Reviews

Putting Gong Seung Yeon and Lee Jong Hyun together again after their honey dripping time on WGM was a stroke of genius for FNC! These 2 have awesome chemistry and they are visual eye candy. Gong Seung Yeon plays a type of part she has never played before, of a vivacious, feisty, arrogant Korean drama star with anger management issues and an arrogant attitude. She pulls it off with grace and style and still manages to look pretty and cute.

Lee Jong Hyun also shows sides of his acting ability never before seen, from silent, tough Busan namja to goofy pabo, but then slips back into his Busan namja leading man image again when required.

Together, they are golden. Their dramatic scenes are great, but what surprises is how well the play the comedic, slapstick humorous parts so well. It it obvious they are totally comfortable with each other. And the kiss scenes (5) well, I needed to turn up the A/C to cool down after watching them. Full on, open lips smooching like I've seen in only a few other Korean rom/coms. It's obvious to me they brought their A game to this drama, but I believe it is because they bring the best out in each other.

The script wanders and has a tendency to get lost at times, and there is a lot of replaying of old scenes, but the goofy, quirky, off center, sometimes slightly raunchy humor surprised and delighted me. It is as if they are portraying a tongue-in-cheek parody of Korean period dramas and the actors who star in them.

All in all a light-hearted piece of time slip rom-com that will have you laughing out loud in parts, and crying in others. I really enjoyed it. I hope they produce a Season 2 showing Ondal adapting to Korea in modern times. i t would be a hoot!

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Not the finest show but it has it's good moments

The drama had potential. I enjoyed the cases although some of the science is questionable. The side stories are too time consuming and I found myself a bit bored during the first half. Some of the comedy was funny like the ex-wife randomly climbing a pole or the chief feeling overshadowed. But other aspects like the male leads bickering just made me wish they would get on with solving the case. This comedy style was not working for me. I was more invested in the mystery element which improves in the second half.

When it came to the actual cases, it had my full attention. I was invested. I just wish I didn't have to watch the other aspects which felt like fillers. I might be in the minority but then everyone has a different taste in comedy. The first episode was a miss for me but the subject was intriguing enough to make me want to continue. After the case of episode 6 was over, I fell asleep watching the side plot.

Around episode 7 - 8, the series really improved. The cases were good, the bickering was less, the mystery element was more and I started to enjoy the episodes. But towards the end, the series started to plateau a bit.

As for the finale, I was disappointed if I'm being fair. The second half of the finale had some nice moments, but the first half made me roll my eyes at it.

Skip the next paragraph to avoid spoilers.

SPOILERS coz I can't explain without them:
- The brain waves battle was very unscientific with poor graphics. Both male leads were under stress, that itself should have allowed some of their waves to match or to reject the results off the bat. And there was another way to beat the results. For Myung Se to trick his brain as well so they can "meet in the middle" and thus win the game. Also, what happened with Hwang Dong Woo was also a bit over the top.
- The only thing I can appreciate is the happy ending for Myung Se and So Jung's character. That was sweet.

To sum up - this series was a mixed bag where I really enjoyed the good elements and some of the comedy really made me laugh. Whereas, the bad parts bored me to sleep. If you like the actors and the comedy is more your style, you might enjoy Brain Works more than I did.

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It's a Journey that will stick with me for a long time.

What an experience The Journey to Love drama was. I don't think I have ever cared so much for so many characters in a drama before like this one. Usually 4 characters at the most lol. The casting is superb. Each character was so perfectly casted and each played the role to their fullest.

What a beautiful drama about love, friendship, loyalty, revenge and power. Their acting of joy, grief, obsession, love, self-confidence, insecurity, you name it, was so so so well done. It was palpable. The music was outstanding and highlighted their good and bad moments. Perfect for the emotional toll I went through watching each scene.

Another strong point about this drama is the character development which I believe added to my caring so deeply for each of these characters. Characters I didn't like, developed into characters that I hoped would stay safe in battle. Highly recommended.

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An overall fun series with a great cast that stands out for their strong chemistry

When this series was announced as a coming-of-age story, I was very excited about it because it’s been years since the last time I watched one of those and I thought it would be very refreshing. Despite some flaws, the series is overall very fun, true to its genre, and delivers what was promised, a youth story about hot-blooded police students. It also exceeded my expectations as a rom-com.

THE GOOD

# A cast with great chemistry and characters with diverse personalities:
‘Rookie Cops’ isn’t completely focused on Seunghyun (Kang Daniel) and Eunkang (Chae Soobin). Although there are specific moments where Eunkang is the bigger protagonist, both characters are constantly surrounded by their friends, who also have their own stories and moments, but when together they have a lot of funny and cute interactions. This makes the series mostly light and bubbly. The chemistry between the 8 young actors is the biggest factor that made me enjoy this series overall. In particular, actor Park Sung Joon as Daeil, shines through and is the glue of the squad.

# The kisses are swoonworthy:
Some of the best kisses I have seen on a series/drama in general. Kang Daniel was a very pleasant surprise for a first time idol-actor. If there is something nobody can question is that he is clearly a good kisser, and Chae Soobin also delivered although nobody was doubting her. Second couple also blessed us with some hot kisses.

# Fast-paced:
For some people the fast-paced plot might feel like there are parts of the story missing, but I think in general most people would prefer a story that doesn’t drag. In this case, ‘Rookie Cops’ has a main conflict that slowly builds from the beginning of the series through flashbacks, but side conflicts/cases are generally solved within two episodes.

# Cinematography and props:
I have to mention the beautiful cinematography and post-production coloring this series has. It’s truly a stand-out, with great locations and the right angles that enhance especially the outdoor scenes, such as when Seunghyun and Eunkang are sitting by the river after a bike ride. There was also so much attention to detail when it comes to the props, in particular episode 11 features a comic version of ‘Rookie Cops’ which was specially made as a prop for the series since this is an original story.

THE BAD

# Script with several flaws:
While I think Lee Ha Na (screenwriter) did an excellent job portraying the growing bond between the main cast and the heart-fluttering romance. And the first half of the drama is mostly fun and light, her attempts to include more dark themes to make the story more meaningful and give it more depth, mostly fall short and shallow. With two-episode conflicts involving victims of bullies or gangs, in all of them I was left with the feeling that something was handled wrong or something was missing. The coincidences in this series are also so many that you would think Korea is the size of a peanut. They are beyond the typical “destiny” moments to the point of absurdity.

I did say the story is not completely focused on the main leads. However, there are times when a big chunk of certain episodes focus heavily on Eunkang, and time is wasted on showing us her parents just bickering. This wouldn't be so much of a problem if equal time was spent on developing the male lead’s story as well, or if Eunkang was a more likable female lead. However, from the beginning Eunkang shows she is the impulsive and reckless type who decides her future career following her teenage crush. She starts to (slightly) grow once she gets closer to Seunghyun as he shares some of his wisdom and calmness with her, and not only supports her but also saves her every time. Sadly, our man Seunghyun ends up being pushed to the sidelines a lot just to elevate Eunkang. Although the main conflict involves his father and him in a way, we don’t get to see enough interactions between them to better understand Seunghyun's admiration for is father, or anything about his childhood or teenage years unlike with other characters.

All that said, I think Chae Soobin herself and her chemistry with Kang Daniel are strong enough that one can ignore a lot of questionable moments her character has and enjoy the series overall and even rewatch it, at least for all the fluffy and light moments.

My biggest problem with the script however, is related to a major event that happens towards the end, which left me with a strong bittersweet feeling. I thought it was completely unnecessary, random and brought nothing to the actual progress of the story nor the final development. This is the main reason why I can’t give this series a higher score.

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Lastly, I wanted to give my own opinion about Kang Daniel’s acting which was commented on a lot. If you go into this series expecting a dramatic performance for the Oscars, you are going to be disappointed. This is not that type of show to begin with. Kang Daniel is quite green in the first three episodes, especially during scenes that require more emotional intensity. But as the series progresses he shows much potential and delivers great chemistry with partner Chae Soobin. His character Wi Seunghyun is not one to show excessive emotions as he is the composed, responsible and righteous type. Kang Daniel is faithful to that portrayal until the end. His cute, playful or more rebellious moments happen when he is around Eunkang or Tak (Lee Shin Young). And his most vulnerable side is only shown at the very end when faced with his father. I thought Kang Daniel did well showing the sadness and disappointment Seunghyun feels but that he tries to repress. I also have to praise how he challenged himself with many physically demanding action scenes, despite this being his first acting project.

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In 2023, is it still a taboo to have the main male leads kiss on the lips in Korean BL’s ?

I did not know any members of Omega X so, I had no big expectations for this series but was eager to see this show because of the plot. At first, it had good storyline dealing with an introvert and extrovert and subsequent episodes dealing with issues of performance pressures, childhood trauma, abuse, coming of age and burgeoning awakening of one’s sexuality. The actors had good chemistry helped from them knowing each other from their singing group. So this is all from episode 1 to about the two-thirds of episode 6 then the story went over a cliff.

After investing in watching this supposedly BL series, it was good until the 1st time jumped at the end of episode 6, then the last episode (# 7 - which according to most people is the finale even though there is still 2 more episodes according to MyDramaList) aired, there was another time lapse and also another one at the end. Why would the writers or producers decide to squish a whole 3 years in the final episode. They could have made a season 2! Also, after 6 years of Da Yeol and Tae Hyun knowing each together, they only end with a kiss on the earlobe. 😠 They still had issues of intimacy right until the end. This series should be reclassified as a Bromance and not a BL.

Also, they should never cast any still active K-Pop Idols from the same singing group, as main leads of a BL series, because if they are not allowed to go even for a brief peck or kiss, it is an insult to BL fans everywhere.

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An interesting dive into adult entertainment in Japan

At first I was critical but I wanted to watch it because Itsuki is in it. After the first episode I was hooked because of the lead character. This drama gives a very complex insight into not only the adult entertainment in Japan and how women fall into it, but also an overall oversight of society's expectations of women along with rather complex takes on different emotions. Each woman is flawed in their own way in this show, at first you might not like them at all but as it goes on you are shown more and more why they act as they do. I don't love all the characters but I somewhat came to understand them.

To my understanding the acting is really great, everyone seems authentic and they manage to explore complex emotions of their character pretty well. Some character seem totally one dimensional at first but the actors manage to bring out the inner turbulence during each story. So far my only issue with the drama is that nothing seems to be really resolved. Issues you think have been taken care of are suddenly undone off screen and a character returns back to 0.

This drama had me really involved, I cursed and felt with them, I judged and then understood somewhat. It was a journey for sure and I am sad that it only has 12 episodes. It is deeply entertaining and I recommend it to anyone who is open to learn more about the topic of adult entertainment.

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Even it is a really ordinary drama I think it's a touching drama that can make you cry.
I'm just the girl who likes lovestories - and if you like that too it really is worth to watch.
If you like good-looking taiwanese actors, too.
The serious scenes often are too long, but there are also very funny scenes.
Sometimes the characters aren't that authentic but they are lively. The Opening Music is from 'Fahrenheit'

It's(not only)a lovestory, that is foreseeable from the beginning, but you know: The journey is the reward.
That shy love between Wu Chun and Angela Zhang is heart- thrilling to watch! It's this 'One-and-only-forever-love'.

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I guess Bin Xiao Xiao really loves the F4 guys. lol. First he acted with Vanness Wu in Autumn's Concerto, then with Jerry Yan in Down With Love and now with Vic Chou in Perfect two. And this kid is pure talent, not to mention one of the most adorable things I've seen in dramas. He can make you cry too! As for Vic Chou and Ella Chen, they were ok. Vic Chou's look was same as that in Loving you 10000 years which was pretty annoying considering that that I hate that movie. But he was still pretty funny here and pretty cool as a dad. Although If I have to point out the best thing about this movie (besides Bin Bin of course) it's the amazing place that they live in. I mean, seriously, if he'd just get his place slightly renovated, it would become just perfect. But even as a shack it's perfect! While watching the movie I was wishing the whole time that I lived there. I mean they were surrounded by lush greenery and a beautiful ocean. If I could really live there, I'd feel like I've died and gone to heaven. If Vic Chou, Xiao Xiao Bin and Ella Chen aren't enough reasons to pick this up, watch it for the house! Haha.

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Kill my Sins

The wandering physician Ye Ping An, entangled in an old and secretive case, arrives in Chang'an. Accused of mystical medical interventions, she manipulates minds and evokes fear, while the low-born magistrate Yuan Shao Cheng, craving power, seizes the opportunity to rise. A murder in Chang'an implicates Ye Ping An, but is she truly an innocent scapegoat or a mastermind plotting revenge? The first move in her intricate scheme has already unraveled.

Story:9.5
This isn't a simple, ordinary drama. It's a mystery/thriller drama with mysterious cases. Ye Ping An uses many tricks to take revenge for those who died in a case he was involved in when he was young and to find peace. On one hand, he gains the trust of the Empress, and on the other hand, he allies with Yuan Shao Cheng. In this way, he tries to take revenge on powerful, cruel officials involved in the Inspector case. Meanwhile, he has the support of his friends Lu Dan Xin, Cai Lian, Ni Chang, and his aunt Gu Er Niang. This is a drama without a romantic plot but one where strong, intelligent women unite against their enemies. While Ping An fights because he was deceived as a child and caused the deaths of many women, Lu Dan Xin and Cai Lian are victims of the Inspector case.

Yuan Shao Cheng is a man who is constantly belittled and struggles for power because he comes from a Mang background. I admire a man who endures all kinds of humiliation to fight for his people. It's true that I hated him in the first 10 episodes. But towards the end, I realized how amazing he was.

Wu An Kang is a general who fights on the border for his country. He is also the son of Wu You Jing, the Empress's nephew. He is an honest general seeking justice for people like Ping An. I love his character and personality. By the end of the drama, when he loses everything because of his father's and sister's greed and ambitions, I feel both sad and angry. He didn't deserve this.

The Empress ascended the throne at a time when women were looked down upon. Having been an empress for more than ten years, Saint always tried to be just, to help women get their rights, and to treat her people well. Saint uses people of different characters like Ye Ping'an, Yuan Shao Cheng, and Li Jun to suppress corrupt officials in the country. I always thought Li Jun was the bad guy. I didn't expect him to be part of the forensic court and work for the Empress in the last episode. I think Saint made a mistake. She was very unfair to Wu An Kang. She wanted to send a man who contributed to the country and risked his life to an enemy country as a groom. When she failed in this, she tried another way. She even thought of dismissing An Kang, who returned from the second war. If the Empress had been fair in this matter, I would have liked her more.

I think Wu You Jing's character was not well-written. As the main villain, he had a very ordinary character. After being mysterious for a long time, he made many mistakes when he appeared. He thought his son, who risked his life for the country, would help him in his rebellion. And his daughter Wu Xian'er did many things behind his back. Wu You Jing's ignorance of this and his misjudgment of the Empress's actions make it hard to see him as the main villain. Apart from that, I didn't see many flaws in the drama.

In my opinion, this drama was excellent. It tells the story of strong, intelligent women uniting, a man fighting for his people, and a man risking his life for his country, only to be disappointed by his family. This is a masterpiece!!!

Cast:10

In my opinion, the right actors were chosen for all the characters in this drama. After watching Liu Shishi in the role of Ye Ping An, I don't think anyone else could have played this role so perfectly.

I'm watching Shawn Dou for the first time. I should thank 'Kill my Sins' for introducing me to such a talented actor. Shawn Dou is the best person for this role!

Zheng Ye Cheng is already my favorite actor, and I love his role here too. It saddened me that he had so few scenes. I would have liked to see more of his scenes.

I am also watching Xuan Lu for the first time. After this drama, I can say that I am a fan of her. She is both beautiful and talented.

I've seen Ding Jie in a few dramas before. As far as I remember, she played a maid in TSAZB. She is so sweet.

Rewatch Walue: 8.5

I have always admired dramas with such themes. Despite its heavy subject matter, it's a drama where human intelligence is portrayed very strongly. Maybe I'll come back to watch it again when I can't find other beautiful, worthwhile dramas. Anyway, there's no tragic ending for the main characters, so rewatching it is not a problem.

Overall: 10

Despite a few flaws, I think this drama has a very strong plot. From my perspective, this drama deserves a 10 out of 10. The actors' talent, the well-written storyline, and the strong characters cover the drama's shortcomings. If anyone wants to watch it, they should start without hesitation. The more you watch, the more you want to keep watching. However, I don't recommend it to those who love romance.

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Im a sucker for vampire stories, and I really had fun watching Revamp. That said, it’s not a perfect series. It doesn’t have major plot twists, and the pacing felt off at times, too slow in some parts, too rushed in others. Still, it brought some really interesting elements to the table, and you can tell they were trying something different.

I loved that Ramil isn’t your typical vampire. He stands out with this almost innocent vulnerability, steering away from the usual dark and brooding vibe. That gave the supernatural angle a refreshing twist. Punn was the perfect match for Prem, and my sweethearts Boun and Prem delivered their usual captivating performances.

Overall, the cast did a solid job. Mark and Aun really stood out, and Dunk as Feratu was such a pleasant surprise. I’d love to see him play a villain someday. I adore Barcode, but I wasn’t feeling him as Ciar. If you’ve seen him in KP and DFF, you know he’s capable of so much more. Honestly, that was the biggest issue for me, the direction just couldn’t strike the right balance between romance and the supernatural.

What truly shined for me were the relationships. That dinner scene with vampires and humans sitting together like one big family? That was exactly what Ramil and Punn were searching for. It’s sincere and heartfelt, totally hits you right in the feels. I’m always here for that.

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Save Me is an amazingly well-rounded and well-executed drama. Simply put, this is not your average drama, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for something intriguing, thought-provoking, and captivating. It's filmed like a movie, and the writing hones in on quality.

The pacing and plot are well-thought out, albeit it starts off slow, it really drives forward after a few episodes. There are certain scenes that just really hit the mark (and even ones that made my jaw visibly drop). Both the spoken and unspoken parts of this script really shine. The cinematography is also astounding. Aside from the technical stuff, the themes and characters of this drama are just incredibly well thought out.

As for the acting, I truly must give a hand to the entire cast for bringing such a chilling narrative to life, because this fictional cult's story is unfortunately very similar to many real life events. Some may disagree, but for me, Seo Ye Ji made this drama. I've heard that some viewers may find her expressions to be bland or dull, but I strongly disagree. She displays a wide variety of emotions, and has great control over even micro-expressions; the only reason why it may have seemed dull at first is because her character is written in such a very conservative manner. The next outstanding performance came from Woo Doo Hwan. Not only is his character written to be so generous and wonderful, but Doo Hwan's ability to capture heartwarming, blood-chilling, raw emotion blew me away. Definitely rooting for this guy.

The music is suitable to this drama, but it's not really that good standalone.

Overall, this drama has been one of my favorites in terms of cast, character, and impact so far. I'm looking forward to the cast and crew's future endeavors, and I certainly hope this drama gets more love!

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STORY: Being one of the translators, I've watched this series dozens of times. Some parts of it can seem disjointed but after watching the entire show more than once, I understand it so much better. For one, the black & white scenes are an aside, which was partly confusing at first, but it's like a small narration of the whole story. Again, to fully understand all of the things said, and much that wasn't said, it helps to watch it more than once. If you are wondering about the ending before you watch this, see my spoiler in the comments section.

ACTING/CAST: Some are noobs, all are young, all are cute.

MUSIC: Besides the two different opening songs, which I liked the second one better, there were 3 very good commercial songs. Check the links in the description of the final episode. I really liked the music in this.

REWATCH VALUE: To really understand it, I had to see it more than once. And it's so short, I didn't mind seeing it multiple times. Your mileage may vary.

OVERALL: Well, it's shot in 1080p, which is nice. It's a short production on probably a smaller budget with some young actors, but I did enjoy the show.

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so far (14/20).... it's quite similar to the Korean version, with of course, it's original twists...

I've read some of the Goong manhwa, and I wont complain and say the Prince (Inn) is just the same jerk as Goong (both the manhwa and the Korean adaptation) .. he kinda HAS to be in order to stick to the original manhwa...

but I will say... its cute, it has it's nice moments, and the evil Queen (holy guac, that lady should be asked to play a Disney villain) she's so great for the part.. but doesn't fit in with the rest of the characters... her acting stands out the most, it's too forced, and too wicked, not to mention her makeup always looks flawless!

Other than this observation.. I have found the series so far.. (14/20) to be kinda super extremely slow pace, but maybe I'm not being patient enough.

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