Ongoing 4/12
The Story of Park's Marriage Contract
7 people found this review helpful
by bluer_
Dec 5, 2023
4 of 12 episodes seen
Ongoing 3
Overall 9.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 7.5

Great acting by Lee seyong yet again!!

I went in without knowing anything about the story nor the cast and unexpectedly found out that the main female lead is Lee Seyong and WOW let me tell you how surprised I was. She did such a great job with this type of drama or tbh any type really. Her comedic timing is just on point. The story is actually better than I expected? like it actually makes me care about what's going to happen next. Really really really recommend this to anyone who wants to lost themselves in a light hearted, fun and extremely entertaining drama.
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Completed
My Dearest
1 people found this review helpful
by MOA
Dec 5, 2023
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.5

I CAN HEAR THE SOUND OF THE FLOWERS

STORY
THIS was a heartfelt story of two people that can not really understand themselves the story is really captivating and you will not get bored. It's truly out of this world. It does not on me have romance but they is also action and very realistic and dad moments .

Characters
1 What can I saw about the character I loved each one of them so very much but my heart leans more toward the main male lead Lee Jang Hyun ( Namkoong Min) that man character was out of this world. He is so true to his feelings and he was good perfect man in everyway. The way he spoke to the female lead all the time and you could see his love for
Yu Gil Chae in the way he looked at her. His courage to wear his heart on his sleeves was truly amazing.
2 Yu Gil Chae she is one of my fav female lead in k drama because she was not the typical nice, loving kind of lady. Her personality is strong and she fights for 2hat she wants but when it comes to following her Harry she is just not good at that which is really sad

Overall I love all the characters and they way they the make the story come to life

MUSIC
I love the ost so very much I think it goes very well with the story.


CONCLUSION
I feel like overall the whole drama is a must Whatch it makes you feel so many emotions. Without giving to much it really shows that feeling are very hard to express and act on it shows that sometimes our heart wants one thing but the head wants safety

Should Whatch

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Completed
Sweet Home Season 2
3 people found this review helpful
by Nanu_
Dec 5, 2023
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.0
Story 3.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 2.0

can say a bit boring ?

i don't know if you noticed that the theme of season 2 was very very much copied from alice in the boardland ,
eun yoo was looking just like the main lead acctress of alice in the board land . The storyline was also very cheap or we can say complicated , i mean why more character and the death of original cast without any reason .. ..............................................................................................................................i don't know if people notice but the theme of season 2 was very very much copied from alice in the boardland ,
eun hu was looking just like the main lead acctress of alice in the board land . The storyline was also very cheap or we can say complecated , i mean why more character and the death without any reason of season 1 character .i don't know if people notice but the theme of season 2 was very very much copied from alice in the boardland ,
eun hu was looking just like the main lead acctress of alice in the board land . The storyline was also very cheap or we can say complecated , i mean why more character and the death without any reason of season 1 character .i don't know if people notice but the theme of season 2 was very very much copied from alice in the boardland ,
eun hu was looking just like the main lead acctress of alice in the board land . The storyline was also very cheap or we can say complecated , i mean why more character and the death without any reason of season 1 character .

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Completed
Love and Redemption
0 people found this review helpful
by anitfa
Dec 5, 2023
59 of 59 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

A Rare Drama with Perfect Cunning Antagonists and Wise Conflict Resolution

There is no use to repeat what other reviewers have pointed out. The romance of this drama is glorious. The love theme is crystal clear and strong. So, lets take other perspectives which are rarely taken for discussion. It is one among only view C-dramas with deep exploration of righteousness and evil, and perfect story execution.

Story wise, this drama is not boring at all. 59 episodes are truly intimidating, but there are things in the story that keep us in the edge of our seats. For some aspects, it is not so different from other xianxia (Chinese fantasy genre). There are four realms (mortal, demon, devil, and heaven), five "righteous" sects of mortal cultivator, a great war in the past, fallen god of war and demon, martial arts tournament, an adventure exploring the realm, facing villains, and heading to cosmic war to defeat the final strongest villain. However, few things make it really different. First, good team building and teamwork. This drama starts by telling the friendship of four teenagers: Yu Sifeng, Chu Xuanji, Chu Linglong, & Zhong Minyan. Later, the group grows bigger (add Little Yinhua the snake and Ruo Yu) and they (six people) go adventure together. Almost all problems they face are solved together, sometimes with the help senior supporting characters. All characters have their own unique contribution and nobody are suddenly missing mid game or just left without explanation.

Second, the story is so consistent to its theme: love and redemption. There are several sub love stories aside the main pairs and all are finished well. Love to the romantic partner, love to family and friends, love to community/ sect group, love to the realm and other being. None of them involves love triangles, jealousy, and competition to grab other person's lover. Love is depicted as something a person must be true, loyal, selfless, and devoted to, and experienced with consent and acceptance. Also, there are several redemption stories that make viewer super satisfied with the ending. The happy ending in this drama is not merely defined by each/ main character's love life, but also reward and punishment each character received as their karma. Everyone get what they deserve justly.

Third, the villain/ antagonists in this drama is so brainy, charismatic, powerful, and good looking (Yuan Lang and Hao Chen). They are so sly, cunning, manipulative, meticulous, and careful. They think before act and always prepare back-up plan. They are so successful so that they can survive until the last episode. They characterization is perfect. Yuan Lang is so mysterious behind his mask and his inner states are well depicted through the movement of his fan. He never lose his composure. He is ambitious, confident, independent, daring, cold, non-emotional, scary, and ruthless. His emotional expression, like when he kneeled before Sifeng fearfully, is just an act. He never shows his true heart. He manipulate people with his rational/ logical words His enemy is the deity. Mean while, Hao Chen is a moralist, ambitious, and self-righteous. His enemy is Sifeng. He has egoistic personality and believes that he is righteous and never wrong. He manipulates other, especially Xuanji, through victimization of himself and finding Sifeng wrongdoings. He is a great liar and full of prejudice. Also, we have fake antagonists: just tragic characters that have goodwill but without means to achieve it, or a person that is (seemingly) bad in the past and later he turns good after experiencing betrayal.

Four, the conflict is very well developed. We never know the real problems until later. It is surprising that the story turns from mortal vs demon to demon/ devil vs deity. The scale of the conflict is grand, built from bottom to up. At first, it is just a quest to find the shards of a magic mirror to help Xuanji becoming a normal person. At the same time, a mysterious sect is searching four keys to release a demon. Slowly, the real identity of Xuanji is revealed, and surprisingly, the real identity of Sifeng. Midway, the story turns into a star-crossed lover story, a forbidden love between a demon and a mortal. It is getting bigger when all things are related to the greatest threat of the realm. Near the end, actually the story is a tragic one. The god of war is an anti-hero. The overall story of Xuanji is her way to redemption. In the end, it becomes revenge vs forgiveness, to force a change vs to let it flow with nature/ fate. Truly, a daoist story. Interestingly, the story ends in Heavenly Palace. The Heavenly Emperor is a wise person and becomes part of the conflict resolution. From the beginning, he already tried to solve to problem with the help of his son to guide the god of war through her tribulations and to achieve redemption.

***
Honestly, I watched this drama after Till the End of The Moon's fan comparing Tantai Jin and Sifeng, who is the king of blood vomiting. It is hilarious because I am really curious after that. IMO, Sifeng's blood vomit is more realistic because it is caused by apparent severe injuries, like heart stabs and heavy physical torture. So, the blood is expected. And he didn't start to vomit blood in early episodes. His vomits in later episodes indicate the intensity of danger, his physical limit, and that he is almost died/ very sick. That bloods along with facial expression and face complexion, send a visual message that he is really in pain.

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Completed
Sweet Home Season 2
2 people found this review helpful
Dec 5, 2023
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 6.0

Sweet Home 2; Is It A ‘ Sweet’ Sequel?



Like most drama fans and readers of Sweet Home, I was a little hesitant hearing about a sequel season to the original series. While the original series was interesting ( though a little flawed) in its own ways, deviation can often be a rocky road and has been proven especially in recent months with sequels to beloved shows .

However, Sweet Home 2 surprisingly took onboard someone of ite faults to create something which was very different from its original source. Is this a bad thing per say? No. In fact, director Lee Eung Bok really did seem to have fun with world-building outside of the apartment complex and introducing new and potentially compelling characters. Did it make the second season feel a bit like a filler before the finale season? Yes, it did a little. (For those who haven’t seen season one, I will try my best to keep this spoiler free but be warned in saying I will be comparing some characters and referencing general knowledge from both seasons. )

Season two picks up pretty much where season one left off. Now facing seperate threats, Hyun Su ( Song Kang) and the surviving Green Home Apartment residents
find that there are worst things than monsters outside of the apartment complex...

Season two is arguably a lot more action-orientated than the original season and source material which definitely has its advantages and disadvantages. On one hand, the series had a feeling of an adrenaline rush, while also being able to be engaging enough for audiences to see new characters introduced. However, while I do praise the series for showing us more versatility in fights and powers of some of the monsters and characters , it was noticeable that the sequel was lacking a little in something which made the series feel more rushed than in season one; suspense and tension.

Evidently with a new setting and place, it was apparent to see Lee Eung Bok trying to take a leaf out of dystopian works such as The Last of Us and Resident Evil in some of the more apparent world-building, disturbing creatures , combat and characters onscreen. However one thing which made both pretty successful in execution as horror-dystopian works came through a good balance between dreading suspense and action.

Sweet Home 2 often seems to struggle a little with attaining this balance. A creature would often come out, mass hysteria and fighting ensues then that’s pretty much it. ( Though praise in a few scenes in the show which allowed some more moral questions to come through .)

While it’s fun to have some action scenes, it’s fair to say most viewers probably were expecting a lot of what was going to happen before it did. When the series did try and surprise us, it rarely had a great impact as a result.

Ironically while season one often struggled with the opposite issue ( not enough adrenaline at times), it did attain one element right by creating tension. Alongside Hyun-Su, you were never entirely sure what was going to await your eyes when he turned a corner or opened a door and you found yourself on edge in a way season two could not quite replicate. Hopefully season three will be able to find a middle ground between both past seasons.

Going into one of the major topics of Sweet Home Season 2 comes through acting and character writing. On the acting front, Sweet Home 2 is fairly good. There are certainly a few wooden deliverances here and there, but there are some particularly outstanding performances by Jung Jin-Young as soldier Park Chan-young, Kim Si-a as the mysterious child, Go Min Si as Lee Eun Yoo and of course, Lee Jin Wook as Pyeon Sang wook.

Character writing was a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand there’s a lot of really interesting characters introduced in the series. However at the same time, it felt as though Sweet Home 2 overcommitted a little to introducing too many characters at once and not enough time to develop both original characters and newcomers alike.

Lee Hyun Su is a classic example in the series. As the actual protagonist and considering how much he went through in the first season, Hyun Su has very little screen time. On one hand, this does seem to be purposeful as the second season did seem more focused drawing upon external forces and how this will influence the later course of the plot. However at the same time when the writing tries to really make us feel or emphasise with his struggles, it didn’t really land as well because we had not really seen or explored how his character had grown onscreen and in the sudden time skip also.

Lee Eun Yoo and Sang Wook, familar faces from season one, go through quite a significant character change in season two which was an engaging part of the story. However similar to Hyun Su, they aren’t really given enough time to be developed onscreen. A lot of the original residents are often put on the back burner a little when it comes to some of the new characters.

Newcomer Park Chan-Young is a really engaging character who arguably had one of the most interesting motives in the series. While he did suffer from lack of screen time, hopefully season three will allow him more character development. Similarly, the mysterious child and Chief Ji (Kim Shin-rok), two of the show’s biggest potential plot points,were underdeveloped but could be explored more next season.


While there are definitely some interesting new characters, there are some very debatable ones introduced such as Hani (Chae Won-bin), Ho-sang (Hyun Bong-sik) and Ye-seul (Yang Hye-ji). Ye-Seul isn’t particularly a bad character per say and is used mainly in the show for some laughs. However, she is never really given anything beyond being the comic character despite being quite heavily featured in some scenes and shown to have a significant character relationship. On the other hand Hani and Ho-Sang are a little more convoluted. They are meant to be more antihero figures in the series, but rather than having more morally ambiguous roles or counteracting what characters think of them, they often play into being downright problems for the plot. In addition to this, anything to do with their relationship or even backstory is pretty much brushed over completely.


The execution of the series is definitely very fast in parts, and slower in others for introducing characters or some exposition, but does struggle with feeling very rushed. This is odd conserving how much time the series could have spent building on its two main plot lines. Although it’s apparent the series was trying to get through as much plot as possible, this was none so more apparent than in the time skip in the final few episodes. Is it bad to have a jump forward? No. Did it mean the series thought it was a solution for not seeing some plot holes and relationship growth? Yes, very much so.

The cinematography has definitely improved since season one with more varied palettes and sets. The CGI does still seem a little awkward in parts, but has improved also since the original season.

Overall Sweet Home 2 finds itself is definitely a slightly odd position . It has improved a lot of the graphics and world building as well as setup an engaging plot and characters, but still struggled with some writing and pacing issues which could have been easily fixed. Overall a fairly engaging watch as well as enticing for setting up the final season.

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Completed
Perfect Marriage Revenge
1 people found this review helpful
Dec 5, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 7.5
This review may contain spoilers

Just another typical Cinderella story

I want to start off saying that this was a VERY pleasant and satisfying watch. I finished it in just 2 days, binged all the episodes at once. It was fast paced and easy to watch.

Warning: if you are looking for something that has much depth to it, deeper themes, relatable characters and makes you emotionally invested in it, sorry it's not for you, better move on. It is purely revenge, with lots of things constantly happening solely to harm the fl and ml, like a battlefield, with a side dish of romance. Also it is highly predictable so it won't keep you on your toes. It is entirely a simple, easy to watch modern day fairytale.
If all you want is a simple and satisfying fairytale story, don't mind cliches, with a lovely ml and strong fl, here you go.

About the story, it was a classic typical Cinderella story, with a prince charming, evil criminal stepmother and stepbrother, evil stupid stepsister, superior level trash ex boyfriend and his family. It was filled with the usual Cinderella story tropes, with a rebirth plot. At least here Cinderella wants revenge for being treated poorly, sorry murdered, unlike dear original Cinderella.
It had its fair share of twists to the real identities of the fls family, but most of them were very predictable, if you catch the subtle hints early on in the episodes. It was nothing mind blowing. But i liked the fl for being resolute and strong and not the typical spineless whiny weak pathetic little girl who swallows all that is thrown her way.
Best parts were the satisfying ends to ALL the villains, a beautiful happy ending to the main couple, absolutely no filler scenes, everything was resolved perfectly. And everyone absolutely got what they deserved, be it her ex husband or his brother.
The mls family was very nice, except his brother. And the ml, he was a green flag greener than spinach. There were no useless misunderstandings, jealousy, irritating love triangle, evil ex gf etc coming in the way of the main couple. His love for her ran deep and i liked their clear communication. They had healthy relationship. He wasn't the cold, immature, stoic, domineering, narcissistic, over possessive, jealous CEO, typical of kdramas. He was a mature and normal man, the star of the show.

P.s- in some scenes, the editing felt choppy and scenes felt too rushed. I think a lot of scenes had been cut down.

Overall i liked this one and had a good time binging it. It never felt draggy or annoying. It was my first time watching both the mains, and i liked the ml especially. I definitely recommend watching it.

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Completed
Perfect Marriage Revenge
1 people found this review helpful
Dec 5, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 9.0

Webtoon makjang done right

TL;DR - a 120 episode makjang drama condensed into 12 episodes done right. A much better version compared to the webtoon that has more depth and is overall, a fun watch that hits both dramatic and romantic moments that you expect from a Cinderella revenge story plot.

I'm currently nearing the end of reading the webtoon version but can already say that this live action drama version, in my opinion, is much more enjoyable and digestible. The flow, script, and depth in this is much smoother and the actors do a great job enhancing their characters and making this story with its exaggerated characters from the webtoon, believable. The balance between the cute comedic moments to cheering for the FL during her revenge was so well done; it really made me hooked from the first episode without prior knowledge of the webtoon/plot.

A Cinderella revenge story that's entertaining, fleshed out, and easily watchable. FL in my opinion did a great job and was another reason I was hooked from the beginning. I've watched her since her daily 120 episode drama days and was glad to see her play a non-evil main lead. She really has improved over the years and this drama really showed her charms. The veteran actors and younger cast had great chemistry.

A watch that goes as you expect it to, cheesy flaws and all, but is still entertaining and well converted from its original format that gets you hooked from the start.

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Dropped 5/10
Bed Friend
0 people found this review helpful
Dec 5, 2023
5 of 10 episodes seen
Dropped 0
Overall 2.5
Story 1.0
Acting/Cast 5.0
Music 3.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers

MAYBE NOT A FAN OF THIS KIND

I got to be honest , I really tried my best appreciating this drama but I just can't, but it is not the show's fault, some people may like this one but also maybe not me.
I did not like the fact that the time is just spent on bed scenes, but I thought this is the reason why the title is bed friend, so I just ignored that and skipped those parts, acting on bed scenes somehow lacks something, I cannot feel the desire specially on the Eua's face , But King is stealing the show here .
It is about trauma as far as I think even I cannot finish the show anymore , and like what I've said maybe this show is not for me, I just tried watching it because of Net, but yeah sadly I did not liked it

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Completed
Castaway Diva
5 people found this review helpful
Dec 5, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

WHat a story.

Perfect story to tell and perfect cast to act. Love their chemistry. A always, the FL is the best to portray any character she was in. Love her in the series "Hello my Twenties". she is just amazing. Nothing bad to stay. A must-watch series.

This series makes me smile in every episode. Love the way the writers shows that even in a bad situation, you can do it as long as you want it and supported by your loved ones. Love also the way the manage to show the love and concern of the ML. He is truly a green flag. knows how to show his love. love his smile..

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Completed
The Name in My Heart
0 people found this review helpful
Dec 5, 2023
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 6.5
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 5.0

Simple story but lack of excitement

The story was simple. It is a rushed story, and sometimes there are screens where you cannot understand why it happened. It's made viewers think and say, "ha???" I watched the series out of curiosity but didn't expect that out of 20 episodes, the story was rushed from the start to the finish. They didn't have so many ideas when they wrote the story. There are Chinese short stories that are well-told and executed nicely. I'm also curious about the ML, saw him in the series Aim the Heart! Archeress.

The character of the FL is so naive but has good acting.. her story is like, she doesn't want to know the real reason why the ML left him and just accepts him because she loves him and it doesn't show that she does. just like I said, a rush story which makes it a bad series but hey, I managed to finish it..

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Ongoing 9/10
Juvenile Justice
0 people found this review helpful
Dec 5, 2023
9 of 10 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

My Concern about this show

"Jo teenager fairytale ke colourful world se asliyat ke grey world mein apne aapko dhalna shuru kar chuke hain, unko ye adbhut show dekhna chahiye. Conspiracy, Politics, Ethics, Morality, Business - in sabki acchi samajh hone ke baad, woh ye show samajh sakte hain ya in saare factors ko samajhne ke liye woh ye show dekh sakte hain."


Content :- Sim Eun Seok is an elite judge with a prickly personality who hates juvenile offenders. After she gets assigned to a local juvenile court, she tries to balance her aversion to minor offenders with firm beliefs on justice and punishment, as she goes out of her way to break custom and administer her own ways of punishing the offenders.

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Completed
Twinkling Watermelon
1 people found this review helpful
Dec 5, 2023
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.5
This review may contain spoilers

As fresh as summery fruits, as hopeful as green grass in the winter

When I watch Twinkling Watermelon, I remember that Shakespearean idiom:
"My salad days. When I was green in judgment, cold in blood. To say as I said then!"

.

The plot revolved around two teenagers who feel that their whole lives are mere fulfillment of their parents expectation. Until one time they find themself in the year of 1995. This time the two teenagers able meet their parents in their salad days, youth as bright and as sweet as summer fruits.

Yi Chan is a bright, passionate teens, living his youth to the fullest. Cheong Ah, a lonely deaf teens, keeping her desire to communicate with the world in silent. Se Kyeong, the cello queen, living as replacement, unable to owning her own live. Now the two teenagers able to see them not just as 'mom' or 'dad', but individuals with their own struggle and dream.

Here they begin the journey to understand. Journey to accept. Journey to learn to listen (because apparently it's not deafness that make you unable to listen, it's unwillingness).

.

Actually the beauty of this drama didn't lie in the plot. It's heavily rely to the charm of the characters and relationship between them. Their bonding moments, how some slowly falling in love, the desire to help the person you love, youth friendship. But overall the vibe is summery bright, no somber at all. At the end, there is no regret.

The main attraction is Eun Gyeol and his parents. Yi Chan, this man is the frontman of this drama. His way of live, how he treat others, this charming youthful energy. Cheong Ah, the sweet girl that's been treated unfairly by the world. Her journey to connect to the world is the highlight of the show. This two is my main couple. Our appa and eomma, haha.

And Eun Gyeol, a CODA, the dutiful kind child who do everything to protect his family. He is so precious, his burden was too heavy. I'm glad some of this burden lifted from him. The ending is working in a sense that it's hopeful and satisfying. It's so fantastical but it's keeping some of realistic take. That no matter what happen in your life, don't take all burden by yourself. Communicate with the person you love. And even though life doesn't give everything you want, it has unexpected present for you in many points of your journey. It's keeping the spirit of living.

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Completed
Only for Love
8 people found this review helpful
by JustYu
Dec 5, 2023
36 of 36 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 9.0

Just watch it for the feels

There will always be this drama were we either hate it or love it, or just watching it for the feels. This drama for me is the latter. I stayed for the feels. Let’s be honest, this drama really doesn’t have any complicated plot. Both characters are already strong from the very beginning so character development was not necessary, in my opinion. I think the second couple had the most character development more that the leads tbh. Also Miles Wei and Dylan in one frame, holy smokes! You guys don’t understand! 😂 FYI Miles does really good kissing scenes! Shish!

But then again, a drama with little to no plot, did I hate it? No. Like I said i’m here for the feels and damn well, can’t deny Bailu and Hedi have that strong chemistry. They are both very known actors and they also carried this drama really well.

If you guys watched Hedi’s drama before, you can really tell the growth of his acting and how much his tone and facial expressions have changed and they are all for the better. If you still question if he is a good actor, watch LOVE BETWEEN FAIRY AND DEVIL, trust me, it’s really good and then watch Meteor Garden, then see the difference. 😂 Bailu on the other hand, i just love her. I’m maybe biased but i really like her acting.

There are quite a lot of couples in here, and i’m not gonna deny, some of the scenes bore me a little, but that did not stop me from watching. Guys, you can skip a few seconds and you still wont get lost in the story.

If you’re gonna asked, whatever episode is this and that,

Episode 19- they got together

Episode 27- break up but not really

Episode 31- they solved their issues

Third party? Absolutely no chance
Happy Ending? VERY MUCH there’s a special episode, mangotv on YouTube already have it.

Rewatched value? Some of my favorite scenes.

Kissing scenes? YOU’RE IN FOR A TREAT.

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Completed
0.5 no Otoko
0 people found this review helpful
Dec 5, 2023
5 of 5 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0

Will 2.5 households become the norm in reality?

It's an enjoyable and relaxing watch of a lovely family in their sweetness and flaws. As Masaharu takes small steps to move forward in life, we see the family adjusting to the new situation. It sounds great on paper, but adjusting or readjusting yourself to live with others isn’t easy. But with rising inflation and recession felt worldwide, probably more and more people will look into living with family as an option like they used to in the past. Therefore the situation presented here will have an increasing number of viewers identifying with it, myself included.

The characters feel very mundane, everyday people which makes it easy to connect with the characters. The focus here is on the choice to live together or on our own. Both have their challenges and rewards, and one must choose which challenge they are willing to face.

There is the grandpa who is used to being served and not pushing himself to help out. He can’t stand being criticized for it by his daughter because he’s always been told it’s okay. Grandma is always here robe of help to everyone, never vocally complaining but her health can’t help it and internally judges. She loves her kids so much that she does too much for their good. The daughter and her husband struggle with wanting support but not wanting to lose their place in their children’s lives. Saori in particular is typical of every working mom, trying to do her best everywhere, an impossible feat, and constantly feeling guilty that she’s unable to attain such expectations. It comes out as frustration and being ungrateful. Ema is a sweet teen whose introverted self makes her resistant to change and moody about it. As for Red, not only is he adorable, but rarely do we see children on TV present it authentically. That morning resistance to go somewhere where he’ll essentially play all day is oh so very real.

Then, there Masaharu. Unlike stereotypical Hikikomori, he’s actually a very normal guy in the way he lives his life immersing himself online in ways he can’t in the real world. It’s not online when we immerse ourselves in sites like MDL and others but maybe gone to the extreme. It’s not like he refuses to live normally, he just doesn’t have the courage. Taking the step for it needed a little motivation from the outside and a GENTLE push from within. I love his connection with the convenience store clerk. But you can tell one of his more important reasons for change was to improve his relationship with his niece. That development went smoothly and felt authentic.

The point here isn’t for the protagonist to become independent and work. It’s made clear that it’s okay to stay, accept help and receive support, as long as an active role is taken at home, to do things together while also pursuing things alone. That’s the difference between being reclusive and being home.

The only part of the drama I might be critical of is Saori’s workplace. It was shown as if we know the characters and are just returning to them, as Saori is. The failure is, that we never get the chance to connect with them or even be interested in them. The cut to their scenes always felt off place and sometimes I’d just skip it.

I have to say, I love the way the new house was presented and the camera filming the family’s movements. The directing makes viewers feel as if they’re peaking into the lives of everyday people. It made the scenes at home that much more interesting and intimate. The actors never felt like they were acting but just going through life, which in itself shows their talent.

The drama is rounded up with fitting music with many quiet moments for contemplation.

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Completed
Sweet Home Season 2
0 people found this review helpful
Dec 5, 2023
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.5
This review may contain spoilers

Bittersweet Home

Buckle up because this is going to be a long review.
To preface, I rated the first season 10/10. As someone who can't stand the zombie genre, Sweet Home was an endearing take to an outbreak scenario. Everything worked for me. This season, not so much.
Let's start with the positives.
Those first three episodes were mind-blowing. The emotions the cast and crew wrought from me, I was on the edge of my seat unsure of what was going to happen. What I loved was the continuation of the survival story, where we're with our characters, despondent, on the edge of giving up, and hopeless. They're being attacked by monsters and soldiers, and there is no mercy. The glimpse of the bride and her husband broke my heart, it was short, sweet, but such a powerful scene, and it hones into the idea of monstrosity not being simply a physical as we watch the husband shot and the wife becomes a monster in her grief. These 3 episodes had twists and surprises, and such amazing interaction between the characters, and we saw the writers really take on audience feedback from the first season and input it. We watched bad guys vs good guys, good guys vs good guys and bad guys vs bad guys. The deaths of Ji-Su and Soo Young were raw, and so beautifully real. They weren't heroic deaths, they were bleak and cruel and raw. It reminded me of when Game of Thrones had deaths that just shook you to the core, because they were so unexpected (before it became a redundant theme and then not a theme at all). Even the off screen death of Hye In, which people might have felt robbed but I liked it because in war, we forget the facelessness of those who die, and so we who've watched her since episode one, to see her disappear without explanation, was poignant. Like, this is what happens. She becomes a body in a pile and if there's no one to grieve her, she'll be forgotten.
I also really enjoyed thinking about how you saw survivors become soldiers, which is an interesting aspect to bring into an apocalyptic korean show, because it showcases that most of them can take on the role because they've taken part in military service, so I enjoyed that aspect. Also as the audience, you do wonder in that situation whether you'd be better off with soldiers or alone.
Seeing some of the OG monsters, love me the half head dude, so creepy.
Eun-yoo being a badass, was great, wish I'd seen more. Hyun-soo being the gentle monster, you just want to give him a hug.
The ending of the show also with Hyun-su and the potential for a dual personality, I loved. That was such an interesting concept to bring and I'm sad we only got a glimpse because I like the idea of, we're no longer fighting against ourselves but rather against the enemy. And seeing Eun Hyuk again, that was *chefs kiss* and I applaud them for keeping it under wraps for so long, I had no idea he'd come back. I was honestly expecting to see him presented as a full blown monster, so to see the humanness intrigues me, because is he still the same on the inside?
Okay, now to the negatives, which lost this show 2 stars (but gained half back with that ending). Ready for a rant because I am.
Episodes 4-8 felt like they were recreating the first season on a grander scale, but without anyone I cared about. Seriously, I can't tell you the name of any of the new characters because I didn't care. They had way too many which left me sitting their bored, waiting for someone familiar to come on. We had uninspired military guy 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8. Wait, I didn't mind Mr. Kim, but they didn't quite get the morally grey right with him. We had the survivors who I didn't care if they'd all been blown up. Count it, we had 3 women in this show who were obsessive over the guy of their choice. A priest, who, I dunno, what was his purpose? He was edgy? Instead of introducing all these people, they should've kept to a smaller group and figured out something different, even if it was fighting another small group. Because this just felt like 4 episodes of Sweet Home Big Brother.
Ah-Yi. Why do they always have to ruin a show or movie by having these bratty teenagers who are half sociopath half pixie dream girl? I'm so special, I hate everything, let's make monsters. You know what I would've preferred? Seeing Yi-kyung as a mother, adapting, struggling as she's watching her baby grow too fast, worrying about someone hurting her. I craved a mother daughter relationship. Instead Ah-Yi turned her mother into a monster and then left. Let me guess, next she's going to team up with Sang Wook because monsters are awesome?
I found the dynamic between Hyun-su, Eun-yoo and Chan Young super interesting and thought there was something we could've had more time on. This is what the second half of this season felt like. Could've ended up in the same way but boy they should've gone a different route on some of this stuff.
At this point, I don't even know who we're going to have left to resist monsters because the group gets smaller and smaller, and I don't care if most of them become monsters of die. Like what's the end goal at this point? Because first season it was clear. Survive. This one? No idea, felt like it flopped all over the place.
The girl and man with the caravan. What was their purpose? No idea. Did they have potential? Sure, but so sick of having female characters being half insane. Like take them out of the story, and you could've literally kept going with barely anything changing.
This season asked more questions than it answered. Did we ever actually find out what was in the suitcase? I can't remember at this point, I started skipping scenes towards the end, because while the mad scientist was interesting, it felt like the whole season was him gearing up to do something. This whole season was a set up for season 3, so I am hoping they end this show at season 3 and make it truly epic because it fell flat this season.
Will I watch season 3? You bet, they've set up some interesting things, I just felt disappointed they didn't choose a more enticing way to set it up. Because the first season was an interesting dive into the human psyche, the second season had me like, there are too many humans, I don't care about any of their backstory.
Come on season 3, fighting!

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