Reviews

Funny, charming, enthralling, heartfelt and all in all my favorite BL of the year.

After Not Me ended I didn't think I'd love another BL as much, boy was I wrong. Vice Versa surprised me:

Strong, compelling and extremely likable characters, a beautiful love story: Puen and Talay always fought for their love even when they werent fighting for it they still were, and a healthy couple is what undoubtedly drew me to it.


When I first watched the trailer I never thought I'd end up loving it as much as I did. But when the first episode aired I was hooked: hook, line and sinker. The first thing that struck me was Sea's charming performance: he pulled me right in. For being a newbie and an unknown to me, the kid is freaking talented. I had heard people say how good he had been in 55:15 Never Too Late but somehow I wanted to see for myself & well he won me over. Talay was lovable from day one and that was all down to Sea. In every episode he delivered and made me feel so much thru his emotions. As did Jimmy, but more on that later. I really hope Sea gets more lead roles because he proved himself and he deserves them.

The second thing that struck me was Sea's chemistry with Jimmy. I was one of those people who was skeptical of their chemistry because I didn't see much before hand. Then their first scene aired and I was gone. They had intense chemistry in that restroom scene and I immediately thought: "Wow! these two have it!" And they never let me down when it came to their chemistry. It was sexual tension. romantic really, it was more than that. Jimmy and Sea connected on another level, rarely is a newbie pairing at the level comfort they were. I never sensed any awkwardness in their scenes together or discomfort either. No, they were very comfortable together, their scenes flowed so naturally together that I loved it. The thing I loved most about them tho was how much emotion they portrayed together. Every time Talay and Puen were together: I felt the love between the characters. Their kisses never seemed sleazy or forced to me because I could feel the love between them. Thank you to whoever paired them together because they got it right. Easily my favorite pairing of the year next to OffGun. Highkey hoping to see them together again.

Now onto Jimmy. it's not a secret that I was never a fan of Jimmy's acting before... Vice Versa changed all that. When I heard that Jimmy was gonna be the lead I wasn't gonna watch this but something told me to and I'm glad I did. Jimmy really grew as an actor here and proved that he's talented. The minute he walked in as Puen he made me take notice. I loved his charm as Puen but also the vulnerability he portrayed. He showed that he could emote. Does he still need growth? maybe but man was he awesome as Puen. I loved his character from the get go. I loved how hard he worked to show all of his character's emotion and strength of said character. He never let out and won me over too. I already mentioned his chem with Sea so I'll end it here. But I really hope he gets more lead roles too.

The supporting cast 10/10 too. Love the chemistry everyone had together.

The writing.... ok, yes this series as good as it was did have its flaws like most other series. In this case, I think the good outweighed any bad the series had. The writers knew exactly what they were doing. Every episode had character moments where we saw the characters actually grow and learn from their mistakes. Puen and Talay always admitted when they were wrong but most importantly: they communicated and that to me was a breath of fresh air because you barely see that in the BL world. In a BL world filled with constant miscommunication and endless drama- Vice Versa was different. Mostly because the characters talked and fixed their problems. To some that may seem boring but I loved it. Even the smallest angst made sense to the story and the characters and never felt dragged or unnecessary, at least to me. One of the things I loved was how the writers weaved in the lighthearted with the angst. Every episode took me on a ride. Also the lessons this series had for both the characters and the audience? *chef's kiss. At the core Vice Versa was a story about two people finding themselves and learning how to love themselves and another: romantic love. And becoming stronger people because of that love.The journey Talay and Puen went on felt realistic to me because I've been there. And that's why this is one of my top favorite series ever.

And the last favorite thing of mine was the OST I can't count how many times I listened to Have I Found and By My Side. Two of my favorite songs now. Ps. the friendships on this series were fantastic too! I'm so glad I got to experience this wonderful series. I'm gonna miss it so much, my Saturday's won't be the same now that Vice Versa is over.

Overall I give this series a 10(as obvious by my whole review LOL) in everything. I'll sure be re-watching this one over and over.

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S O L J I W A N

This was the most disappointing drama of 2021 in my opinion. The first couple of episodes were great and had a lot of potential for the upcoming episodes after but oh my did it flop after. The main disappointment of the entire drama was the main couple and Bitna's relationship with Gyu Hyun. The only reason I gave it the rating I did was for ❤️Soljiwan❤️. They were EVERYTHING to me!! Their storyline was so well-written and ugh it was just so good. The CONFESSION SCENE OMG. Nah because I replayed that scene a ridiculous amount of times. Before I submit the review, I should acknowledge potato boy who was unfortunately hit with the terrible disease of 'second male lead syndrome. rip potato boy :(

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A very overrated drama

Many people are going to hate me because they have mostly good grades.

But I really don't think this is good at all. Bringing out the chemistry and acting of the actors.

There really is no story here. He's like a complete copy of Goblin, even when he disappears from the from the human world lol

Why, if he is a demon, and even though he has lost his powers, does he not use them at crucial moments? I don't understand it, honestly. He just had to take Dohee's wrist to use them.

And when he got them back, why couldn't he take on a simple human? lol

The cinematography is okay, I wouldn't say it's spectacular but it's decent. The office looks nothing like an office of a rich company. You can see the difference between the office they used in Marry My Husband with this and you'll see what I mean.

The OST was decent but it's not something you would never forget in your life. It's actually pretty forgettable.

I think I understand why people like this drama, because of the actors and the chemistry. But you know even though their chemistry was good and their acting too, you can't just save a drama when there is no story itself.

It seems like a compilation of several dramas, not united, and with a lot of cliché.

I really tried to like it but if there is no story and it is just a set of dramas and scenes from popular dramas of this style, there is no way I will like it.

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I liked this show ok, but this is a mini drama that has a bit of a focus issue. I generally give mini dramas a lot of latitude since they have so little time to get the story across. However, there are a couple things that happen that you really have no frame of reference for why it is happening at the time and it's never explained later. However, that aside, it's an easy watch. You can see the whole thing in about an hour and a half.

The actors and actresses do a fine job with what is a very limited script and I felt that the actress playing Annie did a good job portraying an android who was learning to adapt to her environment. Not sure how I felt about the "love story" in this one though. I will chalk up the oddness though to the very short length of the show. You can only do so much in 6 episodes...especially when they are 15 minutes long or less most of the time.

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Timeless historical

A lot has been said by others about their viewing experience, good or bad depends on each other’s subjective preference. As far as I am concern, this show has touched me like nothing else. From the plot, story, directing, acting, cinematography and realistic characters, it is a breath of fresh air. Cheng Shaoshang’s journey from an abandoned, unloved and uneducated child will take you to a poignant journey of angst, sadnesses, laughter, redemptions of the human spirit, with splendid character developments, to finding her true love after so many heartbreaks . Ling Buyi on the other hand, is my type of hero with morally gray character, but did not lose his original intention of loving and protecting our heroine. Because of their deep love, this two broken souls found each other and became whole again~ amidst the revenge, bloodshed and tremendous sacrifices and love of others, not necessarily their family. Zhao Lusi and Wu Lei has finally found their career breakthrough and I am glad to support them in their future . Just FYI, this is foremost a family drama with slooooow burn romance. So worth the time !!!

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This was the first k-drama I watched and was effectively my gateway drug into this universe. It's a totally audacious historical re-imagination, and I think it deserves to be seen for that -- if fusion sageuks are about infusing classic historical settings with modern atmosphere and attitudes, then this is absolutely the way for them to go!

Plus points include a great female lead (and an actor who really stepped up to the role, I thought); strong supporting characters in the other historians -- both rookie and established -- and a really interesting character in the crown prince, played with flourish by Park Ki-woong. But the best thing about the show is that it is above all a sweet and persuasive political plea for equality and fairness, and it completely succeeds in making you care about that.

The romance was the least convincing aspect of the show, but it was also never meant to be its focus; its family intrigues were similarly milquetoast. In keeping with the spirit of the show I think what you end up enjoying and thinking about after it's done are the friendships and intellectual comradeships that it leaves intact. How lovely is that? I'm so pleased with how it developed, and more importantly with its vision of what constitutes a happy ending. So thank you, Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung; thank you, Shin Se Kyung; and thank you, Korean entertainment. :)

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Overall:
I think that this drama is amazing. I would recommend it to anyone that wants to watch it. I loved the story and thought it was executed great from beginning to end.

Story:
At first, it was a little weird to think that she had been obsessed with him for soo long without knowing if he was married or had a girlfriend but I soon overlooked that with the rest of the story. She made a very big decision in her life, become a nurse, just because she had a crush on him after seeing him one time? This is what the drama is portraying at first but then it makes sure to explain that she became a nurse because of the feeling of helping from that one time that she help the older lady and also had a crush on the doctor.

Another negative would be that if you only watched the main episodes you think that some storylines where completely forgotten at times but many of those plots were handled in the extras. That said after a bit the extras basically focused solely on one and left the rest behind as well.
I liked that the drama did not take itself too seriously and I think that the comedy was on point. It also had great serious moments that were amazing and they blended together perfectly.

Characters:
I really liked Tendo sensei's Tsundere character. I was amazed to see him mad at the beginning and slowly soften to Sakura, who is really devoted to her work and seems like a sweet girl for sure. The side character was also fun to watch as lots of comedy came out from them. I loved it when the Koishikawa sensei thought that Nishi was in love with him and that whole debacle.

Acting/Cast:
TBH I started watching this drama because of Woz's actor being in it and now I am going to start Den-O because Tendo sensei's actor is the main lead of that. Since this is one of my first JDramas that are not Toku related, I did not know most of the cast from other works but I am glad I saw them here.

Music:
The theme song, in my opinion, was actually really good. I Love has been stuck in my mind since the first episode that I watched. The other songs used were also good in their own moments.

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To start off,a really sweet, slightly tear jerking story.
Aiba was really good in his role. I think he really portrayed the uncertainty mixed feelings of Masamune. Acting on Momoko (Koharu) was also great for a child actor. She wasn't Ashida Mana, but I think she performed really well with this role (really cute ^^) . Their joint acting was adorable and you could easily sympathies with them. The rest of the cast was also great.
I am a big ARASHI fan so you might think I'm bias when I say that the music was wonderful. But it honestly was. The slow but uplifting music went really well with the whole theme and mood of the drama.
On a negative note though, I though the relationship ship between Masamune and Koharu was a bit too distant at first and suddenly very close at the end. but that's about the only complaint I've got.
So, if you are tired after too many closed door mysteries or high speed car chases or hot actors/actresses pulling impossible stunts with guns and bullets, this will be a nice way to come back to the earth. It's a really sweet and gentle story that I think everyone can enjoy.

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This drama had a good hook, it was enticing and made you wanted to watch more but when you get into the middle, that's when it got complicated. I feel like there were so many unnecessary things in the drama that did not get fully explain towards the end. I also feel like this drama had a missed opportunity to make better character development and outcomes. As one reviewer mention, it felt like at times the writing got lazy and just started to add random unnecessary things into the drama to kept it longer. I would have been fine with the drama being 10 or 12 episode.

The main female lead, Kim Seo Hui (played by Lee Yoo Young) could have done better. I'm not criticizing the actress, I love her and am watching this drama primary because of her but her character could have done more. It really bothered me in the beginning when Seo Hui was keeping everything to herself such as the blackmailing messages. It also bother me how she did not suspect that old guy who literally say, "do this or you'll end up like your father". That's a major red flag. There were moments like this throughout the drama that bother me and the characters just ignore it.

The main male lead, Jo Tae Shik (played by Lee Min Ki) was a great character. He displays as a cool-level headed guy that follows his intuition. I've never seen him in other drama, this was my first time seeing him act and I really enjoyed it. He brought many depths into his character. Most of the time he may seem as cold or serious, but he is actually compassionate. One thing I wish is that he would have more interaction with the female lead.

Non-spoiler Summary:
A woman gets blackmail to become an assemblywoman after her dad died in a car accident and her husband got kidnapped and mutilated. She also helps the detective in charge of this case to find her husband but together they found a secret that her family is hiding.

**SPOILER SUMMARY**:
A woman gets blackmail by her husband and friend in order to convince her to become an assemblywoman so she will figure out the truth in her family and company. She helps the detective to find her husband only to discover that her husband sacrifice himself so she will learn the truth.

THE ENDING
It was sad and unexpected. I was disappointed with it because I thought that they could do more. Why did he have to sacrifice himself to do it? Why can't they just get off his finger instead of his hands, feet, and ultimately his heart????? I thought taking out his heart was a bit too far. I'm just disappointed because I just wanted the husband and wife to be together. He didn't have to die for her to learn the truth.

MUSIC
I thought that the song, "Who Really Knows" by Donna relates to this drama a lot. For some reason, whenever this song came on it made me think of Kim Seo Hui and her husband. If you listen to the lyrics, it's almost like her perspective on her husband and the truth.

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All the feels!

I don't usually like short series since their makers don't seem to be aware of how to present a story in a short time. And then certain series come out which prove that a short run-time isn't an excuse to not create a good storyline!

“My Fairy Ghost” is one of those. It makes the most of the limited run time and presents a beautiful story of two women falling in love with each other. The basic plot is that Aizawa is a writer struggling to make ends meet, when she runs into Kei whom she recognises to be a ghost. Aizawa is the only one who can see Kei and as the story progresses, we realise that Kei is the only one who can see Aizawa too.

There was a lot of cuteness and romance packed into this, but it has a very mature tone. This was a story about love with a strong message on what art, or any creation really, is truly about. It is what Kei and Aizawa bond over, it is the "regret" which keeps Kei rooted to the earth.

The actresses brought awesome chemistry to the screen. I cried with Aizawa and could feel Kei's grief. 8/10

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Okay so first of all it's so hard not to be bias with this drama because you know, Myungsoo <3 haha but nevertheless, here's my two cents:

I would just like to say, hats off to Lee Yeon Soo her life is full of ups and downs. It's the perfect example of a roller coaster life. If I was in her position I wouldn't know what to do. And hands down to Shin Hye Sun, she's truly an excellent actress.

Plot wise I was surprised by how fast the pacing was. If I can remember correctly majority of the "secrets" were revealed in the early episodes of the drama. But even though a lot was revealed already, they still managed to keep it interesting for the viewers to continue watching. The further the story went on, the more complex the emotions were depicted. However, the thing that impressed me the most in the story line is that, they were able to impart the viewers a very valuable lesson that is usually not highlighted in shows these days and that is "true love can be received from various people not just your romantic partner". To be honest, I thought Kim Dan turned into a human when his senior sacrificed himself to save Dan but I was glad it didn't happen immediately then because the montage of the different efforts the couple has received to help Dan become a human was really heartwarming.

However, there are a few reasons why I gave this drama this score and not a higher one. First is I'm not really a fan of the acting of Do Ji Won in this drama it seemed over the top. I've seen her in other dramas and I know she can do better. Second, I don't think Myungsoo was the right choice for Kim Dan. Yes I said it, don't hate me I have my reasons for this. Don't get me wrong I'm a huge fan of his but I'm not quite sure that mature roles like this suit him just yet. Yes, his acting over the years has improved but personally I think he is not yet in this level. Also, I think he is just too good looking. Every time he cries I find it hard to feel compassionate with his character because I get so distracted by his perfect face.
Lastly, there are just a lot of loopholes in the plot that I can't even remember all of them. I think they shouldn't have had Ji Kang Woo fall in love with Yeon Soo without any backstory of how he met her because by making him truly fall for her , it will seem that the love between JKW and Seolhee was not that real and the sacrifice of Seolhee turned out not that meaningful for JKW.

To wrap things up, I'm not regretting that I have watched this drama but I don't think I'll be rewatching it any time soon.

PS: I was surprised at how good Myungsoo is with kissing scenes <3 Honestly made me fall for him more lol. If I can't have him I'll settle for a clone of his hehehe jk.

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This is one of those rare dramas where the cast, their chemistry, the location and the OST all comes together to make a perfectly fluff filled rom com. Yes, the story has some points that aren't entirely believable, but then is any story based on 'love at first sight' truly rooted in reality? I watch dramas for a break from reality, so I suspended my imagination for 10 perfectly made episodes and thoroughly enjoyed this drama. And now I have a new favorite japanese actor (Takeru Satoh), and a new favorite japanese band. (Trust me, the OST is amazing and you have to check out other songs by them, like Pretender).
If you saw the poster and were immediately drawn to it, then stop contemplating and just watch the drama right now!!

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Good drama with two actors you can never regret investing time in.....Lee Bum Soo and Kim Ha Neul. One thought about this drama though. I've never watched a drama where I thought the subtitles weren't complete until this one. It was weird, it was apparent throughout the drama that a lot more was being said then what was interpreted in the subs. Was a little frustrating because it felt the like subtitlers were being a little lazy in catching the entire nuance of the dialog. Don't let that scare you off of this drama however as I still enjoyed it immensely and it's a good look inside what the making of a drama is like (a little more dramatically than reality I'm sure) but still interesting.

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