Reviews

An absolute masterpiece worthy of every award

To My Shore is the pinnacle of obsession, love, angst, redemption, and worshipping the ground one's partner walks on. Both actors are amazing. This level of acting has rendered me entirely speechless; I genuinely cried with them, my heart kept getting broken, and my anxiety kept skyrocketing to the point where I had to hit pause time and time again to calm down and get myself in order. I don't even remember the last time I felt so affected. Chemistry and passion are also magnificent here, they are so palpable, wow.

Fan Xiao, to me, is a character with clear psychopathic and BPD traits. Manipulation is in his blood; he's cold, indifferent, cruel, and toxic in every way you look at him. What amazed me is that he's actually someone on the aro-ace spectrum! Gray-romantic and graysexual. Until You Shu Lang, he never felt sexual or romantic attraction to anyone. I've never seen it depicted in fiction, so I found it fascinating.

You Shu Lang himself is the perfection of a character. Very often, even if obsession is depicted well in some series, I remain skeptical of the reasons for it. The objects of other characters' obsession tend to be so ordinary that I just don't get what's so special about them to warrant this crazy level of devotion and adoration. With You Shu Lang, I totally get it, and I understand why Fan Xiao grows to worship him.

He's not perfect; he's really not the divine being Fan Xiao sees him as, but he's so deep and so fascinating. He's endlessly good, but he's the opposite of a pushover. He protects himself fiercely and he maintains very strong boundaries. He's unyielding in his decisions: using Fan Xiao's words from the book, if You Shu Lang says no, then it's a no. Hard stop.

You Shu Lang always wants to help people, but if he can't, he's not going to suffer or beat himself up over it. He'll accept it calmly because he understands how life works, and that sometimes we are hopeless in our effort to change something.

He loves his brother, but while he's willing to sacrifice a lot for him, he's not going to let him walk over him even if the price of this decision is high. You Shu Lang has so much dignity and quiet power that you can't help but admire him.

If he feels something is wrong, then he trusts his intuition. If he has difficulties, if he is beaten down, he gets up and carries on. If he is in a relationship, he's entirely devoted: I was amazed at how loyal he stayed to Lu Zhen (his initial boyfriend) even despite being clearly attracted to Fan Xiao at the start of the show. And then… he loved Fan Xiao so much. He took care of him in so many ways - only to get his heart broken and spat on and burned to ashes.

E8 killed me, I was so floored by the level of heartbreak and emotion in it… And Fan Xiao didn't stop after this; he didn't understand he was in love until it was way too late, and then he just couldn't let go because You Shu Lang became the center of his world. Threatening You Shu Lang, ruining his career, forcing him to have sex with him when he's clearly unwilling, all but keeping him hostage - all because Fan Xiao can't imagine how to live without him, and he can't bear to let him go. It was excruciating to watch.

But then the redemption arc began, and I believed it. I think it was done very masterfully. And the way Fan Xiao becomes by the end of the series… he's still psychopathic, he's still an obsessed stalker, but he'd also rather die than hurt You Shu Lang now. He's content to just stare at him for days and days; he forces himself to stay sane time and time again for the price of seeing You Shu Lang happy, even if it's not with him.

And You Shu Lang… being forced into cruelty, something alien to him; understanding he loves Fan Xiao and that Fan Xiao definitely loves him, but still being unable to forgive him… There are so many emotional struggles in To My Shore, and they are all so painful.

The show's ending, despite being happy, still feels a little bittersweet, so I can't wait for the special episodes! And I'm so grateful for the book because it expands on everything and shows what happens next.

So… yeah, I'm a huge, crazed fan now :D Endless thanks to people who recommended To My Shore to me. This show will stay with me for the rest of my life.

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Felt like a state sanctioned anti-suicide infomercial

Ok. So I know the rating and review title might be confusing.

This show has some great acting, the quality of production is fantastic. The music was great. Some of the stories were really interesting and it’s for the most part well-written.

HOWEVER, if I hadn’t been watching with someone else I would have dumped the show. It felt like I was being lectured about suicide but in a very strange way. Korea has a very high suicide rate and maybe that plays into it, but some of the message delivery was clunky and anyone with an ounce of common sense can throw the reasoning out of the window. Maybe they hoped to make people think again about giving life a chance, maybe scare them into carrying on. I dunno guys, it just fell flat.

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Whereas the film industry has field days in dealing with controversial issues, it’s rare to find dramas nowadays which do the same. Understandably so, given that delivering hours upon hours worth of social commentary in the form of an entertaining television show is no trivial feat. Doctor John charges face-first into this challenge and—overall—dominates it.

Doctor John separates itself from every other medical drama due to its willingness to address an issue that is more social than it is medical and/or political. Euthanasia is an extremely risky question because there is no single correct answer. One color to describe this drama’s dealings with euthanasia: gray. Very gray. As a human being, you probably have a preconceived opinion about it before you begin watching. And, amazingly, no matter what opinion that may be, it's more than likely that there is a character in this show that shares it. This show consists of the interactions between all different sides of the debate and how each is a combination of "wrong" or "right," depending on the context. Through these characters' actions and thoughts, Doctor John does the job of telling you that it is extremely dangerous hold one opinion as true across all situations.

That was one of my favorite parts about watching Doctor John. It doesn’t constantly preach one single answer and try to brainwash you into agreeing. It always shows you the multiple facets of every conflict. Whether it be through witnessing the physical and mental pain of terminal patients or the emotional turmoil of those close to them and their doctors, the writers create a bond between you and the characters. Once you begin empathizing (and with characters of different opinions!), the issues of life and death become less and less easy to decipher.

For me, the one peeve I have with plot comes in towards the end. It's one part of the umbrella issue that I like to call K-drama Syndrome, in which something about the latter episodes of a show seems to have an inner need to stray from the original conflict. I get it: it’s hard to continuously talk about something as sensitive like euthanasia without feeling like a piece of propaganda. But there’s a difference between quietly shifting focus and doing a screeching turn onto some unpaved path in the middle of a forest. Fine, this metaphor is an exaggeration—it was more like a kind-of-loud turn onto some unpaved path in the middle of a forest. Euthanasia becomes less prominent of a topic as the plot moves away from patients' stories and more toward less emotional conflicts. It isn’t quite enough to damage my positive opinion of the story, but I did spend the last hours of the ride with a tiny inkling that we might’ve gone in a weird direction.

The cast was lovely to watch. Some of the characters could have done with far more development, but amidst all the chaos of a hospital setting and the constant ins-and-outs of patients, it’s impressive that each character possesses as much individuality as they do. I feel like it’s insulting to him that I even have to explicitly say so, but Ji Sung is fantastic. Cha Yo Han is the right balance of mysterious and endearing; and he’s intelligent, yet not annoyingly so. It’s hard to match Ji Sung’s level, but Lee Se Young did a great job at depicting a capable but scarred young doctor. These two actors have a fantastic dynamic and the ability to simultaneously counter and support one another’s characters without being overwhelmingly cheesy. The romance between them is okay—I didn't care for it, but I also didn't mind it. It just isn’t as interesting as what the rest of the show presents; but luckily, it isn't too much of a main focus, either.

I’m content with Doctor John. Despite some rocky roads at the end, the high volume of tears that I shed and how it got the gears in my head turning are testaments to how attached I was to its story. Should you be in the mood for something thoughtful, emotional, and down-to-earth, Doctor John is a good way to go.

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Entertaining But Melodramatic.

8 episodes total. Okay for one watch but it didn't engage me emotionally. It took me a couple of episodes to really get interested in the characters. It was melodramatic but in an entertaining way through ep 6 and then it slid into eye-rolling over-the-top-ness. Ep 8 is painfully cheesy and it cuts abruptly from one vignette to the next. Ex: jumping from watching a bad guy getting hurt & a brief blurb about it on the news to a romantic photoshoot with bubbles. It was a bizarre final episode and not very satisfying.

The actors (leads and secondary characters) felt rather forced in their intensity at times but it kind of fits into this melodramatic world that the series created. The actor Film has an un-hinged psycho-smile that would be too much elsewhere but kind of fits his character here.

There's good sexual tension between the main leads for the first half of the series then it kind of fades away. Which I thought was a weird progression because at the beginning one of them is grieving the recent murder of a family member yet has easy smiles with the other lead. There's a decent amount of skinship but anything beyond that is almost always interrupted. And when there are kisses (2 total I think) it's a dead-fish kiss. They seem much more comfortable ogling each other than sharing breathing space.

I found myself invested in and rooting for the secondary couple. They were the closest to getting my emotions engaged.

Nothing noticeably good or distracting about cinematography and music.

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Unlike many viewers, I actually thought the second half of the drama wasn't as draggy as I thought it would be. Maybe because I'm used to draggy t-dramas, but I sincerely thought that this drama didn't drag. Although this is supposed to be a fashion drama, there is quite a lot of corporate politics which I surprisingly kind of liked to watch (the fashion for the girls looked great though!). Sure, the story is a little cliche, and yes, there are a lot of flashbacks, but that's what makes this drama great. The flashbacks show us a glimpse of the 'ex-boyfriend' and they were actually my favorite part of the drama.

I have no complaints about the cast at all. Viola Mi's character (Xiang Nan) was just beyond annoying as the antagonist but she is an amazing actress (this is the first drama I saw her in). Her emotional scenes were spot on and I could really feel her inner turmoil. Of course, many said Maggie Jiang was kind of cold and unemotional but I actually thought she nailed her role as a strong career woman and she had huge character development to change her previously cold exterior. Nothing needs to be said about Jerry. I always love him in dramas, but I thought this role fit him a lot more (he's really adorable when he acts immature). Last but not least, Ron Ng (I saw him in Cantonese movies before), but this is the first time I saw him in a drama, and unfortunately he was dubbed but anyone who has second lead syndrome would definitely fall in love with him. The rest of the cast were great as well. There are the accomplices, the hilarious (and gossipy) office staff, a supportive mother, a disapproving father, and two comedic reliefs in the form of Ban Jie and Da Luo!

Music was really nice, albeit a little repetitive. I liked how they used some of JJ Lin's old songs. That being said, I even downloaded the OST so I guess it's pretty catchy!

Overall, I really recommend it. Re-watch value is alright because at 42 episodes, it's long! However, maybe I would watch it again a few months later, but I would definitely re-watch some of my favorite episodes. If your taste is anything like mine (meaning you're used to 'draggy t-dramas'-see previous reviews) and you can stand that for the cute OTP, then you will definitely love this drama. Of course, if you're a Jerry fan like me, you can't miss out on this drama either! (9.25/8)

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i hope my review will make others think differently about reconsider watching this drama. i think this drama is worth watching. Before i started the drama, i read some of the reviews was bad but i think i will give it a try, and i was glad that i did watch it.

I enjoyed the story of this drama and the writing script as well. The acting was ok, i love Maki's character the most and she did great here in my opinion, however, i got annoy by Yamada's character, i don't see a point to have this character in the drama at all. I think the script could be better because i have seen a drama about pilot before i think it was better than this one, however this one still a decent one to watch. There are some annoying part in the drama but still the acting of Maki help a lot and Kikuda' s character also help as well.

Even though, people want to see some romance in this drama but i don't think this inspiring kind of drama need the romance side within, if they are trying to push it in i think, it will lose it charm so this is reasonable to ditch some romance scene in this drama.

The music was great, i love the ending theme, it suits the drama.

The rewatch rate is low because this drama is one of those inspiring drama, you get those feeling right after you finish the drama, so you might need a break for a while to rewatch this kind of drama once again the get the same feeling. However, i think for a while it could possibly be inspiring once again for those who still cannot find a goal in your life yet, this drama could give you a way to find it and fight for it otherwise your life is such a waste.

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Welcome to the house of horrors

This drama is about Mio Meguro, who experiences an extremely bad turn in her life by being fired from her job, kicked out of her house, dumped by her boyfriend and harassed by debt collectors all at the same time. In the darkest moment of her life, she finds solace in a kind soul who offers her refuge in a quaint little traditional share house. But, not all is as it seems….

As far as the usual J-Dorama eccentricity goes, this show is not even half as weird as most of the same genre. Although the premise centres around the “youkai” (mysterious creatures of Japanese myth and folklore), spiritual/ dark arts themes with (minimal) elements of horror, this is pretty much a light hearted, comedic and well-acted production.

Koshiba Fuka plays the FL, Mio Meguro and her performance fits the role to a tee. Much like her previous role in Tokusatsu Gagaga, she is adept at playing the shy, timid, soft spoken and unassuming character that makes you want to protect this poor unfortunate soul who gets trampled on by unscrupulous boyfriends, bosses, and basically all other bullies. In addition to the fragile wimpiness, she projects the perfect blend of dramatic acting and comedic timing, thus making her well-suited to such humorous roles.

The supporting cast of the various Youkai are equally fun and entertaining, with the fantastic monster makeup and get-up, which comes across as more adorable than terrifying, during the transformation segment of every episode. This motley crew comprises monsters from tales as old as time, with Oiwa-san, Shutendoji, Zaishikiwarashi, and Nurarihyon as the primary share house occupants. Guest appearances by their comrades in arms come in the form of Okiku, Yomotsushikome, Yamauba and Amabie. Witnessing each of them with their uniquely strange and awesome powers truly is hilarious and mind-blowing.

The OST is provided by Miwa (who guest stars as herself in the final episode) who composed the distinctive J-rock piece, Daitan (check out the MV, which was produced with a unique “Youkai” concept).

I was honestly caught by surprise at how entertaining this show was. The ending was astonishing but hugely satisfying as well. Youkai Sharehouse is a light and easy watch if you’re in the mood for some laughter and fun, with the added insight into traditional Japanese folklore and myth of how the Youkai came into being. Running at only 8 episodes, it won't take too much of your time to indulge and you'll be positively relishing every moment of it.

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Feeds your craving for chaebol drama and mess!

This show most definitely will not fail to intrigue it's viewers. I've already watched Sky Castle, The World Of The Married, and I'm waiting on Penthouse 3 to premiere, so you already have an idea of my taste in kdramas. I was waiting for another's drama like the ones mentioned above to come and my prayers were answered. This one is just as fascinating and with fleshed out characters to match. And a murder isn't a bad way to start off a show either. 


One thing I want to talk about is the overall feel of the show. It has an aura of mystery but one that affects how you view the characters and their actions. It's hard to articulate but it's like you know what's going on but at the same time you don't. Even if you think you grasp the characters and their motivations, there's this invisible fog that's clouding your judgement. That might've been purposeful on the writer's part but it only draws you in so you can find out more. 

Each family member has secrets of their own and a storyline to go with them. The character I found most intriguing is Seo-hyun. She is the composed member of the family yet she is concealing the most damaging secret! Kang Ja Gyeong's backstory is crazy but the journey to finding out what led her to going up her son was really good. Hisoo is very likeable, which is good for dramas like this. In a world full of sinister characters you need someone to root for. My favorite storyline is that of Suhyeok and Yoo Yeon. They were quite minor but I'm a sucker for forbidden love and I just really found their dynamic interesting.

I definitely recommend this if you're a fan of the previously mentioned shows or if you just want to satisfy your craving for backstabbing rich families and dangerous secrets. 9/10

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I personally enjoyed watching this movie, I've read the manga series and fell in love with them. I liked the whole concept of how the main characters think differently from the 'norm' and how they are strange with thier obession with death. Maybe that's just me.

This isn't really a horror movie or anything. You're able to see how two high schoolers who never spoken before discover they share the same interest. Death.

Story 10- The main characters unravels the mystery of a murder case in thier neighbourhood not to solve the case and catch the murderer, but to see the corpse themselves.

Acting 10- I thought the acting was brillient as I felt I could connect with the obession the characters have.

Music 9- The music genre fits wonderfully as it beats up the tension.

Rewatch 9- Again I enjoyed the movie, may have something to do with loving the manga so much.

Some people may not agree with me and I admit some parts were a little slow but it's definitely worth the watch. There isn't much blood, 'scary' disturbing scenes for a murder/crime movie, however overall I loved the movie.

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One of the best romantic comedies

I stayed up late to finish the final two episodes of this brilliant series, and I do think it's one of the best romantic comedies I've seen. However, this series is more of a romantic COMEDY than it is a ROMANTIC comedy.

I love the humor of this show, because it is also referential. In Episode 11, it even hints at other recently-aired series such as My Liberation Notes ("revere me") and even alludes to Kill Me, Heal Me and many other popular K-dramas.

I have to say, it features romances that are refreshing because, again, the couples communicate well with each other. It's definitely not smooth-sailing all the time, but because they are able to converse with each other, they are able to deal with their problems well.

This is a rowdier, less sardonic Korean version of The Office, with smoldering romance at its center. The series is remarkably consistent in that even its kissing scenes are laugh-out-loud events: it's one of the few shows that feature kisses that are both hot and extremely funny at the same time.

Overall, this is definitely recommended. Intelligent, poignant, and yet boisterously funny, Gaus Electronics is one of the year's best series.

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Summer Lemongrass

I watched this movie at the 2024 Busan International Film Festival.
After the screening, there was a guest session where the director, writer, and lead actors discussed the movie with the audience.

Overall, it's a youth romance movie, so the plot is fairly common—or I should say, very common.
However, the execution of the entire movie wasn’t bad. I liked it.

What I liked:
1. The male and female characters were portrayed as 'normal' high school students, without any over-the-top actions, childish voices, or exaggerated coolness.
2. The male and female leads spoke multiple languages—Taiwanese, English, Spanish, and French—throughout the movie. They’re polyglots, which made me envious!
3. The second male lead was also portrayed as a good character. His moment begging the vet to open the clinic to help the dog of the man the girl he loves cares about was his golden moment. He’s also talented in music.
4. The difficulty of long-distance relationships was realistically portrayed. They drifted apart slowly, breaking up without explicitly saying it.
5. In the reconciliation scene, some people might disapprove of the male lead’s actions, like saying the kiss was without consent, but I support it. His third wish came true. Sometimes, you don’t need explanations—actions can clear the grey areas.
6. The ending was cute.

What I disliked:
1. The title 'I Am the Secret in Your Heart' doesn’t seem fitting. 'Lemongrass of Our Youth' would be better. The English title doesn’t reflect the core of the story. Even by the end, the female lead didn’t know she was the male lead’s childhood friend. Or maybe the title implies that some secrets should remain secrets.
2. The movie’s focus on high school and college/work phases was roughly 2:1, which felt a bit unbalanced. Wanna see more of college-work era.

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"It´s the law of gravity" or the dilemma of failing in the second half.

I will make it short, it´s not a bad story and also the actors weren´t bad or at fault for any of the bad reactions. On the contrary, I think the cast did a pretty good job for a low budget series. With all my respect, it´s just simply this kind of rushed scenes, actions and endings that make web series like this not enjoyably enough to give it a high ranking.

Moreover, some of the mistakes could have been resolved easily if the screenwriters had focused more on the quantity of the story than the quality of visual things. I understand that they very likely had a low budget, it´s just that these major mistakes could have been avoided if they had written it a bit more neutral. However, since homosexuality/ or attraction between men is still not accepted in many parts of China, I do partly understand they needed some interesting turning point to get some attention but that scene in episode 8 was definitely not the right choice.

The turn of things is also misleading and provides the wrong image of a healthy relationship/ love story. It would have been different if the focus of the story would have been less light in the overall series or Cheng Yi had been introduced as a bad character.

Apart from the "very toxic misbehaviour", it didn´t even match the pacing of the story. An honest dialogue was the main thing the story needed, not the impulsive kind of unnecessary action. This dilemma seems to be one of the main curses in the BL industry. Overall without the incident, it would have been a higher ranking with a more reasonable ending. Almost no rewatch value.

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