Reviews

Let them stay bad and cunning - for that I am grateful.

To sum it up: great pacing, interesting and likable characters, solid chemistry, thrilling schemes, problematic gege throwing hands at both his enemies and his lady (which in this drama was perfection, don’t call me out). On the other hand, I was not crazy about how all the romances developed and in some areas, the acting could have been better.

Still, top level of solid entertainment. Thank god I was watching it as it aired - otherwise I would not be able to stop and binge watching all of the episodes would simply kill me - I’m too old for it.

It truly surprised me how much I enjoyed the pity palace drama. Usually I’m barely stopping myself from skipping this type of scene, but here they were some of the best aspects. I appreciated glorious slaps, calling out stupidity even on your own team, backstabbing for survival - it all sounds so dramatic, but in the drama itself, it’s presented in an engaging, but palatable manner.

What’s more to love are all the women in the drama. Variety of the characters, personalities, strength and weaknesses - exactly what I want to see. You don’t just get your typical - smart and cunning, and dumb, but loyal. They nicely mix it up. We get the asshole who overestimates her abilities, we have a smart and loyal friend. We saw women who push their limits and ones that prefer to not push them. We have bad, good and morally gray.

On the other hand the drama lacks quality men. Those that are fun are not developed enough, those that are developed more are annoying. Xie Wei being the only true saving grace. Yes, Zhang Zhe is cute and righteous, but that’s all he is. Yan Lin might be fun and good at fighting, but he is the definition of the “supporting from background while having little to no individuality”. I enjoyed them as I was watching, but by the end of the show I had little to no thoughts about them.

I’m glad plot wise the overall arc was well explained. I understood the motivation of all the characters, why they made the choices they made and what was their goal. Some strived for power, some for survival and some for redemption. I do wish the drama was longer. While they wrapped up everything quite skillfully, I still wanted to see more. Especially in terms of romance.

And that’s my biggest regret. Not even a flaw, since the final execution was done well, it just made me crave for more. All the romance driven plot lines were quite sidelined, so by the end, they tried to put 20 episodes worth of development into maybe 8. I enjoyed every second of it, but I wanted more.

Acting was good. Bai Lue did what she does best. In no universe she could fail delivering a character like that - it’s made for her and her only. Zhang Ling He was great in some scenes, not so great in others. Wang Xing Yue and Zhou Jun Wei both did not really have a space to show any skills - how the characters were written did not really allow that. I’m glad that the whole cast had a great chemistry though - be it platonic, romantic or rivalry. And them kissing scenes… we do not get kissing scenes like that often.

I know many people complained about the make up, personally I liked it. The over the top magical red eyeliner that showed up when Xie Wei turned into his toxic hot gege persona. Yes, the eyebrows for the female characters were… a choice, but after a few episodes I just stopped paying attention to them.

Overall, high level of entertainment. Story of Kunning Palace has such a high binge watchability, it’s actually scary and could be a health risk if you are not careful. It’s both exciting, but approachable - balances well between how dramatic, but also easy to digest it wants to be.

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Why is everyone giving this a bad review?

I really don't understand why people are saying they don't like it. It is a fun watch tbh funny characters and a cute concept. The story did not go the way I thought it would go. Some stuff was dragged on which could have been used to introduce the already had characters better which would not have left so much confusion at the end of the series.


Unanswered Questions
- Why was Bread song real self contained till literally the last 5 minutes of the drama, was he really laundering money, is he the new mafia boss?
- who was the guy giving Geum Joo all the intel?
- the detective asked about the phone and its tracking but nothing happened.
- In ep 16 who was the woman geum joo visited and does her son have super strength too? is there gonna be another one but for guys?

too many unanswered questions and I don't think there will be a part 2.

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A beautiful journey awaits

⚠️⚠️THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS ⚠️⚠️

Where do I begin?!
I've heard of this saying (fate is about timing)..this series had me in a chokehold from the 1st episode, it was beautifully written and the brilliant actors was ????

our main couple meet by chance shortly after the FL had had a dream about our ML, and it was love at first sight for our ML(she?..not so much) but that did not deter our ML(even after learning of her crush to someone else) in that time period she was considered (brash,loud mouth, forward) amongst other things. Our couple is then taken on a journey like no other and we get to see them in different stages of the their lives during the war and their timing being off(frustratingly so),


○After losing everything, she was not afraid to work(even though noble-women weren't allowed to)
○She sacrificed her love for Jang Hyeon and chose to stay with her family to take care of her unwell father and young siblings
○She was told he had died which in turn led to her getting married(not before mourning him)
○After that he(ML) finds out she was bought by the princess of the Qing empire (because of her unrequited love for Jand Hyeon)
○He gets Gil chae(FL) out and the Qing princess almost kills him while he was trying to save Gil chae
○Makes Jang Hyeon make Gil chae leave to have him to herself (Qing princess) as a result of not understanding why he'd be willing to die for her
○She goes back, only to find her husband has impregnated another woman(probably thought she was never coming back)
○Her refusing to him and see her struggle

●Despite everything he continued to love her unconditionally
●He fought with her and for her(didn't think twice when she was in danger)
●He risked everything to get her out of slavery(when her husband chose reputation over her)
●As he promised, always finds her(wether in danger or not)
●The way his eyes conveyed what his mouth couldn't
●His hearts refusal to forget her when his mind did
●His unwavering love for her throughout the years
●their sacrifices for other people (captives)

There's a lot I could say regarding these two but it still might not be enough, the emotional roller-coaster one goes through whole watching(laughter, love,tears,anger, angst, frustration) but a beautiful journey one could take.
Let me leave it here

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A Timeless Gem

Hey fellow drama enthusiasts! ? So, I know I'm fashionably late to the review party, but hear me out. I only recently started jotting down my drama thoughts post "Hidden Love," and let's be honest, how could I not give a shoutout to my all-time favorite, "Love is Sweet"? ?

Let's rewind a bit. I embarked on this delightful drama journey two years ago, and guess what? "Love is Sweet" was the first and, hands down, the ultimate best drama I've ever encountered. And no, I'm not saying it's the best; I'm screaming it's the "all-time best." ?

Now, I'm not usually the type to rewatch dramas endlessly. I mean, who has the time, right? But this masterpiece? I've lost count at seven rewatches, and you know what? It still hits me right in the feels every single time. I've dabbled in other dramas, like "Hidden Love," "Alchemy of Souls S1 and S2," and the ever-popular "Dr. Romantic." Don't get me wrong; they're good, but after a few rounds, the magic tends to fade. ?

Now, let's talk about "Love is Sweet." This drama is a gem, an absolute gem. It's got that timeless quality that keeps me hooked, entertained, and emotionally invested, no matter how many times I've seen it. The chemistry between Luo Yun Xi and Bai Lu is pure magic. I can't get enough of their stellar performances. ✨

So, if you haven't embarked on this journey yet, do yourself a favor and dive into "Love is Sweet." Trust me; you won't be disappointed. It's not just a drama; it's an experience. Happy watching, fellow drama addicts! ??

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Beautiful love story with a man not a boy!

I found this drama to be relatively short compared to others, which is just right. I cannot stand it when scriptwriters add redundant episodes just to drag out the storyline without bringing anything new to the plot. Thankfully, this drama had only 22 episodes.

The love story in this drama started early on, which I absolutely loved. However, I must say that the male lead's charming looks and masculine personality were the main reasons that kept me interested. If it weren't for him, I'm not sure I would have continued watching.

The chemistry between the main leads was good but not awe-inspiring. The female lead, although a decent actress in this drama, was forgettable in my opinion. However, I could feel the passion between the two characters, which is what I really enjoyed about this love story.

There were times when the plot felt rushed and lacked dialogue or explanation. I found myself wondering if I had missed an episode because of the sudden changes in storylines. For example, why did the female lead lie to the male lead and reject him about her forced marriage? Why did she suddenly refuse to give him her forever because of her mother when she was ready to do so in the first five episodes? How did she learn that he was in jail? Why did she visit her father and let him talk? The inconsistencies in the script made it seem like a teen had written it, which was a pity because it had the potential to be a fantastic drama.

The music was not memorable but suited the drama well. I'm glad that the scriptwriters did not add any unnecessary sound effects, except for the sound of crickets chirping to indicate nighttime.

As for the epilogue, I found it ridiculous. The kid is about 5-6 years old, and the female lead is joking that he had no interest in her since his birth? Seriously? Overall, despite the flaws, I think I will add this drama to my rewatch list just for the pleasure of seeing the male lead, Zheng Ye Cheng.

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I WAS DISAPPOINTED!

I wanna start off by saying that i really wanted to love this drama! I feel like there's something missing. I personally felt like it was rushed and could of been better. the only character we got to kind of know was Ryu Shi-Oh. i would have Ike to have a back story on how Gang Nam-soon was lost. Also I think Nam-Soon mom got more screen time than anyone. it started off kinda slow. i liked it after episode 2. in my opinion it was kinda hard to keep up with all the characters just because they were thrown in randomly for a short period of time. personally i felt namsoon had more chemistry with Ryu shi-oh than Hee-shik. also it felt like they rushed their love story and it felt cringy and bland. The only reason i watched until the end was because Wooshik! WHY DID HE HAVE TO BE KILLED OFFF!!???? Also whats up with putting half the characters in the hospital almost every episode? no ending has ever upset me more than this, I'm super disappointed.

One thing that i really liked was how they brought awareness to homelessness, drug abuse, sexism, and ageism

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Enjoyable story with great acting and an interesting look into relationships

Good story with range. Loved the emotional exploration of love, trust, identity, and relationships. Even more so just the character development that the two main characters had throughout the show. The two main characters grew tremendously throughout the show, although it becomes more apparent in the second half of the show once the introduction of the backstory is complete. The comedic timing and look into friendship just made it even more fun to watch.

My only qualm is that most of the story was focused on the center couple and the short 30-40 minute episodes. This left the other 4 main characters as mainly plot devices (for at least the first half of the show) with hints of depth we saw from time to time. The last few episodes seemed to foreshadow that there would be more episodes/seasons, and I hope so, because if not those characters were really just not explored enough. Overall great acting from the two leads (who really contributed to the high score) and an interesting insight into relationships with all the expectations, joy, growth, and loss that they bring.

I would say if you are doubting it, just watch the first few episodes and try it. The episodes are short and easy to watch a couple to see how it feels for you.

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Very enjoyable revenge palace drama.

The revenge plot was really well done and overall pacing of the story was great. Watching all the machinations in the imperial palace/harem, secrets slowly coming to light, and plotting of our cunning Male Lead really made this an enjoyable series. We also had a very smart Female Lead who was able to take care of herself no matter where she ended up. She was never a damsel in distress and despite not being physically powerful, she used her smarts, wits, confidence and strong personality to get herelf out of sticky situations. Also, this is one of the few cdramas where the Emperor actually has common sense and isn't immediately influenced by rumors or accusations. Honestly you probably wouldn't think this should matter since the Emperor is not a character we would care about unless they are the main lead, but it does matter when the story revolves around the palace. So I had much less frustrations watching this drama because everybody that mattered in the plot line was actually smart and did their jobs as you would expect them to. This overall made the drama more enjoyable compared to other palace themed dramas. There was just one character death I didn't like, it was so unecessary to the story aside from wanting to make viewers sad, so I didn't appreciate that at all.

In terms of romance, even though they I liked the pairing, I found the romance lacking a bit from the main couple imo. I personally felt more romance between the FL, Second Male Lead and even Third Male Lead because we got more healthy moments of affection/love shown between them. We only got to see more romance with the main leads towards the end, but even then it was more of a domineering type of love that could make you feel uncomfortable to watch. So I wish we also got to see more sweet moments between the main couple; or at the very least I would have liked to see FL be more expressive of her love with the ML like she was with TML. Granted the FL and ML's personalities and story lines don't really give off sweet vibes so it also makes sense that their love was more on the intense/obssessive/toxic side.

In addition to having a smart Emperor, other unique things I liked that weren't necessarily present 100% of the time but we did get to see were:
1) Bestest boy ever Second Male Lead who only wants the best for his crush and isn't possessive of her; 2) Non-competitive sibling relationship between the FL and her sister; 3) Healthy friendships between FL and other women; and 4) Parents apologizing to children.

Overall very satisfied with the revenge plot but would have liked to have more romance from the main couple. Bailu acted really well, crying scenes were so emotional. ML needs to work on his expressions but overall great job from him too and the rest of the cast.

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TOOO GOOOD. That's all I can Say.

I am going to keep my review simple.
This drama is incredible.
The plot. Romance. Comedy. Thrillers. Powers. Third Wheeling and the family are well portrayed!
Bong soon family tho! Omgod! I love them, especially the mom (Hwang Geun Ju) AHHHHH! I LOVE HER SO MAuch! What a fine mom! HER OUTFIT! HER CHARACTER AHHHHH I CANNOT!
Ngl! I SHIP NAM SOON MORE WITH THE VILLAIN! I'm sorry Kang Hee-Sik! I definitely did not expect BYEON WOO SEOK to be a villain but DAMN! He was good!
His moments with Bong sooon tho!????
But anyways! I LOVE THIS DRAMA❤️
Definitely my rom com drama with POWERS.
Definitely Missed the OG STRONG WOMAN DO BONG SOON??
——
Waiting for P2??
12:15am 11/29/23

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A Queen's Tale

This drama will forever be at the top of my most enjoyed traditional kdramas. This is what I call a masterpiece, a well-done drama by all standard. The plot is amazing and the acting is incredible. The order in which events unfold in the drama is unique and fascinating. It has a bit of everything; romance, comedy, palace life, palace politics, sorrow, etc.
The drama vividly and beautifully captures the life of royals as well the bond between a mother and her kids irrespective of her position in society. The bond Queen Hwa Ryeong has with her children is so great and she goes to any extent to protect and shield them from harm.
The drama also highlights the fact that evil is much more prevalent in the royal household than anywhere. Concubines plotting against the queen, grand queen dowager killing people off to make sure her favored ones take the throne, a prince plotting against another prince, a royal physician killing a prince, the royal kitchen used as a means to poison the grand heir, amongst others. So much evil exists in the palace. However, it doesn't always prevail if there are people who can rise against it.
The drama is really interesting, satisfying and worth the watch.
Oh, how I love the queen. The entire story was centered around her and her acting was perfect. As a queen, she was outstanding, bold, courageous, compassionate and would do anything to subdue evil and unfairness. It was rewarding to see her efforts yield results:
She was able to find out the root cause of the late crown prince's death.
She was able to protect her children.
She was able to protect the wife and children of the late crown prince
She was able to secure her position as queen
She was able to bring queen dowager's evil deeds to an end
She removed all obstacles that interfered with Prince Seongnam becoming the next crown prince and even found a situable princess for him.
Most importantly, she was the greatest support and confidant to the King. No one had his back like she did.

I loved the princes especially the grand princess. Each prince had their own charm, dynamic, way of composure and view of life that spiced up the drama. It was just beautiful to watch.
Hats off to those who did the cast selection for this drama. The actors delivered and nailed their roles. They certainly ate and left no crumbs.
I highly recommend this drama. I've watched it thrice already and I will re-watch it again. It is worth the watch.

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Disney+ Unleashes Gripping Vigilante : A Dark Hero's Quest for Justice

Disney+'s newest offering, "Vigilante," adapted from a webtoon of the same name Vigilante (비질란테), written by CRG and directed by Choi Jeong Yeol, follows the story of Dark Hero Kim Jiyoung. He takes justice into his own hands, targeting criminals who exhibit no remorse for their past crimes.

This fast paced action thriller makes us ponder whether criminals genuinely regret their actions and if the legal system provides adequate punishment. The narrative explores the loopholes in the law, compelling the male protagonist to assume the role of a vigilante in order to combat societal evils.

While acknowledging that vigilantism isnt an ideal real world solution, the series encourages viewers to question if criminals receive their due justice. This introspection becomes the catalyst for the emergence of the dark hero.

Kim Jiyoung traumatized by witnessing his mothers murder in childhood channels his anger into becoming a vigilante when he sees the murderer display no remorse.

The show introduces other interesting characters, such as Cho Heon, a former gangster turned police officer determined to apprehend the vigilante at any cost. News reporter Choi Miryeo provides the vigilante with a list of criminals to pursue while Cho Kangok, the series most intriguing character is an obsessive fan of the vigilante.

All these characters are unique in their own right. Cho Heon aims to catch the vigilante but doesn't want him to be attractive, fearing public sympathy. Cho Kangok's obsession adds a real and entertaining dimension to the drama.

While the limited length of 8 episodes x 45 minutes prevents an in depth exploration, the show manages to remain captivating and avoids monotony.

Nam Joohyuk's performance in the titular role stands out, showcasing an insane range of emotions.

If you ae a fan of action crime thrillers, this is a binge worthy watch.

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When society allows dark justice to take its own course.

Vigilante is another noir series inspired by a webtoon which tells the story of Kim Jiyong, a young man who witnessed the murder of his mother when he was young by a violent individual and suffered the injustice of the law by only sentencing the murderer to 3 years in prison.
Twelve years later, Jiyong finds his mother's murderer who still roams the streets freely with 18 convictions, and he takes justice into his own hands.

We follow Jiyong who becomes a vigilante, reciprocally punishing criminals. I have to say that there is a familiar echo in the cases we are shown and the reality we are experiencing. So many times criminals have been released because the law worked in their favor rather than that of the victims. That's probably why the show is so enticing, it's a sad reflection of reality.

The series also portrays how this initiative is the start of a domino effect on society, where a debate takes place on justice, its application and by whom. The public seems to support his initiatives, to the point where other citizens join in to give justice for the victims, even inspiring a copycat and reducing crime on the streets when criminals turn themselves into the police by fear to face "the Vigilante".

The plot is introduced more broadly with a bigger antagonist in the corrupt police chief and his links with seemingly untouchable CEO and politician who kill people to hide their dark deeds without repercussions.

I must say that Nam Joo Hyuk had a great performance in the role of Jiyong, this character is complex and sometimes even unnerving, he is so righteous that it borders on psychopathy (much like Batman in that sense). His micro expressions are a delight for the eye while his character is a young man of very few words. Although we don't delve much into his background, and the series weighs very little on the emotional side beyond anger, I manage to feel empathy for his character, when he feels terrible pain and loss, or when he screams his rage. He has some scenes that are gripping. Honestly, I hope Nam Joo Hyuk will give us the pleasure of diving into more thriller productions, as much as he's lovely on romcom series, he has potential for more.

As for the rest of the cast, the actor Lee Joon Hyuk was a revelation for me, it was more the script that worked in his favor than the acting itself, but I liked his extravagant and insane character. It's rare to witness a copycat who is not only supportive of the one he's copying even after being rejected, but who is actively helpful. I can only purely enjoy his character for what he is : entertainment. Although I wished they dived deeper in his backstory.
Kim Sojin is also a standout, probably the first time I liked following a noisy reporter, Miryeo. I like that she doesn't let herself be intimidated and like everyone else in this series, she's a little crazy to actively court and protect a violent man but her personal trauma explains it.
The biggest disappointment remains Yoo Jitae, I definitely cannot be convinced by this actor, I have seen him in many series, and his range remains minimal, his acting decent or even bad at times, I remain unconvinced by his characterization of Cho Heon, who only knew how the crack his neck. I know it's to give an unnerving mannerism but Nam Joo Hyuk managed to do that just by tilting his head, in comparison, Yoo Jitae remains bland.

I liked the overall production, with dark tones, great fighting choreographies and realistic sets, the soundtracks are amazing (they need to release those already), and the plot is simple to follow without messy and overly done plotlines.

The only downside would be the lack of emotional depth overall and backstory for the main characters, I had very little care for the characters who died or suffered (aside from Jiyong) and that is probably due to the limited number of episodes but as the ending is hinting the probability of a second season, I think we'll deep dive into some characters stories (specially Cho Kang Ok).

Overall, I can't recommend it enough, it's a very entertaining series and worth your time.

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Mommy’s Counterattack is a nice miniseries. Although it is not an award winning miniseries, it is quite entertaining. The actors did a good job bringing their characters to lie and the leading couple developed a fairly good chemistry within the restrains of plot and length of the drama. Some of the supporting cast were not up to par with their character’s role but they it was not awful as to deter the viewer from enjoying the short drama. The storyline could’ve benefited from several more episodes and lengthier duration but, overall, it is a fast paced and enjoyable watch.

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Zhang Kangle is just so ethereal

I am literally watching this show just for him. It was worth watching with a cute and simple love story.

There is no break up or misunderstandings so I enjoyed it.

I watch it in 2x speed, skip some scenes because it's just too boring for me but it's fun to watch too.

A feel good drama with cute chemistry for each couple so just watch it while you have a plenty of leisure time.

Even tho there is no wedding scene and amount of skinships it manages to make butterfly in my belly esp. the secound couple.

Afterall, I enjoyed it and not regret watching it.

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This show was a disappointment

The drama wasn't executed properly, Guem ju, Nam Soon s mother had more screen than namsoon herself, at some point it felt like I was watching the show of namsoon s mother, the main leads's chemistry wasn't great either nam soon and Kang Hee Sik barely spent time together, tbh namsoon spent more time w ryu si o. The drama is really confusing the storyline is messed up, and they r many useless characters with no purpose.Plus Namsoon s grandmother and her boyfriend were really cringe.
Well overall in the end this drama was watchable and funny,
You can watch it if you want to but it's a okay okay drama??

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