Shehe
The Female Lead Is Reason to Stop Watching
I could not go on. The story may be good but Shin Sae Kyeong's acting as the female lead is bland and beyond boring. She was ok in Rookie Historian but in this drama, she was totally disappointing. She was stiff, her facial expressions were the same. If you remove the sound and subtitle and just watch her face, you won't know whether she's happy or upset with her deadpan expression.Overhyped drama but did not deliver for me, all because of the female lead. I just get irritated watching her on screen.
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It was offensive. Did not like this drama
The story was mediocre at best. The drama made Death more powerful than God when Death is a mere transition from your physical body at the end of your life. The use of a gun for Choi Yi Jae to die every time he assumes the life of another person is so jarring to the senses and it takes on a violence that I find too extreme. It was painful to watch.What's up with the different characters he had to take? He made a personal choice to end his life and to make him realize he made a mistake through all those characters is kinda too late. For me, it was just a lazy writer's way of creating a story from a very weak premise.
Death has no control over man because man was created by God and granted free will. As the bible stated, "that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, [39] Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God..."
I have watched numerous depictions of death and they were good like "Meet Joe Black" but this drama was just too unreal for my taste.
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Unoriginal Story with Unlikable Characters
The plot of this story is something that I've watched in the past. Not that it is wrong but the presentation makes a lot of difference. I agree with the assessment that this should have been better off as a movie. And speaking of movie, this drama reminded me of an old movie Dolores Claiborne based on a Stephen King novel. It is about Dolores Claiborne a housemaid, her estranged daughter and her rich employer. Both housemaid and employer have issues with their husbands. I highly recommend this for those who has not yet seen this film. The ending was so touching and beautiful because the characters finally got the justice they deserve and their slice of happiness. With this drama, except for the son, all the characters were just so unlikeable I did not feel an ounce of sympathy for them and did not care about their predicament.With LHIMG, We have this wife of a wealthy doctor practically catatonic as she prowled her house wallowing in her own misery, a husband who is controlling and mental abuser, an impoverished pregnant woman and her husband who delighted in making her his punching bag. These characters had no redeeming qualities that would stir any sympathy or empathy for them. In the end, after 8 episodes, there were so many unanswered questions and plot holes that were never resolved.
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"So what happened after he climbed the tower and rescued her........she rescues him right back"
Quoting from the ending dialogue in the movie "Pretty Woman" sums up Yeo Jung's total dedication to help the woman he loved and in return, Dong Eun rescued him back from the dark place he was living in. This was a love story between two people who found each other amidst all the tragedies they experienced in their life. They rose from the ashes of pain and suffering that nearly brought them to end their life. Dong Eun also realized in the end that there are also very good people around her like her landlady, Hyun Nam and Yeo Jung's mother.This was a story of Dong Eun who took revenge on the people who caused her physical and mental pain and along the way she also helped those who were abused and suffering like Hyun Nam and her daughter and most especially, the man she learned to love, Yeo Jung. This is what I took away from this drama in that it showed the different sides of Dong Eun, her vengeful side and the real person beneath the facade...a kind and gentle human being who just wanted to live a normal life.
SHK impressed me as the tragic heroine of this drama as well as LDH who turned out to be, in my opinion, one of the best actors who played opposite her. They had great chemistry and come awards night, I won't be surprised if they get The Best Couple Award. Kudos to the rest of the cast who also did an excellent job.
Overall, great drama worth rewatching.
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What a Way to End the Year - Best Korean Drama of 2022
It was intense, gripping, at times hard to watch but what a ride. I could not stop watching this riveting drama from episode 1 and binged watched from start to finish. Tightly done, there were no unnecessary, repetitive scenes that most often plague Korean dramas.The role of Moon Dong Eun was tailor made for Song Hye Kyo. SHK is a superstar but she's no Meryl Streep, Kim Sun Ah, Ko Hyun Jung or Kim Hye Soo. Her acting range is limited but this role of a cold, calculating and aloof ice queen fitted her to a T. Her calm and unassuming facade was a foil to an otherwise very traumatized, seething with anger, driven to panic attacks persona, a long way from getting over the painful trauma she experienced as a teen-ager.
I appreciate that it is a Netflix series and made for an international audience. The actors seem less inhibited unlike the other dramas where it is obvious that there are some hold backs especially when it comes to intimate scenes. Korea is still conservative so when it comes to those scenes, the audience get a vanilla version with cringeworthy consequences because they're not spontaneously done and very badly choreographed (for lack of a better word). This is the first time I saw Hye Kyo undress.
Great acting from the rest of the cast especially Lee Do Hyun. Although younger than SHK by more than a decade, he had great chemistry with her.
Only negative comment is that the second half is way too long in coming.
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An Underwhelming Ending
The ending of this otherwise excellent drama was not worth the paper it's written on. All I can take away from the ending is Sung Joon screaming his head off...lol. Production ruined it by giving an alternative ending that, like cinderella's gleaming coach, turned to a pumpkin at the stroke of a writer's pen. It's Do Joon's revenge from the grave but poorly done.This drama deserved a dramatic, unforgettable, ginormous ending. Open ending for this drama is a cop out and a very lazy way of telling the audience that the drama needs to end so the writer and production threw ideas on the wall to see what would stick. Boo!!!!!!! If it's the best production can do, they should have just followed the ending in the original story in the manwha.
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I did not want it to end!!!!
I was almost giddy with happiness when I first learned that this drama will star two of my favourite actors, Jung Ryeo Won and Lee Kyung Hyung (I've alway wanted him to have more male lead roles since Hi, Bye Mama). This drama was well written, delving into a painful and excruciating 30 year journey towards revenge with comedic and sassy banter between our main leads. They had amazing chemistry, their attraction to each other palpable as they bicker and banter that I wished that it was put to good use by giving Noh Chak Hee and Jwa Si Baek some romantic scenes. I love that they have contrasting personalities; like chalk and cheese, Chak Hee is the sophisticated, mouthy, smart and expensive lawyer to Jwa Si Baek's, deadpan, quiet, unpretentious, hiding-a-brilliant mind personality and a dry sense of humour.The ending was poetic where the villains got their just desserts but an epilogue with a wedding and maybe a law office for Chak Hee and Si Baek with Chak Hee charging astronomical fees from her rich client and Si Baek still doing pro bono work would have been icing on a delicious cake. They'll still be lovingly bickering of course.
This drama screams season 2; please, please, pretty please with a cherry on top. I'm rewatching it right now.
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Painful to Watch
I struggled to finish this series. Except for the title, it has little bearing with the original Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. The three sisters were so unlikeable. It was painful to watch them being played over and over again by the people around them ie, Jang Mira, Park Jae Sang and his equally demented wife as well as their aunt who used them for her own ends.I like Choi Do Il. He's the redeeming character throughout the drama. He's very smart and calculated, secretly exacting his own revenge behind the scenes. Without him, Oh In Joo would have not survived. She was so ditzy, clueless and naive. Money hungry she allowed herself to be used and abused not only by her so called best friend but the family who also happened to be their nemesis.
Oh In Kyung was a determined reporter but she sometimes sabotaged her own investigation by her impulses of acting out without thinking.
And the most deplorable, Oh In Hye, an ungrateful kid who'd rather stay with the murderous family than her sisters who loved and sacrificed for her all because she wanted to live the rich life. She humiliated her sisters in public by siding with her wealthy benefactor and she did not care if she placed them in danger.
When I started to watch this drama, I was full of expectation and I was looking forward to them taking on the wealthiest families and kicking ass like David against Goliath, But alas, what I saw were three pathetic women who scraped and bowed in the name of money.
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This review may contain spoilers
A Nail Biting Thriller all the Way
One of the best, if not the best drama of 2022. Fast paced action, great acting from Lee Jung Suk and of course, the drama itself that kept me on my toes from beginning to end. I must say I was also impressed with actors Kim Joo Hun as the villain Choi Do Ha and Yang Kyun Won as Kong Ji Hoon who was great in all his obnoxiousness.I would have given this drama a 10 rating except that, I was not impressed with the partnership of Lee Jung Suk and Im Yoon Ah as husband and wife. Their lack of chemistry bothered me, especially, Yoon Ah's lucklustre acting were at best, hits and misses. She has this frozen look on her face most of the time that there's hardly expressive emotion that say, a particular scene calls for. Lee Jung Suk never disappoints as an actor and to his credit, he did study acting and was exceptional as Big Mouse. But when he and Yoon Ah were together in a scene, they just looked uncomfortable and awkward around each other. I did not feel any love or warmth in their embraces; they were more like best friends rather than husband and wife. They never even kissed throughout the drama which is weird considering they're supposed to be madly in love with each other. This weakness to an otherwise exceptional drama is why I shaved off some points in my rating. Overall though, I'd still give credit to screenwriter: Kim Ha Ram for writing an outstanding screenplay and directors Oh Choong Hwan and Bae Hyun Jin for a job well done.
THE ENDING
I was one of the few who wrote an early review, before I had the chance to read all the amazing and detailed reviews that followed. One of the comments a lot of viewers expressed was that the ending was rushed. For me, the ending started from the moment Choi Do Ha won as mayor and then, to the disappointment of Big Mouse and his team, as well as the viewers, including me (I did not see that coming), the court found him not guilty. To top it all, Chang Ho's wife, Mi Ho died and became one of the many victims of the company Choi Do Ha wrested from the elder chairman by killing him. Just when Choi Do Ha was celebrating his victory and having it all, he meets his death at the hands of Chang Ho.
Do Ha's death also signalled the direction Chang Ho was now undertaking with his life, and that is, to continue as Big Mouse. Earlier, he vowed and made it clear that he will only stay as Big Mouse until he puts Choi Do Ha in jail through the legal system. But then, he realized that the legal system was not perfect and people like his wife would die without justice meted on the guilty. Chang Ho bought the building and poisoned the pool that eventually led to Do Ha's death. Now that, by definition is murder, a clear indication that Chang Ho changed the course of his life, from the strait laced lawyer to head of an organization that functions outside the law.
I think it was a brilliant piece of writing on the part of the writer. The writer dropped hints like crumbs where Chang Ho experienced one setback after another so that at the end, the viewers will realize and understand Chang Ho's choice. What better poetic justice handed down to Do Ha than to die the same way his victims like Mi Ho died (radioactive poisoning). The last words of Chang Ho to Do Ha said it all., "The law was made to save people. But you don't need the law."
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Park Eun Bin Made Extraordinary Attorney Woo a Blockbuster!
This drama will touch everyone's heart. Heartwarming, at times gut wrenching when one considers the challenges that Young Woo had to endure as an autistic person. It's a humbling journey and makes one realize how tiny their woes are compared to others who must face hardships almost everyday, from the physical challenges to emotional ones when one would never know if she will be subjected to ridicule from the "normal" people, treated with disdain as well as the never ending insults just because she's different.This was the first drama of Park Eun Bin that I watched and she is just a superb actress. She embodied Young Woo to a T and all I can say is, "Bravo Park Eun Bin." Young Woo, an autistic genius savant who memorized her father's law books when she was a child, graduated summa cum laude, and yet, unable to navigate a revolving door, her fascination and fixation with whales, made her a unique and yes, extraordinary heroine. As Young Woo, her light bulb moments in solving complex issues, when her genius shone through, were worth rewatching.
The cases, some more interesting than others, took a back seat and served as the backdrop for Young Woo embarking on a new chapter in her life as a young lawyer. Her autism became an advantage because it gave her a keen sense of observation that a normal lawyer would otherwise disregard. She had her vulnerable moments but she's able to rationalize and accept the fact that people will not always be understanding of her unusual behaviour. That said, she's is confident in her own skin and had a gift of letting people into her life who, in turn, became her fiercest defenders and cheerleaders.
More than ever, this drama was a teaching moment for the viewers and I guess it was what the writer aimed for. No matter how many challenges life throws at you, you can overcome them just like Young Woo, Her fascination with the sperm whale, this gentle giant, is a reflection of who she is; a gentle human being, happy and contented and as she exclaimed in the last scene, after waltzing through and conquering the revolving door, "A sense of fulfillment. The emotion I'm feeling this morning is a sense of fulfillment."
Highly recommended. A great picker upper when you're feeling down and depleted.
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This review may contain spoilers
Cafe Minamdang is a Hoot!
I'm surprised that most of the reviews reflect dissatisfaction with this drama. I'm in episode 10 right now and let me tell ya that I have not had so much fun watching a K drama as I am having now. I'm still laughing at Seo In-guk as Nam Han-joon (I even rewinded some scenes to get another laugh). Who would have thought this guy can do brilliant comedy. So, I'm writing this review even before I finish with the drama just to share my two cents and how much I enjoy watching it.Cafe Minamdang was Han-joon's brainchild to trick his mother, a deeply religious Catholic, from the shock of knowing that her son and daughter were running a shaman scheme. But behind the facade, Han-joon, riddled with guilt after his best friend prosecutor was murdered, took this route to find the murderer.
I thought the concept of this drama was weird, but after I started watching, I was hooked and it made sense to me. A gifted profiler turned shaman. He did not even have to fake it because he is such a genius in reading people that his transition from profiler to shaman was seamless. A shaman does the same thing: help individuals with issues in their lives by listening to their woes and helping them overcome those challenges.
The mystery thriller/comedy/romance combined would have been a disaster had it not been executed well. What I like most is the epilogue after each episode that gave clarity to the viewers as to what transpired before the crime and any action taken by the characters happened.
And the other characters ie, Oh Yeon-seo as Han Jae-hee, as a hyper detective with her ninja punches and volatile personality (a clear foil to our hero's persona that reminded me of the eccentric detective, Sherlock Holmes), Nam Hye-joon, Han-joo's younger sister, an exceptionally intelligent hacker, his right man and Minamdang's barista, Gong Soo-chul and the loveable Jonathan complete his ensemble of very funny and smart team engaged in fighting crime as well as helping their clients, who of course, paid for their services. Loved the crime squad team of hilarious Jang Doo Jin, Kim Sang Hyup and Na Kwang Tae.
That was a fun ride. Just completed watching and I must say, I was thoroughly entertained. I prefer watching crime thrillers like Voice and Monster with dark and jarring scenes and serious looking characters and since Cafe Minamdang had a serial killer storyline, I took the chance and watched it. In comparison, Cafe Minamdang was like a breath of fresh air with characters that were whip smart, don't take themselves too seriously and maintain their sense of humour in dangerous situations. I think the message these characters wished to convey was for the audience to join the ride and follow them as they solve the crime in their own way.
I highly recommend. If you want laughter and entertainment, at the same time, satisfy your love for crime thrillers, then this drama is for you.
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Hell Hath No Fury Like A Woman Scorned
Reflections of You is touted to be a drama about love, betrayal and revenge. In this case, Goo Hae Won was the woman out for revenge, her fury focused on Jung Hee Joo who had an affair with her husband, Seo Woo Jae. GHW's demented approach for revenge was unconvincing. Why only focus on JHJ when her husband SWJ was equally guilty. On one hand she stalked JHJ, tried to ruin her family through her daughter and husband and on the other, she was pining over SWJ like a lovesick moron when he obviously did not care about her. She brandished SWJ's guilt to his face as a weapon to ensure his total devotion to her. This was one big inconsistency in the story. Instead of being the victim. GHW came across as mentally unstable, an obsessive stalker unable to accept reality. She could not face the fact that SWJ never really loved her. She blamed JHJ for her toxic relationship with her husband instead of admitting the truth right before her eyes.JHJ got her just desserts in the end. She had an affair with SWJ and when it was no longer convenient for her, she left him with no sense of guilt and remorse. She destroyed the people around her; her husband, GHW, SWJ, her children. So yeah, she deserved the punishment of losing everything she held dear in her life.
Overall, the drama was good but slow and draggy. The repetitive whining of GHW became boring and made me hate her. I wanted to scream, "Get over it woman, move on!!!! He's not even a good catch. You are pining over an immature loser."
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Total Waste of Time
I kept watching each episode, expecting something exciting will happen. Alas, it was one boring episode after another. By the last 2 episodes, I fast forwarded so many times just to get over this dud of a drama. This was a non-story with the over the top screaming and screeching from the stepmother to the unhinged daughter that did not really add to the drama and their scenes were just fillers in my opinion. I was expecting an exciting ending with the "who done it" reveal only to be extremely disappointed and that was after an extensive attempt on the part of the writer to increase the suspense. A total yawn of an ending.Was this review helpful to you?
Messy Execution!
The only reason I finished the drama was Li Ji Ah's character, Shim Soo Ryun, and her quest to avenge the death of her daughter. I wanted to watch her journey and I was rewarded when she achieved her goal. The rest...sadly were just fluff, full of over-the top vile, despicable characters from the bullying teens, to the screeching like banshees parents who lacked class, finesse and intelligence. I don't know if this is a culture in Korea but the truly wealthy people do not behave like them. So many unnecessary filler scenes with continuous bullying by the kids as well as the adults that I, like some of the viewers here, constantly rolled my eyes. The exhibited behaviour from most of the characters was so infantile that I was wondering if the writer is a fan of reality TV "real housewives" where people pull each other's hair.It's almost comical that these rich families are figuratively cutting each other's throat so their children can be the best opera singer. To be a great singer like Maria Callas and Kiri Te Kanawa requires real talent and the truly best diva sopranos in the world are so few that you can count them with your fingers. Children of the wealthy are normally groomed to be the heir of their family's fortunes. So the idea that these families, residing in one building, all obsessed with their children's singing is not only silly and ridiculous but unrealistic.
The breath of fresh air in this drama was Li Ji Ah. Her acting was perfect and she was so classy as Shim So Ryun. Even the way she carried herself, the way she talked , her mannerisms, her clothes reeked with elegance, sophistication and high class. I'll only watch the succeeding seasons 2 and 3 if she's in it.
Season ending sucks!
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This review may contain spoilers
Wonderfully Crafted Drama Thriller
This drama reminded me of an old Alfred Hitchcock film, "Rebecca", a romantic psychological thriller. The female protagonists of Rebecca and My Dangerous Wife were seemingly naive, quietly reserve, devoted wives who turned out to be women with spines of steel, willing to go to great lengths to fight for their men, their marriage and their rightful place as the queen of their home. They did not let anyone or anything to stand on their way to achieving their goal. They did not allow themselves to be the victim of what would have turned out as an unfortunate, sad fate had they not done anything about it.Yoon Chul and Jae Kyung's marriage appeared to be a loving relationship that's the envy of their neighbour and their staff. Beneath the surface, their marriage was toxic. YC could not stand his wife and is allergic to her touch. JK was the typical Stefford wife who dutifully laid out his clothes in the morning and prepared porridge for breakfast, blissfully unaware that her husband hated porridge and was barely tolerating her. He married for her money and cheated on her with his restaurant manager.
The surprise of this drama was how JK turned the tide against her husband when she staged her own kidnapping followed by a series of well planned events that she orchestrated herself. Behind her submissive facade was a wily, devious mind who brilliantly executed her plan into action. JK, in the earlier episodes impressed me as someone who loved and was emotionally dependent on her husband, willing to fight to gain back his love for her. To my surprise, JK had her own selfish agenda. She actually married him because she needed a husband to get her insurance money worth millions of pounds. I will not go into the details but suffice it to say, this was delicious revenge drama of a wife scorned who found a way to get her pound of flesh.
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