Reviews

Love Syndrome is more demented than amnesiac

When not one, not two, but THREE couples are a result of sexually assaulted victims falling for their assaulter, you know you’re in for a toxic mess.

Despite this series’ low rating, I gave it a go as I’ve seen Lee Long Shi in “Even Sun” and Frank paired with Drake in “Between Us”. Can't say I'm a big fan of both butttt I did enjoy them to some extent in said series. What’s interesting was seeing Lee Long ‘top’ here when he was the ‘bottom’ in Even Sun. I have to say his ability to do both makes him one of the more unique BL actors, not to say that not being able to fulfill both isn’t unique, but it doesn’t limit his acting or typecast him. (Also, I want to see a series where Fort Thitipong and Lee Long Shi are brothers because wow, they give me similar vibes.)

Before diving into the series, we need to understand that there’s a ‘Bad’ Day and a ‘Good’ Day (I honestly love that the character’s name is “Day” and they stretch the 'bad day' and 'good day' in him).
‘Bad’ Day is ruthless, jealous, and combative. He was born the day his parents were killed in a car accident that left him and his beloved younger brother, Night, orphans. Bad Day is a former mafia member who dropped everything bad about him two years ago. Good Day is the result of Day getting away from Bad Day and closer to Itt. He is mild-tempered, soft-hearted, responsible, and a bit of a pushover. Despite being the ‘Good’, he still possesses a dark side which is his openness and willingness to groom his boyfriend into becoming solely dependent on him.

This brings us to Itt, ‘Good’ Day’s boyfriend of two years. Right from the jump Itt is painted as a spoiled man-child who has an irritable cake obsession. Cake was his drug, he had to have it right then and there otherwise everyone suffer from his tantrums and inability to function, particularly Day. Despite Itt’s childishness and immaturity, he’s adored and babied by his peers, friends, and parents. Although Day has admitted to bending Itt into the role of a codependent boyfriend, it’s been revealed that Itt’s parents sheltered and spoiled him relentlessly growing up; never pushing him to do more nor asking him to help more with the family business. Cooking was also out of the question as he once burned down their kitchen. Therefore, when Itt, a grown man, lacks the basic survival skills it’s impossible to blame him or any party entirely. Itt’s codependency also allows him to accept abuse on an unhealthy level and I don’t care how many times a character says Itt is selfless, he’s the most selfish character.

Since Day suffers from memory loss and has returned to a character viewers aren’t familiar with, his growth, or lack thereof, is fairly acceptable. However, Itt has never truly grown. Itt doesn’t take responsibility for much of anything and this is because his friends and parents are always on his side. He shouts and raises his voice at Day every other four to five lines. Everyone but Day gives him more credit than he deserves and victimizes him on an unconditional level. The only time they called his childishness out was when he demanded cake and asked Peace to sleep beside him. I wish Itt’s cooking skills were developed and shown over the series and not him waiting until the final episode to show interest in learning because at this point we’re supposed to believe he’s been responsible for Day’s meals for months. I mean, did Night end up cooking all of them, or did Itt order delivery? Because we never saw Itt grocery shopping either and he clearly hasn’t shown any improvements when they went shopping with Bell.

The supporting and side characters were fine for the most part but they were too nosy and the amount of gossiping they did was excessive. There were a lot of times when I wondered why Gear and Night felt the need to control the direction of Day and Itt’s relationship. As a brother and friend, it’s acceptable to help but manipulating (i.e. Ball) is a different story. It gave the mains outs and excuses not to talk. It also skewed some situations i.e. when Day punched a wall because he couldn’t remember, friends miscommunicated that to Itt as Day punishing himself for punching Itt when in reality Day never felt bad for punching Itt on the racetrack because let’s be honest, was dumb and irresponsible on Itt’s part. The common person knows better than to jump in front of an oncoming race car at high speed. The part that further pissed me off about it was that Itt specifically asked Nan to be in the car with Day and still decided to put all of their lives in jeopardy. Had Nan not noticed and Day not braked, Itt would be 4-6 feet underground. Or had Day swerved, he would have crashed or flipped the car with him and Nan in it and they, too, could have been one with the ground. I’m so upset that when Day brought this up, Itt took ZERO accountability for it and never understood why he was in the wrong. Gear and Night also never asked why Itt did that, they just assumed that Day was in the wrong--he was, in the way that he overreacted and resorted to violence but I have to say Itt asked for it when he put all three of their lives at risk.
I also despise how selective the support characters are when it comes to over and under-sharing. When Day woke up with his memories of Itt wiped clean, he never got answers because everyone would just say ‘Curious? Figure it out yourself”. But then they would blame and get mad at him for not remembering. Day just couldn’t win as he was surrounded by Itt’s supporters.
Sometimes I questioned if Night was Day or Itt’s brother.
Speaking of Gear, I don’t understand his hostility towards Day in Night and Day’s house, especially when he once abused Night and knew Day hated him for that. Gear is a guest but he oversteps like he owns ¼ of the house.
I’m a huge fan of Nick. I love his humor and wit and wish there was more of him. He’s Itt’s best shield. I thought he and Neil were a compatible couple. Neil isn’t overly jealous of Nick’s flirtatiousness and understands that it stems from a cry for attention as the son of a mistress.
Nan and Mac…hmmm…at this point, I can’t gauge if they’re the second or most toxic couple but I’ve seen them being compared to Vegas and Pete from KinnPorsche and well…if you know then you know. Nan is Day’s henchman who instantly strikes us as someone who always has the upper hand and is quick on his feet. Despite his small screen time, he’s not a man to be trifled with. Although he doesn’t use his fists as often as Day, he’s proven to be just as good a fighter but with big brains. Aside from running a racetrack with Day, Nan’s toxic trait is to punish Itt’s molester, Mac. Mac is someone who went to high school with Itt and stole Itt's girlfriend, Meen, in the name of actually having a crush on Itt. As adults, Mac throws an out-of-the-blue confession at Itt while forcing himself onto Itt. Witnessing this, Day beats and shoves Mac into Nan’s arms and insists that Nan does whatever pleases him. And so Nan did, on top of threatening Mac with a non-existent video. Like DayItt and GearNight, Nan and Mac’s abusive relationship alas blossomed into ‘love’.

Guest roles and their purposes:
Meen - utilized to show us that Itt is bi aka gives Day more to be jealous of.
Kim - creepy guy #1 to prepare us for creepy guy #2, P.
Kamol - the mafia boss who never felt like a mafia boss. His motto is ‘killing creates an endless cycle of revenge so manipulate people to off themselves instead’

Other notes…:
- The mafia arc was done so poorly, it was over within 1-2 episodes
- The acting is passable, not great but not bad. In some scenes, one actor would overact as the other underacts. Frank’s acting can be dry at times, especially the non-red eyes and tearless crying.
- The script is…fair at best. I wish there were more industrial terms but meh
- Continuity error is a big one (the biggest offense is when Itt took the car to the waterfall but they kept cutting back to the house showing the car parked in front (establishing shot, I get it but c'mon now!). The first mistake I can laugh at but the second or third just tells you no one in editing was paying attention. And no one can convince me that was Gear’s car because it simply wasn’t.)
- The editing: they overused fade to black one TOO many times. The rectangle/zoom out in the middle was also used TWICE; it screams basic editing skills.
- Some camera angles need to go
- The comedy was satisfactory but lackluster editing killed it. And I’m not saying they should have added those overused sound effects but a change of song would have suffice. There were a lot of times when Nick delivered iconic, and I mean ICONIC, lines but background sounds never backed him up. It’s bizarre to laugh at a joke with soft, romantic music playing, just sayin’.
- Again, the misuse of music and sound throughout the show; they don’t match what’s happening on screen. (i.e. Itt passing out in the car due to Day’s speeding for one.)
- Opening song was chef's kiss though!
- Seeing that Lee Long Shi is a former Muay Thai trainer, I expected good action, and he and the series delivered! Although the pool table scene didn't quite work as Day was trying to pocket the 8-ball from two different angles but hey, at least we got comedy and romance out of it.
- Itt always has something of the five going on: he’s angry because cake, he’s happy because cake, he’s crying, he’s sick, or he has a bruise(s)/cut(s) on his face. (It’s ridiculous that they turned his running away into a camping trip for one but secondly, of the eight people present he’s always the one getting hurt. Like getting his jaw body-slammed and a leg cramp--there’s always something wrong with Itt.)
- Every. Single. Time. Day remembers something, Itt’s go-to reaction/response is ‘You remember?’. Istg, doesn't he have anything else to say? Seriously like no…he was just telling you what he remembers… The only time we didn’t get to hear it was when he had his panic attack.
- Day’s cast-off party was creepy, cringe, and a hot mess. I'm aware that its purpose was to reveal how sick all of the characters are and make Itt question whether he's Day's equal partner or property but I'm sure there are better ways to go about it. (Also, love that Itt was aware of that, however, he never got a direct answer because TOXIC RELATIONSHIP. Then again he said Day was his as much as he was Day's so...match made in heaven I guess...)
- Why is everybody gay?
- Why is everyone so taken with Itt other than his good looks?
- Why are all the villains men who are or were interested in Itt? Mac, whatever-his-face-long-hair-guy-who-pissed-everyone-off, and P.
- Why were characters introduced but nothing came out of them? Why wasn't Salmon a recurring character (he was one of the few healthy relationships Day had with literally anyone. And hello English-speaking Lee Long Shi!)?
- Why were issues created but never resolved or brought up again? What happened to the four teens that broke into the barbershop? Did Day ever replace Bell's stolen items as they never attempted to recover them? Why weren't the police involved in any given issue (SA, kidnapping, physical violence, attempted murder, stalking, you name it)? And why was Itt afraid of taxis, I don't think that was ever explained.

All said, this series isn't for everyone but I for one enjoyed it despite all the eye-rolling and frustration I went through. After episode 8, everything was redundant and even more unhinged but somehow it kept me glued to the screen. I wouldn’t recommend this series to the light-hearted but to the sickos such as myself, it's one of the must-watches!

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Some really mixed feelings about this one.

Part of me really liked this show. The visuals were lovely, the writing was great, the acting was absolutely stellar, and the production value overall was clearly high.

So why did I dock it so many points then? Well, there were unfortunately some real consent issues between the main couple.
Let me elaborate:
First, there is the age difference. True, it may just be 3 years, but the maturity levels between an 18 year old and a 21 year old are still vastly different which leads to a power imbalance in the relationship. I will say, that this power imbalance was not really very present with these two, especially during the second half of the series so I ended up feeling significantly less put off by the whole thing, but it's still worth considering if you're sensitive to these concerns.
The second and much bigger problem was the way Yui treated Sayuri at the beginning of the show. She showed very little regard for Sayuri's boundaries and there were two dub-con/non-con kisses which is always a big red flag for me.
On the other hand, once Sayuri actually initiated a proper relationship in the second half of the show, their dynamic was incredibly loving and respectful and I found myself genuinely invested in their relationship and how authentic it felt.
It was also incredibly refreshing to see young women, specifically young queer women, talk about sex and intimacy so openly and without shame, massive props to the screenwriters for that.
The supporting cast, specifically the two parents and Sayuri's friend Nao, were also brilliant and each added to the story line in meaningful ways rather than just existing to create conflict between the two leads.

In conclusion I am incredibly conflicted in my feelings about this show. I would however still recommend giving it a try. Everyone's mileage varies when it comes to what they find acceptable in relationships, so someone who is less bothered by the issues I brought up might really enjoy this show.
And those who are bothered might still end up getting something out of the experience of watching, just like I did. When the series does something right, it does it *really* right, which is an especially pleasant surprise given the time period during which the show aired, so for that alone I consider it worth watching.
Give it a go and form your own opinion, good or bad, this show is definitely worth talking about.

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It has its good moments but it moves too slow

A lot of side characters and moving parts and after a while, it just becomes agonizing slow after episode 9. By that point, you could already understand the characters and motivations and what they are going to do. So it's a bit agonizing to watch things develop but no new revelations or anything much new happening.

I thought leads acted well and realistically. It's as real as it gets and shows the messiness of relationships and love lost and love won. Pain of losing someone and jealousies and hurt that comes with it.

All the parents are shown as weak, ignorant, or manipulative.

The women are shown as mostly good people for the most part on the screen but damaged by their parents.

The men are shown as damaged, bitter, jealous, controlling, and childish for the most part.

Storyline was pretty good and I was enjoying it up to episode 8 or 9. Then started losing interest... and skipped to episode 16 and watched backwards a bit.

Overall, I think it's a good show.

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MING DYNASTY 1566: Political Court Factions Drama

MING DYNASTY 1566 is a highly political drama of 46 episodes length. Unlike other dramas, this one focuses far less on inter personal relations, family affairs and characters and more so rather on the political stage of the time, the warring of court factions, and all the intricacies of the delicate balancing act of governance.

The story tells of a Ming Dynasty which is ruled by Emperor Jiajing and his court, over a Ming nation that now has an exploding economy and booming culture, but that golden age comes at a cost, and often times at a cost for the people of the country. It heavily focuses on how the Ming Dynasty courtiers and magistrates strive to produce more silk at behest of the Emperor (as well as tea and other high demand goods) for foreign nations, but must weigh the balance of domestic demands as well, navigating obstacles and disasters along the way. This drama might be incredibly slow to some, but is a very valuable work in terms of historical context, political understanding, and methods of governance. Very fascinating if you are into this sort of thing.

I highly recommend this series to those that value history, specifically Ming Dynasty era history, as well as those that have an intellectual interest in politics, court factions and methods of government. This was a series one must pay great attention in order to really grasp its story, but certainly an excellent one. Worth the watch.

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My Lovely wife is a cute miniseries with a fake couple turned into real lovers storyline. This kind of story needed lengthier episodes for character development and a well elaborated revenge plot. The writing is choppy and the story lacks fluidity. Although the leading couple has a nice playful chemistry, their intimate scenes lack a sense of strong mutual attraction; still, the leading couple’s relationship is the best element of this drama since, for the rest, the acting was lousy, for the most part. The plot on this drama is simple but the antagonists were outrageous and laughable. Probably the worst character in this drama is the grandfather and his shenanigans, especially toward the male lead. Overall, there is nothing that is worthy of rewathching.

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SO COZY

If you don't like overcomplicated dramas full of misunderstandings and stupid characters, then I recommend you watch this. This story is just about two adult friends who are both confused about their feelings and living their adult lives. The chemistry of Han Eunsung (Lee Yooyoung) and Kim Raewan (Kim Sunho) is adorable. The flow of the story is great, even though there are only 4 episodes. I also loved the part where he draws the female lead. Maybe I just like men who are whipped for their women. I believe this is one of the best drama specials on MBC.

I'll rate this a 9/10. So simple and cute. I'm also hoping to see Sung Joo (Yoon Heenam) in other dramas too.

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A Rare Gem in the Ocean of Thai Drama

CONTAIN SPOILERS
"Why have I not watched this before?" I kept asking myself as I keep biting my nails and play episodes after episodes, binge watching the series in 2 days.

The plot, the premise, the storytelling, the characters, the acting, the dialogues - I am so happy to see that this drama , especially a BL which often flaunt soft and lovey-dovey themes, is tackling so mature a theme so articulately. Sex crimes, human trafficking and drug violence? A plot and character driven theme with on point storytelling? I'm in!

First thing. The plot. From the first forensic test they performed is clear that the production team did their research. The author of the novel is a doctor so I was content that we will get to see some proper real life (almost) dealing of forensic job here. I was not disappointed.

I will give this drama the title of a true crime investigative drama, keeping it real. They notion that 'after a crime happens, everyone is the suspect' was kept throughout the series. Even the main characters are not above the suspicion. Every episode ends with a perfect cliffhanger.
I loved the style of the storytelling as well. Instead of a linear flow of one incident after another, the plot takes liberties to going back and forth in flashbacks and days before of one incident. To some, it may be repetitive, but for me who is too invested in the flow of the story, loved watching it to search for the answers.

The actors, all of them, have done an amazing job. However, I will give kudos to Inspector M and Captain Gun for their respective acting, which was complete opposite of what I thought at first.

The chemistry between the two main characters, the main couple, is undeniably gorgeous; each glance, smirk, tease, heated looks, stares, touches, squints :muah: chef's kiss.

Their emotion for each other is unbridled yet also untrusted, which is very logical and true to the theme of 'everyone is a suspect', and perfectly portrayed with the relation to their respective characters. Dr Bun does not know much about Tan. Tan lies to Dr Bun. They are attracted to each other but also don't fully trust each other (at first). They kiss each other, share sweet moments and then point guns at each other. I was like yes, both of you go for it, kiss each other and then kill each other. Do it.

I should mention, yet again, the natural fluency of the way the main casts tackle intimate scenes. It never looks forced, like they are acting for acting's sake. It's simply like the two people are in love and making love to each other. Kudos to the actors who are also strong and vocal allies of LGBTQIAPN+ community.

There are discussions of abortion but again, kudos that they spoke about it as a choice of an individual rather than an offense and exercised with a look of contempt.

The ending was super sweet. I did not expect them to not kiss but the hugs and soft touches made the scene comfortable to say that the two characters were in perfect marital bliss. And no overt intimate gestures were needed to showcase their love for each other.

And now.

YES. There are plotholes. A hell lot of that.

1. Why Tan's home has the main entrance opened as they they sit down for dinner? Do they not know that there is danger?

2. I don't think that illegal abortion centres perform the abortions while the operation theatre door is partially opened and police, even though may have warrant, can barge into one surgery room where a patient is under the process.

3. As much as I loved the intimate scenes, once again brilliant, some of them felt a bit ill-timed. Dr Bun and Tan broke into Inspector's car, stole a laptop, brought it to their home and then have sex on the sofa? I was like wait what? Now? Idk men, I would probably want to see what was in the laptop, especially as danger is looming over.

4. The journalist is snooping around dangerous areas alone and without any precautions for self-defense?

Some tropes are very familiar and I knew what is in the store for some characters, like the journalist and Pued from like episode number 2.
There are a few more things but those are just me nitpicking over smaller details.

Also, the guy who hacked the SD card and phone and helped share the videos stored on Jane's cloud drive deserves a special applause. If not for him, both the doctor and his beau would be dead.

The ending although unprecedented was not completely unexpected. But still, watching it play before my eyes broke my heart for Jane.

The show is also a testament that you need to be vigilant against people and how they treat you, even if they are someone you love because people change, yes, even the ones you love can change in future. Caution can be your best friend. It also shows how pressure from corrupted authority can make one bow down before the crime even when they know what is wrong and what is right (Inspector M, you were awesome as you decide to not bow down and break that chain of injustice).

All in all, this is a fabulous drama of Thai entertainment and drama industry and not just BL. Please watch and give it more love. I hope to see more plot and characters driven stories in future.

I got to know from social media that Dr Bun's actor Tul has left acting to pursue his other passion and Tan's actor Max has had health issues. Even though it makes me sad that we may not see them together in any series again, I wish them prosperity in their respective lives and thank them for this series. Be happy both of you.

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Light hearted drama

The plot and characters in this drama are not too bad. Sometimes I can't stand the FL, but I understand her character is written as a fisher girl, so she's simple minded. Most of the time I can't concentrate on anything else other than of how incredibly handsome the ML is. So everything else is forgiven.

The chemistry between the leads are amazing. They are so sweet together!!!

Overall, I enjoyed watching this for a laugh. And oh those kissing scenes!! But I reckon if they use another actor as the ML, maybe I won't be watching this because I'm not a fan of a weak FL (even though I have to admit that she's hardworking at making money).

I dropped this at episode 20 because life got hectic. I might pick it up again later when things settle down. Or maybe not.

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No thoughts just Song Joong-ki covered in blood.

I'm a simple woman and *very* easily bought. This man pulled up in a black suit or a turtleneck and i FELL TO THE GROUND, CLUTCHING MY CHEST. My mother can confirm. The fashion was so excellent ugh. I actually fell in love y'all????? Like?????

All jokes aside, this show is really well-written, a lot better than this review. The plot-twists are twist-y and the characters are sweet, (and/or horrifically evil.)

You either root for them, or very much do not root for them to the point of tears--and you end up liking characters you'd have never expected to like.

But.

But -- Cha-young sucks and I'm only mildly sorry to say it, someone has to.

SHE WAS LITERALLY WORKING FO-

Anyways :)

I think you can deduce that I wasn't overly fond of the romance in this series (if that's what we're calling that dumpster-fire of a subplot), but it was very minor and pretty easy to ignore...and forget. Did the people who enjoyed ChaCenzo *not* forget they were supposed to be love-interests, ever two minutes? Cause I sure did.

One thing I will say is that I don't think this is the kind of show you'd rewatch, at least not the whole thing over again. The high cannot be recreated, I swear.

All in all, very good show, very corrupt people, very pretty Mafias.

9. 5.

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Mindblowing piece of art, but lacking in the romance section

This may be the first time I have written a review before completing a series, and it's only because it's too good to wait.

I have never seen such an interesting worldbuilding, where there is an overlapping of a fictional world and reality, where danger and characters can cross over both worlds. The first episode has completely captivated me, and the rest of the episodes contains so many twist and turns, I was left gasping or squealing at the end of every one if them. I did start feeling very bad for the choices FL has to make all the time, and for her dad as well. And sometimes, the plot does become a bit confusing, especially for those who actually use their brains when watching a drama series (cuz I don't). But either way, the plot is still interesting enough to grip your attention.

Albeit some parts were a tad scary, but that's only because I am very very easily scared.

We have superb acting from both ML and FL, and I especially love ML's cheeky yet warm smile. I think that the ML may be one of the most substanced male leads I know, if that even makes any sense. While in many dramas, the ML is there purely to be FL's romantic partner, but this is not the case here. We witness ML's growing understanding, sympathise with his situation and actions. And he is not simply an FL accesory.

The only bad bits were that I feel like so much is happening in the plot, there wasn't enough time for ML and FL's relationship to truly blossom. I was slightly disappointed with this bit, as obviously it was the main reason I had started it. That's why I dropped the ratings to 8, which is still a really high score only redeemed but its interesting world settings. The side characters weren't very well developed either, as they were like props to push along the storyline, with only a few being an exception.

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The Gifted is a gift

When you have Nanon, Chimon, Jane, Gun, and Sing as main actors, the acting can’t get better than this. From the main to the guest actors, everyone delivered.

I love all the powers and potentials. I have to admit the ending, particularly Pang vs Supot the Director, was predictable but in a fantastic way! It was reasonable and possible despite this being a thriller, supernatural. In a way, there wasn’t anything unrealistic about the way the Director took down Pang. If Mr. Pom said the Director was smarter than everyone then the Director had to be smarter than everyone. I love it when credit is given where it’s due, even if it’s the villain we’re talking about.

I love that depending on the characters’ arcs, we aren’t overwhelmed with the whole cast but get to see their relationships with other certain characters. The only complaint I have is that I wished there were more to Jack and Jo other than they excelled in chemistry and had a psychic connection. They never got their own episode and disappeared for a while so I seriously didn’t remember their names until episode 11 or so on.

Pang is the optimal main character. He’s the first of the lowest class in history to make it into the Gifted program. And he fights for equality despite receiving the best treatment as one of the Gifteds. Using his power only for good makes him a lovable character.

My favorite arc is Punn's. Not only did Gun play five different personalities beautifully, but his whole episode was super well done and written. I loved the artwork of five trees that represented each personality and that internal fighting! Wow!

My favorite character had to be Ohm. He was adorably hilarious and his potential was both fascinating and interesting! Mon is also one of my favorites and her action scenes are admiringly enjoyable.

Wave’s backstory was a nice twist and plentiful explanation for his present self at Ritdha Wittayakom High School. Although I don’t condone a romantic relationship between a teacher and a high school student, I’m glad it wasn’t all romance but actually about an abusive teacher using a student’s intelligence for personal gain. Wave outing his teacher was so satisfying!

Pang and Wave teaming up was something I expected but not as a duo. I thought Wave would be included in the Pang-Namtarn-Ohm gang but I understood why the other two were omitted. It was made clear that Namtarn was always for the Gifted program and Ohm just couldn’t be trusted due to his forgetfulness. In the end, Pang cited this as it was just him believing he was smarter than everyone else but I wholeheartedly believed he had really good reasons to leave Namtarn and Ohm out.

Namtarn and Claire’s potentials are super cool and Claire's episode was just fun. From her sassiness to acceptance and friend-zoning Korn. Initially, I felt bad for Korn but after Korn's episode, I was happy Claire chose Punn. Punn can be so smooth when he wants to be!

People tend to complain that there’s not enough time in a day (and I agree) but I liked that Korn found his power burdensome. His wanting to just sleep was so relatable and realistic, I loved it.

I highly enjoyed this one and am definitely looking forward to also binging season two. This is a must-watch, rewatch, and gift to viewers!

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The Soon To Be Diva Is Outside The Fish Tank!

I knew this Drama would be a good to watch in Autumn and will be a priority on my list in the weeks ahead.
I watched many of the cast in multiple Dramas. I love Park Eun Bin in Extra Ordinary Attorney Woo and love
Chae Jong Hyeop perfomance in Unlock My Boss so I know this series will be a great watch in the coming
weeks ahead.

While watching episode 1 I did not know what to expect as there was not much in the synopsis. It started
with the female lead playing Seo Mok Ha and her friends in school, she wanted to use her phone but
did not charge it and went around asking everyone if they use the same phone as hers so she could use
their battery. After searching she later found out her class mate Jung Ki Ho has the same phone and she
asked him to lend his battery so she could make a phone call but he needed money, she pleaded until he gave
her the use of the phone battery. Only to find out Seo Mok Ha called to sing for her favorite pop star
Yoon Ran Joo. Seo Mok Ha was so star struck and was so happy that she could die lol. When Jung Ki Ho
heard what she said, he took the phone and ended the call and took back his battery because she said she
could just die hahaha.

There was a competition and Seo Mok Ha wanted to make a video to sumbit to Yoon Ran Joo and another
classmate recommended Jung Ki Ho that he does great videos with great editing skills so she went to asked
him, but this was not for free. Before the making of the video the story went from light and refreshing to
child abuse as we see Jung Ki Ho's dad beating him as he found out his son was working and he beat him
as he thought he was planning to run away like his mother. Jung Ki Ho was saving up for sure, he hustled
from the students for bike rides or using his phone. He was quick to make Seo Mok Ha video.

After the video was made, Seo Mok Ha's dad was also abusive and beat her, broke her guitar and trashed her
room. She called the police but nothing came of it because the police officer is Jung Ki Ho's dad that is also
abusive. Later that same day Jung Ki Ho went to pass on the video file to Seo Mok Ha but she lost hope after
what happened with her dad. Jung Ki Ho took the matter in his own hand and submitted the video for Seo
Mok Ha. She won 1st place but also had no hope of going to Seoul for to meet with the Agency.

Jung Ki Ho told Seo Mok ha if her dad try to hit her again, she must come to him and he gave her a
MAP TO HIS HOUSE with instruction how to find his bedroom window. she escaped and found him and they
took off to go to Seoul. Jung Ki Ho called back the Agency and set up a meeting date and time as it was his phone
number he gave for them to call Seo Mok Ha as her dad broke her phone. They are on a Island so would need to
travel on a ferry to get to Seoul. While they waited, Jung Ki Ho friend and his dad saw them and told Seo Mok Ha's
dad his daughter was at the dock and he showed up there.

Jung Ki Ho planned to go to Seoul with Seo Mok Ha but he told her to go alone and gave her his phone, back pack
and all his money he saved up. He tried to stop Seo Mok Ha's dad from going on the Ferry but he beat up the kid
and went on the Ferry. Seo Mok Ha tried to get away but it lead to her falling in the sea and her dad fell in after her.
She appeared on another Island and stock there for 15 yrs and that's how Seo Mok Ha became a "Cast Away Diva".
The story looks and feel promising like it will be a very enjoyable story as the beginning has a very strong back story.

The youth actors did a great job in story telling and they gave their all in it. I felt the emotions from the abusive
scenes and after Kung Ki Ho learnt that Seo Mok Ha was lost at Sea. Its refreshing to watch and I look forward to
watching the entire series. I start with a firm 10 ratings as everything was flawless.

Update_ after watching Ep2 the big question is, did Jung Ki Ho change his name to Kang Woo Hak.
Seo Mok Ha was discovered by Kang Woo Hak after he followed his brother Kang Bo Geol to clean
up waste from one of the island which was not on the search list the past 15 years.
Upate_ Currently on Ep6 as it airs and the Writer is having fun with these episodes betwen Ep2-6
with guessing who is Kiho? It could be can be any of the brothers. The evidence lean to Bogeol is Kiho
but also some times Woo Hak has traits of KiHo but he lost his memory and can't remember anything prior
to high school. Only Bogeol and his mom knows the truth about Kiho's identity.

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Rebirth and Revenge

The first episodes caught my attention and I decided to continue watching it. It isn't much of a time drain since each episode is quite short. I did enjoy it in a simple-minded way but did roll my eyes at certain moments. Its not a particularly deep story, nor did I particularly like any of the characters. I guess there is something satisfying about watching people get whats coming to them, even if there is some hypocrisy on the part of those delivering "justice"

Story: In the original life FL is betrayed horribly after aiding and abetting the person she loved (2nd prince) in rising to the throne, even plotting against and poisoning her legal husband (7th prince). Yea, she's no saint. But when she is betrayed and killed by 2nd prince and her own sister, she swears if she had another chance she would make them pay. And she is reborn and gets her chance. Now, FL died in a horrific manner in her original life, she is very focused on revenge and I get that--but until the later episodes (where FL somewhat acknowledged that she and her sister weren't that different) it seemed like she carried a 'you lot are scum, you brought this on yourself, you're the worst kind of traitors' attitude...and yet did she not do pretty much the same thing to her own husband? In the original life, he had rushed to save her even though he suspected it was likely a trap...but still went, in case. He figured she may make more attempts on his life but still willingly drank tea she prepared for him, and was poisoned to death. As a result for most of the drama, while there is a certain satisfaction in watching people's evil plans backfire on them, I'm also viewing the person who is ruining those evil plans as quite the hypocrite. Some parts of the story also made little sense, such as the lack of logical sense and coordination of 2nd prince's schemes. In the reborn life, FL was still pretending to be on the side of 2nd prince to take down 7th prince. For this, they need to get 7th prince to trust FL so that she can successfully poison him (she wouldn't do it in the reborn life but this is just the 2nd prince's plot). 2nd prince then goes and gets his own wife to sow discord between FL and 7th prince so he can test and see FL's reaction and see if she is still devoted to him. So plan A requires building trust and plan B sows discord and breaks trust...its like left hand is slapping right hand, its no wonder he failed at life. This is just an example but there were several points in the story where you facepalm as characters do utterly stupid things just to move the drama along but actually takes away from the story. The ending is also a bit weird, implying its a dream but...what part is the dream? All of it? just the original life? Are we supposed to just guess?
There were some moments I got my hopes up--like there was potential for a good plot twist or conflict, but inevitably it is shallowly and quickly resolved without issue...sometimes too quickly that I'm left wondering why that plot point was even added.

Acting: Not bad. Not outstanding, but good enough to keep your focus on the drama and not be jarred out of story immersion due to cheesy acting. For the actors costumes/makeup though, I found the outline of 7th prince's wig/headpiece VERY noticeable. I could see the edge outline around his face in many episodes and scenes, sometimes the edges if that hairpiece obviously did not match his skin. They need to do a better job hiding it.

Music: Nothing is particularly memorable but nothing stuck out as unsuitable for the drama either

Rewatch: Not really something I'd recommend re-watching, the story and characters are so simple there really isn't a need and it would probably be boring

Overall: Its a simple minded revenge story and I think the enjoyment for me was based on satisfaction of watching evildoers have their evil scheme blow up in their face. But the characters are simple, the plot is shallow, this is not the place to look for nuanced characters that are undergo strong development thru the drama, nor for a deep immersive story.

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Kept Me Gasping Till The End!

I don’t where to start, but I got hooked by this drama from the beginning till the end! Living in Canada, I always have to wake up early on Saturday mornings to watch the drama live. I tell you that it was the best decision ever since going on Twitter while this drama is airing will make it lose its element of surprise! No kidding about that since I gasped with every episode, from the surprise guests, to the sudden turn of events. Before anything, kudos to the writers and directors for making such a masterpiece! I am beyond proud of the actors too! I have seen their previous works and to suddenly see them in a very mature series, it really took me off guard! One thing I enjoyed too are the soundtracks used! How is it that the song matches every scene?! I have never watched a series where the songs used in the background got me gasping for how accurate it is with the situation. I also loved how this drama tackled a lot of vices and how it affects people around those who does it. Mental health was also featured here a lot especially with Ray’s character. What I appreciated is how they actually showed the positive light for Ray and how he was saved from his darkness. Personally, I relate to that. Top and Mew had a lot of ups and downs. Honestly was ok too if they don’t end up together, but I guess it shows no harm to feature forgiveness and new beginning. I am happy for Nick and Boston. I do think being together would have been toxic for either of them. If anything, I do wish we saw more of April and Cheum’s love life then again the other couples are messy enough already.

I’m writing this because I am really missing Ray. For the 12 weeks, I laughed, cried and got angry with him. Khaotung really did a great job with playing Ray All the emotional scenes were so memorable. I don’t think I can ever move on from those!

I’ll go and binge watch the series now! Yes, I’m rewatching it despite it ending only this morning here ?

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