Strong start, Powerful finish

I binged season 1 in preparation of season 2 but if you don't want to, story-wise you won't miss much as this was a completely new plot. But you will not feel the full effect of the backstory. Why is Lee Yeon depressed in season 2? Why does Lee Rang hate his brother. To get the full gist of it, you need season 1. But they have made it possible to watch Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938 as a stand-alone show by highlighting some moments from season 1.

Even though the plot involves time travel, most of the story is set in 1938 (as suggested by the title) so it covers a little bit of Joseon history. There is a lot happening in the series with loads of new characters and threats. Most of the stories are interesting although shortly past the halfway mark, the story dragged a bit. But the ending fully redeemed itself. Every hero was at their best and, though, I don't know about re-watching the entire show but the finale is worth watching multiple times!

Every actor did an outstanding job! I especially loved the continuation of the relationship between Lee Yeon and Lee Rang. Plus Lee Yeon's friendships with Ryu Hong Joo and Cheon Moo Young was explored well. The secondary characters also add their own lovely flavour to this season.

As for lovers of the first season, there is a bit of that romance too. :)

The finale was epic and it's what gives season 2 an edge over season 1. We are also teased with a possibility of season 3.

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There are shorter dramas with more romance

I was thoroughly enjoying the series initially especially the comedy and the romance was sweet too. I really liked the ML, Yuan Song, as he was a kind and caring boyfriend. Saving your girlfriend's fingerprint on your phone so that she knows you have nothing to hide is a huge gesture. In fact, he kept making huge gestures towards her and she kept wanting to hide the relationship. I never understood that. You only hide a relationship when you think you are doing something wrong. Instead she should have opened a dialogue with him as well as her family.

The other thing that annoyed me is that the main couple spent more time broken up than they were together. That is not why I chose to watch this drama. If you are like me, it might be a good idea to skip the episodes after they are broken up until you get to the end. By the 28th episode, I started to get tired of the other plots. And by the 37th episode they were still not back together.

I wonder if the reason for keeping them apart this long is because of the real life age gap. Why not create dramas with actors that are older but have similar age gaps if you can't provide a genuine take on an older female younger male couple? Maybe one where the male is also established. I am yet to find a show that depicts how such couples deal with their relationship long term rather than running away from it.

I couldn't care for He CanYang and Cai MinMin's relationship either. In most cultures, men marrying girls 10 - 15 years younger is normal. No one really bats an eye. Meanwhile even marrying a woman few years older is looked down upon. Even in this series, CanYang is more worried because MinMin is his student. Luming is against it because CanYang is his girlfriend's brother. They are not dealing with an age issue at all. In fact, I liked the brother until he repeats the toxic misogynistic line that his relationship is normal because he is a man but his sister's would be shameful because she is a woman. What a fall from grace of a character that seemed open-minded.

I could only appreciate 2 side stories - the other designer male's office romance and the cheating husband. It would have been far better if this series was shorter instead of adding so many couple stories when the main couple is simply not progressing. I would have definitely liked to see more of Yuan Song but there are 2 episodes without him and in some he is just barely there. In fact, the second male lead has far more scenes. I really loved the ML's stepmom's character. It was nice to see their relationship.

The main couple's romance is honestly disappointing. If it weren't for the comedic moments, I would not even give this show a 7. In comparison, The Rational Life is a superior series.

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Poorly made

The biggest problem with this show is how confusing it is. Dr. Mo Ian is a psychiatrist who has lost his license to practice because a patient's case was made public. That is because his office is set up in an under construction building to unofficially see patients there where anyone can eavesdrop or steal a glimpse at his patient's files. That itself is bizarre.

Secondly, the is no explanation why he follows the female lead or acts like he knows her or stalks her. It just doesn't make sense. I couldn't understand if he had seen her previously or not. At times I wondered if something got lost in translation.

There are a few interesting moments which involve him treating patients but they are rare. Even from a romantic genre point of view, I don't think it's worth watching. The acting is not really special. The dialogues aren't memorable which could have otherwise made up for the limited time. There was no opportunity to build up the characters which is the biggest flaw.

Furthermore the story is forgettable. I completed it only because of the length even though I considered dropping it after the 4th episode.

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Disappointment

I'll leave the spoilers for the end so let me begin with my overall impressions as I watched the show.

When I first heard about Eve, I was excited. The plot summary also made it sound extremely intriguing as I do love my revenge plots but what unfolded gradually was nothing short of a disappointment. The only reason I put up with it is because I was waiting for the revenge part and what a long wait it was!

There were a couple of episodes that I fell asleep while watching and just continued with the next and it didn't make an ounce of difference. I could follow the story because nothing much was happening in the show. There was at least one completely filler episode.

I want to say I was impressed by the actors but I really can't for most of them. The male lead, CEO Kang Yoon, has no facial expressions besides serious. I did not see those muscles move throughout the show. Similarly for the second male lead, Seo Eun Pyung. I was rooting for him. But expression wise, he was in a perpetual state of concern. Nonetheless, he is a handsome guy so this role is almost tragic for him. And then coming to the female lead, Lee Ra El. She had the widest range of emotions on display so she certainly brought the most to the table considering the role is all about her. I also have to give it up for the wife's character, Han So Ra, who you almost pity at times. Then she reminds you exactly why she deserves to be disliked. A well portrayed character. Ra El's adoptive mother's role and portrayal is also interesting with interesting dynamics between the two.

My rating is entirely for the actors and not really for the plot.

Finally ***spoilers*** and this is going to ruin the show for you so beware:
The first two episodes were the highlight of the show. Lee Ra El seducing Kang Yoon Gyeom through her tango and then by letting him watch her with her husband. I wish they had maintained the shock value with every episode throughout the show but somewhere in between complacency set in and Ra El was just trying to fit in. When the big bad guys who just kill anyone that gets in the way, learn about Ra El, they do nothing. I wonder what Ra El's plan was without SEP's help because she could have very easily been eliminated very early on. Another point of irritation was that all of the evidence that Ra El was collecting was illegal and inadmissible in a court of law so I have no idea what the course of action was for her adoptive mother. There was no way they were winning the civil and criminal cases. If viewers are waiting for the actual revenge then you'll have to head straight for episode 15 and 16. Episodes 14 and 15 were still alright. But 16 was just utter nonsense. The wife So Ra who is depicted to be deathly afraid of her father, decides to confront him. Yoon Gyeom who loves his children and knows what it's like to be without a loving parent decides the only thing that matters is what Lee Ra El wants of him. And what of the 1.6 billion dollar divorce? The director seemed to acknowledge it as an after thought.

There are a whole lot of plot holes and actions of people that don't make sense eg. So Ra's bodyguard. I do want to list them all but that would essentially be ruining it for someone who still wants to give this show a shot.

It's possible that if I was watching this show after completion, I would have either sped through it or skipped to the end or just dropped it. I can't rate a show very high if I didn't enjoy it nor would I recommend it to others. But that's just me. :)

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Fun and mysterious but not enough magic

For a drama about a magician, there isn't much magic shown in this drama so if that's what is attracting you to it, then you might be disappointed. However, that is not to say that From Now On, Showtime isn't worth the watch. On the contrary, it's a lovely, fun and lighthearted drama. That is partly why I'm having a hard time picking an apt rating. 8 - 8.5 would be accurate.

The reason for the less amount of magic is because Cha Cha Woong is not a real magician. His tricks are performed by 3 ghosts, Ma Dong Cheol, Nam Sang Gun and Kang Ah Reum, who are his employees. He still manages to perform some tricks as does his rival which I wish there was more of. He meets an officer Go Seul Hae one day and when his secret is revealed to her, she requests him to help her fight crime as her partner. Little do they know that their meeting is more than a coincidence.

From Now On, Showtime is such a mixed bag of genre that there is a chance you'll find something to enjoy. The characters are sweet. The 3 ghost employees are an oddity but they work well together. The humour of this show is light. The actors have done a pretty decent job and there are several emotional moments that catch you off-guard.

There are other characters as well that are sweet and add to the comedy in a positive way.

Let's get to the negatives. The story at one point slows down in order to explain some connections. And the ending was a little cheesy to say the least. I would say a character referred to as 'The General' was my least favourite. But all in all, the show is still a good watch.

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Binge-worthy and suspenseful

Reset is a time loop story of a college going girl, Li Shi Qing, who wakes up in a bus only for it to get into an accident and explode instantly killing her and all passengers. The only time she manages to get off the bus is when she drags a boy, Xiao He Yung, who is a game designer into her plan and both manage to get off together. But getting off the bus is not enough. They both find themselves stuck in the loop and realise that saving the passengers is their only escape.

Positives:
1. The episodes are under 45 mins long and it's easy to binge watch because your curiosity wants to see the leads tackle the situation they've found themselves in.
2. The series also explores the stories of the passengers and some of the police officers involved in the investigation.
3. One of the drawbacks of time loop dramas can be the repetitive nature annoying audiences and Reset manages to avoid much of it with new directions being undertaken by the leads. Adding the mystery/suspence element to the story helped.
4. Multi-layered characters.

Negatives:
1. I have seen several types of time loop stories but I wouldn't rate this as high simply because the story telling process is quite slow. Around episode 3, I was feeling a bit annoyed by their actions and the actions of others.
2. Some of the questions were not answered as to why these two were the ones chosen to enter the time loop and not others.
3. Why the police were more cooperative in some loops and more suspicious in others.
4. What was happening to Xiao He Yung?

I have other grievances related to some of the important characters and their reactions that were not as natural as one would expect in certain situations especially towards the climax.

I would still recommend the series and found it fairly well thought out.

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Amazing but not for the faint-hearted

This was genuinely a tough watch because the subject matter revolves around school bullying and assault. There is also a lot of gore and violence depicted so it might be hard to watch the first 4 episodes of the series. It gets better after that as the bulk of the worst forms of violence is over.

This is a revenge drama that follows a series of murders committed by a victim of school bullying, Hwang Kyung Min, as an adult shortly after he was suspected of killing his wife. Kyung Min, leaves messages for his school friend, now a police officer, Jung Jong Suk at his crime scenes inviting him to join him. Thus the detective becomes part of the investigation and provides insight into who the potential victims can be. With every episode we are taken to flash backs to experience the intense violence and humiliation that was faced by Hwang Kyung Min for being of lower social status than the rest of the class. At the time, he was befriended by Jung Jong Suk who eventually started to stand up to his friend's bullies and faced their wrath.

The story is intense and gripping. As a viewer, you will find yourself rooting for the main lead as he seeks his revenge. There is another mysterious character introduced and with each episode you understand their relevance to the story. The ending was incredible and unexpected! I hope people are not put off with the gore and make it through to the end. It'll be worth it.

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Good but drags a bit

This series is great for those who enjoy a bit of mystery, action and crime drama. But I would not call it the best in this genre mainly because some themes are repetitive (planting evidence) and the show gets a bit slow and drags at times.

The story revolves around a shady cop, Ryo Soo Yeol, who is known to take bribes and does not care to find actual evidence and criminals. However, his motivation is mostly because he wants to earn money and not because he is morally dead. This is proven when a crazy man, K, appears in his life and forces him to look at evidence in a case and help a rookie cop, Oh Kyung Tae, who has been made the fall guy in the disappearance of a little girl's mom because he saw too much and would not give up trying to find her. From there, K continues to push Soo Yeol into situations that force him to seek the truth and punish criminals even at the risk of his own life.

Eventually the show dives into Soo Yeol's own past and another series of murders that are linked to it.

SPOILER: Although I enjoyed the new take of this show on the inclusion of a character with Dissociative Identity Disorder, the characteristics are more fiction and stretching the basis of how DID develops (aka trauma) and it's presentation. For example, someone with DID can be aware or unaware of a second or other persona(s) but they do not physically see them as external hallucinations. Also, usually one identity is in control at a time rather than simultaneously. There are moments when Soo Yeol is escaping a room full of goons while K is inside still fighting them. Then they were depicted as both fighting different sets of goons which is impossible. There are too many moments which feel supernatural for it to be an actual case of DID so the entire scenario must be taken with a grain of salt.

Overall: The drama is fun. Has elements of comedy. The episodes could have been shorter and the police could have been more efficient. It is enjoyable but ultimately I have to rate it a 7 because of the presentation and content.

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Could not match the Original

Strong Girl Namsoon started off on a great note and it was a breath of fresh air. However, it slowly started to lose sight of plot by focusing on an absurd number of characters that are not even secondary to the plot. They just don't contribute in any way.

Although I'm not writing this series off completely (at least not until the final 2 episodes have aired), I feel bad at how it went from being a wonderfully original and stand alone show to an inferior second season.

The highlight of the show was the Gang family's women and their super strength, their connection and how they handle their power. But the limelight should have stayed on Gang Namsoon since the show is named after her. The two MLs - HeeSik and Ryo Si Oh (which sounds a lot like Russia) were actually great for the plot and Namsoon's interactions with them was the only thing that made this show entertaining. Seeing some of the more lighter sides to Ryo Si Oh was enjoyable as was seeing Hee Sik falling in love and getting jealous. You could actually find yourself rooting for both guys are certain points.

Problem is all the distraction of the main plot with useless things like Namsoon's uncle being unrealistically weak despite having no real illness, Namsoon's grandmother's love story and annoyance with her husband, the Bread Song character and his assistant being almost unwatchable among few other moments that I only got through by speeding through the episodes.

There are some nice comic moments involving the 3 women showcasing their strengths along with cute moments involving Namsoon and the two men because of which I can still rate this series an 8. But it is a far cry from the original Strong Woman Do Bong Soon which is definitely one of my favourites. That's because they knew how to focus on the star of the show. It would have been okay to have all these extra characters if they had ensured that the focus doesn't shift too much to all these extra characters. Like the homeless couple who were interesting at the beginning but later became a chore to watch. These are the things that truly weakened the story and destroyed it's core value.

I hope there will be some redeeming qualities in the final two episodes. I'll be updating and possibly revising the review then.

The OST is nice. Sounds even better sped up. heh.

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An easy watch

I haven't watched many dramas as the airport setting so I really enjoyed that the plot actually revolves around many issues and day to day lives of the various staff employed at an airport - from pilots (main focus), cabin crew, mechanics to ground handling staff. It's done fairly well. Would have loved to see more of that in fact. A lot of the story revolves around the office politics and struggles of our female lead much of which is the result of misogyny.

The main plot is about a young enthusiastic female pilot, Cheng Xiao, who is transferred to flying commercial planes whereas she worked in the transport department thus has to go through a period of training. Unlike other male pilots, she faces harsher scrutiny at every stage and she pushes herself harder to prove her worth. Gu Nanting, is an experienced pilot who is one of the best at Luzhao Airlines. He is also in charge of training Cheng Xiao. He has also had a tragic experience which makes him a stickler for rules and safety.

The pace of the series is decent but can feel a bit slow at times. If you're main focus is romance, then you are in for a long haul flight. This will be the slowest of slow burn romances ever. But the writers depict a good build up of chemistry between the leads despite their contrasting personalities. We also have a very strong contender for the second lead syndrome - Ni Zhang, who works as the chief engineer. He is also a long time friend of Gu Nanting and probably understands him best. The show depicts a very mature version of bromance. It's subtle but you can feel it.

Among a lot of the other characters, I also enjoyed the character of the pilot, Song, who is a colleague and friend of Cheng Xiao.

Probably the most frustrating characters on the show is the FL's mother. I simply could not stand her. She actually made some of the episodes unbearable for me.

Overall, I genuinely enjoyed the show. I'm glad I picked it up.

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Terrible in more ways than 1

It's highly unusual that a drama would rile me up as much as Longing For You has. I had such high expectations after the first episode but it was a let down very soon into the show.

The Good:
The idea behind the plot was good and it started off as an interesting mystery with the serial killings.
The OST is great. I love the intro theme song.
Some of the beginning and later episodes are good but not enough to make up for places it lacks.
Some of the loose ends are tied.

The Awful:
Predictable - by the 4th episode, you will know exactly what has happened. The rest of the episodes is just the rest of the characters being oblivious and not able to guess anything and it is beyond frustrating to watch them run around like headless chickens.
Poor acting - Usually I can blame the writing for ruining a show. But not here. The actors have done such an unconvincing job at every stage. I felt like not a single person cared for Jin Woo. Not his brother, not his mother, not his adoptive mother, not his friend, Young Joo. He had no one! Even towards the end, I didn't feel like anyone cared in the courtroom. Nor when they were first watching the videos. A normal mother or family member would cry and scream in such types of situations. They would be out of control. Nope. Not this family. They, at best, could muster a teary-eyed shocked look on their face. That was the most heart-breaking thing. I've seen extras in other dramas react more than this group. I, in fact, was feeling more emotions than those family members.
Humanizing the villains - This was beyond annoying. Making killers and psychopaths "look" remorseful. People can't just take lives without a thought if they were humane to begin with. It's not like they were acting in self-defense. The writers should have let those characters stay villains. You made them look pathetic by the end. And some were doing comedy. Really? And Dr. Choo gets no punishment after what he did? How can the family even trust this man, let alone be normal with him?
Romance - well, there is no romance. Also, there is no chemistry between the two people who apparently like each other. When they confess their feelings, I went, "huh? what?". I couldn't believe it. This is a very minor point though. I don't care if there was romance or not. But if you are writing it into the plot, at least make it believable.
Convenient evidence and confessions - again, this is a minor point since most shows that want to take down villains end up finding all the evidence necessary. It was just the brazenly tight-lipped murderers all decided to confess one by one. The evidence that was supposedly non-admissible was suddenly allowed in the courtroom. At least stay consistent with your own arguments or explain why they were allowed in court.

One should usually be satisfied when things are wrapped up but looking at everyone joking around and happy till the end, I felt like beating those characters up for never once fully mourning when they should have. They frustrated me throughout the series.

I would like to forget I ever saw this show with how disappointed I feel.

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The Human Condition

For fans of Hellbound season 1, season 2 may or may not impress depending on what you are looking for. If your aim is to find answers, then you might get some but it will leave you with more questions searching for the meaning of all the events. The point is that this is exactly what is happening in this dystopian world of Hellbound. Every person is either looking for an answer or trying to control the narrative in the form of religion or politics.

There are 3 main groups. The New Truth, whose new chairman is not religious but simply seeking power. The arrowheads that are an extreme fanatical group that resorts to violence and extreme displays to prove they are the true believers. The third being Sodo. A group that lost loved ones to demonstrations and are now trying to protect others from public demonstrations. The third group is what HyeJin, the lawyer, is working with.

Season 1 left us with the return of Park Junja, the mother of two who had a public demonstration at her home in exchange for money and safety of her children. What season 2 highlights is the chaos that ensues in the world and every group vying for power over the people by trying to be the one that gives people the answer behind the greusome phenomenon of their new reality. And Junja ends up becoming an unwitting participant. Season 2 also depicts what the original chairman of the New Truth - Jung Jinsu, went through during his time in "hell". It is followed by his eventual return to the chaotic world. Though I truly miss Yoo Ah In (especially in scenes that were reshot), Kim Sung Cheol does an admirable job thereafter. From depicting confusion and panic to taking over control and manipulatinb others, we get a real insight into what made him a leader to begin with.

The director's aim is the viewers to try to imagine what we would do if that was our reality and this is where many viewers might end up feeling disappointed considering the long wait between the seasons. However, if you try to enjoy the show with the director's mindset, you might enjoy the journey more. The CGI is as good, if not better in season 2. The characters are interesting and quite realistic if you understand cults and how politicians work. There are some elements of horror and it did freak me out at times. I managed to binge watch it in a day but I needed to recap season 1 just because so much time had passed.

I am sure if we will get a third season but if we do, I hope we will get an explanation of the phenomenon and the new information that this season revealed.

If I had to compare both seasons, I would definitely prefer season 1 because it was something completely new and a treat to watch. Season 2 is a good watch as well but I am still looking to make sense of the series. I can't fault it on not being entertaining because it was despite it not giving me the answers I had hoped for.

Those looking to decide whether to watch or not, I hope this review helps. I would urge you to give it a chance to see some wonderful performances.

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Enthralled

I loved how fast paced the show really is. I also LOVE strong female leads and not only is Queen Woo depicted as a good warrior but also great strategically. She is a true leader and she learnt from the best. If you like such characters, you would definitely enjoy this show. However, it is not for the weak-hearted. There is nudity, sex scenes (even assault) and gore. Some have even compared this to Game Of Thrones. However, I would classify this series as mild in that context.

The cinematography is good but like GOT, there are some scenes that need one to adjust their screen brightness. I wish directors figured out the right balance for such scenarios. However, it still doesn't affect our enjoyment too much.

The characters are definitely interesting and everyone did a fantastic job. There is some criticism regarding the female lead not having a wider range of emotions. The show is actually set in a very critical time frame where she doesn't have time to emote. She knows what her position as a leader is and the urgency of the situation. But we do get flashbacks of happy times. The actors portraying the king and his brothers performed exceptionally to depict the complex situation and era.

Although, I genuinely enjoyed every aspect of the show, there is one question that doesn't really get answered. I am not sure why. Perhaps it doesn't affect the situation so it wasn't addressed. So this and the assault scene are the only reasons why I am not giving this a perfect 10. This series can have a second season but I don't believe there will be one.

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Series fans should watch for the ending

For those that enjoyed the original series, this is going to bring back memories but the movie also serves something brand new.

The Downsides:
1. The movie expects that you understand the relationship between the characters from watching the series and some of the scenes will only make sense if you have already watched the series.
2. Everything is condensed and a bit complex. The series gave you enough time to understand what was happening in a very detailed way. This is where the movie lacks. But when you do understand, it's enjoyable!
3. Mo Jun Jie doesn't have much of a role.

The Upsides:
1. Because it's explores new timelines, it won't feel like a summation of the series but builds upon the original concepts and is exciting.
2. The movie ending is what most fans needed to see with the original series. And it genuinely made me smile. It makes up for what the series lacked.

Although on it's own, it will feel incomplete and disconnected but after the series, it will be a trip down memory lane.

Some new songs were added to the original tracks but tbh, nothing beats the original.

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It's messy but will have you hooked

Mr. Plankton does have several heart-warming moments but it's mostly a story of a group of people fighting for a chance at happiness even when the odds are against them. Sometimes life gives you lemons and no matter how much sugar you add, you still are left with a bitter aftertaste.

But the story is not about the end but rather the journey. Hae Jo, the ML embarks on a journey and drags Jae Mi, the FL along. He is annoying and you want to hate him but just like Jae Mi, every time you end up just pityjng him. He is a man who actually cares a lot but feels like he has to act like a jerk. He's not just trying to protect other people but also himself. And you're forced along for the ride because he can't stop fighting himself every step of the way.

The show is best watched when you aren't emotionally vulnerable yourself because it deals with some difficult topics related to health and abandonment. Unless you need to cry in which case, it might be a good watch.

On the positive side, there are many sweet moments, a decent dose of romance, action, some moments that will make you smile if not laugh and fill you with hope.

The actors have really done a great job and the cast is fantastic.

Personally I won't rewatch this because of the themes but it is a good show and definitely recommended.

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