Ok, but needs adjusting

While I enjoy the concept of this show, this season felt a bit lazy. Also, I think the spy part got in the way often times. I think the director needs to let go of Running Man concepts like that. I also think it was better when they voted individually. Voting by teams made it less interesting. The voting booth was always fun at the end before.

One of the problems with this show in general is the struggle guests have when they come on this show. They get talked over so much and when they can finally get a word in they get dismissed right away. Most of the time guests can be altogether ignored for much of the show. Towards the final 5-6 episodes, Na Ra was just unreasonably snappy with the cast and guests. Mi Joo's thirst was making male guests visibly uncomfortable. Kim Min Gue was struggling with being a good sport. Yook Jae Suk is falling into the same pattern as he did with Lee Kwang Soo in Running Man by referring to Mi Joo's profession as being a comedian multiple times per episode. She worked hard to become an idol and during her active career as one. I don't get why Jae Suk feels the need to try and erase that. Just let them be funny people in their respective main careers.

If there is a 4th season I'll watch simply because I'm an OG for the show, but if it was announced that it wouldn't be returning for another season, I wouldn't be disappointed.

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Huh?

Q: How was the series?
A: Huh?

Q: Was it good?
A: I think so?

Q: Would you recommend it?
A: Maybe?

Q: Can you answer without it being a question?
A: Seo Kang Joon

Q: It has to do with time travel. Is it messy?
A: I'd say complicated, but what time travel story isn't?

Q: Another question reply. Did you find it entertaining?
A: Seo Kang Joon

Q: Was it worth the time to watch?
A: Time doesn't flow.

Q: Huh?
A: Huh?

Q: Ok, one more try. Do you think I should watch it?
A: Episode 7 is really going to irritate you. I mean, like reeeeeeally make you want to shake someone vigorously.

Q: What about the rest of the episodes???
A: The rest will be the cop irritating you.

Q: What's your overall view of the show?
A: I understood that I understood nothing.

Q: You've been no help at all.
A: Seo Kang Joon!

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A Hidden Gem

The unfortunate thing with this show is that the only synopsis that could be found on the internet is very confusing. That's probably because they weren't sure of where they were going to go with the format and were just starting off with pilots. I'm happy that I looked beyond the wonky synopsis and started watching this show. It took about 3 episodes for the show to find it's footing, so be patient with the randomness in the beginning.

This variety show is all storytelling, and great storytelling at that. Once the show worked its format out, it became 2 regular members per team, and 1 rotating person per team. There are 3 rounds where the 2 teams tell surprising stories that fit a theme per round. They invite a guest that is usually a young MZ Generation person from an idol group to judge each round based on which story was more surprising.

I have to say with all the stories I heard there may have been maybe only 2 that weren't surprising at all, but all of them were interesting. There were times when I felt like I already knew the story, but then they drop things that I had never heard of. All of the stories are based on collected information-- nothing is made up. Some are all facts and some include testimonies from people that are up to you to decide on whether you believe. Even if it's a conspiracy theory, it's one that came from an academic professional.

I had no idea I would enjoy such a show. The storytelling between the 3 people on each team is entertaining (at times humorous) and done so well amongst the 3 of them. Mind you, they are all sitting down at a half circle table while telling these stories. They usually have images, footage, and pre-filmed dramatization to go along with it, though. This goes to show that verbal storytelling is such a lost art and doesn't necessarily need a bunch of action.

I would eagerly look forward to this show every week and hope that the next season comes out soon. If you like shows like Crime Scene, Girls High School Mystery Class, or even The Genius, you're probably the type that would like this show.

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Softcore Debauchery

When I tell you I scooted through all 8 episodes in one night only cause I wanted to see how it would end and boy was I ever so disappointed. Ok, first off... I want to throw skittles at the Netflix algorithm for saying this was a 97% match for me. It used to get me so well, but now I feel betrayed. Let me tell you why.

The story is super weak. I feel like the main couple was supposed to come off like theybwere rich because they lived above the 15th floor in some building and had like 2 salons, but it didn't come across well at all. I don't really understand if there was love between the main female and 2nd male lead. But what there was in abundance was softcore sex scenes (I'm talking you just can't see genitals, okay?) and infidelity that was being incited by some weird lady in the building. There was even a scene with male characters in the show, who had no prior interaction with one another, sharing random facts about male genitalia. I promise you it was just a free-for-all on scruples here! Then for it to end in such a stupid way. What a waste.

I do not recommend this for anyone that doesn't want to watch adult themes and many adult scenes. As I warned my mom so she wouldn't try to check it out if Netflix happened to do her wrong like me, this is just softcore p0rn with a bit more developed story. I do not recommend.... unless that's what you're into.

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Not Worth It

I'm into mystery, which is what I thought this was. However, despite the reviews I saw on the internet saying this was a great mystery drama, I strongly beg to differ. Once you set yourself up for the terrible acting you are going to have to endure after just a few minutes into the first episode, things do seem a bit intriguing. But by the 3rd episode it starts to become clear that this is a "mystery" as much as finding out to who farted in an elevator is a mystery. There's no real complexity and/or cleverness involved here. The culprit reveal definitely was surprising, but it was as if they just picked a name out of a hat of possibilities. The reasoning behind it was very weak. If that was the way there were going to go, they could have made it work for anyone one whose name was mentioned in the series to be the culprit [insert eye roll]. The ending was lackluster and kind of ridiculous. To have endured the bad acting of these girls in this same room for 11 episodes only to get that stupid ending was incredibly disappointing. I promise, you will have missed nothing but time in your life if you watch this.

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More Violent Than Before

While I really like the 1rst season, I understood that it was new and most of the cast weren't used to working together in that capacity. I looked forward to improvement in season 2. When Kwang Soo couldn't return, I lowered my expectations. Season 2 was still enjoyable, but it was very random and seemed to lose itself. I still was looking forward to Season 3. This last season was a big surprise in that it's fairly graphic for what is essentially a variety show. I feel like they were trying to go more in the direction of a crime drama and less with comedy this time around. There were some pros and cons to this. While it did make the episodes more cohesive and tied up loose ends of the other seasons a little, it was incredibly scripted. For all the manufactured "dangerous" situations, there was so little sense of urgency from the cast members that it made it annoying. If someone is at risk of dying and needs to be saved, why would you casually stand around as a group outside to discuss the clues you found and how they led you to where you are now? Also, they focused a lot on one particular person and I don't understand why. Won't mention who cause it feels like it would be a spoiler somehow. I need to check if they had a drama coming up, lol. Despite how scripted it was, not much was predictable which was the best part. There were plenty of surprises. While there were less funny moments, the ones that were there were hilarious. If you're looking for this to be like the first 2 seasons, they you probably won't like this one. But if you enjoy the ride of watching this cast work their way through various puzzles, you'll probably enjoy it.

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It Tried

Let me sum this up for you real quick in a way that's different from what you've already read so you can possibly not waste your time. 2 spies, 2 conwomen. 1 spy is tender-hearted and 1 is dangerous. 1 conwoman is epic and 1 conwoman sucks majorly. Who is the main focus of all of this? The conwoman that sucks, of course! The thing is, it's like she and everyone around her ignore the fact that she sucks. She is a harbinger of bad luck, and death, actually. It got to the point where I was wondering if the writers were secretly using her as a running gag. The plot is extremely weak and so is the main female lead's acting. Many episodes of running around accomplishing nothing with a lackluster finish. Waste of mostly a good cast, waste of a big budget, and waste of time. The story with Bok Ji and Edward was the only thing that kept me watching until the end. I invested too much into their relationship to not see how it was going to turn out.

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As I saw another commentor say, it's not even like they are acting.

I knew I was watching a show, but these women were so incredibly natural in their roles I never was looking at them as actor's portraying a character. Especially the two youngest ones. I looked them and man are those two good actresses. Total transformation.

This was great. We know the world round there is an issue with men being valued over women to a very high degree. But it has been a long-time thing in China. This drama was addressing along with so many other things. They cast it well and wrote it well. It was not hard at all to discern between the characters. They were all well fleshed out. You could relate to some tie some back to people you've dealt with in your life. There were natural ups and downs just like we experience in life.

I can say I did a lot of involuntary crying on this one. I also laughed a lot, and got angry. I was frustrated and confused. I seriously feel like I know 5 additional people now. I can predict how they'll possibly respond or actions they make take. Such sorcery in writing.

This is not your typical Chinese drama. It's definitely different and deserves all the praise for telling a great story while tackling important issues.

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They translated this anime into a live action so exquisitely. I am beyond impressed. I thought the only way competitive Karuta was interesting was because they depicted in through animation. I was so wrong. I was just as thrilled as I was with the anime... maybe even more so. To see actual humans move that fast and with such precision was amazing. I was on the edge or my seat and cheering along just like I did with the anime.

The cast is perfect. Absolutely perfect. They all embody the characters from the anime so well. It's truly as if you get to see them come to life. Especially the actresses for Chihaya and Kana. I think those two could have been easily overdone, but they straight up nailed it.

The beauty, the poetry, the camaraderie, the magic, the feels... this film really captured it all and then some. I still had my chills after the end and tears forming. I'm very much looking forward to watching part 2. But most of all, it has me having a hard time being patient for the next season of the anime.

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I initially attempted to start this series with my Mother on Christmas night. The immediate violence turned us off and the show got turned off only a few minutes into the first episode. Something about it still kept floating about in my mind, so I figured I'd brave the violence and try another go alone a few days later. A great decision-maker I am. I almost missed out on a fantastic show that will make my eyes shimmer whenever I speak of it for years to come.

There's nothing I didn't like. I wanted to dislike the abrupt way the episodes end, sometimes mid-conversation, just fading to the OTS out of nowhere. But after 5 episodes, I started to understand the concept and appreciate it in relation to the were presenting the story. It's like one continuous movie that doesn't lose the flow or momentum despite the episode ending. Each episidoe ending is merely a slice in the whole rather than a distinct sub-portion. It gave me the feeling of placing a bookmark in a book where I'm ready to end, then picking it right back up where I left off. It's unique and refreshing.
I wanted to hate the villains, but I couldn't. While I deeply felt they were evil, I couldn't help but have some pity for them. I wanted to dislike the other-wordly feel of the ambush flashbacks, but it gave merit to the intense emotions surrounding the event. I reeeeeeally wanted to dislike the intro, but soon found myself mesmerized by it and failing to skip it. For the first time ever in dramaland, I couldn't dislike a thing.

The sets were gorgeous. The costumes were splendid, especially the headdresses. The cinematography kept you engaged and evoked even more emotion. The actors were stellar. It will be hard for me see anyone of them as anybody else other than their characters here. All of them owned their roles.

My review is vague because I feel you should go into this one fresh and gradually be dazzled. It's a beautiful series that will captivate you and redefine "friendship" for you.

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Perfection. Step your game all the way up, drama world, because Misaeng has just elevated the bar. No gimmicks. No sticky sweet cliches. No action (well, just a tad). And yes, no romance. Yet... this drama blew my mind. It's the layered cake that needs no frosting.

This show has touched in me in such a profound way. How such a mundane story could make me experience a range of emotions each episode is a magical feat. As the director said, it was "realer than real." The memories I revisited from my past; battles and victories. My own inner struggles I've had to overcome, some I'm still working on. You see how you can get caught up in feeling like you're just living to work and die. However, this show reminds you that what matters is all the in-betweens that make up your life. Those small wins, jokes shared with people who understand you, that feeling you get when you knock one out the park, and more. So many aspects of the show are relatable and almost tangible.

I must admit that I was surprised by a couple of the actors. Im Shi Wan, I had only seen in the little bit of Triangle that I watched and I felt he was a mediocre actor, as was the drama overall. In Misaeng, he's really at the epicenter of the explosion that happened within my mind regarding this show. He absorbs the character Jang Geu Rae like a sponge. As does Lee Sung Min with the character Oh Sang Shik. I'd go back and forth between adoration and frustration toward him, just like you do with people in real life. You could feel him working out conflicts, sense when he was hiding something, and empathize with him making tough decisions. I saw Lee Sung Min in the show Pasta as a goofy restaurant manager and never would've guessed he was capable of manifesting that much depth. It goes to show that material and direction really do make a difference.

I had never seen Lee Kyeong Yeong in anything before, but I just knew his performance was probably the best he's ever done. The character Director Choi was someone you felt you should really dislike, but had a hard time doing so. Lee Kyeong Yeong didn't make him too cool, as he would have seemed cocky. He didn't make him sinister, either, even though we knew he was teeming with ulterior motives. He was a quiet enemy you respected, but still hoped would get their come-uppance at some point.

There's so much more to so many other characters. Even though there were discernible main roles, the supporting roles and minor roles at times seemed like main ones. You cared about everyone to some degree. Just like in a typical workplace. If something were to happen to the woman who sat on the other side of the cubicle wall to Geu Rae, despite her rarely ever saying a word, you'd care. You see her every episode. You know she has a story, you just haven't heard it yet. The show is that engaging.

Misaeng is a truly remarkable series that I'm thankful for being able to have watched. Exceptional writing, casting, acting, screenplay, and overall quality. Best of all, I feel I was able to gain quite a bit from the lessons that were shared.

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This was just a hot mess. It's like someone dumped a Silver Spoon puzzle on the floor and put random pieces together leaving out 60% of the pieces.

The storyline has no rhyme or reason other than just to be there, and has the nerve to move at the speed of light. I just know anyone who had never watched the anime/read the manga, was probably very confused. They are first introducing themselves in class, then are close buddies within 3 minutes by the next scene. Huh? No character, nor story, development at all. I even had a hard time trying to figure out which episode they were pulling from the whole time. Sequence and continuity? Guess that didn't matter, either. "Hmmn, I'll just jam these two pieces together whether they fit or not! Ha ha ha ha ha... "

There's no making up for the hodgepodge storyline, either. The person I thought would be casted the worst was Inada Tamako, since I thought her appearance could only exist in cartoon form. Turns out she was the only good casting there was. The actress fits her perfectly in appearance and portrayal, which is a remarkable feat. I don't know what happened with the rest. Mikage is a goof troop that isn't reserved which makes her some other random character that didn't exist, but just has her name. The charm, rural eloquence, and mystique is completely missing from her. Ichiro is a jovial guy that pokes fun at his friends... how about NO. Completely opposite of the actual character. Mayumi (cheese fanatic) is completely indistinguishable. I'm sure some girl said she was her, but I can't tell who that was, even after rewinding.

The worst of the worst? Hachiken. Once I made sure I was, indeed, watching the correct film, I had to wonder if the people who made this movie watched the correct anime. Hachiken had been rendered unattractive, assertive, forward in regards to Mikage, and seems to have no lessons needed to learn. "Gin no Saji" movie creators... go home, you're drunk. They took the setting and the characters, then created something entirely different. Something that is entirely a mess that is hot.

I really didn't have high hopes for this live action, however, I didn't think it would be this terrible. I thought the "xxxHolic" live version was the worst I had seen (they messed that story up so bad). But this, hands down, far surpasses that. I say don't waste your time, or critical thinking skills, on this travesty.

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Noona lovin' perfection. Yes, indeed.

I made jokes about this one in the comments when I first read the synopsis. I was expecting to be force-fed some BS attraction between a young guy and a woman 14yrs older than him. After the first episode, I felt like I was dead on with my expectations, but kept watching since it was entertaining enough. It didn't take long for me to see that I was actually dead wrong.

This show was so well-executed that even the cliche parts came off as normal occurrence. You feel like this story is somehow familiar, like you know some people who have experienced the same regardless of how far-fetched that would be. What I love most is each hurdle is a real growing experience. Not just an "Oh, I messed up and apologized, now forgive immediately." There's depth in each situation.

The chemistry between all the characters is spectacular. Yes, I said all. Each person fits into their role snugly and works so well with anyone else that's on-screen with them. Enemies, friends, lovers, family... you'd think you were made privy to the lives of actual people, it all feels so natural.

Best part: Uhm Jung Hwa's acting. None of that typical stuff actresses do to mimic falling in love. She brings those real reactions that women usually can't prevent from doing and endearing qualities of an enamored woman to her character. All of this while still maintaining a strong no-nonsense personality. She portrayed a woman that can be an axe-grinder, and cutely fall in love without compromising her strength. She also is able to grow to learn from her lessons and change only what needs changing.

For me, this is the second best drama I've ever watched and I'm a harsh critic. I'd highly recommend it.

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This being the second season of Fugoh Keiji, I already knew what to expect as far as kitschy plot lines and goofiness. It delivered on that front. However, I also was expecting things to evolve from the first season. That, it definitely did not do.

It seemed like the people behind this show caught a lucky break getting a second season and didn't quite know what to do. They just added on more fluff to what was already fluffed enough. In the first season, the meals Miwako and her Grandfather would have together were humorous because of how ridiculous they were in extravagance and formality for just two people. This season, it was overkill and made you only hope someone was enjoying all that food and it wasn't going to waste.

What you might have liked most about the first season was Miwako's contradicting cleverness and stupidity. I feel like this is what could have evolved the most, but it was the same ol' dried out routine. Nothing new, nothing even kicked up a notch. Biggest disappointment. I kept waiting for it each episode I watched, and it never showed up. The cases don't get better, either. We already know she's going to suggest solving everything in an overblown fashion with her money, but that becomes the focal point of the episode and takes away from any really difficulty in figuring out things. All the answers come so easy. I know who the culprit is already in the first quarter of the episode. In the first season, at least she actually was solving cases that required some real deciphering of clues.

The worst part was that the last two episode were exactly the same scenario as episodes from the first season, just swapped out characters and changed the situations a little. I kept saying to the screen, "You gotta be kidding me!!!!" Now, that's just sheer laziness and/or lack of creativity. We've run out of ideas, so let's use the same ones we've used already. Like no one would notice with how blatant it was. I havie a saying that applies here, "You must really think me a fool to make your lies so transparent."

If you're in this just to see all the luxury and how much junk Miwako can fit on her nails, then give it your 10 hours. If not, I say don't waste your time.

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What a waste of money and time. I think I kept hoping it would surprise me at some point, but the only surprise I received was how horrible the last episode was.

Amami Yuki is an over-actor. It's painful to watch at times. Even when interacting with the kids, just too extra. In one episode, I truly felt like someone was going to hit her with a harisen and there be two drum beats. I just couldn't take her seriously. I really wanted to because I love strong female leads.

Each case played out pretty much the same way. The formula was redundant; just different suspects and a different conflict. The story overall is very weak.

At first, I said this was one of those shows you watch when you're waiting on your other shows to update, but I take it back now. This is lower than filler shows. It's just a waste of time.

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