Reviews

brilliant

Mouse is a gripping psychological thriller that dives deep into the dark recesses of human nature, exploring the chilling concept of whether criminals are born or made. The series revolves around a rookie cop who finds himself coming face to face with a mysterious serial killer. As the investigation unfolds, Mouse keeps viewers on the edge of their seats, blurring the lines between right and wrong while exploring the moral complexities of justice and accountability. With its intricate plot twists, compelling characters, and chilling suspense, Mouse is a standout in the thriller genre, leaving viewers questioning the very nature of humanity.This drama is criminally underrated; it is very rare to see such an elaborate plot that is put together so well. This was an emotional rollercoaster and will absolutely keep you on the edge of your seat every episode. The plot twists and misdirections will keep you guessing till the very end... Highly recommend to those who are looking for a suspenseful and exhilarating series.

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Only in Loss do We Appreciate the Comforts of Life

From the moment I read the announcement that the ageless Jeon Do Yeon and eclectic Ryu Joon Yeol's comeback to the small screen, I’ve had it in my sights. The many teasers I'd watched since in anticipation gave me My Mister vibes, one of the best dramas ever made. The premise of Lost resonated with me in how relatable the story was of ordinary people who, despite trying their best, reach a point in life when they realize their hard work didn't amount to much.

I remember thinking as melancholy and dark as things seemed at Lost's opener that it would do for me what My Mister did --shatter me to pieces before methodically putting me together again through the emotional bond that develops between two of the most unlikely people. And Lost does that and more. It took me through the journey of pain not just of our leads but all parties involved, from their vacantness to their gradual wholesomeness as they come to realize what life is to each of them. Lost is penetrating and poignant from its opening, especially in how Ryu and Jeon D Yeon and those around them deliver their roles. From the anxiety to the emptiness and loneliness, it all cuts through the interlocking issues of human nature, social relationships, disconnection from those relations, and the state of existing but not living -- drifting aimlessly through life.

Lost evoked in me some serious emotions and questions. It made me ask myself if I died tomorrow, would I be pleased with the life I've lived; would I be satisfied with the mark I left on the world, or would I even leave a mark and if I would be pleased with the relationships I've had; it gave me a lot of food for thought moments that I appreciated. What I liked most about Lost, other than the way the story was told, was that it brought one of the most prominent issues that afflict everyone the same regardless of status, class, age, gender, religion, ethnicity, or race to the forefront, the feeling of inadequacy. Being ignored, as they say, the worst feeling in the world isn't being lonely; it's being forgotten. Everyone has a secret sorrow, which the world knows nothing about. And often times, the world calls them cold when all they are is sad.

I think I can write a novel about this drama, there is so much to say but I will keep it simple. Lost will probably be one of the few dramas that will stay with me for a long time. Nothing about it was superficial, it was as real as real can be. Nothing was rushed, not the conversations or the tone, nuanced and whole. The journey, the simple messages along the way that relay the facts of life -- that the tests of life are not to break us, but to make us, and that most times, it isn't about the journey or the destination, but the people we meet along the way that can change us in ways we never imagined. It drives the message that all of us as humans have scars, fears, and pains, some of us bear them better than others. Sometimes, that pain blinds us to the pain of others, but sometimes it helps bring everything into focus. That is what Lost has done for me.

What's even more special about Lost is that by the end of it the viewer gains appreciation for all the characters even the not so likable ones. And as bittersweet as the ending of the drama is, it made sense because only in loss, do we appreciate the comforts of life. A thousand and one kudos to the writer, the director, all the actors, they each did a great job getting me as the viewer to relate to them even as I hated some of them. But the standing ovation goes to Jeon Do Yeon and the ever special Ryu Joon Yeol for the wonderful and eye opening journey -- for showing me (us) that inner peace comes when you trade expectation for acceptance. I hope Boo Jung and Kang Jae find their happiness in each other and hopefully so do Jung Soo and Kyung Eun because they too deserve their happiness . As they say, sometimes bad things that happen in our lives put us directly on the path to the best thing that will happen to us. This is one drama everyone would benefit from watching. I know I did.

To read more about my thoughts on Lost check out episodic reviews here
https://www.kdramabanter.com/blog/categories/completed-dramas

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Just Watch It! (This is long).

This is my very first review, so please bare with me.

Story:
Regarding the story there were some plot holes here and there, and I feel like the running time of each episode was poorly used in many occasions, some added things felt unnecessary to the plot as a whole, and some things could've been explained in a better way.

Yes, the pacing...

I love a slow burn romance, the whole enemies-to-lovers trope, but watching this show week by week was actually painful, and not in a 'oh my God, what happens next?' kind of way. It was actually frustrating, and when I thought things were about to pick up, it slowed down completely.

Still, I have to say that I absolutely love the concept of "The Little Prince" involved in this story, and how he falls in love and ends up with the fox.

Acting / Cast:
Let me have my shallow moment...

The first time I saw anything about this series, what called my attention was how attractive both main leads were. They have different vibes, and I think they fit perfectly in what was presented, but the real question is, what about the often mentioned chemistry? Looks are not enough to measure weather there's chemistry between a pair or not.

Jin Yu Zhen is a complicated character, with unresolved and complex feelings, your seemingly stoic, heartless, asshole kind of character right there. I do think Aaron Lai nailed it, especially when we saw the transition of JYZ opening up little by little, showing his true colors.

Honorable mention to the last episode, I felt his desperation all the way through the screen.

Shi Lei is not only someone with that bright, beautiful, dimply smile, I like how he had a personality and how he wasn't afraid to stand his ground no matter what. Hank is a newbie as far as I know, and he did good, I like his acting.

Honorable mention to Shi Lei "coming out" to his mom, that scene was beautiful, and necessary.

So, in conclusion, they do have chemistry, a lot in my eyes, I liked to see how Shi Lei fell for JYZ little by little, how he had an "oh shit" moment, realizing he was caring a lot for him, and how Jin Yu Zhen reciprocated his feelings and cared for him just as much. They had a lot of cliche moments, but I didn't mind it at all. There was tension, and want and longing.

The second couple can be a big hit, or a big miss, sometimes they even steal the spotlight from the main couple, and this time I have to say they were cute and all, but I unfortunately didn't really care for them. There wasn't enough substance, I don't know how to put it better.

Yan Zhao Gang was a good guy, with good intentions and he mostly had some great things to say, the type of guy you go for advice, I like the actor playing him, and I don't think he's bad.

Wu Si Qi on the other hand, was the shy, young and inexperienced guy. Cute? Yes. Still, I don't know, but I cared even less for him, I felt detached. I don't blame it necessarily on the acting, but oh well.

The rest of the cast does the job, I found some of the meant-to-be-funny moments to be actually funny, and I liked their interactions.

Shi Lei's mom has to be mentioned, she was his wingman, the real MVP, a mother who cared for her son's happiness and well-being. It's refreshing to break from the stereotype of a mother who's disappointed, mad or angry, against the fact of her son/daughter being in love with someone of the same sex.

Music:
I love soundtracks, and I have to admit that the "I do, I do, I do" is catchy.

Rewatch Value:
I wouldn't mind re-watching the whole thing now that it ended, maybe it would feel different than watching week by week.

Overall:
I know this review is very mixed, I tried pointing the flaws, but also the good points of this series, at the end of the day all I can say is to each their own, don't let anyone else's opinions and thoughts stop you from watching something, do it, see it for yourself.

For me this series is worth watching, it's simple, it's cute, it's easy, and the end is refreshing.

Hope this helps.

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Why do I love Kdramas? Why do I watch so many Kdramas and so little American TV? To answer that question one need look no further than Healer. Healer may not be the best show I've ever seen, and it's not even the best Korean tv show I've seen. BUT it is the epitome of a KDRAMA. What do I mean by that?

1. Romance: It has one of the best OTPs of all time, in terms of chemistry, character, story, hotness, AND did I say CHEMISTRY? I think Healer set some kind of record for skinship and hot kisses for a major network Kdrama.

2. Action: Sure not all Kdramas have action scenes - but really good ones do! And they are a common feature of Kdramas. And when they are done well, they add so much excitement and fun to the show. Healer has really good fight scenes.

3. Acting: I would put Korean actors up against Hollywood ones any day and this cast was fantastic from top to bottom.

4. Kdrama Trope Soup - Healer has it all: mysterious vigilante hero, childhood traumas, powerful evil organizations, birth secrets, conspiracies, corruption, twisty plans, murders, orphans, weirdly specific illnesses/psychological issues that act as plot devices, quirky co-workers, and an OTP that was destined to be since childhood. (I'm sure I've missed a bunch.)

5. Hotness: A beautiful lead actress and a smoking hot leading man.

6. Directing: Lots of Kdramas have subpar directing, but I've noticed that on average their directing is much better than most other foreign fare. Healer had very good directing!

So when I say that Healer is not the best Korean show I've ever seen but it is the best Kdrama I've seen, that's exactly what I mean. Healer takes all of the things that make a Kdrama a Kdrama and then puts them together better than anyone else. It does this without any of the failings that so many less stellar Kdramas have:

1. plots that start good and then become redundant to fill time or unravel towards the end,
2. noble idiocy / characters that don't tell each other the truth when that would solve all their problems just to keep the plot moving,
3. poorly thought out plots where the writer puts herself in a corner and cannot get out without the writing going to crap,
4. poor OTP chemistry,
5. annoying characters that make you want to strangle them (especially when they are the female lead),
6. mediocre acting,
7. sketchy directing, and
8. crappy endings (by that I mean endings that don't actually end anything!!!!!!!!!)

The best thing about Healer is the OTP and their to-die-for, smoking hot chemistry (and the fact that they are genuinely awesome characters both together AND on their own). But the second best (and rarer) thing that makes Healer so special is that the writer really thought it out from beginning to end. There are hints and clues all over and nothing is wasted (no guns are left unfired, for all you Chekhov fans). The writer is not lazy or gratuitous or wasteful or redundant. Everything that is there is needed. I am, of course, not the least bit surprised since she wrote one of the best Kdramas of all time, Story of a Man, and one that I have not seen that is also considered one of the best of all time, Sandglass. (She's written some crap too, but I think her good outweighs her bad.) So, props to the awesome Song Ji Na!

The only reason I gave it a 9.5 and not a 10 is that the ending, while satisfactory was a bit rushed. And I felt just a twinge betrayed since the writer had paced it out so well for 19 episodes and then got a bit rushy at the end. However, if I could give it a 9.8 I would.

Anyhow, I normally only write reviews of less popular dramas, and I know that Healer has a huge online following so it is definitely not in that category. But I still had to get my two cents in because it's just that great! And if you haven't seen it, and you still need convincing: didn't I mention the historic levels of skinship and hot kisses?!

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I'm loving this!

Haha... no, this is not a McDonald's joke but I really do love the drama. I mean, people used to say Hwarang was bad but aside from some endgame plot that I'm not really fond of, that drama was okay. The same would I say about this drama. I've been waiting for a new drama where Hyungsik would play another royal prince character and lo, WE GOT IT! And this time, his character has a higher likelihood to get the girl SINCE HE'S THE MAIN LEAD GUY!😃

Anyway, since this drama more or less was based on a Chinese novel... some plot might be predictable to those who are familiar with the novel. Or maybe not, since it's a kdrama some elements of the original novel would've been changed to suit the sageuk theme. That should be quite interesting to see regardless.

I really like how the characters were written. I mean, as much as there was this supposed triangle between Hwan, Jaeyi and Seung-on, the drama didn't focus too much on the triangle and just let the characters naturally grow to develop a decent friendship. There weren't too many unnecessary conflicts being made just to make the plot 'dramatic'. Which was nice. I love how Hwan and Jaeyi's appeared to start at first as an encounter between two people in crisis, which progressed into a sweet friendship between two person who could've easily been childhood friends and later having a much deeper love growing in between. I like how natural their relationship progressed into mutual love as Jaeyi grew to learn more about Hwan and help each other.

I also love the comedy element with Myungjin and Ga-ram and even more when Hwan and Jaeyi were with them. Cos seriously, I feel that a lot of the funny scenes were brilliant adlibs by the cast and that's so brilliant!

The mystery and political intrigues and conspiracies are nice too, but the serious plot didn't completely overshadow the lighthearted scenes. Also the ost, songs and special effects are well done as well and the visuals are pretty, so what else to ask? Seriously if you consider the time period where it'd be hard to investigate a murder and find the culprit without the modern techs we have now as well as the fact political murders and violent outbreaks of people who desire control of the throne are a common thing, it makes sense for people to not be able to trust anyone so completely, in order to stay alive . Added with superstitions and lack of complete knowledge on how things like science work in such times, life could be so scary if you're stuck in such a situation. I really like how the writer made good use to insert little clues here and there that may at first seem unrelated or pointless, only to later bring it back to form the bigger image in order to head to the final conclusion.

If you just want to enjoy some drama to fill your pastime, you can try watching this drama and you may find yourself liking it. If you're the type to be all negative and expect a drama to live up to some non-existent 'perfect' standard of what could be a great drama, don't bother watching this drama and spread your negativities here.

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I find it impossible to write a review of this drama without comparing it to I Hear Your Voice. After all, like others before me pointed out, Pinocchio comes out of the same pen, same cameras, same musical instruments and even part of the same cast that created I Hear Your Voice. I couldn't get rid of the impression I was watching a remake of this last, just with a different setting and a male protagonist who can't read the mind.

Pinocchio's story is intriguing, very captivating, well written and highly thought-provoking. It's also very well executed, in terms of acting, camera work and plot development. I enjoyed all episodes and was eager to watch the next.
So why have I given I Hear Your Voice a full 10, and bestowed this one a "mere" 8,5?
In rating a drama I always try to be as objective as I can be - try being the key word. A show that awakens the intellect deserves high scores, but it's the emotional share which earns it a perfect score. I was intellectually very engaged by Pinocchio, but I felt slightly detached when it came to the heart. Among other things, the romance didn't make my heart flutter, not even once. Honestly, I can't even pinpoint a reason for this: Park Shin Hye and Lee Jong Suk are both beautiful, very sweet in a puppy-like way, their respective characters lovable and their love story believable. And yet, it seems to me it lacked romantic tension, it was like watching two cute people in a commercial for shoes, or coats.
The moment they stopped being on screen, in my mind they also stopped being a couple.
On the contrary, I think Hye Song and Soo Ha are still dating, overcoming their differences and being happy together. I could mention many other drama couples that, to me, are still a reality somewhere in that evanescent world created by fantasy and therefore linger in my heart. Dal Po and In Ha are not among them.

Nobody's fault, mind you. The acting of all was above average and I was positively impressed by Park Shin Hye's performance. It must not be easy to interrupt every other sentence with a hiccup and make it sound believable. Her character isn't a champion of resolution, but she's very sweet and I liked her a lot. Lee Jong Suk is clearly a rising star in the drama world and can play this kind of role better and better. I loved the supporting cast, villain(s) included.

The music didn't make much of an impact on me either.

To explain my re-watch score, I'm going to confess a weak spot of mine: when a particular scene has a strong impact on me, I can't help but watch it again as soon as the episode is over. I haven't done so with any of Pinocchio's scenes. I may re-watch the entire show one day, but for now this ride, as much as it was enjoyable, is over.

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Disappointing! Feels drastically different from S1

I am really disappointed. I watched Season 1 shortly before Season 2 came out and was super excited. The Teasers looked promising and the cast looked fantastic in their new styles. Especially So Mun with the longer curly/wavy hair. Cho Byeong Kyu can shape-shift with his different hairstyles. But styling and looks is not enough to create a great follow-up season.

Where this season went wrong:
- The comedy is over the top and not my taste. Especially because it wasn't like this in S1
- The dynamic between the characters feels different as well. Less serious.
- The tone of this season is generally different from season1 and not in a good way. S1 was more personal and serious
- The Plot was running in circles. So much that it was getting draggy and boring.
- They wasted Yoo In Soo. His character was really annoying. I thought it would get better after ep 3&4 but it did not
- I don't know why, but it just felt hollow

If you do a second season with a different tone etc. ... do it at least good. Not like this.

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i am conflicted about how i feel when it comes to this drama.....

first and foremost, bohnduen who? why are they the main characters? they were cute at the beginning but then sadly as they progressed.... they became boring and annoying i just had to sonicc my way through the episodes and skip their scenes

why didn't i like bohnduen?
-bohn's actions were kinda creepy? i just found how he was pressuring the heck out of duen not cool....
-bohn has no right to treat duen like he's some sort of object he possess and also he should chiLL like ffs this dude gets jealous about everything and i don't understand how tf duen is the one apologising !!!
whether you're in a relationship or not, you can't limit your partner to not have interactions with anyone else lol
-sO repetitive !!! legit the only conflicts they have is bohn getting jealous bc someone came an inch closer to duen liKe bRuHH
-cheesy and not the good kind of cheese
-i feel like they would've done well as side characters

mekboss? more like mehbore hA sorry yeah idk what to say about them except that mek's actor deserves better they did him dirty with that dubbing

fiNALLY RAMKING THARAFRONG THANK YOU JESUS
-if these 2 couples didn't exist in this drama, i have no clue how i would've survived watching this !!! i absolutely love these two they truly stole the show
-ramking are the softest boyfriends (i know they're noT official bUT THEY ARE OKAY SHUT UP FIGHT ME)
i love how they cared for each other at their lows and i melted like a goSh darn puddle
i couldn't find any reason to not sacrifice my heart to these two (i am in a cult yes)
-tharafrong? yes they have the half of my heart
thara being the purest out of the purest, having a pet lizard called cupcake and him cleaning places when he's not in a good mood???? hence, thara best boy
i feel like their scenes were a teaser bc we didn't really get much out of them buT I'M ABSOLUTELY PUMPED TO SEE MORE OF THEM IN SEASON 2

therefore, ramking and tharafrong are the superior couples and you can't change my mind
(hi i don't welcome war thanks)

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When I started this drama, I was kind of prepared to hate the plot and leading lady. I mean, come on, the synopsis basically describes a gold digger taking a second shot at her husband after she finds out about his new success. But in the end I loved the drama! It was cute and an easy-watch. I wouldn't say it was extremely addictive, but it didn't drag much either. So it was one of those average feel-good dramas with a happy ending.

I loved Lee Min Jung here. And Joo Sang Wook, who I've only watched in Good Doctor and his role there was too different. L had a small supporting role but it was pretty cute too. In fact, this drama was overflowing with cute guys. And I'm nowhere near complaining. lol. The second leads here were extremely bearable. I mean, yeah, there was a point towards the end where I wanted to punch both of them for a moment. But it was flickering. And relatively they pretty good second leads. Not good enough to have second syndromes but good enough to develop a slight liking for them. The second lead girl especially was not a cold hearted bitch. I mean, she was shy and a bit gloomy because of her disability and her past. But she was nevertheless likeable.

The ending episode was super-sweet, with every character a bit of their own happy ending. Overall I would say while this drama is not something that would make you go, "wow best drama eveer" but at the same time you won't regret watching it and definitely won't throw popcorn at your screen. lol.

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this story is cursed to leave us unsatisfied

Whether you're watching this story for the first time or you've seen the Chinese versions, my initial impression is to temper your expectations, this show is far from the polished diamond it could be. Based on the same novel as Addicted (2016) and Stay With Me (2023), a lot of us had high hopes for this remake and just wanted to see our characters get their long awaited happy ending without the censorship gods trying to de-gay the story, and while this version did give us a "happy" ending, it wasn't the journey it so easily could have been.

Story:
In this adaptation, Hero (Guhai/Wubi) angrily runs away from home after his rich father remarries, he escapes to the countryside to live with his aunt and starts going to school there where his new straight-laced classmate Poppy (Luoyin/Suyu) turns into the outlet for his frustrations.

At the beginning, they sloppily rush through the story, giving the stepbrother enemies-to-lovers romance a new Lakorn flavor comedy spin. Though I love Thai humor, the type of corny slapstick comedy they're using here doesn't really fit with this story or characters, and I wish they didn't interrupt the vibes with so much potty humor. It starts to improve in the next few episodes, and though there's still a lot of cringe, we start to see some good chemistry. Then episode 6 hits and the story is all over the place again. After that the episodes are a mismatch of good and bad, including the random side couple drama, which honestly feels like a fanservice throw in for Hit, Bite, Love fans. They tried to do way too much, and it made the overall feel very disjointed.

Acting:
This isnt really all on August and Mac, but I personally wouldn't have cast them together. Their acting and character development felt forced at first, but after a couple episodes they started to improve and the characters start becoming more complex and loveable. Then all of the sudden, the chemistry just stops, and the story becomes jumbled, their romance just "happens" and we don't expirience anything really unfold. I suspect it's due to all the flack that they've been getting about Mac being 16 and the huge age gap between him and his co-star, which seriously-- why cast him in the first place then?

There arent any crazy scenes but oddly enough they do have a couple of intimate scenes, and there are even a few suggestive shots of the minors that were totally unnecessary, but then they go and censor the kisses??? Isn't censorship the whole reason this story keeps getting remakes, why cast minors in the first place? Seriously it's like the Chinese version all over again. And you know what, if Stay With Me should be testament to anything, it's that you don't need sexy fanservice or even kisses to have sweet romantic tension, so where'd the chemistry go??? Do better Thailand.

Overall, whether I rate this as a standalone or compare it to the other adaptations, the result is still the same. Lots of potential, a mess of production, and a "happy" ending that leaves you just as unsatisfied as before.

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Flower Power.

The Starry Love is a divine comedy packed with romance, sisterhood, friendship, adventure, mystical powers, and gut-busting laugh-out-loud moments. It takes dead aim at the tired, cliche-ridden xianxia formula. I was sold on both the drama and the female lead the moment she asks the most relevant question; after thousands of years, does the equipment still work? I laughed so hard that I fell off my treadmill. Be warned; it can be life-endangering to eat junk food or sip wine while watching this hilarious xianxia spoof.

This story rehashes a well-known plot about mixed-up brides where two sisters end up with each other's intended. Born under auspicious omens, the elder, virtuous, and good-natured Princess Qingkui is engaged to the aloof and righteous Shaodian Youqin, Sky prince and protector of the realm. The ill-omened, defiant, and mischievous younger Princess Yetan is to be married to the ominous Void realm, where the unfavored, scheming, and ruthless third prince, Chaofeng plots against his brothers to be the next Void Tyrant. Through a comedy of errors, Yetan ends up in the Sky realm where she turns the world of the pompous Youqin upside down while Qingkui stupefies the nefarious Chaofeng with her goodness. Both couples hilariously discover that opposites attract and two wrongs make a right. All too soon they discover that they are twin flowers born from a sacred tree that can unleash chaos on the four realms. Can their flower power prevail over destiny or will their stories only be remembered by the starry skies?

The more familiar you are with common xianxia tropes, the funnier this drama is. The plot unfolds along recognizable lines, gobsmacking you with unexpected twists along the way. The sisters truly love and support each other and the friendships are genuine and tested by hardship and sacrifice. While there is a healthy dose of the genre-defining angst that made my eyes burn with tears, it is usually short-lived, turning into humor in the blink of an eye. This is a very self-aware drama that pokes fun at the absurdity of tired tropes by acknowledging that even invincible immortals fear death, that the Sky realm is a very boring place and most of the eye candy lives in the Void realm. While it is a humorous fresh take on the genre, the underlying messages about good and evil are all too familiar and there is not much substance to the story.

It is undeniable that the sis-mance and romances are the highlights of this drama. Each sister finds in her mate all the qualities she loves best in her sister! The sisters are loyal to each other almost ahead of their lovers and their men get it and accept that there are more important things than love. Newcomer Chen Muchi gave me palpitations with his sexy and charismatic portrayal of the duplicitous and manipulative Chaofeng. It was a joy to watch Qingkui awaken that spark of conscience that sets him on the right path without losing his air of devil-may-care wickedness. I was initially less impressed with Chen Xingxu's cliched and stiff portrayal of Youqin's stony indifference. But the way Youqin comes alive once that facade crumbles and how he shows us the many sides of Youqin - germaphobe, pyromaniac, mercenary, and playboy; once again attests to this actor's versatility and mastery. Chen Xingxu's and Li Landi's wonderful chemistry and the way they are able to play off each other's emotions and reactions are authentic and captivating. Li Landi is really a young actress to watch. Her Yetan is so brave, naughty, and infectiously bubbly that it is no wonder she had not just Youqin but the entire Sky realm at her feet. All four lead actors have excellent comedic timing and the impressive ability to pull off many simply uproarious lines with a straight face.

The biggest criticism I have of this drama is the overuse of bright lighting and the over-lit Sky realm. It makes for an overbearing visual experience that makes the back of my eyeballs feel like I have been staring down a torchlight. The production values and CGI are not the best and almost made me skip this drama, which would have been a mistake. Because it is addictive from the start and overall well-paced although it loses some momentum in the mortal realm before reaccelerating to the finish. The final arcs take on a more serious and angsty tone and the villains are a bit cliched and too easily identifiable. It also overuses the bad dad trope and some of the rationale of the Sky emperor in particular does not bear close scrutiny. Although many are not pleased with the ending, I have watched enough xianxias to expect something like that so it just made me laugh. I think it was quite comical and oddly fitting with the spirit of the drama. I am happy to recommend this as a very enjoyable light watch. I rate it 8.5/10.0.

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I was hooked from episode to episode. The cast are brilliant, the story is brilliant, the changing locations are brilliant, the soundtrack is brilliant, the videography and production are brilliant. The ending wasn't *quite* to my taste, but that's nitpicking, it was still.. well... brilliant.

I'll put a spoiler-masked-comment below to discuss my thoughts on the ending.

Since this one started I have been eagerly anticipating the next episode and they've been getting better (or worse, depending on your perspective...) at the cliffhangers throughout the show, the last few episodes have some serious "ARGH! NEXT! NEXT! NEXT!" endings, fortunately the show is complete and you can now hit next without the angst of waiting a week :)

I really enjoyed the portrayal of North Korea, and the interactions North and South. I appreciate some of these are going to be simplified, dramatised and possibly even flat wrong - but it did provide an effective contrast between the two nations I think and certainly sets you thinking. There was an interesting article posted on MDL which told more of a story about the real situation in North Korea and there was a lot to reflect on in the show, so it's worth reading that article if you haven't already. Education is the best cure for misunderstanding, after all.

There are some fantastic characters in this, from the village ladies in North Korea to the staff of Se-ri's Choice that hunt relentlessly to find Se-ri after she goes missing. I thought the substory with her step-mother was nice and while providing an insight into why Se-ri is the way she is at the start, provided a warmth later on that was also reflected in her character.

Hyun Bin was ... just.... outstanding, as always, as was Son Ye Jin. There are many really emotional scenes, happy, sad, crying you name it, and they pull them off beautifully.

Son Ji Hye plays the ML's North Korean fiancé, the last time I saw her in a drama was Black Knight - she played Sharon and it was a great performance there too.

Definitely recommended. Stop reading, and start watching, right this minute!

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Okay, I’ll be honest here. I loved Clean With Passion For Now and I was ready to give you many reasons why you should watch it. But that was until episode 13. After the 13th episode, I came to realize that this drama was nothing but a waste of time with some fluttering moments here and there.

The best thing about CWPFN was the chemistry between the main leads. We had the best kiss scenes we could get. This is an unpopular opinion actually, but I like the main leads together. Yes, It was obvious that Yoo Jung was younger than Gyun Sang (and the fact that he is that huge does not help) but still, I think they suit each other.

But let me start with the negative things now. First, Yoo Jung’s character – Oh Sol. She was quite dumb in my opinion. I don’t know if she was poorly written or the writer wanted her to be like that for real. In any case, she wasn’t a likable female lead. She cried a lot and it was always her fault somehow. She always did something more or less wrong, and then feel bad about it. She was weak, but anyways, we are all like that sometimes.

Now, the plot… There’s not much about it though. The drama had a funny and sweet start, but couldn’t live up to its potential. There were too many useless things happening, too many pointless and boring characters appearing without leaving any impression on me. Clean With Passion For Now it’s that type of show in which you have to wait ages for the two mains (who obviously like each other) to confess their feelings and start a relationship. The second lead guy was sweet, but I didn't suffer from sls (gyun sang is the main lead, khm). But seriously, there were too many clichés and too much drama. Don't get me wrong, conflicts between the characters are what helps a drama develop, but in CWPFN they were kind of very poinltess and out of place. There were some ridiculous moments that made me laugh, but if you are really looking for a good comedy, then... this is not it.

The mysophobia is more like a subplot, I was intereted in it at the beginning... kind of. I don't know how realistic it was though, I'm not familiar enough with it so I can't say.

The acting was okay, I guess. I will always love Gyun Sang and the way he portrays his characters and I do love his chubby cheeks here. (I was really angry when I saw so many negative comments about his appearance). Kim Yoo Jung also did a good job.

The OST is what I loved the most! Give 'Cosmos' by Huh Gak a listen, you won't regret it!

So overall, I'm quite disappointed, I guess I expected too much. Clean With Passion For Now has a sweet romance, but nothing more. It's very drop-wrothy and you might want to skip a lot of scenes if you don't want to get bored. I don't really recommend it, but if you have nothing to watch, you can give it a try and see for yourself. At least it will make your heart flutter, at least once.

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The sheer level of product placement in this drama is so high, you wonder if it is a drama about the products at times instead of a romance business drama which is a big turn off. It not only can take you out of the drama but there are so annoying about it in nearly every episode. If a gift is involved in any scene, you can bet there will be product placement. It was so abrasive that throughout this review you will be seeing [Insert Product Placement] to show you my frustration.

This drama was interesting until it became a repeat game of "will they won't they", miscommunication and lack of trust. Pretty standard for romance dramas [Insert Product Placement] but it was done so much in an already freaking long drama that it became an issue of 'WHY the heck are you guys even together problem.' [Insert Product Placement]

The only reason the FL and ML are together is their PURE chemistry and light sensual tension. They are the sole reason I kept watching a drama that I would've normally [Insert Product Placement] dropped after a certain point. This drama could've saved time and money by just keeping [Insert Product Placement] the FL and ML the main focus while making the drama 12-14 episodes long. Everything else was either useless fillers or annoying. They were the best in the beginning half drama before annoying things got in their way. I suppose that is life, ain't it?

Other problems/peeves: FL is not competent enough at her job. She is "good but not good enough" lame excuse. Her fashion in the drama is an indicator that this chick plays it safe. I suppose she improves but whatever. She had so many problems coming at her it was ridiculous. ML is the classic [Insert Product Placement], "I ace everything but dealing with my teenage sister" type of gege/oppa. He has a setback, but again whatever. His losses aren't significant enough or last long enough for me to say much. Both Dilraba and Johnny act well in this. This was my first drama with Johnny Huang, so I was pleasantly happy because he was [Insert Product Placement] swoon worthy at times.

I enjoy the failures of the characters and the problems they have but I have no empathy for [Insert Product Placement] them since they repeat like crazy. Learn your lessons people! I mean the two females in this drama are legit spoiled brats who have been spoon fed way too many times for me to take them seriously. They never suffer severe losses even when it is claimed that they are/have which only proves their brat [Insert Product Placement] statuses.

The other couples were cute at the start but I became increasing frustrated with the Qin Qing when her boyfriend [Insert Product Placement] was legit the sweetest guy ever. You really get some annoying ass character later who you just wish would go away because they aren't interesting enough to stay in the story and it is just lame after a certain point.

I highly suggest everyone watch episodes 1-14ish and then just STOP. You legit don't need to go any further than that, nothing happens that doesn't reset it self to the status of those episodes. Save yourself time. [Insert Product Placement]

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Lemme tell y’all. I deadass created an acc to write this review. I feel like I’ve been watching dramas since I was fresh out the womb and none of the c-dramas that I have watched ever made me THIS ADDICTED. What really made me first watch this drama was obv our bbg Janice Wu and the fact that this drama is based on the authors personal experience, therefore being a true story. At first I thought this was going to be a typical “smart guy and dumb girl” or a “girl that can never stand up for herself and needs the guy to protect her” type of drama but y’all i was wrong. Every character is so unique in their way and charm it’s indescribable. Usually when we watch dramas there’s always like one or two characters that you do not like but in this drama you literally cannot not like anyone because of how well they all compliment eachother.

I recommend this drama if you are trying to watch a high quality drama. Please thoroughly watch this and do not skim some parts cause ik y’all can be impatient sometimes. This drama will definitely make you laugh, cry, and learn *make sure you watch till the end of some episodes to know why you’ll “learn”* Also GIRL THE KISS SCENES YALLLL IF U WANTING SOME HIGH QUALITY CHINESE KISSING THEN WATCH THIS DRAMA THERE AINT NO “GUY KISSING A WALL” SCENES. Ok this my first review ever. Bye

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