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Completed
Dear My Name
3 people found this review helpful
by Amy
Dec 23, 2019
6 of 6 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.5
This review may contain spoilers
My biggest takeaway about this drama was how short it was. Playlist often likes to release these small stories which leave you wanting more but they're taken as that, short stories. You shouldn't expect a full plot or concrete ending but it is a fun journey watching the drama.

The two part drama focused mainly on the intricacy of a world where your soulmate's name is engraved somewhere on your body. There are that that are unnamed, and that that are named. As Jae Ha faces a crisis about his sexuality slightly, as he mistakes Ji Woo for a guy, the depth of the story grows beyond gender. To me, the main focus was Jae Ha realizing that even if Ji Woo was a guy, he still fell for her regardless of her gender after overcoming that initial fear. It was a nice touch to the story as it also added a comedic factory since Ji Woo is actually a girl. Their initial encounter is quite memorable as it shows how in a world where most people know the names of the soulmates, it doesn't mean that love comes right away for some people. Jae Ha mistook Ji Woo for a guy and thus had this self identity crisis on his sexuality. Ji Woo thought Jae Ha was and then wasn't her soulmate, but still began to realize that even if he wasn't, she still liked him. You throw in Han Kyul for confusion and comedic factor, and its a complete short drama for me.

The drama portrayed the struggles of being named and unnamed, the duality of knowing and actually feeling. Was this drama perfect? No.

However, I think as a short drama to watch on a day inside, it's a cute little story to add to your list.

This has been, Dear My Name.

S/N: Stan B1A4. Jinyoung and Gongchan are becoming my favorite actors as of late. BANA for life.

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Completed
Love Alarm
2 people found this review helpful
by Amy
Sep 19, 2019
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 9.0
This review may contain spoilers
Love Alarm is a hit or miss from its characters to its story line.

To begin with, the story between our three leads, Jo Jo, Sun Oh, and Hye Young is a point of conflict for many people who watch this drama. Jo Jo, a girl who is actually dating someone, is being chased by childhood besties Sun Oh and Hye Young. I personally found that the story was sweet, filled with tons of cheese and cute scenes. The relationship built between Jo Jo is also reflective of her personal story. As someone who had a troubling past and upbringing, she's constantly burdening herself while playing it off around others. She's a Cinderella in some ways, in the sense that her family isn't the best and that she meets her prince charming one day. Although the story line of Love Alarm seems basic and cute on the surface, it dives deep into the actual consequences of what an app like Love Alarm would do to a person. It intertwines a story of love with the shadow of darkness to what it means to ring, or not ring someone's Love Alarm. The time progression is steady, with some points being rushed but I could understand that due to the constraint of so little episodes to develop it all. Even with their near hour length, Love Alarm is face paced in some ways also, constantly keeping the story going. Although I don't like filler, I don't like rushing so it was conflicting for me. The key point is the split between their high school-days, and the time skip which happens 4 years later on. The gap shows the personal growth of all three of our main characters, from their highs to their all time lows. It's what also keeps you on the edge of your seat as it also ends on a cliffhanger.

Kim So Hyun has never disappointed me personally, and I loved her as Jo Jo in this drama. She always gets the main parts of the character and as Jo Jo, she knew how to convey the turning points of Jo Jo's story. This was my first drama with Song Kang and Jung Ga Ram but I equally enjoyed their performances as the charismatic yet cold Sun Oh, and the shy and awkward Hye Young. Shin Seung Oh, who also played a 2nd lead character, is from A-TEEN, the web drama which you should also check out. Lee Se Jin from PDX101 was also cute as a little cameo in this film, so support our future acting boy.

The music was gentle and soft, but also strong in the message that went along with the mood of the scene. I personally saved the soundtrack off of Spotify because I loved it so much so give it a listen if you're interested.

I would definitely watch Love Alarm again, even if it meant going through that roller coaster of emotions. For me, Love Alarm is a ringing that resonates beyond words.

This has been, Love Alarm.

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Completed
The King’s Avatar
9 people found this review helpful
by Amy
Sep 19, 2019
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 9.5
This review may contain spoilers
Although I've never seen any of the base material for the live-action drama, as a stand alone, it's just as amazing.

I haven't seen any e-sports dramas like this, if any at all. The biggest beauty of the King's Avatar is that it's so intricately complex in terms of character arcs. Our main lead, Ye Xiu has been a gamer ever since his childhood, and is known by his stage name as Ye Qiu (which also gets clearer later on within the drama). As the top player of a game called Glory, he's the captain of the Jiashi team, which has predominantly beaten the other teams in competitions for the past few years. Although it's not romance focused, there's a bond that's formed between Ye Xiu and the three female leads, the bond through Glory. Glory is the intricate weaving that connects everyone in this drama, which is further proving that games truly connect us all in some shape or form. His redemption story begins, and you can see that Ye Xiu begins to learn more about the real world, one that he often ignored due to the immersion in the virtual world of Glory. His story plot follows the cliche redemption path but you can tell that the effort given into it is what makes it so unique. As a player that is considered a veteran and should be retiring, Ye Xiu aims to find Glory once more. His main path to finding it is surrounded by allies, players that have faced him over the years, and enemies that block his path. Ye Xiu's story becomes everyone's story in its own special way, his journey being shared by many of his friends and family.

In terms of the cast, I don't think this drama could've been executed if it weren't for Yang Yang in a way. He just seemed perfect for the role in my mind. However, this is a review not based on other material (which I know there is) so I could be biased due to my Love O2O days, another drama you should check out. I can also attest to the fact that everyone had their own charisma that they brought to the character. This also had to be the most handsome league of players I've ever seen, because honestly, every team had an attractive player, both male and female. Ye Xiu had my heart, but then he shared it with Yi Fan, An Wen Yi, Yu Wen Zhou (a personal favorite), and many more other characters. I also found the three main female leads to be super cute in their own unique ways, my favorite probably going to Tang Rou just because she's also got an interesting story arc.

I was also stuck singing the opening song from this drama for a whole week, so I had to give it a high score for music. It was a general soundtrack, but nothing that made my ears bleed, so I'm satisfied in that department.

If I were to re-watch King's Avatar, I would probably skip most of the beginning episodes since I know what happens and I find it less entertaining that the show after the first few, but I would love watching it again in general.

King's Avatar is the path to finding Glory, even when you think you've strayed too far off.

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Completed
Unrequited Love
1 people found this review helpful
by Amy
Jul 25, 2019
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.5
This review may contain spoilers
I do want to put a disclaimer that you should probably watch the drama if you're that interested to form your own opinion. This is simply mine.

*I was upset with the lack of quality as I noticed many errors throughout the drama itself. However, I do think its reasonable since it wasn't an extremely funded project (at least to my knowledge).*

To begin with, the story revolves around a lonely girl named Luo Zhi. LZ isn't really the most popular, but she begins to form a mysterious bond with a boy from her grade. Insert our other main lead, Sheng Huainan. He's highly liked by his classmates and is intrigued when he unknowingly meets LZ. Through this encounter, their entangled story begins and continues onto their college days. The drama follows their story more as they're in college, but it does reference their interactions during high school a lot and it supports the somewhat okay plot. I can't completely say that this plot was the best, but I've surely seen worse. It was more of the story that kept me going on this drama. LZ, as a girl who has liked a guy for so long, continues to face the highs and lows of it. More than that, she grows as a person who becomes independent yet still attached to her roots. Her story was the more satisfying parts of this drama as it shows a development in her for sure, but I still felt that the ending could've been more realistic in some sense. I'll discuss that later on. SH, a boy who goes from having it all to finally realizing the one thing he never knew he had is a character that is certainly complex but also flat in a way for me. His development is more of a plateau but it does have its spikes throughout the drama. I'm using plot as the direction of whoever directed / wrote the drama and story as the actual character's experience as the two seem different in comparison. Plot wise, it was lacking and stretched at most points but it wasn't entirely boring either. I think if you get invested into the characters, the plot can be forgiven slightly.

I think the chemistry was cute once it got going. Overall, I think LZ was SH were portrayed nicely but I do think the acting itself could've been better at some points. These are mostly the scenes were the tension is being built but it falls through due to dialogue / other reasons. I do like the cast overall since they fit the college look much more than if this story was in high school. The kissing was awkward but I do commend them for having a decent one at least once throughout the drama.

Music was nice, nothing too boring. It was replayed a lot though I guess due to the lack of a big soundtrack since I started to memorize the progression of certain background music. I did like the opening song as it was definitely my style for Chinese dramas to have as an OST. As for re watching, I would only focus on the main episodes where main story points are included. I wouldn't watch the whole thing over.

The best point of this drama is the story of Luo Zhi to me. It showed vulnerability and strength in her story and I liked it the most out of the drama's key points.

This has been Unrequited Love.

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Completed
Nice to Meet You
1 people found this review helpful
by Amy
Apr 12, 2019
53 of 53 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
This review may contain spoilers
Disclaimer: I'll try to put spoilers towards the end of this review

At first, I can tell you that if you're the person who liked Because of You (or Jang Bo Ri is Here, the Korean title) then you'll probably like this one. I'm usually fond of dramas revolving around these family trades like embroidery or in this case jewelry designing.

Overall, I think the story followed a good base for a drama. It has the biggest family drama I've seen with the bonus of twice the misunderstandings. Yu Zhi and Gao Jie meet in the jungle but their love story goes on for the whole 53 episodes on a roller coaster. From family drama and vicious love rivals, they face quite a lot. At one point, I'm pretty sure I broke down cause I didn't believe the stuff they went through...with half the drama to go. I do think the plot points are catered to mirror Because of You and those types of dramas with competition between the main and second lead the goes deep (like the generation before them deep) and it often has the final eggs in a basket thing where winner takes all at the end. Aside from Gao Jie and Gao Hui's messy relationship, we also dive into the relationship of their parents and other people involved with them. Mu Zi Yun, Gao Jie's aunt, is a key player in this drama as the advocate for "I did this for you but ended up hurting you in some shape" which I can understand actually. The character development is also noted for me cause it shows it in almost all the characters (which is another bonus of these types of dramas). I mainly say this for Yu Zhi cause there is a point in the drama where you can see that his character has come so far, especially for Gao Jie.

Acting wise, I think the chemistry was quite rocking between Yu Zhi and Gao Jie. I also loved seeing Melody Tang (she was in Fifteen Years of Migratory Birds, check it out!) as the second lead that rivals Gao Jie. She made me hate her character which is what I applaud honestly. Spectacular acting from Gao Jie's mom as her character suffers from amnesia throughout and its certain scenes which she portrays this that make you tear up.

In terms of music, I think it was quite catchy. I've also linked my favorite song from this drama, a song that I think really expresses the feelings well of the characters at certain points in the story.

< https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaWN_tg78l0 >

Would I re-watch this drama? Maybe the key parts but definitely not the whole thing. As a 53 episode drama, it was dragging me at times but it was still overall watchable. Nothing too boring or spaced out. I think it's a drama where I'll refresh my memory on what happened rather than watch the whole thing.

This has been Nice to Meet You.

To conclude, I'll be adding some points that I wish was different. These are spoilers, so you've been warned!

- They kind of pushed this whole thing in a way that blames the aunt more than her husband (Yu Zhi's) dad which is what I hated. They do get closure but I wish it wasn't just so one-sided.
- Between Gao Jie and Gao Hui, I do wish Gao Hui showed more empathy earlier on instead of treading so selfishly, which she does get called out for. I mean she does realize her mistake which is what makes this ending similar to Because of You but I wish they showed more of her ending like what happened between her and Yu Zhi.
- There was thing time gap sort of that I think they could've added more shots of instead of dragging on the whole competition honestly.

This is just beef I had with the drama in my opinion, so take it with a grain of salt.

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Completed
Good Bye, My Princess
2 people found this review helpful
by Amy
Apr 5, 2019
52 of 52 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 9.0
This review may contain spoilers
Goodbye My Princess was truly a drama that captivates you from the moment you start watching it, here's why.

My review will be more in depth and may contain spoilers throughout but I will try to avoid them until the very end of this review.

Disclaimer: I almost NEVER wait for dramas since I prefer bingeing them or waiting until they have more episodes but I didn't miss a week of this drama (even during my midterms) cause it's so constantly moving. There was never a dull moment. I also cried a whole bucket of tears from this drama but that's expected if you can take away hints about the story. If not, I recommend tissues if you find yourself spontaneously crying from dramas.

Xiao Feng, our leading lady is the 9th Princess of a rival nation to Li Cheng Yin's, the prince of his nation as well. It's odd because they weren't originally even paired up from the start, but it's their story that invokes so many emotions throughout this drama. The story line is essentially split into two parts (the details of which I will spare but it is a sort of warning) between the two main leads. It's interesting since the only other time I've encountered this was Untouchable Lovers. As a historical drama, it's got your main ingredients: drama within the palace, love rivals, revenge plots and plain old scheming. It's all of these elements that Xiao Feng and Li Cheng Yin have to face in the midst of their relationship. In that sense, you get the equation for your typical historical drama. However, Goodbye My Princess wasn't a typical drama to me at least. I think that's due to the two settings within the drama, kind of two separate lives that are connected by their involuntary fate with each other. Xiao Feng and Li Cheng Yin just have this destiny to them that you want to see completely, you just crave their ending more than anything because it's so well-developed. I won't spoil or talk about specifics or the whole plot, but I think it's something you have to experience yourself. I for one was enchanted by the writing, cinematography and story. (Also, the side characters are important for sure in their developments as characters but I think the focus of their story is the main dish for sure. Shoutout to Gu Jian who almost gave me 2nd lead syndrome)

Aside from story, I do have to give props to the acting. It was beyond amazing the chemistry you see between Cheng Xing Wu (Li Cheng Yin) and Peng Xiao Ran (Xiao Feng) through the whole drama. They captivated that feeling of love, the kind that makes you want to watch the drama more, through their looks and superb acting. I was also enamored by the acting of Najima, who played A'Du, the closest friend of Xiao Feng (almost sisters to be honest). Her acting was quite impressive to me between the way that she doesn't even need to really talk to convey her acting. It was a splendid cast, and even though she's not listed at the moment of this review, the actress for SeSe (who I believe is Xia Wa) played a perfect love rival to Xiao Feng.

Now as many of you may be familiar with, we have the OSTs. The songs that we either skip after hearing it once or listen to it every time it's played. I do find the opening song for the drama to be compelling almost, it really sets the mood of the drama, especially the initial setting of it. I did happen to hear the version that was sang by the main leads (the one in the drama is sung by another duo) and it just made me fall in love with this drama more. I recommend you listen to it if you like the ballad type OSTs and are the person to check them out.

Would I re-watch this drama? Definitely. I would focus on more parts than others but I do think it's worth the re-watch. I can totally see myself getting into my feels even after watching it for a second time.

Between us, it's Scarlet Heart Ryeo level for me. It may be a drama some people hate / like but it's a sure as hell amazing Korean historical drama and it's what got me into historical ones so check it out if you haven't. IU plays the main role amazingly.

This has been Goodbye My Princess. If this review doesn't make you slightly want to watch it, I implore you to watch at least the first few episodes to make a judgement call.

(Also, I know there were videos that I saw briefly about other endings but I do think it's better to watch those post the 52 episodes.)

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Completed
Because of Meeting You
1 people found this review helpful
by Amy
Mar 14, 2019
56 of 56 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
This review may contain spoilers
Welcome. It's a long ride ahead so buckle yourself in.

(I finished this drama within the span of two days so let's get it out there shall we?)

To begin, I did watch the original, Jang Bo Ri, which is the Korean parent story of this drama a loooong time ago. I do think that most of the story was the same / similar but Because of You did have many differences in a way.

I do love me some Sun Yi and Deng Lun (who were both in Fifteen Years to Wait for Migratory Birds, check it out) so the chemistry between their characters was cute and funny. As Guo Guo aka Yi Bei grows up in the harsh hierarchy where her mother favors her evil sister, she's begins to find her passion in embroidery. Her evil sister, Yu Xin was just as compelling as the evil sister from Jang Bo Ri, which I always liked. Living in a small village and selling wontons isn't the dream life for Guo Guo, but her love interest aka Yun Kai keeps it fresh and upbeat. There are minor bumps that come from this initial meeting but endgame, we know all know they end up. It's also the little connections between each person in this drama that made it so interesting to watch. Even though this is technically my second time if we're counting Jang Bo Ri. Between her sister, her brother-in-law, and the whole wacky story going on between their families, it's a ride you don't wanna miss.

Now as stated, I am a HUGE Sun Yi fan after watching Fifteen Years. I also recently watched Sweet Dreams where Deng Lun plays opposite Dilraba Dilmurat (yes I know, Sweet Dreams came out after this one, I'm late), another good watch. Overall, I'm big fans of the main leads and I also became big fans of other actors in this drama. I really do applaud her aunt for acting her guts out, and for her biological mother to play the villain that you kind of eventually come to forgive in the end.

The soundtrack was quite catchy, especially the opening song, so I don't mind it. If anything it was a nice and basic OST that I think you should listen through at least once if you're the type to skip the openings (which I think most of us are).

I would totally rewatch this drama if I had the chance, even over Jang Bo Ri. I love Oh Yeon Seo but the Chinese remake seems to flow better and faster than the Korean one. It felt more continuous and less of filler content.

I do wish that the Chinese drama did one thing which is the ending, so SPOILER AHEAD.

The ending in Jang Bo Ri was completely different to the one they showed in Becasue of You. You find out that in the end, the evil sister is forever scarred due to her burns and returns to run the restaurant. She's living the life that her sister had to live which sucked. However, in this version, we really don't see what happens to her which is kind of what you want to see. The Korean ver. shows how she's "repenting" for what she's done more and this version kind of leaves her future hanging. That's really the only thing I didn't like in terms of the ending.

This has been Because of You.

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Completed
The Smile Has Left Your Eyes
1 people found this review helpful
by Amy
Jan 16, 2019
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 9.0
*Y'all better buckle in your seat belts cause this is a long overdue review for this drama.*

Holy lord this story does not disappoint. I didn't watch the original Japanese version but boy was this version a ride. It kept you on your toes every step of the story between the mysterious plot of mysterious murder, Moo Young's past, the blooming relationship between Moo Young and Jin Kang and even the brotherly protection that Jin Gook has over his little sister. Not to mention how the whole plot just made you want to watch more (I finished this drama roughly within a day...). The connection between Moo Young and Jin Kang is more than what meets the eye and the layers underneath it all really make you go crazy on how you missed it. The little details that reveal themselves through multiple characters are nicely fit into each piece of the story. There's also the dark undertone of the story as the murder case is opened wide and everyone is in the crosshairs of Jin Gook's side investigation, Moo Young included. You also see this brotherly and sisterly love that Jin Kang and Jin Gook share and how their relationship has been over the years. The appearance of Moo Young is truly what changes their lives, whether it be by chance or not. It's a crazy thriller that non-stop makes you wonder what will happen next. The drama does have it sweet small filler moments but barely anything that a whole episode worth, the main story is always the focus as it should be. I don't think it's even possible to go into depth with the story without spoiling it, so I won't. (You'll understand if you watch it)

I was so hyped to see Seo In Guk acting again. I had always loved his characters as he just fits into the acting world to me. I mean, he perfected the role of Moo Young so well that I almost forgot it was a drama (plus his voice is so nice, check out his music). Not to mention how well he got the dark side of Moo Young's character, which I respect him for even more. I had never seen a drama with Jung So Min, but I was also quite impressed with her performance of her character as Jin Kang and I will surely be keeping my eye out for her now that I've seen how well she can act. I tried keeping my expectations low for the drama since I didn't want to get too invested but I couldn't help it with the cast. I mean Park Sung Woong as the brother was phenomenal. His character was intense yet overprotective, but he showed it flawlessly, even in some scenes where he didn't even talk.

Now music wise I was thoroughly enjoying it throughout the drama. The songs that I liked the most were Star by Seo In Guk and Jung So Min themselves & Lost by An Ji Yeon. It really hit the heart feels right at the crucial moments and you can't help but feel more emotion in the scenes where the music does play. They're definitely on my playlist now but I suggest that you listen to it yourself to see how you like it.

Overall, I would watch this drama over and over again just to remind myself of the crazy ride it was. It's a drama that I honestly don't want to forget the main details of, which is a short list of dramas for me (with the others being Scarlet Heart Ryeo, A Korean Odyssey, and Strong Woman Do Bong Soon).

This has been "The Smile Has Left Your Eyes".

(I did like the title, Hundred Million Stars From The Sky a little bit more but it seems most people know it as the one mentioned above.)

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Completed
Accidentally in Love
0 people found this review helpful
by Amy
Nov 6, 2018
30 of 30 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
This review may contain spoilers
To begin, the story is quite cute and funny as the main characters spiral into this story. For Qing Qing, she's stuck in this alternate persona that parallels her actual life by dressing herself to be ugly. With that, I kind of have always hated that girls are suddenly unattractive because they have glasses, curly hair and freckles, but I do like that the Situ Feng falls in love with that version of her anyways. Although the story was mainly about the two, Qing Qing and Situ Feng, I also fell in love with the stories of the side characters, especially in this drama. As the story progresses, you feel angst, joy, and a little bud in your heart from this story. Its surely one that I won't easily forget but it does have the regular cliches that every drama has. For example, there's another girl/guy who presents a conflict in the relationship of the main characters, or something as pursing their career. Nonetheless, it's quite unique in its quirks and nuances.

Onto the cast, I FELT the chemistry in this drama. Not only through the main leads but also through the side characters. Overall, I'm in love with this cast. I felt that Sun Yi Ning and Guo Fiction portrayed their roles well and did a good job all in all. They had the little clicks throughout the drama that really sold it for me but it's not super sparky chemistry that I've seen in other dramas. I did overall like the tone for the cast and how they portrayed their characters, regardless of whether I liked the character itself.

I will admit that the music popped out to me in this drama mainly cause they built on the concept that the main lead was a singer after all. It did have a few catchy songs that I think are worth the stream (this is based on my taste in music so I would say give it a try just to see).

Would I re-watch this drama? Probably. I feel like I would for sure watch the heart clenching parts and the scenes that I think you just have to watch again but probably not the whole 30 episodes. I finished the drama pretty quickly but for me, finding the spare time was hard and this is more of a lighter drama than those where I've watch 50 episodes and up.

To end, this drama will make you fall in love with the drama itself. This has been Accidentally in Love.

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Completed
Devilish Joy
4 people found this review helpful
by Amy
Oct 27, 2018
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
Devilish Joy is truly the epitome of a romance drama. Our main characters, Ki Beum and Ma Sung end up falling in love after a day together, but it doesn't truly blossom until they meet again three years later. I think the plot is unique and full of cliches in its own way, one that I enjoyed. This is of course coming from a person who lives off of cliche romance dramas, so don't be surprised if you're one of the people that rank this drama on the lower scale. To me however, Devilish Joy presented their story interestingly, one that would draw me into this drama further. Note, the drama was beautifully produced and edited, as some scenes just really take your breath away in awe.

(SN: I was close to crying on this one but held back the tears cause I was accustomed to the angst of dramas. Just a warning if you're a little softhearted.)

Boy oh boy did I love this cast. First of all, I have seen a numerous amount of dramas starring Song Ha Yoon, but never really one where the entire drama was focused on her in a way (You can bet I will now). I also found it cute that she ended up working on another drama with Kim Ji Young, who was with her in My Daughter Geum Sa Wol (Another banging drama). Somehow, I hadn't really seen Choi Jin Hyuk's acting much, as I've found myself missing out on the dramas that he's been in. I do admit, their chemistry was really nice to see in this drama as their kissing scenes were also quite impressive too if I do say so myself.

Music wise, I usually don't pay much attention to the songs that play in a drama such as OSTs unless they're really good, but I did like Ha Yoon's song that she sang in this drama. Overall, it's a pretty average OST pack for me on this drama.

Would I re-watch this drama? Only the juicy episodes. For me, not all episodes are needed in my opinion to refresh my mind on the story, nor did they have much interesting content in my opinion.

This has been Devilish Joy.

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Completed
Moonshine and Valentine
0 people found this review helpful
by Amy
Aug 22, 2018
25 of 25 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
Moonshine and Valentine, or otherwise known as His Excellency's First Love isn't a perfect story, but it's better than what I expected at least.

The story overall isn't smooth in transition and plot. There are a lot of bumps in the plot that often make it confusing to understand or just simply hard to believe that the drama you're watching is still considered the same one. However, I think many aspects such as the main idea of the story makes up for most of these holes in the plot. As Guan Pi Pi is thrown into the world of foxes, He Lan is reunited with his lover that faces an early death and is reincarnated later on. The cycle continues viciously for the two lovers and its refreshing to see that in this lifetime their love isn't as easy to obtain. I do think that the beginning of the show is more stable than the rest, as it does kind of get odd around that point. It's not the best plot I've seen while watching dramas, but I've seen worse. I think what saved this drama for me is that it stuck with its initial intent to focus on their love story, which it mainly did. This isn't the case as they're constant misunderstandings and forces that plot against them but it's nothing that's too off course from the main story. I did like the overall bow on top between the small side stories and such that were probably more stable than the main plot in my opinion (such as Xiao Ju's story or even Qian Hua's).

For the cast, I can't say I didn't love them cause I absolutely fell in love with them. Victoria does an amazing portrayal of her character and I can't say that she didn't impress me with her acting in this drama. There's also her male co-star, Johnny Huang, who also blew me away with his acting. I mean, their chemistry? To me it was what saved the drama (again, this is my first time seeing BOTH of their work). I think the side characters of the drama also performed a good job throughout as they navigate you through their own story.

The music wasn't really in your face due to the opening sequence being narration (which was something I found odd since not many, if any, shows do that) but it's still nice and subtle throughout the drama. For my music preference, nothing really stood out to me but nothing made me want to rip my ears off. That's just my music preference though.

Would I watch this drama again? Probably only some parts of it. I would skip the filler material of the drama as I did want to focus more on the main story, not that I didn't enjoy the stories of the other characters. If I truly wanted to relive the whole drama, I probably would if I had time.

This has been The Love Knot: His Excellency's First Love.

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Ongoing 52/54
Untouchable Lovers
4 people found this review helpful
by Amy
Aug 9, 2018
52 of 54 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.5
To begin this review, I'd like to preface it by saying that although I am not usually one to take upon 52 episodes lightly, Untouchable Lovers was worth every minute I spent watching it.

To me, this story never has a dull moment. Which for some is either good or bad. It doesn't stop the drama for filler material much and is consistently delivering the plot. Chuyu and Rong Zhi are fated yet also star-crossed with each other. As the initial story takes place, you're wrapped around their relationship and how it develops so deeply in their initial meeting. The thing about Untouchable Lovers is that it's almost two plots wrapped in one. Due to their fate, they end up separated from each other, left with no memories of the other person. It's also this same fate that brings them back together and dictates their ending. At one point, I found myself slightly confused on what had happened as the plot shifted until I realized that their story is never ending. It's the complexity of their relationship and their history together that really draws you into their story. The story doesn't just focus on their love but also the enemies and allies they encounter in their lives throughout the plot. It depicts a brutal picture of what lies and backstabbing you encounter in such a place, the royal palace. You fall in love with almost every character and you hate a bunch of them also. It's a rollercoaster ride that doesn't stop until the very last minute of the drama and in my opinion, one of the best plots I've watched in a while. The one thing I did dislike was how the stories of some characters ended, from both the initial story and the secondary story (I prefer to break them up). However, I did like how cohesive the picture came to and how well produced this drama was in the end.

The actors/actresses were amazing in this drama. Some of them even played various roles that are completely opposite to the other. It's truly an amazing cast that makes you fall in love with both their role and the actor/actress themselves. I personally enjoyed the performance by Guan Gabrielle and Song Wei Long. To play the roles of Chuyu and Rong Zhi is no easy thing in my opinion, especially with how detailed this drama is. I will also admit that I was the person who watched Oh! My Emperor before Untouchable Lovers so to see Zhao Lusi in another historical drama with such an opposite role to Oh! My Emperor was refreshing. I will definitely be on the look out for more works from the cast of Untouchable Lovers after their impactful performance that I witnessed throughout the drama.

(Oh! My Emperor is another good drama that I recommend. It has slight holes and such but it's overall well done.)

It's been a while since I've said anything about music in dramas. That's mainly because to me, they're neither good nor bad most of the time. Untouchable Lovers, however, has such an amazing soundtrack that I couldn't help myself. Please note that taste in music may differ but in my honest opinion, the selection for the songs at the beginning and end was one of the best. The music really applies to the story itself and invokes this feeling that pairs well with the plot. I recommend that you check them out.

Finally, I would surely watch this drama again if you asked me to. It's one of those dramas that you just can't forget easily and you don't want to so you therefore watch it again to make sure you don't. If that doesn't make sense, then maybe you haven't found a drama that's worth the rewatch.

That is why I recommend this drama to anyone who is a fan of the genre. You don't have to though, it's a drama made for anyone that wants to watch it, which you should. This is all based on my opinion of the drama so it may differ from any opinions you have, watch it and find out.

This has been Untouchable Lovers.

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Completed
Switched
1 people found this review helpful
by Amy
Aug 8, 2018
6 of 6 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.5
To love someone for their appearance, or to love them for what's on the inside. Switched is the story that follows the lives of four teenagers who face something they'd never thought possible.

To me, I personally enjoyed the storyline of Switched beyond what I thought. When I first saw the preview of the drama, I was immediately interested on how they story would progress from the switch. The switch I'm referring to is the one between Umine and Ayumi. To Umine, Ayumi has everything that she's ever wanted to have, the perfect life in her eyes. With that in mind, she comes up with the plan to switch bodies with Ayumi, and she succeeds. The storyline follows Umine as she lives in Ayumi's body and how Ayumi adjusts to the sudden change in her life from the switch. This is the part where you add the high school love interest, or shall I say interests. Kaga and Koushirou are Ayumi's friends yet it's Umine in her body now. All throughout the story, you empathize with all four of the main characters in some way. The reason why the storyline of Switched connected with me so much is because I feel like at one point in your life, you do wish to be someone else. However, the story shows that the inside does matter, even taking appearances in. It depicts this beautiful story that connects the characters in a way they'd never thought possible. I do think it's truly one of the most eye opening dramas I've watched in a while in terms of the moral of the story. The outside doesn't always matter as long as you're still you.

(I really wanna say more but I don't think spoiling the entire plot is fair. Therefore, check it out.)

The acting is beyond amazing in this drama. I didn't really have any expectations on the quality of the acting but it truly knocked me off of my feet. Imagine playing two completely different characters or portraying a whole different personality. I really must applaud the two main girls of the story, Kiyohara Kaya and Tomita Miu. I think it's only appropriate to compliment their male counterparts for a well-done performance also as I was also a victim to the charming Kamiyama Tomohiro and Shigeoka Daiki. They all are beyond amazing in Switched and I couldn't be more impressed with their acting.

I usually don't have much to say for music and this drama isn't much different. It has a catchy opening song that I found myself humming to often times but it's also not the worst music in my opinion. Of course, my taste in music varies from yours so I do suggest you give it a listen.

As always, I highly suggest that you deduct your own opinions by watching this drama yourself. I will say that it's pretty dang good as far as dramas go and it's surely worth rewatching. The actors/actresses, the storyline, and the overall tone and moral of Switched is what makes you fall in love with it, inside and out. Again, this is based off of my opinions from watching the drama and not everyone will like it as much as me, but you'll never know until you watch it.

This has been Switched.

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Completed
Our Times
1 people found this review helpful
by Amy
Jul 31, 2018
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 9.0
Our Times is your typical romance movie, just with a little bit extra on top that really adds to the overall movie.

As Lin chases the popular guy of her school, fate brings her to Tsu, the "bad gangster" of the movie. The first thing that really caught my eye was how the whole story connected between the lines as the plot progressed. Lin is nothing special in her eyes, but to Tsu, she's the girl he'd thought he'd never want to be with. As they both chase the popular kids, they also find themselves forming a bong between each other. It does hit some heartbreak worthy notes, especially as the story wraps up, but I think it really paints this beautiful picture of unexpected love. They both started out fighting for their crushes without realizing how much they got to know each other throughout. It's a romance that you see a thousand times in movies, but this one is just special. It's not every movie where you feel the emotions (at least for me) you feel while watching this one. Although it has its cliches, there's also a subtle touch that makes it different.

I loved the cast of this drama, mainly the "younger" versions as they're portrayed more than the older ones. I do think the choice to use two sets of actors for the same characters worked out in terms of realistic aging. I also enjoyed how each actor executed the role, especially the main leads. Their acting was pretty good in my opinion, but then again, I'm no professional in terms of criticism. I just enjoyed their acting.

The music, as always, is good. It's not the worst songs I've heard but nothing worthy of adding to my music library. This is just me though and my music tastes.

Would I watch this cheesy movie again? Over and over. It's too beautiful to watch once in my opinion, and properly portrays the feeling of love in a new way. A love that lasts years.

I wouldn't force you to watch this movie but I highly suggest it for the romance movie goers. It's simple, sweet, and surpasses any expectations I had going into it.

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Completed
100-manen no Onna-tachi
8 people found this review helpful
by Amy
Jul 28, 2018
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 9.5
This review may contain spoilers
Million Yen Women is the drama that completely ate me up which resulted in binge watching it in one day. Here's why:

The story which revolves around Shin, an underrated novelist, who finds himself living with 5 estranged women that all pay him a million yen for rent each month. Each woman was offered a vague invitation and now find themselves living under specific rules with each other. On the surface, Million Yen Women never really appealed to me. I was never the type to go for this kind of drama you could say so when I started watching it for fun, it became obvious that I couldn't finish watching it until I knew the ending to their story. Million Yen Women may be different to what you would watch, or maybe it's right up your alley. Either way, it's a story that dives deeper than what I could possibly imagine, ever. The intricacy of each character's story and how it all becomes part of this big cohesive one is addicting. At first, I didn't think much of this drama. However, by the time I was finished, it opened up so many emotions that I couldn't believe that I didn't watch it sooner. It's not a story that ends at one point, but continues on. Shin, Hitomi, Minami, Yuki, Nanaka and Midori all leave this impact on you as a viewer that you just can't shake off no matter what. Each one of them have their own ideals and personalities that just add to your addiction for this drama. So therefore I must say that Million Yen Women is not easily a story that can be summarized without spoilers. Hence, I wholeheartedly recommend this drama to you.

Now, the acting in this drama has been one of my favorites for a while. Each actor/actress is able to take control of their respective characters so easily and compellingly. Their overall performance completely blew me away. I'm sure it's not as easy as it seems to play some of the characters, such as Minami or Yuki. That being said, I really enjoyed the tone they were able to set throughout this drama. Some pretty dang good acting? Present for Million Yen Women.

I never really thought about the music but it really does paint the backdrop for the drama itself. The certain songs and background music really added the suspense and emotion to the drama. It's some pretty good music in my opinion, nothing that'll make you want to rip your ears off (or so I hope).

Of course, I will be rewatching Million Yen Women in the future. After the initial viewing has saturated into me, I'm more than likely to watch it again to re-live everything I experienced the first time. Of course it'll be different which can either be good or bad depending on how you see it as, but I like to think that now that I know the ending and how the story plays out, it'll add a different experience.

I can't say much more about this drama without giving away spoilers in my opinion. The complexity and rawness of the story can only be truly known if you watch it, which you should. From a drama lover to review reader, take my word on this one.

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