This review may contain spoilers
Not bad, but also not enjoyable to watch
I think there’s a difference between a series being good/bad and it being enjoyable. Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo has many of the elements to be considered a good show. The main actors are talented, the couple has chemistry when they are together and the soundtrack is nice. The scene on episode 2 where they feel shy and awkward about kissing is an amazing portrail of young love, and not something we see often in BLs. But, overall, I personally didn’t find the experience of watching this show enjoyable.It’s the same feeling I had with To My Star 2, from the same director/screenwriter. Even before realizing that fact, I kept thinking the shows had so many similarities. For that reason, I know a lot of people might enjoy this show a lot more than I did. I really enjoyed To My Star, which reminded me of the first few episodes of Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo. But from episode 4 onward, it's To My Star 2, which I didn’t like at all. And I know I’m the minority on that.
I really have a hard time enjoying shows with protagonists that are not at least a little bit likable. They can be bad, they can be annoying, they can be grumpy, they can be irrational … but they also need to be likable. And I definitely had a hard time with adult Dohoe. Most of the time I just wanted the episodes to end because I couldn’t stand him any longer. Yes, I understand his life was tough. But it’s not like Juyeong had a perfect life after feeling guilty for 12 years. So guilty that he took care of the guy that physically abused him for all those years. He also didn't achieve his dreams.
Dohoe is directly responsible for his unhappiness, he let his pride win. He chose not to get involved when he saw Juyeong getting beat, he chose to remain friends with Hyeonho, he chose not to contact Juyeong and then go work close to him.
It’s been a long time since I wanted so much for a main couple to end up apart in a BL, simply because I despise one of the characters so much. Juyeong simply deserved better.
PS: Hyeonho’s constant presence also annoyed me a lot. It’s not like he had a major impact in the story, other than to cause issues to prevent the couple being together. The fake university diploma and the whole issue with the student’s mom could move forward without him.
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Thame Po - My roman empire!
Some dramas aren’t just stories, they feel like home. You settle in with the characters like you are sinking into the warmth of a familiar chair, surrounded by memories and unspoken feelings. You laugh with them, cry with them and at times, you feel as if you are living through their pain and joy. The emotions are not just shown, but deeply felt.Thame Po was all the above for me. Yes, the story was predictable and cliché at times but somehow the execution is done almost right. It's a romcom that feels familiar but fresh, somehow reminding me why I love these types of plots in the first place.
The chemistry between Po and Thame was the heart of this drama for me. Their relationship was built on small, tender moments rather than grand gestures and it’s this subtle intimacy that makes their connection so real.
The way Thame looks at Po, with such warmth and affection makes their interactions feel genuine and heartfelt. The chemistry is soft and subtle but undeniable and it’s clear they are there for each other without needing to shout it out. There was this unspoken support between them where they constantly lifted each other up, even when things got tough. It’s those quiet, thoughtful moments that make their romance feel so down-to-earth.
The friendship within the Mars group is another part of the drama I enjoyed. Despite all the tensions, drama and misunderstandings, there was a genuine sense of camaraderie between the five members. Their relationships evolve throughout the story and the tension slowly turns into more understanding and support. You can totally feel the love and loyalty between them. It was cool to see a squad where everyone’s got their own vibe, but they still have each other’s backs no matter what.
The drama also addressed the para social relationship between idols and their fans, particularly the tensions that arise when idols are rumoured to be in relationships, like with Pepper's arc. It was refreshing to see this topic tackled head-on, acknowledging the impact these dynamics can have on both the idol and their supporters. However, I felt that the issue was somewhat brushed off in the narrative (in Pepper's case). It would have been better if they had fleshed out that arc more to explore feelings and the consequences, which could have added more depth to the overall storyline.
The music in the drama is another good surprise. The portrayal of the Mars group, led by the LYKN members is on point, adding an extra level of authenticity to the music-driven plot. Their performances are full of energy and the songs are super catchy, which really increases the overall vibe of the drama.
Acting across the board was solid for me. William as Thame stole the show. I was genuinely surprised considering it was his 1st acting project! Est as Po was pretty convincing for me. Whoever paired them together knew what they were doing! Other LYKN members also played their part well!
Overall, for 13 weeks, Thame, Po with Mars entertained me thoroughly. While I do think the series is predictable but it is a sweet ride where characters shine and stand out. I will definitely recommend it if you are in the mood for something heartwarming and easy to watch with the right mix of drama and heartfelt moments.
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Well , this drama was the most I was waiting for this year - except of Criminal Minds of course ( because of LJG), and I can say I liked it from the first episode.. The acting was a little raw then, but the cinematography, the mood and the music made it for me! I wasn't really familiar with the actors before ( except Jong Hyun from ML), and I want to say three of them really impressed me!
Im Siwan - it was really my first time seeing him, and he was great, from the first moment till the last! I wasn't always agree with Won's character, but he gained my love and respect in the end!
Yoona - I've seen her in couple of episodes of Love Rain, and I've heard some bad rewies about her, but I loved her and her character so much in this drama! There's always something annoying for me in the female lead in all dramas, but I haven't felt it here! She was always adorable, cheerful and brave through all the story! And she could convince me when she started to love the one she loved..
Jong Hyun - If the 4th prince wasn't played by Lee Joon Gi in Scarlet Heart, I'd definitly have crush on this sexy villian :) I hated him there, but sometimes I also felt bad for him - that means he could deliver his character! In King in Love he was the total opposite of Wang Yo.. Maybe he was a little frozen at start, but slowly he opened up, and brought one of my favorite characters ever! Yes, I was team Rin, and I'm proud of it :)
There were very different opinions about drama's love line - some loved it, some hated it at the same line, and I want to say - that's what one of the best parts of this drama, but it's also what lowed it's rating (I think), because most people like predictable....
First of all- imho - there's no first or second lead in this drama - the three of them are main leads -and they totally deserved to be called it! Because this story is about friendship - deep and genuine, between three young people! And the actors did amazing job, showing how much these three deeply loved each other! Sometimes love story came in the middle of their frienship (of course!), but none of them didn't want to hurt another, and that what made this story such painful for them! But at the end they have learned how to understand and sacrifice for each other! The open ending was satisfing and not at the same time for both teams, but it left a little for imagination of all of us! Thank you, writers for making this story so unique!
There were a lot of scenes that I laughed and enjoyed with the characters, and closer to the end a lot that made me cry! It was lighthearted and bittersweet at the same time! One of my favorite scenes were of course Rin and San goodbye scene and the scene on the cliff... Both broke my heart! Also the last friends' jorney together - we can see how three of them have changed and grown up there..
I also want to compliment cinematography and the music - both were spectacular ( total joy for video maker :), and I wish there was this cinematography and music in Scarlet Heart - but it still the most perfect drama for me!! :)
I know, I will rewatch it! Maybe not from the first episodes, but I totally will!
I think that's it.. I guess I made it clear that I totally loved this drama, and would recommend it to everyone.. But I know, not everyone would love it...:)
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To talk about acting... to say anything... really won't mean anything... as everything was just perfect, perfect, perfect!
And the music... sometimes it made me dizzy, if I wasn't sitting while watching, I'd fall down for sure...
This movie really made my day!
Totally recommended!!!
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Cheese in the Trap will always hold a special place in my heart. First of all, it's the first Kdrama series that I'd started watching and that got me sucked into this Korean entertainment world. Second, I really enjoy reading the manhwa of this story. So to be quite honest, I had really high expectations for this movie. From the first glance of the teasers I noticed that the movie's cast is more fitting and appropriate than the original actors of the Cheese in the Trap drama. There is no better actor who could play the dark and mysterious Yoo Jung than Park Hae Jin. I was surprised, that a lot of people didn't like the fact that the actress for our Hong Seol has changed. However, I personally think that the new actress looked more like the original comic book character, and her personality of Hong Seol was more like I've imagined her to be. Now for the storyline, I believe that one movie is not enough to depict the story of Cheese in the Trap. Many important scenes were just not added into the movie and left out. What a bummer. However, the cinematography gave me something beautiful to look at for 2 hours. The camerawork was simply amazing and mesmerizing.
Overall, this was personally a feel-good movie to watch for me to watch. I love the original drama and the storyline so much, that I just can't get enough! I would love for the directors to turn this into a drama with the new cast since, I think that the new actors fit the roles of the characters much better!
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This review may contain spoilers
If you favor fluff over a serious plot and don't mind filler episodes this Drama may be entertaining for you. Personally I think WWWSK started okayish. Not the most exciting Drama ever but there were some funny scenes and the side couples were cute. I can't say the same about the main couple though. They seemed distant and I honestly couldn't stand Mi So's character. To me her ever lasting smile just seemed fake and therefore her relationship with Yeong Joon was not convincing. The last thing I want to mention is that this drama should have ended after ep 12 because after this point this drama was almost plot free and left me with the thought that the whole drama was boring. Was this review helpful to you?
The movie's not perfect, but I still love it :) Great music, great cinematography, and dialogue exchange on confessions ... I replay all the couple interactions between the two main characters, just because, I'm a sucker for make-out scenes.
WHAT CAN BE IMPROVED:
It would've been better if it included a backstory (as explained in the original novel) on how Cheng Zheng fell in love with Su Yunjin. Also, the movie did not provide more scenes on events that occurred, ultimately not giving enough time on characters to grow and develop properly throughout the story.
Otherwise, the movie is great. The ending was slightly disappointing because I wanted a more straightforward ending, but it opened up questions and allowed me to think about what should happen based on the decisions the couples have made in the story. It's a neutral ending and I didn't see anything bad from it.
By the way, this movie ending isn't the actual ending to the story. If you watch the MV version of the theme song to Never Gone you would see the perfect happy ending that most viewers would be looking for. *raises hand* :)
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This review may contain spoilers
Good movie, just kinda overhyped.
I liked this movie, the plot was really touching and beautiful it just was a little disappointing. I usually don't cry at the movies so I didn't expect to cry on this one. And it didn't happen. I don't know about the japanese version, but this one is just not really that sad, because this whole movie is just about life. Something that can happen to everyone. It's quite iluminating to be honest. It teaches you that you should be happy to remember every moment and enjoy it, because not everyone gets to do it. Also it teaches you that no matter how hard you will try some things you just can't change, because in the end Jaewon dies and Saeyoon only remembers him as a character that was in her life."Scars don't disappear. But the pain doesn't last forever. If everyone is forgetting you little by little then I'll try to remember you little by little." This line is so beautiful, it made me think of other lines in songs that really fit their story for example "If the moon went dark tonight and if it all ended tomorrow, would I be the one on your mind, your mind, your mind? And if it all ended tomorrow, would you be the one on mine?", "Sometimes I just can't believe, You happened.", "And God knows that I am the girl I am because of you, You know I'll always think of you, I'll love you 'til the end of time" and "You're just a stranger I know everything about."
I've never watched anything with Shin Shi-ah, that's why her acting was a nice surprise. I'm really excited for her next projects. She really reminds me of Jisoo and Wonhee when I was looking at her face.
GOOD POINTS
- I really liked Jimin's character, she was really a good friend.
- The scenes before Jaewon's death were really beautiful, even if the movie was happening in the past year it felt really nostalgic.
BAD POINTS
- I don't really like Choo Young-woo's acting, it feels like he always plays the same character. He's good at playing this nonchalant, emotionally closed character because this is the only emotion he can show. Other actors had to work for him to make his emotions visible.
- I feel really disappointed by the fact that we never got to see Saeyoon's past before Jaewon and also how Jaewon's dad felt right after his wife's and his son's death.
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One word for SFD: Epic
Four words for SFD: Epic But With FlawsLet’s break it down -:
❌ The flaws:
☠️ Power inbalance b/w the dragons:
Two of them are clearly the stars (Sambong/Yi Bang Won). Two of them feel like very endearing supporting characters. (Bang ji/ Mu hyul) Two of them are disguised idiots who insult the term. (Boon Yi/General Syeong Hi) The acting prowess also varies in the same order. (Deteriorating as it descends)
☠️ Boring Middle:
Except of a few outstanding scenes the middle of the show does come with a lot of 'meh'. Endless, tiresome and less than impressive politics. Where the writers keep trying to find new and new problems for the main guys to fight against, often not even properly solving the previous ones. I almost put the show on-hold here.
☠️ Shitty antagonists:
Except one, all antagonists are pretty mediocre with lame strategies and they keep getting replaced. As soon as a villain gains solid footing and identity, the show do's away with it in some way. Makes the back and forth a bit boring since the good guys are way too strong and for a very long time SFD does not take any risks.
☠️ Cop-Outs:
Again, the middle is problematic. The show uses huge ass convenient plot devices to get out of complications and some illogical things don't add up.
☠️ Character Development:
This is also a strength of the drama. While for some the CD is brilliant, others (Bang Ji/Moo Hyul) could do with more of it. Friendship/brotherhood is one of the highlights of SFD, however it could've easily been more explored and impactful.
☠️ No good female characters:
Literally all of them suck/are weak af except one and she isn't even a major role. The female lead is like a blank brainless floppy fish with her wide eyes and sputtering lips. I wanted to slap her silly
✅ The Epic:
👑 Yi Bang Won. Yi Bang Won. Yi Bang Won 👑
The most fleshed out/dynamic/well developed character of the show and easily one of the best anti-heroes in K-Drama History. He's simply wonderful. Yoo Ah In did the acting of a lifetime- Out of this world.
Among a sea of self-righteous fuckers, he's a hell wrecker. He's evil, good, kind, reckless, weak, strong, deadly, vulnerable, lonely, childish, manipulative, magnificent, insecure, ambitious, a mastermind but above all- he's wholly human. I just don't have enough words. He was the biggest and at times, the only reason I stuck with this show till the end. The moment SFD plunged into monotony, Yi Bang Won was the one who changed the course with all that shit he stirred up. I haven't been this in love with a character, since Empress Ki's Emperor. Truly excellent.
✔️ Music:
Holy fuck. This is without a doubt the best OST I have ever heard. Whether it be lyrical or instrumental, whether it be sung by characters or played in the background- every song was perfect. Perfectly timed, perfectly meaningful and perfectly emotional. Just perfect.
✔️Action/Swordsmanship:
Some of the best action scenes in a drama can be scene in SFD. They are always important too because our guys emote with their blades and no fight is meaningless.
✔️High Quality Production:
Beautiful camera work. Brilliant direction amd screenplay. Very pretty angles. Gorgeous sceneries. Crisp cinematography
✔️Suspense:
The drama has some legit chill inducing, goosebump worthy scenes and some brilliant cliffhangers that promise something exquisite in the next ep. What's more is the next ep always delivers on its promise. So every episode has a great start, a great end and an okay-ish middle.
✔️Last couple of episodes:
While the show significantly picks up at episode 30 and maintains the level of great, the last few eps are just plain awesomeness. My heart was hurting, breaking, sputtering, palpitating and melting all at the same time.
✔️Moral Dilemmas:
Fickle human nature at its finest.
✔️Sambong/Moo Hyul/Li Bang Ji:
The acting done hy Kim Hyung Min is spectacular- Sambong is a genius. The sexy and passive Bang Ji and the big man with a big heart Moo Hyul are all golden aspects of the show.
✔️The End:
Very satisfying.
✔️History:
Most historically accurate show I've watched. It's almost all there. All real.
✔️ 50 hours worth, is it easy to watch?
Yes and no. Some episodes are so gripping and well-executed that you can't help but bulldoze through but some drag enough that you have to actually motivate yourself to push forward.
☑️ Conclusion:
The Epic far outweigh The Flaws. This is a show that is a must-have under your belt as a drama fan. A classic that lives up to the hype.
Definitely reccomended.
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BRIDGERTON BUT MAKE IT CHINESE!!!
Finally there’s something new and fresh coming from C-drama!!I trully recommend this drama especially to those who watch bridgerton! At first I thought the story would be all about 3rd daughter & the restaurant owner, but i didnt expect this series to have developing stories episode by episode. Totally invested in their dramaa
at first i was hesitant to watch bcs i thought it would be boring to watch drama with historical background ( chinese dynasty etc) but it turns out to be great! it is delivered in such a modern way that for me, is easy to understand. it maybe confusing to understand the chinese background & old ancient culture but after watching this, i am totally interested!!
recommended!!
[add]: deeply in lovee with the 4th daughter storyline!! wish they have more drama together in the future!! props to the male lead too, very good acting!!
also props to the casting director! i think they really did a great job!!
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Ever read a fanfiction written by a twelve-year-old whose biggest concept of conflict is that she doesn’t have a boyfriend even though she’s only twelve? Now, imagine if this twelve-year-old had rich parents who paid for the most top-notch cinematography in order to make this fanfiction into a television production. And there you have it; this is what Long For You felt like from beginning to end.
I’ll give the production crew props for such pretty promotional posters and consistently beautiful shots throughout the drama. I genuinely appreciate their efforts in presentation which frequently resulted in brilliant results. But "don't judge a book by its cover" gets a whole new kind of importance in this show's context.
The story was absolute crap. That MDL has this listed as related to You Who Came from the Stars is an absolute insult to the Korean drama industry. I didn’t even like that drama as much as most people did, but I can still say with utmost confidence that You Who Came from the Stars would mop the floor with Long For You any day of the week. Aside from similar plot elements, you can’t even begin to compare the two. Forget being on the same level. They aren’t even in the same building. Or continent.
I have honestly never been so frustrated by a drama plot due to its lack of proper flow. What exacerbated this was the fact that the synopsis was the reason I started watching it: what’s not to like about a story that combines supernatural elements with romance? Yet, Long For You somehow took an interesting concept and turned it into something that was worse than nothing. The stunning cinematography was wasted on a plot that, again, felt like it was straight out of the mind of an immature pre-teen.
Conflict in this drama never feels like conflict. It always feels like a very slight inconvenience. Take for example, the main female character. You can tell from the story’s summary that she’s lonely as all hell. But the most we get of this characterization in the actual show is at most one minute of her being like, “Oh, woe is me. I am so. So. Lonely.” Are you now? Because I’m sorry, but just saying that you’re lonely doesn’t mean sh*t, especially when it only comes up once or twice. The problems in this show were written trivially, almost like the writers couldn’t wait to get back to the romance, but felt the necessity to include something else.
It was quite the shame, as well, that the romance sucked. There was zero chemistry between the main couple and zero logic behind their getting together other than the dramaland rule that states "main female lead and main male lead must end up together." For me, every time I saw them on screen, it was easier to picture them as brother and sister than a couple. Gross. The secondary couple was comparatively much more fun to watch, in addition to the situational pairing of the two male leads. These two pairings made this show slightly bearable.
We now arrive at one of two reasons why I didn’t drop this show like a hot potato: Song Wei Long. Not his acting, though. Kid’s got a long way to go. But there’s just something about those not-yet-legal-age eyebrows that entrance you. I swear I’m not being creepy. Going off of this, though, none of the acting really captured me as being amazing. Though, I imagine it must’ve been hard for the actors to play characters that are about as dimensional as a piece of paper that has been transported into the first dimension.
I’ll conclude this review with the second reason why I kept watching. I just wanted to see how bad it could get. It’s been a while since I’ve completed watching such an utter trainwreck. I’m sure you’ve gathered, but it only got worse with time.
(Also, if you would like to spare the production crew with the excuse that 20 minutes an episode at 20 episodes total is too short to do anything amazing, I will ask you to contact the closest weeaboo available. They can provide you a very long list of anime that construct stories infinitely better than this show's. And in only half the episode count.)
tl;dr: I'm more disappointed in myself for finishing this than I am in the producers of this show.
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Great start, a bit lousy middle but with meh outcome
Her story is exactly like as every lead of revenge drama has: Death of family member-killer is unknown-desire of revenge-getting ready for mission-undercover (ah this thing is a must)-a lot of killings and action-big disclosure of killer (the ultimate twist)- then revenge is done! so yeah it is the same path as it's always been but just a little change we have a girl... who can fight well.. very well, very very well, and honestly, it's entertaining.It's quite predictable, none of the 'twists' really shocked me or made me "What? Whoa!... or what just happened now?" (maybe there's only one scene as an exception), from the beginning I almost knew who was the real villain.. so the thing is the big revelation isn't surprising at all... maybe you'll end up saying, ah I knew it! so yeah you're definitely getting the satisfaction from your guesses being spot on lol But it's intriguing and story dynamics are interesting as well. I mean who doesn't love to see badass FL, who loves to win every time and is an expert in beating people. So even though it's not the best plot out there but something that'll entertain you.
Characters are one-dimensional and kinda stereotyped, their actions are only as of the story want and what the story needs. Maybe it's the time factor that affects here, we don't get to explore characters well... even the leads, we only see one side of them.
Ji Woo is shown as one man oops my bad one-woman army (literally)... I mean she just kinda fights with a looot of people and never actually loses lol which is quite unrealistic... I mean almost everyone is armed and trained fighters but I don't think there's a need for realism for this kind of drama. She has the ultimate goal for her life so yeah she does nothing else other than that basically no life. She's rash and impulsive which end up making a lot of trouble for her.. but we don't get the cliche personal development thing out of this one lol.. she's reckless till the end. We've our lead character flawed not the ideal or moral one, well this one adds points for me. Han So Hee did a really good job, especially with the fighting scene.
Moo Jin's presence kinda overshadows everyone or mostly it's coz of Park Hee Soon brilliant performance. I truly enjoyed his acting and seeing him on the screen lol.. even though he is well you know. His character was interesting and had more shades than anyone.
Pil Do ah the character to get the story where it should... I wasn't connected to his story, even his backstory was more like, let's make characters having tragic backstories. So just we can emphasize with them, wasn't a great tactic :')
It was going well till it wasn't... coz then they have to add some unnecessary bits, I was literally like... "WHY? this wasn't needed" things are just thrown to you without any context, and we just have to accept it even though they make no sense at all!
Cinamatographically it's good... having that typical Netflix touch. The color palette goes well with the tone of the drama. I loved the soundtrack again this one Netflix thing lol, there aren't many songs only a few but more than enough and perfectly fitting. Bgm was also good, in the start is a bit off, but it gets better with time.
Action: Fighting scenes is the thing I truly enjoyed... they were entertaining and satisfactory lol, not too much but enough.
This isn't out-of-the-box or extraordinary but definitely an interesting watch. I was hooked from the very first episode and never stopped pressing the next episode till the end so yeah quite addictive too, best to binge
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This review may contain spoilers
Characters are so different!!!
The main leads are crazyyy. A mobster/ex-con that runs a meat business with previous ex-cons and make a change for the better. Is paired with a pretty, bubbly girl that likes to play and entertain kids and sees it as a dream come true and not just for rent and taxes. #DreamJobBut I don’t think in all the Kdramas I’ve watched, it’s crazy to see a gangster that’s very sweet and nice and welcoming. not violent at all. Even his employees, they’re all so sweet. The actors are so well picked. love it all soooo much!!! 🥰😍🥰😍🥰
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Story | The whole doppelgänger scenario where something happens to one so the other fills their place. There's also love, loss, family drama etc. The whole works. Story may be a little confusing at first. It goes back and forth through time to explain situations later on. Also give you a headache from trying to guess what is actual and what is not.
Cast | From the main roles to the supporting roles, I loved everyone who was casted. I haven't watched Ji Hoon in a drama since Goong and it was weird seeing him with this serious role at first. But his acting was superb! His character change was natural and nicely paced. Him and Soo Ae were great together. I liked their chemistry but at times I felt like there was more emotion from Ji Hoon's character and it didn't match Soo Ae's as well as I'd hoped. Even so, I loved them as the leads.
Jung Hoon and In Young were simply fantastic! Their acting/chemistry together was spot on. And you know an actor has done their job when you can't fully hate or love their character.
Supporting cast was great too! Family, friends, loan sharks etc I loved. This drama has me waiting for the day when Hoya gets a lead in a drama. And just have to say, Min Woo's assistant was by far the best supporting character in that entire drama.
Music | Besides the instrumentals for scenes, I don't remember much so my score is low.
Rewatch | It's hard to say. There was much suspense in this drama that it'll be hard to watch again since all the twist and turns won't be as surprising. One day I know i'll come back to it because I seriously adored Ji Hoon's acting but as for now, probably not. That's the only reason my score is so low.
Overall | Honestly, maybe the best drama for 2015. I loved it. Truly. I had so many emotions while watching, god..it was terrible! So many twists and turns to keep you into the story. At some point you may think "ok, really. more?" but I was honestly ok with all the back and forth-ness of it all. It made 20 episode go by fairly quickly and though some may say it dragged, there wasn't a boring episode in this entire drama. Give it a try, at least the first 3-5 episodes.
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This review may contain spoilers
Abusive Jerk Guy His Boss (watch suggestions)
Overall: I was hoping this would be the bodice ripper BL version of What's Wrong With Secretary Kim, but the abuse, idiotic decisions, repetitive plot and love rivals ruined the series for me. 12 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4736/bad-guy-my-boss-2024-e01 Later aired on YouTube https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJx-XkJhYuVf6ejPVOOW2e3hwO8XfFMPO&si=QS9_ZMVBzioZJHRH and Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/41071c-bad-guy-my-bossContent Warnings: murder, attempted murder, blood, violence, intimate partner abuse, non con kissing, manipulation, manhandling, stalking, drugging, kidnapping
Watch Suggestions (takes out love triangle/business stuff/violence and instead focus on cute/steamy scenes)
- watch episode 1
- episode 2 watch 27:40-29:40
- episode 3 watch ep 2 recap up to 3 min, 15:20-17:30 (which is a flashback) and 31 to the end
- episode 4 watch 4:30-8
- episode 5 watch 28-38:30
- episode 6 watch 12-13, 16-16:50 and 20-22
- episode 7 watch 36:30-38
- episode 8 watch 5:25-5:55 and 9:30-10:30
- episode 9 watch 6:30-7:15, 31-34:30, 39-41:06
- episode 10 watch 14:30-15:15, 19:30-23:15, 25:30-28:30 and 38:30-42:30
- skip episode 11
- episode 12 watch 2-5:40, 7:30-9:15, 24-26:10 and 37 to the end
What I Liked
- what I thought was the premise based on ep 1
- established 1 protagonist as queer and sexually active
- caring/sweet moments
- visuals
- the ex girlfriend accepted the rejection once it was made clear
- Kim made something clear to Pat towards the end, with a breadcrumb that he might find a different romantic relationship
Room For Improvement
- two of the characters were abusive yet we were supposed to root for their romantic relationships with non-abusive partners, examples of abuse included: physically violent (manhandling, choking, shove), manipulative, ignored boundaries, controlling, enacted retribution for perceived slights, one character shot a guy in the head and the next day the viewer is supposed to root for his romantic relationship...
- too many love rivals/love triangles
- there were many flashbacks/flash forwards and I was not sure a couple times where we were in the timeline including the intro (or was that a dream and not a flash forward...), this was worse in the beginning and not an issue later on
- the daydreams and what actually happened needed more differentiation
- a character had a terrible "plan", he acted like a total jerk (which granted is in the title) but had zero character growth
- bad production value things like music not fitting the mood, odd angles, odd 360 rotating shot in episode 2 when a character was talking to his friend
- cartoony villain who was sitting on a black couch in an empty warehouse sipping wine
- nonsense stuff: zero logical reason for why a character didn't communicate his feelings at the end of episode 9, why kidnap/kill the boyfriend when he could have kidnapped/killed the actual guy
- a CEO ordered around doctors and police officers, police not included when they should have been
- too much business drama in the final episode
- in episode 12 the kiss went on for way too long and Elyes was an idiot for not realizing why Pat was upset
- waited until the very last second for Elyes to say "I love you" to Pat
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