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  • Location: Indiana, USA
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pktljames

Indiana, USA

pktljames

Indiana, USA
Completed
Meteor Garden
0 people found this review helpful
Dec 18, 2018
50 of 50 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
My first Asian Drama of any sort was "Boys Over Flowers" and I love that drama. So I was a little hesitant to watch this one. Partially because I wasn't familiar with much of the cast and partially because BOF is a ride like no other and I wasn't sure if this version would be able to live up to my expectations.

What I found was that this drama told the story as well (and in places better) than BOF and gave us more information on the story lines that are sort of left out or very limited in BOF. I loved that. I also liked how this series was able to tell the same story but somehow it didn't feel like the totally unreal lifestyles/situations that are often presented in Boys Over Flowers. Again, I am a huge BOF fan, but if you've seen it, I think you will understand what I mean by that.

All the actors in Meteor Garden did a great job. They are fun to watch and work well together. The music is really good too. It was surprising to me just how many English songs are in the soundtrack, but they fit so well, I totally understood their use.

I really enjoyed this drama. I recommend it.

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Completed
Stranger
1 people found this review helpful
Dec 16, 2018
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
First off, let me admit that I struggled with this show. Not because it wasn't good or anything, but because it's rather slow at times and it's VERY tense. It took me probably at least 3 months to finish it. I'd watch a bit, and then need to set it down for a while and come back later. That being said, the acting is great and the story is interesting. There are lots of plot twists and things to keep you guessing.

I'm glad I watched it and I really enjoyed some of the characters. I did miss the romance aspect that you often find in dramas. This literally didn't have one and that was unfortunate because there was the slight possibility of one that I really wanted to see happen. Maybe in season 2?

Overall though, a solid drama and if your thing is mysteries...this is absolutely for you!

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Completed
Shopping King Louie
0 people found this review helpful
Dec 10, 2018
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 8.5
I enjoyed this show. Truly all the actors/actresses do a great job and the story is just unique enough to feel different even though there are some major drama tropes that are often used in the series. The music is different from what I expected because so much of it is in English and that was neat in some respects, but as I wasn't a fan of all the songs chosen also a bit distracting for me at times. But that isn't anything against the show...just my music preferences.

My only real issues with this drama is the "childlike" aspect of Louis. It was understandable at first because he was so "lost", but it felt like he never grew up and, for me, that got annoying. He could make adult decisions and do all the things that an adult needs to do (solve problems, care for his family, work, etc), but his mannerisms were often SO childlike that I found it uncomfortable.

Overall though, this is a drama that I liked and as I mentioned before, the entire cast is fantastic, so you really can't go wrong with this one.

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Completed
EXO Next Door
0 people found this review helpful
Dec 6, 2018
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 10
First off, let me state that this is in no way a high drama sort of show. It's fun. It's cute. It does NOT take itself seriously and if you go into it with that in mind, I think you will really enjoy it.

The story line is fairly simple and the plot is not all that complex which is pretty normal for a mini drama. There isn't as much time to tell the story so it's can't be too complicated. That being said though, I thought they did a great job telling this story. It has more than one plot in it. In fact there are actually about 5 plot lines running through the show which is a lot for a mini drama. The four main EXO characters (the other members are only in it briefly in the episodes) are super fun to watch together and you can see that they are enjoying being together which makes watching them all the more enjoyable. The acting is good overall...some actors are better than others, but again...that's not unusual in this sort of drama.

The only thing about this show that sort of bugged me is that the female lead's character is VERY slow on understanding the situations around her (a bit of a pet peeve of mine in Kdrama) and her BFF is incredibly annoying. I could totally have done with out that BFF character.

All in all though, I really liked it and I'm glad that I purchased it because I think it will be one of my go-to rewatch shows when I just want to see something fun.

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Ongoing 1/8
When You Call My Name
3 people found this review helpful
Nov 6, 2018
1 of 8 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
I should admit that I am a sucker for a good documentary and that is exactly what this is. It's a short documentary that talks with both the K-Pop group MONSTA X and the American R&B singer Gallant. To be honest I knew nothing about Gallant before I watched this show and very little about MONSTA X, so this was a good way to be introduced to both .

This show is short (less than 30 minutes long) so it's an easy watch and it's full of all sorts of interesting interviews. I really enjoyed it. However the coolest thing was right at the end when MONSTA X and Gallant sang together. I expected Gallant to sing English lyrics, but he didn't...he sang in full on Korean and did it well. I was super impressed! Too often, we here in the USA, seem to expect others to do things "our way" and it was so neat to see this American R&B artist join in the "Korean way" and to do it well. Korean is a tough language to learn (I've been working on it for two years) and singing in it is super challenging when you don't do it all the time, so I found that part of the documentary extremely impressive.

I highly recommend this show!

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Completed
My Daughter's Men Season 3
1 people found this review helpful
Nov 6, 2018
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 10
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 9.0
Honestly, I did not think I would like this show, but it's so much fun to watch. The Dad's (and Mom's in two episodes) are a hoot to see reacting to their daughter's choices. Basically, the entire show is just Dad's watching their daughters date, but its so much more fun than it sounds.

The MC's do a fantastic job of commentating and the Dad's range from happy to emotional to frustrated with what they are seeing. I am constantly giggling when I watch this.

If you like reality shows, I highly recommend this one.
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Nov 1, 2018
1 of 1 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
This show is only slightly over and hour long, but I still found myself fast forwarding a little through parts of it. The characters are interesting and the actors/actresses all do a good job, it's just slow. I can't really be more specific than that though because it's not like the story line was lacking or anything. It even has a couple rather unexpected moments in it, but somehow I still found myself struggling to not fast forward.

However, even saying that, it's a cute show and the three main characters are well written and have a story that feels like it could really happen in life so that is nice. It just felt like it could have been done in even less time or else the scenes needed to have a bit more to them.

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Completed
First Kiss
5 people found this review helpful
Oct 27, 2018
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 5.0
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 3.5
This review may contain spoilers
I generally like mini-dramas and give them a lot of grace when it comes to rating them because they are usually so short that there isn't a lot of time for anything too complex. HOWEVER, this one drove me crazy. The episodes were only about 10 minutes long for the most part and I STILL found myself fast forwarding a lot of the show. Why? There are a few reasons...

1) So many flashbacks...seriously. Every episode a good portion of the episode is showing something that happened in a previous episode.
2) Too many dream sequences...Pretty much every character goes through all the possible outcomes of a situation before you actually see the real situation unfold. It gets very annoying very quickly.
3) The girlfriend of the male lead is horrible! Not the actress, the character. The actress does a good job or I wouldn't detest the character so much. Seriously...she's a mess and I could not take watching her make such stupid choices over and over. Then just when I thought she'd get her comeuppance...boom, not so much.

I really can't recommend this one. :-(

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Ongoing 16/32
Sweet Revenge Season 2
4 people found this review helpful
Oct 21, 2018
16 of 32 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.5
I watched the first season of this show and I really liked it. This season was even better because it was a full length drama (where the first one was a mini drama), which allowed for more character development and story lines. It's easy to think that the plot of this will be difficult to deal with since it's about revenge, and I am really not a person who thinks revenge is a good idea. However the reality of this show is that it's not really about revenge. It's about people being made to deal with the consequences of their own actions and that is something I can very much stand behind.

While the first season dealt with some issues that are not often talked about (like mental illness), this season had more common issues. However, they once again did a great job of dealing with the issue of bullying in various forms and I think that is important because in real life, not all bullying looks the same and it doesn't just happen to the "outcasts." I also really liked that they touched on things from the first season and at least started to tie up some of the questions that were left at the end of season one.

The acting is on par with what you'd expect of a show like this. The actors and actresses do a very good job. This is not a show that is meant to be high drama, it's meant to be light fare and it succeeds. Samuel, Ahn Seo Hyun, and Ji Min Hyuk are great in their roles and are fun to watch. Their friends are also a delight with special notice of Lee Ji Hyun who plays Ha Rok Hee to perfection!

The music goes well with the show, though it doesn't really stand out much.

I very much enjoyed this series and I'll probably rewatch it again at least in part.

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Completed
Honey
16 people found this review helpful
Oct 8, 2018
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 10
This might be my favorite Japanese Movie thus far. Definitely in my top 3. The acting is very well done, but the thing I liked best was the "realness" of the story. That's not to say that I would expect to see all the situations happening in real life, but that within the confines of the drama, nothing seemed forced or out of place.

The story is sweet, but not so much that you feel like you've gotten a cavity. The "bad guy" is horrible, but he's not so prominent in the story that you hate seeing him on screen. It's really one of the few shows (dramas or movies) where I wasn't tempted to fast forward through every part with the villain. The reason for that I think was that his time was limited, but important, so you felt like you needed to see that part of the show. Most of the conflicts are just "life" type things that people generally have to figure out and I LOVED that aspect of the movie.

It's a school movie and they do a good job of making it seem like the characters are students instead of some story lines where it feels like "adult" situations but the "adults" are actually students (like a teen who is supporting their family, or the teenager is basically fending for themselves). The main characters both had adult family members who were parenting well, so the teens got to be just that...teens.

I loved this show and I'm sure I will be watching it again in the future.

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Completed
Your House Helper
1 people found this review helpful
Sep 23, 2018
32 of 32 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
I loved this series so much more than I expected to. It is much deeper than I thought it would be, but it's not melodramatic. It's just a wonderful set of stories that are all interconnected in just a great way.

CAST: This cast is wonderful. They all play off each other so well. Though Ha Suk Jin is the title character, he is one of 4 primary lead characters and 5 other sub lead characters that are just fantastic. I think my favorite story line revolved around Seo Eun Ah's character (a manicurist who is afraid of men) and Yun Joon Suk's character (a very sweet young bartender and musician). These two are not characters that you necessarily expect to have fun scenes together, but they do and they are truly highlights of the show...even if they are a bit different than what you might expect.

STORY: This show does a fantastic job of weaving several powerful story lines into one amazing drama. It has several parts of the stories that are empowering to women, but also several story parts that are empowering men to be there for those they care for. It truly does a great job of making the women and men stand on equal levels and to call out when there is an uneven standard.

MUSIC: I enjoyed the soundtrack for this series a lot. It was catchy and added to the scenes in valuable, but often understated ways.

REWATCH VALUE: I'm pretty sure I will be rewatching this over and over in the future.

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Completed
Playful Kiss
1 people found this review helpful
Sep 22, 2018
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.5
This review may contain spoilers
I saw this show early on in my drama watching and it was the first of the "Itazura Na Kiss" incarnations that I saw. Honestly, after seeing most of the other versions (both Taiwanese and both Japanese versions) it's not my favorite version, but I do like it.

Kim Hyun Joong plays the stoic and somewhat mean male lead well and Jung So Min's version of the female lead might be one of the better portrayals. However, while I really do like this show, it's falls short mostly because it doesn't give the full story. Since it stops just shortly into the marriage part of the story, you don't get to see the best parts of the story (in my opinion) which happen after the two characters are married. For that reason, you don't get to see the full change in the male lead or the best transformation of the female lead either.

That being said, the music is the best in this version and the production quality it probably the best of all the versions as well. It's definitely worth watching.

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Completed
I Hear Your Voice
1 people found this review helpful
Sep 17, 2018
18 of 18 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 10
I think I've watched this series twice now. I love the idea of the person who can hear others thoughts, but really doesn't want to hear them. I also like that he uses what he "hears" to help those around him and not generally for his own personally gain.

This show has some fantastic lines that just stick with you and make you smile. The female lead, played by Lee Bo Young, is tough to like at first, but she grows on you. The male lead, played by Lee Jong Suk, though significantly younger than that female lead is able to put her in her place at times. Their banter/conversations are some of the best parts of the show. The second male lead, played by Yoon Sang Hoon, is also an awesome character. He starts out as someone you might find annoying and ends up someone easy to look up to.

The music is good and fits the show well.

This show is just great. There are a couple episodes that I found annoying because I am not a fan of the trope used in them, but over all, I love this show and will probably rewatch it over and over again in the future.

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Completed
Minami-kun no Koibito - My Little Lover
0 people found this review helpful
Sep 17, 2018
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 10
When I was growing up I was a huge fan of the Saturday morning live action teen tv shows like "Saved By the Bell", "My Secret Identity" and "California Dreams." I love this show so much because it reminds me of those types of shows, but done way better. In fact, this is one of my top three J-Dramas so far.

The acting is very good in this show, though there is one character who is just a bit over the top for my tastes. Overall though, really well done acting from this cast. I adored the two leads together. They are just fun to watch. I have rewatched this series more than once and often I just watch the scenes with the two main leads because they are just great fun!

The music is appropriate for the show. I'm not as familiar with J-pop as I am K-pop, so none of the songs really stick out for me, but they are good.

As for rewatchability...absolutely yes!! As I said, I've already watched this series several times and I probably will watch it again in the future. It's just a great show to sit back and enjoy.

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Completed
My ID Is Gangnam Beauty
14 people found this review helpful
Sep 16, 2018
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 10
This show takes an interesting perspective when it comes to plastic surgery. It deals with the "after" of plastic surgery and how changing a person on the outside, doesn't change them on the inside. It's interesting to watch Mi Rae deal with the world looking like a new person while still feeling very much like the old person (prior surgery). I also love that her love interest in the show knew her prior to surgery, so it's an neat perspective that he has as well.

The acting in this is great. The only slight quibble I had is that Cha Eun Woo is noticeably younger than Im Soo Hyang even though they are supposed to be the same age. He's even supposed to be 10 days older than her. However, it's not a big enough issue to affect the show, it was just something that I noticed. Both of them did a great job with their roles as did all the cast. The two creepy guys in the show are exceedingly creepy and the evil girl is horrible, so those roles were filled well too. My favorite characters though (aside from the two leads) were probably the second male and female leads. I loved their relationship and enjoyed any time they got to be onscreen together...or even separately. They were just good characters who were fun to watch.

The music in this is really good too. It was catchy and fun.

I absolutely recommend this show. And if you enjoy a sweet romance, I think you will too.

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