Reviews

Amazing Tibet biking documentary

I love to know how Zhang Zhehan is throughout the best Tibet biking documentary. The people he met, the stunning landscapes of Tibet captured by him, and the words showing his lovely and thoughtful mind, all let me know the importance of life keep going and no regret to the past. I wish I can see more about this kind of documentary by the director Zhang Zhehan.

It's really the August I imagined, and it's not just that August. Listening to Zhang Zhehan talk about every August he encountered in his life, until that moment. He pushed August into the abyss with us, watching him climb up the iceberg step by step, with endless cliffs next to him, as if that August had been embodied in this way, and then restarted in August of 2022, and finally August of 2023. Arriving in his dream Tibet, I seemed to be inspired by his indomitable spirit and revived, just like I had experienced the past three years with him.

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This is definitely a sweet little sentimental film. Unlike many time-travel dramas and movies, it uses this theme in the sense of “what if” and leaves viewers to reflect about life. The lead character does not go back in time to save the world but to merely save his loved ones. It’s personal and small-scale. I loved the reactions (I wouldn’t say ‘relationship’) between his present and past self, and I thought they looked so much like father and son.

This movie had a quite ‘commercial’ mood, meaning they made the overall tone light enough to reach a wide range of viewers. The directing, the cinematography, the atmosphere, even the story and the core message itself weren’t explored in depth. Personally I think It lacked personality, considering the fact that I enjoy independent films where messages are deeper and cinematography targets my ‘aesthetic trash’ self. In the story here there’s only a bit of romance, a bit of friendship, a bit of comedy, a bit of family and a bit of medical, portrayed in a rather vibrant palette. Nothing particularly stood out. Nothing deep.

However, this could be a good point for someone who’s looking for a rather light watch. It’s really nothing grand like its *wrong* choice of tagline: “What if you get 10 chances to change your past?” It doesn’t drive you to calculate your ability for 10 times time-travel that much.

Acting was really great in here. The leads Kim Yoonseok and Byun Yohan were alive in their roles. Other actors also did well. The music didn’t stand out to me, but it wasn’t awkward. It also seems like an easy choice to rewatch, but I don’t really know what I’d rewatch this for. I’m not a re-watcher so don’t mind my score.

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So far the best wuxia martial arts based drama from china that I've watched. Most have many stupid plots thrown in as well as love stories that go wrong for stupid reasons but this drama manages to find a good balance and at least give sensible reasons for most of the things that go wrong. Also has a happy ending if you care about that stuff.

One of the things I enjoyed most in this is when the main character goes into disguise and does chivalrous hero stuff. Theres usually lots of hilarious content when he does that though it only happened about twice if I remember correctly. This is your basic regular-martial-artist-turned-super strong/strongest-after-journeying-the-wuxia-world-and-learning-skills-from-some-master(s) type of story. So if you're a fan for that kind of stuff (or Jin Youngs novel adaptations) you should definitely give this a go. It has all that ridiculous martial arts with people flying all over the place (aka wire-fu) and explosions happening lol (like actual explosions and not a lot of the crappy cg effects you see in Chinese drama these days due to budget restraints or whatever).

Overrall production was very well done. The characters immersed with expertly/appropriately designed costumes (got to respect actresses as nuns with actual shaved heads, or at least wearing props that make them look bald), so many awesomely choreographed martial arts fights, lots of non-cg explosions, so many epic moments and the build ups that lead to them, and a really good love story that pondered some challenging questions; The love of a man from a righteous sect and a woman from an evil sect and what it meant to be considered righteous/evil in such a time. Oh and theres bloody conspiracies.

Major flaw with this series is that there are parts of the story that seem out of place or missing. It could have you confused like you missed an episode even though you didn't. An example would be when the next episode does not continue from the cliffhanger of the previous episode (Unfortunately this happens quite a bit during the first few episodes and then once/twice in the later eps). I think they might have shot too much footage and had a hard time deciding what should be included in the final cuts. And thus parts of the story might have been cut off. This was my only major gripe with the drama even though it still ends up being my fav wuxia series. Also watch out for episodes being mismatched on streaming sites e.g. a video would read ep 39 but it’ll be listed under episode 38 in most sites (this exact problem is present in most sites except youre streaming on maybe dramafever, which probably has better subs as well)

Still the overall experience definitely makes this a must watch. So if you can ignore the major flaw I mentioned and make it past a few eps, you just might find yourself an enjoyable wuxia adventure with a love story you’d be happily shipping.

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Give Me A Second Season Right Now!

I never really intended to watch 'Sell Your Haunted House'. Being still relatively new to the K-world, I wasn't aware of either of the leads of the story or their works . It was just one fateful night when I really had nothing to watch, I accidentally stumbled upon it thinking it would be an okay-ish pass time for a while BUT one episode and I was just hooked. SYHH proved to be the best out of all the on going shows for me.

One important thing that needs to be noted is that this show might be 'horror' but it's not meant to scare you off. I agree the CGI/graphics were pretty solid but still, the story behind every one of those unrested spirits stirred up so many emotions in my heart that sometimes it was difficult to hold back the tears. The right amount of comedy was always there to mix the heavy emotional scenes with the lighter ones. The dynamic duo- Ji-Ah and In-Bum were fabulous with zero unnecessary misunderstandings and 100% pure faith and friendship. Plus, all of their exorcism scenes are so well-executed and their chemistry is worth rooting for.

This is that one show that that started with a bang and ended with one as well while maintaining its quality throughout. If you like a show with an actually strong/badass female lead, amazing partnerships, a sweet bromance, blood-boiling antagonists , emotional and action packed exorcisms and overall something that's worth f every minute of your time, this is the one for you.

I really hope there is a season 2.

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A big Huh? and Wtf? of a show

For a series that is about top actors, I'm amazed that they chose to have this be 6 out of 9 main characters' acting debuts. Not only was the acting borderline boring it was bad. Really bad. Gun was the only character I liked and stayed for but even he wasn't spared of the show's horrible writing.

What I hated about the show:
- The subbing. It isn't the show's fault but the first two episodes were IMPOSSIBLE to power through. Pitch was written as Pizza, Picco, Picc, and I think even Piccolo at one point. Gun and Korn's names were sometimes swapped and at times they were written as "Kang" or something more Korean. Towards the end, there was an 'oppa' in place of 'hia' and/or 'phi' and I thought that was hilarious
- If you've seen the first few episodes then you're aware that there are these prison-like house rules, however, we never got to really know them. And instead of the show showing them to us, we only got characters challenging each other over and over again with the same line 'Don't you know the house rules?' Uh no, we don't, please elaborate!
- Pitch was not the main character anyone needed or deserved. I would have cut the show some slack had they made him a cyborg instead
- Pitch and Gun was not the IT couple the show thought they were. Not only did they lack chemistry, nothing about their scenes was romanticly suggestive. I'm not sure if there's an uncut version but at one point the show was following the Mintra-Korn-Pawin catastrophe when all of a sudden they drop an 'oh look, Gun and Pitch have romantic feelings for each other!!! Yay!'. Yeah no, just no. And upon further research, it appears that the actors for Gun and Pitch were changed to Pepo and Leo after the official trailer?? That would explain the lack of chemistry.
- Korn and Pawin's sexual relationship was hinted earlier on but how the show executed it was beyond tasteless. Not only did Korn cheat on Mintra, but when she caught them he had the audacity to gas-lit her. And this guy never asked about her mom's condition when it was first brought up until later just to mess with her. Jerk move.
- Everything about the character "Sun" was something to nothing. Finally, we got to see that Suzy and Host aren't as stoic and fearless as we believed them to be when Suzy's biological son, Sun, makes his not-so-grand entrance. Unfortunately, the character was only utilized for suspense and to convince us that the people and relationships at House of Stars are "interesting". I wasn't counting but he said "This house is interesting" 4-5 times. By failing to write better characters, the show lost the opportunity to show the kind and caring, or lack thereof sides of the members of the house, by having at least one of them stand up to Sun in Suzy or Host's defense. I swear, what's the point of Korn bragging about not using stunt doubles in his action scenes if there wasn't going to be some butt-kicking???
- Suzy's death was hilariously and terribly shown. Not only was her death sudden, it was told to us by unreliable characters of how it happened when on the night before her death all we saw was her bawling her eyes out. The fact that when her lifeless body was discovered and NO ONE stepped in to do CPR or check if she had a pulse shows you how ungrateful and slow these characters are. And I don't care if she was strict, she called them 'family'. And immediately somehow a viral video of Gun saying he ruined someone's life was good enough to prove he was the no1 suspect behind Suzy's death. Yeah, he was acting weird but when were any of them normal???
- Pitch and So's walking styles were so stiff and tense
- Lalit is unrealistic. And where were her acting gigs??? She was brought on as an actress but all she did was follow Pitch and So around
- Wayu and Wayha were boringly cute
- Is Gun and Korn friends or not?
- Maybe I've seen too many Korean dramas but do Thai people not wear black after a passing? And where was Suzy's funeral? It was never held or talked about.
- After putting So's brother, Sin, in that state and taking Sin's role, Gun has the audacity to confess and try to kiss Pitch knowing how So feels about Pitch
- Hold on. Does So genuinely like Pitch or just dislike the fact that Pitch is spending too much time with the guy who wronged Sin not once but twice?
- Who okayed Leo's singing??
- Riddle me this, when Lalit threw the box cutter vertically, how did it cut Pitch's arm horizontally? And why was Gun's first reaction "Let me bandage you."? I'd think you'd ask if he was okay or check for a wound first but okay...whatever.
- The number of times Pitch was inconsiderate towards So's feelings was baffling. And this is the main character we're supposed to root for? Tsk tsk
- For a house full of colleagues there was NOT ONE healthy friendship arc

Things I liked about the show:
- The credit song. I'm mad I can't find the full version anywhere T_T
- Korn leaving House
- Mintra and Pawin's sassy enemies-to-friends relationship. It was borderline toxic but at least it was entertaining
- The show cast an inexperienced actor to play an inexperienced actor. Well done

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Story
The story for 'Born Again' is refreshing and unique. It starts in the 1980s, telling you an almost whole story before moving to the present day. The story presents such a compelling story for the 1980s, a serial killer named Gong Ji Chul who's signature is a yellow umbrella. As we learn more about Ji Chul, we begin to realize he is truly a monster. But what is even more amazing is that once we get to the present day roughly the year 2020, everything we know is flip on its head. The once violent serial killer who has 11 bodies of women as charges against him has only ever killed one person is a strange self-defense love induced rage of the heart.
Furthermore, the cop, Cha Hyung Bin, is one of the most upright characters in the 80s. Hyung Bin's primary goal is to protect his fiance Jung Ha Eun because she has a yellow umbrella. Hyung Bin is the perfect boyfriend to Ha Eun; her heart condition is a strain on their relationship, providing an interesting point of conflict for the two. Everything hits an explosive end on a snow mountain before Jung Ha Eun's marriage to Cha Hyung Bin.
While in the present time, Gong Ji Chul reincarnated to be Chun Jong Bum, who is a student in college studying to be a medical examiner. He has a mentally abusive family and nonempathic life. During one of his classes, his professor turns out to be the reincarnated Jung Ha Eun now Jung Sa Bin. Jong Bum and Sa Bin hit it off; the two become very close when suddenly they meet the reincarnated Cha Hyung Bin now Kim Soo Hyuk over a 30-year-old body. Things become more complicated as both Soo Hyuk and Jong Bum vie for Sa Bin's attention and affection.
Acting/Cast
The casting for this drama is magnificent. I can't honestly say I wouldn't change any of the actors. I only came to this show because I love Jang Ki Yong and wanted to see him in something after 'Search WWW:'. I at first thought this was going to be similar to one of Jang Ki Yong's previous works 'Come and Hug Me', but it was on a whole different level. There was a depth to this character that I hadn't seen him act before, and it's impressive to see him play what you think you see. But once you open your eyes to who Gong Ji Chul and by extension, Chun Jong Bum is, you understand the depth he added to both characters, and it's breathtaking. Lee Soo Hyuk had such a distinctive style playing a good to bad to awful to just pitiful person. I ran through so many emotions in one second I was like he is so perfect for her (Ha Eun), and then I was like how could he do this to (Jong Bum). I fell for his story arcs, even after finishing this drama, I don't know how I feel about him. I can't even say if I loved or hate his character, which is a first for me. I genuinely think Lee Soo Hyuk outdid himself!! But I have to say for me the biggest let down has to be the lack of emotional connection I had with Jung Ha Eun and Jung Sa Bin. I honestly felt that the actress only played the character and did not bring either female to life like her costars. It didn't overpower any scene unless you were looking for it. I also think my lack of connection with her was because her character, to me, felt two-dimensional.
Music
The music fits into every scene, able to pull emotions from me; I didn't even know I was feeling. I am generally not a crier during emotional moments, but I felt myself tearing up as well as bawling my eyes out. I have to give credit to the music composer because I've haven´t cried this hard over fictional characters in a while. Perfect score in all moments because it brought everything together perfectly.
Rewatch Value
My rewatch value is super low because of 2 important things 1) I hate crying, and I would prefer never to do it. I honestly know if I were to rewatch this show in a week or several years, this drama would have me in tears in *aggressively snaps fingers*. 2) The ending, which was the biggest disappointment in history.
Disappointment
My only problem with this drama is it's ending. Because I don't like to cry, I like happy endings. No crying is needed, please. But this time, I wanted a tragedy; I feel like Gong Ji Chul/Chun Jong Bum was cheated of his happy ending. The drama should have ended how he wanted his life to end, providing someone with an unforgettable gift. I feel that if this story had followed Chun Jong Bum's intended ending, his wish for his purpose, that it would have been more enjoyable because it would fit his character. But the conclusion robbed him; ripped him from his redemption. I understand why he said he was traveling overseas to the US. But why keep her waiting? That was when I first knew this wasn't going to give him the beautiful ending he had wanted. But when Jung Sa Bin stole his dying wish forcing him to live so that she might have companionship and love, I felt this was the biggest injustice he had ever gotten. Besides the fact that I think her character is undeserving of him, but that's beside the point. The ending killed the story.
Overall
I loved the character arcs for the leading males. There new eccentric roles are electrifying, and I encourage you to watch this drama even if the ending is terrible. This drama shows you that there are always two sides to every story as well as character. That just because someone is fighting the good fight that might mean inside they are wrong. Or that even when the law is supposed to be justice, it can make mistakes. I'll imagine a better ending for Gong Ji Chul/Chun Jong Bum, but please watch this fantastic drama even if the finish is subpar at best.

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Moral lesson: Unless one can do better, maybe skip the nasty comments

This is a story about a reader who went after an author because the story did not go the way she wanted. She hated how it progressed, hated how it ended, and decided it was perfectly fine to throw around rude comments in public. Hiding behind that old excuse of "we're entitled to our opinion", but the message in this story was pretty clear: "If it's really that easy, then write and produce something better."

There is a massive gap between criticism that helps and comments that just attack. Some authors speak out, many just stay quiet. Some do not even bother reading feedback anymore. And there will always be those who lose heart, those who stop writing, those who even lose their jobs—because of words meant to hurt, not help.

This story was written for those types of readers. The main character? A woman who decided to let loose an ugly comment. Unfortunately for her, the author fought back. She was challenged to rewrite the story. Not just rewrite it—rewrite it well enough to save her life.

She tried. Only to end up dying by execution.

In the end, the author gave her one last option: write a proper ending using only three sentences, to save yourself from execution.

After wasting hours trying to pull off something epic, what did she come up with? A bee. A ridiculous bee. Her "genius" twist boiled down to the most random thing imaginable—a bee.

In fairness, despite almost dying and her ridiculous bee, she actually came up with a better version of the story she trashed. One that worked, nonsense twist and all.

She learnt her lesson. Sometimes it is not about liking or hating a story. Sometimes it is about understanding that writing is never as easy as it looks. Not every twist will be loved, not every ending will satisfy. And attacking someone for it helps no one.

The question is—did you learn the lesson?

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A BL Gem, Not Perfect But It Deserves 9 Stars

I hate this series. Why I hate it because my sleep has been disrupted. LOL

It made me binge-watch it from past midnight to morning, only giving me four hours of sleep. In the end, despite the bad engsub, I have come to love the series.

This is the first BL series that has managed me to gush at the main characters. I have watched many BL series and I think those who know me here know how toxic I can be when I defend a BL series such as TharnType.

But I understand that this BL series is not everyone's cup of tea. It is not perfect but it is a feel-good BL series that I end up loving it.

It is a shame that there is no extensive social media promotion for this series. I have come to love the main characters but I have to take a special mention to Earth for justifying the role of Songkram. I don't really like that cool, arrogant, and handsome main lead but his character is volatile. He can be this sexy arrogant over-achiever but also a silly lover. There are moments where he is romantically excited chatting with his new boyfriend that I find really cute. And then he can be this strict boyfriend even though they are not in a relationship yet.

And their acting is also good. It's a comedy BL series so I expected chaotic scenes. There are a lot of them actually.

I feel like some scenes should have been retaken but the spontaneity of those scenes, the natural acting, and vibe in that certain setting and the flow seem satisfactory for me as a BL audience. It's like they were having fun during the production and might have that 'come-what-may' recording of scenes. But the results are good. I feel like I am watching a stage play where a character appears and then another one exits in one scene and then another. But I still see the direction to be exemplary.

I have to commend the director and editor for that.

I have to say that Destiny Seeker is a rare gem in BL. I would have given it 8.5/10 but seeing the ending of the series, a 9.0/10 is a fitting rating for the series. Again, it's not perfect. I can see some BL fans ranting about the cliche moments in the scenes and some generic tropes. But what it delivers is a feel-good vibe in the end. I am very entertained.

I did not even mention the sultry scenes and even the side characters. The character development of side couples is satisfactory to the point that it does not eclipse those of the main characters. They even help build anticipation for the main course though some viewers may have complained that the bed scenes of side couples are earlier than the main leads.

Anyways, I like the differentiation strategy of the directors because even if the bed scene of the main leads occurs in the last episode, it is all worth it. Viewers will have to check it.

Kissing scenes are not that good but the main leads have better improvement in the last episode. Side couples' kissing scenes are better though.

I am looking forward to more of EarthBank series because they are another BL couple that deserves the BL fans' support.

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If there are only two super-wonderkid movies (those coming-of-age shows that accomplish technical-wise and impact-wise feats), this show must be either in the first or second spot. The other one, I guess...Battle Royale? Cut the crap, gotta begin the review.

I see why this movie is rated so badly in international fandom. Fans and even critics alike ripped this drama apart for its very unorthodox approach to the story and characters. And it IS really different to other shows at the same traits. Well, the makers of the movie actually took risky path anyone has refused to do, while it can be done in more mainstream way but it didn't. Yet, it appears to be very successful in terms of technical merit and the fact it won prestigious awards proves that this show is actually irrefutably good.

If you had watched Vantage Point or any kinda shows like that, you will easily notice that both shows do a number of point of views. In Kirishima Bukatsu Yameteruyo, they are a movie geek, a girl who can't make her mind, Kirishima's best friend, timid girl, bitchy girl, etc. The title-mentioned Kirishima itself disappears and practically never shows up. It is the aforementioned characters with their own point of views who are affected and exhibit subsequent changes due to the disappearance. Yes the plot is actually pretty straight without shocking twists, but if you watch in-depth, down to the character's gestures, you'll find revelations after revelations that even if they do not give you a very clear picture of the ending, you will know what would happen next.

It should be noted that the character developments are the main point of this movie and they are handled in masterful manner. I personally think the directing is a masterclass and so is the acting. What makes me surprised is, aside of some well-known former child actors like Kamiki and Suzuka Ohgo as well as acting prodigy Ai Hashimoto, most of the casts are no-name young actors, some even just begin their acting careers. The acting level in the movie is so even but very good, not a single actor displays stark stand-out or being weak spot. If I could name a single actor who plays the best, perhaps it's Higashide (the big guy) and I surprised because this lad is already 24-25 years old at the time of the filming and he plays an 18 years old boy. Not only for that, he plays Hiroki who is Kirishima's best friend (hence he is the most influenced one) with depth and heart. This lad, as the rest of the young casts, has a very bright future in acting world.

BTW, the song played with the ending credit is incredible and passionate, as well as fits the movie very well. The back sound during the "brawl" is also deserves thumbs up.

This shows may not be for everyone and even I have to watch it 2 times to research the details and depth. But it's worth trying and watching and I declare this one as one of my all-time favorite.

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I am tired of dramas giving me plot points, rather than plotlines.

I honestly do not understand why writers, directors, producers - anyone and everyone who has any say in the final product, are so stubborn into adding so many unnecessary plot lines and characters, when the majority of the short shows would work so much better with minimal effort, serving just the good vibes.

What I enjoyed about the show: the dynamics between the leads. The tiny twist to “enemies to lovers” trope was done in a refreshing way - adding both the tension and comedy depending on the situation. I liked how consistent the characters were. Best example - the difference in their dreams, and how it then corresponds to reality. Tiny details that just made sense. I liked how they both had clear internal issues they had to work through, and how they unintentionally helped each other deal with them.

I also liked the initial disagreements in the team based on their completely different goals and motivations. Them slowly starting to work together when they understood they can both benefit from cooperation was for sure one of the highlights.

And that would be enough for an 8 episode drama to be good. Focus and develop just these two aspects of the plot. But no, you need to make it more complex than it needs to be, add more unnecessary external drama. Create a huge issue just to solve it in 5 minutes. Why? I am tired of dramas giving me plot points, rather than plotlines. Nothing is developed or truly explained, because there is not time to do that.

I love how the poster makes it seem like it will focus on football, and have a rather big cast of important characters, when in reality the football did not matter at all and half of the people we see in the poster are there to fill the space so the locker room will not look too empty. They used their phones to film content more often than they kicked ball. Where was the balance?

The performances were rather good. Nothing too amazing, but I partially blame it on choppy editing and not so smooth storytelling. For a tiny budget it apparently had, the production was good. For sure did not stand out in a negative way compared to the majority of the other k-bl from the past few years.

Overall, it was not bad, but it was not good? The type of a show you won’t regret watching, but it’s not exactly something you would recommend others to watch either.

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I watched and tremendously enjoyed the first instalment of the Let's Eat franchise. When I heard about a second instalment, I was pretty pragmatic about the probability of the original cast returning. It's simply a bonus that Doojoon even returned for a second season to play the same character. On reflection, it really wouldn't have been a Let's Eat without him and his character returning to the show.

In terms of story, I appreciate the effort to stay true to certain important themes of the first Let's Eat, like being single, living alone, and feeling lonely in a big city, yet introduce new dimensions like friends-turned-lovers, and talking about married people feeling lonely, not just single people. Frankly, I didn't like the recycling of the mystery theme which wasn't an important storyline for me in the first instalment.

The food porn was good, as always, and I like that they ventured outside Korean food and got the characters to try other cuisines like Chinese, Indian and Mexican cuisine.

Doojoon has made Goo Dae Young the character his own and I can’t see anyone else in that role. Seo Hyun Jin is a revelation in this show. I have never seen any of her previous shows and now that she’s in Oh Hae Young Again, I definitely plan to watch that too after watching this show. Initially, I was supremely annoyed by her character. But as the show peeled the layers of her character, I really grew to love her character and she was so good at bringing out the vulnerabilities of her character. Kwon Yul is a pretty interesting actor too and I look forward to seeing him in other shows. Park Hee Soon is hilarious as Doojoon's lonely, always-drunk sidekick. A great character actor.

Overall, an enjoyable watch that is peppered with romance, food porn, and just enough angst to break your heart but not too much that you can’t piece it back together.

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Did not get the attention as Double Helix and Sammy's Children Day

While we were in a slump with most thai BLs, China got us three good shows. Sadly for this show, it was overshadowed by Double Helix and Sammy's Children Day even when in parts it was much better than the other ones. First of course there is the historical settings, gorgeous costumes and a budget which got strained, so we only have two nice fighting scenes.

While the script was not as polished as it could be, the actors compensated for most of it. Especially the scheming crown price was a delight to watch. Of course it was a bit too gay. 🤣 We not also got a BL we also get a GL but in subdued undertones but very obvious. Combine this with great cinematography and you get a good show.

You get the scheming, the fighting, the fluffyness, tasteful nc-scenes and a bit of sillyness (6th princess). Of course, they could not go with a sad end, because it's a BL after all. You get everything you can wish for in a setting which is interesting with a story-arc which made sense and compared to most other chinese BLs a story without toxicit., Just a fairy tale where the good gals/guys win. For me it was very entertaining, everything is like a small river flowing evenly and then comes the thunderstorm and water is cascading down the hills and flooded everything in it's way. And after the flood comes the time to rebuilding, in this case the search for a cure for Yanzhi with an happy end. So, this is definitively worth a watch!

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Not Perfect but Desperately Needed

I had to think about the finale a bit, before offering my review.

A 7.7 rating (as of 1/27/25) seems a bit low to me, but higher than what MDL scored the weekend predecessors (It's Beautiful Now, The Real Has Come, 3 Bold Siblings, Beauty & Mr Romantic, etc). I would score this series as an 8....here's why:

First off, as a prototype for the new 36 episode weekend format, this was a huge win. Can you imagine this story stretched out for 50 episodes? Haven't we suffered enough with draggy, filler-laden series? I hope KBS sticks with the 36 episode rule, unless it can find writers from the era when "Once Again", 'My father is strange', etc ruled. But I fear those days are long gone.

Secondly, lets think about what this series DIDN'T have....a ton of cliches. There was:
-No WTOD (although many of us would have cheered it on for a few characters)
-No Amnesia Arc
-No huge cancer scare (instead cancer that stalked the elders was dealt with as a part of life and kept in the background)
-Only ONE DNA test (take THAT, writers of 3 Bold Siblings)
-No Evil Mother-in-Law

So what DID this series have?
- A-list cast (elders, FL/ML, FL mom)
- A very different premise from prior weekend 'family dramas'
- quick pacing
- the ability to be sad, infuriating and funny all in one episode
- seamless time-jumps
- a satisfying ending that could have been better, but I get it...

And the big question is "What was this series about?" To me, it was all about the money. It was the real star of the show, and got in the last word (or wink). This show was about the corrosive effects upon a family that the money caused. Either because it originated as Ill-gotten-gains (a loan shark's endowment to his daughter) or just because it was such a huge amount of cash, everyone the money touched, changed for the worse: we saw this all happen in real-time: first the elders, then their DIL, their own daughter, their oldest granddaughter (who resisted temptation), their grandson who betrayed his police training and lost his career, and finally the 'rightful' owner of the money, the ML's mom. Although "Iron Family" was a cute play on words, the series should have been called 'The Root of all Evil" or something like that, to show how ordinary, law-abiding and moral people became something they were not, all because of 10-million Won.

So I appreciated how different this series was, with the only villains a bunch of incompetent loan sharks who were utilized sparingly. Yes, GangJu was the only likeable character and I'm happy that KJH got such a great role for prime-time. And the only real regret I have is that the main leads chemistry was under-utilized. They made a really great couple, and I would have liked to have seen more romance on their part, but this wasn't a rom-com, so it's OK. But casting directors note: they play off each other REALLY WELL.

Thanks everyone here for your comments, and the lively discussion. I did enjoy this series and will miss it. And that's a good thing for a fan to say about a series. Well-done KBS and production team.

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