A fateful tragedy reminiscing on life and love
Goblin is a a story of life and love. Kim-shin and Eun-tak have this adorable chemistry that makes your heart warm.The supporting characters have great backstories that actually add to the story. The supernatural elements and themes of fate/life are well done in a way that makes you ponder on your own life. With catchy OSTs and moments that are so humorous that makes the tragedies even more heartbreaking.
In the Goblin's search to end his life, he found his reason to live. Truly a drama for the ages.
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Survival of the evilest...goodness prevails
It's truly a drama, no frills or attempts for humor. It is a tale of survival. Palace life is cut-throat and only those who step on others survive.Enters Sam Ho, literally the most FL of all the FLs out there. Not only is she beautiful and skilled, she believes in the goodness of people when she's surrounded by pure evil. Like seriously, her bonded sister got her mother killed making them stuck in the palace yet she stills believe in the good of her. It's almost obnoxious that she's in a love triangle with the gentle, hyper-intelligent king and the badass, hot general. She got everything going for her. Everyone and I mean EVERYONE loves her.
It is a satisfying drama just because Sam Ho does actually does defeat her enemies with "kindness". With every compassionate act, there is a ripple effect that leads to the FL being saved every time her foes try to take her down.
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Could be better, could definitely be worse
I mean this is possibly the most cliche and type-cast Kdrama out there. Naive, innocent, heads-over-heels FL in love with the incredibly handsome, top student, cold ML. She liked him for so many years but he doesn't take any action until the popular, sporty, flirty second ML enters the scene. Coupled with stupid mean girls, quirky best friends, and all the classic tropes of a classic school drama, it is incredibly predictable.I did enjoy watching it but I really just hate the trope whee we have this adorable, energetic FL who relentlessly circles the cold, mean ML. Like why is this so common?? The ML only gets away with it because he's hot.
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Emotional whiplash
The switch-up from the humorous and fun beginning to the bloody and tragic ending full of death is INSANEEE. The drama lured me into a false sense of security that it was a fun, time-travel reverse-harm about a quirky and modern FL surprising everyone with her boldness. Instead, it turned into a deathly struggle for power as it corrupts the brother princes fighting for it.The FL had insane chemistry with all the princes. She may be cringy but I loved her for it. It was so sad to watch her lose her spark as the people she loved kept dying around her.
The ending was a spit in the face. The director better watch out if I ever catch him because all he gonna get is these hands!! To separate the moon lovers across time and space, and leaving them to die believing the other hated them...I'm still in tears. Scarlet Heart Ryeo is not for the faint of heart, watch at your own risk.
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Only watched for the second leads
It's criminal for the second lead couple to not only have the better chemistry and dynamic, but to have the better storyline compared to main leads is crazy work.I can barely recall what happened to the main leads. They just couldn't compare. They were just so static, I had a hard time believing they like, let alone love each other. The classic reincarnated damsel, sacrificial FL x overpowered, cold ML trope who constantly has to save her helpless ass is also so overplayed.
The second leads however were just magnetic. We got the naive, energetic, adorable second FL x scary, dangerous second ML who's just so so soft for the one he loves. They were literally circling each other the entire drama and to discover they had their own hidden trauma with each other, IM SICKKK. I'm praying they reunite again as the main leads, it's what they deserve.
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The classic rise to power historical Chinese drama
Do not let the 70 episode catalog turn you off, each episode is simply unskippable. It's such a monumental feat to produce such a long drama that is so engaging that not one of the episodes lag.Ultimately, it is a tale of a sister's love. From the FL's intention to avenge her murdered sister to her growing relationship with the frail empress, her motivations are actually selfless. She's ruthless and manipulative but when she bears her heart, we can't help but emphasize with her loss and pain. She's one the of best manipulators I have seen on screen. Always thinking five steps ahead and having backup plans A-Z, it's so satisfying to see an unapologetic FL who's unafraid to be the villain.
Contrary to popular option, I do not believe the second ML should've been the one who ended up with her nor do I believe the Emperor should either. Let's be honest here, neither of them were able to handle her. She literally had them eating out of the palm of her hand. She's such a girl boss, I love her.
Yanxi Palace is THE Chinese historical drama. You can't call yourself a true Cdrama fan if you have not watched this.
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Wish it had more episodes
Scary and widely, chaotically entertaining! Mind-bending plot twists followed by suspense built so high, I almost had a heart attack.The shining star is Se Ah, the righteous and kind FL with a painful backstory and a deep love for her friends. I love her spunky personality as she fights the malicious spirits around her. Her romance with GeonU is so adorable, they are the definition of high school puppy love. I just wish they had more scenes together. The chemistry of the friend group is amazing, as each have their own motivations toward each other.
Every character is incredibly fleshed out. With such few episodes, it's incredible how the audience comes to care for the characters so deeply in such a short time. I would rate the horror level a 6 (1 being suitable for scaredy-cats, 10 is I need a priest to exorcise my house, that shit was too scary). There are some jumpscares but it is mostly gore. The show is mainly rooted in Korean shamanism, and how its power wards evil.
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Intense, action mafia thriller-comedy (sadly no romance)
A fun, well-paced thriller that comedically intertwines the legal justice system and the underbelly of the mafia underworld. Absolutely NOT a romance (though they had the perfect setup), but a tale of found family.Vincenzo is a complex character that balances his mafia background with his comedic group of troublemakers as they battle the justice system to keep their building complex intact. It's immensely satisfying when his dark side comes out when he has enough of the opposing side's shenanigans. Somehow it is the perfect balance of an dark action-thriller and light-hearted comedy.
However, this drama is just not my cup of tea. Gradually, I did become invested because the plot is so action-packed that it makes it hard to not keep viewing. I just wish they turned Vincenzo and Cha-Young into a couple. They were the perfect partners-in-crime with the best chemistry. Yet, the most we got were little, tiny crumbs that hinted they had feelings for each other. Honestly, it left a bad taste in my mouth and made the ending felt unfinished.
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Thought-provoking and cliche college romance
All the makings of a cliche Kdrama; the naive damsel-in-distress FL, cold popular ML, mean girl 2nd FL/villian, and comedic supporting friend group in a university where popularity is ranked by beauty. All the classic tropes and somehow it actually was a fun watch.The drama touches upon one of the most controversial topics of Korean culture (unrealistic beauty standards and plastic surgery) in a such a compelling manner. Mi Rae is an loveable, naive idiot but you can't help but root for her since she tries so hard to gain back her confidence and self after her surgery.
Gyeong Seok is definitely the star of the drama. Eun Woo does an amazing job with his microexpressions, his judgmental side glances towards everyone are hilarious. I love how their relationship stems from his relentless support in Mi Rae to grow her confidence. His annoyance and unwillingness to give even an inch to the villainess is satisfying to watch as well. Though, I will admit the leads' chemistry is very low and slow-paced (not even slow-burn). Their kiss scene was so awkward.
It's such a touching storyline as we see Mi Rae grow into herself and even develop sympathy for the villainess 2nd FL as they buckle under the pressure of Korean beauty ideals. While the drama has all the classic tropes to the point you can literally predict what happens next, it is a satisfying slice-of-life drama that teaches true beauty comes from within.
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Thrilling drama that eerily mirrors life
Stellar cast, catchy OST, and a gripping plot that makes you unable to stop watching, SKY Castle is simply intense.Intense in the plot, in the themes, and insane plot twists. The most relatable drama that accurately depicts the pressures of school, society, and family. Each character is well-rounded with their own goals and motivations. Each episode is unskippable as the plot builds and the pressure escalates.
Honestly, it's almost a hard watch because it is simply too relatable. None of the characters are black and white, but you can understand why they act the way they do. The pressure to do well and attain approval from and for your family is something anyone can understand. The intermix of thriller, comedy, and drama is an addicting mix, making every episode unmissable as secrets unravel so shocking that even the audience will be left dumbfounded.
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So boring that I struggle to remember enough to write this review
A run-of-the-mill cold CEO x headstrong employee drama. More comedy than romance.Honestly, I liked it more when the couple were enemies than when they became lovers. It became such a bore when they got together because the only thing interesting was when they were fighting each other. I grapple with the idea that it's even suppose to be a love story. They were more like siblings that always butt heads.
It was just BORING. All of the cliches but none of the chemistry to warrant it. They had the rom-com king and queen as the leads but forgot that the biggest part of a rom-com is the romance.
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The fluffiest and heartwarming rom-com
I think I got cavities from how sweet this love story is. MinMin and BonBon are simply too cute, it's almost sickening. I love that it's the he falls first and harder AND HARDER trope. He is the OG loser-in-love. Their relationship dynamic is hilarious and their chemistry is off the charts.One of the best rom-coms, there are so many hilarious moments that will have you in tears. I would say it's light-hearted but oh my god, that serial killer twist almost gave me a heart attack. It gave me whiplash from how there can literally be hearts on the screen and the next, there's this crazy creep kidnapping women. Don't get me wrong, it added this spice to the story that made it more interesting but DAMN, give a girl a warning.
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Masterful and refreshing adaptation
The absolute BEST Boys Over Flowers adaptation. All the cliches of the tale without the massive cringe and toxic red flags.Gorya and Thyme are easily the best part of the drama. Each stands strong individually in their personality. Gorya is the determined, headstrong FL who doesn't take any BS and Thyme is this dumb but well-meaning puppy in-love who actually has character growth. Their chemistry is adorable and it's cute to see how they went from enemies to lovers.
It's like the drama takes the very classic story of the arrogant, rich guy with the stubborn, poor girl, picked out all the flaws, and transformed it into this coming-of-age masterpiece.
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A time loop transmigration that felt like an ACTUAL time loop
For a short C-drama, it actually was a solid drama. Well-rounded characters, high-tech visuals, and a solid plot line with high stakes.The cast was amazing. You can't help but care for each of the characters as the story continued. The chemistry of the FL and ML was insane. I love the trope of determined, spunky FL constantly fighting against fate with the scary ML who always says he's not getting involved in her shenanigans but does EVERY time.
The biggest flaw is as the plot progressed, it truly felt like a time loop to the audience. As the FL kept going back to the start, the same plot points kept being revisited without the plot holes being resolved. New "rules" were added and suddenly bypassed. The stakes are world-ending and all of sudden, it was actually never that serious. The drama should have wrapped the ending much sooner than it actually did.
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Cringy and convoluted adaptation
Expectations were already high since this is my favorite manhwa. Not only did this drama drop the ball; they took a knife, stabbed it repeatedly, pushed it through a shredder, lit a fire and took a dump on it.The plot went completely sideways when they decided the drama needed the cliches of a typical historical drama; tyrant king forcing the cold duke to obey his senseless orders and turning the actual FL into the antagonist. That was most disappointing since I loved the friendship between the transmitigated FL and original FL, which is already a rare trope.
It's supposed to be a warm love story. The romance of the spunky, a little crazy Ripley who always charges head first and thinks entirely with her heart and the reserved Duke Zeronis who can't help hopelessly falling completely and utterly in love with her. Instead we got a cringy and helpless FL, face-cards only ML, and annoying side characters who add nothing to the story.
Don't even call it an adaptation of The First Night with the Duke, it does not even deserve that respect.
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