best series ever
im having a hard time moving on from this series. the cast, songs, story and the jokes were the best. i don't think i can move on from this series hahahI keep replaying the scene of the King and Queen. You know what, they are the best couple in Joseon Era. Whenever they collab, it has a big impact. This famous quote "king cannot live without his Queen" can be seen in this Drama. That is why I cannot find myself stop watching huhuhu It kills me. I even started reading the Chinese version of it. Thank you so much director-nim for making my year beautiful despite the COVID-19 we are facing.
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The Cringe You Give Me
This is a story about a bunch of women who at first try to come off as independent, smart and in no need of a man what so ever, and the men who are there to prove them wrong.As it starts off all women can do it but quickly turns in to women can't do it... just to go back to woman should be able to do it but most men suck, society sucks and it is damn hard to be a women so while they do not want a knight they will need a soldier to do the legwork... Or something like that. Some of this was good, some of this was made so bad I felt like throwing a bunch of books at the writers and other parts where just meeh. As they do make an honest attempt to show the struggles many women (especially single mothers) face, but ends up becoming a celebration of the nuclear family... So if you are in to that stuff this drama is great.
The characters in this drama are pretty interesting, those who are supposed to be lovable are lovable those who are supposed to be despicable are indeed easy to hate. All have good moments, but most lovable characters also have moments of adolescent, nonsensical inconsistent annoyance except for our female lead and the kid who both are a lot more mature than the rest of the characters.
The main couple also share a bunch of bickering fun moments as well as good chemistry and great kisses. No dead fish in sight which is indeed lovely but can get to be too much at times.
The interactions with the kid are just so cute they will make you cringe. But the kid is indeed lovable and the father- son moments/outfits are some of the best in all of dramaland. The kid actually got to have a scar after his surgery unlike his father who has this AMAZING healing ability, not a scar in sight 5 years post surgery.
There is a great glass shattering scene, not very necessary but indeed lovely to watch.
Part of me loves the fact that two of the leads have an hereditary heart condition yet are portrayed as more than just a condition... competent, lovable... but the conversation and way things around the heart condition where handled brought out my inner anger, making me want to visit the glass shattering space shown in the drama.
So what can I say there is some good, a lot of bad and a whole lot of cringe... but the acting is decent, chemistry good and the story it self could have been better.
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This review may contain spoilers
Love in Sadness is one of those dramas that will lure you in making you want more and more as you get deeper into the story. Throughout the entire 40 episodes many different topics are hit including deep ones like obsessiveness, abuse, cheating & heartbreak. The main character Ma Ri is shown throughout the series as a weak woman but throughout the story she learns how to deal with everything causing her to evolve into a strong woman that her friends wanted her to be. Her husband Kang In Wook although a little psychotic/obsessive you will in the end start too feel some sympathy ( just a tad & the ending will hit you hard) after you learn his backstory of why he is like this. The surgeon's Seo Jung Won was a wonderful addition too since he brings out the best in Ma Ri and will do anything for her. You will learn to hate some of the side characters in this story due to their actions and in the end I still don't understand why some of them did what they did to the others but it happens in plots like this. The acting in this was amazing especially Ryu Soo Young's he did a great job portraying Ma Ri's husband and his obsessiveness. The music was okay at certain parts it didn't really resonate with me since I was more interested in the story. There is a slight rewatch value to this drama due to the emotional value but once you watch it you'll know everything that already happens so it wont be as strong. Was this review helpful to you?
I thought I did. I really like slow paced shows because they usually really warm my heart and they tend to be somewhat deep so I didn't even hesitate to keep watching 'A Piece of Your Mind'. I loved the acting and how the story was developing through the first few episodes, but then I started getting easily bored. Reason? There's a situation (I won't say which one to avoid spoilers) that happens at the beginning (really, at episode 2 I think) and leads to something else, and once everything seems to be over it just KEEPS APPEARING in every episode.
This drama is about healing and I understand that there has to be a recurring situation for the leads to get over, but was it really neccessary to keep bringing what happened every episode? At this point and I thought about dropping the drama, however, I was already 8 episodes in and I though I might as well finish it.
Let's talk about some of the characters. Kim Sung Gyu is an AMAZING actor, but his character, In Wook, was... dull. At the beginning it was okay, really, I liked his character and I was willing to see how he would develop. The thing is, he didn't. Again, I understand this is mainly about healing, but he didn't even make a small change until the very end.
Lee Ha Na's character, Soon Ho, was more or less the same. She didn't change, not even a little, in the whole drama. I feel like her character was put there just to twist thing up a little at almost the end of the show so it could continue for some more episodes. She really didn't add up anything to the show, she was plain and dull. We got to see a little of her personality, which was based on some ''traumatic'' experience that wasn't traumatic at all; still, no need to be a nosy ass (just like Seo Woo, if I'm allowed to say). I really didn't enjoy their characters at all, especially Lee Ha Na's
Chae Soo Bin did a really good job portraying such a nosy character (as you can see, it's already the second time I use this word to describe a character). Seo Woo was even nosier than Soon Ho, if she didn't get into someone's affairs, she wouldn't be happy. And then, when she finally seemed to be a little happier and to have everything shorted out, she had to ruin everything again.
Jung Hae In's character, Ha Won, is the only one I don't have that many complains about; even though he obviously is the one who suffered the most. He didn't make stupid choices, he knew what he wanted and he didn't make a whole world over something. He was mature. It's possibly the only character I liked (apart from Eun Joo, Min Jung and Jin Soo).
Was it that bad of a drama? The answer is no. Would I watch it again? The answer is still no. I struggled to finish it, I just wanted to finish 'A Piece of Your Mind' as soon as possible and I didn't really enjoy it at all. The problem isn't its pace since like I said before, I usually enjoy slow dramas. The problem here is that this is so badly written it's almost impossible to have a great time watching it.
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I have to say, the conductor really really impressed me. It's hard to copy the movements of a conductor, and he did a good job. He must have suffered a lot while learning, so kudos to him!
The acting is great and believable. The drama mainly focuses on character development, but it also has moments of relationships and drama as the "obvious couple" turns out to not being so obvious after all. Despite this, you still get your solid dose of music, which makes me a happy girl.
In writing moment, I have yet to finish this, but the 11 episodes I have watched were watched in 3 days. Not many dramas manage to capture my interest like this, and I am looking forward to watch more!
*will be edited*
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Not for everyone
I really wanted to like this, believe me. Five episodes in, heck, TEN episodes in, I was convinced this would be the next big cdrama that would be talked about for ages. It was still a 10/10 for me then. But now I've miraculously finished and I feel like an 8/10 is already quite generous.The good things first.
> Acting was without question, probably the BEST thing this drama has to offer. Every actor gave it everything they got and what I couldn't understand from pure dialogue, I understood from their eyes, demeanors, and attitudes. I have to praise Hu Ge for his acting as Mr. Bao in particular, as well as Ma Yili as Ling Zi. I enjoyed their acting the most. Li Li was a frustrating one for me, but that's probably because Xin Zhilei was just doing her job! There are also many other side characters such as the waitresses from the restaurants on Huang He Road, the cigarette stand owner, Mr. Bao's friend group, etc, who are lovely to watch. Mr. Fan also gets a special shoutout for being so humorous! 10/10
> The music took me back to the bygone era of Chinese rock in the 80s. These were the songs my parents had listened to, and songs they played for me growing up. I've seen on the net that netizens felt like the music was also reminiscent of Hong Kong movies from the past and I fully agree with that. This really puts you in the right headspace of Shanghai during China's reform and opening up. But I have to admit that by the end of it, it felt like it was just the same three songs playing over and over again. I wish there was more variety. 9/10
> I wish that cinematography got its own category in the MDL ratings because this would also score highly. I'd give it a 10/10 if there weren't just a little too many scenes that were too dark. Otherwise, the saturation and COLOR bring a great nostalgic factor to this drama. It just feels like one looooong Wong Kar-wai film. 9/10
> Story: I really really really love that this drama gave the spotlight to such a unique time period of China's modern history. It's also a realistic telling of what ordinary Shanghainese were going through and what the place looked like during economic reform. I thought it was historical fiction at first (which I guess is still true). Most characters also had GREAT character development, like Mr. Fan and most of the women leads. I rooted for them the most. Shoutout to Mr. Bao's friend group - they were perfect for showing the Shanghai culture of banter and family. They carried the Shanghai social culture for this drama, 100%.
> Characters: I read in another review that they liked that these characters weren't one-dimensional. I have to agree on that point. These people were as realistic as it got. The good guys had dark sides and the bad guys had.. well, they weren't all bad. In fact I wouldn't even go as far to say that there were "good" or "bad" people. They were all just PEOPLE. Good or bad only comes from what's shown in the drama and what's relevant to the plot. Economic reform begs societal change and I loved to see these characters adapt to challenges, emotional or monetary or both. Again, I absolutely adored Ma Yili as Ling Zi. She is my spirit animal! The other female characters are all commendable as well. Character development did not escape minor characters either. I'm happy to see them struggle to find themselves in business and work for THEMSELVES. Female empowerment <3
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Now onto the reasons I say that this drama isn't for everyone...
> Romance: I feel like it's my responsibility to warn you that this drama will disappoint you in the romance department. Trust me. It's better you know this before going in because I made the same mistake. Wikipedia listed Romance and Period Drama as the genres and I got my hopes up. Don't be like me. Do not get your hopes up. You will appreciate knowing this "spoiler" before you get emotionally invested! They should not have marketed this as a romance either because now I have to dock more points. (Minor minor spoiler: Mr. Bao, literally out of NOWHERE, seems to have the most interest in X with no reason at all. Let me just say he has the worst taste in women, if we can even call it "taste"...) The little bits of romance that exists have no rhyme or reason in my opinion. Romance was done so badly.
> It is heavily business-related. In fact, it's 90% about business and Mr. Bao's clever plans to outwit his competitors. If that's your cup of tea, you'll love this. If it's not, and minimal business talk gets you woozy in other dramas, maybe don't tune into this one. While I like how clever he is, I appreciate wittiness more in the form of social consequences, like in The Story of Yanxi Palace. I don't really sympathize with the money folks - it just feels like legalized gambling to me. While there were some moments where I was on the edge of my seat, I definitely prefer romance to business.
> My bone to pick with this story nearly 100% has to do with Mr. Bao. And it's hard to find *any* bone to pick with this guy because he truly is the most righteous and "good" person in this drama. Unfortunately, as the male lead, he's also at the center of all the romance troubles and like I said, there is virtually no romance. You can see why I'm frustrated with him. Although he does right by all the women at his side, he cannot and does not satisfy them in the way they want him to, and as the audience, my heart breaks for them. You have been warned!
> PACING: Oh my lord, what the hell was this pacing. I haven't read the book and I really don't have the desire to either so I'm just at a loss at how they split the book up. What even was this ending? There was maybe a bit of a slow start but things started picking up by episode 10 and it was a pretty smooth ride to episode 20. Then it was just a SLOG with new characters and reappearances of some old ones and I just found myself losing interest. (Mostly because of the lack of romance.) One of the main characters even straight up disappeared for about five episodes! Like what is happening? I pushed myself episode by episode hoping for this person to come back (and they did, thank god) but by then, I had lost hope for them to have an ending that does them any justice because there were only a few episodes left. Then the last episode just crammed everything in, without even proper closure for my favorite character. Just a complete mess with the timing.
> Rewatch? Even if it came out again with English subs, I don't think I'd dedicate so much of my time to this again. Maybe just to fully understand the business dealings but certainly not for his relationships, or lack thereof.
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OVERALL
> Outside of my gripe with the complete mess they made with the romance, I appreciate the aesthetic quality of the drama and the story. The title makes a lot of sense by the time you finish the drama and I guess I can say it was bittersweet. This had so much more potential and because I haven't read the book, I don't know which is to blame.
> There really is much to like about this drama. The characters are interesting and multifaceted. The story is pretty strong. The aesthetics were fantastic.
> Rounded up, 8/10.
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This must be the worst drama of the century. This would have been a good drama if only executed in good way. Such a waste.
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The cast from the children to the adults was amazing. The pace was slightly slow but it's forgiving because at the end, I wish the movie was longer. I wanted to see more.
My problem with this movie is that I wish they would have done it though all point of views rather than from the job-orientated father. I wanted to know how the other father felt; I wanted to know how his biological child felt; both mothers; the other children; and etc--not just pieces.
I wish the director could come out with a box series of their point of view but ultimately I know why he chose to portray the movie through the job-oriented dad: family is first and in the aspect that blood isn't always family.
Powerful film. Great performance from the cast. Again, left me wanting more.
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Jang Hyuk shines in this role. For anyone (me) who thought he was a one trick pony after TWDR and Chuno (since he plays very similar people) think again! He really works this role and boy does he sell it. He makes all the parts that should be just ok truly eerie after you finish it. I guarantee after you finish you will see the movie in a whole new light.
The lawyer and the prosecutor... they have an amazing dynamic. The only real problem I have with this movie was that I could not tell the two apart! It drove me nuts.
As for the music... I never noticed it and that is a very good thing but, at the same time.... I like knowing it is there. Do not pass this up. The only reason I rated it down a bit was for some quirky shooting...
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For a start, the entire drama is something quite unique. It's a mystery series, yes. But instead of the chilling tension of a gruesome murder, each episode fills you with warmth and endearment as you slowly uncover a beautiful, heartbreaking secret through the soft worn pages of that person's favourite book.
Some of the episodes do include a crime, but emphasis doesn't usually fall on it. Instead, the reasons they committed those crimes are the true mystery Shinokawa (the beautiful bookshop detective) seeks to solve. She is one of the most interesting characters I feel I've watched in a drama to date, and although I started off a little unsure of her (seemingly) emotionless character, you learn the reason she is like this as the series moves along.
Biblia Koshodou isn't a perfect drama, but one thing I love is that its "faults" seem to make it even more charming. For example, some of the plots are way, way over the top - you wouldn't try to injure others or end your marriage for a book. However, to me it feels as though this "overexaggeration" is the writers' way of trying to illustrate just *how much* they love books. You can see this in the incredible detail and research they put into each episode, each one being based off a real book and its history.
Also, the music sometimes seems very out of place; autotune and synthesisers in a drama about a quiet, beautiful girl who owns a bookshop? However, I feel this "mismatch" stops the drama becoming over-sentimental and cliched, which I eventually realised and respected the writers for.
Overall, a beautiful, heartwarming drama that I can guarantee you'll want to watch over again and again. Grab a hot chocolate, turn down the lights, and enjoy. :)
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Xu Kai’s Best work yet - gripping and intense the kind that makes history
Despite the veteran powerhouse actors crowing this delightful offering, it’s Xu Kai that stands out in this brilliant production. The story is gripping the treatment is perfect and the casting is a dream. It’s hard. It’s gritty and it’s painful. He is not the heartthrob hero this time. He is so wrong and yet so right. You empathise with him despite everything he is doing because his eyes tell a story of love, suffering and desperation. It’s perfect. His villainousness is perfectly balanced with his fragility and determination. It’s a treat to watch this wonderful work where the actor known for his smooth looks and model appearance has willingly forgone the polish of glamour for a hard hitting role. It could have gone either way. But this is one villain we will all love because somehow his story means more than morality itself. His father’s stark high moral character in the drama is a perfect foil for his flawed broken person. His weakness and actions seem superfluous despite how wrong they are. Because the audience is still cheering him on. For once, waiting for the good guys to fail. What a treat! And definitely not to be missed. I’m hooked and I know I’ll watch it again. Every episode was a gift. You start with trepidation- anxious whether the 2 leads will miraculously come out the other end as winners. But this is so real that all that hope is dashed in the wake of facts and real life. It feels wrong to support the ambiguity of Xu Kai's Chen Hui. But you support him anyways. He is chilling and thorough. But still so vulnerable and human. Can’t say enough about how well the layers and complexity of the character has been portrayed. I also can’t understand the low ratings. Are some viewers retarded?Was this review helpful to you?
I watched this with the family. We did plenty of marathoning. It’s an easy show to watch with great little arcs that are quickly completed so annoying people/events aren’t dragged out unnecessarily. I do feel like that is one of the killers in Korean dramas, especially if you’re watching it with others and can’t press the fast forward button as liberally. The plotlines and the setups were intriguing, thought-provoking and feasible.
I enjoyed the pacing in this show with all the neat and tidy arcs. And the show maintains its consistency and quality all the way through. That’s noteworthy. At first, the comedy felt forced, but in general, the drama was everything – funny, sad, meaningful and intelligent. All the characters are fun and don’t waste their screen time.
The start is a little shaky as most Korean dramas are. But it settles in nicely. The characters are smart, funny, quirky and loveable.
One of the main things that stands out to me with this show is their problem solving, friendship and communication. Because they all dream about each other’s lives, it’s hard to keep secrets and they all talk about their problems together. This is awesome.
Jae Chan – male lead
This is probably one of the first LJS dramas where he’s not this perfect upstanding guy. I liked his flaws. His character development is wonderful and his backstory fits in nicely with his philosophy and attitude.
Hong Joo – female lead
I loved how respected she is in this show. She is well positioned in her workplace and she gets to play a significant role in problem solving. At times, I’m annoyed that she just thinks she’s helpless in the face of her nightmares.
Woo Tak – aka Batman
This guy was hands down the most favourite character. He is so good-natured, handsome, and strategic. His involvement in the show made everything better. I loved him so much from beginning to end.
Yoo Beom – bad guy
This guy is handsome too but he can also be hella annoying. Still, I liked his character and how he contributed to the troubles of our team.
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This review may contain spoilers
Dare to watch it.
Did this drama wreak my poor heart?Yes and it left me tearstained. What can I say about this drama that hasn't been said already? It's a masterpiece starting from the mesmerising story to the out of the world acting and the amazing OSTs.
The main leads chemistry was overflowing and during the last episodes it was so much that it made my not so sensitive self shred some tears. The last movie/drama that accomplished that was 2-3 years back so that says a lot.
Even though I put 10 on rewatch value I'm not sure if I can take it. The thing is I'm always down for a good storyline and great acting so my picky self will surely come back to this masterpiece.
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Sizzling Hot
After watching The Romance of a Twin Flower, I find myself watching seemingly yet another twin flower drama with Love of Replica. The latter drama is full of suspense, mysteries, hot romance, and action. Both the main male and female actors are good looking with good acting skills, and their chemistry sizzling hot. With only 16 episodes, all the episodes are packed with clues and action that eventually lead to the unfolding of all the mysteries.Lu Jinyan’s (Tsao Yuning’s) father was involved in an accident and is now lying in a coma. He suspects his father’s accident is malicious and related to Xu Yongyu (Li Yatian), a despicable ultra wealthy tycoon surrounded by bodyguards, who would do anything to get what he wants. To investigate, Lu Jinyan gets himself hired by Xu Yongyu as a bodyguard for his beloved daughter, Xu Xixi (Yilia Yu). Lu Jinyan doesn’t like Xu Xixi because she is mean and nasty, typical of a spoiled brat as a “da xiao jie” (大小姐). But Xu Xixi is sick with an incurable disease and her father goes all out to find a cure for her.
On that fateful day, Xu Xixi gets into a car accident. The car she travels in plunges into the sea. Lu Jinyan risks his life and saves her. When Xu Xixi wakes up, she appears to have lost her memory. She doesn’t recognize anyone in her household including her bodyguard and her father. Her total change of personalities puzzles everyone, but Lu Jinyan immediately realizes this is not the actual Xu Xixi.
Lu Jinyan used to be in the military, so his bare hand combat skill is second to none. He is intelligent and calm, thinks fast, and doesn’t talk a lot. He later learns that the rescued Xu Xixi is actually An Yue, a woman who looks exactly the same as Xu Xixi. Assuming she is Xu Xixi’s twin, Lu Jinyan finds out Xu Xixi’s father tries to capture An Yue and his intention is not friendly. No one understands why Xu Yongyu loves a sickly daughter and yet wants to hurt another daughter who is in perfect health. Fearing harm for An Yue, Lu Jinyan and friends protect her from the father.
An Yue’s personality is totally different from that of Xu Xixi’s. An Yue is nice, kind and very lovable. Quickly Lu Jinyan falls in love with her. His love is passionate, at the same time he’s tormented because he knows he has broken his code as a bodyguard. He protects her with his life and always stays close to her wherever she goes. An Yue can’t help but falls in love with him at first sight because he saves and cares for her; he is also very attractive and oozing with male hormones. At this point, the plot thickens: who is An Yue? Why is she here? How is Lu Jinyan’s father involved in this? Each character holds a secret.
I have never watched Tsao Yuning’s and Yilia Yu’s work. Tsao Yuning’s portrayal of the cool and hunky Lu Jinyan is very believable; many viewers salivate over him. Yilia Yu has a mature woman look. Beautiful and sexy with large, soul-hooking eyes, she plays Xu Xixi and An Yue very well with distinctive different personalities. Without knowing, like Lu Jinyan, viewers can discern which character Yilia Yu is playing at a particular moment because she successfully exudes the qualities of each character. The other cast members are just as good, portraying their respective characters convincingly. In particular, the side couple with a love triangle is lovely and interesting.
This drama has nothing to do with a previous drama, Mysterious Love (2021), acted by the same main couple. It (the previous drama) is not a pre-requisite to watch this drama.
Love of Replica also produces a number of very good and memorable love songs, each played at the appropriate moments to accentuate the romance and love of the all the couples in the story.
My Verdict
This is an unexpectedly enjoyable drama to watch. Full of suspense, mysteries, and action, with a romance that is heart-pounding and suggestive. There is a lot of skinship for the main couple that whets the viewers’ appetite for more. Yes, this is a drama with the formula of mystery, action, and sex. Great story.
Enjoyable watch! Don’t miss it!
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