Acting: Kudos to all of the actors and actresses for pulling off a live-action without it being too ridiculous and overly exxagerated. I really enjoyed the various facial expressions and renditions of "imaginations"; but I think this credit goes to the director, screen writer and producer as well. Job well done!
Music: To be honest, not my cup of tea, but the selection of songs itself is appropriate for this drama. Cute, sweet and funny - which suited the theme of the drama.
Rewatch value: High rewatch value, especially during this holiday season. With only 8 episodes, it is short, straight to the point and downright funny... which helped with its rewatch value. Certainly a drama you'd want to enjoy with your feet up, snuggled in comfy blankets while in your PJs with popcorn, chips and coke by your side.
Overall: Wonderful entertainment for those of us looking for a good laugh and a ligh hearted spirit for this coming holiday season. Works well too for those of us who wants a break from all those melo or mediocre romance dramas that are on offer at the moment. Great stress reliever too! In short, highly recommended! :)
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Acting/Cast: No complains in the acting department. Even Yong Hwa had polished up a bit in his acting.... just a bit.
Music: Nothing that sticks. Hence, none made it into my MP3 player.
Rewatch value: A waste of time. A waste of $$. You will not miss anything if you have not watched this.
Overall: This drama serves to remind me why I had stopped watching KDramas over a year ago. My decision is justified. Still waiting for the next best thing.
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Acting/Cast: Mature cast and experienced actors. No complains here.
Music: Standard Korean melo songs. Nothing outstanding that sticks to your mind after the final curtains are drawn.
Rewatch value: Not in my rewatch list. Can do without.
Overall: Watch in fast forward mode to past time when you are totally bored out of your mind! At least you get to see Ji Sung in action.I am being lenient by giving it a 7/10...call it a favour for Ji Sung.
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This review may contain spoilers
Story: One word - TYPICAL. Rich man meets poor woman, rich man treats poor woman badly, rich man in denial he fell for poor woman, rich man realised he fell for poor woman, then he loses his memory, gained it back and the poor woman has to leave one episode towards the end just to prove to the audience that she has backbone and can live independently; only to be reunited when she comes back from being away, with the man and voila! you get your happy ending.Throw in an average of one ghost per episode (there are more ghosts in the first few episodes but the number drops down to one per episode as the drama progresses), a second male lead who does not get the poor girl but ended up with the bitchy rich girl who was eyeing the male lead first and you get Master's Sun.
Did I give away spoilers? Nope. You cannot consider standard storyline as spoilers.
Suffice to say; there's nothing in the storyline to get excited about.
Acting/Cast: Seasoned actors and actresses. I find no fault with acting except that I do find the female lead's performance quite like her performance in "The Greatest Love". Even the chemistry between her and the male lead was similar. The ghosts in the first few episodes were scary. You get them jumping out at you at various times but as a seasoned horror movie viewer, I kind of know when they are coming; so was well prepared for it.
Music: Nice music but nothing to get excited about. Suitable for the mood of the drama.
Rewatch value: Not in a hurry to rewatch this one.
Overall: Passable entertainment for those of you who are bored out of your mind but not a stellar piece of work. This is not a drama that sits at the top of your list if you have other better ones to go to. Expect all the usual KDrama characteristics.
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Acting/Cast: No complains on acting. Everyone did exceptionally well. Everyone's veteran actors and actresses; so they know what they are on about. The chemistry between the 3 leads in the love triangle was very good and believable. The only issue I noticed was a wardrobe malfunction with King Yuwen Yong... where you can see his 'fake hairline' in one of the later episode (forgot which one). They probably hurried the production of that episode. Other than that, all's fine and dandy!
Music: Beautiful songs that reflects the mood of the story. You will love the hauntingly sad vocals of Della Ding and Jia Jia. Each of the 3 leads have a song for them that pretty much sums up their love for each other.
Rewatch value: Time permits; I'll defintely re-watch this gem. In fact, I am out and about trying to get hold of the whole series in DVD.
Overall: I gave this drama a 10/10 simply because I can't give it 9.5/10 here. It is not really an 8/10 either. I made this decision by comparing this drama against Bu Bu Jing Xing (the perfect 10 ancient chinese romance drama for me) and against BBJX, this drama is around 80-90% at the level of BBJX. To me, BBJX is still No. 1 and this one here is a close No. 2. I hope this gives you an idea where this drama sits in terms of ranking. Lastly, just sit back and enjoy!
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Acting/Cast: Great acting from a seasoned cast. Always wonderful to have seasoned actors and actresses in a drama over those young idols.
Music: So-so... mostly instrumental. The only gem I am taking away from this drama is Rihwa's Last Love.
Rewatch value: Probably will not be re-watching it anytime soon. Why? I am in the losing team... that's why! Still trying to nurse my wounded heart.... but no matter who she ends up with,, this is a nice light drama that is worth watching in a day when you have nothing to do but wish to feel the "Cinderella" feeling. Does not require much IQ or tissue papers. Generally, a nice sweet simple story. Fast paced.
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Acting/Cast: No complains about the acting. Everyone in this drama are experienced actors and actresses. A pity that the storyline flopped half way through.
Music: Literally the saving grace of this drama. I absolutely looooove the OSTs, especially Olivia Ong's "Unchangeable". Looking forward to her new album with the OST in it!!
Rewatch value: Not worth rewatching. Seriously.
Overall: Watch if you ran out of drama to watch but do not expect much despite the great start to the drama. Lots of nice memorable scenes in the drama with the wonderful OSTs playing BUT that's just all it is - great looks, OSTs, classic romantic scenes (eg: kissing in the rain, unveiling of the bride etc). The drama simply lacked substance from the storyline point of view. Absolute disappointment... but at least, we leave with a great set of OSTs.
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Their relationship started out quite similar to a "master-dog" relationship but as Chul Soo slowly gained understanding of human language, he showed surprising intelligence and emotion. Before long, the attaction between Suni and Chul Soo was quite apparent. As usual, there will be people coming in between the relationship, and in this movie's case- it was a jealous and egoistical son of Suni's father's former business partner.
This is classified as melodrama, so expect something that will start the waterworks. It is a good movie, one worth recommending to friends and families, and one worth re-watching. However, I feel that despite the good storyline, the movie lacks an 'Umph!' factor that will push it to 10/10. It kind of leave me feeling a little flat towards the end, despite the emotional storyline. To be honest, I did not shed a single tear (gasp! how could I not??). I just felt sorry for the couple. The acting was superb, especially Song Joong Ki as the werewolf boy. It is no wonder he earned critical acclaims for his role in this movie. If you haven't watched this movie, find a time and watch it. You won't regret your decision.
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This review may contain spoilers
Story: Ling Hu Chong (played by Wallace) is a carefree and honourable man. He was the eldest disciple of the Hua Mt Sect and a favourite amongst his juniors and teacher. However, Ling Hu Chong's teacher is an ambitous man with ulterior motives masquerading as a virtous person. As Ling Hu Chong ventures through wulin (the martial arts world), his easy and honest personality garnered him many friends from the 5 mountain sects and the Sun Moon Holy Cult. Eventually, his teacher turned Ling Hu Chong into a scapegoat for all of his evil deeds, including heaping blame of the murder of one of his student on Ling Hu Chong. Lin Hu Chong got kicked out of the Mt Hua Sect. That is when his true adventures begin. The love story in this 2013 version has a good ending, unlike the original story from the novel where all the women Ling Hu Chong loves dies and he is left alone as a wanderer. The most notable change in the storyline comes in the form of Dongfang Bu Bai (played by Joe Chen). In the original story, Dongfang Bu Bai is a man who became the powerful leader of the Sun Moon Holy Sect. He mastered the Kuai Fa Manual. However, in order to master this manual, which is very "Ying" (feminine) in nature, he must castrate himself. The more he learned from the manual, the more feminine he became. Eventually, he regarded himself as a woman and developed romantic feelings for Ling Hu Chong. It was this hint of homosexuality that did not sit well with audiences of the previous versions and readers of the novel. Therefore, in this 2013 version, Dongfang Bu Bai has a new story - one that begins with Dongfang Bu Bai being an actual woman, but in order to succeed in the wulin and not to be bullied ever again, she lives her life as a man. When she meet Ling Hu Chong, she developed feelings for him, but Ling Hu Chong is conflicted as Dongfang Bu Bai is a cold hearted killer. How could an honourable man loves a monster??? Watch and find out.Acting/Cast: The chemistry between Wallace's Ling Hu Chong and Joe's Dongfang Bu Bai is siiizzzzzling! This is the only version so far when most ppl who had watched it wanted Ling Hu Chong to end up with Dongfang Bu Bai! It is because of this that I give the acting 9/10. It is 1 mark away from perfect because the chemistry between Ling Hu Chong and Ren Ying Ying is neutral at best and yet, it is Ying Ying that Ling Hu Chong ended up marrying at the end. Imagine the frustration of fans of Wallace-Joe! LOL (btw, I do not consider this a spoiler as it is widely known knowledge amongst fans of wuxia series and readers of Louis Cha's novels. There are many versions of this story made in the past. Me thinks the 1996 version is the closest to the novel).
Music: I love the opening OST, "Carefree". Am listening to it as I am writing this review. :)
Rewatch value: It is 42 episodes if you watch from the DVD version and 56 episodes from the tv version. I might re-watch this a few years later when I have the time. I am quite impartial to Swordsman aka The Smiling,Proud Wanderer. I still think that the best novel of Loius Cha comes in the form of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils and the Condor Heroes Trilogy. I am waiting with abaited breath now for the 2013 version of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils. Rumour has it that it is due to be released mid this year. Fingers crossed!
Overall: It was entertaining while it lasted. I love the scenes between Wallace and Joe... they are the best features of this drama. Joe Cheng makes the most beautiful and coldly powerful Dongfang Bu Bai ever! The other parts are passable. I give this an 8/10. Not bad but not the best wuxia around.
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Acting/Cast: I was really excited for the drama when it first started showing but the biggest disappointment, unfortunately, is the acting. There is hardly any chemistry between the male and female leads. Hello! This is supposed to be a romantic love drama - not "let's have a big brotherly and sisterly hug and a very polite kiss and call that a chemistry" drama! I know that there are many ppl out there who likes MGY and thinks of her as a great actress but I am not one of them. I knew long ago, that she has her limitations in acting and for some reason, I do not consider her a beauty. Her acting in this drama is the worst so far. The male lead, PSH, was a saving grace with his ability to act childish at one moment and dead serious at another. He has proven that he is a versatile actor. Unfortunately, even he could not manufacture that sort of romantic chemistry with the "sad or happy-fake-smile-only" MGY. The drama could benefit from getting an older and more versatile actress. The other casts did great, but the extreme lack of chemistry between the leads killed it for me.
Music: The music is passable.
Rewatch value: For me, the first time is the last time. Glad I finished it, but don't think I would be re-watching it.
Overall: Passable entertainment. The IDEA of the story is interesting and has great potential but the lack of chemistry between the leads killed it.
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Story: It is a simple story. Boy and girl grew up together. They are as close as close can be - BUT, they never fell for each other. Girl turn 30 and starts to mourn the lost of her youth. Suddenly, she realised what a waste her life had been - living with her mum and sister and writing stories that never get to see the light of the day. So, she made a life changing decision. She decided to move out of her home, but hold on..! She is too broke to afford a place of her own. At times like these, can't we all rely on our BFF for help? Likewise, she turned to her best bud - who happens to be a man with commitment issues. Due to a bad first relationship, the bloke lost faith in love. So, he spend his days flirting with women. When she approached him for help, he refused but later, due to some 'monetary issues', he allowed her to move in and live with him. Surely, there will be no harm - despite societal perception of a single man and a single woman living together.. right??? After all, in his eyes, she is a 'man' and she never regarded him as a man. How wrong!!! They fast learn that being BFF and knowing everything about each other does not equate to harmony in a live-in situation. Suddenly, there are things about each other they never knew - like what a pedantic clean freak he is and what a irresponsible sloth she is! Oh, sure... they knew about that long ago... but to live together and to endure such traits...God help us all! Soon, BFFs are turning against each other!
You may ask - how is it that this is a romance drama? This is for me to know and you to find out. *wink*
This drama reminds me a lot of the TDrama "In Time With You" and since this drama came out first, I am not surprised if In Time With You got its aspirations from this drama. The difference? In Time With You has a much serious tone to it while this one, despite its mature storyline, does contain some funny moments.
This is a very realistic drama and even the funny moments are realistic/natural. If you are tired of "highly processed and manufactured" idol-infested dramas with unrealistic storylines, this one will provide the relief needed and bring you back to what a solid romance drama should be like. Watch it and find out!
Acting/Cast: No complains. It is not an idol drama, hence no great lookers. Acting is top-notch!
Music: Not a highlight here. Appropriate music for appropriate moments.
Rewatch value: I do not usually rewatch dramas, so a 8/10 from me means this is a keeper for the times when the offerrings are meagre and you just want to indulge in dramas. Rewatch and re-live real love.
Even my husband likes it - him, a non-drama person. We will re-watch this together for a quiet evening with wine together. :)
Overall: Go watch it! A good one to teach youngsters what real relationships are like least they forget; what with all those highly 'manufactured' romance dramas out there nowadays!
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Story: It has a solid story with no obvious gaps. Every action, thought and deed were well thought through. The only part I would like to see more progression on is the (important) part where Shunji turned from a loving and caring person into a monster. The death of his brother (whom he is not very close to to begin with) is not a very solid reason for turning a man into a monster - neither is unrequitted love. If Kangto turned evil - now, THAT, is more believable. The anguish Kangto has to go through with the lost of his family (whom he loves and cherish) is 100 times more than what Shunji went through. But the irony is, we see Kangto going from evil to good and Shunji from good to super evil. Somehow, I feel there is a 'missing link' there for Shunji. Unless the story depicts him as someone who only shows kindness to others when it suits him, I fail to see how a genuinely kind person can turn into a monster almost overnight because of a death of a relative he is not very close with. Not even the pressure to conform from his father was good enough to break him. So, what broke Shunji? Where was the breaking point? I did not see that clearly in the drama. Therefore, I feel that Shunji's story need a little bit of polishing.
I must also admit that while others rushed through this drama and got addicted to it, I did not. It took me 3 weeks to watch it - at a relaxing 2-3 eps per night pace. There were even a couple of days when I did not watch it, preferring to bake instead. To me, this drama did not cost me any sleep. I was not addicted. Why? I do not know. Personal preference, I guess. I would say it has a solid storyline but is it a good and addictive storyline, to me, that is debatable. I suppose if you are following it as it is airing, you might have that urgency to want to watch the next episode, but for me, who is watching it when all the episodes are already out, I simply do not have that urgency to "chase" after the episodes. Perhaps, I'm still in my 'drama blues' period? Who knows. But at this stage, storyline wise, K2H has a much addictive storyline. That's just my opinion.
For those of you who have not watched this and plan to watch this, be warned - the episodes after episode 12 are the more "addictive" ones with the main plot developing to its climax. So, if you have anything you have to do which is more important than drama watching such as eating, bathing, homework, exams, assignments etc - you can take a break before and at episode 12, because after that, you may find it hard to stop between episodes.
Acting/Cast: Superb acting! There is nothing I could critique regarding the acting and the cast. I must credit the success of this drama to its cast. I did shed a tear or two in a few emo scenes. This is the pinnacle of acting - making the audience feel with you. What more can I say? Nothing. Absolutely perfect!
Music: Nothing worth gushing over. Decent and appropriate to the scenes and mood.
Rewatch value: Because the drama had failed to "net" me in, I rank the rewatch value lower. I do not plan to rewatch this anytime soon.
Overall: It is a decent watch. Worth your time, but not worth losing sleep over.
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Acting/Cast: Generally, the acting was good. Even Ice Prince/Stone Face Lee Min Ho acted well in the role of a general (which requires one to be quite expressionless since he's an emotionless killer and all). I would really like to see Ice Prince act in a drama that requires a wide array of emotions to truly test the limit of his acting skills. The female lead succeeded in annoying the hell out of me - so kudos on that part (if that is what the character requires!). My favourite, I have to say, are the bad guys - especially the two rotten princes. Acting wise, I reckon these bad boys nailed it. I even felt a sense of pity for the prince who kept wanting to "go to heaven" with the doctor because of his health problem and his ambitions. As a modern person, I can sympathise with his need to keep acquiring power and position and thirst for achieving something unique (this bloke can be a great scientist or businessman in this era!). The true evil in this drama, I would say, would be the prince who uses poison- -that bloke is just plain rotten. Once again, the actor nailed that role perfectly! Personally, I would prefer another actor for the role of the king - at least a taller actor. I have issues with men who are shorter or as tall as a woman... does not make them look powerful or important enough... but that's just me!
Music: The music is ok. It's not "wow!' but it's ok.
Rewatch value: I will not be rewatching this anytime soon. Maybe a couple of years later and I'm bored, I might revisit it. But for now, I look forward to the next new drama.
Overall: If you do not have something "wow!" to watch at the moment, this drama is a passable entertainment. Not the best historical, time-travelling drama around... but it's worth a glance.
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Story: A straight, dummy-tested and proven formula:- heir to some wealthy business family pretends to be penniless to be with the woman he loves while his half brother plots to take over the family business. Throw in cakes and pastries and you get Fondant Garden. Personally, I am not adversed to recycling of storylines, especially when it appeals to the psyche and expectations of the audience it aims to attract (in this case - young fangirls of Park Jung Min's). Most successful dramas do not come from new and exciting storylines, but they come from the characters, the setting, the chemistry and the dialogues. This drama is no exception to this rule.
Acting/Cast: My biggest beef with the cast is the lead female actress. The woman cannot act to save her life! She was probably given the role because of her petite form and cute face. Other than that, a blown up doll could do a better job to excite the audience! The savior of this drama comes in the form of the two blokes - Park Jung Min and Kingone, especially Kingone! Jung Min's acting was a little shaky and inexperienced in the beginning but as the drama progresses, his acting improves a lot, to the point that he outshone the female lead by leaps and bounds in the final episode! I also like the fact that Jung Min is putting in serious effort into his Mandarin and his Mandarin is amongst one of the best for a Korean artist. Kingone is an experienced actor and I have been following his acting career for a while now. The bloke never acts in a leading role, preferring to be a supporting actor instead, but I reckon it is high time that he be offered a leading role in his own drama soon! Kudos to the supporting cast. They become the pillar in which this drama derives its successes from.
Music: Sweet sweet melody that reminds you of sweet young love. I particularly like Kimberley's "Ai Ni" (Love You) and Park Jung Min's "Bad Person".
Rewatch value: This is one drama that does not require much IQ power to watch. It is good entertainment for escaping the stress and realities of life. It brings out the closet Cinderellas in all of us.
Overall: Minus the poor acting of the lead actress and the mediocre storyline, I am giving this a 8/10 simply because of Kingone, the sweet music and rewatch value.
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Story: This is a story that follows a pair of lovers since childhood, their personal struggles and the dilemma of those around them. True to the spirit of melodrama, you should expect bucket loads of tears for this one. Should I even bother to elaborate? Nope. Watch it and find out yourself. It can be rather draggy in the middle (and normally this is the part where I doze off on the coach!) but it picks up in the last 2 episodes towards an acceptable ending. Suffice to say, there is nothing exceptional about the storyline. If I must put my money into it, I'll bet on the cast.
Acting/Cast: This is one good example of how you do not need to have superstars to make a good drama. The stars just aligned for this one where the cast is concerned. Great acting from everyone. Great chemisty between the leads, and if I am honest with myself, I'll admit that it is the good acting that make me want to re-watch this drama again and again.
Music: Mediocre to say the least. Good sleep therapy material.
Rewatch value: A keeper for those long, cold winter nights.
Overall: Watch it if you have the patience and stamina for a good melodrama. Otherwise, skip it and go for comedy.
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