*****This Reviews contains SPOILERS****

I discovered Korean dramas after discovering and falling in love with Rain in 2010. I've seen many a k-drama and Misty is now the best drama I have seen in my 8-year k-drama life. IMO, it is perfection from the beginning to the last frame.

Every episode of this masterpiece is brilliantly written and acted. From a super compelling who-dun-it to complex, multi layered relationships. not only betweeen Go Hye Ran and Kang Tae Wook, but between Go Hye Ran and her younger rival Ha Ji Won, her boss/director, a female colleague, the protagonist Kevin Lee, and the devoted Byun Woo Hyun. Kang Ki-Joon, the tenacious homicide investigator, is one of the very best of the great supporting cast. This is a mature, sophisticated, complex, suspenseful drama that tackles marital strife, revenge, obsession, freedom of speech, corruption, class, justice, and workplace politics. I feel privileged to have seen it and I LOVED THE ENDING.

While everyone is entitled to his/her opinion, I find many drama lovers' need for some bullshit happy ending idiotic and infantile. The ending of Misty is 100% consistent with the narrative of the 15 episodes that got us there. I mean, did you really think they were going to move overseas and live happily-ever-after given ALL that occurred? Seriously, WTF did these people complaining about the ending expect? IMO, it really could not have ended better or any other way without compromising its integrity and greatness.

Again, best drama I have ever seen and I have no idea what I am going to watch next. CANNOT RECOMMEND HIGHLY ENOUGH.

Read More

As always, I will keep my comments short and sweet. Charming92 posted a wonderfully in depth review if you are interested in a "deep dive".

Come Back, Mister is a brilliantly acted, laugh out loud funny, and deeply heartfelt drama. I cannot say enough good things about it. It's difficult to pull off unique and original these days because there are SO many dramas that everything has just about been done at least once. Yet somehow Come Back, Mister succeeds in doing just that.

Rain has some of the best acting skills out there bar none (and he looks better than ever!). Oh Yeon-seo? O-M-G-! Spectacular performance! The chemistry between her character and Honey Lee's, was really something to behold especially in k-drama land! If this woman does not get recognized come award season, something is seriously amiss.

While I am anxiously awaiting for Yoon Shi Yoon's return in Mirror of the Witch, Come Back, Mister is the best drama of the year hands down for me thus far. : ) Highly recommend!

Read More

Do not let the opinions of others sway you. See Pretty Man for yourself and YOU DECIDE because one man's trash is another man's treasure. IMO, this drama is largely a victim of poor marketing, beginning with the title. I mean, who wants to see a drama about some guy whose favorite past time is looking at himself in the mirror, second only to having smitten women tell him how handsome he is all day? Not very appealing, but Pretty Man is SO much better than that, so much deeper! It's about destiny and finding who you are..literally. It's about love, loyalty, friendship, loss, pain, revenge, and even a little magic, but mostly it's about personal growth. This is a sometimes heartbreaking tale of a boy overcoming obstacles to become a man. Loved it!

Read More

YES GAWD!!!

Absolute perfection! If this drama isn't worthy of 10 stars, I don't what is. Brillant writing, acting, but most of all casting. I don't think people give enough credit to those who cast dramas because without the OFF THE CHARTS chemistry between Lee Jae-Wook and Jung So-Min, as well as the unbelievably great supporting cast, this drama might have been good, but it would not be the masterpiece that it is. Hwang Min-Hyun reminds me so much of V from BTS which was an unexpected bonus.

They also nailed the right number of episodes. There was never a dull moment nor any episodes that felt like fillers. Every one of the 20 episodes "counted" and transitioned beautifully into the next. The ending was SPECTACULAR! I was screaming! The ending IS NOT a cliffhanger, but rather an intermission before the next act. Alchemy of Souls is a flawless blend of drama, fantasy, romance, and comedy. It is the best drama I've seen since Empress Ki, and more recently, Word of Honor (so underrated). I cannot wait for Season 2!!!

Read More

Synopsis: After a car accident, Zhang Xiao time travels from modern-day China back to the 18th century as 16-year-old Maertai Rouxi, the daughter of a Manchu general, during the Qing Dynasty. She forms deep bonds with the 8th Prince, 4th Prince, and 13th prince resulting in complex relationships.
IMO, the 2016 K-drama version (Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Goryeo) doesn't hold a candle to this Chinese original. Scarlet Heart (aka Startling by Each Step and Bu Bu Jing Xin) was The Untamed before The Untamed. This is a beautiful, heart-wrenching, completely engrossing drama with great acting. The 35 episodes were over before I knew it. I loved it.

Read More

I had to take time to write a brief review on this movie. I had never heard of it and decided to watch it based solely on seemed like an interesting premise. There is nothing better than going into a movie blind and with zero expectations and being BLOWN AWAY. Firstly, the CGI is the best I have ever seen in a Chinese production. The special effects are pretty amazing, but the story is what sells this movie.

I am not a woman who needs to see romance in order to enjoy a movie/drama, but when romance is done right I understand why it's almost a must-have for so many. The couple in this film really pulled at my heartstrings. Despite their obvious differences, their love was so genuine and pure and their story moved me to tears. I loved this movie and I am so glad I just watched it instead of reading reviews that don't do it justice.

Read More

Holy cow! IMO, Hwayi: a monster boy is one of the greatest movies of all time. While Coin Locker Girl is not quite on that level, it is a very good movie. This movie is a cross between Hwayi and Killer Girl K., which if you haven't seen, RUN, DON'T WALK to Dramafever and watch it. Killer Girl K. is the very definition of a must-see.

The mistreatment and hard lives of children is always tough for me to watch and I found this movie even more heartbreaking than Hwayi. As an American, it's also interesting to see depictions of Korea's seedy, criminal underbelly. Sadly, there are cruel, heartless, violent people no matter where you go. That written, Mother is one of the most intriguing characters I've ever seen on film.

I definitely recommend this movie, but unlike Hwayi, it's not a movie I would ever watch again.

Read More

It was AWESOME to see Song Joong Ki in a drama again and Song Hye Gyo is one of my favorite actresses. They are clearly an attractive couple, but DOTS on the whole is very average to me. IMO, it isn't nearly as good as its ratings and popularity suggest. It's not a bad drama by any means. I just don't think it's anything special.

For those of you who have not yet seen DOTS, but plan to watch, the most helpful comment I can provide is go into it with an open mind, tempered expectations, and judge for yourself. You may love DOTS as so many do, but don't assume that or you might be disappointed. I doubt most of us went into episode 1 of our all-time favorite dramas EXPECTING them to become our all-time favorites.

Read More

Started So Strong But Lost Its Way

I have an autistic nephew and let me assure you that Park Eun-Bin gives the performance of a lifetime. Imagine what it took to not only remember all those lines of legal jargon, but to deliver them so concisely and quickly. Woo Young-Woo was so brilliant, sweet, innocent, awkward, and endearing. You couldn't help but like her; however her romance with Lee Jun-Ho (Kang Tae Oh) was kind of blah. NOT because her character had autism and his didn't, but because I found their chemistry a bit lacking.

In Alchemy of Souls, Lee Jae-Wook and Jung So-Min were so hot they damn near melted the screen. Woo Young-Woo and Lee Jun-Ho were cute together, but I was never fully invested in them as a couple. I was rooting for her, not necessarily for them. Unfortunately, the drama fell off after episode 12. I do not understand why they shifted gears when her backstory was beginning to unfold. The drama ended on a high note, but they really dropped the ball by bailing on an intriguing storyline. The redirection of the plot in episodes 13-15 made absolutely no sense.

Read More

Anyone who says Bi (Rain) is not a great actor is out of their freaking mind. This story and Rain's range of emotion are powerful and unforgettable. It's rare for a drama to hook me within its opening scene (Empress Ki and The Legend Four Gods are the two others), but the cinematography and music pull you in and you just know you're in for an emotional ride. A Love to Kill is soooooo special because it had the stones to really 'go there'. Rain really 'went there' as an actor. No pride, no shame, no vanity. This is why his performance is just epic. I am a firm believer that many people do not give A Love to Kill the 10+ rating it deserves because of the ending, which I loved. IMO, the ending was like a fairy tale and completely true to the previous 15 episodes of this drama. Anything else would have been a cop out. A Love to Kill is bittersweet love and raw emotion done 100% right. It is the first drama that I FELT to the bone and remains one of my top 5 dramas of all time. Truly one of the greats.

Read More