Unforgettable, EPIC!

This is an amazing show, truly outstanding.

The story revolves around the question "what makes a nation?" and explores the relationship between the ruler/s and those that are ruled / the people. The show explores how big ideas and big dreams can change or affect the people who try to enact them.
Ultimately this show illustrates that power should be "rooted" in the people.

I can't do justice to this show with my review, it has a talented and dynamic cast, a beautifully written plot (loosely based on historical events) a moving and heartfelt OST and delicately intricate directing - a true masterpiece.

Just watch it, that's all.

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Lots of very cute OTP moments with liberal lashings of Chinese Fashion.

The more I watch Chinese dramas especially romcoms, the more convinced I am that the Chinese Censorship Board uses dramas as a way of showcasing various aspects of Chinese business, culture and social life, as a form of propaganda if you will.
For instance in Queen of SOP, the business of major corporations was showcased particularly mergers and acquisitions, this drama also emphasised an impressive Chinese work ethic; Similarly in Here to Heart and in Love O2O, the Research and Development aspect of Chinese gaming and tech companies was highlighted.
It came as no surprise when I watched this drama and realised that it was intent on giving us a crash course in Chinese fashion, particularly focussing on traditional elements such as batik and splash ink painting on fabrics. I found this to be quite informative but it often felt preachy and inorganic especially the parts in France at the Design School.

That being said this drama offers one of the best OTP's I've seen in any drama, their interactions, communication, steadfastness and trust in each other is very refreshing; their biggest misunderstanding does not lead to a breakup and they're upset with each other for an episode and a half just about. I enjoyed this aspect of the drama, the maturity of the OTP cannot be over emphasised.
On the flip side I think I encountered the worst second male lead I have ever had the misfortune to see in any show, I mean this guy was not only selfish, delusional and petty, he also came across as downright unpleasant in many instances, he is quite unbearable.
The antagonists ( a bunch of females harbouring pathological envy of the female lead) are also very annoying and unreasonably malicious.
The male lead's mother is also a pill, I personally did not ever warm up to her as she is more concerned with her selfish wishes being adhered to than in ensuring her son's true happiness.

The fashion scene is quite interesting to watch. OST is amazing especially the intro song and OTP song

Overall this drama is watchable, I'm a fan of Zhang Han rom coms so I quite enjoyed it. His acting is actually getting better the older he gets. The female lead's acting is also good although I felt she didn't bring the level of emotional intensity required in some scenes, she skews more comedic than emotional, but it was a good portrayal nonetheless, I appreciate how strong she is and doesn't let people trample all over her.

A decent lighthearted drama, worth a watch if you want to take a break from the heavy stuff ; It's too long though and could have done just as well if not better with 18 -20 episodes.

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Relationships beginning, ongoing and ending...

This drama surprised me with the direction it took, because starting it I thought it would be about a wife getting revenge on her cheating husband, you know that type of vibe; But instead what I got was a very thoughtful take on what happens when a spouse cheats, how this can affect not only the aggrieved spouse but can affect the parents / in laws, friends of the couple and in this instance the professional relationship of the two. I also enjoyed the way the show portrays alls sides of the story. Every character is shown as they are, their backstory and their current actions so the viewer can see that there are a lot of grey areas and everyone is not just black or white.
The characters are thoroughly explored and the ups and downs of the events and resulting emotions are well documented. There's a hint of mystery as the show tantalises the viewer with the possibility of who the mistress is, there's also a fair amount of emotional angst, which is not surprising given the subject matter but this is in no way irritating thanks to the wonderful acting abilities of the cast.

This show portrays romantic relationships in various stages, there's the married couple who both have careers and are grappling with child care and the division of duties within the home; there's a professional single woman who has a somewhat complicated family situation and work history who's dipping her toes into dating life; there's the married couple where the husband cheats on his wife (the main story line); there's the relationship between the cheating husband and his mistress.
I've seen many comments on MDL where viewers say they hate cheating stories etc, but this story is so impactful because it explores the full spectrum of motivation and emotions of everyone involved, so although you may be annoyed with the husband and the mistress, the Show does a very good job of showing where each character is coming from and how they got to this point in their lives.

The story is told against the backdrop of a department store where all these characters work, so there are some work related story lines which add more dimension to our characters.

The resolution of each couple's story is well thought out and exposed. I enjoyed the thoughtfulness of this script, it fully explores each character's emotional landscape.

Jang Na Ra is excellent as always, she lends the character of Jung Sun a steely vulnerability, a sense of flailing helplessness initially and at the end she finds peace and acceptance.
Sung Joon played by Lee Sang Yoon was the most grating character for me because he doesn't show much emotion, he has the same facial expression and says very little throughout the entire show, I suppose this is by design because his backstory is told to us so we have a good idea where his head was at when he made the poor decision to start the affair.

The rest of the cast is great with excellent acting throughout.

Give this one a try because it's story is well told, and every character's motivation is laid out in the open so it's up to the viewer to make their own judgement.

I gave it a 10 out of 10 because it's quite rare to find a drama that explores each character's internal landscape quite so thoroughly and thoughtfully. Very well done.

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politics, love, destiny, patriotic ideals.

This drama got off to a cracking start, with fast action, witty dialogue and intriguing political machinations. Yang's story is immediately captivating and entertaining. The narrative continues at a very fast pace and it never gets boring.
At around the episode 39 mark the story started falling apart in my view, this is a show that has always had life and death scenarios at every turn and each conflict is quickly followed by another leaving no opportunity for reflection or satisfaction. I started to tire of this cycle and at times the show feels like it creates villains and conflict just for the sake of it with no real impact to the overall narrative.
I was especially disappointed with the lack of meaningful resolution to the love story (and it's product) of Yang and Wang Yoo, it felt as if the show was always trying to push the Tae Hwan / Yang loveline even though the very first episode tells us that she ends up with the Emperor, so what was the harm in fully exploring the separation of Yang and Wang Yoo? It was just very sloppily done and I for one was never convinced that Yang loved the Emperor, her relationship with him was a matter of survival and the best way of achieving her goals.

That being said, the acting in this was excellent by some and ok by others. Ji Chang Wook is very good at portraying the weak, childish and selfish Emperor Tae Hwan, whose character is shown to us in the first episode he actually never changed or improved; his portrayal of this character is so well done that even though I never warmed up to this character, I was moved at times by his suffering and his ultimate helplessness, being Emperor means everyone is always trying to use you for whatever they can get.
Wang Yoo portrayed by Joo Jin Mo is the direct foil to the character of the Emperor. Wang Yoo is everything the Emperor is not, brave, strong, selfless with clear political and patriotic ideals. Wang Yoo is a stoic character and he and Yang share the same ideals and aspirations.
I must give special mention to Wang Yoo's band of merry men especially Eunuch Bang, their loyalty to their King is so heartwarming.
Yeoncheol is another character that is portrayed very effectively, he is convincingly evil as is his daughter Tanashili.
Tal Tal also became a firm favourite of mine, I loved his calm assurance and his formidable intelligence.

The last quarter of this show certainly did not do justice to its first three quarters. It ended on a bit of a wimper, and I was especially outraged at the identity of the villain who was exposed in the last few episodes, this was definitely not a credible plot twist.

I was fully prepared to give this show 10 out of 10, but as the show progressed the score lowered because of the many plot holes and the failure to fully explore some emotional aspects of the relationships between characters, and it also seems that at some point the show was determined to kill off as many characters as possible, which in most cases was redundant.

Music is good and well employed.

Final score 8 out of 10.

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You know that feeling when you want to sneeze but nothing happens?......

That's exactly how it felt watching the middle to end episodes of this drama. It has a great promising start with lovely chemistry between the leads (Yoon Eun Hye never disappoints when it comes to chemistry with her co-stars) However, the show loses direction and fails to really take off.

The story is all over the place in the sense that a lot of things appear to be happening but the plot really goes nowhere. Show lacks momentum and some dramatic situations which should propel the show forward are completely not followed up on and just glossed over. The male lead is most times ineffectual who for most of the story is well and truly hamstrung by the very people he vehemently denounces.

The love story is initially developed very nicely albeit haltingly in the earlier episodes. lt fizzles in the middle episodes because the lovers have little to no interaction with each other at a time that their relationship development could have benefitted from experiencing the tough times as a solid and unified pair; in fact as the story plods on the two leads spend little time together so as a viewer there are very few opportunities to actually enjoy the love story.

Episode 12 is particularly frustrating because so much could have happened but didn't.
The drama should have been shorter, then maybe it would have flowed better. The story is portrayed so inefficiently that I even entertained the thought that the main couple should not end up together.

In a nutshell this drama has an excellent cast with an inadequate script and poor directing.

Overall 6 out of 10, and only because the cast is good.

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Love the one who speaks to your heart.

I watched this drama because of the two Gongs, I had no idea they'd starred together in a drama so I just had to watch it.
It's a solid drama with a meaningful narrative; It focusses on Na Bo Ri's passion for teaching and how her compassion changes the lives of her students. Na Bo Ri's compassion touches the troubled Tae In's heart and he falls in love with her and that's how their journey begins.

The show managed to stay interesting by showcasing the students' individual problems and issues and allowing Na Bo Ri to help them through their trials, the bond that develops between Na Bo Ri and her students is heartwarming and special.

(MILD SPOILER) The romance between Na Bo Ri and Tae In is sensitively depicted, it's a one sided love for the longest time and Na Bo Ri is with the second male lead for over half the drama ( a character who is intensely annoying from the first to the last episode) (END SPOILER)

I suppose this drama is one of the pioneers of the noona romance genre, the teacher student romance is actually very well handled as they only become a couple when they're no longer in a high school setting, plus Gong Yoo's acting is so charismatic that he always projects alpha male vibes with lashings of cute and playful.

This drama is enjoyable, my rating is based on the fact that the supporting characters with the exception of the students, were truly irritating, especially the second male lead. I also removed points for the draggy and repetitive aspects of the story at its mid point, the ending however is solid.

Great performance by the two Gongs, I didn't expect anything less and I really wish the drama gods would grant us another drama with these two as leads.

The music is good, the OST is cohesive and very well placed.

My overall rating is 7 out of 10.

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Be yourself, flaws and all.

This is a drama which starts off very entertaining, even though the boss -secretary dynamic is quite overdone, I still found myself marathoning the first three quarters of the show.

The male lead is superbly portrayed and I enjoyed the full range of his character, especially the unflinching depiction of his vulnerability and uncertainty in his relationship with his mother.
The female lead is very good in the first half of the show, I enjoyed her gutsy yet shy demeanour, especially the way she handled the impersonation of Veronica Park

The last stretch of the show is a bit annoying to watch as the female lead lost her gutsy attitude and had a bit of a personality transplant in that she became defeated and made decisions which were inconsistent with her earlier character trajectory.

The secondary couple of Veronica Park and the second male lead is a tad more enjoyable to watch simply because of Veronica Park; Kim Jae Kyung played this role to perfection, she is so entertaining.

Overall it's a good show for when you want a break from the heavier dramas, It's a drama about forgiveness and being yourself.

Overall 6 out of 10.

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Fate, destiny and the afterlife

This drama has an intriguing although not new premise. It centers on how people can go through life with blinders on, pursuing their own happiness without sparing much thought on how others around them are faring. The show also explores how people cope when a loved one dies and offers a unique insight by illustrating this concept from the point of view of the "dead" person as well.
I especially loved the idea that you can be given an opportunity to set your affairs in order after you die, so that the people you leave behind find some peace and comfort.

The cast is quite well rounded. Standout performances came from Jung Il Woo in the character of the "Scheduler" and Jo Hyun Jae in the character of Han Kang. Lee Yon Won and Nam Gyu Ri were competent in their portrayal of Song Yi Kyung and Shin Ji Hyun. I appreciated the bond that eventually developed between these two women and how they helped and supported each other in their quest for justice, peace and ultimately happiness.

The other cast members are ok although I found Bae Soo Bin's character Kang Min Ho to be one dimensional, his facial expression doesn't change much from one emotion to the next. Similarly, Seo Ji Hye's constant wide eyed stare became monotonous very quickly.
The cast is underwhelming, with the exception of Jung Il Woo and Jo Hyun Jae, the acting was not dynamic and felt as though it was at 70% instead of at 100%, it felt mundane.

The story itself is good and it is well acted, however I would say it lacked that something extra, that indefinable quality that takes a drama from ok to excellent.
I quite liked the ending of the drama, it made a lot of sense as it didn't give an overly conclusive picture of the characters' futures.

The show could have done well with fewer episodes, like 16.

The music is good.

Overall score is 7.5 out of 10

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cute and fluffy

As a general rule I do like to watch drama remakes. I find it fascinating to see how another country might interpret a story and overall vibe of a drama. That being said this drama was cute, the initial story set up is engaging what with all the bickering between the two leads.
The drama stayed true to the original story and I thought the conflict resolution ( what little conflict there was) was dealt with speedily and issues did not drag on. The episode count is a lot for this kind of story so I did fast forward certain scenes towards the end, there's also an inordinate amount of flashbacks.

Casting is good, I especially enjoyed the female lead, she pulled off the role well and is not a pushover which is so refreshing in an Asian drama. She did lean heavily on the comedy in the earlier episodes and some of her reactions to situations were off kilter.
The male lead is definitely not a great actor, and I was put off by his girlish looks. I know many will beg to differ on this but hey, each to his own.
Supporting cast is good, I liked second male lead and one of the most emotionally satisfying scenes is the rain scene between him and the female lead.
The main couple have great chemistry, the Thais know how to convey chemistry without going into steamy territory.

Overall this is watchable if you're not looking for depth, although twelve episodes would have done the job just as well.
Music is ok but very repititive.

I will not rewatch this.

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Goodness vs Bitterness

This drama attempts to illustrate the virtues of goodness and kindness over bitterness and vengeance.
Show gets off to a cracking start, the female lead is gutsy with oodles of perseverance while the male lead is an angry, bitter jerk. I enjoyed the first eleven episodes, the war of wills between the two leads is at times entertaining and heart wrenching; It's an arduous climb for the show to reach the plateau of realisation, when both characters acknowledge their growing attachment to each other. It's at this point that the show goes downhill for me; the female lead became so submissive and self sacrificing to an illogical extent, she happily became the punching bag of any character that chose to bully her, this was intensely annoying to watch and contributed to my decreased interest in the show. I do so wish she had retained her spunk from earlier in the show.

The supporting cast is well represented, I enjoyed Potawee especially. The female antagonists are particularly horrible, especially Pok who actually should have been checked into a mental asylum very early on.
The standout performance in this drama is of course by Ken, he is intensely engaging and convincing in his role of the tortured and angry Pat. In my opinion he doesn't deserve this kind of bad script because he's such an awesome actor who shines in all his roles. Indeed the female lead actress was out of her depth playing opposite him, the imbalance is plain to see.

I wouldn't rewatch this but I will say the first ten episodes are entertaining, if you ignore the female lead's buckets of tears lol!

Music is ok but not varied, there are mainly two songs that are on repeat.

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innocuous and breezy slice of life show

This show is not hard to watch as it's not plot driven, it depicts the lives of chefs and cooks in a restaurant setting with emphasis on their pasta cooking skills. Pasta is arguably the main character in this drama. There's a thread of depth that runs throughout this show as various themes are explored, one of the main themes showcased in the beginning is that of hard work versus talent; ultimately the show concludes that hard work will always win out over talent since talent does not succeed alone without hard work.

This show doesn't have much substance, a lot of themes and potential plot threads which were introduced in the beginning were later dropped or addressed sporadically and haphazardly. I would have loved it if the show had built up more on themes such as misogyny in the work place, restaurant politics, a more concerted effort by the second female lead to get her man back, the female lead's independence and freedom to make her own choices regarding her culinary career.

The cast is a great one with some outstanding performances especially from Lee Sun Kyun, his performance keeps this show afloat, his character growth is amazing but not too dramatic which keeps it all realistic. At the end of the drama, he retains his endearing, prickly exterior but there is a simultaneous softening which is illustrated by his increased thoughtfulness towards others, and his ability to take responsibility for his mistakes.
The chemistry between the two leads is snappy and cute and is one of this show's big draws.
Gong Hyo Jin's performance is not so impressive, I found her portrayal of the character too petulant, sulky and whiny, she always has a complaining facial expression and her head is almost always consistently bowed down. This is clearly not her best drama performance and I'm actually a fan of hers. It seemed like they are constantly on differing wavelengths and the male lead has to constantly lower himself to her level, I found myself wondering what he loved about her, and I'm sure this is not one question the show wants you to ask.

Anyway, the slice of life, semi-episodic nature of this drama works. I grew fond of most of the characters although there are some who literally are a waste of space, case in point the three female colleagues who hover throughout the show adding absolutely nothing to the narrative, as well as the second female lead, boy is she pathetic, what exactly is the point of this character, she had one facial expression throughout, a sly self-satisfied smile, definitely not Lee ha Nui's best performance.

This show could have done with less episodes.
I did enjoy the evolution of the two main stories in this drama, the love story between the leads as well as the warm bond that develops amongst all who work in the restaurant, especially the kitchen staff.

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Because life goes on, and you deal, and if you're very lucky, you get a second chance.

This drama caught me by surprise with its mature, thoughtful and challenging story. It doesn't go out of its way to cover up a character's flaws; it in fact brings to our attention that yes, in reality a person can be weak and it is not uncommon for someone to pick wealth and power over love.

I was often frustrated with the choices the characters made in this drama, but no matter how I disliked the pain they inflicted on themselves and on others due to their selfishness, I loved how each character eventually chose to take the better path.
This drama won me over with its insights, raw emotion, realism and understated, natural and powerful acting.

The cast is excellent from start to finish, especially the four leads. Eric Mun is amazing as Kang Tae Joo, his performance is raw and emotionally charged. Jung Yoo Mi's Han Eun Soo, is at turns vulnerable, resilient, petty, annoying, weak and yet so heartbreaking... a strange mix but she makes it work beautifully.
The two leads are really flawed and make bad decisions, they are not very likable compared to the usual main leads in other Kdramas, but that's what makes this drama special in that it's brave enough to not be pretty.
Yoon Ji Hye's Cha Hye Lin portrays the pampered princess with a chip on her shoulder amazingly well, her character shows a lot of progress and development at the end of the story.
I must give a very special mention to Lee Kyu Han, his portrayal of Shin Joon Hyuk is flawless; I can safely say that this is the first time ever that I rooted for the second male lead right up to the very end. His character is the most balanced and his decisions make sense and you always understand where he's coming from, he's consistent and magnanimous right through to the end.

Que Sera Sera will not suit everyone's taste - but if you're lucky enough to fall in love with this story, I'm confident that it will leave a lasting impression as it has with me.

The music in this drama is very eclectic as coupled with the shows OST, there is a consistent backdrop of the soundtrack to 2007, literally.

Overall score 9 out of 10

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A woman who gives as good as she gets, so refreshing in kdramaland!

This drama is beautifully complex in that the beginning is straightforward but when it gets to the home stretch, things suddenly look a lot different than previously thought.
It's a cinematic feast for the eyes, the production, the costumes, the set, the acting are all top notch. It's a wonderfully mature drama in that it offers no cookie cutter solutions, the characters are multi-dimensional and FLAWED, something which I really appreciated because it makes the story so human and realistic.

I enjoyed the way the show segues neatly from a murder investigation to an exposé of corruption in high places (although this exposé thread was not fully explored at the end, which was disappointing)
I enjoyed the depiction of the truth of life shrouded in uncertainty, the depiction of unpretentious love and the all important life lesson that the choices we make do have consequences.

This amazing drama was brought to life by the outstanding cast. Kim Nam Joo deserves a very special mention for her depiction of Ko Hye Ran, a woman who is unabashedly ambitious and determined to achieve her goals at the expense of everything even love and family, while still maintaining her professional integrity. ( In my opinion she's a character whose integrity is impeccable professionally but not in her personal life ) Her performance is powerful and she is stunning and impressive, a strong woman who makes her own rules and achieves her goals.

Ji Jin Hee as Kang Tae Wook is wonderfully nuanced and subtly resonant, an actor who can act with his eyes, his performance was consistently excellent.

Jeon Hye Jin as Seo Aun Joo is an interesting discovery for me, she is a very good actress and I'd love to see her in a leading role.

Ahn Nae Sang ahjussi deserves a mention here as well although I've only ever seen him in roles where his character is contrary, but he's an excellent veteran actor nonetheless.

The whole cast is superb and they all had great chemistry especially the News Nine team.

The ending of this drama raises some interesting conundrums, first of all there are a few dropped threads and unanswered questions and second I got the distinct feeling at the end that Show was telling me that powerful women destroy men; this contradicted and negated everything the drama had told me in the first fourteen episodes. This doesn't ruin the Show by any means, each viewer can draw their own conclusion.

The music is evocative and fantastic, I loved the violin pieces.

Overall 9.5 out of 10

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Show tries to illustrate that inner beauty is more important than outer beauty.

I honestly started this show because I like Joo Sang Wook and also because I wanted to watch something light.

The general premise of the story is good, a marginalised woman decides to get plastic surgery thinking that once she's slim and beautiful her life will automatically change for the better. She does find love yes, but she also realises that she has to resolve all her issues the hard way regardless of how she looks.
The show does a good job of lauding inner beauty as opposed to outer beauty; Our female lead was not blessed with outer beauty but she has immense inner beauty, conversely the second female lead is blessed with outer beauty but has a rotten heart.

The show delivered hilarious hijinks right up to the 12th episode, after that it started to drag and I fast forwarded some scenes. There is an annoying period where the female lead indulges in some poorly thought out noble idiocy and the villains in this show were irritatingly irrational.

The acting was ok. Joo Sang Wook shone in this comedic role, he was so charming and lovable. Han Ye Seul was ok, bordering on bland. The supporting cast was good, Jung Gyu Woon and Wang Ji Hye were great as second leads.
The chemistry between the leads is negligible, they did a lot of smiling at each other but there was no real connection in my opinion.
This show would have done better with less episodes.

The music is ok, nothing really stuck with me.

This is a pleasant watch.
I give it a 6.5 out of 10

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The story takes off sprinting and is instantly captivating. As each layer of the puzzle is peeled off, we get deeper into the intrigue and family secrets. I enjoyed the way the story was told, we're shown a man whose mind is playing tricks on him and controlling his life in a very real sense. The mental illness DID ( dissociative identity disorder) is shown in a compelling way.
This drama also has the issue of fate or destiny between the two main leads, they have an intertwined past and meet in the present in the right circumstances to enable them to solve the mystery of their childhood.
The love story is inevitable and I must say it didn't capture my interest too much, the chemistry was off in my opinion; Ji Sung and Hwang Jung Eum had much better chemistry in Secret.

The acting in this is very good. Hats off to Ji Sung for bringing his seven persona's to life in such an authentic and heart wrenching way, he is an amazingly intuitive actor.
Hwang Jung Emu held her own and provided some much needed levity in this story; I did feel at times that she was a bit shrill and didn't inject her character with enough nuance.
I also really enjoyed Park Seo Joon, he was wonderfully conflicted and I especially like the way he resolved his inner conflict unlike other second leads, he gave up on his unrealistic dream of being in love with his stepsister and instead became a strong support for both her and her new love.
Kim Yoo Ri's role is negligible, why was she even there? It was a waste of a decent actress, they could have fleshed out her character a bit more, the same goes for Oh Min Suk, his character fell flat and there ultimately wasn't much to him.

I think this drama should have just had the standard 16 episodes because it began to drag in the later episodes, I found myself wanting it to end, and the incessant flashbacks didn't help matters either.

I loved a few tunes in the OST especially "Auditory Hallucination" it's a great song

I gave this drama an overall score of 8, and I am unlikely to rewatch it, but I did enjoy it enough while I watched it.

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