CROSS GENE express their goal: to unite the world through music in the best way possible. The members actually sat down with the director over dinner and the director shaped the characters off their personalities. I think the director was spot on.

The boys play wrongly accused criminals among a zombie apocalypse. What will they do to stop zombies from spreading?

The OST Billion Dolla is what you'd expect from Cross Gene: a mesh of languages, breaking boundaries and showing the world that music is truly the essence of connection. Unity in our differences. Lovely message, and if you go into the movie with this in mind, it's even more enjoyable. The boys execute their emotions flawlessly and the story is aptly paced. A must watch if you're looking for adventure, music and emotion.

Read More

This drama really had me in for a surprise. It was my first time seeing Jung Somin in such a mature role, and I finally was introduced to Lee Minki's incredible acting. The description "slice of life" drama is not enough to describe the depth this drama has. It truly will move you in one way or another, if not in multiple ways, due to its incredible insight not only about human nature but also about society as a whole.

Jung Somin portrays her character to the T. This drama has the character development, it has the touching moments, but most of all it has a heart and message that speaks volumes. This is not your 10-top star studded drama with flashy cinematography, it instead knows itself very well and the writers have done an impeccable job keeping you guessing what's next. This is not your predictable, cliche rom com. There are no filler storylines, and everything shown is done for a purpose, not to fill a 16 episode quota.

The romance had me floored with the amazing chemistry. I fell in love with Lee Minki's portrayal of such a broken character. The other two love lines were also very well done, I never felt bothered by their scenes, instead I wanted more, because they were so purposefully shown and expertly weaved in.

What I appreciate the most about this drama however is the manner in which it tackles issues present in those who are maturing. While I'm not in my 30s, I'm a woman in my early 20s, I still too felt connected to the idea this drama was elaborating. I would advise those who are in for laughs, but also for heartfelt messages to watch this drama. This TV drama is by the far most well thought out and intricate drama of 2017 that I've watched. I would not change a single thing about its execution, and that's something I have a hard time saying about /any/ drama I've ever watched. I've laughed, cried and most of all learned so much from this drama, and I'm so thankful for the experience this drama has given me.

Read More

Was promising, but ultimately fell flat and held onto surface level issues

As someone with a brother on the ASD spectrum and who works in healthcare, I had a lot of hope going in. I was recommended the drama by a friend who also has a brother with ASD, otherwise I wasn't too intrigued by the drama's trailer or plot.

The drama, while it isn't the most pretentious thing I've ever seen, fails to deliver a plot which viewers will find engaging. I appreciate its more toned down approach to look into healing and bring awareness to mental illnesses and disabilities like ASD, but I think it fails in all other departments. I also think the relationship feels extremely contrived and is too sudden for me to take it seriously, especially because it leans on toxic: why must these two end up together when they have so many issues they need to work on? Sure, there is understanding between the two, but I wish there was a more organic growth shown.

Given how long these episodes were, I thought we would see a richer look into the psyche of individual characters, but instead we got surface level pretentious-ness and some mediocre comedy. There was so much potential for these characters given the production and cast, but it all fell flat which is a shame. I did like Oh Jung Se's portrayal of ASD though, so I will have to give him that. I failed to find any other characters as endearing, except perhaps the female lead, although at times she felt like a contrarian for the sake of being a contrarian, and not really rooted in the feelings of a real person.

Also, the pacing of this drama is very off. Some episodes feel like pure filler, and the mystery in the drama is poorly placed. I even forgot there was a mystery, because it would take so many episodes to come back to it.

I thought the first few episodes were great but it went downhill from there. It's unfortunate but I cannot continue to waste more hours of my life on this disappointment, so I'll have to drop it at episode 11. It just isn't worth it for me.

Read More

I think if you go into this drama with no expectations, it will surprise you. I have not read the manga, but I have watched other adaptations of this drama. And while I enjoy the Japanese remake better, this drama has a special place in my heart and has its own special aura.

The story is straight forward and somewhat cliche, and the acting isn't over the top or remarkable either, but there's a heart in this drama that will make you want to root for the girl. It's a perfect drama to watch as a teenager. I'd have to disagree with some reviews claiming that it showed Oh Hani, the main girl, as senseless. I think it actually depicted somewhat realistically just how swept up some teenagers can get in love interests, that it becomes the whole world to them, but they come to realize that adulthood has many aspects and finding romance is just one of them. Of course the cold male lead ridiculing the young girl is not something anyone wants to support, but this drama doesn't justify him being an asshole either. It instead does show character development and a budding romance between the two leads. I felt like the nearly robotic way the male lead portrayed himself in the beginning wasn't something that deviated out of character, and instead was portrayed fine.

One review said that the mom was helping Oh Hani stalk her own son: well they two leads are living in the same house, it's hard to be depicted as a stalker when you are residing in the same place in all honesty. The mom is actually one of the best reasons to watch this drama. She does want the two to get together because she's always longed for a daughter, but she isn't forceful and doesn't get in the way of the relationship either. It was refreshing to see a Kdrama mum be all over the female lead instead of being against her.

Overall this drama is worth dipping your toes into at least once. I found a special spark this drama had, if you don't feel it that's fine, but it definitely is worth looking into.

Read More

If you're in the medical field, or know anything about psychology, you might have somewhat of a tough time agreeing with all things said or done in the show, but if you can look past some logical issues, show has a great message about accepting one as one is, and the pursuit of love even through imperfect scenarios.

As someone wanting to go into psychiatry, and having friends and family members with psychological and neurological issues, I was intrigued that a kdrama was going to display these generally “taboo” topics. It’s one of the first few dramas as far as I know that did that, and the female lead being a psychiatrist made me even more interested in the show. While show was good, it had a lot of flaws that made it hard for me to overlook.

The bad:

The biggest problem I had was Jaeyul’s schizophrenia outcry by the doctors themselves. Aside from the fact that the diagnosis was super quick, it was also dealt with in a very over the top way. I understand the every-day man or woman (like FL’s sister) to be this dramatic about the mental illness, but the doctors themselves acting like he was on his deathbed already really had my eyes rolling. While yes males with schizophrenia may be more prone to suicide attempts, I feel like show was really jumping the gun on just how dangerous his mental illness was for him physically. Of course prevention is key, but the entire dramatic lens of it all felt rushed and almost irresponsible. I feel like the reactions of Haesoo’s doctor friends were exaggerated, especially since they’re psychiatrists themselves.

The meh:

As for the other shoe-horned psychiatry, I wasn’t too mad about it, but also because it reminded me somewhat of the ghost stories in Master’s Sun. Albeit in Master’s Sun the short side arcs felt a bit more organic.

From Dr. Lee and Dr. Jo’s “friendship”, to Jaeyul and Heesoo’s families, there was a whole LOT of dysfunctionality which didn't always make a lot of sense in how it was carried out. It’s why I could never get on board with a lot of Jaeyul’s mom’s backstory, I think, although I really empathized with Jaeyul’s character himself. He really nailed his character.

I’d like to add Haesoo’s sister added to her family’s side of dysfunctionality and show kind of glossed over that too, especially with how entitled her sister was. She definitely rubbed me the wrong way. Why even add her sister as a character if they weren’t going to resolve her side of the arc? Also, I usually love Kim Mikyung’s roles, but her as Heesoo’s mother towards the end really aggravated me.

The good:

OTP chemistry is top notch. It feels really organic, real, and ADULT. No kids fussing around. Adults with their quirks acting (most of the time) like adults.

I love how Gong Hyojin's character is a badass, and has her quirks. Her own trauma brought up in the show was also something I felt refreshing, and was a nice touch, although I felt like could have been elaborated on a touch more.

Jo Insung and Kyungsoo's relationship was also beautifully done. Jo Insung in general had a very commanding presence throughout the show, and it was because of this, to my surprise, I found myself glued to the show in its early stages.

Lee Kwang Soo's character also always brought a smile to my face (and at times had me sobbing).

Show is ambitious in that it brings to the forefront mental health in a country and climate where it's not always talked about. For that it truly deserves credit, although it didn't fully stick with medical coherence or logical coherence throughout. OTP's chemistry was great, as was Jo Insung's delivery of Jaeyul playing a schizophrenic.

Not the greatest, but worth it for Jo Insung’s performance and OTP–the highlight of the show for me.

Read More

This drama is worth your time. It's not terrible at all. I quite enjoy Shin's presence in the drama, wish he had more time onscreen and development since his character is probably one of the most interesting ones in this drama. I think what makes this drama from being amazing is that it too closely resembles My Love From Another Star in terms of progression, and coming from the same writer, I can see why, but I need variety. There are also a few inconsistencies and the initial romance developed could have had a better foundation--the first two episodes were very Heirs like (but the drama definitely picked up after episode 3). In itself the drama is somewhat predictable, cheesy and could use some tweaks to make it levels above other dramas out right now. However it is definitely a solid drama: I don't feel like I'm wasting my time watching. It is addicting at times and the story-line touches upon some deep issues. Solid 8.5/10. I would recommend people to watch it! And for comparisons sake, I like this so much more than Goblin. Goblin is way too slow and random for my taste.

Read More