Reviews

Hate all the office politics and second lead stories in your romance dramas?

Then this is drama for you. People in the comments are always like, where can I find the whole drama, the episodes are so short.
This drama is pure fluff, this is cotton candy and nothing else.
The episodes are short like some of those "summary of a drama" videos on Youtube. It feels like meeting your divorced friend and asking her what's up lately, and she is like, "Sooo I have this hot younger co-worker..." and you sit there like :flushed: . It is detailed enough, and delivers the dopamine on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

The acting is okay, it's clearly low budget, but supercute.

P.S.: I used this to practice my Mandarin, and it's good for that. Pronounciation is clear and you don't miss much of the story if you don't understand something.

Leia Mais

Chasing Love The Korean Way

The drama starts with the FL taking money from the ML's mother to break up with the ML.. Honestly.. If you love someone truly.. No matter the reasons.. You wouldnt normally do that.. And her reasons were ridiculous.. Then begins her struggle to breakup with him and get over him..

She broke up with him because he is rich?? Feeling she wouldn’t fit in with him or his family.. Most of the drama, she kept judging the ML because he is rich.. She had the audacity to ask him ' Did u ever skipped lunch because u couldn't afford it? ' That was her reason to breakup?? He was rich?? He loved her wiht everything he had.. Apart from the fact that he hid how rich he is.. Did he make any other mistake?? Most people don't know how to cherish true love.. The ML deserved someone better..

She acted like the most mature and smart character in the drama.. But I felt it was the ML who despite seeming childish at times.. Showed the real maturity in their relationship..

" You were afraid you would get hurt and let go of my hand right away.. "
" I know I am pathetic for not being able to get over you after breaking up.. But even in this moment I am only worried how to keep you from getting hurt.. So how could you do this to me?? "

ML was really pathetic.. But he wanted to fight for his love.. Unlike the FL who was waiting for a reason to runaway.. I don't know who was more pathetic..

I understand she went through her own hardships.. But that doesn’t give her the right to judge someone else’s life.. He showered her with love in every way possible.. While all she did was hurt him when he was trying to protect what they had.. Even when she got back with him.. She chose to have dinner with someone else instead of the ML.. Her situation was understandable.. But she could have shown some decency and spared her boyfriend the embarrassment instead of indulging some random guy’s interference in their relationship..

The second couple literally stole the show.. I found myself wanting to see more of them than the main couple.. They deserved more screen time.. And their relationship really called for deeper exploration.. Their chemistry was captivating.. And the moments they shared felt more genuine.. It would have been great to see their story developed further..

Overall.. The drama falls short of expectations..The FL's choices undermined the genuine affection of the ML.. In contrast, the second couple shines with authentic chemistry..

P.S.. Moon Sang Min needs to find a new agency or start picking good scripts for himself if he doesn't want to waste his career doing dramas that doesn't treat his career well.. This drama was an average one.. But He could do better..

Leia Mais

Only the cast, costumes, and food earn this drama 5.5 out of 10. Otherwise, a waste of time!

Royal Feast was one of the most anticipated dramas of 2022, mainly because of its star-studded cast. I believe the majority of the "Yanxi Palace victims" have come to see this to heal their broken hearts. I, too, came with high expectations, only to be disappointed by the poor screenplay and writers.

From my point of view, the entire show was about some people cooking and delivering food, jealousy, plotting, stupid cooking competitions, characters being stupid, and so on. To be honest, this drama doesn't deserve to be classified as a romance because the leads had so little screen time together. Most of the time, one would be resisting the other's love, and when they finally get together, they would either quarrel or become sassy. They don't understand each other, and I'm not sure how they fell in love!

Let's move to the characters. The character of the FL, Yao Zi Jin, irritated me the most. She's far too nice for her own good. She got herself into trouble most of the time because of her annoyingly forgiving nature. I sometimes wonder why she did this or why she did that. I agree that this is most likely due to the fact that this drama is based on true events and real people, which cannot be changed at will, but I couldn't stand her.

When it came to the ML, he was more tolerable. But,  I got annoyed with him from time to time because of his lack of tact and his treatment of his cocubines. When his father became Emperor, I burst out laughing. How could a king behave in such a way? He was a complete moron.

Except for Meng Shang Shi, most people in the food bureau were annoying as well. I believe she and the ML's grandfather were the only two rational characters in the entire show. Su Ye Hua and Yin Zi Ping were complete idiots, constantly quarrelling, plotting, and gossiping behind each other's backs.

In short, this drama is full of idiotic, annoying, and stupid characters.

Of course, the acting was superb. The performances of Xu Kai and Wu Jin Yan, as well as the supporting cast, were outstanding. However, believe me when I say that this drama plot does not deserve their acting abilities. What a waste of talent!

The only things that I believe the production team put a lot of effort into were the costumes and the food. I'm sure the actors ate well while they were filming. The food items looked delicious, and I think I was drooling over the food they were eating. (I'm not sure because I was sleepy most of the time.) The costumes were stunning. I particularly liked the war costume that ML wore in the final episodes.

This appears to be a large-budget drama. It's a shame it goes to waste. I think I would have liked this drama a lot more if the writers hadn't been so confused most of the time. I'm giving this drama a 5.5 just for the cast, costumes, OSTs, and, of course, the food. This drama is nothing more than pleasing to the eyes and stomach. If you like any of the actors, this could be a good drama, but if you came here for the plot, don't waste your time.

P.S. I think this is the first time I'm using this much 'annoyed's, 'stupid's and 'moron's in a review.

Leia Mais

Disappointing

This has all the issues I see with Netflix produced kdramas. Unnecessary sex scenes, female nudity (it’s always women), and really bad dialogue. I came to understand Netflix subtitles don’t translate exactly what’s said, but what they translated made it sound as if the script used swear words the way a twelve year old would if they just discovered them. In addition, I didn’t think any female character was written well or treated all that well development wise. It was a huge bummer because the premise interested me. I can’t help but wonder what this would’ve been like produced by another network.

Anyway, I don’t have complaints about the acting of the MLs. Some of the cinematography was interesting.

Sometimes I can ignore some bad spots if the story is intriguing enough but I found this drama also dragged a lot. Disappointing.

Leia Mais

One of the Best Sapphic Adaptations till Date!

Set in the 1950s, “Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born” delivers a classic retelling of two Korean art forms- Gukgeuk and Pansori.

I spend a lot of time learning the intricacies of these two folk arts, which are quite liberal and intriguing as compared to those in my motherland. For those unaware, Pansori is Korean genre of musical storytelling performed by a singer and a drummer, where the singer tells the story by singing and the drummer accompanies her on the drum. Incorporating this aspect into Gukgeuk was the main highlight of this show, which refers to a theatrical performance that combines singing and dancing. In post war era, Gukgeuk was extremely popular and women portrayed men’s roles. In short, it was an all female- production which had a cult following from the 1950s to 1960s, after which it rapidly declined due to the rise of films. “Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born” delivers a subtle romance with homoerotic tones. Adapted from the webtoon “Jeong Nyeon” (정년이) written by Seo Irae (서이레) and illustrated by Namon (나몬), the original storyline was a sapphic love story. Even though the show is a censored adaptation, the all-women ensemble renders itself useful in maintaining the sapphic flavors.

Read the complete article here-

https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2024/11/18/jeongnyeon-the-star-is-born-series-review/#more-1325

Leia Mais

Strong start...ending...sigh

Pros: I loved all the couples in this drama. It was really nice to see a historical costume drama where most of the married couples we see are actually in love. That's honestly rare to see. Additionally, the chemistry the female lead had with the male and the second male lead was nice. I also really enjoyed watching everyone's acting. Lastly, issues that arose in the relationship between GJZ (fl) and CYY (ml) were solved very quickly and not dragged out.

Cons: The plot. Lmao, it's all over the place. They were trying to do so many things with so few episodes. Honestly, in order for a drama to be well executed and have both romance and politics, it needs to have at least 50 episodes. It felt like they rushed through the ploticial stuff at the end. Additionally, some of the deaths that occurred in the last episodes were very unnecessary, and we still have unanswered questions. Did the villain actually die? What's going to happen now in court? Although the emperor has proven to be very smart at such a young age, I don't think he can rule/command the court on his own, and all of Cyy's trusted people are gone. So what are they going to do now? These are the questions I would have loved to see answered in the end, but remained unanswered.

All in all, I loved having a community of people to discuss the episodes with day after day. I'll miss watching this show. Hope to see future collaborations between RM, Cisha, and WW in the future again. The three of them did great, as did the rest of the cast.

Leia Mais

Everyone Hates the Ending But I Don't

SPOILER ALERT: The K-Drama has an "open" ending to a sad, though intensely moving and involving, story. The main characters may or may not get together after the story ends--one isn't sure. I too would like to see a translation of the book to read its ending but, according to ChatGPT, "Understanding Love" has not been translated into English. We are told that the book indicates they do not reunite, but I think the writers of the K-drama intended a more uncertain ending.

I find the English title of the K-drama, "The Interest of Love," to be odd. It's not a good translation of the book title, "Understanding Love." I'm not sure what it means. At first I thought it was a playful reference to the bank workplace setting of the series, because banks pay interest on deposits, although in that case it should be "The Interest on Love." Perhaps it refers to our fascination with love, and should be "The Interest in Love." The question is not an idle one, because at a crucial point in the series the leading characters, looking back, ask themselves if they were once in love, or merely overcome by the "interest of love".

As for the ambiguous ending, I agree with those who find strong hints in the finale that Su-Yeong (the woman) and Sang-Su (the man) will finally get together, or at least give their relationship one more try. (After all, they have never even properly "dated".)
I was touched by Su-Yeong's remark during the walk which ends the story that she had ghosted Ha Sang-Su because their relationship left "nothing more to give or receive." By this I take her to mean that their love had reached perfection, however briefly, in the Tongyeong "Guest House". The question is whether Ha Sang-Su can convince Su-Yeong that love is not continuous perfection, but rather "two people living day to day life together". One hopes he will. Otherwise she faces years of loneliness.

Sang-Su and Su-Yeong end the story as they silently approach the end of their walk up the collegiate "hill of oblivion," with their backs to us. They are not (alas) arm in arm, or even hand in hand. One of the series' haunting soundtrack songs ("Wonder Why") is reprised. In it the singer asks why his departed lover persists indelibly in his memory, why the dream of her cannot be erased (just as Sang-Su tells Su-Yeong he has forgotten nothing). In context the song is an ambiguous close to the series. The film ends before the song reaches a line from in its earlier appearances: "I don't want to love you like I used to." Is the omission a deliberate hint, or just the result of how long the credits ran? It's ambiguous, like this whole series and the relationship it depicts.

Leia Mais

I dont write reviews normally. But for this drama, I had to :D ! Probably one of the best I have watched till date. The writer keeps you on hook until the end. Twistception at its finest. You wont be able to predict anything, trust me ! Not to mention, each of the characters have a special spot in my heart now. Of course, this is only due to the spectacular acting by the stellar cast. Seo In Guk and Ma Dong Seok stole the show :) With shows like these though, re-watch might not be as great an experience as when you watched it the first time. So with a very heavy heart, I say goodbye to these wonderful characters but with the hope that one day I would have forgotten the story enough to return back to it again.

Leia Mais

ONE OF THE WORST ADAPTATIONS OUT THERE

This LA was made by stripping away the soul, message, complexity, themes and symbolism of the beloved Novel ORV
It's sooo bad! As an adaptation it has so no similarities to the story expect for the names of the character and a little bit of power system, the characters are absolutely butchered!!
Goated KDJ's character, traits, skills and backstory is ineptly adapted, made him a saint, a fccking saint?? When he's clearly a morally grey character
Orvla kdj is stupid, idiotic, impulsive and perpetrator who indirectly caused someone's demise, hes all panicking before YJH and in 1st scenario like be frr reading a novel for 10yrs and u didnt think of it before? Where is his calmness, smart, calculative, strategic thinking? His snarky and annoying traits? His quick thinking?
YJH doesnt even feel like protagonist, him using guns is sooo dumb he's regressed multiple times so ofc he would know guns are useless, why does he have multiple swords? Why is his screentime less?
Ysh is a healer why? In novel YSH is kind but ruthless when wanted, understanding but can be dangerous, she is empathetic, has high emotional intelligence, has good ppl and managing skills, is veryy smart! Highly intelligent, a hardworker, knows multiple languages, has historical knowledge,
Ntm Making her a healer through adriadne's web is sooo unnecessary, she is not lee seolhwa!!
Jhw has two daggers?? Even tho she knows kendo and has sword in novel? Why remove the implied S.A. scene in movie? Afraid to piss off Korean men? Srsly? Also made Kim Dokja's mom Lee Sookyung a widow? Instead a women who is a survivor of domestic abuse?
We can see who this movie is made for
Jihye, well im tired of complaining bout the drastic changes made to her character w her not being her bratty self, having a gun when she should be having a sword with Yi Sunshin as her constellation, speciality in sea/ocean battles omfg.... i just cant
Not a single character done good in this la, even Lee hyunsung, Lee gilyoung, Gong pildu, cheon inho have flaws and dont make sense with the novel
Even as a movie, this is so bad, cuz orvla kdj's personality doesnt make sense, dumb director is trying to potray him as saviour of world? As a saint but wasnt he the one to indirectly cause the demise of other kid?
The CGI is cheap cuz the budget was spent on the actors

Promoting this LA which is unfortunately an adaptation of a beloved novel ORV whose themes are clearly against AI and Capitalism - it was a turn off for the fandom is who very much against the use of AI

Other themes of LOVE is also potrayed with flaws, the relationship between Tls123 and Kim Dokja is ruined, Kim dokja and Yoo joonghyuk dont have kuch chemistry and screentime together
The love kim dokja has for twsa is also ruined by this good for nothing LA
HE LOVES TWSA! Why would he say the novel is worst to tls123?
WHERE THE HELL IS HAN SOOYOUNG good thing she isnt here, her character would be butchered too

Another theme being feminism, well ofc SK would be pissed off with this theme haha
YSH being burdened with her family telling her to marry, her being the target of sexual assault in the male dominated workplace, ended up giving her the "healer" skill which is usually given to wome cuz they cant apparently be intelligent and use weapons and more skillfull than a man
Jung heewon almost being graped, they erased it
And how dare jihye receive the blessings of yi sunshin a historical figure??? A teen girl, a girl! receiving his stigma? And use swords? Ofc they removed it Haha
Lee sookyung not being a survivor of domesic abuse but being a widow says a lot

Leia Mais

It went downhill fast

I seem to be in a minority when it comes to how I felt about this drama. I think it had a decent start, and I liked several of the earlier episodes. About halfway through it felt like it had a tone-shift, and it barely seemed like the same drama anymore.

The first half of the drama felt like a youth, or coming of age drama with a heavy focus on the police academy. All the main characters are young, playing university students. It portrayed quite well, the feeling of pride in doing what you love, and studying to become somthing you've dreamed of. As well as the helplessness and the injustice you feel when seniority is prioritized over right and wrong.

The first half battles getting accepted to the school of your dreams, youthful crushes and also. corruption within the school hierarchy. It shows both the highs and the lows of studying to become a police officer. The highs being the wonderful camaraderie developed between the student, and the lows being the abuse suffered as a new student in a highly hierarchial climate.

The second half however, completely shifts focus, from the school to real life crime. It is no longer a drama about being young, and university life. In fact, the school barely features at all in the second half. Instead, our main characters, while still being university students, go on to solve all kinds of crime outside of the school. They tackle everything from low-life loan sharks, to psychopathic CEOs.

Now, don't get me wrong. I like crime dramas, so it is not the fact that it turned into a crime show that annoyed me. It is the fact that this drama wants us to believe, that these students, who have no prior experience and are not yet police officers, go around solving crime on their own. They recieve very little to no help from actual detectives. They carry out high-stake plans and manage to solve widespread corruption all on their own. All while the actual police sit around and do nothing.

I'm sorry but I just cannot make myself believe this. So for me, this show was a massive disappointment.

Leia Mais

Solid Antihero Thriller, give it a try

first of all this is way better binged so you who haven't watched it yet are lucky ones however,

in my opinion no matter how far i stayed away from this it kept maintaining the level of good and thrill that it had, it always had me so emotional it's a good one .. for me to stick around for more than a couple of months, and with such a long wait and bad airing schedule and i watch the first ep as soon as it aired and kept on going but it was all worth it in my opinion .. i was so invested in the story and ep 12 killed me ...

so i highly encourage you to watch it if you're a fan of the antihero tope and if you like unpredictable thrillers ... of course there is stuff you will predict but like I think this one was a drama that wasn't like one of those dramas that were safe ... like each eps is packed with some " nothing ever going according to plan " elements which i really liked when I'm watching a thriller not to mention good acting .. (except one thing that went down that i'm heartbroken about )

and regarding the ending in my opinion this was a good ending tbh i like the fact they somewhat gave us a vage ending it made much more sense because had they actually tried to wrap it up i wouldn't believe it .. they did not have enough time to answer all our questions so it was smart of them to finish it off the way they did .. which also leaves a possibility for a season 2 which i will gladly watch ( if ever ) beecaauseee the show was so good

Leia Mais

Just...wow.

I...don't even know where to start. Grab some water and a sandwich, 'cause you're in for a long ride with this review. I literally don't have words for how much I love this show, and it was still airing when I wrote most of this review. I...don't usually rate shows 10/10 because baby I'm hard to please, but I pretty much don't think anything could take away from my score, not even a cursed episode eleven. I also know not everyone likes the same stuff, so if this show just doesn't do it for you, that's great too! Anywho, I'll update when it's done airing. :)

Let's start with the story. Say what you want about originality, but this story is developed and executed so well. I'm literally on the edge of my seat every Sunday. I personally don't like the fluffy, nerd meets jock romances and tend towards the more moody and dramatic like Manner of Death or ITSAY, so getting to see more shows with suspense and crime just floats my boat! Even so, the drama in Not Me is reasonable and believable, with realistic conflict and even more realistic conflict management. I've only paused to take a calming (angry) deep breath twice as opposed to TharnType's whopping 59. Not Me's story flows nicely, and each episode adds layers of plot and character depth as the mystery deepens and relationships form. And those relationships, man, I literally can't. Off and Gun are at it again, still recognizable in their chemistry but novel in their delivery and performance. First and Fluke Gawin! This pairing snuck up on me like a car without headlights and then BAM, literally rent-free. Both of these on-screen relationships, and others, were built up bit by bit in a natural progression just dripping with tension, and I can't get enough. The whole Not Me world is so solid and detailed, and every character has their own traits, story, and reasons behind what they do (even the adults for once!), and I can't thank the director enough for how beautifully this show unfolded. Last important note, Not Me takes on incredibly important topics like citizen's rights, lgbtq+ rights, police corruption and brutality, disability, and even beauty standards, all of which are handled so thoroughly and well to the point of tears.

On to the acting--oh boy do I love this cast! It's perfect, and each actor has tackled their characters with such grace and maturity, I'm blown away. I've loved watching them all grow up over the years in their respective careers, especially the people I'm relatively new to like First and Mond and Lookjun, so I'm literally so excited to support them through this journey of sorts as they get more and more chances to showcase their talent. The eye contact and facial expressions are really what get me with this show. I don't know how they do it, but I genuinely forget I'm watching people act when each character is on screen. A script is really what makes or breaks a show for me, and this show gets full marks. The dialogue is fluid, thoughtful, and realistic, and even the set blocking is great. The story along with each character is fully done justice by the actors and director. But alas, if I had to pick one person who really takes the cake, it would be Gun. I could barely recognize him when I first started watching--everything is different, from his body language to his tone of voice to his attitude. I'm obsessed, and he deserves so much credit and recognition, as does the rest of the cast and staff behind the scenes. I also want to point out how seriously all the set effects were taken, from real flames to nudity to heights, it's all genuine and just adds to the electric atmosphere.

Visual effects. I'm adding this because I want to talk about the LIGHTING and the MAKEUP! Wowowow I'm in love with the warm tones and finally seeing some skin texture. I can't stand when shows come out of post-production looking like no one even touched the color palette, and when actors are caked with one foundation color and a fuschia lip tint. Stop that, no one asked for that. Not Me looks like...what the world looks like through a person's own eyes, flaws and all. The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous. Just...wow.

Ok, music--9/10 as something I don't really care about but am fond of for this show. The OST isn't my favorite but it's nice, and I think the only thing I have to say is that whatever music does play throughout the show feels natural. For example, I get so pissed when shows portray an emotional scene and layer too-loud, cheesy music over it trying to tell the viewers what they're supposed to be feeling--we know what we're supposed to feel, let us feel it. This show isn't afraid of a little silence, and I love that, and when there is a backtrack it's non-disruptive and evokes just the right amount of emotion. A win for me!

Rewatch value. I watch each episode twice when they come out. I haven't even finished it all and still want to watch it all again. 10/10, sue me.

Overall, I'm absolutely starstruck by this show. It's gone above and beyond the bar. Please watch this, you won't regret it. xoxo

Leia Mais

Jiwoo lost so much and gain nothing.

Revenge shows are always enjoyable, since is an easy way to throw action into the big screen and some badass characters.

Most people enjoyed this series because of "finally a strong female lead ready to kick ass" and that's not it, she's not "strong" she's completely broken, traumatized. It's pretty sad, and people don't see it. But then Netflix wanted to force the typical badass girl who can beat 10 experienced guys all alone.
The camara work is so weird. It has bad angels, sometimes some really bad fast movements and then very basic ones. It's not interesting or creative.
It felt the series tried to have plot twists over and over again to shock the audience, but everything was obvious since like ep 2. Because basic revenge stories are like this.
Some really hated the love scene, I didn't mind it at all, both of them were having a break down and that was their way to find contort (i guess).
Jiwoo lost so much and gain nothing. She was so blind, that she never really noticed that.
I had a totally different ending in mind honestly. I thought she was going to shoot herself in the middle of the fight with Moo Jin. I thought she would finally realize that she would never gain anything for that revenge and she already lost so much when she choose this way, even when Moo Jin told her not to seek for it. And maybe after that Moo Jin would be in pain cause in the end she never really betrayed him.
Anyways I was confident that she would kill herself either way.
I love the actress lead. But idk I wasn't a fan like other people for her here. I don't think she was a good fit. The dynamic between her and Moojin, yes. I can see the try hard behind it. It was very good. Moojin was probably my fav character and the actor slayed it.

Leia Mais

So I don't seem to have loved this drama as much as so many other viewers have appeared to. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it a lot, with the tale end (last 4-5 episodes) being the best for me, but I wasn't too impressed or enthralled with the story in the beginning.

I didn't find Se Ri to be particularly interesting in her normal South Korean lifestyle. Things got interesting when she finally got to North Korea. Unfortunately, I am one of those people that was a bit bothered by how romanticized North Korea was portrayed. I've exposed myself to a number of resources on what N. Korea is like, including autobiographies in video and literature formats as well as documentaries...I'm no expert at all, but I can assure you, North Korea is not nearly so care free and/or "normal" in regards to overall mentality and lifestyle. If an individual were to read the autobiographies, one would realize how twisted, tragic, and dangerous living in North Korea truly is. Due to having some knowledge in this area, I did have some trouble swallowing the picture painted of N. Korea initially. Once I got over my initial shock (I simply wasn't expecting N. Korea to be portrayed this way), I was able to enjoy the drama for what it was, a fictitious piece of entertainment, loosely based on real places.

I did not begin to really get sucked into the drama until probably episode 12. The drama at this point is more focused on South Korea, as by this point, Se Ri is now back home, and the action picks up significantly with Chul Kang out to kill her. There were some awesome fight sequences as well as some entertaining comedy, especially between Captain Ri's men/platoon and the drama at the NIS. I also find a better balance of screen-time between characters by this point in the drama.

The reason the last couple of episodes were my favorite in the entire drama was because you got to see people being kind to others, even when it put themselves at risk. It was the generosity and selflessness that was beautiful to witness now that the characters were thoroughly established. For example, I seriously started crying when all the wives came to help the colonel's wife after he was arrested - it was incredibly touching. Also when the homeless orphan hides Seung Jun in the village so the Chinese thugs don't find him - and then Seung Jun starts crying because their song hit's him. *sob* That was POWERFUL. The way Chi Su saved Man Bok from being shot in the final gang shoot-out was impressive and selfless too! Honestly, while I enjoyed the main couple, the smaller, discreet, overlooked touches were what really made this drama so good for me.

Additionally, I personally adored Seung Jun and Dan together as the secondary couple. But, I can't get over their tragedy.
With all the rule-bending this drama took liberty with, why was it okay to kill of Seung Jun?? Why wasn't there a way to save him? Anndddd with all the other characters so neatly and thoroughly wrapped up, why leave it ambiguous? Why not come out and clearly state what happened and if he's truly dead or not? And no, I'm not satisfied with the answer, "it's for them to pick up there for a season 2." If there's no season 2 guaranteed, I'm not okay with the ambiguity, because it might never happen!

Speaking of rule bending - if they were able to take creative liberties to create a new and improved N. Korea for the sake of drama plot, why not work things out between Captain Ri and Se Ri a bit more smoothly? There were so many time jumps in the end with their struggle spanning years. Why couldn't they get a simpler/neater happily-ever-after with all the other plot conveniences devised? Yes, I know that Captain Ri didn't want to jeopardize his parent's safety if he pissed off the N. Korean government, but seriously, come on, with all the other plot conveniences, it wasn't possible for Se Ri and him to live more happily-ever-after?

"Picture of My Heart" by Song Ga In and "Longing Hill" by April 2nd were my favorite vocal OST in the soundtrack. All the instrumental pieces were great too. I especially loved "Time of Jung Hyuk for Se Ri" and "Same Sky, Different World" instrumental pieces. Although, not to be a jerk, but I really didn't like the piano piece that Captain Ri wrote for his brother that Se Ri loved so much...Please don't hate me over that! It's just with such great OST's and instrumental accompaniments, that piano piece didn't fit well.

I would also like to state a super unpopular opinion. I'm not at all attracted nor do I swoon when Hyun Bin comes in the picture. His character as a human being is attractive, but his physical appearance, not so much. So that, I do not understand very much.
I also do not find Son Ye Jin particularly remarkable. In everything I've seen her in, I've been unimpressed. She's not a bad actress, I'm just not blown away by her...

Anyways, I know I've been long winded in stating my unpopular opinions, but I don't actually hate the drama. I simply would like to point out some of it's imperfections for those of you out there that might not have held Crash Landing On You in such high regard, or are on the fence as to whether or not you want to watch this. Hopefully this will help in figuring out what to expect.

Leia Mais