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  • Last Online: Mar 28, 2023
  • Location: Canada
  • Contribution Points: 14 LV1
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Completed
Gu Family Book
0 people found this review helpful
by Zhaoul
May 20, 2018
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
At the time of the dramas release, I knew it was popular but I didn't bother thinking it was probably over hyped. Well, there's a legit reason this drama was so popular.

Historical dramas can be long and drag, but the fantasy element in this drama is the essential glue that makes this drama so capturing and addictive. The romance is the essence that doesn't allow you to turn away and the actors steal the show.

Suzy and Lee Seung Gi are the absolute cutest and perfect pairing in this drama.

The drama is filled with action, fantasy, comedy, emotional turmoil, melodrama, romance, character development and heart.

It's really well done and it definitely managed to hit an emotional chord with me.

I think it's one of those dramas worth watching as a drama fan if you haven't seen it already, especially if you are a big fan of romance.

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Completed
Teacher's Diary
3 people found this review helpful
by Zhaoul
May 11, 2016
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
Words can have a very large impact on us; more than we often care to acknowledge. Sometimes a few words of encouragement can really change our outlook. This movie was truly uplifting. I expected some romance and perhaps a bit of a rom com flare, but it offered more than that. It was sprinkled with a wonderful dose of positivity and perseverance. It's different, but I couldn't help but be reminded of the 2006 American Film, the Lake House.
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Completed
High School Debut
1 people found this review helpful
by Zhaoul
May 1, 2016
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 8.0
It's important to mention I haven't the read the manga, so I don't have anything to compare this to. As purely a light and fluffy high school rom com, it's good. It's under two hours as well, so it has a decent flow and doesn't really have any boring dips. There's a lot of really great randomness in it as well, which are probably taken from the manga, but I can't confirm that. The level of quirkiness is awesome, such as a class room with a hare statue… long dividing curtains in the school and a main character which doesn't hesitate to plow through people and knock them over.

The movie isn't genius, but it's a great weekend movie to lift your mood and give you a dose of innocent young love.

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Completed
Dame na Watashi ni Koishite Kudasai
16 people found this review helpful
by Zhaoul
May 1, 2016
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.5
All in all, I feel this was a cute series and easy to watch. I enjoyed the humor and the chemistry between the leads. I did find it strange however, that I didn't really feel the chemistry until the much later episodes. It wasn't that they didn't have chemistry early on, but rather I had a difficult time reading into what they really thought of each other. The lines were pretty blurred. I couldn't really pinpoint the moment of realization for one of the leads. That doesn't really matter though. And it could be just me. Later on, everything became more clear and I could feel the chemistry through the screen.

So where do I get a meat pillow? This is what I want to know....

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Completed
Zenkai Girl
0 people found this review helpful
by Zhaoul
Jan 17, 2016
11 of 11 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 7.5
Really cute drama. It made me smile and laugh a lot. The story was very frustrating at times and I did feel from time to time that the story was unravelling, but the it was still very good. I liked the role reversal - He was the nice one and she was the one with the stone exterior.
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Completed
1 Litre no Namida
1 people found this review helpful
by Zhaoul
Jan 17, 2016
11 of 11 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
Maybe it's cruel of me, but I wish everyone would watch this. It's so moving and excruciatingly sad with a lasting impression. It really illustrates the beauty of family, friendship and love.
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Completed
Bubblegum
58 people found this review helpful
by Zhaoul
Dec 16, 2015
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 9.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.0
Overall, this is a really lovely drama but it won't suit everyone's taste. It has a very laid back feel and has strong indie vibes. It's not really a rom com, but on the other hand there are some parts that are absolutely hilarious. It has some melodramatic tendencies, but the drama as a whole is very uplifting and encouraging. The character's are very down to earth and very likeable. I like the fact that the character's weaknesses show, but that they also grow as individuals, learn about themselves, get happier and grow stronger as a result.

The romance is unique. In many ways I find it extremely realistic. The actors made the romantic scenes look fun and the chemistry was strong. The type of love they portray is very meaningful too, because it's a couple that was first friends, and really consider each other family. It's not a flighty love, but a deep rooted love of loyalty and understanding. But even knowing this, love is challenging and there are often obstacles.

I think the re-watch value of this drama is high, because there are subtle things that can be missed. A lot of imagery and symbolism is used. The side stories and side characters were also really good.

I think if you're in the mood for a very artistic style drama which focuses on characters, it's a good way to go. If you want something fast paced where you don't have to think too much about it, Bubblegum might not really hold your attention for all 16 episodes. There's so much love and beauty in this drama though. I personally feel it's worth watching. I really enjoyed it a lot. I guess what I really loved is, it doesn't feel like every other drama I've watched; it has it's own lovely vibe. It pops and makes you feel happy, want to smile - like bubble gum.

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Completed
Hotel King
4 people found this review helpful
by Zhaoul
Sep 13, 2015
32 of 32 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 7.5
This drama might be too long, too intense, and too melodramatic for some but it suited my drama watching taste perfectly. First of all, we have a wonderful dramaland reunion between Lee Dong Wook and Lee Da Hae. They were both precious in My Girl, but since then both of them have really matured as actors and their chemistry in Hotel King is undeniable. There's this naturalness to how they interact. Although the drama can be very serious, they have some lighthearted moments which balance the drama.

I have to mention veteran actors Kim Hae Sook and Lee Deok Hwa who were excellent casting in this drama. I already liked them both, but they really blew me away in this drama. Their roles are very important to the story and they both knocked it out of the park. Kim Hae Sook in particular left me in awe. I have so much respect for her as an actress.

Now, it is a long drama and it seems there is always something big happening, so unless you crave ridiculous plot twists that melodramas give us, it's probably not the best fit for you. I felt they did a really good job at keeping the drama interesting and it made me want to watch on episode after the other.

The story was really good. In the first few episodes some of the acting seemed overly intense and I felt a little taken aback a times, but it leveled out and the acting became very natural. LDW had a very challenging role with his heartbreaking past. I thought he played is robotic like character well and showed us a lot of depth and growth as the episodes progressed. LDH is the queen of eccentricity but also managed to show us so much heart.

Since the drama is so long, I don't know if I would rewatch it from start to finish, but there are so many scenes that are worth rewatching and dwelling upon.

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Completed
Hanoi Bride
1 people found this review helpful
by Zhaoul
Aug 30, 2015
2 of 2 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
Alright, so it's not the best but it's short so it's an easy watch. It felt a bit like a soap opera, exaggerated and unrealistic. I think part of this was due to the fact that it's not very long so they had to get right to the point. I did really enjoy the cast. The story is pretty interesting and the brother dynamic is good. I think you could take this mini series and stretch it out (fill in some of the gaps, start the drama with a bit more back story) and it could be really good.
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Completed
My Girl
1 people found this review helpful
by Zhaoul
Aug 30, 2015
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
This drama was quite fun. If you want to watch a classic kdrama, this would be a good one to watch. Lee Da Hae is quite humorous and her and Lee Dong Wook performed very well together. Because it's a bit of an older drama, it did come across cheesy at times, but that's also part of its charm. It has many steriotypical drama cliches and some of the "villainous" type characters can be very infuriating, but that's to be expected and is nothing new with in comes to romcoms. The sweet romantic moments would melt away the frustrating moments. Lee Joon-gi was the perfect male second lead. His scenes with LDW and their relationship was quite good.

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Completed
Scent of a Woman
2 people found this review helpful
by Zhaoul
Aug 30, 2015
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 7.0
This is seriously a beautiful drama. It has a lovely warmth to it. I was scared to start it because the synopsis makes it sound really sad (and it is very emotional) but the love story is so beautiful and the characters are a joy to watch. For the most part, the supporting cast was very strong and complemented very well to the main leads.
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Completed
Wild Romance
1 people found this review helpful
by Zhaoul
Aug 30, 2015
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 4.0
Ok, so the tone of the drama shifts. It starts out light-hearted and fun and somehow turns into a bit of ridiculous, chaotic melodrama but I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it. Even though the story seemed exaggerated and messy, the couple was super cute and I really enjoy them from the beginning until the end of the drama. If you are a Lee Dong Wook fan, I think it's definitely worth watching. I also really enjoyed Lee Si-Young. She is a great actress. Her tomboyish role was really fun.
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Completed
Partner
2 people found this review helpful
by Zhaoul
Aug 30, 2015
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 8.0
This really was a fantastic drama. There was a really nice balance between the suspense of the law cases and sweet romantic moments. I really loved the interactions between the main leads. The story line was interesting and progressed well. The light comedic scenes here and there were refreshing since there was also some intense melodrama.
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Completed
The Heaven is Only Open to the Single!
3 people found this review helpful
by Zhaoul
Apr 13, 2015
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 6.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 6.0
I admit; it dragged and then ended when the story really starts to pick up. Despite that, the movie left a good impression on me. It leaves your mind to wander and imagine how the story would continue. This slow pace isn't for everyone, but I enjoyed the main leads even though they have very little screentime together. This allows us to get to know them separately. It has an independent feel.
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Completed
U-Turn
0 people found this review helpful
by Zhaoul
Nov 26, 2014
4 of 4 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
It's nice and short, so they really isn't a reason not too watch it. The story is mysterious and interesting. They succeeded in telling a story in such a short period of time. This would make a good full 16 episode drama or a two hour movie.
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