Reviews

All Of Us Are Dead (2022) - for me it's interesting at first but then I was lost with what's the purpose or reason why I'm watching it, I realized this sentiment somewhere in the middle of the drama and for the sake to at least finished it has just become my motivation to continue watching. It’s extravagant in all aspects of the drama, especially the props and the make up, the set up but there are scenes that is suppose to be emotional but I didn't felt it somehow because I felt that there is something that is lacking. Some of the characters are also not utilized to its full potential that I felt regretful. There are too many characters as well.

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Thirty-Nine (2022) - The drama is heartwearming for me, I could really see the friendship that was built through the years. I like the adoption theme part on the drama. I did cry watching it but there are parts in the drama that are quite questionable for me that is why it didn't air for a week. Still if I could comment on the drama's entirety, in the span of just 12 episodes there were a lot of what's going on and they put all the elements in the drama. The actors are all so great, acting wise very good. I like it but I was not amazed by it. It's nice but that's it.

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A Rare, Dark Wuxia Gem with supporting cast stories that touched my heart

“My Journey to You” dropped without much promotion and it appears to be a dark horse this late summer. I also succumbed to the hype and wanted to check out a dark wuxia drama, and I am so glad I did. You might not agree with me, but this drama reminded me of a combo of “Bloody Romance” (female assassins, gray characters and love stories) and “The Wind Blows from Longxi” (scheming and plot twists). I don’t have any major criticisms, just a few that are very subjective.


What I Like:

1. Genre - A dark pure wuxia drama is hard to come by. No matter the tone, cinematography, or the theme, “My Journey to You” tells a story of secrets, scheming, plotting, and you don’t know the real truth until the very end when everything unfolds. I wish there are more wuxia dramas like this.

2. Main Cast Acting -
= Esther Yu - I applaud Esther Yu to finally branch out and not play another cute character. I’ve seen enough of her in that role in 3 of her previous dramas. I would not say she was excellent, but she definitely meets my expectations and more. I still find her serious face quite emotionless (I have the same criticism of her in the body swap portion of “Love Between Fairy and Devil”), but overall her sad scenes are much better than anticipated.
= Zhang Ling He - Quite a few criticisms of his acting and character when I read some comments. His character might not be as interesting in the beginning (more of that below) but I do find him decent in this role. He improves throughout the drama as his character grows.
= Ryan Cheng - Wow… this is the perfect role for him. He’s not my kind of handsome, but he’s definitely charismatic and attractive in his role as Gong Shang Jue. HIs side-eye looks are devilishly good. I went back to watch clips of him in “A Familiar Stranger” and he is definitely a lot better in this drama. I am glad to see him in a big production after so many smaller web dramas.
= Lu Yu Xiao - Is this really the cute teenage girl in “Time and HIm Are Just Right”? She’s only 23 years old and is so talented and beautiful. She captures the essence of Shangugan Qian beautifully and has excellent chemistry with Ryan Cheng.

3. Supporting Cast - Love all the characters, including the little annoying brother Gong Yuan Zhi. The acting of the supporting cast is great and I don’t have anyone to single out and pick on. I’ve only seen Jolin Jin in “Remembrance of Things Past” and I really did not recognize her as the hilariously crazy and obnoxious Gong Zi Shang. She really brings some comedic relief to this serious drama. At one point, I worry she’s a little too much, but her antics stop and we move on. I love the supporting cast stories (more so than the main romance) and I was worried how many would survive in the end. In C-dramaland, you know there will be plenty of deaths and I just pray they are not my favorites. Each of their stories touched me and I’m so glad this drama balances the main cast’s stories and the supporting cast’s stories very well.

4. Different Perspectives of the World - The four main characters have very different upbringing and they bring their own perspectives of the world they’re living in. One thing in common is that none of them had a very happy childhood. Actually, most of the characters seem to be missing some type of love & affection when growing up.
= Gong Zi Yu (ML) was criticized for being dumb and not as intelligent as the other leads. But I beg to differ. If you look at things from his point of view, he has intentionally ignored all that’s going on in his family and world. When he was pushed into the leadership role, of course he can’t have the same knowledge and wisdom as everyone around him. He needed time to learn, experience and grow. This drama really did focus on his growth.
= Gong Shang Jue (2ML) was the strongest and the smartest, yet he was not chosen to lead. He has got to be one of my favorite gray characters in a C-drama. His perspective has never wavered - to have the best person to lead, whether that’s him or someone else.
= Yun Wei Shan (F) is the unwilling assassin. She was forced into the world of assassins and longs for her freedom. In a way, she reminded me of the FL in “Bloody Romance” (but she actually kills and is a lot smarter and more experienced).
= Lu Yu Xiao (2FL) is such a beautiful little vixen. Without going into spoilers, her motive of causing trouble and her assassin instincts are fun to watch.

5. Gong Shan Jue/Sangugan Qian romance - I love these two intelligent characters trying to outsmart and out-scheme each other. Their interactions sizzle with chemistry. Their conversations are a game of chess. Did they really fall for each other despite all the mistrusts? Probably. Was I looking for a little more PDA and skinship? You betcha! But what we get is a game of cat and mouse and I am quite satisfied with their ending.

6. Production Value - I love all the elegant costumes. Simple hairstyles for men and women. Detailed patterns on their clothing with layers over layers. I also appreciate the use of natural lighting. Even though the drama appears a little dark (figuratively and literally), no fake bright light was used in many of the scenes. I enjoy the simple sets and rooms, which reflect the characters' lifestyle. Beautiful people and beautiful cinematography. Most importantly, almost all the main characters and supporting cast are using their own voice. I also like all the songs, especially the title song 云之羽 by 张杰 Jason Zhang and 远山如昨 (love the sound of a guitar). I am so glad the songs are not overplayed.


What I have Mixed Feelings (Minor Criticisms):

1. Main Romance - I hate to pick on a romance when this drama is a lot more than a love story. However, when the romance between Yun Wei Shan and Gong Zi Yu does play a big part in the big scheme of things, it does matter. Unfortunately, I am not feeling the chemistry between Esther Yu and Zhang Ling He. Compared to the secondary romance’s sizzling chemistry, this love at first sight is lacking in depth and feels. Is it because of the assassin’s personality/role, or Esther's emotionless acting? Or maybe It’s Zhang Ling He’s acting or the writing of the romance? I actually do feel the love from Zhang Ling He’s gaze but not much from Esther.


2. Action/Fight Scenes - I was going to put this in the positive category, but then the slow motion scenes are gnawing at me. “My Journey to You” has beautiful fight choreography and cinematography. I would say the use of slow-motion scenes are probably better than many other wuxia and xianxia dramas I’ve seen before. However, I still feel that there are too many. When it was a big fight, the excitement is halted when a slow motion scene comes into play. I also would have loved to see more fights throughout the drama, especially in the middle of the drama. This is a minor criticism because I do really think the fight choreography is excellent and the actors did a really good job as well.

3. Pace - I wonder if this drama is trying to make the episodes a lot longer (a little over an hour) to bypass the 40-episode guidelines. If you add the runtime, this equates to a regular 36-40 episode drama. There are a lot of dialogs because of the scheming, so it could feel slow if you don’t like the conversations. I find the pace to be OK, maybe a little slower in the middle. The last 5 episodes are my favorite because it’s action-packed. But, when it’s slow, it feels so much slower when everyone walks and talks slowly, especially with some slow-motion scenes.. Is it just me?

4. A few questionable things - The 3rd assessment, I was prepared to ball my eyes out but then ML sorta bypassed it so easily? The secret passage isn’t really very secretive when everyone uses it. Some characters I thought would never survive after getting hit and stabbed so many times, but they did. Others get stabbed once or twice and they die, or someone is still alive and body intact after a huge explosion.


Overall, I strongly recommend this drama if you are looking for a more serious and darker wuxia drama. There are comedic moments, but this is not a fun drama. Many criticized the ending but I am quite satisfied. I am not sure if there will be a season 2, but one should never expect a very happy ending with such a dark C-drama (not saying this is a sad ending either.. LOL)


Other Random Observations:
* These supposedly cold-blooded assassins are full of feelings and emotions.
* I love the first real kiss of the main leads after CPR. It was quite nice and romantic.
* This is a drama full of sad characters with no good childhood. Parents seem to be non-communicative with their love for their children.
* It’s so sad when the green jade turned to red ?



Completed: 9/17/2023 - Review #354

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Business Proposal (2022) - This drama just came out at the right timing. The way this drama came out where purely romantic comedy is the genre which is already rare in the korean drama world and it became a breath of fresh air to viewers like me. It has the cliché storyline, I did like the transition from the manhwa to the drama, though there are definitely changes it does not seem so big especially in the starting episodes. The excitement gradually slowed down for me in the latter episodes but it's fine since the drama didn't drag out too much with it having only 12 episodes. I think the drama ended well as well as the transitions throughout the drama.

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Not the best ladder but still the best this year

I think I liked this one a lot the games were fun (most of the time) and the members looked like they were having fun which is the best part.

if I were to rank the ladders having recently watched them:

#1 Season 2: I can see improvements from the first season and I can see all the members. It truly felt like they went somewhere precious and bonded together. I also noticed how often they mentioned filming and the trip even after the promo period.

#2 Season 1: Very close to #1 only losing because it was only cbx which is not a bad thing. I felt that they truly needed that time off back then and the trip was both fun and healing for them.

#3 Season 4: It was a great comeback after a long time. We can see the members are the same as they always were. There is this light sense of maturity on their faces and natural glow. However I think I mostly loved it when the members were chatting on their own I wished they played them more board games like in Season 1 and 2 because that seemed to be the part everyone enjoyed the most in each Season besides eating of course.

#4 Season 3: I had a hard time watching this one. I think the episodes cutting all the fun parts for the behind was part of it. Just as I was getting excited about something I got teased to watch the behind. The missions in both 3&4 only survived because kyungso took it upon himself to make it hard for everyone. I liked that they got to enjoy the area and look around chat and stay together but it felt like something was missing the entire time and that I blame the behind on.

in each season watching the members is what mattered the most and to that end we are all happy. I just can tell the production team either changed or changed direction in the middle.


I highly recommend watching all seasons if you want to get to know EXO and if you're not a fan yet Season 2 and 4 are great to watch for games and activities.

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The Bodyguard that Brings it All

This series is very good. This pair has worked together before in miniseries 'Maid's Revenge' which is also a solid watch. The chemistry between the leads is palpable. The FL portrayal between blind to sight-seeing in the midst of danger was well done. The support characters were okay some scenes hit the mark while other fell a little flat. The OST conveyed the tension and seduction of the series well. The ending was well played in keeping the audience wanting more. The ML is just one to watch...PERIOD! I look forward to seeing the leads featured in major broadcasts as main leads. Worth the Watch!

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Forecasting Love and Weather (2022) - one of the dramas that I really like at first since it talks about weather and the life of the people behind the weather reports. I think what this drama is lacking is that the focus is mainly unto the weather and not in the character development of the characters in the drama itself. I find it rather odd as well between the relationship of the “exes” in the drama, it doesn’t sit well with me that is why I cannot fully appreciate the whole drama. Overall I felt the romance somehow but the feels is really not the same comparing it to other dramas that I have been watching together with this one.

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Who is the actual "LOVELY LIAR"?

First thing first is I have enjoyed watching this amazing drama over the pass 8 weeks,
I never would have thought my Mondays & Tuesdays would come alive each week.
The story is unique with the female lead Sol Hee can hear lies but what I found funny
she tells lies as well to hear them lol. The Male Lead Do Ha is a Composer, adorable and a
sweet heart that lives in fear as he was framed of killing his ex. The CEO made him hide from
everyone and never been seeing in public or while composing. Even via Video conference he
hides his true identity. When Sol Hee met Do Ha she noticed he never tell lies which complicate matters
when she tried to figure things out after he told her about him been framed for a crime he didn't commit.
For the first time, Sol Hee heard a lie after Do Ha's subconscious part of his mind believes he killed his ex
but said "I did not kill her" in his sleep.

Over the time she figured out why she heard that as a lie and remembered her ex told her something
that she heard it as a lie and in fact it was because he had cancer and he was protecting her from
going through the sorrows of his health. She then realized Do Ha was telling the truth so she finally believed him
as not been the killer and they worked together in hunting the actual culprit. I won't spoil everything as it would
not be fun to watch knowing everything. This part of the Drama is a bit complicated to understand while watching
It is best to find out who killed Do Ha's ex while watching! I admit that I guessed who it was but got
confused a couple of times and thats what made the story enjoyable because the writers makes the
viewers play detectives along the way lol. Awaiting last 2 episodes to find out who was the Lovely Liar!

Update!!!!
After completing the entire series, I updated my overall score at 9.5/10 because they should have kissed
after the proposal or at the last scene. I loved episode 15 with the scene the female lead finally called him Oppa!

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Kill Heel (2022) - This drama I think is one of the dramas that I was left hanging. I think I expected too much, and also the first episodes are really confusing for me up until the momentum of the drama keeps getting higher which is what I liked. I think the reason why I was hung up with the drama is that I didn't know that it will end so soon. The three women featured in the drama are really good in their respective roles, amazing actresses. The thrill and the pacing for me of the drama is fine as well as the revelations that is revealed in a neatly manner is good for me. The ending is really not justifiable for me but yeah overall it's a fine drama.

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Cute and Simple

This was a quick and fun watch!

The story itself was okay, nothing extraordinary or new. I will say though, I don't really remember much about the Thai version but it did seem to be a bit different. This version was DEFINITELY more wholesome ?

The characters had good chemistry, in my opinion! I actually enjoyed the acting, even though it was a bit amateurish in some instances – kind of understandable, considering most of the cast have not been in many roles before this one. It is always nice to see some new faces on the screen though! I will say though that, although I think the actors/characters had good chemistry, 8 eps that are 25 mins long each is not enough time to really flesh out the relationships and romance in the series. Like, we went from Ji Oh being this cold, smart and arrogant guy who disliked Lee Won, them fighting and being at each others throats for the first 4 episodes(we do find out Ji Oh has had a crush on Lee Won for a while now though), to Ji Oh acting needy and like a lost puppy the very next episode.....? Also, when they had conflict at the end (on ep. 7, the Korean BL version of the curse of ep. 11 in Thai BL series' ?), it just felt so unnecessary and out of place because of how little time we got to see the two couples actually BE a couple or spend time together. When they made up in the last episode, the 'emotional' part of it didn't land for me because, like I said, I wasn't as emotionally invested as I could have been if we were shown them bonding, building a relationship and creating tension for me to actually care about the romance.

If you're willing to switch off your brain, willing to overlook the bad dubbing (shocking in a KDrama?) and are looking for something light and cute to watch, this is for you!

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Detective Su is the female version of Sherlock Holmes

This drama is one of my favorites, just the plot twists and story kept me interested in watching all episodes. Sabrina Chen as Su Ci was beautiful to watch and Zhang Ling. His gentle and kind portrayal of Prince Qi was superb. I can't believe his first drama and his kissing scenes with her were swoon worthy. He should be getting more lead roles in the future. Their chemistry was tops. Well written script, beautiful ending for strong Su Ci and Ru Shuang, not rushed. I'm happy that Su Ci kept her career after the marriage unlike other dramas. For Bei Ming, glad he did not die.

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Rico Suave

Vincenzo took much longer to finish than I anticipated. Despite its good overall quality, there could have been three fewer episodes in the series. I find that unfortunate, because I usually prefer series with more episodes if I'm really into them. It's a mixture of action and crime drama. Comic relief is a nice touch in many characters and scenes. It is the middle part of the story that bothers me about Vincenzo.
The story gets to the heart, but it drags a bit. Through and through, Vincenzo Cassano (Song Joong-ki) is a smooth dude. There are times, however, when the plot armor hurts the theme. I like heros or anti-heroes who are a bit more vulnerable and who overcome their weaknesses. Because the final acts make up for portions of the midrange episodes, the series has been upgraded to 8 stars. Overall, it's a good look.

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The ending made me infuriated.

This show was a 10/10 for me until somewhere in episode 11 or 12, then something just totally derailed in the story. The acting for this show was amazing and het main characters have amazing chemistry. Everything was smooth sailing and the story was on its way to become one of, if not my favorite kdrama of all time. I really liked the main song used in the series, maybe because I have not heard Last Dance of Wu Bai before. I have not watched the original, so I do not know if the story ends exactly the same, however the ending just feels rushed, like the writers didn't know how to continue the story, and therefore magically fix some stuff, and leave everything unexplained.

Now for the explanation about what I disliked, Warning spoilers ahead!!!
For me it all went wrong when Kwon Min Ju started taking over, and left Han Jun hee in her head. Don't get me wrong I am all for some character development for Kwon Min Ju, as it felt kinda unfair that Jun hee got everything that Min Ju wanted. However the way it was handled was poor at best. At first she is really stubborn, but when Jun Hee takes over again, she is like allright maybe I do not want to kill myself, because suddenly Jun Hee "understood her". Instead of this ending I would have liked if there were more time travel attempts, instead of the final one were Jun hee suddenly gets back in 1998 right at the moment of the accident after praying to the lord that is Nam Si Heon. They should have realised Jung In Gyu was the answer for Min Ju's sadness and attempted to get them together, like Si Heon tried from the very start before the time travel interference. However in the current storyline this is not possible as everyone is dead and only Jun Hee can do something, but she can only watch. Maybe they should have had Si Heon time travel again to Jun Hee instead of the random prayer bullshit at the end, and somehow fix it. I am not opposed to them finally destroying the tape. But the reunion in the new timeline also is underwhelming. All the memories are gone, but somehow they just feel that they belong together. I get it they averted the crisis and got their happy ending, but come on at least give some subtle hints. Show the new timeline where Min Ju, In Gyu, Jun Hee and Si Heon are all happy and maybe even friends. What has happened to Oh Chan Yeong, is he in jail like he should be, or is he out there killing other people? What about the uncle, did he become a barista? The final episode had all those little problems which made the conclusion not counteract all the suspense and sadness we went through to get there. Sorry if this is more like a rant, but I just had such high hopes, and the end was an enormous let down.

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