I waited and waited and waited for it to get better. It never did.
As a fan of Nirvana in Fire, I perked up when I saw that Leo Wu and Zhang Lingxin were both in Guardians of the Ancient Oath, and gave it a go.First Impressions (1-4):
The first few episodes were actually very promising. The machinations of the Yo Imperial Court contrasted well with the serenity of the Baili household, and Ming Ye Feng promised to raise big waves in the Wolf Tribe.
The cinematography is great in general, and the dim and gritty colour palette is also to my taste, as it speaks to a sort of realism and a lack of anachronism on the director's part.
Mid Season (5-33) Impressions:
This is where it starts to fall apart. The quality of the screenplay falls off a cliff (esp. the dialogue) and the generic/cliche storyline can no longer support the agonising pacing.
It just feels like people talk a lot without getting to the main point, and repeat themselves in general. Lareina Song parrots this line like a broken record across an entire arc of the drama: "If you touch him, I'll kill you!".
Leo Wu, Lareina Song, Karry Wang, and a full 80% of the other characters just aren't interesting to watch - the viewer can already predict what they will do and its incredibly boring to watch this occur, without any tension.
Props to Ming Yefeng, Baili Hongxuan, An Tingfeng, and Ling Jun, the only multifaceted characters, for painfully dragging the comatose body of the storyline forward towards the final arc.
There is zero humour in this drama, just none. Yuen Wah's Ji Qiu tries his very best but there's no straight man to match his absurdity - what a waste of this talented actor.
The active CG (the magic) is good in general, blends well into the scene and isn't poorly made. The passive CG is quite poor - the backgrounds of many Wolf Tribe wilderness scenes have been green-screened very obviously.
And could they stop blasting the main theme at full volume at every available opportunity, multiple times an episode? Did they commission ANY OTHER music at all?! Why is there no instrumental-only version of the main theme?
Final Impressions (34-45):
Episodes 34 to 36 were quite good, as the main characters finally start coming into their powers. This change of events wasn't to last though, as somehow the drama became even more boring after these three episodes than the episodes that came before them.
There is a confusing and haphazard introduction of the "ancient" characters, and because of the insistence of masking their faces and using three different names to refer to the same characters, viewers have no idea who is talking to whom.
Each of the very strong, very important-ish "Wu" disciples barely have 10 minutes to recite their entire lifestory: it is not odd then that all these new characters actually make the drama more boring - they just become repetitive obstacles for the protagonists to overcome.
It's not all terrible though; throughout the drama, you could say that Lareina Song had portrayed three different characters: the present, the past, and the "ancient". With each iteration her character became more interesting, and her acting talent more clear (I thought it was extremely poor in her first iteration, but I guess that was how it was written).
Ling Jun is also very consistent as the prime mover of the plot, but somehow Ming Yefeng became a stereotype of his own role, and Baili Hongxuan deteriorated to become a ranting and raving lunatic of a racist.
There is also an uncomfortable undertone of genocide/racism and sexism in the ending arc.
If a character is not a human, they should die [for the plot].
If a character is a woman who doesn't adhere to the Three Obediences and Four Virtues, they should die [for the plot].
If a character is a woman who is not a human, it's impossible that they could adhere to Confucian values and so they should die [for the plot].
Conclusion:
The very best dramas have likable heroes with depth, likable villains with depth, and likable side characters with depth. I find almost every character in this drama unlikable and one dimensional as written.
The protagonists on paper, Baili Hongshuo, Baili Hongyi, and Baili Haohe do not have sufficient agency in the storyline to be proper protagonists (Baili Haohe was a puppet both figuratively and literally: I dare say Karry Wang's role is not a real main character and only has top billing because he's famous/popular). None of the three have any motivation beyond what's been narrowly defined, are not complex, nor deep.
The final villain, on the other hand, has no real reason to be evil except for "it's the character's nature to be evil". What drives them? Evil. What is their hobby? Evil. Why are they fighting the protagonists? Because of evil muahahaha! Somehow this made perfect sense to the writers of this drama.
The actual protagonist of the entire narrative is An Tingfeng, and his tragic epilogue is ordained by karma. His character, and Ling Jun's character, have the only well-thought arcs from start to finish of this drama.
TLDR: Watch something else unless you are an idol superfan.
Was this review helpful to you?
- Good looking actors with great acting skills.
- Perfect romance.
- Wonderful story line.
- Hilarious comedy.
- Tearful situations.
- Great music.
But most important of all, this drama gives me happiness. it expresses so much emotions and feelings that when i watch, i forgot that i'm watching a drama. i feel it completely- what is actually happening on the screen. I laughed so much, i cried so hard, i felt so happy watching this and to be short, I ENJOYED IT SO MUCH. this may not appear to be great to some but i'm sure that most will enjoy it just like i do.
Strongly recommend it to any one at any age.
Was this review helpful to you?
A relationship between a 17 year old girl and a 35 year old guy seems creepy, and if not portrayed correctly it can go terribly wrong. However, this has to be one of the best student-teacher relationships that I have seen. They were very likable together and none of it seemed forced or stupid. Both the older guy and the younger girl had solid reasons to fall for someone so unexpected. I really liked their love. And I was touched by the girl. In the beginning, she is a bad girl. As in real bad- she works as a prostitute and bullies others. When it seemed like she hardly had any redeeming qualities, she changes completely. It's basically about character development which was the focus point of the story. The girl turns into a very nice and serious person. She stops fooling around, studies hard and changes her ways entirely.
The best thing about their relationship was that she changes a depressed, anti-social person to a happy and expressive person. And while she seems so mature in front of her friends, she acts exactly her age with her teacher. She is attracted to his serious side and he falls for her youthfulness. It was very sweet to watch them together.
Another good thing was that we get informed of the incoming "serious" problems beforehand in the first scene itself. I hate when things drop in on the viewer unexpectedly, out of nowhere! I would have liked to focus a bit more on how she became a bad girl because I found that rather interesting.
The movie has a fairly good star cast and I particularly liked the main actress. She was pretty and was able to act well. I also loved the clothes she wore throughout the film. She even made carrying umbrellas look trendy! She had a pretty magnetic personality. I was also happy with the direction of the film. It was not a well written screenplay and there were a lot of inconsistencies with the plot and pace. But that part gets compensated with good cinematography. Even the soundtrack is cool. I loved the songs they played in the background, plus they were in English so I will probably download the soundtrack later.
Anyway, the movie is overall a very nice effort from the director and writers. While it is not THE best, but it is still great and manages to get its point across to the viewer. It made good sense.
I will definitely rewatch it again when I feel like it.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A good cdrama sequel to the taiwanese original drama
1/ STORY:It is based on the concept of time space overlapping where an apartment becomes the point of junction of events happening in 2021 and 2022 with a 4 months gap.
The ML from 2022 defends a female friend (SFL) who is divorcing her husband (SML). The case leads to 2022ML being sent to live in an apartment where he meets FL from 2021 from 10:06 to 10:52. The apartment is a point from where they can go to 2022 ML time space using the front door or to 2021 FL time space using the backdoor.
It appears that SFL is ML's friend and SML is FL's friend and their divorce in 2022 leads to tragedy. While 2022ML and 2021FL are bickering and discovering each other, they try to save their married friends from that tragedy. They ask the help of the 2021 version of the ML and they go thought different situations and cases in 2021 which modifies 2022.
2/WHAT I LIKED:
- The relationship between the 2022ML and 2021FL. It starts in a weird but funny way. They are forced to be roommates and to learn about each other. The romance which ensues is very cute and convincing with their fun and loving moments and their moments of doubts. They develop deep feelings for each other. Their Love for the other ultimately requires each of them to make a determining choice.
- The back and forth between 2021 and 2022. I thought the time travel was pretty well made and quite easy to follow. It kept a level of logic that made it admissible.
- The ending was really well made for me with an unexpected turn of event and a soothing time to wrap up everything.
3/WHAT I DID NOT LIKE:
- Usual break up which does not last long in term of story time but too long in term of episodes.
- Cases are a little bit cliché: cheating/divorce, bullying from corporation, gambling problems, sexual harassment...
- The usual lecturing about family, friendship, behaving right, forgiving...
- The ending is way too lenient for the bad guys. They get nothing serious despite their bad deeds.
4/CHARACTERS:
- Loved the leads: 2022ML, 2021 FL, 2021ML.. I thought the three characters and their relationships were well crafted. They are the best part of this drama. The lead actors were convincing too.
- SFL: Bland character who is the cause of everything.
- SML: Bro, just divorce her, have a good divorcee party and find yourself a new gf
- The mistress: Not so bright but funny.
- The brother: A liability
- The rival lawyer: Why so much hate?
4/ OST: The songs were ok. Contributed to the cute romantic tone.
5/ REWATCH VALUE:
Maybe I will rewatch it after some time.
6/OVERALL:
This looks like a remake of Meet me @10:06 but it is rather a sequel. If the original concept of time space overlapping and the early episodes have similar situations, the development of the plot and story is totally different. It is possible to say that the phenomenon happens with a different couple. The story is good and the lead characters are endearing. I will recommend it as it is one cdrama that I enjoyed watching since months. 8.5 /10.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
This was honestly a lot better than I expected it to be. I'm not a huge fan of the "they break up because of stupid misunderstanding and get back together later" plot and so I had been avoiding this, but I ended up really enjoying this one. I should've known the writer of ALSB and PYHOMS wouldn't let me down!I'm usually a huge friends-to-lovers trope fan and even though I felt for the second lead in this drama, I actually didn't have SLS and I felt like the main lead was actually really soft and proactive, despite being indifferent to other people, he was always really nice to the female lead from the very start and it was refreshing to see a ML so upfront about his feelings to the FL and SFL.
I also have to say that Zhou Xiao is EXACTLY THE KIND OF FEMALE LEAD THAT I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR, and she's exactly the type of character I relate to — very independent, crazy with her friends, chill about most things, and unassuming when it comes to romance. In so many dramas the female ends up being ditzy when they fall in love and that never happened to ZX. She was super smart when it came to things OTHER than romance and even in a relationship she had so much of her own thinking and independence and focused on friendships.
The big plot point actually didn't bother me at all and I feel like the pacing was done really well. It wasn't blown up into a tragic sob story and was more of a "this is why things are the way they are." The build-up to it was there from the very first episode with his mom's phone calls. Still, I've never been a fan of time jumps and that was no different with this one — I felt like the characters were never the same afterwards.
Also, the sismance was really good! Honestly I could have seen more of it but it was super fun to see how they stood up for each other when romance fell through or when they needed help. It's kind of one reason that I loved the FL so much — she was still there for her friends even after getting in a relationship.
The family aspect was overall pretty good as well. The FL's dad annoyed me a little but ultimately I really liked the little tidbits of humor throughout the drama and how the different family dynamics worked.
I kind of wish that the SML had gotten a better plotline because he could've been a lot more in terms of his own character and not just "the sidekick," and the same could've been said for the studious roommate that never got her own sub-plot. Ultimately though, I really enjoyed this drama and honestly will now watch ANYTHING by this writer!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A career of the dismantling of a wife´s self-esteem and the almost impossible attempt of recapture
A highly valuable socio-critical study about being a wife, a mother, a granddaughter in South Korea today (actually 2012). The KDrama offers an in-depth (at times disturbing) insight into everyday Korean reality around the hierarchical concept of family and the upbringing of children. There is also a lot of local color about the simple everyday life of the lower and upper middle classes.The framework is provided by the madness about education, which in South Korea means that mothers in particular are under enormous pressure to perform (long before it really reaches the pupils themselves). The mothers are expected to support their child for the glory and honor of the family in such a way that it later has the best outlook on a professional career. Career in that sense is starting early...
"A Wife's Credentials" puts a critical magnifying glass on exactly this social dynamic. It also puts the magnifying glass on the disadvantage for women who give up (should give up!) their job with marriage/family life. Additionally, the KDrama also spotlights the issue of sexual assault in the workplace, the stigma of a single parent and finally social hierarchy.
It centers on So-rae, a once-creative young graphic designer and children's book illustrator who (one could say rather accidentally) stumbled into marriage and is now forced to prove herself as a housewife and mother in an ungrateful environment. A little bit of sunshine is provided by her son. However, in the end he too might be taken away from her. "A Wife´s Credentials" is basically illustrating the career of the dismantling of a wife´s self-esteem and the desperate, almost impossible attempt of recapture.
More than once you want to shake and shake even more not only So-rae but also many others. Yet, this is all due to family values and the social context in South Korea (...I wasn't aware of its extent the first time I saw the show). The tremendous injustice that So-rae is confronted with from several sides in addition to what she actually allows and gives in to, is rather disturbing and can eventually get on your nerves. For me as a woman, too, (yet being sozialized in Germany) it was sometimes extremely hard to bear.
This social study of a woman´s life (in South Korea) is painful to look at, yet told in a highly authentic manner. Thanks to veteran high-end actress Kim Hee-ae at its best, So-rae's emotional processes are brought to life even more authentically. With the example of her male protagonist facing the same subject - an unhappy marriage and a potential divorce - the dramatically differing social stand of men and women are presented rich in contrast!
The soundtrack stands in fresh contradiction to the sobering subject matter, which repeatedly embeds the events in a cheerful, confident atmosphere and encourages facing the challenges of life optimistically.
The various side plots profoundly round off the picture of contemporary society of that time. (Compared to more recent dramas, society´s expectations in that respect unfortunately doesn´t seem to have changed).
--------- SIDE NOTE --- Divorces ---
... in South Korea are still hardly socially accepted. At least ´adultery´, which was at the time of the KDrama still an illegal issue, that could be punished (in fact even with years in prison) is no criminal act anymore. However, a law is still in force, prohibiting adulterers in South Korea from starting divorce proceedings. Plus, in order for the divorce to be legal, both spouses must agree. And if so, at least significant monetary compensation must be expected. However, this obviously doesn´t help prevent adultery (especially among husbands) to happen. It´s rather a matter of hypocritical morals - a South Korean study in 2015 found that of surveyed men 50,8 percent cheated at least once. It is among men almost considered normal with no consequences for the valued concept ´family´. Whereas among women it was 9,3 percent - and there it seemingly happens more often at a point within the reationship, when the wife might also be prepared to end the ´failed family project´ - but cannot simply do so.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
At last, I deliberately want to mention the relationship between So-rae and Tae-oh, which is told in such a refreshing way that goes beyond the usual clichés. For once, no silly chastity. No romantic exaggeration. Real. Grounded. Not a hero, who would do everything unimaginable for his loved one so that the sun would rise in the west (...yeah, a little bit, though...) ... Instead, an appreciative, loving, grounded, not completely selfless, but patient partner at eye level and at your side, if woman needs him. Not Mr. Perfect, yet a man, who is prepared and willing to grow in relationship (even if it might be bothersome at times).
Finally, the coherently told story convinces with an ending that provides emancipated happiness - noiselessly, softly and with balanced steps.
Was this review helpful to you?
A crime novel read!
TWO things have happened: an affair and a murder. The entire story is about answering TWO questions: did he caught? who is the culprit? The narration style is typical of crime novels, often reminding me of Agathe Christie's novel style. All the clues were shown to us and drama tempts us to pick pretences as clues misdirecting us, then showing the truth with right clues making us think "I saw these, why didn't I think in this perspective?" "Ah, Brillant, you outwitted me". And this aspect can come off as hit or miss for many. Taking a look at comments would prove that.The pacing was in an exponential fashion with initial episodes setting the "mood" very slowly and deliberately with even minor characters given screen space. (It has a mix of all the genres: romance, comedy, drama, mystery, investigation, political, action, thriller. It might have well been a makjang.) The ending was rapid with putting closure to several substories halfheartedly or even open (It reminds me of "Absent in the Spring" novel of Agathe Christie which too has vague ending). I am still wondering if what I had watched was just a big drama adaptation of Kang Yeo Joo's novel (As she says "that's what the audience want" to her assistant) or actual story of Kang Yeo Joo. Yes, even with incomprehensible last 5 minutes the final episode was brilliant. The brilliant narration style and suspense building ( note, it is not the story I'm praising because when all the layers of mystery are removed, it just felt yet another ***-*** character story) has quashed the ambiguous ending. (Now that I look back, the ending was so finely crafted putting all puzzle pieces together that you can't even skip the last episode.)
I can't imagine anyone else other than Cho Yeo Jung playing the Kang Yeo Joo. The aura, the eyeliner, the elegant dresses everything made the character all the more legendary (You would feel she isn't worthy of that legendariness but wait for it patiently.). First things first, I too was initially annoyed by shenanigans of Kang Yeo Joo, and I almost felt like dropping it. But I really stuck around and found she was the most complex character. If the Parasite's Choe Yeon Gyo was "simple" then Kang Yeo Joo is super ultra-complex. There is this scene in episode 6 when Han Woo Sung says he will take her gift to his grave the reaction KYJ gives is golden. That was one of the few moments in early episodes when the poker face of KYJ falters. There are only a few people who can truly understand her and one has to wait till later episodes to know the reason.
Other characters were equally interesting. Go Joon (why late-blooming) did a great job in portraying HWS, I can truly understand why every woman falls for HWS. HWS is truly worthy of his reputation of Nation's Husband. (Even when he is cheating he is thinking about his wife and I didn't bother myself with judging him. We never get to know more about his motives.) Mirae is yet another flawed character in this drama. She can come off as homewrecker but truly her transformation and her past are awe-worthy. I am one of the few people who wasn't shipping Cha Soo Ho with KYJ but the way he looks at her wow! The Umbrella scene reminded me of K2 and how he protects her. I want to see more of Kim Young Dae in future projects. As for all other characters, they added funny elements and depth to stories. But a few didn't have proper closure/development but I'm not complaining. (It would be humanly impossible to deliver both mystery narration and character development perfectly)
Music was good and suited for scenes. Sometimes there was opera style music for hyped/dramatic scenes which I liked. As for OST, OVER by Suran shines out. Rewatch, to make sense of certain things it might require to rewatch. I too wanna rewatch it but it is kinda sad it ended so I can't bring myself to watch it again.
A crime novel: keeps hooked and makes you say "ahh!" and keeps you thinking about it even after it ended.
Was this review helpful to you?
1we met
I really wanted Lee Jung-jae to kill it in something outside of Squid Game, and while this wasn't a disaster, it definitely felt like a bit of a slog. The setup isn't even bad on paper. You have an aging actor tired of being typecast as a detective who just wants to do a rom-com, paired with a reporter who gets stuck covering him. It should have been a sharp look at the industry, but it just felt a little exhausted from the start.I actually liked that it felt adult for once. It didn't rely on forced skinship or some rushed, fake romance to keep things moving, which was refreshing. But that just makes the male lead's behavior even weirder. He spends half the time throwing literal toddler tantrums, and it’s so jarring. It is hard to fully buy into a "mature" dynamic when one half of the couple is acting like a child.
The writing is a bit of a waste for a cast this good. I adore Lim Ji-yeon because she usually brings so much intensity to her roles, but she is just kind of stranded here. It’s like she is acting in a prestige drama while everyone else is in a sitcom. The only person who actually got the assignment was Jeon Sung-woo. As Director Byeong Gi, he was a total standout and honestly the only person who felt like a human being in this mess.
And I'm not here for the "oppa is too old" or "not hot" complaints. That is just shallow noise that ignores the real failure of the show. The problem isn't his face or his age; it's the fact that the script is a total mess. One minute it's trying to be a serious political thriller and then it jump-cuts to some slapstick about a fake detective show. It tries to talk about fame versus reality but stays so surface-level that it ends up feeling a bit mid.
The final episode was actually one of the better ones, which I appreciated. It finally felt like things were coming together, even if it took too long to get there. Ultimately, there is nothing here that I really hate. It isn't offensive or unwatchable. The real issue is that there is just nothing here to really love. It’s a fine watch, but it feels like a waste of some of the best actors in the business because it never gives you a reason to be obsessed with it.
Was this review helpful to you?
It adressed some really important issues in a very respectful way
I am usually not a fan of series where characters travel forwards in time, so I wasn’t going to watch it at first. But then I saw some scenes about Army and Joe and those go me hooked, so I decided to give the show a try. And before I knew it, I was not very patiently waiting for new episodes each week.The series is amazing! I really like that the cast was given mature roles instead of just making it a high school series. I feel like the topics addressed in the series can be better portrayed with some maturity from the characters. Even if there are a lot of comedic scenes, the series takes a very healthy and open-minded approach to relationships, intimacy, kinks, and sexuality. I really want to point out that seeing an asexual person and them expressing their lack of need for intimacy was really refreshing to see, especially as asexuality is often ignored (I was wrong on this - the character in question is actually a side, check the comments for more info). The fact that Alex is a gynecologist also helps to open topics such as STDs and safe sex.
We get to meet a lot of side characters that each have their own very detailed story, but I didn’t find it overwhelming, as they all connect in the end. Alex had quite a few photo mysteries to solve, not all of which were love problems. I don’t want to give any spoilers, so I am not going to say who ended with who when that is not already obvious.
Army & Joe – Fluke and Thor did an amazing job portraying their characters emotions, I could sense when Joe was uncomfortable just by glancing at him. The two characters are quite different but I think that’s what makes them a good match for one another.
Jedi & Rose – I really love their dynamics. It was not really what I expected and the episode dedicated to solving their problems was really interesting. The plot twists were brilliant!
See-ew – I was really interested in what would happen with See-ew once we got to see his future photo as it looked very bad for him. I also like how his kink was not just something that others could make fun off.
Kat – I really appreciated how they approached her picture story. The trauma she experienced was not taken lightly, not by her nor the others around her. It was refreshing to see, as many series and movies just ignore the amount of damage such an experience can leave.
Nim & Molly & Bew – these three ladies were an interesting bunch. Nim and Molly dated in high school but broke up, so Nim then started dating Bew. I think we saw a lot more growth for two of them, but marking the third one as just plain selfish would be too simple. There is complexity behind her decision that might seem very self-centered and damaging at first.
Alex – he showed a lot of growth and understanding for what was happening and what has happened in the past. He fully accepted his responsibility for the hurt he had caused to those around him. He did try his best to correct his wrongdoings, but he never denied his responsibility. And that is something that I really appreciate, no matter how much I wanted to hate him at some point. Not all mistakes can be fixed, and that is something we need to learn and accept.
Jean – she was a badass character! I enjoyed her high school self, her activism and the way she clearly expressed what she wants. Her story is probably the one that hurt the most, I was upset for guessing right what happened. I like how supportive she is to those around her, friends or not.
As for the ending, it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t what I was hoping for. I do understand why they decided to end it as they did though. I was not really happy with how they handled Jean's story towards the end of the series, which did bring my rating down.
I know a lot of people are / were bothered by the reason why Alex is solving all this mysteries and trying to make things better. I do agree that the whole idea that his main end goal is to be able to climax again is just ridiculous. But to be honest, it completely slipped my mind most of the time. Only when it was brought up by the characters did I actually remember it. So while it was not my favorite end goal, it wasn't that bothersome.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Probably best historical drama in 2022
After enjoying Who Rules The World ( first / only Cdrama to enter Netflix Top 100), I searched similar costume dramas with the same leads, and this is how I stumbled upon Love Like The Galaxy.I believe from all I've seen, this is the best wuxia of 2022 - in a galaxy of dramas, this one shines the brightest !
Story - epic, based on the novel Splendid Stars
Cinematography - spectacular, and note that some of the images you will think are CGI are actually real ! For instance, the fire at the Lantern festival - they built the restaurant frame and burned it..
Director Fei's attention ti details of the era, from costume, to different hair style girls/ ladies, up to the small pieces placed on the floor to hold the mats - it's amazing !
Casting - perfect ! I can not say there is any actor evrn lowest support role, that does not fit the character described in the novel.
OST matching the atmosphere of the drama, has just been released on youtubd fir your listening pleasure..add ti it the flute songs played by the FL.
Acting - best performance award goes to Wu Lei and Zhao Lusi, who succeeded in portraying very complex characters. From microexressions to grand fighting scenes, from stunts performed by themselves to riding horses, they did it without fail - and they are in their early 20's !
Their characters are totally original for Cdrama - both are " damaged" from tgeir childhood and had to rely on themselves, ehich made them smart, cunning, secretive, untrustfull and revengefull. Kindness from others is always viewed with suspicion in the beginning, but their heart is in the right place, discerning right from wrong, irrespective of being family or strangers, they don't condone injustice and betrayal from anyone.
In the midst of rebellion, war, palace fights, family disasters, these two learn to trust and love each oth - their romance is slow burn, but it sets the screen on fire !
The side characters are well developed, bringing both comic relief ( in good taste) like her village grandmother and his sidekicks, tragedy and even misstreatement from her mother ( tough love?!), the array of emotions in each episode range from tears to angst, hate, frustration, pity, laugh until you tear again.
Rewatching value - 10 ! I already rewatched the first season, even changed the setting fir lower speed, because are so many magic moments I might miss while reading the subtitles.
Was this review helpful to you?
The Honest Verdict ;"Oh My”, This Was A Dire Drama ...
Have you ever found yourself watching a show, and generally wondering whether the screenwriter had a dartboard, was blindfolded and throwing randomly to see what random plot point to come up with next? Well, most drama watchers out there can probably agree that this perfectly describes ” Oh My Ladylord".
Before critiquing the drama , it is important to start on a high note.Against all odds of the female animosity trope, there was a surprisingly profound relationship between female lead Oh Joo In’s mother Yoon Jung Hwa ( Kim Ho Jung) and male lead Han Bi Soo’s mother Kang Hae Jin ( Lee Hwk Hyang). However, this is also where the series hits a major snag also. The main leads’ mothers were simply more interesting than either of our main leads.
It shouldn’t have been this way by default. Nana ( playing Oh Joo In) and Lee Min Ki ( costarring as Han Bi Soo)are both really good actors. ( Alongside Kang Min Hyuk playing second male lead Jung Yu Min.)Sadly, however, whilst the actors did put effort into their performances, they were fairly limited towards what they could actually do with Jo Jin Kook’s questionable script.
To start off this problem, it is important to talk about our female lead Oh Joo. Oh Joo wasn’t an inherently " terrible" character in the beginning. She had a strong, heartfelt relationship with her mother and seemed to defy the typical cliches of being the " spoilt and aloof actress" also. However, the show soon goes down hill when Oh Joo is introduced into her romantic pairing with Bi Soo. It isn’t necessarily the chemistry between the leads which was " bad", but, rather how she was reduced to the equivalent of storyline cannon fodder not even halfway into the show.
This moves us onto the next prominent issue. The dreaded creme de la creme of tropes; the love triangle. There’s nothing entirely wrong with love triangles per say in a drama, but, the problem with " Oh My Ladylord”’s love triangle happened to be that it was incredibly hard to root for any
chemistry in Jo Jin Jook’s trio of one-dimensional main leads.
To give Bi Soo some credulity , he wasn’t entirely a “terrible person at heart”. However, as this is a formulaic romantic drama where flaws have to be exaggerated for plot development, Bi Soo’s aloofness, jealousy and selfishness at times just became tiresome and repetitive .This is exemplified when around the halfway point of the drama, Bi Soo was so caught up in his attempts to make Oh Joo fall in love with him, that he did not make time even once during a pivotal revelation in this episode to visit his own dying mother. (Then, there is also the poorly-written fantasy element tied-in with Oh Joo, which did not add anything of relevance to Bi Soo’s characterisation.)
The final component of our love triangle is Jung Yu Min. The archetypical ” second male lead” who has ” been in love with Oh Joo for a long time”, Yu Min was just shallow and uninteresting . He had potential to be intriguing and well-written ,but (typical of cliches), Yu Min’s biggest problem occurred by his infatuation with Oh Joo. This is because Yu Min exists only as an obstacle in the story for Bi Soo’s affections . He had no sense of individuality with family, friends or his job outside of the romantic pairing. Even after Oh Joo confessed her ambiguous feelings whilst they were " dating" , it was predictable that Yu Min lashed out manipulatively at Bi Soo rather than just sitting down to talk with Bi Soo and Oh Joo like a decent human being .
Then there’s the biggest elephant in the room with the drama; the genre. Genre shifts can work well to a show’s advantage, and then there’s " Oh My Ladylord".
Admittedly the screenwriter does attempt to make amends by bringing the fantasy elements again into the storyline, however , this resorted in the overall genre shift being nothing more than a lazy plot Macguffin. ( In an attempt to make a poorly-written romance story interesting with little success. ) The ending was even worse, attempting to deliver a tearjerking solution to an otherwise horrible storyline , but , with little success.
So, is " Oh My Ladylord" actually worth watching? This is entirely dependent upon expectations. If you’re a fan of trope-filled, terribly outdated storylines with toxic relationships then " Oh My Ladylord" is right up your street. However, if you’re looking for a modern, well-written and dynamic romance tale with a supernatural twist, then look elsewhere because " Oh My Ladylord" certainly isn’t it.
Was this review helpful to you?
As for the female lead and male lead, they portrayed their roles very well done, they both nailed it.. They acted naturally. 👍🏼
The storyline is also unique, no cliches and I swear you wouldn’t get bored watching each of 20 episodes.
Music, acting, rewatch value, storyline, etc. good job to those directors and screenwriters...
Hoping to watch whatever upcoming roles they are into...
I’ve heard KJH issue,the way he handled it and the way he apologized, he’s forgiven... everyone of us makes mistakes, we all have our own flaws... In other words, we are not perfect individuals.... So let us move on and look forward to more of his shows... He’s an amazing actor in any way.....
Was this review helpful to you?
A GUILTY PLEASURE NO ONE WILL ADMIT TO.
How do I explain My Day? A perfect storm, a chaotic mess that keeps you coming back for more like the series is just all over the place that it makes it super interesting, I mean the fact that it has an 8-star rating generally and I am giving it a 6.5 despite everything should tell you enough.On to my review, I will first start by saying if you come to My Day with expectations of Oscar level acting and scenes, then you will be disappointed, annoyed, and disgusted. But if you have an open mind you will actually come to enjoy this so much. BTW, gmmtv have NOTHING on oxinfilms in terms of sliding in advertisements, like in fact, gmm can learn from oxinfilms, lol. When I was watching My Day I was watching 17 other ongoing BLs weekly, yet out of the 17, My Day, Gaya Sa Pelikula, and Still 2gether kept me excited for the next week's episode. PLUS EPISODE 8, IT HITS YOU OUT OF NOWHERE, OMG
I am going to be reviewing this as episodes 1 to 3, then 4 upwards because I warn you now, 1 to 3 have been some of the worst episodes I have watched in a BL or series, by episode 4, they step up their game a bit and by episode 5, you have hit some good stuff.
NOTE; Some shows are just to be enjoyed, not necessarily analyzed, discerned, methodically detailed, or examined for ultimate correctness. Sometimes, a show is just for a little humor, laugh, and entertainment. I totally agree that this series is "campy," a little "off-beat," and possibly somewhat politically incorrect at times. But, it does have some "heart," and an occasional "feel good" moment
EPISODES 1 TO 3
Episodes 1 to 3 are just plain chaotic, weird and happens so fast you get whiplash. Like the scene where Sky was begging Ace for a job or how fast Ace suddenly went from mean and terrible to cute and fluffy with Sky. Like then the driving scene and restaurant scene were just......... To summarize it all, episodes 1 to 3 will make you want to lose your mind
EPISODE 4 BEYOND
It's not like I am saying after episode 3 you will start getting perfect episodes, but the series gets better and more enjoyable there is still some cringe here and there but overall, it does not take away from the fun of the series. So the thing about My Day is more of the story of 2 people falling madly in love, giving us the gay version of romcoms and Disney movies per se, than being a story with a specific storyline, like struggling with sexuality or family or any of that. It's meant to be about Sky and Ace Tan getting together, I mean there is the layer of Ace's dad being the worst and a homophobe but it is not the focus of the series, the series is about them falling in love mainly.
There were parts that were like loud and obnoxious but like they are ultimately okay, sometimes their acting was sport on and good, then other times, you would be so perplexed by the acting, as their facial expressions, expressing emotions and tonations were just kinda bad.
There are parts that were like the scene draws out or a part that is so unnecessary to the story but like I don't mind them, anything to make an episode longer is worth it cause I didn't want them to end, like Moira and the entire dog kidnapping scene was such a waste of time but I mean it gave us Sylean insulting Moira savagely, lol.
EPISODE 8
The blessed episode, they sealed themselves in the league of MaxTul, MewGulf, and SaintZee... Like everyone that watched that episode thought that was the ending after the fireworks, then BOOM, they hit us in the face, like Woah Ohh.
Episode 11
Episode 11 so far has been one of the best episodes in terms of control of everything, emotions, acting everything as a whole, like I never expected to feel pain in My Day but episode 11 did that, but the ending confused me a little I won't lie but it wasn't bad or anything
OVERALL.
I love the chemistry between the actors, they go so well together and their ever-present sexual innuendos made it so much better. They were cute and fun, easy-going and a nice way to relax, like episode 6 'dry and wet' remarks or the 'he is used to big ones' or 7 and the reference to 'prove to me you are the top' and all the Sky is the top chant. I loved seeing them on my screen. I mean there was the acting misses but ultimately it was an okay series
Miss Becky was a guilty pleasure, lol, I stan her.
Then also the music is kinda great like I got a few songs from the series so far.
the found it in was interesting like Banana Ketchup or Yam Flavoured Ice Cream or Yam Bread. it picked my interest in trying food from the Philippines
Was this review helpful to you?
wish Lom had a different "plan"
Overall: if Lom had just been honest at the beginning (ep 1 or 2), then I could have enjoyed their cute moments. This is based on a book written by MAME which I haven't read and I will review the series on its own merits. MAME also wrote the screenplays for Don't Say No, Love By Chance 2 and TharnType specials. 7 episodes 45 minutes each aired uncut on iQIYI (had steamy scenes starting at the end of ep 4) and cut on YouTube (the steamy parts cut out/shortened). There will be a special episode.Content Warnings: non con kissing/touching, manhandling, body shaming, manipulation, slaps, homophobia
What I Liked
- cameos/characters from Love In The Air characters (episode 3 of part 4 was great)
- m/m steamy scenes are done well (need the uncut version to see them)
- MAME cameo/reference of signing the guestbook
- the line of "you look perfect now, don't listen to others" (though he's the one who brought Nuea to the gym so...)
- GL couple (but strange that an established couple avoided kissing in the beginning)
- Nuea's family/friends
- Nuea stood up for himself with that farm dude
- production value (especially the color/light)
Room For Improvement:
- Sailom had a terrible "plan", if he had been honest in the beginning then I would have rated this series significantly higher, but all I saw was Sailom lying and hurting Nuea and he knew he was hurting Nuea, it would have been a 2 minute conversation or a text message but Sailom couldn't find the time??? other characters even told Sailom his plan/method was bad
- Yiwa and Sailom had a bad plan as well, how would that work in the long term, what a disservice to their significant others
- Yiwa had to take all the blame and Sailom got everyone's sympathy and lied to his mom, this really rubbed me the wrong way
- the non con kiss
- too many "comedy" sound effects including the gulp noise
- why make them speak English during the wedding vows when they didn't speak English in their series, also the English subtitles were wrong
- unnecessary long water skiing scenes (2 in the first 3 episodes)
- not a good kiss for an established f/f couple
- fictional drunk character who is so drunk he needs help walking but then a few minutes later is an active participant during sex
- nonsense things: Sailom was a sound sleeper, wasn't the wedding supposed to have a huge guest list, looked like 50 guests
- the moms yelling/fighting
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Women on the ball. Delighting, enraging, inspiring, concerning. Excellent script. High-end KDrama.
"Agency" has it all. Viewership has skyrocketed, as have ratings. "Agency" is the hit. Cool freshness, fashion, speed, one or the other rivalry as well as all categories of human manners, even the lowest, underline the handpicked lifestyle ambience. This all guarantees a lot of fun, seriously...The topic hits the South Korean nerve of the time. The nerve of women in particular, I should add. What may appear to Western eyes as an entertaining office drama with catfights has a completely different explosiveness in the eyes of Asian, especially South Korean viewers: The deeply hidden, rousing topic of the time, which affects everyone, is ´population decline´. The critical nerve bubbling on the surface revolves around ´sexism´ and ´misogyny´. The incumbent President Yoon proclaimed that these topics could be shut into history books, but "Agency" gives him the lie, right on. The KDrama clearly demonstrates how up-to-date it is. More than one South Korean woman in this story, no matter what position – down to the generation of the mothers of those mothers in the series - will find themselves here. And more than one man as well...
It is pleasing to see how razor-sharp and competent the female protagonist proves herself in this man's world. Also pleasantly refreshing side effect here and there: alternative model approaches for female vs. male management styles. And then there is the extravagantly privileged and insolent Jaebeol of the youngest generation who eventually is inspired to break free from her heavy chains of family-clan expectations. Besides their punching power, both lead ladies are palpable, too. Watching the series is a pleasure, even if the topics touched on may also arouse rather different feelings as well... A colorful bouquet of thematically critical, plot-relevant threads is dramaturgically subtly intertwined. In addition to the two female leads, there are also diverting (women´s lib) moving stories about Go Ah-in's employees and colleagues.
Stellar, good-humoured actors. Excellent script. A wonderfully balanced mixture of fun and seriousness, of pace and depth. The coherent details were undeterred on a differentiated, complex overall picture of the current business world. High-end KDrama-'pleasure' – delighting, enraging, inspiring and concerning. And while we are at it, "Agency" is innocently, smilingly, prettily and yet cleverly and valiantly placing a feminism-sting, too.
---------------------------------------------
SIDE NOTE: --- Misogyny and population decline in South Korean society ---
Without women it won´t do. But South Korean President Yoon has now officially messed with them. There was an enormous wave of protests when he announced that he wanted to abolish the ministry, which had been set up around 20 years ago to support women against sexual assaults and for equal rights, arguing the issue was no longer an issue. Immediately, around 800 organizations formed and stood up. President Yoon, who is promoted and sponsored by a strong conservative, patriarchal current, has blown a hornet's nest. His world – that of macho men – is obviously different from that of contemporary South Korean women.
It is a given fact, that misogyny in South Korea characterizes everyday life throughout all classes. Neither an entrenched, male-dominated business world from the bottom up to the boardrooms, nor professional disadvantage and discrimination of women in the workplace, belong to history yet. In the contrary, recently it has even been fuelled by the election of the current President Yoon. Fortunately, there are opposing movements and criticism. The KDrama "Agency" uses a socially critical magnifying glass here. Nevertheless, there is still a long way to go, although a drastic reflection is desperately needed, in order to be redirect economic development towards a positive light.
The current demographic trend is closely linked to the economic and social situation, which is shaped by antiquated patriarchal beliefs. Those old (apparently always happy to be taken off the socio-cultural shelf, dusted off, polished to a high gloss and then put back again) convictions stand in stark contradiction to the high pace of the high-tech modernity of everyday life in South Korea. This tense paradox is already having a negative impact (not just on women's attitudes towards life, but also) on the country´s economy. The official statistics on population development from August 2022 show declining numbers for the first time. Actually, the country's birth rate is the lowest in the world. There is no trend reversal in sight. The population will continue to shrink. And that is already and will even more so affect the economy. The proportion of women in the working population (at 55.1 percent) could certainly be increased. Although South Korean women are very well educated on average, only a little more than half of them actually bring their skills into business life. Among men, on the other hand, 73.7 percent are employed. This is due not least to the misogynist attitude in all areas. The difference in pay between women and men is estimated at 31.1 percent. Nowhere else in the 38 OECD countries is it THAT bad. Added to this is the disadvantage on the career path. Work-life balance is in its infancy, because the motto is: woman to the stove. Executive suites are for men only. Women are rarely seen here. And if so, then often only for ornament or to fill the image of an empty marketing shell (similar to "Agency").
It's high time that the many misogynists among South Korean men (including their president) arrived in the present. In the long run, a trend reversal can only succeed jointly – at eye level.
Was this review helpful to you?
