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Dashing Empress

PH

Dashing Empress

PH
Completed
The Love You Give Me
1 people found this review helpful
May 23, 2023
28 of 28 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.0

A drama that will surely give you a smile in your heart

For sure your eyes have met quite a number of good reviews about this drama and I am doing one too to spread the same sentiments. It was not explicitly said that this one was a continuation of the Wang-Wang couple’s first drama together in “Once We Get Married” but somehow I can’t help but think because that time I wished them of having a child and it was made possible in this drama.

So much has been said about how ideal the chemistry of the leads, the child actor that overwhelmed us all with his cuteness and undeniable acting skills, a story that was not too glossy but has its own luster because of its execution, the whole cast that showed decent acting, and the well-matched song choices (I personally like the English one played at the start of each episode) that lifted the mood of romance even more.

In addition, I’d like to mention other things that I deemed pride of this drama too.

One, the creative design of the introductory part was eye-catching. It was made playful using a mix of realistic cartoon styles that prematurely soothed my feelings for a good impression of this drama.

Next, the male lead and the kid actor’s small facial expressions and orchestrated mannerisms that I can’t resist but acknowledge their power to make me smile in certain scenes where both exhibited it. Their interactions as father and son materialized a sight of what a wonderful experience to have a child of your own.

Then, the character of Hardy and Cindy, who played the role of a loyal and ever-supportive assistant and an adoptive older sister to the male lead respectively, ironically bit roles in terms of screen exposure but big in providing support and convenience to the life of the ML. They were the cool jesters in this drama who naturally acted it out.

Finally, it was admirable for the creator to include narrative scenes of women experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace commonly by those of higher authority as perpetrators. Their cause was not entirely for the entertainment value of the show alone but did a conscious effort in carrying out a socio-civic responsibility for the viewers. It was reiterated that silence was not an option for any victims to ensure self-protection and dignity preservation but rather a form of tolerance that may result in a repeat misdemeanor.

This drama centered on a young couple’s life with a son and how they successfully formed their family again. I thought of giving it a 9.5 rate at first but I have a change of heart after the final episode and then recalled everything I watched. The main couple has the most wholesome kisses (expect a lot here) yet looked passionately daring. There was never a scene where they were not emotionally connected. I felt the love they have for each other as if they were couples in real life. I felt the sadness in FL's weeping scenes and I acknowledged. that Wang Yu Wen is one actress gifted with natural acting skills. This drama totally captured my heart, and so yeah, it was a 10 for me.

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Completed
Island
1 people found this review helpful
Mar 10, 2023
6 of 6 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 2.0

Bored me towards the end

This is one of those dramas that would seize your attention to watch primarily because of the well-known actors behind it and the title itself that somehow pinched your curiosity. Unfortunately, my high hopes of enjoying it shrank and found the story lacking an element that would elevate the mystery. I can imagine how the story would end which should not be the case, rather the effect of the occurrence of scenes should make the viewer stay until the revelation part yet this drama missed it.

On the other hand, this drama supremely can boast its creativity and artistic aspects when it comes to visuals. The special effects. the fighting scenes, the music scoring, and the vibe of the location in making it an eerie suburb were magnificently done. I so loved the scenes when Kim Nam Gil"s knife would go back into his hand at a snappy speed. I think that could be a mark that you would always remember about this drama.

Definitely, I am not watching the continuation of this in Season 2.

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Completed
Derailment
0 people found this review helpful
Mar 7, 2024
30 of 30 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 7.0

Time travel again, but wait, the intrigues and mysteries here would fix you seated at your screen

I thought it was an exaggeration when I read someone reviewed this drama saying, “Who cares about sleep when Derailment exists” and I agree. It was a solid of everything to my standards of a strong drama that I possibly could enjoy. The writer was cunning in a good way to manipulate the complexities without ruining the structure of the story. Each episode would keep you wondering and no trail of clues was present to even answer your question in mind. As a result, it was killing your curiosity, and wanted to watch more to the extent of sacrificing your sleep. Yup, I know that’s living a poor health lifestyle but come on, we do all come to terms with that sometimes. Anyway, that was how effective this drama was in affecting its viewers.

From the time I saw Lin Yi in “Put Your Head On My Shoulder” and here, I could see his acting has matured and it was recognized obviously with proofs of a couple of projects lined up for him. Liu Hao Cun, playing the FL, in the same way, emerged and matched up strong acting with him. I could tell their chemistry was not picture perfect but it did do magic to the persuasion of the story and to the characters they were playing who were always on the opposing ends.

This was an adaptation and I don’t have any knowledge about the original since I didn’t search further. Whether this drama was a complete version of that or revisions has been made, I really can’t make a validated comparison. One thing I’m sure about was I enjoyed the results of their efforts to take this drama to its limit of etching a lasting value, something that would linger in your memory when a similar subject about time travel comes into discussion which in this case it was a staged time travel as part of a brain science experiment.

I deducted a point from my initial rating of 10 because the last two episodes failed to sustain the power chain of this drama. Despite that, I still highly recommend it for you not to miss it.

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Completed
Lies Hidden in My Garden
0 people found this review helpful
Jan 30, 2024
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 4.0

It was a mistake having it as a drama, a movie perhaps …

I decided to watch it knowing that many were frustrated about this drama, and in the end, I was added to those numbers. In all fairness, it has a nice base story to tell but the style of execution was not suited for a TV series. I think you could compress it into a potent 2+ hour show. It was a bad attempt for the creators to make a difference in the dramaland showcasing that cinematic approach. It turned out not appealing to the greater part of the viewers including me. On the other hand, can’t say anything terrible about the cast and acting. It was a standout performance for everybody.

The experience of watching this drama placed heaviness on my heart, especially in the remaining episodes where the character of Kim Tae Hee chose to kill her husband to resolve their family situation. Her husband was so protective of their family that at the expense of doing so was left with no options but to lie and do awful things to keep the family reputation untarnished. It was heartbreaking that in the story, Kim Tae Hee was not able to appreciate and recognize the efforts of her husband and was only blinded by the thought that she was deceived by him. Otherwise, she could have contemplated for other ways to settle the dilemma in the family. It was the ambiguous depiction of the character of Kim Tae Hee that prejudiced the narrative of this drama.

Storywise I can’t vouch for it but if you need a reference for directorial shot works, you may consider this as a resource.

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Completed
Wrong Carriage, Right Groom
0 people found this review helpful
Oct 9, 2023
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
This review may contain spoilers

A random beautiful fate of mistaken arranged marriages!!!

What I liked about this drama was the simplicity of the story. The flow of how it was shown was never unfussy and clearly brought me to what I was expecting it to be. Much to my enjoyment, it was very light and contained minimal dramatic scenes. The characters of the five couples were sensibly built as to the role they were playing, noting as well the pleasant screen chemistry of all. It was amusing to watch these five couples supporting each other to protect their relationship, family, and friends.

I commend the creator for her candid style of writing. First, in those scenes where the main lead couple (Tian Xi Wei & Ao Rui Peng) always beat the wicked schemes of the adopted grandson in the Qi’s residence, unlike in other shows, the protagonist was inclined to be fooled by the villain and it was so frustrating to watch. Second, in the revelation parts of the switch identities of the brides that were not taken against them and swiftly gained acceptance from the involved parties. Third, the process of exposing and capturing the villain’s characters was done in a rightful end. And finally, it was a nice sight choice to include an interesting prank scene in the final episode that came as a surprise. The whole story ended where it began where the mishap of swapping happened and manifested their faith and gratefulness by going back to the temple.

I considered this drama as “less but more” in the aspect of being simple but substantially full in storytelling. It was a comfort watch, adding to the fact that Tian Xi Wei is one of my favorites.

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Completed
Beauty of Resilience
0 people found this review helpful
Sep 14, 2023
36 of 36 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 6.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 6.5
Rewatch Value 5.0

Such a pity the story messed up halfway through the end.

Watching this reminded me of the drama “Immortal Samsara” which goes with the same storyline of choosing between love and responsibility in the heavenly realm but this one hurdles the romance by the odds of being sworn enemies. The ordeal was how can you possibly take the life of the one you love?

Story: The early stages of the drama from episodes 1 – 18 went smoothly. When the exposition of the back story of each character began, as the crises of the ML and FL were destined to clash with each other was revealed, it became dull and boring. The writer kept on creating new conflicts every time the ML and FL were starting to settle. It was annoying changing the mood of the drama again and killing the supporting characters one after another. In the end, you would be confused about what happened to the main leads. Was it a tragic finale or they were given a chance to go back in time to change their fate?

Acting/Cast: Fairly enough all the cast sustained their own characters despite a setback in the story structure. Guo Hun Chen and Ju Jing Yi are indeed perfect for the roles. They were well-matched visually with so much resemblance to each other.

This drama could still be an option to watch but just some run-of-the-mill.

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Completed
My Perfect Stranger
0 people found this review helpful
Jun 21, 2023
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.0
This review may contain spoilers

The writer is a genius . . . a time travel at its best

We are flooded with a variety of dramas to watch but can encounter only a few that we appreciate to the bones and give a perfect rating. True enough, “My Perfect Stranger” landed in this category. It has an authentic story of a familiar time travel concept. I revered the mind of the writer. The conflict was evenly mapped out in each episode creating the right intrigue for the viewer’s curiosity to grow. With other dramas the concluding episode is predictable, you can’t expect that here because the suspense remains killing you.

The main focus of the story was still on the family. The bitter falling-out relationship between the family of the two main leads was understood and fixed when Kim Dong Wook and Jin Ki Joo traveled back to the year 1987, meeting the younger versions of their parents and immediate family while looking out for the serial killer but discovered unimaginable truth behind all the tragic incidents.

Oh, I happened to recall “Reply 1988” here because of that same neighborhood and house location they used. Watch out for a beautiful surprise in the role of Jung Jin Young who made a special appearance in the final episode.

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Completed
Family: The Unbreakable Bond
0 people found this review helpful
May 29, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 4.0

My confidence in this drama shattered in the end

I was thrilled at the news of Jang Hyuk and Jang Nara working back together again. No questions asked about their chemistry with a number of dramas they have paired already in the past that I all enjoyed watching.

With this recently concluded drama, I could hardly praise it watching the first six episodes. I have issues such as:
1. The comedy aspect wasn’t funny at all.
2. The story was short of bits of conflict to kick off my curiosity.
3. They have gone beyond the limits of standards in the area of showing the kid’s romance. The idea was acceptable, nevertheless, they could have done it in a way the child’s innocence was still there.

The remaining episodes turned out quite interesting with the back story of Jang Nara and how they found out their connections to each other who were all once belong to the original “Union”. The rooftop scene of the couple where they both spotted each other as snipers was a momentous scene to reckon with. I did have a good laugh with the “earthquake” excuse that Jang Hyuk used to mislead his father’s suspicion as to why their house looked like a rumble has just happened. I was amazed to see again Jang Nara being cool, tough, holding guns, and fighting despite her soft looks just the same as when I saw her in “Sell Your Haunted House”. And then the little girl became a darling in the rest of the episodes. You will love the warm conversations between her and the character of Taegu.

The story depicting an ordinary family with the two main members endangering them due to their undisclosed jobs did not fully showcase the depth of what each member can do to hold the family together and unbreakable as what the title implied. The ending was ambiguous, it seemed like there should be a follow-up season. Additionally, I felt bad for how lame the character of Taegu was made here. He received extensive training at a young age to be a special agent and was supposed to be one showing a strong, decisive, and sharp-minded person but he was easily traced, wounded, and always caught off-guard by his opponents. I’m sorry to say but his role was like a nuisance and can actually be omitted.

It was also a pain in the heart and how it was told in this drama that working for the government as a special intelligence agent was not an honorable job at all because your life could easily be discarded and ended serving as the sacrificial lamb.

In conclusion, after stating my likes and don’t likes, I find it not entirely a flop but a frustration for the Jang-Jang team-up comeback project.

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Completed
So Wayree
0 people found this review helpful
Mar 18, 2023
15 of 15 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 8.0

It was BEAUTIFUL !!!

I am into Thai dramas lately and what I liked most about them was I was able to watch love stories differently. This drama was one perfect example, the creators of this made it complex and have its twist and turn without boredom.

This drama incorporated almost every genre in one show. Apart from romance, it has a mix of light comedy, action, suspense, and bl. Naturally, I would be deeply affected by the FL's emotional outburst but here, the ML was the one who made me sob entirely. He has tremendous eye expressions that genuinely showed emotions in all scenes that require love, pain, sadness, longing, and remorse. I was wondering why in one of the reviews I browsed over about this drama, his acting was criticized. I personally believed that you were an effective actor when you were able to transcend your emotions either with fewer words or even without speaking at all and that was what the ML has done in this drama.

There may be some flop scenes but certain to say that it would not out shadow the charm that this drama has especially with the presence of the two lovable kids playing as twins and the dorky father of FL's best friend who could have appeared early on in the episodes for some humor boost.

This was my first time also appreciating a Thai song played along in the drama. I may not know the meaning of the lyrics but its melody was pleasant to the ears and tailored to what the viewers were intended to feel about. Never seen this type of storyline in Korean and Chinese dramas which was why I got fancied over it.

Need to mention too that the houses and places here were often used in other dramas. For me, I think it lowers the aesthetic appeal of a particular drama because there were nothing much new to see. As a viewer from a neighboring country, aside from learning about their cultures, I look forward to seeing unfamiliar places. But due to repetitive choices of locations, I kinda feel deprived of the luxury of even exploring other places in Thailand on screen.

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Completed
The Root
0 people found this review helpful
Mar 5, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 3.0

Ruined my pleasure on the last 2 episodes

Although this drama let me down in the end, I still gave an eight rating because of its interesting storyline. The story follows an overly possessive older sister to her adopted younger sister who developed romantic feelings toward her which caused a drift in their relationships as siblings.

I am always fond of female characters playing roles with resolute personalities like the four women in this drama. But each of them was not entirely fearless all the time when their weaknesses were thrown back at them. The same with the male actors here, a mature married man and a single young man who were both clever in protecting the female lead from her older sister.

Everything was going well until episodes 11 and 12 where the heights of the confrontations happened. it was overplayed with too many lines from the older sister justifying her evil actions rooted in her painful experiences with men in her life. It failed to attain the dramatic art in which the viewers, should be emotionally immersed along with the character. And then, some unrealistic scenes where no one ever noticed the older sister putting a piece of broken glass inside her pocket even with people surrounding her and how come the ex-husband would know the escape car used and chased her ex-wife when he was in the hospital during the caught scene.

Felt bad for this drama that it broke the chain of excitement due to the poor execution of the most important scenes.

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Completed
My Forever Sunshine
0 people found this review helpful
Mar 1, 2023
19 of 19 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 8.5

A beautiful roller coaster of emotions

For me, this drama was close to excellence. It was intense and subtle at the same time. What a sterling way to tell a story of redeeming oneself from being hated to being most loved. Watching this troubled my emotions from start to end in a good way I must say which made this drama sensibly beautiful. There was a balance of transcending your emotions from feeling mad and smiling.

I can't think of any actors and actresses involved in this drama who fell behind in their actions because all of them from the small role to bigger ones gave tremendous justice to their individual characters. I would like to commend Mark Prin's acting here most especially because, during his saddest and most heartbroken scenes, you could see and feel the melancholy in his eyes even without crying. If it was part of the director's instructions not to drop a single tear during those scenes, he was brilliant in showing the soulful performance of Mark Prin. I could say that the FL's father's best friend who in turn became her fostered father was the key role in this drama. I liked his character as the one who balances the harmony in the family with boundless patience in himself.

The locations where they shoot this drama were a sight you would never forget. Just imagine living in a place surrounded by a garden of beautiful flowers, greenery of plants and trees, and an unpolluted river. It added a substance to feel the warmth of this drama despite the chaos happening in their lives every day due to misunderstandings and unverified ill thoughts toward one another.

Just watch this and be reminded that it's always your choice that will influence what your life will be like and the power of love regardless of its form whether parental, romantic or friendship, has an unimaginable strength to change a situation.

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Completed
My Secret Bride
0 people found this review helpful
Feb 28, 2023
18 of 18 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.0

A different ROM-COM because Snowhite and the 7 Dwarfs are here

I hardly watch Thai dramas because not to be mean, I find the sound of their speaking a little distracting. So far, I have watched 5 Thai dramas already, and after seeing "My Husband In Law" I started to appreciate them.

I liked the story of this drama. It was nicely presented and agreed with how the flow of the story proceeded at a pace that I myself found leisurely. One of the reasons that will make me decide to watch a certain drama is the attractiveness of the lead casts. I am not so familiar with Thai actors and actresses but the pairing of the couples here was a perfect choice. You will particularly distinguish the dialogues and interactions of the lead and second couple here much better and more captivating than in a number of other dramas shown n the Rom-Com genres.

This drama was so detailed and got to understand why each character has to become like that. It was rare for a drama to lay also the back story of the villain which will confuse your rationality about whether to hate or pity him in the end. Thus, it validated the fact that childhood life plays an important factor in how a person will be in the future, and making wrong decisions in the past will haunt you and make you restless not unless corrected.

I only have a few aversions, like the policemen here easily cried and were too emotional which made them look weak. The scenes where reporters were conducting interviews in front of the police station, it could have been improved in a way that will make the reporters look intelligent and professional.

The best scene-stealer here was the young teenage gay.

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Completed
Always Have, Always Will
0 people found this review helpful
Feb 21, 2023
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0

Praise worthy!!! Double the joy of loving when you are each other's first love.

I love everything about this drama. What a way to start it by having episode 1 early stirring up your excitement. The screenwriter knew how to play it well and made a difference in stimulating the viewers’ interest in a common story of a school youth romance. All scenes are perfectly placed into sequence and it was not hard to follow moving from the back story during their high school days and then connecting it to their college lives in the present time. All the actors portrayed their respective roles in a seasoned way, unexpected for their age and while watching, it was as if you were seeing them in real because their acting out flaunted naturally. Of course, you will love the sweet, gentle, innocent, and provoking intimacy of the lead couple. It was a clever idea also to let the female lead get involved with a couple of men and supplement the conflicts of romance in the story. The second lead couple appeared especially charming unexpectedly and was given almost the same amount of exposure as the lead couple. Their friendship here was very ideal. Moreover, I so loved those parts in the story where the male lead's father was showing his approval and support for his son's dating.

Again, Chen Fang Tong has etched her name here for a short rom-com genre. She has become one of my favorite Chinese actresses ever since I saw her in “The Maid’s Revenge” and started checking out her drama projects like this one. She has such an adorable and lovely face. She’s like the Park Bo Young of Korea in terms of looks and can equally play serious dramatic and light comic roles. I gladly enjoyed this drama and have never been this satisfied compared to watching a few of the same kind. It was something plain and general but came out tasteful.

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Completed
Decreed by Fate
0 people found this review helpful
Feb 19, 2023
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 5.0

Short, cute, and funny love triangle in a half-baked drama

If not for Chen Fang Tong I could have not finished this drama. It was amateurishly made with so many scenes to polish. There were scenes that were shortly cut and randomly proceeded to the next one that I think needed more detailed actions to finish it well and it fell short because of these abrupt shiftings. The fighting scenes were not executed as convincing as they should be for martial arts and kung fu experts that were engaged in a brawl to showcase their skills. Further, the two male lead actors were both not strong enough alone to protect the female lead and always took turns to play the hero when the other one and the female lead was in danger. Given that the story was not so appealing, I had bits of enjoyment watching this because of the funny, cute naughty interactions between the three leads sparring in a romance. In all fairness, those scenes were simple but were sharp to cheer your heart. I was not in agreement with Chen Fang Tong and Li Jui Lin acting as lovers here because they were more likely to pass as siblings. She was better paired off with the second male lead who looks younger and certainly showed much steady chemistry. Aside from Chen Fang Tong, the acting of the rest was not that outstanding. but still, not entirely a bad choice to watch.

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Feb 6, 2023
6 of 6 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 7.0

Wickedness overload

Oh boy, Song Joong Ki literally has such a divine pretty face here. He did prove in this part what an elite actor he is. After part 1, the story unfolded naturally similar indeed to what I was expecting. Evil deeds and barbaric killings s one after another will make you sad and infuriated. Just so we are lucky to have not lived in their times and we have human rights laws to protect us now. Yeah, right I know it was fictional tho! Well, there was one single scene I had a quick smile but I will not reveal it like you might wonder when was it. Your curiosity will heighten every episode and new characters are joining the journey of Eonseom. You will interestingly enjoy part 2 this time. There were so many names acting as support in this drama and yet you will not be lost each time they appeared in a scene as to what role they were playing.

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