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Completed
The Red Sleeve
10 people found this review helpful
Jan 8, 2022
17 of 17 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.5

An unexpected take on a hauntingly beautiful historical romance

Although there are many tragic Sageuks that I have loved watching over the years, "The Red Sleeve" stands out for so many reasons. The chemistry between the leads, the fact that it's a non-idealistic look at love, and a female lead who does not fit into the expected tropes. I think this drama is extremely addictive initially as we watch the two leads fall in love, but we soon see a tragic clash of two world perspectives that is both intriguing and frustrating to watch. As frustrated as I was during a lot of this drama what I appreciated was seeing the reality that love isn't always enough. I know this was based on true events, but I had no clue before watching where the story would go since I don't really know much about Korean history. I did know enough to not expect a "cheerful" ending. I admit that the beginning of this drama was much more appealing and addictive than the later episodes, especially watching the banter between
Lee Jun Ho and Lee Se Young, but it's the overall story arc that makes the lasting power of this drama so strong.

Lee Jun Ho is amazing as Yi San. I loved feeling like I could see his evolution to becoming a great king. He also pulled off a longing and obsession for Sung Deok Im that could have easily come across as majorly creepy in a #metoo way and not romantic at all if played wrong. Yi San was strong yet vulnerable and inspired laughter, tears, or butterflies with a single look. I think this really is a breakthrough performance for him. I've seen him be great before in "Just Between Lovers" and even "Wok of Love", but this role required so much range and he knocked it out of the park. He is matched with Lee Se Young Court Lady Deok Im and as much as there were times when I couldn't stand her character I loved her performance. Some may feel like she didn't show enough emotion but what impressed me was Deok Im's commitment to wearing a poker face and having the upper hand. Usually, arrogant male characters are accepted and condoned but here we have a truly unapologetically headstrong and arrogant female lead. She's clever and stubborn. She doesn't do what viewers may want her to do. Sometimes I cheered her on and sometimes I cursed at her through the screen but it was nice to see a female character in a historical drama with this kind of nerve. I won't give all the credit to the adult actors. There are some pretty brilliant child actors that help tell this story well too but the best parts of this drama are definitely when the main leads are together. I didn't expect to get so addicted to their banter but I quickly did.

There are a lot of Allstars in this cast that makes the typical corrupt Joseon court storyline feel not so cliché. Jang Hye Jin as Court Lady Seo and Oh Dae Hwan as the bodyguard are the real MVPs of this drama, and I also really liked the bond between the Court Lady Bffs. I did eventually grow tired of one storyline in particular with Park Ji Young as Head Court Lady Jo. I felt it didn't go far enough so it just seem like filler after a while. In contrast, I loved watching Lee Deok Hwa as King Yeongjo who's unpredictably manic responses made some of the conflicts much more exciting to watch than they normally would be for me. I'm not the biggest fan of 'fight for the crown' storylines, but the characters were well done which made me care more. This is still primarily a love story, and I'm grateful for that, even if it's a messy one.

Would I watch this again? I think so. I can see myself reading up more on the actual history then revisiting this drama again. I am fascinated by reinterpretations of history but I liked the idea that they tried to give a voice to Sung Deok Im as to what was behind the choices she made in real life, making her an independent court lady struggling to establish her own life by her own rules. I also felt deeply for the story of King Jeongjo and his profound loneliness in contrast to his legacy. I'm sure a lot went over my head during the first viewing so it may even be better the second time around.

I do appreciate that this drama has 17 episodes, so they didn't have to rush through the ending at all, but there were parts that started to drag and get too repetitive for me towards the end. The mixed signals and constant rejection plot really did affect the pace and my interest, but one thing that kept me from ever being too bored is the absolutely breathtaking cinematography. They really went above and beyond with how some of the scenes were shot. I would often rewind just to have a second glance at an image on the screen. You can see the care in the direction.

Overall, "The Red Sleeve" may not be for the "does this have a happy ending?" crowd but it is a beautiful take on this historical love story that doesn't shy away from the true events or the harsh dynamics of life in the palace. The excitement and longing in this drama is palpable and I think that is its main appeal. I also never read the Novel but I get a sense of what it was adapted from through the characters' internal thoughts, without them ever abusing narration in the script too much. Dramas often explore what we would sacrifice for love but rarely what we won't. I had strong opinions about Deok Im's reasoning and Yi San's persistence but in the end, I was fully invested in their love story. The only thing stopping this from being a new favorite of mine is some repetitiveness and my lack of interest in the political plots. Jun Ho's performance alone is enough to make this a much watch Sagaek and drama overall. Seeing a female character deviate from the 'Cinderalla as goals' narrative is also refreshing in a lot of ways, even when she annoyed me. It may not be the type of escapism that many romance fans look for in a drama, and yes many tears will likely be shed, but believe the rating hype on this one. A romance without romanticizing too much. A love story that challenges whether together is the best choice. An attempt at giving a voice to a voiceless royal concubine. If you know the story and wonder "What kind of woman back then would have the nerve to reject a king?!!" this drama answers that question very well... in an intriguing, hilarious, exciting, heartbreaking, and poetic way.

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Completed
Here's My Plan
10 people found this review helpful
Jun 5, 2021
4 of 4 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.0

Binge worthy Teen Angst

"Here's My Plan" is the perfect example of a drama not overstaying its welcome. At four episodes, it is the perfect satisfying length for binging. Not too short but not dragged on for too long. This is a darker teen coming of age drama, although it's much more intriguing than depressing. Think more teen "Fight Club" style, complete with an inner monologue throughout explaining all the motivations behind the crazy twists and turns. This is more than a story about a plan going from bad to worse to much worse. There is a suspenseful element to the story, with a touch of revenge and romance, but mainly it's a confession from a girl dealing with her past traumas in very unconventional ways. I loved that the story was so unpredictable and kept my interest throughout, and the cast was perfect.

Leading the cast is Kim Hwan Hee who is brilliant as Lee So Hyun. What made So Hyun so interesting to me is that she isn't very likable, or a "good" person, but you kinda can't help but empathize with her. We see what fuels her choices , so even when those choices frustrated me I still sympathized with her and wanted to see her win in the end. Kim Hwan Hee brings a lot of depth to the character so you can still feel her vulnerability even when she's being cold or calculating. I also felt sadness in her smile which was something mentioned by Yoon Ho who is played so well by Kim Do Hoon. Cho Yoon Ho balances out So Hyun's more anti-social vibe with his genuine concern and caring for others. By the end of episode one I absolutely adored his character. I loved their awkward but realistic chemistry, and he showcased the kind of likability that will make him an ideal romantic lead in the future. Their odd relationship isn't exactly the main plot, so don't expect too much romance, but it definitely fuels how everything progresses.

Every member of the cast really is great! I don't want to mention too much to avoid spoilers but there are no weak links in this story. It's also a pretty small cast which gives you space to feel like you know the characters better. My favorite character by far is the Grandma! She's the real MVP!

Would I watch this again? Yes! Although some of the excitement of wondering what will happen next is gone, the performances are so solid and the story evolves so well that I can definitely see myself watching this again. Once it was over, I was satisfied and didn't feel the urge to rewatch any scene in particular (except maybe one), which is the only reason my rewatch rating isn't high.

The music is good too. I thought the retro and British punk vibe matched the angsty mood of the drama well. There's no memorable ballad or song (besides Girls & Boys), but I did think the music did well in setting the mood of the drama.

Overall, I highly recommend this drama. It's emo, it's about trauma, it's about revenge, it's heartbreaking but the pace and style makes it also... dare I say... fun to watch. If you are looking for cuteness and feel good escapism this is the wrong drama for you. I liked the theme of figuring out what happiness is and whether you can be happy even having to deal with painful circumstances, and I loved the resolution for that. Many will compare this with "Extracuricular", which is similar as far as angst and empathetic young anti-hero leads, but this is not an action thriller, it's a story of self discovery and healing told in a less conventional way. I loved that the main character's journey is messy. Some of the last episode felt a bit too easily resolved, but the story is solid throughout with no unnecessary scenes or side plots. This drama is a good example of how well that can work! It actually gives you time to binge and go out and have an actual life afterwards! Crazy, right?! I can think of a lot of dramas that I would have probably liked so much better if they were 4 episodes instead of 16. I hope they make more shorter dramas as good as this one.

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Completed
Devilish Joy
10 people found this review helpful
Nov 5, 2018
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 6.0
This is nothing I expected from the synopsis. It wasn't a "Memento" ripoff and didn't rely too heavily on "Groundhog's day" or "50 first dates" jokes. Still, this is a basic romcom complete with "meant to be" encounters, misunderstandings, and great chemistry. When it works it's really cute, even touching, but when it doesn't work it's super corny and at times too repetitive. If you're in the mood for a romance, with a small bit of mystery, this one is far from perfect, but I still enjoyed it much more than I didn't.

Choi Jin Hyuk and Song Ha Yoon have amazing chemistry, whether their circumstances are ridiculously silly, or more serious. I admit that Song Ha Yoon as Joo Ki Beum had to grow on me, but Choi Jin Hyuk as Gong Ma Sung is super sexy from the start. It's not just his obvious physical appeal, which is more than enough, but everything from his mischievous smile to his more heartbreaking scenes pretty much solidified any crush I already had on him. Together they made this hot mess of a story HOT, and work much better than it should have.

I think the story tried to be too many things with too many conflicting genre elements (comedy, tragedy, mystery, rivalries...). Amnesia is probably one of the most cliché drama plots already, but this one overcomplicates the story with a cheesy but shocking first episode that reeled me in, but not enough substance in the plot to keep the story interesting for 16 episodes.

I don't think it was the casts' fault at all. The villains were extra villainy, I liked the whole supporting cast (especially cute bromance with Hoya, Joy's poetic alcoholic dad, Ma Sung's sarcastic assistant, and Jun Soo Kyung who was pretty epic in her 2-dimensional evil ajumma role), also Ma Sung is sufficiently shirtless... but about halfway through, the extreme silliness and heartbreaking moments felt too repetitive to hold my attention. It was only my curiosity about how it would end, and my addiction to the main couples chemistry, that kept me watching. The story could have easily been told in 10 episodes or less so there's A LOT of filler. I would have given it a higher rating if it were shorter.

Would I watch this again? Only if I could skip through most of it. Seeing Choi Jin Hyuk is definitely a good motivator to at least revisit certain scenes, but even his self-assured smirk and shower scenes aren't always enough.

I did think the ending was cute, so I am happy I didn't drop it, although I didn't appreciate some of the filler tropes in the final episodes.

Overall, like the cheesy "Goodbye" song in the OST I couldn't help singing along to, I know this show is more of a guilty pleasure than a great drama. There was still enough about it that I liked to say you might like it too. Many romcom fans would probably be willing to sacrifice logic for a romance that makes them smile, and that's definitely what it takes to be a fan of "Devilish Joy".

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Completed
Birth of a Beauty
10 people found this review helpful
Jul 3, 2018
21 of 21 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.5
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 4.0
The best way for me to describe this drama is a train wreck that I couldn't look away from. "Birth of a Beauty" is a romcom that turns quickly into one of the most ridiculous melodramas I have ever seen. The story makes absolutely no sense, and demands that you suspend complete disbelief from the start, yet somehow it still manages to be entertaining enough that I just couldn't bring myself to drop it.

What I think saves this drama is the cast, particularly Joo Sang Wook and Han Ye Seul's chemistry. Han Ye Seul plays Sara, the beauty in the title, who has undergone a complete transformation due to a tragic past. Joo Sang Wook plays Han Tae Hee, who has a mysterious past of his own, and who helps Sara adjust to her new life. They are very cute together, which will probably get romance fans hooked early on, but it doesn't take long before the melodrama takes over, and by the halfway mark romcom fans may be ready to abandon this drama completely.

Eventually cute banter between the two of them (I loved that he calls her Ahjumma) turns into frustrating obstacles filled with clichés. There's also a cast of villains that are really good at being horrible, that inspire an elaborate revenge plot, and the quintessential kdrama battle over the family business. Now I love a good melodrama, but like I said, I think the plot made very little sense, and was full of holes. This is why I had to give the cast a 9. They really are what kept this drama watchable. Sure, some characters were definitely more one dimensional than others, but in such an overdramatic drama, they did managed to keep the story somehow believable enough for me to want to see how it all would all end.

Another issue I had with this drama is that 21 episodes felt way too long. They do manage to pack in lots of extreme plot points, but I think they mostly backfired and made the story start to drag and feel boring. I was tired of getting mad at characters for making dumb choices, watching repetitive scenes between characters, and seeing too many flashbacks. I could not see myself ever watching this drama again, which may seem harsh, but the good parts just weren't good enough for me to want to sit through all of these episodes again.

This drama does attempt to reiterate the idea that what makes a woman beautiful is more than how she looks on the outside, but the problem is that it still makes Ha Jae Sook's looks the punchline of every joke possible. In my opinion she's the real MVP of this drama, and her scenes were the only ones that made me feel even slightly emotional, but I hated the fact that she was basically branded as practically hideous. I can't imagine looking like her and feeling good while watching this, no matter how much this drama tried to make the plot about self acceptance, and inner strength, the damage was already done. Some parts literally felt like a commercial for diet pills.

Overall, I thought this drama was a cute romcom about an unlikely couple overcoming obstacles together, that got hijacked by a bad revenge melodrama. I say this as a person who is normally a fan of epic revenge stories, but this story just made too little sense. By the end, I wasn't disappointed that I completed it, but most of the interest I had in the beginning was long gone. I can't recommend watching this knowing that there are so many other dramas that tell a similar story much better... there are even some dramas that I thought were mediocre but I would recommend them before this one. Still, I didn't hate it, so if you're a fan of anyone in the cast, that might be an incentive to watch this one just to say you did.

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Completed
Beautiful Gong Shim
21 people found this review helpful
Jul 18, 2016
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 5.0
Story 4.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 3.0
Watching this drama is like boarding a luxury cruise ship, and thinking you you are going to have a fabulous vacation, then right when you start having the best time ever you hear Celine Dion start to sing about her heart and you realize the ship is about to crash into an iceberg, and you want to get off, or turn back, but it's too late. Honestly, I sensed early on that this show would be a disaster, but I loved the main 3 characters so much that I didn't want to believe it.

The best part of this story is the relationship between Gong Shim, Joon Soo, and Ahn Dan Tae (I don't know why the sister is even in the promo pic). The bromance, the romance, even the rivalry works. Together they are hilarious and heartwarming. I loved weird Gong Shim, in her wig. I think Min Ah was a strong leading lady. I loved sweet Joon Soo with his perpetual smile. Ohn Joo Wan is adorable. I loved seeing Nam Gung Min not play a sinister bad guy, but instead play a strangely adorable character with a random super power. The early episodes, where we get to know these characters, and they get to know each other, are the best episodes. It's like a completely different show compared to the rest of the drama. As soon as they started getting more into the missing kid storyline, the show went from fun romcom to the stupidest mystery thriller ever.

I am so angry at the writing that I actually had to google the writer. Apparently she wrote for some dramas that I liked, so I don't get it. I am giving the story a 4 only because of those early moments between the 3 characters, but honestly the cast deserves the credit for that. The story itself deserves maybe a 2.5 at best. The worst part of the story is that everything is obvious from the very beginning. EVERYTHING. We watch the whole show waiting for the characters to figure out what we already know, and watch them frustratingly misunderstand each other in the process. What also doesn't help is that our main characters suddenly start acting completely different. Ahn Dan Tae starts to literally seem like he has multiple personality disorder. He always retains at least a small part of his charm, because Nam Gung Min is a great actor, but once he started to change the show became less interesting. His booty is consistent though, and deserves an honorable mention.

The rest of the cast is pretty mediocre, and stereotypical, while some have some really horrible overacting moments. I liked Gong Shim' parents, but her sister is a useless character. If they wanted to make her a serious rival that we cared about, then she should have been much more involved in the story. The grandmother was another character that I honestly didn't care about, and some of her crying scenes were laughably bad. I liked the dude from the convenience store, but when a minor convenience store character outshines other major characters, you know something is very very wrong.

The soundtrack is good though. I really liked a lot of the songs, but some lost their charm when the show started to.

Overall, this is a drama of wasted potential. It didn't know if it wanted to be a romcom, or a melodrama, or a thriller, so it just tried to sloppily integrate the them all. All that did was water down what they could have done well.

As much as I want to recommend watching the 3 main leads, I have to recommend skipping this one. The story goes nowhere. It's longer than it should be, and felt like it. It desperately clings to drama clichés to fill in the time. The last two episodes are embarrassingly bad. Not only do they pretty much identical to another drama that aired around the same time, but the closure for the characters felt so forced that I could't take it seriously.

I hope someone takes the best moments between the three leads and edits this show to be the length it's supposed to be (10 episodes max!). I would recommend watching that video in a heartbeat. Otherwise watching 20 episodes of this is not worth hitting the iceberg. And if you already started it, don't listen to rose, it's ok to let go.

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Completed
Something About 1 Percent
12 people found this review helpful
Nov 27, 2016
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 7.5
This is a super cute drama that randomly piqued my interest. I never saw or heard of the original, so I started watching knowing nothing about the story other than the genre. For those of you in the same boat, know that this is 100% romance, so if you are looking for a complicated or emotional storyline you should look elsewhere. The love story is also very cliché... a sweet average girl and an abrasive arrogant chaebol get involved in a relationship contract... but because the show is literally about watching their developing relationship, without a lot of filler, the story still somehow feels fresh.

Ha Suk Jin and Jeon So Min are a great match. They not only play their roles well, but they have very realistic chemistry with each other. Watching them felt like eavesdropping on an actual couple, even with all the tropes. I especially loved the way he looked at her, and it's worth noting that their kissing moments are much hotter and realer than the kdrama norm. I've never seen either before, but they nailed it.

The only reason for lowering my cast score was that although I loved the leads, the best friend, and Jae In's lawyer, many of the supporting cast members seemed pretty useless. A lot of them didn't have enough screen time to make me care about them, or just had a ridiculous role like Seo Eun Chae as Han Joo Hee. I'm not sure if she or the role were the problem, maybe both, but although I can see how she added to their story, she was my least favorite part.

I also gave the story a lower score, because of the lack of originality, poorly fleshed out backstories, and a few "dramatic" moments that made no sense to me, but what they did well was trim a lot of fat from the episodes. I confess that I actually binge watched this whole drama while sick, and I was able to finish it in a day and a half! I was on episode 4 before I realized that the episodes were shorter than usual, and that's also when I finally gave up on waiting for a big dramatic story to happen. The episodes seemed to fly by as I watched Jae In and Dada become closer, and that was all the entertainment I needed.

Would I watch this again? Maybe. I liked the main characters enough for a possible rewatch, but I can't say the same about the rest of the plot.

Oh, and the OST. It's a great match for this drama, including a cute spinoff of the jackson 5's "I want you back", but I was pretty indifferent to Ji Soo's songs, and his storyline.

Overall, this is a good romcom, and definitely worth watching for fans of the genre. I think my score is lower than most because I tend to like more intriguing plots, but this simple story has a lot of charm. I also think making it shorter was very smart (I can't believe the original was so long), so there was no time to get bored with the story, and it took no time to get hooked. It's the perfect drama for weekend binge watching, while still leaving you with some time left for real life (If you're not sick like I was)! I'm glad I took a chance on this one.

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Completed
Doctors
12 people found this review helpful
Sep 3, 2016
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.5
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
I'm not sure why I decided to watch this, since I am not a fan of hospital dramas, but hospital dramas seem to be the latest trend, so I gave this one a shot. I know my score is pretty low, but I didn't dislike "Doctors", in fact I surprised myself by actually being really interested in the first half. The second half though? not so much.

The best thing about this drama is the cast, and I don't mean just the leads. The only thing that kept me watching towards the end were the ensemble of doctors, who I had grown to like a lot (especially super cute Kim Min Suk). There were also some good guest appearances, and some intense medical storylines, but as a non hospital drama fan, the stories started to wear thin after a while.

But back to the main couple... I am still not sure how I felt about them.

In the beginning Park Shin Hye's character is really interesting, a rebel with a high IQ seemed like a character I could root for. She is matched with Kim Rae Won who plays a beloved teacher and mentor, and that's when things get weird... chester the molester weird. The romance was hard for me to root for, because a teacher giving inappropriate attention to a student isn't very romantic to me, even if he is a nice guy. It didn't stop me from being curious however, so I kept watching to see how it would evolve. Although I loved the way they worked together in surgery (those scenes were intense), their love story was just frustrating, and often boring. I know the Hye Jung character was written to be difficult, with walled up emotions, but even the sociopath doctor in "Beautiful Mind" seemed to be better at romance than her. In spite of Ji Hong's cute devotion and patience with her, I never could did get excited about their romantic storyline. There are a few "cute" moments, but they often felt forced. For me, the chemistry just wasn't there.

Then there's Seo Woo, who I oddly thought was the most sympathetic in a weird way. I didn't like her, but I felt so bad for her throughout the show. Although her character was pretty much reduced to being jealous for 20 episodes, I still empathized with her. The friendship storyline was my favorite part of the drama, and she had the only scene that made me tear up.

Uhm Hyo Seop, who played her dad, was my least favorite. His character is a greedy villain, but also dumb and childish. I like to root for good villains, but I couldn't take him seriously. I don't know if that's bad acting, bad writing, or both. He had waaaaay too much screen time and importance.

Other characters like Yoon Do and BFF Soon Hee didn't have enough of a storyline. I wish more time was spent on developing that than on the boring revenge and hospital corruption plot that dominates the second half of the show. They did give the story a pretty good ending, but I already stopped caring by the final episode.

So would I watch this again? No. What about the soundtrack? I barely remember it.

Overall this started out as a potentially good drama that just couldn't keep up the momentum for 20 episodes. Of all the doctors shows that are out there now, I would say it's safe to skip this one.

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Completed
A Beautiful Mind
12 people found this review helpful
Aug 5, 2016
14 of 14 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
This is a hard one to review, considering the fact that I am not a hospital drama fan, but I am so surprised that this drama was cut short. Of all the hospital dramas I have seen, this one was one of the most interesting. I was also intrigued by the idea of a love story with a sociopath as the main lead, but I have a feeling that's exactly what turned people away.

The most impressive part of this show is Jang Hyuk as Dr. Lee Yeong Oh. I've only seen him in Fated to Love You (which I LOVED), but he is completely unrecognizable compared to that role. His portrayal of a doctor who lacks empathy surprisingly tugged at my emotions. He was so good that it was impossible not to sympathize with his character. His approach to each case sometimes was reminiscent of the show "House", but I did find his character to be very unique. His performance alone would make me recommend this drama.

He is matched with Park So Dam as Gye Jin Sung. She was very cute, and played her role well, but I wasn't that impressed to be honest. In the beginning her character is written to be annoying, but that eventually turns into an awkwardness that is endearing. She also has pretty good chemistry with Jang Hyuk, and some really cute scenes, but there's no strong spark between them. Part of me wonders if a more mature actress would have made a better match for a strong character like Dr. Lee. It also may be too hard for some romance fans to root for the way the male lead uses Jin Sung. It didn't bother me, but I can see how some viewers may not like how gullible, and easy she is.

The supporting cast is also strong, especially the main hospital staff. Some of the "bad guys" are a little too cliché for me, or not interesting enough to mention. Still, I think the cast is the strongest part of this show, they just didn't have a good enough story to support them.

The story was interesting at first, but I think it honestly became too complicated. The amount of betrayal, and corruption kept increasing, and I stopped being able to completely follow who was bad, and why. There was also a major personality change for one of the main characters which made that character less interesting to me. Then there was the complicated father son relationship, which was one of the most interesting parts of the show for me, but that story, and the romance story, were too often overshadowed by the hospital corruption plot which bored me. In spite my feelings about hospital dramas, I liked how the patient stories served to reveal new things about Dr. Lee, and I thought those stories were done well. I wish the overall drama focused more on that, and Dr. Lee, then maybe I would have liked it more.

The writers did do a good job of ending the show early without it feeling too rushed. I don't even think that having 2 extra episodes would have necessarily been any better. I prefer that a show be cut short rather than dragged out with nothing new to add.

Overall I liked this show, but the start was much stronger than the finish. I don't really see myself watching it again, but I certainly don't regret watching. Like I said before, the main character is interesting enough that I would recommend watching this, but don't expect an epic romance, or an amazing thriller. In spite of my moderate review, I do agree that this show is underrated. I've seen much worse shows have much more popularity, so don't let the fact that it's unpopular fool you!

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Completed
Coffee Prince
12 people found this review helpful
Jan 4, 2016
17 of 17 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 10
Some old dramas don't stand the test of time, or live up to all the hype. That is not the case with Coffee Prince. I've just finished marathoning through this classic (again), and I still love it just as much as the first time!

On the surface this is another romance about a girl who pretends to be a boy, and gets away with it, and a spoiled rich guy who falls for her. What makes Coffee Prince different, is that there is so much more depth than is usually in KDrama romances (yes, even the good ones). The themes are more realistic, and the content is more adult. Coffee Prince shows us how extremely complicated love can be, while still being fun to watch.

The cast is perfect. Yoon Eun Hye is the most convincing androgynous character I've seen in any drama. It's more than her just looking enough like a boy, it's her whole demeanor that makes the idea of her being mistaken as male completely plausible. Gong Yoo is charmingly goofy, and instantly crushable (watching this began my minor obsession with him). Equally crushable is Lee Sun Gyun, who I would fall in love with again later in Pasta, but is much more kinder, gentler, and understanding in this role. Then there is Chae Jung Ahn, who is frustrating to watch, and hard to like, but equally brilliant. The chemistry between them all is amazingly acted, and their story is well written. People who aren't fans of romances normally, may appreciate how imperfect this story is. There are also plenty of cute moments to inspire butterflies in die hard romance fans. It also has the most beautiful love confession in the history of dramaland period ! (or rather, exclamation point)

The minor characters are also very well played. I loved the dynamics between the Coffee Princes too! This is the kind of cast that you miss when the show is finally over. I can't believe Lee Eon died shortly after, but he was my favorite of the other "princes".

The only thing mediocre about this drama is the music, which is fine, but I did not rush out to find the soundtrack, even after obsessing over this drama.

The other criticism is that the drama does become a little less engaging in the final episodes, but at that point you will probably love the characters so much that it won't make you love the show any less. The ending wraps things up perfectly in my opinion.

My main reason for writing this review now, even though this was one of the first dramas I ever saw, was to promote it's re-watchability. It also manages to not feel as dated as many dramas tend to be over time. Besides the flip phone technology, this drama could easily be successful today. It's also very timely, concerning issues regarding gender roles and sexuality, which is a hot topic these days. In that respect, maybe it's ahead of it's time.

So, yes, of course I recommend Coffee Prince! It remains high on my drama favorites list, with no signs of being bumped lower any time soon. If this is one of those dramas that you always meant to watch, but never got a chance to, just do it! This is one of those occasions when it is safe to believe the hype!

*warning: not only may you very likely crave coffee while watching, but you may either be tempted to eat everything in your fridge, or be too disgusted to ever eat again, after watching Eun Chan eat!*

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Completed
What Happened in Bali
12 people found this review helpful
Jun 23, 2014
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.5
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
I finally watched this drama after it being on my to watch list for so long. The cast, and the strong reactions from viewers, made this a must see for me. Now, 10 years after the fact, I'm glad I watched it, but I was not impressed.

This drama is definitely dated, and I'm not just talking about the flip phones, or horrible outfits. The story itself is a very basic romantic melodrama. All four characters are in an epic love square with all the usual plot points (rich vs poor, obsessive jealousy, mean parents, betrayal, stalking...) and this gets stretched out for 20 episodes, which means there are LOTS of flashbacks. I can understand the idea of having a tough time choosing between 2 men/women you care about, but It was really hard for me to take the romance seriously since I don't think that an abusive relationship with a crazy man is very romantic, even if he's rich and cute. Most of the characters behaved in ways that often seemed ridiculous, and was often frustrating to watch, but I couldn't look away... That's because of the cast.

I'll start with my praise of So Ji Sub, who is always amazing. It's no surprise that he was great. He was my favorite of the cast, and super cute (even with the stupid hair choices). He plays the mysterious, and brooding In Wook perfectly. He was the only character I rooted for throughout the show, but I also liked that he had a bit of a dark side... sexy!

I'm also a fan of Ha Ji Won, but I'm not used to seeing her play someone so passive. As Lee Soo Jung she spends a lot of the show being used, yelled at, or beat on. Her character is portrayed as innocent, yet money hungry, and was honestly hard for me to like or root for because of her choices. Ha Ji Won did an ok job, but at times was a little too melodramatic for my taste. Still, I did like her chemistry with the two male leads during their few rare happy moments. I also liked her relationship with her Bff.

This is my first time seeing anything with Jo In Sung, and his portrayal of Jae Min was certainly entertaining, though definitely over the top. Jae min is super entitled, and completely manic, but somehow still kinda sympathetic. Many of his scenes consist of epic crying, maniacal laughter, explosive anger, and dramatic begging. His "crazy" is the driving force behind the whole drama, so in a way he's what kept me wanting to watch what happened next.

The square is completed by Park Ye Jin as the... i'm thinking of a word that rhymes with 'itch'... Young Joo. Her character is subtly manipulative, and easy to hate. It takes a talented actress to portray such an unlikeable character so well. Many of the supporting characters deserve the same compliment.

So if you heard anything about this drama you know about the widely 'controversial' ending. I was not upset by the ending, but like much of the show, it was very frustrating. I like that the writers didn't go for the predictable people pleasing ending, and tried something more shocking, but it was still cheesy in a way. I certainly laughed inappropriately.

Oh, and the music... I think that the soundtrack was starting to drive me slowly insane, but it's the kind of OST where once you hear a song from it it draws you right back into the drama, so I guess that's a good thing.

Overall, I see "What Happened in Bali" as really bad junk food. I would never call it good, but I had fun watching it. I guess my love/hate relationship with this drama fits the theme of the show. It definitely kept my interest, even when the storyline started to drag. I wouldn't watch it again, but I would still recommend it. However, if you are looking for something light and fun, there are very few of those moments, so avoid this like the plague. This is NOT a Cinderella story. If you're looking for something to make you yell, and throw things at the screen, you found it!

Plus So Ji Sub is in it, and do you really need more of a reason than that?

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Completed
Lovestruck in the City
49 people found this review helpful
Feb 22, 2021
17 of 17 episodes seen
Completed 125
Overall 5.0
Story 3.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 2.0
It's been a while since a drama annoyed me this much. I'm not even sure why I watched every episode of "Lovestruck in the City", but I definitely could have skipped this one. This drama tries to be different by being more self-aware and mimicking a reality TV format. The main characters confess to the camera throughout the show, which got old for me fast, and then we see slices of their lives in reality, how they all connect, and how reality contradicts what they tell the audience. If I'm honest there is only one reason I kept watching... Ji Chang Wook. Sadly, the last drama I saw him in was equally awful "Melting Me Softly", but he is always so charming that I'm willing to watch a terrible drama just to watch him smile and be in love. If this drama had a less appealing actor in his role I would have dropped this after episode one.

So how was the rest of the cast? They were good, but it was hard to separate characters who were badly written from the actor. Kim Ji Won is a perfect example. There was nothing wrong with her performance but her character irritated me for the majority of the drama. She had pretty good chemistry with Chang Wook, but I honestly didn't understand what made him so obsessed with her. The chemistry wasn't enough to carry the weak storyline.

The other main characters did a good enough job of being distinctive but bad writing made their stories pretty dull. I won't spoil how the stories connect but I guess the point was to explore different kinds of relationships (the good and bad) between men and women... friendships, crushes, long-time commitments, encounters with exes, casual relationships, and summer flings are represented. For the entire drama the only character who didn't annoy me at all was Kang Gun, but I was honestly bored by all the other interactions. The women characters is particular are often irrational and make frustrating decisions. I think I was waiting to relate to the characters as I got to know them but that never happened. I was just constantly waiting for the "story" to start. Sadly once it started it turned into one repetitive episode after another.

If I could describe the plot in one word I'd say it felt pointless. If you like the idea of non-sequitur relationship snippets then maybe you will like this more than I did. To me, it felt like filler interrupting the main plot which didn't have enough substance to fill all 16+ episodes. Then there's a weird resolution at the end that feels thrown together, that's interrupted by another random story with random minor characters. I think I would have liked it better, maybe, if there was a different story each week because this just felt like I was watching an unscripted mess. That didn't make it feel more authentic to me either, in fact, it felt more fake, especially with the awkward product placement moments.

Would I watch this again? Hard Pass! Not even for Ji Chang Wook's smile.

Also, the random old school rock "theme" song with the unnecessary music video was equally irritating.

Overall, this drama felt like a concept without a plan. I guess I can piece together moments that I liked enough that it kept me watching, but there were far more frustrating moments that made me wonder why I didn't drop it after every single episode. More than anything I didn't care at all about who stayed together and who didn't, which is bad for a romance-themed drama. There are intimate confessions that seem out of place, especially since the characters seem to have no idea who is listening and responding. Do you enjoy watching people act irrationally in relationships, and drag out misunderstandings, or drive people they care about crazy with their unresolved issues... then enjoy. I can't imagine sitting through this for another season myself, although I can see there being a possible setup for one. Since there were many times I was literally rooting for the main couple to never deal with each other again, I can't recommend this drama. Yes, eventually there are reasons and amends but the frustration to get there made it very anticlimactic. I definitely wasn't lovestruck with this drama. It almost makes "forever alone" seem like the better option.


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Completed
Woman with a Suitcase
14 people found this review helpful
Nov 25, 2016
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 4
Overall 7.0
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 6.0
I'm not sure what made me decide to watch this, or continue watching. I will say that the show had an odd appeal in spite of it's flaws. Part of it is a mature romance, but most of it is a light thriller revolving around a gifted paralegal who is good at getting to the bottom of a case... I guess it's pretty obvious that that is the lady with the suitcase.

Choi Ji Woo is great as Cha Geum Joo, and I admit I have never seen her in a drama before. She was likable early on, and I liked that she was a savvy lead, not a doormat. Her acting isn't perfect however, and there are more dramatic moments where she seems to try to play cute to the camera, which didn't really work for me. Luckily for her she was cast with two attractive and talented leads. Joo Jin Mo
as Ham Bok Geo "Hamburger" is grown and sexy, and a great match for her. I loved their flirty moments, and chemistry, especially in the beginning, although I kept wishing they would take things up a notch. He is an absolute charmer, and he charmed me in this role, though he's another actor I've never seen before.
Then there is Lee Joon as Ma Suk Woo, who was cute perfection. He was honestly my favorite character of them all, and I think the best actor. He managed to seem innocent, yet not naive. I loved watching his chemistry with Geum Joo when they worked together, though I admit she seemed waaaaaaaaaaaay too old for him. The love triangle between these three is pretty hilarious, even if it's a little unrealistic, they pull it off well. This was the highlight of the show for me.

The rest of the show is a messy melodrama revolving around a scandal I had a hard time following, and a mystery that didn't really grab my interest, but there is a villain that is really creepy, who I wish had a better storyline and more screen time. I still managed to enjoy the court scenes, which featured a great supporting cast, even if it was pretty obvious how things would go.

Then there's Jeon Hye Bin as Park Hye Joo (who I will forever think of as Oh Hae Young) who plays the main character's complicated sister. She is really good at playing a low key b!tch, but she honestly didn't have the acting chops to pull off such a complicated role. Her acting was so bad at times she seemed to be making fun of the role. There was just not enough depth, and I think that's this show's biggest problem. The character also had a few transformations that made no sense, especially at the end, but that could have maybe been fixed with better acting too, i think.

The show is pretty light hearted even though it deals with some very heavy themes, which I think worked against it. People treated things like going to jail, sex trafficking, being a fugitive, and even murder so lightly that I could barely take it seriously. The later episodes also focus so much on the melodrama that the show lost much of it's appeal. Still I liked watching the story unfold for some reason, and never thought about dropping it. The ending could have also been a lot better, but since the story wasn't a strong point, I'm not sure if it would have made much difference to my overall thoughts on the drama.

Overall, a pretty good cast made this show decent, and enjoyable. Like most shows it loses much of it's charm in the final episodes, but the cast made me want to stick with it. I doubt I'd watch it again, but I will miss some of the characters. I doubt this show will be high on anyone's favorite list, but I'm glad i checked it out. The fact that there are no other reviews seems so weird since I've seen much worse dramas with tons of reviews! I'd say it's the perfect "In the meantime" drama for those with nothing on their queue, and wiling to give it a chance.

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Completed
Gu Family Book
16 people found this review helpful
Sep 10, 2013
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
Gu Family Book is a great historical drama to get lost in. It didn't even feel like it was 24 episodes long. Sure, it's another Gumiho story staring Lee Seung Gi, but it's completely different from My Girlfriend is a Gumiho (which I loved FYI). Though there's a familiar theme of star-crossed lovers, Gu Family Book is more of a fairy tale, and Choi Kang Chi's story at times feels like a superhero origins story. From start to finish I was completely hooked on the story, and the characters.

The story centers around 2 ill-fated loves. I thought both stories weaved together well, without feeling too cheesy, or forced. Gu Wol Ryung & Yoon Seo Hwa's tragic romance had me hooked from the very beginning. Choi Kang Chi & Dam Yeo-Wool's chemistry kept me excited about what would happen next. I'll admit that the story was a bit predictable at times, and there were a few frustrating questions left unanswered (specifically about the Gu Family Book), but the amazing cast made every episode enjoyable. At no point was I ever really bored.

Lee Seung Gi is one of my favorites. I've loved him in every drama I've seen him in, so it was great seeing him in a role where he gets to evolve into a true hero. He was perfectly complimented by Suzy, who plays a strong heroine, not just the pretty damsel in distress. They worked well with each other, and even made some of the cheesier love moments work.

I think the entire cast did a great job, so it's hard to single any actors out, even though I did have a few favorite characters. I hated who I was supposed to hate (Lee Sung-jae is such a good villain), and empathized with the entire colorful cast of characters. I also loved that many of the characters, weren't completely good or bad, which gave them more depth (Choi Jin Hyuk looked so good being bad, and Jo Jae Yun was hilarious). Though they played 'over the top' at times, I had to give the cast a 10.

The script I think was a bit too ambitious, which Is why I gave the story an 8. I don't think there were many plot holes, and I can forgive predictable stories if they are entertaining, which this was. There were actually a few moments that caught me completely off guard, and that kept the feeling of suspense going. I do think that some of the explanations were a little too far fetched, which made it hard for me to connect emotionally. I did not cry during the "sad" parts, because they were so melodramatic. Still, I was completely invested in the characters, which I think is a testament to the outstanding cast.

I did not love the music as much as others did, but it did compliment the mood well. I could see myself rewatching this, and still being entertained, but I wouldn't call this drama one of my favorites.

The ending does leave the door open for the possibility of a sequel, which is an exciting thought.

Overall, I would say this is worthy of any Sageuk to watch list. It was not perfect, but it was exciting, and enjoyable enough to get a "great" score from me. If you are willing to suspend your belief, I think you'll enjoy it too.

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Completed
Old Boy
28 people found this review helpful
Jun 9, 2012
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
This is a hard movie for me to rate, and review, because I have such mixed feeling about it. Old Boy is an expertly told thriller, full of suspense, that I simultaneously loved and hated.

What I absolutely loved was the beginning. I would even dare to call it the best beginning of a revenge story that I've ever seen. From the opening moments to the time he is finally free, I was on the edge of my seat. Oh Dae-Su's transformation is also amazing to watch, and I was completely impressed with Choi Min Sik's performance.

From there we get to the heart of the revenge story. Oh Dae-Su's search for the man who ruined his life is full of intrigue. Yoo Ji Tae brilliantly plays the antagonist Lee Woo Jin, with a really creepy sophistication. There's also an epic hallway battle scene, that shows some amazing direction, and is pretty iconic. I was falling completely in love with this movie, and then there's Mi do...

It's hard for me to express how much I hated this character. At first she seemed interesting, but then it was clear that her character would be weak, and shallow. I watched a rescreening of this film recently, and overheard two women complaining in the bathroom about how offended they were by her character, and how this ruined the movie for them. I was also offended. Then there's a minor character, Lee Soo Ah, who I found to be equally shallow, and offensive. I cannot blame the actresses, these characters were simply written poorly. The female characters are my first major problem with this film.

The other issue I had was with the ending. The story behind Oh Dae-Su's kidnapping, and how this revenge story is resolved, is meant to be shocking, but I thought it was just ridiculous. Some people may love the over the top story, with it's controversial subject matter, but I thought it was too unbelievable to take seriously. This was a major let down after loving the beginning so much. The end just kept on adding shocking twist, on top of shocking twist, and then ended in a bloody confrontation that was also shocking. When it was all over I felt like I had watched two different movies. I definitely preferred the beginning movie over the end movie.

I can agree that this is a well made film, and very original, but I can't exactly say that I liked it. I would still recommend it because of the parts that were exceptionally well done. The great moments are what stayed with me once it was over, and made me almost forget why I didn't really like it.

It's also worth seeing if you're simply in the mood to watch something twisted.

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Completed
The Secret Romantic Guesthouse
11 people found this review helpful
May 19, 2023
18 of 18 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.5

Not what I expected in the best way!

"The Secret Romantic Guesthouse" is nothing like what I expected it to be. It has a lot of elements that are in some of my favorite sageuks but has a unique balance between being seriously dramatic and comedically lighthearted. The story does take a few emotional turns without ever becoming too heavy. The title definitely doesn't do this drama any justice. Yes, romance is a big part of the story but there are also revenge plots, a tyrant king, a secret rebellion, and some truly great characters. This drama is definitely more about the whole ensemble than one particular couple, and I loved the chemistry between all of the characters as chance and fate brought them all together to become a makeshift family in a random Inn for aspiring scholars.

The owner of Ihwawon Inn is Dan Oh played by Shin Ye Eun. I loved that she is a brave, independent, and outspoken character even though sometimes her antics were frustrating to watch. I also love that the plot wasn't just the usual one girl choosing between 3 suitors trope, as the poster suggests. She really has a unique relationship with each male lead and they have the same unique relationships with each other as well. Ryeoun plays the aloof fighter Kang San who doesn't warm to people too easily, but I loved his smile whenever he did. Jung Gun Joo plays the thoughtful and scholarly Jung Yoo Ha, the most straight-laced of the bunch without being boring. And Kang Hoon plays the silly Kim Shi Yeol who never seems to take anything too seriously, and definitely became my favorite. It was easy for me to really start to care about each of the leads from the beginning, but what I loved most is that none of them were exactly as they seemed and always kept me guessing. With each episode, we learn more about each character's past and motivations, which kept every episode interesting till the very end.

The entire supporting cast is just as great as the leads, although I won't go into too much detail to avoid spoilers. The King and Chief Administer, however, were so irredeemably evil that I loved to root against them, yet even their single-minded goals made me empathize with them during some of their evilest moments. I think that's because the characters were really well written even if they all weren't necessarily complex. None of the characters felt like filler, and no scene felt useless either. There may have been a few minor moments that made me roll my eyes but it all came together and made sense in the end.

Would I watch this again? Definitely. Mostly I would want to watch knowing what I learned about the characters from the beginning. I already rewatched the first episode and certain scenes hit differently once you know how the story will evolve. Maybe some moments will drag watching it for the second time, but I liked the characters so much I would still be entertained.

My only real complaint is that the kiss moments were so disappointing. All the chemistry in the world just feels ruined by dead fish emotionless lip touch where a passionate kiss should be. Ryeoun tried his best to make it sexy, but Shin Ye Eun... just yuck.

Overall, this drama tells a great story and I think it will appeal to people who don't want a historical drama that is too depressing or a romcom that is too silly. This is directed by the director of The Princess's Man, one of my favorite sageuks of all time, so the action scenes are great too... especially the Watchman battles. If you like dramas that will keep you guessing. this one does a great job of always introducing a new and unexpected element even when you think you have it all figured out. I say this as a person who is easily bored by fighting for the crown plots but the pace was great so I didn't have a chance to be bored.
I was sad at the end of 18 episodes to say goodbye to these characters, and that's more than enough for me to recommend this drama. I didn't cry, I don't have any new favorite couples to add to my list, but by the end, I felt like I went on a journey with these characters with them finally living the lives they were meant to and that's the best kind of ending for me.



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