Reviews

This drama let me tell you. Amazing. It was a serious roller coaster ride, Joo Da Hae, could seriously be the most hated women in kdrama history after seeing this drama. Her acting and character was just that great and effective. The whole concept of this drama was on point. It never dragged imo, and the characters were very convincing, and yes even yunho! I think he showed improvement here the most(acting wise) from the beginning it's a little shaky but i think as more episodes came out he improved. And we can't forget Ha Ryu, Kwon Sang Woo broke my heart his acting was so amazing, and the whole revenge concept broke my heart. He did such an amazing job with his character, and his emotions were always on point and always there. Soo Ae, whom played Joo Da Hae, did such an outstanding job, from the beginning to the end, probably the most convincing character amongst all, she could make you hate her, yet feel bad for her at the same time, which tbqh, is not an easy thing to do. Ultimately, what i'm trying to say is that this is one of the first revenge dramas i've ever watched and i was blown away, from the beginning to the end. My heart was seriously on the edge with every episode, there were so many tears, i was even shocked. And the OST's were amazing especially Ailee's Ice Flower, omg that song give me so many feels. (And i gave this an 8 on rewatch b/c i never EVER rewatch lol, too many dramas for all dat!)

Leggi di Più

This deserves so much attention. Is so freaking good!!!!

I sincerely dont understand the lack of attention to this drama. It has everything, from a good plot, to intense scenes, to love filled glances. I sware, everytime i see the main couple joking together i just want to jump into the screen and tell them to make out faster. There that cute.
I also love the mystery that this show has. Like, it can be very predictable, but at the same time it makes you question if you really know what ur talking about. If what you are thinking is truly going to happen.
The one thing I'll complain about though is the songs. They can be very tacky, and the lyrics some times dont make to much sense. But the cinematography and the actors pay up for that little inconvenience.
There is kind of a thing for people who don't like slow plots. Its not that the drama drags, bit there some moments that you wish it would go faster.
All in all though, it a wonderful drama that truly captures you in to the world of justice, betrayal, and love.

Leggi di Più

Exactly the kind of drama I love! It was funny from the very first moment, till the very end. Ji Sung has officially become my favorite character of all time. In the beginning (say 15 minutes. 20 tops) I found him really weird. I mean, what's with the retro haircut and the bag-pack? But after that, ahahahahahaha. It was awesome. Eun Seol was kickass. JaeJoong was the ultimate eye candy. I loved Ms Wrestler and Ice-cream! And, OH MY GOSH, the elevator scenes. EPIIC. xD

And thanks to this show stopped hating In Hee (from Personal Taste). If you have the same problem, this show is HIGHLY recommended! :D

Special Credits to the Odd Jobs President Cha did during his community service. Lol. Everytime, he said he was busy, and I thought he was talking about some hi-fi President Wallstreet-ish work and all he ended up doing was making children cross roads or scrape out chewing gums or gossiping with ajummas x). And the 'Whoo Whoo' song!

Leggi di Più

The pinnacle of amateur writing

I don’t know where to start so let’s start with the story. The ‘story’ was chaotic and all over the place. Actually, there was no continuous story, just random plot points thrown here and there. It felt more like a boring anthology that mostly sustained itself on showing Leo and Fiat looking at each other with overly fake affection.
I want to be honest here and admit that I was quite interested in some of the plot points, like Fiats overly controlling mother or Fiats estranged relationship with his father but, as expected, neither of these issues were given proper screentime and development. I would’ve like to know more about Fiats mother like f.e. what kind of mental issues does she have? Is she getting any help? Does she want to get better? How will this affect their mother-son relationship going forward? None of these questions were even remotely addressed. I also wish they didn’t make her behave in a comically evil way. It might’ve been more interesting to see her behave incredibly nice and indulging to Fiat, while also manipulating him at the same time. Her choice of words was very on the nose and the whole issue could’ve been handled with a lot more finesse but this applies to the whole drama, not just that one plot point.

And now that we’re on the subject, the dialogue was baaad. I’ve rarely seen such badly written dialogue but here we go. Embarrassingly cheesy and superficial. I felt like I was listening to preschoolers role playing at recess or smt.
Which leads me to to actors. Most of them weren’t good. Some were decent and some were bad. Especially First and Ja, their acting ability was pretty weak. Ja is only marginally better than First and that’s not saying much. I know that they’re still pretty much amateur actors and to hone your skills does take time and dedication, not to mention the sh*tty story and script of this drama, so I won’t give them much flag for that but still. They performed without much feelings. Any feeling they showed was only surface-level. Badly written scripts and characters do present an additional challenge to the actors and it shows. The director didn’t seem of much help here as well.
I do hope the boys get to start in a better drama with better written characters next time.

The make out scenes weren’t good either. They felt perfunctorily at best, like two robots going through the motions. I understand that the actors were probably tired and all but this shouldn’t translate onto the screen. Leo and Fiat are supposed to be totally into each other and horny 24/7 but their make out scenes made me believe the opposite.
I feel like there are two types of BLs. Either story-driven or skinship-driven. There’s nothing wrong with either and I feel like DNS was supposed to be second but bc of the robotic acting it fell flat. In TharnType, which story was a similar mess, Mew and Gulf at least delivered on that front. First and Ja unfortunately didn’t.

Ultimately, “DSN” suffered from similar problems as “TharnType”, meaning it attempted to showcase some serious issues but astronomically failed in its execution because the writer didn’t know how to either conduct proper research or simply wasn’t willing to deepen the subject and rather used it as plot device for the ‘romance’.

The directing and editing was slow and boring too and that one creepy soundtrack didn’t fit most scenes it was used on. But credit where it’s due: I did like the Op and Ed songs

Leggi di Più

Romance done right

Finally a romance that had most of the cliches done right by giving you tons of butterflies. So, so many of my previous issues on how I envision an adult romantic relationship be, were resolved. Even though the number of episodes appear to be long but the relationship and story moved at a very enjoyable pace.
Both the ML and FL where gorgeous, nice and caring, intelligent and could really emote well making this drama to go to top of my rewatch list. The chemistry was through the roof and the skin ship ticked all the boxes for me, was super exciting and organically done. The humor was so adorable.
I guess one of my favorite cliche is a strong, intelligent, working woman who is fully supported in her dreams and is super nice and reasonable in spite of being successful. Not only that she appreciates the individuality of others and support them as well and tries to understand by being flexible enough to try out their choices. The ML is not stoic at all and while being quite knowledgeable in the dating game is still innocent in his own way.
Although I am not a fan of a noona romance with a big age gap, but it can be overlooked easily. Many of other positive points of the drama included closure and support of the secondary male and female leads who loved the primary leads but were able to move on by supporting each other. The dressing of both male and female leads, their makeup, their personalities even most romantic background musical score were on point.
This drama has made me so happy that I'm going around with a stupid smile on my face. Strongly recommended for destressing, relaxing, and being satisfied at the end of it all.

Leggi di Più

This is a genuinely funny, must see, romantic comedy. I knew I would love this movie from the hilarious way that the two main characters first meet. Cha Tae Hyun, & Jun Ji Hyun, play each crazy moment so well, and I loved watching their odd relationship develop. The unpredictable (borderline abusive) behavior of the "sassy girl" is what drives the story, but watching Gyun Woo mature is equally entertaining. Most of the scenes are played for laughs, but there's also a good balance between their funny, and touching moments. I couldn't help but root for their bizarre relationship.

The story is smartly told from beginning to end. It's based on a (supposedly true) blog, so each scene is a highlight marking their time together. Focusing on the highlights helps to fit this pretty long story into a concise film, though some of the leaps in time felt a little too sudden. Though fated love is a familiar theme, this story doesn't take the predictable route. I especially loved the ending, which I never expected, because it tied the whole story together perfectly.

I agree that My Sassy Girl is a classic. An american remake exists, but it's barely worth mentioning. This is definitely the type of movie you can watch over, and over again. I saw this for the 1st time years ago, and it's still just as good rewatching it now. I definitely recommend putting it high up on your Plan to Watch list.

Leggi di Più

Hardcore Rainbow Taxi member

S2 celebrates the kinship among the Rainbow taxi members. They are the core of the entire season. Its also where it shines brightest and helps you oversee the flaw and some holes in the story.

Where it pales to Season1:
Not as gritty. Season1 was drippling with suspense and often at the edge of your seat thriller. Season1 tiltering between black white and grey had this intensity that couldnt be reciprocated in Season2.

Where it's better in Season2:
Camaderie among the taxi driver members. Their rapport and always having each others back. Their loyalty and love is just really sweet.
The individual cases are much more fleshed out and the variety and scope of the cases were really good.

Highlights
The linking cases and big bad boss. The audacity of the moves Do Gi and the team makes. The subtle flirting between Do Gi and Go Eun. The cameo from Nam Goong Min and Kim So Yeon (very well used imo). The character of Oh Ha Jun who initially irked me and yet evoked sympathy later.

Issues
Some of the infiltration was orchestrated alittle too easily. It feels like you have to defy belief to just roll with it. And Do Gi's been protrayed like superhuman and Go eun a superhacker. There are also glaring plotholes here and there. Theres also alot of product placements that you and I may not care for.

Why I rate it higher than S1
The same reason why I tune in to watch. Ive formed an attachment to Taxi driver the series and its characters. Its almost like watching your child graduate from highschool and enter university. A new chapter, stronger kinship but different experience. S1 was alittle too gory and often I debated in dropping it as I couldnt agree with the punishment Do Gi belted out against the wrong doers. He almost seem like a grim reaper. Here S2 is a fairer vigilante. Most of their methods of punishment is less cruel, not as violent and non fatal.

S3 I pray they dont harm this series and the love I have for each of the cast. Plus it wouldnt feel the same if we are missing any of the core members.

Leggi di Più

Hate all the office politics and second lead stories in your romance dramas?

Then this is drama for you. People in the comments are always like, where can I find the whole drama, the episodes are so short.
This drama is pure fluff, this is cotton candy and nothing else.
The episodes are short like some of those "summary of a drama" videos on Youtube. It feels like meeting your divorced friend and asking her what's up lately, and she is like, "Sooo I have this hot younger co-worker..." and you sit there like :flushed: . It is detailed enough, and delivers the dopamine on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

The acting is okay, it's clearly low budget, but supercute.

P.S.: I used this to practice my Mandarin, and it's good for that. Pronounciation is clear and you don't miss much of the story if you don't understand something.

Leggi di Più

Only the cast, costumes, and food earn this drama 5.5 out of 10. Otherwise, a waste of time!

Royal Feast was one of the most anticipated dramas of 2022, mainly because of its star-studded cast. I believe the majority of the "Yanxi Palace victims" have come to see this to heal their broken hearts. I, too, came with high expectations, only to be disappointed by the poor screenplay and writers.

From my point of view, the entire show was about some people cooking and delivering food, jealousy, plotting, stupid cooking competitions, characters being stupid, and so on. To be honest, this drama doesn't deserve to be classified as a romance because the leads had so little screen time together. Most of the time, one would be resisting the other's love, and when they finally get together, they would either quarrel or become sassy. They don't understand each other, and I'm not sure how they fell in love!

Let's move to the characters. The character of the FL, Yao Zi Jin, irritated me the most. She's far too nice for her own good. She got herself into trouble most of the time because of her annoyingly forgiving nature. I sometimes wonder why she did this or why she did that. I agree that this is most likely due to the fact that this drama is based on true events and real people, which cannot be changed at will, but I couldn't stand her.

When it came to the ML, he was more tolerable. But,  I got annoyed with him from time to time because of his lack of tact and his treatment of his cocubines. When his father became Emperor, I burst out laughing. How could a king behave in such a way? He was a complete moron.

Except for Meng Shang Shi, most people in the food bureau were annoying as well. I believe she and the ML's grandfather were the only two rational characters in the entire show. Su Ye Hua and Yin Zi Ping were complete idiots, constantly quarrelling, plotting, and gossiping behind each other's backs.

In short, this drama is full of idiotic, annoying, and stupid characters.

Of course, the acting was superb. The performances of Xu Kai and Wu Jin Yan, as well as the supporting cast, were outstanding. However, believe me when I say that this drama plot does not deserve their acting abilities. What a waste of talent!

The only things that I believe the production team put a lot of effort into were the costumes and the food. I'm sure the actors ate well while they were filming. The food items looked delicious, and I think I was drooling over the food they were eating. (I'm not sure because I was sleepy most of the time.) The costumes were stunning. I particularly liked the war costume that ML wore in the final episodes.

This appears to be a large-budget drama. It's a shame it goes to waste. I think I would have liked this drama a lot more if the writers hadn't been so confused most of the time. I'm giving this drama a 5.5 just for the cast, costumes, OSTs, and, of course, the food. This drama is nothing more than pleasing to the eyes and stomach. If you like any of the actors, this could be a good drama, but if you came here for the plot, don't waste your time.

P.S. I think this is the first time I'm using this much 'annoyed's, 'stupid's and 'moron's in a review.

Leggi di Più

A romance drama with pretty people - but that's about it

Overall, I rate this drama a 3/5, ★★★☆☆, a pass. I got into this drama because I loved Ding Yu Xi in the Romance of Tiger and Rose. But I was a bit disappointed.

Let's take a closer look at Intense Love based on my seven criteria (see below for a detailed explanation of the criteria - Intense Love is my first trial to use these criteria).

1. Emotional rollercoaster: 3/5 ★★★☆☆: Intense Love is a simple, almost superficial, romance drama targeting young female audience. The drama has countless tooth-aching sweet scenes between the leads, but I did not feel a lot of emotions because of the lack of chemistry between the leads. The start was compelling at the start, with the female lead being very bold, creative, and a bit cunning, but this soon faded. Her personality became kind, some times even naive, well-behaved, and just helpless in love with the main lead. Dr. Zhou's character is even more boring and only a fraction as interesting as Han Shuo's character in The Romance of Tiger and Rose. This is also reflected in his acting (not sure if I need to blame his role or the fact he was less experienced at that time), which is a shame cause he is such a talented actor. The only watchpoint was these sweet loving romantic scenes between two beautifully looking people; some are beautifully shot (e.g., coffee shower?!).

2. Fantasization: 3/5 ★★★☆☆: I adore Ding Yu Xi, but I didn't feel much of a chemistry between him and Zhang Yu Xi. This might be the reason because both main leads have almost perfect personalities. Zhou Shi Yun: doctor, perfect-looking, kind most of the time, but takes charge when he needs to, can cook well... Bei Bei: actress, beautiful, soft-hearted, but has a cute temper! Like where in the world do you find these people? Why would these two already be engaged since birth and fall in love almost right away? I also find ZYX's acting a bit over.

3. Sleepless night: 1/5 ★☆☆☆☆: the story was never particularly dramatic at any point or particularly sorrowful at any point. I enjoyed watching it, but there was never an urge to want to know what's next.

4. Natural and intelligent Storytelling: 3/5 ★★★☆☆: The story was told fluently without many question marks. I guess the only problem I have with the drama was the setting. Except for some misunderstanding and roadblocks from female rival 2, it was smooth most of the time. To create some drama, the writer created a bit of out-of-character behavior misunderstanding between the main leads towards the end. This was a bit annoying but nothing to be too be angry about given the fluffy setting.

5. Loveable supporting Roles: 2/5 ★★☆☆☆: The best friend couple Wu Di and Xiao Yuan Song were the opposite of the "perfect main lead couple" - down to earth, real and funny. I really like them, yet, their story was not that interesting. I don't understand why XYS has fallen head over heels in love with Wu Di after spending just one night with her. I also don't comprehend why Wu Di would reject him this much. The main critic that their story seems to be just a parallel love story next to that of the main leads, as it has almost nothing to do with the main storyline. Supporting roles need to have a "supporting" function (that's why they are called this way!), yet this was not executed. If you are very strict, you could see them as fillers, a different type of couple to romanticize with.

6. Proper Pacing: 4/5 ★★★★☆: drama has only 24 episodes, just enough episodes to tell the story. There is some-slowing down in the middle, but I did not feel like pressing the fast-forward bottom.

7. Solid Finale": 4/5 ★★★★☆: I was satisfied with the ending. It was a predictable finale given the type of drama it was and the type of audience it was targeting. On the other hand, there was also no forced turn or artificial creation of dramatic, which would have been redundant. There is a 30min extra of this drama, which showed a parallel world in which the two main leads switched roles, jobs, and even personalities (the last one was not very clear). I found it quite refreshing a great add-on to this drama. I wish they could have made a few more episodes.

Overall, if you like pure romance drama, with not much thinking and plenty of pretty looking scenes with two beautiful people, this is the drama for you. Otherwise, I would suggest you spend your time elsewhere.

----------------------------------
Kotori's drama review seven criteria definition:

After having watched many dramas and also written several reviews. I have detected that I rate dramas based on specific patterns. I formulated those into seven criteria.

1. "Emotional Rollercoaster": the degree of how much my heart was moving from the acting, scenes, and story development (e.g., in pain, pounding, fluster etc.)
2. "Fantasization": the degree of how much I care about the fate of the main leads, how often I have to think about them in my everyday life, how much I wish the characters are part of my real life: I call this
3. "Sleepless Nights.": how much I have the urge to binge-watch this drama.
4. "Natural and intelligent Storytelling.": how logically the story was able to proceed and the roles are acting within their characters. I don't have a thousand question marks when watching the drama. The feeling that the makers are taking us viewers seriously and that we do not always think that this looks fake.
5. "Loveable supporting Roles.": how much I love and care about supporting characters. They are not merely tools to support the main characters but are 3-dimensional and have proper motivations behind their actions.
6. "Proper Pacing.": how well the drama is pacing and not watered down to fill the number of episodes.
7. "Solid Finale": how properly the drama builds dramatic and finishes with a satisfactory ending. I have just watched too many dramas that starts to lose its grip around half or 2/3rd of its way.

Obviously, many other criteria could be important as well, such as unique story setup, visual elements, camera work, music, costumes, etc. Some of the points are indirectly included in the criteria, and others are not this important for me.

Leggi di Più

Disappointing

This has all the issues I see with Netflix produced kdramas. Unnecessary sex scenes, female nudity (it’s always women), and really bad dialogue. I came to understand Netflix subtitles don’t translate exactly what’s said, but what they translated made it sound as if the script used swear words the way a twelve year old would if they just discovered them. In addition, I didn’t think any female character was written well or treated all that well development wise. It was a huge bummer because the premise interested me. I can’t help but wonder what this would’ve been like produced by another network.

Anyway, I don’t have complaints about the acting of the MLs. Some of the cinematography was interesting.

Sometimes I can ignore some bad spots if the story is intriguing enough but I found this drama also dragged a lot. Disappointing.

Leggi di Più

"HEAR ME OUT! ENTITLED ON THEIR OWN OPINION"

If it's not your cup of tea then don't try to smell or have a taste with it. Spill it don't sip it. WATCH AT YOUR OWN RISK.

In my opinion, labeling viewers of a drama series as pedophiles simply based on their interest in watching it can be unfair and overly simplistic. Such accusations are serious and should not be made lightly without understanding the context and intent of the viewers.

Be informed that the production is in Thailand, so they have their own rules, guidelines and laws concerning age consent, in reality age consent may differ in different countries based on their norms and beliefs.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S HARD FOR SOME PEOPLE TO SWALLOW: From a legal standpoint (based on Thai law), there is no issue with their age gap in ACTED OUT a sexual scene. I think it's all going to come down to what people think from a MORAL standpoint because every potential viewer has their own culture and beliefs based on the country they are living in. So, no one have the right to dictate to other people that they are disregarding their morals and ethics when it is okay with them regarding the age gap of the two main leads who acted out a sexual scene. DRINK SOME WATER TO PREVENT CHOKING.

Don't be problematic here. There's no problem with their casting; it's just that it goes against your MORAL standpoint. But that doesn’t mean they are doing something illegal or immoral.

Concerns about the portrayal of minors in scenes involving sensitive content are valid, if that is really your concern. However, it is clear that IN THIS SHOW, NO ACTORS NEED TO BE PROTECTED FROM THE HARM OF BEING EXPLOITED and ABUSED. How I can say that? Just simply watching their EP 0, wherein they show how they produce this series (behind-the-scenes footage) and the reaction video of the four lead actors to the official trailer of their series. I cannot see and feel that they are being abused and exploited. As of now, there are no allegations of abuse or mistreatment coming out from the actors in this series.

Don't make things complicated, if the show violates the law or fails to meet regulatory standards, it typically won't be produced or broadcast.

To those people who keep on spamming here in the comment section about "A MAN KISSING A CHILD" please stop being DELUSIONAL. The way you think is really disgusting. No viewers want that kind of scenario.

This Drama series is based on the novel about two sixteen-year-old boys, who despite their social differences and personal history forge a close love relationship that is ACTED OUT BY PROFESSIONAL ACTORS.

So basically, this drama series is not about "A MAN KISSING A CHILD". STOP BEING DELUSIONAL it really disgust me and clearly your intentions are to put malicious accusations and destroy the show.

Friendly advice: You better do some research to gather knowledge about creative filming techniques like camera angling so it can cure your DELUSIONS and also help you to distinguish between fiction and real-life scenarios. It will help you to understand the difference between what's real and what's acted out in dramas or any form of entertainment.

FACT: Mac and August acted out a sexual scene as consensual, under Thai law, it would generally be considered legal and morally right in their country. AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S HARD FOR SOME PEOPLE TO SWALLOW. DRINK MORE WATER TO PREVENT CHOKING.

These two main leads (regardless of their age) are 'ACTORS' who are passionate about their job at portraying fictional characters convincingly. Criticizing them for their choices or age only undermines the value of their craft and the dedication they bring to their roles. Such disparagement reflects more on the critics' own biases than on the actors' abilities or performances.

It is an early apology when you beg to disagree. Im sorry???

Spread positivity and don't forget to detoxify (y)ourselves. 🤡

Leggi di Più

Everyone Hates the Ending But I Don't

SPOILER ALERT: The K-Drama has an "open" ending to a sad, though intensely moving and involving, story. The main characters may or may not get together after the story ends--one isn't sure. I too would like to see a translation of the book to read its ending but, according to ChatGPT, "Understanding Love" has not been translated into English. We are told that the book indicates they do not reunite, but I think the writers of the K-drama intended a more uncertain ending.

I find the English title of the K-drama, "The Interest of Love," to be odd. It's not a good translation of the book title, "Understanding Love." I'm not sure what it means. At first I thought it was a playful reference to the bank workplace setting of the series, because banks pay interest on deposits, although in that case it should be "The Interest on Love." Perhaps it refers to our fascination with love, and should be "The Interest in Love." The question is not an idle one, because at a crucial point in the series the leading characters, looking back, ask themselves if they were once in love, or merely overcome by the "interest of love".

As for the ambiguous ending, I agree with those who find strong hints in the finale that Su-Yeong (the woman) and Sang-Su (the man) will finally get together, or at least give their relationship one more try. (After all, they have never even properly "dated".)
I was touched by Su-Yeong's remark during the walk which ends the story that she had ghosted Ha Sang-Su because their relationship left "nothing more to give or receive." By this I take her to mean that their love had reached perfection, however briefly, in the Tongyeong "Guest House". The question is whether Ha Sang-Su can convince Su-Yeong that love is not continuous perfection, but rather "two people living day to day life together". One hopes he will. Otherwise she faces years of loneliness.

Sang-Su and Su-Yeong end the story as they silently approach the end of their walk up the collegiate "hill of oblivion," with their backs to us. They are not (alas) arm in arm, or even hand in hand. One of the series' haunting soundtrack songs ("Wonder Why") is reprised. In it the singer asks why his departed lover persists indelibly in his memory, why the dream of her cannot be erased (just as Sang-Su tells Su-Yeong he has forgotten nothing). In context the song is an ambiguous close to the series. The film ends before the song reaches a line from in its earlier appearances: "I don't want to love you like I used to." Is the omission a deliberate hint, or just the result of how long the credits ran? It's ambiguous, like this whole series and the relationship it depicts.

Leggi di Più