When I Was the Most Beautiful Korean Drama - Ji Soo and Im Soo Hyang

Three more dramas are in for November!  Each were entertaining in their own ways. It was the melo love triangle When I Was the Most Beautiful, the time travel thriller Alice, and the slice of life romance Record of Youth that I enjoyed:

When I Was the Most Beautiful Korean Drama - Ha Suk Jin, Im Soo Hyang, Ji SooWhen I Was the Most Beautiful

When I Was the Most Beautiful is the definition of an angsty melodrama. It’s incredibly soapy and filled with tropes. And I thoroughly enjoyed it! This is not going to be a drama for everyone though. It has a serious love triangle that is complicated on so many levels. Of course, when are two brothers being in love with the same woman ever not complicated?

This story is not really a happy one, and our main characters are quite tortured throughout the drama. They face so many difficult challenges as well as not always making the best decisions. This is not a fairy tale, and the relationships are extremely messy.

When I Was the Most Beautiful is an incredibly emotional watch that is filled with angst and heartbreak. It’s a long, torturous road for our characters, and we get a front seat to it all. It’s not a happy journey, but it’s a poignant one that left an impression. (When I Was the Most Beautiful Review)

Alice

For the most part I enjoyed Alice, but that comes with some major caveats. First, the positives. The most important things to me in a drama are an engaging story, interesting characters, and good pacing. The drama had these things so I was always entertained and never bored.

But the drama was so messy, particularly the mechanics of the time travel story which worsened as it progressed, that it definitely had an overall effect because it was glaringly obvious that the show didn’t have a solid grasp on what it was doing. Thankfully, I realized early on that you really just kind of have to go with a show like this and not take it too seriously. Despite some massive flaws, it was a pretty fun ride. (Alice Review)

Record of Youth

Record of Youth was a pretty nice drama. It has lots of heart as we follow the journeys of our characters on their road to achieve their dreams and navigate a variety of relationships. The romance was very sweet, and I really liked Park Bo Gum and Park So Dam together.

I found the drama to have a calming feel to it with more laid back pacing. It has an almost slice of life sort of vibe to it. This isn’t a show with lots of dramatic cliffhangers, but things move along nicely at their own pace. The story is very character focused as it deals with careers, romance, and family issues.

The first two-thirds of the drama are very angst light and fun while the latter third was more serious and got a bit draggy. It kind of lost some steam in the end, but I was still interested to see how everything ultimately played out. For the most part, Record of Youth was a solid drama. (Record of Youth Review)


So how was November for you?

Happy drama watching to everyone!

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20 responses to “Korean Drama Update for November 2020”

  1. D Avatar
    D

    Hi Kay – it looks like you had a solid month of watching. I finished 5 this month. 🙂 It seems a lot but I practically fast-forwarded two of them. 🙂
    1. You drive me crazy – this was a short drama. I watched this one because of Kim Sun Ho and and it’s pretty good. Short and sweet.
    2. The Good Detective – I loved this one. It was so good. I binged watched it in a week.
    3. Master’s Sun – this one was ok. I have been watching it for a while and I finally finished it with a lot of fast forwarding near the end.
    4. Do Do Sol So La La Sol – I was live watching this one and so finished it now. This one was the least favorite for me. It started out quite well then something happened in the middle and it was all a downhill for me from that point and the ending was the worst to say the least. Of course this meant a lot of fast forwarding again but I did finish it. 🙂
    5. Perfect and casual (Cdrama) – fluffy and sweet drama. It was quite good.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Kay Avatar

      Yes, it was a good month 🙂

      Oooh, 5 is great! Haha, yeah, fast forwarding always helps speed things up 😉 I watched You Drive Me Crazy earlier this year. A decent quick watch. I watched Master’s Sun many years ago. Like you, I thought it was just okay. I love the Hong sisters, but that was my least favorite drama of theirs. I do have Do Do on my list. Not sure when I will get to it though. It’s great that you enjoyed The Good Detective and Perfect and Casual so much. You had a really good month 🙂

      Like

  2. Snow Flower Avatar
    Snow Flower

    Korean drama update November 2020
    I finished 4 dramas and 1 mini drama:

    Search: WWW – I started watching this because Lee Jae Wook was in it, but ended up liking the story and the characters. I also liked the topic of social media ethics. LJW plays an actor who plays a bad guy in a daily drama.

    Search – inteiguing and suspenseful. A group of soldiers is sent to investigate strange occurrences in the DMZ. Are these related to an incident from 1997? Do some of the soldiers have secret orders?

    Zombie Detective – the surprise hit of 2020! A perfectly balanced mix of comedy, melodrama, and mystery. Choi Jin Hyuk was born to play the titular character.

    Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol – I enjoyed this drama, despite a couple of stumbling blocks in the early episodes. I continued to enjoy the second half of the drama even though it lost its focus. The last two episodes introduced a totally unnecessary plot development which really ruined the ending. The last 5 minutes could not undo the damage. Sigh. Lee Jae Wook is cute though, and I liked the fresh and fun use of classical music in the drama.

    To. Jenny – a sweet and cute mini drama about a shy musician and a frustrated idol trainee. The music is highly addictive! The actors do their own singing too.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Kay Avatar

      You had a pretty good month too. And a nice variety! To Jenny was super sweet 🙂 Search: WWW and Do Do are on my watch list.

      I also really want to watch Search. I’m always a bit nervous about OCN dramas though. Is it very gory?

      And it’s interesting to hear how much you enjoyed Zombie Detective. That one wasn’t on my list because it was another crime drama, and I’m not a huge fan of zombies. Does it have a good overarching story? I really like Choi Jin Hyuk, so I certainly would like to see him in it 🙂

      Like

  3. kissingsun Avatar

    I watched a few as well this month

    1. Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol – It was cute and fluffy. They really wasted the last few eps with a stupid sub plot that went nowhere but it was just what I needed.

    2. Sado (The Throne) – Its a movie, I bawled, this was so good.

    3. Welcome 3 Life – rewatched this as it was one of my favourites.

    4. Eternal Love – A CDrama but boy did it hold my attention for all 50 something episodes. I really struggle with some of these lengthy dramas but this one was definitely up there.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Kay Avatar

      I plan to check out Do Do too. It’s good that you mostly enjoyed it despite the end. Getting in a good movie and rewatching a favorite is always a great way to spend time too. And a long cdrama held your interest! I struggle with cdramas. I’ve only completed, a few and the longest was 37 eps. Dropped tons of them. I really wish I could click with one of the longer historicals.

      Like

      1. kissingsun Avatar
        kissingsun

        If i have to say that Jdramas tends to be a favourite as its short and to the point, sometimes there are fluff episodes in Kdramas but not so bad as in cdramas!

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Kay Avatar

          Yeah, there is definitely a lot of filler in cdramas. The way they construct many of their scenes is on the longer side too. They are so pretty though! I always get drawn in by all the beauty but usually can’t handle the dragginess, lol.

          I’ve actually only completed a couple jdramas. I like the shorter lengths, but a lot of them have a more slice of life quality to them which is not a genre I click with a lot of times. But I absolutely loved the sweet little drama My Little Lover a few years back. It completely won my heart 🙂

          Like

  4. MyKDramaticLife Avatar
    MyKDramaticLife

    ***A very very Long Post***

    (My November 2020 K-Dramatic Review)
    “Chillin’ November: Scream and Shout”

    To feel the spirit of Halloween, I ventured with ghosts, reincarnations, zombies, gods, cult, and killers this month. November 2020 has been quite challenging for me. For the first time in awhile I was having kdrama crisis after watching two great dramas straight in a row: Strangers from Hell and 49 Days. After them, haven’t finished any new additions to my book. I have dropped two bad dramas (for me) instead. 😔 Nonetheless, it’s still very enjoyable month. 😊
    And here’s hoping for a more productive month this December 2020.

    1. STRANGERS FROM HELL (8.5/10)
    Strange and hella weird from start to end, Strangers From Hell really lived up to its title. It’s quite engaging and interesting and thrilling and scary from episode 1 to its last scene. Two handsome men, Im Si Wan and Lee Dong Wook are both hella great. There is no single waste of time, and I could even watch more than just 10 episodes. So that was the main negative of the show. I wished it was longer than 10 episodes. I feel like the finale is a bit too wrapped up and so fast-paced, but nevertheless I still enjoyed it very much.

    2. 49 DAYS (10/10)
    49 Days is one of those dramas I wished to revisit every now and then when I feel like I’m having a drama slump or crisis. It’s quite a shame that I only have had the chance to watch this fantastic drama. It’s both funny and heartfelt, and every character is very interesting. Every single minute of 49 Days is special, but one of its best parts is the individual character growth and of course the blossoming romance of Han Kang and Shin Ji Hyun, and the heartbreaking journey of 49-er traveller ghost, Ji Hyun. I had very fun time watching Lee Yeo Won and Jo Hyun Jae together especially. Lee Yeo Won is such a great actress. Jo Hyun Jae has now officially become my bae. ❤ 49 Days is definitely one of the best so far. 😍 A masterpiece I almost missed. 😀

    +Elegant Friends (Dropped)
    (see short dropped drama review)

    +Save Me (Dropped)
    (see short dropped drama review)

    Favorite/s of the Month: 49 Days (and also becomes of my top favorites so far) 😍

    (My K-Movie November 2020 Review)

    1. Peninsula (6/10)
    Train to Busan is a zombie film with lots of actions, while Peninsula is an action film with lots of zombies. Still filled with zombies, but story and overall execution were quite less entertaining and compelling. It was not touching me, despite all the cries and fears. On the good note, they introduced new adventures to a zombie apocalyptic setting. And therefore could be more thrilling and suitable for you, if you're sucker for action films.

    So that was my K-Dramatic November 2020.
    How about yours, chingu? 😊

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Kay Avatar

      Oh no! Not a kdrama crisis! Those are the worst 😦 And I know that after watching really amazing dramas is when we are at the highest risk for a slump. It’s great that you got in two wonderful dramas though. I really enjoyed 49 Days years ago. It’s a classic for sure 🙂

      Aww, how sad that you dropped Save Me. I absolutely loved that drama. Very disturbing but thrilling and suspenseful. It was one of my favs the year it came out.

      I do hope you quickly come out of your slump and have a good December. There are a lot of good dramas out right now 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Snow Flower Avatar
    Snow Flower

    Kay,

    Search was not super gory. There are characters who die, but the scenes are not gratuitous. The story was moving fast. There is some suspension of disbelief required, but the story was told well. Jang Dong Yoon is very good at playing characters who are both idealistic and down-to-earth. I was totally convinced that he was a dog handler in real life.

    Zombie Detective has a surprisingly coherent overarching story. There are 3 cases that the Zombie Detective investigates, and they are all nicely tied. There are also a lot of funny references to other dramas. There is some zombie stuff, but it is mostly for comic effect. The internal monologues of our zombie detective are hilarious.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Kay Avatar

      Oh that’s so good to hear! I’m always weary that OCN dramas will be too much for me, but they do have some that I enjoyed. I’ve heard mostly good things about Search so I’ve wanted to see it. And I’m an expert at suspension of disbelief, so no problems there 🙂

      As for Zombie Detective, I like that the cases tie in together. That’s usually a must for me. And some zombie humor sounds fun. It still could be hit or miss for me, but I have to say that I am thoroughly intrigued now and will have to add it to my list! I really appreciate the drama details 🙂

      Like

  6. Timescout Avatar

    Can’t remember if I finished Zombie Detective in October or November. Anyways, it was fun and not all that episodic, so it might just suit you. 😉

    Everything else I watched last month was Chinese, LOL! I finally managed to finish ‘Sand Sea/Tomb of the Sea’, which I had to put on hold (all the way back in 2018) as the subbing took forever. I kinda forgot all about it till few weeks back when I realised it was fully subbed in Viki, ha. Then I watched two other cdramas set in the same Grave Robber’s Chronicles universe, ‘Reunion: Sound of the Providence’ S1 and S2. All three were better than I expected, though I guess I liked Sand Sea a bit more than the other two. Hmmm… what else… Oh yes, there was a romantic-ish, fantasy costume drama ‘The Moon Brightens for You’, which was’t too bad as idol dramas go. I did finish it after all! I also watched a buch of new donghuas (Chinese anime). All because I discovered that Bilibili now has a dedicated YT channel with English subs. 😀

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Kay Avatar

      Oooh, another recommendation for Zombie Detective! I originaly was giving it a pass, but Snow Flower above made it sound like something I might enjoy too. Fun and not episodic definitely appeals to me, hehe 🙂

      And it does sound like you had a pretty good cdrama filled month! I’m glad to hear that you had several solid dramas to enjoy 🙂

      Like

  7. Jermena Avatar
    Jermena

    Dear me hasn’t watched anything this concluded month. But hopeful anyway in these coming months.
    But i would like to mention something. Kay, have you noticed how Park Bo Gum always has a good romance with his leading girls 🙂 just sweet, laid back, calm, and, ….. i could go on. And he handles them all confidently like a man sure of his place in the world… lolest! The man is just so interesting and entertaining to watch…. actually, each time i see him in an ad of a drama, i just brace myself for a good sizzling romance between him and his leading lady. That and of course his very talented acting. The man is talented and good looking too 🙂 *winks

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Kay Avatar

      I agree! I think he has good romances too. He usually has a calming presence that goes especially well with nice guy type characters. He just comes off as so sweet! He does play a good villain though too. I know where you’re coming from because I always enjoy his roles 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Jermena Avatar
        Jermena

        😁😁😁😁
        Please tell me a series where he has acted as a villain!
        It sure would be a good surprise to watch😋

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Kay Avatar

          Do check out his performance in I Remember You (also called Hello Monster). It’s a psychological crime thriller. It takes some eps to really get going, but then it is really good! And Park Bo Gum is very creepy and gives an amazing performance 🙂

          Liked by 1 person

          1. Jermena Avatar
            Jermena

            👍🏿 added onto my watch list☺️

            Thanks.

            Like

            1. Kay Avatar

              You’re welcome 🙂

              Liked by 1 person

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Hi, I’m Kay

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