Zogitt

Too many villains spoilt the plot

The premise of this show is centred around a ML who can't forget and a FL was suffered from some memory loss due to PTSD and their journey to find love and heal each others emotional wounds.

Let me say up front that there are lots to like about this romance/healing drama and I enjoyed it overall. The acting of the leads were superb. I was most impressed by the ML (his first drama role was in the Coffee Prince!) who nailed his character from a serious news anchor who radiated gravitas to the vulnerable boy friend seeking love and reassurance. The FL appeared sweet and simple on the surface but required her to emote a whole range of complex emotions as the story progressed.

Most of the support cast also did a good job with veteran actors given solid roles. The 2OTP was a super cute pair and their couple time was so sweet. Unsurprisingly, they were allowed to fall in love organically and just be two people in love without all the crazy sub-plots.

The OTP had great chemistry and their couple time was often swoon worthy. The problem was that the writer just won't let them be. It was like a game of marbles. The OTP was constantly bombarded by trials and tribulations. I know it is standard trope to throw obstacles in front of the OTP but we are talking about a stalker/murderer, a copycat stalker, burglary, return of the stalker/murderer, an unethical doctor and then a revenge seeking journo to round things out. When you consider the show was only 16 episodes long, the villains are having more screen time than the main cast.

I accept that the initial stalker plot, while tropey, was a reasonable device as both M/FL had lots of emotional baggage and it all started with that chain of horrible events. There were lots of flashbacks so we knew full well what happened eight years ago and the impact on them. To have the stalker plot repeated again and the new stalker copying the first one's modus operandi just felt lazy. 

The show then passed the baton back to the original stalker was an odd decision that gave him way too much exposure with minimal gains. Due to this parade of trouble makers, the show just didn't have time to address their arc to my satisfaction. Yes, they were punished but that tends to be a rushed footnote before the next villain was hurriedly wheeled in.

All this evil-doing sucked the oxygen out of the script. The OTP was constantly getting together and then breaking up and then reunited again with all manners of broken promises and forever apologising to each other and re-re-reaffirming their undying love. When we watch a romance/healing drama like this, the viewers need some kind of reward for shipping the pair. In this case, these were few and far between. It was rather draining to see the pair suffer yet another set back. Romantic scenes were great, even the breakups were wonderfully acted but we need to see a path out of the quagmire. That was one thing that the show failed to deliver.

In the end, we were gifted with the happy ending we all craved but it was so rushed and to be honest, a bit abrupt. They didn't communicate at all for 2 years (even though there were multiple options) and then the first time they set eyes on each other in Korea it was full on again as if they just had a lover's quarrel and made up a day later. Yes, I'm thankful for the unicorn moments but it was just too expedient. The OTP tried to say that they don't care about gossip and scandals anymore but they were strong 2 years ago and they walked away from that relationship. What gives?!

If I were to rate this drama purely on story/plot then it would have been a borderline 7 but the acting was so good that they deserved a solid 8.

The OST was fine, sad and sentimental mostly. Rewatch value is a mix bag. I wouldn't mind just cropping all the couple moments from both OTP's together and just rewatch those. The rest can stay on the editing room floor.

Read More

You will either love this or drop it because it is polarising

You know how some dramas gives you a rollercoaster ride as the story develops and race towards the conclusion. This drama starts off like that but then it hits the flat bit and never goes up an incline again which is a shame as there were potentials but it got bogged down by "messages".

On the surface, it was a story about 4 pairs of lovers. Some have a fairly smooth run, others much more torturous. In between there were corporate battles and business shenanigans. If that was not enough, gun toting drug runners created havoc along the way. Did that sounds confusing, yes, it was.

Like many c-dramas, the start was promising. The first episode was like an action movie. Guns, stunts and explosions filled the screen. It was done well and definitely not your typical meet-cute.

The first half of the show largely settled down to more standard rom-com plots with the usually push-pull and discovering of new feelings. It was also quite interesting to see the progress of designing a new garment and the steps it took to turn the design into a successful product. If the writer stuck to the same plot then I would have given it a much higher score.

The wheel start to fall off around the half way mark. The plot took a silly turn with the drug king pin running amok which reinforced certain "messages" and allowed the ML to play the gung-ho hero one last time. That was pretty much the end of the 1OTP's romantic development though. By then, they were so fated, it was casted in iron and encased in concrete. The problem is that the focus now moved to the other 3 pairs and unfortunately, two of the three pairs were more than a bit cliché with Ning Weikai scoring the worst own goal I have ever seen in any drama! C'mon, writer, you can do better than that. I won't spoil it but it involved a dress and a letter. On the other hand, the relationship between Chen Yayi and Chen Zheng's was fun and organic. Quite refreshing compared with the other pairs. Chen Yayi was outstanding and her characterisation was even better than the FL at times. How she refused to play ball with Chen Zheng just because he was a rich playboy made her a much stronger character. Even as the two developed feelings for each other, she was always grounded and put Chen Zheng in his place when he tried any tricks on her. Honestly, if they separate out their storyline, jazz it up a bit and turn it into a 16 episodes drama (a la k-drama), I would happily watch it.

As I mentioned before, the process of developing a product in the fashion industry was quite interesting but a lot of that disappeared around mid show. While there were some dirty tricks being played between competitors from the start, the second half was all talking. scheming and a race to see how low can their tricks go. Lots of planning and boardroom scenes but there is not a lot of meat. A few drawings were pushed around and a whole product line was created by the next episode including swanky shops. Everything boiled down to scheming and backstabbing. I suppose that would be okay if the show was 40 episodes long (instead of 50) as you can actually see where all the plots converged around that point and if they had stopped it there, it would have been a decent conclusion. However, the "message" really took over the last ten episodes.
I suppose it is time to talk about these "messages". It is not unusually for c-drama to push some messages about Chinese culture or pride in Chinese achievements but this show had many such messages and they were pushed quite hard and with little subtlety. While they were ever present throughout the show, It really amped up in the last ten episodes. When instead of just talking about faceless scheming foreign companies, they actually hired two blonde haired Chinese speaking foreign actors to play the villains and they were bad to the core. Obviously, the domestic audience might well love the patriotic storyline but others might find it too heavy-handed and sounded like propaganda. Your mileage will differ. When seen from that angle, It was odd to see Audi cars everywhere as they were obviously a major sponsor as were other international brands that appeared as PPL.

The OST was ok. Fairly generic love songs and background music. Nothing jarring with the audio which was a plus.
Re-watch value is low as it was a simple, well telegraphed plot. Some of the early action sequences might be worth a second viewing.

Read More

Superior Chinese period rom-com

While the plot summary sounds kind of same-same to a number of period romance/rom-com where a cool, handsome ML meets and falls in love with a cute, feisty FL, the actual story telling and pacing placed this show well above most of the pack.
You might groan a little as the show opened with the FL cross dressed as a guy and running amok in the city's marketplace but it soon took a different track as more of her background was revealed. The fact that she actually accepted the arrange marriage and decided to turn it to her advantage was refreshing and very engaging. There were quite a few laughs in the first few episodes when she lorded over her shell shocked new husband even though he was a famous general with a killer reputation.
Another welcomed change was when they put in the typical divorce/breakup trope very early in the show and gave it a nice positive spin resulted in more laughs and character growth. This is a major contrast to when most c-drama would settle into a few episodes of despair and silent longing.
The OTP had fantastic chemistry. The FL was a strong character who stood up to bullies, will not accept defeat and willing to fight for her goals. Just as well that the ML is cool (not heartless) but smart and knew that she was his soulmate and gave in to her completely. Once the push-pull and doubts were settled, their love was true and deep, their trust unwavering and unquestionable.
Overall, the support cast were solid. Some of the younger actors were a little weak but they are not carrying a lot of weight so it was ok. Some of the cuteness came from the secondary pairings once the OTP settled into their married life. Even then there was still a decent amount of skinship and feels. Just a little less flirting.
The OST was surprisingly good. The main theme was well matched to the show and was used extensively.
Now for the not so good bits. The second (or was it third) sister was very annoying and a real trouble maker. That is typical for this type of drama but once again, she went unpunished even though her big mouth got the whole family into serious trouble. All was forgiven by the end of the show and everyone moved on as if nothing had happened. Weird to say the least.
Speaking of ending, the last episode was mostly rainbows and unicorns and tied up all the loose ends. That is all well and good as fan service goes but the plot leading up to it was surprisingly weak and contrived. Contrasted this to the writing for the whole show which was solid, well paced and consistent. It was a little disappointing.
Overall, enjoyed it very much, highly recommended.

Read More

Entertaining mix of horror, romance and comedy

Before I get to the actual review, I must ask for a bit of indulgence. Bring it on, Ghost was my first k-drama. After following for years tv shows like NCIS and House, BiOG was a revelation. It was more than a cultural shock but the fact that the whole series fit inside sixteen episodes just blew my mind. There was so much happening in every episode, I just had to binge it. This was the start of my journey into dramaland and as the saying goes, I went down the rabbit hole! :)
It is no surprise then that this show held a special place for me. It may be through rose tinted glasses but I still think that this show is very entertaining. There is a good mix of horror (nothing over the top), comedy and romance. The OPT has great chemistry and the fact that the pair fell in love not once but twice was a lovely twist. In hindsight, I'm surprised that the show actually has few of the typical k/c/t-drama tropes. The pacing was great, the ensemble cast was above average, there were action scenes as well as swoon worthy ones between the OTP. It might not be up there with the top dramas like Itaewon Class and When Camellia Blooms but it stands on its own merits and is binge worthy.

Read More

More sugar ball than odd ball

It is a bit zany and it didn't follow the usual t-drama path 100% which is a good thing. Using the live streamers as main characters is also added nice contemporary touch. However, it is not all good news as it had its flaws as well.
Put simply, this is a rom-com through and through. It is low angst even though it did touch on a couple of heavy themes but those are resolved surprising quickly and without the heavy melodrama usually attached to similar dramas. It is a surprisingly light touch but one that worked with the plot. Like some other similar shows, the main OTP has a decent amount of chemistry but I won't call it amazing. More sweet and cute than passionate. A decent amount of skinship but constrained. The more passionate love affair was (once again) left to the 2OTP. They had more angst but also burnt more brightly. By the end of the show, there are multiple pairings and it was a little over the top but it is a rom-com after all. On top of that there was one of the most fully developed bromance in many a c/t/k-dramas. It ran from first to the last episode and full of gags and feels. A definite highlight. There are also lots of feels from friendships that are supportive and genuine.
On the whole, acting was good. There were definitely some overacting (as per t-drama play book) but the comedic payoff was there. The ML and FL may be seen as a bit one dimensional and I would agree to a certain extend as their growth came later. Especially the ML who was a classic man-child for most of the show.
Interestingly, where the show dropped the ball is not the usual mid show drag (it is only 20 episodes long) but odd plot developments that felt a bit jarring and contrived. The ending is also very corny (a typical t-drama trait). There seemed to be a lack of story material towards the end and they used a fair amount of flash backs to fill time and the weakness in the story was fairly obvious by then. Maybe they could tighten it up and cut a couple of episodes. Not a deal breaker but it was telling. Honestly, by that stage, you are just watching the show for the romance and feels. Plot? What plot.
Overall, it was an entertaining show. Low angst and high on sugar content. There are LOL moments and lots of feels.

Read More

Easy to watch teen dramedy

It is a short and easy to watch teen dramedy. Well, the bullying and general nasty behaviour of some of the characters are not so easy to watch but they all get their just dessert at the end so it is very satisfying. Throw in a few handsome young actors and you get a wholesome romance going in no time. My only negative point is that they labour the revenge plot a bit much and you have to say that that's a lot to happen in a quiet suburb school in a matter of weeks if not months. I understand that the writer wants us to see character growth and I appreciate that but in the end, the impact is weakened as you pretty much expect a happy ending and a resolution in every case. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this and would recommend it.

Read More

A breath of fresh air but not without flaws

I think this series held a lot of promise but not all were delivered and some mono-tonal writing caused it to lose some points. I have to give the writers kudos for including so many societal issues in the plot(s) and hence generated a lot of online reactions in the Chinese social media. While that was a breath of fresh air in the local TV scene at the time, I can't help but feel that it was done largely to generate the said traffic and viewership but most of the issues are not really explored, a bit of issue du jour? This is not helped by fairly shallow character portrayal. Especially the two youngest women, Qiu Yingying and Guan Ju'er. One was naive and immature to the point of being almost an airhead while the other is timid and grey. When so little character development happens in 42 episodes, you have to start asking questions. Not that they don't play their roles, it is just that it almost becomes a caricature and tools for the writers. The whole love line for GJE was just ridiculous. Why/how does someone have an instant crush and then nothing come of it in the drama. Even if she put up a fight for him, it would have been good but it was just side glances and deep sighs. I have to say that Andy as a character was the most complex of the five but then again, I find it hard to ship the relationship with Qi Dian. The writers tried their best to build chemistry but I never felt it exited the friend zone. How hard he tried to get inside her pants was also a bit off putting. The show also have some double standards. They are happy to highlight social issues but at the same time, they also push success and wealth to the front. While they didn't go so far as using the "rich dude get away with murder" trick, so many times fun is equated to staying in 5/6 stars hotels , clubbing with the elites and eating in fancy restaurants. Don't even mention fast cars as they are on full display as moving PPL. On one hand, the masses will identify with the 3 struggling women on the 22nd fl but the have's and have not's are also in stark contrast so that there can't really be happiness unless you have money and power. I did enjoyed a lot of the show but there are moments when I have to stop myself from shouting at the monitor when things get stupid and/or dragged on. OtJ2 is over 50 episodes.

Read More

To protect is to . . .

Sageuk dramas can be very formulaic. This one seemed to be poured from the same mould at first glance. Palace intrigue, evil minister and a tragic love story. Check, check and check!

If this drama has a theme then it is the protection of . . things. From the whole kingdom down to individuals. You will hear the word "protect" used more and more as the show progresses. It is the overarching motivation of so many characters. There are painful choices and sacrifices. This resulted in lots of unhappy and vengeful people. Heavy plots abound.

It lightened up a bit when we meet the FL. She is casted as a resourceful traveling merchant. She is all singing and all dancing. It can be a little uncanny when she is up to her trademark mischief, my mind kept overlaying this role with her modern ones. It does settles down after awhile.

On the other hand, the ML, as the Crown Prince, is the polar opposite. He is pretending to be a frivolous dandy while dying slowly inside. He is a patient man, he has been plotting his revenge for 5 years. He thought he has lost the love of his life and then found her again. It gets complicated . . very complicated. 

So far so sageuk. If I'm honest, the first half of the show is largely on rails. A grab bag of tropey subplots. It is fun to watch our leads' fall in love all over again. The plot bounces around the usual push-pull and dating shenanigans. Then it got magical, literally.

If the typical palace intrigue is not complicated enough, the writer-nim inserted the OG God of Love into the plot. This is a double edged sword. It allows the drama to deploy fantastical devices like soul swapping. It also provides the show with the ultimate get-out-of-jail card. This can makes it hard to take the serious storyline seriously. The tone can shift with little warning, for better or for worse.

As expected, the storyline is very busy by mid show. Most drama will be happy to run with this all the way to the finale. Our writer-nim said nix to that. He gave us the ultimate twist that started decades ago and technically tied the whole shebang together. I'm not going to spoil it for you. Whether you rejoice or facepalm after the revelation is up to you. I won't judge. ;)

Regardless, the chemistry of our leads is good. They have some very emotional scenes. As usual, the romantic plots have to fight with the angsty ones for attention. When the ML soul swapped with the FL, he has to overlay her mannerisms onto his. He got good at this towards the end. It can be quite uncanny. On the other hand, the FL is less successful. I suppose acting like a macho Crown Prince largely comes down to the swagger. ;)

OBTW, there is a 2CP and they are quite nice, but their romance is very fraught. The 2FL has an exquisite visual. Dare I call it elvish?

The show has issues though. There is a lot of expositions when all the key characters are trying to get on the same page. It can get a bit draggy when the viewer is already up to date. The show rewind everything to the beginning so that we are in no doubt what happened. Of course, this led to another round of expositions between characters. In that sense, the world seems to shrink rather than expands.

While this series is hardly a comedy, they did try to inject some humour. It is a bit of hit and miss . . at least they tried. Most support characters are from central casting. None of these are hanging offences, but not helpful either.

Another thing that k-dramas don't do well is epic scenes. For instance, the antagonist stormed the palace with his private army and it was about 20 men all told. He was supposed to be building this "army" for years. It wasn't badly done but it is hardly epic when compared to similar c-dramas.

Overall, it is not a bad series. The cast made it watchable. The fantasy element gave it a fresh coat of paint. Your mileage will differ depending on your expectations. I do find the OST excellent though, especially the theme song which is in the Pansori style. It is an instant earworm. 

This series is decent, the romance is sweet. It just needed something extra to elevates it to classic status. I won't be rewatching it any time soon. The last EP is an easily digestible chunk of fan service so that is an option. Peace.

Read More

Easy to watch show with some serious story telling issues

While this drama was easy to watch, it has some serious story telling issues. Yes, the OTP has chemistry and are good looking but it is not raw passion. The romance is a slooow burn with every bit of push-pull and misunderstanding style tropes thrown in just to prolong the journey. The final confession didn't happen until ep20 and the FL was still trying to wiggle out of admitting her feelings for the ML. Seriously, if they drag this out any longer, I would have dropped the show right there and then. Thankfully, they did acknowledge their love for each other and we get a few episodes where they were a happy couple. Of course, the well worn path of Chinese drama haunt us and we get the nasty plots to break them up and the forced separation. The annoying thing is that the writer seemed to start off writing one show and ended with another. The original setting of the school was fairly fresh and generated a lot of funny moments in the first 10 episodes or so. The interactions were easy and a role switch with all the female characters being strong and determined, welcoming. But by mid show, the story line is firmly back in well established romance/melo drama territory. Early set ups and back stories faded into the generic plot pool. The middle part of the show was so focused on the OTP's messy relationship that key events (like the tournament that was SO important) ended up going nowhere and had little impact. By the last third of the show, the writers seemed to have run out of steam on the OTP and a lot of screen time went to the support casts. It is not a bad thing as those relationships (we ended up with 3 more pairs!) is actually more interesting than the OTP by then. Their plot lines felt more real and organic in comparison. The down side to that is that it served to highlight how contrived and forced the main story line has become. Seriously, the last quarter of the show was a mess. Weak writing and awkward editing resulted in very odd tonal shifts. When they wheeled out the "Death Strike" as a deus ex machina plot device in ep33, I knew the writer(s) are in trouble. The lazy plotting also extended to how amazingly easy for the OTP to be manipulated to engineer their breakup. We did get an eleventh hour happy ending, no surprise there! I would have been a lot happier if they cut out a lot of the "will they, won't they" shenanigans in the last episode, get the OTP back together quickly and let the ensemble cast have some happy scenes together. That would have been a nice fan service. In the end, the show had a promising start but lost momentum mid way and it ended as a meh show. I was only going to rate it 6 but the support casts (love the cute kids) deserved a point for their efforts.

Read More

A sweet, old school rom-com

Please allow me to state this up front, this show is refreshingly watchable and enjoyable.

There can be no doubt this is a rom-com. Both the 'rom' and the 'com' are front and centre. There is a token amount of angst and no evil antagonist. We can talk about the handsome ML and the chemistry of the OTP, but I'd be just paraphrasing my other reviews.

From the start, the ML is portrayed as a simple, thuggish person. His reputation precedes him. The FL being a new teacher in town is in no position to judge. Everything points to a difficult relationship if one is even possible.

Their romantic journey is this show's foundation. There are minor side plots, but they are of little consequence. In most cases, they fold back into the A-plot.

In that sense, the show is as straightforward as a k-drama can get. Other than a bit of push-pull, their love line is on rails. Is this a bad thing? When you consider walking home after dark can be fraught in other k-dramas, it is a breath of fresh air.

Once their misunderstanding is cleared up there is literally One True Way. To be fair, their romance is swoon worthy. There is a decent amount of skinship that looks natural. Our OTP do look good together. I can't complain.

The poor SML doesn't stand a chance. He had a go and realised he stood zero chance with the FL and bowed out gracefully. If anything, his bromance with the ML feels stronger! Maybe I'll give him the Second Lead Syndrome as the consolation prize. ;)

BTW, there are two other CP's. They consume some screentime and provided minor distractions.

Beneath the surface, this drama is quite moralistic. It doesn't hold back when it comes to life lessons. People make mistakes, learn from it. Don't judge a book by its cover, etc, etc. It is quite old school in that way. It is not quite preachy, but the messages are unmistakable.

In the end, this series is angst lite, sweet and easily digestible. Production value is good, OST is fine. Acting is solid. Most actors are in their comfort zone. It is the perfect tonic for our troubled times. Its highs and lows are well modulated. Unfortunately, it will also melt quickly from our consciousness like hailstones in a summer storm. Enjoy it while you can. Peace.

Read More

Soulless rom-com that was a house of tropes and clichés

There are times when you live in hope that a show will turn the corner and get good. Well, after 13 episodes of this drama. I cannot see any light at the end of this tunnel so I dropped it. I have no doubt it is on course for a happy ending because it has to but it did not earn it.

First of all, there is next to no plot. There is the much hyped animosity between two top idol/actors and that pretty much drove the story along. One idol will try to sabotage the ML and he will hit back with something. It is all about competing to be the top dog and play dirty to get there. As a villain, the other idol is laughable. He tried to act like some kind of evil mastermind but he is just not up to it (acting and plot wise). So the show is basically moments and scenarios being thrown together one after another. A change of scene, a cliché moment, maybe a gag accompanied by funny sound effects (just in case we missed it). Rinse and repeat. Most of it centred around feeble attempt by the ML to impress the FL. All the tropes and clichés are piled on top of each other in place of any real story telling. You can forget about PC or moral, this stuff roamed with the dinosaurs.

It is unavoidable that we have to talk about the acting. It is meh to bad. The longer I watched the antics of the ML, the more I'm convinced that he should stick to his day job as a singer. He is meant to be a famously handsome idol/actor and some of his scenes made me groan out loud, especially when he is supposed to be acting on sets of real dramas. The FL was ok but there is really little scope for her to act. There are also too many side characters and most of them are stereotypes of little consequence. There is so much overacting from the ensemble.

To be fair, I was actually entertained for a few episodes because all the acting was over the top so that it was like a parody but then after a dozen episodes, I realised that this is IT. This is all we are going to get. It was depressing.

Now we can talk about character growth. There is none (so far). Most of the characters are one dimensional. The FL is supposed to be well educated but she is a doormat and a wall flower (tough gig). She was blackmailed to become a slave, tutor and mother to the ML. The ML was a man-child who is rude, crude and insensitive (what else can he be?!). Yes, he did sort of changed a little because he wanted the FL to like him but this is not growth. He bounces all over the place with his desperate need to please the FL only to turn around and bark harshly when he is challenged about his feelings for the FL. Even after his "confession" he was so awkward to be around as the FL didn't even took him seriously and I don't blame her. I already talked about the villain(s). You have to either laugh or cry.

There is a little bit of skinship so far but I don't feel much chemistry between the leads. Yes, the Show pulled out all the tricks to push them together but I feel sorry for the FL for having to put up with the childish antics of the ML. I don't ship the CP and that is the kiss of death for any romantic drama in my book.

So please don't waste your time on this unless you are doing a case study or feel the need to suffer. For a moment I thought it might be so bad that it will become a cult classic but alas, no. May be it was created as a vehicle for someone or to fill a void in scheduling, in either case, a waste of resources. Peace out.

Read More

Weaponised cluelessness

Final Edit: I got up to ep.22 and gave up. I skip-watched to the end and the 1OTP's confession happened 5 mins before the end credit rolls. We did not get one kiss, nay, not even a hug out of them. Enough said.

~~~~~~~My original Review~~~~~~~
I was going to write a review after I finish this series, but after watching 20 eps, I'm sorely tested. Hence a half way review just in case . . ;)

First of all, your enjoyment of this drama will be very subjective. If you are in the right demographic and/or fans of the stars, your journey will be much more enjoyable. Otherwise, caveat emptor, my friend.

This show is a youth/idol romance drama set in a college. The characters are supposed to be in their early 20s, yet the actors are closer to 30 in RL. They did ok most of the time but don't look too closely.

The A-plot is straightforward enough. We have 3 CP's. They are pre-ordained yet most are blissfully unaware. Some are outright frenemies. Others are crushes that need to be cultivated and ascend to the next level. The FL's are more aware of their feelings and what they want.

This is where the weaponised cluelessness comes in. Most ML's are looking for the light switch in a dark room when it comes to their feelings. Let alone the FL's. This is after 20 eps. (Sigh)

This is even more egregious for our 1OTP. I know the 1ML is tall and handsome but he is charmless. He has zero EQ and -100 points in social skills. Is he on the spectrum? He would literally tell you he is watching you because you are ugly and he wants to add an ugly character to his manhua.

BTW, he has been pigeonholed into drawing shàonǚ manhua, ha ha! Most of the comedy comes from his ham-fisted attempt to do research among his college cohorts.

Don't get me wrong, there are cute and funny moments but there are plenty of cringey and awkward ones as well. Same old gags are on repeat. These are low hanging fruits.

This extends to the multiple love lines. There is a lot of misunderstandings, confusion and outright ignorance. All the usual tropes get an airing.

Our FL is constantly yo-yoing between despair and hopefulness. I share her pain. I seriously question why she has such a huge crush on the ML. He is not so much a blank canvas but Teflon coated. Every overture from her is deflected. Sure, he cares for her but he would do the same for a stray cat.

Similar situations confront our other two CP's. They are clueless or in denial after 20 eps. Is that cute or painful to watch? You decide.

I know most of the reviews are positive and I can see why. It is angst lite and easy to watch. I enjoyed seeing a manhua being created.

The show is watchable, but 33 eps is a stretch. Every trick are used to stretch the thin plot. IMHO, it'd work better if it is tighter and shorter.

Now let's talk about the bread and butter stuff;
1) there are a lot of overacting. They are playing for laughs after all.
2) it is less acting than roleplaying archetypes. Bumbling, domineering, shy, take your pick. Most characters are one dimensional.
3) costume is casual college chic. Except the FL who is always well presented but I can't shake the Lolita vibe.
4) the OST is serviceable.

I'm trying to finish the show but the crystal ball is murky. I'll update as I progress or . . not. Peace.

Read More

Let the spirit guide you

K-drama runs on tropes and a reliable one is the interaction between spirits and humans. This usually takes the form of a human who has to help wandering ghosts to fulfil their last wish and/or get justice for them. These can span the full spectrum from horror to farce.

Most are decent, some are better than others. They all try to tug at your heartstring at some point regardless of their base genre. This one is no different.

What set this apart is Yoo Yeon Seok. He plays the titular role with gusto. I have to say the initial set-up is not particularly convincing. There is no rhyme or reason why he should gain the ability to communicate with ghosts. He is the Chosen One™, I suppose . .

As expected, there is a string of ghostly "clients". It is an eclectic mix. There doesn't appear to be any overriding cosmic reason why they should get the golden ticket. The only link is the shaman's sindang which is now the ML's office.

The cases are largely independent and last about 2 eps each except for the last one. That ghost is the raison d'être of the show.

It'll be too easy to give the plot away so don't ask. Let's just say if you watch this from the beginning, the puzzle pieces are all there. If I'm honest, this is probably its Achilles heel. The show is on a well marked highway once the wheels start turning.

The show does a good job splicing scenes of the ghost and the ML together so that there is a lot more intimacy between them compared to the usual "deliver the letter" type of wish fulfilment. It is a clever motif.

I was fully engaged and I'd rank it as one of the better shows of 2026. I might even score it higher if it ended a little better. EP.16 is still good. I just feel the plot was on cruise control. That episode is also very sentimental. I'm sure some viewers will shed tears while others will reach for their insulin pen!

One thing that did bug me is our OTP's loveline. It dragged on for too long. It is very cute when we finally got the fan service, but why can't we get it sooner and more of it? That left me fuming rather than swooning.

BTW, there are a few loose ends that are never addressed, such as the fate of the shaman. It might be inconsequential in the bigger scheme of things. It does feel untidy.

In the end, I enjoyed this series, warts and all. The production quality is good and the OST is fine.

Rewatch is possible if you are a fan of the leads. A swoon-y romance would have made a rewatch painless. Such is life! Peace.

Read More

Easy to watch palate cleanser

There is no point in comparing this little production to a mega hit. It is only 8 X 20 mins episodes. The simple love story is delivered competently as you'd expect from a Japanese production. Other than a hint of a SML and a touch of sibling rivalry, there is little resistance to the blossoming romance of our leads.

If I'm honest, everything is understated. The love story and the setting are all standard issue. The meet-cute centred around "cold hands, warm heart" is just a low hanging fruit.

Acting is decent, ditto the production. The small amount of skinship is done by the book. It is fluffy and easy to binge. Nothing will disturb your inner peace. A palate cleanser before you jump into the next makjang extravaganza. Peace.

Read More

It all comes full circle

Catfishing is all too common in today's online world. Some are unintentional while others are malicious. In this case, the FL took it really badly even though the ML's intention was pure. She carries that wound with her to this day.

Fast forward several years and our leads meet again in an work environment without recognising each other, at least initially. The A-plot is largely based their romantic and healing journey.

As romantic story goes, there is a decent amount of swoon worthy moments in the middle 1/3 of the series. The ML is handsome, savvy and a hopeless romantic. Unfortunately, he is a total noob to dating. It is a blast to watch him deal with his secret life as well as try to win over the FL. Their chemistry is undeniable which gave us some nice skinship.

On the other hand, the FL is all business and a perfectionist. She will speak up against her superiors and has quite a reputation for hanging them by their own petard. Even though she is not looking for love, it came looking.

It is this slightly awkward but delicious tug-of-war of the hearts that sustains much of the run. However, it is not without issues.

The biggest one is the grandma being used as the antagonist. She is a strong willed and stubborn businesswoman. She blames the death of the ML's loving parents squarely on the young ML. It was unjust and very harmful to the little boy, her sole remaining family. Nevertheless, she sustains the resentment for years. In fact, she is the reason why the ML has created a secret life/persona just so that he can escape from the strait-laced upbringing, if only for a few hours at a time.

Unfortunately, she is a poor antagonist. Yes, she did a lot of harm, but she was not evil. It is hard to like her, but it is even harder to hate her. She carries her pain in silence as well. It just needed an external force to reset their orbits. The FL is in a perfect position to do just that. However, when the reconciliation came, while cathartic, is a bit flat because there was no big revelation or grand gesture. It just took a bit of stating the bleeding obvious. I'll take the win, but it was less than impressive.

This brings us to some general observations of the last few eps. Everything came full circle. Fate has spoken. The HEA ending was never in doubt. There was a hint of tension towards the end but it never reached a zenith and before you know it, we are cruising to the finish line. The last EP is largely fan service but in a gentle way. No grand romantic gestures or meltingly hot scenes. Everything falls into place and on with the B-rolls.

Oh, I almost forgot, the 2CP is quite engaging. The characters are flawed but they have interesting backstories. Their journey is fraught but when it clicks, it is smoking. I like them, not enough to ask for their own show but they are a cut above the usual dial-a-2CP mob.

Production value is good. OST is fine. Not quite good enough for my coveted rewatch list but a highlight reel will be more than acceptable. Peace.

Read More