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  • Last Online: Jan 29, 2024
  • Gender: Female
  • Location: India
  • Contribution Points: 10 LV1
  • Birthday: December 19
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  • Join Date: September 17, 2012
  • Awards Received: Flower Award2
Completed
Down With Love
23 people found this review helpful
by palak
Sep 22, 2012
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This drama sort of reminded me of Coffee Prince. Except that Guo pretended to be lesbian, not a guy :P It was amazing! I thought Yu Ping was going to be one of those guys who keep mistreating the girl (like Goo Joon Pyo) or who are super strict (like TaeKyung). But he was such a sweetheart really! I mean, come on, he fell for her in the third episode itself. And that Million BillionTrillion-dollar-worth-hot-chocolate smile..mmm. And to top it all, he was simply so sincere and earnest. He didn't even throw a tantrum when he found out that Guo was not a lesbian (unlike a certain someone from Coffee Prince :P). So, yeah, I don't buy the whole cold-blooded-and-ruthless-lawyer thing :P

Ella Chen was hilarious and adorable! Her expressions always had me cracking :D And that reminds me - the adorable little boy from Autumn's concerto is in this drama too! Awww. If only cuteness could kill. And after watching this drama I'm really looking forward to Taiwan's version Of Hana Kimi (I don't think there could've been a better choice for the role of Ashiya than Ella Chen) and Hana Yori Dango (Jerry Yen as Goo Joon Pyo = I can't wait) ^^

Special credits to Jerry Yen as Yu Ping. Lol, sorry but his hotness deserves super special credits. Not just anyone can pull off a pink shirt looking as hot as him ^^ Super special credits to the kids. Aww, I wish they'd stuck around longer so that Guo could continue being their nanny for a few more episodes. I missed them so much! But the story turned another way (mostly involving fake relationships and annoying people). still liked it!

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Completed
It Started with a Kiss
22 people found this review helpful
by palak
Sep 26, 2012
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
Usually when it comes to various versions of a drama, I never play favorites. I’ve always believed that each version brings out it’s own culture and ideals and creativity. But I have to say that ISWAK is much better than Playful Kiss, especially in terms of acting. Zhi Shu is more expressive and treats her better. Like, you can totally tell he’s fallen for her but won’t admit it. Baek Seung Joo was a bit…blank? (although more handsome). Most of the time it felt like he only tolerated her because she threw herself on him. Zhi Shu, on the other hand, was cold but there were still moments where you could tell he was struggling with his feelings for her.

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Completed
Meteor Garden Season 2
16 people found this review helpful
by palak
Sep 22, 2012
31 of 31 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
This review may contain spoilers
Draaaaaged. I liked the first episode and the last episode. But in between I skipped a lot. Daoming Si wasn't even Daoming Si. I mean, he was too mature. I missed the bratty, stubborn, spoiled, violent, Pineapple-headed Si. And I hate how the amnesia thing went on up to the 24th episode. And even afterwards he didn't tell anyone he remembered everything because he wasn't sure who he loved -.- Rainie Yang didn't even turn up! I liked Ye Sha. She wasn't like those wannabe girls from the other versions who pretended to be the girlfriend. And her letter to Loony was the only part in this drama that made me cry (besides Quinghe's Valentine message to Shancai). At least they didn't kill her off. That would've made me boycott this drama altogether. By the way, my favorite part was Vanness Wu and his matchmaking date. That girl was so pretty! I'm so glad he fell in love (: Overall, the series was frustrating but worth the wait. Sort of. Maybe. And I never shipped Lei and Shancai in season 1 and throughout season 2. But after hearing his true feelings that he confessed to Mei (along with flashbacks) I felt so sorry for him! To be very honest, I never really enjoyed his character. Probably because he never expressed his feelings directly and Daoming Si was much more interesting and pretty much overshadowed him. But now I can't wait to watch MARS! :)

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Completed
Full House
33 people found this review helpful
by palak
Jan 14, 2014
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 7.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
I watched this drama a year back and I was pretty excited when I heard all the praises for this drama and learned about the sky-rocketing ratings. But honestly speaking, I left disappointed. And I'd like to call that the generation gap of dramas. This drama is too old school for my taste. I neither find the jokes funny nor do I get why the characters don't confess/move on. It did drag for me and some of those shirts Bi Rain wore were ATROCIOUS.

So why did I give it an 7 overall (instead of a 5 or a 6)? Well, even though the couple was frustrating, they were pretty sweet together. And I liked the acting and the chemistry. And I admit, some stuff was really cute.

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Completed
While You Were Sleeping
166 people found this review helpful
by palak
Nov 16, 2017
32 of 32 episodes seen
Completed 21
Overall 8.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
This is a hard review for me. I love the writer and I love love love Lee Jong Suk. For me, he's an actor who has a knack for good roles and the talent to pull off those roles. He's my favorite! So it wasn't until yesterday, after much introspection, I admitted to myself that maybe I did not enjoy this drama as much as I wanted to (god, I wanted to). And as soon as I let that buried feeling out, the reasons came pouring down on me.

1. The Plot - What I loved about Park Hye Run's writing (particularly in Pinocchio and I Hear Your Voice) was that she knew what to say and when to say it. With Korean dramas, things can get messy and all over the place, particularly when dealing with themes of past and present. She did a fab job tying lose ends before, but in WYWS the story was all over the place. The back-and-forth of the story was really messy and the "past" didn't have the impact it intended. It reminded me of Kill Me Heal Me (another amazing drama with painful back-flashes). I loved how original her idea was but it wasn't articulated properly.

2. Suzy - I have always felt Suzy has potential to be a decent actress but so far, everything she has done has been problematic to me. I don't know if anyone else feels this way but I have spent some time thinking why I don't feel affected by her. It's not bad acting but it's the "cutesy" act. For some reason, Suzy's acting comes off as a half-hearted cutesy attempt. Instead of improving her acting, she focuses more on being pretty and sounding cute. When she acts, it feels like we're supposed to bow down to her beauty or something. And it hinders my experience because, instead of empathizing with her character, I end up feeling envious or annoyed. She has a hard time evoking that feeling of human-connection and understanding in me.

3. Lee Jong Suk - My two points are self-contradictory here. Firstly, I feel Lee Jong Suk is being typecast as this perfect character. In every drama, he practically plays the same guy in  different professional fields and having different life stories. Secondly, he did try to do something new in this drama  by pulling a Jang Hye Jung. He's literally the male version of Lee Bo Young's iconic character in I Hear Your Voice here. But sadly, he does not pull it off convincingly. So basically, he did try something new but it didn't work out well. But he really needs to keep experimenting more. I know he can pull it off and show more variety!

The chemistry was sadly lacking between the main couple. I don't know whose fault it is, but my disappointment was palpable while watching the whole drama. I was waiting for that "click" moment but they never seemed to click. At least not for me.

The rest of the cast was relatively better. I loved Woo Tak and the people in Jae Chan's office. The cases were interesting but not enough. The last case was the best out of the lot and the saving grace for me! Overall, I loved the idea but I wish they had built upon it some more and the lead pair had more chemistry.

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Completed
The Snow Queen
31 people found this review helpful
by palak
Sep 22, 2012
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
Just the kind of drama I try to avoid. I mean, life is already so tough. Why watch such sad dramas and make it worse for ourselves? That aside, the story is obviously beautiful. Really good acting. In the beginning I was really annoyed how the so-called friend died just because he came second in an olympiad. I mean, DUDE, I participated in Math Olypiad once and my rank was...well, let's just leave it to 'not second'. HOW CAN HE BE SO UNTHANKFUL?? And If you ask me, there's nothing more selfish in the world than suicide. Once you die, you're free. But your loved ones have to endure all the pain of losing you and also deal with the consequences of your death. And what Tae Woong's friend did crumpled him and he pretty much wandered aimlessly, drenched in guilt, for 8 eight whole years. He quit school (quite a shame considering what a genius brain he had. Whenever he spoke all mathematically, it felt like an alien language :P). He even left his home (pissed his mom quite a bit. But she accepted him later on). But then he found Bo Ra (again). In the beginning, I hated her. But towards the end she became my favorite character. Ugh. It's just so sad. I don't think I'll be able to watch it again. Cried so much.

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Completed
3-Iron
20 people found this review helpful
by palak
Jan 26, 2014
Completed 2
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
There are plenty of reviews already explaining how awesome this movie but I'm still amazed. The plot is just so refreshing and different but not too complex. It's great! I think everyone would enjoy this movie regardless of age and preferences. To put it in short, it's a sweet love story of two people alone in this world. A woman who suffers from domestic violence and a mysterious boy who breaks into people's homes when they aren't around but only eats and sleeps there and retreats right after the owners return.

The cast is amazing! The two main leads express themselves so beautifully without any use of words. I would recommend it to everyone. One of the finest Korean movies I have watched till date.

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Completed
Protect the Boss
17 people found this review helpful
by palak
Nov 22, 2012
18 of 18 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
Exactly the kind of drama I love! It was funny from the very first moment, till the very end. Ji Sung has officially become my favorite character of all time. In the beginning (say 15 minutes. 20 tops) I found him really weird. I mean, what's with the retro haircut and the bag-pack? But after that, ahahahahahaha. It was awesome. Eun Seol was kickass. JaeJoong was the ultimate eye candy. I loved Ms Wrestler and Ice-cream! And, OH MY GOSH, the elevator scenes. EPIIC. xD

And thanks to this show stopped hating In Hee (from Personal Taste). If you have the same problem, this show is HIGHLY recommended! :D

Special Credits to the Odd Jobs President Cha did during his community service. Lol. Everytime, he said he was busy, and I thought he was talking about some hi-fi President Wallstreet-ish work and all he ended up doing was making children cross roads or scrape out chewing gums or gossiping with ajummas x). And the 'Whoo Whoo' song!

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Completed
Perfect Two
14 people found this review helpful
by palak
Apr 6, 2013
Completed 1
Overall 8.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
I guess Bin Xiao Xiao really loves the F4 guys. lol. First he acted with Vanness Wu in Autumn's Concerto, then with Jerry Yan in Down With Love and now with Vic Chou in Perfect two. And this kid is pure talent, not to mention one of the most adorable things I've seen in dramas. He can make you cry too! As for Vic Chou and Ella Chen, they were ok. Vic Chou's look was same as that in Loving you 10000 years which was pretty annoying considering that that I hate that movie. But he was still pretty funny here and pretty cool as a dad. Although If I have to point out the best thing about this movie (besides Bin Bin of course) it's the amazing place that they live in. I mean, seriously, if he'd just get his place slightly renovated, it would become just perfect. But even as a shack it's perfect! While watching the movie I was wishing the whole time that I lived there. I mean they were surrounded by lush greenery and a beautiful ocean. If I could really live there, I'd feel like I've died and gone to heaven. If Vic Chou, Xiao Xiao Bin and Ella Chen aren't enough reasons to pick this up, watch it for the house! Haha.

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Completed
In Time with You
19 people found this review helpful
by palak
Feb 1, 2013
13 of 13 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
I wouldn't recommend it to you if you like fast-paced, why-aren't-they-together-already sort of dramas. This drama requires patience (not that I'm saying I was much patient with their progress. But I didn't skip anything. Haha :P). Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying you'll get bored. There is plenty of stuff to keep you hooked. For instance, You Qing's parents and siblings and classmates are hilarious!

The story is quite simple and slow actually. A couple of friends who swear to never get romantically involved. Da Ren is the sweetest and the most considerate drama character (male) I have come across. Seriously, all the guys of the world should watch this and take notes on how to treat a girl. You Qing is amazing. She is an awesome person and most of the time she doesn't even realize this. She sees herself as cold and bitchy when she's actually very caring. And as for Wei (Sunny Wang) I don't know about you guys but for me, the guy's a creep and a perv. Seriously, even when he's being all serious and sincere I can't contain myself from rolling my eyes. And those tattoos are no joke! Scared the hell out of me when I first saw them. But overall, great acting by everyone. No wonder they bagged so any awards this year. Highly deserved.

Coming to the music - I love it. Especially the song that Da Ren wrote :)) I'm definitely going re-watch this. Especially all the funny moments and the cute moments. Might skip all the stiff with Ding Li Wei though :P

Ok, I've changed my mind. I would recommend it to everyone. If you're in a dilemma over this drama I'd say - GO FOR IT! And if you're in a dilemma whether you should continue watching this drama, I'd say DON'T GIVE UP! Really, the ending would be worth it. After all, all's well that ends well, right? ;)

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Completed
A Love to Kill
24 people found this review helpful
by palak
Jan 30, 2014
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
I must say I liked Rain much better in this drama than Full House (the only other Rain-Drama I have watched). His character was really impressive and kind of reminded me of So Ji Sub in I'm Sorry I Love You. And now that I think about it, I've never seen Shin Min Ah in a normal role before. She's either a ghost or a gumiho and haven't watched any of her movies. I loved her in this too! Her character was weak at times but mostly it was too cute for words. Shin Min Ah has this style that leaves everyone adoring her. I loved everyone's acting, especially Bok Gu's hyung. He was so good at what he did.

The only slump for me was the plot. It was a great plot, beautiful and touching. But the end was..ridiculous. It was stupid. I didn't even cry. All I was thinking was "Are you kidding me?". If that's the kind of end they were supposed to have, why go through so much hassle? I was real disappointed with the end. But overall the plot was good. I might've given this drama a 9 if they had a different ending. I'm not even asking for a happy ending exactly. Just something that makes more sense.

The OST was really good and powerful. The kind that attracts you with it's beautiful voices, not the catchy music. It was great and I want it on my phone!

Overall I feel people should give this drama a try. It's a little underrated here on MDL.

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Completed
The Heirs
68 people found this review helpful
by palak
Aug 23, 2015
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
Before going straight for the "Not Helpful" button", give me a chance.

Today I read a comment on Facebook that said "Life is too short to say you don't like Taylor Swift" and although I don't particularly care for Taylor Swift, that post directly inspired me to write this review. Because life is too short to say you don't like The Heirs (especially when you love it).

When this drama was announced, to say that we were merely excited would be the understatement of the year. We were anxious, ecstatic, overjoyed. The perfect cast. The perfect writer. The perfect synopsis. Everybody would constantly post things on the page, coming up with various scenarios and plot developments (there was one where Woo Bin ends up with Lee Min Ho, my favorite, haha). It even became the highest rated show on MDL BEFORE EVEN AIRING. With each passing day expectations grew bigger and bigger. And then when it finally aired, they crashed. For most people anyways.

I was getting tired waiting for this "epitome of perfection" show and along the way my expectations dropped and I didn't care much for it anymore because of all the hype. But of course I picked it up (Lee Min Ho and the writer of Secret Garden. The most perfect combination). And I LOVED IT.

The story was a bit cliche but the way it is presented is wonderful. On the surface, it's a story of a rich boy falling for a poor girl. To make things more cliche, the girl is the maid's daughter. And then the maid is mute. Throw in high school bullies, ex-best-friend after the girl (also rich), a best friend of the girl who protects her (but is 'poor', so he is not a suitor). CLICHES CLICHES CLICHES. But the way the story is presented is a breath of fresh air. The kind of humor that is used is just awesome. There are so many instances I want to add here but they would spoil. The humor used here is something you have seen in Secret Garden and A Gentleman's Dignity. The writer has written a formulated story but she is true to her style and that made this drama extremely special. It's like she is saying "Let me twist these cliches around and present them with a new point of view". And it worked (for me anyways).

Coming to characters. This is the difficult part. I must confess I have a huge crush on Lee Min Ho (and admit it, you've had it too at some point of your drama-watching career). Kim Tan is someone you would either love or hate. There is seriously no in-between. You would expect him to be someone like Gu Jun Pyo but Kim Tan is a mature version of Jun Pyo. Somebody who has bullied others in the past but now wants to live a more meaningful life. But the similarity is the kind of devotion to his girlfriend that he brings to life again, that would definitely remind you of BOF. Aside from his atrocious wardrobe I loved his character. Park Shin Hye's finest role would always be Pinocchio. But here, she is not half-bad. I mean, sure, she has been given a typical role of a damsel in distress, working hard, being chased by rich guys. But she is good in her role. It is much better than Flower Boy Next Door. Choi Young Do stole the thunder. I loved Woo Bin in School 2013 but I fell in love with him here. I have lost count of the number of times I wanted him to get the girl or have the happiest ending of them all. He was the rough diamond of the show. The biggest surprise. Had all of us gushing and swooning.

The rest of the characters were also awesome. The adults. The relationship between Kim Tan and Eun Sang's moms was endearing and a high note of this show. But I seriously feel the Kim Tan's "on-paper" mom was wasted here. She was unforgettable in Secret Garden. Lee Bo Na was another amazing character (no wonder Krystal landed a main role right after this drama, she was seriously too good here). I loved Secretary Yoon and his son. I had a hard time seeing Min Hyuk as the smartest guy after watching him in heartstrings but he did a great job. Kim Tan's brother was great, I loved their relationship journey. Kim Ji Won held her own. Kang Ha Neul and Im Ju Eun seemed a little wasted on this show. But overall everyone was great.

The music was something that stayed with me for a long time after the show ended. Usually I download a couple of songs from a drama I love but here I downloaded all of them because I was obsessed with the OST. My personal favorite was "Crying Again" by Moon Myung Jin. And of course it was fun to guess whether "Love is the moment" is going to start playing or "love is feeling" in the background. lol.

I have rewatched this show twice already so the rewatch value is a solid ten for me.

In conclusion, I would like to say that this drama tries to give a lighter and realistic feel to the cliches and shows us non-cliche consequences of the cliches. Like the way Eun Sang's mom uses her notebook is hilarious. A typical drama would portray her as a pitiful character but she is funny and strong in her own way and holds her own despite her poverty. This drama is really great if you let go of your expectations. I honestly feel it deserves a higher average rating than it has, but then again it's just my opinion and everyone is entitled to their own. I can only express how this show made me feel and the feeling is really great.

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Completed
Gu Family Book
26 people found this review helpful
by palak
Jun 27, 2013
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
I started this drama for obvious reasons - Lee Seung Gi and Suzy. But this drama instantly gripped me with the parents' story. Before I knew it, I was gushing over Wol Ryung's cuteness and crying over his sad 'demise'. For me, Wol Ryung and Seo Hwa had a truly classic and epic love story. Coming to the other cast, Kang Chi is like my role model now. He's just so pure and righteous, without ever acting superior. And Yeo Wool was just the kind k-drama lead that I love. She never annoyed me and I just loved her kickass-ness. It was weird seeing Sung Joon in a supportive role after his amazing performance in Shut up! Flower Boy Band. But I loved him as Gon too :)

I think this drama had the right balance of suspense, comedy, fantasy and romance.

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Completed
The Master's Sun
21 people found this review helpful
by palak
Oct 19, 2013
17 of 17 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 10
Rewatch Value 6.0
So this was supposed to be a mixture of romance, comedy and horror. But they failed to mention what a tear-jerker it was! I was bawling my eyes out practically in every episode, whether to sympathize with the ghosts or Gong Shil.

Acting wise the drama was pretty good. I enjoyed everyone's parts. But quite surprisingly I enjoyed Little Sun's part the most! She was so funny at times, even though she could be a little annoying. But I was really happy with her ending. I liked the main couple too. But somewhere it felt like So Ji Sub's character was being made to act like Dokko Jin (The Greatest Love) and that sort of ticked me a bit. Don't get me wrong - I love So Ji Sub! I'm sorry I love you (starring him) was the first drama I ever watched and it's like First Love, you can never forget it. It's just that Dokko Jin is EPIC. Every line coming outof his mouth is classic and no one can pull that kind of role better than Cha Seung Won. So somewhere along the way I couldn't stop myself from making comparisons.

And not just So Ji Sub's character, I was also left making comparisons in a lot of other aspects. Like how The Greatest Love was funnier and had a sweeter ending. I think this is the only reason I'm giving this drama 9s. Because in my eyes it can't surpass The Greatest Love.

But it does surpass it in one aspect. Music. I just love the entire OST on this drama. In fact, if you ask me, this drama has the best OST so far this year. The songs made it top 10 billboard too and it' fully deserved.

The rewatch value is a bit low for me, because I won't really come back for any funny scenes. I might come back for a few ghost stories that were super touching. I might come back for Kang Woo and little sun. And the aunt and her awesome husband! But that's all for me.

Overall this is a good drama. Much, much better than Big, but I think other Hong sister dramas are funnier. Nonetheless this drama deserves a good average, despite being a tad bit overrated.

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Completed
Hanazakari no Kimitachi e
21 people found this review helpful
by palak
Sep 22, 2012
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
I love everyone (EVERYONE) in this drama. They're all so random and so goofy! And Fun! Like, they don't sit around even for a second. Always creating nuisance, fighting each other, following ridiculous plans. xD I can't choose anyone. All of them ARE HILARIOUS! Well, except Sano (RUI.RUI.RUI.) who is kinda shy. But he has funny moments too. And he's so CUTE! And athletic! :o

And I think while Koreans are best at making dramas about love, Japanese are the best in making dramas about friendship. :)

Special credits to Nakatsu and the times when he's talking to himself with gestures. AHAHAHAHA. Gets me every single time! And the Panty-On-The-Head-I'm-Not-Homo dance. OH GOD!! Super special credits to the the dorm leaders' reaction on seeing a girl in the school. EPIC!!! xD xD xD

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