Reviews

Bon Appétit

Facing a political impasse with the fate of the entire nation hanging by a thread? Fear not, for the PM’s own French cuisine chef shall come save the day. Sounds hard to believe but, as the aphorism goes, a hungry man is an angry man. Nothing complements diplomacy like fine dining with exquisite gourmet dishes that have been prepared with a lot of heart and soul.

That is the premise for Gu Ra Me! Minister President’s Cook, which revolves around the talented young chef Ichiki Kurumi, as she rises above discrimination to emerge from obscurity in becoming the Japanese PM’s official residence chef. She gradually discovers that her masterfully prepared dishes do more than merely satisfy the palate but also provide valuable life lessons to the politicians and dignitaries who are served.

The drama is based on the seinen manga and gourmet manga, Gu La Me Daisaisho no Ryori Nin that was serialised from 2006 to 2010. It was conceived by Mitsuru Nishimura, himself a culinary supervisor and a former official residence chef for the respective Japanese ambassadors’ residences in Brunei and Vietnam. He had also written the manga Nobunaga no Chef in 2011. The screenplay adaptation is co-written by Shinya Hishida and Junpei Yamaoka (Ao no SP: Gakko nai Keisatsu Shimada Ryuhei, Iryuu Sousa 4 & 5), while the directing duties are shared between Taketa Tsunehiro (dele, BG: Personal Bodyguard series), Masayuki Ochiai and Takashi Komatsu.

The theme song, Color Variations カラーバリエーション, is performed by the Japanese 4-member hip hop group, Ketsumeishi ケツメイシ. Kazuyuki Ishii (Avalanche, Tokyo MER) serves as the sound design consultant while the composer for the score is Harumi Fuuki. This TV Asahi and MMJ co-production was partly filmed at the Japan Prime Minister’s official workplace and residence in Tokyo, known as Sōri Daijin Kantei (総理大臣官邸).

What I Liked

This is a lighthearted dramedy that doesn’t take itself too seriously and sometimes appears a little over-the-top but for the most part, features elements of realism pertaining to the cooking techniques and dishes, as well as current political themes albeit in a somewhat satirical manner. I was captivated by two aspects of the premise - influencing diplomacy by way of cooking, and the underdog story of Ichiki Kurumi, the cooking prodigy and titular PM’s official residence chef.

The story unfolds in an episodic format where wide ranging issues of a socio-political, diplomatic as well as commercial nature are featured. I truly had fun watching how the problems in each episode are tackled and resolved during the customary luncheon with the PM through Ichiki Kurumi’s wit in crafting her menu and the backstory behind every dish that befits the occasion.

In addition, viewers get to observe the overarching rivalry between Ichiki Kurumi and the incumbent grand hall chef, Kiyosawa Haruki. Both will compete throughout the drama for the chance of presenting their own gastronomic creations to the PM’s guests. The “kitchen battles” between them as well as the variety of dishes that they serve are one of the major highlights of the drama for me.

From the technical perspective, I have no complaints with the kitchen scenes and food videography which feature some of the finer aesthetics of French cuisine, with a Japanese touch. The creativity of the dishes is remarkably extensive and quite impressive. The regal vibe of the dramatic score is rather fitting to the atmosphere and, on occasion, seamlessly contributes to the comedic timing. It’s worth mentioning that every episode begins with a brief historical trivia that serves as a prologue, which I found rather educational and interesting.

Ichiki Kurumi is played by the lively Gouriki Ayame, who captivates with her spunky persona and never-say-die attitude. In complete contrast to her more subdued role in Biblia Koshodō no Jiken Techō, I thought she injected much energy and enthusiasm to the role here. I had a lot of fun watching her interactions with chief rival, Kiyosawa Haruki, who is depicted by Takahashi Issei. A marvellous actor with dynamic range, it was my first time seeing him in an antagonistic capacity for which he provides a decent delivery in a more supporting role.

I was amused by Miyake Hiroki’s Tamura Tomokazu, the FL’s sidekick, who offers comedic relief in the drama. Kohinata Fumiyo plays the understated PM Atou Ichirou whose main role throughout is eating, apart from sharing certain words of wisdom during the luncheon. Takito Kenichi is equally lowkey where his character Koga Seiji draws more attention to his funky hair than his limited dialogue. Shinkawa Yua mesmerises as the beautiful news reporter, Tachibana Yuuko while Naito Risa showcases an intriguing Atou Riko in a rather odd Gothic Lolita costume. Yukimi Matsuo, Miss Universe Japan 2013, makes a cameo appearance in what is her first ever drama project.

What Had Room for Improvement

The overall storytelling feels very much superficial and doesn’t get fleshed out with as much depth as I would have liked. The pace moves too briskly at times, which is understandable given the format and time constraint of 40 minutes per episode. Likewise most of the supporting characters as well as the PM’s guests where viewers are only afforded glimpses into their characterization without the full awareness of the individual backstories and potential for further growth.

Final Thoughts

This is a feel-good, light and easy viewing where viewers are encouraged to suspend disbelief and simply go along for the ride. Beautifully served food by a charming chef along with certain amusing and heartwarming moments are in store over the course of only 8 episodes.

On a side note, look out for the cute outro montage of the various main cast dancing to the theme song. It’s not often that one gets to see Gouriki Ayame and Takahashi Issei performing interesting dance moves in a drama production!

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Real:Time:Love is a really bingeable series: the episodes are really, really short, but fun, exciting, due to its sitcom, "youtuber" format; you don't really feel like you're watching a web drama, but rather like you're watching daily vlogs of an average 17 year old girl in high school. It's something new, and definitely a format that should be more explored in web series.

As for the acting, only the male lead felt a bit odd. The two best friends have such a genuine chemistry, it really complements the youth-like theme. The pacing is hard to characterize, since the episodes are so very short, but I don't think it was bad. In full honesty, the drama is pretty decent, even if it was most probably targeted at a younger audience.

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A fun, lighthearted drama with a cute romance but weak side characters.

Park Seo Joon and Kim Ji Won! They both carried their parts well and I looked forward to their scenes the most; with their hilarious banter and playful romance, their relationship felt believable and I thought that they meshed well as actors. Park Seo Joon plays the line between adorable and dorky while being super manly and hot so well, I'm not sure how he does it, but I think this might be my favorite role for him. Kim Ji Won's character is a lot of fun in this one, a female lead that will not be trifled with but has a good sense of humor is always a win for me. Their relationship starts off where they are both close friends of many years but start to realize that the feelings they have for each other might be more than just friendship. Their relationship development made perfect sense, I felt the slow progression from friends to more than friends was done really well. Ae Ra & Dong Man are definitely the highlight of this drama and in my opinion, the reason to watch. Plus some shirtless scenes with Park Seo Joon, I mean come on.

The second leads relationship was very unique in theory in that it showed an aspect of relationships that I haven't really seen portrayed in any of the kdramas I've watched; however, in reality their relationship is super boring and their characters super frustrating! Joo Man is the most melancholic, uninteresting character which made the actions that his character took, even more obnoxious and pathetic. They didn't make him likeable enough from the beginning, so *spoiler alert* him riding the line of cheating on his girlfriend for 10 episodes was just frustrating and made him out to be just a lame guy with no will-power. If I was more invested in him/if his character was more interesting, then perhaps I would've rooted for him to do the right thing or even have been heartbroken when he continually fails to do the right thing and be honest. Seol Hee wasn't as bad, but I still found her completely uninteresting, and even though she was the victim and the one I should've been feeling sorry for, I couldn't have cared less.

As for the story, the main plot revolves around Dong Man and Ae Ra work towards achieving their dreams alongside recognizing that they have feelings for each other. Nothing too original, but the momentum was maintained fairly well throughout. One character that bothered me from the very beginning was the landlord lady (Jin Hee Kyung), she would just appear out of nowhere and be super nosy and controlling. But to my dismay, towards the end of the drama they even tried to give her this whole storyline which felt so unnecessary and was totally thrown in last minute. It didn't make sense the way we were all supposed to care about her character just because she had relations to the main leads.

Overall, I do think this was an easy watch and worth it if you like romance or are a fan of Park Seo Joon or Kim Ji Won. I would recommend skipping over Seol Hee & Joo Man's scenes however...

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The way this drama tells a story is delightful. I want this version of all my favorite dramas!

AFTER-TASTE
Rather than just walking through the plot, the scene lets us feel the after-taste of each scene. Every time the characters finish what they do, the scene doesn’t stop there. It shows how the characters deal with the previous things that happened. Some people might say that the OSTs are sickening but that’s this movie is all about. The repetitive music and mood portray a slice of life, the sequence of events in the characters’ daily life.

SLICE OF LIFE
It’s slow-paced to the point that many people don’t notice the character development but it’s what makes this movie realistic. The main characters had been influenced and will continue to adjust her and his circumstances in making certain actions. That’s what makes them hard to change. For that same reason, I’d rather say that their attitude and behavior are understandable than acceptable. They tried their best and we can feel the struggle they’ve been through to get there.

WARM BLANKET FOR THE COLD WEATHER
It’s raw yet aesthetically-pleasing though. What’s quite unusual is first, they don’t use any Korean song for their soundtrack and second, they visualize “rainy” feeling with a warm brownish color. This is my first time watching Korean drama using such a theme and it gets me super emotional. It wakes my senses up. I feel like I can hear, smell, taste touch and of course see whatever shown throughout the drama.

WHY IS IT WORTH A TRY
In the end, I know this isn’t everyone's cup of tea and it’s worth a try. Especially when you feel like giving up on your boring routine. This drama can be relatable for you but it gives you the hope of something better coming.

UNPOPULAR OPINION OF THE FL
I've seen a lot of complaints about the FL. I personally find that her character is very realistic considering all the things she went through. Some people might think that there is no character development but it's there. It's just that her character is complex and her circumstances don't give enough room for her, so it seems like she doesn't go anywhere. No need to spoil anything to say that from the beginning I've been so proud of her. To see how she does things she does, I want to give her a comforting hug.

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Sweet tender love story

I was already overwhelmed by the trailer of lovely writer the series but it contains so much more then I thought It would be. Every episode was just perfectly produced. All of the episodes contain different emotions and that makes it more exciting to watch.

I went from happy to sad to angry and to overwhelmed in this serie. It’s absolutely well made and I want to thank everyone that worked on this series. You did a amazing good job!!

The storyline is also very simple, exciting and loving
I finished the whole series with a big smile and a warm heart ❤️

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Fascinating Characters + Intricate Storytelling

The Untamed is a phenomenal Wuxia show with an excellent cast portraying dynamic characters in an intense action adventure setting. The heart of the drama centers on Wei Wuxian, and actor Xiao Zhan plays this role to perfection. He has a certain magnetism and presence on screen that makes it hard to look away from him. He could switch from utterly charming and mischievous to devastated and tortured flawlessly. Not to be outdone, Wang Yibo was the perfect casting choice for stoic and taciturn Lan Wangji. In some ways, I would argue he had the more difficult role. He had to be both standoffish and distant, yet relatable and accessible to the audience. These two lead actors truly had amazing chemistry together, and their performances are the reason this show is still so loved today. While this connection is not explicitly depicted as BL due to China’s censorship on homosexuality, I think it deftly overcomes those restrictions to create a remarkable and loving relationship between these two men.

Found families are an important aspect of Wei Wuxian’s story, and he manages to build three distinct families over the course of the show. I loved the dynamic relationships he builds with all of them (Wen Ning! Jiang Yan Li! Wen Qing! Lan Sizhui!), but the relationship most intriguing to me was between him and his adoptive brother, Jiang Cheng. The bonds of brotherhood are explored in all of its complexity between many of the characters, and no more so than Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian. The angst, love, and competitiveness these two experienced was heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. I cared just as much about their relationship as I did about Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji’s connection by the end of the show.

While the characters are certainly the main attraction for me, the setting and cinematography were excellent too. The locations of Lotus Pier, Cloud Recess, and Nightless City are unforgettable. These aspects paired with a beautiful OST and intriguing plotline made for a memorable show. Probably the part I enjoyed the least was the structure of the opening act. The show begins with a three minute snippet of Wei Wuxian’s death before transitioning to the present day. The story only stays in the present day for two episodes before transition to an extended 30+ episode count of backstory. The backstory is certainly important to establishing the characters, story, and setting. However, I think starting the story with the backstory would have been less confusing than sandwiching it between the present day. I love when these sweeping sagas allow time for a well done epilogue, and The Untamed delivered big time. All of the plot points are tidily resolved and the characters (er, those still left alive) are given proper send-offs.

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The Eccentric Daugther-in-Law is a very basic kdrama that will deliver some laughs and romance in a very condensed package. Sometimes it feels a bit crass and sloppy, but it's okay if you are looking for a short burst of romance, without investing a lot of time.

Story:
Nothing special here. It is a story we've seen many times before. The pacing works from start to finish, but as in all family dramas there are some side character story arcs that you might not be interested in.

Acting/Cast:
I personally like the male lead, Ryo Soo Young, but in this drama I felt like he was the expensive sashimi placed on a plate of cheap fish sticks. The female lead, Kim Da Som, was a refreshing change from the classic kdrama female. She seems like a normal person and that fit her character quite well. The mother-in-law was played by Go Doo Shim who is practically a staple of kdramas. She does an awesome job in this drama as well. There were some side characters who dampen things a bit... making the overall experience a bit cheap.

Music:
I can't remember a single song although I finished the drama yesterday. That means that the music is not going to bother you, but it's not going to deliver any FEELS eiter.

Rewatch Value:
It's so short and basic that I can't see myself ever watching this again.

Overall:
In the end I definitely do not regret watching this drama. There are so many better dramas out there, but I was craving for a bucket of cheesy romance and this drama delivers that. If you are after a few romantic scenes and cheesiness then this is for you. If you instead crave a complicated, challenging plot and high production values stay away.

Edit:
I need to point out that before watching this I had just watched some pretty damn bad dramas, so my review might be a bit lenient. Just watch the first episode, if you hate it then you will hate the entire series.

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Felt cheated

I loved, loved how the story began. I am relatively new to these types of dramas, I watch them purely and solely for the entertainment value.
What i loved....the story made me lol, it made me cry...it made me angry.. i was feeling all sorts of emotions throughout.
What i hated... Sometimes felt like he was more into her than she was into him, so relationship felt kind of one sided and well weird. Also, I didn't like the fact that even though she promised to marry him she still kept her identity a secret and offered absolutely no reason for doing so. Lastly, what the hell was that in episode 40?!!! Maybe because i felt he cared for her more than she did for him, i was shouting at the ML (as if he could hear me) "what the hell are you doing, she wouldn't do that for you." To me, i felt she was spoilt and entitled, maybe because everyone catered to her but it rubbed me wrong, because i felt after everything the ML went through in his life he should have someone who care about him as much as he did for them.

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Such a peculiar drama, so difficult to understand, so overly complicated and yet, so interesting and compelling at the same time. I've never felt this way again before, and i doubt i have ever said anything like this before but this drama was one of the best dramas i have ever watched, and possibly the worst one ever! Can this actually happen? I am as confused as you!

STORY
Thankfully the description of the show gives you the basics of what you need to know. Kid dies, mom goes back 14 days before its death to try and prevent it from happening. I'll keep it simple. Best thing this drama had: multiple plot twists. And that pretty much covers the positive parts of this drama. Do i sound like a hater? Partly, i am. The reason i gave this drama a 9 is because i was super intruiged to see what will happen next, i loved the plot twists and (shocker here) i was never bored. I cannot give a bad rating to a drama that had me on the edge for 16 hours while i have given the same rating to dramas that almost put me to sleep. The twists kept coming and coming and they never failed to amaze. The suspense was always kept in a high level and never failed to impress!

Sadly, God's Gift had a lot of flaws, a few too many actually. The base idea is flawless and interesting and brilliant and *insert a positive adjective here*, but while it was completely enjoyable i couldn't stop my mind from screaming, 'this is stupid'.
1. The drama had no meaning. At first it talked about the death penalty and whether it is moral to sentence a convict to death for his crimes. This notion just gets forgotten after a while and nothings comes to surface. The drama has no meaning it is just there for the *wow* of the story.
2. Convinient script writting. Crime dramas love being convenient and they can't manage to survive without that. However there were so many mistakes done here, and most of them stupid, from placing a bandage on the wrong side of the face to stupid writting just to make the story progress. It is debatable if these 'black spots' are plot holes. I am not even sure because this was so overly complicated i might have missed some parts.
3. Overly, extremely, immensly and exceedingly complicated. I love complicated stories. Hell, most kdramas are so plain and simplistic they get my goat, but this just was too much! I lost the thread of the story many times, i had to read recaps online to keep up, and during the later episodes the show just gave me a huge headache. Maybe it was me, maybe it was the bad writting, maybe both, maybe none.
4. I don't know how they managed to create such unrealistically clever characters (with amazing memory) and make them unimaginably stupid at the same time. They were very quick to pick up what is happening, remembering situations from days ago and yet they fell on every false lead that got on their way and made such stupid decisions!
5. All the problems that are mentioned above just result in this drama being overall highly unrealistic and fake to the point of being ridiculous. It has the fantasy tag on the main page, but fantasy is one thing and this overall plot is another.
6. The ending. It wasn't bad, we pretty much got the mystery resolved, but many questions were left unanswered, some important, some not. I don't have a problem with open endings, but some important things were left on the air while they shouldn't have!

Overall, i have to say i enjoyed it, and we watch dramas to enjoy ourselves so mission accomplished. Despite its flaws it was a very memorable drama and that says something. The first episodes are flawless and you will be completely sucked in. The first half of the drama is an endless manhunt that was engaging and fancinating but at the end was kind of insignificant to the bigger story. The second half might not feel as exciting, but at least we get to unfold the backstory and understand what has happened. It was interesting, but generally had all of the script faults that i mentioned above and a lot of times felt like cheap and lousy writting.

ACTING
So here's what i thought about Lee Bo Young before this: She is a pretty better-than-average actress that just doesn't want to challenge herself. She is ok with being the eye candy and looking cute. It works for her, and she is good at it, no argue there. Interestingly, my opinion about her changed here. She was luscious, she exceeded my expectations and i am thankful she decided to challenge herself in this. She got out of her comfort -'i am pretty'- zone, and while she never looked prettier before than here, she gave an exquisite performance being emotional, being smart, being strong and cocky. She was everything i wanted to see. She apparently left her best performance for last before her maternity hiatus. I am looking forward to seeing her in the future in more similar roles! A spectacular actress.

The only other memorable acting was from Jo Seung Woo. I didn't know him, but he was unquestionably impeccable. A flawless actor that i am happy i got acquainted to!

The entire cast did a great job, and i should also praise the child actor Kim Yoo Bin for her superb portrayal of a somewhat questionable character....

RECOMMEND/REWATCH
Now this is rather difficult. All you people who live off romance and comedy, don't touch this, this isn't for you, go rewatch DOTS! People who want realistic things, you'll love/hate this like me, with emphasis on the hate side. To be honest, this is a show for plot twist lovers. You want a show with plenty of twists and unpredictable events, give this a go. I am not regretting watching this, i just wished the writter kept at least one of their foot on the ground while writting this xD
All in all, i doubt i will ever rewatch this, but it is definately worth a try.

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Only the Main couple doesn't get together? Are you serious?

Ep 1
6:46 minutes - July 1998.
FL: 18 at 1998. 21 at 2001.
ML: 22 at 1998. 25 at 2001.
EP 4
45:53 – FL’s mum said, ‘I met him last month.’ 2022.
EP 7
1:07 – ‘It’s from Dad.’ He is most likely in the US. The only one who travels in this drama is ML.
EP 8
2:18 – ‘Your mum couldn’t get what a 15-year-old you can understand.’
EP 14
1:59 – 10/07/2009. ML & FL talked on the news after the San Francisco match.
1:16:32 – congratulation on your wedding. Congratulating himself?
EP 16
41:21 – Got Package from Kim Eun-Su. So, ML got an idea & changed the name to Kim?
52:33 - 7 years later. 2001-2008. The year ML became a new anchor.
53:24 – Ten years? 1998-2008? Doesn’t matter.
57:01 – FL thinking of retiring after coming back from San Francisco which will be held in 2009.
At 2009, FL 29; ML 33; his bro at 26.
01:01:21 - Breaking an engagement is less complicated than getting a divorce.
1:01:31 – since it’s coming from a married person? They don’t ask about her husband at all which means only FL and ML knew that they are married.
1:09:56 – ML said, ‘she doesn’t like to ask about her personal life.’ To keep his identity.
1:28:37 - 2022-15 = 2007. (Their daughter's age is 15 too.) He was in Korea cos his senior was there. That’s why she only got 3 gold medals cos she got pregnant. They probably got married in 2006.
FL & ML are both celebrities so they gave Kim as a family name to let their daughter live a normal life.
---
Okay; there is no valid reason why Kim Min Chae doesn’t know who Baek Yi Jin so I will change that she knows Baek Yi Jin as her Dad and FL’s friends know who her husband is. Done. End of the story. (This crazy theory is for me.)
Another theory would be, that FL got divorced long ago and waiting for ML to retire as an anchor. At 2022, FL would be 42 & ML 46. They still support each other from a distance to be reunited one day. (This seems more realistic for pessimists but not for me.)
=================================================
FL & ML loved each other the most in this drama and didn’t get together while their friends did?
Doesn’t make sense to me. Go Yu Rim’s nationality is Russia but she could come back and live in South Korea and get back together with her first love! Okay.
FL & ML, they are first love to each other too but not possible for them?
Ji Seung Wan and Baek Yi Hyun even get together after 9 years with no contact! Okay, writer, you must have hated reporters cos you separate FL & ML just because of their careers. I thought a doctor's job is already terrible but you just showed me that a reporter's job is worse. He could have retired and taken other jobs. He could become MC at anything.

(FL's diary keeping a diary just cos they ended their relationship on good terms? This doesn't make sense to me.)
Why do they still love each other if they decided to let go? This will only make them suffer. Think about how their partners would feel. They got married but their partner is longing for their ex. This will only make all four of them to suffer.

Thanks for the beginning. For the mid part, I love how brave FL confessed her love but ML is just enjoying and laughing at it. Stop being pathetic ML. It's not like you can let her go wholeheartedly just for her better life. Stop pretending! For the ending, I will just end it as I like. I am out.

Realistic? My ass.
They could have achieved their goal first and met up again. FL retired after 8 years anyway.
This is my opinion. I am not trying to persuade anyone. You believe what you want. Don’t say you don’t understand enough to know that this is “realistic”. Blahblahblah.

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Woo Do Hwan loving & caring about Woo Do Hwan is #Life!

I struggled with the thought of 7.5 or 8.0, and stuck with 7.5 because 2 out of 16 episodes boring me doesn't deserve higher, if I'm honest. But the acting in this drama is really good. I loved the entire cast, good and bad. The story was somewhat problematic at times, but still a well-written script with understandable concepts. However, the choice of how to play out the concepts to the end was *somewhat* dissatisfying, but not completely.

Pros:

1) It’s extremely disappointing to me that NetFlix & SBS don’t provide the cinematographer’s name from the production studios. I love everything about the costume styling, design crafting, the set coloring, and the feel of the location shots. It brings back the vibes I got watching Mr. Sunshine. Plus, I think these kinds of productions just suit Lee Min Ho’s acting style.

2) I actually get the whole Alice in Wonderland concept and am pleasantly pleased by it to describe the whole parallel universe.

3) Kim Go Eun, Woo Do Hwan, Lee Jung Jin & Kim Kyung Nam acted their f'ing asses off in this drama. Well done guys! Lee Min Ho was, well, Lee Min Ho. His character was like so many roles you've seen him play...but that isn't necessarily a *bad* thing because, frankly, he does these roles superb and fits the bill nicely. So he surely doesn't have to work too hard acting his part like the others did...and that's why I praise them more.

4) Woo Do Hwan & Kim Kyung Nam together in a scene is a total #Vibe. Lee Min Ho and Woo Do Hwan together in a scene is a total #Bromance. Lee Min Ho & Kim Kyung Nam together in a scene is a #Mood. Stick them all together and sprinkle Go Eun on top in a scene and it's a total #SliceOfHeaven. LOL! I want to see these guys together again.

5) Woo Do Hwan loving and caring about Woo Do Hwan is #Life! Heck, if I was Woo Do Hwan, I'd love myself too!!! =)

6) The romance wasn't 100% overpowering the story, and Go Eun & Min Ho had outstanding chemistry. They actually looked extremely comfortable with each other, and this is the most mature and likable OTP ML Min Ho's played, that I often thought, 'dang, he looks really cool'. hahahaha.

{{I'm going to be one of these people that argues against some of the complaints about "superficial" or "forced" romance with no proper progression.

**spoilerish**
Please, people, bear in mind, this is a child that believes this person has something to do with helping him out and through the most TRAUMATIC experience of his life and who he has been OBSESSING about into his early 30s, with no significant other.
She gets her world rocked by him in an amazing way.
The times between meetings are extended periods, not days or even weeks. He pulls her into his life over this timeframe, and has her where all she has are memories until he shows up, making her think about him OBSESSIVELY, and WORRY that each time will be the LAST time...

Wasn't that clear??? It was conveyed easily enough that way to me....No, sorry to say, you're sadly mistaken about the TIME SPAN of the drama if you think she was hot for him and kissing him only a COUPLE WEEKS after they met. Not true at all. Pay closer attention next time. LOL. }}

Cons:

1) Too many supporting characters moving around with moving parts, gets a bit tedious to watch. Wished the concepts were portrayed a bit more succinctly as it went on.

2) This cast is so good and strong they're meant to be *together*. Wasting screen time with 1 or 2 at a time for long periods does such a disservice to how I'm vibing this drama. I get into the dynamics of their relationships, only for it to be cut and other stuff dragged out that wasn't as entertaining, imo.

3) I felt like Kim Kyung Nam was a bit type-casted with his character. Reminded me of what made me love him in Come and Hug Me, but I was sad a bit, because I want to seem him in more versatile roles. That being said, he still knocked acting his character out of the park, so it's only a slight compliant. =)

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This review is more to vent and appreciate all the aspects of the drama for my own purpose

From the beginning till the end I was hooked. like a fish out of water, each episode was like oxygen I needed. I could not stop and I would have binged the whole 20 episodes in one go if the normal human body allowed it but useless instincts took over at times. Pathetic human bodies am I right?

In the beginning, I was doubtful. The first 2 to 3 episodes were a clash of scenes and characters. Random killers and families and pregnant women. For me honestly, it was like an information overload. I still loved it though, no doubt there. As that random person on Rick and Morty said, "this information will be important later." Now, the story sticks to its plot of 'what if psychopaths' genes could be detected before they were born. A creative idea worth exploring. The plot is interesting and the avenues they explored to showcase the pros and cons of such an unrealistic idea were entertaining. I say unrealistic because let's face it, as someone in the science department the number of flaws, ethical regulations, and whatnot even pertaining to this idea is insurmountable. But lets not get into the semantics of science.

This drama revolves around the consequences one single step can induce. Every single episode was a whirlwind of emotions and questions that really made me think more about the moral obligations we face every day. In terms of pacing, the drama deserves a 9/10. Simply because I believe they could have wrapped it up nicely in 16 episodes. At some points I found the dialogue to be tedious and some scenes to be unnecessary. Like that scene where Seung Gi stands in front of the cross and declares that he's diety. I realize that that scene might be the ultimate act of sinning; the act that showed how monstrous he is but DAMN the number of times I had to see that scene nearly made me want to punch a wall.

The storyline cleverly shows us two halves of the same story and at the first half, you see scenes that make you think you've figured out everything but then comes the revelations, and when you finally understand you've been duped, by then you can only appreciate how they've managed to hook you line and sinker, even though half of it is a lie. As the story unweaves itself you realize that the information, in the beginning, was indeed important for later. Scenes that make you go "ahhh" and "ohhh" and *gasp* are my favorite scenes and there was a surplus of this in the drama.

In the end, this drama left me feeling emotionally drained in a satisfying kind of way. Not every character got the ending they wanted but in my eyes, it was the ending they needed. The only ending I feel conflicted about was *cue gasp* Lee Seung Gi. Yep, I said it. Why? okay so hear me out, he was a psychopathic killer I agree but this was before his brain transplant. Prior to his transformation, he put on an act. To the normal eye, he was an adorable, kind of air-headed, and a naive young officer who was a goody-two-shoes who was actually a psycho serial killer. Okay. Now after the transplant, he developed emotions right? and the kind act he put on actually became his persona. He came to believe his act and that in turn became his memories. This brings me to the question, is he the same person as he was one year ago? No.

Just like that question where if we replaced all the old planks of an antique ship with new planks, would it still be the same old ship or would it be a new ship? The planks in this case are his memories. I might be going way off course here but imagine if something like this did actually happen and the killer never regained his memories of being psychotic. If he was judged, you would have to judge the person he was before the incident. This new person has no recollection and hence would hold no accountability in my opinion. Of course in reality, the said person would be convicted of his crimes nonetheless but it still got me thinking and in turn, I had conflicted emotions. I do not disagree with the end Seung Gi met. Looking at it from a logical point he has to be held accountable for his actions and rightly so. I disagree with the ending the non-psychopathic Seung Gi met.

Every character in the drama was complex and important. Except for the two useless detectives. Sheesh, sometimes the police were so useless istg. The acting was top-notch and the soundtrack was grade A.

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Michelle Yeoh was the star and hero of this movie, let there be no doubt. Everyone else was along for the ride. And what a fun, fast paced, romantic ride it was!

Michelle Yeoh was amazing as the young woman, Wing Chun, who had escaped a forced marriage and gone to study martial arts for years. Upon returning home and setting up a tofu shop she was often the wall between the townspeople and roving bandits. Michelle did nearly all of her own stunt work and truly shone brightly in this role.

Donnie Yen played Leung Pok To, Wing Chun’s childhood friend, who had returned after several years away to ask for her hand in marriage. He didn’t recognize her as she was dressed as a man and mistakenly thought the pretty young widow who worked in Wing’s tofu shop was her. Suitors competed for the women and there was some good-natured bed hopping. There was a love triangle, or maybe square, on second thought it might have been a love heptagon.

Donnie was as cute as a puppy in his role as Wing Chun’s would-be suitor. Leung was skilled in martial arts but not as accomplished as his childhood love. Norman Chu seemed to have a good time playing the Bandit King, he made a brash and comical villain. He couldn’t decide if he wanted to beat Wing Chun or marry her. The side characters were interesting and distinguishable--the money counting and intimidating sister who had eyes on a scholar, the scholar who was torn between Wing Chun and the young widow, the young widow who was in need of a man’s, uh, services, and a bandit who wanted the widow as his wife--all helped fill out the story in a meaningful way.

I liked this movie because unlike a lot of kung fu movies the romances weren’t tacked on and were relevant to the plot. These were all people trying to earn their happily ever afters in between kung fu fights, of course.

Yuen Woo Ping outdid himself with the creative fights, one particularly clever fight between Wing Chun, a hired fighter, and a plate of tofu was ingenious. There were no deaths or blood-soaked bodies, just lots of high wire, good old-fashioned fights with people who knew what they were doing. The action was fast, stunningly choreographed, and well-acted at the same time. Though some parts of the fights were unrealistic, who cares when they were so entertaining.

Importantly, they stuck the landing. I loved the final fight between Wing Chun and the Bandit King. I’ve never seen fight scenes quite like the ones shot for this film. The culmination of it was perfect. They also made me laugh. This film made me laugh several times and I rarely if ever laugh at “funny” kung fu movies. This was not a perfect film and some parts of it were dated. Regardless of its flaws, I enjoyed it.

Michelle and Donnie are two of my favorite actors and this film was a dream team for me complete with romance and spectacular fights. If you enjoy kung fu movies, this one is well worth seeking out.

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