The story is fairly standard and represents an unfulfilled youthful first love. The whole story develops around a pair of students. On the one hand we have a beautiful and somewhat mysterious music student Seo-Yeon (Bae Suzy/Han Ga-In), and on the other a shy architecture student, Seung-Min (Lee Je-Hoon/Uhm Tae-Woong). Their affair begins with the first class of "Introduction to Architecture" and with last, ends. After 15 years, Seo-Yeon finds Seung-Min and employs him to rebuild her home on the Jeju island.
Both stories are intertwined in a pleasant and peaceful way. Lee serves up standard problems, in the form of first love of two students, and the bittersweet romance of the same pair in their prime of life. It seems that we get another typical romance, with all its advantages and disadvantages, but in the case of Architecture 101 is only a first impression. What makes this particular movie stands out from the others? Architecture. All known schemes are presented through the prism of ubiquitous architecture. Love of Seo-Yeon and Seung-Min follows the footsteps of "Introduction to Architecture" and ends after 15 years with construction of home. Lee superbly presented things we already know, in a new way, so that even a cliche story, ends up being "fresh" and consistent.
As for the actors, most of the time we see a pair of Bae Suzy/Lee Je-Hoon, partly a result of the fact that Lee Je-Hoon is de facto protagonist of the entire production. Although not quite similar to each other, we are able to believe that the naive and shy Lee Je-Hoon grew into a cynical and nonchalant Uhm Tae-Woong, and Bae Suzy playing the perfect Korean girl grown to be forthright but at the same time sensitive and delicate Han Ga-In.
All this makes it an excellent story that is closer to the viewer than the sleek affair of Romeo and Juliet. When Seo-Yeon and Seung-Min meet after years, he no longer sees her through rose-colored glasses, because he lost them long time ago. All the time he blames her for how their first love has ended, even though through the movie, we learn that he, because of his insecurity and low self esteem, is equally responsible. Our memories can deceive us, but the pain of unrequited first love will never disappear, the song, a face, book, almost everything can bring it back. The mind will deny it, but the heart never forgets.
Architecture 101 is a position that may bore many and surprise in not a nice way. I recommend people to watch it again, but calmly, to be able to empathize with the characters and think about the whole story. This movie has something which many similar production are lacking, despite the lack of rousing story or breathtaking effects, it really is not a boring production. This is a movie which, thanks to its simplicity, becomes intimate to viewer and seems very real, you only have to look a bit deeper.
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High quality, heavy load
Has this drama high quality? Absolutely yes.Was acting good? Perfectly. I can give 100 out of 10 to everyone (idk why but maybe except Lee Min Ki)
Was the story interesting and unusual? YES!
Were the dialogues meaningful and thought-provoking? Definitely.
Did I enjoy watching this drama? No. A big no.
Did I finish it no matter what? Yes.
It was a heavy load on my shoulders which I am still feeling. Wasnt enjoyable for me at all except few scenes. Why? Cuz it was so relatable for me. Relatable much as giving pain to me. Some fears mentioned were my own fears that I am afraid to mention. Some frustrations were my own frustrations that I can't find any way out. Some weariness was my own weariness that I am struggling with for many years. This drama didn't do any good to me. At the beginning of the drama, we were all sad. All characters and me. And at the end, at least some of them are happy compared to the beginning, I am still sad. Nor their sadness neither their happiness made me happy.
I can see that why many people like this drama that much. It is in a different league compared to most of the dramas. But I prefer dramas with lower quality and higher pleasing level.
According to me who can enjoy this drama most? Adults who are satisfied with their lifes. They might have problems in their past, but now they should be happy about their life in general. I think for younger people like teenagers, it can be a boring drama with 'pessimistic adults', it can be seen as "unrealistically plaintive" even if it is totally real. And I think for the adults like me, adults who have big problems, who have big disappointments, who have to deal with things that they've never thought they are gonna deal with before, this drama is heavy load. I am happy to finish this drama finally. I would never start it at the beginning if i've known it is something like this.
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Healing, beauty and acceptance wrapped in spooky fairytales
Gosh, I spent 70% of this show with a lump in my throat, 10% with happy warmth in my chest and 20% bawling my eyes out.It's a fast, intense, twisty emotional roller coaster that keeps you engaged throughout.
The best thing about this drama is the smart and impactful portrayal of mental illness. It's not preachy, it's not overly idealistic, it doesn't try to pretend to be extra woke, it's not trying to pass itself as an educational program- it's really just a touching story about three damaged, emotionally stunted people who are trying to get by.
I am not a medical professional and I am not gonna waste time trying to analyze all the symptoms and guess the disorders and argue about that because that's grossly missing the point.
The main focus of this drama was showing the pain, frustration and sorrow that comes with suffering from trauma, dealing with conditions out of your hands and the hurt that comes with mental illness for both who have it and their family members.
But most of all it highlights the strength of these people, about how they help each other and get help from each other to make things a bit better.
It beautifully expresses themes of understanding, resilience, love and friendship between people who've had a very tough life.
Ofcourse, in typical K drama fashion, it's not without its cheesy tropes, cliches and some flair for dramatics but despite all of that it gets the message across in a powerful manner.
The beauty of it is that despite being filled with heartbreaking and emotional moments that make you shed tears and snot, it never lets the dark side become overpowering by adding much needed comic relief and heart warming moments that make you giggle and feel good inside.
There is extra charm in people who are beautiful AND excellent actors. All the cast delivers phenomenally with the two main leads having electric chemistry with each other and sharing glorious, steamy kisses that will go down in k drama history. ;)
The show is easy to watch with a bit of suspense, thrill, murder mystery, psychotic parents and drama mixed with emotion, heart and healing. It's fast paced peppered with wholesome slow moments and amazing character growth.
Seo Ye Ji's impulsive, passionate, gorgeously dressed, blunt, morally questionable female lead with childlike tendencies is undoubtedly a crowd favorite.
On the other hand, Kim Soo Hyun's handsome, selfless, persevering male lead with bambi eyes and a mutinous heart brings his own to the table. (Even though I am usually not a fan of his acting and feel like he has nothing behind his eyes, somehow this role happened to be convincing and basically one of his best.)
Finally, bringing them both together, the veteren Oh Jung Sae brought forth an endearing character suffering from autism who is extremely pure hearted and just trying his best.
The moments between these three are powerful and literally make you pray for these people and their happiness. The side characters are all relevant and enhance the flavor of the show
The OST is stunning, the direction is beautiful and the pretty story telling incorporating scary fairytales and creepy animations brings everything full circle.
It's definitely binge worthy and a full of feeling ride that you don't want to miss.
Enjoy!
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This review may contain spoilers
Story Built on Bad Decisions
Personally, not a fan of the “cheat on your current partner to find your soulmate” genre. Unfortunately, this drama turned out to be exactly that and that’s my biggest issue with it.The best thing for me was definitely the countryside visuals. I’m a complete sucker for countryside dramas regardless of genre, I almost always end up watching them. That’s the main reason this drama was on my watchlist in the first place.
What I didn’t like were the characters and the core story. Honestly, not a single character won me over. The entire drama is just people making one stupid life decision after another.
The male lead, Hae-ju, might be one of the most infuriating characters I’ve ever watched in a Kdrama. He dumps the female lead but the moment she’s about to get married, he finds out about his illness and suddenly kidnaps her to accompany him on a journey before his death without even informing her properly. He gives zero thought to what she would go through or the emotional state she’d be left in once he abandoned her again. Every tragedy in his life except the illness is self-created. He does the same to his birth mother, never allowing his adoptive father to process the fact that the child he raised isn’t biologically his. His mother eventually commits suicide and he leaves home and becomes a street kid. His entire arc is chaos driven by selfish choices.
The female lead, Jae-mi, is a pushover. This time, I could at least understand why she’s content with less than the bare minimum given her background. But let’s be honest many people in the real world accept the bare minimum only because it comes from a handsome face, no matter what others might have to offer.
Eo heung—the cuck. I felt sympathy for him at first but as the story progressed, that sympathy turned into pure irritation.
Despite hating the characters, I managed to finish the drama because I disliked all of them equally. I hate it when genuinely good people end up with irritating partners. I firmly believe that people with the same level of emotional mess deserve each other. And in that sense, the ending at least made the story feel more meaningful.
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Now, don't get me wrong. Each episode from 1 to 7 wasn't bad; they just didn't add up into a good 7-hour experience for me. They were good one-by-one. If you have seen American series (police or crime series in particular), you'll know how they start an episode with one case and ends it within that episode, and nothing from that episode will affect the next episode at all. As soon as our main detective Park Kwang Ho arrives in 2016, Tunnel plays that card.
For character introduction purposes, not touching on the main plot for a short while is totally okay. However, the length of 7 episodes of doing that is painfully long – 44% in and there's still no progress whatsoever. That point kept bugging me all the way. Apart from that, the main characters are good at their job, so the one-case-one-episode is averagely fun on its own.
I believe that the story picks up around episode 8. From then on until episode 12, the pace of the drama suddenly changes in a good way. These are the most exciting and suspenseful 4 episodes in my opinion. There is a surprising amount of improvements from character development to story revelations. The last phase of the drama, episode 13-16, cools down a lot, but it still keeps playing with the main story. For me, it was fine. By the end of the series, I was more satisfied than I thought when I went through the first half.
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It's still too bad that after all those satisfying second half, I still don't see the point of making this a time-traveling drama. Of course, the "tunnel" and the time-traveling play a part in this story. I just think that they could've made use of this theme much more – or dropped that idea completely.
The main character who time-travels lacks a lot of "oldies" qualities I expected to see from its premise. By this I mean that he could've possessed old-school yet surprisingly useful methods that help with the modern crime-solving process, or rather appear really countrified that he looks funny. Instead, he adapts to the modern world so well. If this wasn't a time-travel drama and this character was a detective from the present time, it'll still work just fine. It feels almost as if the writers are using this "time-traveling" trigger word just to call for attention.
At the same time, Tunnel cannot escape a lot of clichés in making their characters and criminals, and even situations. A lot of things were revealed by words rather than actions. Many mysteries are solved in a blink of an eye after dragging them for so long. It's like when things build up to a certain degree and you're almost excited, the next moment it becomes "Oh... That's it?"
The cast and their acting really save the entire show. They're extremely great in every given situation, although again, you'll have to get to the second half of the show to see so. I rated their acting a 10/10 although some small side characters are so-so because they don't have much impact anyway.
The background music and sound effect cues aren't awkward, so I gave it a 7/10, but they mostly just went through my ears instead lingering around for more impact. This is the genre that doesn't need emotional OSTs to play at heartbreaking moments anyway. I still wished I ended it with one or two songs to keep listening to. I ended up with none.
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Final thoughts: I wouldn't suggest my friends to watch this for the time-traveling. I would suggest them to watch simply because it's a good crime drama with good acting. I liked it – don't get me wrong after I point out all those cons. I didn't regret watching this show. Also, I barely rewatch dramas, and a crime drama can be either too predictable or too gruesome to rewatch, so I gave that part a low score.
Overall, it's a 8/10 for me because it does only 75~80% of what it initially promised to do. This score is not to be compared with other dramas, especially the ones that are not from this genre.
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This drama is made to give you butterflies! The romance is just beautiful...
Two calm and young humans fall in love amidst a snowstorm in a snowy country! This sentence sums the whole drama up.From the beginning, we get to see lovers who fall in love in a pure way, just like snow. It's just serene and sweet, and nothing more.
There are obstacles. There are past issues. There are some grains of mystery involved, but their romance development is on-point and flowing like the wind.
The scenery is marvelous! we get to see European cities covered in snow, trees, and cute cafes. It's one of those Aesthetic dramas that satisfy your craving for beauty.
The OSTs and main songs are sooo beautiful. The lyrics match the whole story and it's mesmerizing.
Also, there is no love triangle or exes from the past.
The leads have the healthiest relationship ever and their communication is so sweet.
Also, it's notable to mention that this drama has the most beautiful romantic scenes. The leads get to kiss and hold hands whenever they are given the chance! it's just pure ROMANCE.
Overall, a very sweet and romantic modern Cdrama. It's a must-watch imo :)
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I was wrong. Those things are on the story, but we can't deny that it has its own way to develop it. Su-min is a poor man who goes to the big city trying to be someone; blind by his proud, he tries to succeed without no one helping. Jae-min is a playboy who has everything he ever wanted, but it seems he never experienced love before. The way they interact the whole time is so sutile, and at the same time is so intense... Su-min, Jae-min and the rest of the characters are people living their own lives, without that "protagonist-personality" and way of thinking so present on romantic movies. There's not heroes and villains. All we see is just people.
Like Juniko ?? said here, "each one (line) is used wisely". That's a story conveying extra-real feelings, bringing us the real emotions in our own real lives. More than romantic dialogues, the movie talks in the action, the gesture, the finest expression of emotion, at the point the story flows by that aspect. The whole thing goes naturally. It's not like a boring scenario that had a good make-up.
Has been a while since I watched a movie like this one, so I watched again a lot. Not only because of the sex scenes, I'm not a pervert! I just love seeing their love being build in such a rich way.
If any of you have such a good recommendation, please tell me. Thanks in advance. ^^
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It was so interesting in the beginning,the first episodes made me actually excited but...What happened writers?! I even started this drama with high expectations,the plot looked really promising and the cast didn't looked bad at all. I love Lee Sung Kyung as an actress so i was 100% sure this was going to be bomb.
But halfway through the story,the show lost it's way. The writers fucked up so much. This had the potential to be unique and refreshing until the end but the wrong choices and the dragging scenes were excruciating to watch. I forced myself to finish it,i don't even know why,i should've stopped at episode 8 cause that was the only one that i loved and the only one that made me cry. I feel proud for staying till the end.
Sadly,i don't like skipping episodes,but i had to skip a lot of scenes in the last 4 ones. I was pretty much done with this drama. Even Rowoon(the beauty from Sf9 <3) didn't make it better,i kept watching for him but his relationship also dragged so much,it started to be annoying and immature.
And so many characters were fillers. The evil brat that the writers seemed to love and prolonged her story to the point i wanted to jump out of the window and that guy only speaking in one language but understanding korean fluently. Like wtf,why? And the mom,istg this ahjumma always has irritating characters.
And i thought the ending was going to be okay but hell no. The writers just quit and walked out. This reminded me of when i used to do my homework 5 minutes before class started. Exactly the same,rushed and lazy written.
Overall,execution dragged the plot considerably and it's a shame because so many good actors wasted their time on this. I wouldn't recommend even if you're bored but if you have insomnia and you want to fell asleep,watch it.
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Controverse Love 4 Love In The Air <3
LEGITIMATE 18+ rankingALSO because it´s written by MAME and there are displayed CONTROVERSIES stuck to the way both main characters approach each other etc.
(TW: non-consensual touching, homophobia, manipulation, mind games, s*a*, torture)
If you´re not okay with those, I would not recommend watching this series.
Story >> 7.5 >> 8.0 >> 7.5 >> 7.0
While this story contains a lot of elements that appeal to me, because I am a fan of controversy, it´s somehow not entirely intriguing, hence plotwise not capturing me as much as I want it. However, what I find significant is the emphasis on Phayus's kinky and controlling nature and the interesting balance of power in the main couple´s relationship. I can see that I start liking the plot because it´s getting more capturing and unpredictable the more it is broadcasted.
Production (>> 8.5)
I´m impressed by the visual quality, such as the cinematography, of this series and how well the screenwriting was done. When watching the series on YouTube tho, especially when the censored parts are cut, the cutting is a bit confusing. Overall I think the team did a great job!
Acting/Cast >> 9.0 >> 9.5 >> 9.0 >> 8.5
I don´t have much to nag here, Boss is showing off some cheeky skills while playing Phayu. The roles were distributed thoughtfully and I think that all the actors fit their characters. If they were following hardcore clichés of how Rain was perceived by some readers of the book, my view on this would have been different.
Music >> 7.5 >> 7.0
Personally, I don´t find any of the soundtracks outstanding and they give off a little bit of a Sims-Vibe. However, there are no errors in matching it to the series' overall vibes and I´m hoping that some darker scores are yet to be revealed, so that I can lift my rating a little. Gotta appreciate the singing tho.
Rewatch Value >> 8.0 >> 7.5
I´d watch it again if I will be looking for a series where one of the main protagonists is as manipulative and daring as Phayu. I like how they respectfully embodied the sensuality between the main couple.
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This review may contain spoilers
Avoid… a complete disaster.
What a deception! I rarely rate a drama 1 but here we are…Facts: Princess Agents (PA) incorporated supernatural elements. Rebirth featured fabricated events and storylines. PA was supposed to have a second season and not end on a bittersweet note. Rebirth was intended to be the sequel but became a completely different story from the novel and certainly not a logical follow-up to PA. Rebirth failed to satisfy in the romance department and concluded with a sad, unsatisfying ending that killed both FL and ML.
I never have preconceived notions before watching a drama. I was even excited. I didn’t care about the age gap but wondered how they would shoot the happy ending with a couple very much in love without physical interactions, but why not? I was open-minded; I’ve seen how prude Chinese directors can be and happy endings nonetheless. I never watch FL Tiantian on screen, and most of the others, except, of course, ML. I was curious—the same curiosity I had when Joy of Life S2 aired. Mostly because both stories are my favorite novels and dramas.
Well... that was a major slap in the face. This drama was a complete mess. It felt like the cast was just out of school, reciting lines without conviction or trying too hard. Rebirth’s first episode started with a cliff of corpses (uh?). My eyes rolled so much that I had to grab a bottle of XX (#sarcasm)
They completely missed the mark with the rebirth project—wrong casting, wrong scriptwriter, wrong director, wrong narrative. The PA audience expected logical continuity after the lake ending, with romance, a happy ending, and genuine chemistry between the leads. Instead, they cast a 17-year-old and a lead who is a decade older. She was praised for her knowledge and experience after being cast in PA… She was around 10 and shot only a few scenes as a young teen in PA, probably in just two days. What knowledge? What experience? Was she even allowed to read this novel, since there are references to sex encounters? Their choice wasn't based on her talent but rather her connection to Zhao Lying and PA. ML was hired for his popularity, and Yan Xun was cast based on his looks. There was absolutely zero chemistry between them.
Rebirth was announced as the sequel to Princess Agents. However, what they failed to mention was that all the unresolved questions—such as the supernatural spider-ice power, her origins, her difficult, complex love story with Zhuge Yue, Li Ce's unrequited love, and Yan Xun's complicated first and obsessive love—were entirely ignored. Rebirth took the story in a different direction, with no romance. The forty-episode run ended on a disappointing, sad note, with both ML and FL dead. I am not sure why they chose to kill the main leads… definitive closure for this TV drama? Trying to gain more tears from the audience to end it dramatically?
They fail. Big time. In every major aspect. Casting, script, directing.
I am undecided about the martial arts since some scenes looked like toddlers playing with sticks. Absolutely not convincing.
The only positive aspects are the beautiful visuals and some supporting cast members.
Many fans believe there is a popularity rivalry between Princess Agents and Rebirth. They are mistaken. Comparison is inevitable. Princess Agents was not a huge success when it aired, mainly because the novel's author was dealing with plagiarism issues. However, the cast, script, director, and OST were outstanding. The story was engaging from episode 1. The only issue was the final episode, which, as we know, ended on a bittersweet note with no resolution. It was not meant to have a different ending because season 2 was supposed to follow. Unfortunately, Season 2 never aired for various reasons, and the fans expressed their frustration loudly.
I compare this drama to someone expecting a luxurious meal and getting a sandwich instead… not worth it to watch.
I encourage you to watch Princess Agents and read the novel. Both have different narratives, but both are very addictive. Rebirth? What rebirth? It is certainly not a Phoenix but ashes.
The director, Lu Hao Ji Ji, also helms The Double. He tends to favor sad endings, often resulting in the death of either the female lead or the male lead, or both. Keep his name in mind, as I will, before watching a drama. For those like me who prefer happy endings, I will definitely avoid any drama if he is involved.
Sidenote… On Douban (general rate 2.9), 91% of reviewers rated this drama 1 or 2 stars. They disliked or hated it. MDL rated it 7.5 up to mid-series then dropped to 6… with ratings on both platforms consistently declining each day.
Conclusion: a major failure.
***
Main Characters:
Novel:
All the events in PA and Rebirth are inspired by the novel, reflecting common practice. They borrow elements and adapt them for each celebrity cast in the dramas. What they notably failed to do in Rebirth was to show how emotionally broken Chu Qiao was when she left Yan Xun for good. She loved him as her first love, remained faithful and loyal, but after they escaped to Yanbei, he lost his humanity and turned his genuine love into possession. He also became jealous when she gained popularity and respect within his army (except among his close lieutenants, who had an agenda). The more he pushed her away with his actions and jealousy, the more he became a selfish tyrant. He was a broken man. He never recovered from her departure. He loved her, but his love was twisted.
Zhuge Yue fell for her because she was his favorite main servant. In the novel, he never taught her martial arts, but they later fell in love. When she left his house, she was about 9 or 10. She stayed confined with Yan Xun for 8 years, then they escaped to Yanbei. That age difference makes both dramas quite different, as Zhuge Yue waited 10 years before confessing his love. It took many years before she could finally admit she loved him.
Li Ce's love for her was never known to her while he was alive. She understood how much he protected her and loved her unconditionally only after his death. He definitely had many concubines, but he loved only two women in his life: one was dead, and Chu Qiao. He gave her everything, but he knew she didn't love him as a man, so he kept his love silent. When he was assassinated, she took over his empire and united it again. She saved his two children, fulfilling one of his last wishes and requests to her. I admit that I cried like a baby reading the chapters
Endings:
Novel: (very) happy
Princess Agent: bittersweet
Rebirth: sad
Novel:
Chu Qiao and Zhuge Yue become the king and queen of a northern kingdom, likely Mongolia, although it’s never explicitly mentioned. Their kingdom has no slavery. They have two children and an adopted child from Li Ce. Li Ce's second child is raised to be the future emperor, with strong support from Chu Qiao. After the lake, when Chu Qiao thought he had died, he remained hidden for a couple of years. She remained almost alone for 2 years in the middle of nowhere, managing an inn. It is during this period that Chu Qiao went to the Li Ci Empire for a couple of years. They were separated many times. It takes some time before they live together, and they marry after they become a couple, meaning they had sex before marriage. Their sex life is very happy (lol), and Zhuge Yue never takes a concubine or another wife. The ending focuses on all their grown-up children. It leaves room for a new story, but it never gets concretized. So, indeed, a happy ending for them.
Yan Xun does not die and remains alone in his vast palace. He's an emperor. He married and has an empress he doesn't care about at all, and he also has hundreds of concubines, many of whom look very much like Chu Qiao physically (sleep with them once and discard them). He ends up lonely, filled with mixed feelings for his choices that drove Chu Qiao away, but he also understands that his desire for power, revenge, and jealousy took precedence. He never loved anyone else but her. His love was selfish and possessive. He placed her on a pedestal. In his eyes, no other woman could ever replace her. He remained a virgin a long time (maybe around 30?) until the day his spies told him that she was a real couple with Zhuge Yue. Then he took 2 high prostitutes into his bed, and the long list of concubines and mistresses started. They only ever shared one memorable, unique kiss—no sex. Some see it as obsessive, but I see it differently. I saw a man who lost his soul after the slaughter of his family, and only Chu Qiao was his anchor. His lieutenants, jealous of Chu Qiao, fed him lies, and his jealousy took over… pushing her away. She lived alone in Yanbei for 2 years, and when her own army was in trouble because of Yan Xun, she left and never returned. After that, he met her in person once, but it was brief—mostly just looking into each other's eyes. Both understood it would be the last time they'd see each other. When he realized she loved Zhuge Yue, he tried to kill her on the battlefield—not by himself—by sending groups. If she couldn't love him, nobody would. Of course, he failed. Yan Xun achieved his goal of becoming the emperor of Yanbei and killed thousands of enemies, until the last option to keep the Yanbei empire alive was to sign a peace treaty. Everyone feared him; nobody loved him. He was utterly alone, missing her and thinking of her.
Do not expect love declarations in the novel. This is NOT a romance. However, the three men fell madly in love with her. She was not mentally wired to understand their love. Extremely loyal. yes. Extremely committed, yes. Extremely fierce to protect, yes. For her, love had many faces.
***
The novel has under 300 chapters, and many full translations are available—some of okay quality, others less so. Dissatisfied with what I found, I decided to proofread and edit it myself, but it isn't complete yet. I am also working on other novels like Joy of Life, Word of Honor (BL), and other romances, as well as Xianxia. As a human editor, not relying on AI, I update slowly but consistently. *The link to my blog is in my profile* 😉
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This review may contain spoilers
Are These People Afraid of Lips?
Literally, how the eff did this cast look like supermodels and kissed like stale bread? Also why did I think Pond’s name came second in his couple tag? LMAO, imagined my surprised when he showed up acting all aloof and cool, talking about needing his junk repaired for 200k baht. I was like, 'Oh, okay, so this is where we going, arite.'Anyway, here is my quick review:
First, this series had no business being 16 episode. How many times did they have to go do something with water? The last 3 or so episodes were super unnecessary. We get it, Peem likes water, move on to something more interesting, please!!
What I liked.
FRIENDSHIP. No, their friendship group was beautiful and so chill, and brought back good memories. I love how supportive they all were to each other. Whenever they had a scene together, I had a big grin on my face. I enjoyed the scenes when they tried to get Q to admit his feelings, and every time they tried to fit into Peem's tiny arse bed.
What I didn't like:
1) The acting: Open back the acting school, cuz like... some parts of this was so awkward and cringy. Though, I think AouBoom improved from when I first watched them in Hidden Agenda. Tan was a bit hyper but I liked his character. Truthfully, most of the cast looked ready to shoot a catalogue than they did acting. They all moved as if they were camera shy. No, like, every time Peem tried to act serious I went, 'Dude, stop doing that thing with your eyebrows!!'
2) Stale kisses and cringy scenes: Dafug was up with most of the couples in this? Out there acting like they were afraid of lips. I blame it on the stiff acting. No, I did not want KinnPorsche level of kisses. I just wanted like a normal one. You know like that penguin couple who kissed in the last episode. They moved their face and were enthusiastic, and that was a-o-kei. In the scene where Peem and Phum were kissing beside that canoe by the sea, Peem literally looked like he was in pain, legit, Phum would have had a better chance making out with that canoe cuz... yikes!
3) Meh plot-line: Don’t ask me the voice of nobody. The plot did not keep my interest, so I watched most of this show at 2x and they all sounded like alvin and the chipmunks to me. Peem, is going directly to my list of characters who deserves to be slap with a rubber chicken, cuz dafug you mean a dude asked you to be his slave and you fell in love with him while cleaning his apartment and doing his laundry? Also Phums father 'issues' had me going, 'Damn, and to think those of us who's father went out to get milk and never came back brood less.'
I guess, this show was mostly about the friend group each finding love? than it was about anything else, so in that aspect, it was fine, but it wasn't anything extraordinary.
Also was there like one random friend who didn’t have anyone? I felt like everyone was paired off except that one guy. Poor dude, don’t even remember his name. Oh well.
Which reminds me, why won't Phum kick a ball into Peem's painting? Homeboy dragged that sorry arse painting everywhere with him, unprotected. Like in one scene he straight up left it and went to go chase Phum around a park. I was surprised it survived until the end.
Please, why was Q always threatening us with a song every second scene? What in this plot called for his singing? After the second time, I rushed to skip whenever he got near a guitar. You will not stress me today child.
And lastly, I can’t believe they put Peem’s ugly arse painting next to Q’s, lol. No, hear me out, the first time I saw the wave painting, I wanted to write poems about it. It was so beautiful, such incredible art. Then he went and added those flowers and the whole thing became tacky. Nah, I was sad he ruined it. That being said, his future works looked very beautiful, so there's hope for him after all.
But yeah, if you like any of these actors, I'm sure you'd enjoy this. I will recommend it for the friendship scenes, cuz those were heartwarming. Unicorns, Rainbows and whatnots.
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The first few episodes bombarded me with many plot twists and "shocking revelations" to the point, I started to call the show "soft makjang". So many things happened, I was left in a state of confusion, but it made the show that much better, since the main focus of the drama is the aftermath and the process of healing and re-connecting with the family. We were getting to know the facts with the characters, learning bits and pieces, which helped me empathize with them more. I could understand why they struggled with the new situation, since I myself was confused about what was truly happening.
It touches on subjects such as LGBT, rape (did not happen during the show, but one of the characters was a victim of it, and it played a part in their story), ending a relationship when both sides do not agree on when and how to part ways, misunderstanding based on differences of characters and how you show you care for people.
Through the 3 siblings, we can observe different struggles people face in life. The oldest, Eun Joo and how she always tried to be strong, level headed and control her emotions. The middle sibling Eun Hee, trying to keep the family together and pacify all the sides in times of conflicts, acting as if she is carefree. The youngest Ji Woo, who tries to find himself, learn how to be independent, as he watches his family fight with each other.
I just truly cared for these characters, so when the drama ended, I already missed them. Did I cry? Yes. Not to mention, it has some of the best, natural and well paced romance I watched this year and the best "not a confession" confession scene (you'll know when you see it).
Did anything bother me? Not really. I was not that interested in the Sang Shik and Jin Sook story, and it was the weakest part for me personally, as I was annoyed with some choices both of them were making.
Overall, I have a feeling I might rewatch the show, or at least a few scenes this year. The good set of characters was for sure the core value of it.
Ps. Kim Ji Suk... damn, he fine.
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The story has a certain charisma of bringing sci-fi to a lighter romance novel-ish type of feels. Sure first few episodes will make your mind think like "WTF am I watching??" but as the episodes progress you get the satiafaction of finding out the reason behind everything that happend in the previous episode.
The director was so clever in putting lots of small hints and details that you will definitely see once you rewatch the episodes because they will make you rewatch to have that "oh did i miss that? let me see that again" moment.
You definitely need to level up your perspective in this series. It feels like Inception, Oldboy, and Fringe put into one pot, sprinkled with Korean Royalty and boiled in one sweet and spicy revenge water.
Overall, it was a good watch. Probably best not to binge watch at first then rewatch after you finished to check back on the cool details you might have missed.
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Less means more, more means less…
At least in terms of number of cliches, politines, schemes and unnecessary side characters. Develop and elaborate on what you already have - sadly the writer did not get the memo.Yes, I am aware that all these unnecessary side plots and twists were part of the source material, but I am also quite aware of the fact one should be selective of how much they decide to bring to the adaptation. It’s okay to remove some characters from the plot if they don’t really add much to it anyway.
First half of the show was honestly pure perfection. Female lead with good character that you want to root for. Too perfect to be true male lead. Supporting characters that feel like real people. Well paced drama and conflicts and get reasonable resolutions. Villains that are so awful you kind of start to appreciate how much of a hazardous waste they are.
And then the second half happened… Adding one dimensional characters just to annoy the viewers (since the same plot could have been achieved with the already existing cast). Why? Tell me why they decided adding side plots and characters to never develop them, never give a proper closure and actually make the already existing set up more messy and unrealistic, would be a good idea. Adding one dimensional, poorly written and poorly acted characters will never increase the quality and value of your project.
But even with that messy last few episodes, the drama managed to end on an enjoyable note. One thing I for sure appreciated was the message - you do not really need magic powers and time travel to change your life. Pay attention to your surroundings, see the value in people who support you, don’t be scared to ask for help, do not let people treat you badly - you deserve better. You have more power in your hands than you might think, you just have to take that first step and start using it.
That would be the “message” part, how about the romance? As for the chemistry, it was mediocre. I honestly think Park Min Young does not have good chemistry with any of her romantic co-actors. All of her rom-coms usually feel one sided - I see a lot of feelings and passion from the men, and then… not much from her. It’s the same case here. For how unreasonably perfect and poorly developed Yoo Ji Hyuk was, Na In Woo truly sold the character and even if by the end of the drama I did not feel like I know Ji Hyuk that well, I knew how much he loves Ji Won.
While I did not vibe with Park Min Young’s romantic scenes, I do think she did a great job with the personal journey of Kang Ji Won - from the shell of a human, defeated, angry, dying, to a confident, driven and strong woman. I felt her pain, I felt her frustration, I felt her fear, but I also felt the satisfaction and the sense of victory with each and every positive step she took.
All that said, I think we can all agree that the true stars of the drama were Lee Yi Kyung and Song Ha Yoon - what a powerful duo. They could be given as a definition of characters you love to hate. Cannot believe I’m saying it, but I will miss their selfish, crazy, self pity shenanigans.
Production value? Soundtrack? Set design? Makeup and costumes? All typical mainstream drama level - great, but not outstanding and for sure not memorable.
Overall, it was extremely entertaining, then it became extremely frustrating, but still entertaining. Closer to the end it hit rock bottom and almost made me drop, just to finish on a high note again.
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1Its a shame most do not understand this series, worth every minute
Believe it or not, this series is the most realistic representation of relationships out there. Relationships are not all cute and cuddly like we see in other bls, some relationships are hella toxic but the partners choose to work on them over and over again because they are committed to each other,To start with, the beginning of the whole series was not love at first sight kind of a thing, It was horny at first sight. The writers and the directors, and the actors did an amazing job showcasing this. Remember how the sex was so cringe you would just feel like just fast forwarding to after its done? It was precise depiction of, hey I have zero feelings for this dude I just want to bed him.
Second, these are two plyers who have no idea how to cherish a relationship. They know they used to play other people so trust levels are at a negative. How they show love, one is being supper possessive and selfish because they do not know how to deal with the overwhelming feelings they cannot understand. The other thinks just because I stopped sleeping around and am only with him he should automatically understand and trust me even when I have put zero effort to risk it all and share how I feel. Of course the relationship is going to be so toxic, and don't stay in your bubble of perfect meet, fall in love, have emotional sex and think that's how it is.
What I love most about this is how the actors portrayed the growth, from two people who just have no idea what they are doing to making numerous mistakes and having horny sex you do not wanna watch to two people who took time to understand each other, not afraid to show their emotions and have butterflies in the stomach kind of sex scenes. Kudos to the whole team for the ability to show the difference. They were not afraid to take the risk and that's why they have my support a million percent.
Fahlan and Sherbert are my favorite couple because they portrayed the most growth emotionally and their chemistry on screen improved a lot. I love that the other two side couples were there to balance toxicity with cuteness showing different sides of relationships. I think this series does not deserve the hate its is getting out there and I hope the team does not give up. I am definitely looking forward to more projects from them
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