Reviews

"A life without love is like a year without summer."

That's a Swedish proverb in my title. I am a winter person, but what good is the cold of winter, without the warmth of summer to give it sweetness? Summer means happy times and good memories as well. One must maintain a little bit of summer, even in the middle of winter in order to remember the warmth that life as well as nature provides you with.

"Our Beloved Summer (그 해 우리는) [2022]" is a story of such warmth, enthusiasm and vehemence; a love story that's worth telling and worth witnessing. It's about the growth, the progress and the upswing of a relationship that thrives even on the verge of vanishing. This is definitely an unique tale that'll bring all kind of emotions out of you and make you experience numerous amount of perspectives of life.

Kook Yeon Soo (Kim Da Mi) and Choi Woong (Choi Woo Shik) were highschool batchmates, persuaded to film a documentary portraying the first and last students of the class together. The documetary goes viral and by the end of the filming, they fall for each other and start dating, which lasts for next few years until they breakup for unknown reason. After 10 years, as they end up working together for a while, they have to film again showing their current situations. How will they cope up with the lingering feeling for each, as they move forward in their lives individually? Well, for that, you have to watch the drama by yourself.

Choi Woong is an Innocent, ingenuous and artless teenage guy whose free-spiritedness has made him the last student of his class though noone has been able to recognize his skills & intellect and what his future beholds. Kook Yeon Soo is a brilliant student, though self-centered and a lil unkind. Despite everyone's assumptions about her she lives an honest life by adapting to her reality.

Kim Ji Woong (Kim Sung Chul) has been the closest friend to Choi Woong since elementary who has now become a documentary PD. NJ (Roh Jung Eui) is a super-successful Idol star who is very honest and kind-hearted. Go Eun Ho (Ahn Dong Goo) is a friend to Choi Woong and his manager. Lee Sol Yi (Park Jin Joo) is the only friend of Yeon Soo and a pub owner. Jung Chae Ran (Jun Hye Won) is the Asst. PD at SBC.

Some old, familiar and experienced faces among supporting character are Seo Jung Yun (Lee Yun Ok) and Park Won Sang (Choi Ho) as Choi Woong's mother and father respectively. Cha Mi Kyung (Kang Ja Kyung) as Yeon Soo's grandmother. Jo Bok Rae (Park Dong Il) as the main PD at SBC.

The child actors for Choi Woong and Ji Woong, Song Ha Hyun and Kim Ji Hoon also did a great job. They were so cute and were able to portray demanded emotions aptly.

Special mention to Lee Joon Hyuk and Kwak Dong Yeon who played guest roles with badboy characters which actually felt like guest roles.

The plot development is steady though it doesn't look like it bcs of longer reminiscences from their highschool days and some flashbacks from their childhood. At the beginning of each episode, they show the progression of the 3 main characters when they were immature teens; combining them won't seem like a consistent tale bcs there are 3 different pov-s for each of them, which is fairly balanced. Also, some of the episodes in the later half, exceptionally, has the pov-s of the current timeline, one of which is given to NJ. Similarly, the ending of each episode is accompanied by epilogues to provide the audience with references.

The pacing is the only problem that lies with the production and editing. It isn't consistent; somewhere slow and somewhere fast. This could have been avoided but it was manageble for me ngl. Talking about the episodic progression, It took me 2 episodes and a half to be hit by the mood of the drama. The furtherance was good, 4th was a bit off in terms of substances, I felt. The ending of 6th felt like an ending of a story itself, I mean ep1-6 somehow felt like a show. And I was wary about what more is left. But to respond my questions, they provided me with a unhurried, warm and beautiful journey while the two parties go on a quest of love and attempt to eradicate all the odds on their way.

The finale week (15th & 16th) came as a surprise. Just when I thought they've forgotten about few things and are gonna end the show with cute moments and jolly fillers, they slapped me with the most important topics to be considered. I am so so so happy they didn't forget them. Honestly, I think those 4 episodes could be better executed but fine. The last 2 episodes are like truckloads of sadness and pain, they got many peak moments and tend to be gloomy for most of the parts. All loose ends were wrapped well in there and even though a lot of things happened in the last episode, it didn't feel rushed.

This is the directorial debut for Kim Yoon Jin PDnim who was, in fact, the producer for one of the 2020 best "It's Okay to Not be Okay". Despite that fact, the job he has done in this drama is so first-rate that it proves all the competence his skills behold. The screen editing, the screenplay management, the storytelling method and the overal execution is well taken care of. The pacing was perfect for the genre providing apt vibes; it's not exactly a warm pure romance but the painfully beautiful vibes wouldn't have been felt without the moderately slow screenplay. The cinematography is perfect; given the genre, mood and messages the story wanted the audience to catch, it was quite successful in doing that. It is beautiful and particularly the warmth could be felt through the camera lenses.

I honestly didn't know about Lee Na Eun jakkanim before watching this drama but given her experience in writing only one short webseries prior to this, she has done a fabulous job, no? I am very much willing to read the original webtoon now. Notably (for those who don't know yet), the drama is a sequel of a webtoon written by the same author and the same title (그 해 우리는 - 초여름이 좋아!). Simply, the webtoon is a prequel for the drama involving the highschool documentary days. I love how she has focused on the character dynamics of not just the 4 leads, but also the seemingly minor supporting characters. I particularly loved Ji Woong and NJ's backstories. The method of storytelling, the monologue notes during the backstory remembrance, the narrations and most importantly the plot development... everything is so good, I swear. I also loved how she has made the characters interpret various thoughts.

Nam Hye Sung PDnim is a super familiar name among the Korean composers and has composed for so many dramas, on the top of that for many excellent ones. There are 13 OSTs in total (by the time I write this) and I seriously love all of them. I usually cite my most fav or top 2 but I wanna mention more than that...

#1 "The Giving Tree" by Lee Seung Yoon is my most favourite. The soft beat song with pleasing vocals is about reminiscing the sweet memories of the past whose warmth is still heartfelt.

#2 "Drawer" by 10cm again is again about reminiscence but with a romantic and aesthetically beautiful tone which could make you cry. 10cm never fails to do his job.

#3 "Our Beloved Summer" by Kim Kyung Hee is the theme song for the drama which is a refreshing harmony and pleasant call for love.

#4 "There For You" by Kim Na Young is a soulful and emotional song, which is known to be her forte. It strikes out one's insecurities in a relationship. I particularly loved the rhythms.

#5 "Summer Rain" by Sam Kim which has the softcore melody that makes your heart flutter, no doubt he is proficient vocalist. The song is a very comforting one.

#6 "Maybe If" by BIBI is a song of 'What-Ifs'. It narrates various possibilities while dissecting the decisions of past to pick out the regrettable ones. BIBI's pointed vocal is so on point.

#7 "Christmas Tree" by BTS V is an eulogy to love. It perfectly depicts the art of loving and the feelings of being loved. Taehyung's vocal is like cherry on the top for this track.

Other OSTs are...
"Squabble" by Ha Sung Woon
"I Will Make You Happy" by Jang Beom Jun
"Even Now" by Yang Yoseob
"Home" and "Why" by Janet Suhh
"Red String of Fate"by Kim Kyung Hee

"From a philosophical pov, love is all about giving; it's what you give, and not what you take." This is an anonymously quoted line that we all know of but lemme assure that Our Beloved Summer goes beyond all the definitions and breaks all the barriers, in order to come forward with its own interpretations. I will try my best not to spoil while explaining this and please note that the next few paragraphs are descriptions relating to the show's scenarios.

For the world to become beautiful, the golden precepts to live by are mutual understanding, respect, tolerance, forgiveness, and love. OBS signifies how important these 4 factors are, in love. Love is love, no matter what but one must be aware of how to love and be loved, and to acquire that knowledge, we must be willing to learn each and every day out of it. OBS also shows how important its to learn despite the pacing and time period taken, bcs what matters is when you come back with full comprehension.

The feelings of not being loved anymore leads to insecurity which works like a poison in a relationship. Even in the strongest relationships, the fear of judgement by your partner is the mark of guilt and the burden of insecurities. Self-esteem, ego and reasonable pride are some elements contributing to it and I'm glad they didn't forget to sort out the lil knots left to untie at the end of the drama, even though it was late.

Honesty is the best policy- as you've heard, but my friend! It takes immense courage to be honest in a relationship. We often forget that we are mere human beings, and not magicians who can read others. So it's important that we tell things to others and also become a good listeners. Hiding is like lying to your own and it accumulates to further treachery. At the same time, opening up to your partner not only relieves the pain to some amount but also comforts your soul. This is another factor they've emphasized in the drama.

"Because nothing would happen If I don't do anything" is a line from this drama which implies that our choices or decisions are what shapes our future. It doesn't matter whether we joy over it or regret it bcs it's already too late to go back. We might have another chance to set things straight but that again depends upon the others involved. Because In the end, that was the choice you made, and it doesn't matter how hard it was to make it. It matters that you did.

"Please keep loving me." was a desperate call from one of the characters in this drama. We all wish to be loved for only ourselves and nothing extrinsic, but what exactly is the necessity and is that entity sufficiently reserved to elicit love alone? Well, the answer lies in our hearts with some reasoning left for our brains to do.

There is a great gift in conflict that is resolved heart to heart—it’s a deeper understanding. You just need to be willing to do your part to dive deep for the pearl. That's the greatest message "Our Beloved Summer" gives away to it's viewers. It simply is being deeply in love than being crazily in love. This drama truly brings out the most basic thing about a dating relationship.

I think I could be the only one but It somehow reminded me of Yumi's Cell. They're not similar in any way but the fact, that both of them are about processes and not constant or regular outcomes, is what makes both of them unique. I came here solely for Choi Woo Shik, Kim Da Mi and Kim Sung Chul bcs I have always loved their performances. Not having read the webtoon, I wasn't expecting much when the drama was still in making but when the hype about it started going up the hill, it took my level of anticipations with it and I am proud to announce that, it has exceeded whatever I thought It'd be.

Final remarks... Our Beloved Summer will remain in the top 10 list of Kdramas based on youth life essence for many years to come. The drama is character-driven and each & every aspect of this drama gets an near perfect score and the credit must go to the entire cast and crew. Couldn't be grateful to all of them for this beautiful piece of art which is thought provoking and very heartfelt. This is definitely a must watch. My ratings reflect how much I loved it and tbh it had it's own flaws whicu are in fact negligible but to be fair, I can't give 10/10 haha.

P. S. Might comeback sometimes to edit bcs I feel this is a bit disorganized since I had a runny nose while writing, hehe.

Leia Mais

Absolute Master piece and The drama of the year 2024!

I love watching fantasy, suspense and adventurous dramas and this drama is giving me everything I love and more!!! Its easily the best drama that has surfaced this year.

The cast whether they are male or female are doing stunning jobs portraying their characters so spectacularly and perfectly. I can't fail to mention that all the cast is full of gorgeous and beautiful actors and actresses which makes this drama even more captivating. The villains are extremely cunning and powerful and so it increases the chaos and difficulty of the problems the main characters have to face.

I love the complicated yet adorable romance between Wen and ZYZ. Also the complicated but very admirable friendship between ZYC and ZYZ, it warms my heart everytime and I enjoy their progress from enemies to bros/ friends . The love/hate story between LiLun and ZYZ is really intriguing and mysterious. Their story of bros to enemies is unfolding slowly but surely. Also all the other team members' back stories are incredibly interesting. There is always something to find out and explore about each character, their back ground, their behaviour, their choices and emotions. The bromance between the members and the sismance is also blowing my mind up. Its so adorable, bittersweet, funny and exciting.

All the characters are showing emotions and expressions incredibly well so you feel emotionally attached to their life and fate. I love the humour of the characters and chaotic energy they display, it's really fun to see their funny interactions. The chemistry of all the team members is impeccably smooth.

The story is extremely gripping and suspenseful. I love how the mysterious cases are revealing important past stories and are related to main cast one way or another.

The gorgeous costumes, top cenimatrography, beautiful fight cheography, all environment settings and the sound/visual effects were mind-blowing!! Its one of the best dramas I have ever seen. The OSTs are incredibly beautiful and heart warming.

Overall I'm in love with this drama and don't want it to finish ever! I'm savoring this extremely satisfying experience. I feel the pace of the drama is not too slow or not too fast. Its just right. Everyday I eagerly wait for the next episode. I hope watchers give it fair chance and watch it till end.

ENDING:

The ending is beautifully executed. The series of events that unfold, fit so well with the story. It has been very cleverly menouvered to that point where everyone had to make hard choices out of either their deep love, deep bonded friendship, admirable brotherhood or heavy responsibility of protecting/saving others. Although the drama has an open ending/sad ending, we are given happy ending as well in the extra episode. The happy ending ties so well with the end that we are left with a relief and hope for our dreams to come true that we spun during the drama.

Leia Mais

Zero Plot, Just Cooking and Singing

Let’s be honest, there is no plot to this 32 episode series. Guy meets girl. They fall in love. They SLOWLY get to their first kiss. Everyone stares at them with adoration. They stare at each other. The end.

This is more of a - let’s just show a lot of good Chinese culture. Chinese dishes, Chinese clothes, Chinese music, Chinese tourist attractions. Bring in some good looking people, have them eat together and make it 32 hours.

This huge cast of actors did absolutely NOTHING. How much teasing can they give the main couple? How long must the FL act 12 and shy every single time she’s with her boyfriend? What about the side couples? They literally moved slower than a grandpa with broken hips. All the side couples got together in the last 15 mins. They have the main couple way way way too much screen time doing nothing but act cute. I wouldn’t mind if they actually showed some sort of character growth or storyline. If they made it just 12-16 episodes, it would’ve been short and sweet. But y’all.. 32 episodes?! What’s crazier is that I actually made it to the end. I mostly skipped by episode 25.

Leia Mais

Easily One Of The Best K-dramas of 2021…

Supernatural K-dramas have been done countless times before in K-dramas, so, just what makes " Sell Your Haunted House" stand out? Well, it’s important to be honest by saying that like most dramas out there, it does have its ups and downs. However, “ Sell Your Haunted House” has a beguiling charm due to its cast, storyline and themes.

As a character, Ji Ah could have easily become irksome for viewers as the archetypical ” angst-ridden orphan female lead adorned in black”, but, actress Jang Na Ra undeniably brought a dynamic ambience around her role as our mysterious psychic. (Which is hard to imagine any other actress being able to imitate.)

This is shown case and point during one of the most emotional scenes of the series when, the emotionally conflicted Ji Ah, comes face to face with her mother Hong Mi Jin (Baek Eun Hye). The battle of tears behind Jang Na Ra’s eyes became one of the most beautifully emotional and poignant moments of acting throughout the entirety of the drama.

Although , it’s important not to turn a blind eye towards some of the show’s downfalls either;not least with Jung Young Hwa’s performance as In Beom. This is not to spark hatred towards the actor as he is undeniably really good. ( As shown in previous roles such as “ The Three Musketeers”.)However , Jung Young Hwa’s performance honestly lacked zest at the best of times- sadly not helping to truly authenticate his character via performance alone .

Every cloud has a silver lining and this certainly became prominent by the character development of Young Hwa’s onscreen persona In Beom. Whilst In Beom’s introduction did seem to establish initial warning bells that he could go down the road as the tiresome " comic relief" , however, the male lead was offered the chance to escape this trope by using screentime to explore his conflicted emotions ( especially over his " gift") and his ambivalent morality surrounding later events of the series . This did not seal In Beom as being ”heinous" or "bad"; he is a kind-hearted person, just refreshingly not a "flawless hero" or the " perfect love interest" either.

On this front, it is important to admit that tastes may vary upon the " romance" between our leads; for the most part, it is incredibly platonic. Without spoilers, the link between our leads is similar to being " soulmates", rather than having a passionately romantic undertone . Admittedly whilst this did serve a refreshing break from the cliche-ridden romanticised relationships of dramas, tastes will evidently vary for viewers. ( Therefore if you’re expecting a particularly passionate romance in this supernatural drama , then " Sell Your Haunted House" isn’t for you.)

Even our side characters grew in different ways. Joo Hwa Jung ( Kang Mal Geum) seems to start off the series as Ji Ah’s pompous and self-righteous assistant, however, the series helped to explore her complicated backstory and bond with Ji Ah . Heo Ji Cheol ( Kang Hong Suk)- the self-proposed “ Chief”- and one of In Beom’s closest friends Kim Tae Jin ( Heo Dong Won), seemed to be established as the " comic dead weights" in the series, however, they did provide themselves to be more than cliches with their actions during moments of tension . However, it was equally entertaining to spend time with our cynical detective Kang Han Suk ( Kim Sung Bum) gradually developing credulity and respect for our psychic Ji Ah’s help during crimes. To top it all off, Kim Mi Kyung’s guest appearance in episode 13 ( as the Blue Salt Owner/exorcism supply craftswoman) was short, but, her added charm and sassy tone during line deliverances helped to establish an unusually respectful relationship between Ji Ah and the craftswoman.

Yet whilst "Sell Your Haunted House" had some formidable tour de force moments and characterisation , it did seem to struggle with establishing a more profound antagonist. Now, arguably ( without spoilers), there are two major antagonists here, however, the one which should be mentioned is certainly Do Hak Sung ( Ahn Kil Kang). Let’s be honest. Yes, he did serve his purpose as the " driving force" of events in the series. But , for our trio of screenwriters ( Ha Soo Jin, Jung Yeon Seo and Lee Young Hwa) to have otherwise created profoundly-developed characters , Hak Sung was the ultimate anomaly by fitting the trope as the "moustache twirling villain" of the series.

On the other hand, the one thing which ‘ Sell Your Haunted House’ truly authenticated was tackling difficult subjects as a social criticism of the South-Korean housing system through the differing backstories of the dead.From a vengeful spirit yearning for unearned incomes, property evictees and more , " Sell Your Haunted House" builds onto a fresh premise with a mixture of horror, supernatural and thriller genres.

The ending was fairly appropriate for the genre. It’s easy for some viewers to feel a little underwhelmed by the anticlimactic battle, however, the series did use time in between to wrap off storylines and permit an appropriate farewell to our main characters.

So, is it worth watching? In between a spine-tingling OST and a generic villain," Sell Your Haunted House" offers an oddly dynamic take on the supernatural genre. It isn’t without its faults or flaws, but, its intriguing characters and a fairly stellar cast easily establish it as one of the few good dramas to have come out of 2021, so far...

Leia Mais

Healing drama they said, Healing drama it was.

If the objective of the drama was to make every shot look like a painting from that time period, that was successfully satisfied. The soft cool color grading and the sweeping shots of the fields and single trees: a dream! The chemistry of the whole cast especially the clinic family was so tightknit and so much fun to watch. Many of the previews were describing it as a healing drama and due to the sincerity of the script and the casts’ skills in thoroughly portraying their character’s traumas and how they got them, I actually did feel like it was a healing drama because we went through that process with them. However, I wish they included more “psychiatrist counseling therapy” cause that’s in the title, leading to my main complaint that there was too much screen time for the antagonists planning their evil plans only to be basically re-explained later. It was nice to see the different patient cases that Poong and the Gye Soo clinic family would help, just like in other modern medical dramas. However, I think the build up to the climax at Hanyang would have accelerated (and not dragged a little like some reviews had said about the middle half) if all of the cases had either developed Poong and Eunwoo as medical practitioners (skill and counseling wise) or if each case had given us clues about the "final battle" at Hanyang discovering who killed the king and how they got away with it. Some of the patient cases felt a little rushed being resolved and were just there to grow the sweet relationship between Eun woo and Poong (those moments I won't complain about because they were all highly anticipated for me personally:). There should be a trigger warning in the first episode (at least) because the make up team did an incredible job of making all the “soft gore” stuff look really real. The OST (especially Solji’s and Sohyang’s) really illustrates the mood of the drama and the background instrumentals were sometimes really funny during appropriately comedic scenes esp with the off tune flutes whenever Manbok said/did anything (he is truly comedy central haha).

To me, it looks like the directors and the screenwriters had the overall goal of making a healing drama and went in that direction while successfully balancing mystery, romance, and family comedy on their plate. It wasn’t too much for each genre, contributing to an overall very soft healing drama…except for the last ep.
So here I am rewatching each episode AGAIN for the nth time while I wait for season 2 after almost losing IT to that cliffhanger.
Final note: the two main leads Hyang Gi and Min jae are obviously seasoned actors because all their emotional scenes tore my heart out. Deep sincerity in their eyes and body language every time.

Leia Mais

I’m absolutely loving this drama! Let’s start with the story. The story is beautiful written, thou it’s not perfect but in every episode, I can see what’s the writer trying to convey, and for almost every married couple out there, it hits right home. The main aspect of the story is how to find the almost forgotten love that demised by hard reality, but the love between Jin Joo and her mother made me bawling my eyes.. T____T  The story also made me reflect how I treated my parents after I married, how to cherish what you have, count your blessing, and appreciate your partner. The balance of comedy, romance, even touching scene almost too perfect.. after crying my heart out, I laughed almost as hard because Dok Jae and Jae Woo! Dok Jae you are such scene stellar!

The cast is perfect! The character of second lead is almost too perfect even I was secretly hoping that Jin Joo will end up with Nam Gil..

The music is spot on.. the rewatch value is also record high for me.. even I will rewatch it again after I finish writing review.

I can say this is one of the most enjoyable drama ever.. the problem with it, I think the SLS is too hard..

Leia Mais

A+++! ( ˘ ³˘)♥

This seris is so sick omg! I STILL LOVE IT AWWWeee!! !!!!ATTENTION !!!! If YOU NOT can't stand THE BLOODy And Murder scenes, than DO NOT watching this serious. If you even do it, told you sis/bro! ( ˘ ³˘)♥ The cast and the scenes and THE characters are so genious, The music was totallllyy impressive and the music can make the situation more touching and moore sentimental and SUCH A GREAT ART! UWUHE CHARACTERS AND THE STORY LINE WAS GREAT! but here is a thing for everyone who loved this series,and I know you will agree with it uwu! DEAR DIRECTORS, WE NEED SEASON 2!! UwU ( ˘ ³˘)♥

Leia Mais

30 episodes of slop before it gets good

So I was slogging through episode after episode of this terrible show out of blind loyalty to the author (Jiu Lu Fei Xiang). Then, near the end and long after I should have dropped it, it actually got pretty good. Truly a surprise.

I guess I’ll start with my issues with the first 30ish episodes.

This show is so unbelievable cheesy. Take the whole superpower thing, for example. If you think of the ML as a Marvel superhero, he’s not that bad- interesting premise and all. But if you're not comparing him to cartoons, then he comes across as… well, cartoonish.

His transformations are accompanied by thumping music, CGI effects, slow motion poses, and hair blowing in the wind. It’s clearly meant to be heart-pounding cool, but I found it super lame. Maybe because the proper buildup isn’t there, so rather than being emotionally invested and caught in the moment, I’m just sitting here rolling my eyes.

And then there are other scenes that seem meant to be squeal-worthy cute, moving, or touching. I was not moved or touched. They were cheesy. Maybe it’s because I didn’t connect with the characters that I just couldn’t get in the proper mood.

As for the characters… let’s start with Li Shuang, female lead and world’s most unbelievable general. I think we’re supposed to like her. She’s strong, capable, noble, and selfless; all she needs now is somebody to appreciate and take care of her. We’re supposed to enjoy watching her find love.

It might have worked if she had any depth to her, but she comes across more as somebody’s one-dimensional image of a paragon of virtue. She is constantly spewing platitudes about protecting the common people; her flaws include failing to take care of herself (because she’s so selfless), her emotions include sorrow for the peoples’ suffering, and her desires include world peace and prosperity. Get the idea?

I think that without any depth, to make her feel more real and relatable, all her moralizing lacks sincerity. She’s too artificial. About half the time she said anything, I rolled my eyes.

As for the ML, his defining feature for the majority of the show is his puppy-like devotion to the FL. He has hints of being clever or thoughtful, but most of his actions center around his obsession with her. You can’t blame him- it’s chemically induced- but that means even more that their romance is founded on nothing.

Sitting through 30 episodes of these two going through all the motions of a sticky sweet romance was truly a struggle. Manufactured cutesy scenes, sappy moments with slow mo and flowery music, incident after incident requiring skin to be bared, sacrifices and rescues, etc. I was either cringing or bored.

On top of this, both leads at times acted in ways I found extremely frustrating. For instance, the unnecessary hostility towards Mo Yun, whose goals are not contrary to theirs. And that poor Crown Prince- despite being a saint, the FL somehow has no empathy for him. As the show itself says, you can turn somebody down and still be kind about it. Their childhood friendship seems to mean nothing to her; she can’t pull out a hint of genuineness or regard for him.

Shows define their own reality. The obnoxious behavior is presented as justified and noble, which left me irritated and further resentful against the two leads.

I had a brief moment of enjoying the show somewhere in the middle, when Lu Xin (female doctor) gets some character development, and Mo Yun appears. In general, I found Lu Xin alternately annoying and very likable. I did like Mo Yun, but some of his character arc was also really cheesy (the detached sage learning to love… lol).

With this second couple, I liked them individually, but the romance between them felt forced- maybe lacking in chemistry or something. Couldn’t quite get behind.

As for the villains, the empress dowager of Yao comes across as deranged and evil- kudos to the actress. I was satisfied with her story and resolution. The Taijin side… more complicated, didn’t quite like.

It isn't until almost 30 episodes in that the ML finally regains his old memories. At this point, the show suddenly gets much better. The ML is more interesting, with much more personality as Prince Annan, and I actually began to like the FL and empathize with her. Li Shuang even has her first moment of humanity, with a genuine and valid regret.

Even more, the way it all plays out between them is at once cute/sweet, and heartbreaking. I guess the previous 30 episodes of sap were setting up for this; it’s a lot more poignant when you understand what was lost. I legit found it touching.

This arc is not without its eyebrow raisers. For one thing, there are now TWO of them competing for the spot of Most Virtuous Soul. The setup / situation is also a bit contrived. But I was willing to overlook all this. All in all, well done, +1 points (yes I was about to give this a 5).

There is some more last-minute drama afterwards which I didn't find too compelling, but it's so close to the end anyways.

Acting-wise, I’ll address first the complete unbelievability of Li Shuang as a general. It’s easy to blame the actress, and I think that’s part of it, but there are other components too. Things like: her voice; her pretty clothing and jewelry when everyone else is wearing armor; outfits and scenes that highlight her creepy level of skinniness; choreography that showcases her poor fighting technique; so on. I don’t want to bash on Song Yi, but maybe she wasn’t the best choice for the role, and maybe also direction/production could have done some things differently.

Other actors did well. Cheng Lei of course had to show a lot of range for his dual personalities and I thought he did a good job. If you like to see Cheng Lei shirtless, this is the show for you. Darren Chen as Mo Yun and Bi Wenjun as the Crown Prince both showed really good expressions with their eyes. I felt even worse for the Crown Prince with how troubled and hurt he looked at times, near the end.

The fight choreography is… not the best I’ve seen, and not that well executed. I admire the creativity of making her main weapon bow and arrow, but it really is not a short-range weapon, and having her rapid fire for close range combat just makes her sloppy technique even worse. Her sword swings are also uncontrolled. There are some battle scenes but they are all pretty standard.

This is definitely not a low-budget show, with lots of fancy costumes, sets, and extras. The CGI quality seems pretty good, and I did like the music on its own merits. But production can’t save a bad plot.

Ultimately, is it worth it to struggle through 30 episodes to get to the good part? Not sure. I did feel some really great emotions at the end, and I was interested and invested. But, ya know, a good show should have that all the way through, and >75% slop is kind of a lot.

ENDING – READ AHEAD ONLY IF YOU WANT TO KNOW, CONTAINS SPOILERS





This show has a happy ending. The characters really could have achieved the whole thing with much less drama, but I guess it’s a show after all. About half of the last episode is devoted to telling you where everyone goes. It’s bittersweet for some of the characters but not that bad.

I had a lot of sympathy for the Crown Prince throughout the show. He gets pretty ruthless for a moment there, and I was afraid he would spiral into villainhood (the fate of all too many SML, it seems). And yet I wasn’t sure what he did that was wrong or blameworthy, except maybe when he failed to properly read her mind (right). Luckily they turn that around and ultimately he becomes a good emperor. I like him as a character, but all this personality yo-yoing is too dramatic, getting dangerously close to character assassination.

More than anything, I was really bothered by how FL treated him. I felt she should have at least given him closure, along the lines of “I really treasured our time together but we both need to move on.” Even at the end, he’s clearly struggling and she still can’t say anything nice to him. It somehow falls on our ML to say just one kind thing- “you are a good emperor whom the people love”- to comfort this lonely soul.

Leia Mais

This drama is good for those that want to watch it in their spare time and not for binge watching..

Reasons:
1. Story- i like how unique the story is and that it is adapted from a novel. Usually a story that is adapted from a novel turns out to be great that is why i was hooked from the beginning until the end. This drama is a so-so for me. It is not that great but it is not bad also. I didn't felt compelled watching the whole 36 episodes in one sitting. I just watch it in my spare time and can still enjoy it.

2. Acting/cast- The actors here are amazing. They portray their roles really well, especially the three main cast.
Usually when there is a love triangle, i always felt bad for the second male lead but here the male main lead makes you wish that you met him in real life. His love for main female lead is unconditional, he always want to sacrifice himself for the sake of his lover. This kind of role is usually seen on the Second ML. Although the second ML is also likeable because of the things he did for female lead and also want to sacrifice himself for her the only difference is the second ML wants her love in return while the main male lead just do it without expecting anything from her.
The villains here also did a job well done. They are not pure evil but becomes evil only because of the circumstances that they experience. All in all.. clap clap for all of the cast's hardwork..

3. Music- The music is astounding. I usually skip the opening and ending song but here i was smack by the incredible songs and background music they use. Even though i didn't understand the lyrics the melody itself works its magic.

4.Rewatch value- Like i said, i only watch it because of the unique story but i think i will only watch it once. Because i know the whole plot already it is enough for me ..

5. Ending- I can't say that it is a happy ending but a good ending.. I expect more from the ending because i watch those many episode just to get a satisfaction of the ending but i am quite disappointed with it. Maybe some viewers felt satisfied with this ending because some chinese drama has a more tragic ending than this. It is still good and it is still worth to watch.
It is just a preference if you watch it or not. But just a piece of advice for those that wants to watch it.. If you like the first 5 episode of the drama continue it until the end. Because this kind of story is for you. But if not just drop it, it might be a waste of time for you.
I hope this review will help you.. ^_^

Leia Mais

Even though I am a huge fan of the first season and didn't want it to continue, I was looking forward to the episodes as soon as the episodes started airing. We had a new villain, cool new characters and their traumas. We also had the always charismatic Dr. Kim, the always entertaining staff, and the busy Doldam Hospital, and to my surprise, I was really enjoying the first couple of episodes and looking forward to Mondays as the story developed. And then everything went downhill. And there are three main things that made me give Dr. Kim a 6.

1 - The Villains - The writer simply didn't know what to do with them. Old characters come back and they don't seem to have learned anything (good or bad) from their experiences from 3 years ago. They're evil just for the sake of being evil. The best villains are the ones that even though you don't agree with them, you understand why they take on such actions, and that doesn't happen here. You spent all the time wondering "Why is this person still doing this? And why is this new person doing this?". Do you know the rule of film, "don't tell me, show me"? Yeah, in this season they neither show you or tell you. The actual medical practice also suffered a lot from this. I didn't count but it was clear that they had a lot more scenes in the OR in the first season than in the second. Sometimes it looked like I was watching a political drama and not a medical one.

2 - Editing - While I agree that both new leads had little to do in terms of development, I blame it mostly on editing. Some characters had huge problems and traumas from childhood shown in the first episodes, and then nothing really happened for the most part just so at the end solutions were brought like they were ready to go all the time. Really huge decisions had little to no impact on the next scene, sometimes even with the same characters (!!!!). The romance also was affected by this. The use of flashback didn't work for most of the scenes between the main leads, and for the most part, the best scenes between them were done when (surprise, surprise) the medical drama was actually being a medical drama. Season 1 was about growth in both professional and personal lives, this one lacks a lot of both, mainly because how OP the male lead is and how the editing treated the female lead as a weak character when that was not the case at all.

3 - Drama, Drama, Drama - I was skeptical when the first case of the Hospital was that big of a deal at the start of the series because you know, " since this is season 2, you need to make everything bigger, am I right?" (/s). Whenever the writer didn't know what to do with a certain character, they would just throw some more drama into the story, which was funny because people in the discussions thread were always so tense about what was going to happen next when nothing really was happening. It was just lazy drama so actors could yell at each other and make us feel like the tension was through the roof.

I'm pretty sure a lot of people who didn't watch this first one are going to find my score strange, that I might be a hater or something, but hear me out.

I highly recommend those of you who didn't watch the first season to do so and then compare it to this one, especially the story. Try to notice how well the story develops while characters grow and learn from their mistakes. After that go back to this review and try to remember how much the leads of this season developed. I just hope they don't make a third season because it would be a shame to hear that they're going to keep doing drama for the sake of drama in this amazing series.

The OST is cool though.

Leia Mais

If you wonder about my rating and are willing to invest some time to let me explain, then welcome to this probably unpopular opinion.

The story surrounds a guy who is part of a secret government organization that employs so called ghost agents. Professional fighters/warriors (or whatever you may call it - agents) who get on secret missions around the world and are not allowed to have any deep feelings or connections with other people since that would compromise their work. These ghost agents here are the very cliché of every spy agent you can possibly think of.

The story starts to evolve in that direction. Agent K (Park Hae Jin) takes on a mission and unexpectedly starts to develop real feelings for a woman he has to con along the way.

I can stick with all kinds of dramas, even with the bad ones if they make me curious enough to want to watch the next episode, because that is one grave reason for me to either enjoy or be disappointed with a show. Even if a story makes me pull out my hair because the protagonists are acting all nonsensical. Yeah, I'm that kind of a shallow person. I can handle trashy dramas as well as cheesy ones - if they don't take it too far but entertain me.

So, the worst thing that can actually happen to a drama and that makes me lose interest throughout the whole way, is when it becomes plain boring. Sadly, Man to Man was exactly that for me. There's nothing special about it. It feels like one of the biggest cliché-heavy mainstream action spy dramas I've ever seen, and it gives off the feel that the producers wanted to reach as many viewers as possible, what is eventually the main reason why it failed to impress me at all. The (seemingly hidden) spark didn't reach me.

I didn't expect much when I began watching it, but I would have never expected it to be like that. I'm sincerely sorry to say this and I feel bad for the high-level cast but I was extremely disappointed with many things - not everything. There was also something that kept me going and therefore made me complete it, so don't be too frustrated with my opinion.

One thing that wasn't able to... touch me was the romance. Don't hit me. It was just suddenly there somewhere along the line. I never understood why K fell in love with this particular woman and not all the other ones he used for his previous missions. They had their cute moments, I admit that and I enjoyed them to a certain point. But it never made me excited.

Many people were annoyed by the female lead in the beginning but started to like her later on. For me it was the other way around. I liked her in the first episodes but as the story went further, she became a bothersome side character whose behavior annoyed me at times. Kim Min Jung had a strange way of portraying her role, especially the way she spoke. Though I admit that there were also some few scenes where I could empathize with her, for example during the more serious moments and/or when she got hurt. But the overall view of her character was plain and without any depth, and there was no character development whatsoever. And that was actually the problem with most of the characters. Superficial stereotypes who never stood out or made their appearance memorable.

The other thing and probably the biggest flaw in my eyes was the spy story, and partly at fault are eventually its characters who never made me invested enough in their circumstances to even be thrilled by their next move. The execution of the overall story, the hidden wheel in the background, the step by step revelations... everything had a choppy feel to it. It failed to build up the right amount of suspense to make me excited enough about its secretive picture.

I rarely drop dramas, seriously. I want to watch the whole thing when I start something. So, if there is even ONE thing that got my attention, I'll see it through. Man to Man does have some good parts to it, too.

First of all would be the villain. Yeon Jung Hoon. I was so happy to finally see him again after such a long time and he didn't disappoint me. His performance was great in every aspect and to the smallest details. Whenever he appeared, my attention level rose to new heights. He was calm, smart and cocky. He played one greedy bastard but he also felt human in some ways. He was playing his role with such passion that he made me root for him all the way. And his story even had a satisfying wrap up.

The other thing that I enjoyed alot was the bromance. They managed to pull off that part quite well, although I wasn't always completely pleased with it because it lacked screen-time. I would have loved to see more interactions between all those guys and the bonds they had developed over time. Of course all their hilarious moments together were priceless and filled me up with joy. So, when it comes to this I definitely need to mention Park Sung Woong. I was looking forward to his appearance in this show and he never let me down. He was the epitome of bromance and needs special appreciation next to Yeon Jung Hoon.

I was also quite attached to Jung Man Shik's and Tae In Ho's characters here, and I think I need to include this to show that I did like some things.

Park Hae Jin is a special case in this drama. I'm not saying he was bad. He definitely wasn't. His acting was good most times and I enjoyed it. His character-display was just a bit average. Honestly, I've seen way better performances of him in Cheese in the Trap and Bad Guys.

See? Not everything was bad. And I admit that they had some short-while thrilling scenes during the last episodes. I give them that.

Don't take my personal opinion to heart. I know that many people enjoyed this, so it's a controversial issue in the end. But maybe there are some others who agree with me ;) Would I recommend it? Honestly, I have no idea. I would probably prefer other dramas over this.

Btw, my rating for the music... Well, it's not very high, I know. The drama had some nice songs but those themes that were played during the spy and action scenes were getting on my nerves at some point.

Leia Mais

Hidden hidden gem

I have watched many historical dramas before but this hits off completely different. There were so little viewers to the point that my expectations of the show were low, but I decided to give it a try since I love the main characters.

Let me start off with the characters,
PERFECT. The female lead’s new life has been entangled with 3 men who have different personalities yet all 3 of them are so likeable and charming (which is so rare considering how every drama have at least 1 annoying male side lead ). Infact, I wouldn’t mind if any 3 of them got her in the end, male lead or not. One of the man’s sister is a brad who tries to take constant revenge on the female lead (we all know we need someone like her to make the female lead seem superior). And the best part of it all is unlike the usual over dramatic phrase “I will not fall down now, I will rise”, the female lead acts extremely composure and elegant. She’s smart, emotional at THE RIGHT TIME, kind, and never makes use of any of the 3 man.

Story wised, every episode have something going on, I haven’t been bored even a minute. My favorite part is that the drama does not dwell too much on the female lead’s past (who she was before her current life), it took less than half a episode if I recall right.

Totally recommend this drama, it’s extreme underrated!

Leia Mais