Exo Next Door (2015)
Genre: Romance/Comedy
No. of Episodes: 16
Where to Watch: Youtube
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Synopsis: Ji Yeon-hee is a shy young woman who cannot talk to guys she's interested in without turning beet red. When her mother forces her to get a job and work as the maid for the people who move in next door, she finds herself in an outrageous fanfic fantasy when she realizes that the new tenants are actually members of the KPOP group EXO.

Thoughts: I knew I was going to have fun watching this because I'm a fan of EXO, So my opinion is completely biased. I wasn't expecting too much but I knew it would feel a bit outdated. Some examples of the sign of the times included the color grading, slapstick comedy, and of course the fashion! it was very reminescent of the mid 2010s but I think that's what made it so charming for me. SO TO THE PEOPLE THAT SAID EW CRINGE: SHUT UP! THIS IS MY SHIT. If you're an avid drama watcher, they really played into a few tropes: moody male lead, goofy girl who is just a little bit clueless, love triangles, gay undertones (SEHUN), and my PERSONAL FAVORITE girl falls hard, but guy fell harder and FIRST! when it was revealed that Chanyeols character was actually a childhood friend of Ji Yeon-hee's I was giggling and kicking my feet with my friend Victoria. Because they really lean into the stereotypical tropes I did guess a few things that would happen but that didn't stop me from dropping my jaw a few times at the absurdity. The bit I could not stop thinking about was in episode 1 they establish that Yeon-Hee's goofy younger brother has an interest in martial arts and is often seen busting out some karate moves mid conversation. That seemingly unimportant quirk comes into play later when in episode 14, Chan and Yeon-Hee are stuck within a secret room that is only triggered by a coat rack and they are waiting for someone to rescue them. Hours later, Her brother stumbles into the EXO house looking for his sister and of course sees the coat rack that looks like a Wing Chun Dummy and cannot resist practicing his moves on it. This inevitably triggers the door to open, saving Chan and Yeon-hee from entrapment. My only critiques for the show is that I WISH Kyungsoo's character got some resolution and that other members got more time to shine but with a limited series like this it wasn't possible. Also love that Kai was in one episode to fuck shit up and just left.

---

Match (2025)
Genre: Horror
Run time: 1 hr 39 min
Where to Watch: Tubi
Rating: ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Synopsis: After Paola is matched with a handsome online suitor, she arrives for a first date to discover a house full of dark and terrifying secrets.

Thoughts: Listen...I enjoy "terrible" movies but there are limits to this. I Understand where terrible decisions made by characters may be needed to move the plot along, but the mistakes made by Paola were just mind numbing, I want to say her survival skills along with her companions were next to zero. There was also a scene that I'm convinced they put in just for shock value so that people can talk about it. (It worked I guess) I'm not even sure it had any impact on the plot itself. I did not need to see the jizzing scene OR the classic 'mousetrap stuck on a penis' stunt. The only reason I give a one star is due to the practical effects makeup, it was kinda cool. Tubi has an abundance of amazing horror movies if you take the time to look but this one isn't it.

---

The First Night with the Duke (2025)
Genre: Time Travel/Romance/Comedy
No. of Episodes: 12
Where to Watch: Viki
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Synopsis: A woman gets transported into her favorite historical romance novel as a background character, but when her existence in this new world starts shifting the storyline things start to get really messy when she accidentally sleeps with the duke.

Thoughts: The show wastes no time in pulling the main lead and the viewer into the historical world. I was hooked within minutes and I really enjoyed the fact that Cha Sunchaek was self aware enough to logically work out the cliches of the novel to her advantage. I loved the chemistry between Seohyun and Taecyeon hehe HOWEVER I didn't enjoy the ending, I don't really like that the character that she was in the body of in the novel was an ACTUAL person too and she took on her body in the "real world". Basically a whole Freaky Friday bit. And when met with the ultimatum of whether they should switch back into their original bodies or stay in the universe they're in now, they chose the latter rather than taking what they've learned and bringing that mindset back home. I would have liked it if she accepted her reality and went back to the real world where she would meet the real world version of the Duke at college.

---

The Law Cafe (2022)
Genre: Legal Drama/Romance/Comedy
No. of Episodes: 16
Where to Watch: Viki
Rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

Synopsis: A bright and quirky lawyer wants to open a cafe that offers free legal advice; the cafe she wants is owned by her wealthy and well-connected first love; she must stand having her ex as her landlord long enough to get her cafe off the ground.

Thoughts: I enjoyed how sure of herself the female lead was. Because the characters seem to know what they want and talk out their feelings, the miscommunication trope was kept to a minimum. There was some "male lead doesn't want to tell the FL his true feelings until the drama in his life has been sorted" but it wasn't enought to annoy me, I understood where he was coming from and I didn't mind it too much.

---

My Dearest Nemesis (2025)
Genre: Romance/Comedy
No. Episodes: 16
Where to Watch: Viki
Rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

Synopsis: This show follows Baek So-Jung, a team leader at Yongseong Department store who has a reputation for being a stickler towards her Bosses. When the new director and heir to the company, Ban Joo-Yeon comes to fill the role of the previous one who quit, their hard-headed personalities clash and unknowing to them, they've met before which will bring up an awkward incident that happened between them 16 years ago that shaped both of their lives.

Thoughts: Very cute drama about embracing your hobbies and interests that help you cope with life. It was fairly lighthearted and didn't take itself too seriously. You can add this drama to the ongoing list of "Loveable Loser" male leads.

---

Once Upon a Boyhood (2023)
Genre: Comedy
No. Episodes: 10
Where to Watch: Viki & Tubi
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Synopsis: This show is set in the 1980s and follows Jang Byung Tae, a student that tends to get beaten up by bullies. But when he transfers to a new agricultural school the students there mix up his name with a similar sounding name of a student that is notorious as being a fearful fighter. Armed with this new "persona" Jang Byung Tae navigates a world where he is at the top of the social ladder and tries to keep his secret hidden.

Thoughts: Started watching because I love Yim Si-Wan and wanted to laugh and have a good time... TELL ME WHY THEN I cried during an episode??? It's full of heart and while I found myself snorting from laugher there are some serious moments that make me ache for this sad character.