Better than I had expected

Ghost Doctor was definitely better than I had expected. Although I do think there was quite a bit of unnecessary filler, the main story was thoroughly interesting and always caught my attention. I liked the balance of different characters, and the acting from everyone was almost pure perfection. I thought there were some unusual editing techniques, but to balance this out, there were some amazing directing cues and cinematography. If the filler was cancelled out, the story would have received a higher rating.

I also really enjoyed the OST which is quite addictive. The only problem I had with it was that it was slightly overplayed. I also liked the general aesthetic this whole drama gave. I actually at one point almost put this drama on 'not interested' - roughly the time it came out to be aired. I'm glad I eventually decided to try this as it was worth the watch.

I recommend watching Ghost Doctor. Despite unnecessary filler, it's still worth the watch for the main story.

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Disappointing

For me, Circle was disappointing. The first half of episodes especially were quite weak and I was considering dropping it at many times. I decided to keep on watching because of the great acting and cast, despite the poor story which I felt was really boring (and when it was enjoyable I kept on finding little plot holes). I'm glad in one way that I kept on watching because the characters were interesting enough for me, which meant that by the end I was more interested with what was going to happen to the characters compared to the actual story.

I must admit however that the second half of episodes were stronger than the first. This drama mainly is split into two 'different' parts. For pretty much every episode, I preferred the second part over the first. I also liked the moral questioning of the technology and I thought the OST was nice, although there were times when there was too little, and then times when there was the odd placing of music.

Re-watch value is extremely low here, but it's because of how boring I found the story. The acting by the cast however I really did enjoy.

I think it's a predictable thing to say, but I do not recommend watching Circle. Yes, some great performances by the cast and the characters were interesting, but the story is simply too boring, and plot holes are present.

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Is it about the journey or the destination?

Padam Padam is one of those dramas that gets you thinking about which is more important: the journey or the destination? No matter your answer, however, it still is a great drama that should be watched. It has 20 episodes, and actually, I think it should've been the usual 16 kdrama-length episodes, because episodes 17-20 were unfortunately my least favourite. I think Padam Padam is a drama with a great journey but eventually becomes a tad repetitive and too much of a 'slice of life'. However, episodes 1 to 16 were absolutely amazing.

The acting and OST were pretty much perfect, almost faultless. I really enjoyed the different types of characters and the mix of different genres in the storyline. I think the crime based storyline was my favourite but I still thoroughly enjoyed the other parts, too. I really liked the bromance and family-type friendship and bonds the character eventually came to have.

I wasn't a fan of the directing, and the English sub translation provided by Viki was unusually weak, but that gives me more motivation to learn Korean. On the positive side, I now have some new favourite actors thanks to these great casting choices, and I also have another great OST to add to my playlist!

All in all, I recommend Padam Padam.

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Big Bet 2? Big Yes 2!

Big Bet carries the greatness of the first season over to this second season. Big Bet Season 2 has a fantastic story which was structured almost perfectly (a few complex points which were a little difficult to understand), an amazing unpredictably story that kept this thick mystery in every episode, some great acting performances alongside editing, cinematography and directing. Again, with the first season, every episode felt like a blockbuster. The one glaring downside I think for this season was the repetitive dialogue, especially with the first half of episodes. The SFX was very hit-or-miss, too.

Even though I loved all the episodes, I feel like the second half of episodes were stronger than the first. The bromance between certain characters was a joy to see, and it was also nice to see, in my opinion, a phenomenal final episode, which I think was a perfect ending.

I suggest everyone to watch Big Bet Season 2. Of course you should watch the first season before this one, just in case anyone asks that!

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Big Bet, Big Yes

Big Bet is a very good, unpredictable, interesting and gripping drama that is very loosely based on real events. While I do know it is loosely based on something, whenever I know something is 'based' on a true story, it does help me focus on it more than usual. I'm saying this here because I actually found (I believe) the second and third episodes were a little slow, but I wanted to power through. From episode four onwards, each episode was really interesting and easy to binge watch. I actually really liked the first episode too, although the 'going back and forth' timeline was way too much (and confusing at points too).

The characters are really good in Big Bet. All have great big personalities and feel blockbuster-movie level. Each character has their own story, and the way they intermix with one another is really interesting to see. I also really like the presentation, costumes, SFX, directing and cinematography in this, I thought they were outstanding.

Nice OST and a high re-watch value is also with this.

All in all, Big Bet is a really great drama.

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Great Start, Boring Middle, Decent-ish ending

Sandglass had a great start, a boring middle, and a decent-ish end. There is a political theme throughout, which I think was more interesting when this was inter-mixed with action and slight romance, but when this wasn't present, was quite boring to follow. Another thing that I wanted to say: Sandglass has EASILY my most least-liked FL (so far at least, although I think this will be very hard to beat). The FL's character is absolutely awful. The actual actress is good, so nothing against her. But the character she played... will, no matter what, be one of my least favourite characters in general forever (I think, anyways!).

Apart from this, I really found the bromance between two of the ML's an absolute pleasure to watch. I also found the politics (when done right) really interesting and gripping. The action scenes were absolutely amazing too, whoever co-ordinated some of those scenes especially must have received some applause after this came out back in 1995. And I really did enjoy the characters in this (except the FL) and all the different relationships and dynamics each had with one another. The OST was legendary, just too overplayed throughout.

All in all, however, I do recommend this. Sandglass is a definite watch. But the first portion is definitely the best.

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Great acting, questionable 'story'

Warrior Baek Dong Soo thrives in having an amazing cast, likeable and/or brilliantly written characters, some really good acting performances, great bromance, great sismance and greatly built relationships. It also has a story that at times is quite confusing, whether it is because there is not enough story, the story is confusing, or that there are too many plot points which then makes it feel like there's no real story at all - if that makes sense. So, it's one of those dramas that doesn't really thrive in story, but the acting and characters make up for it.

I also wanted to point out that I really enjoyed the action scenes in this drama. The action scenes here felt really innovative at points. They must have hired some real pros in the stunt co-ordination scene.

This was 29 episodes long, and whilst some episodes felt quicker more than others, I don't think it will necessarily be something I will re-watch anytime soon. However, I gave it a little higher than anticipated because the unknowing direction of the story would probably lead me to want to watch a certain episode or two (basically, I wouldn't have to watch this methodically if re-watching).

All in all, I do recommend this. Whilst the story is questionable, the acting performances were a sublime delight.

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Great Acting, Story wasn't

Connect succeeds in having a great cast that give great performances, alongside great characters that are well-written or mysterious enough to like to an extent. However, the story is easily the big let down here, with almost plot-hole filled plot twists that almost ruin the story? I mean, I didn't really notice this pop up until the final two episodes, which, as you can tell, where the reason why I put this in. If the two final episodes were different, there could be a chance of this having a higher overall rating.

Other positives include the cinematography, directing and the majority of the SFX (although some of the SFX were not that good at all). The OST was pretty nice too, although a little repetitive. Some other negatives would be an uninteresting opening credit scene, some repetitive dialogue, and repetitive action scenes.

I also really liked Kim Hye Joon's character, and the characters in the 'Gang' the most, they were both mysterious and well written (from my perspective, at least).

I would still recommend this, but do not expect a masterpiece.

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Almost like Clue/Cluedo

This drama reminded me of one of my favourite board games of all time - Cluedo (aka Clue). There was so much mystery, so much tension, so much animosity, it was so close to perfection. I love it when a murder mystery keeps the viewer on their toes for the near entirety of the whole drama. Unfortunately, the police/investigation logic is the reason why the overall score did not get up to a 10/10. Apart from that however, the story was faultless. Normally with these types of mysteries, I know who the culprit is within the first few episodes, and then wait impatiently for the drama to tell the viewer who the killer is. This is why I felt so refreshed watching this. But the actual story was amazing too. The story made sense in the end with the way it involved the characters, which by the way... the characters! Amazingly developed, and by the end, showed that whilst money means alot and is very important, there are still things more important than money.

Acting and OST were marvellous, and I wanted to give a special shout out to the way this had been filmed, not only with the scenery and the setting, but the way everything had been planned. Another positive I wanted to mention: the dynamic between each different sort of character. I could probably give so many more reasons, and so many more sentences about how I feel like this is like the Cluedo board game, but I'll leave it at here so you can start watching.

I highly recommend this drama.

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Good, but..

This is one of those stories where it's good on paper, but there's something missing. The story was pretty much solid for the first half, but then a few glaring plot holes appeared, which then in turn made the characters go from strong with individual purpose into a sort of 2D mess. However, the second half wasn't a total mess. The last episode was strongly emotional, and made me realise I had some lost love that was once again found. It's really difficult to pinpoint, because the acting was superb, so it kinda made me (at times) care less if there were problems with the story. For example, the reactions of someone who suddenly came alive from being dead were very bizarre in my opinion.

However, like previously mentioned, acting and cast were superb, so even if there were parts of the story I didn't like, the acting and cast were so good that it always kept me invested. Also the OST was really good, although a slight-bit overplayed. And the first half of the drama was mainly very interesting and the characters were really good and strong.

Whilst the first half is stronger, I think it's still worth to stick too, especially with that heart-wrenching final episode.

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Stop...Start...Stop...Start

Lost Romance is one of those dramas that is stop-start. It started slow, then became interesting. Then it became slow, and then it became interesting again. I really liked the concept of the overall story with the two worlds thing, and the ways in which it made itself original. I also liked the cast and characters a whole great deal, too. I think the whole 'romance' and 'business' parts of the story worked well but it sometimes felt like I was watching a different drama for each storyline, they didn't really complement well with one another.

OST was very good, as was the SFX and editing. Some things I thought weren't great (although not bad either) were episode lengths and number of episodes - I think instead of 20 x 70 min episodes, the story could have done better with 12 x 60 min episodes. Some acting performances weren't the best, however, the majority of the cast were very believable in their roles.

Overall, I do recommend this as long as you don't mind dramas that are slower paced.

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Speechless, it was sensational

Navillera is one of those dramas that comes across only once in a generation, a drama so magical that makes you lost for words. It is something so perfect that it will be right there in your heart for the rest of your life. When you need comfort, when you need motivation, when you think you are not enough, Navillera will be there in your heart. Navillera will be there to guide you through the sometimes heavenly and sometimes harsh road known as life. A sometimes tear-jerker but always wholesome production. Everything was sensational: story, acting, characters, OST, production value. Literally everything and every person in this or who was a part of this production needs to be praised for a lifetime. I cannot find any fault with this drama whatsoever.

Think you're too old to start your passion? Never. You are never too old. We only have one life, so we need to live it, no matter our age. If you want to go for it, go for it!

A timeless classic in the years to come, and a new dynamic to my heart and feelings for the rest of my life.

Please watch Navillera.

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Better than what you think

This was a very intriguing drama/web series to try and rate because I still am unsure of what the overall morale of the story was. It was never bad or boring in my opinion, but it also wasn't overly amazing or interesting either. The story was just there, almost sometimes non-existent in face of serious scenes needed for the cast to have their limelight.

However, there's something about the story that made me want to keep watching, like an almost mystery regarding it. It made me want to watch more after each episode, because it was highly unpredictable.

The easiest and most definite positive was the acting, especially by Park Jeong Hwa, although I do think every character here was also great, but Park Jeong Hwa was in a league of her own. I also loved each character; they were different enough to make the web series/drama entertaining and had enough depth to make them really believable. Seemed to me like a good casting choice, great acting, great characters. The OST also was really nice too.

Do I recommend Mask? Yes, if you've just finished a bunch of "heavy" dramas and need something "light" to watch, or if you're coming from a "drama slump". Then Mask is definitely for you.

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Is it more about the journey or destination?

Surplus Princess is a perfect drama until the last episode. It's a fantastic journey that featured a great and mysterious story that had unique themes and characters, but ultimately led to a failure in the final episode, which was just a complete rushed mess. Unfortunately this drama had been cut by six episodes. If it hadn't been cut, I'm pretty sure my overall rating would be higher. Actually, it definitely would have been higher.

Anyways...the thing I was sceptical about first, when starting to watch this drama, was the mermaid theme. I have only known the mermaid theme to be either cringe, childish, or boring (or a combination/full mix of these three). But for the first time ever, it was neither of these things. Even the "filler" scenes actually didn't feel like "filler" scenes. While all characters (like previously mentioned above) were unique, some could have been written better.

OST was great, although a little overplayed at points.

I've just finished this drama, and I still don't know what to feel. I wish this last episode didn't exist, or at least made better. It just feels uncomplete. The characters are not where they are supposed to be! Well, well. If anyone ever writes an MDL Article titled "When the drama end with the wrong couples together" don't be surprised to see 'Surplus Princess' mentioned!

You'll enjoy the first nine episodes without a doubt!

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A whole load of nothing

Matching! Boys Archery is a poorly written, disappointingly acted drama that only has a few things I can give credit for. I may as well start with the positives. The OST. The OST was pretty great actually, and they all fit in well with the story (or, in this case "story"), all songs were pretty addictive and greatly conveyed the emotions each song wanted to target. The next positive was the presentation of the archery team in both the viewpoints of as a collective unit and as athletes individually, I think mindset and determination, how these both transformed through the episodes was done well. The last positive worth mentioning is the comedy (when done right). There were definite moments of cringe which intended to be comedy. I'm not talking about that. But there were a few moments that I genuinely found funny.

As you can see, three positives. Now, let's see how they fare against the three main negatives I believe hold this drama down.

The first negative, and maybe it's just a personal thing, but I need to talk about it. The FL, acting and character (mainly her character). Her character (and the story in general) just seemed to treat men like nothing but sexualised objects and nothing else. It all just seemed like a females wet dream, honestly. I have nothing against Boys-Love (BL) but it seemed like the FL here lives out her professional life as a Webtoon Artist a little too seriously, therefore I feel like the majority of this drama was just watching the FL sexually fantasize over her team instead of something that could have been way better, e.g. a sports drama that focused on archery that had two teammates be in a gay relationship, perhaps exploring the ways of coming out to their teammates. That sounds better, right?

The second negative - story. Like mentioned above, this lacked a story pretty much. The sporting story was good, when it was shown. It needed way more screen time. If the sports aspect of the story was shown more, the overall score would honestly be way higher.

The third negative - acting. There were a few that did their jobs well, but the majority did not. I won't name any names as I believe that is disrespectful to call out who I believe did the worst, but I am warning you of this beforehand. On the other hand however, the few actors who did do their job well, shone brightly, meaning you will be impressed with those few.

All in all however. If you haven't started this yet, don't. Skip it. This is not worth your time.

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