Oh Chinese dramas that last for 70+ episodes...you make me work for it, don't you!

I embarked on this journey after completing "Empresses of the Palace" with the same female lead, Sun Li. I love her. She's amazing. So I figured this would be no different, right?

Well, it's different and better! Not that I saw huge flaws in EOTP but this one made me "feel" stuff. The story here was more compelling and the acting was exemplary. There is tragedy and heartbreak a-plenty (I see a trend in Chinese historical dramas) so prepare your heart. There is one scene when Shen Xingyi (played by the amazing Chen Xiao) is heartbroken by a decision made by Zhou Ying and it broke me. I cried real tears that flowed like Niagara falls! Sooooo sad.

There are many slow episodes (at 70 episodes there are bound to be more than a few that drag) and the back and forth of the romance between (SX and ZY) gets a little repetitive. The side romances are ok if trite. But the bad guy, Du Mingli...LOVE him!!! What a great character. Well acted and so complicated. You both love him and hate him all at the same time. I guess the same can be said of Shen Xingyi. He grows up and becomes someone you fall in love with.

I've watched three long Chinese history dramas but this one is the only one I'd watch again the next time I have 70+ hours to kill. :D

Read More

After finishing Reply 1988 I watched this. Four of the boys get to spend time exploring Africa together. They have to overcome some hardships and stick to a budget. It was so sweet to see how they supported each other and shared such memorable times together. I love seeing them be vulnerable and emotional and cried with them. Then laughed at the silliness and crazy situations they got into. The music is great with all kinds of tunes from all over. I loved them singing and was impressed with their English skills! As a mom of boys I pray that my boys can grow up to have friends who love and support them like this. So sweet to watch.

Read More

I think because it's so predictable and the story has been done so much, it just lacked excitement. The actors did a good job and I felt connected to them but just not really to the story. I was more excited about the political story (which I almost NEVER am) than the romance. The girl is a boy thing was too much for me in this one so it made it a bit hard to watch from time to time. It is really sweet, beautiful to watch, and was worth a watch, but I won't watch again.

I'm a big PBG fan so I hate not being able to give it a glowing review but I gotta be honest.

Read More

Mixed emotions on this one. Watched it because it's so highly rated and raved about but I was skeptical (high ratings are sometimes a warning sign that it just features a popular actor/actress and isn't necessarily a good show).

I liked:
No distracting love triangles. Just straight "I like you and only you"
The emotional story of the Onew as Lee Chi-hoon (so good!!!)
Chemistry between all the couples
Beautiful scenery
Bromance between male leads
It was well acted and well directed (mostly)
"Happy" ending (I hope that's not a spoiler)

However, I felt the story was actually a little weak creatively, a bit repetitive, and forced. I am not sure if I actually liked it or just enjoyed it. It wasn't a knockout or particularly memorable but wasn't a total waste of time either.

Read More

Honestly, this drama was everything I could ask for in a drama. Being a kid of the 80's who remembers watching the Seoul Olympics and remembers many of the songs that made their way across the world into Korean pop culture, this drama had an especially strong nostalgic feel to it. Watching Deok-sun peg her pants...bwahahahaaaa...instant flashbacks of countless minutes spent trying to get them just right LOL and those bangs....HA!!! SO thankful to have gone through my awkward stage before social media. LOL

It's not a romance, though that is a big part of it. It's not a comedy, but that, again, is a big part of it. It's a show about family and friends. For US viewers, think The Wonder Years and Parenthood all mashed together. Tears from laughing and crying were shed. It takes a lot to make me cry but this got me a few times for all the right reasons.

The remembrance of youth was the focus of the show. The neighborhood scenes made you either remember your own families/friends and the neighborhood where you grew up or wish you had one like this. The sweet and simple friendships are like comfort food. The strength they have for each other when times got tough is where you FEEL their connection. I wish people reached out this way more in today's world. I think we'd be better off.

I almost didn't watch this because I wasn't quite sure I liked it at the first episode (I get sidetracked by the hitting and yelling among families in Asian dramas) but I am SOOOOO glad I stuck with it. By the end I was wishing it wouldn't ever end. But the story was told and it was a wonderful story. Every family should watch it.

Read More

Lovely film about family (chosen and blood). I particularly enjoyed the way the film depicted the difficulties of a family struggling with change and poverty. The father figures are all unique and flawed but they dearly love the "son".

Not being Korean, I didn't have any concept of racial issues that were addressed in the show. It made me sad. But the relationship that develops between the prickly teacher and wayward student and then between the estranged mom and son is sweet and special. One of my favorite scenes from the movie (there were quite a few so this is just a taste) was when Do Wan-deuk is praying for God to do something to get the teacher (who is trying to help the kid) off his back and concludes (then prays for) that the only hope is for God to kill the guy. Then a bit later, the teacher is injured. A classic k-drama piggy back ride ensues with Wan-deuk saying, "This is not what I meant!" Good stuff.

There's not really a romance but the little bit there is makes you smile. It's a little predictable (reminiscent of Good Will Hunting - an American film) and a little too tidy at the end but I enjoyed watching it. I felt the acting, especially the two main leads (Yoo Ah In and Kim Yoon-seok) was superb and lifted the film out of the predictable plot.

Well worth the watch if you can find it.

Read More

Saw this on Netflix and though, "Na. Seems cheesy." Well, I'm an idiot and clearly know nothing about picking shows. This drama is FUN! A great watch to get you out of a drama rut. I fell in love with Bong Soon in the first episode and would have binged the whole show if not for my real life getting in the way.

I liked that there was a romance part that wasn't particularly complicated or up and down but was sweet and organic. I liked that the love triangle didn't crush my soul at the end. I thought the OST was really well done and well timed (mostly). The story is a bit all over the place and several loose ends are never really tidied up which is unfortunate. The "thriller" part of the show feels a little too scary for such a lighthearted story but it is necessary to drive the plot and give it weight. It could be triggering to someone who has suffered trauma so be aware of that.

The best part of the show though is the comedy. Laughing out loud happens rarely to a jaded old timer like me but I definitely laughed out loud. There's a lot of silly slapstick and fun in this show which was refreshing. Who couldn't love a pint sized super hero who is oblivious to her charms. Bong Soon is my hero, too!

Read More

I know almost ZERO about Korean history so I was eager to watch this and learn a little more (with a heavy dose of online supplementation).

At first I was super confused. There are SOOOOoooo many characters to remember and SOOOooooo much political stuff to wrap your head around very quickly. I still feel like I didn't really understand the subtleties of the history which makes me a little sad. That said, the story told in this drama was excellent.

I didn't get too hung up on the "those aren't real historical characters" much because I was clueless and that helped here. The romance parts were so sweet, if heartbreaking. Ugly tears were shed while watching. The friendships were tender and enduring despite some really tough situations. I love that!

I wish all of it could have had a happier ending dramatically (so many ill-fated relationships to move history forward) but I feel like the ending itself was testament to the triumph of the idea to create a better world for the people of Joesun...and that's kinda the point of the show. So I was satisfied.

Acting was superb. The endurance of those actors (it was FREEZING the whole time) is amazing. The soundtrack was good but that one song - Yalla Yalla...my kingdom for that song...so good!!! The story was well crafted (if heavy in content) and fairly well paced. It seemed to slow down in the middle and wrap up a little too fast at the end (I didn't want it to be over that fast...but it's like a million episodes long so...conflicted!). It definitely deserved the accolades it received and I'm glad I got to watch it.

Read More

So sweet. I wanted to watch this since I knew it was about older people. I'm not "old" but sometimes I get weary of watching actors who are at least 15 years younger than me have all the fun. :D Many folks find this one a little sad. At times, it can be, because it's about life and sometimes life is a little sad. But the sweet moments of friendship make this drama shine. I really loved the soundtrack (which is fantastic) and felt it brought a lightness to the show in addition to the comedic moments. This drama is worthwhile for old and young alike though it can be hard to find online. It really makes me appreciate my "old" friends and those friendships that have endured through my own life's challenges. It also gives hope that those friendships will only mean more as time marches on.

Read More

This drama was almost flawless for me. I avoided it because I don’t like affair dramas but I decided to give it a chance. I’m so glad I did. Though I did get weary of the business intrigue plot line, it was completely necessary and gave the FL the depth her character needed. She was one cool lady, for sure. I don't think I could have the chutzpah she had to do what she ultimately did. Yoo Ah In broke my heart. Honest to goodness ugly crying happened up in here. I’d like to blame it on hormones but it was really because of his perfect acting and an amazing story. Shiny faces aside (seriously, why?), this one is a must watch.

Read More

I knew zero about these historical characters so I went in without any bias. That might have helped me believe the love story more than, say, a native of Korea. I loved the story. It was sweet and even joyful much of the time. But it wouldn’t be a drama without the drama. And there were plenty of real tears falling from these eyes (Yoo Ah In kills me when he cries). It was weird that the main girl character didn’t continue her fashion designer persona throughout the show but I guess it just didn’t really move the plot forward.

Last thing, the soundtrack. I'm fairly new to Asian dramas so I have only a few to compare to but this particular drama had a perfect soundtrack. It was ALWAYS on cue and exactly what it needed to be to draw you into the story. It never seemed to overwhelm the acting or story and was basically a supporting character throughout the series. Hard to find this online but worth the sleuthing to track it down and watch.

Alas, I don’t think I could watch it again because my heart couldn’t take it (unless I need a good cry) but I am glad I saw it and would recommend it to anyone that likes historical dramas or heartbreaking love stories.

Read More

I was really hopeful for this one. The first few episodes felt joyful and I love Noona dramas. Once the main couple gets together it's all butterflies and sweetness and I LOVED IT!!! Tears, smiles all around.

But all good things must come to an end apparently. The "we can't tell anyone" thing just dragged on a little too long until they are found out. Then everyone freaks out and I stopped being able to relate. I know it's maybe a cultural thing for a grown woman to still have to get permission for things from her parents but as a westerner I couldn't relate and it started to grate on my nerves. I'm sorry if that is offensive, it's not meant to be.

The main couple's relationship seems built on a house of cards that crumbled with the slightest wind. There just wasn't much between them save a physical attraction. Perhaps I would have stuck with it if there was more I could relate to. Alas, there wasn't so I bailed around episode 12.

PS. the music gets REALLY repetitive.

Read More

I was conflicted the whole time I watched this show. I really liked the acting and the characters. I even liked the plot except when it got crazy and inconsistent. Inconsistency is probably the biggest challenge for this drama (and the fact that I really don't enjoy shows that try to convince me that a stunningly beautiful girl can pass for a boy for years). It gets bogged down by insignificant things (at least I couldn't see their significance) and seemed to draaaaagggg oooonnn for eeevverrrrr in places. But I couldn't stop watching because there was something about it that kept me interested. I honestly am not sure what it was except for the chemistry between the actors (all of them...not just the main leads). The ending sucked for me, personally, and made me actually angry that I didn't get the end I wanted. I'm selfish, what can I say. I waited 70+ hours for that ending, dangit! I would say it was worth watching but I can't honestly quantify why.

Read More

Took months to get through this one. I almost gave up at first though. The main male character was TOO aggressive. I know, I know...that's the point, he's supposed to be a jerk....all that. I know. I just didn't like it. At all. He assaulted the girl on numerous occasions and she falls for him. I had trouble with that. Quite a bit of trouble, actually.

But then Hua Ze Lei showed up like a knight in shining armor and just stole my heart and I had to keep watching even though SLS was written all over that poor boy. But seriously, I want his wardrobe.

The story takes a long time to resolve with too many I love him/her, I hate him/her, Let's date, let's break up, I love you, NO I love you episodes. It was tiring. The writers also seemed to forget some key points (the bridge club, Shen Cai's cooking) by half way through which makes it seem scattered and leaves you wondering why we lived through the drama of those things when they ultimately mean nothing to the plat. Headscratchers.

Eventually, as Dao Ming Si matures and recognizes he's an idiot, I warmed to him. The crying scene...lordy, son...breakin' my heart. I wasn't even mad at Shan Cai for liking him over the alternative. The heart loves who it loves. Happy endings and all that.

So, with reservation, I would recommend this show. The violence toward Shen Cai is triggering so if you have a sensitivity toward that, don't watch this.

Read More

It was a little confusing for me for a while. The multiple personality storyline I knew was coming but it came up quickly and I guess I wasn't expecting it or something. Not sure. Nevertheless, it was handled really well. There's a bit of suspension of disbelief regarding how the doctor who isn't a doctor yet gets to take care of this very sick man, but whatever, it works and I was sucked into it. Ji Sung

Ji Sung does a fantastic job acting the various other personalities. My heart was broken into a million pieces as he works through their origins and extinctions. Hwang Jung Eum carried a big load as well and she did it flawlessly. She was funny, competent and believable. Together they were on point emotionally and their chemistry was perfect.

Park Seo Joon supports the pair so well as the brother who knows more than is good for him and his sister. His struggles tore at my heartstrings almost more than the main couple. UGH. Don't make me cry. But cry I did. A lot...and I'm not really a crier. I was happy to shed tears for this one, though. Totally worth it.

Read More