Reviews

Proves how both real and fake these shows are.

You know how sometimes you finish a drama and you wish to see more of certain characters? Or the supporting couple? Or the future of the ghost ship you just adored? This Reunion delivers just that, but for a dating show.

The production team clearly knew what was popular and what could sell. Seeing the difference of the length between 3 first episodes consisting of the watch party, we know who the main characters were. Mary Sue is still on her path of self improvement and the special episodes clearly show that the “redemption” arc from the last two episodes of Single’s Inferno was not scripted. It was both funny to watch her reactions, but also slightly sad and uncomfortable. Yes, it was an embarrassment of her own doing, but you still feel bad for the girl.

At the same time these few new episodes show how both fake and real these dating programs are. The couple that was most loved seems not to vibe that much, the couple everyone rooted for and got disappointed with the final result reunites, the couple that seemed more one sided is actually the strongest of them all. All that said, I am truly grateful for how honest the cast was. There was no vague: maybe we are dating, maybe we are not. If things did not work out they talked about it and explained shortly why.

Then we have a “special date” in episode 4 that was full of chemistry and future potential.

I wish the last two episodes were actually longer and that the whole cast would be part of the trip. I understand that there might have been a conflict of scheduling and all that, but for what, one day they could not gather everyone? Really? They played it as if only people who had things left to discuss and figure out were part of it, but let’s get real, there were some with zero real connection and conflict in, and some with complicated feelings out.

Overall, still one of the best after shows of the best season of Single’s Inferno.

Leia Mais

maybe not the rep you're looking for

I was very excited for another GL but in the end was left disappointed.

I'll start by saying, the acting was good, and I especially loved Huang Pei Jia - I've watched her before and I love seeing her play strong characters. However a few being particularly good at acting doesn't change the writing.

Here's the first big thing I didn't like, and I don't think it's spoilery to warn people about it: I didn't like the drag queen/trans jokes in ep 1 and 3. Even if we think that there are cultural differences, those types of jokes were transphobic and I didn't like seeing other gay people use them. And also the fact that they made the chairwoman of the KK Fashion Group out to be bisexual, and on the heels of that had her saying that love is free and she doesn't have to be loyal to her 2 other boyfriends and doesn't care if she's cheating or if Holly cheats on Meng Lian with her....... that type of writing just encourages biphobic tropes. Despite being an LGBT+ series it seems the writer still has some prejudices that came through too often in the drama the way they talked about members of the community.

SPOILERS BEGIN HERE:

The plot was fine, but nothing special. Meng Lian and Holly get together after knowing each other for only an evening, and Holly impulsively quits her job and follows Meng Lian to Singapore. Early on we get a couple talks about the differences in LGBT+ rights in Taiwan vs Singapore, the denial of cross border marriages or foreigners participating in pride parades (where even if you're from Hong Kong you can't go to the Singapore pride parade), etc, which I thought was good to include since it shone a light on the LGBT+ community in these areas. Holly becomes a stewardess which also opens up a discussion of workplace harassment of the staff, primarily women (but we see it also happening to the men once). However when Holly switches to a man's uniform she's suddenly alright flirting with all the women on the flight who were previously harassing the men - despite having a girlfriend I might add.

The topic of harassment and objectification continues, but Holly's behaviour towards the women fliers, who she is mutually flirting with, obviously bothers Meng Lian and Holly doesn't notice or care. She actually flaunts it in front of Meng Lian, saying she enjoys being a part of women's fantasies. She also begins to lie and deflect about who she's spending time with and doesn't even seem to notice she's leaving Meng Lian out of her life, or that lack of honesty isn't good for a relationship. Her explanation when she was caught was literally just "look at your reaction I knew you'd react like this so I lied". She doesn't even pay attention to Meng Lian, and doesn't take the hint about her birthday, and isn't present for Meng Lian to talk about her concerns regarding the MMA competition. (The fact that Chuan remembered Meng Lian's birthday while Holly THE GF not only didn't remember but went on a flight to Europe the same day and didn't even realize why there was cake in the house). The only time they do talk, Holly dismisses Meng Lian's desire for stability and shouts at her calling her weak. Meng Lian gets upset at Holly yelling put downs at her and lashes out, accidentally hitting Holly. Not to excuse Meng Lian, but that time really did read like a reflexive thing from her training and not purposeful abuse, but I still do really hate that they added in this element where a partner gets hit (and it seems to try and make Meng Lian out to be the bad guy despite like... everything else). Basically after this the plot keeps rolling showing us they're on entirely different paths and Meng Lian doesn't want to be with Holly anymore.

Meng Lian's own plot didn't shift dramatically with or without Holly: she's an athlete fighting the stay in the game despite a sexist society telling her not to go for it, and an injury that prompts her to change sports. Her side of things doesn't feel as well developed, and I wish we got to see more of her conflict since she's a lesbian in Singapore, not feeling comfortable coming out to her parents and feels like she's risking stability being openly out in society in general. A lot of her decisions are motivated by growing up in such an environment, but the plot doesn't get into it properly. It seems more like they use Holly to be dunk on Singapore like "you're so stiff here you're so behind us i'm going to rail against all of this" because she grew up in Taiwan - it isn't helpful to Meng Lian's plot to just criticize her and not empathize with the environment she lives in. I also wish we got to see more of Chuan and the other gym members around Meng Lian, I liked them a lot but they weren't given a lot of time at all compared to Holly's coworkers.

Straight up, I didn't like the relationship between Holly and Meng Lian. They seemed like different people who want different things who got together without knowing the other. To me, the plot didn't give us any reason to care about their relationship - we barely even got time where they were together! They were always apart. The drama seemed to keep driving home that they had different wants and needs. Neither are entirely wrong in their pursuits, but they do seem incompatible - mostly because they don't talk about these things as a couple at all and find a way to understand the other or compromise. Holly is carefree and loves to challenge society, which distresses Meng Lian, and Meng Lian likes stability and people who are down to earth, which frustrated Holly who thinks she's being weak for not taking more risks.

Even by the end, Holly should just let Meng Lian go, but continues to chase her despite, honestly, being the one who messed it all up. What they both need in a relationship seems to be very different, and Meng Lian concludes this and goes forward alone by the end, but Holly won't let go and we see her repeat what she did at the beginning and go after Meng Lian.

I do appreciate the ending that didn't try to fix everything and let them separate - even though it's shown Holly keeps going after her. Not all relationships work out, and for this one I saw nothing that convinced me they were good for each other. I actually was rooting for Chuan, who seemed more compatible with Meng Lian, despite the limited screentime/development the drama offered all the side characters.

Leia Mais

One of the best Kdramas out there, imo

Never in my life have I ever watched a drama as it was airing. Never. I always waited until it was completed because I'm one impatient fella~ But this drama got me so curious since before the first trailer came out. Kim Soo Hyun, one of my fav actors, was officially casted for a drama role since his military discharge and Seo Ye Ji had caught my attention since 'Lawless Lawyer'; her voice was golden. So when the first trailer came out, I remembered being so intrigued with the couple's visuals and chemistry, I never stopped waiting for the 1st episode to come out already.

The show's over but I still need more! I've literally turned into an addict! I'm not satisfied with 16 eps. I can't believe it's over... I walked into this drama only knowing bits and pieces, and now, I walk out of this with a heavy heart, missing it like crazy. This was such a well-paced and life-learning series.

The story, from the get-go was nothing I've ever seen before. I don't remember watching anything quite like this. The added effects, animations and the cinematography tripled my excitement, and the uniqueness of how each episode title relates to the story of that particular episode increased my anticipation for the next ep. Each episode also has a lesson to teach us, and every week, the episodes keeps getting better and better. There's not one episode I've watched with dry eyes.

Also, from the first trailer itself, they tell us something about butterflies. This was the ONE thing I was so DESPERATELY curious about. They explain it in the later episodes, but butterflies are the main imagery of this drama. So beautiful, yet they hold an underlying despair.

"Don't let the past trap you, or you'll end up like me."
"The past can trap me? Then I can just open the door and get out."
"No, you can't. You won't be able to see the door."

I feel like every one of the characters in this drama has their own "mental illness", you know? Either subtly or quite obviously, and I'm excited to see whether they try to overcome it or learn to live with it. Most especially Goo Moon Young. Also, remember that "your eyes can tell stories your mouth never could." This was Moon Gang Tae His eyes ... they tell a thousand stories.

Another reason this drama intrigued me was the chemistry between Soo Hyun and Ye Ji. I've honestly never seen chemistry more explosive, more beautiful, more visually-appealing, more REAL than these two. And that's saying something. Also, Moon Sang Tae, he's a character I've began to love over the course of the drama. His character development, his kindness, his innocence and just about everything about him was so pure and beautiful. The trio have an amazing relationship with each other and no matter what, they're family.

Now for the music, oh, the music, man. I've got no words for the music in this drama. EVERY SINGLE ONE of them is a masterpiece! Every. Single. One. The aesthetic and the feelings that well up inside of you when you watch the scenes as the OSTs play in the background are unbelievable. Sometimes you can't help yourself from smiling, but most of the time you end up with a few or more tears. Fyi, I've added them all to my playlist ^_^

All in all, this show was a crying FESTIVAL and Moon Sang Tae was MVP! And that DARN DEER omg!
Tbh all the characters were so lovable (except that evil villain ofc)~ And all the side characters were worthy of being main characters. They were the stars of their own story and I just really liked them all~

I'm telling you this with utmost sincerity. You won't regret watching this drama. At the very least, just give it a try. The aesthetic, chemistry, acting, music, Kim Soo Hyun's eyes, Seo Ye Ji's voice, and Oh Jung Se's character. They are all best-sellers for this drama <3

I'm sorry if this review was all over place. It's my first time loving a drama this much and writing a review this long omg

Leia Mais

"The things I like: The sound of the camera shutter he makes, his big hands, smiling eyes and big embrace. Things I don't like: anything and everything that keeps me away from the things I like." - Such a powerful sentence!

Ok, since I always rate drama based on my enjoyment, involment in a story and its characters, plot I couldn't give this drama lower than 10 and I don't regret a single thing. Why?
First to say that I didn't start this drama when the pilot episode aired as I knew right from the start that I won't be able to handle the pain waiting for the next episode. So, I just tried to stay cool and resist it as much as possible. But, when all that crazy hype started on my feeds I just gave up and this drama won me over. The beginning was somewhat slow and so I was like "Ok, I'll continue watching it anyway." But, mamma mia when I got around ep 6 I got totally hooked like almost all of us here. Then, I totally understood all the hype, crazinees, fangirling, so I started doing that things myself too.
As I said before story is not a masterpiece, not something new or 'wow' but it's told in most brilliant and perfect way that you totally have no other choice then just enjoy in its talanted writing and directing. Every character, story started with a slow pace, but slowly got more and more its depth and colour.
What I loved, I mean the loved the most is the characters development. It's rare to see in a drama such a great connection between all of them, their trust, love towards each other may it be a special love for someone or may it be family's, every character was written and portrayed to the perfection. They all somehow slowly gained trust in each other, without any stupid doubts and misunderstandings like we get to see in most kdramas, unfortunately. Yup, I only have praise and one big respect for Song Ji Na and her wonderful brain and talent. She really made on my list one of the most respected and greatest kdrama writers. Now, get back to drama.
Another thing that makes my heart melt, or should I say beat is the great, the most romantic chemistry between Young Shin and Jung Hoo. No second male leads, no misunderstandings, no doubts, just trust and love. And that is the most important thing in a relationship as well in dramas as well in real life. I simply enjoyed in every single romantic scene of them as they had the chemistry right up to my taste. Natural and real. The main song is right written for them, describing their love and longing with a beautiful words. So to sum it up, this is just another plus, another reason why I gave a 10. They moved my heart, really.

Oh the actors. Well, without them this drama wouldn't be possible right? But, you have to choose the right ones for the right drama, right? And they were right. All 3 of them are phenomenal.
Ji Chang Wook, our main hero, known as a Healer is a night errand boy who is taking a job offers for a right sum of money. He never shows his face nor his identity, but when the girl entered in his life, he started to change. He wanted to be more freer, to love, to do things what normal people do. He proved to me that he's not only a handsome and beautiful face, but very talanted young man who will get more and more recognised and respected in a future. He definitely became one of my favorite actors and I think that he totally deserves it. Plus, he's very hot. Hehehe, let me fangirl a little ok? His puppy dog eyes, his puppy and innocent face when he's sleeping, his big shoulders, really a manly one, his voice, hands, body everything is sexy and perfect. Oh, is it getting hot in here?
Park Min Young as Chae Young Shin. Hmm, first let me say that I'm not some fan of her, but I don't hate her either. But, after watching her in this, she's slowly getting my respect. Young Shin is a tabloid reporter who has her own life and problems. She's not just average female lead where her world is all about the main guy and she'll die if they're not together. NO, it's very opposite of that. She's very strong, strong-willed, cheerful young lady who likes to dance, sings and who feels loved by her 'dad' and his gang. She was abandoned when she was young, so she misses mother's love, but despite all that Young Shin is still living to the fullest. When she first met Healer, she got curious in him, but later that curiosity developed into something more... love! Maybe PMY wasn't the best actress for this role, but she made it very believable. Oh, and one more thing, I LOVE this kinds of female leads! She trusted him, believed and never questioned Jung Hoo's decision or choice. And respect to that! ;)
Yoo Ji Tae as Kim Moon Hoo- Man, that guy is the most complex and loveable character EVER. He can be a badass, but at the same time he's the most charming one. He's a reporter who is only playing fairly. His brother has a big secret, which involves Young Shin and Jung Hoo too and he's determined to find out the truth by all means. I loved his character and YJT portayed phenomenally. When he cried, I cried too, when he laughed, I laughed too. So, yes as for two main heros the same goes for him, I lived with these characters.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention the most hilarious, coolest Ahjumma EVER. She was the higlight of every single episode and her relationship with Healer was in a coo, but professional way. I waited and waited 'till I finally got what I was looking for all the time from Ji Na. The team work: Healer, Ahjumma, Moon Ho and Young Shin. And then I was like &quot;Yes, I'm completed now!&quot;

I didn't got bored even for a second. Every single episode got me at the edge of my seat and I was just thirsty for more. There is always something happening, so there really was no time to yawn and say "Oh, this is boring, I'll continue later."At least that was a case for me. This may not be the best drama out there, but it sure got my full attention and interest so I'm happy that I get to joined in a long list of those who appreciated this drama. Speaking objectively, I think that this drama deserves a high rating as it has right now and all the hype and craziness were reasonable.

Also the music is really good. My definitely the favorite one is the main song which describes the love between main leads, as I said before. It's been on my ringtone for days hehehehe ;)

I'll definitely, for sure rewatch this drama! It totally deserves it! I laughed, cried, felt happy, sad, angry, got feels while watching this so it's a pure and full 10 from me. I lived with this drama.

Leia Mais

How this has more than 7 is beyond me

I am not sure how this drama has over 7.0 and that would be a very generous rating. I had high hopes for this drama as people around me praised how good it was and the production value seemed high, so I decided to give it a chance.

At the start the drama had potential. The relationship between the male lead and his sister, and the mystery around his traceless mother. The female leads friends even had their own conflicts and I found that they were more interesting than the actual leads. The friends carried the entire comedy angle. The romance is mundane and nothing new. There are so many overused scenes like the male catching the falling female lead kind of bs. There's a lot of unnecessary and long awkward kissing scenes that could have been removed. I find that the male lead is often stupid and simply simping over the female, completely disregarding his goals to chase her around. The female lead doesn't seem all that special or unique either and I am unsure of her appeal.

The only interesting bits of the drama were rushed and haphazardly written in. The sibling rivarly was barely touched and basically unresolved. The missing mother was dangled like a carrot on a stick and then the male lead suddenly says he is no longer interested in pursuing her. The heck? Those who watched knows what happens after. There are so many reasons that this drama is mediocre at best.

Leia Mais

I'm perhaps one of the biggest fans of the first season of Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim and this drama means the world to me. Well, despite this fact, I wasn't excited about the second season mainly because of the change of the cast. The same story but with some different faces? What's the point? That's what I thought but I just had to watch it, I felt like I had to. And as you can already guess by my rating, I didn't enjoy this season as much as the first one.

I did like the first few episode though and by the first few episodes I mean the first 5-6. The story was progressing well, it had the potential to become better, the characters had the potential to develop a lot. The drama overall had potential to be as good as the first season (or at least close to being as good). But unfortunately, I believe it didn't live up to its potential.

My first problem with this season is the pacing and the editing. A whole lot of mess. There were a lot of things happening, they were jumping from scene to scene, they touched here and there and what was the result? Pretty much nothing. As if it had no main plot. I HATED how we had a very emotional and touching scene but then they decide to randomly jump to another scene and I'm left like ''Hellooo I was tryna shed some tears here, what did ya do??!'' And the editing was very bad. Sometimes it was even confusing and distracting.

My second problem is how poorly developed the characters and their stories were. Let's take our beautiful female lead Cha Eun Jae for an example; she had quite a hard time because she gots nauseous every time she tried to perform surgery. She literally fell asleep during a surgery. THAT was a big problem. She also had family problems. She was just not living her best life lol. I believe her situation should have been explained better. Her problems were resolved so quickly that I questioned myself ''Okay, then what was all this drama about?'' Anyways, I liked or at least didn't mind her as a character since she was really cool from time to time. Well, she was not the best doctor at the beginning, but I accepted her somehow. :D Seo Woo Jin -- the male lead, was kinda intriguing at the beginning of the drama but as the story progressed, he became quite boring. He was still cute and some scenes with him were amazing, but yeah. (I don't want to be that person, but he is nothing to the male lead in the first season and yes I'm very biased ;p)

Which leads me to the character for whom I expected to develop the most and he did --- in the last few minutes of the last episode!! Yes, I'm talking about Park Min Gook who somehow became my favourite character even though I heavily disliked him at the beginning. Why is he my favourite character is a mystery even to me. But I was so excited about his scenes, him making the same mistakes all over again and then regretting his life choices and crying was such a funny thing to watch! It was also relatable af! :D Jokes aside, he was the most interesting character for sure but his development was so deadly slow that made me lose interest.

I don't know what my dear screenwriter was thinking to make Do Yoon Wan the villian again. That was the most stupid decision she could make. We had enough of Director Do in the first season, why bring him back? So I guess if we have a 3rd season, Director Do will be 100 years old and he's still gonna be the villian? Why not. Very uncreative.

The romance was weak, let's be honest here. Or at least I didn't feel any chemistry between the leads? It's just seemed like a forced romance to me. That ''reset'' thingy will haunt me forever. Cha Eun Jae and Woo Jin could have been just good chingus and it would have been okay. I don't know, I guess the writer thought that some of the viewers might need romance so let's just give it to them, why not. Let's feed them with some cheesy sh*t. BUT the last kiss was hot, not gonna lie.

After saying so many negative things, it's time to be a bit positive because even though the drama was very messy, I still enjoyed some of that mess. I loved Master Kim -- he was strong and amazing as always! His scenes with Park Min Gook were LIFE! The writer could have made a good bromance between them, because their interactions in the last episode were sooooo good! The second couple was also very adorable and I really wish they had more scenes! Overall, the supporting characters were very good. I just feel like Doctor Bae was some kind of ghost - he was there but at the same time it felt as if he had no reason to be there. It's not that I don't like him, he was just strange lol. The acting was also very good, especially kudos to Han Seok Kyu - he was born to play Master Kim and he proved that once again!

Well, the atmosphere in Doldam Hospital was amazing as always. I loved the team work, I loved the lights (not the dark operating room tho lol), I loved the interactions between the characters, I loved the Fridays, I loved the surgeries, I loved Mister Goo <3 I love everything about this hospital and this will never change, no matter what. Some dialogues were written very well and there were a lot of touching moments. Which is why, even though I didn't like a lot of things, I'm not giving a lower rating.

Overall, RDTK2 is not the worst drama out there and if you are into medical dramas you can check it out. However, be sure to watch the first season first, not because it's neccessary, but because it's way better and it's worth seeing.

Leia Mais

This drama needed a soul......it was so lifeless and cringey

The minute you label the genre as romantic comedy, then a thousand expectations are dropped but yet only a handful remain.
And if you can't even met those then the drama needs to be trashed.

ML : basically the only person/object/character worth watching. He is the only reason I endured 16 hours of cringey material.
FL : goddess of goodness. I wish more girls like this existed - but they don't because her character was fake and so was her smile. Outrageously created do-gooder, star winner......just nauseating.

Main Couple : I couldn't find the chemistry within 16 hours of torture. Romance is tepid, no sizzle, no heart fluttering scenes. Please don't call it a romance if you cannot make our hearts flutter. It's the only request we have for you.

The friendship between 3 females : they should really edit out all the scenes with the 3 friends because it is an embarrassment to young women. Who behaves so idiotically? Are these stolen clips from a 70's drama?

Bad coworkers : Yea,right
Trip to Thailand: ridiculous joke
Arab Prince: The comment and review sections are filled with this so go figure.

This drama had a hope, some good bones. Unfortunately they wanted a quick fix so the whole thing came crumbling down.

Leia Mais

Certainly Not A Good Drama To “ Start-Up”...

‘Start Up’ had great potential to be a good drama from its opening episode. Aside from having the well-known talents of Bae Suzy, Nam Joo Hyuk and Kim Seon Ho as our main leads , the characters undeniably had the potential to be realistic and a “breath of fresh air” from the stereotypical cliches of romance dramas. Yet, story progression and cliches truly provided to be ‘Start-Up’ ’s own worst enemy, as Park Hye Run’s screenwriting began to tackle oddly immature themes in a show tackling adult characters , plot inconsistencies, dire characterisation and straying away nearly entirely from the main focal point of making one’s own way in the world in favour of lacklustre and poorly-written romance pairings.

Perhaps the two characters who were subject to the most injustice of characterisation and story writing in the drama are strikingly the female lead Dal Mi ( Bae Suzy) and Kim Seon Ho’s character Ji Pyeong. ( Although Nam Joo Hyuk’s character Nam Do San must certainly be addressed later on as the elephant in the room.)

In the beginning of the series, Dal Mi was an intriguing main character; a headstrong businesswoman with an intriguing backstory , stuck in a rival relationship with her sister and having a driving passion to succeed in the business world . Then, not even several episodes later, Dal Mi’s characterisation from an independent businesswoman with actual depth, is subverted in order to allow her to become the staid, obsequious and often emotionally insecure “ love interest” of Do San and Ji Pyeong’s affections.

It is important to stress that isn’t the case that Dal Mi shouldn’t have had a love interest or a relationship at all within the series. A “ strong” female lead can still be well-written as an individual(regardless of her relationship status). Instead, it is rather how this drama portrayed the baffling and incoherent relationship between Dal Mi and Do San; a pairing which was to be expected and certainly wasn’t entirely “bad” between the characters as individuals ( despite notable “ biased” feelings of some fans). Instead, it was rather how this pairing was built upon lies, deceit, insecurity, and emotional manipulation, which was often “glossed over” in favour of “ cutesy couple” moments between Dal Mi and Do San as the storyline progressed. Dal-Mi became the typical trope of the “ golden prize” for the male lead, rather than an individual with her own thoughts and feelings; a sad destruction of an otherwise intriguing character.

This naturally moves us onto the second male lead of the series , Ji Pyeong, the “ preferred love interest ” of Dal Mi amongst watchers of the series. As an individual , however, it was not entirely the case that Ji-Pyeong was a “ badly-written” character, but rather his scenarios seemed both unjustified and questionable over the duration of the drama.

Initially appearing as a solipsistic, yet successful businessman, the series brings a lot to light about Ji-Pyeong as someone who is inwardly altruistic ; hardworking in order to have escaped the poverty of his childhood, a genuine supporter who sees the “ potential” of Do San’s visions and who has constantly admired Dal Mi since childhood ( a major driving force of the series, which is sadly never explored or touched upon after its initial use). Naturally, however, Ji-Pyeong’s “ selflessness” often leads to his downfall and consequently because he undeniably puts up a deceitful guise in front of Dal-Mi , he naturally comes out with the short end of the stick by not “ getting the girl”. Nearly from episode one, it will remain apparent for viewers that Dal Mi and Ji-Pyeong have many striking similarities both within their pasts, careers, obstacles and even personality types. Yet despite the obvious pairing which would ultimately arise between Dal-Mi and Do San, these similarities between both characters were neither explored or developed within ‘ Start-Up’.


Yet relationships aside (and despite the obvious flaw of his “ selflessness” at times), Ji-Pyeong’s altruism also plays to his advantage within arguably allowing him to become the most emotionally-stable character of ‘ Start-Up’ . He never truly takes out his feelings upon the SST boys ( despite their sarcastic comments ), Dal Mi and maintains professionalism in the workplace, by helping Do San ( even after Do San manipulates and physically punches him) against all odds, possibly making him the one true mature, and unspoken hero of the entire drama .

Next it is important to address the biggest elephant in the room, the main lead of ‘ Start-Up’, Do San. Against all odds, Do-San is a surprisingly interesting character , but a terribly-written individual upon all grounds. He is initially introduced under the archetype of the “ loveable and lively dork”- a profound genius, lacking in social skills, with a sanguine ambiance. Naturally, this allows people to gravitate towards Do-San such as Dal-Mi as a love interest, and Ji Pyeong as a mentor . By default, Do-San should have been someone for viewers to root for; the underdog who becomes successful, goes through a life-changing journey and revels at the end of the series with his important life-lessons in business, morality and love .

Instead the irony becomes apparent within Do-San’s “friendly” nature becoming a facade for his insecure and often fractious personality over the course of the drama . If Ji-Pyeong is the kind-hearted and selfless soul of the series, then Do-San is the egocentric opportunist who plays “Devil’s Advocate” in the beginning of the series, before taking advantage of Ji-Pyeong’s kindness through various methods of emotional and aggressive manipulation , even punching him once because Dal-Mi was “ upset”.

Upon this side note of Dal-Mi, it is crucial to bring up what is exactly problematic about Do -san’s interactions and behaviour around the female lead. The main lead’s personality sometimes verged upon what is commonly known in psychology as “ covert narcissism”. Many of the notable traits of covert narcissism include imposter syndrome, subtle emotional manipulation, introversion and egocentric beliefs and wild fantasies over one’s own success or goals - nearly all traits present within Do -San’s character . In addition to his obvious desire towards succeeding in the business sector , Do- San’s greatest fantasy soon manifests through his obsession with being Dal-Mi ‘s “ protector”. This is not out of selflessness or as a consequence of helping Ji-Pyeong to look after Dal-Mi, but a dangerous daydream which soon grows into an unhealthy obsession to “ protect” her through emotional vanity and manipulation .

Rather than being a symbiotic process of both characters coming to grasps with their flaws and learning to heal their emotional wounds, the relationship between Dal-Mi and Do -San was simply uncomfortable and emotionally draining for viewers.

In addition to this the second female lead Seo In Jae/Won In Jae(played by Kang Han Na),felt like a character limited only to an extended background character . In Jae could have easily supported the pacing and depth of the storyline , giving viewers a break from the prolonged and cliche love triangle dominating the show . She had a surprisingly decent backstory and certainly potentially interesting character depth, that could have been explored in episodes focusing on her rekindled relationship with Dal Mi. Ultimately, however, In Jae was pushed out of the way in favour of the lacklustre paring between Do San and Dal Min; a crying shame, for a character with wasted potential .

Overall, “Start-Up” does tackle some intriguing dynamics of the business world, family and a “ dramatic ” love triangle. However, writer Park Hye Ryun did not do justice with this series- characters were often poorly-written or lacked intrinsic depth, the second-half became overly reliant upon immature cliches , tropes and plot holes to “ prop-up” the sloping storyline, and the main pairing was unhealthily built upon emotional gaslighting and insecurity, rather than sincere feelings and learning to overcome these problems symbiotically . Certainly not worth investing time within if you’re looking for a well-written drama .

Leia Mais

This is the third time I'm writing this review. Somehow it got deleted again.

I'll be brief.

What I liked about this drama:
1. retainers trio (they had lot of potential)
2. You keep guessing till the end who killed the princess.
3. Actors playing villains were amazing unfortunately they characters weren't.
4. Sad song (I think it's called Hurt)


What I didn't like:
1. Villains were one dimensional character without any depth.
2. Han Ji Min's character was very boring and her acting didn't improve the character
3. Retainers trio potential wasn't used. Their character weren't developed and were used more like extras and in comedy elements than helping progress the plot.
4. Main leads were stupid.

Leia Mais

Dropped !!! Misleading title

Lol, Ms. Incognito is such a misleading title. If they had just called it Good Woman BuSeMi, I wouldn’t have even bothered watching. With Kdramas, the title usually gives you a clear idea of what you’re signing up for!

The first two episodes were solid, I was hooked and thought the show would keep that same energy. But episodes 3 to 7? Total brain reset. That’s when I remembered the golden rule: never judge a Kdrama until you’ve reached episode 8.

Now let’s talk about the characters:

1. BuSeMi started off strong bodyguard vibes, cool energy. Then suddenly she’s acting like a helpless princess. Meh. I’ve seen her in other dramas and her acting just doesn’t hit. Her facial expressions don’t help either. And that whole “moving to a small town with a silly storyline” twist? Not in my plans.

2. DongMin is another one I’ve seen before, but something’s always missing. His character feels flat. Unless they randomly reveal he’s the chairman’s son (which would be pointless), he’s just taking up space.

3. HyeJi: whew. Her voice alone had me skipping every scene she was in. The character is badly written and her behavior is just cringe. Totally unnecessary.


The comedy in this drama makes no sense. It doesn’t fit the story at all. And it’s not even good comedy, it’s the kind that makes adults look ridiculous. I swear, some Korean dramas live for that awkward humor.

It’s only 12 episodes, but they wasted half of them in a small town doing nothing. I can already tell they’ll rush the ending to make up for lost time.

And the chemistry between the leads? Non-existent. Fans are hyping it like it’s sizzling, but I’m sitting here wondering if we watched the same show.

Anyway, I’m officially adding this one to my 2025 list of disappointing dramas, right next to Buried Hearts, WTSG, and a few other flops.

Leia Mais

Long-Awaited Seduction Into A DARK CONCEPT !!

Exceeding Expectations. And Then Again Disappointing. It´s wild.

This painstakingly created series is expected to be one of the most controversial, hardest and longest emotional rollercoasters in 2022 and it has also been highly awaited by the entire LGBTQI+ film community.

However, if you easily feel offended by toxic tropes then I recommend you reconsider watching this series !!

Production / Music >> 9.5 >> 9.0 >> 8.5
As already seen in the first trailer – deleted by now – KinnPorsche has always been visually incomparable to other series. Even with their delay in airing and producing, the fandom has been faithfully waiting for this visual masterpiece to finally air. Given the second trailer and after watching the first episode, I know that KinnPorsche will lift the visual standards of LGBTQI+ shows to another level. Additionally, for those who don´t know me, I am a sucker for dark concepts and for what has been displayed so far with the lighting and colouring, my eyes are blessed and my creativity is exploding.

Combined with the series' soundtracks – e.g.: Slot Machine´s “Free Fall” – this entire show seems so unreal in quality, especially since it has a heavier and more challenging plot and concept than most LGBTQI+ series in the past. Therefore, I think they can still fail in the execution of a good story, but they have lifted the standards for the cinematography and consequently, I´ll predict this to blow up and get at least an 8.0 rating on MDL - excluded any crucial errors such as misrepresentation of fundamental issues, e.g.: LGBTQI+, toxic relationships, abuse, etc. I, however, doubt they will fail in the portrayal of those.

Let´s especially praise the Cinematographer (Maneerat Srinakarin) and the Screenwriter (Pond Kritsada Wittayakachondej), for perceiving the possibilities of this concept's aesthetics and implementing them successfully, as well as the Editors and Production in general.

Plot / Story >> 7.5 >> 8.5 >> 9.0 >> 8.0 >> 7.5
So far, I´ve been satisfied with the introduction to this series and its concept. However, even though the plot is exciting and thrilling, "it is not that innovative yet and therefore I need more episodes to change my mind and give it an 8 or higher". At some points, it was just so random, and the entire mafia thing got a bit laughable.

BUT Then I continued watching and changed my mind A BIT. Despite the aspect of some lack in the stories innovation, I am a total sucker for these sorts of concepts, and in the past, I´d just blindly give it a 10 BUT I´m trying to not let my excitement take over my rationality. However, if my rating was based on my own excitement, this rating would surely have a different outcome.

Cast >> 9.5 >> 10.0 >> 9.0
The entire training the actors have been going under in 2021 has finally paid off and the series successfully cast very talented individuals for each role. Especially Apo has been well chosen as Porsche, his personality finds shelter and rises like “The Phoenix”. Mile takes our breath as toxic-tinged Mr Kinn, who exudes a bold and decisive charm like Mile himself. The result is well-cast Main roles.

However, I will not forget to give the supporting cast all the praise. It´s just that I could write so many paragraphs about them - trust me I did that - but I´m trying to keep it short. Honestly, Bible did not only put effort into acting out Vegas but he also committed a lot to the KinnPorsche Story by translating Daemi´s book. I´m happy to see that the involved people also enjoy being part of this huge project. Love it!

Rewatch Value >> 9.0 >> 9.5 >> 9.0 >> 8.0
So far so good. Since this sort of concept is always extremely pulling me in and my disappointment in “Golden Blood” is heavily weighing down on me, I am quite sure this will be one of the shows I will come back to at least twice, if not more often. Therefore, my overall rating so far is a solid and well-deserved 8.5 and had chances to be a 9.0 if they had increased the story's uniqueness and matched it to their incomparable cinematography/ visuals.

Leia Mais

I'm thinking how in the world do you write a review on this lakorn given the storyline / subject material. I think if you want to watch this story have in mind the lead in this story does horrific deeds and slowly crawls back on a broken road to redemption.
I am new to watching anything from Thailand mostly I've hung out with Korean, Japanese and Taiwanese dramas so it's kinda a mind flip on what your accustom to watching when it comes to dramas.
I am a fan to both Ken and Ann's acting and if you watch this what makes the story worth watching is the phenomenal acting and where these two are able to take this tragic script and make you care about the characters and want them to find happiness at the end. The only reason I would review this drama and stuck with it to the end is because of how well acted and talented the two leads are in this story to keep you going. Ken is able to make you feel sympathy where none should be thought to be given.

If you decide to hunt this lakorn down know you will find Kawee actions are beyond forgiveness but he's a child of abuse, extreme wealth and neglect and has no personal growth in his emotions and sympathy of others until he sees what his own actions have cost him and only then does he learn from what he has done and only it shows how only love can change him. You will hate him ten fold in what he does to Narin. You will find yourself disgusted by both his father and his new wife / Narin's sister's marriage and you will see how Leela and Kawee's fighting nearly destroys Narin.

This lakorn was on Viki but it no longer is available. The original translator of this drama had uploaded the episodes on Youtube but then canceled their account. Only 7 of the 12 episodes are available online with translation and its a blurry copy and the rest of the episodes are listed by another person there. If you want to hunt this down there is one seller on Ebay who has it available for around 12.50 with the english translation. It is a story worth watching but its not for the faint of heart and it has graphic subject material.

I give the acting on this a 10. By far the best acted lakorn period.
There is some slight comedy worked into it in from the coworkers at the floral shop but I would by no means call this a romantic comedy.

Leia Mais

So romantic, funny, smartly written, compelling and sweet. Queen In Hyun's man is far and away, one of the best romantic dramas of the year so far. I am glad I skipped the other glut of time travel dramas and chose this one to watch.

The story is a complete and cohesive tale; beginning, middle and end. Which sadly is something Kdramaland tends to have trouble with. But the writers of this drama really got it right! I fell in love with the Boong Do and Hee Jin falling in love. And even better I loved the plot. Usually I have a lot of trouble with time travel genre. I think time travel is one of the harder kinds of plots to pull off and pin down. They can get convoluted and tend to lead to more questions then answers. But this drama kept things simple and fairly clean. It didn't try to over explain or get too complicated. I walked away feeling satisfied with a really great story and ending.

Queen In Hyun's man is so satisfying to watch. There is dramatic tension, bad guys to fear, funny characters to laugh at and romance to make me sigh. And the kisses! Such great kisses!

The acting was so wonderful. I was very impressed with Yo In Na. She really gave a memorable performance and is quickly becoming an actress I will happily follow from drama to movie and back to dramas again. She was so engaging and real with all her emotions. I never felt she was faking her performance and she didn't over act and fall all over herself crying. She was a delight. Ji Hyun Woo blew me away with his portrayal of Boong Do. I fell in love with him right along with Hee Jin. Every girl needs a Boong Do! The orbiting characters were portrayed just as well. I loved Hee Jin's friend Soo Kyung played by Ga Deuk Hi and her ex boyfriend, played by Lee Kwan Hoon. He was such a character. This cast was a great fit together.

The music was Daebak! I love the OST and one that I would like to own. The songs fit with the undercurrent of romance always present in this drama.

I would wholeheartedly and happily watch this drama again. It's a keeper. One I am glad exists so I can go back to on a rainy day and re-watch with delight.

Solid 10's overall for everything. There is not one bad thing I can say about this drama. I am so glad it appeared this spring/summer in a sea of some really mediocre romantic drama fare. Stellar acting, writing and great fun. Please don't miss this!

Leia Mais

Sensational drama that has stolen the hearts of millions

Get ready to be captivated by the sensational drama that has stolen the hearts of millions: "True Beauty." As a newcomer to webtoons, I stumbled upon this extraordinary story, and its unique plot and stunning art instantly won me over. Little did I know that this webtoon would be adapted into a drama, filling me with an immeasurable amount of joy and anticipation.

"True Beauty" boasts a cast that is nothing short of perfection. With each episode, I found myself completely engrossed, unable to miss a single moment. The characters are all so lovable and relatable, bringing an extra layer of depth and charm to the story. The comedic talents of the female lead injected laughter into every scene, making her a delight to watch.

The romantic aspect of the drama is simply irresistible. The chemistry between the female lead and Suho, with his cold demeanor and yet sweet gestures, had me swooning. And let's not forget about Han Seo Jun, whose boldness, patience, and sacrifices made him an absolute standout.

The drama is not without its fair share of emotional moments. The twists and turns of the plot kept me on the edge of my seat, experiencing a whirlwind of emotions. But in the end, the drama delivered a satisfying conclusion that left me feeling content and fulfilled

Leia Mais