Perfect for my inner science fiction nerd that also likes a little romance

10/10 is my rating. I really liked both the male (Seo Kang-jun) and female (Gong Seung-yeon) leads in this drama. This 2018 South Korean drama spans 36 episodes (although most places you watch it the episodes are combined with 18 episodes with a "split" in the middle and they wind up being about an hour so equivalent to most that would just run 18 episodes). It explores the very complex issue of when robots become so complex that they are virtually indistinguishable from humans can humans develop feelings and relationships with them. Dr. Oh (Oh Laura) is a mother and a robot scientist well ahead of her time. When her husband dies/commits suicide/is murdered (that is part of the mystery) the grandfather takes her young son who will be heir to the family business and fortune. He puts mother and son (Nam Shim) in a position where neither feel they can subvert the grandfather's wishes without harm coming to the other. Still grieving over the loss of her husband and her separation from her young son, Dr. Oh develops robots to mirror the image of her son as he grows. When tragedy strikes she has the robot stand in for the real Nam Shim to hold his place in the line of succession.

spoiler 🚨 Nam Shim's female body guard (Kang So-bong) and many of Nam Shim's co-workers try to figure out why the son seems to undergo a dramatic change in character (for the better). Slowly the body guard begins to develop feelings for the robot thinking, at first, he is human. When she discovers his secret you wonder if her feelings will change. The male lead plays both the human and the robot so masterfully they really seem like two distinct characters. There is not so much a chemistry between the male and female leads (that would be a bit weird) as there is just this sense of two that perfectly complement each other. There is a villain, of course, who tried to kill Nam Shim once (which is the reason he is in a coma) and threatens to kill and/or remove anyone who gets in his way. I really liked this one because it is like a window to the future and questions what it means to be human. It was not hard to understand So-bong's feelings as many of us develop some emotional attachment to objects in our life such as our car or maybe our electronic vacuum. And those are simple and cannot respond back to us. I liked this drama the entire way through and was sorry when it ended as I so enjoyed my time with these characters. I thought it ended nicely and all of the major plot points were wrapped up. This is up with my all time favorites and I highly recommend it.

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Heartwarming romantic sports drama with coming of age , mystery and small town elements

9.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2023 South Korean coming of age, romantic, sports drama with 12, ~60 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review.

Synopsis

Coming from a family of decorated ssireum players, Kim Baek doo (Jang Dong yoon) becomes disillusioned when he is unable to excel as was expected of him. Feeling the pressure of being viewed as a prodigy, and not living up to his name, Baek doo goes through the motions of retiring. When his “soul mate”/childhood friend, Oh Yoo kyung/Oh Doo sik (Lee Ju myoung) returns after dropping out of contact for years, Baek doo feels re-energized to try again to rise to the top in his sport. Problem is this woman who looks exactly like his childhood friend in form and manner insists she is not Oh Doo sik. She says she is Oh Yoo kyung and appears to be married. Still she will be managing the ssireum team which puts the two in the same circle and gives Naek doo more opportunities to determine if she is actually his friend in disguise. With the team on the verge of collapse, it will take the two of them, the team and supporters to keep the team together. But why is Oh Doo sik really back and why is she pretending to be married?

Note: Ssireum is Korean wrestling sport that began in the Goryeo and Joseon period. Each opponent wears a cloth called a satba (belt) that loops around the waste and thigh. The opponets grab each other’s satba and make whatever moves it takes to get the other’s body, above the knee, to touch the ground.

Review

I really like sports dramas. This one is enjoyable on just the slice of life level and having the opportunity to learn more about ssireum. But it has mystery, romance, family and ftiendships all wrapped into one lovely drama series. I will likely watch it again and highly recommend it to others. It ends well and happy.

Spoilers

The way Baek doo mumbles to himself about all manner of things is cute and makes the character incredibly likable.

Part of the charm of Doo sik was her boyish ruff and tumble nature but I would have liked to see her soften more particularly with Baek doo. The way she smacked him in the head bordered on abusive and I did not enjoy that aspect of her character. She could be a bit cold to him and I thought her reasons for missing both of his matches were ridiculous. When you really care about someone you find a way to show up. Still after all,of that they admitted their feelings and got together at the very end. We got so little time seeing them as a couple, I would have liked a little more.

The big reveal on who the killer was fell flat because we did not get to know him much. I watched with my daughter and we were both like “rice cake who?” So it was not a shocking plot twist like I think they were trying for.

While it ended well it would have been even better to know what they were going to do about her living in Seoul and him living in their hometown. Other than her coming back for a visit, there was no mention of how they planned to manage the distance factor. It was also unclear if Baek doo would continue wrestling.

#LikeFlowersinSand. #Ssireum #JangDongYoon #LeeJuMyoung

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Too emotionally brutal for me, I do not like seeing people suffer

7/10 is my rating. This is a 2021 South Korean dating reality series with 15, 61-164 minute episodes.

First I will Provide a Unique Synopsis then Review

Synopsis

This show brings together 10 singles (5 women and 5 men) for a chance to rekindle old love or find someone new. Eight of the singles were formerly in a relationship with one of the other house members but broke up for a variety of reasons. During the show they live together and go on dates and do activities to get to know each other. They send texts to a person they are interested in at the end of each round. With each batch if texts the singles receive a separate message indicating whether or not their ex chose them

House Rules

You cannot reveal who your ex is or mention it directly.

Any expression of feelings or skinship, except confession, is permitted.

On the first day, your age and occupation are not revealed.

You cannot share each other's SNS or contact information.

Cleaning and meal duties are handled in a rotation of 2 people (1 male, 1 female).

Residents eat together every evening.

Celebrity Panelists

Jung ki suck (known as Simon Dominic) Hip hop artist and co-ceo of a record label. He has also been on many variety, shows and done cameo appearances on television series. Born in 1984.

Lee Yong jin Comedian and singer. Born in 1985.

Kim ye won is an actress and singer. Born in 1987

Kim Ah Young (known as Yura) Actress and idol singer with the girl group “Girl’s Day”. Born in 1992

Kunpimook Bhuwakul (known as Bam Bam) is a thai born idol rapper and singer with the boy group “Got7”. He was born in 1997.

Singles

MALES

Yoon Jeong gwon. Cafe staff. Instagram influencer. Born in 2001. So about 20 years old during the show.

Seon Ho min. Semiconductor technology sales representative. Majored in technological engineering. Born in 1992. So about 29 at the time.

Lee Joo Hwey Game company employee. Project manager who worked on games such as Battleground. Prepares launches for new games, and analyzes competitor games to make improvements to company games. Born 1994. He would have been about 27.

Kwak Min jae. Restaurant manager. Plans to open his own Mexican restaurant. Born in 1991. Would have been about 28 at the time.

Lee Sang woo Eyewear brand Ceo. Born in 1995. Would have been about 26 at the time of the series. Joined in episode 10.

FEMALES

Lee Hye seon Graphic Designer. Designs for web and mobile platforms. Edits youtube vidos and provides one on one tutoring.. Is a freelancer who works from home. Born 1995. Would have been about 26 during the series.

Kim Bo hyun Model and Youtuber. Majored in computer engineering. Liked coding from a young age and was designing an app. Born in 1995. About 26 during the series.

Go Min Yeong. English instructor for university admissions. Born 1997. She would have been 24 at the time.

Coco Lee. Singer and reporter. Hosted a part on Entertainment Weekly with the Hollywood actors from “The Avengers”. Ex Bladee and Cocosori. Born in 1991. About 30 at the time.

Jeong Hye im Model and Youtuber. Born in 1993. Would have been 28 at the time of the series. Joined from Ep. 8 (Round 8)

Review

In the most general sense it reminds me a lot of “Heart Signal.” The singles enter the house one at a time, there is all the awkwardness at first, they all live there and they send texts to those they are interested in. They also go on dates sometimes they pick and other times are more coordinated. All of that reminds me of “Heart Signal.” The entire central component, of there being exes is where it is dramatically different as the jealousy is ramped up when it pertains to someone an individual used to think of as their exclusive partner. I think it is a mistake to put people who have only been apart for months in a situation where their ex is flirting with other people. It caused a lot of drama (which may be the point?) but it was hard to watch the pain and heartbreak various individuals experienced. I also thought they should clearly screen out those that are only coming on the show to get their ex back. It should be someone that is open to considering a new love.

i thought this show had particularly harsh elements and I was not comfortable watching the emotional pain a lot of the individuals were going through. It also felt like it biased who they might choose based on such a heavy presence from their ex.

This is not one I would watch again nor recommend to others just because there are so many better options available. But, someone who really enjoys reality shows and wants to see the wide variety might want to watch it as the ex aspect is a very unique angle.

Spoilers

What was clear to me is people who have only been split up a short time are not ready to objectively consider if someone else may be a better choice for them as a romantic partner. Some of them indicated they broke up because of some very real problems with their relationship such as cheating and fighting a lot. If you break up because you are fighting all the time it is very unlikely a short break is going to resolve all your issues. As viewers I am sure we had our opinions of who was best for this or that person but that was rarely who they picked. Judging whether a relationship is good or not based on how happy the people seem when they are together does not seem to be a successful predictor of who the people will select.

South Korean’s are very private about their romantic lives in general so it is hard to look up if any of them continue to date after the show or if new couples form. There is a lot of interest on the part of those that follow the show on what happens with the singles after. I was in the Coco and Min Jae should get back together camp. I thought that had such healthy, mature, interactions and seem to have so much fun naturally when they were together. The rest I thought made a good original choice to break up as watching their interactions in the show I did not feel they were particularly good for each other.

i think it is a bit more challenging watching from an American culture lens as women in the US pride themselves on independence so the “taking care of” me expectation that some of females have has a very different interpretation for American women. Some American women would view that as having a “Princess” mentality or being needy. That definitely had influence on who I thought was good for this one or that.

There were times when an ex would sort of make their ex off limits and I didn’t think that was in line with the spirit of the show. Making someone feel guilty for dating an ex, I don’t think that would have happened if the exes had been split up for a longer period of time.

Each episode was long and there was a lot of emotion displayed. I had a hard time getting through a lot of it as so much of it felt unnecessary. Struggling couples and ex couples need to deal with their issues in a healthier environment. Simply seeing your ex with someone else can spark competition and make you forget what was wrong with your relationship in the first place.

I thought telling the exes whether or not their ex chose them and then, later, who their ex chose was particularly harsh. That type of emotional damage could last beyond the show.

#EXchange1

#EXchangeSeason1

#Jungkisuck

#SimonDominic

#LeeYongjin

#KimYewon

#KimAhyoung

#Yura

#KunpimookBhuwakul

#BamBam

#YoonJeongwon

#SeonHomin

#LeeJooHwey

#KwakMinjae

#LeeSangwoo

#LeeHyeseon

#KimBohyun

#GoMinYeong

#CocoLee

#JeongHyeim

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One of my new all time favorites. Loved every minute and sad when it ended.

10/10 is my rating. This is a 2023 South Korean Romantic Comedy with 12, 80 Minute Episodes.

First I provide a Unique Synopsis then Review.

Synopsis

Seo Mok ha (Park Eun bin) is a girl on a mission. Her dream is to meet her female idol who made it huge and came from her very same small hometown. If she can just impress her idol with her singing enough, she might get a chance at fame herself and be able to escape her physically abusive father. Kang Bo geol/Jung Ki ho (Chae Jong Hyeop and Moon Woo jin actors) at first thought Mokha was just a frivolous girl without a care. But her happy exterior holds that dark secret and he finds out she is suffering from abuse just as he is. With that common everyday horror, and no adults who believe and support them, he decides to help Mokha realize her dream by videoing, editing and even submitting her work to her idol for a competition. It works and Mokha has an appointment with her idol which is sure to change her life. To get to Seoul, the two plan to run away together but they are separated when their plan is discovered. One battered child is forced to remain on the island and Mokha makes a desperate leap off the ship to escape her abusive father. She comes to on a deserted island and spends 15 years as a castaway who is presumed dead before finally being rescued. She is now a 31 year old who has the social skills of someone in their teens. Is it too late for her to find her lost love and finally realize her dreams?

Review

This goes down as one of my all time favorites. My preference is happy ending, heartwarming romances and this checks all those boxes. I will rewatch this and highly recommend it for anyone that likes happy ending romance, idol stories, and friends to more. It has a dark beginning, with some severe domestic violence so a caution to anyone that might feel trauma from that. Those that do evil in this either get karma served or see the error of their ways.

Spoilers

I have seen other cases where the abuser is a police officer and that makes it really difficult for victims. I felt no sympathy when her father drowned after trying to get to her on the ferry. He may have led a sad life up to that point but others do and they do not abuse other people. I understand why she still felt sad but I was glad she quickly moved on.

I felt like her separation from Yoon Ranjoo (Kim Hiyo Jin) was unnecessarily long. I get that Ranjoo had trust issues but I thought it was unreasonable for her to not even listen.

The dynamics of the boy’s family and how sweet those relationships were made the show even better.A mother or father or other close family member is so much more than just the biology. I was glad the Prosecutor did not prosecute them for identity theft. They really had been through enough being abused and then hiding from, that monster.

I loved that it showed her finally with Kiho and singing for a huge audience.

#CastawayDiva

#ParkEunBin

#LeeARin

#LeeRe

#KimHyoJin

#HanDaIn

#SonYeRin

#ChaeJongHyeop

#MoonWooJin

#ChaHakYeon

#KangTaeUng

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Couple more often stay together relative to the South Korean version

9.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2019 Chinese dating reality show modeled after the popular South Korean show of the same title.

First I provide a synopsis then a unique review.

Synopsis

This is the Chinese version of the Korean reality dating show of the same name. The show starts with six singles, three men and three women who enter the chosen house location one at a time the first day. They cohabit the “signal house” (which changes each season) with the women sharing one bedroom and the men sharing two bedrooms. The overall goal of the show is for the singles to go about their daily lives while freely flirting/sending signals with the other occupants of the house. There are few organized activities, the main focus is on them living together and getting to know each other more naturally. At the end of each day they send a signal (an anonymous text) to the opposite sex single of their choosing and the detectives must determine who will send a signal/text to whom.

Signal House rules

>Singles must return to Signal House each night

>Singles cannot reveal their age or occupation until the 2nd day

>Singles cannot directly confess their like or love at any time during their stay

>At the end of the day, singles can send an anonymous text to one other house member

>Singles can go on one official date but each female picks a location without revealing her choice and the males choose the location they prefer.

Celebrity Panel/Detectives

Du Haitao is a television host and actor. He was born in 1987. So he would have been about 32 at the time the show was filmed.

Victoria Song is a singer, dancer, actress, model, host and author known for her work as the leader of South Korean girl group f(x). She was born in 1987. About 32 years old when the show was filmed.

Yang Chaoyue is an actor and singer in the Chinese group Rocket Girls 101. She was born in 1998 and would have been 22 when the show was filmed, she is the only season 2 panelist that was also a panelist in season 1.

Zheng Kai is an actor and television personality. He was born in 1986 and would have been about 34 when the show was filmed.

Rainie Yang she is an actor, singer and television host. Born in 1984 she would have been 36 when the show was filmed.

Pearl Poon also known as Poon Ngai Tung. Is a Hing Kong born actress. She was born in 1995 so would have been 24 when the show was filmed.

Liu Xuan Former artist gymnast. Born in 1979. Would have been 41 when the show was filmed. After she retired from gymnastics she turned to acting and television presenting.

Ren Jia Lun also known as Ren Guo Cho (English name Allen) is an actor and former professional table tennis player. He is a guest panelist in episodes 3 and 4. He was born in 1989 so would have been 31 when the show was filmed.

SINGLES

FEMALES

*Yang Kaiwen (Nickname Kevin). Fashion Toy Designer. Was an Animation major at Communication University China. Born in 1994. 25 at time of filming.

*Zhang Tian Film and television show producer. Double majored in Gender Studies and Film at Syracuse. Her company has offices in Bejing and Los Angeles. Born in 1996. 24 at the time if filming.

*Wui Pei Graduated from University of South Florida with a degree in Business Management. Holds the prestigious position of Director of Human Resources for an internet based company. Born in 1990. She was 29 years old when this show was filmed.

*Pan Zhengru. General Manager at an event planning company. She was born in 195 and would have been 24 at the time the show was filmed.

MALES

*Wu xiangwei (William) Champagne brand ambassador. Swiss hotel management school, project management major sommelier echondon sommelier of 2018 from food and wine 1991 and many other awards in the industry. Born 1991. 28 at the time if filming.

*Zhao Qi Jun He is a Beijing Culture Construction Foundation Investment Manager. Attended the University of Nottingham Finance and Investment and graduated with a masters in business administration MBA. Born in 1991. He would have been 28 at the time.

*Chen Yi Chen Part time English teacher. Attending the University of Canberra and majoring in business at the time of filming. He was born in 1996. He was 24 at the time of filming

*Huang Zhengxuan. Head of sports medicine at an anti aging cancer prevention center in Bejing. Born in 1995. He was 25 at the time of filming.

Review

The detectives/celebrity panel in this are nearly as entertaining to watch as is the drama playing out as the singles interact. Zheng Kai is so funny I was often laughing out loud at his antics. I have watched several reality shows with celebrity panels but this has been, by far my favorite.

One thing reviewers that have watched both the South Korean and Chinese versions of this show comment consistently is they like the Chinese version as the couples tend to stick together more. I have watched all the South Korean Heart Signal to date and wholeheartedly agree with this assessment. There is far less surprise in who they pick and who they reject and the reasons why they might go that way. It can still be frustrating when us self appointed matchmakers, watching through our fourth wall, identify a couple that seem perfectly suited for each other but one of them does not go that way. We must remind ourselves that these are real people with real feelings and it is often the case that the heart and mind do not agree on romantic choices.

My favorite part of these shows is watching such wonderful friendships and budding romances develop. It highlights how fragile an early romance can be. At the point where no one has fully confessed their feelings (and in this show they can’t( what seems like a rock solid situation, can be severed relatively easily. It is also important to keep in mind we see only a small portion of all the footage that is shot as the singles go about their lives. I am not suggesting they steer the outcome with the editing, but what I am indicating is there are small things that happen between the singles that we do not see which add up to a different outcome than we may expect.

The one disappointment I have in the Chinese version is there is not a lot of effort put in to show us what happened with the singles after they left the show. As viewers we feel we get to know the singles a little and care about what happens with them. I think it is unreasonable to think they would only choose others that were in the show to date, they are obviously going to return to their normal lives and have a different set of people they interact with. But I know I am not the only one that would like to know how they are doing. As much of an emotional roller coaster it can be for the viewers, it is even more for the singles.

I highly recommend this to anyone that likes reality television particularly those that are fans of shows like “The Bachelor” or just anyone that likes dating reality shows this, to me is a level up from that. It is all the good parts but with a lot more morality than you would ever find in such American shows which are highly sexualized. This, is my favorite out of the 4 seasons of south Korean Heart signal and the one season of the Chinese Version I have watched so far. I would rewatch it in the future with someone who had never seen it.

Spoilers

If you are a fan of the couples you think really like each other getting together you will likely be happy with the outcomes for these singles. Two couples emerge and you could clearly see the progression of their relationships. If you like seeing people that you might think are very well suited choose each other it could go either way. But you are not hit from left field like I have seen with some of these where you feel cheated by the outcomes. Yes, Season 4 of South Korean Heart Signal I am talking about you. Yes, Games of Thrones you are still on my sh&*^t list that way.

One thing about the Chinese version of the show I am not a fan of, is for the travel date they allow the female with the fewest signals (texts), cumulative, to have first choice. That inevitably winds up being the “catfish” (the female or male that arrives late with the soe purpose of mixing things up). I have only seen two of the Chinese Heart Signal shows now but it does frustratingly disrupt the flow and dynamics of those very fragile relationships that have developed. They typically choose singles that are outgoing and somewhat forceful in their approach. Since it is so hard ingrained in most of us that stealing someone else’s boyfriend or girlfriend is a bad thing, it is hard for the viewer not to feel badly toward these “catfish.”

Over all the shows like this I have watched, I notice how hard it is to be a super popular single. Because most of them have developed friendships with everyone else so matter who they pay attention to or ultimately choose they are hurting multiple people they have become friends with. I think the tears in their rooms are genuine and they really struggle with ow to choose and interact with the one they have settled on while doing the least emotional damage to all the others. Oddly I think that also winds up effecting who they choose in some cases, I have seen where I am fairly confident they made a completely surprise choice because they think if they choose that person, not even in the running, the others won’t feel as rejected.

I also notice a pattern with some, particularly the women, and often the catfish where they select the most emotionally vulnerable single and use emotional blackmail to get them to date and, in one case I think, choose them. Having interacted with some people like that over time I feel I am particularly in tune to that type of personality.

After I watched the show I went to see what I could find about what the singles were doing. It is much easier with the South Korean version as they post and interact on at least some of the platforms people in the United States use. But, with the Chinese version, I think they post and interact on Chinese social media platforms and I would not access or download those even if I spoke Chinese because our countries do not have friendly relations. I think even TikTok is a security risk so I would not access those places where more about what happened after might be found. So, it is hard to find information but there is a little bit out there.

The few mentions of these singles after the show basically confirm their humanity and they have the same issues and struggles as everyone. Yang Kaiwen and Zoa Qi Jun were engaged and are most likely married or well on their way to it, by now. That couple have did not have any major drama or break ups after getting together from the show. There are some really solid posts where they announced so that seems to be true that they are engaged/married now. Zhang Tian and Chen Yi Chen seem to have more of an on again off again relationship. Shortly after they were together there was a leaked message where Yi Chen seemed to be asking Tian about her past where she may have done more than what the Chinese consider an appropriate pace of dating. It is unclear whether his discomfort with her having so many past relationships broke them up or if it was his agent that preferred he be single but something definitely broke them up, at least for a time. They unfollowed, took down picture and Yi Chen even put out a statement defending Tian but also indicating they were taking a break. Several years later there were more indicators they may be back together. There were pictures taken at Disneyland of them separately but the background and other aspects were such close matches that netizens felt they were actually together at the park. And there are pictures of them from a photo booth during that same timeframe.

I think part of the magic of the show is it is a situation that rarely if ever would happen in real life. You have a group of highly attractive and successful people who live together for a time. It’s like the popular show “Friends” only a reality based situation. It is clear why it is so hard for them to choose who they want to finally select or who they want to go on a date with. It would be hard to have a really bad date between any of them. So you go out with your second or even third choice and you are, at minimum, friends with them if not slightly or more romantically interested in them. That would be a hard choice. And, I think they take rejection especially hard at times because these are such “cream of the cop” people that they are nt used to being rejected in their normal lives. They may be more used to rejecting the feelings of others than they are being rejected themselves. And, in normal life, you don’t reject someone then still have to live with them and/or potentially have to do a follow up show with them. You don’t have people tracking your moves after you are no longer on screen. So, it changes all the dating and interacting rules we are used to as it is that unique of a situation. It causes them to agonize even more over that final choice, I mean if your choice is between two equally amazing people you would be all the more worried you may make the wrong choice.

One of the most heartwarming moments with the detectives/celebrity panel was at the end of episode 10, they did a little “After Signal” and brought some of the singles into the studio. Some of the panel were beside themselves and absolutely starstruck. Knowing all the detective/celebrity panel are famous people themselves it was so cute to see them overcome when they saw the singles. It shows how intense we all feel for the singles as we watch them and feel like we know them. The odd thing is we know them from what they show us but they don’t know any of us at all. They at least might know the panel a little but we, as viewers, would feel the same emotions and could you imagine if you saw any of the singles and reacted to them like you were old friends. So, it is a very odd situation in that way for us viewers as well. We get to know these singles and their personalities better than we might know some of our own friends or at least their is the illusion that we do (people who know they are being filmed and in the context they are in are unlikely revealing all of their true selves). I, for example, was surprised when Kaiwen was acting so shy when introduced t the detective/celebrity panel. What I remembered of her from her interactions with the other singles, was she was fairly outgoing. But I had to remind myself of some things. First we all present ourselves differently depending on the social situation. We don't present ourselves at work typically the way we act at home. It’s not fake, it’s an adaptive way to respond to different environments. For Kaiwen, she was meeting people she considered to be celebrities without realizing they were reacting to them like celebrities (they were on more equal footing than they realized). Plus, she was rather shy to the others in her earliest times at signal house but then got more outgoing the more they all became like friends. So she was more of an ambivert than one might think going off the last impression. It is very much an illusion that we know any of the singles with any depth, we are seeing how they are in one highly unique situation. Which is why I understand they go pretty private after the show could you imagine having that may people that feel a friendship like connection with you and might want to fawn over you when they spot you in public? Celebrities deal with that a little but usually they are acting in a way or playing a role that is not them. Reality television participants are being themselves (well whatever version of themselves they might display in such a public format).

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1st half may be difficult for victims of bullying but the second half (revenge) makes it worth it

9.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2022/2023 South Korean psychological thriller with revenge as a primary driver for the main character. There are 16, 47-72 minute episodes in two parts. The first part comprises the first eight episodes which is primarily where the revenge is set up. The last eight episodes center around enacting the revenge.


First I provide a unique synopsis then I review.

 
Synopsis


The entire story consists of multiple instances of true life bullying and revenge incidents. It is all based on true occurrences but not all of any one but rather elements of multiple true occurrences all melded into one. It is representational of the full range of bullying and provides an example of the most extreme cases. In this story, Moon Dong eun (Song Hye kyo) survived her school years most likely by dropping out of school at a critical moment to survive the bullies. Others that were targets of the same group of bullies were not so lucky. Her entire life after that is centered around earning enough money, and putting herself in the correct position to exact revenge on those that caused such suffering and misery. She bears the permanent physical and emotional scars of the actions of this bully group.  She becomes a teacher and steers the situation so she is assigned as the homeroom teacher of the leader of the bullies’, Park Yeon jin’s (Lim Ji yeon), daughter.  From that position, which puts her in close contact with her targets, she plays out her revenge. By fate or chance she meets Joo Yeo Jeong (Lee Do hyun) who falls in love with the troubled and mysterious Dong eun and offers to help her after seeing and learning the horrible things that were done to her. Kang Hyeon nam (Yeom Hye ran) is a housekeeper in the home of one of the subjects of Dong eun’s interest. Heyeon nam catches Dong Eun collecting and going through the garbage for clues and strikes a deal for mutual benefit. Dong eun is at first unwilling to accept the true friendship and caring from others as she is so damaged from her past. But as she widens her circle of supporters to help in punishing those who were not punished by the adults at the time, she begins to heal emotionally. Karma is coming to those that bullied helpless and innocent victims in the form of Dong eun. Can she survive her own revenge?

Review

This is hands down the best revenge show I have watched. For anyone that has been bullied or been in an environment where there are lots of bullies, this will definitely resonate. For me those parts were hard to watch because I am an empath to begin with but also because I was involved in a situation where I was minimally bullied where someone else was bullied so severely it drove them crazy and they wound up on drugs, out of their mind, and ran over a bunch of people on a sidewalk and they are now in prison. I did my best, when that was happening to protect that person but, as the show portrays, it is hard to effectively protect anyone when you are one of their targets. But that was not physical bullying like this show had where it was severe physical bullying with a psychological component.

The acting in this is phenomenal by both those playing the bullies, the victims and just everyone. It does roughly follow where the first eight episodes (first half) sets the stage and tells about the past, and the final eight are focused on the revenge aspects. I delayed watching it because I wasn’t sure how well I could take watching the severe bullying, as when something like that happens to you it is not something you ever fully forget or recover from, so I thought it might be too emotionally upsetting for me. But it is just mainly those first episodes and the way she gets her revenge is so satisfying.

 
In sum, I highly recommend this for anyone that likes the revenge trope. I would rewatch it readily if it was on as there is a lot of depth to it

Spoilers

The main detractors for me were some unnecessary things people did. I think what I liked the least was that the main bullies’ spouse, who had been a very likable character nearly to the end, wound up murdering his wife’s lover. The guy was a part of the bully group, and had done some horrible things, but that did not excuse him pushing him, now blind, off a building into a vat of cement. I did not want to see the little girl with her murderous mom, psychotic grandmother, nor her sociopath father and thought I would be glad to see her going with the father she grew up with, but he did that and I was like great she is still being raised by a murderer. I know they were alluding that he did it so the real dad would not continue to bother them, but that is no excuse to murder someone.

The other senseless murder was when the girl that was the main bullies’ assistant, finished off the injured, long haired, boy bully. It showed he had raped her and they all were obviously still bullying her, but murdering him by making that final blow took her from a sympathetic character to a person willing to murder someone when they were helpless. If he had been actively attacking her again I could have sympathized but it was not an act of self defense at that moment. It did not feel as good that the main bully went down framed with a murder she may not have committed. They were trying for an even deeper revenge, because of the irony that she is serving time for a murder one of her victims committed, but I thought there was plenty of opportunity for her to go down for the murder without turning the victim into a murderer. And it is based on true events, not a record of true events, so it isn’t like that was the way it really happened.

The other detractor, for me, was Do Hyun’s suicide attempt at near the end. During the bullying, at her young age, it showed a suicide attempt and I think they were trying to show that suicide was always an option for her and now she accomplished her revenge why not? She herself should have known how much that would hurt Yeo jeong. I mean I would hope she would know how much that would hurt all of the friends she had, however reluctantly, developed. it is just such a selfish act I have a hard time sympathizing. And, if she had gone through with it, it would have reversed a lot of her revenge as her main bully would have used it as a way to vindicate some of her actions. Like see “she was always like that.” I unfortunately know that is likely how that would play out as I spoke with the bully that drove the girl crazy and to prison and asked her about that incident and she pretty said “I know isn’t she crazy?” It was apparent from the very gleeful way she said it, that she was pleased with the outcome and did not feel any personal responsibility for the end result. That bully group destroyed one life and was, in my opinion, partially responsible for the death and injury that person that was bullied caused.

It would have been nice to have seen the main couple together longer than just the tail end of the last episode. Some say the romance element was completely unnecessary but I enjoyed the angel that two people with psychological scars can find healing in each other.

I think they left it open for another season by showing the male and female lead enter the prison where it was apparent they planned to exact revenge against the person who murdered the male lead’s father. And that wasn’t a bad way to end it. It didn’t wrap up that particular piece but that was okay because it wasn’t what we were there for anyway. Streaming platforms like to keep the piggy banks open and often end things very unclear. In this case that one piece was not even completely unclear. We know enough about our main girl by now that we can be sure she will help him get his full revenge.

#SongHyeKyo

#TheGlory

#LimJiYeon

#LeeDoHyun

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The friendships are great but some aspects are disappointing

7/10 is my rating. This is a 2023 South Korean reality dating show with 20, 86-121 minute episodes. There are 15 regular episodes and 5 episodes about the singles after the show ended.

First I provide a Unique Synopsis then review.

Synopsis

Six singles, three men and three women move into a house where they all will live together for one month. The women share one room and the men share rooms as well. In the beginning, they do not tell each other their ages or professions. They can flirt, ask each other to talk or go places but they cannot directly tell someone they like them. They must figure out others feelings through signals including anonymous texts each single sends to someone of their choosing at the end of each day. The celebrity panel watches the show and tries to predict who will send a text to whom. They compete for the most correct guesses by gathering and losing gems based on their guesses. After several episodes one more male and one more female single join the show to stir things up.

.

Singles

Note: I say was this profession or that because they could have changed since the show ended. The age at filming is Korean age.

Women

Kim Ji Young - birth year 1995. She Was a brand consultant for an interior architecture company. Formerly a Korean Air flight attendant. She would have been 28 during filming.

Lee Ju Mi - birth year 1994. She was a lawyer.

Kim Ji Min - birth year 2000. Student at Sungshin women’s University. She would have been 22 during filming.

Yoo Yi Soo - birth year 1998. She was a casting agent and model. She would have been 25 during filming.

Men

Shin Min Gyu - birth year 1993. His profession was strategy consultant. He would have been 30 when the show was filmed.

Han Gyeo Re - birth year 1989. CEO of F&B company. He would have been 34 when the show was filmed.

Yoo Ji Won - birth year 1996. He was a medical intern. He would have been 27 when the show was filmed.

Lee Hu Shin - birth year 1993. A painter and model. He would have been 30 when the show filmed. He joined in episode 3.

Celebrity Panel

Yoon Jong Shin - a South Korean singer and song writer. He is also a record producer and is the CEO of Mystic Story. He was born in 1969 so would have been 53 when the show aired in 2022.

Kim Ea Na - a South Korean song writer who wrote hit songs for some of the top singers in South Korea. She was born in 1979 so would have been 43 when the show filmed.

Lee Sang Min -  is a South Korean singer, song writer, record producer and television personality. He is a former member of hip hop and dance group Roo'ra. He was born in 1973 so would have been 50 when the show was filmed.

Mimi - birth year 1995. Main rapper in girl group Oh! My Girl. She is also a singer and song writer. She would have been 28 when the show was filmed.

Kang Seung Yoon - Birth year 1994. Singer, song writer and lead of the boy band Winner. Healso acts and has received awards for various acting roles. He would have been 29 when the show was filmed.

Kim Chong Gi - 35 years old at time of filming so born about 1988. He is a Psychiatrist who has a web presence and published many articles on mental health.

Dawn formerly E’Dawn (full name Kim Hyo-jong) born in 1994 would be about 29 when the “after” shows aired. He joined the panel episode 16. Formerly a singer and songwriter in the boy band Pentagon, he is now a soloist.

Review

It is true to the theme of the show with the regular events scheduled by the show and spontaneous interactions chosen by the singles. It is a roller coaster of emotions particularly if you tend to feel other’s emotions strongly. I noticed that the singles get more and more attractive and accomplished through each subsequent episode. I think, with heart signal, I enjoy it a lot up to the point where the “catfish” (the male and female that join late and wind up disrupting a lot of the relationships) arrive. Once they arrive it feels less like we are watching a dating show and more like a game show. It is like watching a fictional romance drama and see the couple building a relationship, fall in love, then a 2nd person comes in during the last few episodes and splits the main couple apart. Most would not consider that a happy ending. I am not at all suggesting the show should steer things so that certain couples stay together, but I do wish they would stop doing things to drive them apart, One might argue if they liked each other enough nothing could drive them apart but that is rarely tge case in a newly formed, fragile, relationship. My daughter, who normally watches Asian shiws with me, rage quit after episode 13. At that point it became very clear things were falling apart.

If you are a fan of the show I would stay still watch this one. All of the singles are amazing people and most are simply too nice and caring of others to be harsher when they perhaps should. I liked most of them a lot. The celebrity panel are amazing as always and their commentary and insights are very enjoyable. Be prepared to be as frustrated with the way things go as you might have been with Season 1. If you get sad when others are (you are an empath) either be prepared to shield your emotions or avoid this. There were days my daughter and I would skip watching as it was too much to handle but in small bites.

Spoiler

I have to remind myself that the singles also know they are on a reality show and realize that others will see events and hear things they say later. It helps to understand that as the texts they send do not always go to the person they are most romantically interested in. They may send a text to a person they enjoyed the day with, or because they want to be sure someone gets a text, or because they are comfortable with the person and sending a text to their actual interest may hurt others.

I thought the best couples were Min Gyu with Ji Young, Han Geo Re with Lee Ju Mi and Lee Hu Shin and Lee Ji Min. But, of course, that is not how it ends up. Min Gyu amd Ji Young were the preferred partners of all of the singles. But those two liked each other a lot.They allowed others to make them feel guilty though and that wound up driving them apart. I thought Yi Soo was very manipulative in that she misrepresented some of the things Min Gyu said to her to Ji Young making her think Min Gyu had stronger feelings for Yi Soo than I believe he did at the time. She also played the sweet innocent younger girl around the other women when it appeared she was way more scheming than that. I think the way she wound up coming across to viewers was a factor of how the show was edited where we saw Ji Young’s hurt reactions a lot and not other things that would have helped us understand better. She did play the perfect “Catfish” as her entry, in episode 6, really disrupted things.

I think you experience a true catfish in this one in Yi Soo. I cannot help but notice some Americanized traits in the way she approaches romantic relationships. “All is Fair in Love and War” is an American saying and I feel she definitely deployed this tactic. Call it selective editing or whatever but she clearly misrepresented things that were said, or not said, to her in order to manipulate the situation. She played her role, and matched the intent of adding singles late, well. But it was brutal watching her utilizing her tactics on the other singles that had a kinder, gentler way of approaching romantic rivalry. She did not allow Min Gu to have other thoughts as she was right there staring him down and making it clear she would be “hurt” if he chose anyone else to talk to or date. I think her sweet, gentle, vulnerable young woman demeanor in front of the other singles when they were in groups was an act. All of that made her an effective disruptor.

I was frustrated enough by the last two episodes I only skim watched them. I was so disappointed in the complete change of heart and just focusing on the dates with one female too much.

After signal makes up for some of the things that happened in the last episodes and you get insight into why the singles made the seemingly baffling decisions.

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A Nice Contract Marriage Romance

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2023 Japanese romance series with 10, 45-60 minute episodes. Also known under the Japanese title Ousama ni Sasagu Kusuriyubi

First I provide a Unique synopsis then review.

Synopsis

Hanada (Kanna Hashimoto) has had a tough life because she is so pretty people assume she uses her looks to get ahead and treat her poorly as a result. She has a hard time keeping jobs because customers pock up on her and colleagues are jealous. She finally gets a job as a wedding planner and thinks she has finally landed a job she can keep. It is not long though and trouble starts there, landing her in the office of the company President. Togo Nitta (Ryosuke Yamada) has turned down a variety of eligible women preferring to be alone to having a fake relationship. His focus is on increasing the sales for the bridal company to prove his ability as his father’s successor. When he sees Ayuka he comes up with a mutually beneficial plan in the form of a marriage contact. She needs money for her struggling family and he can use the perfect marriage to promote his business. No pesky feelings involved right?

Review

It is a nicely paced romance with a happy ending. If you like the cold CEO type, contract marriages and/or cinderella like stories this is a good one for all of that.

Spoiler

I found the plot point that being too attractive has its own set of problems compelling. It is a phenomenon not frequently recognized but those that have experienced it know it exists.

She had a way about her that she remained positive despite people treating her unfairly due to assumptions they made about her. They were perfect for each other as each led ampn isolated life for different reasons

I was a little disappointed when he broke it off with her and was pursuing an arranged marriage. That is one of my least favorite tropes. I was glad she realized what was going in and basically told him knock it off.

#KissingtheRingFinger

#KannaHashimoto

#RyosukeYamada

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Revenge is just best served (cold, hot or whatever) as karma has its hands full

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2023 South Korean romance, revenge drama with 12, 70 minute episodes. It is based on a popular web novel of the same name.

First I provide a unique synopsis then Review

Synopsis

Han Yi-joo (Jung Yoo-min) is engaged to marry her childhood friend, Yoo Se-hyuk (Oh Seung-yoon), whom she grew to love. She is the eldest adopted daughter of a family that is low level wealthy with one of their family endeavors being art. Her cold, mostly uncaring of her adoptive mother, Lee Jung-hye (Lee Min young) has made Yi joo’s life miserable yet she still seeks her approval. To gain her mother’s favor, Yi-joo learned to perfectly imitate famous as the standard her mother set to measure her ability. Yi joo’s world crashes down when she learns her mother was passing her imitations iff as authentic and seeks to frame her and that her fiancé was only using her. Emotionally devastated she gets in a near fatal car crash. As she lay dying she wishes for a chance to do it over and get revenge on those who wronged her. Seo Do-guk (Sung Hoon) Is the man her evil younger sister had her talons in and he discovers her duplicity early on, and also the depth of the evil Yi Joo’s family is perpetrating against her.

Review

If you are a fan of revenge dramas this fits that bill while also having a really sweet romances woven through. It ends well and happy.

Spoilers

The evil step mom in this is so thoroughly evil it is hard to imagine what she wouldn’t do. Not only does she abuse and poison Yi joo, she contracts to have people murdered, holds an artist in captivity to have him paint and sell his art, and drugs her husband.

I liked Donguk’s mother, grandmother and sister. They were solidly on Yi Joo’s side when they discovered what her adopted mom had done to her. Jung hye’s cold demeanor and evil plots were like a blend of “Flowers in the attic” and “Mommy Dearest” level evil mother. It was satisfying when she was taken down.

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Does he really mean it?

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2023 Japanese romance series with 8, 23 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review.

Synopsis

Kawai Yoshiko (Sakurako Ohara)had a clear life plan, originally she wanted to get Married at 26 then have her first child by 27 and her second child at 29. During her three year relationship, she adjusted when it was clear there wouldn’t be a quick proposal. What she didn’t account for was breaking up from a long term relationship with 30 year old birthday approaching. She was broken hearted enough that when she ran into her work colleague, Yuuki Masaomi (Genta Matsuda) on the way home, she poured her heart out to him. To her surprise, Yuki declares he will marry her the day before her 30th birthday if she doesn’t find someone. Yoshiko thinks he is only saying that to comfort her and because he is confident she will find someone in the two years before she turns 30. He doesn't really want to marry her. Or does he?

Review

This is a very cute, straight forward romance with a happy ending.

Spoilers

I was glad she did not get back together with her ex. I thought they were headed for that but was really glad it did not materialize.

There was a separation, which I usually find annoying, but the way it came up, and how it played out, made sense.

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Neither are perfect but they are perfect for each other

9.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2020 Chinese romantic comedy drama with 24, 45 minute episodes.

First I will provide a synopsis then review.

Synopsis

Zhang Si Zian (Wei Zhe Ming) is a genius level math professor who is handsome, wealthy and generally seems to have it all. His personality is on the coldly logical side and his emotional intelligence is only slightly better than a robot. Yun Shu (Xu Ruo Han) Is almost the direct opposite she is so warm, calm and caring that she is easily swindled. She has to work hard for academic success. A series of unfortunate events for Yun Shu leads her to rely on Si Zian for a place to live. Si Zian’s grandfather meets Yun Shun in a chance encounter and thinks this ray of sunshine would be the perfect match for his grandson who lacks warmth in his life. Now that Yun Shu is no longer a student, they have no reason not to please Si Zian’s terminally ill grandfather’s wish and strike a deal for a secret comtract marriage. What they find is grandfather may have had it right about them all along, they balance each other beautifully. But love that starts under such unusual circumstances is never easy and the two must decide if they want their comtract to become the real deal.

Review

This is a well paced, relatively straight forward plot, with a lot if really engaging characters.
The way the lead couple compliment each other makes it easy to see why they would fall in love. When she thinks she is not right because rhey are too different the grandfather says two parallel lines never intersect. That was such a profound and brilliant way to state it. Being too different can be a problem if it is not complimentary but being exactly the same can be boring. I like that having the Male Lead’s support made her absolutely flourish. And the grandfather as the match maker was cute! He fell in love with her as a granddaughter candidate and knew she was perfect for his grandson who needed someone sweet and warm to offset his cooly logical personality. It ended happy and all major story lines were wrapped up.

Spoilers
Practically perfect but it did end with some question marks. Did the grandfather ever go for treatment? Was the reconciliation of her two best friends as a couple successful? What happened with her webtoon career because it was taking off then she did not go abroad so how bad was it derailed? It would have been good to see her sister and her actor boyfriend fully together. It ended with him on relationship “probation.”

#PerfectandCasual
#WeiZheMing
#XuRuoHan

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Chaotic plot that misses at everything (comedy, romance, thriller, mystery)

6.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2022 South Korean mystery romance drama with 18, 63 minute episodes.
First I will provide a synopsis then review.

Synopsis
Nam Han-joon (Seo In-guk) was a profiler but is now a faux shaman who always delivers results for his wealthy clients. While he pretends his knowledge is from Shamanistic ability it really stems from above average investigative work. Key to his success is his unhygienic sister who just so happens to be an expert hacker and was formerly a member of the national intelligence service. Gong Su-cheol (Kwak Si-yang) is also onboard with Han-joon’s schemes and helps in not only the investigative aspects but also uses strong arm techniques when the situation requires. The other swindler team member is Jo Na-dan (Baek Seo-hoo) who helps in a variety of capacities on the cases but primarily focuses on actual café operations. Han Jae-hui (Oh Yeon-Seo) who heads up the Dauen Police force is not amused by Han-joon’s antics. The police think the Shaman team’s ability to always be one step ahead is suspicious.
Review
The story was absolute chaos. One of the few I have experienced where there is all this action and things going on but it made me completely bored. They called Jae-hui ”the ghost” which would make you think she had supernatural powers but she did not. Han-joon plays at behind a shaman and I thought perhaps it would turn out he had some ability but he did not. The chemistry was off. I just could not see them together romantically. The killer was predictable. I would no watch this again and only recommend it to die hard In-guk fans as it is a unique role for him and he carries it off as good as anyone could have.
Spoilers*
I think this was a miss in everything it tried for. There was potential for a supernatural element in her name ”the ghost” and in his role as Shaman. Instead they would have these sort of fade to black moments when she was about to give bad guys a beat down but it really meant nothing and just made it silly. She was supposed to be some super detective but her and her team couldn’t solve their way out of a box. They were always a step behind Han-joon’s team whose plans seemed to fall apart and backfire as often as not. His shaman ability was all a sham and it turned out he was just very intuitive and had his people working behind the scenes and feeding him information. It was supposed to be funny when he went into shaman mode because you knew it was an act but I just founded it cringy. It made no sense that he was good enough at martial arts when he was an officer to train others but in most of the physical conflicts he was getting bested. It wanted to be a comedy but the situations were not very comedic and it wound up being over the top, three stooges like, cheesy. You don’t even find out who the killer is until the last few episodes and that is when he really goes on a spree. Would have been more interesting if those cases had occurred earlier. Jae-hui spent so much of the story being harsh to Han-joon because she blamed him for her brother’s death that it killed any chemistry as it was hard to envision him falling for someone that acted so hostile. They all were so inept and none of their plans worked out completely. His shamanic situations were meant to be comical but they fell short. Several of the characters are hit in the head so much you would expect serious head injury but it is shrugged off like no big deal. I like In-guk and think he is a talented actor and that is what kept me watching.

#CafeMinamdang
#SeoInGuk
#OhYeonSeo
#KwakSiYang
#KangMiNa
#KwonSooHyun

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They upped the game from season one everything is just a bit more

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2002 South Korean reality dating show with 10, 57-68 minute episodes.

First I will provide a synopsis then review

Commentators/Hosts

Lee Da Hee- Model, singer, and actress
Cho Kyu-Hun - Actor and singer (idol). He is a member of Super Junior.
Hong Jin-Kyung - Model, comedian, singer and actress. She owns her own food company.
Jung Han-Hae - Rapper and singer.

Participants

Females

Lee Nadine (age 22) Neuroscience pre-med major at Harvard University
Shin Seoul-Ki (age 24) Piano major at Seoul University
Park Se-jeong (age 26) Model for brands such as BMW and Sony
Lee So-e (age 22) Acting major at Hanyang University
Choi Seo-Eun (age 28) Artist. Crowned as Miss Korea 2021.
Lim Min-su (age 26) model and CEO of online clothing boutique

Men

Choi Jong-woo (age 24) Barista of a family-owned cafe in Gangwon-do
Jo Yoong-Jae (age 31) Investment broker at Shinhan Investment Corp. Graduated with a Finance Management major from Hanyang University
Kim Han-bin (age 32) Chef/ restaurant owner. Won all kinds of prestigious culinary awards.
Shun Ding-woo (age 32) Plastic surgeon. Graduated from Yonsei University's College of Medicine
Kim Jin-young (age 28) YouTuber. Former ROKN UDT soldier
Kim Se-Jun (age 26) Tailor at Ascottage, founded by Season 1 participant Oh Jin-taek

They upped the attractiveness level for season 2. Super fit, muscular men and several of the women were models and/or had been in various pageants. From the 1st season to this season one thing I noticed overall is that many go for the person they are physically attracted to over someone they are slightly less attracted to but would be long term compatible with. They are all young and think about such things as people that age would.

*Spoilers
Lee Nadine is one of my favorite female participants. The fact that she speaks both Korean and English so well is impressive. Her drive and passion for medicine is extremely admirable. She is very forthright and honest which I enjoy. I think she is a great match with Kim Jin-young because they have so much in common. Neither seem to be overly demonstrative with affection. Both are very focused and driven in their pursuits. He enjoys thrill sports and she does too. She was in the army for a brief time and he was a soldier. I sense, in him, some recovery from the soldier life, perhaps some PTSD and I think she could best understand and help him with that. She is studying in the USA but he is interested in spending time in the USA. That being said he is highly attracted to Shin Seoul-Ki as are several of the other male participants. In their interactions I could tell they were both highly physically attracted to each other but could not hold a very long or substantive discussion with each other. He was able to talk to Nadine a lot as they had a lot of common interests and personality traits. I think she knew in the end he was not going to stay with her although his long pause with her made me wonder if he was considering it. I don't know if that was scripted and that was the reason she reacted the way she did or if she really had just moved on. If she moved on, I am proud of her because obviously she was not his first choice. If the show had run longer he might have become more interested in her because I think they were very compatible.

Shin Seol-ki seems very nice on the surface but it isn't a nice trait, to me, when you "string" people along. I thought she turned her attention to Choi Jong-woo as if she was seriously considering him when I really think she was focusing on him just to make Kim Jin-young jealous. Jong-woo was so kind and considerate of her noticing when she didn't feel well, bringing her medicine and just generally watching out and taking care of her. When they interacted they had a lot to talk about and she seemed attracted to him but not at the same level as Jin-young. I don't think he was interested in Seol-ki for competitive reasons or because the other male participants were interested in her, his interest seemed beyond her physical appearance and that he was also drawn to her for personal reasons. But, as young woman often do she would trample Jong-woo's feelings the minute Jin-young expressed interest. Physical attraction is fleeting, but a real connection with someone you also find attractive is rare. Although Seol-ki chose Jong-woo in the end I did not feel super good about them as a couple because I thought she put him through a lot emotionally out of her desire to be the center of attention.

Lee So-e was sweet, but her near obsession with Jo Yoong-jae was over the top. He made it very clear he was only interested her as a friend even before he became romantically interested in Choi Seo-eun. It was particularly frustrating when she debated asking Yoong-jae to Paradise on a sort of forced date after she said she was okay with them just being friends. I was so relieved when she did not follow through with that. I understand the whole being a fool for love mentality but that rarely works. When you have pride in yourself others respect you more. She would have stood a better chance with Yoong-jae moving on and making him feel competitive with other men. I was glad when Kim Se-jun liked So-e and took her to Paradise. He was so sweet to her about his interest and feelings but I felt like she shined him on a bit because she was sill hung up on Yoong-jae. I wanted to sit her down and have her watch the movie "He is Just Not That into You" because that was so much the case in this situation. Even if you manage to turn someone's interest toward you after being firmly friend zoned you wind up being the one that loves the most and that is a lonely position to be in.

I loved Kim Han-bin. His positive attitude was infectious. He was so sweet in all of his interactions with the female participants I was completely baffled they were not more interested in him. He did an amazing job in the wrestling ring for a man who was physically less muscular and a little smaller than the others. And he was having so much fun in that match. I was sorry when they ganged up and got him out.

The physical challenges are a lot of fun to watch. It is surprising who does well and who does not because you cannot always predict up front who will win. I thought for sure Jin-young would win, hands down, the wrestling match. As a former special forces I was sure the other men stood little chance unless they ganged up on him. I was pleasantly surprised how well all the men did holding off, sometimes even multiple other men, trying to get them out of the ring. And Jong-woo's absolute determination to be the winner was an amazing thing to watch. Those matches are so exciting.

Lim Min-su was another one that needed to watch "He's just Not That into You." She took a liking to Jin-young and invited him to Paradise even after she had been rebuffed. He was pretty clear, without being completely cruel, that he was not interested in her like that. With a man like Jin-young becoming clingy is only going to drive him even farther away. He prefers the hunt and the woman that attracts a lot of attention and is harder to get. She is such a beautiful girl and seemed nice enough, she should have moved on and considered maybe Shun Ding-woo or Kim Han-bin. But she got laser focused on Jin-young and did not allow herself to get to know the others at all.

Park Se-joung was a complete surprise. I thought she would be a favorite of the male participants because she reminded me of several female idols. She also seemed very nice and there were several times when the male participants had one on one conversations with her just as they wandered about Inferno. The female participants got along with her well. I think, with her, it was just timing. Had she won some of the competitions and the men gotten to know her better, she likely would have had more interest directed at her.

The commentator/hosts are one of my favorite parts of the show. Cho Kyu-hun is so sensitive and beyond cute when he expresses empathy for the participants. He has such a great read on motivations and very wise insights on what people are doing and what they should do. Lee Da-hee is very intuitive and her reactions to what is happening are very compelling. I love her fashion sense too, just seeing what she is wearing next is part of the fun. Hong Jin-kyung is funny as one would expect from a comedian. She brings such a fresh perspective to the group and I love it when she points things out. Jung Han-hae is quiet a lot of times, but he is introspective, so when he comments about things he usually has another perspective. As a group it feels like watching those show with a group of super fun people, like you are sharing a 4th wall with them. Some of the reviewers expressed negative views about the hosts but I think it makes the show. I don't think it would be nearly as enjoyable without the hosts.

After watching 2 seasons the things I think would improve an already great show. I think it is a mistake to let anyone go to Paradise with the same person twice. As a viewer those dates are boring. They already know each other, we already know about them, and with only 9 days it makes it even less likely they get to know other people. I think the show could run longer than nine days because some are just starting to think about someone else and the show ends. Nine days is not enough time to become interested in someone, get rejected, and move on to someone else. I also enjoy, as much as the time on Paradise, the time spent on Inferno and a longer run would allow more time for the singles to get to know each other on Inferno. I hope they do reunion shows because viewers, based on online traffic, are really interested in what the participants do after the show.

#SinglesInferno2
#LeeDaHee
#ChoKyuHun
#HongJinKyung
#JungHanHae
#LeeNadine
#ShinSeoulKi
#ParkSejeong
#LeeSoE
#ChoiSeoEun
#LimMinSu
#ChoiJongWoo
#JoYoongJae
#KimHanbin
#ShunDingwoo
#KimJinyoung
#KimSeJun

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A hidden gem - It's a solid romantic comedy with interesting elements

8.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2022 South Korean romantic fantasy television drama with 16, 60 minute episodes. Also known as Jinx's lover.

I will first provide a synopsis then review/comments after

Synopsis
Seon Seul-bi (Seohyun) has been shut away from the world along with her mother Lee Mi-soo (Yoon Ji-hye) for her entire 20 years. She lived in such isolation that she knows little of how the outside world works. The Chairman who is keeping Seul-bi and her mother isolated believes he is doing it to protect them and others from their negative energy. The women come from a long line of Shamans who used to advise kings but their history combines fortune and misfortune simultaneously. As such they, and those before them, have been both revered and feared. Mi soo has been no different, the Chairman has utilized her shaministic skills to further his business interests but has kept his distance despite having some romantic involvement. Seon Sam-joong (Jun Kwang-ryul), the chairman, is a redeemable villian and it is apparent there is way more to the story of his relationship with Mi soo and his reasons for locking them away. Gong Soo-kwang / Go Myung-sung (Na In-Woo) meets Seul-bi when she escapes into the city and determines he is her Prince. Something about the vulnerable girl sets off his protective nature. What can all these complex characters learn of and from each other? Is there a place in the world for someone that has such power or is the best for all concerned for the shamans to remain in isolation? What happened in the past and what does the future hold?

Review/comments

I loved Seul-bi as do most of the characters in the series. She has a child like innocence and yet is both highly intelligent and extremely caring and compassionate. In the first part, the parallels to the little mermaid were intentional and unmistakeable. Common objects were fascinating to her because she had never seen nor used them. I had a harder time with Soo-kwang because he was very harsh with Seul-bi. I felt like he would shower her with affection then turn his back on her for things that were out of her control. Some of it was cultural I know, the whole "sins of your father" angle, but I still had a very hard time with his emotionally abusive behavior at one point in the series.

*Spoilers. For the most part this was very enjoyable and I would have rated it much higher but for some aspects that I felt were unfinished or unnecessary. I really dislike the amnesia trope. It was a little more palatable in this one because using her power caused the amnesia. Still it felt like she was starting all over with all the relationships she had which made it feel like the first 14 or 15 episodes were a waste. Her mother died and, because she didn't remember anything, there wasn't a lot of mention of that. She had just developed a relationship with her father but he simply disappeared off the radar. Her relationship with the market people was different because she didn't remember the time they spent together. They alluded that she might be getting her memory back when her child said mom knew where all the characters were which is something from her past, but it wasn't definitive. The concept that the business had been built through the efforts of the female shamans therefor the only way to get rid of the "curse" and allow her to live a normal life was to dissolve that business seemed ike a complete waste. I also felt like, because she lived her first 20 years with no freedom, she should have had all the advantages of the wealth that had been accumlated to live the next portion of her life free and with the benefit of everything that had been gained from the sacrifice. It felt like the Aunt was just being spiteful over her sister's death in wanting the company to dissolve. We joked half way through when we suspected that she was actually the Chairman's daughter, and when her brother was expressing romantic interest, that there would be a Luke and Princess Leia like moment when they said something like "somehow I knew, somehow I always knew" and it was a bit like that. Her brother was like those feelings I had for you must have been because you were my sister. It was a bit amusing because the parallel for Star Wars fans was obvious. It was the only way I would have felt okay with her not choosing 2nd guy. Because he was awesome. Lead guy lost my support when he was blaming her for his mother's death and being so cold to her. I loved her abilities. She was a force to be reconed with but never used it in an evil way. So, I thought, for me a more preferable outcome would have been if all that negative energy nonsense wound up not being true in her case and that she was able to continue to help people. But they had to do away with the magic for some reason so she could be an ordinary person. I didn't hate it but it would have been even better for me if she had been able to retain her amazing abilities.

Overall I highly recommend this. There are a few detractors but the overall story is interesting, unique, and compelling.

#JinxedAtFirst
#seulbi
#NaInWoo
#SeoHyun
#TrueVisions
#Na-Inwoo

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Unique twist on famous and "ordinary" - I thought it was cute

9.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2021 South Korean romantic comedy with 16, 60 minute episodes

Reporter Lee Geun-young (Choi Soo-young) does not realize just how bad her night can get when she sets out to get a story on a top star. After meeting her boyfriend for what was supposed to be a romantic evening but turns out to be a birds eye view of his cheating romance with a man, a series of events leads her to getting on the bad side of top star, Hoo Joon (Choi Tae-joon). Forgetting how powerful and influential his opinion can be, Hoo Joon gets Geun-young fired. With a lot of time on her hands Geun-young sets out to let everyone know this not so charming side of Hoo Joon and proclaims herself his anti fan. A reality show finds the animosity of the two intriguing and a show is developed around this anti fan marrying the top star and the two living together. During filming both pretend to get along but when they think the cameras are off - the true hilarity begins. Can two people who got off to such a rough start learn the true nature of the other and will this anti-van become a convert?

*spoiler alert. I wondered how this could be depicted in a believable way that they would be in contact enough that they would get married. As I watched it and discovered how and why she became his anti-fan and that they were not really married but that was the premise of the reality show - it made a lot more sense. The romance that developed between the two was perfectly paced and very believable. The "side couples" those romances were not very interesting. The show editor/producers alluded to a connection they had before and that they were reunited in the making of the reality show. So they seemed to "fall into" a romance rather quickly and, since we did not see it develop, I had little interest in their connection. Those relationships could have been left out and would not have been missed. I think she had a talent for acting so it would have been nice to see her product after the reality show ended. I wanted to see her succeed. I enjoyed this start to finish and highly recommend it.

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