Slow-moving and sparse

Lies Hidden In My Garden started off on a strong note. It even had a good build-up when it came to the suspense and a couple of decent plot twists. But when you look at it by the end, you are left feeling underwhelmed.

The story begins in a luxurious home where the husband is a doctor, the wife is a house-wife and they have a teenage son. They moved from the city into a suburb because the wife is unwell due to her dealing with her sister's untimely death. One day, the wife starts to smell a strange stench which her husband denies smelling.

On the flip side, there is another wife who lives in a shabby apartment with her abusive husband. She is pregnant. Her husband decides to take her to the doctor's house one day and meets with his wife. One the way to the house, she notices a phone in her husband's car with a bejeweled floral case that he attempts to hide. On arrival, from the car, she notices that both she and the doctor's wife wear the same scarf.

The issue with the plot began when it started to drag it's heels midway. There are literal moments of silence and slow responses and just staring. The reason being, there isn't much to the story. And despite that, questions were left unanswered such as the scarves both wives wore and the doctor's wife's sister's death. Why was she killed?

The ending was not amazing though the cinematography is. But visuals alone do not make for a great drama. I feel a bit misled. Still it has it's good moments and there is character development shown with the doctor's wife. I also enjoyed the mother and son's relationship even though it wasn't explored in great detail. I also appreciated the neighbour's character and the story behind her husband's death. All the actors also portrayed their characters well and created the much needed drama.

It's an intense series yet lacking. Good for a one time watch.

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Strong start, Powerful finish

I binged season 1 in preparation of season 2 but if you don't want to, story-wise you won't miss much as this was a completely new plot. But you will not feel the full effect of the backstory. Why is Lee Yeon depressed in season 2? Why does Lee Rang hate his brother. To get the full gist of it, you need season 1. But they have made it possible to watch Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938 as a stand-alone show by highlighting some moments from season 1.

Even though the plot involves time travel, most of the story is set in 1938 (as suggested by the title) so it covers a little bit of Joseon history. There is a lot happening in the series with loads of new characters and threats. Most of the stories are interesting although shortly past the halfway mark, the story dragged a bit. But the ending fully redeemed itself. Every hero was at their best and, though, I don't know about re-watching the entire show but the finale is worth watching multiple times!

Every actor did an outstanding job! I especially loved the continuation of the relationship between Lee Yeon and Lee Rang. Plus Lee Yeon's friendships with Ryu Hong Joo and Cheon Moo Young was explored well. The secondary characters also add their own lovely flavour to this season.

As for lovers of the first season, there is a bit of that romance too. :)

The finale was epic and it's what gives season 2 an edge over season 1. We are also teased with a possibility of season 3.

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Misunderstood

To be honest, I nearly dropped this series. I thought I was misled into thinking it's about aliens when it wasn't. Also, the first two episodes didn't hold my interest much as it progressed very slowly. And the third was interesting but not why I was watching the series so for a month I didn't continue until I finally decided to and I am really happy I completed it.

The story begins with the female lead seeing what she understands as hallucinations. She is seeing an alien in a green helmet everywhere yet no one else seems to notice this alien. She is also struggling in her relationship. Her boyfriend wants to get married and despite showing disinterest, the pressure from her boyfriend keeps rising until she finally breaks up with him. Shortly after he disappears and when trying to retrace his steps, she experiences a strange phenomenon that leads her to belief he was kidnapped by aliens. Her desperation to find him and figure out what is going on with her lead her on a strange journey.

The thing about this series is that although there is a connection with aliens, there is a long journey to any answers. To be fair, I thought the plot was interesting in hindsight. What ticked me off in the third episode, turned out to actually be a clever twist. If you are expecting a story filled with aliens, unfortunately that won't be the case. Instead it is a journey of ordinary citizens trying to make sense of what they know/experience and how easily people can be misled by scrupulous people.

I would urge viewers to not give up midway. The end will be worth it.

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There are shorter dramas with more romance

I was thoroughly enjoying the series initially especially the comedy and the romance was sweet too. I really liked the ML, Yuan Song, as he was a kind and caring boyfriend. Saving your girlfriend's fingerprint on your phone so that she knows you have nothing to hide is a huge gesture. In fact, he kept making huge gestures towards her and she kept wanting to hide the relationship. I never understood that. You only hide a relationship when you think you are doing something wrong. Instead she should have opened a dialogue with him as well as her family.

The other thing that annoyed me is that the main couple spent more time broken up than they were together. That is not why I chose to watch this drama. If you are like me, it might be a good idea to skip the episodes after they are broken up until you get to the end. By the 28th episode, I started to get tired of the other plots. And by the 37th episode they were still not back together.

I wonder if the reason for keeping them apart this long is because of the real life age gap. Why not create dramas with actors that are older but have similar age gaps if you can't provide a genuine take on an older female younger male couple? Maybe one where the male is also established. I am yet to find a show that depicts how such couples deal with their relationship long term rather than running away from it.

I couldn't care for He CanYang and Cai MinMin's relationship either. In most cultures, men marrying girls 10 - 15 years younger is normal. No one really bats an eye. Meanwhile even marrying a woman few years older is looked down upon. Even in this series, CanYang is more worried because MinMin is his student. Luming is against it because CanYang is his girlfriend's brother. They are not dealing with an age issue at all. In fact, I liked the brother until he repeats the toxic misogynistic line that his relationship is normal because he is a man but his sister's would be shameful because she is a woman. What a fall from grace of a character that seemed open-minded.

I could only appreciate 2 side stories - the other designer male's office romance and the cheating husband. It would have been far better if this series was shorter instead of adding so many couple stories when the main couple is simply not progressing. I would have definitely liked to see more of Yuan Song but there are 2 episodes without him and in some he is just barely there. In fact, the second male lead has far more scenes. I really loved the ML's stepmom's character. It was nice to see their relationship.

The main couple's romance is honestly disappointing. If it weren't for the comedic moments, I would not even give this show a 7. In comparison, The Rational Life is a superior series.

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Disappointment

I'll leave the spoilers for the end so let me begin with my overall impressions as I watched the show.

When I first heard about Eve, I was excited. The plot summary also made it sound extremely intriguing as I do love my revenge plots but what unfolded gradually was nothing short of a disappointment. The only reason I put up with it is because I was waiting for the revenge part and what a long wait it was!

There were a couple of episodes that I fell asleep while watching and just continued with the next and it didn't make an ounce of difference. I could follow the story because nothing much was happening in the show. There was at least one completely filler episode.

I want to say I was impressed by the actors but I really can't for most of them. The male lead, CEO Kang Yoon, has no facial expressions besides serious. I did not see those muscles move throughout the show. Similarly for the second male lead, Seo Eun Pyung. I was rooting for him. But expression wise, he was in a perpetual state of concern. Nonetheless, he is a handsome guy so this role is almost tragic for him. And then coming to the female lead, Lee Ra El. She had the widest range of emotions on display so she certainly brought the most to the table considering the role is all about her. I also have to give it up for the wife's character, Han So Ra, who you almost pity at times. Then she reminds you exactly why she deserves to be disliked. A well portrayed character. Ra El's adoptive mother's role and portrayal is also interesting with interesting dynamics between the two.

My rating is entirely for the actors and not really for the plot.

Finally ***spoilers*** and this is going to ruin the show for you so beware:
The first two episodes were the highlight of the show. Lee Ra El seducing Kang Yoon Gyeom through her tango and then by letting him watch her with her husband. I wish they had maintained the shock value with every episode throughout the show but somewhere in between complacency set in and Ra El was just trying to fit in. When the big bad guys who just kill anyone that gets in the way, learn about Ra El, they do nothing. I wonder what Ra El's plan was without SEP's help because she could have very easily been eliminated very early on. Another point of irritation was that all of the evidence that Ra El was collecting was illegal and inadmissible in a court of law so I have no idea what the course of action was for her adoptive mother. There was no way they were winning the civil and criminal cases. If viewers are waiting for the actual revenge then you'll have to head straight for episode 15 and 16. Episodes 14 and 15 were still alright. But 16 was just utter nonsense. The wife So Ra who is depicted to be deathly afraid of her father, decides to confront him. Yoon Gyeom who loves his children and knows what it's like to be without a loving parent decides the only thing that matters is what Lee Ra El wants of him. And what of the 1.6 billion dollar divorce? The director seemed to acknowledge it as an after thought.

There are a whole lot of plot holes and actions of people that don't make sense eg. So Ra's bodyguard. I do want to list them all but that would essentially be ruining it for someone who still wants to give this show a shot.

It's possible that if I was watching this show after completion, I would have either sped through it or skipped to the end or just dropped it. I can't rate a show very high if I didn't enjoy it nor would I recommend it to others. But that's just me. :)

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Fun and mysterious but not enough magic

For a drama about a magician, there isn't much magic shown in this drama so if that's what is attracting you to it, then you might be disappointed. However, that is not to say that From Now On, Showtime isn't worth the watch. On the contrary, it's a lovely, fun and lighthearted drama. That is partly why I'm having a hard time picking an apt rating. 8 - 8.5 would be accurate.

The reason for the less amount of magic is because Cha Cha Woong is not a real magician. His tricks are performed by 3 ghosts, Ma Dong Cheol, Nam Sang Gun and Kang Ah Reum, who are his employees. He still manages to perform some tricks as does his rival which I wish there was more of. He meets an officer Go Seul Hae one day and when his secret is revealed to her, she requests him to help her fight crime as her partner. Little do they know that their meeting is more than a coincidence.

From Now On, Showtime is such a mixed bag of genre that there is a chance you'll find something to enjoy. The characters are sweet. The 3 ghost employees are an oddity but they work well together. The humour of this show is light. The actors have done a pretty decent job and there are several emotional moments that catch you off-guard.

There are other characters as well that are sweet and add to the comedy in a positive way.

Let's get to the negatives. The story at one point slows down in order to explain some connections. And the ending was a little cheesy to say the least. I would say a character referred to as 'The General' was my least favourite. But all in all, the show is still a good watch.

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Binge-worthy and suspenseful

Reset is a time loop story of a college going girl, Li Shi Qing, who wakes up in a bus only for it to get into an accident and explode instantly killing her and all passengers. The only time she manages to get off the bus is when she drags a boy, Xiao He Yung, who is a game designer into her plan and both manage to get off together. But getting off the bus is not enough. They both find themselves stuck in the loop and realise that saving the passengers is their only escape.

Positives:
1. The episodes are under 45 mins long and it's easy to binge watch because your curiosity wants to see the leads tackle the situation they've found themselves in.
2. The series also explores the stories of the passengers and some of the police officers involved in the investigation.
3. One of the drawbacks of time loop dramas can be the repetitive nature annoying audiences and Reset manages to avoid much of it with new directions being undertaken by the leads. Adding the mystery/suspence element to the story helped.
4. Multi-layered characters.

Negatives:
1. I have seen several types of time loop stories but I wouldn't rate this as high simply because the story telling process is quite slow. Around episode 3, I was feeling a bit annoyed by their actions and the actions of others.
2. Some of the questions were not answered as to why these two were the ones chosen to enter the time loop and not others.
3. Why the police were more cooperative in some loops and more suspicious in others.
4. What was happening to Xiao He Yung?

I have other grievances related to some of the important characters and their reactions that were not as natural as one would expect in certain situations especially towards the climax.

I would still recommend the series and found it fairly well thought out.

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Amazing but not for the faint-hearted

This was genuinely a tough watch because the subject matter revolves around school bullying and assault. There is also a lot of gore and violence depicted so it might be hard to watch the first 4 episodes of the series. It gets better after that as the bulk of the worst forms of violence is over.

This is a revenge drama that follows a series of murders committed by a victim of school bullying, Hwang Kyung Min, as an adult shortly after he was suspected of killing his wife. Kyung Min, leaves messages for his school friend, now a police officer, Jung Jong Suk at his crime scenes inviting him to join him. Thus the detective becomes part of the investigation and provides insight into who the potential victims can be. With every episode we are taken to flash backs to experience the intense violence and humiliation that was faced by Hwang Kyung Min for being of lower social status than the rest of the class. At the time, he was befriended by Jung Jong Suk who eventually started to stand up to his friend's bullies and faced their wrath.

The story is intense and gripping. As a viewer, you will find yourself rooting for the main lead as he seeks his revenge. There is another mysterious character introduced and with each episode you understand their relevance to the story. The ending was incredible and unexpected! I hope people are not put off with the gore and make it through to the end. It'll be worth it.

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Good but drags a bit

This series is great for those who enjoy a bit of mystery, action and crime drama. But I would not call it the best in this genre mainly because some themes are repetitive (planting evidence) and the show gets a bit slow and drags at times.

The story revolves around a shady cop, Ryo Soo Yeol, who is known to take bribes and does not care to find actual evidence and criminals. However, his motivation is mostly because he wants to earn money and not because he is morally dead. This is proven when a crazy man, K, appears in his life and forces him to look at evidence in a case and help a rookie cop, Oh Kyung Tae, who has been made the fall guy in the disappearance of a little girl's mom because he saw too much and would not give up trying to find her. From there, K continues to push Soo Yeol into situations that force him to seek the truth and punish criminals even at the risk of his own life.

Eventually the show dives into Soo Yeol's own past and another series of murders that are linked to it.

SPOILER: Although I enjoyed the new take of this show on the inclusion of a character with Dissociative Identity Disorder, the characteristics are more fiction and stretching the basis of how DID develops (aka trauma) and it's presentation. For example, someone with DID can be aware or unaware of a second or other persona(s) but they do not physically see them as external hallucinations. Also, usually one identity is in control at a time rather than simultaneously. There are moments when Soo Yeol is escaping a room full of goons while K is inside still fighting them. Then they were depicted as both fighting different sets of goons which is impossible. There are too many moments which feel supernatural for it to be an actual case of DID so the entire scenario must be taken with a grain of salt.

Overall: The drama is fun. Has elements of comedy. The episodes could have been shorter and the police could have been more efficient. It is enjoyable but ultimately I have to rate it a 7 because of the presentation and content.

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Could not match the Original

Strong Girl Namsoon started off on a great note and it was a breath of fresh air. However, it slowly started to lose sight of plot by focusing on an absurd number of characters that are not even secondary to the plot. They just don't contribute in any way.

Although I'm not writing this series off completely (at least not until the final 2 episodes have aired), I feel bad at how it went from being a wonderfully original and stand alone show to an inferior second season.

The highlight of the show was the Gang family's women and their super strength, their connection and how they handle their power. But the limelight should have stayed on Gang Namsoon since the show is named after her. The two MLs - HeeSik and Ryo Si Oh (which sounds a lot like Russia) were actually great for the plot and Namsoon's interactions with them was the only thing that made this show entertaining. Seeing some of the more lighter sides to Ryo Si Oh was enjoyable as was seeing Hee Sik falling in love and getting jealous. You could actually find yourself rooting for both guys are certain points.

Problem is all the distraction of the main plot with useless things like Namsoon's uncle being unrealistically weak despite having no real illness, Namsoon's grandmother's love story and annoyance with her husband, the Bread Song character and his assistant being almost unwatchable among few other moments that I only got through by speeding through the episodes.

There are some nice comic moments involving the 3 women showcasing their strengths along with cute moments involving Namsoon and the two men because of which I can still rate this series an 8. But it is a far cry from the original Strong Woman Do Bong Soon which is definitely one of my favourites. That's because they knew how to focus on the star of the show. It would have been okay to have all these extra characters if they had ensured that the focus doesn't shift too much to all these extra characters. Like the homeless couple who were interesting at the beginning but later became a chore to watch. These are the things that truly weakened the story and destroyed it's core value.

I hope there will be some redeeming qualities in the final two episodes. I'll be updating and possibly revising the review then.

The OST is nice. Sounds even better sped up. heh.

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Enlightening and Enjoyable

Apart from a few episodes in between around the earthquake where the story feels a bit slow, the show as a whole was amazing and worth watching till the end.

Keeping this review simple, I'll list out some of the highlights of this show for me:
1. The firefighting was what attracted me to the show as there are not many shows that cover this line of work (The First Responders kdrama also do an excellent job). The show detailed all kinds of rescue work that firefighters are involved in and the kind of equipment and techniques used in their missions along with use of technology making it quite fascinating.
2. The romance plot is a bit of a slow burn but was also an interesting addition to the show. Highlighting the professional and personal lives of both the main leads and how they maintain a balance as well as how one impacts the other giving a well rounded idea of both characters.
3. The strict mother plot also gives another interesting perspective to Asian families and how even adults are forced to juggle between independence and not upsetting their parents with their personal decisions.
4. The portrayals by the actors were interesting and memorable. I also noticed that the female lead would change her mannerisms while at work, dealing with her mother and her boyfriend. While at work she was strong, reserved and unflinching. With her mother, she was quiet and timid. And later with her boyfriend, she was happy and almost child-like and carefree. I loved all these sides to her and the actress did a very realistic job with it. Similarly, the male lead was strict and stern at work, unwavering almost as the leader who is responsible for everyone's safety but with the female lead, he was protective, caring and playful in the latter half of the series. Even when they were trying to hide their affection for each other, they had moments where they let down their guards.
5. Each cast member also had some part to play in the story and made it quite a strong performance and an outstanding series. The sister, the firefighters and the medical staff added a bit of comedy and fun so it was not as serious as one might believe.

I don't have too many complaints.
1. Somewhere in between the show was a little slow so I wish that was cut shorter and other scenes that were cut out were added back instead.
2. No wedding scene. Though it's not a big issue but I would have liked to see that.
3. The second male lead (portrayed by Vin Zhang) had a very short role.
4. I wish we could have seen Da Peng and Dr. Li Nan's story move forward. That was disappointing.

The series also has lovely, soothing OST. I hope more viewers give this series a try. It's certainly worth your time.

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An easy watch

I haven't watched many dramas as the airport setting so I really enjoyed that the plot actually revolves around many issues and day to day lives of the various staff employed at an airport - from pilots (main focus), cabin crew, mechanics to ground handling staff. It's done fairly well. Would have loved to see more of that in fact. A lot of the story revolves around the office politics and struggles of our female lead much of which is the result of misogyny.

The main plot is about a young enthusiastic female pilot, Cheng Xiao, who is transferred to flying commercial planes whereas she worked in the transport department thus has to go through a period of training. Unlike other male pilots, she faces harsher scrutiny at every stage and she pushes herself harder to prove her worth. Gu Nanting, is an experienced pilot who is one of the best at Luzhao Airlines. He is also in charge of training Cheng Xiao. He has also had a tragic experience which makes him a stickler for rules and safety.

The pace of the series is decent but can feel a bit slow at times. If you're main focus is romance, then you are in for a long haul flight. This will be the slowest of slow burn romances ever. But the writers depict a good build up of chemistry between the leads despite their contrasting personalities. We also have a very strong contender for the second lead syndrome - Ni Zhang, who works as the chief engineer. He is also a long time friend of Gu Nanting and probably understands him best. The show depicts a very mature version of bromance. It's subtle but you can feel it.

Among a lot of the other characters, I also enjoyed the character of the pilot, Song, who is a colleague and friend of Cheng Xiao.

Probably the most frustrating characters on the show is the FL's mother. I simply could not stand her. She actually made some of the episodes unbearable for me.

Overall, I genuinely enjoyed the show. I'm glad I picked it up.

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Cute and funny

If you're looking for a feel good romcom then A Business Proposal is perfect for you.

It's a simple story of mistaken identity that leads to love. The writers know the situation is a cliche rich guy poor girl story and they enjoy making fun of it by depicting the various characters watching a drama with similar situations being portrayed as to what's taking place with the leads. There are many funny moments which makes the drama enjoyable to watch.

And for those who dislike the main leads, the second leads should win the show some brownie points. Both make a good looking pair and it is interesting watching them and how they overcome misunderstandings and their hesitancy. The grandfather is another loveable character and he plays a strict but loving father figure for the Male lead who is way too busy working his life away. I also loved the sister rivalry to sisterhood moment between Jin Young Seo, the second female lead, and her cousin, Jo Yoo Jung.

My reason for not rating this drama higher is only because of a few flaws/depictions I disliked. Shin Hari (female lead) works with her team manager, Yeo Eui Ju, and a development team member, Kye Bin, who eventually start dating. The show depicts them as eccentric older characters to make fun of. Their love and bickering is shown as funny and somewhat distasteful. Also, the toilet scene jokes were a bit boring and overdone. And of course the show hits nearly every major romance cliche so there is no real surprise element to the show (until ep 10).

Despite these negatives, I enjoyed it a lot and most people would probably enjoy it too.

Edit: I have actually given ABP a 0.5 higher rating than my original review because I actually believe this is one of the most enjoyable romcoms I've come across and I have seen less enjoyable shows with the same rating ao it's only fair that it's entertainment value be considered.

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Problematic with some nice moments

The 2nd season was definitely a bit of a let down. I found myself checking repeatedly to see how much more is left midway. I'm going to share spoilers to explain why I had issues with this half of the show.

First, the positives in the show. The husband is shown growing in responsibility but continues to be loving and kind. The sweet couple moments are enjoyable. The way they overcome different obstacles is fun (mostly).

The disappointments:
I genuinely enjoyed seeing the duality of the husband in the first season, but because the wife was angry with him for it, he abandons that identity completely. The male lead looked so impressive in the white wig! It was part of his charm. I never understood why she could not accept this side to him when she herself was hiding that she was not the person he thought she was. He completely accepted her. Why couldn't she? At least if that was explained maybe I could accept it.

Sexual assault trigger warning! The couple get a potential concubine by allowing to her to get molested by a creep. I thought they would formally introduce her so he decides to wed her. That would have been better. Apparently the manga explains this far better but I have to go by what was depicted in the series. Later, another prince gives away his wife without her consent to the same molester in exchange for power. These are very off-putting plot points.

Apart from these, the story was alright. It picks up towards the end.

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Terrible in more ways than 1

It's highly unusual that a drama would rile me up as much as Longing For You has. I had such high expectations after the first episode but it was a let down very soon into the show.

The Good:
The idea behind the plot was good and it started off as an interesting mystery with the serial killings.
The OST is great. I love the intro theme song.
Some of the beginning and later episodes are good but not enough to make up for places it lacks.
Some of the loose ends are tied.

The Awful:
Predictable - by the 4th episode, you will know exactly what has happened. The rest of the episodes is just the rest of the characters being oblivious and not able to guess anything and it is beyond frustrating to watch them run around like headless chickens.
Poor acting - Usually I can blame the writing for ruining a show. But not here. The actors have done such an unconvincing job at every stage. I felt like not a single person cared for Jin Woo. Not his brother, not his mother, not his adoptive mother, not his friend, Young Joo. He had no one! Even towards the end, I didn't feel like anyone cared in the courtroom. Nor when they were first watching the videos. A normal mother or family member would cry and scream in such types of situations. They would be out of control. Nope. Not this family. They, at best, could muster a teary-eyed shocked look on their face. That was the most heart-breaking thing. I've seen extras in other dramas react more than this group. I, in fact, was feeling more emotions than those family members.
Humanizing the villains - This was beyond annoying. Making killers and psychopaths "look" remorseful. People can't just take lives without a thought if they were humane to begin with. It's not like they were acting in self-defense. The writers should have let those characters stay villains. You made them look pathetic by the end. And some were doing comedy. Really? And Dr. Choo gets no punishment after what he did? How can the family even trust this man, let alone be normal with him?
Romance - well, there is no romance. Also, there is no chemistry between the two people who apparently like each other. When they confess their feelings, I went, "huh? what?". I couldn't believe it. This is a very minor point though. I don't care if there was romance or not. But if you are writing it into the plot, at least make it believable.
Convenient evidence and confessions - again, this is a minor point since most shows that want to take down villains end up finding all the evidence necessary. It was just the brazenly tight-lipped murderers all decided to confess one by one. The evidence that was supposedly non-admissible was suddenly allowed in the courtroom. At least stay consistent with your own arguments or explain why they were allowed in court.

One should usually be satisfied when things are wrapped up but looking at everyone joking around and happy till the end, I felt like beating those characters up for never once fully mourning when they should have. They frustrated me throughout the series.

I would like to forget I ever saw this show with how disappointed I feel.

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