Here is a list of every new Korean drama that I am watching, and why I recommend or do not recommend it.
Pinocchio
Pinocchio is the story of a girl who has Pinocchio syndrome, a fictional permanent disease that causes her to hiccup every time she lies (thus she can't lie without others knowing about it) and a boy who's entire family was destroyed by a tragedy caused by false news reports shaming his family. Both the main leads want to become reporters, the girl because she admires the profession, and the guy because he wants to teach the reporter that caused his family's tragedy that what she did was wrong and wants to make her apologize. Plot twists in the show: the main guy was adopted into main girl's house thus making them adoptive family so they have a taboo romance. And the bilological brother of the main guy appears after many years and ends up at the center of media attention due to a series of events.
This is the best drama on Korean TV right now. The show is absolutely gripping. Whether its the deeply rooted relationship between the main couple or the intensity of the plotline, every aspect of the story is perfect. The story is very well written. Every episode just makes me scream in excitement.
This show I think would be loved by viewers of all kind.
Recommend: Definitely, yes.
Pride and Prejudice
This workplace drama about prosecutors combines crime fighting with politics to create mini-mystery plot lines with action and suspense. However the main plot that is developing in the background involves the main female lead and the second male lead's childhood tragedies, which we later discover is intertwined in many ways. The main male lead is a talented prosecutor who investigates his colleagues cases, and is also the only witness in this case.
This show is okay, in my opinion. The emotional aspect of it was not depicted well. Some very tragic events occur in the story, but the acting kind of numbs it down. I didn't cry much while watching this story (I'm a cry-baby when it comes to drama watching), so the fact that this show hasn't made me cry yet after all the sad events that have happened means that the dramatic scenes were not very powerful. Also there is almost no romance between the main leads. Even when they kiss or hug, the emotional responses in these scenes were so numbed down that they didn't give me any goosebumps.
I'm continuing to watch this drama, but only because I feel like I'm already halfway so I feel like I might as well get it over with.
Recommend: No.
Birth of a Beauty
This story is about an ugly, overweight girl, whose husband that she had loved for decades turns out to be a cheater and is about to divorce her. Then a car accident happens and following the accident, while everyone thinks she is dead, she gets plastic surgery and comes back as a new person who looks like the perfect beauty. The guy that pays for her surgery and becomes her new life coach is in love with her husband's mistress. Together, they try to break up her husband's remarriage to this mistress. But as they are working together, they discover some dark secrets about the husband and mistress, and the plot starts to develop. Meanwhile a romance is also blooming between this beauty and her life coach. The life coach also has a story of his own, as he is the lost chaebol (heir) child of a huge company.
This story is really good is you like sweet, light-hearted comedy and romance. The romance and comedy part is very good. But, it seems like the story will get much darker as it progresses, since the bad guys are starting to come into play. The day-to-day relationship and life of the main leads is very heartwarming, but the developing plot line in the background is very tragic. I get the feeling that this is one of those shows that make me hooked by the romance and comedy in the first half of the show, then I lose interest because the story gets darker and darker till the last episode. But, nonetheless, its a pretty good show.
Recommend: Yes.
The King's Face
This historical drama is set in Joseon Dynasty. King Sejong (villain) becomes king even though the royal face-reader predicted from his face that he shouldn't be king. He really isn't a good king, he doesn't care about his people, and spends all his time fearing that someone will take his crown, especially prince Gwang Hae (main male lead) whose face is perfect for a king. Gwang Hae just wants his father's love and doesn't want his crown. Meanwhile, a royal face-reader is trying to find a woman whose face counterbalances the king's so that Sejong can be a good king. He finds the main female lead, whose face is destined to have two kings, but instead of making her his concubine like the face-reader said, Sejong kills her dad for treason, and sends her and her mother to exile where a fight causes her mother to die too. Now the girl, who was dating prince Gwang Hae thinks he was the one that caused her parents to die, and she leaves him and joins a rebel group and becomes an archer, leaving Gwang Hae heartbroken. Then after many years, they meet again and the story starts.
This is a pretty good drama. The prince is smart. He becomes a face reader and uses this skill to slowly make good changes in the country. The main girl is also strong. Using the pain of her parents death as motivation, she becomes an excellent archer and can easily disguise herself as a man as the situation demands.
Recommend: Yes.
High School: Love On
This drama is about a grim reaper angel girl, who becomes a human after accidentally saving a human boy who was supposed to die. Clueless on how to be a human, she starts living with the boy and going to high school with him. The story is about her adventures through school life, and her desire to become a human and to love, without being caught for being an angel (because if she is caught she has to go back to heaven).
This drama is sweet, funny, and also sad and dramatic at times. The relation between school friends and family is very deep, but also very troubled. But at the end of the show, all troubled relationships are settled again, and the whole extended cast gets a happy ending.
Recommend: Yes.
