What I loved: The main couple, and the other subway cops.

What I liked: The case-of-the-week format.

What I was meh about: The main plot. It was draggy in the middle, but kept me engaged in early and late episodes.

What I hated: Ha Ma Ri, the metro police in general (they're terrible at their jobs).

The driving force of this drama, for me, has been the personal stories of Go Ji Suk and Yoo Ryung. Both of them are very warm-hearted people who have had to take care of their disabled loved ones all on their own, so they both have experienced a lot of suffering. The case-of-the-week format worked for me as well, with each case having Ji Suk warming to Ryung's style of doing things more and more, as he comes to understand her drive to save people.

The main plot is admittedly weak, because the police seem ridiculously incompetent at finding clues to the Subway Ghost case. The way it's written, without Ryung's help they would never have figured out who the killer was. Lieutenant Ha Ma Ri is lousy at her job, because chooses to be a hateful bitch rather than be a good detective. Ma Ri ignores Ryung's pleas to investigate her sister's disappearance, as well as her theory that the killer used the subway tunnels. She also finds every opportunity to verbally spite Ryung and put her down because Ji Suk falls for Ryung instead of coming back to HER. Ma Ri could have been a great character, but instead she's just plain hateful, an incompetent detective with an inferiority complex.

I like this drama a lot, despite its issues. Some of the lines, like Ryung saying it was her sister's fault (if you've seen it you know what I'm talking about), made no sense at all, and irritated me because it had been established that due to her sister's Autism, her mental state was about the level of a two year old. How can a two year old be to blame for what happened? I can understand why the villain blamed her – he was out of his senses with grief and anger – but I don't understand why anyone else would blame her.
But 90% of the time I really enjoyed watching this drama. So I will recommend it to those who are a fan of slow-burn love stories that have a lot of spark, because the chemistry between Moon Geun Young (Yoo Ryung) and Kim Sun Ho (Go Ji Suk) is amazing in this drama.

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This drama really did well at the beginning; there were romantic sparks between the main leads and there was a tantalizing mystery to be solved. I loved the back-and-forth between the CEO and his secretary, it was adorable from beginning to end. But my main problem with this drama is that, in my opinion, the conflict was resolved way too early. The mystery behind the kidnapping, and which brother was actually the victim, was wrapped up a little over half way through the drama; around episode 11 or 12. I thought that there was going to be a larger plot point involved, but once the truth was revealed, the trauma seemed to just disappear. They never dealt with it properly, it was just like "oh, everything is perfectly fine now that everybody knows what really happened".

So I got bored with the last 4-5 episodes because next to nothing happened besides the main couple being cute with each other. It was somewhat enjoyable, but when there is no driving force to the story (aka "conflict") it just deflates. Sure, there were mini-issues, like getting acceptance/permission to marry from the secretary's family. But honestly, everyone knew how it was going to end by episode 12. The happy couple was going to get married, it just took them 4 episodes of not much happening besides a few couple quarrels to actually reach the wedding. I dunno, I just felt like the mystery could've had larger repercussions after the truth was out, instead of being swept under the rug.

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Namgoong Min Bulk-Up!

The Veil is worth watching just for that 1-minute montage in the first episode of Namgoong Min working out with his muscles bulging and his skin glistening with sweat...

But all jokes aside, this is a good action drama. I wouldn't say its plot is anything unique or new, but it definitely leaves you wanting more at the end of each episode. I also applaud MBC for not censoring any of the gore, which enhances the realistic, gritty feel of the drama.

I will say that the plot has so many threads, it's best not to binge watch the whole thing, or you'll miss something. Take it slow and savor each episode, pay attention to seemingly throwaway lines, and take note of small and seemingly insignificant scenes. There will be a lot of characters, and not all of them stick around, but they all have something significant to add to the plot. I rewatched the show before watching the finale, and it made me realize just how many seemingly minor details I had forgotten now had new significance after seeing the later episodes.

I especially enjoyed Ji Hyuk's personal development as he allowed himself to open up (if only a tiny bit) to trusting again, as Je Yi slowly pushed past all the walls he'd put up. I'm a sucker for those types of relationships (romantic or not).

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I started watching this drama after almost all the episodes had aired, so I could watch them back-to-back without the disadvantage of having to wait week after week for new material. From what I've seen of people's complaints, I think the biggest problem with this drama is that people set their expectations WAY too high because this was Lee Min Ho's first drama since his return from enlistment, and it felt like people were expecting something that would rival Goblin. Which is why people were so disappointed when it turned out to be an "alright" drama filled with the typical product placement that is rampant in most dramas (Do you want some skin care with that fried chicken, anyone?).

The concept and storytelling was good, the acting was great, and the OST is memorable. Hwa Sa's Orbit will be on repeat for a while to come. I wouldn't say the drama was exceptionally brilliant by any means, which is what I think everyone wanted it to be, but it is NOT bad. Lee Min Ho was dreamy as the king hopelessly in love with the woman of his dreams. In addition Kim Go Eun, Woo Do Hwan, and Kim Kyung Nam especially did a great job in this drama.

The only thing about this drama that somewhat disappointed me was the ending. Endings are hard to get right, especially in dramas containing time travel, so I am not surprised that the finale was full of plot holes. However, despite my personal dissatisfaction with certain writing choices for the ending, it was alright. For new viewers who are just discovering this drama, I would simply suggest that they skip reading the comments and spoiler-y reviews, and simply watch it without bias and do not expect it to be another Goblin.

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Not bad, but not that great either

I started Tale of the Nine-Tailed thinking I'd like it a lot because from what I'd seen, it looked like a mashup of Goblin and Legend of the Blue Sea, which are two of my favorite dramas. Sadly, TotNT is just a kinda average drama with some frustrating plot holes, and suffers from the "tell, not show" syndrome. The drama told us too much and didn't show us enough.

The Good:
1) Kim Bum as Lee Rang. I loved this bad boy. He was honestly the best character. He had his priorities straight. Too bad he died to save his love-struck and love-blinded brother. He deserved better.

2) Yu Ri and Shin Ju. They were the cutest couple. Way better than the main couple.

3) Lee Rang and Lee Yeon. The relationship between the brothers was more dynamic and interesting than the main couple's relationship.


The Average:
1) The music is ok. I don't plan on buying any of the OSTs, but there wasn't anything I particularly disliked about it.


The Bad:
1) The "tragic fate" between the two lovers Yeon and Ji Ah was cliche and not executed very well. The modern romance happened too fast, and their past lives backstory was told through too much exposition. Did we see why Ah Eum was taken out of the palace or why she wanted to kill her father? Nope, they only told us. How much of Yeon's and Ah Eum's romance did we really see? Maybe five minutes? Not enough to really care about it.

2) The missing parents story was wrapped up too quickly, and they adjusted to being missing for 20 years far too easily. They were pretty much caricatures, given so little actual development that I hardly believed that they were her real parents and not more fakes.

3) So many innocent people died while Yeon tried to figure out a way to save Ji Ah, that I was disgusted that they seemed only to care about saving her. In the words of Gatekeeper Granny, "How many lives do you think that thing will take away in three days? Who says their lives are less important than the one you're trying to save?" Near the end, I wished Ji Ah would just do the right thing and sacrifice herself, because then I might actually have some sympathy for the main couple.

4) Imugi would've been a much more interesting villain if we'd been shown more about his origins. Show that disfigured child in the pit of death, show his emergence as the white snake. Show his fury at being denied the position of mountain god when Yeon first took over. But instead, we were just told about it.

5) I hated that Lee Yeon's love for his brother was not as strong as Rang's love for him. Yeon only seemed to swoop in to save Rang when it would result in benefitting Ji Ah, or when he absolutely had to: such as when Rang was about to die because of his fox contract. But when Rang was once again on the brink of death after getting stabbed, Yeon didn't even try to save him. Why? He was too busy having a seaside date with Ji Ah and pretending to be a "normal" couple. It seemed like Yeon's love for Rang was inconsistent. On the other hand, Rang loved his brother without any ulterior motive. He just wanted his brother to live.

6) The ending was trite and didn't make sense within the story logic that had been established during the drama. Lee Yeon reincarnates as a grown adult? Lee Rang's reincarnation is a 10-year-old child who had to have been alive before Rang died? They seriously forced that happy ending.

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I liked this drama a lot. The story of all the characters, and how they dealt with tragedy: whether it be self-destruction, self-hatred, or healing. Some people are able to move on with their lives, while others are trapped in their grief.

I only had a couple problems with the drama, primarily Moon Soo's mom and then Moon Soo herself. Moon Soo's mom was, to be frank, verbally abusive towards her daughter off and on throughout the episodes, and definitely contributed to Moon Soo's guilt complex. Worse, she never properly apologized for the harmful words she said to her daughter. I so badly wanted to smack sense into that woman, because even if she's grieving she had no right to speak to her daughter so cruelly.

As for Moon Soo, I really liked her character. She was understanding, empathetic, and was great at communicating when something upset her or when something was wrong. Then episode 15 happened, and she did an abrupt turn-around of her pre-established character, refused to communicate, and then stupidly and hurtfully broke up with Gang Doo for a hot minute, just so the drama could be...dramatic, I guess? I mean, they broke up for about half an hour of actual drama time, before getting back together once she found out about Gang Doo's sickness. So I felt that the whole episode 15 was practically pointless.

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Flawed Characters who Make Mistakes

I started this drama purely because of Eric Mun, because I know his acting is top-notch, and I'm filling time before his next drama comes out. I didn't know if I'd like this drama, due to what I saw from the mixed reviews, but as I've reached the halfway point and have not had any major complaints, I thought I'd voice my opinion based on the primary issues I've seen people voice.

1) Ha Jin not wanting to tell the truth about his past. I saw several people who commented they couldn't understand why he was so reluctant to reveal to Yeo Reum that he was an orphan, why his mother was also so against him revealing it, and why he didn't just tell Ah Rim about his real identity. From what I've read, there is actually a huge amount of stigma against adoption in Korea, so people who do adopt often are very secretive about it, thus I wasn't very surprised or bothered by this plot point because it's due to a cultural difference that I was already aware of.

2) Yeo Reum's bitchiness. Yes, she is a bitch for much of the drama, and she even admits openly to Tae Ha that she is an "evil wench". But even that I understand, because despite of how in control and calm she appears to be, she is actually an incredibly insecure individual when it comes to relationships, because of how badly her relationship with Tae Ha ended. She feels that because she had no power in her relationship with Tae Ha, she needs to have all of the power in her relationship with Ha Jin. Yeo Reum is manipulative, deceptive, and cruel because she feels that is the only way to keep Ha Jin close, and Tae Ha at arm's length.

3) The souring of Yeo Reum's relationship with Ha Jin, and her going back to Tae Ha in the end. I think this is one of those things that bothers other people, but not me. As I've watched, I get the impression that despite herself, Yeo Reum still "clicks" with Tae Ha, and she hates it because she thinks it's weakness. I also think a large part of the reason she was with Ha Jin in the first place is because he was safe and certain, but also because he was willing to be the "weak" one in the relationship. Sure, she liked him, but she definitely manipulated him to do what she wanted, and as Ha Jin points out later he's definitely the one who likes her more. The original reason for Yeo Reum and Tae Ha's break up was because of a failure on both sides to communicate (and in Tae Ha's case, to choose what was truly important), a mistake that they both recognized in hindsight. Plus, they both acknowledged that they could have saved their relationship if they had really tried. I think that's why I have no problem with them getting back together in the end. My parents broke up multiple times before they got married, even during their engagement; it's not like it doesn't happen.

Also, as I've neared the end, there were other things about Yeo Reum's and Ha Jin's relationship that were not healthy or sustainable, compared to when Tae Ha and Yeo Reum were together. Ha Jin grows more and more controlling as he feels he is losing her, to the point of trying to discourage Yeo Reum in her pursuits of her dream. Meanwhile Tae Ha pushes her and challenges her, forcing her out of her comfort zone, both when they were together and in the present when he believes that she won't choose him. For some people (myself included), that outside push to improve oneself is necessary. Ha Jin does not challenge Yeo Reum to improve herself, he wants her to stay exactly where she is. And even when he tries to learn more about her passions, it's too late and the damage is done.

So in conclusion, I like this drama a lot. It's an excellent narrative that did a good job of showing how relationships really function. They're messy, they hurt, they don't always work out the way we want or expect, and sometimes the person you need is not the one that just gives you good feelings, it's the person who pushes you to be better.

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A drama where people deal with their relationship issues with maturity

I'm going to go out and say this right now, I like this drama more than the far more popular "What's Wrong With Secretary Kim" and "Her Private Life", for several reasons.

1. Jung Eum as the female protagonist is pretty relatable. She's someone who's just trying to get by at her job; she's not super talented and not super smart. She's been burned by love before, but is willing to open herself up to it again.

2. Every time the main couple ran into an issue with their relationship, they didn't waste time with misunderstandings or lying to each other. Every time I was worried that they were going to follow that stupid trope, I was pleasantly surprised when it didn't happen.

3. The way they resolved the problem of the love rivalry between Joon Soo and Hoon Nam was also very mature. The two men worked it out like two grown adults, resolved their differences, and Joon Soo accepted Jung Eum's choice as well as Hoon Nam's sincerity.

4. The childhood connection backstory wasn't nearly as dramatic as with WWWSK or HPL, nor was it resolved so haphazardly or so corny. One of my major complaints with the aforementioned dramas is the way they chose to resolve those backstory plots. No complaints from me about The Undateables. It was significant, but not overdone, they didn't make a huge deal over their childhood connection.

5. The second female lead was neither super clingy nor a bitch towards the female lead. Both women both made their intentions and feelings clear to each other without being super melodramatic or mean.

6. The Undateables has kept my interest even past episode 12, which is the same point where both WWWSK and HPL both lost their interest for me. I liked each mini-story of the "Undateable" couples, they were very sweet and funny. Maybe it's because I'm single and want meet someone who fits me, but I was really invested in those stories.

I think the main reason why this drama clicked with me where "What's Wrong With Secretary Kim" and "Her Private Life" didn't is because even the characters who are kind of despicable (Hoon Nam's father and cousin) are also somewhat likeable. They feel like real, flawed people. I never got that sense of realism and relatability from WWWSK or HPL, they were almost like watching self-insertion fanfiction.

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I liked this drama right up to the final episode. The characters were interesting and multifaceted, the villain chilling and intriguing. But I was really disappointed in the clumsy way that the story was wrapped up. I felt like they tried to smash too much into the last 60 minutes, when they should have balanced it across 15 and 16.

*Spoilers Below*


I felt that it would have been a better tribute to Eun Ji Soo's death if Seung Mo had decided to turn himself in for his crimes because he was genuinely moved by her unrelenting love and belief in him, rather than because of his mother's request. Also, I thought the last 15 minutes of the episode were disjointed. TBH, I thought it should have ended with Lee Ahn talking to Seung Mo in the prison, because the drama began with them and it really was Ahn's and Seung Mo's story, not Ahn's and Jae In's.

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I really enjoyed about 40% of this drama. The beginning episodes, until right around Episode 6 or 7. Then, when it became clear that the entire story was going to revolve around pursuing the Woman in Red, and they kept going in circles, I started to lose steam. The only thing that kept me going for the next 10 episodes of the drama was the hope that Da Il would find and return to his body and finally get to have a life with Yeo Wool. But even that didn't happen. Yeo Wool and Da Il kept dancing around which one of them was going to sacrifice themselves to kill the Woman in Red, then Da Il finally took the plunge and killed his own body. I was angry when that happened, because there was a perfectly good option of the shaman girl doing something, but the writer decided "oh, suddenly she can't see or hear spirits anymore, all her powers are gone at just the wrong moment". Seriously?

The final scenes of the last episode also pissed me off. I had resigned myself to Da Il being dead for good. But no, he comes back as a ghost again and what? Stays by Yeo Wool's side as a ghost for the rest of her life? I was frustrated that this was the creative choice the writers went with. It was so dissatisfactory. There is no hope for this couple. He's stuck as a wandering spirit, and they can never progress further than "what could have been". That love and longing can never be resolved. If they had instead shown us a reincarnation of them as a couple meeting for the first time, then I wouldn't have been so disappointed.

It would have been so much better if this drama had picked a path and stuck with it: either go the way of "Bring It On, Ghost!" and revive Da Il with or without his memories, or simply never give the viewers the hope that he could come back alive. Just say "he's dead" and be done with it. I hated that we were strung along with the delicious idea that Da Il could survive the ordeal, just to have him play the Sacrificial Hero card.

I really wish I could recommend this drama. The first six or seven episodes were fascinating and gripping, with an excellent creep factor with the mystery of the Woman in Red. But the writer failed to deliver a satisfying middle or end to what could have been an amazing supernatural/mystery drama.

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Rough Start, Heartwarming Story

STORY:
I'm going to say it right now, the first episode was one of the worst pilots I've ever seen. I was really questioning whether to watch this drama after experiencing the first episode. The setup for the characters was poor, especially Pyo Na Ri. I hated that she was inexplicably groping Hwa Shin's chest at different points throughout the first episode, to the point of making me uncomfortable, just so she could drop the bomb at the end that she thought he had breast cancer. Like, that's a good cliffhanger, but it was poorly executed. It just made her seem like a woman who couldn't control her sexual urges.

However, I was determined to at least give it a second chance, and the second and third episodes cleared away my disappointment with the first episode. I have giggled and squealed happily throughout this drama.

CHARACTERS:
I cannot even describe how much I love Hwa Shin's character. Yes, he's an ass. Yes, he's incredibly flawed. But when he loves, he loves with his whole being, and watching him go all out to win Pyo Na Ri was one of the cutest things I've ever seen. When he cried, I wanted to wrap my arms around him and tell him everything was going to be okay.

Jung Won is the best best friend anybody could have. I get why he and Pyo Na Ri didn't work out, so I wasn't brokenhearted when they separated. I loved that, despite how he felt about Na Ri, Jung Won stayed Hwa Shin's friend, however reluctantly.

Pyo Na Ri bothered me sometimes, especially during her teeter-tottering between Hwa Shin and Jung Won. I liked it much better when she figured out which one she really loved. I also wished she would stop bottling up how she was feeling and just be honest with Hwa Shin when she was upset; I hated it when she just kept insisting she was fine.

Anyway, this got a solid 9.5 from me; I docked a half-point for that awful beginning episode. Blech.

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Finding Mr. Destiny is a very sweet, feel-good movie with a meaningful message.

Seo Ji Woo is afraid of being disappointed, which is why she doesn't finish books, doesn't eat the last cookie in the bag, and didn't go to meet her first love in Osaka. She is afraid to put herself out there for fear of being hurt. Han Gi Joon is the perfect match for her, because once he starts something he is determined to see it through; difficulty and setbacks don't deter him. Gi Joon pulls Ji Woo out of her comfort zone and helps her to realize that living in fear impedes you from realizing that endings aren't always scary, disappointing, or painful. Sometimes, reaching the end of something just means that it's time to start something new.

The only gripe I'd have is that I wish this movie had been like 30 minutes longer, just to give their relationship a bit more time to develop, but I was grinning practically the whole time, so overall good for at least a single watch-through.

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I loved Wuji and Fu Yao. I loved them so much I squealed out loud when they were on screen, because their chemistry was explosive. However, their scenes were the only parts of the story I truly enjoyed after the second arc. I found myself skipping almost all of the scenes with the other characters, even to the point of skipping main plot points, because I just didn't care anymore. Some of the plotlines felt recycled and dull, and the boring secondary characters took up so much screentime later in the drama. In some places, you could maybe find 5 minutes of Wuji/Fu Yao scenes in a 45-minute episode. You could cut out 3/4 of the drama's plot and still have a good story about a man and a woman fighting for a love that no one wants them to have, and I totally would've watched it over and over again.

My main point of contention with this drama is that they leave the "big bad" for the very very last episode. Which sucks. Because I was really interested in the idea that the demon lord was going to use Fu Yao to cause chaos in the world. But...like...all that chaos happened without him doing anything, because the world was in such a volatile state anyway? All he ended up being was a rock that shook with black smoke coming out of it. And then both Wuji and Fu Yao die? But not just die, Fu Yao stabs Wuji to death while she is possessed by the demon, and then she frees herself from his control long enough to kill herself. I know they technically get a happy ending together in Nirvana, but WTF? What the Actual F***? I hated the ending passionately, because in the end they didn't really get to defeat their fates, despite what people might say about it.

The only reason I'm giving this drama a score of 6 is because of Wuji and Fu Yao. Their love story was beautiful. Otherwise, I'd be giving this drama a score of 1. Without those two, it was a dull and frustrating drama that I just couldn't bother myself to care about.

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This drama is admittedly incredibly cheesy, trope-y, and over the top. You really have to suspend your disbelief, because there are some pretty unbelievable situations in this drama that don't make sense if you think too much about it. Plus, there's the rather dull secondary storyline involving some really old books that have some great historical significance (apparently) that the North Koreans want really badly (for a reason I don't really care about).

However, if you skip all the scenes involving the secondary storyline, what you get is a fairly decent drama. You have the classic story of two people who hate each other, who then have to live together, then start falling for each other, and inevitably have misunderstandings, people desperately trying to tear them apart, and (as with many dramas) some sort of seemingly insurmountable problem that keeps them from being together (in this case, she being a spy from NK).

I found the back and forth between their relationship admittedly somewhat frustrating, but not enough to the point where I wasn't enjoying myself. As I watch, I keep in mind that Myungwol was raised in one of if not THE most oppressively militant countries in the world, and the threat of death for herself and her comrades upon failure of her mission is sufficient reason for her constant wavering with Kang Woo, not to mention she's literally for the first time understanding what romantic love is and how powerful it is while trying to seduce him. I also can't blame Kang Woo for being frustrated with her, and constantly demanding proof of her true affection, when she's deceived him so many times. Throughout watching this, I realized that the real enemy of Kang Woo's and Myungwol's happiness is North Korea itself, or rather its government and military.

On a different note, Eric Mun is, to put it mildly, sexy as hell in this drama. Thank you, PD-nim, for filming the majority of Eric's scenes with him in either a chest-baring V-neck, a sleeveless tank top, or shirtless. Eric 오빠, you were looking hella fine in 2011. I love you now, but damn you were smokin' hot ten years ago. (You're still good-looking now, just in a more mature way, 걱정마).

Oh, and he also does an amazing job at playing his character, the tsundere Kang Woo. I thought that Park Do Kyung would be my favorite Eric Mun role, but I changed my mind. Eric as Kang Woo is a diamond in the rough in this drama, he carries it on his shoulders.

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Story: This drama was one of those that is enjoyable, and you often find yourself grinning along with the characters. The story isn't remarkable, but it is heartwarming.

Acting/Cast: I liked the cast, but I couldn't really get into the romance too much in this drama, unfortunately. Hyeri doesn't look or sound old enough to be a love interest for the more mature Ji Sung. That's the only reason that my rating for acting isn't higher. Ji Sung shines in every role I've seen him in.

Music: The music was pretty good; I liked the title track and a few of the other ost tracks. It wasn't remarkable otherwise.

Rewatch Value: I'd probably put this in the "good for one viewing" category. There are other dramas that are worth re-watching more than this one.

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