Slow burn romance

"Love makes you become a better version of yourself."

Likes
1. I like sports themed dramas about team work, managing the club, beating the odds to be successful. But i didnt like the constant power grabbing of Young Space even til the end.
2. I like Liang Youan and Song Sanchuan and their slowburn romance. It sometimes just becomes frustrating when Sanchuan always tries to be the man in the relationship,gets pressured and melts down and ruins everything. It shows how young and immature he still is and makes me wonder why a grown mature woman would like him other than his earnest love for her. I think in real life they prolly will last for a few years but will eventually break up. But i also like tnat they shown 2 years progression of their relationship and that Sanchuan has grown up too (but 24 yrs old is still a baby!) Their romance seemed genuine and passionate at the start but at the end they were too cringy and cheesy to watch.
3. I like the other characters in the drama. The bestie and the coach. Jiaojiao's progression from a spoiled brat to a family man. Liang Tao from being an annoying attention hungry vlogger to a serious career woman who found her place. The sisters reconcilation. Jiaojiao's family dynamics, esp Jiang Jie becoming a better guy.

Dislikes
The story is too long. They could have stopped when Sanchuan successfully won and became the no 1 player. The last 10 eps were extended and were unnecessary unless you love them so much and you dont want the story to end.

Rating: 8.5/10

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Lesson in Love (TW Drama) (2023)

Thought i'm open minded when it comes to relationships but this really tested me!

Likes
1. The drama was addicting because the topic is taboo and there were a lot of twists along the way. The first 6 eps weren't easy to watch and I wasnt sure why I was still watching. Ep 7-9 made me feel uneasy coz i thought although it's not a crime to fall in love, it felt too inappropriate for the teacher to fall in love with a hs student. Couldnt they have waited until he graduated before they started anything? Ep 10-12 added a stalker storyline to already stressful events.
2. It's tough to like the couple, Mengyun and Yixiang given the circumstances. But i admire them for fighting for what they want. I also didnt feel any passion in all their steamy scenes because I look at the guy and all I see is him wearing his hs uniform in every scene, reminding us that he is still a boy. But his father telling his son that he was ok with the relationship also made me think.
3. I really hated the mom at the start but in the end, i liked her even more than the FL. She had the most growth in the drama. Still doesnt excuse all the bad things she did and i understood she tried to protect her son from an adult trying to get her revenge and hurt her son.

Dislikes
1. The way Mengyun was written. From the start her decisions and actions have been terrible. We dont always know what she is thinking or feeling because she has one expression. What did she like about Yixiang? I really cant imagine, but hey she seems happy so be it. But she should have resigned even before it became public because it was really unethical.
2. The whole stalker thing was unnecessary and obvious but they didnt figure it out because they were too busy with themselves. Also i didnt like that the ending was written in a way that they're forced to forgive or sweep everything under the rug after the stalker. I think without it, the mom would still be fighting with her son and Mengyun, which I think is more realistic than showing all is well after 6 years.

Rating: 7.5/10

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Do you believe in magic?

Annara Sumanara

Likes
1. The first 3 episodes were strange yet fascinating. Ahyi's life was depressing to watch then they'll start bursting into a song and i feel like i'm in a disney movie with the fireworks and flying horses.
2. I probably wouldn't have watched this if not for Ji Chang Wook. He was so mysterious, sometimes scary but often times like a child. I dont know if he was trying to be Willy Wonka or PT Barnum in the Greatest Showman movie.
3. I loved Sung Eun, sometimes I feel romantic vibe between them esp when they're singing a duet but then i remember Ahyi is in high school and Rieul is 30yo.
4. I loved all the musical performances but sadly the songs were not memorable.
5. The second half was way better, when the childlike fantasy plot became serious murder storyline. I loved the last episode, i even teared up hearing Rieul's past and when he gave Ahyi his hat. Is it really magic?
6. Two things that struck me. When Rieul told Ahyi, "...You should do the things you want just as much as the things you don't want to do."
And when Il deung said, "I didn't know before that flowers don't bloom on smooth asphalt but on bumpy dirt." The real magic is Rieul being able to comfort and guide Ahyi and Ildeung to be better people.

Dislikes
It was trying to be too much at the same time. Musical. Fantasy. Sexual assault. Murder. Daddy issues. The first half was for kids, the second half was for adults.

Rating: 8/10

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Is love really blind?

Likes
1. I'm so happy my 2 favorite couples from the pods actually made it to the end!!! I thought they both had chemistry and something special from the start and I was right!
2. Ryotaru and Motomi were so cute together. When I saw Ryotaru dye his hair black to meet her parents, I also felt his sincerity. No wonder Motomi's strict father accepted him. And funny that three months later, Motomi's hair was blonde too and she had another color change later. Nice to have a hairstylist husband!
3. I loved Midori and Wataru out of all the couples. They were so similar and looked so good together. Up til the end i was worried that Midori was going to say no! Good thing she said yes! I think Wataru will take care of her and Lupin.
4. I also liked Mori, too bad he wasnt able to handle Minami who was a little different and quirky. I also think Minami should not be afraid to show her true self but she also needs to learn to listen and change when needed.
5. The rest of the couples looked like they really weren't going to make it because they were all too different. They probably just got caught up in the pods and pressured to choose.

Dislikes
I think judging a person not by their looks is a good thing but alot of them also decided with their hearts in the pods and not using their heads.
A. Like accepting a proposal from a 23 yo because he said he wants a family then getting disappointed when he said he's not ready. She should have taken age into account and not just because he said all the right things.
B. Another guy also lied to the girl to make him seem better than he really is.
C. The older guy (i was even rooting for him at the start) who expected too much from the younger girl and wasnt very tolerating. Even the way he speaks during the interviews were harsh and put all the blame on the girl. I thought the girl had relationship issues due to her trauma and he didnt understand her. So im glad they didnt marry. I like her and hope she finds her partner too.

Looking forward to season 2!

Rating: 8.5/10

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First Love

The title alone should already warn us of the ending but some didn't take the hint.

Likes
1. The friendship between Heedo and Yurim was my fave part. All their final matches and when Heedo retired ?
2. Heedo and Yijin's relationship. It was the right love at the wrong time. Maybe if they met in their 30s they could have handled the relationship better.
3. Yurim and Jiwoong's happy ever after is a contrast to H&Y. Despite the LDR they still made it work. Maybe coz they didnt have a lot of issues to deal with.
4. The fashion, the music of the 90s I can relate.
5. I love sports themed dramas so i love watching all the fencing scenes.

Dislikes
1. I think the present timeline wasnt necessary. Maybe because they used a different actress to play Heedo and she had a very different vibe from the younger Heedo. It makes you think what happened to her all these years and how her youth and passionate love shaped her into who she is now but we didnt get any of that. Instead I felt like she only had closure when she found her diary. Who did she marry and was she happy?
2. We also dont see what happened to older Yijin aside from being UBS anchor.
3. I didnt mind the ending, just wish it was stronger and made more impact. But otherwise this was almost perfect.

Rating: 9/10

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Life after The Penthouse

If you can't get over The Penthouse gang, watch this heartwarming variety show where the three main male actors, Uhm Ki Joon, Bong Tae Gyu and Yoon Jung Hun stay in the countryside for a few weekends. The invite their former castmates to eat and work as they reminisce about their times together and transform the old abandon house to a charming place.

The cast played badminton, painted walls, went octopus fishing, built a fire pit, and ate lots of delicious food!! I want to try Mom Yoon and Dad Bong's food!

I loved the episodes with Kim So Yeon and Choi Yebin (ep 4-5) -- their real personalities are the exact opposites of their Penthouse characters; On Ju Wan, Kim Dong Kyu and Ha Do Kwon (eps 6-8) -- poor guys, they were unknowingly roped into manual labor; Yoon Joo Hee (ep 8-9) -- I loved how strong she was carrying the heavy tiles like they were as light as feathers; and Eugene (ep 9-10) -- I loved how cool she was and how she kept eating with so much gusto.

Rating: 8.5

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Treasure hunting

Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure (2022)

I've been waiting for this since last year!

Likes
1. The overall mood is light with some comedy, esp when you have Kang Haneul and Lee Kwang Soo in the cast.
2. The ensemble cast isn't as impressive as the first movie but they were still a great team. Kang Haneul and Han Hyo Joo were okay as the main leads.
3. I enjoyed the second half where there were fighting, more than the first, which focused on the team dynamics and wlthe legend of the treasure.
4. I liked the penguin scene, absurd but still funny. You know this movie really isn't taking itself too seriously. Little disappointed with the dragons coz we didnt see them, just the fire.
5. Lee Kwang Soo has a major part in this movie and he never fails to bring thr laughter.
6. I like the snazzy ending track that sounds like 'Billie Jean'
7. I liked the ending where the crew would rather have love than treasure ? after seeing the 2 couples together.

Dislikes
1. I wish they gave more scenes for Kwon Sang Woo. He looked badass as the bad guy but he didnt really get to do much and wasn't that scary.
2. Chae Soo Bin's character seemed out of place and was there for comic relief and a side romance for brooding Sehun.

Rating: 8/10

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Beautiful Tragedy

Likes
1. Gah!! I couldnt stop crying in the last 3 episodes! ? I just feel bad Zhousheng Chen and Shiyi never saw each other for the last time.
2. This story started slow, I almost dropped at episode 6 but glad I listened and kept on watching. The romance starts around ep 10 and the politics intensifies around ep 16.
3. Zhousheng Chen and Shiyi's forbidden love was heartbreaking! They never even held hands or kissed or confessed their love, but every gaze and every tear showed how much they long for each other and wished that things were different. The Huan Yu asked ZS if he regrets his vow. But he said every decision he made was worth it. Bailu cried so prettily.. when she hugged him because she was getting married to the Prince, when she found out his death, and when she jumped to her own death ?
4. I also loved the story between Cui Feng and General Hong, when Gen Hong cried as Cui Feng marries the Princess Xinghua, when she almost had to kill Cui Feng, and Cui Feng crying when General Hong was killed. Yup. Lots of deaths in this drama!!
5. Other characters I liked were Xiao Yan (the monk), Prince Pingqin, Huan Yu (played cupid) and Gen Chou. I love everyone in the Western State. The whole Nanchen army were so loyal and dedicated to ZSC. It's so unfair ZSC had to die of dismemberment ?
6. The ost was also fantastic and really fit the story and scenes.

Dislikes
1. Several plotpoints in the earlier parts that were boring. They kept introducing new characters i sometimes dont remember who is who, which side they were on and why they were fighting.
2. I hated the empress dowager and pushing her off the lake to drown wasnt enough to punish her for all her crimes, including killing the emperor. She should have been beheaded or displayed in from of the capital.
3. I also hate Luo Zi Xing but knowing he died young, sad and alone was enough punishment.

And now i'm off to watch the sequel Forever and Ever ?

Rating: 8.5/10

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Laugh out loud crazy and fun cast

Sixth Sense 2 (2021)

Season 2 was definitely grander than season 1 but was easier to identify the fake. I got 10 out of 14 correct which isnt bad since i barely got anything right in season 1. I wish they spice up season 3 because although i enjoy all the food episodes, the style of the fakeness are the same. For the non food, the concepts are also the same, about predicting the future or about their personalities. The additional twists were also good at the end. I liked the concept of the final episode where there are several fakes they have to choose from which threw them off.

The guests were also better in season 2. They were more chatty and "game" because they are fans of season 1. I particulaly liked the episode 4 (with Ha Seok Jin), episode 8 (with Kim Sung Cheol), episode 10 (with Nam Jihyun and Chae Jong Hyeop), and episode 12 (with Lee Sangyi). Special mention to episode 11 with Gray and Loco and the second place where they all cried after giving reassuring words to each other. Maybe because i had a super stressful week that time and watching the episode at 12midnight i also started crying when i heard them say, you did well!

I loved Jessi in season1, but here in season 2, Mijoo was the break out star!! She is naturally funny not afraid to look ugly to be funny. She may also look and sound dumb sometimes but she is very good at explaining things that's why her team wins the games. Oh Nara also started going crazy in the latter half and it was great seeing her really have fun and play with the others. Sang Yeob too, loved the loveline between him and Jessi, he was awkward at first but later on he also started playing along.

Looking forward to season 3!!!

Rating: 9/10

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Slow burn romance, beautiful stories about death

The drama took time to tell the stories of each of the patients which I loved. Though we only met them for a few episodes, each character was precious and memorable.

Likes:
1. For a melo drama that talks about death in every episode, this drama is still addicting to watch.
2. It must be the beautiful writing, the rich characters (Jun, Kang, CY and all the patients), the wonderful setting and OST.
3. I hate that each of the patients are slowly dying just when we have gotten attached to them but i love how their deaths are written. Like they have this grand gesture or final wish fulfilled or they give a beautiful speech about life and living and death. It makes you reflect on your own life.
4. All the food that Cha Young makes look so delicious and i love how she honors the patients by cooking their fave food or baking a beautiful cake.
5. Especially love Jiyong and episode 8 was fantastic. As well as the bday episode.
6. Nice to see my fave supporting actor Kim Won Hae in a different and serious character. He is so good.

Dislikes:
1. The harsh grandma and Jun's annoying parents. I actually dont like this part of the story. I'd rather they focus more on the hospice and the patients.
2. Taking so slow for the romance between Kang and Cha Young (im so impatient -- i want them to fall in love and kiss already!) But okay I will wait until Kang falls so hard for Cha Young.
3. It's obvious the cousins care for each other a bit I hope they finally make up, put their heads together and take down their own family so they can live the life that they want.

Episodes 14-16 felt rushed and overwhelming. They introduced 2 more characters to the show for our secondary characters. I also felt the story of Kang and Jun's family wasn't fully closed, though i didnt really care what happened to the grandma and Jun's parents. They can take their beloved hospital and eat it.

I wish Jun had better ending though the cameo of his real life wife was a nice surprise. I just hope he doesnt fall in love with her because she seems sick.

As for Kang and Cha Young, i wasnt sure why they had to part. I was a little confused when i saw Kang back in Greece. I thought it was just a flashback until i realized it was the present time and we are back to the first scene on episode 1. I guess the time apart was what they needed to free themselves of their past and start anew. But i hoped this time it was Cha Young who made the move because it's always Kang running to her.

Rating: 8/10

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Great historical drama

Likes:
1. Jung il woo was terrific at portraying Lee Geum's journey from a young, carefree lowborn prince to a decisive and compassionate King Yeongjo. He must have been an amazing king if the drama depicted him that way!
2. Park Munso was an amazing friend and supporter to the King. I'm used to seeing Kwon Yul as scary so it was refreshing to see him be a nice person.
3. Minister Min and Jo bugged me because they kept putting Lee Geun down when they dont even know him. That he was able to change their minds and became his strongest advisers says a lot. I also loved their 1:1 on politics and the king.
4. Dalmoon!! His messy hair and his team!
5. 24 hours of non stop intense drama showing some of the key highlights/events in King Yeongjo's early term. I think episodes 15-18 were the episodes that really got me so hooked.

Dislikes:
1. Prince Milpung wont die!! He was a great villain at the start but that he kept escaping and getting mentally deranged saying things over and over again that it got boring. I wanted someone to just stab him to death please. And Yeon young and Wi Byeong Ju were annoying characters that should have died earlier.
2. Maybe it was because Go Ara got injured but her character was a badass but became dull and lifeless after her accident and she became a court maid. I loved when she was fighting and being funny but she always has this awkward /pained expression during the serious and romantic scenes. And the romance story with the king was totally unnecessary.

Rating: 8.5/10

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Fun action comedy!

Likes:
1. The perfect balance of drama, action and comedy. Serious enough to make you think but light enough not to take itself so seriously.
2. Each case took about 2-3 episodes to solve so it didnt feel rushed. They were not the usual cases and i loved figuring out whodunit.
3. Each case was somehow connected to one of the characters so you get to know them a little bit. I loved the team work and chemistry between the 5 and the supporting cast.
4. I missed Cha Tae Hyun so it was nice to see him back on tv, and in a genre and role that is new to him. i didnt realize he can do action! And the humor perfectly suits him.
5. I also liked Ji Seung Hyun's character here. He's my second favorite. Also first time to see him be funny. Yoon Kyung Ho was so cool too! And i love Jung Sang Hoon's dimples and charm!
6. I also liked the soundtrack/bgm, it fit the scenes perfectly.

Dislikes:
Sometimes Fact check and Lee Sun Bin character is too extreme and reckless that she favors getting good ratings rather than really solving crimes and helping people.

12 episodes were too short! Wished they did 16 episodes! Of not, hope there really is Season 2 where they all work together as a team! I felt like season 1 was just an introduction and i still need to know where Kangho's money comes from and what his dad did!

Rating: 9/10

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Nice office drama

Likes:
1. Mansic and Yeol Chan's slow journey from being enemies to respected colleagues.
2. Seeing Yeol Chan become more mature at work, and dealing with his team
3. I disliked Yeol Chan's team but slowly grew on me/tolerated as they also learned to be better people. I particularly ended up liking Taeri, Yoonseo and Ms Tak.
4. The 2 senior interns were so fun and smart! Esp Anastacia..wow she looks so elegant and pretty!
5. The funny laugh out loud scenes, esp the warehouse brawl with the gangsters!

Dislikes:
The first half was painful to watch because everyone was just so bad at their jobs and there was too much hatred and arrogance. I almost dropped the show. But im glad i kept on watching because i liked the ending!

Rating: 7.5/10

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Not as good as Season 1

Likes
1. I really wanted Jojo to be with Sunoh in s1 but after watching S2 eps 1-4, i felt relieved that Jojo chose Hyeyoung and Sunoh had the closure he wanted.
2. I think Jojo made the right choice to choose Hyeyoung. They are both boring and simple and they worked well as a couple. I felt like that Sunoh was made to look pathetic, stalking Jojo like Hyeyoung did in s1. And i felt it was unfair that Jojo never gave him the same chance she gave Hyeyoung.
3. Felt bad for Yukjo but i think Sunoh will love her eventually, the same way Jojo slowly fell in love woth Hyeyoung throough his consistent efforts.
4. I actually liked Gulmi here.

Dislikes
1. The story didnt start from the end of s1 where they all met at the conference, so it felt like a huge chunk of time went by and we didnt know what happened. Suddenly Jojo and Hyeyoung were a couple.
2. Ep 1-4 were bad because it felt like Jojo was forcing herself to love Hyeyoung out of pity. And everyone was so obsessed with ringing each other's alarm.
3. The morale of the story didnt really had an impact to me because even though they talked about timing and volition, their actions didnt match the lesson.

I wanted to rate this lower but ep 5 and 6 weren't bad as i thought it would be.

Rating: 6/10

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They are good detectives indeed!

Likes:
1. Whew! The never ending twists and turns just made the ending satisfying. The first couple of episodes were confusing to me, because it felt like there were too many characters and too many people involved that i didnt know where the story was headed. But once you get past Lee Dae Chul's case, the story becomes clearer.
2. There were still some moments where it gets frustrating because i wanted the team to find enough evidence to catch Jong Tae and Guk Hyun and everyone so bad, i also felt like them, that i just want to manipulate the case to get this over with.
3. The team worked really hard to solve the cases (and there were a lot!!). I would say justice has been served to the bad guys (in some way or the other).
4. I appreciated how the stories and characters were written. Most of the characters were complex. As much as i would like to hate all the bad guys, the writers show us a different side to them, not to like or forgive them, but to understand their motivation. The same way that we also see that the good guys are not always so good. They also make bad decisions that can have great consequences. And then there are people who are neither good or bad, but goes with the flow in order to survive. I guess that's just how we are as human beings.
5. The show mostly was dark and gritty, but once in a while there's some humor that lightens the mood (mostly from the VC team 2), and a subtle romance between Jihyuk and Jin, which balances the story drama.
6. Also liked how the story delved with Dochang's and Eunhye's relationship. Although i didnt really like the sister and didnt care for her story, i loved how they built their own family in the end.

Dislikes:
I thought that Superintendent Moon and Yoon Sangmi werent punished enough. Just because they repented and moved to the good guys side do not give them a free pass from due punishment.

Rating: 8.5/10

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