A couple weeks ago I was boredly navigating through Netflix's endless titles and came across this one, hit play hoping to get myself a nice load of drama but what was my surprise to find myself laughing all way through Prison Playbook! Oh, I missed this. One of the reasons I love k-dramas is the goofy comedy and this show is enriched with it.
Goes without saying the story is very good as well. Except the fact everyone seems to be innocent, harmless, angels bitten by some disaster that lead them into jail, there's always the good contradiction that we never get to see the other side. And there's the hook that caught me to begin with: if the main lead is going to jail, then we're gonna get to see how it is in there - I thought. And I have my doubts everything runs as smoothly, neatly, peacefully in real life, of course, as K-dramas always try to give out. But, well, I certainly hope for a world in which people can really repent, grow, change, mature, recover and straighten up in prison. If we could have at least that, of course...
Anyways, the acting is major! First time seeing this male lead and I loved his character, everyone else (I do mean everyone) did awesome jobs, every single character is appealing and leaves that feeling of needing more screentime.
I liked the way it began. Liked how it developed and liked the ending although I dislike this one character's fate and how they didn't really... well. No mistakes were made, it's just me being pissy he didn't get what I wanted him to.
Now, if you really enjoy character building you should really go for this one. The comedy gets a bit old towards the end but this show is still gold. Get on it!

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Perhaps we have an expectation problem, but this drama wasn't great for me. It's a good show, entertaining, somewhat funny, but it lacks chemistry, I guess. That little extra that puts everything together in harmony. But everything works alright, except... I didn't see the magic happen as in I didn't fall in love for the show. I spent all this time pushing it forward since it turned out to be rather boring for me while waiting to get attached but I didn't. Alas. I feel odd. It's like... I want to love this show. I thought I would. It had everything to be exceptional! But it's not. It's just another alright drama. Disappointing, but not enough to make me hate it.
But that's just me. I still think this is a must-watch, wether you like it or not in the end.

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I could give it a lower rating, trust me. But I'm trying to hold onto the good things about this show so I don't turn out being unfair because, when it's all said and done, Missing 9 isn't THAT bad - the huge problem is that it had potential to be the BEST DRAMA in the last 10 years but all that potential was slowly being flushed down the toilet as we watched.
As many others, I had hude expectations set for Missing 9, expectations that were given to me BY the show itself, in its first couple episodes. I didn't have a clue where I was poking at when I started watching this show but I LOVED what I saw and all that mystery got me addicted effortlessly. It's only natural, then, that I got EXTREMELY disappointed to have all my theories shattered mercilessly one by one, apparently done on purpose too, like this evil plot was set by the writers from the very start.
Around halfway I lost all interest and strength to keep watching the torture Missing 9 became but since we were so close around the finish line, I kept pushing myself forth... and TRIED to watch it from a different perspective but... it didn't work as expected. Nonetheless, I was able to finish and now, that I'm no longer angered by such a waste of fine art, I can talk about it objectively, so let's start by what's GOOD about this drama:

1) ACTING:
Some people complained about the prosecutor being a bad actor but I was pleased by his natural performance. It's not the actor's fault if the character they're given doesn't have a coherent reply to one thing or another (if you look closely, the same happened to most characters). Everyone did a great job with what they had at hand and made it quite believable. Except maybe for Chanyeol. I was biased of him once and even then I never bought his acting so don't come throwing rocks at me.

2) COMEDY:
On spot. When they decide to be funny it's always a success! It's an innocent, silly kind of comedy - my favorite. For most part unexpected too so, when you're hoping for some depth... they explode on your face with comic displays that couldn't be any more displaced. And yet... you can't help but laugh.

3) SHOOTING:
Dunno if that's the right name to call it. All that deal with angles, action, timing, image, et cetera. Should I call that production? I'm torn because production failed in many aspects so I really dunno but... what I'm trying to say is that it's a nice show aesthetic-wise. (?)

4) MYSTERY:
Even though all that smoke clears around episode 5 or 6 and leaves you thinking "That was it?!", they did a great job with those cliffhangers, making us wonder and create crazy theories about every damn thing, from all the beige they wore at start to the colorful lights in the forest we found out to be... garden dwarfs, probably.

5) POTENTIAL:
Yes. Why not? If you watch it you'll figure out at least 3 different lines Missing 9 could've followed to be the next best thing in Korean entertainment. But no. Of course they would've pushed it downhill. No kidding, man. That can't be normal. I'm starting to think someone might have paid the producers to screw things up that bad just so some other show would remain on the spotlight. And who the heck would that be, considering SM is involved, huh? I'm thinking JYP... oh. That would turn out to be a great drama to watch!

Now... let me get to what's TERRIBLE about this show.

[ WARNING!!!!!! ~~~~~~~ BEWARE OF SPOILERS LMAO ~~~~~~~ RETREAT NOW IF YOU CARE ]

[ Synopsis ] So we have a group of spoiled ass lil idols in beige and they ALL survive a plane crash because they're basically immortal although they're good for nothing weakling humans and we'll prove that to you by all means needed.

1) (and this ONE may get lengthy, so forgive me beforehands;) STORYLINE:
How do I start? Missing 9 had a great start, really. But as the plane crashed down, so did everything else. Honestly, everyone knows "no dramas are realistic" - yes, yes - but there's a tolerance level that can be sustained and this drama completely disrespected its viewers by kicking those basic logic standards to the moon. I already went on how MIRACULOUS it is to survive a plane crash even if you follow all security protocols and shit but ALL of our leads made it out UNHARMED even though they were shaking inside that huge can like alive sardines on a frying pan. They even managed to survive several days alone before finding each other and they barely even get dirty or messy at all - funny, eh? I'll leave all the illogical character profiles for later so, moving on... they're lost in a deserted island and nothing feels aggravated, not even when they find out there's a killer among them, not even when they find out WHO the killer is. Everything is peace and pancakes, jokes, colorful clothes and what not.
Later on, they ALL manage to leave the island and while Bong Hee was found alone, it took several days to find the others all at once and... didn't they all leave together? What the hell happened? They were in the same freaking boat, they all went to the same freaking hospital and yet... nothing makes sense. NOTHING.
And then everyone's suddenly back to their regular lives as if nothing happened, all the trauma Bong Hee expressed in the beginning is only justified due to her lack of memories because, clearly, to everyone else, all that horror was nothing but spring vacation and now they're undergoing a new kind of nightmare under big bad boss who could've easily anihilated the rest of them one by one but after being too smart, he was acting too dumb. And what's with that sudden head shave? Wtf? They made it seem like it was such an important event, lol. And there we have again the psycho crazy villains, right? And now that we're back home we should try and make them pay for their crimes so we can live.
Damn... should've stayed in that island, man. The good guys can only win where there's no money or power. (Unless they have money and power, ofc.)
Summing up, back at Seoul, Missing 9 became a total different drama leaning towards political, investigation and law themes, the same old same we are sick of watching in all the others.
And that ending... we're clearly missing MORE than "nine" here. This drama is clearly about how they are all dead and delusional. I mean, that's so clear after that final scene. Who in their right minds would laugh like fools while painting each other in a big after party INCLUDING the person who tried to kill them all (but that's so easy to overlook, right? NOT.) and who was supposed to be locked away in a mental facility? Well... we can only conclude they ALL joined him there as we were suddenly back to all the beige... patient's wear. The writers are just too genius to leave all that in between the lines. Got it? *smug grin*

2) CHARACTER INCONSISTENCY:
Most character also make no sense at all. We have Bong Hee, the belated professional stylist who was fearless and conveniently a PRO at living in the wilderness. She could fish, make a fire, a tent, swim, save people, patch wounds, she was in her right mind all the time to save food and water, she was so strong for someone the size of a peanut (she even takes out Tae Ho in a fist fight with much ease!), she never got sick despite all that, always in a good mood... there was nothing she could not do! I'm surprised she didn't sneak into the control room to avoid the crash in the first place.
Then we have Joon Ho, a shallow good for nothing too-old-to-be-an-idol person everyone's so keen to avoid. He's so selfish to the point of eating all the food and letting the girl do everything by herself but at the same time he's too good to be human I can only assume he's Jesus reincarnated. I mean... he's so quick to forgive a criminal who literally stabbed him on the back, killed some of his friends, framed him and ruined his career, tried to kill his beloved and a couple sentences from him was enough to make the assassin repent... sigh. Suuure.
Tae Ho. When we think he's trying to survive (and that's understandable), he reveals he's completely broken and abnormal. Everything he does proves that he is a psycho and yet sometimes they break him out of the blue and make him look normal and just... ????????? Make up your mind! Someone can't be psycho and sane at the same time! That just doesn't happen!
Ji Ah. For someone with such a strong personality, she's too passive at times and fades in the background with ease for a main character. I missed her development. She's been made useless by the writers.
So Hee: Too stupid for a smart fox.
Good CEO: Immortal.
Evil CEO: ?????? Cartoonish? We still don't know if he was the one behind the crash or not but that's a long shot for a plan, don't you think? It would be so much easier to kill Sohee and Good CEO if all he wanted was to take over business. He just doesn't make sense.
Investigation Committee: LOL what a messy joke. They kept making evidence out of statements, turning the whole thing upside down as soon as a new survivor came around, just... *rolling eyes forever*
Prosecutor: At some point he completely forgets all about his dead sister and replaces her with Bong Hee.

3) PRODUCTION:
They must've be low on budget because you can easily spot they're in no forest - it's a garden; no ocean but a pool (it even echoes terribly); the toy boat in a tank; the storm with no wind; the burning plane parts on the shore after it crashes into the ocean; colorful lights in the forest that should be crazy dark to justify the lamps everyone was carrying; domestic bunnies in the wilderness and many, many, maaaaany others.

4) PLOT HOLES:
Was the plane crash a coincidence or not? It is said to be cursed????????? Nothing was explained. Did their time in the island matter at all? If you take it out, nothing would be harmed. It all started because of Jaehyun so the island deal is just... pointless. It's what they used to make it look new when it's not.

5) LOGIC HOLES:
Apart of everything that's already been discussed, the sea brought everyone safely to the island, as well as their conveniently packed with food luggage but had no problem taking Yeol far, far away so that he was never found again; a boat that could only accommodate 4 people, LEFT with 4 people to rescue another 2 and managed to return safely with everyone on board. Tae Ho desperately needed the boat and destroyed it. We have a killer among us but hey let's let him sit with us and laugh together. I was just stabbed on the back and the killer is still perfectly fine but this is the perfect time for a romantic song to play while a sweet talk this lady before me (who's still in danger, let's not forget that). I'm being accused in this trial but no one tries to stop me when I stand up and walk away in the middle of the whole thing. Speaking of... a TRIAL? Perfect time to play this sexy song match for sensual scenes because why the hell not!

Oh boy... I could go on forever... trust me, I could. But I'm sick of typing at this point and you are sick of reading, I'm sure of it. At least now you get it why I said I could rate it lower, considering I haven't even numbered ALL the reasons why this is crap. Because, in the end, it's not. Gold comes out from muddy rivers. Missing 9 isn't a shitty drama, after all. It has its value, yes it does. But it's not a good drama either. Not average at all considering all the craziness. It's like a soup you make saturday night containing the left overs from all weekdays prior - comedy, tragedy, mystery, romance, political, law, investigation, survival, suspense, action... a mix of way too many genres that kept outshining each other, just like flavors that, despite being unquestionably delicious, when put together result in something that tastes like shit and has no identity. Yes. I trust that metaphor wraps it up quite well.

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Let's be fair and judge the show for what it is, shall we? Cinderella and Four Knights is nothing but another typical rom-com with the once again typical Cinderella story (You don't say!). Well... the title already makes that very clear so what were you expecting? Clichés and repetition happen with all dramas and I don't get why this one would have to suffer because of them.

I started this because of Jung Il Woo. I've seen him for the first time in High End Crush (go watch that!) and fell in love with his natural acting and expressions so I can say I had no expectations about the show to be frustrated.
It was beautifully executed (apart from the slow motion scenes that had me rolling my eyes all the time) and everything that makes this overdramatic (imo) are the headcanons of the Cinderella concept - evil step-mother and step-sister, absent father, diseased mother and a helpless little princess... wait. Helpless? Not so much and that's what I love about Eun Ha Won. Despite of her heart being too good for her own good, she's positive instead of victimizing herself, she goes get it, she stands up for herself and doesn't get oversensitive over things. She hangs it in there alright.
As for the male leads, Seo Woo was kinda cute (never seen an idol with that much free time! lol), Hyun Min is adorable (typical spoiled and arrogant brat we love to not hate) and Ji Woon... ah... now that it's over I kinda wish I had him to myself. At first he really annoyed me but as soon as he started smiling I was sold. Guess that has Il Woo's to blame, though. But honestly, his character is kind, protective, righteous and also stands up for himself and though he has a strong sense of pride, he didn't let it get in the way of his relationship with Ha Won (like it usually goes).
The side characters are appealing too... all but Hye Ji. (And that annoying fangirl but I really can't stand Cho Hye Jung's face so I think that's completely biased, ignore that). Perhaps she would be appealing too if Naeun COULD act at all but she's worse than a paper doll. Very much like Korea's very own Kristen Stewart right there, lol. I'm beyond pissed because she seemed to be doing alright in Twenty Again but in this show... is she perhaps Jaehyun's fangirl? That's why she got so affected? I could understand that...
Jokes aside, I kept telling my cousin how Cinderella and The Four Knights was a guilty pleasure of mine. Not so guilty anymore now. The ending was spot on, it wasn't intense as the others use to be and everything got solved and worked on. I felt completely fulfilled by it. Then again, the show starts out great, I was hooked from the very first episode but it takes a displeasing U turn on the second half that had me postponing it for a bit but the ending completely made up for it so much I had to come here and write a review.
This show isn't anything exceptional, not at all. But people tend to compare shows is different categories and that's unacceptable! If I was to give it a grade based on everything I've watched so far it would get... what?... a 5, perhaps a 6. But that wouldn't be fair at all - or right, for that matter. Cinderella and The Four Knights is a ROM-COM and AS SUCH it did such a WONDERFUL job. It's funny, good paced, has some elements you wish weren't there (but that's a given) and the chemistry between the leads is A M A Z I N G to say the least. I was in love with their chemistry because... I don't know if it's Il Woo's fault again but he generally seems very relaxed in scene. And they look really playful together, it's almost as if I'm seeing through it, as if he's just being spontaneous and surprising So Dam with things his character wasn't supposed to do. It's like I can see them having fun BTS, you know? And that... I really love that because.... even if it's unprofessional, it makes everything look natural and convincing.
And their kiss scenes... ooooooh boy. I don't know about the previous ones (except the drunk smooches that were the cutest I've ever witnessed *-*) but those on the couple last episodes are BREATHTAKING! I was squealing like a fangirl wishing I was So Dam bc damn, lol. Love the attitude and the natural look they have unlike any other kiss in every drama I've watched so far - all of them. *sighs* I wish I could kiss Il Woo too. hahahahaha I'm so sorry, don't mind me. x_x

Anywayz... I would SO recommend this drama if you're into rom-coms. Nothing new for sure neither did it intend to be (I'm guessing that from the title lol), but totally worth watching. ^-^

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First things first, I'm biased about LJS. I'm quite aware about his flaws and yet I can't help it, his eyes and acting breaks through me and it wasn't different with W though his character really lacked development there, ironically. That being said, I had no clue what I was getting into when I started this show - I was just excited to watch my Sukkie back in action - and I was... overjoyed!
I don't usually read synopses so I was completely taken aback by the events in this drama and it has a way to have us on the edge of our seats, biting off our fingernails in anticipation for what comes next. It has a huge start and carries on hectically leaving us breathless until around halfway through.
By that time things start getting really messy with several plot twists that aren't well explained enough and the gaps begin to surface one after another. I didn't care much though because it was still succeeding to make my feels skyrocket but they are there and there's no point in denying.
As for the acting, Han Hyo Joo was lacking in the emotional scenes imo. They didn't feel natural for most part and the editing didn't help much with their constant come and go and - whoops - where are those tears you just had on? Where are those tears anyway. Her character was super cool at first but gets way annoying and passive past the second half as well.
I got a strange feeling from the ending that I can't shake though... no explanations on how the heck things turned out that way, too much going on and, as per usual, everything's left to the be solved in the final episode, which is tiring and ineffective. What about the loose ends? What about the other characters? How? Why? What the frick frack is going on here?
I couldn't care less about the happy ending, I just want it to feel final. And that didn't happen with W. Wish they had it extended to work around those gaps because it felt damned rushed and confusing now that I look back.

NONETHELESS...

W is an amazing and unique piece of work completely worth watching. It's very unpredictable and exciting, the romance chemistry is satisfactory, the story is singular, the acting is great and the entertainment is ensured!

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I rushed here to write a review to say just how suitable to the "Warm and Cozy" concept this drama was but I see many others got that as well. The truth is this drama isn't anything extraordinary - it's your typical rom-com made comfortable for a change. Rom-coms tend to have this excessive doses of drama and interventions from third parties but Warm and Cozy is so tender in that aspect it's really heart warming. The chemistry between the leads is fabulous, the kiss scene doesn't make you feel like it's mechanical (like it usually goes whenever Park Shin Hye is involved) and though there are third parties, no big damage is done and everything is led on quite... childishly? Not in a bad way though, I mean... I can't find a better word to describe the naive mood going on and their silly bickering. It's like we're watching two kids (they're adorable looks work for that purpose as well) figuring out their feelings for each other.
Also, the second leads' romance is endearing and funny as shallow as it might seem. Jejudo seems to be a magical place indeed.
It was also sad and funny watching the mayor get holes in his hopes as he tentatively approached her. My heart was breaking while I was laughing at the poor thing and never once did I suffer second lead syndrome with this one, I'm sorry, mayor! :( There were no loose ends and I wasn't left feeling like there was something missing like many other dramas made me feel.
I can't really say much that hasn't already been said but... I was really sick while watching this and it made me feel better? It's a good drama for when you're in a bad mood and want some distraction to ease up your heart and worries, I'd say. Yep. I'll make that list later. But for now I just wanted to come here and give this underrated drama a thumbs up... no. Two thumbs up! Because people have to stop rating a drama based on their generic standards and give each one a chance to accomplish its very own concept instead.

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So... I just finished this show and my feels are all over the place. Am I biased? Noooo. I fell in love for Boyoung halfway into the show. I started this for Seulki and dang! can she act!
I'm aware nothing's perfect and, if I'm to rewatch "Oh, my ghost!" I might find its flaws but I'm still going for the straight A score. Why? I was so involved in this drama like I haven't been by any other in a while, the acting was on point everywhere, no one had me looking aside or sighing for their lacking abilities. The chemistry between the leads was so intense it had me thinking Jungsuk was actually in love with Boyoung because those hearts in his eyes seemed way too real. This is also my first time seeing him on screen and I'm so stalking his work from now on. I love his voice, the natural way he speaks and acts, making the character come to life. It's not the typical "cool" guy. He's someone past the loser phase who's now confident of his work as a Chef and knows where he stands, someone who has insecurities, who can do wrong and let pride get in the way but who'll quickly notice he's being a dick and try to make things up. He's trying, he's human, normal for f**k's sake, not those other robots (aka Kim Tan) who are overconfident even tho they're "supposedly" 18 and all ready to jump into eternal romance with the next poor looking girl, ya feel me?
Na Bong was boooooring. Too boring. Sun Ae came to spice up things and had me laughing to tears. The story runs quite smoothly and I could figure things out at an okay pace. It's not draggy (perhaps around the first half of the show, since I had it on hold until recently), quite entertaining and pleasing to watch, funny, the romance is very cute and, unlike most people commenting on DF, I was torn between the two of them, unaware who I should feel sorry for. People tend to pick a side but... it was impossible for me to stand for one or another - they're both precious.
I was completely taken aback around the last few episodes: I was shocked, depressed, I cried terribly and even got the feeling things got a heavy turn - way too dark and scary. I had to take a break and calm down before I could go on but the ending had me melting like butter on a frying pan... they sealed it perfectly if you ask me!!! I'm so touched and warm inside because of this show. Honestly... the lesson is magnificent. This isn't only about the romance, people. Read between the lines, please! And if you fail to do so, Bing Go will make sure you get it right on the end.

P.S.:When my Seo(bang) Inguk made his appearance I yelled and jumped off my seat! I wasn't ready! TAT I suppose they were filming High School King around the same time? Maybe not. But some many cross appearances! I love those! XD

Anyways... this one made it to fave list! Aaaand I would so recommend this drama to everyone! ^-^

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I wanna start by saying I don't get why people are lashing on this minidrama for being cliche-ish. Well... it's written in the synopsis what the story is all about and if you guys don't read it beforehands, I do. Expecting a drama not to be cliché is like expecting to breathe just fine on the moon or something - all of them have a heavy load of clichés we are all tired of seeing. It isn't different with this show although I find High End Crush to be refreshing. I believe all romcom dramas could be well shrunken down to a 20-episode minidrama like this one otherwise they'll feel draggy, way too melo and boring at some point. This doesn't happen here. Rather than being frustrated yelling "Just kiss already!", I found myself anticipating what his next mistep was going to be.
Good laughs, good laughs... these are rare these days and this show provided me some. The broship going on is also wonderful and funny, you don't feel the need to know their background, there's no rude parenting interruptions or third party's. As for the acting, since this is supposed to be a comedy, the cast is allowed to run it smoothly and whatever would be considered "terrible acting" on serious dramas, is fine in this one. This is my first time watching Il Woo though and I'm completely fallen aback by his skills and charisma. (In the picture below he looks terribly like Park Shin Hye, lol - but in the drama he resembles Lee Jongsuk, I think.)
Perhaps it was the lack of melo that made me enjoy this, I don't know, but I simply loved it! I'm not biased for any of the cast members but I must admit I started this for Monsta X (and got terribly disappointed on that part but.... oh, well.) yet here I stand, in love with the drama. Lee Shieon is amazing and endearing, by the way, pay attention to him.

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Overall:
I just won't give it a 10 because haters gon' hate (nah, jk. XD). As I stated on my profile, I rate a show basically by how entertaining it was and by entertaining I mean how it touched me.
As I complained here many times, Seungho's dramatic skills are lacking in my opinion and only once did he manage to really pierce right through me and if you watched the show you know exactly which moment I mean - I won't spoil anything here. There are many minor plot holes but those are everywhere. There is no perfect plot but here's for trying. The ending wrapped it up according to my expectations and even better so that's what defined my score alright.

Story:
It was nothing new. I feel like the writers threw in hyperthymesia to make it look fresh but it's just another story about the rich and powerful outweighting the poor and weak by obstruction of the law and what not. What's the problem? None. I don't see why there would be one. Remember brings out the true face of things because that's how it usually goes on the real world - there are no heroes. Bummer. Whoever signs the check rules it all. Whatever brings me a good fight against that reality is worth watching, I'd say. Then again we have unnecessary clichés and a pseudo romance that just doesn't go down my throat - it's wrong all over. No matter how I love those two - the actors - the lack of chemistry is HUGE and unbreakable and only made me scrunch my face.

Acting:
Apart from Seungho's puppy behavior that didn't sell me the drama and that talking mannequin they picked to play Gyu Man's sister, everyone else did a great job and I have no complaints about them. But let me just... how does a character that goes on the poster be represented by a worthless actress that almost, ALMOST, spent the entire drama being worse than useless? If she had any more screentime I would've puked because damn... a hedgehog can do a better job. I'm sitting here wondering why the heck she's on the poster. How the heck did she make it in the cast to begin with! At least a dozen other characters had more relevancy to the main plot than she did, c'mon!

Music:
Perfect choices made. I barely pay attention to music unless it's exceptional and the OST had me completely involved.

Rewatch Value:
I'm biased about the theme, I fell in love for Dong Ho (and PSW), I love NGM's acting... I just have no reasons NOT to rewatch it someday soon.

I could go on and on and on about all the little plot holes I previously complained about while watching but I don't want to repeat myself. Remember is going to my fave list in the end and is a great drama to watch that will not make you sigh and squeal (this isn't a rom com so get out) but will touch a series of other emotions and I highly recommend you leave your comfort zone for this. The writters sinned here and there but it's all easy to overlook when you see the greater picture. I can never understand some people acting like snob cinema experts anyway...

On a side note: This is the first airing drama I followed up close from beginning to end and I feel odd now that it's over. I was so present here, discussing with other members about it and I shall remember (no pun intended) this forever. Now I really need a drink...

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I wanted to challenge myself with this show because I really hate affairs. But as the title claims, it is a LOVE affair, not the typical type as I see it, and it revolves more around music. This isn't, however, my kind of show at all. Although I love piano, all the feelings expressed by the leads while playing did not reach me and I felt really bored during 30% of the total time consumed by constant music performances. As it is, I feel like this show is underrated for it is a great piece for its category alright. The acting is nearly spotless, the chemistry was good too, every issue brought in the plot felt real enough and accurate though sometimes I felt like it was way too melo for a serious drama. Then again, perhaps I'm wrong. I'm trying to be unbiased here and you should know how hard it is.

I found myself cheering for those two and the drama was compelling enough to keep me playing one episode after another (and I said it isn't my kind of drama). I was dying to see what would happen next. Nonetheless, I feel like this could be well narrowed into a 2h film instead of a 16 episode drama without any losses. But once more I say: this isn't my kind of drama. Yet, there's nothing I can bring forward to stand for my 8.5 rating. I feel like I'm still being unfair but I'll leave it at it. If, like me, you think this doesn't suit your taste, don't watch it unless you're interested in having an unbiased look through the show or you won't be able to properly enjoy it. This is completely different from the shows I'm used to and I have a strange feeling now that it's over but I'd still recommend.

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I almost gave up on writing a review seeing the strong ones already present here - which came as a surprise seeing the show only has a 7.5 general rate. That is upsetting since I'm absolutely in love with this show. I'm not big on reading the sinopsis nor watching the trailer before starting a drama so I end up with nothing but the poster for reference and it gave me the impression I was going for a thriller. Suspenseful it is, but it was amusing at first, intriguing also, but soon I found myself overwhelmed with feels for this family drama. I am an absolute hater of cheaters and I struggled in the beginning but everything fell to place with time, the story ran smoothly, nothing absurd happened and I didn't feel overwhelmed by a lot of things going on at once, like usual.
The main plot is good but I feel like it could've been explored a lot more yet I really love the approach of current events instead. Acting? Everyone did an outstanding terrific job! The kids are magnificent and all the chemistry - if I can put it like that - between Bok Nyeo and the little Hye Gyul is heartmelting. I've never swooned this badly over any couple in any given romance but those two had me weeping.
I like the way the main character is portrayed to be an awkward robot-like woman. The exaggeration makes us curious and her all the more interesting and Jiwoo exploded my talent meter thanks to her expressive eyes. Ever since the beginning I was able to tell how her character felt about everything depending on the tiny hints in her facade or how long her pauses would last. XD The power of an actress playing a seemingly expressionless/emotionless character and still managing to pass on her true side, her human side, without so much as sighing, blinking, frowning or any other obvious things. Her feelings were there, her smile, her pain, everything, slightly hinted by her eyes, extraordinary work right there!
I'm a fan of family dramas and I believe the low grade is due to people who aren't mature enough to understand all that's going on. Sadly - or not - our perceptions change with time, as we experiment different things and only people who have lived through such things can enjoy this drama properly and appreciate what a fine work of art this is. So if you're an young adult in their twenties or older, I'd say grab some napkins and go for it. If you're a teen or younger, just put this on hold for now.

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I just finished this one and though I'm really not into action, I loved it.
Action is a tough one to get right, every move has to be carefully rehearsed or it'll seem fake and I spotted collections of minor mistakes not only in fighting scenes but after, concearning the results of the prior encounters and what not. Alas, since I'm more about acting than action, I overlooked it. Yes. The story is that good!

As for the acting, I feel like Hae Jin could've done a lot better (not that he did bad, at all!). He has huge potential and I'm such a lover girl for that man but the psycho there... didn't really feel it. Seems like he's grumpy all the time with that emo hair of his but what can we do? His pouty perfect lips cooperate to that impression. Not much he can do about that. The others were magnificent apart from that dull detective. They couldn't have picked a worse actress (if we can call her an actress, that is). The damn woman doesn't speak, she murmurs in a sexy voice throughout the whole show and shows no expression at all, no matter what she's going through. Oh, my bad, she does seem ready to burst in tears all the time, I'll give her that. The show could've gone a lot better without her. Now I must praise Kim Sangjoong for his art... really. In his most emotional scenes I was torn between crying and smiling because he's just too good I was overwhelmed.

I never pay much attention to music unless it's a complete turn off or turn on. It was okay, I suppose? Can't say for sure and rewatch value... I'm never 100% willing to rewatch anything with all those new dramas popping up from left and right and that's it. I recommend this drama to everyone. It's refreshing to escape those corny comedy/romance ones that are mass produced. Oh, and one bit of advice, never seek too much of accuracy in fictional productions. You'll miss all the entertainment and end up with a headache. It's called fiction for a reason.

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This show only caught my interest because of the so called reference with Alice in Wonderland. Despite the latter being disappointingly minor, I was drawn by the story. It's really refreshing in an overall perspective. The common character of the poor girl decides to turn tables and try to climb her way up by a mean that isn't noble. Bless! I would hate to see another victim drag herself through the drama (like the usual). What I love the most about this show is that not a single character is 100% good and that makes it real. Everyone has their mistakes and crosses to bear, everyone is kinda seeking for ways to make it up for the crap they've done, everyone screws up at some point and everyone has their chance to turn things around.

Sekyung is dull sometimes but she's interesting; she's tough despite her huge (and kinda scary) puppy eyes, she knows what she wants and is willing to get it, she doesn't beat around the bush too much. Jean Thierry has a few phases to go through but he's hilarious and I enjoyed him a lot. The charming guy also gets boring in all these romantic comedies out there. As for the others, I have no particular remarks to make. Good acting, good presence, no major fails.

Generally speaking, this show started out okay, got great and then it dropped in my attention scale drastically. Around the decisive episodes it gets really, really boring and that's why I gave it a 7. It could score higher if things didn't get as slow as they did. The storyline is good though and it has a great potential so I hope a new drama comes up with a better way to explore the theme.

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As a fan of the series I was not disappointed. I`ve watched the anime half a dozen times and the changes on the movie did not frustrate me a lot nor did this adaptation for the drama. The characters were changed as were their backgrounds and individual plots but for someone who hasn`t followed the parent stories this will be a great and enjoyable show. I really enjoyed it although the tweaks in L`s personality really bothered me at first - he`s my favorite character from the show hence I was in love with Kenichi`s performance in the movies so I can`t help it - but not so much to the point I hated it, quite the contrary... I ended up enjoying this new version of him somehow. Also, Misa was right on spot for once and I was way too excited to see Near in focus - the tweaks in the characters Near and Mello were very interesting and surprising as it was pleasing to watch many other parts of the anime that did not make it to the movie.
The acting was A+ concerning the main cast! Misa, Raito, L, Near, Yagami... everyone put on a good show. But Raito... damn. Those who watched the anime know how accurate he was dwelling with his madness. Also, the animations are terrific! Yay to Ryuuk and Remu! I was expecting to catch a glimpse of Jealous too but... '3'
I had the impression things were going way too fast at the first episodes and then it settled at a good pace about halfway through. I wonder how if felt for those watching DN for the very first time... it could`ve been confusing so I think it should`ve been longer. So many things could`ve been better explored since they made interesting changes on the main plot of some characters... and I mean Near and Mello. Because since L went from an excentric antisocial genius to an arrogant spoiled smartass, I lost all interest in his personal plot this time.
I may be biased but I`d completely rewatch it soon and recommend this to anyone regardless if they know the story or not. Oh, and have you heard? There`s a new movie coming up next year! I hope they bring Matsuyama back to play Lawliet again! *-*

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This will be completely unbiased since I did not watch the japanese version or had any contact with the concept of `Liar Game` in general so bear with my hateful comments on how incredibly stupid everyone but the main lead guys and Jaime is. We don`t even have to mention Da Jung, right? That girl was prized with the whole world`s stupidity and she remained dumb until the very last episode. It`s all too annoying to take in when put together with the actress` puppy face - she overboards it the whole time! I really liked her in BBF but damn... her character had me angered and feeling like bitch slapping her to death!
The main lead isn`t great. Actually, he`s terribly dull with that pouty/grumpy expression 98% of the time when I believe he was going for an indifferent facade? Well... failure. On the other hand, Sung Rok completely nailed it. Again. It`s worth watching his performance at least. I watched him before in `My love from the stars` and he was brilliant so I was looking forward for his work and I was not disappointed. He`s terrific!
Now... as for the story I have near to no complaints. It`s interesting, different, appealing, clever and catchy. There was only one moment I felt bored but it was probably related to Da Jung`s background or something. The complex games had me focused, trying to anticipate events yet I failed most of the time - which is great imo. Things are generally very predictable on dramas... however... I did feel like they should`ve explored the main plot some more. Everything was tangled in the ending and it was hardly satisfactory. The ending was... enjoyable. I mean a stronger word but I`m not sure how to feel about it unless there`s a sequel.
Now... can anyone tell me why someone would toss and turn nonstop while tied to the one thing that can set them on fire? Unless they`re attempting suicide then I don`t get it and I really just rolled my eyes at all the dumb. In the end you just wonder if the main lead guys are too bright or just everyone else is too stupid.

xoxo, would recommend though.

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