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A Koala's Playground

I'll talk about dramas if I want to

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Category Archives: First Impressions

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Byun Yo Han and Song Ji Hyo Charm in Shortened Cable Drama Ex-Girlfriend Club

A Koala's Playground Posted on June 2, 2015 by jomoJune 2, 2015
Happy couple sharing a lighthearted moment.

[Hey peeps, let’s give a big welcome back for jomo, who spent all of summer 2014 writing lovely heartfelt recaps for My Spring Days, and is back with a first impressions take on cable drama Ex-Girlfriend Club. I hope her schedule looks good this summer so she can share more of her insightful caring drama analysis with us. xoxo Koala.] TvN‘s … Continue reading →

Posted in First Impressions | Tagged Byun Yo Han, Ex-Girlfriends Club, Song Ji Hyo | 41 Replies

First Impressions: Pride & Prejudice is an Intriguing Chemistry-filled Legal Drama with a Kick

A Koala's Playground Posted on November 3, 2014 by ockoalaNovember 3, 2014

The first two episodes of K-drama Pride and Prejudice are so much win I can’t even. It’s like MBC finally got its act together and did something right from casting to writing to directing. It’s not perfect but all the working elements have aligned to create a drama that’s watchable either as a legal procedural or a character building team … Continue reading →

Posted in First Impressions | Tagged Baek Jin Hee, Choi Jin Hyuk, Pride and Prejudice | 23 Replies

Addicted to the Park Hyung Sik and Nam Ji Hyun OTP in Weekend Drama What’s With This Family

A Koala's Playground Posted on October 12, 2014 by ockoalaOctober 12, 2014

Unexpectedly chancing upon a drama that captures my entire attention leading me to marathon all available episodes in one night is like running a marathon, it’s painful but oh so satisfying afterwards. The currently airing KBS weekend drama What’s With This Family (What Happens to My Family) is my current crack thanks to one story arc with the younger leads Park … Continue reading →

Posted in First Impressions | Tagged Nam Ji Hyun, Park Hyung Sik, Seo Kang Joon, What's With This Family | 46 Replies

First Impressions: MBC’s Warm Post Heart Transplant Drama My Spring Days

A Koala's Playground Posted on September 23, 2014 by jomoSeptember 23, 2014

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z392/Jomo143/MSD1stimp/14SLA00105_zps2394dee5.png [Yeorobum, I’m thrilled to welcome back summer hibernating Jomo to the world of drama writing! I’m even happier that she loves MBC‘s currently airing Wed-Thurs drama My Spring Days to the extent that she wants to write about it. I love reading Jomo’s take on dramas whether I am on the same rabid love of said drama or not. Folks … Continue reading →

Posted in First Impressions | Tagged Kam Woo Sung, Lee Joon Hyuk, My Spring Days, Sooyoung | 50 Replies

It’s Okay, It’s Love with Jo In Sung and Gong Hyo Jin Bursts Out of the Gate with a Captivating Start

A Koala's Playground Posted on July 23, 2014 by ockoalaJuly 24, 2014

It’s love at first sight for me and It’s Okay, It’s Love. Episode 1 was everything I love about screenwriter Noh Hee Kyung‘s work without the artificial overwrought packaging of her last dramas Padam Padam: The Sound of His and Her Heartbeat and That Winter, The Wind Blows. It’s quirky and intelligent wrapped in some pretty serious dark subject matter, … Continue reading →

Posted in First Impressions | Tagged D.O., Gong Hyo Jin, It's Okay It's Love, Jo In Sung, Kwang Soo, Song Dong Il | 28 Replies

First Impressions of Big Man with Kang Ji Hwan Reveals a Promising Drama Despite its Far-fetched Premise

A Koala's Playground Posted on April 30, 2014 by ockoalaApril 30, 2014

I’m going to go out on a limb and say it’s safe to watch Big Man airing on KBS Mon-Tues. The central premise is so ridiculous the entire drama almost sinks under it by the end of episode 1, but episode 2 turns it all around big time and suddenly all bets are off. It’s such a delight to watch … Continue reading →

Posted in First Impressions | Tagged Big Man, Daniel Choi, Jung So Min, Kang Ji Hwan, Lee Da Hee | 24 Replies

Lee Yeon Hee is Breathtakingly Alive as Miss Korea Soars into Awesomeness

A Koala's Playground Posted on January 12, 2014 by ockoalaJanuary 14, 2014

I’m having a hard time writing about Miss Korea after catching up on the last four episodes in one sitting because its just that good I don’t even know where to start. I put this drama on the backburner for the last two weeks as I was traveling plus the first four episodes were extremely well done but not quite … Continue reading →

Posted in First Impressions, K-dramas | Tagged Lee Seon Kyun, Lee Yeon Hee, Miss Korea | 52 Replies

First Impressions: Miss Korea and You From Another Star

A Koala's Playground Posted on December 19, 2013 by ockoalaDecember 19, 2013

This week’s one-two punch of new K-dramas is done with its premiere and initial verdicts are already pouring in. I’m on vacation for the next few weeks so I’ll likely not be recapping either Miss Korea or You From Another Star unless I find some magic portal to add a few hours to each day. The great news is that … Continue reading →

Posted in First Impressions | Tagged Jeon Ji Hyun, Kim Soo Hyun, Lee Seon Kyun, Lee Yeon Hee, Miss Korea, You From Another Star | 24 Replies

Mad About the OTP of Ha Ji Won and Joo Jin Mo in the Surprisingly Entertaining Empress Ki

A Koala's Playground Posted on November 19, 2013 by ockoalaNovember 19, 2013

I have to confess I almost dropped Empress Ki about 10 minutes into episode 1. It happened at the scene where second male lead Ji Chang Wook as the Yuan Emperor Huizhong (nee Ta Hwan) whined like an insecure kid towards Joo Jin Mo as the Goryeo King Wang Yoo about whether Wang Yoo still loves Seung Nyang played by … Continue reading →

Posted in First Impressions | Tagged Empress Ki, Ha Ji Won, Ji Chang Wook, Joo Jin Mo | 105 Replies

Scandal with Kim Jae Won: Big Stakes Makjang Done Right and Keeps Getting Better

A Koala's Playground Posted on July 21, 2013 by ockoalaJuly 21, 2013

There is a new drama rocketing up the addiction chart for me, and luckily it’s arrived just in time to swoop in and exchange out a drama I’ve just pulled the plug on because it’s official DOA. Weekends is the land of weekend makjang fare and occasionally one or two a year will rope me in for the long haul. May … Continue reading →

Posted in First Impressions | Tagged Jo Jae Hyun, Jo Yoon Hee, Kim Jae Won, Park Sang Min, Scandal, Shin Eun Kyung | 25 Replies

Don’t Go Breaking My Heart: First Impressions of the Amazing Cruel City

A Koala's Playground Posted on June 13, 2013 by ockoalaJune 13, 2013

I can sum up the entirety of this post in eight words – This. Is. The. Best. Drama. Airing. Right. Now. Three months ago I wrote that the first quarter of 2013 was by and large a disappointment. I wondered then if the new dramas premiering in the Spring would end the quality drought and herald a return to addicting and … Continue reading →

Posted in First Impressions | Tagged Choi Moo Sung, Cruel City, Jung Kyung Ho, Kim Yoo Mi, Lee Jae Yoon, Nam Gyu Ri, Son Chang Min | 56 Replies

First Impressions: High School Music K-drama Monstar is a Total Win

A Koala's Playground Posted on June 4, 2013 by ockoalaJuly 2, 2013

Potential drama crack addiction alert! I’m still loving every minute of tvN’s Cyrano Dating Agency but I actually enjoy just watching it without the desire to recap it. The couple of the week stories are disposable narrative fun but nothing to write about, while the main cast is doing a fantastic job but their stories don’t yet have any meat … Continue reading →

Posted in First Impressions | Tagged Dahee, Ha Yeon Soo, Kang Ha Neul, Monstar, Yong Jun Hyung | 60 Replies

First Impressions: All About My Love with Shin Ha Kyun and Lee Min Jung

A Koala's Playground Posted on April 5, 2013 by ockoalaApril 5, 2013

With the end of That Winter, The Wind Blows, Spring has officially arrived in dramaland and with it comes a spate of new primetime dramas to check out. Will it continue my ennui from Winter, or will I snap to rapt attention? This week saw the premiere of When a Man Loves and All About My Love, the former is … Continue reading →

Posted in First Impressions | Tagged All About My Love, Han Chae Ah, Lee Min Jung, Park Hee Soon, Shin Ha Kyun | 27 Replies

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