Reviewing the K-Dramas I binge-watched recently: Chocolate, Doctors, Cinderella and the Four Knights and Romance is a Bonus Book (Part #2)

So like I said in my last post, here are short snippet reviews on the latest K-Dramas I've watched on Netflix:

4) Chocolate - I kept seeing promos/recommendations for this show so I just started watching it one day. The storyline is quite beautiful. It's not a romantic drama even though there's some of it. It's primarily a drama about human relationships and life in general. The two main characters are of a young boy who grows up to be a neurosurgeon (I later watched another show where also the doctors are neurosurgeons, makes me think this is a popular aspirational speciality) while being one of the heirs of a rich family who owns hospital chains, and of a young girl whose life was touched by this boy as a child who grows up to become a chef and their journey is the drama's plot line. This show also focuses a lot of episodes in the context of a hospice. It's shown in a very humane way, but those episodes touched me the most. I was practically crying each time someone passed away. Death as a theme is present in quite a few of the dramas I saw and I learned about the Korean customs of how they bid farewell, how they remember their loved ones on their death anniversaries and how they preserve a place where they can go and pay their respects each year. This was quite fascinating to see because it was so consistently depicted in each series. It looks very respectful and very heart-warming as a viewer who has no concept of these customs. I would recommend watching this drama for the storyline, the characters, the various human relationships. If you're looking for a romantic drama though, skip this. 

5) Doctors - The next series that caught me eye was this one called 'Doctors'. I used to love Grey's Anatomy so I was kind of looking for something along those lines when I saw the cover image for this show. The story of Doctors is primarily about the main two protagonists, an unruly teenage girl who is acting out because of poor relationship between her mom and dad, and who ends up living with her paternal grandmother due to their falling out. There she meets a teacher (who is teaching to get away from his hospital job) who changes her perspective of life and makes her want to be a better person in order to truly get out and rise above her situation. But then things happen, and they're not permitted to be together. As fate would have it, years later, they meet each other as fellow doctors in a hospital where she's also now a neurosurgeon. The chemistry between these two is outstanding and so is their acting. The guy is especially cute and so natural. It's hilarious how he manages to behave in such a boyish way while being accomplished at the same time. The second leads and all the supporting cast are also well written without being type-casted. I will recommend watching this. 

6) Cinderella and the Four Knights - As the title suggests, this one is definitely more of a teenage watch rather than something adults would enjoy. But if you're in the mood for something light and silly and time-pass then this one is a good choice. I actually stopped watching this somewhere in the middle of the first episode because it was just too kiddy, but then later when I wanted a break, I started watching and then sat through all the episodes. It's a bizarre storyline, three grandsons (from different parents) are now the only surviving heirs of a big conglomerate but they don't get along and not all of them want the money or the responsibility (= Knights). Meanwhile, a young daughter (= Cinderella) is toiling hard trying to make ends meet so she can go to college and achieve her dreams. The grandfather spots her and decides that she can make men out of his boys so he hires her to live with them in the same house and to straighten them out by asking her to complete "missions". The process of transformation isn't straightforward, but it's fun. The only one character I could stand was this ex-girlfriend of one of the grandsons who is written as being very weepy and drowning in self-pity. Other than her the characters are somewhat more balanced. One of the most interesting part of this drama is the stunning house that they're living in. I'm pretty sure these dramas have architects and interior designers as consultants because it's unbelievable that they'd pick these outstanding modern buildings. This is the actual place that they shot at, obviously the interiors were most probably a set but I have to say they fit this exterior. :) 

7) Romance is a Bonus Book - While hunting for new shows to watch, I found this one which was based on characters working in a book publishing firm. I have to say, this was truly a beautiful and potentially romanticized version of what it would be like to be in a book publishing firm but as a book lover, this was very gratifying. To see the process of working with authors, scripting it from hand-written notes into copy, editing, typesetting, designing book covers and then to publishing and sales. I was a co-editor of my college's annual magazine and having worked alongside our desktop publishers (or DTP people) as we used to call them then was a very fascinating process for me and that was part of the reason why this drama was a bit nostalgic for me. Outside of that industry, the drama is okay. The characters are not as strongly written, the back stories are a bit shallow, the chemistry between the lead actors is not as captivating. What's beautiful is the script and the poetry. There is a very sad episode where they talk about the life of poets who have these words that they can't help but write down, but unfortunately there are no takers or buyers for that type of books. Makes me realize how in spite of all the books I've read, I've hardly ever read poetry as a genre and I don't know how to start now. In fact when I used to blog in college, I used to write poems and now I can't seem to think like that anymore. Anyway, if you're someone who is fascinated by wordplay or just quotes, then you'll like this drama. One thing that caught me eye was this concept where the lead actor, says there was a japanese author/poet who once said 'the moon is beautiful' as an acceptable way to convey your love to someone instead of saying 'i love you' because the latter is too direct for the japanese. It's mostly an anecdote (per my basic research on Google) but nonetheless it is a beautiful thought :)

In the upcoming posts I will be covering these shows: What's wrong with Secretary Kim?, My Love from Another Star, The K2 (and any others I watch by the time I publish the third post) :) Till then, enjoy watching and let me know what you think of these and if you have recommendations for others!