The Tragedy of the Gifted Child ft. Corruption Makjang

Seung Yoo's tale was relatable for me in some ways. The drama portrayed the tragedy of the gifted child beautifully. I may not be quite the genius Sung Yoo is, but I was labeled a "gifted child" and even went to a private school for gifted children. Being a gifted child is not always a positive. For some it's adults pushing you too far, when you just want to have a normal childhood. For others it's the world telling you, you need to do something extraordinary and not waste your talent, when in fact you might just want a simple job and live a normal life. For some it's a thin line between genius and madness and it not being worth to immerse yourself in your genius until you figure out how to do so safely. All of these points were beautifully shown in Melancholia.

I was completely submerged in this drama's world for two days. I could not stop watching and was glued to my screen. The OST, cinematography, set design and color grading are gorgeous and the mathematical formulas and geometric shapes added to show how Seung Yoo sees the world were a really nice touch. I just wish they had continued with that because it's not like he looks at the world differently after four years. Quite the opposite: he is fully into math again, so it would've made sense to keep showing that in a creative way.

As someone who was bothered by the age difference in Goblin, it didn't bother me here. And that is not because the genders were swapped but because of the reason for the characters' attraction to each other. Seung Yoo and Yoon Soo are drawn to each other because they see the world the same way. For Yoon Soo that is a completely platonic fascination at first. They are simply both happy to have found another human who shares their unique worldview. Seung Yoo, being an immature teenager developed a crush from that feeling, probably not knowing how else to interpret it. Yoon Soo always draws a line and rejects him. Only years into the future, do her feelings change. And yes, the latter can also be said about Goblin, but just the general vibe of their relationship and the reason they were drawn to each other was different. (The way the fl in Goblin acted like a 5-year old was just super icky, okay.) The math metaphors were really nice, especially when they used them to clumsily express their feelings to other characters.

The cast did a great job. Lee Do Hyun's acting is always a pleasure to watch and Im Soo Jung was the perfect fit for her role. The whole ensemble of side characters was amazing but I especially enjoyed Woo Da Bi's performance.

I think everyone who watched this is a bit baffled by how different episodes 7-16 are from the first six episodes. The first six episodes were slower, mostly focusing on Seung Yoo and Yoon Soo and felt very tender - with lots of long shots, beautiful pictures, math metaphors etc. After the time-jump it turned into a tense tale of corruption with a hint of Makjang. While I was completely obsessed with it nonetheless, the change bothered me a bit at first. Just because it didn't feel very cohesive. But on second thought, it actually makes sense. In the first few episodes the world was mostly ok. Sure, there was already corruption and cheating, but the characters' lives were still fine.
Seung Yoo was a teenager, still not knowing much about the workings of the corrupt upper class and we see the world mostly through his eyes. We see him falling in love - with math and with Yoon Soo - and we see him heal from his trauma. The allegations changed everybody's lives, though. And for the rest of the drama we watch them deal with the aftermath. And boy, is it a ride.
The way the unraveling of their lives and secrets is told through masterful editing is incredibly thrilling. The tension is constantly rising, the editors keeping the viewers on their toes and the cliffhangers always made me immediately click on "next episode".

There's really just two small things that bothered me:
- He was already a genius before he met Yoon Soo. He was literally at MIT at 10 years old. It kind of bothered me, that he always said he wasn't that smart, it was only because of Yoon Soo. Yes, she made him fall in love with math again after his traumatic past, but she didn't really teach him much about math, let's be honest. His genius was already there.
- Dear writers everywhere in the world: No German man under the age of like 77 would ever be called Adolf. Please take note. Now, this character called Adolf Müller might be 85, they never said how old he is. But if you have to name ONE German character, you should not call him Adolf.

But anyway, Melancholia is both beautiful and thrilling. I loved it!

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Quality Swoon-worthy entertainment

This drama seriously deserves a better rating. I would've binged it in one day, had I not had to get up early the next day. So instead I binged it in two days and it is definitely going to be a comfort drama for me in the future.

Of course it didn't hurt that I already liked both leads before this. Secret was one of my favorite 2nd gen girl groups, so I adore Song Ji Eun. And Sung Hoon I've had a crush on ever since Oh My Venus. But it wasn't just the actors that made this so enjoyable. The story was exactly what I'd been looking for: a cute romance, but not in a boring way, with lots of funny moments and swoon-worthy scenes. Despite basically being "only" a love story with barely any side plots, it always kept me engaged and immediately clicking "next episode". Their chemistry is great, the side characters are very funny and lovable and I also really liked the OST.

The only points of criticism I have, are that the last few episodes had way too many flashbacks and that the intro was always spoiling the episode. I liked the drawings in the intro but couldn't they have chosen scenes from previous episodes instead of the upcoming one? Kind of a strange choice. (Also, this drama had the fakest fake snow I've ever seen and I didn't quite get the ending tbh). But honestly, I loved this a lot and I'm definitely going to rewatch it.

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Uhm...i don't even know how to rate this. I have...questions.

Having a new love interest was a weird decision, considering the plot of the first season. But I do have to admit that acting-wise Hyuk was an upgrade. His character was really sweet, too. Definitely the highlight of this season.

The plot had some interesting ideas but of course not enough time or budget to really flesh it out.

But my most pressing question is:
How and when did Se Hyun break all these bones? He got hit in the back once, then his head was bleeding(?) and suddenly when he woke up all his bones were broken despite all villains already having been defeated before he passed out? Huh?

Also, the kiss scenes...come on. I'm not even sure their lips were touching for the first "kiss" lol. The camera panned so far away. It's funny how BL kisses in kdramas seem to be at where hetero kisses were 15 years ago. Don't you dare move your lips!

Also: Is seeing color really worth killing people and undergoing dangerous surgery? Idk I feel like it's not that deep.

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An up and down

Hmm...well i don't really know how to rate this. I loved the first few episodes, then the plot was kind of all over the place, then it got better again and then the ending was kind of a letdown again. Honestly, the last episode was too much fanservice for me. There was no suspense anymore and only fluff - kinda pointless.

Obviously, the cast is amazing! They had great chemistry and did a really good job with the script they were given. But the dialogues seemed repetitive and the plot was confusing and at times didn't move forward.

I really loved the second leads and was completely in love with Na Ji Na's apartment. I might have taken some inspiration for my own writing desk.

Despite having its weaknesses, I was always looking forward to the release of the next episode because I really liked the atmosphere of the drama. This was partly because of the cast and their chemistry but also because of the amazing OST - I mean if you got Ailee AND Baekhyun on your OST, it's gonna be a masterpiece.

So, to sum it up, it wasn't great but I enjoyed it.

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Kim Soo Hyun is out of this world

First of all, this is very well casted because Kim Soo Hyun is out of this world. Not only is he gorgeous, his acting is amazing. There are so many nuances just in his eyes alone. Absolutely mind-blowing.

If you have read my love rant about "Are You Human, Too", it will come as no surprise to you, that I love "You Who Came From The Stars" as well. Honestly, is there anything better than chivalrous asexual aliens / robots / mythical creatures?
Since finishing this drama I've actually been thinking about this: In my experience...
- Men like the idea of female aliens or robots because they think they are exotic and will let you screw them
- Women like the idea of male aliens or robots because they think they are chivalrous and protective
Take from that what you want.

Anyway, back to the drama.

Cast & Characters
It took me a while to warm up to Cheon Song Yi. She will never be my favorite drama character because her clinginess and lack of pride were honestly a bit much. But I warmed up to her well enough to root for her and enjoy the drama. The main reason I'm not sure I'll rewatch the drama is her, though.

One could say Do Min Joon is a bit too stoic, but Kim Soo Hyun's portrayal of him is so nuanced (and adorable) that you can't help but fall for him in the very first episode.

I've loved Yoo In Na since "Secret Garden" but I definitely prefer seeing her in a nice girl role.

The moms' feud was rather annoying, to be honest. However, one of the things "You Who Came from The Stars" executed best, is the villain. Sure, it was very black and white and there were no good sides to him. But I honestly haven't hated a villain that much in a long time.

STEP AWAY FROM THE PUPPY!!

Plot
While predictable, the plot was still very enthralling and had me binge the drama within two days. I laughed out loud a few times and cried once or twice. There was definitely some squealing, too. What more do I need from a Kdrama?

Music
The OST was nice but did not blow me away.

My rating is mostly this high because of Kim Soo Hyun and the concept of this particular alien, let's be honest. But it is also a perfectly good a bingeable drama.

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"You were almost there... just one more step and you would have found me."

"You're Beautiful" was my first Korean Drama and to this day I cannot find a single flaw in it. I just rewatched it for the first time in 10 years and it had the exact same effect on me as it did the first time. I laughed like crazy, I cried, I squealed, I shipped, I yelled, I sang along... I could honestly watch it again and again and again.

The story is quirky and catches your interest from the very first scene. The pacing is really great - there is not a single episode that feels like a filler.

I know the character of Go Mi Nam (or I guess I should say Go Min Nyu) is not for everyone. My sister, for example, can't stand her. Personally, I find her cute and funny. Hwang Tae Kyung is a jerk most of the time but he is never cruel and he reveals his softer side throughout the course of the drama. To this day, I still think this is Jang Geun Suk's best role. His face was made for a role like Tae Kyung's. He can show so many emotions with just his eyes alone.

However, Hongki (my first Korean love) and Yonghwa are the ones that deliver the most emotional and scarring scenes that always make me cry my eyes out. It's hard to decide whether I find Jeremy's or Shin Woo's emotional scenes more tragic - they are both devastating in their own way. I always root so hard for Shin Woo and get my heart broken all over again.

And the OST... the OST is just genius! So beautiful, such great vocals of the cast, so fitting for the atmosphere of the drama. I could cry just thinking of "What Should I Do?" and "Without Words" (which was the first Korean song I learned the lyrics for - I practised in my room and everything.)

Apart from the genius OST, the beloved cast and the humor, "You're Beautiful" has some really unique and beautiful elements such as Jeremy's Magic Bus, which is a brilliant (and heartbreaking) concept tbh.

There really isn't any flaw that I could point out.

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K-Drama in its true form

Yes, I am very late to this fest. Yes, I loved it. Descendants of the Sun served pretty much everything that made me watch K-Dramas in the first place: An emotional OST, cheesy slow-mo scenes, swoon-worthy characters and an over-dramatic plot.

I am aware that the plot was over-dramatic - one or two fewer disasters would’ve been fine. But then again I think the drama is very self-aware, which was made obvious with the last scene, where they wanted to enjoy a nice wedding dinner and then ANOTHER huge catastrophe happened. The ending was super fun and tongue-in-cheek, I loved it.

Yoo Si Jin made my knees weak. While a uniform makes every man immediately more handsome and desirable, it was his easy confidence and bluntness that made his character so incredibly attractive. He was not playing games or beating around the bush. But I found Seo Dae Yong just as attractive and lovable. If I was a character in the drama, I would’ve probably gone for him, not gonna lie.

Onew’s role was super annoying, I hated him and his plot line and it was one of the reasons I didn’t give this a 10/10. It was such unnecessary drama. If he didn’t have a pregnant wife back home, I would’ve thought there was gonna be a romantic side-plot with him and the patient he abandoned - why else would they be so dramatic about each other? Plus, they had insane chemistry. But since that wasn’t gonna happen, the plot line was super pointless and overly dramatic. Props to Onew though, he’s a good actor and managed to make me hate his character.

I wish there were subtitles for the English parts because I basically couldn’t understand anyone except David McInnis. And I’m not just talking about the Korean actors - most of the white actors were just as bad. And even if someone’s pronunciation was ok, by the time my brain realized it had to switch to English, I'd already missed what they were saying.

Serious props to David McInnis, though. I think he is the only good non-Korean actor I’ve ever seen in K-Dramas. (I realize he has Korean heritage but he grew up in the US.)

Most actors who play non-Korean characters in K-Dramas are white dudes (and dudettes) who emigrated to Korea because their acting was too bad to land a role in the West. It’s honestly my biggest pet peeve about K-Dramas and it is still happening today (cough Squid Game cough). Even if it’s just a guest role, please hire actual actors with some talent and not just the next best white dude you can find in Korea - thanks.
Anyway, David McInnis actually is a talented actor and contributed to the drama. The same can’t be said about the other non-Korean actors in this.

(Shoutout to Anupan Tripathi though, I loved seeing him for a moment as „man who gives the shoe to Dr. Kang“ lol.)

Anyway, Descendants of the Sun has some flaws, such as bad actors in guest roles, an annoying side-plot and hard-to-understand English, but it gave me all the feels and made me both squeal and cry. K-Drama cheesiness at its best.

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Moving, binge-worthy and a brilliant performance from Lee Do Hyun

They took an ok movie and turned it into an amazing drama. 17 again is a fun little film, but despite the seemingly deep story it tells, it is mostly just fun. With a lot more backstories for the characters, several more side-plots, a gorgeous OST and superb actors, 18 again is deeply moving.

Lee Do Hyun's performance is outstanding and he made me cry several times. My two favorite scenes being when his son hugs 18yo him for the first time and when his father comes to watch his basketball game and he communicates with him in sign language. He is a brilliant actor and completely had me believe that he is a 40yo man in a 18yo body.

It's overall a great drama with a talented cast and good writing but Lee Do Hyun and the OST are what make it outstanding. It also has well-chosen ending scenes that will make you click "next episode" immediately.

The only reason I didn't give this a ten is that there were one or two unnecessary side-plots that went nowhere (like the stalker).

I want to write a longer review but I haven't really sorted out all my feelings yet.

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Perfection!

Please don’t listen to the reviews saying it’s dragging and too slow-paced. I am very glad I didn’t look at any reviews before I started watching because I might’ve passed on a drama that is now one of my absolute favorites.

It wasn’t too slow or too long at all! I was glued to the screen for every second of these 20 episodes and binged the whole thing in two days, with only one break for a few hours of sleep.

I generally love the crossdressing trope but I think it is only done right, when the other characters don’t find out for a long time, which this drama did perfectly. I have seen a few shows where the love interest found out way too soon, which takes away the whole thrill of the trope. The King’s Affection does an amazing job at keeping up the thrill and only slowly revealing parts of the truth. The characters are all well-written and three-dimensional and make you care for them and worry about their fate, so no scene feels like a bore or filler. Even with the length of 20 episodes, it never felt like it dragged on for too long. It was exactly the right amount of time needed to tell this beautiful story.

Park Eun Bin did an exceptionally great job, portraying the Crown Prince. I love that the writers made Dami become a fierce, badass Prince instead of a damsel-in-distress trying to pose as a man. The way she acted and held herself made her the most believable man I’ve seen in a crossdressing drama or movie. I’ve seen some people say she looks way too feminine to pass as a man, which I find funny cause I could list at least 6 idols who could pass as a woman and fool everyone, so why is it so unbelievable that a man could have her features? Effeminate men exist.

I really fell in love with the whole cast, but especially Nam Yoon Su, who played Hyun - his fate was the one I was most anxious about because he was just so charming.
And of course, the child actors also did an amazing job, especially Choi Myung Bin in her double role.

There are quite a few parallels to Sungkyunkwan Scandal but it didn’t bother me. Both dramas are amazing.

Seriously, please give this a watch, it’s amazing.

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