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Completed
The Legend of Shen Li
3 people found this review helpful
Apr 7, 2024
39 of 39 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 8.0

Excelled in every aspect

From the plot, the acting, the cast, the production, the CGI, the action sequences, the comedy, the romance and the OST have all been top notch.

I consumed this drama so quickly, it was hard waiting for more episodes to come. It is ideal to binge watch because you can't stop once you start watching.

I enjoyed the strong FL and mature depiction of affection between the two leads. But romance is more subtle and the story deals more with the responsibility these two characters carry. It had a strong start and I don't believe any point of the plot did I find the story boring. There are some interesting plot twists so avoid spoilers. Some of the comedy towards the end was most enjoyable. The action sequences paired with the OST is thrilling. The CGI is quite beautiful in those moments as well.

I enjoyed most of the secondary characters as well especially a female character towards the end - lady in red. But Shen Li definitely is the show stealer and it is nice to see a female given such a strong role.

I happened to watch this drama by chance and I'm glad I started it. Will definitely be recommending to others as well.

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Completed
Burning Flames
7 people found this review helpful
Apr 5, 2024
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 1.5

Too much talking

I gave this series a fair shot by watching every episode but sadly I never got emotionally invested with any of the characters though I was intrigued on how it would end.

The series is good but not great. The CGI initially was just awful. It did gradually get better. The FL was intolerable to me for most of the storyline except towards the latter part of the series. The ML is okay. Didn't really feel much for him which is a bad sign. There is just too much talking and very little action. Because of that I had to watch all 40 episodes in 2x and I still wanted it to go faster. The slowest part of the plot was the 'mine'. It just annoyed me.

The set design was actually pretty good. I can definitely see the work that went into it. The plot itself is decent and just elaborate enough so you don't lose interest. But I would have liked it more if there were fewer episodes.

The series ending was not great. Guess we will get some extra scenes. The final fight was okay. Still way too much talking for my liking which dampened my interest.

It was my least favourite wuxia drama as I kept hoping it would get better but the feeling of wanting to skip ahead or wishing to play in 3x never went away. It didn't help that the poor subs made the dramatic scenes hilarious instead of upsetting.

The secondary characters were quite decent. I just wish the main characters were superior. The action scenes are okay. Mostly flying and CGI. You don't see any special fight moves because of the light and sparks.

The OST didn't make me want to go back and listen to it. But it's not bad.

I was conflicted on whether to rate this a 6.5 or 7. But if I am being honest, I wouldn't recommend this drama though I can appreciate some of the complexity to the story. It just didn't interest me enough. Some parts didn't quite make sense to me like the entire immortal realm being evil and overpowering any of the good. Another airing drama like The Legend of Shen Li is far better in holding my attention, the CGI and the dialogues are interesting. You don't feel like skipping ahead because it has good drama.

Burning Flames is good but even if you skip, you won't miss out on anything special, IMO.

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Completed
Love Song for Illusion
0 people found this review helpful
Mar 15, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 5.0
This review may contain spoilers

Unique Story Needed Better Execution

I enjoy stories related to mental health and the fantasy genre. This kind of combination was definitely unique. What it lacked was in execution because I seem to have missed the point it was making with their ending.

Though this series got a lot of flak, it isn't so bad. I'd say it's above average as I was curious enough to want to finish it. I just feel like the writers did Ak Hee dirty in the process and that didn't make sense to me.

I enjoyed the portrayal of the two personalities of the ML. The FL was all right. A bit stiff. I haven't seen her in other roles so I'm not sure if it's because of the character she was portraying or not. The supporting cast were all quite good.

The show is best watched at 1.5 - 2x as the pacing felt slow to me.

The biggest question I have is - How can one's illusion impact others? They messed it up with this aspect. Otherwise I didn't feel like dropping it at any point. Just feel a bit disappointed but other than that the ending was good. Even the way they wrapped up those creating trouble makers was fine.

It's okay for a one time watch.

The OST is quite nice and soothing.

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Completed
Find Yourself
3 people found this review helpful
Feb 13, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 7.5
This review may contain spoilers

Sweet but could have been better

Being a remake of a cdrama, naturally this series will be compared a lot to the original. The Thai remake is far from being a perfect adaptation but in many ways, I find that to be a good thing.

One of the aspects that I disliked in the original is that I grew tired of how many episodes the series had and how long they kept the main leads separated. The SML had more of a presence in the original. Though he was a better character than this version, it still irked me to have to wait for the leads to find each other again. This was the biggest negative of the original for me. Made me feel like watching that series was pointless. But because the Thai version has cut down episodes to 16 instead of 41, I quite enjoyed the pace of the series.

The other thing I disliked in the original is the FL's brother, who original was a wonderful character and I loved the siblings together, turned into a massive hypocrite regarding his sister's relationship. Though the brother's character was not as fleshed out in the Thai, at least you don't start to hate him. At least I didn't. He showed growth towards the end.

The negatives of the Thai drama are that the chemistry is not great between the couples. The best moment was when the FL got drunk. And no, there is no RAPE scene or non-consensual sex happening in this show. All will be cleared regarding that situation if you continue watching.

My favourite secondary characters were the office staff. The leads also did a good job considering the script.

I loved the OST - I'm Missing You. It's really beautiful!

Hope people give this version a chance.

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Completed
A Killer Paradox
4 people found this review helpful
Feb 11, 2024
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 7.5
This review may contain spoilers

Not predictable but not exceptional - trigger warnings discussed

I enjoyed the series considering a lot of people didn't. Most didn't seem to like the directing style which didn't bother me. The show wasn't boring at any point but the focus of the show seemed to shift drastically towards the middle with the male lead being sidelined. The other characters are also interesting but it felt odd by the end. The story direction took away the impact of their lead.

The other thing that bothered me is there is a blaring female full frontal nude scene disguised as a sex scene. Meanwhile the male is cleverly hidden and wearing full clothes. It felt like a cheap attempt at gaining viewership. Such a Netflix thing. There aren't any strong female characters in the series unfortunately or at least not for very long. Mostly the women are side characters. The show does deal with sexual assault but despite being a show surrounding justice, the audience isn't given much time to empathize with the victims. They are almost secondary to the plot. The story just skips over quickly to the next case. It feels like the production didn't care too much about those victims. The focus was mainly on the men and their way of handling situation.

Another trigger warning for those sensitive to such topics - suicide and attempted suicide has been depicted. Sadly I can't really applaud them for the way it has been presented as it doesn't really deep dive into the emotions of the characters. Everything is shown in bites and then the story moves on.

The gore is just bearable, I'd say. They somewhat toned down the brutality of the murders by slowing scenes down or cutting to a different moment in time, imposing other shots in between to take you away from the moment of horror. The story also showed less and less on how murders impacted the male lead and his psyche. There was a drastic shift from his world view to story of the other characters.

I binged the series in about a day. It's got a decent pace for the most part. But if you enjoy thrillers or plots revolving around killers, vigilantes, and justice, etc, then this show is one of the weakest since it leaves you longing for something more. Nothing exceptional has been presented here. However, if you do watch, you certainly won't be bored.

Nothing really stood out from the OST for me.

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Completed
A Shop for Killers
1 people found this review helpful
Feb 7, 2024
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0

Dramatic, Gorey, Enthralling

From start to finish, the presentation and story-telling of the show were gripping and exciting! Both the leads - the uncle and the niece play a fantastic part in this entire series - both together and separately! It definitely makes it a MUST WATCH.

If you enjoy action, thrillers, suspense - this show has all of that. You might have to put up with a bit of gruesome gorey killing sprees along with it so "Listen Well" - watch at your own risk depending on what you are able to handle. It did get a bit much for me. Though they try to spare you a bit with the camera panning to the killer rather than the victim. The story is actually not very complicated which is a plus point. There is a bit of back and forth with episodes 5 and 6 giving important background information but never for a moment did this show lose it's pace or get boring so don't let that make you hesitant.

The show is unrealistically realistic. It doesn't make superheroes out of nobodies. People are what you expect them to be and rely on their wits and other skills. Of course there are still unrealistic aspects to the show but the series completely draws you into the world despite that.

Just FYI, the story isn't complete and although there is no confirmation as of now but there probably should be a season 2. That is the only thing I wish wasn't the case. I would have liked an extra 2 episodes and the series to be concluded. Not sure what new season 2 could hold as expectations will now be through the roof.

The OST fits the series perfectly. The actors did a good job and I'm especially happy that Lee Dong Wook took up this project. He's just the icing and cherry on top of the cake!

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Completed
The Story of Park's Marriage Contract
3 people found this review helpful
Jan 21, 2024
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.5
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
This review may contain spoilers

Messy plot twist and lots of plot holes

The first episode frankly was boring until the time travel element started. But it was getting better until the "plot twist" that ruined the entire show. Even the comedy was good at the beginning and then the series became serious and senseless.

The grandfather made no sense to me. Why was he cruel to the ML's mother? Then why was he cruel to the ML's step mother and her son? Why did he think the ML was deserving but not his step brother? Why was he obsessed with the painting? Why was he kind to the FL and then later wanted nothing to do with her? Why did he need the ML to be married? The step mother being the villain made more of a sense than the grandfather. It felt like poor writing to force a last minute twist on the audience without explaining why.

The FL time travelled and thought ML was her husband. Then she got confirmation later that he was the reincarnation of her deceased husband. Later she time travels back to the past again and stays away from the past version of her husband because she is in love with his future reincarnation but acts like they are two different people. They could have let the past version die sooner instead of this confusing behaviour from the FL. The past ML died thinking his wife was in love with another man. The other man being him in the future. Bizarre!

The lady who controlled the time travel disappeared from the story after the FL travel in the past. There was no explanation why she vanished. Why did the servant girl/sister not travel back along with the FL? Why did everyone retain memory of the FL after she returned to the past? Meanwhile in the past, FL's mother forgot about the servant girl's existence. The same amount of time that FL lived in the past, passed by in the future. FL falls in the water and reappears in the future out of thin air completely dry. The man who killed her in the past - no elaboration on whether he got punished. FL's parents would have still been heartbroken that their daughter was killed or committed suicide the second time. The rules of the time travel were truly vague.

The actions of the past characters made more sense than that of the future. For example, the man working with the step mother had grievance with the grandfather but was trying to kill the FL and then the ML instead of the man who was actually the problem - the grandfather.

ML was destined to die if the FL stayed in the future. When she leaves, he is magically cured. But when she returns, his illness doesn't return. No explanation on what the rules were for this to happen.

I found these things made the plot really weak and ruined the essence of the show that seemed to be decent initially.

The positives where the leads chemistry, some of the earlier comedy when FL is adjusting to the future, the OST and theme are stunning, the designs are pretty, the FL's savvy servant girl, and the ML's assistant's smart sister who I wish had more of a role. Even the step brother was an interesting and neglected character.

I wish I could rate this higher but too much of the series made no sense towards the end. If you don't mind illogical storylines, you might be able to enjoy this. But this is one of the weakest shows if you are a time travel plot lover. I would suggest to skip this one.

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Completed
My Demon
0 people found this review helpful
Jan 21, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
This review may contain spoilers

Slightly above average fantasy drama

The show started off interesting and it was good until the point when the ML gets his demon powers back. After that the story is the weakest with little happening. And quite a disappointing end.

The strong point of My Demon is it's OST and opening theme. The cinematography is good but not really used. They didn't try to showcase much of the Demon's powers except for comedic purposes. A lot of recent fantasy drama tropes have been repeated in this one so it felt boring. Still, among the recently airing/aired fantasy dramas, this was one of the better choices.

Repeated tropes included:
1. Chaebol parent forcing their child to get married where they end up in a contract marriage in order to make sure their parent does a health check up (similar to The Story of Park's Marriage Contract).
2. Past life connection - also in The Story of Park's Marriage Contract, My Man Is Cupid.
3. Mystery of a murder(s) - same as above
4. One lead realizing they have a past life connection and other lead slowly getting their past life memory back close to finale and - My Man Is Cupid
5. Cold ML, Warm FL - TSOPMC and My Man Is Cupid
6. A Superior being who is the boss of the supernatural lead - My Man Is Cupid
7. A SML that makes you wonder if they are playing a negative or a useless positive character - My Man Is Cupid, TSOPMC

There isn't much to the story that is new except that they added an element of religion more heavily than other dramas. It just felt a bit cheesy by the end because of it.

The couple make a really cute pair but at times their cuteness gave me sibling vibes rather than a hot couple. For the most part I wasn't bored and I'm giving it a 7 because I enjoyed the first half. Just wish it had more of a wow factor. The ending left a lot to be desired with the villain just turning out to be crazy for no good reason. Many of his actions didn't make sense. Like stealing the demon's book and not really ending up doing anything with it. And sacrificing his son. His end goal wasn't clear at all.

It's okay for a one time watch.

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Completed
My Dearest Part 2
0 people found this review helpful
Dec 18, 2023
11 of 11 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 6.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
This review may contain spoilers

Lacking compared to part1

My review is for the second half of the drama rather than the entire drama. I quite loved the first half (part 1) but this second half (part 2) was so much more weaker.

The first 3 episodes are decent, there are light moments (when you compare to the tragedies of the first part) and hope. But episodes 4 - 9 were such a drag to watch. You get brief moments of happiness and then problems. To the point that it seemed like a never-ending mess. I was prepared for a tragic ending. Apart from that, the story was really moving slowly with not much happening. You can easily watch these episodes on 2x because everyone talks so slowly.

Some of the characters really annoyed me. One being the king. He was so hell bent on retaining power and his position that he lost trust in everyone including his ministers, his son, and his people. To target his own people who already faced so much was simply unforgiveable according to me. What does loyalty mean if the other party unreasonably wants to sentence you to death in order to feel "peace"?

The other character was the scholar who acted all noble and could see that the king's fears are driving him to cruelty and he made the same exact choices by giving into his unreasonable fears. Though it just proved that he was always a cruel man and he never regretted his part mistakes. He would repeat them again without much hesitation.

Finally, it was Officer Gu, who we all knew was not worthy of marrying Gil Chae.

It's easy to blame the "barbarians" for the sufferings of the people of Joseon but this part highlighted that the people of Joseon were far more cruel to their own. They abandoned their own family and wives and sisters and daughters if they deemed them to be "tainted" and were obsessed with keeping Joseon "clean". They were willing to kill their own by labelling them as traitors without proof. They forced women to kill themselves. They humiliated anyone who survived. They truly disgusted me because instead of easing each others suffering and giving each other comfort after all the hardships and sorrows, they rejected and ridiculed them instead. They didn't allow their own people to heal. So the real traitors were the ones who escaped "unscathed". Problem is, I don't know if majority of the audience will understand this because of the way it was presented. Unless you can relate to being "othered" in your own country, it's unlikely that most of the audience will understand this aspect of the story because of the way it is presented. It will probably get sidelined as an aspect of war.

The last two episodes were the best compared to the rest of this part. Though there are again unnecessary hurdles and part of me wanted to know what happened to all the politics that we were forced to suffer through, I am glad we were not forced to suffer more on the leads' story front. If not for the last 2 episodes, I would have certainly scored this part lower just for those middle episodes. The male lead also said and did all the right things and he truly was a blessing for everyone. The growth of the female lead was also nice to see and a good contrast between part 1 and 2.

One aspect they glossed over is what exactly happened to Ryang Eum.

The OST of this show continues to be enjoyable.

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Completed
Moon in the Day
1 people found this review helpful
Dec 16, 2023
14 of 14 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 3.5
This review may contain spoilers

Not Impressed

When Moon in the Day started, it had potential to be really interesting. The whole past life connected to the present life could have been done well but the let down was the story itself.

The major problems I had with the plot was that they really kept dragging what actually happened in the past. Everything was mysterious but not in a good way. Rather in a very slow and boring way. The reveal will only come in the last 3 episodes and you feel like, "is that it?". Also one thing I noticed is the FL in the past had struck the ML on the neck. But in the present, his scar is on his upper chest/shoulder. A very bizarre mistake when you keep repeating that scene and highlighting where the sword struck him. It simply does not match. They just wanted to be able to hide the scar without making the actor wear a turtle neck.

Another thing I disliked is the FL was a strong character. Both physically and mentally. She was capable of taking care of herself but shortly afterwards, she ends up being made to portray a helpless character. I wish they would have kept her character as a firefighter. She shouldn't have had to give up her job. Rather if the writers allowed us opportunity to see how much the ML actually cares for her even when he thinks he doesn't when he sees her endangering her life to save others. For the first half of the show, ML was trying to kill her and that suddenly changes without explaining how or why his anger subsided or why he thought he could move on if he was the one to kill her to begin with when he didn't do that in any of the previous lives. It also begs the question that if he was with her for 1500 years, how was he unable to protect her other times she dies but this time/life it was possible like saving her from drowning to the point that she believed she had a guardian angel.

There really isn't much happening in the first half. The historical scenes were good. They should have shown more moments in the present. This also needed more romance. The ML and FL were serious for the most part. Wish we could have seen their chemistry throughout even if was funny moments.

The brother's character was decent. The bad guy was okay. The other characters were mostly just there without much effect. The monk also spoke in unnecessary riddles so it was mostly a waste.

The ending is okay but I didn't really feel super delighted. Wish they had shown more. I guess you can call it a realistic ending. It's not a terrible show but nothing fantastic.

I thought the theme song and the design of it was beautiful. One of the few things that really stood out.

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Completed
Shadow
0 people found this review helpful
Dec 10, 2023
14 of 14 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
This review may contain spoilers

Good Attempt But Confusing

If you looking to watch Shadow because of the horror or BL element, then better skip this. It is neither. Might be slightly scary in the beginning but for the most part not at all. And this is coming from someone who avoids horror like the plague. It's strange because Thais are supposed to be amazing at horror.

The mystery element of Shadow is good but the problem lies in never understanding and solving the mystery till the end. Mainly why the shadow is obsessed with Dan. There were quite a few things about the shadow's behaviour that didn't make sense. And some of it got very weird (sexual). Trin's character was also a confusing one in some moments.

The actors did a good job overall but the story could have been laid out better with at least the main answers. The ending was interesting which begs the question if we will get a follow up season to this. If yes, then I hope they tackle the doubts left in people's minds. Although I believe this show meant to end at a shocking note.

It's good for a one time watch. The OST at the end of each episode is nice. The VFX are also decent.

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Dropped 9/36
Only for Love
5 people found this review helpful
Dec 5, 2023
9 of 36 episodes seen
Dropped 0
Overall 2.0
Story 1.0
Acting/Cast 3.0
Music 3.0
Rewatch Value 1.0

Wasted Potential

I started Only For Love for Dylan Wang. BaiLu has also given an impressive performance in a previous drama. Both are talented actors but this drama gave both of them nothing to work with. The plot is terrible, the characters are terribly written and there is no chemistry.

I watched the first 8 episodes of the show with the greatest of difficulty because nothing was happening with the couples. The drama revolved around a CEO making business deals (boring!) and a financial reporter who is trying to secure interviews by flirting with him (ridiculous!) on the advice of her best friend.

I didn't get far enough to see what happens afterwards because there was nothing to look forward to. Dylan is not fit for a serious CEO role maybe because there is literally nothing interesting about this character. He doesn't even have interesting conversations. BaiLu has also been dealt a bad hand with a character that is unprofessional and immature in her dealings and the series sends a terrible message. We are just expected to believe both are good at their jobs without seeing any real work being done.

I was recommended to skip ahead and watch the last 6 episodes. Episode 31 also doesn't really carry much weight. Episode 32 made me fall asleep in the middle of it. I don't know if I have the ability to even watch the last 5 episodes. I'm so disappointed. But you can see some bits of romance thrown in if that is what you were waiting for. In order to save this drama, it should have wrapped up in half the episodes it actually has. It is so rare for me to drop a drama but I just couldn't do it. Not even for the leads. I hope in future they will work together again in something that has a decent story. As for this drama, sincerely, don't bother.

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Completed
Perfect Marriage Revenge
0 people found this review helpful
Dec 3, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.5

Perfectly Sweet Revenge

Thoroughly enjoyable series. Maybe found one episode that was a bit weak but otherwise, it's a really fun ride. Didn't expect much when I started but I'm glad I picked it up!

The FL is an exceptionally talented artist who was adopted into her family and always felt like an outcast. One day after being betrayed by her step-mother, she ends up in an accident, passing away and waking up 1 year in the past. She becomes determined to rewrite her mistakes and get revenge starting with cancelling her wedding. The background set in the first episode felt a bit tedious but has relevant information that the FL later uses to exact her revenge.

The ML is a welcome green flag and made the perfect partner in crime throughout the series.

All the actors did a great job, especially the negative characters that brought the necessary spice to the show.

The ending was so perfect. Almost like a fairytale. And yet I didn't see it coming. I loved the plot twists the show introduced and the theme song is catchy as heck!

Definitely recommend watching this series!

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Ongoing 14/16
Strong Girl Namsoon
6 people found this review helpful
Nov 19, 2023
14 of 16 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 8.0
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 6.5
This review may contain spoilers

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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Completed
Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo
0 people found this review helpful
Nov 18, 2023
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
This review may contain spoilers

Started great then got annoying

A lot of people rave about Moon Lovers Scarlet Heart Ryeo so I had wanted to watch it since a long time. But after having seen it, I find it a bit overrated. I had an idea what kind of drama ending this was and this isn't about the ending but rather the turns the plot took that got too frustrating after a very interesting start.

Present day Hae Soo is a woman who had a series of unfortunate events happen to her and as she's sitting by a lake drinking her woes away, she notices a child floundering in the water about to drown. She decides to jump in to rescue him and instead finds herself 1000 years in the past. Now this was certainly an innovative way of time travel but by the end of it all, I began to wonder what was the point? It was only at the very end that it was explained but I was beginning to lose hope of getting an answer.

Initially, I loved every episode. I enjoyed Hae Soo's relationship with all the different princes. I loved her personality and teaching them modern vocabulary. The comedy was great with lots of cute scenes. The action was decent too as was the suspense. Then it started getting darker, Hae Soo was losing her spirit and there were a lot of time skips. The thing I found odd is, at one point someone refers to Hae Soo as being 29 years old and even after multi-year time jumps, she still refers to herself as being in her 20s.

It's understandable that life was difficult during that period with several discriminatory norms like "the king cannot marry a woman with scars on her body" and a lot of blood shed and politics trying to unseat the king. But that aspect of the show got really tiresome after watching 3 rounds of politics. At one point, the episode could no longer hold my attention and I just wanted to speed through to the end. I just about kept myself from skipping.

The actors all did a nice job. I liked the various personalities of the multiple male leads. Enjoyed their bonding and the changes they went through. Couldn't stand Queen Yoo and Princess Yun Hwa

My mental rating of the show went from 9 to 9.5 to 8 and finally 8.5 at the end. Though there were some emotional moments, I didn't really feel much for the most part of the series. The ending was decent but still left a lot to be desired. I wanted just a little bit more towards the very end since they seemed to have teased that there is something more but there hasn't been any talk of new seasons.

The OST is nice. A couple of songs stood out the most.

It's a good show to binge, but I don't see myself rewatching it.

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