A rubber band that is just stretched to its limits.... and eventually snaps!

A diligent student, Oh Ji Soo (Kim Dong Hee) aims for enrolling Korean prestigious universities while living all alone. To make ends meet, he secretly runs a security service for sex workers and has been successfully earn savings for his dream. However, his job is at risk of being exposed when his classmate Bae Gyuri (Park Ju Hyun) steals his work phone and starts blackmailing him.

This is one of a rare crime-thriller school drama executed to the best of its potential. Every element that makes a show GREAT are there! Powerful acting, crisp filmmaking, high-intensity OSTs, engaging metaphors and thrilling character arc. A roller coaster of emotions jam-packed in 10 short episodes! The story is dealing with controversial topics without being explicit nor shaming them, as well as study pressure that all students face.

The first few episodes might feel a bit slow, but they were intriguing and unsettling. Then the second half was like a bullet train wreck, with me entirely in the passenger seat, constantly feeling a strong tension. Lots of daring awesome action scenes: cars exploding, fist fights, students go and trash a karaoke bar! XD Ji Soo’s PTSD-induced nightmares are some of the most thought-provoking and memorable scenes, really showed how bleak the situation he’s gotten into. Thanks Kim Dong Hee for being a really engaging Ji Soo!

It ended on a strong climax, and I have no complaint regarding the “slightly open for interpretation” ending. The story felt sufficient, concluded, and it has clearly delivered the message it says in the poster, that “Some mistakes can not be erased.”

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This show's highlight is really the uniquely written characters.

Jun Woo has no interest in school life because of a traumatic past in his previous school. Just in his first week in the new school, he is falsely accused of stealing. Meanwhile, Soo Bin notices a different side of him besides what the others think and finds herself gravitating towards him. Through time, we'll see the innocent first love of these 18-year-olds.

It’s one of the better school dramas that handles students’ issues well. Not only the romance is so adorable, This show's highlight is really the uniquely written and authentic characters.

Jun Woo is probably my favorite type of male lead – quiet, stoic, introspective, protective, with no toxic masculinity. He's smart and knows how to stand his ground even though he's introverted. His quirks and mannerism is so unique that you just have to see him to understand and appreciate him. Our female lead, Soo Bin, has a really wonderful stage presence; She’s bright and warm, which gives the energy that people around her are happy to see her. I love that. Their highs and lows are just truly endearing.

Although there are some episodes that I find boring and landing flat to me, the ending allows me to imagine them living on and I always find that very nice.

I recommend the show to anyone who love slice-of-life. It falls somewhere in between Sassy Go Go or Cheer Up, and the more serious elements probably comparable to Sky Castle. So, if you enjoyed those, I think Moments of 18 has a lot in common.

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Soundtrack is just absolutely perfect: eerie, romantic, ethereal, wonderful!

An angel must complete missions before he is allowed to live in heaven. His last mission is to find true love for a blind ballerina, but he ends up falling in love with her and that is not allowed.

Everything on screen is really high quality: the cinematography and set design are wonderful, complemented with great acting. The dancing is authentic and wonderful. The way the ballerinas interact is chatty, like the dancing fight over the bar, it was just so realistic.

Shin Hye Sun always embodies her roles perfectly and I’m happily surprised by Kim Myung Soo; His portrayal as a playful angel was very genuine, he really balanced out the female lead, they have such great chemistry! Another major pro and the reason to watch is OST; when the soundtrack starts, it elevates everything to the stereo-level: It’s eerie, romantic, ethereal, wonderful!

Sadly, it started off very strong, but become a chore to finish. There’s few mythology rules that were inconsistent near the end. I enjoy the slow-burn romance but it gets frustrating when the conflict drags and the villains become one-dimensional. The couple was too focused to dive headfirst in the name of love. The finale was extremely anticlimactic and unsatisfying as they use some tropes that I really dislike.

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Fun, beautiful, though the story was not so memorable.

Trapped in her resentment, Man Wol (IU) has to spend an eternity running Hotel del Luna, catering to the unresolved issues of ghosts before they move on to the afterlife. Go Chan Sung (Yeo Jin Gu) ended up working for Man Wol due to a deal his father made with her. Through his job, Chang Sung gets to know the mysterious Man Wol and her dark past. Will there be any redemption for Man Wol doomed fate?

The first stand out point is the fantastic world building of Hotel del Luna, it is majestic and wonderful to look at. More than that, the visual effects, OSTs and costumes are all stunning. Man Wol’s costumes are something else! They are undeniably feminine & stunning with luxurious & rich color tones, and IU wore them with confidence that these clothes are not ‘drowning’ her. She really proves herself in this role, with her cold and powerful gaze that perfectly define cold, powerful, and ancient being Man Wol. The next point I love is the cast chemistry, the hotel staffs, the god ladies, and the chemistry between IU with Lee Do Hyun (they fought great together). Indeed, it’s not the chemistry between IU and Yeo Jin Gu, who is our male lead that I enjoyed most.

However, those are the aspects that I love from Hotel del Luna. The story itself didn’t grip me and some of the ghosts issues are not that exciting to watch. I enjoyed the comedic interactions, especially the beginning ones, but the main romance never felt romantic. Overall, it’s a great drama despite my pros and cons. I like how it ends with good life lessons as well.

Last edited-Mar 2024,
Find me on instagram: @kdramajudge

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A powerful female CEO, Yoon Se Ri (Son Ye Jin), gets caught in a tornado while paragliding and crash lands in the DMZ on the North Korean side. A North Korean soldier, Ri Jung Hyuk (Hyun Bin), decides to help her return to South Korea. His actions draw the pair into a whirlwind romance that transcends political boundaries, threatening his family as well as his own safety.

The big stake throughout is whether their love can survive across the dangerous border. I was lukewarm to it at start cause I thought it would be dark and angsty, but it is romcom-y. Nevertheless, this drama was satisfying, as it shines in the comedy, swoony moments, meaningful epilogues, and the everyone’s chemistry. Thanks to the direction and talented cast, each emotional scene hits the way it should. I invested equally in the main and secondary couple; Dan and Seung Jun, who could easily have their own spin-off. Jung Hyuk’s ducklings and their blossoming understanding of South Korean culture were hilarious and heartwarming. Also, beautiful scenery and heartfelt OSTs.

My few hot takes are… First, why the dead fish-eye kisses? It was very jarring considering Son Ye Jin and Hyun Bin's perfect chemistry and that they're in real love. Then, I wouldn't mind a slightly less fairytale scenario for the leads and a fairer scenario to second lead couples. Despite all of that, it's undeniably an engaging and memorable watch! :D

Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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Reply 1988 is hilarious, heartfelt, and bittersweet

Five families, parents and kids, go about their dynamic lives within a neighbourhood set in late 80's Seoul. While navigating their lives and youth, a 'mysterious' romance is blooming among our female leads and her childhood friends. Despite not being glamorous or full of suspense, it's a coming-of-age story focusing on family and community with lots of memorable and emotional moments.

Well, it’s an amazing drama to experience; from mother's friendship, community power, youths finding identities, parents coping with their children leaving home, first love, unrequited love to all the trials and tribulations that we've all gone through. Each episode has a life lesson for everyone.

The production is top-notch! The camera is incredibly playful and shows lots of unique angle. The show is teaching me patience to get into the story. The quiet moments are actually storytelling at its’ finest; They're showing what I need to know and not telling, building up a strong foundation towards a climax. So when it reaches the climax, I really got sink in that emotional arc. The choice of retro OSTs were wisely done. I didn't understand the lyrics but they give me all the nostalgia.

That said, the show can also feel so long, some people might not finish because of the lengthy episodes. But if you get invested with the quirky & real characters, you're going to love this drama. It’s beautifully acted with gentle humour and a coming-of-age story with a big focus on family.

PS: If you’re watching this, avoid googling to avoid spoilers!^^


===== SPOILERY PART=====
Of all the characters, my favourite character was Bora. Some of her moments with her father, especially the ones in the final episodes were so damn relatable to me. I cried so much and cried again upon my rewatches of their heart-warming, at the same time heart-breaking scenes. Also, I like Deok Sun's character, she is incredibly happy and I want to have a friend like her. Now talking about the love triangle between her and Jung Hwan and Taek, I thought they were both really compelling in separate ways like they both are amazing and neither one is better than the other. That's how I appreciate this love triangle. Of course, as the viewer I try to figure out who she will end up marrying and I think it was quite predictable once we reach the obvious foreshadowing scene midway. I was just a bit conflicted because the character of her future husband is nothing like his character in his youth. I read that this choice was deliberate as the writer changed the stories while it was airing, but still, I wasn't completely satisfied because I feel they kind of wrecked his adult character.

My complaints were mostly in the late part of the series, the time jump when the group of friends grew up and were busy with their day-to-day job feels too mundane. The parents are really pushed to the wayside and their conversations are not that interesting to me, but the vast majority of the screen time is devoted to them. I got bored and had the urge to skip ahead a few times on this part. I also am kind of disappointed as the families left their neighborhood just like that. There is no urgency that forces them to leave and had moved out from that street and we didn't need to see the neighborhood gets abandoned.

Finally, the final scene didn't have an uplifting feeling. The final voiceover gave the impression to me that it was really idolizing youth and this makes me feel sad growing up, like oh, I'm old now. While I know that's not true as life goes on and I can experience wonderful moments as an adult, that feeling of never being able to experience youth again felt bitter. I don't like it when it's put on the finale, I prefer that they cut the show without showing all of these.

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With crisp sound effects, lively OST, and wholesome characters, this show gives me a lot of joy!

Yeon Seo, a popular celebrity who is known for bad acting got involved in a drug scandal which made her get cut from all her projects. Few years later, she gets a chance to play a lawyer role in a drama on one condition: interning in a law firm to learn what their day-to-day life is like. All her new colleagues admire her persona, but not her cold-strict mentor Jung Rook.

This show is not all light romcom, we have interesting law cases that kept me invested throughout. The whole law firm team are all nice people, each has their own quirkiness, adding dynamic to the show. With crisp sound effects, lively OST, and a wholesome cast, it’s just a lot of joy!

Yeon Seo our actress is no doubt goddess-like gorgeous! She’s extremely bubbly and straightforward, thanks to Yoo In Na, she showed both really genuine acting and also bad acting very well. Though her character doesn't have a lot of practical skills, she's eager to learn. When someone is giving her a hard time, she stands up for herself instead of giving up. Jung Rook doesn’t look special as a stereotype-perfect male lead at first, but Lee Dong Wook portrayals of him feels fresh, blunt, and quirky. His sincerity, innocence, and chipmunk smile are too die for :3 But my favorite aspect is seeing them together. They encouraged each other out of their comfort zones in a very positive way. Their romantic scenes made me smile and very lovely. Anyone who watched Goblin will not deny the chemistry between these two actors is undeniably real!

The only con for me is a twist in almost the final part, which seems out-of-the-character and so cliche. But the ending is sweet and satisfying. This is a heartwarming show that I’d always happy to watch after a busy day, like a cup of hot chocolate. This show is not a Goblin spin-off, but it is everything I need and more.

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Summer Strike highlight the importance of small daily happiness, beyond the hustle culture

"Summer Strike" follows a young woman who quits her office job and moves to the countryside after her mother's sudden death. Then, she meets a mysterious librarian and develop an interesting relationship.

I was interested on the premise set upon criticizing the hustle culture while highlighting the importance of various types of relationships and daily happiness. However, I would have prefer more discussion touching on the hustle culture and more conclusion on them.

From the production and acting, it was great. Visually, Summer Strike is beautiful, they used the environment they were filming in to its full potential. Kim Seol Hyun improved greatly since her debut, and Yim Si Wan is one of the best idol turned actors. I enjoyed was their romance from their hilarious firsts encounter and the natural and slow-burn development. There was no culminating intimate skinship, but they’re so peaceful to watch.

I wasn’t a fan when the plot became muddled with a mystery murder storyline, even though it did serve a purpose for our lead’s character arc. Who likes a healing show about a timid female lead who moves away from the toxic environment to end up in another toxic environment? Not me. So in the end, the show is not really relaxing and warm, and I can’t feel myself learning anything from it.

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A drama about how precious family bonds and healthy communication are.

18 Again was a blast! It deeply explores the consequences of mistakes made, empathy, hope, and second chances. The story delivers a lot of relevant elements in today's modern society; like single parents being unemployed or trying to find a job and restart their life, and high schoolers' struggles. I get wholeheartedly invested in these elements they discussed throughout the episodes. The ending is also satisfying! ?

In brief, it's about an aspiring basketball player, played by Lee Do Hyun. He ended up getting his girlfriend pregnant and they decided to give up their dreams and raise their babies, yes, they had twins. 18 years later, he is stuck in a dead-end job as a washing machine repair guy (he's actually really good at fixing anything). Even though he's capable at his job, he keeps getting passed over for promotion in favor of the younger higher educated employee, so this is frustrating. Not only that, his wife was intending for a divorce and he can't seem to get close to either of his children. Feeling devastated, he went back to his school's basketball court to shoot some hoops to let out some steam. Upon realizing he's not as good as he used to be, he made a wish to go back to his youth and behold, his wish comes true! He is suddenly 18 years old again!

This is not a time slip show, only his body has reversed back to 18, and his mind is still 36. It's still the present day: he still has kids, his wife is still there, and everything is the same. This is a twist I appreciate because I think it allows the story to be more complex than if it was a time-slip show, as this way he's able to interact with his children and realizes that it's not his dream that he needs to pursue. This isn't an opportunity for him to become the basketball player he's always wanted to be, but an opportunity to be there for his children.

I have just two cons: there were a bit too many Kdrama tropes in the middle part of the show that makes our couple misunderstand each other in inconvenient situations, and I was getting a bit tired of them when they were repeated several times. Then a minor but fun con that I just have to say, I felt the actors' faces playing the younger and adult version of our male lead is very contrasting (Lee Do Hyun vs Yoon Sang Hyun). They have equally same screen time too. It's not about their performance at all, but simply their looks. I was hoping for someone more attractive (Gong Yoo, please?) to play the adult version so it feels balanced, sorry!^^"

But both of their acting is superb, especially I enjoyed Lee Do Hyun's range of emotions reliving his character wholeheartedly. I've been noticing him since Hotel del Luna (he was not the lead but he's so swoony!), and I'm already impressed with him from his expressiveness in The Good Bad Mother. He really is a versatile actor!

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This reminds me of Titanic but with a weaker storyline

Youth of May is a 12-ep melodrama that follows a romance between a nurse and a son of a dictator. They fell in love during the Gwangju Uprising conflict, and because of their parent's background, their relationship gets complicated. This show has 12 episodes.

What got me interested in Youth of May is the characters and their effort to overcome the conflict. Youth of May is absolutely what I would call a plot-driven show. There’s basically no breathing room to really feel comfortable, nor to get invested in a few of the relationships that were formed within the show.

The problem that stands out to me is the romance, yes even though I appreciate the actor's performance and their setup for this romance at first, the pair actually get together, and there's great tension, but no chemistry. As soon as they do get together, their relationship milestones and choices all seem mindless. I don't get why they act a certain way. Their story progression feels slow to me and I don't personally feel as connected with them.

The midpoint episodes were quite a drag for me to get through. I didn't find any character growth, nor did I enjoy watching them. Instead of dealing with the conflicts, the drama shows a lot of self-inflicted misery which contributes a little to the progressions of the story and makes me bored.

I found the ending so dissatisfying, I really felt nothing. In the last two episodes, I wasn't shocked by any of the climaxes, I wasn't sad, I was pretty emotionless because I could see that the show was ending and I just didn't care. It seems that Youth of May gains popularity due to the "based on real event“ cover, but the storyline is weak and unfocused so it doesn’t buy my sympathy. So my overall rating for Youth of May is 5.5/10

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Good show about friendships and fencing, go watch!

This is a true coming-of-age story with a large lovable cast. 25-21 is a drama about the dreams and friendships of a group of young students who thrive together despite their struggles. As the story spans from Na Hee Do's teenage years until she's a mom of Kim Min Jae, it shows how the time we enjoy with our friends and families changes our lives to an extent. Time might fly by but still brings success and all of the consequences of our choices.

The enemies-to-friendships between Na Hee Do and Ko Yu Rim are my favorite part. Oh my god, I just love how pure the camaraderie between them is. Not only them, there's not a single cast member that I dislike, they're all just so beautifully written as real people. The ones you don't like at first, you learn more about them or the characters themselves interact more and form understandings of each other. I really commend all of the actors and actresses involved.


! Spoiler section: don't read unless you want to be spoiled :)




Regarding the ending, As I wasn't invested in the romance plot much, nothing hurts me in the end. It's lovely to see the slow-burn romance between Na Hee Do and Baek Yi Jin evolves from meaningful friendship to pure love, so to me there's no surprise whatever happens in the end. Overall, I enjoyed their conversations and interactions together.

So, why my rating is 8/10? Because I have frustrations and questions about the whole news anchor plot. This conflict of interest issue, everyone clearly sees is a problem from afar. So then why Baek Yi Jin is not being clear to Na Hee Do and just say it from the beginning that they are not meant to be? Just be friends from the beginning. Also, some scenes on the present-day Na Hee Do as a mom I feel they're a bit unnecessary. Her husband is not introduced at all in the story, so why bother breaking up with Baek Yi Jin, if the future husband is not living together with Na Hee Do?

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Enjoyable, rewatchable and I love it for the daring social representations

The story of a wrongfully-accused young man’s journey in realizing his 17-year business plan to avenge his father's death. He recruits his trustworthy friends and acquaintances to run a pub in Itaewon.

Life lessons are learned right away, we got introduced to our protagonists and villains. A lot happened to our male lead Park Saeroyi. I got invested and rooted for his life in every aspect: from his dad to his first love, to his dreams. He doesn't give up although unfortunate events happened to him. I also respect these villains characters, they’re smart and driving the plot significantly, keeping us guessing how Saeroyi can win.

Park Seo Jun did so well portraying Park Saeroyi. His calmness has a certain charisma that brought his friends to trust him as their leader. I appreciate the uniquely written DamBam staffs. Each of them has their unique background and motivations, which is not often portrayed but needed. We need more positive highlights on social diversity. I love all their stories, especially Jang Geun So.

There’s also a character briefly shown on the 1st ep but appear again later in the 3rd ep, Jo Yi Seo. She is quite hard to describe and you need to just watch her. Her mannerism, face expressions, fashion, her abrasiveness fits perfectly together. She’s tired of the socially-expected life of studying hard, going to university, work as hard as possible until you die. She even wish for the world to end so she wouldn't have to live that routine. Kudos to Kim Da Mi for carrying Yi Seo as a very authentic female lead.

My quibbles are, the ending was overdramatic, the car fighting scene was too long. Also, I never believe the romance as they’re perfect as friends, why can’t man and woman be friends? Nevertheless, I very much enjoyed Itaewon Class, it’s a great underdog story, with uplifting and awesome OST!!

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I really liked it, but...

A young woman, Yi Joo, is treated miserably by her family, and almost dies. But then, time rewinds and she finds herself traveling to the past. Taking her chances she's plotting a marriage with Do Guk, that will allow her take revenge for the wrongs she's suffered. Do Guk eventually gets wants a real marriage with her.

First, I gotta say that the time-slip works smoothly, once she goes back in time and she makes her decision for a revenge. Jung Yoo Min who plays Yi Joo has such a beautiful expressions, I feel all her pain in her tears. The main couple is a real guilty pleasure with amazing chemistry, their cliché moments that are just so fun to watch! Sung Hoon plays so well in this role, it's perfect for him! I enjoy the second couple too, they are doing awesome being villains. Kudos to all the other villains too!

The show is totally a soap opera, with all the messy twist and turns of a soap opera; back stabbing within a chaebol family - crazy but works well with the over-the-top acting from all cast. Even though it’s messy, it does not drag from the beginning all the way to the end. Every episodes has a drama, angst and reveals to keep the momentum. However, the resolution doesn’t feel as satisfying as the twist and turns by the end... it feels like it's written just for closure, wasn’t as genuine anymore. I don't think this show stands the test of time, but if evil scheming melodrama is your jam, you will enjoy!

-Dec 2023, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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Bartering as the new trend during hardships

We are presented with the apocalyptic event right away, not as a mid-climax like the usual apocalypse-themed movie, so the horrifying apocalypse events is not the focus. Instead, it highlights the post-apocalypse social conditions, where tenants and the non-tenants fight for one apartment as the sole livable space and the limited resources.

I feel it has a few plot holes, so much blood and misfortunes but not enough suspense within the social conflict. The sequence of events happening felt a bit flat, no such strong push and pull and interesting dynamic among the characters. I definitely had seen this being the butter of the story, as I’ve seen in other similar-themed movies. Then, it wrap up very quickly and just like that is ending. Probably, it would be better if we are presented the background of what has been happening in the past and also the characters relationships before and after the disaster.

The CGI is not the best, it's a bit funny: despite the strong winds are blowing, the characters' hair and clothing are not moving. Acting was very good, there is not really any romance here. Even though I appreciate the performance, the movie overall is not that groundbreaking.

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Brotherhood, flying baby, hide and seek... Is it a comedy hour? YES!

An unexpected error leads Lee Yeon stuck in 1938, where he reencounters not only his younger brother Lee Rang but also his past soulmates: a guardian spirit of the west mountain and an ex-friend who seems to have suspicious schemes. Lee Yeon needs to return to the present to complete his mission.

When I got to the first episode, they did a quick recap of the first season, and then we have our Lee Yeon, he's being really snarky, right off the bat the story was really hilarious. and I'm enjoying it so much! The whole drama gives anime vibes, amazing cinematography, and is full of beautiful scenes. They have flashcards featuring the main characters' bio, personalities, strengths, and quirks. Also, Lee Dong Wook promoted this show very much on his Instagram, it makes me feel the rush and the hype! If you're in for light, a bit nonsensical entertainment, with eye-candy characters, this can't be more perfect!

Production quality is top-notch! (except for the weird train CGI, but it's nonetheless super entertaining). Also, the visuals and cinematography are much superior in this 1938 season than in the first season, including the OST collection. You don't need to watch the previous season of Tale of the Nine-Tailed. It's completely different vibes despite the same cast. The characters feel similar, they have the same personality as they were in the first season, and they feel like themselves. Here they are so much funnier too. I mean there is a slight creepyness too here, but the first season was just so scary to me. My favorite part of the first season was the brotherhood of Lee Yeon and Lee Rang, and here they highlighted this aspect so strongly, so I really enjoy that aspect.

Another thing I like is the mythical creature here is still highlighted in this season, and it's quite episodic. It's kind of monster-of-the-week, but they still do not lose the overarching plot that is our Lee Yeon is trying to solve his case and get back to the future. Because again, he's on a time crunch, he has to go back soon. I think that the story didn't waste much time to set up this premise from the very beginning. I feel like they pace it very well in these 12 episodes.

What I like less are the last few episodes and the ending. They're too cartoonish and unbelievable. The protagonists seem to gain more superpowers towards the end as they can just escape death by creating thunder, immune to zombies, and get saved by true love! Well, it's all forgiven because we got a happy ending after all :)

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