBS)
Father Hae Il rescues Prosecutor Park from her assassin. He figures out that the Russians were behind the attacks in the hospital and Prosecutor Park. The Priest goes to the Russian club where he gets information that another group was responsible. They hit a bump when the superintendent allows the “transfer” of the attackers. They are told the reason is because of their pending cases in their home country.
Prosecutor Park wants to know who wants her dead and the Chief Prosecutor tells him that it is because she is digging information about the Rising Moon Club. Now that they have a common enemy, she goes to the church to convince Father Hae Il to include her in their group. After deliberating with detectives Seo and Koo, Father Hae Il lets her join the group. She issues a warrant and the four of them go to the club where a brawl takes place.
They continue to wreak havoc as they devise a plan to entrap Hwang Cheol Bum, the superintendent, the chaebol’s son and the Russian Gang. Splitting into teams and with the help of the Violent Crimes Team 1 members, they are able to apprehend and gather the villains in one place. The police superintendent tries to meddle, but as evidence of his involvement in the ongoing malpractices and abuse in power is right in front of him, Father Hae Il proudly says the Police superintendent should also go to jail.
Legal High (jTBC) *Finale
It is a satisfying finale for Tae Rim as he ends his legal career. In the end, Tae Rim gives up his prestigious law firm in the name of justice. Jae In learns that her father is deeply involved with the tax evasion and embezzlement. Thus, he had no choice but to flee the country several years ago. Professor Song took Jae In under her care to ensure that her father cooperates fully and doesn’t turn against them in the end.
Legal High was a fun drama to watch. It was a light legal drama. My only gripe about it was that it’s difficult to follow the cases at times. There were instances when I would have to rewatch the episode because I wasn’t sure how they resolved the case. In that instance, it was seemingly too fast-paced. However, they still managed to have a solid background story on both Tae Rim and Jae In. Although there was no romantic angle between them, the camaraderie and chemistry as co-workers were entertaining enough.
Saturday/Sunday
Kill It
Soo Hyun and Hyun Jin appear to have a background together as children. Hyun Jin reminisces about a childhood friend she calls Number 88 who liked to fold paper planes. Soo Hyun happens to have a cabinet full of paper planes.
Also, Hyun Jin is closer to the truth about Seul Ki being the witness. Seul Ki lies about the scar but Hyun Jin overhears a conversation between Soo Hyun and Seul Ki about removing the scar.
Soo Hyun kills Karimov in a face-off and Hyun Jin starts to suspect that the killer of Kim Jun Goo and Karimov is one same person. Meanwhile, the new prosecutor Yoon Joong Woo seems to be interested in Hyun Jin and keeps asking her out. He eventually lets out that he knows more about her and her father than she thought.
It is also revealed that Pavel killed Seul Ki’s father and grandfather. He was also about to kill Seul Ki when Soo Hyun stopped him and told him he would take care of her instead. That’s why he has been with her ever since looking after her.
I look forward to next week and see if Soo Hyun and Hyun Jin realize that they are each other’s childhood friends. I also want to confirm if Seul Ki is aware of who Soo Hyun is, and how involved is he in her family’s tragic loss. In one scene, she is crying while holding her grandfather’s photo, so it looks like she knows.
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