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  • Last Online: Apr 6, 2024
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  • Location: Twenty steps away from the toilet and just around the corner from the stairs.
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Aryael

Twenty steps away from the toilet and just around the corner from the stairs.

Aryael

Twenty steps away from the toilet and just around the corner from the stairs.
Completed
Murphy's Law of Love
23 people found this review helpful
by Aryael
Jul 25, 2015
19 of 19 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 7.5
Story: This is a typical love story between two people with two vastly different beliefs, character and background. Anything that can go wrong did went wrong with the relationship. There are many cliches in the story and if it's not for the brilliant writing, dialogue and chemistry between the leads, it would have gone terribly wrong. What I love about the story is the fact that although it has cliche setting and scenes, the character development and the rationale for the growth of the relationships were excellent. Unlike typical Asian drama setting where revelations would bring about catastrophic turn of events, our leads dealt with all of the challenges thrown at them maturely, logically and calmly. I can totally see how this sort of relationship can be found in reality. The underlying philosophy of ending things well and moving on in life is also a mature take on how what's in the past should stay in the past. Both the leads have their personal issues that they need to deal with as they move forward in their relationship and this is how we see the character growth. I love the interactions between the leads and the people around them. They are a very sweet couple. I love the naughtiness and 'smartie pants' kind of things the male lead gets into in order to get the female lead to fall for him. There's plenty of skinship (forced, planned and natural) between the leads that reminds me why men are such devious creatures! There is no sudden deviation of character because of the challenges faced, rather the characters remained true to their natures while learning how to grow in relationships. There wasn't a single moment in the drama that felt rushed or dragged. Each scene and episode is vital to the natural pace of the story. If you are expecting 'drama', you will be disappointed, but if you are expecting a beautiful story that flows naturally, you will be delighted. The ending makes sense and was not rushed. In fact, I find myself wishing the couple all the best! Fans of mature story-telling would love this drama.

Acting/Cast: I was glad to see that Danson Tang came back to the TDrama scene with a bang. His depiction of the main character was brilliant. I love how Danson was able to act out such a wide range of emotions on his face from sombre, mad, in love, sad, naughty, teasing to just being plain cold and arrogant. His was my favourite character in the drama. This brings me to my least favourite character in the drama - coincidentally, the female lead! Do not get me wrong here. Ivelyn Lee acted brilliantly and delivered an excellent performance. It is her character that I disliked. What I disliked about Ivelyn's character of Guan Xiao Tong was Xiao Tong's cowardice and indecision when it comes to love relationships. She tends to over-analyse everything (like the psychologist she is) and tries to predict how the relationship will end. She failed to just enjoy being in a relationship and just let things develop naturally. She's always putting one foot in the relationship and another foot out (just in case things go wrong!). Therefore, she would always take the first step to end the relationship before she would really get hurt beyond repair. It did not matter what the man did for her or how much he had expressed his love for her...she has her own agenda and has already decided how she will end things with him. And once she had ended things with him, she started to over-analyse and regret her decisions in her past relationships.....the indecisiveness of her character totally makes me angry. Hers is like a pendulum, always swinging back and forth, always trying to take the middle ground but failed. Personally, I dislike ppl who are indecisive and have insecurity issues. I am glad that towards the end, she learns from this flaw of her character and grows more mature in her relationship with the male lead. It is because of my personal dislike of indecisive characters that I rated this drama 8.5/10 instead of the 9/10 I gave for its story. A stronger female lead character would be more to my liking.

Music: Lovely music but I've heard better ones before.

Rewatch value: I love all the lovey dovey scenes and the scenes where Danson acted the jealous and naughty man going after the girl he likes. I am a traditional person when it comes to love and appreciate it when the man is the one who goes all out after a girl and makes it so very apparent to all and sundry! To me, that is very flattering to the woman and very romantic as well. Therefore, this drama has a high rewatch value for me because of all of the romantic scenes between the leads.

Overall: It has been a while since I'd watched a TDrama. The industry has experienced a slump of late but once in a while, you'll find a gem and as of July 2015, this drama is the gem of 2015 TDrama for me. If you like romance dramas with mature story lines with a hint of mature comedy such as 'In Time With You', 'I want romance', 'Gentleman's Dignity' etc - you'll most likely like this drama as well.

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Completed
Healer
4 people found this review helpful
by Aryael
Jun 29, 2015
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 7.0
Story: I picked up this drama after a short hiatus from all dramas. Needless to say, this was a worthy investment of my time. This is an action-romance drama. The story revolves around what happened one day in 1992 when two men (a reporter and his cameraman) who happened to be best friends died after what had seemed like a routine case chasing after a breaking news involving money laundering in a business corporation. No one knew exactly what happened on that day when best friends were said to turn against each other - one murdering the other and then took his own life. It reeked of a big cover-up where evidences and testimonies went missing and all those involved in the case were fired from their jobs, but no one was able to prove it. Twenty-two years later, the children of these men grew - oblivious of their fathers' case but inevitably drawn to the mystery of their fathers' deaths and to each other. Throw in seamless action scenes, strategic pose on high rise buildings by a dashing hero and a brave but traumatised heroine and we get 'Healer'. It is a good storyline told at a comfortable pace. The spattering of comedy scenes here and there and the entertaining interactions and conversations between the characters add to the charm of this drama. The only thing, in my opinion, that could have gotten this drama a perfect 10 for storyline would be a little bit more action (coz I am an action freak!) and a slight re-arrangement of the storyline in the middle so that it will flow more naturally towards the ending (rather than the ending flowing in in the last 2 episodes of the drama). Although the ending did not feel rushed, it could have been entered into with better planning during the middle of the drama.

Acting/Cast: Perfect 10 for cast and acting. Ji Chang-Wook was the perfect 'Healer'. Although I watched his acting in Empress Ki and Smile Donghae, it is his acting in this drama that drew me in to this young actor. I am expecting great things from him in the future.

Music: The OSTs are good - if you are into ballads. I am surprised that they did not have at least 2 or 3 OSTs in this drama with stronger and faster tempos for the action scenes - again, a big giveaway that this drama is more of a romance drama than action. The action just spice things up a little (though not too much in my opinion).

Rewatch value: This drama is an easy re-watch despite it being a 20 episodes' drama. Each episode is interesting and has its' 'moments'.

Overall: I gave this drama 9.5/10. It is just a touch under perfect but still a very worthy drama! If you haven't watch it, you need to start clearing your schedule for 2-3 days, sit down and just marathon it. Trust me, once you start this, you are hooked!

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Completed
Date - Koi to wa Donna Mono Kashira
8 people found this review helpful
by Aryael
Mar 30, 2015
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 6.0
Story: Two socially inept people meet:- one a woman who relies on math to solve all of life's problems and another a man who perfected the 'art' of being a NEET and leeching off his mum for a living. The woman decided she need to marry herself off by 30 and the man decided he needs a wife to leech off when his mum passes on. These two individuals meet and hilarity ensues. The comedy in this drama is not the 'at your face' type comedy. It is subtle and implied while also excel in some good ol' straight forward fun. It is a jibe at societal perception on lowly educated and unemployed men versus highly educated and employed women. It makes you question the famous question repeated by the male lead, "Why can't men stay at home and take care of the kids while leeching off his wife? Why is it ok for women to do so and not men??" At the same time, it explores the theme of realistic love. Is love the increase in your heartbeat, being comfortable with a person and having similar outlooks in life or is love messy, unexpected, unplanned and furiously frustrating? Personally, I like the storyline and once again find the no-nonsense way of the Japanese in telling a story a score in this drama. I love how the leads banter and how subtle comedy was inserted quickly in their snide remarks to each other.

Acting/Cast: Excellent acting and cast.

Music: Love the 'aunty' feel of the music - old school and adds to the humour and charm of the drama.

Re-watch value: I can imagine myself re-watching this during the year end holiday but not immediately. It has one of those 'relax, sit back and enjoy the show' feel to it that suits a lazy holiday afternoon, though it is not in the "OMG! I gotta re-watch this ASAP!" category.

Overall: A worthy entertainment and time spent. Short, sweet and direct with a good and suitable ending. It is a concise, compact product that will suit your basic entertainment need. Give it a try and let me know what you think. :)

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Completed
Cruel Romance
12 people found this review helpful
by Aryael
Mar 27, 2015
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 6.0
Story: A young and naive lady, Rong Jin Xiu went to Shanghai in pursuit of the men who murdered her family and to search for her elder sister, Ming Zhu who had left the family many years ago. Along the way, she accidentally met and rescued Shanghai's most notorious and powerful gangster leader, Zhuo Zhen, and Shanghai's richest playboy, Xian Ying Dong. She fell in love with Ying Dong but was aggressively pursued by a possessive Zhuo Zhen. Through a series of near death experiences and clearing of misunderstandings, Jin Xiu finally learned that the man who truly loves her is the rough and tough Zhuo Zhen. However, happily ever after for Jin Xiu does not come easy even after she and Zhuo Zhen realised their love for each other. There are many who are out to separate the couple. More misunderstandings ensued amidst the setup of pre-World War 2. The ambitions of the Japanese to conquer China and the world, especially the financial empire of Shanghai cannot be denied. The Japanese spy/businessman that was given the responsibility of conquering Shanghai is Maeda Ryuichi and Maeda has his own personal agenda when it comes to Rong Jin Xiu. And what of Jin Xiu's sister, Ming Zhu? She has her own sad and painful story to tell:- of love, sacrifices, death, murder, betrayal and salvation. Hers is a character that will experience, change and grow a lot through the drama. Will Ming Zhu find her happiness as well? It is for me to know and you to find out! :)

The story is typical of 1930s Shanghai romance with the involvement of businessmen, gangsterism and Japanese spies. Personally, I think the entire story can be told in around 25-30 episodes. There were just too many flashbacks and insignificant scenes that distracted from the main story. The main story itself is actually not too bad. Therefore, I blame the lower rating of story and overall on the directing of this drama. If the director had cut down on the flashbacks, insignificant scenes and tightened the drama - the story of Jin Xiu and her sister Ming Zhu would have been better told and Cruel Romance 2015 would have been a better product. If you are planning to watch this, I highly recommend that you fast forward the flashbacks. It'll be less annoying this way.

Acting/Cast: I give 10/10 for the actors and actresses. They all did a superb acting job. The reason for my final lower score of 9/10 is the many obvious errors in directing and editing of the drama. There are parts that seem to drag 2-3 seconds too long - the pause causing a less smooth shifting of scenes. It is not the actors' fault as it is the director and editor's job to make sure each scenes flow nicely into each other without any obvious or awkward pauses. Again, I place this blame on the doorstep of the director.

Music: Nice OSTs:- sad, nostalgic and meaningful. I have them downloaded and am enjoying the OSTs now.

Rewatch value: Due to its' length and the many flashbacks, it is not a good candidate for re-watching. However, there are some romantic scenes between Zhuo Zhen and Jin Xiu that may warrant some re-watching for those of you romantics at heart!

Overall: Considering the directing hiccups, I give this drama 7.5/10. It is a passable drama but not great. Story-wise, it is worth your time watching but only if you are happy to be pressing the fast forward button over tonnes of flashbacks.

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Completed
The Empress of China
60 people found this review helpful
by Aryael
Feb 24, 2015
96 of 96 episodes seen
Completed 5
Overall 7.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 6.5
Rewatch Value 3.0
Story: This is a modern re-take on the famous historical figure - Wu Ze Tian. Empress Wu is renown as the only female emperor in China but most importantly, she is also famous for her cruelty with historical records of infanticide (she murdered her own baby), murder, amputation, torture etc. Although an intelligent and educated woman, her rule was marred by reports of her cruelty against her own children, relatives, ministers and servants. However, scholars have also praised her for her brilliance in administration. She made wise decisions in selecting capable ministers though she was quick to punish any mistakes - often cruelly. During her rule, the Tang dynasty expanded rapidly and became the biggest empire - extending to beyond the west of Turkey and with Japan and the Korean peninsula firmly under Chinese rule. If we are to re-interprete the life of Wu Ze Tian in the context of her life in early China, we might arrive at a conclusion of a perfectionist feminist with a tendency to punish incompetence and perceived betrayals. After all, Wu Ze Tian lived in a purely patriarchal society where a female ruler is a taboo that has to be taken down regardless of consequences. Women as leaders is bad luck - a curse or even can be viewed as Satan himself. Yin can never dominate Yang - the very essence of Taoist teaching; which was the main teaching during the Tang dynasty. Under such circumstances and having lived all her life under the rule of incompetent males - what is a brilliant woman to do? She had no choice but to defy traditions and society - killing anyone who stood in her way (these are ppl who cannot accept a female ruler) and resorting to lies and murders to frame others so she could rise to position. It is true then, that when women fight, they don't fight fair!

Now, that is what history remembers Wu Ze Tian as - brilliant, perfectionist, strategist & murderer. But is this the personal Wu Ze Tian? This series acted and produced by Fan Bing Bing give viewers a different take on the cruel empress - one that colours We Ze Tian as a kind woman who fell victim to broken relationships, lies and plots of others around her. A helpless and vengeful Wu Ze Tian??? Hmmm....I know many who are skeptical of this! At least I know my aging mum who's a bit of a Chinese history buff cursed this portrayal of Wu Ze Tian. All Chinese knew this empress as a cruel person - why is she suddenly a nice, innocent and victim-of-circumstance person? Perhaps, this is just another perspective - albeit a more feminist perspective of Wu Ze Tian. We all know that Fan Bing Bing's a consummate feminist and this is her attempt to give the world a different portrayal of powerful Chinese female historical figures. Her next project is a drama on Empress Dowager Cixi. The Chinese hated Cixi even to this day. There is a tradition in China where ppl spit at her grave and curse her even to this day - that is how hated this woman is. Like Wu Ze Tian, she murdered many - including her own children and relatives. She's also the woman who signed away HK, Macau and many important Chinese ports to the Brits so she could continue with her opium addiction. Unlike Wu Ze Tian who at least ruled the country wisely and contributed to the expansion of the Chinese empire, Cixi actually almost destroyed it. The Chinese saw the last of the Chinese emperors, partially thanks to her. So, how will Fan Bing Bing portray Cixi as a heroine in her next project? Let's wait and see...

Acting/Cast: Acting is good as all actors and actresses are very experienced. No problems in this department. The costumes are brilliant. Although the cleavages are common to the Tang dynasty's fashion, the elaborated designs, bright multi-colours and accessories may be a little too modern (and fanciful) to the time. There are also many instances when Wu Ze Tian has a more elaborate costume compared to the other women who were higher ranked than her. She even out-shone the emperor's costumes.. which is a no-no. It is obvious that the best costumes are reserved for Fan Bing Bing's main character of Wu Ze Tian which kind of created an unrealistic atmosphere. She should have gone with less elaborate costumes as befitting her station in the palace instead of insisting on being the 'peacock' of the lot.

Music: The OSTs are ok but not the main feature of this drama.

Overall: It's a good enough entertainment but let's be honest here, with 96 episodes... I don't know anyone who is crazy enough to re-watch this again. It is not the 'WOW!' kind of drama that would cause you to re-watch it. It's a once-off drama that is good enough to keep you entertained.

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Completed
Scent
11 people found this review helpful
by Aryael
Feb 7, 2015
Completed 1
Overall 8.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
Story: A simple love story. If you are saturated with all those personality disorder, psychological thriller, alien, ghost,action, historical and mystery type romances that are all the rage nowadays and just want to get back to a simple straight-forward modern romance with a happy ending, this movie is the one for you. Kang In-Jun is a simple man who works hard to afford a home in Busan. He dreams of one day settling down and spending his days growing old with his girlfriend in that house. However, his girlfriend - a traveling photojournalist, hopes to spend the rest of her life traveling with her love one. Due to this incompatibility in life direction, one day his girlfriend packed her bags and left to see the world without him. Her first stop - Shanghai. Still very much in love, he travels to Shanghai in hopes of finding and conciliating with her. While in Shanghai, he meets Zhu-Lie - a woman who is about to get engaged but found out that her boyfriend was cheating on her. Through an accident, Kang In-Jun and Zhu-Lie ended up living together. Hence, begins a love story between the two.

Acting/Cast: I have no complains for the acting of the main couple. Zhu-Lie seems to exhibit more emotion towards In-Jun who seems to be the naive, honest-to-goodness Busan boy type character. The only person with acting problem is the guy who plays the role of Zhu-Lie's friend who can speak Korean...it was obvious he's new and his acting was odd at places. Other than that, everyone's done a good job. There were a couple of odd 'bridging' scenes where ppl do not speak (or speak little) and just look at each other with multiple expressions on their faces. I put that down to the awkwardness of communication when one is speaking Mandarin and another, Korean. That can be interpreted as a natural scene in real life when you have ppl speaking different languages trying to communicate to each other. You'll end up using nonverbal communication and one letter words instead. The actors and actresses in this movie use 3 languages:- Korean, Mandarin and English. If you ask me, where international romances are involved, this is a very normal situation.

Music: Love the OST sung by Park Si-Hoo and the faster beat ending OST.

Rewatch value: I give this a pretty high rewatch value simply because it's a movie. This is an easy watch -simple love story and just require 1 hour and 45 mins of your time. Some ppl complain about the slower pace but I find the pace acceptable. I've watched many melodramas, a bit of an expert in Chinese movies (hence used to their style of story-telling) and trust me when I say the pace of this movie is much better than a typical melodrama. Everything flows nicely towards an ending that did not feel rushed. If you are bored out in a weekend and just want to watch something passable and uncomplicated, this is the movie for you.

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Completed
Naeil's Cantabile
10 people found this review helpful
by Aryael
Dec 3, 2014
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 7.0
Story: This is the Korean version of the popular Nodame Cantabile. Where adaptations go, this one retains some of the important scenes from the original Nodame but also expanded and created a more diverse branch of story involving people to people relationships. Side characters were given more screen time, including the exaggeration of one side character (2nd male lead) that was not in the original Nodame. Needless to say, the Korean version of Nodame stuck to the Korean's formula for drama success - triangle love; hence the need for a more prominent 2nd male lead character. It has all the charms and signature of a Korean production, less exaggeration of actions and facial expressions, a very small dose of 'makjang' where stories on relationships (including those of the older generation) are expanded and has a more realistic feel to it.

When I was writing this review, I considered my review of the original Nodame Cantabile and my knowledge of the manga. For the original Nodame, I gave the story and overall score as 9/10. It was entertaining and stuck to the overall feel of the manga as intended by its original author. For this Korean version, I scored it slightly lower 8.5/10 because I felt that the the expansion of the stories of side-characters have reduced the impact somewhat for the storyline of the main couple, their victories and failures. The story of Nodame is special because of this unique and comical interaction and relationship between a handsome, straight-laced, no-nonsense genius conductor with a quirky, messy and 'autistic' young lady who happens to be a genius at the piano. It is also a celebration of the grandeur and beauty of classical music. Somehow, the Korean version did not make my heart race when it comes to the classical music parts as the original Japanese version did. Perhaps, it all comes down to selection of pieces and the situations they were played - it is my opinion that they could have gone with better coordination of the music to produce a better wow! and inspirational effect. In fact, there are parts when the orchestra was playing and the music was cut short, diverted or tapered off (especially when it is near its crescendo)- a no-no for me for a classical music-themed drama.

Despite its weaknesses, this Korean version has its strengths as it has a more well rounded overall story. It's just a pity that the role of Nodame was muted to some point where the Korean Nodame could be deemed as quite a normal young lady with a good understanding of how to function in a normal society (eg: except for the first time, there were no indication that she continued to keep a messy room, she was able to keep a proper job, she behaved like a normal person in a relationship etc). I feel that Nodame (as the title suggests) should be the shining character and at par in relevance with the character of Chiaki. This however, was sacrificed for the more rounded overall story.

Acting/Cast: Joo Won did a great job as Yoo-Jin (Chiaki's character) but he was definitely less resistant towards Nae-Il (Nodame's character). In fact, half way through the drama, he knew he was in love with Nae-Il, simply hid the fact whereas with Chiaki, he did not realise it until towards the end when Nodame left him. Even then, Chiaki had trouble accepting that he actually likes Nodame.

As for Nae-Il's character, played by Eun-Kyung, is definitely hands down, a less impressive and less stand-out character compared with the Japanese Nodame played by Ueno Juri. So far, Ueno Juri tops the Nodame character hands down. Nae-Il is a much watered down Nodame character to the point that she is actually quite normal - which in turn, took away the uniqueness of Nodame's 'autistic genius' character.

The rest of the cast did well. Special mention for Go Kyung-Pyu as Il-Rak. He has an energetic and endearing acting style in this drama. A total likeable character and definitely an experienced actor. I'll be keeping an eye out for him.

Music: I love all of the classical pieces in this drama as I did for Nodame Cantabile. My only complain was the poorer music coordination for the scenes and how certain pieces were cut short and fell flat before its climax.

Rewatch value: Personally, Nodame Cantabile was a much easier re-watch drama because it is more entertaining (as it follows the manga with its exaggerated facial expressions), has fantastic classical musics at the right time and mood and it is shorter in duration. It would be quite tiresome for me to re-watch this Korean version as I would have to know exactly which 'draggy' scenes (the ones involving the side stories of others and talking) to fast forward to get to the interesting parts. Therefore, I will not be in a hurry to be re-watching this anytime soon.

Overall: Considering its strengths and weaknesses, I gave it an overall 8.5/10. This version is certainly a different product that the Japanese Nodame Cantabile and should be watched as such. I made comparisons to the original above so that those of you who had not watched the Japanese version will know exactly where it differs. Rest assured I had evaluated this drama as a stand alone and an entirely different product. It is a good enough drama that it is not a waste of time to watch but it is not a wow! drama.

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Completed
Nazo no Tenkousei
6 people found this review helpful
by Aryael
Nov 13, 2014
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
Story: This is a rather straight-forward story that incorporates a medley of elements from friendship to sci-fi. It is rather difficult to describe the story without giving the story away. All I can say... it's an interesting take on a well explored sci-fi theme. There are a couple of important messages that this drama tried to address, albeit to some degree of success: i) The consequences of our reliance on technology, 2) The consequences of our greed and curiosity. There's a little bit of romance in it, but it is not the main theme of this drama.

Acting/Cast: Acting is good but not amazing. What sets this drama apart from others is the style of filming. The drama has a rather realistic and rustic feel to it. I must admit to frowning a lot in the first episode because I was not used to the way how the scenes 'move' a lot - like how you are watching a semi-professional home-made video. Eventually, however, I got used to this style of filming. There was none of the polished feel of the bigger budget 'mainstream' dramas. Even the special effects were minimal and low budgeted (mostly just light play). Yet, despite all of these, the story was good enough to make you want to click for the next episode (out of curiosity). It also helped that each episode runs for only 30 mins - kept things tight and concise without the audience losing interest in the story.

Music: Music was mediocre.

Rewatch value: This is a drama that you should watch at one go but once you know the story and its plots, you may not want to revisit it anytime soon.

Overall: If you have 6 hours to burn and do not have any excellent dramas you have not watched, this is a good alternative. Takes a while to get used to the different filming style, especially if you'd gone from the highly polished Korean dramas to this one. This drama is neither bad nor excellent. It sits somewhere in between as a fair entertainment.

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Completed
Discovery of Romance
50 people found this review helpful
by Aryael
Oct 8, 2014
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
Story: This drama explores the question "What happens if you meet your ex when you are in a steady relationship with another and your ex wants you back?" There is a lot of frustration as the audience is treated to the pendulum nature of the lead female's psyche. On one hand, she is tempted and on another she is committed to her current relationship. Shall she choose responsibility and commitment over passion and attraction? Who will she end up in the end? If you are curious, then watch this drama. This drama will leave you thinking about the reality of relationships and I am sure, for all of you who have been in relationships before (and ended it), you can relate to one or two things portrayed in this drama. I also like how between scenes, the main characters were filmed in an interview format to allow the audience to see the scenes and situations from the character's perspective; a bit of "she said" versus "he said" versus "they said" situation.

Acting/Cast: Mature and experienced actors and actresses. Side characters are very entertaining and they have their own little love stories to add into the story as well. I am not a fan of any of the actors or actresses in this drama, but I'll make a special mention for Eric (as Kang Tae Ha) and Yoon Hyun-Min (as Do Joon Ho). Eric showed a relaxed and natural form of acting. He had totally embraced and live the character he was given. One would even ask, is this his true character in real life that he is so comfortable and natural in portraying Kang Tae Ha? Yoon Hyun-Min as Dr. Do Joon Ho was hilarious, serious, smart and very much caught-in-between. Someone give this guy the main lead character in a romantic comedy already! I am sure he will do well in it!

Music: Nice but forget-able.

Rewatch value: This is a drama made to be watched once. You'll like it (but not adore it) and you'll move on from it. If you have nothing fantastic on your plate at the moment and do not mind watching romance drama depicting realistic struggles of dating relationships, you might want to make a time for this drama.

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Completed
Rock 'n' Road
3 people found this review helpful
by Aryael
Sep 17, 2014
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
It has been over a year since I watched a TDrama to completion.The TDrama industry has experienced a slump in the past year or so. Therefore, it is with much relief that I write this review. Rock 'n' Road somewhat restored my hope in TDrama. Hopefully, it will be the first of a series of good TDramas coming our way as we move into 2015.

Story: It is a simple story about a woman who was once a child star and a man who is the best music producer in the industry. The female lead plays a woman who is always positive and cheery. No matter what comes her way, she would smile and shrug her way through. Initially, her overly positive disposition was criticised by the male lead as he viewed her as being ignorant and stupid to the point of being taken advantaged of. Later, he realised that smiling and brushing negatives aside casually is her way of coping with losses in her life and he developed a respect for her. When he was betrayed by his best friend and rejected by his girlfriend of 8 years, the female lead stayed by his side cheering him on. He, in turned, staked his entire career on coaching the female lead into stardom again.They developed a comfortable friendship at first which quickly turned into romantic interest. What I like about this story is its simple and honest storyline executed in such a smooth and brilliant manner. Some reviewers have commented how the ending seemed rushed but considering it's relatively short duration (16 episodes is 'short' for TDrama), I feel that the ending was executed well. Viewers were not left in the lurch or an open ending. It was a concrete ending. This drama also featured some good kissing scenes... but then again, this is Chris Wu we are talking about. He's a very convincing kisser in all of his dramas.

Acting/Cast: Brilliant cast. No complains in this department. Unlike some reviewers who commented on how annoying the female character was; I did not find her character annoying at all. She played the sunny character well. As she slowly finds her footing again in the music industry, the female lead learned to stop hiding behind her smiles and nonchalant attitude and to take on rejections and challenges face on. As for Chris Wu.... need I say more?? The man's a seasoned actor. I'm glad he choose a good drama. I look forward to his future work.

Music: Well, this drama is set in the music industry where the male lead is the best music producer around. He started his journey as the guitarist and composer in a band he formed with his friends before shooting into stardom. What do you expect if not for great music? Excellent opening OST by Mayday and ending OST by Jia Jia. Mayday and Jia Jia seem to be doing most of the drama (and film) OSTs nowadays (including ones produced by China). Not that I am complaining... both Mayday and Jia Jia have brilliant voices....but it does make me wonder about other artists as well. Can we have some variety maybe??

Rewatch value: Pretty high in my books. TDramas nowadays run into past 20 episodes and it is not always that you get a good story packed into 16 episodes with nice pace, good character, story development and a concrete ending. Not to mention the wonderful kiss scenes. I have a few favourite scenes in this drama. I know many love episode 11 of this drama but besides episode 11, there are many nice scenes (and episodes) I would revisit soon.

Overall: A solid 9/10. To those of you who liked my past recommendations:- you will like this if your preference is anything like mine! Highly recommended.

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Marriage, Not Dating
4 people found this review helpful
by Aryael
Aug 24, 2014
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 6.0
Story: Good storyline that revolves around the theme of family, friendship and marriage. An easy watch that teaches the audience a couple of simple truths that young couples nowadays can learn from:- "There is no such thing as an eternal true love." and "Marriage is not about true love but family." The strengths of the story lies on its realistic theme on marriage and divorce and how each character grew from the ups and downs in their relationships with others. Another strength of the story telling is on the comedic scenes that were told in a "mature" way; although there were many "childish" outbursts here and there. This again, is the realistic nature of adult women and men in relationships - we all have our childish sides that we only show to the ones we love.

Acting/Cast: Love the lead couple. Excellent chemistry! The rest of the cast were brilliant as well and their stories were given adequate weighting.

Music: There is only one song that I liked from this drama. The rest were ok but not outstanding.

Rewatch value: Watching it as it aired was the way to go. If you haven't watch it, you'll appreciate this drama. It is a worthy entertainment. However, I will not be re-watching this soon due to work commitments. It is a drama that you'll like to the point of wanting to finish watching it on one seating but not one that you will be addicted to for months to come.

Overall: I give it a 8.5/10, mainly for its well-written story and excellent cast. Well done! I was definitely entertained!

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Completed
Hotel King
8 people found this review helpful
by Aryael
Jul 28, 2014
32 of 32 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 3.5
Story: As the synopsis suggests, it's a Romance cum Revenge drama. Whilst there were many Revenge-Romance drama I'd watched in the past, this one failed to hit the 'WOW!' factor. The story started out interesting but somewhere towards the middle, it started to bore as the direction of the story becomes obvious. Towards the end, it's just delaying scenes one after another when the whole drama can be wrapped up comfortably around 20-22 episodes. In fact the final episode is just a whole write-off and absolutely unnecessary - just another episode to keep the money spinning.

Acting/Cast: Biggest brownie point goes to......the main antagonist: Mr. Lee Joong Goo, played by veteran actor Mr. Lee Deok Hwa! This is not Lee Dong Wook's best drama and I find his acting rather stiff with limited range of emotions. To be fair, Lee Dong Wok is not the most expressive actors out there. He's better known for his heavy-lidded eyes, plush lips, height and impressive body than for his acting skills. I am sensing daggers being thrown towards me by his fans now. I will cease to criticise his acting skills. Perhaps it is how the main male character was written:- stoic, misguidedly determined and a tragic hero. There wasn't much to say about Lee Da Hae's acting except that her character was an interesting blend of comedy and personal growth.

Music: Nothing that sticks to mind. Slow and suited to the moods of the drama.

Re-watch value: I would not re-watch this. If it was not because of the lack of good dramas around the time this one was aired, I would not have filled my free time with it. Sometimes, I let the episodes run a while before catching up with it in fast-forwarding mode.

Overall: A fair story that failed to excite. Fans of Lee Dong Wok will probably watch this just for the opportunity to see him in yet another romance drama, but I maintain - this is not his best drama to date. I will not recommend this drama but I will not frown either if you decide to pick it up. The choice is yours.

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Completed
Kiss Me, Kill Me
5 people found this review helpful
by Aryael
May 30, 2014
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 3.5
Rewatch Value 7.0
Story: A comical and creative twist of what happens when mafia meets mental! While most ppl would pay for a bodyguard to protect their lives, the heroine in this movie will pay for a professional to do away with her life. Certainly brings the idea of suicide to a whole new level! I watched this movie a while back now... so my memory of it is vague at best but what really stood out is the creative story and comical interaction between the two leads.

Acting/Cast: No complains in this department.

Music: Nothing stood out.

Rewatch value: Since I had watched this a while back, I am currently considering if I should rewatch this for this weekend. However, if you had just finish this movie, you might not think to rewatch it immediately... I certainly did not.

Overall: The movie is a blend of dark humour and romance; somewhat a sarcastic take on professional killers and the idea of committing suicide. Yes, of course you will fall in love with your client if she is the victim you are supposed to do away with as well.....what more, she gives you specific instructions on how to do it! Very helpful! Must be the perfect woman all professional killers are looking for out there..... NOT! LOL
In short, watch it if you have not watch it. Certainly worth your time. :)

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Completed
The Client
2 people found this review helpful
by Aryael
May 30, 2014
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 4.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
Story: A man walks in his home with flowers for his wife to celebrate their anniversary only to find his place crawling with police and a bloodied bed where his wife supposedly was murdered. Immediately, he is apprehended and charged for the murder of his wife. Is he the real killer or is there another? While the prosecutor and his lawyer debate it out in court; you are left wondering if he is indeed the murderer or if this is an elaborate plot to cover up some huge government conspiracy. Many people who had watched this movie told me you will not know who did it until the very end. I am just the opposite. I knew who did it as soon as the court trial begins! The fact that ppl say you will not expect who the murderer is makes it obvious to me when I started watching this movie. I suppose if I wasn't told that the murderer is not an obvious one, I would not have thought otherwise! Have I given away too much? Just watch the movie and enjoy the journey. I am sure you'll understand at the end why the murderer is an obvious one for me. ;)

Acting/Cast: I will go out on a limb here and say I am a great fan of Jang Hyuk's work. So, it is no surprise here when I rate the acting/cast 10/10. Mature acting and all experienced actors. Wonderful cast. What more can one ask for?

Music: It is an investigative film - therefore, OST is not its forte.

Rewatch value: Unless you are a big fan of investigative movies or you've got the hots for watching a rugged Jang Hyuk dressed mostly in plain prison clothes, you might not want to rewatch this anytime soon once you know the twist at the end.

Overall: If you have not watch this, I highly recommend it. Just sit back and enjoy the movie. You'll find yourself constantly asking "Is he the murderer or is he not?" Fun stuff. ;)

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Completed
Catch Me
22 people found this review helpful
by Aryael
May 30, 2014
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
Story: What will you do if the woman you had loved all this while re-appear in your life after 10 years and she is a famous cat burglar while you are a dedicated detective at the verge of that big promotion you have been waiting for? Will you save your love or your career? This film explores these questions in a light-hearted and comical way. This is one movie you can sit back and relax to.

Acting/Cast: Superb and mature acting.

Music: Nothing that stood out, but hey... it's a movie, not a drama.

Rewatch value: This is an easy watch and certainly with good acting and a sufficient storyline to grab the audience's attention for 2 hours, it has a very high re-watch value. Great for weekend movies!

Overall: If you haven't watch this, I recommend this movie for your weekend watch. If you are Joo Won's fan, be prepared to fall in love with him all over again. If you do not know who he is, no worries.... just enjoy the movie. :)

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