Reviews

Good acting and good characters

I never really connected with the characters in this rom-com, so it wasn't my favorite. However, I do think that the actors displayed their talents by making the 1-dimensional, over-the-top characters come to life. So for that, I give them props. And the story itself wasn't bad, and the ridiculousness wasn't so great that I ever thought about dropping it.

I think my favorite character was probably Gam Oh Jung, the firefighting partner of Jung Kook Hee. This character was written and portrayed well, and was often pivotal in the decisions of the other characters. He was silly but insightful, responsible yet care-free, and supportive without stepping on toes. I admired his tenacity, but also his ability to let go when needed. I also enjoyed his comic relief, which was delivered without resorting to slapstick actions or reactions.

The show did have many elements that I didn't expect, such as suspense, hidden agendas, and mild mystery and danger, without losing the comedy and romance portions of the rom-com. Also, I think the writers did well wrapping up the show, as it felt "finished" but not rushed at the end. I would definitely recommend this as a show to pass the time, and if someone were to watch this without any expectations, I think they would enjoy it.

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Part 2 is perfect

I was a bit disappointed of the end of Part 1 and some reviews said Part 2 was not worth it.

In my opinion, Part 2 gave us everything season 1 did not.

As said for Part 1, the acting was perfect, and the chemistry between the main leads is off the roof. I like how Part 2 gives more depth to the characters (even side characters). There is something really precious in each relationship, especially those formed by Lee Jang Huyn with others (special mention for his relationship with the Qing Commander & the Princess).

It still seems some issues were left to the side, which is a bit of a shame as it could have been more of a historical drama. However, this still was a really good drama that i would recommend watching :)

Part 1 review: https://mydramalist.com/profile/lisouille/reviews/328967

Note: same with Part 1, there are a lot of scenes with violence :(

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Conspiracies!

Everyone she met was conspiring against her and Zisheng all the way to the end. It was obviously their fault for everything bad that happened to the conspirator (sarcasm present).
In the end, only 1 friend, 2 men who loved her, the emperor and empress and her family didn't betray her at some point besides Zisheng and his people. Everyone else, no matter how nice they seemed, had an agenda and wanted to end her life at some point.
Also, the emperor's consort aggravated my soul so much. I understand they were childhood sweethearts and that the emperor was forced to marry the empress by their family, but they didn't have to make her life miserable. The drove her so deep into depression, she later died of a broken heart. And I blame them. With the consort acting like she was so magnanimous and going to convince the emperor because she could, with their constant smiling and looking at each other with love like the empress didn't deserve love too. Even to the end, the empress called this rat a sister.

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A BEAUTIFUL STORY OF two lovers that are fated to be together <3

This show is one of a kind. I have never watched a drama as good as this, it is 100% my favorite of 2023!!! I was reluctant to watch because of the historical themes (I have dropped every historical drama I tried watching) but I was blown out of the water and kept watching this show every single week. This show executes everything so well. First and foremost, the romance is one of a kind. When watching this show, I am completely absorbed into the romance and feel like I am watching a real life couple live out their life. The comedy is amazing with every single side character having their great moments. The second male lead is one of the best executed as well because he isn't overbearing to the female lead and is simply kind to her to express himself. The OSTs are amazing and I kept playing the songs on repeat this whole time of the drama airing. It's hard to explain until you watch it but even the background music is perfect for every scene they illustrated. My good praises for this show can keep going and going but ultimately it made me feel so happy in a tough time and I haven't been invested in a drama like this for a long time. If you are thinking about starting this, definitely start and I'm sure you will not only love it, but try recommending it to every single one of your friends as I am! Bae Inhyuk's best work and the show that has made me a huge fan of Lee Se Young. To summarize, this show is the love story of the century!!!!!!

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Lovely leads and a decent story brought down to the ground by holes and cringe

This drama starts off all fun perfectly balanced between the cold, warm, the tight slightly wet buttoned downed shirts and dimples for as far at the eye can see... The male lead who had had heart surgery actually had a scar..

The over top potential pot holes where kept to minimum and the "oh my god I am in the future" potential over the top low humour was kept to a minimum. The Product placement was top of the top!

The leads out of this world with great chemistry and an amazing use of flowers and butterflies everywhere... The side character are lovable too, the evil is evil and there is this nice mist of know who the real enemy is all over the ground...

But then came the cringy monologs, the twists that just stoped making sense in the context and the lovely scar from the heart surgery was found to be lacking as they either placed a pace maker either from the wrong entrance or it magically grew there... And well in this drama there was indeed a whole lot of magic but creating cyborgs just was not really part of it... The lovely wet shirts got covered up more and more with not so good looking suits (still ok, just not as good)... The evil villains started to get these meeeh back stories that kind of killed the mood.

So the score that was way up there started to go down, down,... and almost hit a 7 before it went back up to an 8.

So what can I say, this is a sweet easy binge with great leads and just a little to much cringe for it to be a great watch

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Don't fool with evolution

In "Gyeongseong Creature" Park Seo Joon plays Tae Sang, and Han So Hee is Yoon Chae Ok. During the final year of WWII Korea, the setting reminded me of a mix of "Mr Sunshine" and "Song of the Bandits".

The first episode rolls hard right away. Through the episodes, the leads are steadily challenged in their roles. Considering the constant threat from not just the creature but also the Japanese, there wasn't a lot of time for romance. But our leads are united by mutual agendas, and their interest in each other progresses as the plot allows. The acting and structure are great. Kim Su Hyun was also good as Lady Maeda. My favorite male actor is Park Seo Joon, but as anyone who has read my profile or previous reviews knows, I'm all about the story first. No story gets an automatic pass just because it's starring my favorite stars.
I can say, my dude Park Joon performed well. It wasn't the finest I've seen. Nevertheless, his performance still stood out, and I couldn't help but appreciate it.

As for the supporting cast, they were okay. The main villains were believable, they did the job in making me hate them. As far as the cinematography and sets are concerned, they were excellent. I was sold on the premise. Korea during 1945, costumes and cars. The prison cells and experimental wards in the lower layers of Ongseong Hospital. I thought the creature effects were okay considering the end results and the atmosphere. This dark tale highlights war's devastating effects of enemy occupation, while also exploring human emotions and relationships. In addition, there is a creature lurking around.

All in all, the series was a great watch and I would recommend it to anyone who loves a good creature movie or series.

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It was a 10 for me until the last few episodes. Then it dropped to 8.5.

This drama is a little rough around the edges with parts that don't flow very smoothly, especially toward the end. There's an intrigue that seems redundant, trying too hard to be sensational. However, the family dynamic is interesting to watch, and I personally enjoyed the power struggle between the Fu brothers. The cast is top-notch, no doubt about it. My biggest disappointment is that by episode 39, the drama fails to dwell too much on (well-deserved) consequences. Some characters commit atrocious acts that are not adequately punished or addressed (Yunshen's mother, I'm looking at you!). Cheng Yi is, yet again, the king of whump here. Seriously, his character has more lives than a cat. Shot, paralyzed, staked - you name it, he's been through it all. Overall, it was a great watch, except for the last draggy episodes that somewhat ruined the experience for me.

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Good one

I didn't realise it was sequel and I think I didn't need it . Story has started with a good note . A Queen of phoenix who was about to take human form but accidentally har spirit was shattered by whom it was happened he decided to bring her back . From here the actually story has started . Two main couples were there in the drama and each had their stories . BOTH I LIKED IT . One more pairing was there in the drama whose love story hadn't shown but they end it gave a hint that they would have a story . I liked other sporting characters of the drama. I had an issue with the ending part . By seeing the ending I think there must be season 2.

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Machi Suzuri must be proud!

For a Manga released on Twitter in 2020 and becoming a beautifully executed short series (3 episodes), Machi Suzuri must be beaming as its writer and illustrator.

There is only 3 episodes of 45 minutes each that made it extra difficult for the director to provide such a concise but well told story.

it is a small production but it showed a well executed short series. The story from beginning to end smoothly flowed, the artists acted well within their characters (so close to the Manga character I am seeing what I read being played in front of me). The wardrobe was just right, supporting cast made the main characters able to tell their story with clarity, and the set was simply done to meet the scene setting.

It is so far the best Japanese short BL series I have watched for a long time.

This is a highly recommended watch for anyone who enjoys BL genre, and even for those who don't but open to the idea.

Screenplay was well written, directed well, and roles were portrayed marvelously.

Thanking the production staff and producer for investing in this series.

#MangaSeries #BL #JapaneseBL #GreatBLSeries #2024BL

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DFF Better Than Expected

Before I write this review, I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect much. I’ve watched THC and to be honest, some of their acting was so so but I gave DFF a try because the plot was so interesting and it’s better than expected! I judged the boys too soon because oh wow, their acting improved so much! Yes of course some scenes had lack of expression but it’s barely noticeable. This show makes you anxious since episode 1 and I’m only in episode 3 and it keeps getting better and better. It has so much suspense and build up! I’m excited to see what actually happened. Now on the editing side, let’s not forget to give credit to BOC and their amazing cinematography! If there’s one thing BOC is amazing at is definitely their editing, colour and cinematography skills. Everything was well shot and edited! Overall kudos to everyone involved!

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Fun and silly ride with a few potholes that make it bumpy

The first half of this drama I really enjoyed. It was light and silly and the strong willed Yeon Woo was fun to watch. Sa Wol was one of the best characters in the show. She was so funny and lightened every scene she was in but also carried her loyalty and wisdom well.

Overall and nice watch to pass the time. But there are some things about this show that I found reduced the rating for me. First was the future Tae Ha's unbelievable jerk behavior when they first meet. I know that is a trope of the overbearing boss kind but it bothered me here. When he finally lightens up and starts to accept the situation he does become more likeable. Next is how quickly the women adjusted to the changes. It did not feel realistic with how fast they changed the way they dress and act in a time that was so dramatically different than what they lived in. And finally, is the love story. While it was fun to watch them bicker and find their way to each other then the love story gets a little boring. It almost felt like filler to watch them after that and while I love romance I thought that time could have been cut out for me and just moved on with the plot.

Slight spoiler here so be warned but I also could not stand the ending for the Old Joseon Tae Ha. I was annoyed the whole time I was watching it as the character did not deserve it.

Overall the music is quite nice, the production was done well from sets to costumes, and the parts were acted well. A good way to pass the time but I could also recommend several other shows I would find better than this as well.

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Controversial drama with disappointing ending

Controversial drama with disappointing ending

This drama has stellar cast and production quality is superb, but the plot and message behind it are very controversial, to say the least.

The first 4 episodes were a solid 9, though heavy-handed, insensitive religious patronizing can be clearly seen from the very beginning. But after episode 5 it rapidly went downhill. Episode 6 was like those countless crime dramas about exaggerated corruption and untouchable chaebols with over the top acting and resolutions. Very meh.
And the last two episodes were drilling on the same message - suicide is a selfish act, it's not about you, you should keep on suffering for the sake of others. The only insightful part was about a suicidal salary man, who basically started the chain of events that lead ML to his own suicide - it showed ML the ugly reality of that dream he so desperately wanted to have, the one the government and society kept on brainwashing him to strive for since he went to school. But they never delved anywhere further with that. Instead of guilt shaming ML with his mother for the whole episode they should have explored what ML really wanted in life, how can he be true to himself like he said he wanted to. Is being a cog in an uncaring corporate machine what people really should strive for in life? Just such a waste of potential here narrative wise.

But as it is, this drama didn't try looking into the cause, didn't try to resolve any of the problems SK's society has that leads people to commit a staggering amount of suicides every year, like poverty and unemployment, it just tried to guilt shame suiciders through religious and societal dogmas. Makes one think that it was sponsored by SK's government, who seems to be impotent in solving this serious country wide issue and now just resorts to such cheap shots like this drama. Maybe it will work better on Asian audience with their traditionally communal mentality, but it's a very hard sell for individualistic West.

The suicide topic here is viewed from such narrow perspective, it really started to piss me off by the end. No exploration of mental health state of suicidal people or various circumstances that lead to this hard decision. Yeah, in ML's case perhaps he was too rash in attempting suicide since he had a caring mother and a girlfriend (though seeing how lonely he was with his problems at the beginning, these people have shown him lack of moral support when he really needed it, and his mother was later shown hoarding money for him, which she should have given him years ago to help cover his education debts he was paying off for many years). But what about people who have no such people in their lives? What about terminally ill/severely crippled/mentally unwell people who see themselves as burden to their relatives and society? What about kids being beaten by their own drunkard parents and nobody cares? What about people who are living in miserable poverty with no hope for a better future? They should also keep on suffering for the sake of others and their country or go to hell? So many unique lives with unique problems, but this drama had no compassion or desire to explore any of that. It's like that cartoon meme: Nope, stop talking, go to hell.

As for the ending, well, ML got a second chance in life and that's a win (?). But consequently it also invalidated everything ML did in other people’s bodies and all those who were supposed to die will die, including his girlfriend, and all the bad guys, including two serial killer psychos, will still be walking scott free.
So all in all, this drama just left me kinda perplexed as to how to score it, because, on the one hand, the quality and cast were superb, but controversial message and disappointing ending made me feel like I've wasted my time watching this.
I guess I'll score episodes 1-5 with 8.5 and 6-8 with 7.0.

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