Emily
Ontario, Canada
This review may contain spoilers
The most relevant word I could apply to this show? Interesting. It's interesting.Of the romance-related shows to see on Netflix (Terrace House, Ainori) this is definitely the lowest tier. In production value, professionalism, and execution, this show leaves a bit of a poor taste in my mouth. It was filmed in beautiful Okinawa- the scenery and sights are probably the biggest draw here. That being said, you don't see much of it- the entirety of it's 9 episode run-time takes place over the course of 3 days which made it extremely difficult for there to be any romances at all formed over the course of this show.
At the onset, the concept for this show is what really drew me- over the course of the show, each of the 18 contestants (10 men, 8 women- apparently 1 man and 3 women dropped out at the last second) confess their all-consuming "deep dark secret". On this front, the show certainly delivered- at the risk of being too spoilery, things like criminal records, debt, troublesome past relationships, and frowned-upon occupations make up a decent chunk of the secrets. Each one was at the very least slightly surprising, and at most downright scandalous- and while they were all interesting, I found it a little bit insightful into the things that Japan considers taboo enough to be considered a deep dark secret. Regardless of the quality of this season, I would watch another hypothetical season in a heartbeat solely considering the possible secret revelations.
The participants were a real mixed bag- some of them were endearing, kind, or strange enough that I found myself rooting for them, while others I found downright detestable initially. Of course over the run of the series you get to know the lot of them better, so even strong initial impressions are for the most part broken up and you're given a more well-rounded idea of who this person might be. The editing shows very little bias in terms of who they give the most screen-time to, or who gets the most favourable cuts, so that isn't too big of a concern in my opinion. There's really only one or two participants I found to be just straight dislikeable people.
The most difficult part of watching this show was the host(s). While the female host was inoffensive enough, my biggest qualm with her is that she mostly stayed silent while the male host was a veritable trash bag of a human being. Perhaps it was a persona, perhaps not, but his lack of sensitivity and humourless attempts at joking insults were appalling. If you're easily angered by slut-shaming, transphobia, sexism, all that jazz- stay far away. This type of concept for a show could have been done with grace and compassion, but that is certainly not what you'll find here.
Now! For the romance! I had two or three couples I was really, truly rooting for, and some of them even pulled through! This show isn't completely unsatisfactory in that sense. But there are one or two people I felt very sorry for by the end, so get really to feel a certain amount of sadness mixed in with the ups of the couples. I don't think any of the couples that ended up forming were framed or set up by the production crew, however I feel like the crew may have had a general idea as to which couples they wanted to pair up based on their similar backgrounds and secrets.
TL;DR: A decent enough show to pass the time, but it might annoy the hell out of you. Don't take it too seriously or expect a masterpiece, and you might even enjoy it.
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No nutritional value- absolutely none. It tastes delicious while you're eating it, because you just want to eat the entire thing in one go, and while you're eating it you can't imagine eating anything else. It's simply the best thing you can think of. And then you finish the chocolate bar, and you realize that while yes, it was still pretty good, you probably shouldn't eat it again. It was sweet, and you liked it a lot, but there wasn't a lot of substance., and it wasn't very good for you.
The acting from all parties is mediocre to below average. In the acting department, it isn't perfect- but it doesn't really need to be.
The plot? Hah. HAH. You make me laugh, mortal, for this drama has no plot. Absolutely no substance, as I said before. There are minor inklings of plot as the episodes go on, but they are few and far between and utterly underwhelming. There wasn't a second of this drama that I was surprised or impressed with the writing when it came to the plot.
Maybe it's because I come from watching mostly Korean dramas- this is only my third or fourth Taiwanese drama- but this drama seemed to focus 98% of it's screentime to fluff. It was sugary sweet cotton candy, granted, but very fluffy. And even though there seemed to be little else in this drama besides romance, it seemed to be that there was very little advancement in each relationship- for the most part the tone was set from the very beginning, and then kept on going. Passionate couples remained passionate, conservative couples remained so.
While so far this might seem like a negative review, it isn't. I loved this drama. It was the first in a very long time to get my heart racing, to make me squeal like a fangirl, and to really get me talking about it. There was very little to be annoyed with, and every episode had me highly anticipating the next. It certainly can't be compared in quality to more serious dramas, or plot heavy dramas, but if you're looking for a drama that you want to indulge in, for a fluff-fest of a drama wouldn't win any awards besides 'Best Kisses', then this is the one to watch.
Also, most of the people in this drama are pretty attractive, and the chemistry between the main couple is like dynamite. So there's that. (Seriously, if Baron Chen isn't actually attracted to Megan irl I will eat my teacup, because I can't believe that.)
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It's a funny, charming, and occasionally cute adventure. There's lots of swashbuckling!
It has an interesting plot, but the background behind that plot and the nationalistic pride shoved at the end of the movie is a bit of a buzzkill. Not TOO much of a buzzkill however.
I can hear Pirates of the Caribbean in the music in this movie, along with some other more well known soundtracks. It works well. The special effects aren't flawless but they're impressive and fantastic- they don't detract from your enjoyment of it, but add to the fun atmosphere of the film.
The characters are definitely the high point in this movie. The two 'captains' of the pirates and the bandits are both people you can root for, even through the mistakes they make. Watching them interact was one of the funnest parts of this movie.
It won't stay with you for a lifetime, but it's definitely a decent way to spend two hours.
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If you're thinking of watching this drama but being put off by the 46 episodes, as I initially was, I have to say- don't worry! The episodes aren't as long as those you'll find in some dramas, and you'll find yourself flying through them.
With those 46 episodes in mind, I guess it's obvious to say that a lot happens in this drama. The story is a classic one of fighting the good fight for the good of the people, with a thrilling and beautiful romance (and love triangle!) to spice it up. I almost want to say that the romance is a bit too much, considering it feels like the center of our love triangle becomes a plot point more than anything, but it's definitely excusable.
There are several different arcs that we see our characters go through, and the characters also naturally develop with the story. By the time each character reaches their peak in the show, you've basically had a complete rundown about why they are the way they are, why they're doing what they're doing, and what your opinion is on them. This drama has much better developed characters than most in the sense that there are literally no characters I can think of (besides one that becomes irrelevant fairly early on) that I hate COMPLETELY. Of course there are moments of frustration, but even then you can definitely understand where they're coming from. This is a far cry from the usual drama antagonist, the ones that raise hell for no other purpose besides raising hell. It was refreshing.
Now, I'm complimenting the characters and their development, so you might be wondering why I didn't give a '10' to the Acting/Cast... well, that's honestly for no other purpose besides some brutal overacting in occasional places. But thankfully enough, those expressions that were overacted were at least fairly accurate!
The music was flawless. Nothing else needs to be said about that. Trust me.
Side note as well- this was a very... well... simply put, it was a very pretty drama. Besides the occasional questionable CGI sequence (that I'm fairly positive would only bother a perfectionist like me), the aesthetic qualities of this drama are worth being noted. Both in scenery and in people's faces. The Prince of Lan Ling isn't exactly unpleasant to look at if you know what I mean. And the clothes! The costumes! They were gorgeous, I feel like the people who made the clothes were having the time of their lives designing those clothes. Don't even get me started on the hair, which was almost* completely flawless. (* I think one of the actors had the occasional allergic reaction to the wig glue or something, I don't know man.) Basically, it was a very pleasing drama to look at.
Rewatch value is only a 9 for length, but the depth of the story, characters and romance will no doubt make for an engaging, interesting watch every time.
Ugh. This was just such a satisfying drama! Just watch it! I no doubt have more to say but it isn't occurring to me right now.
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So I decided to watch this drama after reading all of the glowing reviews, expecting a reasonably amusing romance drama. It's only 8 episodes, and the cast is fairly unknown, (except, in my case, for Chunderella and Jeon Mi Sun.) so I honestly wasn't expecting some too amazing, or something too awful. Well... let's just say it didn't go that way.
The story was fairly original. I've seen Gumiho dramas before, but none of the other gumihos have had the same 1000 liver thing. The way that the story was going to go was predictable, but it was fun watching it played out nonetheless. The side stories were nice to watch as well.
The romance, however, I found to be sorely lacking. One episode they're just friends, and the next, he's saying things like "We'll never break up!"? It was a bit unrealistic, and I felt that the main leads had next to NO chemistry together. They didn't even have a cute montage. There are two other romances as well, and neither of them are great either.
The actors themselves, however, shouldn't be underestimated. I found them all individually to be convincing and amusing. They fit their characters well.
The music was this drama's saving grace. Or at least; the SONGS were the saving grace. They had some really great music. If only the editors knew what they were doing. There were many scenes where the music just did not suit the scene at ALL. There was one scene in particular I can think of; it was a funny scene, with the female lead hurriedly trying to hide her Gumiho tail. AND THERE WAS A BLOODY BALLAD playing in the background. It just didn't fit. They would also cut the music off at strange places, and without very much strategic timing.
Another thing I have to say about the editors- there were many times where there was a joke going on, and the scene would abruptly change before the joke even had time to run it's course.
The make-up artist should have been flat out fired.
Overall, I found watching this to be a chore. This drama could have been much much better if they had changed even just the smallest things.
Give the drama a bit better continuity, don't try and cram a 16 episode story into 8, develop your characters, develop your romance, hire better editors that actually KNOW HOW A DRAMA IS SUPPOSED TO WORK.
I hate to be a Debbie Downer, and I feel bad for writing the worst review I've ever written, but the worst drama I've ever seen deserves as much.
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Anywho, onto the actual drama.
The Story: It had a good plot. It captured my attention immediately, and for most of the drama it goes through the plot really well. I just feel that they sort of cut the main plot point off a little soon, and were struggling for things to fill the rest of the episodes with, so the ending bit sort of dragged on a bit, but it wasn't really all that bad. It was quite a fun drama, and there were quite a few twists that were honestly really unexpected for me. That does NOT happen very often.
The Cast: OH MY GOODNESS. I had never heard of Chris Wu [who plays Terry] before now, and damn I have no idea why. That man is a fabulous crier. Seriously. And anybody is able to melt into a puddle at his loving looks. He, for me, was the best part in this drama, although there were few bad actors. The lead female was a bit boring, but she had character. I actually really enjoyed Xiao Fei's character... If I were to highlight one bad casting choice, it would be Liang Yan's father. He... wasn't great. But honestly, besides him, everybody fulfilled their parts to my satisfaction.
The Music: Wonderful. The OST was really, really great in my opinion. The lyrics and mood of the music always fit the situation, and there was a good theme to them. One of the best parts of this drama.
Rewatch Value: I'd watch it again, but not any time soon.
So yes, overall, I'd say that it's definitely worth watching. At times it is a bit frustrating, and you definitely see some complaints about the ending, but I personally loved the ending.
I recommend this. :)
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Okay, well first of all, I'll say this; there are three very different stories in this, all by different directors- so while you may be tempted to compare them (or look for connections, even) just let me advise you to not. I'll also advise you to let yourself be lost in each story, to fully experience and appreciate the mood and flair.
So, in my personal opinion;
Dumplings- This one is by far the most disturbing, in my opinion. It's predictable, but that doesn't make it any less chilling. The cast is quite good. Nothing too outstanding, but they all play their parts well. There's one character is particular- Aunt Mei- who is just brilliant. I think this one was my favourite out of the three, just because of the way that you become so completely engrossed by the story and the twists.
Cut- I was surprised to find out that Lee Byung Hun is in it, and as expected, he doesn't disappoint. This is a great segment, with a psychological battle taking place between a film director and his captor. This one is quite gruesome and shocking. The end can be interpreted in different ways, and I have seen people that disagree with me, so I recommend you watch it yourself and come to a conclusion.
Box- This one has a sort of dark appeal that I can't accurately describe with words. It pulls you in, and then confuses you, and then pulls you in again, and then confuses you again. But when you take a step back and think about all of the events and it as a whole, you realize the truth behind it. It's brilliant how it's done. The acting in this one was my favourite. It wasn't too subdued, and it wasn't too manic. It was simply perfect. This one is also the most reminiscent of horror films- which I wouldn't describe this entire film as.
In total, I was deeply engrossed by this film and it's story, and impressed by it's cast. The music was always fitting, but nothing too stupendous. I will not, however, rewatch this movie any time soon. Some of the shock value would be gone. (Not to say this movie doesn't have any merits beyond it's twists and turns- it's just something I look for in things.)
Overall, I highly recommend this intriguing artsy film.
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This review may contain spoilers
This drama was simply outstanding. I'll be honest here. OUTSTANDING. I watched the first 2 episodes and really enjoyed them, but I sort of got caught up in other things so it took me about a month before I came back to finish it. And boy, did I finish it. 8 episodes one night, and 6 the next. This drama really knows how to hook the viewers, let me tell you. They use a really interesting plot device/way of making a majority of the cliffhangers, which is a school reunion taking place in 2013, while the rest of the drama takes place in various times in the 90's/early 2000's.
The Story: Besides the description, I'll share how they convey the plot. In a nutshell- really well. The story and episodes flow extremely well, and although some parts seem a bit random while you're watching them, as the episode progresses their purpose is revealed. Most of the episodes had some sort of underlying message that was relayed this way.
The Acting: I'd say it was pretty good. Most of the main characters were either fantastic, or at least did a pretty decent job. Some of the time the acting seemed to be a bit forced, or occasionally a BIT too much, but the way it came off just made the plot seem more real. That's something this drama did really well in general, to be honest- making the situations realistic.
The Music: If you weren't paying attention, the music may seem like a smaller part of this drama then it seems like it would be. But if you DO pay attention, you'll realize how well the music fits into this drama. Not even with the brilliant OST, (which used almost(?) all songs from the time period they were supposed to take place in) but the pop culture behind the music. The fandoms were a beautiful thing to see conveyed in a drama.
Rewatch Value: To be honest, I rewatch a large majority of the dramas I watch, so a '10' isn't exactly difficult for me to give out, but I feel like it deserves it anyhow. The story and characters were loveable enough that I would watch this again in a heartbeat.
Extra Notes: WOW The nostalgia of this drama. It reminds me of a manga in the way the storyline flows, and the storyline in general. A lot of family moments, family values, heart-stopping romance, strained friendships, and well-remembered school moments. (Those hit me the hardest- the fun times they had at school were wonderful. Then again, I'm a sucker for dramas like that.) I mean, this drama gave me nostalgia for a period of time that I was sucking my thumb during, and that is impressive. A particular example of this is at one point, when Kim Jong Kook's 'Loveable' comes on, even if just in the background- it made me so happy, I can't even explain it. The chemistry between the main couple (which I feel like is a spoiler to give away?) IS PHENOMENAL. They are seriously adorable. So adorable. While, I must admit, the other corner of the triangle. (And yes, there is a love triangle) made me a tad uncomfortable. Yes, see, in this drama, while their are two love lines, one of them is perfection, and the second is mildly unbelievable. But it still has it's moments, admittedly. If I were to say only one negative thing about this drama, it would be that it jumps around too much (and yes, I said that it flows well, but the jumping does get a BIT confusing) and, in the jumping, I feel like some loose ends are left untied. But that might just be my personal opinion, or perhaps the result of me not paying enough attention.
Ah well, nevertheless. I extremely enjoyed this drama. I highly, highly recommend it!
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The cast.... I don't know. I think most of the characters filled their role quite well. (Mostly the side characters.) To be honest, the main characters were cast reasonably well, but they were so awkward. SO awkward. More so in the last quarter of the drama, but they didn't really portray much chemistry in the entire drama. They played their characters well, but not together.
The music was really good. Very stereotypical drama OST-y, but that isn't a bad thing. I enjoyed it.
I put the rewatch value as higher than I would have with the ending (4-ish) just because of how funny and fresh the beginning of the drama is.
So overall, I give this drama a 7. Nothing stupendous, nothing completely terrible. Worth watching, at least.
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FIRST AND FOREMOST: THIS IS A MOVIE FOR MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY. I'm sure you may have grasped that already, but I'm just reiterating the fact. It deals with mature themes such as extreme violence (not so much for the graphic nature, but more for the how disturbing it is.), sexuality (once again- not very graphic, but still a bit disturbing), the psychologically shaking nature of some parts of the movie, and other general things.
I shall go with the usual review format, but may have some extra points.
Story: A well deserved 10. The plot was extremely unique- I can honestly say I've never seen anything that compares in the slightest. It had a wide range of emotions and themes that I found slightly surprising (at least, to find them all in one movie) such as humour, (sometimes dark humour, but humour nonetheless) romance, (sort of? I don't know, for a movie with love in the title, I can't say it's overly romantic, but it does exist in an odd sort of way) religion, family, friendship, the uselessness and futility of life, yada yada yada. This movie is also really shocking and surreal. The movie starts off pretty messed up, gets more normal near the middle, and then everything goes freaking haywire near the end. And the ending- it was so good. For a while I was a bit weary, but I ended up loving it.
Acting/Cast: AN EASY 10. I honestly don't see any bad parts to the acting in this. There were some extremely difficult roles in this movie to pull off, and yet they did it. That would be enough for my 10. But the skill with which the pulled it off? It makes the value of the 10 so much higher. I could honestly believe that I was seeing real people while watching this, no matter how absurd the circumstances became. It was truly brilliant.
Music: While watching the movie, I actually stopped to think about the music several times- not something I usually do. Now, music wasn't a huge part to this movie- I think there may have been only about 2 songs played(?), I'm not really sure. But the music always fit the scene, and even added a little something extra to it. For me, that's all music has to do in a movie like this.
Rewatch Value: Now, I gave this movie a fairly low rewatch value. And yes, I have been ranting on about how wonderful this movie was. But let me explain- this was a wonderful movie, it really was. But honestly, it was like... 4 hours long. A good four hours, but still. Ain't nobody got time for that! It may be a nice thing to watch again when I get really, desperately bored, and a rewatch might help pull the chaos that makes up some parts of this movie together, but I can't see it happening any time soon.
NOTES: This movie was a bit of a surprise, in the sense that I honestly didn't know if I would like it for a long period of time. It took until the very end for me to decide that I did. Whether that's a good or bad thing, you can decide for yourself when/if you watch this. Just know that when you watch it, you really can't expect a movie like anything else you've ever seen. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Once again, find out for yourself.
Enjoy! :)
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This drama very much fits the usual standard for Japanese dramas; a series of events, usually with a pattern, and an underlying storyline.
SPECIAL NOTE: I cried in 3 episodes. In a 10 Episode drama. Usually, the only dramas that get me crying are the epic 25 episode long ones- and even then, they have to have POSITIVELY HEART-SHATTERINGLY SAD ENDINGS. Or no tears are shed. In this way, this drama is impressive.
Story- It had a very good idea for the story, but I don't know if I agreed with how it was executed. There were definitely some loose ends I would like tied up, and the ending wasn't satisfactory.
Cast- I thoroughly enjoyed the cast, I think they all did very well. :) The lady that plays Momoko is a very good actress; I'm currently watching her in another drama and she plays the polar opposite character of Momoko, to the extent that I can barely believe it's her.
Music- I actually remember a lot of the music from this one, which is a little bit of a surprise (in a good way). It was really quirky and it always fit with the scene. Sometimes funny, sometimes sad, and sometimes tense. The intro song is beautiful as well.
I wouldn't watch this drama again any time soon, although I enjoyed it. It simply isn't a drama made for rewatching is all.
Overall, it's a little bit of a frivolous drama, very funny (I legitimately lol'ed several times) and heart touching. Don't watch it if you're looking for romance, a completely sensical and complete storyline, or a particularly unpredictable or serious drama.
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I originally watched it for Matsuda Shota after watching him in Liar Game, but he's so much younger and adorable in this.
This movie really shouldn't be taken all that seriously, as it is first and foremost, a comedy. The main characters are all unique and important to the story in some aspect. The story can be a little confusing from time to time, with a couple things that I don't feel are completely explained, but besides that it's an interesting concept that I think they pulled off well. (Although I feel that the actors and the characters really held this movie together, as opposed to any cohesive story elements.)
I gave the music an 8 just because I don't remember it very well. I don't think it didn't fit at any point in the movie, so that's good. But anything special? I don't remember.
I would rewatch it again, but not anytime in the near future.
I recommend it if you're looking for something other than the usual romantic comedy when you're bored.
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I was expecting it to be more of a romance than it was, though, to be honest. It is really more City Hunter/Iris-ish than, perhaps, Spy Myung Wol, or other romances masquerading under a serious premise.
I give the story a 10 simply because it is SO good. The pacing of the story is good, save a slow last few episodes, and the romance is believable. It also has motives behind everything people do, for the most part. Quite a thrilling story line that goes well above what you think it will.
I have to give the casting and acting a 9. The KOREAN actors were wonderful, and reminded me of the reason I started watching the drama in the first place- Ha Ji Won and Lee Seung Ki. And then I saw another actor I recognized from What's Up, and knew it was going to be great. But, as most dramas do, it had TERRIBLE white actors. Seriously, I don't know where they find their white people. They speak English, but it doesn't sound natural at all.
The music was good. I don't have much to say about it. It never failed to fit the mood of the drama, and didn't suck, but it wasn't particularly memorable, so a 9.
Rewatch value is a 9. I'm probably going to watch it again, but not any time TOO soon.
I just have to give this drama a special mention because of the AMAZING lead couple. I know both of these stars from elsewhere, as you should too, but their romance in this is so convincing and deep that it has convinced me that they should just get married ASAP. Great chemistry.
All in all, I recommend this highly :D
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The story is flawless- or am I just saying that because it's so well known? No, I'm pretty sure it's flawless. If you've seen both of the Disney movie, you'll notice certain aspects that join together in this movie, only with a much more serious tone added to it. The story was paced incredibly well considering the span of time with movie goes through, and still packed that emotional punch.
The casting got a less than perfect score for just one reason, which I shall get to after I rave about the main actors. The actress that played Mulan fit the role incredibly well in my opinion, although I have seen some that disagree. She's feminine, yet can pull of being a man. And Wentai? Not only is he a brilliant actor, but his looks grow on you so that by the end he's the hunkiest man alive. There were no significantly amazing or terrible actors elsewhere in the movie, but my problem with the casting lies in the actor person cast, not their acting abilities.
The white guy. If you've seen the movie, you know who I'm talking about. He's just SO out of place! I think his existence is justified in the movie, but I don't think he really belongs there- he didn't really contribute much tot he story.
The music is wonderful. It fits the mood, it's nice to listen to, and is not overly cheesy. What more can you ask for? I recommend sticking around for the credits, like I did, just to listen to the music.
I'd rewatch this right now, and I just finished it- so YES. Definitely worth rewatching.
I highly, highly recommend this movie.
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I'll be completely honest here, I watched all 10 episodes straight. I literally watched them side by side, with few breaks. But now that it's over? Ugh, I regret it. It wasn't worth my time.
I thought the story would be more of a 'Girl is rough yet lovable, boy is spoiled egotistical idol.' but alas, that would imply that there was actually progress in the story.
Honestly, while I loved the cast, and most of the acting was good (the antagonists were dreadful. 'Yes.' 'Yes.' ...I hope you never have to watch it to find out what I'm talking about.) the characters were horribly underdeveloped and shallow. But that was the writers fault- there was a lot they could have done with this concept that they just didn't, instead opting for the traditional Japanese drama style of several unrelated story lines with one underlying cast and setting. There were several times when Hongki's idol status is completely forgotten- it's as if the plot lines were made for a completely different drama.
HK's Japanese is great- I'll admit that. It sounds really natural, at least to these ears which have been listening to anime and Jdramas for a LONG time. His mother's Korean? Ugh, not so much. I honestly cannot comprehend why they didn't get a Korean actress, seeing as how his mother did not have any Japanese lines.
If you're watching this for romance, stop now. You will be sorely disappointed, as I was. Here I was, hoping for a happy Lee Hong Ki that would get the girl, but no. Any romance is too insignificant to call romance.
As a hardcore LHK fan and Primadonna, I have to say that I liked the music. The whole...two songs? Yeah. I'm pretty sure they only used two songs the entire drama. They were good songs, but come ON. Honestly?
Another thing about this drama that upsets me is the 'Pro Wrestling' aspect of it. It was a joke. I don't know wrestling, but this was SO bad.
Basically, I don't plan on ever watching this again. I don't plan on getting anybody I know to watch it. It's not even worth watching it to see Hong Ki being adorable.
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