"A perfect spring day! Enjoy it while it lasts because you don’t know what’s coming.”

It's a quote by Marty Rubin in my title

Snowdrops are the first flowers that bloom in the spring. It is a sign of the end of long and cold winter. This white and delicate bell-shaped flower symbolizes purity and hope. The title itself us a glipmse of the content of the drama and that itself is compelling enough to convince you to watch the drama. I originally watched this for Jisoo and to find the meaning of the title. I had doubts as well as great expectations for this drama and I can assure you that it vanquished all by doubts and overcame all my expectations.

Snowdrop is adapted from the handwritten notes of a man who escaped from a prison camp in North Korea. This is director and screenwriter of this drama are Jo Hyun Taek and Yoo Hyun Mi respectively, who also worked together in the drama SKY Castle. Due to the drama accussed of being set against the backdrop of the 1987 Democracy Movement in South Korea or the June Struggle, which is an important historical event for the South Korea as it led to the establishment of democracy is South Korea, and it bringing the people of Agency for National Security Planning (ANSP) to good light, it faced many controversy before and after release. JTBC released their first official statement on the controversy on March 26 that read, "The drama is not distorting the pro-democracy movement nor is it glorifying the Agency for National Security Planning. It is a black comedy drama satirizing the political situation between the two Koreas under the authoritarian government in the 1980s. Also, it is a romance drama showing young people who sacrifice their love." On March 30, JTBC released a second statement regarding the controversy that read, "Snowdrop is set around the 1987 presidential election, and not a drama that deals with the pro-democracy movement". Also, the Blue House did not intend to interfere in its production adducing the protection of freedom of expression in South Korea's Broadcasting Law, which guarantees broadcasters' independence and prohibits extrajudicial regulation or interference.

To simply put the plotline, Eun Young-ro is a freshman in Hosoo Women's University in Seoul and Lin Soo-ho (Jung Hae-in), a North Korean spy sent on a mission to South Korea. They first meet during a group blind date and Young-ro falls for him at first sight. After this incident, they kept running into eachother, which led to Young-ro hiding and taking care of him in her dorm despite the strict rules and dangerous situation, whithout knowing he was a North Korean spy, when he jumped into the dorm injured while being chased by ANSP agents. She also helped him to escape from the dorm without suspecion. The period when Young-ro took care of Soo-ho was the time when he started to have feeling for her. Again, while being chased while accomplishing the mission, he enters a shrine, without knowing that it led to the dromitory. This inadvertantly led to him keeping the students hostages, to escape. From here, the pair's story begins to unfold against a political disruption.

There are other main characters other than Young-ro and Soo-ho in this drama. Jang Seung Jo plays Lee Kang-Moo, a NSA agent who dosen't obey orders from his superiors. He has a fiancée Jang Ha-Na played by Jung Eugene, whom he left for some reason and joined NSA. She too later joined NSA to find him. Yoo In Na plays Dr. Kang Cheong-Ya, a National Medical Center surgeon. She is also Nam Tae-Il's, Secretary General of the Democratic Aemin Party, mistress. Yoo Se Ah plays Pi Seung Hee, the strict yet caring housemother of the Hosoo dormitory. Kin Hae Yoon plays Kye Boon Ok, the telephone attendent of the dorm, who was at first friendly to Young-ro. All these characters have an important part to play in this drama. There are many supporting characters too who are indispensable for the progress of the story.

Snowdrop well succeeded in deceiving the audience at first. Most of the charactres in this drama have secret or hidden identities and a back story to tell us, which changes our perspective of the drama and the character. All these makes the character and the story rich and intriguing.

Although most of the drama is made in one set, the dorm, it is really interesting to watch. The mood of the drama changes episode by episode. In the first episode, it felt like Snowdrop was going to be a light and fluffy rom-com but, the whole mood changed as the episode ended. This drama is an emotional roller-coaster which takes us through each and every emotion possible to be felt by a human. The drama became serious and dangerous as the story went on. This drama is a slow-burn romance drama with political and melodramatic elements. Also, unlike someother dramas, the story started intersting and it didn't cease being interesting. You can't guess that they are going to show next. I was hooked from the very star till the very end of the drama.

And when we come to acting, I don't know what to say. As I said before, I came to watch this drama because of the cast. As I recently wandered into the k-dramaland, among the actors of this drama, I was only familiar with Blackpink's Jisoo and Yoo In-na from Goblin. Some of the actors like Jung Hae In and Kin Hye Yoon are the ones I have only heard of and always wanted to watch their shows. So, I took this opportunity to satisfy all my wants and wishes.

I have heard that Jung Hae In expresses his feeling through this eyes and smile. Through this drama, I realised that it is ultimately true! His eyes spoke so much emotions that I could have watch his eyes alone to understand the whole moods of the drama. The character of Lim Soo-ho needed aura of mystery and secretiveness but really caring and warm personality. Jung Hae In had it and gave his all too make his character perfect. I have become his fan through this drama and he is now my favourite k-drama actor!

I came to watch Snowdrop, mainly to watch Jisoo's acting. I wasn't really ecpecting anyting but, the usually average idol acting. But, I was really astonished and stunned watching her performance. At first, I didn't even believe my own eyes! I really can't believe that it's her first time acting in main role. She just nailed her character perfectly. Throughout the drama, she had to act many emotional scenes and she acted like a professional veteran actress who have done many projects!

Do I have to say about the other actors? They were all amazing. Yoo In-na as usual and nailed her characted perfectly which her acting skills and charms. As I had said before, she was the only actress whose acting I was familiar with. So, I don't know how the other actors are usually. But, in this drama, they were flawless. I wasn't disappointed with anyone's acting. Everyone were perfect for their roles.

Jung Hae In ang Jisoo's chemistry is beyond words. It is one of the most convincing and heartbreaking chemistry I have ever seen. Although, there were some inadvertant misunderstanding between them, their love was deep, pure and passionate.

The makeup and costumes in this drama have a key role in setting the mood and vibes of the audience regarding the story. Costumes and makeup give the audience perception of the character wearing it and the time period the story is set in. Depending upon the role, the costumes and makeup may reveal truths or hide secrets. The makeup and costumes of the actors were really nice. It made them look like the people from the 80s. The cinematography of this drama too is ideal.

The drama have many nice OSTs in both Korean and English that takes us to the 1980s ambience. Some of them are:

"If You're with Me" by Sung Si-kyung
"Friend" by Kim Hee-won
"Looks Like a Real Thing" (Korean and English version available) by JeHwi
"Wishes" by Jamie Miller
"Memories More than Love" by Kevin Oh

Among these amazing OSTs, Friend and Memories More than Love are my personal favourites.

A quote from Harry Potter goes, "It is choices that shows us who we truly are far more than our abilities". This drama too is about the choises that the characters take. Though Soo-ho was forced to make many choices which were against his will, he choose what is right in the end. He was a righteous person from the very beginning but, his obligations to his nation made him desperate. There are many other characters in this drama who was like Soo-ho, on whom choices were imposed, making them hopeless. They too changed and stood with what is right.

This drama shows the political dispute between Noth and South Korea. It's hard to explain their relationship. I was really confused about the political part of the drama at first too. As this was my first historical political-fiction drama, everything seemed too difficult for me to digest. But, it got better.

I know that I truly and unquestionably like a drama if the skip botton lies idle throughout the drama. Such a drama was Snowdrop for me. Throught the course of 12 episodes, there wasn't a dull or boring moment for me.

"Your future is whatever you make it" - this is a quote I liked form Snowdrop. Altough the person saying it didn't say it in a good sense (I won't say who said it. It will be a spoiler), what the person said is undoubtebly true. This reflect the Harry Potter quote I said before.

"Of course, love is more important than ideology or principles. Whether you are man or women this is the truth of lofe"- this is another quote I loved.

I won't say anything about the ending. I don't wish to spoil anything for the future watchers who are reading this review.

Overall, this is one of the best dramas I have seen in my life. Of course, this is not perfect, it had its own flaws. Well, nothing is perfect in this universe. But, this dosen't keep me from giving this drama a perfect 10. It has all elements a drama should have to make it enjoyable and emotionally engaged. This drama is amazing through and through. I will certainly recommend this to anybody who is in need of a well-written, amazingly directed drama with amazing actors and chemistry.

Note: Let me know in case of any mistakes or faults.

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Life's twists and turns can be unexpected.

I chose this drama because of its unique concept. This drama takes place in a world where cisgender men can give birth as well. This concept initially creeped me out. But then I thought, "Why not?" So, I decided to give it a try. And I’m so glad I did. 

The drama is one-of-a-kind and extremely well-executed. The story raises awareness about a variety of issues that should be taken seriously, as well as teaches us some valuable lessons:

1. The roles that a man and woman "should" take on when having and raising a child. Is it really required? Should there be a division of responsibilities?

2. This refers to the difficulties that a person faces when preparing to give birth, whether it is a man or a woman.

3. It also teaches us the importance of staying true to ourselves and how it shapes who we are.

4. Last but not least, the implementation of transgender people's pressures. This is not said directly, but this sure magnifies this. People should accept and value a transgender's individuality. Transgender discrimination, in my opinion, should be considered a crime punishable by law.

All of the actors and actresses in this drama are excellent. But, in particular, for the male lead, who played the pregnant Hiyama Kentaro. He was a perfect fit for the character.

This is unquestionably a must-see. This may not be much of an entertainer for some, but it does provide us with a glimpse of the reality faced by trans men, but from the perspective of an ordinary man. I wholeheartedly recommend this drama to anyone and everyone.

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Nothing new.. but watchable.

This drama had been one of my most curious dramas of 2022 . The drama being a BL, I was really surprised that China let it happen. But, I didn't have much expectation, knowing well about the bans and censorships that China usually impose on its shows. I watched it out of pure curiosity.

Honestly, I did like the first episode. But, the story didn't seem to keep a fixed pace. Some parts felt too fast, while some felt too slow to me. This is nothing new and I didn't seem to enjoy this as much as I would have watching a BL.

The acting was meh. I didn't feel it at all. Hu Shi Wen, who played Cheng Yi was alright but there is, of course, possibilities of improvement. Anyways, Hu Bo Wen seemed like a robot. The supporting too didn't do the job of making this interesting.

The music was good. This is the only thing in the whole drama that I wholeheartedly liked.

The editing was terrible. Sometimes, it makes the drama unwatchable. That is SOMETIMES. Overally, the drama is fairly watchable, in spite of some substandard elements.

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LEGENDARY

Not gonna lie, this drama, from script, direction, and acting, up to CGI and editing, was just legendary. But how did this become legendary? This season continues the story where it was left off in the 1st season, which I rated 9.5. So, why did I rate this 8.5 instead?


To be honest, the first season is far superior to this one, and the reason this season has become so successful is clearly due to the first season. Let's look why:

First of all, this lacked the punch of the 1st Part. The 1st Part introduced us to a whole new world, and much time was used to build the lore and the details. This kept us engaged and interested. However, nothing much happened in Part 2, in general. Everything was established in the 1st seasonitself,f and this 2nd part didn't have much twists and turns like the 1st.


The pace of the story was another problem. This problem had been there in the 1st season an well. The starting episodes were amazing, but somehow, after some episodes, it felt like the story was moving downhill. The plot was, like, not moving at all. But they picked up the momentum in the later episodes, nonetheless. Honestly, they could have done the whole drama, I mean, part 1 and 2 together, In just 15 or 20 eps.


This is another issue I've had since the first season. They promised us strong, witty, smart, and brave female characters. However, all we got were sidekicks. Let's take a look at the main female characters in the story:

1. First of all, Naksu/Cho Yeong- I really wanted to see her fighting with her sword again. I wanted her to be like how she had been as Mu Doek. Don't get me wrong, I honestly loved how they separated the real Cho Yeong from the Naksu that Jin Mu created. All I wanted was for her to be as sharp-witted and as quick-witted as her older self. That Naksu was more interesting than the present Cho Yeong. In Part 2, Naksu seemed to be reduced to a one-dimensional, not-that-witty, not-that-smart person who was really only meant to host Jin Bu Yeon's priestess powers and to mend Uk's broken heart.

2. Jin Bu Yeon/Jin Seol Ran - She seemed like just a background character, appearing here and there. She was a character with much potential, but sadly, it was wasted. I would have loved to know more about the time when she was Seol Ran, how she went through what they call the Great Chaos, and all. Also, it was entioned in almost all episodes about how powerful she is. But, pity that we didn't even get a glimpse of it.

3. Maidservent Kim - She had no powers whatsoever. She had been just a mother figure for Uk and a love interest for Park Jin, right from the start to the end. But I did love her, nevertheless.

4. Jin Cho Yeon - She was introduced as one of the Jin clan, with great powers, but we didn't actually get to see even one scene where she was using her powers usefully. Again, she was reduced to just a love interest for Dang Gu.

5. Jin Ho Kyung - Again, another character with great powers. In the end, she couldn't even protect her fortress. I know she was ageing and eventually losing her powers, but when Park Jin didn't have any problems while ageing, why does she?

6. Heo Yoon Ok - Okay, I didn't like her. She wasn't said to have great powers, but what made me dislike her was that she was overcome with jealousy half of the time, going after Uk and attempting to separate him and Naksu in both the 1st and 2nd parts. And her happy ending was jsut seeing someone.

7. So Yi - She was another great character with great potential. I really liked her character. She is one of the strongest female characters in the entire series, in my opinion, whose potential got wasted. She could have been developed into a GREAT character. But...

This drama would have been even better if the FLs were as strong as they were said to be. Now, that's all about the female characters. Let's talk about other problems.


They dragged out the amnesia plot for too long. This is one of those common, clichéd plot lines that I hate. But, if executed well, it could become a masterpiece too. Sadly, this wasn't the case with AoS Part 2. They could have either made Naksu remember it earlier, or made Uk realise that it was Naksu all along. And, when they did realise it, it felt really underwhelming.


I really hated to believe that Uk had finally forgotten about his Naksu/Mu Doek and moved on to fall in love with another woman. I know it was her all along, but I just didn't like the feel of it. That ruined the whole point of this romance, for me.


Underwhelming villain characters - this was one of the main things that bothered me. The villains, especially Jin Mu, all had proper goals and objectives and plans to achieve them, but I felt like they were all acting behind the scenes. I would have liked them to be utilised more and build more tension between them and the heroes. Towards the end, Jin Mu seemed reduced to one of those cartoonish villain charactes with just an evil smile and no brains.


Now, enough with the bad points. Let's start with the good points that make this drama stand out from the rest;

The chemistry:

1. The Crown Prince and the Turtle: We can't help but love the Crown Prince. He was the best character in the entire series for me, and I was rooting for him until the very end. He and our MVP Turtle were truly the best duo in the entire series!

2. Crown Prince and Jang Uk - I really really loved the dynamics between Crown Prince and Ukkie, in the 1st as well as 2nd part. Even though it cannot be considered as a real bromance, I loved it, and I would watch an entire series with just them without any complaint.


The comic relief - I laughed hard enough watching this to add comedy as one of its genres. Those scenes were like breaths of fresh air in an intense plot line.


I loved how they explained the meaning of the title. Jang Uk being the light that protects Cho Yeong and Her being the sadow, embrassing him. It was so endearing!


Acting - DO I NEED TO SAY MORE?? The perforance of the cast was impeccably beautiful. I was initially quite disappointed in the replacement of Jung So Min with Go Yoon Jung, but after the first two episodes, I was convinced that she deserved the role. She really is a gifted actress with great potential. Even though she didin't quite manage to catch So Min's charm, she was great in her own accord.

Jae Wook's performance shook me to the core. He was a new actor to me, and I haven't seen any of his earlier works, but this drama alone is enough for me to make him a part of my list of favourite actors.

I had seen Shin Seoung Ho in A-Teen before, but I didn't even realise it! I figured this out recently, and I'm blown! I hope he gets more great characters like this in the future so that he can showcase his great talent! He really does have an acting genre in him!

All the others did a good job as well. Out of the supporting cast, the one who stands out is Do Sang Woo, who played Yul's uncle. His last scenes as Jin Mu, after the Alchemy of Souls were mind blowing. He nailed it. He really did give off the original Jin Mu's vibes!


Music - The music score and OSTs used in the drama were perfect! It gives us the right vibe for every scenes. Some of the OSTs are still on my Spotify favourites list.


Lastly, I enjoyed most part of it. Even with the slow pace, this is a good watch, nevertheless. I would surely recommend this drama to people who love fantasy and heartbreaking romance, original plot lines, amazing cast and chemistry, etc. This drama is legendary and will live on in my memory.

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Good plot ruined by bad editing and story telling

I have been looking forward for this drama since its news reached my ears because of its star-studded cast and plot.

Mirror: A Tale of Twin Cities is a Xuannhuan drama adapted from the novel "Jing - Shuang Cheng" (镜·双城) by Cang Yue (沧月). This tells us a the story of Su Mo, a merman, and Bai Ying, the eldest daughter of the Bai clan. While Su Mo bears the identity of the Emperor of Sea and has the responsibility of taking all the merpeople back to Biluo sea from Yun Hung, where they were mistreated and enslaved for their tears which turned into pearls, Bai Ying should marry the crown prince of Kong Sang, Zhen Lan, inherit the earthly power and become the crown princess.

The first episode starts with Su Mo coming back to Yun Huang, the place where he and Bai Ying met, after becoming the Emperor of Sea. During his journey back, he meets Na Sheng, who then states a prophecy which plays an important role throughout the drama. Then, the rest of the 1st episode and the next few episodes shows how Su Mo, Bai Ying and Zhen Lan met a hundred years ago in the Mirror Tower and how their lives changed as they were compelled to bear great responsibilities. For me, the first few episodes felt really rushed. Actually, Su Mo spends 3 years in the Mirror Tower before Bai Ying's crown princess seal was broken when she fell in love with Su Mo and she jumped off the tower. But, in this, it felt like a few days like they fell in love too quickly. The chemistry was not felt. Their love was neither love at first sight nor slow burn. In my opinion, they should have given more time for the character and love development.

By the half of the 5th episode, we come back to the present time and it becomes more interesting and watchable. In this we discover that Bai Ying is actually alive as the Earthly ring saved her. The entire Yunhuang was invaded by Cang Lui a hundred years ago and is now under its control. While trying to save Kong Sang, the crown prince fell in deep sleep which continued for a hundred years, until Na Sheng inadvertantly finds the Heavenly ring. To save Kong Sang's people from Cang Lui's army, the six princes opened Wu Se city by sacrificing half of their spirit. After a series of incidents, Su Mo and Bai Ying meets again but the lovers couldn't reunite because of the circumstances.

Eventhough the script is a little sloppy, the plot is compelling with many predictable as welll as unpredictable twists. Sometimes, the story feels rushed while some times it feels too slow. The editing is done badly and the CGI effects and sets are not lively. But, this has pretty good cinematography.

There are many side couples in this drama. The main one among these is Na Sheng and Yan Xi. Yan Xi is also a mermaid from Biluo. During their first meeting, Na Sheng saves his life and they fell in love. Some other side characters also have their own love intersts. While some unite, some are compelled to seperate. Also there is a love triangle in this but, it is not severe. As Zhen Lan knows Su Mo and Bai Ying loves eachother, he just let it be and didn't try to pursue her.

Anyways, the cast did a good job. Li Yi Feng looks so good in costume dramas and so does Chen Yu Qi. Zheng Ye Cheng too didn't disappoint me. But, Li Yi Feng and Chen Yu Qi are still a bit backwards in pulling out emotional scenes but, they improved a lot in comparison to their previous works

This has many good OSTs sung by famous singers:

Love Is Silent 爱若无声 - 毛不易 Mao Bu Yi
Returning Home 念归去 - 周深 Zhou Shen
Want To Go Home 念归去 - 周深 Charlie Zhou
Not Afraid 无惧 - 阿 Yue Yue
Not For Joy 不为欢喜 - 张碧晨 Diamond Zhang
I Am Your Rain 我是你的雨 - 银临 Yin Lin

The one by Zhou Shen and Mao Bu Yi are my personal favourites. I also loked the starting BGM.

Overall, the only plus points of this drama is the cast, the plot and the OSTs. The other aspects like set, CGI, editing etc. are just meh. The rewatch value is also really really low as I don't want to struggle to enjoy the bad editing again :(
I cannot say this is a must watch or anything but, I can say this is an enjoyable drama if you disregard the sloppy editing.

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Sometimes, you may need to believe in magic to get through dark times and make your life colorful. 

The Sound of Magic is based on Ha Il Kwon's (하일권) webtoon "Annarasumanara" (안나라수마나라). This was one of many dramas I was looking forward to in 2022, and I had high hopes for it. I'm pleased to say that my expectations were not crushed, and that it delivered far more than I expected.


This drama is about a high school girl named Yoon Ah Yi who is struggling to support herself and her sister. Her mother had abandoned her, and her father, who was in debt and had fled to make money. She had to work part-time to make ends meet. Despite having many adult responsibilities, she always managed to get good grades and was near the top of the school. She believed that poverty was the cause of her misery and her ambition was to become an adult as soon as possible and to acquire more wealth.


One fateful day, on her way home from work with her earnings, her money flies and flies and takes her to an abandoned amusement park, where she meets the mysterious magician of rumours, Ri Eul. The rumour was that the park is home to a handsome magician who performs real magic and will ask anyone who visits if they believe in magic. He asked Ah Yi the same question, and the terrified girl ran back to her house. Then they had numerous encounters, which helped him gradually gain her trust. But she still didn't believe in magic, which she thought was childish and that the fleeting joy it provided couldn't change the harsh reality. But, as the end approached, she began to believe in the magician and his magic, which also led her to believe in herself.


Yoon Ah Yi had a rival at school, Na Il Deung, whom she always beat in maths alone. They were in the same class and shared a desk. Il Deng always followed in his parents' footsteps and studied hard not to disappoint them. But, after meeting the Magician, whom he initially did not believe and even resented, he realises how trapped he is. He shows him how cold and dark the path he is on is. Il Deung has feelings for Ah Yi as well.


The mysterious aura surrounding this magician holds us spellbound, making the drama really interesting, and because the magician's true identity was concealed until the end, he poses many questions, even questioning whether all of this magic was truly real. When I first started watching the drama, I was concerned that the story would be weak because there are only six episodes. But this is completely false. The story and script were both intriguing and fascinating! It had the potential to keep viewers guessing about what would happen next.


As a musical, this drama worked well. The drama's start took me by surprise! For a brief moment, I almost mistook this for an Indian film disguised as a Korean drama, because the characters were singing and dancing, as is common in Indian films. In any case, the musical aspect was not perfect because some of the songs felt awkward in their creation and placement. But I really liked the music and the lyrics, which were some of the most meaningful and thought-provoking. Furthermore, the majority of the sound tracks were sung by the leads themselves, making them feel more realistic when the characters sing them.


Should I really bring up the cast? They were, as expected, fantastic! True, there are some scenes that made us cringe in between the songs, but overall, they were fantastic! Ji Chang Wook's performance was the one I most enjoyed. He captured Ri Eul's mysterious aura as well as his childishness.


The visual effects were incredible and mesmerizing! The scenes with the blue butterfly fluttering around are especially lovely. I couldn't take my eyes off the screen because they were so beautiful. This exceeded my expectations!


Finally, I really enjoyed this drama as a whole (very typical of a Netflix drama). Anyone can watch this drama in a single sitting without becoming bored.

P.S. May be edited afterwards.

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Enchantment + Chemistry + Magic = Alchemy of Souls

There have already been numerous lengthy reviews criticizing and praising this drama. So, I don't think I'll need to write another lengthy one. But I couldn't help but write one for this drama because I needed to make my points about why it's so good and deserves what it's getting. I'll try to keep this brief and to the point, but please forgive me if it gets out of hand. : D

Alchemy of Souls is a Studio Dragon and High Quality action + fantasy k-drama written by the Hong sisters (Hong Jung Eun and Hong Mi Ran) and directed by Park Joon Hwa. I'll give you a quick summary of the story:

The story takes place in Daeho, a fictional land centred on Lake Gyeongcheondaeho, where mages with the ability to control vast amounts of energy from the lake live. The plot revolves around our heroine, Naksu, the Shadow Assassin, who is regarded as a major threat to Daeho's mages. A situation arises that forces Naksu to perform the Alchemy of Souls, a forbidden magical art that allows a person to transfer their soul to another person's body. Sadly, she becomes trapped in the body of Mu Deok, a mysterious girl. Her weak body prevents her from using her abilities. Then she meets Jang Uk, the young master Jang, who is considered one of Daeho's 'Four Seasons' (Winter), along with Seo Yul (Autumn), Jin Cho Yeon (Spring), and Park Dang Gu (Summer). Jang Uk had been looking for a master who could teach him how to use spells since he was forbidden to do so from birth, which caused many scandals. Naksu agrees to teach Uk  because the deal benefits Naksu as well. Then, they work together to achieve their goals and uncover dark secrets buried deep in Daeho's history.

So, that's what the story is about.


Now, I'll focus on the plus points and short comings of the drama and justify why AoS deserves the rating I have given it.

PROS:

*AoS has an amazing story line. It's new and original. The Hong sisters created a whole new world with their imagination. The whole thing is new to us, and we can't help but watch it.

*The plot is so very intriguing with its twists and turns. The way each revelation is made is gripping. It always succeeded in keeping me on the edge of my seat! I can justify that because you'll be left with many questions as the 1st part ends. My mind is burning to know everything!

*The characters in this drama are as intriguing as the plot. They are three-dimensional and multi-faceted. We can see that the characters are built with great care so that they remain true to their original selves till the very end of the drama.

*Another positive aspect of the drama is the chemistry between the characters. Whatever their relationship was, all of the characters on screen seemed to have amazing chemistry with each other.

*The plot did justice to all of the drama's genres, whether it's comedy, action, suspense, or fantasy. The comedic scenes, particularly those between Mu Deok and the Crown Prince, were fantastic! I laughed quite a few times. The action scenes in this drama were excellent too! I liked it very much!

*The complex CGI used in this drama is spectacular! We can't take our eyes off the screen because it's so stunning! This was a visual treat to watch.

*It was a pleasure to watch the cast's acting! The majority of the cast delivered outstanding performances. They made the characters seem real. They made us feel their emotions and live with them, especially the main characters. Actually, this is my first Jung Su Mo and Lee Jae Wook drama. But this single drama has made me fall in love with them! I was astounded by Jung Su Mo's ability to portray so many different personas with so many different expressions! Lee Jae Wook was also fantastic! Despite being a relatively new actor, he seemed to outperform veteran actors! Hwang Min Hyun and Shin Seung Ho's performances have also impressed me. They both played quite difficult characters, and they nailed it! Yoo In Soo, of course, is the person who has most impressed me. I saw him in All Of Us Are Dead, where he played a very different character than he did here. To be more specific, the two characters were like night and day! The majority of the other leads have also done well. Let's give them all a standing ovation!!!

*Another thing I liked about this drama is how different it is from other wuxia dramas. Men with long wigs and women with complex hairstyles are common in Wuxia dramas. But, here, most men here have short hair and various hairstyles, whereas most women have modern hairstyles such as bangs, short hair, and so on. Some of the characters even have coloured hair! At first, I was annoyed by this, but then I realised that the variety makes this drama more memorable. *This drama's sound effects are undeniably beautiful. It provided me with the right vibes for each scene. The OSTs were all excellent as well! Scars Leave Beautiful Traces and You Are Everything To Me are some of the drama's most memorable OSTs.


CONS:

I'm not denying the drama's flaws. Everything has some drawbacks. Some of the things in the drama that irritated me the most were:

*Excessive scene repetition. After all, we are not idiots. We don't have such a bad memory that we need to be reminded of what happened every time something is mentioned.

*Another undeniable flaw in the drama is the underutilization of the female lead, Nak Su. She was introduced as a badass fl, but she was gradually reduced to being the ML's love interest only. Perhaps we'll see more of Nak Su in the coming season. So let us just wait.

*There are undeniably a lot of romantic elements in this drama. They could have given it less screen time and instead focused on improving the drama's other flaws.

*During the middle of the drama, there were numerous filler episodes. During that time, nothing actually happened. This has also turned off a lot of people. They could have finished this in 15 or 16 episodes.

*Another undeniable con of the drama is its underusing of the female lead, Nak Su. She was introduced as a badass fl but, slowly, she was sidelined to being the ML's love interest only. Maybe we'll get to see more of Nak Su in the next season. So let's wait.

*Undeniably, there are more than enough romantic elements in this drama. They could have given less screen time for it and instead focused on improving the other lacking aspects of the drama.


Overall:

I don't think I have anything more to say about the drama, but I can say confidently that this has become one of my favourite dramas, which will live on in my memory for the rest of my life. Hope this review has justified the drama.
If you like fantasy, action or adventure, this drama is highly recommended. The time invested will be worthwhile.  Let's all look forward to the Part 2 of the drama and get the answers for all our questions!

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One of the best modern c-dramas in the recent years

Among the normal youth c-drama, there might be some dramas with unexpected depth and warmth. Lighter & Princess is one such drama. Great acting, amazing chemistry, good soundtracks, and wonderful cinematography - this drama has everything the audience needs to enjoy it.


Lighter & Princess is adapted from the novel The Lighter and the Princess’ Gown, written by Twentine. The name is taken directly from the story. 'Lighter' symbolizes the ML, Li Xun. He always carries a small lighter along with him, which he got from his father. 'Princess' depicts the FL, Zhu Yun. Li Xun always used to call her Princess and also gifted her a 'princess gown', when they were in college.


L&P proves that rather than an over-the-top plot and dumb comedy, a simple plot and depthy characters are enough to make a drama loved. Lighter & Princess is actually a hard-hitting drama with a slow and subtle plot build. It touches many real life problems as well. The pace of the story was perfect and catchy. The drama started in the present day and shows flashbacks to the past, when the leads were in college and, in Li Xun's case, when he was a high schooler as well. I won't talk much about the plot because of the risk of spoiling something, since the synopsis barely says what actually happens in the drama. The thing about the story that wowed me the most was how everything has a rich backstory. Everything is explained without loopholes. The reason why Li Xun always carries a lighter, why he dyed his hair blonde when he came to college ( yeah, we get to see Chen Fei Yu in blond hair, and believe me, he looks awesome in that! ), and why he always calls Zhu Yun "princess" or "your highness" etc. Everything connects with each other and makes the story beautiful and moving.


The romance in the story is another aspect I liked. Li Xun is an arrogant but brilliant student, who is very much ahead of his class in coding and programming. He was even more gifted and talented than his teacher. He's handsome as hell and attracts many girls, whom he drives away through humiliation. He's always been confident in himself and hasn't had even a bit of self-doubt. Many people admire him for his brilliantness and good looks, but they hate him for his arrogant attitude. He never trusted anyone but himself and always acts like he's the king. He doesn't abide by any rules and thus becomes completely opposite to Zhu Yun's character. Another aspect of the story that I enjoyed was the romance. Li Xun is a conceited but an intelligent student who is well ahead of his peers in coding and programming. One could say tha he I as gifted and talented even more than his teacher. He's  also handsome as hell and attracts a lot of girls, whom he drives away through humiliation. He's always been self-confident and has never had any doubts about himself. Many people admire him for his intelligence and good looks, but they also fear and despise him for his arrogant demeanour. He never trusted anyone but himself and always pretended to be a King. He does not follow any rules and so becomes the absolute opposite of Zhu Yun's character. Zhu Yun is the ideal daughter that any parent would desire. She's beautiful, innocent, and pure as well.


When Zhu Yun first meets Li Xun, despite despising him, she's attracted to him by his carefree personality and confidence as well. As far as she could remember, Zhu Yun had always walked along the path that her mother had paved for her. She hasn't made a single decision for herself before and came to study programming because of her mother as well, not because she likes it. Thus, when he, Li Xun, entered her life, Zhu Yun had an urge to step out and experience life by herself. Because of Li Xun, she even started to have a liking for programming as well. Slowly, she saw herself falling in love with him. Li Xun noticed himself caring for the 'princess', who suddenly barged into his life, giving off warmth in his cold life. The romance was kinda slow burn and we got to watch how they warmed up to each other and dealt with every difficulty together.


The side characters were as interesting as the main characters too. No one felt unnecessary, and everyone had their own individual stories even without much screen time. The side characters were absolutely necessary for the plot. My favorite side character is, of course, Ren Di. I love her personality and how she deals with problems and follows her heart. In a way, she's similar to Li Xun but more open and friendly.


Now let's talk about the acting. I have not watched any works of Zhang Jing Yi or Chen Fei Yu before, but I have heard people say that Fei Yu's acting was lacking in Ever Night, his first drama. I don't know about it, but in this one he was absolutely phenomenal. I like actors who portray emotions through their eyes, and Fei Yu is one like that. He has gotten on my list of favorite actors with just this drama. Just through his gaze, one could decipher what he's feeling. That pain and anger that had been inside him for solong, we could see it. Zhang Jing Yi's performance made it seem like she was born for this role or that the character was made just for her. Her innocent appearance is perfect for the character and makes it believable.


The cinematography in L&P was simply beautiful. Each and every scene was aesthetically pleasing and very pretty to watch. It's rare to see such top notch cinematography in a c-drama, unless it's historical or xianxia.


The songs and background music used in this drama were catchy and very much in sync with the actual drama. I especially liked the song "Fireworks" by Zhou Shen and the opening theme.


Finally, it has been a long time since I properly liked a modern c-drama. I was disappointed in almost all the modern c-dramas I have seen this year. But, thank God, this came to my rescue. I highly recommend this drama to everyone who has been disappointed in the quality of recent modern C-dramas because I'm sure this won't disappoint you!

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"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away" - Philip K. Dick

Confused by my title? You will understand after you watch the drama.

Our Beloved Summer is the first modern rom-com drama I'm rating 9.5. I don't usually rate an ordinary modern romance drama more than 9, unless it has some fantasy in it. But, this isn't any ordinary slice of life rom-coms that we see here and there. This isn't ordinary at all! This beloved drama just came, stole my heart and went. Let's look why:

THE STORY

This drama is inspired from a webtoon 'Our Beloved Summer' created by Han Kyoung Chal and original work by Lee Naeun, who is also the screenwriter of this drama. The webtoon can be considered as the prequel of this drama as it focuses on the high-school days of the characters. Honestly writing, I haven't read the webtoon. So, I came here with am empty slate and went away (I don't think I'll be able go veryfar. I'll soon come back.) with my heart full of love.

This drama is a coming-of-age, which tells us the story of ex-lovers Choi Woong and Gook Yeon Soo (will hereby be mentioned as CW and YS). They had broke up with a promise to never meet again. But, fate brought them together again. They were forced to come in front of the camera and into eachother's lives as a documentary that they shooted 10 years ago, in high school, goes viral. This series shows their complicated feelings for eachother and their growth, how they managed to organize their feelings.

The thing that I loved in the story was how the story is said. The perspective of the story changes throughout the drama, which helped to focus on all the four main characters's emotions. Also, the portrayal of the relations between each characters is done so amazingly that we could relate to our real lives. This is what a true slice of life really is.

This drama also had many realistic quotes that are hard to realise but will make you stronger.

I also liked the titles given to each episodes that is a summaryof the whole episode. Though we don't get why the episode it named such at the beginning of the episode, we would surely get it at the end. This helps us to digest the whole meaning os an episode.

CHARACTERS

I have never seen such cute wand warm chacarted in any modern romance drama. In most of the modern rom-coms, either the female lead is annoying or the male lead is a goof. I'm not saying I don't like these types of dramas but that the main reason I most of the times give these kinds of dramas a 9 or below is because of the characters of the story. But, in this drama, I saw the kind of characters that can be related to real life.

The character growth in this drama is another aspect that made me give this drama a 9.5. YS was an independent, no-nonsense, aloof and hardworking girl. She was the top of her class. She cared about everyone but was forced to wear a cold nature in front of others due to her poverty. She didn't want others nor herself to be bothered about her feeling. She thought she could handle everything by herself but, ultimately, found out she was not the master of her own emotions. SHe also realised her mistakes and realised that her life too is beautiful.

CW was a free-spirited and unruly last ranker who always avoids doing works. He loved drawing buidings from high school. He was the type of person who don't bother being hurt or uncomfortable, if he can hurt the people around him. As the story went on, he changed into a more matured and understanding person. He, for the first time in his life, followed his heart.

Kim Ji Woong (KJW) was the type of person who is almost like YS, although he is poor. He too didn't want others to bother about his feeligs and always confined everything to himself. He also changed in many ways. He understood his mother, most importantly.

NJ is a kind of person who is always excited and kind. She always want everything to go her way. She is cute and friendly. Also, I have not seen any SFL who is less annoying than her.
The other supporting characters also have fully formed characteristics, which helped to enhance the story line of the drama.

This drama is all about realising mistakes and finding our trueselves.

ACTING AND CAST

I just recently ventured the lands of k-dramas. So, I was utterly umfamiliar with the cast. Through this drama, I became the fans of both Choi Woo Shik and Kim Da Mi. They nailed their character with such degree of emotional depth that there is an intensity of the convincement that touched my heart. They are simply perfect for the roles and their chemistry made me think they are meant for eachother.

And as far as the other characters are concerned, I can say that they all did a good job in portraying their characters. Supporting roles like Ahn Dong Goo and Park Jin Joo madethe drama lively. Also the actors who portrayed Choi Woongs parents did a commentable job.

THE MUSIC

This drama have a whole lot of OSTs, which were just amazing! There were OSTs in English as well as Korean languageThe is another thing that raised my rating for this drama. Most of the episodes introduced new OSTs of the drama. Christmas Tree
and Home are my personal favourites. Some of the notable OSTs:

"Drawer" (서랍) by Kwon Jung-yeol (from 10 cm)
"Maybe If" (우리가 헤어져야 했던 이유) by Bibi
"Squabble" (티격태격) by Ha Sung-woon
"There for You" (이별후회) by Kim Na-young
"Christmas Tree" by V (from BTS)
"Home" (집) by Janet Suhh
"Why" by Janet Suhh
"The Giving Tree" (언덕나무) by Lee Seung-yoon
"Summer Rain" (여름비) by Sam Kim
"Even Now" (아직도 좋아해) by Yang Yo-seob
"I Will Make You Happy" (행복하게 해줄게) by Jang Beom-june
"Our Beloved Summer" by Kim Kyung-hee
"Red String of Fate" (우리가 다시 만날 수 밖에 없는 이) by Kim Kyung-hee

All these OSTs also have their own instrumental version too.

OVERALL

I don't usually favour rom-coms, especially the ones without any special elements like sports, crime or supernatural. But, I'm glad that I didn't avoid this by categorizing it into an ordinary rom-com. Although, primarily looking like an ordinary romance drama, this thakes us through a roller-coaster of emotions, without wasting its potential. It beautifully captures different perspectives of life and thus lives upto its slice-of-life tag. As I said before, I went in with a blank slate and this show truly went beyond by expectations.

Thanks for reading!
Please notify me in case of any mistakes and errors as this is my first long review.

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Pleasing but full of clichés

I was eagerly waiting for this drama ever since its news reached my ears because of its cast line-up. I was excited for the collaboration of Chen Yu Qi and Lin Yi.

However, this drama's plot rater disappointed me as it is full of clichés. Memory of Encaustic Tile is adapted from the novel "Glazed Tiles of the Past" (昔有琉璃瓦) by Bei Feng San Bai Li (北風三百里). This drama tells us the story of five youngsters from Luli Hutong street, who grew up together. They faced many heart-rending situations because of which they grew up from inside. Some fell in love while some remained friends eventhough they wanted a change in their relationship. When they started pursuing their dreams, seperation between the lovers and friends and became inevitable. The drama was very obvious and predictable all the way long and all this also constantly reminded me of A Love So Beautiful which too focuses of such a plot. Anyways, when some scenes were illogical, some were heart touching too.

The character arcs and developments were so sub-standard and so was the romance portrayal. The main characters were the worst except Zhang Qi (Yan Zi Dong)and Wu Huan. They had a decent character arc, which made them more likeable that the other characters. Shao Xue and Zheng Su Nian was supposed to be more supportive of eachother. At some instances, we could make an exception of Shao Xue. But, ZSN was a complete fool when it comes to reading a girls's mind and supporting her. Sometimes, these character may make us laugh but not like them. Anyways, the portrayal of the bond between parents and children as well as the neighbours were heart-warming.

The delivery of the character the main and supporting leads were decent but the plot is not worthy of their acting skills. I have been a fan of both Lin Yi and Yu Qi ever since they first caught my attention in Put Your Head On My Shoulder and Ashes of Love. We have seen how Lin Yi improved from PYHOMS to Love Scenery and I had confidence in him from the very start. This drama is my first modern drama of Yu Qi and I had high expectations, which were not broken except when she was acting cute where it was not needed. However, both the actors are still quite behind in handling emotional scenes. This was my first drama of Yang Zi Dong's. In this drama, I'm satisfied with his performance. Sun Kai really surprised me with his performance. Also, there were many other familiar faces among the cast and I enjoyed spotting them and their changes from their previous drama.

There music was good but not memorable but, I quite liked the opening song which captured the liveliness of life.

A summary for lazy reades:

WHAT I LIKED

# The portrayal of the bond between parents and children as well as neighbours
# Commendable acting
# The slice-of-life discription of relationships
# Quite good OSTs

WHAT I DISLIKED

# Bad character arc and development
# Bad romance portrayal between leads
# Side characters becoming more likeable than lead characters
# Poor excecution
# Wasted talent of the cast
# Cliché plot
# Some illogical scenes

Overall, this was a pretty decent yet not so good drama. I would recommend this to Chen Yu Qi or Lin Yi fans or someone searching for a light and heart warming drama, which focuses more on family bonds. But, if you are looking for one with a strong romance and trust between the leads, this is not for you.

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One of the best sports drama there is!

I was just scrolling in MDL airing calendar and saw this. I just picked it up because beacuse its was long since I had watched a nice sports drama. I didn't expect to enjoy it as the leads were not familiar to me. (I had only seen Wang An Yu in Go Go Squid 2 and The Heiress.) But, when I finished 3-4 episodes, I realised that I was just hooked. If you are looking for a sweet fluffy romance drama or a nice sports drama or a combination of both, To Fly With You is one of them.

Story : 9 stars
The story was nice. It had the right amount of sports and romance. This story also shows the hardships and challenges faced by athletes. During the whole drama, there wasn't even a dull moment that made me bored.

Acting/Cast: 9.5 stars
Though I wasn't much familiar with the cast, in the first episode itself I found that I was watching a drama with amazing actors ans actresses. The chemistry between the leads seemed so natural that I thought if they were really in a relation haha..
The side characters were also nice which made the drama more lively.

Music: 8.5 stars
There wasn't much music in the drama. But I like the starting theme and the ending song.

Rewatch value: 9 stars
I don't usually rewatch dramas even if its my favourite. I don't have time to reawtch any dramas at the moment. But, If I will rewatch some dramas at any point of time, this will surely be one of them!

Overall: 8.5 stars
One of the must watch sports C-drama. This drama has everything a light-hearted drama should have: romance, comedy, sports and youth

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Not sure...

Immortal Samsara is the first Xianxia that I'm rating so low. I mean, I usually rate them a 9 or above because they are worth it. To be honest, Immortal Samsara was even one of my most anticipated dramas of 2022, mainly because of the cast. But, in this case, I'm not able to do so. There are many reasons for this, which I'll be explaining in the review.


THE STORY

This drama is adapted from a novel Chen Xiang Ru Xie (沉香如屑), which literally translates as Agarwood Like Crumbs, by Su Mo. The drama is a typical eternal love story portrayed in Xianxias. There is not much difference and it has great similarity to Ashes of Love (even the kisses are similar!). FL and ML are dieties in the heavenly realm who fall in love, where their love is forbidden and opposed. They'll be hurting as well as sacrificing for each other because of their love. They'll also have love rivals on both sides who constantly stir up trouble and try to make them fall apart. Then, for some reason (mostly because of those love rivals), they will go to the mortal realm, fall in love again, and one of them will realize that they fell in love for the second time with the same person who hurt them before. But, they can't hold off their love and realize how deeply the love has been rooted in their hearts, etc. etc.. This is the common story arc of Xianxias, which is again repeated here. The only difference is that they fall in love a little too early, i.e., the drama is fast paced. I'm honestly bored out of my skull by these kinds of stories! True, there were many new elements in the story which should have made the story much more interesting, but the love story of the main lead is a total let down. But, towards the end, it seems that their story is taking an interesting turn. Fingers crossed for an interesting part 2!

A good thing about the story is the side couples. Many may not give much attention to side couples but, here, they are very hard to ignore because, somehow, I've got a feeling that they have a better love story than that of the main couple!

Note: The story has a lot of time jumps and flashbacks, and therefore, it may seem a bit confusing.


THE CHARACTERS

The male lead, Lord Ying Yuan/Tang Zhou, is not so different either. The typical handsome and cold-and-aloof-on-the-outside-but-warm-inside type of high diety/cultivator whom everyone looks up to and fairies are head over heels for. The FL has the slightest difference: she is not the usual dump girl who doesn't know what love is or the clumsy, not-so-intelligent pretty face. Yan Dan here is much more mature, witty, and strong. She has great willpower and knows how to love. That was refreshing to watch.

All Xianxias come with at least a love triangle, or should I say, an obsession triangle lol. Anyway, it's a square in this case. But, the SML, Yu Mo, is not so obsessed with Yan Dan here (he truly loves her!). In turn, it was Fairy Ying Deng who was obsessed with Ying Yuan.

Another thing is that it is the ML who usually suffers the most in these kinds of dramas. But, it's not the case here. Both Ying Yuan/Tang Zhou and Yan Dan suffer endlessly. Sometimes, it's a bit hysterical to watch, but it's immensely satisfying to see that pain and misery are not biased towards one lead XD


ACTING AND CAST

I don't think I'll have to talk about the cast. This drama sure has a star-studded cast, which will compel you to watch the drama no matter what. They were the main reasons why I held on to this drama till the end. If you are a usual watcher of Xianxia/Wuxia dramas, you'd probably notice many familiar faces throughout the cast.

Cheng Yi, the God of Blood-spitting, finally has a lot less blood-spitting scenes in a drama. I'm happy but somehow sad too. He was so hot during those scenes with some red lipstick! Taking about his acting, I have nothing much to say. He is as awesome as ever! And so is Yang Zi. If you have watched at least one of their historical dramas, you'll understand their excellence and the quality of their acting.

Yang Zi and Cheng Yi can make chemistry with whomever they are paired with, but, in this case, it's even more so! They can't be more compatible as a bickering couple!


MUSIC

The music in Xianxia dramas is always so pleasing! They always give the right feeling in the right situation!

Some of the notable OSTs in this drama are:
Agarwood (沉香) by Jane Zhang and Jackson Zhang
World Records (红尘录) by Jackson Zhang
Watch the Day (望辰) by Yang Zi
Forget the River (忘川) by Cheng Yi
Partial Star (偏星) by Jane Zhang
Never Forget (无忘) by Zhang Lei


OVERALL

If you ask me if this drama is worth watching, I'd probably reply no, because it's not. You'll know this is definitely not the best Xianxia, nor is it any different from other Xianxias. Actually, it's even worse. But, it's definitely worth a try at least for the cast. Anyhow, I doubt if this would be a good watch if you really did try.

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When I started this, I didn't have an idea that I would be rating this this low. I started this with high expectations and now, when I finished it, I'm utterly disappointed.

The story was full of cliches. Selective amnesia, psychological problems etc. The only thing I actually liked in the story is the absence of the usual love triangle. Usually, in most c-dramas, the 2nd leads are used for creating a love triangle. I really appreciate this drama for excluding this. If the love triangle was also present in this drama, I, who don't drop dramas, might as well have dropped this.

Another reason I pushed though this drama is the cast. I'm a fan of Xing Fei and I liked most of her dramas I watched. But, this is an exception. She acted as usual like the clumsy and cute FL. I liked Hu Yi Tian in A Love So Beautiful and again, he also acted like usual, as a cold, handsome and popular ML. There was no change in their character traits compared to their previous dramas. I really hope they can widen their horizon by taking up different kinds of roles in diffefernt kinds of dramamas

The character of the FL, Tang Xin, has phychological disorder, the character of ML, Shen Qingyuan, has selective amnesia and psychological disorder, the character of 2nd FL, She Xiaoci has a psychological disorder. In short, most of the character in this drama has a psychological disorder and this made me really annoyed.

An overall summary:

WHAT I LIKED:

*Good characterization of 2nd leads.
*Absence of the usual love triangle in c-dramas.
*Past stories of the character, especially, the 2nd FL's
*The brotherly love of Tang Xin's brother, Tang Liqi.
*Acting

WHAT I DISLIKED:
* Sloppy character arcs of the main leads.
*Most character having psychological problems.
*Poor excecution
*Number of episodes. The drama could have been just 24 eps after removing the unnecessary fillers.

Watching this drama was torture. I just pused through because of the cast and some supporting characters I liked like Tang Liqi, Shi Xiaoci and the cute hedgedog. I should really have dropped this and I regret completeing this. Anyways, this would almost be a good watch for Xing Fei or Hu Yi Tian fans.

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A good and enjoyable psychological-romance drama with amazing lead chemistry

Actually, I watched this drama for Yang Zi. As her fan, I am satisfied. I have not watched any psychological dramas until this drama. I did not expect to enjoy the show as much as I did. I thought psychological dramas are not my type. But, this drama changed my opinion about these kinds of dramas. It took me a few episodes to get completely hooked. But, now, I can confidently say that this is one of the best Yang Zi drama I have seen to date. At first, I thought that 40 eps will be too much for a morden c-drama. But, now, I will be perfectly fine with another 40 eps. This drama got better episode by episode and left a deep impact about mental health in my mind.

Story: 9.5 stars
The course of story is just nice. I liked the way all the knots untied slowly. The stroy was neither draggy nor too fast. This drama is a psychological romance drama and it had just the right amount of psychology and romance.
This story shows us how important our mental health is. I also shows us the hardships faced my psychologists. This drama helps us to understand our mind, how it works and why it works like that.
Also the comedic scenes in the drama gave me relief after each serious psychological case.

Acting and Cast: 10 stars
I think I don't need to explain why I gave 10 stars. Yang Zi and Jing Bo Ran are veterans in the feild of acting. Intially, I wasn't familiar with JBR. I had only seen in the move One Smile is Very Alluring. At that time, I really didn't like him at all. But, this drama changed my perspective of him. Now, I think he is a versatile actor who is capable of acting comedic scene (which only some actors can manage perfectly).
I n this drama, YZ plays He Dun, a psychologist who faced a trauma when she was young and JBR plays Qian Kai Yi, a lively radio host. Both the lead were once highschool classmates. I won't say anymore or it would be a spoiler :D
The leads had great chemistry. It puts a smile on my face everytime they are on my screen together. :)
Also, the actors who played side characters like Ye Jia Hui and Tang Li Li did an amazing job. I especially liked the acress who played He Dun's mother, though I didn't really like her character.
Anyway, through this drama, I understood that YZ can nicely portray drunken scenes with kisses lol. (Those who have seen Go Go Squid! can understand me).

Music: 9 stars
I really like the OSTs of thsi drama especially the song Little Secret. The link to the song is given below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0J8dE5TU9E
Also the songs sung by YZ was also great, especially, Flower House Cafe. The link is given below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6fQvo9kWzU

Rewatch value: 8.5 stars
I don't really rewatch dramas. I don't have the time for that at the moment. But, I really don't want to admit that the rewatch value is so low for a Yang Zi's drama as she is my fav actress. If I rewatch any drama at any point of time in the future, the probability is less that I would pick this drama.

Overall: 8.5 stars
I have given the darma what it deserves: 8.5 stars. I am not being partial, but, this drama deserves it. I hope the rating of this drama increase in the coming days.
This drama is an enjoyable watch. There won't be a dull moment for you in this drama if psychological dramas are of your type.

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"Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time." -Marthe Troly-Curtin

To be honest, I enjoyed the entire series. I'm not sure why people are so offended by the ending. Why can't people cherish and appreciate both happy and sad endings? Life is always bittersweet. So don't expect this drama to be all epic and happy.

Twenty-five Twenty-one is a coming-of-age drama that follows the journey of the female lead, Na Hee Do, from a regular fencing athlete to South Korea's "Fencing Queen." This drama began the story of Na Hee Do from a unique perspective: that of her daughter, Kim Min Chae, in the present day, who begins reading her mother's diary, which He Doo wrote when she was younger.

Though romance is one of the drama's genres, it is absolutely not the main theme. It's about friendship, youth, and passion. This drama explains why these are significant and why we should treasure them. The five member squard of Na He Do (Kim Tae Ri), Baek Ye Jin (Nam Joo Hyuk), Go Yu Rim (Bona), Moon Ji Woong (Choi Hyun Wook), and Ji Seung Wan (Lee Joo Myung) was phenomenal, and I enjoyed each of their personalities in their own way.

In my opinion, Na Hee Do's character was the best of the five, and I believe most viewers of this drama will also agree with me. She rose from irrelevance to become one of the most recognisable names in the fencing industry thanks to her fighting spirit and perseverance. She is strong, brave, and full of energy and passion, which are all the qualities I like in a female lead. I like to see female leads who change their world rather than being changed by it and the circumstances that surroundes them. Hee Do is prepared to go to any length to ensure that she and those around her have a better future. She is not afraid to express herself, not even to confess her feelings to the one she loves, and she fights for what she believes in. He Doo's character is one of the best I've seen in a long time.

After that, there's Baek Ye Jin. During the IMF crisis, his family was forced to split up. He was in distress because of not finding any job and wanted to reuniting his family soon. He, too, was persistent, but in a different way that caused him to crumble easily. That is, until He Doo came into his life. Because of her liveliness, he learned to treasure and enjoy his life. He became more optimistic about life and more confident in dealing with any situation. Although he still had the fragile part of himself, He Doo made him a happier young man, and he eventually fell in love with He Doo.

Go Yu Rim was the most famous fencing athlete until He Doo appeared, and she was the one He Doo idolised. She came from a poor family and was also a friend of Ye Jin's. Although Hee Do and Yu Rim initially despised each other, they developed a rivalry that was stronger than any hatred because they loved and respected each other. She and He Doo have a love-hate relationship, but they also have one of the strongest friendships.

The characters of Moon Ji Woong and Ji Seung Wan felt like a breath of fresh air to me. They were incredible in their own way. Ji Woong was the most popular boy in the class, with a crush on Yu Rim, and Seung Wan was the class monitor, who was always at the top. They were childhood friends with a good reputation in their class. These characters' presence did not feel extraneous or unnecessary (which would have been if the storyline was not this beautiful).

What made all these characters more and more memorable were their choices. As the Harry Potter quote goes, "It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."

The actors did an excellent job of bringing the characters to life. Kim Tae Ri was fantastic. I couldn't believe she was over 30 years old. She was perfect in the role of He Doo. She not only looked like a teen, but she also acted like one. Nam Joo Hyuk's acting was incredible. Despite the fact that he was younger than Tae Ri, the two had great chemistry on screen. They won many people's hearts, including mine.

Bona, Choi Hyun Wook, and Lee Joo Myung were also outstanding. They were excellent in their roles, making us laugh as well as cry. Of course, Kim Hye Eun as Yang Chan Mi, the fencing coach, and Seo Jae Hee as Shin Jae Kyung, He Doo's mother, deserve special mention. Without them, the drama would have felt incomplete. They did an excellent job portraying their characters and fitting them into the story.

When it comes to the plot, I enjoyed the fencing theme as well as the story's pace. It wasn't too quick or too slow. It was perfect. The drama explored various emotions while maintaining the suspense for its climax. The drama really did have some problems when it neared the end, which was mostly because of the screenwriting, I guess.

The first issue was that the drama, which had been so upbeat and optimistic until the 14th episode, abruptly turned negative and hinted at ending on a sad note (and so did it). Some audiences found this difficult to accept, and as a result, they deducted points from their ratings. Also, in the last two episodes, the characters felt a little disconnected from themselves, as if they weren't their true selves.

The second was that by not introducing some characters, such as Kim Min Chae's father, and this made some characters, particularly the older Na He Doo and Kim Min Chae herself, feel out of place and unnecessary. Furthermore, they could have ended the drama on a happier note by showing that He Doo and Ye Jin were happy and had moved on from their breakup. Even if the leads did not end up together, there would have been no problem for the audience. Any way, let bygones are bygones. Personally, I liked the ending and appreciate the fact that it wasn't a fairy-tale ending.

This drama had really good OSTs that evoked the audience's emotions and brought a 90s vibe into the presence. There are nine tracks in total, and nearly all of them have a very passionate, nostalgic, yet profound feeling:
"Starlight" (스타라이트) by Taeil (NCT)
"I'll Shine on You to Dazzle" (눈이 부시도록 너를 비춰줄게) by Bae Ki-sung
"Very, Slowly" (아주, 천천히) by BIBI
"Your Existence" (존재만으로) by Wonstein
"Go!" by DK (Seventeen)
"Stardust Love Song" by Jihyo (Twice)
"With" by Kim Tae Ri, Nam Joo Hyuk, Bona, Choi Hyun Wook, Lee Joo Myung
"Free" (가보자) by Xydo
"Your World" (너의 세상) by Seol Hoseung (SURL)

"With" and "Starlight" are my personal favourites.

Finally, I would recommend this drama to anyone looking for a good youth rom-com with a strong FL and an excellent depiction of friendship. However, if you believe that the ending is the most important aspect of a drama or if you dislike sad or bittersweet endings, this drama is not for you. I thoroughly enjoyed this series and would gladly rewatch it at some point of time.

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