Ask An Ahjumma ~ Spring Episode

Hello, fellow MDLers and Happy Belated Spring!

It is once again time for Ask An Ahjumma. In this episode, we have questions about cute love stories, Japanese recommendations, and strong women. So read on and maybe you, too, can find some good picks for your spring drama viewing.

Hi, Ahjummonim! Will you help me to find my ideal drama? Currently, I'm in the mood to watch romantic dramas in which both lead actors are lovely and innocent. I'm looking for dramas in which both lead actors experience first love together, both are innocent, and I wish there won't be any Evil Mom or someone like that! Some dramas which almost had this theme are Shopping King Louis and Healer. In both of these dramas, the two lead actors and actress were so cute and innocent (and in love).

Thank you! ^.^

~ mahboobeh

Dear mahboobeh,

I know how you feel about wanting to avoid the much dreaded Evil Mom. They can make even the best drama painful! Fortunately, I can recommend you a few innocent love dramas that do not feature any evil mothers!  

Flower Boy Next Door comes to my mind first. I really loved that drama and the characters were so adorable together!

Boss and Me is a C-Drama, but I would be really hard pressed to try and recall a female character cuter than Shan Shan. Plus, the way Feng Teng completely falls for her is so cute! 

Another cute one is The Girl Who Sees Scents. It’s sort of like Healer with all the mystery and suspense, but there are some really cute and funny moments, too. 

Others I can recommend are Legend Of the Blue Sea, You Who Came From the Stars and Oh My Ghostess. These are all really cute dramas that I loved and that had no evil mothers. 

I hope I was able to help you choose some good ones! 

~ Little Ahjumma

Dear Ahjummas,

I love strong female leads and they have inspired me a lot in my life. Can you recommend me some K-Dramas where women are physically strong? Please make sure that the dramas are not sad or tragic at the end because I really get disturbed due to these. Thank you so much, Ahjumma! 

With love, Twinkle a.k.a WoopieFactie

P.s: You are probably laughing at my name (Twinkle) but I am not joking. That is my real name. Hope we become good acquaintances!!!

Dearest Twinkle,

Hmm, my best advice on a drama featuring strong women, this is something I’ve never considered. Currently, the drama world is giddy about the drama Strong Woman Do Bong Soon... much to the Drama Demigod's surprise, I have not watched it nor placed it on my PTW list. Why? Lack of interest (Lol). As for one I could recommend, a 10-episode J-Drama got my attention. It features a physically (and mentally) strong woman - The drama is called Juhan Shuttai. Without giving everything away, this drama has a great message while offering and portraying the breadth and depth of female strength.

Drama - Art imitating life or the life we desire!

~ Bookish Ahjumma

Hello Ahjumma, 

I’ve been watching K-Dramas for so long but recently Japanese dramas have caught my attention! I’ve watched a few of them like Pride, Ouroboros, Last Cinderella, Hana Yori Dango, Hana Kimi, etc. I'm quite lost what to watch next.

Although I have many of them on my plan to watch list, I would love to watch something beautiful. Something that can make me cry and laugh at the same time. I hope you can suggest me some good dramas.

Thanx!!

~ SimronParida

Hi, SimronParida! 

You've mentioned a couple of my favorite J-Dramas already, but there are plenty left to go, lol. I took a look at your Plan to Watch list and based on what you're asking for, I'm going to recommend Ryusei no Kizuna to you most highly. From its summary, I expected a pretty serious suspense drama, but there's an unexpected amount of humor and a lot of heart in it. Nobunaga Concerto is wonderful, although it gets more serious as the plot continues, especially if you're at all aware of the history involved. If you enjoyed Last Cinderella, you should enjoy Lady Girls, as well. (I loved both :))

99.9 Criminal Lawyer was very good; the cases are interesting, and there are humor and mystery with the main characters, too. Jimi no Sugoi is on the lighter end of things and is an absolute delight. Boku no Yabai Tsuma is essentially a soap opera-- which contains mature content, by the way-- and is ridiculously addictive. And ridiculously over-the-top, but that's the fun! :D

As for things not on your list, I'd also recommend Nobuta wo Produce, My Girl, and Juhan Shuttai. Along with Ryusei no Kizuna, the first two are among my top favorite J-Dramas. Juhan Shuttai left me feeling warm and happy after almost every episode, with a lot of laughter and tears along the way. I'd certainly describe it as beautiful in an emotional sense.

Incidentally, I'd recommend giving Shitsuren Chocolatier a skip. The cast is wonderful and the cinematography is pretty, but the plot doesn't deliver at all. The best part of it is the chocolate, but all that did was make me spend money at my local chocolatier because I was craving it so much. ;) 

~ Nihon Ahjumma

That's all for this season's episode! Be sure to send us your questions via PM to AskAnAhjumma. We will gladly answer any questions you may have for us and even feature them in our next article. Until then, happy drama watching!