Having been shoved blackmailed brainwashed cajoled into the world of Korean Drama, combined with the sheer boredom and disdain of my daily activities, I finally buckled around August this year. Yes, the Stubborn One does get swayed. I swear people have been trying since I was Sec 1...

And yes, when I told them I started watching SBS Doctors, my friends' facial expressions were pretty darn priceless.

So having watched every single minute of 4 complete Korean Dramas as of 10/11/2016, I thought I'd finally share some thoughts about each of them, followed up by a general reflection of Korean Drama as a whole. Read on, folks; you will regret it anyway.

(SPOILER ALERT - Read on your own risks if you haven't watched the below-mentioned dramas)

1. SBS - Doctors

Literally every friend of mine in my close circle was watching Doctors. Unmoved by the DOTS faze just a few months earlier, Doctors got me wandering and wondering. Conversations started and I couldn't join in. I felt left out. I mean, I always did when it came to Korean talks, but there was another part of me that whispered in my ear: "Watch KDrama, you're so bored and lifeless anyway". And it was true. I am not afraid to hide the fact that August was real dry for me. Helped by the fact that I do not have a girlfriend, of course. #SingleProblems

Oh yes, the drama review. Put it this way: it's like a roller coaster. It reaches the peak, and then plummets. I really liked Doctors when it first started; the background was interesting, the cast was stellar, and the emotions were real deep when (SPOILER ALERT) Hye Jung's grandmother passed away unexpectedly.

Then all of a sudden, 13 years passed. Out of nowhere. I wished they had showed at least a snippet of what happened in between, showing how Hye Jung rose through the ranks. 13 years within 3 seconds was a bit too... rushed. Of course, people may argue that the 13 years-gap was not important. I don't think it was, either, but it would've been great if there was a collage of some sort.

After about the halfway mark, Hye Jung and Ji Hong's love for each other became quite clear and it was super apparent that they'll end up together and Yoon Do will never have a chance. At all. And the relationship became so linear and boring, interrupted by the occasional irrational argument(s). There were no plot twists, and the story was running out of stamina by about... 14 episodes? And I am being generous about that. It should've ended at 16.

The side plots regarding the patients were interesting, but due to a lack of background, they lacked substance. The execution was decent, but they felt like adrenaline jabs given to an asystole patient (aha, medical references there).

Also, Hye Jung's motives to chase down the hospital director lacked sense in its own; doing so much just to get an apology seemed a bit... I don't know how to put this nicely, so I'd just be honest: daft? And the ending after the director's surgery seemed too anti-climatic.

The ending is sweet, but you'd always think you've wasted pretty much the last 5 episodes just to see them kiss. The average storyline is only saved by a very good cast, s/o to ma gurl Park Shin Hye. Oh, and the soundtrack is pretty good, even if it sounds a bit cheesy.

My rating: 6.5/10

2. MBC - W - Two Worlds

Recently recovering from my taster of Korean Drama, I was kinda ready for more. Doctors left me with sweet memories and a solid ending, so I was keen to do another one.

*cues DJ Khaled*

And somehow, the 2nd ever Korean Drama I've watched turned out to be pretty much the best drama series in any language I've ever watched. Yep. I don't watch a lot of drama series, I know...

The start was intriguing, and the background was established well. The concept is more than interesting; a comic world and the real world intertwining was a refreshing prospect from the straight-up romance stories I've engrossed myself with.

Through episodes 2 to about 6, the story got a bit draggy. It involved a series of Yeon Joo going in and out for funny reasons, and it got a little bit dry for me. Just a little. Maybe because I was tired most of the time while watching those episodes.

Things got a lot more interesting when the mysterious killer interacted with Kang Chul, and the stars started to align. Kang Chul comes up with all the theories, and the story picked up on its own and escalated real quick.

The sacrifices both characters made for each other was tear-inducing, even though I barely squeezed a drop out because I am naturally not very emotional and expressive. But you could really feel it, in the midst of the mystery flipping and unraveling itself.  It was a thrilling ride, and you would never quite guess what happens next, and how the story lands to the end. It's always expected that the main leads would get back together - it's how they achieve and get there that really made this drama worth watching. The unlikely involvement of Yeon Joo's father and many other side characters really spiced this entire concept up, and the graphical presentation of the comics was also detailed and well-made.

All in all, a delectable delight, and a real good drama to chase. My only issue with it was its slow start, but if you're patient enough to hang on and ignore the annoying Park Soo Bong (who I really detest because all he does is panic and get heart attacks), you will reap the rewards soon enough.

My rating: 9.5/10

3. SBS Pinocchio

What better way to watch your 3rd drama than to combine the female lead of Doctors and male lead of W, right? I really loved these two in their respective dramas, and having been made known that they once made one together back in 2014 made me excited to see what their chemistry would bring. And true enough, I wasn't disappointed.

The story harps back to 13 years ago (I think, not sure why they like 13 so much in Korea), where Ha Myung and his brother were at the receiving end of media scrutiny and conspiracy theories about the disappearance of their firefighting father. The background was built on a solid foundation, and you could sense that Ha Myung, later renamed to Dal Po, would always come back for a revenge. Dal Po and In Ha's chemistry was apparent even back then when Dal Po was adopted, and you could appreciate that it was built up since young.

The story pushes forward by 5 years, and both of them are in college. Dal Po somehow didn't manage to tell In Ha about his feelings towards her, and In Ha was motivated to become a journalist to undo the injustice done to Dal Po on the TV contest and to follow the footsteps of her mother. Straightforward enough, but this segment also built on the relationship and daily squabbles the duo had with each other just to sweeten the deal. Nice.

Another 8 years passes, and both audition to become reporters - not after In Ha had failed 33 times, of course. It was a good build-up, and the auditioning process was interesting. What followed really opened my eyes into an industry that I am genuinely interested to join as an actual career. With that in mind, I paid attention to not just the character development, but also how the drama portrayed the media industry. It was a real eye-opener.

Anyway, back to the story. The Pinocchio syndrome proved to be a huge obstacle for In Ha, and you could sympathise with her, whilst occasionally giggling at her sheer innocence and determination to be a just reporter. The story just about manages to sustain a decent buildup, which was a good thing considering how fast Doctors ran out of stamina. The story then improves quickly after In Ha discovers Dal Po's real identity and his relation to her reporter mother, and it becomes real emotional. This story didn't involve 2 people liking each other alone; In ha's mother played a big part in spicing up the storyline that based its foundation right from the first episode, making it worth watching till the end. An antagonist that then later turned out to be a victim of a bigger scheme of things allowed the story to sustain itself all the way to the finish line, with each layer unwrapping itself like presents on Boxing Day (aptly, the drama was screened around Christmas).

The antagonist had a strong enough motive, and the protagonists had a good reason to pursue the matter (much unlike Doctors...).

The plot may lack a bit of a big concept like W, but it did bring us into a very different world, and raises questions about whether whatever we read and see on TV is real.

The downsides? I struggle quite a bit to find one, as you can't really blame the drama for its lack of fantasy ideas after watching W either. I thought the drama was well-paced, the cast well-selected and the side plots more than relevant. It just slightly lacks the refreshing punch, as you'd expect from a less-fancy background as compared to W.

My rating: 9/10

4. KBS Spy

W gave me a good appetiser into what to expect from another thriller. I thought I'd move away from romance, and give myself a chance to see what a full-packed thriller and mystery drama would bring.

The start was not that exciting, and I struggled to get to episode 7 - slightly more so than W. But it's basically an ex-spy getting involved in a new job, and then having to obey her native country North Korea or risk losing her family. The dilemma is really strong, and you can see how Hye Rim struggles to cope with it. She portrays the role well - her suspicious nature is well-established in the drama. Sun Woo's involvement, and Hye Rim's realisation that her son does not work for who she thought he did, got the drama kick-started again. Soon, Sun Woo's sudden angst directed at his family and then sacrifices made to save them were all decently illustrated. Add Yoon Jin's participation as another spy allowed another dimension and more revenues for the story to end; will she die, how does she then get involved, and is her love for Sun Woo genuine? All these questions popped up, and the drama was really unstoppable towards the final 5 episodes.

The last 2 episodes revealed more antagonists than initially thought, and how their motives may not be as simple as initially described. Ki Chul's motives to obey the party seemed straightforward enough at the start, but the involvement of his so-called big boss made me question whether or not Ki Chul was really obeying the party. Team Leader's motives were also questioned towards the end, and it made for a really good climax. Sun Woo's final decision was unclear until the final moments, and throughout all of these, as cheesy as this will sound, family love triumphed personal relationships and work relationships.

It was a very good thriller inspired by its Israeli counterpart, and I was glad I didn't stop watching after a barren run at the start. The drama is also plagued by a not-very-good soundtrack (I especially dislike the English song they used inside because it sounded so cringe-worthy). Again, it follows a similar peak pattern to W, but it is more realistic, less fantasy and slightly more boring. Still, being called "slightly more boring" in relation to W isn't too bad, is it?

My rating: 8.5/10

OVERALL REFLECTION

I don't think Asian dramas differ too much from each other in execution. The camerawork is slightly better than its Taiwanese counterparts, but you can really tell its Asian roots from the way the scenes are shot and the soundtracks are selected. It's not too dissimilar - something I was afraid of when I first started as I thought I'd be thrown into foreign territory with no idea what to expect. And that is a good thing. Brings a sense of familiarity even if it is expressed in an entirely different language.

And I like the way they say Korean words. And the way they express themselves. They seem inherently exaggerated in some sentences, but it does add to my amusement.

What should I watch next? Hmmmm.

Oh, I'm writing about Chinese songs next. Yes, I'm going on the bandwagon.

(Here's a preview then.)
Song of the day:
林俊傑 JJ Lin - 可惜沒如果 If Only
(Yes, I know, it's 2 years old, but this song is brilliant.)