Average for it's genre.

Don't get me wrong, this is a pretty decent show. But at the same time the ending didn't satisfied me at all.
It ended like this in order to have more seasons ofc but idk... for me it lacked smt.

Survival movies or tv shows are never a concept i find revolutionary, so i think it's pretty funny how of all the kdramas out there, this one is the most watched on Netflix. Not only that but it's the TOP2 most watched shows on Netlix of all time.
I understand everything and all that, but if i ever survived such a crazy hell i would either end up killing myself regardless or just really living and doing everything i've ever wanted. Might as well... what's the worst that can happen?

Read More

Thought provoking

If you were given the power to kill a man with a single app, would you do it?
I feel like this show was so relevant if you think of this current generation. Keyboard warriors on every app.

The premisse of the show was wonderful since day one. And stayed pretty flawless until the end.
Even with all that "show" on the last ep, i still think the revenge lacked impact. They all had it easy in my eyes.
I actually wanted something more vile to happen, but that's maybe because i am used to watch so many western shows with twisted criminals.

The judge is the epitome of anti-hero. You will trust no one until the very end. Absolutely no character is to be trusted, and i love this show because of it. I genuinely didn't know who had the true version of each event.
Amazing script! Amazing acting! Amazing directing! Flawless OST!

This was a delight!

Read More

goes to my favorites list

This type of story is right at my ally.
Those painful and easy to fix stories (from a 3rd perspective).

I would like to start by saying i don't see myself in Nabi's choices. At all. I will always dismiss fuck boys and people that use their natural charms to manipulate you emotionally. I've done it before. I will always chose ME over those type of boys.
But they are seriously tempting. Like she did what i only did in my dreams (thank god i respect myself that much). But at the same time, as a viewer, it was a fascinating ride. Seeing someone take a different direction than me in almost every episode was truly fascinating. I was hooked every single episode. It was like a tragedy that you couldn't look away from.

[quick side note: if you like to watch shows where you need to relate to the main characters decisions in order to enjoy the show, then this will not be the kdrama for you.]

I was "mad" at Nabi so many times while watching the first episodes of this show... but in the process of watching i tried to be more understanding as time went by. Because there's feelings you can't control. Once i understood that Nabi herself knew she brought it on to herself and she was in this situation because she also let herself be in this position, then i stopped blaming her. There was no space for judging anymore. She was on her path. Doing what she wanted to do. Even if she breaks herself in the end... it's her life and her choice.

This show got me curious about all their stories and personalities. I wanna know more about all these characters. I will miss them dearly. Shout out to all the other characters that i wished had more time to shine, including potato boy (this show needed 16eps at least for me).

Love that Nabi recognized that her final choice was not ideal and that will probably end up blowing up on her face later on, but she is willing to risk it anyways because no matter what, this is where her heart lies. This is something she needs to do. For better of for the worst. If it goes well this time, good, if it ends bad, she will grow from it and close that door forever. From the girl that started the show very insecure and always expecting something that people were not able to reciprocate, to accepting her reality and be in command of her own life, for me is a big step.

i like the fact this show could have a S02, and within that new season a new a totally unexpected result could come up from it. Because i am still so curious to know if PJW really had an honest character devolpment or if he will end up like before after a few months. Simultaneosly the reaction Nabi had in the end while seeing potato boy indicates both guilt and perhaps a slight change within. With enough time, who knows? Now that she will scratch the desire of being with PJW off her list of "to do's", what will that do with her feelings?!

Read More

At last, REAL friendships!

Honestly one of my favorite slice of life kdramas. I just wished it had more eps... it's such a pity! The story had so much potential, but with 12 eps, it's barely possible to deliver everything in time!

I have not read the webtoon so will only review the kdrama.
This was actually one of the few times i've watched a kdrama with REAL friendships. Like when you have a problem and need to cry or confess your worries, you go to your friends! The dialogues felt very real as well. That one speech of Joon saying how he didn't know how to feel anymore cause he was in darkness for so long that leaving his sad self behind actually made him feel empty, really impressed me a lot! There's a few memorable convos and quotes from this kdrama!

But there's also a few things that were either rushed or just didn't make a lot of sense. SoBin's best friend took her for granted for a long time (cause that's what often happens when you think people will never leave your side) but because of that you kinda stop talking to someone that protected you for so long? i mean she didn't even bother to ask him if he was still dating the girl or not (when she was just an ex). That part didn't make sense. Let alone falling in love immediatly for a new guy after being so dedicated to someone else for so long. Cause they actually had a long story together... those years don't just go away... not even after they somehow hurt each other. The feelings stay for awhile.

I really didn't need Joon to have a romantic relationship with anyone. SoBin could've accept him and be kind to him as a friend. Cause if you think about it, everytime he had a crisis he either needed to be alone or went to Soo Hyun. Usually when you are in a love relationship, although you can always count on your friends, you also rely a lot on your partner, cause if not... then they are only there for the fun parts?! That didn't work that well in the kdrama.

But apart from little things like this, this was still an amazing watch in my opinion. Goes to my favorites list!

Read More

had a plot twist but also... meh

From the trailer alone i could understood the whole plot twist. i hate trailers so much... but with that being said... i dont feel good about the ending. it lacked meaning.

i think the FL (nurse) is not really happy with her new boyfriend, and the ML is not at all that sorry he lost her either. Both of them just needed someone. Anyone. Anyone that had time for them.
Didn't matter who. The nurse repeated everything she did with the ML with her new bf just to end up miserable. Same habits, same gifts, same way of falling in love at the hospital... that's a massive red flag if you ask me. And seriously sad. Assuming they were on a break for awhile, then both of them slept around during that time, but the movie kinda makes it seem as if the male lead has more to blame than the female lead, when they equaly had other partners in between.

the plot would make a lot more sense if at least one of them had a true happy ending with a "i am over you" moment. the way the FL was not that happy in the moment of the plane departure, and how desperate the ML was to just be with any of the girls tells me not a single person had a good ending.

and that's life!! but also... what's the message of the movie then? that life is hard when work gets in the way? well yeah. we all know that. what's the real message here? Am i supposed to side or relate to whom?

Read More

*sigh*

I was hooked until episode 4 or 5. Then it went downhill each episode it went by.
It was a mess. All stories were insanely poorly written.
Some actors credited here as "main actors" are nothing but secondary... the 2nd love story was beyond terrible. One of then is a coward and the other is obsessed with non-consensual kissing. The main story could be okay... no... jesus it could've been pretty solid, but the writers only got the premise right... after that was a disaster.

The worst part of it all? The last two eps. Painfully boring and with nothing but a nonsense and cheesy lines.
Some plots don't connect... it was a hot mess.

Honestly i've watched it all because i love In Seo Guk, if it had any other ML i would've drop it.
The rating i am giving is too high... but the first eps were indeed very powerful and the main leads showed immense potential. I'm so sad it turned out to be like this... just wow. The writers really lost their minds on this one.

Read More

It's okay. Could be so much better!

It's an enjoyable ride but by the end of it has very low chances of becoming an all time favorite. it lacks something.
Started off great. I wished it had more urban legend stories, because as soon as imoogi was active again the story stopped having that element. idk... the last two eps felt both rushed and, in a lot of parts, absurd.

The bad guy was never scary and we always knew he would never win... and that's a problem.
The ending was not that great. The whole last episode didn't make any sense. Definitely there's no way you can get reincarnated that fast into an adult, also the brother getting reincarnated so fast as well. idk... didn't make sense to me.
It's true that it was the kind of the final the audience wanted but... meh.

Someone had a great explanation for the last scene and i will add smt else later:

«There are several ways in which gumihos can become human. The one concerning the ending of Tale of the Nine Tailed is this one: Over a period of 100 days (the period varies according to legends), the gumiho cannot be detected as a gumiho by their significant other. In the case of Yeon, it is Ji-ah. If we assume that for 100 days, Ji-ah did not discover Yeon’s truth, it would be easy for him to transform into a human.
Infact, Yeon was on the verge of giving away his real identity as a gumiho when he let out that Ji-ah and he is going to have daughter. Remember the introduction in episode 1? It was mentioned that gumihos has the “ability to see miles ahead”. Yeon definitely had the powers!
Cut to Yeon’s face-off with the Spirit of Misfortune. Yeon took advantage of his magical powers to defeat The Spirit of Misfortune, thereby eliminating any chance of Ji-ah ever finding out his truth. I think that proved to be a boon and he was able to completely transform into a human.» @ cinedope.com

This would explain a lot. Would explain how he managed to comeback looking exactly the same, and with his memories intact. You are not suppose to have memories from previous lives, so the fact that he has it still, means he is still the same Yeon. Would make sense that he has a sort of 100 days to run low until he actually becomes human. The fact that the new "baby" Rang doesn't remember Yeon means he is in a new life, but Yeon is on his old one still. He also went to see Grandma without any of them opening the gates for him, they were surprised to see him, so he was still able to enter that space without anyone opening the door. Wished the writers would've focus more in explaining these little details, because most people will not understand these nuances and just assume it's a typical nonsense kdrama ending to make everyone happy.

Another take would be: they want a chance to make a season 2, and we are all thinking too much.

Either way, as a whole the story felt all over the place.
As usual i liked the brothers story way more than the romance one, but that's my personal preference.
It was okay. I don't regret watching it and i don't think it was a bad kdrama... just all over the place.

Read More

my eyes are burning from all the crying.

This show has entered my all time favorite k-dramas list. TOP5!
When i tell you i've cried every single episode, i wished i was lying... but i did. If there's something that leaves me completely broken are unspoken words that didn't reach someone in life, that are later shared to the audience via memories.

Every story is different, and they are all as beautiful as they are heartbreaking. Every episode leaves lingering feelings.
This really made me think, if i died tomorrow and someone had to collect my stuff, what would they find that it's of any worth?! Will my items help to reveal who i am and help my loved ones find peace?! This show was so profound to me... i had many thoughts while watching it.

The actors are 10/10. Amazing performance. Just wow. I will recommend this kdrama even to people that don't usually watch asian content shows. It's incredible!

The only thing that it's not a 10 it's the rewatch value, cause I don't think i can make myself watch it all over again. My head hurts, my eyes are burning... this show has emotionally destroy me (in a good way. i have a feeling i have grown as a person while watching this show). I will watch a second season though. I think it's fair to say a second season will drop eventually, and i will recharge my heart and tissue box for the next round of stories.

Big thank you to the writers of this show. Thank you!

Read More

A mix of serious action and storytelling with kimchi-slap morning kdramas

This is a really good kdrama. It could've been in my TOP5 but the absurd comedy made it less impressive for me.
I am always very forgiving with absurdity in kdramas, and this one was no exception. No way i would've let so many flaws get by in a western production, yet this is the beauty of watching a kdrama. The absurd parts are so absurd that the only thing left to do is laugh, and that's ok.

I liked the ending. At least in the end some "realism" was left and the happy ending is somehow bittersweet if you think of it.

All actors did an excellent job. Every single one of them! Side characters included!
Loved the movie and other kdrama references that were written in the script! Truly hilarious! The "2PM" jokes were also chief's kiss!

I would totally recommend this kdrama to everyone used to asian productions. It's like a really good manga/anime. Half of it it's very realistic and the other half is crack humor that doesn't make much sense but we are here for it anyway.

Just one last thing. "Mademoiselle" is actually french.

Read More

Too short,

I'm sure that if this show was longer it would be at my top top list.
Honestly, it's real. As real as it gets.
It will not please the romantics of this world though.

I like that these characters are 30, or almost 30, but don't have their lives figured out and are still wandering around.
Because this show was such a short story they had to rush everything so some parts don't have the momentum that should. I love the fact that characters still hurting don't automatically switch to a different partner. I think it's very toxic to always be showing to audiences that to end a good show, people that were so recently hurt have to somehow move on and end with a new partner, or reconcile somehow with the old one. That's not what happens in real life.

There's people who we will always have lingering feelings towards. And it will remain like that for what if feels like forever.
At the end of the day, though, we get together with friends and talk about life over a beer and the day ends.
Definitely my experience turning 30.

Read More

Controversial.

For me love is not the most important thing in a relationship.
Love can not save everything.

When you are in love in highschool, you are quite young, and you get completely intoxicated in the other person, you live a lot off your emotions rather than your rationality. When you grow up the "new" factor dissipates a bit, you still get excited but you are overall more composed, so love isn't as overwhelming. Life and being alive, for me, is about living for a lot of different things, not just love. And i believe this was well portrayed here. There's a big difference between a 15y and a 30y in terms of lifestyle and social events, things that are essential to our everyday life.

I admit that if the boy was 18, this would still be weird to me but at least i wouldn't mind it as much. If you still want to throw controversy then 17 would make me less sick to my stomach, even if he's still underage. Hard to explain why that is, and luckly the actor not only doesn't quite look like he has 15, he is 22y old in real life. Because a 15y japanese boy would really look like a small child - rightfully so - and pedophilia is not something to dismiss and romanticize.

I am about to become 30 and i can't imagine even dating someone in their early tweenties - still going to university and without a job and a similar lifestyle to mine, let alone a minor. I tried through all this jdrama to understand in what ways their soul was connected, so much so that the age of the body wouldn't matter but a 15y and a 30y it's a crazy difference in terms of maturity. The drama also showed how possessive and insecure the male protagonist was, also due to his age maybe, but honestly i can't really accept it. "Love has no age" it's a pretty thing people like to throw around and for sure it all comes down to the maturity on both parts, but there's no way you can try to convince me a 30y would be totally ok with dating a 15y cause the mental age is not that different. I was 15 once... i can guarantee you i was super immature and not ready to compute with any 30y.

I will take it with a grain of salt. There's lot of things i will probably never understand, but it's important to open our hearts to hear different stories once in a while and ask ourselves what would we do in similar situations. Worth watching. Thought provoking.

Read More

Most people won't like the S02

I did! A lot more than S01 but it has a "but". A big one!
All the characters were super interesting yet we had absolutely no time to get to know them. Even the main characters... what do we really know about them?! Jojo's best friends from highschool never showed up again, even though i was pretty sure they would. Jojo's new best friend also had a lot of potential but was completely forgotten. The new app developer (the brother) has no story, nothing. The Duk Goo's comeback was also out of the blue and not explained at all. The character development for Jojo's cousin, just for hearts, was also very sudden and hold no meaning for her. Jojo was never into drawing yet all of a sudden, for this season, she is an artist on her free time. To me, everything was touched on the surface. Absolutely everything.

I liked Sunoh, i did! But i also didn't.
Even though deep down he was a sweet boy, he was always following JoJo around trying to convince her that she loved him, and for this season where they are no longer teenagers, that suddenly started to annoy me. I was team Hye Young even halfway through S01. I just loved the way he loved her so genuinely without asking anything in return, and without making scenes at school. Because no matter how "desperate for love" you are, Jojo and Sunoh's sudden kiss in the S01 felt so so wrong to me. Putting a girl in a corner... but also she just went along with it - why? Cause he was a pretty boy? I overlooked it all season, but i just didn't find any reason for them to like each other... like what was it? the stalking and kissing on empty feelings?! my empathy for them wasn't quite there.

But- then they got cute in the middle of S01... only for the writer to take it all back without a proper explanation. Yes ok, Jojo was scared to love cause she was scared to lose him and cause him pain (while doing just that...) but hey- believe me! I get it! But it wasn't well explained here. There's a lot of things the screenwriter just skipped over. Cause Jojo did all that in highschool... ok, but then you grow up and at the very least you should give closure to someone that cleary is still in pain because of you. Even if you still love him back, if don't plan on dating him, then let him go. So he can start to heal, instead of giving him mixed signals.

As for the Hye Young x Jojo couple, is like a dream honestly. He's been an absolute sweetheart to everyone since episode 1. Always so humble, always waiting, always supportive, always respecting her space and boundaries. When his love alarm went off i was so happy for him, was like watching a friend finally winning at life after being the best human being possible on earth. More beautiful human beings like him should win in kdramas. The oustanding beautiful/model/rich ones always win and it bugs me a lot - Also for an "adult character" season... the kisses?! hello?! Puff-

Yet again, Hye Young chapter with his father was left unfinished... a lot to unpack there! Even Sunoh'sparents... I feel like there was something to explore there too. Like, did they ever loved each other? Why is his mother still with his father if she's the one not ringing his love alarm. like what happened?

Everyone was a side character in their own lives, including the main ones. This show had potential to be explored for full 20 episodes, and i never say this... i kinda always want shows to have less episodes... but not this one. All these characters looked awesome! Plots about suicide over having no one "love" you, also super interesting considering we live in a "likes on insta add value to my life" generation... so much potential wow. it's sad.

Read More

Simple, different and quite good.

The first episode felt really weird to me. Breaking of the fourth wall is not something every show is capable of pulling off. I never really understood what was the reason for these "interviews" or "interactive lives" and how it actually worked... I guess they could've just talked directly to the audience instead, cause if not, then logically, i don't quite understand in what terms does the camera crew follow these characters xD like are they stalking them 24/7? You know? Doesn't really make sense.

But if i don't put too much weight on how that would actually work, and view it more like them talking to the audience, it get's easier to follow along. And after the 1st episode, i can comfortably saythat i liked this kdrama a lot. Not one of my favorites, because we didn't had enough time with all the characters (due to all these interviews). So instead we got a lighter way to convey these stories.

I liked all storylines honestly. Every couple has it's own and i like the adult feel a lot! i've been feeling sick and tired of innocent YA romances lately, so dramas that are about people reaching their 30s sounds a lot cooler to me now. Many say how the FL is too cold and weird, but i understood her feelings completely. After you lose yourself to a point of not even knowing who you are anymore, it's not easy to accept love from someone else, no matter how bad you actually want it and need it. As for the ML, we all have different ways of falling in love, so for him, he fell hard into it and couldn't give up on it for anything. So in some degree i also understand why he behaved like he did.

I would like love to always be cute and simple, but in the middle of having to pay your bills, family drama and personal crisis, dating can be smt really triggering. I liked these stories a lot. Unfortunately, it was too short to fully explore everyone's feelings, cause i actually wanted it to go even deeper than this. And that's why this is a 7 for me. If this kdrama didn't had this 4th wall thing, perhaps they would have more room to explain a few more things in a different way, but i appreciate the creativity.

From what i can tell a S02 will be in place! Even if the main focus will change, i think all these characters will keep popping into the screen from time to time, so i am hopeful for different outcomes later on for some of these characters.

Read More

I think this kdrama it's both a necessary story that everyone should watch and also one we have to watch with a grain of salt. Even though the first episodes are what you would call a more "realistic" representation of the korean education system, the further you go into it, the more it's about a sudden "murder investigation" and less about things that i was looking forward to watch.

I would say, if well written, instead of a murder investigation, the more realistic scenario would be mind manipulation made into suicide... cause that's what happens when kids are pushed to be the absolute best in a broken environment. There's many cases of suicide within students, and if something extreme needed to be showed in this particular kdrama, then it would be that... no one wants to see it, but it needs to be talked about more often.

We start this kdrama hating absolutely every character, and that's just right for the type of story it is. The murder investigation was what made possible for us to see how far some of these parents are willing to go to see their kids at the top, but somehow i wished this was showed without the kdrama-murder plot. Because i feel like in real life, parents do a lot to see their kids at the top and play dirty too, without being involved in murder cases.

The last episode... it's a joke. From beginning to end. Had to drop a star and a half just for that. Some people will live in a broken household all their lives, will hate their family all their lives, will run away from home for good... the sudden happy endings for every household is a total break of character for almost everyone. In reality that wouldn't happen. Even the "good" parents would still make you finish at least highschool, and the not so good parents would not suddendly become good just like that, not even when threatened.

For this kdrama to be as perfect as the high ratings indicate, they would have to show at least 1 ending in which some of these family's would be broken or unfased for life, because that's how it actually goes.

Read More

Not bad, not at all, but it's super cheesy.

This one must be for the romantics of this world.
I will not talk about all the things that made absolutely no sense in here, plot holes and so on. I'll excuse it all because it's a kdrama.
So on the kdrama world alone, it's still super corny and cheesy. I can't even say that "it's too romantic" because that's not the expression I am looking for. The whole "we were always meant for each other" narrative gives me the creeps - especially because they used it so often, with so many unnecessary and very poorly filmed throwbacks - honestly it's not for me.

I thought this would be more political and historical. Since to this day, the "two" Koreas are still divided. They did explain a lot about North Korea, but it had such a lighthearted mood, most of the time, that somehow ended up not working for me.

Everyone's a great actor, so I have nothing to say about that. My high score is based entirely on the supporting characters. The only moments I felt more emotional was because of the friendship between all the officers and the lady's from North Korea, that were so pure and lovable.

If this kdrama was anything for me, was because of those amazing supporting characters plus the secondary couple. Their chemistry was much better than that of the main couple. I understand that they both played their part(s) well, so I am not pointing fingers, it's just that for me the other one was much more adorable and funny. If anything, the main characters made the necessary fillers, so that the secondary characters could shine on the screen afterwards.

About the last minutes of the kdrama... truly a work of art for the romantics of this world. So it's gonna be like that forever, this two-week system? Is that real life?! Absolutely not... but were the romantics happy with the "happy ending"? (it's a happy ending right?!). I guess they were.

Read More