Talent wasted on a mediocre script

Park So Dam - she has a great voice. I loved her in Cinderella and the Four Knights, and heard she was exceptional in Parasite, which I did not see. I'll be honest, I think any actress could have been dropped into this part and they would have been okay.

Park Bo Gum - he is a wonderful actor. He is able to portray a full range of emotions with nothing more than his eyes. For anyone that has not seen I Remember You (also known as Hello Monster), he is EXCEPTIONAL in that! There is something very charismatic about Bo Gum, and the more of his works I watch, the most impressed I am.

This show started out well. I loved the background look into the career of modeling and the concept of two good friends being on opposite ends of the economic as well as career scales. The main characters started out being very up-front with one another, verbalizing their likes, dislikes, etc. However, once they actually got involved with one another, the communication stopped. In Asian dramas, I often wonder why the characters don't just talk to each other, it was such a disappointment that this was a problem here as well.

I loved the woman that played his agent, she brought some good comedic talent to the table. However, there were so many story lines going on at once, some of which were never fully fleshed out, some of which were pointless, some of which were just downright irritating. There seemed to be more happening with other people in the show than the main three characters. This made the show seem needlessly long.

If I'm honest, the thing that kept me coming back was Bo Gum's acting. That and the hopes of a good ending. On that score I was very disappointed. The ending was so lackluster and open-ended, it felt like there should have been a concluding episode following the last episode. This is another thing that I notice about Asian dramas, they tend to use a lot of filler to make more episodes and then wrap everything up in the last five minutes. Writers could definitely take a cue from the writers of Legend of the Blue Sea, which has the best ending of any Asian drama that I've ever seen.

So, my long-winded evaluation of Record of Youth, see it for Park Bo Gum, but don't expect much otherwise.

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What a treat!

This was a well-written, and wonderfully acted story. Yoon Hyun Min's character (2nd male lead) progressed in an alarming way, showing what avarice and want of power can do. Kim So Yeon was terrific as the ever-efficient and loyal secretary. She was so mature that she seemed much older than everyone else. She has a honey-sweet voice that would calm the most agitated person. That said, Jung Kyung Ho ran away with this show. His character had been driven by revenge for years, and that was his entire focus. He was all hard edges and unforgiveness. Once he has a "change of heart" (which I think should have been the movie's title, by the way!), watching him come to terms with making some decisions that might actually benefit someone else was a joy to watch. This was a man not used to feeling anything other than anger, now suddenly he was starting to feel love. At times he did not take it well, which brought on some extremely funny scenes. Him getting dating advice from his trusty male secretary was a hoot. He didn't actually know how to have interpersonal relationships, so he kept yelling at people, and he said some really funny things to others. The two leads had a wonderful chemistry together. They were playful at times (I dare you not to crack a smile while watching this!), soulful at other times. Good kisses. It was a happy ending, though it was a letdown, kind of emotionless after everything the couple went through to be together. They should change the poster for this show. I didn't watch it for the longest time, thinking it was going to be too slapstick, but this was an intelligent show, with elements of drama, comedy, crime, mystery, all rolled up in one package.

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Take the time to watch this.

It’s a feast for the eyes - it has a film noir feel to it. Filmed a lot in shadow, with brown/dark tones. Everything has been well thought out, the rooms, the clothes and the makeup all flow seamlessly together, with nothing out of place. The use of closeups was very well done, especially when the bartenders were mixing drinks. The two female leads work like yin and yang, one extremely overtly classy, selfish and insecure, the other more understated and comfortable with herself. The entire cast was very good, and they were working from a great script - a lot packed into five episodes, with no wasted scenes. The music added to the overall feel, from the pounding techno, to the use of a single, droning beat whenever someone entered the bar. This show was a joy to watch!

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It would have been a "10" if I'd only watched the last episode

My review is strictly based on my enjoyment of this drama. This show was well-filmed and very well-acted. What a stellar cast! That being said, I find it difficult to watch abuse, whether it be physical or verbal, and I tend to try to steer clear of corruption stories. I didn't care for the ML's treatment of anyone, especially his mother, there was no excuse for the way she treated him (though the story would try to get you to believe that her reasoning was viable and acceptable). I don't think they really redeemed the mother, other than in a roundabout way.

The villagers were all so odd, I felt like I was getting whiplash between whether they were supposed to be funny or be taken seriously.

However, the final episode was excellent! The emotions of all the people were laid bare. The ML just broke my heart and the villagers finally seemed like a cohesive family. The acting was excellent, especially in this episode.

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I realize I'm in the minority, but certain aspects of this actually made me angry!

If you watched and loved this drama, please just ignore my review and move on. No need for hateful comments.

There was so much that was out of whack with this drama, but I'll start with what I liked.
1) Main couple had some cute scenes together. There could have been more romance, but since that isn't the focus, I'll give it a pass.
2) Kim Min Jae as Nurse Eun Tak. He's just a cutie and I liked his character.
3) The friendships between the hospital staff. And you gotta love Mr. Goo.

Not so much:
1) Eavesdropping continued from season 2. Everyone was talking about everything out in the open, or the walls were so thin that they could be heard through. Is HIPAA not a thing in Korea?
2) Eun Jae's father is brought on board to run the trauma center. I don't think this would happen for two reasons: 1) the problems between the two of them, and 2) He says that he'll come on board if Dr. Kim leaves? They've just said that Dr. Kim is the reason for the success of Doldam hospital! I know you need "bad guys" to move the story along, but this was implausible to me.
3) Jang Dong Hwa - he was a complete slacker and a danger to patients because of it. There is no way they would have kept him on staff.
4) Ah Reum and Eun Tak. Cute, but in this season, she seemed so much older than him. I don't know if it was makeup or what. I did, however, like their conversation about what they want out of life and getting a house.
5) The character of Jang Gi Tae was still way over the top. What's with the laugh?
6) I don't know if it was due to the script, but I didn't find the acting, in general, to be as good in this season.

The most irritating things for me:
1) The entire staff flew to the North Korean ship!?!?!
2) So, initially there wasn't even going to be a Doldam hospital, but then they got approval for the other and were going to keep BOTH open?! I don't think so.
3) The thing that irritated me most was when the fire was heading toward the hospital. They have evacuated the patients, but they can't find Dr. Kim. He is found by one of the nurses in the OR "contemplating" everything that has gone on in that room, and, according to her, how many patients he has saved. A fire is raging, yet all the medical staff stays in the building looking for a doctor that won't answer his phone, then even though he knows what is going on, he just calmly stands there talking to the nurse. I thought the acting in this section of the show was seriously lacking. Then when the rain comes, the size of that fire wouldn't have been put out that quickly with that amount of rain.
4) Patients come in to be treated. "Oh, our staff is still evacuated until tomorrow". They would have had to let someone know this ahead of time so that patients could be transported elsewhere.

I complete this once I started it, but was sorry for the time I wasted.

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Watch this if...

Watch this show if you want a very funny show that is full of slapstick comedy, over-the-top characters, bad language, and an overabundance of fart jokes. My overall rating is lower strictly because of the fact that those are not things I enjoy.

The acting of everyone was good and the cast had good chemistry together. I'll bet they had fun making this! The SML had some weird hair thing going on that was really bothering me, get that man a comb!

Each character was likeable in their own unique way. I liked how the SML (chaebol) and his family were played - it's like they purposely made them caricatures of the chaebol families we normally see in Korean dramas.

The show moves at a good pace and there always seems to be something going on. I also liked the progression of the characters in the department. At the beginning everyone hated them, and it seemed that they didn't like themselves or each other very much either, but relationships were developed.

This is DEFINITELY a show to watch if you need some relief from heavier dramas.

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Slow, and did they get a standin for the ML in the last episode!?!!

The concept was good, the acting was good, but it was just too slow for me. The main actor was awesome, kind of expressionless, but the first time you see him crack a small smile, you are hooked. She was a complete mess at the very beginning, and I was concerned about that, but she finally got a clue. But the ending?!?!?! Did they change the ending and had the actor moved on to another project, so they had to use a stand in? I can't believe how much that bothered me. And WHY do they separate totally? If a man just basically fell off the face of the earth, I'd probably have to think about moving on.

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WATCH THIS SHOW, NOW!

Dali and the Cocky Prince was an absolute treat from start to finish. I don’t give 10’s easily, but this show grabbed me almost from the first moment and took me along on a journey that was special and, frankly, just almost more fun than I could stand. I found myself smiling through most of this, but there was also enough mystery and drama to balance it out. Overall, it’s a light, bubbly, sunshine-y show, juxtaposed with the seedy underbelly of greed and corruption. I’m not going to retell what the show is about, you can read the synopsis for that. I can’t say that the story is completely original, but the way it was handled was very original. The storyline was always interesting, with no lag, and the writers/director were clever in the way that they used flashbacks to reveal missing scenes that tied everything together.

ACTING: Everyone was excellent. The woman playing Moo Hak’s stepmom was very over-the-top, but I believe that’s the way she was supposed to be portrayed. She brought a lot of humor to her character. I won’t bore you with my thoughts on the whole cast, but I would like to address three of the actors/characters.
Park Gyu Young as Kim Da Li – she was wonderful. First, she had an ethereal kind of beauty, and her character was very, umm, “contained” for lack of a better word. Her voice was quiet and well-modulated. She didn’t often show a lot of emotion, but you could tell that she was honestly a nice person. A retro flapper-like haircut, with pin curls surrounding her face, was something you don’t see in Asian dramas and was a brilliant call. Her beauty, along with her demeaner could lead you to believe that she was a pushover, but that belief was eradicated right away. She was no one’s fool. Her character, at the beginning, had so much, but she was such a lovely person you couldn’t be jealous of her, then when things started to go bad for her, it was heartbreaking to watch.
Kim Min Jae as Jin Moo Hak - I’ve seen him in some other dramas and have always enjoyed him, but the character he portrays in this show was so special! First, Moo Hak doesn’t appear to be the sharpest knife in the drawer. He knows business, but completely messes up phrases and is always saying the wrong things. He starts out being ONLY about money, and he’s not apologetic at all about that fact. He’s loud, tacky and uncouth. As time goes along, we get to see his priorities change. His facial expressions were spot-on here, from cold businessman, to wonder when he first sees Da Li, to love, to happiness. He has dimples that you could literally land a plane in, so when he smiles, you’ve got that treat to enjoy.
Hwang Bo Ra as Moo Hak’s secretary – This character was fabulous. Men usually have male secretaries in Asian dramas, so it was a treat to see a woman in this role. They put her in boxy, oversized suits with dress shirts and ties and her hair was short and slicked back, almost as if to make her androgenous. Bo Ra, in the other shows I’ve seen her in, tends to play a wacky character, with exaggerated facial expressions (think Lucille Ball), playing strictly for laughs. She did provide a lot of comedic relief here, as well, but there were times that she just faded into the background of the story, not taking us away from the main storyline. I loved the respect that Moo Hak had for his secretary and their working relationship.
CHEMISTRY: I’d like to address the powerful chemistry between Gyu Young and Min Jae. They played so well off of one another throughout the whole show. Min Jae’s character fell before Gyu Young did, and that was wonderful to watch. There were times when he was looking at her that his gaze was so intense, I felt kind of like a voyeur. The first kiss was, unfortunately, very awkward, but we were treated to many more opportunities for skinship that were way up there on the hotness scale. The relationship between the characters was so lovely. There was sweetness, protection, as well as a good amount of playfulness, which, unfortunately, doesn’t normally get included in dramas. They spent time laughing together, and I loved that they didn’t continue to call one another by their last names throughout the whole show. We actually got to be with them as they got to know one another, and I could totally understand why they started liking one another.
I also loved the chemistry between Moo Hak, Da Li, and her cop friend, Won Tak. I was watching a behind-the-scenes about this show and Min Jae came up with the idea to call him “Our Won Tak”, so we got to see Moo Hak be jealous every time Da Li called him Our Won Tak. But Moo Hak even called him that! I loved the direction the writers took with the character of Won Tak and the fact that they didn’t try to make him be competition for Moo Hak.
MUSIC: Oh, my goodness, the music was exceptional. There was a song that sounded like something you would dance the Charleston to, it was fun, peppy and upbeat. There were multiple other songs that I enjoyed as well. My favorite, however, was them weaving classical music into the soundtrack. Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major/Memories was used, and Carmen’s Habanera, especially when it was used during tense scenes, with no instruments, only using whistling, was so clever. The music fit in so well with the feeling of the museum and the world of art.
CINEMATOGRAPHY/COSTUMING/SET DESIGN: Exemplary. Buildings painted in bright colors, with Da Li riding her bike. The beautiful artwork in the museum. The clothing everyone wore. There were a few instances where I especially appreciated the camera work: 1) Side-by-side shots of Moo Hak and Da Li when they were sitting across from one another at a table. In one instance, they were both wearing white and I loved being able to see the interplay of their emotions happening “in real time” as opposed to cutting back and forth. There was also a scene in the museum where both Moo Hak and Da Li were in their own worlds, walking through fog and laser lights, lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling, and when they got close to each light bulb, there was a scene from earlier in the show, reviewing all of their interactions with one another. The scene at the museum at the end with artwork full of color and movement. This show was definitely a treat for the senses.
RE-WATCH VALUE: Absolutely! It’s one of those shows that, now that I know what is going to happen, I want to go back and re-visit, watching for clues and nuances that I missed the first time around.

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Sure cure for insomnia!

Oh my gosh, what an absolute waste of time!!

SCRIPT: The dialogue is stilted, there is nothing happening throughout the whole show, there are numerous unlikeable characters (including the two leads, unfortunately), I didn't care if they were breaking up because I don't know why they were together in the first place, the "villain" just made no sense and I felt that they put her in there because every show has to have a villain, doesn't it? And the ending made me want to throw something at the tv. I LITERALLY said, "That's time I'll never get back!" The way the main characters were written was really bad. I was looking forward to seeing Jang Ki Yong - they did put some great clothes on him, but he was a very unlikeable (borderline creepy) character. Call me crazy, but falling in love with your dead brother's girlfriend is just not right. There was something kind of obsessive about him. And her? Just so many things. You're a complete witch to this guy, going on and on about how important your career is, and you let people walk all over you? You have a one-night stand with a random guy and when he approaches you later, you're mad at him?

ACTING: Jang Ki Yong. I loved him in My Roommate is a Gumiho, and his acting in Born Again was amazing. In this show he had no expression throughout most of the show. I kind of felt that he even knew the script was bad, and wasn't making much of an effort. Song Hye Kyo - is she the same in absolutely everything she is in? Speaking of no expression - her face always had the same expression, as did her voice. When I watch her, I always think that maybe she doesn't smile because she doesn't want to wrinkle or something. I think the lack of emotion she displays when she acts contributes to you not liking the characters she portrays. I've never watched a show where there is so much staring going on. Staring into space, staring at each other, staring at a door.

CHEMISTRY: None.

REWATCH VALUE: Not on a dare!

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Movie-length commercial for MSC Cruises

This movie was literally the middle of the road for me. To me, it had more wrong than right, but I'll just give it a 5 and move on.
I really struggled with this movie, as it didn't seem to know what it wanted to be. Was it a comedy? A mystery? A farce? Except for the main characters, everyone else's hair, makeup and clothing were WAY over the top. A lot of the characters just seemed like caricatures of real people - that makes it hard for me to feel like I'm getting to know them and to feel empathy for them. Most of the characters were a little creepy, including the children. Was that so that we couldn't figure out who the "bad guy" was?

I think the biggest question I had while I was watching it, how did the FL get on board the ship without a ticket, how was she able to remain on board once the ship left (the ML knew she didn't have a ticket), where did she get her wardrobe since she didn't have luggage? And I could be mistaken, but when we first meet her, I don't think she even had a purse on her.

All-in-all, for me this movie was too "campy" and difficult to take seriously.

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Watch it for the acting

I enjoyed the last couple of episodes more than the rest, though they still somewhat left me dissatisfied.

What I liked:
Acting was excellent. I love Park Bo Young. The only time I don't like her acting is when she cries. It is loud and it's overdone, so it makes me want to laugh. She did better in this drama. She still had a couple of over-the-top moments, but her moments of quiet crying were very touching. Plus, she had the perfect, calming voice for her character's job.
Lee Jeong Eun as Nurse Manager Song. I love this actress. She's got that tough exterior and that inner softness/caring. Plus, she has a great voice.
Noh Jae Won as mental patient Kim Seo Wan. This was a tragically beautiful character, and he did an amazing job. As he struggled between fantasy and reality, there was a wonderful sweetness (or maybe innocence) about him. His relationship with PBY's nurse Da Eun was terrific to watch.
Relationship between Da Eun and longtime friend Yu Chan. I'll admit, in my heart I thought they would be a better match for each other. So supportive of each other, with the fighting that often comes with people that have known one another forever.
-special effects were good. Physical displays of what was going on in the person's mind.

Things that let me down:
Being in the medical profession, I have a difficult time suspending disbelief, especially since this was a medical drama. Where do I begin?
-she transfers to the psych unit because her previous boss told her to? (Unbeknownst to her, her boss was trying to get rid of her.) It takes a special person to work in a psychiatric unit, and she knew NOTHING about psychiatric disorders, not even bipolar disorder, which is something that everyone has at least heard of.
-she doesn't use gloves when giving injections or drawing blood.
-it's a locked psych unit, but the patient rooms each have a refrigerator in them, and the patients are allowed to have pretty much whatever they want in their room. There were multiple people in a room, if a person wanted to hurt themselves or someone else, they have access to pretty much anything.
-You leave with a psych patient to take her to the bank to open a savings account?
-it's a locked unit, but a patient can get to the roof without anyone knowing? Add to that, there are cameras all over the place and no one saw anything.
-I realize it was a short series, but many of the psychiatric disorders were glossed over and oversimplified. The grown woman that has a contentious relationship with her mom, and all it takes for the woman to be healed is for the mom to bring her the correct kind of fruit. She's miraculously cured and gets discharged. Pep talks seemed to "cure" some of the characters.
-PBY character depression. Came as a result of a tragedy, but was definitely more than situational depression, especially since she tried to kill herself. She had been working on the psych ward for some period of time, her case was so severe, and the voice overs showed that she was aware, to a certain degree, that she wasn't behaving right. She didn't seek help.
-I'm sorry, she would not be able to go back to work on a psych unit after having the issues she had. The writers made it seem like she was "cured" as long as she took her medication. Being on a psych unit would be a constant trigger for her.
Then there were the relationships:
-I don't usually have SLS, but she should have ended up with her longtime friend. I was bothered by the fact that the doctor liked her because looking at her made him stop cracking his knuckles, but when they were apart, he went back to cracking his knuckles. She was a panacea for his behavior, that's a lot of pressure for anyone. Yeon Woo Jin as Go Yoon was good, and he's just so cute when he smiles, but I didn't feel their relationship at all.
-2nd couple. She had absolutely no self-esteem, and I could see why after we met the nightmare of a mother. It seemed to me he was always the one doing the work in the relationship. Very unbalanced. Don't even get me started on the fact that she decided to go away for a year. These writers will do anything to include time skips, people leaving, etc.

So, I'm glad I watched it, but was, overall, disappointed. At least I can cross it off my watch list.

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This show was brilliant!

As a die-hard rom-com fanatic, I decided to watch this show after watching a few "average" rom-com's with the hopes that there would be a good one for me to watch after this. OH MY GOSH!

Story: The story was very original, to say the least. I was struck by the sadness, feelings of being unsure, yet the hope and friendships that were developed in the village. The beauty of the village stood in stark contrast to the dark underbelly of what was happening in the world. I'm not going to reiterate what's already been mentioned in the synopsis, but when I first started watching, it was a typical con man scenario that I didn't think I was going to care for. I love when the writers do a good job of "found family" - people not being related by blood, but bonding, nonetheless. It was done on multiple levels here, with the people in the village, with Kim Wook and his partners in the pawn shop, and even with Kim Wook and Joon Ho. There was humor, drama, love, and oh my goodness, the mysteries. I felt the writers did an excellent job with this show. There was so much going on and there were so many moving parts, I was glued to the screen - I watched all 12 episodes in two days! I really wish that I knew someone that was watching it with me, because I would have loved to be able to discuss what was going on.

A LITTLE SPOILER-Y
Acting: Everyone did an excellent job. Go Soo as Kim Wook was able to move seamlessly from cocky to emotional without any difficulty. His emotions just tugged at me. Ha Joon as Shin Joon Ho was heartbreaking. All I can say is WOW! I had hoped against hope that his storyline would turn out differently, but in my heart, I know it couldn't have. Episode 10 just about killed me! Song Geon Hee as Thomas - at first, the blond hair was a little distracting, but I found him mesmerizing as the cement that held the village together. I was glad he got his closure, but sad for us as viewers that we won't see him in season 2.
FINISHED WITH THE SPOILERS.

Music: I thought the music was good and unobtrusive.

Rewatch: Since I know what will happen, I probably won't rewatch this, but I'm going to start on Season 2 immediately!

My bottom line: I thought everything about this was wonderful. I can't believe I'm going to stay this, but I'm so glad they didn't try to bring a romance storyline into this. Usually, my giving something a rating of 10 is for something I can rewatch. In this case, I had to give it a 10 just because it was so good. And, add to that, I didn't fast forward through anything - for me, that's saying a lot!

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Unpopular opinion

What is all the hype about? The main female was airhead and a stalker. I don't find anything cute or charming about someone stalking someone else. I felt so sorry for her, because she comes off as not being very bright (combination of poor grades and not getting a clue that the guy has no interest in her), and the stalking aspect made me feel like she must have had no pride or self esteem. The main male was cold. I did like the friendships represented during their high school years. However, once they graduated, the script took a turn for the worse. It was just boring.

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Give it a try, but for me it fell short

Things I liked:
-Loved the relationship between ML and his two ghost partners. Yoo In Soo as Sung Ho and Eum Moon Suk as Nam Goo were both very good. There was quite a bit of humor when these three were involved.
-FL's friend the attorney that climbed up the hill to her office. I LOVED the yellow suit she was wearing.
-The way they styled ML. Loved the color of his hair, it set him apart. I also loved the clothes they put him in, loose, comfortable clothes.
-2FL storyline (for the most part).
-I liked the cameos.

On the other side of the coin:
-ML and FL had no chemistry, as far as I was concerned. The whole thing seemed kind of forced to me. However, they didn't have the cliche misunderstanding breakup.
-Some of the filming was extremely dark. If you aren't in a dark room when you watch it, you'll miss stuff.
-I didn't like the character of the FL at all. I don't care for forward women, and she just couldn't get the hint.
-Continuity issues - they are drinking in the park at night, and suddenly when they are walking home it's daytime.
-I felt that this show suffered from too many episodes. There was a lot of wasted time.
-The cop ghost - didn't like the ending of his story, or his lack of resolution with his wife.
-The 2FL and the office ghost in a relationship? Please, that was just too ridiculous.
-Though it was a happy ending, I was pretty disappointed in the show once I finished it.

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Not nearly as good as season one

I was tremendously disappointed in Season 2 of Stranger. The friendships that had been developed in Season 1 were gone as if they never existed. Now, the police and the prosecution were at odds about everything. I SO missed Shi Mok and Yeo Jin solving crimes together.

And this is just my personal opinion, but there were just too many corrupt people! It seemed like it was everyone other than Shi Mok and Yeo Jin! In a move to make the majority of the people in the show corrupt, they had to create multiple convoluted cases, most of which I didn't care about. Everything was too long and drawn out.

I also didn't care for the ending, too open for me, without adequate consequences for a few of the people.

However, I will say, it was worth watching the second season if only for Shi Mok's smile at the end!

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