Reviews

A complete basketcase, this drama tried to use formulaic writing and tried and tested cliches to manipulate the viewers into liking it but failed spectacularly.

To be honest, in the beginning I didn't understand all the criticism. Sure, it was a superficial romance drama with more beauty than brains but so were many others and everybody liked them just fine.
The cast was doing a good job, there was funny banter, a potential mystery, bromance and I for one, even managed to feel chemistry between the leads. I liked it and wanted to know more.

That feeling lasted for all of about 5 episodes and then the show went to shit in the most extraordinary fashion.

First of all, you know how greedy the drama makers are for money to the point that the product placement in this show is blatant, ridiculously irrelevant and just shoved in your face time and time again. After a point, it feels like you're not watching ads in a drama, you're just watching one big ad with bits and pieces of the drama in between.

Then comes the lacklustre romance. Albeit slow and full of filler at first, you still hoped it would build to something beautiful but suddenly they rushed it to the point that before ever even letting you feel that they have feelings for each other, the couple already exchanges love confessions, plants a kiss or two on each other and acts like they have been in love for a century. And you're just awkwardly standing at the sidelines being like um guys, y'all just met a week ago...

I almost felt like I missed some episodes where they fell in love but apparently it wasn't me it was the writer who did that.

The character development is so bad and the roles are extremely poorly written that I am pretty sure the cast couldn't have saved them even if they tried their best.

Kim Go Eun is a charismatic actress and I like her a lot. And her character here is a badass, loud mouthed cop who needs no saving which is why it made me root for her at first. However, you can't help but see the way she changes from being extremely rude to the ML in one episode and then says I love you in the next. And ofcourse, conveniently it happens right after she sees all of his riches. I am not thinking gold digger, you are.

She also conveniently turns into a weepy damsel in distress whenever they need to hype the hero at her expense. Strong but weak enough for the hero to save her again and again.

Her doppelganger, which is a great opportunity for any actor to show versatility, is literally the same as her original character with bad hair and a bad attitude. No acting change there and they just popped a ridiculous wig on her head to convince us to believe she is a different person.

Now comes Lee Min Ho. As beautiful he is, this man with sparkling gorgeous mischevious eyes has been conning us into believing he is a good actor since many years. It's not that hard to figure out that he recycles his expressions in every drama but lets not go there. He plays his role convincingly enough to give you flutters in the stomach.

He is the perfect dashing super hero who can do no wrong here with excellent fighting skills, Jedi level intelligence and is basically Einstein with a pretty face and a horse.

That's fine we like our romance heroes to be all that but it's not fine when you also try to convince me that this flower boy can suddenly transform into this brilliant and ruthless king/ mafia boss nobody can mess with. I can't buy that because he simply lacks the intensity to be one and honestly we are shown nothing in his background or story to prove otherwise.

So everytime he tried to be a serious king, to me he just felt like a toddler wearing his daddy's oversized shoes and shaking his fist trying to assert authority. Did I find him cute? For sure. Did I take him seriously? Hell no.

Some people said that it's a very hard to understand show and that those who don't like it, actually just don't understand it. Let me pop that bubble right here. It's a very simplistic plot with confused and lazy writing trying to mask itself as complicated. This is a tactic used by the writer because naturally if you make people feel like they don't get what's going on, they're gonna think the show is smarter than them and end up being impressed.

Let me tell you, I understood everything that was going on and it ain't that deep. It's a very commercial show with one goal alone: making money. That's why without putting any thought or effort into plot and execution, they casted hype worthy actors, ripped off another OST, and produced a dumbed down version of Goblin. Unfortunately for them, no amount of Lee Min Ho's boyish smiles can fry our braincells enough for us to lose the ability to tell a good script from bad.

Yes, the cinematography and direction is beautiful but there's only so many pretty color pallets, shots and sceneries you can enjoy till you start to question the bad writing.

Despite all the flaws if you still want to check out this show and just want one reason to push you towards it, then that reason is Woo Do Hwan. Who tried to save the show with his excellent acting and scene stealer self by bringing forward two characters who despite looking the same are entirely different people.

He brought forth the bromance and laugh out loud moments that act as the show's only saving grace. Yeong/Eun Seup are the best characters in the drama and you can't help but fall in love.

But the writer, ever so stubborn on digging her own grave steals that little happiness from us by reducing his screentime as much as possible. Take that as you will.

The skinship in this show is actually pretty decent with some excellent kisses. However, the romance is so poorly paced (trying to be intense just by the FL's cringeworthy crying scenes that pop out of nowhere without any reason) that you never get the feels you otherwise would. Again, I blame the writing because the two main leads have excellent chemistry in real life behind the scenes that just doesn't translate on-screen.

The villain, like every other character is poorly developed, one dimensional and his scenes (the very few there are) are horribly yawn inducing. The second FL (Prime Minister) and the second ML (Shin Jae) were both flat characters left with unexplored potential and by the second half, for the life of me I couldn't begin to make myself care about their stories.

Yes, there are a few scenes that are designed to make people react and make your adrenalin rush but even those scenes are extremely cheesy and come in to being with the help of the most unrealistic and ridiculous plot devices, that you can't help but laugh at.

Ending words: Quite definitely, a lost cause, you should watch it only if you want to take it as a bad parody and laugh at it, instead of with it.

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When I first started watching High School Love On, which feels like a million years ago because that's how long it took for it to air, I thought it was a cute light hearted drama. There wasn't much plot wise but that didn't matter because Woohyun, Seul Bi, and Sungyeol were enough to carry the drama with their cute moments. But of course like most dramas they start off good and then the writers forget that the middle of a drama is just as important as the beginning and end.

I call this drama the king of circles to my friends. Why? Because this drama goes in circles over and over and over again. The problem is that this drama should have never been over 10 episodes. The writers stretched this plot so thin that most episodes after episode 9 is the characters talking about the same thing without the plot actually moving forward. It stayed inside of a repetitive state that almost became unbearable to watch. The only thing that kept me watching was Woohyun and Seul Bi who were the only light in this drama. Also the drama has some of the dumbest plot devices I've ever seen.

As for the cast, I think they did an okay job. As most of you know this drama stars the young wonderful actress, Kim Sae Ron, and the two hot Infinite band members as her leading boys, Woohyun and Sungyeol. Kim Sae Ron is the strongest actor in this drama. While I do think Woohyun and Sungyeol do need to work on their acting a bit it wasn't that bad. I think Woohyun was the luckier one in the character choice because his charisma shined through. Sungyeol's character is one of the oddest characters I've ever watched. The writer's made a complete 180 with his character around the halfway mark and decided to make him the villain. Too bad they forget to give him real character motivation to make him a villain. It made Sungyeol's character hard to connect with and at one point I could say I really hated his character. There is a difference between teen angst and just being an asshole. I actually felt bad for Sunyeol (the actor) that he got a character like this. As much as I started to dislike Sungyeol's character the worst character to me was Angel Sunbae. He is a character with no purpose and almost seems to be used as a tool after a while. He would be gone for 3 episodes and then pop back up just to cause drama. He had no other purpose other than being an asshole. This also lead me to questioning the whole angel society because somebody should be regulating these angels.

The writers failed to give the rest of their characters any depth too. They had so many students there and it's a shame that they didn't use them to their advantage. Some of the students had cute romances but I felt like they could have built on these characters a lot more. By the way, the adults in this drama act like children. I have never seen adults act so irresponsible in my life before. They were even more childish then the students were.

The strongest part about this drama is the music. I usually don't pay attention to OSTs but this one is very good. It was the best thing about this drama to be honest.

As for rewatch value, I give it a 2. I would never go back to watch this drama but if I did it would only be to see the beginning of the show.

I would only recommend this drama to people who are fans of Infinite or tell them to watch the first nine episodes for Seul Bi, Woohyun, and Sungyeol (when they actually had common sense) and then skip to episode 18.This drama to me, story and character wise, wasn't good. Even the cute moments between Seul Bi and Woohyun weren't enough to make me stop disliking it. The writing was just too repetitive and the characters refused to grow at one point.

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I do not understand the hype

I will cut to the chase. It was not bad, it was a nice series to watch to pass your time but the reviews make is sound like it's a masterpiece. The only unique aspect this series had to offer is the stories of the secondary characters. However, in classic kdrama fashion, they decided to focus on the main characters' romance instead of them. That wouldn't be an issue, if the main storyline was strong or if they managed to smoothly play in the main story but I found their story the least interesting, the only interesting parts of the main male protagonist were almost brushed off and resolved out of nowhere so it felt predictable and rushed. Instead the producers decided to cram in many overused clichés that offered nothing to the story. The 3-4 minute blatant Domino's pizza ad in the middle of the last episode was the cherry on top... you knew at that point the creator didnt really care to make a nice story. Dissapointing, because it could have been so much more.

Both main actors are amazing (and beautiful), great acting but the chemistry was not fully there.
As mentioned previously the stories of the villagers were incredible, they dealt with so many different issues and it left me craving for more.

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A "Moving" drama that doesn't come around very often! SUBLIME, WITTY, ACTION PACK AND EMOTIONAL.

"Moving" up your emotions in every possible way!

CHEMISTRY is through the roof! Han Hyo Joo and Zo In Sung are chemistry-ing like no other, even the chemistry amongst the other actors are so effortless and smooth that you just get sucked into THEIR reality while watching!

Even though this is centered around incredible individuals with super powers, it still very much showcased their in-depth reality of hardships in their life that is focused with missions they carry out. I really loved the backstory and past of the kids' parents. The parent's story from the past, their struggles, pain & hardships truly were admirable to watch!

Every time I watched Jang Joowon's (Hulk) scenes I became a bawling mess! It's been a whole emotional roller coaster the parents acting truly proved why they're A-listers actors. They portrayed caliber acting where you feel each and every emotions! The display of emotional expression of the veteran actors were so meticulously well executed that you feel each emotion deeply. This series is unbelievably amazing that waiting for the next episode were torturous!

Moving really touches every aspect of everyday life; the struggles, pain, loneliness, hardships, societal judgement, hierarchy of jobs and the disparity of living an average life as individuals with super powers.

This drama is packed with fast pace action, great CGI/VFX, amazing cast of actors; both playing teenagers and A-Listers actors and great story-line of every character that pulls at your heartstrings. The production value is indeed spectacular and stellar. Not only is the quality of the drama evident but the intriguing story line is so well paced and written that every episode feels like 20 mins instead of 56 mins.

CHARACTERS

The kids/parents relationships are so heartwarming to watch. The parents did their very best at raising their children especially with all odds against them. And the kids being good, attentive and understanding of their parents showed us their strong bond and trust between each other; each having their own unique story.

Character development was very well paced out by using flashbacks, clever and poignant editing. Each character's backstory had their own message which really created emotional attachment from the viewers. This made me empathize with every one of them after understanding their pain and struggles of what they all had to go through especially the parents.

**SPOILERS AHEAD**

Each scenes were very well thought out and every cut was symbolic and meaningful. For instance the interaction between the American Ambassador and the Chief director of the NIS. The American guy boldly sat down displaying his back towards the Korean creating a discourteous/disrespectful move. The power altercation between the two countries was quite a revealing case to watch!

SYMBOLISM WAS THROUGH THE ROOF!

The symbolisms in the drama were so relevant to each character too!! Every scene has a meaning not one thing is useless in a scene. For instance, the 2 bullet scars on Joowon's arm are so symbolic. They represent the 2 people (The commander & DooShik) who showed him real kindness during his mission on the field when everyone else thought of him as a monster. And the keepsakes he holds dear from both of his comrades and wearing the boots and always having the pocket knife with him are such precious memories he'll never forget. Their existence to him are irreplaceable. He's truly so pure of heart and loyal to the end. His story really brought me to tears from him getting betrayed, chased, stabbed, always enduring the pain, to him falling in love which made me smile but then cried again when he lost his only rock and love of his life.

ACTION SCENES

ACTION was killer and unbelievably incredible that it seriously kept me on my toes!! The production and quality was beyond my expectation!! I can't say it enough but it felt like I was sucked into the characters' intense action scenes during their fight rooting for them to win and accomplish their mission. The perspectives, different angles and camera takes were so smooth and effortless that there was no awkward cut at all. Truly a spectacular performance on both the actors' effort and the production team!

ROMANCE

The romance in the drama is surprisingly a pure breath of fresh air! It's not at all cliche, cringe and overdone but just perfectly balanced! The characters' personality creates such a heart fluttering scene that encapsulates their sweet moment without rushing and the slow-burn romance just makes the viewers left wanting more. That's exactly how pure romance in real life is like and I'm glad they showed and displayed it in such a way in the drama. Of course for my taste, nothing beats seeing adults falling in love for the first time and even better at first sight! Perfectly done in my opinion!

Overall, this drama truly exuberates every genre you can think of; action, romance, melo-drama, humour, mystery, thriller, supernatural and high quality content of story-line and cast. It is refreshing, compelling, fascinating and complex!! Definitely a must watch drama that doesn't come around very often!

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Chemistry? As artificial as plastic.

The plot? A classic case of Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V.

Our ML’s family member gets killed, and he’s back for revenge. Out of a quarter billion women around his age, who does he fall for? The enemy’s daughter, of course(here they are childhood sweethearts so one more clichè comes free) And—because fate has a wicked sense of humor—she’s conveniently average-looking. Chinese writers, I feel for you; creativity has officially hit saturation.

It follows the same age-old pattern: ML hides his identity, regrets it later, and oscillates between holding and leaving the FL—all in the name of "protecting" her. No new tricks, no fresh twists, just déjà vu in HD.

Now, onto the cast.

Dai Gao? The man can do no wrong—except here. I’ve seen him as a king, a bodyguard, an army general, a boxer, a model, a gangster (kind of), and now, a company chairman. And let’s be real—he absolutely devours that rectangular-framed, clear-glass, three-piece suit aesthetic. YUMMY. But his acting? Surprisingly... mid. Why? We’ll get to that.

Jin Zi Yuan is a solid actress, but she just didn’t bring her A-game. She thrives in period dramas, where she fits like a glove, but in modern settings, she sticks out like a misplaced extra. In this role, her expressions were rigid, and her dialogue delivery felt about as natural as a scripted reality show.

Now, their chemistry—oh boy. If childhood friends are supposed to have an unbreakable bond, these two must’ve had severe amnesia. Lovers? Barely. Their dynamic felt like an arranged marriage where intimacy exists, but it’s as thrilling as watching paint dry. This is precisely why Dai Gao’s performance didn’t shine—there was just nothing to work with.

As for the rest of the cast... well, they exist. Overacting galore, as if none of them attended even a single acting workshop.

And the background music? Or should I say, the complete lack of an impressionable soundtrack? A final nail in the coffin.

So, should you skip this drama?

No, no—watch it. But only if your expectations are lying comfortably six feet under.

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From the moment I finished the novel last year to when Pursuit of Jade finished airing, it has been a long wait.. This has been one of my most anticipated dramas of 2026.. Well, did it live up to my expectations?? It’s sort of muddy waters.. Because I loved the drama, even though it wasn’t exactly what I pictured.. I just felt it could have been more.. The Lin’an arc like most people said, was the best part of the drama.. They took their time developing the relationship and the romance, building the characters.. It was all done very well.. But once the story moved out of the town, it all just got messy.. Not because the script was poor, but because of the storytelling.. It wasn’t nearly as gripping as the novel.. Still, it was a pure delight to watch the main leads and their journey on screen..

Need to mention this.. Honestly, they did Zhang Ling He’s character pretty dirty once he went back to being the Marquis of Wu’an.. All he really had were some witty BGM moments and slow mo scenes but nothing with real weight or charisma to match the reputation of a ruthless marquis.. Not to mention the lack of screen time.. They should have utilized him more and given him scenes that showed the Marquis in his full glory.. And the war?? The battle scenes were very poorly done.. Not one noteworthy fight.. Add the bad CGI to that.. It was disappointing.. Even so, ZLH still did an outstanding job..

Tian Xi Wei.. She was really, really good as Fan Changyu.. Her character development from a common woman to a General felt rushed, but it wasn’t bad.. I think she got better action scenes than ZLH.. And her attires were really beautiful.. She gave a brilliant performance, the camera really loves her..

The rest of the cast are incredibly phenomenal.. Special shoutout to Deng Kai and Snow Kong.. I really didn’t expect them to be this good.. Especially Deng Kai, he was terrific.. The others were solid too.. They are another big reason why the drama worked so well.. When you have a good story to tell, it helps when the people telling it are all doing it well..

Okay, the romance.. I gotta say, it was something else.. The chemistry and intensity between the main leads were just amazing.. If you have watched it, you would know.. There was that sense of yearning right from the beginning, then the sexual tension building up.. And the intimate scenes in the last phase of the drama?? Intense, really intense.. I am just a bit disappointed that the “I can’t do it anymore” scene didn’t make it to the final cut.. If you have seen the leaks, you will know what I am talking about..

Slightly off topic, but I have seen quite a lot of edits of Sui Yuan Qing, romanticizing his character.. He is the same person who slaughtered an entire town and let his men rape those women, serious psychopathic issues.. And people are making edits for him.. Like, how?? why??

The cinematography was okay.. I mean the overreliance on CGI/AI kind of ruined it.. I don’t know.. The visuals should have been better.. The music was good.. It sort of fit the tone of the drama and elevated a lot of scenes..

Now, the middle phase of longer shows are usually boring.. Because the writers have to tie everything together to set up the final phase and sometimes they rush through it.. Here though, they managed to minimize the damage.. The pace never feels draggy or cramped.. My mind did wander at times but not enough for me to call it boring..

The last phase, storytelling wise, was good.. It was set up for an epic conclusion.. But nothing really happened.. We didn’t get a war or a proper battle, not even one good action sequence.. Everything got resolved so quickly.. Why?? Why couldn’t you give us an epic conclusion?? You had the cast and the story right there..

Overall, despite all its flaws this is a 9 for me.. Because it just worked where it mattered.. I loved the romance and the chemistry.. Also the yearning, the evolving relationships.. Loved the main leads. The Lin’an arc was just bliss to watch.. The drama didn’t fail in any way, it just could have been more.. I had a great time.. I was happy..

P.S. Read the novel.. It’s the best way to enjoy the story..

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Started off great but...

This started off great but ended very stupidly.

Story:
A woman trained as a doctor. Gave it up mid-way to raise her kids and become a housewife. Gets sick during her middle age. Once recovered, decides to resume her medical training and pursue her own dreams.

The FL was disrespected greatly and very much used by her husband and mother-in-law.
Her two children take her for granted at the start of the show.
There's a lot of pushback to her resuming her medical training. Her husband works as department chief and her son is also a first-year resident and none of them are happy to have her join their hospital. The daughter, a high school senior, is used to having all of mommy's attention and devotion and is unhappy at the prospect of having to heat her own dinner while mommy does something for herself for a change.

Despite the challenges in having been gone from the medical field for so long, having just recovered from a liver transplant, and having to deal with her family's disapproval, our FL sets forth to become a fully licensed doctor.

She has struggles, but she overcomes them. That's the medical side of things.

Then there's the family side.

We discover that the ML, the husband, is having an affair with a woman who used to be his girlfriend in medical school.
(Back then they'd broken up because the ML and FL had had a one-night-stand which resulted in the FL getting pregnant with their son so they had to marry. )
This "other woman" is also a doctor at the same hospital.
And the cherry on top? The ML and other woman have a daughter who's the same age as the daughter of the ML and FL (conceived when the ML and other woman meet during a medical conference in the USA several years after the ML and FL had gotten married).

To round off our cast we have a dashing, handsome, and rich professor doctor who performed the FL's liver surgery. He takes a liking to her, and helps her out in small ways while she's his patient. And when she returns to the hospital as a resident he does his best to be kind and encouraging- the only person around the FL who gives her that. It's obvious to see that he "likes her" likes her, but he's always respectful since he knows she's married.

The series focuses on:
1) The FL's growth as a doctor: slow but steady, with its share of challenges and setbacks, which she overcomes.
2) The FL's son and daughter growing up a bit, eventually coming to see their mom in a new light, and ending up being very supportive and loving.
3) The FL, the MIL, the son and the daughter finding out about the affair.

Spoiler & Ending: The kids take mom's side. The couple gets divorced. The FL ends up opening her own medical clinic and being a happy single doctor. The ML ends up pining after the FL, having broken up with the other woman.

While this may seem like a "happy ending", I'm angry that the romance we were teased with (between the FL and the dashing professor) never materialized. Why put it in there at all? If the goal was to showcase a strong woman living alone, fine. Focus on that without introducing the romantic aspect of the second ML. It's rude to the viewers. And also, not in keeping with the FL's character. She definitely responded to the SML on multiple occasions. She liked him and connected with him. I can accept her wanting to become settled as a doctor first, before pursuing a relationship. To come into her own and recover from her divorce. But to turn him down, and say she wants to be alone forever? Zero sense. She's a warm person. A good mom. She likes people. And her friends would have pushed her to meet someone new. She'd been living in a sexless marriage for 10-15 years, with no emotional support either. The entire situation, and its resolution, was so completely stupid and implausible. They ruined the ending for me.

Not worth a re-watch (except for some funny scenes in ep 1-2 that always make me laugh-basically the only comedy in the show).

PS: The daughter of the other woman and the ML also got a raw ending. She deserved better. And the other woman? A total idiot. Her character makes no sense to me. She basically gave up her family and their financial support just for the sake of having this baby and being a single mom. But instead of moving on and creating a stable home for her child, her obsession with a med school boyfriend (who cheated on her!!!!!) caused her daughter decades of pain and potentially cost her a stepdad and solid family life had her mom made better choices. Dumb and stupid of the other woman. I expected more from her. And the daughter deserved better.

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WHAT A WASTED POTENTIAL...

Zero communication, dumbest FL, overconfident but foolish BFF, the most cliche-lazily written plot and lots of investment business talks we don't care about — is what we get here for more than "20" episodes.

I mean seriously, what kind of split personality did the FL have here?? She is so confident and mature about her work but where is her maturity in her relationship? Why can't she make her own decisions and follows her stupid BFF blindly instead? (Bff - who is apparently herself a lost case)... FL didn't even hesitate to say those flirty lines in starting but then she's standing like a statue when she needs to apologize!?

nevertheless, the beginning when things yet made sense and there were no unnecessary love rivals and misunderstandings and the ending which was quite a hot mess. damn their chemistry was lit... both parts saved the overall rating but I still won't recommend this as the middle is both messy and frustrating. You might tolerate this happily if you're a big fan of the actors or you were in the mood for a dramatic (brainless) melodrama.

What makes me so upset is that I'm a big fan. both Bai Lu and Dylan Wang are my treasured favorite actors (even my pfp has always been bai lu). And all the anticipation and hype we gave to this drama. Like its such a waste of their talents and our time to watch two kids... The actors did well but the storyline was just too draggy.

For those (like me) who were excited to see Bai Lu and Dylan Wang together, go watch FMVs of this (save some time) or their off screen interaction of variety shows because they're far better or just watch this drama and skip until both your fingers and brain is tired af.

Kudos to the build up in the beginning tho I have to admit I was deeply invested in the so-called "plot" and I cared for these silly childish characters. To the point that I often screamed "say something bitch" xDD. Last 6 episodes were what people expected from this drama but what we got is a boring business drama with stupid leads. And I'm not going to forgive the production for all the frustration they gave me before those last episodes.

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Certainly Overrated For What CLOY Actually Gives Us As Viewers...

Whilst this comment will most likely be lost amongst others, I must admit that I was fairly amazed just looking through the top comments as to how many people gave this show 10/10 upon all categories , with few being able to critically and respectfully note some of the more glossed over issues of the drama as well ( particularly towards life in North Korea).

Do not get me wrong. Crash Landing On You was actually quite a good show, however, would I actually say that it was “ good” enough to be seen as the “ “ BEST SHOW EVER WRITTEN” , worth 10/10 on here and raving reviews on other websites ? Probably not .In all honesty, I can already think of numerous K- Dramas out there which have tackled the theme of relationships and even issues over North Korea more in depth and realistically than this drama as well as better pacing . ( Korean Peninsula , Spy, Iris and even The King 2 Hearts .)

However, let’s not bring this drama down entirely. Crash Landing On You was an entertaining rom-com and this was particularly seen through the comical gold and actual intrigue between the cultural differences of the group of our North- Korean soldiers and our female lead Yoon Se- Ri played by Son Ye- Jin. ( Language choices, gestures, popular culture etc. ) Additionally, praise must also be given for renowned scriptwriter Park Ji- Eun ( Legend Of The Blue Sea, My Love From The Star) daring to tackle the trickier concept of an international and humanising taboo relationship between a North- Korean solider ( Hyun Bin) and a South- Korean chabeol heiress ( Son Ye-Jin).

Although it makes for good script material, most of the show’s centralisation in North Korea did bring one flaw to the show, where the premise “ write what you know” wasn’t always the best solution for Ji- Eun. Whilst the show did share some evident cultural differences and dangers of life in North Korea ( especially surrounding our second Male lead played by Kim Jung- Hyun), it was never exactly going to be from the get-go a fly on the wall documentary of what life is actually like in one of the most isolated countries in the world. Yet even by Crash Landing On You’s standards , it was fairly eye brow raising to try and gloss over the oppression , lack of freedom of speech and even the fact that North- Korea is a communist dictatorship with the classic and beyond comical element of having a department store ( a very consumerist South-Korean element) and “ Rich Ahjummas” in a country where money restrictions are so severe.

Whilst I do appreciate that the show was try to humanise our characters ( and did this successfully to some extent) by showing North- Koreans to be actually human beings rather than the “ enemy” and “ threats”, it still felt poorly tackled how the show decided to gloss over a lot of these more predominant issues over actual circumstances for many North-Koreans in order to add to the angst and humanity of our characters. This also moves on to a strange plot point over our two main characters as well as Se- Ri’s debates over suicide only being mentioned when it was necessary to earlier or later storyline. ( There was little explanation over this element of Se- Ri’s decisions which would have given her depth apart from just Ji-Eun just wanting to add angst before the big plot twist in the finale).

So, what are my final words to you upon this drama? Is it worth watching, or is it a waste of time? Probably the biggest thing I should say that is Crash Landing On You isn’t a terrible drama and has a lot of fun playing with the renowned tropes of rom-coms. The ending is bittersweet, the concept is quite interesting, the characters and cast will grow on you and the cinematography and filming locations ( particularly in Switzerland and Mongolia) are gorgeous . On the other hand, the pacing simply falls after the halfway point to a slump, the glossing over and the attempts to write a mini- Seoul in Pyongyang were ridiculous in addition to the portrayal of North Korea and certain characters.

It can probably be concluded that whilst good, the show is just a little too overrated . If you’re looking for a binge-watch and something to easily watch and throw aside, it’s a perfect watch, however, it’s fair to say that if you’re looking for actual depth, characterisation and sensical storyline, then there are so many other dramas out there to consider.

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Don't Get Mad, Get Even

When this drama first appeared on my radar, my initial thoughts were of Robert De Niro’s Taxi Driver. It turned out not too different and the themes definitely give off similar vibes for me. Although dark, violent and gritty, it is also ADDICTIVE, COMPELLING and POIGNANT. Taxi Driver is one of the year’s best and must-watch dramas.

The Story

Taxi Driver is based on the webtoon, The Deluxe Taxi by Carlos and Lee Jae-jin. It’s about a team of people who work together in running a deluxe taxi service, Rainbow Taxi company, that provides “additional services” which entails a mix of rescuing people, dishing out vengeance on deserving bad guys and delivering (street) justice - not necessarily in that order - for victims of (especially violent) crimes who have been so wronged, exploited, downtrodden and tormented to the point that they are ready to end their lives just to escape their tragic circumstances.

Every single member of team avengers carry their own chilling backstories - crimes committed against their loved ones where the perpetrators never truly received the punishment that they duly deserved, no thanks to the failings of the local police and judicial system. It is this tragic past that motivates the team to do what they do - seek justice for those who experience the same trauma that they themselves had gone through.

The drama features the general format of case-based procedurals presented in mini story arcs which run for 2 to 3 episodes. There isn’t any overarching plot or underlying conspiracy per se but the story does evolve in the final third where the direction of the team changes course significantly.

The Production

For a SBS production, I was surprised by both the production values and the raw grittiness being depicted. This is a quality drama which doesn’t skimp on budget. The action choreography of men and machines (including the number of vehicles destroyed in the process), set designs and props used, the various filming locations as well as the technical aspects of directing, cinematography and screenplay all contribute to making this drama a top-tier production.

At around the episode 11-mark, the screenwriter was changed due purportedly to creative differences with the producers. I’m not sure whether this is attributed to Lee Ji Hyun taking over from Oh Sang Ho or because the evolution of the story begins at this point, but the change in the overall tone of the drama is quite noticeable. Suffice to say, the amusement factor was no longer present because things became profoundly serious indeed heading into the finale.

The Main Cast & Characters

I have truly enjoyed Lee Je Hoon’s performance here, in what is his best work to date (I have yet to watch Move to Heaven where some viewers claim his portrayal is even better). I haven’t read the source material but I think it’s fair to say the story revolves around his character, hence the drama being titled Taxi Driver. Compared to his singular focus in Signal and bits of what I had seen in Where Stars Land, he gives us so many more different sides to his titular character of Kim Do Gi in this drama.

Think of Denzel Washington’s Equalizer, Liam Neeson’s Taken, Mel Gibson’s Mad Max and yes, even Robert De Niro’s Taxi Driver. Elements from each of these iconic characters all rolled into one irresistible combo. Perhaps his background as a former Special Forces operator has afforded him combat proficiency, coupled with extremely mad driving skills as well as an uncanny ability to blend into any given environment like a chameleon. In any case, what we end up with is Rainbow Taxi company’s employee of the month, every month! This man doesn’t just mete out physical punishment on the villains, he does so without them even realising before it's too late - via utterly convincing undercover and infiltration missions to search and destroy the target from within. Efficient, effective, lethal. Lee Je Hoo executed this portrayal to perfection. However, if there is any criticism of this character, personally for me it would have to be the logic-defying fight scenes when he alone takes on a whole horde of assailants. The plot armour for the ML is very apparent, amidst the very well choreographed sequences.

It’s my first time seeing Esom and truth be told, I’m quite impressed. Little wonder she’s been nominated for acting honours in the past because she exudes talent. For the most part, her character Kang Ha Na subtly projects determination that’s borne of stubbornness, and takes a while to warm up to (at around episode 12 for me) but that’s down to the way it’s written as part of the underscored tension between the prosecutors and our band of avengers. I appreciate her nuanced interpretation of the role and she pretty much showcased her impressive range by delivering those intense emotional scenes really well, it must be said.

Pyo Ye Jin plays my favourite character in the show, Ahn Go Eun. She steals the scene every time she appears on screen and I think that’s not only due to her immense charisma but also her characterization. There are several highly charged scenes particularly in the Udata story arc that enables her to fully flesh out her character, in addition to the rather charming but quirky role that she’s already assuming. She is definitely one to keep an eye out for, and I’ll be looking forward to her future projects eagerly.

Rounding off the main cast is Kim Eui Sung who plays the owner of Rainbow Taxi company, Jang Sung Chul. There’s not much else that can be said about this veteran award-winning actor that hasn’t been said before. Having seen him in Six Flying Dragons and Mr Sunshine, this man is the real deal and his portrayals are often flawless. He gives a very decent account of his role here, which is perhaps somewhat more subtle compared to his previous works.

The Side Characters & Guest Stars

It would be completely remiss of me not to highlight some of the insanely superb performances by the diverse cast of guest actors. Taxi Driver, for me, is made particularly compelling because of this eclectic ensemble. Without them, this show just wouldn’t be the same. I honestly believe it’s a combination of pure joy of acting and the ingenuity in the script that manifests in these “perversely entertaining” story arc characters.

Cha Ji Yeon as Baek Sung Mi certainly deserves a mention. This interesting yet complicated character oozes class, style and villainy in equal measure. It’s not often that we get female mobsters, especially a memorable one at that, in a K-drama. Her lieutenant, Goo Seok Tae who is played by Lee Ho Chul, looks like he came straight out of a Bond movie as the evil mastermind’s oversized bodyguard. This is one character that you will come to despise as the story develops, and for very good reasons too.

Tae Hang Ho plays the uber-violent jeotgal factory owner Park Joo Chan almost too convincingly. Out of so many fight scenes I’ve seen in dramaland, the ones involving him are frighteningly vicious and unforgiving. The top prize for the most disgusting villain (to me anyway) goes to Baek Hyun Jin’s Park Yang Jin. This vile sociopath may appear unbelievably exaggerated but make no mistake, the severity of his crimes and misconduct are pushing stratospheric levels.

The Themes

On the face of it, Taxi Driver is dark and violent. The first half in particular incorporated much black comedy as well. The crimes depicted are not for the faint hearted, with references to subsets of violence, notably sexual abuse, physical assaults, and exploitation. White collar crimes are represented in the form of fraudulent acts, voice phishing, and blackmail. Toxic corporate culture is also vividly portrayed. There are times that I personally find it hard to stomach some of the portrayals of suffering and trauma inflicted on the victims.

I think the most disturbing aspect for all the crimes featured is the fact that they are very real and are currently happening all around us. We may or may not be aware of their existence in our neighbourhood but it would be extremely naive to think otherwise. It’s an extremely visceral and realistic part of the world that we live in, and this drama truly shines the spotlight on all of such elements right before us.

On a more positive note, the depiction of camaraderie among our team of avengers is a joy to behold. Everyone has his or her own strengths, weaknesses and fears, and together they accomplish so much more than any of them individually could. They are each other’s pillar of support, both mentally and spiritually.

Music

There are 2 songs in particular that I really love, which were beautifully integrated into the drama. Pyo Ye Jin’s rendition of the soulful jazz piece, A Walk, which plays during one of her more poignant moments where she stares pensively into the distance from the backseat of the taxi. Kwak Jin Eon’s A Gloomy Letter hauntingly evokes a profound sense of deep sorrow through his richly layered vocals in his slow ballad. Maybe I’m just drawn to evocative and sad songs…

Anyway, full OST listing as follows:

1. YB – SILENCE
2. Kwak Jin Eon – A Gloomy Letter
3. Pyo Ye Jin – A Walk
4. Cha Ji Yeon – All Day
5. Simon Dominic – RUN AWAY
6. Sanha – Moon Light

Overall

Taxi Driver is arguably compelling and essential viewing. As dark as its themes may be, I honestly believe viewers can glean a thing or two potentially life saving survival skills from this drama. This deluxe taxi service might be fictional, but the crimes depicted do not get any more real that what is seen here. I find myself rooting for the team to wreak vengeance upon these truly horrible evildoers during every episode. Although deep down I know it’s probably morally and ethically wrong, I can’t help feeling a deep sense of pleasure and gratification from the street justice being dispensed. Long story short, watching this drama will evoke many emotions and feelings, with nary a moment of boredom. And the best part? I absolutely love the perfect ending.

Fun Facts:
1. The model of car used as the deluxe taxi is the 1996 Hyundai Dynasty.
2. The deluxe taxi faces off against the dreaded White Truck of Doom and “history was created” in that scene.

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It must be said that Goblin is very much a somewhat cliché rom-com disguising itself as something else, but ultimately, what appears to be an interesting premise is cast aside for a romantic plot that I'm going to be honest is a little creepy and at times feels very fatherly to me. This makes it very hard to love the romance especially when the female lead is a bubble of cutesy energy and also she borderline looks twelve. There were moments I wanted to run into the scene and tell Gong Yoo, you get the hell away from her and date someone your own age. Yes, that, 782 age gap was at times hard to swallow.

What makes Goblin good is it's featuring. It stars longing looks, teary-eyed longing looks, bromance, ignoring that he is 800 years old, trying to pretend you are not watching this because of the bromance and good looking leads and KES's obligatory three good episodes towards the end that makes you think this is so good. It also stars a very good performance by Lee Dong Wook. I'd like to say the rest of the cast were just as good, but I'd be lying. Gong Yoo is someone, I watch because he is in good movies (The Crucible/Silenced, etc) but not because he gives an actual good performance. He's like a Brad Pitt type in that regard. I was quite surprised by LDW as I find him heavily attractive and have for a long time but I've admitted he's a terrible actor. Suddenly he is Matthew McConaughaying me. The female lead is literally a copy paste of all rom-coms. Especially from this writer.

The intro of this drama is unique and creates what has the potential to be a very good plot, but ultimately this is a meandering slow stream of a journey that I heavily recommend you skip some episodes. Yes, skip from ep 5 to 13 and you'll miss very little. The juicy parts of the plot are thrown aside for a slew of teary-eyed longing looks and cliché romantic scenes that at ep 4, I started to wonder when they were actually going to focus on the juicy premise.

Character wise, the bromance sells this stale plot as personally, the romance between the male and female lead just looks awkward. I should be gushing at romantic scenes but they look as uncomfortable as I do and when Gong Yoo pats her head, he at times feels like her father. The drama has a lot of potential but the writer didn't seem to know what to do with it and I feel like a traitor who deserves to be hanged for saying this, but as a huge lover of bromance, dare I say it, I actually got bored of the bromance. I started tuning in to cast longing looks at Lee Dong Wook. My obsession made me run out into the street and jump in front of a car, but I heavily recommend you don't do that as the Grim Reaper never appeared and now I'm writing this in the afterlife.

The writer here also inserts her I suckered you into thinking this was good by having her obligatory three good episodes that make me think, Oh this has potential. It's always towards the end too. Melancholic episodes with good editing that make me wonder where was this for the previous ten episodes? I feel the drama is a seven at best as in, I would be very generous to give it a 7. It has its good melancholic and humorous scenes but it ultimately never quite gets its pacing right and never seems to know what to focus on making this really not as good as it could be.

PS. I also urge you to cast aside any logical questions you might have especially towards the end. They will not be answered.

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This had a lot of potential, but the execution didn't come through here.

Apparently, serial killer guy is in love with the MC. But I don't see how. She's beautiful, intelligent and straight-forward -- sure, but they only met once before he falls in love with her. Their communication is super short - only a few lines of dialogue. They needed to spend some more time making his love believable. Like him being interested in the person who made this app he uses to find his victims, learns about her and then finally meets and falls in love with her. But nope. No build-up whatsoever.

There's nothing deep here. Sometimes it doesn't make sense who he chooses to kill and who he chooses to let go. Why some of the women would meet up with some random person they only talked to once online in some SUPER secluded place, out in the boonies or a building at night.

Almost every woman in this story happens to be a horndog, including the MC. Nothing wrong with that but ALMOST EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM throwing caution to the wind for it? Makes absolutely no sense.

The shaman is also random, and I feel is out of left field for the story. Nice having a LGBT character and all, but the shaman thing is still random.

I'm generally a fan of Netflix Kdramas, but I didn't vibe with this one at all.

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I’m really disappointed at the drama fans. I crossed my finger and hoped for this NOT to be like the japanese Starman. However my hopes were crushed when I found a story full of cliché, and poorly written. Yes girls, same old Disney plot painted differently. We have the perfect PRINCE CHARMING and the princess who needs his help every once in a while. How dreamy.

I’m really so sad to see so many good reviews ignoring the fact that this drama left many questions unanswered. I’ll talk about the two main ones that bothered me. First, the whole issue with her father was just empty. Not to mention that their relationship makes you wonder if the writer knows about how interpersonal relationships work. Second, Do Min Joo was just the perfect (robotic) being and this drama, sadly, portrayed him like an object, for the drama ends and we know nothing about him except that he is an alien and has some powers. I could write a book about all the questions I had about him, THE main lead. How can we permit this!!!!

Love is portrayed like something so dreamy and flawless once you are finally with that person. Their attachment to life and their love makes me conclude that at the end they won’t accept that nothing is forever. Of course we want a happy ending, but what we mean by this (at least I) are happy, fulfilled characters…not poorly unrealistic endings (even if it was a fantasy drama).

About the special effects I have to say I liked them very much, they were very good. The acting was just good, nothing special really I did wished for some real tears. The main leads are impossible not to love, she is so cute and he is adorable. I didn’t see that much chemistry between them but I won’t touch the subject or else I’ll unleash the fury of some. There are some unforgettable moments too ;) (kisskiss) Anyways, the first half of the drama was entertaining but if you are like me, a drama fan that is hard to please and likes to ask questions, just keep in mind what I just said.

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Don't get fooled by the title, it's not the Korean version of Bring It On.

Watching this was an absolute joy! It will make you cry, laugh, and grin! When you're in high school you get serious about studying, so you'll get accepted in the university/collage you aim for. However, it's also the time when you want to have fun and enjoy life with your friends. So the balance between these two is what this drama is all about.

I might be too generous with my rating but the show was that good. The plot line wasn't draggy and very interesting to the very end. The acting was perfect from main and support characters. The music was lovely and spot on. So obviously you would want to watch this drama again because it's so charming.

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This is really so bad. I wasn't expecting it to be so bad because I had seen the rating here plus it's on so many lists on youtube. But gosh, this is just terrible.
The plot is mediocre. Best friends get drunk and sleep together. One of them has a girlfriend which makes things more complicated. Surprise, surprise the girlfriend is a bitch.
First of all, I would like to mention how much I hate Knock. Even when Korn and Knock slept together, Knock kept acting like Korn raped him or something, dude it was consensual sex, you are to be blamed as much as him, why the fuck are you acting this way? You dumb sorry excuse of a grown ass man. And later on, he doesn't do anything to redeem himself. He remains indecisive, keeps playing with Korn's feelings, and is forever a big of a slut. One would imagine him being nicer to Korn after hearing about how Korn's ex-boyfriend cheated on Korn but noooooooo, he two times and gives him false hope and once even goes as far as to say that he chose his bitch girlfriend but would like their relationship to be the same. Lol fuck off, Knock does not deserve this piece of shit and I stand by my opinion.

The only complain I have with Korn's character is that instead of showing him as a person, we see him more as a person in love. Idk what his personality is.

Yihwa, my girl is the star of this shitty show and the reason why I watched the entire damn thing. Fai is a cutie too.

The doctor is fucking disgusting and Farm is really dumb oh lord.

My head hurt watching this. Proceed with caution.

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