Weirdly Entertaining, Touching and Violent

It's Japanese, so you know this is going to be an unique movie. "Diner" is weird, fun, touching and colorful. I had no expectation coming into watching this but was just prepared for anything Japanese and over-the-top. I was surprised to see that this is an adaptation of a novel and not from a manga or anime.

Awesome acting, cosplay-like costumes and larger than life personalities - this movie has a little bit of everything to cater to a wide and open-minded audience. Be warned that there's blood and violence, but also delicious-looking food and desserts.

I feel for Skin and his story. And was surprised to find out the secret of the Bom's special souffle for him. I want to know more about other character's backstory but there's not enough time.


Completed: 12/10/2022

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A Well-Rounded Medical/Slice-of-Life Drama

8.25 rating

Having grown up watching Hong Kong TVB dramas, I haven’t watched any in 20 years. I finally decided to pick up “Kids Lives Matter” after reading some good reviews and comments. With dramas so accessible these days, I am glad I don’t have to rent or subscribe to my local Chinese TV station. I watched this on YouTube (USA region).

I would say “Kids’ Lives Matter” is part medical drama and part slice-of-life drama. For better or for worse, it is a well-rounded one. The drama not only touches on medical cases and patients, but also focuses on friendships, family relationships, slight romance and hospital politics. If you want a little of everything, this is a good drama for you. But if you want to watch exciting action and in-depth discussion of mysterious and complicated medical cases, then you might not be satisfied.

I found the whole drama to be very calm. Compared to other Asian and Western medical dramas I’ve watched, I don’t feel a sense of urgency in the cases (even the supposedly urgent ones). The hospitals look brightly lit and clean, everyone has big offices with sweeping views. This PUBLIC teaching hospital looks like a fancy hotel or office in a skyscraper. Even if the drama focuses on pediatric surgeons with cute wallpapers and stickers in the pediatric ward, everything is just too squeaky clean.

Though it’s lacking in intensity, I do find a lot of heart in this drama. The cases might not be heart-pumpingly exciting, but the patient stories and their relationships with the doctors are great. There are a couple cases that I especially like, e.g. a mother wishes her daughter’s tumor is bigger so that she can qualify for government subsidy, or the double liver transplant of the two boys who became friends. I also like seeing how the surgeries are performed on a smaller screen and can still see the actors' faces during the surgery. Having the name of the surgery displayed in English and Chinese is also great.

There’s quite a lot of hospital vs. med school vs. doctors politics in this drama. From start to finish, politics is behind everything. When the Hard Team is created, I thought I would see more exciting ‘hard’ cases but I am sorely disappointed. And who names a team “Hard Team”? What an unoriginal and crappy name for a team of elite doctors. The purpose of Hard Team seems to be all about power struggles, and not so much the hard cases.

I do enjoy the friendship of the trio. This trio of best friends has very different personalities and dynamics. But scenes with them are the most fun, no matter if they are against each other, or supporting each other. Romance is not the focus of this drama. There are subtle romances which could be sweet, or dissatisfying to the watcher. I think with the three romance storylines, I like the one between Max and Can the most, even though they are not the main leads.

I do enjoy the final episode when everything comes back in full circle. Most of the loose ends are tied, except for a couple very minor plots of side characters.

Overall, I would recommend this if you want a well-rounded light medical drama. But beware that the medical cases are all about children, so if you don’t want to see sick children suffering, please do not watch this drama. Rounding this to a 8.5 rating to give it a little boost so more people will watch this.

Completed: 12/3/2022

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A Melodrama - not a romantic comedy or a true sports drama

When one first read the synopsis of this drama and saw the poster for “Love All Play”, I think most viewers thought this is a sports drama + romantic comedy. Though there are some comedic moments, this is actually a melodrama. I saw that MDL tag and read a couple comments/reviews. So I am prepared for some angst and heartaches.

Badminton
I haven’t watched a drama about badminton yet and am interested in this, especially when the cast are adults and the setting is in the professional badminton world, and not in high school or college. However, this is not a true sports drama about our leads working hard and trying to be champions. Yes, they still work hard and try to accomplish their dreams, but the sport actually acts as a backdrop to the character development of Tae Yang (FL) and Tae Joon (ML) and how they battle demons in their personal lives. There are more badminton scenes in the first half of the drama and I do find all the action quite realistic. The camerawork really does make it seem like the actors are the ones playing badminton. The second half of the drama turns a lot more melodramatic and the badminton scenes decrease. You see most of the athletes just hanging out, chatting and supposedly training.

Acting/Main Characters
The acting is pretty good in this drama. I noticed I’ve seen all the main leads in other dramas, but the only ones I remember are Park Ju Hyun (Tae Yang) and Park Ji Hyung (Jun Young) . I’ve previously seen Park Ju Hyun in “Extracurricular” and it is quite nice to see her in a totally different character. Playing the female lead, I believe in her portrayal of Tae Yang and her struggles. I do think she cries too much in the second half of the drama, when she has been so tough and strong in the earlier episodes. I am not familiar with Cae Jong Hyeop and don’t remember him at all in “Hot Stove League”. But I think I will remember him now, especially his beautiful and adorable smile. The role of Tae Joon will gain him many new fans. Tae Joon is a walking green flag and we all want a boyfriend just like him - kind, caring, supportive, understanding, and give you space to process and work out your issues. For the first episode or two, I couldn’t distinguish Chae Jong Hyeop from Kim Moo Joon. They have a similar build and look. I am not very familiar with Kim Moon Joon and wasn't expecting a strong performance from him. And maybe my expectations are low, I ended up liking his character and how his character changes from an annoying badminton star to a silly and shy lovesick boy (in a way). On the contrary, I do find Seo Ji Hye’s portrayal of Yoo Min a little annoying. Not that I don’t like a girl who takes the initiative to go for her crush, but her character is a little ditzy, a little fiery, a little stalkerish? Last but not the least, Park Ji Hyun is the most recognizable actor for me in this drama. I’ve seen her as the second female lead in so many dramas. Her character as Jun Young here is not going to make you love her, but you have to applaud her acting because you definitely might not like her here and that’s because she’s doing a good job.

Melodrama
As I mentioned, this is not a romantic comedy. The melodrama vibes are strong in the second half of the drama. To me, there’s too much crying and it took a little too long for the cat to be out of the bag. The drama’s pacing would be better if this drama is only 12-episode long instead of 16. I don’t think there’s really a bad character in this drama, it’s just the accident affects each character in a different way and they have their own ways to get over that hump. Jung Young could easily be the most hated character, but her suffering is so different from Tae Yangs’. It’s true that she could have handled her disappearance a little better, especially her attitude towards Jung Hwan. But when you are in a bad mental state and try to forget what happened, she might not have the mental capacity to care about others. Is Tae Yang the only person at fault? Not necessarily as after all, it’s an accident. But her immaturity and rash judgment caused the accident. Athletes should take special care of their bodies to avoid any unnecessary injuries. I assume all athletes know this and should be in their professional contract. But after suffering for 3 years, it should be enough. She had such a hard life and I am glad she met Tae Joon. They are each other’s light for different reasons and it’s great to see how honest they are with each other. Jung Hwan is probably the most pitiful character in this situation. He’s the one who tried to stand by her girlfriend but ended up being abandoned and with no closure. I guess it takes a nutty/silly character like Yoo Min to break that hardened shell of his.

Main Romance
I really enjoy the main romance between the Park twins. As I said, Tae Joon is a walking green flag. He’s the only one who loves Tae Yang unconditionally, giving her what she wants the most. In return, he gets what he wants from Tae Yang - someone who believes in him and loves him for who he is, not because he is someone’s sister. Their initial interaction is fun and I love the banter. They actually got together as a couple quite early on (K-drama standards). I am glad to see they continue to have that friendly banter while being in love with each other. I hate it when lovers lose their original personalities when they are in a relationship.

Overall, I had a good time watching this drama. I like all the badminton scenes and especially the romance of the Park twins. Just don’t expect this to be a sweet and fluffy romantic comedy. I also like the Korean title “Going to You at a Speed of 493 km” so much more than the cheesy English title, “Love at Play”.

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Too much talking Not enough Action

I’ve had “Ever Night” on and off my PTW list for 2 years. I finally took the plunge because I was running out of good wuxia dramas to watch. As it turned out, what I thought I would like did not meet my expectations. What I thought I hated and delayed my decision to watch, turned out to be not that bad.

Preconception but doesn’t mean they are true::
♦︎ "Ever Night” is a great wuxia drama with amazing fight scenes. A great story of our hero starting weak but becoming the strongest.
♦︎ The romance between Ning Que and Sang Sang is not my cup of tea, thus, it took me so long to watch this. I am a romance lover and if the romance doesn’t attract me, I might not want to watch.


What I Like❤️:

1. Sang Sang (FL) - This is a minor surprise as I usually do not like naive and innocent female leads. But Sang Sang turns out to be innocent yet smart and can take care of herself without being taken advantage of. She is so adorable! Ireine Song did a great job in showing Sang Sang’s innocence and adorableness without making feel like she’s another typical annoying female lead. I never would have thought Ireine was 25 years old (in 2018).

2. Ning Que (ML) - I have always liked an anti-hero. Usually in a wuxia cultivation drama, the male lead is weak but perfect, smart, outgoing and well-liked. Ning Que is different. He’s smart but calculating and keeps his cards close to his chest. He doesn’t care if you like him or not, and doesn’t often show interest in others. He’s not particularly cold, but also not particularly friendly.

3. Veteran actors - All the veteran actors in this drama shine the brightest. The younger generation really cannot hold a candle to them. I am particularly impressed with Chin Shih Chieh (Divine Talisman Master) and Ni Da Hong (Grand Priest of Light). Their scenes individually and also together during their battle are so well-acted.

4. OST - “Ever Night” has a very eclectic soundtrack. I was surprised to hear the fun “Take Your Life (取你的命)”. There’s also a good mix of songs that have a very historical/wuxia or romantic feel to them. My favorite song is probably the title song, “Changan (故长安)” by Jane Zhang (张靓颖) and “Let Me (任我)” by Reno Wang (王铮亮).

5. Production Quality - Although there aren’t too many fancy costumes, but I like what I see. Arthur Chen looks great in both black, white and navy blue. I also like the costumes of the Queen and Princess and their accessories. Crystal Yuan as the Book Addict looks beautiful and graceful. The sets and props do not look cheap or flimsy. Another thing I greatly appreciate is that actors use their own voice and there seems to be live recording. I think it’s quite rare for a historical drama in 2018 (though we see more in 2020’s).


What I have Mixed Feelings or Don’t Like 🤨

1. Romance - At first, I thought I might hate the idea of Ning Que and Sang Sang together. But they are so adorable in the first half of the drama that I want to see them as a couple. I looked forward to ep 47 when they had the big confrontation/heart-to-heart. Unfortunately, their chemistry went downhill after ep 47. Nothing romantic happened, they didn’t seem to have that many scenes together. Ning Que did not look like he was in love with Sang Sang, nor did he really act that differently. I think he looked like he was more in love with Mo Shan Shan during those shy scenes. I was sorely disappointed. I felt bad for Sang Sang. It didn’t help that Ning Que seemed to flirt with everyone.

2. Plot/Pacing - It took me about 10 episodes to get into the groove. But once we got to the arc of the Academy and the exam, it was fun for me again. I want to see more Academy shenanigans and actual learning. I really didn’t see much learning/studying/training in the Academy. Unfortunately, the last ⅓ of the drama was too slow.. There’s too much talking and not enough action. I typically enjoy someone like Ning Que learning and training to become the hero of the story. Unfortunately, the drama spends too much time on politics and the fight for the throne. In the end, politics didn’t really play a big part in Ning Que’s cultivation and revenge story. So much time was wasted on the princes. I would love to see more of the Academy instead of the royal family.

3. Action - I was hoping there will be plenty of action scenes throughout the drama for this wuxia/fighting fan. Unfortunately, there are barely any action scenes in the first half of the drama. I was expecting something during the battle between Light & Talisman, but the battle was just too poetic with fireworks and rainbows. Argh… I was so disappointed! Give me some good CGI fights if they are too old to do wire work. I have to wait till the last couple episodes to see a few good fights. I do appreciate the lack of standing around during fights or twirling/spinning. These hard-to-come-by fights are fun and exciting to watch. I was also hoping to see more of the disciples in action. They are interesting in theory but aside from the exam, and the last episode, we barely see their gifts in action. It’s just a lot of hanging out and chatting. These disciples just don’t make for exciting drama watching. If not all of them are the fighting type, at least have Disciple #1 and #2 do some fighting. I really had high expectations.

4. Prince Long Qin - I am not sure how I feel about this character. Is he a true villain? Not really. He just has a different belief system than others and is very stubborn about it. But, he also seems very cartoonish as a character. This character probably is the most difficult to play as Long Qin when first introduced and the Long Qin in the last episode are very different. I think Sun Zu Jun did a decent job.

5. Pizza Hut - I just cannot NOT talk about Pizza Hut. This has got to be the most ridiculous product placement in a historical drama. Once I saw pizzas and wings for the first time in episode 7,, I cannot unsee them in every other scene they show up. I can deal with the snacks but pizzas are just too much for me.

6. Ugly Wigs - What is up with the ugly wigs for all the male characters???


Other Random Observations:
1. Arthur Chen was so young in this drama (about 18 years old). His acting is decent but not quite up to par.
2. I can’t help but stare at Sun Zu Jun’s abs.. The 6-pack looks so toned but fake at the same time.
3. The height difference between Arthur Chen and Ireine Song is just too much to make the romance believable.
4. Love the bromance between Ning Que and Chen Pi Pi.
5. I want to see more of the history and romance between the King and Queen.
6. So surprised to see Leon Lai as the King. I can’t believe he’s changed so much and not the heartthrob that I remember.



Completed: 11/22/2022

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Good pacing and enjoyable, but with Unrealistic ending.

Subjective Rating - 8.5 (exceeds my very low expectations and enjoyable)
Objective Rating - 7.5-8.0

Taiwanese romantic comedies are usually a hit-or-miss to me because I am not quite used to the humor yet. And maybe because of that, I have low expectations for “Falling into You” and am pleasantly surprised that I had a very enjoyable time watching it. “Falling into You” follows the journey of injured and retired Taekwondo champion, Chen Zi Tong (FL).


What I Like:

1. Fang Zhi Sheng (ML) - FZS reminded me of a milder version of the male lead in the K-drama “What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim”. He’s a little over-the-top, narcissistic, petty and childish, but actually very sweet and caring. I was worried that I might not like his character but luckily, I find the humor to be tolerable. I enjoy seeing his character development and how he has become a caring, supportive and understanding boyfriend, yet doesn’t change his personality to always think about money and business (according to him, always a win-win situation for him).

2. Chen Zi Tong (FL) - Independent, competent, hardworking, self-sufficient, and not a damsel in distress. She never gives up on her dream despite life’s tough challenges. She’s not perfect and can be very stubborn. She has changed a lot from when we first met her in the first episode, to the woman she’s become in the last episode. I would have liked to see her cheerful self a little bit more when she’s with ML, but also appreciate the fact that she doesn’t lose herself once she’s in a relationship.

3. Chen Tian Lin/FL’s brother - A tough, dedicated and no nonsense journalist/reporter, who is always trying to find out the truth. Yet when he is with the one he likes, you see the tenderness in his eyes as he gazes lovingly at Yang Qing. I also like the interesting bromance he has with Fang Zhi Sheng.

4. Taekwondo - I think Puff Kuo and Xi Wei Lun did a pretty admirable job in all their taekwondo moves. Of course they are not as good as professionals, but I can see the effort they put in to make sure each punch and kick look as realistic as possible.


What I have Mixed Feelings About:

1. Fang Qing (2FL) - She does not sound or act like a 40 year old woman. She seems like a pretty good teacher and doesn’t teach her children good lessons. But her behavior doesn’t always seem mature, e.g. slapping Chen Tian Lin on the face at the hospital when she doesn’t know anything about him and his family. That was uncalled for and definitely not what a teacher should be doing in front of her student. She also acts like a teenage girl in love most of the time, when she’s already had experience in the romance department. There are times she could have an honest conversation about her feelings, yet she chooses to avoid and lie. I think her high-pitched voice also makes her sound really whiny and young.

2. Romance - Both the primary or secondary romances are enjoyable enough but not great. The chemistry is decent. I wish Chen Zi Tong (FL) can show more emotions and there are more cute and fluffy scenes between the main leads. I think after they get together, they dive right into a mature relationship (which I like as well) but somewhat skip the sweet and fluffy honeymoon phase. That’s partly because the drama needs to focus on the FL’s comeback. I am also a little disappointed in the kisses between the main leads. Luckily, we get a couple steamy kisses from the secondary leads. The male characters are so smitten by the ladies. I always love the loving and secret looks but also would like some more from the female leads.

3. Editing/Storytelling - In the second half of the drama, the editing got weird. Instead of straight storytelling, there are many flashbacks and scenes that are cut short or stopped. The scenes are cut back and forth, and only show enough information to keep it ‘suspenseful’.

**** Spoilers****

4. Unrealistic Ending - For an athlete who is injured and stops training for over 2 years, there’s no way FL can compete at a high level without enough training/prep time. The Olympic qualifying tournament is laughable with a cheap venue and is sparsely attended. In the last match, there’s no way Wu Qian Ni would just stand there and not attack to try to win. But of course, this is Chen Zi Tong’s comeback story and we know she is going to win eventually. Now that she wins and is injured again (possibly unable to compete ever again), what is going to happen to the investment Fang Zhi Sheng has made in her and her mother’s dojang? He spent so much money on them and probably is not going to get his money back.


Other Random Observations:
1. Both male leads have nice six packs. I wish to see them more. LOL
2. The characters in this drama like to secretly record a conversation on their cell phones.
3. We never met Chen Tian Lin’s ex-wife or Gao Yu Qian’s girlfriend.
4. The child actress is cute and does a good job, but her voice is too high-pitched.
5. Love FL’s dad - sweet and caring and reminds me of his role in “A Thousand Goodnights”.



Completed: 11/14/2022

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Interesting general plot but too short

Rating - 7.25

This is an interesting short drama. The general plot is not bad. 3 brothers from different mothers are tasked by their father to locate a potential 4th brother. Each brother is also paired with a love interest. This drama would be better if it's not so short and allows us to dive into more of the brothers; individual family background and stories. However, because it's so short, everything seems somewhat half-finished and rushed.

The acting isn't that great. Just OK. Aside from Korean actor Lee Shi Kang (eldest brother), the rest of the cast is quite new to the industry and doesn't have too many acting gigs under their belt. Though odd, having both Korean and Chinese actors and hearing both languages are quite interesting.

I am most interested in the eldest brother's romance, as it's the least cringey. It's too bad there's not enough time to develop and it ends up him having a personality change at the end of the drama (though they gave us a reason for it). The 2nd brother is clingy and childish, and has a co-dependent relationship with his love interest. The youngest brother's story is the least interesting to me.

Don't expect too much. If you want something quick and easy, this could be interesting. I enjoy this enough to give it a very generous 7.25 rounded up to 7.5. Normally, with this quality of acting, writing and production value, this drama deserves a lower rating.


Completed: 11/7/2022

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“The love in their point of view is based on each other’s happiness.”

Completed: 9/23/2022
Subjective Rating: 8.75 rounding up to 9.0
Objective Rating: 8.0-8.5

Coming into this, I knew this is going to be a tearjerker. I chickened out and chose to watch the movie version, instead of the Korean, Taiwanese or Filipino drama series. I can endure 1.5 hrs, but over 10 hrs would be too much heartbreak for me. Despite somewhat knowing what’s going to happen to the male lead, I decided to watch this (when I am in the mood for it). I am glad tonight is the night. I cried like a baby in the last 20 minutes of this movie.

Surprisingly, this is my first time watching Jasper Liu. He was excellent as K, especially in all the emotional scenes. Took me a little bit to warm up to Cream’s personality but the two of them have great chemistry together. Both orphaned when they were 16 years old, they became each other’s family. Their relationship is so much more than friends or lovers. It’s no wonder they would do everything in their power to make each other happy. Do I agree with their methods? No I don’t, but I can see where they’re coming from. However, bringing an innocent person into their noble idiocy doesn’t seem to be fair.

There’s too much annoying Bonnie in this movie, but maybe she’s part of the Taiwanese comedy charms. I do like cool and sassy Ms Photographer, Cindy. I cried with her during the breakup scene. On the other hand, Mr. Dentist is lacking compared to the other three leads.

I am giving this a high rating because it touched me. The title song “有一種悲傷” (A kind of Sadness) sung by A-Lin and the male version sung by Jasper Liu are both perfect for this movie. This is the second Taiwanese movie that made me cry so much after “Man in Love”. If you enjoy this type of melodrama about an illness, I strongly recommend this movie to you.

Leaving you with a few quotes that perfectly describe the movie:

“If I have a next life, I want to be a ring, a pair of glasses, a bed and a notebook, so that I can always accompany you.”

“The love in their point of view is based on each other’s happiness.”

“If love can be explained, no one in the world will suffer from it.”

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Too Long & Draggy and Not Enough Bossam

Completed - 9/6/2022 - 7.75 rating

Picking this drama is because I was interested in Bossam, kidnapping widows (willingly and unwillingly) and trying to remarry them. That sounds like such an interesting plot, right? Unfortunately, there’s not enough bossam in “Bossam: Steal the Fate”. It was fun for the first couple episodes and then it became just like any other historical drama.

I binge-watched the first 10 episodes, and then got bored and put it on hold when things got political and the setting changed from the village to city. Six months later, I tried to watch this drama again and renewed my interests for about 5 episodes. Unfortunately, the pacing of the drama slows down in the last episodes with repetitive political scheming and not enough action. 20 episodes are way too long for the drama.

The first ⅓ of the drama was interesting enough. We see how a princess adapts to life as a fugitive commoner. There are many funny and touching moments. The romance is slow burn slow, but it’s very sweet in its way. It’s not passionate or steamy but perfectly comfortable because of the leads’ statuses and circumstances. The 2ML is persistent and lovesick. He did turn out to be quite a sad character and I feel bad for him. His love for FL never changes but well, he’s the second male lead so we know he won’t get the girl.

Unfortunately, the drama ended on a negative note for me. I’ve seen similar court politics in many dramas before. I don’t think “Bossam: Steal the Fate” did a particularly good job. Despite really good acting, the plot dragged on and couldn’t hold my attention.

I don’t think I will recommend this drama, unless you are fans of the actors. This drama could have been special and unique if there’s a stronger focus on bossam and peasant life and fewer episodes on court politics.

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Another unique Jdorama - The Morning After - Food for Thought.

Completed - 9/4/2022

This is a very interesting drama and quite hard for me to put a rating on it. When I first read the synopsis and saw that it’s rated R, I expect to see a very sexual, episodic drama with a lot of Japanese flair/uniqueness. Well, I was half correct.

“One Night Morning” could be interpreted as the morning after spending the night together. It’s probably fair to say that I thought all couples in this drama had sex the night before, and then had some type of awkward or passionate breakfast the morning after. However, not all the episodes are sexual. But there’s definitely a lot of food shown in this drama.

One thing common with these 8 stories is that we have very lonely people in this drama. The drama tells us stories of these lonely people and how they find comfort in each other either physically or emotionally. One way or another, they spend the night together and then have breakfast together the next day, all very unique to the story told. Sometimes it’s sexual, sometimes it’s pure and cute, and sometimes it’s supporting and encouraging someone to be the best person they can be.

Most of these episodes can be watched out of order, except for Ep 8. That should be saved for last. Even though the episodes are very short, for some reason, a couple of these stories feel long and slow to me. This is quite an uncommon feeling for a Jdorama for me, as they are usually short and fast-paced.

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Some Exciting twists from a pretty common theme of Superpowers

Completed - 9/1/2022

I found my way to “The Gifted” after checking out the filmography of Nanon (Bad Buddy) and Gun (Not Me). With such a high MDL rating of 8.6 at the time of this review and with these two young actors in it, I am easily persuaded to check it out.

Stories about people with special powers aren't anything ground-breaking. The gifts aka potentials of these high school students are OK and we’ve seen them before. However, I am actually more interested in the side effects of some of these superpowers. I find Punn and Mon’s side effects especially creative. “The Gifted” took time in introducing each student’s potential and story. Some stories are more interesting than others and a couple side plots are predictable. I like the episodes on Punn, Mon, Wave, and Mr. Pom the best. And because of this approach in introducing each student, oftentimes, characters disappear for a few episodes. I definitely forgot who Mon was when it was time for her story and had to wonder who the heck she is. And I hope you don’t get too hung up on the twins as they barely got any screen time. I do not think “The Gifted” did a good job in integrating everyone’s storylines in an exciting manner.

The acting of the main male cast is better than the female cast. I was very impressed with Gun in “Not Me” and I should not be surprised to see that he was very good in “The Gifted”. Without giving out spoilers, let’s just say the way his superpower’s side effects manifested made a very deep impression on me due to his acting. I actually wanted to see more. However, the female cast wasn’t as impressive (at least to me). Claire was not a very likable character in the beginning. Jane’s portrayal of Claire was over-the-top (she did tone down in later episodes). On the other hand, Lilly (Namtarn) and Puimetk (Mon) were a little too bland. Additionally, I am not impressed with the acting of the supporting cast or those with minor roles.

My favorite character is probably Wave, especially after we get to know his backstory. He’s quite adorable when he smiles, but we don’t see that often enough. Despite Gun’s acting, his character Punn, was only interesting during his episode. Other times, he’s not that interesting.

Despite some of the drama’s weaknesses, I had a very enjoyable time. The pacing is good and there are some pretty exciting and intense moments. The mid-term exam and the school shut down incident were both highlights for me. I actually wish the drama is longer to flush out some of the stories, since it’s such a big main cast. If I just rate this on the quality of the drama, I’ll probably give this an 8.0. But adding the somewhat surprising enjoyment factor, I am bumping this to a solid 8.5. I look forward to season 2.

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Mature romance of two broken individuals but comedic moments felt out of place

Completed - 7/16/2022 - 8.25

I was in the mood for a melodrama and mature romance, so I decided to pick this up. I am a big fan of romance dramas, but haven't really watched too many about individuals in their 40s and 50s. This is probably the first one, if memory serves me right.

Plot - Two individuals who met over 10 years ago through chance but only ML remembers what happened. They cross path many more times and eventually meet in present day due to an arranged date by their best friends. This drama slowly reveals when and how they met all those years. At present day, they are two broken individuals who had a tragic past. Trying to move past and to live only for today, they fall in love but it wasn't smooth sailing. I was taken back by the comedic moments in the first 10 episodes of the drama. I actually checked the tags to make sure I am watching a melodrama. Are they funny? Yes ,they are especially because of FL's crazy best friend. But they also feel a little out of place when we are already starting to get snippets of their chance encounters and history, and we know the rest of the drama is not going to be fluffy and happy. I also feel that the drama should have been the standard 16 one-hour episode format, or 32 thirty-minute format. It seems too long and dragged a little.

Romance - I enjoy watching our leads meet, fall in love, work out their misunderstandings and eventually love and support each other. They have great chemistry and as FL said, she wants to live in ML's gaze for a little longer. I agree. ML's gaze is not of sexual desire or passion, but of tender, love and care. They have many funny and cute moments together, but the romance is not intense or passionate. In the last part of the drama, it feels comfortable like a calm, flowing river, despite what they are going through. I guess that's the difference when you watch a couple who are in their 40s.

Supporting Cast - Ye Jin Won as FL's best friend won an award for her role here. She is quite funny and crazy in here. She really likes to speak French and do yoga in her roles. Aside from an annoying teenager, no one is too insufferable. At least the teenager's angst did not last for too long and I do understand where she's coming from. But FL's ex-hubby really need to focus more on his wife than his ex-wife. I don't blame his current wife for being jealous. He cheated on FL and has the audacity to show up in her life ALL the time. Actually both he and his wife should mind their own businesses more. Oh, Yang Cha from "Arthdal Chronicles" is the barista! I finally get to see Ki Do Hoon's face clearly without the mask and he's quite handsome.

Ending - Without giving away spoilers, all I can say is that I am happy with the ending. If we remind ourselves that this drama is about two people falling in love, then I think we can understand why it ends this way. I don't need to know if there will be a miracle, just that they are happy and in love.

Despite not having major flaws in this drama, it doesn't touch me as much as I hoped it would. Maybe it's the comedy or the pacing? I enjoy the acting, romance, and complicated pasts, but it's missing something for me to give it a higher rating. Lastly, I am a fan of Paul Kim and I love the theme song. There's just something about his voice that is so unique and lovely.

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Love Park Hae Jin and the Magic Factory - but the drama fails to excite me.

Completed - 6/23/2022 - 8.25 rounding up to 8.5

This is the third Korean fantasy-romance drama that I watched this month after "Tomorrow" and "A Korean Odyssey". And this drama reminded me of them both, yet it falls short in holding my attention and excitement in comparison to "A Korean Odyssey". There have been many dramas about shamanism + historical pasts, but what sets this drama apart is our star magician, Cha Cha Woong. His larger-than-life personality and showmanship, in addition to his little helpers, are the stars of the show. I don't find any major flaws in this drama, yet upon completion, it doesn't give me the gut feeling of rating this higher than 8.25 (B).

It's great to see Park Hae Jin again after his other not-so-great drama "Forest" (though he was super handsome in it). He was absolutely fantastic as Cha Cha Woong. It's hard to be over-the-top, egoistic and arrogant without being unlikeable and annoying. It's no surprise that we will see how CCW evolves into a better human being by the end of the drama. The transformation is natural, though predictable. Park Hae Jin is able to convey quite a wide range of emotions throughout the drama.

The Magic Factory's employees are so fun to watch. I like their love-hate relationship with CCW and their individual stories. I just wish their stories are more developed throughout the 16 episodes, and not confined to the last few. The scenes of Kpop fan General Choi are so funny. I wonder how long Jung Joon Ho practices Aris' dance moves. The behind-the-scene magic shows are the highlights for me and it's unfortunate after wow-ing us in the first couple episodes, we don't see more of them later.

It took me a couple episodes to start liking our female lead, and I don't think it's Jin Ki Joo's acting. I totally did not recognize her as the female lead in "Come and Hug Me". We do see her character mellows out after a strong and in-your-face introduction. I do like a kickass policewoman who can throw you over her shoulders. Her acting is pretty good, but just not at the level of Park Hae Jin.

I enjoyed the chemistry between the leads when they are partners than when they officially get together. The progression from misunderstanding --> unwilling partners --> friends --> falling in love, is natural and done well. Unfortunately, they got together quite late and the episodes of the sweet couple are cringey. There's just not enough time left by then as the drama needs to quickly turn its focus back to the main plot of dealing with the evil spirit.

The historical aspects of the drama was mainly concentrated on one or two episodes with quick dream sequences and flashbacks here and there. I would have liked to see better storytelling of the past to be intertwined with the present-day storyline.

Overall, I can see why many people love this drama. It just fails to move me or excite/surprise me, unfortunately.

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Cute and sweet romance - easy watch but can be predictable

Completed - 6/17/2022

"Meeting You" is another high school to college drama that China does so well. This is a simple, easy, cute and sweet watch and won't give you too much heartaches or annoyance. What's different in this drama is our ML, who battles and lives with social anxiety all his life. However, he's still the typical genius who is handsome and good with everything.

The plot is simple and somewhat predictable, and sometimes this is just what we need. There's no love triangle, no jealous ex, no miscommunication, no annoying or overly dramatic characters. All characters are pretty likable. Half of the drama takes place in high school and we have the common theme of studying for the college entrance exam that is almost present in any high school C-dramas. The second half takes place in college and there's when the leads get together. This is to be expected as high school romance is frowned upon and never fully blossomed anyway.

Wang Peng is perfect for this role as the super friendly and outgoing Xia Rui. The role is quite similar to her role in "When We Were Young", and her acting met my expectations. Sometimes, I find such characters to be annoying, but luckily, I didn't here. Guo Jun Chen is our super shy but somewhat possessive Nan Xi. I think he does a decent job in portraying this role and there are a few scenes when he's really cute, e.g. when he had his first taste of beer. I couldn't help but laugh out loud. The supporting cast is decent and nothing really to write about, except for the child actors. The little girl who plays young Xia Rui, and the little boy (Jonny Zhang,) who plays Xia Rui's stepbrother are both adorable and hilarious. I do not think the drama is dubbed, so the actors use their own voice. I wonder if it was really Johnny's real voice and live recording, because he has some pretty long and fast line, and his delivery is great.

The pacing of the drama is pretty decent. I do think it could be shortened just a tiny bit, as I was getting bored with the repetitive secondary romance. I also think some scenes are edited out, but I am not quite sure. For example, at the end of one episode, the leads are talking about ML's class and dancing. But at the start of the next episode, FL is moving in ML already. There are not talks about it as it's a pretty good deal. There are a few other minor situations like that.

Other Random Observations:
1. The drinks product placement is a little much.
2. I was not expecting the first kiss to happen that way.
3. Wang Peng is definitely more experienced in kissing on camera than Guo Jun Chen (not that the kisses were amazing).
4. A fellow reviewer, Shiro, mentioned that there are many almost/near kisses in this drama. It's totally true. I think I counted 8.
5. No dubbing - all actors own voices.
6. I personally find the ML's monolog in the last episode to be a little cringey, but others might find it romantic.
7. I am glad we don't see any therapy sessions, because I am sure I would hate them.

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Korean BL drama that spends enough time to develop friendships/relationships

Completed - 4/2/2022

Korean BL dramas tend to be pretty short, so I am glad to see that "Light on Me" is a longer one. And because of that, I feel that there's enough time for the drama to really develop the friendships and the love triangle well. The development feels organic and at a good pace. Most of the time, high school or college BL dramas focus so much on cuteness and fluffiness, that the romance develops way too fast and quite forced. "Light on Me" is able to spend time to let Woo Tae Kyung's character develop and really shows us how he grows from an anti-social loner, to one surrounded by close friends and loved ones.

Speaking of Tae Kyung, I am also happy to see a male lead that is not overly innocent and passive, a doormat or pushover. Although Tae Kyung is quiet, he's honest and will fight back. He's not afraid to speak his mind and thus, avoids any type of miscommunication or lack of communication, esp. when it comes to his relationship with Shin Da on. He wears his heart on his sleeves and really left the ball on Da On's court initially. The dynamic between him and Noh Shin Woo is different. He's not the smitten one, but one that holds the power to dictate how the relationship goes.

On the other hand, due to the longer length of the drama, I also would like to see other small subplots. I want to know more about Shin Da On's family and their family dynamics. What really prompted him to strive so hard to be liked and not be a disappointment. I want to see more about Noh Shin Woo's initial feelings towards Tae Kyung. We were only shown a few quick flashbacks of the initial attraction, but I would have loved to see more and know more of his background story. This drama did a good job in providing enough materials for Tae Kyung's character, but I wanted to know more about the other characters in general.

Acting and production quality seem to be decent. I would say Kang Yoo Seok (who plays Noh Shin Woo) might have the best acting performance out of the bunch. But then, I might also be bias as I think he's the most handsome one in this drama as well. LOL. Acting is not cringey but not always natural. They definitely act better with the more outgoing/friendly/fun scenes, than those that are emotional or require subtle facial expressions.

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Not bad but doesn't live up to the hype - a little too cringy for my taste

Completed - 1/29/22 - rating 8.25

"Hometown Cha Cha Cha" is such a highly rated drama in 2021 that I was hesitant to watch it during all the hype. I was afraid I will be disappointed. Now I can finally say that personally, I don't think it lives up to the hype. I enjoyed the drama for the most part but there are certain things that did bug me.

What I Enjoy:
1. Small town feel - It's a nice change to watch a K-drama sets in a rural area. I've always enjoyed the small town feel as there are way too many dramas that are featured in big cities, tall high rises and fancy decors. I get to enjoy the sceneries from the beach, to the mountain to the view of the ocean. I especially like the houses of our ML and Grandma Kim. I would love to have FL's office view of the ocean when I look out my office window.

2. Romance/Chemistry (first 10 episodes) - Before our leads got together, the romance was a lot more fun. I enjoyed the bickering between our leads and how they get to know each other through mishaps and arguments. Though I am not a big fan of slow-motion accidental falls, I do like side glances. The chemistry was great. During these episodes, we also see two mature adults in their 30s, navigating through life's challenges and communicating openly and somewhat sensibly.

3. Grandma Kim & Zone Chief Yeo - These two ladies are my favorite supporting characters in Gongjin. They are both tough as nails, strong and independent. They don't take nonsense from others and are caring in their own ways. They are the least annoying residents in the whole of Gongjin.

4. I really like the short but touching conversation between FL and 2ML in the coffee shop/bar. I always thought it was an unrequited love on Director Ji's side, but we found out it's actually mutual affection. If only one of them has confessed sooner and the timing is better, we might have a very different story. Anyway, I just like the feels I got when watching them and how kind and honest they are to each other.

What I don't quite enjoy:
1. Romance right after the leads got together. It seems like these 30-year-olds became hormonal and cringy teenagers. What happened to the mature adults we have in the first 10 episodes? Why all the baby talk and whining? Just because you haven't had a relationship in a while doesn't automatically turn you into such annoying people once you fall in love. The relationship could be done in a sweet and cute way without being cringy.
Sorry for the rant. I was really disappointed in the personality change, thus, I can't give this drama a higher rating.

2. Shaky camera work when shooting close-up. There are quite a few scenes that I get dizzy just looking at the actors faces. This only happens on close-up shots, esp. in the beginning and end of the drama. Since I have bad motion sickness, I was quite sensitive.

3. Annoying side characters - The most annoying support character award goes to the loud-mouth gossipmonger, Cho Nam Sook. She's so loud and annoying and I really couldn't stand her spreading rumors about every one. The drama tried to paint a more sympathetic picture on her by telling us of her history. However, I don't buy that. Just because you have a sad past does not give you a pass in spreading rumors and hurting other people. The other Gongjin residents are quite annoying as well. They are just so loud and overly dramatic.

Other observations:
1. First shot/scene of ML - why is he wearing so much lipstick?
2. They overplayed the song "Romantic Sunday" in the first half of the drama.
3. I like the cute and awkward romance between FL's bff and the police officer.
4. I like the adopted family feel of Gongjin, despite the annoying characters.

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