Soula
Ji Sung did not disappoint. He portrayed each personality exceptionally well with true, solid distinctions that made it obvious who he was in a believable way.
Hwang Jung Eum was surprisingly good and Park Seo Joon was a fun plus to the story.
Acting was overall enjoyable and actors in general were well cast.
In regards to the plot, I wasn't too impressed. I didn't dislike the drama, but there were some loose ends that weren't thoroughly resolved in the end and some of the plot devices are a bit overused in the K-drama world of today and therefore, unbelievable/predictable, lacking the impact they were meant to inflict.
What kind of fell flat to me was the ending. I think that the bad guys were written pretty black-and-white for the first 3/4 of the story and then in the last 2 or 3 episodes they are all of a sudden more complex beings and not all bad. This didn't flow well to me because the shift was very abrupt and inconsistent with the rest of the drama.
I think something else that was lacking from the ending was the relationship resolution between Do Hyun and his first cousin. It was implied that they would eventually have a big scene together fighting or whatnot, but it never happened, which left me wanting for something more. It was implied that they had a close relationship as children and that it needed to be mended as adults, but they barely had any scenes together throughout the whole drama. Which brings me to wonder, was it really necessary to include the cousin as a "villain" who was relatively harmless compared to the bigger demons Do Hyun was coming to terms with?
On the plus side, this drama had WAY more birth secrets than I thought it would AND I was genuinely surprised twice, which is a good thing. XD
Anyways, Kill Me, Heal Me is a decent drama and I understand how it became such a huge mainstream drama, but it personally lacks that extra umph that gets me to weep and rejoice with the characters. Honestly, I think that this drama gets all the attention as being a "must-see" because it's one of the few that deals with mental illness as the main plot device, which is good, don't get me wrong (mental illness is definitely under-represented in media and *should* be recognized), but just because the drama is addressing a minority concept doesn't mean that it's automatically amazing.
Kill Me, Heal Me has flaws, just like every drama, and for me personally, the great moments of this drama did not outweigh it's shortcomings for me to glaze over the flaws. What kept me watching was Shin Se Gi (he was my favorite character) and the small comedic moments sprinkled throughout (especially through Ahn Yo Na). And for those of you who are wondering if this is a romantic comedy - I wouldn't consider this a romantic comedy. It is much more of a melodrama - there's a lot of well-deserved crying and emotional outbursts in the second half of this drama that shifts the genre significantly to me.
Oh! And I would really like to add that while Hallucination the OST is AMAZING, the instrumental piece that sounds like a circus' theme song is TERRIFYING and every time it came on, I desperately hoped that it would shut off. XD
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Over the course of the first 12 episodes, I fell in-love with each character of the family and wanted the best for them. It was excellent writing because by the time it came to deal with Cha Mi Rae's illness, my heart broke, as it should. I cried for the characters a couple of times for sure. The acting was superb! BUTTTTTT the ending was still happy (NOT bittersweet in my opinion). By the end of this drama, you happily accept that we don't know what tomorrow brings and so don't waste time - embrace those you love while you can. A humbling yet happy message.
I loved that each episode had me laughing and the story didn't get too melodramatic. Sure, some things weren't necessarily realistic, but I wasn't expecting that either (if you watch the trailer, you'd known that this isn't a terribly melodramatic drama). I also LOVED all the comedic sound effects added to many of the scenes - definitely helped lighten the tone and communicate more cheer. :D While some people may have mentioned those noises as being immature and distracting, I found them uplifting and cheerful and they helped balance the sadder concepts of the drama.
The music in Super Daddy Yeol is absolutely mesmerizing! For those of you who are wondering what song Han Yeol's father plays on the saxophone (episode 9) it is called "Lonely People" by Lee Jung Sun (nearly impossible to identify!). I can't stop listening to it and absolutely love it!
I've never seen Lee Dong Gun before this drama, but I really enjoyed his acting. He was wonderful to watch grow from a bachelor to a father.
Lee Yoo Ri was the only reason why I found out about this drama. I still adore her acting! She's amazing! One of my favorites! And so gorgeous! I'd also like to mention that her hairstyle in the second half (the blunt thick bangs) of the drama really reminds me of Jung Eun Ji (in a good way - I adore her too!).
Lee Re also did a great job! I saw her in Come Back Mister first (she's younger here) and even with this being an earlier performance, she did a great job! I can't wait to watch her grow and see her in more mature roles!
Really, all the actors did a wonderful job, but those were my big shout-outs.
Don't let the rating of this drama deter you from giving it a shot. It's a great drama that leaves you satisfied, cheerful, and optimistic. While everything isn't explained and the plot/some characters are flawed, it's genuinely enjoyable. The characters are relatable and FUNNY and they GROW as individuals.
***I would recommend this drama to people who enjoyed Shopping King Louie and Reply 1997.
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In regards to how I feel about the movie...I've got some mixed feelings, but they're not necessarily bad feelings. I think the movie kind of lacks plot - what is the purpose to the male MC switching bodies? What's the reason behind it? While I was okay with the movie not answering those types of questions right away, by the end, we still don't get an answer to those questions. And while the ending wasn't bad, the loose ends definitely take away from the movie overall. BUT the story along the way and seeing the mini-stories of all the couples that the male MC helped was very heartwarming. And I really loved that we got that epilogue scene for all those side-couples in the end - very satisfying for sure!
I don't think I'll rewatch this movie just because of how the ending doesn't really feel complete for the male MC for me, but I can definitely acknowledge that it was enjoyable to see the one time. Nothing poorly done, just not spectacular. The mini-plots for each of the couples is really what makes this movie worth watching.
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A laugh-out-loud murder mystery!
I was *not* expecting to enjoy this movie nearly as much as I did. Ha Ji Won being the leading actress is what convinced me to watch it and she did not dissappoint.While the plot could have been predicted by an experienced mystery lover, I found that the writers did a great job providing only enough details to keep us guessing as to who the murderer was.
The story was well paced and the humor was so well balanced with the murder-mystery. 2 particular scenes had me dying with laughter (I'm still giggling a day later when thinking about those hilarious scenes).
I do not usually watch murder mysteries, but Life Risking Business was so light that I couldn't help but enjoy myself. I highly encourage this watch! It will not disappoint!
***Please note that Life Risking Romance is not a terribly serious or heavy movie. It is a murder mystery comedy (with a teensy bit of romance).
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Unexpectedly amazing and light-hearted for a law movie
I was not expecting this movie to be nearly as good as it was or for me to like it and enjoy it as much as I did. I watched the trailer and it has some great actors in it, so I decided to give it a shot. I just finished watching it and it was really really good.I'm always worried that a law/crime based drama/movie is going to be too gruesome or brutal for me to stomach, which usually deters me from watching them, but the execution of this movie was pleasantly unexpected! It was much more light-hearted compared to a lot of law movies, which I really liked. But it still managed to hit on some very serious morals that made you think and analyze what you *think* you know or understand. I cried in the end.
The only reason why I took off 1/2 a star was because I would have really liked to know where each of the characters wound up in 2019 in the last scene. That would have helped provide a nice wrapped conclusion in the end.
Juror 8 was surprisingly good AND it's based on a true story. Excellent pace and well executed! I really enjoyed this. Highly recommend for sure!
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There's nothing particularly remarkable about Secret Garden, but it is a solid drama. I finished it in 3 days and there was no point where I didn't want to continue watching (I actually had to convince myself to pause the drama and go to sleep haha). There's nothing particularly unique or breathtaking about Secret Garden, especially when you compare it to what all has been released in the K-drama world since it's release. BUT, it *is* enjoyable. I found all the characters enjoyable to watch. My favorite character was probably Oska (Yoon Sang Hyun is so entertaining!) because he was cute and sincere. Even though the male MC's mother was a b*tch, she wasn't that different from most chaebol mothers portrayed in the K-drama world, so I wasn't too surprised or terribly bothered by her antics. And all the characters got a clean ending and the ending for our MCs was wrapped up well and satisfying.
The OST was nice, but it isn't my favorite out of all the K-dramas I've watched, BUT I really really REALLY love Scar by Bois - you can feel the pain and sorrow of the song and it gets stuck in your head in a good way (very easy to hum by yourself haha).
I would really recommend watching Secret Garden if you haven't gotten around to it, especially if you've been in the K-drama world for a while. It feels like a mainstream "classic" that everyone really should watch. Secret Garden definitely has more PDA than the dramas I'm seeing these days, but it leaves you with very pleasant and warm feelings.
Also, I found Kim Joo Won's chant about the turtle and the crane joke to be sooooo adorable. XD
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So many regrets. I wish I had listened to my gut and dropped it around episode 35-38 - I wasn't fond of where I saw the plot going. My mother, who started watching My Golden Life with me around episode 25 was thoroughly hooked and convinced me to continue watching it with her because she wanted to see how it turned out. *sigh* I really should have dropped it.
Honestly, there's too much wrong with this drama to be able to explain them all here. In a summary, the biggest issue was that there were too many sub-plots that weren't concluded by the end of the series (the relationship between the grandfather and grandson of HaeSung, the relationship between Ji Soo and her biological parents, the relationship between Ji Ho and Seo Hyeon, the relationship between Ji Soo and the Baker, the relationship between Ji Soo and the Baker's wife, how Do Gyeong's secretary's mother/family were doing now that he was successful, how Ji Tae and Soo Ah were doing with their careers now that they "moved", the relationship between Ji An and Do Gyeong's mother, the relationship between Ji An and Do Gyeong, all the stories for the friends who lived in the sharehouse, such as, Yong Gook. These loose ends might seem unnecessary to wrap up, and while there were *some* glimpses of slight implications as to how SOME of these characters turned out, there wasn't nearly enough wrap up. They jump ahead a year and just expect us to swallow that all these characters have moved on and are "fine". Well, I'm sorry, but I can't just accept that. For a 52 episode drama, when you're investing so much time and emotion into it, the directors should have most definitely dedicated more energy into making sure each introduced character was given closure due to them to help leave the viewers with some satisfaction after finishing the last episode. The ending felt incomplete.
Another thing worth noting that bothered me the most in regards to plot development/characterization was that the father, Seo Tae Soo had an extremely poorly written character. I adored him in the beginning (first 25-30 episodes), but after Ji An moved back to Seoul and he found her and went into his depression and became bitter because he felt "betrayed" was nonsense. Sure, after shit hit the fan with everything that happened with the HaeSung family, their family being chaotic and having marital problems makes sense and would be reasonable. But dragging out his nastiness was absolutely OUT OF CHARACTER, distasteful, and unnecessary (it goes on for about 10-15 episodes!). With everything learned about him prior to that point, he was a very understanding, supportive, and loving man. His character shift didn't make logical sense, especially to the extreme and length of time it lasted. Additionally, his tragic end was just insulting. Dangling hope but still having a sad ending for him was insulting and all I could do was shake my head.
The only other thing that I really feel worth mentioning is the fact that Ji Ho and Seo Hyeon not ending up together is really upsetting and unfair. They should have been a happy couple. They were really my favorite characters to watch and they complimented each other so well. And Seo Hyeon really was looking like she'd rebel because of the lack of attention and affection she was receiving, but NOTHING. She went forgotten, by both her parents AND the writers of this drama. It was a disservice to such a sweet and capable character.
The OST *was* particularly note-worthy and will likely make it onto my playlist.
I would NOT recommend this drama to anyone, unless they've seen ALL the other long family dramas and are absolutely bored and have nothing but time on their hands. For me, it was a waste of time - the drama loses control, direction, timing, and organization around episode 35. They tried to refocus in the end, but it was already too late. Please note, there WERE some good times and there were things that I enjoyed seeing, but the poor resolutions written in this drama outweigh the drama's good points.
In the future, before starting a terribly long drama, I will give more attention to reading the reviews and spoilers to determine if I want to invest myself into such a drama. Unfortunately, it's dramas like this one that give a bad reputation to long family dramas and cause so many people to be weary and hesitant/intimated by them. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for a better one in the future...
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This review may contain spoilers
I only really decided to watch this drama because of one particular clip I saw with some sexual innuendos and colossal misunderstandings due to said incident. It was absolutely hilarious and my interest was officially peaked. The main reason why I was ever uninterested was because I never really heard many people talking about it, so I was kind of wondering, "maybe it's not worth the time...?"But OMG I am SO glad that I finally watched it! I essentially binge watched it (I would have finished it much faster if I could have, but alas, adult duties call ;) ). I was hooked from the very beginning. The characters were all interesting and I did not find one single character horribly annoying or intolerable. I enjoyed the plot and each of the characters in their own ways.
Usually the actress, Lee Min Jung is someone I either hate or am indifferent toward in a drama, but in this one, her character was pleasant and justified in her actions, so I enjoyed her scenes with other characters just as much as other main characters. I'm happy that I've finally found a drama with her that I don't dislike her in.
I've never seen Lee Ha Nui in a drama before, but she was particularly wonderful to watch. She did a great job portraying all these different emotions and feelings WHILE still being sexy! It was great! And even though she was depressed, vulnerable, and weak (especially in the beginning), she never became annoying or intolerable during the drama.
But the actor that I think deserves the absolute most recognition is Oh Yeon Seo. She did an absolutely amazing portrayal of a man in a woman's body. Portraying her character's fumbling and ungraceful mannerisms as well as deepening her voice were just some of the nuances that she established to truly reflect a man inhabiting her body. Her performance was amazing in this role and has motivated me to look into her other dramas simply to experience her acting again. I sincerely applaud her amazing performance!
The only reason why this drama did not score a perfect 10 is because :::START SPOILER::: I wasn't happy with how Han Gi Tak was forgotten/erased in the end. I don't think it was necessarily fair, especially compared to how Young Soo definitely fell into some gray area with his wife figuring out it was him before he left to go back to heaven... I understand that Gi Tak probably felt like it was better to be forgotten so Song Yi Yeon and Da Hye could live without guilt or mourning, but it doesn't sit right with me. He was a great man and deserved to be remembered.
And also, the end scene was a bit confusing. I've thought it over a number of times and I'd like to think that Hong Nan's doppelganger was ACTUALLY Gi Tak (with the wedgie pulling and everything) and not just someone who looked like him. The fact that we don't actually know what happened to Gi Tak for sure is simply unsatisfying (the angel, Maya, never specified what would happen to them after they were erased...). Plus, the smile between the real Lee Hae Joon and Hong Nan (doppelganger?) in the last few moments could have so many meanings! Honestly, that last scene all together is an anomaly that can be interpreted in so many ways that it hurts my soul. Its just not fair. I loved the drama so much and just needed a true resolution for ALL the characters. Is Lee Hae Joon in the last scene really Lee Hae Joon, or is it Young Soo and that's why he was giggling at Hong Nan and then smiled? Was that Gi Tak in Hong Nan's body or was that just someone who looked like (and acted like, remember wedgie picking) Hong Nan and it's just a coincidence? But then, why did she turn around and smile? Ugh. :::END SPOILER::: And THIS is why Please Come Back Mister did not get a 10/10 from me. Everything else was so nicely wrapped up and people were coming to terms and moving on. I was truly okay with them going back to heaven, but this ambiguous ending leaves me dissatisfied and simply unhappy with the ending.
Overall, this drama was truly wonderful (if you disregard the incomplete and therefore, unsatisfactory ending). Every episode made me laugh - upon multiple occasions I called my brother to show him some of the most hysterical scenes, which cracked him up too (and he's not even a K-drama fan!). This drama also had some more unexpectedly tender and heart-wrenching moments. But the producers did such a great job of balancing the sober moments with the comedic. I never felt like the drama lost its comedic side (which usually happens toward the end of a drama when shit hits the fan), which I was so happy to see. Also, the OST was GREAT! I loved every song and I didn't get tired of hearing any of the OST songs. I will likely rewatch this drama down the road and I will most definitely be adding this OST to my playlist. Highly recommend, especially for those who don't mind a relatively open-ended ending. Happy watching!
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The story was dark from the beginning and I am not one to watch dramas if they are dark, so for me, it would never work unless the plot is simply AMAZING (like the drama, Tunnel - I just couldn't put it down, no matter how dark and horrific the events were). Anyways, for me personally, the drama was not intriguing nor enjoyable enough for me to keep watching, and then with the way the ending turns out, I just couldn't justify continuing to watch it. In my opinion, this is not a drama meant for everybody.
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Simply put, I got bored and tired of the drama between characters. Things were moving at a decent pace in the beginning but the last 6 episodes were really drawn out and made everything drag. For example, the back stories of the characters were not revealed until the last 4 episodes and they weren't very well developed at all which was very disappointing and frustrating.
My biggest issue with this drama is that the characters are written illogically with no qualities that drew me in or made me want to know how they turn out. While I recognize that characters need to be written with room for growth and those are the intended areas of growth throughout the series, the negative qualities/choices of these characters weren't things I found interesting or worth investing my emotions or time into.
By the end, I didn't like any of the characters or their stories and I wasn't happy or proud for any of them because what happened along the way were things I don't feel people should feel proud of. And due to the lack of back stories for each character, I was unable to sympathize and empathize with how each character was as a person, which then made it difficult for me to appreciate their dynamics with other characters.
The OST and actors were pretty decent, but due to the poor character writing, I would not recommend this drama. I know that my review is a very unpopular opinion, but I personally look for much more depth in my slice of life dramas.
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To start, I wasn't really a fan of Kim Min Joon for the first half of the series- he was arrogant and rude and that made his scenes with the other characters unpleasant to watch for me. Even after finding out why Min Joon was the way he was, it didn't make it any less uncomfortable/infuriating to watch him treat others so harshly.
The other thing that bothered me was how the bad guys seemed to literally be getting away with everything every single time the Mad Dog team tried to catch them, which got old. I don't feel that the amount of times the bad guys got away made logical sense. Due to the bad guys getting away every time, it made the story drag much more than I think it should have.
Mad Dog is one of those dramas that if I didn't watch all of the episodes back-to-back, I probably wouldn't have finished watching the drama. What *did* keep me interested were the small moments of comedy within the Mad Dog team.
Would I recommend this drama? Meh. I don't think it was bad and it *did* have it's enjoyable moments - if you're intrigued by what you see in clips, I think it's worth satisfying that curiosity for you. The actors are really fantastic and the soundtrack and the plot are enjoyable enough. If your curiosity is not stirred by the clips you see, I would say that you are not missing too terribly much so it wouldn't be a big deal if you skipped this drama. I liked the drama overall, I didn't love it, but it was worth the watch to satiate my curiosity.
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It's really too bad because the premise made the drama sound like something hilarious to be privy to, but I couldn't get passed the writing of this drama to appreciate the story. If you are someone who enjoys darker tones and awkward characters/humor, maybe this is a drama worth giving a shot for you. Now that I'm reflecting on this drama, this might be a drama Strong Woman Do Bong Soon fan will appreciate (let me know your thoughts on this connection since I did not finish SWDBS for similar reasons).
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Anyways, the pacing of the 4 episodes was great with nothing moving too slowly or too quickly. I was TOTALLY surprised with who the bad guy was (but it doesn't take much to surprise me LMAO).
I also think that the writers did a good job with their selection of actors and how they portrayed the characters because many of the characters were left pretty mysterious until close to the end when their true intentions/tendencies were finally unmasked.
Overall, this drama wasn't perfect (for example, there were some character relationships that just seemed to fix themselves by the end of the drama that weren't really explained), but those imperfections didn't bring down the overall plot so they were easy to overlook for me.
I would recommend to anyone looking for a quick mystery-action drama!
****Also, please do NOT be scared of the ending. There is NO tag on this drama stating "tragedy" so do NOT fall for anything too quickly. XD I warned you! ;P
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I really enjoyed this drama, but it did have its imperfections. The only real imperfect worth mentioning is that I do not think there was a good balance of screen time for all the characters. While I know that the divorced MC and her childhood classmate are the true MC's, it felt like all 4 best friends were supposed to be unveiled throughout the story equally, but they weren't. The divorced female MC and the best friend whose marriage is a bit rocky I feel like get the most screen time where we get to really understand where each character is coming from.
Unfortunately, the other 2 best friends (the model best friend and the best friend who is always single) do not get sufficient screen time compared to their 2 best friends. The reason I say this is because the model friend and the single best friend feel very superficial - we don't really learn anything to their histories/in-depth interactions with their significant others to really get anything other than shallow stereotypes. This wasn't too distracting as I was not too terribly interested in the chronically single best friend, but I did find myself curious about *how* things were able to turn out the way they did for the model friend with her significant other.
The imbalance of screen time wasn't anything that ruined the drama, just something I think could have made the story stronger on all ends for a more well-rounded drama.
I'd recommend this drama to someone who would like to watch a romantic comedy with some touching/serious moments sprinkled in. The balance on genres was good, so when things do get more serious they don't get overly dramatic because something comedic always pulled up the tone.
I probably won't rewatch this drama as a whole and instead, I'll rewatch some funny clips or watch some music videos for this drama.
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