Nicki
North America
Fluffy Romance! Don't take anything seriously because the drama didn't.
If I had to describe my journey with this drama, it would be like overindulging on dessert at a wedding. Now you may think that with me saying overindulging that this drama was bad but it wasn't, it was cute. Sickly cute, even with the terribly problematic moments. This drama was about as cliche as romantic comedy dramas in kdramaland could get. Literally grab a kdrama bingo card and play along while watching this.. I bet you can score bingo within the first four (eight) episodes. That being said as cliched as this drama is I still enjoyed it to the end of the world because the chemistry between Gal Hee and Min Ik was absolutely sickening.Plot: As mentioned beforehand what a bunch of cliches and also absolute madness. Literally. Things did not make sense.. I tried to rationalize it being that since he's lost his sight it takes him a while to get used to his other sense but holy sh*t the stupidity was wild in this one. I am a fan of messy plots and find them entertaining if done correctly, unfortunately the gaps were quite glaring in this one. I did appreciate that it portrayed face blindness in a way you don't typically see in these kdramas and that he wasn't magically cured at the end. +1 point
Romance: Minus the obvious theme of lying and betrayal the romance was so decadent!! Legit both between our main couple and the second leads and it was the reason I kept watching because I can and will excuse anything for fluffy romance and good chemistry. (Actually not true total depends on my mood)
Characters: I was equally charmed by Do Min Ik as I was irritated by his some of his earlier actions. I have a soft spot for Young Kwang so I felt his pain in the moments when he had to adapt to not being able to recognize faces. I also thought his character was a tad inconsistent but nontheless very cute. There was some growth in there somewhere and it may have taken fourteen or so episodes to truly see it but it was there.. Shhh.. Just focus on the cute moments guys! Gal Hee was adorable and I really fell for Jin Koo in this drama. Her expressions were so cute and she was adorable even while blatantly lying to his face. I was supposed to feel sorry for her when she got exposed but instead I was like "damn this is dumb". Dae Ju... Yeah nothing against the actor cause he did what he had to do but it was just very blah, his best scenes were naturally with VERONICA PARK. Speaking of... The highlight of the show was for sure Ms. ORIGINAL Veronica Park, right off the bat we are expected to see this vain, b*tch, maneater and while she is certainly all of that and more, you can see that above all else she is a child who is afraid of her mother and immature in love. She was endearing and funny and smart and certainly a scene stealer.
Final Thoughts: I would recommend if you want something sweet to cleanse your palette after something despicably harsh or disappointing, but literally hold no expectations while going in. If you focus on the fluff and don't think too much (clearly something the writer/directors didn't do) then it will be easy and breezy to get through... Be warned though, the sweetness may get you full and then you'll have an upset stomach at the end of the night.
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Shuangshuang and Xiaoqian should've been lovers.
This is yet another remake of the 1987 Hong Kong Original film, A Chinese Ghost Story. I’ve never seen the original so I can’t do a comparison in that sense, but I can and will judge this movie as it’s own product.First things first, the story is not unique as it’s a remake, but even in this aspect, it still fell very flat imo. I think that the romance was severely underdeveloped between Cai Chen and Xiao Qian and that’s supposed to be the entire selling point of this movie. I don’t know when or how he fell in love with her, I don’t know why she fell for him. Honestly, nothing made sense in the story overall. I wish that there was some explanation as to why the Heishan Demon was so adamant in marrying her? Like she ain’t all that. The only thing I know for a fact about this story is that Shuangshuang is 1000% a lesbian and deserved to have been with Xiao Qian instead.. The chemistry was so good.
Story aside, the cinematography and cgi were also not the best in the beginning and overall I thought that was done a bit poorly as well. I think the scenes that are the best with the cgi are the ones when the lesbian ghosts (yes that what I’m calling them) were in that nether realm. Even the big climatic end of seeing the demon, all I could think was that it was mega Groot. It truly looked so cartoonish. An upside to this movie would be the delivery of the actors, but unfortunately wasn’t enough to save the entirety of this. I really think that if Eleanor has more chemistry with Oliver that it could’ve been better, but it was drier than the Sahara Desert up in here.
So like overall, it’s an okay movie. It’s not painstakingly terrible, but it’s not good either. I think that if they had killed Cai Chen at the end, everything would’ve been worthwhile. I mean lesbihonest, Shuangshuang and Xiao Qian were the better love story. GAY RIGHTS!!!
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I can find a lot of flaws within this drama, I wouldn't have to look very hard but I'm willing to overlook these for the sake of how much I enjoyed Ma Yi Deum and the initial premise of the story. I was hooked on the first episode cause it felt like I was watching the Korean version of Law and Order: SVU. I enjoyed the episodes that focused on a different individual each episode because it did well at showcasing that many sexual crimes are about power. For a majority of the earlier episodes, I found myself yelling at the screen saying that 'Men Are Trash'...
I was not a big fan of the overarching storyline only because it just felt moot point whenever they caught him for something in the earlier episodes because we knew it wouldn't have amounted to anything and then it made me feel annoyed because at the end the solutions seems so easy and efficient that it was like "why wasn't this done episodes ago." I will say though, it was kind of satisfying but also not with the way the overarching storyline ended. I'm equal parts satisfied and dissatisfied, probably because I kinda wanted something a little more sinister, but I mean it went with the theme of the show so good for it.
I would not recommend this drama if you're looking for something that is romance heavy which if we're honest was kind of a waste of Hyun-min and Ryeo-won's chemistry. The romance was hinted at, pushed forward, fell off, creeped back, ignored then put back again. Honestly there was nothing that convinced me of why they even fell for each other but like i said the chemistry was lit so I'm not even mad.
Side characters? Didn't care about them. Matter of fact i didn't care about anyone that wasn't Ma Yi Deum and just wanted her to get her happy ending. I was very confused because I felt like the last few minutes of the finale made it seem like these were people we've been invested in and i'm like huh? I literally knew more about Gap Soo's secretary than the other members of the prosecution team.
So the story was okay in some aspect. Acting was superb. OST was beautiful to an extent (really enjoyed Solji's voice and the pump up one). Would I rewatch this? Definitely. I would probably skip a few episodes or at least fast forward scenes that don't feature Ma Yi Deum.
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The movie starts off with us meeting the monsters that are actually kinda cute and could make very cuddly toys. The next scene was then of our hero who I must admit was kind of entertaining. The storyline after that point pretty much flowed exactly as you would expect it to. I found myself laughing out loud at 1am because there were some genuinely funny moments in there. The plot twist could’ve been foreseen, as I had long assumed that was the case from earlier in the movie. The only thing that gave me pause was the fact that the humans were eating the monsters. Hypocrites much?
The acting performances between our two leads were mediocre at best but still thoroughly enjoyable. I forgot how charismatic Bai Baihe can be in comedic roles. I loved how she smiled. I also enjoyed seeing the kind of role reversals switch that they had. The man was pregnant and gave birth. LOL. The chemistry was more friendly than romantic though. The only kiss that happened was an accidental one and then they were in love and getting married. LMFAO. I’ve yet to see Jing Boran convince me that he’s attracted to his leads.
Overall, I enjoyed this movie way more than I thought I would and there’s also a part two so duh I’m gonna watch that too. Wuba is so freaking cute and I want one. The best way that I can describe the overall feel would be kinda like a Shrek/How To Train Your Dragon situation. Anyways I’d likely watch this again. It was entertaining af!
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The plot was interesting because it totally wasn’t what I initially expected. Instead, I found that it had a very mature way of telling its story. It showcased a way in which teens are dealing with their first loves from various lenses. The actions of the characters themselves were a bit childish from time to time, but the narrative that it followed wasn’t. I think it was this progression that allowed every choice that each character made to be one that seemed logical and realistic. I was a little disappointed at the ending just from the perspective of what I initially thought I would get, but like I said, it was logical and it made sense. I will admit that this sparked a bit of my curiosity to see how the manga had done its storytelling and if it was in a similar vein.
The acting was nothing to write home about, but they did the job that was required of them. They were believable in their performances. Since a lot of them are young adults, it didn't feel as weird or inauthentic. None of these characters were particularly likeable, but it was nice seeing the diversity with the perspectives of dealing with first loves, unrequited love, manic love, etc. The only issue I find that I consistently have while dealing with Japanese/Asian content like this is the premise of having someone pursue someone who is very clearly a different sexual orientation and convincing them otherwise. I also didn’t like the insinuation that it was just a phase that Sanae may have been going through.
This drama is filled with a lot of love lines and so much happens in the course of the episodes, but I think everyone received a deserved ending. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this drama as something to watch because they are better pieces out there that deals with similar content. However, you wouldn’t be losing anyways if you did decide to check out. Just be weary and certain that this is the vibe you’re looking for.
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This review may contain spoilers
Here we have Japanese Bachelor in Paradise and if you’re wondering why there is four guys but only three girls it is because no piece of media can exist in which there is not a love triangle. The story was predictable even when it tried to throw a curve ball. Nothing was surprising and the problems that arose were shit that really shouldn’t have matter anyways but what do I know? I am not rich and do not understand the intricacy of wanting to become a manga writer or a sushi chef and not running the family business. However, I think the strength of this drama was with the fact that it was only 18 episodes in total and the episodes were only 15 mins each. I didn’t have time to marinate on how wack this whole setup was because it was already over.All the characters were insipid and man I would kill to see a romantic Japanese drama where the female lead wasn’t poor, happy go lucky and ridiculously naive. (If yall have any suggestions let me know!) That being said, Mugi wasn’t all bad just basic as fuck and definitely my least favorite girl next to the mega bitch, Tsubaki. My favorite boy was actually, Teru, because I love guys with curly hair. My least favorite boy was Taiga and that was because he was so cute until he smiled; I don’t like his teeth. At this point you’re thinking to yourself, why such vain commentary? Because it is a vain drama. Yup yup. I don’t know why anyone fell for anyone except that someone said something nice and they kept thinking about it. There was apparently growth or whatever with the characters but yawn. I’m sorry but exactly why are 17 year olds promising men in their 20s to be with them forever? Mmm. These relationships cannot be sustained in any way, shape or form.
Overall, I think you could check this out if the depression kitty has snuck up on you like it did to me! Like, if you have better things to do, but can’t seem to get out of bed to do it then here’s something that’ll make four hours go by like nothing.
Full review posted on: https://unbotheredunnies.com/2019/11/09/sugar-babys-review-corner-noble-guys-onzoshi-boys/
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This review may contain spoilers
Kang Yeo Jo is the babiest baby who ever babied and we deserve a season two with her and Soo Ho.
Unedited review posted on Unbothered Unnies.This drama was nicely done and very entertaining. I am still reeling off of the last two episodes because I am sitting here but wait! I think the charm of this drama is that it asks you to believe in the improbability of certain things happening or not happening and is filled with red herrings. I can understand for a lot of viewers how this can be frustrating especially when it moves at a slow pace in a circular movement. However, as someone who enjoys these type of shows, I didn't find it frustrating at all. Once we got to episode three, I was basically like anything that happened where it seemed like she found out her husband cheated or is the killer is not true. I also did not expect them to reveal who the killer was until the end. There are complaints that the ending was rushed but I really don't see it as such. Another complaint is that they didn't understand the various side characters and the points they served to the story, but it is quite clear that everyone served to tell Kang Yeo Joo's story. It made sense to me that the entire premise of this show wasn't her finding out her husband cheated on her and trying to exact revenge. One of the things about the story that I had a hard time understanding was why with all of Kang Yeo Joo's intelligence did she never pick up on him cheating on her. However, I think that the final episode really honed in on her temperament. She really loves her husband and was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. After all she spent more than half their marriage telling him what would happen if he did cheat on her. Also it could also be interpreted in an entirely different way, but either he way he got stabbed and I stan that. KANG YEO JO HAS NEVER DONE ANYTHING WRONG EVER IN HER LIFE.
Naturally the standout acting was done by Cho Yeong Jeong. She was able to deliver the unique charm of Yeo Joo and tapped into the nuances of her character. Sometimes it was just the little ways that she tilted her head or squinted her eyes which delivered that strong emotion behind it. I would say that the weakest was Yeonwoo and I am not saying this because she is an idol or was one, but rather the kind of unnatural way her delivery was. I understand that Go Mi Rae was supposed to be a timid character, but even her transformation into the "bolder" version still wasn't really much of anything. I felt a disconnect to her story because of that.
As for the music well needless to say I stand by my belief that all of Suran's OSTs are better than any of her original stuff since Walkin' Ep. I really enjoyed the three songs and their composition/lyrics. I thought it fit aptly with our story at hand. I also enjoyed the way the director shot various scenes even with the terribly obvious product placement.
Overall, I enjoyed this drama. It is not one without flaws, but it kept me entertained and guessing all the way through and honestly what more could I ask for? Well besides, more shirtless scenes of Kim Young Dae! I would definitely recommend!
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This review may contain spoilers
This was a very cute, sweet and uncomplicated drama. The story was extremely easy to follow with no major issue lasting more than three episodes. I actually believe that this story had so many parts that I don’t really think was necessary for the development of the story, but it is what it is. The idea of Xing Yin needing to experience romance in order to do these game instances was comical to me. My favorite moments were when Xing Yun would scold Xia Ke about how as a couple they shouldn’t keep secrets and communicate with each. I feel like the last four episodes were a bit unnecessary and the issue of the investment was very drawn out. Matter of fact, I know I don’t know much about business, but like he’s filthy fucking rich as we are told in the later episodes, could he not invest his own money?Story aside, we had a range of typical characters, but we had a cast that did wonderful in making you enjoy each of them. I admit that this is my second time seeing Zhao Lin, but I don’t have much comparison because in the drama I first saw him in, his character was very similar. However, Xia Ke, as stubborn and egotistical and patriarchal as he was, still had his cute moments; namely whenever he was around Xing Yun. Xing Yun, was a sweet, headstrong woman and I didn’t find her irritating at all. Well actually that one time she tried that self-sacrificing and fake dating bullshit. I thought his sister was sweet and the actress reminds me of Bai Bai He and I think they should be sisters in a drama. He Yu was kinda annoying if I’m being honest, but still cute. I LOVED Yao Qing!! I loved that she was this bad ass bitch and she knew her worth and what she stood for and that even though she love Xia Ke, she never tried any dirty underhand means to get him. I also liked Xing Yun’s female coworkers because I adore female friendships. I liked that they played a sort of devil and angel roles in offering advice to her.
Highlight of the drama was the romance. We had Shen Qing/Chu Nan, Yao Qing/He Yu, and Xing Yun/Xia Ke. I didn’t really care much about Shen Qing and Chu Nan’s because like Chu Nan treated Xing Yun as shit and I don’t play that so..NEXT. Which brings us to Yao Qing and He Yu! Like I said, I found Yao Qing, extremely likable and to be honest, I saw her and He Yu becoming a thing, happening from a mile away. Seriously what is is with cdramas and having the second leads suddenly fall in love with each other? Anyways, I didn’t think they were necessarily believable as a couple and probably would’ve been more charming had they gone the “let’s just hook up continuously and see what happens” route vs He Yu suddenly loving her. Yea Yea, apparently he just never noticed until they hooked up. Whatever. Moving on to XIA KE AND XING YUN. I’m going to be honest, I enjoyed them a lot and they’re literally the sole reason I will likely rewatch this drama. I like that we saw how much Xing Yun had changed Xia Ke. I appreciated their cute moments. And even when they got together, I wasn’t bored and thank God we didn’t have them break up from a stupid misunderstanding because lord knows there were a lot of them. My heart almost dropped when I saw her about to walk away with the cat incident, but when she turned around and took the keys!!! SLAY QUEEN!!! It’s a good thing that Xing Yun is so loyal and also a petty queen. We HAD TO STAN. The only thing I really disliked about the romance other than Bai Lu’s crappy wig, was them having a joint wedding with Yao Qing and He Yu. I WOULD LITERALLY NEVER. I DON’T CARE THAT SHE MADE AN OATH IN THE TEMPLE. FUCK THAT NOISE. OVER MY DEAD BODY.
So anyways, if you’re in the mood for something sweet, nonsensical, light. fluffy and binge-worthy then give this a go. I genuinely would recommend this as a pick me up after watching anything very angsty or if you’re in the mood for romance. If nothing else, you will definitely stick around for the kisses and skinship! Hehehhe.
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This review may contain spoilers
Let me preface this review by saying that the writer of the comic book (in the show) is a little bitch. I have a theory that the writer is Kim Eun Sook cause who else writes female characters so shitty? Yes. I went there. Moving on, the plot of this story was surprisingly well done. It was romantic, cringe, suspenseful, angsty and repetitive. Oh so repetitive. Repetitive to the point where I literally did not even care in the slightest when the final four episodes came around and Dan Oh lost her memories. Matter of fact, throughout those last four episodes I was just like ARE WE DONE YET?I will say that I did find a few things very confusing, like I don’t understand how things allegedly went back to its place once the stage was set but then somehow they’re able to keep other trinkets and stuff like the shoes and books and what not? I dunno.. I also did not understand the writer’s (comic book not drama) purpose for introducing dried squid’s lover from Trumpet Creeper?? I also was annoyed by how petty the writer was too, like how you gonna be petty and lazy? Didn’t even bother drawing new characters.. Using the same dusty names? Wack.
The characters were very fun and there was something for everyone. I actually didn’t dislike a single character and wanted each of them to get the happy ending they deserved. I was surprised to see that Do Hwa became my favorite at the end of the day because he was so absolutely endearing. I literally wished with all my heart that he got the girl, but he was so content with his story that I was just like uwu. Shoutout to Ju Da for saying she wanted to date Do Hwa on MWF, Nam Ju on TTS and be by herself on Sundays. LOL. I liked Dan Oh a lot, not so much when she tried to hide things from Haru, but I liked her throughout because she was so darn cute. I actually liked Kyung more than Haru, please don’t come for me!! I know I am an adult and Haru is by far the better guy in every way: tall, handsome, sweet, respects women, wasn’t a bully. But fuck, Kyung was so pathetic and lonely and I wanted to give him a hug and all the love. That being said Rowoon could still very much get it.
The romance between Haru and Dan Oh was the catalyst for the entire show and I loved it. They were beautiful and sweet and truly honed in on that whole “soulmates” thing. I mean they found their way back to each other during every memory loss and story. I mean if I were the writer I would just stop drawing their asses, but Kdrama gotta kdrama so what do you do? Heheh. While I am talking about ridiculous behavior why do guys get to wear full coats, trousers, pants and women still have to wear a skirt and jacket? Like I know Dan Oh’s ass was freezing on that date with Kyung by the beach. Speaking of that date, I will admit that it was cute seeing Kyung happy, even though Dan Oh had lost her memory and wasn’t aware of herself. I shipped them a little bit! I can’t help it!! I guess Ju Da had the tea about wanting to date both. Hhehe.
I guess overall this was a pretty solid and enjoyable watch. I would likely recommend this as a good drama to watch to kill time. I am not sure if I would rewatch it, but I think it has a decent rewatch value. I will say that I am a little bit curious about that other story where they met again because Dan Oh’s bundles were popping!
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This review may contain spoilers
~ Review originally posted on unbotheredunnies.com ~Previously, I had started this drama three times within the last two years and each time I never made it beyond 10 minutes. So how did I make it through all sixteen episodes this round? Peak boredom? I don’t know. I guess when boredom strikes, I watch anything. I needed something mindless while I waited on Joy of Life subs. SEE FRAME OF MIND! As I made my way through episode after episode I kept saying to myself that I really should just stop this, but I didn’t because I’m not weak and also it wasn’t really like I was wasting any time. Granted, it did take me longer to get done with episodes 13 through 16 which I could just say is due to my inability to complete dramas, but that would mean doing some self-reflection and I don’t do that. IT WAS THE DRAMA’S FAULT FOR BEING SO DUMB AND DRAGGING ON STUFF THAT NO ONE CARED ABOUT.
Of all the Chinese dramas that I have gorged on in the last two years since I have started watching them, this by far has to be the one that feels like a standard typical Korean Drama. Maybe it was due to it being sixteen episodes and not nine million, but I got such a strong Kdrama vibe from it. The story was very simple and surface level. It was a ‘what you see is what you get’ type of situation. I felt like it mirrored your typical Boys over Flowers narrative, except that our female lead isn’t a poor moron, but a rich moron instead. She was cursed with the fate that any man who she likes will not like her back. Who cursed her? Idk.. My main problem with this story was how painfully unaware the characters were during the crucial moments. I could not understand how they would openly say things or do things with no regard to who could be easily eavesdropping/watching. I also laughed at how unbelievable the scenes of them being in the orchestra and playing the instruments were—THEY DIDN’T EVEN SYNC UP WITH THE MUSIC. Speaking of synching up, the editing…. Yall.. Yall….. YALL….. I kid you not, there are episodes where they use stock photos while transitioning to another scene and THE FUCKING SHUTTERSTOCK WATERMARK IS RIGHT THERE.
Now let me tell you about the four leads; A spoiled girl with princess syndrome, a reliable male genius with captain save a hoe complex, an egocentric boy with prince syndrome and an “innocent” poor lovable girl. The best character was certainly our female lead, Lin Xing Chen. She grew up rich with butlers and having her paintings in gallerias before she was even a teenager. This is why everyone claims that she has princess syndrome because she has had quite the privileged life thus far. However, the truth of the matter is that there is a secret behind her birth. You see, Xing Chen’s real mother is actually Zheng Mu and not Chen Ming Le. Xing Chen was a child born out of an extra martial affair. Since Ming Le didn’t have a child for herself, Zheng Mu decided to give her daughter up so that she could have a better life. Which would have been a sweet idea had Zheng Mu not been a greedy waste of space. So because of the pressure of not being a “real” princess, our female lead had no choice but to try to pull our prince at any cost. Xing Chen could have very easily been an intolerable character, but she was more or less the “b*tch” with a heart of gold. Except I never thought she was a b*tch at any point in time. I did think she was stupid though and was probably why she was failing so many classes. Nevertheless, I liked seeing her obsess over BL mangas and I liked seeing her moments where she would assert herself.
On the opposite end, the worst character in the show was by far Yu Yang Yang. Yu Yang Yang was a supposedly good natured poor girl who got into the college because her father is close with the principal. However, homegirl was a bonafide sneaky ass sly little b*tch. One minute she pretends to be all nice and helpless the next she’s purposely saying and doing things that would have Xing Chen appear in the bad light in front of the boys. If you’re gonna be a b*tch then be it with ya whole damn chest!! Speaking of the boys…. I liked Zheng Chu Yao more than I liked Jiang Nian Yu and it was solely because I found him to be more entertaining annnnddd he had the better chemistry with Xing Chen. Could it have been that it was because Kenji was likely blowing out Yuxi’s back at the time? Yes.. Probably.. but that doesn’t negate anything! Jiang Nian Yu was just too average and forgettable even with him being poor and having trauma that no one cares about.
Overall, this drama didn’t have the best storyline nor the best acting nor fully developed and functioning characters, but you know what this drama did have?—An abundance of pervy moments! We got to see naked chests and laugh occasionally. That is all one could ask for when picking a mindless drama. So if you’re bored like me and want to put something on in the background while you do literally anything else then have at it!
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This review may contain spoilers
~ Review originally posted on unbotheredunnies.com ~I truly do believe that a state of mind can affect how you view a piece of work. For me, I just went into this drama thinking I needed something easy to get through and this seemed simple enough. At time of me watching this drama, I wasn’t really drawn to any of the actors. I thought Myungsoo was okay, and I have never liked Lee Dong Gun’s acting in literally anything I have watched. The biggest reason I didn’t want to watch though, was Shin Hye Sun.. I held a lot of resentment towards her from My Golden Life and unfortunately could not separate the role from the actor. I knew it wasn’t her fault that the character was written the way she was in the drama or what the viewers were saying about the other actors/characters. Eventually, I just went for it and I am glad I did.
The storyline of this drama wasn’t anything new or profound that was added to KDRAMALAND. If you’ve been a long time viewer such as myself, you already know how this goes and what the end will look like. The pacing of this drama was faster than I expected and this prompted me to think of the storyline from two angles: conflict and romance. I don’t know if I have mentioned before, but something that I appreciate a lot of is when there is a good and interesting central conflict that keeps me engaged. Often with traditional Korean dramas that is not the case, but there are elements that will make up for it. I can highlight two major conflicts of this drama which is her becoming a ballerina again and taking back her parents’ company, and the relationship between her and Angel Dan. So now going back to the pacing of the drama, all the smaller conflicts were resolved quite easily.. She gained her sight back within two episodes of us being introduced to her. She started walking and moving on her own again within two episodes of her getting new eyes. She got back in shape within a week even though she was BLIND and didn’t dance for THREE YEARS. I don’t care how much of a ballerina genius you are that shit is not possible. The problem with the fast pacing though, is that it made the major conflicts a bit weaker. From my perspective, it would have been better seeing her have these struggles for a little longer because it would have made the romantic aspect a lot stronger.
I hated the romance. I hated the romance. I. Hated. The. Romance. The reason I hated the romance was because I was unable to determine why they fell for each other. I didn’t understand why Yeon Seo liked Dan. I didn’t understand why Dan liked Yeon Seo. I didn’t understand when or where Kang Soo started having feels for Yeon Seo as Yeon Seo and not the doppelganger of his ex. I understood that this is a sort of fated and destiny type of drama, but thing was that everything was just way too coincidental that it was just inauthentic. If they had maybe shown us how Yeon Seo and Dan really started to care for each other, I would have been more compelled to believe and actively root for this couple and want them to survive the relationship conflict. It was because of this lack of showing that had me like “well k…” about all the other relationship conflict that came up between them. I never felt like they were in this desperate/defying all odds type of love. This is why the ending didn’t even make me bat an eyelash either way.
Now with all that being said, you’re probably wondering why I said I was glad that I watched this drama. The answer is simple: Shin Hye Sun. This woman won me over completely. Her acting as Lee Yeon Seo was so layered and intriguing that she was the sole reason I watched every part of this drama. I was rooting so much for this character. I could not turn away from the screen whenever she delivered her emotional lines. The dances were so powerful because of her facial expressions. Everything she did was so believable that I ended up being just completely stunned. Yeon Seo was a flawed character. She ended up an orphan at the age of seventeen with an aunt and cousin that despise her. She lost her eyesight and tried to commit suicide. She had her loyal butler who stayed by her side through everything and then he ended up dying and donating his eyes to her. She had so much loss in her life that it was insulting to say the least that we diminished it all down to “all she needed was love.” A character like this who was being called arrogant, cynical and abusive was such a perfectly flawed character that I couldn’t help falling in love with her. Maybe that’s what Dan saw lol.
So even though the story became sloppy midway and the other character’s and their development were done a huge disservice, I would still recommend this solely so people can see Shin Hye Sun give a spectacular performance. As of this moment, Shin Hye Sun has lodged herself permanently on to my favorite Korean actresses list.
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This drama is a shit show when it comes to actual plot and development. I struggled to get through the last five episodes or so because well, I did not give two shits about this murder mystery. In actuality, I am quite pissed because it wasn’t what I was promised. How much cooler would the story of three serial killers be verses this whole whodunit nonsense that very clearly points to who did it. I have always had a hard time with dramas that show how much power and money influences the ability to have justice get its proper diligence especially when this is not what I went into it to see. All that aside, what this drama strived with is showing the dynamics of a friendship forged over a circumstance. The best part of this show was when it focused on the hospice and their life stories. I didn’t enjoy the writing in terms of plot, but I LOVE LOVE the truisms and dialogue in this drama surrounding life and death.
Our trio of women were a sight to behold. Ahn Eun Jin, the woman you are. The ACTRESS you are! Pyo In Sook was certainly my favorite character of the brunch with a character development that was lovely to watch. I immediately enjoyed her from the very first frame of her in the sauna down to the last one. She was the type of character that even when she was doing something foolish, you knew it was not because of her selfishness. On the opposite spectrum, we had Mi Do played by Red Velvet’s Joy, who was a lot harder to root for consistently. There were deep deep moments of annoyance and frustration, but at her core, you saw the broken girl who didn’t love herself and was afraid to be alone. To my gay queen, Se Yeon, I just wanna hold you. I felt for her almost all this show. I also enjoyed our male lead because he is a puppy and I really don’t care that he killed people. Sorry to you all.
Speaking of Woo Cheon, I LOVED THEIR LOVE STORY. I am sorry it really was so beautiful. This is what I want from a drama that has heavy romance and has the romance as the foundation for the shenanigans. I want to be rooting for these characters and their happiness. For the first time in a long time, I didn’t find the childhood love connection to be a bit much. I truly believed in this love story which is a testament to the actors chemistry because even though it wasn’t jumping off your screen and in your face chemistry, it was so sweet and held the reverence of a first love that I was in it. ALL THE WAY IN IT.
Overall, the good outweighs the bad with this story all things considered. There are a bunch of glaring plot holes, but if I view this drama as just a story about finding yourself, friendships and love while navigating terminal illness then it leaves me feeling better. Very low rewatch value on this one.
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