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ryoato

Sisheng Peak

ryoato

Sisheng Peak
Ongoing 1/12
Wandee Goodday
2 people found this review helpful
by ryoato
5 days ago
1 of 12 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 10

My type of show

I am admitting that yes. I am enjoying this one. I am a fan of this type of humor and content, so in the end I am a simple person.

I'll keep it short. I love what GMM is bringing to the table with this one, especially with the new fresh leads. Initially I looked at the GMM lineup and was oney excited for another FourthGem series.. but damn.. this one is coming in and changing my mind. I wanted a boxing show somewhere in drama land, and I get this.. ontop of that it's a BL- a GOOD BL. Wow, I am here to stay. I will say a lot more when the time comes, but since there is only one episode I am just recommending to as many people as I can through this.

Don't watch if you aren't a fan of se*ual comedy, do watch if you are. Self awareness is all there, budget, acting, visuals, I can't complain yet. So now its a 9/10.

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Ongoing 11/14
Wonderful World
3 people found this review helpful
by ryoato
Apr 10, 2024
11 of 14 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 6.5
Story 5.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 5.0

This drama is not wonderful at all

What is so wonderful? The title leads one to think this will be epic, heart racing, or perhaps thought intuitive. Beyond the visuals of Cha Eun Woo, I really can’t say much for this drama honestly. Episodes in I should’ve realized sooner what this lacks and been honest with myself about how average this is.

Firstly, the main premise is hard to wrap around and understand. I’ll just say it and I’ll use this word a lot, this drama is just so ambiguous- you wonder what is even going on? I’m not dumb and I know what’s going on, but why? What were some scenes there for? Why do characters talk on the phone in riddles and catch phrases. It’s really not that deep, the writing is pretty dumb with the dialogue. It’s too drowned out to be cool and again, ambiguous, as if it’s smart- when really this drama isn’t saying anything. In fact, episode by episode it seems to loose touch of what it said one episode before and to the next. Combined with hypocritical characters and unrealistic situations I can safely say it’s just awkward at times. So what’s the issue here.. well.. I’ll continue.

Firstly, the foundation for the story isn’t good.
There is nothing intriguing to keep someone watching. It’s honestly just depressing and sad, which I can see working if it was telling a story of someone overcoming that, yet our female lead reminds the audience a lot that she failed in life and wants to start new but is she? Soo Hyun is a mother who lost her child, which is tragic and very sad. That’s just her character, she’s all over the place honestly. This story has given me nothing for her in terms of motivation, I’m just watching and waiting to see why I’m watching this story of hers that is already pretty much over. She went to jail, she ends up with pretty much no family, so what is the overarching story. This could be done if I was given a goal to seek, but for everyone here there is none, and if there is the conclusions just.. aren’t there?

The first two episodes are slow burn, so I wasn’t expecting thrill really. I guess I just sat back and took it for what it is. That’s too bad though because there are dramas that are exceptional with slow burns because the storytelling is good. Here I honestly have to explain and explain what the story is, and not in a fun and creative way. This drama is so generic with adultery plot lines, long wet eyed stares, rich bad people who are bad because they want power.. it’s not fresh or new or exciting. I am watching a K-drama for Pete’s sake, like what is happening. Where is the drama?


I’ll break down what frustrates me and doesn’t make sense.
1. Soo Hyun our main lead i and is unlikeable and hypocritical
.. you are telling me that an accomplished professor loses their child. Which is understandable she can grieve, but killing someone with no regret? That isn’t someone I can fully get behind and watch 14 episodes of rooting for. Maybe if she owned up to it and went into a revenge or something, but to just watch her meander around for 14 episodes. It’s boring and confusing. I get she loves her kid but she’s hypocritical. The drama even says this, but still, that doesn’t justify it. Just because the drama says with Eun Woo’s character pointing it out how she murdered someone only reminds me that she did it and she, in the end is not a good person either. I can watch dramas on bad people if it’s interesting and giving me either horror, action, or an actual plot- but here there is none.

2 . Seon Yul is messy.
Cha Eun Woo is very good at acting without overacting. It’s a blessing and a curse for him, but I can’t ever dislike him and I can see what he’s trying to do. Unfortunately some of the times he looks awkward because what is written for him to act is just dumb. You get actually nothing to know about him. Other than him having a heart problem that he acts himself, but the writers seem to forget here and there this character has a heart issue. That’s interesting. So many potential interesting plot points, yet the writers forgot and instead like to remind you of what you knew already instead of developing a plot or having it go somewhere. I also don’t really like how his character acts like he has the upper hand or a big revenge, but just has a photo of Soo Hyun’s husbands affair. Don’t even get me started on his secret room.. it reminds me of the glory but a whole lot worse. There I understood why she was so motivated and went so deep, she owned that and wouldn’t stop. Eun Woo’s character is an amateur compared to that, and I know nothing about his sad life or anything to justify a revenge. It’s sad his father was killed, but come on now.. think about the logistics because I couldn’t help but wonder on a first watch. This guy, how long does he have to stalk someone to get a photo like that? It’s just not believable, everything about this guy is either over the top or getting nowhere, I wish they’d choose one.

So I guess Soo Hyun doesn’t want Seon Yul to live the life she did? She got her revenge but it turned out horribly? But she said she didn’t regret it.. so what is she doing. She clearly regrets it if she is still in Seon Yul from going through with his. She’s admitting her damaged life but said she has no regret because her son didn’t deserve to die? It takes Soo Hyun 11 episodes in to come to terms with the fact other people have families too? Eun Woo’sand her character are a lot alike, with his taking a while to realize that his dad was just a bad person and that other people can be good and have problems too. It’s a great concept to have them both share a pain of being lonely and lost and spiteful, but the interactions are limited to none.

So I’ll get to the elephantin the room. This drama has no spice anywhere with romantic content. Which is fine, and I’m not saying it has to be risqué or that it should. It’s just there is nothing to hook outside Eun Woo’s visuals, at least for me. There is nothing new this drama is trying to say, no risks being taken at all. I can see a good story beneath all the layers. For this drama as what it is here’s a whole lot happening that literally adds nothing.


3. The doctor brother in law? Seon Yuk’s girlfriend that isn’t his girlfriend but a childhood friend that shares an illness? The ambiguity of his illness? The ambiguity of the relationships?

4. The plot twists are very average and cheap to be there

5. The drama isn’t epic like the music wants it to be. A good thing though is the music, yet I will not be fooled to think anything cool is happening even though the score is good

Somewhere I wish they deepened characters relationships. Beyond the ones falling apart that existed before the story started. I’m seeing no development. With Seon Yul and Soo Hyun their relationship should’ve been full revenge to a climax where Seon Yul breaks and accepts help from someone. Honestly this drama should have had a romance to make it more intriguing.

If it was done you could have the contradictions of hating someone’s family to acknowledging the good parts of them. Understanding and humanizing these characters. The necklace scene where Soo Hyun got Eun Woo’s mother’s necklace was very good for a potential of this. I’m only saying it should’ve been done with a more digestible age gap for the audience, with a much younger marriage. You’d have the husband and his affair make more sense, to this already flawed main character having another flaw of her own infidelity. She is already a hypocrite, so being in a romantic relationship with this other person is fine. She can fully be a person with flaws, and questionable morals. She already is, push that further. Seon Yul could accept help and grow a relationship outside of his misfortune life. He could open up about how hard it was for him as he always had felt alone, had health issues.. etc etc. they could share the same loneliness but grow an actual bond. He could see it as new and find someone to protect other than himself. Soo Hyun sort of does that.. but sees that she can take place as a mother role for Seon Yul.. which honestly is weird to me?

Instead they both are lonely and that could’ve been done, if they talked about their feelings instead of these stupid ambiguous phone calls and meetings. Like they meet up to say a sentence, and then leave. Be direct with eachother, have a space to let out your emotions. You know eachother worst parts and accept them, become vulnerable.. instead the drama has some cry scenes I guess

I could go on and on of how to do a romance and how it should’ve been with younger leads or something. Just do something intriguing. Make Seon Yul completely delusional maybe.. something.

I also think that the plot of the fire shouldn’t have been done if in the end Eun Woo’d character wasn’t the guy? Like the guy they did have (love him go watch the eight sense) had no conclusion. The Husband is just there like a leech now? The list becomes endless with the plot holes, like how does Soo Hyun have money? I get she’s a professor but what about the house? How isn’t she worried to start her life again? I don’t get it!

So I’m passionate because I care and that’s a good thing. This drama isn’t, it’s not good. I do watch it blindly to laugh and think to myself how funny this is because it’s just not good. For recent watch the glory, for Eun Woo watch too toks of him and his romantic comedies, watch the eighth dense also. Watch this if you want.

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Ongoing 16/16
Lovely Runner
11 people found this review helpful
by ryoato
Apr 9, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Ongoing 2
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

THE best drama of 2024.. it’s really really good watch this 10/10

From the promotional materials alone this series is anticipated to be nostalgic and heartwarming. I still don’t know how emotionally driven this will be, but the content of this story tells me it will be. It will either handle the subject material well, or it will fall right on its face.

What I can say now is I amvery optimistic though, and that’s got to do with the attitudes of the main characters, specifically Im Sol. Played by Kim Hye-Woon, at first I thought she was too moody, but quickly her views on life are changes and she’s quite likeable. her character is optimistic and loving, with a new perspective on life because of a touching message she heard from a newly debuted idol, Sun-Jae. This drama is refreshing for me right now and is perfect for the spring and summer combined.

Sun Jae’s character is complicated. I wonder if this series will portray his character of being an idol well, it’s tricky. I have seen dramas that fall right down with this, but they had idols in the cast that made it clear it was pretty much just a cash grab. Here, I was surprised to see that the cast has few idols. I loved to see the idols it did have as Cameo’s, it fit the time so well and the SNSD song Genie was wonderful to here.

I really am worried about this drama and see how it could go so wrong. Webtoons can either be a wonderful source for a story, or they could make a work unbelievable and annoying. So far it’s an episode in, so I can’t say too much quite yet. I will say for what this is worth, it’s ambitious. This drama has a very triggering main theme, I pray it pays respects to the theme instead of using it simply as a plot device. Mental Health is much more than a plot device and is very layered in terms of a persons complexity, emotional, situation, relationships, etc. The situations are kind of stupid, but for now it’s all in good fun, it’s fiction so it’s not going to be 100% believable. I just hope it doesn’t get to the point where too much or too little happens that I end up not caring. So far this drama is full of fun and it’s a lot more cheerful than I thought. That’s a very good thing though! I love the bright scenes and youthful atmosphere.

The first episode thought is actually pretty smart in a simple way. With how Im Sol believed she’s dreaming instead of living, it makes her actions make more sense. She’s not crazy or in love, she’s a fan who is dreaming.

In short, the visuals are very good. Byeon Woo Seok has the type of face that makes me wonder how he hasn’t stood out to me before. I hope he thrives with his career as well as all who are in this. particularly with him, he’s very good looking- he’s talented, and this role could be a pivoting point in his career. Hye Woon has already shown her career to be successful with her roles, and she’s very sweet and I love her dimples. The two of them are adorable with the visuals and height difference, so I’ll see if they have chemistry beyond that. They are fun together and a few episodes in and I’m buying into this drama.


The story is a lot more layered than I initially thought it would be. That’s all I can say without spoiling, but trust me and watch this drama. It really is the best I’ve seen all year and is right next to Queen of Tears for me and is reaching to be much better.

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Completed
Wedding Impossible
1 people found this review helpful
by ryoato
Apr 3, 2024
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 6.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 6.0

No it’s not about spy’s

Ok so I originally thought since the title resembled some TV isn’t like Mission Impossible.. that this would involve some spy story. So that is what intrigued me funny enough. I then watched the promos and saw some sort of a femme fatal role from our FL.. but ultimately no spies. Now the trailer comes out and no spies. I at least thought that this would have some wit with how the fake relationship could be perceived as real. I thought this drama would bring some mind games and gaslighting others to make them believe the relationship that the story revolves around is real. In the end there was less of that and a whole lot more of.. well .. I don’t know?

I can’t say I don’t like this drama though. It was charming for the first handful of episodes. Soon though I started seeing problems with the main plot line and relationships. The FL gets too into the relationships around her, I mean I guess she’s only human- but it’s just kind of all over the place in a way. I guess I shouldn’t have expected a lot of smart writing here. It’s pretty boring at times, but it’s not too complicated. For what this drama wants to be, a romantic comedy- it’s not really that either. I don’t know what genre this wanted to be, but funny- yes at times- romantic…….. ehhhhh

This was just a quick little writings about how I thought about this. So to sum it up, it’s not bad. I don’t recommend it but I don’t hate it. I really like Moon Sang Min and am glad I watched it. Without the leads here I wouldn’t have. It’s got that curse where it has talented actors but the writing is just not all there. I get it’s from a source, but adapt it- make it better. Instead this was just average-ish. That’s a barely though, for a more average romantic comedy I would rather it be so bad it’s good. Instead if it’s like this a boring and doesn’t know what it wants to be, then I just get frustrated. I wanted a cult classic, instead I should just watch the classics.

My biggest frustration was the handling of the second male lead. He was a gay man and I expected that they didn’t make that some sort of disability for him. I kid you not, that’s how it was treated. A sad secret that kept him from living his life fully. I don’t care about the business or the appeal to the world, I don’t think it was fair for his story to be shoved away. They treated his homosexuality like a bad thing that was unfortunate. I swear the guy himself didn’t even like being gay nor was he proud of it. And he was 30? The whole life he had, he not once owned up to it because of what? His grandparents? If he didn’t care for that life why couldn’t he just say it? I guess he could’ve been scared for his partner.. but he didn’t have one. And also he never got one in the end. The straight people got their happy ending but if you are gay you just end up alone. It’s quite funny how bad they ended his story, and how the writers really don’t know anything about what it’s like to be gay. I mean I could go on and on. I’m just offended they never celebrated the queer aspects and instead it was someone’s misfortune. That’s not progress in kdrama land, that’s misfortune by itself.

If you want something more nuanced I don’t even know where to start. For a romantic comedy with queer leads watch Sematic Error. For a romantic comedy that is straight watch Business Proposal. I’m done here. Again I’ll say being gay isn’t a misfortune to someone live. This drama has the opportunity to shed light on the difficulties while also respecting someone’s identity. They could’ve showed how someone can still thrive and be successful no matter their identity. So what was the moral of this?

Don’t adapt something you don’t understand or try to. Instead it comes off as disrespectful and cheap. No matter how charming the leads and the characters are, the handling of identities was so flawed. I’ll say watch something else. Recommending more.. even other countries at this point. Watch Ready Set Love for queer characters and straight that is handled with respect.. watch that please.. not this

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Ongoing 5/16
Queen of Tears
5 people found this review helpful
by ryoato
Mar 27, 2024
5 of 16 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.5

“Mr. Cinderella”

So why do I saw what I say with the title?

The male lead is the one who’s pulled from the countryside into a lavish lifestyle. It seems like the happy ending in other kdramas. Where typically the girl is the poor one and swept away to a rich life to life with a chaebol.. I’m thinking boys over flowers. This drama starts where those ends, and it’s brilliant. What would their lives be outside of the ending? Likely this would happen.

I’m saying when Jan Di married Gyun Pyo at the end of Boys Over Flowes. Hyun Woo is Jan Di, the poorer one who is thrust into a new life and Hae In is Gyun Pyo, who despite all odds, loves someone that is a ‘nobody’ in terms of status. Gyun Pyro and Jan Di just get engaged at the end (sorry for spoilers), but in this one it’s the life of the two being married. It’s honestly hilarious and makes a lot of sense why Hyun Woo wants a divorce. As I could see that if there were a prequel that it would be something like Boys Over Flower.. now not that toxic, but to a degree. I doubt the writers thought of that connection, but to me it stands. It’s like a more mature version of a ‘happily ever after’ with a rich chaebol lifestyle. Instead it’s not all glitter and sparkles, and is more wanting your old life back because you can’t keep up with this one. I mean come on now, that’s so smart and I’ve always wanted to see what a happily ever after is like- and if it’s this? I’m here for the ride for this one.

The chaebol gets their humbling with a death experience, which I’m so surprised they had the balls to do.. and hopefully it doesn’t just get magically swept away. I’m looking for angst, for heart, a dramedy. This drama is gold when it comes to the humor. There isn’t a shying away from how hot are leads are, and how over the top the situation is. This drama is so much better than others have been giving it credit for. Yes. It’s hyped, but it’s also very smart and deserving of that.

I’ll keep this short since pretty much everything that needs to be said about this drama has been. I’ll say that I was reluctant to watch at first, as I’m watching a lot and sometimes dramas tend to be overhyped. It can go wrong pretty easily if the cast is so well, the writing may have been lacking. It’s done more than usual, where a cast is so good that it seems the writing and the direction is missed. Yet this drama seems to fill every gap in terms of the story, acting, direction, it’s well rounded and chalk full of entertainment value.

I didn’t know the story coming in, I thought it would be a romantic comedy, a bit melodramatic. It is entirely that, yet it’s multi leveled and has 3-dimensional characters coming from all ends of the story. The main leads, the second leads, the supporting cast- it’s all so rich (literally and non literal). What I was surprised with this is that the comedy is actually a strong asset with this story, I love when a drama doesn’t take itself too seriously. I also knew that Kim Ji Won was a funny actress, multitalented and ready to play the character she is. I love it when no one else I can see fit to play this role.

So nothing in this drama pulls anything down. The comedy doesn’t make it awkward, the drama doesn’t make it too serious, it’s got balance.

Kim Soo Hyun is an actor I know is really good. Also I’ve only seen him in one movie, so I wasn’t too biased. He is worth all the praise. He’s a professional and you can tell that everyone here knows there role and can enhance and improvise and add here in there. Without the leads it likely wouldn’t be as good, but still, it’s got a great direction that I can see coming from an actors initiate as well as the directing itself.

I love the whole gender reverse of the women leading the house-hold.. seeing the men get pushed to the kitchen.

It’s a lot more refreshing than I thought it would be. What is also refreshing is the leads dynamic, that so far is very witty and fun. They once loved eachother and definitely still do, yet Hyun- Woo is so tired at this point he wants a way out. Not one character is the evil and super bad guy, and I’m liking that a lot, the second male lead I could see to get to be annoying if he is too bad of a guy just for the sake of story. So far even Hae-In is likeable even if her husband isn’t too fond of her.. still I find so much room to grow with the two of them. They did fall in love, and she did choose to marry him.

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Ongoing 8/24
Angels Fall Sometimes
2 people found this review helpful
by ryoato
Mar 13, 2024
8 of 24 episodes seen
Ongoing 1
Overall 9.0
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0

“until there’s no time left”

Angels Fall Sometimes is a slice of life story that unfolds to a tragic and more dramatic yet grounded story. One that I find to be really interesting and enlightening so far, without offending or overdramatizing the wrong elements. It shows a more mature side to ALS and doesn’t use it as a card to play in terms of feeling bad for someone. It’s just the inevitable for our ML.

I can tell it’s mature because of the visualizations it shows of how ALS feels, to be held back and restricted even though you were once fully capable of moving. To be imprisoned within a wheelchair and feel like you’re suffocated. Lin Yi brilliantly plays these scenes in the dark so well, and it’s moving and heartbreaking to watch him realize that he can’t move even though he knows how to.

The male lead in Li Tao, played by Lin Yi. Who is tall and very handsome, who has supportive and overbearing parents. And who feels like a failure to them because he didn’t pursue this path they have paved for him. Instead he pursues his own goals and leaves his brother in the dust to follow his parents.

The scenarios involving work are actually interesting. Both the leads are very relatable as they navigate their way from college to building their careers and own self sufficient lives. It’s refreshing to see a main lead earn something rather than it being given. Specifically Lin Tuo, is very hard working. As opposed to other mailed leads I’ve seen in dramas, nothing is given to him, and he genuinely works hard to get a stable job and it isn’t just a luck of the draw either. He is motivated and hard-working, and both of the leads are. They both aren’t without their flaws either.

Zhi Que is played by Landy Li, who I find so adorable and full of charm. Lin Yi plays Lin Tao and is the lead where the story revolves around him. I find it really endearing how his girlfriend Zhi Que is who is one of the most important people to him that he invited into his life by choice. As he comes from a family that doesn’t give him much freedom or choice. He even gets cut off and get humbled, but was never a brat that leached off his parents and was good for nothing. His only wrong to them is not pursuing the path they layed out for him. I genuinely admire this ML, and I find his relationship with the FL to be a breath of fresh air for him. A relief and choice he made for himself. To be with someone as carefree as her that doesn’t have her life planned, is opposite of him in a way with her living situation. Theyey both make eachother a better person, and it shows what comes from two good people being together.

There are no toxic or jealous feelings between the two, they don’t question their love and it goes easily. There isn’t a villain or a bad person here either. Everyone is fully developed and isn’t a caricature to fit into. That’s because the main hardship of this drama is watching Li Tao slowly lose control and develop ALS. It’s extremely heartbreaking even more when I think of how strong he is with his goals and aspirations, and he is one of those people that doesn’t need an adversity like this, he’s already a great person that doesn’t need a challenge to shape him.

The only over the top character is the FL best friend.. who is very embarrasing and needs to tone it down. I look past that because of the leads drive and Li Tao isn’t perfect either, yet he’s not a push over. He gets frustrated too and has bad days.

It’s interesting to see the Zhi Que’s father’s perspective on being paralyzed and is definitely foreshadowing. It’s what a lot of people think and unfortunately Li Tao is going to be one of those cases. It will be interesting to see them tie all these preconceptions together and the feeling changes. Feelings of frustration, guilt onto holding someone back, and acceptance. I’m interested to see how this story develops and am anticipating a melodramatic future for our couple.

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Completed
Ready, Set, Love
2 people found this review helpful
by ryoato
Mar 2, 2024
6 of 6 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 10

Ready, Set, Go watch this !!

I decided to watch this because I saw it on Netflix and it looked fun. Everything you expect from the trailers and promo is what you get! More than that, there is a deeper story beneath that.

For what this show is I found it to be really fun. It’s a reality-game-show and whoever wins comes out with a husband. The idea is, all the men are dwindling down so it’s a huge event for this show to take place every year. Think hunger-games or squid games, but less dying and more fun and men.

To me, this drama excels beyond that main premise. I found myself staying entertained through the whole run, and I think that’s due to several things. The story is great and it doesn’t take itself too seriously with the melodramatic parts. In fact, it is so camp. It’s fun and colorful and funny also. The acting is amazing and everyone fits their role and is funny without being cringe. I loved Day, she was my favorite and is a female lead written so well. She’s fun, she’s got backbone, and she’s unapologetically herself. Lots of emphasis on the fun, she’s just great.

I love the sets and the colorful appeal, it’s got a certain style that’s sort of whimsical but carefully crafted to fit the game show appeal. Overall this drama exceeds what I thought it was and came together to be a very fun and entertaining watch. Enough so that I’d love a season 2!

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Ongoing 4/8
Love for Love's Sake
5 people found this review helpful
by ryoato
Jan 28, 2024
4 of 8 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 9.0

+100 positive affection towards this series

I must say. This series has BUDGET. It either has budget or is just being directly well enough to look like it. I really think it’s a mix of both. To me, it’s more the heart behind something and the direction that makes it good. I’d thought that maybe with a series as pretty as this that might be compensating for the lack of direction, story, and heart.. but it doesn’t. The visuals enhance the story and all the way around it’s a wonderful drama.

I will add more when I get to my laptop, but this one is a really good one. I hope the last half of the series continues and is better than the first half.

I love it when you can tell that every scene and everything shown has a purpose. There is no fluff in this drama and it utilizes everything given to it in the right places. The money went towards the right place, the casting, this drama does not waste your time. It has a lot of heart and I'm so glad it went through with the queer romance.. that is in terms of following through the difference of being a devoted friend, to truly and unconditionally loving someone.

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Completed
Sword and Fairy
32 people found this review helpful
by ryoato
Jan 18, 2024
36 of 36 episodes seen
Completed 7
Overall 7.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.5

Where was this Sword and Fairy?

Like the many others I thought that you'd have to watch the other Chinese Paladin series to start this one. Luckily you don't have to do that! The series is based off of video games, and each series pretty much stands alone.

This adaptation of Chinese Paladin 6 is called Sword and Fairy, and weirdly enough it's airing at the same time of another Chinese Paladin series. Between the two I chose to watch this one because of Xu Kai,

It's not extraordinary (but it had the makings of a fantastic drama. At the beginning drama is fun and not too dense with mellow, and I can go either way honestly. I like a lot of different dramas and was skeptical because of the wondrous nature of this one. A handful of episodes in and I'm buying into how the world works and where the drama seems to lead. Which is an interesting place considering its main premise is surrounding a looming disaster brought by a demon lord that may or may not be our FL? What is even better than that is the cult that worships this Lord Ming and hilariously mistaken our FL, Qi, played by Esther Yu, as this demon lord. So her and her sworn brother (lol not buying that) are in the middle of it all trying to reclaim their (mainly Qi's identity). Surely enough handfuls of more episodes and there is a lot I can't buy into so easily. I think the show started being bad when a certain someone found out their origins. Then it was a lot of back and forth between two settings and not a lot of organic sets. I am someone that is more into real life settings and weather and etc.

I haven't seen anything like it honestly. It's unique with the costumes, and especially the dynamic between the FL and the ML. Qi is very dumb and I see the complaints about the dubbing and the 'annoying' voice, but be serious with yourself on this. This character only knows three years of life other than a reoccurring dream. She is naive and how she sounds equals to that, I have always been wary of Esther Yu because of the voice but why? It works so well here and she is hilarious. She doesn't phone in what she is playing and make it annoying, she has charm and the acting chops to fill in many diverse roles and funny and naive ones alike. Xu Kai who plays the ML, Jin Zhao, isn't as naive as her, but they are both as unfortunate honestly. They both know nothing about their whereabouts, other than that they woke up together so that makes them to be born on the same day. He is protective of her and just as skeptical as anyone that wants anything to do with her. I am loving the dynamic between them, their teasing is great to watch and that makes me excited for a potential romance at the beginning slowly falls into a mess. Their relationship isn't developed and instead you watch the other characters and their relationships. I really didn't get what I bargained for.

The mystery behind the leads is interesting, as. you don't know exactly what the two even are. Are they human? Demon? Are they bound by fate? Again, I don't know how the Chinese Paladin series really work, but I see a lot of fights, characters, and wonder if it will get heavy into plot or if they will just go place to place. The latter is what happens.. honestly a mix of both. It is hard to take seriously at times with how fake everything looks.. the effort is there but it just overall seems cheap by the end of 36 episodes.

I think about what the drama is trying to accomplish and rate based on that. So if this drama is appealing to the demographic in China it is doing very well. People are happy and better than that, this drama has been acknowledged by one of the producers from the source material. So that alone tells me it is doing something right.

Although upon watching the whole series it seems I am asking myself... what really happened? What was the point? All of these pretty faces in this drama can't amount to anything if they are barely in it by the time the series ends. Xu Kai and Esther Yu are still great.. but unfortunate.

There is a lot of what I care about and nothing of what I do. So that is really less Xu Kai and more side characters. The chemistry between the leads is the best it can do I guess.. but it's not electric when comparing to much better dramas with much better performances. It is due to the script.. because I know the leads have it in them. This story is just convuluted. There is so much happening and it is hard to keep up, but it is pretty entertaining. In the end I am wishing for more stories with more heart. This one was just a video game adaptation, that really didn't have its own unique narrative to tell. There was only so much that could happen and in the end it was pretty stale.. but it had Xu Kai and I love him to death.

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Completed
Monster
22 people found this review helpful
by ryoato
Jan 11, 2024
Completed 4
Overall 10
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

and so the monster was me

This film I believe is intended to be watched without spoiling or going into what it is about in depth. Take in all the promotional on the surface and you will get the full viewing experience. I say this because of the promotional materials that lead you in one direction, take it in that direction at first and then go in depth.. which is what I did. So spoilers.

I definitely did not get what I bargained for when I decided to watch this movie. I watched the trailer, read the synopsis, saw the poster, and thought I would get a good scare out of this one. The ratings and reviews are well enough that I thought it would be perplexing, a psychological horror.

The first two-thirds of the movies had me, but in the back of my mind, the answer to the allure and mysterious tones was pretty simple and clear. To put it simply, this movie isn't a slasher or a horror. It is a coming of age queer film beneath two layers.

There are three acts to this movie after the initial setup. With the synopsis, firstly you have a story of a single mother who cares deeply for her child, a devoted and misunderstood teacher, and two kids that have the answers to the overall premise of the film. Minato is the child of the single-mother and is being abused as school, by either a teacher, or something else is at play.... so that is what I thought. I thought there could be anything, even a fifth element that added supernatural. This film was anything but, it was so real and thought-provoking, and in the end I found so many details that clearly show what was really going on the whole entire time.

The third act shows the perspective of Minato, and slowly it shows that instead of an abused boy, you find a boy that is scared of his blossoming but very real feelings for a student of his that was shown to be connected to this mystery within the school. There was no abusive teacher or secret being held by the higher ups, there was a boy who was scared of his feelings, and enough to think of himself as a monster. So in the end he made a lie. This film weaves together several elements to knit it into one final conclusion. Instead of going on about that I'll point out a few details that show how brilliant this film really is.

I must say, I was hesitant to conclude that this film involves two boys that like eachtother, but by the end and looking into the screenplay and its intent, I realize that was the point. Minato was just as scared as his feelings and it brings the question as to why it is seems as sexual when it is innocent love between two people that are the same gender. There is an innocence with Minato and him coming to terms with his feelings for Yori, and it's heartbreaking to witness how scared he really is of them.

You can see this through dialogue, and specifically with scenes where Minato says he is shifting into a monster, and where he is in the MRI scanner, truly scared that it will read his mind and his mom will be aware of his developing feelings. Why is he so scared thought? Yori is why he is scared, he is constantly tormented for his behaviors that don't suggest he likes a girl, he is abused by his father and told he has a pigs brain. Yori's father would rather he act out and be bad, than be an obedient child who is good at school. There is this whole spectrum of what a boy acts like and what they shouldn't.

What got to me was the part where the two boys find a safe space together, and I started thinking about their feelings for eachtoerh when Yori got too close to Minato. Although in the end Minato never wanted Yori to go anywhere, and what was cool are the little details. Minato goes back to the empty safe haven and texts Yori, where Yori says he won't go back because he wants to touch Minato, in the ways where he patted his hair or hugged him, but Minato says he wouldn't mind. I love how the ending doesn't have them fear, and instead they get past the gates of the railroad and are happy and free... there's just a lot to talk about with this one.

it seems that this topic is a taboo and that's why I didn't see it at first, but that is the point behind this film. To have you question why it is seen that way, and why you view an innocent feeling and curiosity as sexual or not normal. There is no romanization between them, the director and screenplay had the intent to share a story of two boys that grew to love eachother and coming to accept in regardless of the heteronormative society they were placed in. Any opposition to that shows the point of the film again and societies failure to accept it.


Below I'l several links that goes over all the details of this film I couldn't go over.


https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueFilm/comments/1761z26/little_details_in_koreedas_monsterkaibutsu_2023/?rdt=39846

https://x.com/wyvernhood/status/1745418419368055276?s=46&t=hWWeyWA1Y9kwJqIT_KVSaw

https://x.com/korokketto/status/1745376701188825596?s=46&t=hWWeyWA1Y9kwJqIT_KVSaw

https://x.com/haeinfleur/status/1744727092586246244?s=46&t=hWWeyWA1Y9kwJqIT_KVSaw

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Ongoing 8/16
Marry My Husband
6 people found this review helpful
by ryoato
Jan 10, 2024
8 of 16 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
This review may contain spoilers

Pawn off my horrible husband to my horrible best friend

I don’t know why but sometimes I just get a. Certain feeling while watching a drama. The kind where it’s one of a kind and soon to be irreplaceable. Now I’ve seen many drama with Park Min Young in it, and I love her. She’s so sweet of an actress and a visual, and is a very talented woman. I’m captivated by every performance, but now I’ve finally seen a drama of hers that really does her acting justice.

There have been glimpses in others. This drama just hits all the boxes, it’s funny, gripping, heartbreaking, and she’s put the work in. Hearing her story to get into the role got me to watch in the first place. I don’t know much about the other actors involved besides the second ML, who was in Welcome to Waikiki.. he is so hilarious.. go watch that.

So I’ve seen a lot of romantic comedies this year and have rated them well, but they slowly lose my interest all at once. This one just has so much to keep me watching. Revenge is something I love to see played out, a woman who is calculating and doesn’t get swept up by love. She’s got a motive here and with the first handful of episodes it’s already so satisfying to see her slowly chip away at a life she refuses to have.

I’ll go more into this when I can type on a computer. But for now I want to just recommend this drama. The ending ost for the last two eps is so so good and it’s just interesting ok. Believe me and watch.

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Completed
Night Has Come
10 people found this review helpful
by ryoato
Dec 8, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.5

a drama worth watching.

This drama is pretty good. I can tell that it’s inspired heavily from Squid Game and the whole idea of death game content exploding thereafter, but it’s not a bad thing.

This drama is intense and I love how it goes all out with the death and gore. I also really like Kim Woo Seok, he is handsome and pretty. I like the concept behind the show, the ends of each episode are very gripping.

What I don’t like are stupid high schoolers, but this drama is full of them so it’s just the crowd. This drama is good at making me not care who dies, and in the end I am just wondering how they will get out of the situation. The students are pretty one-dimensional and there isn’t any backstories given to any of them as to why they are the way they are.. so that’s disappointing. There’s a lot of potential with this drama and its blueprint had the backstory with characters and reflection, this one the students breeze path deaths and you don’t know any of them truthfully.

I wish that instead of it being more of a fantasy element as to why they are in it, they make it more human. They can’t turn it around now, but I Feel that is why Squid Game and Battle Royal, etc. did so well. The games were created by humans and everything was human, it felt more intense because they created a real scenario as to why things happened. So that’s what feels flat here, I’m glad it is only about 6-7 hours long and it definitely could even be a movie.

The idea of what happened at the end is also so stupid to comprehend. There are a lot of choices and things erased because of that and I think it’s dumb and not a nuanced decision at all. But even with all those things I found myself enjoying this and would say to watch for fun and no more n


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Ongoing 8/13
Pit Babe
15 people found this review helpful
by ryoato
Nov 18, 2023
8 of 13 episodes seen
Ongoing 6
Overall 6.5
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
This review may contain spoilers

A hot mess

Along with many others I’ve been waiting for this one. I’ll later provide maybe a link to a tiktok I saw of Pavel’s audition, but it got me hooked right away.

This series so far has a lot of eye candy and that’s what I like about it. Pavel has enough charisma to bleed me dry, he is so good looking and honestly I love how he takes this character of a playboy and does it so unapologetically. His chemistry with Pooh is also insane. I can’t quite imagine doing thing alien that with someone with all these cameras, but they make it feel real and intense.

Only one episode is out so that’s pretty much it. I am worried with some splicey editing and am also worried about how other side characters might dilute the main couples storyline. Right now there isn’t too great of a storyline other Babe needing Charlie to enhance his senses.

I What could improve is the structure of the story and developing characters and who they are. You could explain what the omega stuff is if you are going to keep it, and I honestly wish they went the route of playing it off as a ‘jinx’ that Babe has. He is better at racing when he sleeps with someone, and simply has a no kissing rule. They could’ve then explored the relationship further from there. Change what needs to be changed, take out what doesn’t fit for a series, make it better. KinnPorsche did this really well for me and I see that this series could’ve done something like that where they take out the problematic things or the things that you can do without. Again you keep that Babe needs to sleep with someone, just change the reasoning from him being an alpha, and make it a jinx of his, like a superstition.

I feel this BL will be really popular for the storyline and how it’s executing its intense scenes. That will get this the most hype, those scenes impressed me honestly and the jumps that cut in those scenes particularly I think are there for a reason. I think Babe and Charlie don’t get love each-other so their se* isn’t that intense emotionally so you don’t need to see that part? Their relationship runs itself thin pretty quickly. It’s because Charlie has little to no backstory, and I guess his dull personality is due to him being locked up for years? And he’s Babe’s step brother?

The whole idea of selling children is disturbing and could be interesting if I understood in the first place why someone needs a kid with superpowers. I get that it’s cool.. but do they use them for what? For racing to get money? No? I don’t know. I don’t know why racing is even involved. If you think about the plot lines (I can’t find the main plot there are so many things happening) it doesn’t add up. Why does Babe’s adoptive father get involved with racing, it only seems to be for Babe to get him back because he’s a special alpha.. but then he’s not so special because of the plot twists.

There are plot twists after plot twists. I know adaptations can be well done, this story as a whole seems to be forced into one drama that isn’t cohesive. The pieces of the contract relationship to a lover, then an underground selling of children because of powers? Then Babe losing his powers? I think that was when the show fell off for me. They had this moment that fell right on its face for me.

Charlie and Babe are the main relationship of the show, and the side couples I was never interested in unfortunately. The main couple isn’t even one I like together. Visually and chemistry wise they are great, but logically- no. Charlie is a guy that is pretty manipulative and acts and talks like he knows what Babe goes through and he has all the answers, when he really doesn’t. He stole Babe’s powers because Babe was being targeted as someone that could have a child? A child from him is better than his powers I guess? That was out of no where, I thought they wouldn’t lean into this whole alpha omega thing too heavily because they didn’t even explain it to the audience.

Charlie didn’t ask for Babe’s consent to steal his powers. Because the whole time Charlie thought he had no powers… he actually had the power to steal powers .. and I think the way he did that was getting close to Babe? And he wants to protect Babe and therefor took his powers. The thing that gets me is Babe strives off of racing and his attitude is he is the best and doesn’t need powers to race. Yet when they are gone he lets Charlie take his place as a racer???? Charlie has never raced and logically and financially it makes no sense… but I really have to dumb myself down I guess for this.

They could’ve had something cool with the whole racing scene. Shown how famous Babe really is and put him in a setting other than a few here and there. Have people see and react to him and have merchandise or whatever. Instead lots of races happen in the same place and you don’t see anyone watching other than a handful.. so the whole extravagance of Babe being famous is lost. Babe and his trust with Charlie makes me feel bad because Charlie does things without asking and lies, and why does he like Babe so much?

So now I’m lost. Where a lot is happening I am uninterested because there is no heart with the script. There is with the acting and mainly Pavel. Yet the emotional depth doesn’t reach me because I find all of this so hard to believe. There is only so much disbelief I can have in a drama. For this one it had me for a few but now I see it’s really just lazy writing and shock value. It’s too bad because Pavel is so good at acting here and clearly cares for who is portraying. He has me thinking about his character beyond what he says or the script gives. Like why he thinks the way he does or how he must be feeling.
It’s a shame that they couldn’t cut off some corners here and there with the alpha/omega plot they so desperately want to keep.

Watch for visuals and if you like racy scenes here and there. Don’t watch if you want something to make sense or if you want a heavy emotional story. Even if you want shock value, I wouldn’t lower my standards and watch this beyond Pavel. Watch Only Friends for the shock value, watch this and skip is the best way to go.

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Dropped 13/17
The Escape of the Seven: War for Survival
14 people found this review helpful
by ryoato
Nov 9, 2023
13 of 17 episodes seen
Dropped 0
Overall 5.0
Story 3.0
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 1.0

no this drama isn’t good.

I’m going to keep this short because this drama isn’t really worth explaining and explaining. This drama is just bad, the writing is so off and characters say and do things that don’t match up with who they are?

I swear everyone is just a bad person and there is no sympathy. I was interested in the parts with Da Mi, but now I guess she is just dead.. so what am I watching for… the revenge? I don’t get the whole plot with K, who and why does he show up? Why is is the blonde guy now? This drama just had plot twists just to have them and they make no sense. The first few times I was ok with it because it was interesting, but now I get that this drama is not only stupid, like it’s lazy.

To keep me engaged they want me to believe these twists and turns… I had to sit back and just call this drama dumb so I could keep watching. I wanted to have fun watching something so stupid, but at this point I don’t have anyone to root for and I feel a bit insulted being toyed like this. I’m serious when I say this drama isn’t one of those that I’m hating because I’m stupid, I simply hate the drama because it is the stupid thing. There is so much character shifts and doing things just for the sake of drama and I can’t do it anymore. This show isn’t too gritty or out there honestly, it’s just stupid.

Why are they all in it to begin with if it’s just a cover up for Mo Ne’s child? Why would K go that far? Kill someone? They want me to believe all these characters are entangle with eachother but at the base of it it is just for Mo Ne and the child thing? It isn’t that hard to get some truth out but oh a cop is involved so that’s why.. god it’s so dumb. It’s not worth starting even, no. I did it for kicks and giggles, now im dropping to start another drama. This drama was filling the empty space until another dramatic and gritty show came out, so I’m watching Vigilante instead of this hot garbage.

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Ongoing 7/14
A Good Day to Be a Dog
32 people found this review helpful
by ryoato
Oct 11, 2023
7 of 14 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.5

And they called it puppy love

This is a highly anticipated drama that I am so satisfied with for once. I know the limitations that come with anticipation, and from the actors and all parties involved. I could either fully love or fully hate, this one I am stepping back and will just say that it’s not living up to expectations because I really didn’t have any.. but it’s actually really good.

for the first time in a while for me I’ve found a romantic comedy with an absurd idea but this time the drama does it right by going full comedy. This drama is truly a comedy and the ideas and scenes all meshing together make it a fun watch, and one where I still care about the characters and their relationships.

The music fits very well with the drama and so far the casting is perfect for me. The female lead has puppy like mannerisms in some scenes that I had to rewatch because she is too cute, Park Gyu-young is another actress I haven’t seen too much of. I hadn’t seen any romantic comedy of hers before but she is so fitting for this role. She has this energetic charm to her and her whole situation of being cursed is fun to see play out, especially how she got into that situation.

Cha Eun Woo is so wholesome and cute and I love him with all my heart. I can see his role developing and I’m looking forward to it. It’s not too much for him and he’s doing what he does, and I think that’s fine and I really enjoy it. He’s got this presence to him that is charming and lead male material, and he fills those shoes pretty well. Lee Hyun-Woo is finally back to a romantic comedy and is just how I remember him, a more matured and cute guy now-

This drama goes all in with its idea and doesn’t take it self too seriously. It balances everything nicely and I’ll add more as the show progresses, so far I’m looking forward to it and am so happy to finally have a good romantic comedy in 2023 that feels like a romantic comedy.

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