Reviews

That was better than I expected.

I loathed this series after the first episode. I gave is a 2 and dropped it and only reluctantly came back after friends insisted it got better. It did.

My objection was the totally absurd treatment of drunkenness, and the fuzzy morality, with the writers trying to have it both ways. You can't get so drunk that you think a person is someone else. Maybe for a few moments, but certainly not after sleeping if off for several hours, and Vee having three beers in 2 hours is not sufficient to lower his inhibitions enough to do something awful, so that shot of his garbage can with empty beers in it didn't fly. So you have two choices: Either Mark knows it's Vee and wants to get laid to help him get over his pain, or Vee is a repugnant rapist and the whole series is appalling. Neither option works, so I gave up in disgust with the terrible writing.

So why do I give it a 9.5, you ask?

The thing is, because this is a remake, the production was stuck with the outline of the poor writing of the original. And I can't give it a 10, because the plot is so unoriginal and we've seen it so, so many times. But the execution of this story is so good in every way, and so much depth an nuance given to the story and characters, it's like having a piece of chocolate cake. You've had many, I'm sure. Some are dry, some are factory produced, some pretty good - but then you have a slice that is so perfectly made that you can never enjoy any other chocolate cake again.

That's sort of how this series is. It really, really needs to be the last story with this tired plot - it will never be done better than this, it's so overused that I, and probably many or most of you, groan when a preview shows anyone wearing a blue engineering shirt.

While this follows an established formula, it isn't just the usual shallow boy-meets-boy, boy-hates-boy, boy-gets with-boy, boy leaves boy for girlfriend, boy-hates-boy, boy-and-boy-live-happily-ever-after story.

First, Mark and Vee aren't 2D uke and seme characters. Mark (the uke) knows who he is, is totally comfortable with it, he's a jock with a ripped body, and he doesn't let himself be pushed around. Vee (the seme) is confused and indecisive, can't bear to be the bad guy to the point that his desire not to hurt anyone hurts everyone, and he's never in control of the situation, and seems to fail at everything.

Other than the first episode, the writing is complex and sensitive, never stuffs characters into the narrow boxes of stock archetypes. Mark isn't a useless uke, Vee isn't a brooding prince who will swoop in to take care of him, Vee's girfiend isn't evil or scheming, she's just weak, damaged, and needs the validation of a man desiring her, Nuea isn't a terrible person nor is he an alternate prince, he's just a smitten horny guy who crosses the line a little, and even Mark's father's true motivation is Mark's happiness despite his dickishness. His emoji in the last scene is hillarious.

The story contains one of the classic misunderstandings wherein one boy shows up somewhere just at the right time to see something he can misinterpret and, implausibly, no communication occurs to clear it up. But in this case the plot gives a sequence of events that leads to that moment that is logically constructed, and the timing is not at all coincidental, and while Mark misunderstands, Vee is not innocent - he let himself be put in a situation that he shouldn't have, and given their past, Mark's reaction and subsequent behavior is totally reasonable and relatable.

The dialog and writing are excellent, creative despite the unoriginal story, quirky, and provides us with suprises and unexpected resolutions, like the final family confrontation, where Vee's father is a true boss. The finale is lovely and romantic, and gives us a typical fairy-tale BL ending - and then there's the post-credit scene, for which you may need medication, possibly counseling. The typical uke-finding-a-public-sniff-kiss-to-the-cheek appalling routine starts, then heads in a direction so, so, SO far from where you'd expect that it manages to be hot, funny, and a little frightening all at once (War could [and should] play a truly terrifying villain).

The cinematography, all the editing, the music, is all thoughtful, beautifully excecuted, and all serve the story.

But what really seals the award for Best Execution of a Stale, Tired BL Plot is the acting. War (Mark) has always been good, but here he's SO good that he can make you feel eight different things with one look. Yin (Vee) was frankly a bit weak in the original series, at least compared to War, but here he's improved so much that he's able to hold his own. Vee's impulsive idiocy is funny, relatable, and believable.

If this had a better first episode, perhaps with a devastated Mark just callously grabbing Vee as the nearest male body to fill his... needs, this could have been a 10. But it's still one of the best BLs of all time and I don't hesitate to recommend it.

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Roses are red, violets are blue. Together they make purple, and they kill you. What happens when evil grabs hold? Are we drawn to it, or does our situation call for it? In asking some of these fundamental questions, I Remember You takes a developed look at the varying answers to these questions. It instills the answers in its characters, who, having neither complete light nor complete dark, must ponder and discover their own conclusions. It also leads the viewer toward similar pursuits as they vacillate between one or another set of truths.

I Remember You's story is not that original; serial killers are everywhere, and exist in every crime drama. However, what I Remember You does with its story is the difference; it's what puts the show in another league. It simultaneously allows the viewer to feel horror and pity toward certain characters, while it allows us to sympathize and chastise others. It doesn't keep its secrets, though. One knows, oftentimes, what will happen. Yet, despite the predictability of outcome, I Remember You captures the viewer in by probing them with these ultimate questions. In so doing, the show remains intriguing, fresh, and wildly entertaining. Does it answer the questions? One will have to see.

The acting in I Remember You was superb. Jang Nara, Seo In Guk, Park Bo Geum, and Choi Won Young brought such complexity to their characters that they too provoked the viewer to cheer for them when they might not otherwise do so. The chemistry of these characters, sometimes posed in times of large-scale situational irony, pricked both fear and at times, humor into the mind. Special mention must also be given to Do Kyungsoo, who, despite possessing a cameo role, prompted loss of sleep and fear so palpable to derive from an angelic face. (I did not sleep well at all after episode 1.)

The music, sneaky and chilling, provided an immensely rich background for the ensuing action. It allowed the intensity of fear, of romance, of horror to perpetuate into the viewer's ears. In addition, the music never faltered in its fit to the actions on screen. Nothing was out of place or jarring.

Overall, I will remember I Remember you. I don't think I could forget its ability to draw me in and make me question my own notions on human nature and evil. I've always enjoyed shows that make me question everything and everyone's intentions and objectives. In this, I Remember You does not disappoint. In fact, it exceeds my initial expectations, and is now a personal favorite, both in its genre and in kdramas altogether.

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The first few episodes made me so happy. I was in heaven with the cute and fun interactions between the characters. The romance was sweet and down to earth. Jung Ha was able to fight for her rights, Hye Joon stayed true to his morals and Hae Hyo was on the way to crossing the villain line. And then… nothing happened.

There are quite a few plot lines here; basically every character gets one, but none is truly explored nor well established. At first, this messy and unbalanced way of directing and editing seemed charming to me. Life is messy and unbalanced too. I liked how some important plot lines were not explained right away, but instead, we got a whole scene of the female and male lead discussing how one should apply hand cream. It worked, because I was sure the plot lines will be slowly addressed as the drama progresses… Sadly, they weren’t.

All the characters were rather poorly written, though had great potential to be amazing. Hye Joon is boringly perfect and everything works out for him. Jung Ha has a great 180 closer to the end of the show, Hae Hyo was truly useless plot wise. All the supporting characters were there filling the space, but their motivations were never explained. Why do they do what they do? Who knows?

It had its moments. Park Bo Gum crying? A+. Well, that would be it.

How did the relationship between Jung Ha and Hye Joon go from perfect communication and understanding each other, to never communicating what they truly want and feel and making all the decisions on their own? We had so many dramatic plot lines that could bring the tension in the last episodes, why add new bullshit one?

Why introduce Ahn Jung Ha’s mom into the picture when this story was never truly explained nor explored? She just shows up to give Jung Ha an excuse to be sad and cry, and then she is gone. They ONCE mentioned how Jung Ha has problems accepting help because of her mom, but it was never mentioned again, it has no meaning in the story itself.

Why did they never do anything with Won Hae Hyo? He was neither good, nor bad nor gray. He was just kind of there. How interesting would it be to actually see more of his internal struggle between being a loyal friend and disappointed actor?

Why give us a side romance between Jin Woo and Hae Na? Probably the most useless plot line in the whole show. This could let us explore more of the controlling behavior of Kim Yi Young or be another burden for Hae Hyo: one friend “stealing” his spotlight, and the other dating his little sister and hiding it, pushing him into “I have no one I can trust” state of mind and explaining his feelings for Jung Ha, who was always honest with him.

Why did they never truly use the Charlie story? It was always somewhere in the background, but at the end it had no lasting consequences on the characters at all. When dating make up artist affected Hye Joon more than having a famous designer as his gay sugar daddy? Where is the logic? Why even add the story when it was never important to anyone?

Kim Su Man was painfully dumb.

The "2년 후" aka the boring ending.

That’s it. Not really. But I have no strength left to write more. Damn… this could have been such a good show.

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Hot Priest but boring story strangely slowly-paced despite its interesting thematic.

Despite its interesting premise, the show was overall disappointing. The storytelling managed to be boring which is very strange as the thematic and concept could have been super cool and exciting. The first episode was pretty intriguing with a strong horror vibe but the story became a train wreck overtime with some disconnected storylines and a lot of (over)explanations regarding the plot.

The actors were doing an OK job but were not helped at all by the wonky scenario. Indeed, it was very difficult to understand some of the characters' actions but also in particular to believe in the relationships between them. The bonds formed between the main female lead and the 2 main male leads seemed to become super strong too quickly which also led to some scenes feeling very flat.

Clearly the series is lacking in many ways but still, there are some positives: the foreign actors acting was not atrocious (-which is pretty rare in K-drama universe), the visual FX were suitable, the fighting scenes were quite nicely produced, and Cha Eun Woo with his insane visual is real eye-candy in his role of priest Johan.

This 1st season is more of an introduction with some world building but unfortunately lacks strongly in characters development. Due to its strange pacing, it provides little excitement for the next season.

I would not necessarily recommend this to people unless they like one of the main actors or the main actress.

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What did I just watch?

I was very excited to watch this season as it has been a long wait, but after binging it the entire day it ended with a very unsatisfying ending.

I'm happy that the ending was a happy one even though a lot of characters died for absolute no reason, the main trio did deserve their happy ending together. That's also where the problem lays within this season, I feel like only the trio got their happy ending and all the characters from the first season which we loved very much, had a sad ending for no reason.

In this review there will be a lot of bad points but the story also had some good points: surprisingly it was fast paced, each episode flew by, literally. The acting was also good, especially how Eun-yu's and Yi-Kyung's characters had been played out but then there were also characters that felt a bit monotone. I'm sure there's more but the bad points, for me, are the ones that weighed more than the good ones.

First of all, why is Eun-hyeok a robot?
In the first season he was also kind of a robot with no emotions as he only wanted his sister to be safe and then at the end, we finally see him crack a real smile and even tears! I had hoped to see him again with a bit of more character development but it actually got worse... we also didn't get to see his process of monsterization, only the end product . He was the only character I was so excited to see again but he basically didn't have any personality which was very unfortunate.

Second, lots of characters in the second season were added which was a bit complicated to understand at first but it's normal since the season 1- crew step outside into the open world. It's normal to meet new characters and it's also normal that some of the characters just exist and others actually have a purpose but I feel like almost every single new character that had a bit of potential just died off or just wasn't worth a few more scenes...
For example, we get introduced to Chief Ji, the lady who was in charge at the stadium before the army arrived. She is very mysterious and seems to be a badass character but in the end she's just a coward who feeds her monster son humans and because of the guilt decided to end it.
Another one is the priest, he acts very calm and had potential to actually become someone important but in the end ran off searching for the crazy lady to end up running away with her but wait where is their story? We only get to see him in a car accident and that explains how they have such a strong bond...
Another frustrating one is the old man with the girl on drugs. He's a very strong character who's very calm and seems to know what he's doing and could get very far in life but suddenly he becomes a monster and end ups dying because why?

All these and more characters that were introduced in the second season could've become something that could have had big impact on the ending but it seemed to me that they were only there so both seasons could be more than a few episodes.

Third, why did they do the season 1 characters all so bad? Did they not deserve a happy day at all?
Yi-Kyung who had been fighting since day one, trying to find her fiance, giving birth to a monster and raising it, fighting its psycho father, .... did she really have to die off?
Sang-wook was just there to be possessed by the villian and his existence was basically wiped away, the only proof he was actually in the two last seasons were the appearance of his body and one time he tried to fight back the monster inside him but oh! suddenly in the end he comes back to life! only to burn to death the next second ...

I'm gonna stop rambling now... it was just a very dissapointing day for something I had been waiting on for so long... I'm gonna go cry now

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Overall: A Gentleman’s Dignity is one of the cutest Flower 40’s (F40') of all time and of course, not a typical Korean drama. The storylines are well written and delivered from the first episode till the last one. Four friends, who are always protecting each other in whatever situations, always be there as true friends. One thing I need to tell, I never felt they are 40’s while watching them.

Acting: They’re having their own personalities as characters. DoJin is a cool handsome lonely man, Taesan is a warm-hearted friend, Yoon shy nerd, and cute attorney, and Jungrok is the hottest playboy on earth haha. Actually, I just want to tell you guys that I’m smiling while typing these because they’re so funny. Kim Haneul and the other 3 divas also did a very good job in supporting, although you saw these divas fighting each other sometimes, I bet they failed to get on your nerves. they’re pretty too. In each of the opening episodes you better get prepared because these F40’s will make you laugh like crazy except when Yoon’s wife's death moment. I didn’t realize I cried my tears out, those without-word scenes really touch my heart deeply, I never cried that much after Secret Garden.

These F40’s really did an excellent job in acting, flawless, cutest, funniest, and great chemistry between the cast especially Dojin, Taesan, Jungrok, and Yoon. You’ll miss Dojin's Betty, Taesan's cursing skills plus Hwak!!, Jungrok's ring and Yoon's nerd glass.. They made my day. AGD is a mixed-feelings drama, funny, sad, dreamy and desires, exciting and loving and this is really the best romantic comedy ever aired. From my personal view, although ImMeahri can be irritating sometimes I pity her. Her relationship with Yoon makes me cry so many times, the cutest forbidden love story. The way Yoon hides his feeling toward her sometimes can be frustrating at a moment but luckily they live happily in the end.

Music: Every time I hear High High, I just imagined the 4 of them gathered and making havoc everywhere. LOL. That song really makes my heart jump excited every time I listen to it and Jonghyun’s song called “ My Love” is in an acoustic version, omg he really has an angelic voice.

Rewatch value: I did rewatch them and I will rewatch them after this, especially the opening of each episode.

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Ah, W. How I was looking forward to writing this review.

W was certainly one of the most anticipated dramas of the season, and for good reason: a creative storyline paired with an exemplary leading cast. I, like many others, was captivated by the idea of a webtoon coming to life. And Lee Jong Suk? Huehue. Say no more.

The writers of the show crafted a plot that is bound to keep you on your toes and send your brain into overdrive. It’s not the most intelligent story I’ve seen. At times it's confusing and borders on being nonsensical, but it’s logical enough to make it worth watching. W is especially intriguing because of its unpredictability - even if you grow used to the plot, each new problem creates an addicting mystery. You become determined to understand exactly what will happen next.

While I enjoyed W and the anxiety its suspense caused me, this drama is not perfect. A show amazing in concept, it fails to deliver in some of the most important aspects.

One thing I found particularly problematic was the romance. Some might disagree, but I found Kang Chul and Yeon Joo’s loveline to be one of the most poorly-written in any K-drama I’ve seen. I’ll admit that there was incredible potential in their relationship. However, the writers never give you any reason to like this couple except that they just are a couple - it’s the unspoken drama rule that because they’re the main characters, they have to be together. Fair enough, but that doesn’t get my heart racing.

Is the romance necessary? Yes - to an extent. Love is the easiest way to connect the two main characters. But trust me; that romance sucks badly. In the beginning episodes, you find it cute. What’s not adorable about a cool guy who’s curious about this ditzy girl? Then, you suddenly hit the point of doubt: but…but why, though? Why are they together? How? Sadly, there is no satisfying answer to these questions.

Yet, as much of a letdown as the romance was, what ultimately kept me from giving this show a higher score was its characters.

I have a burning passion for well-written characters, and I thought W would be the perfect drama to see it being done. The idea of the story is that the boundaries between reality and fiction are blurred, causing a mere created character to act and feel as a real human does. What we viewers deserve out of such a concept are heart-wrenching characters whose personalities you could find within a human in this world; who would persuade you that creations are self-aware. But disappointingly, nearly every single one of W’s characters are dull.

Strangely enough, the best example is Kang Chul. Our main character happens to be perfect. That sounds great! He’s rich, goodlooking, with an incredible sense of justice (this is where I swoon). He wants desperately to live, and you feel for him because…well, he’s not just a webtoon character; he’s a human being goddammit! Look at his perfect skin. And his eyes (oh his eyes). Also his backstory is so sad! But there’s something sadder than his backstory - his personality, which is as two-dimensional as the lines that were drawn to create him.

I’ve seen a lot of people share the same justification for why he has no real flaws: he’s a webtoon character, thus not real, thus does not have to be bound by the unspoken law that all people are imperfect. Fine; that makes sense. But isn’t that ironic? His whole gist is that he’s a human being. Where does he come off claiming such a thing if he’s so flawless? You’ll begrudgingly accept this character because of Lee Jong Suk, but that’ll be the extent of it.

And, the side characters are just that - side characters. Oh, sure, they exist. Yet I never really cared about them. Most of the time, they were convenient plot devices, not people. (I’ll say that I did very much like the role of Yeon Joo’s father - out of everyone, he feels the most realistic.)

If this were any other drama, I would let this go. I understand that a show can’t have everything, and characters are often the afterthought in the face of such a complex plot. However, I want to make it clear that if the writers are going to create a show based around the idea that these webtoon characters seem human, then they have to create characters that are human, and as a result, elicit my empathy. By the end, I should have been setting up a shrine in my house and counting prayer beads in hopes that they all get a happy ending! Uh…maybe that’s an exaggeration. But do you get me?

I know this review sounds bad, but I do want to get across that altogether, I did have a good time with W. Doesn’t sound like it, but it’s true! Its problems may be obvious, yet its strengths are enough to keep you going.

Its control over suspense had me hiding behind my hands at certain parts. And the cast itself is great - particularly the actor portraying Yeon Joo’s father; I cried womanly tears for you, sir. I’ve never watched Han Hyo Joo on screen before, but I did enjoy her role and thought she did a pretty good job with her character. I will also again emphasize my love for Lee Jong Suk: those emotive eyes. Gah. Almost made me like Kang Chul.

I recommend you to watch this drama, but simultaneously caution yourself against the blinding hype that it received. The end product of this show was nothing near to the perfection that I expected it to have, but it also wasn’t anything close to being bad.

Don’t expect a masterpiece. Watch it; have fun with it!

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This is a seriously good drama. I was turned off at first at the idea of ANOTHER music drama, because I had been sorely disappointed in the ones in recent years.

'Shut Up' is not about music or a band, though. The friendship, rather brotherhood, between the main characters is the driving force and is what makes this drama so enjoyable. Bromance between hot guys is fun to watch no matter what, sure, but the writing and overall development of the story made everything even stronger.

About L: I'll admit, I had issues with watching this at first because sticking idols into dramas never really turns out well. He is a really fantastic actor though. At the risk of giving too much away, I'll just say that even though I'm not a fan of his, I was very pleasantly surprised by this performance. He has real talent.

The music is so good. Crappy music can really break a decent drama, but 'Shut Up's music really made everything better.

Everyone says this is an emotional, heart-wrenching show, but it's also one of the only dramas to make me actually laugh out loud at my screen. Everything was crafted so nicely from beginning to end.

If anyone else is on the fence about giving this a shot, just go for it. (Rewatch is a 9 only because I rarely rewatch dramas). I watched this in 2 days because I literally could not pull myself away. Give it a shot!

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Sci-fi or birthing campaign?

Food analogy: plastic plate

I follow Lee min Ho's cinematography byheart ( bcoz city hunter was my first kdrama, i. e emotional attachment) but i don't think he read this script.

The story is made of loopholes with very little plot in it. The pacing so slow that I was praying for a 2.0x button from netflix. The first episode was still tolerable, but the characters made it impossible to root for them.
Somehow, what I hated the most was that the moment eve got pregnant, all her value for her life, the amazing career that she had created, everything got overshadowed. It was like she became a heavenly creature the moment she decided to give birth, even after knowing that it will potentially kill her. The way these kinds of sacrifices are glorified are severely unhealthy, as if women loose value if they choose not to give birth.
The music was ok but i couldn't enjoy it because i felt like i was wasting my time.

I never thought i would say this but somehow min ho's acting detoriated as the series went on. It was like he stopped trying. Somehow, everyone felt very unserious and loose with what could actually be.

There is like no redeeming quality in this series, better scroll social media.

Ps: How the baby survived the launch in her belly is beyond me.

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"Don't give up , don't become distant"

Overall this was a very good drama. It didn't have a complicated plot nor did it have villains. It had a very realistic ending, although it was a happy ending it showed that everyone's "happy ending" differs. I recommend watching it, it's a very light drama and every character has a good point about them but also bad ones, which makes the series more enjoyable.

One of my favorite things a character said was what Hyun Seung said during episode 16, "But now i know I cant always win in love, even when I've given it my all."

Some spoilers about the episodes!!!!!

I started this series expecting nothing, especially since most of the comments were about how creepy Hyun Seung was, but after watching it, I don't regret picking this series up. Yes at the beginning Huyn Seung was a bit creepy and stalkerish, but let's be honest how many of us haven't acted at least a bit stalkerish towards someone we had a crush on. The way he broke the news to her was very crude, but after understanding her character better, I don't think she would have believed him if he didn't physically show her what was happening. He has also had a big character development since in the span of 8 episodes he went from stalkerish to knowing where the boundaries are. It's really nice seeing Yoon Song Ah slowly starting to fall for him.

Lee Jae Shin is a total jerk despite his past. Yes, he was unfortunate but he decided his own path. His excuse was that t was a plea disguised as an order. but he had a choice. He could have said "no" and he could have lost everything he had but he would have gained his freedom. His excuse was that he had no choice but I beg to differ, even when you're given an order there is always a choice, and it's up to you to decide what you want, and sadly he chooses his poison, which led to him losing Song Ah. It is even more repulsive to think about the fact that he was in a sense playing with both women, and that he planned to hide it from Song Ah.

At first, it thought Lee Hyo Joo was going to be the typical bratty spoiled rich girl, who was going to do everything in her power to destroy Song Ah after she had the tiniest doubt about her relationship with Jae Shin, yet during episode 8 she started to intrigue me.

EP011/12- I completely take back what I said about Hyo Joo, she is not stable. I don't if she expected Jae Ahin to drop to his knees and love her after she basically forced him to marry her by threatening him with her life. On the other hand, our main couple seems to be going strong. I loved all the small sweet moments. Also loved how Song Ah's team members stood by her side and stood up for her when the rumors were going around. I can't wait for Hyun Sung to meet his soon-to-be brother-in-law. I want to see their reactions since from what I see Hyun Sung doesn't know his sister is dating lee Jae Woon and Jae Won doesn't know Hyun Sun is his girlfriend's brother.
I also like how the ending of almost every episode is a heart-stopper, that leaves you wanting more.

13/14- For me these two episodes were depressing. I hate how they went towards the typical break-up before the ending episodes and then getting back together on the last one. I don't blame her for picking her dream job over her relationship after all they were both on different emotional levels in the relationship. Hyun Sung is obviously more emotionally invested since he was pinning over her for such a long time. The last scene on episode 14 where they were both on opposite sides and when he saw her he walked away broke my heart. I think he finally had the time to love himself more and out himself in the first place. It's obvious that for the next two episodes it's going to be her trying to get back together with him and they will probably get back together on the last episode if we are lucky they will get back together soon and if we are unlucky it will be typical they get together again on the last 10mn and it ends with a hug or kiss. On the other hand, jaewon and jiseung are so adorable together. I am glad they found each other. I felt so bad for the other sister though.

15/ Ok this episode was not that bad. I like that Jaewoon and Ji seung are getting married. I can tell the second sister and her husband will have us guessing until the end. The second leads seem more mature. Lee Hyo Joo also seemed like she learned how to draw the line and not depend on wanting a man to love her, seems like they will be back together. The only thing I disliked was again the whole breakup. It doesn't seem smart to add a breakup 2-3 episodes before the final one, it seems the last episode will just be song ah trying to win Huyn Seung over. And I get this was based on a webtoon but seriously the whole breakup is an overused cliche.

16/ This episode was very nicely wrapped up. I would have wished to see Jaewoon and Ji Seung's wedding, also I'm glad jae won and Jae Shin kinda fixed their friendship. Jae Shin and Hyo Joo also had a very good ending. Apart from Jae woon and ji seung it was hinted during the last scene that Huyn Seung and song ah were going to get married, again I would have loved to see their wedding and the reaction of their co-workers to them getting back together. Song Ah mom also had a big character growth, at the beginning we saw how dependent she was but in this episode, we finally saw her being independent and enjoying time with her friends. The second sister broke my heart, but I'm glad her ex-husband finally started to accept himself.

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Short sweet and refreshing

This is one of those dramas that has every cliche that’s ever been in a drama. The male lead is a cold 30 year old rich CEO and the female lead is a very shy insecure virginal college student. All of the women want to be with the male lead. And of course all of the men want the female lead. So why am I giving it such a high rating? Why do I like it so much? It’s just so sweet fluffy and romantic. And I’ve never seen an Asian drama show so much skin in a drama. I mean it’s like a toned down version of “50 Shades of Grey.” I’m a sucker for a really romantic drama that has the romance heat up quickly. It’s just so rare and it’s soooo sweet. Very little angst and lots of sweet moments. I like how she’s always sitting on the floor curled up at his feet. And I like how he always runs up and gives her back hugs all the time. This is my go to drama after watching a really heavy angsty drama. It’s light sweet tone is really refreshing. And with only 10 episodes it’s a quick easy watch. It’s definitely not for everyone. But it’s my guilty pleasure.

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What's Shining?

Such a tiring script.

ML should just move on and give that other girl a chance who's been crushing on him since high school.
Putting a name tag of her name in his backpack for support was really sweet. Letting him know she's there thinking of him. It's not a big deal, but if she can do that little thing without even dating ML.... what about FL who got with him two times?

FL is impossible. Dates ML, but then later drops him because she wants to work far away.
She likes her job. Nice!
But not trying anymore with her boyfriend because their schedules doesn't match so lets break up.
Gets back with him years later because she wasn't happy with the new life she left him for was dumb.

Also irritated with ML behavior for taking the time to take care of her feelings again when she doesn't have the time for his.

& why is she still being around her ex?
He's there always telling her what to do and she just let him.

ML had a girlfriend his friend said so, but where is she?
He doesn't keep talking and drinking with her does he?

When can they write a ML forgetting his first love and moving on? He will be 70 and still waiting for FL to return.

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To me, Faith felt like a wonderful combination of a great RPG video game and an old anime called Fushigi Yugi. There were times when the show dragged, as pointed out numerous times in other reviews, but for the most part, this drama was really great to watch.


This was my first "historical", and I use the word loosely because I understand that this is by no means a real historical, in that there is time travel and magic. The time travel aspect isn't really unique, especially with the recent crop of dramas this year utilizing it. However, the magic was a first for me, though I wish they had handled it better, or maybe utilized an explanation a little bit more. No one in the present seemed to be aware that magic ever existed, even when Eui Seon seemed to know a lot about Choi Young from her history books. You'd think that he could control lightning magic would have been a prominent focus.


The cast in this show was just amazing, seriously. Though, as it is my goal to someday have Lee Min Ho's babies, I may be a little biased. I had never even heard of Kim Hee Sun before this, and her acting in Faith has me interested in looking up her past dramas. I can't believe it's been 6 years since she has acted! The supporting cast was also a delight to watch, especially Dae Man, who I am glad we finally got a bit of his backstory later on in the drama. I kept wishing they'd tell us how he came to find Choi Young! I loved Lee Philip in Secret Garden, and I wish he had a bigger role in this drama, though I understand his eye surgery issues may have had a part in that. My main complaint on the cast probably lies more with the script than the actor himself. The King was just so whiny! I understand the idea that Kings are humans too, and I get how they tried to humanize him, but sometimes I just wanted to hit him over the head and tell him to man up already!


I make myself wait a day after finishing something before writing a review, because sometimes, you're just too close to it to accurately describe how you are feeling. And usually by that time, I have forgotten all about the music. But this show had such great music, it stuck with me. It really fit the tone of each scene remarkably well.


If you want something with lots of action, a sweet romance story (with next to zero PDA), and lots of kidnapping, murder, attempted murder, poisoning, subterfuge and court intrigue, then this is the drama for you! The romance remains the key plot point for the drama, so you have to like love stories or I think you might be rather bored by all of the posturing and pursuit of Eui Seon's heart.

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I actually don't know how to summarize this one, I just believe everyone that can watch it should watch it. I haven't read the webtoon so I don't know how fans of the original material will react but, judging it on its own two feet, it far surpasses any expectations I had.

STORY
Honestly, this story almost felt like two, in the best way possible. Going into it I had this expectation of what would occur and what kind of avenues the story would take based on the teaser, but it proved me wrong. Weak Hero isn't just brilliant action, it's a deep dive into how interpersonal violence and bullying can affect and harm people long after the physical threat has disappeared. It's a case where I found every episode better than the last. The script and directing use foreshadowing masterfully, there are parallels that provoke so much thought and every moment feels deliberate. There are parallels everywhere, and the use of foreshadowing is deliberate and beautiful. Thought-provoking isn't even enough to cover it. Of course, there are issues with the script, some things are glossed over to fit the runtime, and the theme came off as confusing to some (not me) but overall I enjoyed the story it told immensely. The character motivations and progression all felt natural and understandable. It's a complete and interesting story that doesn't require additional knowledge from the webtoon to fill in the blanks and its end, though open for a second season, is satisfying and will leave you wishing you had more time with this world.

ACTING
I don't usually go to action flicks for character studies and heartbreaking emotions but the cast delivered on both and on stellar fight sequences that hurt just to watch.

So little disclaimer I am a Jihoon fan, but I will try not to be biased. Park Jihoon acting as Yeon Sieun was amazing. In the story put to screen it would've been very easy for Sieun to be one note, but Jihoons acting and eyes brought him to life.

Hong Kyung gave me the most compelling performance of the entire year. You have to watch it to know.

Choi Hyunwook brought a lovely levity to the story and his well-known ability to charm his way through the screen is at full display.

The entire supporting cast really showed out for this drama, the viciousness and vulnerability of boyhood were on full display. Special shoutout to Kim Sugyeom whose venom playing Youngbin almost burned through the screen.

MUSIC
The OSTs and music choices throughout the show helped evoke teenage listlessness and despair beautifully.

REWATCH VALUE
I considered placing this at a lower mark because some of the scenes are very hard to watch. Watching this drama inflicts a lot of emotional turmoil, but I honestly think it could only get better on rewatch. The point of the twists and turns is not to shock you, they're natural and understandable consequences of the violent world that bred them. Every choice makes sense, and the hunt for parallels in the script and directing upon rewatching would make it all the more worthwhile.


This easily falls into the top 5 dramas of the year for me. I would recommend any day! Also if you want to discuss it shoot me a friend request and a message I have so much to say.

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FULLY BLOOMED

I have to commend the show for showing us that short series doesnt have to feel rushed. With 11 episodes of about 12 minutes each, the series was beautifully developed and delivered with just the right pacing.

I loved that almost all scenes (and characters) felt important with minimal fillers, sprinkled with just the right amount of cuteness, sillyness, adult kissing (and lovemaking) and a few obligatory shirtless trap scenes.

It also doesnt hurt that we got two very good looking and capable leads. Im not sure if it was intentional but the awkward acting of Jo Kyuk Joon somehow worked for his mysterious emo character, and Kang Eun Bin is like a younger Kim Min Jae, and i mean it in a good way.

On the other side, the series reminded me of the anxieties i felt while watching all other beauty transformation series that tried to deal with leaving an old life behind and trying to live with a somewhat fake beautiful identity to get acceptance - only this time, we see it from a guy's point of view. Or are we?

Cha Si Won can be played by a male or female actor without needing to change any of the script. The series was trying to say love is love and it has no gender, by emitting (or ignoring) any mention of homosexuality. However that for me was the weakness of the show - because in reality, same sex relationship isnt all rainbows and butterflies, and it could have added another layer to the love story of SiWon and Da Un. There are so many BL series nowadays who prefer to take this route and to be frank, it acts as a double edge sword that can sometimes work but sometimes can undermine serious gender issues and over romanticize the idea of an unconditional love.

The fact that they showed the mother feeling scandalized by being portrayed as a bad mother and yet has no concern about having a kid being in a same sex relationship, may prove to be a little too unrealistic and unrepresentative of the situation on the ground.

To be honest, what we have here is a shortened watery version of My ID is Gangnam Beauty.

Would i reccommend? Yes, definitely.

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