Don't bother

This whole show was mediocre.

What kind of guy goes and kisses his best friend’s crush? Sun-oh went and kissed Jojo when he knew his best friend liked her, and Sun-oh’s best friend just lets him do whatever he pleases!? What has Sun-oh done to earn so much of this man’s respect? This didn’t gain my respect for him as a viewer.

Now, I understand that Jojo and her boyfriend were having problems and not really feeling it anymore, but she shouldn’t have done anything with Sun-oh without breaking up with her boyfriend first. Nevertheless, the chemistry between the leads was definitely there, but aside from face value, it didn’t get any deeper than that which was a letdown. If this show was fun, light-hearted and fluffy, I wouldn’t have been disappointed, but seeing as it’s more serious and has zero comedy, I can’t help but find it lacking in that regard. Each episode was just ‘they rang my alarm,’ ‘they didn’t ring my alarm!’ It just seems very shallow.

I wasn’t okay with how the leads got together in five minutes with Sun-oh basically forcing himself on Jojo WHILST she had a boyfriend!

Jojo is just a heartbreaker - she broke up with Sun-oh, for whatever reason, and then blew off Sun-oh’s best friend.

I’m glad they addressed the issue of ‘those who have never been liked.’ It’s no surprise Duk-gu killed himself but I am still confused how he could be attracted to Jojo’s cousin when she is such a bitch! Side note: what windows don’t have safety latches on them nowadays? That must have been an ancient building to allow the windows to open up all the way.

The biggest issue with this story is how does a phone detect someone’s romantic feelings? I’m guessing this show is pinned as urban fantasy? The vibe I was getting from this show is that it is realistic, but for this made-up app to work, it must be fantasy. I feel like if there was a better explanation as to how the app worked I wouldn’t have been so bothered by it. The characters kept saying ‘someone rang their alarm’ so does this mean they were going into the app and pressing a button, or does "the phone" know when its user has romantic feelings and makes it ring? The latter is what I think the writer’s were trying to portray, but it is just too incomprehensible.

There was plenty of good acting and okay music, but this didn’t make up for the average story. I found myself being moved the most when Jojo’s aunt told her to leave the house after having their fight. I was confused as to why the aunt and cousin hated Jojo so much, like how is it an iddy biddy child’s fault that their parents took their own lives and left debt? AND the parents tried to kill Jojo so she wouldn’t suffer anyway. I can understand the situation her aunt was put in, but couldn’t she have been a little more understanding? Heck, if the child was that much of a burden, could she not have adopted it out?

Needless to say, I have zero intention of watching season 2.

-E

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I think it gets worse...?

I feel like this show started out strong and with a good idea but (imo) it slowly went downhill.

I’m such an empathetic person so watching the first episode was very hard, however I was intrigued enough so I persisted.

All of the flashbacks to Dong-eun’s past made me so sad for her and to hear her cry out in pain and just see the burn marks that remained on her skin for life was truly devastating. How messed up would you be if that actually happened to you!?

I just want to know what the real motive for abusing her was. I get that kids bully others to make up for their own insecurities, but this was horrific violence! And the fact that Dong-eun wasn’t the first victim? Why were these kids torturing innocent classmates? I mean, they displayed psychopathic traits but I don’t believe that’s what they truly were as they did show other emotions.

It’s really sad that Dong-eun’s adult life has been planned around getting revenge, but I guess if she didn’t there wouldn’t be a show about it lol. However, it does seem like an awfully long time to wait around to get ‘revenge.’ Practically 20 years! And then for Dong-eun to suddenly confront and talk openly with her past abusers and they don’t even lay a finger on her? If these four bullies truly hated her (for whatever reason) wouldn’t they have just killed her now? In the present?

I have to add that I feel very mislead by the clip Netflix provides as the trailer. I thought it was going to be about Dong-eun carrying out her revenge on the children of her perpetrators. That would have been far more twisted.

I LOVED the part where Dong-eun got her mother committed! Oof I was like, ‘in your face, bitch!’

That was so sad in episode 14 when we saw So-hee fall from the building whilst she was on fire.

Some anomalies I noticed were:
* In the flashback, Jae-jun and Yeon-jin made Ye-sol, and immediately after Jae-jun said something about Yeon-jin’s upcoming wedding to Do-yeong. In the present, Yeon-jin has been married to Do-yeong for 10 years so are we expected to believe that Ye-sol is 9 or 10? I swear they said she was only 8 at some point, but there is no way she is that old! So yeah, the story doesn’t add up there.
* Can someone tell me why Yeon-jin is in prison yet she has eyeliner on? 😂 it’s very minimal but it is definitely there lmao

Towards the end it became very apparent that the writers were trying to make Dong-eun and Yeo-jung have some kind of love story but… it was non-existent. We arrive at the final episode and they just kiss? Like, what? It just seemed so out of place when this drama is trying to represent a dark and twisted revenge scheme. We did not need that at all. I was simply here for the revenge.

Revenge we got, but it didn’t seem all that powerful to me. Myeong-o got killed so he didn’t suffer. Hye—jeong lost her voice which could come back. Yeon-jin ended up in prison (we don’t even know how many years) and she will be released one day and didn’t experience any physical harm?

I don’t know, I feel like the the revenge should have involved more harm and pain inflicted on the perpetrators, like what was done to Dong-eun. The only revenge I felt satisfied with was Jae-jun and losing his eyesight, but then Do-yeong pushed him into…wet cement…? And he drowned? Honestly, it was unclear to me - maybe I was just losing focus. I guess I am happy that Do-yeong got to play a part in Jae-jun’s downfall but I would have liked to see Jae-jun suffer eternally like Dong-eun had intended.

Because there were so many concurrent storylines, I feel as though it is likely that I missed some information or answers to questions that I had throughout the show.

I think all of the actors did a brilliant job, especially child and adult Yeon-jin. It was quite compelling to watch her character go crazy and then fall apart. It was funny when Sa-ra tore her down with the video of her bullying the other girl when they were in high school.

I thought the music was matched well to the scenes, and I particularly liked the rapid staccato on the violin. That was especially eerie.

I probably wouldn’t bother recommending this to anyone, but I’m glad I gave it a go.

-E

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This couple are like a warm marshmallow

I had a couple issues with the story in the first half of the drama because some things weren’t adding up and I felt like the relationship between Louis and Bok-sil happened way too fast. Not in the sense that them becoming a couple was quick (that wasn’t the case at all), but just them living together and even the whole sauna scene - they already seemed so close! Also, I’m not sure who would actually live with a stray human just because they claim to have lost their memory and are wearing what looks like your brother’s clothes. That seems uncomfortable to me.

Speaking of uncomfortable, whatever was going on with Director Cha liking Bok-sil was (imo) a bit odd. Is it just me, or did he seem like he could have been her dad? He wasn’t super old, but I got the vibe that he was way older than her, and especially in his job role too. It didn’t make sense to me why he liked Bok-sil.

In the first few episodes I got the opinion that Bok-sil was quite poor and I didn’t understand how even her job at Goldline could be making her enough money to then have all of these really nice outfits, let alone all of the shit that Louis bought (I know they returned some stuff, but still…)

The thing that confused me the MOST, until someone realised their mistake, was when everyone thought Louis was dead. Like who did the inspection!? Also, it wasn’t clear that any body had been found in the car so I was sat their thinking, ‘How did they not notice there wasn’t a body in the car?’

I liked Bok-sil straight up! Her character was kind and sweet and the actress is 10/10. Same for Louis! At times I found him very childlike and thought he needed to grow up a bit, but he was just so nice that I can’t complain. These actors honestly had some of the best on-screen chemistry I’ve seen.

I loved all of the side characters - most of them made me laugh and they were actually useful and added more to the story. Once again I cried for the grandma when she died.

Even though it seemed far-fetched that Louis and Bok-sil had already met at the 30th anniversary of the Goldline group as children, it was still cute how they came full circle and Louis gave the music box back to Bok-sil. And THAT’S why it said Go-bo-si on the bottom! That was good planning, and this too made me cry.

I liked the songs for this drama - I thought they fitted well.

Overall, I would watch this again. I ended up really enjoying/liking it and I would look forward to coming home from work and just getting comfy with my shopaholics XD Like I said, I had some issues with some parts of the story so that’s why I wouldn’t rate it a solid 10/10, but apart from that everything else was great!

-E

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Worse than the first season

Well, I was very disappointed in this drama and I knew I would be. I feel so sorry for Do-Hyeon. I can't believe that I actually ended up linking Hun and Ga-rin more than the main couple. Don't get me wrong, Tae-oh and Song-i were cute, but I shipped her with Do-Hyeon more than her childhood friend.

The drama and angst with Tae-oh's mum was just unnecessary and very unrealistic. I still don't even know what the mother was trying to hide. Seemed like Tae-oh took it well though, so go figure.

I really don't have anymore to say. Why did this show even have two seasons?

-E

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An almost perfect suspenseful thriller!

What the heck do I do now that it's over!? *cries*

This was definitely one of the best shows I have ever watched! It literally was so thrilling and suspenseful I could not stop watching - probably the most I have ever 'binged' a show.

I was eating this plot right up until the end of episode 15 - to the writers: why did you have to do us so dirty!? Why could you have let Hyeon-su be in a coma for a couple of days, wake up and be happy!? Why did you have to make him lose his memory!? This is the worst trope!! Probably my only issue with the whole show - like it really ruined the whole story after that. He couldn't remember his wife! He couldn't remember his daughter! He could remember that he loved his wife, but that was about it. The ending even seemed depressing, even though it was a shot with their whole family together.

Taking it right back to the beginning, I always suspected that Hyeon-su wasn't a serial killer/psychopath. I don't know if this was meant to be obvious to the audience, but there was always a vibe. I even predicted that it was Hyeon-su's sister that had done the killing because in every flashback and moments where he was faced with killing someone, Hyeon-su just couldn't do it. And then there was a flashback where he was in his uniform and something triggered that it could have been his sister.

Their father was completely awful - I just never understand how people like him are born and grow into something so evil, and for them to then go on and have children!? I felt so sorry for Hyeon-su being forced to be 'exorcised' and encouraged to kill.

The biggest creep in this show was definitely the real Baek Hee-sung. He was just creepy to look at, but then he would bite his nails and that sound! Disgusts me so much I found it hard to watch whenever he did that. Before we even knew he was the accomplice and we didn't have a clue why he would be, I was already thinking it was probably him because what other random person could they pluck off the street? And it was weird how the whole car accident thing panned out. Also, why did he randomly wake up when the mother took the mask off his face? Coincidence?

I don't know if this show was meant to be predictable in some ways, but I definitely got all of the vibes before it was confirmed. Except for that bombshell of a twist at the end. I don't think I will ever be able to forgive the writer's for doing that. Why!? Just why!?

There weren't any moments where the audience should be laughing at this show, but when Ji-won asked Hyeon-su for help in finding the culprit I couldn't help but laugh. It seemed so ridiculous when at the time the audience is thinking it is him.

The actors in this show are actually amazing! They did such an excellent job - so much emotion was portrayed. I was crying by the point where Hyeon-su was on the bridge and Ji-won came to find him. So many of their scenes were heartbreaking but also romantic. The chemistry between these actors was something else. I've never been more keen to see a relationship develop between a husband and wife, but this show definitely portrays that aspect.

A special mention for Eun-ha - gorgeous girl did such a good job of acting. Where are these dramas getting the child actors from? They amaze me!

The music was pretty much perfect. That music that always played at the most heartbreaking moments made me tear up every time I swear!

I just don't know what I am supposed to do now. This show has left a large void that needs to be filled.

-E

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A wholesome bundle of joy

This drama is purely nice. It was fun to watch, warmed my heart and made me LOL unlike any drama I have seen before. Needless to say, it is very wholesome.

It had me in tears just after maybe 10 minutes of watching; the scene where Dong-goo discovers Sol hidden on the bed in her little growth suit. He then has to change her diaper and for some reason expects her to be a boy. From this point on I knew this was gonna be good.

I loved all of the characters. Not one of them pissed me off. I liked how they all had their own little quirks i.e. Seo-jin growing a beard, and Yoon-ah rapping.

Don't even get me STARTED on Sol. She is the most cutest little squish I have ever seen!

Some of my favourite scenes were:
•When Dong-goo wants to kiss Yoon-ah but she is ticklish. Honestly she is so cute too!
•When Sol finally calls Dong-goo oppa
•When Soo-yah resists the anaesthetic and confesses to Doo-sik that she likes him

It was sometimes a bit meh in places (for example whenver Joon-ki would be on a different set), but for the most part it was entertaining and gripped me so I wanted to keep watching.

The sound effects and music made the show even funnier; although it could be quite serious and meaningful in parts.

Overall, it was very lighthearted, nice and easy to watch. Would recommend to anyone who's feeling down and needs to LOL.

-E

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Cute & funny with a dark past

To begin with I wasn't really sure about this drama. With some of the incidents that happened in the first couple episodes, I found it to be a bit ridiculous and over the top. The car scene where Chae Ro-un keeps banging on Eun Hwan-gi's door, and when she chases him to his apartment etc. In these moments I was hoping that the drama wouldn't continue this way. Thankfully it didn't!

When it came to the scene where they are in the toilet cubicles and have a heart to heart is when I felt like it became okay.

The story from the beginning is quite dark and upsetting. I think I might have cried even.

It does get a little repetitive with the flashbacks. I've lost count how many times I've seen Ji-hye on the bed with Ro-un drawing that picture.

I couldn't make up my mind about Kang U-il. The relationship he had with both Ji-hye and his finaceé was weird. For them to get back together at the end was also strange.

10/10 for character development on Hwan-gi's part. I felt like we got to see him grow so much and become more comfortable around other people.

There were so many cute moments that I ate right up! It wasn't the most swoon-worthy drama but it certainly did have sweet and romantic moments.

All of the kiss scenes were exceptional! Especially one of the ones in the final episode where the camera pans around them both.

One part that was really cute was when Ro-un unexpectedly saw Hwan-gi dancing in his apartment. The camera focused in on him when he saw Ro-un and his reaction was priceless!

All of the side characters were interesting and I liked them all. They had a big enough part that didn't stray away from the main characters too much.

Let's talk about the ending. The rain was a little too 'The Notebook' for me, but I was still glad it ended happily. The fact that Hwan-gi danced in front of everyone and declared his love for Ro-un was really sweet, and showed us how far he'd come. However, I would have liked to have seen something bigger or better. I feel like in the end we just had to settle because the writers didn't know how to wrap it up.

The music was great; I don't think I really disliked any of the songs. Each time they played, it was just at the right moment!

I feel like I would re-watch this again some day.

-E

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Is it worth the watch?

I think I went into this drama with high expectations, and I don't think it lived up to them.

Having seen the leads in Goblin together, I really wanted to enjoy watching a drama just about them. In this case, the show included a lot more than just a plot surrounding them. I'm not saying this is a bad thing; it just wasn't what I expected nor what I wanted.

Touch Your Heart focuses heavily on legal cases and even devotes a whole episode or two to the unravelling of a court case. If you're into that sort of thing then it is definitely worth the watch.

The show also delved into the other characters lives which could be seen as interesting to some, but for me it was a little boring and I wanted to focus on the main leads. In saying this, I was glad in the end when Lawyer Dan and Lawyer Choi became a couple. I think they ended up being well suited. Also, their parts were quite funny, particularly Lawyer Dan.

This is my third time seeing Lee Dong-Wook in a drama, and honestly, can he get cast with a different role? He appears to portray a lot of the same traits throughout each of the characters every drama he's been in!

His character in Touch Your Heart is very similar to that of Goblin I feel. I think I preferred him in Goblin than this as his character just seems so awkward and stilted.

On the other hand we have Oh Yoon Seo. I actually liked her character; and I did laugh out loud a couple of times during the first few episodes. I found it especially funny when she came to work on the first day dressed in a mini dress and fur jacket. It was so ridiculous that it was funny.

I can't help but compare these characters to Goblin, but I much preferred her outfits in that rather than Touch Your Heart. I guess because she was a celebrity she had to portray someone who wears more out-there outfits.

Every time the receptionist girl was shown, I kept thinking how pretty she was and was like, 'why are they making such a fuss of this 'celebrity?'

I don't think I was really all that taken with the plot of this show. I mean, a washed-up celebrity that works 3 months as a lawyer secretary to gain experience for an acting role? Really? I know method acting is a thing but would she have really picked up on the behaviour of lawyers when she actually had secretarial work to do? Also, towards the end when she is shooting a court scene, the lawyer tells her she isn't acting it right. Was all that 3 months for nothing?

As for the overall, I gave it a 7/10 as I just wasn't really feeling it and I know that other shows will do better.

-E

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My heart could not handle this show!

Wow, this really is one of the best dramas! My love for these two is as strong as their love for each other. I love them so much!

The story, acting and music was everything!

Where to start!

I really liked how their story progressed with them both becoming professionals. I think the nursing job really suited Kotoko as she is the kind of girl to put her heart and soul into anything she does.

Even though he was a bit nervous for her at first, I was so glad Naoki encouraged Kotoko in becoming a nurse. That moment where he pulls the cap down over her eyes and says, "you better pass the National Nursing Exam in one try." This had me weak - he was finally showing that he wanted to be with her and to work with her, and that he didn't want to wait any longer! So sweet!

A list of some of my favourite scenes:
*The boat scene: how Naoki looked up to her as he said, “so are you going to listen to some ridiculous jinx and get off the boat...or” and the he’s kissing her!!! (Just like a romcom novel)
* When they're sitting outside of the house on the swinging seat and Naoki is talking about how he wouldn't mind having a baby and says, "should we make one?"
* When Naoki declares his love for Kotoko in the cafeteria after realising he was jealous of Keita.
* When he put the nursing cap on her head in the auditorium
* When he talks to her dad before visiting her mother's grave.
* When Kotoko was jealous of his cousin and Naoki puts his hand on the wall behind her and says, “I chose you!”
* When he is about to perform heart surgery on the little girl and he says that Kotoko is the reason he became a doctor.
* When Naoki's lying on the seat and he finds out she passed the nursing exam and says, “I’ll finally be able to work with you.”
* When Kotoko is taking a picture of Yūki and the girl, and Naoki says Yūki is following in his footsteps...poor thing. And Kotoko is like what? But Naoki just smiles to himself.
* The head butt during surgery

I could go on...

Each time there was a tender scene (i.e. the above list), I felt like I had to rewatch it 10 times before it sank in that Naoki was being sweet. Although for the most part he was still quite a cold person, he did warm up a lot towards the end. His warmth towards Kotoko honestly melts my heart. His hugs and kisses are so gentle and soft! Pure tenderness. And the head pats. Wow. Also his little smiles when she isn’t looking is something else. Needless to say the actor did such a great job of Naoki's character as he is completely different in real life. The way Yuki plays Naoki makes him seem like an actual anime character with his slow movements, and when he goes ‘hmm.’

Kotoko was simply the same happy, very much in love with 'Irie-Kun', over joyous girl. I feel like she could have been acted up a bit more. She still seemed very childlike - I know this is how her character is meant to be, but it would have been good to make the wardrobe a bit mature at least. I still loved her character I just didn’t feel like she aged up at all.

I thought how Yuki ended up doing the same as his brother was cute. Although I was a lil bit shook when they changed the actors. The little Yuki was too cute.

I enjoyed watching Kotoko’s new friends.

Can we talk about the opening song!? It is honestly a banger and I like how it shares the same name as the show’s title. I really liked he music box version and how that was played at such sweet moments.

The very final scene I could not handle! They had a little girl!! Ugh my heart!

This season was just as good as the first one... no, even better because we got to see Kotoko and Naoki get closer to each other. Kotoko’s love always remained strong for Naoki, whilst we got to see him warm to her even more.

When I watch this again I’d probably do an episode for episode review as there are just too many points to discuss!

I really loved their story and am sad that it’s now over and don't get to see anymore :( but I'll definitely watch this again some day soon :)

-E

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The most slow-burning drama, but definitely worth the wait!

Where to even begin?!

I finished this drama in 5 days! It was like one of those easy read rom-com books that I just cannot put down!

I am SO glad there is a second season as I have so many questions and cannot rest not knowing what happens after their wedding!

Naoki is THE MOST cold character I have ever come across in either books or television. My God. I knew this one was gonna be a slow burn but I had no idea we had to wait until the last 20 minutes for him to finally get his shit together and make a move!

I'd say for three quarters of the drama I hated him and the rest I shipped him with Kotoko. He was so cold and mean towards her I started wondering why she kept waiting for him; especially when the three years had passed. Plus, he was always quite rude to her which I never really understood why. However, he did have some sweet moments; like when he picked Kotoko up at the tennis courts when she hurt her ankle, and when he comforted her while Yuki was in hospital. And the following scene when they're in bed having a meaningful talk! Those were the moments that kept me hanging in there.

My biggest question is when did he start to like Kotoko? I really hope there is mention of the letter she wrote him in the following season, and wonder if he started to like her from when he read her letter. What she wrote wasn't anything silly - she explained who she was and why she admired him. Speaking of that scene when he read the letter, the whole helping her to study thing was so cute and relatable.

Kotoko, the sweetest little bean. Who doesn't love her? She is so kind, cheerful and very determined. She knows what she wants! No matter what, she wasn't going to give up on Noaki, not even when she started dating Kinnosuke.

I did think there were parts where it dipped into stalker territory how Kotoko started to follow Noaki to places he was going, but we'll gloss over that because we ship them so much!

That scene at the end where he finally kisses her and she's like, 'the second time?' and he's like, 'No, the third time. - You don't need to count anymore.' Ughhhhhh this had me weak! Maybe I'm just a really hopeless romantic but my God this was just soooo cute!! Plus, the rain made the mood much more intimate.

After the routine Googling of the actors I was so shocked to find that there was a 10-year age-gap between the main leads. The actress who plays Kotoko never seemed to grow older even as the show progressed (over the three years). As for Noaki, the actor has an innocent little face that it's no wonder they tried to pass him off as being younger than he is.

Not gonna lie, I was a bit concerned in the beginning as the quality didn't seem the greatest; the camera seemed a bit shaky. I soon got used to that and realised it added a more realistic feel to the show.

I thought I was going to have second male lead syndrome in the beginning as Kinnosuke tries his hardest to win over Kotoko.

I would definitely watch this again - honestly it is one of my top three dramas.

-E

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Simply Sweet

This one gave me Hometown Cha Cha Cha vibes - only it was set in the countryside, not the seaside. There wasn’t too much of a story to it which I felt was kind of expected.

I liked the interactions between the ML and the other guy. The looks that were served were quite amusing. I also liked the Ajummas as they were funny too. The little children were sweet. The animals were cute - I liked that the ML was a vet. I’m curious though as to how much police work got done by the FL as she seemed to be more of a helping hand than a policewoman - although I guess there isn’t much crime to be committed in such a small town.

I don’t get why the FL didn’t just say, “hey, don’t you remember me?” to the ML. Instead she just got grumpy at him for not remembering who she was. I mean, it had been 15 years since they last saw each other.

I’m glad the romance only came about towards the end as otherwise it would have been very rushed for such a short drama. The few short moments we got to see of them together were simply sweet.

The ex-girlfriend business seemed a bit out of place, but as with any drama there had to be a ‘complication.’

-E

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A good historical fantasy drama

There really isn’t anything to fault with this show. The biggest problem starts with me, as someone who doesn’t really like this genre all that much. However, that is not to say I didn’t mind it. It is a very well put together drama, and it is frustrating for me that I can’t like it more.

I struggle to watch Korean period pieces, especially when there is very little comic relief. I get that this show is very much focused on the serious storyline, and yes there may have been a few comical moments throughout, but would it have hurt to include a few more? I guess the writers used Kang-chi and Yeo-wool’s romantic moments to offset the serious tone of the story at hand.

Each episode was very ‘go go go.’ The story moved along quite quickly and I was beginning to think, ‘how is this going to be stretched out for 24 episodes!?’

There was a lot of time spent on the Gisaeng that if some of that was taken out then maybe I wouldn’t have had to spend a whole 24 hours watching it XD.

Surprisingly, I found myself quite gripped after watching the first two episodes and I actually really liked Wol-ryung and Seo-hwa (Kang-chi’s parents). I made the mistake of watching the third episode straight after and the vibe was just different. Obviously because the show moved 20 years forward, and then we were introduced to Kang-chi’s character who I didn’t warm to in the beginning. Throughout the show I did come around to him and enjoyed seeing him get through the difficulties he was faced with. His chemistry with Yeo-wool also played a positive part in his character development. It was amusing how Kang-chi’s character didn’t notice that Yeo-wool was in fact a girl for some time XD. If the directors wanted this to be convincing then maybe they should have chosen an actress who was less pretty (not saying that men aren’t/cannot be pretty).

Yeo-wool is a very cool female lead who stood by Kang-chi through everything and pretty much risked her life to protect him. It was beautiful how Kang-chi protected her just as much.

In the second last episode when Yeo-wool was underneath that spiky bolder I was shook and thought, ‘there is no way she is getting out of this one,’ and then Kang-chi swooped in and saved her! But THENNNN in the last few seconds Yeo-wool was SHOT!? I believe this is the first drama I’ve seen where the main character dies, but thankfully she was going to be reborn. When they met in her next life I teared up - I got so emotional. My heart goes out to them. I feel so much for Kang-chi who had to wait all of those years to see her again. His final line just got to me - ‘my time that stopped, has started flowing again.’ 😭🥺 Honestly I think that was the perfect ending.

It seemed very ‘star-crossed lovers’ until this point, which in a way made the show all the more poetic.

The time skip did throw me for a sec XD. I was like, ‘roads? Tall buildings? Cars?’

At times I kept thinking, ‘what is the point of this show again?’ I kept forgetting that Kang-chi’s mission was to find the Gu Family Book and become human and live a mortal life. It was only when characters mentioned it that I was reminded that this was the main point of the story XD. Otherwise, I felt like I was simply going along for the ride. With the amount of stuff that happened in this show, it felt like a fantasy/historical slice of life.

I CANNOT forget to mention the OST for this show! Oh my god! It was brilliant - probably one of my favourite things about it. So many of the songs were beautiful.

The acting was great - I don’t have any bones to pick there.

If I wanted to be critical I could talk about the bad special effects, but really I didn’t mind them all too much. The purple orbs up in the mountains were actually quite pretty; which leads me to mention the scene where Kang-chi and Yeo-wool are under the peach blossom (was it peach?) and the crescent moon - it was just gorgeous.

Another good point is the costumes! The wardrobe department did a fantastic job! I was very impressed with all of the Han-bok that the women wore and all of the Gisaeng’s hair pieces and accessories. I thought they were all really pretty. To be honest it was quite boring watching all of the other characters who wore the same thing day in, day out. I guess it was just their uniform? But what about Kang-chi? Needless to say, I much prefer a show that has lots of colour in it. I don’t know what I would have done if I had grown up in a time where colour television didn’t exist XD.

Overall, Gu Family Book is very good and I would definitely recommend to anyone who likes historical fantasy.

-E

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Good slice of life

I really enjoyed this one. It was unlike any other I have seen, but God I’ve never wanted to strangle anyone more in my life than So-yeong!

I was intrigued by the story, but it did take me a while to settle into it as it was so upsetting/distressing to begin with. All of the bullying was so confronting and I felt so sorry for Eun-bi. I just don’t understand bullies and why they do it.

This drama did a good job of covering a lot of aspects of a teenager’s life; from bullying to parent issues, it portrayed a range of different scenarios that teenagers can find themselves in. Obviously it is a show aimed at teenagers so I think it would do a good job of engaging them as they might be able to relate and empathise with what some of the characters go through.

I felt for Tae-gwang when he got rejected - the poor guy.

Up until it was revealed that Eun-byeol was in fact alive, I was so confused because I felt like I missed something. It was interesting to see how Tae-gwang knew which twin was which straight away.

I particularly liked Tae-gwang’s personal growth - besides the rejection, I felt happy for him in the end.

I liked how it ended which Eun-byeol and I-an. In general it wrapped up well.

I obviously really enjoy a slice-of-life drama and this one lived up to my expectations.

-E

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Very cheeeeesy

True Beauty started off feeling very cheesy and full of clichés. My biggest question is, what about this girl is ugly exactly? She wears glasses and has a few pimples - literally me and so many other girls in the world! The whole premise of this drama seemed dumb and not intriguing - nevertheless I persisted. To be honest I was pleasantly surprised as it was just easy to watch and the second male lead - WOW. I was living for him throughout this drama. He made it worth watching.

I liked the bromance that formed/reformed between the guys. So many funny scenes that actually made me LOL. The backstory of the two boys gave the show some depth and added some seriousness to it.

To begin with, like in the first episode, I did not Like Ju Gyeong's character. She just seemed very shallow, but to be fair she was constantly bullied. Like I said, I just didn't like the premise.

My favourite scene would have to be the one where all three of them are in the elevator and the boys are fighting over Ju Gyeong and then they get stuck. She shakes them off telling them to let go of her - we are thinking she's just annoyed with their bickering, but it turns out that she really needs to pee. As soon as they prise open those elevator doors she is out of there. The way she lunged out of that small gap made me really LOL.

The relationship that formed between Ju Gyeong's sister and her teacher was sweet and funny. It was ridiculous when they had their wedding and she got her head stuck in the table frame.

I would maybe consider watching this one again, simply because it was so light and easy to watch.

-E

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Good plot-based drama - very intense

Pinocchio is a really good plot-based drama. Going into it I didn't know what to expect, but that first episode - WOW. I was gripped! I feel like so much happened in the first half, but as it went on, like every other drama, it started to lag. I just have to accept that this is the case for all of them XD.

The following are some of my initial thoughts whilst watching the first half of the drama:
• I really hated that the fire was the major disaster. They are literally my worst nightmare and freak me out so much. Edit: Needless to say, I wasn't happy when I got to the repeat storyline in the second half!
• Oh my God! That dude really lied and said he told the firefighters not to go in! I thought he was sincere when he was worried about his workers, but then he lies and leaves the blame for the Chief firefighter!? I hope justice is served. Edit: It was. Jae-myoung really did leave him in a hole to rot.
• So the Mum literally killed herself in front of her own son!? And now the little boy has disappeared!? What remains for his brother!? He has been deserted!
• During the scene where the reporter woman (which turns about to be the girl’s mum) is interrogating the two boys, I actually cried. This scene evoked emotion, along with various other scenes throughout the remainder of the show.
• Gosh, he’s so ambitious reading all of those books of hers to become a reporter. It is so sweet how he likes her. The way he looks at her is just 😍
• Finally, the glow up we’ve all been waiting for! Thank God that hair is gone.
• This show is really proving how fabricating the news industry can be.
• I feel so sorry for Dal-po having to sit through that scene where they are discussing the accident 13 years ago, only to discover that his dad’s skeletal remains were found 3 days ago. What a way to find out they found his dad dead. And then for Dal-po's brother to be on the site? Horrific.
• In the episode when In-ha fell to her knees at the end after realising about Dal-po, I feel like I had a lump in my throat and I could easily cry. This show evokes so much emotion. The only other drama that has had that affect on me is ‘Still 17.’

The second half of this drama was just as intense, but I don't know... I feel like it was a little lame that the reason behind Dal-po's father getting all of the attention in the news was simply because Beom-jo's mum was covering for her people. And then we found out that In-ha's mum was just a puppet on the news stand being fed lies to help cover up the truth? What a corrupt system.

I was glad when we found out the connection between Beom-jo and In-ha. To begin with, it was really creepy and I was like why is this dude stalking her...? But he turned out to be a good soul. His mother on the other hand; thank God she went to prison.

I felt so confused about In-ha's mum. The following dot points just don't add up:
• Why has her mother abandoned her!? What a bitch! She said she didn’t have enough free time to miss her!!? What a total COW!!!
• Heartwarming moment when In-ha’s mum sat down next to her for lunch and they swapped eggs.
I mean...if that's not a juxtaposition, then I don't know what I was learning in English class XD.

Not gonna lie, I was disappointed with the romance in this one. I know the romance was a side story, but there could have been more of 'THEM' :( My favourite two scenes for the couple were:
1) their first kiss - my reaction as soon as I'd seen it: Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! They had THE BEST first kiss scene in my opinion. Everything was just SO sweet! Firstly, she tries to block him and he’s like, that ain’t gonna stop me and kisses her hand! Then he goes in again for the real thing, holds her hand and the small of her back - all while in the middle of a cross walk and it’s snowing!!
2) The ending where they're trying on their bride and groom outfits, and that final kiss! My heart.

The acting was very good - like this dude can shed tears kind of good, and this girl can hiccup on demand, like what? XD. I was impressed. I loved In-ha's dad and grandpa. The dad was so funny - love him.

There are just so many discussion points for this show - I could go on for hours.

-E

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