The one-hour and 45 minutes went by quick when watching this movie. All the good parts are great: acting, story/plot, cinematography, OSTs. Even though at the beginning we see that his young nephew is embarrassed by having a jobless uncle, we also get to witness how much he is loved by his family. Although he still lives with his parents and does not have any job prospects, everyone in his family seems to love him and cares for him. In times of great peril, the ML, does not shy away from doing everything he can to save others, even if it means risking his own life. This is certainly the hero complex. I am glad the FL herself is strong, smart, and contributes to both of their survival. She is no damsel-in-distress. At the end of the movie, with his family saved and united, there’s hope that now the ML’s life can start: a budding romance with the FL, and maybe renewed hope for a brighter future.

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Where do I even start with this drama? There are so many wrongs, but the heart stopping, cute moments help somewhat negate them. I read one reviewer that if this is to be remade into a Korean drama, then watch out, it could be deadly good. If some of the scenes could be cut, like the over dramatic stares into space, the long slow motion, the actors just sitting/standing/walking around doing nothing, then the drama could be cut from nearly two hours to just one. Some of the acting, it seems, requires a lot of shouting. I mean, I could see veins popping when it’s just supposed to be a two person conversation. The annoying music just overpowers the scenes and in many cases, not appropriate for the situation.

If Danny is meant to be a love rival to the ML, then the writers did a poor job. He seems bratty and I wonder at times if he is such a good friend to her. When she needs help or in trouble, he doesn’t want to help out; she literally has to beg him.

The ML’s acting seem very wooden; I know he’s supposed to be cold and unfeeling. I guess after a while, like all the girls going through the Stockholm Syndrome (falling in love with their captors), I too came to like his wooden acting and appearance. The FL is supposed to be a genius, but I think this drama did a poor job showcasing it. The traps she set seems too simple: the gun running scheme, the take down of Yon Wen. I wish there was more of a suspense or something to keep the audience enthralled and guessing.

The drama description and, I think, in some conversations between characters, mentioned that the ML is a Hong Kong mafia. But his HQ apparently is in Taipei. Most likely because filming in actual Hong Kong is expensive. So, why not just make him a Taiwanese mafia or better yet a Thai one since all of them are speaking Thai and not Mandarin except the occasional Ni Hao.

Lastly, her age. He begins to fall in love with her when she’s only 17. I don’t think his age was mentioned, but I am assuming he’s in his mid- to late 20s. God forbid if he’s supposed to be in his 30s. Sure, by the end of the drama she turned 18, but that’s still a teenager. It doesn’t quite turned me off from the drama, but there’s certainly an ick/no-no factor. So, I am glad that this drama has very little PDA, and kissing between the leads are on the forehead or cheeks. I survived watching this drama with the help of the fast forward button and the gooey feeling of the slow burn romance between the two main leads.

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This little web series has so much potential because the story in itself is intriguing: how a young boy turned into a girl by magic deals with this trauma, how she has to reconcile the male/female version of self, how the ML comes to the realization that his love and friendship never wavered that he just accepts the person. If the the script had been written a little tighter with a narrower focus, it could have been a great 2-hour movie. But it could also have been a good drama with 16-one hour episode to explore the main plot, sub-plots, and delve deeper into different relationships and characters, especially of the male fairy, Han Se Jun. I think there’s an attempt at creating a love triangle between the male fairy, the FL, and ML, but it just never really developed. The young actors performed well, better than many seasoned actors. Overall, I enjoyed it.

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Beauty with not a lot of substance

This drama has all the star powers: screenwriter of Goblin, Lee Min Ho, Kim Go Eun, Woo Do Hwan, and most likely a huge budget. I won’t go into the the details of the plot, but there’s a lot going on: treason, parallel universe, time travel, royal intrigues, fate, crimes spanning two worlds, friendship, romance. I admit there are funny scenes (see Woo Do Hwan and his other parallel person) and truly heart fluttering romantic moments between the King and Tae Eul (neck kiss for one). The first few episodes captured my attention and I find them interesting, wanting to know more about Lee Lim’s treachery and how Lee Gon’s and Tae Eul’s relationship will progress. I think starting episode 10, I became less enthused about the drama, not bored exactly, but the episodes became too predictable. I am also having a hard time connecting emotionally with most of the characters. Even the romance between Lee Gon and Tae Eul became kind of stale (maybe the love confessions came too early). It’s hard for me to write it, but sometimes I ship the bromance between Lee Gon and Jo Yeong (royal guard) better thank Lee Gon and Tae Eul.

After finishing the drama, I still have questions: why was Lee Gon able to time travel but not Lee Lim; who is the kid/young man with the yo-yo and are there more like him; where did the flute come from; why didn’t Jo Yeong’s memory get erased like the others; why was Prime Minister Koo’s parallel person killed; how did the young Sin Jae become comatose.

This is just me, as a fan of romantic happy ending, I would have liked for Tae Eul to be his queen and maybe for viewers like me to see a baby. The first few episodes were all about him needing to get married and having successors/heirs. One of the most romantic moments is when he declared Tae Eul to be his future queen ("Save her at all cost; she is your future queen."). That statement sets an expectation for me as a viewer that I am going to see Tae Eul the Queen of Kingdon of Corea. This living in the moment, going to and from different worlds and times, is to me, like eating whip cream or cotton candy: all sweet, but no substance.

I wish the whole time travel thing wasn’t thrown into the mix; just stick with the parallel universe—my average human brain can’t take two space-time continuum theories simultaneously. Also, the product placements in this drama is just too much! They become laughable because they’re so obvious.

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There are two ships I love in this drama: the ML and his older gangster follower, and ML and the real psychopath. If you’re looking for romance, look elsewhere. The drama has some funny moments and fine acting. Even though the ML thinks he is a psychotic killer, when he actually tries to hurt a person, his innate goodness wouldn’t let him do it. I guess if ML did end up really hurting/killing, the drama would turn into something else, darker, more twisted. Maybe the writers want to convey that you can’t hide your inner self, whether good or bad. Or maybe they don’t want to go down that twisted, dark path. I actually feel sympathetic towards the real killer, especially seeing how he was raised by a crazy controlling father.

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Wholesome and Cute Romance

This is a very wholesome drama with plenty of hand holdings and fake kisses. It also has an unbelievably large number of very likable and kind characters. This is not a very angsty drama with a lot of intrigues, back-stabbings, etc.; the villains here are misunderstandings and non-communications. I guess if our FL and ML only listen to their own heart and each other, and not to others with evil intent, there wouldn’t be a drama. For a period drama, it is done pretty well: the setting, the props, the wardrobe, make-up. Towards the last 3-4 episodes, it starts to drag with a lot of flashbacks to conversations that happened a few minutes prior. At some point near the end, I screamed many times at the screen because they just dragged out too long the story line of trying to get the FL to admit her love. This drama is a cute, pleasant, and enjoyable watch.

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The ML and FL find themselves in bed together, naked, and not remembering how they got in that state. Unfortunately for the ML, who is in a six-year relationship, the FL is the daughter of a mafia boss and has three brothers who are very protective of her. In order for him not to die a horrible death, her family pushes him to marry her. Although the brothers are crude, rough, and violent, they are very sweet and endearing when it comes to family and their only sister. The FL says it best addressing her brothers: I want to find a man with a heart as good as yours, but without the fighting. Her father and brother are so proud of her: that she is smart, respectable, pretty, and sweet. They truly want her to find a good, respectable man. The ML fits their bill: handsome, smart (Seoul National University law school graduate), and a good guy. So, in their own way, they did what they needed to do in order to get their sister married to the ML: drug both their drinks, get them in bed together, and presto a forced marriage. I am not sure whether it’s the version I watched, but I felt that many scenes were edited out and seem disjointed. I think it would be nice to see this as a 16 episode drama.

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I really do like the tomboyish FL. Obviously, she is pretty, but I appreciate that throughout the drama, she continues to be herself. The ML’s character sometimes frustrates me. He’s a rich, powerful mafia boss, but at times, he gets fooled easily not only by his fiancée and her father, but also by the FL. He doesn’t seem to be tough at all or even really that intimidating. What I do really enjoy is the FL’s family. Her uncles and aunts are just not only funny but the most supportive family I’ve seen in an Asian drama. They probably make 80% of the reason why this drama is watchable for me. This drama has the strangest love triangle: the FL, the FL pretending to be a man, and the ML. It is also a slow burn romance; it took time for the main leads to realize they’ve fallen in love. The romance itself is very innocent and just sweet, nothing heart pounding. Most of the stars in the rating are for the FL’s family, the meaning behind the desserts, and the FL.

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Cute Fluffy Movie

The movie is fluffy cute. On one hand I like that it’s short, but on the other I wish it is a drama to help flesh out the characters a bit more. Our FL and ML grew up as neighbors, went to the same school, and ended up in college in the same major together. She is an average student who’s brash, friendly, and stands up to bullies. The ML is the typical nerdy/geeky smart kid who tends to get bullied. The movie does a decent job tying up all the loose ends given the time. Viewers probably can guess early on that the ML has always liked the FL, but she never was clued in and he never confesses until the end. So, the title is “Love the Way You Are”. Does this refer to the FL? That the ML loves her the way she is? I wish it applies to him as well. That the ML doesn’t have to transform himself into an attractive person by society’s standards: cool clothes, no glasses, braces off, new haircut. I wish he stayed in his nerdy/geeky looks.

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This is a lighthearted romantic comedy. It has some funny scenes, some romantic ones, and a few crass/gross scenes (i.e., sexual innuendos, bodily functions, poop jokes, etc.). Let’s be honest, the movie would be better off without all the crassness. The ML is trying so hard to get back with his ex-girlfriend, who seems to have liked him because of his playboy ways and thinks they are compatible in that regard, Through this “forced” personal English tutoring, the main leads have the opportunity to get to know each other. She realizes that beneath the tough guy, playboy exterior, the ML is sweet and kind in his own ways. He also starts to fall in love with the FL. The movie doesn’t have evil parents, manipulative exes, corporate intrigues, or any of the usual angsty storylines associated with Asian dramas and movies. It is just a light and fun watch.

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The FL is a softball sports star. Upon entering high school, she decides to give up softball and focus on obtaining a love life. Since she’s been a tomboy most of her life, she’s unable to attract anyone. By chance, she meets the ML who’s an upperclassman, handsome, and popular. He agrees to coach her with the goal of getting a boyfriend. However, the agreement is canceled should she fall in love with him. The movie is light-hearted and funny. The FL plays her character well as the awkward tomboy. She stays in her character and consistent throughout the movie; I appreciate that she didn’t really change the way she dressed or do her hair. I also appreciate that the FL doesn’t go through this transformational phase from ugly duckling to swan like we’ve seen in many similar dramas/movies just so that the ML could fall in love with her. The ML instead slowly falls in love after spending time with her and seeing all her good qualities. He doesn’t need to see her with a make-over because he just loves her for her.

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The music is super annoying, and I hope that it is played less (nope that does not happen). It’s not the melody, but it’s too loud and overpowers the scenes . I don’t care how magnanimous the late grandfather is, but adopting a child, who’s old enough to understand, just so that his real grandson could have a playmate seems so wrong and cruel. A child should be adopted purely out of love and to be in a home where he he’s going to be cherished and loved. So, in some ways I don’t blame Karan when he turns bitter and angry, and then schemes to not only embezzles money from his adopted family’s company but to destroy it. Through being on the FL’s farm, appreciative of those around him, working hard, and falling in love, the ML slowly transforms from a spoiled, rich playboy to a pretty decent man. Although the story centers around the ML’s transformation and rooting out the corruption within the company, we also have the love story development of our three couples: the FL and ML, Chor and Rob, and Way and Jo. All three couples have their cute moments, but at times I was frustrated with Rob and his inability to tell his psycho ex-girlfriend that he no longer loves her. In a way, it’s similar to the ML stringing along Way because he doesn’t want to hurt her feelings or lose her as a friend. I definitely think that this drama could’ve been shortened by half if all the flashback scenes are deleted (or at least used less) and not do these stupid and long slow motions of people staring into each other’s eyes. At least the last episode gives the audience a satisfying and thorough happy ending for the three couples (two marriage proposals!). Since the FL is supposed to be a tomboy, she of course, has short hair, but we can tell that she’s wearing a wig. Sometimes I have difficulty looking at it because the wig is so stiff and unnatural looking. The drama is a decent watch with some adorable interactions between our couples, and the company corruption storyline keeps it interesting, but for me, it’s just a one-time watch.

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Although it’s been a while since my teen years, when I am watching this movie, all the feelings, the angst, hope of being at that age at the cusp of adulthood. Chen Chen, after discovering that her parents have divorced, lied to her, and only staying together for her until she passes the gaokao, decides to fail the exam in the hopes of her parents reconciling. In her scheme, she inadvertently involves Zheng Yu Xing, by saying that she failed because she broke up with him. Zheng Yu Xing, being a carefree person, decides to go along with her ruse. He himself fails to take the exam because he was trying to get back together with the woman he loves. These two, who are hurting emotionally and just trying to stay above waters from all the family, school, and academic pressures, begin to form a strong friendship. Slowly, maybe, we see Chen Chen starting to like Zheng Yu Xing, but also knowing that he’s still in love with Ming. At one point she tells him, “maybe one day we will both accept that the one we love do not love us back.” The last scene, we see an older Chen Chen, maybe she’s in college now or older, and she seems happier, calmer. She goes to a music festival and sees DJ XYZ as one of the acts. She’s in the crowd with a slight smile on her face, watching Zheng Yu Xing on stage. We don’t know if they are still in contact, still friends or more. It’s pretty open to interpretation. I would like to think that they remain friends, supportive of each other, and have found their happiness, whatever that may be.

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This Tore My Heart to Pieces

I started watching this at 11:00 at night, and by the end of the movie, I was a crying mess at 2:00 in the morning. I love Roy Chiu’s acting and portrayal of A Cheng so much. This is a guy who somehow survives and thrives in the world of loan sharks when he he has such a warm and kind heart. He himself is a victim of this underground world when his brother’s business went bankrupt. A Cheng pays off his brother’s debt by being an enforcer. When he and his gang go to collect on the debt of the FL’s father, he instantly falls in love. He, at first, tries to tempt her through various horrid schemes to pay off her debt such as selling her body or her organs. Maybe he wants to see what kind of woman she is and whether she is good and filial as she seems. Through his final scheme, her going on non-sexual dates with him, he falls more deeply in love. She starts to soften her heart when she witnesses the many kinds acts from A Cheng. This movie just tore my heart to pieces. I want A Cheng to have a happy ending: marry the love of his life, leave the gangster life, thrive in the tea shop business with his wife, and become a father because A Cheng would have made a great father.

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The FL is a free spirit and a warm-hearted person. I love, by the way, her tattoos. It’s almost impossible to find a FL in a romantic Asian drama sporting/showing tattoos; they just add to her character. The ML meets the FL when she mistaken his car for her friend’s cheating boyfriend’s car, and was in the act of vandalizing it. The movie has some funny, cute, romantic moments. You will also want to watch on a full stomach because there are a lot of focus on food. I wish this movie is a 16 episode drama so that we can see more of everything: the blossoming friendship and love between the two leads, the second love story between the ML’s secretary and the FL’s best friend, the ML’s relationship with his father, and fleshing out the interesting hotel staff. Although I waited almost two hours for a kiss that never materialized, I wasn’t too disappointed because the ending was so cute, romantic, and heartwarming. As a personal preference, I like this movie much more than the 2020 Chinese drama adaptation.

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