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  • Last Online: Nov 18, 2020
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  • Location: Utah
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  • Join Date: April 6, 2012
Completed
The Heirs
26 people found this review helpful
by Emmers
Dec 13, 2013
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.0
Story 3.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 3.0
Rewatch Value 2.0
I knew coming in that this was going to be a cheesy teen romance drama, so luckily I didn't set myself up to be disappointed. That being said, it was still entertaining enough for me to watch till the end. Not a horrible drama, but not that great either.

So, let's get the bad things out of the way first. The story was awful. Nothing really happened. It was a big circle with lots of little circles in it. The narration at the end even says something like "not much has changed," and I agree. A few things get a little better, a few things get worse, but mostly nothing's different. Another problem with it was that there were way too many characters. It made it hard for any of them to have time to be fully developed. The music was awful and annoying. Not much more I can say about it besides that. And a lot of the costumes were horrible. (*cough*uglysweaters*cough*)

Now, on to the characters. This is kind of a gray area as far as good or bad. I really couldn't get into the leads at all. Kim Tan was a character I had a hard time rooting for. It's a pity because I actually liked Lee Min Ho's acting despite the character he had to work with. The kid's acting improves with each drama he's in. Cha Eun Sang was pretty much just your typical cliche female lead. There wasn't much chemistry between them either. t lot of the parents were annoying and just there to cause drama. There were so many wasted characters, like big bro Won and his love interest.

But then there were the characters who made up for the awful ones. So many amazing characters! Characters who kept me watching through the crappy storyline. Choi Young Do was the best character. A bit psychotic, but still the best. I didn't ship him with Eun Sang or anything, but I loved every scene he was in. And Kim Woo Bin did an amazing job playing him. I really think that boy needs the chance at a lead. Chan Young and Bo Na were also my favorites. Such a cute couple and really good friends to everyone. I loved the relationship between Tan and Eun Sang's mothers. Hyo Shin was a great character who I wish would've been given more chance to develop. Overall, a really great supporting cast.

So, basically, dumb story, boring leads, but an amazing supporting cast who kept the whole thing from falling apart. I'll probably never re-watch it, but Heirs was fun while it lasted.

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Completed
Marry Him If You Dare
40 people found this review helpful
by Emmers
Dec 4, 2013
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 4.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 2.0
I was going to give this drama an 8... but then the last episode happened *cringe* and it went down to a 7.

The biggest problem with this drama was the story. It started out really promising. I loved the time travel concept and all the characters had interesting stories and motivations. Then somewhere in the middle it became a huge mess. Suddenly there were complicated time travel rules that contradicted themselves. The characters started to contradict themselves as well, and lose a lot of their motivations and, in some cases, likability. Everything became a big mess, but I held out hope for a nice, neat, happy ending, only to be extremely disappointed.

It's such a pity. I really loved most of the characters, mostly thanks to the actors and not the writing. Mi Rae was a very strong lead. She didn't fall into the usual annoying female lead cliches. Kim Shin ended up being really likable despite his first impressions. His smile killed me (in all the best ways). Yoo Kyung was a surprisingly likable female second lead, and I loved so many of the secondary characters, like Mi Rae's brother, Writer Bae, and the rest of the production team.

And then there were characters who couldn't be saved despite their charming actors. I'm looking at you, Se Joo! He started out so well. I was cheering for him like I usually do second leads. But then when the plot started getting messy, so did his character. The motivations became unclear and the charm disappeared. The other mess of a character was Future Mi Rae. After awhile I found her really annoying and lost all sympathy for her.

The music was okay, but if got pretty repetitive and wasn't always used at appropriate times. Overall, this show was a big disappointment. The only reason I finished it and gave it as high of a rating as I did was because I ended up caring about a lot of the characters. I really wanted to know what happened to them each week. If only they'd gotten a decent ending...

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Completed
Secret Garden
5 people found this review helpful
by Emmers
Dec 3, 2012
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
I finally decided to watch this after hearing so much about it, and overall I'm really glad I did. I enjoyed it a lot. It wasn't perfect, but it was still really good.

Well, let's get the imperfections out of the way first, shall we? Then we can end on an upper. ^_^ I think the main problem was that the plot didn't live up to its potential. It had so many chances to be unique, but then it would fall back onto the same old k-drama cliches. I was also disappointed that the fantasy element was underused. It could've driven the plot instead of mostly being used for laughs. And in the end there were a lot of loose ends that were tied up without really being resolved. Those were the things that bugged me.

Then why did I still give Secret Garden a 9? Because everything else about it was AMAZING! The scenery, cinematography, costumes, action scenes, and people were all really beautiful. The dialogue was well written and well performed, especially the funny bits. But the main thing that was amazing about this show was the cast. SO GOOD! I've never watched Hyun Bin or Ha Ji Won in anything else, but watching this really makes me want to. They did an amazing job with their characters and also with playing eachother during the body swaps. And their chemistry was INCREDBLE! Some of the best I've seen in a k-drama. Those two totally made the show for me. The supporting cast was also amazing. I've seen a lot of the actors before (Lee Philip in Faith, Jang Seo Won in Heartstrings, Yoo In Na in Queen In Hyun's Man, Kim Sung Oh in Midas) so it was lots of fun to see them in this. Everyone played their parts really well and were really funny. An amazing k-drama cast.

So, although Secret Garden was perfect and didn't quite live up to its potential, I still really enjoyed it. Definitely in my top 10. ^_^

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Completed
Faith
131 people found this review helpful
by Emmers
Oct 30, 2012
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 9.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
While Faith wasn't perfect, it still ended up being obsession-inducing. There were so many good things that helped make up for the flaws.

But let's get the flaws out of the way first. The biggest problems were the directing and editing. There were so many scenes that could've been amazing if they had only been executed another way. The music was edited in awkwardly sometimes, too. And the fantasy aspect was underused as well as some characters (Jang Bin, Eum Ja, Hwa Soo, etc). As one of my friends put it "this show doesn't seem to know how good it is."

But let's talk about all the awesome that made up for the flaws. I think the cast was AMAZING. Lee Min Ho did an amazing job as Choi Young. (And I'm only saying that partially out of the fact that I think he's really attractive. ^_^) I think it's my favorite role that I've seen him do. Kim Hee Sun also did an awesome job as Eun Soo. She was funny and quirky and strong without being annoying. And she and LMH ended up having some AWESOME chemistry. The supporting cast was excellent as well. The king and queen, the Woodalchi boys, the baddies, everyone. I think this is one of the few K-dramas that I've watched where I wasn't annoyed with some bad actor.

The storyline was also really good. Not always executed well, but still really unique and interesting. There was a lot of really good character moments and character development. It was unpredictable, funny, touching, action-packed, political, romantic... not always in a well balanced way, but the moments themselves were good.

The music was really good, just not always used well. The costumes and sets were beautiful. So, basically, there's lots to like as long as you can get over the flaws. Faith is one of my new favorites.

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Completed
Arang and the Magistrate
13 people found this review helpful
by Emmers
Oct 22, 2012
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
I was really into this show when I first started it. I couldn't wait for the new episodes each week. Then after awhile I wasn't as anxious about it. And then the last six or so episodes I ended up saving up and watching all in a row a couple days ago. I'm not sure what happened, but somewhere along the line Arang and the Magistrate lost a lot of my interest...

But let's start with the things I liked. I LOVED the cast! I've never watched Lee Jun Ki in a drama before, but seeing him in this really made me want to. He did an amazing job! Shin Min Ah was really good, too, especially in the earlier episodes, and her chemistry with Jun Ki was awesome. I also liked pretty much all the supporting characters. They were portrayed well and added humor and depth. I really liked the music, especially the score. Really beautiful instumentals.

I think the story is where things start to move into the gray area between Like and Dislike. The plot started off really unique and interesting. All the characters were really strong at the beginning. Then somewhere along the way things got... slow? complicated? just different? I'm not sure exactly what it was, but I gradually became disconnected from the characters and the plot. I didn't care as much about what happened to them. I was especially sad that Arang became less feisty and strong and more like the typical K-drama female lead. A bit disappointing.

But despite that, the show was still enjoyable. The visuals were always really good and I thought the ending was, too, even though it could've been more epic. Still definitely worth watching. ^_^

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Completed
Panda and Hedgehog
4 people found this review helpful
by Emmers
Oct 12, 2012
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.0
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 4.0
This was defnitely a light and fluffy show. Nothing deep but lots of cute. The storyline was a bit confusing and pretty rushed towards the end, but the little character moments made up for it. I loved most of the characters. Pan Da Yang got on my nerves quite a bit, but everyone else was pretty good and I thought Won Yi and Seung Ji were really good. The show also had lots of good funny moments (especially bromance moments) and some surprisingly touching moments. And I loved all the cakes and desserts!

So, basically, even though I didn't really like the plot, the funny characters and tasty cakes kept me going. ^_^

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Completed
To the Beautiful You
7 people found this review helpful
by Emmers
Oct 5, 2012
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
I love both the Japanese and Taiwanese versions of Hana Kimi, so at first I wasn't going to watch To the Beautiful You. I'm glad I did, though. It was a pleasant surprise. They added enough unique twists on the original story that it kept me interested. It was visually really nice, too. Lots of eye candy. Kind of light and fluffy, but I still really looked forward to watching it each week.

I really liked the cast. I liked that they're closer to actual high school age, so they play that teenage awkward-cutesy-angsty-ness really well. I pretty much fell in love with Tae Joon and all the supporting guys were really awesome, too. Jae Hee bugged me a bit, especially towards the end, but not enough to ruin things. Oh, and let's not forget the cutest guy in the whole show: SANGCHU! ^_^ I also liked the music, especially the theme song Stand Up.

My biggest complaint about this show is that it lacks the ensemble feel that the other versions have (especially the Japanese version). The supporting guys were definitely underused, especially those from the other two dorms. Kinda sad. I also thought the ending was a bit anticlimactic, but it's not like the other two versions had super-duper endings either.

So, really just small complaints. A very good show. ^_^

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Completed
Dangerous Love
13 people found this review helpful
by Emmers
Sep 1, 2012
1 of 1 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
Pretty cheesy, but still fun to watch. Plenty of fanservice for the DBSK fans (unfortunately accompanied by an audio track of fangirls reacting). It also had some surprising and interesting plot twists in it. The only thing that makes me sad is that Yoochun has such a small role in this. I think he's the best actor out of the five.

Still, a really enjoyable show! ^_^
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Completed
Time Slip Dr. Jin
22 people found this review helpful
by Emmers
Aug 15, 2012
22 of 22 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 4.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
I also have really mixed feelings about this drama. It started off with so much potential and was actually pretty decent about half way through. Then suddenly everything went downhill really fast. A total trainwreck full of cliches, plot holes, potential plot twists that come to nothing, and repetitive twists that get old really fast. The mediocre script, directing, and editing became just plain awful. There were only a few highlight scenes scattered in after that.

But despite all that, Time Slip Dr Jin kept me interested. I think part of it was all the unintentionally funny moments. The sets, plots, and action scenes were also pretty good. But the main thing was Kim Jae Joong playing Kyung Tak. You could tell he was giving his all in every scene. Most of the other actors checked out after the trainwreck. Jae Joong kept it up and provided a lot of the highlight scenes towards the end. I think he did an amazing job. Honorable mentions also go to the guys who played the Prince Regent and Young Hwi. They were okay most of the time.

The music was alright, but edited in awkwardly, causing some of those unintentionally funny parts. I really wish this show had been better, but it was just okay. Hopefully Jae Joong gets to be in a better drama next time.

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Completed
Protect the Boss
6 people found this review helpful
by Emmers
Aug 9, 2012
18 of 18 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
I really liked this show. It was a really nice break after watching so many depressing dramas. I think this is the funniest Korean drama I've watched!

I really liked the story even though it was pretty predictable. It was refreshing because of the humorous way they did it. I only wish they kept up the humor throughout. The series got a little more serious towards the end and that slowed things down a bit. That's really my only complaint with this show.

I thought all the actors did really well, both the main and supporting cast. They were all really funny and I especially liked the hilarious rivalry between Ji Heon and Moo Won! Yay cousin bromance catfights!! ^_^

Overall, Protect the Boss is one of the best lightweight Korean rom-coms I've watched.

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Completed
Tokyo Holiday
2 people found this review helpful
by Emmers
Aug 1, 2012
1 of 1 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
Really cheesy and silly, but it's that way on purpose. I like the exaggerated characters they came up with for the DBSK boys. Changmin especially is really funny. It makes up for any lack of acting skills. You can tell they just had fun with it. A good show to watch if you're a fan, especially a Yunho fan.
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Completed
The King's Man
10 people found this review helpful
by Emmers
Aug 1, 2012
1 of 1 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
This is more of a game show. The comedian host wants to do a parody of the historical drama King's Man and the first half is the DBSK boys going through challenges to test their acting skills and see which parts they'll get. Then the second half is them doing the parody scenes until they can do it without any NGs.

It's really cute and funny, especially for a DBSK fan.
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Completed
Paradise Kiss
2 people found this review helpful
by Emmers
Jul 6, 2012
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
I haven't watched the anime or anything, so I don't have any comparisons. That said, I really liked it. I recognized a lot of the actors and they all did a really good job. (And were lots of fun to look at as well. ^_^) The music was really good, too. And I automatically love dramas about fashion. I love Asian fashion! It wasn't life-changing or anything, but it was a good, entertaining romantic comedy.
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Jun 29, 2012
1 of 1 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
So, this IS different from the Hana Yori Dango Final Special. You can find this one by searching "Hana Yori Dango 2 Special."

This is kind of a prequel to season two, but it's more like a game show type thing than a drama episode. It has Makino's family following her to New York and eventually they meet up with the F4 guys. It shows fun, cheap things to do in New York and also has the characters do little challenges. Cute and fun to watch, but definitely not essential to the Hana Yori Dango story. ^_^
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Completed
Hana Yori Dango Special Final
9 people found this review helpful
by Emmers
Jun 29, 2012
1 of 1 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.0
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 3.0
This is really just a little promo for the Hana Yori Dango Final movie. It mostly reviewed the highlights from seasons one and two, had little scenes with Makino and F4 in between the clips, and then Arashi sang the theme songs from the show. Cute and entertaining, but not necessary to watch to get the plot or anything.
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