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kdramajudge
Yohan Gaon fandom
Such a short & charming drama, surprisingly educational
Dan Bi (Kim Seul Gi), a senior high school student who is losing her motivation to study ends up time-travelling to the Joseon period at the day of her college test. She appears right in front of the palace royalties who were desperately calling for the rain. The King (Yoon Doo Joon) gets intrigued by her presence and knowledge, so they made a deal in order to make it possible for her to go back.It's an easy drama to get through. Perfect for days when you don't feel like watching anything or don't know what to watch next. I enjoyed the comedy, the romance and character arcs, it's very satisfying and made me so happy, lol ^-^ The time travelling aspect is simple, the couple get to know each other naturally, it happens exactly how I want it; strong chemistry, fun banter, with cute classic cliché scenes. No palace intrigue as there's no time for that, but it's surprisingly educational. There was a hint of history woven holistically and that's a high-quality storytelling not to miss. Like I mentioned, it's short, only two episodes, so practically a movie. In case you're curious, it's really worth checking out!
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Recommended if you like action, good acting and good villains
To execute his revenge, Bong Sang Pil (Lee Joon Gi) becomes a lawyer. With the cunning and skills from his gangster upbringing, he arises to become one of the highest winning rate attorneys of the country. A disbarred attorney Ha Jae Yi joins him and together, they are involved in the dangerous game of trying to expose the corrupt people in power.Lawless Lawyer has a lot of action, comedy, and a hint of romance that developed quite fast. The premise about underdog heroes who have tragic pasts caused by corrupt people in power is quite familiar and there was not much unpredictable plot twists. While the story may not be entirely new; the non-stop action scenes were very entertaining, sometimes very funny. It has enough suspenseful moments and sweet romantic moments to keep me watching.
Every cast did a really good job, Lee Joon Gi gave a boost to Bong Sang Pil not only through his amazing action but also the micro gestures, his acting is just brilliant. And although I think Seo Yea Ji's character was too exaggerated, she perfectly embodied Ha Jae Yi that she disappeared into her role. Choi Min Soo was another highlight, as the slimy-underworld-crime-boss-turned-politician, he brought Ahn Oh Joo character to life, whose actions you both love and hate. Overall, I enjoyed it, this one is not a disappointment.
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Just relax and enjoy it
Yeo Mi Ran (Kim Ok Bin) is a lawyer by day and a street fighter. She has no interest in dating and is very competitive among men. Nam Kang Ho (Yoo Teo) is a movie star who doesn't have much faith in women. In his new role, he needs coaching to fight naturally, and Mi Ran gets to train him through them agreeing on a fake dating relationships. Despite their shared disbelief in love, their relationships grow as they spend more time together.This is short, light, and has a lot of funny scenes throughout the ten episodes! A fake dating plot that fit perfectly with the enemies-to-lovers trope. The romance was nicely developed and gave a lot sweet and swoon-worthy moments. The friendships are fun to watch. Good job to all actor for their natural acting. They carried the show together, no one is more dominant than the others.
It’s nice that the drama also focused on some problems in society regarding the patriarchal beliefs about women. Even though Mi Ran was a feminist, the story was not at all anti women/men, they made it entertaining while still delivering their messages. Overall, delightful from beginning to end, filled with chemistry with some cute and sexy moments, and just a tiny bit of angst.
Mar 2024, Yovita
me on Instagram: @kdramajudge
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I recommend! an intense, fast-paced, revenge drama with a lot of scheming and backstabbing XD
Despite being the daughter-in-law of a chaebol family, Kim In Seok (Yeom Jung Ah) leads a sad life being tormented by her family members for 18 years. After her husband’s passing, she decides to fight back with the help of prosecutor Han Ji Hoon (Ji Sung), who was an orphan whom she adopted and nurtured into the man he is today. However, a mysterious incident leads Han Ji Hoon to become a murder suspect…Royal Family is a revenge story full of treasons, confronted feelings, and satisfying twists & resolutions. It has a solid writing, fast-paced and superb acting. From the first episode, they showed enough plot happenings and questions that kept me hooked all the way. Was Han Ji hoon really a murderer? How is Kim In Sook going to have her revenge? Note that it’s a serious drama and the business long-talk were not always exciting to follow, but there were enough actions and plot twists to break the monotony. Also, despite hinting at noona romance, it was not the focus here.
As with many dramas, there is a mysterious past. With this one, it did not feel forced into the narrative; it made sense and helped to understand the character’s viewpoints and motivations. When it was revealed, I really enjoyed the emotional climaxes, it was beautifully acted. If it’s Ji Sung, performance is unquestionable. All the veteran actors also delivered a top-notch performance! Finally, the ending left me with mixed feelings, but it felt somewhat justified.
thanks for reading :)
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Fun concept well-told and acted, surprisingly complex and emotional characters :)
29-year-old Tae Myung Ha gets transported into a virtual world game where he exists as his 19-year-old-self. He's given a mission to make Cha Yeo Woon happy, else there will be a dire consequence. Will Myung Ha accomplish this mission? Would Cha Yeo Woon be happy if he likes him, though?A fluffy romance with thrilling twists. It has a unique concept, time-travelling to a virtual game world and using the game prompts to move the plot. I really appreciate that the mission was dropped right away, and that they explained the rules and world-building so well. I think those rules are very important to get me on board with any time-travel story. I also like that they added details about the “love supremacy zone”, debuffs, etc… which make for an exciting watching experience.
Among all characters, Myung Ha was the most engaging for me. His 29-y.o. confidence stays in his 19-y.o.-self, so he doesn't hesitate to speak up his mind based on the game prompts. I like how he initiate conversations to Yeo Woon. Furthermore, him being fish-out-of-water in this game allowed him to face his own internal struggles besides doing his mission, so it’s easy to feel sympathy and invested on him.
As the story goes on, the foreshadowing danger sneaked up when I wasn't aware of it and the way they do it felt thrilling. The last two episodes gets quite emotional, but also a little confusing, and I felt it ended a bit random. I know it's a weird word to describe an ending, but that's how I felt. Nevertheless, it was fun overall!
Mar, 2024
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They got me squealing, grinning, toe-curling the whole time they interact! (>᎑<๑)/♡
When Hiro (Kaneko Shunya) passes out on the sidewalk after a stressful workday, his childhood friend Kai (Nomura Kota) finds and helps him to get home. Kai’s presence drives Hiro flustered, the way he put himself in Hiro's home so sincerely as if he had always wanted to be there… and Hiro quickly like this change, as Kai brings comfort to his life, but Is there any room for them going from easygoing relationships to spouses?Right of the bat, the story flows well. Those small acts before episode 1 ends are genuinely cute, heart-fluttering, and that part really got me on board with our two leads, Hiro and Kai. I love Hiro's "Huh?" & "Matte!" so anime-like and attention-grabbing, hehe... Hiro is such a gullible young man and Kai's behave so kindly, slightly flirty, but never cross the line, so they both were comforting to watch.
There is almost no conflict here, but for this drama being only 6 episodes, I want it to focus on all their sweet moments, and they did. The more I'm watching the more I enjoyed. When they’re together at home, they really like husband and wife, aaah! so cute! The dinner, the bedroom, the bento scenes got me on dopamine high, cause I just felt chemistry! They got me squealing, grinning, toe-curling the whole time they interact! (>᎑<๑)/♡.
The story also highlights the realistically stressful workplace situation, which, at some point, created just a slight tension just before it was resolved neatly at the end. Hiro's work colleagues are all nice people and their presence fit well to the story. All in all, a very lovely watch!
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A simple fluff with almost no angst, perfect for this short drama, I appreciate each episode. It’s well-paced, well-acted, and has well-behaved characters. This is one of the rare friends-to-lovers tropes that I’m not feeling icky about. While it might be a classic story with well known tropes, the execution makes it fun and entertaining that I think many will enjoy. I loved how they utilize a dating game for storytelling at the epilogues, with spot on dialogues.
Thanks to the well-written script and natural chemistry of Lee Seung Gyu and Lee Jong Hyuk, both leads were equally exciting. Gi Tae is confident, positive, but not overbearing. He gave the right amount of playful teasing. I like how he puts Lee Wan on the spot and makes him flustered like how he did to him 7 years ago. I like Lee Wan, too, for how ‘realistic’ his character was. Introspective and hardworking, he value things that are important to him. They are just so lovely together. They made my heart happy.
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Twisty plot with full-blown crazy characters
This drama was chaotic and mysterious at first, but also intriguing. Many secrets to unfold, who is bad and who is not. None but one of the leads in this show are truly likable. I wasn't always felt connected with our female lead Jae Won, maybe because her mannerism and thinking process was hard to belief.With each passing episode, there were satisfying moments, but the plot twists are annoying and becomes a hot mess towards the end. Just when you think it's time to warp up, the next scene is another drama and not everything of it makes sense. It was a quite enjoyable watch, though. Mainly due to Jae Won who is strong, bearing and still can attack despite being hurt a lot of times. Also, the villain, who is obsessive, borderline psychotic and selfish, carried the show's momentum and excitement. Great performances by cast all-around, especially So Yi Hyun, Jang Na Ra, Lee Ki Taek and Park Ho San. Despite not feeling head over heels over this drama, their acting kept me wanting to watch until the end.
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This show is operating at a 110% FUN!
Prem is losing confidence in his skills as a chef when he meets Ten, a medical student with stress issues. Finding out about Prem’s delicious dishes, Ten begs Prem to teach him cooking, and Prem agrees only because he needs money. However, as the lessons go on, it isn't just the food that's hot, but also their faces as they slowly fall for each other.Yes, this show can be very jarring because of how 'extra' it is. Well, for me, I love how 'extra' it is, albeit a bit ridiculous. The music's really high energy, and then the acting's over-the-top, some dialogues are borderline cheesy, and the camera angle is also quite cartoonish, but because everything is on that level, somehow it all works together, and just super fun to me.
Now, for the story, there's no angst at all, it's a straight up comedy from the start and consistently to be so all the way through. Easy to binge, sweet and light hearted with no dramatic twists. The foods look good too and I enjoyed the cooking show vibe, When the romance starts, there is a bit of a 'gay panic' trope, which I'm so over with.. but thankfully it didn't drag for too long. I enjoy the leads' acting and the script. Both couples bounce off of each other really well. I laugh at them because of how whiny, clingy and horny they can be, but always in a fun way. They know how to pique my interest. Lastly, kudos to the market lady and the cooking show presenter, they’re such scene stealers! ^v^
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Interesting characters and well-written story.
A serial murder case has been happening around the people acquainted to the employees of a local supermarket, intriguing these employees to secretly start investigating the case. They tried looking for clues among the various items purchased by their customers. As more suspects appear, their spectrum of suspicion widens, messing the teamwork among themselves."The Killer's Shopping List" is unique and well-written, it's only 8 episodes. It was amazing since the first episode. It was funny and bright, yet it was smart. From the opening scene, it sets up the story and the characters so well. Starring Lee Kwang Soo as Ahn Dae Sung, an intelligent employee of MS mart, owned by his mother Jung Myung Sook (Jin Hee Kyung).
I am not a big fan of murder mystery, but this drama was enjoyable. Comedy and crime sounds like a weird mix of genres, and there were a lot of seriousness, triggering topics around the cases (child abuse and trauma), but somehow they were able to bring comedy through the characters. They're also not one-dimensional characters, they have their own personality. As the plot reveals what they're individually dealing with, it makes them feel more human. I was grateful and relieved with how they handled a trans character. What I didn't like is few other characters that felt a nuisance because their behaviour and choices were annoying. As far as investigation goes, they didn't lose the momentum although by the end the culprit was quite obvious. The ending was satisfying, a surprisingly good watch!
-Feb 2024, Yovita
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30-sai made Dotei Da to Mahotsukai ni Nareru rashii
3 people found this review helpful
"Cherry Magic" is funny, adorable, and light-hearted. The fantasy aspect might sounds superficial and weird but the story touches upon common problems that most of us might face in our everyday social life, like fear of misunderstanding, or hesitation to express ourselves, or to stay in our comfort zone.
The romance was cute and healthy, but not really memorable, maybe because Yuichi is simply your typical perfect boyfriend, so there's nothing really special within their relationship. The second couple, on the other hand, is a nice bonus. They’re endearing, cheesy and their chaotic hijinks were fun!
What gets me invested is Adachi. Even though he felt uneasy with his mind reading ability, it helps him to pursue his dreams and social skills that he ends up relying on it. At some point, he wants to be independent from this magic, and I wanted to know how he handles this challenge. By the end, I appreciate his character development, but I wish it came much earlier so they can flesh out more of his independence. I think it would make a more satisfying redemption for him.
-Jan 2024, Yovita
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It felt like a long-winded journey, with not many satisfying twists.
Queen for Seven Days is adapted from a tragic Joseon legend, centers on the love triangle among King Yeonsangun (Lee Dong Gun) as the older brother of Crown Prince Jinseongdaegun (Yeon Woo Jin), and Shin Chae Kyung (Park Min Young) who becomes the Queen at some point, but seven days later is deposed by political rivals, exiled, and must live apart from the her loved ones.Music and direction were beautiful. The love triangle is written remarkably well, that even though it's convoluted with the palace intrigues, it still manage to pull me in emotionally and made me feeling conflicted between the two ships. The love and hate relationships among our three leads involves political marriage, separation, and heartbreaking family dynamic. Another thing I appreciate is
As it unfolds, the story and becomes more and more depressing. It felt like a long-winded journey, with not many satisfying twists. Sometimes I am tired of Chae Kyung’s decisions that put many people in danger, but it was so sad to see her inner conflict being the Queen. She got into many lose-lose situations and I understand she just wants to survive and protects her heart.
What turns me off a bit towards the end is the turn of events that felt overly dramatic *heartless me*. The arc of the Crown Prince is so frustrating too. Though it didn't end as epic as I thought it would be, I understand it is adapted from real history. Oh man... living in this era is like hell :(
-Jan 2024, Yovita
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Boo angst! Yay silliness!
If you've been watching dramas for a while, the premise might should familiar: an immature chaebol boss, Cha Ji Heon (Ji Sung), falling for his secretary, No Eun Seol (Choi Kang Hee). Rather than inserting melo and angst, Protect the Boss brings a very fun lead couple.No Eun Seol is a kick ass and I love her being strong and independent, even reluctant to fall in love. It's rare to see a female lead who is not a damsel in distress. Ji Heon, instead of being the perfect businessman we’ve become so familiar within dramas, he has a stage fright. As he's trying to overcome it with Eun Seol's helps, romance ensues and I get to see his persistent and confident side. Their dialogues and hijinks are hilarious, kept me entertained throughout.
The highlights of this drama is the clever use of cliché, which makes it a refreshing experience. For example, Ji Heon and his father relationship are not frustrating despite the conflict between them. His father loves him deeply and secretly support him, which is a rare thing in dramas.
I have to admit, the pacing suffers in some episodes of the series, though it is not too boring that it ruined the enjoyment. Overall, entertaining, a solid ending and excellent acting from the leads, for sure. It has a good combination of romance, comedy, and friendships!
-Jan 2024, Yovita
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Personally, I enjoyed watching the movie version much better than the series for the pacing reason. In the series it keeps going on and on for quite some time before I understand Kiyoi's inner thoughts. Also, the ending of season 1 opens a great potential for a more progressive relationships in season 2, but story of season 2 turns out to be just okay.
What I think it does excellently well is the unique power play between the two, which I don't see often. The one who is dominant in the relationship is actually not the dominant one sexually and that makes it very interesting to watch. My favorite scene is (no surprise here,) definitely the bathtub scene. If you know, you know (≧ヮ≦) /. They were together in a bathtub and one of them was getting shy so he turn his back on the other one and facing a mirror. As we see his expression in a mirror, the other one approaches him and grab kiss him. How fantastic, the whole thing is just hot!
-Jan 2024, Yovita
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The artistic visuals just comforted me so much.
Ban Ji Eum remembers all her previous lives when she reach the age of 11. She never looks back to her past each time she reincarnates. In her untimely passing in her 18th life due to a car accident, she left her childhood love, Moon Seo Ha, who lives solitarily with a PTSD from the accident afterwards. When Ji Eum is reborn in her 19th life, she wants to reconnect with him and her family she left behind.This show looks very artistic throughout. Cinematography, costumes, and the color grading are all delightful. It’s very well-shot and edited, that the emotional scenes hit me perfectly. Shin Hae Sun's portrayal of Ban Ji Eum is exceptional! She really shows a sense of wisdom and maturity in her speech that I feel she’s an ancient soul. I loved the acting of other cast too, especially the child actors in their characters. They really create a lasting impression and good foundation for me to invest the characters relationships, which is difficult to achieve if there’re many faces and lives involved. My favorite bonds are: the reunion between Ji Eum and her younger niece from her 17th life, to whom she was an uncle… and her reconnection with her 18th life sister, Yoon Cho Won. It really shows how familial bonds retain regardless of gender and time. The romance is okay, I don't think the chemistry is super strong, but they have sweet and emotional moments that adds to the pacing.
Each episode in the first-half was very interesting, but unfortunately, I didn’t feel that way on the second half because the mystery behind the car crash was handled in an uninteresting way and resolved too simply, that it feels a bit anticlimactic. The ending was really cute and acceptable, to say the least. Despite any plot holes and weak subplots, I really enjoy watching it.
Dec 2023, Yovita
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