Reviews

It just keeps gets better and better

Aren't you already watching this if you claim to be a Namgoong Min fan? Do you even need more of a reason to watch it? Well, if you're indecisive on whether you should start this or not, then this is your sign to give it a try!

Before I go any further, I'd just like to mention, although I might be biased when saying this, but The Veil shouldn't be binged. I think it loses a lot of value this way. I binged 7 episodes in one sitting, and it seemed rather average in terms of its plot. In retrospect, waiting every week for episodes is probably what the makers intended. So yes, I'd recommend watching this at a leisurely pace for the best experience (unless you're dying to know what happens next ^^). AND for those of you wondering if there's any romance... No there isn't, but it's still amazing without any of that, plus there is some chemistry.

Namgoong Min is just astonishing, as always - he is, in my opinion, one of the best Korean actors, I mean the extreme length he went to get jacked up for the role is incredible on its own (hey Alexa play Megan Thee Stallion's BODY ODY ODY ODY). He has officially become an all time favourite actor of mine. Kim Ji Eun! I've only ever seen her play small roles like in Strangers From Hell, so it was refreshing to see her as a main. My biggest question for this drama casting is how what when why is Park Ha Sun considered a main when she featured for probably only 10 minutes in the whole show?!? She's more like a guest role than anything else :( Despite her lack of screen time, she is still amazing, both her and Namgoong Min embodied their characters very well.

Disregarding the fact that the writers keep adding 2 to 4 new characters each episode (that it's a bit hard to keep up with the actual plot), it's well paced, not being too fast to the point of confusion nor is it too slow to the point of getting bored and irritated. The script is well written in terms of how little portions of Han Ji Hyuk's memory are revealed and eventually all explained, leaving room for enough speculation by the viewer, to how the pieces of information build a bigger picture. And yayy plot twists. They leave you a bit annoyed but also keen for the next episode.

I gave it an 8 because it's a genre I love and overall I really enjoyed watching this! If I were to choose my favourite aspect, it'd be the action, I was on the edge of my seat for a lot of it and those scenes as a whole were entertaining to watch.

It's not everyone's cup of tea, but if you like a good mystery action packed drama about NIS, then this is worth checking out!

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****BEWARE ENDING SPOILERS BELOW****
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The drama started off decently. I had a major case of 2nd Male Lead Syndrome after the first few episodes though.
At first it was a really decent storyline with some complicated and interesting characters.
I was really enjoying it & the romance was cute.
Then... things went a bit south.
This show should have ended in 12 episodes TOPS.
The guy who was in debt to the mafia went WAY over board.
The last 6 episodes were filled with stuff that didn't matter and side plots that weighed down the story majorly.
THEN we see the BFF get not only forgiven immediately, but, also get to live VERY well, and even better than the FML who had been through so much. I mean, she at least got to LIVE and have a HEA, right? -_-
And then the ending. Him dying. Not a shocker.
BUUUUT her getting randomly crushed by a rockslide to "reunite" with him????
NOPE. That was out of place and over the top.
Not to mention... wouldn't she be reunited with her original true love and not the guy who happen to have his heart?
MEH.

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Taegukgi, as you know, is the foretelling of the korean war between the North and South. This film goes into a deep understanding between 2 brothers that have lost ties to one another due to war. However this film is very special. Special in that you are literally able to feel the emotions conveyed in this movie(props to the actors for this ^.^) You can see the passionate and tragic stories of not only 2 brothers but the Korean people as they were in the war. This movie will be eye watering for some and painfully sad for many.

Things that i Liked:

- The actors were able to truly convey their feelings towards the viewer/audience exceptionally well.(Especially to me T.T)

- Although the music is sad and painful it really is amazing to listen and fell how well it matches with this film.

Things that I hated:

- Being a war movie don't expect it to be all smiles and kisses. Be prepared! (I know I wasn't T.T)



Overall Taegukgi is truly amazing and it is a must watch for anyone that enjoys watching movies. This film will make you a different person. If not then you will get very emotional T^T

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What makes this drama stand apart from other time-travelling dramas is the way in which the time-travelling aspect is implemented. Whereas, some dramas that feature time-travelling are more concerned with evoking a sense of nostalgia and wanting to return to a simpler time, this drama uses time-travelling as a way to examine the characters. I should mention that this drama is not solely a "plot-based" drama and there isn't an emphasis solely on narrative/story beats. Instead, this is more of a character study with more of a slice-of-life pacing to it. We're watching these characters encounter "timeless/unforgettable moments" during a crucial period in their lives and how the decisions they make/actions they take end up shaping what kind of person they become in life. There's a lot of subtle details/changes that occur within characters and it was nice to see them subtly change throughout the drama. The characters in this drama are certainly flawed with their own issues/hang-ups in regards to love but I found it more fascinating to watch these characters learning and trying to improve themselves rather than watching your typical perfect drama characters.

Another thing I liked about this drama was the little details the writer gave that make the world feel more lived-in. Without spoiling much, there is an early episode where the characters are told a story about a ghost haunting a building. Although, played for laughs, this story later plays a somewhat important part to the main story. It's little details like this and others that eventually add up and have repercussions on the characters and their decisions and actions so you'll get more out of this drama if you pay attention to all the fine details. Beyond the theme of love, this drama also touches on the subject of regrets/second chances, independence/freedom and fate/locus of control.

The main four leads varied from good-great with Summer Meng and Huang Wei Ting being the standouts to me. Summer Meng and Nick Chou should be commended for selling the fact that they were close friends with a shared history together. The glances the two shared as the other pursued other love interests definitely were effective in portraying the love they had for one another. Johnny Yang and Blue Lan were also good in supporting roles that provided some levity during some of the more "serious" moments.

The OST was great with Let Go, My Turn to Love and Could Still Embrace standing out for me. There were some technical/sound mixing issues when songs were used sometimes but that is a minor nitpick.

I would definitely rewatch this drama as many of themes touched upon in this drama are right up my alley and I became invested in watching these characters change and grow. Ultimately, I felt like this drama set out to explore the theme of love, which means showing both the joy you get out of it and also the pain it can also bring. How we learn to endure the pain part of it makes the joy part of it that much better. For my money's worth, the drama succeeded in conveying this while also tackling other themes to great effect. As a result, I believe this is one of the more overlooked dramas of 2017 and feel it deserves your attention and time if you want a drama that has loftier ambitions than simply who the characters will end up with.

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So touching and warm, so real life coded.

Northward surpasses its predecessors, the story remains engaging and never feels repetitive. The slice-of-life interactions between the families are captivating rather than dull. The drama evokes a longing for deep friendships, strong familial love, and a simpler yet meaningful life. It transports viewers from the 90s to early 00s, allowing them to experience the journey alongside the characters.

The drama’s greatest strength is its ability to balance humor and deep emotions seamlessly. Within minutes, it can make viewers laugh and cry without feeling forced. The richness of the characters extends beyond the six friends to their families, adding layers of depth.
The unpredictability of the romance also sets this drama apart.Northward allows relationships to evolve naturally, rewarding those who take chances. The romance is sweet and sincere and not exaggerated or mainly focused but with well-developed chemistry. The show also gives multiple couples, both young and old, the opportunity to find love again.

The emotional rollercoaster of laughter and tears is further amplified by an incredible cast. The six main friends fully embody their characters, showcasing their fears, love, and struggles.

Beyond the younger cast, the parents are just as impactful, balancing humor, vulnerability, and strength in a way that feels truly authentic.

Overall, Northward is a masterful drama that blends nostalgia, comedy, and heartfelt storytelling into an unforgettable experience.

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The Story is Good

The story and characters of this web drama inspired me to read the Manhwa, which is something I've never done before.

I liked the actual story, and the characters enough to keep watching this, but this is a no-budget production and it shows.

Don't watch this if you are looking for good production quality. Everything including the actual script is sub-par at best. Acting is a solid OK, though the actresses playing young Ye Mu as well as older Ye Mu are both gorgeous, in a natural and unostentatious way, and they suited their character perfectly. The actors playing the ML and SML fit their roles as well, but they weren't given much to work with appart from the typical handsome stoic male role.

Anyway, I read my first Manhwa because of this web drama, which is something I thought I would never do (I haven't read a comic book since childhood).

Oh! By the way, why not just read the Manhwa if you want to know what happens next? The c drama follows the manhwa well. Here's a link to the Manhwa:

https://mangagg.com/comic/raising-the-enemy-only-brings-trouble-series/

And the episode that picks up the story after the final c drama cliff hanger is: Chapter 25. There you go, you have all the info you need now.

Because of the interesting story, I'm giving it a generous 7.5 severed tongues out of ten.

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First and foremost I would say that I did watch "Itazura na Kiss" and I didn't like it. Unfortunately, I didn't know that this show was an adaptation because I definitely wouldn't have watched this.
This is my opinion so you are not obligated to agree with me.

Xiao Xi- as a high school student being weepy, clingy and immature makes sense but even as adult there is no growth. She cries all the time and doesn't learn from her mistakes. She is a complete submissive. In the end it seemed like she has a little strength but that bubble was busted really quickly when she saw a little bit of tears in his eyes. "Did you forget all of the tears you shed for him on the second leads shoulder?"

Jiang Chen- I do not understand if its bad acting skills or the character is a robot. His expression never changes whether expressing love, anger, despair or happiness. He dominant and manipulative. He thinks very highly of himself and treats everyone -especially the woman he loves- as trash. Basically, I haven't found a single quality that I like about him. In college they were in a relationship but it felt more like only she was in a relationship. At the end when they get back together, he is totally taking advantage. He is the only one benefiting from that relationship and she is the only one comprising in the relationship. He doesn't care about her at all especially not about her happiness. When you love someone their tears hurt you more than it hurts them.

There is almost no character development in any of the main characters. I wouldn't want to promote this culture (the main male leads attitude) for the next generation.

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10/10 no notes

I don't know if this is the sort of story that can only truly be appreciated by people at a certain point in their lives, but it hit all the right notes for me week after week. The acting is superb, the unfolding storylines are relatable, and everything feels warm and realistic.

Loving in the wake of loss and burnout might look less romantic on the surface, but it is slower and more intentional... and feels grounded even in moments of desperate intensity. The small adjustments that you make to accommodate an important person in your life, and needing to balance that against other commitments or considerations (without resentment) is exactly the kind of mature love being portrayed. A love that is quieter and perhaps less possessive, but no less deep.

Watching this series has felt like a hug that I didn't even know that I needed.

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Talk about bittersweet ending? I'm still drying the tears from my eyes. This was a well written and acted story. You could not help but be sucked into it from beginning to end. What I especially liked about this story, it was not a love between two characters of different backgrounds. What it was, was a story about a young man, Natsuo, who effortless brought up his two siblings and continued to run their family bike shop business. Being such a helpful person, it made sense that he would meet Yuki under these circumstances.

The love that Natsuo had not only for his brother and sister but also for his sister's boyfriend is portrayed very well here. The absolute love for Yuki was amazing to watch as a slowly grew. The diving sequences were also well filmed. This was my first time seeing Domoto Tsuyoshi. Even though he was new to acting at the time this was filmed, his portrayal of Natsuo will be cemented to your mind. Hirosue Ryoko as Yuki was also a treat as I'd seen her before but again both actors did a hell of a job. Last but not least is the surprise of seeing an extremely young Oguri Shun! Such an accomplished actor he was even back then!

If there is one thing I can tell you, make sure you watch through the credits as the story continues and what ever sadness is left after the end, will be wiped away. This is why I feel Japanese dramas do an excellent job in making you feel better even with a sad ending.

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Its been a while since I was here for a review, but its just that whatever I watched didnt really appeal to me or the review was too negative that I didnt want to bother ppl with it.
Anyway I just finished watching EAMR. What a fun, enjoyable and happy show! and after a long time I might add. Either its a heavy melo which frustrates and depresses you or so stupid you give up.
Who ever did the casting, did a wonderful and perfect job. The actors were so perfect for their characters, down to the ones with the smallest parts. The main couple was just adorable. There were no evil and kill joys to spoil this show, even the reporter girl who is supposed to be annoying is quite likable.
Finally, if you want to watch a light fun romantic show, this is the one for you!!No pretty boys or deep dark drama, just pure entertainment.

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Tissue Rate (aka how much I cried); 2.5 out of 5

- I give it a 2.5 out of 5 for how much I cried for this drama is mainly because I'M a emotional/sensitive person and most the times when I cried for this drama, it was because I felt bad for the main girl character Tian Sanqi

Wow this drama was so gooodddd! I would 100% recommend. Not only this is a quick and short type Chinese drama, but also the storyline was definitely an interesting one. I love the many plot twists that were apart of this story. The plot twist were what got me on my feet this whole drama.

I really thought I wasn't going to like this drama but because I was in quarantine and I needed a new drama to watch, I was like okay I'm going to watch this drama because I kept seeing clips of it on Youtube and trailer teasers as ads. Not gonna lie the first-two episodes definitely were the best, I was laughing so loud; my mom had to quite me down because I was watching this at night lol.

Story; This story was a super light heart storyline, personally I got super confused whenever they would show the scenes from 8 years ago when they were 10 years old (I'm just going to leave it like that because I don't want to spoil anything) but it later all came together nicely. I love the chemistry between the two main leads, BUT I didn't like that for the first few episodes, how he mentions he was her friend and was going to protect her but then ends up bullying her. I felt so bad for her (thats kinda why I cried; out of feeling bad). On top of that I'm glad the second lead Bai Yifei got a happy ending with He Ruoyao instead of giving us second lead syndrome with the first main female lead. What really kept me going was the crime and investigating scenes, I love how Sanqi was this strong female lead who didn't care what anyone thought about her.

Characters; My favorite character 100% was the father lead who was Zhao Cuo's dad. He made me laugh so much during this drama. I love that he sticks up for Sanqi and didn't care that she wasn't from a a rich family but she was from a small village, I love how they respect and treat her well unlike the other dramas I've seen with the father lead wanting the son to marry a rich family's daughter.

Overall, I would 100% recommend this drama, if you're looking for a good laugh alongside a cute romance storyline but also with crime and mystery cases to be solved.

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Joseon's last days

This was a great telling of the factors leading to the decline of a 500-yrs old dynasty. Was it 100% accurate historically? No, but that's why it's a fictionalized account, not a documentary. I was delighted that this centered on history with a love story woven in, rather than a love story with a historical backdrop. This one had me researching Korean history after each episode.

Fair treatment was given to the main players at that time, and very few were portrayed as "all good" or "all bad." Actual power resided in certain noble families, so family connection trumped capability and family interest trumped national interest. Jockeying for positions of power- Kim versus Jo, insider versus outsider- lies at the heart of this series. The means used to obtain that power were explicit, and clearly showed that at the end of the day, the welfare of a nation was secondary to the elites. Heungseon may have wanted to destroy the factional powers for a centralized government, but his own ambitions proved to be just as harmful to the people. Queen Min may have had a heart for the people, but her desire to topple her father-in-law to replace with her own influence, would add burdens on them. And hapless Gojong, as sad a figure in this series as he was in actuality.

Despite all this, the message I got was one of hope for the future of the Korean people. The foundations being laid to put value on a person's talents rather than geneology, value on education for all citizens, and value on being open to new ideas, as well as the idea of redemption, would see Korea through the years of darkness until her liberation in 1945. Sadly, the same issues that led to a divided Germany divided Korea in half. My hope is one day Korea, like Germany, will be united again.

The cast was amazing. Park Shi Hoo played Choi Chun Joong to perfection- inscrutable but with passion just below the surface. Jun Kwang Ryul was frightening with his changing persona. And Im Hyun Soo as Yeon Chi Sung made my heart ache for his utter devotion to any one who showed him he was valued.

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Cuteness overload :-)

This short series will circulate about the merman prince Gu Ze Yi in which as a prince he has a duty to marry a women from the land and to give birth to his future children.. but because his afraid of turning into bubble (showed in episode 1) he is running away from his uncle that is forcing him... during that time an unexpected event happened and she met a lady Lu Miao Miao.. in which accidentally the pearl of Gu Ze Yi is transferred to Lu Miao Miao in which after that he went to find Lu Miao Miao to retrieve his pear together with his brothers and the story begins..
.._then another mysterious lady Bai Qing is up to something and will join the story...

This is such a very simple and cute love story.. its very easy to watch, not a lengthy one or complicated while I'm watching I did not skipped anything cause of course its just short hahaha... l really love this short series you may give it a try cause I think that its worth watching and a very cute adorable drama to kill your time and entertain you at the same time...

though this series has a very low ratings.. I think its not that bad, but for me its just a good series.. thought just like any other dramas even if its long or short have a high rating or low it has still some flaws and netizens/viewers will say something about it so l there for conclude you go and see it for yourself 🙃😉

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This show is the perfect example of not sh*tting where you eat ie. to not date people aka the roommates you live with. Anyway, just got done watching the entire 10 episodes and here's are my thoughts. First of all, the opening song is great and Morikawa Aoi looks kawaii af in this. Now with that out of the way, I can ramble on about the show. What started out to be an interesting premise only turned out to be shallow love triangle. I mean, Moriakawa's character Terada is the epitome of your typical reserved and shy Japanese girl who's a pushover. Then you have Nakao Masaki's character Hongyo who's her childhood friend and is dense af to the point that he has literally no character development throughtout the course of these 10 episodes. All we know about Hongyo is that he's dense and emotionless for some reason and had sex with Terada in high school. Then we have the second male lead in Yuki Kousei's character Hase who wants to make Terada his wife because he sees something different in Terada from the girls he dated. The reason for why he wanted to be with Terada was left unexplored. Not to mention his mommy issues. Then we have Nakamura Risa's somewhat retarded-like character Akari who's weird to say the least. First she acts as if she liked Hongyo, then when Terada asked her whether she liked Hongyo, she acts as if she just discovered the very act of hugging or kissing someone out of affection. Someone get this chick to a sex ed class!

Anyway, Hongyo and Terada run into each other after she ends up living in a sharehouse thanks to her friend and due to some reason, Hongyo can only get hard when he's rubbing against Terada. The plot seemed intriguing at first but then they added Hase as a second love interest for Terada even though you as a viewer know that Terada is gonna somehow predictably end up with Hongyo in the end. (They're both even on the cover of the drama for God's sake lol) Throughout the entirity of the show, we had minimal character developments for both Terada and Hase as they narrate about their childhood and tell a bit about themselves. Hongyo being the first male lead has literally no character development since we know nothing about him other than being a dense and emotionless writer who can't get hard and who had sex with Terada in high school.

Throught the show, Hase persues Terada to marry him despite being okay with Terada and Hongyo sleeping together and even having sex. Hell, he was okay with her having Hongyo's baby when Terada thought she was pregnant. That dude has some weird psychology and the reason for him liking Terada is unclear and unexplored. The best reason he gave on the show when asked why he liked her was because her hand felt warm as she was taking care of him while he was puking. Like I said, that dude has a messed up psychology.

Then there's the second female lead Akari who has the least amount of character development since unlike Hongyo, who slept with Terada in high school, we don't really get to know much about her other than the fact that she's crazy for Hongyo and thats it! She thinks she likes Hongyo (people on the show like each other for the most bizarre reasons on this show btw) and was just okay when Terada reveals that she liked her and that her and Hongyo have been sleeping together all this time. I honestly don't know what her whole admiration with Hongyo was all about since that was left unexplored as well. Her character was just there for the sake of it contributing nothing much to the plot.

Then last but not least, we have Terada who starts liking Hongyo after having a sleeping arrangement with him and eventually having sex with him. The one thing I just didn't understand was why she liked him in the first place and what about him does she even like? Even on the show, when Hongyo asks her what she likes about him, we never got an answer to that boggling question coz here's a dense dude (Hongyo) who's emotionless to the core having a sleeping arrangement with you and thats it. They don't have the sort of chemistry you'd expect in a romcom. Neither do they have anything in common. Its like Teraada's character was written to like Hongyo just for the sake of it. On top of being a shy and fragile pushover, she deceives Akari by not telling about her about sleeping with Hongyo when she knew that Akari liked Hongyo. And then, she sleeps and has sex with Hongyo anyway despite being proposed to by Hase. And she lies to Hase in the 9th episode about her not kissing Hongyo during their sleepover time when infact she did. In that way, I found Terada's charaacter to be all sorts of messed up and I doubt a metamorphical expensive price tag is gonna solve her problems.

I kinda felt sorry for Hase when we learnt that this was gonna be a love triangle since I already knew that the second male lead was gonna get rejected . But I knew he manipulated Hongyo when they don't show what him and Hase talked about in the 9th episode due to which Hongyo was cold to Terada which caused them to break up. And on top of that, the characters lack development and progression. Not to mention how they never talk it out with each other about what they have in mind. I guess that this is a good example of how reserved the Japanese can be in general. Either way, Terada sure does get around, having dated both male roommates of hers. I can honestly say that this show despite its shallow predictablitity and lack of character development teaches us to never sh*t where you eat ie. never date the people aka the roommates you live with coz things can become awkward as hell if things don't work out. Also, Terada is the kind of girl that would stay in a shitty relationship just because of a nostalgic high school connection. If I were the writer of this show, I'd make Terada leave the house and find a better relationship than an dense dude or a manipulative dude with mommy issues. That would be a better ending than the predictable ending we got in the end.

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