Reviews

Rollercoaster of Emotions w/a Wicked Witch

Watched this for Yang Yang and the first responder/natural disaster aspect it. I followed this drama as it was filmed last year and was very much looking forward to it. For the most part, it didn't disappoint. It was a rollercoaster ride of emotions and even had a list compiled for the most hated character.

Pros: Favorite character was SY or ML; his bark was worse than his bite. As a captain at a fire station, he had to be cool and aloof but he was kind and caring to those whom he cared about the most. When it came to FL that was the only time when he could forgo the world. In the beginning, she chased after him and he didn't want to give in because it meant she might find out the truth. The chemistry between the two of them was very believable. Loved the fire station gang, the other doctors and nurses, and was extremely sad when they lost DP closer to the end. That scene really did require tissues. All of the characters were very well evolved throughout. FL's adoptive brother was creepy as heck for his obsession but I am glad he was given that out towards the end so they could remain family. SJ was very important to the series and to the audience and ZBB played him very well. When he left and was replaced by someone else, all those emotions and changes really made it real.

Who could forget the wicked witch of the west aka the adoptive mom of FL as the main antagonist. I have to give the actress props for acting as well as she did; none of us could stand her. Furthermore, she's only 59 in real life but makeup made her look 70. We all hated her so much, I created "The Kill List" in the comments and the other watchers were very creative in how to kill her. We got to 17 ways and as promised I'll post it here:
"The list is back ONE LAST TIME! We need to kill the wicked witch. So, let’s see how many more ways we can kill her! Our end list looks like this:

1. Drowning in her own pool
2. Melting her with high pressure water
3. Throwing her in the river
4. Leaving her broke and desolate without any power.
5. Leaving her to suffocate when her office building goes up in flames.
6. Broke, desolate, without power in a sewer line.
7. Leave her in the mountains with lots of poisonous snakes and things.
8. Skin her alive.
9. Alpaca pushes the bookcase on her head in a smelly apartment and runs away while WW starves to death and loses her dignity because no one saves her.
10. Gets accused of treason and tortured then executed.
11. Death by 1,000 tarantulas.
12. Tie her to a chair and drill holes into her ever so slowly until a vital organ is hit.
13. Glue her barefoot to a chair and the floor, let the sprinkler system douse her with gasoline and chuck a lighter at her.
14. Suffocation by firefighter foam.
15. Drink snake venom while being whipped.
16. Send the picture and frame into the wicked witch’s head instead of the floor like a missile.
17. Leave her trapped in the tunnel during the typhoon; rescue everyone else."

The comedy was also good and the FL finding out the truth was much needed. I'm happy I got spoilers from the novel readers on when the series would deviate or not, but though not the same issues as in the novel, SY did suffer extremely at the hands of the wicked witch and her connections and I'm proud of FL for growing a backbone and standing up to that crazy old bat! I do wish ZM made her kneel all the way though. Sorry not sorry.

The rescues for the most part were very realistic though I wish they used stunt doubles for many of those scenes instead of doing it themselves. I remember seeing the explosion balcony scene when it was leaked online last year after filming and it was nuts. Both natural disasters were alright, though I wish they used more expensive CGI for them. OSTs, costumes, sets and locations were all on point.

Cons: Though the wicked witch was a great antagonist, giving her a redemption arc unlike the novel was garbage. I felt it was just bad and the drama took a hit for that; because there was no way anyone who's done that much damage to other people should just be forgiven without any jail time that we saw. So in my head, I pictured after the last episode, she'll be found guilty and sent to prison.

The ridiculous propaganda and where they put it was really bad. Like who carries their brigade's flag to the scene of an earthquake? This ain't the Olympics. You're there to rescue people not parade around. And considering how often the speechifying occurred in the middle of really random conversations, you'd think they'd be a bit more knowledgeable in first aid like CPR. How is it that in a fire and rescue house, there're no paramedics or EMT's? Yet the fire department is responsible for crowd control which is the police's job. It was all very confusing. You have two different numbers for police and for the fire department. But when you need all three, then what happens?

Also very obvious that the aftershocks many times were done by the actual actors shaking themselves and the surgical equipment plus table. The typhoon seemed to just be like a bad flood instead of what really happens inside a typhoon/hurricane. It was like they could just drive when they wanted and the wind and rain would stop periodically. Like I mentioned above, CGI needs to be better. So that also bumped the score down.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely. The story is for the most part well done other than those cons which you can more or less overlook. The cast did a great job, so get ready for a rollercoaster ride of emotion with a wicked witch in the center.

Leia Mais

This was an average show with many many plot twists, bad music, bad acting and extremely unrealistic storytelling. But still, there was something that gave me the feels. I can say I enjoyed the mess. I often watched this show while cooking or doing something else, all important moments got repeated countless times so even if you miss a few episodes you won't miss anything.

If you can get past the woman hating in the beginning you will be awarded in the end. Good wins and bad gets to learn the lesson + a chance to redeem itself. No matter how I hated the baddies they were often the most interesting to watch and they were the ones who drove the plot forward. But God did I hate them, they made my blood boil and one of the reasons why I finished this drama was to see them suffer. The show gets boring at some point but there is always something refreshing happening all the time, never mind it's unrealistic and stupid. Just don't take this show too seriously.

Even though there was enough time to tie all loose ends some things were not explained properly. Anyway, the ending was decent no less. Personally I was a bit disappointed with the pairing, probably I am the only one who wished Hana to end up with that other guy.

Leia Mais

What's so good about being normal?

"Unless it's something bad, it's better to be weird than ordinary"

To write a review on the School Nurse files is to imply I have somehow grasped what the School Nurse files is all about. The show's glorious acid trip weirdness defies analysis and yet feels deliberate. After all - as our male lead says as we head into the plot's explosive denouement - "it's better to be weird than ordinary". And the School Nurse Files definitely walks its own talk.

At a Korean highschool where the kids recite cult-like verses on happiness every morning, an emotional whale floats overhead and ducks follow the leader through the school randomly. The children *appear* happy, according to our school nurse, Ahn Eun-young (Jung Yoo-mi). But when it comes to life - and especially to adolescence - it's what's under the surface that matters more.

Since birth Eun-young has seen 'jellies', a kind of supernatural human residue that grows and forms into different shapes. Armed with a toy gun and rainbow toy sword she fights the jellies that have grown so big as to be a threat to the humans around them. In this she is aided by Hong In-pyo (a Nam Joo-hyuk who is finally living up to his potential), the grandson of the school's founder who has a disability following a motorcycle accident when he was young. In-Pyo has a powerful aura that acts as a supernatural shield and Ahn Eun-young is able to recharge by holding his hand.

But this school is no ordinary school, it was built on a pond of emotional residue that a cult hopes to harness for its own advantage.

The School Nurse Files is a crazy ride of symbolism and metaphor and I'm not sure to what extent we're supposed to take it literally. But the show is unconventional and original and flat out weird. A celebration of weird where everyone is encouraged to let their freak flag fly. The show's aesthetic leans deliberately away from kdrama gloss. The kids have acne. The adults look real. Nam Joo-hyuk's model looks and height are transformed into a gawky, clumsy awkwardness that is 1000 times sexier than the usual sanitised gloss..

The only reason it's a 9 - and the only real issue I took with it - is that it's packed into six episodes like a pocket rocket ready to explode and it really needed at least one or two extra episodes to make the whole thing feel less rushed. But in the final estimation that's not a huge problem. I'll happily take another season - hell another three seasons - if I can see Eun-young fight evil while holding her adorable boyfriend's hand.

Leia Mais

casually sweet

In all, the storyline and characters are ok. Cute, kind and honest FL off the streets caught by her father the Prime Minister, and suspicious handsome ML hunted down after the war with every reason not to trust her.
It’s not too silly or ridiculous, but it’s not too dark and ‘martial arts-y’. It’s sweet — maybe not the best, but I enjoyed the music. My favorite character would probably be Prince Jin’s guard Nan Bo.
Anyways, It’s worth the watch if you’re looking for a relaxing and casual drama, not too spectacular but not too boring, while you’re waiting for a highly-anticipated new drama to come out. (I highly recommend the 2023 hit drama ‘Mysterious Lotus Casebook’ starring Cheng Yi and Joseph Zeng, if you haven’t yet seen it :)

Leia Mais

May contain little spoilers, and it's just my opinion..

I just finished the last episode, and I think it's a first time when I skipped almost all MAIN LEADS scenes in it..! Well, usually it doesn't get to this point, because I simply drop the drama if I feel this way.. But this one was such a hit, plus I was watching it for a long time, and it was kinda nice.. Maybe till 14th episode.. Or maybe till 10th..
Ok, when I started it, it was very fun - the humor was great, the leads looked great together ( there was never doubt about this), and everything seemed new and fresh.. I don't even like romcoms - too much cheeseness is not for me , but I started it because I like PMY and PSJ, and well, needed something to watch :) So for a first episodes I really enjoyed it- it was a good office comedy with very attractive leads. Then, after the story from the past started to unfold, it was fine by me too - I know,many complained about this, but for me it was ok - as long it added something to the story, and we had actual plot.. Then - in pretty early stage I'd say, the mistery was resolved, and for the rest of the episodes it was nothing but romance.. First, how they got together, then how they managed to be together etc... There was never any serious fight between them, never any obstacle - it was all ''cute'' romance with small talks and yes - great looking kisses and glances, but nothing more! I know, most people are actually looking for this stuff - many sweet moments between the leads - but is it really enough, when there's nothing more beside this?..
Don't get me wrong - I love romance too, but for me to love the couple I need to wait for them, to miss their moments, wondering what will happen to them - then ,when I finally get what I want, my heart flutters when I see their scenes! I even may skip other scenes to finally see my otp! But here, in the end I skipped the leads... No matter how explosive their chemistry was and how stunning they looked together, but I still got bored..
Now, what I really liked and enjoyed, was the office team - they were adorable and cute, every each of them! I liked how united they were, and both office couple were great! At least it was fun to watch them after same repetitive scenes of the main couple!
It wasn't the worst thing that I watched , but I think it's very overrated! I'm not hating - as I said, I like both lead actors, but it was my opinion about the plot of this drama..

Leia Mais

She's just not into you anymore.

The Luo family is in gentle decline as the second generation is unable to match their late patriarch's illustrious career in civil service. They look towards the complacent and entitled third generation to revive the family's fortunes with a growing sense of anxiety. It is to this backdrop that Luo Yining returns from the family's country villa to celebrate her ailing grandmother's birthday after falling out with Luo Chengzhang and concubine Qiao as a child. Chengzhang is a frustrated and resentful civil servant of middling talent with a very small heart that only has room for Qiao's children. Yining is appalled to find her "third brother" Shenyuan shunned and bullied by the family and as unfavored children and they become fast allies. They are both not who they appear to be and gradually they uncover and keep each other's secrets as together, they navigate treachery both within and outside the Luo household.

This kind of saga that depicts the rise and decline of a family has been a popular genre since the 18th century classic vernacular novel 红楼梦 Hónglóumèng/Dream of the Red Chamber resonated deeply with its philosophical questions and social critique of feudal patriarchal society. While the narrative unfolds around the main protagonists it is not just about them; it explores broader social themes through related character stories and sub-plots told from their point of view. Every character has their own cross to bear. Chengzhang for example, is at surface a bad dad but he was also someone whose ambitions never materialised and who twice had to marry a woman not of his own choosing. Yining's return ruined the three people who meant the most to him. Maybe he gets off lightly or maybe fate was already unkind enough to him.

This drama gives the strong impression that it is a lighter, more accessible version of The Story of Minglan (SOML). The production quite cheekily acknowledges this by installing Yining in Haitang Pavilion and naming her mother Gu Minglan. Many of the main character blueprints of the Luo family down to the costumes and styling and the plot arcs around the inner harem rivalries and the mystery of Yining's mother's death smack of SOML. As someone who didn't enjoy SOML, I don't have a problem with it. Even though SOML is undeniably a more sophisticated and culturally impactful production, I found the pacing and the narrative approach suffocating. Even though it is less well written and not that original, The Rise of Ning is a more enjoyable watch overall. The biggest difference for me is Shenyuan is more interesting, better written, better portrayed and more empathetic than the male lead in SOML. Zhang Wanyi never disappoints in delivering yet another immersive and complex portrayal of this seemingly mild mannered and humble unfavored son with hidden depths. His strength is in being too casually overlooked and underestimated by his enemies. The story's biggest drawback is the romance is held back for so long that Zhang Wanyi and Ren Min's chemistry as a couple is under-explored.

Even though the narrative does incorporate a few interesting and new ideas, they are not fleshed out properly and are bogged down by lazy writing, shallow character designs and logic that does not hold up to close scrutiny. The main romance is weighed down by the fact that Yining and Shenyuan remain "siblings" for almost three quarters of the drama. I understand this was so she could remain in the Luo mansion but I think that the truth should have been revealed to both Shenyuan and Yining at the same time. They could keep it from everyone else while they try to solve the mystery of her mother's death and figure out who she really is. This would allow their romance to progress earlier on in the storyline and not leave the audience with such an entrenched impression of their chemistry as siblings. Another better approach could have been to skip the boring, tropey harem squabble arcs and move up the reveal because the characters in the Wei manor are more original and engaging. This would have also allowed a fuller development of Yining's relationship with Wei Ying, who is such a fantastic and memorable character who is both funny and moving at the same time. None of the women in this drama, nasty or nice, are prone to shrill, ear-piercing screeching, which was what I found most off-putting about SOML. In fact the smart, sassy and sarcastic Lin Hairu is one of my favorite characters and a huge upgrade from SOML.

Even though I enjoyed Ren Min's charming portrayal of Yining, her acting is still a work in progress. Her lines are too tentative and lack the depth of expression needed to capture the maturity, sensibility and intelligence of the character. Her voice is so distinctive that I also didn't for one moment buy it that Lu Jiaxue did not instantly recognise her as Meimei. I think she could have credibly dubbed herself as Meimei but when she grows up to become Yining, a more nuanced professional voice actor should have taken over. Her character is also not that consistently written. She indulged in a reckless and inappropriate dalliance with a much older man but showed enough good sense not to tell him who she really was. It is a relationship that mortifies and haunts her and when she encounters him again, she clearly fears and loathes him. What is not well conveyed is how he may have still occupied a space in her heart. This didn't come out until the end; which made me wonder why she never gave Lu Jiaxue a chance to clear up the misunderstanding or severe past ties with him neatly. The way she handled the situation was very immature and not like the Yining who faces her problems calmly and frankly. As a result, she never gave him or herself closure and in this, she was also not fair to Shenyuan.

As a villain, Ci Sha's portrayal of Lu Jiaxue deserves top marks. He was almost too powerful, seemed to answer to no one and was able to walk prisoners in and out of jail and cut down his enemies in plain sight. He was so intensely menacing and brutal that every time he showed up, my throat went dry and I felt a knot of fear in the pit of my stomach. But the character is too one dimensional and not well written. It is difficult to reconcile such a heavy handed portrayal of an irredeemably cruel and callous bad guy with someone even a pubescent Yining could have fallen for. It is equally disturbing and difficult to understand a grown man's obsession such a very young and very naive girl. The "she's not into you anymore" trope is one that should win audience sympathy because it is much easier to get over unrequited love than it is once-requited love. However, the portrayal of Lu Jiaxue as a love rival missed the mark and completely alienated me. It was nothing short of offensive to watch him paw Yining and manhandle her time after time. That is not the way to woo a girl, nor is openly trying to kill her favorite brother! These are not the actions of a character that is allegedly cunning, manipulative and smart. I would have liked to see a more multi-faceted, subtle and refined love rival, one that actually is a credible challenger instead of one that is so obviously beyond redemption. This tiresome obsession went on for too long and overshadowed the development of Yining's feelings for Shenyuan.

Even though the plot builds to a satisfying ending climax, I rolled my eyes at how how the final episodes descended into a Phantom of the Opera like theatrics. I didn't think Lu Jiaxue got his just deserts and found everyone's willingness to forgive baffling and out of character. But overall the storytelling and pacing was consistent and engaging throughout and the supporting cast really pulled their weight. I enjoyed the second couple and many characters beyond the leads. Overall a very solid and entertaining watch that I rate 8.0/10.0.

Leia Mais

ALL HURT & NO COMFORT

This series looks at love through rose-tinted glasses and calls it a day. Emotionally manipulative and angsty, this BL tries so hard to make you root for one of the main characters but fails hilariously.

STORY & CHARACTERS: There's nothing new or unique about this story. You've seen this shtick before in most breakup dramas. The common tropes of moving back to the childhood village, reuniting with the past lover, and having the main love interest chase the other stubbornly - have all been used before, but that's not the problem. These predictable tropes aren't really the story's downfall. It's the fact that the mystery of the break-up was recycled from the first season. The themes of insecurity and low self-esteem were already the major conflicts in S1.

Season 2 was basically the same thing, but with higher budget and more unnecessary characters that got more screentime than the two main characters.

There's no plot twist here, folks. One of the main characters (Ji Woo) is literally just the carbon copy of his S1 persona. He did not develop at all, but just regressed to a more selfish coward who spews hypocrisy and hate every time he opens his mouth. He verbally abuses Seo Joon, the other main character but asks for comfort from the latter ("please hug me"-ep 10) when he's the one who finally gets rejected.

This is endless angst with Ji Woo consistently hurting Seo Joon for 7 episodes:

First strike: JW knew that SJ has extreme emotional trauma from being abandoned by his parents, and yet he still abandoned SJ without a proper goodbye on his birthday.

Second strike: Every chance he gets or in all their interactions, JW sees it fit to hurl emotional abuse & insulting words to SJ. SJ did not do anything wrong in this relationship. Even with his his exhausting schedule, SJ still makes time to see JW. Sometimes, he only sleeps for two hours just so he can hang out with JW. SJ neglects his health and his own friends for JW.

Third strike: JW let SJ sleep in that brutally cold camper van for DAYS because he couldn't summon enough humanity to be kind to the person he proclaimed he loves.

Fourth strike (and the most hurtful): JW slept with SJ, and told SJ the morning after that they could continue this "fuckbuddy" relationship. That was the lowest blow, and you could really see the exact moment SJ's face falls at the implication.

TLDR: This series has no heart. It tries so hard to tell a deep, idealistic story by making everyone cry their heart out in the dark (seriously, the lighting is so bad. I can barely see anything), but it doesn't quite make it because it's hard to get past the baseless cruelty & hurt. There is NO justifiable excuse for JW's behavior- of him emotionally scarring someone just because he himself is feeling lonely & isolated.

JW's pain & chosen isolation are understandable. His mental instability is not his fault. Choosing to break off a relationship is not a sin nor should it be condemned. He has every freedom to do so, but nothing can ever excuse or justify every single hurtful word and behavior JW chose to throw at SJ.

FINALE: There's no comfort or genuine resolution in this story. It isn't realistic or even idealistic at all. Nobody would want to have this kind of relationship filled with inequality & insincerity. In the end, the writers will try to put a band-aid on all the emotional trauma & abuse, but it's simply not enough. Strong angst & decent acting, but not much else. This love story is as shallow and insincere as Ji Woo's love for Seo Joon. Truly a tearjerker but for all the wrong reasons. 5/10

Leia Mais

A well-made drama

The story is quiet refreshing and engaging to watch. I watched this drama as it dropped episode by episode and it felt a little disjointed so I rewatched it for that continuous feel, which made me appreciate it better.

Many actors in this drama played their roles really well. The main leads, Gulinazha played Rong Shanbao really well and Huo Ming Hao as Lu Jianglai actually brought more life to those moments with Rong Shanbao with his micro-expressions. He is a really good actor and I enjoyed his acting.

The set and the costumes are well-thought of. The tea plantation scenery are very scenic and indeed.

There are even lessons about tea at the end of some episodes. As a non-chinese watcher, I learned something as well. Kudos.

Overall, I enjoyed this drama and would recommend it to others.

Leia Mais

More than a remake. And more than a thriller.

A woman locked away because she dared too much. She is called “Queen Mantis,” and the name itself is a portent—or a threat. The praying mantis, after all, is known for devouring the head of her mate once he is no longer useful. A provocative metaphor in a society that prefers to see women as victims, but not as avengers.

The Korean remake of the French La Mante transplants the original plot into distinctly South Korean terrain: abandoned mining towns that lie across the country like open wounds. Places where children once grew up, only to become perpetrators or victims later—or both at once. Here, the hunt is not only for a serial killer, but also for a social catastrophe: domestic violence so widespread in South Korea that it has become almost invisible. The police, who should protect, look the other way.

The women in this series are no saints. They are opaque, contradictory, dangerous. Go Hyun‑jung plays the Mantis with brilliance—her presence both magnetic and repellent. A woman one is not meant to love, but impossible to forget. The other female characters, too, are layered and elusive. By contrast, the men appear as clichéd shadows: policemen, perpetrators, fathers, all in familiar costumes.

Perhaps this is deliberate: a reversal of the usual roles, where women are mere decoration and men drive the plot. Here, the crime drama is solid—its subject matter not entirely new, but its execution striking.

Queen Mantis is more than a remake. And more than a thriller. It is a mirror of Korean contradictions: between victimhood and vigilantism, between patriarchal violence and female resistance. It shows that murder—even as revenge—does not lead to justice, but only opens new abysses.

The series poses an uncomfortable question: when institutions fail, when private violence goes unpunished—does vigilantism become a crime, or a necessity? The answer is as clear as it is unclear: murder remains murder, even when disguised as justice. Yet viewers are invited to linger at this moral precipice, to look into it, perhaps even to understand.

At the heart of Queen Mantis lies not only the pursuit of a serial killer, but also the fractured relationship between mother and son. Jung Yi‑shin and Cha Su‑yeol meet like strangers—bound by blood, yet separated by silence and guilt. Their conversations are less investigative work than tentative steps through the ruins of a shared past.

The series reflects this damaged bond in other parent‑child relationships as well: fathers who could not protect, mothers who wounded while trying to shield, children who inherit not only trauma but also silence. A web of reflections emerges, showing how violence does not remain isolated but travels through generations, warping love and corroding trust. Queen Mantis offers no solution, but leaves viewers suspended—between closeness and repulsion, between connection and rupture.

One thorn remains: the portrayal of a trans character, framed in proximity to mental disorder. In a country where trans identity is already marginalized, this feels like a relapse into old patterns. A small but not insignificant shadow on a series that otherwise illuminates social fault lines with such precision.

Overall: Remarkable, and worth watching.







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SIDE NOTE: The End of South Korea’s Mining Towns

Until the 1970s and 80s, South Korea had numerous coal and ore mines, especially in Gangwon‑do (Taebaek, Sabuk, Hwangji) and Chungcheongbuk‑do. With economic restructuring and the move away from coal energy, many mines closed in the 1980s and 90s.

What remained were “ghost towns”: half‑abandoned settlements, decaying workers’ housing, sealed shafts. Entire generations crumbled along with the homes they once inhabited. Alcohol, violence, loneliness—the social aftershocks were as reliable as the tremors that once shook the ground.

Some places, like Taebaek or Jeongseon, later reinvented themselves as tourist destinations (ski resorts, festivals). Others remained melancholically hollowed out. These towns carry an aura of social trauma: unemployment, out‑migration, fractured communities. That is precisely what makes them so charged as settings for thrillers and dramas.

Leia Mais

I didn\''t really have high hopes for this drama at first... but before I knew it I was sitting at the computer for hours anticipating each episode! I was practically watching Dream High for Jason and Pil-suk though. Jason and Pil-suk are so~ adorable together :) In the end, I liked Hye Mi\''s decision but I was not very satisfied with the ending... as long as they make a second Dream High with the same main cast I\''ll be okay with it. The OST of Dream High is one of my favorite of the year. Obviously I am now a fan of Wooyoung and 2PM Oh yes, and I forgot, the loan shark guy- you could never tell what he was up to...

Leia Mais

A filmmaker's review

First I'd want to comment on the technical stuff (cinematography, music, acting). As a filmmaker, I gave these ones a 10 because I'm not gonna lie, scenes were well executed and there was never a boring scene. A sign that production is good is when you actually watch everything instead of skipping parts just to watch the story (like what I usually do when watching series, my finger is just resting on top of the right arrow key ready to skip scenes lol)

Ok so now for the story, all I want to say is that they missed the opportunity to be one of the first dramas to end up with a second lead where more than 50% of viewers would actually be okay with. Like everything was setup so perfectly for that to happen, sadly the writers didn't grab that opportunity.

When I was watching the first episodes. I always told myself "This might be the first drama I watched where I can't really identify who the lead is" and that's what I actually liked. It's what got me hooked to watch until the end... But where it went wrong is they let Do San shine a little bit too late. By the half of the series, most people have already chosen their bet for Dal Mi and I assume it was Han Ji Pyeong.

So for the story, I'm rating this 7.5. I'm not giving it a very low rating because this series has been very inspiring for people like me who dreams of running a business too in the future. I learned so much especially the part where HJP compared business partnerships with wedding and divorce. It opened my eyes when considering my real life partners.

Thank you :)

Leia Mais

This show was just meh for me. Yes the acting was great and Woo Do Hwan's emotional journey was something to behold. However, it was just another, childhood trauma series that really wasn't resolved. That's fine but then don't take us on that roller coaster ride. Jae Mi's screeching also got on my nerves.

The pluses of the series are Oh Jung Se. He has always been one of my favorite K actors and he was great here as the sort of jilted fiance. I did like that he was able to let Jae Mi go but he still was grieving that. A more realistic approach to a hard break up.

Lee El. OMG! I love this woman. Absolutely fantastic as Bon Suk, friend and mother figure to Hae Jo. Those scenes in the hospital should get all the supporting actress awards.

Kim Min Seok as Ho Ji was such great comic relief but I also really liked the character.

11/24/24

Leia Mais

A MUST WATCH !! Every Female character rocks the show.

Just AMAZING!! Phenomenal!!
Story is JUST PERFECT!! It delivered everything to you - Comedy, Mystery, Drama, Thriller, School, Slice of Life.
The script is intense and engaging throughout with many twist and turns. Every second, every expression counts, you can't even look away for a single second coz you may miss minute and subtle details in the story.
It portrays the reality of a very sensitive subject of pressures of Education and its toll on the survival of both students and their parents living in the high society. This amazing series takes you on a roller-coaster ride of emotions. One moment you are sad, at others you laugh out loud. One moment you are angry while other moments make you smile with satisfaction. Most importantly, you get to feel all these in EVERY single episode.
The main feeling you get The MOST is the angst you feel while relating to situations of many characters.
You get to know why the person is behaving a certain way and the reason is no nonsense. All characters are multi-dimensional and the actors who performed it are Just FANTABULOUS! Never felt a drama can be this good after My Mister.
I won't go into details about characters coz it will be difficult to describe them in a single word and there are too many characters where I can't decide who did better. But every single female character has STRONG presence in the story. But that doesn't make male leads weaker. They are perfectly blended into the story.

Music is GREAT! Loved almost all the OSTs.
Another plus of this drama is the Cinematography and body language of every single character.

Rewatch is a MUST! I rewatched many scenes even many eps. again because every bit is WORTH it!!

Leia Mais

I See The Intention But... Such A Wasted Opportunity

I've never tried writing a review before but I'm watching BL's for over three years now and I wanted to try writing it. So please bear it with me.

Dare You To Death was one of the tough ones to watch it. Writing in this series is... well to put it kindly: childish, sloppy, unprofessional. I understand the intention when they produced this series. But, my god the story just kept getting worse and worse each episode. Irrational behaviours of police officers, stupid decisions of the victims, jarring tonal shifts from romance to "mysterious" murder scenes... The list goes on and on. Firstly, writer/s clearly did not know how law enforcement bureaus work because the errors that have been made during solving the cases is just stupid. Knowing the potential victims but not providing them protection, not asking for a full autopsy report for the first deceased, or even not interrogate the suspects/victims fully in a police station is wild. And these things I mentioned here is just a glimpse. Anyways, there is so much to talk about the script of this series; but if I get in to that, it'd be full on spoilers so I'll cut it short here. It's just full of many illogical things that doesn't even cover up other story plots and left us with a whole bunch of mess.

The acting very surprised me. In my opinion, we saw the potential of Dunk's acting in Heart Killers. He was really good in that series. But unfortunately, Joong kept getting the same roles over and over again which is a very boring caracter type for me, we couldn't see his acting range. But in this series, I believe he really outdone himself. both Joong and Dunk. They both play different characters from their previous works which is refreshing. And seeing Joong in a character that can actually show emotions was really nice. Their acting really carried this series.

If I really have to say something about the music, its just boring. GMM has stock music/sounds to play in certain scenes. And they used those musics so much that using it here too is just feels lazy at this point. Also, the production quality was a mess either. Especially for a series that's been produced for Netflix. The audio issues were jaw-dropping. The editing that caused tonal shifts were horrific. At one point, It felt as if the production team didn't like certain people who were involved in this series so they tried everything in their power to ruin this show. And clearly they succeeded.

It's such a shame that these good actors were wasted in such a sloppy series. The only reason I gave this show a high overall rating is the acting in this series.

As I said in the beginning, this is my first attempt to write a review. I know probably not many people will see this review but if there are things you want to discuss or just talk about the series, let me know so that we can discuss it.

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