The World, All At Once

Record of Youth  is another Netflix Original K-drama released this year to massive success, especially with big names Park So-dam  ( Cinderella with Four Knights , Parasite ) as female lead AHN JEONG-HA and  Park Bo-gum  ( Reply 1988 , Encounter ) as male lead SA HYE-JUN. This romance drama revolves around young adults trying to make it big in the fashion industry and the struggles that they meet along the way. How apt that I'm starting this drama exactly a month after it finished airing so I guess it's finally time to get to it.  INITIAL THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS (SPOILER ALERT) This isn't heavy spoilers because it's part of the drama's synopsis but Hye-jun is facing military conscription (as is the case for most South Korean males), which probably explains why episode 1 begins in 2018, just as he gets his draft notice. Hye-jun is a male supermodel who comes form humble backgrounds, his father being a renovation worker while his mother is a housemaid, and with quit...

I cannot wax lyrical enough about  Do You Like Brahms? because this is seriously such an amazing drama. I was initially apprehensive considering the heavy music element here but in truth, that element only made it so much easier to understand the themes in this drama. Get ready for a seriously deep, meaningful and thought-provoking discussion of sorts as I delve into my series retrospect for this masterpiece.  SERIES RETROSPECT AND REVIEW (SPOILER ALERT) This drama has firmly planted itself as my 2nd favourite drama of all time because it has everything I could ask for in an amazing drama. At it's core,  Do You Like Brahms? was a wonderful love story, not just between people but also about music. It had engaging leads, interesting side characters, the exploration of beautiful themes and most importantly a super personal touch. It's almost a given for dramas to have touching moments but this was one of the few times that I was sincerely moved by everything in this dra...

Do You Like Brahms? is a romance drama with a heavy emphasis on music as its central concept and is another drama that finished airing about a month ago, having been on my watch-list for some time. Starring Park Eun-bin  ( Hello, My Twenties!, Hot Stove League ) as female lead CHAE SONG-AH and Kim Min-jae  ( Hit the Top ,  Tempted ) as male lead PARK JOON-YOUNG, this drama focuses on classical music students and performers as they journey through the melodious world around them, finding themselves and love along the way. I was initially unsure about starting this series, especially since I don't appreciate classical music but having had a good time watching other music-related dramas ( I Wanna Hear Your Song ), I decided to go in with an open mind.  INITIAL THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS (SPOILER ALERT) Episode 1 focuses on setting the groundwork for the relationships that will be built as well as giving us a slight insight into our leads' past relationships. We are introduce...

I seriously lost count of the number of times I exclaimed about how insane When I Was the Most Beautiful  was. While I expected family politics and all kinds of shenanigans to happen purely based off the drama's premise, especially because no love triangle ever ends without some kind of crazy element thrown into the mix, nothing could have prepared me for how toxic and absurd the plot got as I went deeper into the series.  SERIES RETROSPECT AND REVIEW (SPOILER ALERT) I expected plenty of makjang elements since this drama revolved around a love triangle. I just didn't realise how vitriolic and tiring this drama was. While I initially thought Hwan and Jin's love conflict as they vied for the same woman in Ye-ji would be the main focus of this drama, it's more appropriate to say that that's the drama's overarching premise and the root of all problems here. When Jin gets into his accident and is gone for years, Hwan tries to be there for Ye-ji but muffs up their rel...

After a 6 year drought since Red Velvet in 2014, we finally see the long-awaited debut of SM Entertainment's new 4-member girl group, aespa. With a unique concept revolving around members having their own virtual avatars (known as ae- versions), the group has generated both pre-debut hype and hate. Having had their previous girl groups debut with either innocent or brighter concepts, SM has released their latest project into the idol ring with a darker concept and sound. With Lee Soo-man (SM's founder) himself marketing aespa as the first project of the SM Culture Universe (SMCU, which has some strong shared universe vibes), it's no wonder they've been hinted at in seniors' SuperM and NCT U's recent MVs. Without further ado, let's get around to their debut single Black Mamba.  Meaning : You might think this song's title is an allegory to something. No, Black Mamba is literally about a black mamba, which even appears in the MV (more on that later). The so...

When I Was the Most Beautiful  is a romance-melodrama that finished airing about a month ago and I've finally gotten around to it. Starring Im Soo-hyang  ( Gangnam Beauty , Graceful Family ) as female lead OH YE-JI, with our two male leads SEO HWAN and SEO JIN played by  Ji Soo  ( My First First Love , Strong Girl Bong-Soon ) and Ha Seok-jin ( Something About 1 Percent , Your House Helper ) respectively, this drama focuses on two brothers who fall in love with the same woman and the struggles that ensue. While there's bound to be some serious love triangle shenanigans for the remainder of the series, the first episode has a far lighter tone.  INITIAL THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS (SPOILER ALERT) Episode 1 takes its time to weave the drama's basic plot as well as give us some backstory to our leads. Starting in the year 2013, Hwan is a high school student while his older brother Jin is a competitive racecar driver who has just been discharged from the military. Ye-ji is ...

Having reached the last episode of  The School Nurse Files  and with the previous episode dropping a massive bombshell on us with our heroine losing her supernatural powers, the final showdown in this drama between opposing supernatural forces draws to a close with some unexpected results. Let's get to it.  RECAP (SPOILER ALERT) The episode opens with Hye-min on the operating table, her stomach removal procedure underway. While initially having trouble due to her lack of a navel, the surgery is a success and the doctor passes Eun-young a glass jar containing a strange alien-like creature which was in place of Hye-min's stomach. The Hanja for "Gu-je" are engraved on the creature's body, meaning "saving others in trouble", much like how Hye-min consumed mites to protect those around her. Cut to Hye-min in her hospital ward and as she packs her belongings, she leaves the antacids out, no longer needing them to supplement her mite eating. In-pyo and Eun-youn...