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djohangaon
Yohan Gaon fandom
A decent watch but not my type of genre
The story deals with our leads’ personal problems within the paradigm of social norm. The ‘conflict’ of this show surprised me as I had no idea that getting a divorce or dating someone with a child is such a taboo in Korean culture as it's not negative in my reality...What I like most are the authentic cinematography and the well-written dialogues among the characters. The romance is very calm, lovely and honest. Despite the lack of spicy passion, Jung Hae In and Han Ji Min create a harmonious and good chemistry. I also enjoyed the bond and communication among the three sisters; Their arcs feel organic. The ending is done in a proper way.
Confession, there are times that I got so bored due to how slow and mellow this story is. I also struggled to finish it because "No Direction" plays on repeat. The OST is good but extremely overused that it gets tiresome. I would appreciate a little more variety or less repetition.
-Jan 2024, Yovita
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We can never fully understand another person but trying is what makes us human.
A high school couple, Sakura and Aoba, shared an interest in music. One day, he breaks up with her without explanation. Years later, Aoba spots Sakura, she approaches him and gets really surprised by his loss of hearing. So she starts learning sign language in an effort to understand him and their past.What a poignant and gentle slice-of-life story with a lot of attention to detail, giving it a very personal feel. The story has a very important message regarding the isolation in communication, or the feeling of being alone when you're together in a group but can't really say your thoughts. I resonate very much on this issue because it happens to me at times too.
Different than what I'm used to experience in other dramas, they only put subtitle when they’re communicating with sign language, so we don't hear their inner monologues... and I like it this way; It helps me to really pay attention and connecting with the characters. Their interactions are beautifully portrayed by the actors, with a not-frustrating love triangle. Yes, there's a love triangle but they're all very decent and respectful people. They're all just trying to be understood and connecting in their own ways. While many episodes are shrouded with sadness and slight angst, in my opinion it has an appropriate and heartfelt ending.
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Everything you need to swoon, cry, laugh, and appreciate a story
Cha Joo Hyuk (Ji Sung) was unhappy with how his wife, Woo Jin (Han Ji Min), has become after years of marriage. One day he gets a chance to go back in time to redefine his whole life, which affects everyone he has known and loved. How is he now with this new life?Familiar Wife isn't a show with a complicated plot or high stakes — it’s character-driven, and the characters were the best part of this drama. At first, Joo Hyuk might not appear as an appealing person because the choice he made was solely for his own happiness. But watching him navigating this new life, his character grew so much. He made selfless decisions, which was heartbreaking and heartwarming altogether. Woo Jin, too, wasn't perfect, but both of them for learned that it’s choice, and not fate, that makes a marriage work.
There was so much comedy here, like Woo Jin spunky, love to crack dad jokes with the guys. Everyone has a fresh fun chemistry, the quirky gang of misfits, the bank team. I like the ups and downs of Joo Hyuk & Jong Hoo's friendship. A nod to Ji Sung's acting, he always got me with his genuine emotional scenes. Overall, I enjoyed Familiar Wife. It has everything to make you swoon, cry, laugh, and appreciate a good storyline.
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It was a true climax to the first season, but that's kind of a double-edged sword. In my mind, I view Season One and Two as a continuous story without a break in seasons. I just don't feel like Season One and Season Two had separate arcs. They really are a combined story that you should binge back to back. Because of that, I kind of lump them together, so here's my review for Season One:
https://mydramalist.com/profile/10910079/reviews/313809
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Lacks a cohesive plot and a consistent tone, but nice to watch for action, visuals and characters.
A nine-tailed fox, Lee Yeon, (Lee Dong Wook), strives to protect humans from supernatural threats while searching for the reincarnation of his lost love. When he crosses paths with a PD (Jo Bo Ah) who looks the same as his first love, he gets lovestruck with her, but also confused with her real identity.Going into this drama, I was surprised by the horror element. There are numerous scenes when I genuinely felt creeped out… that I took a break watching and complete it because season 2 was announced. Apparently, the two seasons are separate stories, so it wasn’t necessary to complete it, but anyway, I’m glad to have watched it as there are many enjoyable elements from this drama.
First, the characters are exciting and well-written. Ji Ah being knowledgeable on Korean folklore and her grit make her to be on equal footing with the immortals around her, which is rare to see in fantasy dramas. Lee Yeon is the perfect balance of sass and arrogance and playfulness. Lee Dong Wook played him so genuinely that he disappears into a playful, arrogant fox. I like Lee Rang and his sinister quirks, but I feel his backstory gets overshadowed by too many happenings in the story.
Which brings me to what I think are lacking from TONT1, is a cohesive plot & a consistent tone. There are many unfinished subplots and whiplashing scenes that it’s hard to get into the vibe. Regardless, it’s nice to watch for action, visuals and characters.
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The best part for me: the comedy and the chemistry
Set in the small village in 1989, Byung Tae, who was formerly bullied, transfers to a new school. He is somehow mistaken as the school's best fighter, White Tiger. He happily takes on this identity, as he is determined not to be bullied again. However, when the real White Tiger moves to this school, can he handles his daily life with him, bullies, all while he start developing crushes?It's a unique premise regarding mistaken identity. The retro set was very well designed as it looks charming and vibrant. The first half of the series is just full of ridiculous goodness, slap-sticky comical action scenes that reminds me of watching those old Jackie Chan classics. It’s a coming of age story, with many day-to-day schoolboys activities at school and after school. There is a romance subplot with a sparkling chemistry and it’s the most memorable part for me. However, it gets heavy on the bullying main story towards the ending and the twist towards that turn felt jarring and kind of nasty, personally. Although I get that it gives a decent arc for Byung Tae.
I enjoyed the fun cast interacting together. Obviously, I love Im Si Wan as Byung Tae. Not only he's excellent at being dorky, when he falls in love, his expressions are priceless. He has played a lot of different roles and always nails it.
-Dec 2023, Yovita
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TL;DR: Doom at my verdict, but completed out of goodwill towards the actors.
What captivated me was the unique concept of personifying life and death. Seo In Guk's portrayal of the attractive and mysterious Doom, and Park Bo Young who (starts off) as the unexpected Dong Kyung, she appears brave and considerate and clever. The world-building is visually stunning, and what I like most is the way it is illustrating the beauty of everyday scenes like leaves falling or flowers blooming. One of the OST is a stand-out "Breaking Down."I also appreciate the lead’s character development, seeing Doom realizes the purpose of life through love, and seeing Dong Kyung starts to express emotions and talking to someone about them, realizing that problems can be solved together. Sadly, their chemistry seemed to suffer by the end, along with the overall storyline. While they could've done amazing things with all kinds of exciting plot twists and such, the climatic reveal occurred too early, and then it lost momentum till the end, and the show never recovers from this slump. The couple was being too emotional on ruminating in the name of love and it just bored me so much. I also don't think the love triangle brings anything useful to the story. I have more things I don’t enjoy about it but I don’t need to talk bad about it further… I think there's enough negative reviews for this one.
-Dec 2023, Yovita
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A diaspora diary of home, maturing and love.
As a diaspora myself, I appreciate how this movie highlights that thriving a life outside your home country can be a challenge. You’re faced with choices that make you lose and find different possibilities. It's also one of the bravest things one might do.On the production side, the cinematography and characters introductions are great. There are a lot of scenes without words that are meaningful, they’re the best show not tell executions.
This is a very personal statement: I don’t feel any emotion to Nora’s romance life nor the longing or yearning. More than the plot shrouded by the fate analogy, I enjoyed the mature interactions among the three leads; Nora, Hae Sung and Arthur. They act natural and casual. there’s definitely a clear chemistry. It is refreshing to find no typical dramatic love triangle here. No one is toxic nor being overprotective.
Final remark without spoiling it, I wasn’t expecting the sudden ending. Just like that the movie ends and we know what happen. It has a clear conclusion and I agree with everything, but there's no build up that make the grand feeling of "ahh, ending!“
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Only watch it if you want to see Kim Soo Hyun cry
After a heartfelt encounter, the crown prince of Joseon and a young noblewoman, become childhood friends, but their relationship is cut short when Yeon Woo is chosen as a potential queen candidate.This historical drama is filled with political conflicts, power struggles, hidden identities, and threats to tear our couple apart. There’s a sprinkle of fantasy element, which makes the show feels unique and intriguing. They built up good backstories for the characters. I had a lot of fun with the young and teen versions of the characters. But once they grow up and something happen to them, I got very bored. The pacing slows down and it becomes depressing as the story solely focus on our two leads emotional romance struggle. This is not to downplay any of the adult actors and actresses by any means, because they played well. Kim Soo Hyun is always impressive with his genuine and expressive performance, and he cries really well here. I miss the younger version of the female lead, Yeon Woo, her adult version is totally different to her younger personality. She was a wise and independent thinker, but after an incident, she let herself be trampled like a rug and too self-sacrificing towards the king.
By the end, I wasn’t caring much on what happened to them. Despite the everlasting depression, I was surprised that they managed to reach conclusion in the final episode. It does feels rush, there were many plot points and time jumps, but all loose ends are tied together.
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The women are way too overpowered and that makes it boring
Namsoon is born with a superhuman strength from her mother's blood, but she went missing as a child in Mongolia. When she grows up she comes to Gangnam, South Korea to find her parents. Her mother tried to find her while also tried to live a righteous life with doing good deeds, but her family is involved in a drug case. A young detective join forces on the drug case to solve it together...First impression 4 eps in, too much overacting in my opinion and I wasn't in the mood for it at that time, So I pause it and caught up on the final week it's airing because I do like how the story focused on the women. You get to see them all in their different personalities, and how they use their strength and how their strengths are perceived by other people in their lives and around them... Namsoon and her interactions with people in her life is beautiful. This part is cute and fun but it doesn't really move the plot. Apparently the women seem to always win and while it is cool to see it makes it kind of boring. No tension in the fights because she will definitely beat them, it's like Tom and Jerry. I need my hero to struggle a bit in dealing with challenges.
Ong Seong Wu… He's in his coming-of-age phase and wuaw, so handsome! His acting impressed me in Moment of 18 but unfortunately, his character here is not very interesting. I feel no romance chemistry between the leads – but they're very good as friends. The only character who is most interesting throughout is the villain. Some characters has no real purpose in the story. It's fun to watch if you enjoy a cheesy & campy superhero story, but that's it.
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Life is not easy but never give up, fighting!
"My Mister" is a healing story about three brothers struggling in their midlife crisis in both their workplace and family. This narrative is intertwined with the story of an extremely damaged young woman dealing with debt and poverty. The show delves into office crimes and corporate espionage, all while exploring marriage problems and the socioeconomic gap. It effectively illustrates that people are messy, showcasing their life situations and the reasoning behind their actions. The quiet, cold, and gritty tone of the show works really well with the OSTs and ASMR, such as footsteps and breathing.When the two leads start interacting, I become very intrigued to know their story, especially Lee Ji An (IU), who grew up to be an endearing thug. She's a very guarded person with nothing to lose and no fear, doing anything to survive. Her mannerisms are touching, and I feel her vulnerability. I particularly loved her character growth. Then, of course, I can't think of anyone besides Lee Sun Kyun as Park Dong Hun. He truly is noble, with respect for people, life, being generous and sincere. His beautiful voice, heard directly and through Lee Ji An’s perspective (which I avoid explaining further to prevent spoilers), makes him unforgettable. The ending feels complete and gives me a warm feeling. My only quibble is the silly subplots. I think the drama as a whole would be more engaging with less time dedicated to the subplots.
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One of the best execution of romance thriller genres, and hidden identity trope
I love this drama for all its' twists and turns, the creepiness, darkness, action and many thrilling / anxious moments, each episode adds momentum to the plot, which constantly evolving and stays unpredictable all throughout the end. The characters are smart, three-dimensional and contribute meaningfully to the story. I like the set up of the leads being a sexy married couple, it sets up the high stake immediately.All cast are brilliant, but I really enjoy Lee Joon Gi's character, even when I was not sure exactly what his true intentions are, I find him incredibly emotional and caring, and I'm fully rooting for him. Moon Chae Won's character is very well-written, feminine and capable at the same time. Despite of what happened, she stays true to her character, I pro all her decisions with all of her flaws.
Truly one of the most beautifully acted, intense dramas. It sat with me for a few weeks after I finished, to this day I still rewatch it and fully felt the addiction to watch one more episode. This is one of the firsts kdramas I watched, and now... among around 250 dramas later, I still haven't found any drama which combine romance and thriller genres as well as this one. It is one of my very favorites, so memorable!
-July 2023, Yovita
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A fun and heartwarming show but forgettable
A talented ssirreum (Korean wrestling) athlete, Kim Baek Du (Jang Dong Yoon), is about to give up on his dreams when he can't rise out of his slump, but then Oh Yoo Kyung (Lee Joo Myung) is assigned as a new manager to his ssireum team. Baek Du was surprised and convinced that she is her childhood bestfriend, Oh Du Sik. Can he relive his dreams and is Yoo Kyung really Du Sik?Baek Du and Yoo Kyung is like a sunshine meets a grumpy. Jang Dong Yoon as the adorable Baek Du is a fun pair for the secretive Yoo Kyung. From the first encounter, these two's accent and mannerisms are hilarious, as well as most villagers. They're loud but not annoying. I also like the beautiful countryside shots and the OSTs.
Although this is fun and enjoyable, I do have few cons; First, the story is not memorable. Except for Baek Du, all the characters are forgettable, which is a bummer because the best watching experience for me are the ones that I can't leave or excited about after watching, but I don't. Yes, the couple is cute but I'm not so emotionally invested.
Second, I wish they develop the unique premise about the coming-of-age and ssirreum aspect, instead of including the mainstream "mystery in a small town" story, which execution feels wishy-washy. It's a pity because these are the aspects that would make it stand out amongst other shows. Nevertheless, we do get a good final, so thank you!
-Jan 2024, Yovita
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Their emotion means so much to me! T.T Don't be skeptical with the ratings.
After a break-up, Ritzu (Honda Kyoya) gets into an accident that makes him forget about his ex-boyfriend, Fumiya (Suzuki Kosuke). Wanting to help him recover and start their relationship over from scratch, Fumiya resumes their cohabitation while hiding the fact that they were dating and broke up. He gets anxious when Ritzu starts to remember their past. Will the painful memory returns and will they be able to overcome it?This is amazing! Oh my heart, each moment was so well set-up and well-acted, not just by the leads, but also the brother and special star for the angelic-neighbor. The stand-out was definitely the leads performance, their emotion made me felt so much! Fumiya's flashback and his yearning was very touching, his flaws felt so relatable. Ritzu successfully made me cry sobbing, after months of not crying over dramas (that I thought I get numb). The chemistry was magnetic every time they're on screen together. On top of that, they had their spicy moments within the story, I can't be more grateful.
I've watched a lot of BLs from different countries, definitely this is a standout. It was gripping from the first scene, with conflict and tension. The internal struggle was fleshed out in a perfect pace. Just the dialogues felt a bit heavy-handed in the final, but I absolutely love how it ends. Plus, it was beautifully shot, with soft music, and the cozy sets made me miss Japan so much! >_< This review ended up becoming so personal, which only happens when I got so invested. Already rewatching the 6 episodes. Truly Recommend!!! Thanks for reading!
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May 2024
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For me, Tang Ying and Xu Qi Zhuan's relationship journey is the highlight of this series. It's mature, honest, witty and thoughtful. From the start, their chemistry was fireworks. Even when problems and discomforts arise, there was no frustrating misunderstandings because they talk things through and had honest conversations, learning more to love each other for who they are while being together.
Along with the romance, this workplace drama has a lot of office dynamics portraying what lies behind the façade of seemingly high-performing professionals, the lies people tell others and themselves to get through their struggles. I like the message that they try to deliver and that it drives our characters to grow personally and professionally, but I wish the office plot moved bit faster or had more hijinks. Often, I just want to see our the leads flirt together again.
Another highlight is the jazzy & city-pop OST. The music is so calming and get me in the chill mood, it made me feel that everything will be alright. Overall, thanks to the couple I had fun watching it, and it's now on my short list of memorable romcom dramas!^^
April 2024
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