Reviews

I could not recommend this drama any harder

When I was first looking into this drama, it was because of Ji Li. I'd expected to watch it and mostly just skip around to find him in it because I really didn't think the plot was something that would interest me.

Oh BOY was I wrong and I'm so glad I am.

This show is genuinely the most heartwarming, funniest, and heart-wrenching piece of media I've watched. I was hooked by the dynamic between Shi Guang and Chu Ying from the get-go. That's his ghost-not-ghost dad! If you're into a show that has really good found family feels between friends and adopted father/son dynamics, then this is 100% up your alley. Even if you don't know anything about the game of go, you'll pick up some stuff and still be genuinely gunning for the characters' successes and feel sad when they fail.

Shi Guang is such a good kid, and his actors (both the kid for the first couple of episodes and Hu Xianxu) are phenomenal, seriously. HXX has some of the best acting range I've seen.

Chu Ying will have you enamoured with him the minute you see him. He makes me smile every time he's on-screen -- his smile is SO infectious. I love his ability to go from silly to a father-figure.

Yu Liang is, of course, delightful and just so funny. I really do love his character arc and the person he becomes at the end.

The relationship between Shi Guang and Yu Liang is also a big seller for me. Those two do genuinely care for each other and it can be read as friendship or romance if you want in my opinion, and it's a really sweet depiction of either.

Overall I absolutely love each character; there's a LOT of attention paid to side characters who get their own character arcs full of ups and downs. Qi Hun does a REALLY good job at making you care about everyone in it.

I really don't have any complaints about the show. I feel like there is care and weight put into all the highs and lows:
- It shows that the path to success isn't linear, but that you can make it.
- It shows you that dreams can change, or be unrealistic due to life.
- It does an exceptional job at depicting grief and depression after loss.

As a side note in regards to it being an adaptation of Hikaru no Go... it's a good one! A really really good one. In fact I like it more than the original in the friendships and dynamics, as does my boyfriend who grew up on the series.

In the end, I give it 10s across the board. The story is phenomenal, the acting MOVES you, and the lyrics to the OST makes me absolutely lose it (you can find the OST on Spotify and Youtube, seriously the lyrics kill me).

I've already watched it twice and I'm watching it a 3rd time! Love this drama so much.

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divertido!!

não dá pra negar que esse BL é muito cliché, mas isso não é negativo, ele tem momentos realmente engraçados de humor e momentos muito lindos e fofos dos joongdunk, o que tira pontos é alguns conflitos que são... desnecessários e a falta de desenvolvimento de alguns tópicos, mas tirando os defeitos, é divertido de assistir e de passar o tempo!!! não é enjoativo (eu acabei no mesmo dia que comecei) e deixa um quentinho no coração, recomendo para quem deseja passar o tempo sem se preocupar com histórias tão complexas, um romance simples está ótimo!!

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I'm fascinated in Kang Dong Won performance in every movie I came across to see. Although not all his movies have outstanding plot unfortunately.

This movie shows that time spent with person who we loved is most precious and even because of time passing by and those memories will eventually fade away that person will haunt us in our dreams. How can we tell the difference between reality and the dream when the dream is a place with our beloved person. I think this movie tells us that...

M is a film which some people will love and some will hate. It's really complex to describe. I must admit that on the visual site this move is just great, all the twist in the plot and all strange conversation gave me goosebumps. I was so curious how this story would end. I was pleased with the ending, it was good, it explained all the crazy stuff that were going on in the movie. Actually it was a little sad and beautiful in the same time. Music was good, but not so memorable to recommend, although all the background sounds that were in the movie, were perfect fit for the story and it gave it soul.

If you like Kang Dong Won as I do, this movie is a must see, but if you don't it will bored you and annoy you. Re-watch value in this kind of movie I think none.

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I really enjoyed Age of Youth for many reasons, the story line is realistic and adresses issues that many people have been through, such as anxiety, I found this on Netflix and is one of my now all time favourite, you grew to the characters after a while, at first I didn't like any of them except Yoo Eun Jae (the first character they introduce) but after a few episodes you learn each and every ones struggles.
I loved the music, when I rewatched this series I was always singing along to the intro (which is really catchy)
I've already rewatched this 3 times, sooooo
overall this is an amazing tv show where you will grow to the characters and I would reccomend this 100%

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PLOT: Drawn-out & disappointing
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I was a victim of my expectations with this drama. When I read the synopsis I was very excited because I thought I'd be watching a refreshing story told from the perspective of older characters. Sadly, I got the same old story --with typical problems, misunderstandings, and plot cliches-- awkwardly delivered by older leads.

On the surface, the story focuses on Ha No Ra. A woman whose world threatened to crumble at 38 after her husband asks for a divorce. In an effort to save her marriage, Ha No Ra decides to go to college so she could "match her intellect" to her husband's. At its core, it promised an interesting and powerful story: the loss of a woman's individual identity after becoming a mother and the struggle to find her place in the world now that her child has grown up.

The first half of the drama was interesting because it dealt with the issue of her identity crisis. However, halfway through the drama, it became evident the subject wasn't to be touched beyond the shallow surface. Like many k-dramas, the story suffered from unnecessary plots-points, poorly handled subject and misunderstandings that got drawn out way longer than they should've. There were so many problems that could've been avoided if the characters had simply talked to one another, that it soured my experienced and ultimately annoyed me.

Though the story took a turn I wasn't expecting, rather than surprised, I was simply disappointed.

MAIN CHARACTERS: Frustratingly dishonest
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The three main characters are an acquired taste. I didn't like any of them at first, then they sort of grew on me. "Sort of"… as in my endearment fluctuated as constantly as their change of hearts did.

Ha No Ra (female lead, played by Choi Ji Woo): It took me a couple of episodes to get used her character. Maybe it's a cultural clash, but her childish tantrums were jarring and a total turnoff. Since she was an older woman, I expected her to act more maturely. That is not to say she shouldn't be fun, just that I expected her to at least think before acting. Instead, she responded in the typical k-drama female lead's fashion: she screamed, stomped and pouted whenever something didn't work her way...

Cha Hyeon Seok (male lead played by Lee Sang Yoon): Out of the three leads, he was possibly the most engaging and the reason why I kept watching. That's not to say his character was perfect. Far from it. His constant fluctuation between running melting hot one second and cold as ice the next got old fast. His immaturity also wore down my patience. However, the moments when he was sweet and caring were doubtlessly the highlights of the show.

Kim Woo Cheol (played by Choi Won Young): He was an interesting character because he was consistently flawed. He was also always held accountable for his actions. Though he played the part of an antagonist for the most part, he was never consciously cruel and he did come to regret his thoughtless actions. Though he was a good character, he wasn't very memorable.

SUPPORT CHARACTERS: Shallow but likable
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There's really not much to say about them. They contributed to the story, some more than others, but remained shallow. Frankly, I would've preferred to have seen fewer characters but with more screen time.

PORTRAYAL OF ROMANCE: Served hot & cold with a side of childish
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The romance was childish and immature. There were some very sweet --albeit cliché moments. But they were often followed or preceded by cold words, jerk actions and tons of misunderstandings.

In a nutshell, the courting between the leads felt like watching two emotionally stunted adults try their hand at accepting and confessing their love for one another. So you pretty much get the hypothetical (although in this case, somewhat literal) scene of the guy pulling on the girl's pigtails because he wants attention, and the girl screaming at the guy to leave then thinking he's a cold jerk for leaving...

OVERALL: On the fence...
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Honestly, I hesitate to recommend this show. On the one hand, I've seen worst dramas and I did finish this one without skipping any scenes (though I was tempted). On the other hand, the story didn't deliver on its promise and quickly turned into a generic plot delivered by childish (sometimes cringy) characters. Though it did have powerful moments, they weren't enough to elevate this drama to more than an "okay" show.

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I started for the cells, and I stayed for the cells.

Continuation for season 1, Yumi's Cells 2 continues to focus on dating, thought process and life of character Yumi.

If you take out these cute lil munchkins, the cells, the plot is prettyyyy bland in my opinion because it's SO real. The story might not be, so interesting or engaging; but the cells are the saving grace., like the plot is a 7-8 but the CELLS ARE A 10!! The story is centered around one character, her life, so yes, life isn't that much of an adventure, so this drama is like a melo-romance drama, often slow paced with no major events at times.

Yumi isn't 100% correct in her shoes. She's tangled up her love life, mixing her past and present, it wasn't intentional but it's neither fair to your current partner. This girl seriously needs a long break from relationships to focus on herself.

What I love about Yumi's Cells is that Yumi never compromises on her beliefs and emotions. The portrayal of her feelings is extremely on point and relatable that it pokes a hole in my heart, and now I have to rethink my dating principles. I love the message and deeper symbolism of certain things. I won't get deep into it because I might spoil it, but it definitely brings a smile to your face, like it did to me. Though I did feel it was draggy towards the end a bit.

I picked this up after two years and binged it in a day. Why did I put it on hold? I'm scratching my head for the answer too. That's not the worst thing though; the worst thing is that I can't get any more of the cell anymore.

Overall, it's 80% focused on romance, and sure, it might get boring at times. But let's be real: relationships aren't all rainbows and butterflies. This show actually portrays that pretty well. And here's a piece of advice: stop obsessing over who Yumi should end up with and start rooting for Yumi as a person. Focus on her character, career, and personal growth. After all, it's called "Yumi's Cell" for a reason.

With this show, it's either you love the animations or hate them, but personally, I loved them!

8.6/10

p.s: cells you will be missed 😔

THANK YOU FOR READING MY REVIEW!!
END

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IF YOU LIKE WATCHING ROMCOM, WATCH THIS DRAMA

I've seen a lot of comments on tiktok that they dropped this drama 'coz its boring, but for me its not. I totally love the plot and cast.

I like the character development of the male lead, Go Jin at the end of the drama. I like how the things go up side down after Shin-A knows that she's ill. I like how Go Jin still cares for Shin-A after knowing about that 'mistake'. I like how Go Jin forgives and still accept his colleagues even if they did something wrong. I like how he apologize to those he fired.

Go Jin's character development made him mature, I also like how Shin-A doesn't want Go Jin interfere with her decision about her dream job.

I like how Go Jin and Soo Young forgives each other after learning things about their past and become friends.

Its a light and a rom com drama that is worth watching.

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After watching Ji Sung in 'Protect the boss', I discovered this other drama where he has the leading role. I comfirmed that his acting was excellent as well and keep me interested to the end hooked by the intringuing plot. I found many good things about this drama, as the outstanding casting, the mistery about family secrets and melodramatic scenes. But I cannot score it higher because is lacking in other aspects such a too complicated dialogues sometimes difficult to follow if you are not very keen in the business topic. Romance, although is intertwined with the story is not as relevant as I think it should be. Even if the argument is quite well done, it loses strengh by the long and no ending sequences of talking about shares, companies and politics.
Of course this is only a personal opinion and it doesn't mean that the drama isn't worthy to watch, at contrary, I recommend don't miss this interesting story full of treasons, confronted feelings and tragedy.

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Um romance leve, mas com espaço para evolução

Star In My Mind traz uma história envolvente e doce, focada em sentimentos não correspondidos e segundas chances no amor. A narrativa é bem construída e consegue captar a atenção do público com uma combinação de momentos emocionantes e clichês adoráveis.

- Motivos da resenha -

1. História (8.5/10): O enredo é simples, mas eficiente. Ele aborda com delicadeza temas como aceitação, amizade e o amadurecimento emocional, o que cria uma boa conexão com os espectadores.


2. Música (9.5/10): A trilha sonora é um dos grandes destaques da série. As músicas complementam perfeitamente os momentos emocionais e ajudam a construir a atmosfera romântica.


3. Valor de Reassistir (10/10): É o tipo de série que você pode revisitar quando quiser algo leve e reconfortante.



Pontos a Melhorar:

1. Atuação/Elenco (7.5/10): Embora o elenco tenha química, algumas performances poderiam ser mais naturais. Certos momentos pareciam um pouco forçados, principalmente em cenas de maior carga emocional. Isso poderia ter sido trabalhado com mais profundidade.


2. Desenvolvimento dos Personagens: Alguns personagens coadjuvantes poderiam ter tido um arco mais bem explorado, o que daria mais camadas à história principal.



Conclusão:

Star In My Mind é um BL que encanta pelo charme de sua simplicidade. Ele não é perfeito, mas tem um coração que brilha através de suas falhas. É uma boa escolha para quem busca um romance leve com momentos fofos, mas que também deixa um gostinho de querer mais em termos de atuação e profundidade de enredo.

Nota Geral: 9/10


sou uma grande fã de Joongdunk, inclusive, os divos merecem muito! 🥰

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I liked it but....

So, I didn't like where this season went but I have to say it did have a lot of depth to it and it did tackle a bunch of issues that exist in relationships. The gay and straight ones both. I just fell in love with the character Seo Joon in season one, so I was devastated when Ji Woo left. I felt Seo Joon's pain like it was my own. Congrats to Woo Hyun. As for Kang Mon I'm not sure if he really acted well or not because I was too into the story. I keep hoping Ji Woo would go see a psychotherapist. I guess Kang Mon did do well. Again, very strong story with secondary's being just as strong and relevant. My only issue is the reconciliation. I really didn't see the point when or where that change occurred or what triggered it. I also actually thought there was too much damage to the relationship. Again, I'm just happy that Seo Joon was happy in the end. Shout out for the little girl and to the CEO for best supporting actor/actress in this series.

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I will start of by saying this is one of the best drama I have watch in a long time, sure there was some minor plot holes that other people have mention in there reviews (like how an abandon building isn't covered in graffiti and still has clues left behind), but it wasn't enough to destroy the strong story.

For both the leads, I think this is their strongest role yet, even the minor characters who are forgettable in the beginning but turn out to be a main player in the story. I have yet to see such a strong cast from the leads to the support, in most cases, some dramas have strong lead but very weak support character that kind of ruin the entire show. I was also surprised at how Kim Dong Jun acted, at first I was sketchy mainly because most idol actor are just there to improved the rating and most time the idol actor/actress are just pretty to look at but very bad at acting. ( I won't name names but Master's Sun had an idol actor that, to me, might as well have been edited out cause it was so bad)

The music was not overpowering and complemented well with the story line, but it wasn't something I would search up to listen to again.

I don't particularly like re-watching dramas, however because I liked the drama so much I wouldn't mind re-watching it again with other people.

I think I would have given the story 10/10 instead of 9.5/10 if they had shown Han Moo Gan alive again (*SPOILER ALERT* because Black cease to exist in people's memories and so it changed how Ha Ram was borned, but shouldn't also affect the real Han Moo Gan because then he wouldn't go back to Korea to search the truth) I also would have like to see who Ha Ram was married to and what happened to Leo after he died and how Oh Man Soo ended up. But I guess if they did that, they would need more episodes, so I guess I'll just leave it to my imagination.

BTW, not to be rude but during the last two episodes Go Ah Ra gained a lot of weight. She still looked very cute but it kind of made me realize that I was watching a TV show probably filmed over weeks and months. Not that it was bad, but I was so in the zone while I was watching and then she showed up looking very different than how she was one scene ago.

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Perfect Romantic Couple

If you’re looking for romance then this is definitely the drama to watch. The georgeous Park Min Young does it again with another brilliant role. I love the way she approaches romantic roles. I love her as a confident woman who loves with everything she has. Her portrayal of Sung Deok Mi, an art museum curator/fangirl, was fun to watch. Kim Jae Wook portrayal of Ryan Gold, the director of the museum, was the other half of this couple in love. These two will show you what a relationship should be. Amazing chemistry, each committed to the other, with honesty and caring.

I’m not going to nitpick the things I didn’t like, it would be a disservice to the great acting. Don’t let the side stories or the comedy get in the way. They are just there to create some drama and fun while the romance in unfolding. There are a lot of emotional moments over family and past events. Some of these moments will make you sad and some will pull your heartstrings. They all contribute to the beautiful story of two people falling in love.

There is enough chemistry to satisfy anyone who believes in true love.

Did I mention there were some steamy kisses?

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I hated this drama, Vin Zhang is the only good actor in this drama that why I sticked to the end

I like Esther Yu acting better in Moonlight than in this drama. The character she played in this drama was annoying, and the nasal voice didn’t help much. The storyline is so stupid and ridiculous. The drama could have been better if it was 20-24 episodes; instead, it dragged to 30+ episodes. It was too painful to watch, and I hated Esther Yu's character in this drama.

In addition, the script is bad, and the 2nd CP for more screen time than the main CP. 2nd CP's acting is horrible, especially the 2nd ML. Overall, I am disgusted at this drama. It was a waste of my time.

I am giving it a 4.0 rating.

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Story: A simple love story. If you are saturated with all those personality disorder, psychological thriller, alien, ghost,action, historical and mystery type romances that are all the rage nowadays and just want to get back to a simple straight-forward modern romance with a happy ending, this movie is the one for you. Kang In-Jun is a simple man who works hard to afford a home in Busan. He dreams of one day settling down and spending his days growing old with his girlfriend in that house. However, his girlfriend - a traveling photojournalist, hopes to spend the rest of her life traveling with her love one. Due to this incompatibility in life direction, one day his girlfriend packed her bags and left to see the world without him. Her first stop - Shanghai. Still very much in love, he travels to Shanghai in hopes of finding and conciliating with her. While in Shanghai, he meets Zhu-Lie - a woman who is about to get engaged but found out that her boyfriend was cheating on her. Through an accident, Kang In-Jun and Zhu-Lie ended up living together. Hence, begins a love story between the two.

Acting/Cast: I have no complains for the acting of the main couple. Zhu-Lie seems to exhibit more emotion towards In-Jun who seems to be the naive, honest-to-goodness Busan boy type character. The only person with acting problem is the guy who plays the role of Zhu-Lie's friend who can speak Korean...it was obvious he's new and his acting was odd at places. Other than that, everyone's done a good job. There were a couple of odd 'bridging' scenes where ppl do not speak (or speak little) and just look at each other with multiple expressions on their faces. I put that down to the awkwardness of communication when one is speaking Mandarin and another, Korean. That can be interpreted as a natural scene in real life when you have ppl speaking different languages trying to communicate to each other. You'll end up using nonverbal communication and one letter words instead. The actors and actresses in this movie use 3 languages:- Korean, Mandarin and English. If you ask me, where international romances are involved, this is a very normal situation.

Music: Love the OST sung by Park Si-Hoo and the faster beat ending OST.

Rewatch value: I give this a pretty high rewatch value simply because it's a movie. This is an easy watch -simple love story and just require 1 hour and 45 mins of your time. Some ppl complain about the slower pace but I find the pace acceptable. I've watched many melodramas, a bit of an expert in Chinese movies (hence used to their style of story-telling) and trust me when I say the pace of this movie is much better than a typical melodrama. Everything flows nicely towards an ending that did not feel rushed. If you are bored out in a weekend and just want to watch something passable and uncomplicated, this is the movie for you.

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Not quite what I was expecting. The description I read gave me the impression that Shinigami-Kun somehow saved his charges or rescued the good guys. But that isn't really his job here. Instead he helps them accomplish their final wishes, protect or prepare their loved ones for the future, and generally set things to right. He is kind of like a gentle companion, walking them through the difficult moments and easing the stress of death. I must admit, the thought that someone is there with you at your final moments is comforting.

This show is partly a tear-jerker (people die obviously) and partly humor (poor Shinigami-Kun's confusion about human habits makes for some amusing situations). It helps that there are a couple nods to Soul Eater in the special effects and set design. The music and Shinigami-kun's bow tie also lend a perky, peppy touch to the storyline. Personally, I think they find a great balance between enjoying the funny parts of life and the strangeness of humans versus the solemnity deserved by its topic.

Sweet story. Unique in plot, excellent theme, and well done altogether. It did sometimes randomly drop off a plot point (or character), but we had fun making up stories to explain away the answers, so I can forgive it that sin. There is also the question of why the Shinigami does or does not know the things he knows ~ he understands human behavior, but not what "piss you off" means. He knows the concept of death, but not crabs for dinner. It's a little strange, but mostly just funny.


The star (and his immediate supervisor) were amazing, and I loved the akuma (devil) character (particularly his outfit). Although the speed with which the characters were willing to sell off their souls to a known akuma (devil) requires some suspension of disbelief. But, as Shinigami-Kun says, "He's a surprisingly nice guy!:"

The supernatural elements were surprisingly, well not realistic, but very well-staged overall. I was very impressed. They've come a long way from the early dramas. The supernatural-earth scenes flowed really well, better than I see in most Japanese shows. The guards chasing after the flying suitcase ~ AWESOME! Perhaps not the most suave, sophisticated, or smooth show, but that doesn't detract. It is based on a teenager's manga, and this is reflected in the show's audience. Great for young adults!

BTW--the two guys are HOT! :)

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