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Completed
She Would Never Know
90 people found this review helpful
by TC1111
Mar 9, 2021
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 3
Overall 8.0
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 7.0

Only enjoyable if you feel a connect with any of the characters

Definitely not a romantic comedy as marketed, this show is more like a Romantic Office melodrama with interesting side storylines that capture different types of relationships. The first 3 episodes will not convince you to watch it, so give it time till episode 5. After that you’ll be more invested in what goes on.

The main couple‘s romance takes time to develop, but once they do it is endearing to see them develop together. The ML’s 2 sisters however have much more interesting storylines- I would look forward to seeing their scenes more than the main couple’s after a point. I also thought the SML and SFL did not get enough screen time and I wished we saw more of them to understand and empathise with them better.

It had its flaws, but the show managed to capture maturity in most relationships (particularly the side ones) and also managed to give all the side plots satisfactory endings. As for the main couple, I would have preferred a different or an open ending rather than the one given, but I’m definitely not unhappy with how the show wrapped.

If you don’t feel connected to any character until 5 episodes you might not enjoy the show as a whole. However if you wish to continue, give it time as it’s a slow ride which might take you by surprise.

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Completed
Lovestruck in the City
16 people found this review helpful
by TC1111
Jan 19, 2021
17 of 17 episodes seen
Completed 35
Overall 7.5
Story 6.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 4.0

It’s a frustrating journey of two heart broken people in love

This show takes time to develop, so you’ll either like it or you won’t I don’t think there’s any in between, but if you do intend to watch give it time.

The concept is definitely fresh and all the characters have distinct personalities and the actors do a very good job in bringing those out (even if I put my love for JCW aside and see, he’s mind blowing in all the emotional scenes and always delivers).

The side characters are more interesting to me in this show and they don’t get enough screen time in my eyes.

My issue is that the 2 main characters are not as likeable. I did not root for them to be together- I wanted them to develop but separately. It takes time for them to come around one another and their journey made me believe they were better off. The way they were written came across as whiny (ML) and Selfish (FL) and made me loose empathy for them. If frustrating character decisions get to you then you should keep this into account while watching. Also lack of communication is the source of all problems in this drama- between literally most of the characters.

There are episodes in the middle of the show which could easily be counted as ‘filler’. Nothing develops for a while in between and the later episodes are comparatively faster (in a good way). The ending was also not really satisfying and I feel some stories had much more to offer even though they wrapped most of them up as they could.

The epsiode length really works in the show’s favour as I never realise when the time passes. However as mentioned earlier, nothing happens in some and thus a 12 episode format could have worked better.

These were enough reasons for me to keep going- however I don’t think everyone would like it.
I do think this show would be enjoyed more if binged watch at once. Give it a try for it’s performances, cinematography and OST!

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Completed
Love Alarm Season 2
29 people found this review helpful
by TC1111
Mar 12, 2021
6 of 6 episodes seen
Completed 8
Overall 8.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 7.0

Might be an unpopular opinion but hear me out

Seeing the array of negative reviews, I felt compelled to write this. I will try to keep this short:

-If you are Team Sun Oh, you’ll prefer season 1, if you are Team Hye Hyeong you’ll prefer season 2.
-If you’re just in it for the ride and are not fixated on either guys, season 2 is slow, but it surely takes a more realistic and mature approach and provides closure to all main characters (or even support) and gives them satisfying endings in my opinion.

I could somehow empathise and understand each character better this season. I know this might be an unpopular opinion, but I would even go ahead and say I liked this season more. The cinematography and music was very fitting as well and surely made the show better to watch.

I fully understand why people wouldn’t like how things wrapped here but in my eyes it made complete sense. If you watch the whole season without skipping any episodes or spoiling the ending for yourself you’ll maybe appreciate it a little better.

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Completed
Alchemy of Souls Season 2: Light and Shadow
27 people found this review helpful
by TC1111
Jan 8, 2023
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 5.5
This review may contain spoilers

An engaging sequel, but not a necessary one

Even though I’ve marked my review as a spoiler, I really don’t think I’ve given out anything you didn’t anyway expect. But still read at your own risk.

Let’s start with the good. But before that, a very special shout-out to whoever has styled Lee Jae Wook this season, my man is always charming but he looks drop dead gorgeous here. Moving on:
-This part is as engaging as its former; there are times when I’m mad annoyed, but I never skip seeing the episode on time. Even when an episode feels like a filler, I’m invested.
-Most of the cast is just great as we know, but I’m mentioning it again just for Go Yoon Jung who possessed the seamless ability to switch between Naksu and Bu Yeon (basically memory-less Naksu) perfectly.
-GYJ and LJW had electric chemistry, weirdly I felt it more in the parts where Naksu had lost her memory and Jang Uk thought of her as Bu Yeon. The push and pull and the tension was just WOW. They were so natural together, and the show really utilised their chemistry well with all those kissing scenes lol.
-The word building for part 2 was also great, a new world where the ice stone was exposed to all seemed colder, darker and more hopeless (the rules like in first part, were very convenient though, even more so here)
-The show as a whole never loses its humour; there are so many things I can complain about, but they always manage their tone of serious with good laughes in between.


The bad:
-The show has since season 1, been way too obvious about the bad guys. Jinmu’s evil smirks, the unanimous assembly and the King being dumb power-hungry idiots, Seo Yul’s cousin having hidden intentions, the queen only caring about soul-swapping for a more beautiful body - it’s all so panifully obvious about whose intentions are evil and we know above all somehow it is Jinmu heading them all.
-Some characters have just been around and not done much when needed. Seo Yul has a good amount of screen time but has never added anything substantial to the big moments. Jin Cho Yeon being the younger daughter of the Jin family could have brought chaos in her own ways, but she comes and goes when needed. Master Lee is ofcourse a must mention, he gives his speeches, does not reveal what he knows to the right people, and vanishes away as he pleases.
-One thing this show is consistent in, is keeping the love story at its core and centre (much at the expense of all the other plot lines). As much as I like seeing Naksu and Jang UK’s love story, it’s pointless to have these many dedicated one sided love lines. Crown Prince and Yul for Naksu, a very useless Lady Yun Ok for Jang Uk, Sol-i for Seo Yul (this at least made sense plot-wise so I’ll let it go). Like just get some of them together, what’s the harm? I was convinced in part 1 that towards the end Yun Ok and Seo Yul could have a romance but they somehow made her very annoying and mean for no reason in part 2. Dan Gu and Cho Yeon love story also came with very little build up, they were cute, but that’s it. There could have been a lot more to their love story, but I guess they had to save screen time for Jin Mu’s smirks. I’m very glad though that Kim Do Jo and Park Jin got their fair share of romance in this part.
-Naksu’s reveal, in episode 9 (very concerning and stupid by the way how Jang Uk did not realise it was Naksu inspite of NUMEROUS hints and a similar way of talking), was pretty underwhelming. I enjoyed their scenes before it too, but it felt like a different love story all together so at this point I expected passion, drama, something? They were like let us feign ignorance. I was like okay. That’s it? It felt a little too underwhelming. I was atleast expecting a typical moment compilation.
-I am not someone who complains about logic and stuff a lot in a kdrama, especially one of fantasy genre, but all in all there was a lot of stuff that could have been solved easily. Crown Prince could have just sided with Jang Uk earlier and the show could have wrapped up sooner. There were these filler romance episodes in between too, that were fun to see, but added nothing to the overall plot line. As usual again, we never saw Naksu in full form. This part has and will always annoy me. This show actually teases us since the beginning that this is a Naksu show, but part 1 ends up being more about Jang Uk’s journey. That is why I walked in part 2 with lower expectations.

All in all, what bothers me is when a show has all the right elements and can easily be one of the best ones out there, but screws itself up by underutilising some of the characters and messing up the storyline in the dumbest ways imaginable, I felt this was a problem in part 1 as well, but even more so here.

I assume if you’re reading all this you’ve obviously seen part 1 and are wondering if you want to see part 2 as well. In spite of all my complains, I won’t say I didn’t enjoy it, which is why the rating is still that high. This part is as I said, very engaging. I’m annoyed, but I’m somehow always entertained. And if you are someone whose main interest is the romantic aspect, this part precisely serves that, and very well until the first 8 episodes. The chemistry is great in both parts, but I felt it is even better in this part.

The show absolutely did not need the part 2, a lot of this could have been wrapped up in S1 if the show had lesser filler episodes, but since we are here, and we are invested, your core reasons to watch can be to follow all our beloved characters storylines and seeing most of the cast look even better in their new get-ups. It’s best to keep your expectations at rock bottom, storyline wise, and actually watch for the romance.

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Completed
Record of Youth
16 people found this review helpful
by TC1111
Oct 28, 2020
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.0
Story 5.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 2.0

An honest spoiler-free viewpoint; Watch the show if you are a Bogum fan

I was anticipating the arrival of this drama and I did have expectations which this drama upheld until its first half.

The idea of showcasing the 'youth' was nowhere followed as the focus was diverted into multiple sub plots which do not end in a neat format and feel pointless as the show ends. They also do not add to the interest of the viewer.
The villains lack motivation and are present just to add distress and unnecessary tension in the male lead, Hye-Jun's life. They frustrated me more than I can say and also made me want to drop the show due to massive amount of screen time they got for creating pointless drama

The poster is very misleading- It is not a drama centering the 3 leads but it primarily focuses on Bogum's Hye-jun. The entire show is focused on the story of his family ( special shoutout to HJ's brother who ended up being one of my motivating factors to continue!) along with Hae Hyo's mother who seems to have more screen time than HH himself. The Female lead, Jeong-ha is barely given enough screen time to be called a lead. The character writing for HJ and JH was extremely poor and they had no development till the end of the drama.

The one character that garnered my interest was Hae Hyo. I was keen on knowing how his journey unfolds but the poor writing of the plot as a whole does not allow us to see his character grow or for us to see how his journey finally concludes.

This was my first drama by Bogum and so I was excited to see him in action and I will go forward to say that he did not disappoint. Park So Dam was great in the acting department as expected but the surprise package for me was Byeon Woo Seok. The entire cast acted really well and that was one of the sole reasons i kept going.

The OST of the drama was excellent and if the writing of the show was better it could have elevated the drama even more.

To conclude, the drama has a strong start but loses its essence in the middle and goes downhill from there. If you are a fan of Park Bogum I would recommend watching the show as he is the primary focus of it and does his best with the little that he has.

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Completed
Start-Up
20 people found this review helpful
by TC1111
Nov 15, 2020
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 8.0
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 6.0

Strays from the plot of the start-up but is still extremely enjoyable and heartwarming!

It is actually a benefit to binge watch it all at once- that way you will never go to internet and get into the fuss of this love triangle and enjoy the show for what is- A heartwarming story of all the people involved in the evolution of a start-up and how their professional and personal life changes after meeting one another and how they eventually grow to become better versions of themselves.

The first few episodes are enough to convince you to watch this drama! The premise is quite interesting and the characters have realistic personalities with flaws. You will be engrossed since the first episode and the cinematography and color tone of this drama is bright and beautiful! The set that they built for sandbox is also done so well!

However, the issue here is that the show's central plotline is not the start-up, but an extremely dragged love triangle. I say dragged only because to me, it was always obvious who she should end up with and where her heart always was. I would have enjoyed had they focused on the start-up aspect more but the story is character-centric and thus I was invested in all the characters and their journey and that was enough for me to go on!

There is a lot of fuss on the internet about which character should our FL end up with? I was in love with how our ML Do San was written-The perfect root-able qualities we generally give to the 2nd Lead are in the Male Lead here and that is really exciting for me to watch.

The love for the Second ML, Han Ji Pyeong was always on the rise when the show was airing. My issue was that his character's storyline was reduced to his linkage with the love line. He could have been given a much more interesting storyline and the love triangle should have stopped sooner. Rather a storyline which gave rise to the friendship of Do san and Han Ji Pyeong would have benefited the show greatly.

Another wasted potential was the story of In Jae. She was an interesting character that deserved more screen time.

The most amazing to me was the storyline of the 3 boys in SamSan Tech. I really wanted to see them succeed and their friendship and loyalty was warming to see. The entire support cast of the show really added to its value as a whole and made it what it is.

Kim Seon Ho and Nam Joo Hyuk deserve a special shout-out as they nail their roles and act superbly. I am glad that Kim Seon Ho got so much recognition through this show and I hope we see him in many projects that are to come.
I am not a big Suzy fan in terms of acting (no offence to anyone who loves her I do like her personality as well), but here the role of Dal Mi really suits her and this maybe her best acting performance yet.

If all that I said appeals to you in some way, go for it! The show is never dull and engaging till the end!

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Completed
Mouse
10 people found this review helpful
by TC1111
May 20, 2021
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 7.5

The best way to describe this is ‘engaging’

This is not a show that is extremely realistic or logical, however it makes you think a lot right until the end. Each episode is thought provoking, interesting and delivers right in terms of emotions.

Our main characters are not ‘good’ humans at all times, but one can empathise with each at different points. However the two leading men, Lee Seung Gi and Lee Hee Joon steal the show in their own ways.

Even the support cast add a lot to the show and no character feels unnecessary. They even try their best to tie up all plot lines toward the end and in its 20 episode run no episode feels like a filler.

The drama has a different feel after it’s halfway run and that turn might not sit well with all, however one can’t deny it doesn’t make it less interesting. Once you tune in to watch the first episode, you’ll surely be hooked and enjoy the ride!

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Completed
I Hear Your Voice
5 people found this review helpful
by TC1111
Oct 28, 2020
18 of 18 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
As I scrolled through the reviews for this masterpiece I was convinced I should give it a go and once I did I felt compelled to join everyone in recommending this. It is absolutely brilliant from start to finish.

If you are looking to watch something with realistically well-written characters who are not exactly 'prefect' but are very relatable and more so extremely likable then this is the right drama to watch.

Not only does it have a solid plotline but it is also does a great job at connecting all sub plots to the main plot and giving it a very satisfying ending.

I have previously watched multiple LJS dramas and am a big fan of his . Two of those included Pinocchio and WYWS. I am a fan of the writer for how well she connects all plots but this has to be her most superior work of the three for me (Pinocchio is a very close second).

The only reason I did not give this drama a perfect 10 is that after a relatively light start, the drama takes a serious turn after the initial episodes and the tone becomes slightly heavy in the following 2 episodes but it quickly comes to an balanced tone and the shift in tone is also necessary to understand the gravity of the events that occur. It does not take anything away from the drama.

The acting by the entire cast is amazing and everyone is super well cast for their role. Each side character is likable and adds a lot to the story and makes it more fun to watch. The three main leads do a phenomenal job with their roles. I loved seeing them throughout the show and really felt like the characters were written for them.

The FL played by Bo-young is super relatable and likable. LJS's young Park Soo Haa fits him perfectly and he adds a lot of charm to the character as always. Yoon Sang-hyun as Cha Gwan-wo is extremely likable and you root for his happiness throughout the show. This is one show where you are happy with whoever the FL ends up (though I was secretly rooting for Soo Haa). Lee Jong Suk and Park Bo-young have great chemistry and they deliver the perfect romance that is well-paced and has a foundation of mutual care and love.

I highly recommend this to whoever is reading my long review and if you are a fan of courtroom dramas it just gets better.

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Completed
True Beauty
14 people found this review helpful
by TC1111
Jan 23, 2021
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 6.0
This review may contain spoilers

I was super invested but was it worth it?

Is this concept new or fresh? Is the storyline free of cliches? Well it’s a no to both those questions. However they do it right- balancing humour and romance with a tinge of melodrama carried by a talented actress in the leading front.

The main romance is not my personal favourite part as I do not feel the chemistry and also suffer from SLS but many may enjoy it, and if they do there’s a fair share of love dose of the two so you’ll be satisfied. The best chemistry on this entire show is still between the 2 boys in all honesty.

One of the best things in this show apart from Han Seojun (honestly Hwang In Yeop NAILED IT) is JG’s family dynamics and her badass sister and her love story. Their ending was also the most satisfying for me.

The story is very predictable and honestly it is very clear from the get go who the girl will end up with as JG’s heart never wavers. Still the writers do a very good job of instilling hope to all those in favour of the second lead by dragging the love triangle right till the last episode. We as viewers know we are being bated but to watch the true beauty that is Han Seojun was enough for me.

Everything was going fine till episode 13- our main girl JG even musters up the courage to accept her appearance and face her bullies which is the most important part. Suho and her are happily dating too. Ofcourse in the very next episode due to his father’s illness our main boy Suho has to leave. Owing to the great ‘struggles‘ of their long distance relationship, Noble Idiocy takes form in the name of Lee Su-Ho as he decides to break up with JG- this entire drama would make sense if there were repercussions of their distance and break up in the relationship when he returned. All it takes is a day after he returns for them to get together and act like they did in high school when the dated for a brief period. Don’t get me wrong- I knew they would end up together, but is this the best way to bring last minute drama into the show? Completely unnecessary and didn’t add anything to the drama. They even make Seojun cry in pain during the finale as he gets rejected- They do make up for it by making him debut as an idol as he sing 2 songs while looking flawless and being beautiful as he is.

However, I simply can’t deny how invested I was in the show. If you like high school dramas, typical tropes, love triangles and slapstick humour you will definitely enjoy this show. I was totally in the mood for something that satisfies the criteria above and thus I enjoyed it for the most part. If you’re looking for something more serious, deep or different this is not your pick.

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Completed
I Promised You the Moon
6 people found this review helpful
by TC1111
Jun 24, 2021
5 of 5 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 7.5
This review may contain spoilers

This is for those who saw the spoilers but are hesitant to watch: give it a go!

Firstly, it’s best not to compare ITSAY to IPYTM, although the latter is a continuation of the first part the style of storytelling, coloring, visuals, almost everything is different, but that does not mean it’s a bad thing. The second phase of their life is captured well with this new direction taken- it all comes together to form a beautiful whole.

I will not deny, the kind of butterflies the first part brought were not replicated here, however the amount of pain this brought me is far more. That might not sound like the most fun thing but everything is so hard-hitting that no matter how angry the on-going events made me, when I later looked back I was amazed by how they carried this storyline out. The feelings it evoked in me are hard to describe with words, the acting in this part will leave you amazed!

Addressing the biggest complaint with the show- the cheating storyline. It was completely unnecessary and their problems could have been addressed in a different and yet believable manner. Them having different visions for their future, lesser things in common and lack of time for one another are enough points to show how their distance grows. All the while we saw scenes displaying Teh’s disloyalty I was broken and wondered how could he? I later came to realize his character is always in conflict and one who is guided by momentary emotions, so when you actually see what he did it does fit his character. That does not make me a fan of this direction they took, but somehow it doesn’t make me like the show lesser.

For the same reason the ending might not be perceived as happy for all as they do get together, and I was angry at my weak heart but I whole-heartedly smiled in episode 5.

If ITSAY was a heart-warming masterpiece that brought you equal amount of pain and joy, IPYTM is a heart-wrenching sequel to it, that brings you more pain but you can not help but be amazed by its impact.

I would definitely call this a very successful sequel, not like I imagined it to be, but the raw emotions it captured through the stellar cast are commendable and the story as a whole is real and beautiful.

P.S: If cheating in any storyline puts you off like me, I understand your hesitation in giving it a go, maybe prepare yourself mentally and still give it a chance!

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Completed
A Love So Beautiful
6 people found this review helpful
by TC1111
Feb 22, 2021
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 10
Rewatch Value 7.0

Fluffy and Light hearted!

Honestly, I did not have much to expect from this drama as I had not seen the original Chinese version and by reading its synopsis and looking at its screen time I assumed it would just be light-hearted, cute and easy to watch and nothing more- and that’s precisely how it was.

You know when you are watching a few k-dramas at once and they all tend to get heavy at a point? Turning to one that is just sweet and stress-free and leaves you smiling is the perfect in-between delightful solution. This drama is exactly that.

Something that most people point out and I do agree is that the age gap between the leads is apparent. It however gets better as the show progresses and I for one got used to it. It’s also true that the FL acts too cutesy during the school days and there is a fair share of moments that make you cringe- but again, I got used to this. It helped that I never took the show too seriously.

If you do decide to watch this and like me haven’t seen the C-drama version, you have nothing to compare it to and will thus enjoy it. There is nothing groundbreaking happening in this drama but sometimes 20-30 minutes of fluff is just what you need!

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Completed
Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol
6 people found this review helpful
by TC1111
Nov 26, 2020
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 7.0

Lovable characters and very heart-warming, extremely questionable in the last 4 episodes

This is not a drama where you look for realism but one which you choose for fluff and fuzzy feelings! I really wanted to rate this drama higher then I did. Believe me, I would eagerly wait each week for a new episode to come as each episode was fluffy, sweet and heartwarming. There are several reasons as to why I would recommend the show:

-Each actor fit their role extremely well.
-Leads had great chemistry.
-Healing quality the show had due to the fantasy land setting that Eun Po created.
-Character dynamics between each character on the show (Special shout-out to the mother-daughter duo, Jun and Mr. Kim, Ra Ra and Dr. Cha)
-Jun and Ra Ra selflessly loving and growing with one another.
-Dr. Cha's mature character fit into this fantasy world perfectly as he finds his happiness there.
-Individuality of ALL the characters in the support cast as well.
-Seung gi and Ha-yeong, they were simply too cute!

You might wonder after all this complimenting where did the show go wrong? Well it was the last 4 episodes that had its problems, particularly the last 2. Don't get me wrong, the ending is happy, but it seemed like they used all clichés and possible drama tropes in these episodes and frankly it was unnecessary and could have been handled better. Issues that arose did get solved pretty quickly in the next episode to come however these episodes lower the quality of the drama more than they should.

However, I would still recommend this drama for all the reasons I mentioned if that suits your taste! Do not look for logic and realism and simply hop on the ride it intends to take you in!

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Completed
Descendants of the Sun
4 people found this review helpful
by TC1111
Dec 27, 2020
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.0
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 10
Rewatch Value 3.0

The first time I felt a need to fast forward a drama- bear with my long review

I know it’s too late to comment on this drama, however I felt a need to express my opinion seeing the overflow of positive reviews about the same. I apologise in advance if I’m offending any avid fan of the show reading this. I think it’s clear by what I said that I didn’t enjoy the show- why I kept going? I wanted to understand the hype around it and that’s the sole reason. I’ll note a few positive things about the show first:

-Never dull: things keeps happening- doesn’t leave any space for the show to be dull.
-The Bromance: it is strong, it’s likeable, the ML and SML have fun moments together and great chemistry.
-Friendships: not just the bromance, but the army squad and hospital squad had loyal friendships and they brought light moments on the show while together.
-Second lead couple: classic will they-won’t they, though I’m guessing most knew the answer- the pair had good chemistry.
-Cinematography: they used grand sets to shoot and their beauty was captured well.
-OST: no surprises here- the drama is known for having a great soundtrack.

I don’t want to talk about the plot much since clearly they have not focused on it. The show is a mixture of Various genres; action, romance, comedy, thriller??- the issue here is that when a show is set in a backdrop where life threatening situations come back to back- and somehow each event is resolved relatively quick before another. There is tons of romance during a serious action sequence where survival is at stake- and I’m not one who is crazy about logic while watching a show like this but the leads are busy in being romantic in the midst of this. The medical ongoings seem completely unrealistic, I can’t even take our soldiers seriously. No moment which was shown as painful or heartbreaking brought any emotion on my face. The problem here is I think the show wants me to take its events seriously and that is the only reason I attempt to- but what goes on just leaves me questioning it or laughing at it.

Coming to the area of focus- The 2 leads fall in love by passing the corniest lines to one another, every time they would fight because our FL couldn’t accept the dangers the ML’s job brings and their fight would usually end with the ML calling her pretty. Honestly the FL annoyed me most of the time I watched the drama and I found her extremely dislikable. She kept whining, sulking and throwing mini tantrums. It was only towards the end when our lead couple is in a relationship did I find her bearable. Their chemistry- though talked about by many, it was a hit or miss for me. Once the 2 got into a relationship I felt their chemistry more naturally.

The second lead couple has much better chemistry- their characters are far more likeable and their reasons for constant ‘fights’ made somewhat more sense to me even though the reasons were very cliched.

Most people seem to have enjoyed the parts of the show shot in Uruk more- however those were the parts I was bothered by most and I enjoyed the parts in Seoul more. Maybe because there are less ‘Life threatening situations’ occurring here for me to be mad at.

I don’t know if my expectations were sky high or what was the reason- but as I finished the show I kept questioning its hype. If you’re not one for cheesy romance or fast paced stories where the leads fall crazily in love after one or two flirting sessions then this show is definitely not for you. Illogical sequences one after another is another major reason to avoid. If you’re curious and still decide to pick it up but don’t like it even after the first 3 episodes- it’s best to drop the show.

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Completed
Extraordinary You
4 people found this review helpful
by TC1111
Nov 26, 2020
32 of 32 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 7.5
This review may contain spoilers

I have a lot to say and justify so this might get long please bare with me

The first 3-4 episodes of the show are just too good and really make the viewers excited for what is to come, and this rise in expectation can be a problem. I had already read enough reviews of this drama to know that it does not live up to the potential it has, and yes I agree to this. However, the show has many other reasons to stick to it and personally it did not fail me (for most parts).

There are a few things I personally feel most viewers should keep in mind:
-The characters are from a comic book- so even after they realize they are playing a role, there is still only an extent to which they can be developed as the writer of the book has limited their backstories and developing traits (differs from character to character).
-It might seem like Baek Kyung's character is more interesting and developed than most and that is due his complex feelings portrayed in the comic as well so it makes sense as to why he would go through an emotional battle in the shadow too. It helps that Lee Jae Wook portrays him with perfection.
-Haru may seem unfinished in terms of character writing but that perfectly made sense to me as he his fate was always inter-linked to Dan Oh. There are scenes , where he gets to portray overwhelming emotions (memory loss and flashbacks of the previous comic) and Rowoon plays his part so well! This is a character that could easily have been bland but he adds life and charm to Haru.

Now getting to the things that worked well for me:
-Do-Hwa's character, seriously the guy was too good.
-The chemistry between the leads and the entire cast as a whole was amazing. A weird note here- Lee Jae Wook and Rowoon seemed to have the best chemistry, scenes where they look at each other with passion made me think of things they did not intend to lol.
-Haru and Dan Oh were just too cute and I found it super easy to root for them.
-The concept as a whole is extremely fresh and the gorgeous cinematography helps its execution.
-Acting by each character from the main to the support roles is excellent.
-OST and background score was used to enhance the scene instead of making the scene.
-No character was boring as such, those that I was lesser interested in got lesser screen time as well.
-Inner monologues of the character when they realize the nonsensical scenarios that go on in the stage.
-This might be controversial but in spite of the unanswered questions I was pretty satisfied with the ending .

Things that did not work for me:
-As I mentioned, with the strong start, one's expectations rise but the drama does not do all that it could. It has more potential then it lives up to.
-Certain episodes between maybe 11-14 have multiple repeated scenarios.
-Dan Oh starts off strong but starts fitting into conventional tropes as the story follows. She does not do much to change her fate its more of Haru, Do Hwa or even Baek Kyung working for it.
- The drama allows more clichés then necessary, the problem is they have enough elements to avoid those but they do not make use of it as the drama progresses.
-Baek Kyung was interesting but in no way likable for most of the drama. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed watching his scenes but Dan Oh made her disinterest pretty clear but he just did not get her. Troubled childhood does not justify his violent and harsh behavior even in the shadow.
-I did not appreciate them giving Nam Joo the illegitimate son storyline towards the end to justify why Joo Da goes with him considering there was a lot of development for Do Hwa and Joo Da and I really think they wasted the potential of making the second lead end up with the girl considering the scenario they built.

I have mixed feelings towards one thing, lack of involvement of the writer. This SERIOUSLY BOTHERED me at first as I thought the dry squid guy was the writer and later I assumed it was BK's brother but then I realized this revelation could have added more convolutions to the story then necessary and thus it worked for me.

Whoever stuck to this till the end thank you for reading! This might be my longest review lol I just had a lot to say. I would recommend watching this show if you are in a mood for romance and a genuinely interesting concept! Just try not to raise your expectations too high and you'll like it more than you think.

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Completed
Flower of Evil
5 people found this review helpful
by TC1111
Oct 28, 2020
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 8.0
I was scrolling through viki when I found episode 1 of FOE and I randomly just went for it and I was instantly hooked. I would get excited each week for a new episode to come and this is one drama that has maintained quality from start to finish. There is not one storyline that feels unnecessary- there is absolutely nothing I would change about it.

The plot is very engaging and each episode concludes beautifully and ends in a manner where you are eager to see what's next to come. There is some much depth in the story and both the leads have CRACKLING chemistry and all you do is root for their happy ending. Each emotion is portrayed so well by the actors you really think the actors are in love. LJG and MCW completely make the show what it is.

The OST is limited to three songs but when you pay attention to the lyrics you'll realize how perfectly they capture the character's emotions with respect to the scene they are played in.

As the description already tells, the drama is very serious and maintains that tone throughout. It is very consistent in terms of quality and maintains a good pace.

To anyone reading this, this drama is a must watch and if you're double minded about seeing it leave your doubts aside as it this will surely not disappoint you.

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