Slow, boring and all over the place

I'm not someone who gives into reviews and if the reviews are especially bad (like here with Melting Me Softly), it makes me actually really intrigued to watch it. So I did...and what a mistake I have made!

Before I get into what's wrong with this drama (and there will be a lot), I'll start with the positives. The first two episodes were actually pretty good and promising. Basically, the story before Mi Ran and Dong Chan defrosted 20 years later. There were moments that could've been done differently (ie Mi Ran catching her boyfriend cheating and literally flying in the air like a seagull to kick him in the face). I really liked Mi Ran's relationship with her brother (which was basically forgotten in the second half of the show). Ji Chang Wook's (Dong Chan) acting and Yoon Se Ah's (Dong Chan's ex) acting felt like the only realistic and watchable ones. Won Jin Ah (Mi Ran) had her moments as well but her acting in a lot of scenes was way over-the-top.

Now what I couldn't stand in the drama (and there's a lot): 1) Most characters' reactions (or should I say overreactions). Especially Dong Hyuk (Mi Ran's ex), Dong Chan's sister, and his best friend Hyun Ki. Most of the characters kept on yelling, crying, and stuttering and their expressions were over-the-top in a lot of the scenes. Technically speaking most main and supporting characters were in their 40s (as well as 50s) yet they kept acting like toddlers. It became unbearable just 3 episodes in.

2) The dialogue. I'm not someone who's usually reacting to the dialogue and don't usually comment on it but a lot of the dialogue didn't make sense.

3) The recast. 20 years later and the production decided to completely recast the cast - except the main couple - instead of making the original actors look a little older which made them completely unrecognizable for Dong Chan and Mi Ran.

4) Mi Ran and Dong Chan's chemistry. It just wasn't present, especially from Mi Ran's side. I feel like it would be more interesting if the writers just focused on the struggle of adapting to a new world and reconciling with their old love interests and then them slowly building their relationship (slow-burn). Instead, there were little-to-no signs of romantic interest between the two, they didn't appear to be into each other at all but suddenly, they are together. Plus Dong Chan's obsessiveness over Mi Ran.

5) The whole increase-temperature-and-you-die plot/idea. Their temperature can't go over 33 degrees Celsius so when they kiss, Dong Chan pushes Mi Ran under a cold shower so they can kiss while having cold water stabilizing their temperature to remain below 31.5 degrees. Okay...however, on multiple occasions, the whole idea went out the window. For example, when Dong Chan was carrying Mi Ran and running to the hospital in episode 5, his shirt was soaked with sweat indicating he worked out a lot. Body temperature rises when exercising yet he was fine the whole time.

6) Glorification of domestic abuse and anger issues/problems. Mi Ran beat up her ex-boyfriend multiple times. The violence in this show was made into a humoristic aspect.

7) Bong Chan's possessiveness. He told Mi Ran to stop smiling at another man, he literally says (episode 6, around 26:45): "I don't mind if a woman is ugly, eats a lot...but I really hate it when a woman swears and hits people." as he owns her. It did add to his character but again, the romanticization of this trait is just not okay. He became even more obsessive with her later on.

8) The second half of the drama just became boring. So many things were happening yet nothing was getting solved, the plot was all over the place and a lot of scenes were made unnecessarily long (multiple shots of the same scene, long pauses between talking, slow-talking etc...).

...and more...

To end this, I was really let down with his one. In my personal opinion, Ji Chang Wook carried the show but even he couldn't save the later episodes (eps 12-16). The plot had so much potential in the first two episodes but it truly went downhill after the main couple defrosted, even more in the second half.

Read More

Not your traditional law drama

I absolutely loved this drama and its characters. Ji Chang Wook's chemistry with Nam Ji Hyun felt very natural and I adored her witty character. A huge plus for making her a black-belt owner and generally switching the roles of man-savior and woman aka damsel in distress. Noh Ji Wook (played by Ji Chang Wook) wasn't a bad fighter but it was obvious Eun Bong Hee (Nam Ji Hyun) was the better-skilled partner in the relationship.

However, there were some problems I've had while watching the show. First, I didn't understand the need to make Bong Hee have bad hygiene as a 'cute' trait. They made her not washing up and taking care of herself when working into something to be adored and admired/loved which in real life is very unlikely. Secondly, they should address whether Bong Hee and Ji Wook actually slept together on their first two encounters. I understand that it was addressed in epilogues (spoiler alert, they didn't) but it would be better to write in into the script of the show.

Overall, the drama was very entertaining. The humor was entertaining and not as cliché as a lot of kdrama make their funny bits to be. The plot was exciting. The drama managed to beautifully blend melodramatic moments with humor so I've had great time watching it. The show is a worthwhile watch.

Read More

Undeserved low viewership

The best drama of 2022 so far. Each episode discusses a very sensitive topic - sexual abuse, bullying, eating disorders, PTSD et cetera. The viewer might be able to see themselves in one or more episodes. The cast did an excellent job portraying their characters and we did see some good character development. Through the cases the grim reapers solve, you will be able to get to know the reapers little by little.

In my personal opinion, as much as I love this drama, there were moments that did not make that much sense and moments I would like to address. The controversial suicidal dog episode (episode 9) wasn't as bad as other reviewers make it. It just showed that animals have feelings too. I do admit that the whole suicide act might be a little over the top but the message it conveys (as said before, that animals do have feelings too) was acceptable. However, I have to call out episode 7 which tackled the topic of anorexia/ED. The whole episode didn't really progress much and the ending wasn't satisfying. EDs are very serious mental illnesses and only a five-minute talk won't miraculously solve it.

Towards the end of the show, my satisfaction started declining as it felt that the main focus shifted to the relationship between Ryeon and Joong Gil. It took 2 episodes of a 16-episode drama to show the whole backstory of grim reaper Ryung Gu and that was it. Jun Woong was said to be the main focus of the show but his character development was non-existent. Rowoon's portrayal of Jun Woong was phenomenal yet the character didn't develop at all and stayed the same/similar from the first episode to the last. Meanwhile, Ryeon's character development from cold and distant to an absolutely heartbroken yet caring and kind woman was astounding.

Kim Hee Sun definitely stole the show with her portrayal of Ryeon. Lee Soo Hyuk's character Park Joong Gil was a scene-stealer. Hee Sun was a show-stealer.

Overall, the drama was excellent. The ending was rushed in terms of Ryeon's and Joong Gil's relationship. You could predict some aspects of it while watching the whole show but the ending was completely off. What I didn't like about it was Ryeon's behavior towards Joong Gil. She was in mental pain the whole show yet, in the end, she didn't even care about her husband staying in hell? The whole show kept on slowly improving yet the ending caused my overall rating to go down by one whole star.

Anyway, I still highly recommend it but be cautious about its sensitive topics.

Read More

Great start with bad ending

The plot seemed very promising and entertaining. However, the romance between the main cast made the second half of the drama change genres pretty quickly...and for worse. From a revenge-driven strong female lead ready to take down someone's empire, the drama turned into two women pettily fighting over a man (that did not show much character and chemistry with both main women in my personal opinion) and later into two men fighting over the FL (Seo Ye Ji).

Important to say is I also did not see/feel any chemistry from the ML with anyone. No emotion...nothing. His character was empty and not very well-played. Seo Ye Ji had more chemistry with Yoo Sun than Park Byung Eun.

The revenge part of the drama seemed to be put into the shadows during the second half of the drama and only re-emerge in the last four episodes. What a waste of someone's time.

Read More

A very exciting action film. Although it is a remake of the Spanish Retribution, the director and screenwriter Kim Chang Ju still managed to add interesting additions. Each scene has its own charm, Jo Woo Jin in the lead role perfectly depicts a desperate father and husband who will do whatever is necessary for the safety of his family. Ji Chang Wook, a villain whom we first meet on the phone, can completely steal the scene with only his voice. The scene in which the main actors meet for the first time perfectly demonstrates their acting talent. The story is an engaging one with realistic dialogues. Highly recommend, probably one of the best action films from 2021!

Read More

Magical coming-of-age drama

A wonderful coming-of-age musical that highlights the problems of teenagers who are just finishing school and slowly moving into the world of adults, while being forced to give up their dreams to take care of their own families. Aesthetically, it did resemble well-known musicals such as La La Land or The Greatest Showman. Despite this, the cinematography of this project is dazzling and the main cast gave us exemplary acting performances. The series beautifully combines elements of the real-life problems each of us can encounter with elements of fantasy and a bit of crime. Overall, I would rate the series 10/10. Absolutely loved it and contrary to a lot of negative opinions about the show's ending, I feel like it was essential for Ra Eul to disappear in order to see Yoon Ah Yi evolve into the magician she's become.

Read More

Steady decline with heartfelt feeling

While this drama tackles the topic of dying and death carefully and gently, the overall plot seemed all over the place. I would appreciate more focus on the stories of the patients. However, as the drama progressed, the focus shifted to the main cast and that is when it (in my opinion) went downhill.

There were multiple couples and side characters, whose storylines were introduced but felt incomplete at the end of the show. I personally did not feel much chemistry between the FL and ML.

The script was also weak and it did not allow actors to shine properly. The acting was great, the actors did not disappoint but neither showed anything out of the ordinary.

It is a nice watch but nothing revolutionary or with many plots and twists that would keep the viewer entertained. It is rather a typical slice-of-life drama without much plot going on overall.

Read More

A story of love and pain

The second season was as good as the first one. Kim Go Eun as Kim Yu Mi did a fantastic job of portraying the real-life struggles of a woman trying to find her happy ending. The time jumps made the story feel more realistic as nothing was too rushed. Jinyoung and Ahn Bo Hyun portrayed their roles very well. Do not expect any twists and turns but you will still be entertained.

In the end, we also got a happy ending that was not as predictable for those who did not read the webtoon. I am really happy that Yu Mi did not get back together with either Ba Bi or Woong. It truly felt as if she got her own happy ending. The final episode wrapped the series nicely.

Read More

Audience pleaser

I always loved Park Hyung Sik and his on-screen chemistry with his female co-stars and thought nothing can triumph his chemistry with Park Bo Young in Strong Woman Do Bong Soon but I was proven wrong. His relationship with Han Hyo Joo in Happiness was very convincing. She adds a lot to the series and her portrayal of Yoon Sae Bom was beautiful.

I was a little unsure about the whole pandemic/zombie setting with the amount of zombie shows that were recently released. However, the show's execution of the topis was very entertaining. The drama also contains a few funny bits.

Not to be missed. In my opinion, it's an audience pleaser.

Read More

An extraordinary series

With Park Eun Bin as the lead, the series was already confirmed to be one of the great dramas as Park Eun Bin is a brilliant actress able to portray multiple different roles absolutely fantastically. And I was not let down! Park Eun Bin's chemistry with Kang Tae Oh was pure and realistic and felt natural to watch.

Watching stories and struggles of ordinary people and how the Hanbada Law Firm is able to help them - mostly thanks to Woo Young Woo (portrayed by Park Eun Bin) was nice and managed to share a light on Korea's society. I do wish there were more stories involving the main cast and their own relationship as the show mainly focused on the clients' lives instead of the main cast's lives.

Overall, it is definitely worth watching this drama. The chemistry between the main casts makes the show very convincing and the story flows naturally. I would recommend it.

Read More

Forgotten comedic treasure

This film was a great comedy with just the right amount of violence. Absolutely loved Jang Pan Su in Kim Dong Hyun's body and his character development during the two-hour film.

The one thing I loved the most was Jang Pan Su's relationship with Oh Mi Sun while his soul was in a body of a teenage Kim Dong Hyun. Their relationship didn't come off as illegal or perverted because Mi Sun was a middle-aged woman and Pan Su was in a body of a teenager as she set clear boundaries. However, their conversations were really humorous as she talked about their kid and how he ruined her life and left while she was talking to a teenage boy.

Totally recommend.

Read More

Mixed feeling about this one.

I want to start by saying the show overall is really great. It depicts the story of a struggling teenager with an abusive mother who deals drugs. The acting was very good even though Won Ji An sometimes came off as bland and unimpressive. The slowly evolving relationship with Yong Yoon Tak felt natural and very well-made.

However, I have a few things to say about the overall plot: While the synopsis tells you that the story is about Da Jung growing and harvesting a field of marijuana, the field is found out almost halfway through the first season and shown and discussed only in bits to the point it feels like the subplot. The main plot, if you didn't read the synopsis, would be Da Jung running away from her abusive mother after being accused of stealing drugs from her, the whole marijuana field would be irrelevant. At the same time, during the show, police in Seoul investigate Da Jung's friend's death - which is heavily covered in the first few episodes and then stops being mentioned almost completely until the last episode.

Overall, the actual plot of the show felt different from what is advertised in the show's description. Yes, she did find a field of marijuana and decided to harvest it to earn money, but during the show, that becomes almost irrelevant.

I still recommend it and think the drama is a good one. Just don't have really high expectations.

Read More

Park Seo Joon never dissapoints

I have seen this film multiple times. It's a great night film to watch when you are bored and tired and want a story to laugh along with that won't make you think too much. It has everything you'd want from an action-comedy and even more!

Park Seo Joon's and Kang Ha Neul's chemistry was insane. Their portrayal of two best friends was absolutely perfect, and their on-screen relationship felt authentic. There were also a lot of action scenes in the film which in my opinion felt realistic - which is often unusual for Korean productions. I definitely recommend trying it. You won't be bored, the film will really entertain.

Read More

The plot of this film is really intriguing. An innocent person is framed for a murder he/she did not commit. I could say it did resemble Hollywood's "Double Jeopardy" with Ashley Judd or the recent Korean drama "One Ordinary Day" with Kim Soo Hyun. The actors also did a good job, however, the whole relationship between Kwon Yoo and Yeo Wool felt rushed and not authentic. I could not feel the chemistry the actors were trying to portray. There were moments that felt overly dramatic - for example when Kwon Yoo is in prison and learns martial arts within weeks or during an unknown period considering his time in prison was not told. The idea of fighting in dark using rice was good but the execution and visual side of it was not so much considering the film was shot in 2017 when high-end technology was already available.

Overall, I did like the idea, the plot and the acting. Visually the fight scenes were okay but the graphics of some of the scenes were not good. In my personal opinion, this film is deserving to see at least once so give it a chance!

Read More

Realistically boring and bland

At first, I was a bit reluctant when Lee Jin Wook was cast as a male lead in a rom-com drama considering his previous roles consisted of more action, angsty, supernatural, and overall non-romantic characters (Bulgasal, Sweet Home, Voice, etc.). I was afraid the lack of experience in rom-coms would affect his performance in 'Welcome to Wedding Hell'. On the contrary, this exact reason (lack of romantic projects) was what intrigued me about WTWH.

Lee Jin Wook does a good job as Seo Joon Hyung. His romantic side feels okay but occasionally too forced. His chemistry with Lee Yun Hee sometimes comes off as bland. The whole show felt a little distant and I was having a hard time getting to like the characters (especially Na Eun and her "I'm always right and will never apologize for my actions" behavior).

To be completely honest, Jin Wook and Yun Hee's chemistry just wasn't there. Sometimes they felt like really good friends but during the whole drama, I just did not get the feeling they are going to be newlyweds. Especially considering they were long-term partners but Na Eun's knowledge of Jun Hyung's obliviousness to almost everything she does felt off...like she almost didn't know him at all.

In the end, I found this drama boring, the characters annoying, and the acting pretty average (which is a pity especially for Jin Wook as I know he's an exceptional actor). I do admit that in the end, thinking about the pacing of the drama and all, it did come off very realistically and real-life-like. HOWEVER, overall the show just wasn't that good, especially for a Netflix show. Wouldn't recommend.

Read More