No Drama like a C and K

Better than expected

I initially thought it was going to be cheesy, but after seeing a few snippets on IG, I decided to give it a shot. I thought it was going to be similar to Jung Hae In's "Love Next Door", but the cast in this show was so much better. The individuals that carried this show, in my opinion, were Go Eun Sae and the SES girls.

I really liked Ha Young's ability to express her character's comedic element. The most memorable moments were when she was jealous. I enjoyed the dynamic of the SES girls, every time they got together, especially their K-pop performance at the wedding 😆.

One of the things that stood out for me that I didn't care for, not sure if it was exaggerated on her part, but I didn't like Go Eun Sae's crazy laugh. It was cringy for me, and it was similar to someone scratching a chalk board.

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Another good Namkoong Min show

I've seen Namkoong Min in "My Dearest", so I know he's had the ability to play a character that can fight really well. Granted, My Dearest is a period piece, so most of his fights there involved swordplay. Here in The Veil, I like the modern fighting using a mix of weapon tactics and hand-to-hand combat. I will say that I was really impressed by how much muscle he put on for this role. And the scar on his face also worked for him. I also felt like he did a really good job acting out a character struggling to regain his memories and dealing with different layers of PTSD.

It was interesting to see him teamed up with Kim Ji Eun again, because they seem to work pretty well together. I'm glad that they didn't try to force a romantic relationship between them. I preferred their professional relationship.

I struggled with the end of the show a bit. I felt like they added unnecessary twists and turns regarding who was behind which tragedy. I also found it difficult to believe that Yoo Je Yi and Baek Mo Sa were Father/Daughter. Even when we learned that he struggled with some type of dissociative identity disorder, in the moments when his true character tried to surface, I didn't really feel that familial connection. Even the death scene, where she was by his side as his light was dimming, his actual character never surfaced, showing the fatherly sentimental love towards his daughter.

Overall, the show was really good. I feel like it could've been 10 episodes instead of 12. They dragged the endgame story out a bit too long.

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Heavy Topics, Good Acting, and Budget Fight Scenes

Reborn didn't shy away from heavy topics. The drama tackles a wide range of intense themes, including toxic family dynamics, grief, depression, school bullying, domestic violence, societal criticism, and the endurance of young love.

The cast did a great job with playing out these heavy topics, delivering strong, convincing performances across the board... some too convincing 😆. One character in particular made me want to jump through the screen and fight them myself. Unfortunately, the actual fight scenes were where the show fell short for me. It felt like production could have spent a few more RMB to make the action believable. I'm not saying that I was expecting Pursuit of Jade level choreography, but at least make it feel like a real street fight, if that's what you're trying to show.

I would say my biggest dislike for this show came from the ending and the central romance. While the main leads were well-matched, their love story left me unfulfilled. I wanted to see more affection, warmth, and genuine yearning between them. The ML (Zhou Ri Yan), played a similar archetype to his role in "You Are Desire", where is was also displayed as a fearless, tough pretty boy, but I never found his "tough guy" persona entirely believable.

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Relatable Themes with a Touch of Realism Deficit

This was a good show. It kept me engaged for the most part. There were some moments when it started to get a little slow for me, but overall, it was a good watch. All the actors did a good part with their character personalities. Some were better than others. There are a few funny moments, and definitely some funny characters.

What I liked about the show is that they explored the different ways people are criticized based on "judging a book by its cover" and only having half of the story. It showed how easy people take a bit of gossip and just run with it. I also liked how they touched on several parenting styles, some very aggressive and others more conservative.

The things I struggled with were some of the reactions to certain situations, which made it feel unrealistic in many ways. I also wanted more out of the love story between the ML/FL. Their relationship gave me a cliffhanger feel at the end. But I'm overall happy with how their relationship developed.

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Doona: A cycle of emotional manipulation

Doona... 9 episodes that provide a realistic look at how someone can become emotionally manipulative after having suffered emotional abuse and manipulation themselves, much like how individuals who grow up in hostile home environments, suffering from physical and emotional abuse, end up becoming abusers themselves (get bullied at home > become a bully at school).

This show also demonstrated different life situations and relationship issues that we can all encounter. It took me until the 3rd episode to really get hooked, but overall, it was a decent show. This show definitely makes it clear how important it is to always be cognizant of red flag behavior.

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Better than initially expected

I was skeptical when I completed the 1st episode, but it picked up and got better. I definitely enjoyed the storyline between Xu Mu and Xie Shi. They did a great job with their acting. As always there were some annoying characters, but overall, I definitely enjoyed this show. I don't know if it falls into the category of me wanting to rewatch it later, but I'm definitely happy that I didn't give up on it after the 1st episode. One of the most impactful aspects of Xie Shi's character for me, was his view on having kids. After 19 years of marriage, his perspective resonated so much with me, because I appreciate the depth of his perspective.

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Good Male Lead, Unconvincing Romance

Initially, I thought it was going to get better. I've learned that with certain Cdrama's, they really emphasize the slow burn love story, but this was painful. I kept pushing my way through the episodes, but once I hit 14, I couldn't do it anymore. The only reason why I gave it the few stars I did was because of the ML. I thought he did a decent job, and I appreciated him being straightforward, for the most part, about his feelings toward the FL. The FL, on the other hand, it frustratingly annoying. Her back and forth attitude with the ML gave me whiplash. The actress they chose for the FL was also unconvincing with her acting. I didn't think it could get any worse than Bella in Twilight, but I was wrong.

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A Curse I’d Actually Wish On My Daughters (In a Good Way)

I initially started this show because I didn't know what else to watch and I figured I would just check it out. I ended up getting pulled in by the 2nd episode., and it turned out better than I thought. The show was a mix of Final Destination and Carrie for me. The FL did a great job in portraying an outcast type character, that ended up secluding herself from the world. I liked that the ML had a genuine interest in the FL, and used his skill set to find a way to be with her. Heo Eun Sil, the FL's bestie, was by far the funniest character, for me anyways. At one point, I thought she was going to have a thing for the ML, but I liked that her attraction to him was more of a big sister being happy to come across someone that cares about her little sister. I was surprised to see that the ML had two people in his life that were dealing with this phenomenon and that he devoted his life to helping them. It was an inspiring and feel good show at the end. I wish I could figure out how to create this phenomenon for my daughters, so only genuine guys will make the effort to get close to her. Don't get me wrong, I would tweak the phenomenon, if it were possible, so it wouldn't injure or kill them. Maybe make them sick... like intense sore throat so they can't try to sweet talk them with non-sense or non-stop diarrhea as long as they are in their space, so they're always stuck in the bathroom and away from my girls.

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