Mini Reviews: 2017 Romance

When it comes to romance shows, sometimes there isn't much to talk about aside from chemistry and acting. Therefore, I'm dedicating this post to the drama I had very little to say about, or that I couldn't be bothered to write a full review for. Thus, here's a little insight into how romantic 2017 has been so far!

Tomorrow With You

Time-traveller Yoo So-joon encounters Song Ma-rin, who has an interesting connection to his past. He saves her, and unintentionally rewrites their future so they marry.
  This one confused me a little. Whilst I thought the writing and directing were generally pretty solid (although that much should be a given, since it was pre-produced), the main characters fell flat with me and their romantic connection didn't feel genuine. The time-travel elements of the show were wasted, never contributing anything interesting to the story line, although the last few episodes did improve my opinion of the show just a little. Honestly, though, if you want a good time-travel romance, watch Queen In-hyun's Man.

Strong Woman Do Bong-soon

Gifted with abnormal strength passed down through the women of her family, Do Bong-soon catches the attention of an eccentric CEO with her unstoppable power.
  This is the kind of shown you'll either really like or really hate. On one hand, the excessive violence and toilet humour were crude, and the show may offend you in other ways too. Ji Soo was completely wasted. The psychopathic kidnapper certainly made things interesting, but isn't really used to full potential. On the other, the romance is adorable beyond words, perhaps one of the best in recent years. The titular Strong Woman was pretty awesome, but Park Hyung-shik stole the show.

Fight My Way

Four friends with over twenty years of history under their belts. Two are entering a romantic relationship, and two are leaving one - all whilst chasing their dreams.
  The romance of this one was definitely the biggest highlight - Fight My Way boasts passionate and lovable main characters, and their gradual progression into romance was well-done and made ever so sweeter by the fact that Kim Ji-won and Park Seo-joon had sparkling chemistry that effectively drowned out everything else. The show made me cringe with second-hand embarrassment a lot, and the alternate story line was a little weak, and the mystery subplot wasn't necessary, but I still say this was one of the best romance dramas of the year.

Suspicious Partner

Grumpy prosecutor meets bubbly law student, and their relationship doesn't get off to a great start. When she is framed for murder, their lives take an interesting turn.
  I was expecting a lot from the writer of Hello Monster. The opening episodes disappointed me immediately, since they didn't feel like a substantial introduction to characters who may easily come off as a little annoying. The romantic chemistry was great and the murder-mystery thriller elements were thrilling, but these two halves of the plot didn't merge well together at all, leaving the story feeling a little choppy. The characters and their friendships remain the highlight of this thoroughly enjoyable show, but otherwise it was a little forgettable.

Temperature of Love
He's a young aspiring chef. She's an older struggling writer. They're two people who could be any poorer a match, and yet they fall in love more passionate than some couples ever will.
  Admittedly, I dropped this one with about five episodes to go. The biggest draw to the drama was that there was very little drama. It had low-key melo vibes, but the characters were funny and charming, and the show wrapped up conflicts not long after they were introduced. It was looking to be one of my favourite shows of the year for most of it's run, but the unnecessary angst  came down as heavily as a grand piano and tainted the otherwise sweet show. I would suggest you watch for the actors and the chemistry, but I would also suggest you wrap it up early and pretend that's where it ended.

20th Century Boy and Girl

Actress Sa Jin-jin has never dated before - well, that's a slight lie. She had a relationship with Gong Ji-won, her neighbour and best friend growing up, which only lasted a few days back in high school. The two reunite as adults and pick up where they left off.
  It was a great idea to cast Kim Ji-suk as a lead (finally), but I was a little disappointed with how vanilla his character was after seeing some of the great personalities he's embodied in recent years. That isn't to say he wasn't adorable, though - what this show had going for it was that it is very warm and feel-good. Occasionally the plot would drag, but the show was driven by the interpersonal relationships of the characters and that was almost always enough. It's hardly anything new, but if you want a nice classic rom-com, this is where to look.

Because This is My First Life
She needs a house. He needs a roommate. Is this a match made in Heaven?
  This drama has gotten a lot of praise for being a great character study (the casting of great actors like Lee Min-ki had so much to do with why the characters were so lovable, though). Sentimental and sometimes brutally honest, the show's strength is often it's prose, the clever narrations to cap off episodes. I personally don't think I could ever have enjoyed it with a clear mind, though, since so much of it is ripped-off from Nigeru wa Haji. Still, I admit it's worth the giant fan base it's accumulated. The last few episodes lacked the same quality as the earlier ones, leaving me confused and a little sad, but it's otherwise solid and definitely one of the must-watch dramas of the year.

Witch's Court
Prosecutor Ma Yi-deum is determined to raise up through the ranks, but being relocated to a department specifying in rape cases sends her backtrack a little.
  Wasn't this called a romance drama once? Huh. I didn't see any. Oh, Witch's Court, if you hadn't started off so strongly I wouldn't have put up with you for as long as I did. This drama isn't awful, but it certainly is lacking. I appreciated the show's bold nature, using a fantastic anti-heroine (who was the absolute highlight of the show) to give some insight into sexual assault cases and how they're handled in Korea, but it quickly veered into over-dramatic territories. The villains were often two-dimensional cardboard cutouts, and the outrageous shift at the half-way point - ruining the chances of a on-screen romance - was what eventually drove me away. The wasted potential here will haunt me.