Reviews

Age is an work of art.

Created by Lotte Cultureworks and distributed by JTBC, "Thirty-Nine (서른, 아홉)" is a 12 episode long Kdrama directed by Kim Sang Ho, produced by Yoo Young Ah. It started filming in August, 2021 and was also broadcasted on Netflix, which is Son Ye Jin's comeback to JTBC after 3 years following "Something in the Rain".

The story revolves around a trio of 3 best friends who are on the verge of turning 40, but have stayed together for decades through thicks and thins of life, while nurturing their bonds and establishing a relationship on the basis of mutual love. So what the story offers? Of course, there's is a particular goal, but uttering that will serve as the most important spoiler, so watch it for yourself. This is a purely slice of life drama and hugely character driven, that is not essentially in the venture of a solid plotline with twists and development. Isn't that a perfect scenario for a slow-paced, coming of age, warm Korean drama? Well, this is that only.

Cha Mi Jo (Son Ye Jin) is a dermatologist with her own clinic; an established professional having a loving family of parents and a sister. She's the most rationale of the trio. Jung Chan Young (Jeon Mi Do) is an acting coach with a small studio and parents living in suburbs. She's the most sincere despite being outspoken. Jang Jo Hee (Kim Ji Hyun), being the softest and cutest, is a cosmetic store manager at a departmental store and lives with her mother.

Yeon Woo Jin, Lee Moo Saeng and Lee Tae Hwan are the male counterparts though story primarily focuses on the female leads. In minor roles we have many familiar and qualitatively acclaimed actors like: Kang Mal Geum, Nam Ki Ae, Seo Hyun Chul, Lee Jin Hyun, Seo Ji Young, Lee Kan Hee and Kang Ae Shim.

Plot development... Again, there is no definitive plot for this drama, however, it sets forward a goal in the very first scene, and you'll know what it is instantly. The narrative of the show is intended towards life and its unprecedented events, that test us to the extremes, making us grow and bringing the best out of us. The pacing is perfect for a sliece of life Kdrama, at least to me, it was, I don't wanna lie. Someone into long conversations, meaningful metaphors and depictive appreciations would find it their cup full of tea. Storytelling method is touchy; accompanied with monologue notes, emotional recitals and creation of alleviating scenarios.

The introduction appeared to be engaging and pacifying, enough to make you look forward to the furthering with substantial interest. The progression stays moderate for next few episodes and it does pass by the interval successfully, but around 8th episode, the flow turns mediocre. I don't think there was any lack of context and content but why few things were made repetitive and certain elements became stretchy unnecessarily. Even so, there was a casual improvement in the finale week; 11 episode being a lil rushed and 12th having back to back tear-jerking moments.

Kim Sang Ho PD with a fair share of experience of working in the slice of life dramas, as both PD and asst. PD, was able to give a satisfactory delivery with his skills. Although there were flaws, which was substantial, I am at least not disappointed. The dynamics of initial exhibitionism was smooth, gratifying and worthy of looking forward to. However, in the later half of the story, the essential integrands and some particular facets went flat, which wasn't really uninteresting but many viewers will definitely find uncomfortable.

Yoo Young Ah jakka-nim, a very familiar name in K-movie industry, with plenty of modern coming-of-age movies in her bio, over a decade of career, has always delivered on point. However, it appears that she still struggles fundamentally when it comes to Kdramas and that could be somewhat obvious at points of her episodic writings. This was the case for "Encounter" and this is the case for "Thirty-Nine" as well. Nevertheless, it was a decent delivery, which started out great, became bog-standard somewhere in the middle and ended with a passable note. The biggest flaw it bears is the inequitable screentime distribution; obviously the central character gets the most, then the supporting ones, followed by minor actors, but the disappointment comes from expectations and prenotions. But yeah! It was unjust given the popularity and skills of many factors featured in here. Regardless the flaws, I personally feel, it was able to provide a meaningful conveyance, throughout.

What I liked...
# the slice of life elements... Definitely! That's what this show was about. The numerous shades of life, portrayed through characters, their stories and emotions and the depth and essence of various relationships have been perfectly brought forward.

# The trio friendship... Though the writer failed to make it entirely about the trio, as expected from 99% of the viewers, but the amount of crux provided, accurately defined the kind of friendship that we all crave for. It was fun and healthy and most importantly, admirable.

# The character dynamics... the archs as an average for the entire main cast, was abstemious. Although not remarkable, it was enough to make your heart warm and understand the perspective of each. There could have been definitive improvements, but well.

# The flow of the story... Make sure you have it in mind that, the story has no plot, rather a goal, more like a destination, to where? To achieved eternity, to entirety and to euphoria.

# Adult romance... The romance was basically for only one couple, Son Ye Jin and Yeon Woo Jin; while it wasn't the primary focus, theirs being the only love line, felt very beautiful with subtle depths to a relationship and it's factors.

# The orphan adoption angles... I won't say who and how but just know that it has put emphasis on scenarios associated with adoptions, various aftermaths, the inner stories of the adopted ones and the ways you can deal with the odds that has possibilities of arising from it. I don't think any other Kdrama has gone to such extents.

# The aspects of death... Life has to end, love doesn't. The most beautiful goodbyes are the ones that are never said and never explained. The drama shows, how it's not important to live forever but to create something that will.

What I didn't like...
# Son ye jin getting all the spotlight was the most annoying. It was to be made clear from the makers side in the beginning, that the drama is from the perspective only one character, even so not entirely. It felt like Mi Jo's diary, rather than a character driven story. It shouldn't have been like that.

# Jeon Mido is no longer an average artist, she's a popular star and she deserves to be at the centre and can beat every single actor out there. She not getting sufficient did piss me off, even the goal of the drama was something related to this drama.

# Johee getting substantially neglected bothered me to a great deal. I understand, her experience and considered negligible in comparison to others but she could have bewn placed in the supporting cast. The writer could have totally forgotten about her existence and the potential development of loveline between her and her partner.

# Improper utilization of supporting cast... The poster could be faulty. Just like Ye Jin, Woo Jin gets the major screentime as the former's partner, while Lee Moo Saeng's share is reduced and Tae Hwan is totally neglected just like his counterpart, Jo Hee.

Final Remarks... Thirty-Nine in overall could not be a dramq that it was expected to be and the outcomes were not hugely satisfying per se, nevertheless, the motives of the drama bloomed in an awfully beautiful ways, leaving impressions about everlasting love and relationships. There were room for improvement that could not be well utilized, which was a shame. I was more than willing to give it a 8.5 but provided the significant shortcomings, I choose to be fair. I hope people realize, the drama is not deserving of the idiotic judgements attempting to let down it's essence.

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Highly recommended adaptation of essays with ethnic scope

I loved watching this miniseries, that features some well known actors and actresses (Ma Yili, Zhou Yiran, Yu Shi) together with a cast that skillfully portrays the balance between ethnic minorities in the remote northwestern corner of Xinjiang where vanishing lifestyle competes with the hopes and toils of younger generations.

Rather than repeating myself, I will just refer to my Notes about the miniseries, that illustrate many of the thoughts that can be triggered by watching the series. The story can be watched with no prior knowledge, but raises questions that push to dig deeper. There are many nice touches and details, and the director herself did state that although humorous elements were added to the play, they were kept within a moderate range to prompt the audience to reflect. The balance is kept to avoid too much heaviness, and the pace is brisk, while the cinematography enhances the loveliness of nature, despite its sometimes harshness. Horse lovers will be drawn in by the horse raising culture of the herders, who also use camels, and breed fat sheep that can be milked and used to make medicinal soap! The togetherness and mutual support even by those who have a beef to chew against people who shoot their mouth too quickly, and offend them, introduces hope in human relations. Of course they are shielded by the remoteness, but Hotan jade is known, so poachers do come to threaten the peace.

The miniseries grows on the audience, while details raise questions. Love, pain, discoveries and healing are there. The impressive Douban rating of 8.5 (then, now risen to 9.4!) is totally justified.

More in my Notes : https://mydramalist.com/discussions/my-aletai/125351-to-the-wonder-notes-about-the-slice-of-life-tv-series

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A Game of Tetris

Well, I got what I wanted; Jing was endgame and the demon went out like the MVP that he was. That said season 2 was all over the place and therefore this will be an analysis/review. I added A Nian to my favorite character list along with the two above. Due to the shoddy editing, I consider part 2 an essential game of Tetris. I'll start with the characters that stood out to me and how they changed (if at all since season one).

XY: Our red flag, anti-heroine definitely evolved from speaking to the mortal Tian'er in her way of thinking though it wasn't until episode 18 that the "abandonment" word was finally beaten out of her. Even when she spoke to the essence of her mother, she didn't get it until she realized it was her own mother. I did like how she allowed herself to understand that the whole thing with Jing was her fault too. That she stood by when she knew something was fishy with the whole child thing and did nothing; when she could have prevented a lot of misunderstandings and problems. Also glad the woman who swore she would never wait for anyone, not only posthumously married Jing but defied her obsessive brother when it came to him. But she got her happily ever after with the person right for her.

Jing: You are NOT the father. That was a phrase I had wanted to hear for a long time and it was satisfying; Maury Povich inside my head and everything. Jing evolved in his own manner; he wasn't a pushover anymore. He spoke his mind to her about his suspicions of the kid not being his and even later on, he didn't just stammer and disappear. He was gentle, kind, and not overbearing. He took credit for the good and not so good things he did without hesitation. And just like I thought and hoped, both the lifesaving pill and the demon brought him back to her. He fought hard to come back. He's her direct opposite and that's what she needed and wanted in a soulmate.

The demon: Lord almighty, I don't think I have ever met a larger masochist in any series, movie, show of any country. The lengths he went to save her; sacrificing 3 of his lives and erasing as much of her memory of him while he forever grieved, even in death. Only good thing was that he went out exactly as he wanted. Death was tragic but awesome. He really was the MVP. Had been anything less, it would have done irreparable damage to his character. As a novelist, I'm happy with it. But now because of that aquarium like pill inside that wooden doll, XY could take him with her on all of her adventures even if she didn't know it. I'm sure like others, I wish he or others told XY just how much he had actually done for her. Even at the very end, though she mourned his loss, she still misunderstood him. Also my favorite piece of music was his BGM in both seasons; just a female voice and I believe a guitar; simple and yet so deep. I also wish he sent Chubby to her and Jing as they traveled the world. They could take care of it and have a nice reminder of him. Poor Chubby didn't get an ending.

FL: Fleshed out more thankfully. He wasn't a bad guy at all, though morally grey like everyone else. I actually wish he didn't die, he was good to keep around but at least he did right by Jing and told CX the truth in the end. Though his death did bring some form of hope to his horrid sister Xingyue in changing her nasty ways (I actually thought "why does trash like his sister have to live but he can't?"). He was a good friend, general, cared about people and though a deity, he was probably one of the more human ones.

CX: He never got over his obsession of XY but at least we never saw him go batshit crazy. I never liked his character as a person though he was a good emperor. The fact that him "killing" Jing was actually an illusion created by his grandfather to get to the bottom of the truth was horribly done. It was like we knew why we had to hate him and then snap, it's not true? Like how's the audience supposed to feel for him afterwards? Then make that nightmare Xingyue be the real culprit but he's partially to blame because of the way he treated her too. So it's this never-ending whirlpool. Plus the forced "look he's evolved into someone sort of good" up through the end where the main couple don't even get the last scenes but are given to him and A Nian back in that village? It would have been better if it was XY and Jing wondering around the village reminiscing together. Still he had to unburden himself of his feelings in the last episode finally to her right before she got married; selfish much? Because it would've changed anything? Why are we supposed to feel sorry for him? I don't! I'm confused with this obsessed fool. Which again says something about the actor and character portrayal done very well.

A Nian: Literally my favorite female in the entire show and the absolutely most evolved character bar none. I was so proud of her. I hope if CX decides to have kids, it's only with her. She's the only real rightful queen and one that deserves to birth an heir.

I'd have to say that the editing made someone like me who has never read the novel stay in a perpetual state of confusion. Furthermore, each episode ended in some haphazard manner like in the middle of a conversation or fight. I had to constantly ask what was happening and why from friends who had read the novel or the leaked script. Part 2 in post production had to be done by a different team. Other than editing, what was up with FL's poison death veins, they were obviously not under his skin and looked like plaster or marker you could just peel or wash off. It was laughable in that agonizing scene. Same went for Jing's injuries in the water. This season looked a lot cheaper in other aspects too. I felt that the producers and editors smoked something very heavy.

Would I recommend it? Only if you watched season one and need to watch this to finish things off. The characters did evolve but some were forced on audience regarding that while others actually did so organically. Most actors did a good job.

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I bet you're hesitating right now. should I watch it or not? My answer would be just simple no any other reasons just go watch it chingu!

This drama made me so addicted, although there are no daebbak moments for me I still love it. This drama will make u say, aaaaw I wish I had a friend like that (bora and eun taek are awesome).

I'll recommend this to to you if you're into romance, the story is good, one thing's for sure it made me smile.

cast? all of them are great, *thumbs up* the characters? it's either you'll love them, hate them or feel nothing at all. Each character has a story and its interesting. look forward to baek in ha! baek in ho okay good too! kekekek

rewatched value. lol. I watch it the second time around, like I said its addicting.
I love the music.

answers left undone. half way it did gave me some little bit of disappointment but if I look back in their story, their friendship, their conflicts and their love story and the addiction that they gave me I realized it is incomparable that's why I gave an overall score of 10.
ending? is it good, bad, awesome or horrible? secret I'll keep it to myself! hahahha!

this drama will give you two options: it's either you'll watch it until the end or drop it. I wonder which group are you. looking forward to your answer!^^

advice?
Don't watch it if you can't handle the disappointment, but there's a chance that u might not be disappointed at all, well it's still depends on you after all. :))

This drama is definitely my one great love, yoo jung and seol, jang!!

Although it's difficult watch it until the end.
-Park Hae Jin

ps: If there's one thing I wanna kill in here its the PD-nim

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Fall in You was a full on soap opera.. Cringey and cliche but surprisingly fun to watch.. I really like Fan Zhi Xin.. I feel he is one of the most underrated actors in CDramas right now.. Like most of his dramas, one constant disappointment was the supporting cast.. It just screamed low budget.. Apart from the main leads, everyone else looked like they were in a D Grade drama..
The music though was good.. The beats elevated certain moments really well..

If you leave logic aside, you can actually have some fun watching it.. Like there is this one scene where she is talking to her friend about her confused feelings for her uncle and says..
'But we are family..’ and her friend shoots back, ‘So are married couples..’
That’s their logic.. That was hilarious to watch..

There were plenty of scenes that made absolutely no sense.. Like when a bunch of random nobodies shoved cameras in the FL’s face demanding clarification about her relationship with her uncle.. They weren’t even reporters, just random people in a hospital.. I mean are people that ridiculously stupid and nosy??

[ Spoilers ahead ]

Everything in this drama moves a little too fast.. The ML’s cold, dark demeanor disappears by ep 2.. The killer is caught halfway through and the leads fall in love.. They get together soon after the killer is arrested.. And by ep 15 he proposes.. They even get married and before long divorce is on the table.. The pacing was fast but not necessarily bad.. Up until ep 16, it was actually alright..

Mind you, what happens after this could have been salvaged with some good writing and a slightly higher budget.. After their marriage, things just go haywire.. A lot of nonsense.. From 'I will always be with you’ to hiding out in a hotel room.. We get the typical ML who keeps secrets from his wife because 'I don't want to lose her'.. Forget everything else, why didn’t he at least tell her that the SML approached the SFL to help break them up?? That would have made her see the SML isn’t exactly a good person and keep her guard up.. And maybe if he had just opened up sooner, her grandfather wouldn’t have been killed..

To make it thrilling, they threw in a bunch of unnecessary confusion about who is related to whom.. Like, we don’t even get a clear answer about the ML’s parents until the very last episode.. Anyway, dramatic much??

Even though I could list a thousand things wrong with this drama, there is one thing they nailed perfectly.. The main couple.. Fan Zhi Xin and Daisy Li had incredible chemistry.. Their romance and interactions alone made the whole drama worth watching..

Overall, it’s a fun watch.. I wouldn’t call it a good drama but it’s definitely entertaining.. With a stronger script, better supporting cast and a higher budget, this could have been far more likable.. Flawed as it is, this drama is worth the watch for the romance alone.. Fan Zhi Xin and Daisy Li deserved a much better script..

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Ripley's syndrome

I'm adding this review only because the synopsis is vague and doesn't help you decide whether to watch it or not. The tags however are helpful. I googled Ripley's Syndrome which is described as a antisocial personality disorder where one makes up grandiose lies and believes in this distorted reality. The person feels no shame or sympathy for his/her victims. This last point however doesn't quite fit the depiction about Anna as she does seem to experience guilt and shame.

From this, you can kind of guess the storyline. I'm going to leave it here as I've only watched 2 episodes. However I will add that Bae Suzy is again the consummate actor. She has once again turned a flat 2D script into a 3D person with complex and often conflicting emotions and motivations, and really made the character hers. I look forward to watching the rest of the series, thankfully only 8 episodes in all, and will be back at the end with a deeper review.

Updated: I have now finished watching the whole series. 8 episodes cut down to 6 and I can say that the last 2 episodes were the weakest in the whole show. Clearly there's been heavy editing to fit the last 4 episodes into 2 and for no apparent reason. It's puzzling that they needed to cut; were that ratings bad? If ratings were so bad, why are they going to broadcast and extended version in August?

I have downgraded my overall rating because of these last 2 episodes. Pity. I certainly won't be watching the extended edition in August.

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STORY: This was probably the most inventive and creative dramas/story plot I've seen in the Korean entertainment industry yet! I adore fantasy because it strikes the imagination part of the brain in a fun way and I've seen some fantasy-genre Korean dramas but they don't involve a lot of fantasy elements. Most dramas I've seen that are labeled as "fantasy" or "supernatural" usually use these elements to support a story. They were more tools to carry the story along rather than being the main focus. 'Queen In Hyun's Man' was the closest I've seen to making fantasy as the main focus point, but still lacked emphasis on the genre. This drama really made the "fantasy" element THE main focus and you see the story support the genre rather than the other way around. I'm so proud and happy for Kim Eun Sook. She did a FANTASTIC job writing this drama! The world she created was so vivid and realistic in the sense that if there were such thing as goblins and grim reapers in this world, she made the idea fit into our 'real world' construct to make it believable that they might actually exist. I thought it was unique to have the idea that there were many grim reapers, instead of just one, and that they were organized in a governmental way. The reasons for their amnesia were pretty sound and the search for the goblin's bride was pretty inventive. Kim Eun Sook could've been lazy with the why of everything and make them the most conventional reasons possible, but she definitely took great stride into creating a story that weaved in and out with every action and every decision so that almost everything had a meaning and a real reason behind them. Kim Eun Sook did a sublime job fleshing out the characters too! They definitely aren't the cookie-cutter type of characters you usually see in almost all romance Korean dramas, and I super appreciate that! It gets soooooooo unbelievably boring when I see the same type of character over and over again in every typical romance drama. Especially the male characters. They always turn out to be super mean and only to the main female character, but has a hard time expressing their feelings from their golden hearts. -__- !!

ACTING/CAST: This has been the best casting I've seen EVER! I'm not even joking! My favorite actress (for the current time) is Kim Go Eun and even though she's still young in the industry, she has AMAZING acting talents! She pulled off her character without a hitch. Same goes for Gong Yoo, who is a veteran in the entertainment industry and brings flourishes of experience from his time in the k-drama and k-movie business. Lee Dong Wook also did surprisingly well in this drama, although I still wish he was a bit more expressive. Maybe I'll get some upset comments about this, but he always seems to have this same indifferent look about him in every drama I've seen him in. But still, he did great in this drama, despite this fact. I considered Yoo In Na as a bit of a newbie in the entertainment business, but glad she got to be in this drama because I definitely see good potential to grow her acting talents and be a very talented actress. Also have to give props to Yook Sung Jae and Lee El for their great portrayals of our Gods. Lee El has really good potential to be a great actress as well and hope that after being exposed in this drama, she'll have the opportunity to be in many more dramas as well. Maybe in a lead? She's always been the side character, haha!

MUSIC: I don't really pick on the music unless it's extremely good or extremely ill-fitting. Goblin's soundtrack was ABSOLUTELY PERFECT! It fit the tone of the drama so perfectly and carried the emotional and lighthearted scenes so PERFECTLY! This is one of those rare moments where I want to download the whole track list to my phone so that I can listen to it whenever and where ever! What people don't often notice is that the music of a drama and the story is kind of like two halves of a whole. They really do have to fit well together or else the overall picture/concept of the drama becomes a little....off. But these two fit together absolutely perfectly!

OVERALL: I was going into this drama with big apprehension because the writer was Kim Eun Sook, who also wrote Descendants of the Sun, which I was absolutely bored to tears with. With the awesome cast in this drama but with Kim Eun Sook being the writer, I was worried that she would do the same thing as she did with DOTS. But I was thankfully relieved and pleasantly surprised! I know I sung praises up and down in this review for this drama, but please keep in mind that I rarely ever do this unless it demands that kind of praise. There's really only one other drama I gave a 9/10 or above and that was Liar Game (Korean version). This drama was well-directed, well-acted, and put together so well and so impressively that I really can't help say nothing but great things about it! The only reason why I gave this drama 9.5/10 instead of 10/10 is because of 'the contract' reasoning for our goblin (don't think that's a spoiler because you'd have to watch and know what the contract was) But other than that little lazy reasoning, Usually, I leave about a week to review a drama because I don't want the added hype of my own excitement to affect a review, but I'm very confidant that my thoughts and feelings for this drama will not waver for the reasons I wrote in this review, even as time passes. I would wholeheartedly watch this again and again! The cast, the story, and the music all blend and mesh together so well that it's painted the most beautiful picture I've seen yet!

NOTE: This is a somewhat slow-paced drama, so please understand that before watching. Some people don't like slow-paced because of our tendency to want instant gratification (especially with the younger folks, haha) But to be honest, this drama wouldn't have done so well if it were more fast-paced. I think being slow-paced as it is was the perfect speed for the story. If it were any faster, we'd be left with a less desirable ending and very rushed story.

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“A Medical Tension That Never Quite Takes Off"

Really wanted to like Doctor on the Edge. With Lee Jae Wook and Shin Ye Eun leading the cast, plus the unique setting of a doctor working on a remote island, it had all the ingredients for a heartwarming medical drama.
The first few episodes were genuinely promising. The island setting was refreshing, the medical cases were interesting enough, and I was curious to see how the characters would grow. Unfortunately, that's where the excitement ended.

After the strong start, the drama quickly loses its momentum. The plot barely moves forward, the conflicts feel repetitive, and the romance lacks the emotional spark needed to keep me invested. By episode 9, watching it had started to feel like a chore rather than something I looked forward to every week.

Lee Jae Wook and Shin Ye Eun do their best with the material they're given, but even their performances can't save a script that feels painfully slow and uneventful. Their chemistry is decent, yet it never reaches the level that makes you root for them.

The cinematography is beautiful, and the peaceful island atmosphere is definitely one of the drama's strongest points. Sadly, gorgeous scenery isn't enough to make up for a story that spends too much time going in circles instead of building meaningful character development or compelling drama.

Overall, Doctor on the Edge is a frustrating watch. It had plenty of potential and started on the right foot, but it gradually became dull and repetitive. I'm still watching out of curiosity, hoping the ending will redeem the journey, but as of episode 9, it hasn't lived up to its promising beginning.

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Love the story, even its kinda mainstream.

I've already watched lots of dramas with the similar vibe. About love story between boss and employee, about company that working in fashion design. And I think this drama is the best. Why?
1st the FL not that desperate, she has her own competence. She know what she wants, and try her best to achieved it. About her love to ML, of course at the beginning I'm sure she should be reluctant, not because she feel insecure, but she know that falling in love with the ML will bring some difficulties, most of all because the difference of their family.
2nd, the ML very sure and sincere about his feeling towards the FL, even there are some doubt in the beginning (because age gap, and trauma from the past) He wants to help her achieved her dreams and gives her space to grow.
3rd, the love scenes between two leads really cute, little bit of jealousy, and lots of love.
4th, the ML and FL clothes are awesome, and make audience believe that they really works in fashion line. The dress they showed in fashion show look very very beautiful.
Okay, now about the second ML, he's a little bit creepy but if we know his background, I'm sure its understandable. About second FL, wooowww she's really blind because of love. Thank God the 3rd FL (2nd ML little sister), is kind. I hope the writer will make her happy and healthy in the end.
So, overall I think this drama is lovable =)

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An Emotionally Moving Journey, That Is More Than Just Skin Deep

"Fangs of Fortune" or also known by its native title as "Da Meng Gui Li" which translates to "The Big Dream Returns" is a fantasy drama which incorporates Chinese mythology from the 'Classics of Mountains and Seas'. It's an adventure that revolves around mythological creatures ; demons versus mortals. Leading to action packed scenes with visually pleasing CGIs, eye-candy visuals and delicately detailed costumes. Not to forget the banger ost titled 'Unintentional Big Dream' which adds to the excitement as it rings for an eventful scene. This is the first initial impression, but as we dive more into the storyline and if you ask me how I perceive it on a deeper level, here is what I would tell you...

Fangs of Fortune is a tale that is more than just skin deep. It's an emotionally evoking journey that touches meaningful themes about life, death, love, hate, friendship, family, growth and dreams. This is definitely not just a mere demon versus mortals story, but it's an intricately woven story about self discovery and what makes one's life worthwhile. The underlying meaning of the title is about the acceptance of fate and the defiance of fate, that concludes to one word: willingness. It tells you how powerful that one word is when faced with life choices or when devoid from having a choice.

STORYLINE₊ ⊹❀
The first half of the story began on a light hearted tone with comedic scenes inserted. Although, this might come as an unexpected surprise for those who thought this drama to be heavily dark theme and gloomy. I thought otherwise, the addition of the comedic aspect didn't add as a mere filler or entertainment, I saw it as another layer that adds to the complexity of the characters. The first half tells more about the coming together of the demon hunting team as they venture out solving one case after another, however, their relationship among each other is still at the state of testing the waters due to the fact that the well-renowned vicious great demon Zhao Yuan Zhou who everyone fears or hates the most ; except for Wen Xiao, turned up to be part of their team.

As the story progresses more, the characters who seemed to be one-dimensional in the beginning have started to have complex layers upon the small revelations that were revealed about them through the use of flashbacks. Slowly, the story had started to touch grey areas that is more than just black and white, or in other words good and bad. The flashbacks weren't thrown in one full blow but instilled into the storyline parts by parts, therefore incorporating a mysterious effect which I found intriguing. The inclusion of backstories for the side characters - demons who were the prime suspects in the cases they were solving, added depth to the storyline. Furthermore, these flashbacks and backstories serves essential as they contain the key details that would play a role in the latter part of the story.

The second half of the story is where a complete tonal shift from the previous part takes a turn, despite the consistency in insertion of a few comedic scenes, the emotional heaviness and angst played a pivotal role here. After the long journey of the demon hunting team, the revelation of the truth took a toll on everyone, but this toll became the fuel that served for the fruition of their newly formed bond. What I like about how their bond was formed is that it wasn't handled in an abrupt way, but rather the complex characters were given time to sit with their own feelings, it allowed them to self-reflect and process acceptance of the truth in their hearts, as a result, it led to a more genuine formation of their bond ; it's realistic and well-thought of.

The romance aspect between Zhao Yuan Zhou and Wen Xiao isn't heavily the focus of this drama, it was rather balanced with the friendship aspect and other themes. Despite this fact, it didn't hinder me from actually feeling the romantic chemistry between the two leads, their romantic story is convincing enough. I truly loved their scenes together and found every moment of theirs heartwarming. The playful banters, the bold flirty remarks, to the heartfelt conversations. The slow burn trope. It was all conveyed well.

The ending of the story (including the special episode) is absolutely phenomenal. While it was all painfully heartbreaking and tragically sad, it was a very meaningful and touching end that does justice for the underlying message of this drama ; the willingness to accept their fate, and the willingness to defy their fate.

The cinematography for this drama is aesthetically pleasing, it is definitely one of the things I love about it. Apart from this, I find the slow-motion effects on the action scenes as a great way to highlight its stunning details and movements, hence making it more impactful. While I didn't really have much problems with these areas, I did notice at least two scenes that were abruptly cut but I found them minor so they didn't really affect me to the extent that made me dislike it.

CHARACTERS & ACTING₊ ⊹❀
Neo Hou as Zhu Yan | Zhao Yuan Zhou
Zhao Yuan Zhou is a heavily misunderstood character in the drama. He had spent his life in seclusion, surrounded with constant loneliness and tormented by guilt. He lived life awaiting his deathbed. Upon seeking for death, he unexpectedly found friendship, love and felt happiness for a while. He's an extremely selfless character that lived up to his name as a great demon, not because he is powerful, but because he has the biggest heart. He is the epitome of willingness, which is why I found the drama centering about him to be touching.

Neo Hou gave a stellar performance in his portrayal of the great demon Zhao Yuanzhou, he brought complete justice to his role. He didn't shine in this drama because of his action scenes alone, his emotionally impactful expressions of all the complex emotions of Zhao Yuanzhou in different intensities, from the light-hearted to heavy scenes made him really stood out. In addition, he nailed the comedic side of his character. I must say that this is his best role to date, this is the first time in a long while that I actually liked a character he played. He truly carried his role here.

Chen Duling as Wen Xiao
Wen Xiao is a mortal who possesses the power of the Baize Goddess but even with such powers, she has been presented to be a physically weak character. Despite her physical weakness, her strength lies in her cleverness, her ability to strategize, her strong determination, and resilience. She's a character that served as a pillar who brings the team of misfits together. In the storyline, she is utilized in a way that adds balance to the demon hunting team, at the same time she served as both a moral compass and a light of hope for those who lived in complete darkness ; ZYZ & ZYC. She might not be an over powering character, but she's an essential character.

Chen Duling proved her versatility as an actress in this drama. Her portrayal of Wen Xiao and the Evil Wen Xiao deserves praise. She's definitely talented and can pull both roles very well. Her crying scenes is heart wrenching, I cried so much whenever she cried. Her character was well-written, and she had her shining moments. I did think she deserved more screen time and wished her character was given a bit more focus in the storyline. However, I still did appreciate Chen Duling's portrayal of Wen Xiao.

Tian Jia Rui as Zhuo Yichen
Zhuo Yichen is a righteous character who lived his life awaiting for the day he could avenge his family. He seemed like an aloof character who is bad at expressing himself at first, but he is actually a very soft hearted character. His character development throughout the drama proved how he is truly the roof of the demon hunting team.

Tian Jia Rui had pulled off his role as Zhuo Yichen really well. He was able to show more of his skills as an actor through this character he played. As much as I loved his Gong Yuanzhi in MJTY, I think it has now been officially replaced by his character here as Zhuo Yichen.

Others
At first, Zhen Xuan's Ying Lei and Lester Lin's Bai Jiu portrayal threw me a bit because of how anime-like they both were, eventually though I did manage to get used them. As for Cheng Xiao's portrayal of Pei Si Jing, I had a bit of a similar experience but in a different aspect, I knew she was written to be a cold and strong character, but I found the first crying scenes of Cheng Xiao lacking, thankfully she did improved in the latter episodes in this aspect. Meanwhile, Yanan's villain role as Li Lun is commendable.

OSTs₊ ⊹❀
The songs that were mixed into this drama were meaningful, as they not only made the whole watching experience better, but each of these songs were perfectly tailored to match each of the characters stories and the casts personally singing them adds as a cherry on top. My favorites are definitely 'Yuanzhou's youth', 'Heaven and Earth Are Unrivaled' and 'Spring Breeze Does Not Ask'.

OVERALL IMPRESSION₊ ⊹❀
This drama has left a lasting impression for me. The overall experience has been an enjoyable little adventure which I will definitely remember. The compelling storyline and well-rounded characters which crafts the underlying message of this drama is certainly what adds color to the dark and gloomy cinematography style. As someone who doesn't mind angst and sad endings, I can say that the whole journey from beginning to end has been of value, all emotions spent regardless whether they were laughters or tears shed definitely didn't go to waste.

The actors hard work and effort put into this drama has certainly paid off. The chemistry between Chen Duling and Neo Hou. The brotherhood between Neo Hou, Tian Jia Rui and Yan An. The formed little family of misfits in the demon hunting bureau. I am surely going to miss all these.

FAVE SCENES₊ ⊹❀
- Zhao Yuan Zhou's big dream revelation at the peach blossom house
- Wen Xiao's 300 years in the sundial
- Wen Xiao and Zhao Yuan Zhou's "one day"
- Wen Xiao and Li Lun's game of questions
- Tian Xiang Pavillion scene
- Lord Bingyi and Yinglong backstory
- Bai Jiu and Ying Lei's almond cheese
- Li Lun, Zhao Yuan Zhou and Zhuo Yichen's collaboration
- Zhao Yuan Zhou's last moment of hesitation

˖ . ݁❀𝜗𝜚❀. ݁₊

"There are thousands of laws in the world but none of them can defeat a single word of willingness" — Qing Geng

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Head Over Heels...Then Suddenly Flat on my face

“Head Over Heels” had a fantastic start; charming leads, genuine chemistry and a storyline that pulled me in from the very beginning. The pacing was smooth, the emotional buildup felt natural and I found myself truly invested in the characters' journeys. It had all the makings of a solid drama: laughter, growth, youth, friendship, longing and those little fluttery moments that make your heart skip.
But then came the last two episodes and suddenly, everything felt rushed. Plot threads that deserved time and care were tied up too quickly and the emotional weight the story had built seemed to lose its impact (with the time skips especially). I found myself wanting just a bit more closure, a bit more depth.
Still, I don’t regret watching it. It gave me plenty of moments to smile, sigh, and swoon over. The journey was worth it... I just wish the ending didn’t feel like it was in such a hurry to wrap up.

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It was good unti it wasn't

I stumbled upon this drama because I have seen so many clips of it on Tik Tok and decided to check it out. The result is that it didn't disappoint... until it did in the latter half.

- THE GOOD -
1. Acting:
I had seen many of Lee Jong Suk's (Park Chang Ho) dramas, such as W, Pinocchio, and When You Were Sleeping. However, his acting didn't really make me go "WOW" in those dramas. However, it was incredibly good especially in the first half of the drama when his character was in prison but got stale as the drama progresses (after he got out of prison). Nevertheless, it was still tolerable for me. It was my first time seeing him in this kind of role so it was definitely refreshing and I really enjoyed it. This is my first time watching Yoona (Ko Mi Ho) in a drama but I have heard many people saying that she was mediocre. To be honest, I don't really see it. Her acting did justice to the character and it didn't distract me from the main events of the drama.

Apart from our 2 protagonists, the acting of the antagonists was so so so sooooo good, especially in that funeral scene where Kim Joo Heon (Choi Doha) was fake crying and that smirk he gave Park Chang Ho. OMG. Chef's kiss. I love it. Overall, the acting was brilliant.

- THE BAD -
1. Story:
The first half of the drama was what got me hooked! There were so many questions that were unanswered and the biggest one was "Who is Big Mouse?". There were a lot of theories and speculations regarding this and one of my favorites was the theory that Big Mouse was Park Chang Ho and he's just fooling the viewers (breaking the 4th wall). This theory is definitely so much better than the actual Big Mouse reveal (the Room Leader - No Park).

Because Big Mouse is the driving factor of this whole drama, of course when we reveal who the real Big Mouse is, it should be grand right? No. The Big Mouse reveal was so underwhelming that it made me feel that there was more nuance to this, but there wasn't. And then it got revealed that Park Chang Ho's best friend was in the Big Mouse organization too which was totally out of left field because we never learned what the reason behind him being in this organization was. After a disappointing reveal, the great Big Mouse who conned everyone got killed off in like 10 seconds and so Park Chang Ho became the new Big Mouse. What is funny to me is that when Big Mouse wasn't revealed, everyone had a difficult time figuring out the mastermind behind this alias. But when Park Chang Ho became Big Mouse, he was walking around the neighborhood with lines of bodyguards and followers and people bowing to him as if he was parading around that he is the new Big Mouse.

We were introduced to so many plot points prior to the final episodes and so the ending was rushed. It felt as if the drama completely changed its tone after Chang Ho got out of prison - it became dull. The elder was portrayed as someone who got immense power but he was killed off in an instant. The main villain Choi Doha was also killed off too fast and easily so it felt anti-climactic. It would've been better if they followed Vincenzo's route when doing this (iykyk). But then again, this is being posted on Disney+ and Changho is much nicer than Vincenzo so I doubt that would've worked. Miho's death had no impact to it, I was expecting it to be more emotional because she's literally one of the main characters but it felt flat. The final scene went from colours to black & white while Miho's dialogue from wanting to Changho become a good Big Mouse played - this scene was kind of good and it left me with many thoughts like what is the line between wanting to be a good Big Mouse for his wife and becoming a Big Mouse who punishes and kills people, is Park Changho going to become evil, etc.

2. OST:
Personally, I don't know but there wasn't any notable OST in this drama.

-OVERALL THOUGHTS-
Overall, the theories for this drama were far better than the actual plot. I enjoyed it up until the part Changho left prison and the whole new arc began. This drama is worth the binge if you have nothing to watch but don't go into it with huge expectations cause you will get disappointed because of the ending.

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THIS REVIEW IS ONLY BASED ON THIS MOVIE, NOT THAT OF THE ORIGINAL WORK.

***SPOILER ALERT***SPOILER ALERT***
[If you haven't read the novel, watched the TV drama version, and know nothing of the plot and do not want it spoiled for you, then read no further... if that's not you OR you don't care, read on....]

I'm not gonna break my review down by sections. My review is a juxtaposition of the others and how I felt it compared:

The consolidation of scenes, characters, and information in the movie version was interesting. Not horrible, but definitely not 100% true to the original story. Zhen Shao Xiang's personality being consolidated into a combo of him and Cao Guang was kind of abrupt for me. Or KO being the manager of the internet cafe?? Wasn't expecting that. ..putting Hao Mei and KO's story as filler while rolling the credits was kind of dumb. Without "context" you missed the significance of that and it just became some kind of embarrassing moment for Hao Mei. ..frankly, I think they came at this project with the idea that everyone had either read the novel or watched the TV version. There's so much missing that without knowing anything, this movie would feel incomplete.

This Wei Wei is more outgoing than she's supposed to be. That's the aspect of her character that's really important in her connection with Xiao Nai. She's pure, innocent, shy, humble, and doesn't like to draw attention to herself. In this version, she's really not that way at all. She's much more extrovert and dominant, no where near passive. If you like her better this way, it's simply personal preference, but it's not the true character of her as written in the novel. And just as this Wei Wei is more extroverted, and not so shy, this Xiao Nai is a bit more emo and less hard-to-read, badass, cutthroat who was always 2 steps ahead of everyone else.

...and bottom line, what I really want to say, the BROMANCE and the relationship between him and his "brothers" and Wei Wei was really, really, REALLY, really lacking for me int this movie version. For me, that was as important if not MORE important than the romance between Xiao Nai and Wei Wei. I loved the whole "family" feel and it just enhanced their romance all the more. In this version, I just felt wanting; I felt lacking; I was waiting for there to be more of a close feeling with Wei Wei and the "brothers" but, more than half way through they barely had anything to say to each other. It was sad.

The ending was beyond rushed. Not only did they really let us down with anytime with the "brothers" but the whole 2nd part about their company and Wei Wei and Xiao Nai becoming closer to the point of marriage was basically completely skipped over. Not fulfilling for me at all.

My Best Fangirl Moment:
~At 1:32:00, when the Chinese League of Legends team, Invictus Gaming [IG] gets interviewed by Panda TV about the "Young" company of Xiao Nai. Rookie introduces himself and the team. Rookie is one of those South Korean players that the Chinese spent loads of money to transfer to China to play. Then, from left to right, you have Zzitai[top], Kitties[support], Rain[ADC] and another South Korean player, ending with Kid [jgl]... that means obviously that Rookie is IG's midlaner.... I just simply loved this little moment in time!!

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Mediocre Myth

At outset, the drama starts out as an interesting and pioneering perspective of time travel. With use of new ideas like uploader and downloader, the science-fiction aspect is on par with that of contemporary world of science fiction entertainment.

Along with this, is the backdrop of a nuclear war involving Koreas, it provides an exquisite playing field for proficient storytelling. These themes remind me of the "TENET" movie.

The show is almost convincible scientifically about time travel*. But that's where the spectacle of this show ends. This show has countless flaws.

One, after setting the story, the show becomes more character driven and not plot driven. Thus, giving little scope for further exploring the sci-fi elements or packing it with more plot elements. Viewers are taken through detailed narrative about various side characters. These insights could have been less detailed.

Two, Will over Wits. Almost every scene has some sort of test for characters to make a choice. Almost every character ends up making emotion-driven decisions and not reason-driven. This leads to a countless loop of bad folks coercing good folks to fall into their traps. Countless episodes are wasted in these cat-and-mouse endeavors.

Three, Lack of an alternate answer to the recurring question "Girl or World?" Right in the first instance of asking this question, the answer is undeniably obvious. Yet, the protagonist delays to choose the answer giving a false hope of possibility of an alternative answer. Had this been answered earlier, it would have ended the show quicker.

Four, Romance: The Leads' relationship feels more like comradeship and less like romantic one. If at all it is present, it is not so passionate and intense given their life-threatening circumstances.

Five, the beginning of the time loop. How did all this began that is, the events right before the first loop are hardly explained. I believe that explaining a bootstrap paradox is an unimaginable task.

Despite the flaws, there are a couple of appreciable elements like, One, ambitious production. The initial fights and stunts scenes felt amateurish in CGI. But the events of the future were well produced. The drone chase scene was a personal favorite. Fights scenes were really good, especially the last fight of future timeline. Two, despite the ever looming question of "save the world", the intermittent scenes of future events were very imaginative. Three, Badass FL and Genius ML both bring something unique to the plot. Four, the "Act of Kindness" (without letting the spoiler out), that was the best moment in the entire drama and gave the best "glimmer of hope", an essential feature of the Sci-Fi genre.

Acting wise, both the leads are exceptional. PSH stunt scenes are awe-worthy. Kim Byung Chul does an incredible job. Music wise, I really liked the title music of whizzing sound and the end song. Rewatch value is lower as sci-fi elements are hardly convoluted.

Sisyphus: The Myth is inventive concept but fails in storytelling.
~~
*Logical inconsistencies do exist.

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