Completed
A Shop for Killers
0 people found this review helpful
by LJE
2 days ago
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
This review may contain spoilers

Unique Story-telling That Fell Off

Will start off by praising the Writer's creativity and bravery in attempting a drama that is mostly focused on one setting (The raid of JJM's home). This isn't commonly done in KDramas as it's not easy crafting enough content to keep viewers engrossed without getting bored. Flashbacks were mostly appropriately spaced out in between the spectacular action scenes to provide some change of pace. Personally, I enjoyed the backstory and dynamics of JJE & Pashin - it was more relatable to me then the inexplicably strained(?) relationship btw JJE & JJM. As aforementioned, the action scenes are definitely the highlights of this drama despite some of the obvious plotholes/troupes that were haphazardly patched over (such as the miltary exercise cover, bad guys going 1-by-1 to die etc.).

Not surprisingly, the Writing is also the Con that let down this drama. In my opinion, too many side characters were introduced without a proper/believable backstory or use such as the Shadow Organization's Director, a random deaf "Brother", and the taxi driver... Many of the subplots were also not well-covered such as JJM's fake death, escape path that led back into the house (?), Bale's incredulous survival and decision to get revenge after many years etc.

The main gripe I had was how obvious it was that JJM wasn't really dead. I mean he is listed as the ML but only appeared spottedly in the first 5 eps in flashbacks... I found myself constantly awaiting his "heroic return" and thus felt episodes drag as it whiffed into the 2nd half. In general, the plot did not deviate from common expecations - no real plot twists (I'm not counting JJM's "revival").

Overall, I still think it is a very watchable drama - just based on the action scenes alone. Casting & Acting was also superb esp for JJE - she always looks so vulnerable. Just temper expecations and watch with an open mind (:

Final random thought: The repeated usage of "Listen Up, JJE" was seriously cringe for me. Felt they overplayed it way too much...

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Love to Hate You
0 people found this review helpful
2 days ago
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 6.5

Just relax and enjoy it

Yeo Mi Ran (Kim Ok Bin) is a lawyer by day and a street fighter. She has no interest in dating and is very competitive among men. Nam Kang Ho (Yoo Teo) is a movie star who doesn't have much faith in women. In his new role, he needs coaching to fight naturally, and Mi Ran gets to train him through them agreeing on a fake dating relationships. Despite their shared disbelief in love, their relationships grow as they spend more time together.

This is short, light, and has a lot of funny scenes throughout the ten episodes! A fake dating plot that fit perfectly with the enemies-to-lovers trope. The romance was nicely developed and gave a lot sweet and swoon-worthy moments. The friendships are fun to watch. Good job to all actor for their natural acting. They carried the show together, no one is more dominant than the others.

It’s nice that the drama also focused on some problems in society regarding the patriarchal beliefs about women. Even though Mi Ran was a feminist, the story was not at all anti women/men, they made it entertaining while still delivering their messages. Overall, delightful from beginning to end, filled with chemistry with some cute and sexy moments, and just a tiny bit of angst.

Mar 2024, Yovita
me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Doctor Slump
3 people found this review helpful
2 days ago
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 6.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 5.0
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers

Sometimes opposites shouldn't attract.

By episode 12 my interest had waned, by episode 14 I felt like I was slogging through the end with just the determination to want to mark it as completed.

I was quite surprised when some of the giant issues were resolved by episode 6, and I thought what now? What are they going to do now we've run out of plot. And that was the case.

They had Park Hyung Shik really lean into his cuteness, reminiscent of his character from Strong Girl. Park Shin Hye's character is so straight laced and unemotional it feels like it's wasted on her. And she rarely reciprocates, he was always chasing after her for one crumb of affection. It didn't work and felt unbelievable.
Personally I've never seen Park Shin Hye in a role that wasn't the same as all her other roles. And this was no different. Park Hyung Shik did have some very emotionally dramatic moments even an ugly cry, but a lot of it was just a compilation of roles that we've already seen him play. However he's fun to watch, I felt like he was carrying the entire drama except for some of the supporting cast members.

The actor that played her little brother was interesting, he was a little bit of a scoundrel and yet he had a lot of redeeming qualities. The doctor that ends up with her friend was so awkward in a Dad joke way. In America single parents abound, but I know it's a little bit more of an issue in Korea so I was glad they portrayed that.

This drama lost all momentum in the end. I loved the original underlying message of working through mental illness, how they took medicine and went to therapy, they got help and they worked on themselves and their issues. That was a great precedent. It feels like there's been a lot more dramas focusing on mental health, and given the high suicide rates in Korea I think that is a very good thing for them to delve into to hopefully encourage people to get help. So the message of that I liked and supported, but this as a whole was very underwhelming

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Good Job
0 people found this review helpful
2 days ago
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 10

I enjoy this drama, witty, funny, nice

I enjoy this drama, witty, funny, nice
- I like the chemistry of the first and second leads
- Bagay sina Seon Woo at Se Ra, they reminds me of crazy love 2022 din
- Nakakatawa sila apat haha lalo na kapag nag team up for investigation
-Cute at funny ng ni Jin Mo at Na Hee ganda ng proposal
- C Directong Hong loyal na chismoso pero outdated haha
- Ang ikli ng 12 episodes huhu, yehey Happy Ending
Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
The Origin of Eternity
0 people found this review helpful
by enhyx
2 days ago
23 of 23 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 5.0

good to pass time

what can i say about this drama…
i’m usually not a fan of short dramas but i enjoyed this one.

i read the comment of people who preferred the first half of the drama, but for me, when i started this i must say i didn’t liked it, i found the first tribulation kinda boring and not my cup of tea.

when the second tribulation started, at first i found it boring, but at the end of it, it became good and entertaining.
so as for me, i preferred the final episodes of this drama

would i recommend this drama? yes, to pass time when you have nothing to do, the story and character are cute, so why not?

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Doctor Slump
1 people found this review helpful
2 days ago
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 7.5

Comedy and drama wrapped up in one

I've been crital of Park Shin-hye's acting in previous series (Memories of Alhambra and The Heirs), but she was excellent in Doctor Slump, both in comical and dramatic scenes. She looked so beautiful, too! There was great chemistry between her and Park hyung-sik. His comedy scenes were hilarious; he has good timing. Good comical scenes in every episode. I enjoyed Yoon Park' charactor, good part for him. The whole cast did great.
Good storyline, handling a serious theme well.
Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
My Dear Gangster Oppa
0 people found this review helpful
2 days ago
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 8.5

Wasted Potential

Such a good story overall but lacks in writing and script many scenes should at least have more screen time, especially for the first 3 ep for more depth in the overall storyline.

I think that they wasted the last 2 episodes, they put many cliches in the series' plots that make it so-so. Many potential storylines can be put in this EPS.

Acting can be more perfect if they do at least push the acting workshop a little more, the chemistry is there but the acting doesn't help.

Overall, I like it and enjoy this series as expected, don't let the negative comments stop you from watching this.

Might rewatch it again.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Ongoing 16/16
Queen of Tears
0 people found this review helpful
2 days ago
16 of 16 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 6.5
Rewatch Value 10

This drama is amazing!!!

I haven't watched such a good K drama in a long time. The series reminded me of the Korean TV series that I used to watch with pleasure. The lead actors are definitely very good, there is a great harmony between them, I can say that it is the only series that I have been waiting for a new episode for the first time in a long time.
I will probably watch this kdrama because of Kim Soohyun. His acting and emotions in this is chaotic and emotional. Kim Jiwon and her emotional acting. I am currently caught up to episode four. It's hard to have to wait each weekend for the next two to drop on Netflix.,Can’t wait for Kim Soo Hyun’s Superb acting skill, touching and melting my heart

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Healer
0 people found this review helpful
2 days ago
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 6.0

don't get me wrong. I pretty much have a great time watching it.

I was having a block in terms of watching k-dramas and decided to give Healer a chance since Ji Chang Wook is one of my favorite Korean actors (and again manages to hold his place). I really enjoyed the story a lot, the amount of clichés was impressive, but not in a way that was overwhelming or made me stop watching. Honestly, I found it easy to follow episode after episode and it took less than 3 days to finish watching.
I liked the cast and felt the chemistry between the characters, although the way the romance grew between them could have been better, I felt like the only reason there was attraction was that they knew each other as kids without knowing it.
Beyond that, I found the chapters very interesting, the action scenes were good and I managed to empathize with the characters.
But I must be honest, at some point I felt that the plot lost its way and just a bunch of random things happened that without being very convincing for the viewer turned out to be convenient for the plot itself, but I must say that I didn't care much and kept watching. On the other hand, I liked the ending, but it needed more emotion or maybe it's just me, I felt that it lacked depth in how some things turned out (like her relationship with his birth mother and what happened with Kim Mun Sik).
Anyway, yes I would recommend it for those who enjoy cliché stories, action and romance and are familiar with the characteristic structure of k-dramas.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Eternal Brotherhood
2 people found this review helpful
by tides
2 days ago
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 1.0
Story 1.0
Acting/Cast 1.0
Music 1.0
Rewatch Value 1.0

Made by 3 directors, and it shows that there's 3 directions in every aspect of the drama.

This is an adaption of a novel that already has a fanbase, hence you'll see many good things about this but objectively it's not a good drama.

It tells you they have a star studded cast, and 3 famous directors however it seems like none of the directors actually worked together and instead just shot their own parts on their own, and used glue to stick it together.

The result is a very confusing show and makes no sense unless you watch it repeatedly and force yourself to make sense of it. you might even want to bring a notebook along to take notes.

If you enjoy doing this while watching a show, you might like this but the majority of people, watching a drama is about kicking back and relax, letting it bring you into it's world.

This show does none of that, and the show airtime was speedrun too. 24 episodes released quickly and they moved on unlike burning flames, which took a break and released lesser episodes a week to get more viewers.

This being a small slice of the novel too, means that most people wont be able to enjoy the drama unless they've read it in it's other forms (novel,manga,anime..ect)

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Just Between Lovers
1 people found this review helpful
2 days ago
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

must watch

"Just Between Lovers" is a Korean drama that beautifully explores themes of trauma, healing, and love. The series follows the lives of two individuals, Lee Kang-doo (played by Lee Jun-ho) and Ha Moon-soo (played by Won Jin-ah), who are brought together by a tragic accident that alters their lives forever. As they navigate their past traumas and struggles, they find solace and understanding in each other's company. The drama's strength lies in its well-developed characters, genuine emotions, and realistic portrayal of healing processes. The chemistry between the leads is palpable, drawing viewers into their journey of self-discovery and recovery. With its heartfelt storytelling and compelling performances, "Just Between Lovers" is a must-watch for fans of romance and human drama.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Choco Milk Shake
1 people found this review helpful
2 days ago
11 of 11 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.5
This review may contain spoilers

Loss and acceptance of it, themes of the series

Imagine that you have a dog and a cat as pets that have accompanied you since you were a child. Suppose that one day they return to the world of the living, in human forms, after having died, along with your parents, in an accident, with the purpose of giving you company and making you happy. Imagine that you only have a hundred days to spend with them before they must leave again. Suppose that during that period you fall in love with your human-dog. Represent yourself that you will surely have to wait two years for a new reunion, due to the difficulty of traveling between the afterlife and the world of the living.
From this premise, Ahn Ji Hee, the South Korean film director, creates, in 'Choco Milk Shake', the miniseries of 11 episodes of about 15 minutes each, a magical story with a dreamlike aura that creates a moving and pleasant visual experience.
It all begins when a cat and a dog cross the Rainbow Bridge and return to the world of the living in human forms. They go in search of Jung Woo (Go Ho Jung), their owner, a young bachelor who lives alone. When he was twenty years old, a fatal accident took away everything he loved: he lost not only his parents, but also his dog and cat, Choco (Lee Jae Bin) and Milk (Kim Seong Hyuk), respectively.
One night, after returning home from a long day of work at her uncle's (Park Seung Bin) cafe, two handsome strangers knock on her door. To your disbelief, they claim to be Choco and Milk! He doesn't believe them, but Choco and Milk prove their identities by sharing memories that only Jung Woo can know as the pets' owner. This is how Jung Woo realizes that the strange visitors are indeed his two beloved companions from childhood and youth, reincarnated in human form.
A question arises in the viewer from the moment they understand what the series is about: Will Choco and Milk manage to develop human feelings and emotions?
With the cute and clingy dog-human Choco and the more restrained cat-human Milk settled comfortably in Jung Woo's house, the three will once again enjoy the warmth and affection that united them in the past. However, the clash between these four beings will bring new dimensions to the resumption of their life together and surprising discoveries in the areas of friendship and love.
Despite his surprise and confusion, Jung Woo quickly and easily adapts to a warm and cozy lifestyle with his inseparable friends. They bond, create memories and happy moments, and in the process develop feelings that go beyond friendship.
I will answer the question: The story will take legitimately dramatic turns when love and friendship take center stage. The series makes the most of the affection and affection established from the beginning, to legitimize the emotional and romantic twists that appear later.
Choco will be for Jung Woo and Milk for Uncle, the perfect couples, achieving vibrant chemistry between them. Don't forget: The adorable characters and their endearing personalities are the strong points of Choco Milk Shake.
Although the events, romances and stories (for example, how pets become humans or Jung Woo's past), are not developed in depth, this fantasy drama surprises because it is much more than it appears. What begins as a light, fun and adorable story becomes an emotional love letter to pets, their role in our lives and, above all, the importance of saying goodbye in order to continue.
Had the details been developed, 'Choco Milk Shake' would be a more finished, polished series, with a more convincing story.
Rather than focusing on the romantic aspect, 'Choco Milk Shake' deals with the topic of loss and acceptance of the same in a warm way.
With a cast possessing individual charms and wonderful chemistry, the direction, cinematography and writing transport the viewer to a dream and fairy tale universe. The narrative, hinting at the continuation of the series in the future, maintains a good rhythm that enhances the emotionally bittersweet closure, due to the new separation, but the hope of a new reunion.
Jung Woo, the sensitive, soft-spoken boy with a kind heart, who after the tragedy has lost the joy of living, regains his joy and happiness after his reunion with Choco and Milk. But soon his heart will tremble again when he discovers that they both have a limited time on earth. But this will only serve as an excuse for a second season.
And it is there, in the moments of transition from happiness to sadness in the face of the imminent new loss due to the inevitable separation, piercing the most sensitive fiber, when 'Choco Milk Shake' shows its strength and the beauty of the work, thanks to the performances.
STRONGBERRY's first fantasy romance web drama series BL web drama won several awards at the first K-Web Drama Award (KWDA) in Dangjin. At the event, which seeks to celebrate the excellence of Korean web dramas and highlight the unique storytelling and creativity of each creator, director Ann Ji Hee won the Culture of Odyssey award, and production company Matchbox was selected as a of the 12 best winners of the Spotlight selection. For their part, the lead actors also won an acting award.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Ongoing 5/16
Queen of Tears
0 people found this review helpful
2 days ago
5 of 16 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

Must watch kdrama

In "Queen of Tears," the chemistry between Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Ji Won is simply electric. Their on-screen dynamic sizzles with palpable tension, drawing viewers deeper into their characters' complex relationship. Kim Soo Hyun's charisma and Kim Ji Won's charm create a magnetic pull that keeps audiences rooting for their characters' love story to unfold. Their natural chemistry translates effortlessly on screen, bringing depth and authenticity to every interaction. Whether they're sharing tender moments or navigating turbulent emotions, Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Ji Won's chemistry elevates "Queen of Tears" to another level, making it a captivating and unforgettable watch.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
2gether
3 people found this review helpful
by p_oty
2 days ago
13 of 13 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 1.0
Story 1.0
Acting/Cast 1.5
Music 4.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers

I was promised the "fake relationship" trope, but I just got "jealousy" as the main plot device.

Let's talk about the first half of the series:
Sarawat is supposed to act as Tine's fake boyfriend, which btw is dropped in favour of "flirting" ("wooing" would be a better translation) -- but where are the sweet gestures of love?

Until the second half of episode six, Sarawat only looks either bored or annoyed. He never looks as if he's interested in Tine, faked or not. If I were Green I wouldn't buy it either.
I only knew he would be the main love interest because the synopsis told me so. Where are the feelings? Where's the pining? Sarawat's side of the story is only told in episode 10 or 11, which is too little, too late.

Tine, the self-proclaimed "Mr Chic-Chic" is (almost aggressively) heterosexual -- his only interests are girls and songs from one band. Even when he tried to dissuade Green from pursuing him, he starts to flirt with girls in front of him and Sarawat. If he's so certain of his sexuality, there should have been more of a struggle or at least emotional imbalance until he accepts his own feelings toward Sarawat.
I had hoped the "gay for you" trope had died a silent death some twenty years ago but it seems it's still alive and kicking.
Also: Even though he's supposed to be a good cheerleader, we only see him standing around in one pose (and even that plot point is dropped in the latter half otf the series).

Jealousy is not only the main catalyst for Tine to discover his own feelings, but also the main plot device for conflict in the following episodes, which gets old very fast.

Even when Sarawat and Tine are "together", the only strong emotion they show towards each other is jealousy. No besotted smiles, no casual touches, no hugs, nothing. Where's the giddiness of new love?
They touch each other less then they touch their friends. I'm not talking about anything above a PG level of intimacy, several other BL dramas I love have only one kiss or not even that.

Tine's continued denial of Sarawat's advances make it seem as if he's not actually in love -- except if it's supposed romantic but asexual. (Which would actually be a novel and exciting concept for a romance drama, if done right!) But as the series has established Tine as somone strongly interested in (het) relationships, that can't be it.

I feel that conflicts during the series were never satisfyingly resolved, but just ended with some kind of deus ex machina device. Best examples: How Green stopped pursuing Tine; and the question if Tine's brother would accept their relationship.

Another thing that made me really frustrated with this drama is that boundaries are often disregarded. It starts with Green who gets told repeatedly his advances are not welcome -- and continues anyways. It goes on with Tine, who doesn't stop bothering Sawrawat (doesn't matter if Sarawat actually likes it or not -- what counts is what Tine knows, and Sarawat clearly tells him to go away). It doesn't stop with the side couples -- neither Sarawat's brother nor Man stop their pursuit, even after being told to leave. I can't enjoy a relationship if it feels as if one pertner just gave in to harrassment.

I'm not sure if it's just the plot or also the acting, but directing has definitely a large part in why I could not get into the series. I disliked all of the characters, there was never a moment when I rooted for any of the couples to get together. Small changes in how lovers-to-be interacted with each other would have made it a bit better, at least.

There are other points, I would have liked to talk about the female characters for example or to wonder how they manage to establish top/bottom-dynamics in all four couples without even a bit of handholding, but this review is already long enough.

All in all, I had to stop and do something else every few minutes, since the plot and the acting had me so frustrated. I just finished it because I knew I'd never pick it up again if I stopped. I'm glad it's over.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Uncontrollably Fond
1 people found this review helpful
2 days ago
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 5.0
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 5.5
Rewatch Value 2.0
This review may contain spoilers

I got into the drama thinking it was just a sad ending. But it is a whole toxic mess.

"Are you at an age where you should be crying over some drama character that dies?" -Noh Eul

Yes. We are. But honestly the death wasn't even the saddest part of this drama. It was the relationship between the leads, it was so damn toxic. Had it not been for my curiosity and cast, this drama is far too overhyped.

From the first episode onwards, their relationship was doomed in my eyes.
The guy tripped her, she was limping.
He even stole evidence from her that could spoil his dad's reputation, she then got into an accident.
When he met her again, he left her in the middle of road nowhere where it was snowing and threw some money at her.
He then had the gal to be angry at her for not admitting that they knew each other.
When she rejected him because she had feelings for the other guy, he actually kicked her.
Let's not talk about the way he treated her once they actually got into a relationship.
There's more, he even kissed other woman in front of her, let her be humiliated and contributed to that humliation.

I initially thought the FL would have some kind of backbone and expected more from her, but she number of times allowed him to treat her like shit and then kept going back.

This is the kind of plot that gives me the ick. The romance happened for about a minutes, the most of it was heartbreak for the FL. While the actors had chemistry, in the story, the MLs feeling for the FL just suddenly happened. They didn't have that great of a backstory to begin with.

I came into this drama expecting to be wowed and shed some tears at the end. But I shed more tears of frustrations with the way the entire relationship was handled compared to when he died. Since that's where his story ends, here's to hoping she finally meets a decent man and begins a new life.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?