APRIL 2025 WRAP UP

Why do I feel like this year is going by slowly but also quickly at the same time? April was my best month for watching dramas and anime HANDS DOWN! May is also a month where I am looking forward to many more things than I have in the past couple of months. It feels so good to have dramas to talk about again. I said this in my March Wrap-Up; I have definitely had an attitude shift. I also said that I plan to continue cleaning out my current watchlist which I think I have been successful at. After the current cleanout of my watchlist, I am down to 3 dramas, 1 anime and a Korean Variety show that I am currently watching. I plan to get 2 more dramas and the anime off my watchlist in the next 2 weeks or so and then just start new dramas again. I love when plans work out. I love seeing an empty current watchlist because I get to start a bunch of new dramas now. I do still have to plan it out a bit with podcast recordings coming up and new dramas I want to check out, but it is fun.

DRAMAS/MOVIES I COMPLETED IN APRIL

As I said, April was a VERY good month for me and completing dramas/anime/movies and getting them off my current watchlist. I feel organized when this happens. I definitely completed what I planned to - give or take a couple of dramas but overall, I am satisfied with the number. I am hoping once my current watchlist is empty, I can put more variety into it and not be watching dramas all from 1 country or 1 genre.

Scarlet Heart (Cdrama)(IQIYI): I am so glad I got around to watching this Chinese drama. It has been on my list FOREVER to check out. I liked it better than I thought I would. It isn't a perfect drama, but I still enjoyed it a lot. The age of this drama definitely shows. It doesn't have good CGI and you can see the wigs and facial hair that wasn't hidden well. The costumes are GORGEOUS though. I loved the complex relationships and the dynamic between the characters. I loved that every character had a deep backstory, and you really cared for a lot of these characters. I loved the story's progression from the start to the end. I can definitely see why this is considered a classic among cdramas. I am still curious to check out Season 2 even though I have heard polar opposite reviews - either people love Season 2 or HATED Season 2.

RATING: 9/10

Connection (Kdrama) (rewatch) (VIKI): This is a rewatch for me. If you don't remember, this was one of my favorite Kdramas of 2024. You can check out that list right here, if you are curious. In that blogpost, I said that this was a nearly PERFECT Kdrama for me. I still stand by that statement with the rewatch. It is still my favorite role of Jisung's that I have watched. The acting is still PHENOMENAL! I still say that a tiny twist at the end, I did not agree with, and I believe should not have been included in the Kdrama. It is written well with LOTS of tension and good twists. I still loved the found family in this. Basically, I agree with my review and rating of this crime Kdrama from when I first watched it. One of my favorite crime Kdramas ever.

RATING: 9.5/10

Love and Destiny (Cdrama)(VIKI): Another drama that I liked more than I thought I would. I LOVED the main couple and their dynamic. I also liked the second couple which sometimes isn't always the case. I did not like the third couple though. I thought the drama turned some tropes on their head which was nice. I did not care about some of the other side characters either. The villains were a hit or a miss with me. Since there were multiple villains in this, I liked some villains or others because I felt like 1 villain, in particular, turned out to be very cliche. It was WAY TOO LONG - I will say. You can listen to a longer review of this on my podcast.

RATING: 8.5/10

Only Yesterday (Japanese Movie) (HBO MAX): A Studio Ghibli movie I have not seen. There were lots of nostalgia in this. Some interesting topics were brought up which made me think, especially watching this in 2025. The different animations for the kid & adult were neat. If you like slice of life, watch this-slice of life. It was not for me. You can listen to a longer review of this on my podcast.  You can also read more of my reviews of the Studio Ghibli movies here on the blog.

RATING: 7/10

Porco Rosso (Japanese Movie) (HBO MAX): Another Studio Ghibli movie I had never seen. This one is a lot heavier with more serious topics like war. It was beautifully animated. I love the feminist message in it. It was sort of wild to watch in 2025, seeing what is politically doing on in the USA right now. I was impressed! You can listen to a longer review of this on my podcast.  You can also read more of my reviews of the Studio Ghibli movies here on the blog.

RATING: 9/10

Ocean Waves (Japanese Movie) (HBO MAX): A Studio Ghibli film I had not seen. I didn’t like it. The animation was nice - nostalgic/charming. There was no story. It was sort of a slice of life which isn’t for me. I expected romance and got none. The female lead was horrible-she treated the male lead as a doormat. It made no sense why he liked her. You can listen to a longer review of this on my podcast. You can also read more of my reviews of the Studio Ghibli movies here on the blog.

RATING: 3/10

Pom Poko (Japanese Movie) (HBO MAX): I was expecting a cute movie which I still got in some parts. It just had a deeper message & was much darker than I was expecting. I wasn’t expecting the movie to have a magical element/folklore. It had a deep environmental message. It had some weird things happen in the movie but apparently it had to do with the folklore involved. You can listen to a longer review of this on my podcast.  You can also read more of my reviews of the Studio Ghibli movies here on the blog.

RATING: 9/10

Whispers of the Heart (Japanese Movie) (HBO MAX):

A film I had not seen. I loved how it was a coming-of-age story with a bit of whimsy & fantasy. The girl’s imagination was colorful & fun. I did think the ending & the confession was rushed. I loved how both leads supported each other’s ambitions. You can listen to a longer review of this on my podcast.  You can also read more of my reviews of the Studio Ghibli movies here on the blog.

RATING: 9/10

Solo Leveling Season 2 (Anime) (CRUNCHYROLL): I thought Season 2 was just as good as Season 1 of Solo Leveling. I loved seeing the continuation of the male lead and him getting stronger. The fights scenes were just as good as season 1 and got more intense. The animation was INSANE! I hated watching this as it aired because of all of the cliffhangers in it. I did want more information on some of the side characters. I still quite enjoyed this season and now WE WAIT FOR SEASON 3!

RATING: 9/10

Ameku M.D.: Doctor Detective (Anime) (CRUNCHYROLL): I knew I would like this anime when I first saw the trailer and I was right. This was a pleasant surprise. If you like Sherlock Holmes and/or House, you should check this anime out. It is a mix of both of those. Some of the cases were predictable. I also wish there were more crime mysteries, but the main character is a doctor so, I understand why there were more medical mysteries in the anime. I LOVED the found family. I hope we get a Season 2.

RATING: 9/10

NEW MAY 2025 DRAMAS I AM EXCITED FOR

I think May will be a packed month for me. I feel like May is ALWAYS packed for me because I always have a lot of life things happening but there is almost always a lot of dramas/shows coming out that I want to watch. I think it is the Kicking the summer into gear thing with Asian dramas. There are lots of rumors for Cdramas out there than I am excited for. There is also a couple of rumored Kdramas that are rumored for May that I am excited for. As always, I don't talk about rumored dramas though so, I left them out. Just like April, dramas I need to watch for podcast recordings will take priority, but I think I will pick up an airing drama in May FOR SURE!

Shark 2: The Storm (Kdrama) [PREMIERES MAY 15, 2025]

This is another Kdrama about bullying. This unique thing about this one is "Season 1" of this Kdrama is actually a movie. There was a movie that came out in 2021 called Shark: The Beginning and Shark 2 is the sequel, but the sequel is now a Kdrama and not another movie. I have not watched the movie so; I would have to watch the movie before I checked Season 2 out. I also don't know where Shark 2 would be airing internationally. There are A LOT of bullying stories coming out in Kdramas in 2025, but we have always known this is a common topic in Kdramas.

Dear Hongrang (Kdrama) (NETFLIX) [PREMIERES MAY 16, 2025]

This is probably the thing I am MOST looking forward to in May. I watched the trailer, and it gives dark and creepy, and I am so excited for that! I put up a YouTube Video about my theories of this Kdrama on the Podcast's YouTube channel, so, you can check it out if you are curious. I just hope it is good. I know people are freaking out about certain things within the plot that might or might not happen, I am not worried. A LOT of people are looking forward to this one.

Nine Puzzles (Kdrama) (HULU/Disney +) [PREMIERES MAY 21, 2025]

I always look forward to dark crime dramas and looks like Hulu/Disney is coming through for us ONCE AGAIN! I swear they have become known for the darker Kdramas in the last couple of years. The trailer for this looks SO GOOD! I also love the cast in this drama. You got Kim Da Mi and Son Suk Ku. What isn't there to love? I am also a sucker for a crime drama about profilers. So, that just adds another reason to this drama on why I am excited for it. I am also curious about Kim Da Mi and Son Suk Ku's chemistry and relationship in this drama. It is another relationship that will have tension at the beginning because they don't trust each other. I just hope this is as good as I want it to be.

Bet (American Made Live Action Adaption of Anime) (NETFLIX) [PREMIERES MAY 15, 2025]

I would not say I am EXCITED for this show. I am more curious than anything. I was more excited until I saw the trailer. The trailer does NOT look good. I mainly put it on this list so, people know it is coming out it exists. I LOVE the anime and there is already a 2 season Japanese live adaption of Kakegurai on NETFLIX which I recommend because it is pretty good. I just don't think this live adaption will live up to the anime and the other live adaption that already exists. I am curious what people will say about this once it airs. It does make me want to rewatch the anime and the Japanese live adaption that already exists.

The Devil's Plan Season 2 (KVariety) (NETFLIX) [PREMIERES MAY 6, 2025]

This is just to let people know that Season 2 of The Devil's Plan will be out in early May. I still need to watch Season 1 and that has been on my list FOR A LONG TIME! So, this might be a little reminder to me as well to finally click play on Season 1. I love these puzzle Korean Variety shows so, I am always excited for more of them. This also reminds me I have a lot of the crime related Korean Variety shows I still need to watch.

Good Boy (Kdrama) (Rumored for AMAZON PRIME) [PREMIERES MAY 31, 2025]

Hopefully we get some trailers and promotions for this in May. At the beginning of the year, we got a teaser trailer and some photos. I am still on the fence if I will enjoy this Kdrama but I think I have decided I am going to try it out and see how I feel. Maybe I will wait for the trailer and decide then. The idea of Olympians becoming Police officers and using their skills to fight crime sounds fun. Comedy being attached to this Kdrama as a genre does not excite me. I do love the cast though.

OLDER DRAMAS I PLAN TO START IN MAY DUE TO PODCAST RECORDINGS OR OTHER THINGS:

• 5 More Studio Ghibli Movies

• Heartless City (Kdrama)

• Flower of Evil (Kdrama) (rewatch)

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