Miss Ruth | Reviews

Screenshot from Start-Up. Rating: ★★★★☆ Huhu meter: ▮▮▮▯▯ Genre: Drama, Romance Start-Up reminds me of the years I was working in a University. During that time, I had a chance to work with various companies and organizations - Nokia, Blackberry, KFC, Microsoft, Accenture, Globe Labs, Smart's Ideaspace, DevCon, Google, etc. - and we basically started and hyped the hackathon events and made them trend within the higher education institutions. There was also a time when I actually joined a hackathon, did the pitch, and the team we formed and the product we presented won. Having those experiences, I know that Start-Up's portrayal of a hackathon, building up a tech business and the controversies that come with it, was pretty accurate. This series, really, has a lot of substance. It provides lessons about family, friendship, love, pain, sacrifice, and following your dreams.  Start-Up has shown that whether biological or chosen, a family is a family. There is no perfect family and it...

Rating: ★★★★☆  Huhu meter: ▮▮▯▯▯ Genre: Drama, Thriller, Fantasy, Procedural Signal is a fantasy series about a criminal profiler and police lieutenant who actually does not trust the cops because of his own past experiences. Crazy things start to happen when he finds a busted two-way radio that oddly, works at a certain time of the day. What he's getting though are transmissions from the past. His conversations with a detective at the other end of the line help him solve cases that have been unresolved for over a decade. This series tackles some serious issues - injustice, abuse of power, staying true to your sworn duty. The cast was incredible in portraying their characters. The excellent script and fantastic cinematography worked so well that despite the overlapping past and present scenes, the show did not give a complicated vibe. The ending was a bit frustrating though and I felt like there could have been more explanation about how and why things happened, and how their stori...

Photo: KBS Rating: ★★★★☆  Huhu meter: ▮▮▮▯▯ Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy If you were given a chance to go back in time, would you do things differently or would you make the same life choices? That's the dilemma shown in Go Back Couple. As a married couple, the lead characters experience a lot of challenges day in and day out. When they reached their breaking point, they finally decide to live their lives separately. Bur right after filing for divorce and after throwing their wedding bands, they wake up the next day and find themselves living in the past. Fantasy series are usually complicated and would require so much focus and attention but GBC is not like that at all. The story was written smoothly so it was easy to watch. I feel that they were able to show the realities of what goes on in a marriage and if you're married, you'll probably realize that it's not just you who's going through a difficult time. What affected me more though was the female lea...

Rating: ★★★★☆  Huhu meter: ▮▮▯▯▯ The female lead character (IU) travels back in time to the Goryeo era, gets entangled with the royal family, and falls in love with one (or two) of the princes. Conflicts emerge because of her very unconventional attitude. The good guys loved her and of course, the bad guys hated her. I don't usually watch historical shows but since so many people recommended this, I checked it out. It took a few weeks before I finished Scarlet Heart but overall, I liked it. I think the cast and crew did great. It was beautifully made and they did a fantastic job showing the country's cultural and historical heritage. I loved that there weren't too many heavy scenes so I enjoyed it more than expected. Also, it was amusing to like or dislike a character in the beginning and feel the opposite by the end of the story.

Image from JTBC Worldwide. Rating: ★★★☆☆  Huhu meter: ▮▯▯▯▯ Available on Netflix Philippines. The World of the Married tells a story about a very sensitive issue in a relationship - cheating. It also shows that this problem not just affects a couple but also creates conflicts among family, friends, and colleagues.  When this series aired, there was a lot of buzz because the scenes in the trailer have been so provoking. The cheating of a spouse and the betrayal of friends were already revealed. Many people got so curious and furious, joking about the need to take meds for hypertension.😁 I myself got curious that I watched it even if I'm not a fan of its theme. It was okay for me up to the middle but until now, I have not finished the last episode. A lot of the characters being entangled was literally draining. I realize now that I was feeling annoyed almost every episode of this series. If you are in a relationship and could probably relate, maybe you'll enjoy The World of the...

  Rating: ★★★★☆ Huhu meter: ▮▮▮▮▯ Available on Netflix. Reply 1988 revolves around five friends who grew up together and lived in the same neighborhood. It shows the friendship among their families, the struggles and successes that they go through together. The first few episodes were difficult to watch because it felt so slow and odd. It was not your typical drama that jumps right straight into the conflict. I almost gave up on it but a friend insisted and said it will get better. And it did. It was entertaining and nostalgic. The cast members were natural and really fun to watch. It's a very well-written show. Huhu Meter is at 4 because there were so many scenes that just tugs at your heartstrings. “Dad, I don’t know everything that you’re feeling. But I knew when you called my name, you were just asking me to look at you. And when you put side dishes on top of my rice, I knew it meant you loved me. Why did I pretend not to notice? That’s what hurts me the most and I feel sorry...

  Rating: ★★★★☆ Huhu meter: ▮▮▮▯▯ Available on Netflix. My Mister shows various difficulties in life – personal and professional. If you are from a tightly-knit family, you will surely relate to this. It was difficult for me to watch this at first because of all the silent and dark scenes (literally dark cinematography) but after getting used to it, I did enjoy the show. In our podcast episode, My Mister and its 2 leads were mentioned as among our favorites. We loved their acting, the writing, and the overall execution. Even Paulo Coelho tweeted about this! 

  Screenshot from Familiar Wife. Rating: ★★★★☆ Huhu meter: ▮▮▯▯▯ Available on Netflix. Because of his wifezilla , the husband decided to go back in time and change the course of his life when he had the chance. It’s a fantasy rom-com series. Given that it’s fantasy, obviously, things don’t make sense. But some parts were really confusing, there were no explanations nor closure. It was unlike other fantasy series that I think were still written logically such as Hotel Del Luna, Tomorrow with You, Chicago Typewriter, Mystic Pop-up Bar. BUT, it was still super  kilig . Some scenes will make you laugh out loud. I thought I couldn’t make it past episode 2 because I couldn’t take all the shouting and all their struggles as a married couple. Good thing I did not give up because I loved all the messages about life, love, marriage, friendship, and work-life. It’s a really cute and entertaining show.

  Rating: ★★★★★ Huhu meter: ▮▮▯▯▯ Available on Netflix. KMHM is about a chaebol heir diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder or having multiple personalities who got entangled with a first-year resident psychiatrist. There are a lot of life lessons, as usual, just like most Korean dramas. This one is mainly about mental health and dealing with past traumas. Sounds serious but there are a lot of funny scenes because of the character’s alters. Loved Ji Sung and Hwang Jung-Eum. How can they make you laugh and cry at the same time? And of course, PSJ. Loved his performance in this series.

  Rating: ★★★★★ Huhu Meter: ▮▮▮▯▯ Available on Netflix. A man with mental illness and a disturbing past hides his real identity from his detective wife. When the detective and her colleagues investigate a series of murders, she realizes her husband might be keeping things from her and may actually be involved. I don’t usually watch thrillers but I loved this series. It was intense, has great character development and story. The cliffhangers weren’t annoying in the sense that whatever questions you have in your mind as you watch, will be resolved immediately. But that depends on your patience level.  It must be difficult to investigate a spouse secretly especially if you’re a detective. I just have a few medical concerns and there were a couple of scenes that I feel could’ve been better but overall, I loved Flower of Evil.

  Rating: ★★★★☆ Huhu Meter: ▮▮▯▯▯ Available on KBS World YouTube Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aPllJ8REnE The story revolves around a couple in a steady relationship until an ex-partner and a long-lost sibling showed up. If not for my KDrama support group( ), this would not have been on my radar. I loved how realistic the script was. I felt like all my thoughts, everything I learned about love and relationships were written in this piece. The plot seems ridiculous at first but I realized these things actually happen. There are times when we don’t want someone to misunderstand something but that is exactly what ends up happening. I just didn’t appreciate the docu/interview bit and thought it was unnecessary. Using VO or monologue to convey internal conflict would’ve been more natural. Rom-Com but may cause you to feel pain.