Reviews

A Reddit Recommendation Turned Out Great

I stumbled upon 'Psychopath Diary' thanks to numerous mentions on Reddit threads, and I decided to give it a shot. I ended up binging it the entire weekend, and to my surprise, it quickly became one of my favorites. This drama is a breath of fresh air, relying heavily on the art of subverting your expectations. That's where its comedic power truly shines – just when you think you've got it figured out, the show takes a 180-degree turn.

Yoon Shi Yoon's performance is commendable, but I must say, Park Sung Hoon steals the spotlight with his flawless portrayal of a villain. He slips into these roles so naturally that it's hard not to appreciate it. Normally, I'm not a fan of the main character being both naive and incredibly lucky, but in this context, it surprisingly complements the story. Like many dramas, the comedy hits its peak in the middle and tapers off toward the end. While this didn't bother me too much, I do wish the writers had more time to polish the ending.

Overall, 'Psychopath Diary' is a hilarious and thoroughly enjoyable watch that I highly recommend.

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Problematic in a interesting way

I can't lie, this series are extremely messed up. All of the characters are manipulative, kinda stubborn, really horny, also some of them have certain addictions, BUT!! I think you can learn a lot from the characters. They're all so interesting for analyzing and you can make so much theories and conspiracies about their behavior. It's not all sex, it covers a lot of social problems. And the cast is so strong, they all are perfect for their roles everyone is delivering his role in the best way possible. Go watch it if you wanna talk with people about social problems and analize people's behavior. And of course to support the amazing cast, they deserve it.

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Hidden gem?

So Hidden Agenda is one of those stories where we are waiting to figure out what the agenda is. It quickly becomes apparent that Joke is not what he appears and has some secrets. But Zo wants Nita and accepts his help. Let the misunderstandings etc ensue. There's some family angst and we have a side couple, over involved friends and a stalker so lots going on.

Honestly, this should have been 8 to 10 episodes as some of the themes in the last few episodes feel rushed and not really deep enough. Joong is carrying this and their chemistry is still strong. Dung has improved somewhat although he still does that bobbly head thing too much. And someone give Joong some decent jeans!

If you're into Joong as a singer then you will enjoy some of the earlier episodes.

I've rewatched some of the scenes which highlight their chemistry but overall, this is a cute Sunday evening watch. Glad to see some improvement from JoongDunk but, we need a stronger script to really test this ship.

OK last episode was weak but still worth it for JoongDunk fans

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While watching my rating went from 7.5 to a 3

While watching, my thoughts on what I might rate this show went from a 4 to a 7.5 the slid down and ended at a 3.

Acting was strong by all. They really did a good job despite the drek they were given. Dialogue was very simple but at least had a flow to it. The weaknesses lay in the storytelling and reliance on ridiculous plot devices to keep it going. Also, the further the story got, the more distasteful some of the topics and relationship dynamics became. By Ep 10 I was pretty fed up with the writers, by Ep 12 wished it was over already. Only continued for King and Ram (one of the secondary couples) and THEIR story is why I'm giving the overall story rating a 3 instead of a 2. If seperated from the rest, I would rate their scenes a 9/10. One basic kiss per couple. PG for intimacy, PG-13 for themes.

King and Ram was the only healthy relationship, and had a very sweet progression. The only ones whose actions matched their words; were consistently thoughtful, sweet, and supportive of each other. Until Ep 14 when the writers suddenly wrote them out of character (I felt) to be dramatic and force romantic confession. These writers are so lazy and unimaginative.

Ep 1 & 2 were silly when setting up the story between the two leads (Bohn & Duen) & I fast-forwarded bits. But Ep 3-6 had me invested in them and the side couples, especially King and Ram, and I didn't fast-forward. There were multiple genuinely funny comedic moments that had me laughing out loud. I was feeling really positive about this show, but that started to slide in Ep 7 and things just got worse from there.

GENERAL SPOILERS BELOW:
I liked Mek but his best friend and unrequited love Boss was whiny and annoying. Wanted Mek to have a happy end but at the same time didn't care about Boss. Frong starts with completely unexplained/inexplicable deep animosity for Thara. In Ep 9 started to enjoy their interactions but their start felt like just a plot contrivance without any thought behind it.

Ep 7 started fast-forwarding small bits again. Ep 8 was ridiculous; the hot/cold dynamic between Bohn and Duen was getting really repetitive and the "plot" devices sprung up to keep that going were getting more and more stupid and annoying. Ep 9 and the relationship between the lead couple is so juvenile, immature, thoughtless, rather mean, and all for completely STUPID reasons. First it was over-reactive Jealousy, then who is the "wife" and who is the "husband" because of comments made by others. It's getting really hard to keep caring about them. I mean, they are supposedly into each other but are each offended, almost disgusted, at the thought of being "the bottom"? And all the friends feed into this and make fun of them about being the bottom? WTF???

The BL obsessed and delusional sister is so awful. It's one constant cringe whenever she's in a scene. Also every background female and their friends loudly shipping whatever guys were hanging out in front of them was rude and toxic. Normalizing that behavior, when it's none of their business and can impact people's real lives negatively, is psychologically unhealthy.

Ep 11, seriously, who is THAT scared to be kissed by their boyfriend of multiple weeks? (Bohn & Duen). The actors are doing what they can with what they are given, it's just the script making them do inane and ridiculous things.

Ep 12-14 fast-forwarded most of it. King and Ram are the only ones I kept watching.

After showing some promise of an enjoyable show at the beginning, I was really disappointed, frustrated, and annoyed with what the writers did with it. Very juvenile.

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a painful watch and not in a good way

I came for Seven Tan after watching her amazing acting in Go Ahead and I tried not to let the mixed reviews stop me fron watching this drama.

Oh My God was this storyline confusing and I found a lot of the acting awkward between the characters. The timeline skips around from 2008 to 2018 back to 2010 and then to 2020 and by the time I thought I was in real time my mind was blank. It didnt like the flow of the drama and the supporting characters were bouncing in and out (besides maybe the friends son).

Dropped at ep 6 and I dont think I’m coming back.


p.s. I even found a shorted summary version on Youtube and couldnt finish that either.

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This is a very well done romantic comedy set in a historical era. Although it is meant to be a comedy, the dramatic moments were effectively executed. The plot is about the unjustly implementation of a ban on marriage on all young single women and how the characters, main and supporting, get involved in complicated circumstances as a result of this prohibition. The cast did a phenomenal job bringing their characters to life and the relationship between the female lead and the two male leads is as beautiful as heartbreaking to watch. The friendships are steadfast and endearing and truly make this drama very entertaining. Overall, the drama is very well developed in just 12 episodes and offers action, comedy, mystery, and a nice romance. Enjoy it!

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The most pleasant surprise.

[ Original date written: May 31st 2021 ]

I was initially confused by how much I enjoyed this because everyone I've seen talk about it has either said it's boring or bad. But for me it wasn't. Not in the slightest. This is one of the most interesting dramas I’ve ever seen. It’s so different from most K-dramas, as it doesn't follow the usual formula I’ve seen oh so many times.

Obviously the cast is great but the STORY the lead characters and the relationship between them are all incredible. It’s got good humour, an interesting and VERY different romance, AND it executes sad tones very well. For instance we'll be in a romcom environment but then our male lead will travel to the future to see something terrible or sad, instantly raising our interest and investment in seeing what becomes of these two.

I was hooked by episode 3. The scene of him going to his death day for the second time and speaking to his future self on the phone, that was when it got me. I thought to myself "Wow. This is going to be incredible." AND IT WAS.

For flaws literally the only thing I have to say is the last episode isn’t very good, though not in terms of no happy ending just in that it seemed pointless. But I find a lot of K-drama’s have bad last episodes the writers probably just don’t know how to wrap things up well.

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Definitely worth the watch.

[ Original date written: June 4th 2021 ]

So many different (but interesting) characters all connected by messy relationships form an overwhelmingly beautiful drama.

It’s very well written, not only in story but the characters individually. The only character I really disliked was Se Young. The story also followed an unpredictable path which I appreciated.

I feel the musical score must be mentioned as well. At times it was all consuming, the themes that played at the ends of episodes or during tense moments were very well suited.

It’s the perfect show to binge-watch. After I finished each episode I felt the need to keep going.

If I were to go into negatives, (this is more of a nitpick really) I'd say it seemed to normalize slapping your adult children. Both Jung Hyo and Min Soo get slapped by their fathers upon their first in-person confrontations following the news of the pregnancy, and it's never really addressed later they just kind of move on from it. I would also say Min Soo's character development was lacking. He starts out rude and selfish so I was excited to see how he'd grow but he kind of just accepted the pregnancy eventually and became the perfect boyfriend. Where was the change in him? I did like how they showed him always looking at the ultrasound picture and Jung Hyo's mother planner it did present some good visual conflict in him but when it came to actually saying things not much came out.

That’s about it.

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Perhaps the 2nd best K-drama of 2021.

[ Original date written: June 21st 2021 ]

I was very much looking forward to this and had actually been impatiently awaiting it's premiere ever since the cast was announced. The first couple of episodes I did enjoy but as it progressed I found myself loving it more and more.

Oh Yeon Seo is my favourite actress and she did not let me down with this drama comeback of hers. Her performance (as always) was incredible. She brought so much power and emotion to the character of Lee Min Kyung, in a way I think no other actress could.

I loved Jung Woo in Reply 1994 so I was interested in seeing him paired up with my girl and I have to say they exceeded my expectations. At first I wasn't sure how romance would be tied in as the beginning episodes mostly contained hysterical arguments between the two with no suggestion of anything else, but by episode 5 their beautiful development began and not only was their chemistry evident AND outstanding but their story itself was pure warmth for the heart. It’s a perfect romcom, but it also manages to bring characters with tragic pasts together with a healing outcome.

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Tame and Traditional ending

So this was basically the missing ep 8 that the series needed as closure.

We see the couple 2 years later on a trip to Chiang Mai where Lom has a secret plan and everyone is on it but Namnuea. Even the GL couple make an appearance which is nice to see that they're still together after two years.

For those wondering there is no guest appearance from the LITA boys - I know, I was disappointed too. It's also more sweet than hot and heavy. Really out of the honeymoon phase I guess

What is nice is that you see some of the local customs and traditions around Thai ceremonies which isn't seen in other BLs . I still think Marine and Nuea could work on their acting at times but it's better than early on in the series

Would I pay to watch this? No. Is it worth a watch, yes if you are wanting more of the MC. Is there rewatch value? Not really. But, I'm happy we were able to see the ending as often times we don't get to see it.

Enjoy !

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A Diamond In The Rough

Oh but I'm so glad Love Class is back. I was one of the, apparently, few people who really loved season 1 but let me assure you even if you did not like season 1, you might just enjoy this anyway.
This show is tied to the original Love Class by the thinnest of threads, so much so that you won't have to have even read the synopsis of the original to understand this series.

This sequel is also tonally quite different from series 1. It's slightly more grounded and mature, not angstier, just a little quieter.
There is quite a nice soundtrack, but the music mostly takes a backseat and the characters are instead allowed to just exist, sometimes silently, without sound effects, without music telling the audience how to feel. It lends the show an almost whimsical indie feel, but also just a feeling of realism and gravity.

Just like the original Love Class, the highlights of this show are its characters. These six young people are portrayed with care and authenticity and their lives and experiences feel real even when they venture into the slightly contrived.
I specifically loved Lee Hyun and Kim An's roles and found their dynamic compelling and honestly just very sweet.
Kim An's "tragic backstory", for lack of a better term, didn't really work all that well for me, certainly not as well as Yu Na's story arc from season 1, but the writers still managed to tell a believable and touching story about overcoming grief and trauma and fighting tooth and nail for happiness in mundane, every-day ways.
The one draw-back of the cast is that they are all conspicuously male. Unlike Love Class 1, this season doesn't have any important female characters, much less ones central to the plot.
Disappointing as I find this fact, I did find myself quite fond of all six main characters fairly quickly which does somewhat speak to the quality of the writing.

I will admit that this show has its rough spots. The audio is at times incosistent, there even are one or two shots where a boom mic makes a surprise appearance, but personally I thought that just added to the nostalgic indie vibe of the whole thing.
What did bother me was the dreaded "sleeping kiss" cliche which suddenly reared its ugly head when I was least expecting it.

If however, you are willing to overlook these flaws, or quirks perhaps if you're feeling generous, then you will almost certainly find a hidden gem in this lovely little show.
As ever, Love Class stands out as somewhat unique amongst other shows in the genre and for that alone I'd say it's worth a watch.
Maybe you'll fall in love with it along the way, who knows.

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It defends horrible people

The movie starts out funny and takes a dark turn. I typically don't view a lot of Japanese live action media, unlike anime, I just don't like a lot of the humor, so I stepped out and tried it, since it was a movie not a show and I was highly upset at the message at the end of the show, there was nothing that was going to save it. Honestly if you defend the message in this story I would like to see your defense of Weinstein, it's the same thing.

Cinderella did nothing wrong in this story and it's a great to see how many think self defense is "wrong" as if anyone would honestly do anything to men in power who violate women.

The spoilers is that the hair cutting is an allegory for S.A. and Cinderella was a victim who defended herself against a predator leading to his death, but he somehow isn't the bad guy even though everyone knew he was violating women, but as long as he keeps the ruling class looking pretty who cares how many women he violates. Never again. Honestly

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Annoyingly Cute

I love time travel stories. I love stories where characters try to fix issues in their past (like the film The Butterfly Effect). So far, I like this.

This is only the second drama I've seen with Krist. He's still pulling weird, but funny, faces! His character (Kawi) is a bit of a loser who can't seem to get anything right. I feel for him every time he hesitates as it feels so relatable. I feel for him every time he wants to be close to the girl he likes - Pear (Aye) - but doesn't know how to do it. It's relatable because it's hard to put yourself out there and hope you won't feel crushed. He feels utterly crushed.

I find much of this interesting because hindsight is an incredible thing. We assume that if we went back to a particular time or place, we could fix it and it would all be OK. In reality, how could it be? We would only be accounting for our effort and not of other people. There's a domino effect in everything: a slight nudge in a different direction must make everything that follows slightly different...surely?

What I like: Krist's acting. Gawin's character (Pisaeng's cool hotness). Aye's lovely character (Pear)
What I don't like: The whining of Krist's character - act your age and take a chance (but it is relatable!)

I was surprised by the transformation of Krist's character from whining and annoying university student to wise and mature young man. It was a good transformation and beautifully acted by Krist - I believed every version of the character.

I admit that the last episode brought a few tears to my eyes. It was sad, thoughtful and joyful.

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