Reviews

King Hater: The Change of Heart

This set up was just terrible— unconvincing, cartoonish, and downright ridiculous. And don't even get me started on that plot armor, it's like they thought they could get away with it. That love triangle was a mess. The guy was just plain revolting, but the real issue was how the writer tried to force us to feel sorry for him. If you're gonna have a crappy love triangle, just stick with it! Another bad habit the drama had was how often they leaned into cheesy drama tricks, killing the narrative and any potential right off the bat. One more thing to mention, I don't know how it's possible but the leads had negative chemistry. Their younger selves had a slightly better screen presence anyway.

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Argon is one of the most underrated kdrama

I never had much expectations of Argon when I started watching it. But after binge watching the drama in a single sitting I must say that Argon is probably one of the most underrated kdrama I have ever seen.

I have seen many kdramas that involved News Media. But Argon is by far the only kdrama that actually goes into the depth of what unfolds behind the scenes of a news broadcast. Other dramas like Falsify or Big Issue involved some personal vengeance or profit when showing the news media. Argon on the other hand shows the difficulty, a team faces when they go against the authority to broadcast a news. How they are forced to burry some stories. And how some people distort the truth for there person benefits.

There are many dramas where all the focus is only on the ML(Male Lead). But Argon is a team show not a one man show. By the end of the show all of the Argon members came together for a cause. Even though the ML was the center of the focus but the other members were also very helpful.

The writers did a great job here. The story improves each episode. You never get bored of the story. The story was so good that 8 episodes felt quite a short time. Maybe they should have made a longer kdrama. But all is good at the end. The drama is filled with strong actors who lived up to their expectations. Kim Joo Hyuk, Chun Woo Hee and Park Won Sang did a great job. And a special shutout to Jo Hyun Chul for his comic character.

So what are you on waiting for. Start watching this amazing show as soon as possible. As I assure you won't be wasting your time.

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So absurdly satisfying and good!

Giving a 10 to all the categories feels ridiculous even to me, but I had to be honest with the ratings and those are my honest feelings about this series: the plot is excellent, the acting is excellent, the music is excellent, and the characters are memorable and very easy to grow fond of, even the support roles.
This series is not the kind that leaves you completely mind-blown, nor a cinematic masterpiece. What I believe makes it earn its score is how everything was taken care of extremely well, from the plot to the characterization to the various themes in the story.

Starting from the plot: it's very good. Since I've read and watched many (MANY) love stories with similar premises and tropes, I tried to guess the events and the conflicts from the very beginning, so you can imagine my surprise when the story just kept surprising me at every single turn - and I mean it in the best way possible.
If you've watched some series before, you might have felt frustrated by the plot for one reason or another: maybe because the main characters didn't communicate properly with each other, or because of silly decisions, or because of characters being annoyingly naïve or clueless, or even just because of tropes that were placed there to bring conflict and troubles. Sometimes I even start arguing with the screen when that happens.
Whoever wrote My School President probably finds them annoying and frustrating too, because there is none of that in the entire series. The plot flows nicely without obstacles that have no reason to be there other than to make things dramatic. This series is also the proof that you don't need any of that to make a story interesting, because I was almost unable to take away my eyes from the screen until I finished watching all the episodes. And I didn't argue with the screen (or felt the need to) even once.
I also believe that the mood of all the scenes was handled perfectly. The cute scenes are actually cute without feeling embarrassing or too mild, the funny moments are actually funny and never juvenile, and the dramatic and sad moments are handled with great care without making too big (and heavy) of a scene when they happen. There's great balance in all of it.

The acting is also great. The best performances were from Gemini and Fourth, and I have to say that it was an amazing first impression: the feelings and inner thoughts of their characters are vivid in their gaze and their actions at all times, I was amazed from the very first episode and that is also what got me so engaged. The dynamics between characters are also immaculate: all the friends feel like actual friends and there's no hint of awkwardness among them - if anyone told me that Chinzhilla is an actual band in real life with the same members as this series, I wouldn't even question it. The dynamics between parents and sons are also excellent, probably the best I've seen in any series so far. No character is flat, all of them have some level of depth and more facets than it might seem at the beginning.
The relationship between Tinn and Gun develops in stages, and I was able to see the characters slowly transform across the episodes. It's something I don't get to see often enough in any story and I loved it.

I usually don't pay attention to the music, but this time around it's necessary since it's one of the main elements of this series. Each episode comes with a new beautiful song that helps exploring the many emotions and situations that the characters go through, and the variety and quality made them all very memorable. It's not a musical, but music is a key element both for the plot and the character introspection, and I loved how the OST was used so well to communicate that.

Definitely one of the best series I've watched - not just among BLs, overall. It's hearwarming, cute, VERY satisfying, and just so, SO precious.
I recommend staying away if you're looking for "hot" kiss scenes or anything like that. If you're looking for pure chemistry and a healing plot, this is a must watch!

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sebenernya premis a business proposal ini klise banget. udah ada puluhan drama yang mengusung ide cerita macam ini; penyamaran dalam kencan buta, berakhir dengan pacaran sama sajangnim. kayak semua-muanya udah bisa ditebak banget deh.

nilai plus untuk drama ini adalah visual efeknya! gila sih kalo ngebayangin seberapa lama proses post-production mereka. episode awal sampai pertengahan rame banget, ngga ganggu sama sekali justru malah bikin ngikik. salfok juga sama bunga sakura yg berguguran di episode terakhir, itu juga kayaknya editan ya? wkwkwkwk.

terus juga sebenernya ngga jarang acting main couple di sini tuh awkward gitu. tapi untungnya awkward mereka itu ngga setengah-setengah, jadi keliatannya kayak yang sengaja gitu, bikin tetep enak ditonton karna jatohnya kocak wkwkwk. karakter harabeoji sama kawan-kawan satu timnya shin hari juga seru-seru pol!

overall gue suka; tipikal drama yang ngasih sensasi cringe geli geli menghibur gitu.

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my comfort drama

One of my favorite comfort drama of all it's one of the underrated drama when in fact t its all good. I like this drama because they focus on friendship, relationship and family. They talk about different kinds of grief and how to continue life with someone we loss whom we love so much The message of this drama is very deep and it directs in our hearts.
Yong Pil and Sam Dal known each other since their childhood days they were inseparable that's why they developed their feelings beyond lovers. However when unfortunate thins happen they separate ways to never hurt the feelings of Yong Pils father who are against them to be together but they never give up infact they fight for they feelings and later on his father gave they blessing. But I got this second lead syndrome wherein I kinda love the pairing of Sam Dal and Sang Do hehehe. But I like that he gave his way for them.
I also like to have Hae Dal and MIN Chul longer moments together hoping they will have separate drama together that they are the lead stars.
Overall this drama is good.

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No, He Wasn't A Stalker

First, I loved this show. I did not agree with many of the negative comments in the review, but everyone watches for a different reason, I guess. Not going to compare this show to any other show, because doing that is unfair, there will always be shows you like and dislike more than others. I loved the fact that this show was long, there was no rushed feeling. I loved the characters, especially the guy who is so persistent in going after the person he loves. Of course, it took him a long time to understand why his intended was the way he was, but at the same time he was always doing things that took care of him. His persistence was because he knew from the long looks between them that there was something there. I also loved a lot of the meaningful things that were said over the course of the show. They are actually listed in another review, so I am not going to list them here. Overall, I loved every episode, and I suggest you give it a chance.

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Disappointing last episode

My review is based off the last episode from this drama. To me the last episode should be the nail in the coffin. The final closure from all the other episodes that took place in order to get to the finale right?

Not this one.

It was well over an hour long so I thought everything was going to be pieced together and everything that happened in the first 10 episodes will close out in the 11th.

In my opinion it was a let down. It didn't seem like justice was really served. The first episode had me eagerly anticipating how the bad guys were going to pay but in the end it fizzled. There was too much emphasis on one thing when that could've been wrapped up either in the first 10-20 minutes or so or the last 10-20 minutes. I was given more fluff than I needed. Plus everything went on for so long that most of the plots just ended by story telling from the news. Korean dramas have a tendency to do that. If they can't act it out they'll talk it out in a news segment and that's why my overall score is the way it is.

It ended as if there may be another Queen Maker drama. For this drama's sake I'm so set against it. I'm glad there were only 11 episodes. I don't think it would've lasted for the normal 16.

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I agree it’s one of the best historical romances ever, if not the best. The complex story is superbly written. Especially in the beginning, you will swoon and fall in love and feel the chemistry. It’s amazing.

Then major stuff goes down and this is where it got a little dicey for me. I took away a star because of the portrayal of abuse and violence as part of their love story. FL was still swooning over him and literally clinging to him even as he made it clear he hated her and was a violent and dangerous person. He went on a killing spree, pushed her, choked her, tied her up and gagged her, watched her get hurt without caring, kidnapped her, and even said multiple times he was going to kill her. All the while FL still wouldn’t get over him and even told him I want you to kill me, which lets face it, is um…disturbing and sick. Exactly like an abuser and someone codependent on them. Their entire dynamic was unhealthy to say the least and sets a horrible example. I'm usually pretty lax when it comes to offensive things in kdramaland and give dramas a lot of leeway for the sake of entertainment. But this was a strange choice from the writer and I’m surprised it didn’t offend more reviewers.
It’s still a solid 9/10 drama for me. Highly recommended, just be prepared for the abuse in the middle.

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Happy Yet Sad!

I just an amazing story......Happy yet sad......A story with a mixture laughter, love, fun and grief. I never thought I would get so mentally attached to this story. It started off with a lot of fun, had a lot of enjoyment watching it. As it went till the last......the plot got so sad. I have cried my eyes out watching last 2 episodes. It is an amazing drama, with a great and unique story, amazing actors and perfect picturization. The director has succeeded in showing all the emotions and letting the viewers feel the same. Though there are some small flaws in the story, they can be overseen due to the main story. I would suggest all to watch this drama. The son sacrificed his whole existence to make his mom's future stable and good. The mom raised her son to be great man!..........The chemistry between hero and heroine is amazing........and three as family is so wholesome. A must watch drama.Have fun watching this!!
DO KEEP TISSUES NEAR YOU AT THE LAST EPISODES!!

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The drama Beyond Evil as a philosophical parable about human relationships.

The plot of Beyond Evil is well twisted, and a new intrigue is revealed behind each denouement. But at the same time, already in the first episodes, I felt that Beyond Evil could be more than just a good detective. And I was not wrong.

From the very first episodes, we plunge into the drama, like into a fabulous whirlpool. We get to know the life of a provincial town. We watch Lee Dong Sik intently, trying to figure out what is behind his extravagant behavior. Shin Ha Kyun in this role masterfully balances on the border of light and shadow, sober calculation and madness. In the meantime, we are wondering who he is - a "fallen angel" or a bright angel who fell from a height and broke his wings. We look into the faces of all the heroes, trying to determine which of them is the monster. And gradually we are imbued with the mesmerizing beauty of this world and its inhabitants.

At first, Han Joo Won was perceived as an outsider. "Young master" in an expensive suit, completely alien among the ordinary people of Manyang. And it's not just about social status. Han Joo Won chose this role for himself - an independent observer who looks from above at the ugliness of this world and does not touch the dirt. However, the further he progresses in his research, the more personal it becomes, and the mask of equanimity slips from his face. This is how a classic detective story turns into a psychological journey - to feelings and memories walled up in the basements of the soul, into a journey to someone else and to oneself. Because these two processes always go together - to find yourself, you need to see the other and be seen. Find your own reflection in the other person's eyes.

The drama Beyond Evil is a real maze of reflections. Each significant event, the history of each hero has its own reflection. Some of them are false, some of them are true, but all these fragments, put together, allow you to see the truth. There is such a method of image restoration - from several dull and even distorted reflections, you can recreate a real image. We recognize heroes by the way they are reflected in each other. And each new meeting, each new dialogue is another step towards finding a real face. This approach makes the image of each character multidimensional and deep.

The drama really captures all aspects of the relationship. Family relationships – healthy or toxic. Relations with oneself, relationships with the world, social relationships - the law and its implementation. Morality as the ability to contact. Breaking up relationships like disappearing. The attitude towards the deceased loved ones and the ways of dealing with loss, with death. Relationships are alive, supportive and healing. Relationships are codependent, burdensome and suffocating. Personality always lives in a relationship. Fencing off from the world, a person cuts off a part of himself and, ultimately, can completely die as a person. This is how a person turns into a monster.
“Everyone in the city is like one family,” says Han Joo Won of the residents of Manyang. And he is absolutely right. All heroes are connected to each other by a whole network of threads. But somewhere these are the supporting threads of life, and somewhere they are suffocating fetters. The family image is central to the drama. Everything begins with it - everything ends with it. For each of the heroes, this word means something different - a project, a burden, a duty, a dream of absolute happiness. But for everyone, it carries a lot of weight. Thus, a small town turns out to be a global metaphor for a community, a social family, in which our humanity is born, but sometimes dies.
The density of connections and meanings in the drama is so great that not only each character, but the whole world of the drama is felt as something living, animated. The city of Manyang is not just a place of action, but an independent character. The whole city, as an integral living system, exists according to its own laws. The Beyond Evil story is the story of Manyang's illness and healing.

What's also great about the Beyond Evil is that there is no moralizing in it. Despite the great semantic load, the author does not reduce everything to one idea, does not teach, but shows reality in its complexity, even paradoxicality. Each character is a part of a big picture, an element of the inner life of an integral system. But also everyone is a separate unique person, with their own choice and responsibility for this choice. The story of the Beyond Evil is the story of Manyang, but it’s just as much the story of two people meeting. It is no coincidence that all the main scenes are "doubled". If you look at the titles of the episodes, you can see that the pairing is "sewn" into the very structure of the script. As if the whole story is a long dialogue between two, a series of questions and answers. Each character in the drama is interesting. Each has its own story, its own drama, its own unique personality. But the main axis of the whole story is the meeting and dialogue of the two main characters.

Lee Dong Sik and Han Joo Won, so different, but equally extraordinary, strong in spirit, but practically buried under the rubble of their own psychological trauma. Throughout the drama, they continually drift apart and collide, let go and catch each other, meeting again each time on a deeper level. They go a long way from mutual irritation, exploitation, projecting their fears and expectations onto each other, to true mutual understanding. Throughout the entire drama, the characters stare at each other - with suspicion, with rage, with interest, admiration, tenderness. But invariably - with intense attention, as if looking for something very important in each other's eyes. And in the end they find and return to each other the opportunity to be themselves - whole, feeling, alive.
In my opinion, Beyond Evil, like no other drama, showed us an example of perfect human contact. At that difficultly attainable level, when you see and accept another as he is, in his true essence. The bromance of the main characters of the Beyond Evil is so beautiful that it overshadowed all the drama love lines for me. In fact, this is a "love story" - like the love of one soul for another soul. Someone sees them as a mentor and student. Someone sees them as father and son or even as a couple in love. In my opinion, we were specially shown these relations at such a level of generalization that each viewer is free to interpret them in his own way. For me, they are the embodiment of the idea of an existential meeting, beyond any categories.

The Beyond Evil is a theatrical chamber drama. But this simplicity of the means has a deep meaning. The real challenge for an artist is to show everyday reality as something magical, wonderful, and sometimes monstrous. And the Beyond Evil succeeded to create a heroic epic in the scenery of a small provincial town, where a butcher's shop, the basement of an old house or a reed field feel like a mystical place. Where dramatic battles and wonderful metamorphoses take place in the dialogues between the characters. Magic is created in the Beyond Evil, not taking away from reality, but immersing it in it. This is the fantasy world that really exists - in the space of the human psyche, in relationships between people.

This is a huge burden on the actors. They don't just need to play their characters, the actors pretty much create the world and atmosphere of the drama. And they also need to show the development and even the rebirth of their characters. Many characters in the drama wear masks. But in the end all the masks will be removed, ripped off or washed away by the rain. And under someone's mask we will find a monstrous grin, and under someone's - a beautiful face. Shin Ha Kyun and Yeo Jin Goo play characters whose faces change throughout the drama. In each new episode, they experience new trials, different emotions, but their eyes express not only situational emotions, but also profound personality changes. In some scenes, they need to act so subtly that it is like walking on a tightrope. A slightly different expression - and the impression would be wrong. But the actors are perfect in every shot.

The talent of all the participants has created an amazing artistic world. It's like the famous Doctor Who machine - more inside than outside. And you can dive into this depth over and over again, finding new nuances and meanings.

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Silly, goofy meta fun

If you want good acting, good writing, good costumes, good music and good set design, this is not the drama for any of that.

What this drama does have is zany humor, tongue in cheek meta jokesand a bouncy joie de vivre. It's goofy ridiculousness, like Monty Python. It plays with dramaland conventions in a mocking, insouciant way, while still maintaining some warmth and charm.

This is a good drama for people who enjoy absurdity and broad humor. It's lighthearted, often funny, sometimes irritating. Be aware that this is season one, the story is not complete.

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Pleasantly surprised

Give it a shot, without thinking further, if that is what you are wondering.
I was pleasantly surprised. I decided to watch because it looked like an easy watch, and it was, but I was pleasantly surprised because it wasn't this type of silly Jap romance movie with plots/scenes that didn't always make sense. Well, a few times it was a typical Jap romance teen movie with some cheesy scenes, but the story and acting was actually really good and interesting. It was a perfect balance!
I ESPECIALLY loved that the movie did not have anything overly dramatic. It had some obstacles but they were realistic and not overbearing. I was able to appreciate everything and not feel drained from following the story. I think it was a big plus.

Side note, but each cast is uniquely beautiful like wow. And their acting is great and natural.
I also appreciated the many details in the movie. But it's up to you to notice them, so go watch it :)

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Suspend reality and enjoy a roller coaster ride of emotions

8/2/2021

First of all, one needs to get over the 977-year age gap. If you have a problem with a thousand-year guy/fox dating a 22-year woman, this is not the drama for you. Well, at least our female lead is not a high school student (aka Goblin).

I enjoy the general plot of the drama, though there are some plot holes. Others might have problems with the age gap or the professor/student relationship. These don't bother me much but I understand why others are OK with it. I am fine with the professor/student relationship since they started their relationship before this happened and it's the reason how ML can see FL everyday. I also like that the story didn't end when the bead is given back to ML or when they got back together. I enjoy the relationship development, how they maintain their relationship, and going through extraordinary struggles. I do feel that there are some plot lines that were dropped or forgotten. What happened to the discovery that the evil spirit transform into ML to kill people? I thought the police was going to investigate and ask ML questions? I guess once the evil spirit is disintegrated, we can forget about that plot. I also don't understand the double-standard of how ML and 2FL's requirements to turn human. Does the mountain spirit just make up his own rules and it's not standard practice for all gumiho? I also would like to learn more about 2FL's background story of her failed romances and how she achieved humanity. There are parts that are a little slow and I felt that there's not enough material for 16 hour-long episodes. Maybe 12 episodes would be enough.

Romance takes center page in this drama. I love ML's smiles and FL's personality. FL's role here is very similar to her role in "Reply 1988". It's great to see a FL who is straightforward, honest about her feelings, communicates (for the most part) and loyal to her friends. I am also a fan of ML and enjoyed his role in "Search WWW" , "Come and Hug Me", and "My Mister". I do find his acting here a little weaker than this other dramas that I watched. I don't feel that his eyes are conveying enough emotions, but when he smiles shyly, it brightens the screen and melts my heart. Our third wheel could probably cause some second-lead syndrome. But I do find his persistent confession and chasing after FL a little too much and clingy. He's cute though :) The secondary romance is cute and fun. The secondary leads are both a little clumsy in their own ways and they make quite a lovable pair.

This drama is a lot funnier than I thought it would be. There are many comedic moments by our female lead (FL)and the supporting cast. It's no doubt that the funniest is our fox-turned-human second female lead (2FL). She is so lovable and clueless and sexy that you can't help but love her. Our 2FL and 2ML are an odd pairing but it worked.

I love the friendships between the two gumihos and FL's friendship with her besties. ML and 2FL form a funny pair with their banter, yet deep down they care of each other. They are both old yet childish in their petty little ways. I also love the friendship between FL and her male BFF. It's great to see a pure platonic friendship that is full of laughter and tears. I do find FL's female BFF a little hard to tolerate at times, as she's very loud and her comedy is very in-your-face.

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Watch it!!

OMG what is up with this low 8.3 star rating? Literally the best cdrama and BL I've ever watched (at least me top two) and way better than WOH in my opinion. Doesn't drag (short episodes and only 37), AMAZING ACTING (Mao Zijun never disappoints and his chemistry with Yi Pochen is on point)! OST is bomb, plot is wicked interesting. Seriously y'all just because they don't have long flowy hair, robes, and can't fly doesn't mean you shouldn't watch this.

There are a lot of plot twists, the characters are all really well developed, and overall everything that happens makes sense. Jiang Yuelou and Chen Yuzhi have the most wonderful relationship which makes me so happy because I'm so sick of toxic relationships being romanticized in film. Due to Chinese censorship, a lot of good scenes between the leads got cut, but I recommend that you all watch them after you finish the series. And the alternate endings!

The editing is kinda weird with strange cuts in some places, but that's because they had to cut so many scenes out to pass censorship. Overall, don't be scared off by spoilers about the ending. Remember this is a Republican era drama, and loss and suffering are just as important parts of life as trust and friendship and happiness. In fact, the latter become meaningless without contrast from the former.

10/10 should watch, then rewatch.

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