Refreshing Fantasy

Excuse my POSITIVE RANT but - I'm whipped..........by Lee Jae Wook. He has been on my radar since Extraordinary You. He was absolutely phenomenal here. Can't get over him as Jang Uk.

Now a short review of the show:

Finally, a fantasy drama that isn't an inspired copy of Goblin. A full-fledged Historical Fantasy, by Hong Sisters, and I'm really impressed by the world-building. Very refreshing after their last show Hotel Del Luna which I felt was inspired by their own show Master's Sun. Here I found the show to be extremely plot heavy yet never boring. The cast and the plot kept me engaged throughout even though there were many repetitions. All the characters except the villain were really endearing. The characters had distinct personalities. I did have a bit of confusion with the birth secret plotline because it never made sense to me how they define parentage. Apart from that things were kinda consistent. I adored all the secondary characters, Crown Prince and his chemistry with Jang Uk was fabulous. Usually, I skip many secondary stories, but I was really attached to other characters as well. Crown Prince, Kim Du Ja, Yul, and Dang Gu were some of my favorites.

I felt Hong Sisters really played well with their own tropes. They are known to use the concept of the "Trinkets from the ML gifted to FL" trope. Here they have not only used that trope, but they also added a comedy scene using that and then used it as a plot device in the next episode. It was pretty brilliant, to be honest, to subvert their own tropes like that. The visual effects were also so much better than Hwayugi (another Hong Sister drama) which was also an amazing show but only missed out on some poor VFX. I really felt Hong Sisters brought their A-game to the show.

I just can't get enough of Jang Uk. I believe he is the selling point of the drama for me. Jung So-Min probably had her career-best here (apart from Because This is My First Life because that's better). I have seen part-2, so I'm giving a standard rating across. For me both were great, part-1 slightly better due to pacing, but still amazing overall, as it brought me out of the Kdrama slump. That's it, that's my review

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The irony of Deconstructing a trope only to be Reconstructed again

So did the writers never realize that in the second half of the show they are doing exactly what they were making fun of? So let's begin shall we:

1) Love Triangles, where it is painfully obvious who the main lead is - check
2) FL crying because she will die soon and be separated from her Love Interest- check
3) "Extra" characters with rubbish plotlines - check

So let's begin with why I loved the show. I was about to give this show a 7.5 overall score, but the show was so addictive and intriguing at the beginning that I ended up binging and completing it within 2 days, that too on a working Wednesday. The show has a lot of amazing things to boast about, the music, the screenplay, the acting, etc.

Right at the beginning, we are introduced to a very interesting concept, where we find that our FL is an extra in someone else's novel. What I loved about the show initially, how the characters were self-aware of the romantic tropes and cliches often found in such types of novels. My favorite part of the show was obviously the parody of Hana Yori Dango/Boys Over Flower/Meteor Garden. As someone who has literally seen almost all the versions of that material, it was hilarious to me to see the subversion of the many plotlines of that story. I mean my favorite were the self-aware Do Hwa and Ju-Da. I mean lovers of the Korean BOF will know how strong the second lead syndrome was, even though I preferred the original pairing.

Another thing I loved about the show's premise initially was the existential questions about fate and destiny and choosing to change fate. It also played with the narratives about what if the writer wants two characters to be together, but the characters themselves are not into it. Like how many readers or viewers ship the second lead with the main girl.

So episodes 1- 10 are golden, and I might even rewatch them. But by God, the second half is so draggy, cheesy, and repetitive as mentioned by so many reviewers that it breaks my heart of what could have been the potential. I binged till the end because I waited for many of my answers to be resolved. If we are doing world-building, I don't care about the romantic plot as much as I care for answers for the world. Ok, let's take an example of Goblin episode 12, where it gives the biggest plot twist of the show. Or Sword Art Online 1st season. I wanted something like that to happen to understand why it is happening the way it is happening. But alas it never came as it was never the point. The show in fact made me indifferent to the characters as I realized that they would always be stuck in this never-ending cycle of rinse and repeat. All these things really made me frustrated because there was never a proper resolution at least to me.

The FL actress Kim Hye Yoon was there in Sky Castle as well and her acting was very well suited to the character she played on that show. While I agree she is a good actress, she did the same variation here which made her character really annoying especially in the second half where she is trying to be aegyo. Rowoon really made me swoon with his innocent characterization, it really suited him. Lee Jae Wook as Beak Kyung really stood out to be and in fact, I was rooting for him far more than the main couple sometimes (till obviously he tried to kill the FL in the 14th episode but doesn't because why not).

Overall, I just wished I had more closure which makes me really angry, but overall I really enjoyed the concept.

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Flavor of youth, freedom and victory of the underdogs

You know it's a great show when Park Seo Joon decides he wants to inspire the youth, by chasing his ambitions be it Fight For My Way, or Itaewon Class. The feelings I experienced this show while the second wave of the pandemic was going on in my country cannot be explained. I loved episodes 1-13, but the last 3 episodes can just go to hell. While I did love the show, I will not shy away from talking about the things that bothered me in this show as well.

Let's talk about the Characters and their arcs.

Park Se Royi - He is one of the best male protagonist in any K-Drama I've ever seen. Never have I seen a male protagonist protecting his values and his morals in such a way and him being challenged for them was highly intriguing. We see his journey and his ups and down and it is his journey that makes my heart melt. His relationship with his father was amazing and really tugs my heart. Park Seo Joon knocks it off with his superb acting.

I love other characters as well. Lee Joo-young as Hyun Yi and her representation is historic in K-Drama history. Even her arc was done very sensitively. I liked how they never overdid Seung-kwon's character as well. Toni's arc was kind of hit or miss for me. But amazed to see the representation.

I'll talk about my controversial opinion on some of the characters here now.

Geun-soo - Started off as a really good character, but his character just took a random U-turn after episode 10 or something. He became randomly vindictive for a "crush". And don't even get me started on how he outed Hyun Yi while they were such amazing friends. I really liked him though.

Soo Ah and Yi Seo - Ok hear me out. These two really switched positions by the end of the show for me. I hated Soo Ah in the beginning for her selfish ambitious which to me seemed preposterous. Like honey it's not really difficult to switch jobs. I loved Yi Seo in the beginning because again after IOTNBO, she is the only other APD diagnosed FL I have seen in any drama. She stood up for not only herself but for Seroyi as well, and it seemed appropriate that she is what Seroyi needed in his life to balance his principles.

But but but, by the end I realised how toxic Yi Seo is. She made so many questionable decisions throughout, and clung to Seroyi too much while being toxic to other characters. Also it was because of her Seroyi had to bend his principles (which I'll come to later). On the other hand, Soo Ah literally came out as the winner in the end for me. She single handedly brought down the main villain of the show which even the protagonist was not able to do. She also took her revenge in a much more practical and less headstrong way. She was the GOAT

About the villains - Jang Dae-hee was an amazing villain and amazing acting by the actor. Didn't care much about Geun-won though. He had his moments but the writing was limited for his character.

Romance - While Soo Ah did redeem herself by the end, she definitely wasn't deserving of Park Seroyi inspite of their wonderful chemistry. She kept him on the hook for too long. And I loved how Seroyi just let her be and never held her against her ambitions. And while Yi-Seo is definitely great for Seroyi I was really uncomfortable with the age difference and the lack of chemistry between the leads. Plus the insta love in the last 3 episodes really ruined things for me. They were so great before that as colleagues and business partners.

Also I'm not sure that I understand why Seroyi HAD to bend the knee in the end. Was it to show his love for Yi-Seo, then why didn't he did it for his father?? Anyways if someone know then please comment. Overall I loved the show except the last 3 episodes and the music and the OST was absolutely amazing and gave me all the youthful rebellious feels.

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Anti-Hero Hero Glorifield

I have had a lot of thoughts while watching this show. Both good and bad. Let's start with the good shall we:

1) Production Design - Amazing production and direction. The Italy piece was amazingly shot. Made me pause just to look at the vertical shots, and the different angles many action scenes were shot as well. The fight choreography was decent. Every arson scene looked so real.

2) The Villains - I was definitely more interested in the villains than the main character (will come to that later). Ok Teac Yeon made me so much invested in his character that I completely ditched the MC, and was primarily watching for him. For me, he was definitely the USP and the one character which I felt could have had better treatment. Choi Myung Hee was such a great subversion for a feminist trope that I never knew I needed. She really made me hate her character and I really despised her till the end.

3) Song Jong Ki - The man is so charismatic as Vincenzo, it is really difficult to take your eyes off him. Half the reason Vincenzo works is because of this man.

4) Supporting Characters - I did have a like-dislike relationship with the Plaza people. It was definitely a funny gag to see how each one of them was immensely talented, and their coming together as the Casanno family really melted my heart. But their search for the gold plot tested my patience and I skipped their many scenes.

5) Music - The Music and Background Scores are bangers and elevated the scenes a lot. The song Adrenaline really did come at a funny situation, but still a banger.

6) Chemistry - SJK had chemistry with almost all the actors and even more so with his male cast members. I did feel a little queerbaiting here and there but I cast was really good and the acting was amazing.

Now what didn't work for me:

1) Vincenzo as a static character - VC is a charter who remained static from start to end. He has precisely one change in the entire show which was after episode 3. And the ONLY consequence or low point in his life was episode 17 when his mother died. Apart from that Vincenzo would Swoop in save the day, get in trouble by the last few minutes of the episode, and then by the next episode within the first few minutes all his problems would get resolved. He is ALWAYS ahead in his game, never loses literally. I don't have a problem with OP characters but this problem persists throughout the show, which made me believe there was really nothing at the stake for him.

2) Themes - Glorification of VC as an anti-hero and no nuance themes. The drama treats VC as an anti-hero but at the same time, he acts as the hero most of the time. The show never shows me (lesser evil vs evil). It treats its lesser evil as a Heroic trait. All the scenes of VC come off across as "cool" or "wow" but never, is he right or wrong because he is always right. Even if you see the MC, he barely has more than a scratch on his face doing col stuff.

3) Female Lead - The FL really came off as annoying and over the top. She did shine through after episode 3 but rarely showed character development in the latter half of the show. She blindly followed all Vincenzos plan. While the actors did have chemistry and romance was slow-burn and had a comrade of a married couple, the romance did feel a little off and little to no need.

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Beautiful Couple

I feel CLOY is one of the best Rom Coms of the past 4 or 5 years. In India, we also have a cross border cross starred lovers story called Veer Zaara. Considering the similarities between the two countries geo political situation, I was extremely intrigued with the premise, how they will incorporate such a tricky story which doesn't involves Aliens, Gods, Robots or Goblins but rather a Geo Political conflict.

First the positives, the USP of the show is the beautiful chemistry of the couple who are one of the most good looking couples I've seen in KDrama land. The couple and their whole dynamic has made the show a really smooth ride. While I agree Captain Ri is kinda unrealistic ?, but what I loved about our leads is that they both have their own rich lives outside their romance and only want what's best for each other. It's a very healthy relationship ideals.

The cinematography is as usual amazing with amazing shots from for the rural setting as well as the breathtaking shots of Switzerland.

I loved the story and the character dynamics. It was refreshing to see many characters and their interactions and I was rooting for all of them. I fell in the love with the second leads romance as well. In fact towards the end I was more invested in their story as compared to the leads.

This brings me to my small negatives. Last 3 episodes were melodramas af and fulfilled all KDrama cliches. What started as refreshing take soon got muddled with melo situations and that was a little irritating. Also I thought the whole resolution for the country infiltration thing was resolved in a very unrealistic way, things could have gotten way dark considering how most countries have strict protocols to deal with such a situation but yeah I can make sense of that.

Overall I loved this one after watching 4-5 unsatisfactory ones so yeah I'm happy.

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Its okay for the show to be okay

So I believe everything is perfect about the show. From the production to the music, acting, cinematography, characters, art design, story (well almost). As other reviewers have already mentioned how this is a character-driven drama and mostly focuses on the healing of the 3 main characters among other patients in the hospital.

There are a lot of things I loved about this drama. I loved the focus on mental health awareness. There were a lot of side characters whose story was really beautiful and it made me tear up a bit. The show respects all its patients and takes great care of them. Some of them were healed and some of them obviously were in progress.

I loved the writing aspect of the show. The storybook concept was beautifully crafted with the inner lives of our leads and other patients, so it gives a second layer of storytelling to help us understand their struggles. The art again was very well done.
I loved the acting in the show. the actor who played Sang Tae was amazing. Our main romantic leads also had amazing chemistry and the female lead was a revelation to me. I usually don't like KSH, but I really liked him here.

Now let's talk about characters and their development. The best development was obviously among the 2 brothers. their relationship really evolved during the show to not only make them less co-dependent but to value each other more as people and as family. I loved Ju-Ri's mom and other side characters specially Jae-Su Gang Tae's friend and MY's colleagues. Even Ju-Ri and the manager's brief romance was cute. I was a little disappointed was with our female lead whom I found kind of irritating. Because of her personality disorder, every time she would do something chaotic, the viewers will have to rationalize that behavior (its clever writing to excuse her behavior though). Also, I wanted to understand how her APD works but that plot was soon forgotten in the later episodes. I predicted her mom plot in EP-10 itself, but that itself was extremely undercooked.

I totally understand the writer's perspective that MY's craziness was required for Gang Tae to help him release his pent-up frustration and she might be good for him overall. but as a viewer watching MY harass Gang-Tae was uncomfortable to watch. It is why I've left many dramas like Oh My Ghostess.

So while everything was amazing on paper, I seriously could get myself to care about any of the main characters. The plot in itself was extremely draggy, and I myself wanted to drop the show many times. Even the romance could not get me hooked as I was not invested in the romance. Also, like another reviewer mentioned I have a low tolerance for self-loathing and pity so while it can a great drama for others, for me it was meh. But yes I completely appreciate the team behind the show.

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Existence and Time

I'll be honest in the review. I was not completely impressed with this drama. I felt the story and setting was heavily inspired from Master's Sun, a previous drama of the Hong Sisters and Goblin which was like a cultural reset with many dramas trying to copy it's fantasy world. Because I have already seen those two dramas, I felt deprived of an original story while watching this drama. The hotel and ghost concept was in Master's Sun while the theme for Supernatural protagonist with a curse from deity to be resolved by a human was from Goblin. There were other world building themes as well that I thought reminded me of Goblin. Because of these things, it felt a little dated.

The Good thing though is that it did manage to find a cohesive theme within the show without having to drag out any narrative. The different ghost stories though not as good as the ones in Master's Sun, did progressed story and character development. And the whole theme of resolution of one's grudge using Time and Existence as a background was good addition too.

The biggest problem the the whole drama why I couldn't back it up was the lack of chemistry between the two main leads. Ko Chang Soo as a character was the literal definition of Gary Stue(Guy Many Sue) and a Manic Pixie Dream Guy. It was even more apparent because IU and Lee Do Hyun in their past shared so much more chemistry. They were definitely the highlight.

The show had breathtaking shots and cinematography. But the heavy use of CGI and VFX did feel a little artificial. IU looked Etheral. Extra plus points to her styling department. The cameos were a treat for old IU drama lovers

Finally OST were the best part of the show. Would definitely listen to this album on repeat

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An incomplete story in other drama, completed here

Ok let me start here by saying that in K-Drama, I love myself a misunderstood, cold, dark sometimes sociopathic male leads. This trope is something that is extremely rare to find. A lot of such tropes work by rarely involving a romantic track. My second last show that had a similar premise was "He is Psychometric" from which I was extremely disappointed.

Spoiler Alert(He is Psychometric)
Both shows had a character with an internal conflict of considering yourself a monster and not deserving of love, being diagnosed with heavy mental disorders, denying all sorts of affection from others because the character considered themselves that broken. I was heartbroken in that show because the romance track could never blossom and the character in the end was not able to redeem himself. I was so frustrated with the ending of that storyline that I am still pissed off months after finishing it.

End of Spoiler.

I rarely show an interest in a show about a married couple. But this show kept me hooked for this freaking amazing family. It corrected all the problems I had with "He is Psychometric". Showed real, emotional and amazing growth in the characters. And I was extremely satisfied while watching this.

Le Jun Ki is phenomenal. His eyes can show a range of emotions without even speaking anything. For the first few episodes, I felt he was miscast because he was never looking scary enough for a psychopath. But he acting was just perfect since he had to act someone misunderstood to be a psychopath. Moon Che Won again was phenomenal as our female lead. Remembering her as the fiesty one in Innocent Man, I knew she would have that maturity and just enough bad-ass-ness to conquer as Ji Won, the amazing wife and a cop.

I thought some supporting storylines got boring by the end, but anyways I still enjoyed all the characters journey. I have to say Ji won had the best Office Colleagues who supported her in so many ways. They were extremely underrated. Hae Soo and Repoter Kim was sweet, funny and bittersweet. Reporter Kim was hilarious. And the guy to played the OG Baek Hae Soon was also amazing. Starting his introduction as childlike and innocent turning into psychotic, he was amazing.

PS: Special mention to the actress who played the kid, Eun Ha. Man that little girl is a doll and such an natural performance that your heart will melt everytime she is on screen.

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I wish I didn't feel so incomplete

Loved the story and acting, but I still have an unsatisfactory feeling by the end.

Ok so starting of, I would like to credit the writers for an extremely well written story. No last minute cut aways, everything made sense, if we watched till the end. The happy moments were happy, the side characters had an amazing character development, and the emotional moments really stood out during conflict scenes without seeming forced. The number of allegories, metaphors, that have been distributed in the show are tremendous. The mask poster, the two birds in a cage, the painting in Seung Mo's room, the little prince, the foreshadowing, the Red-Herrings, it's a whole package and gave the viewers enough to make their theories on their own.

Now talking about the show in the general which seems to a have split genre. The first half of the show is a regular, cutesy procedural drama, while on the other hand the second half takes a complete 180° Turn, going in a very dark storytelling and "Stranger/Secret Forest"-isk twist. I was not prepared for so much emotional trauma. The last 4 episodes are extremely heavy. Also I am extremely heartbroken because of the fate of a few characters. (Seung Mo and Ji Soo)

I would like to appreciate all the actors who have given such amazing performances in this show, especially Kim Kwan who played Seung Mo with so much intensity. Also a big appreciation to both the leads as first timers.

Would recommend this show to someone who is interested in Procedural drama or criminal psychology.

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This drama is one of the most progressive Korean drama I have seen. Talking about various mental health issues, beauty standards, feminism, body shaming, invasion of privacy, stalking this drama started out really well.

What really made me watch the show were the interesting storylines and the secondary characters. Sua, the second lead, Mi Rae's best friend, the class rep, their seniors, all of them had really interesting stories. I personally loved Sua's story. Very rarely you get to see such 3 dimensional antagonists.

What I don't like is the exact same reason. The secondary characters were so great that I felt least interested in the main leads. The main guy, never had a personality apart from being "Good Looking". His other moods were - Emo, brooding, or getting angry whenever our girl talked to any other guy.
I liked our main girl Mi Rae, she was still relatable and I understand that the whole point of the show was to develop a certain feeling of self love and show that as character development. But seeing her act stupidly, and wide eyed really made me cringe and skip forward a lot. They were seriously bland for most of it. If you make me least interested in the main leads then what is the point of the drama?

Some of the college scenes were nice, but I still felt that inspite of having progressive themes, the attractive male lead was shoved in our face. Anyways all the points is mostly for story and deducted for acting. Plus 1 for Sua.

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After a long time was I able to binge watch a Korean Drama. And its all thanks to the awesome characters and their realistic dynamics . Ae Ra and Dong Man had awesome chemistry. Could be because of their little banter, or how they are always there for each other without the need to even say anything. Man seeing Dong Man and Ae Ra gave me serious Feels after a long time.

Maybe the reason I liked this drama was because their relationship was exactly the kind I was looking out for a long time in a drama. For some reason I loved Ae Ra as a female lead. She was strong, fierce, sassy and had an amazing group of friends. Another one the character I loved was Sul Hee. She was clearly an inspiration. Her dreams and aspirations were something I could relate to and she was able to evolve very gracefully.

I loved the silly comedy, and how airhead Dong Man was. I also liked many small arcs that were different from some of the conventional ones like the Moo Bin's arc, that was a really nice twist. Also the Kyung Koo one was interesting. One arc that was unnecessary which I felt was the Nam Il arc.

Anyways I really loved it. The ending scene was just too cute. Anyways I'm happy happy. Shouldn't have delayed this.

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Cruel Intentions is one of my favourite movies. It's a Dark Romance and I was hoping to see some of that in this drama. Unfortunately what we got was neither "Dark" nor any "Seducer". It started with a bang, and got me hooked. The trio's dynamics and their chemistry exploded and that is what attracted me initially.

Where exactly did it fell?? Could be because of the irritating sub-plots like the Parents' story arc, Tae Hee's irritating friend, and because instead of dark, we got mushy, characters whining over stupid stuff. Instead of tragedy the the original source material, we got forced happy ending (with very little tragedy).

Acting wise I think Joy was a little mediocre. Moon Ga Young stood out for me. She was literally the Queen with her eyes and her beauty. Actually the Trio were great in the beginning. The Piano music was brilliant sometimes and suited the dark heavy scenes. Rest of the music was Ok, Ok.

Could have been great. Felt Meh. Rooted for Soo Ji and Se Jo throughout.

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I love this show very much. As a rom-com, this show is nearly perfect for me. The cast to acting everything is lovely. So Ji Sub is amzing and now I know why Gong Hyo jin is the queen of romantic comedies. Even Seo In Guk is cute here. I loved the music. specially Yoo Mi Rae's "Touch Love". What I loved about the show were not only the main characters but also the secondary and tertiary characters. I hardly cry in any drama, but the episode with the dog really made me cry.

Each episode brings a different type of challenge. The show does a good job of having a balance with the episodic stories and the main conflict. While all the episodic stories matures our characters, these stories help our leads in to wrap up the main conflict of the show in a neat manner.

The only drawback is the amnesia cliché and the drag around episode 13-15. Even then it is highly recommended to everyone.

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I love this show. It was really addictive when I started watching this. Albeit it is a little slow in the second half, specially around episode 13-14, I still enjoyed this show very much. I loved their bickering and their initial care for each other. Like around episode 10-11 when they realize they can't be romantic around each other like other couples but still have their own charm to make their relationship work. I just love such couples. The acting is nice, never under played but rather over played sometimes with Mong-Ryong's antics (which were hilarious to be honest). The music is amazing as well. Not to mention, one of its song has been adapted into a Hindi song in my country. The end sequences were also very enjoyable with an alternate and funny Chun Hyang.

Obviously being from the early 2000's the show is overly dramatic at times. Too much drama means the leads are meeting and separating a lot. Both are second leads are way to elder to our main couple. One is a cougar, while the other is pedophile (not really but they have huge age difference). This show follows a lot of dramatic turn of events, but I guess that is what made me stick to drama. Recommendable to all Hong-Sisters' fans.

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Realistic characters but really irritating at times. Loved the acting and the music was Daebak. My favorite song is obviously "She is". This show introduced me to Daniel Henney :) . I know many people hated Hae Jin but I really pitied her. She did no wrong wanting to be with Jin-Heon. With her disease and all, I think she got the bitter end. The show is realistic, but not that realistic, It still follows all the drama rules and cliches like family disapproval, ex girlfriend problem,  last episode yearly separation etc. Maybe the show is so successful because it resonated with many girls. Recommended to those who wants to see an unconventional heroine.

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