Good, but not great

OVERALL
There are many things to praise about this drama, despite its average quality. Watch it if 1) you like strong and calm female leads, 2) you're looking for cute OTP scenes, 3) you like when there's a bit of action in your drama, even if it's really just a bit. If 1) you want to see lots of skinship and smexy scenes, 2) you can't stand older woman-younger man tropes, and 3) you're looking for suspense/more intense action, then skip.

THE STORY
I'm going to say it: this drama is really not that great. Now that I've gotten that out of the way, I can also say that I honestly really liked it! The main reason why I like it is because it's taking cliché elements of C-dramas and changing them just a little bit, so the story still feels refreshing. Female lead is strong and can fight, but she's not like terminator. She's actually pretty mellow and even-tempered. Male lead started out a spoiled brat, but he's not cold, rude and mean like we often see in C-dramas. He's just a bit childish, and that turns out to be his charm by the end. As a couple, they also hit different. Rather than going the route of "age doesn't exist", which we see in age-gap dramas a lot, where the guy treats the girl like she's not older than him and the girl treats the guy like he's not younger than her, in Lucky With You the age gap is there to stay, but it's turned into something positive. Male lead's liveliness and childishness brightens the life of Female lead, and her being down-to-earth and more mature brings the best out of him. It's just really nice!

Another plus in this drama is the interactions between the OTP. They're REALLY cute together. Not in a super romantic, cringey or cheesy way, but in a feels-so-natural-and-real way. And yet another plus is the fact that Female Lead is played by a woman in her mid-thirties. I'm SO happy she gets to play in a drama with an actual plot and isn't being forced to play in those boring "this is life in the 30s" dramas. I hope more like this comes our way!

On the negative side, Lucky With You's romance (which is really really promising) kind of feels lacking. There's almost no skinship in this drama, probably because of some clause or something banning skinship between the main actors. But even without skinship, they could have focused a bit more on the OTP. I feel like a lot of C-dramas forget what they're about and get lost in random stuff (office drama, uninteresting side characters, etc.). This is definitely the case of Lucky With You, in the second half. The ending feels particularly dissatisfying. All in all though, I don't regret watching and would even recommend it, but these are things to keep in mind!

THE ACTING
Fab. The main actor, I've seen him before in Love Designer and I don't know how he does it, but his relationships with the female leads always feel natural. In this drama it's even more impressive since there's zero skinship haha Female lead was fine too, of course, and even the side characters were okay.

THE MUSIC
No comment.

REWATCH VALUE
I think I will rewatch parts of this drama. Not the whole thing, because there are parts I didn't care for, but the OTP was really cute together, and the first half of the drama was binge worthy, so it'll happen for sure!

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OVERALL
An okay drama to watch with low expectations. Do not let Kim Sohyun and the awesome soundtrack deceive you. It has a lacking plot and stagnating characters, and you will spend most of the time watching it with the urge to slap someone.

THE STORY
So, imagine you have the choice between the story of a girl with no self-confidence who learns to take control of her life and not be tramped on, and the story of a girl with no self-confidence who gets trampled on again and again, and gets saved by someone, again and again. Which one sounds better? Well, the writers of School 2015 think it's option B. The drama had zero character development, and gave the bitter feeling of things being uselessly repeated, over, and over, AND OVER again.

I am particularly frustrated with the production crew of School 2015 because their original premise was very promising. Different from other School dramas (I frankly think it shouldn't have been part of the School series; it's like an apple among oranges), but promising. There was intrigue, meaty characters, school drama. But they just had to completely ruined it one third into the show, sacrificing all the plot for the sake of a very bad love triangle (one couple was coherent and the other didn't make sense, and if you know anything about Kdrama geometry you can guess which one wins in the end).

THE ACTING
Why did I watch the drama until the end? For Kim Sohyun and for Go Eun Byul. The former was awesome playing two separate characters, and the latter was the best character for me (because I am a fan of characters who aren't all bad or all good but somewhere in between). Other actors played quite well as well. Jo Soohyang was amazing as the irreversible bully, but her character was one of the never-evolving ones, unfortunately. Sungjae was quite impressive as Taegwang, especially since he's a rookie actor. Well, Taegwang was impressive, period. Nam Joohyuk was the only one who didn't really strike me as good, but he wasn't bad either. Poor guy had to play a lousy character too, so I don't hold it against him.

THE MUSIC
A.MA.ZING. That's probably another reason why I watched the show until the end. To get acquainted with the soundtrack and download it. All. My favorite is Baechigi's Fly with the wind (ft. Punch).

REWATCHABLE VALUE
I want to rewatch it for its epic beginning; for the mysteries and the dramas of the beginning, for Go Eun Byul. But just thinking about the latter half of the drama...*shudders*. Probably won't rewatch unless I can't think of anything better.

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Pure thriller

OVERALL
This drama handles suspense very well and can easily be binged in a few days. Watch if you like thrilling, sensational plots, with a fast pace and lots of action. If you are looking for well-developed characters, character growth or romance, skip.

THE STORY
I binged the first ten episodes of Kairos in two days (with some fast-forwarding, but still). The fantasy aspect of the plot, and trying to save lives across temporal lines, are the two things that keep you on the edge of your seat, wanting more. Another is the production. Episode opening sequences are great at setting the pace and the suspense, and the use of sound and camera angles is very impressive in some scenes too.

That being said, from the very first episode, I was not able to get emotionally invested in this drama, and as episodes went by, it just got worse - until I eventually just skipped episodes 11 to 15, and went straight to the finale. The biggest problem, in my opinion, is that there is not enough character development. Kairos doesn't make you feel attached to the main leads. The action starts too fast, without giving you time to get to know the leads well, and it never slows down enough to give you the chance later on. Strangely, I liked the antagonists more than the leads. I didn't root for them but I liked how they were more fleshed out and had more individual character. The main leads felt like empty shells. Another negative thing I can mention about the drama is the few plot holes here and there. They're not major, but some happen relatively early on and keep on popping up in your mind as you're watching (eg. why didn't this happen instead?), distracting you. I have to say, the drama isn't bad. It's just very action-focused. For anyone who requires more than thriller and suspense, you may be disappointed.

THE ACTING
Quite good, I would say. I don't think I was blown out of my mind, but there is a lot of crying and intense emotions in Kairos, and the actors deliver. No need to talk about chemistry or anything here, since relationships are underdeveloped.

THE MUSIC
I liked the use of sounds and OST in this drama. It's very deliberate and works well with the plot. Nothing I would listen to now that the drama is over, but still.

REWATCH VALUE
Very low. There is nothing about Kairos that will make me feel like watching it again.

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OVERALL
An entertaining Taiwanese rom-com that digs a little deeper than others. Watch if 1) you can watch food without eating (otherwise, you'll gain weight, trust me), 2) you've had an overdose of the typical sweet girl and douchy guy, 3) you like shows with children. Don't watch if 1) You have little patience for weird or irritating characters (you can always skip if they bore you, but...), 2) you're looking for a romance with lots of skinship (kisses sure are fine in this show, but there's little more, you're warned!), 3) you don't like when everything is just too happy (yes, there is such a thing as too much happiness).

THE STORY
After watching many many dramas, if there's one thing I'm particularly tired of, it's the cliched sweet, innocent and naive female protagonist. Granted, the main lead of this show is also a cliched character. The distrustful, cold and solitary female type. But I was pleasantly surprised (pun intended) with the character development of Kai Qi, who slowly opens up to people. It was not expected in such a light, comic romance, and that's just how to earn some points in my book. Another way is to have a male lead that slightly deviates from the norm - a patient cutie pie with a warm smile and personality, instead of the all-too-common barbie Ken - the overly-confident, masculine, smirky (or douchy) faced guy. And yet another way is to have a very cute little child actor. So this show was quite enjoyable for me. Predictable, yes, at times unbelievable or dragging too, with an ending that seems a bit too abrupt, but fun to watch and slightly different from the comedies I've seen so far. If that's where Taiwanese rom-coms are going, I'll be hopping onto their boat a lot more often in the future.

THE ACTING
Mmm...I don't know about that, and truthfully the main couple didn't have much chemistry, but I'll say the cast was selected well because they make the show visually appealing. Puff Guo looks great and makes an endearing cold girl. I had seen her before in a similar role (in Inborn Pair, though her character was more of a two-faced bully) and I also had had the I-want-to-be-your-friend feeling. Jasper Liu is cuuute. He's in my list of actors to watch out for. You just look at them and feel like watching the show. That's totally not a legitimate reason to watch a drama, but hey, all is fair in Dramaland.

THE MUSIC
Nothing that captured my attention, except maybe for the occasional instrumental track. The piano piece was cute and I wanted to play it.

REWATCH VALUE
Why not? But...in a while.

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Good palace politics, Horrifying ML

OVERALL
This drama is another heaven-and-hell production. Watch it if 1) you LOVE palace politics, 2) you're looking for mature cinematography and filters, 3) you want a drama with a smart(ish) FL. If you're looking for a great ML or a heartfelt love story, I can't urge you enough, SKIP!

THE STORY
So I was looking for another good historical drama after watching Wonderland Love and saw that this one was highly rated, so I decided to give it a try. Uff, what a disappointment! But let me start with the good stuff:
- The premise of FL going back to her youth to change history is interesting (while not original) because you want to see if she'll succeed. This I really liked, and I think the drama does a good job of handling this part of the plot.
- FL is smart (when the drama wants her to be) and in a mature, age-appropriate way
- For once (in a long time), we have mature cinematography with nice, dark(ish) filters and none of that childish quirky music that always plagues Chinese historicals
- Palace politics is thrilling, with the bad guys making the good guys sweat sometimes (which is good, it's boring when the good guys are always ahead)

Now, onto the bad stuff:
- Top of the list, 200%, is ML. He is so boorish, I can't believe a C-drama came up with a character like that in 2023. It's okay to have a cold or slightly aggressive ML when there is enough backstory to make us feel bad for him AND if he redeems himself. Kunning Palace's ML has neither. The backstory is definitely not enough to make me sympathize with him, and he never, NEVER redeems himself. He's just dislikable, from beginning to end.
- Obviously, the love story then falls very short. It was extremely funny (and disturbing) how his outbursts of anger and violence towards FL were romanticized. I just can't...Also, having such nice, 2nd and 3rd ML made it all worse, because in what world would a smart girl like FL EVER choose this abusive ML over her other options? It's hilariously ridiculous.
- The fact that ML is FL's teacher adds an extra layer of weird and bad for me, because of the power dynamics. He's already boorish, then you add to it the fact that he can just boss her around and treat her like a 5 year old as her teacher? Yuk.
- A third flaw in this drama (definitely less important but still worth mentioning) is how brushed aside the story of FL's sister was. I think the character is presented as somewhat important but then we never see what happens to her after a major event, which feels like a loophole.

Overall, if you are not into romance and are indifferent to ML's terrible character, go ahead, watch this drama. The palace politics will keep you going. If you really care about character development and you were craving a good love story, do yourself a favor and skip!

THE ACTING
Good, though nothing out of this world for me. I wouldn't say there was any chemistry between FL and any of the guys in the show either.

THE MUSIC
That, I liked! I'm all for more mature vibes!

REWATCH VALUE
Absolutely null. I'd rather re-watch Yanxi Palace than this, and I used to think Yanxi Palace's emperor was the absolute worse ML hahaha

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OVERALL
A sloppy drama, that somehow builds expectations with its promising message and context but doesn't deliver. Watch it if you want a mix of modern-day and historical plots and you are looking for supernatural and a refreshing way of integrating vampires into the world. If you hate clichés, unnatural dialogues and scenes that don't quite make sense, skip.

THE STORY
While the context of the drama was interesting (ie. vampires as a different race living among humans) and the message was honorable (ie. accept difference), there were many many things that were unforgivable in this show, starting with incoherent characters and ending with incoherent plot elements (especially the historical component, which serves no purpose in the drama). One thing that particularly got to me is that usually, some dramas overuse silences (when characters pause before saying something), but in this one, they were underusing them, which often gave the impression that characters were doing a 180 or being way too emotional. Oh, and also, how can people from the lower class in Joseon not bow down to the nobles? The drama has a good intention, but it's quite sloppy, sadly.

THE ACTING
Yeo Jin Goo is just as amazing here as in other dramas, but he was overqualified for the drama and that played against him. He was throwing all his emotions in his scenes, but Seolhyun was not very expressive, Jonghyun was expressive but not as much as him, and the whole show seemed so light that it just looked like his character was too much, all the time. Since his character was not very likeable, that was not helping at all. Seolhyun was ok, but pairing her with Jin Goo, who's a veteran actor, was not a good thing. I want to see her play in something else before I decide if I like her acting or not. Jonghyun has lots of potential and he's on the right track. There wasn't much chemistry between the trio, though. Secondary leads were fine.

THE MUSIC
I'm usually either happy or indifferent with soundtracks, but the OST for this drama really wasn't my style. There's only maybe one song I thought was just ok.

REWATCHABLE VALUE
Very, very low. The drama's too frustrating to want to watch again.

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THIS is romance done right!

OVERALL
Watch this drama if you 1) are looking for a series that actually gives enough screentime to the love story, 2) want a FL who can think for herself and knows how to fight, 3) crave a fast-paced series, with plenty of action/adventure. If you are prone to ML bias, though, I guess you should skip. Your loss!

THE STORY
I have to say my expectations were quite low for this drama because on a cinematographic level, it's nothing great. Really basic shots, bright filters, quirky BGM, and the CGI *eyeroll* BUT BUT BUT...as it turns out, I LOVED it! Let's begin with the good stuff:
- Absolute #1 for me is the perfect balance of action/adventure and romance. 90% of Chinese dramas seriously have no clue what a romance drama is supposed to be like. They're always 85% palace (or work) drama and 10-15% love story. For once, here, we have a solid 50/50 (maybe even 60/40 sometimes) and that alone makes it an above-average drama for me!
- I loved FL because yes, she knows how to fight and she is pretty smart, but she is also a bit of a trickster. Nowadays, so many dramas give you a "strong" FL but they're all the same. At least she has something different!
- The relationship between ML and FL is cute and fun. Their arguments are sad and frustrating, but realistic and (for the most part) understandable. I really appreciated how they never really broke up due to cliché misunderstandings (or maybe just once)
- The drama is also pretty well-paced. Especially at the beginning, you always feel like the characters get out of one situation to jump right into another. It's a good change, compared to dramas that drag. At some point (starting ep 25 or 26), you have a couple of episodes that feel slower, but it doesn't last very long.
- The ending is satisfying

Now, the drama is definitely not perfect. It does have its flaws:
- While I liked the pace of the show (with lots of action/adventure), I have to say the action/adventure plot got kind of repetitive. Lots of poisoning and kidnapping. It also was pretty predictable.
- Ironically, they did well with the fresh and fun romance, but SO bad with their third wheels. You can't get more cliché, obsessed unrequited lovers than the ones in this drama. This probably was the most infuriating part.
- Finally, I appreciated the fact that the relationship drama was understandable (and not random, plot devices just to separate the main leads), okay, I did...but I have to say it was kind of tiring how, for about 6-8 eps, the main couple just goes from one argument to another. You just want the drama to end and for them to be happy together (or fighting evil together)! haha

The bad is not enough to ruin the drama, so I'd still give it a try, but it's good to keep in mind!


THE ACTING
Stellar cast, nothing else to say. Pretty good chemistry between the main leads and they both did well on their own too (Xu Kai probably a bit more, he really was great!). Some side characters sometimes stole the show (eg. Crown Princess) too. All good!

THE MUSIC
Don't remember much...I guess it was fine?

REWATCH VALUE
Very high.

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OVERALL
Good filler drama to watch when you have nothing else to watch or need a break from action-packed, overly-emotional or melodramatic shows. It won’t make you pull your hair out in frustration, but you won’t feel too much for it either. Just don’t watch if there’s anything better within your grasp.

THE STORY
Typical boy-meets-girl, boy-loves-girl, girl-gets-tortured-by-crazy-mother-in-law main plot that is 100% predictable, and accompanied by some of those clichéd elements that are absolutely hateful, such as the very old big-and-terrible-illness. On the other hand, this is a story with no meddling, so-annoying-that-you-could-kill-them third wheels in couples. It is light, bright and significantly more drama-free than others. The prejudiced ends up being prejudiced against, which was ironic. Also, despite all the clichés, it is a show that seems more “modern” or open-minded than most, because things that make crazy melodrama and meet controversy in other shows due to being unacceptable in Korean society (eg. marrying a single parent, dating a minor, loving a divorcee with kids, etc.) are ultimately displayed as perfectly fine in this show.

THE ACTING
This is not a show in which you’ll feel convinced by the love stories. There was zero chemistry between the main protagonists (or in other couples, for that matter); the romantic scenes could only make you smile – not because you are entertained or touched by the love of the characters, oh no, but because you feel how fake the scenes are and wonder how awkward it was for the actors to film them. I can’t say that individually, the cast did not perform well. Especially the senior actors, they were quite good. I also can't say that siblings didn't feel like siblings, or parents, like parents. But since a lot of the show is about the different love lines that develop, I need to feel something when I watch them, and that was mostly not the case in this show.

THE MUSIC
Not much for my interests. It was funny and quite cool that there were old-fashioned songs (I’m not going to say trot songs because I’m not sure it was trot) in the main soundtrack of the show – that is, because I like old-fashioned songs. It was not as funny or cool that the characters were singing one of them all the time though – joke got old, really fast.

REWATCH VALUE
Mm….I’m sure I’ll always have something better to rewatch when I get bored.

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OVERALL
One of these few dramas that successfully combine romance, suspense, comedy, drama, character development and social critique. Watch if 1) like me, you're a sucker for dramas that inspire you and make you think, 2) You've seen a few average dramas and you want something a little better. Don't watch if 1) You have a hard time with characters that bear flaws, 2) You nitpick about small plot mistakes.

THE STORY
Gripping tale, made of plenty of plot twists and enough suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat, uncertain about where the story will take you, from beginning to end. The characters evolve throughout the drama - and not just the main protagonists, almost all of them - but the best thing is, they are all relatively 'complex', which in my own speech means that they all have flaws and/or vulnerabilities, but all end up getting some kind of positive emotion from you, if not love, at least pity or understanding. The story is also one that makes you think about the world and how you've been living, with some quite deep lines and conversations. There might be a few plot elements that don't seem very realistic, and the romances might seem a little bland, but there's been a lot worst in Kdramaland, trust me.

THE ACTING
All the cast did a pretty good job in this drama. I just can't give a 10 because I thought there wasn't much chemistry between Lee Boyoung and Lee Jongsuk, and it was a shame, it would have made it perfect.

THE MUSIC
Quite good, well chosen. My personal favorite: Every Single Day, by Echo. Rock or acoustic version, the song's cool.

REWATCH VALUE
Rewatched.

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OVERALL
If you thought it’s impossible to find a drama that maintains good balance between action, romance and character-driven plot without giving into incoherence or common story elements and clichés, then watch this. If you already thought it’s possible, still watch it.

THE STORY
When I started watching Healer, I wasn’t that into it. I wish I could remember what it was that wasn’t getting to me back then, because right now all I can think of is how awesome the drama is! Objectively speaking, even if I put that initial feeling aside, Healer is not a perfect show. There are things that, without seeming wholly incoherent, don’t make a lot of sense; there are some windows that never really get closed or ends that don’t precisely get tied by episode 20. But it’s a drama that is superior from others because it breaks clichés and it’s character-driven. Not only do the main leads and the villain have depth, but even flashback characters have their own individuality, which makes these scenes come to life. The women are all strong, smart and capable; the story managed to avoid falling in all clichéd abysses we see again and again in dramas, and the primary couple is not only adorable, coherent and real (skinship is real too, and plentiful!), it also puts to shame other Kdramaland OTPs in which doubt, distrust and misunderstandings always get the best of the pair.

THE ACTING
I love Ji Chang Wook, okay. I really do. I always follow all his projects. But he never gave me the feeling of being an amazing actor. I think that it’s because he always seems to be playing the same role, with only slight nuances. Anyway, he was dashing as usual in here, and chemistry was bursting out between him and Park Min Young. She was great, I think I liked her more than usual in here (possibly because her character was the best she’s had). But for me, the best acting in Healer definitely came from the older cast. Do Ji Won, Yoo Ji Tae and Park Sang Won were awesome, and my favorite ajumma actress, Kim Mi Kyung, as well.

THE MUSIC
It was great. Well, it must have been great. Frankly, I can’t remember most songs, not even Chang Wook’s. I was too infatuated by Ben’s You. Was on my mp3 since episode 1. Most catchy OST I’ve heard in a while!

REWATCH VALUE
Well, the show just ended yesterday, but guess what I’m thinking of watching tonight?

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Heartwarming

OVERALL
This drama is bringing the older woman/younger man storyline to a new level and I love it. Watch if 1) you're looking for a capable FL and a sweet ML, 2) you want lots of cute OTP scenes, 3) you dig work drama. Avoid if 1) you don't like any of the above, 2) you're looking for great chemistry or smexy scenes, and 3) you like meaty characters.

THE STORY
Recently C-dramas have been generous with the older woman/younger man storyline: Love Scenery, My Fated Boy, and now this one. Out of all I've seen, The Rational Life does the best job at dealing with that theme. FL isn't acting younger than her age to make ML more masculine, and there's more realistic drama surrounding the age difference too (which is necessary with this kind of plot). It's also cool how they went out there and pushed the age gap to 12 years!!!

The Good
- ML and FL are not the super cliché C-drama leads. She's not childish and immature, he's not cold and domineering. None of them depend on the other either. They're both capable adults who complement each other nicely.
- The secondary couples (there're 2) are actually interesting and worth watching. The characters are also quite likable. Not cartoony, dumb, loud. Perfectly normal and likable.
- The ML and FL's moms are just so cute (especially ML's)!

The Bad
- ML and FL lack a bit of depth. It looks like the drama wants to give them some at the start, but eventually it all goes down the drain. A bit of a waste, because there isn't much character development (or relationship development, for that matter). The best character is FL's mom, and that's because she's the most developed (and undergoes the most change).
- Now, this point is entirely subjective, but as someone who doesn't care too much about work drama, I find that there's WAY too much of it. They could have cut down and given more meat to their characters.
- Some of the OTP scenes are reaaallyyy cute, but some of them are reallyyy cringe and awkward. It's not always satisfying to watch. Overall, the "falling in love" part is much better written and produced than the "being in love and a couple" part.

THE ACTING
Quite good, but there is zero chemistry between the leads. In some dramas it's fine because it doesn't interfere too much with the drama experience, but in this one you can really feel it, which sucks a bit.

THE MUSIC
Bad haha Not terrible, but bad.

REWATCH VALUE
Not very high, but it doesn't mean the drama wasn't worth it. I just think it's one of those one-timers. It doesn't have the 'umph' factor (something gripping) that would make me want to watch it again.

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OVERALL
Good drama, but one that had the potential to be a lot better. Watch it if you’re looking for some good action, but also some good comedy and a cute couple. Don’t watch if you want serious/mature couple stuff and lots of supernatural (unfortunately, the girl who sees smells is primarily a girl, and she sees smells on occasion – at least, that’s what it looks like in the show).

THE STORY
Maybe because I was put off by the weird title, I had low expectations for this drama. Maybe because I had low expectations, the show really hit me hard when I started. And maybe because I was so in love with the beginning of the drama, I couldn’t help but be disappointed by the last few episodes.

There are three sides to The Girl who sees smell: the action, the comedy and the romance. The action was absolutely awesome until roughly episode 14, with great suspense and an antagonist that goes into my top ten villains headed by Queen Seon Deok’s Mishil (forever and always my favorite). In the last two episodes though, things lose all coherence, including (sadly) our awesome antagonist. The comedy is quite alright, and relies a lot on the character of Oh Chorim (Shin Se Kyung), who I really liked, and a little on Moon Gak (Yoochun). The comedy starts out pretty good, then dies in the second third of the show, then is somewhat revived at the end, but the characters’ personality pretty much die halfway through the show and never come back. Finally, there’s the romance, which, to my taste, was not so great, neither at the beginning nor the end, but since everything else was cool, it was forgiven.

THE ACTING
Shin Se Kyung, man. What a surprise. I always thought she was okay in historicals but bad in everything else, but boy is she good in comedy. I am seeing her in a whole new light. Please, people, never give her a melo or makjang drama, ever again. And then I have to say, Nam Gong Min!!!! This dude, who knew he could act soooo well! I was really impressed. These two were the big stars of this show. Romance-wise, no chemistry between Se Kyung and Yoochun, but they were lots of fun together, so it was forgiven.

THE MUSIC
Mmm…not for me, but okay I guess.

REWATCHABLE VALUE
Can’t say I won’t rewatch this, but there’ll be some skipping parts from the middle to the end.

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OVERALL
Good to watch on a road trip. I'm saying this because that's what I did, and I can't think of another time I'd be desperate enough to.

THE STORY
LOL This was like watching the two-hour recap of a melodrama...or starting the melo from the middle, skipping all the nice, fluttering falling-in-love part and jumping right into the in-laws-tear-us-apart drama, which, I have to say, had all the cliched elements you can find in melos and more. There's nothing gripping about Hanoi Bride because we're not given the chance to care about the protagonists separately or together, and everything is just so damn predictable. The good side? Well, I sure had a lot of laughs watching this, though I'm certain it wasn't what they were aiming for. I also like to give props to stories that portray a social issue, and Korean guys travelling to Vietnam to find a wife is not an unusual phenomenon, from what I've read.

THE ACTING
I would say nothing stellar, but because I got to see Kim Okbin in Yoona's Street first, where her role was so entirely different, I can't help but think she's a very good actress.

THE MUSIC
What music?

REWATCHABLE VALUE
It's standing on that line that separates serious from ridiculous shows. Because I wasn't watching it taking it seriously, it was entertaining, and I can't say I wouldn't watch it again. But I'm not dying for it. Not at all.

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OVERALL
Good, light, fun drama that can be easily completed in a nutshell, without even realizing. Watch if 1) You want something without too much drama, 2) You like the fake-relationship plot element, 3) You don't want a cliche ending. Don't watch if 1) You're vulnerable to the second-lead syndrome, 2) You can't stand secondary females that are gold-diggers or leeches, 3) You are looking for a heart-felt, touching, emotional love story.


THE STORY
Another 'refreshed' plot, as I like to call them. While the premise is nothing new, the humor, the funny prologues, the quirky sound effects and the light feeling (as opposed to the common dramatic feel that seems to be more and more typical of Kdramas) manage to refresh it and suck you in. There are some flaws in this show; starting from very dislikable secondary female characters that seem bad but aren't but actually are but truly aren't, and ending with a main love story at times too slow, at times moving too quickly, without giving the viewers the time to understand the characters' feelings. But the lightness of the drama makes it attractive, entertaining and addictive, the background of both leads justify their character, and the few uncommon drama elements introduced in the plot - won't say them or it's a spoiler - win extra points for creativity.

THE ACTING
I had previously seen the main actors only in secondary roles, but here they managed to pull the story together, which was no simple thing, giving that I have a feeling a lot of it relied on their chemistry and acting skills. Jinwoon and Sunhwa were also quite good in their roles. I see a bright future in acting for the female idol.

THE MUSIC
The selection of tunes was absolutely brilliant and seemed to have, as main purpose, to facilitate laughter. The OST, therefore, is one I love with the show, but I probably wouldn't listen to independently of it.

REWATCH VALUE
Definite yes, but with some skipping.

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OVERALL
Watch this fun, romantic and innovative drama, if not for the story, for the change in perspective that it generates in its viewers. Do it soon if 1) You're looking for something different, not really explored in dramas yet, 2) You want to see a real adult romance. Maybe keep it for later if 1) You have low tolerance for relational conflicts, 3) Mental illness issues make you uncomfortable.

THE STORY
It's okay is a manifesto against discrimination and stigmatization of mental illness. It shows that everyone struggles with some mental issue; that there aren't two categories, the normal people and the mentally ill, we are all on a continuum. It reminds people that mental illness does not mean the end of someone's ability to live, work and love; and that if one cannot overcome it, one can learn to live with it. Basically, it's what anyone studying psychology or psychiatry, such as myself, preaches everyday, and seeing that in a drama was awsome! Apart from its premise, what also makes this show great are the amazing interactions between all characters, who seriously care for one another and help each other work on their issues (which everyone have, no one is spared), and the perfect blend of comedy, romance and a little intrigue, surrounding the story of the male lead and his family. The main love story is mature and real, and so are the characters. The ending is amazing too. On the down side, the characters were too real, sometimes getting on your nerves, and working in a psychiatric hospital myself, I knew that the problems of the main characters were delt with too much optimism, too easily. But that's nothing to challenge all the good that the drama has, and all that it represents. I wish more similar shows come out.

THE ACTING
Well, I was in love with Jo In Sung since That Winter and dying to see him again. This new appearance was fabulous, even better than in his previous drama. Gong Hyo Jin I knew could act well, but I hadn't been able to like any of her dramas before. Now I feel like I can do her justice. Both of them had a crazy amount of chemistry - I guess that was a must, giving all the 'sexy' scenes they had to do - but really, all actors (who were all great) had lots of chemistry, as if they had been friends for years. The cast was well chosen.

THE MUSIC
Perfect for the show, and somewhat innovative. It was giving it a vibe that was quite different from other dramas. Several songs were in English, and though independently from the drama I didn't like many of them, I know at least one will find its way to my mp3 - I just need to google it first.

REWATCH VALUE
I give myself a month. By mid-October, this will be rewatched. And by next September, maybe twice?

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