Cosy Dramas for December

Summer Strike

Completed 12/12

This melodrama is such a gem, from the start there was something relatable and natural in watching Kim Seol Hyun's performance. Her character, Lee Yeo Reum is met with the sudden passing of her mother, and she makes a life altering decision to "on a strike" from her everyday city life in Seoul. Following her instinct, she retreats to a quiet seaside town and finds herself on a path of healing and self-discovery; along the way, she meets an ensemble of villager's that both challenge and champion her journey.

My favourite part was watching the growing friendship between Yeo Ruem and the Kim family - in particular with Kim Bom and her chosen kinship with Bom's grandmother, it was rough start for them but in time it was rewarding to see Kim Bom finally learn to trust and appreciate Yeo Ruem's sincerity.

The romance between Yeo Reum and Dae Beom is also portrayed in a way not too dissimilar to the characters, subtle and quiet, a gentle blossoming romance in the background; I found this slowness refreshing and highlighted the character's vulnerability and personal growth.

The ending is something I have mixed feelings about, the crime mystery felt slightly out of pace with the story and A LOT of direct exposition that quickly resolves the mystery in less than 2 episodes seemed messy in comparison to the majority well crafted slow slice of life drama. I honestly didn't think the drama needed this arc but it does give Dae Boem 's past some context and provides closure as he is forced to face his traumatic past. Overall it's a good slice of life drama with a emphasises on family and friendship, the performances felt believable and I really enjoyed Kim Seol Hyun's acting.

Ms. Incognito

Completed 12/12

The show started off strong, we're introduced to Kim Yeong Ran who is at the end of her tether, emotionally drained and in financial dire straits from supporting her gambling addictive toxic mother; fortunately she lands a job as a bodyguard to the CEO of the Gasung Group. I immediately liked the contrast of the quirky cast of "rich elite" characters, defined by their extreme selfish wealth in contrast to the morally empathetic Kim Yeong Ran - it seemed like it would be interesting watch to see these two worlds collide.

Unfortunately only a few episodes in, it was clear this wasn't going to be the tightly written satirical murder mystery I thought; it felt like a game of telephone, where parts of the show were inconsistent in tone and plot. The dialogue between the Ga Seon Yeong and her brother is borderline terrible, and as the main villain of the story, her quirky unsettling character becomes almost too cartoonish. Along with the continued plot inconsistencies, it was difficult to finish, I kept watching because I was it was relatively a short drama but I honestly don't think I would've continued if it was a 16 part episode. Frustrating to see a good cast of great actors wasted on poor script and editing.

Romantics Anonymous

Completed 8/8

This is a Japanese-South Korean remake of the French-Belgian 2010 movie "Romantics Anonymous" (Les Émotifs Anonymes), I found this to be a familiar and touching romance, a light-hearted love story with endearing characters that explore themes of mental health and anxiety disorder without being frivolous.

I tuned in for Han Hyo Joo and absolutely loved her character as the social awkard chocolatier, Lee Ha Na. She had great chemistry with Oguri Shun's character as the "misunderstood and seemingly cold" Fujiwara Sosuke. Their growth felt natural which is impressive for a limited show of only 8 episodes, a testament to the writing and performances from the cast.

I loved how each episode is themed around one of the seven unique chocolate flavors from Le Saveur's "Rainbow Palette", each one exploring further growth in Ha Na and Fujiwara's personal journeys. The "Chocolate of Happiness" episode was such a touching story, the symbolism of using the good parts of spoiled cacao and transform in to something good and valuable felt a poignant step in their growth.