Reviews

A fantastic start to 2024...

There is always one drama, which you accidently discover and it turns out to be one of the best dramas you ever watched.
Love for Love's sake is that drama for me. It was a joy to watch how the story unfolded throughout the series.
The acting, direction and production where equivalent to kdramas which is commendable. In terms of acting, both the leads hit it out of the park, be it being happy or being vulnerable.
The visuals and the OST are to die for. I m glad 2024 kbls kicked off to a flying start with Love for lovesake.
Sure it has its share of flaws but the immense happines that this drama will bring you prevents you from niticking.
Hope 2024 churns out more delightful dramas like this in the upcoming months.

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Marry first, fall in love later and achieve great things together

“Destined” is a Chinese costume drama that tells the journey of two people, Gu Jiu Si and Liu Yi Ru, who were married by chance, fell in love as they achieve victories and went through hardships together, and grew as individuals and as a couple.

This drama has romance, familial love, friendship, love for the people, burden to help the country, and loyalty - themes that would appeal to you if you're looking for a story that transcends beyond the characters' personal ambitions.  I laughed at the funny and light-hearted moments, cried at the emotional and heart-tugging scenes, and celebrated with them in their victories. There is also some political intrigue, strategizing and battle scenes, since there are forces bent on wreaking havoc in the country.

Liu Yu Ru (FL) is responsible, smart and business-savvy.  Despite being the only legitimate daughter of a cloth merchant, she and her mother were mistreated because her father favored the second wife.  To forge a better life, she initially had set her sight in marrying into the influential and scholarly Ye family.  Gu Jiu Si (ML) is the only son of Yangzhou’s wealthiest family. He is witty, has excellent martial arts skills, and despite his infamous reputation, is actually kind-hearted; he once fooled around but gradually changed and became a serious learner, a good husband and responsible leader, partly due to the FL’s influence, who gave him the needed push and encouragement.  I like how their relationship developed and their love for each other blossomed throughout the drama.  They have a healthy relationship, they complement each other, and there are no silly misunderstandings between them.  Together, they are a power couple.

Bai Jing Ting’s portrayal of Gu Jiu Si is spot on! His comedic timing is gold, and he can also carry the heavy scenes.  He is really a versatile actor, and one of my favorites.  Song Yi also gave a good performance as Liu Yu Ru.  Her LYR is gentle yet tough, savvy yet kind, loving yet firm. Their chemistry is natural and doesn’t feel forced; hence, the growth of their characters and their relationship flow organically. 

The supporting cast is commendable too, and those that stand out to me are Ray Chang as Zhou Ye, a dependable and loyal friend; Zhang Hao Wei as Ye Shi An, the idealistic scholar; and Li Xin Ze as Shen Ming, who's loyal and street smart, and the funniest of the three. Together, they are like the three musketeers.  I also like Zhao Yuan Yuan as Qin Wan Zhi, the badass female warrior and a good friend to LYR.

One thing that I don't quite understand is how Luo Zi Shang (played by Liu Xue Yi) survived and eventually became a powerful figure. It's not well explained in the drama. 

Final Verdict: Despite a few unanswered questions, I like this drama and enjoyed watching it. The story is balanced and well-paced, and the characters are generally well-written, so I would gladly recommend it!

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this Dorama suits my crying agenda

First time I’m writing review here just because I really love this Dorama so much. It’s been a while since I watched Japanese filmography and because of Haruna, I decided to watch this drama.

The skill to deliver each other's characters emotions are really great. I might be biased since Haruna is my favorite actress but I think her acting skill is so good to portray Tsumugi. Meguro Ren also took the role so good ;----; I cried since 1st ep, or maybe I was crying in every eps lel.

Long short story this dorama has good ost, the cinematography is really calm for me, also the "silent" space is really comforting for me. I speedrunning this dorama for two days and after finished it I was feeling blue for another new dorama in the end I rewatched it for nth times (laughs)

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This drama rides solely on the chemistry between the leads

The drama has a warm and fluffy story that has been shown many times in C dramas before. The story isn't something new or too interesting but is watchable all thanks to the leads chemistry and the little cutie who is the icing on the cake.

Miles Wei playing the same type of CEO who starts cold but warms up later on. He has played this type of CEO character in so many dramas so nothing new in this at all while Hu Yi Xuan certainly did well with her role. Gonna have to give credit to the boy who plays ML's son for doing really well with his role at such a young age.


It is a good one time watch if you are a fan of the actors.

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Love the outifts, the characters, and the concept.

While both Ding Yu X and Yang Chao Yue played all their characters to the T, Ding Yu X is a pro. They both also looked great in all the life times they shared together. Except for Chu Kong's standoffishness after the couple's first love tribulation together, he was pretty decent to the FL. They also had good chemistry.

We got to see so much of their lives as Lu Chang Kong & Song Xiang Yun that I had hoped, we could have gotten more details about the other life times as well. The ending was also too rushed and just not enough closure for us who sat through all these lifetimes.

Except for the first tribulation where Xiu Ming practically engineered their sad fates, his characters mellowed down and didn't do much damage. There was too much wasted potential there.

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If you like watching kbl this might be the best!!

All the actors were really good i really enjoyed watching the drama
And CHA YEO WOONNN!!! that dude is so fucking adorable even without trying when he smiles i just cant help but smile and TAE MYUNG HAA!!! i felt all the emotions he was trying to express truly the best kbl after semantic error for me
And CHU SANG WON might be the best second lead ever like i liked yeo woons and sang wons little fights it was really really cute
And AHN KYUNG HOON that dude is the best person to be friends with
I first saw him in some idol group show i became a fan of him then and seeing him acting in a bl drama is sooo good
Woongki you are the best ??

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MALA MALA MALA.

Malísima la serie. No se porque no la he dejado antes.
No hay química entre los protagonistas. Actuaciones forzadas. El niño más mimado no puede estar, no me parece cute y considero que la mayoría de tiempo estaba haciendo chantaje emocional.
La chica deja el pavo por motivos idiotas y en vez de hablarlo , le rehuye como buena psicóloga que es (ironía).
El protagonista masculino me parece más soso que un palo, no empatizas ni nada.
La única buena que me ha gustado es la amiga pero que se queda con el otro pavo que es un petardo.
sinceramente hay mejores series con el cliché chica pobre , chico rico. He perdido el tiempo y no voy a volver a ver series que tengan a niños pequeños, no me parecen enternecedores sino una explotación laboral tremenda (a esas edades tienen que jugar con actuar y trabajar).

p.d: aunque no pueda poner esta nota toda la historia en si y todo es un 0. EVITA Y AHÓRRATE EL TIEMPO DE VER ESTA HISTORIA

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Certain story choices didn't please me. Still a great Drama to watch.

It was a very good story in the beginning, the characters development is really good, unlike other dramas that put difficulties that don't need to be there, this one is a good example of how k-dramas can be.
But the choices about Aera character and the other relationship made me fell uncomfortable in the end. Joo Man was a really bad boyfriend letting things going the way they was with the other girl he just made his girlfriend sad and not helped her to be secure about their relationship, and i was really happy about the break up, but they just ignored the things that happened before ans made them together again without any further development of their story.
And then about Aera, the character in the beginning was really cute avout how she was concerned about Dong Man, she was very worried about him e this made me feel really good to watch them, but in the end she was abusive just breaking up with him because he chooses to pursue his dream of being an athlete, because besides the risks it was his dream of life, he said that prefered to live like this unlike come back to his previous life, unlike this he always supported her when she was pursuing her dream, but she not did this with him just breaking up. I can't feel bonded with her character because of this, it can't be a ten for me because of this kind of story choices.

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One classic

Without a doubt, A Korean Odyssey is the best fantasy K-drama I've ever watched in my entire life. The story is totally captivating as are all the characters.

I died and laughed (and cried even more), it's definitely a light drama to pass the time. The kind of K-drama that you watch and don't even realize that fifteen episodes have already passed.

I admit to watching it whenever I can, and I made everyone in my family watch it too lol

I sincerely hope that A Korean Odyssey gets much more recognition in the future, because like it or not, not many people know a drama as good as this one.

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screaming, squealing and swooning.

oh my god what have they laced these episodes with! simply can't stop watching them. from the very first scene, the cinematography is breathtaking. i really love the setting of the show- winter aesthetic never fails to deliver. also, shooting abroad with the snowy backdrop was legit one of the best decisions made. it doesn't feel like watching 30 episodes. everytime an episode ends it feels like it's over so soon. everything is made so well to make it look like watching an extended movie, you'll find yourself casually transition to next and next episodes on autopilot.

acting:

as expected, both Leo Wu and Zhao Jin Mai deliver standout performances. Wu Lei is the best on screen boyfriend for the year. oh boy, the way he's hopelessly in love and expresses himself with his entire being is simply adorable and incredibly sexy at the same time. he plays his character with so much nuance. man he conveys a range of emotions with just his eyes and even when he's just... there, he makes his scenes so impactful. i haven't seen many actors that have this much captivating aura tbh.

Zhao Jin Mai's acting is equally commendable. she brings grace and authenticity to her role with subtle gestures. impressed by how she delivers her dialogues being expressive and realistic at the same time. overall they complement each other so so well. best duo of the year istg.

together their chemistry is top tier. I've not found a single scene where their chemistry is below perfection, its always sizzling. their interactions elevate the entire mood, there's like an invisible magnetic pull beutween them- like every glance loaded with unspoken intensity and sparks fly. forget butterflies i get the whole damn fireworks going on. Yin Guo and Yi Yang have this chemistry that's not just seen but felt and resonates.

lovable side characters:

also it's a huge bonus that the side characters aren't boring or annoying! Jiang Yang, Meng Xiao Dong and Wu Wei in particular stood out to me for being incredible support characters that we don't usually see in dramas.

• Wu Wei has this soft aura around him who's easy going, supportive and the kinda person you can always count for being by your side. when he was genuinely happy for Yi Yang and sheds happy tears on hearing about his comeback, wow that one scene showed how much he truly values and supports his friends.

• Meng Xiao Dong is prolly my fav of them all (no surprise there). he's hot, wears suits, has this cold unapproachable aura and hot (oh i mentioned it already nvm). he's the scene stealer in this show for me.

• Jiang Yang seemed cold at first but soon turned out to be a sweet guy who also goes beyond limits for his friends. i don't think he's much appreciated but man is the one who was persistent to bring Yi Yang back to court.

• also honorable mention to Xiao Tian who we saw more in the beginning and towards the end of series and was the first shipper of main leads lol. he's got this bubbly personality that automatically makes you smile.

i could go on and on about all the characters as well but if you haven't watched yet, I'll let you witness it firsthand. I'll just say it's hard not to love the characters- mentioned or not. they all have amazing chemistry and it truly shows how close their friendship is. they've picked just the right actors for the right roles I'm so satisfied. this cast really had actors that can act well. i could also say the same about the actresses but one stood out to me in particular- the actress who played He Jia (He laoshe's daughter); she was simply excellent with her delivery and micro expressions. unfortunately she wasn't highlighted much in the series but her performance was hands down the best among anyone here.

final words:

i can't say it's perfect, this show definitely has its own flaws. i would say there are some scenes that seems to not fit in with the pacing or overdone or even unnecessary at times. also I believe some scenes (like intimate ones) were cut off due to censorship. also I'm a little disappointed with the screentime of side characters, i was hoping to see more of other couples as well. but truly it can be overlooked by everything else that made up for it- like the stellar performances, mesmerizing soundtracks, not to mention the overall aesthetics, that combine together to create a cozy atmosphere that seems like a warm hug on a cold day!! it was such fun experience watching and swooning in the comment section (shoutout to angela who couldn't keep her excitement in like many of us and was so relatable with her timely comments). bittersweet to say goodbye to this show and hoping to see the cast in future works. snowstorm may have passed but it's always in our hearts ❤️

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Such an unrealistic and frustrating kdrama

I absolutely love Lee Junho's acting ever since seeing him in Just Between Lovers (Rain or Shine), but even his acting couldn't save this show for me, especially since I didn't even love his acting in this lol Spoilers ahead, though not big ones...

I just could not with the way they handled the relationships in this show. They constantly show the FL having birthday parties and I get that it will mean something later, but it just makes me feel like all she has is birthdays and her friends are just set pieces, there to throw her a party constantly and talk about her hard life, while getting ignored themselves. It just doesn't feel like a friendship to me.

Then there's the ML and FL together and I need more info about the smiles and his issues because this drama moves molasses slow. It could not keep me interested. I wanted to get to the good stuff, but there was just so much pointless drivel getting in the way of anything meaningful.

I dropped the show the moment I saw a scene that asked for way too much bending of reality. I could not handle it. This woman falls off a freaking mountain ledge and lands like 15 feet down. She should be hurting bad, but it seems like a minor thing. She'll have to stay out on the mountain all the night in the cold mountain air and get hypothermia, but that's no biggie. She dropped her phone, so she's stranded. This guy manages to find her with her phone gps or something, but she's on a mountain guys, a mountain. Not gonna be that accurate nor, easy to find just where she is, but he does so easily, at night, in the rain, from a helicopter. Has them drop him, then proceeds to just jump off the side of the mountain she fell off of and land just fine beside her like 15-20 feet down. What?! Makes no sense! Anyways, I'm ranting quite a lot, but I could not take the stupidity of that scene and simple dropped it right then and there.

No idea where it goes from there, but, up until then it was so boring and unrealistic and they gave me no reason to care about the leads. The ML became pretty weak and wimpy looking in there several times and that's not my style, so I guess I was doomed to dislike this one anyways. Oh well, here's hoping the next Junho show will be great and he'll have a chance to play a character with depth again

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Great fun with a little skipping

What I didn't like... I didn't like the female lead's acting. Her eyes were always dead and she was smirking more than half the time. I didn't love the whole past life thing either and the curse felt really fickle with the back when writers wanted it and gone when they wanted too. I also hated the whole 2nd lead thing. Throw that whole plot away. It is so incredibly rare to be pursued by two men or women and I'm so sick of seeing it. Get those 2nd leads out of my kdramas! Anyways, moving on...

What I did love was Rowoon in this. He did an amazing job and I actually enjoyed the way the murder subplot was written in. It was one of the most enjoyable for the fact that several people drank the potion, but responded differently to it due to their personalities. I loved that. I also loved the ML's parents. I loved them both. I know, in a kdrama, I loved both his parents. I'm really saying that. I would like to say that I didn't love his father as a husband to his mother, but I still really enjoyed his character and loved him as his father. He made sense. They were both so lovely and I could've watched way more scenes of Rowoon and the mom together just having good times as mother and son. That would've been a blast.

I had a great time with this show, but I did skip some, so that may account for some of the joy since I skipped much of the annoying 2nd lead stuff. I just hate to waste my time. But without it, I had a blast and hope others will love this one too. Oh forgot to mention the evil girl, but she didn't seem much worth mentioning, however I kind of did like that subplot and found it to have a satisfying end for once

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Why make it so complicated?

I will never understand why Korean writers are so obsessed over adding so many external conflicts to every drama ever, while also making them so over the top and not relatable for the majority of their audience. Love in Contract is a rom-com, not a business politics drama, we do not need this much focus, or even any focus on the shenanigans of the chaebols.

I honestly think removing the whole aspect of the “rich elites” from this show and making it at best 12 episodes long would vastly improve the quality. The whole second half was just a dramatic mess. All the important bits about learning how to rely on others, trust them, move on from past traumas, heal, find your own dreams and goals - drowned in the pool of misogynist powerful men and overprotective mothers.

That said, the first half of the drama was a blast to watch. Choi Sang Eun is a great female lead with a strong personality, clear views that impact her behavior, but also a solid dose of insecurities that we get to explore as the drama progresses. Jung Ji Ho, being one of the most unique male leads in dramaland, had some of the most solid character developments - improving his communication skills, creating social connections, improving his understanding of other people’s views and perspectives, while still keeping the core of his persona true.

Out of all the supporting characters, I for sure enjoyed Jung Ji Eun the most. Appreciated her understanding nature and willingness to improve and not just be a menace to the main couple. And it would be a crime not to mention Woo Gwang Nam. I have to say, that’s honestly a solid representation - a character that is gay, but his whole existence, personality, internal and external conflict do not only resolve around his sexuality. He was neither comedic relief, nor the typical tortured soul. Easily the most complex and well established supporting character this drama had to offer.

Would be lying if I said I was impressed by any of the performances, since I feel I have seen similar characters from these actors in their previous roles. I’d even say it’s impressive how type-cast the drama was.

I have little to nothing to say about the production value. There was nothing bad, nor outstanding about the directing, editing, soundtrack, set design. Sure, the female lead’s outfits were amazing, but that’s not enough for me to praise the overall quality.

Overall, the show was simply basic. It had great moments, nice supporting characters, but when it’s surrounded by mediocrity, I question if it’s worth watching the whole show for scraps.

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