Reviews

This drama had me hooked from the very first episode. I finished the entire drama in about 2 days.

Story: The story is your typical rom-com, except in this one the guy is more gentle and kind. He does have a bit of a mean side but it's usually won over by his sweet and gentle side. At first I was turned off by the main female due to her lack of confidence, but I liked how she did change which made me like her and the story more. This drama made me dislike the second female lead, which meant it did its job, but it also did do a good job in portraying her in a sympathetic light for her own story. I loved the second male lead, and I wanted to marry him, but even though I liked the second male lead, I still found there was more chemistry between the main leads. Some side stories were a bit too over dramatic and a bit annoying but a lot of them were interesting which I enjoyed. I just felt that the plot about Dylan's sister was just a bit too unbelieving.

Acting: The acting was great! I believed all the character's emotions and I got sucked into it. The only part it dragged off on was the last few episodes where Cun Xi had to act fake and lie, I felt his acting was a bit too overdone. But overall the acting was awesome!!

Music: I think the music was good and matched very well. There were some parts where the music was a bit too dramatic but overall well done.

Re-watch: I loved this drama so much that I right now I kinda wish that I didn't speed through it and I had watched at a good pace. This is a drama I will definitely watch again when I'm bored and have no dramas to watch.

Overall: It is rated an 8, because even though I loved loved loved the story, at the end I had to fast forward through chunks of it to get to the good parts. When I fast forwarded through I found that I could still understand what was going on which indicated that those parts were a bit unnecessary and could have been taken out or have had less screen time.

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Perfection. Step your game all the way up, drama world, because Misaeng has just elevated the bar. No gimmicks. No sticky sweet cliches. No action (well, just a tad). And yes, no romance. Yet... this drama blew my mind. It's the layered cake that needs no frosting.

This show has touched in me in such a profound way. How such a mundane story could make me experience a range of emotions each episode is a magical feat. As the director said, it was "realer than real." The memories I revisited from my past; battles and victories. My own inner struggles I've had to overcome, some I'm still working on. You see how you can get caught up in feeling like you're just living to work and die. However, this show reminds you that what matters is all the in-betweens that make up your life. Those small wins, jokes shared with people who understand you, that feeling you get when you knock one out the park, and more. So many aspects of the show are relatable and almost tangible.

I must admit that I was surprised by a couple of the actors. Im Shi Wan, I had only seen in the little bit of Triangle that I watched and I felt he was a mediocre actor, as was the drama overall. In Misaeng, he's really at the epicenter of the explosion that happened within my mind regarding this show. He absorbs the character Jang Geu Rae like a sponge. As does Lee Sung Min with the character Oh Sang Shik. I'd go back and forth between adoration and frustration toward him, just like you do with people in real life. You could feel him working out conflicts, sense when he was hiding something, and empathize with him making tough decisions. I saw Lee Sung Min in the show Pasta as a goofy restaurant manager and never would've guessed he was capable of manifesting that much depth. It goes to show that material and direction really do make a difference.

I had never seen Lee Kyeong Yeong in anything before, but I just knew his performance was probably the best he's ever done. The character Director Choi was someone you felt you should really dislike, but had a hard time doing so. Lee Kyeong Yeong didn't make him too cool, as he would have seemed cocky. He didn't make him sinister, either, even though we knew he was teeming with ulterior motives. He was a quiet enemy you respected, but still hoped would get their come-uppance at some point.

There's so much more to so many other characters. Even though there were discernible main roles, the supporting roles and minor roles at times seemed like main ones. You cared about everyone to some degree. Just like in a typical workplace. If something were to happen to the woman who sat on the other side of the cubicle wall to Geu Rae, despite her rarely ever saying a word, you'd care. You see her every episode. You know she has a story, you just haven't heard it yet. The show is that engaging.

Misaeng is a truly remarkable series that I'm thankful for being able to have watched. Exceptional writing, casting, acting, screenplay, and overall quality. Best of all, I feel I was able to gain quite a bit from the lessons that were shared.

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A Drama That Will Keep You Entertained Through and Through! A Satisfying Ending!

I just completed the first two episodes of "Red Swan", and I must say that I'm more than impressed. This drama has almost everything you would want to see in a drama, romance, action, justice, and revenge. The story is about Oh Wan Soo a top golfer who marries into a chaebol family and find herself in danger.
Kim Ha Neul and Rain as the leads are delivering an outstanding performance with their top tier acting. Their chemistry is firing as expected, their first encounter was also somewhat unique. The supporting roles also delivers wonderfully.

The plot is captivating and interesting. The screenwriter did an excellent job in writing such wonderful story. The first episode had me on the edge of my seat, I didn't even noticed that the the second episode was about to end, not up until the song for the closing theme was played.
What do I love about this drama? What I love about this drama is that it delivered. Precisely, the action, it exceeded expectations. The romance also, we are shown the leads chemistry right from the first two episodes.
"Red Swan" is a drama anyone wouldn't want to miss. Its a drama that'll keep you excited through and through, I assure you, you won't get bored, not even in the slightest way. I know it because that's how I felt while watching it.


EP 3-6; These four episodes turned out to be very interesting and captivating. To be honest, I'd put this drama on hold and it's been two weeks. Why? It's because I wanted to have more episodes to watch, rather than the two episodes each week. Finally, episode 5&6 aired yesterday, making it four episodes to watch.

Some comments were about "forced chemistry and the FL not being suitable for the ML", but I'm telling all those are not true. The chemistry is there, the leads chemistry is firing. As the drama progresses, it gets more interesting and better. So Ignore the low ratings, negative comments and reviews, and watch this drama. It's definitely a drama anyone wouldn't want to miss. It's a must watch, a drama that makes you glued to your screen. Yes, it's that good! I gave this a 9 previously, but upon completing those four episodes, I'm increasing my ratings to 9.5 as those four episodes exceeded my expectations. Join me in this journey of "Red Swan" and watch how Oh Wan Soo and her bodyguard "Seo Do Yoon" overcomes adversities, punish evil, get justice, and finally get together. Yes, the romance has started blooming! I'm excited for what's to come next!

Ending
What can I say? "Red Swan has finally come to a conclusion. Although the ending isn't what I anticipated, nor was it what I expected, but it's still satisfying.
Red Swan is a drama that tells audiences and the world that justice will always prevail.
"What is justice?", that's often the question twisted people who are rich will ask. "I'm above the law. I'm untouchable. I'm dignified." That's how twisted rich people think. What I like about this drama is that, all those who think they can get away with their filthy acts, were punished in the end, by the law. While "Red Swan's" ending is not the best, the ending is still a happy. All the characters played there respective roles excellently.

Speaking of characters acting, I've got to hand it to Rain for displaying what I'd call exceptional acting. He slayed his role as a former police officer, and as a bodyguard. To be honest, this is my first time watching him in a drama. I must say, I'm more than impressed with his acting. His action scenes kept me glued to my screen. There's also Kim Ha Neul who's an actress I'm familiar with.

Ignore The Negative Comments;
There are comments stating how Kim Ha Neul always have the same facial expression. But if you're to ask me, she portrayed her role as Oh Wan Soo perfectly.
Oh Wan Soo is someone who couldn't trust anyone, not even her husband. The family she married into turned her into a doubtful person. She used to be a trusting person, but that was before her son's death. Her husband is unfaithful to her, he goes around sleeping with other women. Her mother-in-law is the the craziest I've seen. The same goes for her brother in law. Everyone in that family treated her as their competition and rival, except her husband. And even though Kim Young Guk didn't treat her as a competition, he wasn't loyal either. To be put bluntly, he's more of his mother's puppet than a husband. So, in such an environment, if she's still laughing and smiling, then wouldn't that be strange? Hence, her environment turned her into a cold person, someone who usually wears the same facial expression, except for when she needs to put on an act in front of a camera, that is. She's like that till Seo Do Yoon came into her life. In my opinion, her facial expressions are spot on, it matches the character she portrayed in "Red Swan". So, ignore the negative comments about the FL, and watch with an open mind, then, make your judgment based on what you see.

In conclusion, "Red Swan" is a drama that explores human greed and lust. It's a drama that explores love, hate, infidelity, revenge, and justice. So, don't miss out on this drama that's packed with action, mystery, thriller, and romance. It also has beautiful OSTs. "Red Swan" is a drama worth your time. I know it because, it was worth mine.

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Ugh

The long ballad was indeed very long and very stale. If you are looking for an epic love story with a lot of romantic chemistry, an interesting plot, and meaningful character development, you won't find it here.

The story started out strong. FL and ML met each other under interesting circumstances – playing football. Shortly thereafter, FL lost her family to a revolt and was forced to flee her home. Unfortunately, the story kind of got lost within itself after that.

Changge was like the perfect Joan of Arc warrior princess. As a young woman from a privileged background, she was great at everything, including sports, sword fighting, and military strategy. The fact that she was perfect was her one major flaw. There was no room for growth. I enjoy strong female characters, but Changge's flawlessness and acting superior with mostly everyone made her overbearing. She couldn’t be beaten, making her extremely one dimensional. It was not convincing that all of her superb skills were the result of her uncle training her as a child.

While the drama started out strong, the story later took a strange turn and lost all focus. At the beginning, Changge swore revenge against those who instigated the revolt and killed her parents, but she ended up moving around different places and doing things completely unrelated to her original goal. The fact that nobody could figure out that she was a woman was pretty comical. All it took was for her to wear men’s clothes for everyone to suddenly become blind to the fact that she had a bump on her chest and round hips. What's worse, later in the show the revenge plot was completely abandoned and now we had a brand new end boss completely unrelated to Changge.

Yueyan ended up to be my favorite character because she went through the most intense character development and overcame all the difficulties on her own. Her and Hao Du was also my favorite couple because there was so much contrast between them - he was cold and calculating and she was timid and soft. The show did a good job at showing his growing feelings for Yueyan and his inner struggle trying to deal with them.

Half-way through the show, a slew of minor characters started appearing out of nowhere and served no purpose other than existing for Changge and her interests. Then, everything got really stupid. People kept insisting that women couldn't lead, women couldn't participate in politics, women were fragile, but there was this 14 y/o princess Tujia running around signing treaties and fraternizing with grown men without anyone saying anything. She'er was the leader of the wolf division and a good fighter, but he spent a big chunk of the show crying for mommy and being absolutely useless. Many decisions were stupid and made no sense. The crown prince's friend was a traitor and participated in Changge's abduction, but for some reason that was never addressed. Sun got arrested for killing him and no explanation was given. The fact that a member of the royal family got kidnapped wasn't even mentioned. And this type of nonsense continued until the very end. Nobody communicated anything. The show also didn't do a very good job at juggling between different character arcs. Characters would disappear for several episodes at a time making us kind of forget about them.

Explanations for certain plot lines were mediocre. It was never clearly explained why the revolt happened, why Changge's mom wrote the letter, to whom, and what was in it, or why the uncle killed her dad. The only take-away was that the emperor uncle didn't kill the mom.

The romance was underwhelming. It wasn't only because Changge and Sun had no romantic chemistry, but also because watching them together was like watching two dudes interact. They were just hanging out. The one kiss they shared was blurred out and we were forced to watch birds. I don't care that the writers intended it, it looked stupid.

The acting was very mediocre. Although she is very beautiful, Dilraba does not strike me as a very good actress, and, Leo Wu needs to work on his acting skills. I haven't seen him in anything other than Love like the Galaxy and the Long Ballad, and I wasn't impressed with his portrayal of stoic brooding characters. Zhao Lusi and Liu Yuning stole the show for me.

Bottom line, the drama was too long, the plot was too convoluted, and the romance was too stale.

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House of Boring

The trailer for House of Stars made me think it was going to be a dark, intriguing, sexy drama. I was sorely disappointed in every possible way. There is nothing sexy or intriguing about this drama and I'm already working to scrub the memory of it from my brain. It is just so poorly done from the acting to the writing and everything in between. The poor quality was compounded by the latter part of the drama feeling like a set up for a second season which is such a cop out. One way or another it's a terrible ending. It's not a cliffhanger per se, but nothing feels resolved. There was really no part of this drama that I enjoyed and it was simply a trial to get through.

The plot is all over the place. I feel like this drama didn't know what it wanted to be. Did it want to be a snapshot of actors' lives and a behind the scenes look at the not so pretty parts of them? Did it want to be a romance? Did it want to be a murder mystery? Or perhaps a revenge story? The problem is that it tries to be all of the above and more and it simply doesn't work. There's simultaneously too much and not enough, too many stories trying to be told, but they're not told well and it becomes boring. I reached the halfway point and seriously considered just dropping it because it felt like nothing was really happening. It was all just incredibly tedious and frustrating. Things finally started picking up at Episode 10 with the murder, but at that point it was too little, too late and all I could think was, if they had put this closer to the beginning, it could have actually been an interesting and decent drama. As it is, there's far too much crammed into those last couple of episodes and large parts of it end up feeling rushed. The final episode felt unfinished. Again, I'm guessing they're gunning for a second season, which I would not watch because this was such a disaster, but considering the fact that a second season isn't always guaranteed, it seems foolish to end it the way that they did with so much unresolved. It was a disappointing conclusion to a disappointing series.

The pacing was far too slow for most of the drama. It feels like there's a lot of filler and a lot that goes on that doesn't really serve any kind of purpose. Most of the romantic relationships progressed at such glacial paces it was infuriating to watch. I got so frustrated with the love triangle between Pitch, Gun and Soh that by the end I didn't give a damn who ended up with who. Weyha and Wayu's relationship was slightly more bearable, but even it got frustrating to watch at times. And the love triangle between Korn, Mintra and Phawin was just a hot mess and not the good kind. Also frustrating was the lack of knowledge provided, particularly regarding the house rules. We know that dating within the house was not allowed aside from Korn and Mintra since it was written into their contract, but otherwise they were not elaborated on and it got very tiring to have everyone talking about the house rules and how they had to follow them and reminding people to follow them when we had no clue what all of them were. It wouldn't have been that hard to have the rules weaved into the narrative at different points, but I'm guessing the writers never thought beyond the no dating rule. I also questioned how Weyha was treated. He'd obviously been failing auditions for a while, his speech was a known issue, so why was that not addressed until he was at the point of being kicked out and Wayu voluntarily stepped in to help him? Same with Pitch but to a lesser extent. He seemed to struggle with connecting to his character's emotions and emoting, yet nothing was done about that until he asked to shadow Gun and basically fixed himself. It seems like since Miss Susie was investing in them and needed them to be cast, it would have been common sense to hire acting/dialect coaches to help her actors reach their full potential.

Having a big cast is always an issue, in Thai drama especially, because they never seem to know what to do with those large casts and how to divide the attention evenly enough for everyone to get established. The relatively short seasons don't help either. Chinese and Korean dramas can get away with larger casts because they're typically much longer either in terms of number of episodes or episode length and can thus delve into their characters more and stretch out their stories and allow the viewer to get to know them more gradually. Thai dramas don't generally have that luxury and large casts rarely work out well. Here there simply was not enough time to really get to know all the characters well enough to actually care about them and what was going on in their lives.
-Pitch felt like he was supposed to be one of the more main characters initially as there was a larger focus on him than some of the others. But oh my goodness was he dull as a bag of rocks. He just didn't seem to have much of a personality and the fact that he had both Gun and Soh pursuing him was baffling. Like why? What on earth do you both see in this guy? He's kind of cute, but that's about it. To give him some credit, he did seem like a genuinely decent guy for the most part, if incredibly dense. How he didn't click that Soh had feelings for him is beyond me since it was painfully obvious.
-Soh was a surprise, to say the least. I had inklings that maybe he wasn't who he appeared to be, but wasn't fully expecting how far his revenge would extend. I do wish more of that side of his character had been hinted at throughout as he only really became interesting in the last couple of episodes. I was also confused by his character in that I was left unsure if he actually had feelings for Pitch or if he just didn't want Gun to have anything positive in his life. Either way, I was left with mixed feelings regarding his character.
-Gun was so perfect that he was boring. His expression was generally so stoic and he was so unflappable that he simply wasn't all that interesting to watch. Even his history with being responsible for Sin's accident didn't really give him much more depth. His romance with Pitch was poorly portrayed. The buildup was so minimal and I just really didn't feel anything between them. I also found it disappointing that he's so apologetic to both Sin and Soh about being the cause of the accident and yet he apparently has no qualms about pursuing Pitch when he knows that Soh likes him too.
-Korn was a colossal ass and I think he got exactly what he deserved. He was an incredibly unlikeable character what with cheating on Mintra then gaslighting her and eventually trying to use both her and Phawin. His whole attitude too that he was almost owed bigger and better parts was off-putting. In general, he was an incredibly selfish person and aside from being attractive, I don't know what either Mintra or Phawin saw in him.
-Mintra was one of the few more interesting characters in that she had my opinion of her go up and down several times. I started out with mixed feelings for her. On the one hand, I liked her strength and the fact that she could be the voice of reason for Korn. On the other hand, her sniping with Phawin and possessiveness of Korn made her seem like a jerk, to put it mildly. Once Korn cheated on her, my opinion of her took a major downward turn. I felt bad for her, but her manipulation and antics were just overbearing and quickly became tedious. My opinion of her changed again though when she apologized to Korn and broke up with him and basically paired up with Phawin to screw him over. I liked that side of her and I liked that she and Phawin got to a point that they were basically frenemies.
-Phawin also gave me mixed feelings because of course it was absolutely not okay that he knowingly seduced Korn when he was already in a relationship with Mintra, but I also kind of admired him for the fact that he was upfront about everything. He made all the snide comments to Mintra and was openly antagonistic towards her, but aside from hinting to the police that they should look into her as a suspect, he never stooped to her level of manipulation. Also just loved his sassiness. I do wish we had seen a bit more of what went on in his head to make him decide to reject Korn. It felt sudden and unexplained, not that I'm really complaining since the important part is that Korn got called out for trying to use him. And, again, I liked that he and Mintra reached a truce of sorts.
-I'm going to put Weyha and Wayu together because their characters pretty much ended up revolving around each other. They were a generically cute couple. I ended up rooting for them more than any of the other couples mostly because they were at least moderately interesting to watch and had the healthiest and most wholesome relationship. I felt the pacing regarding their relationship was the most well done and the most natural. I didn't have much of an opinion regarding them as individuals. I think Weyha was a bit more interesting with being the rookie actor. It gave him more room to grow and develop. Wayu was a generally nice guy and that was about it.
-Lalit made no sense in any way, shape, or form. She's a literal stalker who is somehow able to enter the house as an actress, no idea how that happened since we never saw her working as an actress, so how exactly did they find her? And then when Miss Susie catches her red handed, she decides to use her as a spy of sorts. And so she ends up facing zero consequence for anything that she does and ends up as an assistant to Host. Like, what?
-Sun was an odd character in that I didn't really see the point in him. He obviously scared both Miss Susie and Host, but we never find out why or really anything about him other than he was in prison (?) in another country. He just didn't seem to serve any real purpose other than being dark and imposing and making a far too convenient a murder suspect.
-And Miss Susie? She was a bit of an enigma, and a creepy one at that. The way she watched everyone hooking up with each other but then rarely, if ever saying anything, was disconcerting. For all the talk about the rules, it wasn't like they were always enforced. She was given some background, but so much about who she was and her thought process was left unknown. She could have been a genuinely interesting character, but that lack of information just made her out to be more of a raging ass than anything.

One of the biggest flaws of this drama though were the actors. I don't know who approved the decision to select an almost entirely rookie cast, but it was an incredibly foolish decision because in no way were any of the actors believable as seasoned, highly sought after stars. Frankly the only two I can really give any kind of credit to are Heng as Weyha and Boss as Soh. Double was also pretty decent as Phawin. Heng though was believable as a rookie actor because he is a rookie actor, so it worked perfectly. Also kind of loved the scene of him and Wayu filming together. His deranged laugh was entertaining. Boss absolutely carried Leo through pretty much all their scenes. The difference between them was almost painful because Boss was able to emote and bring his character to life and Leo was just kind of there. I could at least feel the chemistry on his end even if Leo didn't contribute. Double is up there because while his expressions could be repetitive, he at least was expressive. The rest were all very blah. Leo frankly cannot act. I usually like to give newbie actors the benefit of the doubt, but it was almost physically painful watching him. He had zero chemistry with anyone and the idea of Pitch and Gun having feelings for each other was laughable. Pepo had two expressions and spent most of the drama looking aloof and vaguely irritated. Again zero chemistry between him and Leo. Namchok and New were fairly bland, though Namchok's chemistry with Heng was decent if not a full blaze. Oaey and Katang were slightly better, but their expressions were just repetitive.

House of Stars is quite simply, in my opinion, a drama to avoid. There is really nothing worth watching here, it's just a colossal disappointment. It joins a steadily growing list of dramas that could have been decent, maybe even great, but was crippled by subpar writing and acting. I like dark and gritty dramas, but they need to be well done and this is simply not it.

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A thai production which is not bad at all...

When I hear Thailand., WeTV and BL I just asume it will be maybe an ok show but this time even a thai production can surprise me. With actors from Korea (and from a korean web novel and filmed in Korea) they did create something different this time around.

While a tropé of enemies to lovers or even amnesia is nothing new, the premise starts quite different and the title is misleading. They were never enemies, they just had a rocky road to be a couple. Some misunderstandings did prevail in their relationsship and the amnesia is an outlet to also solve them.

There are some inconsistencies with the amnesia story plot, because it seems the way from his rejection of his past and becoming a couple again happens to fast. Amnesia does not work like that. Also in the production I felt the café and the bar were lifeless which reminded me of Sukfilm/Truefilm productions when only two or three characters are in the scene at an made up location. It breaks the immersion and should have done better.

For their first main roles the MLs did a very good job, they had chemistry and worked very hard even when sometimes it felt a bit off. But compared to most other thai shows where characters are shallow, their characters had a story and personality. They both excelled at the silent moments and even with the kissing and NC-scenes.

So overall this was a good show. It's far from perfect but it's a pleasant departure from most of the other thai shows. While there is a high school part in it through flashbacks, it's a mature story. A story to grow together again and with some thriller elements (because it was not an accident). If you are tired of the same old, same old, this is a refreshing series to watch. One recommendation: You should binge-watch this series, watching one episode per week or even two epsisodes per week could make you confused because they have flashbacks through out the series to explain the past. For me it was not hard to follow but you will forget some things when you take a break for a longer time.

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A Parody of Thai BLs

I am writing this review right after watching the one episode because I am looking at so much negativity the series is receiving for calling out toxic Thai-BL culture.

The show is a parody of the Thai-BLs that takes on some of the issues that are so common in the Thai-BL industry with a cohesive, strong storyline while being as friendly as one can be to the toxic Thai-BL fanbase. Despite tackling some of the pervasive issues, the show is light and fun to watch. In a sense, they make you laugh and think simultaneously. Some of the problems the series tackles are:

- the romanticization of disregard for consent and sexual assault
- the casting preference to heterosexual to benefit from the fan-events
- using straight-passing-gay actors as token LGBTQ actor to claim they are an LGBTQ ally
- shipping actors and harassing them about if it’s real
- predominately being written by people who have little to no understanding of the gay relationship
- the pornography-inspired intimate scenes between two men.

At the same time, the series does not have unbelievable healthy characters that would have made the series more like a documentary. Instead, it has Gene who has trouble setting his boundaries, and Aey who pretends to like Nubsib to gain popularity. I will revisit this review based on how they deal with these characters and their unhealthy traits. The show is a farce, especially when it comes to the background music that seems to annoy some viewers who can otherwise appreciate the parody. But for now, I recommend that you give this show an honest try.

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It has gore and rape scenes, not for faint hearted. If you can close your eyes through those or fast forward, then watch it(I can't stand either, so closed my eyes).

Story of catching a serial killer from north Korea and how he is protected by different governments and secret agencies is portrayed in this movie. Will he ever get convicted for the gravest sins he committed? Watch the movie to find out.

They should have ended the movie at 1:50:50, then there would have been a scope for part 2. The scenes from 1:50:50 till the end was really unnecessary( but that is just my opinion).

No other serial killer creeped me out like Lee jung suk's character. Lee jung suk proved that he can handle any role with ease - not just the sweet lover boy role. Amazing acting Lee jung suk. You were perfect for the role. This is worth your time, watch it!

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I found it confusing..

The story started out with a good premise, unfortunately it wasn't really enough to carry the story.

They did a ton of flashbacks - they were very confusing because there was no indication they were flashbacks! Usually, there is a special effects, fade in or out, etc. Not in this series, and since they were almost always in school clothes, it was difficult to tell if it was present or past.

Also, they looked so much alike, sometimes I couldn't tell who was who! The few included kisses were lips pressed, then back of their heads and show them from a distance - all tricks used on BL series when the actors don't want to kiss - it's an automatic turn off - if you can't kiss properly, just leave it out altogether.

It was nice, if that is what you are looking for. The series got a lot of positive reviews, but for me - it has no rewatch value.

Not the worst, nor the best.

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This drama was on my list for a long time but I didn't pay much attention to it until now. After my newly developed obsession for Lee Joon Ki, I finally had to try out this one of his works as well.

So, what's this drama basically about... Love, revenge, adventure, action, drama. Park Yoon Kang, son of the head of the palace guard becomes a criminal after his dead father was falsely accused of high treason. Common plot in sageuks. He swears to take revenge on everybody who was involved in those conspiratorial accusations. And how is he doing that? He's taking on the new identity of a Japanese merchant.

Although the main story is nothing new, the way it was developing was quite interesting and kept me glued to the screen. One misfortune chasing another, and every time something good happened, at the same time a subtle ominous feeling was coming along. I was never able to relax because it seemed like the bad guys were always one step ahead which drove me crazy to a point that I wasn't even able to concentrate at my work.

What I liked about this drama were those well-defined, multi-faceted characters. Watching their development - for better or worse - was really interesting and sometimes shocking at the same time. You grew to like someone, understood him or her... and suddenly everything changes and you just get disappointed in that person. Or you discover a new side of somebody you didn't like at the beginning but can now relate to him/her a little more. If I remember correctly, the only character that stayed true to himself till the end was the main lead. And as we have Lee Joon Ki here, he delivered his role perfectly and didn't disappoint one bit. He just got even better during the drama.

I also and especially liked a particular bond between one bad guy and his daughter. Although I don't pardon everything they did, I'm still able to acknowledge the suffering that drove them. The only thing I really missed was the daughter's inner conflict caused by her lost love and the decision she made afterwards. I would have liked it more if they had made her look more torn by her actions in the second half of the drama.

But the romance part was sometimes lacking anyway. I was not always convinced by it as there were just too few scenes that got me emotionally. Most times it was solid but it didn't get me completely.

What also bothered me were those obvious moments where you just think "Wtf?! Keep a straight face if you're going to spy!" or "Stay at your hideout if you're one against hundred!". Minor issues but they kept popping up towards the end. Maybe I'm too stubborn on this as it is a general issue in k-dramas. So, don't mind me ;)

Nevertheless, something I enjoyed wholeheartedly were those awesome fighting scenes. Seriously, just perfect. I wish they had added more of those because it was highly entertaining to see Park Yoon Kang (Lee Joon Ki) fight off the bad guys. That alone should be a reason to watch the drama.

So, despite my small criticism on some points, Joseon Gunman is still a highly recommended drama in my eyes. If you wanna watch an adventurous historical drama, this one will quite satisfy you.

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A really funny and fluffy drama with realistic situations. This drama has a really warm vibe that would be good if you want something that will make you smile.

It starts off with a really ridiculous situation, in my opinion but soon it starts to get better. I love how the story brings light to a lot of things especially the hardships of being a single parent and the love that's lost in your married life.

Everyone in this drama did a good job in portraying their characters especially to the kid who played Min Woo, he did a good job.

Surely, as someone who has never been in a relationship nor marriage, this drama gave me life lessons. This drama is very heart-warming and it's really funny too. If you want a good laugh, you should definitely watch this show.

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a mystery/thriller series that tried something different

Overall: I appreciate that this series had a unique premise. This is more mystery/thriller instead of horror/gore, there are some very heavy topics and things shown. Aired 14 episodes about 45 minutes each on GagaOOLala. Make sure to watch the entire post credits scene in episode 14.

BL content: I'll put this in a spoiler comment

Content Warnings: there are some really heavy topics, see my comment with a spoiler for the full list

What I Liked
- unique premise
- blended different elements well
- acting
- liked in episode 2 how Dan sought communication from Nai
- a few sweet moments (including the friend cuddle)
- production value

Room For Improvement
- unless I missed it, 2 characters should have been shown being arrested by police but the writing seemed to suggest that their own miserable lives were bad enough (but they should have been arrested)
- how much Josh & Nai believed Dan who they had recently befriended stretched credulity a bit
- where was the teacher at the pool???
- I dislike that the school priest tried to force forgiveness
- open ending

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An amazing outcome

When I was looking for something to watch on Netflix, I came across this series. At first, I was actually sceptical, as the description made me angry. However, I gave it a try, as I had too much free time ( I know, I need to get a life!).

From an artistic point of view, this drama is amazing! The colours, the lighting, the framing, and the camera angles (the cinematography in general), were actually to my liking. As for the plot, I must admit that I was frustrated with it. I do realise that its in the Japanese culture for women to focus on wedding and having children before a certain age; however, I find it rather harsh for having this type of mindset now. Women should do whatever they want, and if they don't want to get married and have children then that should be legalised! I don't understand why there are still people making women feel bad about those things. We did not come to this world to fit in the norms that other people have. Anyway, I am going to stop talking about this matter, as it really bothers me.

The acting was really good. All of the actors (lead and secondary) gave their 100%. However, I have to admit that I found the female lead as a weak and creepy character. I want to point out again how amazing the acting was, Tokunaga was able to express how miserable Wako was and how she tried to fit in the status quo. Now let me elaborate more on the plot.

Wako, is a 31 years old woman who is not happy with her life and how her relationship with her boyfriend (Fu) is. To be honest, she was right to not being happy with her boyfriend. He was someone who did not respect her, who belittled her, who took her for granted, who did not realise how much work and money she invested in their relationship. Did he deserve to be cheated? Hell no! Even though they tried to show us that Fu was indifferent towards Wako, I still believe that he loved her. His way of loving her might not have been a romantic one, but he was in love with her. Unfortunately, I feel that she was not in love with him. She was repeating that she does not have get to choose who he will be with, so when Fu came, she should be him as she might not get another chance. Her way of thinking is idiotic and she disrespected Fu's feelings for her. She was only being patient with him, as she wanted to get married.

That's when she meets Yumeaki, a handsome high school boy. This is where the real issue starts for me. Even though she knows his true age, and their big age gap, she still makes a move on him. In a way it is understandable, that she wants to fill the void from her relationship with her boyfriend; but he is underage! I felt that she tried to prove herself, through those actions as Fu was not taking care of her. What she did was wrong. In a way she seduced an underage boy and gave him a type of pleasure that he experienced for the first time. There were multiple times when she promised that she would end things with Yumeaki, but she always got back to him.

Someone could have been jealous of her, as a handsome young boy fell in love with her; yet, I think that this situation is not a jealousy worthy one. The difference between the maturity and the generation gap between them, could be seen. Yumeaki, had his friends at school, while Wako was feeling lonely at her new place. Furthermore, I felt that Yumeaki, was getting crazier as the episodes went by. He was possessive over her, he did not trust her talking to other guys, he feared that she would cheat on him with another man, and he was acting like a spoiled child that could not get what he wanted. However, the way he behaved was the consequences of their relationship.

For me, by the end of the series, Yumeaki changed from a handsome high school boy to a maniac boy who does not know how to comprehend the true consequences of his actions. This is a perfect example of "be careful what you wish, cause you might get it". Yumeaki was not longer who he was.

What really bothered me though, except the unrealistic expectations for women, is how Wako was never punished for her crimes. It was a crime to be in a relationship with a minor, and the only punishment that she got were some rumours at her workplace. No! It is illegal what she did. Love has nothing to do with that. He was 15 years old, she was 32. But, I felt the sexual scenes were needed in order to understand their feelings for each other and establish the character development of Yumeaki.

Love and Fortune, is a rather controversial series. You do understand why Wako is doing what she is doing, but that does not mean that you agree with her. This series presents a great ethical dilemma and puts the watcher into deep thought. Would I have done the same thing if I had the chance? Would I approach my problems with my current boyfriend different? Would I let the age be an issue with a person that I liked? It is a good series to watch in one go, as it is a rather short one.


P.S.1. To be honest, I am not a fun of an open ending; I prefer to be given an ending by the director, rather than leaving the ending to my imagination. I wanted to know what the end was really like.

P.S.2. I was rather invested in the movie that was shown on the last episode. I would totally watch that movie if it really existed.

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