Reviews

If you don’t mind sad content and are fond of the separation trope…

7.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2023 South Korean Historical romance drama with 21, 60-90 minute episodes. It was originally divided into two parts: Part 1 with ten episodes and Part 2 with eleven episodes. So some say there are two seasons but there is only one season sometimes divided in two parts..

First I provide a Unique Synopsis then review.

Synopsis

Lee Jang hyun (Namkoong Min) is not the type of serious, respectful and honorable noble Yoo Gil chae (Ahn Eun jin) is used to encountering. He is a bit of what we would call these days, a lady’s man but also a “player.” He falls hard for the spirited Gil chae who, as the prettiest girl in her small community, has her pick of suitors. Of course the only guy she is interested in, Nam Yeon joon (Lee hak joo), is in love with her best friend. Kyung Eun ae (Lee da in), Gil chae’s best friend would do about anything for her friend except give up the guy they both love. Eun ae knows Gil chae really just wants Yeon joon because he is not interested and that the roguish Jang hyun is actually a better match for her friend. Eun ae both kind and wise and knows that Jang hyun is actually a very kind and capable man who deeply cares for Gil chae. But Gil chae is slow to recognize her own feelings and does not believe Jang hyun’s feelings are sincere. He has also clearly stated he is against marriage something any noble lady would scorn. Through war and the aftermath the two suffer many missed opportunities and Gil chae weds another man. Despite this, they both have each other firmly in their heart. Korea is suffering as the defeated party under a faction of China and the people are suffering by being impoverished, persecuted, killed and enslaved. Is there any hope for these two who seemed destined to be together?

Review

I do not like sad shows. If you like sad then you would definitely like this more than I did. I actually looked up the ending and it said it ended happy enough so I went with that. But what I didn’t understand is, it may end fairly happy, but it is sad all over the place throughout. Why? Well it is loosely based on true events where there was this Josean king who became paranoid and did a lot of horrible things as a result. And the royals were always trying to poison each other. That is why food tasters were common in many countries among the royalty. It was good for what it was. Wonderfully acted, the filming was amazing, and it was interesting throughout. So, understand that my ranking is based mostly on the fact that it had sad threaded all through it. I would not watch it again because it made me too down. I would recommend it to people that like historical and do not at all mind sad content.

Spoilers

I read that it ends with him losing his memory but that he remembers events around her. But they are together. That is true and that is the way it is nearly to the very end. But, in the last few minutes, he fully remembers her it shows his gaze becoming more steady and he says her name and looks her right in the eyes. So he does fully remember her. But two things about that. I personally hate the amnesia trope in general. And he has not one but two separate periods of amnesia. And, since it ended that way, we don’t know if he remembered any of the other people in his life.

Yeon joon was just an annoying character to me. I guess that wanted you to think Gil chae’s love for him in the beginning was completely juvenile and ridiculous. He was never a character I admired as he was so sanctimonious and it shadowed and influenced everything he did. He was never as thankful to Jang hyun for protecting him during the war as he should have been. If he told Gil chae about that in a “he is my life safer” type way she might have admitted her feelings for Jang hyum sooner. But I think there was a part of Yeon joon that liked having Gil chae romantically interested in him.

Gil chae was really annoying in the beginning. It had a real “Gone with the Wind” sort of vibe as she started as a noble that was very princess like as she was the beauty of the community. Then war breaks out and she goes through serious hardship and has to suffer horribly at the hands of the Barbarians. And it did humble and change her. But then she scorns Jang Hyun and marries the man who lied on the path on the island to basically use her as Barbarian bait. I get that it was Jang hyun’s fault a bit because, even at that point, he did not offer marriage but still you don’t turn your back on someone that has done so much for you and you obviously have feelings for.

Eun au, on the other hand, was such a sweet, humble and loyal person from the beginning, I did not feel like Yeon joon deserved her. The way he treated her when she was asking about being “defiled” by Barbarians made me like him even less. And then when he was a traitor to Jang hyun by leading the soldiers that nearly killed him, I liked him even less. There were just a few moments in the end when he asked Eun au to go with her and if he was still her husband where I think they were trying to show he had come around, but it wasn’t enough. So that wasn’t a sweet side romance.

I thought the Crown Prince and Princess dying was just tragic and unnecessary. Yes that may have been what happened, or close to it, historically but they could have departed and had him live. And then to make the Princess a traitor and even kill the royal heir, just made it Greek tragedy level.

The royal concubine was the evil doer behind most of the tragic events and we did not get the benefit of seeing her taken down. Evil essentially won. And that may have been what happened in the historical event it was drawn from but stories have the opportunity to improve and depart from such things. I suspect the king in the end was the concubines’ son. That was her goal to have her son put on the throne, but that was not very clear.

A large portion of the show was told with the main characters parted by war and other circumstance. I really dislike the separation trope so that being so prevalent and repetitive throughout the series was a serious negative to me. They were apart way more than they were together. Then, they would just get together briefly and either they would have a misunderstanding and go their separate ways, or a tragedy would strike and drive them apart. It was so frequent that the majority of the live commenters were complaining about them mostly being apart.

I guess the ending was supposed to be happy in the house he created to her specifications. But they were always surrounded by so many others throughout that them two alone just seemed very lonely. And it seemed they just planned to live as if dead so that he would not be hunted. But that was sad too. If it weren’t for the mad king and the evil concubine he should have lived out a heroes’ life.

#NamkoongMin #AhnEunJin #MyDearest#LeeDaIn #LeeHakJoo

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It's the journey, not the destination

Exquisite series! Twenty-Five Twenty-One beautifully highlights the complexities of young love and growth in a poignant narrative. Without revealing too much, the series delicately navigates the bittersweet journey of its characters as they traverse the highs and lows of their lives.

What stands out most is its ability to capture the essence of young adulthood—the dreams, aspirations, and inevitable challenges that come with it. The relationships portrayed are not just raw and authentic but deeply emotional, showing both the sweetness of love and the bitterness of reality.

Throughout the series, there's a subtle yet powerful exploration of the passage of time and the importance of cherishing every moment.

I would love to watch this show again for the first time.

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This is what boyfriends chemistry really is

So many reviews of other shows talking about great chemistry but none got actual boyfriends chemistry as right as this one. The MLs bickering, playfulness, teasing, cuddling and overall behavior with each other totally scream boyfriends loud and clear, even some of the side characters comment on this.
The delivery is simply effective and convincing,

Short, lighthearted and fluffy with balanced power dynamics, no toxic shenanigans at all. No character dominates over the other or manipulates. They equally tease each other and equally need each other.

Initially Ki Tae appears to be the cold one who rejected Lee Wan and now "bullies" him in the work place but Lee Wan takes no bullshit and assertively talks back swiftly killing the Jerk x Doormat trope out of the show.
Fortunately, soon it's revealed how they both never moved on and how much both always liked and need each other. Two cinammon rolls really.

Poorly used beautiful soundtracks though, Because of You by Cheero is one of those that could make you cry.

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A toxic train wreck, yet still somehow cute

The story is just awful… yet still cute enough that I kept watching. The first half is a horrible, toxic relationship mess with everyone lying about who they really are. (That part does get better.) Instead of trying it win her over, he focuses a lot of energy on manipulating and trying to intimidate anyone else who likes her. There’s a lot of high school type behavior.
This show is a light watch, with a fair amount of cringe. But it is also kind of adorable. The plot isn’t complicated, so it doesn’t take a lot of energy to follow it. There are no real “bad guys” and no surprises in the story. It’s a good choice if you just want to relax and unwind without getting too invested in a story.
I did enjoy the in-game scenes and wish they had continued more of that through the show. The side characters were cute, though also not very well developed. Of course, Hong Yao is always delicious and I’d like to have seen more of him.
One thing that did annoy me a bit was that the male lead was attracted to the female lead because she was fierce. But as soon as they got together she turned very docile. It was an entire personality shift.
All in all.. I don’t regret watching it, it probably won’t watch it again.

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It was Ok but nothing memorable

i expected to like it a lot more.
My ratings are usually above the general overall my drama list rating.

It was Good.
Something didn’t really connect.
the characters were a little unpleasant.
The male lead was okay. it was the female lead that bothered me the most. I didn’t necessarily dislike her, but there were so many times where I wish she’d just disappear. She was nosy and acted like it was her birth right to meddle in people’s lives, especially Jisoo. It was like he was weaker than her so screwing with him was funny at first until they actually became friends. There weren’t really any emotions that tied you to the drama besides the occasionally feeling bad for jisoo.
Overall I don’t think I’ll really remember much from this drama it didn’t really leave any impact for me.
My rating would’ve been lower if it weren’t for the ending which was pretty crazy.

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Another perfectly funny season

As always, it was another wonderful season. I couldn't stop laughing. Inukai Atsuhiro showing why he is my favorite actor, as always giving a great performance. Their faces and mouths are as always hilarious. The ending was very funny, and there will probably be a fourth season.

Honestly, I don't mind the fact that Mob doesn't hook up with anyone at all. The purpose of the work is to show Mob's struggle to avoid the BL world, and the logic is to hope that he fulfills his objective as a protagonist in overcoming the BL world. This is what makes the plot fun, it is the essence of the work. If Mob gives in, he loses and it's all over, so I like to enjoy this work for what it is: something funny with a funny ML. That's the magic of Zettai BL. And also, everything there is openly manipulated by the author of the BL manga who appears to corner Mob, so everyone can draw their own conclusions.

The idea of ​​the love triangle was sensational. I really liked this proposal, which differs from the previous two seasons, as well as its ending, which for the first time was not Mob about to kiss a guy, but rather our obstinate ML being cornered in that super funny situation for the audience. Points for them! it was excellent!

I love Mob <3

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Review of "The secret life of my secretary". (Spanish, English, French)

(Spanish)
“The secret life of my secretary” es un drama coreano con elementos de romance y comedia. La pareja protagonista está compuesta por el CEO Do Min Ik y su secretaria Jung Gal Hee. Do Min Ik, tras un ataque contra su vida, tiene prosopagnosia y solo puede reconocer la cara de Jung Gal Hee, lo que los mantiene más unidos.
La trama de la serie es original ya que el protagonista masculino es incapaz de reconocer rostros, lo que hace que limite su vida cotidiana y le trae complejidades cuando se relaciona con los demás. Además, gracias a esta enfermedad, irónicamente acaba conociendo más profundamente a la gente que le rodea. La secretaria, por su parte, trata de ayudarlo, pero sin querer termina mintiendo a su jefe, así que su relación se enreda. No obstante tengo que decir que me gusta cómo se desenlaza todo, el guion está bien escrito. En cuanto al resto de personajes, en mayor o menor medida, todos tienen un desarrollo y un propósito, no son un adorno.
Las actuaciones y la producción están bien hechas y dirigidas. De lo único que no estoy contenta es que los 32 capítulos se me han hecho un poco largos y he sentido algo de aburrimiento. Pero, hay varios momentos de química entre los protagonistas, con más emoción de lo que podrías encontrar en otros dramas y hay ciertas escenas que se quedarán en mi memoria.

(English)
“The secret life of my secretary” is a Korean drama with elements of romance and comedy. The protagonist couple is made up of CEO Do Min Ik and his secretary Jung Gal Hee. Do Min Ik, after an attack on his life, has prosopagnosia and can only recognize Jung Gal Hee's face, which keeps them closer.
The plot of the series is original since the male protagonist is unable to recognize faces, which limits his daily life and brings complexities when he interacts with others. Furthermore, thanks to this illness, he ironically ends up getting to know the people around him more deeply. The secretary, for her part, tries to help him, but inadvertently ends up lying to her boss, so their relationship becomes entangled. However, I have to say that I like how everything unfolds, the script is well written. As for the rest of the characters, to a greater or lesser extent, they all have a development and a purpose, they are not an ornament.
The performances and production are well done and directed. The only thing I'm not happy about is that the 32 chapters have seemed a bit long and I've felt a bit bored. But, there are several moments of chemistry between the leads, with more emotion than you could find in other dramas and there are certain scenes that will stay in my memory.

(French)
« The secret life of my secretary » est un drame coréen avec des éléments de romance et de comédie. Le couple protagoniste est composé du PDG Do Min Ik et de son secrétaire Jung Gal Hee. Do Min Ik, après une attaque contre sa vie, souffre de prosopagnosie et ne peut reconnaître que le visage de Jung Gal Hee, ce qui les rapproche.
L'intrigue de la série est originale puisque le protagoniste masculin est incapable de reconnaître les visages, ce qui limite sa vie quotidienne et lui apporte des complexités dans ses relations avec les autres. De plus, grâce à cette maladie, il finit ironiquement par mieux connaître les gens qui l'entourent. La secrétaire, de son côté, essaie de l'aider, mais finit par accidentellement mentir à son patron, leur relation s'enchevêtre. Cependant, je dois dire que j'aime la façon dont tout se déroule, le scénario est bien écrit. Quant au reste des personnages, à des degrés divers, ils ont tous un développement et une finalité, ils ne sont pas un ornement.
Les performances et la production sont bien réalisées et dirigées. La seule chose qui ne me plaît pas, c'est que les 32 chapitres m'ont semblé un peu longs et que je me suis un peu ennuyé. Mais il y a plusieurs moments d'alchimie entre les protagonistes, avec plus d'émotion que l'on pourrait trouver dans d'autres dramas et il y a certaines scènes qui resteront dans ma mémoire.

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If you fantasize about how your husband would treat you if he realized you were dying, this drama is for you. . . .

What if the gender roles were reversed in a Cinderella romance? Could the relationship survive or would the man feel too emasculated? Could he find a way to be a man while being the less powerful, less wealthy half?

The initial premise becomes weighed down with large scale conspiracies, sickly sweet morals about the 'common people,' and lots of sickness/death wish fulfilment. Ultimately, the show is completely unrealistic, full on daytime soap level drama, but with extremely slow pacing.

The two actors have little chemistry, the music is just OK, and besides one scene early on where our male lead rescues the female lead, there's nothing here I would rewatch.

This is one of the most popular KDramas, with prestige actors, and so I've been trying to suffer through but I can't anymore . . . I'm dropping.

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Shiny rock and a skunk!

"There is no future for a nation who has forgotten their history. There is no past for a nation, who has lost their cultural assets."

Stealer is what you get when you mix Leverage with White Collar add a dash of Indiana Jones and Batman and a big dose of "not taking themselves seriously" kind of humour and sprinkle it with patriotism... a very fun watch, with likeable, funny characters and over the top villains!

The plot is not important; a bunch of rugtag solitary individuals are brought together to get the big bad villain down. The big bad is your ordinary baddie: a super rich, greedy guy surrounded by an army of bodyguards/killers dressed in matching suits and ties. He is looking for a treasure that will bring him eternal life of course. And he is completely mad: laughing loudly, raising hands in the air and laughing in triumph some more. An over the top bad guy!

The good guys are a trauma suffering lot: orphaned, humiliated, abandoned etc. So they are looking for a revenge beside trying to get hold on to treasure. Here's where patriotism comes in: the cultural assets belong to the nation not to rich men!

This is a fun, adventure drama: there is a lot of running around, thinking hard, getting dressed up, fist fighting, computer mambo jumbo and maniacal laughter. There is no romance to speak of, glances are exchanged, fluttering was felt but it remained there: the mission is all that counts.

I usually avoid watching previews of the next episode but they caught me unawares and I saw the one for the episode 9 and in that preview everyone was unconscious on the ground. In spite of me trying to convince myself that this was a comedy show so no major characters will die, I was really stressed while watching mostly because they kept dragging it on and on.... The drama itself is not draggy: there is always something going on and the quiet moments are few and far between and usually interrupted by an emergency!

Not the best drama out there but they managed to wrap it up nicely in 12 episodes so it is not draggy and definitely a good watch if you need to give your brain a rest!

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Rewatch Value: on loop

Let me start by saying that the main leads are the life of this drama. Solid performance and well acted characters.
How do you surpass the success of a recent Kim Soo Hyun drama? Easy. Make and even more successful one!
No kidding Soo Hyun, always delivers + the remarkable Kim Ji won = Perfect chemistry!
Chemistry is chemistry-ing that we are all anticipating them to be the next real life couple.

This drama also leaves very great lesson about the complex of marriage life. That love isn't always present and perfect. There would be always be hardship but communication is the key to a better relationship.

Side note: The plot could have been better if the storyline was as original as they want it to be but let's be real here. We've all seen this. Surely, this isn't the first time we see a character suffering from illness. Chaebol family who gets dragged out of their company and wealth and a mother-son tandem which is doing all this revenge. God knows for who? BUT the main characters is the one hard-carrying the whole drama to be very honest. Also, it's just me being to salty because why they tagged this drama rom-com when all we doo all week is cry? I mean all of the QOT nations we share the same tears. Lol

Anyways, aside from that I enjoy watching this so much that I will be rewatching until I get sick of it. Lol

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bom mas faltou algo

eu acho meio complicado falar de grey shelter no momento. eu não acho que classificar como um potencial desperdiçado seja certo mas é meio óbvio que algumas peças faltaram se encaixar. eu vejo que na história existe um drama muito grande que cerca os personagens principais, mas esse enredo parace ser diminuído na obra. eu entendo que ficar explicando background de história as vezes se torna algo maçante, mas quando não se tem nada deixa a história vazia. os personagens tinha uma boa química, uma boa história na mão e todo um cenário/produção muito bom a disposição, uma pena que não foi aproveitado como poderia.

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I've seen 250+ dramas, and this is the only drama I've ever given a 10.

I am a vampire freak, who loves romances when they are dark, slow-burn, supernatural, obsessive, angsty and passionate. I love stories with an ML who is red-flag, possessive, controlling, antihero, badass, or morally gray. I like stories about demons, devils, gumihos, legendary beings... you get the idea.

This drama isn't about vampires at all. But it's so close it might as well be. He looks, talks, acts, and thinks just like a vampire. All that's missing is the fangs and the superhuman abilities. And it's funny that a drama that is in no way about vampires, is the best vampire romance I've ever come across. It just satisfies my vamp-cravings so perfectly.

SoKP is deliciously slow burn. The best slow burn I know of besides Charlotte Bronte's 'Jane Eyre'. An unbelievable amount of patience is required to get to the payoff. But what a payoff. The fire that finally sets off is so hot that it permanently scarred my brain.

Aesthetics and color palate, styling and makeup and costumes... everyone in this drama was made to look incredible. Even the tertiary characters. I'm not saying everyone was stunningly model-hot. I'm saying they brought out each actor's best. This is true on an acting level as well. The directors and producers cared about each actor and actress, about their inner beauty and their natural talent shining through. The execution of this story was almost completely flawless. The casting was perfect in every way. Ling He is so excruciatingly gorgeous, and Bai Lu is beautiful beyond compare in her role here. Supporting cast was incredible and perfectly suited to their individual roles.

The political/intrigue part of the story was interesting, immersive, sufficiently complex to hold your attention, but not overly complex to make you feel muddled and mentally taxed as you watch.

I cannot recc this drama enough. HOWEVER. You will not like this drama if you fall into one of the following categories:

Looking for a green-flag ML---> this ML is morally gray, controlling, manipulative, forceful. There is some throat-grabbing and forced kisses as well.

Like to watch "boring stuff" on 2x and FFW'd during dramas regularly when your attention isn't engaged ---> this story requires your full attention, immersion, and patience in order to experience the full effect of the romance. It will not hold up to someone who is skipping or 2x-ing through parts, because you'll kill the pacing and atmosphere that needs to be established. You can skip some parts in episode 1 to get you going, but after that, I'd strongly advise against it.

This is a very special drama. You can never watch it for the first time twice. So, if you do decide to give this a chance, savor your first watch-through. Watch it on a dark, rainy weekend when you can binge it fully. with the lights out and some candles going or something, and let yourself get really into it. Happy viewing <3

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