Ace
From first impressions, this drama may seem like a very light-hearted love story between 2 youths. However, as each episode unfolds, you realize how much depth this story surprisingly has. The story itself has does have some repetitions - at first, it seemed like bad editing, but as you continue, you will soon realize more and more, that the story was made this way on purpose to send the right message. I was very surprised of how a simple on-the-surface plot can be transformed into a feels-train with its hidden complexity. Needless to say, this is a must-watch imo
CHARACTERS / ACTING
This drama really only focuses on one character - Yoo Tak, which at first seemed like a generic character.. and he actually is. As someone who enjoys music, Yoo Tak is very relatable and you will see how he makes mistakes not just for the sake of drama. Among L's work, this is definitely one of the better roles he does done. The lead actress also did very well on her character.
MUSIC
The music in this mini-series is absolutely mesmerizing! There are a few scenes in this drama where nothing is actually presented visually - but the music coupled the situation so well that it was actually driving the story and gave it life and meaning. Particularly, there's a light guitar track with some vocals that really enhanced the experience.
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One of the few Chinese dramas that I can binge watch and that's saying something -- story is really GOOD! Park Solomon has proven his status as a highly skilled actor - In this drama, he portrayed so many different roles and characters - not only were they impressive, but very believable and passionate. Started this drama because of Park Solomon, I was not disappointed. This drama also had great pacing and a memorable OST (ending).
- STORY -
Story was inspired by the webtoon Lookism. I decided to give it a read after getting into this drama and there were major differences. Despite lots have complained about this drama not following the webtoons, I consider this drama adaption very well done, even better than the webtoons in some aspects. The overall plot is really good but I do have to point out some scenes were kind of off-logic and unbelievable. However, these can be overlooked for the direction of where the plot is trying to go.
- ACTING -
I'm thoroughly impressed by the acting in this series. In fact the best I've seen for a high school youth drama. Park Solomon's duality really shows here with him looking like a sad pathetic puppy to an incredibly confident character. He learned Chinese just for this drama. However, overall the whole supporting casts were very talented as well. As much as I didn't like the chubby WenShuai, his character is made to be pathetic and it was effective.
- MUSIC -
I'm not really picky with OSTs but this drama had good sound design during most scenes and some of the OST was really good and fits with the drama really well. Lookism, the ending OST really really sets the mood for the later half of this drama.
- REWATCH -
Rewatching value is subjective. I really don't rewatch much, but for this drama, I might rewatch a few scenes.
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A Must-Watch to Any Omega X Fans (FOR X)
I don't normally write about kpop reality shows, but this group is really special to me. Omega X's members have all experienced being a part of other groups previously. Most of them have been through heartbreaking disbandments due to reasons that are out of their control. This is what sets them apart from other groups - there is an emotional story behind each member in the memory of their struggles.Despite only nine episodes, this show will put you through an emotional rollercoaster. From laughing to crying, you will grow to love these boys through utter chaos and heartfelt moments. I can almost guarantee that in every episode, a different member will catch your attention. This group is full of energy, variety and talent, but more importantly, their bond is ethereal.
Rewatch Episode Summary:
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Ep. 1) House Introduction -- picking rooms + bed bugs, cooking/cleaning, group vocal lesson
Ep. 2) Talent Evaluations pt. 1 -- new members joins, compete for main vocal/dance
Ep. 3) Talent Evaluations pt. 2 -- Tiger Inside, compete for Junghoon's (exaggerated) room
Ep. 4) Teaser Filming -- bottle flipping challenge, dance practice, flavoured chicken
Ep. 5) Member Profiles -- drawing contest, group games, tickle punishment
Ep. 6) Cheat Day -- Spire red carpet + group feast, debut concept discussion, recording Vamos
Ep. 7) Outdoor Trip -- ocean/amusement park, testing leader candidates, rooftop bbq
Ep. 8) Team Missions pt. 1 -- company mystery trip, cable cars, sky swing mission, treasure hunt
Ep. 9) Team Missions pt. 2 -- kpop charades, relay mission, sharing personal letters, fan letters
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This review may contain spoilers
Promising Start that lead to a disaster
THINGS I LIKE(+) Strong starting hook
(+) Relatively strong to decent acting
(+) Diverse and inclusive cast
(+) Plot is somewhat inspiring
(+) 1-2 memorable OSTs
THING I DIDN'T LIKE
(-) Story quality decreases half way through
(-) Unnatural and misplaced romance throughout
(-) Flat antagonists that becomes more illogical as the plot progress
(-) Major plot scenes felt forced
(-) the main character Park SaeRoYi only accomplish his goals through luck
REVIEW
The opening episodes did an exceptional job to draw you in with a very unjust conflict that reliably foreshadowed the themes of revenge. The first 3-4 episodes was executed in a very unpredictable manner that was great at making you second guess on where the plot was going and made it effortless to binge watch. However, I can't give the same compliment to the rest of this drama as the scenes begin to drag soon after and this got worse later on.
(Spoilers) By far the biggest issues I have with this drama are the characters and their character development. Firstly, our main protagonist Park SaeRoYi really wasn't all that intelligent as a businessman. Had he not luckily got YiSeo to fall in love with him, he would have not even come close to his success in the end as he did. In fact, both of the women that loved him were far more competent than he was. It only took a numerous amount of second chances where he'd almost completely run his company to the ground due to his stubbornness before he was able to learn from his mistakes. And technically, Soo Ah was actually the one who destroyed Jangga, not SaeRoYi. Secondly, I also just cannot relate to YiSeo's character. It made no sense to me that she would love SaeRoYi so much just after learning about his past whereas before she was a girl who did not give a f*** about anything. Her character is quite controversial among all the reviews I've seen - people either find her creepy and overly obsessive or admire her dedication. Either way, her character as a whole is just a huge stretch especially if you consider how little she knew of Park SaeRoYi before deciding to dedicate her entire life around him. I also want to comment on HyunYi (the chef of DanBam). She came from a background with zero education and experience of cooking and somehow she is able to be beat Jangga just by some trial and error style learning with YiSeo's taste-testing? Like, I wish the world was that easy. The last comment I want to make are for the villains - both Jang Geun Won (the son) and Jang Dae Hee (father)'s character just feel really flat and one-directional. The son being reckless is something I can see but Dae Hee is the CEO of a massive corporation. Yet, his way of thinking is just way too immature for anyone close to being as successful as he is supposed to be.
Overall, I think this drama had good ideas and meaningful intentions but tried way too hard to make a grand finale for this story resulting in poor and disconnected execution.
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This review may contain spoilers
Strong opening but it all goes down-hill
*THE GOOD*1) Excellent opening - after seeing a huge hype for this show and knowing the ML as Kim Soo Hyun, I was ready to stay invested in this one. The first few episodes did a real good job to pull you in. We get an unexpected Coraline-like storybook intro, setting the mood and backstory of the series. Although it took more than a few episodes for the show to connect with this, it was great foreshadowing for what's to come.
2) The FL entrance was fantastic! - her character was just gleaming of charisma and power. She was someone who's unafraid to speak their mind loudly, confidently go after what they want, and no one is able to stop them. More interestingly, we got to see very quickly, that even someone as strong and charismatic can be vulnerable to their own demons at night. I ended up binge watching the entire first half of the show purely because of how much I enjoyed her character.
3) Fairytale motifs & theming - unique to the show, each episode tries to connect its developing plot towards a message or lines from a fairytale story. This is a fun and flavorful touch. These references are often done as a background monologue with the voice and interpretation of the FL, which makes sense considering she is a writer in this drama setting. These "monologues" provided more opportunities for us to learn and understand her character, she always has a very distinctive way of interpreting things. And as we listen each episode, it's almost like we were a part of the drama casted as her fans, listening to her character telling the stories. These little motifs came a long way to push forward the whimsical mood the drama has. In fact... the entire drama almost felt like one big fairytale story.
4) Sang-Tae, the brother - his acting was very accurate and realistic coming from someone who dormed with an autistic person in the past. Specifically his facial expressions, when he was angry or scared or felt guilty, you could see the emotions and even the awkwardness from his face - the acting really was brilliant. Later on, we also see this character develop in various ways and the way that everything was done is believable. This was a difficult role and Mr. Oh Jung Se (name of the actual actor) nailed it!
*THE BAD*
1) The FL character changed completely? but also just made no sense - I was surprised no other reviews mentions this but there is something inconsistent about Moon Young's character. Perhaps it's just an oversight on my part but after her character visits the mental hospital, her character started to develop from being a strong, charismatic person to someone who just whines and nags all the time. In the beginning, we see her approaching Gang-Tae, every time expressing her desires to be with him. When he rejects her, she moves on and minds her own business. But later on, she just gives up her whole career almost to chase after this dude, essentially forcing him to be with her by taking advantage or manipulating his ill brother. Now, I understand that every person is vulnerable in some ways and she re-living her childhood traumas may have contributed to this but even so, her character development just felt unnatural. if she was that deeply traumatized, why would she ever go back to that place? In my opinion, a more appropriate plot would be that after seeing Gang-Tae pushing her away on episode 2-3, she should just be back in Seoul the next day to work her business. Even the way she talks changed! I actually confirmed the difference re-watching some of the first two episodes.
2) Slow burn is slow - the progression of this drama is... painfully slow. The entire drama is just a push and pull between the two leads, even after accepted each other, has these little fights and don't much other than to prolong the series. After 12 episodes of using the same cards, it just got old.
3) Out of the blue couple pairing and filters - this point kinda goes into the last one but for some reason, the CEO of the publishing company that managed Moon Young quits his position to pursue this random nurse in a mental institution (forgive me, she's not a random character) but the plot here just makes no sense. Despite having zero chemistry, these two pairing together also didn't add anything to the main plot. There was also an episode that focused two of the patients from institution ending up as a couple, but they again, do not add anything to the main story, I am just confused why so much focus are added to these side characters. The series could have easily done in 10 episodes otherwise.
4) Even more ridiculous, the return of a dead villain trope - So this is current arc I am watching (episode 13) and honestly at this point, it's really difficult to watch this. They are setting up the stage for clear showdown of our main characters fighting against this mother that supposedly was the one that murdered the ML's mother?! Like the plot just enter the ridiculous category and at this point, just wish the series would end.
*I will be editing this review after completing it* but in summary, the story is really disappointing for me. The only scenes worth watching being the first few bits.
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Intense, Confident Action but Overly Edgy
PROS+ Suspense & action to the MAX
+ Fast-paced with minimum downtime
+ Impressive action scenes and stunts
+ Emotion provoking conflict (you will be sucked in & want justice for our protagonist)
+ Flashbacks are used effectively
+ High budget cinematography & variety of locations
+ Great music/sound production
CONS
- Overly confident plot twists
- Outcomes of scenes may not always be logical
- Villains appears one-directional
- Some mysteries will be unexplained
- Low rewatch value - due to the show's reliance on the mystery
SUMMARY
This drama will hit you HARD on the suspense. Want an good action and mystery hitter? I recommend this one because it is packed with it. Part of the enjoyment comes from the quest of finding out the truth or who the real culprit is. As our protagonist, Cha Dal Geon uncover details of a horrific plane crash, fighting his way through mercenaries and lobbyists, numerous plot twists will arise. Unfortunately, the plot does get progressively messy as the story unfolds and you may start questioning its legitimacy. Outcomes of some scenes also feel very unbelievable and not every detail in the story is explained properly. Fortunately, the performance of the main cast is impressive; their characters are likeable, sensible and relatable to the situations they face. Combined with well-produced action sequences, it becomes easy for us viewers to turn a blind eye or two on some of the crazy showdown that just happened, as unrealistic as they are. Some people will find the plot made to be too edgy especially towards the last couple of episodes. Regardless of how important movie logic is to you, it is still a very compelling plot and definitely worth the hours to watch.
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Some parts are slow but it's also a short series. Very much enjoyed Park Solomon (male lead)'s performance and visuals! The female lead is pretty good - I didn't like her at first but I think it was intended as a part of the plot. There is good character development in here and a cast of strong side-characters.
Some episodes of this drama is honestly not needed but I guess it was to introduce/maintain the" revenge" concept.
Overall, a surprisingly good drama for the clique school student settings.
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This drama started off very well with good background set-up and character introductions. The fragrance theme is used very creatively in this drama as both a competing product and weapon. Overall, this drama is worth a watch for anyone who enjoys an interesting use of fragrance in story telling and many plot-twists.
STORY
The story's first three-quarters is very good, playing with ideas of crime, family relationships and personal morals. The theme of betrayal and sacrifice is very strong and characters are constantly forced to be make difficult decisions, often between family versus personal morals. The film shows good moral messages throughout the story as characters succeeds and fails. The plot is excellent until the last quadrant... where the director tried to force melodrama in scenes where it doesn't belong - unfortunately, the ending turned out to be extremely bizarre and unimpressive, when it could have been a lot better.
CHARACTERS AND ACTING
Character development is huge in this drama. Throughout the plot, all significant characters would actively experience, learn and change their behavior, for both the better and the worst. At certain part, however, the difference in character behavior becomes unrealistic drastic, making the acting feel unnatural and the character hard to believe
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This review may contain spoilers
It was really engaging, until the last quarter..
-- STORY --The beginning was great.
We have the shady family politics from the FL's side — the mysterious supernatural world from the ML.
Combining these two universes created an engaging setting.
For the first half, pacing was great, everything made sense and it was suspense after another.
However, the same can't be said for the latter.
They start cutting off all aspects of the show that gave it its potential. The FL's return in her ballerina career? Oversimplified. The 2ML being a previous angel was a great idea but nothing was done with it. The development of the angel world? no, but magical things continue to happen only at convenient times.
Instead, what we got was excessive montage footage of slow music, and back-and-forth 30-second cuts between our FL and ML looking at each other. I ended up watching these parts at 2x speed and it still felt repetitive and annoying. The directors wanted to force more chemistry between the two but it flopped because there was no substance in their dialogs — it's just them crying to each other that they don't want to be separated.
Lastly, the latter half really suffered from illogical events that either made no sense or were just unexplained.
The antagonists started using more drastic measures that threatened their own lives without giving them enough of a reason to do so. This is just the classic one-dimensional villain. Even worse, when they finally got caught in the media, they were still being let to roam free. Where is a proper criminal investigation for the induced car accident, which the show did identify as murder?
When the FL had a stab wound, she decided to dance instead of going to the hospital right away.
The connection of the ML and Seong Woo being the same person was a fascinating idea but nothing was really done with it, so it felt like an unfinished thought.
Things behind the deity, the angels were never explained. Perhaps this is an over-critism but the rules of what an angel can or can't do didn't seem consistent. Why did Dan's wings appear in the rain? Why did Dan turn into a human randomly? Why did Dan suddenly appear again? These were never explained.
-- ACTING --
The acting of this cast is just alright. The FL carried the most difficult role in her complex character. She indeed carried the acting for the entire show IMO. Kim Myung Soo (actor of the ML) did a good job but fell short on the performance when he was sad. He's good at the romantic eye gazes but didn't offer much for emotional delivery. Other worthy mentions are Ni Na's mother and Ni Na herself.
-- SOUND & MUSIC --
The soundtrack Pray by Klang, Oh My Angel by CHAI embodied this drama perfectly.
However, sweeter by Jess Penner (used in the fluffy romantic scenes) felt abrupt and forced every time it came on just like the scenes themselves.
-- REWATCH VALUE --
Almost no rewatch value for me. Majority of the excitement in this show were from the worldbuilding of the angels and the suspense of what the antagonists would do next, but these things are either unexplained or didn't happen within logic.
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Injustice makes our blood boil
Imagine being framed for something you didn't do. Imagine having zero power to convince your peers that you are innocent. Imagine having your whole life turned upside down just by being at the wrong place, at the wrong time. This is the story of One Ordinary Day.- STORY -
In this drama, we follow a student who goes out one night, only to end up in the most unimaginable situation possible and became the main suspect in a murder. That's essentially the entire show. It's about proving innocence when the justice system failed to find the real perpetrator. Do beware that there is a strong and rather bold narrative about our justice system and a negative view of the capitalist world we live in, as well as a couple of pretty intense scenes that you may need to pause a few times to get through. The pacing also moves fairly quickly, there are only 8 episodes in total and also no scenes felt like they were dragging. Overall, while the plot is nicely focused, I did find the ending to be rushed and some of the characters also felt pretty one-directional. But then again, I think the focus of the show is getting you to feel this exact, unfair, unjust, and frustrating situation that Kim Soo Hyun will be put through.
- ACTING -
Holy hell, here we go, wherever I read something about this drama, they always rave about the quality of the acting. And I am here to 100% confirm that. Kim Soo Hyun's performance here is out of this world. His character goes through hell in the show and it's an extremely performance-reliant role, and he nailed every bit of it. Possibly the best part of this show is how well all the levels of emotions are captured by his performance. Outside of him specifically, there are really no holes from the rest of the cast either, I think the cast selection for this drama was perfect.
- PRODUCTION -
The production quality here is also extremely high. The music and sound design fit the dire situations very well and the cinematography was intentional and powerful.
- CRITICISM -
The only complaint I have is the overemphasis on the lawyer's feet. Not sure what having fungal feet has anything to do with the story, but in almost every scene with the lawyer, the camera is set up to show his pair of big feet wide spread... could be an attempt of filling comedic relief between the intense scenes, or maybe there was a motif I missed. The ending also felt slightly rushed and was somewhat predictable, some may think it was a letdown that they didn't expand more on the actual case. But for its purpose, I think it was probably the best choice. A show like this holds its impact within the journey and not the ending. The ending will likely leave you feeling rather unsatisfied but I think it was an intentional choice to reflect the reality that the show is trying to portray.
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A focus on mental health with a touch of appropriately-placed comedy
I started watching this show after being intrigued by the Netflix preview. Going into it, I was expecting something of an exciting plot with silly, heartfelt comedy. And while that was delivered exactly as I expected, the show's latter half focused more on romance. Except it wasn't the typical k-drama romance...Mad For Each Other took a more realistic approach from the traditional romantic portrayal. It captured the awkward essence between two strangers becoming close really well. And while I appreciated the recognition of mental health, it was the storytelling and appropriate scene execution that really put it to the next level - I especially love the scenes where the leads shared their feelings in relation to their mental wellbeing with their therapist. This was a really subtle yet creative way to show character development and chemistry between our leads.
Overall, I really don't have many negatives to pick about this show. The only thing I can nitpick is some of the subplots weren't really developed in the end. But the story, the acting and the scene delivery were done exceptionally well - and that's 99% of what I care about. As a plus, support characters were also both likeable and memorable. Overall I would recommend this to anyone.
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Suspense to the very last stand...
By far the best drama I've seen this year. It's action-packed with zombies, great characters and a very believable political battle. The cinematography is highly impressive. Compared to the first season, there's a ton more scene where I felt more satisfied.In terms of story, this season definitely tries to pull a bit of the logic to make it feel more epic or extreme. Critics may focus on this and say it wasn't as good, but in all things considered, I don't think they could have done it better. Also, there is still more to uncovered about how the zombies spread. This was foreshadowed for season three, so I would personally hold off my opinions on that until I see it.
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My Soul is CLEANSED with wholesomeness
I'm speechless. This drama came out of nowhere for me - I was literally just browsing through shows and this just so happened to intrigue me with its extravagant title. Little did I know, this one click of a button spiraled down to a 12-hour long session of cleansing my soul and spirit. This charming drama was EVERYTHING I didn't know I needed.(+) Fantastically executed storyline
(+) Unique 'mystical' theme that references into some shaman cultures in Korea 🎪
(+) Very likable main cast
(+) Great acting
(+) Plot twists done right
(+) Wholesome scenes ❤️❤️
(+) Quirky moments but never over-the-top
REVIEW
Now I can go on forever about the details, but to be honest, this is a drama you want to go in blind. I think part of what is so tasteful about the story is the discovery - like I said, this is a very well thought out story. The mystical theme introduced in the beginning may throw you off and cause some confusion but just trust the plot and you will understand eventually. Once you have a decent understanding of the main premise, there will be specific details the director will leave out until it is revealed at the right moment. These are the qualities of an effective story-telling, which this drama really excels at.
This is probably biased from me being completely whipped by this drama but there is absolutely zero reasons for you to not give this a chance - this is by far one of the most well-crafted stories I have seen in a long while, and that's not an overstatement. Unless you hate watching anything that is not 100% realistic, I'd strongly recommend to just give it a shot. I will say this drama is not perfect though, but the entire mood and wholesome intention of this drama has absolutely captivated me and won me over. And I don't consider myself an easy critic or reviewer either - which should tell you that much more about the potential greatness this drama can bring to you.
Now go on and enter that mystical tent you've always been curious about!
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Human Fears the Unknown
This show may get flagged with mixed reviews, but I honestly quite enjoyed its concept. Despite its flaws in story-telling, I felt like everything was intended.Even though this is a supernatural show, the real focus isn't actually on the supernaturals, but on humans and our society.
We as humans thrive on information, knowledge and predictability, so as soon as that is thrown out the window, chaos will ensue and swallow the world. And this show captures this idea perfectly as we see how quickly the world turns when the supernatural events immerged. Furthermore, how vile some people are to corrupt the truth simply for self-gain.
So if you were hoping to jump into this, expecting a creatively-written supernatural world, this show will disappoint you because it doesn't really cover many details on the supernatural side. In fact, towards the latter 3 episodes, you will be given more questions than answers. Some of the supernatural stuff seems to just happen out of the convenience to push the human side of the story, which I can see why some people hate. If you ask me, give it a try - the first episode is a bit of a mystery and open-ended but you should know how you would feel by the second episode.
In terms of acting, I was honestly very impressed. All of the main cast was solid, except for the police - I thought his character was a bit illogical sometimes, so perhaps the writing is to-blame instead. However, a special mention is Yoo Ah In's role. He absolutely sold his character.
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A true crime masterpiece.
THINGS I LIKED(+) Unique story with non-cliche scenes or tropes
(+) Great acting
(+) Dark and true crime concept (this may be a negative for some people)
(+) Complex characters and development
(+) One of the few dramas I would compliment on a great ending
THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE
(-) It felt a bit slow during 1-2 intermediate episodes (this is very minor)
REVIEW
Where do we begin? This series takes you on a journey. If you are a fan of true crime and don't mind a darker concept, Extracurricular is one to watch out for. The main characters we follow in this drama are designed beautifully complex and believable - particularly our mini Bonnie and Clyde leads, that is, Oh Jisoo and Bae Gyu Ri.
The synopsis kicks off with a slightly confusing first episode. For a long while, I wasn't clear of the illegal activity being engaged as well as understanding GyuRi's character and motivations. However, once you reach the third episode, the plot really starts to pick up and you can just sense some major storm foreshadowing your way. This story is written and executed really well with minimum downtime or fillers. Expect to feel more and more tense after each episode as this plot takes our characters down the rabbit hole further and deeper.
This is a story about two high schoolers whose background and life experiences had driven them to enact illegal crimes. They are not the people we should root for in reality but we somehow want them to succeed in this drama so very badly. In terms of romance, it's quite subtle for a kdrama but in this case, I find this approach to be very fitting. This story fundamentally shows how far a person can go to achieve their own dreams despite the action may appear to be out-of-character or the potential harm it may cause to others. This is very noticeable in the later half of the show especially in the ending. I won't say anything more about the second half other than it is just a diamond in the rough. One of the best endings I have seen in a kdrama where most tend to fall short on.
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