Oh My Venus Korean Drama - Shin Min Ah, So Ji Sub, Henry, and Sung Hoon

January was a pretty good start to 2016. I indulged in a variety of shows in a variety of genres.  I watched a fun new drama, my very first Chinese drama, two cute drama specials, and two nice classic kdramas.  So in the end, I completed six dramas this month:

Oh My Venus Korean Drama - So Ji Sub and Shin Min AhOh My Venus

Oh My Venus was an enjoyable watch, but it did seem to be lacking that special something that makes a drama amazing.  The drama was well executed, but nothing revolutionary.

I enjoyed our main couple with Joo Eun being a strong and confident woman despite what the world may tell her, and Young Ho being a straight-forward and no nonsense kind of guy when it came to their relationship.

The acting is great all around with lots of couple moments and a fun bromance.  Characters are presented in a real sort of way that makes them relatable.  So despite its flaws, it’s a pleasant drama that was a nice start to 2016. (Oh My Venus Review)

Reply 1997 (Answer Me 1997) Reply 1997 Korean Drama - Seo In Guk, Jung Eun Ji, Hoya, Shin So Yool, Eun Ji Won, and Lee Shi Eon

Reply 1997 was a fun watch that really stirs up all of those feelings of nostalgia.  The friendships depicted felt real and genuine.  We had a nice love triangle as well as a complicated bromance that handled a difficult situation with maturity.  I really enjoyed our group of friends and was sad to see their story end.  It was definitely a good watch. (Reply 1997 Review)

Wu Xin The Monster Killer Chinese Drama - Elvis HanWu Xin: The Monster Killer

Wu Xin: The Monster Killer gets the honor of being my first completed Chinese drama.  I would describe it as lots of fun and a bit strange.  Wu Xin was full on with the fantasy element with monsters, magic, and special effects throughout each and every episode.  I love fantasy, so it was a nice treat for me.

It was thoroughly enjoyable with wonderful characters, a great villainess, fantasy, humor, an interesting setting, and beautiful costumes and cinematography.  The drama easily kept me entertained.  (Wu Xin: The Monster Killer Review)

Imaginary CatImagine Cate - Yoo Seung Ho

Imaginary Cat was a bit slow, but luckily it was only eight half-hour episodes.  I’m glad to see Yoo Seung Ho back in dramaland, and he and the cat were both priceless.  They made the drama enjoyable enough.  I must say the people in this drama seriously love cats.  It sometimes felt like a mini-melodrama, but a big credit goes to the actors for giving their all and making these scenes so genuine. (Imaginary Cat Review)

Heartless City Korean Drama - Jung Kyung Ho and Lee Jae YoonHeartless City

I found Heartless City to be a nice watch.  Crime thrillers aren’t usually my favorite genre, so I would say that those who do like these types of shows will probably love Heartless City.  I had some trouble connecting with the characters due to the large cast and quick pace.  But I did think we got a riveting performance from Jung Kyung Ho.  With slick production, moody cinematography, layered characters, and plenty of action, Heartless City exceled at delivering when it needed to.  (Heartless City Review)

PuckPuck Korean Drama - Lee Kwang Soo

I watched Puck specifically for one reason: Lee Kwang Soo.  And he is certainly what makes the drama worthwhile.  If you only know Kwang Soo from Running Man, you may not realize just what a talented actor he is.  He tugged at my heart several times in this drama.

Because of the sports theme, I found some parts a tad slow, but I still enjoyed it.  We see Joon Man’s journey to just be normal and be part of something he enjoys.  It’s one of those inspiring little dramas that encourages you to dream.  I think it’s worth a watch for most drama fans, but if you’re a fan of Lee Kwang Soo, it is a must watch for sure.  (Puck Review)

As you can see, I got in a lot of dramas for January.  I’m still trying to get caught up after my December consumed with the epic Empress Ki.  So many dramas, so little time!

For the month of February, I hope to complete Reply 1988 and my very first Japanese drama, My Little Lover.  As usual, I’ll try to complete a couple others that are yet to be determined too.

So how was January for you?

Happy drama watching to everyone!

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6 responses to “Korean Drama Update for January 2016”

  1. snow Avatar

    Wow! 6 dramas! That’s great!
    I’m dividing my time between dramas, American Tv shows and movies…not to mention some reading. Hence, I’m only watching currently airing shows.
    I agree with OMV. An easy watch but forgettable. And everything except the couple and 3 guys put me to sleep.
    I’m not a cat lover and so Imaginary Cat never attracted me…I never heard of Puck. Is it a new show?
    I wish JKH sported his neat and slick and short hair from Heartless City in each of his show 🙂

    1. Kay Avatar

      It was a good month! The crazy thing is I watch several American TV shows too, lol. I always follow those week to week though, so they are easier to manage.

      Yep, Oh My Venus was nice enough, but it will probably blend in with a lot of other dramas. Puck is a new drama that aired at the very beginning of January. It’s a 2 episode drama special, and it didn’t get a lot of attention except from Lee Kwang Soo fans 🙂

      And yes, that hair of Jung Kyung Ho in Heartless City was fabulous! I too would love to see a lot more of that:)

  2. Timescout Avatar

    I’m dropping dramas left and right again but that’s nothing new. 🙂 Only sticking to Dragons, Signal and my on/off jdrama Kita no Kuni Kara atm. I have been contenplating if I should pull something from The List of Doom and add it to the roster. Plenty to choose from right there, ha. I’ve got couple of western shows going as well for a change, plus I’ve been on a reading spree lately. Just finished one book few minutes ago as a matter of fact.^^

    I like thrillers and cop shows so yeah, I did love Heartless City. It’s not flawless but one of the better Korean examples by far. JKH’s turn as the charismatic Paksa was a revelation. He should do more of these type of roles.

    1. Kay Avatar

      Heartless City really is a shining example of a crime thriller done really well. Since it’s not a genre I love, it says a lot about the drama when I do enjoy it. And Jung Kyung Ho was amazing in this role! I always enjoy those dark conflicted characters, so this was great for that.

      Are you enjoying Signal? It seems to be getting an early positive reception. I’ll probably just monitor how things are going for the time being. My list of dramas to watch is quite long 🙂

      1. Timescout Avatar

        Oh yes, I am enjoying Signal quite a lot. It’s had a very promising start and I do hope and pray it’ll go on with that trajectory. When Ghost was airing I think I was most afraid of the plot going south, fistpumping after each epi when that didn’t happen. XD Try to stay away from spoilers if you plan on watching Signal on some later date.

        1. Kay Avatar

          I’m glad you found a kdrama you like! Like you said, hopefully, it stays good. I’ve gotten pretty good at avoiding spoilers since I usually let a drama get a bit underway before I take it on. I’m halfway through Reply 1988 and have been miraculously able to avoid finding out who the husband is, lol.

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