I recommend this drama

[Lmangla]

we all have seasons where we can't seem to find anything to watch and we wish we could find something. well, here's your chance to recommend a drama or movie that you really liked.

 

here's the format:

Name:

Summary:

Watch when you are in the mood for:

Visual factor:

Emotional moments that you liked:

Annoying bits you might need to ignore:

Overall grade:

 

since we watch dramas in many languages, you can include dramas other than kdramas as long as there are subs. don't worry about your english or writing an essay. even a short, sweet recommendation will do.

 

we hope this can be a library that people can check out any time and keep adding.

re: @sushilicious

[Lmangla]

@Lawyerh ~ I loved hard nut! watched it really randomly once and was so disappointed there was no second season. felt it ended kind of abruptly.

[Lmangla]

18 minutes ago, Lawyerh said:

I will slowly fill up your pages.. i have a lot of drama? Bwahaha... I try to share those not too popular but I like it. 

ooh definitely share more. people are always looking for new stuff to watch beyond the regular names.

[gm4queen]

Name: The Ghost Detective/ Detective that only I can see

Summary: Detective Lee Da-il (Choi Daniel), who catches ghosts, tries to solve the case of his assistant, Jung Yeo-wool's (Park Eun-bin) younger sibling's bizarre death. He runs into a mysterious woman in red called Sunwoo Hye (Lee Ji-ah) who appears at every crime scene.

Watch when you are in the mood for: I was never a fan of Horror genre before! But now, I love horror- romance!!

Visual factor: It's all about my daily dose, Daniel & the pretty beauty Park Eun Bin!

Emotional moments that you liked: He knows that she is in love with him. But he can't let her love him because... he is not a human anymore.! 

Annoying bits you might need to ignore: I love you so much Lee Ji Ah unnie... 

Overall grade: 9.5/10 (Minus 0.5 for Lee Ji Ah unnie... )

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Wzg0z0SUyw

 

The series is about to air in Japan from 21st August.. I wish all the success for the cast & crew!!! Fighting, DanBin!!  

My most favorite K-drama couple ever... 

 

 

[Lmangla]

@gm4queen ~ your description sounds interesting..... except I like to sleep at night and can't if I watch horror. hahahah...

[gm4queen]

31 minutes ago, Lmangla said:

@gm4queen ~ your description sounds interesting..... except I like to sleep at night and can't if I watch horror. hahahah...

 

Ha ha ha... Yes dear, I understand your frustration!  The series is not really for light hearts as it has extra dark scenes in the first half! But the horror elements are less in the second half & the plot is more likely a supernatural thriller! Our dear @triplem chingu also had the same problem over this series! She is also a huge fan of Choi Daniel but she just skipped this series for the same reason you have!

 

But the series is extremely popular among international fans for the unspoken love between the leads!  They have 4 beautiful hugs & that's all!!! NOT A SINGLE KISS! I just totally got addicted to this series in last year! Not just me, the whole world was crazy for them actually! So if you want a horror-romance, then this is the perfect choice (unless you are a chicken, of course) !!!!! Ha ha ha! 

 

This is my fav hug of them... Who are you to ask me if I am alright..???!  Just a warm touch & eye gazes on each other! Enjoy, dear!  Feel the love...

 

 

 

[Lmangla]

Name: Siyah Beyaz Ask

Summary: the impossible love story between a doctor and the right hand of a mafia boss. they end up getting married under forced circumstances. her entrance in his life forces him to examine himself, his relationships with his estranged family and discover the truth behind a painful loss.

Watch when you are in the mood for: intense family drama makjang with birth secret and crackling romance. theme of whether a person can turn around their life and heal the wounds of their past. what does it mean to be righteous? a romance where the couple love as much as they argue intensely. siblings fight like crazy but love each other deeply. interesting side character romances and some really complex characters.

Visual factor: everything is brightly lit even though the mood is intense, crackling, and sometimes a little sad. loved that PD used a musical score and actors expression to set the mood rather than choosing to do dark, bad lighting. super! and the male lead! waaaaah!!! not only good looking but so much emotion just through his expressions. 

Emotional moments that you liked: oodles of chemistry between the main leads, great scenes between the siblings especially the brothers.

Annoying bits you might need to ignore: there were a few annoying characters but that is what the fast forward button is for! hahahhaha. this was my first turkish dizi and I almost gave up because of the length of each episode. instead of trying to watch in one go, I watched a little each day over a month like a daily. so if you can pace yourself, then this is a good watch

Overall grade: B+ or 8/10

 

 

 

re: @Sarang21 ~ have I missed anything?

[nohamahamoud2002]

:

Name: class of lies 

Summary: mysterious murder crimes occur related to a school for rich students 

Watch when you are in the mood for: mystery thriller 

Visual factor: school atmosphere nostalgia but turns to a nightmare because of the corruption

Emotional moments that you liked: the teacher's interaction with the abused students 

Annoying bits you might need to ignore: the director of the school is disgusting  

Overall grade: 10

 

 

@sushilicious

[Sarang21]

@Lmangla you summed it up perfectly  

[nohamahamoud2002]

Name: Shady mom in law 

Summary: a lady criminal kidnapped a little  girl, wiped her memory, and the story of that mother's  handsome son

Watch when you are in the mood for: mystery suspense 

Visual factor: handsome second lead who speaks Excellent French, plays the guitar and sings too

Emotional moments that you liked: when Jenny, the main heroine was hugged by her biological mom

Annoying bits you might need to ignore: the secondary characters storyline

Overall grade: 8

 

 

 

another one

 

 

Name: Left-handed wife 

Summary: a man who seeks revenge against his biological mom for abandoning him and causing his father's death indirectly 

Watch when you are in the mood for: theatrical acting, tragedy, revenge

Visual factor: the second lead's complete control over his facial expressions and tone of voice

Emotional moments that you liked: all hug scenes of the son (Namjun) and his mother. And the dying scenes of Namjun 

Annoying bits you might need to ignore: the silly boring love story of the main characters 

Overall grade: 9

 

 

 

@Ameera Ali since you liked my blog 

 

I always thought that most Korean actors are shallow and depend on their looks, but this drama upset my preconceptions. It is not a romantic drama at all but the moments between son and mother are so touching and the actor's talent and depth make it worth watching 

[Lmangla]

1 hour ago, gm4queen said:

 

This is my fav hug of them... Who are you to ask me if I am alright..???!  Just a warm touch & eye gazes on each other! Enjoy, dear!  Feel the love..

awww, it is a great hug as you can feel the love - it is not about passion but a deep emotional connection. but I don't get it, he is not human????? so what is he vampire? ghost?

 

44 minutes ago, nohamahamoud2002 said:

Annoying bits you might need to ignore: the silly boring love story of the main characters 

bwahahaha... LOL. this only happens in weekend and daily dramas where there's tons of characters and so main leads actually are sometimes lame and are so so boring compared to the other characters.  in mini series, if this happens, ratings would tank. hahahahah...

 

[NaYouSabi?]

Name: Saka no Tochu no Ie (2019)

Summary: A mother is asked to be a jury at the trial of a woman who drowned her 8-month old baby. and the mother starts seeing herself in the defendant ... 

Watch when you are in the mood for: when you want to thing about life and humanity , what it means to be a mother , and societies expectation of woman to be mothers , wives etc. 

Visual factor: story a told from different angles and nothing is as it seems , but at the same time the final result is the same ... 

Emotional moments that you liked: i would not say i liked them but i felt them ... a crippling feeling of helplessness , because if only we had a time machine that could help up change our past ... so you could say i liked the fact that even though i a not a mother i saw and understood where everyone as coming from 

Annoying bits you might need to ignore: NONE honestly its 6 episodes , somethings would make you angry but ts part of the story build up ... oh and i wanted to give a few spanks to a certain brat ... 

Overall grade:10/10

Spoiler

 

 

Name: Hokuto

Summary: A lawyer tries to defend a young man who wants the death penalty . 

Watch when you are in the mood for: WHEN YOU LACK INTENSITY IN YOUR LIFE. THIS WILL MAKE YOU ASK THOSE IMPORTANT LIFE QUESTIONS. 

Visual factor: very dark and gloomy . the acting and everything is on point 

Emotional moments that you liked: NONE... all i can say is that this should be watched in installments its an amazing series but you need to be strong. 

Annoying bits you might need to ignore: Its five episodes long ... not for people who are easily triggered or have a weak heart ... i remember there was a scene where i had to stop eating not because of the visuals but because i couldn't take it anymore ... I gave up on human beings. 

Overall grade:9/10

Spoiler

 

 

[Lmangla]

@NaYouSabi? ~ woah, a read of the descriptions itself sound so intense! looks like it would be a good fit for folks like @sushilicious and others who enjoyed voice and for those enjoyed children of god like @Dhakra and @bebebisous33

[nohamahamoud2002]

 

 

Name: Dum laga ke haisha

Summary: two incompatible couple  get married, apply for divorce and fall in love later on

Watch when you are in the mood for: touching sad romance 

Visual factor: the misty quality of the picture  

Emotional moments that you liked: when the husband  wanted to commit suicide and the wife was crying 

Annoying bits you might need to ignore: no annoying bits

Overall grade: 9

 

It seems  like a comedy but it is not. I cried in many scenes. The music score is by the Italian composer Andrea Guerra (he also composed the wonderful music of the wonderful movie The Pursuit of Happyness).

 

@gm4queen

[NaYouSabi?]

41 minutes ago, Lmangla said:

@NaYouSabi? ~ woah, a read of the descriptions itself sound so intense! looks like it would be a good fit for folks like @sushilicious and others who enjoyed voice and for those enjoyed children of god like @Dhakra and @bebebisous33

i hope they all watch those I really needed someone to talk about these dramas with when i watched hokuto last year and saka no this year ... So if anyone does watch feel free to tag me in any discussion ... 

[nohamahamoud2002]

Name: The Apartment 

Summary: an employee who hires his apartment to his seniors to meet their mistresses but falls in love with his colleague (who happens to meet the manager and tries to commit suicide in the apartment ),  he learns that love is far important than money

Watch when you are in the mood for: unusual love story 

Visual factor: when he was cooking spaghetti using a tennis bat as strainer

Emotional moments that you liked: when she chose him over her rich boyfriend and they were dealing cards at the end . He told her I love you and she smiled and told him, just shut up and play (cards) I love them together  Jack Lemmon and Shirley McLean 

Annoying bits you might need to ignore: no annoying bits 

Overall grade: 10

 

 

 

 

Summary

 

[gm4queen]

2 hours ago, Lmangla said:

 

awww, it is a great hug as you can feel the love - it is not about passion but a deep emotional connection. but I don't get it, he is not human????? so what is he vampire? ghost?

 

Wow... It's my pleasure that you enjoyed it dear!!!  Thanks a lot for the sweet comment!

 

And yes, when you hear The Ghost Detective, you get 2 meanings in hand! Either he is a detective who catches ghosts or he is a detective who is as well a ghost himself! Every one preferred the former but the reality turned out to be the latter!  She is a human & he is a ghost! Can you ship a ghost & a girl..???! Then I say it's physically impossible as a ghost is someone who doesn't exist! 

 

So he is afraid of letting her love him..! Otherwise, she'd have to live her whole life with an imaginary husband who doesn't even exists! Horror aside, I love their emotional love story a lot! It's very well executed that hatred can be overcome only by love...

 

And this is the video I've edited for its 6th OST which is everyones' favorite! I hope you will love my edit & get the picture in your heart as well!   Enjoy dear...

 

 

[jongski]

@Lmangla and others I really want for everyone to check.  I'll recommend this.  Thanks for creating this "I recommend this drama"

 

Name: Kazoku no Katachi!

Summary:  http://asianwiki.com/The_State_of_Union

Watch when you are in the mood for:  Brilliant smart well written drama

Visual factor:  every scene of the leads, every narration and the goldmine of quotable quotes

Emotional moments that you liked:  all episodes esp. ep 6 (Not being  able to get pregnant is a sensitive thing for women)

Annoying bits you might need to ignore: None

Overall grade:  10/10

 

Some time in June 2016 in the Japan thread... I posted something and I want to share the post/summary/review.

 

Check the spoiler.

 

Spoiler

 

Posted June 21, 2016

At the moment... Kazoku no Katachi! quality writing.  Yeah that good of drama. It's funny, heartwarming. well written. I was like Aw. Aw . Aw. then I got teary eyed. The end of ep 2 when dad took that shot of him eating smoked salmon.. he was so enjoying savoring it with his beer.. when the dad  ask how was it he was deny to death saying no no it's terrible.. and dad was like gotcha! Ha ha  And me was like. Ha! So you wanna live in own castle. eh?  take that!

 

Posted June 21, 2016

 

 "If people can remember to be  courteous, things will work out" - father, ep 3  Kazoku no Katachi

So the first scene of ep 3  had me LOL when dad brought the furniture cabinet and photo of the the mom.  I'm like yeah, so what the hell can you do, huh? Daisuke? Well, what else but just to look and sigh.. oh  when dad lives with you in your own castle. Then  me lol at the  fertilizer scene. And then the scene when they quarreled.. again as he was creating noise again- party with friends thereby disturbing other condo owners. Daisuke said...why don't you change!

After while  Daisuke's  father showed the letter the mother left be she died.

"To my dear husband. If I go before you, I'm very worried about you, who will be left alone. I'll note down the things you'll need for your everyday life.  When you're having troubles, ask someone for help, okay? Contact your old friends. As you get older, you can't do everything by yourself like you used to. Try to get along with people around you. 2;s better than 3, 3s better than 2, you know.  Thanks to you and Daisuke. I was happy.. I was truly happy. Thank you."

Father:  "So that I cause worries for mom in the other world, I decided to change. Do all the fatherly things."

Daisuke's like " Mom's an idiot. Worrying about dad until the very end. Idiot."  And I'm like Aww. Now you see where you're dad's coming from why he's like that.  Then Daisuke went down check on his dad who is sleeping on the couch.. he saw the school things for Kota-sun on the table. The morning after.... That smile on Kota-sun's face when he saw all his school things with his name written on then. Awww. Daisuke!

Daisuke narration....

 Second guessing whether someone's life is happy is probably presumptuous itself.

 And once he was alone in his castle again. He sat on the couch.  But that smile on Daisuke's face.. priceless. Aww!

This drama is just smart wonderful witty funny nothing cheesy or sappy.

 

Posted June 22, 2016

Just done with the marathon... 5-10. I'll share because  I love the narration. Narration is high lighted. Thanks for indulging.  Sorry it's long.

ep5  love, marriage, and of not being alone

If a person is lucky enough to meet his best partner, the institution of marriage may not be a bad thing.  But if you you were to ask if partner who's perfect for me exist in this world,I'd say  the probability is extremely low

The end scene of ep 5 Hanako confessed something sensitive.  Tubal pregnancy and surgery. That she''s unable to get pregnant naturally again....  thinking on in-vitro. which caused the divorce, telling everything to Daisuke.. "becuase he doesn't care and does not show any dramatics... (but of course.. it bother him.. he just didn't show it).

ep 6 Distracted but still concerned..

Confession distracted him so much.. flashback to when he matter of fact said to Hanako.. he's young,  he can have kids,  he feels sorry for her ( he didn't know at that time about her pregnancy problems). It's distracting him....BECAUSE HE CARES! whether he admits it or not. Episode so good I could quote everything! wonderfully written.

Daisuke narration....

Distractions that shake up one's heart, are always brought in form the outside from someone else other than me. If you don't want to be saddled with unnecessary problems, it's best to keep your distance with people, but...... People are basically weak creatures. Because we're weak, we build high walls, we lock out doors, and protect ourselves. But what happens when someone barging in your home without knocking... what does mean to embrace someone? if I don't know  what it means at my age, is something wrong with me?. What should I have said to Hanako? 

My favorite for ep 6.  when I got so teary eyed. When he decided to have a word with Hanako.....

I'm not a woman, and I never though I wanted a kid. I don't quite understand Hanako's feelings or your ex's feelings.  Honestly speaking, even now, I'm wondering why you told me such an important thing. How do people normally take it? I thought about and I still don't get it. But I'll think it about it some more. I'll think about it so.... next time you want to vent out something.. I've developed some tolerance, so... if  things get tough, you can tell me again.

Aww!  I wanna hug Daisuke. That smile he gave her. The grateful look she gave him. Not being  able to get pregnant is a sensitive thing for women. It was something she kept a lid on and finally she was able to  get it out of her system to a stranger whom she thinks will neither  care nor matter and it was a relief to her.  But the thing is it bothered him. He didn't know how to react.

 ep7: There are secrets.

People keep secrets for a variety of reasons. The moment you realized someone close to you has a secret, you'll be distressed. Even if that secret is kept  even with no ill content

ep8 All things must come to an end...Daisuke can't wait to reclaim his castle.

Yes, it all comes to an end someday. It's just a little bit longer that I have to bear with these folks.

But then the father announced he's going to die soon. The look on Daisuke's face. The reaction. Like it hasn't sink in. 

ep 9. When Daisuke's putting up a front.....

The smile is an armour of the heart. It hides our true feelings.  Be it fear, trepidation, or anger,  most emotions can be hidden with  smile.  Yes, by putting  a smile.... How does one normally react at a time like this? When your dad who you thought was nothing but presumptuous and troublesome suddenly tells you "I'm dying".

 They ask...."Daisuke, are you alright? Everything alright?"

 He answers "It's not like I'm the one dying"

And that's how I lie, with false smile and words, I protect myself.

Conversation of Hanako and Daisuke.The scenes. Tears.

"I was really looking forward to going back to being alone again. But now, now I'm scared. Of being alone after dad dies. When I think that day is coming, I'm scared." -Daisuke

"When that happens. When it gets tough to be alone, just come to me." -Hanako

Ending scene for ep. when Daisuke grant this father's last wish.. a family portrait.

When you take of the armor. Your heart becomes lighter. When you can't take off the armor even for a moment, you can probably put on a smile again when necessary. But when that day arrives, whether I'll be able to smile, I'm not confident at all.

ep10  Final.  With love, joy and tears. Contentment. I'll just quote the narration

Spending the last remaining days....

Yes, people change. For better or worse. People, at times part ways, triggered by trivial matter, and total stranger at times embrace each other, as we go on building different kinds of life. There's no two same life inside the window. Under each roof, inside each window, people continue to search for different forms of happiness, with no one knowing what the correct answer is. Shortly after that, dad. went.

Talking to his dad who passed away...

I tell you, look at all the stuff you brought.  you made a total mess of perfect castle. You came as you pleased, you left as you pleased, Damn you anyway!

After the funeral....

Living under one roof, the whole family will smile and be happy. That's nothing but a fantasy. To the contrary, it may be more of a miracle to spend everyday together with a smile on our face. Changing it's form little by little, our modest daily life continues. Under each respected roof, inside each respective window. Naturally, in order to maintain our every day life, there are few things that are necessary. Tolerance, Love, Give and take and..... a modest time spent alone is still necessary.

That fact that I spent time doing marathon and quoting the narration here just goes to show I much I enjoyed this drama.

 

 

 

[thistle]

Name:  Nagareboshi

 

Summary:  Kengo and Risa meet when each of them is at a crossroads in life.  Kengo is desperate to find a liver donor to save the life of  his terminally ill sister while Risa is considering throwing her own life away with suicide after having been forced into the sex trade to pay off her con-man brother's debt.  They make a deal, and enter into a contract marriage.  Neither of them expected to fall in love.

 

Takenouchi Yutaka as Kengo
Ueto Aya as Risa

 

Watch when you are in the mood for:  When you need to believe in love and healing.

 

Visual factor:  Moon jelly fish.  They provide continuity to the plot, and they are pretty.

 

Emotional moments that you liked:  When Kengo helps Risa to dye her hair.  When Kengo teaches Risa to ride a bike.  When Risa asks Kengo to remember what her tummy looked like before she has surgery.  When Kengo and Risa meet again in the final episode.

 

Annoying bits you might need to ignore:  The desire to strangle Risa's brother.  And maybe the itch to slap Kengo's headstrong sister.

 

Overall grade:  A.  Definitely.

 

This is an older Japanese drama from 2010 but still very watchable.  It is the first drama that I ever watched "raw" because I was so desperate to see what happened next that I could not be bothered to wait for subs.  I believed completely in the love that Kengo and Risa found for one another.  And I still re-watch this drama every autumn because it is so healing and so real.

 

And I still also love the OST for this drama.  It's so beautiful.  Ryusei by Kobokuro.

Found this fanmade vid on YT with scenes from Nagareboshi and subs for the lyrics of Ryusei.  

 

 

[Lmangla]

6 hours ago, Berou said:

OMO !!!!   Someone who has watched SBA . The chemistry of the OTP was on fire 

 

I'll come with my list of recommended dramas, even turkish dramas !! 

I used to watch them, so the ones I know are around 10+ years old. 

tell me about it -- there was something about the OTP that they really crackled. I can't even remember the last romance and OTP where I was so hooked. 2.20 hours for an episode is literally way way way too much for me. I even avoid TVN dramas because I think they are too long. hahahahha... but this drama was engrossing enough that I managed to stick through. besides the crackling chemistry, there was great emotional scenes as well as real relationship building within all the character sets. now I feel like I am spoiled and it will be hard to find another drama that catches my eye like this one.

 

so yea, if there are subs available, please do suggest even older dramas. do you know why turkish dramas are so long?

 

8 hours ago, jongski said:

Name: Kazoku no Katachi!

so is this a slice of life type drama with dashes of family and romance thrown in?

 

34 minutes ago, thistle said:

Summary:  Kengo and Risa meet when each of them is at a crossroads in life.  Kengo is desperate to find a liver donor to save the life of  his terminally ill sister while Risa is considering throwing her own life away with suicide after having been forced into the sex trade to pay off her con-man brother's debt.  They make a deal, and enter into a contract marriage.  Neither of them expected to fall in love.

 

Takenouchi Yutaka as Kengo
Ueto Aya as Risa

the actor who plays kengo has really great expressions. have seen him before in other dramas though I can't remember the names. by the way this summary reminds me of the kdrama "marriage contract" with uee and leo seo jin. did the kdrama borrow a similar idea but executed it differently?