DramaloverPanda
Visually speaking this series is beautiful. From the actors to the sets to the wardrobe. The production and cinematography was very well done. Even the OST was nice and never felt repetitive. The actors also did a very good job and I have no complaints from their performances. This series however fairly lackluster. It is a beautiful story that is wrapped in very neat packaging but for the heavy subject matter it did not move me as much as I wanted. The plot moves in a predictable pace with conveniently placed side characters to fill in gaps of knowledge and a realistic albeit boring ending. There isn't anything that really excites you about this show. It is cute and sweet and the main couple is very healthy for each other, and I do truly appreciate this healthy relationship since toxic ones are more often showcased nowadays.
It is a nice show to watch and I enjoyed it to through till the end but this will fall in the pile of shows that are okay and nice but won't leave an impression on me.
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This drama has mastered how to pull out every one of your emotions
This show is painful to watch. It is so real and heartbreaking and makes me constantly recall how truly callous and inhumane humans truly are; be it then or even now. This show drags all the nasty parts out and shows them exactly as they are. Its realistic and heartbreaking and shows human emotions and human viciousness in a way that makes me ache. The director has mastered how to pull your emotions out of you as a viewer and I went through a slew of them as I watched this. Anger, disgust, annoyance, sympathy. This is the kind of show that you feel your way through and will leave a lasting impression.For me, I can not say I found this enjoyable or entertaining to watch, it's depiction of real life struggles and brutality left me feeling raw and utterly devastated. But it is so heart achingly beautiful that I could not stop myself from watching it. The acting in this from every person is superb. I can not think of any flaw in the way that this show was written, executed, acted, or shot. There are several scenes that are stunningly beautiful. The characters are all thought out, flawed, and experience true character growth. Even the way the production showed the change in color from pastels in the beginning during happy times to the greys and browns during and after war just added to how expertly composed this show is.
-Gil Chae: for me she was truly an unlikable character for the majority of this season and I found myself so frustrated with her specifically in regards to her almost ridiculous adoration and chase of Yeon Jun. Her actions are spurted forward in her pursuit of the man she could not get. She is a spoiled nobleman's daughter that says and does whatever she wants because she is beautiful and noble. But then war breaks out and you start to see her change. She is still ridiculous in her chase of Yeon Jun but she proves herself to be a survivor and a protector. Her character development is the type I want to see in all shows. The kind that is gradual and realistic. She changes as her world around her changes and the circumstances she is put through changes her.
-Yeon Jun: I never at any point like this character. He is weak but believes he is strong. Is selfish but thinks he is honorable. But in how much I hate him, I also know how very real his portrayal is of the men of that time. He stubbornly sticks to his 'loyalty' and 'honor' for himself, never putting anyone or anything over his own agenda.
-Jang Hyun: he is mysterious and seemingly acts out of his own personal interest at every turn. He is a bit of a cad but loyal to those dearest to him with a soft heart and strong mind. A business man that is cunning enough to end up in important circles but chooses to use that power for the powerless. He does find an obstacle in Gil Chae and I think that is part of his interest in her, very like how she is so adamant about someone she can not get as well. But his actions speak far louder than any others in this drama. He is willing to sacrifice himself in exchange for her but will not go down easily.
In terms of the political progression of this story it does flow in a coherent way. You understand the movements, the predicaments, and some of the choices. I personally do not love a politically heavy drama but I was so drawn to Jang Hyun that I kept watching.
If you are looking for a drama that will make you feel something, not matter the emotion then you will find it here. Most o the time you will not enjoy what the characters are going through or the choices they make and you will feel frustrated. The point being that it will make you feel. Out of so many dramas that I have seen there are few that pull out this level of emotions from its viewers.
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enjoyable but also forgettable
I rate series based on my enjoyment of them and since I actually stuck around week after week to continue watching then I can honestly say I enjoyed the show. I am one to prefer to binge a show instead of wait weekly for installments so the fact that I stuck it out means it was worth finding out how the story progressed.And if you look at the cinematography and the production of everything from sets to costumes then this is a very aesthetically pleasing show to watch. It is beautifully shot and the actors all did a great job with their characters. The OST feels a bit too repetitive for my taste but the songs were nice.
Its the story that weakens this drama. It starts off strong and sets up many obstacles that the main couple will have to face as well as intriguing individual characters among the main cast that make you want to watch the character development. I also like that this is not a slow burn and the main couple spend a good portion of the series actually together. But after all the build up in the beginning then the story loses steam. The male lead goes from gruff and spoiled rich kid to sickly sweet and all of a sudden good at everything. His main opponent/ conflict within the drama as well was his sister but once the reasoning was explained it felt too shallow and then resolved too quickly/ unrealistically.
The last few episodes also felt painfully slow. It wrapped everything up nicely but not in a way that made me feel excited or giddy about it. The ending was honestly a let down as it was so boring. So while this is an enjoyable show, nice to watch, it wont leave much of an impression on you. But if you are in the mood for some quick romantic fluff then I highly recommend as the main couple does have some nice chemistry.
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Best short drama I have seen
I went into this not knowing what to expect but so pleasantly surprised by it. If you look at this drama as the low budget short drama that it is then it really pulled off so much. The production was great from the choice of locations, the camera angles, the colors, the outfits. Everything chosen added to the overall experience. The acting was also very good. There was no instance where I thought that these were new actors because they never appeared nervous on screen. Their characters showed through well and fit the story. The soundtrack is also one of my favorites.If there is anything that takes away stars it is only the storyline. But that is mostly because of the short nature of the drama that things had to progress quickly and leave out details to fit the length. But even though some things can be a bit unbelievable it was still done extremely well within the constrictions. There is a clear motive for any of their actions so you never felt lost. Honestly I would love to see the story expanded for a longer drama with the same actors.
I've seen a lot of asian dramas and quite a few short and low budget ones; this is my favorite among them. Well worth the watch and it will only take a couple hours since the episodes are only about 10 minutes long each.
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fun and silly first half, angsty second half, with a happy ending
I have been putting off starting this drama because I find the airing schedule off-putting. I am the type to prefer to binge a series so waiting months with only one episode a week (maybe) does not make it on my list of enjoyable waits. But after seeing enough random shorts of this show I ended up giving it a try and boy has it left an impression. At least the first half has.Lets start with the premise of this which is not something I have seen yet and is actually captured in such a fun and entertaining way. The main female lead and her whole family has a curse that when they kiss someone for the first time they will turn into a dog within a minute and every night after they will be a dog from midnight to 6am unless they are kissed by that same person in dog form to break the curse. Unfortunately for Hea Na her first kiss accidentally went to someone that is terrified of dogs. I thoroughly enjoy Hea Na's character; she is acted so well with her thoughtful silliness. The family closeness and support is also one of my favorite things about this drama. The side characters have been just as much fun to watch as the main couple.
Along with the main couple you have another teacher that as a viewer you can't quite figure out if he is friend or foe which leaves this air of mystery around him.The main plot surrounds the family secret but that secret is also presented in yet another reincarnated lovers tale. This has become quite popular lately and I can't say that I particularly enjoy it here. There are several other drama's in the last few months alone with the same side plot so it does not feel new or exciting in this drama. This side plot does add levity to the drama which in a way feels like it drags it down a bit from the buoyant hilarity that has carried the drama to its half way point.
The broadcasting schedule also really detracts from this drama. Once released in its entirety it will probably have a good rating but at this rate it is easy to get annoyed and fatigued with the wait. It has also has a tonal shift now as we approach the last 5 episodes and the show tackles the big conflict surrounding the drama. I will come back to find out what happens.
Update: now that the drama is fully released I think it worth a watch. The chemistry between the leads is great, the story mostly is a fun ride. I do not love the angsty section toward the end mostly because I do not feel like the villian was pulled off well. His character was great in the beginning but honestly felt creepy toward the end and the reasoning for the whole thing felt underwhelming. Still the main couple keeps you interested in wanting to see what happens. The last 5 episodes are so boring though and I had a harder time getting through those than the first half.
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The main characters in this series are fairly two dimensional with very little character building or even growth. You don't understand their actions or behaviors since neither are given much for you to go off of. The female lead is supposed to be spunky and awkward but endearing while actually comes off as a pushover with no backbone or ambition. The male lead is a strict lawyer that shows no real interest in anyone with a family curse that makes him so stand offish. The female leads coworkers are some of the most irritating to have to sit through; the only character traits they have is petty and man obsessed and are there purely to bully the female lead.
The first couple of episodes will hook you. You meet the characters and the OTP meet each other and do not particularly care for one another but get pushed together through a spell book that he needs her to use to help him. In turn she uses the spell book to make a love potion that he accidentally drinks and at this point their chemistry and his hilariously sweet behavior is at the highest. But then after the first few episodes the show just randomly drops subplots and picks up new ones without interweaving them together or giving the viewers a chance to even wrap their head around the previous random blip of information. The first episode introduces the red hand and the curse to the ML but then it is only casually mentioned again once and reintroduced, sort of, again 9 episodes later. The ML has broken up with the SFL twice now but since she doesn't accept the break up then he just continues dating her? It is so odd and makes no sense, since when is it so hard to break up with someone?! The random storyline for the SML is just a silly as for the SFL as well as the random stalker. None of these plots seem to be connecting in a coherent way but of course now at episode 10 they introduce a new subplot of them being reincarnated lovers. I assume the show will try to weave everything together, all 6 or so plots as long as they don't continue to add more.
Visually speaking the production of this is nice and the music is beautiful but the writing for this is a huge miss. The great chemistry from the two leads in the beginning has become boring with the hot and cold behavior between the two as the show progresses making it feel tedious to watch.
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This is not a new story, we have seen it done many many times where a super star falls for a no body. I started watching this because I am okay with that trope and come for the great music you often find in these types of shows. Unfortunately you won't find that here. The music is okay but kind of boring, it is all ballads and the subtitles being as bad as they are do not help me to love them for their lyrics either. The main couple has okay chemistry but the male lead is definitely over acting here which makes for many awkward or cringey scenes.
Also note for the international viewers like myself that the subtitles are really horrendous and will make your viewing experience horrible at times.
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This review may contain spoilers
This show hides a mediocre plot behind excessive violence, good visuals, and a star packed cast. A short drama that does not take you long to get through but also requires you to suspend belief to enjoy. Most of what this drama does right is the comedic timing and entertaining bromance between the leads. The action sequences were mostly choreographed to perfection with no one pulling their punches and the interactions, while brutal, felt organic for the most part. If you enjoy action packed stories that are heavy with violence and characters that defy the odds then this would definitely be for you. Not a horrible watch by any means but also lacks logic in the plot execution. While the first episode introduces you to fairly naive and good hearted boxers that accidentally find themselves trapped in a fight with an underground mafia boss the story misses any true character growth or believability by the end.
First the bromance felt very insta-love to me. These boys meet once and all of a sudden are completely inseparable and share a bond that feels forced in the beginning. As a viewer I quickly adapted to the relationship and enjoyed it going further but the show would have benefited from offering a more concrete growth in the friendship through time. I mean they meet and the following day Geon Woo ends up in a fight with the corrupt loan sharks that targeted his mother and Woo Jin backs him up wholeheartedly immediately upon finding out. Now I know Woo Jin is kind-hearted and it is plausible to try to help a new friend find the money he needed but the script made the connection feel deeper too quickly. Geon Woo being a naive puppy dog the entire series was also a little off putting. His good intentions were endearing in the beginning but by the latter half of the show it does not make sense that all the mindless killing wouldn't have changed him or at least bolstered his confidence making him a little more dominant.
Then you have Hyeon Joo whom with her brings a better understanding of the overall situation but her tough as nails character misses the mark at times. Knowing that about her however ended up being a bad thing because it did not make sense for her character to make the exit she did after the only person she loved was brutally murdered. Her replacement Da Min was much more palatable but lacked any gravity to her character because she was just thrown in to make up for writing off Hyeon Joo.
The action sequences also began to lose their spark. It began to feel repetitive where the bad guys would just send in more and more men and the good guys would just miraculously survive no matter how many they were facing. While highly entertaining to watch it wasn't believable that they could continuously go up against 20-40 men against the two of them and act like they were fine the next day. I could believe they won but not that they came out of the fights with nothing but a couple cuts and bruises. Episode 6 was also incredibly idiotic. To watch veterans to crime circles make decisions that put themselves in danger made absolutely no sense. There is no way that veteran killers would just get drunk on the night of a major event, leave personal information that would lead to their wherabouts out in the open knowing they would be hunted, and then to also be taken down by one or two men when they had previously proven their prowess against a dozen. None of it made sense and all of it happened so fast that it just pissed off the viewer.
This show's charismatic male leads can't save it from the continuous plot holes, unsatisfactory ending, and overall sense of incompleteness.
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If you go into this story thinking it will be a romance then you won't find that here. Romance it just kind of grazed and only with one of the band members. The romance also did not work for me in two ways. First the only chemistry I saw between the two was the teacher student relationship amd the second is in the age gap which is very unclear and never really said in the series but I assume she is between 6-10 years older than him. Asuka was portrayed very well as the housemother that gave advice and helped to support all the boys and to me I saw the same energy from her with all the members and never got a romantic vibe from her for Dan. On Dan's end I could easily see his crush but it did not feel reciprocated to me.
I did think this had a somewhat realistic portrayal of the pressure and hardships put on pop bands in the industry with these hard to live up to expectations put on them. But I also think that it was glossed over as well. You are exposed to the 'downfall' of the band due to a scandal but then barely given any context or follow through about it. Same with the rise in their success. Maybe it was because it was a miniseries but it felt incomplete.
I did enjoy watching this; loved the acting and performances given by the cast, and enjoyed the music.
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the kind of show that makes you want to call home
This heartwarming and uplifting show will take you on a fun and chaotic ride back home and the people that know you best. The story follows three sisters as they return home to their small town in Jeju as they try to run from troubles and end up finding themselves again in the people they left behind.Their hometown is full of chaotic and sometimes frustrating people but they are also the ones that know them best. The togetherness and small town family is heartwarming to watch. You watch as the girls are forced to confront the problems they were trying to run away from and find their way back to themselves and happiness. The acting from the entire cast is superb. This show also showcases a bunch of green flag men in these women's lives which is so fun to watch. I especially love the friendship of the 5 best friends that grew up together.
I did find certain parts frustrating to watch, primarily the story line about Yoong-sil's father but I could also sympathize and see in his character a realistic portrayal of grief. I do wish there had been more of an ending for the main perpetrator of the series but you were still shown that her acts were exposed so I guess that is enough.
All in all this is a fun watch that had me laughing and smiling and ultimately wanting to make a trip back home.
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This review may contain spoilers
It is hard to review this show without giving spoilers so I will try my best to be fairly generic. First I am very glad I did not read reviews before going into this show purely because the mystery of it would have been ruined. After having read a few and agreed with several points I will note that I do not feel the same about this show being fresh or new. I felt the entire time while watching this that it kept reminding me of something. Being sucked into a deadly game can be seen in several shows as well as having to turn on your own friends to survive. I do not mind this trope as I find it interesting to watch as survival instincts play out differently depending on personalities and this show did have that mystery/thriller thing going for it that kept me interested till the end to try and understand why they were forced to do this. What this show ends up doing is focusing on the gore and shock factor instead of filling plot holes and creating dynamic characters. That being said there are major flaws in the execution of this show most notably in the story writing and the character development. First, you have the ML and FL that do not seem to have any purpose of being the mains. You are just shown them more frequently and forced to care about them as the viewer. But as characters there really was nothing to them. The FL was made to be weak with asthma and have hallucinations and seem to be fairly well liked or tolerated by everyone in the class. For whatever reason even the bullies seemed to back down to her several times for no real reason because it is never shown that she has a connection with any of them or a large presence within the class. She comes off as a quiet background character but the writers gave her hallucinations to make her seem more interesting and important in the group. The ML was at least the class president and popular but even his character seemed useless as the show continued and the strife among the class carried on for too long.
Then you have the bullies that continue to bully other students but for whatever reason everyone just lets them get away with it. While Kung Jun had very good stage presence and was loud and demanding and was able to get into people's heads, while watching the interactions I could not understand why as a group the others did not think of stopping the violent ones first. In a game that kills wouldn't a first instinct be to get rid of actual threats? The show even reveals fairly early on who the mafia are but then later it seems to forget that they already showed you and tries to hide the identity of the last one for some reason.
The biggest let down of the whole show though is the conclusion. Everything was building up to this huge mystery of why they are there, who is forcing them to follow the rules, and how to get out alive. But the momentum of that buildup was a complete letdown with a mediocre reason behind the suicide and not a believable enough excuse for the game especially when they reveal that the stakes do not seem that high anymore.
Is it worth a watch? Sure. The episodes are not long and it only took a few hours to get through this show and the mystery will carry your curiosity through the finish line. But the ending will leave you unsatisfied.
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Deeper than expected with great OST
This show ended up being much deeper than I expected when I first started this. I assumed it would be a light hearted rom com about finding your way to stardom and love but what it delivered was a poignant journey through pain while maintaining a radiant heart.First can we talk about this string of dramas lately that have green flag men as the male leads? Because I am all for it and both the male leads in this drama are the type of men you wish you were surrounded by as a woman. This drama touches on domestic abuse and suicide which carries a hefty message throughout the drama. Watching these characters navigate these desperate and heartbreaking situations will make your heart ache right along with them.
Exceptional acting from the entire cast, and I'll specially mention the child actors here for their performance. Between the acting, production, and OST this will quickly become one of you favorites this year. And its heavy subject matter turns this from your typical rom com to a bit of a mystery while also delivering beautiful life lessons type of dialogue throughout. It is hard to not enjoy this or root for the characters.
The only things that I think took points away from this drama are the pacing in the first half of the show that made me a bit bored occasionally and the romance was a little lukewarm for my taste. The actors had chemistry but the story did rely heavily on the shared trauma and past to glue the pair together which did work but I would have liked to see some more actual romantic scenes. That is a minor complaint though since the trade off is the well balanced and lovely family portrayal that had plenty of time to capture your heart.
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What knocks off points for me were two things: first there were 3 characters I really disliked and did not see the purpose of them even being present in the story and the second is the tonal shift in the storyline toward the end. I'll explain better.
First the 3 characters I really disliked were Hee Ji who was Gook Doo's girlfriend in the beginning of the show, Kwang Bok who was one of the 'leaders' for the gang that was after Bong Soon, and Oh Dol Pyo who was the head of the Strategy Department. The girlfriend was there only to showcase Bong Soon's one sided crush but then her personality and actions irked me as there was no reason for any of it since that sub plot did not move the story along in any way. The last two characters were played by the same actor and I truly hated both. The gangster was just meant to be a ridiculous punching bag but since there were so many other gangsters that were all silly as well then this character was not needed. And Mr. Oh was brought in later in the series just to create a weird conflict within the Strategy Department for Bong Soon as well as be another comedic relief but again the character was just annoying and unneeded.
Now the story line. This show did try a little hard to mesh a couple genres together. It is a rom com/ comic super hero/ mystery thriller/ comedy all in one. In a lot of ways the writers made this work quite well. Where they faltered was from about episode 11-15 when the climax of the mystery thriller was beginning to really set in. While the story progressed well with the mystery part it was the constant scene shifts to unimportant characters and comedy scenes that felt so jarring that I was annoyed. I ended up skipping portions here of the gangsters side storyline and the parents in favor of just seeing the main plot and characters.
All in all I thoroughly enjoyed this show and highly recommend it especially if you are looking for a cute romance or a show to get you giggling.
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A story with substance
I enjoyed this show much more than I expected to. It took me a long time to pick this up as it is often raved about and I have watched far too many that were just as popular but fell kind of flat for me. This one, however, was a pleasant surprise. From the storyline, the cinematography, the characters, the sets, and right down to the chemistry I was blown away by it all. A complete story that explores grief, guilt, and love in a way that exudes charm and will leave sweet smiles on your lips without you realizing.Is this a love story? Yes it is. But this is far more about self discovery. This story takes you along with Tian as he learns to find himself amidst guilt, desperation, and determination. Given a second chance at life after a heart transplant he struggles to ease his guilty heart by learning more about his donor and hoping to complete the things she wanted to do for her as a way to thank her. This journey takes him to a remote village where he meets people that will ultimately change him just as much as he had hoped to help them.
Things this drama did superbly: the characters! Oh man are the characters in this phenomenal. With realistic attitudes and motivations the characters in this story will stick with you far after the last scene. From Tian and Chief Phu to the kids and the villagers. Everyone will find a place in your heart and settle there permanently. The chemistry between the leads was there in spades but also the chemistry within the entire cast is what made this such a heartwarming story.
To nitpick what I did not love: Phupha's unclear emotions toward Torfun and whether he was drawn to the heart and similarities between Tian and her. I wish there had been a scene where this was specifically addressed. Also could have used a couple more true romantic scenes to really make it feel complete but that is just nitpicking.
If you havent watched this and if you are thinking about it and arent sure then definitely start it. I did not think I would like this and it is now one of my highest rated dramas of all time.
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Story with all the bones but missing the meat
The whole time I was watching this show I kept feeling like there was something missing and I couldn't quite figure out exactly what that was. Overall the story was there. It was coherent, well planned and executed. It has all the bones present so the structure of the story is complete with a clear layout of the whole picture but it was missing the meat to make it feel filling.The story follows Kawi who is disappointed in his life at 30 and is given the chance to turn back time and return to his 18 year old self to make different choices. His goal is clear; he wants to win over the girl he has loved since college but to do that he needs to best the man she ends up marrying first. Kawi is a very flawed character that is childish, judgmental, and negative with low self esteem. He is quick to give up and run away at any inconvenience and always looking down on himself. His first interactions after becoming his past self again are a bit wild and over the top but reveal a completely different side of himself to the people around him than he had ever shown garnering the attention of others and creating a new future.
Kawi is able to travel from past to future with a crystal ball and is able to see how his choices in the past effect his future but when small changes in the past seem to make big changes in the future he finds himself struggling to fix everything and create the life he believes he wants. The show does an excellent job with character growth when it comes to Kawi. You see him mature and grow more confident as time passes giving the character depth and likability with each episode. I also really enjoyed some of the other characters; Piseag and Max. Max is the advice giver and loyal confidant that you can't help but love. Piseag is kind and in touch with his feelings and unafraid of discovering himself.
While an overall okay story it just lacks that extra something to truly make it memorable. The chemistry between the leads is okay but not radiating, the plot has decent movement and timing but also feels a little rushed, and the characters experience change and growth but at the same time doesn't necessarily evoke emotion from you as a viewer. This is not a bad show to watch by any means but will probably not stick with me for long either.
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