Bad in every single way yet oddly entertaining
The lighting is bad, the styling is bad, the hairstyles are Boys over flowers bad, the acting is mostly bad, the lines are bad, the characters are not the least bit lovable so yes they are also bad..,Yet I still found myself binging this in 2,5 days... the story is oddly entertaining even with the bad everything else... in this modern day cinderella that has political elements worthy of a historical (clothing and values too) and an Icicle male lead that will put most c-drama icicles to shame the guy REALLY has no clue on how to communicate at all and does do the classical wrist grab, forced kiss and why say something when you can just be mean.... The female lead is also pretty stupid most of the tyme warm and fuzzy but not very interesting. Most of the side characters are mediocre to annoying with the exception of the queens who are the only ones in this drama who both can act and are actually interesting,
All in all I am glad I watched it, but can not say it was particularly good...
Was this review helpful to you?
Welcome to a little bit of everything
This is a sweet drama combining parts of Our Beloved Summer, Reply 1988 and with something more... i am not really sure what that is is could be hometown cha cha cha (without the leads regressing in character) it could be som idol drama... maybe parts of Our Blues. Whatever it is I am sure I have seen most of this drama before most of which was really enjoyable but highly predictable. Which was fine until the cringe came along with voices speaking together as one and some trope that jus got on my nerves lowering the score.Both leads in this drama are absolutely phenomenal, I had forgotten how good Ji Chan Wook is at being sweet, and while it did feel a bit odd to see him as just a regular guy not trying to kill anyone and fully dressed all the time, he definitely has this amazing charm and is indeed capable of captivating the audience.
Shin Hye Sun was also very well casted as she is probably the queen of hot, cold and vulnerable all put in to one
The scenery here is lovely, and the drama is pretty much a commercial to visit Jeju Island while minding the crowds at the popular tourist spots. The use of water and umbrellas is great and I am pretty sure there is a referens in there to the umbrella scene in Something in the Rain with a twist. Other things that had me baffeld was the amount of alcohol the people in this dram could consume without ending up at a hospital or dead.
I love the friendships, the sisterhood, the kid, the families the blasts to the past and learning about the weather. I could do without the actual reasons for the drama in this show as they where not very relatable and lacked depth beyond the depth of the sea... Other things that bothered me where over the top characters with the typical over the top imbedded moments of not that again that many other drama watchers love but just get on my nerves. That said this is an enjoyable watch, an easy binge and couple that is a pure joy to watch.
Healing is kind of my nemesis I knew that going in to this so I will leave it at a it could have been a lot worse, but it was still there to take away from my personal experience. For those of you who love watching healing dramas and do not mind moments of over the top, maybe you even love the moment of over the top then this is defiantly a must watch. For those who can appreciate a mature romance this is also a pretty decent place to find. it.
P.s. this drama was probably also part of the find a deep connection challenge among the writers of Korea, and while it seems to have only lasted one life time I would say it may not be as twisted as some of the other drams with this theme it goes deeper under water than some of the multiple lifetime themed onec out there.
Was this review helpful to you?
Cinderella meets Dark Magic and some other stuff...
This started off kind off meeh, with an abundance of over the top annoying characters and the some kind of familier vibe that took me back to 100 days my prince (same writer) that had me waiting for Rowoon to start saying Hoho in this kind of awkward I am above you kind of tone... Just that I never got the Hoho...In this modern and anciant Cinderella meets black magic and stalking drama. Equipped with the evil (highly annoying) step sisters in the form of colleagues, an evil step mother (the second female lead) and yes a prince (our lead). Some may find this drama messy with a lot of subplots and stuff that don't really add anything to the plot. which is kind of true but if you can just ignore that stuff and instead think of it as diversions that are there to make it harder to guess the main plot and have you guessing (done kind of poorly) you may find them ok...
What ups the score is the character development of our leads, the mom, the grandma and the fact that I love my messy clichefests. And I do feel that I have to warn you that even though Rowoon did a good job and looks like he was created to look to perfect, there is a high probability for SLS as Ha Joon plays his character to perfection and makes a damn good second male lead.
So this is not for those who need the plot to actually make sense or have some kind of consistency.I would be lying if I said this did have any of that. This is more of a watch for those who can appreciate turning off their brain for a while. Just watch some pretty scenery, one of dramalands most beautifully filmed bloody death scenes as well as a bunch very good looking leads. In a place where those who are evil are really evil and you can never be fully sure about those who are supposed to be good.
And as you can see this works perfectly for me in my current mood, but is defiantly not for everyone.
Was this review helpful to you?
Eye rolling and preachy inspirational porn
this drama started out pretty ok, girl finds out she is sick becomes this bad ass version of herself mixed with pissed off and sad. Basically dealing with it like a human beeing may do. She gets a crush, not uch chemestry but she handles the romance pretty well. They meet some cool people, form bonds work on their family realationship and all seems pretty okay.Characters are more or less interesting and the found family and friendshps blossom in the most beautiful way... this could have been so good but then came the never ending monologs, clichés of right and wrong way to deal with stuff, the so called growth that made me role my eyes so much I rolled them more than the time I wrote in a review that I was scared they would get stuck...
Its okay to cry... oh no she is probably crying alone somewhere.... you may have 100 reasons to die but only need one to stay alive.... Mamma I love you.... Hiding the pain from your loved ones is the norm... and not at all strange he must never know... bbla bla bla... Oh just shut up... Please.... Seriously this is some kind of inspirational illness porn at its worst... If it wernet for the good start and sweet characters I would have rated it a 1.
So do I recommend it No. If you do watch it please do not believe a word they say about illness, suicide, paranthood, mental health, romance...
Was this review helpful to you?
Bland Summer, Winter... everything
It is impressing how someone can take a decent cast, an okay story, lots of fun clicés, ok representation, decent characters, good kisses, a nice setting and still manage to make something so repetitive and bland that I feel like I deserve a pat on the back for making it to the end. Either that or someone to shake some sense in to me so I would drop it.They even had a cute dog, so how, how, how could this end up so dull and full of eye rolling simultaneous talk?
If you are a fan of the cast I say run away as this may send you in to some kind of fandom crisis. Actually no mater who or what type of dramas you like you can probably skip this. The generous 6,5 is because of all of those variables that could have been so good as well as how mind blowing it is that they managed to make it this bland.
Was this review helpful to you?
Powerstruggle and the lies told, seen though lies through the eyes of teens
❤️This drama is so good showing some of societies structures, behaviours struggles... Seen through the eyes of teens... okay maybe not through the eyes bus since the story is about a guy named aye it felt right to say that. ❤️It shows us some pretty powerful social criticism as it is very easy to see parallels to how people talk about some of the fights and movements out there... As well as how structures and power is held.. All in the form of a school instead of society. Lies told in the name of keeping the peace and keeping things the way some people think they should be. Making references to George Orwell's 1984 (one of my all time favourite books) showing extreme lengths people will go to out of fear and so on… Making way for some pretty amazing dialog and a bunch of very powerful scenes.
The scenery in this drama is very pretty so is the cinematography, even though we get to spend a whole lot of time in a pretty generic school building the editing and lighting makes sure each episode has at least a few ecstatic scenes.
The characters in this drama are relatable, lovable, fun to watch and show very few annoying tendencies. Even Neo Trai Nimtawat who normally plays an over the top character that gets on my nerves goes from slightly annoying to lovable. And there are some pretty amazing pick up lines too.
The leads have great smiles and great chemistry, one of them almost seemed to grasp the notion of consent reading into his partners signals, and actually using word such as may I… But then he goes and does something a little bit boundary-less, making me question his knowledge after all… he is however very attentive and…Well there is no dead fish kiss in sight. As well a sa whole bunch of real emotions done right.
There are some unpredictable twists here and there, I am not sure I actually liked them but they did definitely catch me off guard so kudos. Also people it is not okay to out people no matter the purpose is.
Bingabilaty high,
Entertainment high
Important message- high
Heart flutter- decent.
Definitely one of the best youth dramas out there and I highly recommend it
Was this review helpful to you?
Cute, but poor, poor Moo
"I am not a mosquito, no matter how much you shoo me away I won't leave"This is a cute little easy to watch and easy to love drama. While I will admit that some of the actors could use a few acting lessons the over all feel to this is oooh so cute and ohhh poor Moo...
As we meet our bubbly, male lead Moo, a guy in need of a lesson or ten in respecting other peoples boundaries. However he is sweet his intentions are good and it really is hard to dislike the kid. He is also very talented and surrounded by people who underestimate him from start to finish the people around him keep underastamting him over and over again making mee feel bad for poor Moo. He is also the one character (ok, there is one more) who's delivery of, well everything is good (boy can sing, dance and act)
Out other male lead is cold, and warm, bickering fun but boy really needs to improve his mimics and delivery of lines.
There is some second hand embarrassment, and a few kind of meeh very predictable twists that had me lower the score a bit but all in all a fun watch that I do recommend to those who enjoy music, dancing and slightly obsessed boys in love.
Was this review helpful to you?
Not the least bit inspiring, but good enough for an afternoon watch
I am not going to lie, I started this solely for the leads but went in to it with very low expectations about the plot, but honestly it wasn´t that bad as it indeed made me laugh more than one time for its criticism towards exploitation of people in need for entertainment purposes. And IU´s character embodies this lovely for choosing a team based on their story instead of credentials.Though there are some over top slightly annoying moments I enjoyed most of the characters as well as their characterisation, bluntness and growth in the dialog. Going against all that inspirational crap saying if you work hard enough you may end up in a dumpster and that kind of sucks... Also friendship is nice and it is not about winning or loosing, you can gain sympathy by how you play the game.
Was this a masterpiece by all means no, but watching IU and Park Seo Joon bicker in a slightly passive aggressive way with mimics and fingers is indeed a joy for the eye and ear. which makes this a pretty decent afternoon watch.
Was this review helpful to you?
A whole lot of feels...
What started with a build up of tears by the side of the eye... went over to wet sleeve and ended with ugly snot crying. This is a unique romance, it is sweet, not always so innocent and at times a whole lot of fun with some oddly dark humour.As we meet the boy who was run over by The White Truck of Doom and turned in to a living corps as the male lead kept saying: He is NOT DEAD, he is a Living corps... in this story about love, lust, loss a whole lot of denial. This story is different than anything I have ever seen. So it even had me debating if it was worth a 10 star rating but though it made me cry A LOT it did not captivate me enough for a 10. But it is a strong 9,5. On the one hand such a sweet youthful story, on the other the living dead and a whole lot of pain... tragedy, romcom, supernatural all in one.
The male leads are both cold one in his personality the other literally as his body started getting cold after he died. The boys interactions are a true cold meets war, introvert extrovert opposites attract story with all it has to offer, though we only get to see a few glimpses in to their story the chemistry and playfulness is there. Adding a time limit, fear and need to hold on adds that extra spice and emotion to the story that hit me like an arrow straight though my still beating heart.
This is definitely a drama I recommend to pretty much any one who can handle it and is in need of a good cry. It truly is perfect for those days when you need to laugh, cry and fall in love... all at once.
P.S the intro with it´s OST is one of the most fitting intros I can remember ever seeing, I usually skip the intro but chose to watch it in this one. And there is a nice shot of an Axolotl in it too.
Was this review helpful to you?
5 to 9 odd characters...
Well this was... ehem, yes what did I actually watch?Mr obsessed monk at first sight, stalks, locks up and more or less does everything in his power (wich he has a lot of) to get Ms sweet and slightly sassy to get Stockholm syndrome and fall in love with him.
On The way there he becomes The King of Cold showers who takes cold showers to another level, spending a lot of time under a freezing water fall to control himself. This guy is indeed a character, in need of a bunch of lessons in consent, boundaries and so on... He is at least honest and kind of cute.
The female lead is loved by all... and I mean all, and while many dramas will not say the words, obsession and stalking she tells it as it is. entering her Stockholm syndrome romance well aware of how she got there.
Most of the side characters and side stories are a mix of interesting and highly questionable but not annoying. However the grandmother does make it in to the worst guardian hall of fame and needs to learn to think ahead an let things go...
What else can I say there is a lot of English here that feels awkward and some humour I am not really sure of... but hey what else is new in the land of dramas... Deffenetly an entertaining drama worth a watch.
Was this review helpful to you?
A whole historical in 7 minutes with a cat!
This is actually pretty impressive how they managed to squeeze in a whole historical C-drama and even added, Meow the secret girl to it... Swardfight, blood cough (though they were stingy with the cranberry juice), poisoning, intrigues, flashbacks, slomo, romance, lust, and all in under 7 minutes!I honestly felt that I got all the information I needed on this short emotional cute journey... It may also be a commercial for some kind of pancakes, I am not 100% sure.... And I did feel like eating one...
I am not going to say that this was great, but cute, fluffy and took less time to watch than to write this review... So just go for it.
Was this review helpful to you?
He is really really in to her she is more in to her job, C-fluff with some rare gems.
This drama is pure C-fluff, a pretty smooth ride with the typical C- icicle who has trouble expressing himself and needs a lesson or two in honesty while the female lead is energetic warm and very good at talking herself in to getting more or less whatever she wants. These two have pretty good chemistry, great humor (reminded me a bit of You are my hero), and you can see that the guy is truly in to her, almost a bit to in to her... while she is more in to her job which is kind of funny yet sweet at the same time.This drama does reinforce the idea of men wanting to get physical most of the time, while women should want to protect their virtue it does deal with the issue of consent in a pretty good way as well as shows the female lead as a competent person. The drama does deal with the issue of working mothers and some of the struggles they may face for trying to have both a career and a job in a pretty good way.
This drama also deals with the classic money over quality as well as struggles between different generations in a okay, not great, not bad but okay way. What it douse do great is shed light on the importance of finding the right person for the right job stressing the importance of a supportive environment for growth and the dangers of trying to impose ones own idea on some one eases dreams. And gives you the feeling of wee can accomplish anything if we work together.
The second couples characters where great, smart, funny, good looking just not together. Their scenes together where probably the most boring thing about this fluff and is probably what lowered the score.
The bromance here is great, and you will find this really rare thing that I can barely remember seeing in a c-drama, the friend actually giving his/her friend good relationship advice! (I was completely mind-blown and had to rewind the first time, to check that I was reading the subs correctly)
While C-fluff often has at least one character that is kind but annoys me, this c-fluff has not a single one of those characters. Don't get me wrong all the characters are not lovable but what I love to hate about this drama is the presence of the aggravating characters that truly make you curse and want to do things you should not do. Adding to the emotional palett this drama offers.
All in all a decent watch, easy to watch some cringe, some fluff, some anger and some pure happiness and girl power!
Was this review helpful to you?
King of Cringe and Kisses
This is one of those dramas that is so hard to rate as some parts are so annoying and cringey they made me want to cover my eyes, skip, throw up, yell oh come on this is just stupid... While at the same time offering me some of dreamlands hottest kissing scenes, fun references to dramas passed and well Junho entering in slow mo wearing a suit, by suites I mean a lot of suits and a lot of scenes making me wonder if the makers of this drama where trying to check how many slow mo shots of Junho in a suit are to many... And well they tried their best but nee I am sure they could have fit in more of them and it would have only made this better.In between the awful and the amazing there was a decent cliche story done mostly good, with mostly predictable twists a slight attempt to talk about some issues without really exploring the issues... All kind of meeh. But then agin we were offered some pretty amazing shots, nice music and mostly lovable leads with friends to die for (even if there stories and characters where annoying and over the top at times all characters had their moments of decency and greatness.
For some reason I find myself comparing this drama to Hometown Cha Cha Cha, and while it does have moments as cringy as the ones in there not a single one of the characters is as annoying as the people in Cha Cha. And while the FL in Cha Cha takes a turn to the annoying this one is mostly good from start to finish. what Cha Cha had that this one did not have was a beautiful bromance. But while Cha Cha truly took a dive from fun to oh my let this embarrassment end , this dramas journey of annoying cringe and greatness was more of a roller coaster type thing.
So if you love watching Junho in slow mo in a suit, steamy wet kissing scenes and can handle some cringe and annoying elements this is a really good watch.
P.S there was also a small referens to pretty women hidden in there....
Was this review helpful to you?
Could have been so good without the romance...
I am conflicted about this drama, there is a lot of goodness in it pretty faces, funny scenes, decent acting, lovely gazes and some pretty deep thoughts between the fluff.Had they only made this a story of friendship support, pain and healing, though I hate the word healing this would have been great and would probably have gotten a much higher score, however having a romantic plot line between a dog and a human does not work for me at all and makes me feel really uncomfortable. I am trying to understand this phenomena as I do see it from time to time? Is wishing one pets became human a real thing? Do people actually want to have a romantic relationship with a human with the the mentality of a dog? Hot and muscular as the person may be, knowing this is the human form of the pet he once cared for? Seriously? Why? I get that there is a lot of love but romance? Really?
Losing my dog was one of the hardest things I have ever been through, going home to a dog less flat was unimaginable several years later I still miss my dog a lot. I have had pets most of my life, so I do understand that there is a strong bond between a pet and their owner, but the pet is completely dependent of it´s owner and is more like a toddler than a lover. Lee Jae Bin did an amazing job showing us that he indeed was a dependent dog that loved his owner unconditionally. Kim Seong Hyuk who played the cat was hilarious to watch, his love line was a bit more acceptable, as he was mentally less dependent and more mature. While still keeping cat qualities + his love interest is not with his owner.
Seeing these side by side made it even more clear that the romance between Choco and his owner was disturbing.
The production itself was pretty good for what I assume is a low budget production. So basically Sweet and interesting story but kind of disturbing... that could have been great if they just left out the romance.
Was this review helpful to you?
Could have been really good if only....
Take one great Earth, mix it with Mix... add some beautiful scenery, food, an ok story, toss it in a blender with annoying characters and make one of the leads hyper annoying and what do you get?Well this...
The acting is what I would expect of the two leads, spot on and well preformed. The chemistry is out of this Earth and the kisses are definitely sweet n' hot, no dead fish in sight... The boys swap is done pretty well without tp many annoying gestures or odd acting. However While Korn (Earth) is written as this great person that is easy to fall in love with. Win (Mix) is the complete opposite... giving us opposites attract but in the oh so wrong way that I found myself feeling bad for Korn and wishing he would fall in love with someone nice or at least less annoying. Win is loud, selfish, rude... and well everything bad, which can at times be entertaining. Here he is just annoying...
Lin (the sister whose body has been taken over, Jan) is portrayed as this super weak girl if it reflects on all women or not is not easy to say bit the women in this show are rather weak, or selfish and mean or both. Lin is however pretty sweet, just very week and again not in a very good way...
Doc (White) and the different monks rocked most of the time, there was not a lot of logic there but hey it has a supernatural theme so of course we can not expect everything to make sense...
Bingeablilaty: 8
Chemistry: 10
Kisses: 10
Annoying characters: 9999999
Twits: not as predictable as I would expect so a 9
All in all an ok watch, could have been really good but well making one of the leads highly annoying does kind of drag down the fun...
Was this review helpful to you?

71
142
14
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
