A unique story that is full of comedy and drama.

At first, I didn’t get the humor of this series, so I put it on my hold list. But strangely enough, I started watching Angel’s Last Mission Love, and I was mesmerized by Shin Hye Sun’s performance as a ballerina. From a ballerina to a man sent back in time as a woman. She is flawless in her performance of both. Finally, I returned to watch Mr. Queen, and I was treated to one of the most entertaining series I’ve ever watched. Please don’t miss this one.

If you want a unique love story, this one is hard to top. Playing a woman with the lingering thoughts and mannerisms of a man is not easy. However, Hye Sun pulled it off with the grace of the amazing actress she is. I am not a huge fan of historical dramas with non-stop political infighting, but this one had more than that. The comedy was funny, and the drama was real, plus it had a perfect ending.

The supporting roles were well thought out, and each had its own identity. It is always a treat when you can enjoy the side stories as much as the main. That takes a writing talent which I think showed in this series. The music was also spot on and didn’t override the conversation or the story.

And finally, although I don’t know how many people read this far down, the subtitles were perfect. Good subtitles are critical to someone who doesn’t speak the language and are often taken for granted. I’ve mastered the art of reading and watching at the same time. What makes a subtitle good is when you feel they match the emotion on the screen. Thank you to the great subtitle people at Viki.

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A Strange Love Story?

What a morose show of human frailties in relationships. This show started and was promoted, as the story of Ji Ho and Se Hee. The beginning was interesting, and I looked forward to watching how they would break through the walls and become a real couple. The contract marriage concept is not new, but I’ve never seen it before with two completely dysfunctional people.

I really liked this show, but the storyline drove me crazy. The Bok Nam scenario was a disaster, just embarrassing and maybe even sickening. It takes up half the show and means nothing. Ji Ho, a college graduate at the top of her class falls into the trap of an obviously creepy younger guy? She tells him about her marriage arrangement and doesn’t even think twice about it. She has little self-control, except with her fake husband. Even though she has already given thought to something being strange about Bok Nam, she sits there on a park bench and drinks beer with him. She marvels over his ability to woo the girls with his cheesy lines. It makes me think she would fall for any guy that has a good line. She’s impulsive and reckless but strong of character? It just doesn’t work that way. They have made her look easy and that’s not attractive on her. It was just as easy to see where this was headed. But, then came the fake husband to the rescue. So, what does this normal sane woman do? She goes back to work at the same place. Sits on the couch with her husband in a conciliatory position and listens to Bok Nam’s dribble. Bok Nam even goes through his stalking and manipulative thoughts, but still, they sit there and listen to him calling them names. But suddenly, Bok Nam is a nice guy again and Ji Ho is apologizing to him. Really? YOLO? Demeans her husband, calls her stupid for being with him, and stalks her, and he is a nice guy again? Wait, he is even giving her love advice? Why in the world would she care what Bok Nam thinks? It makes her look even more clueless and less attractive. Bok Nam spends all his time hitting on Ji Ho and telling her how much he likes her. She knows it, her husband knows it, but she still goes back to work with him on a one-on-one basis. This says all you need to know about Ji Ho’s character. To say a 30-year-old top college graduate can’t find any other job is just not workable. It’s not a matter of whether she has any love for her husband or what he thinks about her seeing Bok Nam, it’s a matter of pride and self-worth. Just come back and let him talk smack to her non-stop? No wait, bring the contract to Bok Nam for him to review. This really makes sense. Everything Bok Nam says she thinks about like it was wisdom from the Dalai Lama. If this wisdom were coming from one of her girlfriends it would have made more sense. But 24-year-old Bok Nam has a special spot in her life? He seems to be wealthy, why not just stay with him and void the marriage contract? Just go the whole way into the abyss. I take so much time talking about the Bok Nam issue because it is a springboard into what follows. All the Bok Nam scenario means is she has no redeeming values.

She meets the female CEO of a new production company (Se Hee’s Ex but we aren’t supposed to know it yet) and spills all her thoughts and dreams on the first night of drinking soju. Jumping around drunk and having a good time was a little strange with somebody you were expecting to work for. Without even being told we know who the female CEO is. Ji Ho is strangely happy just being around this woman. Acting happier than she ever has before. Gay? Straight? Who knows, but it doesn’t make her look more appealing.

I tried so hard to like the female lead character Ji Ho, but she doesn’t feel like a genuine person to me. She develops a head-down mumbling approach to Se Hee that drives me crazy. By episode 14 I can already tell how this will turn out, not well. Their relationship will just keep getting worse, slowly makes the story fall apart. The story started with these two and the story was even promoted with these two. They have no chemistry, and she seems miserable. What’s the point if it just falls apart? She liked Bok Nam well enough until he moved on, which by the way, she seemed disappointed.

Episodes 14 through 16 are just grueling. Watching her stare at the walls in her Room #19 mumbling to herself like the world is against her. She seems to expect something from him that she can’t give herself, unable to tell him she likes him while he sits in Room #19 unable to even comprehend the world much less express his feelings. With every minute I watch the show becomes less appealing. She asks Se Hee’s ex to go on a date with her. Now that’s not too strange, is it? Is it the subtitles making it appear this way? Did she really ask this woman on a date? She is never happy. I’ll be honest I don’t even understand all her mumblings. Ji Ho told everybody else except Se Hee that she loved her husband. I’m beginning to believe there is something wrong with the subtitles. She talks about how deep her love was for Se Hee to her father-in-law and her mother-in-law. Ji Ho never told Se Hee she liked him or loved him. She decided to sleep with him one night then fell asleep on him. The next time he asked, she rejected him. Granted he was a strange individual, but all she did for him was mess with his head, and leave when he started to have feelings for her.

As you would expect, the ending was just as weird. After a year or so in a hospice, or whatever that place was, she goes to his old place to make her move with a day one cake. Has she run out of girls and guys to woo her? She only looks halfway disappointed that he no longer lives there. But finally, the nicest part of the show. A chance meeting at the house on the roof. The chance meeting is nice, and she tells him she loves him, but he’s asleep. Couldn’t they even make him awake for that? Run Se Hee, she could change her mind tomorrow.

Subtitles: I hate to beat a dead horse, but I really think the translation may be off on this one. I think this was one of those shows that were difficult to translate. Nothing she mumbled made any sense.

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A beautiful well written story with a twist.

Just when you think you know the whole story it morphs in front of your eyes. A twist you will never expect. This story shows us that every encounter we have in life can be a temptation that will change the course of our journey. Relationships can be fragile, only trust and a strong bond can hold them together. Add love to the mix and you have something special. When infidelity intervenes can the normal reaction be overwhelmed by a woman’s instinct to protect her unborn child when she is also abandoned? Watch this entertaining story and find out.

I loved Chae Soo Bin’s portrayal of Jeong Da Eun. She never disappoints. She showed so many different emotions in this movie that were critical to the making of this unique story. The other two leads were also great. Jang Ki Yong nailed his performance of Yang Hyuk, a young man climbing the ladder of success and facing all the things that can happen along the way. Krystal was also amazing in her portrayal of Han Bo Yeong a quirky co-worker who is also the other woman. If you want a happy ending then be prepared to understand the nuances of this movie. If you give this movie the attention it deserves it will show you a perfect ending that will leave you with a satisfying feeling. Not many movies with this type of twist at the end can do that.

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Romance for the Perfect Couple

This drama is a sweet story of two people falling in love. The beautiful Park Min Young in another significant role. Whenever she does a drama, you get the impression that she was born to do that role. Her role as Sung Deok Mi, the curator of an art museum and a secret fangirl, was believable and cute. Kim Jae Wook portrayal of the stoic Ryan Gold, the director of the museum, was the perfect complement to their relationship. Together they had enough chemistry to satisfy any romantic junkie, like myself. It was refreshing to see a couple come together and compliment each other with their love and care.

At times it will seen like a slow process of getting there, but make no mistake about it, this drama is a romance. There were distractions to create the necessary bumps in the road to happiness, but they survived it all. The girl interested in Ryan, a distraction. The brother who wants to be Deok Mi’s boyfriend, a distraction. Director Eom, a distraction.The entire fangirl thing, a distraction and even the comedy was a distraction. Be patient, unlike me, and you will take a journey with a couple oozing with chemistry.

There were plenty of emotional moments that will tug the heartstrings and there were lots of amazing kisses.

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Bullying and parental abuse

I hardly know where to start reviewing this comedy, romance drama. I don’t think it fits in either genre. I watched this series, then waited a year and watched all 25 episodes again. I watched it again because I was so polarized, and I wanted to see if I missed something before I wrote a review. I understand this show was a stepping stone to stardom for some of the actors. Lee Min Ho stood out from the rest even though his character was blah and really strange. The rest were average at best. Gu Hye Seon’s portrayal of Jan Di was almost unbearable. She had zero chemistry with the ML and should never ever play another romantic role.

The story, however, was one of the most horrendous depictions of bullying and parental abuse I’ve ever seen. I watched 24.9 episodes of misery; all piled on one young woman. Misery is not drama. The horror genre would have been a better fit for this one. None of the male characters in this show had any redeeming value. The story was unbelievable and even the ending was weird without any direction. Where was the romance? Was that ending supposed to make us feel good? Some of the bullying bordered on life and death. How can the word comedy be added anywhere in this series? When I review dramas, I like to add a misery index to my reviews when it’s needed. This one receives a misery index of 10. I don’t know how many times I have to say it. Three minutes of sunshine at the end of a show full of misery does not leave you with a good feeling. All you remember is the misery and hate.

Looking back, I can’t believe I watched it twice. I would never recommend this series to a friend.

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A Screenwriting and Directing Masterpiece

It seems people want to criticize this series for being too honest. To me, it’s a depiction of the current social environment around us. Not the most appealing, but never the less, it’s there, and we’ve all seen it. Infidelity is a dirty word to one person and a taste of freedom to another. I think this series tells us that we all view relationships differently. Our thoughts, needs, and values are different. We even view love differently. The story I watched for sixteen episodes was a bitter look into the world of betrayal. It shows us how people justify their actions when faced with diversity in a relationship. It also shows us how fragile marriage can be when you don’t nurture it. It shows us how hateful and desperate people can be. It also shows us the ugly head of temptation. I think this series took a lot of thought and work to put together. It was a raw look at the emotional struggles of human beings trying to survive in a world that pulls them apart.

I thought the acting was perfect. There were two standouts for me. Lee Ga Ryong’s portrayal of Hye Ryung was just fantastic. Playing this type of character and making it seem real is not easy. Another one of my favorite parts was in episode 7 when Hyang Gi (Jeon Hye Won) told her dad what she thought about him divorcing her mom in no uncertain terms. She said everything her mom wanted to say, and it was priceless. Hye Won shined in this supporting role, and it left me with a favorable impression of her acting skills.

The music pulled everything together, and the subscripts were great. I enjoyed this because it was different. Is it worth watching? Cudos to Im Sung Han for her screenwriting and to Yoo Jung Joon for directing a masterpiece.

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Romance on the Rocks

An attempt at a natural progression in romance that didn’t work. The story didn’t make any sense and it had no depth. You do get the impression that the “Master” has feelings for his servant. He courts her by bullying and harassing her for the first 30 minutes of the show. I’m sure this will convince her of his sincerity. Finally, he drives her out of the house. You would think that would be enough for him. Not this guy, he goes out and finds her and bullies her some more. Grabbing her and taking her into her bedroom. He won't leave and ends up sleeping in her bed while she sleeps on the floor. All against her wishes. Then he insults her by saying she jumped into bed with him. We are now one hour into the show and this guy hasn’t changed. He even takes her money. Unbelievably I think she's still drawn to him.

After a little drama in the house is settled they get drunk together and fall asleep during a snowfall, all snuggled together. Where did this come from? There was no workup or prelude to the romance of any kind. They’ve never verbally expressed any feelings. He’s hasn't said a nice word to her. She wakes up back at his house and all is roses. They are now in a committed relationship. He’s talking marriage and hasn’t even said he likes her. Maybe that's how they did things back in those days, but I doubt it.

I’m not blaming the actors I thought they were decent. The story was terrible. It felt like a Covid movie. Since it was done in 2020, it probably was. Most of the scenes had very few actors. In some scenes, they were even socially distanced from each other.

The subtitles were good and the music was great.

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How to sell unfolding love with Chae Soo Bin at her finest.

First, let me say that I don’t speak a word of Korean. When you rely on subtitles, the acting and facial expressions are even more critical. I’ve watched thousands of romantic based movies and TV shows because it’s a genre that fascinates me. Maybe I’m one of those eternal romantics. With that foundation, this is my review.
The Strongest Deliveryman unfolds a unique storyline of two vastly different delivery people. Choi Kang-soo (Go Kyung Pyo) a strong-minded man who moves from place to place with a dream to become a CEO of a delivery company and Lee Dan-ah (Chae Soo Bin), whose only dream is to leave the country. These two characters drive the storyline and deliver one of the best shows I’ve watched in a while.
As you watch the interaction between these two, you begin to wonder how they will ever get together. But wait, how did I think these two would get together? Because of the facial expressions that changed as the story unfolded. Chae Soo-bin is one of the most compelling actresses I’ve ever watched. I don’t know if she has any MMA background, but she sold that part to me. Her portrayal of love emerging was mesmerizing. Her eyes seem to talk, and her smile lights up a room. I found myself watching her even when she was in the background. The acting was great all around, but she pulled it together with her very presence. The Strongest Deliveryman is a must-watch show that carries you through drama and love that will move your heart.
To give you an idea of how much I like Chae Soo-bin’s performance, I decided to watch some more of her work. So, I watched: I’m Not a Robot, Where Stars Land, A Piece of Your Mind, Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People, Love in the Moonlight, and If We Were a Season. That’s a total of 125 episodes I watched back-to-back. She didn’t disappoint me. Watch the Strongest Deliveryman and tell me if you see what I saw.

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One Wrong Sentence Can Change Your Life

An interesting movie is about the best I can say for this one. If the message of the movie was to point out how one wrong sentence in a conversation can change your life, then it was a success. Don’t watch this if you want to feel good when it’s done. It was depressing, a one hour and fifty-minute lesson on how to not run your life. I watched this movie because I saw a promo and thought I had to see how this movie ended. To my surprise, the promo was the end. Who shows the end of a movie in a promo? The whole movie was strange and pointless. Nothing cute, nothing felt good. The minute she came to the school and they had that awkward conversation about her getting married I knew it was going to be an awkward ending. It was like the producers got together and came up with an ending they thought would be different from other movies. Different is not necessarily better. In my opinion, this one missed the mark.

I like the actors and the acting was good.

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Well done Romantic Comedy

If you are looking for drama, comedy, and romance in one package, this series is worth watching. The acting was outstanding, and I thought the humor was just the right amount and well placed. The storyline of a falling actress and an uptight lawyer was both unusual and entertaining. Yoo In Na was just superb in her role and made the romance feel real and heartwarming. Lee Dong Wook was also excellent in his portrayal of the lawyer. The interaction between the two was entertaining as their relationship grew. Yoo In Na seemed to blossom with each episode. She does light up the screen.
I don’t speak Korean, so I rely on the acting, the music, and the sub-titles when I watch shows that aren’t English. I’ve watched thousands of romantic based movies and TV shows because it’s a genre that fascinates me. Maybe I’m one of those eternal romantics. I highly recommend this show. I'm glad I can find shows like this to watch.

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Romance in full bloom

If you want to immerse yourself in a beautiful romantic adventure, then this is the one for you. Rarely does the chemistry of two stars come across on the screen like Park Bo Gum and Song Hye Kyo portrayed in this series. The story of two beautiful people of different ages and different walks of life coming together as a couple. It was a pleasure seeing them survive through a storm of difficulties. It was also refreshing to see a male lead who never gave up on his love and a female lead who didn’t turn to another man even when she was almost broken. To me, this was the story that showed the beautiful healing power of love. Each episode was a chapter in a love story that urged me on to the next.

The supporting roles were perfect. Each character added something without overpowering the main story. Excessive parental control is one thing that gets me riled up. I must admit the parents in this story were great at making my blood boil. I especially liked Ko Chang Seok’s portrayal of Nam Myeong Sik. As the episodes flowed by, he gave you hope and helped tie the entire series together.

Song Hye Kyo was terrific as always. She has the X factor, and her mere presence lights up the screen. Her portrayal of Cha Soo-Hyun was something to behold. I think this was a complicated character for her because it required her to portray so many difficult mindsets or emotions. She did it perfectly. She changed from a sheltered rich woman battered from wicked parental control to a free soul opening herself to her first real love. It was like watching a flower bloom or a butterfly emerge. In spots, she controlled the entire flow of the scene with a simple smile. It was captivating.

In my opinion, Park Bo Gum’s portrayal of Kim Jin Hyuk was the best role I’ve ever seen him play. He showed us strength in a male character through love, kindness, and understanding. You don’t see that on-screen very often, and it was surprising but refreshing. It made me want to be a better man. Soo Hyun’s reactions to his never-ending flow of love advances were priceless. He also has one of the best smiles I’ve seen on a male actor.

The music was sensational. It was well-orchestrated as it blended with each emotion.

The subtitles were outstanding. Since I don’t speak the language, I rely on subtitles. Sometimes, they can be misleading or show words that don’t fit in the English language, but they were perfect in this case.

And finally, the most critical part, the kisses. You can’t sell a romance on screen if you aren’t committed to the kisses. The kisses in Encounter were likable and believable. They made you smile and maybe even tear up a little. You could feel the growth of the love through each kiss.

In summary, I loved this series.

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How To Kill a Romance

A unique story that had some real drama, real romance, and subtle humor. You can say the concept of freezing people isn’t possible if you want. I enjoyed this one for what it was, entertaining. The music was great, the acting was good, and the story, only had a few problems. Unfortunately, those problems overshadowed the good parts.

Since this was a Rom-Com the romance is supposed to carry the show. The character Ma Dong Chan was not an obvious romantic choice given his abusive attitude at work. I looked past that as part of the comedy. After all, Go Mi Ran spent 20 years in the tank with him. They almost made me believe in the relationship that was evolving until they let it fall apart. It was holding together until she returned from the tank for the second time. She meets him with the snow falling and they embrace. That was nice and I thought that was the continuation of love delayed. Boy was I wrong.

This is where strange things start happening. It felt like somebody, who didn’t understand the story, interfered with the way it was written. No good writer would ever let this fall apart the way it did. Or the person that wrote it was never in love. Either way, the ending was terrible. Why do writers have such a hard time ending love stories? I even watched the ending twice to make sure I didn’t miss anything. It should melt my heart, just like the title, but it didn’t. The story just fell apart. The office meeting following the snow encounter was just ridiculous. The family meeting was even worse. Out of nowhere with no story supporting her decision, she’s treating him with indifference and doesn’t want to be with him? I thought she loved him more. His babbling during that family meeting made me cringe.

I can see the writer(s) director and producer with their heads together. Let’s just have her read the diaries and go on a world tour with him and that will be a happy ending, won’t it? The strength of the two main characters dissolved into almost nothing in the last episode and the romance died a slow agonizing death. That made me sad. It could have ended differently and left everybody with a good feeling.

Full disclosure, I watch the shows for their romance. When I’m not watching romance-oriented shows I’m writing fantasy/romance novels. So, I get picky over something that doesn’t fit. But this show is still worth watching. You decide.

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A well-written story of love, drama and suspense.

A well-written story that will keep you entertained until the very end. Flower Crew has drama, suspense, comedy, political intrigue, and romance that will make your heart flutter. Sometimes I read a negative review, and I wonder if that person even watched the same drama. So many people skip over and fast forward through episodes, then try to write a review as if they had some hidden awareness. Don’t make that mistake; every episode in this drama is essential. The story is well written, each episode building up to a grand finale. Subplots are all completed, nothing left to the imagination.

The acting was fantastic. Gong Seung Yeon’s portrayal of Gae Ddong/Yoon Su Yeon was the backbone of the drama. From the first episode until the very end, she pulled each character into her circle of excellence. Kim Min Jae as Ma Hoon matched well with her, as did the other ML Seo Ji Hoon, who played Lee Soo/Kim Soo, the King. In addition, dual villains kept everything exciting and provided enough suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat.

The romantic story was perfect, with the flow of love between FL and ML building up the entire drama. If you feel sorry for losing ML, that tells me you didn’t watch the whole series. The chemistry wasn’t blazing, and the kisses were average, but the romance was over the top—a match made in heaven. Two people pushed together by fate find love under the most difficult of circumstances.

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Love can change your life

The beautiful story of how true love can change your life and the impact it has when you think you’ve lost it. I say true love because it’s a love that reaches across the boundaries of two very diverse lives, both strong people in their own way. Watching the growth of this unique love was priceless. This story also tells us that good deeds often have hidden rewards. You never know when the person you reach your hand out to will help you in turn, and you never know how much that help will impact your life. This story has humor, drama, and unfiltered romance. Please take the time to watch it.

The music was beautiful and never impacted the flow of the story in a negative way. I also like it when I can see the words to the song in the subtitles. By the way, the subtitles were perfect.

The acting was great, and the chemistry showed on the screen between the two main characters, Jae In (Ha Seok Jin) and Da Hyeon (Jean So Min). This was a love story from start to finish. I loved every second of it.

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True Love Prevails Through All Obstacles

I struggled to watch this show because of the raw and difficult emotions that touched me in ways I didn’t even think possible. As I watched the story unfold I was left with a feeling of being lost. I’ve always felt my life was complex. I’ve made decisions that took me down difficult paths. I learned early in life that decisions have consequences. After watching this unique story my life felt less complicated. I don’t know if that’s good or bad but I know I just watched something that had an impact on me. Very few writers can accomplish that in sixteen hours.

I’ll be honest, I don’t usually watch shows like this. It would probably be on my hold list by episode four but one of my friends liked it enough to rate it all 10s. I don’t think I’ve run up against a show that had so many ratings of 10 before. I had to see why. I’m also a self-professed romance junkie so I also watched it thinking there just might be something there for me to watch. Boy was I surprised.

The characters were well thought out even though I wasn’t always fond of them. In many cases, their stories were distinctive and intertwined with each other. The mental illnesses often manifested into violence that kept you wondering what was next. As I watched I really didn’t care who committed what crime or who was rejected by some romantic advance. I just watched trying not to let any of it bother me. As the reality of what these characters face in their everyday existence displayed on the screen I became immersed into a world I’d never seen before.

Their house had a unique living environment that I didn’t understand at first but that’s the beauty of a well-written script. As personalities, illnesses, and family issues came to life I began to understand. The story is gently tied together at times and mashed together when it was needed. Every character and every side story was well done and fun to watch. I finally understand why this show received so many 10s.

The romance I was hoping for, went beyond my expectations. I watch a romance that prevailed through the most difficult obstacle a couple can face, mental illness. I watched a man confess his love and maintain that love even when it wasn’t being returned. A love that saved his life. I watched a woman in love, who didn’t understand how to deal with it, give in to a beautiful passion. I watched two souls come together bound by a deep love for each other. They tested their love and never gave up on each other. I watched the blossoming of true love.

Thanks to all of you that encouraged me to watch this beautiful story with your ratings. The music was perfect and the subtitles were handled with care.

Watch this story and you will understand.

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