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Completed
Rang Tawan
19 people found this review helpful
by SSKF
Jul 25, 2018
14 of 14 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 7.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 6.0
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
Loved this so much. This story wasn't so much revenge though, more about the growth of a character. A fascinating, astounding character. Despite my appreciation, I'm giving this 7.5 because the 2nd leads and all the other side character had way to much screen time. It was so boring when the leads were off screen, that I fell asleep in the middle of the day. I started skipping all the scenes without the leads after that.

So, for the story: our beastly character - hot, handsome, powerful, and charming - is like a wounded bear who is rough with and hurts everyone around him because that is all he knows in his life. He is upstanding and revered in the community but despite commanding loyalty, I think many people don't get close to him because he is fearsome.

Then he suddenly has a family in the form of a little boy and the boy"s aunt. This was formed by force - because what the hero wants, he gets - and he hates the aunt due to some misconceptions (because slap and kiss lakorn). He treats her so badly that I'm surprised no one calls the police. Yet all his workers and his lawyer keep making excuses for him. I hated that part. Why must a woman put up with abuse because the man is lashing out from the scars of his past? Why did everyone keep making excuses for the abuse?

He really wanted the love of the little boy, but he didn't know how to get it, so in the process, made things worse. The boy and his aunt hated and feared him. So he was sad. Boo Hoo. Still no excuse. Despite all this, you can't help but be interested in this hero and his story. He is an outstanding character in every way.

But slowly, he changes and learns to let his little (forced) family in. The best parts to me (because I'm a romantic) were the many times he apologises to the MFL for treating her badly and hurting her. He does it tearfully and genuinely. When he falls in love, he accepts that love whole heartedly. For example, when she angers and betrays him, he is sad and disappointed, but he is not mad and does not hate her. He is rather open to her about his feelings.

And he pouts so adorably. especially at the end when he tells her he's mad at her but he can get un-mad at her. Lol. He was asking to be buttered up. By the end, he is a completely different person, changed by love and so very willing to accept that change and that love. That alone (and his hot bod) made this worth it.

My only problem - Why the 2nd leads got so much screen time? Their story was boring and useless to the plot. I skipped them the entire show.

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Completed
Itazura na Kiss: Love in Tokyo Season 2
21 people found this review helpful
by SSKF
Jun 12, 2016
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 4
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 10
Before I begin, I would like to warn that this review is biased because I enjoyed the story, the entertainment value, the antics, the acting, and I read things into the characters' faces and actions to give more analysis to the story and plot. I also love Honoka Miki since Love in Tokyo days, as well as Furukawa Yuki (and the entire cast really) so they can't do any wrong with me. So let's begin...

This IMO, is a true dramatization of Itazura na Kiss the manga. Irie-kun is not sweet and loving like They Kiss Again, and the story is very true to the original story. So true that I loved it very much. Honoka Miki's expressions and loudness is also very close to the manga. Some people may not like her outrageous and overboard expressions, but I loved her 100%. Irie-kun was cold, but you could still see his love for his wife. I admit, I didn't like his character, but I didn't mind because I never like any Irie-kun characters. I always think Kotoko deserves a better man, one who treats her better and adores her. But actually, Irie-kun always is aware of Kotoko and her wants and needs. Always.

What helped me understand Irie's character better was this video entitled "Why we Japanese can seem robotic" by a Japanese guy whose married to a foreigner in Japan. The link... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7diGxLECF4

It explains so much about the average Japanese and helped me understand Irie's character better. I still think he should have been more considerate of Kotoko early in their marriage, but I forgive him. Kotoko makes you keep your attention on her and not her husband's behaviour. In fact, I like the love she has for him. She's too dependent yes, but he relishes that dependence and actually drives it sometimes because which guy doesn't like his wife needing him? He loved her love for him. And also, yes, she shapes her life for him, but you have to realise, he shaped his for her too. The guy does whatever she tells him to, even the big, life changing decisions. He does it all quietly. Yes, he pulls a face sometimes, but that's just for posterity because he thinks he has to be cool. The guy is happy to follow her directions. Kotoko is so full of life and love that yo can't help but love them together. She is the main one in that marriage lol, the one that is loved, though she shows her love for him more - her character is more flamboyant.

I adored the rest of the cast - Kinosuke, mom, dad, other dad, the little brother, Christine, her best friends and their boyfriends ... every character had something to love and I was interested in all of them. Every single time. The best parts was where Irie-kun's mom always stuck up for Kotoko - even against Irie lol. Best mom-in-law award goes to her. I want a mom-in-law like her. And honourable mention goes to Kinnosuke for his vibrant, emotional, love. The acting is on point as always. This lead pairing never disappoints. Miki Honoka is fabulously talented for such a young girl. Hope to see her in more lead roles. Honestly, sometimes the music is inappropriate for the scene, but the beginning and ending themes I really liked. Found myself bobbing my head and singing along. Rewatch value of *sigh* over and over and over again.

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Completed
One Week Friends
19 people found this review helpful
by SSKF
Aug 15, 2017
Completed 1
Overall 8.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
The cinematography is top notch. The story is endearing and sweet. Hase-kun is the nice guy everyone wants as a boyfriend. You know this nice-guy will finish first in the end. But my only beef with the story is that our nice, determined guy ran out of gumption somewhere in the middle. It still created a moving story though.

Acting - Yamazaki Kento has such a wide range of acting emotions and he does them all excellently. He played the nice, caring, hurting guy here. The earnest one with a pure heart and feelings shining from his face and eyes. His shyness is perfectly captured. The actor also plays the cold hearted mean guy in other movies or the brave action star. His range is awesome.

Music - I didn't pay much attention, but the beginning piano sequence was awesome for me.The songs here bring out the feelings the story wants to invoke.

Everything meshed well to make this a wonderful, moving movie.

Story - 9
Acting - 10
Music - 7
Rewatch - N/A
Overall - 8

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Completed
Itazura na Kiss: Love in Tokyo
8 people found this review helpful
by SSKF
May 31, 2016
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 9.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 8.5
Excellent acting. (Weird cameraman though). Lovely story. Catchy music but not memorable. Rewatch value of over and over again.

I put off watching this for 2 years. I'm glad I did. I was traumatized by Playful Kiss and needed time to get over that. It took me from 2009 until now lol. I loved the manga, loved loved loved it and up till now, I still believe the manga is the only one that truly shows Irie's feelings. When I read it, I didn't hate him. I loved him actually. Playful Kiss was horrible because I hated both the lead characters (not the actors) and the story adaptation was rubbish. I watched ISWAK and TKA years ago and from what I remember (not too much admittedly) Love in Tokyo and Love In Tokyo 2 were much much mucho better. In TKA Naoki was more expressive and I admit, I liked that version of Irie-kun the most, but I think this version really hit the essence of Irie's block-of-wood-with-Kotoko-inspired-feelings perfectly.

Which brings me to this one.

I think this is the only adaptation that truly captures the essence of Kotoko. She's silly, yes, but she's not brainless. She does weird things, yes, but they all have their purpose and they all have their charm. There is nothing she does for no reason and her reasons are usually common sense. She may not go about it as reasonably as you or I, but her reactions are all ours. She's just more dramatic for drama sake and because her character is one of those more expressive types. I assure, you, those epressive types are out there and they're good friends because they can never hide what they feel. They share themselves with the world. That's why I love this version of Kotoko and adored every single one of her quirks and her moments. (And her silliness and the circumstances she creates). Honoka Miki was absolutely the best thing to watch on this show. She's so pretty, expressive, and her acting is above par for so young a person. I'd love watching her in more lead roles. She is absolutely talented.

The only thing about Kotoko I had a problem with was her absolute devotion to Irie Naoki. However, that is negligible because that is the original character that the manga creator devised and that is actually the entire plot of the original story. I honestly didn't want her to be with Naoki, wanted her to forget him and build a life with someone who would adore her rather than someone who wanted to be adored. I had fantasies (just like Kotoko) while watching this that Kotoko should lose her memory and wake up not knowing anything about Naoki, then he'd miss her and start to chase her a little. *sigh* My complaints about this aspect aside, I'm satisfied with the show. Extremely satisfied.

Next up: Irie Naoki. Except for the manga (and even a little bit there too), I hated every version of him I've seen. Some more than others. This one is no different. I personally watched for Kotoko's character. This is not the actor's fault at all. I think he had great acting and I loved watching him with Honoka Miki. Their height difference (as well as age, I'll confess) made this enjoyable for me. The character's attitude towards Kotoko, his selfishness to lead her on, not allowing her to forget him and move on, yet never commit to her, drove me crazy. Kotoko is such a beautiful character with a beautiful, kind, selfless soul that charms everyone around her. She deserved to be loved unconditionally but instead she's hung up over a guy who doesn't know or care that he may have feelings for her.

The actor, however, if you look closely, is very expressive in telling the audience what Irie-kun feels. He distances himself, but he keeps watching her with longing. He always knows when she's near and there are these little smiles he gives when he teases her or is happy that she's around. I liked this Naoki... to an extent. He still didn't treat my precious Kotoko with the love she deserved. I kept wanting her to get into an accident or something so he'd realise what he could lose and would be confronted by his feelings. Dramatic, I know... *eye roll*. However, this version made me understand Naoki better and even like him - just a little. He shared with Kotoko and tried to express himself in the end. It was worth it to watch. The actor was lovely for my eyes too lol.

Kin-chan... my adorable baby. I was on your ship in this one. All the other Kin-chans irritated me. This one was so genuinely sweet and nice and loving that I wanted there to be a plot twist and she marries him. In no adaptation of INK would that happen though. Ever. Poor Kin-chan. He loved Kotoko unconditionally, but she loved Naoki unconditionally. They were both selfless in their love. Watching him and Kotoko made me realise how hard the friend-zone is and that it's kind of wrong to put your est guy-friend there. It also made me understand better when my guy-friends crib about girls overlooking nice guys and going after douchbags. Kotoko was one of those and it pained me to see her like that.

The parents... all three of them were lovely. Some people said these parents were too fantastic to be real but I disagree. In my opinion, they are closer to reality than most that I've seen in dramaland. Think about it. Most parents want the best for their children and sacrifice to make it happen. They let their children's attitudes, wants and needs rule the roost because their children are their lives. I'm not talking about drama parents who think the company is the be all and end all of the universe. I'm speaking of your every-day average (responsible) parent. Those are the kinds I'm exposed to, but I do know there are worst parents out there. Watching this show made me thankful for the kind of people my parents are. Now, that's not to say Naoki's mom is the usual... she's over the top in a good (sometimes not) way. I love how she loved Kotoko, but I also understood that it wasn't actually about loving Kotoko. It was about her love for Naoki and on top of Kotoko's very special personality, it was about the better, more open, person Naoki became when in the presence of Kotoko. He was entirely different in Kotoko's presence than when he wasn't. The details were subtle, but it was there. He was a human because of her and a block of ice without her. Mama saw that and fell in love with Kotoko because she made her son a better person. Don't deny it, we all wish for a mother-in-law like that. I do, *sigh.

The 2 friends... honestly, sometimes I wondered if they were frenemies lol. But they were great and stuck up for Kotoko when needed. I liked them a lot.

This show was a blast for me. I thought I'd just try it out and maybe drop it, but it was too interesting to drop. It's a simple story, beautiful characters, and even more beautiful portrayals of those characters but the acting cast was fantabulous. Loved it. :)

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Completed
My Brother Loves Me Too Much
17 people found this review helpful
by SSKF
Jul 27, 2017
Completed 0
Overall 6.5
Story 6.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
I watched it. I enjoyed it, but the drama series had more Haruka-coolness. I have to say I like the drama better. But I'm glad I watched it because I cant's wait 6 months to see it.

Haruka is so so so good looking. I love his "tough guy, do anything to protect my sister, my sister is my soft spot" persona. So sweet and so cool all at the same time.
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Completed
Massaya
9 people found this review helpful
by SSKF
Jul 30, 2018
17 of 17 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 9.5
This was a beautiful story. I would like to end my review here because I'm still overwhelmed by its beauty.

The characters were all on point, and none of them were painted in a 1 dimensional light. They all had their good and bad points and there were situations that brought out both sides of people. Even the good aunt had bad points, and the bad aunt had good points - and they are all quite acknowledging about their faults when it is pointed out to them. Everyone were fully fleshed out characters here and got enough screen time. The writers for this must have been exceptional.

Controversially, my favourite characters would be Luk, Massaya, the bad aunt, and Pong. The main leads are my fav because they are so cute together and this story focuses mainly on the changing relationship between Massaya and Luk. Much more so than any other version. I watched precious versions in previous years and was always left dissatisfied because there wasn't enough romance. This one had the perfect balance of romance and family for me. (But maybe it has too much romance for other people? The main story is Luk and Massaya.)

I like the bad aunt over the good aunt because the bad aunt embraces her faults and goes along with it. Yet, deep inside, she loves deeply to a select few. She also sees others' faults and calls them out on it. She is a strong woman, and ans always, strong women are vilified by people around them. Granted, she didn't go about being 'strong' and truthful the correct way, but she was not afraid to call people out on their double standards no matter who they were. She also praised where praise was due.

Pong - I just understood him. He lived by his mom"s teaching, but knew when it was wrong, and he always did the right thing. His grandmother was his problem, as she was a problem for every single person in her family. Sometimes she reminded me of my own grandma, but my grandma gave up long ago on trying to control people - she knows she can't make young people do anything because we're too modern and wayward lol.

I like that this show was set in the past (maybe 1950s to 1970s) Characters like this would go about the situations in this story a totally different way in modern times. That is what makes this story so charming and sweet. I'd like to see a modern version, but I also know this story can"t really fly without being bratty and abrasive in modern times.

For Massaya, the character, some say she is immature and bratty. I don't see that. I see a young girl struggling at falling in love and fitting into the city life. She was also much more than the Ram... family thought she was, better educated etc. She did not expose herself because she was upset at their self- superiority, and unwillingness to learn about her. She struggled with being herself in a place that told her every way of life she knew before, was wrong. Even her grandma - maybe Massaya came to love her grandma, but she only stayed for Luk.

What I hated this show for - grandma tried to keep marrying everyone off. And the music was inappropriate at times.

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Completed
Descendants of the Sun
33 people found this review helpful
by SSKF
Apr 24, 2016
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers
This show hit all the spots. It was an extremely good and unusual story with relatable characters and situations. It felt like the characters were real life people experiencing these things that do happen in real life. The acting was excellent as well, but our leads and every body else. There was common sense in this show displayed by the writers, the characters, the actors, the production team - everyone associated with the show. That is rare in kdrama world, which makes this extra special. There's also an overload of cuteness which I adored. 10 for everything. Would give it 100 if I could.

First, the romance may sound typical between a Special Forces Army guy and a Doctor (every other romance novel, right?) but in the framework of an Asian drama, it's not. Military heroes are not a thing in Korea that's why Yoo Shi Jin was a ground breaking hero. The romance as well wasn't one where the couple spent time longing for each other and doing nothing about it. They were both always straightforward about their feelings, talked to each other about it, and acted on their feelings like two mature people who knew what they wanted. That's rare in a kdrama. When you get shows like that, it's golden. They spent time with each other, thought of each other, behaved like real people starting a real relationship in the real world. 10 stars.

===SPOILER PARAGRAPH===
Some people didn't like Dr. Kang Mo Yeon's character because she was a little hesitant. At first I thought she was brash and rude, but I warmed up to her the first time she smiled at our military man. I loved her for taking the time to think the repercussions of the relationship through and not let her feelings lead her blindly. That's what a normal woman in real life would do and that makes her relate-able. She had to decide absolutely if she's strong enough to deal with a military man and his secretes and tragedies if it ever happens. She had to make sure she would't end up resenting him and his job. No one can fault her for taking the time to figure it out, no matter how handsome and sweet he is or that the audience wanted him to have everything he wanted. 2 people make a relationship and both have to want to make it work.
===SPOILER PARAGRAPH===

The villain... omg, he was hot. But I hated him. He represented a real, present evil in our world. He's not just makjang or there for the story to have a story. He exists in reality and it's so much worse than this drama could portray. I liked that they got rid of him fast and the rest of the drama was fan service. He was a heavy villain... like looking into the mirror of the world.

To fans who complained about fan-service.... there are millions of people who loved the fan service. We watch dramas for fan service. If they didn't cater to what their fans wanted, why watch dramas? Dramas do excellently money-wise when there's plenty of fan service. The last 4 episodes was so much fan service that I squealed every few minutes lol. Plus I watched the reruns on KBSWorld. Couldn't resist. It was so sweet. Didn't mind the product placement in the show either because it's a show I'm getting to watch free of charge, but somebody had to pay for it. It had great cinematic quality and production, don't be cheap and complain when investors are advertising their products. They paid for you to see this show, you didn't. Stop complaining.

The secondary couple was extra sweet as well. I adored them. I loved the bromance, and the girl-bonding. Loved everything about the whole show. I even loved the mean old apa. This was wonderful, wonderful, wonderful to watch.

Now... the show is full of English, more than in any Korean drama ever. But the English was very good. I had no problems understanding anything and it was music to my ears lol. If you want to complain... remember... they probably speak English better than you speak Korean.

And this show was cheesy. I love cheese. The action was cool and excellently executed, so it was nice to see our badass hero turn into a complete sweet pincushion with the cheesy lines. Some of it was too much cheese, and some had me going... "Ew, did you really need to say that? And in that manner?" ... because sometimes the cheese was delivered with an over dramatic atmosphere. Overall though, 10 for the cheese.

The medical aspect of the show was intriguing as well. Loved to watch that. It was like a mellow dash of Grey's Anatomy, watching a slice of personal and professional lived of doctors. There was just enough.

If you're not an avid romance fan, this drama may seem silly to you. It's barely got any military or war stuff. The military aspect is that the characters are in the military and work around a military aspect. There were a few 'missions' but nothing with gritty meat to catch die hard action fans. This was primarily cheesy romance with a side of military, medical, action.

Kim Eun-sook and Kim Won-seok, please, write another like Descendants of the Sun.

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Completed
Twenty
6 people found this review helpful
by SSKF
Oct 29, 2015
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 10
I expected it of Woo Bin - he could carry any kind of production - but this was unexpectedly really good. The humour started from 00.01 and didn't stop until the credits. The acting was flawless. I expected that of Woo Bin of course, but I fell more in love with him. I'd watch anything he does. The chemistry he has with his co-stars is, as always, exceptional. I like that they became good friends through the filming and credit their closeness for the success of the acting. They all really acted excellently.

Kim Woo Bin's character was the funniest in my opinion. The character's personality and behaviour, interaction with others was fun to see and enjoy. As I said before, he was flawless. his scenes with his father was hilarious. Not to be missed. And his character at the end fighting scene had to be watch again and again That scene was too hilarious. This was a good film production for all the actors.

The story made me remember my teens and 20th year. To do that meant that this movie succeeded in it's goals. I loved it a lot. There were munites that the story lagged, but that was few and far between. Nothing worth mentioning much

I also loved the ending because it depicts exactly how most twenty-year olds end up. You don't know where you're going next but the point is that it's time to try anything and try getting your life on a good track - whether you succeed or not.

The music was okay, not really memorable. But I would definitely rewatch for the Woo Bin , Junho, Haneul eye candy and the story of course, and the acting most definitely. There's loads of talent in this movie. I'd recommend this movie to any one who needs a laugh, needs encouragement, or battling unhappy feelings. Kim Woo Bin makes this movie so worth it. .

Update: The music actually sticks with you, especially as it's in English. I woke up singing "When I was younger..." And it won;t leave my head.

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Completed
Kill Me, Heal Me
7 people found this review helpful
by SSKF
Apr 16, 2016
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
Amazing! Heartbreaking.

You know those dramas you anticipate but are afraid to watch because you're not sure it would live up to it's hype? KMHM lives up to the hype and surpasses it.

The story was phenomenal. Ji Sung is a very versatile actor and deserves all the awards he got for his work. He's excellent. Aside from him, all of the cast did excellent jobs. You forgot you were watching acting, because it didn't seem like acting. It seemed like true heartbreaking emotions. I sometimes wondered if the actors themselves haven't developed split personalities, they were that good.

Some people complained about the flashback scenes being too much, too repetitive and making parts of the drama boring. I disagree. The flashbacks were numerous, yes, but each was tastefully done and told a different story every time it was shown.

This drama was worth watching. I think I wanted it to be longer, to go into the origins etc of all the different personalities. I felt sorry in a different way for each of them, and it was hilarious how one of them was jealous of the other. Imagine being in a love triangle with you, yourself, and a woman. Seeing the story, developed by the excellent, flawless acting, makes you understand that each and everyone goes through difficult times and not to judge or treat people harshly. It really appeals to your empathy.

The music deserves Best OST. Jang Jae In is my new favourite.

Writer of the script gets 100/10. It was that good.

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Completed
Secret
8 people found this review helpful
by SSKF
Apr 14, 2016
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 3
Overall 6.0
Story 5.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
This drama gets a 10 for style, technique, acting and execution among all the other things that went excellently in it.

However, I rated it low because it was just not my thing. I watched it, but I thought it dragged in some sections, especially after ep10. The co-orporate espionage thing was underexplained at times, and over done at others. I didn't care for it. Then the leads... all of them were pretty harsh towards each other - except our poor spineless, apologising victim of a female lead. First she was betrayed (after making a stupid decision to take the fall), then she was tormented by the lead. I understand how she developed that woe-is-me, I'm-to-blame-for-all-the-problems-in-the-world mindset, but it became annoying. It still wasn't brain friendly to watch. I wanted her to bitchslap and/or publicly shame some of the people who wronged her at least.

The torture and the stalking... no words. I was looking for a possessive male lead to watch though, and this fit the bill in an unfortunate fashion. I didn't like MH's decisions, especially regarding the 2nd female lead. The four leads behaved bizarrely towards each other. I found myself thinking over and over "So you all hate each other? Why the hell are you trying to hold on to each other." I'm not even going to get into character analysis. When I reached ep 13 or 14, I found myself thinking... "Why am I wasting my life watching this?" That's a bad thought for a drama. However, Ji Sung is a draw so I completed it. Upon review of the show however, I found I didn't like the story or characters at all.

The poor rating is personal preference. I like romantic romantic dramas with leads who show they care and who can't be torn apart by any 2nd leads. Secret was a bit too dark for me. Ji Sung was wonderful to watch though. His possessive, protective, chaebol character was just right... if it was toned down and in another setting lol. I want to see MH's character totally devote himself to another lead in another show (without the torture). But the story is what it is so I must say objectively that Secret was well executed, excellently acted by all the actors, and the story was a genius of a thing for people who like that kind of story. Objectively, I'd give it a 10. Personally, I'd not rate it so high. Confusing.

Music: On spot. One of the best OSTs and the music fit the scenes they were played in.

Rewatch: No, because it's not my kind of story.

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Completed
Noble, My Love
8 people found this review helpful
by SSKF
Nov 1, 2015
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 10
I would watch this again and again. The pros of this series are too many to count. One is the awesome story. It's everybody's favourite about the chaebol and the down to earth girl. This one was done right with 0 mistakes.

The story length, 20 episodes each 15 minutes long, contributed to the mystique and the completeness of the series. The pacing was done right since it was so short. The acting was also excellent as well as the characterization.

This was a chaebol drama, probably the first chaebol drama, done right. There was no ex- or evil- girlfriend, no ex-boyfriend, no one trying to tear our lead apart. There was also an obsessed, quickly jealous, possessive male lead for who is looking for that type of romance. The female was no a pushover. When she had to be tough, she owned the scene. Sometimes he was even scared of her. I loved it. They had balance and worked out all problems between themselves.

The main leads were handsome an beautiful respectively. I enjoyed watching them on screen and wondered why they don't have more lead roles. Their chemistry together was evident and strong from the point of first meeting.

I would love to see this as a more detailed full length 16 episode drama. With that much screentime though, the series may not be done well and have too many issues between the leads. This was just perfect and leaves you wanting more.

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Completed
Game Payabaht
5 people found this review helpful
by SSKF
Aug 15, 2019
18 of 18 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 3.0
Against my expectations, given the subject matter of the show (I thought it would be revenge and forced rape), I actually enjoyed this show. Until the last episode that is.

The beginning is action packed, angsty and filled with all kinds of feelings. You really hate the villainess and her cronies. And I kind of hated Chabaa's brother too. He was one weak character, I think. Regarding the revenge, as a sister with only one bro, I understand Akee. He was a good man before all of this, and he was a kind man during it (not nice, but kind to others not from Chabaa's family). His revenge warped him, and there seemed to be forced scenes, but never rape. Chabaa also gave him as good as she got whenever he tried to kiss her. He basically spent the entire kidnapping session saving her and taking care of her in between the revenge nonsense.

Honestly, the brother's and Khun Ji's story was more interesting to me. We actually got to see how they started to care for each other, how they shared problems and helped each other. It's more than we got to see with the main couple.

However, the main reason I kept watching is for the villains in this show. They carried this storyline and were awesome actors. The villains were a lot more interesting to watch than any other storyline. Everything in the show happened as a reaction to the main villainess's actions. Therefore, when her part was over, the story became so boring. Luckily that was only the last two episodes.

And the last episode... I feel I wasted an hour of my life. I wanted to see how the romance was resolved, and felt happy at the outcome of 'the wedding'. However, I was mystified by how Chabaa and Akee fell in love. Like how? What was I watching and didn't see that very important development?

Overall, I really liked this show and it's interesting enough. The villaness was the most acclaimed and outstanding actor for me here. Everyone else was flat and normal. I applaud her acting., and she's pretty too.

Give this a try. It's not as rapey as you think. Actually, there is no rape.

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Completed
The Girl Who Sees Scents
5 people found this review helpful
by SSKF
Oct 18, 2015
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 7.0
This drama was ... well it started off funny and full of laughs, then turned into a thriller, then into a melo, then into a mystery. It was good though. I thought the writing was tight for a while. But after episode 12, things started going downhill. Not in a major way, just that the plot holes became obvious, gaping craters.

What really kept me hooked was the thriller/mystery aspect. I swear, I became anxious and nervous waay too much in this drama. It was harrowing and uncomfortable when it was happening, but when the plott holes became bigger and things started to drag a little (not to mention our fav detective losing a few brain cells) I missed the nerves. Nerves indicate a good drama.

The romance here was top notch. The actors did commendable work, especially Shin Se Kyung whose acting improved by leaps and bounds. She's great here. Our hero as well is flawless in his work. He was smart (-ish sometimes), funny, comforting, clingy, jealous, and bada** when he needed to be. I was of course, impressed with the progression of the romance. It developed quickly, they hugged and showed more closeness than I've ever seen in a kdrama. Also they didn't let misunderstanding cloud their judgement and halt their relationship. They leaned on eachother and stayed through thick and thin, giving eachother strength. I look for that in dramas and I'm glad I found it here. They really represented a normal dating couple. I loved their lines and their actions.

But, the person who carried this show is Nam Gung Min. His character had me curious as to what he's going to do next. He was super smart, but unlike other dramas, our main leads and their colleague was smart too. It was refreshing to see a smart lead like Oh Cho Rim and the team leader. Finally!

I may rewatch this. The music was fitting in every scene too. This was a good drama and it did not drag much, just the last 3 episodes. I didn't mind because it was full of fluff and I love fluff, so it didn't drag for me. Plot holes though hahahha. Watch out for plot holes after ep13.

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Completed
High School King of Savvy
6 people found this review helpful
by SSKF
Oct 27, 2015
17 of 17 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 9.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
I nearly dropped this drama (and I really didn't want to review because I didn't want to waste my time) because of a mediocre female lead. However, the acting, the characters and the humour in this changed my mind. Plus I get a chance to complain about the female lead.

First, Seo In Gak was awesome. His acting is excellent, never lagged and you believed him in any role he played in this drama. He is 100% believable. His co-star Lee Soo Hyuk was just as excellent despite his less screen time. The relationships in this drama is awesome too. It was worth it to watch the characters, the families, the friendship building.

I confess, I ship the friendship between SIG and LSH more than anything in this drama. Put the two of them together and I would watch even the most boring of dramas. My evidence is that Lee Soo Hyuk carried me through 20 episodes of the most boring drama Scholar Who Walks the Night.

I loved everything, the storyline the characteriztion of the two male leads. The supporting casts and their relationships were wonderfully done too. You really believe he's a hih school kid and he's treated as such by the people closest to him. His friends were the icing on the cake.

Now for the other lead.... I like a quirky female lead as much as anyone else but this one got on my nerves. I contemplated dropping this drama just because she was an eyesore and her character was not up my alley, but I kept at it just for the 2 male leads. Jung Soo Young needed a makeover so bad, I hated her. She was too untidy and too much of an ahjumma. If she was at least 5% sexy (like I Hear Your Voice which is plenty sexy) I'd have gone along with it. But I watched on viki and she was so troubling that I had to stop every 5 minutes to complain over her mess. I really hated how she looked and by extension, her character. The actress played the character like she had autism - which makes it worse when compared to Joo Won's "Good Doctor".

The thought that the real actress was pretty and neat didn't even console me. Plus, put her up against the handsome high school boy and she looks to old to be kissing him or holding his hand. I hated her and her stylist and really really wanted to drop the drama because of her. I am not the only on either. She makes it hard to watch. Her character is too old physically and too stunted mentally for me to justify the romance. The 2 male leads had better chemistry together.

Will definitely not rewatch because off the eyesore.

I wouldn't really recommend it to anybody because I don't want to inflict that female lead on any one.

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Completed
The Liar and His Lover
8 people found this review helpful
by SSKF
Jun 22, 2017
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.5
This was a feel good drama for me. Most reviews say kind of bad things about it, but I think it was wonderful. It was even paced, not too fast or too slow, and the story line was good. It may not have been deep and dramatic, but it had the right amount of emotions and conflict in the right places. It's a slice of life drama - as I would have expected since I saw the Japanese movie years ago.

The romance in this was real. Others may say the couple didn't have chemistry but I think that's missing sight of what a true relationship is about. Chemistry is one part and that fizzles eventually. This couple had substance and caring between them, were willing to understand, to stick together, to grow together. This is a depiction of a real life couple interaction. They were eager to hold hands, to kiss, to be together and that was one thing I absolute loved about it. There was none of that 'hesitant to touch each other to stand too close' that often happens in kdrama. This was a real couple and the story showed it very well. No separation or dramatic fights here, just caring and understanding for the other person's feelings and perspective. How many kdramas give us that?

The above alone is why this deserved the 8 star rating.

Then there is all the relationships between the characters, all the curves and jagged edges that makes no one a villian and no one perfectly good either. They all had their little problems projected onto one another and they worked through it. This is a reflection of real life. I liked it.

Their acting was very good. They are largely new to this and no one is perfect from the get-go. If you expect perfection from new artists without giving them a chance to gain experience... well that's just unreasonable. They performed admirably for being a relatively new set of casting. I liked all of their acting a lot. Especially the two leads and the male lead's apa.

The music... I hope it wasn't the focus of the show and that the romance / friendship was. The music could have been better. It;s quite forgettable, not as passionate as I thought a top composer would produce - except that first song.

I liked this a lot.

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