Reviews

Red flag after red flag

My Stand-In was SO engaging - the twists the story took, the action scenes, and the dynamic characters were super fun to watch. The actors did a fantastic job portraying the characters, and the storyline was one of the most unique ones I've seen from a Thai show recently. It was truly a very well done show. However, I found it really hard to enjoy the main relationship because of how toxic it was.

Joe works as a stunt double for a famous actor named Tong, and has worked with him for awhile since they have similar builds. When Ming mistakes Joe for Tong from behind, Ming and Joe end up chatting a bit - and going home together. To the viewer, it's pretty clear that Ming's reason for hooking up with Joe is that he's actually in love with Tong, but Tong is straight and dating Ming's sister. To make matters worse, Joe genuinely likes Ming and wants to be with him,, but is completely unaware of the fact that not only is he Tong's stand-in in his movies, but also Tong's stand-in for Ming. Relationship troubles are quick to follow, as are the difficult politics of drama in the film industry.

You learn in the first episode that Joe dies in a stunt accident, and spend awhile getting back to this point, which I thought was really well done. Then, Joe navigating life in a new body adds another layer of plot and character development to him, which was fantastic to watch. But I could NOT get over how much I hated Ming throughout the series. Every thing he does is so clearly motivated by his own selfish interests, and it isn't for a LONG time into the show that he genuinely seems to care about Joe. I found myself hoping that Joe would come to his senses and date literally anyone else. By the end of the show, Ming was a bit better, but I was mostly just yelling at my TV hoping that Ming would leave Joe alone. If you don't mind toxic couples, the show is really interesting and well done, and worth the watch. If this is a deal breaker for you, steer clear of My Stand-In.

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Love & Shine with Billiards

Watched this for WL and the sport aspect. Also was interested in the fact that they traveled to various foreign countries to film. This was the second time I'd seen WL in a sport-modern drama but this was more romance focused. I think I was only familiar with a few of the supporting characters. It was love and shine with billiards.

Pros: I didn't read the novel as I never do so can only review from a viewer's prospective. One thing this drama drove home about WL (LYY) and his acting was that the guy has the ability to give both bedroom eyes and looks that can drop an entire army. In this case, straight from episode one, he knew who and what he wanted. This was a case of love at first sight and he was hooked.

The story was really about pursuit and he gave his all. Furthermore this drama could do loss very well like losing his coach just as he finally returned home properly. That legit made me weep as it brought back grief that I've been personally dealing with. The FL (YG) was alright though I liked her more when she acted maturely as opposed to the pouting as that got old quick. And the supporting cast were awesome and fun especially MXD and JY were great when paired with LYY; so comedic it was like the 3 stooges.

All of the OSTs, scenery especially in Finland and France was beautiful. I really liked the rock/techno compilations when the leads and friends were in competition and ready to kick ass. The sport aspect of it was great, wish there was more of it and explained. The chemistry between the leads was very sweet and it got funny when in the comment section we had a very long discussion about did they or didn't they and if they did, which they did (I admit it lol); when was the first time? The fact that this show could bring about mile long conversations is what made it very successful.

Cons: Now while I did enjoy it very much, it wasn't without problems. For example why didn't they show MXD and LL's love line through to the end? It was very unsatisfying to leave them hanging when MXD was essentially the SML and a great friend/cousin to the leads. Their relationship should have been aired out more. Also why wasn't MXD there at the proposal at the end or in the 3 year time lapse rounding out? LL was but he wasn't? It was weird.

I wish they had balanced the billiards portion more with the romance side of it. There was so much of the getting the leads together and their relationship before we ever got to what they both loved doing. I'm great with fluff but it should have some meat and potatoes too. Would have also been great to explain to the audience what 8-ball, 9-ball, and snooker actually was and how it was played. Also, though I understand cultural differences and whatnot, the FL pouted way too much and the ML did most of the heavy lifting even emotionally. At some point, I said to myself that a 23 year old woman should act her age. That tantrum she threw and then expected him to call her when he didn't do anything wrong but was the one that was sad and needed comforting in the one "fight" they had made me roll my eyes.

The weird hosts that turned an international competition into a dating show was unnecessary and unprofessional when you're trying to show an actual competition on an international scale. Is it so common in cdramas or in China in general for everyone to be so nosy? Everyone wants private stuff to be public. Obviously hiring some actors that were referees who couldn't even speak English made it even more unprofessional looking. If you're going with an international event, you have to make it look as realistic as possible not just certain things that had just a tad too much propaganda which was also 7 versions of unnecessary.

Would I recommend it? Yes. It's very good despite the cons and will have you laughing, crying, and cheering in all of the right places. Definitely give it a whirl.

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This is a drama for people who like 'Melodramas' - luckily I am one of those people :) I wasn't interested in the first 13 minutes b/c it was too "animated" but after that I was hooked right in - I really enjoyed this drama from its younger actors right to the adult actors, the story is sweet but melo, but all in all I thought it was very heart-warming - nothing really bothered me - like I wasn't worried about things that were going to happen, I watched this drama with ease and no characters annoyed me (you know like annoying 2-lead characters).
Story: was beautiful and very well done, really made you believe that this was real....
Cast: Dong Joo was my favorite - he is so loyal and honest and loves with all his heart - he is also very very forgiving. Soo Wan was pretty good - there were times when she'd act a bit stupid or harsh but she still managed to redeem herself in the end. Ji Won is the "second lead" male - but he was refreshing as he had no malice and he was very honest and an all around nice guy - he's not your usual annoying pushy second lead - he knows how to let go and that made me like him. Teddy was adorable, loved his scenes...and everyone else played their roles well all the way to the end.
Music: I liked it, some Korean songs and lot's of old English songs - my favorite is 'With You'.
Re-watch Value: 8.5/10 - I will probably re-watch this again sometime in the future - if only to see Lee Sang Yoon's beautiful face again <3

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The storyline for Rooftop Prince was ingenious. Rooftop Prince is by far my favorite drama of all time. The story was creative, and it also gave room for a lot of lighthearted humor. I also thought it was ingenious on the writer's part to parallel the past and the present day, and some of the serious scenes left me clinging to the edge of my seat. The casting was great. Taemoo and Sena made me feel really icky and hateful, but then I realized that it was the characters that I hated so much, which proves that the acting was good. The three men who follow Lee Gak to the present are HILARIOUS. There are some serious parts in this drama and some evil parts, but whenever the three "power rangers" appear, they have SUCH funny scenes. I was laughing my head off at so many parts. This drama balances out seriousness and lighthearted mood, the music is pretty great, and I would rewatch this 5 times over if I had the time. Above all, I was very impressed with Micky Yoochun in this drama. I liked him in SKK Scandal, but I LOVED him in Rooftop Prince because he made the character come alive, and at the heavy parts, you could really see the emotion in his eyes. Yoochun's acting overall was mindblowing.

The only thing I would say is the ending. No spoilers, but as the drama nears towards the end, it goes a little downhill. I still love it though.

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Wasted

When I saw the trailer I was excited and I rewatched it. I loved Milk and Love from Bad Buddy so I was looking forward to this. The first episode although okay was still a doozy for me and took me out as I started to wonder what was happening. Every episode I kept wondering if there was a point of the series and when it would come into play. Honestly, it kept getting boring and I started watching in 2x.

The lack of parenting in this series. Seriously where was everyone (besides when the plot needed it)? Sun's parents seem okay but Ongsa and Alpha parents need a talking to. These girls were let down by the adults in their life. Everything is just happy-go-lucky and that's not real life. Stopping by and just casually sleeping over at each other's house, running off and no one being able to contact you and facing no repercussions. Like WHAT?!

I kept watching because I wanted to see the entire thing through to the end but it was a struggle for me as I kept falling asleep and fast-forwarding as I was bored. There were so many gaps, and long periods of silence, and then skipping to the next scene just took me out of it. The acting wasn't anything compelling and even the friend groups were a bit boring. It's like nothing was going on. I agree not everything needs to have a plot but give me SOMETHING. I'm not really sure what happened when they were planning this but this was very weak and forgettable. I'm a bit nervous for the others to come but I'll trust everything to go well.

Characters:

Ongsa - I just can't with her. She's too much, I'm afraid. The unnecessary screaming and theatrics were getting on my nerves. She was doing too much. Even if a lot of us are introverted, I don't believe for a second that we all act like this. Her catfishing Sun was still messed up and should've been addressed.

Sun - She was not given time to shine and most times I forgot she was there because the writers forgot about her as well. Her also outing Ongsa, Aylin and Luna is still a no-no for me.

Ongsa & Sun - I'm still not sure why Ongsa likes Sun and I'm even more confused as to why Sun likes Ongsa. No development. Things that should be an issue are resolved too quickly. Also, they don't have any chemistry. I was really confused because they worked so well in Bad Buddy.

Aylin - Love this girl. I kept watching for her if I'm being honest. She just stole the show for me. But she needs help. This girl was let down by the grown-ups in her life. Her, Ongsa, and Alpha.

Luna - I liked Luna not gonna lie but I wasn't pleased with her forcing Aylin out of her shell like that but things worked out in the end.

Aylin & Luna - I'm not really sure how they began to like each other but they actually had chemistry and I enjoyed their scenes. I wanted to see more of them.

Alpha - Oh lord, they did my girl dirty. They could've done such good things with her storyline. But she was just floating around until the plot needed her.

Tohn, Tinh, Mawin, and Charoen - Tohn got annoying at the end especially since he refused to leave Charoen alone. Not sure why they were trying to make Tinh and Mawin a thing when they had no chemistry and barely had scenes.

Nita and Bambam - I liked these two and how they'd give advice when needed.

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Not good at all

Way too overrated. I have seen a lot of people talking about this drama so I obviously got curious about it and decided to watch it. I watched the whole thing really quick, which is weird since I never do that but I guess I was waiting for the drama scenes or the problems or whatever, just something interesting to keep me going. At first I have to say that it was great but the only reason why I thought it was great it was because of it being a bl drama, I was very excited because I rarely watch good ones. When I had two episodes left I realized how the story didn't make sense and started to feel confused about it.
The only good thing about this drama was the last scene but that's all.
I understand that people might be hyping this a little bit too much because it's a bl drama but to be fairly honest, it was really bad and rushed. And yeah, of course it's going to be rushed since it has a couple of episodes and the duration of each is very small but it's still a bad show.
I wouldn't recommend it, go watch something else.

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it could've been better

the drama started out interesting, but the middle part was empty, repetitive and boring.. I always say shorter dramas don't get 16eps just because the producers know they can't drag it for that long.. basically, a movie or 4 eps would've been enough...
the acting was PHENOMENAL from everyone.. I think they all portrayed their characters perfectly, and I think they alone carried this show.. but they also felt like, puppets? the writer didn't let them reach their potential...
and beside the main "group" the rest of the characters were empty fillers..
the gore and graphicness of this was, funny.. they promised a 19+ last ep and they still blurred the tiny knives and blood splatter.. and the fight scenes looked over dramatic to the point it was comical? also I think the writing was weak too.. by the last ep everyone just started to feel forcibly flat, like the writer just wanted to wrap everything up in a little bow for his own perfect ending..

The ost was another beautiful thing about this drama, it was perfectly hunting and mesmerizing..

Noh Jong Hyun stole the show for me.. among psychopaths, there needs to be something you can connect with. also that last friend, he was a hero :)


my rewatch values are always a 1 or 10 and I don't think this needs anther watch..

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BEAUTIFUL


At first when i first saw the first fight scene and how none realistic it was i was disappointed because it lacked the 'House of flying daggers level i expected. However, i remembered what really drew me to it - "the love story", so i carried on watching.

I can honestly say i was not disappointed (apart from the last episode when we find out he is b***d; it does not make sense) from the moment they began addressing the love story and all the mouth opening/ hands on mouth triangles that followed. Each episode just pulled you more and more into the drama because something shocking happened so you just have to get comfortable and watch on because honestly speaking, you shall not be disappointed but surely continuously be shocked by events and the journey love can lead you.

Now all i have to do is find a English dubbed or even settle for a English subbed dvd because i aim to own it :)

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A wonderful journey from hell to heavenly love.

I am not a regular K drama viewer anymore so I cannot say this dama was a cliche type of drama. It was recommended by a friend so I decided to watch it since there appeared to be a lag in good dramas during the Xmas period. I was pleasantly surprised at the content and I just enjoyed every minute of each week. The storyline brought me back to savor the progression of the relationship and the consequences of their polar opposite that attract circumstances to overcome. Visually the drama was outstanding and the stylist did a great job on all of the characters something that always irks me when a CEO or financially privileged character is dressed like they were shopping in a bargain basement. This was not the case throughout the drama and it added to appeal.

The acting: Superb and worth a high rating. The chemistry was just HOT HOT HOT between the leads and their interactions were natural and did not feel forced. The secondary couple was cute and the actors that laid roles that were not the most appealing in the character they played had a compelling joy of contrasting evil vs good. Overall the FL and ML complimented each other which made this drama very satisfying to watch. Perfect casting. Excellent scriptwriter. CGI and Cinematography were all visually pleasing.

The music -- I was not distracted by music so it was fine and was not overdone or inappropriately injected into scenes as to make the viewer annoyed.

Rewatch value: Would rewatch since it was 16 episodes not binged. Some characters would be more enjoyable to watch the second time around -- the ML and FL assistants; the "gang members" the family members and their acting and roles. Very entertaining drama and I would recommend it to any viewers who enjoy love stories, push and pull situations, and overall pure romance situations throughout the 16 episodes (drama was appropriate length) -- no dragging or fillers.

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It's only about romance. The story is about the first love process between a famous voice actor (who keeps his face secret) and a musician/composer ( female college student). Very cute. It gave me heart flutters several times. You won't regret watching if you love romance dramas.

Male lead Tan Jianci was swoon worthy. He can act very well, as seen in his other dramas. This laid back drama was almost a waste of his talents because there was no scandoulous heart wrenching misunderstandings. Just pure wholesome goodness here.

If you're interested, I suggest reading the novel as well. I love the drama folled the novel closely in the beginning, but then elaborated more towards the end were the novel seemed leave to the imagination. This is one of the few dramas that I would say I like better than the actual novel.

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A Romcom worth the while

Firstly I would like to say that all the cast members did a great job in their respective roles. To me, no one felt lacking in any way.
Song Kang seems to be the perfect fit for the role. The charisma needed to be shown by the character Gu Won was perfectly depicted by him. His acting seemed great and emotions could be felt to the audience. Looking at him playing the character was really a delight.
Kim Yoo Jung proved how experienced actor she is. Couldn't have had a better female lead to accompany Song Kang. Do Hee's character was perfectly played by Kim Yoo Jung. All emotions she portrayed could be felt by heart.
Starting my review from the first 4 episodes: I was personally hooked on to the show from the first episode, the encounters between the leads and the later tragedies were perfectly fit in the episodes. The plot was made perfectly understandable from the start and the episodes and their storyline always made me want to know more about the story. All characters were shown in these starting episodes and had some screen time to each of them. The episodes had great comic lines and equal amount of other things going around to make the audience hooked upon the show. Most important thing that dramas should have is the power to keep the audience engaged in the starting episodes and this drama hit that note well.
Episodes 4-8: The main plot started to take place here. All the conspiracy in the drama can be seen unfolding in these episodes in the perfect pace. Each episode ending was made so perfect that would keep you on your toes for the whole week waiting for the next episodes. Gu Won characters develops quite a bit in this stage and shows different emotions in him. Both leads share a great chemistry in this part especially the comic timings in these episodes. Focus also starts mainly to finding the culprit and keeping Do Hee safe. The scenes were always some what predictable but the way they were shown and portrayed by the characters was what made a difference.
Episodes 8-12: The chemistry between the leads is best shown in this part. A perfect honeymoon phase starts that everyone would love to watch. The leads slowly get closer to finding the culprits step by step. Some parts of the past also start unfolding which makes the story interesting making one wonder how Gu Won ended up like this. Many questions remain unanswered during these episodes but the way the main leads carry the story was just great.
Episodes 12-16: The climax part of the drama was expected yet was able to bring some unexpected twists. All questions are answered well in these episodes. Unlike some dramas where everything is hurried up in the last episode, this drama did it well in maintaining an appropriate pace in unfolding the story. Nothing felt too fast or slow. The last episode will also leave one satisfied since nothing was left to be completed at the very end. All moments that a viewer would want are shown.

There were scenes in every episode that felt heart touching, gave you a smile and kept you wondering.
Madam Ju had a good impact till the end of the story even though one might feel in the early parts of the drama that she had less screen time.
Noh Suk Min was as expected and one could predict everything about him yet his portrayal kept me engaged.
Seok Hoon showed clear feelings since the start yet he was not predictable and one would question his intentions till quite some time throughout the drama. It was good to see his character was never made over clingy or interfering and was just perfect as a supporting person. His comic scenes with Gu Won were quite enjoyable.
Ga Young might have seemed a bit irritable at first but to be honest till the end she become a great person. Even her actions in the first half of the show were understandable after watching the whole show. Ga Young actually was a very determined person and I personally loved her character.
Do Hee's secretary and Park Bok Gyu were a gem considering the amount of laughter they gave to the audience. Their scenes with each other and their respective superiors were very cute and funny. Both showed equal love for their superiors. Bok Gyu's back story was quite some fun to watch. Both these characters played and important role in helping the main leads throughout their whole journey.
All office characters were prefect and a joy to watch. I could easily watch more of them on screen.
Do Hee's family had many issues yet their roles were portrayed well. Knowing more about them would have made the audience connect more to them, although I have no complains since the characters which got more screen time were actually the ones that should've been given in the first place.

The production of the drama seems great. The scenes and scenery shown are beautiful. Some scenes were edited so perfect that you would fall in love with the scene. The water scene on the small rocky beach type area was just perfect and I could've kept watching it.
The OST was just perfect. Can't get enough of 'Our night is more beautiful than day'. One of the best OST's of 2023 for me. The background music be it in the fight scenes or romantic scenes was on point and enhanced the beauty of the scenes.

In some parts it did feel like they are taking some time to show the obvious and felt that there could be some more story added to the show. Last episode might feel like a filler episode with cute scenes. The story was predictable at many points which made the cast the biggest reason to be hooked on to the show. The back story was shown twice at a point in the show which dragged an episode. Some characters could have been explained better.

I can honestly not find many shortcomings since I really liked the show although I do know it wasn't a perfect 10. Overall I would highly recommend it people who love to watch a cute bubbly romcom with a mystery storyline.

P.S. Feel free to tag me or message me if you want spoilers as I tend to avoid giving spoilers in my reviews.

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Should have stuck to one plotline...

I saw so many people hyping this show up and I wanted so badly to like it but I just found that it felt like two different plots/worlds smashed together into one with no real link between them. I'm not trying to be a hater - the fight scenes were great, the effects were good, and the storyline was interesting, but I just could not like it as much as I wanted to.

Tharn and Phaya are training to become part of the special forces detective team, and the training is intense, to say the least. It seems as though Tharn has some kind of innate sense if Phaya is in danger, and this sense is rooted in visions that allow him to see the danger that Phaya is in. The two of them become closer throughout their training, and even closer after it's completed and they're initiated into the force. However, there is an evil lurking. While trying to catch a rich and powerful drug cartel, secrets of the Naga sea monster threaten their safety more than the cartel does.

My main issue here is that we have this drug smuggling investigation going on with a team of detectives we've grown to love, and also the plot of the Naga, which seems to be totally unrelated except for the fact that Tharn is involved. If this was a fantasy/supernatural story, where Phaya and Tharn are dealing with the issue of the Naga, I'd have no problems with it. Or, if this was a story about becoming detectives and investigating this elaborate case, I would love it. However, combining these two things took away from the show, in my opinion. It felt like the Naga was added on too late in the show to be really important, and also it felt like it took away from the detective aspect of it and didn't give us a chance to see the investigation fully play out. I found myself getting distracted while watching it, waiting for the (well done) action scenes and case developments.

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OMG!!! This drama goes way overboard...really how naive can EunSoo & Kang Jung Hoon be!!! I don't know if the actual meaning of their words gets lost in translation, but they both need to more realistic and face the facts with what's happening...fricken grow a pair!!! Do something...stop always being soooo nice, even when they're trying to be mean they're nice...and then they get played for fools and trampled all over ALL THE TIME.

And now Se Yeon (EVIL "B") I REALLY wish a car would run over her already. She is by far the MOST evil, conniving, 'crazy eyes' character I have ever seen, even in the American Soap Opera's. Unbelievable...She kdinaps Joon Hee, he's in the hospital bc of her, she sleeps with another man and gets Joon Hoon drunk and drugged out so now he believe it's his ... and Seyeon and her psychopath brother (btw runs in the family) Deong get away with EVERYTHING!!!

And KangJoonHoon's parents...unbelievable...are the more wealthy people (parents) in Korea really like that?

When...and I'm really hoping SOMETIME SOON, something good will happen for EunSoo, KangJoonHoon, NaJingu and NaJingu's Brother....but ESPECIALLY for EunSoo.

I love this show, but c'mon writers you gotta give us something...bc at this point it's becoming ridiculously negative...if there's no hope than what's the point of watching!!!!!!

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Love story between a girl & his brother's bestfriend?

I've been exciting for this drama for more than half a year, because of the casts and their acting skills. I think Zhao Lusi acting skills were superb, how she portrayed a teenager who was cheerful, cute & always pampered by her family. The siblings scene was something to always look forqard to. I've been reading a lot that Sang Zhi was lucky to have Jaixo, but I think for me it was oppostite. Jaixo was lucky to find Sang Zhi because she fought for him even if it was an outsider or her brother. She gave him the confidence to believe that he deserved love and that je was a great person. He was so much in guilt for things he didn't even do and he found someone who loved him, wanted to protect him and wanted to help him overcome his past. Jaixo was a green flag and a perfect boyfriend as well. So, overall I would say that I liked and enjoyed this drama.

->By the way, I loved When I fly towarda you more❤️

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