Reviews

This is my second watch and I was much more disturbed by the violence and grisly deaths than I was my first time around. It was fun the first time rooting for the underdogs in a satisfying revenge fantasy. I know he was supposed to be a monster but Vincenzo looked suave and cool as he matter-of-factly disposed of thugs left and right. Unfortunately, the rest of the building gang were over the top, bordering on slapstick. I loved the Hong Cha Young character.

But this time I also noticed all of the bodyguards--evidently the world’s most incompetent--that Vincenzo maimed or killed. (Plus that one character whose innocent wife and young daughter Vincenzo met.) The writer attempted to justify the tortures and deaths of certain villains (1) because of the murders they committed or had arranged and (2) because they were psychopaths and so, the drama seems to say, should be treated as less than human. Making us cheer for their torture and murder makes monsters of us, too. I assume that that was what the drama was trying to say.

And don’t hate me but I kept thinking that Jung Kyung Ho would have played a more nuanced and dangerous Vincenzo with lots more sexy smolder.

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Reflecting on the Impactful Conclusion of Penthouse Trilogy

The third and final season of Penthouse, in my opinion, serves as a fitting conclusion for all the characters in the series. Despite their actions, driven by the desire for the betterment of their children, the characters' deeds are, in essence, irredeemable. While some may argue that the two mothers should have survived, I find the collective demise to be a more acceptable ending. The toll of their actions has left them physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted.

The conclusion of the students/children's arcs is also well-executed, offering significant character developments and delivering just outcomes, even considering the involvement of other characters in crimes such as murder and arson. This trilogy holds a special place in my heart, and I anticipate revisiting it whenever I seek a touch of complexity in my drama list.

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This is a charming drama that is better than its title implies. Choi Hyun Wook steals every scene he is in. He’s also a pretty good singer (assuming that was really him singing in the drama). The drama has a Back To the Future vibe to it and it doesn’t quite stick the landing but it comes close enough.

One thing I always wonder when I see dramas where the protagonist time travels to the past then returns to a changed present is what supposedly happens to all of the memories the protagonist had from his life before he time traveled. As a result of the changes he made noone else in his present life would have those same memories, right? And he would have no memory of his revised past.

I need to know in case I ever time travel.

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If you’re looking for an epic, heart-wrenching Bromance, this is it. I’d go even further and say that this drama is primarily about loyalty and love between two very charismatic men. Although there are female characters and hints at possible romances, the women are secondary to the romance between the two main characters, as well as many of the other men.

There were a couple of times when I thought the drama dragged a bit and it could be a little confusing, especially when it jumped back and forth in time and when the characters discussed other people (hint: learn everyone’s name). The CGI was not great nor am I a big fan of zombie-type dramas so I did roll my eyes at some of the over-the-top fight scenes with the CGI creatures. And there was one scene near the end involving Dimples where Monty Python and the Holy Grail kept running through my head: “It's just a flesh wound.” But other scenes made me feel like crying into my coffee. And I thought that the ending was perfect.

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Plot Twists and Plot Armor

The second season of The Penthouse undeniably lived up to expectations, maintaining consistency in its essence. The mysteries persist, keeping us on our toes with unexpected twists and turns. This season offered a bit of everything—suspense, drama, and surprises. I found myself on the edge of my seat, particularly concerned about the fate of my favorite character. Miraculously, she was granted plot armor, surviving a stab in the head—an occurrence few could endure.

What stands out in this season is the collaboration against a common enemy. Although alliances crumbled towards the end, with betrayals aplenty, it added a layer of complexity to the narrative. Understanding the irredeemable nature of Cheon Seo Jin's character, the betrayals seemed almost inevitable. Now, I am eagerly anticipating the third season, eager to see how the story unfolds further.

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I loved this. It starts out at a fairly leisurely pace (despite a tragic death) but then takes off with a bang so that the last fifty-three (53!!!) episodes seem to pass by much faster than the first twenty. What sold it to me is the Ming Lan character, who is much smarter and savvier than she appears at first -- plus it’s funny that she seems to be eating constantly. I have to say that it was difficult for me to connect the characters as adults to their child counterparts, with the exception of Xiaotao. I really liked Gu Tingye as a child, who seemed confident but not cocksure, principled, and mature beyond his years. I understand that his abusive family helped turn him into what seemed to be a vain, out-of-control, and immature adult and that he wasn’t really that way but I sometimes sympathized with others, including members of his family, when they found him irritating as hell. But then he would save Ming Lan in the nick of time or prove how smart and wily he was and I would forgive everything.

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Murder, Mothers, and Teen Romance

This drama series caters to those who enjoy intricate storylines, and I can assure you that it's absolutely worth your time. The mysterious death of a student adds a captivating layer to the narrative, but what sets it apart is the compelling story of the three mothers. Each embodies distinct life perspectives—one yearns for a perfect family, another seeks what's best for her child, and the third desires everything, even if it's not rightfully hers. The series delves deep into the lives of these three mothers, exploring the lengths to which a parent would go for their children.

Let me be candid—I'm a teenager, and naturally, my interest tends to gravitate towards the romantic aspects of the students. What hooked me was the love story between Bae Ro Na and Joo Seok Hoon. It's a classic tale of the popular boy meeting the bullied girl, but it takes a darker turn as these students are entangled in a murder. Overall, it's a genuinely, and I mean very, compelling drama. I'm excited to share that there are two more seasons on the horizon.

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we all *secretly* wish for a love like theirs

discovering phuwin & pond's chemistry is the best thing i've ever done this year. thi drama made me giggle and swing my feet. when you think things can't get funnier, they GET funnier! i've been waiting for years for a drama that would be as sweet as funny, with a real story behind (not being funny to be funny, kwim), guess i found it :) whoever created neo's character needs a raise! that duen is funny as hell (without even trying).

i also loved how nan (mix) carried the whole show even though he was on screen for like 10 minutes total. without him, God knows how long it would've taken for pi to realise he's deeply in love with mork ?? we shall also notice mork's persistence, he never gave up on pi even though pi wasn't easy on him. they fell for each other at the very beginning, without even noticing :)

they (all) made me giggle, burst out laughing, cry, realise i've never been more single. would 100% recommend! the only thing that stopped me from putting a 10 is the music that (sometimes) doesn't fit the mood, and some scenes where you can clearly see/sense the discomfort of some actors (mostly phuwin's tbh). otherwise, would 100% recommend :)

on my way to rewatch it ?

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Edge of your seat!!

I don’t write many reviews any more, but I felt the need to write this one. This is very suspenseful, the acting is superb, and the plot is creative and outstanding! More action in 4 episodes, than some I’ve watched with 16+ episode Dramas! Yes, suicide is a way out of your misery, but this is showing how your choice affects others. It is making him feel the pain of what others feel when their life isn’t going as planned. Each time he dies, you wonder what his next experience is going to be. It shows him growing to regret his decision, because he realizes how it has changed peoples lives around him. It helps him do this with the different characters he lives, and the choices they made that changed their lives and others around them. I can not wait until part 2 in January to see where this goes. The writing, directing, producing, and especially the 5 star actors, put on a show you will love! However, it does get very rough, as in bloody and violent, so go into this knowing that.

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I've been struggling this entire year to get hooked on a kdrama, most of the ones I've started seemed promising but when I gave them a chance dissapointed me. I began watching Castaway Diva without really having a lot of expectations, but it quickly grabbed my attention and I devoured it in 3 days.

The acting of the child actors on the first episode was amazing, and really sold me on this show. I liked their future selves, and thought that the reasons they were kept apart were reasonable, instead of just an excuse. I found all of the characters interesting and complex, they felt like actual people. They were not steryotipes or just tropes. There have been some dramas (coughKing the Landcough) in which the characters feel like caricatures and you get tired of seeing them, but I felt the opposite with the characters of Castaway Diva.

The only complaints I have are:

I wish we knew more about what happens with Ran Joo. Like, it seems like she's become the producer of the entertainment firm, but she chose to stay with somebody that she had a romantic relationship with and screwed her over multiple times? I did ship them at the beginning, because I loved the angst of it and there were scenes in which he was considerate towards her, but he went way too far, so I'm a little yikes that she chose to stay on the company that treated her like shit instead of building her own. Or at least have her get part of the ownership of the place so they could co-direct it, something that gave her more power of choice.

I wish we had more of the romance. We only had ONE kiss between the main couple, and not really a lot of scenes in which they're happy or like go on a date together. We've seen A LOT of them supporting each other, which is good to make the relationship believable, but I wish we'd had a few more scenes of them happily together after all the suffering and time apart they went through.

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from bed friends to best friends

started for yim, finished for net & james chemistry. i literally ate it, took me only 2 days to finish it. the day i started, i feared it'd be a deja vu kind of story. but the way net and james portrayed their characters made me want to stay until the very end. they did a really good job, the story was captivating. uea's mistreatment wasn't just a "thing to make the story a bit different than the others", they made it a whole thing that takes uea's ability to trust/love anyone away. this almost carried the whole show. i loved how king never gave up on uea, the way he waited for him to be ready to open up to him. also, i loved watching yim in another role, being funny and a bit goofy. jade quickly became one of my favorite side characters.

uea & King's chemistry is something else, they where definitely made to meet and to end up together. they were soulmates.

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Propaganda, Action, Killing, and NO Romance

I admit I followed the story to the end to see how the characters would end up. How the writer would tie up the loose ends and resolve the stories, and I suppose in a way, they did that - just not really so it made a compelling story that I enjoyed. The characters were played well by the actors - I hated the baddies, I was sorry for the goodies - and so many people were killed off, tortured, or manipulated. The villains didn't get nearly enough come-uppance for me.

Let's talk about the absence of romance. I watch these dramas for the lead couple(s) and the romance factor. There was none of it here. Although I love Elvis Han, I didn't care much for this FL - and found very little chemistry between them. When the only kiss is not even between the ML & FL you must know how non-existent the romance is.

There was a lot of action, a lot of 'suspense', but not in a way that the story was satisfying to me. I was very disappointed. I don't recommend this drama and would not rewatch it.

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