Reviews

I watched this drama before because of the summary of the story. As a married woman, a drama like this is really inviting especially if it's about in-law things. hahaha!

The story of this drama shows how the life of a normal family really is. You'll learn many things by watching this and it'll make you understand each situation of an individual in the family.

The actors really did a great job because they had shown their versatility as actors and actresses. This sitcom is long but you'll love every part of it because it'll really make you laugh and cry.

This drama is excellent and you'll never regret watching it.

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A story with great potential, that lost its spark along the way

I was really looking forward to this drama, it seemed like it would be fun and refreshing, and I have to say it was. I loved this drama so much during the first half. It was funny, the characters were all so real, and the drama was also able to deliver meaningful messages. The ost was cute, and I loved Eu Ddeum, he was such an adorable character. Hari and Yisang continuously made my heart flutter, and I would always look forward to their scenes. There was cute bromance as well. Oh My Baby was everything I had been looking for.
However, the drama lost its spark for me at around episode 10. The characters suddenly became so immature. The angst really didn't suit this drama. Hari and Yisnag suddenly began acting like children, breaking up and getting back together again, not trying to face the problem. The episodes felt boring, and I started to watch them in 2x. I was expecting actual third lead syndrome from this, something new, but Jaeyoung and Eu Ddeum were practically useless. Jaeyoung was so frustrating. His character had such a unique setup: a man who had it all, a beautiful family and well paying job, who was now at the lowest point of his life, with a daughter to take care of. But we barley got to see his growth and he was just there to frustrate viewers. I was also disappointed with the use of Eu Ddeum's character, he was just there to add humor. For a drama that focused on an infertile couple, we hardly got to see their struggles. Instead we got unnecessary break up scenes. In the last episode, everything that had been empathized on, was suddenly no longer a problem.
The ending was cute, a little predictable but I still enjoyed it. Overall, it was an okay drama. I really wish it didn't lose its spark for me, because it could've become one of my top dramas.

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All style no substance.

I was really excited to watch this Republican period detective drama. Having enjoyed Hu Yitian and Zhang Yunlong's chemistry in My Roommate is A Detective, I couldn't wait to see them team up again in a similar setting. The adaptation of Agatha Christie's Poirot mysteries seemed like an added bonus. Sad to say, despite the visually sumptuous set and costumes, both the characters and cases are bland, uninspired and the pacing is very draggy.

While Situ Yan is the lead detective, he is not meant to be a literal adaptation of Hercule Poirot. Poirot with his known eccentricities including his fastidiousness and obsession with symmetry, is one of the the most distinctive, well dimensioned fictional detectives ever. He has a clear process and methodology that is based on human nature and psychology for solving the case. I would never cast Hu Yitian as Poirot and I am ok with the fact that Situ Yan is not Poirot. What I am not ok with is the colorless, cardboard characterisation of Situ Yan as simply a highly intelligent but rather lethargic lawyer with a strong sense of justice. Hu Yitian does his best with the role but he doesn't have much to work with. This is made worse by Luo Shaochuan, the money guy whose contribution to the crime solving aspects of the partnership is unclear. This character is so indifferently written it is not worthy of an actor of Zhang Yunlong's calibre. The two leads get little screen time together as they go down disparate paths in the investigations. Unlike their previous best loved collaboration, Zhou Mowan is more often Situ Yan's sidekick than Luo Shaochuan is. Thus we don't get to enjoy their banter and their incredible chemistry that builds up and fleshes out both characters as they work through the cases. While both female leads are well written and likeable, they crowd out the bromance.

When it comes to adapting these beloved Poirot classics, I am no die-hard Christie purist. I am receptive to and have seen good adaptations that take a fair amount of liberties with the original works. This can be successfully achieved because changes notwithstanding, the adaptation remains true to the essence of Christie; the psychology of the crime. This is where Checkmate fails to deliver. The supporting cast is very mediocre and lacks screen presence. Bland storytelling and poor pacing with unnecessary romantic digressions disrupts the build up in suspenseful tension into the final reveals. The cases must be evaluated convincingly from the point of view of each character, to assess their psychology as a sense of imminent peril escalates. Who was the victim? Why would someone want them dead? Who would cross that line and actually do the dastardly deed? This drama fails to make me feel invested in the human aspects - the victims and potential suspects; it fails to create a sense of urgency to solve the case or engender that mixture of sorrow, pity and revulsion for the perpetrator that is signature Christie.

The first case is Murder on the Orient Express, a well known case that has been adapted to death. While this version does not stand out, it stays close to the original and is fairly well done. Although Roger Ackroyd is also quite well done considering how difficult it is to adapt an unreliable narrator case into this format, from there, things start to go downhill. These cases are masterpieces; material changes should be weighed carefully and not made with the misguided idea that such impeccable Christie plots have scope for improvement or merely for the sake of delivering a surprise twist. Which is what they did to one of my personal favourites. They went for the plausible alternative solution which simply did not fit the human nature aspects of the case. And thus fails to deliver Christie's magic wow factor, the thrill and the chill and that sense of shock, sorrow and acceptance that it all made sense; that it is the best and only solution. It devolves further as cases are stitched together in a cut and paste fashion that is increasingly incoherent. The final case bears little resemblance to what I think must be the original. While it took no genius to spot the the final antagonists a mile away, their motives are uninteresting and unconvincing and the ending is frankly farcical.

If you are a Christie purist, I would say avoid this drama. You will feel they have desecrated some of the author's best works. If not, this is a watchable if unexceptional adaptation. The production values are quite good and the Republican period setting in Harbin has some novelty appeal even though the drama overall is all style no substance. This is a 7.0 for me but I would have rated it 7.5 if they didn't ruin Five Little Pigs and finish in such an absurd manner.

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Brilliant Cast, Average Storyline...

Easily one of the most hyped Korean movies of the year, screenwriter-director Lee’s ” Seobeok” drew attention by the collaboration of two of Korea’s biggest stars in the industry, Gong Yoo and Park Bo Gum working alongside one another. However, something which does seem to have been left out in reviews beforehand in favour of biased comments upon the actors themselves, is glossing over the actual storyline.

Seobok is an odd fusion of drama, philosophy and morality in the first-half closely followed by fast-paced action with gunfights and psychic powers in the final part. It is surprising, but somehow, these two halves did blend quite well, resulting in a rather entertaining film.

The movie is the tale of Min Ki-hun (Gong Yoo) a former intelligence agent with a traumatic past. He suffers from a long-term illness which causes him to occasionally lose consciousness (mostly at times most convenient for the plot). Chief Ahn (Cho Woo-jin), his former cunning agency head, recommends that he be part of a revolutionary experiment that might help to cure him of his ailment. This experiment involves Seobok (Park), brought to life through stem cell cloning and genetic engineering. Seobok is a gentle, benevolent soul who is fascinated about the world, and morbidly about mortality.

Seobok’s bone marrow contains special cells that could unlock the secret of immortality. Unsurprisingly, a lot of people are interested in him, mostly for selfish reasons.After a surprise ambush by some military forces, Min and Seobok find themselves on the run together. If viewers can put two and two together, the screenwriting openly becomes predictable as the story moves along .

Admittedly, the action scenes are pretty enthralling, opening up in the beginning of the film with a terrific moment when a vehicle is driven through a brick wall. Yet whilst the plot does begin to build up to a satisfying climax, the pacing is ultimately slow in parts with perhaps the only reward seeing the antagonists get their just desserts, as well as some more profound moments of angst-ridden backstories for the characters. The philosophy in the movie whilst arguably risking the problem of being overwrought, did add a multifaceted layer to the storyline.

As far as acting goes, Seobeok is certainly headlined by its two main actors Gong Yoo and Park Bo Gum, who do not disappoint within their performances.

Amazingly, Gong Yoo was hesitant to accept the role at first and was unaware that he would be starring alongside junior actor Park Bo Gum. However, Gong Yoo later confessed that he enjoyed playing the role ( as well as being able to break away from his typical ” good guy” roles as a foul-mouthed and cynical agent), something which he certainly excelled within his performance as troubled protagonist Min. In a scene exploring Min’s back story, Gong Yoo captivates the pure humanity of his character in arguably one of the most memorable parts of the film.

Evidently, costar Park Bo Gum also had his fair commentary upon feeling fairly nervous with working with Gong Yoo in the film. Regardless, Park’s somewhat romanticised appearance as the mysterious Seobok, did not diminish his talents onscreen as both characters and their bond over the course of the film was fairly likeable and easy as a viewer to become invested within. Admittedly, the side characters were mediocre at best; not dire nor unwatchable, but the antagonists in particular felt formulaically one-dimensional.

As far as the ending goes it is more a matter of opinion. Some may interpret it as more a clever metaphor, whilst others may be less impressed by the abrupt and sudden conclusion . Overall, ” Seobeok” had undeniably brilliant performances by the lead actors Park Bo Gum and Gong Yoo who certainly do not disappoint. However, whilst the movie attempted to style itself as an intricately complicated philosophical, action-thriller ( and was successful to some extent in parts), it often struggled to pace its own storyline as well as breaking out of unoriginal cliches . Nevertheless, it was enjoyable in parts, and certainly worth watching to pass the time.

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Great drama, great ending and great chemistry!!

This Chinese drama is refreshing!! YES, finally one that is done right, although I believed it was filmed in 2019?

Zhao Jiang Yue is a top manager in the company, just turned thirty and has never been in love or in a relationship. Gina Jin who plays the FL is off the charts in this- gorgeous, beautiful, dressing makeup and hair all done so well! Very good acting as well. I loved the way she teased her bf. Her male counterpart Gu Jiaxin is the son of the CEO, forced to be ZJY’s assistant by the mum. Although he’s a rich kid and didn’t want to work at the company, he’s thoughtful and kind, and eventually starts falling in love with ZJY.

Their chemistry is SO SO GOOD!! The stealing glances, the hand brushing against each other, the “I will protect you” manoeuvres, the intensity, the longing.... my gosh!! Can’t get enough! The other side couples are not too bad as well. The only criticism I have is the character Li Yan Ran. She appears after a few episodes, and she is the MOST ANNOYING PERSON EVER!! Her character just ruined the whole drama- seriously. I understand the writers need a female rival, but this does not cut it. UGH!

The music OST is also very enjoyable and memorable. Definitely highly recommended drama- very refreshing and feel- good overall with a great ending!! Must watch :)

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Silly, but Cute

Overall Impression: A cute and fun story. If you're not looking for something serious or deep and you're a fan of BL romcom, you'll probably enjoy this show. Don't take it too seriously or you might not enjoy it.

Pros:
- Funny/cute characters and story, a feel-good type of show
- Music is really catchy
- Actors have good chemistry together
- Follows pretty closely to original story, but some changes are made to fix some controversial material from the original and apply to a live action format (more serious than original)
- Scenery/sets are really beautiful
- Anda's character is still cute and somewhat innocent, but not nearly as childish and naive as the original
- The side characters are loveable
- Cute fanservice
- Anda's friends are so awesome!
- Uplifting ending

Cons:
- messy international release and subtitles (now available on AISPLAY official YouTube)
- Character and relationship development feels somewhat lacking with the leads
- Ryo's character is a bit unlikable at the beginning
- There is quite a bit of "filler"
- I wonder what happened to the side plot sometimes?
- Sometimes story seems inconsistent or repetitive
- Sometimes takes itself too seriously for a comedy

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I have so many issues with this season I don't even know where to start.

Argh, this was frustrating.

How can they tackle a story such as abuse of power, sexual abuse, and waste so much time on James and Ait's relationship? My problem isn't even that I find them boring or that Ait is annoying and immature. My problem is that they could have had something actually valuable to say and they bailed. The endless speech about James and Ait being in a relationship bore me to death. Even while acknowledging that shipping actors together is huge in the BL industry and makes sense to talk about (the way Lovely Writer also did), Tee's problematic behaviour comes last and is barely addressed. Honestly, I was more satisfied with the first season's ending... It felt open ended and optimistic whereas this one felt rushed and unresolved.

Now, don't get me wrong, I wanted to see Bas and Marco get together, but somehow when they do, it fixes all of Bas' issues? The depression, self-harm, suicidal ideation, the constant self-blame? I can even excuse that they picked the weirdest time to have sex, I can believe that would happen, but it was way too rough considering Bas' history which made me really uncomfortable. Oh, and that's without even mentioning it's mere hours after Marco confessed his love to James. Yikes...

I'm trying to remember positive aspects but the end got me so upset I think I forgot everything else. I mean, if you exclude what I said above, Marco and Bas kissing in front of the cameras is quite cute. Apart from that, Bas' struggles are very real and definitely what I wanted from this season, brilliantly acted by Michael as well. Everyone say thank you Michael for giving this season a reason to exist. He single-handedly raised all of the scores.

I wouldn't say don't watch it because Michael is amazing but... gosh it's flawed. If it was any longer, I would have said don't bother.

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This movie will have you grow hairs on your butt. (For those who don't know, the Korean saying is, "If you laugh when you cry, you'll grow hairs on your butt/butthole.") Cha Tae Hyun is amazing, as usual, and brings life and depth to his character. The ghosts are quirky, and annoying at first, but they grow on you, and the ending will have you exit the movie with a happy sigh. For those worried about the horror factor, there is absolutely no scary scenes in the movie. In fact, you will most likely be laughing the entire way through. I definitely recommend it for everyone, even for those who don't get toilet humor (after all, you can't really have a Korean comedy without some toilet humor). There's not much else I can say without spoiling it. Please watch it. You won't regret it. Cheers!

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Moments of brilliance, buried in mediocrity

I approached "Love in the Big City" both eager and guarded, as one who steps into a garden rumoured to bloom with rare flowers, dreading the thorns beneath. And indeed, my patience soon withered/waned under its oppressive sorrow and despair. A suffocating pall of misery clung to the gay characters. The very air seemed heavy and coagulated. And yet, I cannot, in good conscience, deny the actors their due. Their performances were of such distinction, such disciplined passion, that they elevated the poor script

Of those who graced the stage/screen, Nam Yoon Su did shine with a peculiar radiance. His readiness to partake, without the least restraint of feigned modesty or hesitation, in the delicate and tender manifestations of carnal affection between men, was an uprising against the profane doctrine of homophobia, gnawing ever at the fabric of society. Each kiss, each quivering proximity, was a venture into the "forbidden" and a courageous unveiling of a man's innermost self before another. Stunned I stood, for here were men, yielding mutually and entering the blessed harmony where desire is met with desire, or flame answers flame. Few were the sights that could rival the fair and beautiful scene

Having paid homage to the commendable virtues, I must, with sober and judicious mind, now dissect the manifold imperfections of "Love in the Big City." The narrative faltered at its threshold. Therein, a "straight" identifying woman, she whose eyes roved with lecherous and unbecoming intent on men, trespassed into the charged social space of a gay bar/club, a haven purposed for the free and boundless flowering of same-sex desire (31:07 of episode 1). This is no mere lapse in judgment, but a flagrant assault on the sanctity of single-sex spaces

What cause had the authors and producers for the unceremonious reference to HIV? HIV is not divine chastisement or a gay disease. The military doctor's diagnosis presumed a manner of transmission he himself deemed improbable. "Are you a top or a bottom? The truth is, the chances of spreading HIV to a sex partner are low" (39:50 of episode 5). Whence we may conclude that to afflict a gay character with the blight of HIV, while all else in his life proceeds unimpeded by the ravages of the disease, notwithstanding its low transmissibility or the accessibility of "curative" measures, is to commit an injustice altogether superficial, contrived to stir the blood of the audience and cast aspersion on the inclinations of gay men

Methinks it a wearying contrivance that "straight" identifying women are the sole passage through which the lives of gay men are revealed. A stranger to the sting of homophobia befriended a gay man and claimed the right to utter his sorrows. Is his voice feeble? Can it not speak for itself? Or is it that the ears of society are closed to the truth, unless it be spoken by one it takes to be "safe" and unthreatening to the established order? Be that as it may, the time is ripe for gay men and gay women to gather in brotherly and sisterly concord and recount the trials and joys of their lived experiences. They could find in one another a steadfast, compassionate friend

Evermore were the gay characters denied the solace of a blissful end. I marvel not. From the dawn of civilization, gay existence has been granted provisional legibility within the public sphere on condition that it be sentenced to a life of bitterness, celibacy, or exile. The possibility of societal tolerance rests on the disavowal of collective joy/happiness, the desexualization and deradicalization of same-sex physical intimacy, and the proscription of a viable, enduring future

There is an urgent need for narratives in which gay joy/happiness is the norm, however much they strain against the limits of the prevailing regime of plausibility. It is in their defiance of said plausibility that we can affirm the radical banality of gay flourishing, a mode of being so simple and unremarkable in its presence that it precedes the demand for justification

TL;DR I have, after deliberation, settled on a score of 6/10

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A new favorite in the making

Original review (first 2 episodes):
It's been quite a while since a drama had me hooked in the first five minutes. But from the opening scene of My Perfect Stranger I loved the music, the atmosphere, the cinematography, everything, and by the end of episode 2 I was not let down. The pace so far has been fantastic and there hasn't been a single moment I was bored. The acting from our main leads is stellar, be it in emotional scenes or quieter moments. They make these wild circumstances feel plausible simply by the realism of their reactions. As far as the story, this drama had me at time travel. I've often wished for more Korean dramas with this premise because it's a theme I've loved ever since I can remember and I'm really enjoying the execution here.

The overall tone is lighter than I expected and it's great. It sets it apart from quite a few other dramas I've seen involving crime/murder and makes for what is, in my opinion, an easier and more pleasant watch. The humor is clever and genuinely funny without being flat out comedy. Honestly, I would find it a little difficult to name the exact genre of this drama because it truly has its own unique feel, which I personally love. I can't wait to see how the plot develops, as well as the relationship between Yoon Young and Hae Joon. I already sense some chemistry there and I hope that if there is in fact romance in this show that it's not rushed or forced. I would totally dig a low key slow burn between them. The OST is the cherry on top, both with the instrumental soundtrack and the 80s songs interspersed. All in all, if the drama keeps this up, I may have a new favorite on my hands.

Update (completed):
Let me start by saying that most of my feelings from my original review remained true until the end of My Perfect Stranger. The family relationships remained strong and beautiful throughout and my love for the main couple only grew. It's been a while since I was graced with a such a subtle, unproblematic, and yet adorable romance in a drama, and my only complaint is that I wanted more of them. For the most part, the drama managed to maintain the pace and feelings of suspense for me. That being said, after a while I began to realize that no matter who the culprit was, I probably would not feel shocked when their identity was revealed. Why? Because I had already spent hours considering every single person in the entire cast. Any one of them could be the culprit, it seemed, and I started to feel that none of them would surprise me. Sadly, I think that turned out to be true. The reveal simply did not pack the punch I was expecting from such an intense drama, and that was possibly the most disappointing part for me. I couldn't fully appreciate the climax because I was waiting for a second identity reveal that would REALLY shock me and prove the first one just a fakeout. Needless to say, that didn't come.

I've heard some mixed things about this drama and I know some people felt it became too contrived or went downhill. Personally, I don't know how contrived it was, but I enjoyed it beginning to end largely because I could almost always follow the plot. It felt like the writer prized the story more than shock value, and the same cannot be said of many in its genre. It is worth mentioning that I don't usually watch dramas as they air and it's possible I couldn't appreciate some of its flaws simply because I couldn't remember them lol. I do think it took a bit of a plunge into darkness later in the drama and that grew a little tiresome for me, but it did manage to bring back some of the humor and heartwarming elements again.

I have a few other gripes here and there, but in the end, I let them go because I think that overall, the drama did what it set out to do. It told a nostalgic time travel story that was both emotionally intense and heartwarming, and is ultimately about second chances. It wasn't afraid to delve into deep tragedy and heartbreak, which made the victories and happy moments that much sweeter. We got rare focus on family relationships and friendships, beautiful arcs both in the characters and relationships, and an extremely satisfying ending that left me smiling and feeling warm and fuzzy on the inside. I definitely recommend this one, flaws and all.

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A Flawed Adaptation Saved by Incredible Chemistry

*Guardian* is probably the first Chinese drama that made me force my Mandarin-fluent friend to read the original novel, watch all forty episodes, and then summarize everything for me. And mind you, he wasn't even a fan of BL novels.

I first discovered the drama through a trailer recommended by YouTube, and I'm glad I clicked on it. The very first episode captured my attention, especially the moment Shen Wei (Zhu Yi Long) saw Zhao Yun Lan (Bai Yu) at the university. One look was enough to tell me there was a deeper history between them. Even without knowing the full story, that scene carried an emotional weight that immediately drew me in.

Fans of the novel know that the source material is a BL story. However, due to censorship regulations, the drama had to tone down the relationship and present the pair more as soul brothers than soulmates. Despite those restrictions, Zhu Yi Long and Bai Yu managed to convey the essence of their relationship through subtle expressions, body language, and the way they looked at each other. Sometimes a glance said more than a page of dialogue ever could.

The plot itself is present, but the drama's limited budget often shows. Some storylines and visual effects feel underdeveloped, and there are moments where the editing makes scenes feel incomplete, as though important material was cut out. If you're someone who gets frustrated by inconsistencies or small production flaws, you'll find plenty to criticize here. Just pay attention to Zhao Yun Lan's lollipop. One moment it's in his mouth, the next it's in his hand, and suddenly it's back in his mouth again.

What truly saved *Guardian* from falling apart were its two leads. Zhu Yi Long and Bai Yu carried the series on their shoulders. It's hard to imagine anyone else bringing these characters to life the way they did. Interestingly, Bai Yu once mentioned that he was initially uncomfortable taking the role after reading the novel. Personally, I don't think that had anything to do with the BL elements. Zhao Yun Lan in the novel is much more flirtatious and mischievous, almost reminding me of Sun Wukong at times.

The supporting cast deserves recognition as well. The entire SID team felt as though they had stepped directly out of the novel, albeit with some adjustments to satisfy censorship requirements. Even several secondary characters left a strong impression, particularly the actor who portrayed the new king and the character with fire-based abilities.

One thing I absolutely loved was the opening theme. It sounded epic and promised a grand fantasy adventure, even if the production itself couldn't always deliver on that scale. It was also unusual because the opening song was in English. While English songs occasionally appear as insert tracks in Chinese dramas, it's much rarer to hear one used as the official opening theme.

As for rewatch value? Absolutely. Though if I'm being honest, I'd probably skip some of the weaker plotlines and focus mainly on the scenes involving the two leads. In fact, someone should edit all forty episodes into a single movie centered entirely on Shen Wei and Zhao Yun Lan.

Overall, *Guardian* was my favorite Chinese drama of 2018. It isn't perfect. The budget limitations, editing issues, and occasional plot inconsistencies are impossible to ignore. But if you're looking for logic and flawless storytelling, this may not be the drama for you. Watch it for Zhu Yi Long, Bai Yu, and the unforgettable chemistry they brought to their characters.

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Refreshing modern female oriented drama

When casting is top notch & the story is not filled with over toxic characters, it's enjoyable to watch.

The story starts off with everyone captivated by Rose's beauty. Beauty is not just standard Chinese beauty but also the energy, 气质 she exhibits. Picking Cristal Liu is perfect for the role. She has that artsy, sophisticated 气质 and she looks young enough to play college age to 30's mom age.
She comes from a healthy family with loving parents with an overprotective brother. There isn't the idea of girls are any less valuable than boys hence she grew up free pursuing what she wants rather than what her parents want for her. She's smart, sassy, confident but also with many imperfections. She's not afraid to take chances on love and in life.

Ep 1-12 1st love. She's impulsive and the relationship progressed fast without deeper understanding. Break ups, fights, yelling feeling semi toxic as they find out more about each other. Very relatable to many people's 1st relationships.
Ep 13-28 Mr. Wrong Husband. She wanted someone stable and settled with the obvious wrong choice, but the series got draggy that I almost dropped the series. The best part was the divorce where she wrote to her daughter: "Divorce in my view only represent an end in a relationship and not a life failure."
Ep 28-35 Mr. Soulmate. At this point she regained her career and she's on a happier path. They have undeniable chemistry and connect on that artistic level.
Ep 36-38 Younger crush, not enough to make an impact.

What's enjoyable:
1. Good female supporting characters small or big parts. Even in the beginning a woman blaming her breakup on Rose, acting all crazy, Rose said "You are smart and beautiful, why waste more time on an underserving guy?" There was no female bashing over love interest like in other dramas.
2. Rose's Loving parents. Positive supportive parenting & nonjudgmental. "Life is only few decades long. If Happier times > sad times, then life is worth it."
3. Modern topics: Career women/Married, unmarried, divorced/Single parenting/Multiple loves, realistic that love moves on (None of that drama love trope of 30-year-old never been kissed, waiting to be reunited from their 1st unrequited love from 10 years ago because they met at 5 or something)

What could've been better:
1. WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY less episodes on boring husband choice
2. Use those extra episodes on Soulmate

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ECCENTRIC SHOW FOR SURE

First of all let me just ask why title the series Eccentric Romance? The term eccentric literally means unusual, odd or strange. Do the makers hate same sex love stories that much to actually call whats happening odd and/or strange? Is it supporting BL genre or mocking it?

The series is actually not that bad but it isnt actually good as well. At least it was better than that last Thai-Korean show starring Mew.

Lets discuss the biggest elephant in this show. This is not the first (or the worst) multi-lingual drama created, but for the love of the heavens above, could the producers just stop doing this now? It is not fun to watch series with leads speaking different languages and we as watchers should pretend that they understand each other. JUST STOP THIS INSANITY. Nothing about it is funny and watcheable. It just screams cheapness and the inability of the budget to actually afford bi-language actors.

My next gripe is this - i am so tired of watching BLs with girls objectifying the leads screaming "ohmygod hes so handsome" as if its their first time seeing a guy. Even worse, ive seen a few BLs doing this same shit and i am like who the f are they screaming at? They want us to believe that they cast the hottest actors in the world and maybe if they keep saying and doing it over and over we as watchers would believe it too. I mean the actors in this series are not bad looking but to be honest they dont look like someone who would stop people in their tracks. Stop doing this writers, this is just lazy lazy lazy writing.

Anyway, no need to recap, not worth retyping it, just read the synopsis here in MDL. I actually feel bad for this series. It is a show wanting to be different but isnt. The main story is quite unique in the BL world, conceptually, but the mediocre execution prevented it from actually being good. The acting is very amatuerish and the chemistry between the main couple is lacking. The sets are awful and screams low-budget. It feels like they shot the entire series within a day or two. The main twist and ending felt so rushed. Its a slice-of-life drama with no backstories and no real depth.

I really really cant understand why this has to be 12 short episodes with almost nothing happening. Add the fact that the 15minute episode is actually just about 12min when you have more than 90sec recap/opening credits and another 90 sec end credits. It is so obvious that the material they have and shot is just enough for a full-length movie and just divided it into 12 episodes and that they intend to re-release it in a movie version later on to milk it as much as possible. Please Im begging you Korean producers, if you want to make a series, please MAKE A SERIES. How difficult is it to add maybe 5 or 10 minutes to each episodes to fully develop your stories and characters?

Would i reccommend it? Not particularly, but if you have time to waste binge it in 1.25 speed, that would certainly make the experience better. Would i rewatch? Not even if you put a gun in my mouth. im giving it a 6.5 out of 10.

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Okay... I admit that i watched this drama because of Seto Koji at first but this drama is so much better than I expected. The story is really well written and the acting is superb. It is very choppy and does not waste any time on things like reminiscing or misunderstandings or missing each other by a second (far out! I HATE cliched rubbish like that... reminiscing and crying is not the only way to portray emotion!). Despite saying that... actually there are some instances where misunderstandings occur, but they are all within reason and the problems are solved before it got TOO annoying (like to the point where u want to throw something at the screen xP). Also, some of the conversations are quite interesting and Koji's double personality is also really well portrayed (I really LOLed xP).

For some people, a romance drama between people nearly 20 years different in age may be slightly off-putting but rest assure, you are not going to see anything dodgy. The relationship between all the characters are very interesting. I have never seen a drama with characters so well composed (well given the age... you would expect that they act adult-like) unlike the mainstream drama with divorce/cheating in it. This drama shows that broken relationships does not always end up with lots of crying, screaming, slapping, revenge etc. Despite the conflicts they faced, all the characters remained rational. They counselled each other, listened to each other and really thought about each other. I think this is much more realistic than those drama that just show characters lashing out at each other and trying to take revenge.

All that said, I think this is a great drama and well worth the time watching it.

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