Reviews

Would highly suggest this drama to anyone who is searching for a good Sageuk. Was wonderful from the very first episode to the last episode with no annoying slow filler episodes in between.

The plot for the story was very tightly written so there are no huge holes or what the heck moments to deal with. It was also a great romance as well as providing the viewer with great historical context. If you are looking for a historical drama to watch this would be my #1 suggested drama.

Also the episodes are short so the 108 episode count is misleading. It is not at all a hard drama to get through.

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You'll fall in love with it slowly

when I started this series I rly liked the synopsis and the little twists and turns of the story
and now after completing, it almost feels magical , I always loved this actor but felt like he needed a story and a partner that matches his emotions in the same way he does every time.
I finally found it , the actress rly did such a great job portraying the FL's emotions the story rly suited them ( it was my first time watching her drama)
I loved the pacing of it as well, contrary to popular believes that it was too slow , it's just the right amount for an introvert I do connect with them they're rly so cute together and perfectly matched each other.
the post credit scenes after most of the episodes were just as beautiful
the side characters and their story were so good as well not too weird characters just the right amount
even the SML was adorable
I consider it a rly wholesome comfort watch for when I needed the most
waiting everyday for episodes to release was a joy in itself

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Money Flower is in a class all its own as it follows Attorney Kang Pil Joo on his war torn path to avenge his family. Coming from a humble upbringing Pil Joo finds himself the Jang’s Dog, a valuable asset and mentor to Jang Boo Cheon. Boo Cheon, the grandson of Cheong Ah’s Honorary Chairman Jang, has fallen out of favor in recent years due to his cavalierness and lack of business savvy. As the underdog, Kang Pil Joo will do anything to see to it that Boo Cheon will be next to gain political power among the Jangs.

Money Flower paints a very interesting story about the Jang’s familial power struggle. Everyone has their own motives and agenda. Though this drama falls into the typical makjang, revenge category, the execution is beyond anything I’ve ever watched before.

The ability this drama has to deliver an intense, plot heavy story week over week is admirable. Characters are calculating, logical and heartless. Jang Hyuk stars as Kang Pil Joo. His delivery and ability to build suspense without even saying a word is pure power. His melodic delivery when he does speak as the calculated attorney leave the audience anticipating every word and syllable.  He is absolutely mesmerizing. The drama also delivers on other strong portrayals by Park Se Young, Jang Seung Jo and Lee Mi Sook.

If you are looking for something that is intense and utilizes amazing story telling and acting, I would strongly recommend giving this drama a try. I can’t praise this drama enough. It has kept me guessing all the way through. The way this drama can suck you in and keep you on the edge of your seat, champing at the bit for the next episode is truly note worthy. What are you waiting for?! Let yourself get swept away!!!

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Moon River is not Boys Over Flowers but it sure is darn entertaining. The main lead, Ming Xao Xi is a martial artist who gets accepted to the prestigious college Gaung Yu University. There she encounters the cold but insanely popular and handsome Mu Liu Bing, Feng Che and Dong Hao Nan. Her existence shakes up the entire school and even the close friendships of the popular kids as she falls into a unique relationship with the leader of the trio. So while this plot sounds very similar to the Boys Over Flowers/Meteor Garden/Hana Yori Dango series, the show pulls in you and keeps you anticipating with laughs, cute romantic bits and the oh so bad drama-addict habit of clicking to the next episode right after finishing one. (You know that kind of habit...it's 1 O'clock in the morning; you've watched about 10 episodes in one setting; so you think to yourself just one more; and so you watch one more, but by the time you call it quits its sunrise?)

This drama has both its pro's and it's cons. The cons being the loops in the plot, the "unnecessary" drama and dare I say, the acting from the main leads who can sometimes come off as either annoying or "what is that face you're making!?" (Though I have to say I have to give Tseng Pets her cred for rocking that ugly bowlcut and old grandma getup/toe socks throughout the entire series while still acting out Xiao Xi in a way that was realistic and fun.)

The story starts off really well and builds nicely towards the romance. For all the romantic drama lovers, if you are like you me, (a crazy fool for cute romantic skinship and words) you will definitely enjoy the romance that takes off here. While the beginning and the romance makes for the beginnings of a good drama, the downfall comes near the end where you may or may not feel content with the ending.

While this drama doesn't exactly hit right out of the park, it is still a good watch and I'd recommend this show to anyone who is looking for something to watch. There is humor, romance and action all in one. This drama also shows the growth of Ming Xiao Xi as she tries to find her place in a new environment and adjust to the blissfulness and sourness of love. This isn't the type of drama you would take seriously, seeing as there are many similarities here with Boys Over Flowers, however what makes this series stands out is the main heroine Ming Xiao Xi and her great resilience to overcome different obstacles that occurs in her life and through her special relationship with the 3 princes of Gaung Yu.

Overall I give this drama an 8.0 for making me the crazy drama fangirl I am for skipping study sessions just to watch each episode as it was released. The music was excellent here (The Intro is hella addicting and the ending music is my most favorite song from this OST [Sung by Pets Tseng]]) and this is a drama I can say for certain you will want to re-watch.

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Well first off, I really loved New Tales of Gisaeng. When I first started it I got stuck around episode 7 or so and took a few days off from it. I was determined to finish it though so I continued on. What I love the drama is that Ah Da Mo and Dan Sa Ran had so much chemistry.

Story: The story was pretty good. The fact that Dan Sa Ran was a foundling and the route she took in her life to supplement this was a bit different from other dramas. People usually try to live their lives better after learning something so shocking; Not sink further down not minimize the damage. I think the idea of using Gisaengs is something that many dramas have not touched upon, it really brought an old world feel to a modern age situation. I do think it was a little cheesy how everyone was connected by the Gisaeng House but it didn't take away anything from the drama. The only thing that people may find fault with about this drama is the fact that it took so long for the secrets to come out and to find out anything really. The other fault would be the story progression in episodes 40-50.

Acting: I absolutely loved the casting for this drama. Im Soo Hyang is perfect for the role of Dan Sa Ran. Dan Sa Ran is wise with classic beauty and a cautious but loving heart. Sa Ran's character was played perfectly, more so than any other character. Ah Da Mo was played by a new actor and while he was shaky in the first couple of episodes, you could see that he loosened up and really embraced his role as the cocky rich son who falls in love and is willing to give everything up. Geum Ra Ra had a lot growth in the drama, going from the spoiled rich girl to someone who really wanted genuine happiness. At first I was not sure how her character could redeem herself because the actress looks arrogant but she pulled it off and I developed a new found respect for Han Hye Rin.

Acting;Other characters: As far as other characters go, for the stepmom I don't think they could have found anyone as annoying as they did, the adoptive father was soft as tissue, and the sister took the family ties further than anyone else in the drama. The hospital director was very stoic and I felt he could have displayed more emotion. The head chef played the bereaved mother perfectly also.

Music: While I think they played the same song too many times, I can't really complain because I loved it. Kim Ye Won/Kim Shin Ah (the Vietnamese girl from Romance Town) sings the ending song for this drama. It is titled Yeonjungga (Song of Passion). It was beautiful and sad and seemed to match the drama perfectly. During happy times they would play a more upbeat song that still conveyed elegance.

Rewatch Value: Well I think that the rewatch value for this drama is pretty high (I've watched it twice already and will watch again) I think that for many of the actors to be old and quite a few of them to be young and new to the acting scene, you realize a lot of the differences between the generations. Watching it over you can discover new things and think of the situations from different perspectives. I know that the number of episodes is a turn-off for a lot of people but the drama really is worth it.

Overall: Overall I think this drama was absolutely brilliant, by far my favorite drama. This isn't just a one dimensional view of the drama. Considering the acting from Im Soo Hyang and Sung Hoon to the unique storyline, to the beautiful ending song that sprang up at best times during the drama I think this drama is a must watch.

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Fifty Shades of Pink

Fifty Shades of Grey, this isn’t. There are parallels to be drawn involving primarily the contractual relationship trope and the BDSM theme, if it isn’t already apparent. That is where the similarities end, however. Despite the R-18 rating, I would consider Love and Leashes to be much less intense and provocative but rather more fun and heartwarming. After all, this film is meant to coincide with this year’s V-Day which takes place in just a couple of days. Hence the more upbeat and romantic vibe, this is definitely a case of love being slowly unleashed.

Jung Ji Hoo is your average salaryman working in a 9 to 5 job. Unbeknownst to his co-workers, however, he has another side to him - one that involves a fetish for BDSM. One day, due to a mix-up by the delivery service, a female colleague finds out his secret. What transpires subsequently involves a whole lot of awkwardness and embarrassment as well as the resulting suggestive intimate moments, before eventually leading to something more profound.

Directed by Park Hyun Jin, who also co-wrote the screenplay adaptation with Lee Da Hye, the source material is the Naver webtoon entitled The Moral Sense conceived by Gyeoul aka Winter, which was serialised from 2015 to 2018. The original score was composed by Kim Hong Jip and Lee Jin Hee, with Lee Sun Kyu playing the guitar. Principal photography took place from April to July 2021.

What I Generally Liked

Running at just under 2 hours, I thought the film was rather entertaining and eventful. The concept is refreshing, by Korean or even Asian standards, for a mainstream production distributed globally by Netflix. You don’t often come across BDSM-themed romance as the main feature of the story and in this case, the subject matter was handled in a very tasteful and mature manner.

For me, the main takeaway from the film has more to do with the relationship dynamics in terms of the emotional connection between two individuals rather than purely the explicit nature of the BDSM acts themselves to be manifested as a comedic effect or cheap thrills. I particularly appreciated the nuances drawn from the eventual growth of both leads and the organic evolution of their relationship. Additionally, the film explores elements of office politics and gender discrimination that are very much borne of a deep-rooted patriarchal culture.

Given the involvement from Netflix, the film unsurprisingly delivers reasonably high production values. I’ve enjoyed the overall quality of the visuals presented and the set designs, while the accompanying music score nicely complements the ambience of the scenes.

My first time seeing both Seo Hyun and Lee Jun Young in lead roles and they gave a pretty decent account of themselves in their portrayals of Jung Ji Woo and Jung Ji Hoo respectively. I haven’t read the webtoon but I do think they managed to personify their characterizations the way they were intended to be convincing and relatable to viewers, to a certain extent.

The ML is just adorable, almost like a puppy who loves playing with whips, handcuffs and candle wax. The FL, on the other hand, is like a deer caught in headlights. At first, anyway, as she gradually gets a hang of the whole situation. In fact, her transformation from the down-to-earth girl next door to a dominatrix behind closed doors is quite remarkable.

For the most part, the film comes across as quite lighthearted but things do get a tad serious in the final third, where we get to observe a bit more substance in the portrayals of both leads as they finally deal with the repercussions of their actions. I honestly feel that Seo Hyun generally did more of the heavy lifting in this film.

Final Thoughts

As a feature length film that is meant to be mostly a romance comedy, I think the scope of the storytelling is quite extensive. Perhaps certain aspects could have been fleshed out more, such as the respective backstories of the leads and interactions with the people around them but I honestly think those aren’t particularly major issues. For all intents and purposes, and without giving too much away, I was rather pleased with the final outcome and closure to their story. Suffice to say, all’s well that ends well.

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I enjoyed it

I rate this show highly, not only because the acting is good. Mental health is a difficult area and a taboo subject. We all suffer from mental health issues to varying degrees and at different points in our lives. This show to me brings this issue out in the open and perhaps will enable some of us to appreciate the problem and develop some understanding. I feel that this is what has led to some negative reviews. It was very brave of the writers and producers to run with the story line.
Aside from this tricky issue, the show was fun, cute, well thought out and well performed. Admittedly there were a few times when it dragged a bit. I liked that there wasn’t the love triangle and the romance of each couple was heartwarming and at times the antics were hilarious. Of course you had the not so nice people and it was justifying to see good win over bad. Steadfast love and a willingness to stay together, cute scenes and many funny moments. I laughed and cried. To me it was a feel good love story, just what I want when I’m watching romance dramas.

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Well I was blown away.

I watched this movie because it played at the cinema when it was the world movies festival. It was the only Korean movie so I didn't chose to watch this movie because the trailer was good or because I've hear it's good.

One moment there was a smile on my face, the other moment my eyes were teary. It's a story that hits the hart.
In the beginning the writer doesn't give us all the information we need to know what's Han Gong-Ju's mystery story and background. The flashbacks tell us what we wanted, or maybe didn't want to know.

This movie is a little different. It's not the average Korean movie. What I like the most about the movie is the feeling I get from it. The movie/story feels 'real'. In Korean drama we often get a lot of lovey-dovy dramas and a lot of cry-with-buckets movies. But most of them are unreal and we let them go when finishing the story. Sometimes the truth is harsh. This one still stays in my mind, even if it's a few day ago that I watched it.

The actors don't get a lot of make-up which shows the real beautiful Korean beauty. It's Chun Woo Hee second main role, I have never seen her act before but I'm totally convinced of her great acting skills. You'll see that she's very talented. The supporting roles were also really good. I'm looking forward to more of these good actors and other works of the director. I'm definitely a fan!

The rewatch score is only a 4 because I think the movie is at it's best watching it for the first time because of the stepwise construction of the story.

I think the director, the writer and the actors did a great job. I really recommend this movie.

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Sure, the drama has some flaws, and some might say it's a typical drama, but because of the chemistry between the 2 main characters as well as how the writers dealt with the main message of the drama, I really enjoyed watching it! Episodes flew by without me noticing!

CAST:
You can not help but fall for Shin Min Ah's bubbly and attractive personality. She's so genuine that I don't think of her as an actress but as a human being. Then we So ji Sub who is naturally and effortlessly hot. The way he looks at Shin Min Ah's character, you can feel the love oozing out lol. In the end, GREAT CHEMISTRY which is one of the most important factors in a successful drama.

PLOT & MESSAGE:
I hate how in transformation dramas/movies the protagonist stops everything once they reach their goal. In Oh my Venus, the main actress kept exercising and eating healthy way after she reached her goal and I loved how they showed us that till the very end of the drama. It's a realistic reminder to keep a long healthy lifestyle instead of the yoyo method.

Other dramas also accentuate the actress's figure after the transformation and make it the main focus most of the time however in Oh my venus, I was surprised that they kept making her wear loose and sometimes unflattering clothing even after she lost weight but that reminded me that the important thing is not how you look but how healthy you are which is why she didn't only use the scale to check her progress but she also did blood tests.

In the end, I think the great elements of this drama outweighs all of the negatives making it a great and even rewatchable drama!

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When a Cheeky Bastard Meets a Goody-Two-Shoes

It's absolutely ridiculous, cheesy, makes you scratch your head and ask why, self-obsessed with a mix of laughingly-bad-side-character-acting, a dash of awkward fight scenes, a healthy dose of suits and abs in rags, chemistry that chemistrys, leads that act like the rent was due two months ago and the power bill is coming in the mail on Monday, and, above all, just a shit ton of fun.

When you have a drama with nonsense characters, over-the-top plot points, and cheap effects that is self-aware of its soap-operaness and also has a main romance with sizzling chemistry and sly grins from both parties (one more mischevious Cheshire-cat and foxy than the other though), you have yourself some quality entertainment.

I had a blast not only watching this but pondering what could possibly be awaiting me in the newest episode.

My recommendation? Pop some popcorn, kick your feet back, hit play, and have a good time.

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I was satisfied with the plot as it was very well rounded and as there were no loose ends. I really appreciate the way it unfolded which was very neat. Everything fell right into place, this drama is one of those that make you feel at ease as there is no unnecessary dragging of the plot and complications that are out of place, everything is gradual and build up in a way that everything happening makes sense.

The characters apart from being well cast, they were all given attention and had a path laid out as they made progress in a heartwarming and natural way. All of the supporting characters were very endearing in unique ways and got to show a lot of their charm. For me, the most wonderful thing was friendship shining through with all of them on multiple occasion showing their shared desire to care for others. As for the mains I was very happy to see that none of their problems were created by misunderstandings or unpredictable happenings beyond their control which always puts me off, they were very considerate of each other and also acted like mature, healthy, functioning adults while their behavior and decisions were aligned with their character and that is a very big win for me. And I have to mention that the main female lead was very wonderfully written, showing a strong, kind, patient side and in so many ways a favorite with a delivery executed in a very graceful manner. Also the main couple was pretty cute without it ever being too much and the actors had chemistry.

Even though I am not the type to ever re-watch, if I ever felt down and wanted a safe bet for making myself feel better this drama would definitely manage to lift my mood without losing any of its qualities.

Over all I really enjoyed it as it didn't get too depressing but was also consistent and had a lot of beautiful moments. I would definitely recommend this to anyone wanting to watch something soft and fuzzy but also with a plot that gradually progresses in a light and neat way.

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While Faith wasn't perfect, it still ended up being obsession-inducing. There were so many good things that helped make up for the flaws.

But let's get the flaws out of the way first. The biggest problems were the directing and editing. There were so many scenes that could've been amazing if they had only been executed another way. The music was edited in awkwardly sometimes, too. And the fantasy aspect was underused as well as some characters (Jang Bin, Eum Ja, Hwa Soo, etc). As one of my friends put it "this show doesn't seem to know how good it is."

But let's talk about all the awesome that made up for the flaws. I think the cast was AMAZING. Lee Min Ho did an amazing job as Choi Young. (And I'm only saying that partially out of the fact that I think he's really attractive. ^_^) I think it's my favorite role that I've seen him do. Kim Hee Sun also did an awesome job as Eun Soo. She was funny and quirky and strong without being annoying. And she and LMH ended up having some AWESOME chemistry. The supporting cast was excellent as well. The king and queen, the Woodalchi boys, the baddies, everyone. I think this is one of the few K-dramas that I've watched where I wasn't annoyed with some bad actor.

The storyline was also really good. Not always executed well, but still really unique and interesting. There was a lot of really good character moments and character development. It was unpredictable, funny, touching, action-packed, political, romantic... not always in a well balanced way, but the moments themselves were good.

The music was really good, just not always used well. The costumes and sets were beautiful. So, basically, there's lots to like as long as you can get over the flaws. Faith is one of my new favorites.

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Really sweet fluff!!!

If you want some relatively-short, happy romance fluff, this is for you!
It's actually quite rare to see a male-chase-female rom com nowadays without evil/scheming secondary leads, but here is one to satisfy your sugar craving.
Also, if you're into smart leads (with very clever romantic dialogue), you'll enjoy this show.
Yes, people do fight, but they are resolved relatively early and maturely; so get your chocolate ready for a big binge journey that will help you forget the Gu Wei Yi in Put Your Head on my Shoulder LOL

Extra points to the poetic nature of the lines and the cultural references -- I honestly had to look up some of the more sophisticated things they said, but I think the whole "well-educated main characters with great literature background" setting really makes this drama unique -- as in only the Chinese can produce something like this without seeming cringey.

The last few episodes do transition a bit weirdly though -- at one point I thought I was watching Code Blue instead of a rom com, but I guess it was a plot device to help the main characters reaffirm their love for each other so I'll take it.

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The very first sageuk drama I have ever experienced. I can’t believe I was able to finish all those episodes along with my PARENTS. Yes. I hooked my parents into the Kdrama world with this show. If my parents loved this, then I’m betting you would too.

Jang Geum is not an ordinary drama because it was actually based in real life. In history, she is known to be a palace cook turned into royal physician but of course, like all history books made drama, producers has their ways in tweaking with the story line so a lot may have been changed. Setting that thought aside, I have enjoyed all 60 episodes of Jang Geum because in every episode, there are always different conflicts. In which will be solved on the next episode or the next. It keeps me on my toes and I just couldn’t help but get addicted to it. I like the thought that Jang Geum had great mentors so she could become the person whom the king trusted her to be. Then she also had different support systems: mainly King Jungjong, Capt. Min Jung Ho (the love interest), Yeon Saeng (her best friend), Lady Han Baek Young (her mentor) having this people around her she was able to survive the harsh world within the palace. Set things straight and become the Dae (meaning great) Jang Geum that she is known up to this date.

Oh and yeah, not to forget the romantic moments between Jang Geum and Jung Ho. Watching them in all those lovey-dovey moments was worth every tears I’ve shed for this drama.

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Outstanding comedy performance by the female lead!

I'll be honest, it took me a few passes to even want to give this drama a try...I'm not big on period pieces. I'm SO GLAD I eventually watched this. The female lead is outstanding at playing a man trying to behave like a woman. Her facial expressions and body language make for some really satisfying comedy. The other actors were fine, the male lead was fine, but the female lead is where this show really really shines. She carries the entire drama and I was super impressed by her performance.

The storyline itself is pretty good, the comedy is spot-on, but it's not like it's a new or innovative story, so the acting and set really made this show stand out as exceptional. The music selections were also very memorable and they did a great job fitting the music to the activities in the drama. As soon as you hear Bong Hwan's theme song (easy to identify cause it shouts his name several times at the start) you instantly know the Queen is about to get up to some badass mischief. The costumes were gorgeous, everything is bright and colorful and clean which really helped to avoid distractions from the comedy performances.

This drama is in my top10 K-Dramas list for sure! I'd watch it again 100%.

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