Tag: Lee Hye Ri

Review: May I Help You?

Posted February 2, 2023 by Rowena in Reviews | 2 Comments

May I Help You?

Starring: Lee Hyeri, Lee Jun Young, Song Deok Ho, Han Dong Hee, Tae In Ho, Lee Kyu Han
Year Released: 2022
Number of Episodes: Drama, Supernatural, Romance
Country: South Korea
Director: Shim So Yeon
Screenwriter: Lee Seon Hye
Where I Watched It: Prime Video
Who I Watched It For: Lee Hyeri

Baek Dong Ju works as a funeral director. She has a special ability that allows her to see and talk to dead people. The dead people ask Baek Dong Ju to grant their last wish. If Baek Dong Ju doesn’t grant their wishes, her day becomes filled with bad luck. This motivates her to listen to their wishes and grant them their wishes, with the help of Kim Jib Sa.

Kim Jib Sa is an employee at errand service “Ildangbaek,” which is owned by his uncle Vincent. Ildangbaek provides service for pretty much anything clients ask for, even minor things like changing light bulbs. Kim Jib-Sa does his best for his clients.

This show starred Lee Hyeri, so, of course, I was going to watch this. I was also really interested in watching this one because of Lee Jun Young. I think he’s adorable and loved watching him in the other shows of his that I watched so going into this one, I was pretty sure that I was going to love it.

The Story

This story follows the two main leads as they live their lives and deal with whatever life throws at them. At the same time, they’re getting to know each other and falling in love with each other. Our male lead is dealing with some personal things and a whole lot of grief. His guilt is keeping him from working as the doctor he went to school for and our female lead is dealing with trying to come to terms with a special power she’s been given for communicating with the dead and helping them deal with unfinished business before they cross over the bridge to Heaven. The two of them kept bumping into each other all over town and what started as them pretty much hating each other, they grow closer and of course, they fall in love with each other.

Male Lead

Kim Tae Hee was one of my favorite male leads of the ending of 2022. Every episode I adored him more and more. He was such a likable character that was trying to make the most of what he was doing now and as his story unravels and we get to know him and his situation more, you can’t help but feel for him. Even in the beginning when he broke up with Dong Joo, I adored him. I thought he handled the second lead pretty well, considering her coming around kept hurting my girl Dong Joo, I thought that Tae Hee did his best to keep his distance from his ex and still enjoy getting to know Dong Joo. Overall, his character was such a winner for me.

Female Lead

Dong Joo was another fantastic female lead (played by Lee Hyeri). At first, I didn’t think that I would enjoy her character as much as some of her other characters but I’m glad to report that I was wrong. Dong Joo has a special power that puts her in contact with dead people who haven’t crossed over yet. When she first gets this power, she runs away from it and had the worst karma because of that. So she goes back to working at the funeral and she starts listening to the dead people around her and she starts helping them out. While she’s busy with all of this, she meets and keeps meeting Tae Hee and seeing her come into her feelings for him and then putting herself out there with him made me love the hell out of her. She was just a sweet, fun, and totally capable person who was kindhearted as well and *sigh* I just…loved her.

The Cast

There were a lot of great side characters in this show. From Tae Hee’s Uncle to Dong Joo’s father and her Uncle to Dong Joo’s friends, I enjoyed everyone except for Tae Hee’s ex-girlfriend and her Mom and well, I also didn’t like the bad guy. Even the dead people that Dong Joo worked with were great characters. I cried a lot getting to know the dead people and then after all of that stuff with Dong Joo’s Dad. Lots of familiar faces and some that I was all too happy to see again so this cast was colorful and they were beautiful and added different things that made for a great show so I loved them all! My favorites outside of Tae Hee and Dong Joo were definitely the uncles. Haha, they were too good!

Final Thoughts

This show was such a delightful one that deals with heavy things like grief and heartbreak. It had sweet moments, funny moments, and a romance that made me smile throughout the entire thing. I felt all of the emotions watching this one and I enjoyed the beginning half of the season a lot more than the second half but overall, it was a good run and I’m super glad that I watched it. Lee Jun Young and Lee Hyeri were great together and I totally felt their chemistry with each other but also with the other characters in the series. I definitely recommend it.

Final Rating

via GIPHY

4 out of 5

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Tags: 16 Episodes, 2022 Dramas, Drama, Han Dong Hee, Korean Dramas, Lee Hye Ri, Lee Jung Young, Lee Kyu Han, Lee Seon Hye, Prime Video, Romance, Shim So Yeon, Song Deok Ho, Supernatural, Tae In Ho, Watched in 2022

The Wednesday Five: K-Drama Romances

Posted July 20, 2022 by Rowena in Features | 0 Comments

I’m a list person. I have a list for every single thing in my life from a to-do list, a list of books that I want to read, a running shopping list, and in the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing different k-entertainment lists that I’ve been keeping track of. You’ll be seeing my top 5 lists of stuff like my current celebrity crushes, my favorite k-drama female protagonists, my favorite k-drama male protagonists, my to-be-watched k-dramas, and you know, stuff like that.

This week’s Wednesday Five will feature My Favorite K-Drama Romances. When I say k-drama romances, I don’t mean k-dramas that are romances. I’m talking about the romance between two characters in a k-drama. I hope that makes sense. I’m a romantic at heart and will sniff a romance out of everything that I consume so I’m always shipping characters together. Today’s list will be on the k-dramas that made me swoon so hard. Check out my list which is in no particular order.

1. Fight for My Way

My Drama List | Viki
Starring: Park Seo Joon, Kim Ji Won, Ahn Jae Hong

I’m not sure what it is about these two but I absolutely adored their friendship that led to more romance. They were just a lot of fun and their romance had its fair share of dramatics but also had a good amount of swoonworthy moments. Watching these two best friends fall in love with each other was so much fun and just super sweet. I’m a HUGE fan of this drama and an even bigger fan of the romance in this k-drama.

2. Goblin

My Drama List | Viki
Starring: Gong Yoo, Kim Go Eun, Lee Dong Wook

This one might be a little controversial because of the age difference between the main leads in this drama but that didn’t bother me so much because nothing happens between the two while Eun Tak is in high school. Even when she’s grown up, Kim Shin is steadfast in his refusal to date her. She’s his goblin bride and you can tell that she’s very dear to him but the way that he watched over her, cared for her, and took care of her made their slow-burn love just that much more endearing to me. I ugly-cried so much throughout this entire drama but the romance was just *sigh* so stinkin’ good. One of my favorite love stories of all time.

3. Strong Woman Do Bong Soon

My Drama List | Viki
Starring: Park Bo Young, Park Hyung Shik, Ji Soo

Oh goodness, I think this is the romance that I go back to re-watch the most. These two had such great chemistry and they brought their romance to light so freaking well. The way that Min Hyuk loved her on his own for so long before she finally wises up and realizes that he’s the one for her, not Gook Doo. The payoff here was so sweet. I just melted at every turn of this romance because I loved it so much.

4. My Roommate is a Gumiho

My Drama List | Viki
Starring: Jang Ki Yong, Lee Hye Ri, Kang Ha Na

I’ve only seen Lee Hyeri in one other k-drama (the guest star in Record of Youth doesn’t count) and I loved her ass so much. She just has this vibe that I adore so I went into this drama for her but came out, a huge fan of the romance between Woo Yeo and Lee Dam. A lot of my love for their romance was the chemistry between the two actors but I loved the fantasy behind it all as well. They worked through their issues together and I loved that Lee Dam, no matter how things looked, trusted in her love for Woo Yeo to get through everything. Woo Yeo didn’t deserve Lee Dam a lot of the time but he always did better and through it all, I never doubted his love for her. So their romance was one that I cheered for most earnestly.

5. Happiness

My Drama List | Viki
Starring: Han Hyo Joo, Park Hyung Shik, Jo Woo Jin

I adore both of these actors so I was looking forward to the two of them starring in a drama together and they did not disappoint. I loved this friends to lovers romance and I gotta tell you, Park Hyung Shik plays the smitten best friend really well. I loved seeing Sae Bom fall in love with Yi Hyun and I loved seeing Yi Hyun protect and love Sae Bom on his own, quietly until she caught up to him. The way that they were a true team that loved and protected each other against everyone and everything just made me love their romance so much.

So what are some of your favorite romances in k-dramas? Share them in the comments!

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Tags: Fight for My Way, Goblin, Gong Yoo, Han Hyo Joo, Happiness, Jang Ki Yong, Kim Go Eun, Kim Ji Won, Korean Dramas, Lee Hye Ri, My Roommate Is a Gumiho, Park Bo Young, Park Hyung Shik, Park Seo Joon, Strong Woman Do Bong Soon, The Wednesday Five

The Wednesday Five: K-Drama Girl Crushes

Posted September 15, 2021 by Rowena in Features | 4 Comments

This week’s Wednesday Five will feature my top 5 k-drama girl crushes.

1. Lee Hyeri

Filmography: Reply 1988, My Roommate is a Gumiho, Record of Youth, My Punch Drunk Boxer, Monstrum, When Flowers Bloom I Think of the Moon

Lee Hyeri is my top girl crush right now. I’ve only seen her in two dramas and I’ve never heard her music before but holy cow, the two characters that she played made me a huge fan of her work as an actress. My favorite character of hers is hands down Deok Sun from Reply 1988 but she was fantastic as Lee Dam in My Roommate is a Gumiho as well. She’s a gorgeous woman with great chemistry with all of the actors and actresses that she’s acted with and when she popped up in Record of Youth, I thought she was gorgeous and that was what prompted me to watch Reply 1988. I’m so glad that I did because I hella loved her and Park Bo Gum in that one.

2. Park Bo Young

Filmography: Strong Woman Do Bong Soon, Abyss, Oh My Ghostess, On Your Wedding, The Silenced, Doom at Your Service, Concrete Utopia

Bo Young made her way onto my radar in Strong Woman Do Bong Soon. I absolutely loved that show and the chemistry between Bo Young and Park Hyung Shik was off the chains good. Because of that show, I’ve been watching her stuff and keeping track of when she’s got new things coming out. I haven’t watched all of her stuff but I do enjoy her acting and think she’s absolutely adorable. I’m a fan of hers and she’s definitely one of my girl crushes.

3. Park So Dam

Filmography: Record of Youth, Cinderella and the Four Knights, A Beautiful Mind, Parasite, Fukuoka, The Silenced

Park So Dam came onto my radar after I watched Parasite. I thought she was spectacular in that movie (she made me feel so many emotions!) and because of that, I watched Record of Youth, Cinderella and the Four Knights and then A Beautiful Mind. I enjoyed all of those shows though some of them ended on notes that made me scratch my head. I really enjoy her acting and her vibe so I’ve been crushing on her lately.

4. Moon Ga Young

Filmography: True Beauty, Recipe for Youth, Find Me in Your Memory, Tempted, Twenty Again, Eclipse

I really enjoyed Moon Ga Young in True Beauty. There were times when I thought she did a lot of stupid shit but overall, I enjoyed her acting and the chemistry she had with Cha Eun Woo. I tried watching Tempted but that was a disaster of the first few episodes so I quit it but I am looking forward to supporting Ga Young in her future projects. She’s great.

5. Kim Go Eun

Filmography: Goblin, Cheese in the Trap, The King: Eternal Monarch, Tune in For Love, Coin Locker Girl, Yumi’s Cell

I love this lady. I watched her in Goblin and thought she was fan-freaking-tastic so I just kept watching her stuff and watching her stuff and watching her stuff. She’s been pretty great in every single thing that I’ve watched her in and I am really looking forward to what else she’ll be doing in the future. I absolutely love her vibe both in her dramas, but also on her social media and photoshoots. She seems like such a sweetheart and I am a big fan of hers. Love this one!

Do you watch Korean Dramas? Who are your girl crushes? Share in the comments!

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Tags: Girl Crushes, Kim Go Eun, Korean Dramas, Lee Hye Ri, Moon Ga Young, Park Bo Young, Park So Dam, The Wednesday Five, Top 5 Lists

Review: My Roommate is a Gumiho

Posted September 14, 2021 by Rowena in Reviews | 4 Comments

My Roommate is a Gumiho

Starring: Jang Ki Yong, Lee Hye Ri, Bae In Hyuk
Year Released: 2021
Number of Episodes: 16
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Romantic Comedy
Country: Korea
Where I Watched It: Viki, QIY
Recommended By: Lee Hye Ri
Who I Watched It For: Lee Hye Ri

Shin Woo Yeo is a handsome and smart writer, who is actually a 999-year-old nine-tailed fox. To become a human, he collects human energy in a bead.
One day, the drunk friend of Lee Dam, a university student, falls asleep on top of an expensive car whose owner is Woo Yeo. While Lee Dam struggles to take her friend away and Woo Yeo trying to help her, Woo Yeo’s bead accidentally falls out of his mouth, and Lee Dam unintentionally swallows it. The bead can exist inside of a human for no more than 1 year and, afterward, the bead will break inside of that person causing the person to die. Not wanting to lose his chance in becoming a human, Woo Yeo explains to Lee Dam their predicament and suggests living together until they figure out a solution. Lee Dam, who has never had a boyfriend in her life, now lives with Shin Woo Yeo.

I started this show because I’ve become a big fan of the female lead, Lee Hye Ri. I loved her acting and her character in Reply 1988 so I was looking forward to seeing what she brought to this new character, Lee Dam, and I wasn’t disappointed. My girl can act and she’s funny as hell. She plays the goofy heroine extremely well and I was here for all of it in this show.

This was the first show that I saw Jang Ki Yong front and center and holy shit, this man is beautiful! He plays the loner immortal role really well too. Seeing him bring Shin Woo Yeo to life was a delight and a half. I loved seeing him fall in love with Lee Dam, even when he didn’t know and understand that was what was happening to him. Lee Dam was the perfect match for him and I completely adored their romance.

This story was complex and it was full of baloney but holy cow was it a lot of fun. I laughed, I smiled, and I cried throughout much of this show and through it all, I was entertained as hell. I loved the friendship between Shin Woo Yeo and Yang Hye Sun. The way that they both tried to live as humans and how often they got everything so wrong made me laugh so much. Their chemistry was fun and seeing them interact with all of the young college students, when they were hundreds of years old just made this show all the more fun. I also really loved the friendship between Lee Dam and her crew. They were so ride or die for each other and every single time that they got drunk together or fought together had me cracking the hell up.

Lee Dam was my kind of character. Someone I wanted to be and someone that I wanted to be besties with. She was a lot of fun but her moral compass was screwed on tight in the right direction. She was weird and she made no apologies for that. She liked what she liked and to hell with what anyone else had to say about it. She was also extremely loyal to those that she loved and to those that loved her. She was honest and just an all-around great person and I adored the hell out of her.

The second lead was someone that I had never heard about until this show and though I liked his character well enough, I wasn’t rooting for him to win Lee Dam. I did feel bad for him though because he had it bad for her and no matter what he did to win her over, she would not be swayed from Eoreushin. Even when outside forces did whatever they could to help his cause, she would not be moved. When we first met the second lead, I didn’t care for him and he really grew on me the more episodes that I watched. In the end, my heart really hurt for him and I wished him well. I hope he’s happy, wherever he is now. Haha.

The story started off strong and though there were times when things moved at a weird pace, I enjoyed every single episode. I enjoyed the main romance, the secondary romance, and I supported the hell out of all of Lee Dam’s loved ones. I was rooting for everyone and everything to work out in the end and I wasn’t disappointed. The beginning started off strong and I respected that since a lot of books and dramas have that weird beginning hump that you have to slog through to get to all of the good bits. The cast was delightful and the acting was great. Overall, this was a fun drama that didn’t take itself too seriously and I have every confidence that you’ll like this drama if you give it a chance.