Salute to the brave men

A nuclear power plant is on a verge of a meltdown after an earthquake shook the small town.

I loved Kim Nam Gil as the reluctant hero. His character always wanted to work somewhere else to make more money, he hates the town and yet at the last minute he was the one who saved the town. His monologue at the last part made me ugly cry ??.

I also loved the other nuclear plant workers, firemen etc who were willing to risk their lives to save their families.

The movie is a little too long and the injuries were ? but still a solid watch.

Rating: 8.5/10

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Beautiful bromance

I watched both versions and I like this one better. Maybe because I watched this first or maybe because i like the emotional story more than the other one.

The visuals were amazing. Too amazing sometimes that it looks too unreal, then I realize I'm watching a fantasy movie so I should expect a lot of CGI.

I liked the friendship between Qingming and Boya. They started antagonistic with each other (well, more on Boya as the angry kid and Qingming as the cool one). I feel like Boya learned to mature because of Qing Ming while Qing Ming found a friend.

The mystery of the villain was predictable and even though I hated the Princess and Shouyue, i still cried for their sad fate. A little too long for the in the second half but it gave some emotional depth to the story. I loved the giant serpent and the fight scene between it and Qing Ming /Boya. It was huge, I didn't know how Qing Ming can take down the serpent!

What I didn't understand is the presence of the hair demon. She killed the old master and tried to kill Long Ye, for what? It later turns out she was against the Empress (so why was she helping her?) Or was it because the hair demon was under the control of Shouye so she is forced to kill? Whatever, but it was creepy.

Rating: 8.5/10

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Visually pleasing

Visually pleasing and colorful. Really feels like a fantasy movie with the animals although the ferrets remind me of Rocket (raccoon) in Guardians of the Galaxy.

There wasn't much story, just more of an internal struggle of Qingming between good or evil but I liked the sad ending. Like the other version, the villain was predictable, but the giant creepy hand looked funny as opposed to scary and reminded me of Thing in Addams Family. The red hair and his posing also looked unnatural and not really menacing. I also wasn't sold with the romance (?) friendship (?) whatever it is between Qing Ming and Bai Ni.

The supporting characters felt more like fillers and were just there because they need Qingming to have some allies. Their stories didn't have much depth. Boya was way younger than what I was expecting, and didn't have much bromance with Qingming. Instead he matched more with Shen Le, who was a supporting character. She was cute but wasn't interesting enough. The red evil was so cute though and the fight scene was between him and Boya was fun!

Overall, this movie felt like a mishmash of different films. It could have been better if the movie was shorter and had more interesting characters that we want to root for, but overall it was enjoyable.

Rating: 8/10

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Mostly a hot experimental mess!

Likes
1. Interesting premise and first few episodes.
2. I liked badass Gureum at the start. But i didnt like her in the middle. It was really all her fault. She knew Zi0 was dangerous yet she was stupid enough to fall in love and more.
3. I was disappointed in Zi0. He was the male lead and yet it felt like he was the real villain after everything else that happened.
4. The conversations and debates about cloning, human vs monster, etc were interesting but were not executed well enough for viewers to feel inspired.
Actually have nothing else good to say or highlight. Haha. Felt like i have been watching this for far too long even though it was only for 12 episodes and i fast forwarded a lot of the scenes.

Dislikes
1. Not sure when the story started to get messy. I think ep 7-8. To some it maybe the best part of the story (and where it should have ended). To me it was the worst part of the story and shouldn't have happened.
2. Skip ep 9-10 or fast forward them (like i did). Everyone's actions and decisions stopped making sense. They just kept running after Zi0 and Gureum. And semi-good people kept dying, the bad ones kept surviving. It was exhausting.
3. From the very start i thought the best possible ending was to kill off Zi0 and put everything back in its place. But the ending actually made sense for a scifi drama. Scary if it happens in real life though.

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The worst things parents can do to protect their children

Likes
1. The over the top craziness was fun, loved that the story was predictable yet unpredictable. Some of the scenes are sickening, some makes you want to throw things to your TV, and others just make your blood boil.
2. Loved the tandem of Dantae and Seojin. I'm sure they'll continue to wreak havoc until S3.
3. Everyone is so bad that they're so good.
4.Suryeon is the "good guy" but for me she is the worst. Just goes to show "Revenge is never the answer".
5. Likewise Yoonhee is pitiful but she can only blame herself for always choosing the wrong side and making poor decisions.
6. The kids were such bullies but I can only blame their parents for not raising them right. Parents think that by always defending them even if they're wrong and covering up their mistakes are about "protecting" their children, but that's just making their children weak and not able to stand up for themselves, and not learning the difference between right and wrong. And just teaching them to be awful people.

Dislikes
Not much. I adjusted my viewing lens so that i expected the worst in every single character and that became the reason i loved and continued watching the show.

Rating: 9/10

Hoping there will be new characters in season 2 so that the story will remain fresh and fun (and intense!)

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To be young and in love

Likes:
1. Danoh and Haru's relationship. To be young and in love.
2. Dohwa. Super cute and friendly guy. Can't believe Juda didnt choose him but that's okay. Juda and Namju deserves each other.
3. The mystery kept me glued to the show and i loved the parallel story that was unfolding
4. I liked what Danoh said. She may be an extra in someone's life, but that's okay because she is the lead in her own story. And she took charge of her own life and happiness.
5. But we should also be careful because some of our actions may unknowingly impact other people's lives. And there are some things we cant change.
6. Get ready to cry in Episodes 15-16
7. I can imagine the main leads will be the next gen actors and actresses (kind of like how The Heirs catapulted the cast to fame).

Dislikes:
1. The writer made Gyeong such a hateful character in both shadow and stage throughout the show and only gave him the last 3 episodes to be nice. Good thing i love the actor playing him so i couldnt hate Gyeong as much as i wanted to.
2. Repetitive confrontation between Gyeong and Haru in the middle was tiring and didnt really help move the story forward.
3. Didnt really cared much about Juda and Namju and their cliched story.

Overall this was a fun drama to watch, considering i dont really watch high school kdramas.

Rating: 7.5/10

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Great time travel drama about acupuncture

Likes:
1. I appreciate acupuncture now thay i know something about it
2. Like how they showed that both traditional acupuncture and modern hospital can help save lives
3. I liked the character development and romance between of Heo Im and Yeon Kyung
4. The whole time travel always came ay the right time but sad that Heo Im have to kill himself over and over again to do it
5. Loved the scene where Heo Im was crying after Duchil's brothers death. That was one emotional scene. Actually any scene where KNG and KAJ were crying were so good. KNG is seriously going up my list as one of my fave actors.

Dislikes:
1. Not much really. Sometimes the parallel story in Seoul and Joseon can get cheesy but it's ok because they needed to learn their lesson
2. We dont really know where the magic needles came from
3. Wish Makgae had more screen time

Rating: 8/10

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Visually appealing romance

Likes:
1. The most beautiful leads in kdrama history. Sadly im probably one of the few who couldnt feel their chemistry. I was more interested in Wolf/MyeongJu and even the 2 older doctors' romance.
2. The gorgeous scenes, the costumes, the big budget production
3. The drama various dangers and challenges the soldiers and doctors face and i admire their courage and selflessness (though it felt like these were all hypothetical scenarios since no one seems to die esp the 2 leads)
4. The bromance between Big Boss and Wolf and brotherhood with Team Alpha. Fyi, SJK looks too small / lean to be called Big Boss. His team members like wolf and snoopy were bigger and hunkier than him.
5. I will repeat, SHK is gorgeous! I love her scenes when she has to be emotional more than when she is trying to be cute.
6. The plot about the NK soldier was interesting

Dislikes
1. On the other hand the entire storyline of Argus was boringggg and it took up most of the episodes. I fast forwarded some scenes. I was so relieved when the story moved to Seoul because it became exciting.
2. Poor Si Jin, writer kept giving him the cheesiest lines to say to Mo Yeon. It's cringy and didnt feel romantic. I just looked at his handsome face and imagined he said something wittier. The only real line i heard from him was on the last episode when they were looking at the stars.
3. I love Wolf but didnt really like Myeong Ju. She was stubborn and always didnt listen to what Wolf was trying to tell her. I dont know what he liked in her tbh.
4. I didnt like how the story about Chilsu and the annoying survivor went.

Rating: 8/10

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Intense rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish

Likes:
1. Great performance from the cast especially Joon Young. Poor kid at first i thought he was ungrateful selfish brat but we later realize the trauma he is suffering from and the parents are too angry at each other to realize it. Even til the end for all the talk of protecting him, they were nt able to do so.
2. Powerful scenes that shocked, and terrified me, and sometimes had me yelling expletives while watching the show.
3. Gives an intense look on what happens when a marriage breaks down because of cheating and how different people respond to it. I think the stories are part realistic part over the top.
4. Definitely Tae Oh started this whole mess but i think if Sunwoo had responded more rationally it wouldnt have ended this badly ( but then we wouldnt have this drama to watch)
5. Disnt like Yerim at first but also felt bad for her. I couldnt believe she went back to Je Hyuk but whew!! Sunwoomshould have listened to her from the very start.

Dislikes:
1. Sunwoo had so many chances to break away from Tae oh but she kept coming back to Tae Oh. I think the show should have ended at episode 15.
2. Hated Da Kyung all through out the show because she never once apologized for ruining a family and was even smug about it. She kept looking at Sunwoo like she was the victim and had the nerve to always get angry at her. Didnt feel an ounce of sympathy when her world came crashing down. And why did she get a better ending than Sunwoo?? I guess it is because she made the rational choice of leaving Tae Oh and moving out of Gosan for good.
3. Sunwoo made one bad decision after another but one of the worst is not choosing Dr Kim Yoon Ki!!!
.
Rating: 8.5/10 (rated 9 until middle of ep 15 but had to pull it down after the ending) .

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Visually pleasing but messy in the second half

Likes:
1. Lee Min Ho looks so good in every single scene that he kept me watching even though this drama was boring half of the time.
2. The very interesting idea of parallel universe where there are two kinds of korea. I had to keep pausing the drama so that i could think of what happened. And after the show i still kept thinking and guessing what would happen next.
3. Thoroughly enjoyed Woo Do Hwan as Eunseop and Jo Yeong (but i like Eunseop more!)
4. The stunning visuals and ost
5. At first the blatant display of the PPL was laughable but it also made me look for them on the internet

Dislikes:
1. During the first half i was confused if we were in kingdom or in the republic. There were too many characters to track and questions kept piling up without answers until ep 11. and the biggest plothole just felt lazy like they didnt have time to explain because we're on the final episode.
2. Super boring like nothing really happens until the last 10 mins and then it makes me anticipate the next episode. The next episode will answer a little bit of the previous ep by first 15 mins then it becomes boring again until the end. I was honestly watching this because of Lee Minho. Good thing the second half saved this show.
3. This happens in every time travel drama that as we get deeper into the story, the less the time travel logic makes sense. Until we end up just following the story without thinking of the logic anymore.
4. The romance build up was rushed that i didnt feel invested in them. I was just forced to believe they are in love and they need to be together in the end..because they are our leads. .

Overall, you dont need to be an intellectual to watch and enjoy the show, but you need to remember that this is a fantasy kdrama, not scifi. You need to suspend an appropriate level of disbelief while watching the show. Dont overthink the plot and concentrate (on their lines and the small details) so you can follow the story.

Rating: 8.5/10

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You never forget your first love

Likes:
1. The beautiful way they showed the 1994 scenes and the terrific performance by the young cast helped shaped the 2020 story. I was hooked from episode 1 and i just wanted them to end up together happy.
2. Basically their lives changed / stopped after those awful events in 1995 and while the almost parallel events in their lives was a bit cliche, it was done perfectly to show the healing these characters badly needed and the change in their actions.
3. The show did not shy away from tackling issues such as school bullying, mom shaming, adultery and impact to the children and the problems with divorced couple. I loved all the honest and mature conversations between Jisu and SeoKyung, Jisu and Jaehyun with their kids and their exes. If only this happens in real life.
4. Jisu and Jaehyun's friends who stood by them and supported them through thick and thin.
5. The perfect happy ending after all the misery. Finally Jisu smiling!

Dislikes:
Cant really think of any except there wasnt a lot of plot esp in the present time but it was okay since the drama focused more on Jisu and Jaehyun's lives, relationship and personal growth, which i loved. .

"Life is always flowing by, and the flower is always ready to bloom.".

Rating: 8.5/10 (8 for the plot but added .5 because i just loved the overall feel of this drama, the characters, the visuals and the ost)

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7 almost first kisses

Hmm... You can't really call this 7 first kisses when there were no actual kissing involved! Exactly like what Soojin said, "What kind of reward is this if there's no kissing?" HAHA!

Very short episodes to promote Lotte Duty Free but i still enjoyed it. When Choi Jiwoo said, "You need to choose just 1 person and the story will continue." Man, what a tough decision! She is one lucky girl!! Each episode showed different guys and in a different scenario, all using the usual kdrama tropes we know and love! If I were in her place, i will probably choose Lee Joongi (based on the story), Lee Jong Suk (based on the character), Lee Minho (based on looks) and Ji Chang Wook (based on the hotness).

Rating: 7/10

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Fantastic Travel Show!

What an interesting and exciting idea!!! Lee Seung Gi and Jasper Liu worked so well together despite not being friends. But I can see how much they grew closer to one another as the episodes go by. They both have their strengths and skills and it's so much fun to watch them be themselves and tackle different missions to meet their fans.

Yogyakarta and Bali - I miss going to the beach! Bali looks so refreshing and sunny! Yogyakarta, on the other hand looks adventurous with the cave and the long river! Also loved them playing badminton with locals and doing the couples yoga!

Bangkok and Changmai - Loved the games they played with various people to earn their dinner and the exciting game of sepak takraw. I didn't realize that big stars can also get nervous when performing in front of a crowd but they both did a great job! Changmai trip was different coz the two guys had to compete with each other to meet the fan. I think Seunggi wasnt a bad player/cheater. I think even among us friends we would do the same to get ahead. And Seunggi was so brave to jump off the 50ft cliff like it was nothing!

Pokhara and Kathmandu - the trip to Annapurna was majestic! I also loved them playing the traditional Nepalese game with the locals. Despite the language barrier, you can see how much they also had fun playing the game.

All the fans really loved Lee Seung Gi and Jasper and it felt so heartwarming for them to meet their idols. How nice they both are in treating their fans and appreciate the support and love from them.

Definitely want season 2!!

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Fun action comedy

Kwon Sang Woo has always excelled at action comedy movies/dramas and he has been doing this style in the recent years, which i love compared to his early melodramas.

Serious at the start, with Agent Jun showing his assassin skills. It gets a bit absurd that he fakes his own death so he can write webtoons. Lol. 15 years later, he is unsuccessful, one day got drunk and drew his time as Agent Jun. His webtoon was posted online and now he is being hunted by NIS and a crazy terrorist! Haha! I actually loved everyone, even the bad guys. I love Kwon Sang Woo as the cool assassin and the nice husband/father.

The action scenes were great, reminded me of his old movies where he emulates Bruce Lee style of fighting. Then he goes for comedy and you will be laughing. The whole point of the NIS running after him was shallow/dumb but i think the story doesnt really take itself seriously and just wants to be entertaining!

Some parts of the movie are in animation, like bringing his webtoon to life, which I loved because it put a different spin to the story.

Rating: 8/10

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Short but light romance

Likes:
1. First, their names were too funny!! So Insung, Jo Ji Sub, Wang Sora, Kim Tae Yi, Gong Moo and Song Ae Gyo ??
2. I liked the story of working hard for your dreams, that there is no short cuts to success. But at the same time, you should strike a balance between work and life and health.
3. I think their relationship failed because they both weren't confident about themselves and they neglected each other instead of supporting each other. When the going gets tough, it's good to have friends and family around to lessen the stress rather than push them away.
4. Only 3 episodes so worth to watch if only for Yoon Si Yoon!!

Dislikes:
1. I wasn't sure what Insung liked about Sora because she seemed like the kind of girl that was always sad about life. Episode 5 had a lot of flashbacks about their relationship and i wished they showed that in episode 1 so that we root for them. Most of the time i want Insung to get over Sora and find someone better than her.
2. I didn't understand why Insung had to go back to his nerdy self just because the experiment is done. It's just a matter of fixing his hair and wearing better clothes.

Rating: 8/10

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