What Olga's Been Watching: K-drama, Romance, Thriller, Documentary

I've had a crazy month, let's just say. Grad school applications, GMAT writing, and millions of job interviews are exhausting. So I wasn't a frequent contributor to this blog, thank Meghan for carrying the weight here. But I did watch some nice things to keep me sane. And now I want to share some highlights with you!

Romance is a Bonus Book

• This is a cute little K-drama, which has more substance than first meets the eye. 
• It follows the story of Dan-i, a divorced woman in her thirties who's desperately searching for a job, and secretly works for her successful old friend, Eun-ho, as a housekeeper (sounds bollocks already, but it's just the beginning). Eventually she lies on her resume and ends up getting a job at the same publishing house as Eun-ho. And some chemistry occurs, as they hide their shared past. She also befriends a mysterious guy n the neighbourhood, who may be hiding a secret....
• TLDR I felt all the feels. And the main reason for that were the personalities and motivations of the main and even the side characters. As the series went on, the motivations an histories of the characters were uncovered more and more which made you root for everyone, even when they appeared to be assholes at first! They also dropped hints regarding a mysterious point of the storyline, that came together so well in the end, and I didn't imagine it ending that way at all!
• Much of the story was set in the publishing firm that the characters worked at, and what I really appreciated was how much insight I could gain into the Korean publishing industry! The plot was well integrated into the projects the characters were working on, and it was honestly inspiring to see the passion they had for their work.
• I literally cannot find a single fault in this. It's fun, heartwarming, romantic, and exciting and each episode feels too short even though they're all about an hour long! And I have no patience nor attention span.

5 Stars

Age of Adaline

• I always sincerely enjoy films that has an air of elegance, magic, and serendipity. This one was exactly it. I used to listen to the soundtrack from it while studying, and was always intrigued by it. So thanks Netflix for finally giving me a chance to watch it!
• The story revolves around Adaline, who stopped aging in the 1930s because of a crazy freak accident. This has forced her to flee from place to place to avoid anyone finding out her secret or capturing her for experimentation. As she's preparing to leave her current residence in San Francisco, she unexpectedly meets Ellis (He's hot af holy shit. Huge thanks to the country of Netherlands for producing people like Michiel Huisman). She winders if this time, she should perhaps risk her secret and stay.
• There was a beautiful ambience that encompassed all aspects of this movie. It was what one imagines the sophistication of vintage glamour to feel like. And that's quite remarkable considering how most of the film is set in present times. If you've watched the Curious Case of Benjamin Button, then you might find the vibes of the two quite similar. But where Benjamin dragged on at times, this one was concise and well paced.
• The dialogues also stood out to me quite a bit. There was some enjoyable witty banter between Adaline and Ellis, which added some great humour and lightness which made it all the better.
• So if you're looking for a literally timeless story, I would highly recommend this one!

4.5 Stars

Jack Ryan

• This one was dinner time watch for me, my brother, and my mom a few weeks ago. And guess which one of us had nightmares after it? (If you guessed my mom, you're correct).
• It's all about a CIA Analyst, Jack Ryan, who notices some suspicious activity about a dude he believes to be planning terrorist attacks around the world. The plot turns out to be more major and the threat more menacing than the CIA could have ever anticipated.
• It was a bit strange to watch Jim from the Office to be all serious and badass at first. But I got over it, cause the plot was so bloody exciting and gripping! There was always something happening, and the suspense was actually crazy! It also goes into what can motivate one to orchestrate such attacks on other people and it's pretty terrifying. Especially since it relates to what goes on in the world so far.
• So if you're looking for an engaging, this should won't disappoint.

4.5 Stars

Explained

• This appears to be just a series of simple little 20-minute documentaries at first glance. However it goes in depth on a variety of topics, and reveals a lot of not often talked about information through the smart interviewed and the different scientific literature offered.
• The production value is very high as well, with amazing editing, narrating and music.
• Don't have much more to say about it, but I highly recommend the episodes about the Water Crisis and Political Correctness. Those two I found to be particularly thought-provoking.

4.5 Stars

What are y'all up to? Share in the comments!
~Olga