Good Enough

Japanese Drama '' Usokon '' is a romantic comedy of a contracted relationship between two old friends.

The drama has an unoriginal, but overall an enjoyable story. The main male lead was pretty funny as he struggled to express his true feelings towards the girl and as he was being cheeky behind her back, making scenarios of his own, scenarios that kept failing miserably. The female lead was also enjoyable, though her character got tiring after a while, as she was too much of a victim with no real character development in the ending.

Nevetheless, the couple was cute and the love triangle was nicely handled. However, the ending was ridiculous and so idiotic that didn't make sense if one wanted a more realistic approach to a drama that so far had a smooth sail with its story.

So, overall, six out of ten.

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Good Enough

Japanese Drama " Ao Haru Ride Season ! " is the adaption of the popular manga, which was also made into an anime series and a movie previously.

First of all, whoever did the cast did a miraculously good job. The two main leads, especially Kou, look exactly like the manga characters, which is uncanny.

Also, the drama creates the right atmosphere, light and youthful, which suited the school based story perfectly.

In addition, it was nice to have a deeper look into Kou and his troubled outcome.

However, the series, mainly due to its short length, was like a checklist of the key points of the original story, rather than a smooth plot with the right excitement and intensity, that takes its time to progress.

Finally, the performances were good by everyone in the cast.

So, overall, five out of ten.

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Not Good Enough

Korean Drama " The Uncanny Counter Season Two: Cunter Punch " is the second season of the popular supernatural action drama. And, unfortunately, it fails to deliver.

The story feels too thinly spread, based only on trying to make the bad guys look more evil and their actions being shocking, rather than following the story of the counters and enhancing their strong bond. Sure, we get some background on some of them, but it just isn't enough to keep things interesting till the end. As the main thing, the world built, was already established, the drama needed an intriguing story to expand it, but that didn't happen. In the end, it was a lukewarm drama with an okay/predictable plot.

The performances, on the other hand, were all great and the CGI enjoyable.

So, overall, five out of ten.

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Not Good Enough

Korean Drama " The First Responders Season Two " is the continuation of the action drama involving the stories of first responders who put their lives in danger in order to save others.

This time around, the drama takes on a louder, more extra approach to the cases, with the stories being on a bigger scale, involving serial killers and criminal masterminds. However, at some point, it got a bit unbelievable, too Hollywood material and less the more realistic direction that the first season had taken.

Also, the big twist in the beginning, though it was unpredictable and nicely handled, felt, in the end, just convenient for one of the leads to finally get the girl. For me at least, the romance should have been omitted and they should have kept things more focused on the case.

Finally, the action scenes were well-handled and the performances were enjoyable.

So, overall, three and a half out of ten.

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Good Enough

Korean Drama " Song of the Bandits " is an edgy historical drama that resembles the western films.

The story is about a freed slave who creates a team of misfits in order to strike back at those who want to take over.

The drama has an edgy cinematography, with beautiful shots and lighting, as well as a soundtrack that feels just right for the mood of the drama. The costumes and CGI were also spot on.

On the other hand, the story isn't well handled, with some twists being repeated and some dramatic scenes not being convincing. Also, some storylines needed more time to be fully developed, when others were tragic enough to keep things interesting and the characters to be easily sympathized with.

Finally, the performances were enjoyable by everyone in the cast.

So, overall, five out of ten.

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Good Enough

Japanese Movie " Once Upon a Crime " is a mystery retelling of the Grimm fairy tales, focusing on the Little Red Riding Hood as she tries to solve a crime involving Cinderella.

The movie is a fun watch, with a light mood and an amusing story. The mixture of the fairytale characters was an interesting one, resulting in an enjoyable twist on the well-known stories. Also, this movie was Kiritani Mirei's comeback!

On the other hand, the mystery was boring and too simple, and not enough to support the whole film. There were some cheesy moments as well.

Still, the performances were enjoyable.

So, overall, five out of ten.

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Good Enough

Korean Drama " My Lovely Liar " is a fantasy romance about a girl who can detect lies and a man who is done lying.

The drama starts off strongly, with the main couple getting to know each other and a love story slowly brewing, with enough adorable moments to support the light atmosphere. The mystery of the male lead's past was another factor that kept things interesting for a while, confusing the viewer as to what was his true intentions.

However, towards the ending, things started getting messy. Sure, the romance was cute and the couple had chemistry, even though the love triangle was underdeveloped and unnecessary, but the mystery wasn't handled nicely and it got chaotic. The use of many cliche tropes as well as boring twists didn't aid at all to make things better. The final episode, in addition, felt like a filler rather than an actual conclusion.

Finally, the performances were enjoyable by everyone in the cast, and the fantasy element was managed nicely.

So, overall, six out of ten.

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Good Enough

Korean Drama " My Dearest " is part one of the historical melodrama, following the lives of two tragic lovers that fate and their own mistakes keep them apart.

The drama starts off seemingly like every other historical romance, with some light moments, some comical sketches, and two leads that seem to be constantly fighting and loathing each other, even though, underneath it, there is an undeniable tension brewing. Soon, however, things take another turn. War breaks out and the characters come face to face with its ruthless reality. Hereafter, the story goes deeper and deeper into darker waters, with the drama hitting its pick towards the ending, when the characters have gone through a huge character development, and their stories coming together. The ending, even though its just the end of the first half, was just what the story needed to fully embrace the melodrama.

Moreover, the performances were masterful, by everyone in the cast, but especially the two main leads, whose chemistry was deliciously enjoyable.

So, overall, nine and a half out of ten.

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Good Enough

Korean Drama " Moving " is a supernatural thriller about humans born with supernatural abilities who try to live a normal life, sheltered from those who try to use them as weapons.

The drama's pace feels off at first, but the viewer quickly settles into its rhythm, as the episodes slowly reveal each character and their past, binding everything together in the final episodes, where the tension has reached its boiling point and the big battle erupts. The idea of having each character presented in different episodes before moving on to the main plot was brilliant and it worked nicely as to create the perfect suspense for the final episodes.

In addition, the atmosphere of the drama was spot on, with the bloody battle being gruesome, but the story having enough humanity and heartwarming moments to create the perfect blend.

Finally, the performances were all enjoyable by everyone in the excessive cast, and the CGI along with the fighting scenes were top-notch.

So, overall, nine out of ten.

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Not Good Enough

Korean Drama " Heartbeat " is a fantasy romantic comedy about a vampire and a human girl who have to live together.

The first part of the drama was smooth, with plenty of comical acts, enjoyable pace, interesting story, an intriguing mystery, and engaging mythology concerning the vampires. The action scenes were nicely handled as well.

However, things started deteriorating after that first half. The romance was cheesy and boring, and, thus, not enough to save the drama, that started leaking from its many plot holes. All of which led to the shipwreck that was the ending, which more or less did not make any sense and ruined every plot development that was made in the previous episodes. And sure, I don't believe that what makes a good drama is a happy ending, but an ending that makes sense and doesn't erase everything that one has watched for the previous 15 episodes is a major factor for success.

Still, the performances were enjoyable and the actors did a good job with their characters.

So, overall, four and a half out of ten.

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Not Good Enough

Korean Drama " Cold Blooded Intern " is an office drama about two women who fight against prejudice at their work place.

The drama touches upon many sensitive subjects and gives a nice critique on how women are treated at work and what changes for those who opt to have families. On that front, the drama did a great job, of presenting a variety of cases and using them to enhance its point.

However, the rest of the story was basic office drama. The main leads were the focus, with the side characters being left underdeveloped, the final episodes being rushed in order to have the main plot concluded, the ending was more or less open (could it be that they are gearing up for a second season?), and the twists were predictable and boring.

Still, the two main leads did a fantastic job with their performances. They also had smooth chemistry between them which aided the drama a lot. The rest of the cast was enjoyable as well.

So, overall, four out of ten.

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Not Good Enough

Korean Movie " Ballerina " is an intense thriller about a woman who seeks out revenge for her friend.

The movie has spectacular cinematography, with sharp camera work and dreamy shots. Hence, the action scenes were leveled up, not being just a choreography between the two fighters, but a piece of art.

The performances were also a strong suit of the movie, as everyone did a great job with their characters, but, the leading lady was especially enjoyable.

However, the main problem with "Ballerina" is its plot. Yes, it's a revenge story, but they just left it there. There is a basic skeleton of a plot, with a predictable outcome and boring twists. Only the fantastic cinematography fills in the gaps of the spars plot, something that, in the end, isn't enough.

So, overall, four out of ten.

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Good Enough

Japanese Movie " My Happy Marriage " is a fantasy melodrama based on a popular light novel.

The movie does a great job pacing the story and presenting it wholly, even though the ending needed more time to properly develop, leaving the viewer to believe that there might be a second movie to follow this one.

The film also fleshes out the characters, giving them time to properly unfold and giving them enough background to make it easier to sympathize with.

Also, the CGI was perfect, without awkward special effects that would have ruined the mood of the movie. Rather, they were nicely arranged along with the action scenes. The costumes were also great.

Finally, the performances were enjoyable by everyone in the cast.

So, overall, eight out of ten.

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Good Enough

Korean Drama "Happiness Battle" is a melodrama about a woman who takes in her two nieces after her estranged sister is murdered, something that brings her face to face with some dark truths.

The drama starts out by presenting an intense battle between the mothers as they take up social media to either bring down each other or become celebrities and hide their unhappy lives under an image of perfection online. However, it soon forgets all about that and focuses on the main lead who discovers uncomfortable truths.

What the drama does well is dealing with women who try to get back on their feet, or break free from a miserable life. Their stories and character development were nicely handled and original.

The action scenes were, in addition, pretty entertaining and intense. However, the melodrama was boring after a while, and many cases were easily resolved.

Also, the main female lead didn't execute all her emotional scenes well, though the rest of the cast did a good job with their characters.

So, overall, five out of ten.

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Good Enough

Korean Drama " A Time Called You " is the remake of the Taiwanese drama "Someday or One Day", and somehow it makes it work. It does follow the story closely to the original, but it makes it fit the Korean standards, altering the storyline slightly, but without ruining it.

The drama, first of all, is pretty entertaining, with the main mystery being intriguing and reaching its full climax in the final episodes, which were full of action and twists. The ending, in addition, was just right for the story, bittersweet yes, but appropriate for the story and leaving it up to the viewer to imagine what will come next.

Moreover, the actors and actresses of the cast did a great job with their performances and they handled their characters masterfully.

Finally, the drama managed the fantasy paranormal element smoothly without complicating the story or confusing the viewer.

So, overall, eight and a half out of ten.

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