This review may contain spoilers
About "good" partners in various senses. A pleasantly vivid and complex, well-rounded story.
“Good Partner” is about lawyer and divorce cases, while radiating quite some ´work life in Seoul´ feeling. The main focus obviously is on divorce and everything that comes with it. In South Korea so far, divorce has been an issue ´non grata´ sort of. But it has become quite hot recently. Being able to deliberately elaborating this topic in a KDrama is due to exploding divorce rates. Even the older generation is increasingly daring to take measures by leaving the unhappy marriage behind and finally daring to make a new start. Of course, separation is never easy and becomes even more complicated as children are involved. “Good Partner” tackles the hot topic fearlessly. Additionally, some still questionable legal issues surrounding divorce are mercilessly brought to light, as are the notorious cheaters and the tragic, far too frequent cases of misogynistic, domestic violence.“Good Partner” also deals with the rigid chains of command, often enough turning lawyers in large law firms into mere underlings. On the other hand, the KDrama also confronts the question of the right dose of sense of morality, distance or even abstinence one should/must/may/want to emotionally attach to the cases. Furthermore, "Good Partner" also confronts the closed-meshed career culture in everyday office life, where employees can quickly lose themselves while living up to expectations. Work-Life-Balance ist still a fairly new concept. And last but not least, a critical swipe at the unfairly privileged “elite” (= “we have special status and are allowed to do everything”) should not be missing, too.
Embedded in the office world of the two protagonists, quite a lot of contemporary burning issues that currently concern and shape the lives of many people i.e. in South Korea, especially in Seoul, are carefully considered and illuminated from different sides. In doing so, the KDrama is opening up new space for contemporary approaches towards dealing with well-known life issues. A pleasantly vivid and complex, well-rounded story.
“Good Partner” feels like it gets better with each episode. This is also due to the development of the protagonists as they sincerely face their personal concepts and convictions again and again in the context of their cases (not least thanks to Han Yu Ri's untiring sense of morality)... Thus, in the long run, the KDrama is about "good" partners in various senses, not only when it comes to the female leads. However, together those two are creating a pleasant breeze of sisterhood, one that feels particularly good in the midst of a predominantly patriarchal world.
All of this makes “Good Partner” a deserved success. TV audience in the country more than doubled over the course of the 16 episodes. Understandably so. I can definitely recommend this series.
PS:
PLEASE do yourself a favor and give episode “0” a wide berth!!
It's a complete aberration and has nothing to do with the actual KDrama, except that someone apparently got bored during the temporary broadcast break during the 2024 Summer Olympics... You can definitely ignore that one, believe me.
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The synopsis has already revealed that a female lead lost her family and was seeking revenge or justice. This plot of hers is how our leads cross paths. Initially you will find their banter really cute and you get the feeling that this is only going to get better and better. I honestly had a hard time figuring out our mail lead. This man did an amazing job portraying a strong person, a smart person, a weak person and a cunning person. His facial expressions were second to none.
What I liked about the series is that it is a historical film and I really do enjoy watching historical fans and if you manage to tie in a little bit of romance that is just a big bonus for me. I am truly not a fan of political plotting however the relationships of the royal family was so unique that you really somewhat hope that everything worked out fine. For me I found it somewhat odd that I actually like the villain. Not because they were feelings but because of the scene they were in with their brother and father and even their nephew at times were quite hilarious. This is rare that you get to see our villainess people in a somewhat comical yet plotting manner.
Now for the hard stuff. What I did not like about the series was that thing that hooked me in somehow died off. That’s right it was completely eliminated. That banter between our two leads that was funny and get you wrapped up for more of their entertainment died when or female lead entered the palace. Our feisty, brave, outspoken and tough female lead turned into a submissive palace person. It was a complete 360° change. I am really not exaggerating. It was just like she made a decision and that decision meant she was humble submissive and whatever else you want to call a person that don’t talk unless spoken to. That most certainly ruined it for me because her personality and our male lead personalities were on fire to begin with but because her personality change it just turned bland..
In addition to this, watching the beginning of the series you would naturally assume that there was gonna be this great love, great chemistry but oh was I wrong. There was no amazing love. There was no amazing romance. There was no amazing chemistry. There was no amazing anything about the relationship between the leads. It was just awful. She essentially turned into just another person that is obedient to the emperor and it was no longer fun to watch. After a major turn of events, I don’t want to spoil anything, our smart cunning and strong male leave turns into someone who does not handle pressure well. It was so conflicting and confusing at the same time.
If you’re into historical films and politics you’ll like this one. If you’re into historical romance I would advise you not to cheat yourself because you won’t get it here. This is 62 episodes of politics and plotting. Don’t go looking for love in this place. It ain’t here. Lol.
90% politics
10% palace/harem/romance
The acting was good in the first 22 episodes and it was entertaining. Anything after the 22 episodes was just a blur for me. A blur of going to war and plotting. Not exaggerating.
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This drama surprised me so much. The story is just as crazy as it sounds, memory loss isn't anything new in kdramas and often I shudder when I hear the words amnesia being used to advance the plot, but the story is told in such a amusing, cleaver and sincere sort of way that you can't help but be hooked by it. The show always seemed to be very aware of itself and what it was trying to do and just very comfortable with its absurdity.
The tone of the story is rather slice of life some places, but achieves those more dramatic moments when it needs to, humor is on the black side and takes advantage of how ridiculous everything is around what I appreciated and it always managed to blend it, thrill and more the mundane story of the characters we meet along the way.
I didn’t feel like the drama thread a lot of new ways with some of the tropes it used, or dives too deeply into them. It more so just has a lot of fun with them. There is a very nice balance between the comedy, the absurd and then the more thriller aspect of the show, which makes it stand out. It makes Psychopath Diary become unlike other kdramas I have seen before.
I expected the more serious side of the show to take over at some point, for the comedy to sort of step aside as the story got bleaker. But the story always seems to flow well between those different genres the show has all mixed up in there. It had a rhythm going on. There is always some twist to every aspect of the story, and the comedy interrupts the tension a lot of the time and vice versa. There was such a nice mix going on there, one that I didn’t think would work as well as they did. It never gets too tired.
They never make you guess too much, not even with who the real psychopath is; that makes us just in on the joke. You have a hunch about where this is going, but still the drama is so cleverly absurd that you do have a hard time guessing what will happen next. And the drama makes great use of it.
In Woo also always managed to be one step ahead of the other characters, and while it did feel a bit repetitive (and very annoying towards the end, but in a good way), that I still found myself very enthralled and excited about each new episode. In Woo is a killer I could really enjoy. He's just evil, no trauma or explanation needed, and it’s just great to watch. It worked out well for the story and you somehow never knew what he would do next.
Sometimes he seems a little too cartoonish as the bad guy, smirking and laughing in the background. But it felt so intentional and in the spirit of the humor within the show, that it sorts of works.
Sometimes the comedy goes a bit overboard, and sometimes you can sense when the switch between the tension, the more dramatic points, and the more comedic aspects of the shows (like when the twists are revealed) but it is always so very entertaining and just a very fun ride throughout. I was expecting it loose steam at some point, for the plot to become way to ridiculous, but it just went full steam ahead and just made this crazy plot its own.
There is very little romance here. I was expecting more, but I was very happy with how little we got. There was plenty else to do within the story already and adding romance on top of that would have been too much. We just got more solid character interactions and different relationship development instead. There was definite fondness, possible attraction between Dong Sik and Shim Bo Kyung. But there weren’t much more than a few longing eye-contacts and so on between them
I liked Bo Kyung, our female heroine, as a character. She was always very consistent with herself, rather sensible and smart and always went after what she thought was right. Her character was never set aside as the story went along, people listened to her, she was valued, and she had real impact on the story. So often female cops on these shows are just there running along with the men and just there to get into dangers. Not here.
Dong Sik who goes from being a pushover to someone who learns to stand up for himself, , and over the story does a good job with presenting the characters to us so we can understand them, and get behind their actions and why they did things the way they did them; despite the absurdity that is prevalent all around them. Yoon Shi Yoon plays Dong Sik so well. He is so good in this role and he gets to show all his aspects as an actor here. All the actors here are very good in their roles.
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1
1In the land of the scorpion the rooster is king.
This drama adapts Wei Yu's well loved romantic and suspenseful adventure novel Xī Chū Yù Mén /西出玉门 or West out of the Yumen (Jade Gate). The spirited and mysterious Ye Liuxi's first waking memory is of the desert with scant personal belongings to point to who she was and where she is from. A picture links her to Chang Dong, who lost all he held dear in that same patch of sand. Liuxi persuades Chang Dong to return to that most treacherous part of the desert with her. Together with a team of three others, they set out to crack the mystery of the Yumen Pass. On their quest to face their past, they stumble into a different, frightening and dangerous world where they find love, adventure, friendship and betrayal.The most fabulous thing about this drama is that Ye Liuxi is a force of nature that simply sweeps you away with her beauty, strength and charisma. It is a role that must have been written for Ni Ni, whose portrayal of Liuxi is nothing short of iconic. Bai Yu's rendition of Chang Dong's quiet might and reserved brilliance is the perfect foil for Liuxi's more vivid personality. Their chemistry is so natural and shockingly scrumptious that I replay most of their couple scenes with a silly, lovesick grin on my face. I now have a whole new appreciation for Bai Yu's hotness. The other two romances are quite cute and endearing but neither is compelling or even necessary. Skipping or toning down one or both of these secondary romances could have helped the pacing of this drama.
The acting, rapport and comedic timing of the main cast is terrific and a heavier focus on their friendship over romance would have been no less enjoyable. It was a lot of fun to watch them humorously pull off their clone geminus selves. It is nice to see Jin Han in his element again as a misguided and flawed character. Lu Yuxiao makes an impression again as a young actor to watch. I also found both Gao Shen and Ding Liu's kick ass youthful exuberance a joy to watch. Sadly Meng Ziyi is the biggest let down in the cast. Long Zhi is an interesting role, a character with a world vision and the ruthlessness to achieve it. Sadly Meng Ziyi delivers a shallow and uninspired interpretation with two expressions - stone-faced and pissed off. She manages to turn a layered character into a cardboard and archetypal one. I used to wonder why such a lovely and charming actor didn't get more lead roles. Now I know.
Where this drama falters is in the pacing and narrative style. The transitions between sub-plots are not well handled with abrupt cuts to a side romance or worse, the narrator and the painter in the middle of action scenes or as momentum is building nicely into an interrupted reveal. The world within the Yumen Pass itself is well designed, rich in history and lore and occupied by dangerous and fascinating characters. The world building mostly takes place via exposition and usually right before the viewer needs that information. This kind of heavy foreshadowing diminishes the surprise factor in what comes next. This also comes with few pay-offs; in the end all I really needed to know is that in the land of the scorpion the rooster is king.
Even though this drama wraps up nicely with no major loose ends, the ending is anti-climatic. With one notable exception, most characters have fitting endings. However, the climax on the action adventure side takes place very early in the drama and the main romance peaks shortly after the mid-point. After that, the pieces of the puzzle fall into place and the plot seems to build towards a final, badass showdown that doesn't quite materialise. The writers decided it is better to jaw jaw than to war war which would be fine if this weren't a fantasy action adventure. I am also miffed that my thirst for justice and symmetry that demands some serious loss of limbs is not satisfied, nary a hair was even harmed! I console myself with the fact that the roosters once again show the scorpions who is the boss!
This is a must watch drama for just Ni Ni and Bai Yi's acting and chemistry alone. If anyone else were in the lead roles, I would only rate this an 8.0/10.0 but I am bumping my rating up to an 8.5 to recognize their riveting performances.
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"The principle of justice are choosen behind the veil of ignorance."
"When you try hard to find answers from your past, the past will come crawling to you and eat you up." The Veil that you wear to protect yourself from external forces, can either cause you immense pain or fee you from all the sufferings. Yet, your efforts to put things at their rightful places shouldn't go waste; make sure of that."The Veil" is indeed one of a kind action as well mystery thriller Korean drama, justifying it's own title and doing a good job in relaying it's performance in overall. It's definitely one of the most underrated dramas of the year 2021 bcs of known reasons.
The story revolves around Han Ji Hyuk (Namgoong Min), an ace among the National Intelligence Service (NIS) top agents and an 'one man army', known to be stubborn & unbeatable. While carrying out an operation to destroy an underworld drug cartel in China with his 2 partners, he comes across abrupt truth behind the entire thing and suddenly vanishes off from the earth surface, while his partners are found murdered. He resurfaces after a year in the Peninsula but this time with lost memories of one year, just to discover the rat or traitor among the NIS who helped their enemy on the back to have the upper hand. Due to his unstable state, he is partnered with Yoo Je Yi (Kim Ji Eun) to carry out minor tasks. Je Yi, who has joined the organization to find out about his father, an ex-agent gone missing a decade ago, joins hand with Ji Hyuk. Together, they work secretly and find out the bigger forces behind it, who turn out to be their own and strive to reveal everything.
The plot development is actually very amazing for a 12 episode drama which reflects a steady progression with several temporary brakes, whenever the antagonists face some downfall. Can't really call it a 'staircase' development but the duo keep solving one case after another with clues from previous case, so yeah, it's somewhat similar to it. 1st ep is the basic intro with lots of confusion which is an obvious happening. 2nd ep also lays the foundation further clarifying the previously created subtle indications. The progress after it, is what will amaze you continuously and keep you hooked. The antagonists continue to dig deeper and unveil more answers and the twists at the end of each episode leaves you awestruck. In fact, the revelations are quite astonishing and very unpredictable; it's like you know who is involved and who ain't but in what way and how much, that's the matter of curiosity. In this regard, the writer has painted an intertwined yet intriguing sketch that's quite difficult to figure out for the viewers.
What bothered me is the ending of 9th episode and the entire 10th episode plus it's ending too. The reason is, one of the most major question of the drama was answered at the end of 9th and first half of the 10th episode bore it's detailed explanation. So I really was worried as to what else is left to explain and answer now when we got 2 episodes yet to come? The latter half 10th episode showed further progress in open investigation within the organization with joined efforts of more people who joined the lead duo. The 11th ep was a lil slow but at least not rushed which is better. Anyways, the ep laid foundation for the final big operation to catch the main culprit behind everything and then the finale went very well according to that. I was again afraid something would go wrong for the drama but I am greatly satisfied.
Just like any other crime dramas, The Veil is mysterious & confusing in many ways, ngl. So, some of us might binge it bcs we're anxious to wait but some others also find it interesting to go slow as it's more interesting that way too. I am telling this because I binged the 10 eps in 2 goes and and had a difficult time for a day trying to put everything in place. Since there are only 12 episodes, binging it would feel like time flying by so fast. So take it slow, try to enjoy and relish each episode as it proceeds and make sure you are attentive to the details because lots of facts are interconnected and there are in fact so many small and merely significant characters, each contributing significantly to the story; so if you don't remember them, you might end up getting confused. They introduce new characters each episode as the lead dup keep digging deeper but they don't stick around or simply, as soon as their essence is over, they are thrown out of the script.
Namgoong Min is the central character as said earlier. Not only he's strong and skillful, he's smart enough to predict and draw an entire scenario, before he start executing his plans. He surfers from trauma related to his chikdhood and is also full of untold emotions. Kim Ji Eun (Yoo Je Yi) does her job well by helping the ring leader at many points. She was definitely more quick-witted and what makes her character strong is her instincts of righteousness by the virtue of which she chooses to believe in Ji Hyuk constantly and taking his side till the end, despite all the odds she had to face.
In supporting role, Ha Dong Gyun (Kim Do Hyun), is a mysterious one who turns out to be different from the usual assumption of character. Dir. Kang Pil Ho (Kim Jong Tae) is a concerned superior to his juniors who also has secrets that he commited in order to protect the organization. Dep. Comm. Do Jin Suk (Jang Young Nam) is a ambitious woman who can pull any strings to get her work done. Dep. Comm. Lee In Hwan (Lee Kyung Young) is a greedy and inimical man and source of all the bad deeds in the org. Seo Soo Yun (Park Ha Sun) is the bearer of many secrets behind the conspiracy but her character is the only one that was poorly written and got wasted unreasonably. There are plenty of other characters played by very very good actors but I suppose I should stop here not to give out any spoiler.
Action!? What are you asking about? How should I explain this? Superb, amazing, etc. fancy words would become understatements. Nam Goong Min carried the entire show with his acting plus action skills. I am not a fan of ripped bodies but well, this is NGM *blushes*. His physique is what we call an ideal fit for stunts. The character Han Ji Hyuk, had his ground rules set. Being so skillful & determined as a person, he was unbeatable. His fleetness and swift hand movements, oof, those are reverential moments to witness. What makes the action scenes and NGM's stunts perfect is, the way those elements serve the story as well as his characters. Those were jaw-dropping and heart-poundinh. Most of the scenes also involve several types of firearms, which were also used skillfully and in an enticing way. In overall, the action and stunt scenes are enthralling and greatly pleasurable to eyes. The action director obviously deserve extra bonus for drawing the detailed arcs and keeping the most appropriate pace. "The Veil" definitely is the 2nd best action kdrama of the year after Taxi Driver, this year; at least for me ;-;
Direction is top notch I would say. For any thriller, particularly action thrillers, the chief PD is the most responsible for the execution and here Kim Sung Yong PDnim has done a stupendous job in directing the drama as well as managing and editing the screenplay. Given that he's not that experienced in directing as thw main PD, it's difficult to say so from this drama. The pacing is accurate for the entire drama, there seemed no exaggeration for the story or any specific event.
Applauses for him. Also, I still can't bring myself to believe that it's the writer's first ever script??? I don't know who are they, but dear jakka-nim, you are very talented. This is so very good to prove how nice your skills are. Please keep this up because we anticipate to witness more of your works. The development of overall plot, the character development for Nam Ji Hyuk, the arcs of each seemingly insignifican characterst, the awe-inspiring revelations at perfect points of the story, the U-turn & downfall twists, etc are very well drawn with visibly wonderful efforts. Brownie points for the dialogue writing too. The screenplay writing along with pleasing dialogues is what makes the character to serve well and makes the audience connect and feel. The formatting is nice and subtext is clear plus no dragging of scenes with only important conversations.
The composition is something that you can look forward to too. For a dark and intense action thriller where every other scene has the smell of sobriety, the OSTs and background scores are very well written and composed which gives off appropriate mood and are very suitably used in the drama. "Reason" by YOARI is undoubtedly the show-bearer, which in fact explains the title and essence of the drama. It depicts the emotions and eagerness of a man who is lost in a dreadful tunnel among plenty of enemies surrounding him. "Stay With Me" by Elaine on contrary, is a melancholic track, that portrays a man's emotions of betrayal, self-realization and has losr track of everything. "Get Ya" by Lee Jung Min is an enthralling and catchy song on the other hand. The OSTs are all in English.
I am happy to be aware that they are giving us 2 extra episodes. I mean we deserve it because there are only 12 episodes even though they're around 80mins each. From the trailer, it seems the special episodes will have the back stories of of entire main plot so it's more like a prequel of the drama and the point where it all started. It feels promising too so I'm kinda looking forward to it.
Notes:
1. There is no romance at all, which is expected and I feel that's the best decision by the writer. There is a subtle portrayal of one sided liking but it wasn't anything near to romantic feelings I suppose.
2. It's kinda gore as well. Since it's NIS and not a simple crime investigation unit, killing people easily is nothing biggie so watch it with TW if you're sensitive to bloodshed and murders.
SOOOO, THE VEIL, in overall is such a stupendous Kdrama, in terms of story, direction, acting, performance, action & stunts, etc and definitely a must watch. It also has high rewatch value for those who are avid action fans. Spy investigation dramas involving NIS and action are not something very new to us but this surely stands out for a unique basic storyline, it's immense action scenes and fabulous execution. If you're hesitant to start because the genre ain't your cup of tea, give it a try for Nam Goong Min at least, you can't help but fall for him deep into the firey pit lmao.
P. S. Didn't know I would end up writing a long review for a 12 episode drama with lil context to narrate w/o spoilers but well, now that I'm done writing, I don't wanna remove any part of it TT.
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A wonderful "slice of life" drama that isn't for everyone's taste
I rarely write reviews for dramas since I consider that everyone's taste is different and we don't have to and can't like the same things.However, this drama made me write my first review here.
I'll start by saying that this (as I've seen in the comments) is a "love it" or "hate it" drama, with no in-between.
I, for one, adored it.
It's rare to see such true depiction of real relationships and real human emotions with all their pettiness, frustration, sadness, joy and all that comes when loving another.
It's such a fresh drama that shows the viewer what happens in all stages of a relationship and isn't stopping just at "they lived happily ever after" or "they broke up and that's it".
In my opinion, the viewer has to be in a proper state of mind to watch this drama. Also, a certain amount of life experience might be of help in order to understand it, maybe.
A well made "slice is life" drama with good, bad, funny and sad moments that was really well acted and made me admire Seo Kang Joon even more (his portrayal of Junyoung was amazing) and love and understand Esom's Youngjae and all the other characters.
Life doesn't have a liniar flow. There's always something that will shake us to our core and either make us or breake us and this drama shows this in a very human way.
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This review may contain spoilers
Everyone is a walking meme
I've been waiting for this for a while, mainly cause of FL and also cause I wanted the haters comments to blow up in their faces. And I'm glad it did!! I had expections and I was not let down. From the comedy, to the acting and the production quality everything was satisfactory. Expect for the controversy regarding the Japanese clothing.The chemistry between the couples were good like even the secondary couples made me root for them. Would have liked more romance tho. Most of the characters being a shipper for the main couple. I like how no one is necessarily the villian, regarding the FL father, I genuinely thought he was downright evil but his relationship with the FL mother and main leads was so cute to watch. It's definitely not a serious show, the dialogue is witty which makes it a easy watch. I died laughing a couple of times.
The characters actually got some decent character growth, the FL started as a lovestruck girl and was oblivious to anything except the ML but she learnt to hold her ground with issues she cared about. Her smile and laugh is so infectious. I love how the ML fell for her without even realising, and he fell hard. The way he winks just cracks me up.
The OST is good and catchy, caught myself humming it a couple of times.
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While Master Devil uses many familiar romcom tropes reminiscent of Itazura na Kiss and Hana Yori Dango (amongst others), the show stands out well in being a GOOD well-written romcom WITHOUT all the unnecessary angst, frustration over stupid/extreme characters or developments, and exaggerated/pointless drama.
The plot is well-balanced and well-written in being reasonable in its developments, while staying true to the classic tropes of romcoms. There is not only a good balance of romantic development between the leads, but also ample time given for the female lead Chu Xia to independently develop her own story arcs and interactions with other characters without the male lead.
The plot is written in a more realistic way for instance, such that it is NOT a girl-against-the-whole-world trope like the desperation felt in Hana Yori Dango. Similarly, the characters are also written quite distinctively and developed in a reasonable way. Contrary to the title, male lead Qi Lu really isn't an ass at all, even if he may be unfriendly. Many of the supporting characters are really nice, and even the antagonists themselves aren't completely irrational or hateful in their behaviour.
Admittedly still, there is still about ~10% of plot development that doesn't quite make a lot of sense and requires suspension of disbelief, e.g. the first episode lol. (But all will be well once you get over that bridge.) However, I feel like the amazingly funny/cute character interactions would completely make up for this~ (especially interactions with the male lead ;))
It was really a breeze completing this show, helped by its short 20-minute episode length and addictive previews. Forgiving the laughable CG (from the first ep) and not-that-great OST due to its lower web-cdrama budget, the young actors and plot still held the show up well and hit all the right notes for me in delivering almost everything I'd have wanted to see in a classic romcom, without the frustration.
That being said, it's EXTREMELY important to leave a disclaimer that these 23 episodes is NOT a completed story and will be directly continued in the upcoming Season 2 (which I'm still dying in anticipation for). Hence, with the HUGE POTENTIAL for romantic development being left in the air for Season 2 to pick up from, I have been left in a state of withdrawal, which also makes for the high rewatch value of the show, simply from being classic, light and cute.
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DRAMA OF THE YEAR 2021? YESSS!
Life is not all about pain and regrets, but about the experiences and learnings. The best thing about life is that it keeps moving forward. No matter what happens in our lives at one point, it keeps going on while letting us learn from it. This is my interpretation about the entire drama.갯마을 차차차, literally, "Seashore Village Cha-Cha-Cha, truly is a story living upto it's title, giving justice to its essence while capturing millions of hearts worldwide. It is a combination of coming of age chapters and healthy, warm as well as healing RomCom, accompanied with numerous life lessons, portrayed in the form of various relationships that also throws light upon uncountable shades of life, love and living. So what does it become? A PERFECT SLICE-OF-LIFE KOREAN DRAMA.
Plot is simple as you know. Oh Hye Jin, a capable and righteous dentists resigns from work and unable to find another clinic decides to open her own in the seashore village of Gongjin, which she had gone to visit on her mother's birthday. There she meets Hong Du Shik, an talented yet unemployed man who willfully does all kinds of odd jobs to help out the villagers and wish to continue his simple life. As they encounter each other multiple times and find each other's presence during respective critical times, the bond between them grows closer making them fall in love. All these happens in the premise where lives of the villagers go on parallely, accompanying continuous build-up, growth, healing giving away love & care, as a community which is more like an extended or chosen second family.
This shit is indeed hell of refreshing because of the scenario the drama has choosen as it's set, i. e. the fictional city of "Gongjin" which in real is the seaside village near Daegu-Gyeongbuk of Pohang, a South Korean city located in North Gyeongsang Province. The seaside milieu, the village settings, the city architecture and the awfully ecstatic frame of nature are the elements that undeniably attracted a lot of people to it. And what made it even more eye-catching is the cinematography skills of the production; brownie points please.
What also makes this drama stand out is the method of execution and the very natural way of diegesis (plot narrative). Relationships, regardless of it's type, are unquestionably complicated but life becomes a lil easier when we put efforts make it simple, this also is an underlying message of this drama. It's so natural that i felt I have been there with those people. Obviously, melo is an important element of any show of any genre, which is here too, but events should be as simple as a glass of water that makes it realistic in order to be appealing and relatable to the audience. I feel the drama successfully achieved that outcome.
Another thing that made me go awe was the fashion sense of the characters, please give the stylists bonus, okay? T T. Not just the young and adult characters, the kids and the oldies wore beautiful clothes of different kinds all the times, no matter how simple or flashy they were. I loved the florals that Hongbajang wore and sometimes the loose fit shirts. Hye Jin's one piece long skirts made her look so beautiful. The 3 old women in their usual outfits looked cute. Village chief Young Guk's simple yet loose fit big shirts and pants oof. Hwa Jung and Nam Sook's country-side dotted tops and pants looked nice. Chun Jae ahjussi and his half pant outfit plus scarf, my goodness. Geum Chul's entite country bumpkin style outfit and hairstyle. Bora's peach creamy hair and I Jun's decent clothes toooo. Eun Chul in both police uniform and civil clothes (soooo hot) and Mi Seon in her different kinda outfits. Sorry for the terms Idk bcs of my lack of fashion sense TT.
One of the most notable things about the drama should be all the female characters who made us see various sides of life and learn from it. Potential & stupendous female characters is nothing new for Kdrama industry but this drama should stand out in this regard for perfectly creating and nourishing such beautiful-hearted women. Different women trying their best for people around them and struggling for them isn't something new but these women, from young to the old, understood it better, I felt. Extra points for that for sure.
Since it's a slice of life story where day-to-day happenings are portrayed, drawing a definite plot development in overall is difficult. So, what we can witness are 2 kinds of developments. First the relationship between the leads along with others and secondly the individual character development. Let's talk about that...
Relationship Development of Lead Couple:--
Well, healing romance troupe has become a common factor nowadays but this surely is unique and let me explain how. Not bragging or saying I predicted it but I sure had assumed the way the chemistry between Hong Du Shik & Oh Hye Jin will develop, which happened for real making me so happy. Both of them obviously cared for each other and had liking as persons despite all the bitter encounters but until the point they fell for each in their conscious, the romance was very subtle. It was like they grew onto each other unknowingly and that feelings were piling up bit by bit over time. One day the the sac of love got so heavier, it burst open into an love relationship bonding, that was meant to last for eternity. They were definitely opening up to each other lil by lil and healing the other's pain gradually in the process but in their subconscious, it was love that was blooming up inside their hearts which one day led to prosperity and nostalgic emotions of happiness.
What made me happy how they proposed to each other at the perfect point of the story and even after officially getting into a relationship, the story showed us the following development. This was a gesture that, our lives and stories don't come to an end when we become each other's life because we have a long way to travel together, parallelly healing each other while helping both individual and coupled growth. Tbh, I was worried their relationship will turn typical following the proposal but guess what? They made me and in fact all of us, learn an important lesson of life, i. e. continuity. Obviously, there were many fluff moment's but the way of executing everything through the storytelling method abd screenplay techniques made it maintain own's naturality.
We're at a point where we have run out of new ides about events and stuffs to showcase in a relationship but what matters is how they're showed to us, how natural & relatable they feel and how realistic the outcome becomes. I am cent percent sure, this drama gave off that vibes.
NOTE: HONG DU SHIK & OH HYE JIN, uri ShikHye or dimple couple are one of the best Kdrama couples with one of the best chemistry development and a healing romance.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT :--
This is probably the best thing about the drama. Not just the individual development, the buildup plus nourishment of different kinda relationships were also well drawn. The character arcs of different roles came out so well, making us relate and learnt. Let's talk about them now...
# Hong Du Shik (Kim Seon Ho) aka uri Hong-bajang, the definition of "Jack of all trades, master o̶f̶ ̶n̶o̶n̶e̶ at
all". Talented yet no proper job carrying numerous small job certificates can help fix any kind of situations of the villagers. Loved by all yet orpahned and loner with thanatophobia (fear of losing someone close), he doesn't let anyone into his heart easily. Cares a great deal about the villagers tho.
# Oh Hye Jin (Shin Min Ah), the perfectionist dentist and very righteous at workplace who is also very calculative about her life. A dating rookie and doesn't want to be easygoing abd never gives in to people easily. A definite development as she changes into a warm women who admired everyone and got love in return. Very sensitive to her life decisions and helps Hong bajang in the end in healing his heart.
# Ji Sung Hyun (Lee Sang Yi), a variety show PD and Hye Jin's university senior who comes to Gongjin to shoot his show. He really went from romancing with Da Shik (Da Hee) in Once again (2020) to bromancing with Du Shik in this drama, haha. I can't say he's a potential 2nd ML affecting the lead couple's storyline but ge surely helped them in his subconscious. Very simple and decent character he had.
# Kim Gam Ri (Kim Young Ok) halmeoni, village supervisor and Du Shik's closest who have fed and cared for him since a young age. Very stubborn because of old age. Doesn't like spending money but fond of trying different dishes. Loves Du Shik the most and liked spending time with him.
# Lee Ma Ji (Lee Yong Yi) and Park Sook Ja (Shin Shin Ae) ..wish these halmione-deul had some more story for themselves but they were basically used as sidekick of Ga Rim-ssi. Regardless, very cheerful and cute. Their annoying and active faces plus the halmeoni trio made me cry outta happiness even when they were just fighting, that was so cute uwu.
# Yeo Hwa Jung (Rang Bo Ryun), the zone chief, restaurant owner and owner to both the places used by Hye Jin. Divorced for reasons known only to her and a single mother. Very sane, humble and understanding person she was though a lil insecure about his ex-husband and has hidden stories to tell. Loved the way she walked in here hahaha.
# Jang Young Guk (In Gyo Jin), village chief and Hwa Jung's ex husband, a lone man living alone and a loving father to his son. Irresponsible and indecisive at times. Not knowing the actual reason of divorce he deviates from his path for a while but eventually finds himself back in the same spot.
# Oh Chun Bae (Jo Han Chul), a failed singer, coffee shop owner, a widower and single loving father to his daughter. Still brags about his past achievement and wants recognition tho still a tender-hearted person who cares for his daughter to a great deal and misses his wife.
# Cho Nam Suk (Cha Chung Hwa), Chinese restaurant owner, loner who misses her deceased daughter. She loves to gossip and is the most definitite source of all the rumours that revolves around in the village. Very lively and cheerful as person. Loved her nasal accent and acting.
# Choi Geum Chul (Yoon Suk Hyun), Du Shik's only friend and hardware store owner. Married with a girl child and another to come. Somewhat naive and stupid but loves his family so much.
# Ham Yun Kyung (Kim Joo Yun), Geum Chul's wife and Bora supermarket owner. Very cheerful and mature for her age. Loves and cares for her family a lot and continuously nags her husband to do better job.
# Pyo Mi Sun (Gong Min Jung), Hye Jin's BeFe and the dentist nurse. Very clever and straightforward yet falls for guys instantly. Her chemistry development with constable Eun Chul was surely a sweet thing to watch.
# Choi Eun Chul (Kang Hyung Suk), Police substation constable and Geum Chul's younger brother who's very determined at job but stupid when comes to dating. Mi Sun helps her learn about relationship and they form the cutest couple of the show.
# Oh Ju Ri (Kim Min Seo), Chun Bae's daughter, a high-schooler and diehard fan of the boy group DOS (fandom Hacker). Misses her mother whom she lost right after birth. Can be stubborn and annoying at times still loves her father. A wannabe stylist.
# Choi Bo Ra (Go Do Yun), Yun Kyung & Geum Chul's daughter who's good at studies but have hidden talents. Loves Taekwondo and a lil aggressive. Adored by the villagers.
# Jang Yi Jun (Yi Eun Yoo), Hwa Jung & Young Guk's son who's the definition of genius. Too humble, polite and rationale for his age haha. BeFe with Bora and is always with her. As thoughtful as Hwa Jung.
Other than these major characters are some other actors who justified their decent roles and are indeed notable; Yu Cho Hui (Oh Ji Hee), Ban Young Hoon (Kim Sung Bum), Kang Do Ha (Lee Suk Hyung), Wang Ji Won (Park Ye Young), JUN (Byun Sang Tae), Yoon Tae Hwa (Seo Sang Won), Lee Myung Shin (Woo Mi Hwa), etc.
OSTS:
"Romantic Sunday" by "Car, the Garden" is undoubtedly the best OST of this drama which is the remake of a 2007 hit by "JISLAND". I love all the other OSTs so muxh as well. The lyrics are all so beautiful and were relatable as well suitable for various moods of the drama. "One Sunny Day" by Kassy, "My Romance" by Cheeze, "Wish" by Choi Yu Ree, "Be the Light" by Kim Jae Hwan,
"The Image of You" by Sandeul, "Here Always" by Skz Seungmin are all good. Some of them are romantic and others are soft soulful ones.
Both the writer and director have done a very good job, individually and as partners. It didn't feel like the writer doesn't have enough experience. I mean the number of work she's done is less but who'd say so after watching this drama? The PDnim obviously have enough experience, in fact one of the best drama PDs in Korea and that shows. Cinematography, sound production, screenplay editing are also very well done. Kudos to the entire crew for this amazing outcome. Thank you so much.
Technically, I love the various colour palettes used to showcase the beauty and aesthetics. The subtle presentation of props to connect and relay the storylines are quite alluring. Story progression is smooth and relaxing with multiple peaks as perfect points. Not a single thing felt exaggerated or boring. No twisted and complicated factor except for Hongbajang's mystery; very simple. The 1st ep is basically the introduction so stick to it in case you think it's not good. The childhood and teenage encounter and destined-to-be-together trope might have become a cliché but it's fine as long as the present story is well painted and HomeCha successfully built-up a unique love story.
Let me also add important things included in the drama: mental health issues, loneliness, lgbt+ inclusion & acceptance, gender & clasa equality, dreams and determination to fulfill it, negligence to old parents as well as kids, ways of parenting & parental love, a kid's expectation from parents as well their hidden feelings, mutual understanding, overcoming past trauma, essence of aging and importance of old age, meaning of death, the art of healing other's pain, the difficulties of pregnancy, the urge of marriage, the hopes from your partner, community life & it's importance, self-love and it's vitality, process of opening up to your closest ones, learning to seek help from others, acknowledging the help and care you receive, understanding the gestures, facing life problems & tackling them, essence of independence, appreciating life, respecting other's efforts and their urge to do well, holding on to life, bringing out the best of you..... And many more that will cost me a notebook to mention.
NOTE: The last 3 episodes are the peaks of the episode where you might have to cry continuously, so make sure to take care of yourself if you're highly sensitive and very overwhelming to cry over small things.
Hometown Cha Cha Cha is definitely very realistic, refreshing and relatable with all the elements of a perfect slice of life Kdrama. I repeat, this is the best Kdrama year for 2021. Not only the healing romance of the lead couples, other side storylines that ran parallelly left us with lessons that we seek in our everyday life. Setting the rewatch value at 10/10 bcs this is something that can be easily watched as many as times you wish, even for random watch. PLEASE GO AHEAD WITH IT IF YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR. THIS IS DEFINITELY WORTH ALL YOUR TIME AND INVESTED ENERGY PLUS EMOTIONS. *cries under blanket*. In fact been crying throughout while writing this review.
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This review may contain spoilers
A Beautiful Story.. Loved it
OMG, when I heard the there was going to be a Korean BL, I was a little skeptical because as we all know Korea is known for its hot and thriving BL industry ??? (sarcasm in case anyone doesn't get it).But seriously, I was really shocked at the quality of it all, it was really awesome and really great and I loved every second of it.
Before we kick off, I would like to highlight If you are someone looking for like just skinship, then I don't think this is the series for you, if you want story, great acting, production etc, then this is for you.
Also please try to watch the series on Rakuten Viki to try and ramp up its popularity and make the show have good ratings.
Before I go into the review proper, I like to highlight (again) to anyone reading that it is the tiny moments in this show that makes it gold. Like the fact they sleep on the same bed, Koreans have bedding for the floor, so we kind of know they choose to sleep on the same bed. Another is the fact Gang Gook hated Tae Joo touching anybody else's ears (the weak spot attack❤️❤️). All those tiny moments really make the show kind of great because it's like builds up the chemistry between them but also the tension.
Now to the main review. This show was a simple 100 out of 10 for me, from the first episode, I loved the interactions, Gook always being there to protect Tae Joo.
We start off with the bullies chasing Tae and we start to see the type of relationship they have, they have grown up together and are kind of extensions of each other. Now the first place where I get to understand the depth of the relationship is where Tae's father slaps Gook, as a punishment to Tae, this kind of shows to me that his dad understands that Tae has deep feelings and care towards Gook because you wouldn't necessarily care about your bodyguards (Gu Jun Pyo ?, Boys over flowers says hi). So from that, I start to get their relationship.
The intimate scenes between them and I don't mean intimate in that way are so awesome, because there is an extra added level of unsaid words but they just both kind of know that they are there and the gay panic particularly on Gook's side was funny. Tae I feel wanted Gook to start dating because he felt it might take care of his feelings for Gook but as we see, that kind of backfired as Tae because it brought out his jealous side more. The girl I get is meant to make them realize how they felt about each but I wouldn't lie, I hated seeing her on my screen.
Then finally when they started to collide at mid-episode 4 and eventually, Tae told Gook to walk at the ending of episode 4, coupled with the Light Soundtrack playing in the background, I had a meltdown, cause I was thinking this is those type of shows that everything would not be resolved till the last episode but I was very happy that beginning episode 5, Tae went back for him, meaning he could not bear leaving Gook out in the cold like that. From there the relationship progressively got better and by ending episode 5, we had our almost kiss/kiss scene in episode 6???. The ending though kind of broke me, from Gook's gay panic to that ending of episode 6.
I don't like the Kim Pilhyeon, I mean they asked you to keep an eye on them, how does that lead to you having to report that you saw them kissing, like the chairman (Tae's dad) would never known if not for your big mouth, but I mean we should have all known that Tae would go to England from episode 1. I definitely was not a fan of his dad????
By the way, I was so confused by the ending of episode 7, like why was he working at the restaurant? But I like that they cleared that up, that it was kind of in the future
Episode 8 was so and so for me, I liked the way the fight was stationed, it wasn't like unrealistic that he beat like 10 guards at once but one or two at a time, made it more dramatic and real for me, with the music, it was cinematic.
But I mean I kind of liked the fact, that they still kept the reaction that a lot of South Koreans would have to having an LGBT kid. They didn't create this magical world where everyone (especially the parents) are all so accepting and always knew the kid was gay or something. I mean, it hurt us a bit but it was real.
Plus the fact when they finally got home, that Tae was asking why didn't Gook just accept his feelings earlier, "they didn't even get to do that" according to Tae, I felt is the most on brand thing with teenagers right now.
Can we appreciate the fact that they didn't spend a lot of the storyline with the girl intervening, they actually kept it BL. Like they didn't pull one over on us in the last few seconds. I mean it was also cool that they made Kim and Hyemi end up together, kind off made sense.
Overall, I really wished this had longer episodes and more episodes, there could be so much they could have explored with the high level of story telling and acting they had but this is still just perfect. Having a 2nd season wouldn't hurt but I doubt they would because it kind of had a good ending
I loved the extra layer of side comedy, He Mi's mother was the funniest because she was all of us, shipping Tae and Gook. Hyemi mother was everything, from shipping TaeGook to always shading Hyemi❤️❤️❤️ and even shading Pilhyeon that Gook was more handsome and mature. Then her crying made me laugh like a maniac
For the acting, OMG, the acting was soooooooooooo good, I loved the acting from the entire cast, it made it all so much more believable.
Finally the music ???... They have my heart in terms of soundtrack ❤️❤️❤️❤️. I absolutely loved the music in this, I mean the OST had like 4 songs (Light, See U, Looking at you and You) but I felt they used it so well, that it really brought out the moments more and made it all that more powerful
I really hope that WYEL is what kicks off Korean BL because no offense to other countries (Thailand ???) but the Koreans have shown they are simply better are making dramas than them, with creative stories, great production, and high quality, amazing acting and cinematography meant for gods. Imagine 20 episodes of Korean BL with 40 minutes running time.
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This is what all kdramas should aspire to be
My biggest issue with Kdramas is that they tend to get complicated for the sake of being complicated and there's a lot of them that are like that. This one, is not one of them.Is the story original? No. Does it have to be? No. You get what you expect when you read the synopsis and everything stays in its lane which is very, VERY rare for a Kdrama. You expect a medical, bromance drama with a touch of supernatural and that's exactly what you get. There's a bit of romance but it only adds a bit of flare to the characters and story and it stays in its lane and does not take over which I find that WAY to many does, which is why I tend to stay away from anything that hints about romance in the synopsis.
The story ties itself up nicely and there's pretty much only one thing that I felt was a bit left out, a character that leaves in the early, middle-ish part of the story. I felt like he should've been there to tie some things up but never shows up again. Though it is possible that the character added some character development to the main characters that wouldn't have happened otherwise that I never realised. This is only a minor detail though.
Now the acting was great as usual. Rain and Kim Bum did great as the main characters and their chemistry with each other made the show. I've seen a lot of people complain about Uee and saying that they don't like her acting. I haven't seen her in anything else so I can't speak of her other stuff but here I thought she was fine, so I'm just gonna put that complaining to the usual hate I see pretty much every female lead/actress get because they are the female lead and the male lead is "so hot" and can't do anything wrong.
I also saw some stuff about Son Na Euns character. Not really anything about her acting but rather that her character didn't feel like main, which I kind of agree with. Amongst the "mains" she had the least impact on the show but she definitely was an important support character and I don't agree with the comments that the character is useless and doesn't do anything.
Of course we can't forget about the veterans such as Sung Dong Il and Tae In Ho which you'll see in like every other drama, doing what they do best as usual.
The music is not bad, just that the last couple of dramas I've seen has had amazing soundtrack and these ones didn't really hit me in the same way.
All in all, It's been awhile since I've followed a Kdrama from start to finish without any breaks which in my opinion speaks for itself. This is a great watch, that all I can say.
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Great potential and fairly decent execution, yet suffering from unnecessary complexity.
Let me elaborate.Acting Performances:
The majority of the cast consisted of newcomers. All of them, old and new faces, did great! Ta, Mio and Us particularly stood out but it was Barcode who truly stole the show. He was a cutie in KinnPorsche. However, here he was as complex as a character could be and he performed it perfectly.
Storytelling:
The beginning:
The few episodes after the first one were hella boring and confusing. There was a missing part that wasn't hinted adequately to the viewer. While somewhat passable, this highlights the need for better-written hints and suspense in future mystery projects to enhance the stories.
The middle:
You’ll find the most interesting events of the series here. The moment Non came to the screen, the narrative underwent a significant evolution. I couldn’t help myself but to root for Non’s character, even when he was doing things that I’m usually very against. There was a decision of his I wouldn’t understand if I missed WHY he would do it. I feel clarifying the reason behind this decision could have enhanced the understanding of character motivations and justified Phee's future actions more effectively.
The ending:
While the last few episodes were interesting, the shock value could have been dialed back. Certain elements felt unnecessary and overly complicated, leaving loose ends and unanswered questions. The final episode felt rushed, and boy, I would have loved an alternative to it.
Chemistry between Characters:
Plenty. At one point I didn’t know who I was supposed to ship with whom, because every pairing had quite the tension between them. There were some really good spicy scenes too. Unfortunately, almost none of them were plot driven, but were there for... Well... You know.
Overall Impressions:
Despite its flaws, this series clearly aimed for a level of effort and quality often lacking in Thai BLs. The dedication of the actors, screenwriters, directors, and crew is evident throughout. This seems to be the beginning of a new era for Thai BL series, with higher standards and more refined storytelling. BoC's willingness to push boundaries is something I appreciate greatly, and I would love to see what else they can give us, especially with Sammon on board (*cough* 4 minutes *cough*).
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This review may contain spoilers
Truly touching. It makes you angry and concerned, too. You will ride in a rollercoaster of emotions.
"Sorry, I Love You" is an early masterpiece of proven KDrama art, which once again juggles the injustices of ordinary people with sensitive finesse in an emotionally draining manner - against the background of a South Korean sensitively reinterpreted Romeo & Juliet love story.Humiliation, exploitation, devaluation are the everyday life of the socially weak, while the celebrated, influential contemporaries seem to know no shame in their arrogance and haughtiness.
So Ji-sub hauntingly embodies subtly controlled, concentrated, suppressed anger. In the character of the protagonist, hate and compassion, love and indifference are combined in a fatal mixture. He becomes an incalculable time bomb that could be activated at any time.
Of all the early Makjang-infused KDramas, "Sorry, I Love You" is one of my favourites. Even if 'love' is bold in the title, the story doesnt´t romanticize it in a striking and cliché-like manner, yet the KDrama tells the story understated elegantly, but no less touchingly and also sincerely (...and of course dramatically tangled in a complex way.)
There is brother rivalry, revenge, swapped babies, secrets, complicated feelings, accidents, illnesses - the whole program prepared in a new mixture. The KDrama expresses in a concentrated, mostly subtly restrained (and thus even more vehemently impactful) emotional force how arbitrary, mendacious and unfounded it is that some people believe, they are 'justifiably' above others and thus have the given right to make decisions about them.
The KDrama uses a rarely found dramaturgical move to give the emotional force of the collision of two worlds even more power: the protagonist was put up for adoption abroad as a child. So he not only grew up with the feeling of not being wanted, but also with other western socialized (Australian) values. Subservience and humility are not among his strengths. He tends not to respect people in authority, or at least the authority has to prove itself as such first. He often acts disconcertingly strange. In South Korea, however, manners and respect for the elderly and higher ups are everything. Since he's Korean, people hardly pardon his naughtiness (as they would an obvious foreigner).
A touching story that makes you angry and also concerned. You will ride in the rollercoaster of emotions - while one emotional looping has not yet been completed, you are already on the way to the next.
-------------SIDE NOTE: ---overseas adoption of South Korean children---
...is a sad story that began after the end of the Korean War. Since then, around 200.000 children have been adopted, primarily from families in the USA, but also from Canada, Australia and Europe. First they were war orphans, then children from poor families, but then also children from illegitimate or divorced backgrounds. In the 1970s and 80s it became a profitable business. On the one hand, the government imposed veritable quotas on the adoption agencies. On the other hand, demand from western countries was high. Corruption flourished in places - the children were given away to the highest bidder. A halt to adoption in the face of international criticism was followed by renewed liberalization of legislation - as a result of the (lack of) adoption policy of the past decades social system was not prepared for the number of 'orphans' (actually: abandoned children).
Most of those ´orphan´ children have now grown up. There are quite a few, who organize themeselves and advocate for change. They want others to spare the trouble of growing up in a country, in a culture in which they are seen as strangers and bullied for being different and confronted with racial prejudice. In many cases they remain strangers and outcasts, as their country of origin cannot be/become a home for them either. The 'hatred of the homeland' is probably rather high among foreign adopters. In 2004, when the KDrama was released, the mood in South Korea was sensitized to the concerns of foreign adoptions and so a critically discussed topic was filled with 'life' by this KDrama. In 2006, an adoption day was introduced in South Korea and finally, since 2007, the numbers have shifted: there are now more domestic than foreign adoptions in South Korea...
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WELL WRITTEN ,WELL DIRECTED, WELL ACTED
I can never miss a drama that has Liu Yunning in it. If diligence of an actor had a face it would be him. (Especially for all the hate that he gets for his looks) I just find him stunning from every angle tbh. He has grown so much as an actor since the first time I saw him in long ballad. Shi shi who is FL in here has also done really very well though she is already a big name in this industry but for me this is her best performance so far. Not just the two main leads but every single actor in this drama has surpassed their previous performances.Moving on to the story...man this is by far the best written original story of this year. Every single scene makes sense, no nonsense. Everything just holds onto the main plot without putting fillers to make audiance have a humorous break in between which is so common in Cdramas. It is good sometimes but it disconnect viewers from the main plot. But this drama really knows how to keep audiance connected without putting filler episodes. I never skipped any scene. Big applause to the writer who made such layered characters as well.
The most important thing...THIS IS HOW YOU WRITE A STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER and not just FL but other characters as well especially the one who plays princess. My god! So good! Her character development, her evolution from weak to strong willed girl is something one should not miss at all. People should really write female characters like that instead of making them some bold girl but damsel in distress the moment ML arrives. These girls are CLEVER and SMOOTH in their actions. No dumb actions at all.
Story, acting, direction, song and production everything is amazing. The cinematography kind of reminds me of old shows especially in fight scenes but I don't know it is kind of nostalgic for me. Apart from some fight sequences which are sometimes little slow and with too many cuts, rest was really good. It is not perfect but that is what makes it real. Especially the dialogues. They pinpoint all those things that we viewers always think like " wait a minute why didn't they notice it?"
Like girl pretending to be a boy. They pointed out the Adam's apple part. There are so many scenes that really questions everything that we sometimes forgive them for.
To conclude it all I would highly recommend this show. You won't regret it for sure.
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