Expectation Vs Reality

This drama is not for everyone and certainly not for me. It's hard even to say that I appreciate some of it coz there is no point. The ending doesn't outweighed the journey itself.

It's a hard debate but I found myself feeling disappointed because I felt cheated. I felt that I wasted my time. This whole time for nothing. I felt that the main characters gave up way too easy. But maybe only me coz many seems to like it, even praising this drama as a beautiful-slice-of-life-growing-up story. For me is like no-good-ever-going-to-change-me story. The main characters, no matter how wonderful they are in the beginning are just being selfish. There, I said it. It's true. Don't deny it. You can disagree with me all you want but that is what I got from their so called 'beautiful journey'.

Not that I can't appreciate a break-up story; If it was good and done right, I'd be crying a river. But this drama doesn't. It felt rushed and a cop out. Without any-I-gave-it-all-effort from both sides, they just threw the towels and called it quit. If you can't commit then why even bother to start. Relationship needs work. It's not always a walk in the park. It needs comprimise, sacrifices, give-and-take-effort, hardwork and understanding. When you stumble upon hurdles in your journey together, you overcome it; You don't stop and turn from it right away. Never have I feel so numb in my life. I didn't feel sad when they parted ways, I just felt numb. Empty. Annoyed actually.

Imagine this. You are presented with this wonderful gift. A box which has decorations of many pretty flowers, enchanting ornaments, crystal gems and sparkling ribbons. It has all the beautiful things that you can ever imagine. But then, when you open the box, you find it to be empty. Zero. Nothing. Only a void of space. And that's what this drama represent. Yes, you may keep the 'beautiful' box, but how do you feel about it? Please be honest.

The casts are amazing. The chemistry is off the chart. But the end result is just soo bizarre. It's a shame. What a waste!

There is an old proverb in my native language that says "Hendak seribu daya, tak hendak seribu dalih" which translates; When you really want something badly, you'd give thousand efforts, but if you don't want it, you'd give thousand excuses. That proverb really fits well to this story.

"It doesnt matter where it ended, what matter is the journey". Boohoo! That is such a lame excuse. For me, the journey is what shaped the end, both matter. Period.

As always; Do I want to watch the whole drama again? Hell NO.

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Fast-paced Action Thrills. Here we go..

As an avid fan of the beloved manga, this is like a sweet treat. I didn't put any expectation and guess what? I watched the whole thing in one seating, (wait, so it was done right, right?) Hmmm sadly not so much, it's not perfect but even after all that, I'm finding myself wanted for more. Why?

It is a fast paced action thrills that really focus on the fighting sequences. I was amazed by it and would abruptly screamed myself out coz' it reminds me some pages of the manga. I giddy myself over Genkai throwing the walnuts. >___<

The cast ensemble although its not quite being portrayed accurately but pretty much matches the vibes of what these characters represents. For me, Urameshi stands for Second Chance, Kurama for Gratitude, Hiei for Salvation, Kuwabara for Loyalties, Genkai for Hope and
Toguro for Despair. If only their depth of backstory was told in more detail and subtle way.

You may hate or love this live adaptation BUT a BIG kudos to the action choreographer/ special effects team coz the fighting sequences are CRAZY!!!

Yes, it had potential to be even greater, but I am not going to complain about it.

As always; Would I spend another 5 hours of this?
You can count on it, any day, any time. :)

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A Must See Masterpiece!

With all that happen in the world right now, I really need an escape from reality pill. This show gave me just that. What a joy! I never get this excited about a show since forever. Crazy-comedy, romance, historical, supernatural, crime solving and magic show; all gel and blended well to an amazing show. Full of treats. It's crazy to think how on earth can this writer pull so many genres that ever existed in kdrama land and put it in one show. I'm up for it. Bring it on.

I may not an expert on evaluate things, what I do is just sharing my experience as a normal viewer. I feel bad and pity for those who feel otherwise; who is so stuck to their preferences; their 'standard' perhaps way high-up-over-the-cloud above mine (though I'm not that easy to be pleased either). I gave my review in respect of what the writer/ director/ casts/ production crew had done in making the show a success and wouldn't want their hardwork to not be given a chance or to be left unnoticed.

STORY/ PLOT/ CLICHE
A work of genius in my opinion. It's a familiar story with recycled plots and cliches, BUT as I continue on, I lost track of time. Each new episode will trump the previous ones, although some can be a bit predictable, but I still enjoy all of it. It keep surprises me to the point that I didn't even bother to skip/ fastforward/ predict of what next to come (believe me coz I'm an impatient type and FF button is my BFF). But not for this show. I just let the story takes me. It is undeniably refreshing and full of fun, crazy, thrilling, scary, mystical, fluttering, cringy, sad and sense of fulfillment moments. It succesfully tackles the theme of a feel-good joyride. The writer/ director excel in drawing me in, bring me to this familiar setting yet somehow is uniquely different; so yes, all I need to do is just sit back, relax and enjoy the show. No need to over-analyzed-of-nitpicking-every-single-thing. No need to dive in and dissect each details. Just have fun and experience it all as face value; laugh if it's funny, close your eyes if it's scary, shake your head if you're in disbelief, scream if you get angry or cringy, and cry if it's too sad. Yes, call me a big fool for loving every bit of it.

In a nutshell, it's about an unordinary man's journey of discovery about himself, his true love, family, friends and foes, in the most unconventional way. With so many genres that came into play, it's a neverending fun but interestingly light. His unexpected journey unravels in many ways, with twists and turns; Ups and downs; Intertwind wayback from his past life to his present-self. It also takes us to one event after another and another, that transpire into many unimaginable yet satisfying outcomes. That is to cherish the ones you love unconditionally, hold them tight and be grateful for what you have. Yes, it's a recycled life-altering lessons but told in a magnificent or perhaps in the most absurd way. Hehe I love every seconds of it.

CASTING
Overall casts are just amazing (including guests and extras) and their chemistry are great. Hands down; it's one of the best ever ensemble in a kdrama could ask for.

Park Hae-jin as Cha-woong/Poong-baek
What a performance! Or should I say two coz his portrayals of the two characters are excellent. Both really differ from one another in incredible ways. PB has this calm-reserved persona whilst CW is more of eccentric-confident one. And when the two combined, CW is upgraded into this charming-beyond-help being. He is killing it. The show won't be the same without him. Call me bias, but I don't care coz its the truth >__< hehe.

Jin Ki-joo as Seul-hae/ Chun-hwa
She is wonderful in her both portrayals. Although it may not seem much of a difference but it sufficient enough to deliver me a graciously lovely princess aura and a vivaciously passionate police officer vibes. She really shines in both times.

Jung Joon-ho as Bodyguard/General/Adviser Choi
He is lovable and annoying at the same time. His portrayal is convincing as someone that has seen it all. He seems animated and childlike as much as he was being adamantly serious, particularly in fangirling >__< hehe

The Ghost Squad
All 3 carried different traits of an employee. Chief Nam (Jung Sook-yoon) as the ever-want-to-please-the-boss one; Director Ma (Go Gyu-pil) as the rebel-but-still-have-to-obey one; and A-reum (Park Seo-yeon) as the smart-yet clueless-that-can-be-manipulated one. With all 3 traits combined you get explosive results. The dynamic is an endless chaos as the energy of each characters are delivered differently. It's brilliant.

The supporting casts also really did a marvellous job, from the villains, police squad, SH besties to Granny Ok; BUT Ye-ji (Jang Ha-eun) girl, you surprised me the most.

OST/ MUSICAL SCORE
I love all of it. It started with a wacky-funky-electric vibes of FREAK SHOW. Then fuelled with 2 slow ballads of I'LL BE THERE and TIME. Then a funky song of EHERADIYA and followed by a powerful yet beautiful ballad of FALLIN'. And lastly with 2 sweet melody of YOU YOU YOU and DANDELION SEEDS. I LOVE the latter song so much I could hum it all day. The musical score was done beautifully in every scenes whether if its tragic, dramatic, romantic or comedic. I really love it all especially the percussions.

Kudos to the writer of MPUB and also the director of SWDBS. It's a HUGE improvement from their previous work in my book. I will be enjoying this drama for so many times. So thank you.

WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD. I strongly suggest you read this after you have completed the show. Anyway...

MAGIC FACTORY CREW :
I LOVE them. Chief Nam, Director Ma, A-reum and Adviser Choi are just awesome. It cracks me up whenever they get irked by CW or when they get to roast him over. Even better when the dynamics are being shifted/switched here and there, left and right. It's just chaos. The ad-libs feel real and are all over the place. How they reacted to their ever-changing-charismatic-over-demanding boss is brilliantly executed. Their relationship really hits home; Like a real family. And with SH in the picture, the ensemble is complete. What a gang of chaos! My favourite moment is when the 3 ghosts save CW from SH arrest. I kept a mental picture of how stoic Chief Nam's face is; How he selflessly flew by infront of CW; and A-reum's quick and powerful vacuum moment. There are so many more to name a few.

OTP ROMANCE/ CHA-SEUL :
Cha-seul romance is a pretty classic OTP trope. They annoyed and push each other's button, as much as they are subconsciously care and curious about each other. When CW was forced to expose his ultimate secret to SH, they were bind into this mutual trust. Hence we can see how naturally SH clung onto CW whenever she got spook by the ghost's presence. Their constant bickerings are delightful and with the resolution of their big misunderstanding somehow catapult their unconventional trust into a mutual affection. Yes, they both have different views and values; but when they found their common ground, sparks fly everywhere. This kind of romance speaks more than the usually fast-shallow-cheesy ones; It involved character's growth and how these two strong-independent individuals discover that first impression doesn't always right and to love someone purely for who they are, not for what they have.

I do concern with SH a bit since she has Hee-soo, her longtime-childhood-crush. On impulse she strongly denies her attraction to CW and seems clueless at times, but when she can't reciprocate to HS's bold-but-too-late confession, I'm convinced. Her discovery about her feelings for HS; and how it actually resonates differently from her feelings for CW, was the turning point! And she never look back. Although she didn't fully have her past memory unlike CW, she truly loves him wholeheartedly. Her definition of love is what really captivated CW in the end.

As for CW, having those past memory really solidify his existing love for SH, BUT deep down he is shackled by guilt. And with danger looms ahead of them, his remorse of his failure to protect the ones that he loved before, wrapped him in this selfless mode, causing him to think that he is the root of everything (it's true though as the evil spirit was from PB's doing) and that SH shouldn't suffer anymore in this lifetime and would be better without him. It's a classic noble-idiot trope however, it's understandable. Only with the unforeseen-out-of this-world encounter in the end that finally set him free. It made him realized that she loves him nonetheless. Knowing that she still make that same hard choice, he finally let go of his guilt and do what he was meant to do. To just love her. To trust her. This is how/ what a classy noble-idiot should be written. Everybody, take note y'all.

And I got to say, the cringy-over-the-top-cute-but-please-stop-or-I-slap-you CW moments are super hillarious, and there are a lot of them (Idk how PHJ managed to pull it off. The cast and crew must've been hectic). There are so many Cha-seul moments but if I have to choose; It is when he confesses. It's not done in a slow-passionate way (opposite PB), but it is a lot sweeter, cuter, smoother and at ease with comforting and subtle fluttering vibes; kinda like your first love. It gives me butterfly everytime I hear that DANDELION SEEDS song in the background.

HISTORICAL/ PAST LIVES MEMORY
I'm so sick and tired of this blatant-stupid claim that this historical plot as being unnecessary-no-good-need-to-be-omitted. Grrr. I strongly disagree. Why? Because it's the core/ root for the whole story. This is where it all started, and it was done beautifully (not draggy at all). For it to be taken out, it completely ruin the final outcome (Do they really watch the show or not? Sorry for ranting, need to let it out coz the amount of 'intellect' baffles me).

Princess Chun-hwa and Chief Priest Poong-baek were just dream-like-angelic duo; a blessing from the heavens for their kingdom. Both were pure, kind, lovely and beautiful souls thus making their tragic love story heartreaking. From PB's denial/ hidden feelings to his falter/ confession; from the big betrayal to their narrow escape; from their swift defiance to their fateful demise. What a ride.

That cave-confession sequence is forever imprint as one of the most beautiful love revelations ever, its like a poem; but my most favourite part is when PB faced off with the villains. Although it was short, the cinematic value of that fight sequence is uber satisfying, especially the part where PB grabbed the villain by the neck and lifted him up in the air. It is so damn-satisfying and freakingly-awesome (so good that you wish for more). Everything then tied smoothly from the past to the present; with CW waking up to a clueless but grateful SH, followed by an abrupt yet subtle eruption of mix emotional weep (I cried too coz PHJ is soooo good).

GENERAL/ ADVISER CHOI
He is unexpectedly a thorn in the roses. I do love him at first but his true self was hidden behind a virtuous mask. His drive to achieve nirvana although its understandable, speaks in variable to me, particularly over his reactions after CW becomes aware of his sin. The little hints dropped by CW, the exchanged stare at the dinner table, their tensions that build up to their inevitable-confrontation; All are well executed to further deepen his guilt (and at the same time making him intolerable). The lines, although felt familiar really hits hard (I found myself saying those very lines with CW haha). And for Adviser Choi to just knelt down, break into tears of regret, begging for forgiveness, and to finally bare himself and own up to his cowardness, is really disheartening. It's raw. The very nature of what human is. I can understand why he did what he did. Of course I hated it and some may find it a bit insincere; but it is what it is. Adviser Choi was like any normal being, not perfect, forgetful, make mistakes and afraid to be left alone. I think the end result for him to be sent down again to retribute himself is pretty irony and satisfactory; No bad deed go unpunish.

EVIL SPIRIT/FULL MOON MURDERER/HS :
The evil spirit, Haechun-moo is written off as this one dimensional villain; Evil beyond redemption. I think it was done intentionally to amplify the eeriness of a good villain. Not great, but enough to make us despise him (and we don't have to feel bad about it). HCM was a ruthless-black-sheep prince from the powerful neighbouring kingdom. His thirst of being accepted somehow corrupted into this huge greed of unsatisfied quest of self-fulfillment, but nothing could ever fill that void. That hunger further magnified when Princess CH strongly rejected him. He is a classic narcisstic; Always blame everyone else but himself. Eventually he was punished by PB and become the evil spirit, the vital nemesis for CW/ Adviser Choi.

As for Full Moon Murderer, although Tae-chun was indeed a bad person, I think he is incapable of killings, he just got unlucky to be possessed by the evil HCM and became the FMM. He was unaware of it at first but later just succumbed to his fear for his life; I mean, who wouldn't?

At first I do have a tiny issue with HS arc; Yes, I predicted it too but that wasn't the case; I find it to be a bit unjust since HS is fairly a good person. He didn't deserved it, and I guess Karma play its role here. I hate it though; The idea that the son has to carry the burden for his father's sin. BUT then thankfully HS is different, due to his strong bond with SH. It proves to me that evil will not always win. And that annoying Police Chief is a lost cause. He is so wickedly vile and despicable. So when he ended up being possesed, I somehow like this unison (haha, guilt-free as charged).

OKHWA HOUSE/ 2ND COUPLE
Although it may seems insignificant to rest, I thought that the story of Granny Ok's sacrifice, her grand-daughter and her love story can't be overlook. At first, their story wasn't that interesting, served as a plot filler, but as it unfold and explored further, it really made me care. The arc although it was predicted left me a sense of gratitude. Ye-ji in particular really shines through in the end. Yes, she is somewhat a pain at the beginning, but I truly adore her now. Her uncontrollable outcry in the end really wins me over.

FINAL BATTLE/ FINALE :
OMG! What the hell did I just watch there? The long awaited battle; The miracle; How the past and the present are actually connected in ways that I could never imagine. They came in full circle beyond my wildest expectation. At first it is a bit weird and out of place but as it unfold, it totally made sense. Literally I was crying and screaming in uber-satisfaction of how epic it was. The realisation of what was tanspired before hits me like a bullet. Why she was risking it all to save him? Why she said those things? It totally changes my views about that particular scene coz it amplify my feelings like 1000 times. God! That is soooooo freaking GOOD. I don't want to spoil much further coz it just.... No enough words to described how well it was written. I'm just blown away. The amount of emotions I felt are just unbelievable. My brain was having a hard time processing each events that transpire one after another. BEST experience ever. Thank you writer-nim, I totally get you.

SACRED MIRROR MIRACLES
Whoever got confused with how SM miracle works, this is how I perceived it, I may be wrong >__<
1. Princess Chun Hwa's Prayer
- Princess CH offer her life to the heavens to clear PB's name and for her to love again in another lifetime. So both SH and CW are being protected by the sacred mirror power, granted that they have love for one another.
2. When SH and CW enclosed in a force field
- The sacred mirror power was activated by the act of SH protecting CW (her love). It mirrored PB's ability and memory onto CW. Hence the blue eyes and the ability to seal the spirit and his past lives memory. It also mirrored CW's see-ghost-ability onto SH. That's why SH can see ghost after the incident.
3. When CW impaled himself over Adviser Choi
- The sacred mirror power again was activated by the act of CW sacrificing himself (his love). It mirrored to brought CW to encounter with you know who, and it also act as a deflection for whatever spiritual/ internal injury that CW sustained and saved him from dying.

Since both SH and CW have used up the sacred mirror power, the ability that they have subsided naturally. Similar to Cha-family-inherited-shaman's ability, as mentioned by Adviser Choi previously. Hope this help.

As always; Will I watch it all again? Hell yeah!!! without FF hehe

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Gem shines so bright

This is a gem.

One of the most memorable drama I watch growing up. Almost true to its source, we are brought into Aya's world where she experience growing up in a most challenging and hardest trial of her life.

Brace yourself for the most beautiful tear-jerker story of family, friendship, love, sacrifice, gratitude and letting go.

Story
It's a pretty straightdforward story about a girl struggling with her incurable illness. What separates it from others is how her sudden struggle affected her surrounding and how she regain strength from her family and friends. It also show the family and her friends struggle and hardship to support Aya to continue to live her life. How the pressure from society can be discouraging. How can you change your perception/ reaction from receiving help from others; Being grateful and say "Thank you" rather than being apologetic and say "I'm sorry" all the time. It teaches you to be grateful for what we have without saying the obvious.

Aya's journey is maybe short, but it was meaningful and full of love. The journey she shared with us was neverending and it continued beyond time. It's a timeless journey.

Cast
I love them all. The overall cast are amazing in their own characters.

Aya is amazingly portrayed as this positive, cheerful and strong yet vulnerable soul. She is relateable as a normal teenager who has dreams and goal in life. We can feel her pain as she bravely accepted her illness and strongly powered herself to keep on her struggle to live her life as best as she could.

Nishikido Ryo as Asou really breaks my heart. He is indifferent at the beginning, but his growth in the end speaks volume. How Aya really affect him as a human, friend and lover.

Aya's mom really amazing in this drama. She is the pillar that hold Aya to be as strong as she can. Her portrayal really touches your heart. She is my idol.

Music
I love the soundtrack of this drama. Konayuki is one of my most favourite japanese song of all time. Whenever I hear the song, I will be reminded of the story of Aya as well. It's beautiful.

As always; Would I watch it again in the future? YES.

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Lost in a/Maze; Quit or Power Through?

Hong sisters are back again with fantasy-historical genre (on steroids, I would say). The world of mages; And magic was seen as a normal and high-praised status in their social standard. However, I'm having a hard time engaging with such world. Why? Because so far, it felt so alien and puzzling to be honest. The reason why I'm still giving this show a chance is because I am still curious about Mu-deok's origin. But if the story chose to neglect and pro-long its development, I'm considering to drop it anytime soon. Why? Because the story is set to a potentially biased or misleading outcome; Particularly the arc of Mu-deok, the blind girl (I hate what the writer did to her so far).

Story
The story is actually inviting and has a strong attraction, however its introduction fell flat. I think it's a mess and were all over the place. I was having a hard time to comfortably settle in and digest its grand-other-wordly setup. The mystery of each plot/ characters were briefly shown (but poorly) then jumped from one another almost incoherently. And as the story keeps progressing, I was left-behind feeling more puzzled than with awe. It's too overwhelming to keep me from moving forward, to move along with the story as it was being developed. As it keep on building and building, somehow my curiosity is shrinking and deflated at some level.

So far, I'm not invested with the characters at all except for Mu-deok (the blind girl not Naksu). Why? Because the story chose to neglect the blind girl's existence from the get go. The story focused solely on Naksu entirely. Nobody cared for that poor girl soul and I find it to be disturbing and intentionally biased and misleading. The 'Four Seasons' didn't affect/ amaze me in a way as it should be. And when that happen, I know that the story is flawed in my book. In the beginning, there are too much puzzles (questions) in the back of my mind to let me focus and sink in for whatever it is that being presented. It prevented me from engaging with the character development; It didn't make me curious. Actually it is doing the opposite; It's discouraging me from being interested in discovering it. And fuelled with the overdosed fantasy-historical aspect in the centre, the puzzles becomes bigger and harder for me to comprehend. I even had to go back to rewatch some scenes so that I could understand it better and it's getting annoying rather than enjoying.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of supernatural, fantasy and historical genre. But somehow I still didn't connect with this show. So far judging from how big scale/ grandeur the whole setup is, it was design to prevent me from really care about them. I was distracted with yet another and another puzzle thrown in. I'm somewhere lost in this huge beautiful-amazing-but-confusing maze. Yes, it has everything, the well-executed and crafted exterior are no doubt mesmerizing; As it should but I'm having a hard time to connect, understand and explore its depth. I'm left with this unnerving struggle; Either to quit or power through the journey till the end. And right now, I feel like I'm out of gas.

I'm not hating it entirely as there are some interesting dynamics especially the leader of Songrim and the maid servant, but sadly its not enough to carry the show and I'm struggling. For those who love the show, I'm jealous actually. I wish that I could feel the same way. Probably I will continue to watch for the sake of the blind girl that nobody in the story seems to care.

Cast
I love Jung So-min. I think that she is a wonderful actress. As Mu-deok/ Naksu, she is convincingly being portrayed as this strong-willful shadow assassin who you don't want to mess with. However I was having a hard time to fully engaging with her as I was more curious about the blind girl's origin. The unknown is more intriguing than what was being presented. So, is it a an advantage? Maybe coz I still stick to the show.

Lee Jae-wook as the trouble-maker Jang-uk is commendable. He is the pretty boy with clever-wits-smooth-talker that always manage to get out from any troubles comes his way. His origin is vaguely misleading and purposedly crafted to engage but it fell short at certain level, I'm not drawn or care much about his character. His drive to be the greatest mage didn't resonate much to me.

The rest of the casts are pretty good. Few are just eye-candy and few are better and well portrayed as mages and villains. No wow performances yet.

Music
Pretty good and well suited for fantasy-historical genres. No memorable piece yet.

As always; Would I rewatch it all again?
Probably but not for the pleasure, just to understand the story better. It's pretty annoying to rewatch a story so that you get a clear picture not because you actually care.

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Downhill after a great start

I was hooked to this story mainly because of our ML. Their interactions and conversations felt so inviting and you will find yourself rooting for them from the get go. The overall casts are good. The dynamics is chaotic but interesting.

However the premise of Badminton really drops the ball on this. Idk whether its normal for an athlete to have booze once in a while during training, or such controversy has ever really occured in RL , but I do know for a fact that if you want to excell as a great athlete, of any sport, alchohol is a big NO-NO. So the big plot of this story really didn't sink in with me coz I'm a badminton fan myself in RL. So yeah since the big secret was out I keep FF through all the shenanigans. I could not relate to it coz it didnt feel real. Yes, you reap what you sow, but knowingly that it will jeopardize you in the end doesn't really resonates with me especially if you are an athlete.

I enjoy the beginning, happy in the middle, but puzzled towards the end. Wish it would have been better.

As always; Would I watch this whole drama again? No.

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How to Fall in Love?

I watch this with zero knowledge of anything. The premise is really inviting. I was drawn by curiosity of how this world would become after the breakthrough of love alarm technology. How it would effect our normalcy. How to fall in love.

Story
It's originality and storyline is intriguing. The story was unfold pretty slow but still acceptable. What I love the most is I was being misled the whole time but in a good way. Just like the app invention that I thought would bring a great outcome for many, however it speaks differently to the main characters. The story cleverly written to paints us this picture perfect illusions of what love means when in actual reality it doesn't work that way. Love works differently for everyone. That one app doesn't have the absolute answer for all, and certainly not for the FL.

This drama really push the usual kdrama cliches on romance. Yes, it's a pretty long and crawling journey but it's getting there. Finally a drama that pushes normalcy into building a relationship. How FL finally breaks her barrier and pushes through the wall that everyone else is trying to forced on her.

What's with all the hate and backlash that this show is receiving? Just because the final outcome doesn't go your way? LOL. I guess some are missing the point of the story. How FL was being forced into a situation. A situation that she still perplexed and having trouble to understand. The whole first kiss drama is supposed to represent WHAT NOT TO DO in starting a relationship (Ooops sorry to stranger). Heck in any situations. It's a big NO-NO. But the reaction from everyone else speaks differently from how I felt. Am I sane or everyone else is crazy?

Cast
I hated that rich guy. I found him to be annoying as hell. The character is unbelievably self-centered and obnoxious and I found it so alarming that almost everyone else seem to love him. Is it just because of his looks? If it is, that is pretty messed up.

FL is convincingly troubled and I sometimes annoyed by her reactions to all the shenanigans that she had to put up with. But her character growth really speaks volume and I really love her towards the end when she finally stand up and has the courage to pursue what she feel, regardsless of the app.

The actual ML is the star here. He is the one that kept me on the show. He is the embodiment of 'How to Fall in Love' done in a sane way. Meaning; no force, no manipulations, no app, no agenda, no bs and no strings attached. It's about time that falling in love was shown in the purest way.

Overall casts are pleasantly good and pretty believable. The schools, the parents, the office are well portarayed as normal-no-that-perfect vibe. It's decent.

Music
The theme song is really captivating just like the app. Really draw your attention. I was spellbound.

As always; Would I watch it all again?
Yes.

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Out of the Box Awesomeness

Epic beyond scale. The adaptations from manga was done beautifully. I'm amazed and still in awe on how amazing the show is when it was airing. The hype was well-deserved. This drama is pure legend. Everything is perfect and I wouldn't change anything. Even the annoying elements are simply overlook because I want the good guys to win.

Story
Adaptations from manga was not always a success, but this drama excel and triumph in its own charm. The way that the story was able to draw us in to this world where it felt somewhat normal but actually quirky, cold and dark setup of good versus evil, is really spellbinding. It didn't feel out of place or jarring. We are naturally sucked into this other worldly dangerous and mysterious journey of how good people can actually overcome any obstacles. To have faith in humanity. The very battle of own struggles versus the better of society.

The story lets me question my moral compass and critical thinking to its limit and sometimes it misled me to an idea that probably had unfavourable outcomes. I found myself rooting for the idea that naivety is a form of greater defence rather than having a high degree display of intellect/ aggressiveness in manipulations and deceptions.

Cast
ML is awesome, cool and mysterious. FL is annoyingly naive-dumb-too-good-to-be-true and sometime unbearable to tolerate but I'm still rooting for. But Mushroom guy is the winner here. He is so irritatingly fun but hateful guy that I still want him to be around so that he can caused trouble and I can beat him up to it. The best character in the story tbh. The overall casts are pleasantly good and the chemistry works in a weird, quirky and disfunctional way.

Music
OMG the arrangment of the score was pure magic. The background music works like a charm each time. The synchronization is awesome. I love it.

As always; Do I want to rewatch it all again?
Yes, although the element of surprise is no longer exist.

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Mixed Signal with Mixed Messages

I have a mixed feelings about this one. I'm a huge fan of crime solving premises. Added with some science fiction aspect of time travelling, boy I'm sold. It's a potentially great drama to explore with however some of the plot developments in the story really bothers me. It infuriates me as the emotional elements somehow reduces the affect of an awesome investigation-time-travel story. It had potential. Wish it could have been better executed.

Story
Brilliant storyline. However it was caught up with too much emotional overflow that really takes a toll on me. For me its too overwhelming. At first I was able to focus on the story but as it unfold and explored further I find myself feeling frustrated of how things are progressing. The severity of each cold cases, of how cruel this world work in the story is really becoming unbearable to comprehend. It's one man versus the world. And I find it so disheartening. Almost too good to be true.

The unexpected outcome of each cases really threw me off-guard but not in a good way. I didn't feel surprised about it at all (its appalling tbh), and what bother me the most is how the good characters poorly-handled the radio-past-to-present situations. They are being inconsistent almost throughout the show. The first few transmissions are acceptable (forgivable); As it demonstrates of what/ who/ how they are dealing with. But as we continued on, it's becoming a tool of deception. A misleading setup. How the story would deviate and alter the future not according to our usual hopeful good expectations. Infact, it totally defeat the purpose as to why such transmissions ever took place. I was hoping that the characters could have made some progress and better themselves in handling each transmission that was being made. If you realized that you could change something in the past, would you hesitate each time? Or would you come up with better ideas on how to manipulate the past to alter the future? Sadly this story focus more on the emotional throttle effects than the logical/ critical thinking aspects. They scripted the story to have an over emotional and disastrous outcome rather than logical, make sense and satisfying ones; and that frustrated me beyond believe.

For example, I really wished that the future policeman's brother would have survived; instead they ignore his death and focus more on the emotional stir of bringing the family back together as his last dying wish. In my opinion, it would have created a better/ greater impact if the brother did survive. It give us as viewers a breather; a ray of hope that somehow in that cruel and harsh world that good will always prevail, but NO... this show prefer to keep taunting us instead (for the sake of realism). The fact that he seems to be desperate in saving his brother only after he found out that he was murdered, is really bothering me. So you only going to save him after learning that he didn't kill himself? Didn't you ever thought of saving him at all since the transmission started? Really?

I'm not saying that the story is bad, but it's not that great either. Why? Because I refused to believe such world existed. Where almost all of the characters in the story can be so ignorant, selfish, cruel, insensitive and inhuman.

Cast
Overall casts are amazing. The ensembles have good chemistry and very convincing display as good/ bad cops, villains, victims and politician. The emotions that they bring really makes me care and love them as characters. But at the same time they also frustrates me of their logical and problem solving inconsistencies.

Music
Hmmm pretty bland and very melancholic but acceptable befitting to time travel premis.

As always; Do I want to watch it all again?
Maybe but not in the near future. Need to have mental preparation.

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Love works in a mysterious way

Idk where to begin. This show is just pure joy and so original. The acting is so natural and the story unfold beautiful from start to finish.

One of the most memorable drama when I was growing up. This show remains to be my top 10 favourite dramas of all time.

The main leads were phenomenal. Their chemistry was so good from the get go. The rest of the casts are amazing as well. The interactions and conversations are so natural like it didn't feel it was written. Thats how good it is. Its like real people, dealing with their daily problems or inner-issues. The aspirations and the struggle to achieve the dream. Just how important it is to have someone next to you, when you feel down and defeated.

There are many moments in the show that I still remember to this day, particularly the rubber ball. Whenever I saw one, immediately I imagine myself bouncing it outside of my window from the top floor. Epic satisfaction!

As always; Would I watch it again in a whole? YES.

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Suspiciously addictive

I watch this without knowing about anything; whether the webtoon or any controversial issues. I was pleasantly surprised that I was hooked by the first episode. For me it's like a breath of fresh air. I've never met an antihero male lead in a kdrama that I couldn't help but to fall in love with. I root for him even though I know he is different. It's unusual for me to drawn to a character that screams as suspicious, cold, manipulative and conniving. His indifferent persona is really addictive.

Story
YJ is simply a textbook sociopath with good-looks-rich-cold-but-nice that everybody wants to be associates with. While Seul is the next-door-girl-hardworking-student that is doing her best to graduate and just want a secure future. Love is the last thing on her mind. The story started pretty strong, as being told from Seul's point of view. How a senior starting to act differently towards her. From him being indifferent to suddenly show some care and interest. And as it progressed, it somehow fails to bring the depth of what YJ character really is. We get to know him through Seul's eyes, and sadly sometimes its not being explored fully.

YJ and In-ho dynamics was a great potential arc but gone amiss by the usual-boring-pointless love triangle trope. Again because it was told from Seul's point of view, I guess the writer can't help but to go down the unnecessary cliche. If only they explored on how both men can mend back their broken relationship. It would have been better in my book. But no.. the show just want to divide and conquer us. It's team YJ versus team In-ho. I hated that the writer butchered such a great potential outcome from these two characters.

Then the story revolved more on Seul's surrounding rather than focus more on her relationship with YJ. It's confusing at times; When a tiny issue like a lost keychain could be blown up into a highly-tensed-pulling-each-other's-hair drama, or when stealing other people's notes/belonging could be tolerable and forgiveable. I find its hard to relate as some of these actions did not resonates to me back when I was a student. It's fictional yes but it's too far fetched if you ask me.

The ending although somehow can be considered as a happy one, is a bit letdown. Again, as being told from Seul's point of view and her surrounding, the growth of YJ as a character was being neglected and treated as less important (He was the main lead for goodness sake). I wish that Seul could play a role in his growth to be a better person instead of just being the catalyst.

Cast
Park Hae-jin as YJ is brilliant. He really brings out the cold and suspicious vibe as the senior who can be manipulative but charming at the same time. His little devilish smile really gets me everytime. What a performance. I became his avid fan ever since.

Kim Go-eun as Seul is good but a bit annoying at times. She did brings out Seul's insecurities and curiosity but her immature-clueless demeanor sometimes puzzles me. I wish the character could be more consistent. If she can be so sensitive about YJ's behaviour shouldn't she be more sensitive about her surrounding and pull herself together.

In-ho is annoying to me. I didn't find him to be that interesting as a character or a better love prospect for Seul. I refused to be sucked into a pointless-unnecessary love triangle trope when his real issues with YJ were being ignored entirely by the writer. Same goes with In-ha. The manic and bizzare acting by her didn't connect to me at all. I am struggling to skip the scene each time I see her.

The overall cast are commendable and convicing enough whether as students, professors, parents and office workers.

Music
It's pretty good and the musical score really helps to bring the right mood of each scenes.

As always : Would I watch it all again?
Yes to YJ parts and skip the rest.

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Take a step back, breathe and come back strong as a log.

This theme is well suited to many of us. Everyone of us could use a little break from our hectic life and this drama delivers such a refreshing take on mental illness; its taboo and aftermath. I love the premise of it although some may find it as another cliche.

Story
It’s a simple story but it is told to invite us in to love all the characters and how the story will takes us. The setup was done way back from school years to adulthood. The dynamic is pretty consistent throughout the first two episodes. I didn't even notice how fluid it is as time passed by and now I can't wait for the upcoming episode.

In a nutshell, it's about two rival ex-schoolmates, Ha neul and Jeong-woo, who are momentarily in the 'slump' of their life somehow destined to be entangled in a web of affection. I'm eagerly anticipating how their relationship will unfold as the setup is pretty solid. This duo has incredible chemistry in my opinion. From rival to ally which would blossomed into love. Such a classic trope but well executed.

Cast
Park Hyung-sik as Jeong-woo is such a class act. His fall from grace and how he copes with it were handled effortlessly. His carefree persona resonates well as to adapt with the difficult situation he's in. As for his childlike behaviour is such a charmed pleaser. And when Ha neul starts to awaken his dormant competitiveness, I naturally shift on to his side and began to root for him all the way (no offence to Ha neul, I still think you're amazing).

Park Shin-hye as Ha neul is amazing in this. For the first time she is not acting as a ‘damsel in distress’ in a romance drama. The moment when she stood up for herself on her own terms was pretty satisfying. I was never really fond of her works in this genre before but now I'm her new fan. She is killing this character. Her antics and comic expressions really convince me as this 'manic' Ha neul. She really is the weirdly-ignorant-study-holic gal who will stop at nothing to reach her goal.

The rest of the cast are great as well; Ha neul's family is on crack. Her best-friend is pretty good and I can't wait for her story to unfold with Jeong-woo's ‘frenemy’. This second lead couple looks promising as well.

Edited (After finish the series)
Dr Slump sums up in a slow and great ending. It kinda loses some gas and angst towards the end, but the gist of the story is what really shines here. How the characters overcome their mishaps or tragedy in life. I really like the message.

" Life is not about being happy all the time. It's about how we might fall; how we care for the wounds; and continue to live on and be ready for another fall,"

Music
It's pretty good.

Will I watch this again?
Yes, definitely.

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Overrated! Full on make-up with no substance

This drama is just forgetful. I did enjoy some of it but most of the time was a painful experience. Simply because I'm struggling to focus and try to care for the characters; Any character. Having not to fastforward everything is no joke. Cliches done right? Now that is a joke.

The Story
It is nothing new. A handsome, perfect but broken rich-man who falls in love with a normal hardworking girl. The premise is already starting to make me yawn but I still try to give this show a chance. I crave for something, anything to draw me in. Sadly, none. Not even the comedy parts was that fun. The hidden past also not that intriguing. It would have a stronger effect on me if it was explored further but again, none.

The whole setup was so vain; It only has beautiful make-up with no substance. Like I said earlier, it's forgetful. And you know that there is something wrong and pretty messed up when the second couple is outshining the main couple. Don't deny it. Be honest.

Cast
Overall are just pleasing to the eyes. Thats it. With such shallow-no-depth characters, its really hard to judge if there was any acting involve. Convincing? Okay. Forgetful? 100%. Except for the grandfather.

Music
Okay.

No harm to watch it though. Proceed at your own discretion.

As always; Would I watch it again? No.

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What a surprise!

TBH I came across this drama accidently and was interested enough to check it out of curiosity and boy.. I was pleasantly surprised by how such a simple story can actually hooked you in. I went to finish all remaining episodes in a heartbeat, and now I can't wait for the next one.

The Story
The story of youth and growth are easily one of my favourite trope. The story of cheering squad makes it more interesting and added with the mystery elements, OK I'm sold. The mysterious parts are not annoyingly discouraging and it was pretty engaging as the story slowly reveals its secrets and twists adequately, so that us viewers can keep on guessing.

I love the epilogue parts. Although I can predict most of it but still it charms me as it should be.

The Casts
The main characters are likable from the get go. The FL is brilliant (ISTG, she is similar to Kim Go-Eun). She is strong yet vulnerable and quirky at the same time. I love her as a whole. The ML also good however he is pretty reserved, and sometimes he was overshadowed by the vibrant energy that FL brings. Overall casts are pretty good.

The Music
Pretty good.

Will I re-watch this series?
Yes. The cheering really got me. >___<

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