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Rari

Cloud Drama

Rari

Cloud Drama
Completed
The Legend of the Blue Sea
1 people found this review helpful
by Rari
Jul 9, 2020
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 6.0

A Fated Love

This is an easy watch, great visual quality and evenly paced. I enjoyed it. The destiny, fate aspect is well thought out with explanatory flashbacks at the beginning of each episode. The story bears a striking resemblance to You Who Came From The Stars and I suppose that's because it's written by the same screenwriter.

Jun Ji Hyun is fantastic as always in the lead role, her comedic bent is so natural and never overdone. Lee Min Ho was surprisingly good, although his delivery seemed forced in the emotional scenes. The two of them together have passable chemistry but Lee Min Ho doesn't seem able to take emotional and poignant scenes beyond a certain point, many of them came off as playful and bantery, if that makes sense.
Jun Ji Hyun is far and away a superior actor and there is a definite imbalance, I got too much superficial humour from him and a mature, emotional resonance from her, hence the mismatch.

The supporting cast is good, villains are weak and the secondary loveline is barely perceptible. I did enjoy the backstory and it was well exposed.

This is a good drama with all the elements required to make it a blockbuster, but overall for me it lacked punch and didn't grab me enough to give it a higher rating.
Still worth a watch.
Music is good, although not memorable for me.

Overall score 7.5

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Completed
Padiwaradda
1 people found this review helpful
by Rari
Jun 10, 2020
14 of 14 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 5.5

Loyalty and pure intentions will win the day.

Padiwarada is a refreshing change of pace from the usual Lakorn. It's set in the 50's era, and has a charming and relaxing vibe overall.

The show tells the story of an arranged marriage of an unlikely pair and showcases their gradual but sure journey towards love and acceptance of each other. Loyalty is a main factor in this story as well as good intentions, duty and responsibility.
The female lead Rin, played by Bella Rannee is a dutiful woman who is obliging but nobody's doormat. Her journey from adopted child to beloved wife is told with a liberal sprinkling of life and relationship advice and truisms from her adoptive parents as well as from her mother in law.

The male lead Saran played by James Jirayu, is a sweet man who is equally dutiful and responsible. He suffers from some inferiority issues but this does not take over his character, it's just a problem that is emphasised later on in the show and is dealt with in the end.
There's good chemistry between the two leads although I find James a bit too baby faced, especially in this role of a Sheriff. Bella is self assured and James comes across as a tad childlike/ish.

The second female lead is the main negative point of this drama; the show has a mostly mellow vibe but Duangsawat is extremely irrational, nasty and destructive and I think the male lead and his mother give her way too much leeway and airplay. It's as though Saran is keeping his options open, even though he is very sweet to his wife, still I didn't enjoy this aspect of the story.

The job of Sheriff is a big part of this story and the male lead spends some time trying to bring down the "White Tiger" and his "cult". this aspect of the story showcases the clash between magical practices and good/faith.

The show juxtaposes different relationships to illustrate the qualities and behaviours that are needed to build a strong and long lasting marriage.

The music is very nice, I especially like the songs "Every molecule of My Heart" performed by James and " A Love Song from Me" by Beau Sunita.

I gave this show a 7.5 out of 10.

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Completed
The First Half of My Life
1 people found this review helpful
by Rari
Jun 10, 2020
42 of 42 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

My presumptuous life as Mrs. Chen ended just like that.

This drama is so good! It's not a groundbreaking story by any stretch; It's an all too familiar slice of life that's handled so elegantly and with great sensitivity, I absolutely savoured the world that this show created.

The First Half of My Life tells the deeply immersive story of a newly divorced woman and mother of one whose life is plunged into uncertainty from one day to the next; the theoretical rug is pulled out from under her. This woman who has been living the self-satisfied life of a pampered housewife suddenly has to take stock and figure out how she's going to survive both emotionally and financially while raising a young boy and navigating complicated and painful family situations.

Ma Yi Li perfectly captures and encapsulates the role of Luo Zi Jun; she handles this role with amazing nuance and quiet strength. I cheered for her at every turn as she embarked on the journey of her life to regain an independent foothold in a society that had passed her by.

The supporting cast and their stories are equally compelling and relevant to Luo Zi Jun's story and all storylines blend seamlessly together to give a completely beautiful whole.
The relationship between Luo Zi Jun and Tang Jing (played by Yuan Quan) is inspiring. The two women have a lovely selfless friendship characterised by loyalty and fierce protectiveness. This for me is one of the best parts of this drama.
Yuan Quan is stunning in her role of Tang Jing, I was so impressed with the self assurance that literally oozed out of her pores.
Every cast member in this drama deserves a special mention, there are no superfluous characters and the acting overall is top notch from Chen Jun Sheng, to Ling Ling to Old Zhuo, the whole entire cast is brilliant full stop. The characters' opposing ideologies and values greatly enrich this story and provide insight while widening the scope of the subject matter in the narrative.

The main love line is written with immense sensitivity and restrained poignancy, this is one of the very few times where (MILD SPOILER) I wasn't mad at an ambiguous ending (END SPOILER) The relationship between Luo Zi Jun and He Han (played swoonily by Jin Dong) is literally doomed before it even begins, it's not even quite a relationship yet there's a great depth of feeling between these two, it's palpable and they can never openly act on their feelings. It's so good the way this relationship is written and acted.

Characters are tested and true colours are brought to the fore; the characters each walk a full journey with comprehensive growth and progression.
This story makes me look forward to a sequel and I just found out there's going to be one!

Music is evocative smooth jazz and piano solos, perfect for this drama world.

Just watch it, this is a definite 10 out of 10 show.


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Completed
Can Love Become Money
1 people found this review helpful
by Rari
Apr 10, 2020
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 6.5

So much heart!

This is not a blockbuster by any stretch, in fact when I got to episode 4 I seriously considered dropping it, but I was compelled to keep watching; I think the combination of just the right mix of comedy, melodrama, romance and a generous touch of realistic human stories grabbed my attention, I watched to the end and was touched in the process.

The story is not groundbreaking ( birth secrets, corporate intrigues, revenge, impostors) but it's told in such a touching human way; a lot of the success of this drama is due to the actors / cast. The lead actor Yeon Jung Hoon is so good in this, he's consistent throughout and really played his character to perfection. The other cast members do hold their own, I especially enjoyed Chief Ha played by Shim Eun Jin, she is hilarious!

The romance is a slow burn so it feels very realistic, I just found it so sweet and sincere.

This drama is for sure under-rated and in my opinion deserves at least an 8 rating on MDL. Watch it if you want a warm, steady, logical viewing experience, no cliffhangers but a lot of heart.

I liked the song by As One: I'm Still In Love, its's catchy.

Overall 8 out of 10

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Completed
Falling for Innocence
1 people found this review helpful
by Rari
Mar 29, 2020
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 6.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 5.5
This review may contain spoilers

Life is worthwhile when you have someone or something to live for

This drama was not bad and also not great, it's just ok. I found the beginning slow and a bit boring but it did pick up around episode 3. The business Mergers and Acquisitions premise was well documented and a constant thread throughout the drama.
The overall story though is quite weak, the antagonist didn't make sense, why is he so evil? there is no plausible explanation. The plot device of the company repeatedly coming back from the brink of destruction and bankruptcy also got old pretty fast.
The end of the drama was quite rushed, the time skip was irritating because it was an obvious attempt to bring Min Ho back without a proper explanation as to how he actually survived, super annoying and lazy writing.

Jung Kyung Ho is the standout star of this show hands down, his sometimes dorky, sometimes suave, sometimes deeply contemplative but always cute portrayal of Min Ho is magical and engrossing. That's not to say that his costars didn't pull their weight, I especially enjoyed Woo Sik and Wendy for their hilarious performances and also for their own unique and cute loveline. Woo Sik and Min Ho's scenes together were such a hoot to watch.
Sun Jung portrayed by Kim So Yeon is a great stable character although I wish she had been more casual in the personal moments away from the office, her stiff demeanour just gave the OTP interactions less spontaneity and an unnecessary formality which took away from our male lead's vibrant take on his character.
The two secretaries at the office were very entertaining to watch.
I also loved Senior Ma (Dong Wook's father) he's a great, engaging actor.
The villain of the piece, Joon Hee played by Yoon Hyun Min is inexplicably evil and awful, so much so that I stopped taking him seriously which is such a shame because he's actually a very good actor.

Music is ok, though I didn't notice it much.

This is a pleasant drama to watch but not outstanding. I give it a 7.5 out of 10

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Completed
Always
1 people found this review helpful
by Rari
Nov 27, 2019
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
This review may contain spoilers

Life has a way of coming full circle.

That's the strongest takeaway I got from this movie. The element of fated lovers is present in this story, I choose to view it as fate's way of giving Chul Min an opportunity to right his wrongs ( creating the chain of events that led to Jung Hwa's blindness) rather than simply a tale of two people fated to love each other. He gets the chance to literally give her back her sight which his actions caused her to loose.

The casting was great, So Ji Sub shines in his role of a tortured lonely soul. Han Hyo Joo plays the optimistic blind woman to perfection, she manages to emote and showcase her fear and sadness at the right moments so that her performance is very layered.

Overall I enjoyed this movie.

I would like to point out that there is a Turkish remake of this movie called Sadece Sen, I found out about it after watching this one, Sadece Sen in my opinion has the edge over Always both in casting and acting, the overall pathos in that iteration is absolutely spot on. Check it out on Netflix, I'd be interested to hear what people think about this.

That being said, Always is great and stands solidly on its own two feet.

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Completed
King2Hearts
1 people found this review helpful
by Rari
Jul 20, 2019
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
This review may contain spoilers
This drama manages to earn the name "drama", there's a lot of dramatic tension in this. I enjoyed the way the show mixed elements of a fairytale romance, military war games, political power struggles, arms dealers and the actual threat of an outright war. This expert mingling of plot lines kept the show very entertaining as there was never a shortage of storyline. The love story is well developed as the two leads are a couple for the majority of the drama, their angst and separations always had a political cause not personal, this was a shift from the usual plot devices in romantic dramas. I didn't detect any noble idiocy in this drama, the two leads thought out every problem and made well informed decisions.

SPOILER ALERT: What I particularly didn't like about the plot was the killing of Eun shi gyeong, was it necessary to kill him? I found his death particularly annoying because it didn't actually result in the definitive capture of the villain, his death felt pointless and a waste of a good character especially after show developed a love line with shi gyeong and the princess, had this romance been fully realised, it would have nicely rounded off the bromance between the king and shi gyeong; this bromance was so well depicted only to have it cut short with his death. END SPOILER

Overall this drama is about the making of a good king and this story was well told. Lee Jae Ha started off as a bratty, irresponsible, playboy prince, and ended up a strong, resolute and mature king, I liked that he retained his sense of fun to the end.

The casting and acting was spot on (except for the foreign English speaking actors, these were horrendous and had too many lines in my opinion ), there were no weak links in the central cast. I absolutely disliked Ha Ji Won in Secret Garden (to the point that I vowed never to watch her again), but I loved her in this role, she embodied Kim Hang Ah's badass toughness and soft femininity perfectly.
This was my first time watching Lee Seung Gi, he was very good and damn near stole the show, but not quite in my opinion because of Ha Ji Won, Jo Jung Suk, the queen dowager and Hang Ah's dad. The acting is superb in this drama.

The music is ok, I liked the ballad but was not a fan of the dramatic orchestral music as I found it a bit overdramatic; the story was engaging enough to not focus on the music.
The cinematography is fantastic though, this is one beautifully shot drama.

I'm not a great rewatches, but I'll give this an 8 rewatch value, I've rarely seen a drama as polished as this one.

My overall score is 9.5

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Completed
Miss Korea
1 people found this review helpful
by Rari
Apr 30, 2019
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 10
Rewatch Value 8.0
This review may contain spoilers

The little show that could

This drama shouldn't be called Miss Korea, it should be called simply "Heart", because it is overflowing with pure heart.
This is the little drama that could, at the time of its airing it was up against You from Another Star so it's understandable that it may have fallen through the cracks; However, from my research and what I've observed almost everyone who's taken the time to watch this drama has praised it and recommended it to other viewers, and that's how I found it.

The story appears simple at first, a woman enters a beauty pageant as the underdog of all underdogs; therein lies the little gems scattered throughout this drama. For example in episode 4 when Oh Ji Young is on stage at the Seoul preliminaries dancing with a broken heel, this is when I really started to care for our leading lady. Or the moment where it's revealed that even back in high school she picked Hyung Joon out of all the guys who were after her, and she still picks him ten years later, this is so heartwarming and adds an interesting layer to our female lead's character.
I especially love the way the drama unfolds small bittersweet moments without fanfare, no swelling music, no slow motion, just life in action.
The drama is a slice of life, focusing on how people take on life's challenges from day to day, triumphing over adversity.
It also shows the importance of loyalty, in family, romantic and business relationships.

The cast is just perfect for this drama. Each actor was perfectly cast for their role. Lee Yun Jee shines in her role as Oh Ji Young, she embodies the sweet, straightforward resilience of her character effortlessly., she was such a joy to watch, once she makes up her mind about something she is unwavering.
Lee Sun Kyun as Kim Hyung Joon is good , he portrayed the character's quiet pride and affable determination very well.
Director Ma Ae Ri was a standout performance by Lee Mi Sook, she is absolutely brilliant in this role. Director Ma is at once cold, calculating, kind, considerate, generous and morally upright. Lee Mis Sook played this character with amazing nuance.
Director Jang is a hoot! I would say she is the comic relief in the show, she's just earnest but misguided, very entertaining to watch.
Teacher Jung is played with a quiet, steady passion, for a thug he turned out to be very considered and multi-dimensional, I saw great character development with this role.
Oh Ji Young's family of mothering men and the rest of the Vivi team round of this amazing cast.

The music is atypical of a Kdrama, I enjoyed it because it sounded fresh, edgy and modern, which is kinda strange because the story is set in 1997. The music is spot on and I give it a full 10 out of 10.

Rewatch value for me is 8, simply because show had a scattering of beautiful moments which I would love to rewatch, the interactions between the characters are absolute gold.

Overall score is a 9, a wonderful drama, deserving of a whole lot more love and attention.


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Completed
My Love from the Star
1 people found this review helpful
by Rari
Apr 13, 2019
21 of 21 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
This drama has a fresh, intriguing story; it's not just your ordinary rom com, it also has elements of melodrama, thriller and sci fi. The mix of genres was done expertly. As I watched this I got distinct echoes of Goblin here and there, and this was certainly not unpleasant.
The story was executed very well, the love story is exquisite, the way it begins and progresses is all very satisfying, the ending is very well done too. I must point out though that there were certain plot elements such as the mechanism of Do Min Joon's ability to return to earth that were not explained satisfactorily, also the fact that kissing made him ill, that was never explained enough and we're never told whether it was resolved in the end, and for that matter how will they have kids if he can't even kiss her without falling ill? anyway I mean to say that these plot holes were slightly irritating but I was able to suspend logic and enjoyed the show very much.

The casting and acting in this show is excellent, I believe that's it's main advantage even more than the story itself. the main leads are spot on, Kim Soo Hyun was suitably grave and stuffy with flashes of childish pettiness here and there which is absolutely fitting for a 400 year old alien who has had very few human relationships and no romantic ones.
Jun Ji Hyun for me was the star of this show, why isn't she in more dramas? She is absolutely perfect in this role, I'll even venture to say that Cheon Song Yi gives my all time favourite kdrama female lead Kim Sam Soon a very serious run for her money. I enjoyed her acting so much, her vulnerability, her maniacal egotism which reminded me of Dokko Jin was hilarious to watch; I enjoyed all the little monologues she had whether internal or external, I especially loved the way Cheon Song Yi had many moments where she displayed a great depth of feeling, when she expressed how much she loves Do Min Joon either to himself or to other people, she manages to transcend her goofiness and articulates her feelings in the most mature, insightful and heartfelt manner.

The second leads are also very good, I find Yoo In Na almost the same in every role she plays, she's a good actress but I don't see a lot of range in her abilities, maybe that's why she's usually the second lead.
Park Hae Jin on the other hand is a revelation, I've never seen him in anything else so I was very pleased to discover him here. His portrayal of Lee Hui Kyung is very good, for once the second male lead serves to drive the story forward and not to put spanners in the works just because.
His evil older brother was also well acted and was suitably villainish.
The supporting cast was great, Song Yi's family is well portrayed, the detectives are good, and Se Mi's mother also adds a nice touch to the story by providing a contrast to Song Yi's mother.
Overall the casting is a 10 for me.

The music is not prolific, there's just one song that stands out, but that doesn't affect anything for me because my attention was always focused on the story.

Rewatch value is 8, I'm not big on rewatching shows so this is very high coming from me.

Overall is 9, this is a great drama and I only regret that I didn't watch it sooner.

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Completed
It's Okay, That's Love
1 people found this review helpful
by Rari
Mar 31, 2019
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 10
Rewatch Value 5.0
The story is thought provoking as it deals with mental illness in its various forms, it also highlights the interactions that mentally ill people have with their romantic partners, family members and doctors/therapists. Jae Yeol and his family's story is heartbreaking, but the show always maintains an undercurrent of hope and triumph over adversity so that even as you're watching just how heartbreaking his youth was, you know he'll come out ok on the other end. The main character's romantic relationship is treated with great sensitivity so that you're able to fully appreciate how these two vulnerable and emotionally scarred individuals find their tentative way into each other's heart.
The family storylines are also highlighted to show how these relationships have affected our OTP and the redemptive quality of both these families journeys is heartwarming and rewarding to observe.

The cast is very well picked. I enjoyed the vibe between Hye Soo, Jae Yeol and their housemates, it was a truly unconditionally supportive environment, and their interactions were great to watch as they also provided some comic relief to a sometimes angsty storyline.
I especially enjoyed Jo In Sung's performance from start to finish, he embodied Jang Jae Yeol and his portrayal of him was at times vulnerable, other times poignant and always courageous and believable. I always understood his struggles, his every action added a rich layer to his character, his brave battle with his life's journey culminated to present us with a fully developed, vulnerable yet strong and hopeful man who is aware of his flaws and is conscious of how hard he has to work to maintain his happiness. Bravo to Jo In Sung
Gong Hyo Jin was competent as usual but I found Hae Soo to be an irritating character on more than one occasion, she has selfish tendencies and even though she is a caring individual, her relationship with her mother was very telling in showing her selfishness, especially when we're presented with the full story. It appears she really had no reason to condemn her mother's affair since at one point she advocated for it for her own selfish reasons. Even in her relationship with Jae Yeol there are times when she should have put his mental well being before anything else, but she shows too much concern about how certain things will affect her; for example when she goes to visit him while he's still recovering, and again when she's unwilling to leave for her sabbatical, not realising that he probably needs time to adjust to his new situation and look after himself by himself for a while.
Despite all this their relationship was beautiful to watch.
Jae Yeol's mother and brother were also very well acted and presented, this family's struggle felt so real and poignant, I was desperately sorry for them and cheered them on as they worked through their problems.

The music was spot on, I loved the soundtrack, every song was present but never in the way, music for me is a 10.

I'm not one for rewatching shows, so usually I give low rewatch values. I give this one a 5

Overall I give this show an 8. A very solid offering, well worth your time.






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Completed
Marriage, Not Dating
1 people found this review helpful
by Rari
Dec 25, 2018
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

The most complicated love triangle is between a mother and her son, and his girlfriend.

I really enjoyed this drama,
The story is nothing new in Dramaland but it's done in a refreshing way, the angst is super minimal and the second leads though quite irritating at some point, soon fade into nothingness.

I love the casting of the main leads, the OTP is perfection, the evolution of their relationship feels real and when we get to the end of the drama I felt their happy ending was so well earned. they portray a mature and realistic relationship and one of the best things about this drama is that nobody had to get a major personality transplant in order to earn their happy ending, instead each character evolved into a better version of themselves.

The best part about this drama is that it's not just a love story between two people but also between their families; family takes centre stage and it is heartwarming to see how two families gradually let go of their preconceived ideas and come together in understanding and togetherness.

The soundtrack is very well selected and the music does a perfect job of enhancing the story as opposed to distracting from it. The music is quirky and fun.

This drama is definitely worth watching, please give it a go.

PS: I've rewatched this drama countless times, and the more I watch it, the more I love it so I've upgraded its rating to 10 out of 10!

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Ongoing 33/34
Boss & Me
1 people found this review helpful
by Rari
May 15, 2021
33 of 34 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 9.0

"You need to let everyone know this fishpond is now under your ownership" ( Feng Teng)

This drama is based on the book Come and Eat Shan Shan by Gu Man and is mostly a faithful adaptation of the story of Shan Shan a junior level employee at Feng Teng a large family Corporation headed by Feng Teng the big boss.
The love story between Feng Teng and Shan Shan is conveyed in a witty and entertaining way, with the highlight being Shan Shan's hilarious internal monologue and Feng Teng's dry humour. There's a prodigious amount of eating by our lead couple, showcasing some cute moments and also moments of meaningful conversation between the two. Shan Shan loves to eat, as referenced by the original book title.

This drama appears cutesy on the surface but it deals with realistic relationship issues faced by the lead couple such as the workplace complications of a low level employee dating the big big boss; the social and financial disparities that exist between the two are also highlighted and worked through by the couple. I especially liked the message conveyed by Feng Teng where he says that when he looks at a potential girlfriend he doesn't look at her social status or financial worth or how much education she has, he just considers how he feels and lets things happen naturally, I loved that about Feng Teng, he's mature, very caring, responsible and considerate of the people around him; he's the perfect foil for the bubbly Shan Shan.

The character of Shan Shan also goes through a credible and satisfying growth trajectory, in the sense that by the end of the drama Shan Shan has become the very best version of herself, and this is amazing to watch.

The other cast members are very good with fleshed out stories that round off the main storyline. This is a story that's straightforward with a lot of life lessons and insight into male and female relationships; it's definitely worth a watch.

Music is great and well applied, the opening theme is sung by male lead Zhang Han.
overall 9 out of 10. I've rewatched this a few times as it's so straightforward and cute with a wonderful well earned happy ending.

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Completed
Young Lady and Gentleman
1 people found this review helpful
by Rari
Apr 8, 2022
52 of 52 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
This review may contain spoilers

Age Ain't Nothin' But A Number and Money Isn't Everything.

This show set out to illustrate how a big age difference should not be a determining factor on whether two people should be together or not as portrayed by Young Gun and Dan Dan; It also set out to show through the actions and experiences of its characters that money is not everything and love, affection and family trump money - this is shown through the characters of Cho Sa Ra and her mother, and also through Dae Bum's story and his struggles while dating a woman richer and older than him.

I would say that all in all the show did succeed in illustrating these points but it was done in an uneven manner, the writer focussed heavily on the negative with only a sprinkling of goodness. This made for a frustrating watch.

Cho Sa Ra ruined this show single handedly, the writer drew out her schemes for way too long that by the time she got her sad
(ish) ending it was too little too late.

Having said that, I enjoyed the family slice of life, the kids and Park Dan Dan, I also really enjoyed the relationship between Dae Bum and Se Ryeon, their unabashed love for each other kept me going when other aspects of the drama were dragging.

By the end of the story the characters had learned the lessons they were supposed to learn but the road walked by some characters to redemption was a bit trite, eg. Yeon Shil, what made her change and decide that money isn't everything? she just changed her mind from one day to the next. A more believable transition is that of Mrs. Wang, I could clearly see her battle to change her mindset and eventually events and life experience changed her and she became sincerely repentant.

I could have easily dropped this around the episode 25 mark but something made me keep watching so I can say that much about it.
Music was repetitive, it would have been nice to hear more songs

One great thing I can say about this drama is that it has made me interested in watching the longer episode weekend dramas which I have never watched before, I enjoyed the up close slice of life vibe of this show and am looking forward to watching more longer form dramas,

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Completed
Because This Is My First Life
1 people found this review helpful
by Rari
Mar 29, 2020
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 6.5
This review may contain spoilers

What's more sacred, love or marriage?

Do we love with our head or heart?
A heart isn't something you can fight for or win, it just comes to you.
These are the themes that this drama explores, amongst others...

The drama crossed genre boundaries, at times romcom and other times drama and slice of life. It's an excellent portrayal of familial relationships and how they can shape a young adult's life and choices. This drama is tightly and so beautifully scripted, the writing is thoughtful, thought provoking relatable and peppered with cultural and literary references.
I enjoyed the way the drama explored all three couples more or so equally, cleverly juxtaposing the main issues in one relationship with issues in another relationship, there is a painstaking attention to detail that is evident in this script and screenplay. Overall the story is very well developed with outstanding plot exposition, development and resolution.

The cast is excellent. The two leads give stellar performances; Lee Min Ki is so consistent in his stoic and awkward portrayal of Se Hee, even when he's acting cute with Ji Ho he still maintains the essence of his stiff demeanour, it's the almost imperceptible changes in his facial expression that give an indication of what's going on in his head.
Jung So Min is wonderful in her contemplative turn as Ji Ho, her narration is filled with nuggets of useful and fascinating introspection.
The rest of the cast was amazing and did such a wonderful job one and all, it's a well chosen cast.

The reason I didn't give this a 10, which I intended to all along was because the 3 or 4 penultimate episodes were a bit draggy and disappointing; first of all the plot started to drag with Ji Ho's sometimes overly contemplative and nitpicky approach to life; secondly given how the story had been told so far, her departure towards the end seemed out of character for the story up to that point, and also she was coming across as passive aggressive in the final episodes, she inexplicably lost the ability to discuss issues with Se Hee; thirdly the product placement was so noticeable towards the end it was off putting; fourth I wasn't sold on the way Ho Rang and Won Seok's story was wrapped up, it just seemed a little convenient and didn't resonate with their previous story arc.

At the end I felt as though the writer just gave us a stock ending which was a bit rushed and included unnecessary angst just for some drama in a show that was hitherto refreshingly free of drama, so for all the above reasons I removed 1 and a half points because I legit wanted to give this drama a 10.

Music is great and matches the wistful yet peppy atmosphere of the drama.

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Completed
3-Iron
1 people found this review helpful
by Rari
Jul 21, 2019
Completed 1
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
This review may contain spoilers

Actions speak louder than words

And boy do they ever in this show! the main characters say next to nothing, I think the female lead screams once and says " I love you" that's it ( and it's not in the same scene). The male lead says nothing at all. This story is told in actions, small, nuanced ordinary actions which take on profound meaning as the story progresses.

This is the story of an unconventional life, the male lead has carved out a strange, transitory existence of going from empty house to empty house and living a miniaturised life in the space of one night or so, before moving on to the next empty house until he meets a woman in a not so empty house and they embark on his journey together.

This story evoked feelings of sadness in me, I felt sad for the male lead living this kind of life, I'm not gonna
lie I really felt that he was living a reckless life; I felt this especially when he hit the golf ball and it went through someone's windscreen and injured them, and he didn't take responsibility.
When he went to jail, I got the sense that he was mentally unstable; ultimately he was practising to become invisible so that he could live with the woman he loves and her husband without the husband's knowledge.

The love story is heartwarming as there's a sense of two lonely and despairing people meeting and bringing happiness to each other.

The acting was good seeing as they had to rely on facial expressions and actions.

I liked the music, especially the song which sounded like it had Indian influences, that was wonderfully evocative.

I TRULY appreciate how good this movie is, It's so artistic and unusual; however ultimately it's not really my cup of tea, personally speaking.

Overall score 8

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