Reviews

4 Love stories in bite sized pieces!

This 8 episode BL anthology was short, sweet and honestly, pretty refreshing. Each story was wrapped up in two episodes, each around 20 minutes long. It wasn’t a lot of time, but it was enough to capture the vibe and give away those warm fuzzy feelings without dragging things out.

What stood out to me the most was the overall tone of the stories. There was no unnecessary drama, no toxic love triangles, and thankfully, no cheating plots. It was simply a collection of heartwarming short stories about love. It felt refreshing to watch a drama that stayed light throughout without resorting to overused dramatic twists. Somehow it gave just enough time to catch all the different vibes of romance.

The acting was genuinely good. Every actor brought a lot of heart to their roles and it made it super easy to get attached to the stories, even with the limited screen time.
The production quality seemed pretty solid too- clean visuals, nice editing and it all felt put together really well for a mini-series. The storytelling stayed focused and didn't try to do much, which made it a really easy watch.

Obviously with such a short runtime, there was not much room for deep character development or heavy emotional storylines. The focus was more on capturing those fleeting moments like the start of a crush, the awkward excitement of first feelings rather than diving deep into the characters' lives. For what it set out to do, I think it pulled it off really well.

Overall, I thought this was a very well done mini-series, charming, easy to watch, and honestly better than many of the bigger, mainstream Korean BL dramas out there. If you are looking for something light and do not mind short episodes, I would definitely recommend this!

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This is a very good drama. I started watching it for Lee Dong Wook, but from the first episode itself the plot and all the actors pulled me in.

The story is good, the characters are very well written. This is especially true here, because the characters stay true to their basic nature throughout the drama. There aren't any miraculous changes in nature or transformation from evil to good. It's more like,as the drama progresses, we learn more about who they are,the choices they make and come to accept them for it. I guess what I'm trying to say is, the drama/writers do not make or project any judgements about their characters, but leave them for us to accept,all the good and the not-so-good included.

The cast was equally good. Lee Dong Wook did not disappoint, Kim Hyun Joo was very endearing and every other cast fit in well.

Like I said before, the story moves along at a good pace, sustaining our interest with enough emotion,suspense and court room action.

The only thing I felt lacking in it, was probably the romance angle. Tae Jo and Eun Ho became great partners, but the underlying suggestion of romance which was always hinted at, remained just that- a possibility. Perhaps that's the way the writer/makers wanted it to be, but I was left wishing to see how it would have turned out.

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Joker is-- hands down-- one of the best Dramas that I have ever seen. Now, there are a lot of good Dramas out there from all sorts of places. Some are funny, others are filled with romance, some are eerie, others are focused on more serious aspects, etc. But Joker is probably the purest form of realism that you will ever find.

If I had to describe it with only a few words, I'd probably call it a Japanese version of Dexter. Yet at the same time, Joker manages to be something entirely different. If you're like me, then the whole 'law doesn't always prevail' storyline is like a rare jewel. There are other Dramas that touch upon the flaws in the law, as well as people taking the law into their own hands, but I don't think they do it as well as Joker does. It doesn't try to sugarcoat things, make excuses for the criminals or have some main character ranting about how "bad" killing criminals is. No; you are given the story of the characters, the criminals and the victims, and then you see justice served. No dancing around the subject, no pseudo-morality, just cold, hard justice. Joker doesn't hold back when it comes to showing you some of the worst sides of life and humanity in general, especially in regards to just how many people actually get away with what injustices that they do every single day.

Aside from the story itself, the acting is what really draws you in. The acting in this was absolutely flawless. I have seen some good Dramas in my time, but this.. wow, just wow. It's truly emotional and the characters just suck you right in with them. You feel for the victims of the crimes and you cheer when the criminal is finally given what they deserve. It's like watching it all unfold in real life; you can barely tell that they're just acting.

The music is also nice, and this is definitely the kind of Drama that I'd recommend to everyone and anyone. It doesn't matter what kind of Dramas you like, what kind of person you are, or whether you agree with this sort of thing or not. Joker is an utterly brilliant Drama and one of the very few of it's kind. I'd easily say that it was one of the top 5 Dramas out there. If you don't watch this, then you're seriously missing out.

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Never-ending pace

This drama was so good, I don't understand why hasn't been watched much.

First I loved two characters, Lin Yuan Hao and Song Bai Yu. They are like day and night. They are opposite each other but at the same time, they are similar. I can also say that the actors did a great job. Especially in the last episode, Yuan Hao's expression while smiling at Jin Yi Tong made me hear the phrase 'You look so alike' throughout the drama in my mind again.

Secondly, the motivational sources of bad characters in detective series have always been important to me because I don't like 'pure villians', I prefer villains with a logical background and this series provides that.

I liked that the show didn't fool the viewers. They work things out step by step, and that's satisfying. I'd rather be suspicious of someone step by step, than someone I've never suspected turns out to be guilty.

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Wow, I loved this drama! Just finnished it and I'm still in tears while writing this.

It's a bit old now I guess, and maybe the plot is not very original, It reminded me a lot about one of my favourite dramas Maou. But with a story about love, money and status.

I have always loved revenge storys and I guess most of the dramas I watch is about Revenge and therefore I just had to watch this drama.
The revenge plan is brilliant and has a really different "taste" to it.

The actors are great and the music really became a part of the story itself.

I'd recommend watching it alone if you don't want to be seen crying of joy and sorrow at the same time.

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I admit that I started this because the idea of having a bunch of idol-actors living together in a boarding house sounded incredibly amusing to me! The plot sounded kind of interesting but the main appeal for me was definitely the boarding house idea. That being said, I had no idea this was a sitcom when I started it and also had never seen a Korean sitcom before. So, yay for trying new things!

The story was actually really pleasant and fun to watch even though I didn't expect much out of it. Since it's a sitcom, the comedy is very in your face and over the top at times (most of the time) but I found it rather refreshing. I can only take so much of sad and intense dramas before I need a happy break. This drama is perfect for one of those happy breaks because even though some of the characters go through some difficulties, they are usually short-lived. The humor and comedy also keeps things from staying too serious for too long.

What really got me hooked was the characters in this and not just because I already liked some of the actors to begin with. The characters are really exaggerated at times for comedy purposes but the characters in general are actually pretty realistic. I'm not going to dissect all of the characters but their situations are all very relatable and for the most part believable. They're fun, silly, and sometimes dumb but it's all part of their charm! I found the majority of the characters very likeable and thought the actors portrayed their characters well! I honestly don't know how they were able to film most of the scenes without laughing hysterically. I salute them all!

Now, I do understand why someone would want to drop this. A lot of people seem to have a problem with the laugh track that they play during funny or embarrassing moments. I didn't like it at first but I didn't really mind it later on. I guess it just depends on your level of hate for laugh tracks or your ability to not pay attention to it. Also, I do think that you have to have a certain sense of humor in order to completely enjoy this. The story does have its more serious moments but for the most part it is consistently comedic and embarrassing. Yes, embarrassing. So, if you can't handle secondhand embarrassment, you'll most likely be watching quite a few scenes through your fingers. ;)

Overall, super fun, cute, and silly! It provides quite a few good laughs and has some really sweet moments. I recommend that people at least give it a try even if they're not completely sure if they'll like it. To those of you who want to watch it, happy watching! :)

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This show is pure cheesy, fluffy, romantic goodness. Yes, it got a 10 from me because I adored everything about this show from beginning to end. For the genre it is, I thought it was very well done, and it just made me really happy watching it. The storyline is simple, and it's fast paced considering the episodes are just under 40 minutes each. The writers got right to the heart of this re-make. I've never seen the original, but from what I've gathered, this one has cut out a lot of filler and just given us the story of Lee Jae In and Kim Da Hyun's romance.

The actors did a fabulous job in their roles, and the main leads were on fire with the chemistry. There are lots of great kisses too! I found myself smiling a lot while watching this.
If I had one complaint - it's a really minor one - I would say that the last episode wrapped up a lot of story almost too quickly, but it was still very satisfying. But this is not even enough for me to knock my rating down.

This drama is going on my list of favorites just because I love it for what it is - cotton candy sweetness. I will definitely re-watch this just to see all the cute moments again.

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I’d like to start this review off with letting others know that this is not going to be a replacement for “A Love So Beautiful,” which is much more light hearted.

“With You,” invokes nostalgia for whoever watches it. We see the squad of friends, the “this isn’t just friends, but this isn’t dating either” relationship, the teachers we love and the teachers we....weren’t quite fond of. This is hands down my favorite school drama of all time.

The character developement is exquisite, and each character is perfectly imperfect. Our male lead, Yu Huai, is an intelligeng out going guy that exudes best friend turned boyfriend vibes. It’s hard to find anything negative to dislike his character. Despite how he excels in Physics, his character struggles with subjects unrelated to the pure sciences and chooses to neglect them all together to focus on honing his skills in Physics. A choice that will later prove to have consequences.

Geng Geng is a sweet goof ball of a female lead. Initially she can come off as the typical unintelligent female lead, but she’s actually quite normal with a hint of raw talent in the arts. She’s a little clumsy, and Yu Huai finds almost everything she does funny, but she has a heart of gold and builds great relationships with those around her.

This story isn’t about romance, it’s about the lives of two characters and their friends as they navigate their way through adolescence. This naturally includes romance, and this story DOES tell quite a beautiful relationship between the two leads, but it’s their faith, reliance, and natural actions between the two that is what attracts the viewers to them.

“With You,” masterfully tackles common issues amongst teenagers like finding a place you belong, learning to voice your own opinions, stress from the vast unknown future and much more.

The acting was amazing and I’ve fallen in love with the actors/actresses that have portrayed these characters. The story didn’t recieve a 10 from me mainly because I personally believe the ending was somewhat rushed, but I still loved it.

A side note about Lu Xing He (second male lead), I didn’t dislike his character. He is somewhat of a typical second male lead with his contrasting straight forwardness about his interest in the FL, however this drama did a great job at showing regardless of his “perfect,” one may appear, feelings can not be controlled. People are not obligated to reciprocate someone’s feelings, no matter how great said person may be.

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This lakorn was a train wreck. And I say that with the utmost appreciation for certain parts of it, but not all.

I watched this when it came out back then, and I was glued to the screen, dying for new episodes. It's the type of drama where it's so bad, it's good. I've always been a fan of Janie, for some reason I believed her to pick roles that are strong and fierce. This was not her character at all in this lakorn. She cried a lot, yearned for love a lot, forgave too much, and was too weak-willed. She tries to better her situation but nothing ever comes out of it because I guess the writers like abusive romances.

Rome's character was not a good person. He was manipulative with his stupid handsome face and sweet words. Shoot, I would have fallen for his tricks too! He hurt the FL over and over and fell in love because she never left (?) like wth dude? He does turn a new leaf and become extra adorable but it does not win me over, I do not believe he could be redeemed.

Evil Nang Rai exists strongly within. She is super creepy and maybe she should have ended up with ML (lol). The side romances were sweet and actually healthy for the most part! It really made me question how ML's brothers could treat women so well, and he was such a douche!

What really annoyed me THE MOST about this lakorn is the telling and not showing aspect. Everyone literally tells the FL that ML loves her, but we don't see his love! It's just abuse! They would be the worst people to be around if you were trying to leave an abusive relationship because they seem like the type of people to enable the abuser.

If you like to watch angsty romances that's a total mess, you'll enjoy this.

Music was pretty good ngl. I've watched the MVs a few times .

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I was initially interested because of the way the princess was described in the synopsis - she doesn't want to marry and habitually escapes from the palace. Gotta love rebellious princesses :)

I thoroughly enjoyed this drama special. Oh Man Seok was perfect as the former police officer who becomes a "blockbuster" novelist with a fan club to rival today's idols. This is only the second drama I've seen him in; I enjoyed watching him in What's Up, but I came to love him in True Colors.

Loved that the royal family wasn't like your typical royal families in most saeguks. There was lots of tongue-in-cheek humor mixed with a few more serious beats. Being such a short drama, there wasn't any wasted scenes or unnecessary angst, and the ending was perfect for the tone of the drama. I definitely recommend watching this show.

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I've said it once but I will say it again: I really love these pre-2000 Japanese dramas! The stories are concise, to the point and if you don't feel happy at the end, they've totally missed their mark. You definitely got the US Movie, "You've Got Mail" feeling but other than communicating with someone over email, that is where the stories differ.

I loved all of the main characters. I especially love Takenouchi Yutaka as Hata/Takashi. He was definitely a man who totally wanted to deny himself love. I've seen him in many dramas now and I must say, I've never NOT enjoyed his performance. This was my first time seeing Tanaka Misato as Amane. Her character was so damn sweet, I felt like I was having a sugar rush! There were sometimes I wished she had more of a backbone. But surprisingly, whenever she had dealings with Takashi, that was the only time you really saw the little tigeress come out. Oikawa Mitsuhiro as Yoshika will remain in my mind one of the worse stalkers I've seen in a drama. Despite his intentions, it drove me crazy! Watch it and see if you get the same vibe. Fujiwara Norika as Kaori; you wanted to hate her but I understood her the most but at least her character was acceptable.

Romance was stilted, only because you have to watch it but the romance in another sense was great and you definitely went away feeling their emotions. As this is an earlier work, this is not for everyone but I must say, it really, really was good!

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