Mitta
As much as I love my usual rom-coms, Misaeng completely took me by surprise and gave me thrills and heart wrenching moments in every single episode. Some people find the pace slow, but it worked for me. I was engrossed with each and every character and every single plot. I laughed and cried with the trio from Sales Team #3 and its group of supporting casts. It has unexpected moments and original story telling that is rarely seen. I absolutely loved it!
Give it a try. If nothing else, you will walk away with a few valuable life lessons.
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The writing is smart and super funny. I love the banter between Su Mang and Zheng Chu, alternately playful and frustrated. The mad chemistry between these two leads leave you wanting more.
This is an easy watch (mostly). No maddening hateful characters that take over the entire show and leave you drained. The last third of the drama starts to get heavy and melo-like but overall it is a very well done romantic comedy with sprinkles of melo. Supporting characters and secondary OTPs complement the show well without overtaking the importance of the primary leads.
The show does have its share of scratch your head moments. For example, where's the baby bump Su Mang? And the ending to one of the characters is questionable but these are but minor quibbles.
Overall, very entertaining. And the OST is super catchy. Loved it.
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Thank You does not have the glitz of the popular kdramas but it is a wonderfully well scripted, and well acted production. This is also one of my few favourite kdramas where the female leads are the stars of the show. I fell in love with eight year old Bom and her mother Young Shin. I watched in awe at the incredible acting skills of both.
Yes, it is a tear jerker but it is exceptionally well done, not overly melodramatic and it has its share of tragedies versus realistic outcomes; a perfect balance between sadness and happiness.
It has many of the staples of a kdrama; triangle love story, birth secrets, and serious illnesses but all woven beautifully together. It is a drama about family, love, conviction, and perseverance. It is a gem and is well deserving of my 10 rating.
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A cdrama gem that is relatable and inspirational
For a third generation immigrant of chinese descent who grew up in South East Asia but practically lived most of her life in North America, I loved everything about this cdrama. Though kdramas are my mainstream entertainment there’s something about slice of life cdramas that resonate with me. Nothing but Thirty simply tops it all and rivals some of the best kdramas out there.The story of three women, neither of them perfect but over the course of the forty-three episodes we see each character blossomed in such a natural way that never once I questioned it as unrealistic or rushed. There is none of the make belief fairy-tale ending but each woman emerged a stronger, happier, and wiser version of herself.
In the beginning we saw an ambitious supermom Gu Jia currying favours from the wealthy so her son can get into the prestigious kindergarten and to improve her family connections. But what made Gu Jia different from other idle trophy moms was her integrity. She stopped short of selling her soul. She maintained her dignity throughout the show whether it was to fight back against the moms who mistreated her son or against opportunistic women leeching off her husband.
Man Ni overcame hardships in her career and relationships and there were moments where I questioned her motives or actions but ultimately she showed me she had a backbone and she was not going to let men or traditions, well-intended or not, define her.
Xiao Qin’s character might have been the most simple-minded of the three but her story was also one of self-discovery, owning up to her flaws and taking responsibilities.
All the love interests in this show were well-matched, from Gu Jia’s shitty husband Xu Huan Shan, to Xiao Qin’s introvert hubby Chen Yu and man-child boyfriend Zhong Xiao Yang to Man Ni’s playboy boyfriend Liang Zheng Xian, kindhearted barista Jiang Chen and smug hometown hero Zhang Zhi. These men complemented the story perfectly. They made you hate them, love them, pity them but ultimately their characters propped up the three women and provided the backstory for Gu Jia, Man Ni and Xiao Qin to shine.
The other supporting characters were fabulous and did their parts to make this a successful drama. I hated Lin You You to the bones. She reminded me of Glenn Close’s character in Fatal Attraction. My favourites got to be Gu Jia’s dad and Uncle Yu. Both were wise and giving in their quiet ways. I especially loved the advice Gu Jia’s dad gave to his friend, ‘Children are debts we owe from our previous life…..’ So profound and insightful.
Kudos go to the writer, director and production team for putting together a masterpiece that is relatable but also inspirational. This is truly a show about the sum of the parts. It does not rely on the good looks of its leads, fairy-tale romances, over the top acting or heart-pumping thrillers. It simply works.
If you haven’t given cdramas a try, this is one that won’t disappoint. As for me, I will be waiting patiently for the next chapter of Gu Jia, Man Ni and Xiao Qin’s stories.
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I picked this one up because I liked Bae Yong Jun in Winter Sonata and Hotelier. This is an artistic movie about forbidden love, morals, betrayals and friendship. It reminds me so much of Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood in "The Bridges of Madison County" or Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung in "In the Mood for Love".
There is hardly any dialogue; the pace is methodical and purposefully slow, subtle background music, and flashbacks but excellent acting by the two leads and very restraint directing.
This movie is all about the little things; the gazes, the touches, the unspoken words, the guilt and the what ifs.
The love scenes were tastefully done and actually quite beautiful. The music plays a secondary but important role to set the mood but there isn't something that is memorable that I would download to my playlist.
Is it a re-watch? Not likely given the abundance of choices we all have before us. But if you can appreciate its artistic value and do not expect a heart wrenching melo, or cute romantic plots then this may be worth your time.
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Orange Marmalade embodies all of the above and some.
So how did I end up watching Orange Marmalade and stuck with it through to the end? Because there was enough intrigue to this madness and it was sufficient to keep me tuned in each week.
I was fascinated by the boldness (or some may say craziness) of the production team to take on a challenge that is such a departure from the normal formula of kdrama success. It is supposedly an adaptation of a popular webtoon but it is nothing like its predecessor. It is but a myriad of cliche tropes, creatively brave screenwriting, mix in some non conventional programming, good looking casts, and there you go - Voila! Orange Marmalade!
At first I was intrigued by the mini teasers which did a fantastic job of marketing the show. I was sold by the mystique of the elusive vampire girl and the puppy eyed, longing stares of Jae Min.
Yeo Jin Gu’s superb acting won me over in those few seconds. I am already a fan of CNBlue’s Lee Jong Hyun therefore having him as the second lead was a bonus.
Two episodes in, I was ecstatic! The Show exceeded my expectations. It started out really well in introducing the storyline depicting the struggles of the vampires trying to live incognito among humans; reminiscing of real life discrimination faced by many in our society today. And throw in a few light-hearted hilarious moments, I was sold! My reaction...Wow! They did that on prime time public television?
Episode 4 was the turning point for me. The pace was suddenly so fast it was like watching a completely different drama. Suddenly the Show introduced all kinds of loopholes, sub-plots and question marks. And then the big reveal - flashbacks to the Joseon era. At this point I was close to dropping the show but curiosity kept me reeled in.
It turned out I actually liked the Joseon episodes the best even though I was cringing when I first heard about it. I really enjoyed Shi Hoo’s story in the Joseon era. His character had more depth and layers than the other two leads. The bromance between Shi Hoo and Jae Min was cute and touching. The love story between Jae Min and Ma Ri was endearing but a tad ordinary and predictable. I actually felt more for Shi Hoo’s restraint love for Ma Ri. It was respectful but heart rending. The secondary characters were interesting and their stories closed the gaps in understanding the relationships of these characters in the present day.
I also enjoyed the story development surrounding the human-vampire conflict and how the pact was reached that carried to the modern era. I was mostly invested in Shi Hoo’s story though how the show dealt with him in the present day was a tad too convenient for my taste.
The chemistry between the second leads was excellent but in typical kdrama fashion it was a bit rushed in the end.
Overall, Orange Marmalade had its moments but lost a lot of fans from the misleading advertising, inconsistent storytelling/pacing and the modern to historical jumps. But I am glad it didn’t suck and it definitely wasn’t a complete waste of my time.
The music was catchy and melodic but to be honest the exact tunes have totally escaped me so it must not be that memorable.
Is it a rewatch? No, it is one of those unique shows that will certainly divide but even for the faithful, a rewatch is probably not likely.
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This review may contain spoilers
Falling for Innocence is one of those dramas that makes me feel conflicted when it comes to writing a review. Usually I am very clear how I feel about each drama. I am either ecstatic and can’t wait to share my excitement with everyone that cares to listen or it just doesn’t do anything for me. Or when a show has to make me work hard to like it, those are the ones I will ultimately drop.So did I enjoy this drama? Yes and No. There were a few times I was ready to walk away from it but it did have enough punch to keep me watching.
The number one reason I stayed through the end was due to the leads. The show’s strongest attributes were its casts. Jung Kyung Ho made me mad, made me laugh, made me sad, made me cringe, but ultimately he made me root for Min Ho. His performance was multifaceted and he was able to pull it off and made me a believer. I might have cringed at some of his expressions and showmanship if delivered by other lesser actors as it could easily have come across as contrived and childish.
The number of times his hair changed or got a makeover made me laughed too. To me, it seemed like the stylist paid more attention to his hair than So Yeon’s which had remained constant throughout the show.
So Yeon was stellar. Her performance was consistently good as the loving fiancee and prospective daughter in law. She did a great job portraying Sung Jung’s inner struggles between loyalty for Dong Wook versus her newfound love for Min Ho.
Hyun Min was as good as it gets for a villain. He made it easy for us to hate Joon Hee by delivering the emotions of a man scorned by his first and only love, someone treated like a dog with little to no respect from the Chairman; both of which ultimately led to his greed for power as the answer to all his woes.
Jo Eun Ji as Wendy and Lee Si-Un as Woo Sik were perfect supporting casts with a cute love line of their own.
I also enjoyed seeing strong female characters; Sung Jung was not afraid to speak her mind and followed her conviction and her heart. Same with Wendy for pushing for what she believed is right and just in a workplace dominated by powerful and corrupted men. Even the secretary pool of Yoo Mi and Mi Roo also depicted strong female traits rather than the conventional silly airheads of many kdramas.
What got me annoyed and almost made me gave up was the plot. I didn’t mind the premise of the corporate M&A theme but the constant re-use of the same plot devices got a bit tiring episode after episode. Instead of one main story arc spanning the entire 16 episodes, it felt like the same story arc got repeated over and over again albeit with slightly different ingredients thrown in. The writer did make us guess all the way to the end but all that angst culminated in one rather quick episode which also made it too tidy and a tad rushed.
The music is good and complements the show nicely but nothing to write home about.
For the above mentioned reasons, it is not a re-watch for me.
But overall, it is a decent drama. The romance is fun, cute and touching. I can’t say enough about Jung Kyung Ho. His performance made all the difference for me.
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I found it fascinating the things I learned about the operations of a world class airport. The drama was peppered with a series of action/crime plot lines typical of American programming and some of these scenes were a bit clunky but they served only as a backdrop and did not deter me from enjoying the drama at all.
I was also intrigued by the secret agent, black ops theme. There is always something mysterious about such occupation and Lee Jung Jae was both charismatic and enigmatic in that role. Choi Ji Woo was right on as the confident professional brought in to run the airport. The only minor complaint I had was her language skills. Her character was supposed to be fluent in 5 languages but she clearly struggled with the English scripts.
The romance was my taste with the hate at first sight, misunderstood theme and the chemistry between the leads was icing on the cake. The human struggles also shone through. I could identify with the choices Ji Sung had to make between his duty, guilt for Myung Woo and his love for Do Kyung. And of course, there was a very deserving second lead to spice it up.
I won't give away the ending but I have to say it was one that still gives me goosebumps to this day.
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Wang Kai is sizzling hot playing a romantic lead, a genre that is somewhat new for him and I have to say he does not disappoint. Joe Chen’s already a proven actress and gotta give it to her pulling off a character that on some less capable actresses may come off as annoying and silly. But in the hands of Joe Chen, she gives Wei Wei an edge and a backbone but at the same time gives us the comic relief that is part and parcel of this character. Their natural chemistry is one of the highlight of this show.
The draw of Wang Kai may have enticed me to watch this drama and it did have enough content to keep me glued. I almost wanted to drop it at 30+ episodes when our lovely OTP keeps going back and forth breaking up and making up - one too many times. Characters don’t seem to have a constancy about them, changing colors too frequently - forgiving and forgetting seem to be the mantra of the day. The second and third OTPs are decent and deserve the screen time, giving the show an added notch of flair. But the uncle and sidekick pair got under my skin. I find these two serving very little purpose other than screen fillers and agitating the heck out of everyone.
The production set is very chic and modern. Whether it is the offices, the residences, restaurants or even the hospital, you see a very rich and slick Shanghai. Granted, it is about high fashion and the characters are all wealthy. Something I’ve noticed lately with many of the contemporary cdramas. Product placement is also front and center. Quite blatant and after 30+ episodes it can get a bit in your face.
The OST is catchy and worth downloading.
Leave your brains at home, just soak it in for pure entertainment and enjoy this perfectly imperfect show.
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This drama satisfied me on three fronts; the surgical room mystique, a physician dilemma “to save a life or not to save a life” and a heartwarming romance from two very likeable actors with a nice twist of the jerk with a heart of gold plot device; except the jerk in this case was the female lead.
Ji Sung’s character was bubbly and kind; nothing seemed to be able to get him down; his glass was always half full. Kim Min Jun’s character was the haughty female resident whose biological father happened to be the Chairman. She grew up wanting to prove her worth to him and therefore came across as cold, uncaring and ambitious. These two balanced each other out nicely and eventually learned to see from each other’s perspectives.
It has its share of hospital politics and infighting but not crazily overdone. The moral of this medical drama is mostly about the question of ethics and a doctor’s true calling. Cho Jae-hyun played a stubborn, idealistic doctor who did not care for hospital politics and protocols. His only mission in life was to save his patients but at what cost? His conviction and dedication to his profession almost caused him his career, his wife and children.
This is a touching drama that gives rise to many thought provoking questions about the profession and human nature. The pace is fast and subplots get resolved in one or two episodes but all building up nicely towards a satisfactory conclusion.
If makes for a good intro to this genre if you haven't tried medical dramas before. It may be a bit dated but is still worth watching.
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Viewers will need to get used to connecting the three different versions of Hyun Soo/Eun Ho and Eun Dong/Jung Eun played by six different actors/actresses. I may be in the minority but I feel the Eun Dong played by Yoon So Hee is a tad different compared to the young Eun Dong played by Lee Ja In and the mature Eun Dong Kim Sa Rang, which threw me off slightly but not enough to detract from the main story.
I have no problem with Hyun Soo’s character. I could easily believe the transition from the teen Hyun Soo (Park Jin Young) to the adult Hyun Soo (Baek Soon Hyun) to the ultimate megastar Hyun Soo/Eun Ho (Joo Jin Mo).
Nonetheless, once you get past the fact that these are played by different actors/actresses, the love story is one that rivals Romeo and Juliet. This is a story of star crossed love and the journey of one man’s steadfast search for his one and only true love. He never gives up hope that he will find his Eun Dong one day despite the lost years and the absence of knowledge of her whereabouts and status; is she alive or dead? Is she married or single? It may seem impossible and coincidental but the Show succeeded in making me care and believe in Eun Ho's journey.
It wouldn’t be a makjang without your usual parade of unforgivable antagonists, betrayals, birth secret, amnesia and hateful in-laws. This show will make you cry, it will make you cringe, it will make you angry and it will even make you question the writer. But ultimately it is a great love story.
Kudos to all the casts for a great performance. All of them acted beautifully. Can’t say enough about the two leads. Kim Sa Rang and Joo Jin Mo ooze instant chemistry and make us root for them from the get go.
Unlike many kdramas, there isn’t any over the top acting throughout the entire show. It is tasteful and utterly believable. Kim Tae Hoon is fast becoming the man to hate in kdramas. His portrayal of crippled Choi Jae Ho is well done and despite being a hateful character, he shows us the many layers of a man struggling between right and wrong.
If you want to watch a romantic love story with a hopper full of twists and turns, this one is it. It is about enduring love, about two people finding each other despite decades separating them,
The OST blends in very nicely and this one is a definite rewatch if your heart can take it.
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First and foremost, this production is well-made, well-cast and well-acted. The leads are capable and play their roles with class and conviction. The villains, oh my, they made me grit my teeth and ball my fists throughout three-quarters of the show but it’s all thanks to the brilliance of Wu You as the contemptible Wu Xin and her dorky, shameless mother, Wang Ai Yu. The duo gets away with witchery, spinning lies over the course of 17 years.
Amidst this human sorcery, life goes on blissfully for Zhang Guo Guo, growing up not knowing her fate as the heiress to an esteemed embroidery powerhouse. But truth and destiny will prevail as the power of the plot and amazing acting tie every event together in a journey worth our patience.
Very much a melodrama, with all the angst and tears you’d expect from this genre, Guo Guo and Yun Kai’s sweet and uncomplicated love for each other is secondary only to the main storyline— Guo Guo returning to her roots. Also entwined in all the sub-plots is the enduring message of maternal and paternal love - biological or adoptive, it can be likewise powerful or destructive.
Stellar, stellar cast including little Le Tong. What an ensemble of perfection. Well worth the angst!
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It is a tale of childhood romances and sacrifices made by a young boy to save a girl he loves but having to live a life of lies thereafter. Yes, it has its share of kdrama makjang but it is rightfully sentimental, intensely heart rending and purposefully melancholy for the right reasons.
The first four episodes may drag out for some people since it focuses solely on the childhood lives of the two main characters. The child actors were outstanding especially young Eun-young. This is one of those dramas where I can relate the young actors to their adult equivalent. Young Eun-young was breathtakingly beautiful with her wide-eyed innocence and expressive acting talents. The adult Eun-young was equally beautiful and came across as very warm, caring, self sacrificing earnest type.
The story thereafter took place fifteen years later when their paths cross again amidst new identities and blurred memories of their childhood; he the cold, introvert, renowned pianist and she, a bubbly, aspiring designer. That scene in the train in Austria was one I could rewind and re-watch again and again.
The plots are certainly kdrama cliches where mysteries and secrets tend to drag out towards the end with one too many coincidental missed opportunities to reveal the truth. Having said that, Spring Waltz is truly a romantic’s dream with its fair share of lovely leads, deserving second lead, slightly evil antagonists that eventually redeemed themselves and generally beautiful acting surrounded by scintillating music and beautiful cinematography. The OST and background score were all mesmerizing and soothing to listen to.
It is a definite must watch for any hopeless romantics out there. As for re-watch value, I may speed watch some scenes but yes, I would sit through it again.
Spring Waltz is almost a decade old and is reflective of its age when it comes to kdrama trends. If you are ones that crave glitz, action packed scenes, fast paced storytelling, novelty themes, then maybe this is not for you. But if you feel nostalgic for some makjang done well, Spring Waltz will surprise you.
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Kim Hee Sun is a gem! I have not seen any of her work prior to this and was thoroughly impressed. Not sure how many actresses can seamlessly transform from an overprotective mom to high school kick ass heroine and make it believable. Her stellar performance was supported by superb casting all way round. No one seemed to be out of character which is a huge credit to the production for the coherent ensemble.
The mother daughter chemistry had the right amount of banter and sappy moments. There were a few tear jerker scenes which any mother with a teenage daughter would understand and cherish.
The family dynamic was also superbly done and not over the top. The kdrama staple of the evil mother in law plot device and undeserving husband get a nice twist; very pleasant surprise here.
All other protagonists were equally stellar. Kim Yoo Jung as Ah Ran was both strong and vulnerable; wanting to protect the people she love against the evil force but at the same time feeling lost and powerless.
Ji Soo is clearly the new heartthrob but as other reviewers have said, he can act and is not just a pretty face. His portrayal as the lovesick teenager was endearing. His struggles between wanting to protect Bang Wol and wanting to hate her guts were masterfully acted.
Kim Hee Won must be a pro at playing the villain. I saw him in Misaeng and he made me cringe and he successfully delivered here too. His Ahn Dong Chil character was a conflicted one and the writer did a phenomenal job bringing out his humanistic side in an explainable and meaningful manner.
At first I was afraid Princess Han and her minions would make me cringe at their shenanigans but again, this show proved me wrong. Go Su Hee as Han Gong Joo was the perfect fit as Kang Ja’s best friend and confidante and her role was pivotal to the story.
Ji Hyun Woo as Park No Ah did his part but he definitely was not the standout as the top male lead. Perhaps the writer did not give his character enough substance or others simply outshone him. Same goes for Kim Tae Hoon as the ultimate villain Do Jeong Woo. He did make it easy for us to hate him.
As with any kdrama, there are always exaggerations, over-dramatizations and loopholes but these were easy to overlook and forgiven. For example the characterization of the vice principal for an elite high school a tad unrealistic? Not a big deal.
Overall, the pace was excellent; the layers were revealed in appropriate dosages keeping the audience interested without frustrating them. In spite of its dark subject matter depicting many gritty, dirty humanity, it has brilliance of light hearted humour nicely woven into key moments. The level of suspense and cliffhangers, typical of dramas, were not out of place and tastefully executed.
The music did its part by blending in seamlessly and making the scenes impactful but I wouldn’t say they were memorable. It was not the star but accomplished its feat.
Angry Mom is a highly, highly recommended watch for first timers. But for someone like me who loves sappy romantic moments, I will probably not re-watch it again for nostalgic reason but will happily re-watch with friends and families for none other than social reasons.
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But his life goes topsy turvy when he meets his new neighbour, 26 year old Yoo Jin and her pet dog Sang Ja, and Doctor Jang Moon Jung, a 40 year old spinster. Unlike Jae Hee, Moon Jung wants to be married but was previously jilted. She is holding out for her ultimate soulmate amid protests from her dear father who wants to marry her off to the next living, breathing man of acceptable scruples and standing.
Jae Hee’s character parallels the Academy award winning role played by Jack Nicholson in As Good As It Gets. He is frankly quite annoying and unlovable. As the show progresses we get glimpses of his kindness and empathy for his fellow human beings especially towards Moon Jung.
Despite the show’s quirkiness I did enjoy it for what it is, my expectations neither here nor there. The cast is stellar; the ladies especially are all outstanding; the friendship between Moon Jung and Yoo Jin despite the age gap is refreshingly real. Delightfully no evil, OTT antagonist if we exclude the creepy stalker. The meddling mother and father are understated in the realm of kdrama demanding parent trope.
Perhaps it is also a tad unbelievable that three equally successful and beautiful women could fall for an oddity of a character like Jae Hee. His mystic certainly adds to his charm. A twist on the all girls want bad boys trope.
Overall it is a decent show with sprinkles of hilarious moments like Jae Hee's first encounter with Dr. Jang. It lacks the "it" moments (at least for me). If you simply want something to fill the void this may do the trick for rom-com lovers.
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