Completed
Mr. Hiiragi's Homeroom
58 people found this review helpful
by Ackery
Mar 14, 2019
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
This review may contain spoilers
SPOILER FREE: This is a must for suspense/psychological drama lovers. The plot is quite intriguing and the acting was really good. Masaki Suda was amazing (again) and the plot is full of twists that keeps the viewer on the edge. This series was highly entertaining and it was easy to watch. The death of Reina is a mystery to all and the viewers try to understand what will happen next. It wasn't perfect, but it was still powerful.


MAJOR SPOILERS!!!
From the beginning, this series shows the effect that social media have on our society. The drama gives us, each episode, a new clue about the main case and as viewers we try to uncover the crime/suicide of Kageyama Reina. The truth is slowly revealed and as a person who watched the show I expected a great conspiracy or something even if the actual reason is something that is shown -one way or another- in the first episodes.
This show was a message to everyone in a society that can't live without social media. Almost everyone has one account -or more- on sm and it takes away a part of our lives.

The ending was brilliantly filmed as Hiiragi talks on the camera, about who the real killers are pointing to everyone who is watching the series and therefore uses social media. A harmful word -intentional or not- can cause great damage to someone even if that person doesn't know us personally. The anonymity of social media gives everyone the opportunity to give their opinion no matter how harmful that can be. I loved the comments that Hiiragi received while he exposed the truth, as it was the most realistic reaction that could happen. It is not only that some can't accept the truth, but the most terrifying thing is the ones who don't understand that they did something wrong. It was great to show that the purpose wasn't to stop what we call cyber bullying, but being able to change even one person. As someone said if we want to change the world, first we must change ourselves.

To everyone who watched this - including myself - this is a great opportunity to double check before posting anything and thinking before talking, because our words can really be the knife on someone's hand.

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Completed
Surplus Princess
58 people found this review helpful
Oct 11, 2014
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
If this show had not been drastically cut by six episodes I am fairly certain that I'd be giving it a higher rating. I'm still giving it a fair rating because of the potential it had to be great. This show was cute, funny and silly (which I enjoyed). The acting and story were all good and yet it did not receive high ratings and ended up getting cut early. What makes the cut even worse then your typical cut is that 8 out of the supposed to be 16 episodes had already aired when it was announced that the series would be ending in 10 episodes instead. Thus, leaving the wirters with just two episodes to wrap everything up. The show was going so great and then all of a sudden you are hit with a rush job that did not do the show justice and frankly ended in a bit of confusing matter. The show is still very watchable though and I really enjoyed it minus the last two rush episodes.

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Completed
Exclusive Fairytale
58 people found this review helpful
Jul 27, 2023
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 9.5
I love it. This is the kind of drama that I usually enjoy while having my meals, no heavy problems, just teenagers and their youth.

I have read 50% of the novel and I can say that the production of this drama did a great job to make the story alive! There are some minor changes, but that did not affect the storyline. There are some scenes that I thought maybe can be done better because some of them were just kind of out of detail. I wish that they put more focus on the characters' personalities since I know the story can be developed more from that, but that's okay, I laughed a lot watching the FL and ML interact. The chemistry between the FL and ML is so good. Their acting is very natural, like real siblings. I have watched some of Miaoyi's dramas, and I also know Jun as an Idol, I know he was a child actor. This drama honestly surprised me because their acting is so good! I just know that they were actually having fun doing this project together.

I just hoped they put more songs into the drama, but maybe because it is a rom-com, the OST is more fun songs? Idk.

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Completed
Love Scout
93 people found this review helpful
Feb 14, 2025
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 8.5
This review may contain spoilers

Soothing sweetness of a healing Love Story in the midst of brutal, relentless Seoul business life

"Love Scout" offers a cozy, soft and warm love story for the heart. Here: embedded in the tough Seoul office workday. Also: it offers perfect KDrama craftsmanship for this genre. Somehow everything was done right. The social network of our two protagonists also fits perfectly into the whole. Additionally, there are quite some valuable messages between the lines. And then there is the soothing sweetness of a healing (fictional) KDrama-world in the midst of the harsh, intrusive, inhumane, unvarnished reality.

"Love Scout" conjures up a sweet love story in the brutal, relentless professional everyday life in Seoul 2025. On top of that: a workplace romance between a female boss and her male secretary is not exactly the easy choice.
The story has a certain sweetness to it, also thanks to 7-year-old Byeol. She actually manages to bring out the best in everyone, aiming directly at the heart.
However, the backdrop of the drama – or rather that of our two protagonists - is actually rather sad.

SHE is a successful businesswoman with good instincts, running her own headhunting agency, but along the way she has somewhat lost touch with herself – she has sort of cut off her needs. The price of her success is high. She is a workaholic, exploiting her body, and just as she tramples over her own needs, she does the same with those of her employees. Apart from work, she practically has nothing. The advantage: her (guilt) feelings are buried under workloads. No time to delve deeper.

HE has perfected the art of anticipating the needs of others. As a single father, he has everything under control. Admirable. But on the downside, he is almost compulsive, as he has no other choice – he cannot help but recognize the needs of others before they do. His antennas are completely tuned to his environment. Thus, he comes across as quite sympathetic, as he is the nice neighbor, friend, colleague... However, as a single parent there is hardly any room for his own needs either. He defines his joy mainly through the joy and satisfaction of others. This inevitably makes him not necessarily alone, but still somewhat lonely. And there, deeply buried, are well-hidden (guilt) feelings, too.

Both our FL and ML are quite efficient. Almost perfect. But both also work like highly efficient machines. In this, they are similar and can each see behind the facade of the other. A good start for a healing love story. A healing story overall, in the midst of a structurally sickening, toxic work environment where there is no place for human beings with human needs – for appreciation, sincere recognition, fairness, and enough regeneration time to recharge their emotional and physical 'batteries'.

The dance of FL and ML, performed on this stage, is touching the heart. Tender, at times playful, heartfelt. The encounter between the boss and her secretary becomes a gentle rapprochement between two people who are so cut off from themselves and their own needs, yet reflecting, recognizing, opening up and learning to love each other in this very aspect.

It is an overall good mixture. A love story with charming side plots, balanced in a well-proportioned way with socially critical issues. Those who wish, may condone the seriousness. And those who appreciate the earnest critique, will generously be served. Thus, in my eyes, „Love Scout“ offers quite salubrious and gratifying KDrama-delight.

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Ongoing 35/35
Begin Again
93 people found this review helpful
by depressed Flower Award1
Nov 30, 2020
35 of 35 episodes seen
Ongoing 3
Overall 9.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 9.5

Hilarious and charming, great acting (especially female lead) even with the cliche plot device!

If you read the synopsis, this seems like every other contract-marriage drama but this one does it very well. Although this show might seem like it'll prey on cliche tropes, it actually is one of the most charming cdramas of the year in my opinion.

Characters: First off, you have actually supportive parents. They're not the stereotypical "evil" in-laws. Both parents are good-hearted and want the best for their children and just want them to be happy.

You also have interesting side couples. At first glance, you might think a love-triangle will deter the show, but it really doesn't. At first, you might find the SML as a "bad guy" but you realize that he's actually harmless and caring deep down - it doesn't fall into the pithole of an annoying second male lead. He actually cares for the FL and her wants/desires. The love-triangle essentially stops a bit halfway through and SML starts to focus on the SFL, who is one of the cutest "best-friend-character" of the FL. Even the initially annoying Tang Ping stops her bratty nature relatively quickly and becomes a supportive character instead, Overall, the characters are very enjoyable.

The main female lead is a forceful and strong CEO while the male lead is a caring, quiet, and considerate doctor. It's nice to see more strong female leads. Even though she's assertive, Zhou Yutong is SO funny and adorable as well. So many individual cute moments + cute relationship moments. Simon Gong plays his part great as a foil to the FL. There's great character developments and you begin to see a role reversal in the later episodes which makes everything so much more quirky and entertaining. Honestly, the leads + supporting cast are done so well!

Plot: It's nothing too special but I just wanted to say that it's a very funny drama. It's not really external conflict/plot-driven but more character-driven which I enjoyed a lot. There's actually "laugh out loud" moments. The chemistry between all the characters are great (leads with each other, different combinations of lead with supporting, supporting with supporting). Small misunderstandings are resolved relatively quick so it's a nice watch most of the time. The most important thing to note which might be a SPOILER is that there's actually a time-skip which breaks this show out of the mold of a generic contract-marriage drama. I generally don't like giving a "spoiler" but I feel like this one isn't that "important" to keep hidden but it's still important to mention since potential viewers might want to know. I normally hate a plot device like this, but in Begin Again, it's done very well -- reasons are valid, characters change and grow afterwards.

However, one issue I have with the plot is the business politics side. This is the one part of the drama where it feels forced and unnatural. Character motivations are unbelievable. It's not particularly prevalent but whenever it pops up, it just makes me want to fast-forward [but it's very minimal]. Honestly borderlining unwatchable for me; thank god the romcom aspect is done well to keep me locked in.

Conclusion: Watch this for the adorable characters. Strong female lead, nice male lead, character development, likable supporting cast. Even a show that seems to have many cliches, it actually subverts many obvious ones and is a great watch. It veers away from the melodrama tropes and is fresh and refreshing.

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Completed
Crash Landing on You
232 people found this review helpful
by palak
Feb 16, 2020
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 11
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

SOS: I'm in love with Hyun Bin (again) T-T

This drama was just addictive! The plot had the right dose of rom-com, heartwarming gestures, witty dialogues and action. Every episode ended on such a cliffhanger that kept you restless for the rest of the week until Saturday came to take the edge off ;)

Hyun Bin was just adorable and sexy and honest and honorable and kind and perfect (so, so perfect). I could go on for70,000 years. It was so refreshing to see Son Ye Jin step out of her usual Melodrama set-ups (well, most of the time anyway, haha) and play a badass, funny heiress. She nailed this role. I loved what she was wearing in North Korea (anyone remember the sunflower-print dress? It was so lovely). I also loved the fact that she did not wear any make-up in her North Korea scenes.

In fact, one of the biggest charms of this drama lie in the fact that the writer tried to subvert the usual norms. Son Ye Jin played a heiress (not the typical, poor, melo damsel-in-distress, possibly dying) and Hyun Bin played a sweet guy (unlike his usual jerk characters). Also, love the fact that the girl was from South and the guy from North (usually it is the other way around, engendering the North as the poor, weak female and the South as the strong, dominating male)(king2heart, blow breeze). Also the fact that the woman was the one who had the played the field and had experiences with relationships, while the guy was innocent and sweet. All this breathed life and freshness into the drama.

The second leads were great. So happy to see Seo Ji Hye landing a lead role. She is so deserving. Seo Dan was not a nasty second lead. She was so nice beneath all that hard exterior. Hyun Bin's subordinates were so awesome. My favorite was the one who loved Choi Ji Woo and Korean dramas but I loved all of them really. The maknae was so adorable! The cameos were great. The rest of the supporting cast was awesome. I loved North Korean ahjummas. They remind me of Reply 1988. Seo Dan's mother and uncle were awesome (I realized so belated they worked in Parasite, lol. "RESPECT" xD).

The OST was perfect! I already want to watch it again. The chemistry was so, so good.

If I had to summarize this drama in one scene/phrase, I would say: HYUN BIN'S POUT!!!!!!!!!!!

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Completed
Shining Inheritance
171 people found this review helpful
May 12, 2012
28 of 28 episodes seen
Completed 9
Overall 7.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
Recently I finally learned the meaning of the word "makjang". For those of you who are in the dark as I was, a makjang drama is one where the twists and turns are so over the top, with the hero/ine having to face so much misfortunes and betrayal, the next step is either sanctification or Dante's Inferno. I dare give the word my very personal definition: a drama is makjang, when you wish you could enter the screen and murder half of the characters with your bare hands, then ease on your couch with a sigh of intense satisfaction (drink some soju and you'll have become a makjang character yourself).

Shining Inheritance fits both definitions. There's envy, greed, a dead man walking, 10 trillions lies, missed encounters by a microsecond, corporate plotting, memory loss, love polyhedrons and such a dose of odious behaviours your becoming a virtual assassin would be justified.
But before you decide you hate the genre and turn the page, let me say this drama is strangely and acutely addictive. It took me 4 weeks to pant through the first 7 episodes and less than 1 to watch the remaining 21 (granted, with a little fast forwarding here and there).
The plot is very consistent. Every narrative line comes to a conclusion and justice triumphs. Delicate subjects are touched here, and I appreciated this the most.
I maintain the whole story could have been easily condensed in half the time and the dialogues thinned, if only the characters had stopped repeating the same sentences like an echo and the word money had been uttered one thousand times instead of one billion. There will be moments in which you'll question your choice of dramas, but at that point you'll be so implicated in the crime… ehm, plot, drop it will be harder than exit a gang.

The acting mark is the result of an arithmetic mean. The beginning is not encouraging at all, with exaggerations and wooden deliveries all over the place, but it improves a lot in going. It's as though the actors had been attending Theatre Class while filming. With a notable exception: Yun Joon Suk, who plays the autistic brother, is impressive all through, and makes the drama shine in depth and emotion every time he's on screen.
I'm usually only mildly interested in the cast's attire, unless it's so distracting it prevents me from fully enjoying it or it is integral part of the narrative intent. But grandmother's grey wig - I truly hope it was one - looked so disjointed from her skull I watched all her scenes brandishing a comb. Not that Lee Seung Gi's hairdo was much better: now and then it truly looked like it was about to migrate towards warmer shores. I prayed he would be caught in a sudden downpour to flatten it but, alas!, the sun shone brightly on him. There's improvement in this department too, though, and if you fall for the very pretty main couple, the deed is done.

Two words about the music. I had a hard time coming to terms with the blend of Bach's adagio and K-pop, the first being too solemn and fit to a mass in Latin and the second too… pop. Once again, it's the little brother who saves the score with his very sweet piano piece dedicated to his Noona.

So here's my little piece of advice: watch it. Resist the urge to drop it after the first episode, contain your puzzlement in the second and third, wipe your sweat to the 7th and you'll be hooked. Completing it will give you a sense of power and the feeling you have truly watched The Drama of All Dramas.
What does not kill you, makes you stronger.

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Completed
Discovery of Love
49 people found this review helpful
by Aryael
Oct 8, 2014
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
Story: This drama explores the question "What happens if you meet your ex when you are in a steady relationship with another and your ex wants you back?" There is a lot of frustration as the audience is treated to the pendulum nature of the lead female's psyche. On one hand, she is tempted and on another she is committed to her current relationship. Shall she choose responsibility and commitment over passion and attraction? Who will she end up in the end? If you are curious, then watch this drama. This drama will leave you thinking about the reality of relationships and I am sure, for all of you who have been in relationships before (and ended it), you can relate to one or two things portrayed in this drama. I also like how between scenes, the main characters were filmed in an interview format to allow the audience to see the scenes and situations from the character's perspective; a bit of "she said" versus "he said" versus "they said" situation.

Acting/Cast: Mature and experienced actors and actresses. Side characters are very entertaining and they have their own little love stories to add into the story as well. I am not a fan of any of the actors or actresses in this drama, but I'll make a special mention for Eric (as Kang Tae Ha) and Yoon Hyun-Min (as Do Joon Ho). Eric showed a relaxed and natural form of acting. He had totally embraced and live the character he was given. One would even ask, is this his true character in real life that he is so comfortable and natural in portraying Kang Tae Ha? Yoon Hyun-Min as Dr. Do Joon Ho was hilarious, serious, smart and very much caught-in-between. Someone give this guy the main lead character in a romantic comedy already! I am sure he will do well in it!

Music: Nice but forget-able.

Rewatch value: This is a drama made to be watched once. You'll like it (but not adore it) and you'll move on from it. If you have nothing fantastic on your plate at the moment and do not mind watching romance drama depicting realistic struggles of dating relationships, you might want to make a time for this drama.

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Completed
Ordinary Greatness
49 people found this review helpful
Jun 18, 2022
38 of 38 episodes seen
Completed 11
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.5

The sum of ordinary is great.

Wow. I did not expect to enjoy this drama so much. In fact I didn't expect to get past the first episode. But I just had to check it out for the spectacular cast. And I am well chuffed that I did. It is the most eloquent and engaging low concept drama made in years.

Wang Shouyi is chief of the chronically short staffed Bailihe People's Police station. With a 93.4pct community satisfaction rate, they rank 144 out of 163 in the district. These are not elite cops trying to solve major crimes. They are just ordinary cops that grapple with mundane, daily cases from petty crimes to heated community spats. The denizens of their community are a loud, colorful, chaotic, demanding, often ignorant, unreasonable and utterly exasperating lot. This is written authentically with a strong dose of humor and irony that garners big laughs from small things such as an absurdly moving case of diaper theft. It is an intricate, intimate account of the broad array of everyday social pressures experienced by Chinese society. This brilliant, unglamorous drama that feels like a shared coming-of-age experience traverses the bleakest, most flawed to the greatest, most compassionate aspects of humanity.

Wang Jingchun's canny Chief Wang is the star of the show. He badgers his director into assigning four new recruits with diverse abilities and backgrounds to his station. With wisdom and perspicacity, he assigns an experienced mentor to each of the bright eyed and bushy tailed young recruits. This excess of greenness and enthusiasm is met with a mixture of annoyance and trepidation by the battle hardened veterans. Prodded along wisely past hiccups by Chief Wang, adjustments are needed on both sides to make these seemingly random pairings work out. Over time, their shared trials and triumphs end up being a catalyst for character growth all around.

Xia Jie's father, the former well loved chief of Bailihe station perished in the line of duty ten years ago. Her mentor Cheng Hao was mentored by her father and like Xia Jie, seeks closure from what happened so long ago. She is treated like a protected species by her father's comrades and her mom hounds the station to keep her out of harm's way. My blood boils every time her mom goes on a rampage. But as much as I am frustrated and angry at her, I can't help but be moved by her sheer terror and deep sorrow, at how time did not ameliorate the shock and intensity of her loss. I really applaud Bai Lu for her true to life portrayal of Xia Jie's struggle to make peace with the past, find meaning in her role at the station and build life bonds with her peers. I also love that the drama only hints of awareness that could blossom into romance down the road but keeps the primary focus on the camaraderie and burgeoning mutual understanding that turns the four young friends into found family.

Liu Dawei is the other super solid characterisation of a young cop with rough edges that offers the barest glimpses of another Chief Wang in the making several decades down the road. On paper, he is the least promising recruit, a trouble maker at the bottom of his enrolment class. But he has high EQ and it is as much his kind nature as his inherent nosiness that gets him embroiled in everyone's business. His mentor Chen Xinsheng is initially very irritated to be saddled with this brash and over talkative young man with an instinct to rush headlong into danger. Their relationship and how it evolves on multiple fronts and interlocks with the other characters is the best written and portrayed dynamic in the drama. This is not at all surprising that magic happens when you put together immersive and versatile actors of Zhang Ruoyun and Ning Li's caliber.

Xu Kaicheng also delivers a very respectable performance as the book smart Yang Shu, the perfect foil for the street smart Liu Dawei. His struggles with Cao Jianjun his ethically flexible mentor with hero complex, is forced at some emotionally complex moments but overall comes off well. He is surprisingly good at comedy - I laughed the hardest when he is pimped out by the station as an undercover gigolo. I also much enjoyed the stingy Zhao Jiwei's great relish and talent for self criticism and his eye for detail in the cracking of the diaper theft case. This memorable ensemble cast would not be as well rounded out or grounded in reality without Zhao Jiwei and his mentor Zhang Zhijie's focus on how it is the small things that make the biggest difference.

This slice of life drama is far from a fairytale - It doesn't try to suggest that life is fair or bad things don't happen to good people. It resonates because it is simply about coping with life's daily challenges. The outcomes are not always just and success and failure do not necessarily correlated with good or right decisions. All four of these young recruits come with baggage and are mentored by battle scarred veterans with their own issues. Their flaws and personal traumas enable them to process and respond to situations with compassion and compromise and thus not always to the full letter of the law. They may just be ordinary cops trying to be their best selves but together they prove that the sum of ordinary is great.

It is normal for these types of slice of life character dramas to be light on plot but the final arcs do dial up the complexity and intensity of the cases as the young recruits gain experience. While the drama does end at a climax, I would have preferred that they ended this on the penultimate gaslighting/cyber crime case. This drama was never about heroes so I am not sure we need to see history repeat itself with another Xia Jie in the making ten years down the road. It isn't a bad final arc at all it just strikes a bit of an odd note with the rest of the drama. That does not change that this is an immensely enjoyable story that made me reflect a bit, laugh a lot and tear up occasionally. I am rating it my first 9.0 for 2022.

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Completed
History of the Salaryman
49 people found this review helpful
Mar 14, 2012
22 of 22 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
This drama is full of exciting twists and dark humor. I was a little reluctant to start watching it, but I'm so freakin glad I did. I loved that the characters' personalities had a nice development as the drama progressed. My emotional tummy almost fully satiated--there were heart-wrenching moments where I was just bawling like a baby, fist-clenching moments where I yelled at the screen and let loose curses that would've made Yeo Chi proud, and painful-I-can't-breathe moments when I was guffawing so loud my neighbor came to check if I was mentally stable.

The acting is absolutely top-notch, the music is currently on infinite repeat in my apt, and I would watch this drama again.

I wished that there were more heart-pumping, squee/cringing moments--that kind that make you feel embarrassed and avert your eyes to give them privacy. But that's just me.

If you enjoy having a characters of the following variety:
love-to-hate, endearing, kick-ass, hilarious, hopelessly tragic, and one-you-watch-bc-you-fell-in-love-with-them-in-a-diff-drama/movie/etc

THEN THIS IS THE DRAMA FOR YOU!! ;D

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Completed
With You
49 people found this review helpful
by TRDL
Jul 25, 2017
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.5
With You is SUCH a feel-good drama, especially if you like these kinds of slice-of-life, youth high school dramas. The friendships and relationships are so CUTE and feel so real and relatable. It realistically portrays a high school/teenage experience, complete with school struggles, family issues, and the making and breaking of friendships and relationships.

This series follows Geng Geng, a slightly awkward but adorable first year high schooler who feels like she's not smart enough to be at the prestigious Zhen Hua High School. The first day she happens to meet her future deskmate, the brilliant Yu Huai, and although they bicker at first, they soon form a strong friendship. They all become good friends with their classmates and have a strong bond with their teacher, Zhang Ping. Geng Geng also attracts the attention of the school's resident rebel, Lu Xing He, who quickly falls in love with her and isn't shy about announcing his crush to the world. The show follows Geng Geng, her friends, and even their teacher, through their struggles in both school and life. The show mostly focuses on their first year in high school, but toward the end also looks at the rest of their high school life and a little bit of the future 10 years later.

Like other similar shows, I love how With You develops really deep and complex characters who feel real. No one is flawless and everyone behaves in a very realistic way. I like that the main conflict comes not from villainous characters, but from challenges in life, such as struggling in school, controlling parents, unrequited crushes, and the like.

I LOVED Geng Geng's rapport with both her primary love interest, Yu Huai, and secondary love interest, Lu Xing He. Yu Huai and Geng Geng clearly like each other from day 1, but neither of them admit it. But what makes the show so beautiful is their friendship and the ways in which they support each other and look out for each other. Their relationship doesn't have grand gestures of romance, but has a solid foundation of friendship. On the other hand, Lu Xing He makes it clear from day 1 that he is in love with Geng Geng and his relationship with Geng Geng is full of shameless declarations of love. He is similarly supportive of her, and so selfless in trying to make sure she's happy.

The only reason I wouldn't rate With You a full 10/10 is because I felt like the ending escalated a bit too much in drama and got a bit too convoluted with misunderstandings, tears, and people hurting each other. It felt too much like a traditional romance drama rather than the slice-of-life type drama it had been all along. But overall, With You is definitely a good watch for warm and fuzzy feelings and adorable friendships.

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Completed
The Love You Give Me
49 people found this review helpful
May 12, 2023
28 of 28 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
This review may contain spoilers

Sweet and fluffy

May 11, 2023

The Love You Give Me just hits the spot for 2023 fluffy Chinese Rom-com drama. I have dropped so many Cdramas and only this one I have kept up with. Just because it’s so good, I love this troupe so much.

The lovers to strangers to coparenting to lovers again. It's so good, I think for this specific troupe, The Love You Give Me, might be my favourite one along with Begin Again.

The main couple, Min Hui and Xin Qi, their chemistry is fantastic. From what I saw from other watchers, this is apparently their 3rd or 4th Cdrama that they were in as a couple. And since I am in such a big rabbit hole with them right now, I think I will be watching their previous works as well.

QuanQuan is so cute, he is like the cutest child. I really love how he was able to give such interesting flavour to the plot and the drama. His side commentaries are hilarious and it is sometimes a representation of what the viewers might say between the petty fights or misunderstanding of Min Hui and Xin Qi. "Adults always tell us to say the truth, but they can't do it themselves." I think this is how the line goes or something. Anyway, it is not exactly this, but when QuanQuan said this in that one episode. It is very factual. I love him so much.

As for the other leads as well, they are so cute and lovely. Some scenes were a bit too much for me, so I had to skip... Moving on, the ending was just right. Like obviously the generic ending was given, but for some reason, I really love it.

Anyhow, I wish you all can give Love You Give Me a chance! Just like how Min Hui gave Xin Qi a chance.

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Completed
Skip Beat!
49 people found this review helpful
May 24, 2012
15 of 15 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 10
Rewatch Value 8.0
I definitely love this drama as much as I loved the ANIME!

At first I doubted if I should watch this drama since I really love the anime/manga and I don't want to be disappointed seeing the actors/actresses ruin the story. But since I really love the story I watched it... and I made the RIGHT CHOICE!

This drama was definitely a SUCCESSFUL one! For the story, I must compliment that they gave justice to the original story... They haven't made a lot of changes... almost the same, so much like the anime, but still, definitely worth watching.

For the actors, I really love the character of Tsuruga Ren in the anime (Dung He Lian in this drama), and I should say Choi Si Won has portrayed Ren's character well (just don't mind the voice dubbing). And I also did love how Ivy Chen portrayed Kyoko. Dong Hae was not bad as well... I really loved how all the cast portrayed their individual roles...

Music was definitely cool and awesome. Rewatch value (though I usually don't rewatch dramas), I would definitely watch this again after a couple of years... Overall, this was great!

You would definitely laugh your heart out! You'll enjoy watching this and for those who have watched the anime, you would enjoy this as much as you've enjoyed the anime version...

I definitely want to see a second season of this drama where they could include a lot more of scenes/story from the MANGA...

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Completed
Switched
49 people found this review helpful
Aug 8, 2018
6 of 6 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
Envy is a powerful force, one that can drive someone to extreme measures.

Thus, is the case in Switched, when the least popular girl steals a popular classmate’s body. A common storyline of someone who switches bodies with someone else, but with a twist. The series focuses on Ayumi Kohinata, who was the once popular student and how she must now cope with her new body, try to get back to her own, and figure out who really cared for her, and not just for her looks.

One of the aspects I found refreshing in this story was the fact that Ayumi Kohinata was NOT a mean character. Many times, in body switching type stories, the popular girl would have been cruel and would have previously bullied the unpopular girl. That was not the case in this drama. Ayumi was sweet, and truly cared for her friends and boyfriend. However, you come to find out that not everyone is that way, and many care more for appearances than what lies beneath.
This drama was in no way the BEST drama I have ever seen but it was short, addictive, and totally binge-worthy. I LOVED some of the characters, especially Kaga. And I also, like the mystery, and twists that this drama had. I went into this show having low expectations but ended up watching it all in one sitting and truly enjoying it! The acting was great, the storyline was interesting, and the characters were interesting.

If you are like me and tend to steer clear of body-swapping dramas as they tend to be overdone and lack originality, reconsider on this one. This one is a really fast watch and has a different take on the subject. It might surprise you. (I know it did for me) Definitely recommend!

Happy Drama Watching!

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Completed
Young Blood
49 people found this review helpful
Jun 30, 2019
42 of 42 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0

The 'A' Team | Mission Impossible Theme

When I first read the title, I thought it was some youthful drama full of modern vibes and silliness, so I didn't give it much attention. How wrong I was! Normally, it takes me 1 or 2 episodes to get acquainted with a drama and the actors. But with this drama, my attention is immediately captured.

I love the acting of all the characters - each has his/her own flaws, and greatness. They also have their own stories and aspirations. How they come together to work as a team eventually to beat the evil doers and to bring good to the country is something that is inspirational and heart-warming. The actors are good and play their roles convincingly.

This drama is out of my expectation! It is serious, and yet humorous with great taste. There are some lighthearted moments, but they are not from the story itself; rather, they are from the playfulness of the main male character, Yuan Zhongxin, and the dumbness of Wei Ya Nei.

The story starts with a lot of twists and turns evolving around Yuan Zhongxin; it becomes difficult to discern his orientation and loyalty initially. And that's exactly the reason that captures my interest. He is my most loved character - honorable, upstanding, wily, street smart, intelligent, and mischievous. He stands behind his friends and family fully, and one can be assured that with him, things will be taken care of. I also love the character Wei Ya Nei played by Bruce He. He is spoiled, dumb and silly, and yet he is honorable and funny. Bruce He is so convincing that I begin to love him. My other favorite character would be Zhao Jian who is a badass girl, beautiful, smart, decisive and skillful in fighting. She is a natural leader that makes me feel good watching this drama. The other characters are equally lovable and impressive. Together, they make the 'A' team, fighting and solving espionage cases.

The story is fast paced. Viewers can brace for something to happen in every scene. Sometimes, it's hard to discern what is true or false, what is black or white, what is right or wrong. Every time when something seems to be bad, becomes good, and vice versa. There are twists and turns till the end of the story.

The fighting scenes are wonderful with beautiful choreography; the young actors are convincing and good looking; the setting of Northern Song is authentic and believable; the politics, espionage and scheming are cliff hangers and page turners.

This is a really good drama. It is highly recommended.

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