#it’s who she becomes eventually and Eun Yoo suffers because of it but also. you can feel it even when she’s young even in episode 1

[whenthegoldrays]

also, my god, Choi Se Kyeong, what a horrible thing to say to your daughter when her best friend just committed suicide???

[racewingz]

Things That Appear in Most Romance / Romantic Comedy Kdramas

Disclaimer: this will contain spoilers of plot points listed below as I will be using examples from different dramas to back up my statements

Romance / Romantic Comedy: W, Strong Woman Do Bong Soon, Guardian: The Lonely And Great God, While You Were Sleeping, Pinocchio, Love Alarm etc (these are just some I know about)

I will also include parts from Love Unexpected 2022 (a Cdrama) where I think it fits too.

Key of included dramas: W (W), Strong Woman Do Bong Soon (SWDBS), Guardian: The Lonely And Great God (GTLAGG), While You Were Sleeping (WYWS), Pinocchio (P), Love Alarm (LA), Just Between Lovers (JBL), Doom At Your Service (DAYS), Love Unexpected (LU)

SPOILERS AHEAD

1 -> Love triangles (obvious or subtle)

~ (W) Pretty obvious between Kang Cheol, Yeon Joo and So Hee. Kang Cheol and So Hee and Kang Cheol were the fated lovers, as almost male lead and female lead characters within the comic, but when Yeon Joo arrives, that romance turns into a triangle, with So Hee being the one to miss out

~ (SWDBS) Not obvious at first but eventually becomes an extremely obvious love triangle between Bong Soon, Min Hyeok and Gook Doo. It’s not initially obvious due to the fact that Gook Doo is trying to keep his current relationship in tact, while suffering due to a long-term love. The only visible romance bridge at this point is Bong Soon’s crush on Gook Doo (and possibly Min Hyeok’s disgust). It then progresses to Gook Doo breaking up with Hee Ji and actively seeking out Bong Soon, as well as Min Hyeok releasing subtle hints that he also has feelings for her. This is where the triangle really begins, and its Gook Doo who misses out, although he does so graciously and continues to maintain a great relationship with Bong Soon

I almost see it as having 2 triangles running simultaneously, the Bong Soon, Min Hyeok, Gook Doo triangle as the main one, but a Hee Ji, Gook Doo, Gong Gi triangle at the beginning too, making it compliated as a side triangle

~ (GTLAGG) I wouldn’t even call this a love triangle really, but the jealousy displayed is funny either way. There is a point where Eun Tak bumps into her first love Tae Hee. She wants to spend more time with Tae Hee, having had feelings for him for a very long time, to the horror of goblin.

~ (WYWS) It was not the most obvious thing but the triangle that is Hong Joo, Jae Chan and Woo Tak is definitely sweet. Woo Tak was obviously the one to miss out, considering I think everyone but Hong Joo knew about his feeling for her, but he never openly admitted it to her. It was very sweet though, as he clearly understood that although he has feelings for her, her heart lies with Jae Chan and it was still good to remain as best friends. I think I should also mention Hwang Mi here too

~ (P) This is an odd one because there are many instances that may or may not be different love triangles. You could argue an In Ha, Dal Po, Chan Soo love triangle while they were in school, in Dal Po’s case shown by his determination to show up Chan Soo in the game show. You can also argue a Dal Po, In Ha, Yoo Rae triangle, though realistically Yoo Rae was never going to come out on top. In Beom Jo’s case, his intentions were clear, so I don’t see him in a triangle really

~ (LA) I think the triangle is the most obvious of the dramas listed here. The drama between Jo Jo, Sun Oh and Hye Yeong is very clear from the start.

~ (JBL) Although the feelings of both Moon Soo and Kang Doo continuously change, there is a very clear triangle between Moon Soo, Kang Doo and Joo Won throughout the series. Joo Won is the person that misses out in this triangle, which is a shame really considering how much he tried to truly show his feelings for Moon Soo

~ (LU) This love triangle is also extremely subtle but there nonetheless. The love between Fan Fan and Ruo Chen is clear but its not until later that we find out about Qin Yang’s feelings. 

~ (DAYS) This love triangle was a secondary storyline, which I thought was quite different to the normal triangles you typically see. It is also very messy, and very unclear a lot of the times as Ji Na’s feelings about both Hyeon Gyu and Joo Ik are extremely unpredictable at time. 

2 -> Main characters trying to break up with their partner due to the feeling of putting them in danger

~ (SWDBS) Bong Soon tries to break up Min Hyeok because she feels that because she is uniquely strong, she is a danger to him (which is quite evident from past incidents). I mean she had already broken his foot by stepping on it and injured secretary Gong. There was also the knife incident but I currently can’t remember whether this is before she tries to break up with him or after this incident occurs.

~ (LU) When Fan Fan wakes up from fainting (after Qin Yang’s accident), she immediately leaves because she knows that it was partially her fault that they were in that situation in the first place and considering that during her time in 2012 she’d had both Ruo Chen and Qin Yang in hospital because of her (because they were saving her), it meant she saw herself as a danger.

~ (W) I’m not sure this really counts but I feel like the whole situation where Yeon Joo rewrites their whole past as a dream (although under Kang Cheol’s instruction) is similar to them breaking up to limit the element of danger that they would bring, to not only people in the real world but limit the danger to the characters within the comic

~ (WYWS) Again I know this is not exactly the same as the characters breaking up due to danger, but I think it’s similar enough. By this I’m referencing when Jae Chan tells Hong Joo that he chooses not to believe her mainly due to his responsibilities as a prosecutor, but also because if they believed in the dreams and it went wrong, he questioned whether Hong Joo would be able to deal with the consequences

3 -> Characters getting injured (weapon or not) in the place of another character

~ (SWDBS) This scenario occurs when Kwang Bok (who was hiding) appears and runs over to stab Bong Soon in the back. Seeing this occur, Min Hyeok runs over and gets stabbed instead, ensuring that Bong Soon was safe while sustaining an injury which thankfully wasn’t too bad

~ (GTLAGG) Although this is slightly different again, I see goblin’s sacrifice when he uses Eun Tak to pull the sword out as this kind of thing. At the time, Joong Hoon is roaming with the intention to cause disputes and choas, and also to kill both Eun Tak and Sunny. Goblin sacrificed himself by removing the sword, and therefore in the process made sure both his sister and his bride stayed safe from possible harm

~ (WYWS) Again its slightly different but I’d categorise it in the same way. When Hong Joo and Woo Tak were looking for Dae Hee after putting different pieces of evidence together. Woo Tak  gets stabbed and eventually gets badly beaten up, and after Hong Joo comes in to grab Cho Hee, he grabs Dae Hee’s legs, leading to him getting beaten up more, so they could get away safetly.

~ (LU) A similar thing happens that occurs in SWDBS, nearly identical. After Ruo Chen and Qin Yang had rescued the two Fan Fan’s from Yi Xiao’s father, Ruo Chen and Fan Fan embraced, for Yi Xiao’s father to then grab a knife and head to stab Fan Fan (as her back was to him) Ruo Chen noticed this and swung around to be stabbed himself, leaving himself in a poor condition for Fan Fan’s safety

~ (Doom At Your Service) This is another unusual one for many reason I will list. A criminal had faked being passed out and grabbed a scalpel from the back of the ambulance he was riding in and attempted to stab Doom (as he had got in his way numerous times). Dong Kyeong saw what was happening and swiftly turned around to block him getting stabbed. Before that could happen Doom grabbed the blade, so Dong Kyeong wouldn’t get stabbed either. Like what I talked about with Goblin, a similar situation also occurs here, where doom disappears so Dong Kyeong can survive and cure her cancer

4 -> Tragic backstories 

~ (W) Kang Cheol’s backstory is tragic, as a random hooded individual randomly kills his whole family, while years later he gets framed for

~ (SWDBS) It’s slightly different but I see Min Hyeok’s backstory as kind of tragic, having lost his mum and being bullied by his half sibling as he was growing up.

~ (GTLAGG) Eun Tak’s backstory is very tragic, as she grew up all her life seeing deceased people, but tragically lost her mum when she was 9. She was able to see her mum for the last time because of her ability to see the deceased but its tagic nonetheless. She then had to grow up getting abused by her aunt and cousins, and also being tracked down by a grim reaper.

~ (WYWS) Both main characters have a tragic backstory. Jae Chan got into a lot of trouble with his dad (the police chief) for a motorbike accident and faked report cards (though it was really Lee Yoo Beom’s doing). He then heard his dad apologise for being too harsh after the incident when his mum had kicked the two of them out. Jae Chan’s dad was later shot to death by a runaway soldier, as he tried to apprehend him. That runaway soldier then boarded the bus that Hong Joo’s dad was driving. Her dad sacrificed himself and saved his daughter and all of the other people on the bus by getting them off safely before the bus blew up. That soldier was the younger brother of investigator Choi, who felt guilty for not being supportive enough of his brother and because of the hurt his brother cause, attempted to kill himself. They all had a lot of trauma in their pasts

~ (P) Ha Myeong (Dal Po) had a very traumatic event happen to their family, where his father (the fire chief) was killed in an explosion where they were trying to put out a fire. They didn’t find his body for days later and the blame was put on his father for the whole incident, which put a lot of blame on his family and even led to his mum killing himself and trying to kill him with her, leading to him ending up in his adoptive family.

~ (LA) Kim Jojo had a very tragic backstory, where she only just escaped alive when her parents tried to kill the three of them in a suicide attempt. She constantly gets backlash for her dark past, which doesn’t make the trauma any easier to get over. 

~ (LU) I’m not entirely sure this counts because it’s very unclear what did or did not happen in this series but Fan Fan (pre time travel) had quite a traumatic past after her mum was involved in a fire when she was 12, and spent the next twelve years in a coma, where she was constantly struggling to find ways to pay for her hospital bills

[wearetakingthehobbitstogallifrey]

Thanks for the tag, @theamiableanachronism!  I really enjoyed this one!

rules: choose any 3 fandoms (in random order) and answer the questions. then tag some friends.

i choose: • Batfam • Scarlet Heart Ryeo • The Walking Dead

the first character you loved:

• Bruce Wayne and Alfred.  My first real intro to the Batfam and DC was Batman Begins, and I thought Bruce Wayne was the coolest, bravest guy ever.  And Alfred was THE BEST.  Kind, fatherly/grandfatherly, loyal, sarcasm lord

• Wang So.  Obviously.  Even before I had actually seen a single episode, because I heard he had a tragic story, and he was also as beautiful as an angel.  A dark, wounded angel, but an angel none the less.  When he stormed onto the scene and revealed himself to totally be a murder angst cupcake, as advertised, well, I was bewitched

• Dear sweet Glenn, who sasses the heck out of Rick while saving his butt.  Yeah, Glenn, the pizza delivery boy who was the bravest, most unselfish of them all.  Who became one of the most trusted leaders.  He could have turned and left Rick to die, no one would have known or cared, but he didn’t.  He helped out a stranger, and saved a heck ton of other people by that simple act.

the character you never expected to love so much:

• All the Robins, honestly.  Look, when I watched the Dark Knight trilogy, all I knew about Robin was from a clip or two I had seen of the old campy Batman show, and I kind of was glad a legit Robin never showed up in the films just because I thought it would be ridiculous.  I was SO wrong.  I had no idea.   I had no idea what dark, tragic, beautiful, light, funny, DEEP stories surrounded the MANY kids who would take up the Robin mantle

• Eun, I guess. I never hated him, but since he was always rather immature, it was easy to laugh at him and make fun of the things he did.  Then things happened, and while he remained naive in many ways, it was rather sweet and sad at the same time.  My dorky son deserved better

•Daryl Dixon.  Starts out seeming like a rough, angry, slightly racist redneck whose one redeeming quality is his concern for his even more messed up brother.  And then I realized how much of a softy he was underneath everything, how much he cared about Sophia, and how it destroyed him what happened to her.  I saw him connect with Carol, and befriend Rick and Glenn, and become Rick’s brother essentially, and be softened by Beth.  And as the seasons go on he becomes more badass, more caring, more indispensible to the group, and he loses the undesirable traits he picked up from his childhood.  We find out what his childhood was.  Daryl with Glenn is Rick’s right-hand man, and HE JUST CARES SO MUCH ABOUT EVERYTHING DON’T EVEN TRY TO DENY IT MAN

*I’m gonna cheat and add another person for TWD: Carl.  In the first season or two he is a little kid, kind of annoying at times, but boy does he grow up and mature.  It’s a terrible tragedy what he goes through, the things he sees and has to do that no kid should ever have to.  But he is so freaking strong, and he respects his dad so much, and I love his friendship with Michonne.  I love his concern for his little sister.  I love how he shoulders responsibility, how he does what he thinks is necessary, how he worries sometimes that he is becoming a monster too.  I FREAKING LOVE HOW HE WILL nOT PUT UP WITH NEGAN HE HAS NO EFFS TO GIVE FOR THE GUY HE IS TOO MAD AND HAS SEEN TOO MUCH

the character you relate to the most:

• Well, I can relate to Jason’s love for books, to Tim’s often more quiet and reserved nature.  However, I definitely relate to Dick Grayson the most.  He is more outgoing than me, more outspoken, but he has such great love for his friends and family.  The care for his little brothers (in canon and fanon) is something that particularly calls my attention.  You see, besides two older siblings, I have four younger brothers, and I have helped raise them, I have fought against them, fought with them, fought for them, laughed with them, and busted with pride over their accomplishments.  I have been the person who tried to organize them, to tease them, to keep the peace, to enforce the peace.  And maybe I am projecting but I just really see a lot of myself in Nightwing.  The man who hopes, the man who tries to bring light to the darkest of places, the man others trust to help them when they fall.  (I also just hold him in the deepest admiration and its a thing, I try to be a better and braver person so that if he were real I would be worthy of his friendship and respect...)

• A little bit Hae Soo, because I also would get increasingly frustrated by the culture at the time.  We also share a deep love with Wang So :)  Seriously though...maybe Baek Ah?  Because he is the quiet and introspective type, he suffers quietly, he listens and hears things and tries to help those who need it, he tries to bring the outcast brother back into the family.  He is a healer of sorts, a healer of the heart, and he loves little kids and everything beautiful.  He sees things.  

• Maybe this is me projecting again but Glenn?  Kinda small and nerdy, scared of a lot of things, but bravely keeps on trucking.  And slowly rises to being one of the most integral parts of the group.  A man who has strong morals and isn’t afraid to punch an ex-military man twice his size if that man gets between him and the people he loves

the character you’d slap:

• I’d say the Joker but honestly he deserves something more like a bullet to the head.  I would totally slap a lot of the writers who don’t know what character development means, and I would slap at least half the Batfam because sometimes they just don’t know how to communicate feelings properly.  And they frequently hurt each other even without meaning to.  After all of this, however, I would pull them all in for individual hugs.  Oh, I will also totally slap anyone who ever so much as tries to give Dick Grayson grief about the awful things that happened in the Blockbuster and Tarantula incident

• Wook.  UGH.  Also his sister and Queen Yoo.  The king, whatshisface.  Taejo?  also the little creep Won.  I would slap Yo but I would be afraid to mess up his eyeliner, which is on point at all times and is too wonderful to destroy

• Andrea.  I am so sorry but I could not stand that woman ever.  I rarely actively dislike a fictional person, and I apologize to fans of the comics, I realize that the show screwed over her character, but I despise Andrea with everything I’ve got.  Mostly because she runs around proclaiming how much better she is than everyone while at the same time making colossal mistakes.  And honestly her end was ridiculous.  If Glenn can take out a walker while beaten up and duct-taped to a chair, you can figure out how to pick up pliers with your feet

three favourite characters (in order of preference):

• Dick Grayson is the love of my life, and then I guess Bruce, Jason, Tim, and Damian are tied for second place, and then directly behind them are Barbara, Cass, and Steph (I need to read more comics and fics about them, and I am sure they will advance to make the second tier even more crowded).  Alfred is in a special category all on his own

• Wang So (love of my life), Bae(k) Ah, and I guess a tie with Hae Soo, Jung, Woo Hee, and Lady Oh

• Glenn is first in my heart now and forever, and Carl, Daryl, Carol, Michonne, Maggie, and Rick all hold second place.  I like a lot of the other characters, but I’m going to give third place to Tara, and she doesn’t have to share with anyone.  She is just that cool (also awkward and adorkable)

a character you liked at first but not anymore:

• I love every single member of the Batfam to with all my heart.  (The ones I am familiar with, don’t know much about Duke and Harper yet.)  To go beyond, to characters in the universe, well I won’t say I ever liked the Joker but I thought he was a really great bad guy, Batman’s ultimate foe, someone who should always be around throwing wrenches into things and whatnot.  This was after I had seen him in the The Dark Knight.  Then I started actually reading comics related things and HE KILLED JASON TODD.  MY SON.  NOW I DON’T CARE I WANT THE JOKER DEAD I WANT HIM DESTROYED, OBLITERATED, AND NEVER LOOKED BACK ON. 

• Wook. I thought he was occasionally sweet, if not exactly the strongest of persons.  And then I met his wife, who deserved SO MUCH BETTER.  And then Wook revealed himself to be a jealous little eggshell

• SHANE.  He’s kind of like The Walking Dead’s version of Scarlet Heart Ryeo’s Wook.  Originally a decent guy, a good friend, but when things go south, he gets selfish and self-centered and bad things happen.

a character you did not like at first but now do:

• No one really?  I think?  Unless you want to bring the show Gotham into this picture...which I don’t, because that would also make me want to write a book about my love for it and certain of its characters

• can’t think of anyone this applies to

• Hmm, I guess Herschel? He was kind of annoying with his whole “let’s round up walkers and take care of them in my barn.”  Then tragedy and a near death experience and eventually he winds up being the cool old grandpa

3 otp’s (in order of preference):

• I actually don’t have a strong preference as of yet...I kind of like BatCat, Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle.  I haven’t experienced much media with either pairing yet so I have read and enjoyed both DickBabs (I still say it should be Dabs) and DickKori.  Ooh I like Tim/Steph (is there a ship name for that?).  I ship Jason with happiness.  Actually I ship the whole Batfam with happiness and peace and a good night’s sleep.  I don’t ship Damian with anyone because he is just a bby birb :)

• SoSoo, Baek Ah x Woo Hee, Eun and Soon Duk (Deok?).  Also, So x Happiness/Peace/A Living Family Who Loves Him

• GLENN AND MAGGIE FOREVER.  TO INFINITY AND BEYOND.  Richonne is great and I definitely like Caryl.  (I shipped Bethyl just a little, once upon a dream.)

this was fun :) if any of y’all want to do this @itspileofgoodthings @thelonelybrilliance @nalavistahlia @blackaquokat @castieltaking-hobbits2gallifrey @camsthisky @abadpoetwithdreams @tabbyofwisdom ...I feel like there are other people I want to tag but it is way late (early) and my brain is dead forgive me if I left you out and please consider yourself tagged!

[thekoreanlass]

Suspicious Partner (수상한 파트너; Susanghan Pateuneo) is a 2017 South Korean television series starring Ji Chang-wook and Nam Ji-hyun, with Choi Tae-joon and Kwon Nara. It aired on SBS from May 10 to July 13, 2017 at 22:00 (KST) on Wednesdays and Thursdays for 40 episodes.

Back to Korean dramaland, after being lost at the awesomeness of Misaeng, I decided going back to legal dramas with a punch of rom-com and with the amount of K-dramas in my folders I had picked Suspicious Partner, especially considering my love, Ji Chang Wook is starring in it. You know him? That jaw-dropping handsomeness sent back down from heaven to satisfy your action-packed drama cravings. Yeah, that guy.

Anyway, I was excited when this drama came out because of him but didn’t just have the time to really watch, so now that I have the resources to binge watch dramas, I chose him as my next actor subject.

This is the first time I’m seeing Wook act in a less-action packed role in a series so it really made me curious how he was going to act in a less serious manner or whether it would fit him. Nonetheless, I’m pretty positive that he shone on this drama, too.

To have an in-depth read of the drama below are some details and my personal review.

The Cast:

Ji Chang-wook as Noh Ji-wook Nam Ji-hyun as Eun Bong-hee Choi Tae-joon as Ji Eun-hyuk Kwon Nara as Cha Yoo-jung

The Plot:

About Noh Ji-wook, a prosecutor and Eun Bong-hee, a prosecutor trainee and how they work together on a mysterious case involving a sly psychopath murderer.

Review:

The drama kicks off with the unexpected meeting of Eun Bong Hee and No Ji Wook in a train which led to a series of drama and bad blood when innocent Ji Wook was wrongly accused by Bong Hee of feeling up her bottom. Considering Bong Hee’s character, who is quirky, straight up blunt and playfully vengeful, it wouldn’t really be a wonder how much embarrassment this caused Prosecutor No afterwards (when in fact the culprit was another person who Bong Hee later meets at the prosecutor’s office with the same offense).

They separate ways after the incident at the train but things go downhill from there for Bong Hee, who later finds out her boyfriend Hee Jun is actually cheating on her and even sees him at a hotel together with another girl. They fight over it and Hee Jun being a jackass shamelessly confesses his faults but won’t really feel regretful about it, saying that Bong Hee is still the one he likes the most. Of course, hurt by the deed, Bong Hee tells him they will soon be even and that the first guy she bumps with is the person she’ll sleep with. That sounds pretty lame and at first I really prayed it wasn’t going to be Ji Wook, but Ji Wook who witnessed everything just had to act and save her day.

To his credit, because of his past experience with a cheating ex-girlfriend, Bong Hee gains his sympathy and they eventually ended up drinking together as if there is no tomorrow. And you know what sometimes happen after that, right? Yes, the deed. Bong Hee couldn’t exactly remember what happened to her and Ji Wook the night before, but she was so spooked by the fact she was at Ji Wook’s place and the possibility of her doing something unspeakable with Ji Wook made her really flustered she fled the scene like a mad woman.

Fast forward, a few months after their fateful meeting, Bong Hee finds herself suddenly the scapegoat to her and Hee Jun’s breakup. Hee Jun has been spreading the news while walking around with his arm around another girl, Ji Hye, the other party. This angers Bong Hee that as a little revenge, whenever she sees the two of them and feels like her blood is boiling at the prospect of seeing the two cheating people, she sang them an amusing curse song with every chance she got.

Then as their legal training approaches, Bong Hee begins working under the wing of a mentor in the Prosecution. It just so happen Prosecutor No Ji Wook is a notorious one and they really don’t get along after that first meeting–which didn’t really go well–that Bong Hee suffers under his supervision and gets what Ji Wook thought she deserves after all. They still don’t get along, but with the mood swings of their hate-hate relationship going on, Ji Wook finds himself helping her once more when she faces Hee Jun and Ji Hye one day, acting as her boyfriend despite her dirty self (Bong Hee doesn’t really take a lot of baths, hehe).

This is actually my most favorite line from No Ji Wook. Haha.

But in an expected twist of events, Bong Hee suddenly becomes the murder suspect to her ex=boyfriend Hee Jun. She is terrified and traumatized of seeing Hee Jun lying on the floor of her apartment in his own blood, but had done the right thing and called for help. Yet, she is locked up because Ji Hye insisted she has long wanted to kill Hee Jun (the karma of singing a curse song at your cheating ex-boyfriend).

Shaken by the traumatizing events, Bong Hee’s world turns upside down, yet in this situation she believes in one person only, Prosecutor No. He believes in justice so much that he has his own doubts about criminals always being the bad guy and that they should all be punished. This belief, however, is shaken by the disaster that struck Bong Hee.

  Ji Wook is convinced Bong Hee may be the murderer, but a part of him that has grown affection–somewhat–for Bong Hee told him otherwise that he seeks the help of his estranged best friend, Ji Eun Hyuk, who is a lawyer. Ji Wook has been constantly ignoring Eun Hyuk for what he has done in the past, but because deep down he knew he wanted to make sure that Bong Hee will have a fair fight in court that he still decided to call Eun Hyuk who was more than a decent lawyer.

In court, Ji Wook as a prosecutor acts unforgiving, but his resolve wavers and he unintentionally finds himself doing his best to look at every aspects of the crime to see whether Bong Hee is being truthful that she didn’t kill Hee Jun. In his search, he finds the fabricated evidence in Bong Hee’s tiny apartment and also finds the real evidence thrown somewhere by the real culprit. This shakes up Ji Wook even more and finds himself in doubt.

Yet, despite knowing the consequences of his actions, as he steps in court with Bong Hee on the defendant’s seat, he delivers his final speech, absolving Bong Hee from being the prime suspect to the murder of Hee Jun, who happens to be the District Attorney’s son.

Later, Ji Wook is remove from his position as prosecutor. He meets Bong Hee on his way out, who shyly confesses to him that she likes him. Ji Wook, however, considers meeting her bad luck and halfheartedly says for them not to meet again. Bong Hee is hurt but doesn’t give up easily. Since then, she watches him from afar; Ji Wook becoming her source of strength especially when life is tough.

Ji Wook joins CEO Byun’s lawfirm and becomes a lawyer who defends even bad people. He hates his job so much that he starts losing his passion and couldn’t really care less about his clients who often only gets away from their crimes because of money and power. It is so awful for him he can’t even stand the way how his co-workers look at him nor bothered to try and get to know them. His friends were reduced to the walls, his only companion minus Eun Hyuk, who he would rather ignore, and Mr. Byun, who he never listens to.

  Processed with MOLDIV

Coincidentally, Ji Wook sometimes meets Bong Hee out of nowhere or at court and though they do have a lot of trivial things to fight over with (and things for Bong Hee to get over with like her feelings for him), Ji Wook ends up offering his home to Bong Hee since she has been haunted by the real culprit to Hee Jun’s case. You see, for years, Bong Hee has tried searching for eye witnesses to free herself completely of the blame, and that is one of the first encounters she has with the killer; when the person actually left her a gift in her tiny office and a threat along with it not to find him.

Bong Hee is determined to find the culprit more than before after that and Ji Wook willingly offers his help this time, finally convinced Bong Hee isn’t really a bad person. He has grown quite an affection for her (even though he will not admit it) and somehow feels responsible for her even if Bong Hee wants nothing more from him since she has been blaming herself for stringing him along her own problem. Yet, Ji Wook firmly deflects all her attempts to shoo him away and eventually opens his own firm where they build a team soon solving cases and winning them.

They, of course, face trivial and complicated legal cases that lead them to know the mysterious Jung Hyun Soo, who will be the very most important key in resolving Bong Hee’s old murder case.

  Satisfactory

As a personal thought, I must say that the drama is satisfactory. I mean, my point is that I really thought it will pay more attention to the legal aspects while being a rom-com, but sometimes I feel like it lacks some fire to the legal aspect of things. I am obviously looking for more spice, but I guess the story is more leaned towards the fluffy side of things. Considering that there are so many issues at hand–Ji Wook and Bong Hee’s love story topping the list, Bong Hee’s hatred towards Ji Hye, their mothers’ rivalry, Ji Wook’s dead parents, Bong Hee’s dad who became the scapegoat to a crime, Ji Wook’s mistrust towards Yoo Jung and Eun Hyuk, the killings, the search for Hee Jun’s killer, their groundless suspicion towards Hyun Soo, etc.–I think, though, that this is what is best for the drama. Not focusing on one thing would have made it kind of directionless or straying away from the main point. Plus, I am saying this after watching a couple of legal dramas in the past which made it a bit more on edge and yet was still able to pull off the romance equally.

Anyway, now that I feel like I am starting to name some of the cons regarding Suspicious Partner, I want to say I am a bit skeptical about the part when Ji Wook is still able to prosecute Jung Hyun Soo at court even though they already have bad history before that. I mean, a thought-through legal drama would have excluded Ji Wook from the case to avoid biased judgement and all. Get the point? Another thing is that I didn’t get to see either Ji Wook or Mr. Bang or Bong Hee testify even though they had past encounters which can help prove Hyun Soo guilty. It would have been nice to actually see them try and testify in court. I would have also loved if Ji Hye ends up finding someone, considering that lovebirds flock around her constantly. That poor thing. I really hated her at first, but the drama made me discover she isn’t that bad of a bitch. Plus, I would have really loved, too, if there was more bromance between Ji Wook and Eun Hyuk (this time without Ji Wook forever rejecting Hyuk’s love for him) and also more screen time for the mothers who constantly bickered and bragged about their sons and daughters, also it would have been great if the girls were able to hangout more as friends, because having them drunk is probably one of the most hilarious things in the drama.

  Nonetheless, I must say that these shortcomings and hopes are foreshadowed by the compelling plot, of the unexpected twists (referencing especially to when Ji Wook revealed Hyun Soo was one of the seven violators in the Park So Young case though he went on a killing spree because he wants to avenge her), of the absolutely wonderful acting of the actors, protagonists and villain alike, and just like the impression I had about Misaeng, I am pleased how the characters are portrayed by the writer–how they aren’t just bad or just good, but rather both. They are characters with mind, heart and soul.

The exploration on traumas and what it can do to the human mind also leaves a lasting impression on me. Like how it made Ji Wook forget what really happened to his parents and who really the culprit was. Or like how Hyun Soo had a self-inflicted dissociative amnesia because apparently although he did nothing to hurt So Young (who he had a crush on at that time), he was there among his friends, watching helplessly while they violated her. He has separated himself from the crime out of guilt and decided the only way to free himself of the guilt is begin a killing spree, which hurt a lot more people than he intended to. This idea has made more depth to the story and contributed a lot to the growth of the characters while struggling.

Plus, considering it’s a legal drama (I love this genre the most nowadays) altogether with an equal amount of romance, sarcastic humor and cuteness overload, I am somehow okay with how it came to be. How it’s serious and then not. How justice is served despite of some misses in judgement. How it’s so chaotic at first and then how normal and promising the end and future was.

Characters

I had my own doubts about Nam Jihyun to be honest. I was only able to watch her as a mini Goo Hye Sun in the drama Angel Eyes so I didn’t know what to expect of her as Eun Bong Hee. I even thought her acting at the beginning of the drama was exaggerating, but may be it was just the character acting.

  And I didn’t really find her attractive during that point I had my doubts at her. I felt like she wouldn’t really shine on her own alongside Ji Chang Wook, but Nam Ji Hyun has proven otherwise. Throughout the drama she has shown her cute, crazy and sassy charms. She channeled Eun Bong Hee so well that you won’t think she’s still the actress Nam Ji Hyun but instead her character in the story. Eun Bong Hee who is compassionate, who seeks for the truth, who is patient, forgiving and sometimes a little vengeful in her crazy way. She grew so much from the mundane mentee to a beautiful woman, if you look a little longer, inside and out.

On the other hand, although this is quite a step away from his K2 character in the past, Ji Chang Wook clearly shone as the grumpy No Ji Wook as well. This prosecutor-slash-lawyer is like a pouting little boy who has rare to no tendency of getting really furious, except on occasions when everyone is much like a child at meetings or when it involves Jung Hyun Soo. He came off as someone grumpy and serious in the beginning, but breaking his walls let us see his million dollar smiles and that handsome staring look. That even if he did nothing, you would still die in gooey puddles of joy just seeing him.

Of course, No Ji Wook’s character didn’t do much on physical fights, which I think Ji Chang Wook’s image really fits quite well with, but a smart mouth Wook is nonetheless charming, After seeing this, I can’t help but look forward for his next project after his enlistment has finished.

Choi Tae Joon as Ji Eun Hyuk is quite a revelation to me. It’s the first time I’m seeing him act, but I must say he did a good job being the patient best friend, who waited for Ji Wook to accept him back even though he committed a mistake that caused a huge rift to their friendship.

He appears as a bubbly Eun Hyuk who always jokes around even if Ji Wook resorts to manhandling him.  Yet, his mask breaks as Bong Hee realizes his bubbly character is just a front to conceal his true feelings.

It is when he joins Ji Wook’s law firm that I got to know him better; how loyal, sincere and regretful he was of even thinking something could happen with him and Yoo Jung in the past. I know it’s quite a torture whenever he tries to ignore Yoo Jung later on in the story–which I think are honestly all failed attempts–but I like that he respects Ji Wook and their friendship so much that he can sacrifice his love for his sake. Truly, Eun Hyuk is a lovable side character that you don’t need to worry about having a potential love triangle with.

Kwon Nara as Cha Yoo Jung. At first I am shocked to know that this woman is actually part of the idol group Hello Venus. You may know her if you are a fan and according to wikipedia she at least already have her own share of exposures in front of the camera, but this is the first time I am seeing her act, so generally as a fan of K-pop I am proud to see that she does well on one of her major roles in the small screen.

Anyway, Yoo Jung, in the beginning, actually intimidated me. Considering she beat up punks and almost handled it all by herself if Bong Hee didn’t just roundhouse-kicked one of them, she just appears as the jack of all trades ex-girlfriend who will probably turn out a bitch and keep our lovers on their toes.

But as I got to know her, especially in front of her junior–Ji Hye, her tough exterior started to crumble and what was only left was a broken girl who regretted ever cheating on her boyfriend and is pathetically wanting to get back with him. Unfortunately, all her attempts of getting back with him were dodged and she learned to compromise as professionally as she could; and that’s why I didn’t hate her.

Of course, the story won’t be complete without the amazing side characters we came to love and know.

Like Mr. Bang who believed in Ji Wook no matter what and is amazing in doing field investigations.

Then there’s old man Mr. Byun who always opens random topics at the most important meetings, hates Ms. Lack of Evidence so much he just calls her that, but then is just as a funny softy who cared for Ji Wook like a real father and can’t get away with a ‘sorry’ when it comes to his wife.

There’s also the love-hate relationship of Bong Hee and Ji Wook’s moms that constantly bickered you can mistaken it for them obsessing over each other. Haha.

Let’s not forget the DA who made life a living hell for most of the characters. For making Bong Hee’s father his scapegoat. For allowing So Young’s violators to be free. And for trying to make Bong Hee the culprit to his son’s death. Although he’s probably the most hateful character in this drama, you’ll see the father side of him, who only wanted nothing but justice for his son and stability to his position, though that seems very selfish.

Here is a special mention in my list, Dong Ha as Jung Hyun Soo. I must say that this cunning character has had me on my toes all the time. The funny thing is how convincing Hyun Soo was in the beginning that he was innocent though–like the protagonists–I have a gut feeling that he’s bad news. He just acts so well that he can probably con you into believing him if we weren’t just allowed to see the possibility of him killing those guys.

I must say that what made me not hate him, though I should for stabbing Mr. Bang and No Ji Wook, was how his emotions were played. We are let into his conscience and see how he likes So Young so much that you would even doubt Ji Wook when he revealed Hyun Soo was one of the seven violators. We were shown of his dedication towards her that it felt confusing and seeing him enraged because he thought what he was being accused of was such blasphemy that it throws us off guard and somehow begins to sympathize with his character at a certain point.

Nonetheless, he is the first-ever villain I didn’t think of strangling, so that’s saying something for sure.

Chemistry

The chemistry is there, clearly visible and on point; and I think that I didn’t have any feeling of jealousy towards Bong Hee whenever they are together, though Ji Chang Wook is someone I admire. I mean, this says something, which translates to me not hating Nam Ji Hyun for being Bong Hee because she wasn’t being so annoying. In fact, I came to love their chem that I enjoyed the push and pull romance so much. You will think that every kisses and sweet moments they shared were so genuine you’d wonder about how they are like together in reality.

You know what I mean?

Over all

I got hooked by the story and the characters that I couldn’t get it off my mind, then I am satisfied. And though It isn’t the kind of drama that will probably leave a deep impression to the point you will probably think of it even before you sleep and can’t get over the characters to the point you’ll demand a second season, still I think the drama sufficed. It left a few questions but at least didn’t drag on and left a very normal conclusion that you’ll love it. I mean, they showed the reality and truth about things, how love can sometimes tire you after things start getting better from its disastrous past, problems will arise, but at the end of the day is quite how endings should be. This is refreshing compared to the typical open endings or exaggerated ones.

Rating it, I’ll give a 3.8 out of 5.

Credits: (1) (2)

Review: Suspicious Partner – Romance, Comedy and Thriller in One Suspicious Partner (수상한 파트너; Susanghan Pateuneo) is a 2017 South Korean television series starring Ji Chang-wook and Nam Ji-hyun, with Choi Tae-joon and Kwon Nara.

[dayswithsofia]

Review: Goblin

In the middle of Grey’s Anatomy Season 13, I realized I have been watching American TV shows and movies too much. I figured I needed a break from them, so I retreated to my usual Korean dramas.

I’m new to reviewing Kdramas, so please bear with me if it’s poorly written (I hope it’s not)!

Drama title: Goblin

Main cast: Gong Yoo (Goblin/Kim Shin) / Kim Go Eun (Ji Eun Tak) / Lee Dong Wook (Grim Reaper) / Yoo In Na (Sunny) / Yook Sung Jae (Lee Deok Hwa)

Plot: Kim Shin is a Goblin who is cursed with immortality and uses his powers to help others. He lives together with a Grim Reaper who has amnesia and can't remember his past. To end his immortality, Shin must search for a human bride who can pull out the sword in his chest and return him to ashes. He meets Ji Eun Tak, a high school student who, despite her painful reality, remains optimistic and ends up falling in love for the Goblin.

It took me almost a year to finally watch "Goblin" even when my friends always talk about it when we text! Maybe it’s because I'm in a different country now, and I have no friends here who watch these types of shows.

I finished this 16-episode show in THREE days. I was so hooked and so curious as to how it will end. Of course, I had my theories:

a) Eun Tak is not the Goblin's bride, but Shin falls for her anyway. b) Eun Tak will pull out the sword, but Shin will not turn into ashes; he's going to become mortal and die eventually. c) When Kim Shin turns into ashes, he will be reincarnated; Eun Tak will fall for his reincarnation.

And of course too, my theories were wrong. “Goblin” was so unpredictable and so heartbreakingly beautiful.

What I love most about "Goblin" is that it’s actually educational. It may be a love story, but there are lots of mind-blowing context to it!! Kim Shin's past life and his becoming of a goblin was explained really clearly. I'm not a fan of historic plots; I like it when the setting and time are modern, so I really appreciated this.

And Eun Tak (Kim Go Eun) was so cute too!! She's a senior, but her naivety was not annoying. The last time I saw her was in "Cheese in the Trap" (2016), and I LOVED that drama too, so I’m really proud of her latest appearance. Kudos!!

Kim Go Eun as Hong Seol in “Cheese in the Trap”

Also, Shin and Eun Tak really looked cute together. To be honest, I found the age gap kind of awkward at first, but DAMN they proved me wrong. T___T It’s like the Goblin’s bride brought out the best in him, and she brought color to his long life. I cried SO hard in the last few episodes, not to mention the last one! Kim Shin really loved his bride, and I'm touched every time he protected her. I also love it when they kiss!! UGHHH THERE'S SO MUCH FEELS AND I CAN'T CONTAIN THEM ANYMORE.

And how could I forget the second leads? The Grim Reaper (he collects the dead and leads them to their afterlife) and Sunny were sweet, yet so heartbreaking at the same time. :( It always ached to watch how they longed for each other, but they can't be together. It's so frustrating UGHHH.

Lastly, I LOVED the aesthetics and the cinematography of the drama!! I always adored Korean fashion, and "Goblin" did a good job on that!!

And their soundtrack? I promise it's the best!!! ♡ - Full OST - Stay With Me - Beautiful Life - Round and Round - Who Are You - Winter Is Coming

The only thing I didn't like (and it's major) is the fact that Eun Tak had to die when everything was going well already. Like dude, this isn't some kind of play. T___T Kim Shin has suffered enough, unless y'all think 938 years isn't. It's true that those children would have died if it weren't for her, but damn, whoever thought of this scene is nuts!! Nobody will want those children to die, but nobody will want Eun Tak to die either!! Hahahahaha. :( I wish I had seen what their family and their babies would have looked like!! It's so sad. :(

Somebody make this series a special episode!!!

Overall, this drama captured my heart from beginning to the end. A bittersweet love story between two people from different worlds and ages, "Goblin" is a must-see to people who love Korean dramas.

Rating: 4.7/5 ♡

See you in my next review!