Completed
My P.S. Partner
26 people found this review helpful
by helkwo
Dec 15, 2013
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
This movie is so good that I just had to write a review. Firstly, beware the content is sexually explicit but that aspect definitely adds realism to the movie. The phone conversations are hilarious and sexy. Both Ji Sung and Kim A Joong portrayed their characters perfectly. After watching so many KDramas with unrealistic love scenes, it was refreshing to see some realistic sex scenes and hear realistic conversations among friends. A thoroughly enjoyable movie about finding love.
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Completed
Naoki Hanzawa
26 people found this review helpful
Oct 26, 2013
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 7.0
the story of this drama was in two parts. both parts were thrilling with a similar vibe to them yet the second part had more impact. when i heard that the drama was about banks i thought it was going to be some boring thing but no no no this drama had me on the edge for every episode. the sotry, the twists and turns, all the characters in it. the sweet moments between the main couple.

the acting was superb. honestly this drama is an acting powerhouse. sakai masato, kitaonji kinya, kagawa teruyuki, oikawa mitsuhiro was even splendid in this and of course takito's acting. you could even see the growth in some of the characters it was obvious in the acting.

the music is just how it should be. it escalates the feelings however it doesn't make you pay attention to it which is a good thing. drama music should not make you pay attention to it more than you would pay attention to the drama itself.

lastly, i don't think that i would rewatch this drama anytime soon. mainly the high thing about this drama was the suspence. you can't enjoy a suspence drama when you rewatch it definitely not as much as the first time but this drama would definitely have it's good points to rewatching.

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Completed
Antarctica
26 people found this review helpful
Jul 24, 2012
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 8.0
There's just one word for this drama: Awesome.
I really didn't want to watch it because the summary sounded boring and the picture wasn't that great, either - But I'm so glad I did!
Everything about this was perfect. You will know after having watched the first episode. Each of the episodes could just as well be a movie, they are amazing.
The acting was incredible, especially the dogs'. Anyway, the dogs were the stars of this drama. I have no idea how they got them to act like they did, but it was amazing. Okay, sometimes it was a little too human to be realistic, but to be honest that's what people want to see..
The scenery looked real, too. It was very interesting to see everything happening without all the new technology.
The music was as dramatic as the drama itself, the opening and ending song was wonderful and fitting.
I think I never cried as much because of a drama as I did while I watched this one. Not even 1 Litre of Tears.
Even if you don't want to, at least watch the first episode! It will change your mind.

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Completed
The Sweet Blood
26 people found this review helpful
by Samona
May 12, 2021
15 of 15 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 5.5
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 5.0
Music 6.5
Rewatch Value 5.0
This review may contain spoilers

Vampire Drama Gone Horribly Wrong, Could Have Been Better

Song Meu Ru, born with special blood has classmates Son Yeon Seo, Yoon Chi Woo who are vampires. Also Do Hyun Jae, a werewolf managing their school store.
To start neither the story or acting was strong enough. Maybe expecting logic is foolish in fantasy genre. But this had no explanation or anything. The plot was too weak and seemed tacky. You can't accept this in 2021. If it was 10-20 years back, it would be somehow acceptable. Storytelling and direction was weak too. Only the OST's were nice.
The cast was fresh. Most of them just debuted. Only Kim Ji Woong as Yoon Chi Woo did a noticeable job despite that over the top vampire makeup and matrix coat look. Others were barely noticeable.
If you have absolutely nothing to watch. Just want to skim through any drama. This is it, a lite version of Vampire Diaries.

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Jul 25, 2024
6 of 6 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 8.0
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0

Familiar Faces , Fading Plot But still seated for Haiba Jin's extra charm!

The consistency from season 1 to season 2 was there ! Haiba Jin was still unhinged and charming and Mikoto retained her endearing awkwardness!
The romance was again handled delicately but took bolder steps this season while still maintaining "that" boundary. I did enjoy their interactions and the ensuing frustration.
One of my favourite moments were when Mikoto put Haiba Jin in his place whenever he had saucy ideas. *grins*

But that's it! Lesson 2 felt stagnant. Nothing much was explored!
The characters were still the same as last season! While the story did progress it felt like it was treading familiar ground!!
I do see Haiba Jin being vulnerable in front of Mikoto but it was very briefly touched upon. Maybe I expected a deeper exploration.

Also the side characters storylines were completely undeveloped ! Mikoto's brother's story arc felt completely incomplete and rushed. Honestly I couldn't make myself care for any them.

For me , season 2 felt like a fan service , a follow up to high standards that was set by 1st season!

That said, I loved the acting of both the leads and was totally digging their undeniable chemistry!
The intro song was very catchy!! Also I felt the quality of shots was improved!

Overall , the season 2 is still enjoyable and binge-worthy but when you put it beside season 1 , it sort of loses its shine!
Would still recommend it 100%!

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Completed
My Pistachio
26 people found this review helpful
Aug 8, 2018
Completed 2
Overall 8.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
STORY: Cute story even if a bit cliche: the lower classman crushes on the upper classman and finds a way to confess. Of course, the upper classman has no clue that the lower classman likes him.

CAST/ACTING: Quite good. In fact, it's about a guy who wants to be an actor. He's quite good.

MUSIC: OK

REWATCH VALUE: I'll watch it again sometime when I'm on a Strongberry BL binge.

OVERALL: Another entry from Strongberry. I do like their work and this is a nice piece with a happy ending. Always happy to support their work.
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Completed
Plus & Minus
26 people found this review helpful
Jun 25, 2022
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 3
Overall 7.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 7.5

Not as great as Taiwan's best BLs, but still OK

Falling in love with a friend can be terrifying but exhilarating.

Ligong can’t be sure that Zeshou would even want to commit to anyone romantically, let alone him. And yet, their relationship always teeters on the edge of something more, a delicious sexual tension in the air as they begin to tip dangerously into the territory of more-than-friends. For me, this is really the best part of the show (the pair is just so whipped for each other).

As expected, their relationship goes through a rollercoaster of ups and downs but the show remains rather predictable at most turns with family and relationship drama. I would say that the first half of the series was more watchable than the second half, where the conflict proved to be silly and frustrating.

The side couple’s relationship, while noticeably fluffier, was a little shallow, but that is perhaps to be expected since they don’t have as much screentime as the main guys. As a laundromat owner and a bartender, I must say they make for an interesting couple, though.

Plus & Minus is not in the same league as Taiwan's best BLs but is still an all right watch.

Full review: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/2022/06/25/plus-and-minus-2022-bl/



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Completed
The King: Eternal Monarch
26 people found this review helpful
Jun 16, 2020
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.5
This review may contain spoilers
HI! This is my first time writing review, I normally don't like to write a review, I prefer to read other reviews that leave mine, but on this one, I really had to. I saw all the comments and reviews about this drama, about the lack of many things, but in my case I really Loved it! I really love Romance dramas, it just my cup of tea.

I read some reviews about the lack of chemistry or why the ML & FL love each other so much in so little time, I normally see those comments on the modern dramas, but on Costume/History/Period dramas they are just like that , they fall in love at first sight and they barely touch each other hands and they give each other lives like there is no tomorrow and they still get good reviews.

Going to the point, I really liked this drama, the story line, the actors where amazing, they had great chemistry, the OST just beautiful, for the ML & FL I understood their love for each other, I was happy with them and I was sad as well, I could feel how much he loved her, despite how little time they had since they met, every time they see each other again, they hug so tidily that made cry, I will feel the same way if my beloved one is been missing for days with out not knowing what happen to them, for me every time they were together it felt real( I just missed probably few more kisses in the forehead or cheeks every time they meet).

How can someone be so young in his actions and at some point and them so little change to be this strong king like that , but I see why, He loved her, and will fight the world and time for her love. FL has strong character and she is a girl in love as well, she can't act like nothing has happen, when she hasn't see him in some time, knowing that something might happen to him, she escaped from danger and din't back down that easily, and still fight for her love as well, knowing that might not be tomorrow.

The supporter characters where amazing, just on the down side for me, they where a lot of them, sometimes it was hard for me to follow some of their stories, but it wasn't anything major problem for me, the main support characters I liked their stories, and help the story line as well. They only one that I find that has to much screen time was the Prime minister and she didn't help to much in the story, if she would be the main villain that would it be understandable.

The story line about time and parallel universe, I really liked and liked the ending, because I understood why is that ending ( Not a sad ending at all), but I understand, I can see the point of view of the writer. The ML/FL put the well been of everyone, not just their own lives and still manage to be happy.

The OST! I loved it so so much! The song My Love by Gummy, I felt in love with that song and Maze too, they are so beautiful.
Rewatch value, Yes! I probably rewatch it in few days, just in case I missed something the first time and will rewatch all my favorite parts of the drama again, I felt like if there were questions they answered it. If I don't understand a part of the drama, I go back and rewatch again, so I can understand, why not? That is why I like to watch the dramas once they're finish, so I can replay the parts that I might not understand.

I really recommend it, if you really like romance that goes beyond time and space, I wish that they had more beautiful scenes together. they were beautiful on each of them. I really enjoyed this drama!

Thank you!






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Completed
The Light in Your Eyes
26 people found this review helpful
Jun 14, 2020
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 7.0
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers
I have a lot of mixed feelings about this drama and even months after finishing it, I'm not sure where I stand in terms of liking or hating the plot twist. Yes, the message is beautiful and all, and yes, that last episode had me crying, but I can't say whether that's because of the writing or my feelings towards Alzheimer's after experiencing it through my grandmother.

And, while the message is important, I would have cared so much more if I knew going into this drama what it was about. Sure there are some people who would choose not to watch it because it is a heavy topic that affects many people in real life. When someone has Alzheimer's, its effects radiate. It affects their family, their friends. It even showed as much in the drama. But the choice of whether or not to watch it should be theirs to make. For some people, dramas are an escape from the hardships of the day. They go into dramas wanting to forget real life and to instead invest in characters that they get to slowly learn and care for. So if they go in wanting an escape, it could be considered cruel to throw away the story they developed over 10 episodes for a topic that hits close to home for many. At the same time, I do understand what they were trying to do and respect that. I'm just not sure I agree with the implementation of it.

If the show was honest from the start, I may have loved it. But it wasn't. It feels like those 10 episodes weren't needed if this was the story they were going to tell. All of those story threads and all of that time invested to get to that point were just thrown away in favour of a slice of life melodrama. The show made me care about the delusion of Joon Ha, and I just didn't care at all for the real him because of it. The fake versions of the main couple were a lot more compelling to watch, and I really did care about them, no matter how absurd the story around them was. It's a kdrama, I'm used to the absurd. But the reality of them just made me numb to it all. When I should have felt the most and been hit the hardest, I didn't feel it. A part of me regrets watching it.

And yet, at the same time, I respect the premise. I think that Alzheimer's should be talked about and discussed more often, especially since early intervention is very important for treatment. But I don't think this story pulled that off as well as it could have. Judging from the polarizing reaction to it, while some appreciated the message, a lot are just upset at wasting their time.

So I'm torn on whether to recommend this or not. I do feel that the surprise is unnecessary, and that going into it understanding what you're going to find at the end is the best approach. You can't be disappointed if you know what's coming, so go into it with an open mind and steel your heart.

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Completed
Art in Love
26 people found this review helpful
Oct 24, 2018
39 of 39 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 5.0
Story 4.0
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 4.0
Hi friends.
I have a habit of watching shows which no one watches and giving reviews. So I started this show after seeing there is no review in MDL about this show.

This show starts with college life and goes to after 7 years. But college life scenes are not looking fresh bcoz the actors are older enough to play college students. Then after the leap both leads still fight for various reasons but they love each other deeply too. Which we can easily guess.

I like Jia Wu and Ke San couple more than Yu fei and Chen Yi. Jia Wu looks very friendly and approachable. George Hu is another reason for me to complete this show. Songs are okay. The scenes which made me really angry are, the unnecessary plot at the end. And she leaves him and comes back after getting better. Those are not needed, since they wanted to drag the episodes, they used these plot twists.

There is nothing much as art in this show.

Rewatch - no no never
Music - k
Acting - could be better
Overall 5/10

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Completed
May Queen
26 people found this review helpful
by _Rosie
Dec 25, 2012
38 of 38 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 4.0
May Queen is a full on melodrama (makjang) if you do not enjoy this genre then stop reading now hahaha.

The first 8 episodes with the young/teen cast were sensational. All the young actors were excellent in portraying their characters. Kim Yoo Jung is cemented forever as the finest young Korean actress, in my book, with her touching and brave performance as the young Hae Joo/Yoo Jin. The story is set around the shipping industry, with revenge, love triangle & birth secrets galore. After episode 8 the story leaps forward 15 years later & at that point the story continues until the end of the drama.

Most of the actors in the adult cast do a very good job. Lee Deok Hwa as the pantomime villain “thug with a rug” as I dubbed him. Kim Gyu Chul as the weak, slimey butler forever in Jang Do Hyuns power. I hated them both, which was the point.

I loved Hae Joo’s adopted dad, he was wonderful and the love they shared was so moving to see. At first I didn’t think I would like the character of Hae Joo’s adopted mom but the journey she took was lovely to see. Lee Bong Hee and the Chun family ensemble provided some truly hilarious moments and much needed comic relief with all the drama going on. The Prosecutor was an admirable character, someone striving to right wrongs to the best of his ability throughout.

Chang Hee (young) I loved but I was not so enamoured with the adult version, he seemed to be weak and ineffectual even as a successful adult. I don’t blame the actor, more the writers for his lack of character development. Kang San on the other hand was played beautifully by Kim Jae Won as the happy go lucky guy hiding all his pain behind a façade of a clown.

The biggest weak link for me was adult Hae Joo (admittedly I have not seen this actress in anything else so cannot write her off completely) but in this drama she evoked no emotions from me whatsoever (except annoyance). The young Hae Joo was so excellent and the adult Hae Joo failed to live up to that promise quite spectacularly. Another weak link was Hae Joo's biological mother she just seemed to be a useless, weak woman who collapsed to the floor at any given opportunity, she did redeem herself slightly in later episodes, but her whole relationship with Do Hyun was a mystery to me.

I tend not to re-watch so that mark is always low for me.

The music/score was good, The main theme song I didn't like too much and started getting on my nerves in the end.

If you like melodramas this is well worth a watch the story moves at a fairly brisk pace (although it could have done without the extension).

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Completed
Drama Special Season 14: Love Attack
26 people found this review helpful
Nov 28, 2023
1 of 1 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

The cutest, fluffiest little rom-com ♡

For a one-episode drama special that is one hour long, this was so enjoyable and so, so adorable. I was giggling and smiling like an idiot, kicking my feet while trying not to wake the whole house up because it was way past midnight here. Why are they so cute omg!? I saw an edit of this today and as soon as I realised that it was Kim Do Hoon from Moving and saw that it was a rom-com special about two genius rivals, I decided to watch it. BEST DECISION EVER!!

It was like watching a short campus rom-com movie, it had everything: the enemies to lovers, she fell first but he fell harder, college rivals, funny moments, and cute (almost cringe at times lol) and romantic moments, the whole episode was so nicely written. Seriously, I never rewatch anything, and never dramas, apart from some of my absolute comfort movies or Korean variety shows, but I could rewatch this again any day, whenever I feel like not watching anything from my list or when I can't find anything to watch. Perfect for an evening when you want a break from your current watching or on-air dramas, this has all the elements not to get you bored, it's cute and funny, and the actors have amazing chemistry. That kiss omg I don't think I ever jumped and giggled this much at a kiss scene before lol, that took me so by surprise lol, just the funniest scene ever!! Although the whole fake love confession plan was silly and childish from the male lead's side, both leads were smart and relatable, they were in two very different but similar situations and the message at the end was perfect. As a student myself, this really resonated with me and really gave me a little boost, so I loved it even more. It was a relatable message offered to us as viewers in the form of a cute little love story.

I 100% recommend this to everyone, and I hope everyone watching it enjoys it cos it is so fluffy and doesn't overthink it. This made my whole week, I honestly can't wait to rewatch it lol ♡

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Completed
Kingyo Club
24 people found this review helpful
Mar 16, 2012
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
Kingyo Club was one of those dramas that I heard about somewhere and remembered hearing good things about. I saw a recommendation for it the other day and I up and decided I was going to watch it. I didn't even realize the episodes were only 20 minutes long! Needless to say, this is a drama you can easily finish in less than a day.

The story was good, it covers a lot of different issues concerning things such as bullying, family problems and rumors. It's a story set in a high school setting, there's drama and even a love story. The drama is very short though, which is why I can't give it more than an 8 - because while it was a nice short drama, there are other things they could have done with it to make it an even better drama.

All of the main actors in this drama are younger ones, some of them even starting out with Kingyo Club being their first drama. That being said, I think they did a really good job! The acting seemed natural and there isn't anything bad I can say about it.

There were a few songs they played in the drama, I found both of them to be nice songs. Even though I'm not sure how they really fit the drama at some points.

Overall I think this is a really nice and short drama that I would recommend to anyone looking for something that deals with more than just school and a "cute couple." This is a drama that deals with more serious issues.

Also, I mentioned already - the episodes are only 20 minutes long! (:

The last 3 episodes were finally subbed recently and hopefully someone will update some of the streaming sites for those that don't download :D

I might rewatch this drama someday, although it might not be for a long while.

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Completed
The Love by Hypnotic
26 people found this review helpful
Nov 16, 2019
36 of 36 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 9.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0

Passionate kisses, save the damsel in distress, hilarious

This drama has the most passionate kissing scenes in both count and intensity of all Chinese dramas I had watched – I meant really passionate kisses not those obviously fake moments. As with most romance stories, there were plenty of save the damsel in distress scenes accompanied by endearing gazes as the hero held the damsel in his arms.

It is a lovely romance story with emotional and hilarious moments. The hilarious moments really made me laugh out loud. Unlike Hollywood comedies which mainly play on words, some of these comedic moments were based on suggestive actions of the actors.

The drama is quite straightforward with some small, but not totally unexpected, twists in the story. It has the usual hygiene factors – handsome lead actor, pretty actresses, excellent acting, lovely costumes, lovely music, beautiful cinematography and endearing romantic moments.

What I appreciate most about this drama is the lesson on courtship and early marital life - instead of the usual unrealistic romance dramas. At moments when they were trying to figure out each other, the XiYue princess had her confidantes giving her some silly suggestions which she refuted with some sensible corrections. Similarly for the ninth prince, Song was always giving him some creepy suggestions while Zhen would refute with some sensible analysis. Zhen played the sensible relationship guru here.

The adjustments to life together were comical but not unlike real life when married couples live together for the first time and discover the bad habits of their spouses to their horror.

I noticed some flaws – for the production team to learn from if they should ever read this review. The piece of music chosen for the hilarious moments was too modern for this period drama and a misfit – sound like a piece adapted from some old Shanghai movies. There are some illogical moments, for example, the ninth prince was always turning up alone for dangerous investigations, and covering up for the rebel leader, which was essentially obstructing justice. And he was always lying to the emperor – although with good intent, it still made him a liar.

As I watched this drama right after ‘Goodbye my princess’, I could not help but draw a comparison, as both involved a marriage of prince and princess from different countries. The ninth prince in this drama was supportive of the princess and allowed her to make her choice, in sharp contrast to the fifth prince in ‘Goodbye..’, who forcibly kept the princess by his side regardless of whether she was willing. The two dramas were antithesis of each other, including how they ended. This drama leaves a warm cozy feeling which of course elevated my rating of it above ‘Goodbye my princess’ although the latter has a more interesting and convoluted story.

Finally, a title of ‘Love by Hypnosis’ may be more grammatically correct. Hypnotic is a drug to induce hypnosis or a person susceptible to hypnosis.

As a whole I enjoyed this drama a lot and would highly recommend it.

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Completed
You're So Precious to Me
26 people found this review helpful
by Shiro
Jul 25, 2021
Completed 1
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

An arrow of pain and cuteness that hits you right in the right spot.

This is a beautifully portrayed tearjerker, the kind that hits you right in the heart, or is it the stomach?

This movie does an amazing job inviting the viewers in to the world of a child who neither can see or hear. A child otherwise abandoned (by death and choice), manage to find her way in to the heart of a man who was brought to her by some sad circumstances. Though they may look like a total missfitt these two complete each other perfectly showing us what a little tactile communication along with love and affection can do to change a persons way of living. While staying away from scenes that may dehumanize, exotify or give out the feel peoples misfortunes as inspiration. This movie feels real, and makes the viewers feel at home in a way.

The way this was shot really conveyed the emotions as well as the perspectives of both the leads. This movie addresses important issues while showering us with fluffy animals and cute smiles. This actress may not say much but boy/girl does she portray her role well, hats off to this kid and the directors. To be honest most of the movie I was going between a 8-9 but the way the end scene was shot pushed the score to a 10.

All in all definitely a must watch!

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