Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food: Episode 3

It's not often that I find myself in the company of a drama that leaves me utterly captivated, so when such a drama does come along, I choose to relish it, one episode at a time. Three episodes in, and it's no longer just love, I'm actually rather besotted with it. And it's not just because of the pretty, because believe you me, there's plenty of it, but for a drama to fully grab my attention it has to speak to me on more than just one level. When looking at a drama through a more superficial lens, you find that the scenes containing all the (highs of) romance are usually the ones which create the most noise. But this drama does well to elevate those moments in a more traditional and linear fashion by giving it a much higher sense of purpose. These moments aren't there to simply cause a stir, rather they're there to capture the essence of two individual characters who, in coming together, pose real questions re the status of relationships, family ties, and of course, age difference. As we come close to foraying into Joon-hee and Jin-ah's newly found relationship, we begin to see undercurrents of the kind of challenges that already lay ahead. Fighting societal pressure is one thing, but striking a balance with each other (first) is going to prove equally challenging, especially when feelings are still raw with passion.

Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food: Episode 2

OMG, I literally died of second hand embarrassment!! Props to Son-ye-jin for busting out those moves though, and still coming out looking classy, not an easy feat, I tell you! I have this real bad habit of diving into the duvet as soon as I foresee the above scenario playing out. Only this time it was equal parts embarrassment and equal parts squealing. As soon as Joon-hee turned back and re-entered the office, I just knew where show was taking us. Only this time, I had to force myself to re-watch the scene repeatedly just to ogle at Joon-hee's playful smiles. As a drama, Pretty Noona may be slow moving, and the camera sure likes to linger on many of the shots, but my word, does it make for a delightful watch when the characters all come together.

Just Between Lovers: Episode 1

There's something so poignant in the way this drama depicts pain and suffering of loss, that by the time the first episode had ended, I found myself fully immersed in the world that it had set up. When watching, it's as if personal tragedies are given a narrative voice of their own, which is being spoken through the lens of the camera in the way scenes are directed and shot. And whilst the drama has proven to be visually stunning, it doesn't take away from the grittiness of the tragic reality it seeks to convey. The drama has often been described as a "melodrama", and I went into it thinking it would be just that; however, what I wasn't expecting, was for it to be the opposite. Yes, like with any drama, there's always bound to be a dramatic pull to the narrative, but the way in which the drama has been executed, it tames down those dramatic cues, and effectively mutes the overly exaggerated cliches one would expect from your average melodrama. I guess one could call it a drama that is grounded in realism, fairly dark and pessimistic, but one that is also aesthetically pleasing - and it's this very contradictory nature that I find most appealing for it doesn't leave you in a constant pit of despair, rather it engulfs you with a resounding sense of hope that even after hardship, there comes ease.