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This Guy Is the Biggest Mistake in My Life
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A Super Silly JDrama
THIS GUY IS THE BIGGEST MISTAKE IN MY LIFE was a funny one to be sure, full of goofy humor and crazy antics. While I didn't really buy into the romance aspect, the comedy is pretty top notch, golden. Definitely made me laugh a whole bunch. It was pretty outrageous and over the top, but in a good way I think. Lots of slapstick, crazy situations and scenarios, as well as very funny main characters. Don't go into this one expecting your average Romcom, because it's pretty crazy!Overall, this was a really funny and pretty out-there series that I definitely recommend to Jdrama and comedy fans. Japanese anime-esque humor abounds. Also, the main actress was pretty enjoyable. Definitely worth a try!
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Meh. Mixed Feelings.
DOUBLE FANTASY. So, I have really REALLY mixed feelings with this one. Double Fantasy is a really difficult series to rate and review. At only 5 episodes long, this Japanese drama is really more of a mini series. It's quite short and deals with some pretty heavy / difficult subject matter in such a short time span. Not sure if it was enough time. I'm still not sure if it accomplished what it seemed to set out to do or even how I feel about it...The direction of the drama feels unsure whether the creators wanted the audience to empathize/identify or dislike/disapprove of the main lead Natsu Takato (Asami Mizukawa) a reserved and well-esteemed screenwriter, who struggles with secret lusts and desires outside of her seemingly perfect marriage. After living in fantasy simply isn't enough, Natsu suddenly pursues multiple experimental extra-marital relationships and the plot gradually grows weaker as the series progresses. It really seemed as if the writers lost not only interest but a clear sense of direction as well, at many points in this show.
Natsu, while a well acted character, is portrayed as bored, unhappy, indecisive, ungrateful and pretty much selfish in most of her life choices. If the series was meant to be a feministic anthem, surely she'd evolve into greater independence and a stronger sense of identity rather than slip into gradually more toxic and unhealthy situations. Rather this series felt more of a critique of feminism, or drawing parallels between mental illness and the feminine search for identity. Notably, Natsu spirals downwards rather than upwards...
The main subject matter is really about sex, identity, pleasure, morality, fidelity, marriage, affairs, freedom, convention, society, mental illness, feminism, etc. It has a Mature, NC-17 rating, and has quite a few unnecessary sexual scenes throughout and can be somewhat explicit at times. To me though it wasn't intended for the purposes of being arousing or pornographic but to show a realistic story of a woman going through a potentially serious life crisis, dangerous obsessive behavior and mental health issues. Honestly, at times the sex scenes felt mostly unnecessary and a bit jarring from the melancholy, introspective atmosphere of the series, and there were quite a few scenes that were just downright uncomfortable and cringe to watch, detracting from the overall mood. Had to skip through some of those.
Personally, I'm not one for watching shows centered around extra-marital affairs. Frankly, it's just not part of my honor code nor my cuppa tea. To each his own, I guess. That being said, I do appreciate honest portrayals of damaging lifestyles, that offer realistic glimpses into consequences of such behaviors as well as the inner psychological mindset driving such behaviors. So, while I never related to and rarely sympathized with the character of Natsu, I did really enjoy Asami Mizukawa's portrayal of such a deeply flawed and confused character. Sadly, there weren't many other memorable characters for me.
But, where the story suffered and failed to reward the viewer, in terms of relatable characters and meaningful storytelling, the cinematography at times was really well done and there was a deep tone throughout. I do feel that if the director had focused more on the psychological, introspective aspect of Natsu and her struggles and less on pointless somewhat pretentious scenes of eroticism it would have been more compelling, at least for me. The ending was much too abrupt and open-ended for my liking also. Overall, this was mostly a miss, besides a few memorable scenes here and there. Hardly can recommend.
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An OK J-Drama
SUPER RICH was an alright J Drama about a business woman named Hyoga Mamoru (Noriko Eguchi) who grew up very wealthy but yet has very little in terms of relationships and family. This is a romance drama but also focuses on business and human nature.Although the drama was kind of slow, I personally enjoyed the main character. Mamoru was very quirky and confident, a very unique person. Not your typical drama heroine. Even though this drama deals with business and romance, I wish there was more going on besides those two aspects, or at least they could have made the business storyline less repetitive and added more depth. Otherwise it was an interesting watch, but more for casual viewing.
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For Ruby Lin & Wallace Huo
THE GLAMOROUS IMPERIAL CONCUBINE was a fairly entertaining and highly melodramatic show, though I can hardly call it quality. Much of it felt rushed, cliched and predictable. If you watch Chinese dramas then you will recognize many tried and true tropes and cliches. The writing in this series was fairly weak and brought nothing new to the table, so to speak. There wasn't much I didn't see coming. I did enjoy the main leads however, as I am fans of the wonderful actors Wallace Huo and Ruby Lin.Many of the side characters were pretty over the top, outrageous and flamboyant. Some of the main female protags' family were overly melodramatic, cheesy and comedic. A few of which, die off in the first few episodes, though I won't say which. I feel they were added to lighten the mood, since there are constantly tragic things happening and characters crying.
There's still plenty of crazy emotional characters to go around afterwards though. The royal Eunuch of Chu, forgetting his name, was pretty silly and dramatic and might be offensive to western viewers who don't see the eunuch trope (eunuch, not gay) in dramas very often. As he is a castrated male, he is portrayed as being very feminine and flamboyant (squeely, whiny and peppy) and often used to comediac effect (which is still sad because historically royal eunuchs had VERY difficult lives and I wish a drama some day would truely focus on one of their stories for once, instead of a princess/prince/royalty etc. but I digress.) He was particularly flamboyant and silly, and yet he eventually grew on me and I liked his relationship with Princess Fuya.
TRIGGER WARNING: One of my complaints was concerning the male leads. Both of the male leads were deeply flawed and hard to root for, and many of the men (main leads and side characters) throughout the show force themselves onto women, without much consequence and are often painted in a pitiable light. There are topics such as rape, near rape, sexual violence, coercion, physical abuse, cheating etc. Even perpetrated by the leads. So that was disappointing.
Overall, this was a fun little show, good for casual passive viewing. I can't really recommend to serious drama fans, but it may be good to watch if you are a fan of Ruby Lin or Wallace Huo, as am I. There seriously wasn't enough Wallace Huo for me though. Kinda made the series drag on. This series was not anything overly great for me, but not the worst either. Aside from some of distasteful subject matter, this show had quite a few moments of entertainment.
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Who Rules the World Indeed...
WHO RULES THE WORLD was a top notch, high quality, super fun C-Drama, one I watched with family over the course of a few weeks. It was pretty entertaining, filled with drama, adventure, intrigue, action, mystery, romance and a little comedy. And of course, some outlandishly fantastical wuxia fight scenes as well, because what would a fantasy martial arts drama be without some good wuxia mixed in?Who Rules the World is the story of two highly cultivated master martial artists, known as Feng Lan Xi and Feng Xi Yun, who join hands together to travel the world and fight off an evil clan that seeks to dominate the world. They are opposites of one another in many ways but work well as a team.
Although this series was a bit slow at times, overall the story was interesting and the cast really likeable. Everything was quality, to the complex plot to the breathtaking background scenery to the intricate indoor settings. Very beautiful and visually stunning. The music was pretty good too. I enjoyed the two main characters and how they interacted with one another. I do feel like more time could have been spent truly developing the characters deeper instead of flirtily eying one another endlessly, but even still, it was a great show and the family enjoyed it. I'm glad we gave it a try. Would probably rewatch down the road.
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Mysterious & Beautiful Mt. Jiri
JIRISAN was a wholly original drama and was as mysterious as it was mesmerizing. Honestly, the cast is really great, BUT I must say, it is Mount Jiri that is by far the true star of this series. Jirisan, the place, is truly breath-taking and incredible. I found it difficult not to be distracted by the rolling landscapes in the background of any scene taking place out doors.That aside, this series was incredible for many reasons, such as cast and acting performances, such as Ju Ji-Hoon (of Kingdom/ Hyena fame) as Kang Hyun Jo the newbie Park Ranger and Jun Ji-hyun (of Kingdom/ Snow Flower and Secret Fan/ Il Mare fame) as Seo Yi Kang, or "Demon Seo" the veteran Park Ranger. They are partners that grow into a unique relationship while working with one another through many mysteries that take place on Mount Jiri. Many of the side cast is memorable as well, and you gradually begin to care for them. All very believable characters.
My few complaints is at times it felt a little lacking in terms of the main paranormal plotline and the ending felt a bit abrupt to me. Maybe there will be another season coming?
For a thriller, it is a bit slower paced, but I appreciated the pacing, allowing the mystery to slowly unravel and reveal itself, all the while exploring both mountain and human psyche alike. I have never seen a K-Drama quite like this one. Perfect setting, wonderful concept, great writing, excellent cast, superb cinematography, realistic costumes and settings, interesting mysteries, great bunch of characters, awesome music. Everything was really on-point. Overall, Jirisan was a great drama.
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A Dark Psychological Crime Thriller
BEYOND EVIL was an insanely good drama. Going into it, I really had no expectations set and so I was very pleased to realize this was going to be a stellar drama. I realized that right off the bat. It wasn’t hard to guess it would turn out to be great, given the super great acting, intriguing storyline and mystery, and awesome music. The first episode was very compelling. There was so much to love about this show. It was very addictive and masterfully executed. This isn’t your run of the mill crime kdrama by far.Being a psychological thriller, and featuring a lot of crime, involving some gruesome murders and some graphic and highly emotional scenes, this series is rather dark and certainly not for everyone. It has a way of getting in your head and under your skin, without being classified horror. However, the complexity of this drama is pretty mind blowing. Definitely a series to try if you enjoy dark, gritty, psychological crime thrillers.
While there certainly is crime, murder, mystery, intrigue and heavy psychological elements, this drama is wholly original in flavor and it’s hard to peg down why. Certainly the two male leads (Shin Ha-kyun as the jaded and misunderstood Lee Dong Shik, and Yeo Jin-gu as the determined and incorruptible Han Ju Won) are fantastic actors with definite on-screen chemistry. Though the story is non-romantic, and not sexual in nature, the two partners gradually form a deep bond hard to describe. They grow from enemies to partners to true friends, of course, but the platonic bond they later share is something truly powerful. Possibly result of a shared trauma, or a trauma bond. Either way it’s incredibly moving. A Bromance unlike any other, especially in this genre.
The story itself was excellent and kept me on the edge of my seat. The entire drama is a rollercoaster ride, from one thrilling point to the next. The characterizations were great and memorable. There were so many likable characters besides the main leads, and all were so well written and existing in various shades of grey. I really loved the connections and friendships between the people of the small town. Great casting and great acting. On top of all that, the visuals, cinematography, script, music, it was all top notch. This show makes you feel so much. Just prepare for a wild ride. I really hope there will be another season/series soon.
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Heart & Soul
MY MISTER (Naui Ahjusshi) was a k-drama that defied my expectations and left my predictions hanging out to dry. It is deep, layered, and so full of heart. At times it was tragic and heartbreaking, while others it was laugh-out-loud hilarious. It was always quirky and fresh. I can’t begin to express how touching this was. There is something just so beautiful and deep about it. Wonderful acting, brilliant writing, gorgeous music, quirky realistic characters, down to earth vibes, heartfelt plots and themes...everything was so great. This show has so much heart and soul.The acting was fantastic. The entire cast gave stellar performances and all left lasting impressions. Lee Ji-eun (as Lee Ji-An) and Lee Sun-kyun (as Park Dong-hoon) were both so great and relatable. You truly feel for both of them, as people, and their trials and tragedies impact the viewer deeply. I loved Lee Ji-An’s relationship with her grandmother. I also really loved Park Dong-Hoon’s deep bond with his family and friends, but particularly with his brothers. The trio were so relatable and lovable. The entire side cast was fantastic as well.
This drama is close to real life. It is such a beautifully complex show and all the characters are so well-rounded and realistically portrayed. There are layers of emotion and subtext between the every day lives and events of these characters. There was so much going on that kept me watching, even though the overall pacing was fairly slow and it had an almost dreamy, melancholy vibes going for it.
Some viewers might not like the lack of typical romcom themes (over-the-top-silliness, unrealistic stories and excessive coincidences, mushy-gushy love at first sights, overly perfect looking cast, HEA endings for everyone, where everything is neatly tied up in a bow and everyone unrealistically gets their own sparkly magical happily ever after.) Nah. This drama brings home the feels. It brings home a meaningful story.
There were so many sensitive issues and life lessons learned in this short series, such as seeing the beauty in life and in the little things, the importance of family and friends, empathy for others when we don’t understand their secrets and sorrows, supporting one another through thick and thin. Overall, this was a great series, especially for more mature viewers.
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Dark & Mesmerizing
THE FLOWER OF EVIL. This was such a great show and such a fascinating, compelling story. Having a whole cast of wonderful characters, preformed by great actors and actresses, as well as great music OST and visual cinematography, made it an excellent experience. It is unforgettable and definitely a rewatchable, thrilling show. It takes you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions from start to finish, and the ending had me choked up. It definitely packs a punch.First of all, Lee Joon Gi (Baek Hee Sung) and Moon Chae Won (Cha Ji Won) were fantastic in their roles and made the series so believable. Both are superb actors and had such excellent on-screen chemistry, even though this isn't really a romantic drama, their relationship is a key theme throughout. The entire cast was fantastic, even Jang Hee-jin (as Do Hae-soo) and Seo Hyun-woo (as Kim Moo-jin). I found Kim Moo-Jin such a funny, lovable character. The police/detective team were great as well. Also, wow, what an incredible and absolutely adorable child actress Jung Seo-yeon as Baek Eun-ha, is (daughter of Hee-sung and Ji-won)! She was just the cutest, especially when interacting with her father. She lights up every scene that she is in.
Overall, this show is a highly complex story with layers of mystery, dark psychological aspects, intensely thrilling moments, dark secrets of the past coming back to haunt, full of twists and turns and a complete emotional rollercoaster ride that leaves you on the edge of your seat the entire time. The series did such an excellent job of balancing the fine line of being both tender and gritty, beautiful and yet dark. Highly entertaining and beautiful to watch, thought-provoking, memorable and just an overall fantastic series. LOVED IT. (Hoping for a Season 2!)
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Moody Drama
APRIL STAR (Fan Xing Si Yue) was one C-Drama I will never forget. Let me start by saying, I am a huge fan of the actor Nicky Wu, hence why I first decided to give this show a try. This show was fantastic and extremely powerful and completely not what I was expecting. Having completed the show, I will say this. I have no regrets. However, this show contains some very intense themes and difficult content. Even still, it is very meaningful. The importance of family, acceptance, forgiveness, and truth was the moral behind this tale of rejection, lies and revenge.Ye Fan Xing struggles with dark secrets and painful memories from her past. Stephy Qi is an amazing, moving actress, playing an incredibly strong yet surprisingly vulnerable character. She is extremely convincing in the role of Ye Fan Xing, who appears strong, cool, level-headed, when beneath the surface she is anything but. She is a character of extreme depth and visceral pain, trying to hide it. I think one of the things I loved most was that she was both lovable and hate-able. She was a really well developed character, with so many shades that she felt real.
Xiao Han was amazing, because, well- Nicky Wu. However I wished his character was expanded upon more than he was allowed to, and not left so mysterious towards the end. Nicky Wu is such an amazing actor though, so he really carried the role, at times warming my heart and at others, breaking it. I love all of his characters and have followed many of his previous dramas, and this character was no less fascinating—interesting, strong, intelligent, compassionate, patient and sometimes the only sane character around— a real breath of fresh air. To me, he was a character that I loved straight through the entire drama.
Mi Si Yue was another character that really made a lasting impression. She was completely interesting. The actress, Zuo Hang, was incredibly lovable, funny, and moving. She gave her character so much spark and vibrancy and was so believable in her role. Watching her transformation was nerve racking.
Fu Xia was another interesting character, though one that took me longer to care for than the others. There's no denying he was well-acted by Ming, a unique and quirky person that really suited this role. While I found him to be more bothersome than charming, he did have a funny and amusing persona and I gradually liked him. Not sure the ending suited him though...
I loved Ye Fan Xing's team as well. The villain was also pretty believable and creepy.
Overall, there were so many awesome actors, interesting, developed characters, the plot was really intriguing and touching and the opening credits were Ah-Mazing. I never wanted to skip them...
((TEAM XIAO HAN <3 ))
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An Epic Journey to Save a Kingdom....
ICE FANTASY (Huànchéng) is a great epic fantasy C-drama.Although this story is filled with fantastical realms, characters and creatures, epic storylines, adventure and drama, gorgeous costumes and music, it also revolves around the deep love and loyalty that two brothers share. I find this fact to be very pivotal and moving. Ka Suo and Ying Kong Shi go on an adventure to save the Immortal and Mortal Realms and restore the Ice Tribe. I loved so many characters in this series. They all grow on you and gradually become more complex.
The only reason I'm rating it a little lower is mainly because of some occasional cheesiness (mostly because of the overacting of the Fire King) and because it wasn't the absolute best C-drama series I've watched in my lifetime. It was very good though. No regrets. This series was over all really good, the visuals, costumes and realms were really stunning. I really enjoyed this drama, and so many of the characters, such as Ka Suo, Ying Kong Shi, Li Luo, Yan Da etc. And, an added perk, this series features some really strong female heroines and villains as well. Love. Overall it was a great watch.
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A Must Watch Medical Series
GOOD DOCTOR was such a great show. This was the second K-drama I ever watched, back when it first came out and it got me hooked. I found the concept so touching and accepting, although there are some painful parts in it as well. I absolutely love the concept. There should be many more shows like this one. People with differences, limitations or supposed "disabilities" can achieve great things, help others and change the world. In truth, many are not lacking but gifted. This series tried to make a statement that everyone deserves respect and absolute equality, regardless of their differences and/or medical condition. This show was so well done and very intense. The characters were all so well casted as well. An amazing medical drama with a lot of heart. Loved it! I loved the character of Park Si-on.Was this review helpful to you?
Memorable Show
COFFEE PRINCE was one of the first K-dramas I ever watched, quite a few years ago now. It is a very entertaining rom-com, but as light as it may seem, it also has a lot of heavy-heavy feels going on. The premise is fun and entertaining and yet very moving. The characters are all interesting and well-casted. I absolutely loved the main character, a tomboy heroine named Go Eun-chan. She was so lovable, relatable and interesting. Although a bit slow at times, this show was an unforgettable watch. Super cute. No regrets.Overall, it was worth the watch.
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A Compelling, Mysterious Sequel Series
VICTIM’S GAME 2 picks up close to where the first season ended, with our Forensic Detective (ASD / Aspergers Syndrome lead), Fang Yi-Jen, pulled into another investigation of an equally mysterious string of murders, with Journalist Hsu Hai-Yin helping along the way.The show is very compelling. I really enjoy the intensity of this series, as a dark, edgy crime show full of believable yet unique story and characters. I really enjoyed the cast, especially Hsiao-chuan Chang (as Forensic Detective Fang Yi-Jen) and Wei-Ning Hsu (as Journalist Hsu Hai-Yin), as well as Moon Lee (as daughter Chiang Hsiao-Meng), but the entire cast was really great.
“After discovering his estranged daughter's link to mysterious murders, a forensic detective with Asperger's syndrome risks everything to solve the case.”
Overall, this 2nd season of Victim’s Game series was really good and stayed in tune with the previous series. Watch this if you liked the previous season of Victim’s Game.
[NOTE: Trigger Warning. Suicide. Abuse. Violence. Gore. Bullying. Cancer. Language. Dark Adult themes. etc.]
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Tender, Thoughtful & Romantic
LOVE NEXT DOOR (2024) This series was a really moving and sweet slowburn romance drama, but also went deeper in so many ways. It focuses a lot on childhood friendships, adult friendships, on family relationships, dating, reconciliation and marriage... most of all, it's about a small neighborhood community and the connections that last a lifetime."Renowned young architect Choi Seung-hyo runs the atelier "In." Bae Seok-ryu, his childhood friend, rejoins his life after quitting her corporate job, resurfacing memories he'd rather forget from their peculiar childhood bond."
I really enjoyed this show a lot, overall. The main characters and their developing love was so sweet and wholesome. Both leads were simply excellent. The childhood friendships, the family dynamics, even all the parents issues were meaningful.
My only complaint would be the overly heavy focus on the side character, Jeong Mo Eum's romance. It was cute, and even though I liked all the characters involved (Jeong Mo Eum, Kang Dan Ho, and the girl) the relationship chemistry felt a little bland for me and I felt that it slowed down the pacing of the other plots.
Overall, I really enjoyed this show, especially the main couple and their development, the three best friends' interactions, the family relationships and memories along with the parents personal journeys as well. It was really enjoyable. Great show.
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