Best Romantic Historical Korean Dramas (Pt 2 of 2)

Hope you were pleased with the recommendation in Part 1.  Here's the second half of the list.  Enjoy!

Healing Crystal Natural Rose Stone Heart

(6) Mr. Queen (2020)
A chef from modern-day Seoul falls off a hotel balcony and into a pool. When he comes out of the water, he is in the body of a queen during the Joseon Era. It seems that at that moment a few hundred years ago, she had jumped into a lake because she was trying to commit suicide. Somehow his soul entered her body. He was in shock when he looked in the mirror and in even more shock when he realized he had to sleep with the king! His first thought was how to avoid the king's bed until he noticed the king didn't seem to be interested in him … uuuhh? … her. So then he turned his focus on how to get back to his time period and back in his own body.

Meanwhile … he had to learn to live as the queen, which meant he was drawn into all of the palace scheming, conniving, corruption, and treachery. He had to learn the queen's friends and her enemies, and how to get along with her father. The fun part of this time-travel/body-swap misadventure was using his chef skills to prepare dishes and win over the king’s enemies. Even though the chef's identity and personality remain in her body, the queen’s identity and personality gradually become dominant.

The chef's memories get replaced with the queen's memories and the reason she tried to commit suicide became clear. But by that time, the romance between the king and the queen develops because the king also understands her reason. The king was mistaken about her true intention and her love for him. He believed she was part of her family's corrupt plan for power. The queen learned the tragic story of the king's childhood and that her father had knowledge of how his family died. They became closer to each other and fell in love. Their love story is beautiful and triumphant. Best time travel romantic comedy ever!! [Where to Watch]

TRAILER: Global, CJ ENM. “Mr. Queen.” YouTube, Video, 12 Dec. 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1vplUsGDoI.

(7) Lovers of the Red Sky (2021)

Hong Cheong-Gi is the main female character and also the name of a real historical figure who was the only female painter accepted into the Korean Royal Academy of Painting during the Joseon era. The leading male character is Ha Ram. She is the divine painter and he is a divine astrologer. They first meet as children; she is born blind and he is a child with special power. The children get separated because Ha Ram is chosen to participate in a rain ritual. On the day he performs the ritual, he loses his eyesight and is possessed by a demon. At the same exact time, the blind girl gains her eyesight. When they grow up, they meet again, and their bond of friendship is renewed and matures into romantic love. However, their love and lives are endangered because they are caught up in two webs: the political power games in the human world AND the eternal power struggle of good versus evil in the spirit world. This Viki Original series is a delightful historical fantasy romance. [Where to Watch]

(8) Poong, the Joseon Psychiatrist (2022)
A royal physician who works in the palace and is called upon to treat members of the royal family has such extraordinary medical skills, he is given the title “Divine Acupuncturist”. But others hatched a plan to murder the king and frame him. He is not aware that performing acupuncture would cause the king's death. Consequently, he is accused of murder and thrown into prison. The murderers hoped he would receive the death penalty and their crime would be hidden. But the crown prince set him free because he believed he was innocent and that he was also the only one who could prove who had murdered the king.

He went from working as a royal physician to working in a village hospital. But he was so traumatized that he could no longer perform acupuncture. He met a young woman and trained her to be an acupuncturist. When she first saw him she had to talk him out of committing suicide. When he met her again, she a trying to commit suicide. Not only did he have to treat her “heart”, he uncovered that she was a victim. Her mother-in-law was trying to convince her to commit suicide so her family would receive the Virtuous Widow Honor.

The royal physician who was no longer able to perform acupuncture started a new life and developed a new skill. The physician changed the way he treated patients by diagnosing both their physical sickness and determining how to heal their troubled minds. He became a “heart doctor” and he also fell in love. This K-drama has 2 seasons. [Where to Watch]

TRAILER: Global, CJ ENM. “Poong, the Joseon Psychiatrist.” CJ ENM - YouTube, 18 Aug. 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qc2Nr-1AYBc.

(9) The Secret Romantic Guesthouse (2023)

The daughter of a nobleman owns a guesthouse left to her by her father. In addition to being a guesthouse, there are also secrets and romance. There are three flower scholars are her guests.

• One is already paying for a room before the other two guests arrive. He hopes to win the heart of the owner.

• The second guest came to town to take the civil service exam for martial arts and hopes to become a member of the king's royal guard.

• The third guest has no money but he did try to help a damsel in distress. Since the damsel is the owner of the guesthouse, he arrives there and tells her she should repay the debt by allowing him to stay there.

Two of the scholars have a secret identity and are on a secret mission. The owner also has a secret and tells all of the guests they are not allowed to go near the guestroom located at the back. It's haunted.

When the owner was a young girl, she protected a young boy who ran into her yard and hid in the dog house. That boy was the crown prince but he did not tell her his true identity. Thirteen years passed and one of the guests is that prince and he' gong to fall in love with him. This is a Viki Original series. [Where to Watch]

(10) Missing Crown Prince (2024)

A royal physician was told that if his daughter married the crown prince, he would die young and she would become a widow. His plan is for his daughter to become the future crown princess so he kidnaps the crown prince. They are both drugged and spend the night together, lying side by side, technically making them a married couple. He further plans to eliminate that crown prince and replace him with another crown prince and get him to marry his daughter.

Before he was kidnapped the crown prince was investigating her father. He had information that proved he was having a secret affair with the Queen Dowager and might be responsible for the death of a court maid assigned to the queen dowager's palace.

The best laid plan usually doesn't work out. The daughter wakes up and helps the prince escape not knowing who he is. He also does not know that she is the daughter of the royal physician he was investigating. The other prince the father had hoped his daughter would marry was very close to the crown prince. They grew up together and had a strong bond. But that strong bond might be broken because both of them fell in love with the royal physician's daughter. This K-drama series is a spin-off of “Bossam: Steal the Fate”, another Viki Original which was released in 2021. This is a Viki Original series. [Where to Watch]

Original source

Best Romantic Historical Korean Dramas (Pt 1 of 2)

Need some recommendations for binge-watching historical romantic Korean drama?  Here is a 2-part list.

Heart Sticky Notes

(1) Dong Yi (2010)
A true story: a real-life love story between Dong Yi and King Sukjong. A concubine with a heart of gold, who suggested to the king that there be a law preventing a concubine from becoming queen (according to the TV series). She saw and experienced the cruelty of the “palace flowers” toward each other and the lengths they went to trying to eliminate their “competition”. In the actual history of Joseon, the strict Confucian social hierarchy and the established court protocols did make it difficult for concubines to rise to the status of queen consort. Dong Yi, who was the king's favorite concubine, was elevated to the status of Royal Noble Consort Suk-bin and became the mother of King Yeongjo. [Where to Watch]

(2) Shine or Go Crazy (2015)

Set during the period BEFORE the Joseon Era when the country was called Goryeo. Wang So is the Prince of Goryeo who is kicked out of the palace because they believed he is cursed. When his future was read, it was determined that he was born with both a light and fire, meaning he will either shine bright like a star OR he'll be a crazy man. Shin Yool is a princess from Balhae who survived her country's destruction and is included in a prophecy concerning Wang So. The prophecy said she would help a prince of Goryeo ascend to the throne and become king. They met each other in a most unusual way. They were both in a foreign country and she was trying to escape an arranged marriage.

Wang So was a random man she saw on the street and she persuaded him to participate in a fake marriage. When they met she was living as a successful businesswoman. She didn't know he was a prince and he didn't know she was a princess. Separately, he returned to Goryeo and she came to Goryeo later to do business. She recognizes him when she sees him but he didn't recognize her. This time, not only did he not know she was a princess; he didn't even know she was a woman. Shin Yool disguised herself as a man because her gender would prevent her from doing business in Goryeo. They met again and would fall in love, neither realizing that their relationship a part of a prophecy. “Shine or Go Crazy” is based on a novel of the same name. [Where to Watch]

(3) 100 Days My Prince (2018)
Yul is a young prince befriends Yi Seo, a nobleman's daughter and told her that he would marry her when they grew up. Unfortunately, his weak-minded and wicked father authorized the slaughter of her family because they were preventing him from ascending to the throne. He bravely helped her and her brother escape. His father became king and he became the crown prince who forced into a loveless marriage because his father-in-law wanted more power. His father-in-law even tried to assassinate him because the crown prince was simply getting in the way of his power plays. The assassination attempt failed but in the process Yul lost his memories.

Yi Seo had been adopted and raised by a loyal servant from her father; household. There was a royal command that all of the spinsters in the villages had to be married. Since her father knew that Yul had amnesia, he told him that he a his daughter's fiancé and they were to be married. Yi Seo was about to be flogged for disobeying the royal command. Just like that! Yul had inadvertently married his first love, the young girl he had promised to marry. Only they did not recognize each other. This series is based on a webtoon. [Where to Watch]

TRAILER: TV, Viki Global. “100 DAYS MY PRINCE - OFFICIAL TRAILER.” YouTube, Video, 26 Nov. 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LxsJGR7DgU.

(4) Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung (2019)
During the Joseon era, women were very limited in activities they could engage in freely. Goo Hae-ryung's older brother who raised her had decided that it was time for her to marry. He had out it off long enough. At the same time, the king decided to authorize the hiring of female historians. It was a first! There had never been female historians but there was a critical need. It was not to ensure that history was properly recorded. It was a way for the king and his corrupt officials to be able to gain access to the areas in the palace where only women could go.

The king and one of his corrupt court officials wanted to snoop on the queen, the queen dowager, the crown princess, the concubines, and any and all women in the palace. They wanted a record of people who met with the “flowers in the palace” and what they discussed. Hiring female historians was the perfect solution to “their problem”. Goo Hae-ryung believed being hired as a female historian was the perfect solution to “her problem”, i.e. avoiding an arranged marriage and remaining independent free-spirited woman. She passed the test and became a part of the group of the first female historians in Joseon. Once inside the palace she met and fell in love with a prince. Their romantic relationship hit a few roadblocks. There was no way to avoid the palace intrigue and treacherous schemes. They had to find a way to overcome them. [Where to Watch]

TRAILER: K-Content, Netflix. “Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung.” YouTube, Video, 8 July 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqaGhUJ9Vgs.  

(5) The Tale of Nok Du (2019)

Nok Du is a prince who thought he was a commoner because his adopted father kept his true identity a secret from him. Why? Because his own father, the king, tried to kill him to thwart a shaman's prediction of his future. Nok Du was content to be a commoner. He had a happy home with his father and brother on a beautiful island with friendly villagers. But one day female assassins showed up at his house. He overpowered them so they tried to escape. Nok Du chased after them and he was relentless in his pursuit. He followed the assassin into a widows' village and … they beat him up and kicked him out!

Nok Du needed to know why assassins showed up at his home and he knew the assassin was in that village. There was only one way to get inside that village. He dressed up like a woman and pretended to be a widow. In the village, he met a young woman, Dong Dong Ju, who dressed up like a man whenever she left the community. Dong Dong Ju was not a widow, but the head of the village allowed her to stay there. It was a safe haven for her because members of her noble family had been killed. Dong Dong Ju was on a mission of revenge. She planned to kill the man responsible for the death of her family members, i.e. king, Nok Du's father. They end up sharing a room together in the village, and she learns he is a man. They fall in love but it's gets complicated. [Where to Watch]

Original source

Historical Period Korean Drama: "Queen for Seven Days" (2017) ~ For Fans of Park Min Young

"Queen for Seven Days" is a Korean drama series released in 2017, with 20 episodes, categorized as Romance, historical period, sageuk, costume and period; and streaming on Viki. It is based on a true Joseon queen who only lasted on the throne for literally 7 days. 

• SUMMARY: A dramatization of the life of Queen Dangyeong. TRUE STORY: Shin Chae-kyung became Queen Dangyeong. She married Grand Prince Jinseong. In 1506, when Prince Jinseong ascended to the throne, he became King Jungjong and Shin Chae-kyung became the queen. Just seven days later, she was deposed and expelled from the palace. Her father, Shin Su-geun, was implicated in a coup against King Jungjong, which led to her deposition. She remained deposed until her death in 1557. Her title was posthumously restored, i.e. she was honored with the title of Queen after her death.

♦ Based on the True Story of Queen Dangyeong

In “Queen for Seven Days”, Shin Chae-kyung is the daughter of the king's most trusted official. That official is also a relative of the queen and is well-connected in many ways. Even so, he did his best to hide his daughter in the countryside and she doesn't know why. She thinks her parents are ashamed of her. However, her parents were told a prophecy. If their daughter married into the royal family, there would be a bloodbath. Her mother and father believed that. (Although, truth be told, during the Joseon Era, weren't there always bloodbaths in the royal family?) Nevertheless, Shin Chae-kyung overheard servants talking and saw that an important document was supposed to be delivered to her father. She stole the document, dressed up like a young boy, and traveled from the countryside to Hangyang to visit her family's home. It would be a surprise! Surprise? More like a SHOCK!

Before she finally reached her home, she had a few misadventures.

• First, she accidentally met Grand Prince Jinseong, the boy who would become her husband and would also become the king and she would be his queen. Having never been to Hangyang or the palace, she was clueless and thought he was just a rude child of a nobleman who acted like a gangster.

• Second, that important document that she was carrying to give to her father was stolen by a pickpocket. She wrongfully accused the grand prince of stealing it. That misunderstanding led to more misunderstandings.

• Third, she thought she was chasing after the grand prince but crossed paths with the current king, the older brother of the grand prince instead. Once again, she was clueless, not realizing that she was interacting with her future brother-in-law.

By the time she finally reached her home, her mother and father were meeting with the royal family, discussing her marriage to the grand prince. She was standing outside the door and could hear her parents making all kinds of excuses about why she was not a suitable match. The grand prince noticed that someone was eavesdropping and when he pushed the door open, she fell down. Her parents were shocked and yelled out her name in the form of a question. “Chae-kyung????“ It was their turn to be clueless. What was their daughter doing in Hangyang? That was their question. Her question was why were her parents saying such terrible things about her? She was a suitable match for the grand prince and she was going to prove it!

Shin Chae-kyung had no idea about the prophecy. She also had no idea that the document she was bringing to her father was the “secret order” of the late king. It was that king's will that the grand prince ascend to the throne. Grand Prince Jinseong was also clueless about these matters. They were both innocents who had unintentionally walked directly into a fire, a hotbed of treachery and treason, and a bloodbath. They would eventually marry but Shin Chae-kyung would not survive?

• If only that young innocent girl had remained hidden in the countryside and/or her parents had told her about the prophecy.

• More importantly, if only the Joseon noblemen, government and court officials, and the royal family didn't always engage in politics based on treachery and treason!

Would her history have been different? We will never know.

Main Characters:

• Shin Chae-Kyung (played by Park Min-Young)

• Lee Yeok (played by Yeon Woo-Jin)

• Lee Yoong (played by Lee Dong-Gun)

Where to Watch

Viewership and Rating:

• IMDb: 7.6 out of 10 stars

• My Drama List: 8.2 out of 10 stars

• Dramabeans: 9.3 out of 10 stars

• Google users shared a rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars

• Viki viewers have rated this series 9.3 out of 10 stars

Park Min Young has had a loyal following ever since “Healer” but “Marry My Huband” made her even more popular. Fans may want to visit or revisit some of her earlier work like “Queen for Seven Days”.

LINKS OF INTEREST:

FirstImpressions: “Queen For 7 Days” Delivers Sweet Puppy Love AndIntense Family Drama | Soompi

Queenfor Seven Days Korean Drama Review | Kdrama Kisses

SevenDay Queen Finale Review | I Dreamed A Drama

K-Drama Review: "Queen For Seven Days" Reigns With Emotional Love Picture & Standout Portrayals | Hello KPop

5 K-Dramas to Watch If You Enjoyed ‘Marry My Husband’

♦

“Queen for Seven Days” is Available on DVD

♦ (Original source)

Five (5) Popcorn-Worthy 'BAD' Korean Dramas

Check out this list of Korean dramas with the word “Bad” or “Bad” in the titles, available on popular streaming platforms in the USA.

Pass the popcorn, please!

 ♦ (1) Bad Guys (2014)

Watch Bad Guys (2014) Online for Free | The Roku Channel | Roku

Main Characters:

• Oh Goo-Tak (played by Kim Sang-Joong)

• Park Woong-Cheol (played by Ma Dong-Seok)

• Lee Jung-Moon (played by Park Hae-Jin)

• Jung Tae-Soo (played by Jo Dong-Hyuk)

• Yoo Mi-Young (played by Gang Ye-Won)

Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller, Police Procedural

PLOT: Who better to fight bad guys than bad guys? In the classic American war movie “The Dirty Dozen”, the military decides to send a dozen criminals into enemy territory to fight for their country. They had particular skill sets that were useful and the military just needed to train them to be soldiers. This Korean drama has a similar storyline. A police detective lost his daughter to a murderer. He was suspended from his job for using excessive force to apprehend suspects. But then he was called back to work because one of his superiors also lost his son to a murderer. Violent crimes are on the rise, so the police detective forms a crime team made up of criminals to catch criminals. One is a contract killer and the other is a serial killer. Their work will result in reduced sentences and possibly their freedom. But will this really work?  

WATCH TRAILER

♦ (2) Bad Guys: Vile City (2017)

(NOTE: This is “Bad Guys 2.)

Available on Apple TV+

Main Characters:

• Woo Je-Moon (played by Park Joong-Hoon)

• Jo Young-Kook (played by Kim Hong-Fa)

• Heo Il-Hoo (played by Joo Jin-Mo)

• Jang Sung-Cheol (played by Yang Ik-June)

• No Jin-Pyeong (played by Kim Moo-Yul)

• Han Gang-Joo (played by Ji Soo)

Genre: Mystery, Action, Crime, Thriller, Police Procedural, Political

PLOT: The bad guys keep fighting the bad guys in this Korean drama series sequel. It has the same theme as Season 1. This time a crusading prosecutor and a detective work together and go after a crime lord. The investigative team includes a serial killer, an assassin and a mobster with a personal vendetta. The crime lord has managed to evade capture because there are those on “the inside” who work for him. Battling organized crime is hard enough but it's extra hard when you have to fight institutional corruption. But no matter, because for the team, it's just another day at work.

WATCH TRAILER

♦ (3) The Bad Guys: Reign of Chaos (2019)

(NOTE: This is a movie. The series “Bad Guys”, released in 2014 is the prequel.)

Available on Apple TV+

Main Characters:

• No Sang-Sik (played by Jo Young-Jin)

• Detective So Oh Goo-Tak (played by Kim Sang-Joong)

• Park Woong-Cheol (played by Ma Dong-Seok)

• Kwak No-Soon (played by Kim A-Joong)

• Ko Yoo-Sung (played by Jang Ki-Yong)

Genre: Crime and Action

PLOT: While prisoners are being transported, the vehicle is attacked by ruthless assassins, in order to free a former Korean gang boss, who works with the yakuza. A crime investigative unit is tasked with capturing the escaped prisoners, especially the former gang boss. The unit includes certain criminals who are promised reduced sentences if they succeed. Some in law enforcement are aligned with the yakuza leader and they interfere with the mission and even betray their fellow officers. But the crime investigation team never wavers. They know what their mission is and they aim to catch the escaped prisoners and put them back behind bars.

WATCH TRALER

♦ (4) Bad and Crazy (2021-2022)

Netflix USA started streaming the series on November 28, 2022.

Main Characters:

• Ryu Soo-Yeol (played by Lee Dong-Wook)

• Alternate Personality named K (played by Wi Ha-Joon)

Genre: Police Procedural, Legal Drama, Medical Drama, Action, Comedy

PLOT: A young man has a split personality. He suffers from multiple personality disorder, also referred to as dissociative identity disorder (DID). It's not that he's “bad” or “crazy”. He just wants career advancement in the law enforcement agency he works for and figures the best way to get a promotion is to overlook or cover up crimes that have been committed. All he has to do is neatly wrap things up, close the cases, and file them away. However, his alternate personality known as “K” pricks his ethical and moral conscience and makes him do the right thing. In other words, his alter ego is a justice-seeking HERO!

WATCH TRAILER

♦ (5) Bad Prosecutor (2022)

Viki viewers rated this series 9.5 out of 10 stars

Main Characters:

• Jin Jung (played by Do Kyung-Soo)

• Shin A-Ra (played by Lee Se-Hee)

• Oh Do-Hwan (played by Ha-Joon)

Genre: Legal Drama, Action

PLOT: A young boy who witnesses many things that were unjust decides that when he grows up he will wield a sword of justice just like the swordfighters in video games. However, as an adult, he realized the fight against injustice was rigged by people with wealth and power, in their favor. The “sword of justice” he planned to use would not be effective in eliminating crime and corruption. He was hired as a prosecutor and assigned to the Central District Prosecutors' Office Criminal Division 3. Some of the prosecutors he worked with were as corrupt as the bad guys on the outside. They abused their positions of public trust and covered up crimes. Going by the book was not only time-consuming, but those standard processes and procedures usually did not work. Because his work methods were different from his fellow prosecutors and he didn't follow the “rules”, the young man was labeled a “bad prosecutor”. Since he knew that some prosecutors had ways to erase dirty deeds, he simply developed ways to work around them so that justice could be served.

WATCH TRAILER

Five (5) Popcorn-Worthy 'GOOD' Korean Dramas

Check out this list of Korean dramas with the word “Good” in the titles, available on popular streaming platforms in the USA.

Graba bowl of popcorn and enjoy!

♦ (1) Good Doctor (2013)

Viki viewers rated this series 9.6 out of 10 stars

Main Characters:

• Park Shi-On (played by Joo Won)

• Cha Yoon-Seo (played by Moon Chae-Won)

Genre: Medical drama, Romance

PLOT: The chief director of a hospital who knows a young man with special abilities persuades the other hospital directors to place him in the residency training program by putting his own job on the line. It's a tremendous risk, but he is that confident that he can be a good doctor. But if the resident trainee does not perform well, the chief director who recommended him agreed to resign. A top pediatric surgeon will mentor the young savant and he will live in an apartment complex for hospital doctors where he meets other residents he will work with. Against the odds, this young man with savant syndrome and a developmental disability, becomes a pediatric surgeon.  WATCH TRAILER

♦ (2) Good Manager (2017)

Viki viewers rated this series 9.5 out of 10 stars

Main Characters:

• Kim Sung-Ryong (played by Namkoong Min)

• Yoon Ha-Kyung (played by Nam Sang-Mi)

Genre: Comedy, Romance, Idol Drama

PLOT: A young man used to receive awards for being a math genius when he was a little boy. Somehow he took a wrong turn as an adult and ended up managing money for gangsters. Of course, he was skimming some of the money he collected for his gang boss. He had hopes, dreams, and big plans to immigrate to Denmark. Why? Supposedly it was a nice country with very little crime. How ironic. One day his crime boss found out that he had a cash stash and demanded his money back or else! TQ Group is a business that looks legitimate, but under the surface the executives are just as corrupt and dirty as gangsters. The corporation wants to fill their position for the chief of their accounting department and prefers to hire an outsider rather than choose from management or staff already working there. The young man interviews for the job and is hired. His gangster boss decides that instead of getting rid of him, he should have his former employee work at TQ Group. The boss hopes there might be a door of opportunity that will allow him to secretly infiltrate this so-called legitimate business. The young man is also hoping his job will be an opportunity, but for different reasons. Denmark is still his dream destination.  WATCH TRAILER

♦ (3) The Good Thieves (2017)

Viki viewers rated this series 9.3 out of 10 stars

Main Characters:

• Jang Dol-Mok (played by Ji Hyun-Woo)

• Kang So-Joo (played by Seohyun)

• Han Joon-Hee / Jang Min-Jae (played by Kim Ji-Hoon)

• Yoon Hwa-Young (played by Lim Ju-Eun)

Genre: Romance, Family, Crime and Mystery

PLOT: A group of thieves unite to fight corruption. Although they come from different backgrounds and circumstances in life, they have one thing in common: their ancestors were Freedom Fighters. Anyone who knows the history of Korea knows that the Freedom Fighters in Korea were courageous individuals with diverse backgrounds and skills who resisted oppression and fought for independence. They played a key role in shaping Korea's national identity. They certainly didn't risk their lives so that their country could be handed over to lawless and corrupt people. A group of thieves band together to pull off one last heist to expose the dirty secrets and horrible crimes of the rich and powerful. It's for justice and for the future of their own children.  WATCH TRAILER

♦ (4) Good Job (2022)

Viki viewers rated this Original series 9.3 out of 10 stars

Main Characters:

• Eun Seon-Woo (played by Jung Il-Woo)

• Don Se-Ra (played by Kwon Yuri)

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Crime and Mystery

PLOT: A young man who serves as the CEO of Korea's largest company. To those on the outside he's just another another chaebol heir, born into money. However, he secretly runs a detective agency. You could say he says similar abilities to Sherlock Holmes and he chooses to use them solve crime. He crosses paths with a young woman who was born with hyperacuity, and decides that she would be an excellent assistant and help him with conducting investigations. Almost like a Holmes and Watson duo, only a little bit funnier. As they work together solving crimes, their relationship blossoms into romance.  WATCH TRAILER

♦ (5) Good Partner (2024)

Viki viewers rated this series 9.3 out of 10 stars

Main Characters:

• Cha Eun-Kyung (played by Jang Na-Ra)

• Han Yu-Ri (played by Nam Ji-Hyun)

Genre: Legal Drama

PLOT: A rookie attorney thought she was starting her dream job in the corporate department of a prestigious law firm. Instead she was assigned to the divorce team. Her new boss has also been her teacher in law school and they never agreed with each other. Now they are working together? As soon as she starts working on divorce settlements, their differing perspectives clash again. Despite their differences, the rookie attorney realized that she was going to gain a great deal of legal experience and wisdom from her boss. Her boss actually appreciated the different way the rookie attorney approached her cases. She knew that the rookie always wanted to do the best for her client, which is why she hired the rookie to handle her own divorce. Her divorce was going to be very contentious and complicated. The experienced attorney needed someone who would think “outside of the box” and devise a successful legal strategy to severe ties with her adulterous husband and grant her custody of their only child. This was a challenge. Would the rookie attorney be able to come up with an effective legal approach?  WATCH TRAILER

5 Binge-Worthy Korean Dramas Worth Rewatching

Some Korean dramas are soooooo good, you want to watch them again.  Here are my 5 K-Dramas with episodes to rewatch. **Spoiler alert.**

♦ 1) Tomorrow (2022)

This is a supernatural K-drama series about grim reapers who prevent suicides. I loved the episode about the war hero. His life story made me angry at the way his bravery in battle was disregarded. When it was his time to pass into the afterlife, a legion of grim reapers showed up to escort him and they all saluted him. At the end of the scene I was crying my eyes out.

♦ 2) Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung

This a historical period drama about female historians, who took their jobs just as seriously as their male counterparts. They experienced gender discrimination but overcame it. There was one episode worth rewatching. The king wanted to see the admin records kept by the historians, which is against the law. He sent men to their workplace to take the documents by force if necessary. The men sent by the king and the male historians got into a fistfight. When the female historians saw what was happening, they joined in the fight. It was hilarious! But the historians stood their ground. The king ultimately had to back down.

♦ 3) Mr. Sunshine (2018)

This is a Netflix original series and everything about it is SPECTACULAR! There were several episodes that I liked. But the most memorable scene was when the Korean lady who owned the hotel where the Japanese were staying … BLEW IT UP!! With the Japanese inside, of course.

♦ 4) Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth (2016)

The Hwarang are the flower boys of the Silla Kingdom (57 BC–AD 935). Young men chosen from noble families were chosen and trained to be warriors. But they were also trained in the arts, and I might add that they were all “eye candy”. The coolest scene was when the warriors who had been sent as part of a delegation to Baekje to avoid war, had to escape. The Baekje prince wanted war and chased after them with his troops, intending to slaughter them. However, the rest of the Hwarang came to the rescue and the prince had to turn around and go back home. It was so cool!

♦ 5) Dong Yi (2010)

This historical period drama is about the true love story between the king and a lowly water maid. The best episode was when one of the corrupt officials conspired against Dong Yi. He thought that he had the queen in the palm of his hand and could easily manipulate her to do his bidding. But when he showed up at Dong Yi's residence thinking that they would arrest her, they arrested him instead. I was like: “Boo yeah! Take that you dirty rat!”

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