Reviews

The best light hearted Korean BL!

Looking for a show to watch after crying your eyes out? Look no further but for Semantic Error! This show is so cute, and I have watched it about nine times since it came out. This show is very simple. It's a university enemy to lovers story. There is no big blow up in the plot, and it will not make you cry. This show is not for someone who likes very deep and in depth shows. I like light-hearted shows with lots of fluff, and that is what this show brings to the table! This is actually one out of my eleven 10/10 shows. I recommend this show to anyone who is new to BL or new to kdramas in general. Even though Sang woo can frustrate watchers because hes so orderly, you come to love is quirks. The character development that we get to see from Jaechan's character (sang woo) is actually so nice. Jaeyoung is definitely a fun character who knows what he wants! The side characters aka Jae youngs friends were so funny!

ANYWAY, there is nothing I can complain about for this series. I have yet to find a Korean BL that lives up to this! Definitely give this show a try!

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"PERSONALLY" ONE of the BEST K-Drama in 2023.

First let me say that this review could be biased since I personally like the cast so much. But seeing the positive ratings from pretty much most of the people watching this drama, I hope that this review could relate to most.

Story, the story is so good. Perhaps saying that it is just good can't possibly show how good it is. This drama doesn't only provide entertainment, but also a lot of hidden messages that have meanings where we can relate in real life. I thought at first that it would be like 18 Again, but instead this drama actually went back in time and instead of the dad being the lead, the son will try to change his dad's fate and make sure that his dad would not change his love interest whilst also trying to prevent him from getting into the accident that made him lose his hearing. (My prediction is that I think him preventing his dad's accident is so when he returns to his timeline, he wants to perform in front of his dad knowing he could hear the music he's playing). The best quote on this drama is where Balsan shares what HEG has been doing for HYC without him knowing and says that he almost cried when he said,

"I want him to shine. First, on the stage. Then in life."
- Ha Eun Gyeol

Casting, there is no other words I can use to describe HOW each and everyone FITS exactly where they should be. I can't even imagine anybody else playing the main roles other than them. Both couples, Ryeorina (Ryeoun and Seorina) and Hyunsoo (CHW and SES)'s chemistry is so good. Even though I ship Ryeoun and Eun Soo more than... nvm since it would've been weird if the drama took that turn.

Music, I personally like both the OSTs and songs covered or used in this drama. For the OSTs a few that I personally liked the most is A Song For You by Joonil Joon, and Higher by JU-NE. But this drama also features Canon Rock, Walking to Heaven by Jang Hyunchul but I think in the drama they used Song Jin Wook's rock version, and much more (including their band's songs like Shining, etc).

Rewatch Value, I can't tell you how many times I've watched this drama from episode 1-8 while waiting for the 2 new episodes each week. I would rewatch this drama over and over again since I can't wait for the next episode. (And this is during my mid term exams as well..).

10/10 for me. If I could rate it higher I would.

UPDATE:
I just finished it and currently in the middle of debating whether I should be happy or sad that it's over. Even though in my head I had thought of a very different ending,
*SPOILER*
I half hoped that the accident that HYC had in episode 15 wouldn't be the same as what had happened before and he wouldn't be deaf, and the ending would've been them (HEG's band) performing in front of him and him being proud of his son's band.
*END OF SPOILER*
but the ending that happened in the drama didn't disappoint me at all, but I think that this is one of the most acceptable happy endings and didn't make me change the rating for it. Personally I felt that the ending was quite rushed, since a few things haven't been cleared up (Such as OEY's trip back, HYC's coping mechanism to his new condition, HYC and YCA's love story after the accident, and the band's fate ). But still a well deserved 10/10 drama near the end of 2023. Hoping that this drama would bring a few awards back home to either the production crew or the acting casts since this was a blast.

Currently waiting for Sweet Home S2, Squid Game S2, and All Of Us Are Dead S2 and hoping that they would come sooner and not end up as a disappointing season 2.

Dictionary for the Abbreviations:
1. HEG - Ha Eun Gyeol
2. HYC - Ha Yi Chan
3. YCA - Yoon Chung Ah
4. OEY - Oh Eun Yu
5. CHW - Choi Hyun Wook
6. SES - Shin Eun Soo

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It’s way overrated

I’m currently @ ep4 but I wanted to say this, when your mom tells you that the only reason she gave birth to you was so you could look after your brother, wow, I don’t know how anyone can come back from that, because that’s just so wild and traumatic on all levels.

Update after completion.
Honestly I like the premise of the drama but some details in the execution left me smh. That Ok psychiatrist hospital was just a prop in the drama, there was basically no work done there, it was just for gossip and drama. The three leads had severe traumatic experiences but they didn’t seek extensive treatment, they should be in therapy both individually and collectively before they can become that real family they are seeking, after everything they went through I’m not buying the kumbaya family times without proper treatment for the 3 of them but what do I know. I know that Sang Te met with the director doctor sometimes and Gang Te also talked with him a couple of times too but it felt to simplistic in terms of the severity and enormity of the situation.
I finally decided to watch this drama after a long time of putting it off, if I never watched it, I really won’t be missing much IMO, so I can’t say I recommend or not.
I definitely won’t be rewatching this.

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Not a very good Marvel version of K-drama franchise

This marks the second K-drama from Netflix that I've found myself unable to finish. The first was "King The Land," a series that turned my favorite actor into a rather bland Disney character.

"Strong Girl Namsoon," on the other hand, feels like a Marvel show with a Korean twist. While the original show placed a heavy emphasis on character development and their emotions, this one seems to prioritize the superhero aspect without delving into substantial character growth.

The male lead and the grandmother are undeniably talented actors who manage to shine with the material they are given. However, the female lead feels one-dimensional, lacking any significant depth or emotional complexity. Surprisingly, she doesn't even have any abandonment issues, despite being left with adoptive parents.

My breaking point came when I witnessed the antagonist resorting to a blue drug for superhero abilities. It felt like a significant departure from the tone and direction I was hoping for, leading me to decide to drop the series altogether.

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JoongDunk deserves better

I adore JoongDunk to death but this series was horribly written, most of it was just contrived drama thrown in, then solved within 10 minutes. At a certain point I didn’t even know what the overarching plot was. It lost the plot completely and just turned into glimpses of JoongDunk fanservice (which was the best part of the show). Again I love them so much but my baby Dunk needs an acting coach or acting lessons because his mediocre acting was really highlighted in this show.

I’m begging gmmtv to give JoongDunk a good script with a good director for their next series. Because SIMM and Hidden Agenda don’t show anything the two are capable of, especially Joong.

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This show had so much potential but ended up feeling rushed. The writing was rough throughout and there were a few moments where the acting was painful. Overall I think OnlyOneOf did a good job with the lackluster script and overwhelmed plot for their first drama. I think they all have acting potential. If you want to watch them in a bl this is for you but know going in that Nine Mill have very little chemistry here whereas in their mv's and other content they have quite a lot, probably something to do with directing leading to a a fluffy and forgettable performances. Anyways check out OnlyOneOf's 'be' mv series its far better than this. That said I will be rewatching purely to experience Kyubin's villain era again.

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Patience is a must!

A story about two significantly different worlds colliding together and taking an attempt at combining them.

I was very excited to see this come out as I was waiting on it for over a month after seeing it be revealed. I was not let down in the slightest! This drama does indeed have its moments that made me want to pause it and walk away, but as I became more patient I slowly started to realize that was the point of most of it.

Doona is a character that comes from a long line of emotional troubles stemming from people she has encountered to even her own family. Being a K-Pop idol may seem like such a loving job but sometimes that may just be the view from surface level. Doona experienced lots of troubles from being lonely while still being surrounded by people. I think this is something a lot of people, including myself, resonate with in present day due to how disconnected a lot of people have become from society and normal human interaction that is fulfilling. That being said I think from what made me so annoyed at the beginning, started to make more sense as time went on.

Romance stories such as this one are hard to digest because it leaves you wondering what the character is even thinking to make a decision like they did. This story in particular leaves a lot to be questioned especially the ending. If you pay close attention however, you realize a lot more than what is said at the end. The random scenes that were shown had lots of connection to the overall story and it made me appreciate the story a whole lot more than I did when I first was getting near the ending of this series.

Love is an intricate emotion and thing that exists in our world but in this drama it is depicted quite while in a unique setting between two distinct worlds. It does an awesome job at painting this picture of people in their early 20s becoming more mature and developing their own lives and having to make sacrifices. Trying to better oneself can sometimes be painful, and that is a hard thing to swallow. Even seeing it from an outsider perspective is hard at times.

This drama is amazing and I think anyone that is looking for a quicker than usual romance experience then this is definitely worth a shot, just have patience and also an open-mind. Pay attention to scenes that may not seem important.

(The OST is absolutely amazing as well!)

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After dropping at ep 16 I restarted it again cause couldnt find ny other good drama to watch and I like wuxia drama
Let me make it straight compare to otehr wuxia drama this one is just average
it starts good but loses its temp in between
suddenly everything become illogical repetitive
specially in the middle that village where they meet cannibel's was completely lifter from MDZS /untamed the Yi city arc , same kind of village, misty dangling of bell, woman walking alone on desrted street , I was expecting even Lin Hua to cook a porridge
Feels like writer didnt have ny idea how to make it 40 episodes series
Acting wise Joseph zhang has impressed me. alot in an eagerly loving young boy and his loyalty to Li Lan Hua is commendable
Chengyi was better than all his previous drama
among females only that evil princess in red impress me
worst part all seniors make up was v bad some just have put one strip white hair as wig to look old but tehir face had no wrinkle and full makeup
I dont think i will rewatch it again

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A Bitter Taste

The only thing likeable in this drama are the songs. Bai Shu indeed is a talented singer. From his voice alone, I could imagine the scene and the emotion conveyed for the song in this drama and it is well-suited.

HOWEVER...the acting and characterization really leaves bitter taste in my mouth.

The acting and characterization of the main actors are extremely terrible as they diverged too far from how they were written in the book. This AIN'T entirely the problem of the actors though but rather the BIGGEST SHARE OF THIS PROBLEM is the screen writer and the one directing this movie. It feels like they are taking a different perspective in approaching these three main characters which COULDN'T come full circle and COMPLETELY FAILED. Wang Pangzi may be loud but he'll never be crass. Wu Xie may be naive but he'll never be erratic and extremely stupid and extremely emotional. Zhang Qiling may be distant and emo, but he'll never be emo-angry whose angry emotions are so clear on his face. In addition to that Zhao Dong Ze could have dyed his hair black. Perhaps this would've helped his aura a little bit more.

Considering this is the 3rd season of DMBJ (chronological order of events by the book), the iron triangle's relationship here shouldn't be like this - HERE BUT NOT ENTIRELY HERE. You see them physically but their emotion is all over the place -UNCONNECTED.
There isn't any chemistry maybe because there wasn't much time training them how to establish such bond??

If only the script was written from an angle that shows the original Wu Xie's character and reactions from the book (which I have read), and WITH a director that could hit the spot when guiding talents, his acting and the others may have been different and perhaps better. If you look at their other movies especially Bai Shu, you'd see he acted really well! From the drama "Demi-gods and Semi-devils" to "The Blood of Youth" I could say that he DID AN OUTSTANDING CHARACTERIZATION and interpretation there. I SO DAMN LOVE HIS XIAO LINGCHEN IN Blood of Youth and his Duan Yu is Demi-gods and semi-devils! That's why I don't believe it's majorly a mistake on his part when he delivered a Wu Xie like this in this series.

I just hope that the upcoming series would have screenwriter whose HEART is really into DMBJ and a director that is strict and could make what they visualize a reality.

All in all, this series feels like it was created ONLY to fill the gap of the other series. Even filling some of the gaps failed.

Not rewatching it. If you want to watch it, go ahead.

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just lean into it

this was the perfect filler drama in my mind. not a ton of emotional commitment needed but moved and enjoyable pace.

sure you could say more episodes more context more explanations

but what we got STILL felt really good.

sure the ending is open ended but I choose to believe they are together in secret and not for public consumption... as it should be.

they're an electric couple to watch- Suzy is at her mesmerizing best (man that hair and the outfits) and the rest of the cast is perfection.

let's not forget we're here to be entertained, and Doona! it's exactly that.

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it's a Saeguk,Saeguk!. 세국이예요!

Yes, I'm an unapologetic fan of Saeguks and I don't want to repent of it at all, 싫어.

For this reason I'm writing a small token. This drama is undoubtedly one of the most frustrating love story ever told. Jeongjo and Uibin, it shatters my fragile heart. However, the end offered a sort of closure for all the frustration I had endured through out the drama. I absolutely adored the friendship between Duk Im and her friends,it was a breath of fresh air. it turned out this perfect because every one of the actors chewed their roles without spitting, each conveying the needed emotions with undeniable expertise.
it was all too beautiful to witness, I love the part where each of the friends talked about their meeting together later in life(here or afterlife) the story of "going back home after we become old". it was just the kinds of spice that makes my heart sing.

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Slow burn. Amazing chemistry.

This is a well-written drama on relatable struggles at the workplace and in our personal lives. I particularly loved the development around ML and FL without the usual drama tropes, how they both had to learn how trust is fragile and how much you have to work for it.

I dunno why I waited this long to watch this drama. The main couple truly sizzled and were so beautiful together that I didn't mind her annoying sister's storyline anymore lol. The other subplots were good as they showed what other people go through, stupid decisions you make, and maybe find love or what you're looking for if you're lucky.

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