May and June 2025 Drama Reviews

Pump Up the Healthy Love

This drama is about Do Hyun Joong (Lee Jun-Young) who is an accomplished bodybuilder and even won first place at the prestigious Mr. David Competition which is a worldwide contest. He comes back to Korea and takes over an old gym that his old coach owns. He wants to make this gym succeed and tries to advertise for his gym and himself as a trainer. Lee Mi-Ran (Jung Eun-Ji) has a shocking break up with her boyfriend and she sees the advertisement and wants to make a change in her life. She takes Hyun-Joong’s offer to train her and he promises to change her body and make her dreams come true.

So I think this drama was a bit controversial with the whole body shaming aspect. Lee Mi-Ran just looks like she is wearing baggy clothes and doesn’t seem like she has a weight problem to me and Do Hyun Joong is pretty calling her fat and commenting so much on her body. I get that is a bit of a culture thing with having to be very skinny to be considered pretty in Korea. I mean I don’t think it is the main focus it seems like becoming stronger and building muscles in the main focus on this drama. I wasn’t overly bothered by them because there is nothing wrong with trying to be healthier and eat better. I have to say in real life I don’t like gym rats, there whole life is working out, eating protein and looking at their body in the mirror. So it was funny to see these aspects in a comedic drama since they do go into that being a problem in relationships.

It is a pretty funny drama at times and found it pretty amusing through the drama and it felt like a fresh aspect for a drama these days. I think they should have focused a bit more on the romance because the ending felt a bit rushed but it ends more on a comedic note rather than a serious or romantic one and honestly matter that is more fitting. This drama didn’t need to take itself so seriously and honestly was just fun to watch. The only thing that bothered me was how they acted like there was something wrong with Lee Mi-Ran’ body as if she was less or something and it wasn’t believable to me. There are sad and serious scenes in this drama so it does have a bit of everything. I would recommend this drama if you want to watch a comedy that you don’t take too seriously.

Second Shot At Love

This drama is about Han Geum-Ju (Sooyoung) who is a strong drinker of alcohol along with her whole family. She is a talented car mechanic at a prestigious car company and is about to marry her boyfriend but he makes her choose him or alcohol. She chooses alcohol and takes a vacation from her work, she has to go her hometown because she gave up her apartment because she was going to move when she got married. She finds her first love Seo Ui-Joon working as a doctor in her hometown and she thinks that he hates her because he broke off all contact with her in university. Her mom wants her and her family to all quit drinking and Seo Ui-Joon tries to help as well.

I thought this drama was really interesting because it talks about alcoholism and I haven’t really see a drama touch on this topic in this way. Sure they have shown alcoholics and how they can be abusive fathers or something but this drama highlights that alcoholism is even in young woman that like to drink socially and it actually damaging their lives. I have always wondered how this isn’t more of a problem like in north america it wouldn’t be normal for a boss to force you to drink. We would file a complaint about your boss harassing you to drink. I think we take sobriety more seriously in other cultures and would be horrified if we caused someone to drink if they would explain it is a problem for them. So I thought it was nice to show that alcohol is dangerous and that the culture around it needs to change. That no one should be forced to drink if they do not want to and that cutting back on alcohol should be encouraged as whole as society.

I thought it was a fairly interesting drama but it was still lacking in the story to me and I didn’t find the romantic relationship interesting or compelling. I felt somewhat lackluster and just predictable, nothing really grabbed at me or pulled on my heartstrings. It was more interesting with her sisters romance but even that was frustrating with her friend that would have made me so angry if she was my friend to treat me like that. I respect that the drama was trying to do something different and I do like all the characters and how they grow and learn things though.

It was a decent drama even if it lacked some chemistry with the actors.

Spring of Youth

This drama is about Sa Gye (Ha Yoo-Joon) is the main vocalist and guitarist for The Crown a popular K-pop band. He gets kicked out the band after he has controversy with the CEO and he decides to go to university. He meets Kim Bom (Park Ji-Hu) and feels an immediate connection to her and he wants to start a band with her. Kim Bom plays the piano and writes music and after her mothers death she has to work part time jobs to stay afloat.

This drama feels emotionally immature to me, it feels very basic emotionally wise and the acting is a bit over the top. It does feel like a childish drama and I mean I get it because the actors are young and I can really feel that in their acting. The script is not that great though so it isn’t just the actors fault the writing is just not hitting the mark. I am sorry but the logic of this drama is also bothering me at times like no you can’t go to the police station and claim you saw an accident when it wasn’t even possible. If I think too deeply about this drama I get frustrated and also the whole I am going to hurt you so I will disappear. Even the ending seemed ridiculous to me and what she is upset about seems childish like I get you are young but I felt so over it by the end of the drama.

Nothing about this drama felt fresh or new to me and it just felt recycled parts of other dramas just smooshed together. I feel like all the characters start to feel frustrating to me and I just didn’t enjoy it that much. I have to say that I was impressed with Seo Tae Yang he did a good job in his role and I would preferred him as the male lead.

It was an okay drama but it isn’t anything fresh or new.

Knight Flower

It stars Jo Yeo-Hwa (Lee Ha-Nee) is a widow in Joseon and was married into the family when the groom died the day of their wedding. She has been a widow for 15 years now and her in-laws are wealthy nobles and plays the part of the perfect daughter-in-law by the day but by night she is a hero for the people and an excellent swordswoman. She meets Park Soo-Ho (Lee Jong-Won) a senior officer and they get involved in the same problems as they are both trying to help the people. She tries to keep her identity hidden while continuing to be a vigilante.

This is a fairly good drama but I definitely would get distracted and bored at times and I think I am getting so tired of the palace politics and the fight over the throne or worrying about a rebellion. I don’t feel the need to bring the palace into every Joseon drama. I mean isn’t there any other time periods that we could use something else must have been happening in society that we could focus on? I am so tired of watching these old men scheming against the King and stealing money from the people. I also really hate the whole widow thing in Joseon time period, its so depressing and I don’t really need anymore dramas focused on it.

I did appreciate the acting and the humor that was sprinkled through the drama but would have appreciated more humor as that was probably the best part of the drama. The acting was also really good and Jo Yeo-Hwa’s character did feel different and more fun to watch and I also thought she had a very unique voice to listen to. I wish the drama would have focused more on her helping the people in the different situations because that was what I found the most interesting compared to palace politics. This drama did air earlier and it seemed like people liked so I thought I would give it a try and it was fairly decent with some good humor bits. Overall it was a decent time period drama.

Filter

This is a chinese drama that stars Su Cheng Cheng (Landy Li) who has struggled with her appearance her whole life and always felt like an ugly duckling next to her sister. She gets gifted a high tech bracelet that can change her appearance and voice. She meets her old high school crush Tang Qi (Tan Jian Ci) that was scared of her but he gets obsessed with the changed version of herself and pursues her.

This was a pretty fun and interesting drama, I wasn’t so sure about what to think after the first few episodes but it got better and more interesting as the episodes went on. I have to say that it is ridiculous to even think that Su Cheng Cheng is considered ugly, how high are the standards in China if they are calling this poor girl ugly? That felt so wrong through the whole drama and even her friend says at one point that she would dress ugly so Cheng Cheng would look better? Like that is completely delusional and horrible to say to your friend. Once you can get past that it is really a quirky and fun drama as she gets into all kinds of situations using the bracelet and it keeps upgrading and changing. This drama stays fresh and exciting to the last episode. I also have to say that Tang Qi voice is so nice to listen to and very attractive.

I kept thinking through this drama that Tang Qi is never going to forgive Cheng Cheng for the lies that she has told him and I throughout the drama kept thinking how is she going to fix this and that this is never going to be fixed and honestly I liked that I never knew where the drama was going to go. I like to be kept on my feet and nothing felt that predictable about this drama. This is a great quirky and fresh feeling of a drama.

Upcoming Dramas

The First Night with the Duke

This drama is about a woman that gets transported into her favorite web novel and she accidentally sleeps with the male lead and he wants to marry her and she is worried about how the novel will turn out if she marries him.

Law and the City

This drama is about a different lawyers working in the same building that some together to share their highs and lows over lunch.