So the concept of #Alive is very similar to Train to Busan, but less intense. It was a bit slow in the beginning because the story is very character focused. Our MMC is couped up in his house for weeks before we even meet the other main character, the FMC. It kind of has a survivalist feel to it in the beginning, which was a bit slow, yet not entirely boring.

Once we meet the FMC, things really pick up. Their interactions were nice and the way the story evolves with them working together was cool.

The last 30 minutes had me on the edge of my seat - I wasn't sure if they'd make it or not (after Train to Busan, I have trust issues XD). I loved the ending, even if it's unlikely. I don't care! It was a great way to finish the story.

Overall, if you like zombie movies, I'd say, obviously watch it. If you're a chicken like me when it comes to scary stuff, this isn't scary really, just gory. It's not terribly intense and the ending is satisfying. I'd recommend giving it a shot, but it's not a "must see".

Read More

Casual, entertaining, family drama - not heavy with melodrama

I feel really torn as how to rate this drama because there were characters that I really adored and then parts of the story that I simply did not enjoy and could have done without. With the drama being 100 episodes (50+ hours!), it makes it even more difficult to give it a fair rating reflective of the overall drama. I have settled on a 7.5, not because it wasn't very enjoyable, but because it simply wasn't perfect - if I were to rewatch this drama, I would only watch for the characters/parts of the story I liked and skip through the rest.

My absolute favorite thing from this entire drama was the relationship between the Yoon doctor brothers - Yoon Gyu Jin and Yoon Jae Suk. These brothers are the epitome of what it is to be a sibling; you love each other, but show it in the oddest ways, bickering like children every chance you can. If you are a sibling, you will definitely associate with these siblings. They cracked me up with their antics, while simultaneously leaving me full and happy with the authenticity of their sibling relationship. The way the writers wrote their relationship dynamics were perfect. I could watch a drama just about them and their lives and be so very happy and entertained.

I also really enjoyed Kang Cho Yeon. Yes, she was very much a bull-in-a-China-shop, but finding her family really helped mellow her out and she became so much more beautiful because you could really tell she became happy. And while I felt her and Song Young Dal recognizing each other as siblings was a bit drawn out in the plot, it was still wonderful once finally established. Seeing everyone together as a huge happy family was really satisfying.

In regards to the romance in this drama (there were a CRAP TON of pairings) I think the couple that carried this drama was the doctor couple, Song Na Hee and Yoon Gyu Jin. They were a couple with serious issues in the beginning even though they still sincerely loved each other (buried deep beneath all the accumulated miscommunication and resentment). Over the 100 episodes, they grew and changed to take care of each other, learning how to love each other again. It was a really well written evolution between the two of them. Their story was what I really kept watching this drama for. I just needed to know how things unfolded for them.

So, the things I didn't like? Hmm. To keep it brief and general:
I felt like some of the romantic pairings were rushed and therefore had no real substance to their attraction. I also felt like some of the romantic pairings were alluded to, but were never confirmed on screen (which, as you can imagine, is super frustrating when you have invested so much time). And then I felt that some of the romantic pairings were simply all wrong and they shouldn't have been put together at all. There were also some characters that I just didn't like, even if the writers tried to "redeem" them. These might seem like small things, but when there are so many romantic pairings, characters, and episodes, these flaws build up into a larger mass of dissatisfaction. Perhaps I'm being too picky, especially for a family drama?

There's so much more I can say about this drama in regards to specific details, but these were the important parts that really stood out to me. The things I loved, mentioned above, were obviously enough to keep me invested in watching all 100 episodes, regardless of character/relationship/plot flaws. I wouldn't necessarily recommend to binge watch Once Again, but I would recommend watching it with a buddy, as I did. Having someone to bounce thoughts off of while casually watching Once Again was the perfect way to enjoy this drama without taking it too terribly seriously. While my 7.5 rating appears mediocre, please recognize that due to the nature of longer family dramas, it is rather inevitable that the story is a bit messier and therefore, not flawless, but enjoyable all the same. If you enjoy family dramas, I would say, give it a chance - there's nothing too heavy or melodramatic in this family drama, which I think makes it a safe family drama selection.

Read More

Misleading trailer - this is NOT a rom-com >.<

My Love, My Bride has been on my plan to watch list for a very long time - I was excited to finally watch it. But I'm left disappointed because the movie did not play out the way I thought it would. The biggest flaw was how misleading the trailer is. The trailer makes it seem like it's a light, fluffy, rom-com, but instead it's most definitely a melodrama. The misleading trailer led to a very disappointing and unpleasant experience.

If the trailer has been a more accurate reflection (or if I hadn't watched the trailer) I think my experience would have been very different. Though, I'm not entirely sure since I don't really like stories of this type anyways.
The story revolves around a couple who have a bunch of issues which are "resolved" by the end of the movie, but I wouldn't consider them well matched or happily together, even in the end.

What caused this strong distaste, something that I've found to be more popular these days, was romanticizing and justifying infidelity. Upon integrating this plot point was when I really couldn't root for their relationship anymore. I know this story was supposed to be "real" and portraying what life as a couple is like with all it's ups and downs, but for me, it went too far. Cheating on your significant other should not be the point in which you realize you love them; you've gone to a point of no return - betrayal.

Don't normalize and romanticize infidelity. It's wrong - plain and simple - and you should be met with the consequences of your betrayal. Further, just because you had good times/memories does not mean that you are well suited for each other. Just because you have good sex does not mean that you have an overall healthy relationship. We all have our complicated relationships that have inevitable problems, but this was not entertaining to watch, as it crosses a lot of moral lines. While some people might find that they can empathize with this couple, it is NOT a story I can associate with, as I hold myself to higher morals. Overall, My Love, My Bride was sad and depressing, and worse, the trailer did NOT prepare me for this type of story at all.

Read More

Disappointing: Rushed plot leads to underdeveloped characters

Double World was a highly anticipated movie for me for 2 reasons: Henry Lau and the OST MV "Don't Go" (also by Henry Lau). Both these aspects had me looking forward to the movie - it looked intense and interesting!

Unfortunately, while the cinematography and set/costumes quality were great, the story really suffered from rushed execution of plot and poor character development. Due to the extremely rushed story, we do not get a chance to really get to know the main characters nor really capture the character dynamics between MCs. This was super disappointing because each of the MCs had so much potential to be interesting, but their stories were wasted due to their poor character development and rushed telling of the story. It felt like the writers were trying to fit a bunch into the movie, but to compensate for the amount they wanted to fit in, they rushed every plot point to fit everything in, sacrificing adequate development of both characters and plot. This was devastating to my overall enjoyment of the movie because in the end, when tragedy hit, I felt nothing. I wasn't sitting on the edge of my seat with anticipation/worry; rather, I was sitting back, kind of shrugging at the new development, unmoved.

*sigh* Overall, Double World is a serious letdown. It wasn't bad, but it severely missed the mark of "awesome" since you could taste the potential of the characters (and plot) but they were never given the opportunity to grow and shine. I would not recommend Double World, nor will I be watching it again.

Read More

An under-appreciated, family-oriented drama

The Great Show is a very wholesome drama. It is very family centered and the ending was really perfect - it was strong and wasn't dragged out at all! I mean, it was paced so well that poor Wie Dae Han can NEVER catch a break! There's never a dull moment with this drama. XD

For those of you who are interested in romance: there wasn't really any development of romance the way a normal rom-com does. Wie Dae Han and Jung Soo Hyun dated briefly about 15 years prior to the beginning of the story but she disappeared abruptly due to a tragic incident in her family. They bump into each other at the beginning of the drama and they both still have feelings for each other, but neither of them focus on their feelings for each other actively because the orphaned children take such priority.

Jung Soo Hyun sincerely cares for all of Wie Dae Han's new children, but specifically grows very attached to Wie Dae Han's oldest daughter, who ends up being pregnant, which obviously complicates the story since she's only a high school senior. The story's main focus ends up being about how Wie Dae Han and Jung Soo Hyun (and her parents) support each other and become a family unit - the oldest daughter with her pregnancy (and integrating her boyfriend into the family), the teenage son going thru his angst, the youngest siblings (twins) adjusting to their new life, Wie Dae Han trying to fix his career as a politician, and Jung Soo Hyun trying to support her parents who run a restaurant in the old market.

Through the drama, Wie Dae Han and Jung Soo Hyun become close because their lives and emotions continued to entangle while taking care of the kids. By the end of the story, it's implied that they're together but there's no kiss or romantic confession. But honestly, I was fine with the way their "romance" was handled. I really liked how they took care of the kids FOR the kids and they cheered each other on and supported each other selflessly.

I personally found The Great Show to be refreshing, even if some parts were predictable. It wasn't over fluffed with forced romance and instead it's focus was all about family. I really liked how the oldest daughter was pregnant (as a senior in high school) and decided with her boyfriend to keep the baby. The baby's father adores her and takes care of her and her younger siblings throughout the whole story. It was so nice that he didn't turn into a shallow character that ran away or did something shady just because things got complicated with the prospect of having a baby. The story didn't romanticize teenage pregnancy, it just presented that if you have a strong family unit, it's possible for things to work out.

Upon reading the synopsis, The Great Show definitely appears like the story revolves around a shallow man using children for his political career, presented with slapstick comedy. And yes, maybe the first 5 episodes, Wie Dae Han is doing some pretty immoral things, but he sincerely changes and does right by his family. He grows to love them so much that it breaks his heart. He's ready to throw out his own dreams to protect his kids and *that* is what made this drama so worth watching.

OST - I wasn't a fan of the opening song (it has a circus feel to it), but it enjoyed all of the other music. They were all pleasant sounding, catchy, and felt endearing in tone, which matched the drama very well. Wing It by HoooW was probably my favorite.

Read More

Okay - so I'm really glad that I did not let the first 3-ish episodes deter me from this fun drama. The first couple of episodes are seriously silly and over-the-top with dramatics, over-acting, and goofy comedy. BUT, it is very much redeemed once you get to know all the characters. Not only are the characters redeemed (who appeared one-dimensional and somewhat petty in the beginning) but also the premise of the story.
The characters and their stories are very endearing and heartwarming. Overall, the story plays out very much like a family sitcom: a group of boys who don't really know anything about responsibility endure real life struggles through the support of their new quirky neighbors in a rural town. There's implied romance, but nothing gushy.

My favorite thing about watching Modern Farmer was how the boys mature and grow through their experience together in the rural town and gaining responsibilities and recognize their impact on others through their own hardships.

I wasn't crazy about the love triangle nor the side-character love stories, though I understand why they were used to add a layer to the story. I also found that the final 10 minutes of the final episode (epilogue) were lacking a bit. I would have really liked to see a much more matured ending with the 4 city boys becoming successful, if not together, than in their own right. It kind of bummed me out that they each kind of became good-for-nothings in the epilogue even though I know that was supposed to be part of the humor. >.<

But OVERALL, I would like to remember the silly antics and fun sitcom-like humor the rural town residents brought when engaged with the 4 city boys. Each boy really did face their own real struggles that were easy to empathize with, which made watching (while getting teared up) and continuing to watch easy! The story isn't complicated and the love triangle does not get nasty or messy, which I really appreciated. The overall message I got from Modern Farmer is be kind and supportive of others, even strangers; when others are feeling down, support and encourage them so we can get through it together. A heartwarming message.

Would I recommend Modern Farmer? Hmmm... I probably won't go out of my way to recommend it. Not because it's not good, but just because I don't think many people would necessarily appreciate the casual comedic watch it is. Honestly, there are far superior brotherly/friendship themed dramas to watch. But what makes Modern Farmers enjoyable is that it doesn't take itself too seriously, even if the story and ending themselves are not flawless - the journey is enjoyable all the same. :)

Read More

Fast paced & fantastic fight scene choreography!

Player is a very well written and well execute drama. The plot is not convoluted, it's straightforward, and I really appreciate that the drama wasn't dragged out (it's only 14 episodes rather than 16 or more). The story isn't terribly complicated to figure out and there's no big revelation, but the story is fast paced and the action was on point. The choreography for all the fight scenes was FANTASTIC.

The comedy was sparse, but the relationships between all 4 con men was envy-worthy. The 3 men, Ha Ri, Byung Min, and Jin Woong were like brothers. I was skeptical about adding Ah Ryung, but was very happy with her addition once they established her relationship with the 3 *brothers*; the way they all came crashing in to protect her and fight for her as her older brothers was beautiful and gave me goosebumps and envy! Even further, I love how the 4 con men worked together to protect Prosecutor Jang - he too was a wonderful character!

I really enjoyed and adore this OST - Player by Dok2 was fabulous. The placement of this theme song had me perking up EVERY time.

Player isn't necessarily for everyone, especially since it doesn't have romance. BUT if you like revenge plots, con men, and action, this is a drama you don't want to miss out on. If you enjoyed Switch: Change the World, Miss & Mrs. Cop, and/or The Dude in Me, this drama will be your speed.

Read More

I can't go on enough about how much I adored this drama. The premise, an autistic older brother being taken care of by his younger brother and their connection to a troubled author, had me curious.
Not only was the story beautiful, watching each character grow, mature, and *heal* but the actors were spectacular. I think that the drama would not have been nearly as fantastic without this cast - their dynamics and chemistry really perfected the scenes.
Seo Ye Ji was just as incredible as she has been in all the other dramas I've seen her in, but I was still very impressed by her wholehearted performance. Playing such an initially cold-hearted and stoic character is no easy feat that she pulled off perfectly.
Kim Soo Hyun made an exceptionally strong comeback with this drama being his first since coming back from the military. His acting brought tears to my eyes and induced goosebumps. He's also particularly beautiful, so win-win! :D
Oh Jung Se was also spectacular in his own right, though it was very odd to see him play such a unique character. Having 1st hand experience with autistic individuals, I can confidently say that he portrayed Moon Sang Tae masterfully. And he portrayed his growth in such a realistic and raw fashion - he too brought tears to my eyes numerous times.
Honestly, all the actors were absolute perfection, elevating this drama to the level of "masterpiece."

While the OST is really exquisite and the song placement is perfectly executed, the songs themselves are not my absolute, hands down, favorite ever. The songs are a bit eerie and sad, yet harmonious and calm (for the most part) - there's nothing objectively wrong with any of them, and the OST really is beautiful, but it's just not my 100% #1 favorite. Still exquisite though! ^-^

***SPOILER BELOW***
The only thing I do have a gripe about was how Ko Mun Young's mother survived that fall AND drowning to continue to terrorize Ko Mun Young 20 years later. I just have a really hard time buying this part of the plot. I think the writers were trying to mislead viewers to think the mother *couldn't* have survived for greater impact when we found out that indeed she did survive and she was right under their nose the whole time. But the medical and logical side of my brain is twitching at this plot device. :P
***END SPOILER****

Fortunately, the above-mentioned plot issue I have does not bring down the overall drama because everything else was so perfect. I will say though, be prepared for your mind to run wild with plot theories while watching the drama. There are so many clues, many of which are purposefully misleading where you'll drive yourself crazy trying to figure it all out. Now that all the episodes are released, do yourself a favor and go ahead and dedicate about 18.5 hours to binge watch the entire thing!

Overall, It's Okay to Not Be Okay is not your typical drama - it's super quirky and the character's and their lives are very unique to this story. But it has so many things that the average viewer can sympathize with and it just overall pulls at your heartstrings (and the chemistry is ON POINT) - not just the main characters, but the equally well-written side characters and their stories too. You can't help but be enthralled by their stories and it's quirkiness. The love story between Ko Mun Young and Moon Gang Tae that developed through their own healing was real and stunning. And watching Moon Sang Tae's metamorphosis, going from being child-like to a true older brother and adult (while keeping his character true to his autism) was magnificent. And witnessing them all become a healed family was extraordinary.

I have already watched this drama about 3 times (I rewatched each episode at least twice while it was airing because I just couldn't get enough) and I will most definitely be rewatching it again. If you're not sure about watching, give the first 2 episodes a try - I'm confident that that's all it'll take to suck you in. ^-^

Read More

The Romance of Tiger and Rose was unexpectedly perfect for me. I don't have a lot of C-dramas under my belt when compared to how many K-dramas I've watched, but I have been drawn to them recently for historicals because of the costumes and "epic" feels. I'm so glad I gave this a shot because it is now my absolute favorite C-drama I've watched so far! The trailer is very reflective of what to expect from this drama, which I really appreciate, because usually the trailers are super short and tell you NOTHING about the drama or they completely mislead the tone/theme of the drama.

Ryan Ding and Zhao Lu Si had exceptional chemistry and their acting was phenomenal! AND their voice actors were very well selected, which was a HUGE plus for me (many times, voice actors can be very distracting and awkward, taking away from the overall drama for me).

The balance of romance, comedy, and political intrigue was so well executed that I just wanted to watch more and more until I finished the story. I found myself rewinding many episodes just to watch a scene all over again because it was either HILARIOUS or pulled at my heartstrings. My heart really ached at times, especially when it came to QianQian and Han Shuo realizing their feelings for each other through misunderstandings and heartbreak. The tension built up between them and then the betrayals/tragedy of their romance had me eating the story up while crying! XP

The ending (last 4 episodes) wasn't as good as the rest of the drama - the story somewhat slowed down... BUT I really loved how Chen Xiao Qian and her story evolved. She started in her story with all the knowledge to get along just fine in her fictional world, but as she forced her own survival as Chen QianQian, she changed the story so much so that by the end, she couldn't predict or ensure any ending based on her plans because things had changed too much for her to control. I really enjoyed watching this realistic development. And while things got a little boring and not as intense in episodes 22/23, I think it really gave Xiao Qian a greater sense of where her imperfections lie in her world-building of her story, so when she woke up, she knew how to further perfect her story.

The ending was life. I was so happy that things turned out that way because I don't think I would have been able to handle a true tragedy. AND the ending isn't too much for this genre, so it was a very happy, fitting ending. Some people are dissatisfied with their shortness of the ending, and while I wouldn't have complained to get a bit more of their happily-ever-ever, what was given was enough to satisfy me, so I'm happy. :D

I would recommend this to anyone. Really. If you like comedy and romance and don't mind historicals, this is a must watch. And even if you're not a huge fan of historicals, really, this drama is still fantastic. I can't rave enough about it! The Romance of Tiger and Rose is very much a character driven story: watching Han Shuo and QianQian fall in love, going from enemies-lovers and how their romance changes everything was such a wonderful experience that I can't help but want others to experience too! I will be watching again for sure!

Read More

Secret was okay as a melodrama. It was definitely better than Mask (2015), but it wasn't mind blowing like a lot of the reviews claim. The first 5 or so episodes were pretty rough to get through - watching the FMC go through her tragedy was pretty awful and it didn't get easier to watch until after she got out of prison.

The romance between MCs was decent, but it wasn't epic or steamy or particularly romantic. It was a pretty realistic build up, I just wanted more depth and tension. The actors were decent, but I didn't find that the MCs had a lot of chemistry (and they did NOT look great kissing - I disagree with that common opinion).

The plot itself was a bit slow and drawn out, which wasn't too bad, but not great either. Just kind of had me "meh."


***MILD SPOILERS BELOW***

What I really liked about this drama was the ending. The way the FMC's ex realizes how his greed caused him to lose his future of happiness as a father and husband was so well portrayed. The entire scene when he fell apart gave me goosebumps!
I also really liked how the FMC was consistent with her character by the end - she was such a good mother to her son up until the end by not insisting on ripping him away from his adoptive mother even though she was devastated and desperate to get him back. Yes, it was sad that the FMC didn't get to be with her son again as mother-son, but it was a good resolution that fit the story and characters.

***MILD SPOILERS ABOVE***


The soundtrack was decent - while none of the songs bothered me, none of them particularly stood out. *shrugs*

Overall, this drama was alright. I don't think I'd recommend it or dissuade anyone from watching it. It wasn't awful but it wasn't intense or remarkable either. I don't understand all of the hype in the reviews for this drama, but I can respect it.

Read More

As exciting and epic as the MVs make this drama look, it is truly cringey. The acting is okay, but the voice-overs are absolutely awful. The voice actress for the FMC is way too high pitched and her screams are NOT convincing, they're just annoying. Also, the CGI is poor - the wolves, ocean scenes, swimming, and fire, to name a few, were sooooo bad (the wolves were probably the worst so far). But what made me have to drop the drama was the horrific, choppy editing of the drama.
Essential scenes were completely cut out of the drama that were absolutely needed because they explained how characters got from point A to point B and/or transitioned scenes. Due to the horrifically choppy editing, I became super confused at least once an episode because I couldn't figure out what happened between scenes, making the overall experience unenjoyable.
Even though I really liked the story and chemistry between the 2 MCs, everything around them was a hot mess and the story and pacing around them was terrible. If they had just left the scenes alone, rather than cut so many, I would have tolerated the subpar quality with little complaint... Sad to say, I had to drop.

Read More

I had high hopes for The King: Eternal Monarch that were let down due to such a convoluted plot. I found the plot to be particularly confusing, even through the last episode. It wasn't the overall plot that was confusing (Lee Lim, the uncle to the MMC in the alternate reality, wants the throne for himself so he's doing whatever he can to achieve this goal), it was the smaller details and transitions between scenes, episodes, and dimensions of reality that were super confusing and unclear. And this is really unfortunate because the idea behind the plot is so unique and original.

The other thing that really ruined this drama for me was the insta-love. Bleh. This drama is definitely insta-love, to my dismay. There's no build up in emotions, interactions, or getting-to-know-you experiences that would have realistically led up to the extreme "love" the 2 MMCs feel for each other. It was very off putting. I'm still kind of scratching my head as to why they love each other. I, as the viewer, get it since I know them from watching their independent interactions, but in the short time THEY interacted with each other, I don't get why *they* developed such strong feelings for each other. This was probably the weakest point in the drama for me because their love story was supposed to transcend all the universes. Their romance wasn't even a convincing or well-written insta-love...I've truly seen better insta-love plots. *sigh*

What made this drama worth watching though was the performance of Woo Do Hwan, which is not surprising AT ALL. :D He was as wonderful as I thought he would be - he convincingly played 2 different roles where there was no doubt in my mind *who* he was when his face appears on scene. He was so convincing in both roles and he constantly had me cracking up for either character he played. I hope that TK:EM will be his big break so he can finally get more main roles!
Kim Kyung Nam was a huge surprise! He did a wonderful job portraying such a torn character - he was mysterious and moody (just how I like em ;P), and when he finally started crying near the end when his mother embraced him, his distress was palpable. I look forward to his future dramas - hopefully a lead role! :D

Unfortunately, I cannot say that all the other actors did as a wonderful job as WDH or even KKN. Lee Min Ho was okay - he's always been "just okay" to me. He's handsome and can easily make people swoon, and he has the right face for a king, and he strutted the *king* feel very well, but what I didn't buy was his romance/chemistry with Kim Go Eun. I've never been a huge fan of KGE either...she's not bad, but by the end of the drama she replaced good acting with tears. NON STOP tears. 0.0 By the end of TK:EM, I was soooo over her crying literally every scene. So, suffice to say, I'm still not a KGE fan. Bleh.

The OST was also really good, which I'm pleased to report! Good tones, great artists - their voices complimented the emotion of the scenes very well! The swell and timing in the instrumentals were also very well placed and selected!

Overall, I'm very disappointed in TK:EM. My high hopes for this intended epic drama are rather devastated. If I hadn't been watching it as it aired, I likely would have dropped it rather than try to get through all 16 episodes back to back. I hate to be this person, but the only reason why I would bring up this drama in conversation would be to gush about Woo Do Hwan. If you are a WDH fan, you definitely do NOT want to miss out on his spectacular performance here. Aside from WDH, I think this TK:EM would be okay to skip. *shrugs* It had it's exciting moments and interesting plot, but overall, it was evident that the writers did not handle nor execute such a complicated plot.

Read More

I don't usually watch any dramas other than K-dramas, but the trailer for Dr. Cutie was very enticing! I enjoyed the drama, but it definitely isn't perfect. This drama is EXTRA CHEESY and the acting is really not good at all. The silly moments are overly exaggerated (goes beyond slapstick comedy), the crying/tragic(ish) scenes aren't convincing - the facial expressions associated with strong emotions were not expressed authentically by the actors. In this sense, Dr. Cutie felt truly inferior to K-dramas.

So why did I continue watching Dr. Cutie when the acting was so lacking? Because in all honesty, I found the plot intriguing, the pacing excellent, the OST enjoyable and well-fitting, and the overall drama to NOT be bloody or violent (which is not a common quality of historicals).

I also found that even though the facial expressions were forced and the overall acting needs sincere improvement, the writers did a good job developing and portraying the development of romantic relations between Commander Ji Heng and Tian Qi. Their relationship was not rushed and the overall change in Commander Ji Heng was well paced.

What I didn't like in regards to the romance was how Commander Ji Heng's brother, Ji Zheng was shoved into their romance to create a love-triangle. I was initially okay with it when Ji Zheng bowed out of the triangle, but then he discovered that tragic secret and decided he too was going to seek out revenge. I don't like being yo-yoed back and forth with plots like this...I actually really appreciated that the brothers had such a close relationship and that he was initially graceful in recognizing and sincerely wanting his brother and Tian Qi to be happy. By forcing the love-triangle a second time in the plot, it ruined his character for me and added an unnecessary squabble which could have been used to deepen the larger villain plot.

Which brings me to my next point - the mountain village villain felt really flimsy. The mountain village survivors had been playing a role through the entire drama, which I thought was great, because it would lead to what I anticipated to be a well though-out overarching villain plot. But by the end, we didn't really get anything specific about what went down at the mountain village to help viewers understand the deep ploy for revenge by their survivors. The time used to shove the love-triangle into the story a second time should have been replaced with these details in my opinion.

While I was dissatisfied with the above criticisms, I really appreciated how Commander Ji Heng's mother was written to be remorseful and NOT inherently evil - she even apologized in the end! She wasn't constantly scheming for her own purposes and she genuinely loved her sons and recognized when her desires could ultimately make her sons unhappy and stepped back to allow them to handle it themselves. This really sat well with me. This is so uncommon to see in any drama that it was refreshing!

In the end, I'm overall disappointed with the ending due to how it was executed. I didn't like how Tian Qi stabbed Commander Ji Heng (which was around the same time Ji Zheng's character also started to deteriorate for me). While she thought she was exacting her revenge with Ji Heng admitting to being responsible for her childhood tragedy, once the truth is revealed in the very end, she doesn't admit to her mistake and betrayal. So in the end, where Ji Heng is essentially trying to win back her affections to make their happily-ever-after, I personally feel like in the least, Tian Qi should have been trying to win him back too. Yes, I know he felt responsible and felt like he deserved Tian Qi's revenge, but at the end of the day, her love was not unconditional for him the way his was for her (you know, for example, when he discovered she was a girl and should have had her reported and executed and didn't).

But again, what kept me watching this drama even though I found the ending execution of plot particularly flawed, was the excellent pacing (even the ending epilogue was not rushed!), the great build up in tension between Tian Qi and Ji Heng, and the overall message that revenge is not something that is necessarily clean-cut as we would like.

I would likely not rewatch this drama, particularly because the acting is so incredibly cheesy compared to having so many other better quality dramas available to steal my attention. But I don't think it was overall bad either. There were definitely moments that had my chest tight with anxiety/sadness for the characters and there were some seriously beautiful fangirl-worthy moments (thank you Huang Jun Jie for being so handsome, especially in costume!).

My best advice if you are trying to decide to watch this: if you like relatively casual historical dramas that include cross-dressing heroines, love-triangles, and aren't too tragic/violent, this will fit the bill, even if not the best acting quality!

Read More

I've no idea what happened. I was completely hooked after watching the first 2 episodes - it started with loads of action, tragedy, and steamy excitement! Once Ji Sook started living with Min Woo's family in the SJ home, things started to slow down a bit and got rather repetitive: the villain, Seok Hoon, would threaten or manipulate Ji Sook, Ji Sook would hate it, she'd try to get around him, but ultimately it would backfire, she'd get terrified, and then Seok Hoon got what he wanted anyways, which led him into using her again in his next ploy. It was a vicious cycle that I was willing to witness if it meant that it shaped Ji Sook into a stronger character able to endure such hardship, learn how to play the political game to then stand on her own, amass power, and take down Seok Hoon.

I watched the first 11 episodes with sincere patience in the hopes of witnessing this kind of development, but it still turned out to Ji Sook being terrified and just going along with the villain out of fear over and over again with minimal character development. I was thankful around episode 11 or 12 when it looked like Ji Sook was finally going to fight and I thought, "Yes! This will be her turning point - FINALLY - and she's going to destroy Seok Hoon and take vengeance!" But it fell flat. She fought for a little bit but then regressed and got scared again. All the while, it's implied that Ji Sook and Min Woo were "falling in love"...

But for a melodrama, I was expecting a steamier romance between the 2 MCs but I never really bought into their romance. They didn't appear to have chemistry and so that made it hard to believe their love/interest in each other. They just didn't do enough together to really justify their growing feelings. And they didn't seem to get emotionally involved with EACH OTHER to really illustrate their "growing" feelings for each other. It felt superficial.

In the end, the take down of Seok Hoon was okay but I had envisioned something more climactic. And the ending was dragged out over 3 episodes, but not much of anything happened during that time, so it didn't feel satisfying. Seok Hoon didn't get what was coming to him until the very end of the last episode which was super anticlimactic.
Also, involving Mi Yeon as a petty villain in the final stretches of the drama was really annoying and frustrating to me. She really loved her brother, Min Woo, but her chronic habit to be blind to her husband's (Seok Hoon) evil and treachery was baffling. According to how Mi Yeon and Seok Hoon were portrayed, she didn't really love her husband, she was in-love with the idea of someone loving her (and if her character was really supposed to love him, they did a poor job writing their relationship). My point is, Mi Yeon wanting to protect Min Woo, but also trying to terrorize Ji Sook makes no sense - she knew Min Woo "loved" Ji Sook and that Ji Sook was just trying to protect Min Woo so her malicious interference is contradictory. That was messy and just another "twist" planted with no real purpose. And then they killed off Mi Yeon, which I did NOT see coming. 0.o

And how could Min Woo's father, President Choi, and step-mother be so completely oblivious to what was going on the whole time?! They all lived in the same home and President Choi had to have many resources at his disposal as president of a huge conglomerate, there's just no way he's that dumb. That was just another plot convenience that got on my nerves by the very end.

Overall, I had high hopes for this drama, having over an 8 rating on MDL and such promising reviews and trailers. People seemed to really eat up this drama. But I don't see it. I wanted to enjoy it, but for me to overall enjoy it, the second half of the drama desperately needed to pack a bigger punch. Ji Sook needed to get smarter, amass more power of her own, and take down Seok Hoon (slowly would have been fine if it meant that we got to satisfyingly see his world crumble slowly). Ji Sook's lack of concrete character development as well as poor writing of the romance between Ji Sook and Min Woo are what ultimately bring this drama down. Even Seok Hoon, the villain, was not well flushed out - his desire for vengeance was rather superficial (all over the fact that President Choi smiled at his mother's funeral...really? That's it?).

So anyways, no, I would not recommend this melodrama - the ending, while having a "happy" epilogue in the very end for the 2 MC's, the journey to get there lacked the oomph to make it worth the emotional investment.

Read More