Reviews

Yet another masterpiece from Hirokazu Koreeda

For those who are already familiar with Hirokazu Koreeda will know what they are getting themselves into before watching this film.

If you go in to the cinemas expecting this to be fast pace action or suspense blockbuster film, than you will be disappointed. This is an art house film that is very much driven by the characters.

Each of the casts deliver outstanding performances. Song Kang-ho rightly deserve winning the Best Actor award for his starring turn in Broker at 75th Cannes Film Festival 2022. Lee Ji-eun (aka IU) is the heart and soul of this film as we watch her character change as she journey with the brokers.

Just go to the cinemas with the right expectation and this film will not disappoint while enjoy the empathetic road trip odyssey reflecting on the family we choose.

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This story was 85% wonderful, and then 15% fell just south of that in the last couple of episodes. It wasn't perfect, but I still think it was worth a watch and is a super cute office romance comedy. If nothing else, do it for Choi Daniel! :) But I have to say that Baek Jin Hee was bringing the cute in spades! I was anticipating a much higher score for this, if the ending hadn't fallen just a little flat for me. Like the writers got close to the end and then just weren't quite sure how to wrap everything up. I did enjoy the epilogues of the characters even if it wasn't *quite* what I was hoping for or expecting for our main characters.

The office hijinks played a large part in this show, as the description indicates. However, the office stuff was also kind of where its weak point lay as well. I enjoyed the burgeoning relationship between our leads, Chi Won and Yoon Yi, and the antics of their office department. They had a great supporting cast there. Lee Won Keun as Hwangbo Yul, although mostly a character I sympathized with, also had quite silly and annoying moments of aegyo because he's basically a man-child. Kang Hye Jung as his assistant Wang Jung Ae was just the mothering, loyal assistant he needed. I think they did a pretty decent job with the comedy parts of the show as well as the romance parts. There were lots of laughs and a few swoon-y moments as well. :)

The theme song was catchy - I caught myself singing it a few times.

I would say that this is a fairly decent romantic comedy as long as you don't set your expectations too high. It's cute and fun as long as that's all you are asking from it because the plot is a bit thin. I was just able to overlook that until it got down to the final episodes, and I realized that I wasn't going to get all the answers I was looking for. I would still recommend this to rom-com fans.
As far as re-watches go...I'd say there are several episodes and scenes that I'd watch again, but I don't know if I would do a complete run through again.

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Teen Spirit With A Shaman Twist…

Let’s be honest. The Great Shaman Ga Doo Shim’ is a verbatim title. ( As there’s not a lot left to the imagination to work out what this drama is about.) Admittedly Park Ho Jin’s drama doesn’t try to brand itself as “ the next Goblin ” or a “ new fantasy phenomenon”. It is a teen “ cutesy” fantasy tale about the supernatural, but often leans more into the realm of “teen angst” with main leads Ga Doo Shim ( Kim Sae Ron) and fellow classmate Na Woo Soo( Nam Da Reum) ‘s journey through high school also. (At the time of writing director Park’s wish for a sequel season to explore more about the characters was confirmed also .)

As a consequence the drama featured an array of intriguing characters. However their ultimate contribution to the storyline and depth admittedly does vary dependent on screen time and the screenwriting also. Kim Sae Ron was fairly dynamic as quiet and mysterious high-schooler Ga Doo Shim. The former child actress carried an ambience of perfect angst, suaveness and longing which was perfectly matched for her role . As a character it was evident that Doo Shim could’ve gone down two possible routes; one-dimensional and unlikeable by being egotistical , or a more well-rounded heroine who has a likeable charm by struggling with her emotions and carrying empathy. ( Fortunately with our female lead it was the former case. )

Doo Shim’s character development was arguably the most pivotal from begrudgingly accepting that she can see ghosts and trying to be “ normal” , to opening up to new friends ( particularly Na Woo Soo) , feelings and understanding that she can use her powers for the greater good. Yet whilst her setbacks do help to make her feel realistically flawed, there are moments surrounding Doo Shim which felt like more of an excuse to “ heighten dramatic tension ” rather develop her character gradually or focus more time upon making Doo Shim feel realistic.

For example whilst Doo Shim’s relationship with her mother Hyo Shim( Bae Hae Seon) did see the typical rocky road between a parent and a daughter, there was a lot of missed opportunities to explore more about their complex bond . It was evident how much Hyo Shim genuinely cared for her daughter, however, Doo Shim and Hyo Shim rarely had opportunities outside of necessary plot to talk about their shared bereavement , feelings or emotions without queuing into comic relief or angst. Perhaps with a sequel season it is wrong to condemn a final verdict over this relationship as “ poorly-written” overall, however, hopefully season two will give more chances to covering this relationship rather than putting it on the back burner.

Then of course there’s our main male lead Na Woo Soo. Nam Da Reum did a great job as the plucky prodigy with a heart of gold . Initially starting off as a plot device in order to awaken Doo Shim’s “ character growth and feelings”, it was refreshing to see Woo Soo leave the realm as the prosaic potential “love interest” and the “ sidekick who is new to this world” to having more complex depth . One particular focal point to exploring Da Reum’s greater sense of altruism as a character came through his unusual friendship with underdog and best friend Kim Il Nam ( Yoon Jung Hoon). However this is also where we hit a major rut with Woo Soo as a character; he displays emotions, but he rarely acts out upon them unless they’re necessary to the storyline.

There was brimming potential to explore a lot more about Woo Soo’s darker side which he did display at points in the drama such as his silent threat to Jo Soo Jung ( Lee Ji Won) after her potential blackmail, as well as his anger at Kim II Nam during the main events of the storyline. When the story covered the major events surrounding Kim II Nam it seemed odd the drama switched Woo Soo’s personality towards being “ mopey yet calm” rather than using this as a golden opportunity to explore more about Woo Soo’s own negative feelings or hero complex, as well as heal the wound between Woo Soo and Doo Shim helping one another through these events.

Yoo Sun Ho’s performance as witty dead high schooler Hyun Soo was pretty delightful. As a character Hyun Soo serves both as an example of surprising comical foil as well as wasted potential also. On one side whilst Hyun Soo does have his more brief yet bittersweet moments surrounding his death and his search for his mother, he did often cool down more heavy scenes with deadpan expressions or annoying Doo Shim. However there was a lot of unexplored ground with Hyun Soo’s sentience in the series such as being a ghost, never being able to physically age( unlike Doo Shim or Woo Soo), his search for his mother as well as a lack of deep connection between himself and Doo Shim ( who she seems to have grown up with pretty much ) which were never explored and left anticlimactic with the way the drama abruptly ended l his character arc early on .

This moves us onto the antagonistic force of the drama. Now officially there are two antagonists in the drama; the malevolent sprit, and of course an “ unforeseen” antagonist ( until they were revealed after a major incident). Positively this did present more multi-layered complexity than the entity merely being the “ big bad”, as well as pointing out a clear sociocultural criticism towards the cruel “ dog eat dog” hierarchy in the South-Korean education system . On the other whilst their motive was clear and had the potential to be realistically intriguing , their actual reason covered textbook moustache-villainy rather than being given more intrinsic depth. The ending was ( unsurprisingly) fairly anti climatic- not bad per say and certainly helping to add a more conclusive ending for our antagonists, as well as a. interpretative finale for our main leads but nevertheless slightly rushed with the climax coming to a halt early on, rather than being built up or allowing time for rising tension.

So is ‘ The Great Shaman Ga Doo Shim’ actually worth watching? Park Ho Jin does a good job at building up our main characters as endearing and likeable leads which are further sold by dynamic performances with Kim Sae Ron and of course Hyun Soo, as well as the mystical and supernatural lore of the drama. On the other hand whilst Ho Jin’s potential sequel season could give room for tying up loose ends and problems ( including exploring character depth and relationships which sometimes felt disregarded), there were several inconclusive screenwriting moments which often felt rushed, cliche, one-dimensional or anticlimactic . Overall ‘ The Great Shaman Ga Doo Shim’ certainly remains one of the stronger fantasy drama contenders for 2021 - it is not flawless from a screenwriting perspective and there’s a lot of ground that Ho Jin needs to cover going on forward, but a fairly easygoing watch.

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AWESOMENESS AWESOME!! Heart...stop it!! That was GOOD!! I don't know where to begin because I am not going to give anything away. I must say, this is not for the faint of heart. Within the first 10 minutes, you'll be jumping out your skin. As I was watching it, it reminded me so much of Silent Hill (no, I never finished that) but story was reminiscent of it. Lee Si Young was AWESOME in this role as Ji Hyun. I already have mad respect for her but now..She will creep up as being one of my top 10 favorite actresses. Uhm Ki Joon as the Det. Ki Cheol was so brass as the cop who basically continued my negative opinion on Korean police. But his acting was definitely stellar. Give it up to Hyun Woo as Young Soo. As Ki Cheol partner, he handled the role well. But again, not everyone can watch this. There is some seriously twisted and scary scenes in this. From start to finish, you didn't really know where the story was going to take you but that ending. Loved it! I still have goose bumps!

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Wahh...i gave it a full 10 since this was the best drama i`ve watched till now. Story - was great, i loved it how it went from the beginning to end, through sillines, anger, happiness, sadness, friendship, love and family bonds. it didn`t focused only on the main couple but more characters and that`s why it didn`t bring boredness. Acting/Cast - what more can i say? since it was the trio Mike - Rainie - Kingone i just fell in love with their acting. It was way better than "Devil Beside You". Mike and Rainie have the best chemistry going on ever, i never liked 2 lead characters so much, even though i saw other dramas with Rainie in main role if not with Mike it doesn`t fell right (i really wish to see more dramas with those 2 in main roles). One of the best parts of this drama was after the ending of more than a half of episodes there was making the scene, and got to see how they filmed some of the scenes and had fun together. What really surprised me was how Kingone was acting silly and had fun, i thought that he is more of a serious person but this part was better. Seeing them like that was very refreshing. So i`m going to stop now. I really love them so i still have more to say but i`ll dare you to watch it so you`ll see what i mean. Music - i liked it too and it fit in well. If you like this kind of dramas you better watch it if not you don`t know what you`ll miss.

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Story: Nothing fancy about the story. Just your typical high school fun light drama. What i love most about this is that Zuo An like Xiaoman just as much as she like her. He liked her from the very start. Although the FL goes into the university just for him. It is the ML who helps after her the entire drama. He adores her.

Casting: The cast did pretty great throughout the entire drama. Even the silly scenes doesn't look cringy because the cast did great portraying it.

Music: Cute music just like “A Love so Beautiful”

Rewatch: Probability will rewatch some scenes soon.

The only thing i dislike about this drama is. They cut too many kiss scenes. ???? Wetv is unfair. XD

If you want a fun light campus drama. Try this.

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Fun, warm, enjoyable drama with lovely characters and scenery

This is my first time writing a review on MDL but this drama deserves that I make this effort (I say that because english is not my first language, so please excuse the mistakes I’ll make writing this review).

You might see the ratings and think : « Hmm, I’ll pass ». And you’ll miss an opportunity to watch a great drama.

Why ? It’s a charming, enjoyable and fun light rom-com. It was shot somewhere in a place located near the Laos and Thailand’s border, where the Dai people live (from what someone told me). So visually, the drama is stunning : the scenery is very green, luxuriant, the landscapes are beautiful, and so are the houses, streets, buildings. It’s really a beautiful architecture.

The characters, after a rough (and in my opinion, funny) beginning, shine. We have less than ordinary main leads for a rom-com : instead of having a cold CEO and an innocent young FL who freeze every time they touch each other’s hands, we have an ex-CEO who was a playboy who decides to go back to his mother’s village to plant tea and to live a more monk like life.

We have a FL who is a young entrepreneur struggling to get her company off the ground. She ends up being brave, adorable and kind. The kind of lovely FL who is joyful without ending up being a childish Pollyanna. She will end up living the village life to the fullest.

Both ML and FL are affectionate and tactile with each other, which I loved seeing. There are misunderstandings and problems standing in their way but they manage to do something rare : they talk about their problems and solve them quickly.

There are antagonists, down to earth twists (without being a slice of life, too realistic and dreary drama to watch) SML and SFL on the way (but they are more on the funny side, although sometimes annoying) a bit of mystery and most of all, the villagers who are definitely an important part of the drama.

So in the end, it might be on the cheap side, and with less dramatic twists than people are used to but the end result is a charming, warm, lovely drama that certainly doesn’t deserve the 7.8 ratings it has as I’m writing this review.

But then, I started watching this drama before the ratings came in and I’m sad thinking that had I waited a few weeks to watch it, the ratings would have definitely prevented me from watching it. And now I’m wondering how many great dramas I skipped because I trusted the below 8 ratings on MDL.

So if you’re in for a fun, charming, light rom-com with main leads who act their age and solve their problems by talking, then this is the drama for you.

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Is the drama doing something wrong or right when I start actively disliking the Detective for investigating so deeply even though I know she's the one whose clearly in the right?
Which is to say I loved this drama and a big part of that is because it did a good job you getting you deeply invested and rooting for our protagonists even though you know they're doing some seriously illegal, unethical stuff. Oh Jisoo is the clever underdog who dreams of an average life that his circumstances might never get him and you can't help but get attached immediately. Kim Donghee is a really great actor, I hope his star only rises from here. Bae Gyuri meanwhile is privileged but trapped and definitely sociopaths on some level. I'm pretty certain her connection with Jisoo is the first genuine one she's had which makes their story so much sadder. She was the clear highlight for me, even though she's manipulative and unlikable she's undeniably clever and quick on her feet and just so enjoyable to watch. I wanted her happiness as much as Jisoo's! I'll be keeping an eye out for Park Joo Hyun's future projects!

The drama is graphic and drops in heavy topics when it comes to sex work and the criminal underworld so I'd avoid if those topics are uncomfortable for you. But otherwise I highly recommend! It's a rollercoaster with our teen leads as all of them navigate a dangerous world none of them are fully equipped for and attempt to somehow come out the other end unscathed. It's definitely dark and angsty but like watching a crash you can't tear your eyes from!
P.S. No spoilers but the ending is slightly open-ended if that's also something you avoid.

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Song Yoon Ah (Choi Yoo Jin) was the only reason why I finished watching this drama. She had one of the best female character roles especially as an antagonist. The overall show went downhill midway though and the only reason why I finished it was because of her again. The show had soo much potential but was ruined again by including unnecessary romance. I personally think Anna's character should have stayed as a minor role because it just got plain annoying seeing her character. I know many people mentioned the same thing as well and it is honestly such a shame because this show had soo much potential to be even better. The bright side is I discovered Song Yoon Ah's masterpiece acting! She is awesome!!

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A very intelligent, dramatic and deep story not your typical kdramas out there that you can find anywhere. The story focuses on survival. Politics check, Love story check, Action check, drama check and bromance check (I know you all do love it. Lol)!!! This story has 4 phases light, intense, dark and deep. Yes there are some dull moments in watching this drama patience/momentum is the thing for me in order to get to the intense episode and fall in love with it. While marathoning some of the episodes, I was like how did they manage to wait for that awesome cliffhanger? Lol. I have those moments when…. Come on give me a sword let me just kill them all!!!hahah! XDDD I’m gonna really miss this drama deeply!!! Overall I am very thankful to the random feels that this drama gave me!

Favorite episode: 20, 25 and 49

characters/ost:
Each dragon have its own development and you’ll get to see how they shift their character from how they used to be into different one, the acting is very professional definitely Yoo Ah In and Byun Yo Han deserved a shout out from me but nevertheless all of the cast and actors are AWESOME
The ost is just enough to fill up the emotions, listening to it gives me flashback.

Favorite characters: Mu Hyul, Ddang sae and Yeon hee, Gil tae mi
Rewatch: lol. I don’t mind seeing them for the second time even though you think it’s long it’s actually short. hahahah you’ll see when you get there!

This review is from someone who is not fond of politics, not good in watching long drama series and see how I praised it. What’s more if you’re into historical dramas? You definitely are missing something if you didn’t see it. A masterpiece indeed. This is my first long drama series that I completely finish, u think its long 50 hrs? Like you could watch 2 different dramas instead of watching this one? *smirk* believe me chingu you’ll think 50 episode is just short once you start it, think

Advice: It’s better if you have 1 week vacation to watch this drama so you can fangirl to the fullest! *wink*
Warning: You might end up eating all the episodes and let the dragons consumed your soul. Hahhaha!!!
Bonus: *whisper* handsome oppas are here. HAHAHAHA!!!! :DDD

ps: I’ll never look at dragons the same way again.

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They threw the whole story into a huge plot hole in episode 78

I give it 10 points.

And then I deduct:

-1 for censorship/propaganda
-1 for that horrible ending in the last episode. They crafted such a nice vehicle over the course of 77 episodes and then crashed it into a wall in the last episode. Don't worry, it's not an ending that makes you cry because something horrible happens. It just makes no sense at all. And it is crammed into an episode lasting 6.5 minutes.
-1 for missed opportunity in the bromance department. For me, the bromance was what carried me through the series. They were very good at portraying that the two lead characters are deeply in love without saying it out loud. However, I was surprised how they didn't give us any fan service at all (unlike others censored BLs like Advance Bravely or Stay with Me). There is basically no physical touch between the two leads. Not by accident, not in a platonic way, and no acts of service, like a wet towel bath, etc. And while every "door" forces them to have sleepovers, only in the very early doors do they share a double bed, then later it is always bunk beds or separate beds - why?? Another example of a missed opportunity: in one world, they have to walk in the rain under one small umbrella, and if they get wet, they will die. Wouldn't you try to be extra close? They didn't :(

Which leaves us with 7.

What I liked additionally:
- the actors are all very good, with only rare exceptions
- many lovely side characters
- while it was repetitive, I liked the music
- the visual style

Also, why was the face of the programmer friend from university never shown but hidden inside a hoodie? I expected a big reveal in the end. Didn't happen.

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All About My Mom needs a WARNING label. This may be kinda spoilerish, but I think the information needs to be provided. If a person has ever lost a parent from an illness, and doesn't want to vicariously experience the same emotions and pain, then this drama is not to be watched. I wish I had known, because I wouldn't have watched this.

Now on to the story. It is a well written family drama. It isn't that makjang since there are no birth secrets, amnesia and other type Korean troupes. I have a few complaints about how the parents sometimes treated their children even though they went through the same thing. There are a few unnecessary characters that make unnecessary grief for some of the characters. But I guess there were side story lines needed. However, the character development is extremely well done and I became invested in the lives of the family. I like the pacing and the ending is daebak!

Each actor took on their role splendidly. I don't believe anyone could complain about a single person's acting. Go Doo Shim is amazing as Im San Ok. Watching her progression and seeing her life felt real. I didn't realize Oh Min Suk was such a versatile actor. He impressed me the most.

The music is good and appropriate.

I will never rewatch this.

If you like family dramas with deep emotions, then this is the drama for you.

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The horror of mediocre writing and directing.

If these directors are thought to be skilled in the art of scaring audiences, Thai horror has a long way to go…

7AM and Vengeful Spell - 4.5/10
These two are one and the same - extremely similar in all aspects: theme, writing, directing, the atmosphere, ending...
Both had a weird mix of cheap ghost horror, bullying and teen romance, all not blended well.

Beautiful - 8.5/10
Easily the best episode out of them all. It had a low-key modern dark fairy tale vibe to it with the way the scenes were shot and the music choice. It also focused more on the individual characters and not pointless drama between teens. There was still some rivalry between girls, but it was "smaller" and more realistic in terms of motivation. To put it simply - it made sense.

It also has quite a statement behind all the "silly horror" - how beauty standards and social pressure can truly mess up a young girl and how far she would be willing to go, to fit in and achieve what is thought to be the success.

Songsak Mongkolthong - you did a good job both directing and writing wise!
The effects were really good too. Minimalistic for most part - great choice. Put all the heavy work in the last few scenes - great choice. Proper use of practical effects for most shots - great choice.

The Book of Corpses - 6.5/10
Best part of this episode? Acting from Orn and the overall visuals. For sure one of the "prettiest" episodes (excluding special effects). The story was kind of basic and how it was shown was not exactly engaging.
The more they showed the supernatural, the more ridiculous and over the top it got. And cheap... And gross… One scene was just... unnecessary. Special effects, there was legit just one moment that looked good, and I'm sure practical effects had a lot to do with it

The Headless Teacher - 2.5/10
It was 40 minutes of a bullshit over the top slapstick horror comedy with bullshit plot, to end with pedophilia and sexual harassment of students.
Easily the worst of all episodes. This one I don’t even want to talk about. It was borderline offensive, distasteful at best.

Lunch - 5/10
When the episode opens with the main dude being a complete asshole, I kind of lose interest in watching in fear he might actually NOT die by the end. Ton being bad at acting did not help, I wanted the character dead even faster.
This could have been a lot better if they set up the plot twist in any way. They spilled the story with an opening shot, so there was no surprise later.

Curse - 7/10
By the time I got to this episode, I can’t be sure if it’s decent, or my standards just hit rock bottom. One thing I know for a fact - it was pretty and had a good atmosphere, even though the design of the nurse was mediocre.
Yes, the story was nothing new - the bullied student seeks revenge with the help of a ghost, just to get screwed at the end himself. We all know it, but at least it was presented well. Fiat’s good acting helped a lot to sell it too.

A Walk in School - 7.5/10
I think I need someone to explain the timeline for me, because it makes no sense.
That said, except for the confusing ending, it was fun. Had some simple ghost stories vibe, with low-key comedy. The dynamics between the non-believer Boys and believer Tum were great.
The emotional ending felt flat, but it might be because I was too focused on making sense out of it, so the “feels” did not hit me. The set up was good, just the execution left something to desire.

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If you’re looking for a light hearted romance drama with a bit of a storyline, this is ok

This drama takes you on journey to seek out the true father of Yu Qing Luo’s son who she has no memory of. She was drowned by her ex husband as she was found to be pregnant with another man’s child, but was fortunately saved by a lady (Jin Liu Li) who is now her confidant.

My verdict: it’s an okay drama to watch to kill time / if you’re looking for a light hearted drama.

The plot is not overly complicated just imho, rather lame. Just when you find yourself invested in the fact that Yu Qing Luo & Ye Xiu Du are finally going to get married after resolving their differences and genuinely liking each other, the FL gets kidnapped by the bad guys and then the ML goes out to save her alone and they get cornered and jumped into their “deaths” to escape from them. Except, they didn’t die and the ML goes missing and when found, has no memory of him ever loving the FL.

A bit of and back and forth thing for romance between the FL & ML but it is a happy ending in the end. Also thought the addition of a son kept their romance rather cute (the banters between nan nan and ML is cute).

The fighting scenes were okay in the show but nothing spectacular to shout about. OST is almost non existent.

The acting of the actors are not too bad.

In all, I don’t hate this drama at all and was light hearted enough to watch. Just that if you’re expecting a deep storyline or plot, this is not for you.

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