Such a sweet story

This was just what my heart needed. Is it perfect? Absolutely not. Do I care? Also no. This drama told a story. It was an enjoyable story with some pretty good acting. I actually found that the younger crowd was much more realistic in their acting than the seasoned actors. I enjoyed seeing a story where people cared about each other. I hate the "separate (for whatever reason) and see if our love lasts" scenario, but it is what it is, and at least there was a happy ending.

I love that Sky was crying before he even looked up in final lake scene. I loved the heartbreak Sun exhibited every time Sky cried/yelled/stormed off. I love that Sky berated his father for treating Sun like a pet. I love that there weren't a bunch of unnecessary scenes, or extended "looking off into the distance" contemplation scenes. I was invested throughout the entire series.

I kinda think that the second leads got shafted out of their love scenes....they had problems, questions, then suddenly they didn't. And those tests the father had Sun go through? That was just *&% (insert your favorite expletive.)

Regardless, I'm not sure why so many people gave bad ratings, but to each their own. I loved this. Now I'm going to watch the movie, because why not?

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Too hyped

As a newcomer to the BL genre, I have binged probably 30 or more dramas recently. As the BL fandom in general seems to think so highly of SOTUS, I decided to give it a try. I was sad to see that it was about as good as I expected. I'd hoped that it would blow me away, but it barely kept me interested. I failed to see any chemistry between the actors, onscreen or off. The character development felt like a car with a bad clutch. It just dropped scenes in your lap and failed to flesh those scenes out satisfactorily. I mean, what was the point of the haircut scene?? Why was Arthit crying behind the stadium? For that matter, why did the seniors decide that the juniors had won the flag??

I have tried to start watching SOTUS S, the second season.....it's 2 years later, why is Kong still chasing his boyfriend for attention? I may force myself to get through episode 1, but I'm not promising anything.

I think that the actors in SOTUS did what they could, especially with some of them being new to the drama world. I do not think the main actors and most of the side characters are shippable though. Prem and Wad are the exception. There was chemistry and potential there. Sadly, nowhere else that I saw. And I am happy to watch even the worst storyline for some good chemistry.

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Worth it!

First of all, I am 100% in love with Folk's character (First.)

I was truly surprised to find that these characters had depth. I am kind of upset that this drama isn't getting better reviews. I think that if it had been longer and more able to flesh out the characters, the story would have required less interpretation on the part of the viewer. I suppose that for those who haven't experienced real life situations in which there were few words but lots of chemistry/emotion, these characters might be hard to understand, but in my opinion, the actors did a fabulous job in portraying the love/hate/attraction/disgust/confusion/guilt that can occur all at once. I saw one review that said they went from 0 to 100, then back to 0, but I disagree. If this were a novel with inner monologue, it would be much more understandable for those with no experience in this type of relationship, or those who have to have everything spelled out for them.

I am very upset that the characters of Namfah and (especially) Praew weren't better acted. I felt like I was watching a high school play when those characters were on screen.

Gameplay's and Folk's chemistry was everything. I'm going to go back and rewatch it now.....

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Thoughts

--People get really offended at a show that is for entertainment only. And if you're not going to watch at least the majority of the program, how can you give a legitimate rating??
--I rarely rewatch anything, so disregard that rating.
--Hwang In Youp is an amazing actor in my opinion
--I hate how K-dramas dumb down children
--I'm going to have to watch more of Bae In Hyuk! As Choi Yoon Sang, he kinda stole my heart!...
--...as did the character Na Se Ryun (Son Ji Hyun.)
--Ji Seung Hyun's character Choi Joo Wan was played much better than I realized....he was one of the most memorable for me, which surprises me. However, thinking about it, this character did lose his wife, daughter, father, job, and obviously his freedom all within a short period of time, so it should have been memorable I guess.
--I loved the camaraderie of the law students (group 8), the 2 that ran the cafe, and the assistant lawyer
--I am sorry that Gong Chan didn't have more screen time. I don't feel that this character was written as fully fleshed out as he should have been. I think Hwang In Youp did an amazing job considering. There was a lot of long dramatic scenes looking out of the window or over the ocean or whatever.....this time could have been better filled with a little more of the romance. It seemed more "hero-worship" than anything.
--Choi Yoon Sang's crush on Noona should have been more evident as well, but it was sweet, nonetheless.
--I loved the 3 sons friendship, even if they were stupid and controlled by their fathers. They were the actual 3 Musketeers in the show, unlike what the CEO said.
--The entirety of South Korea needs anger management. (Don't get me wrong, I love South Korea, but sheesh! the amount of slapping the kids around...and yes, it's a drama, but there's too much of it IRL.)
--Choi Joo Wan jumping over the couch to get to his father was so good, and Gong Chan revealing himself to his step-mother was heartbreaking.
--I kind of wanted it revealed in the disciplinary hearing that Gong Chan and Su Jae were actually working together to find the killer....I wanted a big dramatic scene, and it just didn't happen.

End of thoughts for now. :)

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Poor Win!

I feel sorry for Win.

This drama is totally based on Cha being younger than Irin. It pained me every time the characters called Cha a child, when Cha was fully an adult and knew his own mind. As a citizen of the US, it is my opinion that some of the cultural standards in other countries are outdated, but at the same time, these dramas are based on their culture, not mine. So honestly, if I'm going to watch these dramas, I should keep that in mind. However, I don't understand why there has to be so much unhappiness, so little acceptance.

And OMG, just whose side was Jin on, anyway??? So wishy-washy! There were times when he wasn't even on his own side!

There were so many plot holes and things that didn't make sense. Who was running the companies when Namcha and Irin were off doing their own thing?? Why was Jin's office inside the publishing company? Why didn't they make Inn take another pregnancy test prior to the wedding?? Why was there a 7 year age gap, but also 7 years of non-contact between Namcha and Irin? Did they just date for a few months then never see each other for 7 years? If so, why was Cha still so head-over-heels for Irin? (Didn't Cha say he was abroad for only a couple of years?)

Anyway, I appreciated the acting. Win is getting better. Overall, there weren't too many scenes where they were awkwardly standing there waiting for the next line. And the translator guy? BEST character!!!! Grandpa made me hate him, just like he should have. And I thought Tan and Paeng were great!

Overall, if they wanted to showcase Win in a drama, it should have been a better one. And not one where he's, ironically, a vet, as he is not an animal person. He did a great job at hiding that.

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Just some thoughts...

There are already plenty of reviews for this drama, so instead of an actual review, I'll just write some thoughts that may or may not ever be read. Just because. LOL

--Is it really really good acting, or do I actually, truly, hate the mom??? Also, I hate that she never understood that she was the cause of her son's moral deficiencies.

--The plot twist. I wasn't expecting a plot twist. How was I not expecting a plot twist?? I was truly surprised. And honestly, it was informational only....they would have been fine without it. But it did give some justification to the motive.

--I never did understand the relationship between Yu Ji Hyuk (ML) and Lee Suk Joon (Lawyer/HR). I got a sense that there was a familial relationship, but I was never sure.

--Yu Hee Yeon was adorable! It's nice to have a genuinely good character occasionally. Not to mention, intelligent and helpful, with no ulterior motives.

--Poor Baek Eun Ho. He was so clueless throughout the entire thing. I felt so sorry for him.

--Yu Ra's bodyguard/driver/secretary.....he looked so betrayed in the last episode. Not to mention his reluctance to murder people. His role was pivotal in saving some lives. I thought he deserved a better ending than to be left standing in the parking lot.

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Great story!

This is a short drama, but it somehow relayed more story than the 35min x 8eps allowed, with still enough time for flashbacks and bloopers at the end of the last episode. I enjoyed it thoroughly, with my only complaints being that 1) the school bully is 38yrs old irl, and looks it, 2) the adult versions of the ML's look too dissimilar to their high school selves, and 3) the psychiatrist should have had a brighter personality. I had to suspend belief on those matters. Other than that, everything was "gucci" in my opinion. Even the pseudo-supernatural parts have a basis in reality, whether it be actual physical reactions that science has yet to explain, or simply psychological results from changes in the body. (Here I refer to menstrual theft as well as cellular memory. Because hormones make us do crazy things, and genetic/ancestral memory is a thing, so why not cellular memory?)

Despite these things, the drama itself was an immersive, emotional, and overall feel-good story. I didn't even hate the bully as much as I should have, as it seemed to me that he had a depth that was left unexplored. But nothing is perfect, in dramas or in real life, and things aren't always what they seem or what we think they should be. I think that the actors played their characters well, and I liked that the drama didn't have abusive parents or teachers, and the friendships/relationships between the characters were real. Especially the grandma. They boys' love for her made me smile.

I loved this drama and I highly recommend it!

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This is an excellent drama. It was action packed, but also had its slower moments so the audience has time to catch it's breath. The rush to tie up the storyline in the final episode was it's only drawback, in my opinion. Other than that, the story was thorough, well scripted, and well acted.

I love that neither mains are weak characters. (For instance, the strong ML isn't always having to rescue the weak FL.) Both are strong, physically and mentally, fighting against the bad guys WITH each other instead of one always fighting to save the other. When one goes out alone, the other pities their opponents. Yes, they do protect each other, but they also trust in each other's skills. [The takedown of the pastor is the best physical (wrestling? martial arts?) move I have ever seen....I rewatched that, like, 8ish times!]

I also love that the drama didn't depend on tropes in order to portray the mains falling for each other. There was no awkwardness, only a clear and obvious friendship that allowed itself to deepen naturally as time passed. (Granted, the ML developed feelings 10 years earlier, but his one-sided love was willing to wait for her.)

I was surprised that they never called the infection zombie-like. There was never one mention of zombies. But the infected people's actions and appearance was clearly within the zombie universe. I'm personally fine with that, as I like zombie stories, even though I am not the biggest fan of gore. Ya can't have one without the other though.

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A love that never falters

This drama was about a love that never falters. Throughout the entire show, the main characters are confident in themselves and their love. Once they actually get together, they do not doubt each other. They believe in themselves, each other, and their abilities. They believe in each other's strength and fight together to ensure that they will be together in the end. The drama they face together, with the support of their friends, results in a happy ending. The writers even gave all the characters redeemable qualities which may be unrealistic, but made the drama easy to watch. The visuals were stunning, especially the ML's bedroom eyes. (Sorry, I'm shallow like that sometimes. LOL) I enjoyed the difference in this drama, in that it started from the end and told their backstory. So while you know how it's going to end, you have to watch to see how it got there.

Personally, I could have used another 8 or so episodes focused on the side characters as well. I would like to have seen more of their journey.

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A trip through Hell

I'll keep this short and sweet.
Spoilers ahead:
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Question: How do you make an entire movie, quite literally, around the twitch of a hand?

Answer: You throw in some dinosaurs, a pack of hungry wolves, some battle scenes, a game of chess, a clay pot, a trip through hell, some fabulous CGI, and an amazing cast of actors!

I personally thought part 1 (Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds) was a better movie overall, but there are many who disagree. Regardless, both movies were very well done and deserve to be seen by those who occasionally enjoy a bit of the fantasy genre. I'd hope they would continue with the plans to make a part 3 and 4, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen, sadly.

Are you still reading? Why?? Go watch!!!

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Not sure of the genre, but it's an ok show

While I kinda loved most of the series, it seemed like it wasn’t sure what it wanted to be. At times it was a bit fantastical, at times it made me laugh out loud. Sometimes it was action packed, but other times, it was dark…almost to the extent of a psychological thriller. Sometimes it was just silly, or didn't even make sense, but I went with it anyway.

Jinxed at First is a drama about a female "shamen" (prophesier/oracle) who escapes into the world after being locked in an opulent 'prison' for the first 20 years of her life. With the help of Gong Soo Gwang, Seon Min Joon, and the store owners of an entire marketplace, Seul Bi learns what it's like to have friendship, family, and love. Getting to that point, however, involved corporate conspiracy, family drama, murder, intrigue, and everything in between.

KingLTC (Reviewer from Aug 4, 2022) had it right when they said that Seul Bi’s character was played exactly as it should have been, given that the girl had been sheltered from the world and didn’t have the chance to mature or learn to be an adult in the real world. But there was character growth, or at least evolution, within all the characters, including Seul Bi. All of the characters were played by talented actors. I think I enjoyed Choi Jung Woo (Dong Shik), Ki Do Hoon (Seon Min Joon), and Kim Dong Young (Wang Yoon Ho) the most. I am very interested in seeing what else those actors have to offer in other shows.

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My new favorite

This was the sweetest, most heartfelt BL I've watched thus far. Although it only has 8 episodes, and each episode is only about 15 minutes long, it was enough. I don't think making it longer would have made it better. The script had everything it needed in order to tell the story well. The acting itself, the movements, the emotions, the dialogue, all seemed genuine. The mini-game at the end of each episode helped to show the background of the characters and assisted with story progression, while adding a fun element and keeping the show from taking itself too seriously.

The story centers around Lee Wan, who confessed his feelings to his best friend, Shin Ki Tae, directly after their high school graduation. After the confession, Wan runs away without giving Ki Tae time to process the confession. Lee Wan completely removes himself from Ki Tae's life, leaving Ki Tae searching for him for the next 7 years. Upon reencountering Lee Wan, Ki Tae wastes little time working his way back into Wan's life, leaving Wan to make decisions that will affect whether or not they have a future together.

This drama helps to raise the bar for K-BLs, and for BLs in general. With a total run time of approximately 2 hours, I literally doubled my watch-time by rewatching each episode at least once as it aired. It was well thought out, well written, well directed, well edited, and well acted. (Too much? Am I gushing?? LOL.) I highly recommend this series.

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Just some thoughts...

I've completed the show and glanced through the other reviews. I think that there are enough reviews that give fairly good synopses (I had to google the plural for synopsis...never had to write that word before. Lol). Anyway, I just wanted to leave some of my own personal thoughts on the drama.

I thought that the actors interpreted and delivered their roles well. I was disappointed, though, that while I could feel the friendship, and even the love that the main leads had for each other, I didn't see any actual passion in their love. And while that's ok in real life....many have love and friendship in their relationships and that's all they need...I didn't think that it translated into a good love story for a k-drama. Basically that means the chemistry just wasn't there in my opinion.

What I did enjoy was the relationship between John Jang and Park Ji Wan. I would have loved to have seen much more of them on screen. I thought their chemistry was amazing. Or maybe it was simply the story of the underdog getting a win. But, tbh, although she was portrayed as such, I never considered Ji Wan as an underdog because she was the prettiest female in the cast...again, my opinion.

Also, Dae Hwi. Idk, there's something about him. As a kpop fan, every time I see him on screen, I have a habit of screaming "Dae Hwi!" LOL. (Idk why, it's just a thing. He impressed me on something he said once, and made me a fan.) So, although I hadn't looked at the cast, within the first 2 minutes or so of the show, I was yelling his name in excitement. And the fact that I loved his character just made me like him better. He portrayed Sang Woo, who never gave up on his ideals and never betrayed his principles, regardless of the situation.

(My daughter also pointed out that Choi Si Won was also an idol, and it made me wonder if I'd missed any others.)

The drama overall held my attention fairly well. I thought they could have done better with the "Kingdom of Love" show that much of the drama was based around. If that had been a real show on television, I'd have skipped it. I loved Yu Reum's supportive parents. I loved the friendships that Yu Reum had. And the relationship between Dae Shik and Hye Jin is something for everyone to strive for. Dae Shik is such a loveable character, and his attitude is everything.

I was disappointed that they didn't do anything with the camera exposure of Chae Ri's one night stand with Jang Goon. And there were a few more storylines they could have gone with, and chose to ignore or edit out. So my satisfaction wasn't quite fulfilled.

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Someone please give these actors better scripts!

I'd read comments about how awful this show was, and I thought, "It can't be that bad, I'll judge it for myself." And well....I just want to know who let this drama happen?? Why didn't the director stop this?? Do the writers still have jobs??

The acting was pretty dang good. Especially since they really didn't have anything to go on. I've seen much, much worse acting. But the dialogue, what little of it that there was, was pretty bad in a lot of places. Not all of it was horrible. And there were some life-lessons they tried to address. I appreciate that they made an attempt to deal with problems such as depression, family, friends, relationships, and a few lgbtq+ issues. They just weren't dealt with very well.

I had issues with several of the storylines and plot devices. The sister's storyline was total BS. Taking the kid away? I had sympathy towards her until she did that. The aunt telling Rose to push Dr. Yang out of his job? Nope. And Dr. Pun....I just don't even know what to say about him. I liked him even though he was unprofessional, pushy, and disrespectful at times--I've never seen someone be respectful and disrespectful at the same time, but this character managed it,-- but some of the things he did were, in my opinion, verging on sexual assault....luckily he never pushed it that far. And then there was the flash forward, and for a while I wasn't sure if all of the scenes from that point on were future scenes or if they were flashing back to the past again. It just wasn't done well.

I feel sorry for the actors. Most of them were really good, especially considering they had all those long pauses and drawn out scenes. But there were production issues, sound issues, writing issues, etc. The actual story had such potential. It was simply wasted in my opinion. This was one time that I agree with the comments.

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