Completed
A Romance of the Little Forest
0 people found this review helpful
Jul 31, 2023
35 of 35 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.0

Cute Romance

Overall I really like the story, the romance is slow but good. There were things that were annoying within the plot.

The female lead character was really enjoyable out all the characters I like her the best.

The male lead was not that enjoyable at first but he became likable trough the show.

I think that the main leads romance was slow but really cute. It felt like they had a lot of chemistry.

One thing that I didn't like was the second couple. I found their romance a little bit disturbing and honestly at times it felt like they had to much screen time. Hate it.

The "villain" reasons to hate the female lead were stupid and honestly didn't make sense to me.

Overall I recommend this drama for the main story but honestly if you feel like skipping the second leads I don't blame you.

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Completed
Dong Xue
0 people found this review helpful
Jul 31, 2023
28 of 28 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 6.0
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 1.0

What's this drama about?

This drama is about a women being widowed after her husband dies, she was originally married to the Shen's however, unfortunate circumstances force her to be remarried to the Jiang's. It tells the story of how she adjust to her new life and also falls in love with her new husband who has a rare disease. It shows how she will be able to have a good relationship with both in law her families. It has 25 episodes and you can watch it on YouTube. I tried my best to not spoil it.



When I was looking for a review of this drama and what this was about I couldn't find it anywhere, but I still watched it. Now I am writing this in hopes of other people who are going through the same experience as me. Hope you enjoy.


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Ongoing 35/36
Lighter & Princess
3 people found this review helpful
by fluffy
Jul 31, 2023
35 of 36 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.0
This review may contain spoilers

gritty, inspiring, absolutely perfect casting

First off, **major spoilers** everywhere so be warned, and this is gonna be long.

Absolutely addicted and love this drama, so why did I not give it a 10? One, because the parents annoy me, which is why I’m writing this review before finishing the last ep. Two, because Li Xun went on a path of self destruction.

Now, let’s talk about Li Xun. This man is an absolute genius through and through. He’s pretty cold and indifferent, but I ADORED this man…until he blinded a guy. I completely support the revenge path and whatnot, but that was just so out of character. I get he was grieving and people make bad decisions, but man PLANNED that shit. He’s so intelligent, so why would he throw his whole life away just for that? Even more, he not only gave up zhu yun but was a complete jerk about it. She did not deserve that AT ALL, and his idea was just so bad. Like you had so much time and that’s what you come up with? Aside from that, I feel like he didn’t deserve zhu yun’s forgiveness. He never really tried to make it up to her, and the apology wasn’t satisfactory enough for me. He deserved way more than that one slap. But oh well, that happened. Although I complained a lot, I still like his character. He went through a lot, and nobody’s perfect. In their uni days when they were together, he was such a golden retriever bf and it was so adorable. Combusted everytime he called her princess. SO CUTE!!! Also, this might be just me, but his walk is so funny. Like, someone sign him up for the runway. He’s perfected the angry boy walk. On a bright side, the actor is incredibly handsome. His eyes speak wonders, and not everyone can rock a buzzcut, but he definitely did.

Next, I wanna go over Gao. Keep in mind, I was one of those avid supporters of him up until the prison fiasco. He was relatable. It’s understandable to feel like someone else’s shadow and want to find their own light. Plus, Li Xun was also being an ass towards him at the beginning. He only cared about results and made Gao do his bidding. I get that he has a vision and all, but people were hurt in the process. Gao was doing everything right, going abroad and all. His mistake was blaming Li Xun for losing that opportunity and going on a revenge path. Fast forward, after prison, Gao is still suffering from his inferiority complex and only after money. I was like okay, understandable, cuz some people really only go after money in life, but he was playing dirty for it. His villain arc was very thorough and relatable. I actually cried for him when he was in the hospital. He was a good guy in the beginning. I hope he survives his procedure.

Well, if we talk about Gao, we have to talk about Fang Ziying or whatever his face was. Not much to say really. He was already a bad person at the beginning ?. Breaking up with someone isn’t a crime, but pretending to be a victim is. He shouldn’t have pinned the blame on the girl. He also should have felt bad about her death. Fast forward, still a bad guy 3 yrs later. I don’t know where he gets the face to show up after being exposed before. I don’t think Li xun’s sister death is his fault because he only moved her hotels, not hire a truck driver to kill her (unless I missed something and that was intentional). Anyways, it was definitely wrong to trick the sister, but it’s not necessarily his fault she died.

Xu Lina. I don’t exactly like her, but I don’t hate her either. At the uni, I definitely did not like her. She lead on Gao, using him to get closer to Li Xun. Also went for him even after knowing he was with Zhu Yun. You don’t go after taken men. She still even went for him after he got out of prison. Like girl, he barely even spoke to you, what do you even like about him?? She was tolerable when she stayed with Gao and gave him oranges. That was really sweet, and it shows that she cares even a little.

Know, onto the characters I liked. Ren di and fang shumiao. AMAZING. Great friends and couldn’t ask for better ones. XIUZHU GE THIS MAN. Actually perfect. He can cook. He can clean. He’s kind, funny, patient, AND successful. Literally glowing green flag. Like, I’ll take him, hello?! Also, shoutout to the office workers because they were such goofballs and great people.

Saved the best for last. ZHU YUN MY LOVELY. She was definitely my favorite character in this entire drama. Intelligent, funny, caring, pure, loyal, AND AN ABSOLUTE BADASS. I don’t think I’m gonna find another FL like her. She is the most loyal character IN EXISTENCE. Like bro, I woulda left Li Xun to rot in his emo attitude. Ms girl really sticks to her words. She’s so strong TT. Also, GORGEOUS. I cannot stop looking at her. She steals the scene everytime, and the actress is so beautiful. I definitely feel like she has a staring contest with Li Xun every episode, but I can practically feel them using telepathy. She’s so pretty ><. This is true unconditional love. Literally won’t find that in the real world ?, or maybe I’m just a pessimist.

Conclusion
Every single one of the cast members did such a wonderful job. I CANT think of a better casting. Their chemistry is definitely enough to cause a reaction. Overall, this show is very addicting and well-written. It takes its time and their love endures <333

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Completed
Under the Microscope
0 people found this review helpful
Jul 31, 2023
14 of 14 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
This review may contain spoilers

Must-see show for hardcore history lovers

I read many reviews about Under the Microscope, which write that the plot of the show is very dry. THIS IS PRECISELY WHY I LOVED IT AND WHY YOU SHOULD TOO!!!

I have a PhD in medieval European history, and always find Western medieval shows to be entertaining but wildly inaccurate and off the mark about the real issues and mentality of medieval people.

Under the Microscope is the very opposite. It is centered around an extremely important issue that was omnipresent in the life of people: taxes and land. Behind these issues lie broader concerns about governance, class, power, managing an agricultural society… You can tell that it is based from archival research by author Ma Boyong.

I know a show about taxes and land sounds less sexy than a xianxia romance, but if anyone is Interested in the nitty gritty of history, this show is one of the best and most unique ones I’ve watched. It shows you how the Ming administration worked, how different levels of government could be levelled against one another depending on their jurisdiction, how a seemingly small matter had life-or-death consequences for ordinary peasants, how corruption was widespread, how social inequalities created by land and wealth concentration within the hands of a small aristocratic elite could bring disaster to a whole region… It might seem abstract, but the plot and production make it very engaging, and embody these problems within the scenario and the characters.

On top of these qualities:
- The acting is great, especially the acting from the veteran actors.
- The production value is high. The costumes, cinematography, sets are all great.
- It’s only 14 episodes, unlike the slow-moving, unncessary 50-episode shows which don’t respect viewers’ time. The pace is good. The plot moves forward every episode.
- There are great character arcs that will make you scream YESSSS!
- It is appropriately cheesy and heroic like normal Chinese dramas. There’s some action thrown in here and there to spice things up. There’s moving moments that made me cry at the end!

I hope many Chinese history fans will give this show a chance!





Spoilers below





- I loved how most characters are given credible motives and context. For instance, Magistrate Mao is depicted as a bad guy, but he is given a great scene in which he explains he’s not from a noble or scholarly family, so yes, he is corrupt and is in Master Fan’s pocket, but he’s got nothing to lose. Similarly, I loved how Magistrate Deng explains to Shuai Jiamo that he may agree with him about the hard math, but because of politics, his hands are tied.
- The show was very smart in explaining how the small matter of the silk poll tax could impact both the average people, and be an entry point for officials to curry favor with the imperial court by tying it to the meta-issue of land measurement.
- My favourite character arc was Magistrate Fang’s, who evolves from his mediocre, do-nothing attitude to a heroic stance. There was something very believable in his initial flailing, then his move towards being indignant of his colleagues’ treatment towards him, and finally his redemption arc as a righteous magistrate.
- Many characters are endearing as hell. Feng Biyu and Feng Baoyu were adorable, and Cheng Renqing was a compelling figure.
- There are some plotholes (why didn’t the bad guys kill Cheng Renqing, the lawyer, being the biggest one), but overall, the plot holds.
- The depiction of Shuai Jiamo is problematic, and it was clearly used as a narrative device to contrast Jiamo’s purity with the world’s corruption.

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Completed
Thirty-Nine
0 people found this review helpful
Jul 31, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 5.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 1.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers

Slow & Boring

This was a disappointment for me. It was slow and boring.

The acting is stellar. Especially from Lee Moo Saeng. He played SML Jin Seok and I felt him in all of his scenes. He emotes very well. I was more interested in his and 2FL Chan Young's story than the main relationship.

At any rate, I wanted to watch this drama b/c I thought it was an ensemble piece about older, female friendship but it's just a sob story about FL Mi-Jo and her anxiety. The writers put more weight on that than a woman dying of pancreatric cancer. And yes I get that Son Ye Jin was the star and the series was made for her but this had so much wasted potential in the friendship arena. Plus they almost competely left out the 3rd FL Kim Ji Hyun who played Joo Hee in most instances where friendship matters.

I wanted something more adult honestly, sometimes the Mi-Jo character behaved like she was still in her 20s and it was annoying.

7/30/23

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Completed
Love in the Air
4 people found this review helpful
Jul 31, 2023
13 of 13 episodes seen
Completed 4
Overall 1.0
Story 1.0
Acting/Cast 3.0
Music 1.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers

I definitely didn't get bored that's for sure.

Not gonna lie, I giggled when I saw the high rating for this show, if I could rate it in the negatives I would. You gotta hear me out tho, because I really want people to hear my thoughts (especially the cishet girlies that defend this show with their whole heart). This is a story written BY an mlm fetishiser FOR mlm fetishisers.

I'm going to talk about RainPayu first because I have a lot so say.
- Let me get it out of the way and just say Rain is one of the most annoying characters I have ever encountered.
- I'm appalled at how easily you guys gloss over the casual sexual assault that occurs multiple times in the first damn episode, and what repercussions does Payu get? That's right! None! In fact, he gets rewarded with a submissive bf! What a world we live in! Hahahahahahhaahahhhaaha. It makes me so frustrated that it isn't even portrayed to be SA, it's portrayed as hot and possessive and yall just eat it up.
- It is difficult to listen to any of Payu's lines, they're all so corny I had to pause every 2 minutes to recollect myself.
- The only way I can describe RainPayu's relationship is that It felt like I was watching a straight high school couple, they really said let's take a hetero couple and make one of them a man. The gays do not claim them <3
- Neither Rain nor Payu have any personality other than being down bad for each other, Rain barely even does schoolwork despite being an architecture student (which infamously has you working 25/8, you don't even have time to eat let alone bone every night).
- Any BL where one of the characters utters the word 'wife' out of their mouth instantly gets a point removed.
- The start of episode 6 was when I had to pour myself a drink to ease my suffering.
- I am baffled at how people aren't cackling throughout all of their sex scenes... To me it's so clear that they don't know how gay sex works, and don't care they just wanna appeal to a certain audience.
- They tried to force dramatic plot into it but it just didn't work, I couldn't take any of it seriously. They shouldn't have gone for the whole dark kidnapping storyline if they can't pull it off.
- I have to give it to you, the hostage picture gave me a good laugh.
- The villain guy was so one dimensional, even disney villains have more depth than he did, it felt like I was watching a parody sketch whenever he was onscreen.
- When I die and go to hell, the demons are going to strap me down and make me watch the spanking scene for all of eternity, my personal hell.

I originally dropped it after episode 6, but my friend was begging me to finish it because SkyPrapai's storyline is apparently so much better.
- Sky was the only saving grace of this show.
- Prapai lowkey unintentionally took advantage of Sky in their first meeting, but like I said, unintentionally. Great! They're already doing better than RainPayu (the bar is on the floor).
- Abow this is so hypocritical, how the hell does she have the nerve to have a character get assaulted but present it in a positive light and then in the same show have an SA sob story... I'm flabbergasted.
- There's not much to say about SkyPrapai, they don't have any of the major flaws the main couple has, the whole show should've been about them.

Overall:
- The pacing of the show is kind of unbearable, the episodes could be half as long and still have the same plot beats and nuance (not that it has nuance in the first place).
- The noise gating is really jarring at times, just overall the audio quality is disappointing (why are the kissing noises SO LOUD in the mix).
- Music is forgettable.
- Source material is written by the author of tharntype, that should've been everyone's first red flag.

"Just don't watch it if you don't like it" most of my points are not about personal preferences, they are genuine concerns I have about the perception of mlm couples and the exposure that mame keeps getting from her writing. There are so many better shows you could watch.
It's so exhausting hearing so many people defending this show, just because it's fictional doesn't mean it has no effect on real people.

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Completed
Star and Sky: Star in My Mind
0 people found this review helpful
Jul 31, 2023
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 6.5

Lumayan bagsus, tapi ; agak menyebalkan sih ...

Series ini menurutku punya cerita yang "agak menyebalkan". Bentuk alur dan konsep ceritanya memang lumayan bagus, namun secara pribadi saya kurang begitu suka. Menceritakan Daonuea yang menyukai kk kelasnya Khabkluen, mereka berdua bahkan berpisah sebelum salah satunya mengucapkan perasaan cinta. Hingga akhirnya mereka berdua bertemu kembali di universitas yang sama. Bagaimana kisah mereka akhirnya? saksikan seriesnya. Hal-hal yang saya benci adalah bentuk dari karakter Khabkluen yang terlalu percaya diri, tarik-ulur dan memperlakukan cinta sebagai sesuatu hal yang "gampangan", series ini menggambarkan bahwa segala sesuatunya mungkin akan berjalan dengan baik di dalam pemikiran khabkluen, ini membuat Daonuea menjadi kebingungan, tersakiti dan punya posisi yang paling tidak menyenangkan. Bahkan ada beberapa karakter pendukung yang menurutku lebih cocok untuk Dao, sebagai contoh Typhoon. Namun series ini memberikan gambaran yang buruk (dalam artian, sad scene) untuk karakter Typhoon, tidak hanya di series ini, bahkan pada versi ourskyy 2-nya. Typhoon yang berperan sangat bagus di sini dan punya hal positif untuk Dao tetapi akhirnya mempunyai takdir yang tidak menyenangkan, sedangkan Kabkluen yang terlalu banyak menarik-ulur Daoneua malah memiliki bentuk takdir yang indah. Ini terasa tidak adil, hal ini mungkin tidak masalah jika Typhoon mempunyai bentuk cerita yang bagus di ending, namun sayang - series tidak memberikan itu.

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Completed
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha
0 people found this review helpful
Jul 31, 2023
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

Cozy cozy cozy

Seriously, like your favorite cozy sweater. Like white mocha with whipped cream from Starbucks. Like a decadent hot chocolate on a winter night. Like a chai latte in the morning. Your favorite fluffy socks. Cuddles with your dog. It's lighthearted and heartwarming.

The coastal small town setting was lovely. The leads were adorable, seriously. Their romance so gratifying to watch unfold. The side characters were wonderful.

I'd very much classify this as slice of life. It isn't ground breaking, but it's great at what it set out to be.
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Completed
Falling Before Fireworks
0 people found this review helpful
Jul 30, 2023
23 of 23 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0

Cute, healling romance with an exceptionnal aesthetic aspect

Drama remarkable for the beauty of its images, landscapes, the enhancement of traditional craftsmanship.
The architecture is magnificent!! => this drama was filmed in Wuyi County in Zhejiang, at the Jingyuan Ancient Houses Museum . Now, I just want to visit !!

Plot: "impulsive" marriage between 1 career banker FL (craving a family live and home) and 1 ML, handsome, very introverted, architect/craftsman, who restored an old village (that of his adoptive grandfather) for help local artisans. In this unlikely couple, each one will gain the trust of the other, heal the wounds of the past and gradually build a solid bond.

PROS:
+ people who like art, crafts, history,... will appreciate the images, the scenery, EVERYTHING is exceptional.
+ the actors are good, especially the ML who speaks little, but his eyes express so many emotions!
+ no big twist or "great evil", the story is simple enough to be realistic.
+ the production is effective: slow on certain emotional passages, more often dynamic. There are no lengths.
+ The song lyrics just fit the drama so well.

CONS
- the animals (puppies, kittens) are all babies who don't grow during the 3 years that the series is supposed to last :) ;)
- Some story arcs are hasty and give the impression that the difficulties were solved too easily.
- the brother's character is ambiguous, it is difficult to define him for a long time.

=> a short series (23 ep. of 35 minutes) comforting and very aesthetically pleasing.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Drama remarquable par la beauté de ses images, des paysages, la mise en valeur de l'artisanat traditionnel.
L'architecture est magnifique !! => this drama was filmed in Wuyi County in Zhejiang, at the Jingyuan Ancient Houses Museum .
Plot : mariage "impulsif" entre 1 banquière carriériste (en manque de famille et d'1 maison) et 1 ML, beau, très introverti, architecte/artisan, qui a restauré un ancien village (celui de son gd-père adoptif) pour aider les artisans locaux. Dans ce couple improbable, chacun va gagner la confiance de l'autre, soigner les blessures du passé et construire peu à peu un lien solide.
PROS :
+ les personnes qui aiment l'art, l'artisanat, l'histoire,... apprécierontles images, les décors, TOUT est exceptionnel.
+ les acteurs sont bons, surtout le ML qui parle peu, mais ses yeux expriment tant d'émotions !
+ pas de gros twist ni de "great evil", la story est assez simple pour être réaliste.
+ la réalisation est efficace : lente sur certains passages émotionnels, dynamique le plus souvent. Il n'y a pas de longueurs.
+ The lyrics just fit the drama so so well.
CONS
- les animaux (chiots, chatons) sont tous des bébés qui ne grandissent pas durant les 3 ans que la série est censée durer :) ;)
- Certains arcs narratifs sont même hâtifs et donnent l'impression que les difficultés ont été résolues trop facilement.
- le personnage du frère est ambigu, on a longtemps du mal à le cerner.

=> une série courte (23 ép. de 35 minutes) réconfortante et très esthétique.

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Ongoing 1/12
The Uncanny Counter Season 2: Counter Punch
8 people found this review helpful
Jul 30, 2023
1 of 12 episodes seen
Ongoing 2
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

Disgustingly perfect?

Those who are skipping this drama are missing out on a lot of fun. I swea, you'll regret not watching this sooner. The plot, actors, pace, comedy, thrill, action... etc - everything is well balanced and i can't seem to complain about anything here. I love this just so much. ❤❤❤ i wish this drama could go on forever cause they really got me hooked on to this one like no other drama has ever done.
Dear readers... Please watch it. Please. If you haven't watched season 1,please hurry and watch it first. I'm telling you, please don't sleep on this one. It's perfect for me in every way.

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Completed
See You in My 19th Life
1 people found this review helpful
Jul 30, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
This review may contain spoilers

A Love That Trancends Time and Space!

This is a series that transcends both time and space. It reminds me a little bit of the movie “Somewhere in Time” in which a man finds out that he’s had a romantic relationship with a woman from over 70 years ago—but from his viewpoint, she is the only one who knows it.

What we have here is Ban Ji Eum, a woman who has the ability to remember her past lives. In this case, she remembers 18 of them and is currently in her 19th lifetime. Interestingly enough, her 18th life touches on people around her and carries over into the 19th because she dies at the age of 12 in a mysterious auto accident that we come to realize was no accident at all which also yields to a present-day mystery involving her as well as Moon Seo Ha, a boy she knew from her 18th life and is now infatuated with in her 19th. Don’t worry. It sounds more confusing than it actually is. What we end up having is a very endearing and touching story.

Each time Ban Ji Eum reincarnates, she not only remembers who she was in previous incarnations, but she also remembers the things she’s done. In short, she also brings the skills she’s learned in the past into the present—everything from a trapeze artist to a flamenco dancer to a master bowman. We also find out that she’s also been both male and female as well. Her strong desire to reunite with Moon Seo Ha is what causes her to reincarnate in this current lifetime. Of course, Moon Seo Ha has no idea that Ban Ji Eum is the same girl who tragically died protecting him (Yoon Joo Won), and he’s still traumatized by the loss of his only friend—a friend that he obviously loved very deeply as well.

People obviously have different ideas about reincarnation. Most people in the West simply do not believe in it, despite several subtle references in the Bible as well as other texts. People in the East are far more likely to believe in it. For the story to work, it really doesn’t matter if you believe in it or not. There have been documented cases of people who vividly recall past incarnations. For most people, it’s a place they remember. An Indian man toured the Tower of London and remembered a door in a specific place. The tour guides all told him that no such door existed. He insisted it was there. Reluctantly, they checked it out, and sure enough, the door was where the man had said it was. They were naturally astounded and wanted to know how he knew. He simply said, “I remember it being there.”

There’s a reason why people are not necessarily meant to remember past lives. The primary reason is that it would overload you with unnecessary memories that are best left forgotten. Imagine remembering all of the suffering and grievances of your past lives and the toll they would take? Not to mention all of the suffering and grievances that you may have inflicted upon others as well. No, it is actually a gift to not remember, and in the end, it would serve no useful purpose. Even now, most people dwell on the past or the future, and not on where their attention needs to be: the present.

While it may seem fascinating to remember so many lifetimes, we quickly find that it is a great burden for Ban Ji Eum, as she attempts to find out why she’s one of those very few people who is able to remember. She knows there must be a reason, and Kang Min Ki is a mysterious archaeologist who holds the key. We all carry things forward—especially harsh grievances which must be forgiven and let go. This is the wisdom that Kang Min Ki tries to help Ban Ji Eum realize. This is also why forgiveness is one of the most powerful methods of letting go of the past and allowing oneself to move on.

The story takes some unexpected twists as Ban Ji Eum confesses who she is to Moon Seo Ha and also to Yoon Cho Won—her sister from her 18th life. Of course, they can scarcely believe her at first, but then Ban Ji Eum knows things—details—that only Yoon Joo Won would know that helps Ban Ji Eum convince them. These bring some incredibly touching moments, and people can also take solace in the fact that our loved ones are never truly gone or taken from us. They simply change form for a new role.

The only aspect that didn’t quite work for me, was the end. It made no sense that Kim Ae Kyung (a niece from Ban Ji Eum’s 17th life) and her survival depended upon Ban Ji Eum undertaking a ritual that would effectively wipe out all of her memories of her past lives, including those she’s interacted with in her current life. It would have made more sense if the ritual simply removed her memories of her past lives without affecting her current one. I understand that the writer was probably trying to find a more dynamic and unique way to end the story, but it didn’t work very well. Also, remembering past lives isn’t something that’s going to necessarily bring harm to those closest to you. However, I can understand Ban Ji Eum’s desire to remove the burden of remembering so many incarnations. Had they gotten the ending right, this would easily be a perfect “10” series for me, as it keenly held my interest from start to finish.

Performances are astounding, especially Shin Hye Sun, who never fails to impress me. She’s like a Korean Meryl Streep. She can literally do anything put forth to her, and she always turns in amazing performances. She is currently my favorite Korean actress. Everything from a thriller (Stranger) to comedy (Mr. Queen) to historical romance (Hymn of Death) to this one demonstrates that the mastery of her craft is varied and diverse.

I also really enjoyed Ha Yoon Kyung who is also a fantastic young actress! Everything from “Hospital Playlist” to “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” to this drama demonstrates that this young lady’s got a bright future ahead of her. And Cha Chung Hwa (Kim Ae Kyung) is one of the best character actresses in the business. Ahn Bo Hyun (Moon Seo Ha) was fantastic as well.

If this story based in reincarnation tells us anything, it’s to get things right the first time, although people rarely do. There are two types of relationships: dharmic and karmic. Dharmic relationships are those where you have a natural, easy connection with someone. You are together simply for the joy of it. Karmic relationships are those that tend to be strained or have much conflict because there are issues that still need to be resolved. Obviously, our task—as we move in our circles—is to transform those karmic relationships into dharmic ones. So, why wait until the next lifetime, when something can be done about it now? Such is the power of forgiveness, which is the central theme of this series. Let go of the past—grievances and all.

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Completed
Revenant
0 people found this review helpful
by Angel
Jul 30, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
This review may contain spoilers

Both Shadow and light are present in you

It's not spectacular, it's not gonna make your heart stop, okay sometimes yes, but it made me curious. It's this plot, those characters...
First episodes were half half. The atmosphere was heavy, that house, I hate that house and decoration, it added suffocation and on top of that, without being a ghost even her dad freaked me out. But Gu San Yeong and that ghost, what with the hair accessory, and why and why, and there I was calmly addicted to the story.

Gu San Yeong Was not the hero type. But I loved her.
She represents everyone who wish to stand for the right things but could weaken a little whan facing dilemmas, so was HongSae.
After HongSae really had more time screen and understood what really was going on, things got really interesting on a superior level. His encounters with the ghost were always strangely a pleasure to watch, he was the first one miss ghost talked to "normally". And My romance watcher self showed up liking how he cared for San Yeong, subtle romance is so realistic and touching.
Professor Yeom was interesting to guide the plot but maybe lacked a little thing for me to be fully invested in the character, his relationship with Ujin should have maybe lasted more cause it gave him more background and dimension.
Are ghost more frightening than humans,sadly no. A ghost is the symbol of human hidden bad desires. I liked how the writer took care of this side till the end.

A special mention to Kim Tae Ri's incredible interpretation of the ghost, she mastered it. And Oh Jung Se's too, I recognised some expressions of Sang Tae, fear, doubt, from It's okay to not be okay, rare are actors who acts that good in DramaLand.

PS: Can't the main leads be casted again together, pleaaase hh

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Completed
Bed Friend
9 people found this review helpful
Jul 30, 2023
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 5.5
Story 2.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 3.5
Rewatch Value 2.0
This review may contain spoilers

Highkey Overrated

It's clear that the casting of the main couple did a lot of the heavy lifting in making this show seem better than it is, don't get me wrong, NetJames' acting is spot on! The writing however...

I really tried to like this show, and it started off with potential;
- Having a mature show with two consenting adults is hard to come by in BL so I was intrigued as to how they would approach it.
- I like the inclusion of setting boundaries for hooking up and showing that consent is important.
- A small detail I really liked was showing them going to the doctors to get tested, it's not shown in BLs because I feel like some cishet female BL watchers don't really see gay relationships as real relationships lol but anyway it's important to bring attention to this kind of stuff.
- I liked that it didn't feel like I was watching a straight couple, too many LGBTQ dramas end up shoving their couples into the heteronormative box, even though Uea presents more on the feminine side and vice versa it didn't fall into straight-ness so I can appreciate that.
- I don't like the way they wrote Uea's trauma, him being constantly harassed and assaulted throughout the whole series, I found to be kinda "inspriration porn" ish, it just felt like the show kept belittling Uea rather than having him heal from his trauma.
- Tell me why the HELL did King send that video of Uea getting assaulted to the whole damn office without consent... Top 1 thing NOT to do to your boyfriend who has a lot of sexual trauma.
- Overall King's character felt flat, his only personality trait was that he was a sleazy player but OH? He's secretly kind? Never done before!
- Uea had every right to run away and take time for himself and never come back, but King just expects him to come back to the office... Like uh okay?
- I'm so tired of dramas not knowing basic biology, you can't sick from standing in the rain for three minutes, let alone bedridden; unnecessary sick episode, should've gone without it.
- Overall the writing felt lazy, either Uea has a trauma or they are having sex, nothing else really happens.
- You can't put Tutor in the intro for the whole series and only have him appear in the last two seconds of the final episode, it feels like a scam.

Conclusion: If you like trauma and gay sex, watch it I guess

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Completed
Hidden Love
18 people found this review helpful
Jul 30, 2023
25 of 25 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 1.0

Was not totally for me

I shouldn’t have read so many reviews like I did before finally watching this. My expectations were seriously so high but I ended up not really seeing what majority of the people who have watched this were raving about so I guess I am in the minority with this one.
This was a very cute fluff albeit with no bite. I like me some romcom with fluff but I need it to have bite in it and this one didn’t for me, so I struggled to finish this. It took me almost 3weeks to finally finish this drama even with employing the fast forward button a bit.
I did enjoy Sang Yan a lot when he was onscreen. Shame he didn’t have more screen time. The proposal switch out was cute and different, I am not so sure about parents attending a proposal but to each their own.
This is not something I would rewatch but if you are a fan of both leads as I am plus the fact that majority of people love this drama so much then go ahead and enjoy the gooey sweetness.

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Completed
2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten
0 people found this review helpful
by KAVO
Jul 30, 2023
Completed 0
Overall 2.0
Story 1.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 4.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers

Great Cast in a Paint-by-the-numbers Gay Cliche

What a waste of a great cast. I had high hopes for this, given the previews and other reviews. This has all of the classic gay tropes like self-denial of one's sexuality, all of the characters have to die a violent death in the end (only the straight one lives), dysfunctional broken homes, tragic upbringing. OMG. These pilot lines were tired back in the 1990s. Was this an old script that finally got produced after 30 years? The only thing original about 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten is only the straight character has a nude scene. There was so much that could have been done here but we've seen it all before -- especially the suicide ending. I hate to be so harsh but it's time to leave bury the gay romance stereotypes one and for all. Here's a tip for aspiring screen writers of gay-themed dramas: If you've seen it before, leave it out of your script. Also the audience should never be screaming at the screen: "Why is he doing that?"

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