palmedacocco

Cooking or dating show?

3 women and 3 men in a villa in Toscana, then to destabilize the group there are other entries: a man and a woman in Italy and a man and a woman in Korea. In total 10 people.
After a week in Toscana, they return to Korea and go to live all together in the "Pairing House". At this moment they can finally discover: the books color of each writer, who chose who, the job and age of each. Big surprises.
After a month they have to choose their partner for life.

What do I like and what do I not?
- I liked the idea of ​​choosing the person you will love based on the answers written in a book. Too bad that this method did not give any guarantee of success.
- I like to follow this type of programs to better understand people. Why a person votes for one person instead of another, if people like people like them or if they look for the opposite, who is the most voted...
- I noticed that initially there was a natural separation between extroverted and introverted people. In fact, I was surprised that everyone introduces themselves with acronyms like INFJ/ISFJ/ESFJ/ISTP... strange thing.
- Excellent choice of locations, especially the fabulous apartments in Korea.

What didn't I like?
- I hate people who always touch their hair, especially when they eat or cook. Here they do it all the time. It's good manners to tie your hair when cooking.
- I also don't like people who always put their hand in front of their mouth, and Jae Yeon was a master at that.
- It felt like a cooking show, not a dating show. I'm getting fat just watching this show! I know Koreans are obsessed with food, but here... they eat, go to eat, cook, talk about food, conquer and compete through cooking... Too much.
- I used to be a fan of the Ha Neul team and I feel sorry for this talented girl.
- I've watched a lot of dating shows and I've started to notice that they have something in common. There are always men who insist on one person and it seems to work. There's always a painter/lawyer/doctor/dancer/model. Most men prefer shy and awkward women.

P.S. If I may suggest a producer, do not make programs in winter. Most of the time the participants were frozen.

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"The past belongs to the past"

I stumbled upon this story on YouTube, but it was hard to follow the episode order. So, I found the complete series on Rakuten.
Like a drug, I watched the entire 41-episode series in just six days. In short: a compelling plot, a great cast, and a wonderful soundtrack.

She is a journalist and he is a doctor; they fall in love, but she leaves him because of her "mother-in-law-to-be." Overcome with sadness, he agrees to move away to work as a doctor elsewhere and dies in an accident. His friend—who is also his cousin—is furious with her for having left him; he gives her a hard time but having promised him to protect her—he ends up saving her on several occasions. That is how they grow closer, and he begins to fall in love with her (he smiles just thinking about her).
This plot surprise me a lot. You think the ultimate couple is the one formed by the journalist and the doctor, but things change.
In any case, I expected the reason for her breakup with the doctor to be more serious—for instance, that the "mother-in-law" had gotten pregnant by her father, making them half-siblings, rather than it just being because she had been abandoned and harbored resentment toward her father (?!)—that way, the sudden and painful split from this poor, lovestruck doctor would have been more plausible.
Episodes 14 and 15 really got on my nerves because of the journalist friend—what an idiot, always just wanting money from her boyfriend, and he’s a fool for not dumping her and finding someone better! (That’s why the rating dropped from a 9 to an 8.)
It’s absolutely insane, the pressure parents put on their kids to get married! And that obligation to toast and drink until you puke is just appalling.
In Episode 19, that couple—her friends—are infuriating. She’s obsessed with the house and is materialistic to the core, while he bends over backwards and gets himself buried in debt for her... what fools! An insufferable couple.
The main pair, on the other hand, are wonderful: she’s now an independent architect, and he’s her serving knight. He’s sharp in business, kind and warm-hearted with family and acquaintances (the islanders), and attentive to her without making a show of it (visiting the island to celebrate her birthday, drumming up clients for her, dropping off a snack without making his presence known, picking her up from the police station with a lawyer in tow, keeping watch at the hospital, paying the restaurant bill...). He has eyes only for her and, after a while, subtly hints at his feelings—never pressuring her, but looking for signs of reciprocation, like when he asks her to come to the airport as he leaves for a business trip; it’s almost a test to see if she cares about him, too.
But it turns out that being too efficient and righteous doesn't spare him from the malice of social climbers and opportunists who get him arrested. It’s all the fault of the assistant (the male half of the couple of friends), who let a secret slip. What an idiot!
Episode 20 features romantic moments between the two. Now it’s her turn to investigate and clear his name. Unfortunately, he ends up sentenced to eight months in prison.
Episode 25: I couldn't wait for him to get out after those eight months and for them to reunite. The truth is, the experience has deeply changed him; he’s also been hurt by his father, who no longer recognizes him due to illness. He feels abandoned. Not to mention that he feels unworthy of her, believing he’s a nobody without his job.
Ep. 27: He acts like a jerk toward her, treating her badly to push her away while he investigates who framed him.
Ep. 28: It’s so sad; this poor guy first lost his best friend, then went to jail; after getting out, his father died; then he discovered from a diary that his estranged mother had passed away; he’s unemployed and has pushed away the woman he loves... *sigh*.
Note: He sets off in an orange car to visit his mother's grave but arrives in a black Lincoln (?!).
His cellmate is a good guy; he helps him figure out who sent him to prison. His relationship with her, however, isn't going well (she doesn't like his circle of friends and feels like a fish out of water).
Poor "Uncle's" daughter. She lost her son because of her husband; she’s unhappy and ignored by everyone—she’s lost weight, is depressed, and even attempted suicide. Thinking back to how bold she was at the start of the series, she’s really in a bad way now.
Just a small point: is there nothing else besides whisky?
Ep. 34: If he keeps trying to protect her by pushing her away, he’s only making her suffer for nothing—and he’ll lose her. She’s already a saint for having waited eight months and never stopped believing in him. Fingers crossed that things work out and they end up together. They are such a BEAUTIFUL couple.
Ep. 39: A joint wedding for these two couples? No thanks.
Her turning him down and making him wait makes perfect sense.
Ep. 40: He resigns and goes to work as her assistant and contrary to what I would have thought, she still doesn't accept him.
Ep. 41: Finally together, after so much heartache.
Perseverance has paid off. The island was a blessing, a sanctuary, and a crucial place for their reflection.
Even a few days after finishing the series, I find myself thinking about it.

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She marries to please her mother and get benefits at work. It's a sham marriage, they break up immediately, and he disappears for three months, after which she finds him as an intern at the company where she works. It turns out he's the illegitimate son of the company's boss.
After discovering that he hid his acquaintance with her mother, who had fostered him for years, upon her mother's death, she angrily sends him away. He returns some time later accompanied by another woman, and she acts jealous. It turns out she's his stepsister, and they get back together.
The writer friend is dating her ex-boss, the other pregnant friend is on and off with her partner.
Plot, acting and OST, nothing special.

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The actress & the translator

Main characters: Go Yoon Jung (Alchemy of Souls) and Kim Seon Ho (Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha).
Kim Seon Ho, the "translator," worked really hard to act in this series. I read that it only took him four months to learn these five languages ​​(Japanese, English, Italian, French, and Chinese) and switch between them. Congratulations.
Another strong point is the stunning locations. They're top-notch, highly Instagrammable shots.
Her split personality that emerges in times of need is initially disturbing, but then this determined and resourceful version of her helps and encourages.
The last two episodes left me a little disappointed. I found the ending a bit dragged out, and then the lead woman's background is finally revealed, which I thought needed a little more exploration, given that it's the basis of her "split personality." Then, the news that her parents were still alive, in my opinion, they could have done without it.
While his brother, who made a fleeting appearance, I would have liked him to be more involved in the story.
Seeing a "mixed" cast was interesting and here the importance of knowing languages ​​​​emerges.

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Don't judge the book by the cover!

When she seems like a loser but turns out to be a genius in her field, and even the most pessimistic boss notices it but refuses to admit it... The PLOT was promising right from the start.
This lawyer's strong even when she tells her boyfriend to fuck off on a blind date after he proposes, and she does so without speaking or shouting, but using sign language. Some of the shots are also beautiful, like the one of the shadows of him and his wife, or the perspective on the teacups. Atypical legal cases are also interesting, but that's not all. In addition to work, there was also the personal life of many characters.

The sentence:
"Love begins with passion, then meets reality, and ends with solidarity" let me impress. A brief analysis of love stories.

PS: Beyond the Bar (Netflix), I don't understand the choice of this title .

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I'll start with the PLOT: who gets married without even having met her once or at least having seen a photograph of her? They want a divorce, yes, no... A passage that I particularly remember was her clever idea to sign the contract with the imprint. There I thought they had a good idea.
CAST: no goosebumps, the faces of the protagonists are always the same, not very expressive, no chemistry, cold kisses, then his attitude of taking her rudely against her will I didn't like much his character.
OST: nothing special. Usually when I like it I look for who the singer is and add it to my playlist but it wasn't the case.

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The story itself is nothing special. In short, one could say that out of spite a woman wants to take the company away from its rival and even succeeds. But the best part is the relationship that develops between this director and her assistant. I like how he is attentive to everything that concerns her. A true gentleman and also a sweet father.
Then I was struck by certain shots, such as zooms on the hands which were scenes that speak without words, as well as the good OST, I particularly liked them.
A small note to the make-up artists, they could have dulled the protagonist's face a little, who always seemed sweaty.

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shame about the ending

A rich girl and a lawyer has married and after 3 years he wants to divorce but his wife tell him she has 3 month to live so he decided to resist next to her untill her death.

Kim Soo Hyun's role reminds me of "It's okay not to be okay", such a man who is always calm and super kind, submissive to a strong and crazy woman, who is in love with him.
There is a palpable chemistry between the couple. They act very well.
I personally liked her aunt and also his lawyer friend.
My least favorite episode was episode 11th. When the bad guy blackmailed her, I hated these moments. A trash man who takes advantage of her weaknesses even though he knows she isn't interested in him.

The last episode disappointed me a lot.
She who still keeps him on edge with marriage (after what happened, hasn't she learned that life is short? She should have been the one to propose to him), the sight of his tombstone could have been spared, the brief glimpse of their daughter without seeing the joys of this event is a sin as is the hasty summary of all the stories, including the aunt's relationship.
Then, when he runs away from the hospital in his condition (absolutely not), when he is shot with all the special forces present and no one moves to see his condition (not real).

This series is compared in terms of share to the series "Crash landing on you" which still remains my favorite.
Certain scenes seem copied, for example the field of flowers at the end, but the sensations they convey are not the same.

NB: Is Mercedes a sponsor of this series by any chance? It wasn't clear enough.

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You never know people fully

An ex-prosecutor, mother and lawyer lost her husband in a car accident. Apparently he met his death in a cliff and the police believe that he committed suicide.
She faces debts and many dangerous situations, but the biggest surprise comes when she discovers that her husband is alive and not at all the good guy he seemed to be. Kidnapping, twists, lots of bad news... all ingredients of this series.

Revenge is the key word and I won't say anything else.
The plot was quite well constructed.

Great wife! I admired this tough and intelligent woman. Even she was scared, she faced situations head on.
I also like the character of her prosecutor friend.

The end of 9th episode seems to be the conclusion of the series, in the meantime there are other "troubles".

I found it right that the series was made up of 12 episodes and not 16.

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violence against the violent

Bullied students, terrified teachers, gangs, drug dealing, tough guys...
Once I learned the series was based on actual events, I got goosebumps and viewed it in a whole new light.
Faced with teachers who are powerless and lack the tools to combat this deterioration, alongside students who feel untouchable, an organization that defends victims rather than protecting the guilty would certainly be welcome.
True, the methods used here are questionable, but the results are immensely satisfying.
The series has sparked debate over its violent methods, yet there is now serious consideration of establishing a service like this to tackle violence and bullying against students and teachers.
In my opinion, the series deserves great credit for revisiting real-life cases, highlighting similar situations in the present, and advocating for future change. I hope to see improvements within the school system.
The cast was absolutely spot-on.

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A young man whose father was convicted of killing a colonel becomes a lawyer and seeks the truth to clear his name. Seemingly by chance, he finds himself defending a murderer who turns out to be just the tip of the iceberg regarding other killings linked to his father's case. Driven to expose the true culprits, he confronts military corruption and backroom deals—inevitably involving political figures—while also uncovering the motive behind his father’s decision to take the blame.
His investigative team consists of a mysterious woman who shows up at the office to work as his assistant, a detective, and a journalist.
I really like the actor Lee Jun Ho, but here his performance struck me as somewhat static and expressionless. He wasn't the only one, though; Shin Hyun Been, the journalist friend also seemed a bit "flat." I’d like to think that since the series was made in 2019, some time has passed and acting standards—as well as filming techniques—have evolved.

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Reset and reset and reset...

Eleven people are sent back 365 days, effectively resetting their last year of life while retaining their memories (resulting in some regaining the use of their legs, others reuniting with a murdered colleague, and some winning big in the stock market or the lottery...).
Does this "rewind" come at a price? Have they been thrust into a survival game? That is what they begin to suspect as they start dying one by one. What is the pattern? Gradually, it is revealed that the people involved were not chosen at random but were connected—and their dark sides come to light. No one is truly who they appear to be.
Each person receives a basket of flowers containing a note with a book excerpt, along with the chapter and page number indicating the day of their death. It turns out they have all already died and been reset five times.
They are puppets in the hands of a psychopath pulling the strings. Is this an experiment to see if fate can be altered, or if the outcome remains the same no matter what?
The more they seek certainty, the more they are disappointed, and their perspectives shift.
The killer identity will unexpected. If you want to get to know him, you must watch this series.

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The chairman of Choiseong intends to retire and hand over his position to one of his twins—a brother and sister. While taking their father's car out for a joyride, the twins strike a young man who had just signed a contract to play for a team sponsored by the father's company.
After completing his rehabilitation—and having lost his contract in the process—the footballer confronts the CEO to demand an apology and compensation. Faced with evidence of the accident, the CEO writes a blank check and prepares to announce the resignation of the twins responsible. In a desperate attempt to stop him, the twins push him down the stairs. As he falls, he lands on the footballer; they tumble to the bottom together and wake up in the hospital having swapped bodies. Meanwhile, the chairman's third child—who had been sent abroad for her studies—returns home. The young man gets hired by the company, and together they work to expose the twins' wrongdoing.
So, without realizing it, the daughter ends up working with her father.
It’s entertaining to watch this newcomer’s knack for navigating various skills and strategies; Kudos to Lee Jun Young for his portrayal of the elderly character.
The music is sometimes ill-suited (it feels out of place).
Episode 9 is both sad and infuriating. The old man is killed by his daughter, causing the poor young man's soul to depart. This leaves the illegitimate daughter in charge of the empire, while the wife and younger daughter are devastated by the man's death (accused, cast out...); meanwhile, the young man plays a double game—trying to act mysterious and resolve the situation on his own—but is misunderstood by everyone, especially the younger daughter.
It’s touching to see how much he cares for his second wife.
I felt sorry for the young footballer: first he was run over, then someone tried to suffocate him, and finally, he died at the hands of the elderly CEO's daughter.
The ending: I can't believe it... A 70-year-old wakes up from a coma, rushes to get a car, and where does he go? He didn't even know where the chalet was, yet he’s the one who finds the young man. But the icing on the cake is the ending, where he bumps into a girl and swaps bodies with her again. That is just too much.

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All in all, a bit disappointing compared to other seasons.
It’s already hard enough for viewers to remember the participants' names, but they made things even more complicated with those nicknames (Salty Bread, Busy Hamster, Yellow Dog, Tired Camel...).
I found the soundtrack quite inappropriate. Often, the music didn't match the mood—piano pieces drowning out the dialogue—which really bothered me.
As for scenes like the dog peeing or the bedraggled cat, other scenes could have been added.
There are awkward, dead-air moments, followed by endless eating—just eating, eating, eating. I know Korean culture revolves largely around food, but I would have gladly watched something else.
Then, at one point (Episode 9), the single contestant Guy-Ri seems to have vanished. One might have even thought she had withdrawn from the show, yet things just carry on as if nothing happened, and not a word is said.
It is even stranger that, during the final selection, she ended up pairing off and leaving the show as part of a couple.
Especially since I was rooting for the couple Kim Seo Won and Choi So Yun. They were sweet, sincere, honest, and straightforward. I really wanted them to leave together.
I admired Seo Won's kind heart throughout his journey; he was respectful and friendly toward everyone.
I felt so sorry for Kim Min Ju, who invested everything in the dermatologist only to end up hurt.
The other final couple —Kang Yu-Kyung and Park Woo-Yeol— makes sense. However, I didn't like the way he acted, giving false hope to two other single women.

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