Title: Pandora: Beneath the Paradise
Director: Choi Younghoon
Screenwriter: Hyun Jimin
Number of episodes: 16 episodes
Cast: Lee Jiah, Lee Sangyoon, Jang Heejing, Park Kiwoong, Bong Taekyu, Han Sooyeon

In order to protect her beloved family, Hong Tae Ra must become the First Lady of Korea. Hong Tae Ra has a perfect life with her beloved husband Pyo Jae Hyun and their lovely daughter, except for one thing. Hong Tae Ra has no recollection of her past. One day, she regains her memory and faces her harrowing past. Her perfect life is now broken and she finds herself in an uncontrollable situation. Hong Tae Ra struggles to take revenge on those responsible for her past. Pyo Jae Hyun is married to Hong Tae Ra. He is an extremely smart developer, who developed new technology in the neural smart patch field. He runs his company with gentle leadership skills and a sensible personality. He is admired by those around him. People in the political world begin to talk about him as the next presidential candidate.

***

So, it's been a while for me to watch an ongoing series. One day, I stumbled into Pandora: Beneath the Paradise. After Crash Course Scandal, I saw that Pandora would fill the time slot. Therefore, I decided to watch it as an ongoing series. I remember how enjoyable to watch Business Proposal in that way. I think it will be not that pressuring when I watch it as an ongoing series. 

The Story

Hong Taera (Lee Jiah) is living a happy life. She got a very perfect husband, Pyo Jaehyun (Lee Sangyoon) who supports her all the time, and a beautiful daughter who she love. Then, she also has a kind big sister, Hong Yura (Han Sooyen) who always helps her.

Sadly, her perfect life has shattered when she started regaining her lost memory. In some of the fragments, Taera remembers her past life as No. 50, a hired assassin that has been trained at Hanwol Mental Hospital. As No 5, Taera is a well-known and skilled killer. She is the best of the best in Hanwol at that time. 

After that, more memories start pouring in when some accidents happen to Taera. When finally she regain all of her memories, she realized that she was entangled with the late President Ko's murder. Yes, President Ko is the father of Taera's close friend Ko Haesoo (Jang Heejin). This fact of course terrified Taera the most. How could she explain everything to Haesoo? 

The Opinion

To be honest, this revenge tragedy drama is full of plot twists. From the very start, there are so many unexpected things that happened. Starting from Taera's fake identity, Jaehyun's plan to become the South Korean president, the entangled fate between Jaehyun, Taera, and also Kumjo Group, Kyojin's accident that lead up to Hatch's smart patch research, and others.

Well, from the beginning, I know that Jaheyun is really sus. I think I have suspected him as the mastermind for everything that happened in Taera's life. But, I didn't expect that this arrogant and psycho human being has fallen for real to Taera. At least, those sides of him make Jaehyun being more human. 

What I didn't really like is how Haesoo's rush attitude and decision made everything worst. I mean, I know that she is brokenhearted by the fact about Taera and her father's death, but as a journalist, she should be diving more into what happened. Why she isn't questioning how a teenager like Taera becomes the assassin? Is that really her intention or there is someone behind that incident? Who hire the assasin and what's the reason? So, I am a little bit disappointed with Haesoo's character here.

Then, among other characters, I even fall for Jang Dojin (Park Kiwoong). Of course, at first, I didn't see him as a potential character that could be lovable, but then, his determination to help Haesoo and uncover the truth amazed me. He is willing to sacrifice everything for other people's sake, in this case, Haesoo.

Ahh, I also should mention Cha Pilseung (Kwon Hyunbin), Taera's little brother. I really love his character the most. I was so relieved that he finally can rekindle with his sister, even though is just for a short period of time.

To be honest, Pandora is a really complex story. Jaehyun's ambition to be a president is really scary. He is that person who utilizes all of his connections to get everything he wants. It scared me when Jaehyun also has a skill to mess with people's mind through a chip. 

Conclusion

Sigh. I know that the ending is confusing. How I wish they will just end it at that cliff scene. Why they should be at that Swiss' scene?

For me, this drama somewhat makes us curious about the story. It's a quite fast-paced drama, therefore you will find a lot of unexpected things in every episode. Is this drama became my favorite? Not really. I think this is an okay drama. Some parts make me bored and the characters are not that lovable. 

Then, the later part of this story make me roll my eyes, especially when Jaehyun who always outsmarts everyone, didn't even realize that Taera didn't lose her memory at all. Then, I did wonder why is it so easy for Taera to give that sleeping pill to Jaehyun? Why Jaehyun didn't suspect anything after that long sleep? 

Last, is the ending. I wonder why they have to choose that ending. Sigh.

So, it's 6.8 from me. 

Sincerely,
Ra

Image: drakorclass

Title: Ghost Doctor
Original Title: 고스트 닥터
Director: Boo Sung Chul
Screenwriter: Kim Eun Hee
Genres: Comedy, Medical, Fantasy, Supernatural
Stars: Rain, Kim Bum, Uee, Son Na Eun, Sung Do Il
Watched on Netflix

Cha Young-Min (Rain) is a genius doctor, but he is arrogant and selfish. One day, he gets involved in an unexpected case. Due to the unexpected case, his spirit possesses another doctor's body. These two doctors are complete opposites, with opposite personalities and medical abilities.

So, for this month's Korean Culture Kdrama Class (KCKC), Ghost Doctor has been chosen. First, I didn't realize that it was Rain who played Cha Young Min. I also didn't have any expectations when watching this k-drama, but I end up enjoying it.

The Story

Cha Young Min (Rain) is a genius doctor with a specialization in cardiothoracic. Unfortunately, he is very arrogant and selfish. Then, there is Ko Seung Tak (Kim Bum) a resident doctor who also happened to be the grandson of the hospital's founder. This situation made Young Min despise Seung Tak. He believed that getting a residency position through connection is useless. Therefore, he asked Seung Tak to be placed in ER first. 

As a doctor, Youg Min only cares about his career. Meanwhile, Seung Tak got some connection with the patient's feelings. These two doctors have very different personalities. Then, an accident happened and due to this, Young Min became a coma ghost and his spirit only can possess Seung Tak's body. At first, they bicker a lot, but after that, they strike a deal to save more patients' lives.

The Opinion

Well, like I said before, I didn't have any expectations when watching this k-drama. Even, I felt that this k-drama is too dramatic when I compared it to Hospital Playlist. But well, some of the elements on it made me curious. Therefore, I start to enjoy watching it slowly.

Since the first time, I did wonder how Young Min and Seung Tak could be connected. Is there any special connection between them that made Young Min can only possess Seung Tak's body? Then, I also wondered how Chairman Jang's son plan to get what he wants. 

For me, the mystery that I am so curious is about Seung Tak's trauma. I wondered why he was so scared to do surgery on his own. Even just for treating a wound. Moreover, it has been told that Seung Tak got into an accident when he was a child and her dad passed away at that time. Did he witness some bloody accident and such when got into an accident? 

Thankfully, all of those wonderings could be answered in the few last episodes of this drama. Start from the real identity of Socrates (the ghost that knows it all at the hospital), Seung Tak's traumatic accident, and how Young Min could get that amazing skill in surgery. What I didn't expect at all is, some of the episodes made me sob, especially when Seung Tak had dinner with his mom. It was so sad to see his mom actually know all along that Seung Tak pretended that everything is alright after that accident.

Conclusion

Well, I didn't expect that the story would be a little bit complicated. I felt bored at first when watching it. I also felt a little bit annoyed when Young Min tried to use Seung Tak's body to get Sejin back. I mean... It's just unfair for Seung Tak even though he agreed to let Young Min took the advantage of his body.

After all, this is an okay drama and the premise is quite unique. I also appreciate how Seung Tak is finally can overcome his trauma and being a skillful doctor in the end. Then, what I like the most is the resolution for the three coma ghost in the series. They

Well, 7.5 out of 10 for this k-drama.

Sincerely,
Ra

Image: tvN

Title: Crash Course in Romance
Other Title: One Shot Scandal
Screenwriter: Yang Hee Seung
Director: Yoo Je Won
Genres: Comedy, Romance, Mystery, Thriller
Number of episodes: 16 episodes
Stars:  Jeon Doyeon, Jung Kyungho, Lee Bongryun, Oh Eushik, Shin Jaeha, Roh Yoonseo
Watched on Netflix

Nam Haeng Sun used to be a national athlete. She now runs a side dish store. She has a super positive personality and seemingly unlimited stamina. She chooses a new direction and enters the private education field, which is for students preparing for their university entrance exam. Unexpectedly, Nam Haeng Sun gets involved with Choi Chi Yeol. Choi Chi Yeol is a popular instructor in the private education field and is known as Ilta Instructor (most popular instructor). He works hard at his job. As an instructor to his students, he speaks without reserve and implements showmanship in his lessons. He has accumulated wealth and fame as a popular instructor, but, with increasing success, he has become more sensitive, prickly, and indifferent to people. He then meets Nam Haeng Sun with her super positive personality and never ending stamina. The relationship between Nam Haeng Sun and Choi Chi Yeol develops romantically.

***

In order to watch a light and not really stressed-out k-drama, I was intrigued to watch Crash Course in Romance. I watched it from the beginning. Yeah, I watched it as an ongoing drama. Well, I really didn't regret my decision because this drama is indeed good and refreshing.

The Story

Nam Haengseon (Jeon Doyeon) used to be a national athlete in handball. But, some incidents made Haengseon have to give up her career and choose to raise her daughter, Nam Haee (Roh Yoonseo). For now, she runs a side dish store that is quite famous around her neighborhood. She has a very bright personality and positive energy.

Then, there is Choi Chiyeol (Jung Kyungho), a star teacher in the private education field. He is specialized in math and everyone admires him. His class is always full and his popularity gave him a very successful path in life. But, Chiyeol is actually got his own problem. He has become more sensitive and indifferent to people. His busyness made his health condition drop and stress. Therefore, he got some trouble eating. After consulting with a psychologist, especially to deal with his stress, Chiyeol found that he can only eat from Nation's Best Banchan, the store that running by Haengseon. 

The problem is, some incidents made Haengson got very suspicious of Chiyeol. Then, another unexpected thing between them is the fact that Haee really wants to enter Chiyeol's class since her math score is not really improving. Well, seems like Haengseon and Chiyeol's fate has been intertwined and the story goes on.

My Opinion

Actually, one of the reasons I watched this drama is because of Jung Kyungho. I wonder how will he acts here since Junwan's character from Hospital Playlist is really strong on him, at least for me. But, worries aside, we still can find the petty Junwan that we saw on Hospital Playlist, but we also still find a new side of him. 

Then, like I said before, I really need a light and refreshing drama to watch. Therefore, when I realized that Crash Course in Romance has a comedy genre, I just felt that I should watch it. 

For me, the story is quite refreshing. I love how every conflict got a very clear ending in the end. Start from Haengseon-Chiyeol's relationship, Haee's relationship with her real mother, Haee-Sunjae's relationship, and even how Sua's family life has been going so far. 

In a way, Crash Course in Romance reminded me of Sky Castle but as a light and bright version. I know there is some thriller-mystery element on it. It also reminded me of When the Camellia Blooms. But, in my opinion, the mystery side is not really heavy. Maybe, some people would like to complain about how Ji Dong Hee ended, but I don't know. I just feel that it's the best way to end it like that, in a way. 

Conclusion

I feel satisfied enough with this k-drama. It's not really stressful but still gave us some perspective about the Korean education system. I just felt that they managed to give us a perspective about the education system there, but not with the dark vibe like in Sky Castle. Most of the characters are very bright and the comedic scene could be found here and there. So, I just really enjoyed when watching it.

8.5 out of 10 stars from me. 

Sincerely,
Ra

Judul: Alchemy of Souls Season 1
Sutradara: Park Joon Hwa
Penulis naskah: Hong Jung Eun, Hong Mi Ran
Genre: Action, Historical, Fantasy
Jumlah episode: 20 
Tanggal tayang: 18 Juni-28 Agustus 2022
Nonton di Netflix

Set in a fictional country called Daeho that does not exist in history or on maps, it is about the love and growth of young mages as they overcome their twisted fates due to a forbidden magic spell known as the "alchemy of souls", which allows souls to switch bodies. It follows the story of an elite assassin named Naksu, whose soul is accidentally trapped inside the weak body of Mu Deok—Jang Uk's servant from a powerful and noble mage family in the country. The young master of the Jang Family, Jang Uk, holds a dark secret about his scandalous birth. He wants the formidable assassin to help change his destiny.

***

Mengawali resensi drakor pertama tahun ini dengan Alchemy of Souls Season 1. Alasan menontonnya? Yaa, mari kita mention lagi nama Mbakdew untuk kesekian kalinya. Kayaknya, selera drakor Mbakdew, tuh, emang selalu cocok buatku. Selalu suka dan jadi favorit.

The Story

Sejak kecil, Jang Uk enggak pernah bisa menggunakan kekuatannya, karena ayahnya, Jang Gang mengunci kekuatan Jang Uk. Berbagai upaya dilakukan Jang Uk untuk bisa membuka segel yang dibuat oleh ayahnya, tapi hal tersebut tak pernah berhasil. Bagaimanapun, tak ada seorang pun yang berani melanggar perintah Jang Gang.

Di sisi lain, pembunuh berdarah dingin, Naksu, terpaksa harus bertukar nyawa untuk menyelamatkan diri dari kejaran mage Seongrim. Yang tidak ia sangka, ia malah bertukar nyawa dengan Mu-deok, gadis buta yang tak sengaja ia temui di suatu restoran.'

Nasib membawa Jang Uk dan Mu-deok bertemu. Dari awal, Jang Uk telah mengetahui identitas asli dari Mu-deok. Suatu ide gila pun muncul dalam pikiran Jang-Uk, yakni menjadikan Mudeok--yang notabene adalah Naksu--untuk menjadi master-nya. Demi tujuan masing-masing, akhirnya Jang Uk dan Mu-deok menjalankan peran mereka sebagai Young Master-Maidservant, sekaligus Pupil-Master. 

My Thoughts

Seperti yang aku bilang di atas, rekomendasi drakor Mbakdew, tuh, selalu cocok sama aku. Mau yang romcom, thriller, mystery, atau bahkan action-historical macem pendekar gini. Tapi, ya karena memang ada mystery-nya, sih. Jadi aku enjoy nontonya. 

Karakter-karakternya juga banyak yang lovable. Bahkan, Park Jin dan crown prince aja masih ada sisi yang aku suka. Mereka kocak banget, kadang-kadang T.T. Oh, iya. Porsi serius dan bercandanya di drakor ini juga pas. Misterinya juga lumayan complicated. Sejumlah twist juga agak mengagetkan. Aku masih agak surprised dengan hubungan antara Shaman Choi, Jin Mu, dan juga Jinyowon.

Meskipun di drakor ini ada kisah romansanya, aku enggak merasa kalau hubungan antara Jang-uk dan Mu-deok overpowering. Pas aja gitu lihatnya. Apalagi mereka juga punya hubungan yang manis.

Berhubung aku menontonnya di kala season 2 udah tayang, yaa, aku sudah bisa menebak kalau akhir season 1 bakalan gantung. Kalau kata Mbakdew, kenapa enggak berakhir di episode 19 aja, sih? Smh.

Tapi aku agak was-was, nih, sama season 2. Nanti gimana caranya Jang-uk bakalan ketemu sama Mu-deok? Duh, Jang Uk juga pasti patah hati banget ketika inget gimana dia bisa "mati". Lalu, hubungan antara Mu-deok dengan orang-orang Seongrim juga pasti bakalan berubah banyak. Sigh. 

Conclusion

Nah, karena udah tahu ada season 2, maka akan aku lanjutkan perjuangan menonton ini. Mudah-mudahan ada kisah yang lebih enggak bikin sedih buat Jang Uk dan Mu Deok.

Jadi, 8.5 dari 10 bintang untuk kisah satu ini.

Sincerely,
Ra
23.01.07

Image: Twitter/TvNDrama

Title: Blind

Director: Shin Yonghwi

Writer: Kwon Kikyung

Number of episodes: 16

Stars: TaecYeon, Ha Seokjin, Jung Eunji

Ryu Sung-Joon (TaecYeon), Ryu Sung-Hoon (Ha Seok-Jin) and Jo Eun-Ki (Jung Eun-Ji) become involved in a serial murder case involving jury members as the victims. These three individuals try to uncover the truth behind the deaths.

*** 

To be honest, I watched a lot of things lately. Start from k-drama, movies, anime, and others. Since I am too lazy to make an update on my blog, it feels like the spider web has come around again.

Blind is the latest mystery drama that showed on TvN. Once again, I watched this k-drama because of Mbakdew. Well, not gonna lie, her recommendations are always good and exciting. 

The Story

Just like the synopsis said, Ryu Sungjoon works as an enthusiastic detective. He is always determined to catch the bad guys. His determination led him to be the top detective since his arrest rate is high. Then, his older brother, Ryu Sunghoon works as a judge. Sunghoon is portrayed as someone who is really perfectionist, smart, and calm. Everyone respects him the most because of that.

One day, a murder of a young woman happened. This murder is called a Joker Murder Case since the killer makes a smile wound on their victim's case. To be honest, I was surprised because there is no censor at all at the beginning of the episodes. I almost wanna throw my laptop away when seeing the victim's condition. It's too much scary. 

After a long investigation, Sungjoon's team succeed to bring the main suspect for the murder. His name is Jung Manchun--a Chinese immigrant who works at the victim's father's factory. During the investigation, Manchun denies all of the charges. He even asked for a jury trial for his case. Sunghoon who become the judge for Manchun's case, in the name of rights for all, granted Manchun's request.

Even though Manchun tried to plead so hard for his innocence. the juror still finds him guilty. When the decision is final. Manchun became so upset and promised to take revenge, especially on the juror. At first, no one pays attention to Manchun's threat, but after he succeeds to escape from the police and take Eunki hostage, everyone knows that that guy is serious.

When the police once again can catch Manchun, everyone was so surprised that the other murder happened. Now, the victim is Yeom Hyejin, one of the jurors and also the daughter of Chief Police Yeom Kinam. Since it's getting more serious, and the fact that Manchun has an alibi, now the main suspect, in this case, is Sungjoon. Yeah, at the Manchun'c court, he is being accused as the real killer for the Joker Murder Case.

Complicated yet engaging

Actually, this drama is not only about the Joker Murder Case. All of this happened because of what happened at Hope Welfare Center. This center is an institution like an orphanage, but the authorities there treat all of the children in a very bad and cruel manner. They use violence, starve them, and won't give them a chance to escape.

Everyone that is a victim in the murder case is somewhat related to that center. So, to unravel the mystery around the murder case, everyone should face the horrible reality that happened at that center.

To be honest, I thought Blind will only be a single murder case mystery. Without any other elements. But, from the first time, they showed what horrible things happened at the Hope Welfare Center. The way all of the dots are connected is very unpredictable. 

Then, the truth behind the joker Murder Case is really not what I expected. Of course, that truth is very heartbreaking for me. Aww, poor Sung Joon on this occasion. I still couldn't believe that Sung Joon's mind has been manipulated since from the very start. Gosh... 

Conclusion

If I have to make a comparison between Blind and Big Mouth, I will prefer Blind more, The story is satisfying and I could sympathize more with the character. TaecYeon's acting is amazing here. In Vincenzo, I also love how his character is developed. 

So, one of the best mystery k-dramas that I ever watched so far.

8 out of 10 stars

Sincerely,

Ra

Image: Cultura

Title: When The Camellia Blooms

Director: Cha Young-hoon, Kang Ming-kyung

Writer: Im Sang-choon

Number of Episodes: 20

Stars: Kong Hyo-jin, Kang Ha-neul, Kim Ji-suk, Ji E-suu, Oh Jung-se, Yum Hye-ran, Son Dam-bi

Watched on Netflix

Dong-Baek is a single mother living in the small town of Ongsan. She runs the bar-restaurant Camellia, while also taking care of her son Pil-Gu. The people of Ongsan frequently gossip about Dong-Baek. She grew up as an orphan, is a single mother and runs a bar where many of the men in Ongsan frequent. Regardless of what the locals may whisper about Dong-Baek, local police officer Hwang Yong-Sik is deeply in love with her. Meanwhile, Dong-Baek's ex-boyfriend Kang Jong-Ryeol suddenly reappears in her life. He is a famous baseball player, that hid their relationship when they dated. While Dong-Baek tries to find happiness, something truly sinister lurks in the background. A serial killer roams Ongsan and Dong-Baek may be a target.

To be honest, When the Camellia Blooms is part of the KCKC Class at Bangtan Academy. Since the story is a little bit slow-paced for me, I have difficulties finishing it off.

Dongbaek and The Ongsan Town

When The Camellia Blooms tells the story about Dongbaek (Kong Hyo-jin), an orphan who is also a single mother. She decided to move to Ongsan--a fictional town here. Boldly, Dongbaek also decided to open a bar called Camellia. 

Well, life is always hard for Dongbaek. When she was a kid, her mother abandoned her. Then, she has to raise her son on her own since she broke up with his boyfriend. Living by herself and also getting a lot of mistreatment--because of the stereotype regarding a single mother, has affected Dongbaek's life very much. She tends to be a shy and quiet person. She is also, what should I say, not confident at all.

Thankfully, Yongsik (Kang Ha-neul) succeeds to make Dongabek's life more lively. His bright character has made Dongbaek could see her life differently. She is no longer a timid person with a dull personality, but she became a great and cool woman in the end.

My Thought

As I said before, this k-drama is a little bit hard for me to watch. One thing that I despise from the very start is Dongbaek's timid personality. As the main lead character, I just feel she should stand out more and be tough. I am aware of her trauma and all of her conditions, but her attitude in the first episodes has made me irritated. To some extent, she reminds me of Nabi from Nevertheless. 

Aside from this k-drama being one of the materials at KCKC Class, I bear to watch it because I want to know the real identity of Joker. As you know, a detective or crime series is my cup of tea. If there's no Joker case, I don't think I will continue to watch this.

Anyway, if I could spill a spoiler, I managed to know Joker's identity from the very state. Well, to be fair, I have a strong gut that the sink-man (I don't know his name as Heung-sik before), is suspicious. Then, I am glad that I was right.

The family story

Not gonna lie, most of the side stories in this drama are related to the family relationship among Ongsan People. Start from Dongbaek with his son Pilgu (Kim Kang-hoon) and also her mother who suddenly appeared, Dongabek with her ex-boyfriend, Kang Jong-ryul (Kim Ji-seok), Yong-sik with his mother, Hyang-mi with his brother, Gyu-tae with his wife, Ja-young, and also Jong-ryul with his wife, Jessica.

It will sound complicated since each of them has its problems. But, what I like the most about this drama, the writer succeeds to give a solution for each character.

Conclusion

At first, I thought I will only give 5-6 stars for When the Camellia Blooms. But, the more I watched the entire episode, I happened to love the story.

Therefore, I would like to give 7 out of 10 stars for them.

Sincerely,

Ra

Image: Asian Wiki

Title: Mystic Pop-up Bar
Director: Chang Geun Jun
Script writer: Ha Yoon-ah
Cast: Hwang Jeong-eum, Yook Sung-jae, Choi Wonyoung
Number of episodes: 12 episodes
Watch on Netflix

Ssanggab Cart Bar opens only at night on the rooftop of a building. Wol-Ju (Hwang Jung-Eum) runs the mysterious food cart. Customers who visit Ssanggab Cart Bar consist of normal people and the dead. While drinking alcohol and eating dishes with Wol-Ju, the customers of Ssanggab Cart Bar talk about themselves and try to heal their internal wounds.

***

I watched this k-drama because of the Korean Culture K-drama Class (KCKC) at Bangtan Academy. This drama kinda reminds me of Hotel del Luna. The vibe and the story are similar, IMHO. I also love how they incorporated the spiritual element into modern life. It's interesting to watch.

The Pop-Up Bar

Mystic Pop-up Bar is a magical bar managed by Weol-ju, a hot-tempered woman who can enter your dream to fix your problem, and Chef Gwi (Guibanjang)--the former Afterlife Police Agency who voluntary help Weol-ju run the bar. 

Weo-ju should help the other people through their dream because she had a great sin, which was committing suicide on the sacred tree. Therefore, the afterlife court sent her to the Living Realm to settle the grudges of 100.000 souls and comfort them as a punishment. 

Then, there is Han Kang bae, a young man who has the ability to make people confess the truth by making physical contact with them. This ability really benefits Weol-ju to settle the last 10 souls that she should help. Therefore, she made a deal with Kang bae and promised him that she will get rid of Kang bae's unique ability.

My thought

As I said before, this drama reminds me of Hotel del Luna. There will be different cases for every episode and the supernatural element on it is very unique. Not to mention the comedic scenes that the director provided. It's very fresh and makes me smile all the time. The episode when they pretend to be part of the CIA is very funny. I couldn't help myself not to laugh because of that.

What I love about this drama are so many cultural and social phenomena that have been discussed. Starting from the sexual harassment in the workplace, the difficulty to apply for a job, the decision to have children, and others. I think I got a very diverse knowledge and perspectives after watching this drama.

In my opinion, the director and script-writer have succeeded to make a compact story that is not boring. They also succeeded to give a very meaningful message in every episode. Aside from that, how the story is wrapped up with more serious issues at the end is very clever. I can feel how sincere Weol-ju and Guibanjang are when taking care of Kang-bae. I also adore how Kang bae eventually trusts Weol ju.

Trivial thoughts

I think I should mention it here, there are two things that make me suspicious about Kang bae and Guibanjang's identities. Anyway, this will be a very spoiler part.

I do wonder why Weol-ju has naturally cared for Kang bae. When it ends up, technically he is Weol-ju's child, it does make any more sense. Moreover, I kinda feel the big noona energy from Weol-ju.

Then, about Guibanjang's identity, I don't know why, but I have known that he is the crown prince from the earliest episode. I feel proud because I can guess correctly.

Conclusion

Overall, I really love this drama. I think Mystic Pop-up Bar could be on my top-tier list. The story is great, the characters are so lovable and the conflict is just enough. Not over dramatic but still complicated.

So, 8 out of 10 stars for the Ssanggappocha.

Sincerely,

Ra

Image: media matamata

Title: Twenty Five Twenty One

Director: Jung Ji-hyun

Writer: Kwon Do-eun

Stars: Kim Tae-ri, Nam Joo-hyuk, Bona, Choi Hyun-wook, Lee Joo-Myoung

Number of episodes: 16 episodes

Release date: February 12-April 3 2022

Watched on Netflix

"Twenty-Five, Twenty-One" tells a love story between Na Hee-Do (Kim Tae-Ri) and Back Yi-Jin (Nam Joo-Hyuk).

Na Hee-Do is a member of her high school fencing team. Due to the South Korean financial crisis, the high school fencing team gets disbanded. Getting through all the difficulties, she becomes a member of the sabre fencing national team.

The South Korean financial crisis also causes Back Yi-Jin’s father's business to go bankrupt. This leads to a life change for Back Yi-Jin, from living the life of a wealthy person to a poor person. While studying, he works part-time jobs like delivery newspapers. Later, he becomes a sports reporter for a broadcasting network.

While watching Business Proposal, I also watched Twenty-Five Twenty-One. Well, let's just call it 2521 since it's too long. Compared to Business Proposal, 2521 will bring a more serious side to a k-drama. It talked about friendship, dreams, and also love.

Yi-jin and Hae-do's Story

From the title, this story is about two people in their 20s. There's Yi-jin, your charming male lead character. Unfortunately, the 1998 financial crisis has led Yi-jin's family into bankruptcy. Consequently, Yi-jin should live by himself and try to find a job as soon as possible.  He must also drop out of college. Things that really broke my heart were when Yi-jin said he would promise not to be happy for the sake of his parent's employee, who should also suffer as a result of the bankruptcy.

There is, on the other hand, Hae-do. A young talented girl who adores fencing. Fencing has been a part of her life since she was a child. It's also a part of her last memories of her father. Due to the financial crisis, Hae-do's school decided to close their fencing club once. This decision enraged Hae-do. So, she attempted to transfer to another school, specifically Go Yu-rim's, a young fencer whom she idolized. 

She hoped to become friends with Yu-rim and improve her skills. Unfortunately, those fantasies will not become a reality so smoothly. Hae-do's mother opposed Hae-do's wish to transfer. Then, when Hae-do finally meets Yu-rim, she is surprised that Yu-rim is so cold and harsh towards her.

Perhaps it was fate that brought Yi-jin and Hae-do together. I believe they require each other's presence to achieve their goals. Yi-jin for resolving all of his family's problems, and Hae-do for her determination to be Korea's greatest fencer. At first glance, I believe this drama will not be overly focused on the romance aspect, and I am quite right about it. 2521, in my opinion, is about dealing with life and achieving your goals as best you can.

The Story and The Diary

The story started when Kim Min-chae, Hae-do's daughter, opened and read Hae-do's diary. Starting from there, Min-chae finally knows that what her mother has accomplished is far from a flowery path. Min-chae learned about Hae-friendships do's with Yu-rim, Moon Ji-ung, and Ji Sun-wan in addition to the fencing journey. Anyway, I enjoy watching their friendship. Don't forget to include Yi-jin in the same frame.

To be honest, despite its comedic elements, I would say that this drama has a serious tone. Mbak Dewi ever told me that this drama is interesting because of the "Mistery of Mr. Kim." Yes, as you can see, Min-chae's surname is "Kim." Meanwhile, Baek Yi-jin, the male lead character who has a love interest in Hae-do, has the surname "Baek". So, who is Min-chae's father? I heard that many fans worked hard to solve the mystery. Even 2521 has an alternative title because of it. Yeah, it's called "Finding Mr. Kim".  They observed every detail of the drama to find the clue. Unfortunately, we won't know who Mr. Kim is until the very end.

And apart from their wholesome story, the ending of this drama is hugely essential. I believe that the majority of viewers would agree that the ending of 2521 is terribly frustrating. For this, I must quote MbakDew... "2521 is the story of two people. How could they not mention Yi-jin at the end of the story?" Yes. I fully agree. The production team is extremely cruel. They provided no information about Yi-jin. There is also no hint of the "now" Yi-Jin at all. It really frustrated me.

I mean, I like the story; the main message is wholesome, the friendship story is something I wished for, and Hae-do and Yi-jin's relationship is fluffy but not overly so. But, with such a vague ending....? This is not your typical k-drama, that will give you a second season, please. Sigh.

Conclusion

Aside from my frustration at not being able to see the "now" Baek Yi-jin, I still enjoy the story. Every episode is intriguing, and the story is very interesting. Yeah, I love their execution for 2521. Oh, I should also mention the ost for this k-drama is really good. My favourite would be "Your Existence" by Wonstein. You should check this out.

Anyway, I still have a lot of movies and dramas to review, so please bear with me.

7 out of 10 stars.

Sincerely,

Ra