~Se Ra
--
Story: I really enjoyed the story. It also reminded me a bit of the drama sassy go go. I enjoyed it mostly because it focused on the team being better at volleyball and working towards what they really wanted. Se Ra who at first didn't care to coach the team to help them be better eventually grew to care for them as a whole and continue her love for the sport. In addition, there was drama but none that was outrageously put to further the story line. Furthermore, this drama kept me wanting to watch from episode to episode. (Usually I take a break after some time)
Cast/Characters: When you put the characters together, there are some that shined more than others but altogether it was a well-built cast. Keep in mind, upon watching this drama for the first time, majority of the cast members were people i also was seeing for the first time.
My favorite amongst all characters is Woo Jin/Lee Tae Hwan. It was my first time seeing him in a drama or anywhere else for that matter. I think I fell in love with his character once I saw his smile.(I promise he's more than just eye candy though) I could feel the emotion through his character as he was affected by his father not believing him and as a second lead character.. well you know how that goes so I won't spoil it for you. His character did what he could as a leader to make sure the other players had the residence and even as a friend tried to protect Se Ra. The only small tidbit that I didn't like about his character that his feelings for Se Ra weren't explained that well.
Jae Woong/Song Jae Rim, also caught my attention as someone who cared deeply for the sport,for the team and for Se Ra. This was my first time seeing Song Jae Rim in a drama(i've only seen him in WGM) and I am so impressed that I need to go find his other dramas as well. I saw chemistry between him and Seung Eon (Se Ra's character) and I liked how the romance flowed throughout the drama. There wasn't any dragging as far as I was concerned.
Kang Se Ra/Hwang Seung Eon was a memorable character to me and im pretty sure ill be checking out her other dramas. I think she was perfect for the role of being sort of a spoiled celebrity or goddess of volleyball as they put it and then slowly becoming a part of a team again and letting go of that exterior.
With the secondary characters I really like the unity among them. Like a brotherhood with one sister that they have to look out for. I also really really liked the secretary. In the beginning she is perceived as a heartless human being but towards the end she gets better and a funnier addition to the group. At first you could tell she didn't care for Se Ra and it was just a job to her but towards the end she became someone who looked out for her sincerely.
Music: Not much music in this drama besides the theme song and the ending/cliff hanger song. But I think that even without the music the drama was still really interesting. Music creates excitement but the actual drama itself had enough excitement where the lack of music was barely noticeable.
Overall: Should you watch? Yes. Although the drama was short and you'll breeze through the episodes, it was a really good way to spend my time. It's a light drama with some sports action and some romance all together. I think the fact that it is short also adds to the reason of why you should watch :D The end was a bit lacking but altogether it fit nicely.
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My fav drama from 2023; Nojima Shinji is back with a bang!
A stellar combination of mystery + romance + psychological + slice of life.First off, Nojima Shinji is one of my favourite screenwriters and I hate to admit that some of his works in the recent years have been underwhelming especially when we compare to the gems he wrote in the 90s and 2000s.
I don't generally write reviews but I got inspired to write this review because I loved this drama so much and want more people to see it.
What makes this drama so good -
(1) the screenplay; the way the story unfolds keeps you on the edge of your seat till the last scene. Trust me, you won't know where it is going.
(2) the story - it is original, it is creative, it is edgy. Once you start, you will find yourself binging it all the way.
(3) the writing; the sensitivity and care with which the characters and their relationships are written. I could see Nojima Shinji has evolved because this wasn't as dark, and there was a healing element to it (something most of his dramas lack)
(4) the acting - each cast member was perfectly casted.
(5) the romance - again, not your typical romance. But some of the scenes between the leads got me squealing. In the case of this drama 'less is more' really worked.
Everything about it is good. The only reason I gave it a 9.5 is because I do wish we got a little more of the leads' at the end. I wanted more of them. Hoping we'll get a special on them, though I doubt :(
For those who want to watch something different, don't hesitate to give this gem a try!
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1Pass The Verge of Excellent
On The Verge of Insanity is probably one of the best dramas of this year. From the beginning the audience is asked to settle in for a story with a gentler pace and eased into the world of the Hamyeong Electronics. Anchored by two interesting and very different leads in Mr Choi and Miss Dang ( wonderfully performed by Jung Jae Young and Moon So Ri respectively) the show transcends it's loose synopsis and becomes something more.An engaging watch littered with characters you'll care about (one you'll particularly hate) and scenario's that seem real though
with consequences sometimes questionable. There's a lot to love in these 16 hours.
Writing wise this shows is aided will by the sense of movement within the story. Of character entering positions and exiting, climbing the corporate ladder and being dragged down. Where shows in a similar vein like Misaeng lean more into ironing out business jargon, OTVI while not dismissing those, puts it's character and interpersonal drama to the forefront. Which in a few instances might have been to the detriment of the other. Those instances are few however and hardly weigh this story down.
It goes without saying the cast delivered excellently on their performances. Firmly lead by seasoned veterans particularly personal favourite Jung Jae Young and established if not before certainly now younger talents.
Visually, the show is solid with a few particularly beautiful shots and nice colour grading that adds quite a bit more visual interest. Admittedly to a story that would not have realistically demanded much grand cinematography. It's all the more interesting then that this is the work of a first time director yet nothing feels amateur about it.
Musically the show was pretty inoffensive with quite a few but no standout insert tracks to me at least. The stand out track was the jazzy outro track which will most certainly get stuck in your head.
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First, I found the topic of weightloss very interesting. I think they did a good job of covering all aspects such as positives and negatives of weightloss as well as her losing weight both in an unhealthy and healthy way. I know I learned a lot from watching the show. I did think it was annoying that she rebounded many times throughout. I think it was more than 4 times or something. Watching all the cakes being made really made me want to make some as well. They were so pretty and looked like they tasted like heaven. The ending was cute.
The acting was superb especially by the female lead. I thought the character was annoying and outrageously naive at some parts but it just showed what kind of an actress Saki is. Mokomichii was cute as always but his character was over the top as well. Somehow though they both make the perfect couple and complete each other. I liked the supporting characters they really added something.
Overall Rebound is silly but also serious at the same time. I rated it so high because I love the cast and it was very very entertaining.
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I was in the mood for a scary flick and happened upon this. Not recently, but in the past year I had watched this movie called Gone with Amanda Seyfried. The story-lines sound almost identical. Younger sister gets taken, older sister goes to find her on her own because the police think she's crazy. So I was expecting a movie like that; some jump scenes, a little who-dun-it. What I got was a freaking intense, gory movie. The plot was great and the actors did a fantastic job. Obviously something like this where you already know what happens is hard to re-watch with the same effect. (Although I don't think I'd ever want to re-watch it anyway) because man was the killer sick and twisted. So if that sounds interesting, give it a go.
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Extraordinary
My favorite kdrama of all timeI have watched lots of kdramas which are really interesting but trust me on this one, Infact when I am being asked to recommend a kdrama for someone, the first kdrama that comes to my mind is "goblin", it isn't my first kdrama but somehow I can't forget it. Everything in this drama was on point, the acting skills, OST, story line, chemistry between both ML's and the second lead's.
If you're looking to watch something funny at the same time heart warming, romantic, exciting, almost realistic despite the fact that it is fantasy, you should definitely watch goblin
+ If you want to have a good cry too lol, it is worth every bit of your time.
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This review may contain spoilers
A great watch
If I had to summarize this drama in one word, I'll be - fillers. In my opinion, the story was stretched unnecessarily, and it felt like forever, rather painful to watch through certain scenes. It got so annoying at one point that I nearly considered dropping this drama. Adding to that the whole age gap thing just felt pretty weird to me, the kissing scenes pulled the whole 'romance' out of the scene. I just couldn't take the 'love' part seriously for the first couple of episodes, it just felt very out of place? I dropped this after episode 13. But alas, I eventually had to go back. The awesome soundtrack and acting couldn't get out of my mind. The top-notched 'bromance' kept getting me curious about how the Reaper-Goblin relationship will grow and bloom into Episode 16.For my money, the story was pretty decent. The bromance and the funny scenes added to an amazing experience. The acting was phenomenal and I LOVED every part of it. I'd be lying if I say I didn't want to see more of the story centered around certain side characters. Some felt like they deserved more screentime. Kim's General's reincarnation is a good example. Seeing his story, him happy with his family, living in comfort, possibly with Kim looking at him and iconically smiling would've been pretty satisfactory. The Reaper and Sunny scenes towards the end were SATISFYING. The best part after the bromance.
Goblin decided to have an open ending, which I would say was a pretty good idea. Despite wanting to know more about what happened to Goblin and the bride after they met again in Canada. I believe the open ending was more effective in leaving a strong impression on its viewers than a closed one. Ultimately being one of the elements that helped the show get a strong ending. Lastly, I wish there was some form of indirect interaction between the Reaper and the Goblin towards the very end. Leaving a "Some friendships are so strong, they can even transcend lifetimes" taste in the mouth, but well, guess it's too good to be true.
I didn't initially plan on giving a high rating to this drama on MDL, but I am an emotional creature and the last 2 episodes got me good.
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Boring , flat drama ruined by main leads rescued by the second lead Shing Song Rok
If it wasn't for Shin Song Rok's presence in this drama (Jayden) I would have dropped it from fourth episodehe was the only character that got me interested to know his story ,, this drama is most draggy boring cold Law drama I've ever watched ,, it didn't met the Law /court requirements nor the medical drama requirements
for Ji Sop's long history of good dramas this one is his biggest failure ,, why he acted his role that way ?? why was he that cold and flat in the most important and emotional scenes ? He didn't even cried for his dead mother's corpse
and the female lead don't get me started on how freezing cold her performance was ,, she was like a talking doll even when she cried I felt it so cringy
Again if it wasn't for Jayden or the second lead Shin song rok this drama would have been dead from fourth episode ,, he was the one who carried this drama on his shoulder ,, his way of expressing all the character's emotions towards the leads forced me to continue watching ,, I wanted to know what was his story ,, was he bad ? was he good ? why he's taking revenge path more than the male lead himself ? ,, How smart and cunning is he ??
Why Jayden is playing all these tricks ?? what was his ultimate goal ?
all that was the reason for me to stay and I didn't care one second about male lead's revenge because he was playing by the rules every thing was legal and he was saving the bad guys and working with them most of the time as they didn't do anything wrong to him ,, How could he ?? I wondered a lot how could someone gunning for revenge work with the people who killed his own mother and nearly killed also did them favors sometimes because he was the good guy and a doctor what the hell ??
It got political at one point and there were so many villains and bad people more than good ones so it got so draggy but it picked up the pace at last four episodes again and Jayden's motives became so obvious and his secret was going to be revealed so it got much more interesting at the last four episodes and just skip through the leads nonsense they don't matter at this point
.. the ending was Meh and I'm not happy about What happened to Jayden at the ending but it's okey didn't expect much from this drama anyway
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One of the worst kdrama's I have seen
I thought after the first couple of episodes I had found a gem. Boy was I wrong. This was a stinker for the whole rest of the series. FL turns out to be in my mind a selfish horrible person. The one that marries her was a stinker all the way through. Stupid Stupid Stupid series. I ended up hating everyone. The crime drama plot was beyond dumb and the culprit was like just pulled up out of nowhere. Almost all the problems can be laid on the lap of the writer of this series. Lazy, no creativity. Last episaode they spend most of it setting it up like one person would be the husband. It was so so obvious and sure enough they pulled the stupid switch. Don't watch this series.Was this review helpful to you?
ACTING/CAST: Absolutely superb. I was amazed at how well these actors conveyed the emotions of their characters. They weren't bashful during the "making out" scenes either. The actor playing Lin has some very pretty eyes.
MUSIC: It was good and a bit sorrowful.
REWATCH VALUE: I liked this enough to watch it again with a friend.
OVERALL: I WANT THAT APP! Watch this and you'll know what I'm talking about.
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no incest. dont worry.
i love the FL in other big dramas as supporting actress like Go Ahead, Royal Feast, As Beautiful As You. this is the first time i watch her as main lead (eventhough i know this drama is not her 1st time as main character). she nailed it. as expected.the ML is a great actor. i love his acting so much. but im not really familiar with him before. this is the first proper drama of him as main lead that i watch (only watch him in cuts and edits before)
the plot is good. the love game between the two is *chefkiss. but the family tree, i mean, familiES treeS are messed up. at first you are his son, suddenly you are not. she is your sibling, and later she is not.. but suddenly she is your sibling again (facepalm). the SFL is the half sibling, then she is suddenly not. the SML is half sibling of this and suddenly he is to that. so messed up lmao.
but dont worry, no incest in this drama. almost, but the plot twist said nope.
overall, rewatch worthy and recommended.
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Gritty short BL from Hong Kong - stick with it
This was short (1(named zero or 0) +5 episodes and most 14 minutes long) about 2 M/M relationships told through a straight couple.Hayden and Damien
Kelvin and Archie
I don't want to give too much away but there's dealing with grief, sexual non consent, being closeted etc all in these 6 episodes. the subject matters are heavy but the ending is hopeful so definitely worth the watch.
Grandma is my favourite character . The other female character my least favourite
I would have loved to have known what the post-it notes said but we can infer eventually
Definitely better as a binge watch as it takes a while to realise what's going on especially with the second couple. A treat in the last episode where we hear music used in a few BLs . Very cute. Can you spot where else it's been used ?
Enjoy!
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The story is plain and simple, but it manages to keep you on your toes due the the interesting technique used by the director through which the story is present through puzzle-like parts to the viewer.
I wouldn't call this one a romance movie, more than that I really found intriguing how the 2 leads evolved on a personal level:
She was stigmatized by her blindness, thus she would prefer to isolate herself from the outside world, which was unknown and scary and she would only interact with her close friend; she was also emotionally scared by her mother leaving her an her father when she was very small, so the feeling of abandonment made her to not want a relationship that could possibly make her relive such torment.
He was the loner that felt out of place, no matter where he was, just wanting to find somewhere he would belong; rather than compassion,however, he would be treated harshly and coldly by those around him, which made him even more reluctant to human interaction; on top of that, he was half Chinese, half Japanese, which meant he wasn't looked fondly upon by neither compatriots, which worsened his acute feelings of loneliness and alienation.
The both of them, however, not only start to understand each other, but they start to depend on one another, they find themselves comfortable and finally 'at home' in one another's company.
It is a wonderful movie of finding ones self, of self awareness, of overcoming your fears and emotional scars and finally feeling fulfilled.
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This review may contain spoilers
Queen of Mystery (Mystery Queen) is a mixed genre Korean drama with slice of life/mystery/thriller/comedic elements that overall I found to be a satisfying though sometimes uneven drama. If you want something a little different and romance isn't a must, give it a go.But first the Cons:
Pacing: After one of the most satisfying first episodes, I found the next two to be in okay territory. This ends up kind of being a cycle with some very enjoyable episodes followed by satisfactory episodes. I did do some skipping here and there but it was limited. Also, one particular mystery in the first half of the drama goes on too long.
Too Much: This drama has solid actors but too many of them and a solid story to tell but they glutted it with more more more. I actually wished the drama had focused less on Inspector Woo, the chaebol characters and really would have been ok never meeting Seol Ok's husband. This is nothing against any of the actors but, rather, the lead actors and the neighborhood crew were so good, it didn't need all those other characters and story lines.
Suspending Reality: Various times there are things left hanging or one particular instance in particular where the audience has to suspend all sense of reality. I will leave it there to avoid spoiler territory but it involves the sister-in-law. Also, like many k-dramas there are some coincidental connections that are just too much to believe but again, this is kind of standard.
The Pros:
Actors: They are all great and a shout out to the leads. I am not as familiar with the actor's dramas, but he has the charisma and timing to pull off comedy without a problem. It actually took me several episodes to realize that the actress was the same one from Heart to Heart. She is lovely. All the co-stars are great as well, and the drama has one of the best, most honest representations of a mother-in-law. I loved that the actress is the same that plays the opposite type in Secret Garden, Heirs and Mask.
Direction Etc: Directions was quite good and music was solid though no OST songs really stuck with me.
Story: Flawed but overall enjoyable and quite honestly something different than a thriller or rom/com. The idea is nothing knew (Scarecrow & Mrs. King - a US show from the 80s - was a housewife and a spy), but I like seeing Korean dramas expand out into other avenues and it gets a little extra love from me for that.
As you can tell I really liked but didn't love this drama. I took a point off for pacing issues and a point off for the uneven story, plot holes and problematic ending. It still gets an 8 from me because this drama made me care about these characters and they grew as the drama went on in honest, realistic ways.
Complaint Other Viewers Have:
Now overall I didn't have issues with the ending because I knew going in everything was not going to be tied up with a red bow. However, there are some unhappy viewers regarding the ending. I felt that I knew where the characters were going so, at the end of the day, I was happy enough with that. At the same time, I understand why others were not. It has now come out that the production team is hoping for a Season 2 so they did this on purpose. Shame on them. I hope they get a second season because they could totally do a fun drama and close up some story lines, but I think the fans deserved better because second seasons are hard to come by in k-dramaland.
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