Reviews

An amazing journey of self-discovery

I know there are at least a few people who are on the fence about starting this drama since it's heavy on politics and it's not everyone's cup of tea. It sure is not mine. Yet, here I am, loving this drama and recommending it to everyone. And here's why...

STORY
Would I call it realistic? Not really. Did it bother me that it was unrealistic? No. Why? Because it was cohesive and consistent. I know that political dramas can be boring for people who are just not interested in the topic, and that's why adding some unrealistic, but definitely grabbing the attention plot points made this drama more approachable for a wider audience.

The main point of the drama was the development and growth of the characters. It's a story of believing in yourself and what you stand for, fighting for the right. Discovering that just because there are winners, does not necessarily mean there must be losers. How to play the game that will make not only you achieve your goals, but also make everyone around you content. It's about slowly realizing your strengths and ways to use them. Figuring out that wanting something does not necessarily make you a bad person who is only led by greed. Many interesting lessons to learn with our main character. An amazing journey of self-discovery.

CHARACTERS & CAST
I was not sold on the idea of Ji Jin Hee being the lead of the whole drama. Especially after watching the first two episodes. Him being surrounded by all the strong and captivating side characters made me worried, if he can truly lead the whole show. And oh boy, I was wrong. Now I would say he was born for this role and he aced the character. Seeing Park Moo Jin slowly grow without giving up on his principles and beliefs was an amazing journey. It was refreshing to see a really smart main character that was also empathetic and, to put it simply, a good person.

It's also worth mentioning other characters that won my heart: Cha Young Jin, whom I loved to hate at the beginning and then just simply loved. Han Na Kyung who was the MVP of the badass team. Oh Young Seok, who made the drama even more thrilling to watch. Yoon Chan Kyung who was the true politician - I never knew where she was standing and what her motives were. Is she good? Is she bad? I guess you will find out for yourself, if you decide to watch it.

OTHER
The show also talks about some serious issues in a realistic and not patronizing way. It helps with understanding the reasoning for specific choices characters make. The cinematography and the way it was shot was beautiful. Definitely a high quality production. The music was good; it was not exactly grabbing my attention, but it's a political drama, the ost is not the main focus here. The ending was perfect, and everything I could wish for.

Overall, I did not expect to like this drama as much as I did, but it will probably stay as one of my favorites.

Leia Mais

A Girl's Secret Crush Diary

Hidden Love (偷偷藏不住) adapted from the novel of the same name, is a youth romance drama revolving around Sang Zhi, and her secret admiration towards Duan Jiaxu, her brother’s friend and how it develops to a relationship.

Hidden Love is a captivating and heartwarming youth romance drama that explores the theme of love, friendship, and personal growth. The drama sticks closely to the novel, keeping the dialogues between the characters. In addition, the drama also manages to beautifully capture and translate the novel to life, capturing the nuances of the character’s relationship and also seamlessly intertwines comedy with poignant moments, romance, and many more.

Although Hidden Love treads some of familiar tropes of a youth romance drama, but it manages to distinguish itself with its heartfelt storytelling, nuanced character development, and some freshness into the genre. Sang Zhi isn't like any other young female lead who blindlessly chase after Duan Jiaxu, just because love at first sight and so on. However, just like any other young girls, she began to develop feelings gradually and secretly. Duan Jiaxu is also a very good male lead, whereas he truly looks upon Sang Zhi like a litttle sister, being kind to her, defending her, guides her, and more.

Hidden Love manages to strike a balance between tender moments of romance, family moments, and also youth leaving a lasting impact on its viewers. The comedic timing of the talented cast is impeccable, delivering punchlines and physical comedy with finesse. Although the drama primarily focuses on the youth and romance, but it also touches on deeper emotional themes. Moments of introspection and personal growth are woven into the narrative, allowing the characters to overcome their past and discover new aspects. Those elements bring an additional emotional depth to the story, ensuring a well-rounded viewing experience.

Chen Zheyuan and Zhao Lusi is the perfect Duan Jiaxu and Sang Zhi! Both of their performances are nothing short of brilliant, both of them are able to bring Sang Zhi and Duan Jiaxu to life. Zhao Lusi is able to bring innocent Sang Zhi to life, she brilliantly portrays Sang Zhi from a young age to adulthood. Her cute little actions are so convicing that makes one think that she really is a high school student! On the other hand, Chen Zheyuan also did a brilliant job in portraying Duan Jiaxu. He uses micro expression and his expressive eyes to act and communicate. Both of their performance transports and immerse viewers in the lives of their characters, making us feel their every emotion, as if we are experiencing the joys and sorrows together with them. Both of their chemistry is also palpable, enhancing the authenticity of the relationships portrayed on screen and making viewers deeply invested in the drama.

The supporting cast also adds depth and charm to the narrative, bringing a diverse range of personalities and subplots that enrich the overall storytelling experience, keeping viewers engaged throughout the drama. For instance, Sang Yan, Sang Zhi’s brother. Sang Zhi and Sang Yan’s on-screen witty banter and comedic timing add a genuine touch to the storyline. The banter between the two siblings looked so realistic, just like any other siblings argument; many of their actions looks genuine, and feels like it is unscripted!

Hidden Love cinematography manages to capture the innocence of youth, the sweetness and pain of one-sided love, and the intimate moments between the character. However, I personally am not a fan of the drama’s green/ grey muted filter in the earlier episodes, which I find it makes the drama looks a little bit dull. However, as the episode progresses and Sang Zhi grow into an adult, the filter became better! There are also few moments when the pacing feels slightly uneven. Some scenes could have been trimmed to maintain a tighter narrative flow in the earlier episodes. However, in the latter episode, a lot of the scenes are cut down, which may leave viewers a little bit confused and unsatisfied with the closure. Nevertheless, these minor hiccups don't overshadow the drama’s overall charm. The overall execution, engaging performances, and heartfelt moments compensate for the drawbacks.

Hidden Love soundtrack also perfectly encapsulated the whole drama, enhancing the overall viewing experience. Composed of enchanting melodies and emotionally charged ballads, perfectly complements the narrative and adds an extra layer of depth to the series.

All in all, Hidden Love successfully captures the essence of a youth love journey. It is a delightful concoction of youth romance drama! With the actor’s stellar performance, engaging story, it offers a fresh delightful take on the youth-romance genre! You will find yourself with smiling, laughing and swooning watching the drama ◝(ᵔᵕᵔ)◜

FYI. the male lead DOES NOT develop any romantic feelings for her until she is an adult

Hidden Love extra chapter (6) - Wedding Night: https://twitter.com/afterrnoont/status/1680883026438537216

Hidden Love extra chapter (7) - The Daily Routine of Life with Two Kids: https://twitter.com/afterrnoont/status/1680630598761861120

Leia Mais

It wasn't perfect, it wasn't without it's faults, but it was a drama that I really enjoyed watching!

-The story centers around Cha Joo Hyuk, who is miserable with his married life. The drama focuses on how his one choice changes the world that he has always known. Not just for him. But for everyone he has known and loved.

- Frankly, I'll agree with everyone who says that Joo Hyuk was an immature selfish jerk. I'll say the same thing. He was everything that people described him as. But REALISTICALLY so.
We, as viewers, are used to seeing a male lead who is righteous and is ready to sacrifice himself, for the female lead, at the very least. But Cha Joo Huk wasn't like that. Not at the start anyway. The choice he made was solely for his own happiness. But dare I say I understood Joo Hyuk? Don't get me wrong, I didn't like him either (not for a long time anyway), but I get his character. If faced with a similar situation in similar circumstances, maybe not everyone but still more than a few people would make the same choice.

- Again, this will probably go against general opinion (from those I read on different places), but I liked the character development of Joo Hyuk. And yes, I do think he had one. He started out a completely self centered jerk, who only wanted his own happiness. He blamed his wife for his unhappiness. But slowly, as he got to know his own faults, as he realized his own mistakes, we started seeing his character grow. He wanted to make her happy. Even if it wasn't with him.

- Enough about the male lead, let's move on to the female lead. Woo Jin... At first she is portrayed like a "monster" who has a really short temper and is extremely violent. But later on we get to see what made her that way.

- One thing I really liked about this drama was the fact that how BOTH the leads were far from perfect. Although Joo Hyuk might be more so. Nevertheless we get to see them try and become better person. Both individually, and together.

- I really enjoyed the chemistry between Han Ji Min and Ji Sung. As a married couple, and as a non-couple too, they were believable.

- The second female lead- Hye Won. She is portrayed as a materialistic and vain person. I actually think she wasn't as bad as they were trying to show her. She behaved like she was entitled to everything, but she wasn't evil or villainous like a lot other SFL.

- The second male lead Jong Hoo, was a really good character. He was charming, but he never overshadowed the male lead enough to give you SLS. I really liked the bond between him and Joo Hyuk. It wasn't exactly bromance but they had a really nice friendship.

- All the other secondary characters were fun to watch. The mysterious ahjussi, Joo Eun, Woo Jin's mom... Everyone. My favorite was Sang Shik. His emotional scenes always got me smiling.

- Also Jo Jung Suk's cameo! Loved it! The whole thing was so cute! Joo Hyuk 's reactions XD

- As for the one thing that bothered me was about the children. How could they give us one, just one scene. I think everyone is aware of the fact that a parent child bond is truly a special one! So how could you not, writer-nim? This is just one thing I cannot get over.

- Overall, I really, really enjoyed this drama! It has everything, a spectacular cast, and intriguing storyline, a good OST. So please give this drama a chance.

Happy Watching!!

Leia Mais

OKAY. THIS DRAMA IS CRAZY GOOD.

The characters, the story, and the relationships were all so well thought out! I loved all of the characters, and they all have really wonderful relationships with each other- that are REAL. They fight, bicker, annoy the hell out of each other, get seriously frustrated with each other, and they realize that they all have their own flaws. And the story stays realistic, (funnily enough to say about a drama based on mental disorders) showing the true struggles people in relationships (wife, mother, girlfriend, brother, daughter, etc.) with people with mental disorders have to face. It's really wonderful. The cast acted out everything brilliantly- the emotions were conveyed very well and wow, some of the best acting I've ever seen.

AND THE MUSIC. *BREATHES DEEPLY* I DON'T KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN TO Y'ALL HOW MUCH I LOVED THIS OST. LIKE... THESE SONGS. THEY'RE GREAT. THEY FIT IN SO WELL WITH THE SCENES AND I'VE DOWNLOADED A BUNCH OF THEM AND I NEVER GOT TIRED OF THEM (like I have with very many other songs in other dramas) AND WOW. A++++++++++++++++++ TO WHOEVER PICKED THESE SONGS. A FREAKING PLUS.

Anyways, I totally recommend this drama! It's probably one of my all time favorites now and I loved this drama from start to finish!

For a country still dealing with its own discrimination towards mental disorders, I thought this drama was just plain- WOW. Wonderful. Seriously, good job!!! (I'm in awe)

Leia Mais

Its empathic. Powerful. Yet, beware: it is rather slow & actually not on the bright side of life

"Trolley" is a SBS production for South Korean TV first of all, even it is promptly running on Netflix, too. One could say that the KDrama is about a politician's wife, who is caught up in an emotionally draining past and overtaken by an extremely unpleasant present. One could say that it is about an ambitious politician with a promising career, who is in the middle of the national assembly election campaign and will give everything for it. One could say that it is about the classic moral trolley dilemma, which is running through the story like a key note – should one intervene in the unstoppable, catastrophic events and sacrifice one human life in the process, or let things take their course, the but then (in the case of the trolley dilemma) will claim several victims? With respect to each of these varying aspects, the story delivers suspense, depth and emotional intensity, enriched with complex details until the end.

"Trolley" is like a large patchwork quilt made up of many colorful, isolated, fateful pieces of the jigsaw puzzle that becomes a whole while increasing in suspense episode by episode. And this spectacular whole is what I particularly appreciate about this KDrama. Because the production is dedicated to a sensitive issue in South Korea society: the devaluation, harassment, oppression, contempt, discrediting, defamation, exploitation, sexualization of women and widespread physical violence against them.

The KDrama articulates a quiet howl calling for change. This howl, which has been rather mute for the longest time, wants a voice. This howl of pain wants to be heard. One voice should become many. Laws protecting women (and victims of abuse in general) would be all well and good. But even more so (and above all) there is a need for courageous role-models of women (and men) who lead the way. (Or for a start: KDramas and their e.g. female protagonists...) Role models are needed, who stand up for themselves, for their lives, for what happened to them, and for their rights as human beings. Tangible role models are needed embodying what lies at the heart of (these much-needed) laws: the non-debatable dignity inherent in every human being, regardless of gender, creed, birth, or ability. Paragraphs alone are not enough. They must be filled with life. With people who dare to actually venture out of the familiar swamp with their heads held high. And that's (for women) still easier said than done in South Korea 2023. "Trolley" embodies these circumstances in an impressive way. In fact, this is more than overdue. This TV production also places this message with some force and spreads it worldwide, too, so it cannot be overheard. Can it? May the message get through and encourage … women, young people, … and men too.

However, the spotlight is not directed at one or 'the' man as such, but at society as a whole, in which women structurally function (or supposed to function) well; in which they themselves participate in the premises - as mothers, as classmates, as part of a bullying, via public and Social media easy to manipulate crowd. The poisonous social thorn is so deeply rooted within women themselves: a systematically and consistently cultivated, inferior attitude towards their life. The the circumstances usually aren´t even seriously questioned because: that's the way it is… has been… (will be?)

Practically all of the women in this KDrama represent a self-esteem that has been deeply hurt and thus weakened as a result of private and public devaluation or even physical violence. They all somehow learned to live with it. They are battered, wounded and scarred, and they suffer from their feeling of inferiority that weakens them into old age. The worst thing about it: that they are still standing there alone, because nobody really can/wants to acknowledge their suffering and justified anger. Women have had to learn to live with the fact that there are no witnesses, no advocate, no encouragement, no attention, no consolation for them and their traumatic experience of harassment. No one is standing in their corner. The social message: You didn't deserve anything else. You´re to blame. 'Submissive, quiet, tame and silenced, everyone can do whatever they want.' Such is fate as a daughter. As an unwanted daughter. As the first daughter. As a daughter-in-law. As a wife. As a divorced woman. As an illegitimate mother. That something, which has remained deeply in these women, now shows impact, too: so that they either secretly and quietly devalue and question themselves, alternatively devalue others on their behalf, or let others devalue them on principle. This painful experience has not been redeemed to this day and should not be redeemed (from the social point of view of some). It is the ingrained yet invisible mark that South Korean society brands its women with. With "Trolley" it is out in the open. In multiple ways. Options for change are discussed, and the difficulties involved are also explored.

A strong portrait of society, cleverly prepared and seriously presented, yet in an entertaining manner. The KDrama meets a red-hot zeitgeist that calls for winds of change. The story courageously challenges the conservative, patriarchal attitude, which by nature denies women the right to be fully acknowledged human beings with the same rights. In the course of the last year, blood boiled high in South Korea after President Yoon declared 'structural sexism' being no longer existent in the Republic and wanted to abolish the Ministry for Equality and Family (or move it to other departments). In these times (see also the side note below), "Trolley" is a courageous and important production, because it tells a different story - that of devalued, sexualized, abused women in a self-satisfied man's world. Respect!

Its empathic. Powerful. Yet, beware: it is rather slow and actually not on the bright side of life.








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SIDE NOTE: --- Always burning topical: violence against women in South Korea ---

If you compare the crime statistics in (i.e.) Germany and South Korea, South Korea is clearly the safer country. Seoul is arguably one of the safest cities in the world. But not for women...

Overall, violence in South Korea may be limited. But against women it is alarmingly widespread. Of the violent crimes recorded in South Korea, about 80 percent of the victims are women. In 2020, more than 58 incidents of sexual violence, including rape, were recorded among 100,000 residents in South Korea. (There were 12 in Germany for comparison). There have been newspaper reports of brutal femicides almost weekly in recent years. In a national survey conducted by the Ministry for Gender Equality and Family in the summer of 2021 (the ministry still existed then), 57.8 percent (!) of women stated that they felt threatened by misogynistic violence.

But the current political line is different. President Yoon stands for the values of the so-called "New Men's Solidarity". Behind this is a deeply patriarchal, conservative thinking that denies women to be full human beings with the same rights. Accordingly, the official line tends to go backwards: the penalties for false allegations of sexual assault are increased and the politicians rather argue with classic perpetrator-victim reversal: the women provoked the men by not doing what the men want them to do . Courts rarely judge in the interests of women. On the contrary. The outcome might be: victims of sexual violence are punished more severely than the perpetrators. Law against defamation of sex offenses is far stricter than that on sex offenses. It allows victims of sexual violence to be sentenced to up to 3 years in prison – even if it is proven that their publicly disclosed allegations are true. In the actual cases of sexual offenses, the verdicts against the perpetrators, however, are mostly merciful, with a mild sentence for crimes against women, as soon as there is one or the other weakening reason or an impeccable good reputation. Lax investigations and re-traumatizing behavior towards female victims in police and judicial authorities make matters worse.

All in all, it is very difficult for women to effectively defend themselves against the violence they might have experienced. Headwind blows from almost everywhere. Here we are again with the deeply patriarchal, conservative basic attitude of a society that denies women as a matter of course that they are full human beings with the same rights. This 'self-evidence' needs to be questioned and confronted. Resistance works best when women unite and at least start to stop this structural mutual devaluation among themselves. Speak, talk, share, cry, console... You don't need laws for that. Supporting one another, acknowledging injustice as such, comfort and compassion would be soothing ointments on the wounds of countless women that could heal a little bit better that way.

Leia Mais

Go watch this drama now ~~~~~~~~~~~> GO GO

It is a veeeery good drama, as for the acting, as for the truth of the characters and for the really smooth plot accompanied with some really nice cliffhangers.

It is definitely worth to watch, and I would even say to re-watch (which is not something I usually do). The songs are great and some sequences full of emotions are really strong and great.

You will laugh at some situations, tears at some others and even though some imagination is needed sometimes, it all makes sense.

It's a drama I had much pleasure to begin, much pleasure to continue, and much pleasure to finish. It's well done and makes you go through a bunch of states!

I didn't know any of the actors but they are really doing great and you get attached to them really fast.

A MUST SEE

Leia Mais

ART OF APPRECIATING LIFE

Move to Heaven drama is the kind of thing you need when you are desperately seeking the meaning of your life. The most important purpose of this drama is to change our perspectives about "grieving" to someone's demise. Every other episode has it's beautiful message to deliver. This drama portrays important issues while celebrating people's life and showing both respect and shade to "death". It is so very wholesome and will truly evoke your emotions. So, if you're a worshiper of "slice of life" dramas,this drama is for YOU.

The drama starts with someone's misery hinting a tragic journey but the entire journey is just beautiful. Saying that it will make you cry tears of happiness will be an understatement because this is one of those heart-warming Kdramas out there.

Simply, the drama consists several different stories that worked likes dots and connecting them made the drama complete. Ofc, it has its basic steady plot too which is appealing (you can read it in the synopsis).

This drama also emphasizes on how a dead can communicate with the living from what they've left behind. This particular thing have touched the core of my heart and I'm sure it's been mesmerizing for everyone too.

The write has done very well in touching different forms if life in the guise of societal issues which will definitely fuel up the positive stances and enroute acceptance in people's midsets. The direction abd screenplay is simply like adding feather to a cap. Good job in cinematography too. The crew has done a commendable job here.

Then comes the cast. I swear to my happiness, the production has done a very good job in casting, be it the major characters or the guest characters, I would say they are the appropriate choice. I was so happy seeing soooo many guest characters.

Lee Jee Hoon, definitely one of the best Korean actors has once again won our hearts with his acting, played his character really well. Tang Joon Sang, being a newbie, I am sure this drama and his acting, will bring him enormous opportunity. He's so cute and was really good in playing someone with Asperger's syndrome. I like Hong Seung Hee in Navillera (another slice of life heart-warming drama) though her screen timing was limited and here she did good too.

EVERYTHING FELT SO BEAUTIFUL.

Let's talk about the ending. Let me say you that I am not okay with it. It has an open ending hinting for a new season but is that necessary? They could have closed the drama with the scene before the last scene too but they decided to extend it with a big twist. Idk what's in the writer's mind but I am looking forward to it. I was actually wishing there'd be more episodes given that it's soooo good, but am not happy because in most of the cases the dramas with extended seasons ended up getting messed. I really really hope it won't happen with MOVE TO HEAVEN.

*****

Leia Mais

This was really an exceptional drama! It's one of the best I've seen so far. Although the whole girl pretending to be a boy thing is not new, the setting and situation is fresh. This gives it a very different style than all the dramas it has been compared to. The beginning is slightly confusing if you have no knowledge of Korean history, traditions or culture. But as you watch, you will understand. I like how there is friendship built and emphasized as the characters encounter little twists and obstacles.

The characters play well off each other as their chemistry is greate and the actors are all well suited for their parts. And honestly, the guys are very cute :P

One notable thing about this drama is it gives you room to imagine in details yourself. For example, they don't necessarily give the full backstory of the characters. Instead they hint at many parts and let you create your own story for them in your mind.

Leia Mais

Full-Time Jobs? Nah, Just Full-Time Lust ?

Wow 😳 first time I’ve seen a BL with NC in every single episode, even the special didn’t hold back! The creativity was next level. That phone face-time sex scene? Pure heat, dripping with lust and chemistry 🔥. And the best part? Jun magically teleported straight into Japan and ended up in bed with Sorn. Talk about fantasy turning into reality 😏💦

But seriously… what plot? After 12 episodes and 2 specials, I still have no clue what these office workers actually do. Are they employed, or is the company just running on hormones? 😂 It’s basically a workplace full of horny employees navigating their “feelings,” and honestly, I’m living for it. Who needs a deep storyline when you can laugh, cringe, and enjoy every ridiculous, steamy moment?

Let’s be honest, we’re all here for the NC scenes and we’ll be coming back to rewatch them again and again for years to come.

Leia Mais

"Remember, your fate hangs on the tip of your blade." ~Zhou Fei

Legend of Fei is not only a Wuxia drama, but it has several cute love stories, an intriguing mystery, and a lesson that all of us should learn from. This drama is based on a popular Chinese novel with the same name by Priest, which I have not read before. (Translated version is only available as machine translation) Two large downsides to this drama were the the terrible editing skills, and unrealistic backdrop that was very obvious from time to time, but the lovable characters and fascinating storyline eventually overshadowed these disappointments. It is quite understandable that many would be unwilling to "wait" more than 20 episodes or so to finally get into the drama, and this is a barrier that everyone should be aware of before attempting the drama. With strong martial arts skills and intelligent thinking, Zhou Fei teaches us that we can achieve our dreams, but achievements are only the result of endless and persistent hard work. With many setting high expectations for a drama with their favorite actors or actresses, this rather low rating isn't very surprising, but I really enjoyed it.

Honestly, I don't even know if this contains spoilers. If it does, please message me about it.

Story-8.0
With the usual pugilistic world (Jianghu), there are admirable heroes who help others, but there are also people greedy for wealth and power. Zhou Fei is born into Forty-Eight Fortress, a sect founded by her grandfather (Li Zheng) known for its good deeds and efforts toward eliminating evil. Growing up, Zhou Fei had always been taught by her parents to only do good, to work hard. Her mother seems overly strict to her, but loves her more than anything in the inside. Zhou Fei longs to please her mother, and to achieve this goal, she plans on becoming a famous heroine. After a series of events, Zhou Fei meets Xie Yun, who appears carefree, and quite annoying. Zhou Fei leaves Fourty-Eight Fortress for the first time, and along with Xie Yun, her two cousins (Li Sheng and Li Yan) and some newly made friends, they start to uncover the reasons for the deaths of her grandfather and many other martial artists. The moves for the martial arts were choreographed fairly well, and it was clear that each actor and actress had put in a lot of effort to perfect their moves. I also really liked the costumes; Although they were simple, they fit perfectly for every character, and the light-weight clothing worked reasonably well to portray everyone's personalities. Each story behind the famous heroes are very motivating, and we learn lessons along with A'Fei. The story starts rather slowly and quite boring (and a few episodes could have been cut), but to make fire, wood is needed, and I promise, as the story progresses, it becomes more and more intriguing. There is no clear plot until episode 20-something, which disappointed many viewers. The story revolves around the idea that evil may seem to win, but oh no, it doesn't. Only with a kind heart can you rule the world.

A very important aspect of this drama is the mystery incorporated into it. An item said to be able to assist one into ruling the world was coveted by countless people, and this didn't exclude the evilest of the evil. In the later episodes of LoF, the main plot is revealed, and things do not cease to captivate.

Acting/Cast-8.5
Legend of Fei has some of the most lovable characters in the history of Wuxia characters, as well as some of the evilest. There were some with some annoying attributes, such as the Third Prince, who I still don't know why he was included in the story. We have quite a few comedic duos that give us quite a show, and each and every character has their own story, no matter if their journey throughout their life was tragic, hopeful, or just mediocre. Here are my descriptions of a few of the most influential protagonists and antagonists:

ZHOU FEI and XIE YUN- A strong-willed young girl, Zhou Fei had wild ambitions, but luckily, her ambitions were to do good for the world. (and impress her mother) She and Xie Yun start on a rather bad note, but friendship quickly links them. She discovers that the world outside of her home is not all that cheerful and fun, but rather dark and scary. A hatred towards the Demons starts to grow inside her after she learns of their countless evil deeds, and she manages to kill many of their leaders through the guidance of many martial art heroes and heroines she meets on her journey. The persistence in Zhao Liying's eyes are present throughout this drama, and her acting never fails to disappoint. (I am not a die-hard ZLY fan) Our female lead matures from a girl ambitious to be the best to a young woman who is admired by the many people she had helped. (may contain spoilers:)With a complicated past, Xie Yun is not your typical male lead. He and Zhou Fei first meet when Xie Yun "steals her father". Underneath his cheerful personality hides an unforgiving identity, which Zhou Fei and everyone else learns later in the drama. This identity isn't very surprising, but is crucial to the story. He is very agile, and always manages to escape the Demons without even exerting too much energy. As talkative as he is, he is also very intelligent, although he doesn't always show this aspect of his personality. In front of Zhou Fei, he is funny but also caring. Although Wang Yibo could be considered a rookie actor, he managed to pull off the complex personality of Xie Yun, which is quite impressive.

Wang Yibo and Zhao Liying do not have that fire chemistry, but their pairing was more than acceptable. It may be disturbing to some that ZLY is 10 years old than WYB, but their interactions in the drama made me forget about this irrelevant detail. Xie Yun and Zhou Fei are our troublemakers, they are really two peas in a pod. They only want the best for each other, and will go to the ends of the earth to save each other.

LI SHENG and WU CHUCHU- Another cute couple, Li Sheng and Chuchu are very adorable as well. Li Sheng never manages to beat Zhou Fei in martial arts, and was rather jealous of her. Later, though, he discovers that he doesn't always need to be #1, because as long as he can use his strong skills to help, he is satisfied. Even though he doesn't have the strongest martial arts skills, his leadership and intelligent are two of his main strengths. I found him particularly annoying in the beginning (because he was rude to A'Fei), but his smart and caring personality eventually stole me heart. His love interest, Wu Chuchu, was born with a silver spoon, but her parents are both killed mercilessly and she spends a large portion of her time with Zhou Fei and Li Sheng on the run. Some of her early actions were very frustrating, because she was doing some really dumb things, but her determination to avenge her parents led her to even start to learn some basic martial arts skills.

LI YAN, YANG JIN and YING HECONG- Oh boy, our three troublemakers. They are quite the trio! These three never fail to make me laugh, especially Yang Jin. His motion of rubbing his head is his most famous movement, and makes him appear dumb and useless, but he has some strong martial arts skills. The actor who portrayed him did a great job in showing his funny but strong personality. His love interest, Li Yan, could be said to be even dumber than Chuchu. I love her as well, but some of the things she did were very unexplainable, and led to all sorts of trouble. She wasn't a very crucial character here, but she did manage to add some comedic elements to the show. Last but not least, Ying Hecong, aka The Poisoner. I didn't really understand his presence until I realized that he was very knowledgeable in poison, and he eventually was a very helpful friend to A'Fei and everyone else, and like the others, after undergoing a tragedy or two, he musters up the courage to stand up for what is right. I loved this trio, they are hilarious.

HEROES/HEROINES- Without the wise and famous heroes and heroines, Zhou Fei couldn't have achieved what she did. Each and every martial artist gave her priceless life lessons, as well as had some of the most beautiful stories. Although most did not have much screen time, they each played a crucial role in fighting the Demons, and passed on their skills to Zhou Fei. Li Zheng and Duan Jiuniang had an unforgivable love story, while Ji Yuncheng was an honest man who couldn't forgive himself for a certain event. Madame Ni Chang was a great woman, and saved Zhou Fei and the others quite a few times. Unlike the Demons, these wise men and women were even willing to give up their life to keep the world at peace, and they probably could have a drama just about themselves!

DEMONS- Demons are demons, evil and merciless. They do not even know what the treasure is, but spent years trying to uncover it. Without these terrible characters, the drama could not have progressed, and the actors/actresses did quite phenomenally as the evil roles they portrayed. I wish that some of them got a closure where they learned the valuable life lesson, but even if none did, their satisfactory ending was enough. Each of the demon leaders had their own detestable personality, and not all of them wanted the treasure.

Music-8.0
The music in this drama wasn't very memorable, but it was far from bad. The OST could have been more delightful with a few more songs, and it was kind of a surprise that Zhao Liying didn't sing any of them. Wang Yibo did, and the tune and lyrics fit quite nicely. As for the background/instrumental music, they were very common in fighting scenes and calming scenes, and were also a snug fit. With the mysterious but upbeat music, the audience could predict that Zhou Fei would win the battle, or that some despicable Demon was about to be defeated. In Forty-Eight Fortress or with our Yunfei couple, the soft music showed us the beauty of peace.

Rewatch Value- 8.0
If I had to rewatch this drama, I would most likely skip the first 10-20 episodes, and go straight to when I started to actually make strong connections with the characters. I did enjoy the second half of the story, and did not skip a single part of it.

Overall-8.5
The start of the drama was a little disappointing and underwhelming but the ending was not, as well as the story as it progressed. Some interactions between the characters were hilarious, while others were tense and dark. We are given three cute couples as we followed the main characters' journey to eliminate evil and help the poor civilians. No matter what happened, Zhou Fei did not give up, and her persistence was the key to defeating the Demons. She and Xie Yun have a very valuable relationship, growing from an unfriendly encounter to unbreakable love. And without the amazing acting of every actor, this drama wouldn't have been able to portray the most important life lesson, which I'll leave for you to discover.

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Cheeky, cheerful and heartfelt, drops of suspense included

“Knight Flower” is set in Joseon days, yet it is no epic, historical KDrama in a classical sense. It has endearing comedy to offer, the touch of a romance and even a touch of crime thriller, while the setting back then in Joseon is accounted for predominant neo-Cunfucian social ethics in those days. In particular, back then being widowed was bad news for women, whatsoever. (See side note). This circumstance is providing the hook for a cheeky and fresh-minded KDrama plot.

In "Knight Flower", the widow simply cannot get herself to merely spending the rest of her long life in honorable, virtuous seclusion, mostly invisible to the rest of the world, trying not to be too much of a burden to her in-laws, and otherwise mourning the deceased husband (whom she never actually met) in the afterlife.
No, this widow does her own thing. She is not interested in being reduced to the virtue of mourning. During daytime, her everyday life is that of a honorable widow and decent daughter-in-law. Yet, at night she is dressed in black, wearing pants and a mask, climbing over walls, jumping over roofs and helping the poor – as "Midam", a kind of Robin Hood of Joseon. Such is her double life. All goes well, until one day...

While the plot is drawing its dynamic appeal from the actually rather sad background of a dubious tradition of treating widows (not only practiced in old Joseon, and not only back then…), the good news is: "Knight Flower", as a production broadcast in 2024, is built on intelligent emancipation, too. What is called for is not compliant bowing, but rather self-confident, creative solutions in dealing with life. Obviously South Koreans are craving for such a role model these days. The show was quite a success. People there apparently enjoyed it. So did I.

"Knight Flower" is cheeky, cheerful, and heartfelt, drops of suspense included, thus with alluring wit offering an enjoyably entertaining genre-mix.








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SIDE NOTE: --- Yeolnyeo or Yeolbu, the virtuous woman of Joseon ---

A loyal subject can only serve ONE king and a virtuous woman can only serve ONE husband. This perhaps briefly summarizes the core of the moral teachings of the period between the 14th century and the beginning of the 20th century. Practically speaking, this implied a widowed woman could face death penalty, if she ever wanted to marry again.

Women had to be obedient to their parents and in-laws. They had to honor their husband. And after his death the eldest son had the say... The greatest asset of a woman, besides bearing children, was her virtue. And that was eventually all that was left, if her husband might have died before herself. There was even granted an official award for valuing outstandingly honorable virtuous widows with the reputation of being a Yeolnyeo or Yeolbu. Thus they had to be particularly determined with living as a commendable model wife even after their husband´s death – according to all the rules regarding morals and daily routines as set out in detail in the book about good conduct for virtuous women…

However, the pressure on widows to be respected as Yeolnyeo became excessive over time. At some point it was even common for widows to consequently take their own lives, too, thus expressing their praiseworthy being loyal to the husband until the bitter end. In this way, they could posthumously provide their family (or that of their deceased husband) an honorable glory of virtue in which all family members could bask. Eventually, suicide was even expected of a widow – especially if she became a widow at a young age...

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Fighting for Stupidity

When I read the synopsis I was excited with the premise of a strong female character who excels in war strategies and becomes a female general. The FL is intelligent, devious at times and cross dresses as a man, there's a lot of male brotherhood camaraderie she develops with other male characters which is nice because sometimes its not all just about romantic love. While she is talented, the parts where she goes from commoner to elite fighting soldier with top notch archery and horsemanship skills was unrealistic.

The love story really falls flat in my opinion. The ML is good looking but he's a bumbling idiot supposed playboy. His character is really flat and not bright. Its hard to believe he can last as a general for even a minute. I can't really feel drawn to his character. The love story between them doesn't have any emotional pull, its a bit robotic and forced in the acting. Maybe its me but it might be more interesting to see two robots fall in love than the FL and ML.

The SML and the FL seems to have more chemistry as they are on opposing sides and the SML is smart and bold. I watched it because I wanted to see how their story unfolds even though its pretty clear the FL will not end up with the SML. They should have really developed their story more because it was more compelling and a bit more complex than the FL's love story arc with the ML.

Overall it could have been executed better, the last dozen or so episodes was a bit of fast forwarding. I completed it because I was curious how it works out between the FL and SML and how she breaks through to become a general.

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I'm a little surprised that I watched this entire show, because I was thoroughly disappointed by it early on. Too much of this drama just didn't make sense. First off - let's start with the title. While Yoon Se Na was an honest and well behaved girl, she was not lovely or playful, as many translations of the title says. I don't quite see why all the men wanted to spend time with her, because she really sucked the life out of each encounter she had with other humans. For this I mostly blame the script, and some wooden delivery of it. The show did not make me believe that Se Na actually wanted to be a songwriter, she just seemed coaxed into it by Hyun Wook. It also did not help that almost every secondary plot point was either underplayed or completely disappeared.

My Rating: 6.0

In Short: This love story between a boring young girl and a completely unprofessional CEO was truly dull at times and slightly enjoyable at others. The only plot point I enjoyed was lonely idol Shi Woo, though they could have done way more with that as well. SIGH

Pros: The setting is one that I usually enjoy, though it did not feel organic in this show. However, the lighting and filming is really enjoyable, and the dog is cute. The music was also quite good.

Cons: It really bugs me when most of the characters on the show are senior management for some company, and absolutely none of them know how to do their job. Everyone at ANA was unprofessional, and let their personal feelings decide at every turn. Also, the main lead kept his secrets (and lies) for about 8 episodes too long. And the last episode of the show was one of the worst episodes I have ever seen. Somehow, our leading lady was suddenly a complete a-hole for no specific reason.

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