Reviews

Excuse me... where's the real story

When I read the book, Jade was a kind naive young man. This series version makes him an idiotic simpleton. There's more depth to this story than is portrayed. Overall instead of giving this story a little more true content the series creates a frantic confusing portrayal of Jade. Bedfriends had a complex story line with character development and relationship building. This unfortunate redition is childish and has an undeveloped romantic relationship. Jade is so silly it's hard to imagine him being in love or sexually interested in anyone. Mai definitely has a swoony persona. The series doing a little more justice to his character. I'm going to perservere and watch all 8 episodes simply because I enjoyed "Bedfriends" so much.

Read More

Choice between Wonderland and A Cage named 'Royal Palace'

...............................................................
Plot:
...............................................................

The plot looks promising and lived upto it.....

There's a kingdom named DaYu ruled by Li Family. The kingdom has three Great Generals: Sun Jing, Pei Xian and Cui Yi. Sun Jing rebelled against emperor and massacred Royal Family, Pei Xian is loyal to emperor, and Cui Yi is loyal to himself and country but not to emperor. All of them have their own army.

The story follows the seventeenth grandson of emperor LiNi (Xu Kai), who was nowhere near to become a heir for throne, and Cui Lin (Jing Tian), the sole daughter of Cui Yi.

LiNi lost his mother just after his birth, despised by his own father and grandfather because of his mother's humble background and exiled to borders to guard the country.

Cui Lin is a lieutenant in Cui Army renowned as 'Lieutenant He' and lost her mother while she was young in a war as her mother sacrificed herself while guarding the city with bravery.

...............................................................
Characters:
...............................................................

LiNi (Xu Kai): Also known as 'Shiqi Lang'. A clever, loyal, brave and free-spirited person. He is a kind, warm-hearted and emotional young man. He lead Zhenxi army to quell the rebellion of Sun Jing and intended to make world at peace by assigning throne to its real heir. Not an ambitious person and never wanted to return to the palace, let alone to be emperor. He just wanted a peaceful life (as he never had a loving and peaceful family) with his brothers in army, his wife and children, far away from royal court and politics. His intelligence, capabilities and war strategies are second to none. He loves Cui Lin with his whole heart and wishes to travel the Wonderland after marrying her.
............................

Cui Lin (Jing Tian): Also known as 'Lieutenant He' and A'Ying. A cunning, strong, prideful, ruthless but a practical and warm-hearted lady. She is ambitious and wanted to rule the kingdom if there is not any suitable person to rule in the royal family. Her cunningness could be considered as a cut above LiNi's 'cause she knows how to manipulate someone and make use of them. As she lost her mother in war so her motivation of life is to make world at peace by stabilizing the court and end the sufferings of common people caused by continuous wars. One of the best female leads I've seen in dramas so far. The only person who can match upto her is LiNi and she loves him but wanted him to shoulder the responsibility of throne to make peace to the world.
............................

Liu Chengfeng (Gao Han): An orphan, raised by Cui Yi as his own son with the identity of Cui Lin (means he is the fake Cui Lin) to deceive the court (as he only has a daughter and court would not accept his daughter as leader of Cui Army). He grew up with Cui Lin and was obsessed with her. He wanted her to be by his side all the time. He turned into a toxic person and I lost all the sympathy I once had for him.... I wanted him dead throughout the drama.
............................

Gu Wan'Niang (Zhao Jia Min): She is a shrewd lady, wants power and a powerful husband i.e., LiNi. I would have admired her character if she loved LiNi sincerely but she is on verge of becoming a toxic person who just wants her own good.
............................

Other support characters like Xie Chang'er, TaoZi, Lao Bao and the people in Zhenxi army are decent characters, not very interesting but good ones. I hated LiNi's father the most.... He is the most stupid person in whole drama. LiNi's elder brothers are greedy and after their father and Liu ChangFang, they are the ones I hated.

...............................................................
Acting and Chemistry:
...............................................................

Xu Kai is great as always... He did exceptionally beautiful job portraying his character. It's my first time watching Jing Tian's work and I'm impressed with her acting.... Their chemistry is on fire....the flirting and fighting, their bickering with support & love.... though it sometimes feel boring whenever they meet in Wonderland.

It's a long since I feel Xu Kai get a great deal. Their characters are a perfect match to each other in terms of intelligence and capabilities and as actors they also made a perfect match in appearance, acting abilities and everything else. There are a lot of sweet moments when you can't help yourself feeling butterflies in your stomach.... and emotional moments when you can't hold your tears back.

Other actors also did good job especially the old actors and I'm impressed with the actors who played Sun Jing and LiNi's father.

...............................................................
OSTs and Costumes:
...............................................................

OSTs are good. I loved the costumes and armors of main leads when they are in army but the womanly costumes for female lead... I didn't like it much. Designers could have done more better in costumes of other actors too.

...............................................................
Pace of Story:
...............................................................

It starts with an engaging plot and keep its pace maintained. Story drags a little in the midway but pick up the pace again after few episodes. The thing I have complain about is, makers made Cui Lin as a weak and dumb lady while dealing with Liu ChangFang and her actions didn't make sense despite her being a cunning person.

...............................................................
Ending and Recommendation:
...............................................................

After a lot of ups and downs its finally a happy ending. If you're considering to watch it then go for it without a second thought.... It's not perfect but definitely an amazing one....

...............................................................

Read More

This drama has a great plot, and I think it would be a good drama if it was a 16-episode with one hour per episode drama. Since it was just a mini drama, the "whole story" was not deeply portrayed that I could engage with it. It was a light drama, not as much as I thought.

The actors did well in the acting aspect, but the main female lead lack that masculinity of able to take a role of a man or detective so I was not convinced. Since it was just about 10 minutes per episode, it was not really a waste of time.

The transition and pacing in the drama is also bad for me as watcher. Would not recommend.

Read More

A GREAT POWER DRAMA FOR 2023

Last year there were many power dramas that kept us happy, this year not so much. But fortunately, we have one in Story of Kunning Palace. It has the actors (some A-listers) playing intense parts with martial arts skills in a great plotline with gorgeous costumes and a superb soundtrack that adds to the different scenes in a wonderful cohesion. I don't usually give dramas a 10 rating, but the story and the acting just makes me riveted to this exciting drama. There is also its share of light-hearted moments and characters. Case in point; the actor who plays Dingfei gives this otherwise serious drama the comic-relief that is needed to keep it from becoming too gloomy. I highly recommend this power drama to binge on. Happy drama-watching.

Read More

Loved it.

Great fantasy/historical series. The ML totally shined in this series. The acting was amazing, Yes, he was amazing.

I had been waiting for a good one and I totally found it. This is a captivating one. You’ll grow to love the characters even the ones you think you’d dislike. There was action, drama, romance and a little humor. The chemistry was very present between the leads, even before the things progressed. You could sense it. The ML did an amazing job keeping me captivated. He totally lead all the way. His wits, dominance and communication were strong and enjoyable. The FL was great as usual.she was smart as well. Her character did frustrate me a bit in the beginning but she pulled through. Although we have all seen a somewhat similar storyline, I have yet to see one that was this rail, well written, and had so much passion behind the cast. I love the consistency amongst the characters in this drama, and I also love how their character grew and we had the opportunity to see that through their actions and their communication, and let’s not forget the emotions that they portrayed through all of those things.

I love how the story revolved around a redo of events, they didn’t attempt to delude us with major character shifts, however they did show us the change in how our FL chose to interact with others and how that impacted the outcome. It also revealed things that were previously misunderstood. It really brought back to the forefront of how we often perceive things a certain way, but they may not be what actually true. If you are looking for a great historical fantasy fiction, you will absolutely love this one.

Chemistry was onsite everyday. Action didn’t miss a step and the love boat was definitely afloat.

I loved the ending as well. It was hilarious, sweet and cute.

Read More

Sweetness

Series revolves around a girl with an ability and her desire to free herself from the confines of the world she was caged in. How she was raised to use it versus how she chose to use it was absolutely beautiful.

I really enjoyed this. It starts off with a really good pace and it continued to develop in a way that allows the characters grow. There were very few moments where I felt the need to fast forward. I absolutely enjoyed watching the lead interact as well as how their relationships develop. Although it is fictional the progression of the relationship and the realistic elements of it were relatable.

This one kept me on my toes. The way the FL interacted with others and how she blossomed into her person was amazing. I loved how she became someone that everyone loved.

There was action, romance, comedy, drama and some heartfelt moments. Chemistry was very present along with my beloved happy ending.


Definitely a rewatch.

Read More

Focused point, Great actors, and a plot line that hooks you

It’s just unique, it has its own unique plot. I watched it thinking it would be something about catching weird thieves or solving mysterious crimes, but it turned better so much better (by the way I didn’t saw the trailer) I love how the plot is, like a police that is committing crimes (well not crimes but in law it is) and a reporter who is kind of helping him, and a rich fan who wants to be a team with him. I watched it mainly because (nam Jo hyuk) but also I liked the plot line that maybe can happen in real life,(you know like it is half way logical). Also we can’t forget the cinematography, sounds and the editing they can make a movie with that, It’s Superb. Of course the actors they portrayed the emotions and the feelings so well they chose the right actors for this Drama, they all did such an excellent job.
Real Justice can’t be real without one losing and sometimes it’s the victim losing. Like Kim ji woong’s Story made me feel terrible about how they just sent that trash to prison they let him away with it while she was killed I am sure if Kim ji woong was real his umma would be so proud of him. And so is the people who didn’t got their rights.
His every emotion was understandable, the only thing that makes me so mad is letting killers go away without receiving their punishment.
I like how he is just 2 different people, in the morning he is Kim Jiwoong and in the night he is the “vigilante” it always made me excited.
If we talk about the name I feel it’s the right name for him he is the meaning of vigilante, in case you don’t know the meaning of vigilante, it’s a member of a self-appointed group of citizens who undertake law enforcement in their community without legal authority, typically because the legal agencies are thought to be inadequate. But he did by himself, he is such a strong person.
If we talked about the actors I feel if any other actor played Kim Jiwong no one would portray it like nam Jo hyuk.
I wish the ending will be happy one. Can’t wait for Wednesday.

Read More

FL almost ruined everything

If I'm rating based on Baek Beom alone, this drama would be 11/10!

Granted, he can be harsh but there's a backstory to it, which is already mentioned in synopsis, duh! Plus, his comment makes sense, despite the tone being harsh

Now, the 2nd FL is a typical spoilt princess trying to prove herself. Wearing high heels to crime scene, touch body without gloves and then upset just because she is told off. Hello?! Even I, a non-prosecutor know you shouldn't do all this, and you, don't know? What have you been doing in law school? What's worse is she often go around shouting and screaming and throwing her tantrum at Baek Beom, like hello?! Oh gosh.

The saving grace is at least she is smart and is useful at times (not always, btw) and she does get better, holy cow. There are more than once I almost dropped the show ebcause of her. I've been staying because of Baek beom and the storyline, as I love forensic + prosecutor +detective combined!

The other male prosecutor is another annoying one. He has been having confirmation bias since day 1 and dares to call himself prosecutor. But, thanks God he quit and realized his mistakes

Towards the end, the two main annoying characters get better, hence making me wanna watch S2, otherwise I seriously can't stand more of them lol

Plus, the addition of the new prosecutor is a bonus. This is what i'm talking about. Someone who is fierce, bold, daring, but realistic, reasonable and cool, all at same time. No princess tantrum or prince tantrum for that matter

At first, I wish the ML is hotter, but then I grew to like Baek Beom character more and more, so all is well LOL

Read More

Tissues are required to watch this drama

The first episode was a lot. The characters gave me GOONG vibes - you'd think this drama would be cheesy...BUT IT AIN'T!

I did not expect to ball my eyes out in the first episode. The topic of DA really hits me hard. I think the director and actors did well in conveying what some scenarios are like (and how victims may feel/think). It really does suck for Jang KiHo's situation (Father being a police officer - can't really report him with how corrupt the government/society is).

As you go through the drama, some things may seem expected/predictable, but it's still such a well-told drama (so far, as i haven't completed the drama yet). I've cried almost every episode, as each episode brings up different challenges and back stories of each character - the struggles!

I'm such a fan of all the dramas Park EunBin has been in, and her costars are always so amazing (good team work).

Also, I had high expectations when I saw who the screenwriter (Park Hye Ryun) and Director (Oh Choong Hwan) were, as they have been responsible for many amazing dramas I love.

Read More

Moonlight Chicken is a hidden gem

You know the acting will be phenomenal based on the cast alone, but Khaotung (Gaipa) was my favorite of them all. His scenes were just purely fun, sweet, and/or very emotional. Man made me cry like a baby twice. Of the eight episodes, 5-7 did get a bit draggy because of the repetitiveness in the main arc, nonetheless, it was still an enjoyable watch and I love the order in which certain things were revealed i.e. Alan’s entrance, the identity of Wen’s stepfather, and Ms. Hong’s death. I also like that the timeline was clear and that all eight episodes happened within a six-month to ten-month period.

What I liked/enjoyed:
- The reality and hardship economically post-COVID. It’s a no-brainer that everyone was heavily affected by COVID-19 in one way or another. But what made Jim’s Chicken diner different was despite Jim being poor and a single guardian of an 18-year-old teenager himself, he was able to empathize, sympathize, and cater to the unfortunate out of the kindness of his heart. Not only is his chicken rice recipe simple, but it’s also affordable, convenient, and fulfilling for the middle and lower class. His kindness spoke volumes throughout the whole show.
- I love the entire cast but Mark and View’s coupling takes the cake. Salaeng and Praew are naturally fun to be around and are very supportive when they, themselves are struggling; set to be first-time parents with a baby on the way. I also love Saleng’s relationship with everyone, he was the perfect friend, employee, boyfriend, and support everyone needed. Probably would have been a good son like Gaipa had his parents been alive. He also seemed like a really great dad from the one scene of him playing with his baby in episode 8. I love that although he had to be put out of his job at the diner, he didn’t forget to pay Jim back and still kept in contact with everyone. It truly showed that Moonlight Chicken wasn’t just a workplace but a home away from home.
- Gaipa and his mother’s backstory was both heartwarming and heartbreaking. Normally, funerals for side characters are rushed but in this case, the show highlighted the impact that Ms. Hong, a side character, had on not just Jim, his family, and the diner but the whole community. While Gaipa mourned, you can feel just how much the Hongs were loved and respected by all.
- I know some find it weird or unrealistic, but Wen rooming with Alan after they’ve broken up is probably the one thing I like most about this series. During lockdown and quarantine, it wasn’t uncommon to hear that couples who lived together do and did break up. I thought Wen living paycheck to paycheck was a reasonable enough reason to keep living with his ex; especially when his ex is the breadwinner and they’ve agreed to be friends. The only problem was Alan took this as a possibility of them getting back together despite being told it wouldn’t happen countless times. To be fair, it was completely understandable because, in Alan’s case, he was still in love and actions do speak louder than words. If Wen hasn’t moved out by now then obviously it wasn’t really about Wen falling out of love but something else. Like another man (Jim) for instance. The reality is Alan can afford to think this way because he isn’t financially restrained like Wen is. If Wen leaves, Alan’s capable of paying all of his bills just fine but if Alan leaves, Wen will have to look for another roommate or cheaper condo. We got a glimpse of that when Wen had to ask their friend, Gong, for help and ended up renting a condo (hello Ohm’s room in ‘Bad Buddy’ xD)
- All of the characters’ growth was noticeable and lovely but Li Ming’s growth is the most impressive. Once he knew what he wanted, his confidence and responsibility surfaced and he was able to sell his future plans to his mother and uncle despite their doubt. Li Ming really showed them that he wasn’t as unprepared or unmotivated as they were led to believe. Not only did Li Ming plan the next four to six years of his life, but he’s been working towards it. He was dedicated and ready to walk his own path and his family couldn’t be more proud and supportive.
- Jim and Li Ming fight as any uncle and nephew would but I had so much respect for Li Ming when Jim said ‘Don’t raise your voice at me’ and Li Ming instantly piped down and apologized. That scene was beautifully done and showed that deep down Li Ming has a lot of respect, love, and gratitude for his uncle. He’s just frustrated because of the lack of communication and the pushing and projecting from flawed adults. It was brilliant of Li Ming to recognize that what Jim was projecting onto him was in fact Jim’s dreams and Li Ming calling his uncle out for that was great.
- The fact that Heart was deaf. I love the representation here and I thought Gemini did an excellent job. He was really convincing. I loved that the show stressed the fact that people tend to think deaf people are also mute when that’s not always true. I love that not only was Heart finally understood by his family but also accepted by Li Ming’s friends and family. His parents learning and becoming pros at signing, Wen communicating with him through sign, and Li Ming’s mother's openness to learn and attempt sign were all very wholesome.
- The communication between some characters was great whilst others were realistic.
- I love it when characters drop names without telling us who they are right away. It keeps the audience guessing and gives the characters some history and substance. Or when children are introduced and you have to do some connecting the dots. i.e. Beam’s ex-girlfriend’s daughter and Jam’s stepdaughter/Li Ming’s stepsister.
- The portrayal of Jim’s stubbornness that stems from age and fear. Jim being set in his ways as an older, more traditional guy is so lifelike. Although Jim isn’t as expressive and agreeable as Li Ming would like, it’s clear that Jim is trying his best to build a good reputation and connections for Li Ming’s sake.
- The reality of being able to accept gays as friends, co-workers, or neighbors but wouldn’t come around to it when it’s family. Although it sounded homophobic, Jam made it clear that her concern was about how her son would be viewed and mistreated by others if they found out his orientation, and not that she was repulsed by it. I did like that she had at least three conversations about it with Jim and Li Ming. It showed how much she was bothered by it.
- The revelation of Ms. Hong’s death. From the marketplace to the hospital and finally temple/funeral. The transition from Gaipa and Saleng walking, talking, and joking around to the discovery of Ms Hong was so well done. Khaotung’s acting in the hospital scene, it was clear that he’d been given the bad news and his crying was so heartwrenching!
- The cinematography and setting were aesthetically pleasing. I love the color palette and it was really giving Hainanese. (I love Li Ming’s little lion dance too!)
- Aof’s cameo! xD

What I disliked/wished was different/included, and noticed:
- Jim and Beam had more chemistry than Jim and Wen.
- Gaipa pursuing Jim is cute but surprisingly for someone who's really into Jim, Gaipa doesn't come around a lot. Yeah, he's busy helping his mom and keeping her company but he mostly, if not always, drops by only at his mom's requests and not because he misses Uncle Jim's face.
- Some events in episodes 5-7 could have been shortened or cut out entirely to focus, explore, and revisit older scenes.
- Jim consistently saying ‘no’ and bringing up what he said before their one-night stand was great, a man of his word, however; there were way too many back and forths about it on screen. They could have cut out one or two rejection scenes and implied it in a passing conversation with another character.
- It’s clear that Jim likes Wen and even misses him at the diner. However, whenever there’s an opportunity for Jim to initiate contact first, out of desperation, Wen would call or show up and we’d get the same rejection scene but in different clothes. If viewers enjoyed the mains together then sometimes a separation would do everyone some good and make a reunion 10 times better. It’s boring that Wen was the only one trying to make them work.
- The comedy was present but not emphasized enough to be memorable
- I wish there was a scene where Heart confessed to his parents that he was the one who broke the bottle OR there’s a short scene of his father drinking from the same bottle he and Li Ming secretly drank out of and wondering why it’s somewhat watery. That would have been a good callback.
- The reporter clearly said they were moving into 2023 on New Year's Eve, however, when Ms. Hong passed away, a couple of months later, she was written to have passed in February 2022. I suppose they filmed in 2022 and forgot to change the year on the printout.

This was a slice of life and I for one enjoyed them immensely. This is a definite watch and rewatch.

Read More

A Fantasy Romance Between a Demon & a Heiress

A dangerous yet spicy romance between a devilishly handsome demon & a strong minded chaebol heiress!

The tagline definitely fits the bill as we talk about SBS’s latest fantastical offering, “My Demon”. Starring Kim Yoo Jung and Song Kang in the lead roles, this was one of the most anticipated romances of the year and rightly so. While the concept of contract marriages is nothing new in Korean dramas, this show strongly hinges on the “Opposite Poles Attract” premise. The settings are beautiful, cinematography is lush while the CGI effects are mindblowing. It has been a long time since I watched a drama that instantly grabs your attention. Being a huge fan of Song Kang, this drama was on my “Must Watchlist” and I’m glad that it lived up to the expectations. There is something exciting about watching an immortal demon butt heads with a cold hearted heiress. They both have unique personalities which merge well and I’m totally enjoying the joyride. Without further ado, let’s dig deeper into the pilot episodes!

Read the complete article here-

https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2023/11/26/my-demon-first-impressions/

Read More