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Completed
Touch
0 people found this review helpful
May 30, 2021
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
This review may contain spoilers

Interesting view into VIP makeup, great acting, no chemistry with leads

8.5 is my rating. This is a 2020 South Korean romantic drama with 16, 70 minute episodes.

Han Soo Yun (Kim Bo Ra) been hoping to debut as an idol for 10 years and it seems like her dreams have finally come true when she is selected among finalist to form a new girl group. Before she is able to fully realize her dream, a scandal breaks out surrounding her best friend and current male top actor Kang Do Jin (lee Tae Hwan). The company that manages both makes a decision (without letting the two young talents know) to let Soo Run take the fall for the incident and her dreams are over literally overnight. Cha Jung Hyuk (Joo Sang Wook) is a celebrity make-up artist who has earned so much fame in that profession that having your make-up done by him is considered a sure key to success. He did Soo Yun's makeup for the competition and she didn't really like it and wound up altering it to suit her image. Soo Yun does make-up for her popular you tuber friend and for other trainees and has some talent for doing makeup. When her idol dreams are crushed Soo Yun decides to fall back on her talent for make-up and applies for a trainee position with none other than Cha Beauty which is Jung Hyuk's company. Hilarity ensues when President (of the company) Cha discovers the girl who dared insult his make-up wants to work for him. Shortly after Jung Hyuk takes Soo Yun on as an artist in training, he loses everything over an industry scandal. As someone who is used to soldiering on Soo Yun shows Jung Hyuk how to start anew. Despite their large age difference, the two start to develop feeling for each other. However, Baek Ji Yoon (Han Da Gam) a top actress and Jung Hyuk's former girlfriend is back and wants him back. Kang Do Jin (Lee Tae Hwan) has realized he loves the girl who saw them both through their trainee days and wants to be more than friends. Will the two bond further through their mutual love of makeup or will their past loves and age difference drive them apart? Is this new dream enough to fill the gap left in Soo Yun's life from the long time she spent aspiring to be an idol?

*Spoilers. I both liked this drama and didn't. I really liked the friendships and found them to be very heartwarming. Learning about the world of VIP makeup was an intriguing slice of life. I am a fan of the "idol" trope so examining idols from the perspective of failed dreams and second chances was very compelling. Where I felt this lacked was the romance. Because of the age gap, there wasn't any chemistry, to me, between the two leads. I could so much envision her with Do Jin more and he was not only handsome but so sweet to her and everyone around her. I did not feel the connection beyond friendship of the two lead characters. The kiss scene lacked any deep emotion so it was hard to me envision them to gather in a romantic sense. I would have rated this much higher if the chemistry between the two had been there for me as the drama itself was very good from beginning to end. I still recommend this one for all the other elements, the slice of high art of makeup, the idol aspect, and all the friendships. It is worth it to watch for everything except for the romance - and it is still a good drama without that being perfect.

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My Holo Love
1 people found this review helpful
Mar 10, 2021
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 6.5
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 7.5
This review may contain spoilers

Disappointing for this fan of all things AI

7.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2020 SoUtah Korean science fiction romance with 12, 49-57 minute episodes.

Han So-yeon (Ko Sung-hee) is a pretty woman who lives a secluded life due to having prosopagnosia (inability to distinguish one face from another). iBecause of her face blindness disorder, So-yeon decided to live a reclusive life. She finds herself in the middle of a chase where one technology developer is trying to steal cutting edge artificial intelligence/ holographic technology from another and the glasses used to generate the hologram are planted on her during the chase. It is not long before the lonely young woman discovers the hologram “Holo” ( Yoon Hyun-min) and finds companionship and feels love for the AI. The genius software developer, Go Nan-do is noticing Holo doing things because of So-yeon and decides to leave Holo vvith So-Yeon to determine the full capability of the AI. Nan-do patterned “Holo” after his physical appearance when she starts using the AI program Holo whose appearance is the same as the developer, Go Nan-do. In terms of personality Holo is warm and caring where Nan-do is cold and impersonal. As So-Heinz discovers that loving an AI means having no physical contact, she meets Nan-do who moved in next to her to guard her and his creation. Nan-do was a lonely young boy who lost his mother early and developed his AI to alleviate the loneliness of himself and others like him. Holo seeing the two people as more similar than different sets out to matchmaker his “friends”.

I really wanted to like this as I like artificial intelligence based dramas. I found the romance between the female lead and holo hard to believe. They seemed like good friends but there was no depth to the relationship for it to develop into a true love. More believable would have been for the female lead to quickly fall for the inventor who looked like the hologram she liked. Instead they had her hung up on something that could never be while the real deal was pining after her. It was a bit of a shorter series anyway and it felt like a lot of time was spent on the female leaD’Souza relationship with holo and little with Nandi, the real man. Thus their love story felt rushed and not very genuine. I would not watch it again and would only recommend it to those who like the actors from other things or who just really like all aspects of AI.

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It's Okay to Not Be Okay
1 people found this review helpful
Mar 10, 2021
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

A magical dark fairy tale with so many heart warming moments

10/10 is my rating. This is a 2020 South Korean Romantic Drama television Series with 16, 70-85 minute episodes. Alternate title is “Psycho but It’s ok.”

Moon Gang-tae (Kim Soo-hyun) and Moon Sang-tae (Oh Jung-se) are two brothers who have lived a difficult and unsettled life trying to outrun the horror of their past. Gang-tae is the younger brother but was told before his mother’s untimely death that he should take care of his autistic older brother. who has autism. Sang-tae is the older brother but significant autism leads him to being child like, innocent and honest to a fault. As a younger child, Sang-tae witnessed his mother's murder which left him traumatized and, for some reason, terrified of butterflies. Gang-Tae is a care giver in psychiatric wards and has been able to move from hospital to hospital as they move around. at every place they settle in. Ko Moon-young (Seo Yea-ji), writes dark fairy tales which are inspired by horrific events in her past and an overbearing and abusive mother. She is invited to teach at the psychiatric ward because her books have special appeal for those struggling with their own psychological demons. Circumstances lead the three to the town where they all grew up and when their paths overlap Moon-young is drawn to the quiet compassionate and devastatingly handsome Gae-tae. Moon-young is extremely beautiful but unapproachable as some have indicated she has antisocial personality disorder. Those who irritate or seek to harm Moon-young are likely rto experience her wrath and her manager spends significant time and money cleaning up Moon-young’s many social blunders. What Moon-young wants she usually gets and she begins to relentlessly pursue Gang-tae. The two seem like oil and water but are actually more like ying and yang. Can they solve the mysteries of the past and grow a love pure enough to heal both?

I am really glad it is ok to not be ok because I certainly wasn’t when this ended. I so loved the main characters that letting it go was like leaving old friends. It was such a wonderful and masterful story that was a little like “The Adam’s Family”, “Rainman”, dark fairy tales, and A Series of Unfortunate Events” mixed together and birthed something with elements from all yet uniquely its own. The backdrop of the mental hospital was fascinating because there were patients struggling with a wide range of mental health challenges. The honesty, compassion and courage the disorders were presented with spoke strongly to the message that we do not always have to be okay. The two brothers and the way they had their weaknesses yet leaned on each other through a rough and lonely childhood as orphans was very heart warming. Moon-young proved to be a lot less heartless than her exterior portrayed and was the missing key for the duo to become a trio and develop into a true family. The acting was amazing and the music, costume and sets were beautiful. I will watch this again and highly recommend this wonderful series. I would not change a single thing.

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Lawless Lawyer
1 people found this review helpful
Mar 4, 2021
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.5
This review may contain spoilers

Action packed with a heart warming romance

9.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2018 South Korean legal thriller with 16, 60 minute episodes.

After witnessing his mother’s murder, Bong Sang-pil (Lee Joon-gi) goes to live with his uncle Choi Dae-woong (Ann Nae-sang) who despite being a gangster has a sense of morality and raises his nephew as his own. Sang-pil’s mother was an attorney and was in the process of exposing criminally corrupt officials when she was murdered to silence her. Determined to avenge his mother, Sang-pil learns fighting skills from his uncle. He determines that gangster skills are not enough though and becomes a lawyer then blending his lawless/gangster style with that of a smart, tough lawyer to seek justice against evil doers. Ha Jae-yi (Seo Yea-ji) is unaware that her and Sang-pil share a connection through their parents and the dark events that occurred in the past. Sang-pil has been watching Jae-yi from afar and finds her strong sense of justice combined with a fiery spirit , very compelling. When Jae-yi returns to her hometown after being suspended and fired for standing up to a corrupt, judge, Sang-pil who was back to seek revenge, sets up “chance” encounters. He gets Jae-yi to work at his law firm where he can utilize her skills while being able to keep a close, protective, eye on her. As the two people work together unraveling the past and working to bring the powerful and elite of the city to justice for their many crimes, love blossoms between them. Can the two use a combination of street justice and law to topple a nearly impermeable corrupt power structure? Can they survive and pursue a brighter future together?

I am a fan of Lee Joon-gi as I find that he selects intriguingly complex plots with action packed scenes that are also sweetly romantic. Those that I have seen him in have well written endings and the female roles are typically a good foil for the male lead. In this one I loved his character who was nearly super hero like in his pursuit of justice. He and Seo Yea-Ji were a couple I could easily envision together as they had great chemistry and just looked really good together. I have been putting off watching “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” but now that I watched Seo Yea-Ji’s performance in this I am eager to see her in other roles. I watched this at a time when our government has similar layers of corruption and where many are experiencing feelings of hopelessness because of it so seeing good overcoming evil was particularly compelling at this time. The action scenes were exciting and you could tel that Lee Joon-gi is an accomplished martial artist. The end started just a little slow and there is an element where her dad does not believe her and when the truth comes to light the never show the father’s light bulb moment. This is one of my new favorites and I highly recommend it.

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The Scholar Who Walks the Night
1 people found this review helpful
Feb 4, 2021
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 5.5
Rewatch Value 8.5
This review may contain spoilers

Great Acting, beautiful costumes but some elements that didn't work

8/10 is my rating. This is a 2015 South Korean paranormal television drama with 20, 60 minute, episodes.

Jo Yang-sun (Lee Yu-bi) lives in an alternate Josean dynasty as the daughter of a deposed nobleman. Although not guilty of treason, with no way to prove the false claims, her family loses everything. Yang-sun dresses up as a man in order to sell books to support her family. Kim Sung-yeol (Lee Joon-gi), is over 100 years old but has the handsomeness and virility of the young man he once was. He is a guardian vampire responsible for punishing those of his kind who break the rules. He tragically lost his first love to an evil vampire and has spent years mourning and blaming himself for his loss. His focus has been finding a way to defeat this much stronger and more ancient vampire. The vampire was summoned by the royalty to establish and protect the elite structure and serves above the current monarchy. There is a document many are looking for that holds the key to destroying Gwi (Lee Soo-hyuk), the evil vampire, but it has been carefully hidden and zealously guarded. Fate binds Yang-sun, Sung-yeol and the current Crown Prince and their paths entwine throughout their lives. Will they have the courage to do what must be done to destroy the evil vampire? Will love blossom in the most unlikely place?

Despite a lot of flaws I still liked this drama. The story itself is very compelling and the acting by the entire cast is very good. T in the love story is believable and the chemistry between the leads is good. Spoilers*** I found parts just a bit silly in that the vampires were not completely real looking. In parts it was apparent that the male lead had a wig and not a great one at that. It was also apparent this was filmed several years ago as the film quality was just slightly less than what they do currently. What really lessened this for me was the way so many of the characters seemed to be on a suicide mission so that they would even argue about who should live and who should die. You, you should live but no I am going to go do this thing that will lead to my certain death. Well, if you die then I am going to die. And then it would start again. The "2nd guy" who was the crown prince for much of the story, seemed to fall in and out of love dramatically quickly. He also would make these statements about dying for the cause but, when it came right down to it, he would be scared and emotional. Then a couple of scenes later he is right back to talking tough. 2nd guy also let lead girl get literally tortured. She didn't forgive him which was good because he literally allowed her to take the blame for him and then was aware of her being severely tortured. 1st guy also did not come to her immediate rescue. I think one of my favorite characters was the evil vampire, Gwi. He was so consistent throughout and just very vampire like. It ended okay but they did the typical I am just going to go off for a year and you are going to wait and pine for me. The lead girl was so pretty when she was dressed as a girl I would have liked if she had more screen time as a girl. And there were so many opportunities for side romance I found it disappointing that the side romance wound up being between 2nd guy and a look alike of the male lead's first love. They fell for each other so quick it was not completely believable and then she just dies which made it pointless anyway. So it is a good film of the genre - actually very good but it was so close to being great that, the fact that it could have been lessens the enjoyment a little.

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Just the Way You Are
1 people found this review helpful
Jan 31, 2021
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 7.5
This review may contain spoilers

Cheeses and predictable yet light and fluffy

7.5/10 is my rating. This is a 120 minute Filipino romantic comedy movie. Also called “The Bet.”

Drake Sison (Enrique Gil) is known for being a highly sought after ladies’ man. He and his best friend, AndreI (Yves Flores) are constantly making bets which often enter around the opposite sex. Though he often loses to Drake, Andrew thinks he has come up with the bet he is sure to win, Drake must make the not so popular new girl, Sophia Taylor (Liza Soberano) fall for him in 30 days or declare Andrei the winner. Drake thinks, piece of cake, after all what woman has been able to resist his charms? He soon finds he may have met his match and losing the bet may be the least of his worries.

Spoiler ** I did not hate this for what it was a very light, predictable, teenage romantic comedy. If you’re out for just light and fluffy and something you don’t have to think about at all then this might fit the bill. To me the girl was never all that ugly or nerdy and I could clearly tell with a little make up and a different hairstyle she was very beautiful actually. That made her not the best fit for the role because she was supposed to be sort of Undateable looking. Although it was predictable I did like the fact that the girl was way more complex than the lead guy had imagined and it was that very complexity that drew him to her and made her different than other girls he dated. It was quite cheesy and some parts almost cringey but I think part of that must be cultural because other Filipino romances I have seen have been equally cringe worthy and cheesy. I knew what I was getting into when I read the plot so I wasn’t completely surprised about anything and for me it was sort of what I was looking for that day. It was definitely a good one to watch with my 10-year-old granddaughter as it was a very innocent romance in fact I don’t even remember them truly kissing just their lips getting close. So I would say good not great but if you’re looking for something light and where you can sort of auto pilot this could be it.

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On Your Wedding Day
1 people found this review helpful
Dec 2, 2020
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 4.0
This review may contain spoilers

A little too real for me

7.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2018 South Korean Romace Movie that is 110 minutes long.

Hwang Woo-Yeon (Kim Young-Kwang) receives a wedding invitation from his long time friend and first love, Hwan Seung-hee (Park Bo-young). They had ten years together as friends and eventually as a couple. They parted ways and the wedding invitation is the first Woo-Yeon heard from Seung-hee in awhile. The wedding invitation makes Woo-Yeon realize he still has feelings for this girl he should not have let go.
*Spoiler alert I really liked their friendship in high school. She dated other guys and he other girls but they were always there for each other. He was obviously in love with her and she knew it yet held him at arms length. I think she did it because she knew if they got together romantically and it did not work it would end their friendship. Girls often feel that way and that is why a guy that has it all and seems perfect gets friend zoned. They do eventually become a couple and he blows it by saying meeting her was what made his life go downhill. It was the type of fight that most couples would get through but they did not. The fact that neither held on that hard is telling about their relationship. The ending was most disappointing. He receives the wedding invitation and spends some days drinking and being consoled by his friends. At the last minute he goes and hatches a plan to have a private discussion with the bride. Now this is normally where they would profess their love and make amends the walk off together. what happened was they apologized and thanked each other. Then they wished each other well and she exited to do the bridal walk and he walks away. It was what might really happen in real life but that is not what I watch drama for. I want the sweet romance, the love that lasts - you know happily ever after. It is a bummer because I liked elements of it but was saddened by the end. A good watch if you like a close mirror on reality.

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My Love from the Star
0 people found this review helpful
Nov 11, 2020
21 of 21 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
This review may contain spoilers

Fun to watch a spoiled starlet meet her match

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2013/2014 South Korean Drama Spanning 21 episodes (~60 minutes/episode). Jun Ji-Hyun plays the female lead, Cheon Song-Yi, a top Korean starlet who is used to having every guy fall at her feet and generally getting her own way.  She moves in next to a guy, Do Min-Joon (played by Kim Soo-Hyun), who, if anything, finds Cheon Song-Yi annoying in her behavior.  Which naturally drives her crazy and makes her determined to win him over. 

Spoiler 🚨 I was a little reluctant on this one.  An Alien I thought.  What like ET?  No, more like Superman.  This has romance, of course, but it also has that supernatural element, along with a love triangle, a mystery and even a serial killer.  I found this SO interesting and entertaining.  22 episodes is more than some but I was so entertained that it didn’t seem like many.  I loved the two leads they looked so beautiful together.  And you could really see how each offset the other.  There was even an ET joke so a nod at that movie.  I can see why it consistently rates high.  It isn’t silly because of the alien element – just intriguing.  I liked it a lot I wish it had ended a bit different but would still have watched it and would recommend it because it ended okay and was so enjoyable to watch.

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Secret Garden
0 people found this review helpful
Nov 9, 2020
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

A slice of life of the stunt world

10/10 is my rating. Two worlds collide in this exciting South Korean drama that aired in 2010 and 2011 (20 episodes). Gil Ra-im is a stunt woman who is poetry in motion when she is doing action scenes. Ha Ji-Won brings a versatility to this female lead role by being both tough and vulnerable. She also masters how to act more masculine when the body switch happens. Her cool behavior attracts multiple suitors the most unlikely of which is department store CEO Kim Joo-Won (Hyun Bin) who is drawn to Gil Ra-im despite the fact that he knows she is not the type of person that would be accepted in the elite social circles he and his family belong to. He masterfully adopts a more feminine attitude when they body switch and his slow transformation is believable. It is not hard to understand his fascination with Gil Ra-im and it is equally understanding how she would find him attractive for the security and protection his lifestyle offers.

spoiler 🚨 There are many likable characters in this drama and you want to see them all end up happy. It is uncomfortably amusing at times (like Bromance if you have ever seen it), there is suspense, romance, mystery and multiple plot twists. This is one of my favorites and should appeal to anyone looking for a unique drama.

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Jojo's World
1 people found this review helpful
Nov 9, 2020
15 of 15 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
This review may contain spoilers

When the biological clock is ticking

8.5/10 is my rating. This 2017 Taiwanese drama has 15 episodes (~75 minutes/episode). The female lead, Lin Chun-Jiao (Tia Lee) is a driven career woman who has focused her life on earning money to support the only family she has left, her stepmom and brother. Her world is turned upside down when she discovers that failing ovaries impact future family. Her stepmom starts a quest to get her beloved daughter happily married.

spoiler 🚨 I was very surprised in this one because, from reading the description I thought it would be like an episode of the bachelorette where the word goes out and potential suitors are lined up. The way it plays out is the men are actually already a part of her life and the interactions develop along more natural lines with some pushing and urging from those around her. To me that was much more believable and allowed for fuller character development. To win a large account JoJo goes to work for a cold, distant, General Manager of a hotel chain, Yi Sheng (Jacob Hwang). The story between the two is a little like beauty and the beast where JoJo's extreme likeability slowly starts to thaw Yi Sheng's cold exterior. Things are not as simple as they seem though when JoJo's college love Tang Zai-qin returns following an 8 year separation that grew from a simple misunderstanding. Opening yourself to love changes a person and other men in her circle start to see her in a different light. There is a point in the movie where this "Eat, Pray, Love element comes in - you know the go on a quest to find yourself type thing - and I can't say that I loved that trajectory but the overall story was good enough that was a minor irritation for me. Some people really loved "Eat, Pray, Love" so others might actually enjoy that part. If you are not one of them, just know that does not overshadow the story. I got a little worried about the ending - I am not a fan of sad endings or where you follow characters the entire time only to have things drift at the end. That doesn't happen - it ends well.

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Love O2O
1 people found this review helpful
Nov 6, 2020
30 of 30 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 7.0
This review may contain spoilers

One of the few where the couple remains intact

8.5/10 is my rating. This was a 2016 Chinese drama that ran for 30 episodes ~103 minutes/episode). The title O2O stands for online to offline from what I can tell. The male lead is played by Yang Yang who plays a 4th year computer science major and the top man on campus. Xiao Nai (Yang Yang) could have his pick of women but becomes fascinated by Bei Wei Wei (Zheng Shuang), a 2nd year computer science student, who is a match for both his physical attractiveness as well as intellect. Both are top players in a very popular role playing game called "A Chinese Ghost Story" and Xiao Nai actually first notices Wei Wei as she sits playing the game.

Spoiler 🚨 Other reviewers commented that this is just a solid love story and I would agree with that. It is refreshing that little to nothing seems able to break them up once they come together and the conflicts are around overcoming obstacles others put in their way personally and as a couple. Xiao Nai is also emerging as CEO of his own gaming company that is on the cutting edge of the gaming industry. I really liked how this would switch back and forth to their roles and relationship within the game to outside of it. It was a look at how intense many people play these types of games and the fact that many such games serve as their own match making entity. It is fun to watch the two defeat those with evil intent using either their great intellect or, as in Wei Wei's case, stunning beauty. I did feel like it took awhile for the story to really take off. However, once it really got going I was pulled in. I would put this not at the top of my list but definitely towards the top. It is a great and very heartwarming drama that is well acted with visual stunning scenes.

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My ID Is Gangnam Beauty
1 people found this review helpful
Nov 6, 2020
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
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Transformations have to be more than skin deep

9/10 is my rating. This 2018 South Korean Drama spans 16 episodes (~60 minutes/episode). Kang Mi-rae (Im Soo-Hyan) has been bullied her whole life for being “ugly” and decides to have plastic surgery to improve her appearance prior to starting college. She hopes for a new life and to leave her troubled childhood behind. Do Kyung-seok (Cha Eun-woo) is as attractive as he is cold and distant. He was a classmate of Kang Mi-rae during her middle school years but then disappeared to another school during that timeframe. Once bullied for being ugly Kang Mi-rae begins to experience bullying for a whole new reason – being too pretty. Do Kyung-seok defends Kang Mi-rae and comes to her rescue on multiple occasions.
This seemingly light romance explores a deep issue. What does it mean to be pretty? Do attractive people really have it easy? What would it be like to become beautiful overnight? I thought it was interesting because pretty and handsome people do have to develop some interpersonal skills around that distinction. Too nice and everyone is approaching them for relationships. Too cold and they are seen as stuck-up. Early on you see that Kang Mi-rae is struggling with how to be pretty. She goes along with people as she always has and lets people in that she likely should close out. Jealousy is not something she easily recognizes and thus she has people pretending to be close to her yet stabbing her behind her back.

Spoiler 🚨 I loved the love story. Usually the male lead in Asian dramas starts as sort of a jerk but in this one he is really sweet to her the whole way through. Super sweet. He was a perfect male lead.
0-;''

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Shopaholic Louis
1 people found this review helpful
Nov 5, 2020
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 8.0
This review may contain spoilers

Very Unique and Fun

9/10 is my rating for this one. It is a 2016 South Korean drama spanning 16 episodes (~60 minutes/episode). A romantic comedy about Louis (Seo In-guk), a rich heir who always spends money to buy everything that has a subtle beauty (he hears them “speaking to him)l. One day he loses his memory and meets Bok-Shil (Nam Ji-hyun), a pure and energetic woman from the countryside. She is at first astounded by his spending habits. In the process of teaching him to only buy bare necessities or inexpensive small kindnesses that lighten up one's day, she also learns that bare necessities are not same for everyone as they depend on everyone's own values that shape their life and thus their shopping patterns. Both have innate innocence which bring them to care for each other, leading to undeniable love.
Spoiler 🚨 This one was so much fun throughout I missed it when it was over. The leads were so absolutely adorable together I was their cheerleader the entire way. It was fun to see them surviving the city jungle together and their unconditional love and support of each other.

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You Are My Destiny
1 people found this review helpful
Nov 5, 2020
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 5.5
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Different path to Romance

8.5/10 is my rating. A 2014 South Korean television drama spanning 20 episodes ~60 minutes/episode). Kim Mi-Young (Jang Na-Ra) is an unassuming young woman who has a one night stand with a wealthy heir, Lee Gun (Jang Hyuk). She becomes pregnant.

Leading up to their sexual encounter the two leads had several chance encounters with a lot of comedic events surrounding them. They were not the type either would have considered for each other but a mix up lands them in the same room each thinking the other was someone else. It is further complicated by Lee Gun was on the eve of proposal to his long time love.

Spoiler 🚨 I liked this one perhaps more than its average level of review. It was very funny in many parts but you better also have tissues handy if you are one that feels the emotions along with the characters. There is a 2nd guy that is so wonderful to her you almost want to see her with him instead. Some say this was too formulaic for them but I feel like there were enough twists and turns in the story that any formulaic aspects were background. Besides, with love stories, the reason there is a formula is people like it. Same with every other genre there is a general "formula" that people tend to like and watch. I had my doubts but my friend had reassured me it ends well and it did. And it also ended nicely with loose ends tied up. I can deal with sad sandwiches (happy beginning and ending with sad in the middle) or even a sad pie (I made that one up sad at the base - the crust - but the rest is happy). But if it is sad soup (sad the whole way through) or Greek tragedy (it all goes to hell in the end) I am not interested. And even in the middle the sad thing cannot be so devastating that I never recover. And this one dodged all of that and just had some sad parts that didn't kill the story for me. I feel in love with Mi-Young's character for her incredibly sweet and nice nature. I really liked that she underwent a transformation and kept that at her core but grew confidence and the ability to stand up for herself. Very enjoyable and worthwhile watch.

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Completed
Coffee Prince
1 people found this review helpful
Nov 5, 2020
17 of 17 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 10
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 7.5
This review may contain spoilers

Lovers of Goblin will also like Gong Yoo in This Role

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2007 South Korean television series that spanned 17 episodes (~60 minutes/episode).
Go Eun-chan (Yoon Eun-hye) has always been a tomboy and is often mistaken for a man. So when a job with a new coffee cafe becomes available but is only open to men it is an easy role for her to fill - pretending to be a guy. Choi Han-kyul (Gong Yoo) has always been a rick playboy. His grandmother forces him to start a business in order to get him to take things more seriously. A "bromance" turns romance develops between the two main leads.

Spoiler 🚨 I liked this one a lot. I felt incredibly bad for the male lead as he struggled with having feelings towards what he thought was a guy. I also liked all the supporting characters and their reaction to the "female" lead. It was well acted, well scripted, just all around enjoyable. For me a 9/10 just because I did feel like there were some slow parts.

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