Reviews

I have to be honest with my disappointment. Season one ends with a mid-sentence cliffhanger. So for anyone that is thinking about watching this drama, you are forewarned that you will finish 24 episodes feeling unsatisfied.

This drama can be broken up into two portions. The first half was about Little River God (Li Xian) and Young Master Deng (Zhang Ming'en) teaming up to solve murder mysteries. It was a fun tandem and I enjoyed that portion of the show a lot. Then the second half of the show was all about the zombies and the Ancient Evil Cult which was interesting but very one toned. The writing for the show really took a nose-dive into the supernatural, mystical turn in the second half of the show. So if that is your cup of tea, then you will really enjoy this show.

Personally, I am not a fan of zombie shows. When this story took a turn into zombie land, I really struggled with thoughts of dropping this show. My qualm with zombie shows is that the writing for the show most often take a backseat to the zombies. I hate watching zombies chasing humans (because how many times have we seen variations of that...ZzzZzz) and there is a whole lot of that in this show. Not to mention the twisted logic of how the zombies were formed and controlled... all that wompy, mumble, jumble is not my favorite.

Pros for the show. I like the general look of this entire drama. The costumes, props and sets were all really well done. I really liked how they incorporated animation into the retelling of historical events. I enjoyed the tandem between Deng Mao and Deyou and then Deyou and Gu Ying. The mystery of the Ancient Evil Cult was somewhat interesting but it kind of dragged. Really, I found myself not really caring about the cult all that much, despite the entire drama revolving around that story line.

Anyway this drama was just okay. I probably wouldn't re-watch and if they take too long to release Season two, I'd probably skip out on wanting to know the ending to the story. Truthfully, I don't care enough.

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So underrated it's sad.

Even though it looks like it was produced with a small budget, 'Fly the Jumper' makes up for it tenfold with a heart-warming and inspirational storyline with accurate, likeable and realistic characters that viewers will love from start to finish. It was written perfectly, with episodes being concise to the bone, the plot never felt rushed or dragged out, and each episode ended in a way that made me want to watch more instantly. The range of characters, at first, was a little overwhelming. Honestly, I thought that some characters would be irrelevant due to episode length and size, but each and every character had great development, likeability and fulfilment by the end. Also, the OST is easily going to be listened to for the rest of my life, it's absolutely perfect! I was contemplating regarding the overall score - I was torn between a 9 and a 9.5, but now that I am thinking about it, it definitely deserves the 9.5 overall rating due to the feel-good factor you get while watching this drama, and how inspired it can make you feel. I am also seriously contemplating re-watching it already - and this is from someone who never re-watches anything!

Any cons? A few cringe scenes here and there, but nothing too extreme here, and it didn't dampen the enjoyability at all. Is the seemingly small budget a con? Not for me, at all. If anything, I think it really suited it. (By the way, I'm not 100% sure if it was shot on a low budget, I'm just saying I think it is due to the production value).

Anyways, I recommend anyone and everyone to watch 'Fly the Jumper', whether you are an avid sports fan or not! I think everyone and their grandmas will love this drama!

'Fly the Jumper' has now flown into my heart and will be cherished forever. Thank you.

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Adorable, slow burn high school romance

While the plot might not seem anything special at the first glance, the execution was amazing! There is nothing that I don't like about it! The way Tinn and Gun's relationship developed was really adorable, it was a slow burn but definitely worth the time. It was a first relationship for both characters, so them taking their time to figure things out was nice, even if I was on the edge of my seat, waiting for them to kiss sooner. The chemistry between the actors was amazing, from the glances to the little touches. I swear I could see the sparks flying between Tinn and Gun.

I loved all of their friends, including our main wingman Thiw. The nods (and parallels) to Bad Buddy the Series were fun too, especially as it is one of my all time favourite series. The side couple(s) did steal the show for a bit, but TinnGun / GunTinn took it back quickly.

The OST was pure perfection! The songs really fit in well with the storyline. Including the MV they did for Just Being Friendly. It was written into the story very nicely as well.

Tinn & Gun: This really was a "one fell first, the other fell harder" kind of story. I found Tinn very endearing. It was fun to see him try to flirt with Gun quite early on, but not really knowing what he was doing or how to express his feelings. Tinn does seem a bit reserved at first, but once he gets close to someone he really tends to open up. His imagination is out of this world though, maybe he watched too many romantic series. Gun is wild and he is proud of that. He is a bit of a troublemaker who can’t really handle jealously. I mean the Romeo and Juliette scene was brilliant. The two of them really are super sodium – radium – potassium!

Sound & Win: Who doesn’t love a good enemies to lovers story? They started off on the wrong foot, but no matter how much they were fighting, I think we could all see the sparks between them. There are a lot of scenes where we can see there is something going on, but neither of them dares to cross the line. I think their confession is adorable. I like that they don’t completely change even when they start to date.

Thiw & Por: Now, we are never officially told that the two of them are together, but I think we can all tell there is something between them.

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Very annoying brother...

I would like to split this movie in to to half 1st, supposedly comedy filled with annoying characters, bad habits there to make you hate the older brother so much that you almost wish him dead... Being a sexist, shameless conman... of the worst kind. And the younger brother being kind of depressed after loosing his eyesight... can't blame him for that...

The other half will make that wish come true... teaching us to be careful what we wish for, and is a complete turn around, en explosion of character development making you wish him well... Hoping he will live long and prosper for all eternity... ok maybe not, but apparently it It takes a terminal illness to get an annoying brother to stop being annoying...


I admit I was annoyed so the first half was really not my cup of coffee, but I can not blame the writers, directors or the actors, it is not as if they did not warn me with the title and all... The acting was mostly good and the story pretty unique. There is a lot of character development,

So not really my cup of coffee but a pretty okay movie... at least the second part was good.

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I’ve tasted perfection, it flowed into my heart like a song and changed my perspectives on what it means to love entirely (I highly suggest you to listen to “Miss You in My Heart” by Junggigo while you read this review).

The music that echoed through my room in the last 40 seconds of the trailer is what sold this drama to me (later revealed to be sung by the one and only Junggigo). Mesmerized by the bittersweet tune and drunk from the cinematography, I immediately tuned in (BEST DECISION EVER). 20 minutes into the show, and all the cells in my body knew that we were in for a masterpiece.
I don't think I've ever understood what motivated my characters to be who they are till this show. In my decade of drama-watching, I encountered many shows where I found compelling characters that moved the plot along, sure, but the selling point of “Queen for Seven days” is that all characters have motivations. All of them, I mean it, even a measly eunuch or a character often branded to be tertiary. All of them have a “purpose for which they were born into this world” (Shin Chae Gyung, E01). All characters introduced were fleshed out to be three-dimensional, with a school of thought that belonged to them only and faults that were irreversible but made them who they were instead. I’ve seen my characters speaking out their worries, thinking together and attempting to create the best future that they can possibly produce within their powers. They cried, we cried. They revelled and so did we. This is perhaps why “Queen for Seven Days” is almost faultless.

Continuing on with the talk about characters, let me begin my introduction of Shin Chae Gyung (future Queen Dangyeong, whose life this story was inspired by). Such an astounding, dignified, elegant and exuberant woman this version of Shin Chae Gyung we’ve received was! I’ll never possess even a grain of endurance she had, nor will I ever be able to forgive all the rough waves that came ashore in her time as a monarch’s family. All of the choices she made in her lifetime was noble, but none of them was idiotic. I wish to live as honourable as her. A round of applause to writer Choi Jin Young for her characterization! Child actress Park Shi Eun lit the torch first by making us viewers simply love the innocence and brightness of Chae Gyung, almost enough to give us anxiety on whether the loveliness will pull through. Why did I even worry, as Park Min Young has received her torch well, sprinkled some of her own magic, and made me fall deeply in love with Chae Gyung. Playing a titular character comes with so much responsibility but I am happy to tell you that she delivers, oh man, she delivers waaaay better than you’re ready to receive! Her smile was comforting, yet bittersweet; her tears were lovely, and had the ability to break us. Park Min Young has lived as Shin Chae Gyung the last 10 weeks and I want nothing but the best for her!

Ah Lee Yeok, the man who now owns both my ovaries. This man stole my heart and soul and I don’t think I want it back. Obviously, he was written masterfully by our intelligent writer-nim, but I believe it’s the actors’ that breathed life in this version of Lee Yeok. Baek Seung Hwan tugged my heart often in the beginning with his longing gazes and wide-eyed fascination towards others. We, the viewers, were there to witness his his transition from a clear-hearted boy to a young man ready for a change. However, it is Yeon Woo Jin, my husband, who sealed the deal. I actually understood why Chae Gyung loved him. Yes, that’s important, because how can I root for a couple when I don’t know why they even like each other? Yeok did change from his younger years to his older years, but fundamentally he stayed the same. A man who only wanted to love the ones he loved whole-heartedly without getting caught in its implications and simply live with a peace of mind. He was idealistic, yet vulnerable. He was weak, yet arduous and clever. He was a puppy in love, a loyal friend, a respectable son, and a loving man. He only wanted to make one woman happy, but he had to face so many challenges and bear the weight for a responsibility he didn’t want in his heart. I’ve always known that he was a brilliant actor, on par with Park Min Young actually, so I didn’t ever doubt his abilities. But I guess he only showed us a tenth of his ability his entire career because THIS drama is where he unleashed his whole acting prowess! I really never needed him to touch Chae Gyung or speak to her for I saw adoration in his eyes. His whispers and voice quivers were enough for me to know of his remorse, so I really didn’t need him to apologize. His gaze just had so much love in it, I was almost ready to help him propose to Park Min Young the actress because I believed that he loved her. Historically speaking, Lee Yeok/ Jungjong of Joseon was a weak King, but this show made me understand why that may have been so.

How can I write a review without mentioning the mind-blowing portrayal of King Yeongsan/ Lee Yung by Lee Dong Gun! For a while now, I have been allergic to Lee Dong Gun because his overall handsomeness wasn’t enough to cover the fact that he picked awful shows (ahem, talking about you Marry Him If You Dare). He was actually one of the reasons I was afraid of this show when it was being promoted. I mean, it’s his first sageuk… I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. But now I realize why he seemed so lacklustre in the past. HE WAS BORN TO PLAY IN A SAGEUK. Yeongsan of Joseon is one of the most hated Kings in Korea. He was a man with a see-saw level of emotional stability (as in, none) and relished in bloodshed. I am awed at how writer Choi Jin Young managed to flesh out so much humane-ness in his character (which unfortunately, is the cause of the poor viewership ratings in Korea. I get it you know, if someone tells me Ashikaga Yoshinori will star in a show, I will be reluctant to tune in myself). Throughout the series, even when he was acting manically, I just wanted to pop right into my screen and give him a big warm hug. Lee Dong Gun is a magician. How else can I explain his Oscar-worthy (not kidding) portrayal of Lee Yung? His eyes shone with evilness, yet in the span of a few seconds, with one word from those he cared, he would soften those globes into melancholic colours. How? God knows! Those big round eyes of Lee Dong Gun have been criminally underutilized in the past. He was fantastically horrifying. His voice had the power of a monarch, his expression convinced me of his madness, yet his yearning for love made me pity him one too many times! I started becoming afraid of Lee Dong Gun so I would watch his interviews from time to time just to remind myself of his gentlemanly nature. I’m so blessed to have witnessed such phenomenal acting. THANK YOU.

Now I will be committing a horrible sin if I don’t mention the characters I enjoyed to hate the last ten weeks. I understood why they were behaving the way they were but that doesn’t mean I have to love them right? *winks* Myung Hye, played by Go Bo Gyeol my new it girl, was a corrupt human due to her upbringing and position in society but she was surrounded by really ambitious good people. It was such a feat to see her sway in between good and bad. I couldn’t personally understand her choices often but I often saw how hard her life was and how criminally oblivious she was at times. Veteran actress Do Ji Won really played the Queen Dowager role beautifully. Her devotion to her biological son (Lee Yeok) and her idea on how he’s supposed happiness will come about was so flawed but we couldn’t blame her. She too was human. Lastly, Minister Park (Park Won Sang), I just loved to hate you. I probably barbequed you ten gazillion times over the course of the show. Thanks, you caused me stress and relieved it the same time.

To finish my point about the characters, I would like to comment on how grand a sageuk debut it was for Chansung (Seo Noh, our babe). He did SO WELL. Now if I wasn’t such already his fan, I would definitely think he was a seasoned actor. REALLY REALLY WELL DONE MY MAN~!

I believe I’ve spoken about the characterization, plot (loosely), music, and acting enough. Let me conclude my long, messy review (forgive me, it’s my first one) by saying that I will definitely re-watch this show. Not just once, I mean often. Whenever I miss any of the characters here that I have come to love so dearly. One thing I will mention is that you will need a few tissues while watching this show. Most of the time though, you will feel too sad to even cry.

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This is by far the best Korean movie I have ever had the pleasure of watching. It starts off suspenseful, then it gets a little lighthearted, and then it just wraps up in the most disturbing way. So many emotions packed into one 2 hour movie. I will never, ever stop thinking about the ending and how the whole story wrapped out. I don't know what to feel. You'll wish it wasn't true. You'll want to wash your eyes out with soap after learning it. You'll be sad, confused, and bittersweet at the same time. That is the sole reason why the rewatch value is a 8/10. You will never experience the ending the same way as your 1st time around. A fantastic movie, although the plot twists were what made me award this movie a masterpiece. Go watch this movie. You will not regret it!

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Story: An interesting, fun and refreshing take on love between the rich and the not-so-rich. No chaebols involved in the love story but there were definitely a number of chaebols who were physically harmed. I am charmed by the storyline. It is a roller coaster ride of emotions - the scenes switch from funny, melo to romance to funny fluidly and with only 15 episodes (yes 15, not 16..the list here was incorrect re the number of episodes for this drama), none of the episodes were wasted. A nicely packed drama, no dilly dallying and a concrete ending for all characters. Watch it and you'll know what I mean!

Acting/Cast: What can I say? I fell in love with Yoon Shi Yoon when he was Baker King, Kim Tak Gu and this drama made me a confirmed fan of his acting. A different character than Tak Gu and he pulled it off very well. Lee Ji Ah's return to acting following her highly publicized scandal was not too bad either. She was very believable as the ill tempered policewoman. A special mention for Lee Ki Kwang for his dual characters in this drama (as Jo Ma Roo and Pink Chicken). For someone from a non-acting background, he did well. The rest of the cast were also fantastic.

Music: I totally fell in love with the sexy OST "Dreaming" by B2ST (the song that kept playing whenever the main actor is in his "rich guy" mood). It totally suited the scenes and atmosphere. The other OSTs are excellent as well. What can I say....they are all in my MP3 walkman already and I am listening to them as I am writing this review! :)

Rewatched value: I am already rewatching it after finishing it. I am also planning to buy the DVDs for keeps. This drama is worth its spot in my personal collection of KDramas.

Overall: I am impressed and entertained. I could not stop kicking myself for having scrolled past this drama when it first debuted but because of the new year holidays, I made time for it. Best decision so far where KDramas are concerned for year 2011. I am surprised why it has not received much love and attention from fellow drama addicts. This one here is a true gem, despite its rather bland synopsis that does it no credit whatsoever! My verdict? WATCH IT! SERIOUSLY!

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I am not particularly fond of the whole falling in love with your bully/tormentor storylines. But we don't really have the whole story here. Just the 19 minutes of this short. How do Moo Yeong and Han Bit know each other? How does Moo Yeong know Han Bit so well? Did they grow up together? Did they got to school together (not just college)? Are they exes with a bad break up (is that why Han Bit is so mean to Moo Yeong because he isn't over him, is that why he looks so thunderstruck every time Moo Yeong says he loves Han Bit)?

Park Hyun Joon (Moo Yeong) is an amazing actor. When I watched the opening scene it didn't seem so, but then as it progressed I was just more and more surprised by him. He is amazingly talented. I hope he gets more roles and meatier parts.

Kim Hyun Joon (Han Bit) is good too. He was so cute in the final scene when he was finally not bullying him anymore. I loved drunk rehearsal scene. His face in that scene is so expressive.

This is such a nice short. Light, Fluffy, Feel-good, Happy-Ending. <3

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A great series!

The series is one of a kind. it is unique and a great one. It lives up to its title.The characters Han Tae Sul and Seo Hae truly gave the story a wonderful yet exciting and unexpected twist. My take on the first few episodes: they explain how Tae Sul and Seo Hae hurdled Sigma's plot to ruin the earth. The early episodes gave hints about what will happen in the end: how Sigma tried to destroy Tae Sul, how Seo Hae tried to warn and help the past Tae Sul and how the other characters like Sun had a significant contribution to the plot twists. Toward the end of the series Han Tae Sul (for me, this is my opinion anyway)made the right decision to end his life to the save the earth. After, that is the main goal of Seo Hae.. Seo Hae could've killed Tae Sul to undo the creation or coding of d uploader but they fell in love. Also, toward the end of the series, it became clear to me that however Seo Hae's dad 'changed' Sigma,the latter still is a Devil and a Psycho. How i love how d author / director formed/ molded the character Sigma. His acting is effective. I still hate him for his devilish acts.grr. hahaha
Hayst. (sigh) for me,this series is at par with Interstellar. I'm not actually a fan of sci fi genre but this series turned me around and made me appreciate the genre. I ĺove the series. I hope JTBC will make another one of this kind.haha. I can't seem to get over with the ending. It's still stuck in my head and my heart.
Lesson learned: make every moment of your life count.tell ur loved ones u love them, don't waste time, do things u wnt regret doing in the future, value ur loved ones, don't b bitter, let go of the past that hurt u(don't b like Sigma, Sigma is crazy). Haha. Thank u JTBC! Salute!

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Honestly, this drama caught me off guard. I initially watched this because I just wanted to see more of Song Kang. But wow, just wow. I'm really glad I did watch it.

Even though this drama only had 12 episodes (I only found out it has 12 eps when I was in ep 8, was really bummed when I found out tbh), it made me feel a whole array of emotions. Firstly, it made me feel annoyed how SK and his mentor were treating the grandpa. I felt bad for the Grandpa when he was practicing. I felt happy when he passed the test. I felt disappointed when his family didn't support him. I didn't understand well why the his children were always arguing. I felt angry and sad and hurt when they talked back to their parents (the grandpa and grandma).

There were three things I really loved about this show. 1. The relationship of the grandma and the grandpa - even after all these years they still love and respect each other. 2. The relationship of the Grandpa with his granddaughter - this made me envy them actually. I wish I was that close and open also to my grandparents. 3. Lastly, the wisdom they share - I think this is my most favorite in this show. Because when they share their words of wisdom to one another, you can feel that they are speaking from the heart and not just empty words.

This drama was so realistic, so relatable. I think this is what has drawn me into it. During the first few eps, I was actually not anticipating the end of the drama because in my head, I was anxious that something bad will happen to the grandpa. I'm just glad that they decided to end the drama in the way they did.

Kudos to the team. Now, unto the next drama.

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