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Completed
Crash Landing on You
0 people found this review helpful
Sep 14, 2020
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 8.0
I used to be an avid drama fan, but I haven't been watching regularly for around 3 years. This is the first drama that has pulled me back into the addictive wonderland of dramas for the first time in three years. Crash Landing on You is incredibly poignant, with action, comedy, politics, and a strong supporting cast.

I loved the first half of the drama the most. The dichotomy between the North and the South is extremely evident, and the show does a good job at portraying the differences, but also demonstrating how similar they are in actuality as people. I actually loved the 'side-plots' and the secondary OTP as well. This drama has one of my favorite supporting casts; the 'ducklings', as everyone affectionately calls them, really brings the drama to life and balances out the more melodramatic moments of the OTP. But seriously, so melodramatic but I loved it!

The chemistry between the leads was a bit reminiscent of DOTS, but I think I like this one more just because of the 'cliche' tropes they used throughout the show that were tied in very well. Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin have incredible chemistry and they are very natural with each other. Everyone loves Hyun Bin and his longing, warm gaze (I do too!) but I think Son Ye Jin carried them as a couple, she has some acting chops!

I appreciate how the show demonstrates all the different kinds of 'love', whether that be familial, romantic, platonic, patriotic, etc; they do a great job at just resonating love throughout the show. The OST is incredible and they do a good job at really hammering those emotions home during those pivotal moments.

Admittedly, like many shows, I think the plot got a bit draggy in the latter half, but I think the ending is realistic enough for what they could do, and I'll miss watching the adventures of the ducklings with Se Ri and Jung Hyuk. With any show, I definitely think the villain part was extremely dragged out, and honestly quite unrealistic, but hey, you need him there to create that tension and drama so I can't complain.

Anyways, grab some tissues and get ready for some happy and sad tears! No, but seriously, give this a watch even if you have to fast forward through some of the more boring political parts-- the other parts are worth it.

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Completed
The Legend of the Blue Sea
31 people found this review helpful
Jan 26, 2017
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 10
Rewatch Value 7.0
I was super excited about Legend of The Blue Sea because I love mermaid folklore. So full disclaimer: I've always loved The Little Mermaid. Did LOTBS live up to its hype because of its double star power between Lee Min Ho and Jeon Ji Hyeon? Mmm...kind of?

LOTBS was a solid drama that I fully enjoyed watching week after week. Was it amazing though? Maybe not so much. I definitely enjoyed LOTBS far more than I would care to admit, as there was some lack in plot direction-sometimes the same problem would meander for a few episodes, or the villains had too much screen time not being threatening so it wasn't compelling. The villains were not that smart, plain out. They were stock and annoying to me. They didn't pose much threat and I was just not a fan, honestly. I couldn't relate to them whatsoever except for one. Lee Ji Hoon gave substance and sympathy to Chi Hyun as a character.

Now, the beginning in Spain was lovely visually and a good start to the drama. The plot of LOTBS is pretty simple: you get the mermaid on land antics, then the starting to care to actually caring relationship. It's nothing new, but I still loved watching it. It could be that Lee Min Ho is the best I've ever seen here. He's emoting well and I no longer think his acting has huge limitations because he's portraying so many different emotions here-romantic, familial, and family.
The OTP between Joon Jae and Shim Chung was cute and touching at times but I felt like it lacked a bit of something. I think there was some emotional disconnect in some scenes. As a whole, though, Lee Min Ho and Jeon Ji Hyeon had good chemistry and are visually stunning together.

The bromance was spot on! If you like bromance, then this is the drama for you. I love Joon Jae, Tae Oh, and Nam Do together. They are just too cute.

I was a little disappointed that the story became more about reincarnations, rather than mermaid folklore. The drama did drag in some spots here and there so it could've benefitted from a tighter episode count.

I liked the OST a lot! It had nice instrumentals and the theme songs were very fantastical and appropriate to the story.

LOTBS wasn't the next DOTS everything thought it was going to be. However, I did enjoy this drama a lot throughout its run. It has all the elements to be a great star-crossed lovers romance, but it just lacked the extra oomph. Despite that, I still recommend it for its light-hearted, romantic fare that veered melodramatic in the latter half, but pulled back to the fluffiness I love eventually.

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Completed
Goblin
4 people found this review helpful
Jan 21, 2017
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 8.0
Goblin was an ambitious drama-a high production value drama with gorgeous cinematography-and TvN pulled it off well. Granted, the ~90 minute episodes were a bit hard to adjust to and the drama did linger on some moments. Nevertheless, I never thought the drama was overhyped.

The combination of the breathtaking way scenes were filmed, and the wealth of heart Goblin possessed was enough to pull me in. I don't usually talk about editing but I have to say that Goblin's editing and stylistic filming are one of my favorites out of all dramas. I love the historic backstory, sometimes even more than the present. The historic story was the anchor of the emotional resonance of the present timeline.

Goblin's world of fantasy was fun, woven well, and interesting. The rules aren't always the most clear but I can accept that. The core of the story lied in the actions and consequences of the Goblin, and the lives he touched. Of course, the bromance between the Goblin and the Grim Reaper is my favorite relationship by far. The dry insults they pass back and forth amongst themselves are the best because under the insults lies affection, as much as they hate to admit it.

The romance in Goblin wasn't the most important to me until the second half of the drama, when the stakes were raised higher and the emotions felt heavier. Admittedly, I didn't love the romance between the Kim Shin and Eun Tak in the beginning because their relationship seemed to be more of a lost soul to lost soul connection, and not a romantic one. It wasn't until later did I finally feel their subtle chemistry, then I fell head in for them in the second half. Disclaimer: I cried so much, so freaking much. Be prepared to cry in the latter half of the drama. (This is a good thing, I think!)

The romance between the Grim Reaper and Sunny is poignant and heart wrenching. Their history lent their romance more weight but their present romance is filled with charged, tense chemistry all on their own. I loved them together honestly! SO much chemistry.Everyone's performance was fantastic. I have no complaints.

The soundtrack is AMAZING. OST's of a drama are so important to me in creating a more emotional bond with the scene and Goblin's is just on point in every take. Every song is utilized so well in the dramas and just add so much depth to the scenes.

Now, the not so good:
As I mentioned in the beginning, the drama did tend to linger and prolong many moments, which made them feel long. There were also times, especially in the beginning, where I feel like the plot became a little repetitive. However, the drama definitely became better and faster as the episodes went by, maybe because I got used to the length of it, but the plot also got tighter and more emotionally thrilling.

The ending, to me, felt very bittersweet. I cried loads and I feel somewhat unsatisfied. It is very memorable though, so there's that.

I definitely recommend Goblin to everyone, if anything, at least to try to see if it fits their taste. Disregarding the complaints about this drama, especially about the age gap controversy, I still think Goblin is a drama for everyone to at least try because Goblin is so much more than just the romantic relationships.

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Completed
Dr. Romantic
87 people found this review helpful
Jan 17, 2017
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 4
Overall 9.5
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim is a thought provoking and quirky drama that thrives off the strong character development and heart-pulling patient cases that are seamlessly interwoven with the main characters' own storylines.

I should say that I love medical dramas though. As an aspiring doctor, RDTK really made me think about the responsibilities of a doctor that extend past the operation room.
I began to watch RDTK because of Seo Hyun Jin but I stayed for Han Seok Kyu. Dr.Kim's complexity and romantic ideals of a character pulled me in, made me curious, and is essentially the anchor of the whole show.

What constitutes as a 'good' doctor? Essentially, the story revolves around that question that seems to have a simple answer; however, there's no real right or wrong answer and everyone has their own definition of a 'good' doctor. Philosophies and ideologies clash and it's just utterly fascinating to watch as morals are questioned and consciences are tested in the face of moral dilemmas.

Asides from the philosophical questions, hospital politics, and the emotional patient stories, the romance also holds its own in this already plot packed drama. The romance, while not at the forefront of the show, is a slow burn that keeps you wanting more, and when it finally happens, it is so satisfying. Gotta love the slow burns that are worth waiting for.

The whole cast of Doldam hospital seems like a big family. Side storylines are interesting, bromances are fun, and the verbal fights are satisfying.

Even if you don't like medical dramas, please don't pass up on this drama. RDTK is a a human drama, about human emotions, actions, and consequences. It poses interesting questions about society and humanity. I really enjoyed this unique drama that is honestly extremely different from other dramas I've watched before. If anything, at least give RDTK a try to see if it's up your alley!

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Completed
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo
5 people found this review helpful
Jan 13, 2017
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
As a college student myself, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo hit so close to home. The struggles of balancing school, friends, family, and relationships are so aptly depicted and heartwarmingly portrayed in this under the radar gem of a drama. To me, WFKBJ at its core, is about learning how to grow up and find out who you are, and being able to stay true to yourself through the high and lows of life in college.

WFKBJ doesn't have a spectacular, thrilling plot. Instead, I felt like I was on the sidelines, watching Bok Joo's real life story, following along the her journey. Watching the characters mature and go through relatable hardships really hit me because it's just too identifiable to my own life! If the sporty theme turns you off (and it did to me initially), it's not the focus of the drama in the sense that the sports are a part of their life in college but it could've been anything else: film, arts, leaderships, etc, and the drama would've still been good because ultimately the drama is about the growth of these young people in college (and sports just happened to be their specific focus/love/hobby in college)

I laughed and cried along with the Bok Joo, with Joon Hyeong, with everyone honestly. I've always liked Sung Kyung after watching her in Doctors and It's Okay, That's Love. I think she's a very versatile actress and seeing her portrayal of Bok Joo just blew me away, from her mannerisms to the warmth she brought to Bok Joo. The romance is low key and well developed because it's built up from friendship and support to finally a relationship, and when the romance finally happened, it was just the cutest thing ever and really made me yearn to have a romance like Bok Joo's and Joon Hyeong's.

I loved how Bok Joo never sacrificed her friends for her boyfriend because besties over boyfriends always. The three musketeers are the cutest and they always have each others' backs.

With all that said, I do think the drama started out a tad slow and I didn't really become invested until around a quarter in. However, WFKBJ is one of the rarer dramas that end extremely well versus starting well but slowly going down the drain near the end. I love the ending of this drama; it just makes me feel complete and left me with a smile at what's to come in Bok Joo's future, and also made me look forward to my future in college as well! I definitely recommend if you're in the mood for a fulfilling and relatable youth drama. After all, as Bok Joo would say, WFKBJ is SWAG!

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Completed
7 First Kisses
73 people found this review helpful
Jan 5, 2017
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 8.0
I mean, how does one even review a drama like this? It's totally subjective! That said, each episode was a short 10 minutes that flew by because they were so cliche, yet so fun. Each episode featured a different star, and a different drama cliche plot line condensed into 10 minutes.

I recommend this just because it's so entertaining to watch. I especially recommend it if one of your biases is featured in an episode and odds are they probably are because what a line-up!

Story-wise, I thought Ok Taec Yeon's was the funniest and the best. Kai's noona storyline was cute as well. Subjectively, I liked Ji Chang Wook's because I'm biased and it gave me 'Healer' vibes all over again.

Music is lighthearted and the theme song is sang by Ji Chang Wook!

Like I said earlier, it's a purely fun watch so don't expect great stories. After all, didn't we all come here to see our favorite biases? I know I did!

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Completed
Something About 1 Percent
13 people found this review helpful
Dec 12, 2016
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
Adorable! I never watched the original but the chemistry really made this drama for me regardless of some of the reservations I had while watching.

There was a few things that bothered me a little, mainly the forcefulness of the lead at times. Though I could understand that he didn't have any intentions, it just prevented me from fully enjoying some of the scenes. With that said, I could accept it more because the female lead stood up to him and didn't stand for it sometimes. The plot was straightforward, the romance was really hot and full of cuteness, and it was all in all an organic development done by a trusted formula of dislike to understanding to acceptance to appreciation and finally to love. One thing I really appreciated about this drama was that there was no misunderstandings. The couple had constant communication and talked things through!

The main leads are new to me but wow their acting is so real like it feels like they're dating, honestly, so props to their acting! Ha Suk Jin does his character so well, transforming between a lovable petulant man-child to a responsible, caring boyfriend. His character growth because of Kim Da Da's influence as a kind teacher and person (Jeon So Min) was a delight to see!

The 'villain' was almost like comedic relief, considering how utterly nonsensical her actions were.

Music was cute and fitting.

I recommend this drama! It's short enough that I want more episodes (~30-45 minutes per episode) At the same time, I feel like this is the perfect length that cut out all the unnecessary angst and filler a longer drama would have. It's short and sweet, literally! A definite watch for rom-com/ romance lovers out there. ?

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Completed
When a Snail Falls in Love
6 people found this review helpful
Dec 11, 2016
21 of 21 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
Another great drama adaptation from a Ding Mo novel. If you liked Love Me If You Dare, you'll definitely enjoy When a Snail Falls in Love!

The story is basically a big, intricate spider web where everything is connected. What seems to be individual cases, slowly all begins to be pieced together into a large puzzle. It was fun watching that happen and trying to guess the criminals along with the characters. I also have to mention the incredible cinematography. The first few episodes really impressed me in that regard because it almost seemed like I was watching a movie. And at the short length of 30 minutes an episode, it went by quickly.

There's definitely less romance in WASFIL in comparison to LMIYD but the chemistry between Wang Kai and Olivia Wang is still palpable. It's definitely a more emotional and intellectual connection, rather than physical. Nevertheless, they worked extremely well as a team and the few moments where they did have romantic moments were thoroughly satisfying.

Music didn't really stand out to me other than the theme song and end song; they're fitting to the drama.

The reason why I couldn't give a 10 was because I felt like some areas were rushed. The drama could've been longer and more fleshed out. (I read the novel) Though the novel was more detailed, Wang Kai and Olivia really brought Ji Bai and Xu Xu to life, exactly how I imagined the characters to be.

I recommend this drama. It's a twisty, mysterious, suspenseful, and romantic drama that keeps you on your toes. The twists are unexpected too!

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Completed
Shopping King Louie
139 people found this review helpful
Nov 12, 2016
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 5
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.0
Delicious dark chocolate is what Shopping King Louie is to me. Initially, I was thinking this was cotton candy cute but one can become sick of cotton candy quickly. The cuteness in SKL grows on you, episode by episode, and you will never get sick of it because it's just so well done!

The story seems simple and full of tropes: amnesia, chaebols, cinderella-like characters, car crashes, etc. but none of them felt melodramatic at all-especially when those cliches would usually spell out melodrama in other dramas. The drama's anchor is on the chemistry between Seo In Guk and Nam Ji Hyun and the drama knows its strengths so it focuses on that. The progression of their relationship is organic, genuine, honest, and just full of cuteness! The story isn't fast in the sense that things are always happening but the continuous character growth in the relationships is what will keep you watching. You become invested in all the characters and grow to love them- all of them. That was the draw for me.

I love this drama and its Cinderella feel. It's such an easy watch but not boring- and that's so hard to achieve, having light cuteness that's balanced by heartfelt moments

I really liked the OST especially Tiger Moth by Monsta;it's still playing on repeat.

I recommend SKL, completely if you like:
-cuteness overload, in a good way
-a well-done rom-com (actually hilarious and romantic at the same time)
-no melodrama because the writer defies all the cliches you think will happen

Shopping King Louis is one of the most pure, innocent, and heart-warming dramas I've watched in a long time. I sincerely recommend this to y'all especially if you need a little bit of Louis to lift up your spirits!

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Completed
W
8 people found this review helpful
Sep 14, 2016
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.0
This review may contain spoilers
I'm super torn about W. The first 10 episodes were everything I ever hoped in a drama done well; romance and suspense, perfectly existing side by side. After episode 10, however, the magic died a bit for me because the romance, especially, lost its touch.

This is the review I wrote before watching episodes 10 and beyond:
Cracktastic. Heart-wrenching. W is my crack drama of the year. I'm sure there were some plot holes somewhere but I don't see them right now. I just see the beauty that is W. W a little bit of everything: action, mystery, heart stopping romance, suspense, intrigue, magic, etc. The last drama that got me like this was Healer.

The manhwa-reality two worlds trans-universe was done brilliantly. The unpredictability of W had me in knots each week but it was completely worth it. Now, if you want rigid 'magical' rules you won't get them here. The unpredictability IS the rules here.You want romance? W has it in spades and it's one of the best 'fated to be, star crossed lovers' I have ever seen. I laughed, cried, and repeat for this couple. LJS and HHJ had amazing, sparkling chemistry. Passionate when needed, and caring at other times. I was on a bumpy rollercoaster right with them throughout W. Mystery and action? Of course! So many unexpected twists along the way. I came up with so many theories that were destroyed by the writer each week.

Supporting cast first place goes to Soo Bong. He's hilarious and a great friend. He's also the voice of all us drama watchers. In short, he's one of my favorite side drama characters ever.

I'll address some of the reasons viewers didn't like W. Admittedly, W, in a way, is a fantastical fairytale story. So yes, it does satisfy us romance buffs in that respect. But I find it unfair to just call W that because it's so much more. Sure, Kang Chul is supposed to be a character in a manga so does that make him a mere one-dimensional caricature? No- W, while formatted to be inside a manhwa, deals with genuine issues like existential crises and the creator vs creation argument. Does creator have the power, the right to decide what to do with his creation? LJS made Kang Chul feel very real to me; he is a human being, he has literally been fighting throughout his whole life, to break through his Pinocchio mold and become a real boy. At the core of it though, W is a fantasy drama so the writer has liberty to create her own world.

I wanted to keep this review short because W doesn't need it. Flat out, W is just amazing and so uniquely different from other dramas I have seen. Just watch it.

Now, my edited review continued after watching episode 10:
I still agree with what I wrote previously above but I wanted to add some reservations now that I watched the whole series. Take it with a grain of salt as I know many disagree with me.

I still think that since W is a fantasy drama, the rules can be dictated by the writer. Nevertheless, I think we had one too many twists that it became a bit convoluted. It's not that we viewers can't follow the plot, it's that it lost some of its consistency from the previous episodes. Those who watched it, without giving away spoilers, will know what I mean. I'm also quite disappointed in the latter part of the romance. With the length of the drama and so much plot development needed, something had to be give and the romance was what was sacrificed in the last third of the drama. Not to say that's a bad thing because this IS a thriller drama as well at its core but it was rather disappointing since the romance was focused on and developed beautifully in the first part of the drama.

The side characters aren't really prominent in W... besides from the villains, Kang Chul, and Yeon Joo- none played a crucial role. Like Queen In Hyun's Man, the heart and soul of W is the OTP. The OTP is what carried both dramas. The fundamental difference, however, is that the OTP here doesn't sell W enough because W is trying to be too many things at once: romance, suspense, mystery, action, etc. QIHM is also by W's writer, Song Jae Jung so I saw some integral similarities.

I think W is a better watch marathoned because everything will add up easier, when watched in a row instead of waiting week after week. In the end, I think W was wrapped up as reasonably and logically as it could be. I still recommend W but please don't go in with all the high expectations from the hype.

The OST is really, really good though. I loved the variety of songs that were included in the drama and they all heightened the emotions of each scene.

I'm not saying that I didn't love W. Trust me, I really did. I just had super high expectations that kept growing week after week, episode after episode, so I'm a little deflated right now. Ultimately, W is still an unique drama that deserves a watch (or two! I might re-watch again to see if it does work better as a marathon watch) Give W a go and decide for yourself!

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Completed
Queen In Hyun's Man
4 people found this review helpful
Sep 13, 2016
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.0
I haven't been this enamored with a drama and a drama couple chemistry in a while. I decided to pick up this drama because I heard the Song Jae Jung, writer of W wrote this as well so I was super excited! I was stuck in the hotel for a day so I started watching; I was immediately drawn in and got through 2/3rd's of it in a day. I have to say, so far, I surprisingly liked this more than W. The magic, or fantasy plot lines, made more sense to me here than in W (Of course, I might eat my words after I watch episodes 14-16 of W haha) Besides from that, I could follow each twist here-maybe because this type of fantasy is more my thing?

I can tell that the writer in a way was inspired by QIHM for W because some of the twists felt familiar, execution wise. The magical time travel element felt very realistic to me-the rules were established and the drama stayed consistent, both with the characters and the plot.

I'm admittedly a softie when it comes to an epic romance and QIHM had that in spades. It was realistic and genuine, so much so that the palpable longing could be felt across a humongous gap of 300 years. I just loved the soft yet passionate chemistry between Ji Hyun Woo and Yoo In Na. Their relationship was built slowly but truthfully and didn't have any trivial misunderstandings. After all, their biggest obstacle was time itself! Thus, I was sold by the second episode. And can we please give some love to our male lead Boong Do? He's honestly one of the best male leads I have ever seen. He doesn't do noble idiocy, he isn't a jerk at first-he's just honest, kind, intelligent, and logical. He's like a typical second male lead but instead he's a male lead here.

I didn't like Yoo In Ha in The Greatest Love because she was the annoying second lead. Here, however, she was bubbly and wore her heart on her sleeve- very endearing. As I said, JHW and YIN have a great chemistry and In Na's sobbing scenes were so on point for me that I cried along with her.

The drama never slowed down for me; from beginning to end, it was a rollercoaster of emotions and twists. The transitions between modern and sageuk were seamlessly done and the stylistic directing completely added to the overall drama feels. The angst didn't feel draggy. If anything, it felt authentic and the payoff was just oh so gratifying.

So much love for this fabulous fusion drama that I wish I found it earlier! The OST tugged on my heartstrings, especially when the sageuk traditional song came on, played by the Erhu.

However, I can see that supporting characters weren't as important, or weren't used well enough and that's the only tiny complaint that I had while watching this drama. The heart and soul of this drama is carried by the lovely romance between the star-crossed lovers and the obstacles they overcome together. Everything else kind of blurred into the sidelines for me.

I recommend wholeheartedly for those that are suckers for a great romance, as I am. I heart you, show.

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Completed
Uncontrollably Fond
3 people found this review helpful
Sep 8, 2016
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 4.0
Separately, the individual components worked. Kim Woo Bin as Joon Yeong was convincing. He played JY with nuance, easily transforming between playful and heart-breaking. Suzy as Noh Eul did a solid job as well. She's upfront about what she wants and demonstrates a blatantness that toes the line between admirable and shameless, in a good way. Jin Kyung, as Joon Yeoung's mom, as usual performed her best. I also wanted to give a small shout out to Lee Seo Won, Noh Eul's little bro- he's so cute- I'm definitely on the lookout for his future works.

Now, the problem isn't with the actors- everyone acted extremely well with what they were given- it's with the directing and the plot execution. UF had everything it needed to become an unforgettable melodrama but alas, for the bulk of the episodes- it wasn't. Lets start with the choppy execution of scenes. Each episode ended on a cliffhanger that was just confusing. Though they explain it in the next episode, it did deter from the overall fluidity of the episodes. Besides from the cliffhangers, many scenes were choppy and kind of jumped from one to another without adequate explanation.

Nevertheless, the chemistry between Kim Woo Bin and Suzy had a down to earth feel to it that worked really well at times but it wasn't maximized to its full potential. Visually, along with the gorgeous winter landscape, they are a beautiful couple. However, the backstory that was given falteringly detracted from their present day romance. The backstory should've made us, as viewers, care a lot for the couple, to root for their romance. Instead, the drama gave us a glimpse of their backstory that just honestly didn't justify why they are a fated couple. And along the way, the backstory was dropped and we no longer got flashbacks. Suddenly, it was all about the family drama and the revenge.

Speaking of the revenge plot line, it was completely dragged on and I began to dislike almost every character for making stupid decisions. In other words, it became pretty makjang, in that respect. Now, I have to say that the plot is chock full of classic melo cliches, which can be a good or bad thing depending on the execution. That's why I said that UF reminded me of the early 2000's melos but it didn't have the emotional impact of those reminiscent to the earlier melos. Personally, I think it's due to the fact we never had the chance to fall in love with the romance before we went straight into sadness.

OST wasn't my favorite of all time but it made some emotional scenes more emotional so it worked.

The saving grace for this drama was the last two episodes. I didn't cry throughout the whole drama for the romance at all because it just didn't get me emotionally. However, the last two episodes made me glad that I didn't drop UF. I can even say that it made the previous episodes worth it, well, worth more it anyways! The last two episodes finally gave me the pathos feelings that I wanted to see throughout UF. I'm disappointed that I had to wait for episode 19 to finally feel it though.

With everything that I said, though, I recommend this drama with reservations depending on your taste. Personally, I kept watching because I wanted to see it until the end, to see what happened to the characters. If I had a second chance, though, I don't think I would've started it because it's not a drama to binge as it is a slow drama. It's not a drama for everyone but it's definitely a drama for some. I won't re-watch this though.

If you are in the mood to watch some complicated family feud revenge drama, then UF is up your alley. Don't expect lots of cute romantic scenes because there are minimal. Do expect some frustration if you don't like slow moving plots and crazy family issues. Do expect a lot of tears, especially at the end.

UF is a substance drama that relies on strong individual performances, a fitting OST, and a lovely winter backdrop.

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Completed
Hello Monster
4 people found this review helpful
Aug 31, 2016
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
'I Remember You' isn't black and white. It explores a very gray area, making the viewers truly question what is right and what is wrong. Can murder ever be justified? Never, but 'I Remember You' digs deep into that question through the age-old argument: nature vs. nurture. Can environmental factors make you become a monster? Or are you born with the tendency to become a psychopath, sociopath, murderer, or all of the above?

At the heart of it, 'I Remember You' is about healing from long abused wounds. Does being a psychopath equal being a murderer and vice versa? Not necessarily and that's what I meant by saying this drama wades in a morally gray area. The vibe of the drama as a whole is: eerie. That's the best word to describe it. Every dialogue between the characters has multitudes of layered complexity and meaning behind the seemingly harmless, lighthearted words. Some of the best cryptic scripts I have ever seen in a drama. It's all due to Seo In Guk and Park Bo Gum since they both did a splendid job of emoting those emotions.

I genuinely enjoyed the low-key romance. Lee Hyun and Cha Ji An have an unbreakable connection between them. They start out disliking each other of course, but more out of suspicion than anything. Their relationship is organic, they first become tentative acquaintances, then co-workers, then friends, then finally lovers. It's a relationship that's built on trust and understanding, and it culminated with each episode, with each situation that allowed them to get to know one another deeper. They didn't need passionate sparks for it to convince me. Their slow-burning connection felt sincere and each simple gesture, like a hug, was very telling of their chemistry.

Jang Na Ra really sold me on her character. I just loved Cha Ji An; her fierceness and unshakable spirit were what made Ji An stand out.I love it when the heroine can stand her own and also has the ability to save the hero, both physically and emotionally.

The second romance, well bromance, between brothers Lee Hyun and Min was done so well: from their childhood, to their adult life, to their eventual reconciliation, it was all built up wonderfully. I had chills then tears then chills then tears, and repeat with the Lee Hyun and Min scenes. The bromance just had so much emotional baggage that I hurt for them so much. I want to mention the wolf story that was mentioned in the drama. It talks of an old Cherokee legend about two wolves inside of you, evil and good. Do you feed the good or evil wolf? It's your choice, you don't have a pre-destined fate.

The writer did a wonderful job of connecting each case with the main story. In fact, they all fit in seamlessly so it didn't feel like a case per episode type of drama.

OST fit the scenes wonderfully, especially Remember by Dear Cloud. The lyrics captured the bromance perfectly.

I highly recommend this drama. I recommend it even more if you want to take a dive into an exploration of the human psyche, layered with some meaningful romance, and a heartbreaking bromance. "I Remember You' is a heavy drama that works your brain (and your heart) because it goes deeply into sensitive topics like abuse, abandonment, and murder. It isn't an easy watch by any means but it really made me contemplate on what our society as a whole.

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Completed
Doctors
6 people found this review helpful
Aug 24, 2016
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 4.0
How do you let go of the past and live in the present? Doctors explores that question deeply through Hye Jung and shows the ramifications of not being able to let go of the past versus the hard decision of just living in the present.

I came for a romance and that's what I got with Doctors. I think many expected it to also be a great medical drama on top of the romance. Honestly, you can take them out of a hospital setting and the story wouldn't be that different.

I don't think the drama was as bad as many made it out to be but yes, plot-wise the story wasn't strong. It had a promising beginning with the potential for the story to really branch out well, especially with the revenge plot. In that area, the story wavered: it wasn't vengeful enough to go the revenge route, and it wasn't medical enough to create a compelling medical suspense drama.

I loved the cast though. Fun cast? Check. Eye candy? Huge check. Park Shin Hye as Hye Jung was such a fiercely awesome with her martial arts in the beginning and that was what attracted me. Unfortunately, it did die down as the drama went on but she still had her uniquely strong willed spirit that never gave up. Personally, I just didn't completely feel PSH and KRW's chemistry but not because of their past teacher-student relationship. If anything, I felt like even after they are both doctors, Ji Hong still cared for Hye Jung and looked out for her, as a teacher, more than lovers. Thankfully, the chemistry did get more convincing near the end but don't expect passionate sparks. Nonetheless, they were still adorable together and PSH's kissing scenes were well-done!

The supporting cast was hilarious, the residents, the nurses, Soon Hee, etc: everyone just made Doctors a lot of fun to watch! As I said earlier, the revenge/hospital politics plot fell flat so that made Doctors not as suspenseful as it could have been and it took up a lot of time with little progression between episodes.
I'm a little disappointed with Yoon Gyun Sang's storyline though- they could've done so much more with him! And Lee Sung Kyung, I actually really enjoyed her character, she came a long way and had tremendous character growth.

Doctors did follow a episodic patient storyline (well more like every 2 episodes) and some of the patient stories were in fact really heart breaking to watch, and wasn't filler. Nam Gung Min's cameo stood out to me the most as the single dad and that sub-plot had me in tears. So, as a whole I liked the interweaving main plot with patient sub-plot. Some of them even taught the main characters a lesson that moved the plot forward in the right direction.

The OST did its job in the emotional scenes but they didn't stand out to me that much-some songs felt a bit overplayed at times.

I don't think I would re-watch this as a whole. I did go back to some scenes though so that counts right?

I recommend this drama if you want to watch a fluffy, sometimes heart-warming romance drama with a dose of comedic relief and camaraderie from the rest of the hospital cast members, with some side effects of annoyance from the slow revenge plot progression.

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Completed
Oh My Venus
12 people found this review helpful
Jul 4, 2016
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 9.0
I've heard both extremely positive, extremely negative, and everything in between reviews about OMV. Because of that, I went into this drama with some misgivings but also hopefulness since I loved So Ji Sub's character and performance from Master's Sun so much. I'm extremely happy to say that I did enjoy this drama much more than I expected to.

The plot was a bit thin, I admit, especially on the 'common' kdrama tropes side but the drama did put their own spin on it frequently. Putting that aside, however, the moral displayed throughout OMV was pretty inspirational. I can't say: 'Watch this drama. It's mind blowing and has a amazing story that you can't predict.' What I CAN say is: 'It's cute, fluffy, and adorable. Do watch this if you want some fun, bickering romance that is organic and is a genuinely healthy relationship.' At the end of the day, sometimes I just like some classic fare and OMV does just that with the added bonus of So Ji Sub and Shin Min Ah.

Some would disagree with just watching a drama because of an actor/actress. I think it's about priorities. I mean, everyone has varying reasons for watching dramas. For me, having an amazing story and amazing actors is lucky. That's how we get dramas like Healer, once in a blue moon. Back to point though, OMV has a lot of tropes that I guiltily like to watch and they're done well, for the most part. The writer even laughs at himself/herself for using some of the kdrama tropes through the dialogue. That's honestly just hilarious! I also loved some of the past and present scenes (tap tap anyone?); they were done so effectively and just added to the story for me.

It has a stellar three musketeer bromance that grows on you rapidly and makes me laugh every time I see them, a sincere romance that actually works, and throw in some side characters that I can actually kind of relate to at times. Sung Hoon and Henry were so adorable and were the perfect complement to SJS's John Kim persona. The 'evil' second leads, were for once, (for me) so relatable in the end that I was caught by surprise. I even cared about their happy ending which I did not see coming.

I even liked the angst in the third quarter of the drama. You heard me; I actually enjoyed it. It just worked for me and I appreciated how short it was but still made me tear up in all the right ways. It wasn't without flaws but it still showed me enough. I think this is actually the first time for me that I liked the 3rd-4th quarter of a drama slightly bit more than the first half.

The overall moral is that body image shouldn't be everything but lets be honest: it kind of is, in our society. In the beginning, I was a bit turned off because it seemed like everyone was mocking/laughing at Kang Joo Eun for getting fat (and lets be real, she doesn't even look that overweight) But KJE's flippant and "I am who I've always been' attitude made me fall in love with her. Shin Min Ah completely sold me on her character. Although I kept seeing Joo Joong Won (Master's Sun) in So Ji Sub's character, Kim Yeong Ho at first, SJS did eventually differentiate the two characters.

Music didn't catch me at first, but 3rd-4th quarter, I started feeling it more.

I struggled on whether to give this a 8.5 or 9 but in the end, I decided to give it a 9 on the basis that I purely enjoyed this drama on all counts (16 hours well spent) regardless of the fact that the story itself isn't by far up to par with some of the most highly rated dramas.


So, I recommend this drama so much. This IS a rom-com. Sometimes dramas are labeled rom-com and it ends up turning into something else.. I could've done a little less with the corporate plot but it's fine, the drama knew what its strengths were and kept it their focus-the couple chemistry and the comedy.

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