Jaybird Reviews: K-Drama Reviews

K-Drama Reviews

1% of Anything

7/10

A modern rom-com with an old-school vibe. Cute and sweetly satisfying.

18 vs. 29

2.5/10

It’s not that entertaining and it’s not that cute. An irritating heroine makes the drama almost completely unbearable, but a sweet Noona Crush keeps it from becoming utter rubbish. On the bright side, get a look at that fresh-faced Choi Siwon!

2 Outs in the 9th Inning

4.5/10

A cute rom-com about two life-long best friends who fall in love- including a nice little forced living situation. Some cute moments, but overall unremarkable and forgettable.

49 Days

6.5/10

Good story, sloppy acting.

7 Day Queen

9/10

This is how you saeguk. Breathlessly beautiful, sweepingly romantic, and satisfyingly tragic.

7 First Kisses

5.5/10

Pure fan-service, but who cares? I would gladly kiss any of those men- wish granting Angel, where you at?

After School: Lucky or Not

3.5/10

Pure ridiculousness.

Age of Youth

8/10

Five fantastic, interweaving stories about five fantastic characters. The plot was interesting, the characters endearing, and the friendships so, so satisfying.

Age of Youth 2

7.5/10

Captures the same essence as season 1 and doesn’t lose any of its momentum- it really is like two parts of the same show.

Angry Mom

9/10

Tonally a little weird (is it a comedy? Melo?), but a dramatic story and endearing characters make it a stand-out. An emotional ride from start to finish.

Another Oh Hae Young

7/10

Cute chemistry and a fab heroine- but could have done without the episode extension.

Arang and the Magistrate

8/10

Adorable blend of Joseon and supernatural. Adorable blend of Shin Min Ah and Lee Joon Ki.

Bachelor's Vegetable Store

7/10

Gives us a delightful hero to back along with a delightful band of misfits. An underdog story to root for.

Bad Guys

7/10

Not flawless, but still an interesting watch if you can understand all the doublespeak.

Because It's the First Time

6/10

Relaxed and sweet. Does what it sets out to do, but never delivers anything amazing.

Because This Life is My First

6.5/10

14 episodes of cute, sweet and thoughtful followed by 2 episodes of wtf.

The Best Hit

4/10

I didn’t expect a drama with both Cha Tae Hyun and Yoon Shi Yoon in it to be so dull…

Big

5/10

Forever dubbed as the worst ending ever. But it does have Gong Yoo.

The Boy Next Door

7/10

This show is delightful and hilarious and I wish there was more of it.

Boys Over Flowers

4/10

It’s not that great. At all. But it’s kind of a must-see for all the hype it’s created in and out of Korea. You can’t not know what F4 is referring to.

Bride of the Century

5/10

Fantastic eight episodes of intrigue, mystery and romance- followed by eight episodes of pure idiocy.

Buam Dong Revenge Club

6.5/10

The ajummas are super cute and super fun even if their revenge isn’t that vengeful.

Cheese in the Trap

6.5/10

One of the most enjoyable couples to watch develop, with a hero that’s not our usual ‘God’s Gift’. But then the ending sucks big time.

Choco Bank

3/10

What’s even happening here? It’s seems like it should be cute- but it’s kinda not…

Cinderella and Four Knights

3.5/10

Cute and fluffy drama. Only it forgot the fluff…and the cute…

Circle

9/10

Just watch it.

City Hunter

8.5/10

It’s Korean ‘Green Arrow’. But with a gun. Interesting and compelling- a great blend of action and romance.

Coffee Prince

9/10

One of the best gender benders K-Drama has to offer, backed by a charming, endearing cast.

Come Back, Ajusshi

7.5/10

Charmingly cute and loaded with humour. The plot is a little confused, but the characters manage to dazzle anyway, and are insanely endearing.

Come Here and Hug Me

7.5/10

Romantic and interesting, and doesn’t go overboard with the angst.

Dating Agency Cyrano

6/10

Cute and breezy, but without much depth.

Defendant

7/10

A bit slow to start, but once it gets into the meat of the story it’s hard to stop watching. Brilliant characters were paired with the perfect cast for a phenomenal ensemble.

Descendants of the Sun

8.5/10

Not a flawless drama, but solid acting and intriguing relationships make it an addictive watch. The small inconsistencies are easy to overlook for the bigger, better picture.

Doctors

6/10

Remarkably mediocre, yet manages to avoid being draggy or boring despite its 20 episodes.

Dream High

6.5/10

A drama that showcases just how much talent JYP has in his agency. An enjoyable watch about friendships and maturing that focuses less on making big (thankfully) than you would think.

Dream Knight

6/10

Cute, fluffy and entertaining. Not a lot of substance, but hey- it’s GOT7. And GOT7 are awesome. And adorable. Yay GOT7!

Drinking Solo

6/10

I care not for either of the leads. But the three Noryangjin Idiots are cute as.

Emergency Couple

7/10

Not without its flaws, but bubbling chemistry and interesting plot lines minimise the impact of those flaws. A more mature feel than your typical rom-com, but that doesn’t reduce the rom or the com.

Entertainer

6/10

This would have been considerably better if there was no main romance. Bit of a waste of Ji Sung’s talents, but a highlighter of Kang Min Hyuk’s.

Ex-Girlfriend Club

5.5/10

Took a little while to get going and delivers nothing amazing. Cute fluff that’s enjoyable as a drama that doesn’t require much brain power.

EXO Next Door

6/10

Fangirl away.

Fantastic

8.5/10

It is fantastic.

Fight My Way

7/10

Sweet and breezy without any ridiculously high stakes. The simplicity of the plot and characters was the show’s strength, giving us a realistic story with a smattering of well-placed humour.

Flower Boy Ramyun Shop

7/10

The first of the ‘Flower Boy’ series. Funny and cute, if a little cliched- but enjoyable all the same.

Flower Boys Next Door

8.5/10

An adorable ensemble come together to deliver a charming third instalment of the ‘Flower Boy’ series. The story manages to produce some insightful commentary about life, but keeps its lighthearted feel throughout. The series provides us with one of the greatest K-Drama male characters around. Enrique for life.

Fool's Love

8/10

Hilarious, endearing and emotional. The journey of a misunderstood first love that is cleverly revealed in snippets and backed by charming support. Weirdly manages to comment on heavy issues without becoming a heavy drama.

Full House

4.5/10

Rain and Song Hye Kyo fight. All. Drama. Long.

Girl's Generation 1979

5/10

Cartoonish and kind of childish. Not my style, but I can see how it charmed some.

Girl Who Sees Smells

8.5/10

Mysterious and captivating storyline, dynamic villain, and chemistry that’s completely off the charts.

Go Back Spouses

7/10

Perfect balance of fun and emotional with thoughtful commentary on life and relationships.

Gogh's Starry Night

6/10

Three cute boys and a terrible actress.

The Greatest Love

7.5/10

So witty and so fun.

Healer

9.5/10

Korean Batman. But better. Everything you want and more from an action-romance drama.

Heartstrings

6/10

A drama to make Yong Hwa X Shin Hye shippers happy. It’s not bad, but it’s not particularly good either.

The Heirs

6/10

Typical chaebol romance with your typical Candy Girl. A lot of cute, but also a lot of cliche. Insanely overhyped.

Hello My Teacher

8/10

No one knows why this drama works- but it totally does. The firecracker chemistry between the leads blinds all parts of the drama that could be considered sub-standard. Basically a ‘How To’ on Noona Romances.

High School King of Savvy

7/10

The Seo In Guk show. I mean, some other stuff happens, but really…we all know why you’re here.

Hi! School Love On

6/10

Sort of okay for the most part- but the quality of the drama dies with the bromance.Though it did alert me to Kim Min Suk- so it’s got that going for it.

Hwarang

8.5/10

Me: I love this drama!

Apparently Everyone Else: This drama blows!

Hwayugi

6.5/10

After a lot of talking about the end of the world, saving it seemed pretty easy.

Hyde, Jekyll, Me

8.5/10

Despite a lot of criticism- the show did have a lot going for it. A solid villain performance supported Hyun Bin’s completely flawless acting- but a boring female lead let the team down.

If We Were a Season

3.5/10

I came for cute and fun. I did not receive cute and fun.

I Hear Your Voice

6.5/10

Pretty good overall, but the episode extension definitely did more harm than good.

Imaginary Cat

4/10

It’s a guy with a cat. Literally, that’s all it is. The guy is cute. But he’s also an asshole.

I'm Not a Girl Anymore

4.5/10

Cute, fun idea, but not exactly mind-blowing.

I'm Not a Robot

8/10

I like Yoo Seung Ho infinitely more when he’s in rom-coms.

Individualist Ji Young

6.5/10

Sweet and thoughtful with interesting characters.

I Need Romance 2011

5.5/10

A mildly irritating drama- but with the worlds most satisfying ending. Anything but cliche.

I Need Romance 2012

5.5/10

Not a bad drama, but with a more than mildly irritating ending.

I Need Romance 3

8.5/10

Feels a bit different to its predecessors in that it’s a little less firmly grounded in reality. The story is wonderful, and it’s fun to watch the characters struggle and grow, but never gets bogged down in its own angst.

Introverted Boss

6.5/10

Had some really cute moments, but take away Yeon Woo Jin as the amazing, adorable Boss and I probably wouldn’t care half as much about the show.

I Order You

6/10

Sweet and to the point. U-Know Yunho is also on point.

I Remember You

9/10

A horrifically underrated drama. A meticulously mapped out plot with an interesting take on the inner workings of a psychopath, intriguingly developed characters and a magical cast make it a beautifully compulsive watch. The series deserved far more attention than it got.

It's Okay, That's Love

7.5/10

Great characters keep the drama going strong despite it’s rather minimal plot. Jo In Sung and D.O will put your heart through the wringer a thousand times over.

Jealousy Incarnate

6.5/10

Great cast and characters, but the plot felt messy at times.

Jugglers

7/10

Simple and sweet and delivers what it promises: an easy-going office romance.

KARA: Secret Love

6.5/10

Two really excellent stories. Two not so excellent stories. One story that was half excellent and half average.

Kill Me, Heal Me

9/10

Fantastic in every sense of the word. Everything pulls together to form a marvellous series headed up by a stellar main cast. Let the chemistry blow you away.

King 2 Hearts

5/10

A lot went right and a lot went wrong. A gimmicky villain downplayed the conflict, but the main cast and characters are an endearing lot.

Legend of the Blue Sea

6/10

Yeah, well...it's just not my cup of tea.

Let's Eat

5.5/10

Easy and mindless with a lot of food porn.

Let's Eat 2

6/10

Still easy and mindless with a lot of food porn, but Season 2’s heroine is way less annoying than Season 1’s.

Let's Fight, Ghost

6/10

An enjoyable lead couple with a lot of cute- however nothing new in either the rom-com or the supernatural departments.

The Liar and His Lover

4/10

It’s one of those shows that you’ll either totally love or totally won’t.

Liar Game

8/10

Fascinating to watch- definitely unique. Great cast and great plot- though a little romance wouldn’t have hurt.

Lie to Me

5.5/10

Cliche soup. Using average characters. Cliche soup with Yoon Eun Hye’s face on it.

The Lonely Shining Goblin

7/10

The story could have done with a bit more substance, but the casting was brilliant all round. And, you know…Gong Yoo ♥

Longing Heart

7/10

My heart longs for Seo Ji Hoon.

Lookout

7.5/10

An exciting vigilante drama. A familiar premise but distinctly its own.

Love Cells

3.5/10

Cute in parts- but also very, very confused as to how it wanted to handle itself.

Love Frequency 37.2

3/10

Had some cute moments, had some interesting moments. Also had a lot of not so interesting moments.

Lucky Romance

7/10

Weirdly entertaining for a drama with no plot. While Hwang Jung Eum’s character could be a bit hit and miss, Ryu Joon Yeol stole the show as one of the most loveable K-Drama heroes of the year.

Ma Boy

5/10

It’s enjoyable in a fun, silly way.

Madame Antoine

4/10

Basically the most flawed psychology I have ever witnessed. The hero of this drama was so unlikeable that it actually made me question my love of Sung Joon.

Man to Man

4.5/10

How…how can you make a show about secret agents so boring?!

Marriage Contract

7.5/10

Nothing new, but loveable characters made the story feel fresh and endearing.

Master's Sun

7/10

Interesting set-up with entertaining (if not mildly terrifying) ghost premise. Main leads have strong chemistry, and the central love plot line is helped along by smaller ghost-of-the-hour conflicts. Unfortunate typical Hong Sisters drag as the drama nears its close.

Mirror of the Witch

6.5/10

Fantastic story and fantastic acting, but stalled in the second half in order to squeeeeeze out more episodes.

Missing 9

5/10

Reminded me a lot of American series ‘Lost’: A pretty cool mystery until you realise everyone is just making it up as they go.

Monstar

4.5/10

Had the right idea, but execution was lacking. Took too long to get to the point, then rushed the finale.

Moonlight Drawn by Clouds

6.5/10

Started out excellently with a Joseon gener-bender. Choosing to focus on the cuteness in the Joseon setting gave it a fresh new feeling, but by the last quarter it fell back into serious angst mode and became just like every sageuk ever made.

Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo

4.5/10

Does anyone have any idea what’s going on here?

Moon that Embraces the Sun

6.5/10

A childish love story pretending to be an adult drama. Fantastic acting, fantastic soundtrack- but boring plot.

Moorim School

2/10

What a hot mess. This drama had no idea what it wanted to be. Besides a disappointment.

My Girlfriend is a Gumiho

6/10

The characters are adorable as hell but will kill you with all their noble idiocy. Adorable soundtrack to compliment the adorable feelings.

My Love from the Stars

9/10

Quite possibly the greatest K-Drama to grace the face of the Earth. What every rom-com is trying to be.

My Name is Kim Sam Soon

7.5/10

Our original sassy girl. Undeniably endearing and unsurprisingly heartwarming.

My Only Love Song

6.5/10

Insanely delightful. Can Lee Jong Hyun and Gong Seung Yeon get married for real now? Please?

Mystery Queen

7.5/10

Praise the K-Drama gods that there’s a Season 2.

Mystery Queen 2

7/10

Enjoyable enough, but where’s my closure?

My Unfortunate Boyfriend

3.5/10

Jeezus- did I actually spend 16 hours of my life on this? Writer Lee Jae Yoon- I demand my time back. Actress Yang Jin Sung- from now on I assume everything you’re in is a dud. Sorry.

Oh My Ghostess

7.5/10

Park Bo Young is delightful, as is her romance with Chef. Ghost shenanigans are entertaining and intriguing.

Oh! My Lady

3.5/10

Choi Siwon- how could you betray me so? What even is this shemozzle?

Oh My Venus

5/10

Good. Cute. Great. Love it. Wait. Hold up. What are you doing. You’re killing it. Please. Stop. What have you done. Bastards. You killed it.

One Mom, Three Dads

4/10

While there were definitely some cute moments the drama did tend to lean towards boring. There’s no development of any kind.

One More Happy Ending

8/10

A sweet and endearing tale about two adults giving love a second chance. All characters are well fleshed out and acted brilliantly. An enjoyable watch from start to finish.

Orange Marmalade

6.5/10

Surprisingly interesting. A delightful up-and-coming young cast deliver charming performances. Didn’t completely buy the romance, and the flow wasn’t exactly smooth- but I could roll with it.

Page Turner

7/10

Sweet, fun and the three young actors are excellent.

Personal Taste

6.5/10

No character is irritating enough to ruin the drama, but no character is good enough to recommend it either. Pleasantly mediocre.

Pinocchio

8/10

Lee Jong Suk is so ridiculously handsome that not even Park Shin Hye can stand around and do nothing when he kisses her. Oh- yeah, the plot was killer too- but that romance takes centre stage. As it should.

Plus Nine Boys

7.5/10

Three delightful stories about three delightful boys. Well…four if you count the kid. Want to fall in love with Kim Young Kwang? Watch this drama.

Pretty Man

6/10

Cute drama that chugs alongs nicely but fails to deliver anything extraordinary. The main romance was fairly lacking.

Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food

5.5/10

Perfectly delightful until it gets bogged down in waaaaay too much angst.

Princess Hours

4.5/10

Why is this so insanely popular? I just don’t understand. It’s not the worst drama ever created. But guys…it’s not good.

The Producers

7.5/10

Charming and hilarious- the four main stars truly sparkle and the romance is super satisfying.

Protect the Boss

4.5/10

Would have been passable as an unsubstantial rom-com that you watch purely for the cute, had it not been so darn long. The plot drags, the heroine makes little sense, and the casting is the only thing that saves it from being complete and utter rubbish.

Puck

6/10

A lot of the mechanisms that were driving the plot confused me, but Lee Kwang Soo gave a great performance as an endearing character.

Queen In Hyun's Man

8.5/10

Cleverly written with lots of heart. The leads totally steal the show (or was it already theirs?).

Radiant Office

7/10

Lovely and enjoyable but the ending felt rushed. As did the final stage of the romance.

Remember- Son's War

8.5/10

One of the better legal-thrillers out there. The story is easy to understand and engaging and the main characters are remarkably detailed and fleshed out.

Reply 1988

8.5/10

Recaptures the heart of the original series. Chooses to focus on family and friends rather than romance, and carries a much more somber tone that its predecessors.

Reply 1994

6/10

Didn’t manage to snag the same magical feeling as the original. Focused too much on the romance and not enough on everything else. Probably started the fan-war to end all fan-wars though. Sseureki vs. Chil Bong. Pick your team.

Reply 1997

9/10

Pure gold- I dare you to not love these characters. I double dare you. It actually hurts my soul that these people don’t exist out there somewhere.

Rescue Me

6.5/10

Interesting in its own right, but so heavily dark that it was never actually all that enjoyable to watch.

Rooftop Prince

6.5/10

Some cute time-travel hijinks- Yoochun and his boy band are delightfully adorable. However the company plot drags and our villains get more screen time than our heroes. Should have been four or five episodes shorter.

Ruler: Master of the Mask

4.5/10

Focused too much on the big picture and not enough on the small details that build that picture. Often confusing, fairly boring, and just not very good.

Sassy Go Go

8.5/10

Great mix of youthful cheeriness and realistic pitfalls- a rare high school drama that can be loved just as much by adults as teens.

School 2013

7/10

Gritty and real with an encouraging vein of hope. While the story tends to drag, all the characters are utterly loveable and engaging.

School 2015: Who Are You

6.5/10

Great start, weak finish. Also includes the most disappointing love triangle I have ever witnessed.

School 2017

8.5/10

More grounded than 2015 and more hopeful than 2013. 2017 is a great blend of harsh reality and youthful idealism. Kim Se Jung and Kim Jung Hyun are also a great blend.

Secret Garden

8.5/10

One of the most well loved Chaebol Romances- and rightfully so. Funny and sweet, with a kick-ass (literally) heroine.

She Was Pretty

6/10

Meh.

Shut Up Flower Boy Band

4/10

Completely different from the rest of the ‘Flower Boy’ dramas. Edgy and gritty. The series becomes more frustrating and unbearable as the leading male descends into d*ucheville.

Signal

8/10

Well crafted and just plain brilliant. But I’m still not a fan of open-endings.

Smart Prison Living

9/10

All the feels.

Solomon's Perjury

6.5/10

The young cast were absolutely excellent, but I think the plot thought it was smarter than it was.

Somehow 18

4/10

Interesting premise but the execution was lacking.

Splash Splash Love

8/10

Everything you want in a short fusion sageuk. Excitement. Romance. Kim Seul Gi.

Strong Woman Do Bong Soon

6.5/10

It had all the ingredients I tend to like, but then I didn’t end up loving the overall flavour. The leading couple were fantastic, but the extremely ridiculous side characters (and how much screen time they got) just weren’t my taste.

Surplus Princess

5.5/10

Cute retelling of a classic tale. A disappointing episode cut killed most of the romantic development, but a sweet noona romance is a great consolation prize.

Suspicious Partner

7/10

A cute couple and an excellent villain, and one of the less courtroom-y legal dramas around.

That Man Oh Soo

3.5/10

Even my shameless adoration of Lee Jong Hyun could not make me believe this was a good drama.

This Week, My Wife Will Have an Affair

5.5/10

An interesting look into the aftermath of an affair, but not nearly as comedic as the posters and trailers implied.

Three Colour Fantasy

6/10

One of the better web-dramas around. Loved the first story. Loved the cast in the second and third.

Thumping Spike

4.5/10

Song Jae Rim is super handsome.

To Be Continued

3/10

We. Know. We know it’s ASTRO. Though I do weirdly love Rocky now- so mission accomplished, I suppose.

Tomorrow With You

5.5/10

The romance was super adorable but the time travel and all its plot holes made me want to hit all these characters at least once. Maybe twice.

To the Beautiful You

5.5/10

Sulli cannot pass for a man. Even in a country filled to the brim with ridiculously pretty boys.

Trace of the Hand

4/10

I sort of get what they’re doing here. But I also sort of don’t.

Tunnel

7.5/10

The mystery may not have been as mysterious as intended, but the interesting characters drove the plot. The time travel was clever and every episode was exciting.