Completed
Welcome to Samdal-ri
2 people found this review helpful
Jan 30, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.0
Story 3.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 4.0
This review may contain spoilers
This felt like watching a shortened family drama. Most of the side couple content has been removed & they focused on the family conflict and the main couple, but it still had that family drama presentation. I think this could have worked better in the 50 episode format as well. Not because I would have wanted more of the same, but rather had the side couples each gotten a couple episode's worth of screen time I think the annoying things could have been far less pronounced and we had so many sidelined characters with immense rom-comedy potential, or I don't know we could have watched the younger sister training as a haenyo..

The biggest problems I've had with this drama are the absurdity of the old breakup & the absurdity of the decade long unrequited loves. Of course I found the toxic dad extremely annoying & his sudden change of heart ridiculous as well, but that is ultimately just one bad episode of 16, so that would not have been a deal breaker.

Overall I would say that this drama has been a bit sloppily executed. The cast is absolutely amazing, but many of the actors did not take this very seriously & immersion breaking performances were not corrected. In case there is a problem, it's the director's job to call out the ng, in this drama they settled for "barely acceptable" way too many times. This is very common with family dramas, but those are typically far lower budget, so the lower production values are to be expected.

The writing is all over the place & there are countless problems with character motivations, personality adjustments and just nonsensical stuff, even for this genre.

Can Triangle haters watch this drama? Well, I'm not sure. The second ML does not really do anything, there are no three way handgrabs and whatnot, but I found his character to be extremely annoying. (It's a poorly written character, doubt any of the triangle lovers would be able to feel SLS for him)

To say something good as well, I found the non-gloomy parts of the drama quite funny & it's nice how it's relatively low on product placements. Jeju Island is the product placement, but this is the best kind there can be :-)

Ah, I almost forgot. While this drama is not very tropy, it's really annoying how 30 somethings who have dated in the past for many years acted like preteens in love & we have even gotten two typical sleep together, but do nothing scenes.

--
Based on this review it may not seem like it, but there really was a lot of wasted potential here. They had most of the ingredients to cook a great meal, but unfortunately the cooks were drunk.

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Ongoing 12/12
Final Life
0 people found this review helpful
Jan 30, 2024
12 of 12 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 4.0
Story 4.5
Acting/Cast 3.0
Music 6.5
Rewatch Value 1.0

hilariously bad

I just wanted to watch Taemin xD this show is so bad. the story is badly written and doesnt make sense, is rushed and alot of the scenes are just repeated so many times its awful. the acting is not great, tho I know some of the actors are good, I think they suffer under the bad directing. the depth of this shows feels like a badly adapted anime at best. all the interactions between the actors fee super forced, and the different camera angles makes the action scenes super awkward. I would not recommend this show, and I feel bad for the actors in it.
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Completed
Triage
0 people found this review helpful
Jan 30, 2024
13 of 13 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 10

Try watching this movie with hopes to get impressed

Triage is a wonderful movie as its really depicting the storyline and is one of my favorite supernatural movies. Throughout the movie the emotions of the characters are shown by the actors as you can feel each and every emotion they're going through, through the screen. The storyline is not dormant as each episode is a 10 out of 10 and is really interesting. The camera quality of the movie is Immaculate and the details are wonderful. Each scene has a connection to another and really makes this supernatural movie really interesting. The storyline doesn't get boring at any point as both the storyline the directing the producing the acting the music are all 10 out of 10.

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Completed
The Last Immortal
1 people found this review helpful
Jan 30, 2024
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 7.0

It was not so bad but Average

I have watched the last 10 episodes of Ancient Love Poetry, so I know about the story from those few episodes & also read spoilers. After watching it, I hated that in The Last Immortal they changed some characters' names. I mean, in many dramas, 2 or more actors play the same character. What's the point of changing their names. Moreover, it's from the same production house why they did it.

Zhao Lu Si didn't disappoint me at all. I liked her portrayal of A Yin & Feng Yin. A Yin a low water beast immortal & Feng Yin a phoenix queen.

Wang An Yu did his part well, whether playing a naughty, lazy person who loves to drink Gu Jin or Yuan Qi a true god who has the responsibility of three realms.

Loved the scene of the water beast & Gu Jin's relation is so cute & the way the water beast makes noises is so cute.

Liked A Yin & Gu Jin practice session.

It's cute to see A Ýin getting jealous every time Gu Jin mentions Hua Shu.

Loved Xiu Yan & Ao Ge love for each other & the willingness to sacrifice for each other.

Loved it when Feng Yin & Gu Jin were being lovey-dovey in front of a heartbroken A Jiu.

I cried when Daze Mountain sacrificed themselves.

I hated Hua Shu, she was a selfish and jealous kind of person, but I hated Hong Chou more because she was always interfering in Yuan Qi's life. She thought of herself as his mother just because she brought him up.

I hated that they didn't mentioned about Tian Qi who brought Yuan Qi up. He did so much for Yuan Qi & yet they didn't mentioned about him.

I don't know why people hate ML so much, he clearly did so much for FL, so sacrifices he did. I get it he didn't communicate with her properly, but he loved her enough to sacrifice everything.

In Xianxia reincarnation, misunderstanding & sacrifices are bound to happen. I want a Xianxia drama with zero misunderstandings. Only The Starry Love has zero misunderstanding.

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Dropped 5/56
Cinderella Chef
1 people found this review helpful
Jan 30, 2024
5 of 56 episodes seen
Dropped 0
Overall 4.0
Story 4.0
Acting/Cast 5.0
Music 1.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers

Childish play. Dropped

In my opinion, this drama series had way too many episodes - a total of 56. The series was based on a time-travel storyline, but unfortunately, the main female character was portrayed in a very immature and childish manner, which made it difficult for me to watch. However, I was pleased to see that the series had a happy ending, which is quite rare in time-travel dramas

I cannot tolerate inconsistencies in a comedy, especially when it involves inappropriate clothing in a period era. The scriptwriter's modifications to the original book story created a confusing and redundant mess of every genre. The result is a messy drama that I cannot stand. Additionally, the childish and Lolita-like voice and behavior are my pet peeve.

Cute character played by Zhao Lu Si in 2017, aired in 2018. Very little food-oriented. The title is misleading.

As clearly stated in my profile, I always spoil myself before investing my precious time in a drama. I make sure to watch the last few minutes of the final episode to ensure that the ending will be satisfactory. So, it's true that I dropped the show, but I already knew how it would end. And it was the only thing that saved this drama: the happy ending with the main couple. Rarity with time travel and for a change, she came back in his era. Kudos for that! Based on only this, a 4 rating is not only appropriate but also justifiable, instead of a lower rating.

Oh well. I tried.

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Completed
My Love from the Star
0 people found this review helpful
Jan 30, 2024
21 of 21 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 8.5

My Love from the Star (2013)

A Korean wave classic and it's easy to see why. The show has all the basic components in a typical drama yet manages to deliver a unique experience just off of the strength of its writing and acting.

The female lead's overly dramatic, tantrum-throwing superstar ego is a wonderful juxtaposition to the male lead's stoic, dull demeanor. The chemistry with each other, though, was oddly not as good as I thought it should have been and it seem to throw off the pairing just a smidge. Their romance was believable and endearing but I kind of want to chalk that up to the pair's acting chops if anything.

Story-wise, it's a good script, the storytelling itself is fine but the pacing gets a little out of place at times and especially during the ending sequences. Honestly, I really wanted the show to maintain the looming bittersweet ending and go out with a bang to really drive home that emotional impact. But it felt like it was neutered to get a somewhat happy ending, and it showed.

In my perfect ending, I would love for the lead pair to actually separate for real, with the female lead continuing her partner's love for literature by turning their three month romantic adventure into an in-universe screenplay or book. It helps her move on with her life while still leaving a recollection of her love, who came from the stars.

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Completed
My Boss
7 people found this review helpful
Jan 30, 2024
36 of 36 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 9.0
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 10

It makes me smile every episode

Although it is a typical idol romance drama and quite old, I find that the plot lines and characters are decent. The lead actor and actress are both good at acting and have great chemistry, which makes their on-screen relationship so lovely and sweet.

The main reason I started watching this drama is because of Chen Xingxu, who I know from the dramas "Goodbye Princess" and "Fall in Love". Despite his older appearance, he is confident on screen and quite talented at acting. He is also very handsome, which may be due to the fact that he started acting at a young age.

I enjoyed watching this drama and found myself smiling throughout. In the last five episodes, the plot has shown different perspectives of both female and male characters, which I found quite interesting. The female character is portrayed as independent and successful in her professional career, which I found quite respectable.

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Completed
Story of Yanxi Palace
1 people found this review helpful
Jan 30, 2024
70 of 70 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

Truly a masterpiece!! Must watch

Hello everyone this drama made me fall in love with Chinese dramas again. From the setting, costumes to the storyline every episode keeps you wanting more. The main actress plays a servant in the palace seeking revenge for the death of her sister and she slowly becomes the most powerful woman in the palace. Unlike many dramas the female lead isn’t a soft weak lead who cries at every obstacle. She’s smart and clever and able to navigate the palace and become on top. Xu Kai is the male lead at first but there’s a twist with her love interest which I loved! The costumes and cinematography are stunning and very accurate for the times. It’s a tale of revenge, romance, redemption and sisterhood. If you love revenge tales or historical dramas especially set in Qing Dynasty this is a must watch you will not regret!

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Completed
Bokura no Micro na Shuumatsu
0 people found this review helpful
Jan 30, 2024
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

Unexpectedly amazing

Didn’t expect to love this even half as much as I did!

The synopsis kinda put you off but the story is so much more in depth than it lets on. The characters are realistically flawed, there’s such a great found family vibe, there’s some interesting glimpses into idol culture and LGBT representation beyond just the main couple being gay/bi.

The supernatural element wasn’t explored too much but I think that’s fitting for the story tbh and I don’t feel like it suffered because of it, in fact I’m glad they didn’t delve too into that or it would’ve been a very different kind of show.

My only (very minor) complaints would be the very abruptness of the ending and the few frozen statue/mannequin kisses that were randomly thrown in - which seemed even more out of place when the couple kissed perfectly normally at other points in the story.

Overall I absolutely loved it though - and it’s very explicit for a JBL!! I personally really appreciated the raw realism of the sex scenes in this show, the honesty of how they were depicted (with actual movement and talking during) was a refreshing change after the staged stillness of most NC scenes.

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Completed
Last Twilight
0 people found this review helpful
Jan 30, 2024
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

?‍?Walking green flag ✅

I've never scored this high in any series on this site before, but I assure you that it has merit (at least for me).

Starting with the story... GMMTV brought us a different plot from those we are used to seeing, thematically around student life.

The theme was more mature and realistic, which I appreciated in Last Twilight, which helps viewers become more aware of the realities that can happen in life such as blindness, and appreciate the value of what we have, as nothing is guaranteed.

Their ability to send the message resulted in its successful transmission.
The flawless performance of Jimmy and Sea cannot be overlooked when talking about transmission.
This pairing caught me off guard and surprised me as fans of Vice-versa the series.
The authenticity of their interaction with each other made me forget that Sea and jimmy were just acting.
Through the series, it is evident that both have upgrade their acting skills. They have completed their homework and delivered with a sweet tone.

Despite the possibility of improvements, such as smoother time transitions to fit the entire series, the outcome is still good and enjoyable.

It's definitely watchable re-re-rewatchable This series is full of meaning, feelings and precious moments... I was about to drop the series but then I gave it a shot and I fell in love with it ... if you're wondering , just start it and then come back to share it with us ?

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Completed
A Good Day to Be a Dog
0 people found this review helpful
Jan 30, 2024
14 of 14 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
This review may contain spoilers

A strange premise but it works

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2023/2024 South Korean Fantasy, Romantic comedy. There are 14 regular episodes with one special episode. Each episode has about 70 minute run time. It is based on a webtoon of the same name.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review

Synopsis

Hae na / Mak soon: (Park Gyunyoung) teaches Korean language to high school students. Teaching is a profession that provides good cover for someone living under a family curse that results in her turning into a dog if she kisses anyone. Teachers work day hours which is a must when you turn into a dog from midnight to 6 AM. The only way ti reverse the curse is for then same person kissed to turn into a dog kisses the person in dog form. Ha nae is sweet and attractive and has had semi serious relationships in the past but they end when she refuses to kiss them. Bo gyeom / San-p sin (Lee Hyun Woo) teaches Korean History at the same school and Hae na has a huge crush on him. She has been looking for an opportunity to express her feelings and winds up kissing him when she gets too drunk at a group gathering. Only it was not her crush, it was his friend and their fellow teacher, Jin Seo won / Soo hyun (Cha Eun Woo) she kissed. And it so happens that Seo won is terrified of dogs due to childhood trauma. Which presents a huge issue because, nit inly does he show no romantic interest in her, she has to get him to kiss her when she us a dog, the very thing he is terrified of. To further complicate things not only does Seo won seemingly have no romantic interest in Hae na, he appears to actively dislike her. All of which results in some very comedic situations as Ha nea tries to trick Seo won into kissing her. She gets help from an unlikely source, Min Ji ah (Kim Yi kyung), Seo won’s nephew, who is also one of her students. ji ah accidentally discovers her curse and since he has a crush on her, is very willing to help her break the curse. As if a dog curse is not enough, things are not as they seem and these “strangers” may have a much deeper past than they, at first, are aware. Did she accidentally kiss the right (fated) guy?

Review

If you read the Webtoon, you will find no major surprises as they did not deviate much from the webtoon. I liked the rendition a lot. They somehow made her changing into a dog a little bit less silly than in the webtoon. One thing I was not a fan of though was the number of flashbacks, there were entirely too many flashbacks and I found that they could’ve cut out at least an episode if they just gotten rid of some flashbacks. You can’t ever go wrong watching Cha Eun Woo though, he’s an awesome actor. The romance was heartwarming, believable and well paced. It has a great blend of fantasy, romance, mystery and suspense. I recommend it and would rewatch if someone had it on.

Spoilers

Many say it drags in the last part. I agree. There was a point, having read the Webtoon, I wondered what they had left to tell. I forgot about the memory being wiped. I am not a fan of the amnesia trope. I was glad it was her that lost her memory and not him. She had already gone through so much in getting him kiss her when she was a dog, I would really have been frustrated if she had to start all over again. I was glad she lost her memories and he had to win her back rather than the other way around,

I don’t know what the special episode was about or why they had it. Knowing that would have helped in determining whether to watch it or not. Since we didn’t know what that special episode was, we started watching some of it then determined it was the same thing just strung all together rather than being broken into episodes. Like one huge, extended, flashback. I don’t know if that’s really what it is because I didn’t watch the entire thing we watched maybe a quarter of it then fast forwarded through some more and got less than halfway and determined it was just more of the same. Since we only watched portions of that special episode, I can’t conclusively say it is nothing new but I can say the part we watched wasn’t worth watching for us .

#ParkGyungYoung

#LeeHyunWoo

#ChaEunWoo

#AGoodDayToBeADog

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Completed
You Never Eat Alone
0 people found this review helpful
Jan 30, 2024
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 5.0
Story 4.0
Acting/Cast 6.5
Music 5.5
Rewatch Value 3.5
This review may contain spoilers

It's not a BL just bromance.

The story lacks many things to be honest.
I only give this serie 5 because of the following reasons:
1.Diew was a very dumb character.I think they tried to make him funny but they just couldn't.
2.This is not a BL serie.Actually I don't even know what to call it.
3.This serie lacks character development.
4.No kiss,Not a single moment of affection to please users.
5.The story doesn't even have any strong base.

Plus points
1.This serie has a lot of famous couples that appear as guests.
2.Childhood trauma was explained.

What A BL should be consist of
1.A great story
2.Good chemistry between leads
3.Good acting
4.A little fast romance
5.At least the leads should be kissing if they aren't ending up as a couple.
6.At least ending should make sense.

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Completed
Kill Me, Heal Me
2 people found this review helpful
Jan 30, 2024
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

So good, I bought the DVDs on Ebay.

You must be able to control the volume on your TV to get through the lead actress's screeching for many of the earlier episodes. But watching the lead male actor makes even that worthwhile. His many personalities range from frightening, to lovable, and from romantic to comical. There's mystery, romance, drama, action, and comedy, throughout with a satisfying ending to tie them all together. This was my first encounter with the lead actor, but not my last. I just found Dr. John and loving it as well!
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Completed
Hellbound
0 people found this review helpful
Jan 30, 2024
6 of 6 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 7.5
This review may contain spoilers

A good offering in this genre if you are okay with cliffhanger endings

7.5/10 os my rating. This is a 2021 South Korean dark fantasy, horror series with 6, 42 to 60 minute episodes. It is based on a webtoon of the same title.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review

Synopsis

The main part of the story is set in the years 2022–27 in South Korea. During this timeframe, people start to see am ethereal face, purported to be an angel that prophesies the exact date and time of the person’s untimely death. The individual is targeted for a very violent end where these large demonic looking minsters carry out what is tantamount to a public execution. They end their demonstration by incinerating the targeted individual, who is then sent to be further tormented in hell. A cult leader, Jeong Jin soo (Yoo Ah in), warns his followers and the public at large that these demonstrations are intended to show people the err of their spiritual ways. Dubious of the credibility of these incidents and convinced something far more human based and sinister is going on. A detective, Jin Kyeong hoon (Yang Ik june) and an attorney who is a warrior for victims Min Hye jin Kim Hyun joo) team up to determine what is really going on. Turns out a religious cult, the New Truth and another organization called The Arrowhead group fan the flames to instill the fear of God and mete out their own form of moral justice.

Review

Overall it is a very good horror series with strong mystery and fantasy elements. If you realize, they are already planning another season then the ending, which ends with a lot of questions, will not be as disappointing. It is a gorefest. And characters you may like may not survive. So if you are prepared for those things you will likely enjoy the short series. I wanted some more insight so looked for the webtoon.  The live action version follows the webtoon precisely so there is little additional information to derive from reading the webtoon. If you like supernatural and horror content this is a good one in those genre. It is a good one to watch with those who are looking for something that has little to no romantic component and prefer more action based dramas. I would rewatch it if someone had it on simply because there are a lot of complex plot elements that you may pick up on after having watched it once.

 

Spoilers

 

They allude to the fact that the “angel’ and creatures were identified as such by “The New Truth” and there was never a deep dive into what they might be by anyone else. As it becomes apparent that the targets are not always sinners, or at least not sinners we as viewers can identify, the entire God’s punishment angel begins to fall apart. And it leaves you wondering why and how the targets are selected. If “The New Truth” believes it is God’s will why do they call on Arrowhead to go after those they identify as sinners.  Who is Arrowhead and how did “The New Truth” find a band of psychopaths that are so ready to mete out punishment in the form of brutal beatings up to death.

 

How did the baby live? The target of the incineration is always the subject and the white light glowed from between the parents so it would have originated at the baby. How did the beings “miss” burning the baby? Then, when the baby survived, they left without accomplishing their intent. How does that work? Do they just leave the target alone if they are able to survive a period of time after the date?

 

If those that have been incinerated are brought back, why were they incinerated in the first place? Do they come back fully as their former selves?

I read that it was approved for another season but it seems if that is the plan there are huge delays. As time passes it becomes less likely they will carry through with a second season but I will remain alert for another season, If you are not okay with a cliff hanger that may never be resolved with additional content, you might bypass this one or wait for when and if there is a second season.

#Hellbound

#UhmHingSik

#YooAhIn

#KimHyunJoo

#ParkJeongMin

#WonJinAh

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Completed
My Demon
2 people found this review helpful
by drami
Jan 30, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 5.5
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers

So predictable, I’m not even disappointed

If you have a list of mediocre Korean dramas, this is one to add to the list. This is another typical drama that has quite a good concept and strong start but horrible progression that ends up draggy and boring.

The villain is lame and just evil, not exactly smart. Those hidden plots or mystery pointers they planted throughout the drama are underwhelming. You can almost foresee what is going to happen next when watching the drama. At least, from the first quarter I’d already knew

1. Do Hee and Koo Won must have been lovers in his past life.
2. Seok Hoon is definitely not the evil one here - despite the scriptwriters planting so many parts hinting that he was.
3. The true villain was never Do Kyung but actually his father.
4. Do Hee and Koo Won will never die - regardless how many times they actually went through death.

I find predictions in the comment section more interesting than the actual plot. Korean dramas must be running out of ideas at this point.

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